Posted on 01/26/2016 5:36:15 AM PST by Kaslin
I understand why people like Donald Trump because I was a big fan of his as well.
I loved the fact that he's a charismatic, politically incorrect fighter and a successful businessman. I am also genuinely grateful to him for changing the debate on immigration and starting a conversation about Muslim immigration that we should have had a long time ago. I don't believe a ban on Muslim immigrants would ever pass Congress nor do I think it's practical (How would you realistically implement it?), but I do think blocking future refugees and immigrants from countries where Al-Qaeda and ISIS hold sway is more doable because of Trump. That's a little ironic because he was initially in favor of bringing in Syrian refugees, but it's true. Additionally, after years of being ignored, scorned and poorly represented by Republican leaders in Congress, it's nice to have a politician who actually goes overboard to pander to conservatives.
Additionally, I find it OFFENSIVE when Trump is called a fascist or people attack his supporters. At the end of the day, to beat Trump you have to convince his supporters to go elsewhere. You don't do that by insulting people for their choice of candidates.
That being said, the support for Trump reminds me of an old Jeff Foxworthy joke that went something like this.
Kid: Look up in the sky, mama, it's a plane! It's a plane!
Mother: Oh, look, he knows that! He's just so smart, isn't he?
Jeff Foxworthy: Smart? He's 12 years old!
When you have genuine affection for someone, it's easy to block out his faults. In Trump's case, this is being taken to such an extreme that it's starting to feel like we're in Jonestown a few days before the Kool-Aid is handed out. Tell me I'm wrong if you like, but even Trump made reference to that when he said,
"And you know what else they say about my people? The polls! They say I have the most loyal people. Did you ever see that? Where I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose any voters. It's incredible."
Since when do conservative engage in this type of blind loyalty towards ANY politician?
Similarly, Donald Trump talks incessantly about polls that are favorable to him, but the polls have also consistently shown that he loses to Hillary Clinton. Worse yet, his favorable/unfavorable ratings are 33/58. That's the same as Jimmy Carter in early 1980. It's WORSE than Walter Mondale. Trump even has a higher unfavorable rating with the general public than Nixon AFTER Watergate. It would be easier to rehabilitate Enron's image than to make Trump President with those poll numbers.
Saying that a candidate with those poll numbers couldn't win an election without a miracle is something that anyone who knows something about elections would normally agree on. Yet, with Trump, many people seem unfazed. Basically, they think he's going to use some kind of "Trump magic" that will guarantee a victory.
The problem with that is that successful though Donald Trump may be, he fails all the time. He's had four bankruptcies. Then there's Trump steaks, Trump Vodka, Trump the Game, Trump Magazine, Trump Mortgage, Trump Airlines, Trump University, Trump Casinos, the New Jersey Generals and happily, he also lost a lawsuit and was unable to take a widow's home via eminent domain so he could build a limo parking lot. Trump has been a successful businessman, but an awful lot of investors who put money into his ill-advised projects because they just assumed he'd find a way to win have gotten burned doing business deals with him. Again, barring a miracle, that's what would happen to all of his supporters if he becomes the GOP nominee in 2016. Many of them don't see it for the same reason Ron Paul's fans couldn't see it in 2012. Sure, Paul had a diehard following that voted for him in Internet polls and showed up at his events, but he alienated too many people to ever win a general election while he was building up his fanbase. Trump has done the same thing, except a little bigger and better.
Getting beyond that, early on, I was willing to give Trump an opportunity to flesh out his policies and prove he's a conservative. Unfortunately, he never did that and there's little reason to think that a man who has switched political parties 5 times in his life and has never voted in a Republican primary suddenly became a diehard conservative in his mid-sixties. People who wouldn't buy this from any other politician are swallowing it hook, line and sinker with Trump even though his positions on some issues have switched from week-to-week.
Keep in mind that the most consistent political position Donald Trump seems to have held over the last 15 years is that we need a full government takeover in healthcare, which incidentally, would be WORSE than Obamacare. Trump was still pushing that less than six months ago, but now says he supports a free market plan. Do you believe him? If so, why?
In 2013, Ted Cruz was leading the fight against Marco Rubio's gang-of-8 amnesty bill while Trump was talking up amnesty, the Dream Act and comprehensive immigration reform. Nobody with half a brain in his head would believe any other politician claiming to be tough on immigration if he was fighting for amnesty three years ago. So, why believe Trump?
After having read several of his books, I can tell you that Trump has core principles that he believes in personally and in business, but that doesn't seem to be the case with politics. Since Trump is first and foremost a dealmaker, what makes you think you'd like the deals someone who doesn't share your principles would cut on your behalf any more than you liked the deals John Boehner made? What makes you think Trump would be any different than another celebrity like Arnold Schwarzenegger who talked a good game and then ended up governing from the left-of-center once he was in office?
