Trump Thread (cont.)

[Ridgerunner]

Cruz and Kasich on the same ticket perhaps?

As to Trump, of course he is playing a part or play-acting, whichever term you prefer. Wasn’t that obvious from the beginning? He has no core beliefs (as Ridgerunner often reminds us) so that playing one role and then another role should come easier to him than to most other politicians. The latter cannot do so as well, although Hillary has tried, because they have a political record behind them.

I didn’t say he believes in nothing at all. I said he’s not an ideologue. That being the case, I suspect there are a good many of the normal “issues” he has not thought through because neither internal impulse nor the necessities of politics have compelled him to do it.

As little as we might think so, our mere participation here on CAF have forced a goodly number of us to think many things through. But if we were not oriented in that way, we wouldn’t bother to be here at all.

But where are the thousands, millions, of people, some very competent, who are not here? Some have other forums in which they discuss things. Some sit and think, some formulate their thoughts by writing them. And some think in terms of stripping buildings down to the steel and rebuilding them in a way that attracts people and business and still turns a profit.

I think trump has spent a lifetime thinking about projects and steel and preserving artifactual elements of redone buildings, and skating rinks and getting recalcitrant bureaucrats to go along with him on such things.

Undoubtedly such a person can be more flexible than some because he has simply not focused on some things or has not promised anyone that he would take a particular approach to things.

He reminds me very much of the first millionaire I knew when I was a kid. The man was rough spoken and a driver. He had a construction company. He knew very little about materials and even less about surveying or accounting. Yet he knew a good performer when he met one, somehow, and surrounded himself with the best around. He knew how to work politicians as well, and had many a highway contract because of it. He also had a real aesthetic sense, though he was hardly schooled in it. Built some really beautiful theatres.

As between such a person and someone who is fundamentally untrustworthy, I would choose the former as an executive a thousand times over the latter.

Trump is not my guy, but there is a tremendous difference between him and Hillary Clinton besides the former having no overarching political philosophy and the latter, who at least pretends to. Trump has spent a lifetime making things people actually want, and that they’ll pay for with their own money. Clinton has spent a lifetime making money by selling influence, which means with the money and well-being of others.

 

[tomarin]

I’m guessing the same thing. And it’s a really weird pairing, to say the least.

The New York Daily News has an article comparing them to Felix and Oscar of ‘The Odd Couple’ which made me guffaw out loud.

 

[TMC]

I read “part he was playing”, which is a little different. And it’s certainly different from “play acting” which one often reads.

And no, I don’t think it would matter much to Trump supporters if, all of a sudden he starts talking about “flat taxes” or “revenue neutral measures” or any of the kind of thing they all talk about.

I think you are probably right.

 

[FollowChrist34]

I don’t think has carved out a right wing position. I find it difficult to know where he truly stands on anything, if he ever gave a thought to those things true conservatives think. I also don’t think he is capable of changing. He is what he is and IMO that is not going to change. I may be wrong, but I have serious problems thinking that he is the choice of the majority of conservatives. Maybe there aren’t many conservatives left in the Republican party.

I’ve said this before but I think most followers of Trump are following his celebrity, his war on political correctness - he is their knight in shining armor. Twitter brigade. And, no, I don’t think these folks really care about a conservative platform. They are not politics junkies. They don’t have views, so why should they care that Trump doesn’t.

I don’t know if Trump is stoppable though - at least by the GOP. If Cruz and Kasich combine though, effectively, there is a bit of hope. Also if Rubio joins in from the sidelines on that bandwagon…but Trump can still get to 1237 I am afraid. What I can’t figure out is why more GOP voters don’t shut him down in the primaries…what am I missing there I wonder. Only about a third of the party (either side) cares enough to vote in the primaries. Where are the other 70% of mainstream GOP voters is what I am asking. Are we not at the crisis point?

 

[TMC]

That’s what I think, too. But I don’t think he’ll be the nominee. I think Cruz will be.

