(Okay start paying very close attention around the 3:30 mark.)
"It's actually genius. I don't think he's a dumb guy. I don't think he is playing a dumb game here. What he's doing with that is genius. If he was going to say at hat debate 'No, no, no I'll never run as an independent I'll only run as a Republican,' he loses all his leverage, Then he's just one of the other Republicans. But if he says 'No, you guys be nice to me or I'm going to jump in as an independent thereby guaranteeing Hillary Clinton will be the next President.' What does that mean? That means if he doesn't do that the Republicans owe him forever. And if he does do that Hillary Clinton becomes President and she owes him forever."
Okay this actually made me sit up and take notice.
Now I have NO idea if Trump is actually smart enough to have had this be his plan since he first jumped into the race, but right now he really IS in this position.
In short Trump may have dreamed up this entire charade, which by the way includes saying those incredibly racist and insensitive remarks knowing how the Republican base would respond, simply for the opportunity to walk away with more power than any businessman has ever wielded in the history of the country.
If this works out the way it appears it almost has to work out, we may all have to stand in awe of the genius of Donald Trump.
And thinking about that is already starting to make me nauseous.
This idea is absurd because it is based on the premise that Hillary Clinton cannot win the presidency on her own merits without a leg-up from Donald Trump. There's no great calculus to his candidacy--he's just running to feed his massive ego. That's the sole motivating force behind everything the man has ever done.
ReplyDelete+1,000
DeleteThat MIGHT have been the original premise. However, I think that has all changed now and he probably is serious and thinks he can win because of the lead he has. I would suggest we all take him seriously.
DeleteNo, I'm not Trump fan, nor Hillary nor Bush fan.
You took the words out of my mouth. It's about Trump's ego. Period. He has no long game at all. He's just in it to feed his ego and he's barreling full steam head without any strategy whatsoever. He's simply tapping into a vein of resentment, racism, bigotry and fear that already exists and is propelling him forward with little effort on his part, while his notoriety guarantees him constant fawning media coverage. I believe it's a recipe for success and I'm scared shitless. I don't know what it will take for his fans to turn on him -- the more bigoted and ignorant he sounds, the more they love him.
DeleteOh pooh on his "lead!" When you look at some of the polling data, you see some of these polls are comprised of 400 or 500 old folks who have land lines or took part in some on-line poll. Most people know the Donald is a pompous ass and a joke.
DeleteHopefully Hillary (Trump Bush) Clinton will not win the nomination.
DeleteI am pulling for Bernie Sanders, Lincoln Chafee, Martin O'Malley, or Jim Webb.
E-Z remedy: President Gore. Quite the wealthy businessman in his own wright. "Can You Hear Me Now?"
ReplyDeleteThis time he gets in it to win it, because now a mandate to act:
Deletehttp://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2015/08/20/july_2015_sets_a_horrifying_new_high_the_hottest_month_ever_recorded.html
Most people are over thinking Trump. But his supporters are not thinking at all.
ReplyDeleteNicely said. I agree.
DeleteHe's running for self-promotion and his ego. Maybe he knows he probably can't win and maybe winning isn't even his goal. But at least some part of him thinks he just might win and wouldn't that be awesome! He's a megalomaniac.
ReplyDeleteThis country is so out of control since President Obama took office that nothing surprises me anymore. I'm just waiting to see if Her Heinous is part of the equation. If she is, you can kiss this ticket goodbye; it will never happen.
ReplyDeleteIt's the far right-wing that lost its mind. Nobody else.
DeleteThis country has pulled together more during Obama's presidency than any recent president has.
It's the right-wing that's out of control. Nobody else.
My point, thank you! Watch them sputter.
DeleteI seriously doubt Trump wants to be President. I think he wants to think he WOULD be President and step aside once he thinks he will. He wants the Repubs nomination and once he has it, he'll quit and drop out.
ReplyDeleteFrom that point on though, he'll pontificate that what he would've done if he'd decided to blah blah blah
Donald Trump is not running for President. Period.
The Kochs will make him an offer that he can't refuse and he will step aside for the Koch-chosen Scott Walker. The Kochs weren't planning on spending more than $900 million dollars to buy Walker the White House but they also didn't foresee a Trump run for President. I find that rather funny that they may have to spend a billion dollars for their favorite candidate.
DeleteHe wants to be KING Trump!
DeleteNo way will Donald Trump's ego defer to the Koch Brothers, for any amount of money, especially since Scott Walker is currently tanking.
DeleteThat makes sense. I figured either it was 1) performance art for his ego or, 2) he's not on his meds. I never figured he was in it to win it. But this makes more sense. I'm not sure HIlary will be as beholden was Rachel suggests, but if it doesn't work, he had a lot of fun and probably hasn't lost much.
ReplyDeleteI think that comment was made in jest.
DeleteThere will be a time when Trump is forced to talk about other issues Conservative salivate over. Family, God aka Ronald Reagan and guns. Things like gay marriage and civil rights will finally define Trump as unelectable for the Righties.
