Donald Trump's big talk, braggadocio, and boldness have carried him far. But "gravity" - the wearing off of his freshness, the cumulative weight of his excesses, and voters taking a closer look at him before they actually cast a ballot - might well bring Trump down to earth, as Cruz recently suggested in a speech to a group of donors. Even Superman became weak and vulnerable when exposed to kryptonite, and in Trump's case, the equivalent could be exposure to a political environment in which his 91 percent name ID is "trumped" by voters' decision to finally compare him with other lesser-known candidates." Source
Trump and the Clintoons get along well for a very good reason.
I agree Trump’s bravado is beginning to wear thin and not a vote has been cast. Most Americans, not to mention GOP and crossover voters who will be casting primary votes in the spring, have given little real thought to the campaign. It is a sideshow in their daily lives.
After Christmas the voters will be thinking about preparing tax returns and trying to figure out what to cut from the family budget to pay for the higher healthcare premiums coming in January. Some will be smarting from receiving end of year pink slips or knowing a family member or friend who has lost a job. Most middle class grocery shoppers will be questioning the “deflation” rhetoric from the government and media when they go to the store and see $5.00 per pound hamburger. Seniors will be angry about the absence of a Social Security increase and more doctors refusing to see Medicare patients. Add to these concerns rising interest rates, and a possibly big stock market sell off after the Fed boosts rates, and you have a large block of primary voters with little hope but desiring significant change. One or two more large terrorist attacks could easily turn an unhappy voter pool into an outraged electorate.
Whoever Trump really is underneath the brash television personality, he has done the nation and the GOP a huge service. Without him in the race neither of the political parties were prepared to fight the 2016 election on the extremely important issues of immigration, Islamic terrorism at home, trade policy, Obamacare, the $20 trillion accumulated deficit, and political correctness. To his credit the Donald has put these issues on the table where they cannot be ignored by the media, the candidates, or the politicians in office. If it wasn’t for Trump, immigration reform and TPP would today be teed up to be passed by the GOP Congress in early 2016. Jeb would be the candidate to beat in a very boring GOP race since Cruz would have been neutralized and the rest of the GOP field would be playing their assigned roles as token opponents preparing for Jeb’s coronation.
By destroying Bush, and energizing the base, Trump has made it possible for Cruz to get the nomination. It is beginning to look like the establishment will have to get behind a Cruz/Rubio ticket to avoid having Trump as the nominee. A Cruz/Rubio ticket seems like the only answer to keep Trump from running third party unless he truly is a Democrat spoiler.
This article is part of the death by 1000 small knife wounds strategy now being employed by the establishment against Trump. Will it work? Time, and events yet to occur, will tell.
For the last couple of days I have been asking about those who have worked with Trump to prove his character. While I despise Rove, he must have ammo. From the article you quoted and linked:
“This footage might be followed by compelling testimony from contractors, small-business people, and bondholders whom he stiffed. America has never elected a president with that kind of a dubious business record.”
Making a great deal is a gift, but keeping that deal, or keeping your word, is what we need. We’ve been shanked for the last 7 years and if there is a threat of it happening again, “fuhgedaboudit.”