Presidential Race 2016

Quaro · 2016-01-22T12:16:24.000Z

It’s kind of notable that nobody else seems to care either. Oh that Trump, retweeting Hitler fetishists, what a lovable old scoundrel.

TimJames · 2016-01-22T12:17:22.000Z

What is Thomas Sowell doing with those clowns?

TimJames · 2016-01-22T12:23:36.000Z

From a brief look at Twitter, it seems there’s a war going on about who is the Republican establishment. Told you guys it was confusing!

JFrazer · 2016-01-22T12:24:58.000Z

Trump isn’t the candidate we need, but he’s the candidate we deserve. Politics has been getting more and more “us vs them” every election cycle. Combined with turning politics in to a reality TV show (debates more worried about rating than actual policy questions), the rise of a Trump-style candidate was inevitable.

The sad part is that his counter appears to be a POS like Ted Cruz. When your base is choosing Trump and Cruz as their top choices for a Presidential contender, there’s a good chance your party has lost its way.

Rightbug · 2016-01-22T17:15:18.000Z

Telefrog:

Plus, The National Review is off the ticket for moderating the next debate.

This happened in New Hampshire as well with the largest newspaper, The Union Leader. They dared to criticize Trump in an editorial and he spent 15 minutes at every campaign stop tearing them down and saying what a bunch of losers they are and then ABC asked them to step down as co-sponsors of the debate. It’s kind of chilling, the way that he shuts down any news media that dares to oppose him.

Nesrie · 2016-01-22T18:03:10.000Z

Rightbug:

This happened in New Hampshire as well with the largest newspaper, The Union Leader. They dared to criticize Trump in an editorial and he spent 15 minutes at every campaign stop tearing them down and saying what a bunch of losers they are and then ABC asked them to step down as co-sponsors of the debate. It’s kind of chilling, the way that he shuts down any news media that dares to oppose him.

Which would be the way he intends to run the country. It’s like electing a thug, and I was worried Christie was going to try this instead.

legowarrior · 2016-01-23T04:14:07.000Z

Rightbug:

This happened in New Hampshire as well with the largest newspaper, The Union Leader. They dared to criticize Trump in an editorial and he spent 15 minutes at every campaign stop tearing them down and saying what a bunch of losers they are and then ABC asked them to step down as co-sponsors of the debate. It’s kind of chilling, the way that he shuts down any news media that dares to oppose him.

Very much so. On the other hand, any news agency that moderates a debate should abstain from editorials about the candidates until afterward (note, just editorials, and legitimate news about how Trump is a moronic liar is fair game).

HumanTon · 2016-01-23T08:35:25.000Z

In case anyone wonders how someone like Putin gets in, we’re seeing it right now. Everyone loves a bully, so long as he bullies people they don’t like. (And of course he’ll never turn on me, they fool themselves.)

The news today is that apparently Bloomberg is considering a bid as an Independent. At first glance this seems pointless so long as Hillary is in; Dems will choose her over him, and the GOP base considers Bloomberg to be a closet liberal (I can already see the “You’ll take my super-size soda from my cold, dead hands” t-shirts.) He’d never win, he’d be acting purely as a spoiler …

… which is no doubt the point. Bloomberg is the ultimate insurance policy against a Trump win; set a plutocrat with unlimited funds to catch a plutocrat with unlimited funds.

(He’ll drive Trump crazy if he enters the race. His net worth is ten times Trump’s; he can troll Trump by mentioning all the private islands of the super-rich Trump doesn’t get invited to.)

Menzo · 2016-01-23T08:37:17.000Z

Except I just read a report (can’t find the link) that showed Bloomberg would pull more support from Hillary (8%) than Trump (5%). And that 3% is likely to be the decider.

Edit - here’s the report - http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/michael-bloomberg-considering-presidential-bid

Dan_Theman · 2016-01-23T08:50:28.000Z

Of course, in that report:

He has said he’s likely to launch a bid if Republicans nominate either Donald Trump or Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Democrats nominate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), according to the Times.

Alstein · 2016-01-23T10:51:06.000Z

Of course, the two guys who are the biggest threat to oligarchy.

Incendiary_Lemon · 2016-01-23T11:04:56.000Z

HumanTon:

… which is no doubt the point. Bloomberg is the ultimate insurance policy against a Trump win; set a plutocrat with unlimited funds to catch a plutocrat with unlimited funds.

Menzo:

Except I just read a report (can’t find the link) that showed Bloomberg would pull more support from Hillary (8%) than Trump (5%). And that 3% is likely to be the decider.

Edit - here’s the report - http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/michael-bloomberg-considering-presidential-bid

I really don’t see much overlap between Trump and Bloomberg. If he runs, he’ll only hurt the Democratic candidate.

From that perspective, it’s difficult to understand why he would want to enter the race. He can’t win, that’s a mathematical impossibility, and in running he would sabotage the very interests he claims to advance.

So what’s the point? Ego?

Dan_Theman · 2016-01-23T11:17:53.000Z

A solid third-place showing might help him considerably four years from now … or with book deals, lol. And yeah, it’s interesting that he would reportedly not run if Clinton was the nominee. He would only do it if he were the only “mainstream” candidate.

Incendiary_Lemon · 2016-01-23T11:26:10.000Z

Dan_Theman:

And yeah, it’s interesting that he would reportedly not run if Clinton was the nominee.

He could really hurt Bernie - more so than Clinton.

Woolen_Horde · 2016-01-23T11:31:44.000Z

Dan_Theman:

A solid third-place showing might help him considerably four years from now … or with book deals, lol. And yeah, it’s interesting that he would reportedly not run if Clinton was the nominee. He would only do it if he were the only “mainstream” candidate.

He’d be 77 in 4 years. That’ pretty damn old to run for a job that has a 4 year minimum. He’d be looking at a first term ending at age 81, with a second term that brings him to 85.

HumanTon · 2016-01-23T11:38:20.000Z

Donald Trump said Saturday that his supporters are so loyal that he would not lose backers even if he were to shoot someone in the middle of downtown Manhattan.

“I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, okay, and I wouldn’t lose any voters, okay?” Trump said at a rally in Sioux Center, Iowa as the audience laughed. “It’s, like, incredible.”

Not an Onion article. No, really, he actually said this. Oh God we’re doomed, aren’t we …

John_Reynolds · 2016-01-23T11:57:48.000Z

That’s both incredibly narcissistic and condescending to his base.

Timex · 2016-01-23T12:16:21.000Z

“My supporters are basically mindless automatons! It doesn’t matter what I do!”

RichVR · 2016-01-23T13:35:20.000Z

If you can call your supporters mindless idiots and they still back you, what are they?

CraigM · 2016-01-23T13:50:49.000Z

RichVR:

If you can call your supporters mindless idiots and they still back you, what are they?

Just because Trump is an arrogant tyrant doesn’t mean he’s wrong, sadly.