Trump: I’m Severely Republican
Last night, Donald Trump gave a prepared speech after Hillary and before Bernie. It was an awkward place for him to be, since the night was so clearly a Democratic family affair. But there he was, reading from a TelePrompter, his eyes widening from a confused squint only when he dropped in an ad lib and mugged for the camera. He stayed away from his recent Trump U-related contretemps; stayed away, in fact, from most of the controversial topics that won him the nomination. Stayed away, too, from policy, governance, ideas and diction.
Instead, he focused his inconsiderable logic on touching all the bases that comprise red meat for the rest of the Republican base, especially fear, fear and fear. He also threw in a few becks to the Bernie crowd, talking about general election polls and how he “beat a rigged system.”
So rally ’round his rigged-system-thrashing flag, boys.
This was a speech meant to reassure the GOP, and hold it together in the face of the existential cataclysm which is the mouth of their nominee. “You’ve given me the honor to lead the Republican party to victory this fall,” he said, “I understand the responsibility of carrying the mantle.”
No, he doesn’t, but he needed to say he did after the week he’s had. He’s trying to hold a powder keg together by wrapping duct-tape around and around and around it: the fuse is already lit, so wrapping it tighter will just make for a bigger blow when it goes off.
As much as the snacilbupeR may or may not be re-assured, however, we – and the rest of Planet Earth – can all take comfort in the fact that Trump clearly doesn’t know what he’s doing. Recent reporting from several sources along several lines of inquiry show a campaign where there is no actual campaign going on: there’s no staff, there’s no data, there’s no policy team, there’s no one who wants to be VP, there’s no surrogate team, there’s no coordinated messaging, there’s no fund-raising, there’s no field, there’s clearly no speechwriter.
There’s just no there, there.
Rumors have also come out that Trump’s focus for winning in November include chasing down the northern tier post-Industrial states, as well as New York and California. New York! California! I know, right? Surely not!
I’ve been ev’rywhere much more than THIS guy
Not so fast, there. Here’s what he said last night: “I’ve traveled to many of our states and seen the suffering in people’s eyes. I’ve visited communities in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Indiana, and Ohio…”
Pennsylvania and Ohio are two swing states that make sense for Republicans to chase, as they have been. Indiana is something he may need to shore up. These – along with states like, say, Florida – are standard shout-outs in a general election campaign speech like this. But this is the first inkling we see that Trump is unable to let go of his home state, as well as its satellites. It’s almost as if he’s trying to run a Rockefeller map in a Goldwater election.
It’s almost as if he wants to lose. If so, he chose the right Party for it.
“There’s no there, there.” What does he do, call it in from his office? Oh, that’s right. He gets max coverage with minimum cost by interrupting radio shows on his phone or with Tweets.
1I’ve thought for a long time that he grabbed the tiger by the tail. I think he wants president as a title but I don’t think he in any way wants the job of president.
2Poor Donnie, all that money and he can’t buy two clues to rub together.
3I’ve always felt that he entered the Presidential race as a way to amuse himself, and never expected to win the nomination. Now that he’s nailed that down, he’s panicking–and when he loses, nobody will be more relieved than he is.
4Donnie Drumpf doesn’t want his 1040 displayed. Sorry about his luck, but Andrew Feinberg has an ‘advanced’ copy, Filing Status—Huge. The 1040 You’ll Never See
“Agriculture—My golf courses receive tax breaks for agricultural use. If a goat craps on your New Jersey property you can be designated a working farm. Hey, we’re real farmers at Trump Golf. We raise greens fees. Ha! Our government is so stupid.”
http://www.counterpunch.org/2016/06/07/the-1040-youll-never-see/
HRC will need surrogates to address the moronic Donnie Drumpf to avoid being pulled into his swine pen of mud. We can help. Lesson #1 in how to relate to a Drumpf supporter – keep it simple. Lesson #2 – address them with their proper honorific – sucker. Show them the real Donnie and how Donnie the unlikely billionaire and more probably millionaire isn’t their BFF. His tax “plan” should have been their first clue, but we’re talking felony st00pid when discussing Drumpf supporters. Smacking snacilbupeR with facts is a losing strategy given their immunity and aversion to facts. But Drumpf supporters share one thing in common with their would be fuhrer, thin skin. Repeated applications of “sucker” to their psyche might penetrate those thick skulls.
