US: Republican contenders scrambling to adjust to 'Trumpism'

[webfact]

Republican contenders scrambling to adjust to 'Trumpism'
By BILL BARROW

AIKEN, S.C. (AP) — Donald Trump is on his way to the Mexican border, the latest event in a presidential campaign some of his rivals would like to dismiss as a sideshow — a "carnival act," as one puts it. But he's been stealing their thunder for days and left them scrambling to adjust to a race dominated by a bombastic longshot.

The billionaire developer and reality TV host will be in Laredo, Texas, on Thursday, highlighting his unyielding stance on immigration. The trip will revisit a topic that has stirred criticism that has now grown into open hostility from some Republican contenders.

From party heavyweights like Jeb Bush to recently announced candidates like Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Ohio Gov. John Kasich, the contenders are confronted by Trump's hair-trigger habit of calling out his critics by name, vilifying the GOP establishment and roiling the debate over immigration and more.

In Washington, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry was asked about Trump's planned trip on to Laredo. He snapped, "I hope he can find the border because I'm not sure he's ever been there before."

This, after Perry denounced Trump's campaign as a "cancer on conservatism" and "barking carnival act" in a speech that laced into "Trumpism: a toxic mix of demagoguery, mean-spiritedness and nonsense that will lead the Republican Party to perdition if pursued."

Indeed, the insults flying between Trump and his fiercest critics have been caustic. Sen. Lindsey Graham called him a "jackass" a day earlier and Trump responded by calling Graham an "idiot" and giving out the senator's cellphone number, jamming his voice mail.

Others in the field have been more measured, though showing signs of growing exasperation. Bush, in particular, has conspicuously tried to avoid alienating Trump's supporters — "good people" with "legitimate concerns" — even while branding Trumps' rhetoric "ugly" and "mean-spirited."

The feud is unfolding as the candidates prepare for the first GOP debate, a venue to which the top 10 in national polling will be invited out of a swollen lineup of 16. Although they are all accomplished, few are well known nationally, and "Trumpism" isn't making it easier for them to get their messages out at a time when mere name recognition can drive popularity in polling.

Trump, a longtime celebrity, is almost guaranteed a spot in the debate.

Bush, in South Carolina on Wednesday, said he wasn't approaching the debate thinking about Trump or any rival who might be on the stage. "My objective with this is to, wherever I can, share my record," he said.

Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, a day earlier, addressed the Trump feud almost serenely, expressing confidence the primary campaign would "get beyond the novelty of a reality TV star."

And Walker, campaigning in Tennessee, said he used to run track and "I realized there were some folks sprinting out ahead. I made sure I was ahead at the end of the race when it really mattered."

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio likened Trump to Barack Obama, a president with "no class" who Rubio said demeaned the office with his appearance on Comedy Central's "The Daily Show."

On Fox News, Rubio said of Trump: "I don't think the way he has behaved over the past few weeks is either dignified or worthy of the office he seeks."

Trump remains unbowed. "I'm called a jackass," he said Wednesday on CNN. "You have to fight back. "The country has to fight back. Everyone's pushing our country around. We can't allow that."

Meanwhile, federal regulators made public records that show, as he has said, that he is rich.

He has assets of at least $1.4 billion and debt of at least $240 million, the regulators said in a report with such broad categories that his wealth could well be much greater. His precise fortune isn't pinpointed, but the disclosures underscore his financial potential staying power in the race and his freedom from the influence — or muzzles — of the deep-pocketed Republicans who banroll rival campaigns.

On Thursday, he plans to hold a news conference at the U.S-Mexico border, meet members of the union that represents Border Control agents and speak to law enforcement officers, his campaign said. The border became a flashpoint in the GOP debate when Trump branded Mexican immigrants rapists and drug-bearing criminals.

After that episode came a broadside against Arizona Sen. John McCain, who earned Trump's ire by saying his remarks about immigrants had brought out "crazies."

