CNN)Conservative commentator Ben Stein on Wednesday said that he would not vote for GOP front-runner Donald Trump and even highlighted Democratic candidates that he liked.
It all depends upon the state-by-state distribution of "sane" people and, given how polarized the election is, how much each party gets their faithful vote out.
My suspicion is as Trump does more and more public appearances that are not purely partisan GOP events and has more meltdowns like he did on ABC "This Week", things will start to shift away from him again.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/01/world/europe/ukraine-trump-crimea-politics.html
You know, as "challenged" as Gerald Ford was, running the country and being ridiculed left and right sometimes, to put him in the same cagtegory as Trump even with maybe an accurate comparison in this one instance still makes me feel badly for Ford. And I was not a fan. But nothing in memory compares to this total idiot, Trump, except Sara Palin. I cannot think of a bigger buffoon alive that ran for office and made it this far.
I hope you are correct Old School. All logic is in your favor of being correct, but logic has fallen out the window a long time ago around this place.
Not since 1976, when President Gerald Ford committed a major gaffe in one of his debates with Jimmy Carter, declaring that “there is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe,” has the issue of American support of Eastern European states, both those in NATO and those outside it, emerged as a major presidential campaign issue. It was enormously harmful to Mr. Ford, because his statement seemed to suggest that he did not understand the geopolitics of the region, which his staff denied.
Most repugnicans I know don't like Trump. They just like Clinton even less. The objective, then, would be for Clinton to convince the dissatisfied/disenfranchised masses that she really is a decent human being who really isn't out to take even more of their rights/property.
Good luck with that, Hillary. :-)
Not good enough. Liking Hillary less than Trump speaks volumes.
Being PRO Putin is really like being Pro Trump. No diff. Trump is a Putin wanna be. He would love to brag that he was a former KGB commander. He would use that as a badge of honor to terrify. Just like Putin.
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump's latest comments about Russian President Vladimir Putin and the autonomy of nations bordering Russia have drawn sharp rebukes.
In an interview with ABC News this weekend, Trump said that if he were president, Putin would not invade Ukraine. "He's not going into Ukraine, okay? Just so you understand," Trump said. "He's not going to go into Ukraine. You can mark it down. You can put it down."
http://cbsnews1.cbsistatic.com/hub/i/r/2014/03/21/1ae2c7c4-c51c-44cc-8392-9839d3fcd821/thumbnail/440x280/a5faf4227b4218f26bdb91782c887eda/018-ap175500022402.jpg 2x" />
Putin signs bill to annex Crimea from Ukraine after region voted to secede
When informed that Putin invaded Crimea -- an autonomous part of Ukraine -- two years ago to annex it to Russia, Trump responded, "Well, he's there in a certain way. But I'm not there yet; Obama is there. And frankly, that whole part of the world is a mess under Obama. With all the strength that you're talking about and all of the power of NATO and all of this. In the meantime... he takes Crimea."
In a statement, Hillary Clinton's campaign said of Trump's comments, "This is scary stuff, and it's yet more proof why Donald Trump is temperamentally unfit and totally unqualified to be commander-in-chief."
When asked on "CBS This Morning" about Trump's comments, Gen. Michael Hayden -- a former director of the National Security Agency and the CIA -- said, "Well, it certainly was a fact-free description of what's going on in the Ukraine."
Co-anchor Gayle King asked if Hayden agreed with Hillary Clinton's characterization of Trump's comments and making him "totally unfit and unqualified to be commander-in-chief"?
"That would add to a body of evidence that would actually draw one towards that conclusion," Hayden said. "We'll see what happens over the life of a campaign where there is a chance to recover. But right now, that statement there, again, devoid of facts and divorced from traditional American and traditional European policy.
"That was the violent change of a European border with the annexation of Crimea, which he says he might be fine with at some point in the future. Beyond just what's happening in the Ukraine, can you actually live with a Europe in which you can change borders based upon popular sovereignty? How much more violent would the continent become?"
