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Trump: Bush’s Stalking Horse?
PowerLine ^ | August 2, 2015 | Steven Hayward

Posted on 08/02/2015 11:21:23 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

In my interrogatories about Trump a week ago, I asked Trump enthusiasts the following question:

• Are you happy that Trump is essentially a stalking horse for Jeb Bush? If Trump wins some early primaries in a crowded field it will be with less than 20 percent of the vote, but it will likely cause the party establishment—such as still exists—to rally around Bush, just as Democrats rallied to Michael Dukakis in 1988 after Jesse Jackson swept a round of Super Tuesday primaries in the South and caused panic at DNC headquarters.

The New York Times reports today:

Donald J. Trump’s surge in the polls has been met with barely concealed delight by Jeb Bush and his supporters. Mr. Trump’s bombastic ways have simultaneously made it all but impossible for those vying to be the alternative to Mr. Bush to emerge, and easier for Mr. Bush, the former Florida governor, to position himself as the serious and thoughtful alternative to a candidate who has upended the early nominating process. . .

“The longer it goes, the greater the panic is going to build,” said Alex Castellanos, a longtime Republican strategist. “And that means you may not have the luxury to flirt with an undeveloped, budding candidate. Trump has set the Republican Party on fire, and if you’re going to put that fire out you don’t have time to waste. You’re going to have to grab the biggest blanket you got and throw it, and right now that’s Jeb.” . . .

Privately, Mr. Bush’s top strategists, who have become increasingly fixated on halting Mr. Walker, believe that Mr. Trump is nothing short of a godsend. That is because Mr. Trump is drawing support from voters — blue-collar, less-educated, more conservative — who are unlikely ever to support Mr. Bush but are essential to Mr. Walker’s candidacy.

Remember, Power Line was there first.


TOPICS: Campaign News; Parties
KEYWORDS: bush; gop; trump; walker
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To: Fhios
Hopefully, some will have dropped out by Christmas, too.

-PJ

41 posted on 08/03/2015 4:04:40 AM PDT by Political Junkie Too (If you are the Posterity of We the People, then you are a Natural Born Citizen.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

They must have gotten a look ar Karl Rove’s little white board. People are going to get a real surprise. Remember when this same crowd said a divorced actor would never win a primary? I do. :-)


42 posted on 08/03/2015 4:24:21 AM PDT by ThePatriotsFlag ( Anything FREELY-GIVEN by the government was TAKEN from someone else)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

If Bush and Jon Huntsman had offspring, it would be Kasich.


43 posted on 08/03/2015 4:40:44 AM PDT by perfect_rovian_storm
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Powerline is Owned by a huge Lib GOP DC insider and big Jeb bot supporter-Donor.
The fact he is letting fellow K street Amnesty lobbyists peddle there latest Chamber of Crony capitalist lies about Trump or Cruz ( another threat) is not a shock.

The DC crowd wants a owned K street boy like a Jebbie or Rubio or Walker.
The fact Walker has hired George Will wife and Smear merchant Dayspring to run his DC PAC and Romney campaign manager and ex RnC staff tell us who is the back up option for the Powerline lawyer crowd.

44 posted on 08/03/2015 5:01:19 AM PDT by ncalburt ( Amnesty-media out in full force)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
“The longer it goes, the greater the panic is going to build,” said Alex Castellanos, a longtime Republican strategist.

A fat, skanky political PIMP, that sells his "wisdom" to which ever cable news show that needs to fill 45 seconds with political, pimp blather. Alex is a shame to his mother.

45 posted on 08/03/2015 5:05:10 AM PDT by USS Alaska (Exterminate the terrorist savages, everywhere.)
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To: Catsrus
Keep an eye on Kasich. He isn’t doing too badly in the polls, and I like him more than Walker in many aspects.


46 posted on 08/03/2015 5:07:37 AM PDT by USS Alaska (Exterminate the terrorist savages, everywhere.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

The are no GOPe alternatives because the GOPe is dead to me.