Also, as entertaining and successful as Trump may be, he doesn't have the right temperament to be President. It's a serious, sober job and even if you like him, you have to admit that he's crude, mean-spirited, narcissistic, unpredictable and conspiratorial. Would you consider any other candidate who trashed POWs, "I like people that weren't captured," made fun of the disabled (He's done this more than once), said he never asked God for forgiveness and keeps making creepy comments about how he'd like to date his daughter, "(Ivanka) does have a very nice figure. I've said if Ivanka weren't my daughter, perhaps I'd be dating her?" Even if you're willing to overlook those comments because you love Trump so much, people who aren't Trump fans will not give him a pass. That will be doubly true after the Democrats hammer him with a billion dollars' worth of negative ads that he won't be able to effectively respond to because even Trump admits that he doesn’t know how he would finance his campaign in a general election.
Trump also spends an inordinate amount of time insulting people on Twitter. It amazes me that anyone complains about people hammering Trump when these are just some of the comments on his Twitter account over the last three days….
"@Rketeltas: Rubio isn't experienced enough to be Commander in Chief. Rubio is a carbon copy of Obama. We need a true leader Vote Trump"
"@red77angelluis: @realDonaldTrump @NeilTurner_ @YouTube LET'S GET TRUMP!! GO TRUMP!! USA!USA!"
"@Knight276: @C4Constitution trump right again #With_Cruz_you_lose! Nobody supports Canuck Cruz #MakeAmericaGreatAgain #trump2016
"@M0ther0f2kids: @meetthepress @NBCNews @clewandowski Everyone B smart! U know deep down Trump is the ONLY 1 able to best LEAD"
A wonderful article by a writer who truly gets it. I am for the people and the people are for me. #Trump2016…
"@realOllieTaylor: Isn't it time we had a president? Let goofy Glen keep Canada Cruz who can't win. The American people have Trump!"
"@WhiteGenocideTM: @realDonaldTrump Poor Jeb. I could've sworn I saw him outside Trump Tower the other day! "
Trump wants to be the GOP nominee, but he sounds like one of the mean kids running for third grade class President.
Incidentally, the last tweet is from a white supremacist who spends a lot of time raving about Hitler and "Jewmerica." Despite the fact there were numerous articles criticizing Trump for retweeting a white power nut, he did not take down the tweet. If, let's say, you're black or Jewish, ask yourself how comfortable you are with Trump now that he's knowingly retweeting white supremacists?
Look at all of this and tell me that you trust someone who is this petty, immature and erratic with the responsibility of handling the IRS, the DOJ, the DHS, our military and our nuclear codes. I certainly wouldn't. It's fine to say that you don't trust Sanders or Hillary either, but if even many Republicans don't think he's together enough to handle it, why would the American people?
It's great to be supporting a candidate who you believe is winning, but I think back to the saying, "Play stupid games, get stupid prizes." The prize for getting Trump to the finish line as our nominee would be losing to whomever the Democrats nominate and then watching helplessly as Obamacare stays in place, all of Obama's executive orders stand and the Democrats pick four more Supreme Court Justices.
If we nominate Trump, we'll have our third straight lose/lose election where most conservatives will have a candidate who doesn't truly represent their views as the GOP nominee. Of course, if Trump is our nominee, I will vote for him and I will try to do what I can to help him win, but it would be easier to ski uphill than to get a wildly unpopular Rockefeller Republican like Trump into the White House.
Don't really care. It'll be a fait accompli by the time they get their hands on it.
Besides, I wouldn't put it past Trump to "take on" the SCOTUS. Read that as you will.
That is the reality. At this point in time Trump leads just about everywhere.
So many of those who detract look at Trump's opinions before his conversion to conservatism in 2011. That's fine, but the important question for me is the consistency of his positions since 2011.
I'm of the group that thinks conservatives WANT to have people convert to our side. I want to give them a chance to grow in their conservatism. I realize it will be a process. But, if we're rejecting new converts, then isn't conservatism dying?
So, has Trump been consistent on the big issues, so far as I've been able to tell? Life, yes. Guns, yes. Freedom of religion, yes. America first, double yes with a bullet. Pro-military, yes.
I could go on, but those are the huge issues for me.
The fine points of a tax policy, or a health policy, or an energy policy, are not so much an indicator of degree of conservatism.
So, I think Hawkins is a ‘doctrinaire’ conservative who believes that “ethanol” is as much a disqualifier as is “guns”. I disagree.
He thinks that attacking one’s opposition during a campaign is somehow unseemly, but two things: (1) If Trump hasn't been subject to continual attack, then I'm blind, deaf, and mute; and (2) I WANT my candidate to attack. Romney, McCain, Dole, and the pansy class republicans bowing and scraping to political correctness is disgusting. GW Bush's refusal to defend his own administration still sticks in my craw as his greatest failure and the primary reason we have Obama.
And Trump has already attacked Hillary. And he's the only one with the guts to do so.
So, John Hawkins, if you read FR: I think you're wrong.
But the real question for each of us is IF our preferred candidate fails. I will gladly support Ted Cruz, or Marco Rubio, OR.... Will you gladly support Trump? Or would you be part of the conservative group Rush talks about that will vote for Hillary if either Cruz or Trump win?
