He can’t be a viable candidate. He just can’t.
sob. sob.
A reasonable likeness, though the “old Biff” makeup was much more lifelike.
I’m really not sure where media keeps thinking that Trump is not a viable candidate. He may show his true colors, but all the polished politicians have just as many bias and egos- but they just hide it. He’s obviously a smart man with some charisma.
Because it’s mathematically impossible to win an election for national office if you make a point of alienating women, minorities, immigrants, LGBT people, veterans, progressives, the working poor, and pretty much anyone else who has been paying the least bit of attention.
Winning the nomination—let alone the Presidency—means attracting a broad coalition of supporters rather than just a core following of True Believers. Every time Trump opens his mouth he just gives everyone who isn’t already a fan more reason to hate him. Even if he makes it past the first couple rounds of debates and primaries, the public will eventually just unify behind the person who isn’t Trump.
And you want to be my latex salesman.
it is, however, quite possible to win an enormous number of delegates to the republican national convention using exactly that strategy. enough to take the nomination? i don’t know, i doubt it but i wouldn’t be shocked if it happened. after all, trump is just saying clearly and unambiguously the dog whistles republiicans have been using since nixon started pursuing the southern strategy.
I’m not yet convinced that’s true. Every single person to win the nomination of a major political party to date had at least two important qualities Trump lacks:
- Some form of public service experience. Usually elected office, but in some cases an appointed position or a military leadership record. Trump has none of these.
- The ability to lead a coalition. Meaning the ability to form political alliances and find common ground with other people in your party. Trump somehow managed to disparage POWs while running under the banner of the party that is supposed to treat military service as something akin to holiness. He hasn’t been forming alliances, he’s been burning bridges.
I’m not convinced. There was a Frank Bruni column in the NYT recently where the columnist talked about how Hilary’s and Jeb’s aids have said their general election campaign strategies, if they get nominated, boil down to a handful of counties in Ohio and Florida, because enough of the rest of the electoral votes are so secure as to not be worth fighting over. I’m not sure even Trump is enough to change that, though I hope I’m wrong.
This is why we need more states to pass laws that they will give their electoral votes to whoever wins the national popular votes, as soon as states totaling a majority of electoral votes pass similar laws.
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