And another thing about Donald Trump
You may notice that I haven’t covered the Trump phenomenon too much, although I wrote a couple of articles about the issue of illegal aliens and how many crimes they are committing.
But in some fundamental way Trump doesn’t interest me. Right now he’s riding high, and if he wins the Republican nomination (which I don’t think he will) he’ll be interesting me big time, although I will see it as a bad bad (and losing) move for Republicans in a year when getting a very good candidate in there and actually winning is of paramount importance. Trump is not that candidate.
But I think I understand the Trump phenomenon. He channels the very considerable anger on the right at the way things have been going during the Obama years and even prior to that. To me, he seems like a version of Ross Perot, albeit a very different one. Perot was a successful businessman, a little wacky but full of energy and bold and amusing talk, and he (like Trump) drew the votes of people who were dissatisfied with the whole political shebang and all the PC tiptoeing around that most candidates feel they must perform.
He also made it possible for Bill Clinton to be elected president by acting as a spoiler, as these candidates tend to do.
But oh, he was colorful (although if you look at Bill’s face, he is not particularly amused):
I wrote a post in 2011 about Trump, and here are some excerpts from it:
Commenter “Daniel in Brookline” calls Trump a gadfly. It’s a word I’ve thought of often in connection with him and the Obama presidency, one that was originally used by Socrates to describe himself.
Here’s an explanation of what Socrates meant when he used the term [punctuation and spelling corrected]:
Socrates liken[ed] himself to a GADFLY (a horsefly). Just as a gadfly constantly agitates a horse, preventing it from becoming sluggish and going to sleep, so too Socrates, by moving through the city stirring up conversations in the marketplace, prevents the city from becoming sluggish and careless and intolerant.
It fits pretty well, although Trump’s most assuredly no Socrates. More and more, he also reminds me of a jester, although not one directly in the employ of the Obama court.
Why a jester? Well, he combs his hair funny. But mostly it’s because he fulfills this function of the traditional jester:
In Renaissance times, aristocratic households in Britain employed licensed fools or jesters, who sometimes dressed as other servants were dressed, but generally wore a motley (i.e. parti-coloured) coat, hood with ass’s (i.e. donkey) ears or a red-flannel coxcomb and bells. Regarded as pets or mascots, they served not simply to amuse but to criticise their master or mistress and their guests.
Jester/fools could say things no one else could say, ask questions no one else could ask, because they had little to lose and were given license to tweak. Trump has already voiced the unspeakable birther concerns, and now he gets into the very un-PC question of how Obama gained admittance to the two Ivies, Columbia and Harvard.
The post then segued into a discussion of those issues. But the description of Trump stands, I think, although I’d amend it now to say that Trump is more the GOP’s jester at the moment. By “jester,” I don’t mean to make a mockery of him, because (as the above quotes indicate) a jester’s function was not solely a light one, there was a weightier function and purpose to what they did. The same for Trump vis a vis the Republicans.
Lloyd Marcus over at Americanthinker had a great article this morning about Trump..at least it was great to me because I agree with it 100%. To me, what the message all the other GOP candidates should take from Trump is “Grow a pair!” Stop pandering to the MSM and the left; hit back at them. If ANY of the other candidates would just stop being punching bags like Trump, they would have my support; and I would hazard a prediction they might actually win the nomination and the Presidency.
http://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2015/07/a_golden_nugget_hidden_in_the_trump_spectacle.html
Err correction: “would just stop being punching bags like Trump”….I meant: “like Trump isn’t”. Didn’t mean to imply Trump is a punching bag; the fact that he isn’t is his best quality.
Trump, I think, is Meno. Certainly not Socrates. Nothing like Socrates. Plato makes a thorough showing of who Meno is, but for the shorter starker version one can read Xenophon’s characterization of Meno in the Anabasis. Or, for a modern take, Jacob Klein’s Commentary on Plato’s Meno.
Finally, an idea worthy of political litmus tests — an in-house stalking horse. Watch for the in-Party condemnations and ‘run-aways’ and cross them off the list as candidates unworthy of consideration. The salutary effect: somewhere Karl Rove and GOP media consultants are having the political equivalent of cardiac infarctions.
I believe Trump is motivating a part of the populace to a great degree, but no one outside of that percentage of voters will vote for him in the general.
I am also reminded of the Howard Beal character.
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/421403/obamas-inner-trump
Trump is Obama by Victor Davis Hanson
My somewhat different POV on the Trump phenomenon : the anger on the right concerning how things have been going during the Obama years, and before, gave rise to the Tea Party. I think Trumpania is wholly a product of the Republicans lack of fight against Obama. Regarding the traction Trump has gained (rather than just he, himself) – behold your creation Mitch McConnell and John Boehner. They have only themselves to thank. For turning that awesome win in 2014 into a mandate to work with Obama and to ignore the base. Enjoy it Republican Party; you earned it and you deserve it. Tragically, the country doesn’t deserve this feckless opposition party.
