For conservatives and libertarians, President Trump would be an entertaining disappointment
I get the attraction to a Trump candidacy. He is Not Boring. It would be priceless to see him tell Obama that he’s fired. But then what? Trump seems like a successful business leader (as long as you overlook the bankruptcies). He seems like the kind of leader who would not only care about America’s swiftly deteriorating position in the world, he would do something about it.
But what specifically would he do about it? ABC broke the story over the weekend that the Donald hasn’t bothered to vote in a primary in 20 years. Ok, not the biggest of deals — he appears to have voted in every general election over the past few decades, except in 2002 for whatever reason. Trump’s daily headline today has him saying he is a “very conservative person.” Is he?
Trump says a lot of things, to the point that he comes across as being in love with talking. But what he says isn’t always what you’d call wise.
“Iowa is very, very important to me,” he said. “I love what Iowa represents. It represents to me a work ethic that a lot of other places don’t have….”
Such as? Name the states that lack a work ethic, Mr. Trump. And:
As he continues to mull a presidential bid, or say he is mulling a presidential bid, business mogul Donald Trump is lamenting the fact President Obama appears to have locked up the black vote. “I have a great relationship with the blacks,” Trump told Albany’s Talk Radio 1300 Thursday. “I’ve always had a great relationship with the blacks.”
As Jimmy Kimmel put it the day that quote broke, “Not anymore.”
among the problems trump will face, the desire to be “popular” may prove to be most unnerving
principles are the essence of conservatism (and libertarianism for that matter) and applying sound conservative principles (especially in the beginning) will undoubtedly result in a decline at the polls (leave that to the mainstream media)
so where a true conservative (palin, for example) would be able to ride out the storm on the principles themselves, the donald, every bit the narcissist as obama, and the pressures (real or imaginary) could very well result in an arnold the governator like executive, that is, a quick 180 in political philosophy at the first sign of trouble
trump is popular because he does not let the media pistol whip him, has a couple decent ideas (let countries pay for our help– not the other way around; and his needling on the birther issue), and, in many respects, is a symbol of america itself (albeit a composite of the positive and negative fused together by that hairdo)
i must admit my hesitation, though, as my first foray into the political landscape had me voting for ross perot (mainly due to the bland and mild republican wusses) and i promised myself i would not fall for that mistake again
Interesting discussion. You should post this as a policy proposal on http://www.whitehousevoice.com
Chutzpah, Gonads, Cajones, whatever you want to call it. Trump’s got it. And that’s something we’re not seeing from any of the others, except most likely non-candidate Sarah Palin.
Okay, maybe he’s not the best on policy. But sometimes inspirational fire and excitement can trump all that.
As of right now, I’m in Trump’s camp.
Look at all the negative press Trump is receiving.
Wonder why these good folks ‘forgot’ to check into obumas qualifications for the presidency…but then again, he did vote “present” on many bills. Guess that and his wonderful, teleprompter speeches qualifed him…
Trump is amusing, but he would be a terrible president. I like the fact that he takes it right to Obama and tells it like it is, something Obama NEVER, EVER, hears from the main stream media, but other than that, this guy would make a terrible President. Why? Because Trump makes the same mistake as all businessmen make who want to be president. Trump thinks government, any government, is like a business and can be run by a business. He thinks he can do whatever he wants. He forgets that there are little things like Congress, the Supreme Court, and an opposition political party that tend to stand in the way of the best laid plans of reformer politicians. Trump would NOT be a king, he would be a president, and that means getting the cooperation of all sorts of people in government to get your agenda passed.
I doubt Trump would get elected because Americans understand that making money isn’t the only qualification for being president, let alone being a good leader. But I wish more legitimate Republican candidates would attack Obama as well as Trump does. That would certainly stir up the base and show Obama up for what he is: a failure.
Obama does whatever he wants. No congress, no constitution will stand in his way.
….at this point he is more honest and willing to ask the questions that need to be asked. not my choice but better them most of the field right now.
