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Donald Trump on Foreign Policy
I don’t want the Republicans to be an effective opposition party. I want them to be an effective governing party, and we should look to people who have successfully worked with and against their opposition to accomplish conservative goals.
If only we had someone running who has a track record of getting the center-left to vote for him while undermining key Democratic constituencies and defunding Planned Parenthood … but you know, Walker doesn’t scream and shout and act like a clown which clearly the kind of “fighter” that so many Republicans want.
But did you listen to Carley’s response to the sane questions? She kicks posterior!
http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/gop-primaries/252748-fiorina-handles-foreign-policy-questions-trump-called-gotcha
Isn’t the fact that we are still alive, that the nation still stands, and that significant portions of the rest of the world are as free as their own politics allow relates at least somewhat to the fact that past Republican presidents have been reasonably knowledgeable about the world and taken their responsibility seriously? Above all, the grace of God — but in no small part by decently competent leadership. And surely that is not something we should play around with — not for our own security, not for the millions around the world whose lives and liberties depend on our leadership.
Carly did great. Love that woman!
TCK1101
Spot on. First things first. I am a geek who happens to know each of the names and entities Hewitt refers to. Geezzh I even know which sects of Islam most of those mentioned belong to.
That knowledge set is not however, what I necessarily require from my next president. What I do require is someone who will insist that America wins, internally, domestically, economically, ethically, internationally and, militarily if need be.
Trump is not necessarily that person, but others who may know some of the details Hewitt referenced may know very little about waking the sleeping giant. Without a major wake up call and calling BS on the intitutionalized politically correct, we look to be on the verge of becoming toast. Establishment Republican Party elites are clueless and failing to challenge the juggernaut progressive left. Mr. Trump has to his credit demonstrated a way to begin a turn around. He is speaking to the gut of many Americans and not just republicans and independents.
As far as al Baghdadi is concerned, what is important to know about him is where he is located and how to place a 2000 bomb on his forehead.
DOCJAY
Agree with you about Carly. Superb!
Somebody had better tell the Donald that the presidency is one long series of pop quizzes full of gotcha questions. The easy ones are the ones from the press.
The other ones can get people killed.
And I would argue that you should have some knowledge and an opinion on Iranian proxies in Gaza and Lebanon.
The same way you recognize that most of what Obama says is bogus and the rest deeply deceitful.
So outside of not lying and a disdain for pantomime what makes trump different than everybody else?
I get it republicans love their trained seals.
“….what makes Trump different than everybody else?”
For starters, what makes him different than, say, members of Ricochet? In terms of his knowledge of economics and the world, he would be scraping the bottom. Very few, if any, Ricochetti would know less than Trump. Most other candidates could hold their own at Ricochet, and a few would be at the very top.
“So outside of not lying and a disdain for pantomime…”
I will give him that, at least if disdain for PC counts as that. And that is refreshing. But refreshing is not good enough to be president of the most important country in the history of the world.
Sorry for the all caps….WHY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THIS GUY WHEN WE HAVE WINNERS LIKE RUBIO, WALKER, PERRY, etc, etc,
Ahh I see the problem. You are confusing theater with useful knowledge.
Bret Baier directed a question to Trump about Suleimani and his trip to Russia at the Cleveland debate. Trump obviously had no idea who Baier was talking about and spit out a jumble of words. Cruz and (if memory serves) Rubio followed up well and demonstrated a solid working knowledge of the subject. Now, four weeks later, Trump still has no idea who the guy is and he can’t tell the difference between “al Quds” and “the Kurds.”
The best answer I have ever heard on name that terrorist was “Imadamnutjob” but don’t remember who gave it.
Again we ask; Who is the other guy with the cojones for the job?
Or do we have another 25 years of leftward drift in our future?
Given that Trump is, by all accounts, a leftist, why do you think he’s going to do anything to halt our leftward drift?
If anything, I expect he’d use his energy to accelerate it.
Cruz.
Fiorina
Walker (according to his record in Wisconsin)
Probably Perry
Christie, sort of
Rubio – maybe
Paul, if you ignore foreign policy.
Any of which would be a more conservative choice than Trump. There is no lack of good choices this year, unlike four years ago.
You shouldn’t disagree so emphatically. Tommy is right about this and it would be true about corporate jobs as well. Managing is different than knowing. If you have the basic capability and desire to be CEO then it really doesn’t matter what kind of company you CEO for. You’ll work out the details.
However, if someone gave that answer to Trump in an interview, Trump would throw him out. You’ve got to have answers to the questions just to show you’re taking the interview seriously.
