Is it too late to stop the Donald Trump machine?

[Skywalker69]

Democracy is a joke, says China - just look at Donald Trump

"When there is upheaval within China’s own borders – riots, protests, vicious political power struggles –

hardly a sniff of it will be found in the pages of the country’s heavily-controlled press."

"When it happens elsewhere – and particularly when it underscores the perils and pitfalls of democracy – it becomes front-page news."

"Such is the case of Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump, who, for China’s authoritarian rulers,

has become the latest example of how allowing the masses a say in choosing their leaders is a bad idea. It added, darkly:

“Mussolini and Hitler came to power through elections, a heavy lesson for western democracy.”

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/mar/17/democracy-is-a-joke-says-china-just-look-at-donald-trump

Great job Donnie in giving oppressed nations hope.

Please slime your way back to your gold plated toilets and let the real world work it out. Punk.

One can dress a pig in a Armani suit but it´s still a pig.

[lostboy]

Government employees are paid 100% from taxes and pay a small percent back. Government employees are government employees and it does take many to do the job of one person in private enterprise be they Republicans or Democrats. The best and brightest don't work for the state they work for private enterprise.

Conservatives know this as do liberals it is non partisan laziness and inefficiency.

What an articulate, beautifully phrased argument we are presented with - government employees are government employees. These few words express so much about the intellectual grasp of the average Trump supporter.

Only workers who work in private industry do real work? Only the purchase of services by private business qualifies and real? Those people who provide their skills, knowledge and experience and are compensated by public funds aren't actually doing real work? People like fire fighters, Judges, teachers, soldiers, policy analysis, diplomats, researchers at the numerous Federal laboratories, administrators - well, you know, almost everyone.

So what, some TSA guy put his hands in the wrong place? Waited too long in line at the DMV? Or is it these people you say are worthless? The drones. The hacks working on administrative red tape. Do they too not provide a service that should be compensated. Cannot they take dignity in their work. At least they get paid a wage that is not at starvation level. Your private industry heroes like Walmart and almost everyone in the fast food industry pay wages that are not enough for people to live on. People work full time jobs and still don't have enough to buy food. And it is not because they are spending their money on crack or booze or strip joints or whatever you think is happening.

So typical of the Trump demographic - overgeneralisation, simplistic and practically simple minded assumptions about how the world works, plain ignorance of many facts and the tendency to stereotype anything and anyone they don't like or understand.

[Skywalker69]

Trump Manufactures His Clothing Line in China and Mexico While Bashing Them for "Stealing" US Jobs.

http://truth-out.org/buzzflash/commentary/donald-trump-promises-to-bring-jobs-back-from-china-while-having-his-trump-ties-made-there

Also his daughter Ivanka manufactures clothes in China.

Ivanka Trump scarves made in China recalled.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ca658f26-fc59-11e5-b3f6-11d5706b613b.html#axzz45vdqU1il

[Misab]

Right, but if elected he can and possible will do - start 3. WW

[CousinEddie]

Right, but if elected he can and possible will do - start 3. WW

Dont worry. Our Generals already stated they won't listen to this fool if he is president.

[Neurath]

Right, but if elected he can and possible will do - start 3. WW

Dont worry. Our Generals already stated they won't listen to this fool if he is president.

If he becomes president they will have to - regardless of who is President. Can't have them deciding what orders they will and won't follow. That the military would have to follow his orders is perhaps the best argument against his Presidential run

[CWMcMurray]

Right, but if elected he can and possible will do - start 3. WW

Dont worry. Our Generals already stated they won't listen to this fool if he is president.

If he becomes president they will have to - regardless of who is President. Can't have them deciding what orders they will and won't follow. That the military would have to follow his orders is perhaps the best argument against his Presidential run

I believe he was referring to the water boarding comments...

As it has been said that water boarding is illegal and they would not do it if ordered..

Generals can refuse unlawful orders

Section 14c(2)(a)(i): of UCMJ

Inference of lawfulness. A order requiring the performance of a military duty or act may be inferred to be lawful and it is disobeyed at the peril of the subordinate. This inference does not apply to a patently illegal order, such as one that directs the commission of a crime.

As the Senate has voted that water boarding is illegal, the generals would not and should not follow such an order

https://www.rt.com/usa/267622-senate-torture-vote-ban/

Although they would of course follow all lawful orders of Trump if he was commander and chief ... Without a doubt

[boomerangutang]

If a top brass refused to carry out an order given by prez Trump, Trump would be livid. Just the sound waves from T's mouth would peel layers of the insubordinate's cheeks away. If ten top brass steadfastly refused, one after the other, Trump would go to the eleventh, and so on, down the line, until he got a willing conspirator.

