So funny to watch, right-wing ad against Trump. I wonder what the fallout will be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTtD-2_VgTQ

Okay so trump is more level headed than i thought anyway. This seems more like a support ad.

lol nevermind, he is going to get away with it

Dude this has been common knowledge for months. If the grassroots base cared about records do you really think Rand Paul would be near dead last?

Republican base is opposite of the Democrat base. The democrat base cares about your voting and personal record on issues more than anything. Republican base is so angry they don't trust anybody running on their record of "conservatism". I can not and will not vote for trump because he changes his opinions more than girls change their clothes. He's not a conservative. Period.

He's not a social conservative, fiscal conservative, neoconservative, or paleoconservative. Instead he's mixed aspects of each and added some left-wing policy policy points. His success proves the Republican Party is the Big Tent Party of Ideas.

The Republican establishment is a bunch of losers who have nothing to offer their voters. But they don't want to lose their control of the party so they do everything they can to stop the only candidate who can win the election. To no effect, obviously.

Dude this has been common knowledge for months

I know, but you have to admit, the videoclip was pretty brutal. And maybe you knew it, but i actually doubt that most of Trump's supporters did.

so they do everything they can to stop the only candidate who can win the election

Give me whatever your smoking. You really think Trump can win. The democrats will poison the electorate. They'll focus all their attention on turning African Americans, Asians, and Latinos in record numbers and thoroughly defeat him. And don't give me the bs that he's winning in national polls against Hillary Clinton. Those same polls show him getting beat by 11 points against Bernie and they're over 1 year away from the actual election (which means you should be taking them with a grain of salt). Only republicans who can win in my mind are - Rubio or Paul (they're the only ones moderate enough to attract independents and young people, but conservative enough to turn out the base).

Either way...the Republican base should pick their poison, since Ted Cruz is getting grilled from every direction.

but i actually doubt that most of Trump's supporters did

They do. The most famous Republican Pollster is Frank Luntz: watch this video of him interviewing Trump supporters (http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2015/12/13/luntz_focus_group_of_trump_supporters_were_tired_of_weak_candidates.html)

They don't care about his past views. They only care about 3 things: immigration, job losses, and interest groups/big money affecting politics.

Edited 1/26/2016 00:57:26

Why would Asians dislike trump? Or African-Americans?

Latinos I get but...

Who would you vote for in a Trump vs Bernie scenario Jai?

No one lol.

I would go 3rd party - probably libertarian or constitutionalist (both parties get like less than 2%)

Head to head polls are extremely inconsistent.

A Trump supporter is likely to support Ted Cruz in the general election. But at this point in time he will be reluctant to accept this. So he will probably say he will support Sanders in a Sander vs Cruz matchup to make Cruz look weaker.

A Republican voter will likely want their eventual nominee to face a weaker Democrat nominee. In this case, Sanders is the weaker nominee. So they might say they want Sanders.

Obviously, not all do this, but some do.

This is not to mention how far the elections are, the number of rallies, and debates still yet to be held, so really all these GE polls currently are very inaccurate.

I would rate Trump's chances as slim, 10+ years ago he wouldn't have stood a chance, but with declining American industries, an increased distrust in the Political system and a fragile World Peace, his views are catering to many.

Trump is an exceptional candidate. He has develeoped a very positive image from his supporters, and a very negative one from his dislikers. If he can keep up the current 'tough' and 'unpolitically correct' attitude whilst being more moderate to attract more voters in the GE, he will have a chance.

I like Rand but he has no chance of winning the nomination or the election. He's getting walked over and ignored by everybody.

Rubio, really? What does he even stand for? Nobody knows, nobody cares. I know he's spending a lot money on ads and that didn't help him either.

Trump rose to the top of the Republican race almost the day he announced his candidacy, and has stayed there ever since. Nobody cares what the polls say about him vs Hillary now, that comes after the Republican nomination.

Trump has tremendous appeal among minorities. Take this, for example: http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/breaking-poll-40-of-blacks-line-behind-trump-45-of-hispanics/

He has more than double as much appeal among them as any other Republican candidate. Not everyone is idiotic enough to believe that he is a racist. What he says about radical Islamic terrorism is not racism but the truth. No other Rebublican wanted to touch the subject until they saw Trump having success with it.

Also, didn't you watch the attack ad OP linked to? Trump is ideal for moderates who don't care about being "conservative", whatever that means, rather than about common-sense policy.

Rubio, really? What does he even stand for?

That's pretty easy to figure out - increasing military spending, no compromises (with Russia, Iran, or China), pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens, war against Syria and ISIS (using Arab+American ground forces), lower taxes, state run education. Anything I missed?

Not everyone is idiotic enough to believe that he is a racist.

Trump doesn't have to be a racist to be perceived as one. That's exactly the campaign strategy the Democrats will use. They'll play his rhetoric against immigrants (legal or illegal) a billion times if they have to and convince every minority voter of non-European background (Asians and Latinos) that if they don't vote Democrat, they'll be kicked out of the country (which is of course false).

