Can Anyone Stop Donald Trump?

I did a search but I didn't see anyone else with this thread topic so I am starting a new one.

http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/can-anyone-stop-donald-trump

Plenty more really interesting opinions in the article but this is the aspect that I would like to focus this OP on specifically.

Is Mr Deace correct in his overall assessment of T-Rump?

His base will remain loyal irrespective but his ability to grow beyond his base is limited?

If that is the case then there is someone who can stop T-Rump and that is himself. As long as he continues to pander to his base he will never grow beyond it because he is alienating everyone who is not his base.

So this is beginning to look a lot like the adage "be careful what you wish for...".

Yes, T-Rump is the mouthpiece of the disaffected extreme rightwing and he is saying what they are thinking.

But they are less than 20% of the electorate and there is no way they can even be certain of bringing their own party on board to support T-Rump, let alone Independents and moderates necessary to win the GE.

Your thoughts?

 

Cruz is describing himself except he also has a low floor. Cruz is unelectable and he knows it.

What is the big deal here with "stopping Trump"? Why are there many on both sides now trying to stop him? To me, when this many politicians are trying to stop someone that someone deserves a second look.

 

The Dems don't want to "stop T-Rump" because he would be their ideal opponent and give Hillary an easy time in the GE.

The GOP are the ones who need to stop him because he is a major impediment to putting a viable person who stands a chance against Hillary in the CE. That would be someone like Rubio or Kasich (or both for that matter.)

But as long as T-Rump is sitting on 20-30% of the primary voters that makes it a problem the others to gain the traction they need to shut him down.

If T-Rump were out of the picture then you are correct that Cruz would inherit his followers. That too would be a similar problem for the GOP because Cruz is just T-Rump with an election to his credit.

The way I am reading what Mr Deace is saying is that T-Rump is not all that different to Ron Paul. His followers are loyal but ultimately irrelevant when it comes to whomever will become the GOP candidate.

 

And just why is that? He's the smartest person running by about 10 furlongs.

 

He is not a professional politician. He can win - easily.

But any populist candidate who stands for cutting ineffective programs and agencies and giving ALL the saved money back can stop Trump.

Unless Trump decides to embrace the idea too.

 

Intelligence is not the same thing as electability. Cruz just isn't a likable candidate so he will struggle in the GE IMO.

 

T-Rump will do and say anything to be elected, of that there is no doubt whatsoever.

But his credibility is what will matter and in that respect he is highly vulnerable when it comes to key segments of the electorate.

 

The current bipartisan political class has flushed its credibility. Trump is appealing to a new nonpartisan super majority that has been all but ignored by both parties.

“Record High in U.S. Say Big Government Greatest Threat, Now 72% say it is greater threat than big business or big labor”, by Jeffrey M. Jones, Gallup, 12/18/13.
http://www.gallup.com/poll/166535/r...syndication&utm_content=morelink&utm_term=All

Trump has the inside track - will be very hard to stop.

 

My thoughts? You sound scared. You sound like you're trying to talk yourself into believing something that will comfort you despite the facts showing you otherwise. I think you're afraid of the very real possibility of President Trump.

Here's the reality. Whether you love him or hate him..... whether he's sincere or just marketing..... Trump has his finger on the pulse of America. He knows what the people want and he's been bold in delivering it. Which is what has made him so popular. I don't mean to sound condescending, but I really think the Democrats may as well just sit this election out. Everything is stacked against them. Nobody wants another Democrat president right now. And they don't even really have a candidate anyway. Their front runner has been involved in a bunch of high profile legal trouble and the only other alternative they are offering is completely unelectable. If you want to talk Ron Paul comparisons, Bernie Sanders is the left wing equivalent defined. He has a very devoted and enthusiastic niche base, but he doesn't appeal to anyone in middle America that can do basic math.

 

Last I checked, his numbers were about the same as Sanders's, and we've been assured over and over again that Sanders has no chance.

 

For the GOP nomination. Donald Trump will stop Donald Trump. If not get ready for President Hillary. You're correct, independents have a 60% unfavorable view of the Donald. 63% of women also view the Donald unfavorably along with 84% of blacks. Now 63% of Republicans view Trump favorably. But that will not win many elections.

Comparing percentages, 83% of Democrats view Hillary favorably and the Democrats have a larger base vote. Now comparing just Republicans, Carson has an 82% favorable rating among Republicans, Rubio is at 71% with Republicans, Cruz at 68%, Fiorina at 69%.

