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Trump? Nobody Knows Anything.
Over coffee while we were all waiting for Mrs. Reagan’s funeral to begin last Friday, I had conversations with two of the most astute and accomplished political figures I know: Pete Wilson, former governor of California, and Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the House. I asked each if he thought Donald Trump could win — not the nomination, which both believed he might very well grasp, but the White House itself.
Pete Wilson shook his head. “In the general, I’m afraid, Trump would get destroyed.”
Newt Gingrich smiled. “He could crush Hillary. Imagine Trump’s going to the South Side of Chicago and saying that the status quo of bad schools and declining neighborhoods and violence in the streets is just unacceptable. Imagine his saying, ‘I’m a billionaire and you’re not because they’ve rigged the system.'” Trump’s reach is so broad, the former Speaker argued, that he could become the first Republican in decades to win significant black support, dooming the Democrats.
Trump. Either he will be destroyed — or he will do the destroying. What has always been true of show business is now true of presidential politics: As screenwriter William Goldman famously put it in the first sentence of his classic book, Adventures in the Screen Trade, “Nobody knows anything.”
Published in General
This is a very common argument coming from Trump supporters.
While I’m sure it’s perfectly possible to find an individual who actually does feel this way, a moment’s perusal of the conversations, even here on Ricochet, reveals that most people are conflicted about all of these candidates, none of whom is perfect, and it’s simply incorrect to pretend otherwise.
OTOH, I see a huge amount of unqualified and unquestioning support for their candidate coming from whom?
Yes, Trump supporters.
I’d like to see more of them articulate why they support him, not because of who or what he is, but in spite of what or who he is.
Because understand this: If Trump wants to extend his appeal to the difference between the number of his supporters today, and the 65 million or so people who need to vote for him in the general election, he’s going to have to appeal to voters to vote for him in spite of his flaws.
So, stop pretending he doesn’t have any. And sell the rest of us on Trump, in spite of them. (Tip: Saying, “you should vote for Trump because I’m angry” won’t quite do it).
I am NOT a Trump supporter. I am a critic of faulty logic, emotionalism fronting for reason, more to the point, jibes made against Trump for imagined failings. Good gosh, the man has enough manifest failings without having to dream up others (Oh, “he doesn’t really care for inner city kids”… come on now.)
One other point to make on a head to head Trump vs. Hillary match up. The country is very much looking for a change and another Clinton will not do. Trump, whatever he is, is an “yuuuge” agent of change.
That has been my question all along…
Understood. I don’t like any of the things you mentioned, either.
So, I’ll restate my question:
Trump supporters, you’ll need some more votes, come November, if your candidate is the Republican nominee for President, and he’s to win the general election.
How is Trump going to sell himself, and how are you going to sell him, to people who are skeptical of his charms, and who will see any abrupt deviations from the positions he has espoused, and the things he has said thus far, merely as evidence that he’s no better than any other politician when it comes to changing his stripes to get votes?
Wait, what? It cannot fairly be said that Trump’s failings apply to any other candidate. They do not. His failings are in a completely different ballpark, far more analogous to Hillary than to any republican that was ever in the race for 2016.
Hang on, though.
There is nothing wrong with “he doesn’t really care for inner-city kids.” I suppose Kate could have been explicit rather than using the analogy, but it doesn’t require a lot of imagination to understand what she’s talking about.
When Thomas Sowell was asked (on “Firing Line”) what he would do about the struggling young black-man, he elaborated on the way that his preferred policies were the best solution even for the problems that liberals were trying to confront him with. This conveyed a thorough understanding both of the issues-of-the-day and the meaning and import of conservatism. A good conservative doesn’t simply rant about immigration or muslims … or … (problem is that Trump doesn’t say anything in detail, only empty platitudes); rather, he is able to understand conservatism as a system and a way of thinking that can be applied to literally any issue. So, when asked about “inner city kids,” a conservative can discuss the importance of family, respect, and a lack of dependence on government welfare programs. He can elaborate on equality of laws vs. equality of outcome.
Trump doesn’t simply convey that he doesn’t care about inner-city black kids, he conveys that he doesn’t care about anything. He openly displays an ignorance of conservatism as a system, and hasn’t the foggiest idea about conservatism as a way of thinking, much less how to apply that worldview to those issues that liberals care about. Because of this, it will be literally impossible for him to communicate in any meaningful way with the other side, or with people straddling the fence. All anyone will see is his disgusting side (which seems to be all sides, frankly) and the anger he stokes.
