The Ivytalk / Chizzang: Trump Takes the Gold thread

[YoUDeeMan]

Even if your goal is to smash everything and start over, Trump is not the right change agent. Loyalty to his "strongman" personality is personal only, based on a "tell it like it is" approach that is bereft of policy depth. I don't want to "go all JSO" on you, but he's a dangerously unstable hypocrite who has probably lied more than the Hildabeast. Do you support deporting millions of illegals and bringing most of them back, while using illegals yourself? Building a wall and having no way of making Mexico pay for it? Supposedly disavowing David Duke with a "what do you guys want?" shrug? Backing unbridled eminent domain for the benefit of fat-cat developers and screwing the little guy with a dilapidated house? Undoing two generations of defamation law by making it easier for loudmouthed public figures to stifle the First Amendment by suing for any perceived slight? Being clueless about our Constitutional structure of government and the basic "who's who" of foreign policy? If your answer to these questions is yes,I guess Americans really do get the guvmint they deserve.

In a battle of two giant azzclowns, I'll take Trump.

I'm not worried about the things you brought up. Why? Let's take them in order.

1) Lacking policy depth. You must be kidding. Have you been sleeping through the past several elections? Politicians come out and blather about their plans...and none of them actually have any depth because they fear that they will expose themselves and their plans to criticism. This is nothing new. Then, when they get into office, they try to sneak things past (pork was supposed to end under Obama, wasn't it...it has only gotten worse) or they try to jam it down our throats (Obamacare), all without discussion.

The thing about Trump is that he will come at Washington from a different angle. The old angle is rotten...time for something new.

2) You might say Trump is the king of lies, but Hillary is the queen of lies. We'll see if Trump passes Obomba. But, in the meantime, lying can't be a reason to not vote for Trump.

3) Illegals. Yeah, I support kicking them out. Obama's been doing it at a record pace (not fast enough)...has the economy collapsed? Have the Dems turned on Obama? Has the world burned down? Nope. Secure our borders and fix our immigration policy. I am all for immigration..but I am not for an open border. Why is that so hard for some people to comprehend?

4) As far as paying for building the wall...you must be kidding. A wall, even if we paid for ti ourselves, would cost a small fraction of what we spend in the Middle East. It would put people to work...it would be done with American equipment. What the fvck is there not to like? And yes, fvck Mexico...if they owe us money...use that money to offset the cost of the wall. Break the existing rules and get the US back to spending money on us.

5) The KKK nonsense. http://www.cbsnews.com/live/video/donal ... es-on-kkk/

Look at that video. When the words Ku Klux Klan are mentioned is when Donald is talking. It is hard to hear clearly what the other person is saying when you are speaking. Why is that hard to understand? Trump CLEARLY says that if you give him a list of groups, he'll research them and if there is something wrong, then he'll disavow them. The focus was on David Duke...not the KKK. 20 years ago, Trump said he would not be interested in David Duke because of the Klan connections. In between then and now Trump probably hasn't heard that name (cripes, I didn't know David Duke was still alive and would not have associated the name with the Klan), so he is asked about an endorsement from a name from the past and he says that he wouldn't want to condemn someone or their group without knowing more about them. WTF is wrong with that? That is a rational response. The interviewer continues to press Trump, and at that point, Trump keeps repeating that he would need to research and not make a decision without information. Again...WTF is wrong with that? Trump didn't want to get baited into saying something on the spur of the moment...and we all know Trump shuts down and stops listening when people try to tie him down to a corner. His internal voice was probably saying, "what an idiot...why does he keep asking me about this guy?? So, people want Trump to not be so, "unstable" or say he is, "quick to make a decision without putting any thought into what he says," but when Trump says he needs to do more research before he condemns someone or their group, people jump on him because he didn't answer quickly enough.

People love gotcha' moments. Turns out people are often more irrational than Trump.

5) Unbridled eminent domain. As a Delawarean, with all of the crap that goes on in this state, with a wink and a nod, you must be kidding. Nothing can be worse than what we have. NOTHING. If anything, Trump, if he tries that stuff, will get attacked so publicly and viciously by the press and the public that it just might make a difference.

6) Defamation and the First Amendment. Obama & Co., and politicians in general, have already stifled the First Amendment and replaced free thinking with carefully choreographed, "town halls, and scripted, canned speeches. Obama has threatened everyone who wants to publish any information that makes him look bad, and Hillary wants to throw whistleblowers in jail. NONE of the existing establishment politicians want the public to know what they are doing.

