People Magazine put Donald Trump on this week’s cover. I’m not sure how I feel about that. The last time he made the cover of People, it was a “softer” profile that involved his wife and family, and it was like People tried to aim to make it into a human interest story rather than a political story. This time around, it’s a straight up interview, interspersed with quotes from Trump’s critics. In the intro, People Mag uses the words “volatile” and “scary.” Also, I didn’t know his Secret Service code name is “Mogul,” something he must love. Some highlights:
All of his magazine covers: “Look at that picture of me on Time. It’s a movement! Isn’t that an amazing picture? It’s been a lot of fun.”
The Trump story: “It is the biggest story in politics.”
The comparisons to Adolf Hitler: “Well, that’s ridiculous,” then says it’s all because “the last person Hillary [Clinton] wants running against her is me.”
His public persona is not who he really is: “I think I’m somewhat different. I’m a much nicer person than people would think, to see me from the outside. On the one hand you might see that as bad. But on the other hand you don’t want people to know you that well.”
Mark Pfeifle, former deputy national security adviser to President George W. Bush, says: “The depth and gravity of the responsibility of the office seem to elude Trump so far. No one knows if reading the [CIA’s daily terror-threat briefing] would sober him.”
He believes in going to extremes for a reason: “From the speaking standpoint, I would tone it down somewhat [as president] – don’t forget I started out competing against 17 people,” he says. And while he adds that his wife, Melania, 45, and daughter Ivanka, 34, “beg” him to be more presidential on the campaign trail, the unvarnished routine is working. “Sometimes when you have to be very tough with somebody who’s being tough with you, you can’t be so presidential. I think it works to my advantage most of the time.”
I guess I just don’t believe the American people would elect him president. That’s why I feel strangely calm. I mean, of course he’s an idiot, a buffoon, a fascist. But the GOP made him. The GOP’s low-information voters (there’s that euphemism again) are the ones voting for him, because they’re tired of voting for the same old conservative hacks. Trump is the GOP’s chickens coming home to roost, and a big part of me still believes that he’s going to burn the GOP to the ground. Of course Trump is not good for America’s image and of course this whole debacle is painful to watch. But at the end of the day… I guess I’m naïve enough to believe that the American people will not elect him president.
Photos courtesy of People Magazine, Fame/Flynet.
What an ugly man. In every sense of the word.
Yep. Inside and out.
And also incredibly immature.
Anderson Cooper told him he sounded like a 5-yr-old saying “He started it” and it’s so true.
That’s the best political argument, better than that he’s a bigoted monster —
“He’s too childish to be President!”
truth.
+1. I hear that!!!
+ Infinity
A truly vile individual.
He’s a man? I just assumed he was a troll of some sort; maybe an alien
yep
this over and over again.
yep! he acts like a 5 year old!
Can I borrow some of that calm, Kaiser? This ‘anything goes’ election has me scared that Trump could end up on top. Even if he loses, he’s done so much damage to the political discourse in this country.
I agree, Neelyo. While I tend to think Kaiser is right – he won’t actually be elected President. I do think he could be the nominee. I hope not. I hope he doesn’t get the delegates needed prior to the convention. But – if he does, I can’t even imagine how ugly the general election will be. Trump is a nasty person. Clinton is a nasty person. The two of them going at each other for 3-4 months? Unimaginable.
Unless he gets the 1237 delegates needed going into the convention, he’ll never be the GOP nominee.
The first ballot will be taken at convention where everyone will “stick to their guns,” and vote for the person they came to vote for. After that, those delegates will be unbound and they can vote for whoever they want. That means, more than likely, Marco Rubio and John Kasich will encourage their delegates to vote for Cruz during the second ballot. There will be a play by Cruz’s people to pull some of Trump’s delegates to their side.
I also predict Trump will launch a 3rd party run if he’s not the GOP nominee. Some of his supporters are as crazy as the Twilight fans and their “knowledge” of a secret marriage and baby between Rob Pattinson and Kristen Stewart. He was right when he said he could shoot someone and they’d still follow him. HIs diehard fans will follow him anywhere. Even off a cliff.
The republicans are going to ensure he isn’t the nominee, Rubio is already making sure his deligates stay bound to him on the first ballot, I will not be shocked if others follow suit. The RNC is constantly meeting to discuss and “hone” the rules. ( I watch and listen to a lot of political shows). They are having a contested convention and have already basically conceded the White House they are focused on what will keep the house and maybe senate, notice the Supreme Court vote sudden flipping.
So they will have a contested convention. Donald Trump won’t get the nomination he will throw a fit and run as a third party or do everything he can to destroy the Republican nominee. Either way it’s over.
And let’s say they don’t do this and he gets the nomination- trump has a 78% disapproval rating with women that alone costs him the election. But let’s add in the Hispanic vote which to win you need minimum 18% and he hasn’t gotten close to 10%. We also have a record number of Latino nationals getting citizenship to vote against him. He also won’t carry the Mormon vote- Utah is projected to go blue if he is the nominee first time in in 60 years or the Muslim vote. This says nothing about is levels among black and Asian voters (non exsistant numbers).
So while I can’t say for 100% he can’t win it feels so unlikely if people who aren’t racist crazies show up and vote.
“I also predict Trump will launch a 3rd party run if he’s not the GOP nominee.”
This could have horrific consequences. I read an article that said that if there is a 3 party race and no one candidate gets 270 delegates…the House of Representatives gets to pick the President. Each state would get one vote, and there are far more “red states”.
The House has picked the President twice: in 1800 and 1825
@tifany no third party canidates has ever gotten that many delegates. Also it’s hard to remember because of the media but trump doesn’t carry the majority of the republican base much less the all republican voters. He can’t get past 35% of the base (the real wring nuts of any political party) 65% of that base want someone else they just can’t agree on the 16 other canidates. If all but one other canidate dropped out after the first primary trump wouldn’t have a lead but since they all stayed in this happened.
People vote democrat or republican they are aligned and if each party puts up a viable option then that 35% will vote for trump (which is still less people then have voted for Hilary even with record high turn out for republicans).
Also if he really doesn’t want to be president then he could use this to launch some media blitz and not run at all.
This isn’t your typical election year. The 3rd party candidate wouldn’t have to get 1/3 of the states, just enough to prevent one candidate from getting a solid majority.
From Bloomberg’s announcement that he won’t run:
“But when I look at the data, it’s clear to me that if I entered the race, I could not win. I believe I could win a number of diverse states — but not enough to win the 270 Electoral College votes necessary to win the presidency.
In a three-way race, it’s unlikely any candidate would win a majority of electoral votes, and then the power to choose the president would be taken out of the hands of the American people and thrown to Congress. The fact is, even if I were to receive the most popular votes and the most electoral votes, victory would be highly unlikely, because most members of Congress would vote for their party’s nominee. Party loyalists in Congress — not the American people or the Electoral College — would determine the next president.”
Tiffany is correct and very few Americans are aware of that. If there is a 3 party race though you can BET they will learn about it fast. The Democrats for sure will be out there telling people you better show up and vote or The House picks the next President for you! Because the Republicans would LOVE that.
Yup, hand some of that calm over this way as well. I’ve already said this on many posts, but this entire election cycle scares the crap out of me, and I am honestly and truly afraid that that man will be elected.
In the horrific event that he were elected, I don’t know what I’d feel more — sickened for my country or furious at the dolts who elected him into office.
