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Donald Trump released a statement, the morning of the NBC upfronts which included his Celebrity Apprentice on the fall schedule, that he would not run for President, even though he totally could have won and whipped you slobs into shape:
After considerable deliberation and reflection, I have decided not to pursue the office of the Presidency. This decision does not come easily or without regret; especially when my potential candidacy continues to be validated by ranking at the top of the Republican contenders in polls across the country. I maintain the strong conviction that if I were to run, I would be able to win the primary and ultimately, the general election. I have spent the past several months unofficially campaigning and recognize that running for public office cannot be done half heartedly. Ultimately, however, business is my greatest passion and I am not ready to leave the private sector.
This is really good news for some white guy. And when I say “some white guy,” I don’t mean RedState’s Erick Erickson, who scheduled an epic one-on-one interview with Trump which is now effectively meaningless, as if it wasn’t before.
I’m sure Trump got out of this flirtation what he wanted: a way to get on cable news networks and major newspapers every day for two months. No such thing as bad publicity to the Donald, or taste or acting like a racist, apparently.
So let’s look briefly at which white guy could benefit from this winnowing of the Republican field. With Trump and Mike Huckabee out of the race, the field is almost entirely set:
Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty are seen as the “viable” candidates. Jon Huntsman is somewhere in a “his last job was working for Barack Obama” moderate netherworld. Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, Ron Paul, Gary Johnson, Herman Cain, Buddy Roemer, Fred Karger and Judge Roy Moore are not. There are only a few wild-cards left: Michele Bachmann and Sarah Palin (social conservative women) and Mitch Daniels (fiscal conservative Village dream candidate).
This looks to me like that part of “Brewster’s Millions” where “None of the Above” almost wins the election. And yet, somebody has to win, theoretically.
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Theoretically.
I think right now I like T-Paw. He doesn’t have the Romney care stench all over him. Either him or Gingrich. Don’t underestimate the moral and intellectual bankruptcy of the right wing (as if that’s even possible).
And if it’s T-Paw I want to see Bible Spice as the VP candidate. Which reminds me, I haven’t uttered the words Sarah Palin for months because I there are so many awesome nicknames:
Bible Spice
Caribou Barbie
The Quitter
The Grifter
Hockey Mom Madness
The Wasilla Whacko
The Real Mayberry Machiavelli
As predicted, personalities flame out early.
All that hairspray Trump uses made for a fast, hot fire.
Nice one.
When toying with a 2000 presidential run, Donald Trump said on CNN/Larry King that he was categorically in favor of universal health care.
I was most interested, in how he’d sell this to birther loons… ;^)
– Balkingpoints / www
NBC should have fired his pasty white ass. The ratings on his fake reality show, where everyone pretends to treat him with deference (kind of like in his real life, actually) have been declining ever since he put on his Orly Taitz mask back in April. So they had the perfect excuse. Instead NBC is so desperate for ratings theyd hire Sarah Palin to bash live kittens with a meat tenderizer.
Eh? I think The Donald just barks out whatever he thinks’ll get him some attention. As they say in the entertainment business, there’s no such thing as bad publicity. I am taking a small leap and assuming that’s also why The Donald was so venally willing to exploit the very blatant & obvious racism of the T-GOPers/birfers. I mean: why not? It got the The Donald *loads & loads* of attention.
If anyone thought The Donald was actually serious about running for POTUS, then I got a bridge to sell ya.
Nonetheless, this kind of braindead egomania is part of our “body politic” these days, and so, we must pay some minimal attention.
Thanks for the very unsurprising post.
heh… ya mean they haven’t done that already? Color me surprised! (no snark and I watch so little tv that I wouldn’t really know).
Economic policy won’t play big in Iowa. It will be a race to the bottom on social issues. One of the crazies will win.
In New Hampshire, unless a black swan lands on that political pond, Romney wins.
South Carolina could loom big for selecting the GOP candidate. DeMint’s endorsement and organization could be decisive.
Giving South Carolina this kind of power is not good. As Jim Petigru long ago [1861] famously remarked, “South Carolina, too small for a republic and too large for an insane asylum.” Things haven’t changed much.
Translation: “I could totally have gotten those grapes if I wanted, but they were so sour.”
Trump even has the fox pelt to match the metaphor.
Mitt is boring and a Mormon never mind Romney care is Obama care the base won’t vote for him. T-Paw who? The guy is past boring even the political junkies here can’t name more than a few things about him.
The Fundies like Evita’s who do Pep Rallies of Hate they won’t settle for boring this election, safe or even electable.
Unfortunately, Trump’s just done using a presidential race to score some free publicity. That a$$ with no class will always find a way to get attention.
If we remove must be electable in the general election then GOP voters are free to vote for whoever they really want.
They can indulge the unfashionable hates they never tell pollsters. Which hate is the greatest, abortion, Gays, Immigrants, African Americans which candidate speaks best to their particular hate.
