It's been disappointing to see how Trump has treated his allies and former staff in the years since he came down the escalator, but as others have said "character is destiny" and he just can't help himself. He's basically running as the 90's Democrat that he's always mostly been at this point. When a clear alternative is present at this point, the GOP and it's coalition of voters would be foolish not to take it.
DeSantis can run a campaign against Biden (or whoever) based on vey clear policy choices and effective governing of Florida. Trump just about has to run as a scorched replay of 2020. I doubt that that's enough. He will also apparently have to run with a campaign team that is not as good as the one DeSantis has built.
He handed the country over to Fauci and Birx. That right there is enough for me to choose someone else. I would love to see a DeSantis/Scott or DeSantis/Ramaswamy ticket.
There is a difference, but it's relatively immaterial - unlike 2016, there are many more loyalists he can insult. He hasn't changed, the insults haven't changed, but the targets have. Still, ratings going down. Sad.
First, I have to agree the "overweight bitches" are a problem. LOL
As for Trump, he hasn't changed, he has just redirected his fire. I think that's partly because everyone has grown accustomed to him attacking those who attacked him from the Dem/Left. He needs new targets, and who is left.
It also seems to me partly because he won the nomination in 2016 partly be defeating the GOPE's main choice of Jeb! The GOPe was not about to support many, if any, non-Jeb candidates. Most of them were non-starters because they weren't RINO enough, or were just kind of realish conservatives. Scott Walker springs to mind. So when Trump destroyed Jeb! early on they failed to unite behind an "acceptable" candidate. After all, better to lose gracefully (and maybe gratefully) than to let any sort of real conservative run.
So Rand Paul and Ted Cruz were right out. Marco Rubio was seen as an upstart (I think), and even the GOPe had a hard time "swallowing" Chris Christie. Hell, a 25-foot Great White Shark would have that problem. Ben Carson was never in their view, and Mike Huckabee was too Southern, too Christian, too "not our kind, Dear" for them. So they were left with John Kasich. Too little, too late. For a guy who started as a kind of conservative US Rep, he took the money and joined the RINOs. But that still wasn't really enough for the GOPe.
So Trump rolled an unprepared GOPe elite AND the also-rans who were left after "low energy" Jeb imploded. Maybe he's a nice guy, and maybe he's smart. (He was the son the Bush family groomed to be President, and they were big on at least the appearance of being nice.) But he was lost in a street fight with Trump.
So, now Trump has a different problem. He has only one strategy, make every debate/challenge a street fight, and only a few tactics which worked last time. Only this time he's up against a different kind of opponent. DeSantis refuses (smartly, I think) to respond to Trump's and his rabid supporter's attacks, and only rabid MAGA-types (or serious Trump hangers-on) don't find those attacks stupid and childish.
Trump has depended this time, on his supporters still being rabid about it PLUS them still very angry about a stolen election. (Hell, maybe it was stolen. I was there in 1960. And that wasn't the first one that was more than fishy.) Most voters have, I think, Moved On (TM) from having "stolen election" being the biggest, or even a big, thing in their lives.
Mamybe Trump still wins the nomination. But if he does, the only way he wins the Presidency is that enough non-MAGA types (like me) are sick enough of Biden/Harris to hold our noses and vote for the lesser of two weevils. Maybe that will work, but I have serious doubts. He'll need people like McEnany back on board to win, and he's doing his damnedest to not let that happen.
This doesn't seem like the behavior of a "stable genius" to me.
Pretty much nailed it, my dude. This is how I see Trump. The only problem is that he's facing probably the most corrupt politician of the modern era. To have it all come down to voting against someone, as opposed to for someone, is just so on-brand for Late Republic America.
I feel like this election is akin to the "battle of wits to the death" scene in the Princess Bride; where surely I can not vote for Candidate A because of his personal baggage, tendency to take everything personal and treat even the slightest differences as a grand felony. But surely I can not vote for Candidate B because he's corrupt, has been funneling money to his family for decades, has never once taken a position that didn't personally benefit him and can find a way to F**k up making hot water. But surely I can not vote for Candidate A because he's too old. And surely I can not vote for Candidate B because he's too old. Yet I can not vote for Candidate A because he is a known liar and grifter, just like Candidate B. And yet I can not vote for Candidate A because ...