As Trump proves, week by week, anything is possible if he were to become Commander in Chief.

[keemapoot]

Seems to be a thaw between Trump and Murdoch on the horizon. Murdoch's right wing tabloid New York Post endorsed Trump, and Megyn Kelly, who was on her way to incarceration at Gitmo the day Trump was inaugurated has been granted a reprieve. Looks like Murdoch and Fox are hedging their bets...they may have to live with Trump as nominee.

Not only that, Trump is turning away from Twitter and to the Wall St. Journal (also Murdoch owned), and had an opinion piece published on the rigging of the nomination process at RNC.

This might signal a major change of direction if the chief mouthpiece of the Republican Party, Fox News, et.al., starts signalling acceptance that he might be the nominee.

[CousinEddie]

Seems to be a thaw between Trump and Murdoch on the horizon. Murdoch's right wing tabloid New York Post endorsed Trump, and Megyn Kelly, who was on her way to incarceration at Gitmo the day Trump was inaugurated has been granted a reprieve. Looks like Murdoch and Fox are hedging their bets...they may have to live with Trump as nominee.

Not only that, Trump is turning away from Twitter and to the Wall St. Journal (also Murdoch owned), and had an opinion piece published on the rigging of the nomination process at RNC.

This might signal a major change of direction if the chief mouthpiece of the Republican Party, Fox News, et.al., starts signalling acceptance that he might be the nominee.

Chairman Roger Ailes at FOX set up Trump in the first debate, first question.

"Will you promise to support the Republican Nominee?"

Trump said "no"...and that's when Megan Kelly pulled out the 'special list of questions', meant to harm trump.

It would have been a FOX lovefest if Trump had agreed to back the nominee.

[keemapoot]

Seems to be a thaw between Trump and Murdoch on the horizon. Murdoch's right wing tabloid New York Post endorsed Trump, and Megyn Kelly, who was on her way to incarceration at Gitmo the day Trump was inaugurated has been granted a reprieve. Looks like Murdoch and Fox are hedging their bets...they may have to live with Trump as nominee.

Not only that, Trump is turning away from Twitter and to the Wall St. Journal (also Murdoch owned), and had an opinion piece published on the rigging of the nomination process at RNC.

This might signal a major change of direction if the chief mouthpiece of the Republican Party, Fox News, et.al., starts signalling acceptance that he might be the nominee.

Chairman Roger Ailes at FOX set up Trump in the first debate, first question.

"Will you promise to support the Republican Nominee?"

Trump said "no"...and that's when Megan Kelly pulled out the 'special list of questions', meant to harm trump.

It would have been a FOX lovefest if Trump had agreed to back the nominee.

Kind of makes you wonder if the Ailes and Fox are on the right side of history here, which wouldn't be surprising, given their success. That is, that they have calculated the damage to the RNC that will result from a convention where Trump is denied the nomination, and may have correctly foreseen that such a "rigged" brokered convention denying Trump will result in a bigger backlash against Establishment Repubs, including them. Therefore, a more accepting stance toward Trump means they win either way: Trump gets the nomination, they are the mouthpiece, Trump gets denied, they are the mouthpiece as usual, but get deniability of being in the anti-Trump camp.

[CousinEddie]

Republican strategy & Ruperts Murdochs war on journalism:

https://youtu.be/P74oHhU5MDk

[boomerangutang]

No one has mentioned Trump's long campaign, when he continually harassed Obama about a birth certificate. Did Trump actually pay the $5 million he promised, when the birth certificate was produced?. Even putting aside the dozens of other proofs of Trump being a low class bully, ....that alone should show any reasonable person that Trump is beneath contempt. Maybe a night watchman for a dog kennel, but certainly not chief exec material.

[CousinEddie]

No one has mentioned Trump's long campaign, when he continually harassed Obama about a birth certificate. Did Trump actually pay the $5 million he promised, when the birth certificate was produced?. Even putting aside the dozens of other proofs of Trump being a low class bully, ....that alone should show any reasonable person that Trump is beneath contempt. Maybe a night watchman for a dog kennel, but certainly not chief exec material.

A significant percentage of Conservatives still think Obama is an illegal immigrant & socialist, muslim on a secret mission to destroy America.

