Posted on 07/23/2015 8:46:45 AM PDT by Kaslin
After a few days of vacation, I wondered whether the Donald Trump phenomenon would have burnt itself out somewhat, as it did four years ago in a summer fizzle. Instead, Trump’s polling has strengthened nearly to the same level as in the spring of 2011 among Republican primary voters. So why is Trump picking this time to threaten to leave the GOP? The Hill’s exclusive interview with the mogul this morning includes a demand for fairness from the RNC from Trump, with an explicit warning that Trump may consider a third-party run:
“The RNC has not been supportive. They were always supportive when I was a contributor. I was their fair-haired boy,” the business mogul told The Hill in a 40-minute interview from his Manhattan office at Trump Tower on Wednesday. “The RNC has been, I think, very foolish.”
Pressed on whether he would run as a third-party candidate if he fails to clinch the GOP nomination, Trump said that “so many people want me to, if I don’t win.”
“I’ll have to see how I’m being treated by the Republicans,” Trump said. “Absolutely, if they’re not fair, that would be a factor.”
Two aspects of this strike me as strange. First, it seems a tad bit whiny for a multibillionaire who publicly backed Hillary Clinton for VP seven years ago to complain that the RNC may be unfair to him. Isn’t this the same man who claims to be fearless because he’s not beholden to anyone? And what precisely would “unfairness” look like, anyway? No one’s talking about locking Trump out of the debates — at least not yet.
Trump extends the umbrella to other Republicans as well, which seems to suggest that he doesn’t want to face any tough criticism, even as he’s ripping them repeatedly from the campaign trail. That looks a bit thin-skinned, again rather surprising from a man whose selling point is his toughness and bluntness.
Second, this also looks a bit premature. Trump waited a while four years ago to start pressing the third-party run button, which ended up pressuring Republicans to come kiss the ring — most notably Mitt Romney, who took a lot of flak for it in the media due to Trump’s focus on birtherism. Trump’s ascending in the polls among Republican voters now, not descending, so why choose this moment to threaten to make their path to defeating Hillary Clinton more difficult? It’s true that some frustrated GOP voters have sympathy for a party schism, but in the past those impulses have coalesced around figures like Sarah Palin, who had a lifetime of solid conservative credentials — not someone who was backing Democrats until seven years ago, pushing Canadian-style health care reform, and demurring on action regarding late-term abortions.
Finally, one has to wonder just how seriously to take this. The threat’s not entirely an empty one, but it would take more dedication than Trump has shown thus far. His second-quarter fundraising numbers came to less than $2 million, all but $93,000 of it from his own pocket. The Republican and Democratic nominees will get on the ballots in the states because the state parties already have the infrastructure to manage that process. Ross Perot had to spend a ton of money — some his, much of it from donors — to replicate that as an independent, and so far Trump hasn’t put the time or money into the organization necessary to run a campaign within the GOP, let alone outside of the two-party system.
Trump’s most likely pulling the media’s chain and giving it a juicy narrative just for the sake of its juiciness. That’s a pretty good description of the whole Trump 2016 phenomenon, just as it was of the Trump 2012 phenomenon.
Update: Speaking of chain-pulling, here’s what Trump said about this literally the day before this interview while speaking with Dana Loesch (via Matthew Newman):
I spoke with 2016 contender Donald Trump today on my Blaze television program and asked him about sharing Lindsey Graham’s cell phone number with the public, the Planned Parenthood controversy, same sex marriage, what he would do to fix the VA, and whether he intends to run third party — which he flatly denied. Said Trump:
“I will only ever run as a Republican.”
Er … yeah.
that was the calculus in seting up this 16 candidate fiasco.
Trump has ruined jeb’s plans and turned jeb into a back of the packer.
Lindsay gram is not even a blip on a pimple. Perry is not even a scratch on the blip on a pimple.
I speak Trump. He has no interest in a third party. This is just an opening move to the GOPe: make deals with me now or I will own the GOP.
“Probably written by El Chapo Priebus.”
That is funny and probably true. He certainly did not write it; it does not fit his speech patterns are all. I know there is a difference, but too much of a stretch.
Trump doesn’t want Hillary in. He knows what a third party would do. I think it’s a bluff/threat, he’s all in for the GOP.
the establishment is calculating the loyalty is still to the party that has betrayed voters in the last four elections.
Loyalty is earned not given. the GOP squandered that long ago.
If they give him NO CHOICE but to bolt; much better that it happen NOW, and give Trump 16 months to organize his campaign, than for it to happen at the last minute and Trump be pretty much screwed.
What we have here is pretty much The Tucker Auromobile scenario repeated. Tucker designed and began building autos that put Detroit’s offerings in the shade to some degree. So the big boys ganged up on him, including shutting down FINANCING for Tucker’s operations. Lacking financial resources, Tucker was crushed.
In this political situation, thank God, Trump is not at the mercy of the GOPe.
he wasn't Reagan continued, as he claimed he would be.
Wow this article is full of so much dishonesty, really disappointing coming from ed morrisey who is usually good
Leave the Nice man alone won't ya. :)
Why do you think they open the race in Iowa and New Hampshire?
And if the GOPe pulls a fast one to shoe-horn their #1 Loser, Jeb, into the nomination, it doesn't matter to me if Trump runs 3rd party or not.
I've never voted 3rd Party in my life, but if Jeb is nominated, I'll vote Constitution Party
Eddy the Gop establishment suck up at Hotgas is shoveling the latest Rnc and Rove talking points.
.
Maybe this has something to do with it.
>>>Why do you think they open the race in Iowa and New Hampshire?<<<
Because they know the most informed and intelligent Voters live in those States? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Support the eventual Republican nominee against Hillary; the same choice conservatives had in 2008 and 2012 when Obama carried seven and five states that should have gone Republican and avoided a Moslem socialist commanding the armed forces of the U.S., firing mitary officers, agreeing to protect Iran as it builds nuclear weapons, etc.
First you arrange to start the race in the North East where Conservatives are as rare as open carry, then you manipulate primaries by allowing open primary voting, then you lie a lot by claiming you will stop Obamacare and illegal amnesty, then when you don't do that you tell even bigger lies and have hearings where you accuse everyone and charge no one with a crime.
Jessie Jackson Jr. gets out of jail and still manages to keep a $9,000.00 a month disability retirement because being a thief is a disability.
I am not sure about if or when Perot became
an independent. My point refers to the effect
he had overall on the election of ‘92.
“The anti-Trump crowd are all RINO lovers. No surprise here.”
I was unaware Cruz was a RINO...or Walker.
“Donald Trump is just one of many big name donors funding Terry McAuliffe’s campaign to win the Virginia governor’s mansion this fall, according to newly released financial disclosure reports - and he isn’t even among the most generous givers.
The New York real estate magnate cut McAuliffe a check for a whopping $25,000 in late March...”
How many true conservatives donated money to Terry McAuliffe in 2009? Hmmm?
Not only is he drawing the line with the party to keep the process fair but to keep their other candidates in line. It wasnt Trump who used the term crazies ,assholes,unfit, etc etc. Those are Alinsky techniques to minimize an opponent. He simply turned it around.
They then went to the media (mom) “he’s picking on me!”
“He hit me first”
Mom better step in and say No More from either side ! Not just DT
Cruz likes Trump.
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