And I could go on and on and on and on.
Elections that come down to "the lesser of two evils will win" never work out. Look, this nation is just plain f***ked, and our self-serving political class just won't tell us the truth that we're f***ked because they want to keep the gravy train rolling on.
I have to tell ya. I'm on Team McEnany. This was totally uncalled for. He's claimed FL is a "hellhole". A PAC supporting DeSantis offered to help Trump move, which I thought brilliant. Trump also said he would not criticize Gavin Newsom as "he hasn't said anything bad about me". Now Cuomo, who killed almost 20,000 was better than DeSantis. I'm off the Trump train. If he's the nominee vs. the evil, grifting Biden I'll vote with my nose held. Kayleigh is nowhere near the same thing/person/situation as Omarosa. Beyond disappointing.
Preeeettttyyyyy sure Cuomo has said plenty of bad things about Trump, but I'm too lazy to look it up.
And the proper measure of the death toll (even with the crappy definitions and data) is not total deaths but deaths/100,000. In that case DeSantis beats Cuomo by a lot.
Donald Trump operates on the Talosian principle: Wrong thinking will be punished. Right thinking will just as swiftly be rewarded. Interestingly, it is the same principle the Left follows: dissenters must be hounded as class enemies. That explains their treatment of Trump, who was a hero of the Progressive and celebrity classes right up to the moment he decided it would be easier to win the Presidency as a Republican, at which time they had to make him their Enemy of the People #1.
He also has Talosian-like powers of making (some) people see in him what he wants them to see. People also projected onto Obama what they wanted to see in him, but that was due to factors and forces Obama did not control or manage - others did it for and to him. Trump is way better at doing it deliberately and purposefully, and exploiting the instances where outside forces do it for him.
It's been disappointing to see how Trump has treated his allies and former staff in the years since he came down the escalator, but as others have said "character is destiny" and he just can't help himself. He's basically running as the 90's Democrat that he's always mostly been at this point. When a clear alternative is present at this point, the GOP and it's coalition of voters would be foolish not to take it.
DeSantis can run a campaign against Biden (or whoever) based on vey clear policy choices and effective governing of Florida. Trump just about has to run as a scorched replay of 2020. I doubt that that's enough. He will also apparently have to run with a campaign team that is not as good as the one DeSantis has built.
He handed the country over to Fauci and Birx. That right there is enough for me to choose someone else. I would love to see a DeSantis/Scott or DeSantis/Ramaswamy ticket.
Bitchin’ post.
There is a difference, but it's relatively immaterial - unlike 2016, there are many more loyalists he can insult. He hasn't changed, the insults haven't changed, but the targets have. Still, ratings going down. Sad.
First, I have to agree the "overweight bitches" are a problem. LOL
As for Trump, he hasn't changed, he has just redirected his fire. I think that's partly because everyone has grown accustomed to him attacking those who attacked him from the Dem/Left. He needs new targets, and who is left.
It also seems to me partly because he won the nomination in 2016 partly be defeating the GOPE's main choice of Jeb! The GOPe was not about to support many, if any, non-Jeb candidates. Most of them were non-starters because they weren't RINO enough, or were just kind of realish conservatives. Scott Walker springs to mind. So when Trump destroyed Jeb! early on they failed to unite behind an "acceptable" candidate. After all, better to lose gracefully (and maybe gratefully) than to let any sort of real conservative run.
So Rand Paul and Ted Cruz were right out. Marco Rubio was seen as an upstart (I think), and even the GOPe had a hard time "swallowing" Chris Christie. Hell, a 25-foot Great White Shark would have that problem. Ben Carson was never in their view, and Mike Huckabee was too Southern, too Christian, too "not our kind, Dear" for them. So they were left with John Kasich. Too little, too late. For a guy who started as a kind of conservative US Rep, he took the money and joined the RINOs. But that still wasn't really enough for the GOPe.
