Revealing Trump interview...

piston · Post by **piston** » Sun Jul 19, 2015 4:51 pm

In contrast to Trump's negativism, there's a "positive" movement among some Republicans who are conscious of the need for a new agenda, if only because of the nation's demographics and the inevitable defeat of a party largely premised on white guys in the near future, including in Texas! (Perhaps that's why Trump is so opposed to Latino immigration...). There's still hope for a more inclusive Republican party that is about "Yes, we can!" rather than "No, we can't!!"
http://thebelltowers.com/2014/11/07/a-p ... servatism/

rwetmore · Post by **rwetmore** » Mon Jul 20, 2015 10:03 am

Trump clarifies attacks on McCain:

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/gop ... -on-mccain

arepo · Post by **arepo** » Mon Jul 20, 2015 10:09 am

Supporting this dangerous monster is beyond belief.

Please read the following and respond, if you so desire.

http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/h ... 039595&t=7

Cliftwood

rwetmore · Post by **rwetmore** » Mon Jul 20, 2015 10:53 am

Trump replies to McCain comments in more detail here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fey5HTC6SJE

John F · Post by **John F** » Mon Jul 20, 2015 11:00 am

Another conspiracy theory. I don't buy it. Politicians of all parties and all times have appealed to the emotions. Eisenhower wasn't elected because his policies were based in reasoned argument, but because he was a war hero and the voters liked Ike. FDR wasn't elected because of the policies he advocated; in the 1932 election he had no policies, just the vague promise of a "new deal." Donald Trump is just a passing fancy of the right wing, and while I wish the Republicans would nominate him and guarantee their loss in 2016, it's not going to happen.

rwetmore · Post by **rwetmore** » Mon Jul 20, 2015 11:20 am

Well one thing is for sure. If Trump gets the nomination, it's going to be one hell of an animated and entertaining campaign.

rwetmore · Post by **rwetmore** » Mon Jul 20, 2015 11:22 am

As I see it, his biggest obstacle is getting the nomination. If he wins it, I can't see him losing the general election. I just can't.

lennygoran · Post by **lennygoran** » Tue Jul 21, 2015 9:06 am

rwetmore wrote:As I see it, his biggest obstacle is getting the nomination. If he wins it, I can't see him losing the general election. I just can't.

Yeah for the des moines register-may Trump be trounced!

Editorial: Trump should pull the plug on his bloviating side show

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/ ... /30439253/

Regards, Len

John F · Post by **John F** » Tue Jul 21, 2015 9:21 am

rwetmore wrote:As I see it, his biggest obstacle is getting the nomination. If he wins it, I can't see him losing the general election. I just can't.

What a low opinion you have of the intelligence and political awareness of the American electorate.

Agnes Selby · Post by **Agnes Selby** » Tue Jul 21, 2015 6:08 pm

Is this true?

"People deserve the leaders they voted for".

John F · Post by **John F** » Tue Jul 21, 2015 9:19 pm

Agnes Selby wrote:Is this true?

"People deserve the leaders they voted for".

That would only be true if people were always able to vote for the leaders they really want, and if they got the leaders they voted for. I didn't get the leader I voted for in the presidential election of 2000, though he had the most votes.

rwetmore · Post by **rwetmore** » Sat Jul 25, 2015 12:23 pm

Trump responds more to McCain comments:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxXwTlK6S5k

rwetmore · Post by **rwetmore** » Sat Jul 25, 2015 12:32 pm

John F wrote:
rwetmore wrote:As I see it, his biggest obstacle is getting the nomination. If he wins it, I can't see him losing the general election. I just can't.
What a low opinion you have of the intelligence and political awareness of the American electorate.

No, but I'm probably right -- he'll win (and win decisively) if he gets the nomination. In fact, he may ultimately get the nomination if for no other reason than primary voters conclude he's most likely to win the general election. But we'll see -- it's still early.

piston · Post by **piston** » Sat Jul 25, 2015 7:39 pm

He is a Democrat mole in a Republican camp!

