Posted on 08/10/2015 8:15:45 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
People are again predicting his demise. The widely admired Megyn Kelly is definitely a riskier target for him than John McCain was. But since an enormous amount of his appeal is based on saying outrageous things and not apologizing for them, it’d be foolish to think that anything that has transpired since Thursday will sink him.
I wouldn’t be surprised, though, if the debate and its aftermath check or reverse the progress he’d been making in the internals of the polls (higher favorable ratings, fewer Republicans saying they’d never consider voting for him, etc.).
I basically only have one barometer for whether Trump has gone too far–and that’s when Ted Cruz is willing to criticize him directly. We haven’t reached that point yet.
I take Andy’s point about how all the other candidates are making their own calculations how to respond to Trump, too, but the gentle treatment Cruz affords the mogul is especially noteworthy given how eager he usually is to attack other Republicans and the fact that Trump has the most flagrantly RINO record of anyone in the field. So I don’t doubt that he shamelessly changed the subject as Alexis said, because this is something he really, really doesn’t want to have to address for now. (And as a general matter, I appreciate Alexis’s robust coverage of the flap that consumed the political world this weekend).
More broadly, it’s pretty clear where the drift of this thing is heading, which is not toward Trump winning the nomination, but toward Trump somewhere along the way saying he’s been treated unfairly — by the GOP, by the media, by Jonah Goldberg, et al. — and declaring next year that he’s seriously considering an independent bid. Even if he didn’t ultimately pull the trigger, it would guarantee another couple of months of attention for Donald Trump, which is the only thing that matters for Donald Trump.
What a stupid thing to say…. as if it was all calculated when in fact it just was an ad hoc statement. And to precede the comment by calling Kelly ‘widely admired’ is just a tactic to try to direct the persuasion. I’ve had few people mention Trump’s comments and I usually tell them… “now quote exactly what Trump said and tell me what it means before you tell me what the problem is with it….because it seems to me that what you think is a problem is actually based on an interpretation by others of what Trump has said. Can you not think for yourself? Why would your reaction be based on an interpretation that involve Kelly’s periods?”
Widely admired Megyn Kelly? By whom? Readers of GQ?
Actually, Trump can’t win, if winning means the GOP nomination.
His in party negatives are way bigger than his positives, and surely his own poling has told him that.
The reality is that he never intended to garner the GOP nomination; he is happy to see Jeb grab that. His goal is to sliver off just enough invidious GOP voters to allow the dem candidate to pull a plurality in the general, so that they can do an Algore in the electoral college.
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Alinsky rule 12
I liked that Cruz did that, just pointing out that he is fine with criticizing other Republicans when needed.
Honestly I love Reagan but I’m tired of everyone trotting out that “never speak ill of a fellow Republican” remark. Reagan was of a different time when you could even have a gentlemanly dispute with a liberal like Tip O Neill. We are in an age where the Republican elite constantly stab conservatives in the back so we cannot keep quiet about it they need to be called out.
That is a perfect explanation of Trump's style in dealing with his critics. 7th grade, indeed.
At the same time, I think Cruz was a little naive in not disassociating himself from this particular pig at the start, because now Trump is using his silence to say that Cruz is supporting him. Which I don’t think he does.
Or at least I hope he doesn’t, because Trump is a bombastic wealthy leftwing populist (from a wealthy family) in favor of single payer health care and controls on virtually everything. I think Cruz should have made his own message a little clearer and shouldn’t have allowed Trump to claim him as a supporter.
Cruz is not attacking Trump because he is mainstreaming conservative issues.
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Of course you know how we admire Megyn Kelly here...
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>> “Cruz is not attacking Trump because he is mainstreaming conservative issues.” <<
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Excellent assessment!
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Cruz was a coward in the debates. He didn’t stand up for himself and demand respect from the snotty bitch. He lost points with me because to stand up for America and Americans will take guts, fast thinking, and a spine.
I revise what I said earlier - I admire Cruz for not engaging in superfluous and opportunistic campaign season attacks. So far when he has criticized its been for damn good reasons.
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Read post 28!
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Yup, Rich Lousy is just trying to play both ends against the middle. Lowrey, what an amateur. HA!
Ted has shined a light on a few republicans that need called out.
I like Ted Cruz. That being said, it is silly for a writer to hinge his assessment of a competitor on the comment of his direct competitor.
Try this on for size. “I’ll know when Cruz is done when Mike Huckabee says he’s wrong.” Ah no, Cruz will be done when and if he steps out of line with Conservatism. Same with Trump right now. Until then what Cruz says about Trump will be taken into consideration, as it should be. Trump won’t be done because of it anymore than Cruz should be done if Trump says something negative about him.
Cruz needs to consider that he could very well be asked to join Trump as his vice-president. I don’t think he should sell his soul to protect his chances of that, but I don’t think he should join the Left to trash Trump unreasonably either. I don’t see Cruz doing that anyway, but it is something he should avoid. The ticket could be damaged by early negative comments.
Another concept I found troubling in this commentary was this. “...but the gentle treatment Cruz affords the mogul is especially noteworthy given how eager he usually is to attack other Republicans...” He’s not generally eager to attack other Republicans. How many months/years did he take to state the obvious concerning Mitch McConnell?
Some of these writers are very intemperate when they write. They toss out these false narratives that readers pick up on and develop beliefs based on. Some of it can’t be dismissed as simply being careless either. Some of it is crafted.
Lowry dragging Cruz into this...
If only the GOPe went after democrats the way the go after conservatives, trump wouldn’t HAVE to step in
Not quite. Trump stirred up 20% plus support in the polls in early 2011 with basically the same rhetoric. I like Trump and Cruz, but Trump is not following Cruz on the issues.
Cruz said he will not comment on dueling personalities...end of story.
“Cruz is just smart enough to know better than to wrestle a pig.”
Can you give us some more of that type originality? Democrat talking point.
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Trump is following the polling with his attacks; that is an old Clintonian postulate.
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