5He desperately wants to be the center of attention, and he wants to win, but hands up anyone who thinks he actually wants to do the work of being President of the United States, or even has half a clue what that entails. He’d be out the door faster than Failin’ Palin.
6I live in hope that the morning after election day every Trump poster and yard sign is covered with a YOU’RE FIRED addition.
7Heh heh–Donny will have to stay in the race and be humiliated every day until November. R’s will insist he stay and fight it out with HRC. After all, they can’t have their candidate quit before the election and wind up having HRC coronated!
Keep in mind that all R’s want is to eliminate all of FDR’s innovations and have people forget that it was Nixon that was forced to resign rather than face impeachment. F**k them and the stolen elections they rode in on.
8(Sorry Momma, I got carried away.)
9Apparently Trump has just told Senate Republicans that his campaign is broke and he can’t buy TV ads until after the convention in July. Hillary has 30 million in the bank NOW. Get out the popcorn folks. This is gonna be good!
10Wish I shared y’all’s optimism, but I’ve seen the Democrats snatch defeat from the jaws of victory way too many times.
We’re going to have a weak, hobbled candidate (whether that’s ‘real’ or not is irrelevant, and that’s been my opinion long before last year).
Dems and ShouldBe Dems tend not to get out to vote (particularly minorities), the Repukes and RWNJ’s/teabaggers will drag their sorry butts to the polls even if on their deathbeds (having bad thoughts here…).
Besides, after the Concussion in Cleveland, the Rescummies will hive-mind-meld together and back tRump 150%.
The R party professionals will take over total campaign control (from Prez race on down), and be as slick and slippery as always (they did get Dumbya (s)elected twice). And I think McLame/Snookie were an aberration, Rmoney/LyinRyan shot themselves.
Proto-Fascist Trump and a very desperate Republican apparatus are going to be savage, ruthless, and relentless (despite all the hype, this is a very critical time).
The media is an R captive, a huge advantage (IMO, just watch even something like PBS’ NBR), let alone the major networks; and especially the local stations– the SA ones are totally in the R tank swimming in the cesspool.
I know you’re a pro, PE, but if your boots were on TX ground you’d be damned worried like me.
(y’all have an exit plan ready just in case, if you can, the only thing that might hamper mine would be the R’s totally scrapping SS, and it’s still less than 1/3 my rtd $).
11Have to agree with Sandridge. Can add for those like me that are so disgusted with the dem party and the insider elites. Nice piece on this the other day at The Intercept by Greenwald June 7.
12For me, much will depend upon what effects Bernie will have on the platform and who gets what power positions.
IMO, this country hasn’t had any real adversity since 1812 and Civil War. We’ve protected our offspring from experiencing the kinds of adversity other places are going thru right now. Without knowing adversity, how can one really know what good times are?
The repubs can count on the Trumpster Divers returning like lemmings to their opiated feed bins.
HRC is neither “weak” or “hobbled”. She is by far the most qualified candidate for president that I have seen in years! She will bring women out in droves to vote. Latinos will be voting like never before. Anything the Repub machine can use against her has already been vetted. Yes, there are those that believe all the Bengazi about her, but we were never going to get that vote anyway. I believe a good number of normal Republicans will sit this one out, just too embarrassed by their candidate.
Her speech on Trump the other day was masterful. People will be reminded of our great economy under wild Bill. I love my president now, and I am thrilled with the candidate for this year!
13Since the race for the open senate seat in California will be between a Democrat and a Democrat, I’m thinking that the Golden State may be a bit out of Donnie’s reach.