One thing Trump cannot be denied is his astonishing ability to say just about anything to rise to power!

piston · Post by **piston** » Sat Jul 25, 2015 7:45 pm

And, in case you didn't know, he ran into serious judicial trouble, as a real estate "rent collector" and decision-maker as to who gets to rent the place, with accusations of discrimination against non-Caucasian people.

In an episode early in Donald Trump’s career, his New York real estate company was sued by the federal government for discriminating against potential black renters. After a lengthy legal battle, it ultimately agreed to wide-ranging steps to offer rentals to nonwhites.

The little-remembered case provides crucial context for the current discussion centering on Trump and race. The celebrity businessman made news last month when he declared, “I have a great relationship with the blacks. I’ve always had a great relationship with the blacks.”

piston · Post by **piston** » Sat Jul 25, 2015 8:12 pm

As has been widely reported, Hillary Clinton attended Trump’s wedding in 2005. Trump also donated to her campaigns in 2002, 2005, 2006, and 2007. In 2007, he called her “very talented,” a “great appointment” for secretary of state, and, in his 1997 book The Art of the Comeback, called her “a wonderful woman who has handled pressure incredibly well.”
This year, he called her “desperate” and “sad.”

piston · Post by **piston** » Fri Jul 31, 2015 8:29 pm

As he rises in popularity among "angry" Republicans, Trump is being pressed to address more explicitly the very issues that have given him such popularity. Hold on, folks. The intellectual depth of his solution to the immigration issue will take your breath away:

Tapper tried repeatedly to elicit some details, pressing Trump, for instance, on the millions of undocumented immigrants without criminal records who would remain. All he got back was verbiage. “We’re going to see what we’re going to see,” Trump said. He added, “We’re going to take the high ground: we’re going to do what’s right. Some are going to have to go, and some—hey, we’re just going to see what happens. It’s a very, very big subject, and a very complicated subject.”

So it is, and that’s one reason why Trump’s rivals for the Republican nomination have struggled to compete with his inflammatory statements. Even in today’s G.O.P., though, rabble-rousing takes you only so far. As time goes on, he will face more questions about his evasions and exaggerations, and the vacuity of his rhetoric will be increasingly difficult to ignore.

Analysis: His popularity is based on the anger he contributes to fuel, because it's certainly not based on the solutions he articulates. Intellectually, the guy is a big blank slate.

Do you want a commander in chief whose best quality is to fuel anger?

rwetmore · Post by **rwetmore** » Fri Jul 31, 2015 11:16 pm

Yes, Trump has openly admitted he regularly contributed to both Democrats and Republicans over the years, including the Clintons. He was a business man and a large company owner, and that's pretty much what you have to do and is ubiquitous behavior in that endeavor or occupation.

rwetmore · Post by **rwetmore** » Fri Jul 31, 2015 11:18 pm

piston wrote:And, in case you didn't know, he ran into serious judicial trouble, as a real estate "rent collector" and decision-maker as to who gets to rent the place, with accusations of discrimination against non-Caucasian people.

In an episode early in Donald Trump’s career, his New York real estate company was sued by the federal government for discriminating against potential black renters. After a lengthy legal battle, it ultimately agreed to wide-ranging steps to offer rentals to nonwhites.

The little-remembered case provides crucial context for the current discussion centering on Trump and race. The celebrity businessman made news last month when he declared, “I have a great relationship with the blacks. I’ve always had a great relationship with the blacks.”

This will never fly. If the best the opposition can do is accuse him of being racist, it's telling. Of course people such as yourself will believe it, but most people won't and want to focus on issues that are real and matter to them.

rwetmore · Post by **rwetmore** » Fri Jul 31, 2015 11:36 pm

piston wrote:As he rises in popularity among "angry" Republicans, Trump is being pressed to address more explicitly the very issues that have given him such popularity. Hold on, folks. The intellectual depth of his solution to the immigration issue will take your breath away:

Tapper tried repeatedly to elicit some details, pressing Trump, for instance, on the millions of undocumented immigrants without criminal records who would remain. All he got back was verbiage. “We’re going to see what we’re going to see,” Trump said. He added, “We’re going to take the high ground: we’re going to do what’s right. Some are going to have to go, and some—hey, we’re just going to see what happens. It’s a very, very big subject, and a very complicated subject.”