I don’t think so. I think Trump will get close enough. I am not sure what he “really” needs to secure the nomination, but I think it is less than 1237. If he comes in with 1235, will the GOP deny him the nomination? I don’t think so. 1200? 1150? Remember that the GOP also has “superdelegates,” but they call them “unbound.” There are fewer than the Dems have, but there are a couple hundred. Certainly enough to get Trump over the line if he is close. I think he will be within a hundred delegates or so, and get it on the first ballot with a little help from the unbound delegates.

 

[qui_est_ce]

I didn’t say he believes in nothing at all. I said he’s not an ideologue. That being the case, I suspect there are a good many of the normal “issues” he has not thought through because neither internal impulse nor the necessities of politics have compelled him to do it.

As little as we might think so, our mere participation here on CAF have forced a goodly number of us to think many things through. But if we were not oriented in that way, we wouldn’t bother to be here at all.

But where are the thousands, millions, of people, some very competent, who are not here? Some have other forums in which they discuss things. Some sit and think, some formulate their thoughts by writing them. And some think in terms of stripping buildings down to the steel and rebuilding them in a way that attracts people and business and still turns a profit.

I think trump has spent a lifetime thinking about projects and steel and preserving artifactual elements of redone buildings, and skating rinks and getting recalcitrant bureaucrats to go along with him on such things.

Undoubtedly such a person can be more flexible than some because he has simply not focused on some things or has not promised anyone that he would take a particular approach to things.

He reminds me very much of the first millionaire I knew when I was a kid. The man was rough spoken and a driver. He had a construction company. He knew very little about materials and even less about surveying or accounting. Yet he knew a good performer when he met one, somehow, and surrounded himself with the best around. He knew how to work politicians as well, and had many a highway contract because of it. He also had a real aesthetic sense, though he was hardly schooled in it. Built some really beautiful theatres.

As between such a person and someone who is fundamentally untrustworthy, I would choose the former as an executive a thousand times over the latter.

Trump is not my guy, but there is a tremendous difference between him and Hillary Clinton besides the former having no overarching political philosophy and the latter, who at least pretends to. Trump has spent a lifetime making things people actually want, and that they’ll pay for with their own money. Clinton has spent a lifetime making money by selling influence, which means with the money and well-being of others.

Thank you for taking the time to put together such a thoughtful post.

 

[gracepoole]

The New York Daily News has an article comparing them to Felix and Oscar of ‘The Odd Couple’ which made me guffaw out loud.

Ha! What an image.

 

[gracepoole]

The whole political system is weird; but I hadn’t realized just how weird it really is until this election cycle, what with the Democratic superdelegates and the Republican possibility of an open or contested convention. Of course, Trump’s ascendancy in the space of less than a year, having surpassed so many other GOP contenders, as well as Sanders’ great strides, has only served to intensify the unusual quality of this election.

I too have been fairly stunned by the bizarro quality of this election cycle. But then, perhaps all of us here would say the same?

 

[tomarin]

I too have been fairly stunned by the bizarro quality of this election cycle. But then, perhaps all of us here would say the same?

It feels like all the old certainties have crumbled up and blown away like so much dust.

 

[FollowChrist34]

It feels like all the old certainties have crumbled up and blown away like so much dust.

Here is a good one:

“you make look for the wind in the fields”

Chekhov

 

[Thorolfr]

The transgender bathroom bill in North Carolina might have an impact on Trump’s campaign. In a story in the Washington Post, a long-time Trump supporter in Pennsylvania has now said that she’s going to vote for Cruz because “Donald Trump came out on the news and said he doesn’t have a problem with transgender bathrooms.” She’s even gone so far as to start handing out information warning about Trump because of this issue.

 

[Ridgerunner]

The whole political system is weird; but I hadn’t realized just how weird it really is until this election cycle, what with the Democratic superdelegates and the Republican possibility of an open or contested convention. Of course, Trump’s ascendancy in the space of less than a year, having surpassed so many other GOP contenders, as well as Sanders’ great strides, has only served to intensify the unusual quality of this election.

