Does Trump’s comb over & bombast
hide more than a lack of hair?
A serious look at how this presidential campaign can play out. Even if it is a challenge to be completely serious when discussing "the Donald... Quack quack.
Wayne Pajunen Sunday May 8, 2016
They are now left scratching their heads to premature baldness wondering
how an “outsider” has hijacked their party’s presidential nomination.
As seemingly improbable as the hill to presumptive nominee was for
Donald Trump to climb, he’s now broadcasting his Commandments – not quite 10 –
to scale his Mount Sinai campaigning to become commander
in chief of the United States of America.
He would also become the first President elect that didn’t come
from the political or military battlefield, but rather the worlds of illusory
real-estate finance and the contrived showmanship of “reality” TV.
Trump: As seen from abroad
Many US citizens, Canadians, Mexicans and Brits are stupefied at how
Trump could win the traditionally stoic Republican Party’s nomination for
president.
“Rick’s Rant” – “Honey Boo Boo for VP?” – gets funnier. Check out the
1’53” video here!
(More links to the lighter side at the end of this article)
Former Mexican President Vicente Fox: "He's cheating the American people... It's lie after lie."
As reported in The Washington Post, British parliamentarians described Trump as an: “idiot”, a "wazzock", “bonkers”, “a buffoon”, “ridiculous xenophobe”, a “demagogue who panders to people’s fears, rather than their strengths”, “the orange prince of American self-publicity”, and Labour shadow minister Jack Dromey, even exclaimed -- Trump shouldn’t be allowed within a thousand miles of Britain, is how he put it -- said that Trump was a “fool” but that he wasn’t free to be a “dangerous fool in Britain.”
Former Mexican President Vicente Fox: "He's cheating the American people... It's lie after lie."
As reported in The Washington Post, British parliamentarians described Trump as an: “idiot”, a "wazzock", “bonkers”, “a buffoon”, “ridiculous xenophobe”, a “demagogue who panders to people’s fears, rather than their strengths”, “the orange prince of American self-publicity”, and Labour shadow minister Jack Dromey, even exclaimed -- Trump shouldn’t be allowed within a thousand miles of Britain, is how he put it -- said that Trump was a “fool” but that he wasn’t free to be a “dangerous fool in Britain.”
Trump’s Tea party spoilers
The left wing of western politics has always accused the right wing of
living in the selfish self-interest realm of the sociological spectrum, but the
Tea party represents a further selfishness. An unwillingness to compromise.
They’d rather take their ball home and shut down the US government, as they did
in 2013 and threatened since, rather than compromise.
How did it come to be that traditional reasonable and pragmatic Republicans such as Paul Ryan, John Boehner, John McCain, Romney, two President Bushes, etc. are now on the outside looking in on their own party? How did their party become hijacked by the Tea party and their ilk?
A convergence of events is required for most catastrophes and monumental
events to occur. In the case of the transmogrification of the Republican Party
there are multiple considerations as to how the home to the traditional
conservative base was hijacked.
Among the culprits are, the backfiring of gerrymandering of electoral
districts by the old hands emboldening pockets of Republicans around the country
that have no need to compromise to win their districts. The Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling in January 2010 by the US Supreme court allowing unlimited election spending by individuals and corporations which transformed the political landscape and manipulation of discourse. And not to be forgotten, hurried global free trade that has turned the western world's economic model upside down and rocked the lives and expectations of its middle class citizenry.
Trump's narrow appeal
Will Trump's unorthodoxy lead to the stability desired by his economically and politically estranged supporters?
This tale has yet to unfold, but to get to that stage he must gain a broader audience than the one his allure has reeled in.
Although Trump has been perceived as a fool he hasn't come this far by strategizing foolishly.
A CNN/ORC International poll released May 4th has Clinton preferred to Trump by 13 points among nationally registered voters, 54 to 41 percent.
The man that has pandered to TV audience ratings for 14 years and now for votes must surely change his tune to woo a broader base or double down (see Trump's trump card below).
Motives to vote for or against Trump
Trump's narrow appeal
Will Trump's unorthodoxy lead to the stability desired by his economically and politically estranged supporters?
This tale has yet to unfold, but to get to that stage he must gain a broader audience than the one his allure has reeled in.
Although Trump has been perceived as a fool he hasn't come this far by strategizing foolishly.
A CNN/ORC International poll released May 4th has Clinton preferred to Trump by 13 points among nationally registered voters, 54 to 41 percent.
The man that has pandered to TV audience ratings for 14 years and now for votes must surely change his tune to woo a broader base or double down (see Trump's trump card below).