So it is, and that’s one reason why Trump’s rivals for the Republican nomination have struggled to compete with his inflammatory statements. Even in today’s G.O.P., though, rabble-rousing takes you only so far. As time goes on, he will face more questions about his evasions and exaggerations, and the vacuity of his rhetoric will be increasingly difficult to ignore.
Analysis: His popularity is based on the anger he contributes to fuel,

No, it's the other way around. His popularity is based on the long existing anger that he articulates and has the guts to say and stand up for.

piston wrote:because it's certainly not based on the solutions he articulates. Intellectually, the guy is a big blank slate.

I don't think so. He's being honest about it. It's indeed a very complicated and difficult issue.

piston wrote:Do you want a commander in chief whose best quality is to fuel anger?

No, but I want a commander and chief who is tuff and can negotiate well from a position of strength and confidence, hopefully avoiding the need to use any military intervention (which no one wants, BTW).

But look, I really don't know much about Trump other than the little I've seen. He could be complete fraud for all I know. But he's resonating with a lot of people for very specific and highly significant reasons. Most people are fed up with being lied to and/or sweet talked by politicians. Trump doesn't BS, he doesn't talk like a politician, his responses to questions aren't filtered for political correctness, and he's super rich and doesn't need money from anyone. As President, he would not be beholden to any donors or any special interest groups. That is highly appealing to a lot of voters, myself included.

rwetmore · Post by **rwetmore** » Sat Aug 01, 2015 6:36 am

Interesting take on Trump from Gene Simmons:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ooWBA2YuBk

rwetmore · Post by **rwetmore** » Sat Aug 01, 2015 11:58 am

Another take:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvBQgVdkgXE

rwetmore · Post by **rwetmore** » Wed Aug 05, 2015 10:06 am

Donald Trump Responds To Criticism From President Obama:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dRJniR24IM

Auntie Lynn · Post by **Auntie Lynn** » Wed Aug 05, 2015 5:16 pm

Looks like our dear friend, rwetmore, is the Lone Ranger here. Well, he is not alone.
Nobody cares about any candidate except Donald Trump. He can say anything he wants
and get away with it. The Conventional Wisdom tells us that, in this electoral cycle, you
CANNOT be a bore or boring. Hillary is hopelessly boring -- probably going to be at the
mercy of the FBI anyway (of course, we all recollect that Slick Willie spent most of his
second term getting his aspidistra impeached all over that trashy woman that no man in his
right mind would even touch in the first place). Biden is a laughing stock. Goofy old
Bernie, at least, has some kind of crazy spunk. Mickey Mouse would be better than that
doofus now in the White House and his “Prisoner in the White House” wife who wears a
dress to the inaugural ball that looks like it was made out of toilet paper and worse.
Yuppers, our friend rwetmore has got it all right - not a difficult thing at this site...

piston · Post by **piston** » Wed Aug 05, 2015 5:30 pm

Interesting. Your message is wholly focused on Democrats when, in reality, the Trump phenomenon has everything to do with the Republicans and their "process" of selecting a presidential candidate. Whatever you think of current Democratic leaders and their enormous flaws, Trump is basically a bomb thrower. He throws rhetorical bombs and never offers any practical solution about "very complicated issues" other than promising that he can deal with them, because he's good at making deals.

Will future Republican presidential candidates be chosen this way? Whoever is the most inflammatory, bomb throwing speaker will rise to the top?

Wow! What a democratic electoral process?!!

John F · Post by **John F** » Wed Aug 05, 2015 10:20 pm

As David Brooks observed in a recent column, with Trump, ego is ideology.

piston · Post by **piston** » Thu Aug 06, 2015 10:19 pm

The thing about outsiders such as Trump is that they are really poorly informed in a big debate. Bush, Rubio, Walker, Christie, even Dr. Carson (who has a great sense of humor), made a number of informed comments. All Trump had as political ammo is "It's all broken and, trust me, I know how to fix things." Never, in my memory, have I seen such a shallow politician in such a commanding lead.

