Posted on 02/14/2016 3:52:35 AM PST by reaganaut1
I feel like we’re back in the pre-Iowa period when no one could figure out whether Donald Trump skipping the Iowa debate would hurt him–by the normal rules, of course it would hurt him; by the Trump rules, it wouldn’t make a difference and maybe even help (by demonstrating strength).
By the normal rules, Trump embracing a blood libel about George W. Bush (he knew there were no WMD in Iraq), saying Planned Parenthood does great things, and often swinging wildly and angrily would hurt him a week out from a primary in Bush-friendly, hawkish, socially conservative South Carolina.
But we’ll see. Certainly Trump’s behavior reinforces the idea that he’s disruptor and not just another politician, and Republican voters might not mind so much that one of the candidates is outspokenly anti-Iraq war (even if he takes it too far). Trump continues to be able to interrupt everyone else with impunity and act the Big Man on stage, with no one really able or willing to assert themselves against him.
Jeb is trying the hardest. He continues to improve–he seems a bit more relaxed and authoritative every debate– and did better against Trump than ever before. But some of his strongest moments were defending his family and although that is honorable, I’m not sure how much that gets him. He has still not figured out how to clearly best Trump, even when he has the better of the argument.
Rubio was very good. A little sharper, a little more conversational. He probably got in more telling jabs against Trump in the Iraq debate than Bush did (although I doubt anyone cares much that Bush was enforcing U.N. resolutions).
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...
Richie, maybe we need to redefine the term ‘conservative?’ I don’t want to be the conservative that you claim to be!
We shouldn’t send any troops until we realign ourselves with only using troops with RoE that are favorable to them, when necessary, and with a clear charge and ability to outright win.
Trump has said repeatedly that he wants to go back to Reagan’s approach of so strengthening our military that he doesn’t expect to ever need to use it.
Jeb! and Rubio are much more Graham-like in wanting to send in troops. Reagan is the one master we’ve had on this issue in decades and decades and decades.
Yep. Cruz to the SC is the perfect solution IMO.
I previously wanted to see a Trump/Cruz ticket and I’d be more than happy with a Cruz presidency, but I don’t think he’s going to get there this round, at least. And the ugly fight between Trump and Cruz is IMO hurting both their individual viability for winning it all this year and destroying a realistic chance of the most favorable, Trump/Cruz ticket.
What many here call “unhinged”, I call passionate. Unhinged seems to be a very popular term right now.
I say Trump is passionate about his run for President.
Examples of unhinged can be found in some, (that’s SOME for the unhinged) Trump-bashing posts here. Some of those contain language indicative of unhinged behavior. Those very same posts that criticize Trump for being unhinged.
SMH
Ducking?
He said he is pro-life. Again, how can you be pro-life and be for partial-birth abortion/late term abortion?
She asked him about partial-birth abortion. Trump said, “That is a lie by Cruz. I am pro-life.”
What else can he say? Please explain.
He mentioned that as a lie that Cruz was putting out, along with the lie about him bulldozing down an old lady’s house. Now that is a lie by Ted Cruz. Trump did not do it.
Trump is not pro-life for rape/incest babies, and those babies are just as real as any other, and their mothers will be devastated (just like any other mother) who goes along with the killing of their own young.
“(Trump)unabashedly blaming George Bush for 9/11”
I don’t blame Bush for 9/11; he hadn’t been in office for even one year. I blame Bill Clinton for not handling the bin Laden situation. He was offered bin Laden on a silver platter at least a couple times and didn’t accept. To quote Her Evilness, “What difference, at this point, does it make?” It happened and you can’t turn back time.
But you CAN put someone in office who is committed to doing everything possible to keep it from happening again. The very first thing that has to be done is that we MUST stop every bit of illegal entrance to the US via Canada and Mexico. (It isn’t only Mexicans coming into America via Mexico.) Trump is the only one who really discusses this, or has a plan.
Cruz is no better. He is losing me as he teams up with half crazed Anti Trump establishment people like this author here Rich Lowry. Rich was on Outnumbered after Iowa’s caucus gushing over Cruz. And I like Cruz but not for POTUS. Supreme Court looks good for him. Nobody but Trump is left. Wish Walker were around.
I say we only trust life long pro-life people because they are the only ones that have proven they have what it takes to put in restrictions on abortion, and defund pp. /s
We shouldn't be sending troops in period. But to your point what would constitute a "win"?
Trump has said repeatedly that he wants to go back to Reagan's approach of so strengthening our military that he doesn't expect to ever need to use it.
Trump has also said he wants to defeat ISIS and take their oil. I don't think Reagan would have viewed that as a proper use of the lives of American servicemen.
I'm sorry, but you are very wrong. Trump hasn't supported partial birth abortion since 1999--pushing two decades ago. Trump wrote in his 2000 book, The America We Deserve, that right after his 1999 interview with Tim Russert he talked to doctors about the procedure and decided to support a ban on partial birth abortion when he found out what it actually was. Please, don't spread false statements about Trump's current positions. There's already enough of that on this forum.
What’s Obama?
I can hardly believe a Conservative would continue reading the National Review.
Trump had a meltdown last night. I can’t accept 4-8 years of temper tantrums; and to think he will nominate several Supreme Courts justices? No way. I’m done with him.
“Oh, I care, all right.
Anyone who would use the US armed forces to “enforce UN resolutions” is unfit for office. “
Even IF, and that’s a true IF Saddam had WMD’s, why is it American soldiers who are tasked with their removal? Why was it up to America to build a coalition to topple Saddam. If we’re ok with that, then we can’t criticize Obama when he tries to topple other heads of state.
It wasn’t ok. I was for supporting the troops and not blaming them for the fiasco. It wasn’t their fault and I think we were sold a FALSE pretense in order to go into Iraq. I defended Bush because I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt and Security Briefings. I think he blew it. I didn’t think so at the time, but looking back, it was not right, going into Iraq. We are not the world’s policeman.
What other way is there to say that the Towers fell under Bush’s watch without it sounding inflammatory? It is exactly what happened.
Lowry needs to read some of the personal, hateful venomous comments on FR to get some perspective on what ‘unhinged’ really means.
You don’t appreciate the threat that ISIS is, apparently, nor how they are using the oil that they have seized to fund their operations.
I’m not ready to send ground troops into Syria—and I’m quite certain Trump has come out against that as well (he has said he’d let Putin keep going after ISIS, although that does IMO ignore some of what Putin is doing there), so I don’t know why you’re pretending that he’s for it.
OUTSTANDING FReeper comments v Rich Lowry/NR BUMP!
After spending a good part of yesterday watching WWII documentaries, I hear Trump say that we can’t fight two wars at the same time. WTF!
In the campaign commercial he aired in Iowa he vowed to defeat ISIS and take their oil. Earlier he said is solution to the Syrian refugee crisis is to establish a "big, beautiful safe zone" for them. How is he going to do either without sending in troops?
Which is worse: Crazed or half-crazed?
Well at least you get that Cruz isn’t winning over people. He is losing those who were split between him and Trump. Granted some might have quit Trump too and dislike both like you. But Cruz isn’t scoring points. So you at least get the fact that we are in a mess. That’s because of horrible campaigns by 16 candidates. Trump is only one left for me. Warts and all. Who else is left?
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