While Trump on top is scary, I don’t think it will happen. The thing is I think Cruz on top is just as scary, if not worse. And you’re right, the damage to political discourse — or what now passes for political discourse — seems pretty irreparable. It’s so discouraging, especially after having such an intelligent, thoughtful, reasonable President in Obama.
remember the good ol’ days, when the “political discourse” consisted of talking about the prez getting a beej in the Oval Office? and how OUTRAGED the GOP was over that (comparatively small) transgression?…
good times.
now we have the GOP front-runner’s campaign manager arrested for assaulting a reporter, and the guys defense attorney is a former federal prosecutor who resigned because people found out he bit a dancer at a strip club.
Seriously. Well, you know, it’s all about priorities, Doofus.
@Esmom-This is my fear as well. I can’t say I’m exactly “calm” about Trump based on the primaries, but I do have a kind of uneasy hope that will be as far as it goes…however, Cruz is just as extreme, prejudiced and terrifying as Trump. He may not be as crass so he doesn’t get the headlines, but Cruz becoming president would be equally if not more devastating. I have to believe either would lose against Clinton just because they are so extreme….right?
I think Cruz is worse, much, much worse. Cruz can’t look anyone in the eye, and when he does, it is smug and scary. He will be terrible for women in this country. Say goodbye to owning your bodies, ladies, and making choices about what you do and don’t want to do to your bodies because if Cruz is president he will do everything in his power to make sure that he, and other white males, are in control of your right birth control, your right to healthcare, your right to have an abortion. And if you are a lesbian, transgendered, bisexual, what have you, say goodbye to your freedoms because they will start to disappear.
I feel the same way. my fear (and this has been stated outright by a LOT of Bernie supporters) is that, if Bernie doesn’t get the nom, bitter Bernie voters will vote third party or not at all, which could very well lead to a (GAG) Drumpf presidency. even if they DO vote third party for prez, it’s so important to get out and vote for the congressional seats, too.
has anyone read the open letter from the former Drumpf PAC person?…quite a read.
I would hope those angry voters remember 2000 and Ralph Nader and what resulted from that vote-eight years of GWB and Satan’s doppelganger Cheney, but I’m not sure they will.
I hope so, too, Susanne, but I think that some of them are too young to remember.
Yeah I worry about that too, Doofus. Almost all my close friends are Sanders-supporters but all have said they will vote Blue regardless. I’m not sure this applies to the younger generations though.
Honestly, some of Sanders’s younger supporters have freaked me out with their borderline-religious devotion to the guy. I mean, I like him too but the mania that surrounds his candidacy is a turn-off for me.
I think a lot of the Occupy Wallstreet people flocked to Bernie and brought their ardent conviction for anti-establishment politics with them, which is nice and all but I wonder how practical all this idealism is. How exactly will this attitude translate into efficacy in the Oval Office? It’s a fine line between refreshing candor and naïve, romantic notions about what can be achieved as POTUS.
I admire the enthusiasm but blind, unchallenged fanaticism of any kind doesn’t really inspire confidence. JMO.
I think Bernie has been in Washington long enough to know what he can and can’t do, and how to compromise to at least be moving towards those goals, if not having realized them outright. He’s running on ideals right now, which is why people are excited. Politics has been such drudgery in the past 20 years, it would be nice if people were excited to vote instead of holding their nose while they mark the ballot.
I’ll vote blue regardless, though. The alternative is terrifying.
I think the dems will take one for the team here and partner up. I really do. Bernie is a good man but sadly can’t his plans just won’t ever happen so while is vision is lovely it’s not realistic and he’ll take the VP job to get people to stay in line it’s to important not to this year.
I’m a Bernie supporter and if he is not the nominee, and it’s Clinton v Trump, I don’t plan on voting in the presidential race, but will vote state and local. If you feel strongly about whoever then you should vote for them. I may do whatever I want with my vote. This is not an oligarchy! Well maybe it is, all the more reason not to support it.
In my very careful and informed assessment Trump and Hillary both have huge downsides, but maybe either will be fine. I don’t want blood on my hands from checking the box next to either one!
Now if Cruz or Kasich is the nominee I’m voting for Hillary, they are both fronts for Koch brother world anarchy.
It really was not Nader that was the problem … that is a straw man. It was the Gore campaign. He lost his home state! So I really think it is time that myth is put to rest. Plus he backed away from challenging the Florida results further. So… Nader is not the issue.
If there are 3 candidates in the general and no one candidate gets 270 delegates, the House of Representatives picks the president. The reality that we are facing right now scares the crap out of me. There are so many ways in which this election can go really, really bad.
VOTE THIRD PARTY ANYWAY!! In many states, if third party candidates reach a minimum threshold of votes (5% in my state), they are automatically entitled to ballot access and other perks often reserved for the two major parties. Either way the next 4 years are effed- so a third party vote this year could have actual positive consequences on subsequent election cycles.
BabyJane, a 3rd party vote could mean the House of Representatives picks the President. That would not be a positive consequence.
I don’t see how anyone who supports Bernie Sanders and his platform could possibly turn around and vote for Trump. Their ideas are nearly polar opposites.
But then, I don’t understand a lot of people and why they do what they do or how they can be so awful to each other.
@Tiffany, see my comment where I already lament that the next 4 years are effed. If Hillary wins, if Trump wins, if Cruz wins, probably even if Bernie wins, frankly. But increasing 3rd party support could have actual positive, measurable consequences on future election cycles.
@doofus I’m seeing/hearing that A LOT as well. I am one of the democrats that both Sanders & Clinton are trying to sway their way in the primaries and, to be honest, the way the Sanders supporters have proclaimed him messiah and try to extort people to vote for him in the primaries by threatening to punish us with a GOP president if he doesn’t get the nomination has depressed the hell out of me
I need some of the calm as well. I felt sure people would pass this off as a joke in the beginning, but look where we are. When driving from Atlanta to my little town the other day, I saw 6 Trump yard signs and a Trump bumper sticker. I told my mom that if he wins, I will go to the lawn of the Capitol and throw up.
Yeah, people are saying he can’t win, but six months ago they were also saying he wouldn’t still be in the race now.
When he came down that escalator to announce his candidacy, everyone said wow this is such a joke, he will get nowhere. When he said what he did about Mexicans, people thought oh this is it, he will never be the nominee. It’s been months and the man is still at the top of national headlines everyday. I have hope he will never be president, but I can’t really talk in certainties right now.
There is always hope that he won’t be elected to the nomination or the presidency, but the voters seem to be contrarians. Who would have thought that *he* would have a good short at the nomination…….
We all thought him running was a joke & that he wouldn’t make it this far, yet here we are. At leas the GOP is so embarrassed by him that they had to send their favorite son Mitt Romney to trash him. It comes down to Ted Cruz & Trump, both of them same or worse.
I know! I live in a very conservative region and it is astonishing how many have Trump signs in their yards or stickered on their vehicles. And, I see the signs often accompanied by a rebel flag. Of course.
In one way, I see his appeal — he speaks differently than politicians, he says what they won’t. He doesn’t censor. The carefully manufactured image adopted by most politicians is often disconcerting.
However, what is truly disturbing is the abject sexist and racist things Trump so candidly says…and people with a limited education, a limited worldview, prone to fear and a deep need to diminish and belittle “the other” flock to this ridiculous mindset. Trump is pandering to the lowest common denominator.
I’m starting to worry he will be put in office. Please don’t let it be.
I would like to believe that but I think Trump has really touched the disenfranchised and people who have lost their jobs not just the contrarians. They hear, as do I, the economy is improving, hallelujah, but they haven’t seen much improvement in their daily lives. All they see and hear are the fat cats getting fatter, getting more breaks and they remain the same, struggling to find a job and struggling to make ends meet. The Republicans’ traditional solutions don’t resonate with this crowd. Trump at least is providing a voice of anger and fear that reflect how a lot of people feel about their own economic future. I am no Trump supporter but I sort of understand why some people support him.
