Trump: I'm Going to "Open Up the Libel Law" So That We Can Sue the Media For Something

As Allah explains, as regards public figures, the media already can be found libel for a statement which was both false and made with "reckless disregard" for its truth or falsity.

For a private figure, simple negligence suffices.

How could it be otherwise? Hate the media as you will, and I do, but you can't have public figures suing every five minutes for a statement that turned out to be false but which was offered honestly (as in the case where one source lies, and another source confirms -- wrongly).

But whatever, I guess the First Amendment is the next thing we have to get rid of to usher in the New Age of Trumpian Plenty.

This strikes me as Trump's version of Stray Voltage. He got his ass kicked last night -- badly.

What does Trump do when he gets his ass kicked? He proposes some outre new policy proposal which he clearly has never thought of and knows absolutely nothing about in order to get people to talk about his outre new proposal (which is damaging to him, but only damaging in a survivable way) instead of talking about the fact that last night We Saw a Golden God Bleed Thin Red Blood (much more damaging to him).

Obama does this too, of course. Whenever Obama is in trouble for his incompetence, or something that can't be spun, he injects a controversial (read: blatantly false) political claim into the national narrative. He'd rather talk about the well-debunked claim that women make 77 cents on every Man-Dollar than, say, his disastrous non-management of the Veterans Administration and the deaths it caused.

It should not be forgotten how Trump's "ban all Muslims" initiative came to be. This wasn't a well-thought out expression of his thoughts on an issue that had long concerned him.

What it was was a Stray Voltage diversion, plus a flip-flop.

On O'Reilly, on September 9, Trump had declared we had to let Syrian refugees in:

"I hate the concept of it, but on a humanitarian basis, you have to," Trump said in his first Fox News appearance in two weeks, appearing on "The O'Reilly Factor."
"This was started by President Obama when he didn't go in and do the job he should have when he drew the line in the sand, which turned out to be a very artificial line," Trump said in reference to Obama's red-line warning to Syrian leader Bashar Assad in 2013. "But you know, it's living in hell in Syria. There's no question about it. They're living in hell, and something has to be done.:

Then San Bernadino happened. And people began questioning Trump's previous statements that we had to let in the Syrian refugees. Supporters wondered if maybe he wasn't the immigration super-hawk he was claiming to be.

So then he goes on TV the next day to not only announce a flip-flop, but to make the most contentious and controversial policy declaration possible -- we're going to "shutdown" "all Muslims" from "entering" the country.

Immediately, chatter about his unpopular views on bringing in Syrian refugees was off the front page, and off it so hard, in fact, that few even remember it happened.

But is this really what he thinks? Or is this just a salesman and deal-maker -- as Trump proudly proclaims himself -- saying whatever he thinks he needs to say to get the customer to sign on the line which is dotted?

It's interesting to me that his first impulse was to of course go along with the safe, path-of-least-resistance assumptions on this matter.

Because that is what people without strong principles do -- they go down the soft, easy, no-hassle path of least resistance which is provided by the liberal intelligentsia as the only safe harbor. The safe harbor you won't be attacked in.

(Yes I mixed metaphors there.)

Why I am I banging on about Trump's lack of knowledge and thinking on these thoughts?

Because, unlike many, I don't consider thinking and knowledge to be enemies of conservatism and principle. Rather, I consider them to be essential to it.

If you're going to be a conservative -- if you're going to fight the very powerful cultural forces that surround us and push liberalism on us as the easy path you won't get beat up for -- you'd better have some damn good reasons for doing so, or you'll come apart like a cheap suit.

Let me remind everyone what knowledge, deep thinking over years of consideration, and conviction can get you.

Let me remind everyone of Ronald Reagan's and Robert F. Kennedy's "Great debate" in 1967. A major issue was Vietnam (though Reagan did also take the time to call for the Berlin Wall "to disappear.")

Robert F. Kennedy, the great hope of liberals and intellectuals and liberals who wrongly believe themselves to be intellectuals, got completely obliterated, despite being on the more popular side of the Vietnam War debate.

Why? Because Reagan knew every damn thing that was required to have an opinion, and to defend an opinion, on Vietnam. When an Oxford student claimed that the Diem regime (a previous America-supported regime, ended when Diem was assassinated) had put six million people in "concentration camps," Reagan scoffed, noting the entire population of Vietnam was merely sixteen million people. How could he have possibly put six million in concentration camps, surreptitiously?

A big problem I have with Trump not knowing things, and clearly never have thought about things, combined with his obvious desire to pander and make the big sale, is that when he's caught out without any good answer, and senses that he's losing the room with an unpopular answer, he usually (75% of the time) tries to get back on the right side of popular opinion and embrace the liberal position on the issue.

You couldn't do that to Reagan, because Reagan always had a series of facts to back him up, and because he'd been thinking about things -- not feeling about them; thinking about them, theorizing about them -- for years, like during his famous GE addresses.

Unlike Trump, he never felt that he was "losing the room" with an unpopular conservative answer. He was always confident and in command, because he had earned being confident and in command. He had done the homework -- he wasn't some Millennial who had feelz that xe was right. He was a thinking, intellectually-voracious man who tested his own thoughts until he knew he was right, because he'd looked at the question from several directions.

When Reagan felt he was addressing a hostile crowd, he didn't immediately attempt to placate them by offering them a liberal position he flip-flopped to on the spot. Instead, he went into his mental note-card file and tried to convince them of the conservative opinion.

And a lot of the time, he did.

My problem with Trump is that he is a dealmaker trying to make a sale. Right now he's trying to make a deal with conservatives -- so this is the very most conservative we'll ever see him.

If he gets the nomination, he now starts working on making the second part of the deal with the other party in the negotiations, the general public.

So this is the most conservative we'll ever see Trump -- this is the absolute most conservative he'll ever be -- and he's not conservative at all, except, possibly, on immigration. He combines liberal policy impulses with frankly authoritarian or even fascist ones, which he thinks are "what conservatives want," because, frankly, he conceives of us as ugly-minded, stupid dummies who get off on this shit.

That's why he didn't put the "Ban Muslims" line in a more palatable, persuasive form, like "Reduce immigration from Muslim-majority countries or countries with a terrorism problem to a level where we can vet each individual applicant."

No, he put it in the most bigoted, ugly way he could think of, because that's about his level, and because, also, that's what he thinks "conservatives" are.

Even on issues like that, where I would like him to move the Overton Window so we can begin discussing a rational reduction of such immigration until this Jihadist Madness passes from history, I find he doesn't move it at all, because he makes the issue much more toxic and alienating than it needs to be.

What does Trump actually know about conservatives? He seems to only know five things, which he repeats in such crude ways it's preposterously insulting. Apparently we "love Jesus," so he says he does too. He knows we love guns, so he's so in love with the Second Amendment he wants to make out with it.

Does he ever explain the underpinnings of his belief in the Second Amendment, such that you get the impression if he's challenged on it, he can break out chapter and verse on the amendment like Reagan would have and remained resolute in his position?

He senses we don't like Mexicans or Muslims very much, so he wants to ban rapists and terrorists.

He knows we love babies and hate abortions, so he's reversed himself from being "very, very pro-choice" and even supporting partial birth abortion to being so against abortion you couldn't believe it. (But he'll keep on funding Planned Parenthood because they're a wonderful organization.)

He knows we love the military, so he proclaims himself, seriously, the most "militaristic" guy you've ever met. Then sometimes he talks about "bombing the shit" out of people to appease the hawks, and other times about a Ron Paul style isolationism, to appease his substantial Paulite wing.

Which is true? Who the fuck knows. I'm certain on this point he's not lying, because I don't think he knows what the fuck he thinks either.

Eh. I can't do it any longer. I have supported him, weakly, as good comeuppance for the Establishment which seems to despise actual conservative voters, but I find that Trump's own opinion of conservatives is pretty damn low too.

Down With Trump, But Vive Le Trumpism: I added this comment:

There are parts of Trumpism I want the GOP to adopt.

For example, I'm tired of the fucking GOP acting as if it is its God-given role to wage Holy War on the American working man, as if they straight-up hate them.

They're still flacking for companies bringing in foreign workers on H1Bs to replace Americans currently on the job. In fact, until recently, a lot of them were talking about expanding the already-abused H1B program.

If you take away all the jobs of the working class, or middle class for that matter, you'd better change your position on welfare to being gangbusters in favor of it, because if you're going do everyting in your power to keep a man from earning an honest dollar, you have to give him a dishonest one.

Otherwise, there will literally be bodies hanging from lamp-poles.

And I'm nationalistic -- straight up, no apologies. You're goddamn right I champion America over all others and citizens over non-citizens -- and no, it's not "racist" to discriminate in favor of citizens over non-citizens. YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO.

Otherwise you're anti-American. Period.

You gonna claim that if you protect an American's job, you hate non-citizen immigrants? Well, you hate actual Americans, buddy. It seems we both have some "hate" going on here; I guess we're just discussing whether or not we owe any degree of loyalty and fellow-feeling to our fellow Americans, or if we're all just "global citizens" now.

But while this guy has blundered across a couple of Big Truths, he is just dead wrong on too much, and entirely too emotional, unfocused, and reationary to be president.

So down with Trump, but long live parts of Trumpism.

We just need someone capable of coherent persuasion to adopt them.

Posted by: Ace at 05:30 PM

Comments

(Jump to bottom of comments)

1 Trump being Trump

Posted by: Skip at February 26, 2016 05:32 PM (fizMZ)

2 Ok, I'll get the others

Posted by: Skip at February 26, 2016 05:33 PM (fizMZ)

3 Probably would have been first if my phone didn't keep redirecting me to some bullshit site.

Posted by: Blano at February 26, 2016 05:33 PM (NHQQx)

4 Show me your taxes

Posted by: Mitt Romney at February 26, 2016 05:35 PM (sRTZp)

5 Ace being beta.

Posted by: nip at February 26, 2016 05:35 PM (r73Jl)

6 He never said he was going to ban all Muslims. Stop spreading that.

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 26, 2016 05:36 PM (DUoqb)

7 Hate the media as you will, and I do, but you can't have public figures suing every five minutes for a statement that turned out to be false but which was offered honestly

Heh. Dishonesty and character assassination is the stock and trade of the MSM. I think you'd be hard pressed to find more than a handful of instances of false statements in the MSM where they were actually trying to be honest.

Personally, I'm not big on the whole libel thing. But I have long wanted to see the traitors in the press criminally prosecuted for doing serious harm to our national security and for giving aid and comfort to the enemy. Of course, Bush would never even think of such a thing (as the press was actively working against American interests - proudly so) while Barky loves to abuse government power and call reporters traitors and national security threats if they are working to expose the treasons and threats to our national security that Barky and his junta carry out ...

Posted by: ThePrimordialOrderedPair at February 26, 2016 05:36 PM (zc3Db)

8 What was Zimmermans' payout for the doctored NBC tapes?

Posted by: nip at February 26, 2016 05:36 PM (r73Jl)

9 Trump/Christie 2016

"Orange Crush"

Think about it because I didn't.

Posted by: Chris Christie Beachin' at February 26, 2016 05:36 PM (mcm0N)

10 On the bright side, I am deriving much enjoyment from reading the prior threads and seeing Petunia scream in agony.

Posted by: Blano at February 26, 2016 05:37 PM (sdPF/)

11 *Dons body armor*

How's everyone doin?

Posted by: Duke Lowell at February 26, 2016 05:37 PM (kTF2Z)

12 He never said he was going to ban all Muslims. Stop spreading that.

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 26, 2016 05:36 PM (DUoqb)

Forget it. He's rolling.

Posted by: ThePrimordialOrderedPair at February 26, 2016 05:37 PM (zc3Db)

13 Trump... http://trumpdonald.org/

Posted by: davidt at February 26, 2016 05:37 PM (8aOqE)

14 Ace,

You can legitimately criticize Trump and his comments (I agree), without going off the deep end. It cheapens your craft.

Posted by: flounder, rebel, vulgarian at February 26, 2016 05:38 PM (3dOE/)

15 ACE is a pathetic sore loser. ACE should write in Romney or McCain. Better yet, ACE should find a safe room.

Posted by: alanstern at February 26, 2016 05:38 PM (Tk9i7)

16 This is why Ace is the best in the business. No messing, just the straight unvarnished truth. Damn this just made my day.

Posted by: Arson Wells at February 26, 2016 05:38 PM (UnJ7w)

17 Donald finnegled an appointment for me with his spray tanner but he said it's going to take awhile for him to mix up a big enough batch.

Posted by: Chris Christie Beachin' at February 26, 2016 05:38 PM (mcm0N)

18 Because, unlike many, I don't consider thinking and knowledge to be enemies of conservatism and principle. Rather, I consider them to be essential to it.

shots fired

Posted by: brak at February 26, 2016 05:39 PM (MJuTN)

19 I honestly don't know why the media can't be sued.

Posted by: eleven at February 26, 2016 05:39 PM (qUNWi)

20 So are we still burning it down or what?

Posted by: flounder, rebel, vulgarian at February 26, 2016 05:40 PM (3dOE/)

21 Eh, I'm outta all this for a while until everyone, including the boss gets over this Outbreak of ergotism. All this is high school.

Posted by: kraken at February 26, 2016 05:40 PM (sdxPm)

22 How could it be otherwise? Hate the media as you will, and I do, but you can't have public figures suing every five minutes for a statement that turned out to be false but which was offered honestly (as in the case where one source lies, and another source confirms -- wrongly).
----
while i agree we can't sue willy nilly, I would like Media to have to open their advocacy group ons saying they are ideological facilitators of the left , or visa versa instead of Pretending they spout Real news without a direct goal.

Posted by: willow at February 26, 2016 05:40 PM (L1+sh)

23 Yes. This.

When does Rubio realize he can't win himself and won't be Trump's Veep, and just goes full kamikaze on Trump? He can keep the establishment alive, even if not in the driver's seat, if he takes out Trump. If Trump wins, the establishment can keep the wheel of the car, but it will be a burned out shell.

Posted by: Conservative Crank's iPhone at February 26, 2016 05:40 PM (Gosad)

24 Haul out the Funk and Wagnall's, Ace. "Libel" and "liable" are two different words.

Posted by: creeper at February 26, 2016 05:40 PM (736E+)

25 So are you officially on Team Stop Trump?

Posted by: Lauren at February 26, 2016 05:41 PM (iweze)

26 I'm not a Trump fan in the slightest but I'm not getting "BAN ALL TEH MUSLIMS!!1!" out of "Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims
entering the United States until our country's representatives can
figure out what is going on,"

Posted by: Bob in Houston at February 26, 2016 05:41 PM (XRxxn)

27 >>> So are we still burning it down or what?

i'm not in favor of that any more. A while back I wondered "Would it be enough to just scare the shit out of them?" At that time I thought, "No, it's not enough; they'll recover from having the shit scared out of them and go back to business as usual in a week."

But this guy is convincing me he's such a complete disaster now I think I have to settle for just scaring them.

Choose Cruz.

Posted by: ace at February 26, 2016 05:41 PM (dciA+)

28 Eh, I'm outta all this for a while until everyone, including the boss gets over this Outbreak of ergotism. All this is high school.

The Ewok is in a strange state.

Posted by: eleven at February 26, 2016 05:41 PM (qUNWi)

29 19
I honestly don't know why the media can't be sued.

Posted by: eleven at February 26, 2016 05:39 PM (qUNWi)

It's basically a higher bar for comments about public officials.

New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, 376 U.S. 254 (1964) - It was a hope of Scalia to revisit this awful case.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/376/254

Posted by: flounder, rebel, vulgarian at February 26, 2016 05:42 PM (3dOE/)

30 Donald saves money because he gets the guy to spray his hair, Melanka and one of their poodles all at the same time.

Posted by: Chris Christie Beachin' at February 26, 2016 05:42 PM (mcm0N)

31 Just seems like a crude Trump way of trying to call out the liberal media.

Posted by: Tinfoilbaby at February 26, 2016 05:42 PM (sRTZp)

32 ace and i want cruz, but if we can't?

Posted by: willow at February 26, 2016 05:42 PM (L1+sh)

33 well that'll teach me to try and use the fancy Minx 0.7 Alpha formatting tools in the comment box.

Posted by: Bob in Houston at February 26, 2016 05:42 PM (XRxxn)

34 You couldn't do that to Reagan, because Reagan always had a series of
facts to back him up, and because he'd been thinking about things -- not
feeling about them; thinking about them, theorizing about them -- for
years, like during his famous GE addresses.

The inspiration for my "Fundamental Concepts" posts. I take an issue, organize my thoughts on it, put forth the case in favor and then temper my opinion in the fire of the comments section. It's good practice.

Posted by: Weirddave at February 26, 2016 05:43 PM (N8hFs)

35 Trump is probably just left of center, that I guess that makes him "conservative" compared to Hilary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.

Ace just stuck his finger right on my personal biggest problem with Trump. . .he opines on things he's CLEARLY never thought about. The guy just isn't in any position to make public policy, let alone defend his on rational (or other) grounds.

Posted by: looking closely at February 26, 2016 05:43 PM (hoiM7)

36 but I find that Trump's own opinion of conservatives is pretty damn low too.

Yeah, We have spent the last 7 years ruled by someone who despises and hates us, and the previous 24 by people who neither understood, had empathy for conservatism, and only thought about conservatives as a vote to seduce.

Part of the reason some people want Trump is because they want revenge on that sort of thinking. I'm thinking they won't get it from Trump, either.

Posted by: Kindltot at February 26, 2016 05:43 PM (q2o38)

37 sings, and if you can't be with the one you love

love the one your with.

Posted by: willow at February 26, 2016 05:43 PM (L1+sh)

38 >>>I honestly don't know why the media can't be sued.

they can be. they often are.

if you're confused it's because you're listening to trump who doesn't know what the fuck he's talking about

being uninformed is sort of his thing

Posted by: ace at February 26, 2016 05:43 PM (dciA+)

39 I honestly don't know why the media can't be sued.
Posted by: eleven at February 26, 2016 05:39 PM (qUNWi)

it can but only for very narrow things and that is the way it should be or we would not have a free press. Yeah yeah I know the majority of the press is a bunch of left wing assholes, but that's an argument for another day

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 26, 2016 05:43 PM (DUoqb)

40 totally not appropriate , but it just splashed all over my mind.

Posted by: willow at February 26, 2016 05:43 PM (L1+sh)

41 ace and i want cruz, but if we can't?

***

I've resolved my self to voting for Rubio if it comes to it.

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at February 26, 2016 05:43 PM (8PbKi)

42 I, for one, welcome our new female president / socialist overlord.

Posted by: Sphynx at February 26, 2016 05:43 PM (yV1Xf)

43 So are we still burning it down or what?
Posted by: flounder, rebel, vulgarian

We? What's this 'we' shit, kemosabe?

We ain't burning anything.

It is burning on its own accord. We can pretend we have a choice in the matter, but we don't.

This isn't 'dah last chance to get it right.' That was in 2012.

This? This is how it goes to hell.

Posted by: weft cut-loop at February 26, 2016 05:43 PM (A/3fN)

44 Let me cut to the chase ...

... Ace, as a self-branded rebel member of the media - still has his priorities in order.

I've about had it with "The Donald". I've also about had it with this notion that "The Media".

Frankly - if both sides burn each other down - I'm pretty damned good with that.

Posted by: Irony at February 26, 2016 05:44 PM (qmMG2)

45 Trump can't be trusted on anything, even immigration. He's not going to get funding for a wall through Congress. He's going to "let the good ones back in" whatever that means. It's all just BS for his biggest reality show ever.

Posted by: brak at February 26, 2016 05:44 PM (MJuTN)

46 Eat a Snickers, Ace. You get depressed when you're hungry.

Posted by: Flaccid Member at February 26, 2016 05:44 PM (5fSr7)

47 Thank you again, Ace, for the excellent analysis.

Posted by: VA MK Z at February 26, 2016 05:44 PM (+0aiQ)

48 I honestly don't know why the media can't be sued.

they can be. they often are.

if you're confused it's because you're listening to trump who doesn't know what the fuck he's talking about

being uninformed is sort of his thing
Posted by: ace at February 26, 2016 05:43 PM (dciA+)

Exactly.

Trump reacts like a 5 year old often, which scares me.

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 26, 2016 05:44 PM (DUoqb)

49 but I find that Trump's own opinion of conservatives is pretty damn low too.
---
That's okay. I don't need a wrecking ball to respect me.

I'd kind of doubt its capacity to wreck if it did.

Posted by: $148 million burned on Jeb at February 26, 2016 05:44 PM (ZbV+0)

50 27
>>> Choose Cruz.

Posted by: ace at February 26, 2016 05:41 PM (dciA+)

Thanks for the reply, but no thanks.

Posted by: flounder, rebel, vulgarian at February 26, 2016 05:45 PM (3dOE/)

51

has the shootin started?

Posted by: ThunderB at February 26, 2016 05:45 PM (zOTsN)

52 Hmm...Howie Carr interviewing Trump right now. Trump being Trump.

Posted by: RedMindBlueState at February 26, 2016 05:46 PM (Q7bO0)

53 Everyone needs to take off the rose colored glasses as far as Trump goes. He was interesting and even funny and yeah he brought immigration to the forefront. But his schtick wore thin and I for one am sick of the guy. He has no core beliefs, he flip flops worse than a fish, he's a bully, he's crass.. I can go on. I don't want the man t be president, but hell I really can't get behind anyone at this point. They have all turned me off at this point. I don't even feel motivated to vote.

Posted by: Jewells45 at February 26, 2016 05:46 PM (CNHr1)

54 What bugs me about most of the GOPe Trump dislike is that its not his Democrat/progressive record and general world view that bothers them; its only his crude manner and lack of being in the beltway club.

Ace and some of the horde are the exceptions to that but this is how far gone the country is.

A pair of commies are leading the DNC race, one of them openly so and Hillary pretty well known as such and a traditional Dem leading the GOP race, with Mario, a closet Dem, in second place.

Posted by: Palerider at February 26, 2016 05:46 PM (dkExz)

55 has the shootin started?
Posted by: ThunderB

#TwoWeeks

Posted by: Prince Ludwig the #Problematic at February 26, 2016 05:46 PM (zmW4B)

56 #27

As Milton Friedman said, you can't change anything by picking the "right" people to put into office because once elected they all respond to the same incentives. You have to create a system where BAD politicians are incentivized to do the correct thing.

"Burn it down" doesn't really accomplish that. Look around the globe and the vast majority of the time there is some massive gov't collapse it does NOT get replaced by something better, but by something worse.

Posted by: looking closely at February 26, 2016 05:46 PM (hoiM7)

57 has the shootin started?
Posted by: ThunderB at February 26, 2016 05:45 PM (zOTsN)

Not yet. My bet is on post # 103

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 26, 2016 05:46 PM (DUoqb)

58 Oh, NDH, how could you???

Posted by: creeper at February 26, 2016 05:46 PM (736E+)

59 I want Cruz. We'll get Trump.

Posted by: Duke Lowell at February 26, 2016 05:46 PM (kTF2Z)

60 As far as I'm concerned, Cruz was the only good choice once Perry and Jindal dropped out.

Plenty of room here on Team Cruz. We won't haze you latecomers, either.

Posted by: Conservative Crank's iPhone at February 26, 2016 05:47 PM (Gosad)

61 Every time I see Trump now, I have this mental image of a 12 year old rich kid who's slightly chubby with blond hair having a temper tantrum who threatens to take his ball and go home every time someone says something mean to him. I can't get it out of my mind- the guy developmentally is 14 at best.

Posted by: Scott P at February 26, 2016 05:47 PM (d+gSr)

62 Every presidential election, all the candidates run on how they would mind control congress or something. You can't just say "OK guys pass a law that does this" and sign it, congress does its own thing. Even that first 100 days thing is a lie, presidents rarely get what they want through congress. Especially Republicans.

I wish they'd all just run on how they'd do things as the chief executive

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at February 26, 2016 05:47 PM (39g3+)

63
He's a rebel and he'll never ever be any good
He's a rebel 'cause he never ever does what he should
But just because he doesn't do what everybody else does
That's no reason why I can't give him all my love

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at February 26, 2016 05:47 PM (iQIUe)

64 #53. I don't even feel motivated to vote.
===

Let me help you.
Close your eyes and imagine President Clinton.

Posted by: looking closely at February 26, 2016 05:47 PM (hoiM7)

65 He walked back the Syrian refugees statement the very next day, long before San Bernadino. This post is very Cruz-like. Congratulations. I hate primary season. My favorite people....

Posted by: tommylotto at February 26, 2016 05:47 PM (A3a8d)

66 The GOP Party Bosses will saddle Trump with a running mate of their choice ala Poppy Bush, then collude with the Dems in impeaching and ousting Trump, leaving their choice in the White House.

Posted by: davidt at February 26, 2016 05:47 PM (8aOqE)

67 Oh...I know this is Trump being thin skinned.

Just not seeing it as melt down material.

Hell what do I know. I don't think anybody here knows a goddamn thing either to be truthful.

Posted by: eleven at February 26, 2016 05:48 PM (qUNWi)

68 I don't even feel motivated to vote.
Posted by: Jewells45 at February 26, 2016 05:46 PM (CNHr1)

Can I introduce you to the women with the wide load sign on her ass? I think her name is hillary. If that ain't motivation, I don't know what is?

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 26, 2016 05:48 PM (DUoqb)

69 I wish they'd all just run on how they'd do things as the chief executive
===

Me too, but that doesn't sell.

Posted by: looking closely at February 26, 2016 05:48 PM (hoiM7)

70 Zimmerman must be rich.

Posted by: nip at February 26, 2016 05:48 PM (r73Jl)

71 We're going to need kevlar for this thread.

And a colander. Metal.

Posted by: OneEyedJack at February 26, 2016 05:48 PM (kKHcp)

72 On the day after Super Tuesday, none of this will be remembered.

Posted by: just wait, you won't believe what happens next at February 26, 2016 05:48 PM (IQI2h)

73 What bugs me about most of the GOPe Trump dislike is that its not his Democrat/progressive record and general world view that bothers them; its only his crude manner and lack of being in the beltway club.
---

Yep. It's very telling that they seem more at peace with a President Trump than a President Cruz.

Posted by: Y-not (@moxiemom) at February 26, 2016 05:49 PM (t5zYU)

74 Thanks. That was like suboxone to a heroin addict. I am having difficulty staying Trump clean.

Posted by: Max Rockatansky at February 26, 2016 05:49 PM (r2k5T)

75 The GOP Party Bosses will saddle Trump with a running mate of their choice ala Poppy Bush, then collude with the Dems in impeaching and ousting Trump, leaving their choice in the White House.
Posted by: davidt at February 26, 2016 05:47 PM (8aOqE)

???

You think trump takes orders from the "party bosses" ? I want some of what you are smoking

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 26, 2016 05:49 PM (DUoqb)

76
Stoaty Weasel posted on the assasination of Olaf Palme:

http://sweasel.com/archives/15997

Seems that the biggest lead they have is to some Yugoslavian dude. But why? Olaf was a hard core lefty.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at February 26, 2016 05:49 PM (iQIUe)

77 Trump's debate was awful. His foreign policy answers were awful.

I voted Cruz. He has never embarrassed me or lied to me or in any other way broken his faith with his voters.

But we need some sort of divine intervention, running out of time. Trump flooded the zone today. Thats all

Posted by: ThunderB at February 26, 2016 05:49 PM (zOTsN)

78 I've been watching video of Christie's endorsement trying to see if this is fake or not. Can anyone corroborate?

bit.ly/1TJ6bpH

I'm assuming it's fake, right? Has to be. But it cracked me up.

Posted by: Ghost of kari - WAR at February 26, 2016 05:49 PM (ubByS)

79 I wish they'd all just run on how they'd do things as the chief executive

LIVs think we're electing a monarch, and the candidates campaign accordingly

Posted by: brak at February 26, 2016 05:50 PM (MJuTN)

80 >>Trump can't be trusted on anything, even immigration. He's not going to get funding for a wall through Congress. He's going to "let the good ones back in" whatever that means. It's all just BS for his biggest reality show ever.

If you ever get a chance, go back and watch the speech he gave to announce his candidacy. It's where he first trotted out the whole wall thing and I'm convinced he did it because he knew there was a big part of the Republican primary audience that would eat it up not because he believes it. It was only a few days later when he started talking about the door in the wall to let the good ones back.

I think he's just bored and needed something to occupy his time and thought, YOLO baby.

Posted by: JackStraw at February 26, 2016 05:50 PM (/tuJf)

81 Pretty sure we can agree that Trump isn't Reagan. Nobody is going to be Reagan. Reagan's style and background was historical, special, and, like everyone else's, imperfect. He's as close to ideal as we'll have had in our lifetimes.

This is no longer about one man, however. This is about the political infrastructure and our system as it has devolved. New dynamics that have never been seen are in play. There is no perfect candidate and there simply cannot be. The rot is too deep.

We need SMOD to shake us from the national stupor and stupid.

Trump is SMOD. Otherwise, the Uniparty carries on like always and we flip-flop between the ramblings of donkeys and elephants and do the exact. same. kcufing. dance. we've been doing for decades. It's time for a howler monkey.

Posted by: AnonymousDrivel at February 26, 2016 05:50 PM (1CroS)

82 I tell 'ya, this year is so crazy!

- How crazy is it?

@hughhewitt 26 Feb 2016
Bottom line from Switzerland: You must support whomever is the #GOP nominee because of SCOTUS. Period. Full stop.

Posted by: weft cut-loop at February 26, 2016 05:50 PM (A/3fN)

83 You think trump takes orders from the "party bosses" ? I want some of what you are smoking

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 26, 2016 05:49 PM (DUoqb)

Did Reagan?

Posted by: davidt at February 26, 2016 05:50 PM (8aOqE)

84 >>>What bugs me about most of the GOPe Trump dislike is that its not his Democrat/progressive record and general world view that bothers them; its only his crude manner and lack of being in the beltway club.

i hear that and i will praise Trump for blowing off this politically correct shit, and for bringing immigration into the GOP debate.

a post i'm going to write is "Trumpism Without Trump" -- that is, there are parts of Trumpism I want the GOP to adopt.

For example, I'm tired of the fucking GOP acting as if it is its god-given role to wage WAR on the american working man, as if they straight-up hate them.

If you take away all the jobs of the working class, you'd better change your opinion on welfare to being in favor of it, because if you're going do everyting in yoru power to keep a man from earning an honest dollar, you have to give him a dishonest one.

And I'm nationalistic -- straight up, no apologies. You're goddamn right I champion America over all others and citizens over non-citizens -- and no, it's not "racist" to discriminate in favor of citizens over non-citizens. YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO. Otherwise you're anti-American. Period.

But while this guy has blundered across a couple of Big Truths, he is just dead wrong on too much, and entirely too emotional, unfocused, and reationary to be president.

So down with Trump, but long live parts of Trumpism.

Posted by: ace at February 26, 2016 05:50 PM (dciA+)

85 I want Cruz. We'll get Trump.

Posted by: Duke Lowell at February 26, 2016 05:46 PM (kTF2Z)

If we get Trump, we get Hillary because Trump can't get a majority vote (even now he is not getting a majority).

Posted by: redbanzai at February 26, 2016 05:50 PM (NPofj)

86 ACE is a pathetic sore loser. ACE should write in Romney or McCain. Better yet, ACE should find a safe room.

Posted by: alanstern

Donald, is that you? There are plenty of places that you can go where you can relish the echo chamber of your mind.

Posted by: Cheri at February 26, 2016 05:51 PM (oiNtH)

87 This is exactly where I stand. I tried to "like" trump but He lost Me when he blamed GW for 911... That was it for Me.....

Posted by: donna at February 26, 2016 05:51 PM (/dSsq)

88 Ace, very well thought out article. But unfortunately I don't think this will move Trump's most ardent supporters. I respect his supporters who are not blind to his faults. But there are those who will follow him to the ends of the earth no matter what he says.

I actually don't think they care much that he is not conservative. You would think that any kind of support for Planned Parenthood would turn off conservatives whether they were personally pro life or not. But nothing can sent him in their eyes. It's just like a girl who can see no wrong in anything her boyfriend does.

The fact that people are supporting him doesn't bother me - whatever. It's that so many seem to be unable to acknowledge that he has any faults. Perhaps Rubio supporters are also like this. Maybe it's that Trump supporters tend to channel Trump much of the time so it's more noticeable. I don't think I encountered a cruise supporter like that online.

See, this racist dictation software doesn't give me as much trouble when I put on a fake American accent. African accents matter!

Posted by: chique d'afrique at February 26, 2016 05:51 PM (+wjl1)

89 Thank you, Ace, for this.

Reason is not the enemy of conservatism.

Trump is the most irrational candidate we have had since Perot.

Posted by: chemjeff - PuppyMonkeyBaby '16 at February 26, 2016 05:52 PM (lVU49)

90 Nevergiveup.. I know.. I know.. I will vote but not with any enthusiasm. Dark days ahead I fear. I thought someone would come along to give us hope and turn things around but not this time and next time will be too late.

Posted by: Jewells45 at February 26, 2016 05:52 PM (CNHr1)

91 It's because the anti-Trumpsters cannot see what a brilliant political strategist Trump is. He said he'd build a wall to keep them mexicans out and he says tough sounding shit thats anti PC. He's one bad ass sounding MF'er and just what America needs to be great again.

Posted by: JROD at February 26, 2016 05:52 PM (wnwJC)

92 Heh... stray voltage for sure.

Look. Build a wall. Stop middle east immigration for awhile. Encourage self-deportation and ultimately ship a few million somewhere else.

Nothing
Else
Matters

And the press thing? The press is loathed by most conservatives and Americans not on the left. The press is known to report what they want and to play loose with the facts to frame what they want. This libel balloon doesn't hurt Trump IMO.. he just flipped another bird at the media machine and stand back and watch them with their hair on fire all weekend.. and Trump will pick up more support. Just watch.

Posted by: Yip at February 26, 2016 05:52 PM (e7T6D)

93 Heh. Dishonesty and character assassination is the
stock and trade of the MSM. I think you'd be hard pressed to find more
than a handful of instances of false statements in the MSM where they
were actually trying to be honest.

Posted by: ThePrimordialOrderedPair at February 26, 2016 05:36 PM (zc3Db)

Dishonesty and character assassination is also the stock and trade of Trump... which is likely why they get along so well.

Posted by: redbanzai at February 26, 2016 05:52 PM (NPofj)

94 You think trump takes orders from the "party bosses" ? I want some of what you are smoking

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 26, 2016 05:49 PM (DUoqb)

Did Reagan?
Posted by: davidt at February 26, 2016 05:50 PM (8aOqE)

To be honest I was younger then and staring my career and not paying the kind of attention to the intricacies of politics as I do now. I paid more attention to foreign Policy then anything else back then. So I really can't answer that question

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 26, 2016 05:52 PM (DUoqb)

95 Welcome aboard Ace.
Signed Captain the USS Sanity

Posted by: jarhead59 at February 26, 2016 05:53 PM (9GiRh)

96 And I'm nationalistic -- straight up, no apologies. You're goddamn right I champion America over all others and citizens over non-citizens -- and no, it's not "racist" to discriminate in favor of citizens over non-citizens. YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO. Otherwise you're anti-American. Period.

But while this guy has blundered across a couple of Big Truths, he is just dead wrong on too much, and entirely too emotional, unfocused, and reationary to be president.

So down with Trump, but long live parts of Trumpism.

Posted by: ace a

this

all of this

Posted by: ThunderB at February 26, 2016 05:53 PM (zOTsN)

97 @hughhewitt 26 Feb 2016
Bottom line from Switzerland: You must support whomever is the #GOP nominee because of SCOTUS. Period. Full stop.