Motives to vote for or against Trump
President Obama’s victories were fuelled by positive motivations of hope
and change, voters felt good about going to the polls and voting for him.
With record high disapproval polling numbers for both Trump and Clinton, this election is unravelling as one where voters may be motivated to go to the polls equally by hope and hate.
With record high disapproval polling numbers for both Trump and Clinton, this election is unravelling as one where voters may be motivated to go to the polls equally by hope and hate.
Consider this
report from CNN:
Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton register net negative ratings in double
digits, indicating the front-runners for each party's presidential nominations
are viewed negatively at historic levels, according
to a new CBS/New York Times poll.
That
makes Trump and Clinton viewed more unfavorably than any front-runner for
either party since 1984, when CBS began polling voters on the question.
On
the Republican side, Trump scores a net negative of -33, with a favorable
rating of 24% compared to 57% of voters who view him unfavorably. On the
Democratic side, Clinton fares only slightly better with a net negative of -21,
registering a 31% favorable rating and a 52% unfavorable rating, according to
the poll.
This combination of voter's strongly motivated by hope and hate has the potential to inspire the highest Election Day turnout in recent memory.
Since 1904 voter turnout has surpassed 60% only seven times through 28 campaigns. The last time being 1968 when the populace was highly politicized with the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy and race riots across the nation.
Also telling from the '68 campaign for this years election is that there were three candidates contesting for the presidency, Richard Nixon, Hubert Humphrey and independent George Wallace. A scenario that may very well be realized in the coming months.
Other similarities from the '68 campaign are Nixon's leaning on the term "silent majority" often trumpeted by Donald and "White House experience" used to prop up former VP Humphrey and First Lady/ Secretary of State Hillary.
FYI: Voters can pay for the privilege to advertise membership in Trump's silent majority for only $10 for a set of TWO signs.
Will Trump inspire a 3rd party candidate?
The calls for a "real Republican" to carry the banner for "reasonable Republicans" put off by Trump are getting louder and similarities to '68 may become more pronounced.
Nixon's campaign worried that Wallace's anti desegregation platform and his running mate Curtis "Bombs Away" Lemay would siphon votes from their campaign. On the flip-side Humphrey war room fretted over Wallace's Democratic credentials and his appeal to blue-collar workers in the northern states.
Washington insider publication The Hill recently ran an expectant story: Ten third-party candidate names at top of Never Trump's list, suggesting the most likely challengers to Clinton and Trump.
Trump's trump card
If a third candidate fails to get in the ring and anti-Trump Republicans thumb their noses at voting for the Donald his vote is likely to be historically low.
There is also a fair probability that not only do Republicans stay home but Democrats too. Hillary confessed in the New Yorker: "Look, I have said before and it won't surprise anybody to hear me say it, this is not easy for me" Clinton said. "I am not a natural politician, in case you haven't noticed, like my husband or President Obama..."
Couple her inspirational shortcomings with Trump's "potty-mouth" (see Bonus insights below) trashing her daily in the ratings slavish national media day in and day out, Hillary may find it difficult to motivate any voters beyond her core constituency to vote, except to vote against Trump.
If bombastic Donald can find the right balance between his offensive rhetoric to ameliorate his negative sentiment among swing voters coupled with his highly motivated Tea party clan there may be a path to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Since 1904 voter turnout has surpassed 60% only seven times through 28 campaigns. The last time being 1968 when the populace was highly politicized with the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy and race riots across the nation.
Also telling from the '68 campaign for this years election is that there were three candidates contesting for the presidency, Richard Nixon, Hubert Humphrey and independent George Wallace. A scenario that may very well be realized in the coming months.
Other similarities from the '68 campaign are Nixon's leaning on the term "silent majority" often trumpeted by Donald and "White House experience" used to prop up former VP Humphrey and First Lady/ Secretary of State Hillary.
 |
| Subsidize a "billionaire" and get yours here! |
FYI: Voters can pay for the privilege to advertise membership in Trump's silent majority for only $10 for a set of TWO signs.
Will Trump inspire a 3rd party candidate?
The calls for a "real Republican" to carry the banner for "reasonable Republicans" put off by Trump are getting louder and similarities to '68 may become more pronounced.
Nixon's campaign worried that Wallace's anti desegregation platform and his running mate Curtis "Bombs Away" Lemay would siphon votes from their campaign. On the flip-side Humphrey war room fretted over Wallace's Democratic credentials and his appeal to blue-collar workers in the northern states.