Libertyship46:
Pardon me, I’m a little bit confused. Are you talking about Donald Trump or Barack Hussein Obama?
Thanks for the clarification.
Can’t you just be happy he’s throwing a monkey wrench into the works right now? Can’t you find joy in the fact that topics that have never before been discussed by the LSM have now been forced into the open?
Try to see the good in this instead of flailing away at the negative constantly.
Well besides his denouncing the Iraq War, pushing for a 14% wealth tax,
urging a trade war with China, focusing on the birth certificate, and not on the works of George Soros, honestly.
He’s a joke, but so is the incumbent.
against the back drop of the obama fiasco. TRUMP IS A FREAKING genius.
the political pundits of all strips are dead wrong on the issue(s). Trump is head and shoulders above most of the of the field because he is saying the things the others are afraid to say.
…and if they are afraid to say them then they should not run. Honesty should count supreme.
hey Preston, you hit the friggin nail on the head regarding Trump with this article. great job.
I heard on talk radio today, that Trump donated $50,000, to Rahm Emanuel’s mayoral campaign. Does that sound like something a Republican would do? Could Trump be a closet Democrat, and a schill for Obama, part of Obama’s strategy to neuter the Republicans, and get re-elected?
Donald Trump sounds and acts more like Mike Bloomberg.
Rich, successful businessman who changes parties when things get tough, buys his way into permanent power while smuggly looking down those ‘flyovers too stupid to read a passport’.
I had enough of Bloomberg who is as disasterous as Obama, please do not give Trump the power to be another Bloomberg or Obama
I find the universal horror at Donald Trump by the political classes amusing to say the least.
In the last 40 years we have had a hard-core marxist (obama), a serial rapist (clinton), a kumbaya liberal fool kook (carter), a crook (Nixon), and the two Bush’s, who shine only in contrast. And that doesn’t count candidates Dukakis, Mondale, the traitorous John Kerry, Perot, Gore, McGovern, Bob Dull and John McLame.
We’re upset about TRUMP??? Give me a flipping break.
If changing positions eliminates a person from running for president, the world is eleminated, including every writer at PJM and every commentor.
If naked ambition eliminates a person from running for office, every candidate and every past President and every politician is elimated for the second time.
Now let’s talk about looney policy position. Let’s see, we have had “vetted”, “rational”, “patriotic”, “middle of the road” poliices for the last 50 years. Those policies have the country on the brink of default, we have been exploited by the world to the tune of tens of trillions of dollars, trillions of dollars of SS and medicare taxes have been STOLEN by criminal politicians, 50 years after MLK the country is more racially divided than ever, our children’s future is in severe peril, and we have been in at least 4 wars in which tens of thousands of heros have died. That’s the short list.
And these “pundits” slam Donald Trump??? Compared to what???
Look, this guy isn’t my favorite candidate either, but I’m way more upset at the over-the-top criticism of him than I am at Trump himself.
I recognize the risk of a candidate like Trump, but the pundits on OUR side are significantly increasing the risk by their own behavior, which isn’t any different than the behavior of the Make Belive Media toward ALL conservative and Republican candidates. Trump has positions that are MORE legitimate and infinitely better for the country than the marxists and MORE legimate and significantly smarter than the past 50 years of policies of the entire US government. Maybe Trumps view don’t fit Mark Levin’s pristine view of a constitutional conservative. Well Rick Santorium’s do and he would be lucky to get 30% in a general election.
And Trump is providing a valuable service by showing that it’s possible to dominate the media, rather than having the media dominate you.