Trump mocked McCain's experience in the Vietnam War where he was tortured as a prisoner, called him "dumb" and laced into his record on veterans issues in the Senate.
___

Associated Press writers Calvin Woodward, Steve Peoples and Julie Bykowicz in Washington, Jill Colvin in Newark, New Jersey, Lucas L. Johnson II in Nashville, Tennessee, and Jonathan Lemire in New York contributed to this report.

-- (c) Associated Press 2015-07-23

[NeverSure]

LOL. Think what we may, he has 100% of the news cycle 100% of the time and the other candidates can't figure out how to get noticed.

Now Trump is headed for the Mexican border where he has been invited to meet with border control guards who know there is a problem similar to what Trump called it. This will get interesting.

Cheers.

[JockPieandBeans]

LOL. Think what we may, he has 100% of the news cycle 100% of the time and the other candidates can't figure out how to get noticed.

Now Trump is headed for the Mexican border where he has been invited to meet with border control guards who know there is a problem similar to what Trump called it. This will get interesting.

Cheers.

Agreed.

Usually I do not get involved much in the US threads.

Trump for President ? That is for the Americans to decide.

One thing I will say. Give me a man that is not afraid to speak the truth, no matter how repugnant that truth may be. Over a lily livered, PC BS artist who normally cannot answer a straight forward question.

[FangFerang]

Talking about the GOP clown show, the article stated "Although they are all accomplished"--accomplished war-mongerers, bank puppets and calling themselves conservatives (when they wish to conserve nothing but the status quo). And they obviously already chose Little Bush, the Jethro Bodine of the bunch.

What a train wreck!! I love it.

[noitom]

The political "regulars" are not use to an outspoken business exec who calls it the way he sees it. The only argument they seem to raise against him is his personality not his issues.

[Berkshire]

LOL. Think what we may, he has 100% of the news cycle 100% of the time and the other candidates can't figure out how to get noticed.

Now Trump is headed for the Mexican border where he has been invited to meet with border control guards who know there is a problem similar to what Trump called it. This will get interesting.

Cheers.

Agreed.

Usually I do not get involved much in the US threads.

Trump for President ? That is for the Americans to decide.

One thing I will say. Give me a man that is not afraid to speak the truth, no matter how repugnant that truth may be. Over a lily livered, PC BS artist who normally cannot answer a straight forward question.

Anytime someone says "Give me a man that is not afraid to speak the truth," what they REALLY mean is "give me a man who will say something that I agree with."

As for Trump, he's incapable of being straightforward on the tough questions just like anybody else. On CNN today, he was asked if he thought African-Americans were treated differently by the police than white folks. His answer was something along the lines of "I hope not, but it's possible." That's a bit vague and obviously PC, in my opinion.

Edited July 23, 2015 by Berkshire

[JockPieandBeans]

LOL. Think what we may, he has 100% of the news cycle 100% of the time and the other candidates can't figure out how to get noticed.

Now Trump is headed for the Mexican border where he has been invited to meet with border control guards who know there is a problem similar to what Trump called it. This will get interesting.

Cheers.

Agreed.

Usually I do not get involved much in the US threads.

Trump for President ? That is for the Americans to decide.

One thing I will say. Give me a man that is not afraid to speak the truth, no matter how repugnant that truth may be. Over a lily livered, PC BS artist who normally cannot answer a straight forward question.

Anytime someone says "Give me a man that is not afraid to speak the truth," what they REALLY mean is "give me a man who will say something that I agree with."

As for Trump, he's incapable of being straightforward on the tough questions just like anybody else. On CNN today, he was asked if he thought African-Americans were treated differently by the police than white folks. His answer was something along the lines of "I hope not, but it's possible." That's a bit vague and obviously PC, in my opinion.

No, what I REALLY meant was exactly what I said.

'' I hope not, but it is possible '' appears a bit vague and obviously PC to you !

A 6 word answer. Precise and straight to the point. No 15 minute rambles of sloping shoulders.

That APPEARS to me, a straightforward answer, to a question that he would not know the answer to, unless he had previously sat down and studied every Police Department in the US.

[Berkshire]

LOL. Think what we may, he has 100% of the news cycle 100% of the time and the other candidates can't figure out how to get noticed.

