Posted on 07/22/2015 2:30:28 PM PDT by Kaslin
Last week, 2016 presidential candidate Donald Trump dropped his second headline-making comment of the race. Responding to statements from Senator John McCain, R-Ariz., in which McCain labeled Trump's supporters on immigration "crazies," Trump shot back that McCain wasn't a war hero, because he had been captured. "I like people who weren't captured," Trump said, paraphrasing a 2008 Chris Rock routine in Michael Scott-like fashion.
Trump's shot was mean, nasty, uncalled for, and idiotic.
The media world immediately declared Trump's campaign over. A few days before the comments, Huffington Post -- a publication created by onetime failed California gubernatorial candidate Arianna Huffington -- announced that it would feature Trump in its entertainment section rather than its politics section. The Wall Street Journal editorial board opined, "It came slightly ahead of schedule, but Donald Trump's inevitable self-immolation arrived on the weekend when he assailed John McCain's war record. The question now is how long his political and media apologists on the right will keep pretending he's a serious candidate."
Trump's rival candidates leapt on the opportunity to throw dirt on Trump's political grave. Governor Rick Perry, R-Texas, said, "I have no confidence that he could adeptly lead our nation's armed forces. His comments over the weekend should completely and immediately disqualify him from seeking our nation's highest office." Senator Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said, "I do think it's a disqualifier as commander in chief." Both trail Trump substantially in the polls.
Trump will, and ought to, take a serious hit in those polls after his McCain idiocy. But he will not go down this easily. That's because Trump exemplifies two qualities many Republican voters seek: brashness and an unwillingness to back down in the face of critics.
Trump's brashness is both his blessing and his curse -- but unlike Spider-Man, Trump seems unable to comprehend that with great power comes great responsibility. He says foolish things, and then refuses to back down from them. But that stubbornness seems to act as a counterweight to his brashness, in an odd way: Conservatives hungry for an unapologetic candidate resonate to Trump, even if he should apologize for his latest tomfoolery. Trump puts himself in a position to draw fire from both the establishment Republicans and the media; when he draws that fire, even for good reason, the base leaps to his defense.
Even better for Trump, his long history of making inane comments means that it will be tough for any one comment to finish him. Like Hillary Clinton on the Democratic side, Trump is so flawed a candidate that it's difficult to tell where the fatal flaw may lie. In such a scenario, flaws become assets. Trump has shifted his positions? Sure, but he's done so constantly -- he's a man of the moment, many believe, and thus we can believe whatever nostrum falls from his lips now. Trump has engaged in corrupt dealings? Sure, but he's so rich that he won't need to take payoffs, unlike those he's already paid off. Trump never shuts up? Well, at least he won't shut up when told to by those in power.
Upper echelon Republicans make a mistake in disqualifying Trump. Democrats never do this: Hillary won't call Bernie Sanders unfit for office, or vice versa. Trump will undoubtedly disqualify himself eventually, as well he should. Republicans can either learn from Trump's better qualities while discarding his worse ones, or they can try to destroy Trump as quickly as possible. The first strategy would be useful, the second wildly counterproductive. Unfortunately, as usual, the Republicans seem to be pursuing the worst possible option.
People like Trump because he tells it like it is.
“Trump’s shot was mean, nasty, uncalled for, and idiotic.”
I usually like Ben Shapiro, but every article he writes I have to stop reading and go, “again?”
When Trump wants something he feels worth fighting for, he can be merciless. Right now, a merciless leader is what this country needs, not some showboat politician that lies every time their lips move.
I’m giving Trump the benefit of the doubt until he changes my mind, I’ll back him.
Funny how they all throw in the ‘he will disqualify himself’, ‘he will quit’, and so forth. Nothing suggests this any more than when they said he was not serious or would not file his finance report.
I don't he says foolish things. The first was a summary of a large issue: "they send criminals". It's true. And that's ignoring the fact that an illegal is still here illegally no matter what else he does.
The second was clearly a quip, a jab at McCain. Proof: the crowd laughed...LOUDLY...it can be heard on the tape. It was about McCain.
Another bizarre childish Trump essay.
The valid criticism of Trump is that he is not a conservative, so why don’t ‘pundits’ make it instead of these silly psychobabble rants?
Because the media doesn’t print criticisms of politicians for not being conservative!
And these ‘pundits’ business is to be in the media.
****Trump has engaged in corrupt dealings? Sure, but he’s so rich that he won’t need to take payoffs, unlike those he’s already paid off.****
For his many enterprises to function (buildings, gambling etc.,}, he no doubt has made deals with politicians and regulators. He should come clean on why he mistrusts politicians and how such bribery is common, but totally un-American. But can he???? Will he??? Does he even care????
I like him more everyday as he plows on through the hype to give a voice to the issues we care about.
He didn't go far enough against the traitorous assclown McCain.
IMO, Monica Crowley hits the nail directly on the head...
“First and most importantly, he unabashedly champions America — and Americans. He has very effectively turned the tables on the left, which has weaponized its agenda against anyone who dares to disagree with it....Most Americans are sick of being turned into the enemy,...The subtext of Mr. Trump’s message? Stop making us the enemy. That’s immensely powerful.”
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jul/15/monica-crowley-the-real-reasons-donald-trump-is-su/
excerpt:
There are a few explanations, which have more to do with the conservative base than with Mr. Trump. No one knows if Mr. Trump will be able to maintain his momentum. But love him or hate him, agree with him or not, he is performing a number of critically important services from which the other candidates can learn, if they are smart enough to follow his lead (if not his brash style.)
First and most importantly, he unabashedly champions America — and Americans. He has very effectively turned the tables on the left, which has weaponized its agenda against anyone who dares to disagree with it. We are branded as racists, sexists, Islamophobes, homophobes and bigots, while they use the full force of government to force compliance.
Most Americans are sick of being turned into the enemy, stripped of both our hard-earned money to pay for the leftist agenda and our ability to feel good about ourselves in our own country. Further, by turning what Hillary Clinton calls “everyday Americans” into the enemy, the left has made it harder to see and deal with our real enemies, such as the Islamic State, Iran, Russia and the Muslim Brotherhood. The subtext of Mr. Trump’s message? Stop making us the enemy. That’s immensely powerful.
I don’t like anything about Trump except he’s pissing off the right people.
Trump has the guts to raise issues that mainstream GOP candidates pee their pants contemplating. The American people are incensed about our hemorrhaging southern border and are infuriated when illegals who should have been jailed and deported are murdering innocent citizens and are hiding in sanctuary cities. The mainstream GOP candidates listening to the same pollsters and pundits that gave us losing moderate candidates and two terms of Obama won’t touch these issues for fear of upsetting “moderates” or Latino voters who like Blacks block vote Democratic anyway. Trump has struck a cord with not only conservatives, but the old Reagan Democratsand the pundits and pollsters are clueless.
Closer than most. The part you cite is important.
The other three factors should just be: “He is not a media patsy”.
The media is “the leftist mafia-style intimidation racket”, “the professional political class” and “the “establishment”.
The country desperately wants and needs a government that represents them and not the media. We and the media have drastically different desires of the government.
This is turning into a "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore" populist campaign for him. He is likely getting some crossover votes too especially from blue collar males. They have lost the most ground in the PC world.
The powerbrokers are clueless as to the populist origins and they and the pundits have totally misread his appeal potential.
In his replies last weekend Trump said he had never asked God for forgiveness. What do you think of that?
He’s a Presbyterian. Apparently, they get elected. :>)
This is utterly incomprehensible to me. I guess I care not about the vile pop culture these days, so I don't get the references.
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