Donald Trump

[Earl Aelfheah]

Good grief

[Blah Blah]

I know !

[WorkingMummy]

And he gets the headline and a little bump in the poles.

Yuck. Stomach churning.

[Jeremy]

I have a theory that a little while ago, he realised he'd bitten off more than he could chew. But instead of pulling out of the race, he started saying the stupidest things he could think of. When it backfired, he tried to dig himself out of the hole by turning it up a notch. Still not quite worked but he's getting close.

[Ladygooner]

Can't believe the number of people in the audience for his speech were applauding

[jacks09]

Genuinely pretty scary - you can only hope that should he get in, the legislative process will strangle the craziest of his ideas.

[WorkingMummy]

Does anyone know if the US relatively leftish and liberalish media is ribbing/ridiculing him like Katie Couric and SNL (rightly) went after Palin? Because he is every bit as ridiculous and quite a bit more scary.

[JohnL]

Congress would not allow him.

[Louisa]

The Republican Party surpasses itself once again. They pick some of the most bizarre candidates for the commander in chief role. Even UKIP would blush at some of these comments. Hilary will have a walk in the park next November.

Louisa.

[Seabag]

I wonder if the pressure bubble of the presidential run (and knowing you're out of your depth) makes people like Trump come out with this sort of stuff

Not everyone of course, but if you're used to saying it as-it-is in the comfort of your own circle, then hell yeah say it on T.V

[LondonMix]

The Republican party don't want him to win the nomination. They in very many ways are trying to undermine him. Because of concerns that he would run as a 3rd party candidate though and split the ticket, they don't want to alienate him too much (which is also why they got him to sign a pledge). Its a complicated dance but both the moderate right and all of the left are pretty horrified and shocked at his campaign and his success. The fact that he's had a platform for so long with so much support has seriously damaged America.

I support Hillary but I absolutely am terrified of a Trump candidacy. Not because Trump could win (that's extremely unlikely) but the longer he has this platform the more he is tearing the country apart. Leaders are supposed to help us rise above the basest elements of ourselves and all he does is play on everyone's worst instincts and impulses.

It makes me incredibly sad as an America.

[Blah Blah]

I don't know a huge amount about the US process but have a higher opinion of Americans than supporters of Trump display. In the end I think he will never be President and if it is a race between him and Hilary, expect her to win without too much trouble.

He has always been a firebrand. Even his children, who seem to be smart and normal, have had to reign him in a few times because of the damage done to their businesses.

Does he have the support of the religious right? Because that is probably the platform that will decide if he runs for President or not.

[LondonMix]

No, he doesn't have the support of the religious right (not its leaders at least). He's not religious, twice divorced, runs casinos and has supported abortion rights. Still some traditional evangelical voters are connecting with him not on religious grounds but based on his other rhetoric.

He is very unlikely to win-- 20% of Republic voters in the primaries is well below 10% of total voters in the US (more like 6%-7%). As the Republican field narrows, Trump is unlikely to win other candidates' supporters in my opinion (but who really knows). If you support Rubio and he drops out, you are more likely to switch to Bush or Cruz before Trump I think. He might pick up some of Ben Carson's supporters but even then, I think he is simply too off putting to too many people to win the Republican nomination much less be elected president.

The majority of the country think he's unhinged.

[Otta]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/donald-trump-wants-to-ban-the-internet-will-ask-bill-gates-to-close-it-up-a6764396.html

[JohnL]

He's lost it

The children won't stand for that :)

[hpsaucey]

Hhm - would it be worth it for less Trump??? Tempting...

[Otta]

And then there's Ben Carson

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Carson#Political_positions

[Blah Blah]

Thanks LondonM. You seem to know what's going on there.

[Jeremy]

Loved that Independent piece, Otta.

Bill Gates isn't in a position to do anything about "closing up the internet!" And even if he was, Trump is little more than a turd on the sole of this shoe.

[LondonMix]

I'm American so I still follow US politics fairly closely and read the US press. Plus I was home recently for Thanksgiving so was able to experience some it first hand.

Blah Blah Wrote:

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> Thanks LondonM. You seem to know what's going on

> there.

Otta- Ben Carson is his own worry. Of course, compared to Trump, anyone can seem a bit better than they are but the Republican party is truly in crisis.

[WorkingMummy]

Otta Wrote:

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> And then there's Ben Carson

>

> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Carson#Political

> _positions

Crikey.

But then, even Maccain was very pro-life. Was live on the Ellen Degeneres show when he said that Roe v Wade was a "terrible decision". I think he later tried to retreat - said that was an expression of belief in the self-determination of individual states to make their own abortion law. Which obviously ranked higher than the self-determination of said States' women, with him.

[Earl Aelfheah]

Jeremy Wrote:

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> Loved that Independent piece, Otta.

>

> Bill Gates isn't in a position to do anything

> about "closing up the internet!" And even if he

> was, Trump is little more than a turd on the sole

> of this shoe.

"Hi Bill, could you unplug the internet for me? Yeah, just pull the plug out. Yeah, it was a good idea, but u dint really like it. Cheers"

[Otta]

LondonMix Wrote:

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>

> Otta- Ben Carson is his own worry.

Indeed, that's what I was getting at. Didn't mean to come across as saying he would be a good candidate, Thomas sounds like a total arse.

[Otta]

Thesis quite a good and worrying write up.

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/dec/08/i-dont-care-donald-trump-brushes-off-horrified-reaction-to-his-muslim-ban

[Jah Lush]

Bernie Saunders for President.