Mission Accomplished
…now, shall we expand it?
From the beginning, my mission for Trump was to eviscerate the Incumbrepublocrat duopoly, by disassembling the tenuous coalition of special interest groups, comprising its GOP wing. It has been fun to watch the process, and from my perspective, he has already rather effectively accomplished this mission. There is so much rancor between the competing factions, no matter what happens from here forward, there is no way in hell that the outcome of the GOP convention, could possibly be an enthusiastic grass roots, united behind the eventual nominee. That should spell disaster for the GOP wing in the General election, and rather dim hope for their future.
An unanticipated pleasure, has been to watch Sanders doing the same thing to the Collectivist wing. Like Trump, Sanders populist campaign will be stopped by the Democrat Party elites; and like Trump’s, his now enthusiastic supporters will be so pissed, that they will likely boycott the sham General election. The only thing left to motivate bitterly disenfranchised supporters, of either Trump or Sanders, is the old ‘Lessor of Two Evils’ ruse. Why even bother to choose between Tweedledum and Tweedledee, unless somehow one becomes convinced that the other one is unacceptably frightening to the future. The demagogues are pretty effective at this; but it has been rather pleasant to see all the new Primary voters, turning out in enthusiastic support for a candidate. In the General, most are voting against the worst one, while the ‘none of the above’ citizens register their displeasure by just staying home.
There is one delicious alternative, which could quite possibly destroy the entire Incumbrepublocrat duopoly in a single election. It looks like Trump and Sanders will both be denied the nomination, by arcane convention processes, rules, and procedures. What would happen if they decided to join forces, and run on an independent unity ticket of populists, against the cursed ‘establishment’ that is increasingly despised by the supporters of both?
I would bet good money that if they did so, they could easily win a plurality, if not a majority, of the General election votes against the two Incumbrepublocrat candidates. I for one, would register and vote for them in a heartbeat, just to help destroy the so-called two-party system. It wouldn’t matter a whit to me which one was at the top of the ticket, as long as Trump had the portfolio for trade negotiations and border control. I would probably even send them a $27 contribution or two, just to help the cause and keep them independent of the oligarchs. Any ideas on how we could get such a simple, yet quite likely successful, rebellion started? â—„Daveâ–º
I think your glee is very much premature my friend. It looks a mess but really it’s not. Obviously it’s not ideal for many in their respective parties but they have gone nowhere. The lobbyists are still there and the whole structure is still in place. They just don’t know which strings to pull yet.
The outcome is quite predictable. Hillary short of being indicted will go into the democrat convention and be crowned as expected. Jail or an outright public indictment of crimes with indisputable evidence is the only thing that will stop that. Bernie will then go on to give a glowing speech praising Hillary and urging all his support go to her. That’s the way democrats roll. He will even go on the campaign trail for her bringing his crowds with him. If Hillary does go down (which I doubt) the dems are stuck with Bernie. To his complete shock I might add. Either way it’s a road to nirvana (Bernie through redistribution and Hillary through corruption) for those who would look for a piece of the public coffers. All is good in the land of the progressive.
As for republicans they are there too albeit many not as enchanted with either of their options they will suck it up to survive another day. The tide has turned on Trump. As I said before “the switch has been thrown”. The party has finally figured out who they just can’t let walk away with it. The same thing that gave them 2010 and 2012 is now biting them in the ass. Again a predictable outcome. If Cruz closes the gap on Trump to within say 100 committed delegates or so there won’t even be a second vote at the convention. Once done those who want to keep their jobs will be tripping over each other to kiss his ass. The rest who feel secure will just go hide in a corner until it’s all over. Trump never was a contender and the same as Bernie he would actually crap his drawers if he won. He would also have to give the election to Hillary. You see one thing about delegates is that they aren’t fawning trumpsters feeling the bern. They are people serious about politics and party. They know this. No they won’t give the nomination to Trump under any circumstances.
The general is a bit more complicated but it will be a true fight for direction. Two ideologies laid bare and completely opposed. Hillary has been dragged so far left by Bernie that she can’t walk any of it back. Cruz on the right has always been there and he isn’t gonna budge. It may actually turn out to be quite a pivotal election in many ways.