Two words: John Roberts

Two more words: Smoking crater

I'm old enough to remember when they said RR would get us into WWIII. Well, boys and girls, I really think Trump could do it with his uninformed arrogant shoot from the hip crap. He's a nasty P.O.S. who should be no where near the launch codes.

Posted by: Y-not (@moxiemom) at February 26, 2016 05:53 PM (t5zYU)

98 Posted by: ace at February 26, 2016 05:50 PM (dciA+)

that was beautiful.

Posted by: willow at February 26, 2016 05:53 PM (L1+sh)

99 Help us Pinochet Wan, you're our only hope.

Posted by: Prince Ludwig the #Problematic at February 26, 2016 05:53 PM (zmW4B)

100
Trump is SMOD. Otherwise, the Uniparty carries on like always and we flip-flop between the ramblings of donkeys and elephants and do the exact. same. kcufing. dance. we've been doing for decades. It's time for a howler monkey.

I'd prefer Cruz but I'll go howler monkey if I have to.

And I really really hate monkeys.

Posted by: eleven at February 26, 2016 05:53 PM (qUNWi)

101 Also, TARP.

Posted by: nip at February 26, 2016 05:53 PM (r73Jl)

102 time for some tikka masala?

Posted by: concrete girl at February 26, 2016 05:53 PM (0KgAM)

103 if you're confused it's because you're listening to trump who doesn't know what the fuck he's talking about

being uninformed is sort of his thing

Posted by: ace at February 26, 2016 05:43 PM (dciA+)

Yeah Trump is a stupid ass that doesn't know shit. Of course, he's also a very successful businessman and has the media doing backflips for him nearly every day for the past 8 months.

Meanwhile, you (and Allah) are two daily writers who helped create the current GOP establishment which you, as of today, it seems, have just crawled back into their warm embrace.

Perhaps a little introspection is in order.

Posted by: Hayao at February 26, 2016 05:53 PM (w/bVh)

104 Nevergiveup.. I know.. I know.. I will vote but not with any enthusiasm. Dark days ahead I fear. I thought someone would come along to give us hope and turn things around but not this time and next time will be too late.
Posted by: Jewells45 at February 26, 2016 05:52 PM (CNHr1)

Sigh. I know. Yoos and mees is basically on the same page.

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 26, 2016 05:54 PM (DUoqb)

105

Posted by: ace at February 26, 2016 05:50 PM (dciA+)

Shorter ace: 'Merica, f*ck yeah!

Moar. Please.

Posted by: Conservative Crank's iPhone at February 26, 2016 05:54 PM (Gosad)

106 this

all of this

Posted by: ThunderB at February 26, 2016 05:53 PM (zOTsN)

I can get behind this too.

Posted by: redbanzai at February 26, 2016 05:54 PM (NPofj)

107 Bottom line from Switzerland: You must support whomever is the #GOP nominee because of SCOTUS. Period. Full stop

because GOP can be counted on to stop the left tilt?

Posted by: willow at February 26, 2016 05:54 PM (L1+sh)

108 >>Trump is SMOD. Otherwise, the Uniparty carries on like always and we flip-flop between the ramblings of donkeys and elephants and do the exact. same. kcufing. dance. we've been doing for decades. It's time for a howler monkey.

I don't see Trump as SMOD at all. Obama was SMOD. Trump is going to ease right in with the uniparty because he's all about doing deals.

He's not going to put all his chips on illegal immigration cause he really doesn't care about illegal immigration. He's gonna do what he has always done, what's good for Trump.

Posted by: JackStraw at February 26, 2016 05:54 PM (/tuJf)

109 94 HE CAN'T SPELL EITHER
_________

You try twittering on a tiny cell phone with massive manly hands. It's easy for petite little dwarfs like Mario. No so, for a lumberjack like the Donald.

Posted by: tommylotto at February 26, 2016 05:54 PM (A3a8d)

110 There is no one else.

Posted by: Ghost of kari - WAR at February 26, 2016 05:55 PM (ubByS)

111 "Eh, I'm outta all this for a while until everyone, including the boss gets over this Outbreak of ergotism. All this is high school."

I had an outbreak of ergotism in high school. It was, like, strawberry fields foreverer!

Posted by: bergerbilder at February 26, 2016 05:55 PM (IeXP9)

112 The GOP Party Bosses will saddle Trump with a running mate of their choice ala Poppy Bush, then collude with the Dems in impeaching and ousting Trump, leaving their choice in the White House.
Posted by: davidt

Occam's razor doesn't mean that the simplest answer is usually correct.

The razor means that the most plausible explanation is the one to which you do not have to add more elements.

You're adding more elements than necessary.

If we get to the convention with Trump ahead, the party only has to throw the first vote and then go broker.

No collusion with the Dem-Cong. No court case. None of that.

Just pull some asshole's name out of hat and it's over.

Posted by: weft cut-loop at February 26, 2016 05:55 PM (A/3fN)

113 Being dumb as fuck but angry at the right people is a good schtick. Worked for Palin. And look who she endorsed...

Posted by: Idgaf at February 26, 2016 05:55 PM (S58qF)

114 And I'm nationalistic -- straight up, no apologies. You're goddamn right I champion America over all others and citizens over non-citizens -- and no, it's not "racist" to discriminate in favor of citizens over non-citizens. YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO. Otherwise you're anti-American. Period.

But while this guy has blundered across a couple of Big Truths, he is just dead wrong on too much, and entirely too emotional, unfocused, and reationary to be president.

So down with Trump, but long live parts of Trumpism.

Posted by: ace a

this

all of this
Posted by: ThunderB at February 26, 2016 05:53 PM (zOTsN)

Yup I agree. i would have thrown in more vulgarity because that's just me, but well said Ace. Fuckin A!

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 26, 2016 05:55 PM (DUoqb)

115 Trumpians are staring to remind Me of Ron Paulians....

Posted by: donna at February 26, 2016 05:55 PM (/dSsq)

116 All I can say is, I've just about lost faith with my fellow Americans. Look at who the two leading candidates for President are. I'm about ready to say screw all of you (not you all) and take my ball and go home. I'll not do one thing extra. I'll just take care of my own.

Posted by: no good deed at February 26, 2016 05:56 PM (GgxVX)

117 I'm bored of my nic. I will be here on out be posting as Joe Hallenbeck. It captures more about how I feel now.

Posted by: Max Rockatansky at February 26, 2016 05:56 PM (r2k5T)

118 >>>
Yeah Trump is a stupid ass that doesn't know shit. Of course, he's also a very successful businessman and has the media doing backflips for him nearly every day for the past 8 months.

is he that successful? I can't think of any other billionaires bilking people out of $36,000 for what is essentially the sort of Flip This House video instruction manual people usually pay $200 for.

>>>Meanwhile, you (and Allah) are two daily writers who helped create the current GOP establishment which you, as of today, it seems, have just crawled back into their warm embrace.

I helped create it?

You flatter me.

Posted by: ace at February 26, 2016 05:56 PM (dciA+)

119 Or, Lucy in the sky with diamonds.

Posted by: bergerbilder at February 26, 2016 05:56 PM (IeXP9)

120 >>I had an outbreak of ergotism in high school. It was, like, strawberry fields foreverer!
Posted by: bergerbilder

That stuff happens when you eat grain fungus.

Posted by: Aviator at February 26, 2016 05:56 PM (c7vUv)

121 Trump knocked Jeb! out of the ring, and for that, I thank him. And that's about as far as I will go.

Posted by: Grump928(C) says Free Soothie! at February 26, 2016 05:57 PM (rwI+c)

122 "So down with Trump, but long live parts of Trumpism. "

Amen

Posted by: Lauren at February 26, 2016 05:57 PM (0C2f1)

123 I'm bored of my nic. I will be here on out be posting as Joe Hallenbeck. It captures more about how I feel now.
Posted by: Max Rockatansky at February 26, 2016 05:56 PM (r2k5T)

The Last Boy Scout?

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 26, 2016 05:57 PM (DUoqb)

124 You think trump takes orders from the "party bosses"

Nah. But if elected he'll get along with them just fine. He's a guy they can work with, if they have to. Cruz is not.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at February 26, 2016 05:57 PM (39g3+)

125 78
I've been watching video of Christie's endorsement trying to see if this is fake or not. Can anyone corroborate?

bit.ly/1TJ6bpH

I'm assuming it's fake, right? Has to be. But it cracked me up.

Posted by: Ghost of kari - WAR at February 26, 2016 05:49 PM (ubByS)

It's true up until you can see it coming off the rails. It's kind of funny, though, so it must be from a Rubio supporter.

Posted by: flounder, rebel, vulgarian at February 26, 2016 05:57 PM (3dOE/)

126 I met that asshole ginger kid who played Danny Partridge at the beach one day in the 70s. He was the largest walking bag of dicks I have ever met. I always imagined the Donald being such a kid.

Posted by: Tinfoilbaby at February 26, 2016 05:57 PM (sRTZp)

127 Trumpians are staring to remind Me of Ron Paulians....
Posted by: donna

Have they been pimping yuuuge and luxurious silver dimes?

Posted by: Prince Ludwig the #Problematic at February 26, 2016 05:57 PM (zmW4B)

128 Or, Lucy in the sky with diamonds.
Posted by: bergerbilder at February 26, 2016 05:56 PM (IeXP9)

the SHILL is back?

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 26, 2016 05:57 PM (DUoqb)

129 Ergotism?

Posted by: An Poc ar Buile at February 26, 2016 05:58 PM (bpn7O)

130 And thus cementing your place with Levin, Coulter, Limbaugh, Malkin in the Pantheon of Conservative Shitheads.

As soon as Trump got embarrassed, you dropped him. And for no othe reason. I'm embarrassed for you.

Posted by: TheShoe at February 26, 2016 05:58 PM (3C3tW)

131 If Trump promised to ban the Muslims AND the Irish, then we'd have something.

Posted by: Dr Spank at February 26, 2016 05:58 PM (0vdts)

132 "Apparently we 'love Jesus,' so he says he does too."

Of course we love Jesus! It's all set forth in the book of Two Corinthians.

Or the book of Cordoba with Fine Corinthian Leather.

It's hard to keep all of this Jesus stuff straight. So complicated!

Posted by: torquewrench at February 26, 2016 05:58 PM (noWW6)

133 So you're "nationalistic", Ace, but you don't mind a foreigner in the White House?

See, some of us have essential problems with Cruz, too.

Posted by: creeper at February 26, 2016 05:58 PM (736E+)

134 >>Trumpians are staring to remind Me of Ron Paulians....
Posted by: donna

Yes, the Trump jock sniffers and the Paulians have much in common. I suspect a fair proportion are in fact one and the same.

Posted by: Aviator at February 26, 2016 05:58 PM (c7vUv)

135 I think we're stuck with Trump. His name is just too big. Doesn't matter that he be-bops all over the place. Many people only go with the name recognition when they go to the polls, unfortunately.

Posted by: washrivergal at February 26, 2016 05:58 PM (CFc5L)

136 wth

Posted by: willow at February 26, 2016 05:59 PM (L1+sh)

137 It's becoming quite obvious that Donald Trump can't stand anything Conservative, and basically hates conservatives.

Posted by: Pete Seria at February 26, 2016 05:59 PM (/pOl7)

138 "Open up the libel law" - gee, you mean actually USE it when appropriate? Haven't ever heard of a president or any political person try to fight back against blatant lies in the press.

Posted by: K-E at February 26, 2016 05:59 PM (OV2w5)

139 Hey, watch your language, pal. I mean, seriously... "Outre"? That sounds like one of them girly French words, ain't it?

Posted by: antisocial justice beatnik at February 26, 2016 05:59 PM (jV8Mq)

140 Trumpians are staring to remind Me of Ron Paulians

I think if you did a Venn Diagram of Trump, Paul, and Perot supporters you'd see a lot of overlap.

Posted by: Christopher Taylor at February 26, 2016 05:59 PM (39g3+)

141 I also don't think the Constitution factors in any of Trump's plans. I think Obama has gone very far in transforming this country to be closer to a lawless Banana Republic, so it is important that we elect someone who is going to try to effect a return to at least the semblance of the rule of law. Which is why I support Cruz and fear a Trump presidency. I grew up in a country where the rule of law didn't exist, and so I can recognize it as one of the very major things that set America and other Western countries apart from the rest of the world.

I think of Bernie presidency would actually have a better outcome because no one would take him seriously on Capitol Hill. I don't think the Democrats would feel obligated to do his every bidding like they do with Obama. & I think I think even the feckless Republicans in Washington wouldn't feel the need to indulge in failure theater. But of course, I may be wrong. They always seem so eager to surrender.

Posted by: chique d'afrique at February 26, 2016 06:00 PM (+wjl1)

142 I'm smart! Not like pepole say!

Posted by: Joe Biden at February 26, 2016 06:00 PM (m0JA3)

143 And yet, despite Ace's misgivings,
Trump is likely to turn out to be the best President since Reagan...

Posted by: Mister Ghost at February 26, 2016 06:00 PM (yo40j)

144 Great post Ace. Especially about the parts of Reagan that I truly loved.

A couple of years ago I went back and was watching a bunch of Reagan stuff on youtube (this was after someone here had posted a link to the '64 convention speech.) What struck me in every debate was how much a command he had of both the minutia and the detail, and yet never lost sight of the SPIRIT of the debate. A truly amazing man, and every time I watch one of those speeches I am reminded again and again of how idiotic the claim was that this man was stupid.

Posted by: Aetius451AD at February 26, 2016 06:00 PM (iHjB5)

145 If you take away all the jobs of the working class, you'd better change your opinion on welfare to being in favor of it, because if you're going do everyting in yoru power to keep a man from earning an honest dollar, you have to give him a dishonest one.

******

Unions, and globalization played a part. Americans became addicted to cheap stuff. I don't think you can simplify it all to--damn those Republicans. Hell both Bush and Clinton favored NAFTA.

Posted by: Chris Christie Beachin' at February 26, 2016 06:00 PM (mcm0N)

146 I appreciate how awesome Reagan was. But I remember , in real time, he was pilloried, laughed at and lied about. And then H.W. became his Veep. heh.

Eight years the media did their level best to undercut and undermine Reagan, as did David Stockman and other fellow travelers who took their shots. Reagan's true wisdom and political acumen are only allowed the light of day now that he's gone and the MSM did their damage.

Reagan was senile and too old. Nancy ran everything through her astrologer. The dogs! The cheeriness about America! The stupidity of bluffing the USSR into WWIII! We're all gonna die if the MX missiles are deployed to Europe!! Aahaaaa! Oh good... someone shot him! Damn, he survived! Gun control!

Good grief.

Posted by: Yip at February 26, 2016 06:00 PM (e7T6D)

147 This is the post where Ace forgets his prior posts where he described the Donald as a genius setting out maximalist positions in order to give himself room to make great deals, and now tells us the same positions are stray voltage designed to cover weaknesses. I guess it might be both...

Posted by: tommylotto at February 26, 2016 06:01 PM (A3a8d)

148 I met that asshole ginger kid who played Danny Partridge at the beach one day in the 70s. He was the largest walking bag of dicks I have ever met. I always imagined the Donald being such a kid.

Danny Bonaducci.

Lifelong prick and all around douchebag.

Posted by: eleven at February 26, 2016 06:01 PM (qUNWi)

149 Trumpians are staring to remind Me of Ron Paulians....
Posted by: donna

Nah not so sure Paulians loved America, at least not the America I love

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 26, 2016 06:01 PM (DUoqb)

150 I'm smart! Not like pepole say!
Posted by: Joe Biden

Hey Joe, wanna go fishing?

Posted by: Hillary! Rodham-Rodham at February 26, 2016 06:01 PM (zmW4B)

151 Sounds like a great post idea. And I'm thrilled, Ace responded to my comment.

Posted by:ace at February 26, 2016 05:50 PM (dciA+)

Posted by: Palerider at February 26, 2016 06:01 PM (dkExz)

152 ugh, i hope we don't go with the whole trumpians,
cruzbots
rubiofanboys thing again

i only have one thing i'm trying for humbling the fkn GopE

Posted by: willow at February 26, 2016 06:01 PM (L1+sh)

153 This is our country now. You don't dilute college education, denigrate and undermine hard work, ease up on enforcement of the law, and jam everyone's brains full of instant-gratification digital media 18 hours a day and then just flip a switch and implement thinking conservatism.

You have to go to these people where they live.

You want to rebuild, fix, restore America? You have to get the American people to buy into it.

Trump is winning the nomination. Reach out your hand to his coalition and HELP THEM.

TRUMP SUPPORTERS NEED TO HEAR WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY ACE.

Do not make this a smarties vs dumdums election. Do not buy into the media narrative. Do not fracture along identity lines.

Millenials need conservatives. It's not enough to reject progressivism (which most millenials do). They need an affirmative ideology. We have to meet them in the middle.

Or there is going to be civil war.

Posted by: Ghost of kari - WAR at February 26, 2016 06:01 PM (ubByS)

154 >>>is he that successful? I can't think of any other billionaires bilking
people out of $36,000 for what is essentially the sort of Flip This
House video instruction manual people usually pay $200 for.

I would think we would all be more concerned about the $19 trillion that the current establishment has defrauded the American people. The court system will work out the Trump issue. Do you really think Cruz will work on that bigger problem?

>>>I helped create it?

You advocated voting for the GOP nominee in each of the last elections which did nothing except maintain the credibility of the establishment. Don't you want to take credit for that?

Posted by: Hayao at February 26, 2016 06:01 PM (w/bVh)

155 If Trump promised to ban the Muslims AND the Irish, then we'd have something.

No, we had to take the Irish too when we rebuilt Rock Ridge

Posted by: Oldson Johnson at February 26, 2016 06:01 PM (39g3+)

156 If we get Trump, we get Hillary because Trump can't get a majority vote (even now he is not getting a majority).
Posted by: redbanzai at February 26, 2016 05:50 PM (NPofj)

I think I've made it cear I'm not a Trump supporter, but I really don't think that's set in stone. The RCP average has him down vs. Hillary only by 3 points.

Posted by: AD at February 26, 2016 06:02 PM (Pqhmy)

157 That stuff happens when you eat grain fungus.

Posted by: Aviator at February 26, 2016 05:56 PM (c7vUv)

Also if you get tattoos with ink mixed with infected Russian rye... then the tattoo orders you to murder your neighbor.

Posted by: redbanzai at February 26, 2016 06:02 PM (NPofj)

158 ace is establishment? Commenter, I do not think this word means what you think it means.

Trump would be Hillary, except with an R after his name and presumably a less-rapey spouse.

Cruz is more anti-establishment than Donald "Let's Make A Deal" Trump.

Posted by: Conservative Crank's iPhone at February 26, 2016 06:02 PM (Gosad)

159 147 This is the post where Ace forgets his prior posts where he described the Donald as a genius setting out maximalist positions in order to give himself room to make great deals, and now tells us the same positions are stray voltage designed to cover weaknesses. I guess it might be both...

A genius till He opens His mouth....

Posted by: donna at February 26, 2016 06:02 PM (/dSsq)

160 As soon as Trump got embarrassed, you dropped him. And for no othe reason. I'm embarrassed for you.
Posted by: TheShoe at February 26, 2016 05:58 PM (3C3tW)

You're new here, aren't you?

Protip: try to actually know what you're talking about before spouting off.

Posted by: chique d'afrique at February 26, 2016 06:02 PM (+wjl1)

161 I voted Cruz in the primary and lord knows what I will do in the general. Hopefully vote Cruz.

Posted by: ThunderB at February 26, 2016 06:02 PM (zOTsN)

162 As soon as Trump got embarrassed, you dropped him. And for no othe reason. I'm embarrassed for you.
Posted by: TheShoe at February 26, 2016 05:58 PM (3C3tW)
--

Sort of like how Trump treats POWs, amirite?

Posted by: Y-not (@moxiemom) at February 26, 2016 06:02 PM (t5zYU)

163 The GOP will pull just as many strings to block Cruz as they will Trump The only reason they haven't nuked Cruz is because they're still busy stopping Trump.

They won't "settle" on Cruz over Trump. They intend on sinking both. That leaves Rubio.

No thanks.

Posted by: Irony at February 26, 2016 06:03 PM (qmMG2)

164 Trump bloviating as Trump is want to do.
So what. What did it say on the old Marine Corps recruiting poster in the 70s?..."I never promised you a rose garden" while a DI was giving it to a group of boots in the sand pit.
Trump has fire, bullshit, passion, lies, vitriol, possibly bad breath and a small weenie. Still, out of all the girls who are running against him, he is their match and he is not a professional pol like they are.
I'd rather fight with someone who at least shoots their rifle then someone who is trying to decide to or how to.

Posted by: Hairyback Guy at February 26, 2016 06:03 PM (ej1L0)

165 "So down with Trump, but long live parts of Trumpism."
Amen
Posted by: Lauren at February 26, 2016 05:57 PM (0C2f1)

This isn't good enough. There is no one else. We have to hand the socialists a convincing loss in this election if we're going to turn the country around.

He's a tool. Let's use him.

Posted by: Ghost of kari - WAR at February 26, 2016 06:03 PM (ubByS)

166 The Last Boy Scout?

osted by: Nevergiveup at February 26, 2016 05:57 PM (DUoqb)

Yep. He sort of didn't give a crap anymore.

Posted by: Joe Hallenbeck at February 26, 2016 06:03 PM (r2k5T)

167 Red-Eared Rubio is on Fox News Special Report right now while Trump is here in OKC getting ready to have a rally with about 25K cheering fans.

Posted by: Stay out da bushes at February 26, 2016 06:03 PM (th7n/)

168 You advocated voting for the GOP nominee in each of the last elections which did nothing except maintain the credibility of the establishment. Don't you want to take credit for that?

Posted by: Hayao

you sir are laboring under some delusions for which medication may be helpful

Posted by: ThunderB at February 26, 2016 06:03 PM (zOTsN)

169 Sadly, I think that all Trump's marketing data driven feelz and absurd statements as ace so diligently outlined ARE what the majority of people want.

I agree with ace entirely. Trump will be a horrible president because he knows nothing but will say anything if he feels it's in his own interest or if he feels like he's "losing the room".

The problem is that most people are LESS intelligent and have given less thought to real problems, issues, and solutions than Trump has. Most won't admit it but they follow whoever entertains them the most. They don't want to think. They don't want to solve problems. They beg to be lied to.

So we'll get what we deserve: 21st century bread and circuses.

Posted by: Damiano at February 26, 2016 06:04 PM (XItbt)

170 Welcome to the party, Ace. Limbaugh and Levin have finally backed off Trump, glad you've done it, too. Too late, of course. By now you've helped lure enough conservatives into the Trump camp while forcing real conservatives like Cruz to get stuck in 2nd or 3rd place. I know why Levin and Limbaugh supported Trump, the same reason Hannity and Coulter do: ratings, and trying to stay "fresh." Not sure what you found useful about it.

Posted by: Matt at February 26, 2016 06:04 PM (FadjU)

171 He's a tool.

He's a tool alright....

Posted by: donna at February 26, 2016 06:04 PM (/dSsq)

172 Yes to relevance.

Certainly the Constitution protects free speech

When the MSM function to always broadcast whole cloth, when the media fabricates stories, those dire consequences are drowning us all in ignorant bigotry and self destruction.

I won't judge what Trump said until Trump rephrases himself on this.

Posted by: maverick muse at February 26, 2016 06:04 PM (hCdMd)

173 chique d'afrique at February 26, 2016 06:00 PM (+wjl1)

see i think the opposite.
Bernie would be swallowed whole because many in theis Country WANT socialism full bore

where Trump would be fought tooth and nail by BOTH parties senate, congress

stand still
and frozen until we can get our collective heads out of our rear ends,

Posted by: willow at February 26, 2016 06:04 PM (L1+sh)

174 "Do you really think Cruz will work on that bigger problem?"

Yes.

Posted by: Lauren at February 26, 2016 06:04 PM (0C2f1)

175 >>>his is the post where Ace forgets his prior posts where he described the Donald as a genius setting out maximalist positions in order to give himself room to make great deals, a

ha ha. I've never said this. This is what trump supporters claim.

Posted by: ace at February 26, 2016 06:04 PM (dciA+)

176 >I've resolved my self to voting for Rubio if it comes to it.

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at February 26, 2016 05:43 PM (8PbKi)<

I hope it doesn't get there NDH. The only positive thing I can say is that in the last 24 hours Domo Arigato Mr Rubato has gone off script and been occasionally funny and brutal in his trump take downs. Not enough for sure. Still pulling for SMOD. Where the hell is AtC?

Posted by: Muad'dib at February 26, 2016 06:04 PM (ByLlW)

177 Oh, NDH, how could you???

***

You know how I feel about the little shit. If he's still in it March 15, I'll be voting for Cruz. If not, Rubio.

It makes me wish Jeb were still in the race.

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at February 26, 2016 06:04 PM (8PbKi)

178 He sort of didn't give a crap anymore.
Posted by: Joe Hallenbeck at February 26, 2016 06:03 PM (r2k5T)

Yup. I liked that movie.

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 26, 2016 06:04 PM (DUoqb)

179 "Apparently we 'love Jesus,' so he says he does too."

Now hold on here. We all need to be aware that The Donald loves Jesus *so* much that it actually got him audited multiple times by the IRS during the George W. Bush administration. For being such a "strong Christian", he modestly admits. Remember how Jesus preached modesty. Trump is exactly the sort of man Jesus hoped His sacrifice would bring.

Do *you* love Jesus that much? How many times has *your* love of Jesus been strong enough to bring down the federal auditors? None of you are obviously strong enough in your Christianity compared to The Donald.

Trump strong! Strong like bull! Trump have strong Jesus love! Not weak like girly man with no audits!

Posted by: torquewrench at February 26, 2016 06:05 PM (noWW6)

180 Trump is winning the nomination. Reach out your hand to his coalition and HELP THEM.

Posted by: Ghost of kari - WAR at February 26, 2016 06:01 PM (ubBy

Nope.

Posted by: redbanzai at February 26, 2016 06:05 PM (NPofj)

181 But is this really what he thinks? Or is this just a salesman and
deal-maker -- as Trump proudly proclaims himself -- saying whatever he
thinks he needs to say to get the customer to sign on the line which is
dotted?

But wait, if you vote for me today, I'll double the order! That's right, I'll adopt another lunatic position to which I haven't given even a moment's thought. You're thick. You'll buy it. Just pay shipping and handling.

Posted by: pep at February 26, 2016 06:05 PM (LAe3v)

182 I can't believe ace gave us the current GOP establishment. It's like his whole blog is built upon a tissue of lies and semen.

I feel betrayed.

Posted by: Dr Spank at February 26, 2016 06:05 PM (0vdts)

183 ergotism er�got�ism
n.
Poisoning caused by consuming ergot-infected grain or grain products, or from excessive use of drugs containing ergot.

Posted by: bergerbilder at February 26, 2016 06:05 PM (IeXP9)

184 rubio is predicting the Republican party will split apart if trump is the nominee? So that is what is called kamikaze campaigning.

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 26, 2016 06:05 PM (DUoqb)

185 We just need someone capable of coherent persuasion to adopt them.

Posted by Ace at 05:30 PM Comments
__________________________

I agree but we don't have an option like that, and don't tell me Cruz. I do not believe a harsh ideologue like that can win in the general, even against Hillary.

Posted by: tommylotto at February 26, 2016 06:06 PM (A3a8d)

186 >>
This isn't good enough. There is no one else. We have to hand the socialists a convincing loss in this election if we're going to turn the country around.

the supreme court is kind of a big deal. And Trump is still pushing his wildly pro-abortion sister as a good possible justice.

And no, Alito didn't sign the same "bill." In fact, he specifically said "I DO NOT JOIN BARRY'S OPINION."

Posted by: ace at February 26, 2016 06:06 PM (dciA+)

187 "So down with Trump, but long live parts of Trumpism."

That's similar to what I remember people saying about Palin. They liked her ideas, but hated her and her delivery/mannerisms. People hate Trump's delivery but love his anti-establishment qualities. It's like throwing out the baby with bath water.

Posted by: Adrienne at February 26, 2016 06:07 PM (lVcuh)

188 It's going to get exhausting having to defend Trump on the grounds that we have the same enemy.

Posted by: Lex at February 26, 2016 06:07 PM (MOVsh)

189 He sort of didn't give a crap anymore.

Posted by: Joe Hallenbeck at February 26, 2016 06:03 PM (r2k5

Max... the new nick is freaking me out.

Posted by: redbanzai at February 26, 2016 06:07 PM (NPofj)

190 And how would opening up libel law help everyday Americans? I think this is just Trump getting upset and lashing out. Something he seems to do on a regular basis. The man really does not have any emotional control in public.

Posted by: chique d'afrique at February 26, 2016 06:07 PM (+wjl1)

191 rubio calling trump a con man ( he may be ) is like A-Rod calling anyone a cheater.

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 26, 2016 06:07 PM (DUoqb)

192 Aetius451AD: "A truly amazing man, and every time I watch one of those speeches I am reminded again and again of how idiotic the claim was that this man was stupid."

Those making the claim didn't believe a word of it either. They knew he was smart. They feared his smarts. That's why the MFM worked so especially hard to try and redefine the man. That's why they moved on to "crazy Cowboy". Americans knew the Great Communicator was anything but stupid.

And nothing has changed. The MFM has the same, exact playbook now only in its nth reprinting.

Posted by: AnonymousDrivel at February 26, 2016 06:07 PM (1CroS)

193 84 So down with Trump, but long live parts of Trumpism.

Posted by: ace at February 26, 2016 05:50 PM (dciA+)
-------------------------------------

This I can dig Ace. Another thing Trump talks about is how pissed off he gets watching the inevitable debate over ROE every time we send troops into harms way. The only rules of engagement, according to Trump, should be "win fast, and keep as safe as possible".

He's right on that. Go in hard with overwhelming force, and then come home. That's another Trumpist belief I really like.

Posted by: MTF at February 26, 2016 06:07 PM (TxJGV)

194 I've resolved my self to voting for Rubio if it comes to it.
Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at February 26, 2016 05:43 PM (8PbKi)

Welcome to Stage 5.

Posted by: AmishDude at February 26, 2016 06:07 PM (Xd2w5)

195 "Two words: John Roberts"
-------------
Two words: Sonya Sotomayor.

You can't tell the difference between Roberts (or Kennedy) and the robot-commissars the Left puts on the Court?

Give me a break.

Posted by: Margarita DeVille at February 26, 2016 06:08 PM (T/5A0)

196
Yes, the Trump jock sniffers and the Paulians have much in common. I suspect a fair proportion are in fact one and the same.
Posted by: Aviator at February 26, 2016 05:58 PM (c7vUv)

On social media, that is absolutely true.

Posted by: AmishDude at February 26, 2016 06:08 PM (Xd2w5)

197 I'd rather fight with someone who at least shoots their rifle then someone who is trying to decide to or how to.

Posted by: Hairyback Guy at February 26, 2016 06:03 PM (ej1L0)

even if the rifle is pointed at you?

Posted by: chemjeff - PuppyMonkeyBaby '16 at February 26, 2016 06:08 PM (lVU49)

198 We? What's this 'we' shit, kemosabe?

We ain't burning anything.

It is burning on its own accord. We can pretend we have a choice in the matter, but we don't.

This isn't 'dah last chance to get it right.' That was in 2012.

This? This is how it goes to hell.
Posted by: weft cut-loop at February 26, 2016 05:43 PM (A/3fN)

---

THIS^^^

Posted by: SMFH at February 26, 2016 06:08 PM (rlfds)

199 122
"So down with Trump, but long live parts of Trumpism. "

Amen

Posted by: Lauren at February 26, 2016 05:57 PM (0C2f1)

Down with the Tea Party, but long live parts of the Tea Party.

Kind of like that?

Yeah, I think we could get the hang of this.

Posted by: GOPe at February 26, 2016 06:08 PM (3dOE/)

200 It's going to get exhausting having to defend Trump on the grounds that we have the same enemy.

Posted by: Lex at February 26, 2016 06:07 PM (MOVsh)

Well get a lot of rest because that appears to be where we are heading

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 26, 2016 06:08 PM (DUoqb)

201 I agree but we don't have an option like that, and
don't tell me Cruz. I do not believe a harsh ideologue like that can
win in the general, even against Hillary.

Posted by: tommylotto at February 26, 2016 06:06 PM (A3a8d)

The polls say he does.

Posted by: redbanzai at February 26, 2016 06:08 PM (NPofj)

202 I think this zika virus is something to worry about. Too many cases in the US already.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at February 26, 2016 06:08 PM (iQIUe)

203 What bugs me about most of the GOPe Trump dislike is that its not his Democrat/progressive record and general world view that bothers them; its only his crude manner and lack of being in the beltway club.

---------------

Really, I usually hear it is his liberal worldview.

Posted by: SH at February 26, 2016 06:08 PM (gmeXX)

204 Trump tells you he can work with the GOP establishment, Ted can't.
I'm not voting for a president to make friends,

Posted by: Skip at February 26, 2016 06:09 PM (fizMZ)

205
Okay, let's say I buy your argument here, Ace.

And it IS a very cogent one.

Have you formulated an alternative yet?

Posted by: irongrampa at February 26, 2016 06:09 PM (P/8aq)

206 "Reagan was senile and too old. Nancy ran everything through her
astrologer. The dogs! The cheeriness about America! The stupidity of
bluffing the USSR into WWIII! We're all gonna die if the MX missiles are
deployed to Europe!! Aahaaaa! Oh good... someone shot him! Damn, he
survived! Gun control!"

Bedtime for Bonzo! Trees cause pollution! Jelly beans! James Watt!

We begin bombing in five minutes!

Posted by: torquewrench at February 26, 2016 06:09 PM (noWW6)

207 Nah. But if elected he'll get along with them just fine. He's a guy they can work with, if they have to. Cruz is not.

Here's a free clue. Everything Cruz vetoes, they override. Everything he suggests, they ignore.

Posted by: rickb223 at February 26, 2016 06:09 PM (wKcYr)

208 Thank You, Ace. I've been waiting for that shoe to drop. Well thought, well stated.

Posted by: Slapweasel (Cold1) (T) at February 26, 2016 06:09 PM (OQ9R7)

209 "Eh. I can't do it any longer. I have supported him, weakly, as good comeuppance for the Establishment which seems to despise actual conservative voters, but I find that Trump's own opinion of conservatives is pretty damn low too."

So.....what is the alternative then? I just don't get it. Cruz blew it...or at least his campaign did. There goes that. So what now? As to this is the most conservative Trump has been / will be, then I will take it over how conservative Hillary has been / will be...which is not at all. I'm not trying to be confrontational, just trying to understand what it is you are ultimately saying if the nominee is Trump.

Posted by: Skeezix at February 26, 2016 06:09 PM (WnCSK)

210
194
I've resolved my self to voting for Rubio if it comes to it.

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at February 26, 2016 05:43 PM (8PbKi)

Welcome to Stage 5.

Posted by: AmishDude at February 26, 2016 06:07 PM (Xd2w5)
Yeah, my list now is:
1. Cruz

2. Toss up between Rubio and Val-U-Rite

Posted by: chemjeff - PuppyMonkeyBaby '16 at February 26, 2016 06:09 PM (lVU49)

211 Given my intense, burning dislike for Rubio and my sincere desire to punch his little smirky face - I cannot imagine a circumstance where I would willingly vote for him.

Posted by: Weasel at February 26, 2016 06:09 PM (e3bId)

212 And yet, despite Ace's misgivings,
Trump is likely to turn out to be the best President since Reagan...

For some values of best, but not mine.