47 posted on 08/03/2015 5:10:46 AM PDT by Caipirabob (Communists... Socialists... Democrats...Traitors... Who can tell the difference?)
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To: USS Alaska

LOL. You are entitled to vomit if you like. Kasich isn’t my candidate. I merely said I like him more than Walker. That doesn’t necessarily mean politically. I haven’t decided on a candidate yet. People read into my post what they want, and try to sway others away from their chosen candidate by childish cartoons such as the one you posted, or by tearing down another person’s choice. This is so high schoolish - trying to get people to side with their point of view and like the person they like. I don’t play those games.


48 posted on 08/03/2015 5:11:48 AM PDT by Catsrus (a and)
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To: USS Alaska

LOL. You are entitled to vomit if you like. Kasich isn’t my candidate. I merely said I like him more than Walker. That doesn’t necessarily mean politically. I haven’t decided on a candidate yet. People read into my post what they want, and try to sway others away from their chosen candidate by childish cartoons such as the one you posted, or by tearing down another person’s choice. This is so high schoolish - trying to get people to side with their point of view and like the person they like. I don’t play those games.


49 posted on 08/03/2015 5:11:49 AM PDT by Catsrus (a and)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

To say Trump is a stalking horse for Jeb is pure BS. Bush with his pro illegal, name factor, RINO, establishment, etc. is history.


50 posted on 08/03/2015 5:20:53 AM PDT by kenmcg
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To: kenmcg

Bush is pretending that the "Trump surge" is great for him and the @nytimesworld is reporting Bush "delight" - con job, a Bush nightmare!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 3, 2015


51 posted on 08/03/2015 5:24:00 AM PDT by Jane Long ("And when thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek")
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Interesting points.....not sure how to take them tho.

Generally it appears that Trump hurts Bush but according to this article Trump helps Bush? The writer has some valid points. Bush needs to be knocked out before the Florida primary...if not he is the nom. Like it or not.

At some point Carson, Paul, Huckster supporters will have to make a choice because these three cannot win and support for them is support for Bush.


52 posted on 08/03/2015 5:26:00 AM PDT by rrrod (Just an old guy with a gun in his pocket.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Ask Jebbie if he thinks Trump is his stalking horse? LOL!


53 posted on 08/03/2015 5:31:18 AM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose o f a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
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To: LibWhacker
"Is Jebbie happy that about 9 million disaffected Republicans would never in a million years."

The odd thing.....I personally don't have any republican friends that would ever support Jeb....including me... But it was the same way with McPain.....

Go figure.....

54 posted on 08/03/2015 5:47:36 AM PDT by unread
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To: unread

I have not spoken with even one republican who would vote for Bush. Three million sat home on Romney. I would predict 6 million sit home if tragically Jebbie gets the nomination.


55 posted on 08/03/2015 5:58:16 AM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose o f a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
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To: Catsrus

Common core is as dangerous as it is intellectually dishonest. The fact that Kasich is an advocate of that Maoist crap is MORE THAN ENOUGH for me.

I would prefer to see Cruz or Trump in 2016.


56 posted on 08/03/2015 6:14:12 AM PDT by Prole
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Kasich is Bush.

And if it were possible, twice as boring........

57 posted on 08/03/2015 6:16:55 AM PDT by Lakeshark
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Who is it that likes Trump now but would vote for Jeb Bush if Trump were to drop out? Nobody. These guys are using rubber hoses to blow smoke up their own asses.


58 posted on 08/03/2015 8:14:20 AM PDT by servo1969
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Trump will siphon enough conservative votes away from the other candidates to ensure that either he or Bush will get the nomination. If Bush gets it, maybe he’ll run 3rd party after claiming some slight or insult. Then we’ll be left with Bush vs Clinton vs the billionaire all over again.


59 posted on 08/03/2015 9:21:41 AM PDT by Reaper19
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To: rrrod

There is no way a Trump Supporter will ever become a Jebster Supporter, ever.

The more the Jebster speaks, he will find himself pushing his fence sitting Supporters over to Trump. There is only so much PC crap he can deal out before people go WTF?

I really thought his sad story of his Tanned Son being picked on, especially living in the Land of Bronze Florida, was one of the most inane things anyone could make up, but he actually said it. Bush is a Maroon.


60 posted on 08/03/2015 9:36:48 AM PDT by Kickass Conservative (THEY LIVE, and we're the only ones wearing the Sunglasses... RIP Roddy Piper.)
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