Stray Thought

For the "Better Late Than Never" files - if the Jersey Fat Boy Chris Christie is signed up as Trump's attack dog does that mean Kasich will end his extended VP audition, drop the gloves and enter the "Don't Let America TRiUMPh" donnybrook?

OK, sure, would anyone notice if he did? But if he runs out the clock at the next debate the way he did at the last one... bah. There is no tomorrow!

YEAH, I NEED HELP HERE: The grim realization that you can't spell "Triumph" without T-R-U-M-P has me casting about for a way to turn that around. "TRiUMPh of the Will" risks a Godwin's law violation; any ideas? Something like "Don't Let Fear TRiUMPh!", but a lot less lame. A LOT less.

SECOND STRAY THOUGHT: Eight years in Presidential exile has been great for the Republican Party, which has reclaimed the House and Senate and picked up many Governorships. I doubt the GOPe fears four more years under Hillarity! the way they fear the disaster of being saddled with Trump. Just for example, the Presidents party routinely loses seats in the midterms - how would that be helpful?

Now if Scalia were still alive this would be less painful, but known, declared foe Hillary is better for the conservative cause than center-left opportunist Trump. On the other hand, Trump is better for smashing the GOPe. Yike.

Comments

[Jane]

Hey!

[Centralcal on iPad]

Why do we have to choose between the lesser of two evils? That is no choice at all.

I will vote for Ted Cruz. And if he is off the ballot by the time things get to California, I will write his name in.

[_peter]

Living here in Cuomo's blue hell, I may just do the same thing.

[henry]

Wasn't Triumph a Canadian band?

[boris]

"known, declared foe Hillary is better for the conservative cause than center-left opportunist Trump"

My problem with this ...

The critical presidential election is not this one, but the one back in 2012, where Romney got robbed---that was the one we had to win. We had a chance to stop the bleeding, and we lost it. Now the left has had four more years to nail the windows shut, and we are running out of air

Back in 2011 I did write that 2012 was a must win election. One thing nobody in their right mind was saying back then:

known, declared foe Obama is better for the conservative cause than center-left RINO Romney

[boris]

Narciso link from last thread Ahem

[Rick Ballard]

Centralcal,

That places you in the 34% of Republicans who are currently part of the #NeverTrump movement with 65% of the Independents and 92% of Democrats. That will change substantially by November of course.

[DebinNC]

Ahem: The critical presidential election is not this one, but the one back in 2012, where Romney got robbed

By whom? Candy Crowley? That cost Rs the election, not a lot of things like Romney's "47%" and maybe his LDS theology being problematic for some R evangelicals, like me?

[Centralcal on iPad]

I read your link, Boris.

Trump the Magnificent is going to tear the house down and rebuild it? Phuleeze!

Not on your life. He's gonna cut deals, like he's doing right now with the cheesiest and the sleaziest getting in line first: Christie, Le Paige, Huckabee.

[boris]

So Rick ...

Trump has high negatives that should lose him the general election. (PROBLEM)

Therefore let's drive the negatives even higher. (SOLUTION)

[boris]

I am not a Trump supporter or a Trump hater.

From my point of view the haters are beating the supporters in the crazy sweepstakes by a country mile.

Not that there is anything wrong with that but the haters seem even more certain of their sanity and reasonable persuasion than the supporters.

Not the good kind of irony IMO.

[Buckeye]

ot on your life. He's gonna cut deals, like he's doing right now with the cheesiest and the sleaziest getting in line first: Christie, Le Paige, Huckabee.

True CC, but short of outlawing political appointees, we are always going to have the sleazeball class.

Very few decent and honorable people are attracted to politics and its trapping,

[Rick Ballard]

Boris,

I doubt I will be able to drive his negatives higher than revelations of the obvious by the MFM who placed him precisely where they want him will. He's a documented blatant lying swindler - a perfect counterpoint to Clinton. If the two of them do face off in November, voters will be offered the choice between gonorrhea and syphilis. I would imagine abstention will come to be seen as a very plausible alternative.

