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Ken M

Mountain climber

Los Angeles, Ca

Feb 29, 2016 - 12:24pm PT

when the issue of being able to lead, Conservative thought leaders have this:

Perhaps Bill Kristol’s wrongest and most consequential predictions were those involving the war in Iraq.

As an advocate of the Bush administration’s decision to invade Iraq, he said, among other things, that the war “could have terrifically good effects throughout the Middle East”; that Saddam Hussein was “past that finish line” in developing nuclear weapons; that “if we free the people of Iraq we will be respected in the Arab world.” He also said, “Very few wars in American history were prepared better or more thoroughly than this one by this president.” He predicted on C-SPAN that it would be a “two-month war, not an eight-year war.”

skcreidc

Social climber

SD, CA

Feb 29, 2016 - 12:31pm PT

If you haven't seen the John Oliver segment on Trump posted up by tuolumne_tradster, watch it.

High Fructose Corn Spirit

Gym climber

Feb 29, 2016 - 12:31pm PT

Ken M!!!1

"But as a registered Republican now, I am going to vote for Trump..."

"...and the reason is simple: So many people don't vote because they say there is no real choice between candidates, that both parties are the same, and there is no difference."

KenM!!!!1

JEleazarian

Trad climber

Fresno CA

Feb 29, 2016 - 12:32pm PT

Trump is the perfect candidate for the current state of broadcast "journalism." No one reports on substance, only on poll movements. This causes people to examine personalities rather than policy priorities. Trump's supporters say that "politicians" cause the problems. I grew up with the idea that politics is the art of the possible, and politicians bring divergent, seemingly contradictory, positions together in ways that people can live with, and therefore make governments work. I was raised with the idea that governments exist to foster compromise. Now, too many political purists, seemingly mostly on the right, view compromise as a sin.

Anyone who listened to the exchanges between Trump and Rubio in the last debate couldn't help but notice the complete absence of policy principles from Trump. His supporters don't care. They just want someone who doesn't seem to let polls guide him or her, who seems capable of making a deal, and who offers simple solutions to all problems.

For example, Trump says that he'll deal with ISIS by "bombing the hell out of them." That's certainly a simple solution to a complex problem, but only if you ignore history. His followers don't want to bother listening to someone like Victor Davis Hanson, who pointed out in his column yesterday that bombing, or any other armed intervention that is followed by a quick exit, has never helped resolve any United States foreign policy problem.

In short, at least to me, Trump offers an alternative to reality. In Trump's campaign rhetoric, every problem gets solved easily, to everyone's satisfaction, and at no one's (or at least no voter's) expense. It's a variant of Bernie's campaign, the only difference being that in Bernie's campaign, "the rich" pay for everything, but no one is a member of the set of "the rich."

I'm sorry, but I just cannot bring myself to support a Trump candidacy. The first election in which I took an active interest was 1960's Nixon-Kennedy contest. If there's anything I've learned in the 56 years since, it's this: elections without policy issues always favor Democrats. Trump may seem a breath of fresh air because he doesn't seem to temper his words, but the air I sense is poisonous.

John

dirtbag

climber

Feb 29, 2016 - 12:42pm PT

Another good post, John, and I agree with you about Bernie.

fear

Ice climber

hartford, ct

Feb 29, 2016 - 12:50pm PT

The modern US president is a figurehead at best. A good puppet that will do what he or she is told to do by their handlers.

Although there's no way to be certain, I felt that Obama, the man anyway, was a decent person at the start before reality struck. It's a no-win job that nobody would want except a foolish narcissist. You can almost see it in his eyes now that he knows what he cannot change.

Anyone who could truly make the changes necessary would be marginalized at the start, ignored, ridiculed, and ultimately simply erased if those tactics failed to end a honest person's run for the position.

Trump's no fool and no puppet and therefore has no interest in the job. What would it get him? So why the charade? The show must go on... and what a show it is.

I still think he's just pushing as hard as he can to jump the shark, but the funny thing is, it's not working! The comment about shooting someone was the tell... He's not that stupid.

pud

climber

Sportbikeville & Yucca brevifolia

Feb 29, 2016 - 01:04pm PT

For example, Trump says that he'll deal with ISIS by "bombing the hell out of them." That's certainly a simple solution to a complex problem, but only if you ignore history. His followers don't want to bother listening to someone like Victor Davis Hanson, who pointed out in his column yesterday that bombing, or any other armed intervention that is followed by a quick exit, has never helped resolve any United States foreign policy problem.

