The Chronicles of Narcissist

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Umbran

Mod Squad
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And honestly, I'm sure a stronger response from Bush- citing Columba's rather impressive track record in the public eye- would have been a big rhetorical slap in Trump's face. It would have virtually sewn up the Latin GOP vote for him as far as non-Latino GOP candidates were concerned. Only Rubio or Cruz would have a chance. (And Cruz really doesn't have one.) Who else could touch him on this?

But, I'm guessing he doesn't feel a need to give Trump that slap. It is too early to bother. While Trump is high in the polls now, being high in the polls early on means *NOTHING*. If we accept that 1) Trump is apt to self-destruct on his own, and 2) Trump is likely not acceptable to the GOP party power structure, and 3) there's solid question whether Trump actually *wants* to be president, he's likely to be sunk by other means.

It is *early*. No candidate really needs to make decisive moves at this time. Jeb doesn't need to solidify the Latin vote now - if Rubio or Cruz isn't in the running after the debates, he'll have them anyway. And, by not engaging, he avoids any potshots Trump might choose to toss at him.

In terms of risk-benefit analysis, I don't think slapping Trump down right now is really worth it.
 

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The problem isn't whether or not Trump will self destruct. He will. The problem is that he will take a huge swath of the GOP with him. At this point, Hilary is guaranteed two terms, and by the time Temp gets through, ISIS will be able to run an a candidate with the slogan "Sharia law for all! Death to white Christians!" and that candidate will beat out any republican candidate.
 


Dannyalcatraz

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But, I'm guessing he doesn't feel a need to give Trump that slap. It is too early to bother.

That's a failing in his part.

He and the other candidates have to be able to think and make tactical & strategic decisions on 2 fronts- the primary and the subsequent presidential election processes- simultaneously, or the GOP is as sunk as it was in 2012. It is early yet, but right now, the general Hispanic electorate is looking at the reactions of others in the GOP race regarding Trump and making decisions based on seeing a whole lot of nothing. Right now, the intellectuals & activists within the GOP are looking for signs of weakness, and calling the candidates out on what their eyes observe, and they're not impressed, either.

While Trump is high in the polls now, being high in the polls early on means *NOTHING*. If we accept that 1) Trump is apt to self-destruct on his own, and 2) Trump is likely not acceptable to the GOP party power structure, and 3) there's solid question whether Trump actually *wants* to be president, he's likely to be sunk by other means.

Already, guys like George Will are calling out their fellow conservatives on whackadoo theories, failing at the Latino outreach they said they needed in 2012, and the insanity of moving further to the right. Trump is pulling the entire field in that direction.

It is *early*. No candidate really needs to make decisive moves at this time. Jeb doesn't need to solidify the Latin vote now - if Rubio or Cruz isn't in the running after the debates, he'll have them anyway.
I guarantee you that if Jeb is the last man standing and doesn't have Rubio or Cruz as a running mate, Jeb's weak response to Trump so far will haunt him in commercials and presidential debates. The Dems see those 3 candidates as the only ones who can weaken THEIR hold on the Hispanic vote, and will gleefully chum those waters.
 

MechaPilot

Explorer
Trump running for president is a win for me. Comedy is one of the few things that consistently helps sustain me when I'm feeling low, and I love watching John Stewart tear into Trump.

Also, while I'm not overly fond of Hillary I do want to see what Bill would be up to as our country's first "First Gentleman" (or whatever he will be called).
 

Dannyalcatraz

Schmoderator
Staff member
Supporter
Apparently, Jeb took some calcium pills today- from CBS:

The GOP's current establishment front-runner, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, has also weighed in on what he called Trump's "extraordinarily ugly types of comments."

"He's not a stupid guy, so I don't assume that he thinks every Mexican crossing the border is a rapist," Bush told reporters Saturday in New Hampshire. "So he's doing this to inflame and to incite and to draw attention to his campaign, which seems to be his organizing principle of his campaign, and it doesn't represent the Republican Party or its values."
 

