Posted on 11/04/2015 7:08:11 AM PST by SeekAndFind
Of all the presidential aspirants who are at present scrabbling their way up the White House wall, Donald Trump is by far and away the best, the classiest, and the most handsome. He doesn't pander or kowtow to the special interests. He doesn't back down or apologize. He doesn't sweat, or even drink water. Instead, he makes great deals and knows the smartest people. He writes fabulous books and anchors top--rated TV shows. He makes great gobs of hard cash, sleeps on nothing less than the finest sheets, and imports only the most beautiful women to join him under them. He's richer than Solomon, more elegant than Jackie O, and he has the hair of an exquisite racehorse. (Not Secretariat.) He wins each and every debate with ease and style. Everybody agrees with him, and they tell him so: publicly, privately, and via the most superb online polls. All ethnic groups love him in equal measure, and females up and down the land yearn for his protective hands. He's number one; a winner; the tops.
What's that? Ben Carson is now leading the Republican pack, beating Trump by six points nationally? And Carson is ascendant in more than one poll?
Awkward.
Just how well Trump's triumphant shtick will work when delivered from anything other than the pole position is unclear. There is a good reason that both he and his supporters have elected to rest their case upon a tautology — "He's winning because he's winning!†— and that is that, in a culture that celebrates champions, standing in first place is quite the aphrodisiac. Unsure about the Donald's positions on matters of state? Worry not: He'll make America great again because he is great; he'll choose the best people because he is the best people; and have you noticed how rich he is?
At no point since the man came flying down his glitz--laden escalator has reflection been permitted to intrude upon his deliberations. Any polls that failed to show Trump dominating have been presumed to be biased or flawed, while those that flattered him have been celebrated without regard for methodology. Any evidence that Trump is doing disastrously with groups that Republicans have to win has been casually dismissed, the better to be explained away by aging outliers and good old--fashioned bluster. Any insecurities felt by his supporters, meanwhile, have been melted swiftly into generalities. It is not that they like the man and his agenda, but that all "real Americans†do; it is not that they represent a minority of the Republican electorate, but that they speak for the whole "middle classâ€; it is not that their hero is one contender among many, but that he is the savior of all "normal†people. Time and time again, the imperative is made clear: Whatever happens, Trump must be perceived to be conquering all before him. Number one! Number one! Number one!
Every campaign likes to talk up its guy. Every political ego needs a massage. But there is something especially fragile about the vehemence with which Trump and his team insist upon his primacy. Could it be, perchance, they know somewhere within their souls that bravado and bluster are compelling when exhibited from on high, but rather pathetic when they pour forth from the second spot or beyond? Could it be, perhaps, that "I'm doing pretty well†is understood to be lethal to the proposition, "I'm winning because I'm a winner� Could it be, just maybe, that the word "loser†is a relative one?
This election season has yielded not a return to normalcy, but to a primitive and witless Harlequinade. For almost half a year now, Donald Trump has steadfastly ignored the Right's need for a Coolidgian anti--hero and struck a messianic pose: as a deal--maker without peers, as a rock star atop the world stage, as the architect of a great and glittering empire. He has, in other words, elected to run as a more competent and less nuanced Barack Obama, complete with vacuous promises of hope and change and non--ideological star power that, this time at least, will be made to work properly. Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Ave, Imperator, morituri te salutant!
How strange the change from major to minor. And how farcical officious men can be made to look when the pedestals are burned and the crowd's hearts have wandered elsewhere in search of cheap sustenance. Heretofore, this election has been full of surprises; moving forward it will furnish yet more. Not least among them will be the scale and nature of Trump's decline when both he and his acolytes come reluctantly to realize that he is not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy.
-- Charles C. W. Cooke is a staff writer for National Review.
So you’re saying the results from a question on who can beat Hillary were not considered when formulating who could beat Hillary...
No wonder no one believes these polls.
I’m saying that an opinion of who can best beat Hillary and who one is going to vote for, are two different questions.
The RCP tables, I believe, asks the question and then tabulates the results of the answers to :
“Between a match-up of Candidate X versus Hillary, who will you vote for?”
