It's not an accident. When it comes to outrageousness, Donald Trump has dialed it back, on purpose. And indications from Trump world are that the new pattern will continue....
Why the change? Ask people knowledgeable about the campaign, and they'll say the addition of new staff has had a quick effect. Pushed by his children, Trump has expanded his super-tight circle of advisers with the addition of Paul Manafort, and now others, too. The sense is that Trump actually can listen, both to advice on what to say and not to say. The message has evolved; he is a better candidate than than [sic] the man who messed up right and left just a few weeks ago. And with his latest crusade against "voterless victory," Trump is scoring points again, not so much against Ted Cruz directly but against the Republican establishment — always Trump's most comfortable target. For Trump, Cruz's vulnerability is not that he is part of the establishment but that he has gotten in bed with the establishment as the only way to win. So the belief is that Trump's fight against the Republican National Committee and insider campaign rules pays off everywhere — especially if Trump is not making critical unforced errors at the same time....
April 18, 2016
"Have you noticed something different about the Trump campaign?"
"It's been more than two weeks since the last really outrageous thing the Republican front-runner has said or done," writes Byron York.
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21 comments:
I call BS on Byron Yorks remarks. I don't see that he is more moderate in his comments or more controlled. He is a freak show and if he became Mother Teresa, he would still be a freak show.
and the Althouse article just following proves York wrong:
"I hope it doesn't involve violence. I hope it doesn’t. I'm not suggesting that. I hope it doesn’t involve violence..."
"... and I don’t think it will. But I will say this, it’s a rigged system, it’s a crooked system. It’s 100 percent corrupt."
Trump is pushing (without saying it directly, that will come later) for DIRECT DEMOCRACY.
Democracy is 2 wolves and sheep deciding what to have for lunch.
Trump is like a trained lion right now. He wants quietly with his trainer holding onto the rope, watching the crowd intently taking pictures. Very intently.
I wouldn't get too close. The beast is calm but he's still a beast.
Mr. Trump is already running a 3rd party candidacy, the " New Republican Party".
The "Retrumplican Party".
The women's vote ruins everything.
The media. They are always are so surprised that Trump is not an idiot
Trump had a chance to pivot and be more presidential after his Super Tuesday win, but it's too late now. He would have had the nomination locked up if he took the high road when Rubio got down and dirty and Cruz indirectly attacked his wife.
I think that he may be a disappointment to many of his fans if he keeps this up. This in-your-face aggression is a good part of what is so attractive to so many of his supporters. They have been ridiculed for so long, and to have someone so successfully talk truth-to-power is exciting to them. And, yes, it is going to be necessary to blow through the institutional defenses that Hillary will be able to deploy (I noted an Instapundit headline that George S. is still not disclosing his contributions to the Clinton foundation, etc.) Yes, a lot of people really do want to make her cry. She is the worst part of politics today, completely corrupt, power mad, will say anything for that power, and in her progressive bubble, and still looks fated to be the Dem nominee. I like Cruz, but don't know if he can take her out (but is the one other guy whom I think has a chance). We know that the MSM, etc. (Democratic operatives with bylines) are going to do whatever they can to put her over the top. Who can stand up to them? My view is that comes down to Trump or, maybe, Cruz.
Trump is doing just what he said he would and what every politician does, pivot from one thing to another. Also thinking that his supporters will turn away from him now is whistling past the grave.
When he takes NY with a much higher percentage than Cruz did Texas, his star will be right back where it was. And Cruz running third in the northeast will not bode well for him.
Even if he is successful backrooming delegates.
The sense is that Trump actually can listen, both to advice on what to say and not to say.
I doubt that. He's never seemed like a person who would listen to anybody. He seems like the type of person who surrounds himself with yes-men and sycophants and kicks out anyone who even remotely questions him. It'd be truly shocking to me if there was any real truth to this.
Since Trump is now only doing interviews with Sean Hannity and Eric Bolling, everything has gone much more smoothly.
More seriously, since I have always liked Byron York, I have to say that I agree strongly with the first commenter on this page, and join him in disputing York's premise. I don't think Trump has really gone, or will go, two weeks without verbalizing something outrageous. I have yet to see a single one of Trump's interviews or speeches where he didn't say something to make any reasonable, intelligent educated conservative shake his or her head in disbelief.
