Trumpled (Alternative Leading)

[Lods]

There might not be a great deal of interest in US Politics....but it probably should concern us.....very concern us.

I've just finished watching the Republican party candidate debate.

Is it possible, no it couldn't be :...or could it be....that Donald Trump is actually the best possible candidate the Republicans can put forward for President. :o

If there is to be a serious challenger, and surely there must be down the track, it may come from Carly Fiorina who seems to be growing in considerations.

I thought the young Florida senator Marco Rubio performed well. He's a good speaker, but he may be a better chance in four years time.

Jeb Bush and Rand Paul,two others being spoken of as likely candidates, were very average.

Scary stuff. ???

[Mav]

Wow, you're so right wing! 

Any small-L liberal would vomit if forced to watch those wankers.

They are all scumbags who are happy to dance to the Koch brothers' tune.  Perhaps Trump might be an exception but he has shown himself to be the biggest scumbag of all. 

The GOP is the old white man's party of choice and is destined to continue its slide into irrelevance.

Imagine a debate involving clones of Corey Bernardi, all trumpeting a slavish commitment to creationism and strict biblical readings.  This is the party dominated by evangelical Christians and Tea-Party fundamentalists.  This is the party which is committed to tax-breaks for the top 1% and which can't wait to dismantle Obama's tame version of Medicare.  And of great concern to us is the ideological drive to find a new war, preferably one in a Muslim country.

The US and the world generally needs this Presidential election to be an unmistakeable repudiation of Republican extremism.

I can only hope that the successful Democratic candidate will then be able to reshape the Supreme Court so that the scandalous Citizen's United decision can be reversed.  Imagine a court deciding that the ability of the rich to use their money to influence elections and to exact favours from politicians is constitutionally-protected free speech ...

[thrunthrublu]

They're all driven by each way bet puppet masters, AIPAC and others to the tune 4+ billion and rising. There's your version of democracy when only the best subservient candidates get a look in. Their interests preserved and advanced there and abroad far exceeds the importance of the highest office. Who gets in is irrelevant 

[Lods]

Wow, you're so right wing!

You couldn't be more wrong
I was a huge Obama supporter before he was superstar, years before he was President.....but the substance didn't quite match the image.
Often happens with Democrats.

Rubio (a Republican) is a bit the same...really good speaker, good looking fellow... but his message was a bit scary
I studied American politics at College
Always fascinated by it.
I don't have strong views either way.
It's the process.

On the candidates that fronted today it shouldn't even be a contest next year.....but I think it will be.
I suspect you're putting a bit too much faith in the judgement of the American voter.

[Mav]

Remember, though, that demographics are hurting the Republicans.  Old and angry white men are being outnumbered.  You'd think the GOP would understand it needs to woo the Latino and black voters but Trump is whipping up racist hatred and the lemmings are more than happy to follow his lead.

The only Republican candidates who might be able to appeal to Latino votes are Bush and Rubio.  IIRC, Bush's wife is Mexican and he speaks fluent Spanish.  Trump bagged him for this, saying he should speak American instead. But both Rubio and Bush are from Florida and will split the Latino vote in the primaries and Bush is on last legs anyway.

You'd think Carson would appeal to black voters and has a high profile as one of the first neurosurgeons to separate conjoined twins.  But he's been a bit of an Uncle Tom in his dismissal of the Black Lives Matter campaign.

[Lods]

Remember, though, that demographics are hurting the Republicans.  Old and angry white men are being outnumbered.  You'd think the GOP would understand it needs to woo the Latino and black voters but Trump is whipping up racist hatred and the lemmings are more than happy to follow his lead.

The only Republican candidates who might be able to appeal to Latino votes are Bush and Rubio.  IIRC, Bush's wife is Mexican and he speaks fluent Spanish.  Trump bagged him for this, saying he should speak American instead. But both Rubio and Bush are from Florida and will split the Latino vote in the primaries and Bush is on last legs anyway.

I just can't believe when it comes to the crunch they would put Trump up as the candidate.....but as I said I don't have a lot of faith in the American voter in general, and Republicans in particular.
Still some months away from the first of the primaries though, so we'll have a better indication then of how they're stacking up.
There will be a few casualties along the way.

Bush will be lucky to survive...they asked a question as to which woman the candidates would like to see on the ten dollar bill...his answer.... Margaret Thatcher. :

[Thryleon]

They're all driven by each way bet puppet masters, AIPAC and others to the tune 4+ billion and rising. There's your version of democracy when only the best subservient candidates get a look in. Their interests preserved and advanced there and abroad far exceeds the importance of the highest office. Who gets in is irrelevant

My sentiments exactly.

We are provided the illusion of choice in order to placate the masses that they are free to choose.

In reality, we all serve people like Gina Reinhardt.

[DJC]

I just can't believe when it comes to the crunch they would put Trump up as the candidate.....but as I said I don't have a lot of faith in the American voter in general, and Republicans in particular.
Still some months away from the first of the primaries though, so we'll have a better indication then of how they're stacking up.
There will be a few casualties along the way.

Bush will be lucky to survive...they asked a question as to which woman the candidates would like to see on the ten dollar bill...his answer.... Margaret Thatcher. :

I'm pretty sure that Trump won't get the nomination; he's not a Republican and the party establishment doesn't trust him.  I suspect that he will continue to alienate folk to the point where it will become clear that he is out of the race.  I expect that he will then announce his decision to run as an independent.

There's really no other standout at this stage; a mediocre field at best.

[cookie2]

Trump is getting a huge amount of publicity - maybe that's what he's really interested in rather than the presidency?

[Baggers]

There's hardly another nation in the world that would take Trump seriously, what does that say about our conservative Yank friends?