That’s because conservatives are constructing their own personality cult around Trump. His campaign is just as lacking in substance as that of Barack Obama. How can so many conservatives support a lifelong liberal who has repeatedly used the power of government condemnation to steal people’s private property.
LARGELY because he’s willing to openly say that American grannies are getting raped, sodomized, and murdered by foreigners and the other candidates would prefer to be sodomized themselves before daring to mention it.
“How can so many conservatives support a lifelong liberal who has repeatedly used the power of government condemnation to steal people’s private property.”
Easy for me! I’ll be 75 next week and we’ve been on a downward trajectory ( with the exception of the Reagan Years both here in CA and in Washington) since about the time I graduated from high school in 1958! And all of it is due to politicians who care more for their big donor’s money and the “prestige” they have being in office. Trump may end up not being the answer, but at least we have a fighting chance that he really means what he’s saying, unlike ALL of the rest of them, Cruz included. I don’t know about the rest of you, but when a politician says “he’s going to fight for me,” my sphincter tightens because I know it’s a bald-faced lie! The other word that causes me concern is “comprehensive.!”
A challenge has been thrown down to The Donald, and with his bulldog tenacity, he is responding, in grand manner.
Does The Donald have a reservoir of good will and a whole bunch of homilies all with a conservative cast? No, but he is perhaps one of the most pragmatic people around, he sees an opportunity, and he gets in line to make the deal.
To The Donald, this is a huge contract negotiation, and the opportunity to engage in some much bigger contract negotiations down the road. The Donald would dearly love to get in the same room with Putin, or Xi, or the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and drum into them the sanctity of keeping the deal. Because if they do not act in good faith, The Donald will enforce the contract, until they rethink their intransigence.
Trust, but verify. REALLY verify.
And maybe, that is what we need, at this time and place in history.
Why hasn’t Cruz voiced your concern? Why has he only had nice things to say about Trump as opposed to all the other Republican candidates?
What crap! Trump is being far more specific than any of the other candidates, who speak in banal clichés. Plan for ISIS? Trump has one, the rest think saying they will call it ISIS "radical Islam" is a plan. They think saying they will "secure the border" means something. Everyone from Dubya to Obama said they will secure the border. That's not a plan. A wall is a plan. It goes on and on, Trump is being specific and others are playing catch up.
Pardon me, but I have heard more substance from Trump than I have from any candidate on either side of the aisle.
Perhaps you have an attention deficit?
That is pretty much the case. I don’t hate Trump but needless to say he isn’t my guy and I am not going to jump on board with the fad candidate who says the right things. Actions and record always speaks louder than words in politics.
Meanwhile, Trump has given far more substance and detail to his plans (from people constantly asking him about his plans) than any of the other candidates, even Cruz, who, when asked if deportation or not deportation (i.e. legalization) is off the table, replies "I believe that is something we can talk about after we secure the border."
IOW, even Cruz goes wobbly and light on details.
It's anything but a "personality cult." Rather its a backlash against the "cult of party" or the "cult of professional politicians." It occurred in 1828 with Andrew Jackson, in 1860 with an unknown named Lincoln who had extremely minor political experience, it occurred in 1904 with Teddy Roosevelt, who had been deliberately isolated as VP before he became pres with McKinley's assassination, but who won convincingly, and to a large extent it happened in 1980 with Reagan, who was probably the most "traditional" of all of the elections.
Trump is running an absolutely brilliant campaign in which he completely dominates the subject matter discussed, the time it's discussed, and how it's viewed. He spends absolutely nothing for media time, yet controls the media more than Reagan did. He is running not just against Dems but against the GOPe consultant class and the beltway professionals who see their livelihoods going away.
Ideology has become much less important (almost unimportant) because in two ideological elections (2010 2014) absolutely nothing was accomplished.
I couldn explain more, but I doubt it would register.
“In poll after poll of Republicans, Mr. Trump leads among women, despite having used terms like “fat pigs” and “disgusting animals” to denigrate some of them. He leads among evangelical Christians, despite saying he had never had a reason to ask God for forgiveness. He leads among moderates and college-educated voters, despite a populist and anti-immigrant message thought to resonate most with conservatives and less-affluent voters. He leads among the most frequent, likely voters, even though his appeal is greatest among those with little history of voting.”
Ok, one by one of these points...
Women - he said what is quoted here about only one...Rosie O’Donnell. She is exactly what he said, and the comment was taken completely out of context. My wife and I are in full accord with Trump on this point. He loves women, and his actions show that. He has them in high positions in his various companies, etc and he pays them equal to or better than men in ‘similar’ positions.
I am what some would describe as ‘an evangelical Christian’. It is stated here he has never had a reason to ask God for forgiveness - many so-called evangelical Christians have never done that either...many got there via ‘altar calls’ that lacked substance. Trump is honest on this point. And God can use him, if God sees fit to do so. And other than this issue, Huck has a lot of reasons I cannot support him. And finally, I give you another ‘evangelical Christian’ to think about in this context...Jimmy Carter.
He leads among moderates and college-educated voters, despite a populist and anti-immigrant message thought to resonate most with conservatives and less-affluent voters - Damn right he leads here...I am not a moderate, perhaps more conservative than most on this forum, and I am affluent in an upper middleclass sense. Retired, college educated, IQ would qualify me for Mensa if I were so oriented. Trump’s immigration message is close the borders, protect America before it is too late, and send the ‘illegal aliens’ back to Mexico, and take the ‘anchor babies’ with them. I have been saying that before Trump said it. It resonates with me!
He leads among the most frequent, likely voters, even though his appeal is greatest among those with little history of voting - I am among the most frequent, likely voters. And I am adamant about protecting our right to vote and protecting the ballot box. I have voted in every general election beginning in 1960. I vote in the primaries. I am also a poll worker here in Ohio. Trump will likely get my vote. There are two other Republican candidates I could support...Ted Cruz and/or Ben Carson. I would like to see Ben Carson as Trump’s VP running mate, and see Ted Cruz his Attorney General (waiting his time for a Supreme Court appointment). As for those with little history of voting, we will see a record turnout when these voters show up at the polls to support Trump. And the ‘Reagan Democrats’ will be reborn as a significant voting entity. Many blacks and Hispanics will also support Trump...because of his immigration stance.
Donald Trump has vast appeal to all of us who feel that we have been disenfranchised by the establishment of both parties. The GOPe is Dim-lite. John Boehner in the house is a disgrace. Mitch McConnell is even worse, if that is possible. Pray that when Trump wins, he gets a real majority of right-wing conservatives ala Ted Cruz in both houses of Congress, and we can see the last of Boehner and McConnell.
Lacking in potential? May be, but he is definitely calling on knowledgeable, appropriate persons to gather round him, using their input to carry forward his agenda. No better than that of obomba? - Do you really believe that? This man is the man needed for these times. Don’t be fooled by the fools in the RNC who fed US pablum for so many years. It’s your vote, your choice. This is no repeat of the jester we’ve had in office for the past going-on-8-years. I never cared for this man either -loud, self serving, big ego. At times these attributes might be considered assets. Other times, not so much. The man that is humble but proud is a man for all ages. He might not have all the answers, but if he does not he knows where to look to find them. In forming his administration it will be very interesting to see who might be chosen.
JMHO and I’ll stick with that premise.
Most of the candidates are just now rolling out their detailed positions—it’s a msm/GOPE trick to try to complain about it just with Trump.