I just hope all the people he has insulted and has shown he doesn’t respect – women, Hispanics, POWs, the disabled, short-fingered people etc. – who do support him would wake up and figure out this guy doesn’t represent them, is a con man and that his solutions, at least many of them, are simply fantasies. And his other supporters should be very wary that he is going to attack them too. Who’s is he going to go after next? Babies?
“And his other supporters should be very wary that he is going to attack them too.”
I made this point, too. they may be part of “the in-crowd” now, but that mob could turn on them pretty damn quick.
I think if you have to try to be presidential, then you’re not presidential. It’s like class; either you have it or you don’t. The fact that he’s human garbage should make his run for office laughable, but as much as I think the American people would never elect him, I said the same thing about George W. getting re-elected…
Hilary afraid to run against him? LOL
This guy is just an imbecile and a big bully, simple as that
You’re absolutely right. Hillary is praying that he wins the nomination.
Let’s face it, she can’t be happy about running against him. This man, and campaign team, are dirty, delusional and are very good at deflecting facts (granted it helps if your supporters don’t care about facts). What we know, and probably still not prepared for, is how ugly things will get with Trump as the nominee.
Maybe you are too young to remember the Clinton machine in action. They have ruined the lives of many who stood in their way. Donald Trump is dirty, but he’s no match for those two. He better watch it or he’ll end up selling chain link fence in Omaha.
Lol. This election will definitely be epic, especially if it’s those two.
Side note– I’m curious, GNAT- I know you hate Hilary, so if she’s the nominee are you going blue? Or red? Or independent?
No, I remember it but I’ve never seen anything like Trump machine in action. It’s not so much that that his campaign is good but rather that the majority of supporters latch on to his ridiculousness with glee.
The other problem is that it’s Hilary and not Bill – by that I mean that she just doesn’t have the same “spark” that he did and does appear low energy (Trump’s favorite description). This next phase is going to leave the public bruised and dirty.
@EM Hillary Clinton doesn’t have to worry about Trump’s campaign team. She’s well versed in smear tactics.
@Em… you worry too much.. GNAT is right.. he is no match for Hilary or Bill.
True but the Clinton’s are great at deflecting facts too. Not the same way but Unlike trump Hilary is smart and she has been watching this entire mess she has seen all the mistakes and she will be ahead of it.
I don’t think it will be easy but she the Clinton’s got where they are for a reason
@SloaneY
If it comes down to Hillary or Trump, and Bernie has dropped out, I am torn between two courses of action – throwing up and voting for Hillary, or not voting. I live in Delaware, which has 3 electoral votes, so not voting is excusable, I think. I don’t know what I will do. I don’t know if I can pull the lever for Hillary. I would feel like such a hypocrite. But I can’t see Trump as President. And if you take the actual candidates out of it, I am much more of a democrat as far as social issues go than a republican. The whole thing gives me a headache. Sorry you asked? Lol
Is anyone else in a similar dilemma, and what have you decided?
I am in the same boat GNAT. I will likely vote for Gary Johnson or write in Bernie. Although I am a life long Republican, so I have much less loyalty to the Democratic Party even though I do vote for their candidates a good portion of the time depending on where they stand on the issues. I really believe in Bernie and it is frustrating to watch the Democratic Party pretty much in my opinion squander what is likely a once in a lifetime candidate and by far the best one in this race.
GNAT- we don’t need him in Omaha!! leave us out of it haha
But doesn’t the whole debacle on both sides prove that people are tired of the political machine? The Clintons have tons of power and money, but Sanders and Trump have gotten as far as they have for the very reason that they are NOT the establishment.
Hilary better be scared, if not of Trump himself than of what his campaign represents. It’s not just the wingnuts and “underinformed” going for him. It’s people tired of the same old BS who want new BS.
I’m similarly conflicted, GNAT. I loathe Trump and nearly all he “stands” for (although it’s impossible to know for what he stands other than Trump) but don’t love Hilary/feel she’s more of the same old same old. I’m extremely liberal on social issues which are under serious attack by the Republican party, in general and without exception. I think that’s why, ultimately, I will vote for Hilary although I was a Republican until 2011. I am sending a message with my vote that, not withstanding other issues, I cannot and will not support the Republican party while it stays on its course of bullying, misogyny, evangelism and ignorance.
Wren: I agree that is why Trump is winning and why Bernie has a big fan base. Cruz has definitely been bought and we know Hillary is a political machine. I will still take Hillary over any Republican running, even though I’m a fan of Bernie. I know a lot of Trump fans who say they like that he is an outsider, that he can’t be bought, that no one can censor him and that he knows business. They also say that Obama has made this country too far left and too politically correct and that Trump will come in and fix that. My response is that the government doesn’t make things “too politically correct”, society does since the First Amendment would protect people’s free speech. I also explain that Trump seems to know NOTHING about foreign affairs, very little about federal law, nil about how our government works, practically nada about the military etc etc. But yeah keep worrying about that wall and store clerks being about to say Merry Christmas and Trump “bombing the ish” out of Isis. Their response is always “well he is winning and has lots of supporters, so obviously he is doing something right and OBVIOUSLY people are tired of who is in office right now.” Ugh.
I’m not a Trump supporter, and Hillary makes me want to throw up, so I have no idea what I am going to do. My little Republican vote will have no effect anyway, because I live in California. But that feels like a cop out. Bleh.
@GNAT “He better watch it or he’ll end up selling chain link fence in Omaha.” No THERE’S a good reason to vote for Hillary!
Yeah, not to sh*t on Americans because we (in Germany) are dealing with our own lovely political developments right now but at this point, I’m not putting it past you guys to elect this walking wiglet.
Btw, I don’t believe this man really wanted to be President. He wanted to stir up sh*t and promote his various business endeavours. And then people started voting for him and now he’s stuck in this sh*tshow and doesn’t know how to tell people it was really just an extended ad for his wine. I don’t believe he’ll be President but not necessarily just because Hillary will wipe the floor with him or people won’t actually vote for him. No, he will find a reason to drop out or the GOP will find a way to take him down.
Also, WHO shows their worst side on the campaign trail??? He’s really much nicer if you know him? Well, Donald, show us that side then. But that would leave you without a message, no? Goddamn it, if your whole political message is “I’m an a-hole” and your still winning … lawd have mercy.
+10000000.
” I don’t believe this man really wanted to be President. He wanted to stir up sh*t and promote his various business endeavours. And then people started voting for him and now he’s stuck in this sh*tshow and doesn’t know how to tell people it was really just an extended ad for his wine.”
have you read the open letter from his former PAC spokesperson? it pretty much says just that, and that it’s basically his ego that’s taken over at this point and won’t “let” him quit.
Really? I have to read it then. And feel super smug that I figured it out for once. LOL I still don’t know why Bush junior wanted the job, he never seemed particularly inspired or driven. Daddy issues?
I just read it the other day, Doofus. EVERYONE needs to read that open letter. That’s the scariest part about him– he never wanted to be president, only prove a point. He’s made it this far because he gives nasty people an excuse to expose their nastiness, and now no one, including him and his people, knows what to do with themselves.
He doesn’t want to be president. He wants to win.
There’s a NYT article discussing how this all began. He wanted to raise his profile in the GOP.
Also of note, Obama made a joke about his candidacy at the 2011 correspondents’ dinner. He felt like folks were laughing at him, left in a fit of anger, and then we got this orange hairball of contradictions and delusions.