14Someone said he looked like a lion on tranquilizers.
15WA Skeptic reminds me of a book read years ago. From an Amazon review:
“Dark Horse by Fletcher Knebel is a tongue-in-cheek political novel from the early 1970s. Three weeks before the general election, the Republican nominee for President dies suddenly. Party leaders select an obscure Turnpike Commissioner from NJ by the name of Eddie Quinn to replace him. Their rationale is that even though Quinn has no chance of winning, his blue collar, populist appeal will help Republican down ballot office seekers even as the White House is ceded to the opposition. Much to their chagrin, Mr. Quinn exhibits an unexpected independent streak and starts running a campaign that repudiates his “fat cat” benefactors and promises the working class a fair shake. Voters find Eddie Quinn’s candor and independence refreshing and the polls show his rapid ascension from dark horse to genuine contender.
16Much of Dark Horse’s take on Republican politics at the national level rings very true today. The one notable exception to that statement is that the novel makes no mention of the religious right and its profound influence on the party’s policies.”
I’ve been away. Who is the guy in the photo?
17I live in terror that the snacilbupeR P-t-B saw through his performance last night and will pull him from the stage. They KNOW he won’t keep up the facade of sounding [for Trump] fairly reasonable.
OF COURSE he played nice in front of the cameras last night. The convention hasn’t happened yet. He HAS TO pretend he’s on the leash and content to stay there — at least till the nomination is clinched.
But, after the past year, does he really expect Priebus and McConnell and Ryan to believe him? Whatever else they might be [and I’ve got a few choice adjectives I could add here] they’re not fools. I fully expect them to do whatever is humanly possible to get him off the ballot during the convention. Of course they will.
And, of course, that’s a lose/lose for them. Their most rabid base simply WILL NOT STAND FOR THAT. Not for a second. So the GOP will lose the froth-at-the-mouth voters because their darling has been dethroned. AND they’ll lose the moderate vote because the system is so blatantly rigged — right out there for all to see.
No, those two groups won’t vote for Hillary, of course — but, absent a 3rd party candidate, they’ll just stay home in November. And if a 3rd party candidate IS available, they’ll split the ticket.
So no, there’s no path to victory here. In the best of all possible worlds, the snacilbupeR will leave The Gift That Keeps On Giving where he is rather than prove, once and for all, that the system is rigged. And then the attack ads will just keep on writing themselves:
18http://www.dailykos.com/story/2016/06/07/1535516/-GRACE-FIRST-widely-aired-anti-Trump-ad-out-FL-OH-VA-NV-and-it-is-devastating-for-Donald-Trump?detail=email&link_id=1&can_id=c7ec12d8b3526eb3581146a07707b846&source=email-gracefirst-major-anti-trump-ad-is-out-and-it-is-devastating-2&email_referrer=gracefirst-major-anti-trump-ad-is-out-and-it-is-devastating-2&email_subject=grace-first-major-anti-trump-ad-is-out-and-it-is-devastating
Keeping it simple for the snacilbupeR:
https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EZt6NhE5Lkc/V1cu-ljc6hI/AAAAAAAAEtM/4VAKVcCW9aQbAC-7fXCwts4oeQy9dMGYwCLcB/s320/Trump%2Bfailed.png
19@ Rhea:
20Oh! I loved that book! And how I envied the people who lived in that alternate universe where someone like Eddie could run.
George in Lee County: it’s a distant relative – we both married Carter girls, although my Carter girl (daMrs) never met his Carter girl (June). You’d be amazed (or, maybe not) but musical talent runs ALL THRU that Carter family. Just about any of them can pick up an instrument and learn it well…at birth, like musical wildebeests.
A Carter kid not able to carry a tune is immediate grounds for a paternity test.
Anyway, this was June Carter’s hubby, who also could pick and sing a bit: the late, great Johnny Cash.
“Listen! I’ve traveled every road in this here land!”