Now Trump is headed for the Mexican border where he has been invited to meet with border control guards who know there is a problem similar to what Trump called it. This will get interesting.

Cheers.

Agreed.

Usually I do not get involved much in the US threads.

Trump for President ? That is for the Americans to decide.

One thing I will say. Give me a man that is not afraid to speak the truth, no matter how repugnant that truth may be. Over a lily livered, PC BS artist who normally cannot answer a straight forward question.

Anytime someone says "Give me a man that is not afraid to speak the truth," what they REALLY mean is "give me a man who will say something that I agree with."

As for Trump, he's incapable of being straightforward on the tough questions just like anybody else. On CNN today, he was asked if he thought African-Americans were treated differently by the police than white folks. His answer was something along the lines of "I hope not, but it's possible." That's a bit vague and obviously PC, in my opinion.

No, what I REALLY meant was exactly what I said.

'' I hope not, but it is possible '' appears a bit vague and obviously PC to you !

A 6 word answer. Precise and straight to the point. No 15 minute rambles of sloping shoulders.

That APPEARS to me, a straightforward answer, to a question that he would not know the answer to, unless he had previously sat down and studied every Police Department in the US.

I didn't say there was anything wrong with what he said, but it WAS a PC statement. Trump has learned his lesson and does not want to piss off African-Americans...the way he pissed off the Mexicans. A straightforward answer would be "No, police officers treat everyone the same!" Or, "Yes, police officers are definitely discriminating against blacks more so than whites!" It sounds like you're a Trump guy and that's fine.

So you think that he would need to "(sit) down and studied every Police Department in the US" before he could give a correct answer? Funny, but that was Trump's criticism of Hillary, saying she wouldn't offer an opinion unless she went back and studied the issue.

[JockPieandBeans]

I didn't say there was anything wrong with what he said, but it WAS a PC statement

You did

As for Trump, he's incapable of being straightforward on the tough questions just like anybody else

A 6 word answer is a revelation in this day and age in the world of Politics.

As for being a Trump guy. Wrong.

I only ever heard of him when he was trying to open his golf resort in Scotland. The way he conducted business was scandalous, but that is for a different thread.

Right or wrong, his straight talking has upset the applecart. That can only be a good thing in my book.

[CrummyJuggler]

Rick "Oops" Perry denouncing Trump, classic....Lindsey Graham still carrying a flip phone in 2015, hilarious...For most of the 16, the race is already over before it ever began.

Trumps rise is partially attributed to people wanting another option beside Clinton vs Bush. With Dems proposing amnesty and most Repubs feeling it is inevitable or face political irrelevance, Trump clearly picked the right issue to talk about and has ridden it straight to the top of the polls. Fascinating.

[Publicus]

Got my popcorn for Thursday August 6th when the first R debate will occur. Some people call it a debate, others call it a self-immolation.

Sitting on a sofa on a Sunday Thursday afternoon

Going to the candidates debate

Laugh about it, shout about it

When you've got to choose

Ev'ry way you look at it, you lose

http://www.lyrics.com/mrs-robinson-lyrics-simon-garfunkel.html (with apologies to Simon and Garfunkle)

August 6th btw is the date the bomb hit Hiroshima (1945). This August 6th it will hit in a debate hall in Cleveland Ohio full of Republicans to include ten candidates for prez. Take a few MSM with it too I'm afraid.

Edited July 23, 2015 by Publicus

[Ulysses G.]

As for Trump, he's incapable of being straightforward on the tough questions just like anybody else. On CNN today, he was asked if he thought African-Americans were treated differently by the police than white folks. His answer was something along the lines of "I hope not, but it's possible." That's a bit vague and obviously PC, in my opinion.

If he was PC, he would say that the police 'be' discriminating against the black man because of white privilege and that Black Lives Matter. He just admitted that he does not know. I might have said, yes they are, but much of the time it might be their own fault.

Edited July 23, 2015 by Ulysses G.

[Berkshire]

As for Trump, he's incapable of being straightforward on the tough questions just like anybody else. On CNN today, he was asked if he thought African-Americans were treated differently by the police than white folks. His answer was something along the lines of "I hope not, but it's possible." That's a bit vague and obviously PC, in my opinion.