#thanksobama
That’s what I find so interesting about his campaign. It’s fueled, not by true political aspirations or idealism, but by monumental butthurt.
Considering a significant portion of our population feels similarly slighted and ignored by the established politicians, I think a certain amount of appeal is in that fact alone. He’s a blustering jackass but he’s not trying to hide it or say soothing words that mean nothing. People are drawn to that, just because they feel that with him there’s a slight chance of not being completely screwed over and then lied to about it. If he screws people over, he freely admits it and doesn’t care.
You can wail and moan all you want about the horrible things he says and his incredible egoism and assholery, but the fact remains that people will continue to support him because they feel like at least he’s honest about all that.
(PS. I absolutely hate Trump and his arrogant face but it’s silly to pretend that this is simply a joke that went too far at this point.)
I don’t think he really thought that he would make it this far, but now that he did he wants to go all the way. His ego is through the roof. He doesn’t want to Make American Great Again, he wants to Make Donald Trump Great Again.
Wren: Again, I totally agree with you. I absolutely understand why he would be appealing in theory. Unfortunately he is a buffoon who appears to know next to nothing about foreign affairs, federal law, the supreme court, the CIA and FBI and the military, among other things it would take to be president. I think an outsider who is not establishment and who isn’t bought sounds like an appealing idea, but then the reality became Trump.
He is the very definition of someone with Narcissist Personality Disorder. Not that a certified Dr could ever go on record saying that, but he is. He may even be a sociopath. Everything that woman describes about his campaign, his goals, his behavior… really nailed it down. But you know, the letter from his “Dr” says he’s in the best health ever. Like ever. Guess they skipped the mental health eval. 😉
Sh*t away. It’s crazy making to think that so many Americans want that pile of excrement to represent America to the world.
Well, we gave the world Paris Hilton, Honey Boo Boo, the Kartrashians and all the Housewives of hell. Clearly Americans will suffer great indignity for entertainment.
If he was presidential and nice, he would lose his supporters. They want him to be a loud mouthed racist misogynist, apparently. That’s who they relate to.
This totally. That’s why he’s so f*cking scary to me. It’s not Trump so much as his supporters. He’s stirred up all the nationalists and renewed their interest in American politics, which I find terrifying.
As an ocean away observer, this is the conclusion I’m coming to. It’s not so much Trump himself (obviously horrendous as he is) because nothing he is saying is particularly worse than what Cruz or Rubio are saying. It’s just that they use the coded language and the PR smoothness. Trump has dispensed with the filter and the actual problem is that he has incited large numbers of people to dispense with their filters. And these large numbers of people are living among you. How can you hold a society together when a prominent figure has given licence to millions to indulge IN PUBLIC every worse aspect they have? THAT is why they’re calling him fascist.
I share GNAT’s contempt for Hillary (although for international not US domestic reasons) and what I think about Cruz and Rubio probably goes without saying. But nobody else is an outright inciter like Trump.
Very important point, GNAT! He is supply what the voters are, sadly, demanding.
They just don’t want to be lied to anymore, and for all his awfulness Trump is the best shot they see to that end. The actual rabid racists/mysogenists aren’t as numerous as the loudest ones would have you believe. Many Trump supporters are reasonably intelligent people who simply see him as the only alternative to a bunch of politicians that (to their mind) have done nothing for them.
It’s the same reason Bernie is so popular on the other side. People see him as different, not a lying mcliarpants and someone who might actually make things not suck as much. Or at least if he didn’t then he won’t try to BS about it and dance around the truth.
If Trump spoke in the same soothing PR-speak as the rest he’d lose his followers because they’d figure that he’s just another lying politician so who cares.
@Wren
If his supporters would look into Trump’s pat, or talk to his former investors, they would learn that he is as much of a liar as any old politician. He makes promises and breaks them, he promises huge returns and doesn’t deliver, the same old stuff they’re tired of. How any reasonable person can listen to him and not see that he’s absolutely full of it, I’ll never understand.
GNAT: Oh for sure Trump is a typical lying politician who says exactly what his supporters want to hear. He just doesn’t speak like a typical politician so his supporters are totally dazzled by his bs. I hate him and I think his supporters are nuts, but I understand why people would find him appealing. Here is this loud, crass, un PC (I HATE the term PC, btw) colorful (literally and figuratively) saying exactly what these people want to hear. Trouble is he won’t fulfill any of the promises he makes to them because he cares about no one but himself.
GNAT, of course he is but that doesn’t mean much. It’s about perception and how people view him right now. I’m not stating what is, I’m stating what the perception around him is because that’s what matters.
Calling his supporters names of any kind is just going to drive them further into his fold. I hate the Trump bashing because he openly invites it and profits from it. The mindless “he sucks” rhetoric is only strengthening his campaign. He wants to be taken seriously and so do his supporters, who, like him, feel marginalized by the establishment.
So let’s take him seriously. Let’s address why he has such a following. It’s not confined to the loudmouth idiots who use his bigotry as an excuse to spout their own, much as many people would have you believe (and would love to be true). If that were so, he wouldn’t be a threat, and he most certainly is. Putting him down just makes him shout louder, which is why the usual “that other guy sucks” campaign technique hasn’t worked against him. He’s openly awful so there’s not much you can say about him. To bring him down, we are going to have to treat him seriously. Otherwise he’ll just keep going convincing people that he’s the asshole they’ve been not so much looking for, but that’s a better alternative to the other garbage.
@Wren
Stop making sense. 😡
Same thoughts here, I think it started out one way and he got to loving the attention and the power and can’t let go – he’s a competitive and narcissistic ass and he’s in it to win it because he hates to lose.
In a weird way it’s like Chance the Gardener in Peter Sellers’ “Being There” – somehow winds up in the Oval Office.
Chance would be a far better president.
“You Guys”? Really? You know most of us don’t actually support this dude right?
Does it matter? If someone’s elected, it really doesn’t anymore. You get the politicians you deserve and I’m saying that fully aware of what’s happening in my own country right now.
It’s FAR more complicated that you make it seem, though. Saying “you get the president/politician you deserve” isn’t always the case with the American electoral system, which is why so many voters are left feeling disenfranchised in this country.
For instance, the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn a portion of the Voting Rights Act and strict Voter ID laws are demonstrative of the GOP’s push to make it harder for college students and minorities to vote. This is just one small example of how easily-manipulated our voting system is.
Kitten, I understand what you’re saying and that is frankly the reason I prefer our parliamentary system. However, you also cannot ignore the fact that voter turnout in presidential elections has been hovering around the 50% mark for decades. Being frustrated and feeling defrauded is understandable but not voting at all is not the solution either.
I actually meant what I said about deserving politicians on a more philosophical level. Germans were complacent for 20 years. The economy was good and nobody cared that the weakest members of society were getting shafted. We’ve been racing toward a de facto capitalist system and again, nobody cared. So now we have those angry, left-in-the-dust people voting for a new right-wing party which has reached up to 14% in certain regions. (It might be more, I’m scared to look it up.) We deserve it for letting Angie do her thing for so long without caring what was really going on. Sound familiar?
We have a government elected on 24% of the electorate and barely 30% of the turnout, thanks to a first past the post system and perhaps voter apathy (although we don’t know where the apathetic votes would have gone).
That said, I understand what littlemissnaughty is saying. It’s the US certainly, but it’s the rest of us too.
So Angela Merkhel is Barack Obama? I’m not sure I understand the comparison.
We’re using Obama’s 8 year presidency as an example of voter apathy?