21I’ve been everywhere, man
I’ve been everywhere, man
Crossed the deserts bare, man
I’ve breathed the mountain air, man
Travel, I’ve had my share, man
I’ve been everywhere
George in Lee County,
You don’t recognize a young Johnny Cash?
(PS, there was a good diary on the young Willie Nelson on Daily Kos not too long ago, lots pf info and streaming)
We were lucky to see George Strait near the beginning of his career at the RGV Livestock Show in Mercedes, TX a couple of times. Front row standing (no seats there), holding very young daughters up on shoulders.
They’ve always liked Hank Williams Sr. too, esp:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Move_It_On_Over_(song)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honky_Tonkin%27
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mind_Your_Own_Business_(song)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Gone_Lonesome_Blues
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Why_Don%27t_You_Love_Me_(Hank_Williams_song)
oh heck, all of these:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hank_Williams_discography
.
22There’s a lot to this Trump not really into being President. It was Paul Manafort the other day who said that he was not that interested in the governing aspects of the job. Speaking of the Veep pick:
“He needs an experienced person to do the part of the job he doesn’t want to do. He sees himself more as the chairman of the board, than even the CEO, let alone the COO.”
It sounds to me like he wants to separate the “head-of-state” aspects of being President from the “head-of-government” parts.
That would mean Hair Force One with a big T on it, the expansion of the Eisenhower putting green into an entire 36-hole Trump I-Really-Mean-National Golf Course, twenty-one gun salutes just for the hell of it, and a gadget that plays “Hail to the Chief” every time he flushes.
To do the actual job of governing, he will get himself a Prime Minister for VP, instruct him to make America one thing or t’other, again, then browbeat Congress into buying him a Presidential Yacht, with a SeaOrg-like cult to crew it.
He wants all the Pomp, without any of the Circumstances.
Right about now, though, I’m guessing he’s got his hands over his eyes, sobbing: “Help me Mr Wizard, I don’t want to be a President any more!”
Drizzle Drazzle Druzzle Drome
23Time for this one to come home.
Dang,
daChipster beat me, due to my Bluetooth mini-keyboard/mouse getting RF interference since I moved the USB transceiver to the back of the computer.
When my new memory upgrade DDR3 sticks get here and I open it up, that thing goes back on a front port.
24Hey, I got a deal on a slightly obsolescent HP biz computer w/DDR3, not DDR4 RAM, circa 2010-13 HP 8200/8300 Elites are great machines at very reasonable, refurb prices (less than $100 clams), w/Win7Pro too (a Win7Pro OS costs more than the whole computer retail, ~$140, the refurb cos. only pay about $10/license); free upgrade to Win10, if you dare.
Upgrade to a faster, 4-8 core Intel iX proc and you get a howler for usual tasks (I don’t do games).
Modern hitech is jes amazin’ (and I’ve been in it since the ’60’s).
Drumpf#$k expects to get the women’s vote because he-Drumpf#$k broke the glass ceiling for women by hiring some for construction jobs in the 8os. So sayeth the Drumpf#$ker.
25I’m surprised that there isn’t a long line of people wanting to get the VP nomination. Sure you run the risk of becoming as irrelevant as Palin after losing but in the event that the Democrats do manage to screw the pooch completely then the VP is almost assured of becoming the next President after this one gets tossed to the wolves. Not even Paul Ryan would be able to ignore all of the high crimes and misdemeanors that Trump has promised to commit. I figure that Christie, Gingrich, and Ron Paul are good candidates.
26Trump doesn’t want to be President. He wants to be Monarch in the same way that Queen Elizabeth II rules Great Britain.
Though she has much better hair.
27Don A – I’m sure there’s a long, long, long line, but the people that fit the job description that Donnykin Drumpfalker wants – i.e. Prime Minister – are few and far between, already have successful careers of their own, maybe even future plans, and have no desire to step into the political equivalent of cement overshoes.
