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

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

How awful is the GOP field that a joke candidate leads it?

 

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

By DANIEL FREEDMAN
According to Romney family lawyers it doesn’t matter if Barack Obama was born in Hawaii, Kenya, or even Paris: Because his mother was an American (and not even Donald Trump questions that), he is eligible to be President.

The Romney lawyers investigated this question in the 1960s, when Mitt Romney’s father, Governor George Romney of Michigan, was vying for the Republican presidential nomination. George Romney had been born in a Mormon colony in Chihuahua, Mexico, as his grandfather moved there with his wives in the 1880s after polygamy was outlawed in the U.S.

While some opponents nicknamed him “Chihuahua George,” his suitability for the highest office because of his birth was never seriously challenged. The reason his campaign faltered was because of his shift in position on the Vietnam War: He went from being a supporter to opposing it, infamously claiming to have been “brainwashed” by military officials. After that Richard Nixon’s lead in the polls more than doubled.

http://blogs.forbes.com/danielfreedman/2011/04/12/romney-to-trump-obama-doesnt-need-a-birth-certificate/

 

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

Everyone loves Romney, of course, as their pat answer for this question.

I think Huckabee is electable in the right circumstances.

Otherwise, none of the candidates we have now are anything but freak shows. If the race looks unwinnable, then someone like Gingrich will get the Bob Dole honorary sacrifice treatment. If it looks winnable, then someone relatively unknown on the national radar (and thus carrying less baggage) will step forward.

 

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

Huntsman?

 

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

Hard to play off the "Obama is an other" vibe with a Chinese-speaking Mormon, but maybe.

 

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

To say that birtherism is coded racism does a disservice to actual racism. People questioned if McCain was eligible as well...was that racism? The left keeps throwing these ridiculous accusations of racism around, and it only makes them look stupid.

 

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

People threw out McCain's eligiblity as an interesting theoretical Constitutional question, and it was cleared up pretty quickly.

Birthers cling to their conspiracy theory despite piles of evidence.

I don't think they are racist, just conspiracy nutjobs, but I also don't think the two are comparable.

 

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

Birtherism is coded racism. There is no compelling counter argument.

 

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

No, anybody promoting or believing or dabbling in birtherism looks stupid. I'm talking mind-numbingly, mouth-breathing, slack-jawed stupid.

 

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

There's no compelling argument for it either, that I can see.

Conspiracy nuts abound. I frequently find myself posting this comic, because it's true:

http://xkcd.com/258/

Once people become wedded to an idea, sometimes they find it impossible to let go of, no matter how much the evidence piles up against them.

 

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

While I'm sure that a decent percentage of birthers are also racist, I'm not sure how you can come to this realization.

Why is birtherism the one dumb conspiracy theory that is racially motivated?

How do you explain "truthers" or folks who believe in Kennedy assassination conspiracy theories?

There are lots of dumb and/or easily manipulated people. Not all of them are racist.

 

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

I liked what Romney said today, although I don't think it applies unless your parents are in the military or working for the government overseas.

I don't buy into the birther nonsense, but some of Hawaii's stupid rules do Obama no favors.

If I were him, I'd fly over there get access to the original hold it up to the media and tell everyone else to go fuck themselves.

Why should he do it? Why shouldn't he take advantage of making one of his possible opponents look like an idiot.