What will be interesting is how the press will react to Trump. The treated Obama with kid gloves...and they are currently not going after Hillary. My bet is that they constantly tear into Trump...and that would be refreshing. You are a lawyer...you should LOVE Trump's challenges to speech. If our laws are fair, and Trump tries to get rid of free speech, then Trump loses those lawsuits, very publicly, and the First Amendment comes out stronger than ever. If our laws incorrect, or if Trump is indeed being plastered in a bad light, then why hate the man for using the laws to protect his rights?

7) Constitution and the government. Again...King of the Pen Obama has shlt all over the constitution...and Hillary has already publicly, without repercussions from her fans, ignored anything that blocks her from getting her way. And she does it with the consent of the Party. Trump, if he wins, won't have the Party. He'll be held responsible for his actions. What is left of the Dems and Repubs will PUBLICLY fight him tooth and nail instead of going about business as usual. That is all I want from all of this...transparency, and a third party that can hold the other two accountable. With only two choices, politicians know they can get away with murder.

8) Who's Who of foreign policy. Fvck that. Seriously...look at who gets elected in foreign countries. Trump, or anyone else, is supposed to kow-tow and be all knowledgeable to the leaders of foreign countries? How has that worked out for us in the past few decades? Do you think China respects us? Europe? Russia? Are you kidding? And who cares? Make the deal...and make it a good one for us. That is all. It really is that simple. wikileaks embarrassed some folks in our political and economic leadership positions. Too bad. Make the deal and get the fvck over yourselves and your pompous presentations. Trump makes deals. He knows how to deal with other business people. Does he burn some bridges? Sure. So what?

Trump will come at politics from a different angle. You seem very comfortable with the existing shlt that is going on. Congrats...but that isn't working for most people. Let's try something different. If it doesn't work, we can go back to the same shlt different day stuff you seem to enjoy. But let's at least try.

[SDHornet]

Get use to it 'cause hilldog is going to run that on a loop nonstop until November.

I just watched that video. WTF are people talking about?

The only time the interviewer said Ku Klux Clan was when Trump was talking, so he could not have heard the words. Donald CLEARLY said, right in that interview, that he would certainly disavow groups that were wrong. He was being asked to condemn someone who belonged to a group, and Donald said to give him a list and he would research the groups and disavow group that were wrong.

He didn't want to condemn someone or something about which he didn't know. That is a rational response. Of course, rational is not the word that people want to hear because all people want to do is catch someone in a supposed, "gotcha' moment.

Low information, emotionally based voters.

Here's the clip.

http://www.cbsnews.com/live/video/donal ... es-on-kkk/

Seriously, is this what people are talking about?

As sharpe as Trump and his campaign have been so far, I don't buy this explanation one bit. No reason for them not to IMMEDIATELY condemn DD and his KKK followers shortly after the interview.

[SDHornet]

Me neither. In fact I've never watched any of them.

My comment is spot **** on. You've fallen into the trap of taking Trump's rhetoric seriously. I did the same with Obama in 2008. Trump is a full of **** entertainer and there are enough checks to prevent him from destroying the country.

Tone down the drama, JSO.

I'm not in agreement with kalmie often, but he's right here, Trump isn't going to destroy the country if he's President - we've turned obstructed government into an art form, even Trump won't be able to do too many bad things in that environment.

There is one big hole in this, and that is that the next POTUS will likely have 3 SCOTUS nominations who could very likely green light executive fiats...

[kalm]

I'm not in agreement with kalmie often, but he's right here, Trump isn't going to destroy the country if he's President - we've turned obstructed government into an art form, even Trump won't be able to do too many bad things in that environment.

There is one big hole in this, and that is that the next POTUS will likely have 3 SCOTUS nominations who could very likely green light executive fiats...

He will surround himself with the most brilliant of legal advisors to help him make the selections and those appointees will be amazing. It'll make your head spin.

[YoUDeeMan]

As sharpe as Trump and his campaign have been so far, I don't buy this explanation one bit. No reason for them not to IMMEDIATELY condemn DD and his KKK followers shortly after the interview.

Huh? IMMEDIATELY? People in this country are really screwed up. They want IMMEDIATE satisfaction for THEIR concerns and screw everyone else's schedule. JFC, this country really is full of shltty, selfish, one dimensional people.

Instant gratification.

Hillary has YEARS of looking down her nose at people...and YEARS of playing people, sexual orientation, and races, against each other. Yet the mainstream media goes after Trump for not IMMEDIATELY making an intentionally whacked out interview topic his priority above everything else.

