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.
Trump’s Kryptonite
Jersey City is a long way from Iowa, and in a sense even further from Manhattan, certainly if you travel way up the hill away from the river. And yes, record buyers have political opinions, too, even if collecting things is just an excellent distraction from tedious reality, one that doesn’t destroy your health. Around here, we stay away from the talking heads of Fox and MSNBC and just go out on the street and talk to the peeps. Like the guy who sells me my paper on Communipaw Avenue, far from the Wall Street crowd that’s rapidly taking over Jersey City.
“Steve, Donald Trump ain’t gonna run for nuttin,” says Rickie in his African-American twang as he hands me a paper through the car window. Sixty-something, skinny and a bit cramped-looking, he continues: “He don’t wanna lose. And he will lose big-time to Miss Hillary. Get it? Trump knows what folk will do when they get into that votin’ booth.” Rickie squints his eyes and crunches up his face to make a point. “Steve, you’ll see. You heard right here from Rickie.”
Rickie, like too many people, doesn’t vote. (He doesn’t use his real name either, because, “Hmm, it’s bit risky out here on the street.”) But he may have a point. I’m not sure that Donald Trump wants to go down in history as the biggest lout ever to lose in a landslide. And I really think it could happen, regardless of the polls. No one talks about it because there’s too much advertising money at stake. Would you breath a word about this probability if it took campaign money out of his rivals’ pockets?
My guess has always been that he’ll drop out and say, “I could have won if I wanted to, but [fill in the blank],” taking a cue from the bullies from my high school. (Yes, still on my mind after 35-plus years and tons of therapy.) I haven’t heard this speculation in many places, but my Wall Street years taught me to look for excesses, and there’s an extreme excess of belief that Trump actually wants to be president and that people would actually vote for him in November. I’m not sure either of these things are true. I think he could wake up in the middle of the night and realize — even Donald Trump can have these moments — that he’s in way over his inflated head.
Enjoy tonight’s results, folks.
Published in Elections, General
You may be on to something. Call it the Seinfeld Exit. Go out on top. Leave them wanting more.
Welcome to Richochet SRP. I believe Trump could drop out before the general elections, however I think Hillary will be gone before The Donald.
I have never thought that Trump wanted to be POTUS, I always thought this was some sort of stunt that got out of control. I am not really worried in that I expect reality to resolve the situation in time and Trump will figure some way to shift aside and take his favorite position of criticizer in chief. Ire lot think most of this is driven by the MSM and Democrats messing with the GOP.
See, here’s your problem. I’m 64, haven’t spent a nickel on therapy, and I haven’t cut my throat yet.
I’m not so sure — I’d need therapy to live in Jersey City, too. :-)
I thought Trump was out to elect Hillary but changed his mind. While he’s doing a good job dividing the Republicans he might think he could win at this point and he could. Even though I see his support as blow back from Obama’s successful efforts to divide the country more deeply over racial, ethnic, and cultural matters, he hasn’t explicitly attacked blacks or addressed the disintegration of the black community caused by liberalism. He can cut deals, isn’t the type to break rice bowls, so he could get establishment votes, and unless we run a third party candidate, who else will conservatives vote for? He’ll carry white males, non progressive women who see him as Macho, some latinos for the same reason. He cannot be dismissed. And he cannot be defeated by attacking his outrageous political incorrectness. That is his strength.
More anecdotes from the Jersey City streets! Your brief portrait of Ricky stood out.
Hey! JC is great. Just moved here a year or so ago. Reminds me of Brooklyn pre-wall street invasion – but as SRP suggests, this is changing quickly.
From your pen to God’s inbox. And hopefully the place Hillary goes is jail.
Down by the waterfront it may seem like Brooklyn, but up near Journal Square or down on Sip Street it sure doesn’t. Ricky is still more representative of the place than the average 30-something hipster or banker.
Plus he’ll have received lots of attention on the national stage, which is probably his only real goal. Why else bring up television ratings? My guess: under the covers, in the early morning hours in that mansion on the hill, he knows what we already know: he couldn’t handle Trump University, never mind governing a former superpower like the good ole USA…
Good point. Ricky lives in the real world rather than that ponzi scheme down by the water. Imagine the scene when that bubble bursts, when the dollar cracks, when the credit cards start getting declined and the 30 year-olds actually have to hard work at something. Won’t be beautiful, but maybe we can start over.
Don’t worry! The street is brimming with wisdom, sometimes far more pertinent and controversial than anything from any “intellectual.” I am with your friend Mr. Sowell on this point.