"I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose voters"

Quote: AZDuffman

They are tired of both sides saying how much they love illegal immigration. Tired of the two-headed monster that is our political system. Tired of the GOP giving Obama everything he wants no matter that they were voted in to stop his radical agenda.

Pure tea party people seem as unrealistic as extreme leftist.

Never occurs to either of them, that you almost always have to swing a big majority to win on an issue. People like Nader could never get broad support for some of his ideas. Ron Paul has the same problem.

It happens to both ends, but instead both seem to think people are holding them back through some other mechanism.

It's a bell curve. The big middle is where most people are. People on each end are minorities.

Welcome to being a minority. Go get your Obamaphone.

Quote: rxwine

Never occurs to either of them, that you almost always have to swing a big majority to win on an issue.

It occurs to me all the time, but I am realistic and understand that the USA will not wake up until much of the population experiences extreme pain and discomfort like in the 1970s but far worse to wake up. But the thing is by then it may be too late and the USA too far down a fascist path to save things. So I try to warn as best I can. Sadly, the sheep that make up our population will be glad to give up their wool because they are too hot in the first room of the slaughterhouse.

It was just exaggeration and braggadocio, which are key elements of Trump's brand. Obviously he's not going to shoot someone in the street. But he was making a point that his message resonates with people on an emotional, subconscious level. His words don't have to make rational sense, he is working on a different level of persuasion.

Have you guys read Scott Adams's blog on Trump? The guy has predicted Trump's rise at basically ever step of the way, while everyone else (mainstream media, Nate Silver, everyone) were predicting he would burn out before the votes even started being cast. He is predicting Trump wins the general in a landslide no matter who is the Dem nominee.

Here's an index of posts.

Quote: AcesAndEights

It was just exaggeration and braggadocio, which are key elements of Trump's brand. Obviously he's not going to shoot someone in the street.

That's another thing. His style may be to say all kinds of things off the cuff. You can go from some small towns to nation to nation conflicts where a misunderstanding was a factor in much bigger conflagration.

Careless bluster in the evening and correction in a morning with a phone call may not be good enough, if something just needs a little gasoline to set it off.

A small act can ignite a firestorm and half the world is topsy-turvy decades later.


~

Trump should test his boast, and shoot Ted Cruz in the middle of 5th avenue.

Quote: Nareed

Trump should test his boast, and shoot Ted Cruz in the middle of 5th avenue.

I laughed at this. Well played.

I'm pretty stoked that Cruz fell flat on his face in SC. Sure he's still in it, but if he can't win a southern state with a bunch of evangelicals, where is he going to win?

I don't really like Rubio all that much, but he doesn't seem as batshit crazy as Cruz.

Quote: AcesAndEights

I laughed at this. Well played.

I'm pretty stoked that Cruz fell flat on his face in SC. Sure he's still in it, but if he can't win a southern state with a bunch of evangelicals, where is he going to win?

I don't really like Rubio all that much, but he doesn't seem as batshit crazy as Cruz.

Rubio is an oily politician. He exudes it, in a way Romney and McCain never did. He may be palatable to the moderates in the US, but he's one bad interview away from crashing and burning worse than the last two Republican candidates. He could be destroyed in a debate, I think.

Cruz may be seen as crazy, but he has some support and appears to be relatively consistent. Trump is winning because he appeals to a around a third of the party who like the 'straight shooting' style. The same style that elevated Limbaugh to his heights on the right news. He's manipulating the media and the right very well. I'm pretty sure he'll get the nomination now. If he does. I think the party system in the US will have a shift which will lead to the Seventh party system. If it's Sanders vs. Trump, which ever party loses will see some massive shifts, and a fracture.

Actually, I can also see on both cases, if either wins and fails to deliver, that party might also have some big changes too.

I can't stand watching Trump. EB gets all worked up about how terrible Clinton looks. Trump looks like pale leather has sprouted eyes and a mouth. Ugh. His speeches are interesting, in their rambling, unstructured way... a few of the political mainstreamers should take some notes on how it works... there's elements they could learn from. BUT, some of his statements are actually very clear and if you look past the soundbite journalism, he makes some points that are consistent.

As does Bernie. Clinton, not for her barking (which was the sort of stunt that Trump/Limbaugh would do too, I thought, and shows her team is learning) shouldn't be anywhere near power for many of the same reasons Jeb shouldn't. Time's up for the Clintons.

Quote: TheCesspit

Time's up for the Clintons.

Not sure why the Clintons get such a rap. I guess 'cause I don't care about what I think is their personal issues.

I disagree with some things done by any President, and think some things could have gone better.

But then I didn't think Jeb would be intolerable if he became President either, so maybe I just don't see where other people are coming from.

Being as it's a new time, I expect Clintons to act and react to the different times, because the problems aren't all exactly the same.

http://blog.constitutioncenter.org/2015/02/bill-clinton-ranks-high-in-new-historical-presidents-study/

Quote: rxwine

Not sure why the Clintons get such a rap.

Because they're awful people? Hill and Bill's
comeback time was 8 years ago. Hill's now
in poor health, that she hides poorly, and Bill's
spirit is gone, he can't even pretend that
he likes any of this. The biggest problem for
them is a closet chock full of things that
can be used against them that half the
country has never heard about, or has
forgotten. And then there are some emails..

Quote: TheCesspit

Rubio is an oily politician. He exudes it
.

I can't stand Rubio. He's a slimy opportunist,
he'll say anything to get elected. He's a liar
and a manipulator. He's the Right's fair
haired boy because he can be bought so
easily. Too bad for them he comes across
as every bad used car salesman you've
ever met all rolled into one douche bag
politician. The best part is, FL has a law
that if you run for another office while
a US senator, you lose your senate job.
So he's screwed if he loses. Cruz will keep
his job.