’ ... do you think the courts as they are in this country will allow that to pass?’
I can’t wait to see Trump take on the federal judiciary from the bully pulpit. I don’t know what he thinks about the Liberty Amendments [one thing I like about Cruz], but he will certainly support a bold change in the judiciary after he experiences judicial wickeness while in the White House.
Trump hates to lose. He’ll even consider sending a bulldozer toward the court house!
Yet he's been deporting only the CHRISTIAN SYRIAN REFUGEES.
I'm pretty sure Christianity is a religion.
You make a great point. Trumps support has built slowly and steadily.
The normal Trend is for people to move toward him not away from him. This author is lying. This could be the new LSM plan to try and take him out. Won’t work either.
See, that swing swings both ways...there are many on FR who feel the same about Trump supporters.
The nonsense between the 2 camps is only serving to divide and turn off many.
End result, we lose.
BTTT
I am a reformed Ted Cruz supporter. Thank God.
If by "now" you mean the past 200 years, then yes.
Dream on.
Trump's a Democrat and a big government statist at heart.
Contrary to what the author says about Trump's negatives, Trump will win the Presidency if nominated by the Repubicans.
Trump will simply tack Left after the convention and win the hearts of the socialists in our midst. Then he will govern from the Left, single payer and all, leaving we rubes in the dust.
Many here think that he is a sacrificial lamb for Hillary. In truth, Trump will be a winner, a big government winner.
Then dare criticize Trump! You will be treated as the Trumpsters on FR treat us.
Then make them fight for it.
Existential threats are NOT business as usual, even if some are tempted to treat them as such.
You are far too GOPe.
Trump is a doer. He doesn’t sit around idly. He attempts different endeavors. Some fall flat and others do well. Trump has his own money in these. You make it sound as if he only had other people’s money on the line. He had his own in there too.
Please name one big thing Ted Cruz has produced. How many jobs has he created? How many big projects has he driven? NONE!
Ted is involved in the biggest project of his life right now, and it’s all essentially for him.
Trump has been involved in many projects, and say what you will, over 22,500 people support their families with checks drafted on Donald Trump’s checking accounts.
How many people support their family on checks written by Ted Cruz.
Wasting or destroying other people’s wealth?
You’ve got your nerve lady. Ted Cruz is in the process of burning off tens of millions of mom & pop dollar donations right now. You talk about Trump losing other people’s money? Idiotic...
Trump has also made millions for other due to his business dealings that drive other businesses.
Cruz is a rank nothing compared to Trump, and there’s no denying it.
It would take Trump a decade to teach Ted what he knows.
It would take Ted thirty minutes to teach Trump what he knows.
Trump has taught me that to overcome a thoroughly Alinskyized Democrat Party and D.C. establishment, you HAVE to resort to tactics that mainstream Conservatives would find very distasteful.
Trump does often make me cringe. But he knows how to win.
So dramatic. It’s actually simple. Make America Great Again.
“When you have genuine affection for someone, it’s easy to block out his faults”
Yep, we love Cruz. He’s been a true and loyal conservative.
So I intentionally examine my judgement for bias.
Out of respect I first assume a Trump fan does the same.
Cringing Negativism Network: I don't believe this article.
This is a Ted Cruz troll in my opinion.
Candor7: John Hawkins the poofter!
Allahwaho Wackbar , John.
Helicondelta: This article is a load of crap.
John Hawkins sounds like a liar.
Pravious: Ditto. It's not even that well disguised. Just more anti-Trump trolling.
All I can say is POUND SAND, LOSER.
So let's examine the responses. Do we have any rebuttal? Any reasons why this opinion is wrong? Any evidence or experience that shows why Trump will govern to the right? Nope.
Instead, we get ad hominem attacks on the author, on Ted Cruz, and on "Cruz-supporters," none of whom had even POSTED up to that point. No reason, no explanation, just vitriol. Vitriol directed (once again) at people who have been conservative bastions in the past (like Cruz, Mark Levin, Rush, et al.), but, because they dare doubt Trump, they must be destroyed (not disagreed with, not persuaded, not contradicted... but persoanlly attacked and destroyed)! This is conservative?
I won't vote for Jeb (why bother; he's the same as a Democrat), but I'll vote for any Republican candidate to beat Hillary or Bernie. But I had very little enthusiasm for Mitt, and I think a lot of people who pulled the lever for him felt the same way. It showed in his defeat. How many people will Trump get to enthusiastically campaign for him after his supporters attack and denigrate those very people because they disagree?
I'll vote for Trump. But if we have to tear down everyone who has gotten conservatism to this point in order to do so... what have we "won"...?
seems like
Maybe my comment was too short so you misunderstood. I’m saying that to say there’s no fathomable way to keep Muslims out of here is stupid. When did Americans become the country where everythings impossible? (Except bad ideas)
“Since when do conservative engage in this type of blind loyalty towards ANY politician?”
Oh well, the others should have come out hard against illegals. They dropped the ball, not us!
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