Your musing of a Trump / Sanders third party run is more than even I could dream up. I must admit it gives me a chuckle. Both are an unflattering caricature of their respective parties. Think about it. If you were a committed progressive democrat could Trump be any closer to what you would think a republican is? Or could Bernie be any closer to what a dyed in the wool conservative republican would expect if a democrat were to be completely honest? Despite laws in most states that would prevent them from running I could never see it. I think they call them “sore loser laws”. Plus they have missed the deadlines to get on the ballots. NOW there is one variable I CAN see. I can see Trump crying unfair and that the republicans “stole” the election from him. In effect backing Hillary or Bernie which to this day I believe was the ultimate goal anyway. This year the democrats needed something big to shake things up or they were sure losers. Consistently making the opposing party’s front runner look like a boorish ass for six months is a good start. When he’s a perfect caricature of what your party expects his whole party to be is all the better.
Nothing is destroyed. They just all look a little silly for now.
You may be right. I don’t pretend to understand socialists or Bernie’s adoring flock of lambs. Perhaps I am projecting how I would likely react to losing out to the super delegate gambit, were I him or them. If ultimately he and they are just willing sheeple, prepared to unite behind supporting Hillary for their shepherd, so be it.
Agreed. If Trump doesn’t have the votes on the first ballot, he isn’t getting it. However, don’t discount the possibility that he could cut an artful deal with Kasich, Rubio, or other unbound delegates to sew it up on the first ballot.
I think you assume way too much, to think they will give it to Cruz instead. The GOPe is appalled by Trump; but Cruz is despised by them. He is only being temporarily encouraged to stop Trump, while they know that a significant portion of Trump’s supporters would never vote for Cruz in the General. Nominating him would assure their loss in November.
Trump himself, of course, would have zero motive for doing for Cruz, what you suggest Bernie will do for Hillary. Besides, if your supposition that helping Hillary was Trump’s motive all along is correct, he would more likely support and even campaign for her than Cruz. No, the GOP has only two hopes for winning in November. One is for Trump to win on the first ballot, and then graciously offer Cruz the VP slot, to try to reunite the Party. The other is to find a white knight alternative to either, who is somehow popular enough to placate both Trump and Cruz supporters, and charismatic enough to give Hillary a serious challenge. I haven’t a clue who that might be.
Agreed; but you are ignoring that these guys supporters are not committed and dyed in the wool types. They are heretofore casual or nonvoters, who are fed up with Incumbrepublocrat Establishment, and setting aside their ideological proclivities to support these insurgents. Legions of young voters are supporting Sanders, because they distrust and dislike Hillary. If Sanders, who never was a Democrat anyway, joined forces with Trump as an independent, how many of his acolytes would eschew Democrat Party loyalty and follow him? Similarly, the primary appeal of Trump to most of his supporters is to stick a finger in the eye of the GOPe. As the latest poll I linked to above suggests, at least a third of them would eschew Republican Party loyalty to follow him.
Perhaps not; but it very easily could be, if the insurgents and their supporters are not somehow carefully placated in their respective conventions. I can still dream… 😉 â—„Daveâ–º
That’s part of the reason I specified that Cruz be within 100 delegates of Trump. There will be I believe 172 unbound delegates on the first vote. From what I hear Cruz is doing a bang up job lining them up. Trump isn’t even in that game. Cruz won’t get 1237 on the first vote but he could come out on top of Trump. That would favor him greatly on the second vote with less work to do.
Thing is that’s the way it’s been played all along. This cycle is a wonderful education for those that never paid attention. In that sense the two party machines could be somewhat “blown up” but since the beginning the party and delegates have chosen the candidate. They just usually happen to pick the most popular most of the time. Usually a strategy that works to placate the voters.
Agreed on the voter education. Sheeple are so accustomed to thinking in terms of democracy, that the Party rules designed to avoid a populist revolt now seem ‘unfair’ to them.
As for your calculus on the balloting, you are ignoring the fact that both Kasich and Rubio will have enough votes to put Trump over the top for the right price. Trump was always the frontrunner, and the contest all along was for who could hang in there to get a shot at challenging him one on one. Thus, these two have more reason to resent the Cruz campaign, than Trump’s.
I also suspect that they would consider Trump easier to work with than Cruz, in a subservient position as VP or a Cabinet office. Finally, if he didn’t win the General, Cruz could do absolutely nothing for them. Trump could make their future rosy indeed, win or lose. Were you them, which one would you be inclined to make a deal with? They are surely smart enough to recognize that after the first ballot, their delegates would be worthless to the highest bidder. Expect to see some seriously artful deals consummated after June 7th, before the convention even begins. Initial negotiations are probably already underway. 😉 â—„Daveâ–º
I predict he will not close that gap.