Quietly in the back rooms, it is being rumored, people are saying “Don’t shop my name.” Many are saying it openly: FL Gov. Voldemort said it in public. Almost all of the other 16 dwarves have publicly or privately said screw you, except for Christie and Dr Stabby McDroopyeyed, that I know of.
Christie would take any job on offer, he’s that pathetic. He’s also been diminished (metaphorically) by Trump’s constant belittling, and the whole Bridgegate thing leaves him smelling like funky taint.
Gingrich has said “hell yeah!” but he may be closer to the bottom of the list now that he buzzkilled Trump’s judicial hate-fest. However, he is EXACTLY the big-idea, hands-on-the-levers-of-power guy Trump oughta be looking for. On the other hand, the two of them on the same ticket might end up in a murder-suicide.
Ron Paul is an interesting idea, but he’s another one with not a lot of experience running things in Washington. Plus, he’s so hip deep in crazy gold-standard ridiculousness that even Trump would shy away from the leprechaun of liquidity crises. Frosted gold pieces: they’re magically delicious.
Manafort says to pick a woman or a minority would be pandering and is so not happening, which lets out two formidable choices: Nikki Haley and Susana Martinez. But Nikki is another one who privately is pulling back after running like hell for it earlier this year, plus Trump said he wasn’t considering her. Martinez was, I believe, ON the list, but the recent spat between them seems disqualifying.
All this having been said, I’m sure if Trump picked any of these folks, they’d be hard-pressed to say no, which is why, I think, so many are saying it pre-emptively.
And the Veep nom CAN be like Sarah Palin, where she jettisoned the whole McCain thing and just ran her own deal at the end there, building up her own brand. If I were an unscrupulous Republican Presidential wannabe, I might find the opposite end of the ticket as far from Donald as possible is EXACTLY the right move.
28OMG. He can’t find a VP? Get that man a hunting dog and a helluva huge search light. Then make the dog the VP.
29CherylAnn, my sentiments exactly. If anything, the last couple of weeks have clearly demonstrated Secretary Clinton’s competence and class. She know how things work, has the intelligence and dedication to do the work of governing and will hit the ground running. The perceived “weakness”, which is as she said, the result of a vast right wing conspiracy will be seen for the hateful Republican rhetoric it is.
30Also, don’t be surprised if Drumpf ends up in handcuffs after the RICO case against him comes to an humiliating close. I just love all these RKKKlan leaders pretending to be shocked at Donnie’s racism. It’s been obvious well before this.
Drumpf#$k misspelled seriously retarded.
31daChipster, help me out. Wasn’t Manafort the white tiger that chewed a couple of sirloins off Hans and Franz in Las Vegas several years ago?
32Close enough, epo, same difference.
33Folks,
34Sadly Mantecore, the white tiger that did the sirloin chewing to which epo refers above isn’t any longer available to run as Hair Drumpf’s veep, being that he died dead as a hammer back in ’14. He may or may not bear a slight resemblance to Manafort, if that’s his real name. Who nose?
CherylAnn and Maryelle … Let them say what they will about Hillary … I agree with both of you ladies!! She’s got it hands down!! 🙂
35Not to worry, in Cleveland the Rethugs are gonna fit Donny (Dollars) Trump with several pairs of these AirJesus jeebus sandals (haha, you thought I wuz gonna describe a diff ‘pair’), wearing them is like walking on air (or water).
(really, that’s what they call them, link below)
With these AirJesus sandals on, for ‘The Donald’ even the Talibangelicals will fall in line and worship the ground he walks on/over, the teabaggers might be a bit skeptical but a few dog-whistles and they will get rabid again.
Even the green eye shade R establishment types will start to sputter ‘hallelujah, all hail Donny’.
http://shop.nomadicstateofmind.com/JC-sandals-s/108.htm
(hey, they do look comfortable, and I hate sandals and never wear them)
36A WOMAN nominee for PRESIDENT of the USA. Wow. I never thought I’d see that in my lifetime. I am beyond thrilled. This means so much to me, and probably huge numbers of us. Imagine.