Trump is ideal for moderates who don't care about being "conservative", whatever that means, rather than about common-sense policy

But don't you understand that conservatives won't vote for him?? There are a number of establishment Republicans (mostly retired) and Republican donors who say they would rather vote Hillary than Trump. Trump will alienate grassroots conservatives who like Carson, Cruz, Santorum, Huckabee, and Rand Paul.

Edited 1/26/2016 01:46:39

I am a cruz supporter first and a Trump supporter 2nd. He doesn't alienate me. He isn't a consistent conservative however his words appeal to me. His policies are like that of Cruz.

That's pretty easy to figure out - increasing military spending, no compromises (with Russia, Iran, or China), pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens, war against Syria and ISIS (using Arab+American ground forces), lower taxes, state run education. Anything I missed?

That's what he says he supports, not exactly what he stands for. He will, for example, make compromises with Russia, Iran, and China because he has to. Trump will too, but he's obviously a better dealmaker. Also keep in mind that Rubio has gotten so much money from lobbyists that it's *them* who run the country should he get elected, and they don't care about the American people. Trump is entirely self-financed.

Trump doesn't have to be a racist to be perceived as one. That's exactly the campaign strategy the Democrats will use. They'll play his rhetoric against immigrants (legal or illegal) a billion times if they have to and convince every minority voter of non-European background (Asians and Latinos) that if they don't vote Democrat, they'll be kicked out of the country (which is of course false).

I just showed you a study that shows Trump having tremendously more appeal to minorities than other Republican candidates. Clearly many of them understand what's going on. Trump has already been smeared by everybody and his poll numbers are as good as ever. It doesn't stick.

Let me give you an example: Hillary called Trump a sexist. Trump responded by saying that Hillary is an enabler of her husband. Hillary's poll numbers went down and she hasn't touched the subject ever since. Trump knows how to deal with bullshit.

But don't you understand that conservatives won't vote for him?? There are a number of establishment Republicans (mostly retired) and Republican donors who say they would rather vote Hillary than Trump. Trump will alienate grassroots conservatives who like Carson, Cruz, Santorum, Huckabee, and Rand Paul.

If conservatives won't vote for him, then why does he have almost as much support in the primaries as all other Rep candidates combined? Of course they vote for him. For example, Iowa evangelicals are tied between Cruz and Trump (31% vs 29%, 3 weeks ago 33% vs 19%).

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2016/01/25/krauthammer_to_george_will_if_cruzs_new_york_values_attacked_worked_why_has_he_lost_14_points.html

Even Sarah Palin endorsed Trump, you know, the woman who made Cruz senator in the first place.

Plus, Trump has a lot of appeal to independents and democrats as opposed to Cruz and the others.

Establishment Republicans and donors vote for Hillary because they know that if Trump wins, they will lose their control of the party, and all their lobbying money was wasted. They have nothing to do with the grassroots.

Edited 1/26/2016 02:15:25

Trump is entirely self-financed.

Again as I said, Trump supporters are obsessed with 3 things - illegal immigration, political financing, and the outsourcing of jobs. Sure, maybe I trust Trump on those 3 things...but I don't trust him on anything else. Foreign policy - no experience and may be possibly inclined to pursue war in the middle east if someone insults him (he has no discipline or composure). Social values - he has no moral fiber (he's married 3 times, he calls the Eucharist "eating a cracker", he's pro-choice, and cares too much about his own wealth).

Also you shouldn't be touting the USA ElectionPoll where he won 40% of African American votes. Its over a year from the GE, everyone should take national polls of any type with a grain of salt. If you look at history candidates who tend to attract fringe white-supremacist groups like Trump tend to lose (remember George Wallace?). No Republican has won 40% of the African American vote since the party geography switched.

Even Sarah Palin endorsed Trump, you know, the woman who made Cruz senator in the first place.

Plus, Trump has a lot of appeal to independents and democrats as opposed to Cruz and the others.

Sarah Palin is a nut job. No need to say anything more. She and Trump share one thing in common - illiteracy when they speak. Worst VP candidate since Dan Quayle. Also the fact that Trump has appeal from working class "democrats and independents" proves that Trump is not a conservative.

For example, Iowa evangelicals are tied between Cruz and Trump (31% vs 29%, 3 weeks ago 33% vs 19%).

This I cannot explain. Let's hope its a statistical error. Cruz is the most evangelical conservative next to Huckabee and Santorum.

^^^

I can. Evangelicals are today mostly democrats, believe it or not.

Political correctness and radical Islamic terrorism wouldn't even be election topics without Trump. He has done a lot good without even being president. Imagine what he will do once he gets into the oval office.

Trump having no discipline? Give me a break. He has lead hundreds of companies, if not thousands, successfully. It's not a coincidence that he has done so well in the private sector.

I don't see why it's relevant how many times he's been married or whether he sometimes curses. He's not a baby.

Nut job or not, Palin speaks for a lot of the conservative grassroots. That was the whole point, no?

And by the way, Trump is an excellent speaker. He wipes the floor with the other candidates. How is he supposed illiterate when he speaks? He doesn't even use a teleprompter.

Iowa evangelicals support Trump because they can prioritize issues. He doesn't have to be a choirboy as long as he gets things done. Like I said, Trump has a lot of appeal to many different people.

The Lord... I find myself agreeing with you.

That concerns me.

Just telling how it is.