But it is still early, we will just have to wait and see how all of this plays out.

 

The Trump hysteria is based solely on fear. I'm amazed how so many are shaking in their boots because of him. Hey people (you scared ones)...all you're doing is flaming the fire!

 

Hillary can run 200 time and she'll never be elected 60+% don't trust her and she's just down right unlikable. People see Trump as Bart Simpson all grown up. The left hates Trump because no matter how hard they try to do a "Palin" job on him, nothing sticks to the Teflon Donald.

 

Amen my brother! You nailed it.

 

Why do we need to stop Trump?

We need to stop Hillary.

 

Your poll is from 2013. Republican leaning Gallup has now amended that to just 49% of which the bulk comes from the right at 65%.

http://www.gallup.com/poll/185720/half-continue-say-gov-immediate-threat.aspx

That is not going to be a factor in the election either according to Gallup.

In essence all it says is that a segment of the electorate is not happy with the current way things are going and the odds are the Dems who are not happy are probably voting for Bernie in the primary and wouldn't even consider voting for someone like T-Rump under any circumstances.



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Ironic!

 

The only difference being that Hillary has an overwhelming lead over Sanders.

No one else has a lead over T-Rump.

So the comparison is not a sound one.

I can see a potential path for T-Rump to become the GOP candidate albeit it won't be an easy one and it will depend a whole lot on his ability to convince evangelicals that he is the 2nd coming of St Reagan.

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Nice post and yes, I agree that this is a waiting game. T-Rump is anything but predictable.

 

I think anyone on Republican side should trounce Hillary.

 

What is there to fear from T-Rump?

From the perspective of the Dems I don't see anything at all.

From the GOP perspective the establishment probably does fear having him as their leader through 2016 with good reason. He has been alienating voting blocs wholesale and that is not a good thing for the long term viability of the party IMO.

 

Gallup leans GOP? Where did you get that! MOJO?

Poll 1: 74% fear government more than "Big Business" or Big Labor".

The second poll does not contradict the first. Different question - now 50% feel that government is an "Immediate Threat".

Both poll results are deadly for any candidate associated with the government class - Democrat or Republican.

 

I agree that amongst his sycophants T-Rump can do no wrong. As was quoted in the OP he does have a "high floor" amongst the GOP base which is where he is getting his "teflon coat" from.

However that is not the case amongst the electorate at large. His utterances have caused a great deal of pushback with Latinos, women and blacks. That will hurt whomever is the GOP candidate in the GE IMO.

 

^See, it's stuff like this. With the exaggerated emoticons. That's what gives it away. If I were new here, I probably wouldn't pick up on it. But I've been here for almost six years now. I know what to look for when people are overcompensating. I mean, you can deny it if you want. That's fine. I don't expect you to have a moment of vulnerability here and just confess your fears to the rest of the forum. But when you log out after this discussion is over and you go back to your daily life, you'll know the truth in your heart. You haven't really fooled anybody.

 

http://www.theguardian.com/commenti...up-rasmussen-polling-outliers-lean-republican

http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytime...best-and-worst-in-the-2012-presidential-race/

It was one of the best-known polling firms, however, that had among the worst results. In late October, Gallup consistently showed Mr. Romney ahead by about six percentage points among likely voters, far different from the average of other surveys. Gallup’s final poll of the election, which had Mr. Romney up by one point, was slightly better, but still identified the wrong winner in the election. Gallup has now had three poor elections in a row. In 2008, their polls overestimated Mr. Obama’s performance, while in 2010, they overestimated how well Republicans would do in the race for the United States House.

 

The thread topic is T-Rump and his "high floor and low ceiling" problem.

Please remain on topic and refrain from attempting to derail the thread with irrelevancies.

TYIA
DT

 

It's hilarious to see how many people are confusing popularity among the mouth breathing, knuckle dragging crowd that makes up the republican base with actual popularity among the general electorate. It's funny and a bit sad to see how delusional the GOP has become.

Trump is the best thing to happen to democrats in decades. Even when he eventually loses, the GOP base has developed a taste for the stupid, hateful nonsense that falls out of his mouth with no regard for truth (disguised as disdain for PC). I don't see how a potty trained, moderate republican could ever find it's way with the GOP anymore.

Trump himself is his downfall. The bottom line is there are just not enough scared, stupid, paranoid, racist old white people in this country to get him elected.