Posted by: Grump928(C) says Free Soothie! at February 26, 2016 06:09 PM (rwI+c)

213 or PuppyMonkeyBaby

Posted by: chemjeff - PuppyMonkeyBaby '16 at February 26, 2016 06:09 PM (lVU49)

214 Too late, of course. By now you've helped lure enough conservatives into the Trump camp while forcing real conservatives like Cruz to get stuck in 2nd or 3rd place. I know why Levin and Limbaugh supported Trump, the same reason Hannity and Coulter do: ratings, and trying to stay "fresh." Not sure what you found useful about it.

Posted by: Matt at February 26, 2016 06:04

he has always supported Cruz

you do not know what you are talking about

new guy

Posted by: ThunderB at February 26, 2016 06:09 PM (zOTsN)

215 Oh, Gawd. Hurry, November.

Posted by: creeper at February 26, 2016 06:09 PM (736E+)

216 Just voted in person absentee here in Oklahoma. I voted for Cruz, mainly as a F-U to Rubio. I think he may do fairly well here in the state, even though I expect Trump to win it--simply because of the muslims/illegals appeal.

Posted by: Sherry McEvil, Stiletto Corsettes now franchising Lulu Snackbars at February 26, 2016 06:09 PM (kXoT0)

217 My solution:
Have Dr. Ben Carson implant Cruz's brain into Trump's skull.
It will immediately double his IQ and, as a bonus, improve his spelling.

Maybe then he'll start to give a damn about actually learning things such as policy issues instead of simply spraying stupid shit everywhere.

Posted by: TexasJew at February 26, 2016 06:09 PM (fNQ3H)

218 6 He never said he was going to ban all Muslims. Stop spreading that.
Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 26, 2016 05:36 PM (DUoqb)

http://tinyurl.com/nbkne73

Source: donaldjtrump.com

Get your fucking shinebox.

Posted by: AmishDude at February 26, 2016 06:10 PM (Xd2w5)

219 Nope.
Posted by: redbanzai at February 26, 2016 06:05 PM (NPofj)

Good luck buying more ammo.

Goddamn. Bunch of freaking martyrs on this blog. Maybe I'm naive for believing in my generation.

What good are your principles if they're going to make you a martyr? What good is your mental rigorousness if it leads you to inaction?

We have a chance to blow the democrats out of the water! Unless we can articulate a coherent message of what support for Trump means, and leverage conservative credentials into the conversation, his coalition, which is probably going to win either way, will be exactly what you all fear it already is.

There is so much time between now and November. Why are you all being so motherfucking pigheaded about this? When did winning right become more important than winning? How fucking resigned to 8 more years of Obama are you all?

Posted by: Ghost of kari - WAR at February 26, 2016 06:10 PM (ubByS)

220 You know how we know life isn't fair?

Because even if Trump drops out or is run out of the race, he will walk away with, at a minimum, several billion dollars in personal wealth, return to his gaudy gold-plated home, via his enviable personal jet, and crawl in bed next to Melania.

He'll make millions off of a book (or several books) about the campaign and will be offered a new tv show inside of a week.

Listen up Millennials. This is life. Get used to it.

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at February 26, 2016 06:10 PM (8PbKi)

221 I'd rather fight with someone who at least shoots their rifle then someone who is trying to decide to or how to.
Posted by: Hairyback Guy at February 26, 2016 06:03 PM (ej1L0)

That's cool and all as long you're sure he's not going to turn around and aim it at you. With Trump, there are a lot of issues where that simply isn't clear.

Posted by: AD at February 26, 2016 06:10 PM (Pqhmy)

222 This all reminds me of the discussion over how best to prevent obamacare, with the 'intellectuals' tut tutting about the angry voice in the town halls and how unpleasant it all was.

So we did things their way, some of us elected Scott Brown.

And Obamacare passed anyway.

Posted by: Methos, AoS commenter since 2006, apparently also non-voting democrat at February 26, 2016 06:10 PM (ZbV+0)

223 rubio looks very desperate to me right now on FOX.

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 26, 2016 06:10 PM (DUoqb)

224 >>>>you sir are laboring under some delusions for which medication may be helpful

Posted by: ThunderB at February 26, 2016 06:03 PM (zOTsN)
Yeah...you'll have to show me where I'm wrong. Even this cycle, he admits from going from "burn it all down" as a change of course from his previous mindset back to supporting the establishment once again. And you actually believe that Cruz is not the establishment, then there is no reason to continue the conversation.

Posted by: Hayao at February 26, 2016 06:10 PM (w/bVh)

225 >>> I agree but we don't have an option like that, and
don't tell me Cruz. I do not believe a harsh ideologue like that can
win in the general, even against Hillary.

Posted by: tommylotto at February 26, 2016 06:06 PM (A3a8d)

...

trump is harsh, but without the ideology.

I don't see that as much better.

in addition, he's just lost at sea if we're talking about anything other than some Rosie O'Donnell feud type personal attacks.

Posted by: ace at February 26, 2016 06:10 PM (dciA+)

226 Courage Ace, Courage.

Posted by: ZZBottom at February 26, 2016 06:10 PM (aHUpC)

227 "When did winning right become more important than winning?"

AMEN!

Posted by: Skeezix at February 26, 2016 06:11 PM (WnCSK)

228 rubio is now campaigning like a democrat. He is going full walker right now

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 26, 2016 06:11 PM (DUoqb)

229 And Trump is still pushing his wildly pro-abortion sister as a good possible justice.

****

oh holy crap, I knew there was a reason I stopped looking.

Posted by: Chris Christie Beachin' at February 26, 2016 06:11 PM (mcm0N)

230 This isn't 'dah last chance to get it right.' That was in 2012.

This? This is how it goes to hell.
Posted by: weft cut-loop

Yup. But as long as the TV still works and the stores/restaurants are still open, people's normalcy bias will keep lining the pockets of the oligarchs.

Posted by: Hillary! Rodham-Rodham at February 26, 2016 06:11 PM (zmW4B)

231 >>>And you actually believe that Cruz is not the establishment, then there is no reason to continue the conversation.

we may have found our agreement.

Posted by: ace at February 26, 2016 06:11 PM (dciA+)

232 Spot on. I've been thinking this for months. Trump is a caricature of what liberals thinks conservatives are.

Posted by: ceallaigh at February 26, 2016 06:11 PM (lW5rm)

233 ACE>>you gonna claim that if you protect an American's job, you hate non-citizen immigrants? Well, you hate actual Americans, buddy. It seems we both have some "hate" going on here

No Hate here...just let the best person that competes on price/quality of work get the job.

Posted by: Immigrant in CA at February 26, 2016 06:11 PM (89P1m)

234 the supreme court is kind of a big deal. And Trump is still pushing his wildly pro-abortion sister as a good possible justice.

And no, Alito didn't sign the same "bill." In fact, he specifically said "I DO NOT JOIN BARRY'S OPINION."

Posted by: ace

I'm not pro-Trump, but I really don't think this is accurate.

Trump can't disavow his sister as some radical leftist anymore than the sister can disavow her brother as some fascist. Why would family want to be a talking point like that to be used by the opposition?

Trump has specifically ruled out his sister for a nomination when he was asked directly about it, so I just think this is a red herring. He was asked to name a judge, he declined, they specifically asked "what about your sister" and he said "she's great, but I have to rule her out"

Posted by: Lex at February 26, 2016 06:11 PM (MOVsh)

235 Here's a free clue. Everything Cruz vetoes, they override. Everything he suggests, they ignore.

-------------

That is not even close to being reality.

Posted by: SH at February 26, 2016 06:11 PM (gmeXX)

236 Alcoholic lesbian harridan sock off.
I feel dirty now.

Posted by: Prince Ludwig the #Problematic at February 26, 2016 06:11 PM (zmW4B)

237 @170 Matt You don't listen to Levin do you?

Posted by: JROD at February 26, 2016 06:12 PM (wnwJC)

238 Can we keep Maetenloch and dump Gabe?

Posted by: Deez Nutz at February 26, 2016 06:12 PM (0vdts)

239 Cruz is more anti-establishment than Donald "Let's Make A Deal" Trump.

Posted by: Conservative Crank's iPhone at February 26, 2016 06:02 PM (Gosad)

Cruz is as establishment as Ivy League and clerking alongside Roberts for Rehnquist and marrying into Goldman Sachs gets. And as for illegal loans, Cruz got his sweetheart deal which he failed to report though sworn that his personal financial report was thorough.

I voted Cruz for our Senator where I wish he'd remain. Cruz argues brilliantly because he comes prepared, and remains concise.

Posted by: maverick muse at February 26, 2016 06:12 PM (hCdMd)

240 That is not even close to being reality.

Why? The left hates him and a bunch in his party do too.

Posted by: rickb223 at February 26, 2016 06:12 PM (wKcYr)

241 Listen Trump reads the bible all the time, he said so.

Probably while he's on the crapper takin' a twitter break.

Posted by: Chris Christie Beachin' at February 26, 2016 06:12 PM (mcm0N)

242 Awesome! We've reached the stage of the '16 election cycle, much like the '12 cycle when Ace discovered what a terrible thing it is that he shared a planet with Rick Sanctotum.

Difference is of course, Sanctotum was never going to be nominated. Whereas Trump, at this point, most likely will.

Posted by: BurtTC at February 26, 2016 06:12 PM (TOk1P)

243 I think this zika virus is something to worry about. Too many cases in the US already.

***

There was a sub-thread in the comments section a few days ago wherein it was reported that there are Zika cases all over the place in South America, but the only place where the deformities are occurring is where a new vaccine is being administered.

Interesting, if true.

Posted by: Niedermeyer's Dead Horse at February 26, 2016 06:12 PM (8PbKi)

244 Shooting in Washington state killed 4 and shot himself, should have shot himself first. Barak doing the enough speach after yesterday's mass killing.

Posted by: Skip at February 26, 2016 06:13 PM (fizMZ)

245
So.....what is the alternative then? I just don't get it. Cruz blew it...or at least his campaign did. There goes that. So what now? As to this is the most conservative Trump has been / will be, then I will take it over how conservative Hillary has been / will be...which is not at all. I'm not trying to be confrontational, just trying to understand what it is you are ultimately saying if the nominee is Trump.

I'm a little confused on this as well.

Posted by: eleven at February 26, 2016 06:13 PM (qUNWi)

246 Trump has specifically ruled out his sister for a
nomination when he was asked directly about it, so I just think this is a
red herring. He was asked to name a judge, he declined, they
specifically asked "what about your sister" and he said "she's great,
but I have to rule her out"

Posted by: Lex at February 26, 2016 06:11 PM (MOVsh)

Her name was the only name he mentioned last night.

Posted by: redbanzai at February 26, 2016 06:13 PM (NPofj)

247 19
I honestly don't know why the media can't be sued.

Posted by: eleven at February 26, 2016 05:39 PM (qUNWi)

Oh they can be. And have been. The parents of JonBenet Ramsey sued a bunch of media outlets over a bunch of inflammatory stuff they printed about the parents killing their daughter when they hadn't even been charged with anything. The media settled.
Which brings up a sad fact: even when someone files a suit against them, they're willing to immediately settle and take the cash. I'd love to see someone say fuck you we're going to court. Because these people have been getting away with shameful behavior for far too long and it needs to stop.

Posted by: Dack Thrombosis at February 26, 2016 06:13 PM (4ErVI)

248

well AmishDude because you have been so pedantic, if Cruz isnt the nom I may not vote. So, well done

Posted by: ThunderB at February 26, 2016 06:13 PM (zOTsN)

249 Trump can't disavow his sister as some radical leftist anymore than the
sister can disavow her brother as some fascist. Why would family want
to be a talking point like that to be used by the opposition?

No one wants Trump to "disavow" his sister. Simply instead to say:

"I love my sister but she would not be a good fit for the Supreme Court."

That's all.

Posted by: chemjeff - PuppyMonkeyBaby '16 at February 26, 2016 06:13 PM (lVU49)

250

Posted by: ace at February 26, 2016 05:50 PM (dciA+)

Couldn't have said it better. But that's why you're the boss.

Posted by: chique d'afrique at February 26, 2016 06:13 PM (+wjl1)

251 Let me remind everyone of Ronald Reagan's and Robert F. Kennedy's "Great debate" in 1967. A major issue was Vietnam (though Reagan did also take the time to call for the Berlin Wall "to disappear.")

Robert F. Kennedy, the great hope of liberals and intellectuals and liberals who wrongly believe themselves to be intellectuals, got completely obliterated, despite being on the more popular side of the Vietnam War debate.

Why? Because Reagan knew every damn thing that was required to have an opinion, and to defend an opinion, on Vietnam. When an Oxford student claimed that the Diem regime (a previous America-supported regime, ended when Diem was assassinated) had put six million people in "concentration camps," Reagan scoffed, noting the entire population of Vietnam was merely sixteen million people. How could he have possibly put six million in concentration camps, surreptitiously?

The debate in question. It is a must see.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvF30YEM6S8

Posted by: The Political Hat at February 26, 2016 06:13 PM (vBeA5)

252 @179

Thanks for the laugh. I needed that.

Perhaps Trump was claiming he was tax exempt due to being the head of a church.

Might as well be. What else, other than relious devotion and absolute faith regardless of any facts or inconsistencies would, as Trump himself stated, his poll numbers to go up by 5% even if he shot someone on 5th Avenue?

Posted by: Damiano at February 26, 2016 06:13 PM (XItbt)

253 SMFH, I adore you, but no. It doesn't have to burn. What made America good can make it so again. We won't get the same foundation if we start from scratch, if we're lucky it'll be Canada with guns. Not bad, but not good enough.

Posted by: Conservative Crank's iPhone at February 26, 2016 06:13 PM (Gosad)

254 >>>Trump is likely to turn out to be the best President since Reagan...

this is literally the same as saying "The guy who'll turn out to be the best mechanic in 40 years is the guy who doesn't know what the radiator is and calls it 'the thing with the lines.' "

Posted by: ace at February 26, 2016 06:13 PM (dciA+)

255 Trump is bold but not courageous. Cruz is courageous but not bold.

Posted by: Joe Hallenbeck at February 26, 2016 06:14 PM (r2k5T)

256 >>>>we may have found our agreement.

Posted by: ace at February 26, 2016 06:11 PM (dciA+)
Well...that wasn't directed to you, but well played. Kudos.One question...will you hold your nose and vote Trump in the general?

Posted by: Hayao at February 26, 2016 06:14 PM (w/bVh)

257 43
This? This is how it goes to hell.

Posted by: weft cut-loop at February 26, 2016 05:43 PM (A/3fN)

Lighten up Francis.

It was simply an expression directed at Ace's seeming running away from the only guy that can deliver the knockout punch to his abuser right back into the arms of his abuser, as if Cruz really stands a chance, even without Rubio in the race.

I should not poke the bear in here. My mistake. Apologies. I'll rejoin the conversation after November.

Posted by: flounder, rebel, vulgarian at February 26, 2016 06:14 PM (3dOE/)

258 "So.....what is the alternative then? I just don't get it. Cruz blew
it...or at least his campaign did. There goes that. So what now? As to
this is the most conservative Trump has been / will be, then I will take
it over how conservative Hillary has been / will be...which is not at
all. I'm not trying to be confrontational, just trying to understand
what it is you are ultimately saying if the nominee is Trump.
"

Cruz has not blown anything... there is still a long road ahead to Cleveland.

Posted by: redbanzai at February 26, 2016 06:14 PM (NPofj)

259 Can I introduce you to the women with the wide load sign on her ass?

It's not the sign on her a** that's the problem. I wouldn't mind if she looked the way she does and yet she loved America the way the singer Kate Smith probably did. However Hillary has a large sign on her forehead saying. "I deserve to be Queen and you'll do what I want. peasants" that's the problem.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at February 26, 2016 06:15 PM (w4NZ8)

260 You might not like Trump, but I don't see how this one rant about the libel laws should make the difference.

Trump has been doing ad lib rants from the start. Most others in the race have practiced points developed with the help of consultants. Trump goes anywhere with an open mike and rants.

If you're going to require perfect marks on Constitutional legal questions, recall that Cruz was flat out wrong on Anchor Babies and Trump was right.

Posted by: Ignoramus at February 26, 2016 06:15 PM (r1fLd)

261 One question...will you hold your nose and vote Trump in the general?
Posted by: Hayao at February 26, 2016 06:14 PM (w/bVh)

I will vote for road kill and/or the devil over any democrat. That should cover me

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 26, 2016 06:15 PM (DUoqb)

262 "When did winning right become more important than winning?"

Well, when we "won" with the "right" candidate of W. in 2000, and promptly got Medicare Part D, NCLB, a huge surveillance state, etc........

Posted by: chemjeff - PuppyMonkeyBaby '16 at February 26, 2016 06:15 PM (lVU49)

263 That's cool and all as long you're sure he's not going to turn around and aim it at you. With Trump, there are a lot of issues where that simply isn't clear.

With the GOPe, you know you have a target painted on you.

Posted by: rickb223 at February 26, 2016 06:15 PM (wKcYr)

264 Toss up between Rubio and Val-U-Rite
Posted by: chemjeff - PuppyMonkeyBaby '16 at February 26, 2016 06:09 PM (lVU49)

Other than Reagan and Goldwater, Rubio would be the most conservative nominee since Coolidge.

On immigration, he is not reliable, but cowed. And I'm really not sure how so much more reliable Cruz is, given that he wanted to quintuple H1B visas. And he'd have trouble getting a National Be Kind To Mothers Week proclamation through Congress, let alone border security.

And given his steep learning curve, you don't want *that* going against Hillary? Or Bernie?

Posted by: AmishDude at February 26, 2016 06:15 PM (Xd2w5)

265 The KS shooting they originally reported 7 dead and 30 wounded and ended up with 3 dead and 15 wounded.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at February 26, 2016 06:16 PM (iQIUe)

266 Why? The left hates him and a bunch in his party do too.

-------------

Since this is based on the assumption that Cruz won, it means that a majority of the country supports him. Congress will not go against a majority of the country. Will they go along with everything he proposes - of course not. Will they override some of his vetos - maybe. Though I doubt happens much anymore - does it?

There may be some division - and actually that is a great thing.

Posted by: SH at February 26, 2016 06:16 PM (gmeXX)

267 That's cool and all as long you're sure he's not going to turn around and aim it at you. With Trump, there are a lot of issues where that simply isn't clear.
Posted by: AD at February 26, 2016 06:10 PM (Pqhmy)

That's why it's 360 and watch your six. Know who's on your left and on your right. But keep firing. Yes, keep firing.

Posted by: Hairyback Guy at February 26, 2016 06:16 PM (ej1L0)

268 O/T http://tinyurl.com/zp8x7ed

The folks at TMZ caught up with Clarence Thomas after he had lunch. The TMZ guy asks if he thinks Obama will nominate Judge Ito (of O.J. Simpson case fame) to the Supreme Court. Thomas busts out laughing and gives the TMZ guy a hard time in return. I've never seen Thomas laugh like he does in this video. It really warmed my heart to see him in such high spirits especially after Scalia's death.

I didn't bother reading the comments, and you probably shouldn't bother either. Just watch the video.

Posted by: Serenity Now! at February 26, 2016 06:16 PM (49fQj)

269 Cruz is as establishment as Ivy League and clerking
alongside Roberts for Rehnquist and marrying into Goldman Sachs gets.
And as for illegal loans, Cruz got his sweetheart deal which he failed
to report though sworn that his personal financial report was thorough.

I voted Cruz for our Senator where I wish he'd remain. Cruz argues brilliantly because he comes prepared, and remains concise.

Posted by: maverick muse at February 26, 2016 06:12 PM (hCdMd)

Lying through implication is still lying.

Posted by: redbanzai at February 26, 2016 06:16 PM (NPofj)

270 >>>So.....what is the alternative then? I just don't get it. Cruz blew it...or at least his campaign did. There goes that. So what now? As to this is the most conservative Trump has been / will be, then I will take it over how conservative Hillary has been / will be...which is not at all. I'm not trying to be confrontational, just trying to understand what it is you are ultimately saying if the nominee is Trump.

if trump is the nominee, i'll vote for him, however, 1, I think he'll lose, he's too easily exposed as being completely unprepared, and 2, if he does become president, he will serve as a liberal one, and stock the court with "consensus" picks, who are all moderate liberals.

yes, he'll be better than hillary -- barely.

he'll probably also get us into some stupid pointless war due to him using his dumb bluster on a foreign country and then getting pissed off when that doesn't work.

Posted by: ace at February 26, 2016 06:16 PM (dciA+)

271 Millenials need conservatives. It's not enough to reject progressivism
(which most millenials do). They need an affirmative ideology. We have
to meet them in the middle.

Trump has no ideology except an unshakable belief in Trump. Not sure it advances our cause to hitch our wagon to an egotistical narcissist, it sure hasn't done much for the Dems.

Posted by: Weirddave at February 26, 2016 06:16 PM (N8hFs)

272 This is really gonna date Me but all this "fighting" reminds Me of an old Popeye cartoon with Olive as President..... Everything She proposes Her side says "We accept it." and the other side says "we reject it."..... In other words we're getting nowhere here fast....

Posted by: donna at February 26, 2016 06:16 PM (/dSsq)

273 No one wants Trump to "disavow" his sister. Simply instead to say:

"I love my sister but she would not be a good fit for the Supreme Court."

That's all.
Posted by: chemjeff

In my opinion, that's exactly what he did.

"Back in August, Bloomberg's Mark Halperin asked Trump if there was anyone he would consider for the court if the opportunity came up. Trump declined to name specific people.

But then Halperin asked, "How about your sister?"

"I think she would be phenomenal," Trump said. "I think she would be one of the best, but frankly I think she is -- we'll have to rule that out"

Posted by: Lex at February 26, 2016 06:16 PM (MOVsh)

274 there is still a long road ahead to Cleveland.

Any road to Cleveland is long, with may signs that say " Turn back before it's to late" or "I'd go back if I were you"

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 26, 2016 06:16 PM (DUoqb)

275 See, some of us have essential problems with Cruz, too.
Posted by: creeper at February 26, 2016 05:58 PM (736E+)

Have you tried keeping those problematic essences in mayonnaise jars?

Posted by: Kindltot at February 26, 2016 06:16 PM (q2o38)

276 Lex- there is another blog site I read today explaining Trump's stretching the truth on his sister and Alison agreeing.

Posted by: Skip at February 26, 2016 06:16 PM (fizMZ)

277 And you actually believe that Cruz is not the establishment, then there is no reason to continue the conversation.

------->Hot Air

Posted by: Grump928(C) says Free Soothie! at February 26, 2016 06:17 PM (rwI+c)

278 You might not like Trump, but I don't see how this one rant about the libel laws should make the difference.

Oh, fundamental concepts. Constitutionalism. The sanctity of the First Amendment.

A potential tyrant threatening to use the government to shut down speech.

Yeah, just a little thing.

Posted by: AmishDude at February 26, 2016 06:17 PM (Xd2w5)

279 Trump compares to Perot a lot more than he does to Ron Paul, in that they are the DIRECT result of broken Republican promises.

If Bush the Elder hadn't looked into the camera and uttered that six word oath, and then broke it, there'd be no Perot, and no Clinton.

Now since 2006, the GOP has had nothing but contempt for their conservative base. Sneering, scowling contempt.
They lie to us every election, and demonize us in between elections. Had it not been for all of that, there'd be no Trump.

But here we are, and it's probably too late to put this bullet back in the chamber.
We'd better hope (pray, for those so inclined) that he puts a good team around him, and listens to them.

Posted by: OneEyedJack at February 26, 2016 06:17 PM (kKHcp)

280 I will ask again, is no one impressed that Cruz quoted an entire scene from The Princess Bride in his interview with Carolla? I say this as a defense to the claim he is humorless.

Posted by: Joe Hallenbeck at February 26, 2016 06:17 PM (r2k5T)

281 the establishment hated Cruz. remember the - don't do obamcare discussion we had a few years ago?

yeah Cruz looking all shtupid to leadership taking a stand and splaining to us dumbshits what Obamacre menat to us as citizens.

He was heckled for it here even here!

he might have gone to the same schools but he isn't buddies with Them.

or i've been really played.
and that certainly isn't an impossibiltity.
still if Cruz can't win. Trump it is. because want to bet bot established fkn parties will fight to Keep the constitution then!?

yes they will like the fkn louts they have been for many years.

and fighting to keep rights is what i'm dreaming of

Posted by: willow at February 26, 2016 06:18 PM (L1+sh)

282 "So down with Trump, but long live parts of Trumpism. "

Whatever you think is good in "Trumpism" is poisoned by Trump himself.

Posted by: AmishDude at February 26, 2016 06:18 PM (Xd2w5)

283 "Cruz has not blown anything... there is still a long road ahead to Cleveland"

Coulda fooled me...but I will hold out hope anyway and maybe we will get lucky.

Posted by: Skeezix at February 26, 2016 06:18 PM (WnCSK)

284 the ideas should be more important than the cult of personality

Posted by: ThunderB at February 26, 2016 06:18 PM (zOTsN)

285 NDH @ 220

"Them as has, gits."

My dad.

Posted by: creeper at February 26, 2016 06:18 PM (736E+)

286 >>>might not like Trump, but I don't see how this one rant about the libel laws should make the difference.

it didn't. I shouldn't have included that in this post.

it was last night's debate finally being the very last straw for me, someone who's gone from occasionally supporting trump or at least being an "anti-anti-" as they call it (many people have not been pro-trump so much as anti-anti- the clueless sneering against him).

Posted by: ace at February 26, 2016 06:18 PM (dciA+)

287 That's cool and all as long you're sure he's not going to turn around and aim it at you. With Trump, there are a lot of issues where that simply isn't clear.
Posted by: AD at February 26, 2016 06:10 PM (Pqhmy)

There is no one else.

We are staring down the barrel of a speech-police state and 90% tax rates.

There's no time to find the perfect candidate, a well-spoken, crossover-appeal young conservative who knows the constitution and has all the answers and will work the balls AND the shaft.

You've been handed a weapon with which to defeat the GOP and the socialist machine, who could actually win, who after 8 years of Barack Obama raping lady liberty and the military being humiliated and a generation of American youth having socialism jammed down every orifice they have, after all of it, could actually win the white house on

REAL border security
Foreign policy in America's self-interest
A full-throated defense of capitalism
A rejection of PC culture, speech policing, and incredibly sinister identity politics

Don't you see that it's just as important for the electorate to realize it likes and can vote for these things as it is for the candidate to espouse them?

And you just want to throw it away because you don't like the paintjob.

I could strangle all of you wonderful people that I love so much.

MOTHERFUCKER

Posted by: Ghost of kari - WAR at February 26, 2016 06:18 PM (ubByS)

288 223 rubio looks very desperate to me right now on FOX.

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 26, 2016 06:10 PM (DUoqb)

Last night's wrap-up, Rubio's eyes were glazed over while his mouth sped through with only one ("Lunacy"?) hiccup. But his face made him look hypnotized. Which he may have been.

Posted by: maverick muse at February 26, 2016 06:18 PM (hCdMd)

289 Trump is SMOD.

Fuck you. I like America.

Posted by: AmishDude at February 26, 2016 06:18 PM (Xd2w5)

290 Scott Adams says too little too late for Rubio. Also that Trump hit Rubio with gay and choke (choke artist). Also that Rubio's attack means no VP slot for him. Thought Cruz sounded too lawyer. Adams wants Mark Cuban for VP. Also says Abe Lincoln was gay. All on one page.

Posted by: scorecard at February 26, 2016 06:18 PM (CRXed)

291 One thing I appreciate about Trump is that he's willing to make the "dumb" straightforward argument. On the second amendment, he's not citing crime statistics and delivering a dissertation on the history of the incorporation of the bill of rights. He tells a story about Paris, and asks you to imagine bullets going the other way.

He also sets out clear goals. He doesn't give you the policy specifics, but he's put it out there that if he's president in 2020 and you don't have a wall, superior health care, a great Supreme Court Justice, and a booming economy, he's a failure as a president.

It's refreshing compared to the typical political thing of having a nine point plan for everything so that later on you can argue that you succeeded in getting six of the nine things passed.

I'd be happy with Cruz, but I'm still cool with Trump. Rubio already stabbed us in the back once and hasn't even had the decency to apologize. I don't see how anybody who takes immigration seriously as an issue would vote for him.

Posted by: Jake at February 26, 2016 06:18 PM (cS6ts)

292 "if we're lucky it'll be Canada with guns"

I keep hearing "Brazil with nukes" described as the future of the USA.

Nuclear weapons infrastructure is very technologically complex and quite expensive. I am dubious that the USA, financially bankrupt by any practical measure, and steadily more technologically incompetent, is going to have nukes for very much longer.

Posted by: torquewrench at February 26, 2016 06:18 PM (noWW6)

293 Trump's sister is a whore, next topic.

Posted by: Dr Spank at February 26, 2016 06:19 PM (0vdts)

294 Posted by: Ghost of kari - WAR at February 26, 2016 06:03 PM (ubByS)

You're fighting the good fight GoK. Against all odds and doing a damn good job too. I would say that you should take a break from the fight till after Tuesday night. When all hope of Cruz winning has been shattered.

Posted by: Tim in Illinois. Blah, blah,blah at February 26, 2016 06:19 PM (WVsWD)

295 Levin and Limbaugh supported Trump??

Posted by: Cheri at February 26, 2016 06:19 PM (oiNtH)

296 Have you tried keeping those problematic essences in mayonnaise jars?
Posted by: Kindltot

Hermetically sealed and kept overnight on Yule Brenner's front porch?

Posted by: Johnny Carson at February 26, 2016 06:19 PM (zmW4B)

297 Willow, I think you are correct that so many people nowadays wants to be layabout, while at the same time making the big bucks. But Bernie'll still have to deal with Congress, won't he? But what do I know?

I just still can't believe that someone who was a bum into his forties is running for president of this country and is being taken seriously. And I thought Obama being a "community organizer" was as low as we would fall. But at least, he had to get off his butt to go agitating.

Bernie's supporters just want to live like he did but without all the being broke.

Posted by: chique d'afrique at February 26, 2016 06:19 PM (+wjl1)

298
See, there's three kinds of people: dicks (Trump), pussies (Cruz), and assholes (Rubio).
Pussies think everyone can get along, and dicks just want to fuck all
the time without thinking it through. But then you got your assholes, ACE. And all the assholes want us to shit all over everything! So,
pussies may get mad at dicks once in a while, because pussies get fucked
by dicks. But dicks also fuck assholes, ACE. And if they didn't fuck
the assholes, you know what you'd get? You'd get your dick and your
pussy all covered in shit!

Posted by: ZZBottom at February 26, 2016 06:19 PM (aHUpC)

299 Cruz is as establishment as Ivy League and clerking alongside Roberts for Rehnquist and marrying into Goldman Sachs gets. And as for illegal loans, Cruz got his sweetheart deal which he failed to report though sworn that his personal financial report was thorough.

You realize Trump went to an Ivy League school, right?

He's repeatedly said his donations to politicians were in order to try to get special favors. And as a billionaire based in New York over the past few decades who has been involved in as many deals as he has, I'll be goddamned if he hasn't had connections to Goldman Sachs somewhere along the line.

But, sure, the guy who every other person in the Senate hates is part of the establishment.

Posted by: AD at February 26, 2016 06:19 PM (Pqhmy)

300 I dont join cults of personality

Posted by: ThunderB at February 26, 2016 06:20 PM (zOTsN)

301 CC,

I wholeheartedly agree that starting from scratch is a pipe dream.

But neither do I believe in elections anymore.

Canada with guns. A very 'meh' situation indeed.

Posted by: SMFH at February 26, 2016 06:20 PM (rlfds)

302

Cruz has not blown anything... there is still a long road ahead to Cleveland.

Well hell if that's all this thread is about then fine.

I really believe a Hillary presidency represents an existential threat to this very blog among many other things we all like.

Posted by: eleven at February 26, 2016 06:20 PM (qUNWi)

303 this is literally the same as saying "The guy who'll
turn out to be the best mechanic in 40 years is the guy who doesn't
know what the radiator is and calls it 'the thing with the lines.' "

Posted by: ace at February 26, 2016 06:13 PM (dciA+)

Or, the guy already IS a great mechanic, he's just not going to mouth the words you want to hear. Nor is he going to sweat it when you proclaim his lack of mechanic skills, because frankly, he doesn't need to please you. He's got plenty of other customers. More than enough, really.

His customer list is HUGE! Really great stuff!

Posted by: BurtTC at February 26, 2016 06:20 PM (TOk1P)

304 Trump has no ideology except an unshakable belief in
Trump. Not sure it advances our cause to hitch our wagon to an
egotistical narcissist, it sure hasn't done much for the Dems.

Posted by: Weirddave at February 26, 2016 06:16 PM (N8hFs)

This.

Posted by: redbanzai at February 26, 2016 06:20 PM (NPofj)

305 Have you tried keeping those problematic essences in mayonnaise jars?

Posted by: Kindltot at February 26, 2016 06:16 PM (q2o3

********************************************************No. Right now I'm spreading them on a roaring case of shingles.

Posted by: creeper at February 26, 2016 06:20 PM (736E+)

306 @239 maverick muse

Right there with ya.

Posted by: Yip at February 26, 2016 06:20 PM (e7T6D)

307 Ace man I am extremely reticent to disagree with you on anything but you are taking counsel of your fears and not thinking about what this *could* be.

And we have to be better than that.

This is America's very, very, very last chance.

Posted by: Ghost of kari - WAR at February 26, 2016 06:21 PM (ubByS)

308 Hillary will win and be indicted after sworn in and forced to resign. Her VP will be potus. So who will be her VP???

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at February 26, 2016 06:21 PM (iQIUe)

309 Canada with guns. A very 'meh' situation indeed.

Posted by: SMFH at February 26, 2016 06:20 PM (rlfds)

Not for long...

Posted by: The next justice on the Supreme Court at February 26, 2016 06:21 PM (vBeA5)

310 I've come around on trump. I actually think he's very intelligent and is getting MUCH better on the stump. I don't need polish. Or a junior senator for that matter.

Posted by: Last samurai at February 26, 2016 06:21 PM (DeZld)

311 202 I think this zika virus is something to worry about. Too many cases in the US already.
Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at February 26, 2016 06:08 PM (iQIUe

Another West Nile Virus scare. Encephalitis and yellow fever have been endemic to the US, as has west Nile virus. As the animal vectors die off or become resistant (or get blasted with DDT) this disease will not be worth keeping statistics on. (I had encephalitis 45 years ago)

)

Posted by: bergerbilder at February 26, 2016 06:21 PM (IeXP9)

312 The lesson from 2012 should have been to stop wish casting and start facing reality. Thinking after 10 debates and multiple polls that Trump implodes because he says something buffoonish and Rubio or Cruz (anybody thinking Kasich or Carson?) eat his lunch when there is no precedent thus far for that happening is living in LA LA LAND (and not the TRA LA LA LAND). In 4 or 5 days it will be time to start spiking your coffee or putting on your metal underoos because wishing time is over. That's for liberal granola types.

Posted by: Banana Splits Guy at February 26, 2016 06:21 PM (zRnNY)

313 @299 AD Even pointing out the obvious, you're pissing in the wind with Trump supporters.

Posted by: JROD at February 26, 2016 06:21 PM (wnwJC)

314 308 Hillary will win and be indicted after sworn in and forced to resign. Her VP will be potus. So who will be her VP??

The Texas Castro Brother....

Posted by: donna at February 26, 2016 06:22 PM (/dSsq)

315 "'I think she would be phenomenal,' Trump said. 'I think she would be one
of the best, but frankly I think she is -- we'll have to rule that out'"

The way that parses to my ear, with the abrupt redirect, is Trump launching into another series of boasts -- everything about The Donald is amazing, including his sister -- and then realizing in midsentence that he was about to crawl too far out on the nepotism branch, and hastily reeling his tongue back in.