ReplyDeleteHe's already said the Bible was his favorite book. He was shown petting and loving on the American flag with thumbs up. He said he owns a gun and a gun permit - never said he's ever used the gun. He got kind of pissed at the woman reporter who was asking him about the gun. btw the Donald Trump rally tonight at Mobile Alabama had MAYBE 20,000 when he hyped it would be 42,000. It was disgusting to see Morning Joke slobbering all over the trumpster having a rally in his home state of Alabama.
DeleteExcept, Trump is turning a bunch of voting groups/swing voters off to the Republicans. the Republicans have an uphill battle in the electoral college anyway. Trump isn't helping them, even if he doesn't win the primary.
ReplyDeleteI usually like Rachel, but I doubt Trump has the forethought nor skill set to think of this "genius" idea. Trump isn't a problem, at all, for Democrats, he's a Huuuuuuuuge problem for the GOP and all the candidates pussyfooting around him and giving him more power by trying to push back.
ReplyDeleteHillary calls all of them out by name, and Bernie takes the smartest stance, he mentions no one and just sticks with his brilliant visions for our country.
Trump has the GOP by the short and curlies,
Rachel thinks she is so clever and smart, but she is not.
DeleteShe needs to stop assuming that Hillary is a shoo-in for the Democratic nominee.
There are some great REAL Democrats running for the nomination, and I am pulling from one of them.
Bernie Sanders, Lincoln Chafee, Martin O'Malley,Jim Webb.
Bernie Sanders is a Independent/Socialist and I like him but not sure he could win the election because of that. The MEMEs would be incredible comparing him to any alive/dead Socialist and the Republican would have a heyday! I love that he is bringing the progressive side to the table but we still are a Populist nation. JMHO !
Delete2:42 I agree. She is a Rick Perry glasses wearer, that should tell you everything. Frankly she is a giant bore that never really gets anything right.
DeleteThat's a good point about what he will be looking to get in return. He has lots of sketch foreign business prospects and doesn't have the kind of money that he says he has, IMO.
ReplyDeleteOr, maybe he's running to launder money or so his super pac could be a tax haven? He keeps wearing that hat advertising his super pac. why would he do that if he were going to finance the whole thing himself?
Trump Rule #1 -- Don't spend your own money when you can spend other people's.
DeleteRachel Maddow Friday showed just how Trump has captured the anti-illegal (and legal) immigrants in Alabama by cosying up to Sessions, the architect and fire-brand of anti-imigrants taking jobs away from "real" Americans.
ReplyDeleteHe also took the pawns of Sarah Palin by his acolades of her, whether or not he meant them. He gave Her Heiness a kiss on the cheek. .
I wonder if he is playing a bigger game of chess than running for POTUS. He wins by garnering popular anger. He's now got a huge following and that gives him leverage. He is a shrewd businessman. I'll give him that.
The day Trump announced, I said he will use the third party threat. Maddow thinks it will give Clinton the presidency, but I think the real problem is the Electoral College. Trump's third party could very well annul the popular vote with the presidency up for grabs in the Electoral College.
ReplyDeleteThe powers behind the GOP and the Democratic party have huge money in this game. And it's all wasted if assorted unknowns in the Electoral College get the final say.
Trump expects to be paid yuuuge money to bow out of the race. The money will be paid in the form of business deals over decades. Trump is spending millions on his little game. He's been in business a long time. He expects and will get enormous return on his investment.
Trump can NOT lose. The damage he is doing to politics in this country is yuuuuuge. But Trump does not care.
Hillary is NOT the only one running on the Democratic side. I wish people would acknowledge the other candidates.
DeleteI say screw em all...
ReplyDeleteI'm feelin the Bern for 2016...
Now whatcha gonna do?
I'm with Bernie.
DeleteHey Hey. I am for Bernie, or Lincoln Chafee.
DeletePopular vote doesn't count anyway. It's all about the elextro college. Ask president gore.
ReplyDeleteI don't think Trump planned any of this. I think he got into the mix because he knew that if he didn't, he'd be dismissed outright for having threatened a run for so many previous cycles but never having the balls to follow-through on it. He wanted as much coverage as possible to increase his brand visibility and to have enough credibility to continue his role as Republican king-maker that Mitt Romney legitimized last cycle, but that would be jeopardized if he was dismissed as un-serious. He probably figured he'd last until the first debate and then bow out, citing low poll numbers, and be able to provide commentary for the rest of the process.
ReplyDeleteHis several-week hold on the top spot in the polls (and by nearly double that of number 2) probably shocked the fuck out of him and changed the dynamic of what he intended. I'd bet anything he never considered he might actually win the nomination, but the polls are making him think he might have a shot and there's not much of a downside to giving it an honest try at this point. He's been able to run his campaign on a bare-bones budget since the press comes to him and he can self-finance for a while before feeling any pain.
The longer he stays in, the better it will be for his next role as commentator or for the next book he writes. If the vile things he's said about Mexicans and McCain and Kelly haven't spooked his supporters yet, nothing's likely to. He'll have to be knocked off his position when the field narrows and someone else surges as we draw closer to the primaries.