So mild disagreement is more appropriate.
I think that’s true to some extent, but there are enough counter-examples to make me wary of stating it as a general principle.
The big difference between business and government though, is that business is much simpler. You don’t need the correct ideology in business to be a success, but you do in government—largely, I think, because the wrong ideology is allowed to fail out of the business community.
If the Federal Gov’t wasn’t allowed to use force to balance its budget, for instance, it would have been out of business during the Depression. And using force to balance the budget is key to Progressive Socialism. Imagine how appealing that is to a businessman!
What this means is that businessmen are generally unaware of the importance of ideology to governing. Romney was the perfect case-in-point.
Ray’s reasoning is why Trump is doing so well. Trump has the right attitude. America wins, our allies win, our enemies lose. It is the triumph of style over substance, but when was the last time substance ever won the presidency over substance? Even Reagan and Clinton won because of the style not their substance.
I don’t mean to speak for him, but I think that was the part that Tommy was getting at. Start with the ideology then work down rather than start with knowledge and skills and work up.
Completely agree with what you’re saying.
Is it of critical importance that Trump, or any candidate, knows these scumbags by name? No, not really. But it is like knowing the King’s Pawn opening; using it signals a basic understanding of the game and your willingness to play.
That aside, is there anything in any of Trump’s answers that made him sound knowledgeable or even competent? I heard of lot of babbling and chest-thumping. He’s Obama 2.0
People who worry about leftward drift of our country and think Trump is the answer are irredeemably obtuse. I would try to make a more reasoned assessment but it is obvious that reason doesn’t enter into the equation for such people.
We decried people who voted for Obama for buying into a personality and being swayed by emotion and projecting their desires onto an obvious phony. Now these people lap up all the vulgar, childish braggadocio and think that “But he’s got balls!” shows some sort of analytical acumen we should find persuasive.
What a ship of fools we sail with.
The true ship of fools is crewed by Senate and House Republicans, who haven’t the courage to halt Obama’s agenda.
Its adorable that you think Trump would halt Obama’s agenda.
Mike LaRoche
“The true ship of fools is crewed by Senate and House Republicans, who haven’t the courage to halt Obama’s agenda.”
————-
So you support the man who supports the entire Obana agenda except for immigration. But whose immigration policy when parsed is essentially the same as the GOp leadership.
How lucky we are to have patriots like you fighting to save the country.
This explains why in job interviews for CEOs they seldom ask a question about the actual business the company is in. Or if they do ask, the answer, “I don’t know a thing about your business,” is considered refreshingly honest. “Hire that man.”
It’s why the US military often appoints generals who were managers in the private sector without previous military experience. Managing large organizations, after all, only requires management skills, not knowing much about what the organization does, or knowing its enemies and their strengths.
This practice was a proven winner in the Civil War when they often gave command of a regiment to Colonel Rich Guy who paid for the uniforms. It led to numerous Union victories in the early part of the war. Wait, what?
Another thought to go along with #88.
One of the reasons often cited for why conglomerate mergers fail is that when the businesses are too different the top management are incapable of understanding some of them, and often fail to see the opportunities and threats facing a line of business with which they have no knowledge or experience. They might mistakenly assume that what worked in the textile business and the helicopter business should also work in the cement business (Textron); shipyards, office furniture, and microwave ovens (Litton); and many other examples.
Better to focus on core competencies. Businesses are different, and knowing how to run one is not the same as running a different one. Nor is it the same as running a country.
I can’t help comparing Trump to other people I have heard speak on issues such as those he has been asked about. Don Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney are two who come immediately to mind. Neither of these men have aspirations to the presidency, but both project a level of competence, intelligence, and world knowledge that Trump could never attain in his wildest dreams. They are also men who have been subjected to incredible invective and never have at any time devolved into the kind of adolescent rhetoric which is so much a part of the Trump style.
That Trump was unable to identify a very important general whose presence in Moscow appeared in many newspapers and media reports is certainly not a deal-killer. The rest of the names that Hewett mentioned are certainly a bit obscure. However, it isn’t that lack of knowledge which concerns me about Trump. What bothers me is his sophomoric style of answering questions. He has no gravitas. He has no sophistication, no tact. His bullish bravado betrays not an all consuming ego, but a complete sense of inferiority for which he feels he must constantly compensate by belittling others, beating them into the ground mercilessly. He does not possess the ability or trust in others to make our own judgments about the fairness or unfairness of the questions. He must belabor it to insure that no one misses that he was abused.
He is a buffoon.