And Trump came pretty close to damaging his political image on several occasions:
--when asked about his degrading comments about women in the past, he not only indicated that "p.c." was not important but insinuated that the person who asked the question, the very poised Megyn Kelly, should not get on his bad side (typical disco king reply);
--when asked about his companies' four bankruptcies and the tremendous damage the last one (2009) caused to the lenders, he villified them as bad people;
--when told that he had had a lot of Democrat positions in a fairly recent past, he basically argued that he was buying politicians with his money, that they were in debt to him, and that's why he had H. Clinton attend his wedding

But, more importantly, the guy is in the dark about what's going on --in the military, in foreign affairs, in terms of immigration, etc., and his only way to address burning issues is to accuse and, in the process, to divide.
All other candidates, without exception, including Cruz, struck me as more honest than him.

lennygoran · Post by **lennygoran** » Fri Aug 07, 2015 6:12 am

We got back from the peabody legal seafoods a few minutes before the debate began and watched it-agree with much of your assessment-alot of what he said was disgraceful but he got away with much-christie and paul got pretty hot with each other but no one really gave it to trump the way he deserves it. Len

John F · Post by **John F** » Fri Aug 07, 2015 6:48 am

You actually watched it? I had better uses for my time, though I forget what they were.

lennygoran · Post by **lennygoran** » Fri Aug 07, 2015 7:14 am

John F wrote:You actually watched it? I had better uses for my time, though I forget what they were.

I was hoping for a knockout blow for trump but the other republicans were too afraid-still alot of what trump said can be used later against him imo. Len

karlhenning · Post by **karlhenning** » Fri Aug 07, 2015 7:18 am

piston wrote:All other candidates, without exception, including Cruz, struck me as more honest than him.

Maybe that's what it all boils down to: he's the irrational fool, in comparison to whom any other G.O.P. contender seems like The Voice of Reason . . . .

Cheers,
~k.

Auntie Lynn · Post by **Auntie Lynn** » Fri Aug 07, 2015 8:48 am

Alors, mes amis, a lot can happen in a year. Hillary might be in jail -- Bernie might be in
the looney bin -- The Donald might go back to making millions -- Pocahontas may
implode -- funding may evaporate... Anyway, the political science at this site is
predictably unreliable. Suggest y’all stick to fat old men babbling about CD’s they neither
know nor understand...

Relax!!

rwetmore · Post by **rwetmore** » Fri Aug 07, 2015 11:27 am

lennygoran wrote:I was hoping for a knockout blow for trump but the other republicans were too afraid

They're not afraid, but just don't know how. Nothing seems to work and they don't know what do. It's kind of fascinating to watch all of this unfold. The bottom line is Trump, whether you like his style or not, stands out more than anyone else. His messages resonate more than anyone else's.

lennygoran · Post by **lennygoran** » Fri Aug 07, 2015 9:06 pm

Not so fast-if you added all the other normal candidates their percentage would be higher than what the abnormal trump gets-he`s in a world of his own. Len

piston · Post by **piston** » Fri Aug 07, 2015 9:32 pm

The Trump "show" has had the positive effect of drawing attention to all the other candidates. Viewer ratings were incredibly high for this early exercise in electoral democracy. That, in itself, was an important event which any Democrat could envy!

Brooks had an interesting comment about Trump on NPR this afternoon. The guy cannot be understood properly in terms of "left" or "right." He just does not fit that mold, at least from a long-term political perspective about the views he has held over time.

Trump is about this notion, highly debatable to begin with, that losers are in political power and winners are excluded from it. Viewing himself as a great corporate winner (notwithstanding the dirty bankruptcies), he wants to place corporate winners such as himself in power.

This is not an especially enlightened political point of view when, in the process of aspiring to that power, you antagonize American women, including very Republican American women such as Megyn Kelly (by telling her to behave or else!), you portray non-Caucasian immigrants as criminals, when the demographics indicate that Latinos are becoming a potent political force in may Red states, and you call creditors (i.e., the financial world) "bad" people.

My take on his political drive is that he is "losing" on all of these three fronts. A corporate "winner" (highly individualistic in nature) cannot hope to become a political "winner" if he antagonizes such huge chunks of the electorate.

