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The Unstoppable Trump Juggernaut: How The GOP Establishment Hopes To Crush The Donald's Presidential Run
Over the past three months the scariest chart for the GOP establishment has only gotten scarier. We refer, of course, to the one below which compiles all the latest opinion polls on the Republican national primary and specifically the meteoric rise of its frontrunner: Donald Trump.
And while initial denial by virtually everyone, especially the so-called pundits none of whom anticipated Trump's unprecedented surge in the polls, turned slowly into much publicized anger, now comes the bargaining phase, and as Bloomberg political commentator Mark Halperin who admits spending "about 60 percent of my waking hours talking about Donald Trump" explores, the panicked GOP establishment is now scrambling to find ways to "stop" the Trump Juggernaut.
According to him, the core GOP and especially his republicans contenders, may attack Trump through four possible frames:
- Trump can’t be trusted because he is an egomaniac with a bad character.
- Trump is a liberal and unprincipled.
- Trump is not close to being fit to be a serious president or commander-in-chief.
- Trump is a politician, not a businessman/outsider.
On the strategy of Trump's GOP rivals:
"There is by no means consensus on which of these frames will work or how to flesh them out. One school of thought, according to my reporting, is to go with an amalgamation of 'deals and females,' on the theory that those are Trump's twin vices and the opposition could use those issues to at least pry away some parts of his current coalition and bring his poll numbers down closer to the pack. The hope is that should Trump's numbers go lower, he will get rattled, his aura of invincibility will dissipate, and his mojo will be disrupted."
On a potential timetable:
"... Barring some major unforeseen development, most Republican strategists now are resigned to deferring a climactic attempt to kill Trump until the field winnows down next spring. This scenario, of course, ignores the prospect that Trump could rack up so many victories in the meantime that his momentum would be difficult, or impossible, to stop."
On Trump’s advantage:
"In the modern era, the Republican nomination has been won by the combatant who is best at playing a game of kill-or-be-killed. In the end, becoming the standard bearer has not been about the daily polls, the staff hires, the policy speeches, the fundraising, the cattle calls, the promised agenda. It’s been about having the skill and confidence to stamp out anyone who threatens you.
However, none of this may apply: as Bloomberg observes, "with Trump, the rules have changed. So far, he has proven to be largely immune from attack, and also a master killer himself, with a unique political arsenal. With a few months to go before voters vote, Trump has squashed the poll numbers and personas of a host of his rivals, without resorting to significant traditional opposition research, paid media, or surrogates. He simply uses Instagram, Twitter, and his virtually unlimited access to the news media to unsheathe his sharp tongue, cutthroat sensibility, and unerring perverse humor. And Trump can shift to kill mode without strain or hesitation.
In fact, if anything Trump is rapidly schooling everyone, the media, his opponents, and the punditry, how presidential elections in the New Normal should be run:
When media outlets and pundits exclaim that he’s gone too far, Trump is never sorry, never accepts any blame. Unlike other candidates caught in the Internet glare of controversy, Trump doesn’t do the deer-in-the-headlight cringe, nor does he apologize. When asked about his favorite Bible verses or challenged on his remarks about debate moderator Megyn Kelly and rival candidate Carly Fiorina, Trump hasn’t flinched, even when giving answers that some listeners find incredible. When he becomes aware he has stepped over the line (sometimes thanks to the counsel of his daughter, Ivanka), he knows how to minimize the damage by bluffing his way out the other side. And his capacity to generate news coverage and controversy gives him an unprecedented ability to change the subject and turn the page if he missteps.
As a result, "barring some major unforeseen development, most Republican strategists now are resigned to deferring a climactic attempt to kill Trump until the field winnows down next spring. This scenario, of course, ignores the prospect that Trump could rack up so many victories in the meantime that his momentum would be difficult, or impossible, to stop. But Trump’s adversaries are hoping that his power will wane when the entertainment portion of the contest ends and voters are ready to pick a president."
Bloomberg's conclusion:
Can Trump be killed? The history of past nomination fights suggest he can be. The untraditional front-runners of the summer silly season have always swiftly fallen to the back of the pack—or out of the race altogether—in the fall. But we are in uncharted territory now, with a canny celebrity front-runner who combines an unprecedented and nearly unlimited access to both social and traditional media with a completely sui generis gift for attack and counterpunch politics. The three-month whirlwind since he entered the race demonstrates that of all Trump’s extraordinary talents, master of kill-or-be-killed might be his most decisive—and the single most important factor in determining whom the Republican Party nominates for president next year.