Seriously, when does Hillary get questioned about any of her supporters?

Never...we have to nail the White guy and make him look racist to get the minority vote.

Funny, Trump wants to make it America focused...help get jobs, help build the middle class...and yet some fools want to make this about HIS race and HIS gender, while giving Hillary a pass.

I guess Hillary supporters want Trump to, "heel" also.

In the meantime, you will vote third party in the election that, if you vote for Trump, will allow you to break the existing whacked out power structure because you won't support a white guy who won't, "heel" to your hyper sensitivities.

This is the one time when voting Republican WILL be a third party vote. Trump supporters are tired of the same ol' same ol', but you must LOVE the system in place. And you must LOVE the idea of Hillary in the White House.

Vote for Trump and the fringe whack job Repubs will never get back into power. If Trump wins the general election, the majority of Dems will lose their minds and fracture as well.

Win, win.

[SDHornet]

We’re talking about the KKK here. A group with a storied past regarding racism and bigotry in this country. While I get the point of your rant, which is valid, it’s still the mother fucking KKK. Trying to shrug this off as no big deal, or an event that is irrelevant is nonsense. And Trump should absolutely use this as an opportunity to highlight hilldogs questionable endorsements. Sitting there crying about the double standard the media holds (which every conk going into this election should be prepared for) ain’t gonna get you anywhere.

[SDHornet]

There is one big hole in this, and that is that the next POTUS will likely have 3 SCOTUS nominations who could very likely green light executive fiats...

He will surround himself with the most brilliant of legal advisors to help him make the selections and those appointees will be amazing. It'll make your head spin.

Everybody loves him, he's great.

[YoUDeeMan]

We’re talking about the KKK here. A group with a storied past regarding racism and bigotry in this country. While I get the point of your rant, which is valid, it’s still the mother fucking KKK. Trying to shrug this off as no big deal, or an event that is irrelevant is nonsense. And Trump should absolutely use this as an opportunity to highlight hilldogs questionable endorsements. Sitting there crying about the double standard the media holds (which every conk going into this election should be prepared for) ain’t gonna get you anywhere.

Again...listen to the interview.

Trump was asked about David Duke...a person Trump rejected 20 years ago. But who the heck knew Duke was still alive? Most people in America, before this incident, probably wouldn't know the name David Duke unless it was put into context. Trump was asking for the name of the groups, he'd research them, and if they were wrong he'd disavow them. The first time KKK was mentioned, Trump was talking...how the fvck could he hear it? By the time KKK rolled around again, my bet is that Trump wasn't listening...he'd already answered the question several times and was, as he ALWAYS does, getting tired of the question.

He moved on (funny term, in this context ). Of course, after the firestorm, he came out again against David Duke and the Klan...again...as he had 20 years ago.

There really is no story here. Seriously, unless someone thinks Donald was actually dumb enough to embrace, as you put it, the mother fucking KKK. C'mon...you can't be serious with that idea.

Trump is correct about many things people don't want to talk about. We've got drugs infesting our communities and no one is really doing a thing about it. We are losing jobs overseas...and no one is doing a damned thing about it. We are letting China get away with murder with our intellectual property...and no one is doing a thing about it. We are involved in stupid wars, wars (Obama and Hillary) have created and perpetuated, in the Middle East, at the behest of the Saudi coalition - the very people Hillary is taking money from! We are building billions of dollars of infrastructure in Iraq and elsewhere while our infrastructure crumbles...and that has been the plan of our existing government cronies. We have high unemployment, underpaid masses, crime running rampant, and people squeezed against each other by color/ethnic/income/gender boxes...and that is being played up by the existing parties and the media. Cripes, all CNN did was talk about the African American votes for Hillary. WTF...WHO is focused on race...Trump?

Yet because Trump talks about upholding our laws, and limiting (not eliminating) immigration to LEGAL immigration, he is a racist? Because he is asking us to limit Muslim immigration at a time when it is rather dangerous to allow anyone in that we do not know, he is a racist? Whoops...all of Europe must be racist because they certainly are limiting immigration of Muslims...especially healthy Muslim males. Whoa...seems as though Turkey is also a bunch of bogoted/racist Muslims...they have stopped Syrians at their border. Why is that?

Nonsense.

Nothing wrong with making it harder for unknown people to get into this country. Vet them, then let them in if they will contribute. Not hard to understand...but some will make it a racist issue. People have lost their minds.

