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The Canadian Gambit (Trump Persuasion Series)
dilbert.com ^ | Scott Adams

Posted on 01/07/2016 5:18:52 AM PST by RoosterRedux

Yesterday, right on schedule for Iowa, Donald Trump gave Ted Cruz a big, sticky helping of Canadian face paint in the form of this Linguistic Kill Shot:

"Do we want a candidate who could be tied up in court for two years?"

Trump was referring to Cruz being born in Canada to an American mother and a Cuban dad. The legal experts say Cruz qualifies as "natural born," for reasons you can see here on Snopes.

So let's break down Trump's kill shot and see how well-engineered it is.

Regular readers of this blog might recognize that Trump used what I have been calling the High Ground Maneuver. This involves elevating a discussion from the weeds (where everyone disagrees) to a higher point where everyone agrees.

I gave an example of the High Ground Maneuver from the Clinton/Dole presidential election. Clinton elevated the discussion from the weeds of supply side economics (where everyone disagreed on its value) to the high ground, by saying it was "risky" to make such a big change when things were relatively good with the economy. It was a complete kill shot. (He had good advisors.)

Likewise, Trump elevated the discussion of Cruz' eligibility for the job of president to the question of whether the country could afford having a president in perpetual legal battles over something like this. Does anyone want to risk another eight years of wondering whether the President of the United States is American? It sounds like the worst waste of time you could imagine. And the hilarious part is that Trump helped create the problem he wants the country to avoid. As a bonus, it reminds you of Bill Clinton's perpetual impeachment battles and how much people hated the entire government then.

(Excerpt) Read more at blog.dilbert.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: naturalborncitizen; trump
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1 posted on 01/07/2016 5:18:53 AM PST by RoosterRedux
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To: usafa92; hoosiermama; onyx; Jane Long; V K Lee; conservativejoy; RitaOK; Black Agnes; nopardons; ...

Ping


2 posted on 01/07/2016 5:20:11 AM PST by RoosterRedux (Long is the way and hard, that out of Hell leads up to light - John Milton, Paradise Lost)
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To: RoosterRedux

Kill shot or not, if Trump has plans for Cruz as VP, he wants this out for debate NOW rather than later to get it settled and put to bed.

Listen to Breitbart News this morning, conservative callers were saying just that.

Its shocking and sad how some conservatives like Levin do not see the bigger overall picture of why this is being done. People just read misleading headlines crafted by the MSM and get their knickers twisted and get out their torches and pitchforks against Trump.


3 posted on 01/07/2016 5:23:03 AM PST by ObozoMustGo2012
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To: RoosterRedux

Actually, this is risky for Trump. So far Trump and Cruz have played it well. They both know that they will need the supporters of the other when election day comes, they can’t afford to alienate the supporters of the other. So they have, so far, been respectful of one another and by extension respectful of one another’s supporters.

Trump is obviously worried that Cruz may come out on top and has decided to take him down. But he has to do it in such a way that Cruz’s supporters will see him as their substitute champion. Using this line of attack on Cruz may just backfire.


4 posted on 01/07/2016 5:23:51 AM PST by marron
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To: RoosterRedux

If this was in fact a “Linguistic Kill Shot,” the Cruz campaign will be folding up later this week. We will see, I guess. But don’t hold your breath.

The author’s point would be just as interesting if he hadn’t completely overstated it.


5 posted on 01/07/2016 5:24:27 AM PST by oldplayer
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To: ObozoMustGo2012; RoosterRedux

Kill shot or not, if Trump has plans for Cruz as VP, he wants this out for debate NOW rather than later to get it settled and put to bed.

Listen to Breitbart News this morning, conservative callers were saying just that.


A lot of conservatives are saying just that.

Funny how many ‘conservatives’ here are taking the vilify Trump route. Trump may be trying to do CRuz a yuge favor.


6 posted on 01/07/2016 5:27:33 AM PST by Jane Long (Go Trump, go! Make America Safe Again :)
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To: RoosterRedux

Dilbert Creator Scott Adams on Donald Trump’s ‘Linguistic Kill Shots’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55NxKENplG4

8 minutes


7 posted on 01/07/2016 5:28:22 AM PST by Balding_Eagle ( (The Great Wall of Trump ---- 100% sealing of the border. Coming soon.)
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To: RoosterRedux

I used to like Scott Adams. I like him less and less as years pass.


