The Mad World of Donald Trump

Generali

michaels wrote: »

BBC are practically crowing this morning - they obviously don't realise that Cruz is even more the antithesis of their 'liberal' views.

It is quite funny that the usual anti-Republicans in the UK media (i.e. basically all of them) are cheering on Cruz as the ABT candidate.

Cruz stands on the following platform:

- Against mandated contraception on health insurance
- Against Obamacare
- Pro 2nd Amendment gun ownership rights
- Build a wall
- Triple the number of guards on the Mexico border
- End the illegal immigrant amnesty
- Restrict refugee entry to the US
- Tear up the Iran deal
- Restrict some abortion rights
- No gay marriage
- Stop spending on 'Planned Parenthood' (a non-profit providing contraceptive advice to teens and adults)

Moby

Generali wrote: »

It is quite funny that the usual anti-Republicans in the UK media (i.e. basically all of them) are cheering on Cruz as the ABT candidate.

Cruz stands on the following platform:

- Against mandated contraception on health insurance
- Against Obamacare
- Pro 2nd Amendment gun ownership rights
- Build a wall
- Triple the number of guards on the Mexico border
- End the illegal immigrant amnesty
- Restrict refugee entry to the US
- Tear up the Iran deal
- Restrict some abortion rights
- No gay marriage
- Stop spending on 'Planned Parenthood' (a non-profit providing contraceptive advice to teens and adults)

I'd much prefer Trump to Cruz...........'Lying Ted....he picks up the bible....then puts it down and lies!

HornetSaver

As soon as it became clear that the race would be a head-to-head between Trump and Cruz, it always boiled down to a simple question - what could Trump possibly do that would be bad enough for mainstream Republicans to seriously consider Cruz? In terms of personal support, it might be an understatement to say that Ted Cruz is the Republican Party's answer to Jeremy Corbyn, without the same level of grassroots party backing. Absolutely hated in Washington. There's not a lot of love for Trump either, but outside of two or three policies which he would clearly attempt to force through (the wall, tax reforms and making it much harder for Muslims to enter or remain in the US), he would probably go along with Congress on most of the day-to-day stuff.

Trump wants to be seen to be winning and to be seen to be decisive - provided he gets to look that way Congress could probably pass a law outlawing all cars other than the Suzuki Alto without eyebrows being raised. Whereas Cruz wants to get his way on pre-determined policy positions regardless of what anyone else thinks, and appears to have little capacity to compromise. For people who happen not to agree with him that's obviously a no at all costs.

It's testament to how much Trump has done to alienate so many voters in so little time that he's not over the line. Or to look at it the other way, it's testament to how much the establishment hates Cruz that Trump is still in the race.

Generali

Moby wrote: »

I'd much prefer Trump to Cruz...........'Lying Ted....he picks up the bible....then puts it down and lies!

I imagine Trump would end up being a President in the Reagan mold; surrounding himself with experts.

It is worth remembering that we got through the 8 Reagan and 12 Bush Presidency years prosperously. Everyone seems to crap themselves every time a Republican presidency is the vaguest possibility but it simply isn't as bad as people will have you believe.

For a start the US Constitution provides so many checks and balances that it is pretty much impossible for a President to run amok.

vivatifosi

Generali wrote: »

For a start the US Constitution provides so many checks and balances that it is pretty much impossible for a President to run amok.

That's an interesting point Gen. We've seen how easy it is to gridlock US politics.. Obama trying to pass healthcare or gun crime law for example. However that's recently been largely a Dem vs Rep thing. In the event that there's still a Rep majority in the Senate, I wonder if they would overturn any let's say more whacky Trump bills. Afaics it has happened before, under James Buchanan, who was US President in the run up to the Civil War, but at the time the party was split north/south anyway.

I wonder if it has happened under other Presidents.

michaels

Obama care struggled to get passed a Senate with 60 democrats

Generali

vivatifosi wrote: »

That's an interesting point Gen. We've seen how easy it is to gridlock US politics.. Obama trying to pass healthcare or gun crime law for example. However that's recently been largely a Dem vs Rep thing. In the event that there's still a Rep majority in the Senate, I wonder if they would overturn any let's say more whacky Trump bills. Afaics it has happened before, under James Buchanan, who was US President in the run up to the Civil War, but at the time the party was split north/south anyway.

I wonder if it has happened under other Presidents.

It's interesting.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Presidents_and_control_of_Congress

W. Bush had a chunk of time with the Senate and the House in Republican control but Bush Snr never had a majority in either place and Reagan never had the House although the GOP controlled the Senate for 6 out of 8 years. Neither Ford nor Nixon had a Red majority in the House or the Senate for their years in power. In fact it's notable that the Republican President prior to W. Bush that had control of both Houses of Congress was President 'I Like' Ike Eisenhower.

Of course President Clinton had congress that was out of control but that's another story.

I think the gridlock is a fairly recent phenomenon although I don't know enough about US political history to say for certain. I did read an interesting piece a while back that made an interesting point about US politics: what if, rather than the accusations that the two parties make against each other about their egregious abuse of the political process being mud, they are actually both being honest about what the other is trying to do? The Democrats are trying to wreck the first two amendments and the GOP is trying to link church and state and that both are deeply corrupt.

Moby

HornetSaver wrote: »

Whereas Cruz wants to get his way on pre-determined policy positions regardless of what anyone else thinks, and appears to have little capacity to compromise. For people who happen not to agree with him that's obviously a no at all costs.

Cruz is a religious zealot who gets his policies direct from God. Whereas Trump is pragmatic as you say in most areas and as Generali says would appoint advisers like Reagan did. I actually think I would prefer Trump to Hillary. I find him fascinating to watch.....It's weird I know...:eek:.Can't believe I'm saying that but there is some rationality behind the emotion.....Hillary has been totally bought and I read Christopher Hitchens book about the Clintons.....geez does that paint them in a bad light! You could see with his !!!!-up on abortion/right to life issue.....Trump doesn't really have a view........he's not interested in the subject. I find that a healthy position to take rather than the zealotry of Cruz. Kasich seems a civilised sound man.....but of course I'm with the Bern!
My choices in order of preference from watching them on CNN with my personal prejudices:-
Bernie
Kasich
Trump
Hillary
Lyin' Ted

HornetSaver

If the Republican race went to a brokered convention, would Kasich have a chance? That is obviously the only reason he has stayed in the race, just curious about people's opinions on whether he would have a chance even if it did pan out that way.

Generali

Moby wrote: »

Cruz is a religious zealot who gets his policies direct from God. Whereas Trump is pragmatic as you say in most areas and as Generali says would appoint advisers like Reagan did. I actually think I would prefer Trump to Hillary. I find him fascinating to watch.....It's weird I know...:eek:.Can't believe I'm saying that but there is some rationality behind the emotion.....Hillary has been totally bought and I read Christopher Hitchens book about the Clintons.....geez does that paint them in a bad light! You could see with his !!!!-up on abortion/right to life issue.....Trump doesn't really have a view........he's not interested in the subject. I find that a healthy position to take rather than the zealotry of Cruz. Kasich seems a civilised sound man.....but of course I'm with the Bern!
My choices in order of preference from watching them on CNN with my personal prejudices:-
Bernie
Kasich
Trump
Hillary
Lyin' Ted

TBH I suspect you have a roughly similar chance of becoming the next President of the US as The Bern. To a European he's probably centre left but to an American I reckon he's beyond the Pale.

http://feelthebern.org/all-issues/