And this White male Caucasian approach to politics is bound to hurt the Republican party so much in need or reaching out to ... other people than White male Caucasians!

piston · Post by **piston** » Fri Aug 07, 2015 10:05 pm

This recent Trump statement is not surprising either. Our own corporate Maine Governor did the same because his participation in political debates antagonized too many people:

Trump said he is considering skipping the next debate hosted by Fox News Channel, scheduled for January in Iowa, because he believes he was treated unfairly by the network's moderators.

You're popular because of your inflammatory statements but you won't participate in political debates that make you look like a jackass because you have no depth.

Tell me: Where is the boundary between democracy and dictatorship?

rwetmore · Post by **rwetmore** » Fri Aug 07, 2015 11:08 pm

I thought he was treated unfairly by the moderators, but he none the less weathered through all of it and may have even gained traction in the polls. His responses got the loudest applauses. The moderators clearly don't like him (especially Megyn Kelly) and were hoping to facilitate his demise in the race with their line of questioning. It failed.

rwetmore · Post by **rwetmore** » Sat Aug 08, 2015 2:01 am

For the heck of it just now, I just decided to see Limbaugh's take on all of this.

The Orders to Take Out Trump Must Have Gone to Fox, Not the Other Candidates

http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2015/ ... candidates

I think he's right. The media and pundits seem baffled by Trump's ability to easily weather all of these these things and attempts to bring him down. I think it's because Trump does represent what is a true silent majority, and it's consistent with my own anecdotal experience with people -- both Republican or Democrat leaning. I'm beginning to see even a possible landslide Trump victory that totally baffles all the so-called 'expert' analysts.

lennygoran · Post by **lennygoran** » Sat Aug 08, 2015 6:14 am

rwetmore wrote:I thought he was treated unfairly by the moderators, but he none the less weathered through all of it and may have even gained traction in the polls. His responses got the loudest applauses. The moderators clearly don't like him (especially Megyn Kelly) and were hoping to facilitate his demise in the race with their line of questioning. It failed.

Disagree-they let him hog the platform a little more than I cared for-the moderators had tough questions for all the candidates imo. If fox thinks it`s time for him to go why shouldn`t they-after all they want a republican who has a chance of winning! Len

piston · Post by **piston** » Sat Aug 08, 2015 8:06 am

Most importantly for Trump's political future, some prominent conservative organizations such as "Red State" also disagree with Limbaugh's conspiracy theory. From The Wall Street Journal:

ATLANTA— Donald Trump was disinvited from a gathering of influential conservatives here this weekend after he made an apparently indelicate remark about Fox News host Megyn Kelly, one of the moderators of Thursday night’s GOP presidential debate.

Erick Erickson, an influential conservative blogger who organized the annual Red State Gathering, formally rescinded Mr. Trump’s invitation to appear on Saturday night at an event sponsored by the website.

“As much as I do personally like Donald Trump, his comment about Megyn Kelly on CNN is a bridge too far for me,” Mr. Erickson wrote on Red State late Friday night.

The latest Trump-related controversy stems from a Friday night interview the celebrity real-estate mogul gave to CNN. In it, Mr. Trump lashed out at Ms. Kelly, the Fox anchor who asked him about his history of making incendiary remarks about women. He told the rival cable-news network, “You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes. Blood coming out of her…wherever.”

Characteristically, Trump's organization replied by villifying Erick Erickson and his weakness in bowing to such "political correctness."

Auntie Lynn · Post by **Auntie Lynn** » Sat Aug 08, 2015 8:58 am

At this writing, The Donald is still double his nearest contender...

Megan Kelly is now claiming to be deathly ill at the time of the "debate."

rwetmore · Post by **rwetmore** » Sat Aug 08, 2015 9:14 am

lennygoran wrote:Disagree-they let him hog the platform a little more than I cared for-the moderators had tough questions for all the candidates imo. If fox thinks it`s time for him to go why shouldn`t they-after all they want a republican who has a chance of winning! Len

The point is they were non-substantive questions. They're not supposed to be picking or excluding candidates. They should have been asking policy specific questions to Trump.

rwetmore · Post by **rwetmore** » Sat Aug 08, 2015 9:16 am

Auntie Lynn wrote:At this writing, The Donald is still double his nearest contender...

