Trump

[Been Jammin]

OK, I hesitate to even start this thread, as I am fairly apolitical. But, I am curious. Who are all these people that are helping him to such an overwhelming lead in the polls? I get that there are a lot of Republicans out there that recognize that there are many facets of traditional Republican rhetoric that are outdated, and those individuals are looking for an alternative to a Democrat as president. So, I can see how the majority of Republicans want a change from the traditional type of candidate. But, Trump? Seriously? How can anyone think that he is the answer to what our country needs?

His immigration plan is laughable. He wants to build a wall along the border with Mexico. The money spent building that wall, and manning said wall could be used for so many more important things. Especially when we all know that there will be hundreds of tunnels beneath the wall shortly after it is completed.

I have other problems with things he has said, but just wondered if there was anyone willing to try to explain to me how this wall is feasible or a good idea...

 

[hollywood]

Because it isn't so much reality (that he has this huge amount of base support) as much as it is media hype. You've got to bear this in mind every time you hear those polls reported: The ONLY people who are included in those polls are A. People who self-identify as Republicans; B. Indicated that they are likely voters; and C. Indicated that they are either going to vote (or participate in state caucuses) in the upcoming Republican presidential primary. At this point in history, the number of people who self-identify as Republicans is near historic lows, as the "Independent" category now outranks both mainstream parties.

Secondly, with some 16-18 candidates at this point what is not being reported, that even among Republicans, Trumps "negatives" (the percentage of people polled who indicate they would NOT vote for Trump) still exceeds his positive. Among Women (non-party affiliated) Trump's negatives are in the 60's (more than 60% of women dislike him considerably.) When the number of candidates starts to get whittled down, Trumps numbers aren't likely to go up much and it's quite likely the other candidates will start to consolidate numbers equal to or better than Trumps.

However, with that said: Who years ago would have taken a Jessie Ventura or Arnold Schwarzenegger candidacy for Governor seriously? We seem (as a society) to be in the "Celebrity" era of politics and I guess it shouldn't be too surprising that Trump is polling as well as he is. You could probably put a Kardashian on the ballot and get better numbers than Lindsay Graham, Bobby Jindal, or Rick Perry are pulling.

One of my favorite "Man on the Street" quotes from The Onion several years ago, had a guy saying: "They say you get the government you deserve: Yet, I don't remember a**- raping a nun!"

 

[JonnyVito]

You could probably put a Kardashian on the ballot

Please don't even joke about this.

 

[EvilPOKES]

I don't mind Trump, I just think having him as president and within arm's reach of the button is a bad thing for the planet lol

 

[JonnyVito]

I am a republican but I do have some issues I lean to the left on, most are social issues. On the wall I tend to agree with BJ. If a guy can have a tunnel built under a prison in Mexico to escape then nothing will stop them from tunneling under a wall.

Personally if you really want to stop illegals from coming and you are going to stop this mess then you have to mine the border. Now this will never happen but IMO it is the only way to stop it.

 

[AC_Exotic]

As Obama and others have proven over the last 30 years, Americans don't want to elect a politician, they want a media savvy celebrity.

I'm not a big fan of Trump -- but his celebrity status might push him over the top.

 

[NeekReevers]

I'm frankly disgusted at the number of people supporting Trump because he "tells it like it is." He's a jackass that results to 3rd grade insults when he's confronted with an issue he doesn't want to talk about. People didn't like Mitt because he was a "RINO" and now you have Trump who has basically been a Democrat his whole life and that's cool with people because he "tells it like it is." Every idea I have heard come out of his mouth is terrible. His immigration plan is terrible, his tax plan is terrible, I've heard no details on his healthcare idea but I am sure when I do it will also be terrible. I get that people are fed up with politicians but there are plenty of alternative candidates in this election that could do a good job if given a chance....namely Carson, Fiorina, and Paul. I really hope a lot of what Hollywood says about Trumps candidacy and poll numbers being skewed by the media are true.

 

[Orange Jennyslipper]

Trump is just a reflection of how badly people hate what the government has become in our lifetimes. People are fed the F up. If he's on the ballot in November, it won't be as a Republican.

Hillary would be trailing in her primary race if the Democrats had a known candidate to the right of Sanders.

No one from our past has any business trying to lead us into the future. No coalition of ordinary voters will ever be able to wrest control of the country away from the lobbyists, corporations and billionaires now.

And when the revolution comes, the right and left will shoot each other instead of turning on the lobbyists, corporations and billionaires.

 

[Poketologist]

Can't do it. He has no respect for anyone

 

[Cowpoke]

I hadn't followed Trump at all, just knew he was gaining a fair amount of support.
I listend to about 10 minutes of that first debate and flipped the channel in a wave of sad emotions for the future of our country when he started yelling about building his wall.

 

[Ostatedchi]

Trump is just a reflection of how badly people hate what the government has become in our lifetimes.

/end thread

 

[hollywood]

Saw some polling tonight which showed Trump's "negatives" at 60% across the board. I can only imagine what his negative numbers among women must look like. (Likely at least 10 pts higher)

I challenge anyone to go back and listen to Trump calling into the Howard Stern to argue with A.J Benza and tell him how he had stolen his girlfriend away from him (by using $) and then tell me that this guy is who you want for president.

 

[HighStickHarry]

Thomas Jefferson fvcked his slaves and he is on our money. Not sure how a Howard stern outburst is worse than that.

