The Art of the Donald Trumpocalypse

[Rip]

I don't doubt for a second that Trump will get record GOP voters against Clinton. I also think he will get a fair amount of independent anti Clinton votes. That will not be enough to win him an election. The question will be how many independents simply won't vote for Clinton, even with Trump as the alternative. I have no idea what the critical mass is for that but election would be hers to lose. It will be interesting and the no matter how things turn out it will have the biggest implications for partisan politics in my lifetime.

Rip, you believe America, at it's heart, is like Trump, and want to live in an a WASP anachronism. If America were truly that way, Obama would never have been re-elected. Pushing for America to become more Trump by galvanizing religious "freedom", deregulation, and corporate tax breaks at the expense of infrastructure strengthens your core but also shrinks it. If Trump wins, it won't be for mass love of Trump's vision, it will be because the democrats want the best option for the democrats.

I don't accept all of your assumed facts about who Trump is and what he will do.

I see you are already hedging with an excuse for how Trump winning isn't a victory for him. Very Democratic of you.

[hepcat]

Trump's popularity is evidence that there are a frightening number of people in this country that still believe in what George Wallace espoused.

[coopasonic]

Trump's popularity is ... frightening

fixed

[LordMortis]

I don't accept all of your assumed facts about who Trump is and what he will do.

I know you don't.

I see you are already hedging with an excuse for how Trump winning isn't a victory for him. Very Democratic of you.

I was making that "hedge" months ago. I've thought of Trump as the presumptive nominee since I don't know when, back when and Hillary as her party rep since the beginning.

If you think I'm a democrat, then you pretty much are the shining example of the loud angry shrinking Us in this Us vs Them iteration of the republican party. Ask Zarathud, Fireball, Guapo, or Defiant. They roll their eyes at my non democrat ways on a regular basis.

[YellowKing]

There is one silver lining in Trump's ascension, in that the American people seem to be rejecting Ted Cruz's (and the party's) brand of evangelical conservatism. Trump may be a lot of things, but he sure as hell isn't an evangelical.

The problem is going to be that should Trump lose, we're going to get the same response we had with McCain. "He didn't win because he's not conservative enough."

[hepcat]

There is one silver lining in Trump's ascension, in that the American people seem to be rejecting Ted Cruz's (and the party's) brand of evangelical conservatism. Trump may be a lot of things, but he sure as hell isn't an evangelical.

But there ARE an alarming number of evangelicals backing Trump. They can overlook his 3 marriages, his numerous interviews declaring his love of all things hedonistic, and numerous other things they SHOULD stand against. And they can do that all because he's a rich white guy they saw on TV, and is telling them he's changed. Even when he then goes on to say that he supports a transgender person using the bathroom of their choice, they're so afraid of minorities they overlook that. I truly believe that he could shoot a guy on main street (as he himself has said) and he'd still get their vote.

[Rip]

There is one silver lining in Trump's ascension, in that the American people seem to be rejecting Ted Cruz's (and the party's) brand of evangelical conservatism. Trump may be a lot of things, but he sure as hell isn't an evangelical.

But there ARE an alarming number of evangelicals backing Trump. They can overlook his 3 marriages, his numerous interviews declaring his love of all things hedonistic, and numerous other things they SHOULD stand against. And they can do that all because he's a rich white guy they saw on TV, and is telling them he's changed. Even when he then goes on to say that he supports a transgender person using the bathroom of their choice, they're so afraid of minorities they overlook that. I truly believe that he could shoot a guy on main street (as he himself has said) and he'd still get their vote.

Absolutely, that must be it. Racism.

[hepcat]

New poll suggests racial resentment above all is driving Trump's rise.

[Rip]

Listen to Willie.

http://video.foxnews.com/v/486572240000 ... show-clips

[hepcat]

I don't want to listen to the whole thing. Can you just tell me the minute mark in the video in which he tells everyone that black people had it better as slaves?

[LordMortis]

I don't want to listen to the whole thing. Can you just tell me the minute mark in the video in which he tells everyone that black people had it better as slaves?

I tried. I got as far as describing his bandana and shirt fashion sense and wondered why I spent so much time listening. I gave up.

[Rip]

Starts about 2:20 mark, key comment on why Trump is doing so well at the 3:40ish mark.