ISIS is not a "foreign policy problem".

They are here and working among us.
They are a threat to the American people on home soil.

JEleazarian

Trad climber

Fresno CA

Feb 29, 2016 - 01:13pm PT

ISIS is not a "foreign policy problem".

They are here and working among us.

I agree, pud. So how is "bombing the hell [I think he probably used a different noun] out of them" going to solve the problem?

That brings up a larger issue, though. Most foreign policy problems affect the United States internally, too.

John

pyro

Big Wall climber

Calabasas

Feb 29, 2016 - 01:16pm PT

Now that Pyro is obviously trolling...

I like him a little better...

EDITED:

But I liked him better one year, three months, two days and five hours ago...

Cry'n time again lucker

madbolter1

Big Wall climber

Denver, CO

Feb 29, 2016 - 01:26pm PT

Donald Trump is a racist. If you support him, you're fine with racism.

Your saying it doesn't make it so, anymore than my saying the Hillabeast is a criminal doesn't make it so. The evidence in both cases must be weighed.

Even if he is, I and MANY other Americans are convinced that she's a criminal, so:

Better a racist than a criminal in the WH!

crankster

Trad climber

No. Tahoe

Feb 29, 2016 - 01:29pm PT

Better a racist

Tell us something we didn't already know.

The evidence in both cases must be weighed.

Your bag is empty. Just hot air. No crimes, no legal action...zip. Just hokum conspiracy theories. Trump, meanwhile, leaves evidence of his bigotry every other sentence.

Here it is from a Republican strategist, Stuart Stevens:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/02/29/a-vote-for-donald-trump-is-a-vote-for-bigotry.html

pyro

Big Wall climber

Calabasas

Feb 29, 2016 - 01:34pm PT

Better a racist than a criminal in the WH!

the lesser of two evils

ontheedgeandscaredtodeath

Social climber

SLO, Ca

Feb 29, 2016 - 01:36pm PT

Trump has not said or done a single thing that is not fully in line with mainstream republican beliefs. Why wouldn't all republicans support him?

While one might bemoan the lack of substance republican primary it merely reflects the party itself, which for the past decade has done nothing but excrete butthurt over everything Obama says or does. It has offered not a single piece of real world legislation, foreign policy or anything else. At least Bush had the guts to actually lead, albeit catastrophically.

Norton

Social climber

Feb 29, 2016 - 01:38pm PT

Even if he is, I and MANY other Americans are convinced that she's a criminal, so:

and 85% of American adults believe that Etherial Spirits are real, as in Angels

wasn't very long ago that everyone on earth believed this planet was flat

point being that polling the population to support your personal bias is..well, BS

now stop being such an arrogant, know it all prick, it does not buy you any credibility

madbolter1

Big Wall climber

Denver, CO

Feb 29, 2016 - 01:40pm PT

but it isn't...

Right back atcha.

But that makes a double-negative.

Which is a positive.

So my logic must be sensible after all.

Double-stampie, no-erasie.

(Such is the "level" of "discussion" here.)

madbolter1

Big Wall climber

Denver, CO

Feb 29, 2016 - 01:44pm PT

now stop being such an arrogant, know it all prick

Right back atcha.

I'm not arguing FROM that fact that MANY Americans think she's a criminal. My point is that MANY Americans are not so partisan that they cannot interpret the clear facts as they are publicly known.

As I said before, simply compare publicly posted legal statutes against the Hillabeast's KNOWN behaviors, and there is no other conclusion to draw.

This is not an ad populum fallacy nor a partisan perspective. Could the Demoncrats find the balls to put up Bernie, I would prefer him over Trump. But you commit to the witch, and MANY of us are not gonna go for it!

pud

climber

Sportbikeville & Yucca brevifolia

Feb 29, 2016 - 01:45pm PT

So how is "bombing the hell [I think he probably used a different noun] out of them" going to solve the problem?

I don't think anyone ever said it would solve the problem but, it does damage their ability to coordinate attacks.

There are no peace talks with ISIS. We are the infidels and must be eliminated.
It's us or them. That's a fact.