ROFL … you are joking right?
Do you honestly think a man who is a total genius not to mention one of the best negotiators that history has ever produced … who has considered and talked about running for office since the early 80’s is somehow not serious about winning? You think a man who is so ahead of the curve at where he is going does not EXPECT he can win? So smart he took a million dollars and built it into 10 billion somehow doubts himself in how to manage this country? 🙂
Exactly.
If your suggesting that a party nominee be elected by a simple plurality and not a majority I couldn’t disagree more. Were that the case if all 17 starting out the republican race were to stay in you could theoretically have a nominee with the backing of only 6% of the party. Not a good place to start.
No, I was referring to all the machinations behind the scenes to secure unbound delegates and super delegates, to thwart the nominal Primary election outcomes. Then, hide and watch what happens to GOP Rule #40, which itself was created post-Primaries, expressly to keep Ron Paul out of their last convention. Now, they will have to repeal it, so they can install an acceptable alternative to Trump or Cruz.
Obviously, 17 candidates could never have met the rule#40 requirement in any case. Nominally, it is the drying up of campaign funds from the oligarchs, which winnows the field. Self-funded candidates like Trump, or crowd-funded candidates like Ron Paul or Bernie, mess up their game. â—„Daveâ–º
This situation makes me laugh out loud daily. I agree Dave the GOP Establishment is toast no matter what they do. Trump has dragged the whole corrupt system out in the open and we are left with a whole bunch of corrupt twits naked in the political streets.
Cruz will not ever win the election. He will bite the dust just like Romney did on the “natural born citizen” issue.
“The movement” IS THE DESTRUCTION of the GOP as we know it today. You are right MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.
Most have yet to realize that.
The more bitching and moaning that the “we hate Trump” crew does the more the angered middle digs their heels in to cling to Trump.
I would be surprised if Kasich rushes to Cruz because he knows he (Cruz) will lose the general. I agree the establishment will hop over Cruz in a heart beat if given the opportunity.
What I find most interesting is these fools still think this is business as usual. They actually think EVERYONE is going to simply fall into line and vote for who THEY WANT. They have no idea they have cut their own throats already and are simply “the walking dead”.
BTW: I think if Hillary gets the nomination Sanders supporters just might go for Donald Trump 😉
Just one more broken heart left behind by the “genius” of Trump. I’m really not trying to be mean. I have said it from the start. There will be a great many disappointed by Trump. Whether in office or not. Probably more so if he were to win. I have lived in NYS my whole life. I know Trump and I know his brand of politics. It’s why I’m stuck living in the tax capital crap hole of the country.
Ahh but one has to have a heart vested before it can be broken by “genius” or anything else … correct?
It has been my experience that emotion immediately stops cognitive thought process and drastically slows ones problem solving ability.
The discipline to not fall sway is a handy tool.
I did not perceive that was the case but in all honesty it would not matter if you were. My attitude is don’t leap into a mud pit with white jeans and tee shirt if you don’t have a washing machine and box of tide on hand. 😉
Well don’t feel like the lone ranger my dear … I am not far behind you here in California.
A beautiful state run by crap politicians who have the brain capacity of gnats (maybe fruit flies is a better analogy). Truly a testament to the dumbing down of society since the 60’s.
Chris, it would be best not to try to project the emotional propensities, abiding conservative principles, or steadfast religious zeal of the typical Cruz supporter, onto those of us cheering Trump on. As CT suggests, the Trump ‘movement’ is about destroying the GOP as we know it, and he doesn’t have to be elected POTUS to accomplish that. To us, for all of his foibles, he has been a truly effective messenger of our dissatisfaction with politics as usual, and the GOPe is already in complete disarray.
Whether you wish to acknowledge it or not, your man Cruz would be nowhere near the position he is in, were it not for Trump. To suggest that Cruz could have taken out Bush, Rubio, Christie, and the rest of the field alone, would be laughable. The only reason he is still standing himself, is that the panicked GOPe is now tenuously supporting him, as the only viable alternative to stop Trump from winning on the first ballot.
Yes, we would enjoy seeing Trump take his wrecking ball all the way to DC; but I would venture to say that there will be few tears among us if the GOPe manages to prevent that. Unless it actually ignites a new Revolution/Civil War, we will just enjoy the final scene of this theater of the absurd in Cleveland, before returning to our gardens, knitting, or other hobbies.