It may seem that I focus on his warts but a candidate who is warts all the way down as are Clinton and Trump will tend to draw observations to that effect.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--That places you in the 34% of Republicans who are currently part of the #NeverTrump movement with 65% of the Independents and 92% of Democrats.--

Shouldn't those numbers translate into Trump losing by a landslide in current head to head polls?
At RCP, the only survey of LVs as opposed to RVs is by USA Today, both of which show Trump beating Hillary or Bernie.

[DebinNC]

"Forward, the Light Brigade!"
Was there a man dismay'd?
Not tho' the soldier knew
Someone had blunder'd:
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

Doesn't make sense to me either, boris. Our R betters much prefer a "noble" death than a ignoble win.

[boris]

Not to argue ... but ... "He's a documented blatant lying swindler - a perfect ..." example of political aptitude.

[Buckeye]

Romney's death wasn't even "noble".

[boris]

And just what the dimorats are not prepared to deal with.

[boris]

With dimorat politicians certain classes of sinful behavior are tolerated. Eg BJ.

In the current circumstance it seems the sins of Trump are tolerated by enough workers, moderates, independents, libertarians, and various types of conservatives to win the primary.

In which case I would prefer he also win the general.

[Truthbetold]

Why Trump University is Every Bit as Awful as Marco Rubio Says

http://lawnewz.com/important/why-trump-university-is-every-bit-as-awful-as-marco-rubio-says/

[peter]

You can't spell TRUMP without RUM, so I am going to bring some out on the ledge.

[GUS]

Triumph had a big hit. RAISE A LITTLE HELL.

You can't spell TRUMP without RUMP.

[Truthbetold]

Donald Trump the Vacillator in Chief

http://townhall.com/columnists/michaelbrown/2016/02/26/donald-trump-the-vacillator-in-chief-n2125016/page/full

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Can we just stipulate that almost everyone here recognizes that on balance Trump is a jerk who will probably not govern well?
There are very few who do not recognize that so all these "Trump is a chump" links are pointless preaching to the choir.
We KNOW he is a creep and so do not need any convincing regarding the primaries.
But if he is the nominee we don't need all the Trump is a chump stuff either because by then it will be a chump vs one of two Creatures From the Black Lagoon.
At that point you either side with a chump or a monster.

[Jeff Dobbs]

You can't spell TRUMP, CRUZ or RUBIO without "RU".

It's a Soviet conspiracy.

WAkE Up SHEePLe@!!!!!

[GUS]

BLACK LAGOON LIVES MATTER

[Jor]

The best part of this election is how dumb and delusional the wing-nut blogs have been. All completely uterrly wrong. Don't even understand their own primary electorate. A complete JOKE.

Cruz -- literally checked off ever wing-nut blog check-box with the absolute craziest shit possible. And in a __REPUBLICAN PRIMARY__ he can only get 20% of the vote. Whats comical is you guys think America really supports the wing-nut blog agenda, when the Super WingNut (Cruz) is dying in a ___republican primary___.

MarcoBot also stupidly believe the wing nut blog agenda is what people want -- but has refined his pitch so the Establishment (tm) can support him. The most comical thing about his entire candidacy is that the only reason people support him is because he's not Trump.

What trump has shown is, you guys don't understand republican voters at all. Trump shits all over sacred Wingnut doctrine -- like G.W. Bush did a good job in Iraq. Only truly indoctrinated wingnut members could actually believe this or think this is heretical -- when everyone else in the country has accepted that this is probably true.

Trump 2016 for Republican Nominee.

I actually think hes an authoritarian -- so not for me --- but he's and more likely to win the election than MarcoBot -- because he can actually connect with the electorate --- instead of members of the Wingnut Church.

[Jeff Dobbs]

Ig:
Can we just stipulate that almost everyone here recognizes that on balance Trump is a jerk who will probably not govern well?

Oh, no - it will not do at all to simply stipulate that. It's a discussion about a candidate in an election. You know what we need? A POLL!!!!!!!