RE: If Carson were to become the Republican candidate, the MSM would destroy him on his belonging to a religion that has a doctrine of pacifism
I can’t answer for Carson, but I believe it can be easily responded to.
He can always cite the example of the QUAKERS ( the ultimate pacifists ), who had a President belonging to their denomination -— Richard Nixon.
The man bombed the hell out of Hanoi and sent arms to Israel during the 1973 Yom Kippur war.
This is total BS being played up by media everywhere.
I will never believe that Ben Carson is really a favorite candidate over Trump.
I believe people like him and find him refreshingly modest and soft-spoken.
As soon as everyone is convinced that he’s a genuine front runner, the attacks will begin and there will be fodder for them.
The thing about Trump is we already know everything about him... nothing is lurking in the shadows to trip him up.
The thing about Carson is we hardly know anything about him except surgeon, nice guy, Black, pro-life... there could be things in the shadows ... not that I wish there were but I think there may be.
“The RCP tables, I believe, asks the question... “
I would take the title “Average of Polls” to mean just that. An average of a selected group of existing polls, flawed or not.
Regardless, your post #72 General Election: Carson vs. Clinton, with regards to NBC/WSJ poll, where are you getting that “tie” from. She’s well ahead of all GOP candidates which isn’t surprising since most respondents consider themselves “strong democrats”.
I don’t remember Nixon taking a pacifist approach AT ANY TIME.
I do recall Carson taking a more-or-less pacifist approach in his campaign (although saying very little about it).
One thing is certain, and that is that he would be be grilled and drilled on it by the press during a campaign against Hillary. And of course, not by her, but her surrogates as well as the MSM. She would proudly portray herself as the tough one...
Republican Party can’t risk it. There are too many votes would be lost for him to have a chance in the Presidential election.
Agreed.
Not that he’s not a nice guy, and intelligent as heck, but his timing is lousy. Even IF we all thought we needed another minority President, Dems won’t vote for him even based on skin color, as he’s a HATED Republican.
But, to be fair, I never have, nor ever will vote for a Dem of any race, creed or color. ;)
More National Review wishing. Does anyone actually buy that bird cage liner anymore?
I’m not happy to say it nor am I especially proud of those who I believe make it so - but after Obama I seriously doubt American voters will trust another black man in the Oval Office for awhile. Carson might very well be able to do a good job as President but even black voters are unhappy with Obama and if they don’t vote for whatever white guy is nominated, they’ll just not show up to vote at all.
My wife (a red-headed white woman) is the pastor of a “black” Church. Nearly all of the members voted for Obama in 2008, fewer in 2012 and now almost none of them say anything nice about him. He’s poisoned the water and black candidates will likely suffer from it in 2016.
I live south of, but work in, ‘The People’s Republic of Madistan’ and believe me I am surrounded by RABID Liberals each and every day...co-workers and customers alike.
After 8 YEARS of Bush-Bashing on a daily basis, mouth-frothing over trying to recall our Republican Governor, Scott Walker, and a few Victory Laps after 0bama was elected the first time, they’ve been ABSOLUTELY SILENT on the guy. Even after he won re-election; no gloating, no nothing.
I’d like to say it gained them a new level of respect from me, but it didn’t.
*SNORT*
Useful Idiots, All.
Yeah, it just might be that Obama stepped on his Richard when he tried to take too big a bite out of our freedom. It will still depend on “urging” a new administration to rescind some of the executive orders that somehow have the force of law. Part of me wants Trump or Cruz to simply make ALL of Obamas edicts null and void but people have been living with them for eight years and that much sudden change would lead to violence. I’ve been saying for quite awhile that - while we voted our way into this mess, we won’t be able to vote our way out. Still, I’d like to avoid bloodshed as much as possible.
“Still, I’d like to avoid bloodshed as much as possible.”
Everyday People? Yes.
Politicians of both stripes that aided and abetted 0bama?
Heads on pikes. :)
LOL. Mark this as the day National Review went totally MSNBC.
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