[AZGrizFan]

This is the one time when voting Republican WILL be a third party vote. Trump supporters are tired of the same ol' same ol', but you must LOVE the system in place. And you must LOVE the idea of Hillary in the White House.

Vote for Trump and the fringe whack job Repubs will never get back into power. If Trump wins the general election, the majority of Dems will lose their minds and fracture as well.

Win, win.

Interesting take.

[BDKJMU]

Me neither. In fact I've never watched any of them.

My comment is spot **** on. You've fallen into the trap of taking Trump's rhetoric seriously. I did the same with Obama in 2008. Trump is a full of **** entertainer and there are enough checks to prevent him from destroying the country.

Tone down the drama, JSO.

****. I have to agree with kalm here too. Yes, I'm ashamed.
Trump is trying to gain votes. And he is tapping into the anger of many Americans to do it. He's just playing the game. The question is, will he surround himself with good people? Let's face it, we really don't know what his platform is. But is that any different from voting for a candidate's platform that fails to materialize? History shows that many campaign promises are broken.

If platform & positions, we may only get a limited amount of that from the debates and speeches, but he has a fair amount on his web page...
https://www.donaldjtrump.com/positions

[Ivytalk]

****. I have to agree with kalm here too. Yes, I'm ashamed.
Trump is trying to gain votes. And he is tapping into the anger of many Americans to do it. He's just playing the game. The question is, will he surround himself with good people? Let's face it, we really don't know what his platform is. But is that any different from voting for a candidate's platform that fails to materialize? History shows that many campaign promises are broken.

If platform & positions, we may only get a limited amount of that from the debates and speeches, but he has a fair amount on his web page...
https://www.donaldjtrump.com/positions

...which is morphing by the minute!

[UNI88]

Me neither. In fact I've never watched any of them.

My comment is spot **** on. You've fallen into the trap of taking Trump's rhetoric seriously. I did the same with Obama in 2008. Trump is a full of **** entertainer and there are enough checks to prevent him from destroying the country.

Tone down the drama, JSO.

While I agree with your statement, it's not "the wall", or 1st Amendment rights or the deportation of millions of illegals that I'm concerned about. What there's NOT enough checks for are things like preventing him from stepping on his dick, starting a "police action" and committing troops because of some perceived slight, opening his mouth and embarrassing the country, **** up international relations beyond repair, etc., etc., etc.

Spot on and you also need to include the use of executive orders to end run Congress and those checks and balances. I think the country can survive a Trump presidency but he (and Cruz) still scare me a lot more than any previous candidate.

[UNI88]

Aren't we bitchy this morning.

Speak for yourself. Actually, there was an implied compliment in my post. The three of you (or at least GF and UNI) would be a PBS panel of experts, compared to the clowns we have on offer now.

Don't worry Ivy, I took it as the milquetoast compliment it was intended to be.

[YoUDeeMan]

While I agree with your statement, it's not "the wall", or 1st Amendment rights or the deportation of millions of illegals that I'm concerned about. What there's NOT enough checks for are things like preventing him from stepping on his dick, starting a "police action" and committing troops because of some perceived slight, opening his mouth and embarrassing the country, **** up international relations beyond repair, etc., etc., etc.

Spot on and you also need to include the use of executive orders to end run Congress and those checks and balances. I think the country can survive a Trump presidency but he (and Cruz) still scare me a lot more than any previous candidate.

C'mon...you can't be serious. More than Hillary? More than Bernie?

Trump isn't going to start a war..he correctly points out the ridiculousness of Syrian and Libya. He's a business man. Unless Trump has a major hold on the stocks of a defense department company, then he isn't going to start a war.

And embarrassing the country? Are you kidding? First off...who cares what other countries think? The leaders of countries are all spying on each other and saying things behind each other's backs anyway, so why would anyone care about what people thought about America because of Trump? Seriously, name the leaders of more than 10 countries...I guarantee you that most people can't. Why? Because it doesn't matter to the average joe in any country. America made Polish jokes for decades...is Poland somehow impacted by those jokes? Comedians and the media in this country, and others, have made jokes about American presidents forever...and what became of all that criticism and indignity?

Let me give you a hint...NOTHING.

Pull up your skirt and stop being ridiculous about how America is seen elsewhere.