The problem is that Trump has bypassed the pundits, who feel just as entitled to their control over the message as your local SEIU/Acorn marxist feels entitled to your money.
you’re right pro
i feel the deja vu increasing on a daily basis (’92/’96)
i agree with levin 95% of the time and i understand the importance of true conservatives in our government apparatus but i dont see any in the mix
it will be the undoing of the republican party if they refuse to engage in this fight (maybe a good thing); the donald has provided the blueprint for victory and your point about the republican pundits hits the bullseye
the only true conservative that has the gumption and moxie is palin and she probably wont even run
so back to square one
would the country be better off with obama (an american hater) versus trump (for all of his faults, an american lover)
as for trumps associations with all the lefties i refer to this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y34VU9k_yEA&feature=related
it just seems like economic self-preservation against the statists to make political donations as he has done
let us not forget the bottom line: getting rid of obama
if the right can gain a stronger majority in the house coupled with some senate seats then it wouldnt matter who was in the white house as long as it wasnt obama- donald duck or donald trump or even ronald mcdonald, who cares!
getting rid of the O is like applying a tourniquet to a gaping wound
sure the donald isn’t george washington material but if the country dies from blood loss and shock everything else is moot
most excellent comment
regards
Best comment I’ve seen on why Trump is a viable alternative despite what pundits from both parties say!
The frustration of voters nationwide is not being recognized, and I think they are in for a huge shock!
From Sowell, to Rove, to Beck, to even PJM…it’s strangely funny and sad to see the apoplexy that Trump elicites from those on the right, not to mention the ridicule and predicted disaster for the Repubs he gets from the left. It’s easy to see this guy is tapping into a “stream” of discusted and discouraged voters that a yearning, even pleading, for a strong leader and voice for America.
Nobody else even comes close.
The kneecapping coming from our side is just unbelievable. Who is Trump? Is he “Al Sharpton” (thanks, Dr. K.), Howard Stern, Snooki? He’s a big name businessman with backbone and a straightforward way of speaking, who will not be eaten up and spit out by the likes of Katie Couric and Brian Williams.
Do not believe for one moment that the media and the Professional Left are not digging in NYC sewer looking for all sorts of crap about Donald Trump; and they will find a ton of it.
One does not reach the top of the heap of the NYC sewer without doing a whole lot of nasty to get there.
Gee, Donald doesn’t seem all that concerned about it.
Maybe he’s figured out that people are a helluva lot more concerned abou a country being driven over a marxist cliff than the fact that busines is cutthroat or that a guy likes pretty women.
But thanks for sharing your talking points. It helps confirm what is becoming abundantly obvious. People who have their hands around American throats are getting really worried about the Donald.
For future reference, the style at PJM is for trolls to identify themselves with a common first name, like susan below.
“Maybe Trumps view don’t fit Mark Levin’s pristine view of a constitutional conservative. Well Rick Santorium’s do and he would be lucky to get 30% in a general election.”
This is a sad illustration of the American public’s badly skewed perspective on what should comprise a candidate who would do a good job as POTUS. Every election for this office serves as little more than a fricking popularity contest. We get what we deserve. >:-(
Would Donald Trum be a poor President? Almost certainly yes! Would he be any worse than the current occupant of the office? Almost certainly no!
I hope and pray that Trump is just doing this in order to feed the maw of his ravenous ego and will drop it when he gets bored. In one sense he is the perfect adversary for Obama. David Axelrod and others in the Chicago political mafia worked diligently from 2004 to 2008 to make Obama into, not just a candidate, but a celebrity. Donald Trump is already a celebrity and knows how to handle the press and manipulate the glitz. There is no doubt that Trump exudes certainty and confidence but he also has never had an unexpressed thought in his life.
On the other hand if this is what our presidential politcs have come down to I intend to start drinking myself into a permanent state of insensiblity. I am reading Ron Chernow’s superb biography of George Washington and almost every line describing the General in war and peace is a slap in the face of our own diminished politcal culture.
“…he also has never had an unexpressed thought in his life.”
You say that like it’s a bad thing! Sure…for a professional politician it is…which Trump is not, thank god!
Just be careful what you wish for! Candor is certainly a good thing and a very rare quality in our political class. The problem with Trump is that he’s been a member of the glitterati for so long (and has had his butt smooched by hundreds of reporters and underlings) that he has never had to learn the value of restraint and silence. After all he is “The Donald” and everything he has ever said or did has been both glamorous and newsworthy for nearly three decades.
