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In a tribute to 'Smokey' (one for the kids there) Gary? Who the fuck is Gary?
President Trump?
- Thread starter Dixie - In Memoriam
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In a tribute to 'Smokey' (one for the kids there) Gary? Who the fuck is Gary?
Rationalist
Hail Voltaire
Interesting theory, and not beyond the realm of possibility. It could go down like this: Trump garners Tea Party support, but once Mitt wins a few early primaries, Trump drops out of the race and throws his support behind Romney, with the goal of redirecting Tea Party support to Romney.
That said, I am not convinced Trump can garner Tea Party support. The Tea Party is very much a middle-class, main street movement. Trump doesn't fit with that.
That said, I am not convinced Trump can garner Tea Party support. The Tea Party is very much a middle-class, main street movement. Trump doesn't fit with that.
Dixie - In Memoriam
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Here's what started me thinking this... What is Trump's main asset? What does he bring to the table that no other candidate has? Well, other than a bad toupee, he brings a great deal of knowledge about business and finance, economics, how to turn a loser into a winner again... but that isn't what he chose to talk about in this 'pre-campaigning' venture. If he were a serious candidate, you'd think he would come out pitching his best stuff, not lamenting on what appears to be core social conservative issues. It's just such an odd strategy, it causes me to wonder what else might be up, because I don't think this is how Trump would campaign if he truly wanted to be president. Why would you not talk about finances, the debt, how we get out of the mess we're in with deficit spending... that's what Trump could beat everyone's brains in with, why wouldn't he be talking that? Instead, he's talking about birth certificates, how he used to be pro-choice but now he's had a change of heart and is pro-life, and although he grew up in New York, gay marriage is just not something he agrees with... add in some foreign policy 'tough talk' and he's nailed the social conservative demographic. I'm not sure if they think he can win over the TEA Party, but if he managed to siphon off a few votes from Palin and Huckabee, it only helps Romney in the end. I really think this is a political ploy, to water down the TEA Party vote.
I supported the TEA Party- and I certianly could support a Trump candidacy. I have spoken with other friends who are likewise supportive of the TEA Party platform and who likewise could envision supporting a Trump candidacy. I like Romney-but Romney doesn't seem tough enough to work with Congress---gawd knows Obama isn't.
Dixie - In Memoriam
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The TEA Party is completely lukewarm on Romney, and that's who the establishment GOP wants. I think they know they can't possibly get Mitt nominated, unless they can somehow dilute the TEA Party vote, and the best way to do that, is to have plenty of different choices for the TEA Party. While Huckabee or Palin might have beaten Romney in Iowa, with Trump on the ballot, it might just tilt the vote in Romney's favor. If Romney can win Iowa, he should easily be able to win New Hampshire, and again, Trump would pull votes away from Palin and Huck in NH or anywhere in the Northeast.
I just keep thinking Trump's strategy is really odd, if he is a serious candidate. You would expect him to come out talking about fiscal policy, not social conservative hot-button issues... that's just strange. The more I think about this, the more I believe he is a plant, a spoiler, someone to further split the TEA Party vote, so that Mitt Romney can become the nominee. Ironically, I think they did the same thing with McCain and the social conservatives. Stack the box with social conservatives, have them cancel each other out in the primaries, and the 'moderate' walks away with the nomination.
He did talk about fiscal issues...if you're talking about the O'Reilly interview? O'Reilly led that interview and Trump was direct in his responses to question asked of him. The BC issue is provacitive and launched him into the spotlight- Trump is shrewd. I do not believe he is into helping Romney. I think what he says about his interest in running is the truth of it.
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Minister of Truth
Practically Perfect
Well, the establishment GOP wants to win, which is why we're not running Sharon Angle or Christine O'Donnel.
Dixie - In Memoriam
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Minister of Truth
Practically Perfect
I dunno, Dixie, I'm a Gary Johnson man, myself.
Dixie - In Memoriam
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Oh, no doubt he is going to talk about fiscal issues in an interview, since that seems to be a very natural interview question for Donald Trump. He didn't CHOOSE to talk about fiscal policy, he CHOSE to talk about the birth certificate... abortion... gay marriage... That was HIS decision, not being questioned by an astute political interviewer like O'Reilly. As for being provocative and getting in the spotlight, Christine O'Donnell did the same thing by saying she wasn't a witch. Going out there and explaining how you are a life-long New Yorker, but you are curiously and amazingly aligned in perfect harmony with Evangelical Social Conservatives in the Bible Belt.... well, even Trump can't sell that one! But if he can manage to get a small percentage of the "dumb people" out there, to THINK he means this stuff, and vote for him over Palin or Huck... it helps Romney.
