Guest *Ste***cque** Report post Posted March 4, 2016 Trump. He is moving steadily towards winning the Republican nomination. Any idea why he is so popular? Does he have any appeal to you? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waterat 20911 Report post Posted March 4, 2016 No appeal to me.... I can only credit his appeal to stupid Americans (I've many thoughtful, intelligent and positive American friends... hopefully they're part of the brave majority who will elect someone other than Trump) and hope the democratic process works once again! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
roamingguy 300292 Report post Posted March 4, 2016 I think there are a number of reasons for his appeal (not to me) He comes across as independent and anti establishment. To this end the bulk of his campaign financing is with his own money. He also doesn't appear to be handled by political advisors, instead he speaks his own mind And some of his thoughts, while on the bizarre level, cater to the simplest prejudiced thoughts of the American public. Such as labelling Mexicans rapists, saying Muslims celebrate 9/11 and proposing building a wall on the US/Mexican border. Anyhow as bad as Trump is IMHO, what is really scary is there is an electorate that likes him...and if god forbid he gets elected, what does that say about the electorate A rambling RG 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blacklabdog 3049 Report post Posted March 4, 2016 some parallels to Rob Ford? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mrgreen760 37785 Report post Posted March 5, 2016 There are obviously large numbers of people who are angry and frustrated with the political status quo. His appeal shockingly is crossing all demographics not just the red neck, racists and uneducated as folks are want to blame. Folks are pissed, particularly the ever shrinking middle class and cynical and no one was listening, well they're listening now. Personally I thought it was a lark to promote his brand and he would be long gone but here we are. If he wins it fair and square so be it, if he wins it and they try to take it away at their convention then all hell will break lose. I think Clinton (and she brings her own baggage) gets the democratic nod and if it's him she had better get ready for an ugly in the gutter street fight, because if he ain't afraid to go after the Pope nothing about her and Bill (Monica) will be off limits. Regardless the republicans will never be the same party which might not be a bad thing in the longer term. I think HC prevails and maybe even smokes him or another nominee...... it won't be dull that's for sure. Peace MG 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Olderismorefun 150 Report post Posted March 5, 2016 Personally I think the US is in trouble no matter who they choose at this point, that being say Trump is indeed at the very very far end of the wrong choice for any country. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MightyPen 67414 Report post Posted March 5, 2016 Donald Trump appeals to a large swathe of conservative white Americans who feel angry and marginalized due to social, political, and global changes that have eroded their once-unassailable privilege. His appeal is purely emotional, build entirely on resentment. It's funny because the Republicans have stoked those flames for 30 years, convinced they would harvest all the votes it brought to the polls. But they've been outflanked by an egotistical showman who pursued the same cause, but abandoned any restraint. Still, it could be worse. Trump (Drumpf?) is loud and obnoxious, but I think he's less stupid (but no less egotistical) than he appears and we might glimpse a new variant after the primaries are over. Ted Cruz, on the other hand, is more like Damien running for President. 2 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Phaedrus 209521 Report post Posted March 5, 2016 His appeal is purely emotional, build entirely on resentment. It's funny because the Republicans have stoked those flames for 30 years, convinced they would harvest all the votes it brought to the polls. But they've been outflanked by an egotistical showman who pursued the same cause, but abandoned any restraint. Yes. I must admit, I'm really enjoying the sight of the GOP descending into utter panic as they realize that they've completely lost control of the movement they've built. Still, it could be worse. Trump (Drumpf?) is loud and obnoxious, but I think he's less stupid (but no less egotistical) than he appears and we might glimpse a new variant after the primaries are over. Ted Cruz, on the other hand, is more like Damien running for President. I really have no idea what Trump would be like as a president. Loud and obnoxious, sure, but... policies? No idea. He simply spouts whatever his audience wants to hear, with absolutely no regard for reality, and he'll probably continue to do that as he moves towards November. I can see him winning, though. He has the knack for getting people fired up and believing in him, whereas Hilary... doesn't. There's something fundamentally uninspiring and unlovable about her - possibly the fact that when it comes down to it she's just another machine politician. 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Prufrock Cummings Report post Posted March 5, 2016 I think that if he were elected, I would likely move to another continent. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