Yet all attempts to deconstruct the Trump campaign, and to reverse engineer his success will likely fail if, in the end, he manages to sustain his image not so much as that of a vote for "Trump", but as one against a system which most Americans have by now realized is rotten to the core thanks to its "crony capitalist" puppet strings controlled by vast, faceless corporations and cronyism working on behalf not of Main Street but of Wall Street year after year and election after election.
What is most amazing is that the "expert" punditry still has not realized that a vote for Trump is not a "vote for Trump" but a vote of protest against the broken system.
If anyone wants to beat Trump in his own game, they will have to show and prove to the voters of America, that the existing system not only still works, but is worth saving in its current broken form.
This is the biggest challenge to everyone - on the right, on the left and in the middle - even if nobody wants to admit it.
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better to have Donald than the other shit heads...
Rand Paul can't win... so why not Donald..
Carson is out to lunch.
No to all of the above. Can't partake in the charade.
Ben Carson, is a man of life-long integrity. The good he has done that most do not know about is reflective of his character, for the good and very refreshing.
"Ben Carson is out to lunch" is just an admission of your ignorance; a complete lack of knowledge & understanding.
On his campaign website, Carson declares, “All options should remain on the table when dealing with international bullies such as President Putin.”
All I need to know, all I will ever need to know. Which country is truly the International bully here? If Carson is not smart enough to realize this, then how could I possibly vote for someone who is, imho, delusional?
The "media" will frame this election - just like they did with Obama.
Did any serious national media with any reach ever vet Obama publicly?
Ever talked to anyone that even had a vague notion of what they guy did or where he was from?
Never.
Trump has all kinds of skeletons in his closet and the plan is otherwise for him to become insulted by the establishment republicans and run as an independent - soak up all the old white guy crazies in both parties.
Trump like pack a few stadiums, but does he really control the delegates at the convention?
Trump is establishment.
Funny how Trump has to be on the politically correct side of crucial issues like the War on Terror by stating that Snowdon is a traitor.
He may believe that 9-11 was an inside job as probably 5% of the population does but he has to go along with the majority to get their vote.
Same goes for the poisoning agenda of vaccines, GMOs and fluoride.
He has to toe the party line of the sheeple in denial about the disabling and handicapping agenda of our hidden globalist rulers.
Our enemy is not just our evil masters but also the masses of trained minions spouting the party line and defending it.
I keep seeing the word "killed" or "kill" in the same sentence with "Trump". Unless Trump is actually part of the powers that be's plan to be president...will he be k'd off?Because if that does happen...won't that give a final answer to the millions who are right now wondering if it really matters at all what they think? Because, of course, it doesn't matter what any of them think, and they (we) are all beginning to suspect it, if they haven't already.
This is getting fascinating.
If Trump gets whacked, it’s Anarchy, right???
If he gets whacked it'll be on the down low and anyone trying to say so and so did it will be branded a kook.
The only sane choice for the American people is to abstain from voting on Tuesday, November 8, 2016.
Stay home, let the presidency die an ignominious death. Without a head of State to sign bills into law the legislature becomes defunct as well.
The bureaucracy will still be in place since the fiscal year has been funded through the month of September, 2016. Social security checks and medicare bills will continue to be paid as well as other federal services.
In the meantime, the governors of each State can hold "snap elections" and candidates for congress and the president can run without being tied to the ideologues of the "red" party or the "blue" party.
People, we have to reset this central government; we have to start over and this is the only peaceful and sensible way to accomplish it.
Don't vote on Tuesday, November 8, 2016.
The people who think that voting matters are hopeless at this point.
The people who think that voting doesn't matter but they will do it anyway are a puzzle.
The people who downvote statements of the obvious are basket cases.
If you can't change anything by voting, and you can't change anything by abstaining, what are we to do? Why downvote this suggestion for peaceful change? It's not as if the people who want change and still believe in voting have any answers.
At this point, it seems as if the only way to enact change through non violent means is completely closed. It is not the people who have done this, it is the oligarchs who believe they own us as slaves. They will not tolerate being removed from power peacefully.
Bang your spoon louder on your sphagetti-o's bowl. Mom'll have a refill pronto.
I agree with you.
In the county I live we voted down a new tax to shore up the pension funds of the elected.
The county leaders levied one-time taxes against us anyway.
...said the liberal whose only choice is Hitlery
If Trump doesn't drag his sorry ass to the obligatory kowtow to Sheldon Adelson and swear fealty to Israel, all his other shortcomings as figurehead can be forgiven. He's just a figurehead anyway, why not enjoy the consternation of the douchebag Republican Party?