On balance Trump is a jerk who will probably not govern well

(please don't game the poll. only vote once. i will probably regret putting in the two jokey responses. i'd rather no one choose those)

[Centralcal on iPad]

My problem, Iggy, is I am not at all convinced that Trump isn't also from the same Black Lagoon.

[Jane]

If the two of them do face off in November, voters will be offered the choice between gonorrhea and syphilis.

I might have to steal that.

[peter]

Wisdom from Steyn:

Ultimately, Trump's hostile takeover of the Republican Party has only been possible because of the rigid inflexibility of America's party system. The two-party one-party state, unchanged in 150 years, is unique in the western world, where parties are born and die according to whether there's a market for them. If a genuine market in parties were possible here, this season there would be probably be a nationalist party, a conservative party, and a soft-right party - and, over on the other side, a corporatist party and a socialist party. In the British House of Commons, there are currently 11 parties represented, plus four independents. In the Canadian House of Commons, there are five parties. In New Zealand, seven. When The Washington Post's Michael Gerson warns that a Trump nomination would break apart the Republican Party, the implication is that the health of the Republic depends on maintaining the same two parties of the Civil War era for all eternity. Why?

end quote full column at the LUN

[Centralcal on iPad]

Jeff, sweetie, since you listed "Strongly Agree" twice, can I vote twice?

[peter]

please don't game the poll. only vote once. i will probably regret putting in the two jokey responses. i'd rather no one choose those)

Life imitating life.

Where in the hell is James D's Book poll

[boris]

"We KNOW he is a creep and so do not need any convincing regarding the primaries"

True enough for most here.

For the record as long as Trump critics are not deliberately implying supporters are wacko nut jobs it would be unsporting to impugn their marbles.

[daddy]

I have to go to work so here's a question I don't have the time to look up if anyone knows.

Have McConnell and Ryan had that meeting with Obama yet that was announced a few days back?

I think we thought it was all about a Supreme Court Replacement. I think it probably had to do with Gitmo and the prisoners also and what Obama will do about that.

Has the meeting occurred and if so, would we expect McConnell and Ryan to actually tell us what was said at the meeting, or would it all be nebulous innocuous answers from those 2?

Bye.

[Jeff Dobbs]

ccal:
Jeff, sweetie, since you listed "Strongly Agree" twice, can I vote twice?

DANGIT! I WAS HACKED....AGAIN!!!

I could do a new poll to correct it...but, what difference at this point does it make, I guess.

[Sandy ن Daze]

I V R

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--My problem, Iggy, is I am not at all convinced that Trump isn't also from the same Black Lagoon.--

OK, CC. If the choice is between an obvious Creature and a possible Creature it isn't really much of a choice in both senses, is it?
It's not much of a choice in that the two possibilities are both pretty bad.
But also because there is only one possible and reasonable choice to make.

[Appalled]

If I read things correctly, trump is awful, but please don't remind us of that because the alternative is awfuller, and if you remind us that trump is awful, you probably want awfuller, so why are we listening to you anyway.

[boris]

No Appalled.

The constant doom and gloom just gets old.

[Momto2]

I know what the polls say today but I still do not believe any one of the top 3 cannot beat Hillary. Once we have a nominee there will be debates.

I think Trump at proven he will stand up to a rigged debate format and refuse to participate. If Cruz or Rubio (somehow) becomes the nominee he will hopefully have the fortitude to stand up and demand some sort of fairness. So can rule out another Candy Crowley moment?

We will have to see what the polls say....after the debates.

I am a super Tuesday (Ga.) voter and I have my top 2 choices. I have friends and family that are rabid about each one. I am not rabid about either one but no matter the outcome IVR.

[cindyk]

Wow wow wow... Are circle agreements similar to circular firing squads?! If so, (and OL doesn't reserve my dog-friendly spot in the ledge)...I won't duck and take one "For The Team)😒

[cindyk]

Whoops...agreements=arguments

[Mahon]

I get as far as TRaUMa, but can't figure out what to do with the "P". TRaUMa Party? Pal? Maybe TRaUMaPic?

[Buckeye]

I sure would like to beat the crap outta the guys that gave Scott Walker the benefit of their infinite wisdom.