I see it as quite the opposite, myself.
I may be wrong but I think littlemissnaughty is talking about general apathy, Kitten. I probably muddied the waters by bringing the term up. Sorry. What she’s saying is that nobody paid enough attention to those who felt left behind or disenfranchised WHILE Barack Obama was POTUS (or Angela Merkel was Chancellor, or, indeed, from my perspective, while Tony Blair was Prime Minister). So now somebody like Trump turns up and gives licence to this constituency, we have only ourselves to blame when the people in it answer the call.
Forgive me if I’ve got that wrong, littlemiss.
@Sixer: That’s about it. I’m not saying it’s Merkel or Obama or even Blair. It’s never one politician, one leader, or one party.
@Kitten: I didn’t compare the two and when I say 20 years that of course automatically includes Schröder then. And Kohl before him. They all have one thing in common and they share it with Obama and Bush and Clinton etc. They pushed through a lot of policies the people didn’t agree with on the whole but we didn’t pay all that much attention either. Or we did and didn’t do anything because on the surface, nothing catastrophic was happening (until now apparently). But all of them left a ton the people in the dust. You see it all across Europe. It was big corporations first, our own immediate foreign policy interests first and everything else second, if that. And that’s coming back to bite the establishment on both sides of the Atlantic in the a**. Whether that’s Trump or the German AfD or Marine Le Pen in France.
Your system is just more susceptible to a small percentage driving the narrative. And yes, that’s an added sh*t bonus if you will. But 50% voter turnout does not help. That has nothing to do with Obama specifically and I don’t think I alluded to that at all. But the anger of Trump supporters? Yeah, THAT is familiar.
@Sixer-Thanks for the clarification.
I mean…that’s kind of the way politics work in this country–each side gets their turn. We had Clinton for 8 years, Dubs for 8 years, Obama for 8 years, and now it’s possible the Right could get their wish of Trump for (potentially) 8 years.
The reason why Obama was elected was BECAUSE of PoC and women who felt underrepresented and ignored after 8 years of The Dubster presiding in the Oval Office. Obama’s first term was won by women (55%) and black people (97%) coming out to vote.
What’s confusing to me about the comparison being made here is that the white men who largely make up Trump’s fanbase aren’t disenfranchised in any way (although I suppose you’re correct that they may feel that way). I also don’t agree with the perception that they were ignored as the Right has been controlling Congress and the Supreme Court for most of Obama’s presidency. It’s not like those who support Trump haven’t had representation in our government. Hell, they’ve managed to pass laws banning abortion, defunding planned parenthood, and on and on.
Additionally, it’s not like Americans have had their blinders on, living the good life for the past 8 years. It’s been pure upheaval for some time. We’ve been through the mortgage crisis, an economical collapse, a war (that most of us didn’t want), racial divisiveness, terror attacks, and general displeasure on both sides of the political aisle.
I just don’t think this is a case of Americans not being able to foreshadow what’s happening right now.
Myself? I saw this one coming from a mile away. Sure, I never thought it would be Trump but you’d have to live under a rock to not see how unhappy a sizable portion of the population has been with Obama’s presidency—and the people who have been the most vocal about their unhappiness are the type of neocon nationalists who flock to Trump.
The other thing is that elections have consequences for far longer than people think, it’s not just 8 years. Think of the damage Scalia did, and he was appointed by Reagan. Of the two Shrub appointees, John Roberts is respectable, but he’s still very much a conservative, and Alito is mini-Scalia.
I am much more afraid of the Supreme Court justices that Cruz would appoint than those Trump would appoint. In any event, the Supreme Court is reason enough to vote for Hillary IMO.
He’s “run” for POTUS a few times before, and always does it for the attention, so I too think that’s how this started out as well. And then crazy people began feeding his disgusting ego, and it’s gone off the rails. I kept hoping he’d drop out like he always has in the past, usually when it came time to disclose financials, but no such luck this time.
I actually don’t know anyone who is supporting him, even among my conservative friends/acquaintances, but sadly there are people out there who are relishing his bigotry, or are too clueless to see what he’s really about.
Nora Ephron wrote this about him on 1989(!):
https://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2016-03/24/14/enhanced/webdr14/enhanced-32728-1458845177-9.jpg
I’m sure even Hitler was nice to some people. That doesn’t make him a nice person either.
He was an animal lover too. Loooved his dogs. So whenever someone says if you love animals you can’t be a bad person, that is actually a legitimate moment to bring up Hitler.
Yes! Thanks for pointing this out.
I used a similar analogy during the Clinton years when GOPers where hand wringing over Clintons “transgressions” as it was said Hitler never looked at another woman after Eva Braun.
Psychopaths only “love” their animals because they view them as possessions and can easily manipulate and control them, just as they try to do with people. Obviously, Hitler was one. I truly think (and have for decades) Trump is one too.
I always point out the Hitler analogy when discussing evil people. They aren’t like movie villains, they are usually a little more complex than that.
If you are not that person we see then why should we vote for him (besides the obvious reasons)? One more reason not to trust him.
+10000.
What he really says is “I’m hiding who I am, I’m lying to you but you can trust me , vote for me and let me lead you !!” ???? Whaaaaaaattttt ?????!!!
“I’m a much nicer person than people would think, provided that everyone around me is doing and saying exactly what I want when I want.”
Fixed it.
The other candidates are not presidential except john K. I also don’t want a Clinton again. It’s amazing this is the best America can do. Trump can act stoop to such childishness but I don’t know why I think even for his ego maniac behavior he may be nicer than he seems. I can’t believe I agree here you can all attack me but it’s a gut feeling.
Ivanka for President! Problem solved.
I think the question of nice is irrelevant really. I’m sure he has “nice” qualities especially to friends and family. The sad reality is that he is so thin-skinned that he can go from nice to SOB in a second. That has been obvious in the campaign trail when he feels he has been slighted. The other serious concern is his narcissistic personality – it’s extreme.
I actually don’t think he’s a racist as he pretends either, but that makes it worse because it means he’s panderiung to the uglliest and most vile demographics in america. And that says so much about his character, what he’s willing to do for attention and support.
“Ivanka for President!”
???? What has she ever done besides reap the benefits of nepotism???? Just because she knows how to control her tongue better than her idiot father doesn’t make her intelligent. Most normal functioning people in polite society do that.
I’ve seen a bunch of people say how well Don, Ivanka and Eric turned out and how well spoken and successful they are. They are only successful because of nepotism. Trump likes to act like his kids grew up like normal middle class kids and worked hard to get positions in his company when that is far from the truth. They may be intelligent and well spoken, but they were born on second base and like to act like they hit a double.
Not to mention Don loves to shoot elephants.
That means he’s trash in my book.
The problem with Ivanka is that she has been indulged to the extreme by her father. In New York circles people talked, almost gleefully, about how unattractive she was as a child and young teen. It was very vicious and unfair but she looked like her brothers with a weak chin, large teeth and smaller eyes. She decided to become a model and it was considered a joke and no one took her seriously at all. She had a ton of plastic surgery that was very obvious. This was before the Kardashian IG model phenomenon. It turned off the fashion industry completely because it felt like Trump was trying to buy her a career and bully with his money to achieve this. She didn’t really get that far after the novelty wore off. It’s like he saw how much money the supers made and thought he’d put his Trump brand(daughter)in that arena too.
We only see her best side but it makes me wonder what she’s really like with all of that ridicule in her background. She continues to tweak when she doesn’t seem to need it and is so close to him.
“I think even for his ego maniac behavior he may be nicer than he seems”
His character is well documented.
