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Sowell: Desperate Tactics
Creators Syndicate ^ | March 8, 2016 | Thomas Sowell

Posted on 03/07/2016 12:36:43 PM PST by jazusamo

It is desperation time for the Republican party establishment. Its extremely well financed favorite — Jeb Bush — never got anywhere with the voters in the primaries, and has already been forced out of the contest.

This should at least cause some second thoughts — or perhaps first thoughts — by people who keep repeating that money buys elections. It is one of many theories that seem impervious to evidence.

The desperation of the Republican establishment comes from the fact that the two biggest vote-getters in the Republican primaries — Donald Trump and Ted Cruz — are people they do not want to be the Republican candidate for President of the United States.

The immediate panic is over Donald Trump. His surprising string of victories in the primaries conceals his vulnerability in the general election in November. Most of Trump's primary victories were with less than 50 percent, and even with less than 40 percent. In the general election, less than 50 percent usually means losing.

Even more important, while Trump's style and substance may endear him to his followers, both that style and that substance are deeply offensive to many other people. Polls repeatedly show higher negative responses to him than to any other candidate.

Trump is not just in danger of losing this year's presidential election, which the Republicans would otherwise have a high probability of winning. He can poison the whole Republican brand, taking Republican members of Congress down with him, along with Republican governors and other state and local officials.

Stopping Trump is obviously a high priority for the Republican establishment, as shown by their biggest gun, Mitt Romney, suddenly coming out swinging against Trump in the media.

(Excerpt) Read more at creators.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2016election; cruz; gope; romney; rubio; sowell; thomassowell; trump
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To: Jim Scott

Very well said...


41 posted on 03/07/2016 1:07:38 PM PST by JBW1949
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To: Slyfox

OK...Where has Trump dishonored the Constitution?????


42 posted on 03/07/2016 1:08:46 PM PST by JBW1949
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To: jazusamo

One way or another, Mr. Trump will upend the GOP. Time will tell if it turns out to be a good thing or bad.


43 posted on 03/07/2016 1:10:07 PM PST by Oldeconomybuyer (The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.)
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To: freedumb2003; Mr. K

If you are lumping Thomas Sowell in with the MSM, I think you should reconsider.

I am forced to agree with Mr. K’s comment in #5.


44 posted on 03/07/2016 1:10:16 PM PST by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
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To: Slyfox

What is your opinion on Obama and the Constitution???


45 posted on 03/07/2016 1:10:16 PM PST by JBW1949
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To: DoughtyOne

Clinton isn’t likely to make it to the general. It could well end up being someone else without all the baggage.

Sowell is correct about Trump.

It is Trump’s followers that are mired down in the distaste for the GOPe/MSM to the point they can’t see clearly.

I’m fine with burning down the GOPe/MSM but Trump is going to burn a lot more than that down. You are only assuming you won’t be burnt too.


46 posted on 03/07/2016 1:11:04 PM PST by DB
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To: jazusamo

>>>”If the only objective is to stop Trump, this approach seems less likely to achieve that objective than instead consolidating the non-Trump votes behind one candidate..”

Yes, but the problem of consolidating is getting other candidates to drop out.


47 posted on 03/07/2016 1:12:57 PM PST by D-fendr (Deus non alligatur sacramentis sed nos alligamur.)
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To: scooby321
Who can beat Hillary in Purple State or Blue?

In Sowell's opinion, evidently no one....

"Most of Trump's primary victories were with less than 50 percent, and even with less than 40 percent. In the general election, less than 50 percent usually means losing. "

48 posted on 03/07/2016 1:13:16 PM PST by Las Vegas Ron ("Medicine is the keystone in the arch of Socialism" Vladimir Lenin)
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To: freedumb2003

>>>”The hatred from the MSM towards Trump..”

Thomas Sowell is not MSM. Sheesh.


49 posted on 03/07/2016 1:13:45 PM PST by D-fendr (Deus non alligatur sacramentis sed nos alligamur.)
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To: DB

Thank you for clearing that up for me.

Trump will do fine whoever he goes up against.


50 posted on 03/07/2016 1:14:03 PM PST by DoughtyOne (Facing Trump nomination inevitability, folks are now openly trying to help Hillary destroy him.)
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To: Wolfie

>>Money can buy conventions, and there’s the rub...

