Trump puts Iowa victory at risk with attack on GOP governor

[Kamaji]

Because using the "reality TV" paradigm has been successful for him in the past, and it is the only playbook he knows. He is very effective at it. By doing the opposite of what any rational candidate would do, he makes himself the center of attention, and that robs the other candidates of the oxygen needed to get the spotlight turned in another direction.

DeSantis and the other challengers are getting no traction because Trump makes himself the story. There is no such thing as negative publicity when it comes to Trump. There is only the spotlight, and so long as it is focused on him, it will not be focused on others.

This is pure marketing genius, and until DeSantis or someone else figures out how to overcome it, Trump will be the leader of the GOP.

More like, Trump will be the pied piper who continues to mislead the GOP.

[sneakypete]

More like, Trump will be the pied piper who continues to mislead the GOP.

@Kamaji

You and the other "anti-Rude Orange Man" people are right,of course.

The way to enact change to get America back on her feet is to keep on doing what we have been doing for decades,right?

What could POSSIBLY go wrong there?

[massadvj]

More like, Trump will be the pied piper who continues to mislead the GOP.

All politicians are "pied pipers" to some extent. Some are bigger liars than others, some are more outrageous and despicable than others. But none of them can be trusted completely. We are but pawns in their game.

 

[Kamaji]

All politicians are "pied pipers" to some extent. Some are bigger liars than others, some are more outrageous and despicable than others. But none of them can be trusted completely. We are but pawns in their game.

 

If one wants to excuse Trump's chicanery and lies, so be it.

[LMAO]

@Kamaji

You and the other "anti-Rude Orange Man" people are right,of course.

The way to enact change to get America back on her feet is to keep on doing what we have been doing for decades,right?

What could POSSIBLY go wrong there?

Nobody here has ever argued that we should keep doing what we have been doing for decades.

You need to quit with the strawman arguments. It’s a weak way to make your point

[massadvj]

If one wants to excuse Trump's chicanery and lies, so be it.

I don't excuse it, just choose not to be triggered by it. That plays right into Trump's hands.

[Kamaji]

I don't excuse it, just choose not to be triggered by it. That plays right into Trump's hands.

WADR, you did excuse it - oh well, Trump's just another garden variety politician.  That is both false as regards Trump, and false as regards actual leaders (i.e., politicians who are good at their trade and in good faith).  Politics is as much an art and a profession as any other profession, like teaching, or painting, or animal husbandry - there are lots who are not particularly good at it, but the field of endeavour itself is neither good nor bad.

[LMAO]

Because using the "reality TV" paradigm has been successful for him in the past, and it is the only playbook he knows. He is very effective at it. By doing the opposite of what any rational candidate would do, he makes himself the center of attention, and that robs the other candidates of the oxygen needed to get the spotlight turned in another direction.

DeSantis and the other challengers are getting no traction because Trump makes himself the story. There is no such thing as negative publicity when it comes to Trump. There is only the spotlight, and so long as it is focused on him, it will not be focused on others.

This is pure marketing genius, and until DeSantis or someone else figures out how to overcome it, Trump will be the leader of the GOP.

Trump knows how to use the media because he’s been in the news to some extent as far back as I can remember. People like RDS, Tim Scott, ect are amateurs. Casey DeSantis is better in front of a camera than her groom

Reagan also had that talent but he also knew how to effectively present himself to the voting public. Trump goes full speed ahead all else be damned. That’s why the electorate at large have a negative view of him. But it fires up his base

[massadvj]

WADR, you did excuse it - oh well, Trump's just another garden variety politician. 

I certainly did not mean to imply that Trump is a garden variety politician. I think I called him a marketing genius. That is far from garden variety. I would never underestimate him.

[Kamaji]

I certainly did not mean to imply that Trump is a garden variety politician. I think I called him a marketing genius. That is far from garden variety. I would never underestimate him.

Neither is he a good leader.  He is, precisely, a pied piper, and that is not a characteristic of the ordinary politician.  Trump is a liar and a seducer, and the GOP has allowed itself to be led astray by his lies and pablum.

[massadvj]

Neither is he a good leader.  He is, precisely, a pied piper, and that is not a characteristic of the ordinary politician.  Trump is a liar and a seducer, and the GOP has allowed itself to be led astray by his lies and pablum.

I agree he is not a very good leader. But he is a damned good politician, and he should not be underestimated.

[LMAO]

, and the GOP has allowed itself to be led astray by his lies and pablum.

The GOP created him over the years by dismissing the concerns of their base especially when it comes to illegal immigration. Now they don’t know to stop him. He’s costing the GOP elections but the party leaders don’t know what to do about him

[Kamaji]

I agree he is not a very good leader. But he is a damned good politician, and he should not be underestimated.

No, actually, he's not a good politician, precisely because he's not a good leader.  He's a good seducer - he's a pied piper.

A good politician is someone who understands how to lead a group of people to achieve better ends for themselves and for the group as a whole.  Trump only gets the first part - how to get people to follow him - but instead of actually trying to accomplish common goals, his only goal is his own self-gratification.  He is a pied piper, not a leader.