If he was PC, he would say that the police be discriminating against the black man because of white privilege and that Black Lives Matter.

So you think PC statements are only those that are left leaning? I beg to differ, but I suppose only a right wing guy would think that way.

[Ulysses G.]

I believe that all drugs should be legalized and lean towards legalized abortion and support gay rights. I'm pretty much in the center.

Political correctness usually refers to the left as it originated with Communist rhetoric. It is possible to apply it to the right in a very convoluted manner, but your example does not fit. There is nothing PC about "I hope not, but it's possible" what-so-ever.

Edited July 23, 2015 by Ulysses G.

[Berkshire]

I believe that all drugs should be legalized and lean towards legalized abortion and support gay rights. I'm pretty much in the center.

Political correctness usually refers to the left as it originated with Communist rhetoric. It is possible to apply it to the right in a very convoluted manner, but your example does not fit. There is nothing PC about "I hope not, but it's possible" what-so-ever.

Definition of politically correct: "agreeing with the idea that people should be careful to not use language or behave in a way that could offend a particular group of people."

That's the dictionary definition. So a "particular group of people" could be any group, including conservative white males.

[Ulysses G.]

There is nothing "PC" about "I hope not, but it's possible". You are trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.

Politically Correct

A method of controlling and dictating public speech and thought.

See: Newspeak in George Orwell's 1984

Acronym: PC

Edited July 23, 2015 by Ulysses G.

[tigermoth]

God help USA if Trump ever becomes President.

[CrummyJuggler]

It wasn't a PC statement at all. Instead, he avoided going off topic and getting mired in an unwinnable issue. Black lives matter is for the Democrats to discuss. He is winning with immigration and not even close to finished with that yet so why conflate the issues? Frankly, his answer showed political skill imo.

[Emster23]

I hope they get Jerry Springer to chair the Republican debates. Maybe flying chairs? Forget NASCAR Republicans. They have moved on to WWF candidates.

[Jonmarleesco]

'... the disclosures underscore his financial potential staying power in the race and his freedom from the influence — or muzzles — of the deep-pocketed Republicans who bankroll rival campaigns.' Would certainly change politics, US and perhaps beyond. But for the better? Given, for example, Thaksin's monetary influence on the Thai political stage, who can say?

[Jonmarleesco]

God help USA if Trump ever becomes President.

After Dubya? Nothing could be worse.

[SheungWan]

I hope they get Jerry Springer to chair the Republican debates. Maybe flying chairs? Forget NASCAR Republicans. They have moved on to WWF candidates.

Jerry Springer is a former mayor and candidate for Congress. Democrat.

[Publicus]

I hope they get Jerry Springer to chair the Republican debates. Maybe flying chairs? Forget NASCAR Republicans. They have moved on to WWF candidates.

Jerry Springer is a former mayor and candidate for Congress. Democrat.

Jerry Springer is a successful tv showman and entertainer, same as Trump but without Trump's raccoon bush.

[Emster23]

Jerry is king of trash confrontation tv "I slept with my wifes sis, mother and uncle all in the same night" with all sorts of ill mannered hoot and hollerin', have burly guys to break up fights (after a couple of slaps of course). Didn't know he is a demo, but that is fine... more likely to let the woo go on for longer.

God help the world (not just USA) if this hot head loud mouth short attention span grand stander gets anywhere near White House.

[kamahele]

The more time the now 16 conservative, white males vying for the Republican ticket have to spend making fools of themselves on the news, the more time the Democratic candidates have to collect money to beat the winner. Thank you GOP!

