Presidential race 2016

[Duchess]

Personally, I don't believe he knows where he stands on most of the major issues

He doesn't have a clue and when people persist in their questioning, as they should, he cries he is being treated unfairly. He can't even handle being asked what his own comments mean when he is asked to elaborate. His ridiculous interview with the editorial board of the Washington Post should have answered every question anyone had about him and his competence to be POTUS.

[HairOfTheDog]

Personally, I don't believe he knows where he stands on most of the major issues

He doesn't have a clue and when people persist in their questioning, as they should, he cries he is being treated unfairly. He can't even handle being asked what his own comments mean when he is asked to elaborate. His ridiculous interview with the editorial board of the Washington Post should have answered every question anyone had about him and his competence to be POTUS.

It always cracks me up when he pulls out the, "I wasn't treated fairly" claim and excuse.

Being treated with the same expectations as other presidential contenders, in terms of subject matter knowledge and coherent positions, is apparently not fair in Trump's eyes (especially when he doesn't like the questions or makes a mistake).

I switched on CNN for a minute last night and actually found myself in agreement with Glenn Beck.

Beck essentially said that Trump was just making it up as he goes along, even though he's been considering running since the 90s.

[Blindgreed1]

Well, if you were watching CNN, they're political analysts and strategists sal.

And, as far as not expecting a presidential candidate to have coherent policies on key issues and giving Trump a pass by blaming it on the media or anyone else, I think even most of the blondest of bimbos would consider that like, er, really really dim.

So..........if Donald Trump disagrees with Pro-Life leaders and his party's stance on the punishment aspect of the abortion issue, as his comments last night would indicate, it's a weak and cowardly move not to stand by his statement and pretend like he was tricked or something. It doesn't appear Pro-Life leaders and Republican leaders are buying the deflection anyway.

If he instead believes the opposite of what he said last night and is actually in agreement with Pro-Life leaders and Republican leaders, as his flip flop statement today would indicate, then he should own his yuge mis-statement last night and take the hits without trying to blame other people for it.

Personally, I don't believe he knows where he stands on most of the major issues and he just lets pliable people decide what he REALLY meant in accordance with what they personally believe and want him to mean. He can just write off every lie, flip-flop, and batshit contention/proposal as "non-PC" or a media set-up.......and some of his followers will continue to swallow it.

But, I won't be surprised if Cruz takes Wisconsin next week and Kasich isn't too far behind Trump there. I believe Trump already hit his peak. I think Trump started losing some of his more thoughtful supporters with his rally rhetoric giving props to violence. Since then, his incoherence on foreign policy topics, along with several antics and statements which are hard for confident women to overlook, have cost him with the female voter base (which he needs).

I think he'll keep making the same types of mistakes because he doesn't seem to learn from them or own them, and it will keep costing him. I no longer feel confident that Trump will be the Republican nominee and won't be surprised if Cruz has narrowed the gap and Kasich has stolen some of Trumps supporters too by the time the Republican convention rolls around.

Makes him sound more like a professional politician.

[Duchess]

I switched on CNN for a minute last night and actually found myself in agreement with Glenn Beck.

I must have fallen asleep before Glenn came on.

I've seen quite a few Republicans who are just beside themselves with worry & concern where Trump and the state of the Republican party are concerned. I've even had a couple of moments of feeling sorry for them but it passes.

[HairOfTheDog]

Makes him sound more like a professional politician.

Not to my ears. I generally know where politicians stand on key issues. While some of them change their stances on some of the issues over time, I can't think of any politician who changes his/her positions by the day and sometimes by the hour.

[Duchess]

Why is Donald Trump talking about maybe using nuclear weapons when he's President? Why? Somebody please make him stop this shit. I'd vote for the devil before I voted for that fuckin' tool.

[sally]

Well, if you were watching CNN, they're political analysts and strategists sal.

And, as far as not expecting a presidential candidate to have coherent policies on key issues and giving Trump a pass by blaming it on the media or anyone else, I think even most of the blondest of bimbos would consider that like, er, really really dim.