[Kamaji]

The GOP created him over the years by dismissing the concerns of their base especially when it comes to illegal immigration. Now they don’t know to stop him. He’s costing the GOP elections but the party leaders don’t know what to do about him

That is another good point.  The GOP has been largely rudderless because they cannot seem to articulate a comprehensive philosophic or political framework other than "at least we aren't democrats".

[massadvj]

That is another good point.  The GOP has been largely rudderless because they cannot seem to articulate a comprehensive philosophic or political framework other than "at least we aren't democrats".

The party has no idea where to be in regard to globalism, American involvement in war, trade protectionism, and even abortion. Trump positioned himself as a populist and managed to reel in a lot of working class males. But policy-wise, there is a big divide between what working class males want and what the GOP traditionally stands for.

There are a whole lot of guys in rural Pennsylvania who voted for Donald Trump in 2020 and John Fetterman in 2022. That may not make sense to us, but it makes perfect sense to them.

[Free Vulcan]

I agree he is not a very good leader. But he is a damned good politician, and he should not be underestimated.

But isn't that what he campaigned against, that he wasn't just another politician?

Yet here we are again. Sure he got the low hanging fruit, but when it really came time to pull the trigger he demurred.

All his opponents need to run on that fact and hammer it.

[LMAO]

That is another good point.  The GOP has been largely rudderless because they cannot seem to articulate a comprehensive philosophic or political framework other than "at least we aren't democrats".

Well, the GOP may be in the wilderness for quite a while. I accept the fact that a Democrat will win the 2024 presidential race. It is what it is. But I think we can take the Senate. We have to keep government divided until the GOP finishes it’s soul-searching

The Trump thing hasn’t worked out, but that shouldn’t be an excuse for the GOP to go back to the Bush era, either. I originally became attracted to the Republican Party at a young age because of people like Calvin Coolidge, Barry Goldwater, Ronald Reagan. I like people like Rand Paul. Even his father, Ron



And I like Ron DeSantis’s record while in Congress. But his campaign needs some serious mojo.

[massadvj]

I originally became attracted to the Republican Party at a young age because of people like Calvin Coolidge, Barry Goldwater, Ronald Reagan. I like people like Rand Paul. Even his father, Ron

Unfortunately, freedom does not sell anymore. The country has become too government-dependent. The establishment on both sides has succeeded in convincing the people that all our problems are because of capitalism when the exact opposite is true.

I like your list. I don't think we have had a truly conservative government since Calvin Coolidge.  The 16th amendment probably assured that we never will again.

[Kamaji]

Well, the GOP may be in the wilderness for quite a while. I accept the fact that a Democrat will win the 2024 presidential race. It is what it is. But I think we can take the Senate. We have to keep government divided until the GOP finishes it’s soul-searching

The Trump thing hasn’t worked out, but that shouldn’t be an excuse for the GOP to go back to the Bush era, either. I originally became attracted to the Republican Party at a young age because of people like Calvin Coolidge, Barry Goldwater, Ronald Reagan. I like people like Rand Paul. Even his father, Ron



And I like Ron DeSantis’s record while in Congress. But his campaign needs some serious mojo.

Agreed.

[sneakypete]

The GOP created him over the years by dismissing the concerns of their base especially when it comes to illegal immigration. Now they don’t know to stop him. He’s costing the GOP elections but the party leaders don’t know what to do about him

@LMAO

There ARE no party leaders in the alleged Republican Party of today,only Dim accomplices.

They are the ones that created him,thinking he would never beat their appointed Presidential slug,and then Trump DID beat him.

Now they have a Presidential candidate more popular than anyone they can push forward,who can't be bribed,blackmailed,or be intimidated,and they don't know what to do.

[Right_in_Virginia]

DeSantis and the other challengers are getting no traction because Trump makes himself the story. There is no such thing as negative publicity when it comes to Trump. There is only the spotlight, and so long as it is focused on him, it will not be focused on others.

This is pure marketing genius, and until DeSantis or someone else figures out how to overcome it, Trump will be the leader of the GOP

The problem for the other candidates is when the spotlight shines on them ---- and it does ----- they have nothing of substance to say. (With the exception of Vivek ---- he's had some stellar breakout moments)

I hope the bench in 2028 is deeper than the current 2nd tier candidates.

@massadvj

[massadvj]

The problem for the other candidates is when the spotlight shines on them ---- and it does ----- they have nothing of substance to say. (With the exception of Vivek ---- he's had some stellar breakout moments)

I hope the bench in 2028 is deeper than the current 2nd tier candidates.

@massadvj

I agree that none of the challengers has had anything to say that captures the imagination of the American people, including DeSantis. That was also true in 2016 when the field included the 15 most qualified Republicans in the country.

[Right_in_Virginia]

I agree that none of the challengers has had anything to say that captures the imagination of the American people, including DeSantis. That was also true in 2016 when the field included the 15 most qualified Republicans in the country.

Please @massadvj  tell me how you're defining "most qualified" in this sentence 

I sincerely would like to know.

[massadvj]

Please @massadvj  tell me how you're defining "most qualified" in this sentence 

I sincerely would like to know.

Sitting governors and senators with national name recognition who have been reelected at least once.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Sitting governors and senators with national name recognition who have been reelected at least once.

Thanks @massadvj

Does this definition of most qualified automatically translate into "best" for the job, or can outsiders also apply?