He was sued by the Department of Justice in the 1970s because his company was intentionally discriminating against people of color. He would literally have his staff mark their rental applications with “C” for “colored”, and they would get denied. The DOJ set up a sting, and white applicants would be told that there were apartments available minutes after minority applicants would be told there were no units available.
What a f@cking idiot Donald Trump is, yet is taking the whole world for fools and winning. He is just a reality famewh@re star/ruthlessly cheesy sales man that seeking in doing the ultimate publicity stunt and unfortunately a lot of people are falling for it and somehow is taking him seriously. I doubt he really wanted to be President rather his ultimate goal was to troll everyone and gain as much of publicity for himself and business. How about you let people judge you for themselves about how good, smart, nice you are Donald! Ugh.
I’m glad you feel calm. I’m f*cking terrified. Even if he doesn’t win, his supporters still walk amongst us. I’m pregnant and truly terrified of bringing my child into a world where President Drumpf is a possibility.
She feels calm because (I think) she is voting for Hillary and Trump’s nomination will guarantee that Hillary will win. I’d feel calm, too, if I could stand the thought of Hillary. As it is, I just feel sad for our country, disheartened and disgusted.
It seems like not only the Republican Party chickens are coming home to roost, but the Democratic Party chickens as well, and the Citizens United chickens, and the Supreme Court vacancy chickens, and Congressional polarization chickens, and gerrymandering chickens, and restricting voting rights again chickens, and … well, you get the idea.
We are being obliterated by chickens! Save us! 🐔🐔🐔🐔
I’m with you, GNAT.
Sanders hasn’t lost all hope yet, though, right?
Lurker, depends on which outlets you read. Depends on the next wave of primaries, and whether he can close the still-too-large gap just enough to start swaying the super delegates. He’s gone farther than other more-to-the-left Democrats and Independents than in the recent past, but still is being treated like a 3rd-party candidate by the Democratic establishment (because at this point they’re old-school Republicans and because he came into the fold late and challenged their long-time establishment leader).
In short – who the heck knows? Every time people prognosticate like crazy because the campaigns are so long, loud and expensive and it’s hard to live with the uncertainty.
I share your terror, Tiffany27 and I’m Canadian. So, so hope Kaiser’s right.
Lady D no kidding. Just when we’d like to relax and enjoy our little moment of political change up here, we get to worry about this all over again.
I’m terrified too! Everywhere I go now I see Trump supporters, it’s downright scary. The state that I leave in has voted Republican before & are known as (mostly) conservative. People here will defend Trump & his ideals to the end, so I’m really praying to all of the gods out there to not let him be a nominee.
I think actual chickens could run this country better than some of these people!
Lots of a-holes think they are nice, good, upstanding people. That’s because we judge ourselves by our intentions and others by their actions.
Right? I am not putting much stock in the accuracy of his self-perception.
I wish I shared that calm, but at this point I don’t feel at all confident that he’d lose if he got the nomination.
His hands look so small in that cover it is honestly cracking me up just imagining how upset he would be about it.
I wish I had your calm because honestly, I am terrified of the possibilities. I see a growing number of of rabid nationalists licking their chops in anticipation of him getting the nomination.
When you have people at your rallies throwing up Nazi salutes and not being soundly condemned for it, in addition to being encouraged to literally beat down anyone who voices opposition, we all have a very real problem.
Exactly. It’s like he’s opened this Pandora’s box where it’s okay to show how racist and misogynistic you are. Rallies where people actually chant “Build a wall”. It’s frightening. I don’t think he can win-but what he is encouraging and championing-and the fact that so many people are supporting that-is scary.
Of course he’s not going to become president. Carry on, people. It’s a Barry Goldwater moment, except Goldwater actually had a vague sense of civic duty. Trump’s racist supporters will go underground after November (or by the end of the summer). Though I expect a handful of them will engage in sporadic mass shootings.
Sporadic?
Not the cops who are supporters. That’s more frequent.
Cops involved in mass shootings? Can’t seem to recall the case.
I was too hasty. Not mass shootings, but too many victims overall from sporadic race-based attacks.
That is heartbreaking and true.
He’s the Joe Arpaio of presidential candidates. Read: attention wh*re.
What terrifies me is Arpaio keeps getting elected!!!
This does NOT bode well…
**shudder**
Arpaio is a local race and his part of Arizona is older, whiter, more privileged … of course they keep sending him back.
His campaign manager was arrested for assaulting a woman and Drumpf is now lobbing insults at the woman because she was supposed to just take it. Thankfully, the police didn’t see it the same way.
yeah, it went from “it never happened” to “look at the tapes – nothing!” (and then when people pointed out that there IS something on the tapes) to “well, she assaulted ME, first” and “what’s that in her hand?!” (spoiler, it was a pen since she’s, you know, a JOURNALIST, and all…)
and he blamed her for “changing her story”…uh, NO, Drumpf, you’re the only one who did that.
It was also stated that the Secret Service saw her grab him first. Can’t believe any of them.
“Look at that picture of me on Time. It’s a movement! Isn’t that an amazing picture? It’s been a lot of fun.”
Just that quote right there scared the piss out of me and I’m not even American. The thought that this clueless, thin-skinned, egotistical prick could be president is just incomprehensible to me.
I know, right? It’s like “Trump: The Board Game.” He’s so beyond the realm of plausibility it makes GW Bush look good. I can’t believe I’m saying that. GW Bush was the worst president in US history, a near nincompoop.
Mmmmhmmm. I’ve actually had a few moments where I sort of wished it was a Bush-era election again. You know our candidate selection sucks when you find yourself getting nostalgic over Dubs. Of course, when I start to feel wistful I remind myself of Cheney and Rove and the horrible sh*t they did to this country, and the world, really.
@Kitten, just think of Cheney shooting his friend in the face, and that nostalgia will fade away right quick!
I’m glad Kaiser is confident that Trump won’t win- I’m not. I have been blown away by seemingly “normal” people that have never gone GOP in their lives- who are supporting this idiot. I no longer think it’s a given that Hillary or Sanders can beat him. Depressing as hell.
This thing got the cover over the Brussels attack.
Remember when People was more than a knee dropping tabloid.
Good point. That is a really bad choice made by People.
People magazine was ok around 1981.
Because Trump says hateful things and incites people to violence, and Clinton does not? Because Trump’s “policies,” the few that he tries inadequately to articulate, have nothing to do with improving economic fairness and security for Americans? Because his idea of foreign policy is to blow things up which would only result in more things blowing up (and more Americans being killed in and out of the military)?
He’s been endorsed by the KKK and other Neo Nazi groups. That’s fact, not belief. They really want him in power for a reason. His father was a confirmed racist, his son recirculates racist communications. They will not fix the country’s problems. Something else is needed, and it’s not the same old-same old, but it’s certainly not them either.
I can’t afford to believe in the American people tbh. As an WOC with a younger brother that “fits” a profile at 18 (6ft, black and therefore threatening) this election cycle has me worried. Racists out in full force feeling BOLD because of this loser. I cannot CANNOT afford to be calm. That’s my reality
I’m so sorry, and I wish I could tell you that you’re wrong, but I think being aware is probably smartness right now. I do believe that this outpouring of hatefulness has made right thinking people wake up to the fact that a segment our country is dangerous. And it’s not your brother. I think there will be a backlash against the backlash. Meanwhile, I am so sorry you are living in such anxiety.
