USA – -(Ammoland.com)- First, I will not be voting for Donald Trump. Over his political career, he has said that he is pro-choice and pro-life.
Like Bernie Sanders, he has advocated a wealth tax to expand Social Security. More recently, he has stated that the bankrupt Medicare system ($25 trillion underwater) needs no changes. He has a “foolproof” plan to defeat ISIS which he won’t disclose. He believes that vaccines cause autism.
That said, Trump is hitting a huge, untapped political nerve spanning the populist right and center, drawing direct attacks from the GOP establishment. Listen to Trump in Laconia last Thursday in this Granite Grok video, starting at 6:05 (transcript in red):
“Jeb Bush raised a hundred million dollars. He’s totally in favor of Common Core. He’s totally weak on immigration. The last thing we need is another Bush. What does a hundred million mean? A hundred million means he’s doing favors for so many people. It means lobbyists, it means special interests, it means donors. And when you have a situation where you have people giving you millions of dollars, when they call up, even when it’s not in the best interests of the United States, when they call you up, you do what they tell you to do. Okay. Hey, excuse me, I’m one of those people. Now I’m on the other side of the fence. Who knows it better than me? I’d give to everybody. They’d do whatever I want, it’s true. [Cheers].”
“Somebody said, you gave to Democrats. Of course, I’m a businessman. They do whatever the hell you tell them to do. I give Republicans, Democrats. They call. … Senators call. I say don’t bother coming in Senator. They come in. You know you’re allowed to give like $2000. They come in, a Senator, a United States Senator. The greatest thing that ever happened is campaign finance laws. Two thousand dollars for a Senator. They’ll get on a plane, they’ll come in from Washington. They’ll come in from wherever they are to pick up $2000 in campaign contributions. I say, don’t you have something better to do, like for the country? …”
“It’s very sad. You look at the hundred million dollars that he raised. If you think those people are giving without favors. Now, Hillary raised $46 million, a lot of money. The good news is, I got, well, the good news, how much do I have. [Crowd shouts the number]. Ten billion! [Cheers]. It’s funny. A friend of mine comes up, a rich guy. I want to give you a lot of money. I said, honestly, I don’t need it. Would you come over and make a speech at my house? No, keep your money, I really don’t need it.”
The media commentariat has written off as a viable campaign issue Washington’s utterly corrupt political money system where average voters have statistically zero influence over policy and industry-compliant bureaucrats get multi-million dollar revolving door jobs lobbying Congress.
Trump has gone off the reservation by viscerally connecting bought-and-paid-for Beltway politics, amnesty for illegals, and wage stagnation for the bottom 90 percent. The cheering crowds are warning to the establishment that these issues won’t go away.
Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio and Hillary Clinton are not insulated by winning the Goldman Sachs money primary. The populist political space is larger than it’s been in decades.
If (when) Trump self-immolates, another GOP candidate is certain to jump unambiguously on board. That GOP candidate could be President in 2017 if he/she can shake off the crazy label and can navigate young voters’ live-and-let-live social preferences.
Thanks for listening,
Jim Rubens
Businessman and Republican activist from Hanover.
www.jimrubens.com
Raymond Miller, since you have nothing to do, why don’t you give everyone a BJ.
Anyway, that is your expertise.
Trump is acting out of enlightened self interest: he needs a functional economy in order to grow his enterprises. I like that what you see is what you get, even though I don’t agree with him on all the issues. Also, he deals in results, which very much reminds me of the America I grew up in and sorely miss. As the old saying goes, “Money talks and BS walks.” Works for me…
Go Trump Go, The Donald is forcing the establishment elite to respond to the issues we the citizens care most about instead of them kicking the can down the road, and giving us the normal Dog & Pony Show that we usually get during election cycles. I think it is a good thing that he is doing. Look at how Jeb baby has put his foot in his mouth in responding to Trump. He’s not the only one Rubio, Perry, Christie, Graham have all taken the bait and made statements that hopefully will prevent them from being the nominee. We… Read more »
Yes sir Raymond, he may even be working for the Dems, I just cannot support him regardless.
I did not say that I supported him, but I do support what he is doing. Without Trump we would have Jeb or Christie shoved down our throat just like McCain and Romney were, and if one of them is the nominee Hellery will be our next President. The RINO elites don’t care if she gets elected as long as the can keep their little fiefdoms.
Raymond, you have nailed the problem. fiefdoms, power, and being treated like Royalty( Narcissistic behavior) and becoming multi-millionaires on a 170k salary?
I agree with the OP. Trump does NOT NEED to win the GOP nomination. It’s reasonable to imagine he would prefer NOT to be President and, therefore, NOT to be nominated. The publicity from his campaign will promote his brand. If he won he would be obliged to put his business interests on-ice and thereafter not exploit his service in the office. As a candidate for the nomination Trump can stir-up populist reaction and condemn the contribution-game of national politics. All that would be required for success is for one of the other front-runners to resonate with the right collection… Read more »
Mr Rubens, thank you for an informed well written article. Mr Trump seems to be all that you say and not all that he says he is, In addition this campaign is the expression of a true ego-maniac. He says outrageous things, such as “most” of the Hispanics are rapist and criminals. Certainly many are, but I live where there is a significant and growing population and the vast majority of Hispanics are hard working good citizens. The “bad” ones are mostly second generation that have moved in from California or Texas. He also famously said that Senator McCain is… Read more »
Every single individual running to be POTUS needs to have an ego the size of Kilamanjaro in the best of times. At this point in history, the next President will be tasked with fixing FUBAR, a Herculean task. They are all narcissists.
Donald Trump is a breath of fresh air in a stodgy smoke filled room of fat cat politicians and their rich handlers!
The election itself is far away. The talking has just recently started, and it’s with the main menu of troubling situations that require strong solutions from real leaders.
Real leaders are MADE, not born! They have EXPERIENCE, not degrees!
Let’s all wait a while longer and see who settles out as a real leader!
“Quote” Real leaders are MADE, not born! They have EXPERIENCE, not degrees! end quote/
You are absolutely correct sir!
I am for choice in vaccines and I do not need to be coersed to pump unknown chemicals into my children or me. I’ve seen vaccines cause all types of autistic symptoms so let’s not play dumb here that they all “safe and effective” since the industry has total liability protection since 1986.
But since this is a 2A website, Trump doesn’t have a great record on Second Amendment and I think this is all a stunt to drown out the other Republican candidates.
Janek: Throttle down, amigo. Trump will not be elected as president. The mainstream Republican party will see to that. And I am distressed the author of the article claims a candidate has to ‘navigate young voters’ live and let live social preferences’. In other words, anything goes both morally and ethically. That kind of attitude has to end if the USA is to survive as a nation.
Trump is controlling the ‘dialog’, not the Liberal Leftist Progressive media. Those people are going to be shocked when Donald Trump is elected President. The Washington elite and the ‘mainstream media’ haven’t a clue about how the ‘average American’ is fed up with what’s been going on in America.
Janek, you are at least partly right. But given another year Mr Trump will continue to alienate enough people that he has a very small chance.