Posted by: torquewrench at February 26, 2016 06:22 PM (noWW6)

316 Powerlineblog is the story about Trump's sister and Alito

Posted by: Skip at February 26, 2016 06:22 PM (fizMZ)

317 Really, I usually hear it is his liberal worldview.

Posted by: SH at February 26, 2016 06:08 PM (gmeXX)

You are hearing from conservatives not the GOPe.

Posted by: redbanzai at February 26, 2016 06:22 PM (NPofj)

318 it didn't. I shouldn't have included that in this post.

it was last night's debate finally being the very last straw for me, someone who's gone from occasionally supporting trump or at least being an "anti-anti-" as they call it (many people have not been pro-trump so much as anti-anti- the clueless sneering against him).

Posted by: ace

I felt the same way after last night's debate, it was like waking up from a bad hangover.

I'll still pull the lever and would be happy to see him win, but I don't think I can expend the energy defending him.

Posted by: Lex at February 26, 2016 06:22 PM (MOVsh)

319 So we did things their way, some of us elected Scott Brown.

And Obamacare passed anyway.

Posted by: Methos, AoS commenter since 2006, apparently also non-voting democrat at February 26, 2016 06:10 PM (ZbV+0)

Since Obamacare passed out of the Senate on December 24 2009, and Scott Brown didn't take office until February 4 2010, your argument really doesn't hold water.

Posted by: HTL at February 26, 2016 06:22 PM (PI8Vq)

320 >>>I really believe a Hillary presidency represents an existential threat to this very blog among many other things we all like.

The best things to happen to blogs like this was Clinton and Obama. A Hillary presidency would up the advertising revenue here for sure.

Posted by: Hayao at February 26, 2016 06:22 PM (w/bVh)

321 I guess I have been reading about moron civil (ha) wars since 2008. Rinse. Repeat. pfft

Beat Hillary. That's all I care about.

All have faults. I have thought, since 2012, that arguing about politics is so pointless. Do you ever win others to "your" side? If it is like my in-laws, nope. Yet people are shrieking and insulting and stompy on Facebook, etc. Pointless.

I think my SIL, and possibly, my brother are all in for stupid Katshit. I am politely refraining, in future, of talking about that vapid, pock-marked, stuttering, hand-chopping son of a postman. At least to them. Ok, so they vote for him, which won't matter, as someone else will win...but, I guess, if it makes them feel purer or happy-pants, vote away.

It is politics. It is fun to play the game. But that is all it is. The game got a little blurry with rules (see: Florida's take all delegates policy...probably done in advance of thinking !jeb! would be a shoe-in. ha). Somehow, and so far, Trump is taking their little game and changing it and the GOP is in meltdown. They are wringing their wet pantaloons and demanding smelling salts.

Trump is good at this game. Look how quickly sweaty Marlo's comedy act was blasted down the interlubes. Trump is a media genius.

For all the stomping and hissy-fits in the past 8 yrs...hell, longer, I remember the pork-barrel wars, with Malkin leading the way...well, the GOP has a guy who is beholding to no one. Paying less of the bazillions of a normal candidate. Because he is media savvy. So, distill this a little more: a candidate who has no lobbies behind him. A candidate who is paying his own way, no emails of donating $10 as world is ending, yada. He should be a dream candidate. But, no: he has no experience, yada. Neither did stupid Prancercizer, other than cheating his way to the Senate.

It is a freaking echo-chamber, the "my guy is not winning so I am going to get all frothed and wrought up." Folks, it is not worth it. I have said, for eight years, find this perfect candidate, who meets all requirements, etc.

I am just going to enjoy this bizarre process. My bets are that Huckabee endorses next. Then Sessions. Then whoever. This train is not stopping.

I think it is going to be a blast to watch Christie eviscerate Hilz...and that is what is important to me. I would like to see him as AG. Hell, put Cruz in Scalia's chair and really start this party. xoxo

Posted by: ChristyBlinky, aging supermodel Redneck Queen at February 26, 2016 06:22 PM (wAMRL)

322 Cruz got illegal loans?

Posted by: Joe Hallenbeck at February 26, 2016 06:22 PM (r2k5T)

323 You're fighting the good fight GoK. Against all odds and doing a damn good job too. I would say that you should take a break from the fight till after Tuesday night. When all hope of Cruz winning has been shattered.

Posted by: Tim in Illinois. Blah, blah,blah at February 26, 2016 06:19 PM (WVsWD)

I want my friends here to want to embrace this candidacy, not be forced into it.

Maybe you're right, though.

Posted by: Ghost of kari - WAR at February 26, 2016 06:22 PM (ubByS)

324 I swear to God, when Mario went on his little rant last night, I thought he was going to rape me. He had the craziest look in his eyes.

Posted by: DONALD TRUMP at February 26, 2016 06:22 PM (0vdts)

325 I'm not getting all the new found Rubio Love-

just because he was able to deliver a few one-liners decently that the GOPe-hired writers were able to give him.

Meh.

If you're a conservative, you should be voting for Cruz.

But, if you can't get Cruz....now you're going to vote for Rubio?

Really?

The guys who's for amnesty and endless H1B abuse-

so you're going to vote for the end of the conservative movement-

and the end of the middle class.

You're going to vote for straight up Democrat policies which will destroy America, because Rubio looks cute delivering one-liners?

Okay.

Whatevs.

Again, if I'm going to get the same old shit Democrat/GOPe policies with Trump, which Ace is saying-

and which you will get with Rubio all the same,

then why not vote for the guy who says he will at the very least control illegal immigration and preserve and bring back jobs?

That would be Trump

I know, I know Trump's rude, crude, and socially unacceptable-

and Rubio's got cute little chubby pinchable cheeks.

But, Mr Cutey is going to destroy your children's future-

if we get illegal immigration wrong it's over. The end. FIN.

It's strange as hell to me that people will vote for destruction as a sure thing-

instead of at the very least holding out for hope, with an imperfect, roll of the dice.

Think about that for a while.

Posted by: naturalfake at February 26, 2016 06:22 PM (0cMkb)

326 307. Kinda how I feel. Love ace but vehemently disagree on this and pretty much only this topic.

Posted by: Last samurai at February 26, 2016 06:23 PM (DeZld)

327 I will ask again, is no one impressed that Cruz quoted an entire scene from The Princess Bride in his interview with Carolla? I say this as a defense to the claim he is humorless.
Posted by: Joe Hallenbeck

I given up the idea of defending Cruz on this front. Once emotionally-driven people make an emotional judgement of someone's personality, there's no reasoning them out of it.

Posted by: weft cut-loop at February 26, 2016 06:23 PM (A/3fN)

328 Not for long...
Posted by: The next justice on the Supreme Court at February 26, 2016 06:21 PM (vBeA5)

---

Then the time for talk will have passed if it gets to that point.

Posted by: SMFH at February 26, 2016 06:23 PM (rlfds)

329 >>>One thing I appreciate about Trump is that he's willing to make the "dumb" straightforward argument. On the second amendment, he's not citing crime statistics and delivering a dissertation on the history of the incorporation of the bill of rights. He tells a story about Paris, and asks you to imagine bullets going the other way.

i will admit, yes, this is one of the things that I found refreshing about trump.

part of this is a product of him NOT being a policy sophisticate -- he's not steeped in the arguments or vocabulary of policy, so he's forced to just grope for simple, practical explanations for things.

often, these explanations are more powerful than the sophisticated ones.

Also, having no idea about what 'conservatism" is, he doesn't even know the "heresies" he's not supposed to utter -- thereby doing us a great service in uttering those heresies.

HERESIES SHOULD BE UTTERED! If only so that we can occasionally remind ourselves of the reason they ARE heresies, and also examine whether they should continue to be heresies.

He's done a great deal of damage to the political system -- much of which is useful damage.

But president? Our nominee? no.

Ted Nugent says some off the wall and strident things from time to time too. that doesn't mean I would nominate him for president.

Posted by: ace at February 26, 2016 06:23 PM (dciA+)

330 Hillary will win and be indicted after sworn in and forced to resign. Her VP will be potus. So who will be her VP??

The Texas Castro Brother....

Posted by: donna at February 26, 2016 06:22 PM (/dSsq)

Julian Castro.

That has been my prediction for a while now.

Posted by: The Predictin' Hat at February 26, 2016 06:23 PM (vBeA5)

331 Posted by: Ghost of kari - WAR at February 26, 2016 06:18 PM (ubByS)

Beauty is skin deep. Ugly goes to the bone. And Trump is an ugly, ugly man.

If you think the anti-Trump contingents' problem here is just the messenger, you need to read more closely.

Posted by: Conservative Crank's iPhone at February 26, 2016 06:23 PM (Gosad)

332 Cruz got illegal loans?

------------

Yes. They were from Goldman Sachs. Any connection to GS is illegal.

Posted by: SH at February 26, 2016 06:24 PM (gmeXX)

333 There's no time to find the perfect candidate

I don't need the perfect candidate. I just want somebody I'm sure is one my side. At least for the majority of positions. Trump is not that person.

I honestly am grateful to him for a lot of the fights he's engaged in.

But Trump is not that person.

Posted by: AD at February 26, 2016 06:24 PM (Pqhmy)

334 291
One thing I appreciate about Trump is that he's willing to make the "dumb" straightforward argument.

It has its place, but only if there's something deeper there to backstop it. Babbling about lines as the sum total of his health care policy does not convince me.

I give a lot of talks to highly professional audiences. I know BS when I see it. Donald Trump hasn't thought at all about the issues. He's winging it.

As an aside, I watched Chris Christie endorsing Trump, and I don't think I've ever seen a clearer example of a man who is eating a big bucket of excrement, extra crispy. He was not happy or proud.

Posted by: pep at February 26, 2016 06:24 PM (LAe3v)

335 >That's why he didn't put the "Ban Muslims" line in a more palatable, persuasive form, like "Reduce immigration from Muslim-majority countries or countries with a terrorism problem to a level where we can vet each individual applicant."

Oh my God.

Guys, guys! The problem all this time is that we weren't palatable enough! We haven't been punishing conservatives enough for saying things that are offensive and speaking out of turn!

Don't you see? Trump is killing us! The path to victory is to be extremely concerned that we aren't called racist by people who viscerally hate us!

THAT is how you fight a culture war - with perpetual paranoia, artificial and culturally motivated shame, fear, and self-loathing!

Posted by: Crude at February 26, 2016 06:24 PM (/IrCS)

336

And all you Rubio haters, he is falling on his knife for Cruz.

Don't you see it? Rubio will become a laughing stock and draw Trump's fire.

Then Cruz will win.

I'll support Rubio in that if that prevents Trump.

Posted by: petunia at February 26, 2016 06:25 PM (VoCyE)

337 It's probably true that Trump leases his name for developments. Trump doesn't invest his own money, but other people's money. That was news to me last night, but makes logical sense.

What concerns me about Trump is that his experience is only in real estate, and that his very clearly stated view is that federal property should absolutely remain federal property, centrally ruled from D.C.

I'm more the local concept of sovereign person, municipality, state's rights myself.

I have no reason to support Trump unless he's the alternative to Hillary.

I will always vote against Clintons. And Bush as well. PERIOD.

Posted by: maverick muse at February 26, 2016 06:25 PM (hCdMd)

338 >>>I do not believe a harsh ideologue like that can
win in the general, even against Hillary.
.....

Let's see:

2008: Harsh Idealogue Obama vs. Maverick McCain- Harsh Idealogue won
2012: Harsh Idealogue Who Accompished Nothing in 4 Years Obama vs. Mr. Milquetoast Himself Romney- Harsh Idealogue won

But sure, let's keep trying the "electability" thing. It's sure to work this time.

When will people understand. No one gets off their couch, forks over the life savings, and bludgeons everyone they know to do the same because someone is "electable". They do these things because they are inspired, believe, and have projected their hopes and dreams onto a person.

Name a single person who voted for Romney or McCain because they believed in them. You can't. Every single person who voted for either of them did so because a) they always vote R, or b) they voted against Obama

Posted by: Damiano at February 26, 2016 06:25 PM (XItbt)

339 They were from Goldman Sachs. Any connection to GS is illegal.

Um, no.

Posted by: AD at February 26, 2016 06:25 PM (Pqhmy)

340 Another fucking masterpiece for the archives. You have a gift for explaining common sense principles.

Posted by: Pendejo at February 26, 2016 06:25 PM (5QUB4)

341 Cruz got illegal loans?

He couldn't even get better than market rates. He's just not The Deal Maker that Trump is.

Posted by: Grump928(C) says Free Soothie! at February 26, 2016 06:25 PM (rwI+c)

342 well AmishDude because you have been so pedantic, if Cruz isnt the nom I may not vote. So, well done
Posted by: ThunderB at February 26, 2016 06:13 PM (zOTsN)

If your vote is determined by some (entirely metaphysically correct) nobody on the Internet being mean to a bloviating deceitful con artist, then you weren't persuadable in the first place.

Posted by: AmishDude at February 26, 2016 06:25 PM (Xd2w5)

343 But, sure, the guy who every other person in the Senate hates is part of the establishment.
Posted by: AD

Wait! Whoa! Stop the presses! Everyone is telling me that they LOVE them some Cruz. What gives?

Posted by: rickb223 at February 26, 2016 06:25 PM (wKcYr)

344 269
Lying through implication is still lying.

Posted by: redbanzai at February 26, 2016 06:16 PM (NPofj)

I get no respect. Let me tell ya.

Posted by: Irony Dangerfield at February 26, 2016 06:25 PM (3dOE/)

345 Well stated. The reason that the AOSHQ is my go to website.

Posted by: Shelgel at February 26, 2016 06:26 PM (qSRkd)

346 Yes. They were from Goldman Sachs. Any connection to GS is illegal.
Posted by: SH

...for a Republican.

Posted by: Democrat Wall Street Execs, singing "We're in the Money" at February 26, 2016 06:26 PM (zmW4B)

347 They were from Goldman Sachs. Any connection to GS is illegal.

Um, no.
Posted by: AD at February 26, 2016 06:25 PM (Pqhmy)

I think that was a joke. I think

Posted by: Nevergiveup at February 26, 2016 06:26 PM (DUoqb)

348 "'I think she would be phenomenal,' Trump said. 'I think she would be one
of the best, but frankly I think she is -- we'll have to rule that out'"

The way that parses to my ear, with the abrupt redirect, is Trump launching into another series of boasts -- everything about The Donald is amazing, including his sister -- and then realizing in midsentence that he was about to crawl too far out on the nepotism branch, and hastily reeling his tongue back in.
Posted by: torquewrench

Sure, but Trump's sister is not going to be on the Supreme Court.

The idea that because he complimented his own sister it means he simply loves the idea of a Leftists judges seems a stretch to me.

If Trump wins, even he will know 90% of his support came from conservatives and that this is a tripwire that he can't cross.

Other things, not so much. Planned Parenthood and NPR will not be defunded.

Posted by: Lex at February 26, 2016 06:26 PM (MOVsh)

349 Trump has no ideology except an unshakable belief in
Trump. Not sure it advances our cause to hitch our wagon to an
egotistical narcissist, it sure hasn't done much for the Dems.

Posted by: Weirddave at February 26, 2016 06:16 PM (N8hFs)

No, certainly not a good idea to hitch one's wagon to it. But not try to get in the way of it, as it's bucking its way around Gopetown, smashing up the Gope saloon, knocking over Gope laundromats, and generally causing Gope to have a bad day?

Why sure, I can hitch my wagon to that. I'll hitch it all day long.

Posted by: BurtTC at February 26, 2016 06:27 PM (TOk1P)

350 Wait! Whoa! Stop the presses! Everyone is telling me that they LOVE them some Cruz. What gives?

---------

I love him because everyone in the Senate hates him (though I don't think everyone does - just a good majority).

Its not the only or real reason why I love him. But its nice.

Posted by: SH at February 26, 2016 06:27 PM (gmeXX)

351 "I want my friends here to want to embrace this candidacy, not be forced into it. "

Won't be forcing anything on anyone. For now there is still hope. Still safety in sheer number of Cruz supporters.

Tuesday will tell if there is any hope left. Until then, take a break. You earned it.

Posted by: Tim in Illinois. Blah, blah,blah at February 26, 2016 06:27 PM (WVsWD)

352 As an aside, I watched Chris Christie endorsing Trump, and I don't think I've ever seen a clearer example of a man who is eating a big bucket of excrement, extra crispy. He was not happy or proud.
Posted by: pep at February 26, 2016 06:24 PM (LAe3v)

He put his back into it and said it like he meant it.

But you could tell, just from how good he was at saying what he said (contrast that with how Trump sounds when he talks) that it was 100% political calculation.

I felt bad for him.

And I'm as big (or as smart) a Trump booster as I know.

Haha. Seriously though. Look around at some of these idiots.

Posted by: Ghost of kari - WAR at February 26, 2016 06:27 PM (ubByS)

353 Yes. They were from Goldman Sachs. Any connection to GS is illegal.

Posted by: SH

the loans were not "illegal"

"connections" to Goldman are not "illegal"

Posted by: ThunderB at February 26, 2016 06:27 PM (zOTsN)

354 ANd not enough emphasis on Gov. Donut endorsement today.. Genius. Christie was the dagger that staggered Dondi prior to SC. Christie will be out and about the next three days, doing what HE does do well.... and that is, delineate a point and pound it. He speaks directly and forcefully and he , my prediction, Christie will bring great pressure to bear against Dondi... ruinous pressure.

That will not help Cruz. I don't even know if it will help Trump... as if he needs it. What it will do is crater Dondi when he desperately needs to show that he can do well or is ascending.

Getting Christie on his side today was a big deal and will surely pay dividends in TV spots and interviews and appearances. The pressure on Dondi and his team just got turned up to eleven. Maybe they'll overcome it and good on them if they meet the challenge... we will see. I did not expect Christie to endorse Trump.

Posted by: Yip at February 26, 2016 06:28 PM (e7T6D)

355 ace:

I think, unfortunately, that elections are more about teh feelz (and have been for a very very long time) then we like to admit.

Posted by: Harry Paratestes at February 26, 2016 06:28 PM (AkOaV)

356 Ace what you've written is 100% correct. But what's it gonna get us?

Posted by: Ghost of kari - WAR at February 26, 2016 06:28 PM (ubByS)

357 Here's what stopped my flirtation with Trump:

He was sketchy as all hell regarding his taxes.

The second he becomes the nominee that becomes A Thing.

Posted by: Lauren at February 26, 2016 06:29 PM (0C2f1)

358 Tuesday will tell if there is any hope left. Until then, take a break. You earned it.
Posted by: Tim in Illinois. Blah, blah,blah at February 26, 2016 06:27 PM (WVsWD)

*fistbump*

Peace 'rons.

Posted by: Ghost of kari - WAR at February 26, 2016 06:29 PM (ubByS)

359 "connections" to Goldman are not "illegal"

I think the "illegality" is not filing a disclosure with the FEC when he filed it with the Senate Ethics Committee.

Posted by: Grump928(C) says Free Soothie! at February 26, 2016 06:29 PM (rwI+c)

360 253 - It doesn't have to burn.

Yes. Yes it does.

Because this current knot we're in won't be willingly untied. Half of the populace won't sagely nod their heads in agreement while their various kick-backs are eliminated. The massive surveillance state we've built won't simply dismantle itself in the name of limited government. The Federal Bureaucracy that has grown since literally the beginning of the Republic will not nobly cede it's hard won power back to the States.

We find ourselves in a position politically chained to an engine slowly moving down the tracks toward a fatal fall, pulling a line of luxury cars running out of amenities. The passengers simply will not tolerate stopping - because the woods are cold, the ground is hard, and the pantries are not empty yet.

So we keep feeding the boiler. Because the woods ARE cold and the ground IS hard. And maybe there'll be provisions up ahead. And maybe the fall won't be fatal.

But I doubt it.

Posted by: Irony at February 26, 2016 06:29 PM (qmMG2)

361 >>>Guys, guys! The problem all this time is that we weren't palatable enough!

If you want to move the Overton Window from "heresy" to "policy," yes, palatability and persuasiveness should concern you.

if you just want a guy ranting who never actually does anything, because he's brought no one along to his line of thinking, then you can ignore this concern.

Posted by: ace at February 26, 2016 06:29 PM (dciA+)

362 I think the "illegality" is not filing a disclosure with the FEC when he filed it with the Senate Ethics Committee.
Posted by: Grump928(C) says Free Soothie! at February 26, 2016 06:29 PM (rwI+c)

if that was illegal, half the congress would be in jail.

When important people do it, they "forgot."

When we do it, we get 10 years of audits and threatened liens and criminal action.

Posted by: Harry Paratestes at February 26, 2016 06:30 PM (AkOaV)

363 >>> Ace what you've written is 100% correct. But what's it gonna get us?

i don't know. i'm not smart enough to see the future. i can only say what appears to me to be true.

Posted by: ace at February 26, 2016 06:30 PM (dciA+)

364 So have they released the new batch of Hillary! e-mails they promised?

Posted by: donna at February 26, 2016 06:30 PM (/dSsq)

365
Do believe I'll sit the rest of this one out til post election.

My choice is and has been Cruz from the gitgo.

Have fun, y'all.

Posted by: irongrampa at February 26, 2016 06:30 PM (P/8aq)

366 I love him because everyone in the Senate hates him (though I don't think everyone does - just a good majority).

So his vetoes won't get overridden or his suggestions ignored even though a good majority hates him?

Trying to square that circle.

Posted by: rickb223 at February 26, 2016 06:30 PM (wKcYr)

367 I will always vote against Clintons. And Bush as well. PERIOD.
Posted by: maverick muse at February 26, 2016 06:25 PM (hCdMd)

___________

I have been pleading for people to do that for months.

Now, no.

I'm not going to be the Party of Donald Trump.

He is a con artist. He just is. and this is his bigest con.

I am too commited to my convictions just to vote party.

Hillary will pick the court. That is the worst. The absolute worst.

But I will never vote for Donald Trump. Because he will not do any better than Hillary.

The war is over. And we lost. They got Trump to run. Now the war is over.

Touche Hillary, you won.

Posted by: petunia at February 26, 2016 06:30 PM (VoCyE)

368
>>>But what's it gonna get us?

Finally, the truth about the whole thing.

Posted by: Hayao at February 26, 2016 06:30 PM (w/bVh)

369 Hello, President Sanders.

Posted by: Grump928(C) says Free Soothie! at February 26, 2016 06:31 PM (rwI+c)

370 Remember RINO McCain saying Mexicans are doing jobs Americans cannot do, like picking lettuce for only $100,000 a year?

Well, McCain is not a RINO, he is a Republican, and the GOPe is the GOP.

We have three career Republicans running and two outsiders.

The careerists WILL go Blue Falcon on us all the while telling us we are nativist scum. I will take my chances on the two outsiders because they only MIGHT go Blue Falcon on us... I like those odds.

Posted by: Burnt Toast at February 26, 2016 06:31 PM (T78UI)

371 Eh? Much ado about nothing. It's chop chop Kasich for the nominee.

Posted by: IC at February 26, 2016 06:31 PM (OiiIG)

372 But, sure, the guy who every other person in the Senate hates is part of the establishment.
Posted by: AD

Wait! Whoa! Stop the presses! Everyone is telling me that they LOVE them some Cruz. What gives?
Posted by: rickb223 at February 26, 2016 06:25 PM (wKcYr)

Personality-wise, I think the guy is probably a prick and total prima donna. But you have to pick your poison this time around.

Posted by: AD at February 26, 2016 06:31 PM (Pqhmy)

373 I'm telling you Christie didn't want to be called a failed fat slob Governor by Trump if he endorsed someone else. I also think Trump was a little sorry that Christie endorsed him because he really wanted to say Failed fat slob governor.

Posted by: Joe Hallenbeck at February 26, 2016 06:31 PM (r2k5T)

374 "connections" to Goldman are not "illegal"

I think the "illegality" is not filing a disclosure with the FEC when he filed it with the Senate Ethics Committee.

-----------

I was joking about connections to Goldman being illegal. There was nothing illegal or unseemly about the loans. The only bad things people want to say about the loans were that they were from Goldman Sachs, but that was where there money was.

Regarding the FEC - I have no use for such an agency.

Posted by: SH at February 26, 2016 06:31 PM (gmeXX)

375 Since Obamacare passed out of the Senate on December 24 2009, and Scott
Brown didn't take office until February 4 2010, your argument really
doesn't hold water.
---
Sure it does. Working within the system and respecting decorum was supposed to be the sure fire path to victory. Instead the democrats butchered the system and the GOPe did nothing.

The point is when we listen to the 'intellectuals' all that happens is the Democrats get their way, and the 'intellectuals' get their comfortable defeat.

Posted by: Methos, AoS commenter since 2006, apparently also non-voting democrat at February 26, 2016 06:31 PM (ZbV+0)

376 i cannot do rubio.
it sinks my own ship. my childrens ship. srsly people out in jobs not ran by tech, not ran by DOE , not ran by states and feds. need secure jobs.

my children and my neighbors children come first here.
we are not asking for welfare, but a right to Look for and do work we already had before 2008 and open borders. and cheapo labor while on the backside WE Must be made to pay the taxes to support The business guys Real costs of cheap labor.

Posted by: willow at February 26, 2016 06:31 PM (L1+sh)

377 368
>>>But what's it gonna get us?

Neither Heaven nor Hell..... Limbo...

Posted by: donna at February 26, 2016 06:31 PM (/dSsq)

378 The encouraging thing for me is the passion. Record numbers coming out to vote in primaries. Far more than 2012 and far more than Dems. Haven't seen anything like it before. Not a coalition like this.

Posted by: Last samurai at February 26, 2016 06:32 PM (DeZld)

379 >>My solution:
Have Dr. Ben Carson implant Cruz's brain into Trump's skull.
It will immediately double his IQ and, as a bonus, improve his spelling.

Shit. There go my good looks.

Posted by: Ted Cruz at February 26, 2016 06:32 PM (c7vUv)

380 >>>My choice is and has been Cruz from the gitgo.

it took me a long time to get on the Cruz Ship but now I wonder why it took me so long.

Posted by: ace at February 26, 2016 06:32 PM (dciA+)

381 I won't have to decide for a few weeks but I think I'm coming around to the idea of just freeloading off anything good that comes of a Trump Presidency.

Posted by: Grump928(C) says Free Soothie! at February 26, 2016 06:32 PM (rwI+c)

382 I think it is going to be a blast to watch Christie eviscerate Hilz...and that is what is important to me. I would like to see him as AG. Hell, put Cruz in Scalia's chair and really start this party. xoxo
Posted by: ChristyBlinky, aging supermodel Redneck Queen at February 26, 2016 06:22 PM (wAMRL)

Yup....this x100...keep at 'em till they change shape or catch fire. Or both.

Posted by: Hairyback Guy at February 26, 2016 06:32 PM (ej1L0)

383 MOTHERFUCKER
Posted by: Ghost of kari - WAR at February 26, 2016 06:18 PM (ubByS)

I remember a month or so ago someone posted about Trump that prior action is no predictor of future behavior. I think I just about split myself laughing over that one.

Trump is many things, but he never has shown that he is in any ways interested in what you say he will do. He won't need to do it after the election either, he already will have won.

Trump is a populist, but I doubt after the election he will be your populist.

Posted by: Kindltot at February 26, 2016 06:32 PM (q2o38)

384 "so it is important that we elect someone who is going to try to effect a return to at least the semblance of the rule of law."

That'll happen so long as it's a Republican that gets sworn in, even with Ryan and McConnell in place who'll suddenly find the need to rein in an Imperial Presidency.

Posted by: Ignoramus at February 26, 2016 06:32 PM (r1fLd)

385 So his vetoes won't get overridden or his suggestions ignored even though a good majority hates him?

Trying to square that circle.

----------------

Once again - try to keep up. By winning the Presidential election, Cruz would become more popular with Congress because more than half the country voted for him.

Posted by: SH at February 26, 2016 06:32 PM (gmeXX)

386 I hate to break it you but every millennial I know can't stand Trump. Or Cruz.

Posted by: Jewells45 at February 26, 2016 06:33 PM (CNHr1)

387 The morning radio guy I listen to has said Castro was Hildabeast VP for many months and I've written it here

Posted by: Skip at February 26, 2016 06:33 PM (fizMZ)

388 AmishDude: "Fuck you. I like America."

Well bully for you. What's your position on apple pie?

Posted by: AnonymousDrivel at February 26, 2016 06:33 PM (1CroS)

389 >>>i cannot do rubio.
it sinks my own ship. my childrens ship. srsly people out in jobs not ran by tech, not ran by DOE , not ran by states and feds. need secure jobs.

Cruz is currently more to the right on immigration than Trump, who promises touchback amnesty (leave the country, then you can come back in).

Posted by: ace at February 26, 2016 06:33 PM (dciA+)

390 GoK

Stick around for the other stuff though. Just recharge the battery for the fight after Tuesday.

Posted by: Tim in Illinois. Blah, blah,blah at February 26, 2016 06:33 PM (WVsWD)

391 I want my friends here to want to embrace this candidacy, not be forced into it.

Maybe you're right, though.
Posted by: Ghost of kari - WAR at February 26, 2016 06:22 PM (ubByS)
--------------
No, actually. I agree with you on much of this, daily (I just lurk more these days), and we are in the minority here. Tuesday is just a few days away, we will know by midnight Tues. how much of the rest of the masses are on board.

Posted by: BunkerinTheBurbs at February 26, 2016 06:33 PM (bA+CL)

392 If your vote is determined by some (entirely metaphysically correct) nobody on the Internet being mean to a bloviating deceitful con artist, then you weren't persuadable in the first place.

Posted by: AmishDude

no

you missed my meaning. If Trumpism and its supporters must be rejected, so must Rubioism, with its disdain for the working man, its subserviance to the Chamber of Commerce, and its frequent lies

Posted by: ThunderB at February 26, 2016 06:33 PM (zOTsN)

393 387 The morning radio guy I listen to has said Castro was Hildabeast VP for many months and I've written it here

It's been obvious to a lot of Us here... Hillary! better have a food taster....

Posted by: donna at February 26, 2016 06:34 PM (/dSsq)

394 386 I hate to break it you but every millennial I know can't stand Trump. Or Cruz.
Posted by: Jewells45 at February 26, 2016 06:33 PM (CNHr1)

Well, I'm a millennial and the only two people my peers seem to like are Trump and Bernie, so...

Posted by: Harry Paratestes at February 26, 2016 06:34 PM (AkOaV)

395 petunia

You might be hoping still Romney's ghost is on the ticket?

Rubio is a wannabe this 'n that, whatever gets him ahead, and stands for nothing but himself. That criticism applies to every candidate except for Ben Carson whose platform I'd hope makes it onto the winner's agenda.

Any person running for POTUS who is nothing but a germ has no business wasting donors' contributions and contaminating the waters for whoever is on the ticket.

Posted by: maverick muse at February 26, 2016 06:34 PM (hCdMd)

396 I love him because everyone in the Senate hates him (though I don't think everyone does - just a good majority).

So his vetoes won't get overridden or his suggestions ignored even though a good majority hates him?

Trying to square that circle.

Posted by: rickb223 at February 26, 2016 06:30 PM (wKcYr)

Cause people who got elected saying they were conservatives would get crucified for not working with an actually conservative President. They only have cover now because "hey, what are we going to do when we don't even have the Presidency?"

Posted by: redbanzai at February 26, 2016 06:34 PM (NPofj)

397 359 "connections" to Goldman are not "illegal"

I think the "illegality" is not filing a disclosure with the FEC when he filed it with the Senate Ethics Committee.
Posted by: Grump928(C) says Free Soothie! at February 26, 2016 06:29 PM (rwI+c)

I was being sarcastic with my question. Cruz wasn't trying to hide anything as he had filled out all the other disclosure forms.

Posted by: Max Rockatansky at February 26, 2016 06:34 PM (r2k5T)

398 >>>Ted Nugent says some off the wall and strident things from time to time too. that doesn't mean I would nominate him for president.
.....

If my choices were Trump or Nugent, I would rush to the polls like my life depended on it to vote for Nugent.

Yeah, he's completely nuts but he's consistent. However off the wall he is, he falls generally on the side of issues that I agree with. Most importantly, he is not Trump.

Note that last part, because it will be relevant in November. Trump will lose because:
- He will only get 50% of the R base. He will alienate everyone else who might have supported him and they'll stay home
- Democrats have proven that they're true believers. They will come out en mass and vote as many times as they can get away with for the D, no matter who it is. The more radical, the bigger the turnout.
- People vote for what they feel strongly about. Trump will have more people voting against him than for him.

Posted by: Damiano at February 26, 2016 06:34 PM (XItbt)

399 Why doesn't the country just split up? We could have the Liberal States of America, unarmed, weak, and full of the unemployed and the ignorant, and the Conservative States of America, full of hard-working heavily armed intelligent people.

Posted by: DONALD TRUMP at February 26, 2016 06:35 PM (0vdts)

400 So, is Ace going to spend the night with us? That would be great! Or, are you morons going to piss him off and hell leave and we wont see him until Monday around 3 pm?

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at February 26, 2016 06:35 PM (iQIUe)

401 Thanks for this Ace. You've squelched the "I don't want to live on this planet any more" feeling I've been having.

Posted by: MikeTheMoose at February 26, 2016 06:36 PM (0q2P7)

402 "he conceives of us as ugly-minded, stupid dummies who get off on this shit"

Given that he's likely to become the nominee and an enthusiastic chunk of "conservatives" seem to love the guy, perhaps he's not so far off base with that view.

Posted by: Laugh it up, Fuzzball! at February 26, 2016 06:36 PM (Es7YA)

403 The attack on Cruz over the Goldman loan is unfair. Cruz's wife has to keep the family's brokerage accounts at Goldman. It's an industry rule so that any insider trading can be detected. As I understand it, they took a margin loan out against the value of the stock holdings. Stock holdings have to be at least twice the value of the loan. If they instead had sold the stock holdings it probably would have created tax payments. So going the margin loan route could make sense, assuming you got your little lady convinced that it was smart to gamble the family fortune on your long shot bid to become a Senator.

Posted by: Ignoramus at February 26, 2016 06:36 PM (r1fLd)

404 Well Ace, this was predictable and yet still disappointing. I became certain you were telegraphing this after you channeled the Eric Erickson school of debate analysis last night.

The Chris Christie endorsement is a great example of why it's not always wise to carve sweeping statements into stone like those regarding the debate - game changer, complete reset etc. "Events dear gentleman, events".

On Trump - unfortunately we are engaged in a zero sum battle to the death with the establishment - just check Twitter for confirmation. Rubio winning = total and complete victory for the establishments. They will not learn anything from the experience, they will not regard it as a close call and change their ways. They will sing songs of their victory and the tell their grandchildren of the time they slew the great Trump dragon and made the world safe for The Chamber of Commerce. Then they will systematically run people like me (and eventually you) out of the party. They will never let their power be threatened like this again. You know I am right.

They will never adapt "Trumpism" they will bury it and laugh at you while they do it. Alas you cannot be down with Trump and up with Trumpism... You will have to choose.

Questions: If - as is being reported, Rube's team tries to take this through a deal at a brokered convention - will you support that? If, as is also being reported, a large group of donors moves forward with plans to run a third party candidate against Trump - will support that?

What do your answers say about what you have been posting for the last two years? I am utterly sincere in this and not trying to be critical.

Incidentally, I agree with you on Trump's lack of preparation. He can either adapt or it will eventually bite him in the rear.