Family members and close friends fitting the despised profile here, too. It’s so hard not to be able to protect them. Meanwhile, I’m also a Jew having a hard time understanding other Jews who support Trump – do they think it won’t come around to them? And do they not care about others? Does it take their being singled out to finally become aware of what is going on? Sadly, I think I know the answer to the last 2 questions.
you touch on something about his supporters that I had thought about too.
they don’t seem to realize that RIGHT NOW, they’re “part of it”, but Drumpf and his mob could turn on them more quickly than they think. it’s the old “first, they came for the communists…and I didn’t do anything, because I wasn’t a communist” thing. they don’t realize that they could be on the receiving end of his followers vitriol just as quickly as they could blink.
This is heart breaking. I’m honestly concerned as well – and I’m Canadian. I worry about you guys on a national AND international level if this buffoon gets any further. Not only that – but his whole campaign has just shown how many people believe the crap he’s selling. Which is almost worse.
One thing I’m glad about – is the fact that our election cycles are so much shorter than yours. I don’t think I could have handled much more election talk during our last bout – because I started just resenting certain family members for holding some ultra-conservative views. People who I otherwise love, and would normally never think of as nutjobs.
I know how you feel Alex, and it IS scary. Probably more so for you because your brother is so young and cannot even afford to have an occasional bout of youthful stupidity the way the rest of us did, and most 18 year olds do.
I live in Texas, which is now open-carry. Between my hubs & me, we are the remaining 2 “nightmares” for the GOP. I’m Latina (but we’re all Mexican!) and my husband is Muslim. He is so nonchalant about this that it scares me! A troop of ARMED rednecks showed up to protest in front of his mosque (I’m talking assault/hunting rifles) and he went over and passed out bottled waters to them. Some of them took it but one guy told him he “only drinks American water” ….the bottled waters were Good Value, a WALMART brand, LOL. Morons…Who Vote.
WOW. Your husband is seriously a saint.
There is NO way I would have been able to refrain from going out there and giving those aholes a piece of my mind. WTF were they even protesting? Ugh why am I even asking….you cannot apply logic to these people. I just find it incredibly disrespectful to protest outside a house of worship-a place where people go to find peace and comfort.
Wow. That’s an amazing reaction to a bunch or armed rednecks and I hope it made even one of those idiots think twice. Unfortunately, it probably didn’t, but the fact your hubby did what he could do to stand up to hatred during these volatile times is truly incredible!
DTX, fellow Texan here and I’m seriously scared. The open carry group terrifies me. During SXSW they were strutting around downtown Austin scaring the hell out of everyone. I thought it was funny at first about Trump; surely no one would take this bloviating fool who descended on the escalator seriously. How wrong I was! But Cruz is just as bad. He is just as racist as Trump and universally hated by his fellow senators. There are so many unpleasant stories floating around Austin about him. The Republican convention is going to be nasty. I’ll vote for the Democrat, whoever that is.
Yeah, he’s awesome and much nicer than me. I seriously thought they’d shoot him but he actually became friendly with one of the protestors because they had on very similar cowboy boots. I have pic of them comparing, its pretty funny. Responding with kindness works on some people, but unfortunately not all.
Giddy, I was at SXSW! But I went to 6th street after 7pm on the 2nd week and there were mostly young people and I didn’t see anyone like that, thank goodness! One day was enough for me, I spent the next day drinking wine and sunning my cheeks at Hippie Hollow! LOL
DTX, I know which cheeks are usually tanned at Hippie Hollow!!!
Wow he’s brave. Those people are unhinged and just waiting to “to stand their ground”.
I live in Austin and don’t get out much, so I haven’t seen the open-carry situation. I know it’s cowardly, but I would love to move to Canada (adore Canada!) or New Zealand, where my sister lives. I have been wearing a wonderful black tee-shirt that features a cartoony image of Ted Cruz at his most loathsome. The caption: “Ted Cruz was the Zodiac Killer.” I don’t have the nerve to rock that shirt while visiting my elderly mother in Georgetown [TX]. She lives in Sun City, where you must be 55 or older, and 99% of the people are Republicans. I’d probably be stoned by the populace!
The tee-shirt aside, I have seen what Cruz has done to Texas, and believe he is even more dangerous than even Trump. Frightening times.
Thank you for your post! It was very powerful.
It is a very scary time. As a person who understands what privilege is, I just can’t be cavalier about whether my favorite wins or not, because this election will have serious and dire consequences. I think of my minority friends, friends that identify as LGBTQ, and know that the reality of what this election cycle has stirred up is a threat to their lives and their freedom. no exaggeration. I have seen far too many videos of African americans being shoved, pushed, and hit at Trump rallies to think that this is just politics. It has gotten very, very ugly.
That’s LGBTQI.
Thanks for your voice and insight, Alex.
I feel you, Alex.
My heart goes out to you Alex.
No matter how tired one is of their government, there are always non-racist, non-sexist and educated alternatives.
You have summed up my whole argument, thanks Zip!
I do not know one person that I respect or find intelligent who is for Trump. He appeals to the worst aspects of the worst people. “Tired of the same old politicians” means tired of inclusiveness and tolerance. We know what “ruining the country” means, too. All those gays and foreigners and whatnot. I loathe Hillary, and think she is a total hypocrite, but she (probably) won’t get us into a world war, ratchet up the terrorist’s ability to recruit by a thousandfold and legalize discrimination based on gender, religion and skin color. Vote for the liar.
Bingo!
Highly educated intellectual and I actually think your assessment should be flipped on its head. I think Hillary has a proven track record of military misadventures and is already beating the war drum for Israel. The Middle East has basically been lit on fire any time she is even remotely involved… Iraq, Libya, Egypt, Syria.
Trump on the other hand is much more of a noninterventionist.
Hillary is about as corrupt as they come for a democrat.
True, Gg, Hillary is a hawk, I know, but Trump claims that he’s going to “bomb the hell” out of anyone who looks at us crossways. I haven’t gotten a noninterventionist feeling from him at all. And please don’t think I’m a Hillary supporter. I just think she’s the lesser of two evils, if for no other reason than she does not, at least on the surface, try to win by appealing to every bad instinct in our countrymen.
Well said Gg. I have a real horror of having Hillary as president, less so than Trump. Because it’s about picking between two evils at this point.
I met him years ago in Atlantic City, and to be honest, he was extremely polite and very nice to me. Shook my hand with both of his (you know, the shake and cover) and thanked me for my kind words.
I ddin’t realize his four bodyguards were about to attack me, but that wasn’t his fault.
Well then! You should probably vote for him, since he shook your hand so nicely! /s
..before his body guards almost took her out.
LOL Hoped someone would see the humor…
And how do you think a person with absolutely no political experience is going to handle the serious issues facing this country? That’s why I’m terrified. That, and also his appeals to bigotry, racism and authoritarianism. Does he think that’s all going to go away when he gets the nomination?
That’s why a president has a cabinet. I don’t think he has gotten as far as he has without leveraging the experience of others. That is what business (and running a country) are all about.
So why are these people turning to someone who represents what they hate? He’s big business. He’s been given loans, he’s failed in ventures but never suffered like the working class for a moment in his life. He’s arrogant, and uses his money to validate himself. He is exactly what these people claim to hate. And here we are.
I think you are in denial. If he is in the ballon, he has a good change to be your president. he should never come this far and it is already a disgrace to America.
Doubtful Clinton would support striking down labor protection laws like unemployment insurance, workers comp, anti-discrimination protections under the ADA and Title IV, and minimum wage, and OSHA. Trump is not in the best interest of the working class.
He’s very, very fond of my country’s (Argentina) new president, who belongs to the most conservative and right-wing side of politics. Yeap, the very same one Mr and Mrs Obama have met last week. While I’m not worried about him winning either, I know that if he does, it will affect us a great deal as well.