I know they are political analysts, they just annoy me in the same way as Ann Coulter does. I'd rather listen to Gilbert Gottfried.

As far as having coherent policies I've heard them all say things that I thought were ridiculous. Donald Trump is the least one I'd expect to have solid answers because he's fucking Donald Trump, not a politician. I don't recall giving him a pass on anything other than saying that they intentionally cut out the part where he was asked if abortion were made illegal.

On a side note my only beef with your wordy posts is that I have to trim them.

[Duchess]

I haven't thought about Ann Coulter in a long time. She's been remarkably quiet through all this.

[Blindgreed1]

Makes him sound more like a professional politician.

Not to my ears. I generally know where politicians stand on key issues. While some of them change their stances on some of the issues over time, I can't think of any politician who changes his/her positions by the day and sometimes by the hour.

So the amount of time one takes to flip flop on an issue is relevant? Not sure I understand why. It's not like ANY politician these days thinks for him/herself. They have a team of experts behind them leading them every step of the way.

[HairOfTheDog]

Sal, I was talking more about the Trump staffers, Trump himself and the Trump spokespersons/strategists on those news shows who say, "well, he's not a politician!", or "the media is mean to him!", "or he's not treated fairly!", or "he's just counter punching!", or he's "just being authentic and non-PC" whenever Trump screws up and gets called out. Any other presidential candidate who made some of the statements he's made would get called out too.

For me, it's appropriate to expect solid answers or an honest "I'm unsure at this time" from any presidential candidate addressing voters on a key issue. There's no logical reason to lower that reasonable and minimal expectation for Donald Trump just because he's never held a political office before. He's seeking the highest political position in the world. If he's not qualified or experienced enough to answer simple policy questions, then he's gonna get the hits.

Anyway, if Trump simply wasn't prepared to espouse his views on abortion, he and his campaign really dropped the ball. He used to be "very pro-choice", according to his own interviews. Now he's "pro-life". His competitors have used that reversal to support their claims that he's not really a conservative for months and months. This isn't a new issue for him.

The other day Ann Coulter told pro-Trump Briebart network that Trump is mental. She said defending him is like constantly trying to bail your 16-year-old out of prison. I don't think she's taken back her endorsement, but it seems like it's getting harder and harder for his high profile supporters to defend him.

[Blindgreed1]

Sal, I was talking more about the Trump staffers, Trump himself and the Trump spokespersons/strategists on those news shows who say, "well, he's not a politician!", or "the media is mean to him!", "or he's not treated fairly!", or "he's just counter punching!", or he's "just being authentic and non-PC" whenever Trump screws up and gets called out. Any other presidential candidate who made some of the statements he's made would get called out too.

For me, it's appropriate to expect solid answers or an honest "I'm unsure at this time" from any presidential candidate addressing voters on a key issue. There's no logical reason to lower that reasonable and minimal expectation for Donald Trump just because he's never held a political office before. He's seeking the highest political position in the world. If he's not qualified or experienced enough to answer simple policy questions, then he's gonna get the hits.

Anyway, if Trump simply wasn't prepared to espouse his views on abortion, he and his campaign really dropped the ball. He used to be "very pro-choice", according to his own interviews. Now he's "pro-life". His competitors have used that reversal to support their claims that he's not really a conservative for months and months. This isn't a new issue for him.

The other day Ann Coulter told pro-Trump Briebart network that Trump is mental. She said defending him is like constantly trying to bail your 16-year-old out of prison. I don't think she's taken back her endorsement, but it seems like it's getting harder and harder for his high profile supporters to defend him.

I'm pretty sure he did that with the whole KKK and David Duke issue. He was roasted on a spit for that.

[Duchess]

The other day Ann Coulter told pro-Trump Briebart network that Trump is mental.

Holy shit. Hell froze over.

[HairOfTheDog]

The KKK is not a key voter issue, Gunnar.