I think of being shamed and belittled because I wanted to play basketball. Of the rule mandating that all girls had to wear skirts or dresses to my public high school. Of the college dorm curfews that were earlier for women than for men. Of being the only woman driving a race car on the local oval dirt track. Of being looked at like some kind of freak because I didn’t know how to sew.
There’s Hillary, great big grin on her face, arms spread wide while thousands cheer her as the nominee of the Democratic Party. I’ve already cried about it once and I’m sure I will again. If she wins I can guarantee I’ll be a big, sloppy, joyous mess.
37“It’s almost as if he wants to lose.”
I honestly don’t think he ever actually planned on winning, which explains the incoherence his entire “campaign” operation has displayed, from day one. this whole thing was nothing but a grift for Trump, pull a planned Sarah Palin. being a “former presidential candidate” adds a level of panache to his brand, that another hotel/casino/tv “reality” show just can’t do.
that was the plan from the start, and now that he finds himself in the totally unexpected position of the presumptive R nominee, he has exactly zero clue what to do next. I predict he’ll either spiral completely out of control, before Nov., leaving the RNC holding the bag, or he’ll stay, never get beyond his campaign’s current level of ineptitude, and suffer the most catastrophic election loss ever suffered by any US presidential candidate, ever.
at that point, he will totally lose it, on national tv, and have to be restrained by security. he’ll end up being involuntarily committeed, until such time as he regains what there is of his senses.
he’s a crappy businessman, and a crappy candidate, no real surprise there.
38Rhea: I didn’t read the book, but “The one notable exception to that statement is that the novel makes no mention of the religious right and its profound influence on the party’s policies.”
39resonated here: I have read that Trump’s Faith Advisor or whatever the hell he is speaks in tongues. So does Donnie, so they might have a lot to say to each other. Faith advisor – Trump has stooped that low to cull the last shreds of humanity to his side.
Well, Maggie said it best. Ole tRumpie couldn’t find his own orange butt with both hands and a hunting dog much less find a VP. Seems the dog would do well as VP. However my very cute very smart Corgi would make a much better president than trump. And he already has 9 votes from republicans.
40Debbo, I crossed all my digits and told myself a long time ago that this would happen. If you look back in history, certain things happened President-wise that most folks would never think could happen: a handicapped man in the White House for longer than any of his precedents; a Catholic in the White House; An African American in the White House . . . all leading up to this. One day there will be an African American woman in the White House. I am also betting that she will be Jewish and have a Spanish surname!
41Linda Phipps, I assume the novel didn’t mention the GOP religious right because it didn’t exist, or barely existed, in the early 70s. When Jimmy Carter talked about his religious beliefs it made people a little nervous. (We didn’t know when we were well off.) Then Reagan got elected and the party went to hell, or heaven, take your pick.
42In general, I agree with a lot that is said. Especially daChipster’s prediction of Trump wanting no actual responsibility and instead a VP to be his prime minister and do work for him.
We early on predicted that Trump would quit the race when he felt the indicators were too strong that he would lose–not being able to stand being a “loser” as he so quickly labels others.
I’m currently entertaining a concept of Trump getting up to the convention and then withdrawing his candidacy. He’s won this part of the race. And he obviously has no interest in the 2nd part–since he is more concerned with the Trump brand than his presidential brand [his bitchin’ about the judge and the lawsuit is all about Trump brand]. If the polls drop significantly…I can see him leaving the R’s swinging for an alternate at the last minute.
43@Sandridge: Check this out: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2016/jun/08/walk-on-water-christo-floats-3km-path-across-italys-lake-iseo
44Zyxomma, hahaha, walkin’ on water. I think I saw a piece on that on the BBC. Two days max and some drunk fool in a ski or b-ass boat chops right through it… or they would in Amurika.
45