Posted by: CastleP at February 26, 2016 06:36 PM (7+oeE)

405 Last night's debate was the first time I actually liked Ted Cruz beyond his ideology.

I had written him off because I didn't see the point in fielding a losing Presidential campaign, no matter how solid his conservative bona fides.

Cruz and Rubio just need to form a ticket, flip a coin, or alternate 2 years as President and Vice President, etc.

There will be some grumbling but 99% of the supporters of either one would come on board.

Posted by: Lex at February 26, 2016 06:36 PM (MOVsh)

406 I see the governor of Maine has endorsed Trump. The Preference Cascade is rolling. It's going to be Trump, nobody else has a path that isn't dreamed up by wishcasting political geeks and that wishful thinking will never become reality.

Mario brought his A-Game to the debate but he demonstrated himself to be the Choke Artist that Trump said he was. Everyone knows that Trump counterpunches but Mario was not at all prepared for the Christie Counterpunch. He choked again. He's got nothing now.

And I like Cruz and respect Ace's support for him. But exactly how he is supposed to win? What's his path through the nominating process?

Get on the Trump Train. It does feel good to finally win!

Posted by: VidOmnia at February 26, 2016 06:36 PM (r630q)

407 i don't know. i'm not smart enough to see the future. i can only say what appears to me to be true.

Posted by: ace at February 26, 2016 06:30 PM (dciA+)

What you appear to fear is the thing that is unfolding before your eyes, which essentially amounts to a charlatan being VERY close to securing the nomination of the Republican Party for President of the United States.

I understand the fear, but you seem to have decided suddenly upon discovering what a charlatan this guy is, that he's evil incarnate.

He's not. If you want to find evil, find the people in the Party who let this thing get THIS far, without an viable alternative to the charlatan.

Cruz won't be nominated. All the other half-heartedly acceptable candidates who dropped out along the way were not, of course, going to be nominated. Rufio is just a different kind of charlatan from Trump, and frankly, one that is the public face of the enemy: Gope.

So I'll take Trump over Gope, every day, every time. Because THEY created this mess. Not Trump.

Posted by: BurtTC at February 26, 2016 06:36 PM (TOk1P)

408 It's chop chop Kasich for the nominee.
Posted by: IC

When he can take the pebble from my hand, it will be time for him to leave.

Posted by: Master Kan at February 26, 2016 06:36 PM (FkBIv)

409 It is pointless to ever try to tell a Trump supporter anything.

Cruz and Rubio have teamed up.

Rubio is drawing Trump....

Cruz must have the best shot, they must have seen that. Or maybe Cruz is just worse at comedy. Rubio is falling on his sword for Cruz to win it.

If Rubio is okay with Cruz, then so am I.

In the end the only friend Cruz made was Rubio and hopefully that is enough.

Posted by: petunia at February 26, 2016 06:36 PM (VoCyE)

410 >>>Neither Heaven nor Hell..... Limbo...

Exactly. Time to stop talking and whining and do something. If you think Cruz or Rubio will "do" anything other than what their donors tell them to do, expect open borders, bad trade deals, war on half the planet, and a collapse of the working middle class. This is the last opportunity to change the course of the country.

Posted by: Hayao at February 26, 2016 06:36 PM (w/bVh)

411 I hate to break it you but every millennial I know can't stand Trump. Or Cruz.
Posted by: Jewells45

Millenials also hate breakfast cereal because pouring milk and washing a bowl is too much work.

Posted by: Prince Ludwig the #Problematic at February 26, 2016 06:37 PM (zmW4B)

412 I was joking about connections to Goldman being illegal. There was nothing illegal or unseemly about the loans. The only bad things people want to say about the loans were that they were from Goldman Sachs, but that was where there money was.

Regarding the FEC - I have no use for such an agency.
Posted by: SH at February 26, 2016 06:31 PM (gmeXX)

Let me apologize. I am so sorry.

Posted by: ThunderB at February 26, 2016 06:37 PM (zOTsN)

413 ace i WANT cruz!
but i will do Trump if i have to, because i truly believe it will make govt start a fight to the finish to protect itself.

Posted by: willow at February 26, 2016 06:37 PM (L1+sh)

414 I am just following Amishdude Logic

Posted by: ThunderB at February 26, 2016 06:37 PM (zOTsN)

415 If Trump is a secret liberal, why does everyone on the left despise him?

Posted by: Monsieur Moo Moo at February 26, 2016 06:37 PM (0LHZx)

416 Well.

Reagan's dead, ain't he?

And so is the country that elected him.

I respect Ace's opinion far more than most pundits at this point, though. For what that's worth.

Posted by: Hawkins Aquinas (new name) at February 26, 2016 06:37 PM (TZYqp)

417 Cruz and Rubio just need to form a ticket, flip a coin, or alternate 2 years as President and Vice President, etc.

------------

If Cruz wins Texas (possible, but who knows) and Rubio loses FL (likely) - then Cruz should get the top. If not, then I don't know. Flip a coin I guess.

Posted by: SH at February 26, 2016 06:38 PM (gmeXX)

418 he'll probably get us into some stupis pointless war

*******

Well in the area of foreign policy--consistency matters.

Trump begs to be tested--as the Chinese saying goes.

Trump also criticized the military for speaking out against some Obama measures even though they are suppose to act as advisors and Presidents cannot be experts in eveything.

Trump seems likely to act as his own defense secretary, not a very wise thing.

Posted by: Chris Christie Beachin' at February 26, 2016 06:39 PM (mcm0N)

419
So I'll take Trump over Gope, every day, every time. Because THEY created this mess. Not Trump.
Posted by: BurtTC at February 26, 2016 06:36 PM (TOk1P)

_____________

Did you not hear him brag about giving money to all of them?

Trump absolutely caused all of what is wrong with DC! Him and all the other millionaires and billionaires who buy votes for what ever they want.

Trump bought and paid for our politicians and now he is buying the Whitehouse.

Trump is what is wrong with DC, and he is such a good con man that he has you blaming others for what he has caused!!!

Posted by: petunia at February 26, 2016 06:39 PM (VoCyE)

420 If Trump is a secret liberal, why does everyone on the left despise him?

It's not a secret.

Posted by: Grump928(C) says Free Soothie! at February 26, 2016 06:39 PM (rwI+c)

421 Millenials hate Hills and there is not enough of them to give the election to the commie.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at February 26, 2016 06:39 PM (iQIUe)

422 Yeah, no. Lawyers got this country in the mess we're in today. Or as Christ called them 'You damned lawyers.'. Or, as the Texas Ranger said in True Grit 'Who is this lawyer Daggett?' Only 2 lawyer'politicians I know personally are Cruz and Gohmert. I trust those guys. Hope President Cruz puts Louie Gohmert and Mark Levin on the Supreme Court.

Posted by: Eromero at February 26, 2016 06:40 PM (zLDYs)

423 "it took me a long time to get on the Cruz Ship but now I wonder why it took me so long."

Well Cruz just isn't someone who draws people in. He isn't really charming or attractive. He's just earnest, and for some reason earnesty is sometimes off-putting.

He's by far the best hope we have. Right now, I think the best thing we can do is pour every ounce of energy into getting him over 50% in Texas.

Posted by: Lauren at February 26, 2016 06:40 PM (3DIzJ)

424 you missed my meaning. If Trumpism and its supporters must be rejected, so must Rubioism, with its disdain for the working man, its subserviance to the Chamber of Commerce, and its frequent lies
Posted by: ThunderB at February 26, 2016 06:33 PM (zOTsN)

Trump's father went to Fordham University.
Rubio's father never went to college.

Trump went to Fordham and then the Ivy League Wharton.
Rubio graduated from the University of Florida and U. Miami school of law.

Trump's love for the "working class" is as fake as his plugs. Only an imbecile would fall for it.

Posted by: AmishDude at February 26, 2016 06:40 PM (Xd2w5)

425 it took me a long time to get on the Cruz Ship but now I wonder why it took me so long.

????
I thought you were a Cruzzer all along.

Posted by: eleven at February 26, 2016 06:40 PM (qUNWi)

426 I hate to break it you but every millennial I know can't stand Trump. Or Cruz.
Posted by: Jewells45

_____

And these same millenials will vote for Bernie no matter who is running on the other side. So who gives a fuck what they think? They're a lost cause.

Posted by: Monsieur Moo Moo at February 26, 2016 06:40 PM (0LHZx)

427 This is the last opportunity to change the course of the country.

Trump is not the change I seek.

Posted by: Grump928(C) says Free Soothie! at February 26, 2016 06:41 PM (rwI+c)

428 Trump absolutely caused all of what is wrong with DC! Him and all the other millionaires and billionaires who buy votes for what ever they want.

Trump bought and paid for our politicians and now he is buying the Whitehouse.

Trump is what is wrong with DC, and he is such a good con man that he has you blaming others for what he has caused!!!
Posted by: petunia at February 26, 2016 06:39 PM (VoCyE)

Heh.

Who do you blame? The "millionaires and billionaires" as Bernie would say who bribe the politicians?

or the politicians who walked around with their hands out saying, "Hey Mr Wealthy guy -- I can make your life good, or I can make your life shitty. Your choice." like some kind of mafia protection racket?

Posted by: Harry Paratestes at February 26, 2016 06:41 PM (AkOaV)

429 Expect Trump to line up endorsements from people like Newt and Huckabee. Further down the line, to announce who'd be in his administration. There are several good GOP governors who will need a job. Chris Christie for example, who could fit as Attorney General.

Posted by: Ignoramus at February 26, 2016 06:41 PM (r1fLd)

430 I keep thinking of something a Trump supporter said on another blog. "We don't just want to beat the GOP. We want to kill it. And Trump is our weapon."

Posted by: creeper at February 26, 2016 06:41 PM (736E+)

431 Cruz and Rubio just need to form a ticket, flip a coin, or alternate 2 years as President and Vice President, etc.

------------

If Cruz wins Texas (possible, but who knows) and Rubio loses FL (likely) - then Cruz should get the top. If not, then I don't know. Flip a coin I guess.
Posted by: SH

yeah this. This is my bargaining Amishdude and if they dont make a deal Rubio becomes a lobbyist

Posted by: ThunderB at February 26, 2016 06:41 PM (zOTsN)

432 "We just need someone capable of coherent persuasion to adopt them."

To that end, Ted Cruz should seriously consider ditching Glenn Beck.

Posted by: Hawkins Aquinas (new name) at February 26, 2016 06:41 PM (TZYqp)

433 Trump as a progressive still isn't going to get leftists to vote for him.

Posted by: Skip at February 26, 2016 06:42 PM (fizMZ)

434 "Millenials also hate breakfast cereal because pouring milk and washing a bowl is too much work."

Best. Comeback. Ever.

Posted by: Lauren at February 26, 2016 06:42 PM (3DIzJ)

435 >>If Trump is a secret liberal, why does everyone on the left despise him?

i'm not sure they do. Not only is the liberal media promoting him, but liberal writers like Jonathan Chait rushed in last night to claim Trump won the debate.

Posted by: ace at February 26, 2016 06:42 PM (dciA+)

436 Posted by: AmishDude at February 26, 2016 06:40 PM (Xd2w5)

Fordham is a very "working class" type of college. Otherwise known as a "safety school."

Posted by: Harry Paratestes at February 26, 2016 06:42 PM (AkOaV)

437 @415 Monsieur Moo Moo- Because he's running as an R. Democrats/Liberals/Leftists are f'ing stupid. If Bernie Sanders switched to R tomorrow but still spouted the same shit he's been spouting, they'd hate him anyways because R.

Posted by: JROD at February 26, 2016 06:42 PM (wnwJC)

438 Ace of spades and conservative tree house. Two awesome sites with two awesome writers/minds at the helm. And polar opposites on this issue of Trump.

This election cycle really is crazy but if nothing else I think it's forcing some long overdue discussions within our movement. And that's always healthy.

Posted by: Last samurai at February 26, 2016 06:42 PM (DeZld)

439 Trump's father went to Fordham University.
Rubio's father never went to college.

Trump went to Fordham and then the Ivy League Wharton.
Rubio graduated from the University of Florida and U. Miami school of law.

Trump's love for the "working class" is as fake as his plugs. Only an imbecile would fall for it.
Posted by: AmishDude at February 26, 2016 06:40 PM (Xd2w5)

____

Did I mention my father was a mailman?

Posted by: Kasich at February 26, 2016 06:42 PM (0LHZx)

440 He's by far the best hope we have. Right now, I think the best thing we can do is pour every ounce of energy into getting him over 50% in Texas.

---------------

I don't think that will happen, but that would be huge.

Posted by: SH at February 26, 2016 06:42 PM (gmeXX)

441 415 If Trump is a secret liberal, why does everyone on the left despise him?
Posted by: Monsieur Moo Moo at February 26, 2016 06:37 PM (0LHZx)

___________________

There is nothing secret about it.

He brags about it.

He donates to Harry Reid and Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi...

What is secret is how you can believe the greatest con this country has ever seen.

Posted by: petunia at February 26, 2016 06:42 PM (VoCyE)

442 We're gonna get Rubio, aren't we?

Posted by: Duke Lowell at February 26, 2016 06:42 PM (kTF2Z)

443 All of us down at the Brattleboro WGLTTFGHUYR clinic think Presdent Obama should something about this Trump guy. He is saying horrible things about persons of all colors and really hates this country. He is worse than that trader Bush whom should be in jail in that Cuba place he built.

Posted by: Mary Clogginstien from Brattleboro, VT at February 26, 2016 06:42 PM (KRuzk)

444 Posted by: petunia at February 26, 2016 06:36 PM (VoCyE)

******

I'll bet you're a bunch of fun at parties.

Posted by: Tim in GA at February 26, 2016 06:43 PM (GRYWk)

445 If Trump is a secret liberal, why does everyone on the left despise him?
....

Because he is running as a Republican. Liberals used to love him before that. Just ask the Clinton's and Harry Reid.

Posted by: Damiano at February 26, 2016 06:43 PM (XItbt)

446 RE: Trump and Syrian refugees, I have a feeling that if you go back to September a majority of people were still under the impression that they were really refugees and not a massive wave of economic migrants. Heck, that's still the line being given by leftist media.

Calling it a flip-flop is a stupid, can you honestly say that your first opinion upon hearing Syrian refugees was to say that we should not accept them? And would any serious politician be stupid enough to stake "keep them out" as their initial opinion and commit electoral seppuku? Keep in mind this statement was made less than a week later in September from when the media ran a bunch of stories of a mother and her two children drowning and the three year old's body shown washed up on a beach.

I have a feeling that there were plenty of red-blooded Americans who saw Obama doing squat against ISIS and probably felt like it was only right that we shelter some of the people trying to escape the warzone.

Posted by: Sjg at February 26, 2016 06:43 PM (gDSJf)

447 Trump's father went to Fordham University.
Rubio's father never went to college.

Trump went to Fordham and then the Ivy League Wharton.
Rubio graduated from the University of Florida and U. Miami school of law.

Trump's love for the "working class" is as fake as his plugs. Only an imbecile would fall for it.
Posted by: AmishDude

you missed my meaning again. I was talking about how you have spoken to people here. The voters. Not Trump. The voters

Posted by: ThunderB at February 26, 2016 06:43 PM (zOTsN)

448 that is a lucid, intelligent, well thought out objection...

overruled.

just kidding (i like that bit from my cousin vinnie sp i threw it in)

no, really a very good essay on trump, dealmaker selling the sea. i would add my objection to his protectionism which he seems to sincerely advocate with possibly disastrous consequences.

also we hate rapists and terrorists, not mexicans and muslims, vice versa... but otherwise, a lucid, intelligent and well thought out... oh, never mind...

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at February 26, 2016 06:43 PM (WTSFk)

449 Amish, think you're being a little harsh on Rubio. "Unreliable" on immigration? A bit over the top, even for a blog comments section. Give the guy a chance.

ace and others, I really think the concern about WWIII under Trump is unfounded. This is not Ba'ath Iraq, where the still-secret-from-even-"conservative"-anti-Dubya-fetishists noted that "Saddam so dominated the regime that its strategic intent was his alone".

True, the current president is a passive/ignorant/unfit incompetent, as opposed to active/aggressive one - but he is every bit as dangerously unsuited for the job as Trump would be. And yet here we are. With massive needless hits to our security, strength, standing, and honor, but still here.

Overall, I find the panic about Trump somewhat puzzling. If it were 2008 or any time before that, it would be predictable. Or maybe it's only me that sees the last 7 years as, literally, unbelievably bad and degrading in too many ways to list in a blog comment. Not many plausible, specific ways in which things would be likely to get worse come to mind (solely due to Trump, not due to unforseeble black swan events).

Posted by: rhomboid at February 26, 2016 06:43 PM (QDnY+)

450 ALINSKY RULE 2: "Never go outside the expertise of your people." i.e., Keep it simple and entertaining.

Trump: Alinsky you magnificent bastard. I read your book!

Posted by: Ignoramus at February 26, 2016 06:44 PM (r1fLd)

451
????

I thought you were a Cruzzer all along.

Posted by: eleven at February 26, 2016 06:40 PM (qUNWi)

Ace was one of those guys shying away from Cruz because all the cool people say Cruz is mean. And he's got a soft chin.

Both of which are true. In a perfect world Cruz would still likely make a fine President, but it's going to keep him from being nominated, and if nominated, keep him from being elected.

Posted by: BurtTC at February 26, 2016 06:44 PM (TOk1P)

452 Best. Comeback. Ever.
Posted by: Lauren

*blushes*
*puts on false humility*
No it's not.

Posted by: Prince Ludwig the #Problematic at February 26, 2016 06:44 PM (zmW4B)

453 Mario had one shot at the Brass Ring and I think it was his original plan...play the George HW Bush game, ride the tails of a popular president by becoming his VP, then get elected after.

He choked at the last minute by listening to clueless GOPe pundits telling him he had to attack Trump...even though he had no path to winning even a single state. If he'd stuck to his original strategy, he could have been the VP candidate in the inevitable deal that Trump will have to work with the RNC.

Mario - Choke Artiste extraordinaire.

Posted by: VidOmnia at February 26, 2016 06:44 PM (r630q)

454 I love aces opinion on this. Regardless of who you are supporting, do you think Trump beats Hillary in a general election?

Posted by: Lex at February 26, 2016 06:44 PM (MOVsh)

455 >>>because i truly believe it will make govt start a fight to the finish to protect itself.

If there is anything that should have been driven home by last night's debate, Trump is a deal maker. He doesn't want to fight government. He wants to make a deal with it. Whatever that deal is will be good for what Trump wants, and WILL ALSO give the Government things it wants.

Trump does Art of War style conflict actually FIGHTING is a last resort once attempts to get a deal have failed. He'll give away plenty to get what he wants and keep everybody in a deal making mood.

You are straight up delusional if you believe anything else.

Posted by: MikeTheMoose at February 26, 2016 06:44 PM (0q2P7)

456 Posted by: Sjg at February 26, 2016 06:43 PM (gDSJf)

yes, I can honestly say my first thought when I heard about "syrian" "refugees" was "ITS A TRAP!!!" a la Admiral Akbar.

But then again, I pay attention to world events, so ...

Posted by: Harry Paratestes at February 26, 2016 06:44 PM (AkOaV)

457 "If Cruz wins Texas (possible, but who knows) and Rubio loses FL (likely) - then Cruz should get the top. If not, then I don't know. Flip a coin I guess. "

That's where I am right now. Either Cruz and Rubio make a deal together, or we make it for them by going Anti Trump.

Posted by: Lauren at February 26, 2016 06:44 PM (3DIzJ)

458 Fordham is the go-to school for the bright working-class Irish Catholics in NYC.

Posted by: TexasJew at February 26, 2016 06:44 PM (fNQ3H)

459 creeper, that's where i'm at if they crush cruz. i'm riding Trump all the way to try to finish them off.

in defense of Trump . hires in the 'industry are through Unions, which support Illegal immigration.
Period.

Pay off ? OUR Govt so honorable leadership makes that possible and necessary to exist in the business world.

Posted by: willow at February 26, 2016 06:44 PM (L1+sh)

460 i'm not sure they do. Not only is the liberal media promoting him, but liberal writers like Jonathan Chait rushed in last night to claim Trump won the debate.

Posted by: ace at February 26, 2016 06:42 PM (dciA+)

___

I don't mean professional liberals. I mean man on the street liberals. Look at the comment section of any article about Trump and the leftists are unhinged.

I posed earlier in another thread about my imbecile BIL who wrote a screed on FB about how Trump voters are all neo-nazis and it's the end of America if he's elected, blah blah blah. He's fucking unhinged about Trump. He's a leftist through and through.

Posted by: Kasich at February 26, 2016 06:44 PM (0LHZx)

461 dealmaker making the sale not sea. (splchk crap)

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at February 26, 2016 06:44 PM (WTSFk)

462 454 I love aces opinion on this. Regardless of who you are supporting, do you think Trump beats Hillary in a general election?
Posted by: Lex at February 26, 2016 06:44 PM (MOVsh)

Yes, I think Trump has the best shot of beating Hillary in the general.

Bernie? No, I think Trump loses.

Posted by: Harry Paratestes at February 26, 2016 06:45 PM (AkOaV)

463 430 I keep thinking of something a Trump supporter said on another blog. "We don't just want to beat the GOP. We want to kill it. And Trump is our weapon."
Posted by: creeper at February 26, 2016 06:41 PM (736E+)
___________

It worked.

Hopefully, a third party will start so we can try to keep the small little flame of liberty alive during this cold dark era.

And try to rise from the ashes, maybe after our own communist dream dies, as Cubas is doing.

Posted by: petunia at February 26, 2016 06:45 PM (VoCyE)

464 Regardless of who you are supporting, do you think Trump beats Hillary in a general election?

I don't think it matters ... because we don't avoid collapse more than two terms.

I sincerely believe that.

Posted by: Irony at February 26, 2016 06:46 PM (qmMG2)

465 We're gonna get Rubio, aren't we?

Posted by: Duke Lowell at February 26, 2016 06:42 PM (kTF2Z)

No, don't be silly. We're going to get a brokered convention, in which case we'll get someone like Lamar Alexander or Thad Cochran.

Posted by: BurtTC at February 26, 2016 06:46 PM (TOk1P)

466 We're headed for 1992 redux. Not that Trump will become a third party candidate, but someone else will. And it doesn't take Perot - like numbers to upset the apple cart (Wallace, Anderson, e.g.)

Posted by: bergerbilder at February 26, 2016 06:46 PM (IeXP9)

467 184 rubio is predicting the Republican party will split apart if trump is the nominee? So that is what is called kamikaze campaigning.

Better the parties split up and we get a little (more) governmental chaos, than keep the existing parties and slouch to socialism or civil war.

Last time a party disappeared it was the Whigs. 600,000 Americans later, politics settled down again.

Posted by: rd at February 26, 2016 06:46 PM (v0YLX)

468 Yeah, no. Lawyers got this country in the mess we're in today. Or as Christ called them 'You damned lawyers.'.

Trump has threatened and initiated more lawsuits than most lawyers do in their lifetime.

He's a lawyer without benefit of degree.

Posted by: AmishDude at February 26, 2016 06:46 PM (Xd2w5)

469 >>>????
I thought you were a Cruzzer all along.

...

no... i mean, remember, this is a like an 18 month process. I started hoping for Perry, then Jindal, then I was sort of drifting... i sort of was Trump curious for long periods... I kept hoping for someone to step up, like Fiorina or Carson. I was hoping big time on Carson, he has such a naturally warm and attractive presence, if you added in policy chops, he'd be a monster.

When all those people were out, i was left with either cruz or trump, so I tought "Cruz number one, Trump number two, hopefully trump's unpalatability to the establishment will force them to support Cruz."

But i can't even support trump as a #2 back-up plan or threat to the establishment any longer. he's just so completely uninformed on policy, and when he's uninformed (which is always), the first thing he gropes for is the Standard Liberal Answer.

I mean, you can't help but noticing this once you see it.

What did trump say as soon as he got pushback for his opening announcement about the wall?

He started assuring everyone he'd let them all back in. There's a name for that -- touchback amnesty. That was proposed by the amnesty people in 2006-2007 and we REJECTED it as amnesty.

Posted by: ace at February 26, 2016 06:46 PM (dciA+)

470 I dated a girl from Fordham back in the day when I lived in NYC. Hot and smart. Wait, why the hell did I break up with her? Oh yeah, I remember now...she was insane.

Posted by: Kasich at February 26, 2016 06:46 PM (0LHZx)

471
"If Cruz wins Texas (possible, but who knows) and Rubio loses FL
(likely) - then Cruz should get the top. If not, then I don't know. Flip
a coin I guess. "

That's where I am right now. Either Cruz and Rubio make a deal together, or we make it for them by going Anti Trump.

Posted by: Lauren at February 26, 2016 06:44 PM (3DIzJ)

Cruz is between 7 and 10 points up in all but one poll.

Posted by: redbanzai at February 26, 2016 06:46 PM (NPofj)

472 i'm not sure they do. Not only is the liberal media promoting him, but liberal writers like Jonathan Chait rushed in last night to claim Trump won the debate.

Posted by: ace at February 26, 2016 06:42 PM (dciA+)

Have you read Krugman's latest? He's out of his mind raving against Trump.

Posted by: VidOmnia at February 26, 2016 06:46 PM (r630q)

473 he leftists are unhinged

---------

I think you answered your own question.

Posted by: SH at February 26, 2016 06:46 PM (gmeXX)

474 Mike, you Might be Right.
But i think even Trump might be a little burned having to Pay the fkn Piper every time He turns around.

try to get a liquor license?
try to get a resort built?
try to hire outside a protected Union?

Posted by: willow at February 26, 2016 06:46 PM (L1+sh)

475 I think ' dealmaker selling the sea' is a nice turn of phrase.

Posted by: Grump928(C) says Free Soothie! at February 26, 2016 06:47 PM (rwI+c)

476 Damn sock!!!

#470 and #460

Posted by: Monsieur Moo Moo at February 26, 2016 06:47 PM (0LHZx)

477 trump may be the one ingredient for the unthinkable: president hilary.

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at February 26, 2016 06:47 PM (WTSFk)

478 Sigh.

I"ll vote for Trump in the GE.

I already voted for Cruz here in Texas.

No use in joining in the drama queen shit..

Posted by: TexasJew at February 26, 2016 06:47 PM (fNQ3H)

479 Here are our options:

1). Filibuster Belize

2). Figure out how the Jews pulled off surviving the diaspora

3). Organize now to form a remnant that will be kept secret and hidden.

4). Read up on Asimov's Foundtaion Trilogy and find outselves our own "Terminus"

5). Establish a hidden tomb/museum in the hopes that some future civilization will remember us.

Posted by: The Choosing Hat at February 26, 2016 06:47 PM (vBeA5)

480 Hopefully, a third party will start so we can try to keep the small little flame of liberty alive during this cold dark era.

And try to rise from the ashes, maybe after our own communist dream dies, as Cubas is doing.
Posted by: petunia at February 26, 2016 06:45 PM (VoCyE)

Heh. Says the Romney & Bush backer.

Posted by: Harry Paratestes at February 26, 2016 06:47 PM (AkOaV)

481 But what will you all do when he IS the nominee?

Posted by: Fnord73 at February 26, 2016 06:47 PM (ZgRru)

482 462 454 I love aces opinion on this. Regardless of who you are supporting, do you think Trump beats Hillary in a general election?
Posted by: Lex at February 26, 2016 06:44 PM (MOVsh)

Yes, I think Trump has the best shot of beating Hillary in the general.

Bernie? No, I think Trump loses.
Posted by: Harry Paratestes at February 26, 2016 06:45 PM (AkOaV)

______________

No because I will support Hillary.

Trump is a bigger threat to liberty than Hillary.

Half the party will endorse Hillary rather than allow this party to become the party of Donald Trump.

Posted by: petunia at February 26, 2016 06:47 PM (VoCyE)

483 anyway, unless something Bombastic comes along

and It certainly may

i'm doing what i'm doing and am scared but OK with my conscience.

Posted by: willow at February 26, 2016 06:48 PM (L1+sh)

484 No, don't be silly. We're going to get a brokered convention, in which case we'll get someone like Lamar Alexander or Thad Cochran.
Posted by: BurtTC at February 26, 2016 06:46 PM (TOk1P)

____

I'm tanned rested and ready bitches!!

Posted by: Bob Dole at February 26, 2016 06:48 PM (0LHZx)

485 you missed my meaning again. I was talking about how you have spoken to people here. The voters. Not Trump. The voters
Posted by: ThunderB at February 26, 2016 06:43 PM (zOTsN)

Why is this about me? It's the comments section on a damned website. And if you weren't conned by Trump, you would have found anything I said entirely unobjectionable.

You're not upset with me. You're upset with you.

Posted by: AmishDude at February 26, 2016 06:48 PM (Xd2w5)

486 How could Trump possibly beat Hillary?

They agree on almost every issue!

In the few places where they don't agree - immigration, notably - it will be trivially easy to paint Trump as one short step away from Hitler.

So to the LIV-types, Trump is basically the same as Hillary, except Hillary isn't Hitler, and has a vagina.

Posted by: chemjeff - PuppyMonkeyBaby '16 at February 26, 2016 06:48 PM (p0Ap4)

487
I love aces opinion on this. Regardless of who you are supporting, do you think Trump beats Hillary in a general election?

Posted by: Lex at February 26, 2016 06:44 PM (MOVsh)

Yes, without question. Because unlike any other option Gope would put up there, Trump is going to attack her.

Posted by: BurtTC at February 26, 2016 06:48 PM (TOk1P)

488 petunia and Hillary will get everything she wants because they already have supported her ACTIONS and conduct, for decades.

Posted by: willow at February 26, 2016 06:48 PM (L1+sh)

489 Also: "You couldn't do that to Reagan, because Reagan always had a series of
facts to back him up, and because he'd been thinking about things"

Not so much in the last two-three Alzheimer years. Remember the end of the reagan era, Irangate etc?

Posted by: Fnord73 at February 26, 2016 06:48 PM (ZgRru)

490 Unfortunately, our vote counts for shit. Trump will probably be our nominee and Hillary may very well be our president.

Oh yeah, there's no where left on earth to move. Enjoy the future - I'm hoping for cancer or a nasty car accident myself.

Posted by: Global Warming made Bernie a commie at February 26, 2016 06:49 PM (ZufZo)

491 I wasnt talking about the pedigree of the parents or the candidates professed love of the working class

I was talking about theconservative commentariat taking a dump on Trump voters because they wont come to heel to Rubio

make a better argument.. be a better candidate

Posted by: ThunderB at February 26, 2016 06:49 PM (zOTsN)

492 481 But what will you all do when he IS the nominee?
Posted by: Fnord73 at February 26, 2016 06:47 PM (ZgRru)

_______

Stop watching what is happening until 2020, and hope the electorate will have had enough of Hillary.

My state will go Hillary anyway.

I will not be part of a party headed by Donald Trump.

Posted by: petunia at February 26, 2016 06:49 PM (VoCyE)

493 454 I love aces opinion on this. Regardless of who you are supporting, do you think Trump beats Hillary in a general election?

Trump would lose to Hillary's corpse in a general election.

Posted by: AmishDude at February 26, 2016 06:49 PM (Xd2w5)

494 370 Remember RINO McCain saying Mexicans are doing jobs Americans cannot do, like picking lettuce for only $100,000 a year?

Well, McCain is not a RINO, he is a Republican, and the GOPe is the GOP.

We have three career Republicans running and two outsiders.

The careerists WILL go Blue Falcon on us all the while telling us we are nativist scum. I will take my chances on the two outsiders because they only MIGHT go Blue Falcon on us... I like those odds.

Posted by: Burnt Toast at February 26, 2016 06:31 PM (T78UI)

You may be right.

Cabinet assignments matter. But the global corporate oligarchs behind the scenes pull strings and nooses tight.

We're all still under the illusion that the POTUS ever knows what all's going on. The POTUS knows what the POTUS is told. That's that.

JFK was our last great leader, and look what was done to him for cleaning ship and setting course to benefit posterity.

So here we are. Our government and society is so completely shitfaced corrupt and uniformly compliant with corruption. We're not forcing Hillary's guilt and treason as the daily campaign dialogue, crossing the aisle.

Posted by: maverick muse at February 26, 2016 06:49 PM (hCdMd)

495 Trump is a bigger threat to liberty than Hillary.

Oh that's not true. I'm pretty much on the "loathe Trump" train and even I can see that Hillary is a much much greater threat to liberty.

Posted by: chemjeff - PuppyMonkeyBaby '16 at February 26, 2016 06:49 PM (p0Ap4)

496 If Trump is a secret liberal, why does everyone on the left despise him?
Posted by: Monsieur Moo Moo at February 26, 2016 06:37 PM (0LHZx)

Because he doesn't virtue-signal correctly.

Posted by: Kindltot at February 26, 2016 06:49 PM (q2o38)

497 430 I keep thinking of something a Trump supporter said on another blog. "We don't just want to beat the GOP. We want to kill it. And Trump is our weapon."
Posted by: creeper at February 26, 2016 06:41 PM (736E+)

*******

Creating a vacuum for Hillary and a Democrat Senate majority which sppoints liberal socialist judges not only to the Supreme Court but to all the federal judge seats on down. Bill appointed --Hundreds-- for life.

And Hillary was always more liberal than Bill and has now been publicly pushed more to the left by Bernie. While everyone was distracted by the Trump reality show Hillary was out bidding Bernie in the free stuff voter market. Bernie said everyone should get two years of free college, Hillary said maybe it should be four....

Just when you thought college couldn't be a bigger scam...

Posted by: Chris Christie Beachin' at February 26, 2016 06:49 PM (mcm0N)

498 >>.I love aces opinion on this. Regardless of who you are supporting, do you think Trump beats Hillary in a general election?

i don't know, because we don't know how damaged hillary will be by the FBI. I suspect, not too damaged. they will propse charges, the DOJ will refuse, and it will be forgotten in a few months.

I still see some possibility that trump will hurt the democrats by stealing the last of their white working class voters.

however, at the same time, trump continues to so alienate the college-educated part of the GOP, which is a big part of it, who finds his persona vulgar and his lack of any reasonable amount of preparation to be embarrassing and alarming.

He continues to lose to Hilary in polls -- you can't have it both ways, citing Trump's dominance in the polls in the GOP primaries as meaningful, and then completely blowing off the fact that he's the weakest of Rubio, Cruz, Kasich (!!! -- yes, Kasich beats hillary), and Trump vs. Hillary.

Posted by: ace at February 26, 2016 06:49 PM (dciA+)

499 One debate and like a menstruating female ace flips anti-Trump because he lacks the high-brow sophistry that is the hallmark of true conservative thought, or something. What we really need is a poet philosopher, as demonstrated by this holy-fuck-TLDR screed.

http://bit.ly/1OBGCyU

Posted by: Rastus at February 26, 2016 06:50 PM (VjlMj)

500 He combines liberal policy impulses with frankly authoritarian or even fascist ones, which he thinks are "what conservatives want," because, frankly, he conceives of us as ugly-minded, stupid dummies who get off on this shit.

---------------

And that's my problem with Trump and has been the whole time. The entire thing is an act. He's telling you what he thinks you want to hear, and the thing is, what he thinks you want to hear is, many times, pretty damn awful.

His comments today on libel, combined with the stuff he's said about going after Bezos, and the Cubs owner, that does it for me. It's no different than Harry Reid going after the Koch brothers in the middle of the Senate Floor. He openly pushes the idea that once he's President, he's going to use that position to go after private citizens who might say a bad thing about him.

That's it. I was gonna suck it up and vote for the guy in the general, but I'm out.