[Zarathud]

The problem is going to be that should Trump lose, we're going to get the same response we had with McCain. "He didn't win because he's not conservative enough."

This scares me more than Trump's likely nomination by the GOP. How can you get more evangelical and conservative than a tool like Ted Cruz?

[hepcat]

Starts about 2:20 mark, key comment on why Trump is doing so well at the 3:40ish mark.

Because he's advocating the return of slavery?

[RunningMn9]

P.S. I never in a million years would have dreamed the Republicans would have put up a candidate so bad that Hillary looked like the better option.

This really is a terrible turn of events. I tell myself that from a policy/issues standpoint, I can accept Hillary Clinton. But I find her to be an objectionable human being and I cannot stand listening to her give speeches for more than 2 seconds. Her speaking cadence is like kryptonite to me. It's a terrible version of Mars Attacks.

On the other hand, #NeverTrump.

[Smoove_B]

[pr0ner]

P.S. I never in a million years would have dreamed the Republicans would have put up a candidate so bad that Hillary looked like the better option.

This really is a terrible turn of events. I tell myself that from a policy/issues standpoint, I can accept Hillary Clinton. But I find her to be an objectionable human being and I cannot stand listening to her give speeches for more than 2 seconds. Her speaking cadence is like kryptonite to me. It's a terrible version of Mars Attacks.

On the other hand, #NeverTrump.

Yep. I traditionally vote Republican, and this will be the first presidential election that doesn't happen.

Shame there isn't a third party candidate to vote for who has a chance at winning.

[LordMortis]

It's a terrible version of Mars Attacks.

That is a terrible terrible terrible ad hominen attack... and yet OMG I don't think I won't be able to see and hear that now.

[Exodor]

What's interesting to me are the stories I'm hearing about how Trump has motivated long-time resident Latinos to get their citizenship so they can vote against Trump.

The Republican party knew after 2012 that they needed to to better with Latino and other minority voters. With Trump they're not only looking at historically bad numbers but they're actively creating new Democratic voters.

[hepcat]

P.S. I never in a million years would have dreamed the Republicans would have put up a candidate so bad that Hillary looked like the better option.

This really is a terrible turn of events. I tell myself that from a policy/issues standpoint, I can accept Hillary Clinton. But I find her to be an objectionable human being and I cannot stand listening to her give speeches for more than 2 seconds. Her speaking cadence is like kryptonite to me. It's a terrible version of Mars Attacks.

On the other hand, #NeverTrump.

Yep. I traditionally vote Republican, and this will be the first presidential election that doesn't happen.

Shame there isn't a third party candidate to vote for who has a chance at winning.

There might be. But it's Trump.

[YellowKing]

I'm seriously considering voting a straight Democrat ticket. I'm not voting for Trump, and I'm certainly not voting for McCrory for governor. It would at least be a protest vote against a party that has pretty much abandoned me in favor of discrimination and oddball religious views. I've got two kids that I'm trying to teach to be kind and accepting of all people. I can't in good conscience vote for a party which believes in perpetuating (and legislating) discrimination.

As loathsome as Hillary Clinton is, at least I can be assured she's not going to reverse decades of social progress in terms of race, sex, and gender discrimination.

[Rip]

What's interesting to me are the stories I'm hearing about how Trump has motivated long-time resident Latinos to get their citizenship so they can vote against Trump.

The Republican party knew after 2012 that they needed to to better with Latino and other minority voters. With Trump they're not only looking at historically bad numbers but they're actively creating new Democratic voters.

I hear that but yet voting numbers are down 20% for them.

Trump nailing foreign policy speech right now.

[Smoove_B]

As loathsome as Hillary Clinton is, at least I can be assured she's not going to reverse decades of social progress in terms of race, sex, and gender discrimination.

ACK ACK! ACK ACK ACK!

[hepcat]

Trump's speech Wednesday is the second time the real estate mogul has read a prepared speech. Trump first used the teleprompters he has so often derided on the campaign trail late last month when he addressed the annual gathering of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

Trump on ISIS: "Their days are numbered. I won't tell them where and I won't tell them how."

Trump advisor previews foreign policy speech to reporters: "There will be no details in this speech."

[ImLawBoy]

P.S. I never in a million years would have dreamed the Republicans would have put up a candidate so bad that Hillary looked like the better option.