IF that is true, then Trump is a shoe-in.

:)


51 posted on 03/07/2016 1:14:31 PM PST by D-fendr (Deus non alligatur sacramentis sed nos alligamur.)
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To: jazusamo

Sowell is usually a much much more perceptive and accurate writer than this. The R brand has been demolished by the last two R candidates. Nobody including DTrump could hurt it much further. Indeed, though he’s not my choice, Trump may be one of very few people who can breathe any life back into the R party. (I just wish he were more conservative. He appears to the left of traditional democrats on some important issues. This is, I believe, his political Achilles heel — not they those politics are wrong or evil but just because they’re not what USA needs now after eight years of the Infiltrator- in- Chief’s destroy-America administration ) imho.


52 posted on 03/07/2016 1:22:28 PM PST by faithhopecharity ("Politicians are not born, they're excreted." Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 -- 43 BCE))
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To: scooby321

Trump is the only one with a path in Blue states. Purple states include Ohio....so Kasich has a path in that particular purple state.

But Trump can win in either with the union rank and file and other blue collar votes.

Trump is the reason anti-immigration stealing jobs is even mentioned.


53 posted on 03/07/2016 1:24:03 PM PST by xzins (Retired Army Chaplain and Proud of It! Prayer for Victory is the ONLY way to support the troops!)
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To: JBW1949

Look at my profile page and you will see how I feel about Obama and the Constitution.


54 posted on 03/07/2016 1:24:15 PM PST by Slyfox (Ted Cruz does not need the presidency - the presidency needs Ted Cruz)
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To: JBW1949
OK...Where has Trump dishonored the Constitution?

Why do you think he would honor it?

55 posted on 03/07/2016 1:26:18 PM PST by Slyfox (Ted Cruz does not need the presidency - the presidency needs Ted Cruz)
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To: jazusamo
Now that Rubio is being badly beaten almost everywhere, and is substantially behind Trump in the polls for his own home state of Florida, the most obvious person to have the best chance of beating Trump one-on-one is Ted Cruz, especially after his primary victories over the past weekend.

The Republican establishment is not about to go down that road, even if that would increase their chances of stopping Trump from becoming the Republican nominee. This is because they don't want Cruz to become the Republican candidate either.


The GOPe is in a real bind, aren't they?
56 posted on 03/07/2016 1:26:43 PM PST by Signalman
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To: Bearshouse

I sort of thought it was anti-Trump and pro-Cruz

Did I get that wrong?

I mean not blatantly or stupidly, after all this IS Thomas Sowell...


57 posted on 03/07/2016 1:26:49 PM PST by Mr. K (Trump/Cruz 2016)
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To: jazusamo
... money buys elections... (is) one of many theories that seem impervious to evidence.

We'll see.

Will it buy the 2016 election for the Democrats? They are banking on it, promising their supporters unlimited free money and benefits courtesy of the government via the Democrat Party.

Envy and greed are overwhelmingly powerful emotions for those without a moral center. It is quite probable that comprises the majority of the American people in 2016.

We'll see.

58 posted on 03/07/2016 1:27:57 PM PST by Gritty (Syrians aren't Jews fleeing Nazi Holocaust but Nazis relocating from a bombed out Berlin-DGreenfield)
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To: jazusamo
... while Trump's style and substance may endear him to his followers, both that style and that substance are deeply offensive to many other people.

Might be a tad easier for Trump to win the general if the GOP Establishment STOPS working against him. It's bad enough the press kicks him, and democrats... but do our guys have to pile on too?

The GOPe's tactics are unforgivable...I will never vote for a GOPe candidate...

59 posted on 03/07/2016 1:29:59 PM PST by GOPJ (Republican elites have turned into " race-baiting bigots" - feeding on PC mob evils.)
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To: Slyfox

Stopping Trump is obviously a high priority for Republicans who honor the Constitution. If Sowell supports free trade he is against the key element of the constitution. Ending tariffs allowed for income tax and the ending of true constitutional govt.


60 posted on 03/07/2016 1:30:16 PM PST by Trumpinator ("Are you Batman?" the boy asked. "I am Batman," Trump said.)
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