Silverer has the best comments regarding this topic IMHO as when I posted this and got an up-vote. Excellent comparison!
Unplugged also has sage advice. The Constitution still knows best. However, a revisit of the 14th Amendment is in order though? Ya reckon??
Americans are getting more pissed and are awakening due to civil asset forfeiture and all this Fed garbage where the people's Rights are being routinely trampled. General apathy with classic Divide and Conquer compounds this. Immigration and anchor babies being supported by taxpayers is also a flashpoint to many. Even in the town where I live (half Latino) there are young folk with #TRUMP hashtags on their vehicles. I have a picture of one from not long ago. The Donald is resonating with people that the Gravy Train has to change tracks. I say the fucker will derail and O'Bummer and his useful idiots will act as the false Saviors they are. Of course, it's with freshly-generated digital money, and Bitcoin critics don't seem to catch on, such would never fly in a real cryptocurrency (as Bitcoin has extremely little inflation)
Rand Paul would be my natural choice, but he's not experienced enough to swing the Presidential bat yet. Besides, he's done too much political brown-nosing for my libertarian tastes, even if done as a necessity. There may be a future though for him!
Carson? He's very likeable, but so was Herman Cain. If it weren't for Ron Paul, my Iowa Straw Vote would've gone to Herman. Both these guys have functional craniums.
Still, this nation needs a solid enema. Worse yet, the Republicans possess no solid spleen to overturn the disaster that ObamaCare truly is. It's the broken promises and all the money funding the Status Quo which is part of the complex trigger which further catapults The Donald in the polls going forth.
My Bottom Line? Logical strategy to tear down The Donald ain't workin' and it very likely won't! I doubt much dirt on him will make any difference after seeing how the Clintons and Bushes acted and how Dear Leader acts today. Transparent administration? LAUGHABLE at best. So far, Trump is the American Pharoah and my money would be betting on him, although my heart wants to fart.
You are aware Rand Paul endorsed Romney over his dad last (s)election cycle?
If true, it wouldn't surprise me too much. Daddy Ron would likely not criticize Rand too much over it either, since he's so pro-choice on almost everything. It does go back to the brown-nosing I mentioned and I expect in due course that Rand will realize daddy was RIGHT!
Don't forget his support for the asshole McConnell.
All religions have based morality on obedience, that is to say, on voluntary slavery. That is why they have always been more pernicious than any political organization. For the latter makes use of violence, the former - of the corruption of the will.
Alexander Herzen
It is a fact that the United States of America – now the Homeland a reprehensible title which destroys the cultural unity of a nation now regarded as a Homeland for various cultures has been infiltrated by an organization(s) which is/are both political and religious and racial in nature.
It corrupts the will; the education; the freedom; the liberty; the history; the events of the day and the foreign policy of the nation. Both from a religious and philosophical point of view.
Trump will not change that – nor will anyone else.
We have to change the process: not just a person.
Did any of you catch Jeb sporting the Reagan/Bush T-shirt?
The first thought that came to mind was Reagan was a winner while Bush was a one termer who lied, if ya read his lips.
The lie was what the media said he lied about - Bush 1 was OK, 2 was F'd up
H.W. is a fucking satanist.
1) Are you guys really so desperate to see the system validated? Seriously, it's like you're desperately grasping at a straw. A lot of you laughed at Obama supporters for believing in hope and change. And just what the fuck are you doing now?
2) Most of you guys call yourselves libertarians. Trump stands against most of what you profess to believe... yet you support him. Why? Because he promises to kick the Mexicans out (a promise that if you think about it he cannot possibly be serious about)? You guys are pathetic.
Here are the facts. The system isn't broken. It is not intended to work for you. It never has and it never will. It can't. It works perfectly for those it is intended to work for. Anyone promising to make it work for you is a liar. The votes are not counted. The oligarchy has already chosen the next president, and it's either Trump or Hillary. Either one will follow orders once installed. Those orders will not include closing the borders.
Trump, Trump, Trump. I like the guy, he's a nice guy, but I have another question...
Why is Ben Carson rising in the polls? Seriously, when was the last time you heard ANYTHING about him other than "he's rising in the polls"?
People (Republicans) can't help looking at Dr. Carson, comparing him to Obama, and going hey!
And I don't suppose New Yawka Donald Trump is the proper cup of tea for every hog farmer in Iowa.
It is actually remarkable, if not really that surprising, that a Republican electorate would be so accepting of a black candidate. Even if it really is unwise to support someone with as little relevant background as Dr. Carson has. Of course, again, see point #1 - compared to Obama ... at least Dr. Carson has, y'know, a valid American birth certificate (I assume?), and his middle name is not freakin' Hussein!
