Posted on 03/04/2016 4:09:28 AM PST by elhombrelibre
Donald Trump had by far his worst debate of the 2016 campaign on Thursday. He was defensive and vulgar, evasive and condescending, rude and imperious. He moved drastically to the center on immigration, repudiating his position on H-1B visas on stage and saying everything is negotiable, including the border wall and the fate of illegal immigrants already in the United States. He defended his calls for expansive torture and the killing of civilians related to terrorists, saying the military will do what I tell them even if his orders contradict the law. He dismissed his opponents as little Marco and lying Ted and bragged about his manhood. Over two hours he provided reams and reams of material for Hillary Clintons ad writers. And through it all he was cheered by a raucous and heckling audience that seemed to have been transported straight from the courtroom scene in Encounter at Farpoint.
The spectacle made me ill. On screen I watched decades of work by conservative institutions, activists, and elected officials being lit aflame not only by the New York demagogue but by his enablers who waited until the last possible moment to criticize and try to stop him. And even then it may be too late.
I sometimes wonder whether Trump chose to run as a Republican because he identified the GOP as the weaker of the two parties. His politics line up favorably with Democrats, and he has supported Democrats in the past. But the Republicans had been so buffeted by 20 years of inattention to the costs of globalization, by the growing estrangement of traditional constituencies who have lost status and resources in the twenty-first century, by the mistakes and narrow-mindedness of the party elite, that clearly the party of Lincoln was the easier mark. Trump called the bluff of the Beltway establishment. He proved that the ghost of Jack Kemp doesnt move the party base. The ghost of Nixon does.
There was no winner at the debate, but there was certainly a loser: The GOP. It started this election cycle in a strong position, and is now on the precipice of nominating a political neophyte, a caricature of everything liberals hate about Republicans, whose unfavorable ratings are sky-high and who loses to Hillary Clinton in practically every poll. The best hope of the anti-Trump forces is to somehow prevent him from winning the number of delegates necessary to secure the nomination outright, and deliver the nomination to someone else at the partys convention. Im skeptical. Its a last-ditch attempt, and if the party wants to nominate Trump, thats its choice. But in doing so it would crown as the heir to Lincoln and TR and Eisenhower and Reagan a man who every day finds new ways to polarize, repel, infuriate, exhaust, shock, and horrify.
>> It was so obvious that these moderators should not be in that position <<
Indeed. Nobody who would ask Mr. Trump any tough questions should be allowed as a moderator.
Therefore, Fox News should staff the next debate with people who will ask nothing but friendly questions of Mr. Trump, like Greta, Sean, and Lou Dobbs.
I still wonder why it was necessary to give Trump a video presentation and not the others?
I guess because he is the only Man up there Strong enough to handle the most contemptible garbage thrown at him!
I recall comment after comment for months here by Trumpeters attacking Cruz for that position, claiming that Trump was against it.
Now its OK because Trump is for it.
Trumpeter says he doesn't care about this new development:
Wrong on the military, big time.
that broad is nuts and she does stalk other posters.
You talking about Miss Mar?
The funny part was watching him stutter like a kid with turrets when he was presented with his own Lies on Budget cutting measures such as claiming to be able to save 300 billion by trimming the 78 billion dollar prescription drug costs. Or the other proposals he has spewed over the past few months.
Then when he was called out on his own flips on foreign Policy/Syria by playing the interviews, he had nothing in response. His HIB Flip is classic Trump.
Deportation and Wall will be only be suggestion by August. Because he needs to be flexible to beat Hillary. HE said it himself last night.
To all those that have railed the past 6 months on this site you didn't care about anything he had flipped on because he Would Build the wall and deport the 11 Million....How ya feeling now?
Donald's being flexable means in political talk, it aint happening.
Not only that ...his grandfather was Irving Kristol. Let that sink in. And, get this, his grandmother was Gertrude Himmelfarb. Think about it. What’s the common thread in this? Hmmm.
I visit many different types of forums based sports, movies, music, gaming, etc.; and no one is receiving the support that Trump is from people who are usually apathetic about politics.
Here comes the big pivot Trumpkins. The wall is next.
:0) Touche
“Here comes the big pivot Trumpkins. The wall is next. “
You guys (Cruzkins?) already tried running that line 2 weeks ago.
So, insinuating someone can’t or can count to ten isn’t ill behaved or ill mannered? Just checking.
Ha ha that is funny.
Now the Reality. tRump knew that he was going to have these videos played before the Iowa Caucus so he decided to run and hide behind the vets that night while the Rest of the Candidates had videos played about them.
So poor Donnie didn't get picked on or get special treatment. He just got to do a little make up homework he skipped out on when the little coward ran away from the Iowa debate stage.
And what do you know, Trump got smoked out last night on H1Bs. As predicted. Now all the "bring our jobs back" suckers are left holding the bag. There's more to come. Much more.
It's the hands. She's seen the size of his hands....
Why wouldn’t he support educating the best and brightest of citizens here and then “poaching” them to start businesses here. Best and the brightest is a Pollyanna Dream. We get the ones most disposed to taking advantage of the system. The come here knowing more about our entitlement programs that we do.
Here we go again.
“OMG he got smoked! He was killed! He melted down man! Game over, man! Game over!!!!”
Next week:
WHY IS NO ONE VOTING FOR CRUZ!?!?!
The line is being run by Trump. He’s the one shifting. You’ll shift with him, too, right? Malleable leader with malleable followers. The leader is always right. The leader is never wrong.
I might get a rainbow hairdo and hold up my “Luke 24:39” at the next Trump rally.
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