Megan Kelly is now claiming to be deathly ill at the time of the "debate."

Hopefully they can move past all this nonsense and get to focusing on pinning down Trump on his actual policy positions. That is, what he plans to actually do and not do if elected.

rwetmore · Post by **rwetmore** » Sat Aug 08, 2015 11:29 am

An interesting piece:

Can anything bring down Teflon Trump?

http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/25 ... flon-trump

rwetmore · Post by **rwetmore** » Sat Aug 08, 2015 2:45 pm

Trump himself responds:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2DezT5BMmk

piston · Post by **piston** » Sat Aug 08, 2015 4:16 pm

Republican candidates are between a rock and a hard place on this last Trump outburst (about a very skilled professional woman who was asking a question on his degrading portrayals of women). Bush has just come out, mostly jabbing, not punching, but nevertheless asserting that Trump's comment was offensive, pointing out that women comprise 53 percent of the electorate in this country, and asking Trump to apologize. Earlier today, Huckabee subtly did not say anything about Trump but came out strong in support of Kelly. Lastly, Paul, a man of very high principles, is reminding whoever is listening how Trump is a totally unprincipled individual, which Trump confirmed during the debate by saying that he used existing bankruptcy laws to his best advantage (to hell with the lenders) and played the political funding game without the slightest discrimination as to who he was funding. Paul:

"I can't imagine Donald Trump even knowing what a tea party is," Paul said, referring to the conservative political movement. "Where is our sense? Where is our common sense? This is a guy who was pro-choice before he was pro-life. This is a guy who was liberal before he was conservative. This is a guy who was a Democrat before he was a Republican before he was a Democrat before was an independent before was a Republican again."

But all these critical statements are being expressed with the knowledge that Trump could go independent and divide the Republican vote so much as to guarantee a Democratic victory.

piston · Post by **piston** » Sat Aug 08, 2015 5:12 pm

And, while it's obvious to all that Trump, and Trump alone, gets himself in trouble with Latinos, women, the whole conservative establishment, it is noteworthy how he reacts to his mistakes:

Mr. Trump fired [his top advisor] Roger Stone last night. We have a tremendously successful campaign and Roger wanted to use the campaign for his own personal publicity. He has had a number of articles about him recently and Mr. Trump wants to keep the focus of the campaign on how to Make America Great Again

When you're impulsive and offensive, throw other people under the bus! (Nixon used to do that a lot before he was impeached).

Agnes Selby · Post by **Agnes Selby** » Sat Aug 08, 2015 6:01 pm

John F wrote:As David Brooks observed in a recent column, with Trump, ego is ideology.

I watched the entire "show". Yes, all that matters to Trump(et) is his ego.
How many times is he going to mention how marvellously clever he is making all that
fortune?

piston · Post by **piston** » Sat Aug 08, 2015 6:38 pm

Political analysts can read through contradictions the size of a football field:

“This is a guy who’s running as the tough guy,” Krauthammer said. “The foundation of his campaign is our negotiators, our president, our administrations are stupid. They’re weak, they get kicked over in negotiations.”

In contrast to the Obama administration, Krauthammer said Trump has promised to “kill China in negotiations,” “build a wall and… make Mexico pay for it,” and “stare down Putin.”

In the face of Trump's bold promises, Krauthammer concluded Trump’s reaction to difficult questions during the debate just didn’t add up.

“He says he was treated not nicely by three Fox News anchors. It doesn’t quite fit,” Krauthammer said.

lennygoran · Post by **lennygoran** » Sat Aug 08, 2015 8:10 pm

rwetmore wrote:
lennygoran wrote:Disagree-they let him hog the platform a little more than I cared for-the moderators had tough questions for all the candidates imo. If fox thinks it`s time for him to go why shouldn`t they-after all they want a republican who has a chance of winning! Len
The point is they were non-substantive questions. They're not supposed to be picking or excluding candidates. They should have been asking policy specific questions to Trump.

Sorry you`re wrong-they asked him tough hard questions too which he gave his usual empty bombastic responses-surprised how this guy has taken you in-then again look how you continue to deal with Limbaugh. Len

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