Sad, sad polls.
It seems political hypocrisy doesn't sell anymore these days.
All of us are familiar with Operating System Upgrades and Changes.
Why should we limit that scope to the technology sector?
Because DOS worked nicely to begin with! I know I'm giving away my age, but I can state that first-hand. There's room for improvements, but do we really need a Dynamic Document?
Certain things with the Constitution need not be changed if this is where you're going. Enforcement of the basics which have existed for centuries would be a nice start, then I can grasp the more esoteric.
Trump's mere existence seems to have banished the Jebster, so we owe him thanks for that whatever happens.
And hey that's a pretty chart and all, but let's see it done without the log axis!
" . . . against a system which most Americans have by now realized is rotten to the core thanks to its "crony capitalist" puppet strings controlled by vast, faceless corporations and cronyism working on behalf not of Main Street but of Wall Street year after year and election after election." No truer statement could be made about the reason Donald Trump is doing so well despite being who he is. Career politicians don't get it. And the GOP, instead of trying to find a way to channel that voter anger, will destroy itself trying to destroy Donald Trump. Perish the thought that a non-career politician who is not beholden to the GOP leadereship or to its bundlers, donors or puppet masters should win the nomination or, heaven forbid, the election. What ever would they do to control him, which is what it is all about. We likely will end up with a career politician in the White House, more likely Hillary than anyone else, and things will go on as they have for many years and the middle class will shrink ever more into oblivion until we have 2 classes of people left: the well off and the poverty stricken.
I'm thinkg of voting for Trump.
Howver, I have to call David Icke first to find out if The Donald is a Shape Shifting Reptile.
Trum has scales under his combover.
Wait until the primary results start coming in.
Trump polling at 60%, Jeb wins with 64%
It will happen, watch
Who cares
LoL! The picture of Trump just sums up my attitude toward government in general.
What you are seeing ...
is an IMPLOSION in the Republican Party.
This says a lot more about the Republicans, than it does about Trump. The fact that the Republicans cannot even find someone else to run against Trump inside their own party ... speaks volumes.
See, I see this entirely different. The fact that the Democrats have so little interest in running against Hillary tells me they are more the Establishment Party at this point. If Hillary is the best they got...they are in worse shape than the other fake party.
If you own the media, you own the job.
The media still wants Hilda.
Hilda ain't going to happen.
Even if they come up with a picture of Trump fucking a small child (perhaps he was drunk and thought he was a muslim) we have Ben Carson waiting in the wings.
The Republican bench runs wide and deep.
But the fact that the Democratic Party can find no one but an old tired socialist to run against Hillary, the liar, speaks even louder of the dearth of viable liberals.
Trump is going to split-the-vote just ike Ross Perot did which will result in another Clinton being elected. Not that it matters with 30+million dead people still voting for goverment handouts that skews all election results.
Since I turned 18, NONE of the people who I have voted for have won office. "Representative Republic" MY ASS!!!
Which is why I so strongly believe you have chosen the correct alias for your Zero Hedge persona...
Standard Disclaimer: Silver lining or some such shit...
Trump is the "Gray Champion" predicted in the "Fourth Turning".
The system was never designed to work...for us. It is the system of the ultra-rich, who took over when they had Kennedy killed.
They are, of course, experts at misdirection. For example, they kept the public busy with questions about who shot Kennedy and from which location. There was a more important question to ask: Why didn't the Secret Service protect Kennedy?
The answer? Conspiracy. The Secret Service stood down on November 22, 1963 and stripped Kennedy of vital and standard presidential protection, as is explained in the following article: http://www.jfklancer.com/LNE/limo.html
"The system was never designed to work...for us. It is the system of the ultra-rich, who took over when they had Kennedy killed."
There was no they had Kennedy killed.
"The Secret Service stood down on November 22, 1963 and stripped Kennedy of vital and standard presidential protection"
That is somebodies fiction.
Hey dipshits, er I mean republican establishment, when you break the trust you are no longer even an option. What did you expect Juan McCain, that people would accept your choosing a candidate for them?
We just had our first black president, why not a "differently-abled" president?
In Dallas he bellowed how he would "rebuild" the army and make it the biggest, most powerful lethal force ever seen on planet Earth.
...The GOP should have ZERO problem with a Trump presidency.
Trump is great friends of the Jews and knows how to play the game. He's as much of a planned and controlled candidate as Obama, Ross Perot, the Clintons or Jimmy Carter ever were. The elections are rigged by the elite to give stupid Americans the illusion of freedom of choice!