Good for Rick Perry — from his speech Defending Conservatism Against the Cancer of Trump-ism:
Trump is doing well in the polls because he is giving voice to some of the complaints of conservatives and he is not cowed by MSM disapproval. It’s reality TV at it’s best and many disgruntled conservatives are cheering. Where Trump is going wrong, IMO, is by violating Reagan’s Eleventh Commandment: “Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican.” In the end it hurts the party more than anything.
I agree with VDH’s appraisal that Trump and Obama or two sides of the same coin. Both use much the same tactics and share outsize egos. Trump claims he can fix everything because he’s a tough-minded negotiator and businessman. People want to believe him, but like Obama, he has an outsized view of his true capabilities.
That said, I agree with what physicsguy pointed out. The other candidates should take a lesson from Trump. They should show less fear of being politically incorrect and be willing to fight back against lefty criticism. That shows true belief in your capabilities and ideas. I’ve said over and over that any Republican candidate needs a smart, tough media response team to combat the MSM’s attempts to destroy them with lies, innuendoes, and rumors.
The popularity of Trump is proof of need and a popular cry for competitive Right activism.
The chronic fundamental error – on display in comments once again here – is to assign to Republicans the responsibility for the necessary social cultural/political tasks that do not belong primarily to Republican politicians but to Right activists.
How pleasant to read comments on a post about Trump that are civil with good points being made rather than the vitriol I’ve seen on other sites whenever the subject is raised. Of course I expected nothing less, but I also expected better at other sites I read regularly such as Legal Insurrection but have been disappointed.
It seems to me that Trump is this cycles Ron Paul.
Jester – yes, that is exactly what Trump is for now. The court jester who says things that no one else dare. And, thereby, bring the issues to light.
Hopefully, by the time the field has narrowed this jester will have done his duty and go back to what he is good at – starting and failing businesses.
That way, he won’t be a spoiler and help put a Democrat in the White House and, hopefully, won’t have done too much damage to the Republican nominee.
I mean, really, comments like what he said about McCain (being taken POW isn’t really his idea of a hero) are so over the top that they might actually help gain some sympathy for the candidate. So, let’s hope he doesn’t say anything nasty about Hillary unless it is true.
The reason Trump is so popular, IMHO, is that he says out loud what everyone knows but few in politics are willing to say. The illegal immigration situation is a disgrace. The President is a liar. The Secretary of State couldn’t negotiate the purchase of a hot dog. (On a sidenote, say what you will about the Donald, if he had been heading up our negotiating team, the Iranians would have walked out of the conference in their underpants and been grateful for it.)
Now, if we can just find a candidate who can say the same things without the bombast, name-dropping, and self-aggrandizement, we’ll win the election going away.
Say what you will about Trump, I will no longer vote for a non-Tea Party Republican. For instance, If Jeb Bush or his ilk gets the nomination, I’ll write in Trump or Ted Cruz or Carly instead of voting for this election cycle’s “McCain” candidacy.
Bill Z:
Then I hope you are fully prepared to take responsibility for whatever President Hillary Clinton does.
I can’t speak for BillZ, Neo; but I will happily claim responsibility. Not to be misunderstood: to the extent it is even fathomable, I think a Trump nomination would be the end of the GOP. Period. It would split irreconcilably in half. Clinton’s election would be ensured along with an exceleration of the left’s hegemony over the federal power structure.
I certainly don’t want this, but I am realistic (and pessimistic) enough to acknowledge any alternative is just slowing the inevitable.
Buffoon that he is, Trump has tapped into a very deep, visceral and powerful impulse amongst the conservative base. Not exactly, “we’re mad as hell and we’re not gonna take it anymore” but more, “we’re mad as hell and we don’t give a flying f*** anymore”. Destructive? Yes. But understandable.
To be clear: I do not support Trump. He is my second to last choice (ahead of Jeb). My first choice is likely Rubio. Nonetheless, in the general, I will pull my lever for any one of them. This is not out of blind loyalty but rather cyncism. We’re largely fighting for a lost cause. It remains lost even if nominee Scott Walker wins all 50 states with 2/3rd majorities in both houses of Congress. Such would postpone the inevitable longer. But it’s still just a postponement.
President Hillary Clinton only means I will be forced to witness the utter and complete collapse of America in middle age (I’m currently just shy of 40) as opposed to in my twilight years. Sure, I’d prefer the latter. But it’s coming, one way or another.
Trump is raising issues that the MSM and the GOP establishment want to bury. Most of the GOP candidates support amnesty for illegals. Trump is calling them out on it, as he should, because a) illegals commit far more crimes than citizens and legal immigrants do b) they steal jobs from US citizens, especially the disadvantaged, and c) they exploit our welfare system to the gross detriment of the long-suffering taxpayer.
There is deep seated anger in the American public about illegal immigration. Trump is making it a major election issue. He probably won’t be the nominee, but he will make every candidate explain themselves on the issue.
As you know, if you don’t live in one of the few swing states it doesn’t really matter who you vote for or even if you vote. (maybe down ticket excluded).
Probably kissing cousin on the Dump. Populist and crony capitalist, little more, in my book. On the other hand, he might literally be nutting the wrong (pro-immigration) side of the GOP, causing a swing. Thing is, even if, say, Perry went anti-immigration, that would only last until after the election. Fuc*ing politicians. Honestly, they all more than deserve hell. They are unrepentant and will get it. Best enjoy their desserts here, for they won’t get them in the end.