Washington insider publication The Hill recently ran an expectant story: Ten third-party candidate names at top of Never Trump's list, suggesting the most likely challengers to Clinton and Trump.
One name jumps out
from the list that could throw a minor wrench into both candidates’ campaigns
is: Former New Mexico Gov.
Gary Johnson.
The
likely Libertarian Party nominee is so far the only candidate other than Trump
and Clinton who could be on the ballot in all 50 states.
Johnson served two terms as the Republican governor of New Mexico beginning in 1995. He participated in one GOP presidential debate early in the 2012 cycle before running as a Libertarian and winning about 1.3 million votes in the general election.
Johnson served two terms as the Republican governor of New Mexico beginning in 1995. He participated in one GOP presidential debate early in the 2012 cycle before running as a Libertarian and winning about 1.3 million votes in the general election.
Since 2012,
Johnson has been working as president of a marijuana marketing firm. He left
that position to run for president, winning the Libertarian nomination again in
2016.
Johnson could be the answer: A Monmouth University survey from late March found him taking 11 percent in a hypothetical match-up against Trump and Clinton.
In a statement released Wednesday after Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) left the GOP race, Johnson put himself forward as the alternative to “two of the most polarizing candidates in recent history.”
“With millions of Americans now feeling politically ‘homeless,’ a two-term Governor who balanced budgets, cut taxes, cut regulations and truly reduced the size of government may offer the home they are seeking,” Johnson said.
Johnson could be the answer: A Monmouth University survey from late March found him taking 11 percent in a hypothetical match-up against Trump and Clinton.
In a statement released Wednesday after Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) left the GOP race, Johnson put himself forward as the alternative to “two of the most polarizing candidates in recent history.”
“With millions of Americans now feeling politically ‘homeless,’ a two-term Governor who balanced budgets, cut taxes, cut regulations and truly reduced the size of government may offer the home they are seeking,” Johnson said.
Although it is believed a third party candidate could lock Trump out of the Oval office, with Hillary's high negative's a third candidate could doom her also as Republicans that are planing to stay home rather than vote for either candidate may be motivated to join the fray.
Trump's trump card
If a third candidate fails to get in the ring and anti-Trump Republicans thumb their noses at voting for the Donald his vote is likely to be historically low.
 |
Trump wouldn't be the first ridiculed
GOP candidate to win the presidency |
There is also a fair probability that not only do Republicans stay home but Democrats too. Hillary confessed in the New Yorker: "Look, I have said before and it won't surprise anybody to hear me say it, this is not easy for me" Clinton said. "I am not a natural politician, in case you haven't noticed, like my husband or President Obama..."
Couple her inspirational shortcomings with Trump's "potty-mouth" (see Bonus insights below) trashing her daily in the ratings slavish national media day in and day out, Hillary may find it difficult to motivate any voters beyond her core constituency to vote, except to vote against Trump.
If bombastic Donald can find the right balance between his offensive rhetoric to ameliorate his negative sentiment among swing voters coupled with his highly motivated Tea party clan there may be a path to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Does Trump's charisma trump vacant policy?
There were those among the other 16 original Republican candidates with detailed policy platforms and superior conservative credentials but none had Donald's eccentric charisma.
The oodles of free "news" media coverage Charisma garners is an intangible that can win an election all on its own, as Trump has demonstrated thus far.
It is described in the Miriam-Webster dictionary as: a personal magic of leadership arousing special popular loyalty or enthusiasm for a public figure (as a political leader).
Can charisma trump policy or will seat of the pants policy derail his campaign?
Trump's vacant policy platform has lead to embarrassing unpresidential flip-flops.
In the midst of a live interview on CNBC he made up his abortion policy falling for a leading question only to backpedal just hours later after hearing the backlash and probably seeing some quick polls. CNN reported: Donald Trump's 3 positions on abortion in 3 hours.
Another example of Trump twisting like a fish out of water
occurred when Trump gurgled in on the UK’s Brexit debate and chided
President Obama for getting:
…into the heated debate last month,
warning that leaving the European Union would diminish Britain's role on the
world stage and leave it at "the back of the queue" for trade
deals with the United States. Brexit supporters and other conservative
politicians reacted angrily to Obama's perceived interference in
British matters.
Trump, too, joined the chorus of condemnation.
"I didn't think it was a good thing for him to do it,"
the presumptive Republican nominee told the Daily Mail earlier this week, insisting that Obama should have remained
neutral.
"I would say that I'm not going to give Britain any advice,
but I know there are a lot of people that are very, very much against being in
the E.U.," he added.
Yet on Thursday, just days later, Trump did give Britain his advice
during an interview with Fox News.
