Posted on 07/08/2015 3:45:57 PM PDT by Kaslin
Poor Donald Trump.
It wasn't supposed to be like this. For years, wherever The Donald went, he met people who told him he should run for president. His retinue of sycophants surely saw little to gain from explaining that "birthers," celebrity worshippers and devotees of "The Apprentice" are not a statistically meaningful sample of the electorate.
Nor did it dawn on him that some people say "you should run for president" the way you tell your long-winded uncle "you should write a book." History is full of failed men who mistook flattery for insight.
In the past, Trump always pulled back from the brink. Why risk his beloved TV show? Why endure the embarrassment of revealing he's not as rich as he pretends? Better to play a Cincinnatus who won't relinquish his plow -- or in this case, his line of cologne. Flirt but don't commit was the rule.
But something changed. One too many Twitter followers said, "Do it!" One too many valets whispered, "America needs you" -- probably just before asking for a raise. And Trump took the leap -- though he hasn't provided the required financial disclosures yet, which inclines me to think that he will either suddenly find an excuse to retreat or that he has a team of accountants trying to figure out how he can simultaneously save face and avoid perjury.
In his announcement speech -- the brevity and discipline of which were impressive only by the standards of Fidel Castro or Joe Biden -- Trump shouted his certainty that Mexico is sending rapists and other criminals to America, but he could only "assume" (sotto voce) that "some" of those Mexicans are good people.
Many of my colleagues on the right have taken pains to logic-chop Trump's remarks. And it is true that some number of rapists and drug dealers are illegally crossing the border. Others have defended Trump by noting that what people like about this Lonesome Rhodes in a $10,000 suit is his fearlessness, bluntly tackling issues that other politicians fear to touch. That is a fine point in an indictment of the professional political class, but it is not a defense of Trump.
His goal was to wave the rhetorical bloody shirt. It worked only too well, damaging a party he expresses contempt for daily.
Indeed, Trump's commitment to the GOP has often been situational. Sure, he has put his money where his mouth is, but he's as promiscuous with his mouth as he is with the Trump brand. He's given money to Harry Reid, Chuck Schumer, John Kerry, Andrew Cuomo, Eliot Spitzer and the Clinton Foundation.
Asked to explain why, he said, "You're gonna need things from everybody." (One does wonder what Trump hoped to get from the Clinton Foundation.)
This attitude helps explain why Trump is such a fan of eminent domain. The man seeking the tea party's support loves to use the government to seize private land he can't -- or doesn't want to -- buy fairly.
Given the fetid swamp of sanctioned corruption that passes for commerce in New York, it's no wonder he sees nothing wrong with greasing the skids by funding liberal politicians. But one might expect a person who claims to be a conservative to at least pay some rhetorical tribute to virtue while admitting his vice. Alas, it is axiomatic that the shameless are incapable of exhibiting shame.
The great irony is that the man who made his fortune playing the game of influence-peddling and celebrity-mongering forgot that the other players get a turn. Trump has lost his TV show. Macy's will no longer carry his menswear. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, who governs like a banana republic demagogue, has declared that he is reviewing Trump's contracts with the city.
Meanwhile, too many of Trump's GOP primary competitors, afraid of angering his fans, stand mute or mumbling. Republicans are fielding the best candidates in a generation, but Trump is poised to make them chumps by association. He has no chance of becoming president, but he has the huge potential to deny his alleged party a White House victory in 2016. And when that happens, he will of course stay a celebrity, but he will have traded his fame for infamy, even among those now cheering him on.
Oh boy...stand by for snother ridiculous Twitter blast from Trump.
A bad deal for the eGOP? Probably so. Americas, not such a bad deal. At least he is putting America and Americans first!
Trump has no chance. His hair is ridiculous. Hey! He’s right about immigration. That’s the general talk I hear in the workplace.
Yes Jonah we know....wouldn't want your little elitist apple cart turned over, would you?
There are so many people not quite knowing how to react to Trump. Things are happening too fast, and some folk need to stand back and see how this all filters out between now and maybe the 2nd debate. I have quite a lot of respect for Gooldberg, but there is something missing here, a broader perspective. And I think there may be a case of not seeing the forest for the trees. Things are moving very fast, and we aren’t used to seeing things like this in a Presidential race. Especially A year and a half out from the General Election,.
Wha?
Jonah?!
Poor is never going to be a word associated with Trump.
People think ‘never let a crisis go to waste’ is strictly a Totalitarian Dem thing, that the obamaclintons have a corner on that market.
Part of what we’re seeing here is conservatives, hard working conservatives, jumpig in. Conservatives are generally too busy working and paying for all these liberal/democrat/totalitarian idealists ideas AND immigrants, including illegals to fight this, in addition to wanting to avoid what’s happening to Trump. Only a self made billionaire has the capacity to withstand this. Rush made a recent point avout it.
When conservatives get leadership, watch out. Jonah
JONAS is wrong. Trump is not running again this time.
Trump is forcing the GOPe to do what they were never gonna and they are squealing. Go Trump. I don’t care if he is a Rat or a man fro Mars. If he can pivot on the enemedia before they have drawn and quartered him we will be the winners.
With the exception of one(Cruz) Goldberg is wrong about the strength
of the other GOP clowns. It’s a clown bus. And for the moment, Trump is
driving it.
If they are so strong, why are they hiding?
Trumps current strength comes from GOP weakness.
Why blame Trump for doing the job others are afraid to do?
The GOP has a long history of losing, with or without Trump.
This article is nonsense.
He’s a breakthrough for the GOPe and Democrats. Now they know how to co-opt conservatives. They can run any lefty they want and just have him utter a couple inflammatory phrases and it’s over.
I’m not sure what you are trying to say but there could be a point there.
Einstein developed and proved this remarkable formula;
Energy = Mass x Speed of Light squared.
A brilliant genius as we all know.
Another lesser known of Einstein’s formulas determined;
if you were to strip naked and run around in a circle at
the speed of 298 KM/sec (the speed of light) it could be
possible for you to sodomize (screw) yourself.....!
Should you determine you are not physically capable of achieving
that speed at your age, you can easily achieve the same result
by voting Democrat in the Nov. 8, 2016 election.
GENIUS!!!
“It worked only too well, damaging a party he expresses contempt for daily. “
Those who have guided the Republicans in recent years deserve contempt.
Jonah does not like Trump.
Who gives a hoot about the GOP?
The GOP is a bad deal for America.
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