Posted by: Rich at February 26, 2016 06:50 PM (MIdlN)

501 Yes, I think Trump has the best shot of beating Hillary in the general.

Bernie? No, I think Trump loses.

Posted by: Harry Paratestes at February 26, 2016 06:45 PM (AkOaV)

Harry, polls say Trump loses against both.

Posted by: redbanzai at February 26, 2016 06:50 PM (NPofj)

502 Cruz can't beat Hillary.

Rubio can beat Hillary but will govern to left of Hillary.

This is a Catch 22222 (yes it's that much bigger than 22)

Posted by: Monsieur Moo Moo at February 26, 2016 06:50 PM (0LHZx)

503 No because I will support Hillary.

Trump is a bigger threat to liberty than Hillary.

Half the party will endorse Hillary rather than allow this party to become the party of Donald Trump.
Posted by: petunia

There it is folks! GOPe shills: If I can't have Bush and/or Dondi I'm supporting Hillary. Can't say I'm surprised.

Posted by: Prince Ludwig the #Problematic at February 26, 2016 06:50 PM (zmW4B)

504 "Cruz is between 7 and 10 points up in all but one poll."

I'm trying to convince all of my Rubio friends to vote for Cruz in Texas.

Posted by: Lauren at February 26, 2016 06:50 PM (Dwl2T)

505 I do not think any conservative candidate is going to win the general without the Trump voters. It is stupid to dump on them. In addition, the way it is being done reeeks of classism. The middles making sure the lowers stay in line

Posted by: ThunderB at February 26, 2016 06:50 PM (zOTsN)

506 Trump would piss away our liberty with dumbshit moves and general dumbfuckery.

Hillary would coldly and intentionally rob us of liberty.

Posted by: chemjeff - PuppyMonkeyBaby '16 at February 26, 2016 06:50 PM (p0Ap4)

507 Harry, polls say Trump loses against both.
Posted by: redbanzai at February 26, 2016 06:50 PM (NPofj)

_____

1. Not all polls. A few have shown trump beating Hills.

2. Polls at this time in 2008 showed McCain beating Obama and in 2012 showed Romney beating Obama too. Oh and the obligatory "in February 1980 Carter was beating Reagan by 20"

Posted by: Monsieur Moo Moo at February 26, 2016 06:51 PM (0LHZx)

508 It's all good though, stirring the pot going into Tuesday is a good idea. All for it. Kick the bleachers, make some noise. Hopefully after Tuesday we can quit the bickering and coalesce around steamrolling the liberals though. Hopefully. Just maybe.

Posted by: Rastus at February 26, 2016 06:51 PM (VjlMj)

509 Ace, the ad that keeps popping up is a little puppy to adopt as he will mend a broken heart.

The world is not ending. Step away from reading all this crap about politics. Have a beer. Adopt that puppy.

The world sort of ended in 2007 when a Facial Mole, with fake columns, became dicktater. The fight, the real fight, is against ole Hilz, Haggard Harridan who harfs up hairballs. I'd vote for a drunk hobo vs her or any Demoncrap on any ticket.

We have all watched too many damn debates. Spring is coming. The election that mattered is always this one...in reality, the one that mattered was in 2008 and the stupid GOP chose McCain. So cheer up. Have a drink or two for me, as I am too afraid to drink while taking poisonous antibiotics. xoxo y'all.

Posted by: ChristyBlinky, aging supermodel Redneck Queen at February 26, 2016 06:52 PM (wAMRL)

510 No because I will support Hillary.

Trump is a bigger threat to liberty than Hillary.

Oh, wow; the woman who sold American interests out to the highest bidder through the Clinton Foundation, who lied about a video being responsible for Benghazi after leaving men to die there and you think Trump is a bigger threat to America than Hillary?!

I sincerely hope that's you're a sock because it's scary to think a" real" person actually believes this.

Posted by: FenelonSpoke at February 26, 2016 06:52 PM (w4NZ8)

511 >>.
Not so much in the last two-three Alzheimer years. Remember the end of the reagan era, Irangate etc?

well age catches up with people... and rubio's right, now that it's pointed out: Trump would be older than Reagan was when he was elected, if he were elected.

Posted by: ace at February 26, 2016 06:52 PM (dciA+)

512
Rubio can beat Hillary but will govern to left of Hillary.

oh give me a break. Rubio is a damned good conservative on almost every issue. YES he has an amnesty problem. but that alone doesn't mean he is not a conservative, or that he would "govern to the left of Hillary"

Posted by: chemjeff - PuppyMonkeyBaby '16 at February 26, 2016 06:52 PM (p0Ap4)

513 Posted by: Rastus at February 26, 2016 06:50 PM (VjlMj)

there are other places

find them

Posted by: ThunderB at February 26, 2016 06:52 PM (zOTsN)

514 No Ace. At the time the picture of a dead child face down on a beach was ubiquitous in all media. Trump said we could let a few refugees in until he saw what the migration was. All men and young men.

Then he said no way. That's what humans do, they adapt to new information.

Expect this blog to go full anti-Trump within a week. And to drop Cruz like a hot potato. Going full Rubio.

Too fucking late. You lose. We will destroy Rubio with every fiber of our being. Watch.

Posted by: prescient12 at February 26, 2016 06:52 PM (7QkL1)

515 Yeah that was a really cute comeback..lol! Just slapping my knee here at your funniness. Simply stating a fact dude.

Posted by: Jewells45 at February 26, 2016 06:52 PM (CNHr1)

516 There it is folks! GOPe shills: If I can't have Bush and/or Dondi I'm supporting Hillary. Can't say I'm surprised.

-------------

I don't consider myself a GOPe shill, but I will not support Trump. Of course, I will not support Hillary either. Might sit a Presidential election for the first time.

Posted by: SH at February 26, 2016 06:52 PM (gmeXX)

517 @RedBanzai

Check latest general election match ups in both Q and PPP polls....yeah, not so much.

Posted by: CastleP at February 26, 2016 06:52 PM (7+oeE)

518 I thought Cruz would have learned from Trump by now that you need to make your ideas connect directly with what people believe they need.

Reagan did that; Cruz ain't doing it. He doesn't seem to be able to connect with enough voters, and that's making me mondo-crazy.

Posted by: new guy Hot Air Renaissance troll at February 26, 2016 06:52 PM (/542q)

519 I believe that if Trump had run for the Democrat nomination instead, the result would be identical to date. He'd have won the same states for the same reasons with the same pitch.

I think he ran R because it has the advantage of not running against Clinton, who benefits from name recognition, a campaign that has been ongoing since 1990, and has as access to more cash than he does.

Sure, he'll run against her in the general because he'll get all the R votes for free and only has to buy the other 50%.

Posted by: Damiano at February 26, 2016 06:53 PM (XItbt)

520 >>>I do not think any conservative candidate is going to win the general without the Trump voters. It is stupid to dump on them. In addition, the way it is being done reeeks of classism. The middles making sure the lowers stay in line

i agree. yet, even in agreeing, i can't say i can support trump for president. I think he'll lose, and even if he wins, he'll be a bad president.

Posted by: ace at February 26, 2016 06:53 PM (dciA+)

521 Ace

I believe the Dems will indict Hillary to clear the way for a ticket that they feel will be undefeatable.

They see Trump as a severely damaged candidate.

Wait till their oppo research hits him in August...

Posted by: TexasJew at February 26, 2016 06:53 PM (fNQ3H)

522 Trump will probably be our nominee and Hillary may very well be our president.

After crushing the GOP opposition with aplomb and bluster, Trump will wilt in the face of Hillary's fully operational walker.

Posted by: ReactionaryMonster browsing Bravely at February 26, 2016 06:53 PM (uURQL)

523 Rubio can beat Hillary but will govern to left of Hillary.

and this is some of the anti-reason crap that is pissing me off among the right nowadays. they are pissed off at Rubio over amnesty, and suddenly, that means he is no different than a goddamn socialist?????

Posted by: chemjeff - PuppyMonkeyBaby '16 at February 26, 2016 06:53 PM (p0Ap4)

524 Whatever Ace. You should have made this post two months ago. Now he's going to be the nominee. Thanks for nothing.

Posted by: DeusExmachina at February 26, 2016 06:53 PM (jDcTk)

525 National polls are fairly meaningless when it is still primary season I would think. Liberals who say they will never ever vote for Hillary will vote for her in the end and presumably the same would occur with the republican base too. Before I get yelled at, I said 'most' not 'all'.

Posted by: IC at February 26, 2016 06:53 PM (OiiIG)

526 Yes, without question. Because unlike any other option Gope would put up there, Trump is going to attack her.
Posted by: BurtTC at February 26, 2016 06:48 PM (TOk1P)

This

I think in a Hillary/Trump debate, there's a non-zero chance that Hillary strokes out and croaks on live TV.

Posted by: VidOmnia at February 26, 2016 06:54 PM (r630q)

527 If Trump is a secret liberal, why does everyone on the left despise him?
Posted by: Monsieur Moo Moo at February 26, 2016 06:37 PM (0LHZx)

Because he doesn't virtue-signal correctly.

Posted by: Kindltot at February 26, 2016 06:49 PM (q2o3

This.
Trump is a abortion supporting, amnesty lying, big government loving plutocrat. He is nobody's definition of conservative. The trouble is both the Dems and his supporters are paying attention to his signalling and ignoring his actual words and actions.

Posted by: redbanzai at February 26, 2016 06:54 PM (NPofj)

528 >>>
Reagan did that; Cruz ain't doing it. He doesn't seem to be able to connect with enough voters, and that's making me mondo-crazy

he's had two or three weeks of Trump, Rubio and Carson all calling him a liar.

his moment to break through, after Iowa, was halted as three of his opponents decided to take him out of the race by calling him a liar every day.

that doesn't mean he's damaged forever.

Posted by: ace at February 26, 2016 06:54 PM (dciA+)

529 It isn't about who I like ideologically anymore. If trends continue, then two things:
I don't want a brokered convention, and
I want Trump if he is the nominee to win.
Because if either of those happen (brokered convention or Trump nominee and loses) you can bet your sweet ass the answer will be more super delegates (I.e. Establishment suckholes) and failure theater continues unabated. We're through the looking glass after Tuesday, and it is either establishment or not.

Posted by: Banana Splits Guy at February 26, 2016 06:54 PM (zRnNY)

530 >>>>i don't know, because we don't know how damaged hillary will be by the
FBI. I suspect, not too damaged. they will propse charges, the DOJ will
refuse, and it will be forgotten in a few months.

Do you really think that Trump, who controls the media, will allow the emails, Bill's dick, Benghazi, the Clinton Foundation, and plenty of other things, to be forgotten? Have you not been paying attention/

Posted by: Hayao at February 26, 2016 06:54 PM (w/bVh)

531 he's just so completely uninformed on policy, and when he's uninformed (which is always), the first thing he gropes for is the Standard Liberal Answer.

I mean, you can't help but noticing this once you see it.

Tell me about it. And you try to should from the rooftops but nobody will listen because they want to get revenge on the party.

Underpants gnomes.

What did trump say as soon as he got pushback for his opening announcement about the wall?

He started assuring everyone he'd let them all back in. There's a name for that -- touchback amnesty. That was proposed by the amnesty people in 2006-2007 and we REJECTED it as amnesty.

Yep. "Oh, look, he said he wants a wall! That's what I want! At least he's bringing up the issue!"

Fine. But it stopped being funny in December.

At least, I couldn't help noticing it once I saw it.

Posted by: AmishDude at February 26, 2016 06:54 PM (Xd2w5)

532 Trump and Hildabeast both have huuuge negatives, many of each party will stay home instead of voting. Leftists will vote more for Hildabeast I think as they vote lock step, sure Bernie is the new Socialist prophet but H. will still move the ball left.

Posted by: Skip at February 26, 2016 06:54 PM (fizMZ)

533 >>Getting Christie on his side today was a big deal and will surely pay dividends in TV spots and interviews and appearances. The pressure on Dondi and his team just got turned up to eleven. Maybe they'll overcome it and good on them if they meet the challenge... we will see. I did not expect Christie to endorse Trump.

This is true and going forward, Christie will be an equator size thorn because Bridgegate (though there was no evidence of the gov's involvement, speaks to the culture around him) proved the depth of vindictiveness capable when someone thwarts him.

That said, aside from the absurdity of networks giving the presser live coverage for the full 90min or whatever, I don't think it's been translating to as big a political score as team Trump would have hoped because every network that mentioned the endorsement immediately juxtaposed that news with a bunch of clips showing Christie trashing Trump. Hard to polish that turd and call it a diamond.

Posted by: KillianThyme at February 26, 2016 06:55 PM (n2r4H)

534 YES he has an amnesty problem. but that alone
doesn't mean he is not a conservative...

Posted by: chemjeff - PuppyMonkeyBaby '16 at February 26, 2016 06:52 PM (p0Ap4)

Sure it does. Regardless of whether you see it or not, your Gope is the greatest threat to American liberty there is. They want to bring in as many illegal mexicans as they can get their hands on, and when they do you will not have a United States of America anymore.

Hillory is incapable of doing that type of damage. Only Rufio can.

He's evil incarnate, and if you can't see it, you aren't looking hard enough.

Posted by: BurtTC at February 26, 2016 06:55 PM (TOk1P)

535 >>>Whatever Ace. You should have made this post two months ago. Now he's going to be the nominee. Thanks for nothing.

i guess it was on me to tell Rubio to stop being a coward and attack trump instead of cruz

oh wait i've been saying that forever

Posted by: ace at February 26, 2016 06:55 PM (dciA+)

536 Hear, hear, Ace. Well presented argument. Unfortunately the clock is ticking down.

I've been watching the raw feeds today of many of the republican candidates including Cruz, Rubio, and Trump.

Cruz is *the* guy. He stood in Tennessee today and gave a ten minute extemporaneous speech that wowed me. No one else has nearly the breadth of knowledge he possesses.

By the same token, he has been on both sides of the H1B issue. He's let himself be manipulated by Glenn Beck into some caricature. He has appeared to many to have pandered to people of faith in an unseemly fashion.

So it's not easy. In the end we'll probably end up with a brokered convention and the establishment will pick the candidate. Who will be beyond worthless.

Posted by: mega machines at February 26, 2016 06:55 PM (fbovC)

537 "his moment to break through, after Iowa, was halted as three of his opponents decided to take him out of the race by calling him a liar every day"

Yeah that really sucked. Especially since he was absolutely right about all of those issues.

Posted by: Lauren at February 26, 2016 06:56 PM (Dwl2T)

538 I get it that Rubio deserves heaps of scorn and derision and hate and loathing for his amnesty sellout, and for his general fakery and phoniness. But can we please dispense with the fiction that being wrong on one issue does not suddenly turn him into a hard-left loon?

Posted by: chemjeff - PuppyMonkeyBaby '16 at February 26, 2016 06:56 PM (p0Ap4)

539 Whatever Ace. You should have made this post two months ago. Now he's going to be the nominee. Thanks for nothing.

Posted by: DeusExmachina at February 26, 2016 06:53 PM (jDcTk)

Yeah Ace! You are the king of the world and have powers to control other people's minds... WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO US?!?!?!?!?

Posted by: redbanzai at February 26, 2016 06:56 PM (NPofj)

540 Nice job, Ace.
I suspect Trump, if he wins the nomination, is going to be the most regrettable mistake Republicans have ever made. He's a shyster salesman selling whatever snake oil pissed-off people want to hear. That's all he is, and all he has ever been or will be.
Of course, I could be wrong.

Posted by: mikeyslaw at February 26, 2016 06:56 PM (Wkdli)

541 Feb/March 2008 Polls:

USA Today: McCain +1 over Obama
LA Times: McCain +2 over Obama
Rasmussen: McCain +2 over Obama
Reuters: McCain +3 over Obama
CBS: McCain +1 over Obama

See he's the most electable guy. We have to nominate him RIGHT?

Posted by: Monsieur Moo Moo at February 26, 2016 06:56 PM (0LHZx)

542 oh give me a break. Rubio is a damned good conservative on almost every issue. YES he has an amnesty problem. but that alone doesn't mean he is not a conservative, or that he would "govern to the left of Hillary"
Posted by: chemjeff - PuppyMonkeyBaby '16 at February 26, 2016 06:52 PM (p0Ap4)

****

Really? Does DACA ring any bells?

Posted by: Tim in GA at February 26, 2016 06:56 PM (GRYWk)

543 ..."it took me a long time to get on the Cruz Ship but now I wonder why it took me so long."
-Posted by: ace at February 26, 2016 06:32 PM (dciA+)

You were trying to act more like Reagan than Trump?

*shrugs*

Your polished apple is on your desk, Sir.

Posted by: Slapweasel, (Cold1), (T), at February 26, 2016 06:57 PM (OQ9R7)

544 488 petunia and Hillary will get everything she wants because they already have supported her ACTIONS and conduct, for decades.
Posted by: willow at February 26, 2016 06:48 PM (L1+sh)

________

Yep

Can't be helped.

I've tried to find a reason to vote for Trump, I read his book.

Nope can't do it.

It's over Hillary wins.

History ended when "conservatives" rejected Mitt Romney. I knew it was over... I should have realized this election was not going to change anything.

Hillary wins, everything important is over.

Trump is pulling a con, and I can't stop him, because his supporters can't even be bothered to look at the con man's history.

He has spent decades figureing out how to move crowds how to make them buy things they don't need, get loans for things they don't need and can't afford.

He is a master at maniuplateing crowds, that is how he works.

I can't do anything about the nomination, but I can stop him from doing it as President of the Unitied States.

I have too much respect for the country my ancestors died for to put a con man in the White House.

Better Hillary than Trump.
Better Bernie than Trump.

They will work through this broken system, they will get the court, they will get most everything for a while, but the pendelum will swing someday.

But Trump? It will not be the American system anymore. It will be reality TV.

Trump will work by mob. His people don't read, they don't check, they don't even hear his words. He will rule by mob of emotional rubes who just want to be like Donald.

I will do what I can to prevent that.

Posted by: petunia at February 26, 2016 06:57 PM (VoCyE)

545 I sincerely hope that's you're a sock because it's scary to think a" real" person actually believes this.

Just a few days ago, petunia said it was going from Rubio to Trump.

That it's saying this instead, and repeating basically the same comments over and over in different threads is trolling for attention, hoping someone takes the bait.

Posted by: ReactionaryMonster browsing Bravely at February 26, 2016 06:57 PM (uURQL)

546 Why is this about me? It's the comments section on a damned website. And if you weren't conned by Trump, you would have found anything I said entirely unobjectionable.

You're not upset with me. You're upset with you.
Posted by: AmishDude at February 26, 2016 06:48 PM (Xd2w5)

I'm not upset with me or my vote. I have always been for Cruz and I voted for him yesterday, happily.

But no candidate will win with out the Trump voters, yet you refuse to acknowledge that

You believe the Trump voters are representative of Trump, and you have called them neo nazi symp just this week.

Well then Rubio voters are represenative of Rubio. Deceitful, for sale, and unconcerned with the common man. See, I am applying your logic to you.

Posted by: ThunderB at February 26, 2016 06:58 PM (zOTsN)

547 I thought AmishDude was leaving because this is a Klan blog.

Posted by: VidOmnia at February 26, 2016 06:58 PM (r630q)

548 Hillary will definitely pick Castro to drag her corpse over the line.

Posted by: Tilikum Killer Assault Whale inc. at February 26, 2016 06:58 PM (+aCe4)

549 Hills walker will have tennis balls on the ends.

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at February 26, 2016 06:59 PM (iQIUe)

550 I get it that Rubio deserves heaps of scorn and derision and hate and loathing for his amnesty sellout, and for his general fakery and phoniness. But can we please dispense with the fiction that being wrong on one issue does not suddenly turn him into a hard-left loon?

---------------

Good luck with the other members of the Horde on that one. I could vote for Rubio. I don't fear amnesty from him. He's not running on amnesty. The country has made it clear, it doesn't want it. I don't see him pushing for it ... not in first term anyway.

But it is a risk from him, and he has let people down before. But I just don't fear it.

Anyway, he's not my first choice.

Posted by: SH at February 26, 2016 06:59 PM (gmeXX)

551 "Expect Trump to line up endorsements from people like Newt"

They are, after all, both in the Third Wives Club.

Strong family values!

Posted by: torquewrench at February 26, 2016 06:59 PM (noWW6)

552 There it is folks! GOPe shills: If I can't have Bush and/or Dondi I'm supporting Hillary. Can't say I'm surprised.
Posted by: Prince Ludwig the #Problematic at February 26, 2016 06:50 PM (zmW4B)

Absolute bullshit.

And look, the Trumptrolls still can't quit Jeb.

We are all saying that we'll support Cruz OR Rubio if they're nominated (Kasich and Carson are not worth talking about). We'd support any number of real Republicans if the convention is brokered, except maybe Christie.

But if your big endorsement is the guy whose hug may have gotten Obama re-elected, well then I know what you are.

Posted by: AmishDude at February 26, 2016 06:59 PM (Xd2w5)

553 I get it that Rubio deserves heaps of scorn and
derision and hate and loathing for his amnesty sellout, and for his
general fakery and phoniness. But ...

Posted by: chemjeff - PuppyMonkeyBaby '16 at February 26, 2016 06:56 PM (p0Ap4)

Nope. There is no but. Nothing that could come after the but outweighs the first part.

Amnesty = treason.

End of discussion.

Posted by: BurtTC at February 26, 2016 06:59 PM (TOk1P)

554 ..."I will do what I can to prevent that."
-Posted by: petunia at February 26, 2016 06:57 PM (VoCyE)

You're not accomplishing much here, except feeding your own ego with your Value Signalling.

...and you're wearing thin.

Posted by: Slapweasel, (Cold1), (T), at February 26, 2016 06:59 PM (OQ9R7)

555 Hillary will definitely pick Castro to drag her corpse over the line.

Posted by: Tilikum Killer Assault Whale inc. at February 26, 2016 06:58 PM (+aCe4)

Fidel or Ramon?

Posted by: redbanzai at February 26, 2016 06:59 PM (NPofj)

556 "No use in joining in the drama queen shit.."

Nope none what so ever. All that is needed is for Monty to bring back his own brand of DOOM!!!!

Posted by: Tim in Illinois. Blah, blah,blah at February 26, 2016 06:59 PM (WVsWD)

557 I thought AmishDude was leaving because this is a Klan blog.
Posted by: VidOmnia

And he's moving to Canada if Trump gets elected.

Posted by: Prince Ludwig the #Problematic at February 26, 2016 06:59 PM (zmW4B)

558 541 Feb/March 2008 Polls:

USA Today: McCain +1 over Obama
LA Times: McCain +2 over Obama
Rasmussen: McCain +2 over Obama
Reuters: McCain +3 over Obama
CBS: McCain +1 over Obama

See he's the most electable guy. We have to nominate him RIGHT?

Posted by: Monsieur Moo Moo at February 26, 2016 06:56 PM (0LHZx)

_____

You don't even understand the arguement.

I will actively work to keep Trump from winning.

Those polls assume people will vote Republican. We won't. Not for Trump.

Posted by: petunia at February 26, 2016 07:00 PM (VoCyE)

559 >>>But i think even Trump might be a little burned having to Pay the fkn Piper every time He turns around.

Business pay costs. That's called business. Yes he would like his costs to be lower. That is part of his platform. But everything not in his platform is subject to giveaway. He will make deals and stuff he doesn't care about that we do will be given away because he simply doesn't broadly share a conservative ideology.

Right now the GOPe is in charge of the legislature, if that holds that's who the deals are going to be cut with.

Posted by: MikeTheMoose at February 26, 2016 07:00 PM (0q2P7)

560 btw, haven;t seen craig ferguson's join or die show (from a previous thread), but i love celebrity name game.

you know, mr. ace, worse comes to worse, you might consider a lobotomy. it's not so bad!

join us...

join us...

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at February 26, 2016 07:00 PM (WTSFk)

561 Ace: "We just need someone capable of coherent persuasion to adopt them."

Does not compute. Beep. Bop. Boop.

*oils pants*

Posted by: Robotio at February 26, 2016 07:00 PM (3dOE/)

562 Chris Christie endorses Trump!?!?!

Posted by: logprof at February 26, 2016 07:00 PM (RAckx)

563 No because I will support Hillary.

Trump is a bigger threat to liberty than Hillary.

Half the party will endorse Hillary rather than allow this party to become the party of Donald Trump.
Posted by: petunia at February 26, 2016 06:47 PM (VoCyE)

Oh, so I'm sure you were cool with people who said they'd sit home rather than vote for Romney in '12?

Posted by: Harry Paratestes at February 26, 2016 07:01 PM (AkOaV)

564 >> however, at the same time, trump continues to so alienate the college-educated part of the GOP, which is a big part of it, who finds his persona vulgar and his lack of any reasonable amount of preparation to be embarrassing and alarming.

Establishment prison rhetoric. We need a "special" guy. A "prepared" guy. Whatever the hell that means. People are tired of the conservative nerds that over-promise with their gamed out Dungeons and Dragons policy fantasies. Seedy academicians and philosophers belong locked in their ivory towers. What's the saying, those who can't do, teach? And then I'll add, and those who can't teach run for political office. #NoMoreLawyers

Posted by: Rastus at February 26, 2016 07:01 PM (VjlMj)

565 Anybody got any Roundup for the weed??

Posted by: Bruce With a Wang! at February 26, 2016 07:01 PM (iQIUe)

566 Half the party will endorse Hillary rather than allow this party to become the party of Donald Trump.

Posted by: petunia at February 26, 2016 06:47 PM (VoCyE)

Oh FFS! Get ye hence!!

Posted by: Count de Monet at February 26, 2016 07:01 PM (JO9+V)

567 But I actually *do* want to ban Muslims. I don't see anything hateful about that. Just good sense.

Posted by: Mr. Estrada at February 26, 2016 07:01 PM (RPsRI)

568 Good luck with the other members of the Horde on that one. I could vote for Rubio. I don't fear amnesty from him. He's not running on amnesty. The country has made it clear, it doesn't want it. I don't see him pushing for it ... not in first term anyway.

But it is a risk from him, and he has let people down before. But I just don't fear it.

Anyway, he's not my first choice.
Posted by: SH at February 26, 2016 06:59 PM (gmeXX)

_____

Rubio showed that he is an amateur and got easily rolled by Shumer and Co. He will get rolled by the Dems on every issue. He's not a loon, but he's a moron who will give the loons everything they ask for and walk away thinking he won.

Posted by: Monsieur Moo Moo at February 26, 2016 07:01 PM (0LHZx)

569 Oh, wow; the woman who sold American interests out to the highest bidder through the Clinton Foundation, who lied about a video being responsible for Benghazi after leaving men to die there and you think Trump is a bigger threat to America than Hillary?!

Yes. She is manipulative and thoroughly corrupt. And Donald Trump is worse.

Not that it matters. Not only will he not win the GE, he will probably drop out in September because he's bored with it all.

Posted by: AmishDude at February 26, 2016 07:01 PM (Xd2w5)

570 Rubio can beat Hillary but will govern to left of Hillary.

and this is some of the anti-reason crap that is pissing me off among the right nowadays. they are pissed off at Rubio over amnesty, and suddenly, that means he is no different than a goddamn socialist?????

Posted by: chemjeff

yeah thats not true

Posted by: ThunderB at February 26, 2016 07:02 PM (zOTsN)

571 Chris Christie endorses Trump!?!?!
Posted by: logprof at February 26, 2016 07:00 PM (RAckx)

****

Ace oughta do a post about that!

Posted by: Tim in GA at February 26, 2016 07:02 PM (GRYWk)

572 Chris Christie endorses Trump!?!?!

Posted by: logprof at February 26, 2016 07:00 PM (RAckx)

Did you just wake up, Rip Van Winkle?

Posted by: redbanzai at February 26, 2016 07:02 PM (NPofj)

573 go away flower....

Posted by: Skeezix at February 26, 2016 07:02 PM (WnCSK)

574 Hell the Bloomberg thing could happen...

Posted by: Chris Christie Beachin' at February 26, 2016 07:02 PM (mcm0N)

575 520 >>> i agree. yet, even in agreeing, i can't say i can support trump for president. I think he'll lose, and even if he wins, he'll be a bad president.

Then either Rubio or Cruz has to pull off what you said ... embrace Trumpism without Trump. Or as I've been saying for a while ... go National Populist.

I just don't see it out of either of 'em. And even if they did ... the next Mussolini wouldn't give two shits about a Constitutional Republic.

Posted by: Irony at February 26, 2016 07:02 PM (qmMG2)

576 "he will probably drop out in September because he's bored with it all."

Ok that's just silly. Trump isn't dropping out.

Posted by: Lauren at February 26, 2016 07:03 PM (Dwl2T)

577
Fidel or Ramon?----redbanzai
She may needboth of them. She has gained some weight.
My Cuban genes prevent me from voting for anyone named Castro.

Posted by: Tilikum Killer Assault Whale inc. at February 26, 2016 07:03 PM (u0kqM)

578 no Rubio isn't a conservative and his flirting hard with schumer to undermine millions of american families life support (income), isn't very american either

Posted by: willow at February 26, 2016 07:03 PM (L1+sh)

579 Obama, Boehner, and McConnell did this to us. America: fundamentally transformed.

Posted by: Global Warming made Bernie a commie at February 26, 2016 07:03 PM (ZufZo)

580 The left got their ideologue into the White House thanks to Bush.

We've got a chance to get a conservative ideologue, a "zealot" according to Trump, into the White House thanks to Obama.

But we're opting for a progressive populist.

That'll show the establishment.

Posted by: Baron Von Ottomatic at February 26, 2016 07:03 PM (kf2iZ)

581 Rubio showed that he is an amateur and got easily rolled by Shumer and Co. He will get rolled by the Dems on every issue.

----------

No doubt that is a very valid and deep concern. But I don't think it means he will get rolled on every issue.

Posted by: SH at February 26, 2016 07:03 PM (gmeXX)

582 Rubio showed that he is an amateur and got easily
rolled by Shumer and Co. He will get rolled by the Dems on every issue.
He's not a loon, but he's a moron who will give the loons everything
they ask for and walk away thinking he won.

Posted by: Monsieur Moo Moo at February 26, 2016 07:01 PM (0LHZx)

He didn't get rolled... those are actually his beliefs that he will actually push if given a chance.

Posted by: redbanzai at February 26, 2016 07:03 PM (NPofj)

583 Good luck with the other members of the Horde on
that one. I could vote for Rubio. I don't fear amnesty from him. He's
not running on amnesty. The country has made it clear, it doesn't want
it. I don't see him pushing for it ... not in first term anyway.

But it is a risk from him, and he has let people down before. But I just don't fear it.

Anyway, he's not my first choice.

Posted by: SH at February 26, 2016 06:59 PM (gmeXX)

I don't see how anyone could believe what you just wrote. The Washington Republican Party is THE one entity in this country that is pushing the idea of bringing in as many illegal mexicans as they can. It's their one unifying concept, contrary to the people who voted them in, contrary to public opinion, and pushing Rufio as their standard bearer is THE single piece of evidence one needs to understand that it is, the one and only issue they most care about. It's their gay marriage, their blacklivesmatter, their youdidn'tbuildthat, their guncontrol, all rolled into one.

Again, if you want to not see it, that's on you. But is sure as hell isn't because they're not telegraphing the fact as loudly and as clearly as possible.

Posted by: BurtTC at February 26, 2016 07:04 PM (TOk1P)

584 I always preferred Cruz but liked Trump. At this point he has gone around the bend and I don't think he is coming back. Ever.

Posted by: CW20 at February 26, 2016 07:04 PM (bnCwL)

585 576 "he will probably drop out in September because he's bored with it all."

Ok that's just silly. Trump isn't dropping out.
Posted by: Lauren at February 26, 2016 07:03 PM (Dwl2T)

______

Number of "Trump is finished" proclamations: 1,827,266

Number of "Trump will dropout after _____" proclamations 627,162

Posted by: Monsieur Moo Moo at February 26, 2016 07:04 PM (0LHZx)

586 Did petunia come from Inert Gas?

Posted by: logprof at February 26, 2016 07:04 PM (RAckx)

587 Amnesty = treason.

Defending abortion = treason

Unconstitutional executive orders = treason

Launching wars in the ME without Congressional approval = treason

Opposing the death penalty = treason

If you don't agree with me on what I believe to be the one and only important issue in the entire universe = treason

And, traitor or NOT, it doesn't make Rubio some sort of socialist loon in the process.

Posted by: chemjeff - PuppyMonkeyBaby '16 at February 26, 2016 07:04 PM (p0Ap4)

588 we still have mths to go.

i'm well past exhausted i think i'll go find something to cook. or paint.

Posted by: willow at February 26, 2016 07:04 PM (L1+sh)

589 "I thought AmishDude was leaving because this is a Klan blog."

Wait, a KLAN blog?!?!?!

Oh. Er. Well then. Gee whillikers.

Um, I'll see the rest of you in a bit. I have stuff to take care of.

::: stares glumly at cooler chest full of ice and clams :::

Posted by: torquewrench at February 26, 2016 07:04 PM (noWW6)

590 503 No because I will support Hillary.

Trump is a bigger threat to liberty than Hillary.

Half the party will endorse Hillary rather than allow this party to become the party of Donald Trump.

Posted by: petunia

Welp.

I see I no longer need read anything you have to say.

Thank you for your service in lightening my reading load.

Posted by: naturalfake at February 26, 2016 07:04 PM (0cMkb)

591 Ace: /// however, at the same time, trump continues to so alienate the college-educated part of the GOP, which is a big part of it

No offense Ace, but SCREW THEM. The college educated that are so freakin 3-D smart and shit, right? Trump is stoopid because look at the rubes and serfs that are attracted to someone so idiotic to spout nationalistic and populism for Joe six-pack.

Good god. Bob Dole! McCain! Romney! Ford! H.W.! Yeah...!!! College awesome! Oh and those college educated HATED Reagan... they dismissed and vilified Goldwater... they like the "it's my turn" GOP thing.

Trump is at the end of a 50 year process... I don't think the fed up-ness of the normal American gives one shit about Trump flop on this or his hair. If they are like me... They judge him by his enemies. Yes... it's that stupid now. All the right people hate him and dismiss him... just like they dismiss the guy working the garbage truck or the guy working as a night-watchman... heh... yeah... college educated guys don't have to do that kinda work.

Trump will draw the working class in droves if he's in the GE. I'm willing to be proved wrong, but the passion isnt' about what Trump will fix or that he's awesome... it's about sticking it to all that created the space for him to step up and say screw it.... I'm gonna run and make things great again.... for the folks who have no advocate... no voice in politics... the rube normal American who's been shit on for 30 plus years and told to shut up.

Posted by: Yip at February 26, 2016 07:04 PM (e7T6D)

592 The Washington Republican Party is THE one entity in this country that is pushing the idea of bringing in as many illegal mexicans as they can.

-------------

Then why hasn't it happened yet?

Posted by: SH at February 26, 2016 07:04 PM (gmeXX)

593 Nood.

Rotherham Muslim rapists and their police minions.

Posted by: The Choosing Hat at February 26, 2016 07:05 PM (vBeA5)

594 Did petunia come from Inert Gas?
Posted by: logprof

Neon Petunia

Posted by: Bertram Cabot Jr. at February 26, 2016 07:05 PM (FkBIv)

595 Only way Trump drops out is if he was in third place, he's ran a few times before.

Posted by: Skip at February 26, 2016 07:05 PM (fizMZ)

596 He didn't get rolled... those are actually his beliefs that he will actually push if given a chance.
Posted by: redbanzai at February 26, 2016 07:03 PM (NPofj)

____

Maybe. I don't know. I think he thought the rubes in the hinterland was so stupid, they'd never catch on to what he was doing. He's a moron for not understanding the basics of politics and how information is spread in the year 2013.