Police action...way too funny. Obama was supposed to stop that stuff...how'd it work out? We have police actioned our way around this planet since our beginning, and you put that as an argument against Trump. WTF are you thinking? And how, exactly, will Trump fvck up international relations? Will Europe stop doing business with us? Will they simply walk away from the US defense umbrella? Will China simply stop trading with us if they get a deal that is less than what they want (which is always to have things go THEIR way)?

You must be joking. International business, and international relations, will continue...because that is what businesses and their political puppets do. But, can we strike a much better deal with our international business decisions...better for America? You bet we can. Hillary won't...she's taking money from the other country's leading loonies for Christ's sake. Give Trump a shot and stop putting out ridiculous nonsense about how America will look to the rest of the world.

[Ivytalk]

Speak for yourself. Actually, there was an implied compliment in my post. The three of you (or at least GF and UNI) would be a PBS panel of experts, compared to the clowns we have on offer now.

Don't worry Ivy, I took it as the milquetoast compliment it was intended to be.

Indeed it was, Jim Lehrer!

[Ivytalk]

Spot on and you also need to include the use of executive orders to end run Congress and those checks and balances. I think the country can survive a Trump presidency but he (and Cruz) still scare me a lot more than any previous candidate.

C'mon...you can't be serious. More than Hillary? More than Bernie?

Trump isn't going to start a war..he correctly points out the ridiculousness of Syrian and Libya. He's a business man. Unless Trump has a major hold on the stocks of a defense department company, then he isn't going to start a war.

And embarrassing the country? Are you kidding? First off...who cares what other countries think? The leaders of countries are all spying on each other and saying things behind each other's backs anyway, so why would anyone care about what people thought about America because of Trump? Seriously, name the leaders of more than 10 countries...I guarantee you that most people can't. Why? Because it doesn't matter to the average joe in any country. America made Polish jokes for decades...is Poland somehow impacted by those jokes? Comedians and the media in this country, and others, have made jokes about American presidents forever...and what became of all that criticism and indignity?

Let me give you a hint...NOTHING.

Pull up your skirt and stop being ridiculous about how America is seen elsewhere.

Police action...way too funny. Obama was supposed to stop that stuff...how'd it work out? We have police actioned our way around this planet since our beginning, and you put that as an argument against Trump. WTF are you thinking? And how, exactly, will Trump fvck up international relations? Will Europe stop doing business with us? Will they simply walk away from the US defense umbrella? Will China simply stop trading with us if they get a deal that is less than what they want (which is always to have things go THEIR way)?

You must be joking. International business, and international relations, will continue...because that is what businesses and their political puppets do. But, can we strike a much better deal with our international business decisions...better for America? You bet we can. Hillary won't...she's taking money from the other country's leading loonies for Christ's sake. Give Trump a shot and stop putting out ridiculous nonsense about how America will look to the rest of the world.

Iconocluck: destroyer of everything, builder of nothing. Have you paused to listen to yourself? You are settling for the least common denominator, and spending way too much bandwidth doing it. You've practically canonized the Great Orange Douchebag. Put him on Rushmore. Put a brown paper bag over your head and breathe deeply.

[YoUDeeMan]

Iconocluck: destroyer of everything, builder of nothing. Have you paused to listen to yourself? You are settling for the least common denominator, and spending way too much bandwidth doing it. You've practically canonized the Great Orange Douchebag. Put him on Rushmore. Put a brown paper bag over your head and breathe deeply.

No, Ivy. I want to build something...something different than what we have now. The Dems and Repubs have done NOTHING for the middle class for a long, long time, they pander to the extremes and take the middle for granted.

You seem to be afraid of change. That's OK...that is the very definition of a conservative. But the old Republican party is dead...as it should be. It can salvage something out of this...but is seems as though they'd rather pull out all the stops to hold back the water behind the cracking dyke (uh, no, JSO, that wasn't a comment about Hilary and her followers...context).

The Republicans will walk away wit their party shattered and defeated for decades if they don't embrace the call for REAL change. And no, Cruz/Rubio/Kasich won't do it.

Enjoy losing the White House and Congress if you don't listen to the call for change.

The world will not end. America won't end. However, the Republican party will simply not matter anymore to the VAST majority of Americans.

[Ivytalk]

Iconocluck: destroyer of everything, builder of nothing. Have you paused to listen to yourself? You are settling for the least common denominator, and spending way too much bandwidth doing it. You've practically canonized the Great Orange Douchebag. Put him on Rushmore. Put a brown paper bag over your head and breathe deeply.