There are allot of them. It's a bit frightening when you go and read their blogs and comments.

When you read the conservative blogs or Facebook pages, play this soundtrack in the background. It helps.

https://youtu.be/0jTHNBKjMBU

[grumpyoldman]

Of course he didn't pay the 5 mil, Trump's brain being the gumball machine (gumball thought rolls out of his mouth) has him flip-flopping more than a catfish on the deck.

[thaibeachlovers]

Trump promotes violence and retribution when even citing his favorite bible teaching. He says his favorite teaching is 'an eye for an eye.' I doubt if he knows any other passages other than this one as he is faking being a practicing Christian like everything else.

Though to be honest that is at least refreshing on the Republican side to not have a bible-thumper like Cruz, who can doubtless provide endless dogmatic quotations. On the Dem side, ol' Bernie is another one with not much religion in him and has been struggling to prove he is a spiritual man for the election.

Wouldn't that be a match for a secular modern America and world: Trump vs. Sanders. Two non-believers.

http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/276326-trumps-favorite-bible-teaching-an-eye-for-an-eye

Russian jet fighter buzzes an American warship, Kerry's on TV saying don't do it again. Me? I would have shot the jet down. Well within our rights and an eye for an eye kind of thing. How many Americans think we should pay defense bills for Germany and the rest of Europe (US pays more than 21 other nations combined) when they have free health care and free college for all? Not me. Eye for an eye kind of thing. Tit for tat.

Good thing it was JFK and not you with the finger on the button during the Cuban missile crisis.

True. I would have supported the Bay of Pigs invasion with US air power and taken care of that issue. Cuba is only 90 miles from the USA. No Castro no missile crisis. I would have supported Czechoslovakia and stopped WWII too.

Putin has the US confused with some banana republic. We taught him a lesson with the oil thing maybe he needs another. Although how much lower his currency can go I don't know.

Would you also have supported putting the mafia back in charge of Cuba with a nasty dictator to keep the peasants in line so the US could exploit them?

There is a reason many nations threw the US puppet dictators out, or at least tried to. The US has nothing to be proud of in their treatment of South American nations.

[Jingthing]

Trump is now testing out his insult brand for Hillary Clinton.

This kind of thing has worked very well for him in the past.

Low Energy Jeb (Bush) was devastating.
Lyin' Ted Cruz not working all that well.

His insult tag for Hillary is tentatively

CROOKED HILLARY

I don't think it has much resonance. I wouldn't be surprised if he tries something else once he realizes that.

That is, IF he is nominated, which is my fervent hope. Hillary will CREAM him.

By the way, Hillary responded to the news with an American usage of caring less.

I applaud that usage. Nobody can accuse Hillary of not being thoroughly AMERICAN.

'I really could care less:' Hillary Clinton rolls her eyes at Donald Trump's new nickname for her - 'crooked Hillary'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3544601/I-really-care-Hillary-Clinton-rolls-eyes-Donald-Trump-s-new-nickname-crooked-Hillary.html

Edited April 18, 2016 by Jingthing

[Skywalker69]

Trump is now testing out his insult brand for Hillary Clinton.

This kind of thing has worked very well for him in the past.

Low Energy Jeb (Bush) was devastating.

Lyin' Ted Cruz not working all that well.

His insult tag for Hillary is tentatively

CROOKED HILLARY

I don't think it has much resonance. I wouldn't be surprised if he tries something else once he realizes that.

That is, IF he is nominated, which is my fervent hope. Hillary will CREAM him.

By the way, Hillary responded to the news with an American usage of caring less.

I applaud that usage. Nobody can accuse Hillary of not being thoroughly AMERICAN.

'I really could care less:' Hillary Clinton rolls her eyes at Donald Trump's new nickname for her - 'crooked Hillary'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3544601/I-really-care-Hillary-Clinton-rolls-eyes-Donald-Trump-s-new-nickname-crooked-Hillary.html

Narcissistic "I love myself" TED is on it again.

[Chicog]

When does Defrauding Donald have to pay back all that Trump University money?

[DONHUAN]

Assuming that Trump has collected significant number of delegates, 300 more over the combine delegates of the other two GOP candidates, going into the broker convention in JULY, the GOP will have a hard time explaining to the world why TRUMP should not the GOPs nominee for the US Presidential election in November 2016. Sure, the GOP convention is a different ball game that free up all the primary delegates that were pledged to the candidates in question, but this particular rule is heavily rigged in favor of those with extensive connections to the party insiders who are mostly chosen as delegates at the broker convention.