No sorry I disagree completely if it was just that these people would be behind sanders or they would be calling there congress and senate to force them to hear Obama’s plan on infurstructure and the multitude of jobs bills he sent that weren’t heard. But they didn’t and they aren’t!
These people are with trump because of the racist, xenophobic things he says. He is highlighting and exploiting that irrational and racist fear of whites not being the minority. I’m sorry but if you (not specifically you, collective you) hear the racist, sexist, xenophobic words coming out of that mans mouth and don’t cringe but can support him then you need to look in your heart because your racist. People who don’t feel that way can’t support him because their conscience and moral center comes into play.
FYI if you read trumps “trade” plan it would destroy the us economy, cause a huge increase in price for the us consumer, nearly stop foreign exports, and basically ensure China is the most powerful country in the world while the we are in another depression. And finally Americans don’t care about manufacturing they truly don’t and they prove it everytime they run into H&M with a coupon. The people spoke and they chose cheaper goods unless they buy luxury.
“Everyone wants to believe his voters are KKK members and under educated. Simply not true.”
Can you blame them for thinking that? His campaign gives white supremacist podcasts press credentials. Donald Jr. gives them interviews. They do the podcast live from Trump rallies. But his voters aren’t racists, he’s not actively trying to court the racists vote. Not at all.
We will have Hillary for 8 years according to the polls (afterall what buffoon could run against her and win in 4 years!?!).
Deep down I think Trump is happy about this. I think he misses his old life involved in real estate deals. I get the feeling Trump is not as “keen” (there’s that word) becoming President as he was when he first announced his intention to run and now we’re hearing Trump say he wants women (or MDs as of CNN update) punished if abortion is banned. Absurd. Trump is pro choice.
Trump is starting to sabotage his own campaign. His son Barron is feeling sad missing his father. Trump has (finally) realized how much he’ll miss (of his old life) if he becomes President.
Agreed. He seems a little less enthused now and tired.
I must say that I am grateful the Secret Servjce has vetoed the call of Drumpf and others to allow delegates to bring firearms into the GOP convention
I’m about 50/50 on that, myself.
obviously, safer…
…but the other part of me is thinking…”geez, there would be a lot of ‘good guys with guns’ there…what could possibly go wrong?” in a very evil way. not proud of that, but there it is.
I’m about 20/80 on it. If it’s good enough for elementary school and church, it’s good enough for the Republican convention.
Yep. It’s typical of them. Some rules for others but never ever for them.
Here is one high-information voter with an advanced college degree in science AND a woman business owner that supports Trump.
I know this is a super-liberal website, but I wanted to make a point that there are educated people out there who will vote for Trump over Hil, Bern, or Ted. Trump is the lesser evil over those three idiots.
Would you mind sharing your reasons for him over the others please?
a high-information voter with an “advanced science degree” would know all of the things Veronica (below) pointed out. the man has put forth no policy proposals other than “the wall” (which is financially unfeasible) and his mass deportation (also financially unfeasible, if not outright illegal) and knows zip about how the government works. the only other thing he’s made clear is that he’s a bigot and misogynist of the highest degree.
so, being a female, knowing all those things, and STILL wanting to vote for him? I think the reason is “he doesn’t like brown-skinned people”.
Don’t see this website as ‘super-liberal’ at all.
There are just a lot of people with common sense.
That’s how I see it, too.
I’m a fiscally conservative moderate, actually. If you want a less “liberal” viewpoint on why I’m not voting for him, there’s the fact that I find his entire campaign is contradictory. Here’s a guy telling the American people he’ll get America financially back on track while simultaneously plotting to blow billions – if not trillions – of taxpayer dollars on a 40 ft border wall, deport > 11 million people, and block Muslims from entering the country. (Because THAT wouldn’t blow up economically on our face considering our agricultural industry practically runs on migrant labor.) Pretty much the absolute opposite of conservative government and protection of civil liberties.
(I haven’t finished my Bachelor’s degree, by the way. Didn’t really felt I needed to in order to pick up on those blatant inconsistencies.)
I know, it’s comforting for some to believe that only buffoons would vote for Trump. But it’s just not true. Arg.
buffoons and bigots.
Being highly educated in one area is not a pathway to knowledge in others. We should be well past the delusion that academia is devoid of prejudice and ignorance.
This clown gets more free publicity than any candidate in the history of the freaking world. I don’t care if I ever see his ugly face again or hear his name. I’m sick of him.
Hillary’s husband and the Democratic Leadership Council were responsible for moving the Democratic party to the right, paving the way for the fascism we are now seeing with Trump and his acolytes.
I don’t see how you can blame someone in the middle for the insanity at the fringe.
I don’t understand the comment ” you get the politicians you deserve.” Politicians, IMO, are some of the worst people in terms of being power hungry and will do almost anything to get what they want. And as far as people in USA being scared Trump elected President, I mean really? The USA isn’t a dictatorship. The President has to work with others 24/7. There’s no way around that. They don’t get their way because of silly temper tantrums and Anderson Cooper (CNN) called out Trump last night saying he was acting like a five year old. He does act immature at times. I agree with Cooper.
Initially I thought Trump was interesting in that he was an outsider, but he’s used and abused his front runner status and that’s a real turn off. I believe some people would never like him no matter his personality because he was born into wealth so they feel he never had to work for anything. I look at his family and wonder if he was such a bad person/father would his daughter Ivanka have any respect for him? But it appears she does have respect for him. Or maybe she’s brainwashed by money and power? In any event, I suspect Clinton will win.
He’s despicable. I detest him.
The People article benefits from good timing! Trump’s campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, was just arrested for misdeamour battery. Curious as to how that could be *spun* 😉
I’d say the fact that people aren’t taking his rise seriously is part of what makes the Hitler comparisons so apt. Nobody thought a house painter with the bad mustache would win office, much less become the blight on the face of 20th century European history.
Both Cruz and Trump scare me. They both come from that some reactionary, privileged cloth that’ll keep themselves well above the mess they create for everybody else to wade through.
Most of us are aware of the problems in this country. Most of us have also read enough history books to know that politicians who channel the people’s anger over those problems by scapegoating women and/or minorities should not be given power.
Yeah… American would elect him. Just think how many people thought he wouldn’t get this far.
The problem with the US system is that the person the majority of people want in power can lose to the minority candidate because the minority candidate has a stronger voter turnout. It’s a bit of a scary system.
I’m watching Colbert right now and he killed it with his Trump skit. Cartoon Donald-LOL.
Haha, Donald Trump said there would be punishment for women who have abortions. Tell it like it is, Donald.
I know. He says the most outrageous idiotic things. It’s like he has no filter. But then he tries to backpedal. Bernie and Hillary scare me just as badly with their abortion right up to the moment of birth, though. Honestly, that scares me more. The slaughter of the innocents, you guys.
“Bernie and Hillary scare me just as badly with their abortion right up to the moment of birth,”
when did they say that?
The reason they support third term abortion is because third term abortions are usually done in cases where the mother’s life is in the balance OR because something has occurred to make the late-term fetus nonviable. They make up an absolutely minuscule fraction of the abortions done, and they usually occur in cases where the woman WANTED to finish the pregnancy. “Slaughter of the innocent” is such an ignorant and cold-hearted way to describe an operation that is usually a legitimate tragedy for everybody involved in the process.
If the major parties put up some honest candidates then voters wouldn’t feel compelled to piss on them by voting for a nutcase like Trump.
Rumor has it that during his first marriage he kept a book on Hitler at his bedside.