[sgtsabai]

The Donald wouldn't know or care about the truth if it smacked him in his clown bus face, not a bad idea. I'm happy he jumped to the top of the GOP polls. It shows just what the GOP is made out of, racist, bigoted, faux religious, teabagging, right wing wackos. There is not a moral fiber in his body nor any sense of humanity. He bad mouths Mexicanos but has "illegals" working for him. He treats his employees like slaves and probably wishes he could actually own slaves. A rich kid that had everything handed to him on a silver platter. Apparently he is driving the clown bus now, pedal to the medal Donald, run that bus over the cliff at top speed and drag the rest of the GOP troglodytes with you. The last link from Latin Times is why the GOP cannot win and especially with the Donald. Combine that with the black vote, which has been greatly diminished by voter suppression and gerrymandering and not a snowballs chance in hell of the GOP putting one of their clown bus wackos in the White House. Yes, it is White and I know many white people think the only black people that belong in there should be servants.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/questions-linger-about-trumps-draft-deferments-during-vietnam-war/2015/07/21/257677bc-2fdd-11e5-8353-1215475949f4_story.html?tid=pm_world_pop_b

http://crooksandliars.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=1b79560977ef0d50a412db2c8&id=99f9365766&e=7e8df2f222

[elgordo38]

LOL. Think what we may, he has 100% of the news cycle 100% of the time and the other candidates can't figure out how to get noticed.

Now Trump is headed for the Mexican border where he has been invited to meet with border control guards who know there is a problem similar to what Trump called it. This will get interesting.

Cheers.

Its easy the others are spouting from the same BS dog eared program that has been in use for 50 or more years. They are telling you how wonderful things will be down the road(kicking the can) They hate when presidential contenders stray from this time rotten mold. Things are all niceties play by their rules at this stage of this rotten game and when someone strays from this and describes the here and now and not all that future BS that never happens they gang together to try and silence/stone the usurper. I have watched this same crap for most of my years and in my home country as well and it sickens me. When they get in the home stretch the gloves come off and the shit balls fly fast and furious attacking the person's character family anything they can get their rotten hands on hoping something will stick what a rotten sideshow this is that happens every 4 years. All this is financed by the uber rich trying to stifle the little man and enrich themselves if their man wins the race. Its rotten to its very core go Donald upset their apple cart. You are attracting people because they are tired fed up with the old boys club that rules.

[sgtsabai]

A little for your edification: http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/248910-exclusive-trump-threatens-third-party-run?via=newsletter&source=CSAMedition

http://www.truthdig.com/cartoon/item/captured_20150721

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/07/23/trump-s-mobbed-up-mccarthyite-mentor.html

[Publicus]

The Laredo TX local border patrol union that had been to accompany Trump to his border visit today has last minute pulled out of the event. Laredo is one of the most heavily populated Hispanic communities in Texas.

The local branch of a union of border patrol agents slated to host Donald Trump's visit to the U.S.-Mexico border on Thursday has pulled out of the event.

In a statement, National Border Patrol Council Local 2455 said: "After careful consideration of all the factors involved in this event and communicating with members of the National Border Patrol Council (NBPC) at the National level, it has been decided by Local 2455 to pull out of all events involving Donald Trump."

http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/local-border-patrol-union-pulls-out-trump-border-event-n397126

Trump also said he is considering running as an Independent candidate because the Republican party National Committee is not supportive of his candidacy formally or informally. Said Trump.....

"The RNC has not been supportive. They were always supportive when I was a contributor. I was their fair-haired boy," Trump said in the interview. "The RNC has been, I think, very foolish."

"I'll have to see how I'm being treated by the Republicans," Trump said, when asked if he would make an independent run. "Absolutely, if they're not fair, that would be a factor."

http://www.texomashomepage.com/news/border-patrol-union-pulls-out-of-trump-tou

The respective national committee of either major party rarely if ever endorses or expresses open support of any one candidate in the nominating primary voting campaigns. Still, Trump thinks he should be getting a certain support from the RNC that isn't forthcoming to any candidate.

If Trump runs as an Independent, Trump himself would need to get nominating signatures on petitions in each of the 50 states to get on the ballot in each state. There are indeed professional organizations that for a huge bucks fee specialize in this very project for anyone with the bucks to pay and the ego to match, which describes Trump more than accurately.

Go Donald go.

[sdanielmcev]

Press coverage. Nobody cares who is running on the dem side. Trump is trumping all of them. It is how you get elected. And, if the dems want their side to get elected, they better stop talking about Trump. But, they can't because they have nobody.