Looks like the GOP is caught between a Rock and a Hard Place; should Trump be anointed the GOPs Presidential candidate, he is more likely to frighten off many GOP faithful due to his unusual / extreme declared positions on many domestic and foreign issues; should the GOP broker convention chose other GOP nomination over Trump, it will certainly pees-off many Trump supporters enough to stay away (abstain) from this years US Presidential election. This 45th US Presidency is Hillarys to lose, barring any unforeseen circumstances.

[DONHUAN]

Assuming that Trump has collected significant number of delegates, 300 more over the combine delegates of the other two GOP candidates, going into the ‘broker convention’ in JULY, the GOP will have a hard time explaining to the world why TRUMP should not the GOP’s nominee for the US Presidential election in November 2016. Sure, the GOP convention is a different ball game that free up all the primary delegates that were pledged to the candidates in question, but this particular rule is heavily rigged in favor of those with extensive connections to the party insiders who are mostly chosen as ‘delegates’ at the ‘broker convention’.

Looks like the GOP is caught between a Rock and a Hard Place; should Trump be anointed the GOP’s Presidential candidate, he is more likely to frighten off many GOP faithful due to his unusual / extreme declared positions on many domestic and foreign issues; should the GOP broker convention chose other GOP nomination over Trump, it will certainly pees-off many Trump supporters enough to stay away (abstain) from this year’s US Presidential election. This 45^th US Presidency is Hillary’s to lose, barring any unforeseen circumstances.

[CWMcMurray]

Interesting read..

Is the GOP risking Suicide?

http://www.unz.com/pbuchanan/is-the-gop-risking-suicide/

----quote--

Priebus is correct. The rules are the rules. But what is also true is that the rules have been and are being manipulated by party elites to frustrate the expressed will of a Republican electorate, and to impose a nominee other then the clear winner of the primaries.

Republican elites are engaged in a conspiracy to frustrate and overturn the democratic decision of the Republican electorate.

Prediction: If Trump sweeps the remaining major primaries, comes to Cleveland with millions more votes than any other candidate, and then has the nomination stolen from him, the Grand Old Party will be committing hara-kiri on worldwide TV.

Edited April 19, 2016 by CWMcMurray

[Guest]

It seems that GOP is going to divide, not just once, but to three parts.

There will be
- The teabaggers (Cruz), highly religious extremist, who are fast losing their ground as US is becoming more atheistic society.

- The populist, Trumpists who think the person who is loudest and don't listen to anybody else, is the best king of the country

- The republicans, who are the majority. They don't want to break up the nation, but wish to live their lives without too much interference from the government.

This will allow the democrats to divide as well.

- The green party, which main concern is the health of the globe itself

- The democrats, who are representing the business as usual.

Generally speaking republicans and democrats are getting closer together and will find common ground to find the solutions to the issues USA has. That will be the legacy of this utterly nutcase presidential election show, we all have been witnessing for the past few months.

Summa summarum. Don't worry. Nutters are being kicked out and the moderates will win at the end of the day. The best part is that this will result as an functional government as there is no longer need to listen to the extremists.

[iReason]

The doofus Bloviator on his home ground, mucks up the worst tragedy on American soil. That indeed, occurred in New York:

7/11?

And he "wrote this out"...

[slipperylobster]

The doofus Bloviator on his home ground, mucks up the worst tragedy on American soil. That indeed, occurred in New York:

7/11?

And he "wrote this out"...

Just a slip of the tongue.

He probably was hot, and hankering for a slurpee.

No big deal.

[iReason]

Chinese official calls Trump 'irrational' on trade

"Chinese Finance Minister Lou Jiwei criticized Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump,

calling him "an irrational type" due to his proposal that tariffs on imported Chinese goods be increased to up to 45 percent."

"In an interview with the Wall Street Journal published on Sunday, Lou said, "Trump is an irrational type.

If he were to do this, that would be in violation of the rules set by the World Trade Organization.

The U.S. needs to recognize that the U.S. and China are mutually dependent on each other. Our economic cycles are intertwined."

"China is the United States' largest trading partner."

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-china-idUSKCN0XE0Y4

Another well thought out plan by the Bloviator.

And another reason that fool will never get even close to the White House.

Edited April 19, 2016 by iReason

[Jingthing]

...anyone know what the term "thoroughly american"...could possibly mean?