Trump knows it is a successful moment. He doesn't t want to get any more people on either side killed by attacking stragglers.
But he has to watch them carefully as the Establishment is a proud organization and wants nothing more than to sneak back into the victory that was planned before Trump knocked off all their candidates. But as soon as they can get together they they will withdraw into the night.
"a successful moment" Like all his other successful moments: the launch of Trump Steak, Trump Wine, Trump U.
Looks like the hostile takeover of the GOP by a pro-amnesty, pro-entitlement, anti-free-trade Dem billionaire is going to fail. Still a close call though.
A number of people have been saying, for most of a year now, that Trump will run 3rd party or support Hilary!.
I've never seen anything to support that and still don't. It is too late for a 3rd party effort and I just can't see him supporting Hilary!. Buying her, yes, supporting her, no.
In the last week or 2 another idea has snuck into my idle mind: There is already a strong 3rd party with a credible candidate. The Libertarian Party looks likely to nominate Gary Johnson, though it is not a done deal yet. Johnson is a former governor and ran a credible, though losing, campaign for the Repo nod in 2012. He then ran for Prez on the Libertarian ticket and got a pretty good number of votes for a 3rd party and last minute campaign. For 2016 the LP is on the ballot in all 50 states.
Suppose neither Cruz nor Trump get nominated. Suppose also that Sanders does not get nominated. There is going to a bunch of people out there who rightly or wrongly feel that the parties stole the selection from them. Many of those people already feel it is time to burn both parties to the ground.
Suppose Trump and/or Cruz and Sanders start supporting Gary Johnson? Trump with money and mouth, Cruz and Sanders with telling their supporters to vote LP.
It would certainly make an interesting election. Johnson might even be able to get enough votes to win. More likely he would get enough to throw it into the House and who knows what might happen there?
John Henry
A pretty good rant on why the Republic Party needs to be burned to the ground by Judge Jeanine Pirro:
"There's an insurrection coming. Mitt Romney just confirmed it...
https://youtu.be/ZPjErI00mAA
All I can say is "Ditto!"
John Henry
Scott Adams on same subject today. Right down to Trump getting a different haircut as part of "Master Persuasion" Megan Kelly interview comin' up.
http://blog.dilbert.com/
sdharms said...
"Trump is pushing (without saying it directly, that will come later) for DIRECT DEMOCRACY.
Democracy is 2 wolves and sheep deciding what to have for lunch."
Your analogy poorly applies to this election. Right now the Republican party and the Democrat party are deciding how to pass TPP and keep the border open. They are the 2 wolves and they have been carving up the American people for the last 28 years.
No, he is telling the GOPe to listen to their base. Most of us out here do not want open borders. We don't want the EPA. We don't want the IRS. We don't want another slick career politician. We don't want bullshit trade deals and we are tired of the US military being used for purposes other than US interests.
That is why Trump has more votes than any other candidate. That is why Trump has more popular support than any other candidate and wins most of the popular elections. That is why he has the most delegates.
Sebastian said...
""a successful moment" Like all his other successful moments: the launch of Trump Steak, Trump Wine, Trump U.
Looks like the hostile takeover of the GOP by a pro-amnesty, pro-entitlement, anti-free-trade Dem billionaire is going to fail. Still a close call though."
Trump has locked up the nomination. Cruz knows he will lose the general if he comes in second place and steals the nomination on the 3rd ballot. He will be on the ticket before the end of the convention.
"Looks like the hostile takeover of the GOP by a pro-amnesty, pro-entitlement, anti-free-trade Dem billionaire"
Hilarious. That ship has sailed.
"No, he is telling the GOPe to listen to their base. Most of us out here do not want open borders. We don't want the EPA. We don't want the IRS. We don't want another slick career politician. We don't want bullshit trade deals and we are tired of the US military being used for purposes other than US interests."
Meh - every bit of this describes Ted Cruz perfectly well. We don't need Trump.
Scott Adams:
Summary
This is the strongest position Trump has been in since he announced. The chess board is all set for him to win the nomination and then go on to a landslide in the general.
Wow. What if this dude is right?
Tomorrow night is going to be hilarious.
Trump will get to lecture Cruz on what a real landslide victory looks like; one that actually contains votes.
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