Posted on 10/05/2015 8:57:08 AM PDT by beaversmom
Warning: This post will generate massive cognitive dissonance in some readers. If you think you can learn from that, please read on. If that prospect makes you uncomfortable, please don’t read it.
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If you compare Donald Trump to whoever you have in mind as your ideal president, Trump probably comes up short. There are plenty of qualities one might want in a president that Trump doesn’t have. So I understand why people think he can’t get elected.
But Trump will not be running against anyone’s imaginary standard for president. He will run against real people. That’s where things get interesting. In my opinion, Trump only got serious about the presidency when he realized that the one-on-one match-ups all went his way. So let’s see how those match-ups look.
Here I am going to put a Trump filter on the opponents, meaning I will paint them the way Trump has, and will. That’s the best way to judge the head-to-head competition because the media will report every word Trump says.
Here are Trump’s competitors, as branded by Trump.
Rubio: Sweaty kid who lied about doing his homework while Trump built a business empire. Got “rolled over” on Obamacare, like a rube, in case you had not made that linguistic connection.
Clinton: A “major security risk” and a grandmother who can’t do email right while Trump dominates Twitter.
Carson: A doctor who is too nice to negotiate deals. The only job he created was for one nurse. (And for Carson to win, one must believe the Republican base wants 16 years of of continuous African-American presidents.)
Sanders: Can you win if you get zero Republican votes?
Fiorina: HP failure. Lucent failure. And of course, the “face” which many men interpret to mean her angry-wife persona. Compare that mixture of failure and anger to Trump’s business success (so he tells us) and positive message about America.
Bush: Low-energy, and yet another Bush. We already see how that is working out for Bush.
Biden: Biden says he isn’t sure he has the “emotional energy” to run. How does that match up against Trump? Ask Jeb Bush.
The rest: Career politicians. Trump will chain their corporate donors to them like anchors and push them off the boat to see how well they swim.
So there are your match-ups. Since I am still mostly alone in predicting a landslide Trump victory in the general election, please tell me which one of these match-ups you think Trump could lose.
I think this is another situation in which my degree in economics, along with my MBA, have wired me to think differently. The most important thing one learns when studying business and the economy is how to make valid comparisons. For example, one must always ignore sunk costs (the past) and one must compare all options to real alternatives, not to an ideal.
If you think Trump will lose, you are probably comparing him to an ideal you hold for what a president should be. If you believe he will win, you probably have a background in economics, or law, or engineering, and you have learned how to make valid comparisons to alternatives.
That’s your cognitive dissonance set-up. If you feel you are a rational person who knows how to weigh alternatives, let me know how any of the competitors could win in a one-on-one match-up with Trump.
If I did this right, and I am sure I did, I predict you will see the biggest mess of word-salad in the comments that you have ever seen. Roughly one-third of the comments to this post should make no sense whatsoever (as opposed to an opinion you simply disagree with).
And I remind you that I don’t know whether Trump would be a good president. I am not that smart. I just enjoy the show.
I’m an engineer, and I agree with Scott in this matter.
I’m an engineering manager and I think we need synergy to change the paradigm. Leveraging DevOps and the cloud, we can gain marketshare for Trump.
“I’m an engineer, and I agree with Scott in this matter.”
Scott Adams blows hot and cold but on this he is likely correct.
I’m an engineer, and a Vegas guy who has done some real estate here. So, what I see analyzing the situation is the status quo can’t hold, Jeb and Hillary are yesterday’s mashed potatoes. I know casino type execs and they can be scary autocrats, but to do business they have to adapt quickly and delegate authority, so while Trump would be a rollercoaster, I think we would survive and thrive.
I think Cruz is the right guy, but I also think the only way to get to Cruz may be for Trump to bulldoze the path.
The man has his own money and is putting it where his mouth is.
Haven’t seen that at least since Reagan, and he had GOPe GHWBush foisted on him.
Before that, I’d have to go back to GW himself, I think.
Before that, I’d have to go back to GW himself, I think.”
Really and truly....I don’t think we can fully appreciate how unique George Washington was, and how, really and truly, after him it was all downhill......
Dittos on whatever you said!
I think, and have said, that Trump might very well win all 50 states, esp if running against Sanders or maybe evey Hillary. He will definitely take New York. Hawaii, Oregon, MN and CA...I think he has a shot...esp if his running mate is someone like Ben Carson.
My only concern is Trump getting the GOP nomination. Once he has that I believe he will win the general election in a landslide.
+1
I'm good with either Trump or Cruz as president. I like them as Pres and VP -- doesn't matter to me who has which. And if Trump flames out (I don't think he will) he will likely leave a nice road for Ted Cruz to complete the race in style.
The game can play out in any number of ways and I think any of these would be good for the country.
The voters need to swing for the fences now. I will not support the lesser of two evils. The establishment people or the novelty acts will not do what we need to get done. Trump and Cruz have the spirit.
LOL!
Tell the truth, now. Did you use the Dilbert Mission Statement Generator?
Good analysis, by my reckoning.
Doesn’t matter if The Donald is a “good” President or not. He is what this country needs at this juncture in history.
Just about every other country in the world, most notably Mexico (a near neighbor who should know better), China, Japan, Russia, Iran, and to some degree, North Korea (under the benevolent shield of China, of course), has chosen to take advantage of the retreat of America from leadership.
The Donald has made promises he will renegotiate practically every deal out there with any and all of these countries, and a few dozen others as well, both for financial and for national defense purposes. And The Donald is uncommonly good at negotiations.
I looked — and there really is one! Holy Cow! I had no idea.
> I looked — and there really is one! Holy Cow! I had no idea.
LOL!! Yes, isn’t it GREAT?!
Scott Adams is a liberal, most of the time, and wrong about a lot of things, but he’s one funny guy.
LOL! +3 for mentioning “cloud” and “DevOps”.
He needs to ask them, Who signs your paychecks? How do you make your money?
Just about all of them will LIE! They don't work for us. They work for the ones that pay them!
Still, it's the finest form of representative govt that Saudi oil money and Big Pharma money can buy!
Maybe that's true but it isn't what I've been told.
Have a cousin who has heard him speak a few times, at conventions and similar events, and who says he is funny and conservative.
I'm bummed if he's actually a Lefty.
> I’m bummed if he’s actually a Lefty.
Well, he’s probably more of a libertarian; fiscally conservative, but socially liberal.
I have common sense. Trump/Cruz will win.
Hopefully he does not turn into a Gov. Schwarzenegger who became a liberal moments after taking office.
“If you believe he will win, you probably have a background in economics, or law, or engineering, and you have learned how to make valid comparisons to alternatives.”
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