No, Ivy. I want to build something...something different than what we have now. The Dems and Repubs have done NOTHING for the middle class for a long, long time, they pander to the extremes and take the middle for granted.

You seem to be afraid of change. That's OK...that is the very definition of a conservative. But the old Republican party is dead...as it should be. It can salvage something out of this...but is seems as though they'd rather pull out all the stops to hold back the water behind the cracking dyke (uh, no, JSO, that wasn't a comment about Hilary and her followers...context).

The Republicans will walk away wit their party shattered and defeated for decades if they don't embrace the call for REAL change. And no, Cruz/Rubio/Kasich won't do it.

Enjoy losing the White House and Congress if you don't listen to the call for change.

The world will not end. America won't end. However, the Republican party will simply not matter anymore to the VAST majority of Americans.

What were you saying about a trout?

[YoUDeeMan]

No, Ivy. I want to build something...something different than what we have now. The Dems and Repubs have done NOTHING for the middle class for a long, long time, they pander to the extremes and take the middle for granted.

You seem to be afraid of change. That's OK...that is the very definition of a conservative. But the old Republican party is dead...as it should be. It can salvage something out of this...but is seems as though they'd rather pull out all the stops to hold back the water behind the cracking dyke (uh, no, JSO, that wasn't a comment about Hilary and her followers...context).

The Republicans will walk away wit their party shattered and defeated for decades if they don't embrace the call for REAL change. And no, Cruz/Rubio/Kasich won't do it.

Enjoy losing the White House and Congress if you don't listen to the call for change.

The world will not end. America won't end. However, the Republican party will simply not matter anymore to the VAST majority of Americans.

What were you saying about a trout?

I think we got our lines tangled.

[UNI88]

Spot on and you also need to include the use of executive orders to end run Congress and those checks and balances. I think the country can survive a Trump presidency but he (and Cruz) still scare me a lot more than any previous candidate.

C'mon...you can't be serious. More than Hillary? More than Bernie?

Trump isn't going to start a war..he correctly points out the ridiculousness of Syrian and Libya. He's a Con man. Unless Trump has a major hold on the stocks of a defense department company, then he isn't going to start a war.

FIFY

You call Trump a business man, I consider him more of a con man. He inherited a million dollars and he has built and destroyed several fortunes using what IMO are close to ponzi development/investment schemes and leaving a trail of broken promises and broken fortunes behind him. With that approach, I wonder what he'll do or try to do to the country (not that the Fed, SS and the deficit itself aren't ponzi schemes as well).

Thinking it through I would probably rank the candidates as follows:
Kasich
Sanders
Rubio
Clinton
Trump
Cruz
Carson

I don't disagree with much of what you said though and so Sanders is high for many of the reasons that you support Trump. I think the benefits would be similar but the risk is considerably lower.

Cruz is a political doomsday wing nut who would destroy DC and salt the earth so we couldn't rebuild a better system.

[93henfan]

Even if your goal is to smash everything and start over, Trump is not the right change agent. Loyalty to his "strongman" personality is personal only, based on a "tell it like it is" approach that is bereft of policy depth. I don't want to "go all JSO" on you, but he's a dangerously unstable hypocrite who has probably lied more than the Hildabeast. Do you support deporting millions of illegals and bringing most of them back, while using illegals yourself? Building a wall and having no way of making Mexico pay for it? Supposedly disavowing David Duke with a "what do you guys want?" shrug? Backing unbridled eminent domain for the benefit of fat-cat developers and screwing the little guy with a dilapidated house? Undoing two generations of defamation law by making it easier for loudmouthed public figures to stifle the First Amendment by suing for any perceived slight? Being clueless about our Constitutional structure of government and the basic "who's who" of foreign policy? If your answer to these questions is yes,I guess Americans really do get the guvmint they deserve.

In a battle of two giant azzclowns, I'll take Trump.

I'm not worried about the things you brought up. Why? Let's take them in order.

1) Lacking policy depth. You must be kidding. Have you been sleeping through the past several elections? Politicians come out and blather about their plans...and none of them actually have any depth because they fear that they will expose themselves and their plans to criticism. This is nothing new. Then, when they get into office, they try to sneak things past (pork was supposed to end under Obama, wasn't it...it has only gotten worse) or they try to jam it down our throats (Obamacare), all without discussion.

The thing about Trump is that he will come at Washington from a different angle. The old angle is rotten...time for something new.

2) You might say Trump is the king of lies, but Hillary is the queen of lies. We'll see if Trump passes Obomba. But, in the meantime, lying can't be a reason to not vote for Trump.