A great many of us will then ignore the General election Kabuki dance, which only legitimizes the Incumbrepublocrat establishment’s choice between Tweedledum and Tweedledee, for head shepherd of their sheeple. That decision won’t have any more relevance to our mundane lives, than all the future shenanigans they will have in store for Sodom by the Potomac. Those of you who still have the passion to care, can deal with the future, or lack thereof. Until you are good and ready for an unorthodox wrecking ball yourselves, the best you can expect from us is a wry, “We told you so.” 😀 â—„Daveâ–º
Bingo!
Yes Mr. Wrecking Ball has adequately done his job so far. Though I am certain this is not quite what he had in mind. LOL
Clearly it is not what any Establishment Politicization had in mind. Instead of Grandma over the cliff bet they never considered it would be they themselves kicking and screaming to the bottom of the heap.
What a collective bunch of fools. Trump is right we WERE AND STILL ARE the country holding all of the cards. Without the working class of the United States “sheeple” that they are footing the bill for everything and everyone the whole thing would come tumbling down like a house of cards.
I have to admit I would love to see Trump move into the white-house and totally plunder Congress.
Tweet tweet … so and so is not doing his job.
Tweet tweet the house will not give me the money to provide adequately for the vets. Here are the personal addresses and telephone numbers of those failing to help.
Oh by the way I have installed a time clock and the people will now be getting an 8 hour a day out of your OVERPAID elected officials.
WHAT FUN!
As for “Jim Jones” Cruz? Pond scum of the lowest kind.
I have to give him credit for being the Pied Piper of “total fools”. As much as I dialog with his supporters I can not put my finger on why they are so stupid. Actually they are in a class of stupid that I have never seen before. They far surpass the liberal/progressive wing-nut segment of society. Over the years I have counseled a lot of stupid individuals but these people take the cake bar none.
It is indeed drop dead funny to watch.
LOL… I find Twitter to be a massive time-sync, which I have avoided logging on to for years; but I would probably start doing so and follow him, just for the sheer entertainment. 😀 â—„Daveâ–º
Actually I am not a Twitter fan either even though I have a couple of accounts. I do not tweet or actually join any tweet groups.
I do not have time to waste on nonsense trivia. Like I care what color collar Mindy Lou’s dog is wearing today … LOL
I have not joined Trump’s twitter though I do pay attention to his facebook maybe once a month. I do not go for the brainwashed we love you kiss, kiss crap. With this level of adoration it does not take rocket science to realize where this is headed for the Political Elite who oppose him.
Glenn Beck’s facebook?
I check that out when his newsletter hits on some particular over the top stupidity.
Love rankling the Beck cyanide drinkers though. So easy to bait them into a panty twisted state of vitriol … lol
Beck appears to be tapering off … maybe it has dawned on him his livelihood might just be in the tank forever.
One would think at some point financial survival mode would kick in … but maybe not.
I apply emotion at least in this forum in nothing more than a metaphoric meaning. As I already commented nothing is being destroyed as you describe. That is where the disappointment will come in. Sure Trump makes republicans look bad. He also makes America look bad. So republicans lose the presidency and quite possibly enough down ballots to lose congress. That gives the GOPe cover to allow the progressives to do whatever they want. 90% of them will still have their jobs. Some will just have to take a hit for the team and find a better paying job on K street. Once said and done in January 2017 the only thing that will be gone is whatever dignity was allowed the common man within the process. The process marches on.
At what point did the GOPe become your enemy while being perfectly content leaving the democrat machine completely in tact? You know that it doesn’t matter the outcome of their convention. All will be good in the land of the progressive. They will be the fair ones that everybody loves and rally around their pick as the best and brightest. Did you start hating them when republicans only gave a Marxist president only 40% of what he would have really wanted? Or was it when they complained about a criminal and a socialist running in the democrat party? Or was it when they had elected a new round of conservative senators and congressmen as well as governors and state houses in 2010, 12, and 14?
Remember the Tea Party? All the folks that wanted to effect change that decided to do it within the process by moving to change the GOP back to a conservative party? You know, the folks who have actually made progress in doing so. Lets just tear that all down. That will show them. They should have worked faster because real revolutionaries have run out of patience.
