Posted on 02/02/2016 8:57:16 AM PST by conservativejoy
Donald Trump does everything in a big way. Even losing. Not only did he lose to Ted Cruz in Iowa, but he came very close to a humiliating third place behind Marco Rubio. As recently as yesterday Donald Trump was saying he wanted to win in Iowa, and if he didn't, that it would all have been a big waste of time.
"Unless I win, I would consider this a big, fat, beautiful-and, by the way, a very expensive-waste of time," Trump said this weekend, speaking to supporters during a whirlwind tour of Iowa.
Well, I guess it was a big waste of time, then. But why exactly did Donald declare political bankruptcy in Iowa?
1) The Shamu-Seaworld effect. Trump had big crowds, the largest, at his rallies. What happened to all these people? Big crowds also used to go see Shamu the Killer Whale at SeaWorld. That didn't mean, however, that most people there wanted to see Shamu elected mayor of Orlando. They went there to be entertained. There was a recent estimate that only 8% of attendees at Trump rallies were planning to caucus for him.
2) Lazyness. Donald Trump was too lazy to campaign the traditional way, avoiding bus tours, small towns, and one on one meetings with voters. Instead he flew in on Trump Force One, spoke for an hour, and then flew home to his bed in New York. He felt he didn't have to follow the traditional rules of campaigning because he was Donald Trump. In a state where personal contact with the candidate is expected, Trump was wrong.
Not only was Trump lazy, but his supporters were lazy, perhaps taking a cue from their idol. On websites they would yell in all caps "TRUMP WILL WIN! TRUMP WILL WIN!" but they were so busy jamming down their caps lock key that many of them didn't even bother to vote. It was said that a record turnout would guarantee a Trump victory. There was a record turnout all right, but it was a record turnout for Ted Cruz.
3) A lack of ground game. Trump and his campaign manager, Corey "The Big Lebowski" Lewandowski never identified supporters. They never set up substantial phone banks. They never followed and tracked their followers. When reporters went to the field offices of all the campaigns, they were only excluded from the Trump offices, because there was nothing for them to see. Had Trump deigned to actually run a ground game, he might have won the caucuses. You have to wonder, if he is so lacking in political acumen to understand this, how lacking in political ability is he going be if he wins the White House?
4) Arrogance. Trump, so buoyed by the polls, wore his arrogance on his sleeve. He said Iowans were stupid if they didn't vote for them. He called Megyn Kelly a bimbo indirectly, and tried to be cute about it by saying "I would never call her a bimbo, but..." It wasn't cute at all, it was disgusting. He even said he could shoot people and not lose support. That's the language of a Kim Jong Un, not the President of the United States. And then Trump showed his disdain for the entire process by skipping the last debate. His arrogance was his undoing.
5) Attacking conservatives. Trump turned off a lot of conservatives (including Mark Levin, Rush, the National Review, and others) by attacking Ted Cruz from the left (for not supporting ethanol) and in vicious, personal terms, calling Ted Cruz a "Canadian anchor baby". There is a way to campaign against Ted Cruz but calling him a "maniac" for standing up to Mitch McConnell is not that way. Once it became clear that Trump was attacking Cruz from the left, he lost a lot of conservative support.
So who, then, are actual Trump supporters? They are a much smaller number of people than originally thought. Like Ron Paul supporters from 2012, they dominate chatrooms and online polls, but like vampires can't be seen in the light of day. They are followers of the cult of personality and turn on a dime as Trump commands: if one day Trump says he wants Megyn Kelly out of the debate, they agree; if the next he says he never demanded it, they engage in immediate 1984 groupthink, and say it never happened, just like Trump's liberal political past never happened or never mattered because he was liberal as a crony capitalist "businessman". Unfortunately, his followers, while devoted, are not large enough in numbers to get him elected President.
The fact that Donald Trump doesn't understand any of his missteps or the effect of his slash and burn rhetoric reflects a political autism that makes him unqualified to be president or even the GOP presidential nominee. (Abridged version originally published in American Thinker)
Because Iowa is filled with Religious fanatics?
I’m a Cruz voter, but trump is ok if it’s him and Hillary. I think Iowa went conservative and that’s a good thing and Cruz is number one in my book with the message
Well, he’s a political newbie but I think he’s teachable. We’ll see.
Helps to get a little perspective going as well doesn’t it? Reagan and many other eventual nominees did not win Iowa. There’s certainly more to be seen before we decide it’s over.
Gee—Trump comes in second in an event that has very low, if any, future predictive validity, and it’s over.
One thing you may be sure of - The Donald will not make the same missteps again.
In New Hampshire he will be loaded for bear.
Like he did not intend to make a bearskin rug out of the hide.
6) Missing the debate was a huge strategic blunder, and wide group of Iowans viewed it as a slap in the face.
One down, forty-nine states to go.
Yes, #groundgamematters
The anti-Trump media will have its day.
Funny thing is they can’t stand Cruz.
I certainly hope that you have your flame suit on for when the Trumpbots show up! ;-)
Yes, one less delegate is certainly a “schlonging”.
The Cruznadian behavior on FR today is really making the “Christian values” of his high and mighty holier-than-thou supporters shine through like a beacon of Christ’s hope. LOL
New Hampshire Primary, Feb. 8, 2016 seven days hence. We’ll know more about the Trump potential
when that event is held. If the results mirror Iowa then Trump can pack it in. If not let the good times roll.
Congratulations to Ted Cruz. Let's see what happens in NH.
I am a Cruz supporter, and can not stand Trump. Still, I realize that this is probably the best thing that could have happened to him.
I think that slice of Humble Pie, will temper the arrogance, and i am afraid that he just might run the tables now.
UNLESS....he becomes his own biggest enemy again.
Trump came in second to Rubio in the suburban/urban areas of Iowa. This is now a Trump-Rubio/Rubio-Trump race, IMO.
Trump made some errors in Iowa—but, its to be expected for a first timer. He’s a quick learner and will bounce back—Rubio, the falvor of the month is too slick. Things will be different in New Hampshire and North Carolina. His anchor baby Cruz didn’t work—he must re-think his game plan and comeback swinging.
Considering all that Trump did wrong according to this author, it’s remarkable that Trump did as well as he did in Iowa. Not schlonged.
I don’t worry about it. It is the equivalent of watching an almost 70 year old man have a two year old’s fit. :)
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