Rethinking Trump

[Hydra009]

I've been a strong supporter of Bernie Sanders since the beginning, but more and more it looks like Shillary is going to win the primary.   Among Sanders supporters, there's this dilemma: do you vote for Clinton (same party) or Trump (same anti-establishment stance) or stay home on election day?  And for weeks, I've been arguing that we should support Hillary because Trump has such a reprehensible personality and platform that I'd be a disaster if he were elected President.

But lately, I've been watching a lot of youtube videos of Trump rallies and candid interviews with Trump supporters.  And to be honest, they made a really good case for voting for Trump.  They explained how he's essentially a political independent who has been unfairly maligned by the establishment, much the same way Sanders has been treated.

His fiery rhetoric is just that - rhetoric.  Do you seriously think he actually intends to build a 1,954 mile wall between the US and Mexico?  Of course not.  Or that he's going to register American muslims or bar foreign Muslims from entering the country?  For starters, he retracted this statement almost immediately, not that you'd hear that on the lamestream news.  Also, it'd never happen.  It's unconstitutional.  It's unfeasible.  So why all this crazy rhetoric?  Purely to attract the conservative base.  It was all an act, and it worked masterfully.  If he was an honest moderate (who isn't particularly religious to boot), he wouldn't have gotten anywhere.

Based on the entirety of his political speeches, Trump's platform is fairly middle-of-the-road.  Not terribly liberal, but not terribly conservative either.  He could really help to bridge the seemingly insurmountable gulf between the left and right in this country.

Some people say that Trump is self-centered, egotistical.  But candidates have to sell themselves to the public, and few people are more experienced than Trump at creating and selling his image to the public.  This is actually a strength, not a weakness.

And speaking of experience, he has no political experience.  Yet as the primaries are showing, he has a talent for politics.  His lack of experience may actually be a good thing.  He hasn't been corrupted by special interests or beholden to party elites, unlike some candidates I could Shillary, I mean name.

And speaking of corrupting influences, the Sarah Palin thing was just a publicity stunt.  Something to secure the loyalty of even the looniest wingnut.  Don't worry, she won't be vice president.

And some people argue that Trump would stack the Supreme Court with conservatives.  You know who I think he'd nominate to the Supreme Court?  The best people.

So, as strange as this sounds, I'm planning on voting for Trump and I strongly urge you guys to vote for him also.  A Trump presidency would really help get this nation back on track.

[josephpalazzo]

Yikes.

Don't get me wrong, most of what you said I've already concluded that much, but... and here's the crux of the matter, the language he has used so far is way off for him to be presidential. It's alright when you need to bring your rivals down a notch or two, but once in the oval office, your language has to be elevated in order to inspire the nation. So far, he hasn't shown that side of his personality. Perhaps it's there, but until I see it, I have to delay that judgment.

[PickelledEggs]

I've thought about voting for trump, but much in the same way you think about jumping off a cliff when you're standing on the ledge. You kind of want to just know what it's like to free-fall to your death, watching the wall of rocks speed past you. It would be exhilarating, if it didn't result in not being able to be alive afterwards.

I kind of entertained the thought of Trump as president with the hopes that he would break this country so much that we'd have to start from scratch, which isn't far off from what might happen if he is. On the other hand, I don't want every country to hate us more than they already do.

[PickelledEggs]

OH for fucks sake.

Good april fools joke, Hydra... Fuck you.

[Hydra009]

Don't get me wrong, most of what you said I've already concluded that much, but... and here's the crux of the matter, the language he has used so far is way off for him to be presidential. It's alright when you need to bring your rivals down a notch or two, but once in the oval office, your language has to be elevated in order to inspire the nation. So far, he hasn't shown that side of his personality. Perhaps it's there, but until I see it, I have to delay that judgment.

Check out his recent speeches.  He's really changed his tone.  Less hotheaded bravado, more calm and stately.

[Hydra009]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKOQdcVoRys

[Mike Cl]

I've been a strong supporter of Bernie Sanders since the beginning, but more and more it looks like Shillary is going to win the primary.   Among Sanders supporters, there's this dilemma: do you vote for Clinton (same party) or Trump (same anti-establishment stance) or stay home on election day?  And for weeks, I've been arguing that we should support Hillary because Trump has such a reprehensible personality and platform that I'd be a disaster if he were elected President.

But lately, I've been watching a lot of youtube videos of Trump rallies and candid interviews with Trump supporters.  And to be honest, they made a really good case for voting for Trump.  They explained how he's essentially a political independent who has been unfairly maligned by the establishment, much the same way Sanders has been treated.

His fiery rhetoric is just that - rhetoric.  Do you seriously think he actually intends to build a 1,954 mile wall between the US and Mexico?  Of course not.  Or that he's going to register American muslims or bar foreign Muslims from entering the country?  For starters, he retracted this statement almost immediately, not that you'd hear that on the lamestream news.  Also, it'd never happen.  It's unconstitutional.  It's unfeasible.  So why all this crazy rhetoric?  Purely to attract the conservative base.  It was all an act, and it worked masterfully.  If he was an honest moderate (who isn't particularly religious to boot), he wouldn't have gotten anywhere.

Based on the entirety of his political speeches, Trump's platform is fairly middle-of-the-road.  Not terribly liberal, but not terribly conservative either.  He could really help to bridge the seemingly insurmountable gulf between the left and right in this country.

Some people say that Trump is self-centered, egotistical.  But candidates have to sell themselves to the public, and few people are more experienced than Trump at creating and selling his image to the public.  This is actually a strength, not a weakness.

And speaking of experience, he has no political experience.  Yet as the primaries are showing, he has a talent for politics.  His lack of experience may actually be a good thing.  He hasn't been corrupted by special interests or beholden to party elites, unlike some candidates I could Shillary, I mean name.

And speaking of corrupting influences, the Sarah Palin thing was just a publicity stunt.  Something to secure the loyalty of even the looniest wingnut.  Don't worry, she won't be vice president.

And some people argue that Trump would stack the Supreme Court with conservatives.  You know who I think he'd nominate to the Supreme Court?  The best people.

So, as strange as this sounds, I'm planning on voting for Trump and I strong urge you guys to vote for him also.  A Trump presidency would really help get this nation back on track.

April Fools!!!  Good one!!!

[Hydra009]

I don't know what you guys are talking about.  I'm completely serious.  Also, it's 3/31 according to my clock.

[josephpalazzo]

April's fool... well, who would have thought?!??!

[Mike Cl]

I don't know what you guys are talking about.  I'm completely serious.  Also, it's 3/31 according to my clock.

you must be using a christian clock.

[GSOgymrat]

you must be using a christian clock.

Hydra lives in North Carolina. We're behind the rest of the country.

[AllRight]

April Fools I hope???

[Unbeliever]

I still think that Trump's only goal with this run for the White House was to bring down the Republican party from the inside, and he's doing a great job of it. He's showing America and the world just how ignorant, bigoted, hateful and violent the Republican rank and file is.

I'm hoping they'll lose the senate and house in the process of losing the presidential election. How can any sane American vote Republican after all this?

[Mike Cl]

I'm hoping they'll lose the senate and house in the process of losing the presidential election. How can any sane American vote Republican after all this?

This, this and this!!

[Baruch]

Yuck it up boys ...

"ignorant, bigoted, hateful and violent" ... that describes many Americans quite well.

An American President is a figurehead, not a genius, not actually in charge of anything.  The agencies under the President are in charge of everything, including the President.  They will tell any President since 1963 ... what to say and when to say it.

Jumping off a cliff?  Falling is OK, as long as you miss the ground ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_OOqqC6Q7o