 

[shortbus]

Something to consider is how powerful and proficient his branding team is.

It's a whole different animal and he knows what works.

We are talking about one of the biggest attention whores this side of the kardashians.

Stupid people are easily manipulated. That's why we have commercials and advertising.

Style over substance.

Obama got elected.

If that's not enough to demonstrate my point then consider this.

OBAMA GOT RE-ELECTED!

 

[hollywood]

HIgh Stick Harry,

But you never heard Tommy Jefferson going on Howard Stern and bragging about it, now did you?


Some historical context, Sally Heming's was Jefferson's wife's (Martha) half-sister (same father). This was well known to the family. Thomas Jefferson never acknowledged a relationship with her, nor acknowledged any paternity of any of her children.

After, the DNA analysis of Heming's children was compared to T. Jefferson, the panel established that T. Jefferson was only one of potentially 19 different Jefferson men who either lived at his plantation, nearby, or who visited routinely who carried the same genetic profile. It is just as likely that one of the other Jeffersons, including his younger brother and/or nephews who lived there was the father of her children as much as it was that T. Jefferson himself was the father. So, actually there is NO established paternity on the part of T. Jefferson, nor any other proof that he slept with Hemings. The best one could claim is that it's possible that Jefferson slept with a slave.

http://www.monticello.org/site/plan...mas-jefferson-and-sally-hemings-brief-account

 

[Cowpoke]

Something to consider is how powerful and proficient his branding team is.

It's a whole different animal and he knows what works.

We are talking about one of the biggest attention whores this side of the kardashians.

Stupid people are easily manipulated. That's why we have commercials and advertising.

Style over substance.

Obama got elected.

If that's not enough to demonstrate my point then consider this.

OBAMA GOT RE-ELECTED!

I think if alowed he would get re-elected again against the sad offerings by both sides.

 

[HighStickHarry]

Shall I google more sins of our founding fathers to make my point?

Who cares what the personal mistakes are? CEO's, presidents are usually scumbags all the while making incredible leaders. I'm not endorsing trump but I can only imagine you would vote for a guy tomorrow even if he stuck a cigar in a chubby interns twat while leading the free world. There isn't a candidate out there with more personal immoral transgressions than the former fornicator in chief.

 

[HighStickHarry]

Obama had his former gay lovers murdered for gods sake!!!!!

 

[Air_Thurman]

Shall I google more sins of our founding fathers to make my point?

Who cares what the personal mistakes are? CEO's, presidents are usually scumbags all the while making incredible leaders. I'm not endorsing trump but I can only imagine you would vote for a guy tomorrow even if he stuck a cigar in a chubby interns twat while leading the free world. There isn't a candidate out there with more personal immoral transgressions than the former fornicator in chief.

The founding fathers were far from perfect but they also had some decent ideas. What are Trumps decent ideas?

 

[TheRedSon]

This is so simple...

Right now there are two things that matter to the voters being polled, and one massive thing that skews anyone's ability to pick a candidate...

1) People know who Trump is. They don't know who the governor of Wisconsin or. Louisiana is. They certainly don't know who the junior Senator from Kentucky is, and if they do it's probably becaise they know who his father is, and they didn't vite for him either.

2) The more insular the Republican Party gets, and it's kind of crazy how fast they're shedding themselves of what I consider normal conservatives, the more it matters how much you can criticize the government (and Obama of course). Many of the other candidates have been a part of failing government.

Until there is a more manageable panel of candidates the most popular man in the room is going to destroy them all. Look at the Democrat side of this. There are only two legitimate candidates right now. This actually helps Saunders because he's the only alternative. If there were 15 Democrats in the room Clinton would have them all beat already.

 

[Marshal Jim Duncan]

This is so simple...

Right now there are two things that matter to the voters being polled, and one massive thing that skews anyone's ability to pick a candidate...

1) People know who Trump is. They don't know who the governor of Wisconsin or. Louisiana is. They certainly don't know who the junior Senator from Kentucky is, and if they do it's probably becaise they know who his father is, and they didn't vite for him either.

2) The more insular the Republican Party gets, and it's kind of crazy how fast they're shedding themselves of what I consider normal conservatives, the more it matters how much you can criticize the government (and Obama of course). Many of the other candidates have been a part of failing government.

Until there is a more manageable panel of candidates the most popular man in the room is going to destroy them all. Look at the Democrat side of this. There are only two legitimate candidates right now. This actually helps Saunders because he's the only alternative. If there were 15 Democrats in the room Clinton would have them all beat already.

I don't really disagree with you on the Republican side. But you really think Bernie Sanders is a legitimate candidate?

 

[JimmyBob]

I don't really disagree with you on the Republican side. But you really think Bernie Sanders is a legitimate candidate?

Bernie is the "faux" equivalent of Elizabeth Warren's "native" heritage.

 

[CarrolltonPoke]

No one from our past has any business trying to lead us into the future.

Great statement, and sadly true.

 

[TPOKE]

Saw some polling tonight which showed Trump's "negatives" at 60% across the board. I can only imagine what his negative numbers among women must look like. (Likely at least 10 pts higher)

I challenge anyone to go back and listen to Trump calling into the Howard Stern to argue with A.J Benza and tell him how he had stolen his girlfriend away from him (by using $) and then tell me that this guy is who you want for president.

It has more to do with the message, than the messenger.