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Has the Trump Meltdown Begun?
Many pundits wondered what would happen if Trump fell behind in the polls. Would he mellow a bit, lash out, or meltdown completely. Now that Dr. Ben Carson is running neck-and-neck with The Donald and has led in several surveys, we’re beginning to see what a desperate Trump looks like. According to Washington Post reporter Jenna Johnson, the marathon speech he gave in Fort Dodge, IA, Thursday night was something to behold.
Donald Trump looks and sounds exhausted tonight. Voice is scratchy. This is his fourth state in four days.
— Jenna Johnson (@wpjenna) November 13, 2015
At the last few rallies, Donald Trump has been more controlled and composed. Not so tonight. He’s on a tear — one angry rant after another.
— Jenna Johnson (@wpjenna) November 13, 2015
Donald Trump in Iowa: “I know more about ISIS than the generals do. Believe me.”
— Jenna Johnson (@wpjenna) November 13, 2015
Here’s how Donald Trump says he would fight the Islamic State: “I would bomb the [expletive] out of them.” Then he would take their oil. [unredacted link]
More foreign policy: Donald Trump says if he is president no one will dare touch the United States “because I’m so unpredictable.”
— Jenna Johnson (@wpjenna) November 13, 2015
Trump debates aloud if he should share more complaints about his rivals. Crowd cheers him on. First up: Marco Rubio, “weak like a baby.”
— Jenna Johnson (@wpjenna) November 13, 2015
Hour and 20 minutes into Trump’s speech, stage audience gives up and sits down on risers: pic.twitter.com/eV8zQD7cs3
— Jenna Johnson (@wpjenna) November 13, 2015
Trump moves onto Ben Carson: “If you’re pathological, there’s no cure for that.” Then compares being pathological to being a child molester.
— Jenna Johnson (@wpjenna) November 13, 2015
Donald Trump says Ben Carson’s story about a belt buckle stopping a knife he stabbed at a friend doesn’t make sense. He then acts it out.
— Jenna Johnson (@wpjenna) November 13, 2015
Donald Trump acts out Ben Carson’s alleged stabbing: “Anybody have a knife and want to try it on me?”
— Jenna Johnson (@wpjenna) November 13, 2015
Trump on Carson’s changing stories: “How stupid are the people of Iowa? How stupid are the people of this country to believe this crap?”
— Jenna Johnson (@wpjenna) November 13, 2015
Hour and 35 minutes after starting, Donald Trump is done. He promises to visit again soon. That was like sitting through a therapy session.
— Jenna Johnson (@wpjenna) November 13, 2015
Either Trump was having an off night, he popped an Ambien before the speech, or the meltdown several people predicted has begun.
The question is, do his polls shoot up five points or 10?
Published in General
Nothing bothers Trump or his supporters. Perhaps when Bush gets out and Trump doesn’t pick up the support, he’ll bow out. He will have accomplished much and can go with pride. But this may be the same wishful thinking that has him melting down.
rein, control and hold back; reign, rule over. You mean the former, right? Not SCOTUS reign of terror…
Thanks Mama, was working on the iPad when I posted that. Clumsy thumbs and AC. However, now that you ask….
The thought and content free in group social signaling is strong in this thread.
Twice
Trump is the latest in a long line of people who have coarsened our culture. Think about it: Trump is running for the office once held by Calvin Coolidge – a brilliant, modest, prudent, gentlemanly president, if ever there was one. Now we have a vulgarian making the presidential race akin to a professional wrestling trash-talking event.
The GOP is analogous to a grand, old building that has some structural problems but that is worth saving. What it needs is an architect and some engineers. Trump is analogous to a wrecking ball. And the Clintons and the liberal media are delighted to watch the wrecking ball do its work. I dread seeing what Trump would erect in its place.
If I interpret you correctly you are suggesting that it’s necessary to gather all of the evidence of Trump’s misadventures in order to criticize him.
I point you to all of the previous threads with copious substantive criticism of Trump. It is make-work to reiterate it all once again.
By the way, where is the thought and content you would like to offer?
Please. I agree that Obama disregards the Constitution when he can get away with it. But that said, primarily what he gets away with is refusing to use executive power to enforce federal laws (e.g., nullifying immigration law for an entire class of illegal aliens) or by using powers he does have (e.g., foreign policy, the Justice Dept) in pernicious ways.
Even if Obama declares he is running for a third term the one thing cannot do is force states to place him on the ballot. And if a state chose to add Obama to the ballot anyway–California, I am looking at you–a court would cause him to be removed .
That is spot on.
Trump fancies himself “the people’s champion” vs. Jeb “the corporate champion.” He spends as much time denigrating his opponents as if he is Randy Savage or one of those other guys who loved to grab the mike and threaten and demean his potential opponents.