roamingguy 300292 Report post Posted March 5, 2016 I think that if he were elected, I would likely move to another continent. Make sure its not one targeted by the American's nuclear arsenal...Donald may also have a finger itchy to push the button LOL RG Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest *Ste***cque** Report post Posted March 5, 2016 Just came across this word: Trumpery - showy but worthless. Maybe the dictionary should add Donald Trumps face? Trump and Cruz both give me concern. They make me think of the "Dead Zone" movie for some reason.:) Anyway, lots of good comments, especially from MightyPen. Very "high energy"! His IQ is almost as high as mine! ;) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ice4fun 78407 Report post Posted March 6, 2016 I think John Oliver sort of covers it for me... 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mrrnice2 157005 Report post Posted March 8, 2016 Ice made reference to the John Oliver segment above which is pretty entertaining, however, as I wrote on the other thread started last summer on Donald Trump, it might be funny but it ain't no joke. Several weeks ago I mentioned to someone my thoughts that as a very amateur historian with a great fascination for WW Two, the similarities between Trump and the rise of fascists in the 1930's is remarkable. Pushing national pride, rebuilding, sticking it to the oppressors and focusing on ethnic groups to focus hatred and bring people together are all in the Trump campaign. That being said, were I a steel worker in Pittsburgh or a car manufacturer employee in Detroit and am unemployed, I might be voting for the guy who says he will stick it to Japan and Mexico and China where my job went. In desperate times people grab at straws. It's pretty scary because the US IS the big elephant in the room and ehat they do has a huge impact on Canadians. Equally or perhaps more scary is the second runner and potential wiiner, Ted Cruz. He is a religious zealot, intractable, a strict constitutionalist from the 1776 days, and a right wing evangelical fanatic. Women's rights will be set back a hundred years should he become the nominee. If Hillary wins the Democratic nomination she might be in trouble vs Trump because nobody exemplifies the, "Establishment," more than she does. Tonight's votes may tell the tale and I wish for Canada's sake and that of the Americans, that Bernie Sanders is the next U. S. president. 5 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MightyPen 67414 Report post Posted March 9, 2016 I remember as a little kid, the events of 1930s Germany seemed inconceivable. "How could the do that? How could they elect someone like that?" There must have been something dark and brutal buried in the nature of Germans that the rest of us didn't have. That was me in the 1970s. I don't want to jump all the way over to "Trump is Hitler!" because truly, there are too many enormous and critical differences between the men to even get into here. But it's true that Trump's brand of pandering demagoguery has appealed to, and brought out into the open, a huge and frightening crowd of people who have rallied to his banner. A crowd that really has begun to resemble the mobs from that former time. I can now say that, in the course of my roughly 50 years, I have seen the rise of a familiar brand of hysterical, xenophobic, bitterly resentful and nationalistic politics, and the emergence of an American society that maybe *could* elect a Hitlereque leader. 2016 U.S. has hardly gone all the way over to become 1930s Germany. But with a few more nudges nudges to better replicate the social conditions of those times -- uncontrollable inflation? A war or major social struggle bitterly lost to a "stab in the back"? -- I think it's entirely capable of getting there. So before I die (hopefully a long time from now), I get to see demonstrated before my eyes something I was assured by political science and sociology textbooks decades ago -- there was nothing unique about Germany. With the right social context, that kind of political tragedy really can happen again, somewhere else. 5 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Exotic Touch Danielle 31728 Report post Posted March 9, 2016 Scarey...And I have no interest at all in Trump 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cinelli 22184 Report post Posted March 12, 2016 If Hillary wins the Democratic nomination she might be in trouble vs Trump because nobody exemplifies the, "Establishment," more than she does. Choosing the lesser of two evils: more people passionately HATE Shillary than Trump. People will choose Trump because she is even worse. People who hate Trump will vote for him because they hate her more. Nobody personifies everything that is wrong with American politics than Hillary. Habitual unrepentant liar. Won't release her speeches to Wall Street businesses, why not? Obviously sold out to her Wall Street backers. Claims she will "go after" banks but takes millions from them. As if!! Flip flops according to polls. Guilt by association to her husband. Seen as elitist, priviliged and remote. Does not appeal to blue collar folk worried about their next meal. These are all perceptions I get from REAL Americans I know and deal with regularly. Not the media, not tv, not the internet blogs, but real people's opinions, right or wrong. And those are the voters that will decide. Bernie would be great but he is scary for a lot of Americans. Remember, they would rather die of cancer than get commie health care. Go figure. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mikeyboy 27133 Report post Posted March 12, 2016 Thought this was funny ;) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSXp37aJJ1w Why is it that late night American comedy can see what the rest of the country cannot? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mrrnice2 157005 Report post Posted March 15, 2016 It's probably a pretty sad personal commentary on me, but I am totally addicted to the reality show playing itself out south of the border. This being the third,"Super Tuesday'" in a row, the tale may be told tonight. What I have absolutely no idea about is how it will go for Trump. Will the events of the past week with the violent rally in Chicago last Friday night cause him to lose badly or will it cause his support to increase even further. Based on what has transpired so far, one would think he will pull off both Florida and Chicago, but really who knows! On the Democratic side I am sensing a fear from Hillary's campaign. I am really enjoying Bernie Sanders and his idealism. Interesting that Trump has already called him a communist. Guess if one wants universal health care that makes us communists. A social conscience is not a bad thing. The best thing that I see about a Trump nomination is the guarantee that the Republicans will be on the side lines for another four years. Let's see what tonight brings. 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Phaedrus 209521 Report post Posted March 20, 2016 It's probably a pretty sad personal commentary on me, but I am totally addicted to the reality show playing itself out south of the border. Two things... First: you're not the only one. I can't take my eyes off this political train-wreck either. Second: you're absolutely bang on the money when you call it a reality show. Trump has realized what the political establishment has not: reality TV is way more popular than politics (or just plain reality). It's why he has carried all before him thus far. 3 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jabba 18389 Report post Posted March 20, 2016 You can't help but feel a sly bit of admiration for a guy who said publicly, he would date his daughter. He is really pulling out all the stops to get public attention no matter how outrageous or incredibly narcissistic it might appear. He understands more than most that the extreme nonsense he comes up with doesn't mean Jack. All it is supposed to do it get attention. And while people are busy saying "uhhhh, wut?", he slips in key phrases to fire-up, motivate and manipulate a crowd. If one or two people come out and publicly say something sellable like: "He tells it like it is.." - then it must be a "movement". It must be true because more than one person has said it. He understands the pulse of the nation? - About the only thing he understands is branding. That's literally all he's got. The medium is the message. Let me, as an admiring Canadian, be the first to come out and tell it like it is: I like his short, well-manicured, pudgy fingers. They remind me of those tasty little sausage wieners. You know, the tasty little salt-pounded, fat-injected heart stoppers that look great in the packaging and even better served on a plate. But wait until you get a real taste - see you in the line-up for the John. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JessyCeleste 14078 Report post Posted March 20, 2016 Just a warning... if Trump becomes pres I wont be available anymore because I will have shot myself in each tit and then the head because I have officially lost all faith in humanity! 1 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mrrnice2 157005 Report post Posted April 28, 2016 Time has gone by since Trumps announcement and our first conversations here about Donald Trump. It does appear now as if he may indeed gain the Republican nomination and that is beginning to scare me. He is still gaining his success with his bombast and insults and with very little specific policy behind him. He is looking at an isolationist A,erica and for that I don't nlame him - the rest of the world will be sorry shpould that happen. If Hillary is the Democratic nominee which is pretty well now determined, her unfavorability along with the tide of, "I hate politicians," that is prevalent, may give us a neighbor with a President Trump at the helm. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waterat 20911 Report post Posted April 28, 2016 .... I so preferred the duck. and what will happen if he's elected: (thank you Randy Newman!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iiv-6fMKyY Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
JohnnyWalks 170 Report post Posted April 29, 2016 I think that if he were elected, I would likely move to another continent. If elected, I would be the first person to volunteer to go join the SpaceX program and go to Mars... Because with his finger on America's nuclear arsenal and the craziness that is North Korea... I fear what might happen to this planet. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest *Ste***cque** Report post Posted April 29, 2016 My wife can't stand him. I'm not as decided as that, which makes for some heated discussions at times. ;) Cruz and Kasich have now resorted to collusion to try and prevent Trump from clinching the Republican nomination and now Cruz(who mathematically can't get to 1237) has announced his running mate? What a sideshow! I guess the reason I'm not as panicked as some is that I really think the democrats will win this election. Besides, they survived George W. Bush, Nixon and others. Trump is already starting to "toe the line" and will more so if he gets the nomination. I'm still not sure why he resonates within his party though. Is it that people are tired of the same old carefully scripted bland politician. One who says all the "right" things and then does what he wants once elected. Maybe people are willing to vote for a crass, bigoted, b.l.o.w-hard for a change? After all, in many peoples minds politicians under the surface are slippery, well spoken, conniving, power hungry egotists. Trump just happens not to be well spoken. Or maybe they're just tired of the intelligentsia telling them how to think and want to try a different path? That it bugs the shit out of them is just an added bonus. Who knows. It will be over soon and we can go back to regularly scheduled programming. Unless Cruz gets in somehow... then I would be worried. Very worried! Evangelicals scare me more than Trump supporters! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