"I would say [the British] are better off without [the E.U.],
personally," he said, and then offered a rather bizarre clarification to
an on-the-record statement: "But I'm not making that as a recommendation,
just my feeling."
From a major domestic issue to relations with one of the US's most vital allies, Trump has demonstrated his lack of preparedness and capacity for arguably the most exacting job on earth.
Trump as the apprentice - Hire or Fire
The presumptive Republican nominee demonstrates the intellect of a quick thinking salesman firing off any answer in the hope of immediate concurrence from his audience, without regard for the bigger picture, to close "the Deal" and gain a handsome commission.
Dubya Bush failed to see past the nearsightedness of today's revenge and what he fostered in today's Middle East is a tragedy of epic proportions.
Trump stupefyingly quoted the National Enquirer to link "Lyin' Ted" Cruz' father to JFK assassin Lee Harvey Oswald.
He labelled his only other serious challenger "sweaty little-Marco, the choke artist". but now that they've both bowed out of the contest and are no longer a threat, rumours have it that Trump has not ruled out either as a possible running mate.
Trump: "Marco's a good guy, a really nice guy, and I like him. But not necessarily with respect to any position, but it could happen"
On Cruz for a running mate: "We'll, he's certainly a capable guy. So it's something we can think about... but it's certainly something we would think about.
Maybe a new book on "The art of noncommittal waffling" is in the offing after the election.
Can Trump be trusted?
Apparently, not for a New York minute!
Would you hire an inexperienced candidate, who combs over his shortcomings with vituperation to lead the free world?
One thing that is certain is that it was foolish to brashly dismiss Trump from the beginning of his campaign, less than a year ago.
It is time to take him seriously, call him out from behind his childish rhetoric, expose his bald policy credentials and take him on, head on.
Trump as the apprentice - Hire or Fire
The presumptive Republican nominee demonstrates the intellect of a quick thinking salesman firing off any answer in the hope of immediate concurrence from his audience, without regard for the bigger picture, to close "the Deal" and gain a handsome commission.
Dubya Bush failed to see past the nearsightedness of today's revenge and what he fostered in today's Middle East is a tragedy of epic proportions.
Trump stupefyingly quoted the National Enquirer to link "Lyin' Ted" Cruz' father to JFK assassin Lee Harvey Oswald.
He labelled his only other serious challenger "sweaty little-Marco, the choke artist". but now that they've both bowed out of the contest and are no longer a threat, rumours have it that Trump has not ruled out either as a possible running mate.
Trump: "Marco's a good guy, a really nice guy, and I like him. But not necessarily with respect to any position, but it could happen"
On Cruz for a running mate: "We'll, he's certainly a capable guy. So it's something we can think about... but it's certainly something we would think about.
Maybe a new book on "The art of noncommittal waffling" is in the offing after the election.
Can Trump be trusted?
Apparently, not for a New York minute!
 |
Would you hire an inexperienced candidate, who combs over his shortcomings with vituperation to lead the free world?
One thing that is certain is that it was foolish to brashly dismiss Trump from the beginning of his campaign, less than a year ago.
It is time to take him seriously, call him out from behind his childish rhetoric, expose his bald policy credentials and take him on, head on.
Wayne Pajunen
Wayne is a political affairs columnist, consultant and former employee of Canada’s House of Commons and the Liberal Party of Canada. His work also appears in The Hill Times, The News Lens, Taipei Times and AMCHAM Business Topics magazine.
Wayne is a political affairs columnist, consultant and former employee of Canada’s House of Commons and the Liberal Party of Canada. His work also appears in The Hill Times, The News Lens, Taipei Times and AMCHAM Business Topics magazine.
Bonus: Lighter-side insights provided by:
Stephen Colbert: Cartoon Donald Tell Colbert Who Started It... Spoiler "You started it!"
Cartoon Trump Is Emperor of New York
Double Bonus:
Jon Stewart May Not Sit Out The 2016 Election, After
All His new HBO series may start up before November 6.
Update May 11th: Always nice when John Stewart echos your point of view.
He said the television-news business is "incentivized in the way a crack dealer is incentivized."
http://www.businessinsider.com/jon-stewart-tv-donald-trump-2016-5
Update May 11th: Always nice when John Stewart echos your point of view.
He said the television-news business is "incentivized in the way a crack dealer is incentivized."
"It can do tremendous damage, but as long as people are
buying crack, everything is good," he said.
http://www.businessinsider.com/jon-stewart-tv-donald-trump-2016-5
Thanks for reading. Hope my first blog post was worth your time.
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