Posted on 11/19/2016 10:21:25 AM PST by Kaslin
Since my Ringside Politics radio and TV programs started in 1999, I have enjoyed an annual Thanksgiving tradition of bestowing a “Turkey of the Year” award to the most deserving celebrity or politician. Of course, these are “winners” who distinguished themselves in a particularly foolish way. Previous winners have included filmmaker Michael Moore, former House Speakers John Boehner and Nancy Pelosi, President Barack Obama and former New Orleans Mayor, current federal inmate, Ray Nagin.
This year, the list of nominations was almost endless. It has been a political year like no other, but it has been dominated by one person, President-elect Donald Trump. He burst onto the political scene as a businessman and outsider who was tired of the insufferable weight of political correctness. He declared his goal was to “Make America Great Again,” by “draining the swamp” around Washington D.C. and putting “America First.”
It all started on June 16, 2015 before a huge crowd at the Trump Tower in New York City. In his initial speech, Trump claimed that the country needed a wall on the southern border and that Mexico would pay for it. He also lambasted Mexico for “sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”
Immediately, Trump was labeled a racist and the media started to ridicule his presidential plans. There were also efforts to financially harm Trump’s business empire. His Miss Universe show was dropped by television networks, the first indication that his presidential aspirations would be met with fierce opposition.
n the GOP race, Trump faced 16 seasoned challengers, many of them are members of the Republican Party establishment. These candidates were quick to condemn Trump whenever he made a controversial comment. Many issues arose that gave his opponents fodder. Trump’s statements about Megyn Kelly of Fox News, Senator John McCain, and an Indiana judge presiding over the Trump University legal case caused continual controversy.
After he secured the Republican presidential nomination, there were other controversies such as his statements about a Muslim father who lost a son in the Iraq War, a former Miss Universe and his infamous remarks about women captured on a 2005 tape recording which was conveniently released to deflect from the WikiLeaks disclosures about Hillary Clinton. The icing on the political cake occurred when 12 women came forward to allege Trump sexually assaulted them.
In every one of these incidents, Trump was viciously attacked by the usual collection of news reporters, Hollywood celebrities and liberal politicians. Unfortunately, they were joined by many Republican politicians who were eager to be critical of Trump and unwilling to support his candidacy, even after he secured the nomination.
Former Republican Presidents George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush refused to endorse Trump, as did 2012 Republican Party presidential nominee Mitt Romney. U.S. Senator and 2008 Republican Party presidential nominee John McCain was among several prominent Republicans who withdrew their support after the 2005 tape was released.
Joining these political leaders was a collection of conservative misfits in the media and political worlds who refused to endorse Trump. This group became known as the “Never Trumpers” and included radio talk show host Glenn Beck, commentators Erick Erickson, George Will and Bill Kristol and Senators Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Jeff Flake of Arizona. Many of these individuals bitterly opposed Trump, even though he won the nomination fairly and faced Hillary Clinton, a corrupt liberal, in the general election.
From this “Never Trump” universe, I selected my three Ringside Politics Turkeys of 2016. These were the worst of this motley crew because they were presidential candidates who betrayed their party and reneged on a promise to support the nominee. All 17 GOP presidential candidates signed a pledge to officially endorse the eventual party nominee. Unfortunately, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham and Ohio Governor John Kasich placed their own political interests in front of their party and their country.
Not only did they make a horrific mistake, but they looked quite foolish in the process. Graham said that “If we nominate Trump, we will get destroyed.......and we will deserve it.” Not quite Lindsey, as Trump won 31 states and collected 306 electoral votes, the most won by a Republican presidential candidate since 1988. Jeb Bush who was embarrassed by Trump and famously labeled “low energy” acted like a petulant child and refused to endorse anyone, and indicated he would vote for a third-party candidate.
While Graham and Bush acted poorly, the most egregious political violation of the year was committed by Ohio Governor John Kasich. He not only refused to endorse Trump but later confessed to writing in the name of John McCain as his presidential choice.
Kasich declined to participate in the Republican National Convention which was held in his home state of Ohio. He did not welcome the delegates nor attend any of the events which culminated in Trump’s nomination. He was under the delusion that he was the “most electable” Republican presidential candidate even though he only won one primary in his home state of Ohio. In contrast, Trump won 37 states and four times the number of delegates as his nearest competitor.
In a year of the Trump political revolution, where one candidate defeated the combined forces of the political, business, media and globalist establishment, these three Republican Turkeys did not join the historic party.
Sadly, Graham, Bush and Kasich put their selfish interests first and lost badly. Their only consolation is that they are the clear winners of the 2016 Ringside Politics Turkey of the Year Award.
Donald Trump Breaks Lindsey Graham Like a Boy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3PQOP6eax8
Paul Ryan - John Kasich - Mitt Romney would be my top 3 backstabbers. -Tom
Or, KGB for short.