So Trump rolled an unprepared GOPe elite AND the also-rans who were left after "low energy" Jeb imploded. Maybe he's a nice guy, and maybe he's smart. (He was the son the Bush family groomed to be President, and they were big on at least the appearance of being nice.) But he was lost in a street fight with Trump.
So, now Trump has a different problem. He has only one strategy, make every debate/challenge a street fight, and only a few tactics which worked last time. Only this time he's up against a different kind of opponent. DeSantis refuses (smartly, I think) to respond to Trump's and his rabid supporter's attacks, and only rabid MAGA-types (or serious Trump hangers-on) don't find those attacks stupid and childish.
Trump has depended this time, on his supporters still being rabid about it PLUS them still very angry about a stolen election. (Hell, maybe it was stolen. I was there in 1960. And that wasn't the first one that was more than fishy.) Most voters have, I think, Moved On (TM) from having "stolen election" being the biggest, or even a big, thing in their lives.
Mamybe Trump still wins the nomination. But if he does, the only way he wins the Presidency is that enough non-MAGA types (like me) are sick enough of Biden/Harris to hold our noses and vote for the lesser of two weevils. Maybe that will work, but I have serious doubts. He'll need people like McEnany back on board to win, and he's doing his damnedest to not let that happen.
This doesn't seem like the behavior of a "stable genius" to me.
Well said, Jorg. It seems like forever since I posted here.
Been a while. Missed you, and some others. It was a very good group.
I know. Wonder whatever happened to Pi Guy and Lillia.
I hope they found a good place to be. I'm staying here for at least the nonce.
Pretty much nailed it, my dude. This is how I see Trump. The only problem is that he's facing probably the most corrupt politician of the modern era. To have it all come down to voting against someone, as opposed to for someone, is just so on-brand for Late Republic America.
I feel like this election is akin to the "battle of wits to the death" scene in the Princess Bride; where surely I can not vote for Candidate A because of his personal baggage, tendency to take everything personal and treat even the slightest differences as a grand felony. But surely I can not vote for Candidate B because he's corrupt, has been funneling money to his family for decades, has never once taken a position that didn't personally benefit him and can find a way to F**k up making hot water. But surely I can not vote for Candidate A because he's too old. And surely I can not vote for Candidate B because he's too old. Yet I can not vote for Candidate A because he is a known liar and grifter, just like Candidate B. And yet I can not vote for Candidate A because ...
And I could go on and on and on and on.
Elections that come down to "the lesser of two evils will win" never work out. Look, this nation is just plain f***ked, and our self-serving political class just won't tell us the truth that we're f***ked because they want to keep the gravy train rolling on.
Aaand, Hello Duck!
Hi, Duck!!
I have to tell ya. I'm on Team McEnany. This was totally uncalled for. He's claimed FL is a "hellhole". A PAC supporting DeSantis offered to help Trump move, which I thought brilliant. Trump also said he would not criticize Gavin Newsom as "he hasn't said anything bad about me". Now Cuomo, who killed almost 20,000 was better than DeSantis. I'm off the Trump train. If he's the nominee vs. the evil, grifting Biden I'll vote with my nose held. Kayleigh is nowhere near the same thing/person/situation as Omarosa. Beyond disappointing.
Preeeettttyyyyy sure Cuomo has said plenty of bad things about Trump, but I'm too lazy to look it up.
And the proper measure of the death toll (even with the crappy definitions and data) is not total deaths but deaths/100,000. In that case DeSantis beats Cuomo by a lot.
Donald Trump operates on the Talosian principle: Wrong thinking will be punished. Right thinking will just as swiftly be rewarded. Interestingly, it is the same principle the Left follows: dissenters must be hounded as class enemies. That explains their treatment of Trump, who was a hero of the Progressive and celebrity classes right up to the moment he decided it would be easier to win the Presidency as a Republican, at which time they had to make him their Enemy of the People #1.
Yes, yes, that’s how he operates...
He also has Talosian-like powers of making (some) people see in him what he wants them to see. People also projected onto Obama what they wanted to see in him, but that was due to factors and forces Obama did not control or manage - others did it for and to him. Trump is way better at doing it deliberately and purposefully, and exploiting the instances where outside forces do it for him.