The best thing about Trump is he is literally re-defining a large segment of the GOP in front of our eye. What is that new definition - I haven't much of a clue. But the GOP deserved to be decimated and redefined and this is the chance. Go Trump
Cruz will lose votes to Rubio now and whatever chance the GOP had to stump Trump. Cruz will refocus his attacks towards Rubio and the primaries will be over with Trump adding Kasich as VP
A large portion of the GOP electorate is the portion of voters that is white, non-college educated, and rural. This used to be a relatively healthy portion of the Democratic Party's base 50 years ago. It almost seems like this block is reverting to its previous poltiical orientation. That means: 1. Opposition to free trade 2. Support for entitlement and social welfare programs. 3. Some level of xenophobia and overt American white nationalism. 4. Varying levels of isolationism. Those were policy positions of Southern and rural Midwestern Democrats for generations until both of those groups were wiped out by Republicans. Back in the day those representatives were governing in coalition with much more liberal members of the Democratic caucus so legislation ended up being an internal compromise between those two groups. Now you have those policy positions being resurrected on the Republican side. And at least this platform is more in line with the actual interests of that electorate unlike the idiotic tax cuts and perpetual defense spending plans of the rest of the Republican Party.
I'm really embarrassed that American culture has collapsed to such a level that a guy who acts like an ignorant ass can stand in the middle of a presidential debate and be the favorite to win.
Not sure if this video will embed but I almost spit up my breakfast watching this. For Game of Thrones fans. <div id="fb-root"></div><script>(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));</script><div class="fb-video" data-allowfullscreen="1" data-href="/TheIndependentOnline/videos/vb.13312631635/10153435367316636/?type=3"><div class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/TheIndependentOnline/videos/10153435367316636/"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheIndependentOnline/videos/10153435367316636/"></a><p>Donald J. Trump fits into Game of Thrones scarily well</p>Posted by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheIndependentOnline/">The Independent</a> on Wednesday, February 24, 2016</blockquote></div></div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Leightweight chocker Marco Rubio looks like a little boy on stage. Not presidential material!</p>— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/703232084463095808">February 26, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">honer: one that hones (<a href="https://t.co/76PlKG8PA6">https://t.co/76PlKG8PA6</a>)<br>leightweight: We have no. idea. <br>chocker: <a href="https://t.co/geeDMqiS4D">https://t.co/geeDMqiS4D</a> <a href="https://t.co/2km86hZAVQ">https://t.co/2km86hZAVQ</a></p>— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) <a href="https://twitter.com/MerriamWebster/status/703236443498553344">February 26, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
That is a very astute observation... we are seeing the evolution of the Republican party in front of our very eyes. Donald Trump. Wow.
Yep. It's ok though because the establishment will not succeed in either party this year. Americans are tired of the bull****.
I actually thing he gets a large chunk of votes from Hispanics who have and will vote but maybe not majority but that's due to traditional voting for Democrats not because of Trumps words. Most of the folks who hate him can't or haven't really ever participated in the voting process. I can speak to this very clearly because of the diversity of Hispanics in my family. My family includes 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th+ generation Americans as well as family members who only have a permanent resident card. I also still have family in Mexico. There is a HUGE difference in the opinions within my family and the differences are usually down to which generation they belong to NOT how old they are. The 2nd, 3rd, 4th generation Americans in my family don't use Spanish for example and some don't even speak it. They are VERY proud of being American and constantly distancing themselves from Mexican traditions and culture. Things like using multiple surnames for example is really frowned upon in my family. Many in this group have or are serving in the US military. I have many many uncles who work as Border Patrol agents actually enforcing immigration laws and borders daily. This group tends to vote. Now the newer generation Americans in my family, are totally different. They are very proud of their heritage and tend to not be ashamed or embarrassment using both languages. They seem to cling or care to their Mexican traditions much more. Almost no military participation in this group. Voting in this group is almost non-existant. The greencard category is the tricky one. Some of them don't identify at all American while others want it so badly. These folks can't vote. Now we don't have any illegal family members in the country but I suspect it would be a mixed bag like the greencard holders. But again they can't vote. And just to close the circle with my family still in Mexico. Almost all of them are happy and have no real desire to permanently move to the USA. In fact most of them travel to US once or twice a year on a tourist Visa to visit family. Now they aren't dirt poor but they aren't well off either. Closer to poor for sure but otherwise just normal folks. Most live on or near the border too. So that's what my very extended family demo so make of it what you will. I can tell you that many (older generation americans, not by age) in my family actually talk like Trump LOL.
Yeah. Not quite so much re-defining, as elucidating what was always there. For social conservatives and evangelicals, propriety and morality don't really matter that much. Biblical knowledge doesn't matter. Actual religiosity doesn't matter. Not taking an aggressive stance against Planned Partenthood can be overlooked. For fiscal conservatives, actual commitment to conservative principles of government don't matter. Supporting imminent domain can be overlooked. Supporting universal healthcare can be overlooked. Supporting tax increases on hedge funds can be overlooked. All of these issues are secondary if you are an authoritarian who will promise to kick out and keep out the Mexicans and Muslims. Done. All else can be overlooked. The GOP hasn't been re-defined; Donald has just allowed us to see that one third of GOP voters are dyed-in-the wool authoritarian xenophobes.
The GOP bred these voter since they were in their 40's in the 90's. They said the the commies from South America were coming, they said the blacks were coming to sell crack and rob and steal with their gangs, they said the immigrants where taking their jobs, they said the muslims were here to kill them. They bred a base fearful of all things un-American. Trump is as American as you can get!
Even though Trump is a complete dumbass on all levels at least he's human. Cruz and Rubio are soulless automatons.