This will seem even more weird. Back when I started in politics, all delegates to national conventions were chosen by state conventions, whose delegates were chosen by district conventions, whose delegates were chosen by county conventions.

There was basically no dissent involved, because the delegates were nearly all bound to the big officeholders, and willingly. Division, if it happened, was at the national level, and it was 'deal" based, not so ideological as now.

But a few decades ago, it was decided that people ought to vote in primaries. So, party discipline fell apart in the Repub party, though superdelegates in the Dem party (a remnant of the old system) can still make kings and queens.

Frankly, it has never seemed to me that the general public should be selecting a party’s delegates.

 

[utah_rose]

But here in America, we have safeguards to what the candidates say they’re going to do. First of all, Trump knows well enough that legislation is necessary to build a wall. If he should try an executive order that can be questioned by the Supreme Court. Congress makes the laws and then it goes to the Senate. No president can propose a law without going through legislation of some sort.

I’m not sure what you’re concerned with when you mention women! Yes Trump has made some vulgar remarks about a few, but I prefer that to the “war on women” mantra the Democratic Party keeps repeating because what they really mean is abortion under any circumstances including late term abortion up till birth. They also expand on equal wages yet equal wages don’t seem to apply in this administration and probably not among Hillarys staff.

As far as torture is concerned, again, the president can’t order it, but personally I’d think torture like listening to heavy metal or rapper music would be non violent. As far as the wall is concerned, Israels seems to work.

We do have to do something though, as tunnels leading from Mexico to California have been discovered being used for drugs. What would happen if ISIS decided to sneak through this way? We do need to guard our own borders. Remember, 9/11 has happened here so that’s why we need to be vigilant.

 

[Tomdstone]

The transgender bathroom bill in North Carolina might have an impact on Trump’s campaign. In a story in the Washington Post, a long-time Trump supporter in Pennsylvania has now said that she’s going to vote for Cruz because “Donald Trump came out on the news and said he doesn’t have a problem with transgender bathrooms.” She’s even gone so far as to start handing out information warning about Trump because of this issue.

To me, this is a very minor issue. We went to a performance at a concert hall recently, and because of the age of the hall, the bathrooms were small and had few stalls. During a short break, the women had queued up in long lines for the ladies room, and it was clear that it would be a long time before they would be able to enter the ladies room, Several of them at the end of the line came to the men’s restroom, which did not have lines, and no one objected to men and women using the same restroom areas.
Some more important issues are students graduating from college, unable to find a decent job, millions of homeless migrants from the mideast, the rise of extremist Islam and ISIS, the tremendous cost of America’s wars in dollars and in human lives, the high cost of college education, millions of unborn children being murdered and politicians such as Hillary supporting abortion rights and same sex marriage, Hillary’s demand that religious beliefs must be changed, wars, and more wars, too many American troops and bases overseas, the lack of water in California and other states.
I don’t see where anyone should waste their time on what bathroom is appropriate for a transgender person.

 

[Thorolfr]

To me, this is a very minor issue. We went to a performance at a concert hall recently, and because of the age of the hall, the bathrooms were small and had few stalls. During a short break, the women had queued up in long lines for the ladies room, and it was clear that it would be a long time before they would be able to enter the ladies room, Several of them at the end of the line came to the men’s restroom, which did not have lines, and no one objected to men and women using the same restroom areas.
Some more important issues are students graduating from college, unable to find a decent job, millions of homeless migrants from the mideast, the rise of extremist Islam and ISIS, the tremendous cost of America’s wars in dollars and in human lives, the high cost of college education, millions of unborn children being murdered and politicians such as Hillary supporting abortion rights and same sex marriage, Hillary’s demand that religious beliefs must be changed, wars, and more wars, too many American troops and bases overseas, the lack of water in California and other states.
I don’t see where anyone should waste their time on what bathroom is appropriate for a transgender person.