This really is a terrible turn of events. I tell myself that from a policy/issues standpoint, I can accept Hillary Clinton. But I find her to be an objectionable human being and I cannot stand listening to her give speeches for more than 2 seconds. Her speaking cadence is like kryptonite to me. It's a terrible version of Mars Attacks.

On the other hand, #NeverTrump.

Yep. I traditionally vote Republican, and this will be the first presidential election that doesn't happen.

Shame there isn't a third party candidate to vote for who has a chance at winning.

I don't require my vote go to a candidate with a chance of winning. If there were a chance in Hell of Trump winning Illinois, I'd vote for Hillary just to try to prevent the apocalypse. But since that scenario is highly unlikely, I'll vote for a third party. In other words, if I were in your shoes, I'd vote for your favorite candidate on the ballot, unless Trump actually has a chance in your jurisdiction, in which case I'd vote for Hillary.

[Scraper]

I know I won't be voting for Trump, the problem I have is that I don't know if I can actually vote for Hilary. I live in Stark County, Ohio, which traditionally is one of the counties in Ohio that can go either way and usually ends up picking the winner. So unlike some people my vote actually has a chance at changing who wins (this goes for anyone in Ohio really).
What a sad situation we are in.

[hepcat]

Canton?

[Scraper]

Canton?

Close enough.

[D.A.Lewis]

As loathsome as Hillary Clinton is, at least I can be assured she's not going to reverse decades of social progress in terms of race, sex, and gender discrimination.

While listening to my lefty station MSNBC they have brought out a number of people who claim to know Trump and say he is not racist. And how he opened up his resort club to all people. It calms me for a second but then I can't escape his words that I have heard.

When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best. . . .. They're bringing crime. They're rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.

or

Banning all Muslims from entering the US

or

While a black protestor was being escorted out of a rally he told him to get a job

or

When a Hispanic protestor was being escorted out of a rally he asked him if he was from Mexico

or

Pretending he didn't know who David Duke was

I want Hillary. But I told all my friends early on that Trump was the my bet to win the (R) party nomination. And I also told them not to confuse favorability ratings with voting action. This election has all the earmarks of the Tom Bradly gubernatorial election where Bradley was leading the polls to the very end, but got beat on election day. I live in a very conservative part of the state and I have seen a number of Cruz lawn signs and surprisingly a couple Bernie lawn signs but not one Trump lawn sign.

[pr0ner]

P.S. I never in a million years would have dreamed the Republicans would have put up a candidate so bad that Hillary looked like the better option.

This really is a terrible turn of events. I tell myself that from a policy/issues standpoint, I can accept Hillary Clinton. But I find her to be an objectionable human being and I cannot stand listening to her give speeches for more than 2 seconds. Her speaking cadence is like kryptonite to me. It's a terrible version of Mars Attacks.

On the other hand, #NeverTrump.

Yep. I traditionally vote Republican, and this will be the first presidential election that doesn't happen.

Shame there isn't a third party candidate to vote for who has a chance at winning.

I don't require my vote go to a candidate with a chance of winning. If there were a chance in Hell of Trump winning Illinois, I'd vote for Hillary just to try to prevent the apocalypse. But since that scenario is highly unlikely, I'll vote for a third party. In other words, if I were in your shoes, I'd vote for your favorite candidate on the ballot, unless Trump actually has a chance in your jurisdiction, in which case I'd vote for Hillary.

Well, I am going to vote for the Libertarian candidate (absentee, since I'll be in Hawaii on vacation on election day) because even though Virginia is a swing state, I can't vote for Clinton.

Just wish the Libertarian had a chance of winning.

[YellowKing]

While listening to my lefty station MSNBC they have brought out a number of people who claim to know Trump and say he is not racist. And how he opened up his resort club to all people. It calms me for a second but then I can't escape his words that I have heard.

I don't think Trump would legislate it (unlike Cruz, who fully endorsed North Carolina's HB2 bill). But the mere fact that he's so politically tone-deaf that he'd say stuff like that disturbs me. If you thought George W. Bush was a cowboy that would shoot from the hip, you ain't seen nothing if Trump should get elected. He wouldn't have to actually do anything - his mouth would do global damage all by itself.

[hepcat]

Trump will tell you whatever you want to hear if you tell him how great he is. See Caitlyn Jenner for proof.