3) Illegals. Yeah, I support kicking them out. Obama's been doing it at a record pace (not fast enough)...has the economy collapsed? Have the Dems turned on Obama? Has the world burned down? Nope. Secure our borders and fix our immigration policy. I am all for immigration..but I am not for an open border. Why is that so hard for some people to comprehend?

4) As far as paying for building the wall...you must be kidding. A wall, even if we paid for ti ourselves, would cost a small fraction of what we spend in the Middle East. It would put people to work...it would be done with American equipment. What the fvck is there not to like? And yes, fvck Mexico...if they owe us money...use that money to offset the cost of the wall. Break the existing rules and get the US back to spending money on us.

5) The KKK nonsense. http://www.cbsnews.com/live/video/donal ... es-on-kkk/

Look at that video. When the words Ku Klux Klan are mentioned is when Donald is talking. It is hard to hear clearly what the other person is saying when you are speaking. Why is that hard to understand? Trump CLEARLY says that if you give him a list of groups, he'll research them and if there is something wrong, then he'll disavow them. The focus was on David Duke...not the KKK. 20 years ago, Trump said he would not be interested in David Duke because of the Klan connections. In between then and now Trump probably hasn't heard that name (cripes, I didn't know David Duke was still alive and would not have associated the name with the Klan), so he is asked about an endorsement from a name from the past and he says that he wouldn't want to condemn someone or their group without knowing more about them. WTF is wrong with that? That is a rational response. The interviewer continues to press Trump, and at that point, Trump keeps repeating that he would need to research and not make a decision without information. Again...WTF is wrong with that? Trump didn't want to get baited into saying something on the spur of the moment...and we all know Trump shuts down and stops listening when people try to tie him down to a corner. His internal voice was probably saying, "what an idiot...why does he keep asking me about this guy?? So, people want Trump to not be so, "unstable" or say he is, "quick to make a decision without putting any thought into what he says," but when Trump says he needs to do more research before he condemns someone or their group, people jump on him because he didn't answer quickly enough.

People love gotcha' moments. Turns out people are often more irrational than Trump.

5) Unbridled eminent domain. As a Delawarean, with all of the crap that goes on in this state, with a wink and a nod, you must be kidding. Nothing can be worse than what we have. NOTHING. If anything, Trump, if he tries that stuff, will get attacked so publicly and viciously by the press and the public that it just might make a difference.

6) Defamation and the First Amendment. Obama & Co., and politicians in general, have already stifled the First Amendment and replaced free thinking with carefully choreographed, "town halls, and scripted, canned speeches. Obama has threatened everyone who wants to publish any information that makes him look bad, and Hillary wants to throw whistleblowers in jail. NONE of the existing establishment politicians want the public to know what they are doing.

What will be interesting is how the press will react to Trump. The treated Obama with kid gloves...and they are currently not going after Hillary. My bet is that they constantly tear into Trump...and that would be refreshing. You are a lawyer...you should LOVE Trump's challenges to speech. If our laws are fair, and Trump tries to get rid of free speech, then Trump loses those lawsuits, very publicly, and the First Amendment comes out stronger than ever. If our laws incorrect, or if Trump is indeed being plastered in a bad light, then why hate the man for using the laws to protect his rights?

7) Constitution and the government. Again...King of the Pen Obama has shlt all over the constitution...and Hillary has already publicly, without repercussions from her fans, ignored anything that blocks her from getting her way. And she does it with the consent of the Party. Trump, if he wins, won't have the Party. He'll be held responsible for his actions. What is left of the Dems and Repubs will PUBLICLY fight him tooth and nail instead of going about business as usual. That is all I want from all of this...transparency, and a third party that can hold the other two accountable. With only two choices, politicians know they can get away with murder.

8) Who's Who of foreign policy. Fvck that. Seriously...look at who gets elected in foreign countries. Trump, or anyone else, is supposed to kow-tow and be all knowledgeable to the leaders of foreign countries? How has that worked out for us in the past few decades? Do you think China respects us? Europe? Russia? Are you kidding? And who cares? Make the deal...and make it a good one for us. That is all. It really is that simple. wikileaks embarrassed some folks in our political and economic leadership positions. Too bad. Make the deal and get the fvck over yourselves and your pompous presentations. Trump makes deals. He knows how to deal with other business people. Does he burn some bridges? Sure. So what?