And quite inexplicably, people who can’t afford to go to college any more, lack water or a decent job, etc. will base who they vote for on something as unimportant as that candidate’s stance on the bathroom bill, an issue that will have very little impact on most people’s lives one way or another (except perhaps for some transgender people).

 

[mary_bobo]

This will seem even more weird. Back when I started in politics, all delegates to national conventions were chosen by state conventions, whose delegates were chosen by district conventions, whose delegates were chosen by county conventions.

There was basically no dissent involved, because the delegates were nearly all bound to the big officeholders, and willingly. Division, if it happened, was at the national level, and it was 'deal" based, not so ideological as now.

But a few decades ago, it was decided that people ought to vote in primaries. So, party discipline fell apart in the Repub party, though superdelegates in the Dem party (a remnant of the old system) can still make kings and queens.

Frankly, it has never seemed to me that the general public should be selecting a party’s delegates.

I had not thought of it that way, but perhaps you hit a note in that the general public, for the most part, do not know what is going on. Sad to say, but true. But then, that is how some of the politicos prefer it.

 

[Theo520]

The transgender bathroom bill in North Carolina might have an impact on Trump’s campaign. In a story in the Washington Post, a long-time Trump supporter in Pennsylvania has now said that she’s going to vote for Cruz because “Donald Trump came out on the news and said he doesn’t have a problem with transgender bathrooms.” She’s even gone so far as to start handing out information warning about Trump because of this issue.

I think Hillary is pushing this because the “war on women” meme is running on fumes, at least against Trump. Trump neutered it when he said he loved the non-abortion services provided by PP. Now Hillary needs something else to try generate outrage.

I personally don’t think it will have much impact

 

[meltzerboy]

Does anyone understand this “pact” or “collusion,” as Trump calls it, between Cruz and Kasich for the purpose of stopping Trump’s candidacy at all costs? According to what I gather, one is encouraged to vote for Cruz, even if one supports Kasich, or the reverse, in states where one or the other is doing well, so as to block Trump from winning in those states. Is that the gist? Doesn’t this assume, however, that Cruz supporters and Kasich supporters are interchangeable even though they are most likely not? This sounds to me like a dubious idea at best.

 

[Peter_J]

Cruz and Kasich on the same ticket perhaps?

As to Trump, of course he is playing a part or play-acting, whichever term you prefer. Wasn’t that obvious from the beginning? He has no core beliefs (as Ridgerunner often reminds us) so that playing one role and then another role should come easier to him than to most other politicians. The latter cannot do so as well, although Hillary has tried, because they have a political record behind them.

You may be right. For all of her charm, it’s hard to imagine HRC pulling this off.

 

[Ridgerunner]

And quite inexplicably, people who can’t afford to go to college any more, lack water or a decent job, etc. will base who they vote for on something as unimportant as that candidate’s stance on the bathroom bill, an issue that will have very little impact on most people’s lives one way or another (except perhaps for some transgender people).

Now and then I’m put to wonder whether the standard college model is simply outmoded, like buggies or large dinosaurs that have outlasted the food supply. One of my daughters took a couple of courses from Seton School a few years back, and it was way ahead of the comparable offering in the Catholic high school she was attending.

College is a nice experience, a lot of fun, a world that’s kind of neat to be in at one time in one’s life, but the cost is so extravagant and the waste of money involved in building all those luxury residence halls and fountains and whatnot so extreme that one really does wonder whether online classes aren’t simply going to take over most of it one of these times. One of my daughters recently got her NP and, except for practicum (which she set up herself) it was all online. The only times she showed up at the university were to interview for her admission to the program and to graduate.

I just read where a local student got a scholarship to a prestigious school. Full ride, room and board, tuition and everything. $71,000/year. That’s insane for anybody who is borrowing money to pay for it. And one wonders how much longer that kind of thing can possibly last, even for parents with just one child.

Of course, a lot of students meet their future spouses in college or grad school. But then, there’s online for that, too.