What do you think are Rubio's fatal flaws?
Besides being republican? :p
But seriously, I think it's more of a republican fatal flaw regarding Rubio. There is this idea that Rubio is somehow going to attract "hispanics" or "Latinos." Truth is, Rubio is far more divisive for "hispanics" and "Latinos" than republicans have blamed Obama for being. Rubio is of Cuban decent. The Cuban story is completely different than any other group of people lumped in to the "hispanic" or "Latino" categories. Cubans have a different experience in the U.S. I'm sure you've heard of the wet Feet - Dry feet policy. Any Cuban that makes it onto U.S. soil gets to stay and a year later they get to apply, and receive permanent resident status. They can then go ahead and become citizens some time later. No other group of "hispanics" or "Latinos" gets to do that. Everyone else remains an illegal immigrant. To others, the treatment that Cubans get is unfair. It appears to be preferential treatment for one particular group. It's also one of the smaller groups of people that fit into the "Hispanic" and "Latino" categories.
So the republican idea is that this guy who is young1 and relatable to "hispanics" and "Latinos." Except, he isn't actually relatable. He is a sign of republican hypocrisy. Republicans rant against illegal immigration, but here is a group of people who is not only encouraged, but rewarded for illegally coming into the U.S. And not a single republican has spoken out against this policy. Worst of all, now that the Obama administration is trying to normalize relations with Cuba, you get people like Rubio saying how evil an idea that is. To other "Hispanics/Latinos" it seems more as if Rubio is trying to keep the status quo with Cuba because normalizing relations with Cuba might lead to Cubans losing their preferred immigration status.
The republican party might be looking at Rubio as their great "Hispanic" hope, but he isn't. He will just remind others how their family and friends are seen as Trump put it, being rapist, while Cubans are given everything. Not rally the image republicans think Rubio is putting out.

Then there is the whole Braman funding thing. Norman Braman is one of the local billionaires who has supported Rubio over the years. By supported I don't only mean given to his political campaigns. The guy has given fake jobs and paid Rubio and his wife. He pretty much owns Rubio. You may not have seen much about that yet, but let Rubio get a bit more traction, and you'll see it all over the news.

On a personal note, I can't stand Rubio because of his amazing hypocrisy. He is the guy that when he was in the Florida legislature, pushed to cut higher education funding. I remember at my university a lot of programs were cut. They were completely eliminated. Lots of universities had to cut funding. Then, as soon as he left the Florida legislature, he took a "job" at my university "co-teaching" a class. He got paid something like $70,000.00 to co-teach a class. If he was going to teach the class, great, but co-teach? Really? We could have probably hired a good professor for the kind of money Rubio is getting. One that would at least teach his own class.


[sblock=1]I was standing in line at the Starbucks at my university, and the guy is going bald. He also wears mom jeans, and his pants appear to be making a run for his chest, as do the pants of old men.[/sblock]
 

Apparently, Jeb took some calcium pills today- from CBS:

The GOP's current establishment front-runner, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, has also weighed in on what he called Trump's "extraordinarily ugly types of comments."

"He's not a stupid guy, so I don't assume that he thinks every Mexican crossing the border is a rapist," Bush told reporters Saturday in New Hampshire. "So he's doing this to inflame and to incite and to draw attention to his campaign, which seems to be his organizing principle of his campaign, and it doesn't represent the Republican Party or its values."
That must be some really weak calcium.
 

Dannyalcatraz

Schmoderator
Staff member
Supporter
1) yeah, I understand the Cuban thing.

2) didn't know about the Braman thing- that's the kind of thing I'm curious about

3) I expected the idiocy about higher education. It seems to be a thing in the GOP. See Wisconsin, Louisiana, and Kansas- and their relevant GOP candidates- right now.

4) yeah, Jeb really needs some megadoses.
 

1) yeah, I understand the Cuban thing.
See, you and I understand it, but I get the feeling that the GOP doesn't. To his credit, I think Rubio understands it, but is going along with the flow because it benefits him to rise in the ranks of his party. Rise to the Presidency? Nah. But I'm sure he can put himself in a comfy place where he can influence some people and some of the laws that will benefit him and his friends.

2) didn't know about the Braman thing- that's the kind of thing I'm curious about
Well, in that case, here is a New York Times article about it, and here is a Tampa Bay Times article about his wife and the great work she did for a "charitable" foundation run by Braman.

3) I expected the idiocy about higher education. It seems to be a thing in the GOP. See Wisconsin, Louisiana, and Kansas- and their relevant GOP candidates- right now.
Yup, it's a republican thing. One of the first things I remember when Jeb became governor was Jeb cutting about 320 million dollars from higher education funding. He didn't stop there.

4) yeah, Jeb really needs some megadoses.
Part of the problem is something the GOP created themselves. They worked their constituents into such a fear fueled frenzy about topics such as immigration, that if a republican even dares to criticize another republican for some extremist view, the criticizing republican is automatically suspected of being a traitor and hell bent on destroying freedom. These rabid constituents turn on that republican and leave him a bloody mess who may not recover in time for the election.
 

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