1762

Trump’s supporters aren’t exactly “thinkers”. Trump’s campaign essentially amounts of the opening of 2001, when the pre-humanoids are grunting and flailing around.

1763

No, they’re thinking. They’re thinking, “I agree with Donald Trump’s views and would like to subscribe to his Twitter feed.”

I mean, how can this guy just blatantly say a thing, then immediately after saying that thing say he did not say the thing he just said! And people believe him! That’s the world we live in now. Facts mean nothing. The thing you just witnessed, recorded on video to be replayed again and again in perpetuity, means nothing. A cop can shoot a guy, have it caught on video, say “I didn’t perpetuate a discharge of my firearm on this suspect at that time.” (or whatever bullshit cops say when they try to use big words to sound smart and In Charge), and half the population will believe it. Then they’ll go on Facebook and start posting flags and dead soldiers and SHARE IF YOU AGREE asdfasdfasdfadsfasdf

fuck everything. Donald Trump, 45th President of the United States of America. Nostradamus predicted 45 Presidents before the Anti-Christ, did you know that? It’s true, I just said it on the internet. I’m putting it in Wikipedia and sourcing this post as proof. Indisputable.

I’m going home and I’m going to get drunk and watch the Patriots cheat their way to a win over the Steelers tonight and enjoy every second of it.

1764

At least the right has spokespeople like Palin to fall back on:

“So up there in Alaska, across the way Russia,” Sarah Palin said. “You know there is a name for this taking advantage of America. There is a Russian name for that. And it is called ‘fortushka.’ And that means Obama’s window of opportunity. So as Obama leads from behind the skirt of his right-hand man, Valerie Jarrett, then it’s up to Congress to close that window. He may propose. You dispose, Congress. You gotta be in it to win it because we want peace. With unapologetic mighty red, white, and blue, will have peace.”

1765

None of us knows why Trump got in the race, not for sure. But right now, he surely believes he has a real shot at becoming president. That’s what the polls say.

I wonder if he wants the job? He wants to win. But does he want to do the actual job? Amazingly, this may be relevant.

1766

I have a hard time disagreeing with this assessment.

1767

Please edit wikipedia to cite this thread as a source.

1768

Rolling Stone on Trump’s campaign trail: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/trump-seriously-20150909

I buckle in to watch the campaign coverage when he asks me if I know what inversions are. “Uh, no,” I say, thinking I’m in for a tutorial about wind patterns at 30,000 feet. “It’s when companies leave America and take thousands of good jobs with 'em. What do ya think of that, does that sound fair?” he says.

“Well, no, it doesn’t. But what would you do about it in your first hundred days?”

“Yeah, I gotta remind myself to talk about that tonight. But I’m busy now! I really gotta prep!” He burrows into his notes, marking a section in ballpoint. Not 60 seconds pass before he looks at me again. “You know New Hampshire has a huge problem with heroin? Why do ya s’pose that is?”

I tell him that it probably has to do with OxyContin and school kids raiding their parents’ medicine chests. They run out of pills, then find that bags of heroin are cheaper. “Yeah? Well, which is worse for you, the heroin or the pills?” I explain that they’re both derivatives of opium, which is dicey however it’s delivered. “Hunh!” he says. “Interesting. I didn’t know that. But I gotta get back to my notes!” (At a press conference, an hour later, he’ll respond to a question about heroin in New Hampshire by saying that “it starts probably with OxyContin, from what I’m hearing.”) Sixty seconds pass. “Hey, you believe this goddamn ISIS? Chopping people’s heads off, putting people in cages and drowning 'em. We gotta waterboard 'em, don’t you agree?”

In all seriousness though, the author comes to the same conclusion I did back when people thought Trump would drop out when he had to disclose his financials.

You don’t do a fraction of what he’s done in life — dominate New York real estate for decades, build the next grand Xanadus for the super-rich on the far shores of Dubai and Istanbul, run the prime-time ratings table for more than 10 years and earn a third (or sixth) fortune at it – without being immensely cunning and deft, a top-of-the-food-chain killer. Over the course of 10 days and several close-in encounters, I got to peer behind the scrim of his bluster and self-mythos and get a very good look at the man. What I saw was enough to make me take him dead serious. If you’re waiting for Trump to blow himself up in a Hindenburg of gaffes or hate speech, you’re in for a long, cold fall and winter. Donald Trump is here for the duration — and gaining strength and traction by the hour.

His run may eventually implode, but it won’t be because he just steps aside.

1769

Sounds like the conversations I overhear at the bagel shop.

1770

Hah, I hear you. Sounds like just about every conversation in Utah, anywhere outside of Salt Lake City. It’s my mother’s 70th birthday next week and I just can’t wait for the inevitable political discussion.

1771

That’s kind of sweetly naive? The President is just (and has always been if he wants to last (live)) a sock puppet for the most powerful (rich) of the powerful. It’s why the Republican party is always in bed with the big oil companies etc.

Sure he can agree with stuff he is told to say/do and that is as it should be, after all ‘they’ paid him the dollars to get into office and they want a return on that. But a real self minded President doesn’t last long when not playing by the playbook he has been given. It’s why american democracy is the sham that it is, and might be why you now have pantomime candidates like Trump? People have no faith in the method (of democracy) anymore, so why not let slightly/massively crazy people run the show?

1772

I don’t think it’s naive at all. We’ve had presidents who have achieved great things through their vision. Eisenhower built the interstate system, which revolutionized commerce. Or JFK deciding that we were going to go the mother fucking moon, because eat a bag of dicks, Russia!

Hell, even take someone like Nixon who generally gets a bad rap… The guy achieved a ton of things, generally which would be considered liberal by today’s standards. Founding the EPA for instance.

1773

ok so one of those was assassinated. They all were a fair while ago, in maybe a more positive time before money ruined everything ;) And one of them was Nixon ;)

Come on Timex! we have Trump looking like being your next President (with maybe Palin in the mix…again!). Man there is no class (or credibility!) in your democratic process surely?! It’s like a South Park episode!

1774

Zak, Trump has 30% of a primary poll, a year before the election. Herman Cain had the same numbers at one point.
He’s not going to be the next president.

1775

Fingers crossed hey?

1776

He won’t be, but he might be the republican candidate.

1777

Donald has a whole year to peter out or self-immolate.

I just hope Hillary does it first, as I see her as someone who will lose in November. I actually think Bernie, Biden, or even Webb would do better in a general.

1778

Bernie who just overtook Hilary in Iowa*? (*By 1% in an outlier poll that assumes Biden is running when he is not with a margin or error of 3.4%)

But STILL.

1779

We may have our first official casualty:

BREAKING: AP sources: Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry to drop out of 2016 Republican presidential race.

1780

Heh, I thought he dropped out a month ago.

1781

I was surprised he was officially still in too.