Perhaps the sad thing is Trump MAY (kinda/sorta) have a point about Crimea. The Russia/Ukraine dispute about the region is complicated by...
A) Historically, the Crimea has been part of Russia more than it hasn't been (It was granted to the Ukraine SSR in the 1950s)
B) A majority of Crimean residents are ethnically/culturally Russian.
C) Russia has military bases it considers important on the Crimean peninsula. Access to them since Ukraine became an independent nation-state has been problematic.
D) The US/NATO supported a coup in Ukraine which replaced a relatively Russia-friendly government with a more hardline confrontational government which may seek NATO membership.
E) Even if Russia is 100% wrong in annexing the Crimea, what can the US/NATO really do about it? Are we willing to risk war with a nuclear-armed state about the issue?
And if Trump had anything resembling a real brain in his head, he would have noted some of the complexities. But, no, his answers basically boiled down to, "Russian annexed the Crimea because Obama is a pussy. Had I been President, I would have stopped it. I can't say how, but I would have gotten a better deal."
Of course, most Americans don't no s**t about Ukraine, the Crimea, or what's really going on, so they accept the "Obama is a pussy!" explanation without thinking about it.
This is a Presidential candidate?
I know you know more than Trump ever did or ever will about this issue, (he could CARE LESS)
I know you know how to take the opposite side of an argument and find pertinent points a person, in this case TRUMP, may make, to try to be fair and impartial and not just put your hands over your ears and over your eyes.
BUT? HE SAID THIS:
When informed that Putin invaded Crimea -- an autonomous part of Ukraine -- two years ago to annex it to Russia, Trump responded, "Well, he's there in a certain way. But I'm not there yet; Obama is there. And frankly, that whole part of the world is a mess under Obama. With all the strength that you're talking about and all of the power of NATO and all of this. In the meantime... he takes Crimea."
I mean, there is no defense for him.
You may have a point that he may have stumbled upon, but it is YOU explaining the state of Ukraine and how the Crimea came to be annexed, not DONALD. What he said may have SOME merit somewhere, but it was a happy accident that he said anything to support whatever the hell it was that he was attempting to say. This guy doesn't know what the hell he means. "That's because I wasn't there????" Oh wow.
The incoherent babble he tries when confronted about his remarks speaks volumes. But we already know this. Thanks for your VERY coherent explanation of what he SHOULD have said.
Not good enough for what? I didn't know it was a contest. :-^)
Hi Nimitz,
It is kind of a contest actually. Did you ever read that book by Stephen King, The Stand? I see this contest you mention as a complete parallel of this book. The Devil is on one side and those who want to stick with the good and real are on the other.
So, while Hillary is not anyone's heroine at present, I see her as leading us out of this darkest of dark periods back to some semblance of light. If she, personally, does not thrill you, many of her backers actually do thrill me.
We still have a lot of admirable Democrats in her corner. NOW after his major Faux Pas, pissing off the most humble and peaceful of people, TRUMP has really screwed himself and will NOT recover.
MUSLIMS, the modern Muslims, not the Al Quaida faction, are the most peaceful humans on the planet. We don't know a lot about these people because they practice their religion. They don't go on the streets and use the term Muslim to instigate a war. They are the quiet, humble servants of GOD. We don't know them, because they do not shout back. They truly practice the Christian plea of turn the other cheek.
He can backtrack all he wants to. He is a marked idiot now and all his backers seem to be fleeing the sinking ship.
You can down Muslims all day and night it seems, but you do NOT defame 4 star war heroes in this country. A TOTAL INSULT to Republicans. That is like telling them their mothers are whores.
LOL
He SCREWED UP big time.
He first of all shoots his big mouth off and calls John McCain a poser. McCain is NO war hero he boasts to the crowd. He says he is no war hero because he got caught. This flippant remark cost him.
McCain, who remained on his side, for appearances sake, finally has had it.
He spoke publicly about what an IDIOT embarrassment Trump is by insulting this son of Muslims who have been immaculate citizens of this country. He said Trump insulted a WAR HERO.
AWESOMEEEEE