[GreenGoo]

So it looks like we'll have a choice between someone who is crooked, megalomaniacal, and sane (Clinton), or someone who is crooked, megalomaniacal and insane (Trump).

To me, Clinton is cod liver oil and Trump is arsenic. Both are going to taste extremely bad going down, but only one won't kill me.

P.S. I never in a million years would have dreamed the Republicans would have put up a candidate so bad that Hillary looked like the better option.

In fairness to the Republican party, they didn't put up a candidate that makes Hillary look better. If you're talking about Republicans in general, than yes, I agree, but Republicans have often made questionable decisions imo , although admittedly, this one is pretty out there.

[Rip]

If it were about polls Trump would have lost long ago, yet here we are.

You mean the polls that have consistently shown that Trump was the favorite? The polls that nobody believed in because they were too early?

His huge victory makes a majority of delegates seem well within reach. That’s in part because he amassed more delegates than expected, but also because his strength made wins in Indiana and California seem more likely than before.

He was expected to fare well, but he beat the pre-election polls everywhere. He was at 48 percent in the final Pennsylvania polls; he won 57 percent. He was at 49 percent in the Maryland polls (43 percent excluding the generally dubious polls from A.R.G.); he won 54 percent.

Similarly, The Upshot’s demographic-based models systematically underestimated Mr. Trump’s performance.

His best state, as expected, was Rhode Island. But he won 64 percent of the vote, not the 57 percent that the model anticipated. Mr. Trump was favored to win big, at 50 and 51 percent, in Delaware and Connecticut; he won 61 and 58 percent.

Maryland and Pennsylvania seemed more challenging for Mr. Trump. The model had him at 41 and 45 percent. He easily outperformed those tallies, winning 54 and 57 percent of the vote.

Mr. Trump’s overperformance was broad — spanning nearly every kind of county across all of the states in play.

That raises the possibility of a significant shift in Mr. Trump’s favor over the last month. There’s no way to be sure, but national polls show something similar, with Mr. Trump creeping up into the mid-40s. The state polls in Indiana and California have also looked very good in recent weeks.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/28/upsho ... ref=topics

I'm not the only one who sees it.

[hepcat]

Too early for those polls to matter.

[Holman]

Fred Kaplan is relentless on Trump's so-called Foreign Policy speech.

I didn’t think it possible, but Donald Trump’s “major foreign policy address” on Wednesday—a written speech, which he read off a teleprompter—was even more incoherent than his impromptu ramblings of the past several months. In fact, it may stand as the most senseless, self-contradicting foreign policy speech by any major party’s presidential nominee in modern history.

...

For example, he said that, because of President Obama’s policies, our friends and allies feel they can no longer depend on us—then said that a Trump administration would quit NATO and abandon our allies in Asia entirely unless they started spending more on defense.

He said that his No. 1 national-security goal would be to defeat ISIS—then said that he would work with other nations to do so only if they “appreciate what we’ve done for them,” because for us to be good to them, “they also have to be good to us.” (There’s something childish, even narcissistic, about this demand, which he recited in the tone of a desperately firm parent.)

He said, as he has many times, that our trade deficit has severely weakened America and strengthened China—then said that we have enormous economic leverage over China and that we should use it to get China to rein in North Korea.

...

This was, I repeat, a prepared speech, not some rambling remarks by a candidate in over his head. I don’t know who wrote it, but it seems to confirm rumors that no prominent Republican national-security advisers are assisting Trump’s campaign. Clearly this is the speech of an unserious man who hasn’t read up on the issues or thought through his own instincts. The dangerous thing is not so much that he knows nothing about foreign policy; it’s that he doesn’t know just how much he doesn’t know.

[Defiant]

Yeah, I've read the beginning of the speech, and that was my initial impression. I like how he complains about how our foreign policy is both rusty and has veered for the worse.

[D.A.Lewis]

Yeah, I've read the beginning of the speech, and that was my initial impression. I like how he complains about how our foreign policy is both rusty and has veered for the worse.

yeah, yeah, yeah
But MSNBC wants to know did he sound presidential . . . .?

[Rip]

Fred Kaplan.....the guy who thought the Iran Deal was great? Big Surprise.

[hepcat]

Rip.....the guy who thought Trump was great? Big Surprise.