Fox News hates Trump.
Correction, the Jews who run Fox make it appear that they hate Trump! The Jews at other outlets appear to love him. In the illusion of freedom of debate and choice!
But the Jews are in total control. Except for ZHers. Dang.
Me? It is the durn Queens. http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-09-07/bed-despotic-house-saud#comment...
I use to be more politically engaged. Was big in the local TEA party. Republican committee for a very short stint until I saw all the antics there. Now I, generally speaking, hate most policians and especially "the parties" which Jefferson warned of right after he went out and started one. In any case, the "Donald". I personally love the Donald right about now. He is making those pundits and the establishment Republican parties heads explode. That itself is worth the current price of admission. They are trying to understand the reason from their offices in DC. They don't understand just how much carnage they have created with their "bi-partisanship" and groping across the aisle. Many on this site fully comprehend some of the massive problems that we as a country have and many see an ugly end and it may come to pass. If so it metters not much who is sitting in the big chair if indeed a "reset" shows up, it will take the whole system down. Good riddence to the way it is operating today. Right now I am a big Trump fan as he is speaking truth to power to some degree and he appears to have a bigger "bully" pulpit than the current collectivist in the White House today. That IS NEEDED, a mouthpiece with a big audience. The people are starting to potentially understand more than they ever wanted to know and they might start NOT liking it much. So for now, GO DONALD. My guy is still Cruz ultimately but some here don't like him for one reason or another but there is no perfect candidate so people will have to compromise in some manner to do better than today which shouldn't be real hard.
"The untraditional front-runners of the summer silly season have always swiftly fallen to the back of the pack—or out of the race altogether—in the fall."
A NEW record 94 million are not working.
The traditional front runners are sinking to the bottom of the pool.
In the end
it all boils
down to the same
unasked and unanswered
STUPID QUESTION
What can you do about
the economy of the USA
if you don't hear a detailed
Check and balance system
like repeal
frankdodd
or
flat tax % for all
than its just another smoke screen
Trump you are an ego with a bad hairdo but thanks for doing this
If Trump could accomplish the closing of our border and stop the theft of our votes by the illegals who vote, I am pretty sure we can secure the future of our country.
F'ing dupe
IMHCO Trump is headed for the Oval Office, which makes sense if you think about it. We elected a movie star during the old normal, so why not elect a "reality" TV star during the new? He won't be any worse than any of the snivelling worms that make up the rest of the packs on both sides would be. At least he has a spinal cord.
Trump is unlikely to fade going into the fall, like other summer wonders have, given that the markets -- dollar and equity in concert -- are going to be crashing into it this time. Starting Thursday.
Which also makes Trump's candidacy a leading indicator, in that, by primary season in the summer of '16, the bloodletting among incumbents and conventional politicians in general will have already reached historic proportions.
"Gertrude! More popcorn!"
I have to admit I have not been that fully engaged in this upcoming election since it is still > a year off and my lack of faith in voting actually mattering, but has 'THE DONALD' addressed any of the following?
NSA/CIA/FBI 4th amendment abuses
Ending the FED
getting us out of all bullshit conflicts we are engaged in
It amazes me that the majority of this country never gets it and continues to get pulled into these government sponsored kabuki theatres or dog and pony shows; such as presidential elections. All this nonsense about Trump is so silly. This is one big automaticity that is a juggernaut that can't be stopped. We are on a runaway train and the only thing that is uncertain is when it will come to the end of the line and crash head on into a wall and explode and be terminated. Here in the USA, the government, central bank, military-industrial-congressional complex, corporatocracy and media form the main part of this automaticity. Each of these components, tightly united, are all programmed, unstoppable and will continue down this path of insanity that they've been busy creating until the train hits the wall.
Then it is "Reset Time". And then the question will be: will it be a benevolent reset with the populace's interests in mind, or will it be an authoritarian reset with the elite's interests in mind?
People in the USA put too much hope in their presidents as if they are god like creatures that can fix anything .Their enthusiasm turns to despair when they realize they can be just as retarted as any hunan being.
The Criminals-In-Action network runs Amerika!
It has since they offed Kennedy and it will not risk having Trump unless they get him into a proper MKU program...
I never, ever thought I'd say the following.
F**k the lot of them, those GOP A**H*l*s. I'm sick of having to vote for Mutt or Jeff, or maybe Moe or Curley.
Go Donald, and throw the entire lot of these useless status-quo freeloaders out of Congress.
For the fist time in decades I will vote.
Maybe, just maybe there is a ray of hope left.