I continue to believe that Obama has a plan that will result in him calling off the 2016 elections, due to the world/nation being in too much turmoil to risk changing presidents at this time. So he’ll stay in office without having to run for a third term. Yes, I’m REALLY cynical.
And yet a small part of me wants Trump to win the presidency for precisely this kind of performance. I’m reminded of Kinky Friedman’s governor campaign slogan, “Why the he– not?”
If Trump could take advise, I would advise him to take some time off, air out, and then return to stumping for the nomination. The old idea that this is a marathon and not just a sprint should be applied. I think he is sprinting right now and it doesn’t work well for him if he gets worn down.
Because life is real, the world is Big and Bad, and we need to seriously handle our problems.
I would advise Trump to declare victory, and quit.
Now added to the things that the donor class does not want discussed are sugar subsidies. Abortion, gay marriage, immigration and sugar subsidies are now out of line. The average Rubio supporter rivals the Obama supporter for sheer stupidity. Why don’t we just support Paul Singer and skip his stooge. He is the perfect mix of neocon and libertarian.
funny, you do not seem that cynical to me.
I like that. Consider all the presidents after Coolidge too: Eisenhower, Nixon, Reagan, Bush 41, Bush 43. With the exception of Nixon, all extreme gentlemen. It is conservative to be a gentleman. Even Nixon’s public persona was actually very gentlemanly. It was his hidden persona that was actually quite like Trump.
Funniest thing I’ve read in a long time. And it’s a brilliant plan.
The tweet that provides the funniest and most frightening insight about Donny and his supporters:
This is why, at an earlier stage, if it looked as though Trump could actually get the nomination, I supported Cruz as his running mate. Trump has not convinced me he would stay in office if elected.
According to the Washington Post, the establishment has its knickers in a twist over Trump and Carson, and is contemplating challenging them with … Gentleman Mitt Romney.
Fans of gentlemanly behavior notwithstanding, let us remember that Mitt’s mannerly campaigns have racked up two in the “L” column, while WJ Clinton, who used the Oval Office coffee room as his personal females-welcome gentleman’s club, racked up two in the terms column.
As for Trump turning the campaign into a trash-talking WWE event, does this mean we get to see Jeb Bush get his head shaved in the ring, like happened to Vince McMahon at the climax of his CEO-vs.-CEO feud with Trump in WrestleMania 23?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZ1L013k5Hw
I think there is a possibility that Trump drops out after deciding he doesn’t want to do all the hard work required to win the nomination. Life on the campaign trail is grueling – even for a self absorbed billionaire – and let’s not forget the man will be 70 in June.
Does he really want to push his vanity project to its hard fought conclusion? Maybe…maybe not.
That right there is true. Old men are in fact old, no matter how rascally.
And is the campaign tougher than the actual job? Does this affect the other Party as well?
A month or two before Donald Trump announced he was running, Ann Coulter was on a Ricochet podcast saying that Mitt Romney was our only hope. Now she says Donald Trump is our only hope. At least one Ricochet member who is a big Romney fan also likes Trump, so Trump and Romney fans are not necessarily polar opposites.
“…because I’m so unpredictable” doesn’t concern you?
“I will stop illegal immigration. I will build the wall.”
But he himself says he’s “so unpredictable,” so, ah, who the hell knows what he’ll do on immigration…if anything?
Because, of course, if there’s one thing I want in a person who constitutionally has the sole authority to launch nuclear weapons, it’s someone who is “unpredictable”.
Remind me to buy more canned goods, bottled water and 5.56mm ammo this weekend…
And evidence why his supporters are brainless – because his “unpredictability” actually means he’s untrustworthy. And if he’s untrustworthy…then his promises aren’t worth a damn.
I’d rather support someone with whom I agree 60% of the time and trust, than someone with whom I agree 100% and don’t trust. Because if I don’t trust him, then how the hell do I even know that we’re in any agreement, let alone 100% agreement??
The pundits have been wishing for an “open convention” for 40 years so they could have fun writing. It won’t happen this year either. When people start to vote, candidates will start to drop out faster and sentiments will coalesce- as they always do. The only thing different this year, besides the golden Republican opportunity, is that Trump has grabbed the 2015 version of the 1980 Reagan Democrats, except that the 2015 version is more whiny and silly and actually listens to Laura Ingraham.
Whatever profits TransCanada makes in the U.S. is already subject to U.S. taxation. But I guess we’ll make an exception and charge them a rate determined by the president rather than what the law dictates. Mr. Trump has also said he would punish the Ford Motor Company for building cars in Mexico, by assessing a 35% tariff on all Mexican-built Fords. He’s said this several times, but I haven’t heard him say anything about all the other car companies who build vehicles in Mexico. Apparently the ideal situation would be if the president has dictatorial powers to extort money from whatever enterprise catches his attention. Who needs rule of law?