Posted on 06/19/2015 10:52:26 AM PDT by nickcarraway
At FiveThirtyEight, we like to celebrate outliers. LeBron James’s Cleveland Cavaliers may end up losing in the NBA Finals, but James’s performance has been outlandishly good. In the same vein, I want to congratulate Donald Trump, who reportedly will declare today that he is running for president.
Trump is the anti-LeBron — popularity is performance in politics, and Trump is the first candidate in modern presidential primary history to begin the campaign with a majority of his own party disliking him. A whopping 57 percent of Republicans have an unfavorable view of Trump, according to an average of the three most recent polls. That beats former record holder Pat Buchanan, who had a 43 percent unfavorable rating at this point in the 2000 election cycle.1 Buchanan, of course, ended up running as an independent.
Taking into account name recognition, Trump’s net favorability rating (favorable minus unfavorable) of -32 percentage points stands out for its pure terribleness at this point in the campaign. Like his unfavorable rating, it is by far the worst of the 106 presidential candidates since 1980 who are in our database.
For this reason alone, Trump has a better chance of cameoing in another “Home Alone” movie with Macaulay Culkin — or playing in the NBA Finals — than winning the Republican nomination.
http://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewkaczynski/make-america-great-again#.apJV2zly6
15 years ago.
I think he’s more supportive of gun rights, now:
(that article is from this week)
http://www.amazon.com/The-America-Deserve-Donald-Trump/dp/1580631312
He’s doing a great job of giving all the right people hissy fits. Immensely fun to watch. I hope he does well.
I don’t know whether Trump will turn out to be a serious candidate, although he could hardly be less serious than some of the others who have declared their candidacy. What I do know, however, is that it is refreshing and long overdue for a candidate for national office to declare passionately and convincingly that his primary goal is to restore American greatness. I can only imagine how some of our greatest prior presidential advocates of American exceptionalism would fare if they had to stand for election in the politically-correct, dumbed-down, head-in-the-sand, spineless age in which many Americans seem to live today.
If you find anything anywhere where he has reversed that position please provide it, otherwise you're still just grasping at straws.
They probably also polled a lot of FR subscribers. ;-D
Beg pardon??
I do understand the frustration on the part of those who support "the only true conservative" in the race, you know, the one who sold the nation to his family's benefactors.
But perhaps we could go on a hunt for quotes from those other candidates reaching back 15 or more years...maybe we'll find some gems there too?
It's one thing when you discover all politicians are scoundrels that will lie to you. It's a whole nuther ballgame when you discover that there's a cult of personality on Free Republic.
It was NEVER that way in the olden days. This used to be the PREMIER INTELLECTUAL SITE ON THE INTERNET for open, honest political discussion.
All would do well to stick to current facts. You're leaving your political legacy on these pages. Your grandkids may one day read what your wrote.
Don't get fooled again.
Well I just did a quick google search, I didn’t find anything on assault weapons ban more recent than before 2000.
I don’t see anything for it. I don’t see anything against it.
Maybe someone else can help? He says he’s for the second amendment now, and seems to be pretty strong in that.
I would look for a non-biased bit of information please, if anyone knows of more recent statements by Trump on this?
Also, you do realize there is no such thing as an "assault weapon", don't you? And that by ever supporting such a moronic ban he fell for the liberal Dianne Feinstein created myth that we must ban guns based on cosmetic appearances? You would even consider giving this man your vote? Wow.
Again you’re going in circles. Bye.
Yes, it's amazing what some people will change their minds on....once they start running for office.
Ahh, yes, ye olden days of 1999.
Does it matter what Hillary of Obama said/did before 1999 or is Chump the only one who gets a free pass?
I really believe that.
I very strongly believe in the second amendment. It is one of my big issues.
If Trump is really a gun-grabber I’ll abandon him like a hot potato.
I just don’t see him that way. I honestly don’t.
Of course, I have a safe full of the innocuous little bast@rds.
First of all, I never said I was going to vote for Trump. I may not vote. Or I may vote for another GOP candidate. Or I may vote for Trump.
But I am very, very happy Trump is making these hypocrites in the Republican party answer for their ANTI-AMERICAN POSITIONS ON THE IMPORTANT ISSUES OF THE DAY.
Ultimately, my political philosophy is: First the GOP must Die. Everything else comes after that.
And, I think, that's the source of my Trump affinity.
It's time for a good slash, and burn it to the ground populist.
But, I might disagree with you vehemently.
“Words are not deeds, my friend. A wise person judges others by what they DO, not by what they SAY.”
I have been vainly trying to get that concept across about the DIFFERENCE between what Cruz says and what people say he says, and how he VOTES for the Obama agenda in the Senate, namely, the sovereignty killing TPA and the Iranian bill allowing Iran to continue building nuclear weapons.
Speaking of military, Trump can't even be truthful about that.
Speaking of military, Trump can't even be truthful about that.
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