Gov. Perry calling Trump a “nativist” for defending the interests of American citizens over those of illegal aliens?
Riiiight….
I’ve never fathomed how any politicians can get away with attacking American citizens for feeling we have the right to OUR OWN COUNTRY. But they have been, for nigh onto 2 centuries.
Here’s another idiotic “insult” — calling people “America Firsters!” in a derisory tone. Always done by the “America Lasters” crowd, I notice.
The hing that worries me most about the avid Trump supporters is that their response is totally emotional. I can certainly understand the frustration and the need to have it expressed, but the real question is what happens next. Mexico is not going to build a wall. Visa overstayers will continue to arrive. There needs to be a system for identifying the illegals and deporting them on a priority basis–criminals first. Sanctuary cities also need to be dealt with.
I am not convinced that Trump has the ability to set up efficient systems for doing this or even the interest in doing it.
I liked the Walker response to the illegals who sought to trip him up. He said we all have to obey the laws. We need someone who can make it clear that immigrants must make a choice: do they want to be in America (and let their children assimilate) or do the want to keep pretending that America is just a richer version of their homeland? We have to set clear standards for people who come here, legally or illegally, and stop letting the lefties pretend that we are responsible for the conditions that caused them to leave their homes.
If that’s the case, one can only hope the defib paddles are nowhere to be found or, if found, are in perfect nonworking order.
“Now, if we can just find a candidate who can say the same things without the bombast, name-dropping, and self-aggrandizement, we’ll win the election going away.”
Bingo!
As to a Third Party, at what point does it become necessary, even vital, to go there?
The Dems shift Left, and they drag the GOP establishment with them.
The Dems do their statist things (e.g., Wilson, FDR, Barack) and when the GOP takes office, NOTHING is reversed or undone.
Now we have Trump, and who is jumping on Trump the hardest? Why, the GOP.
The GOP is near useless as an opposition party. We (at least I) would not be as fearful of Hillary as POTUS if an effective, even hostile (imagine that!) opposition existed. But, instead, as an example, the GOP concedes the Dems’ right to appoint whom they choose, while the Dems Bork away.
The GOP is incompetent, hesitant, quibbling, cowardly; the Dems are corrupt, sly, totalitarian.
A great lesser evil is the GOP.
KLSmith:
“As you know, if you don’t live in one of the few swing states it doesn’t really matter who you vote for or even if you vote. (maybe down ticket excluded).”
I hope you haven’t forgotten Florida in 2000. The margin of victory was tremendously smaller than the number of Floridans (Democrats and Republicans both) who stayed home, no doubt thinking “my vote won’t matter anyway”. Ditto for the election that gave us Senator Al Franken.
This is not a new phenomenon. People used to talk about the Presidential election of 1916, in which California tipped the scales… and in which Woodrow Wilson carried California by less than one vote per precinct. A little extra Republican campaigning could have changed history in all sorts of ways.
In short: you never know, when you are voting, if your vote will make a difference or not. But you will never view election results and say “too bad I voted”. You might one day view election results and say “I wish I had voted”.
If you can vote, vote.
Daniel: I think it is one’s patriotic duty to vote. Unless the person is so stupid that they shouldn’t. But there really are only a handful of swing states, unfortunately. I’ve only set out one election, myself. I was undergoing my metamorphosis at the time and truly couldn’t decide.
I just think it’s kind of wrong to try to guilt someone into holding their nose to vote for someone they don’t like, say a Republican for national office, if that person lives in a deep blue state.
I remember FL. But, it’s one of the swing states I’m referring to. And actually as for saying “too bad I voted”. I do in fact regret for having voted for Bill Clinton, twice. Although, at the time my state was red not purple like it is now. So, in fact my vote didn’t matter except as a point of later chagrin.
KLSmith:
Every abstention from voting, however, makes the mandate of the opposition (if that person ends up winning) seem greater.
I am also convinced that if turnout among conservatives is high and among liberals is low, you never know what might happen.
Neo: good point. It would have been nice if in the NY mayoral race all those Republicans that stayed home because they knew De Blasio would win had still gone out to vote since it was such a low turn out election.
This is an excellent article regarding Trump and the election.
http://desolationrow2.blogspot.ca/2015/07/why-i-support-donald-trumps-campaign.html
At first, I was a Trump fan, but that wore off. Although I liked his dad a lot more, right now the best candidate is Rand Paul. Trump is another puppet for those special people who steal, kill and destroy for the sake of their peculiar agenda. Trump has already said he’ll start a war with Iran. I prefer, if anything, a war with Israel, as they siphon off countless billions from America. They use all the peoples and nations of the earth for their own sake, based on a demented idea of who they think they are. Trump has a LOT of favors to repay. By ‘running’ for president, he pushed Rand Paul out of the picture, and made it easy for the j e w s to get what they want. It is sad to see America always used (our blood and money) by the j e w s so they can advance the j e w i s h agenda, which is by its very nature un-American. This has been going on all over the world for centuries. America is no exception and became an easy and gullible target for this satanic cult.