Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
How Do You Solve a Problem Like The Donald?
If you’re in the market for a Republican presidential candidate who wants to start a trade war with China, thinks there’s a causal link between vaccines and autism, believes there’s no need for entitlement reform, and led the charge on the birther movement, today’s your lucky day: As Johnny Dubya notes below, Donald Trump — probably the only candidate in this field who spent his announcement speech noodling on the state of America’s ‘brand’ — is now officially in the race.
Now, it’s easy enough to dismiss Trump as a sideshow. As Reid Epstein and Heather Haddon note in their report on the announcement in the Wall Street Journal, NBC is still going forward on the assumption that Trump will tape the new season of Celebrity Apprentice in the fall — something he can’t do if he’s an active candidate — which may mean that he’s just taking his quadrennial exercise in publicity-seeking to new lengths. Either way, Republicans are still going to have to deal with the fact that every asinine utterance that comes out of the bloated gourd atop his shoulders will be gleefully seized upon by the Left and the media as evidence of the fundamental unseriousness of the GOP. They’ll also have to reckon with this:
Mr. Trump is likely to qualify for the Republican National Committee-sanctioned presidential debates, which Fox News and CNN have limited to candidates who place in the top 10 in national polling.
With his broad name recognition, he has received between 3% and 5% support in recent national polls, enough to qualify for the Aug. 6 Fox News debate. Candidates such as former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C.) may not make the cut. Also in jeopardy of exclusion is Carly Fiorina, the former Hewlett-Packard chief executive and the only prominent woman in the GOP contest.
Could there be a more depressing thought for the GOP than Carly Fiorina — a woman who’s recently become the pacesetter for how Republicans should handle themselves with the media — sitting at home while Trump uses a presidential forum to pimp a 30-year-old book?
Here’s the question: what, if anything, does the GOP do? Leave it alone and count on Trump to expose himself as a buffoon in the debates? Try to find a way to keep him out? Does an enterprising candidate try to put points on the board by sticking it to The Donald onstage (paging Chris Christie)?
What would you do?
Published in General
Maybe it’s all worth it, if it keeps his lousy TV show off the air.
I would support the Donald just to trol the hell out of the so called “serious” Republicans.
Be careful there. Trump has sued people over that. Donald Trump has never filed bankruptcy. Ever. Companies that he is the majority stockholder have, but there is a big difference.
Lots of former Perot supporters seemed to be crashing the call in boards on talk shows yesterday, with their support. YEEHAW!
A buffoon is a “clown”, but also one who is “coarse” and “undignified”, and a “boor”.
Marion: How is it, exactly, that a high net worth makes it impossible to exhibit these qualities?
“Donald Trump has never filed bankruptcy. Ever. Companies that he is the majority stockholder have, but there is a big difference.”
A distinction without a difference. Legally that is true. But when discussing someone’s business acumen and judgment, it is virtually irrelevant.
No its not. The Donald has successfully sued people who have claimed he filed bankruptcy. It is libel or slander per se to say so.
While running businesses into bankruptcy does cut into his “narrative” about being a great businessman, you can say he ran businesses into bankruptcy and make your point without libeling him with an untruth.
Not many people would want to do business with or work for a clown, boor who is coarse or undignified over a period of 40 years. Sure a lot of people can be a flash in the pan or even have success for a decade, but DT has succeeded in a big way and has stayed relevant and a big player for decades. I don’t think many people can pull this off.
Marion: So, now you’re saying that the fact that people continue to do business with Trump proves he’s not a buffoon? Color me unconvinced by this argument. People do business with buffoons and SOBs all the livelong day.
David: Could you provide a link to a story that proves your point that Trump successfully sued someone for asserting he declared bankruptcy? I am aware that he sued someone for claiming he wasn’t a billionaire (a buffoonish move by Trump), but that suit was dismissed. Anyone can file suit, so I presume your use of the word “successfully” indicates there was a judgment in Trump’s favor.
In 2013, Bill Maher made a joke “offering” $5 million to Trump if he could prove he was not the son of an orangutan.
Trump then produced his birth certificate, demanded the $5 million, and threatened to sue if Maher didn’t pay up.
Buffoonish behavior on both sides. But Maher is a professional clown.
Trump also sued: Someone who started an online petition protesting Trump’s partnership with Macy’s ($25 million in damages claimed), Palm Beach County for allegedly sending air traffic over his Florida mansion ($100 million), a Miss USA pageant contestant for disparaging the event ($5 million), and Deutsche Bank and Fortress Investment Group for declining to extend a personal $40 million loan to Trump that came due ($3 billion in damages claimed for “predatory lending practices”).
He likes to sue, often for trivial and bullying reasons.
None of these suits was successful.
Point is you don’t become a billionaire eight times over and stay in the big leagues for four decades if you are a buffoon. Sorry that it doesn’t convince you but I wonder why. Seems obvious enough.
It seems to depend on what the definition of “buffoon” is.
He’s clearly not an idiot; he clearly does have an oversized ego that tends to manifest itself in lavish absurdity. Evidently he has the intelligence and money to make this work for him.
Troy,
I think I’ve outlined the two general concerns that can plague the primary.
First, your objection to my self-promotion standard is that it might be hard to judge. I really don’ think that is a problem. CoC is hard to judge but we realize to maintain quality we must judge it. Someone who has almost no poll numbers and is agenda driven in the extreme would be obvious. A Republican Presidential Primary isn’t a soap box. Someone who has clear interest in business self promotion and is there for the advertising benefit is also obvious. A Republican Presidential Primary isn’t an opportunity to get free exposure for your corporate enterprise.
Second, your objection that the primary’s function is for the candidates to differentiate themselves is too naive to be taken in so simple a fashion. If we allow the differentiation function to become an excuse for any behavior then in this media driven world we are courting disaster. If you differentiate yourself solely by relentlessly negative attacks upon your fellow Republicans while ignoring Democratic targets of opportunity, say Clinton Cash, Benghazi emails, …etc. then you are causing a problem for whoever will be getting the nomination. This kind of politics in the primary only makes the general that much harder. Only a hermaphroditic high school social studies teacher or a democratic party operative would think otherwise.
All that I am saying is that the RNC has the right to run the presidential primary in a fashion that will benefit the Republican party the most. In the present glaring media environment tolerating egregiously bad actors in the primary is not in the GOP interest long term or short term.
Regards,
Jim
Marion, from your last comment, it is apparent that we have different definitions of the word, so we’d best leave it at that.
Troy & all,
This was part of a Spirit Airlines advertisement I just received by email.
Oh brother!
Regards,
Jim
I’m not supporting him for president but I can’t help getting a charge out of him. Maybe one has to have lived in NYC to appreciate the brashness, crassness, and above all, the moxie. :)
Trump resonates because he projects a strong , uniquely American personality. He wants America to win. The GOP trashes Trump at their peril.
They need to embrace his enthusiasm and differ on his prescriptions. Joining the media character assassination squad makes them look like beltway buffoons.
The Democrats embrace all kinds of loudmouth jerks. They do it with finesse. Reagan could embrace the enthusiasm and emotion of a person without thrashing them.
Give Trump a bit of respect and he could be an ally. Trash him and you get an enemy worth billions of dollars.
Like, like and like!
Troy, I could not resist the temptation so this… https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nutters-for-Trump/828101800608580
Troy and all,
UPDATE: Read immediately!!!
Trump declares bid, but how long will he stay in race?
Maybe the problem will solve itself.
Regards,
Jim
Sure, think about how many people he can pay to clap for him with all of those billions. Over grown children make the best allies.