As Lincoln supposedly said – “It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one’s mouth and remove all doubt.” My fear is that Trump doesn’t realize that all those nice reporters and media types who have been so glad to attend his parties and hotel openings now have their knives out because he has declared himself a Republican.
I understand what you’re saying, but Trump has shown he knows how to handle the media and is very adept at getting his message across. A little “straight talk” might go along way with those who take advantage of us, or are confused about where we stand!
At least we know he won’t need to depend on his teleprompter or be bowing to other heads of state when he meets them!
Replacing one megalomaniac corrupt palm-greasing bastard with another megalomaniac corrupt palm-greasing bastard seems a rather insane thing to do.
But then the desperate people always resort to doing insane crasy things.
So you don’t see a difference between an amazingly successful American businessman who has spent his life creating a business that build properties people flock to buy and a mental adolescent stewed in marxism for 49 years who sat happily for 20 years in the pew of an anti-American racist hate-monger.
Assuming you aren’t a troll, think about what you just said.
why are you calling yourself “proreason” then? Can’t you see that it’s not only about changing opinion, but also about credibility? How do you know he is not changing opinion and getting conservative just get the power and then back to the old ways? (I am seriously asking) Because, I guess, you know he has an OLD WAY to do things. I’d rather prefer a lifelong conservative than a suddenly converted.
It’s not that you can’t convert from your old ways, but it usually means starting to walk a long way to Damascus and lots of reflexion and mea culpa.
how reasonable is it to want a principaled, conservative candidate with the conviction and swagger of the donald
it’s there for the taking
if this person presented herself (better chances) then it would be game, set, match ; sayonara socialist
Amazingly successful businessman? Really?
Between his penchant for bankruptcy and his penchant for palm-greasing corrupt bastards I am not convinced his success is credible.
And those buildings people flock to buy-for example the buildings in Manhattan just off the Hudson River below 71st street-were not developed by him (he sold that land in 1993 to get out of a bankruptcy problem).
Careful about equating rich with successful businessman-you might end up electing another Mike Bloomberg who will screw every which way and inside out.
The only thing Trump offers to those buying his property is his name.
So many have said they just love what Trump is doing! And they hope he keeps it up, BUT they would never vote for him! Never say never!
As far as the GOP, they will not ever do what D. Trump is doing! I think they all should keep their big mouths shut and stop making asinine
comments about him.
I am not in favor of any of the GOP who are thinking or are announcing the run for POTUS. Too cowardly, too mealy mouth, no fire in their belly!
I am for Trump until further notice!
Thank you! At last, somebody has compared Donald Trump to Barack Obama and asked the question: is there any real difference? And the answer is a resounding NO! A narcissist who wants to make all the decisions for everybody else on every little thing is a bird of a feather, whether right or left. Not to mention that the ridiculous Trump would be an even bigger laughing stock to the world than Obama is (at least he started out dazzling them before he decided to baffle them).
Trump is not likely to win the GOP nomination; however what he MAY succeed in doing is to tear apart the other GOP candidates so that when there is a nominee, he will be damaged goods. If Trump can focus on tearing Obama apart and not his fellow GOP candidates, he may be a useful weapon. If he helps destroy the GOP nominee, he may help Obama win re-election.
No Trump. Not now, not ever.
One thing we know about Trump: He seems to have gotten a new hair-do.
Think twice about Trump Friend’s. He’s thinking about Donald, not our great nation.
Why is the conservative intelligensia so fearful of donald trump?
If he is such a clown, such a carnival barker, so bombastic, so shallow, so unserious, so anti-conservative, surely he will only last one debate with solid constitutional conservatives. Feeling as they do, I don’t see why our esteemed betters give him so much as a colum inch or radio sound bite. Isn’t the proper approach to such an insignificant presence just to ignore it?
When I hear the invective heaped on this man (not accusing Mr Preston of such, btw), I have to wonder what is really going on.