Posted by: Monsieur Moo Moo at February 26, 2016 07:05 PM (0LHZx)

597 So to the LIV-types, Trump is basically the same as Hillary, except Hillary isn't Hitler, and has a vagina.
Posted by: chemjeff - PuppyMonkeyBaby '16 at February 26, 2016 06:48 PM (p0Ap4)

Hillary has a vagina? Salute, mi a more.

Posted by: bergerbilder at February 26, 2016 07:06 PM (IeXP9)

598 "hillary will be by the FBI. I suspect, not too damaged. they will propose charges, the DOJ will refuse, and it will be forgotten in a few months."
"I believe the Dems will indict Hillary to clear the way for a ticket that they feel will be undefeatable."

I've been following Hillary's e-mail thing in detail. We may have already passed the initial FBI investigatory phase and moved to the DOJ issuing subpoenas. "High level officials" have been leaking to Fox News.

This matter is hard to sweep under the rug. If it expands to include pay-for-play public corruption Hillary's over. Even if it's stay just about the e-mails these are felony charges. Hillary can't say it's a right wing conspiracy. She's also told no end of lies so that she can stay in the race.

If this breaks, Independents won't vote for her. Many Democrats will stay home. She'll get replaced.

I fear Biden. Obama may get his Third Term.

Posted by: Ignoramus at February 26, 2016 07:06 PM (r1fLd)

599 The idea that Trump can be elected for anything in a general election is risible.

Does anyone really believe his tax returns won't be leaked if he ever clinches the nomination? Do you really believe the Trump University victims won't be on tvs every day? That anything shady on his business deals, including the Arabic bailout, won't be scrutinized? That CNN and MSNBC won't turn on him? He's DOA.

I see no reason to vote for him either if he's the nominee. He's a less articulate Hillary Clinton.

Posted by: Abali at February 26, 2016 07:06 PM (89I+i)

600 What the hell is wrong with you people?

This means we can sue....ACE!

I want a taste of that sweet blog cash.

So I will be suing him for intentional infliction of emotional distress.

I'm not sure why. Maybe I can ask John Edwards for help.....

Posted by: CharlieBrown'sDildo at February 26, 2016 07:06 PM (Zu3d9)

601 No doubt that is a very valid and deep concern. But I don't think it means he will get rolled on every issue.
Posted by: SH at February 26, 2016 07:03 PM (gmeXX)

*****

Just what I want. A President who doesn't get rolled *all* the time.

Posted by: Tim in GA at February 26, 2016 07:06 PM (GRYWk)

602 Lmfao at this thread, I mainly lurk but the influx of hotairians makes me laff. Trump is a tyrant in waiting, salivating at the opportunity to place his hand on the bible and "make America great again" ... Gimme a frikkin break.

Posted by: Heh at February 26, 2016 07:06 PM (3ZY4Q)

603

The GOP establishment would rather work for Hillary than put their all into supporting Cruz

tells you everything

Posted by: ThunderB at February 26, 2016 07:07 PM (zOTsN)

604 545 I sincerely hope that's you're a sock because it's scary to think a" real" person actually believes this.

Just a few days ago, petunia said it was going from Rubio to Trump.

That it's saying this instead, and repeating basically the same comments over and over in different threads is trolling for attention, hoping someone takes the bait.
Posted by: ReactionaryMonster browsing Bravely at February 26, 2016 06:57 PM (uURQL)

_________

What I saw last night and today changed everything.

I tried so hard to find a logical reason to support Trump. I got his book... I defended him.

What I saw last night, this morning... I figured out that it's a scam. LIke Trump always pulls.

He bragged about he money he gave to Reid to defeat Israel!!!

He bragged about importing people to work over American citizens. Sure he can't find americans to work those jobs, but if he paid more they would. But he refuses to pay a wage an American needs to do the job he wants done. If you pay enough Americans will do anything.

He wants to save his money. That is why he can't find Americans.

His companies make the suits and ties in China, because he won't pay Americans to do it. He won't pay them enough.

What I saw last night was a the big con.

Cruz is smug and arrogant. But Rubio seems willing to destroy his campaign to prevent Trump and get Cruz elected.

I respect that.

I will never ever support or vote for the big con.

Posted by: petunia at February 26, 2016 07:07 PM (VoCyE)

605
Rubio wants amnesty to please his masters. Granting amnesty will guarantee the dems have a permanent majority in Congress and we will have to rename the White House the Dem House. Then there is that death of the Constitution thing and headlong dive into hard socialism.
But yeah, Rubio isn't a traitor or a bad guy to vote for.
Oh, don't forget his"love" of due process.

All this is moot if Hillary or Bernie wins which is much more likely (IMHO)if Trump takes the nom.

Posted by: Tilikum Killer Assault Whale inc. at February 26, 2016 07:07 PM (m3iiU)

606 Because unlike any other option Gope would put up there, Trump is going to attack her.

Attack her over what?

Once again, they agree on almost every issue!

Trump's going to attack her for her server? Good for him. So would every other Republican.

Trump's going to go into the gutter and attack her personally? Hillary is COUNTING on that. She will become the poor sympathetic hapless victim of misogynistic proto-Hitler and the media will lap it up.

Posted by: chemjeff - PuppyMonkeyBaby '16 at February 26, 2016 07:07 PM (p0Ap4)

607 "I see no reason to vote for him either if he's the nominee. He's a less articulate Hillary Clinton."

So if hes the nominee...you will go away right.

Posted by: Skeezix at February 26, 2016 07:07 PM (WnCSK)

608 Hey Ace, you need to correct this. Trump walked back the Syrians the day after he was on O'Reilly to a total ban on Syrian refugees with the rational that we don't know who we were letting in.

Here's a post about on 11/16 2 weeks before the attacks:

http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/16/politics/donald-trump-syrian-refugees/

>Then San Bernadino happened. And people began questioning Trump's previous statements that we had to let in the Syrian refugees. Supporters wondered if maybe he wasn't the immigration super-hawk he was claiming to be.

Nope. He'd already been against the refugees entirely.

Posted by: Pepper at February 26, 2016 07:07 PM (7us0J)

609 Maybe. I don't know. I think he thought the rubes in
the hinterland was so stupid, they'd never catch on to what he was
doing. He's a moron for not understanding the basics of politics and how
information is spread in the year 2013.

Posted by: Monsieur Moo Moo at February 26, 2016 07:05 PM (0LHZx)

Oh he definitely believed that too... and then called his constituents racist for opposing him. That doesn't mean he was played by Schumer though.

Posted by: redbanzai at February 26, 2016 07:08 PM (NPofj)

610 Ace, in all seriousness, how do you see Cruz pulling it off? Trump destruction, and the majority of his people go to Cruz? Because a brokered convention sure as hell is only giving two things to Cruz - jack and shit. And Jack left town.

Posted by: VidOmnia at February 26, 2016 07:08 PM (r630q)

611 Fellow morons and moronettes:

So Ace already is doing the Cuck Review's work of being anti-Trump.

He was lying when he said he could support Trump. He never would.

He was lying when he said he was going Cruz.

He isn't. He's going Rubio all the way. He always was.

He's already admitted to being part of the establishment and lying to his readership about stopping obamacare, etc.

Ace is part of the machine. Manipulating his readership at every turn.

And you deserve so much better. Take care everyone.

Posted by: prescient12 at February 26, 2016 07:08 PM (7QkL1)

612 I had to laugh when I saw Ace's comment (no doubt meant tongue in cheek) about "we don't like Mexicans or Muslims". The humor, to me at least, after having spent literally my whole life around Mexicans and most of my career (since the early 1980s) around Muslims, is that one thing I can tell is that Mexicans and Muslims....don't like us. Us as in generally white non-Mexicans and/or non-Muslims.

This is why I just have to laugh whenever I hear the usual suspects whine "raycisss" every time the subject of stopping illegals or Muslims (who come from a culture that would enslave or kill us if they could as a matter of course) comes up...

Posted by: The Oort Cloud - Source of all SMODs at February 26, 2016 07:09 PM (2Bjv9)

613

petunia

you would rather work for Hillary than Cruz

fraud

Posted by: ThunderB at February 26, 2016 07:09 PM (zOTsN)

614 Ace, in all seriousness, how do you see Cruz pulling it off? Trump destruction, and the majority of his people go to Cruz? Because a brokered convention sure as hell is only giving two things to Cruz - jack and shit. And Jack left town.

-------------

By winning. It may not be likely, but that is where we are. Let's see where things stand on Tuesday. It may look better for Cruz, may look worse. But the battle is not over, even if we Cruz fans are down to are last bullets.

Posted by: SH at February 26, 2016 07:09 PM (gmeXX)

615 Trolls Polls

I listen to analysts, none of whom "like" Trump.

They do say Trump can beat Hillary.

I say it's who counts the votes that determines the winner. Stalin tagged that correctly.

Posted by: maverick muse at February 26, 2016 07:09 PM (hCdMd)

616 "Posted by: prescient12"

Who bitch this is?

Posted by: Skeezix at February 26, 2016 07:09 PM (WnCSK)

617 b.s petunia you have been supporting the establishment candidate until a few days ago.

Posted by: willow at February 26, 2016 07:10 PM (L1+sh)

618 ok, i think i need to take a break so i don't in reality get banned.

have a nice evening everyone.

Posted by: willow at February 26, 2016 07:11 PM (L1+sh)

619 A vote for Trump is a vote for HIllary.

He got her elected to the Senate, now he's going to take her down?

No he is going to double down on her policies.

That is the big con.

Posted by: petunia at February 26, 2016 07:11 PM (VoCyE)

620 SH:

Of course not. Ace is going to write a flowery post about how Cruz is absolutely unelectable and we must elect whomever the GOPe chooses - Kasich or Rubio.

Wait for it. Wait for it.

Posted by: prescient12 at February 26, 2016 07:11 PM (7QkL1)

621
Who bitch this is?-----Skeezix

Thread winner.

Posted by: Tilikum Killer Assault Whale inc. at February 26, 2016 07:12 PM (m3iiU)

622 petunia = hillary's stank ass talking vagina...

Posted by: Skeezix at February 26, 2016 07:12 PM (WnCSK)

623 Not only will he not win the GE, he will probably drop out in September because he's bored with it all.
Posted by: AmishDude at February 26, 2016 07:01 PM (Xd2w5)

AmishDude, are you predicting that if Trump wins the Republican primary, he will decide that the US presidential race is boring and just drop out?

"Adios supporters, but I've found something better to do with my life. Toodles."

Posted by: ReactionaryMonster browsing Bravely at February 26, 2016 07:13 PM (uURQL)

624 I saw at TIME online a headline article this morning:

"20% Trump supporters say that slavery should never have ended"

So dumb. But corrupt people love to lie and spread lies and live lies. Because hating is what too many people want to do with life.

So much for protecting a corrupt media's constitutional right to fabricate insanity and mandate its purchase and intake...

Posted by: maverick muse at February 26, 2016 07:13 PM (hCdMd)

625 guess i better call it a night...the defeatism and scotch are getting to me. Till next time....

Posted by: Skeezix at February 26, 2016 07:14 PM (WnCSK)

626 And I'm nationalistic -- straight up, no apologies. You're goddamn right I champion America over all others and citizens over non-citizens -- and no, it's not "racist" to discriminate in favor of citizens over non-citizens. YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO.

