Donald Trump: Should We Take Him Seriously? (Now leads 2012 GOP Field by 9%)

Re: Donald Trump: Should We Take Him Seriously?

The hideous Trump Plaza replaced the hideous Chicago Sun-Times building, which I used to be able to see from my office, until a hotel got built out my window. Anyway, I'm not sure the Trump Plaza represents any improvement. I also know that my wife's cousin, who was a painter during construction, said the quality of the building was crap.

Speaking of crap, Trump is successful enough at peddling it to keep his numbers polling high, though even this liberal blog notes that name recognition is a big factor, too:

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2011_04/028910.php

Still, I don't like the message his polling numbers could send to Republican candidates: if you want to win the primary, you have to say the batshit craziest things to appeal to the frothiest fringe. I mean, that's often true, but you'd think after four years of Obama, you could put together a successful campaign on something other than WE DON'T REALLY KNOW THIS MUSLIM SOCILIST WHO IS NOT ONE OF US!

 

Re: Donald Trump: Should We Take Him Seriously?

Ambitious but serious politicians seek to find a constituency which is not adequately represented in the political debate. Hustlers seek suckers. Hence, Trump's candidacy.

 

Re: Donald Trump: Should We Take Him Seriously?

None of the possible candidates listed in that story will get the nominee. I don't know who will (Maybe Pawlenty or Barbour) but it won't be any of those.

Name recognition is the only reason he's polling that high. I'd probably go into shock if he got so much as 10 percent of the vote in New Hampshire or Iowa next year.

 

Re: Donald Trump: Should We Take Him Seriously?

I agree, Mizzou. The amount of attention most Americans are paying to the 2012 elections is next door to nil, and God bless them for it. Answering a question off the top of one's head usually results in an answer from the last thing one put into one's head, like say, "oh yeah, Donald Trump is running."

 

Re: Donald Trump: Should We Take Him Seriously?

There is no candidate worth getting excited about on either side.

I think the public is lukewarm to Obama, but he seems destined to win because the republicans don't have anyone who can get people excited and the ones with the potential to do something all seem to be waiting until 2016.

 

Re: Donald Trump: Should We Take Him Seriously?

Saw a similar scenario happen in Fresno a few years back. Local funding for the golf course fell apart, the area planners still wanted to save the course (designed by Arnold Palmer, I believe)....they thought it could be a PGA-level course.

Trump flew in, did what he does, and tried to get most of the money backed by others to add it to his collection of golf courses. They balked, Trump left the valley, and the course still sits there half finished last I checked. But the circus was fun when it came to town.

 

Re: Donald Trump: Should We Take Him Seriously?

At one point in the 1980s, the Sullivan family attempted to sell the Patriots to Trump. I covered that one hilarious afternoon in Manhattan.

 

Re: Donald Trump: Should We Take Him Seriously?

Or perhaps, rather than "veering" toward the crazy, he was already there.

Think folks might be giving Trump too much credit by assuming this just a cynical political ploy. Instead of catering to the screw loose winguts, he might legitimately be one of them.

 

Re: Donald Trump: Should We Take Him Seriously?

No

 

Re: Donald Trump: Should We Take Him Seriously?

The Times needs to do an updated version of that story. I'd think the net worth of a guy whose wealth is largely tied up in real estate would've changed rather dramatically since 2005.

 

Re: Donald Trump: Should We Take Him Seriously?


Donald Trump has less money on him right now than you do.

O'Brien's book, 'Trump Nation,' is definitive.

 

Re: Donald Trump: Should We Take Him Seriously?

I wonder what he makes from the TV show.

As I've said all along, most of the money he has is tied up, so I don't think he's cash rich.

But, I'm sure he basically lives for free in one of his buildings. And, he does get cash from the TV show and from his licensing deals.

I would guess it's all a question of how much money he spends and how much personal debt he's paying down.