First, let me say that I RESPECT ALL of your comments, including this one. And I know you are More than Sharp enough to probably rip apart my rebuttal, but I’ll try anyway. It’s a challenge :)
The 6 months comment does show quite a lack of knowledge about the goings on over there.
However, I think Carson, who couldn’t answer who the Federal Reserve Chairman was, nor Walker, Fiorina, Kasich, and a few others would have no clue who the leaders were, nor how often the leadership changed hands.
Being a good politician doesn’t seem to mean being well read or versed on the goings on that matter anymore.
Not knowing who the Quds are isn’t THAT shocking considering he is a very busy businessman, but he does say he reads the news and they’ve been in there alot.
But I dont know what to tell you. What have we been handed. Ted Cruz, who I loved, still like, wants to increase H1Bs by 500 percent. Some on this board say that’s democracy and capitalism.
No, that’s google and Microsoft and Facebook and the whole bunch not wanting to pay what Americans would expect and what the job is WORTH, at least until you bring in a large number of people from a still underdeveloped country who would die for the job.
These aren’t dishwashers and landscapers and deli worker jobs. These are GOOD jobs and the crap excuse they give that there aren’t enough Americans to fill them has been proven to be false time and again.
I went on a tangent and i apologize but are you SHOCKED that people run in droves to someone who says what they are thinking without fear.
We want to hear that Hillary was the worst SOS in history, that Huma and Weiner are garbage with CLOSE ties to the Clintons, that our borders have been overrun by the dregs of Mexico, that China is kicking our butts and Mexico, who treats illegals VERY ROUGHLY and seriously, is doing a good job of stealing jobs themselves.
And you’re shocked that he is popular?
In another day and age he may have been shot down the first day he announced, I grant you.
But this is now, where republicans are gangsters who work for the highest bidder, where a Christian just got ARRESTED for maintaining her Christian beliefs and we’re 20 trillion in debt. It was only 30 years ago that 1 or 2 trillion seemed mighty large for a debt.
We are exasperated.
Thank you for your civil and thoughtful reply.
I agree that many of the current candidates would not have known the names of the leaders of all of the groups, etc. Hewitt had Fiorina on later and asked the same questions and she did fairly well, better than Trump. But what I liked about her answer was her willingness to admit where her knowledge was lacking, when she wasn’t sure about a piece of information. And even though she might not have know the names of the obscure players, she knew the major players and had a clear understanding of the intents of the radical Islamists and the challenges we face in the region.
That does not mean I am in the Carly camp. My first choice is Ted. And just knowing about the issues in the Middle East does not make one the preferred candidate - I am sure Graham knows all the players, and I would not vote for him for many other reasons. But asking a candidate questions to determine what they know about the subject should not be considered a “gotcha” question. If he was asked who the leader of Micronesia was, for example, THAT would be a “gotcha” question. :-)
To answer your question, no, I am not surprised that so many people have flocked to Trump’s straight-talking, anti illegal rhetoric. After all of the lies we have been told by the GOPe, I certainly understand the attraction of someone who says what we want to hear in a direct and unapologetic way.
But I am surprised that so many conservatives are willingly ignoring or explaining away things he has said or done that would eliminate other candidates from consideration - and even attack other conservatives that bring those things up as “trolls”. That concerns me more than anything else. I understand the people that acknowledge his past, but choose to support him anyway. I don’t understand those who want to act as though his past has no relevance to how he might act as president, and attack anyone who dares the suggest it might.