When you think about it... Business, finance, fiscal issues... it would seem that Romney and Trump would likely have much more in common, in terms of ideas of how to fix problems, etc. But we don't see Trump challenging Romney or trying to garner some of Romney's vote... we see him going after the TEA Party vote... or what GOP elites THINK are the key issues for TEA Party voters... the birth certificate... abortion.. gay marriage... This Trump Campaign just smacks of something rotten in Denmark to me.
Well it was my observation that O'Reilly asked him about gay marriage; abortion; and the BC business. It was also my observation that Trump said he would present a more clear platform, if he chooses to run, in June? Speaking of presidential platforms...has Romney articualted much of one yet? Palin? Huckabee? The point being Trump is putting his proverbial toe in the water and being Trump it will not be a timid dipping---more of a splash
Dixie - In Memoriam
New member
Well it was my observation that O'Reilly asked him about gay marriage; abortion; and the BC business. It was also my observation that Trump said he would present a more clear platform, if he chooses to run, in June? Speaking of presidential platforms...has Romney articualted much of one yet? Palin? Huckabee? The point being Trump is putting his proverbial toe in the water and being Trump it will not be a timid dipping---more of a splash
O'Reilly asked him because he was previously on The View, and that's what he talked about. Why didn't he start out with an in-depth O'Reilly interview, where he talked about his strengths in finance and business? That would seem the logical strategy, if Trump had no other motive than to run for president. The ONE qualification he has to be President of the United States, and he doesn't come out with that??? It's odd, it's peculiar to me, I can't prove he is up to something, or in with the elites or whatever, but something is just not right here. The pieces don't fit, it doesn't make sense to me from a political strategy standpoint. There are just too many things he has said, which make me think he is pandering, or trying to pander, to the core social conservatives, who are already split between Palin and Huckabee. And why would you take your campaign off into that direction, if your only strength is fiscal policy, finance, business? Why would you alienate the more libertarian fiscal conservative types (big Romney supporters) by choosing to focus on abortion, gay marriage, and the BC? If he intends to be the GOP nominee, he will need to win the votes of Romney supporters, who feel Trump has a better handle on financial/ fiscal/ business issues. But he chose to jump in the pool with the Palin/Huckabee evangelical conservatives. That's just too freaking odd for me to comprehend, unless he is trying to help Romney win the nomination.
Look, I don't pretend to know what Donald's strategy is-I just don't subscribe to the theory he is in it to help Romney. I think he really is sincerely considering an actual run. He is not a stupid man and I am sure he is being calculating on his message. I do see trouble for him because he tends to just say what he really thinks-and that will likely be great fodder for the media left. He is bound to set the establishement, both right and left, on its ear because he is not an insider. I think he spent a total of 10 words on abortion and the same for gay marriage. Again he did so because he was asked about them. He did state that he had ideas and that if he chose to run he'd be ready to state what those are. I had no problem with what he actually said regarding abortion or gay marriage. I liked that he is ready to take charge of how we are involved in the ME and he minced no words about it. I further liked what he said about China-he's ready to play chicken in a real way (ahz will certainly like his ideas there) I wish he would have been asked if he thought there was a difference between public vs private unions-
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Why would it matter to any conservative? He'll never get their vote regardless.
How so, he never said he was not born Muslim!
Dixie - In Memoriam
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ID, I agree at first glance, Trump is an appealing candidate. I am only looking at how he came out of the box... he was not asked on The View, about how he felt over the BC controversy, HE asked the question; "Why doesn't he show his birth certificate?" and then, gave a declarative statement of his position... "...and you know, I wish he would!" TRUMP did this, not The View ladies. In the O'Reilly interviews, he got into more 'social conservative' issue, like abortion and gay marriage, and in both cases, his words just struck me as kind of odd, coming from a life-long New Yorker. Not to say there are no pro-life anti-gay marriage people in New York, it's just not something you generally associate with that region of the country.
I also agree that Trump is not stupid... that's why I can't understand why he would do something so politically stupid. Why alienate the voting block you need to secure? The financially-minded fiscal conservative, libertarian type conservative... that's the vote Trump will need to win the nomination. His strong suit is finance and business, why would he not have come out of the box with both guns a-blazing on that? If he had done that, I would be inclined to think he was a serious candidate for president, because that it the one thing he could kill everyone else with. Instead, he comes out sounding like freaking Roy Moore? It's just too 'convenient' to me... something is up with that.