I still disagree. Have you seen the reaction to Colorado?:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrqLQK7ecNE
That charge is almost silly. For as long as you have known me, I have been conflating both wings of the Incumbrepublocrat duopoly into one evil entity that needs to be sundered, destroyed, or at least ignored by Liberty lovers. To suggest that I would be content with destroying only the Right wing, while leaving the Left wing intact, is almost an insult, Chris.
You and I both know that it wasn’t the GOPe that accomplished that. It was actually done in spite of their efforts to maintain their status quo, by Tea Party activists and those inspired by them.
Patience? We should have more patience? Seriously? Have you noticed just how much ground we have lost in the past 7 years, despite our best efforts at giving the GOP the power of Congress to thwart the Progressive agenda? Sorry, pal, you are right… we have run out of patience with those GOPe stalwarts who openly loathe us, and I for one, won’t fall for the ‘Lesser of Two Evils’ gambit again. â—„Daveâ–º
I’m with you pal.
Trump supporters are a clear example of “stick a fork in us we ARE DONE” … lol
What amuses me so much is how the Political Establishment is so use to successfully screwing “the people” … it has never dawned on them “the people” would say enough is enough.
There is ONE WAY AND ONLY ONE WAY they could slow this runaway train and that is to actually leap on the Trump band wagon and hope to hell they remain intact when the bullcrap hits the fan.
Clearly this IS NOT GOING TO END WELL for the Political Elite.
LOVE IT! LOVE IT!
It could not happen to a more deserving group … LOL
LOL the dingbat burning his papers wasn’t let in because he went to the wrong convention.
Yeah, so I heard. I am not sure which is worse. The GOP dingbats, who actually think the usually befuddled, often incoherent, and Politically Incorrect Trump would make a good POTUS… or the GOP sheeple, who somehow think the Ivy League, Canadian Born, Piously Correct, prayerful, and anointed Messiah Cruz would make a better one. One thing is for sure, these folks mix about as well as oil and water, and the notion that either will just fall in line for the GOPe, to unify the Party behind the other candidate after Cleveland, is a pipe dream. 😉 â—„Daveâ–º
Better a real democrat in the oval office than a democrat in the oval office that runs the republican party. I’m not worried. The stupid that is Trump has only begun. 😉
Spoken like a dedicated partisan statist, who still thinks it matters which wing of the Incumbrepublocrat duopoly occupies the oval office. What would it take to convince you that it really doesn’t, and that we would be better off without an oval office? Then, we would have no need of arguing over who should sit in it. 🙂 â—„Daveâ–º
I don’t know when recognizing that there is a need for a constitutionally limited government is a necessary establishment if only to secure our place in the world became a “partisan statist”. We can go round and round all day on who is best to fill a leadership position and how it’s to be filled. The fact remains that without a government of some sort and magnitude there is no longer a country. Borders are not borders unless they are defended no matter how poorly. Without government someone inevitably fills the vacuum. And it would be filled. Anarchy under your definition is all well and good. Problem is it devolves rapidly to the definition you insist doesn’t apply. Socialists are usually the ones who deny human nature.
‘Partisan statist’ wasn’t meant to be a pejorative, Chris, only descriptive. I would welcome the opposite label, ‘non-partisan anarchist.’ You clearly demonstrated your partisanship by your concern for the integrity of the Republican Party. That you insist there is a need for a country, borders, and a government of any sort, makes you a statist.
I recognize your concern for the concept of anarchy, because I shared it for years. Then, I finally recognized that the constitutionally limited government designed by our Founders, has not existed for over 150 years, and could never return without another bloody revolution. The truth is that America is not only no longer a republic, it isn’t even a democracy. Once I permitted myself to seriously delve into the voluminous scholarship on the subject of anarchy with an open mind, I have become persuaded that any worry that a laissez faire stateless society would necessarily rapidly devolve into chaos, is unfounded.
In any case, the tyranny we now suffer at the hands of the oligarchs and their unelected bureaucrats, who blatantly ignore the Constitution’s supposed limits on their power, is hundreds of times worse than anything our Founders ever experienced under King George. There is no way in hell voting is ever going to reverse that. Therefore, a revolution of some sort is now inevitable, and likely sooner rather than later. I reckon it would be a lot less bloody, if those aggrieved simply ceased supporting the tyrannical government, and didn’t try to replace it with one its present supporters would unlikely ever accept. A voluntary stateless society, without rulers or any coercive infrastructure to take over, invites no revolutions, and would be nearly impossible to conquer or subdue (witness Afghanistan). It sure seems it would at least be worth a try… â—„Daveâ–º