At least, Ryan was halfway in. He at least showed up to the convention and played nice. I’d say the Bush’s, Romney and Kasich. Honorable mention to the Utah pseudo-conservatives. Lyndsey graham is deserving but not relevant enough to include in the list. He’s a bit player at best.
Kaysuck, Yeb!b and Grahamnesty were only interested in keeping the Cheap Labor Express running, to hell with American citizens and the rule of law.
The same applies to McCain, Flake, the rest of the Bush family (including the ineligible George P. Bush, despite his politically expedient pledge to vote for Trump, does anyone know for sure that he did?), and all the neverTrumpers at National Review.
How could I forget Romney, backstabber-in-chief?
[Sadly, Graham, Bush and Kasich put their selfish interests first and lost badly. Their only consolation is that they are the clear winners of the 2016 Ringside Politics Turkey of the Year Award.]
TURKEY(S) IN THE STRAW
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2Ntl1uIHVc
Bush I don’t care about because he is done.
We will never hear from him again.
Kasich is a two faced, self serving,backstabbing prick and I look forward to sending him packing in some ignominious manner.
Linda is a peculiar animal suffering from mange and not taking very good care of the pack, so as to enrich himself.
He needs to be sent to pasture and replaced with someone who would never be loathsome in character as that pitiful, sad and confused, mealy mouth moron.
Friends should be held closely, and enemies - even closer?
We shall see what comes out of this weekend.
Who knows, maybe Mitt will have a “come to Jesus” moment.
**former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham and Ohio Governor John Kasich placed their own political interests in front of their party and their country.**
Big mistake for these three.
That's good, I'll remember those three whenever I think of, or see KGB.
It's a nice visual image as well, kinda like, 1 for 38 Kasich, Lightweight Graham, Low Energy Jeb.
Others that bring an immediate and accurate visualization: Crooked Hillary, Goofy Elizabeth (Warren), Lyin' Ted, Little Marco, Truly weird Senator Rand Paul, Crazy Bernie.
He needs to find a nice label for Nancy Pelosi.
Besides President Bush did the right thing by voting None of the above and concentrating instead on the congressional election.
The only useful suggestion I have seen is putting him in charge of cleaning up the VA.
YOU REALLY ARE AN IGNORANT BIRTHER AND I WOULD BE EMBARRASSED TO SUCH A STUPID COMMENTS LIKE YOU DO
I’d be embarrassed to say a Republican President did the right thing by not voting for the Republican nominee.
Alinsky disciple
“Birtherism” is the greatest Alinsky ever perpetrated.
They have gotten the American people to reject one of the most valuable safeguards bequeathed to us by the founders.
The natural born citizen clause served us well until we ignored it.
Barry Soetoro/Barack Hussein Obama should be proof enough of the wisdom of the founders when they tried to prevent him from being President by requiring someone who could only be a US citizen and nothing else.
Born here of citizen parents.
Naturally a US citizen because there is no other possibility.
One cannot be anything else and also be a natural born citizen.
It does not matter if he was born in Hawaii if his father was a foreign national.
Children of foreign nationals inherit the nationality of their foreign national parent(s).
Natural born citizen means born here of citizen parents.
No other possible citizenship(s).
Only when one cannot be anything else can one be a natural born citizen.
No foreign birth.
No foreign parent(s)
No foreign citizenship(s)
No foreign influence on the Presidency is what John Jay stated in a letter to George Washington as the reason for insisting on a natural born citizen.
Obama told us he was born a British subject.
Who believes Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Jay, Monroe, Madison, etc. would have found him to be a natural born citizen?
Who believes they would have thought the recently deceased King of Thailand was eligible to be President?
He was born in Cambridge MA.
Usurpation Day, January 20, 2009, happened with the complete cooperation of both parties.
They want the Constitution changed without the hassle of amending the Constitution.
Confuse people about the clear meaning of a three word phrase and voila, every anchor baby and Winston Churchill is eligible.
The bench was the reason the GOP went along with the fig leaf resolution for McCain that was used by the Democrats as cover for Obama.
Jindal, Rubio, Haley, George P. Bush and Cruz were all up and comers and the future of the party and ineligible.
The truth of the Kenyanesian Usurpation will never see the light of day because both parties cooperated in the violation of the Constitution
my top pick...
remained silent in the face of Hillary Clinton’s treachery and a clear better choice for the nation
when Trump is done, his unmatched Conservatism will frame this person for exactly who he became this election cycle
the person was no friend of this nation
the person was no friend of the Constitution
the person was no friend of the rule of law
he was no friend of Conservatism
he was no friend of the Framers
the Framers would know him for exactly who he was
he was the consummate loser
he stabbed the nation, the Framers, and all of us in the back
But the most delicious part of this whole thing is, Trump won all of their states without their support. So what does that mean about them and how worthwhile their support was.
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