This is going to be a micotrends election of the GOP’s collective subconscious.
If neither the GOP or Dems will say they will create jobs then voters on both sides have the freedom to vote for who ever we want there is no need to compromise.
Any bets Huckabees supporters go for Sarah and that Trump’s go for Mitt:)
Even if Obama and the Dems will say that they’ll focus on job creation, no one should trust them to do it for US workers.
What a surprise! So not…
Yep. Obama and the Vichycrats didn’t get me the job I just got. A stroke did. :-/
Show me a poll that says they can win the first 5 GOP primary states. Has anyone won either primary without winning at least one or two of the first 5 primary states? GOP Primary voters are majority Fundy the GOP needs a big turnout Primary to counter act their votes to Sarah or a Man who can dish out the Emotion like Sarah and Michelle can so either Glen Beck runs, Sarah runs or the Fundies stay home.
The Fundies won’t settle for boring not after the adrenaline rush they have been getting built on hate for years.
Right I want jobs created before the election Obama blew the trust me wait until I’m elected thing for a generation.
Congrats, again :) Though I’m sad to hear someone had a stroke.
Is there some kind of deadline Huckabee and Trump leaving right as Newt gets in seems staged. Also it throws off polling how many people might be polled but are Huckabee or Trump supporters and honestly many will need a a few days or a week to decide on their second choice for sure?
The less informed voters are the more likely they are not to have a second choice ready and the more time they will need to flirt with a few candidates before making a final choice.
Never mind that any choice might change as we get the dirt on the GOP candidates.
Jon Huntsman and Mitt are cousins also related to Mormon founders our Elite class is getting smaller also its funny Jesus preached give all your goods to the poor but Mormon founders seem to have done quite well Billions worth of well.
Either one of the cousins bows out soon or jokes about the inbred Elite class will suddenly get very popular.
I’m going for Newt.
I’ve been reading lately – unsure how accurate, etc, so take with a pallet of salt – that Palin is out of the running, that the real PTB hate her, and that even Aisles is about ready to toss her under the bus. I really have no idea if that’s true, but methinks Palin star-power is waning, even though Palin will always have a fanatical slavering fandom who will never ever desert her.
Whatever. Methinks the ReThug PTB will go for Newt bc he is, cough cough, intelligent, etc. I think I’ve been convinced by some who blog here that the rightwing is holding JEB “on ice” until 2016. And I’m beginning to agree with that mainly bc I believe, in the end, that the PTB want Obama to win anyway. Why not? Obama’s a hard-right NeoCon, and, as the ideal Manchurian candidate, he’s more easily able to rape, plunder, rob & steal from the “small people.” What’s not to like?
Newt is expendable, but more desireable to the PTB, even with his multiple marriages. And we all know that the conservative base will give Newt a pass on that anyway bc: IOKIYAR.
Of course if Mitt and Huntsman both bow out or at least don’t make VP then Mormons will feel cheated and not show up at election time. Sure they will still take Utah but the other Western States that have high numbers of Mormons? They can all be in play.
If Sarah or Michelle don’t get at least VP then the Fundies will likely stay home too.
How many elections are within 5% in how many states. Depress Mormon and Fundy turnout 1-5% and how many heavy Mormon and Fundy districts go into play?
Newt gets the nomination then he needs Sarah or a Mormon as VP. but by choosing one he screw the other and causes them not to show.
However the advantage of Newt running is he will run on GOP ideas.
The Lake will have a field day researching his various lies that were not fact checked in real time as he said them when he last run.
Newt needs attention and to get it he makes shit up Susan Smith killing her kids then lying and blaming African Americans for the killing was an example Newt said of liberal values. Later on it turned out she killed her kids and her Dad a Pat Robertson supporter molested her as a kid.
I want the Press to get Newt to answer how come he thought Susan Smith was an example of Liberal Values and why lying and making shit up Is OK if Your a Republican.
Still can Newt still excite Sarah’s base?
Congratulations! Sorry someone had a stroke, though (unless you’re replacing one of the thieving banksters, then maybe I’m not quite so sorry).
I’m sure Newt’s already exciting the woman who’ll become his fourth wife, not that I could imagine anything about Newt being all that exciting.
(Too low? Too crude? I don’t care.)
Perhaps it would be wise to examine their madness for signs of method. Feingold’s loss, to a complete cipher, raised some red flags for me even out here on the left coast. The guy who ran that heist demands scrutiny. Lo and behold, he shows up as MC Steele’s replacement. So, what appears to be the grand plan, to me anyhow, is to use up the public’s disgust quota with this current goat rodeo. Only then will they trot out the real candidate(Jeb, maybe, as a hail-Mary shot at lesser of evils?). Just my theory for now.
Margaret, did you really get it or am I misreading? CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! (hope it’s true)