Because unfortunately the concept of a serious candidate is not well defined.
In a contest with 150 million technically-eligible people and at least 16 people in a single political party who declared their intention to become candidates, whoever gets covered becomes the front runner, because that’s how the human mind works. And when your business makes money by attracting peoples to read or watch or hear stories, you cover what hits a nerve or you lose money, and eventually those that don’t compete out of a sense of principles either go out of business or become a niche, barely heard voice.
This is true for the same reason that it didn’t matter that Jimmy Carter was right about most of what he said; it didn’t sell or he didn’t sell it well, and most people remember him as a failed president. That didn’t happen to the actor who sold the public very well on ideas that, ultimately, didn’t line up with reality all that well, or with what he actually did, or with whether it actually worked. For example, the “morning in America” Reagan oversaw was a direct result of the low inflation that only happened because under Carter the Fed decided a tight money supply induced recession was the only way to end stagflation.
Also, in the cases where Trump has actually made policy statements, they tend to not actually be much different than what other Republican candidates or, in some cases, Democrats, are also saying. He’s mostly just unbelievably crude in the way he says the same things.
Note that the judge dismissed the complaint because the person making it failed to properly serve Cruz and members of the Illinois State Board of Elections, not because of any ruling that Cruz is eligible.
One of the two common definitions for “Natural Born Citizen” is “born on American soil.” That isn’t some birther-style rationalization with no legal backing: Black’s Law Dictionary - the most widely used law dictionary in the United States - defines “Natural Born Citizen” as “A person born within the jurisdiction of a national government”. Cruz was born outside of US jurisdiction, so he does not meet that definition.
And that’s how the law is currently applied. Anyone born in Puerto Rico is a U.S. citizen at the moment of birth. But since Puerto Rico is not U.S. soil, those US citizens are not “natural born” US citizens and are not eligible to serve as U.S. president.
If Cruz overtakes Trump, the election gets even crazier. The Democrats won’t even need to start their own birther movement. Republicans will “take it from here.”
Regarding policies I mean how things like the wall are totally formless. Trump promises the idea of a wall, but doesn’t say how long or tall, or when it will be built, or how it will be financed.
“Mexico will pay for it” is just proof that he’s not a real candidate for the job of president. Trump wants to win, but does he want to govern?
It’s not whether Mexico pays for the wall, it’s how.
It’s common for the US to send money as military aid to other countries, but that aid is conditional on the money be spent on equipment from a major American defence contractor. American taxpayers aren’t subsidizing the foreign military so much as they’re subsidizing the American company (and in turn, a few congressional campaign PACs and funds.)
Mexico will pay for the wall. The money will originate with American taxpayers, and it’s only a matter of whether its built by American defence contractors or building contractors already connected to Trump. But they’ll pay for it.
True and that’s certainly how she tried to spin it at the time, but there were enough facts — and video — to make the case anyway.
The same approach will work for Mr. Drumpf. The reporter needs to bring the facts and the funny.
This is the age of video and internet though so everyone can try. And Drumpf may unconsciously want to be exposed since he keeps shining the bat signal for the bat crazy.
And it’s a high stakes story because you know the reporter’s editor and maybe board of directors will get an unpleasant phone call.
Maybe a stringer or citizen journalist will get it done.
I agree, but the same applies to “tax cuts will pay for it.” Or “block grants to the states with no strings attached will get to the poor much more efficiently.” Or “everyone will benefit from free trade (without any redistribution policies).” That last one especially isn’t party specific.
It has occurred to me that he probably never thought he’d get this far, and that he may not really even want the job. He might think it doesn’t look nearly as fun as a lot of the other shit he’s been doing.
Are any boingers going TO PROTEST outside (or inside) the RNC? (pfft)
I feel like it’s probably important to go protest this, but I’ve heard nothing about any plans and I don’t want to travel along way to be in a small, ineffective demonstration. I would hope something along the lines of the 2004 protests in NYC might be possible. Maybe people don’t want to go to a city not perceived as fun?