Trump will come at politics from a different angle. You seem very comfortable with the existing shlt that is going on. Congrats...but that isn't working for most people. Let's try something different. If it doesn't work, we can go back to the same shlt different day stuff you seem to enjoy. But let's at least try.

Wow, sorry I missed this. Excellent post! You tapped a wall nail with a sledgehammer there.

[CAA Flagship]

C'mon...you can't be serious. More than Hillary? More than Bernie?

Trump isn't going to start a war..he correctly points out the ridiculousness of Syrian and Libya. He's a Con man. Unless Trump has a major hold on the stocks of a defense department company, then he isn't going to start a war.

FIFY

You call Trump a business man, I consider him more of a con man. He inherited a million dollars and he has built and destroyed several fortunes using what IMO are close to ponzi development/investment schemes and leaving a trail of broken promises and broken fortunes behind him. With that approach, I wonder what he'll do or try to do to the country (not that the Fed, SS and the deficit itself aren't ponzi schemes as well).

Thinking it through I would probably rank the candidates as follows:
Kasich
Sanders
Rubio
Clinton
Trump
Cruz
Carson

I don't disagree with much of what you said though and so Sanders is high for many of the reasons that you support Trump. I think the benefits would be similar but the risk is considerably lower.

Cruz is a political doomsday wing nut who would destroy DC and salt the earth so we couldn't rebuild a better system.

I need to hear your argument for Sanders expanded.

[Ibanez]

Speak for yourself. Actually, there was an implied compliment in my post. The three of you (or at least GF and UNI) would be a PBS panel of experts, compared to the clowns we have on offer now.

Don't worry Ivy, I took it as the milquetoast compliment it was intended to be.

I took it too personally. I know I can do that sometimes.

[kalm]

FIFY

You call Trump a business man, I consider him more of a con man. He inherited a million dollars and he has built and destroyed several fortunes using what IMO are close to ponzi development/investment schemes and leaving a trail of broken promises and broken fortunes behind him. With that approach, I wonder what he'll do or try to do to the country (not that the Fed, SS and the deficit itself aren't ponzi schemes as well).

Thinking it through I would probably rank the candidates as follows:
Kasich
Sanders
Rubio
Clinton
Trump
Cruz
Carson

I don't disagree with much of what you said though and so Sanders is high for many of the reasons that you support Trump. I think the benefits would be similar but the risk is considerably lower.

Cruz is a political doomsday wing nut who would destroy DC and salt the earth so we couldn't rebuild a better system.

I need to hear your argument for Sanders expanded.

Less likely to start a war of choice.

Every Republican and moderate Democrat in congress would ball check (ouch!) his plans.

(If congress doesn't) Democratic Socialism has worked elsewhere.

He's defending commie ideals that helped make this country great.

Less prone to getting bogged down by scandal (CID?).

He's a pussy who won't go negative against his political opponents.

[houndawg]

Don't be disingenuous: you know exactly who Coulter is. You've swallowed her Kool-Aid that illegal immigration is the most pressing issue facing this country. It isn't: a stagnant economy is.

Uh, no. I didn't know who she was...and after Googling her, I still don't know, or care, what she thinks, and I do not know what kind of influence she has on anyone's thinking. Frankly, why would anyone would pay attention to her? Was she elected to office at some time (I didn't bother to read the wiki article)? If not, then why would I care about her opinion on anything?

You know, I just tried to watch the news for the first time in a while to see how the Super Duper Tuesday was going, and my TV reminded me that I do not get FOX, MSNBC, Al Jitz, or something called America One.

It appears that I only get CNN and CNBC. After 45 minutes of swapping back and forth between those two stations, it is glaringly obvious that they are meant for entertainment. Their coverage pf Super Tuesday consisted of attacking Trump. NOTHING was mentioned about Clinton/Sanders except a small blurb about her standing up to the pharmaceuticals.

I gave up watching...that was truly a weird experience. And if the average 'Merican is watching those two shows, or anything similar on either side of the spectrum, and forming their opinion based upon those shows, then it explains a lot about where we stand as a nation.

So no, I don't know Ann Coulter...and I don't give a crap about her. And, immigration is not my top priority...not sure where in God's name, or Ann Coulter's name, you got that from.

I do, however, have questions about why limiting illegal immigration is a topic that blows people's minds. I asked honest questions...and instead of thoughtful answers, I got knee jerk, emotionally based responses. It appears that you, not I, have been conditioned by some public figure(s). That is a shame...I would have preferred a reasoned response.

Methinks thou doth protest too much....