TDS
Torah Day School? Telephone and Data Systems? Total Dissolved Solids? The Daily Shot?
I don’t follow.
I was wrong before. I did not think Obama would be re-elected. I thought Obamacare would be found unconstitutional.
I’ll be wrong again. Next time the Republicans hold the White house and congress, I think they will try to fix SS and Medicare. Or stop the increase in the size of government.
Instead of a Center Right forum, I should inhabit a center of know nothing community.
I readily admit I do not know why so many smart people think Trump would be such a disaster.
Occam’s razor suggests I’m lacking some knowledge or insight.
I’ve tried to keep up on all the reasons why Trump would fail once voting started. I’ve read many articles detailing his conflicting position statements. Mitt Romney has much better character. I don’t see Trump as any more dangerous to the party or the state than, say, Chris Christy or Jeb!
If it’s just he’ll lose in November, maybe.
To what end? And with an R behind his name so we can’t easily get rid of him in 4 years… The only difference between him and Clinton is the R.
I’ll be abstaining in November, but if it looks close, I’ll go out and vote for Hillary. If I’m going to detest our president, at least it can be someone who doesn’t claim to represent my side.
Trump will haunt the GOP for a generation.
Manfred, I have no idea how Trump feels about inner city kids. I wasn’t manufacturing a gripe against Trump but responding to the OP. Newt is quoted in the OP as saying
In other words, in answer to the question of whether Trump could be elected, New Gingrich appears to have responded with a fantasy-Trump-moment that could make his election a whole lot more likely.
But neither it, nor anything resembling it, has actually taken place. If it were to take place—if Trump did go to Chicago and follow Newt’s script—I might find Trump considerably more interesting than I do right now. As far as I can see, this would require, as Ryan says, Trump becoming not-Trump.
Incidentally, I’m on a lot of Democratic e-mail lists; my inbox is filling up with overjoyed, triumphant missives, not because Hillary won but because Trump did.
My politically-active Democratic friends were terrified of Rubio. They’re rubbing their hands in glee tonight.
I believe it.
Sorry I didn’t quote you, but someone mentioned we deserve Hillary’s SCOTUS picks if we wont vote for Trump. Do you really think his picks will be any better? I’m not being rude, it is an honest question on my part. The only name I’ve heard him float is a very liberal judge with whom he has a relation and is for partial birth abortion. I’ll take my chances elsewhere.
What leads you to believe his picks would be better than what he has up to this point said?
Contradicting yourself again. If you don’t know how Trump “feels about inner city kids”… well how then can you insinuate he doesn’t?
I said this elsewhere, I’ll say it here too:
If you still want to vote for Hillary, feel free to push the country to the left for another generation.
“The record” has little to no meaning when you are talking about Trump. He has also been on record supporting the opposite of every one of the listed positions.
Those are his platform positions. Those are what he’s running on.
Nothing exists to hold him to them. I see no evidence that he has core convictions. At this point, he could say anything, and has. He is not “roughly pro-life.” He does not have a convincing position of any kind on abortion. He has been in favor of partial-birth abortion and still defends PP. He has no discernible vision of foreign policy, other than “winning.” I could go on, but is this has all been said before.
And what has also been said before is that we know where Hillary stands on the issues. Which is the better choice to hedge on? Knowing full well what Hillary will do or what Trump who has stated his positions, will have picked a Republican for VP, will have endorsed a Republican platform at the convention, will an administration filled with Republicans, and will have to answer to a Republican base that elected him to office?
Are you telling me that Hillary is the better hedge?
Why do you suppose Trump voters are the Republican base, and that he will fill his admin with Republicans? Again, we have no evidence for any of this.
Because he’s running on the Republican ticket, will be nominated at the Republican convention, will have a Republican VP, and will be running against Hillary in the general.
What if he picked Ted Cruz for VP? Will that change things for you?
If Cruz were willing, it would certainly change the way I feel about him.
I understand your position, Manny, and I know that many I respect will reason as you do. I see the choices as equally bad. I won’t vote for Trump or for Hillary.
Criticizing Trump, or even inferring that he is imperfect, borders on treason. Your attitude has been observed.
Another similarity between Trump supporters and #BLM activists! It’s really getting eerie…