Otherwise you're anti-American. Period.
~~~

Worth repeating.

Posted by: fluffy at February 26, 2016 07:15 PM (UhKT0)

627 By winning. It may not be likely, but that is where
we are. Let's see where things stand on Tuesday. It may look better
for Cruz, may look worse. But the battle is not over, even if we Cruz
fans are down to are last bullets.

Posted by: SH at February 26, 2016 07:09 PM (gmeXX)

We are no where near last bullets... look at Cruz's senate run and Brat in Virginia. It is not over until it's over.

Posted by: redbanzai at February 26, 2016 07:15 PM (NPofj)

628 trump is less of a threat than hilary. as president hilary will go full bore left.

trump is a one off narcissist. dangerous, perhaps, but not boot meet face forever dangerous.

Posted by: musical jolly chimp at February 26, 2016 07:15 PM (WTSFk)

629 617 b.s petunia you have been supporting the establishment candidate until a few days ago.
Posted by: willow at February 26, 2016 07:10 PM (L1+sh)

_____

Your definition of establishment does not interest me.

for months it has been down to 3... of those three Rubio has been my top... Trump and Cruz have switched back and forth.

Until Iowa, and Cruz lost me for good I thought.

But I realized last night that Trump is pulling a big fat con.

This is a scam, just like Trump University was a scam.

Rubio and Cruz made some kind of deal.

I think it is that Rubio is taking Trump's attention so Cruz can win.

I trust Rubio's judgement. I will support Cruz.

If by some miracle, Rubio pulls ahead... then of course I would support my first choice.

But never Trump.

I was going to have a hard time with Cruz. But... I saw the truth of Trump last night and this morning.

Cruz's smug... is so much better.

The party will split if Trump wins, and I will go with Rubio. I'll trust him to find the real conservatives.

Posted by: petunia at February 26, 2016 07:16 PM (VoCyE)

630 It took longer to get the tiny urls than it did to find the information.
What could the DNC do?

Trump and Jeffrey Epstein:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/4w9eozf

Trump and the goodfellas:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/zredo5x

...~~binders and binders~~, servers full of low down on Trump

Posted by: Ralph at February 26, 2016 07:16 PM (ajJoO)

631
I saw at TIME online a headline article this morning:

"20% Trump supporters say that slavery should never have ended"

So dumb. But corrupt people love to lie and spread lies and live lies. Because hating is what too many people want to do with life.

So much for protecting a corrupt media's constitutional right to fabricate insanity and mandate its purchase and intake...------maverick muse

Was the question something like:
The North should have allowed the South to succeed?
Should we have fought a war to end slavery?
The left lovesdoing stuff like that then screaming racism.

Posted by: Tilikum Killer Assault Whale inc. at February 26, 2016 07:17 PM (m3iiU)

632 AmishDude, are you predicting that if Trump wins the Republican primary, he will decide that the US presidential race is boring and just drop out?

"Adios supporters, but I've found something better to do with my life. Toodles."
Posted by: ReactionaryMonster browsing Bravely at February 26, 2016 07:13 PM (uURQL)

Yes. Once Hillary's at 60% in the polls and he's being relentlessly mocked from every corner of the media, he'll just drop out.

You think he would stay in out of *snicker* loyalty to his supporters?

He doesn't like you.

Posted by: AmishDude at February 26, 2016 07:17 PM (Xd2w5)

633 We all need to gice ace a break the next few weeks as he undergoes Twitter detox and withdrwal

Posted by: bergerbilder at February 26, 2016 07:17 PM (IeXP9)

634 Trump is going to be our nominee. Either get in line or stay home.

Posted by: Burn It Down at February 26, 2016 07:18 PM (qHgBB)

635 628 trump is less of a threat than hilary. as president hilary will go full bore left.

trump is a one off narcissist. dangerous, perhaps, but not boot meet face forever dangerous.
Posted by: musical jolly chimp at February 26, 2016 07:15 PM (WTSFk)

________

This isn't left and right!

This is the end of democracy! Or the continuation of democracy.

Trump's scam isn't about right and left.

Posted by: petunia at February 26, 2016 07:18 PM (VoCyE)

636 @Petunia
And we're not voting for and will actively work against your guy. We can pull democrats, indies and those who have never participated in politics before. Good luck with your plan.

Posted by: CastleP at February 26, 2016 07:18 PM (7+oeE)

637 Saying you will never vote for Trump?

Maybe consider that it will take a Dick to undo the unholy damage of an Asshole...

Posted by: zzBottom at February 26, 2016 07:19 PM (aHUpC)

638
Of course not. Ace is going to write a flowery post about how Cruz
is absolutely unelectable and we must elect whomever the GOPe chooses -
Kasich or Rubio.

Well, BT (Before Trump), I used to think that we could win a motivate-the-base turnout election with a solid conservative like Cruz, because I did think there was an untapped pool of conservative voters waiting for the next Reagan-esque figure to come along.

Now, AT (After Trump), I have realized that many of the people who claim to call themselves "conservatives" are really just big-government nationalists, and won't vote for a conservative who promises big-boy adult talk on reforming entitlements, because that might mean their God-given fundamental right to government socialism might be cut off.

So I've started to wonder how electable Cruz really is. But that doesn't mean I would suddenly vote for Kasich. (blech) I am willing to gamble with a Cruz nomination, especially against a terrible candidate like Hillary.

Posted by: chemjeff - PuppyMonkeyBaby '16 at February 26, 2016 07:19 PM (BNsRE)

639 634 Trump is going to be our nominee. Either get in line or stay home.
Posted by: Burn It Down at February 26, 2016 07:18 PM (qHgBB)

_____________

Or do everything I can to keep Trump from being President like half the Republican party will do.

I've seen people saying, it, I have been telling people what you are telling me now.

When you finally see it, you'll be saying what I am saying right now.

Posted by: petunia at February 26, 2016 07:20 PM (VoCyE)

640 Or do everything I can to keep Trump from being President like half the Republican party will do.
******************************

So a Hillary supporter then?

Posted by: Burn It Down at February 26, 2016 07:22 PM (qHgBB)

641 636 @Petunia
And we're not voting for and will actively work against your guy. We can pull democrats, indies and those who have never participated in politics before. Good luck with your plan.
Posted by: CastleP at February 26, 2016 07:18 PM (7+oeE)

__________

It doesn't matter.

Whoever wins in the end is better than Trump.

75% of the country will come together to keep Trump out.

Posted by: petunia at February 26, 2016 07:22 PM (VoCyE)

642 @Petunia

It's not half the party. Part of what is going on this cycle is your guy and supporters seriously overestimate their numbers and influence. Good luck!

The Whig party is calling and wants their campaign literature back.

Posted by: CastleP at February 26, 2016 07:22 PM (7+oeE)

643 640 Or do everything I can to keep Trump from being President like half the Republican party will do.
******************************

So a Hillary supporter then?
Posted by: Burn It Down at February 26, 2016 07:22 PM (qHgBB)

__________

No one is more surprized than me.

But Trump will not be President.

Hillary will be President before Trump.

And this is the end of the Republican party.

Many of you will cheer.

But it doesn't matter there are more important things than party or Hillary.

Posted by: petunia at February 26, 2016 07:23 PM (VoCyE)

644 I was in a restaurant eating lunch when they had the announcement that Christy was endorsing Trump.

Among the commentators they brought on to talk about it was Ken Cuchinelli, you know, the guy who is not Governor of Virginia because the cocksuckers who run the Republican Party would rather have Terry McAuliffe, a corrupt Clinton crony as Governor than let the Tea Party candidate who beat their establishment guy win the election.

OK. I have voted for Ted Cruz and I hope there is some way that he can win but seeing Cuchinelli reminded me of the burning hate. If Trump is an imperfect vessel for my hate, he seems to be the only one available.

Posted by: obnoxious ahole at February 26, 2016 07:24 PM (MpvuV)

645 Trump is going to be our nominee. Either get in line or stay home.

Posted by: Burn It Down at February 26, 2016 07:18 PM (qHgBB)

What would be the point?

If Trump was the nominee, our choice would be either: (1) a socialist, (2) an unindicted felon, or (3) a Democrat. Why should I endorse any of those three?

Posted by: chemjeff - PuppyMonkeyBaby '16 at February 26, 2016 07:24 PM (BNsRE)

646 Nope. Time to break the china. It's Trump.

Posted by: Teapartydoc at February 26, 2016 07:24 PM (OVESZ)

647 Here's all you need to know. The media will now push Trump into the end zone. They know in a one on one debate he will be destroyed...(even by Hillary). The race is over...

Posted by: OrsonSnow at February 26, 2016 07:24 PM (uQAus)

648 Right. Trump it is. He causes the most uproar.

Posted by: Count de Monet at February 26, 2016 07:24 PM (JO9+V)

649 The Whig party is calling and wants their campaign literature back.
Posted by: CastleP at February 26, 2016 07:22 PM (7+oeE)

_________

How ever many we are, Trump will lose.

And I have no idea what the new Party will be called, but a party headed by Donald Trump will have a very limited appeal.

Posted by: petunia at February 26, 2016 07:25 PM (VoCyE)

650 Ace, its just sad to watch your blog get taken over by Trump fanatics. I enjoy coming here and lurking with the very infrequent post, but this place needs a fumigation now. Your "the establishment sucks" shtick might be good for hits but it's helped birth some crazy sh_t.

Posted by: DeusExmachina at February 26, 2016 07:25 PM (jDcTk)

651 If Trump is an imperfect vessel for my hate, he seems to be the only one available.

You know what?

Get over your hate.

It's consuming you and making you act rashly.

I mean, listen to yourself. This is how an adult behaves?

Posted by: AmishDude at February 26, 2016 07:26 PM (Xd2w5)

652 591 Ace: /// however, at the same time, trump continues to so alienate the college-educated part of the GOP, which is a big part of it

No offense Ace, but SCREW THEM. The college educated that are so freakin 3-D smart and shit, right? Trump is stoopid because look at the rubes and serfs that are attracted to someone so idiotic to spout nationalistic and populism for Joe six-pack.

Good god. Bob Dole! McCain! Romney! Ford! H.W.! Yeah...!!! College awesome! Oh and those college educated HATED Reagan... they dismissed and vilified Goldwater... they like the "it's my turn" GOP thing.

Trump is at the end of a 50 year process... I don't think the fed up-ness of the normal American gives one shit about Trump flop on this or his hair. If they are like me... They judge him by his enemies. Yes... it's that stupid now. All the right people hate him and dismiss him... just like they dismiss the guy working the garbage truck or the guy working as a night-watchman... heh... yeah... college educated guys don't have to do that kinda work.

Trump will draw the working class in droves if he's in the GE. I'm willing to be proved wrong, but the passion isnt' about what Trump will fix or that he's awesome... it's about sticking it to all that created the space for him to step up and say screw it.... I'm gonna run and make things great again.... for the folks who have no advocate... no voice in politics... the rube normal American who's been shit on for 30 plus years and told to shut up.
Posted by: Yip at February 26, 2016 07:04 PM (e7T6D)

I agree. Why else is the political establishment trying so hard to stop him?

Posted by: rickl at February 26, 2016 07:26 PM (sdi6R)

653 650 Ace, its just sad to watch your blog get taken over by Trump fanatics. I enjoy coming here and lurking with the very infrequent post, but this place needs a fumigation now.
Posted by: DeusExmachina at February 26, 2016 07:25 PM (jDcTk)

Yeah. It's been bad.

Posted by: AmishDude at February 26, 2016 07:27 PM (Xd2w5)

654 647 Here's all you need to know. The media will now push Trump into the end zone. They know in a one on one debate he will be destroyed...(even by Hillary). The race is over...
Posted by: OrsonSnow at February 26, 2016 07:24 PM (uQAus)

_________

I think it is already over.

The Party has already been destroyed.

The media hasn't gotten it yet. It showed in some polls, 60% of Republicans already said they would never vote for Trump.

After last night, after this morning... It's going to be much higher.

I know because that's me now.

I will never in this life or the next support Trump for President.

When the idea of Hillary gives you peace in comparison it's over.

Posted by: petunia at February 26, 2016 07:28 PM (VoCyE)

655 645 If Trump was the nominee, our choice would be either: (1) a socialist,
(2) an unindicted felon, or (3) a Democrat. Why should I endorse any of
those three?

Ronald Reagan was a democrat

Posted by: zzBottom at February 26, 2016 07:28 PM (aHUpC)

656 Yes. Once Hillary's at 60% in the polls and he's being relentlessly mocked from every corner of the media, he'll just drop out.

You think he would stay in out of *snicker* loyalty to his supporters?

I'm recording this prediction. It's certainly bold!

Posted by: ReactionaryMonster browsing Bravely at February 26, 2016 07:28 PM (uURQL)

657 The GOP field is now just a clown car of stupid.

Last night's debate proved it. The video at this link proves it.

https://twitter.com/samueloakford/status/703072903940730880?s=09

Posted by: Byebyecruz at February 26, 2016 07:29 PM (VvlL4)

658 Trump is going to be our nominee. Either get in line or stay home.

Challenge accepted.

Posted by: Grump928(C) says Free Soothie! at February 26, 2016 07:31 PM (rwI+c)

659 >>>No offense Ace, but SCREW THEM. The college educated that are so freakin 3-D smart and shit, right? Trump is stoopid because look at the rubes and serfs that are attracted to someone so idiotic to spout nationalistic and populism for Joe six-pack.

i understand they are annoying people. One of the ways I used Twitter was to insult these people. I tried not to do it here, as I didn't want to alienate my actual readers, but on Twitter, I made fun of the self-claimed Smart Set and their determination to vote for someone like Rubio who looked like one of their Nice College Chums.

However, you can be annoyed by them all you want -- they are facts on the ground. they are part of the coalition necessary to elect a candidate.

just the same as the working class is. I have always attacked them for basically saying "who cares what the working class thinks" -- well, YOU should, if you plan to win any elections, ever.

But the college-educated crowd similarly can't just be told "Get in line." Because they won't. They're quite proud of their position, and status means everythiing to them, and they won't vote for someone who, in their mind, reduces their status.

Posted by: ace at February 26, 2016 07:31 PM (dciA+)

660 Trump supporters.

He is mocking you.

He may direct his attacks at others, but they are actually directed at you. He believes you are the stupidest people he's ever tried to pull into a scam.

He isn't laughing at Rubio or Cruz, he is laughing at you.

Haven't you ever run into a scammer before?

Never mind. It's over. I know you won't listen.

Posted by: petunia at February 26, 2016 07:32 PM (VoCyE)

661 >>>If Trump is an imperfect vessel for my hate, he seems to be the only one available.

check the new post-- lindsey graham is joking about murdering Ted Cruz.

your absolute refusal to acknowledge that Cruz is an Instrument of Hatred of the Establishment is perplexing.

Posted by: ace at February 26, 2016 07:33 PM (dciA+)

662 "60% of Republicans already said they would never vote for Trump."

BS. Compared to 2012, this is a more hotly contested cycle. But Trump is far ahead of where Romney was at this point in the 2012 cycle.

Posted by: Ignoramus at February 26, 2016 07:34 PM (r1fLd)

663 I love all the "conservatives" who are so conservative--severely conservative?--that they will vote to have Hillary Clinton nominate Scalia's successor over a guy (Trump) who says he wants to appoint Bill Pryor and Diane Sykes.

One of the great things about the era of Trump is that these parasites are now outed. To protect their visceral dislike of Trump--which is not policy-based, but class-based--they pretend he is a greater threat to liberty and the Constitution than Trump. We see through them though. They're fooling themselves, maybe, but no one else. Properly, they are part of the left. That's their true home, and I'm happy to see them go there. I don't think they'll like the New Republican Party.

Posted by: Mr. Estrada at February 26, 2016 07:35 PM (ebYUl)

664 "But the college-educated crowd similarly can't just be told "Get in line." Because they won't."

The people of whom you speak are disproportionately in Deep Blue States. Fuck em, we don't need em

Posted by: Ignoramus at February 26, 2016 07:35 PM (r1fLd)

665 In The End, It Will Be...
Trump/Cruz 2016
Because, Deals.

Posted by: zzBottom at February 26, 2016 07:35 PM (aHUpC)

666 Just look up Trump University and ask yourself how so many people were able to afford 36,000 dollars.

Trump used his name to get people to apply for and charge up a credit card.

What did they get?

A picture with a cardboard cutout.

That is YOU standing by the cardboard cut out.

Posted by: petunia at February 26, 2016 07:36 PM (VoCyE)

667 Posted by: ace at February 26, 2016 07:33 PM (dciA+)

He's not. He's too calm and calculating to be an object for channeling hatred. His victory simply won't have the same psychologically devastating effect on the Establishment that Trump would. Mind you, i'd take him as a consolation prize if Trump doesn't get in but Trump is the better battering ram.

Posted by: Johnny at February 26, 2016 07:37 PM (MZKpF)

668 People fall for Trumps scams all the time.

Posted by: petunia at February 26, 2016 07:37 PM (VoCyE)

669 "Posted by: petunia at February 26, 2016 07:36 PM (VoCyE)"

Trump blew hundreds of millions, possibly billions, on his campaign, and I don't mean on ads. Running the kind of populist campaign he does when he primarily caters to the upper middle class and above (people who think it is their right to rule over the rest of the morons in the country and who will hold his lighting their fire against him forevermore) is gonna cost him far more than he could possibly scam out of his voters.

Posted by: Johnny at February 26, 2016 07:39 PM (MZKpF)

670 Rubio can beat Hillary but will govern to left of Hillary.

and this is some of the anti-reason crap that is pissing me off among the right nowadays. they are pissed off at Rubio over amnesty, and suddenly, that means he is no different than a goddamn socialist?????
Posted by: chemjeff

Agreed, it really is stupid.

Let's just be honest here, much of this has nothing to do with ideology but just ego

Because I don't like a Republican, they are a closet socialist!! Go Hillary Go!

Cruz and Rubio are both far to the Right of Ronald Reagan

Posted by: Jim at February 26, 2016 07:40 PM (A3kYV)

671 >>>>>But the college-educated crowd similarly can't just be told "Get in line." Because they won't. They're quite proud of their position, and status means everythiing to them, and they won't vote for someone who, in their mind, reduces their status.
___

I'm college educated, and I'm behind him. I like Cruz, and if I had to select an eternal king among them, it'd be Cruz. But I don't have that option and I'm not sure he can put the coalition we need together.

Posted by: Mr. Estrada at February 26, 2016 07:41 PM (ebYUl)

672 http:// americanfuturefund.com/we-cant-trust-donald-trump

Just try to understand. These people had money or assess to credit... they were stupid.

Look what Trump does.

This campaign is exactly the same.

I was scammed once... I lost everything and had to start over.

I know this is a scam. Please. Watch those people.

Posted by: petunia at February 26, 2016 07:41 PM (VoCyE)

673
So a Hillary supporter then?----Burn It Down

Who thinks we don't know that "she" is.

Posted by: Tilikum Killer Assault Whale inc. at February 26, 2016 07:41 PM (+aCe4)

674 Meanwhile Cruz moved to singlehandedly stop bipartisan approved funding to provide money for clean drinking water infrastructure before rapidly flipflopping and backtracking when it became clear his position was as popular as a turd in a swimming pool.

Cruz is as electable nationally as a dog turd.

Posted by: Byebyecruz at February 26, 2016 07:42 PM (/qDgr)

675 Yes. Once Hillary's at 60% in the polls and he's being relentlessly mocked from every corner of the media, he'll just drop out.

You think he would stay in out of *snicker* loyalty to his supporters?
________________

I really do think this is a very possible scenario.

He'll actually endorse Hillary if he thinks it becomes out of reach in the middle of a campaign so he can still say he "won" by being aligned with the winner.

Posted by: Jim at February 26, 2016 07:43 PM (A3kYV)

676 Posted by: Johnny at February 26, 2016 07:39 PM (MZKpF)

Please watch the video above, and just consider. Don't make a choice. Just watch and consider.

By the way, I don't think not having a degree is a problem. I know many many people who are smarter than any amount of education could teach.

I accept the hard knocks as just as valid.

Please just consider that Trump is laughing at you.

Posted by: petunia at February 26, 2016 07:44 PM (VoCyE)

677 I want to shit on Vicente Fox's face. True story.

Posted by: Mr. Estrada at February 26, 2016 07:47 PM (ebYUl)

678 Posted by: obnoxious ahole at February 26, 2016 07:24 PM (MpvuV)

Yes, I'm still smouldering over the GOPe's treatment of Ken C. here in VA.

One other reason I hate the GOPe douches is that they couldn't even find the spine to defund PP (a truly miniscule portion of the budget) after giving Emperor Barry everything else he wanted plus 10%, but they'd rather flip us off than do that!

Posted by: Hrothgar at February 26, 2016 07:48 PM (wYnyS)

679 Posted by: Mr. Estrada at February 26, 2016 07:47 PM (ebYUl)

Did you watch those videos?

Do you think those people are lying?

Posted by: petunia at February 26, 2016 07:48 PM (VoCyE)

680 Hi petunia. No, I didn't. Let me explain why: I don't care.

Posted by: Mr. Estrada at February 26, 2016 07:49 PM (ebYUl)

681 One other reason I hate the GOPe douches is that they couldn't even find the spine to defund PP (a truly miniscule portion of the budget) after giving Emperor Barry everything else he wanted plus 10%, but they'd rather flip us off than do that!
Posted by: Hrothgar at February 26, 2016 07:48 PM (wYnyS)

__________

Trump gives money to PP and he praises the work they do.

When Obama is done, if the Rs don't get things done...

Never mind Trump.... hillary is going to be president.

Posted by: petunia at February 26, 2016 07:49 PM (VoCyE)

682 Oh, so you're changing your mind, Ace. You're no longer gonna support Trump, an obvious liberal which those of us unblinded by hatred of Rubio have seen from the start, over Marco Rubio, who would be the most conservative man we've ever elected to President.

Well great. Glad you could join the anti-Trump movement. What took you so long? You didn't pick up the dog whistles, the incoherence, the stupidity, the third-grade level policy positions MONTHS AGO? Were you living in a hole?

This is why I can't trust someone like you, who CLAIMS that he's a conservative and then for MONTHS shills for a guy who is so obviously liberal that the Democrats were practically chortling that Republicans were about to nominate him.

So screw your late conversion. I'm glad you made it to the CONSERVATIVE side of the fight, but it took you way too damn long and you should be ashamed of yourself for that.

Posted by: JoeC at February 26, 2016 07:50 PM (Lcy/t)

683 If I had faith in the candidates' words I would lean towards Cruz. I don't, so I enjoy the spectacle that is Donald Trump.

And not believing Cruz isn't a result of the recent gangbang he rec'd from Trump/Rubio. The doubt has been from the outset - and it's hard to put my finger on it. I saw the speech w/ his dad - and it's probably the most moving campaigning I've seen from Cruz - but it's a one-time watch. And the wife working at GS is definitely not a plus for me. I just have a mental hurdle, where I'm asking myself constantly, "Is this guy full of shit? Something sounds off.."

Win/win for me is Trump/Cruz 2 man race and getting Rubio out. A Cruz win might make me want to believe again.. but again I see him as weaker against Hillary than Trump.

Posted by: bahabuddha at February 26, 2016 07:50 PM (eZuvD)

684 680 Hi petunia. No, I didn't. Let me explain why: I don't care.
Posted by: Mr. Estrada at February 26, 2016 07:49 PM (ebYUl)

________

These people were scammed by Trump.

Just like he is scamming you now.

Posted by: petunia at February 26, 2016 07:50 PM (VoCyE)

685 Also, while I'm sure the videos are very moving propaganda pieces, I'm willing to be there's, you know, another side. See, usually there is.

Posted by: Mr. Estrada at February 26, 2016 07:51 PM (ebYUl)

686 K, petunia. Thanks for the heads up. I am forever on your debt.

Posted by: Mr. Estrada at February 26, 2016 07:52 PM (ebYUl)

687 Does Vicente Fox have a daughter? If he does, assuming she's attractive, I'd like to do ass-to-mouth with her, make him watch, then shit on his face.

Posted by: Mr. Estrada at February 26, 2016 07:53 PM (ebYUl)

688 "Posted by: petunia at February 26, 2016 07:44 PM (VoCyE)"

I already know about Trump University, the only purpose of a video is to emotionally manipulate you into shutting down your brain. The human brain of the average person is built to sympathize with the emotional reactions of others. This reaction is involuntary, you can't help but be duped at least a little even if you consciously know you are being duped. That's why I prefer text, much harder to manipulate someone through it.

Immigration is the most important issue to conservatism because it involves its very survival. Compared to this Trump allegedly conning some strivers is immaterial. Either the illegals are all thrown out and the flood of legal immigrants is ended (or close to ended) or conservatism is finished. Trump may or may not be lying (he has nothing to gain personally from lying as I already outlined) but Rubio definitely is. We know because he lied to his voters once on this very issue already. Cruz is a serviceable second choice but the problem with cruz is that he doesn't get the importance of this so he might decide to refuse to sell out on a less important issue to get his plan in place. Trump is not a safe vote but he's the safest of the two options available.

Posted by: Johnny at February 26, 2016 07:55 PM (MZKpF)

689 Trump seems to have a lot of Bloomberg in him. He wants to rule by pet peeve.

I keep thinking we will wake up one day and find out that Trump's entire presidential run was just a reality TV program stunt that got out of hand. It was never supposed to go this far, but the footage was just too good to pass up.

Posted by: Thatch at February 26, 2016 07:56 PM (pBZp4)

690 Finally watched the Rubio video. Meh, I don't think it moves the dial. I don't even think it draws blood. We'll see what happens but I think the Trump Juggernaut just keeps rolling...

Posted by: Banana Splits Guy at February 26, 2016 07:59 PM (zRnNY)

691 And to the idiot who said "Trump is SMOD", no he's not. He's a LIBERAL DEMOCRAT, which I guess might as well be SMOD considering what liberal democrats have done to the rule of law and to respect for our Constitution.

Trump will ACCELERATE the trend towards an accumulation of executive power & the disregarding of the legislative branch. Trump will plant the seeds of dictatorship and totalitarianism that a later, smarter demagogue than Trump will exploit to take away our freedom forever.

If you vote Trump, you're basically voting for Caesar and the end of the Republic and screw you if you want that.

Posted by: JoeC at February 26, 2016 08:01 PM (Lcy/t)

692 Ace,

That post was awesome! You nailed it.

Posted by: gw at February 26, 2016 08:03 PM (dMB3r)

693 >>>>>Trump will plant the seeds of dictatorship and totalitarianism that a later, smarter demagogue than Trump will exploit to take away our freedom forever.
___

Totes e_e

So, I guess the idea of Hillary appointing a Ginsburg clone instead of Trump appointing, say, Pryor or Sykes is something you're pretty enthusiastic about, huh?

Posted by: Mr. Estrada at February 26, 2016 08:04 PM (ebYUl)

694 #272 Betty Hoop. Not Olive Oyl.

Posted by: Barack Obama, Party Preshizzle at February 26, 2016 08:07 PM (O2B/H)

695 Ace, we have a highly imperfect sword (DJT) to fight monstrously big fucking army of socialists and anti-American social justice warriors.

Since Reagan we(i.e. working AMERICANS) have been, essentially, defenseless.

DJT, if for nothing else, shows the willingness to FIGHT for some few things that can be recognized as a win.

When you find the Reagan Zombie or whomever to fight the perfect fight, let the rest of us dumb shits-- who just welcome a little actual relief in our lifetime --know about your perfect weapon.

Posted by: Lower Class person whose opinions need to be guided at February 26, 2016 08:10 PM (kBDXp)

696 I think Ace could be right on all points about Trump.

For me, everything since "and we'll make them pay for it!" has been downhill for Trump: ban all muslim immigrants, pro-eminent domain, boycott apple. His positions were intentionally over the top.

Literally, the only other thing I've agreed with Trump since the wall comment was his let Russia clean up Syria comment. Thats it.

Looking at this strictly for entertainment purposes - Rubio and Hillary are out. They suck and are boring. Anytime I see Rubio - don't you think if you facepalmed him, his arms would just reflexively start windmilling?.

Posted by: bahabuddha at February 26, 2016 08:21 PM (eZuvD)

697 Could you let the unwashed know just how fucking much worse it will be if we make the 'media' even a little bit sensitive to the downside of lying?---EVERY gd network--with NO exceptions--on commercial and cable is Democrat or Dem Lite....Newspapers--almost the same...

These dishonest bastards gave us King 0 's 2nd term for sure and operate as cover for the GOPe traitors....and relentlessly promoting SJW bullshit that is tearing this country apart.

'Media'--what the fuck is 'media' these days other than the communications division of the Socialist Party?

Digression: Forever many of us thought low taxes were an answer....until we saw who was ramming it, gleefully, up our ass---the richest, most insulated, media-protected ass holes in the USA. Tax them --the .1 percent till they bleed...the anti-working American man cocksuckers.

And blow up 'the media' anyway you can. Arguably the biggest failure of the Constitution is to give the 'media' such an easy way to lie, deceive, defame and destroy....yea, we know that is not quite the right way to go but the 'media' deserves a little , rude wake-up call as to what their mission is SUPPOSED to be--The Truth as it can best be discovered and told.

. The' media' as it exists today, is near worthless and dangerous.

Posted by: Lower Class person whose opinions need to be guided at February 26, 2016 08:21 PM (kBDXp)

698 @Ghost of Kari

Dude, you have SERIOUS anger issues. Get help. Jesus.

Posted by: JoeC at February 26, 2016 08:25 PM (Lcy/t)

699 PrimordialOrderedPair, the Old Hotair community went too hotgas.net if you want to know.

Ace has subtracted from the effectiveness of his case by putting APs name in the first line, and by pumping Trump's issues while trying to separate them from Trump's person, which doesn't work in politics.

And also, I note that Ace's guy Cruz would rather lose the nomination that adopt the issues that Trump is pushing that Ace happens to support.

Cheers all.

Posted by: RightWingYahoo at February 26, 2016 08:27 PM (nBWu8)

700 "If you vote Trump, you're basically voting for Caesar and the end of the Republic and screw you if you want that."

You sir are a fool.

PS - fuck you too

Posted by: Skeezix at February 26, 2016 08:29 PM (WnCSK)

701 690 Finally watched the Rubio video. Meh, I don't think it moves the dial. I don't even think it draws blood. We'll see what happens but I think the Trump Juggernaut just keeps rolling...
Posted by: Banana Splits Guy at February 26, 2016 07:59 PM (zRnNY)

_______________________

Forget Rubio. Forget Cruz.

Google Trump University

Watch the videos there.

Posted by: petunia at February 26, 2016 08:33 PM (VoCyE)

702 I am still not convinced that Trump is not a Clinton plant meant to make some very good ideas look bad and to facilitate her election to the WH. When he gets the nomination and he is facing Clinton, he will be handing it to her on a platter.

Posted by: jo at February 26, 2016 08:42 PM (yCjPs)

703 701 690 Finally watched the Rubio video. Meh, I don't think it moves the dial. I don't even think it draws blood.
__
We shall see. But Trump's numbers dropped in SC after the last debate.. And for the love of God will someone please get Trump to stop with the spray tan and orange dye job. His appearance, compared with just a few years ago before he started dying his hair, is really distracting

Posted by: Jane at February 26, 2016 08:42 PM (WaLr3)

704 Just got back from a night out with the lovely Mrs. MH top notch read ace. This is being forwarded

Posted by: Misanthropic Humanitarian at February 26, 2016 08:53 PM (voOPb)

705 Four things matter to me:

1. Who will fix the problem of illegals and open borders;
2. Who will stop immigration from areas where we cannot vet applicants;
3. Who knows how to get our market economy going again; and
3. When the next financial crisis comes, who has the experience to deal with it without throwing us into an even deeper depression.

Answers:

1. Trump
2. Trump
3. Trump
4. Trump

The rest, at this point in history, doesn't matter.

Posted by: EV at February 26, 2016 08:54 PM (VI8lX)

706 I think it is funny that Trump supporters actually think he is going to "build a wall" and make Mexico pay for it. All there signs are there that Trump is a co-man, yet Trump supporters want so badly to believe they are not being conned.

Posted by: Niveaxe at February 26, 2016 08:54 PM (M/G2t)

707 Conservatives defending the lying left-wing proggie marxist MSM.

That's an interesting twist.

Posted by: The Hot Gates at February 26, 2016 09:06 PM (KJZeR)

708 Does anyone know how annoying it is to have someone always saying "WATCH THIS VIDEO IT'LL BLOW YOUR MIND!!"

Posted by: Mr. Estrada at February 26, 2016 09:07 PM (Ux13j)

709 First, a very good rant. Most excellent analysis, especially ditching the slavish obedience to the CoC.
Second, The Trump is a Clinton plant. You just wait.
Finally, it's funny watching The Fat Man waddle around Trump's ankles quacking for attention.

Posted by: Man from Wazzustan at February 26, 2016 09:10 PM (ocw+t)

710 The Fat Man played a key role in getting Obama re-elected and now seems intent on setting up the GOP to get beaten by Hillary. Coincidence?

Posted by: Niveaxe at February 26, 2016 09:13 PM (M/G2t)

711 I just read that there is a serious attempt to start an Independent Party!!!!!

I am so relieved.

Maybe I will have a party.

All you moron graduates of Trump University... thanks for getting Hillary elected.

This sucks. But anything is better than Trump.

Posted by: petunia at February 26, 2016 09:26 PM (VoCyE)

712 Bravo Ace!

Posted by: Tominca at February 26, 2016 09:45 PM (Zy7Sb)

713 " Trump is stoopid because look at the rubes and serfs that are attracted
to someone so idiotic to spout nationalistic and populism for Joe
six-pack."

Trump is winning across all demographics in the last three states. Rubio had a higher percentage of his vote from "the highly educated", but Cruz had a lower percentage of "highly educated" than Trump. We all love the lowly educated.

But really, Trump had more in all categories in raw numbers. I have two degrees I never used, so not sure what that makes me. Relaxed I guess ... I think Trump will win and do a lot on trade and the border and America first ... Cruz is fine with me if he would win, I think he'd lose the general.

Will there be an announcement when Trump supporters are not welcome here? Or could we put skull and bones on our comments as a trigger warning maybe? I don't want to give anyone a heart attack.

Posted by: Illiniwek at February 26, 2016 10:07 PM (eUbDe)

714 Nicely stated Ace!

Posted by: Garym at February 26, 2016 10:23 PM (BasZO)

715 Oh, by the way. 714th!

Posted by: Garym at February 26, 2016 10:24 PM (BasZO)

716 Right now on the

amazing race

the participants are 'only'

social media 'couples'.........

trump had this all figured out,

we are pawns.

in the great fight!

Posted by: blogs ' r' us at February 26, 2016 10:25 PM (AG7GB)

717 this ..ace guy,

he's a rancher.............

Posted by: red meat dispenser at February 26, 2016 10:33 PM (AG7GB)

718 let's brand some cattle!

Posted by: the black flag ranch at February 26, 2016 10:34 PM (AG7GB)

719 I just read that there is a serious attempt to start an Independent Party!!!!!

I am so relieved.

Maybe I will have a party.

All you moron graduates of Trump University... thanks for getting Hillary elected.

This sucks. But anything is better than Trump.
Posted by: petunia at February 26, 2016 09:26 PM (VoCyE)
-----------
Unfortunately, Petunia we are not there yet. The system as it stands would allow the Dems. to win. Besides who would the 3rd Party candidate caucus with. Realistically we still have a Senate and Congress that is set up for a two Party system. Do the math. We just have to fix the Republican Party and choose wisely. Mitch must being seeing what a fiasco he has created by ignoring the Conservatives

Posted by: redridinghood at February 26, 2016 10:41 PM (7GQM/)

720 Cruz doesn't have to spend a dime that congress appropriates for the dept of education, for gun research at the CDC , he can reverse the EPAs decision that CO2 is a pollutant . He can enforce existing immigration law and deport illegals without allowing "the good ones" back . There is a great deal a president Cruz can accomplish without any senate support. Moreover there are other conservatives in congress and RINOs who will roll over for a presidential favors, that is enough to get conservative supreme court justices appointed. Donald wont change a thing except to make sure he isnt audited anymore and gets a big slurp at the federal trough .

Posted by: mr burns at February 26, 2016 10:46 PM (1Arcq)

721 and as for Hillary/

my goodness; she killed an ambassador.

on purpose.

Posted by: the black flag ranch at February 26, 2016 10:47 PM (AG7GB)

722 First, a very good rant. Most excellent analysis, especially ditching the slavish obedience to the CoC.
*****Second, The Trump is a Clinton plant. You just wait.********
Finally, it's funny watching The Fat Man waddle around Trump's ankles quacking for attention.

Posted by: Man from Wazzustan at February 26, 2016 09:10 PM (ocw+t)
----------------------
TRUMP: THE TROJAN DONKEY

Posted by: redridinghood at February 26, 2016 10:57 PM (7GQM/)

723 trump vs Clinton.

who's the biggest criminal?

it's shit or get off the pot time!

Posted by: the black flag ranch at February 26, 2016 10:57 PM (AG7GB)

724 Amen, Ace, Amen.

It has been very distressing to me to see you support (weakly, as you say, but even so) Trump, and I am very glad to see you dump Trump. You hit the nail on the head - Trump has hit on some important truths on a few subjects, and policies that need to be thought through, but he is not the person to do it. Clever politicians - and Cruz and Rubio are both very clever - should be able to co-opt the most important items and propose them in a palatable and practical way so that they have a chance of actually being implemented.

I know you still don't like Rubio. I do, despite his positions not being perfect. He simply has not spent as much time and effort as Reagan thinking and formulating arguments. But his instincts (immigration notwithstanding) are sound, and he can be trained up, because he listens to conservatives, and he does think. And, mostly, he has Reagan's gift for communicating, and convincing. He is very, very good.

Cruz has done the thinking, and I'd be very happy with him, but he lacks Rubio's natural connection with voters, so I see his path to the nomination and through the general as being more difficult.

But I am happy to support either Cruz or Rubio. But not Trump. Please, not Trump. Unfortunately, I fear it is too late and we'll have the dubious privilege of choosing between Clinton and Trump.

How about Perry 3rd party in 2016?

Posted by: BrianF at February 26, 2016 11:00 PM (B3b+f)

725 "We just need someone capable of coherent persuasion to adopt them."
Good luck. If a billionaire with 100% name ID and this level of media savvy fails, no one will ever try again.

"if you just want a guy ranting who never actually does anything, because
he's brought no one along to his line of thinking"
According to four primaries and massive polling leads in a majority of the next states up, he's brought quite a few people along to his line of thinking.

This is no time to go wobbly. Buck up.

Posted by: Megan at February 26, 2016 11:11 PM (bxsZE)

726 we're wait'n on the mardhall.

should be by in a couple o'days.

(with such passion, how can you all be losing?)

Posted by: the black flag ranch at February 26, 2016 11:12 PM (AG7GB)

727 I agree with Ace, but the problem is: we ("Trumpers") have been saying this for 6 months now, and none of the other candidates has taken us up on it. Ann Coulter said almost out of the gate: if you don't like Trump, steal his issue. No takers. So it's either vote Trump or stay home, isn't it?

Posted by: joeclark77 at February 26, 2016 11:20 PM (pul9j)

728 Perry was our only chance. If we cant have him, I dont want anybody to win

fucking negative losers

Posted by: gfy at February 26, 2016 11:35 PM (jOxVV)

729 I keep seeing this argument. "Oh, I love some of Trump's ideas, but he's not a serious candidate and he just needs to go away now that we've started talking about these ideas on his terms."

Let me present an alternate situation. Trump talks about these things, but polls at 6% like you guys would prefer.

Do you think that would move the needle a single notch in the direction you'd prefer on these issues? No, of course it wouldn't.

Trump is only able to alter the conversation on these issues because he's winning. If he were pulling Kasich numbers, none of the other candidates would care enough to try to woo away his voters. They'd be totally happy to let him have his 6% while arguing about who would negotiate the best terms of surrender to the Democrats.

So, if you really like where Trump is taking the national conversation on these issues, I don't see how you can then consider it a logical choice not to support him as a candidate.

Posted by: Prothonotary Warbler... Ask not for whom The Donald Trumps. at February 26, 2016 11:49 PM (0OG8D)

730 And by gosh we're gonna let them earn an honest dollar! And the best way to do that is to China something trade.

Look, as soon as you assholes propose putting a tariffs on foreign on oil to protect Texas, and corn subsidies in the form of ethanol and every other protectionist racket, I'll believe you if at least for consistency's sake. Might be a little more expensive to live this honest livin' life.

FFS. Protectionism is such facile thinking couched in terms of the noble working man. Why not Unions then? They protect jobs and wages. Righ?

Posted by: TheShoe at February 27, 2016 12:01 AM (3C3tW)

731 Our worldwide trade imbalance cuts both ways against us. Sure, we can
buy a 42" LCD TV for like $200, thanks to slave labor in Chinese prison
camps, and it's a damn good thing, too, since so many of us are on
welfare because there are no jobs available here.

Meanwhile,
Gillette is more than happy to sell a Mach3 razor blade in India for
like 11 cents, because they know they can make it up by charging
Americans $6 for the same damn thing (these numbers might not be
completely accurate, but the general idea is).

It's a complex issue, and tariffs might have to be part of the solution. I'm not an economist, though, so I don't know.

Posted by: Prothonotary Warbler... Ask not for whom The Donald Trumps. at February 27, 2016 12:23 AM (0OG8D)

732 Aw, ya upset, Ace? Got a problem? Well, then maybe you shouldn't have shilled for Trump and deflected criticism of him for months on end. A lot of other people warned you what a problem Trump would be, and you were content to ignore them for some lame-ass reason. Excuse me if I don't take your latest whine to heart. I prefer to listen to bloggers who aren't monumental hacks and hypocrites.

But hey, at least you managed to torch the reputation you once had. Ya got that going for you, buddy.

Posted by: top116 at February 27, 2016 12:35 AM (Wn+fE)

733 Ace -
I agree with you that the "smart set" can't just be told to "get in line" and I agree that many won't. They are traditionally a important part of the coalition. However, the bedrock of any elite class is perceived competence and a genuine (as opposed to feigned) concern for the general welfare. Having demonstrated themselves to be totally lacking in either category and given us years of failed candidates and failure theater - what they CAN be told is that they aren't getting their way. THIS TIME they do not win. No one is going to force anyone to get in line, they can do as they please.

Posted by: CastleP at February 27, 2016 12:39 AM (7+oeE)

734 I truly love the establishment savants like Limbaugh and blogs like this. Tacitly endorse Trump for months (by lack of condemnation) for purely calculated reasons then suddenly lose your nerve and bail en masse at the dawn of victory. Vote with your hearts for once and not your poisoned brains. You don't want to wind up late in life even more bitter than the rest of us for picking against the wrong side

Posted by: Pool fun at February 27, 2016 12:47 AM (B+DbH)

735 >> 115 Trumpians are staring to remind Me of Ron Paulians....
>> Posted by: donna at February 26, 2016 05:55 PM

Fucking Trumpians. Say what you want about the tenets of Paula's, but at least its an ETHOS.

--

Seriously, most Paulians went for the son (and they weren't that committed), and now are going for Cruz. I mean the whole point of Paulians was strict adherence to the principles of liberty- that is not Trump.

I will not vote for Trump in the general election. Because if its going to burn, I'd rather the Dems do the burning.

Posted by: Patrick Henry, the 2nd at February 27, 2016 12:49 AM (jTy8z)

736 That's Trump in a nutshell: he's a caricature of a Republican.

More than that: he's what the leftwing media like to think a Republican is.

And his supporters love it.

You know what? Screw it.

Let the GOP drive off the cliff with Donald. It's a foregone conclusion he will lose them the Senate, the White House, and the Supreme Court, but it will be fun finding out if he can lose the House of Representatives for them as well.

Burn it all down, Donald. Let's all graduate from Trump University this fall.

Posted by: TallDave at February 27, 2016 01:02 AM (74ZYB)

737 Thank heaven. Welcome back, Ace. Trump is madness. Insanity. Suicide.

That he has stolen some issues worth talking about is no excuse. He can't be trusted. Anyone who does trust him is willfully blinded, or worse.

Posted by: DriveBy at February 27, 2016 01:36 AM (C9Vc8)

738 #734: You know what I truly love? The fact that Cruzentologists are now coming out of the woodwork and castigating Ace for finally agreeing with them 100% (because he "took too long"), while Trumpkins like me, who he just told to eat a balls, are still being polite and respectful to him.

Posted by: Prothonotary Warbler... Ask not for whom The Donald Trumps. at February 27, 2016 01:42 AM (0OG8D)

739 Right on 738. They're ideologues man. I voted Dem most of my life mostly just cause the GOP guys are ALL such cretins. Major pity for anyone who spends any amount of time either by trade or by choice having to "Be A Republican." How brutally exhausting it must be to constantly lose. You're all in a collective Stockholm syndrome that time after time you talk yourselves into supporting these utterly useless phony slobs like Rubio and Cruz who every single time (like, come on guys, it's every single time) let you down, fuck you over or worse. Tut tut all you want for now but when it comes down to crunch time you all better show up with everything you got in support

Posted by: Pool fun at February 27, 2016 02:07 AM (rdkic)

740 Seriously, Top116... you're hating on Ace for only deciding today that he's 100% on your side. What'll you say to someone who waits until tomorrow, or the next day, to decide he's with you?

Way to grow your coalition, dipshit.

Posted by: Prothonotary Warbler... Ask not for whom The Donald Trumps. at February 27, 2016 02:13 AM (0OG8D)

741 #737: Nope, I just recognize the simple fact that he takes the conversation nowhere on those issues unless he's winning.

The instant he's not winning, the GOP goes right back to peeing on us and telling us it's raining.

Posted by: Prothonotary Warbler... Ask not for whom The Donald Trumps. at February 27, 2016 02:20 AM (0OG8D)

742 #739: Oh, are you a Democrat who's crossed party lines to support Trump? Welcome aboard! The blog I've linked in my nickname might be a good place for you to talk with like-minded people, if you haven't been there already.

Posted by: Prothonotary Warbler... Ask not for whom The Donald Trumps. at February 27, 2016 02:25 AM (0OG8D)

743 One thing that I think Trump doesn't get enough credit for is that he does have a clear list of deliverables. He flip flops around the edges but the core stuff he repeats over and over again. In 2020 if President Trump hasn't built a wall, improved health care, brought jobs back, removed common core, and buffed up the second amendment, he'll be walking face first into a barrage of "read my lips" type ads.

When I listen to Rubio I kind of get the sense he's planning to fuck me over and avoid accountability. All of the New American Century stuff is vague enough that it's going to be impossible to pin him down in the future as to whether he actually did what he promised.

I appreciate Cruz's attempts to pander to me but it's gotten a little over the top and therefore hard to believe that he's serious. If I understand his latest proposal from the debate he's not only going to round up every single illegal immigrant and forcibly deport them from the country, he's also going to mark them all (I assume in a database) and never allow them back into the United States ever again.

I'm on board with that as a policy matter but it's so far out of whack with anything he's said or done before that it's hard to believe he's serious about following through. I guess what I'm saying is that for me to start getting enthusiastic about Cruz I'm going to need to see him up his bullshitting game.

Posted by: Jake at February 27, 2016 02:47 AM (cS6ts)

744 Only a matter of time I suppose . . .

Ace, I loved this site and have visited for years. Posted rarely, but lurked almost daily. You're a great writer; however, this is one of the most disappointing articles that you have ever written. For the past couple of years, you seemed to become revolted by sometimes having to shovel Establishment bullshit to your readers. You adopted 'let it burn' as your mantra - actually, a healthy step in the right direction. You talked about how the Corker bill in the Senate where Republicans pretended to oppose Obama's Iran deal was your moment of turning your back on being a mercenary for a corrupt political class.

What happened?

You are obviously intelligent and perceptive, so it is difficult to accept that you cannot see how the Republican party is drowning in corruption. Yet you appear not to notice what this party has been doing to this country for a long time. Articles like this indicate really only several possibilities: (1) you have no idea what the Republican party has been doing in the name of "Conservatism" for years; (2) you are crestfallen that you're preferred candidate - Cruz - will not win and you are giving up; or (3) you simply sold out.

Sorry to be harsh, but you've painted yourself into a corner here. Trump has a real shot at the nomination and he has so much in common with Reagan that it is uncanny. The bitter irony of the conservative fight for decades has culminated in a landmark moment where the game gets changed in favor of the American people away from the rapacious interests that have used Conservatives for their own nefarious ends, and all of those hoping for a new morning in America are too fucking blind to see that something amazing is happening right in front of their eyes. "True Conservatives" are going to miss the moment they have been waiting for, while so many in the country turns toward a much brighter future. Sad.

Moving toward a more just society is going to take courage on everyone's part to be willing to say "no" to the bullshit, including bullshit with a Conservative label on it. Before you started flacking for Cruz, you were in that place - the place where you demanded that Republican party stop giving away this country. So you picked the wrong horse - get over it. The time is now for you to choose what you will stand for.

The more cynical view is that your 'let it burn'-phase was a sophisticated ploy to build the trust of your readers. Maybe your "flirtation" with Trump was a con too. Direct opposition to Trump's message is met with hostility by an angry electorate, so maybe you feign interest - say some nice things, but always include just enough barbs to keep you tied to your main purpose. Maybe you figure that you spring your trap at a critical point. So what do you do? You pretend to be offended at Trump's antics and baffled by his positions, and then Make a Responsible Decision to walk away. If that's your game, rest assured that many are not fooled.

This election season has been so revealing because it has shown that most of the conservative punditocracy is intellectually bankrupt and is mostly serving the interests of the Corporate Class you have pilloried so effectively in the past. You stand at a a crossroads, sir. You can be like the Allahpundits of the world - sell-outs who use their talents for persuasion to manipulate, instead of tell the truth. There is reward in that, but it is so fleeting and really isn't worth it. Or, you can open your eyes and write what is true, even if you have to lose something on the way. What you lose in way of prestige or honor from the punditocracy, you gain in the satisfaction of knowing that you built something with your talents.

Know this, though, if you want to be just another Allahpundit, your influence and the influence of this blog will go the way of the National Reviews of the world. People are tired of being lied to.

Posted by: Turkey O Tooley at February 27, 2016 03:02 AM (kwHPo)

745 So in other words Trump is the best answer.

Posted by: Jose at February 27, 2016 03:30 AM (5+Cnb)

746 399 Why doesn't the country just split up? We could have the Liberal States of America, unarmed, weak, and full of the unemployed and the ignorant, and the Conservative States of America, full of hard-working heavily armed intelligent people.
Posted by: DONALD TRUMP at February 26, 2016 06:35 PM (0vdts)

Assuming that you're not trolling, there's a simple reason why. Whatever you want to call them; the deadbeat Left will never let it. Look at how your former always move towards the latter despite the regional and cultural contempt. Takers need makers. It's the eternal Yanqui Go Home But Take Me With You.

Posted by: BuddyPC at February 27, 2016 04:21 AM (mIQJh)

747 so tired of this. i am profoundly gifted with an ivy league phd and trump is fine with me but the totality of the world's mediocrity needs to signal their smartness by heaping scorn on trump.

trump is more prepared to be president than rubio and cruz (as well as obama was when he ran). he is a 70 yo guy who knows a lot about the world. he doesn't care to spout conservative dogma that one can train 10 year olds to do (which people actually do and conservatives cheer.). so what?

this is such a hysterical overreaction. you need to wait for tuesday results and, if cruz is no more viable, move to trump. rubio must be stopped, otherwise we will all be much worse off than a year ago - worse than if jeb already won it all.

currently, the only viable proponent of the lessons of trumpism is trump, so you need to suck it up and get on board - no lessons of trump will be learned unless trump wins. if the field coalesced around perry 6 months ago that would have been one thing. but it didn't and now is not the time for anguish.

Posted by: ace needs a spanking at February 27, 2016 05:58 AM (h6rSr)

748 Finally, Ace.

I knew you'd come around

Posted by: Uncle Rick at February 27, 2016 08:27 AM (gugzg)

749 some thoughtful comments here toward the end ... thanks. too bad few will find them. No one else brought the trumpism messages to the forefront, and if the "establishment" plots with (or uses strategically) "conservative inc" and gets rid of him, most of that will die with Trump.

The angst will still be in the country, but without an agent in power, the establishment/globalists and their various elements of the shared power structure remains intact. The revolution is now. Not just borders, but trade, where Sessions has said only Trump has the real clear message.

And btw, it is now fashionable here to say Trump supports amnesty, in the form of touchback amnesty where they ALL come back. Trump has said "the good ones" go through the process and could come back. His site says: "Applicants for entry to the United States should be required to certify that they can pay for their own housing, healthcare and other needs before coming to the U.S."

Posted by: Illiniwek at February 27, 2016 08:41 AM (eUbDe)

750 A nation without borders is not a nation.

Yes, I will glady vote for Trump.

Posted by: Gestalt at February 27, 2016 10:34 AM (7oBis)

751 Ace is all butt-hurt because Trump insulted W about the Iraq debacle.

Posted by: mortimer snerd at February 27, 2016 10:37 AM (qnbZn)

752 I agree Ace. I was a Trump supporter until recently. I loved many things about his candidacy, his lack of a conservative record notwithstanding. But Scalia's death gave me pause. Who would he appoint? That's what started me backing off Trump. Your reasoning here is very good and adds to the pile.

Posted by: Random Thought Generator at February 27, 2016 12:47 PM (wLLbf)

753 Texas is the big prize Tuesday with 155 GOP delegates in play. Of these, 108 delegates come from 36 congressional districts.

Texas has a 50-20 rule (as do 7 other Super Tues. states).

A candidate needs at least 50 percent of the vote within a district to take its three delegates, or the delegates are divided among candidates who get at least 20 percent of the vote.

Texas also has 47 at-large delegates. If someone gets a majority of the statewide vote, they get all 47 at-large delegates; if not, the delegates are divided among the candidates who hit the 20 percent threshold.

In 2012, Mitt Romney was able to leverage his Super Tuesday popular vote showing of 38 percent into controlling a majority of the delegates selected on Super Tuesday. Cruz must win Texas and do well across the board to remain viable.

Rubio is currently running at 18.2 in the rcp poll, Cruz leads with 34.0, Trump's at 26.8 (taken 2/25).

A Monmouth poll taken 2/22-2/24 shows Cruz pulling in 38% of likely Texas Republican primary voters. Donald Trump and Marco Rubio are in a fight for second place in Texas according to this latest poll with Trump at 23% and Rubio at 21%.

Trump will be hit hard in media buys before the vote, so Rubio could close the gap in Texas.

Currently the delegate count is:

Trump 81
Cruz 17
Rubio 17

Just saying.

Insty had a good tweet line today:

"This is not one of those times when a correct understanding of what is going on necessarily makes for happiness."

Posted by: Shanks for the memory at February 27, 2016 01:08 PM (9HNfr)

754 Excellent article Ace.

Posted by: I'd rather be surfin at February 27, 2016 02:51 PM (LJRhX)

755 A lot of Trump supporters are going to be very, very sorry if he wins and he reverts to his liberal, big government, anti gun, illegal immigrant hiring self. It is going to be a very rough four/eight years. I just hope people wake up and soon.

Posted by: MassJim at February 27, 2016 03:01 PM (9D8EB)

756 @747 and 744

Dead on. Bravo

Posted by: CastleP at February 27, 2016 04:08 PM (7+oeE)

757 The Trumpettes scare me like 0bamabots scared me in 2008. I really can't believe what Im seeing.

The only true honest Conservative with a record is Cruz and both sides have spent so long calling him a liar that the rubes are falling for it in numbers that are unbelievable.

It also once again shines the light on a broken nomination procedures that over and over Liberals decide upon our candidate then after the nomination is over is then attacked mercilessly. remember "Maverick"? Until the GOP ends this open primary caucus BS we are screwed.

Posted by: ETS at February 27, 2016 04:39 PM (CUhVI)

758 Ace is wrong. http://moneyrunner.blogspot.com/2016/02/ace-of-spades-is-wrong.html

Posted by: Moneyrunner at February 27, 2016 04:39 PM (q+kb4)

759 Democrats are throwing this election anyway. SHillry will be indicted and Bernie is fn Socialist for gods sake.

Would you want to be POTUS and take the entire blame from the leftwit media for 0bama's Wiemar Republic style economic policies?

Bush took the entire hit and still does for the Housing crash that was created by Jimmy Carter then put on steroids by Bill Clinton called The Community Reinvestment Act.

The leftists in Hollywierd made a movie called "Short" recently and repeated the same "subprime" code words a thousand times yet never one time mentioned the Democrat Law called CRA which forced the banks to give these loans to people unqualified to get them..

Pure propaganda and a complete rewriting of history.

Posted by: ETS at February 27, 2016 04:47 PM (CUhVI)

760 Hey Ace,

You have lost it, what's left of your mind.

You have sunk to the depths of pajama boy stupidity, coupled with GOPe ass licking. Your a butt hurt pathetic ranting lunatic.

You have so totally bought into "conservative purity" as defined by the establishment that you have forgotten what you are supposed to be conserving.

This blog is useless, adios sucker.

Posted by: captnjoe at February 27, 2016 05:22 PM (gmL0e)

761 tl:dr

Posted by: gfy at February 27, 2016 11:39 PM (jOxVV)

762 If only we could have Fascism without Mussolini . . . that'd be great.

Posted by: Attila Girl at February 27, 2016 11:50 PM (HI1YC)

763 So what's the point? Just raise the white flag and shut the website down. What is there to talk about before or after November if defeat has already been conceded?

The tone has shifted dramatically here in the last week and it's quite surprising.

Posted by: Skeezix at February 27, 2016 11:55 PM (WnCSK)

764 This is the great Ace that people have mentioned? Just another RINO. I'm out, go with Rubio or Cruz, that great conservative who said in 2013, that he wanted immigration reform to pass.

Posted by: dougx at February 28, 2016 12:05 AM (ssrks)

765 This explains perfectly why I never trusted Trump: while I appreciated the chaos he injected into the Republican debate, he has been unable to convince me that he's trustworthy. One day he's espousing the conservative viewpoint, the next, he's proclaiming the liberal one. And he's always been slimy as heck.

Now that he seems so inevitable in becoming the Republican nominee, I have resigned myself to the fact that I'll be supporting the Libertarian candidate, likely Gary Johnson, this time around, because I simply cannot bring myself to voting for a Democrat in elephant's clothing, any more than I can vote for a felon or a socialist. The damage to this country, and to the only viable vehicle we have for conservatism and liberty, would span generations.

While there are parallels of Trump's rise to that of Reagan's, there are also important orthogonalities: Trump can't explain conservatism the way Reagan did, for one; and Trump never supported a major conservative politician, for another; for yet another, Trump doesn't have years of work explaining why conservatism is the better alternative.

Your post, Ace, gives me some hope that perhaps Republican primary voters are coming to their senses...but if not...I think we all would do well to remember that the Libertarian party isn't Establishment, at all!

Posted by: Alpheus at February 28, 2016 12:24 AM (Z1f+6)

766 This is the great Ace that people have mentioned? Just another RINO...
Posted by: dougx at February 28, 2016 12:05 AM (ssrks)

At what point do you realize that everyone in the GOP is somehow a RINO but you, and that you'd be better off admitting that you're not a Republican at all? Honest and fair question there.

It's like a 40 year old man declaring himself a "real" Girl Scout and denouncing the fakers in his troop as "GSINOs."

Posted by: LastSaneMan at February 28, 2016 12:33 AM (XIUzL)

767 i am sure you all prefer the teleprompter in chief and his carefully worded falsehoods to someone with the platform (stolen from every media and supposed non-media type alike), I.E. EVERYONE and the utter cojones to express what may "offend" the tender sensibilities of all of you collectively, media and (HA!) non-media . I like him, he gets to the bottom of an issue and solves problems.

Posted by: the Artman at February 28, 2016 08:24 PM (Kcflc)

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