I haven’t posted for a while and, in that time, Donald Trump is still at the top of the GOP polls.
He’s surprised the pundits (and me) with his staying power but he still is in a crowded field with most of the crowd within the margin of error. He still has the same basic amount of support. The race, similar to all races, has its own rhythms but, clearly, Trump is not going away on his own. There have been cries for the official party structure to refuse him the nomination or to walk away from him if he wins it, but that isn’t happening. If he wins, he wins. It would mean the rank and file nominated him and the party cannot walk away from that.
Some have said the party should become, in effect, a third party and go with, say, a Jeb Bush as the nominee, do as little as possible for Trump, and leave it to Jeb to win. With Trump likely getting the same share of the party support he has, that’s unlikely and more likely it opens the door even more widely for a Democratic (Hillary) win. Just ask Jeb’s dad what Perot did for him in ’92. A third party win is not destined for success.
I still do not believe he will be the nominee. He may win early, but he won't win often. Still, seems to me there is an opportunity for some mainstream candidate to take a step forward here..make a name for himself and come out of this process not as a weak nominee but a strong leader.
It hasn’t worked much so far but I have not seen an opposing candidate really take on Trump because, apparently, they fear alienating his supporters. They’ve tested him. They’ve jabbed at him. But they back away quickly. My view: alienate away. Those folks are not voting for Jeb or Kasich or Christie or any other mainstream-like Republican. Walk away and go after the rest of the party. Walk away and win the nomination with a clear head and honest heart. If you do, you likely win the nomination. If you don't Trump maybe wins the nomination and blows up the party – worse things in my mind can happen, but that’s another subject for another day.
In other words, someone has to become The Other GOP Candidate in the race. Someone for the rest of the party to rally around. Maybe, in my dreams of course, the other candidates decide who is best positioned to win, and get behind him (yes, him ... Carly Fiorina is not prepared to be president) and take one not just for the Gipper, but for history and the sake of the party. And the country. Nominating Donald Trump does so much harm on so many levels – the party will take a drubbing on the under ticket, the party’s reputation takes possibly an irreparable hit, and the country suffers. Not in that order.
I have been under the thinking that Trump can’t win New Hampshire and his nomination then collapses. Well the "experts" now are saying he could win New Hampshire. Of course, these same experts who said he was a flash in the pan. The polls continuously show that whenever he makes a “mistake” (women, Hispanics, physically challenged, policy, whatever) he gains in the polls. No ‘mistake’ is going to take him down.
It will take a legitimate opponent. Someone with conviction. Someone with guts. Someone with brains.
And someone with those qualities would make a good president.
He’s surprised the pundits (and me) with his staying power but he still is in a crowded field with most of the crowd within the margin of error. He still has the same basic amount of support. The race, similar to all races, has its own rhythms but, clearly, Trump is not going away on his own. There have been cries for the official party structure to refuse him the nomination or to walk away from him if he wins it, but that isn’t happening. If he wins, he wins. It would mean the rank and file nominated him and the party cannot walk away from that.
Some have said the party should become, in effect, a third party and go with, say, a Jeb Bush as the nominee, do as little as possible for Trump, and leave it to Jeb to win. With Trump likely getting the same share of the party support he has, that’s unlikely and more likely it opens the door even more widely for a Democratic (Hillary) win. Just ask Jeb’s dad what Perot did for him in ’92. A third party win is not destined for success.
I still do not believe he will be the nominee. He may win early, but he won't win often. Still, seems to me there is an opportunity for some mainstream candidate to take a step forward here..make a name for himself and come out of this process not as a weak nominee but a strong leader.
It hasn’t worked much so far but I have not seen an opposing candidate really take on Trump because, apparently, they fear alienating his supporters. They’ve tested him. They’ve jabbed at him. But they back away quickly. My view: alienate away. Those folks are not voting for Jeb or Kasich or Christie or any other mainstream-like Republican. Walk away and go after the rest of the party. Walk away and win the nomination with a clear head and honest heart. If you do, you likely win the nomination. If you don't Trump maybe wins the nomination and blows up the party – worse things in my mind can happen, but that’s another subject for another day.
In other words, someone has to become The Other GOP Candidate in the race. Someone for the rest of the party to rally around. Maybe, in my dreams of course, the other candidates decide who is best positioned to win, and get behind him (yes, him ... Carly Fiorina is not prepared to be president) and take one not just for the Gipper, but for history and the sake of the party. And the country. Nominating Donald Trump does so much harm on so many levels – the party will take a drubbing on the under ticket, the party’s reputation takes possibly an irreparable hit, and the country suffers. Not in that order.
I have been under the thinking that Trump can’t win New Hampshire and his nomination then collapses. Well the "experts" now are saying he could win New Hampshire. Of course, these same experts who said he was a flash in the pan. The polls continuously show that whenever he makes a “mistake” (women, Hispanics, physically challenged, policy, whatever) he gains in the polls. No ‘mistake’ is going to take him down.
It will take a legitimate opponent. Someone with conviction. Someone with guts. Someone with brains.
And someone with those qualities would make a good president.
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