8 posted on 01/07/2016 5:28:59 AM PST by Mac n Jac (www.vetsfightingms.org)
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To: marron
Actually, this is risky for Trump.

Almost everything Trump does seems risky at first.

9 posted on 01/07/2016 5:29:30 AM PST by RoosterRedux (Long is the way and hard, that out of Hell leads up to light - John Milton, Paradise Lost)
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To: RoosterRedux

10 posted on 01/07/2016 5:31:10 AM PST by DoughtyOne ((It's beginning to look like "Morning in America" again. Comment on YouTube under Trump Free Ride.))
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To: ObozoMustGo2012

Here’s what’s going to happen.....talk radio and other sites are going to start firing shots at Trump - the very people who have given Trump probably more than a billion dollars worth of free positive publicity will start to turn.

When that happens, the inevitability factor starts to turn too. Not saying it will be fatal, but this is not good strategy. The assumption that we have to prove a negative (that he’s not an NBC) is just, well, STOOOOOPID.


11 posted on 01/07/2016 5:32:31 AM PST by C. Edmund Wright (WTF? How Karl Rove and the Establishment Lost...Again (Amazon Best Seller))
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To: RoosterRedux

Could’ve tied up zer0, but no, the republicans at the time wouldn’t dare do that for fear of being call racists.

But since Cruz is a republican, it’s okay to check his eligibility in court.


12 posted on 01/07/2016 5:33:01 AM PST by wastedyears (uchikudake - toki michite - ikiru tame - tokihanate)
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To: RoosterRedux

Well done Donald. This subject has still to be adjudicated by a definitive US Court ruling. What actually constitutes a NATURAL BORN CITIZEN?


13 posted on 01/07/2016 5:37:26 AM PST by Don Corleone ("Oil the gun..eat the cannoli. Take it to the Mattress.")
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To: RoosterRedux

Once again, Trump playing chess while the others play checkers. Trump’s appearance with Blitzer yesterday was masterful. “I didn’t bring it up....BUT” and the but was devastating, and will hurt Cruz immeasurable, I predict. People just don’t understand that Trump already game planned ALL of this out months ago.


14 posted on 01/07/2016 5:45:11 AM PST by montag813
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To: C. Edmund Wright

The NBC according to current law isn’t the issue. The issue is whether Cruz’s NBC can be picked up by some court.

My guess is that since judges are political appointments that the challenge to Cruz’s NBC status can be picked up by some court.


15 posted on 01/07/2016 5:46:33 AM PST by xzins (Have YOU Donated to the Freep-a-Thon? https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: ObozoMustGo2012
Kill shot or not, if Trump has plans for Cruz as VP, he wants this out for debate NOW rather than later to get it settled and put to bed.

Nope....Cruz is OUT as VP. That is all over now. It has to be.

16 posted on 01/07/2016 5:57:33 AM PST by montag813
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To: ObozoMustGo2012

Why do so many people keep talking about Cruz as VP? He has already said he has no interest in that position. Is this just some more “the power of suggestion” crap, trying to get everyone’s mind adjusted to the fact that Trump is the winner already?

“Look deep into my eyes. You are getting very sleepy. You can hear only my voice. You will do exactly as I say.”

Mesmer would be proud his little parlor trick is catching on so well.


17 posted on 01/07/2016 6:01:56 AM PST by jstaff
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To: ObozoMustGo2012

Why do so many people keep talking about Cruz as VP? He has already said he has no interest in that position. Is this just some more “the power of suggestion” crap, trying to get everyone’s mind adjusted to the fact that Trump is the winner already?

“Look deep into my eyes. You are getting very sleepy. You can hear only my voice. You will do exactly as I say.”

Mesmer would be proud his little parlor trick is catching on so well.


18 posted on 01/07/2016 6:02:23 AM PST by jstaff
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To: RoosterRedux

It also ties Cruz to Obama.


19 posted on 01/07/2016 6:02:26 AM PST by Raycpa
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To: RoosterRedux

I’ll just leave this here

http://northamericanlawcenter.org/ted-cruz-is-in-the-u-s-senate-illegally/

Ted Cruz Is In The Senate Illegally?


20 posted on 01/07/2016 6:05:04 AM PST by KGeorge (I will miss you forever, Miss Mu. 7/1/2006- 11/16/2015)
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