But his stances will drive a Yuuuuuge number of HIllary or Bernie supporters to the polls in shear terror should he get the nomination - best thing ever to get folks to the polls. Legal and second and third generation immigrants all know someone here illegally - friends, cousins, etc. He says dippity do da about Eastern European and Asian visa overstays who fly in, and just demonizes brown people. Leaves the Asians wondering who is next.
DeleteI don't believe for a moment that even Trump expected how many bigoted assholes would worship him.
ReplyDeleteHe's not running for president because of any well thought out philosophy, so he may actually be getting scared at the freaks he's attracting.
And Hillary won't owe him a thing, not now and not ever.
Trump is pals with the Clinton's this is one of the reasons why I don't trust Hillary, and do not want her as the nominee.
DeleteMeh, he's too well insulated from "those people" They sure aren't the types that can afford to golf at his courses or live in his lux condos. They are the folks who can maybe afford a Trump hat - on clearance.
DeleteI think Trump is a plant by the Clintons to take out all of the front-runners. Notice that he'll say something bad, but not too derogatory about HRC, however, he really takes apart the other R's that are running.
ReplyDeleteI'd still like to know what his secret meeting with Cruz was all about.
DeleteThat is a nonsensical thing to say.
DeleteBeaglemom
Trump will not be president. Dont worry, there are many normal people, but you have to work at the crazy and lies as trump is full of it. There are no do overs if you are president. Thats his world.
ReplyDeleteI hope Hillary is not going to be president either. She is pals with Trump. She is also pals with the Bushes.
DeleteBernie Sanders, Lincoln Chafee, Martin O'Malley, Or Jim Webb will be better.
ANd can you imagine him having to work with Congress and SCOTUS? where you're fired is met with a "nuh uh."
DeleteDo over marriages, do over bankruptcies,...
DeleteSo, if I'm understanding the logic correctly. If Trump's threat of a third run is the greatest threat to the Republian Party, does it trump the role/power Ailes & Murdock had over the Republican Party? Was that what he meant by ask Ailes who won?
ReplyDeleteDamn, Hillary Clinton is NOT the only Democrat in this race. I am sick of people insinuating that. I hope Hillary is NOT the nominee.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Rachel Maddow thinks she "knows it all". But he doesn't.
Rachel does not know what she is talking about most of the time. But she thinks she knows it all. Besides Hillary is not the only one running on the Democratic side.
ReplyDeleteI do wish that some pundit would start talking about what a dangerous megalomanic Donald Trump is. The two Boston thugs who beat the homeless man say they were inspired by Trump. He did not criticize them; he cheered them on by admiring their passion and energy. We all need to think about that. Donald Trump gave thugs all over the country free rein to abuse anyone they meet who doesn't fit Trump's image of a "winner."
ReplyDeleteThere is not one "policy" statement that Trump has made to date that shows that he either understands how government works or really wants to make anything better. He is a maker of mayhem.
No one aiming for the highest job in the free world should be a mayhem maker.
Not one pundit has taken on Trump's statement that all of the auto manufacturing jobs should be taken from Michigan (i.e. union workers) and given to people who would work for less in some other mythical part of the country. Or maybe China - where his neckties, etc. are made. No one has taken on his statements about immigration or the Mexican wall which, by some magic power, he would make Mexico pay for. No one has asked him if there would be a Canadian wall next.
Not one pundit questioned his outrageous statement that people who get captured are "losers." Who would want such a mean spirited and hateful person in charge of the US military? And what are all of the ramifications of that statement? We know that Donald Trump thinks that people who are not rich are "losers." How would he treat them as president? Would he direct FEMA to help in areas ripped apart by natural disasters or would he say that the victims should have lived in bigger, stronger homes?
No one in the media, print or otherwise, has had the courage to take him seriously as we all should. In a North Carolina poll he bested Hillary Clinton by ten points. Now I have no idea who was polled there and I know it's a GOP state, but it should make the rest of us very uneasy to think that potential voters have paid so little attention to what Donald Trump has done in his life or what he has really said or how he has treated people over the years.
During the 1920's Adolf Hitler came on the scene in a deeply troubled "Mittel Europa" and gained recognition for being outrageous. Lots of people laughed at him and ignored the fact that others cheered him. In less than two decades Europe was in rubble and millions of people were dead. Donald Trump is not a joke; he is potentially a dangerous person who should not be at the helm of a fruit stand, let alone at the helm of the United States of America.
Beaglemom
Thanks, yes keep on writing. He is a cray, cray. A leader of the free world, not.
DeleteVery well put, once again, Beaglemom.
DeleteHe is like SP when she first arrived on the scene -- all winks and smiles, and wrapped in the American flag -- and only a few recognized her potential to enflame & justify every un-evolved American idiot's thoughts and actions. She paved the way for Trump and the GOP candidates.
Nobody called her out either.
Why is this? Do journalists fear lack of future access? Are they controlled by Koch-Bro-like media owners? Do news networks believe entertainment is all Americans want? Do ratings now drive Everything? Was the TV series The Newsroom for naught?
The only thing I like about Cruz is his look. He would look good as US prez. That is all. Nothing else. If only he could have been like JFK. He is nowhere near that. There I stated it.
ReplyDeleteCaption for the top photo.. Just a couple of dickheads
ReplyDelete