And, any public figure who can't denounce the KKK with confidence at the drop of a hat deserves to be roasted on a spit for it.

Plus, Trump had denounced David Duke by name in the past, before he was running for president. I think Trump probably just wanted to check with his people first to see if he'd be alienating a significant portion of his supporters before denouncing him again. His hesitance to denounce Duke and the KKK immediately was extremely ignorant. I think that hesitation might have resulted in any other candidate being forced out of the race by voter/supporter desertion.

[sally]

Anyway, if Trump simply wasn't prepared to espouse his views on abortion, he and his campaign really dropped the ball. He used to be "very pro-choice", according to his own interviews. Now he's "pro-life". His competitors have used that reversal to support their claims that he's not really a conservative for months and months. This isn't a new issue for him.

Regarding the abortion issue only, I don't find it unreasonable to change your stance on it because it's one of the very few things I see as a grey area and not black and white. Trump has said that he changed to pro-life personally after speaking to doctors and a friend whose wife was going to have an abortion, but then he also said that he would ban it after a certain point in pregnancy with certain exceptions like rape, but not all together.

So has he come out somewhere and said that he would ban it entirely and I missed it? And in the interview last night when asked if abortion were outlawed were they talking about all abortions or just abortions after a certain point? I didn't hear them go into detail, but I didn't pay full attention.

And it was a stupid question anyway because of course you should face some type of punishment for doing something illegal. Why make it fucking illegal then.

[sally]

The other day Ann Coulter told pro-Trump Briebart network that Trump is mental.

Holy shit. Hell froze over.

Another reason for me to like him. If that stupid bitch says he's mental I'll go with the opposite.

[Blindgreed1]

The KKK is not a key voter issue, Gunnar.

And, any public figure who can't denounce the KKK with confidence at the drop of a hat deserves to be roasted on a spit for it.

Plus, Trump had denounced David Duke by name in the past, before he was running for president. I think Trump probably just wanted to check with his people first to see if he'd be alienating a significant portion of his supporters before denouncing him again. His hesitance to denounce Duke and the KKK immediately was extremely ignorant. I think that hesitation might have resulted in any other candidate being forced out of the race by voter/supporter desertion.

That completely contradicts what you just said, so yeah, You're on a roll. Clearly he wasn't prepared for the question and said more than once he'd like to be up to date before he made any comment. One minute it's acceptable to you, the next he must answer at the drop of a hat? Sounds like you just flip flopped on your issue within a matter of moments HoTD. Interesting indeed...

[HairOfTheDog]

I didn't say that changing from pro-choice to pro-life was a problem for me. I said it was fair enough.

I also didn't say that his statement about women having an illegal abortion being punished for it was a problem for me. Regardless of how I feel about it, it's certainly a problem for both Pro-life and Pro-choice advocates however.

What would be a problem for me if I was open to considering Trump is how he made a statement on a very serious key issue on Tuesday night, and then took an exact opposite position on the same issue the next day.

I think it's reasonable for voters to expect that he'd given the issues surrounding abortion and the Pro-life position a lot of serious consideration and been prepared to answer questions about it a long time ago. It's not a new issue and Trump knew his reversal was a subject of criticism by his competitors.

Now, who knows if he really meant what he said Tuesday night, or if he instead really meant what he said Wednesday morning? Not me. But, I'm not considering voting for him anyway.

[HairOfTheDog]

The other day Ann Coulter told pro-Trump Briebart network that Trump is mental.

Holy shit. Hell froze over.

Another reason for me to like him. If that stupid bitch says he's mental I'll go with the opposite.

Well, she also still says you should support Trump and vote for him.

[Duchess]

Another reason for me to like him.

Stop that!

[Duchess]

Well, she also still says you should support Trump and vote for him.

I'm seeing that a lot of Republicans are a very strange bunch. Very strange. Support & vote for someone you think is a headcase? What the fuck is that? Support and vote for someone who has spent several months insulting you, your capabilities, your family, etc. This is nutjob territory and doesn't make even a little bit of sense.