[DebinNC]

Have McConnell and Ryan had that meeting with Obama yet that was announced a few days back?

Iirc McConnell and Grassley + Reid and Leahy are meeting BOzo at the WH this Tuesday.

[Truthbetold]

Christie suggests Trump may start fundraising

http://m.kcci.com/politics/christie-suggests-trump-may-start-fundraising/38220042

[Rick Ballard]

Take 60 seconds and Meet Bob. If you have a couple of minutes more, meet Sherri and Kevin as well. I wouldn't bother to meet the 5-10K others with essentially the same story.

If you don't have the time to meet Bob and Sherri and Kevin today, don't worry, you'll have plenty of other chances over the next few months.

[Centralcal on iPad]

Right now - today - at this moment - there are NO creatures from the Black Lagoon standing on my doorstep asking to be let in.

Hillary and Bernie are wrestling in said lagoon to see who will be victor for their party.

Donald is wading around the edges roaring that he has not just stepped from said lagoon, trying to be victor for our party.

Therefore, I have some other fellows asking for my vote at this point in time and so, I will choose from among them.

If, indeed, they fall, and two creatures emerge from the lagoon and/or edges of the lagoon, I will make my decision then. To choose the lesser evil (or no evil at all).

[Comanche Voter]

I suspect we are going to have to swim through a cesspool to get to the voting booth in November. You have a choice between an economic fool, and a career liar who is probably concealing severe health problems on the one hand--and a likely opponent who is a blustering buffoon on the other hand. Aaaargh!

It will be choice between the lesser of two evils.

[Miss Marple]

I am back!

I have a question: Why can't some of these super smart conservatives schedule a meeting and TALK to Trump about what he currently believes, instead of asking us to cast our vote based on something he said in the 1980's?

I am being asked to believe that based on something he said 20 years ago he has not changed his views. Has any one of these geniuses ASKED him? Apparently the pastor of that big Baptist Church in Texas did, as did Jerry Falwell, Jr. Am I to believe that even though he is stupid/hot-headed or whatever, Governor Christie would throw his lot in with him? Are Rudy Guiliani and Newt Gingrich suddenly insane?

Why haven't these nervous nellies scheduled a meeting with the man? It's not like he's in hiding. Why am I to fall in line with Eric f-ing Erickson instead of Newt? Why is Charles Cooke more of an expert on governing than Rudy Guiliani?

What is wrong with these people????

[MarkO]

In the organized world of American politics, there are only a few coveted niches in which one can comfortably profit from elections and governance irrespective of the winner. Those who run the GOP and who make a living off of it will do whatever is necessary to keep those positions, even if it is harmful to voters or the nation. It's just human nature.

Trump is an instrument of political hygiene. But, there is no need to worry that he will be elected. The "conservative" leaders have already begun to talk about Senators running negative ads against him, or about having Mike Lee (of all people) lead a third party challenge. In other words, to hell with the Supreme Court, we want our jobs.

Worse, however, is the widespread moral high ground of those who refuse to vote for him if he is the nominee. Enough of those and he loses. Of course, they often fail to see that the same might be true of his 40% who will sit out the election of Rubio and Cruz.

The result is a Hillary presidency with two or three left wing judges and the loss of freedom from the 1st, 2nd and 4th Amendments.

I would never have chosen Trump, but I was initially happy to see him raise certain issues. Apparently, those issues and his anti-PC persona struck a chord.

Now, I comfort myself with the words of William F. Buckley: “The wisest choice would be the one who would win. No sense running Mona Lisa in a beauty contest. I’d be for the most right, viable candidate who could win."

[Jack is Back!]

Is this thing working now?

[cheerleader]

To call a man who turned a million dollar loan from his father into a multi-billion dollar international company that employs thousands, and whose transportation is a better model aircraft than AF1, a "blustering buffoon" is a very lazy blustering buffoon who evidently gobbles up their political opinions third-hand.

[Jane]

What about a man who calls $1,000,000 (which was actually $9,000,000) a "really tiny amount".

Yeah he gets the little people - not.