Americans are a mix of races, cultures and religions. If Hillary represents a person who is "thoroughly american", then she is a small minority of upper, white class, christian. Same as Trump......or any of the other candidates (one either side)

kind of a no brainer.

Sure she's an elite now but she's got a down home earnest Midwestern folksy quality to her and I appreciate that you she said the "care less" thing in the more characteristic American way. I know it drives non-Americans batty and they insist it's incorrect. I can't imagine John Kerry saying it that way.

[Publicus]

German minister calls Trump a threat, Merkel lauds Clinton

"German Economy Minister Sigmar Gabriel has branded leading U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump,

a threat to peace and prosperity while Chancellor Angela Merkel said it had always been a pleasure to work with Democrat Hillary Clinton."

"Whether Donald Trump, Marine le Pen or Geert Wilders -

all these right-wing populists are not only a threat to peace and social cohesion, but also to economic development"

"Gabriel said that Trump and French National Front leader Le Pen were promising voters "a way back into a fairytale world"

in which economic activity only happened within national borders but that history had shown such isolated economies had no prospect."

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-trump-germany-idUSMTZSAPEC36LTD4ZC

I think most Americans would consider that a plus for Trump. Did you think outside of Thai Visa that Americans like or pay any attention at all to Europe or Europeans except to complain about how much it costs to defend them or pay for their bills at the UN? Don't forget how popular Piers Morgan was.

Saudi Arabia (where the 9/11 bombers came from) gave between $10 million and $25 million to the Clinton Foundation.

Is it a wonder that the Trump machine keeps on rolling along.

Yeah. Those UN bills are really hard on the average US citizen. You know that from the top contributing countries in absolute terms, the cost ranges from USD 1.85 to USD 3.45 per person per year. Guess how much is the US contribution per person?

I'll answer for you; it's the USD 1.85 amount. From the top10 contributors in absolute terms, the US pays the least per person. Bunch of cheapskates!

In 2015 the USA UN assessment was $654,778,938 which is the highest amount assessed on member states.

After that came Japan at $322 million.

Third highest assessment was Germany, $212 million.

CCP China assessment was $153 million. UK on the other hand was $154 million.

Russia = $72 million.

Total UN budget for 2015 was $2.9 billion.

Of some interest....

North Korea = $178,576 only.

South Korea = $59 million.

http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=ST/ADM/SER.B/910

USA again does the heavy lifting. So that's quite the gulf there sailor.

Now we all know more than Donald Trump knows. (Or will ever know.) Maybe if Ted Cruz gets elected (fat chance!) he'd pull Texas out of the UN and have it glow in the dark.

[Publicus]

Interesting read..

Is the GOP risking Suicide?

http://www.unz.com/pbuchanan/is-the-gop-risking-suicide/

----quote--

Priebus is correct. The rules are the rules. But what is also true is that the rules have been and are being manipulated by party elites to frustrate the expressed will of a Republican electorate, and to impose a nominee other then the clear winner of the primaries.

Republican elites are engaged in a conspiracy to frustrate and overturn the democratic decision of the Republican electorate.

Prediction: If Trump sweeps the remaining major primaries, comes to Cleveland with millions more votes than any other candidate, and then has the nomination stolen from him, the Grand Old Party will be committing hara-kiri on worldwide TV.

One could expect the Republican delegates to the convention standing en masse the first night and live on global television to tie kamakaze sweat bands onto their foreheads.

Trump just may arrive at the convention in Cleveland with something like 1239 "bound" delegates with 1237 needed to win on the first ballot. If tomorrow he wins 85 or more of the 95 NY state delegates he'll be starting to make the clubhouse turn.

Pennsylvania delegate selection for their upcoming primary is not going well for the Republican National Committee and neither is Indiana where Cruz was supposed to do well as its primary approaches. Trump is way out front in big delegate California and he's going to mop up in other Northeast R primaries such as Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey.

A political campaign is organic so it surges and recedes like the tides but Trump's ship may yet come in.

If Trump is nominated it would confirm my conviction that sometime around the middle of last year God finally decided to join the Democratic party.

[Guest]

...anyone know what the term "thoroughly american"...could possibly mean?

Thoroughly american as an insult which means that US folks are considered as savages among human race.

Throughly americans are the people, who think and act like African wild dogs, while the other option would be having a civilised dinner to find a result and consensus while having a good time together.

I hope this helps.