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Does Donald Trump Have a Screw Loose?

By Jeralyn, Section Elections 2016
Posted on Mon Dec 21, 2015 at 09:48:00 PM EST
Tags: Donald Trump (all tags)
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Is something wrong with Donald Trump? Who makes these kinds of comments?

Donald Trump launched an aggressive attack on Hillary Clinton on Monday night, saying she was "disgusting" for using the restroom during the latest Democratic debate and that she was "schlonged" by a male political opponent.

... "She was favored to win, and she got schlonged," Trump said, turning a vulgar noun for a large p*nis into a verb.

"Schlonged?" I haven't heard that word since I was a kid. And why is it so "disgusting" that Hillary went to the bathroom? My response: Beware of the candidate who thinks his sh*t doesn't stink.

Ivanka should come out and disassociate herself from her father's spew of garbage. He is beginning to sound out of control.

If you respond in comments, please do not use profanity, as your comment will be deleted. You may use asterisks in place of a letter or two as I have done. [More...]

Update: This isn't the first time Trump has used the word in a sexist manner. In this 2011 Washington Post article, he reportedly used it to describe a House race between two women:
“I like Paul Ryan personally, but I didn’t like his, before his seat is even warm, coming out with a plan that was going to hurt Medicare, at best,” Trump said. He called it “a very bad . . . chess move” that cost Republicans the House seat in New York’s 26th District.“I watched a popular Republican woman [Jane Corwin] not only lose but get schlonged by a Democrat [Kathy Hochul] nobody ever heard of for the congressional seat and that was because, simply, because of the Paul Ryan plan,” Trump noted. “That was an attack on Medicare. Now he’s trying to soften it, but whether you like it or not, that was an attack on Medicare.
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    Does Donald Trump Have a Screw Loose? | 92 comments (92 topical)

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    In response to your first question, J (5.00 / 7) (#1)
    by Peter G on Mon Dec 21, 2015 at 09:17:16 PM EST
    Yes.

    It's Trump. (5.00 / 1) (#2)
    by Ga6thDem on Mon Dec 21, 2015 at 09:29:22 PM EST
    Why would you expect anything different. He's playing to a crowd that has not matured past middle school.

    Yeah, the knucklehead who says he has (5.00 / 2) (#3)
    by shoephone on Mon Dec 21, 2015 at 09:31:00 PM EST
    "tremendous respect for women" has a weird habit of insulting them, regularly, using the crudest terms possible.

    It's looking like he may have a YUUUUUGE problem getting the female vote in either New Hampshire or Iowa.

    Imagine.

    If he is "beginning" (5.00 / 1) (#4)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Dec 21, 2015 at 09:47:03 PM EST
    To sound out of control you have not been listening.

    I try not to listen (5.00 / 1) (#8)
    by Jeralyn on Mon Dec 21, 2015 at 10:02:11 PM EST
    and I don't follow much of anything about Republicans until it's at a point where it could matter.

    Parent
    Honestly (5.00 / 1) (#28)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 07:55:31 AM EST
    No offense but it's been mattering for months.   People like Ga6th and myself have been crying in the wilderness and being dismissed.   Most of the commenters in this thread have ridiculed and/or dismissed the idea that Donald represented a real and dangerous threat since the spring.

    Do we have everyone's attention now?  Good.  It's probably to late.  But I'm glad it's starting to sink in.

    Parent

    One other thought (none / 0) (#30)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 09:01:25 AM EST
    If (when?) he gets the nomination we will start the whole denial process all over again.  Hooray!  He can't possibly win the general.  

    I would say consider how well being under estimated has worked for hm so far.

    Parent

    I stated on here many months ago (none / 0) (#45)
    by Chuck0 on Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 11:42:43 AM EST
    that Donald Trump was reprehensible excuse for a human being. Maybe the comment was deleted. Maybe this one will be as well.

    But the fact of the matter is, he proves my point every time he opens his mouth.

    Parent

    Interesting bit about a study (5.00 / 1) (#5)
    by CaptHowdy on Mon Dec 21, 2015 at 09:52:41 PM EST
    that says polls are actually under estimating his support because educated people are embarrassed to admit they support him to a live pollster.

    That Make No Sense... (5.00 / 1) (#37)
    by ScottW714 on Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 10:06:57 AM EST
    ...they are embarrassed to admit it, but have no problem with him actually being the most powerful person in the world.  

    If that is what qualifies as educated, we have bigger issues that DT saying stooopid sh1t.

    HRC better shut it down, this coming down to Donald's level to scrap in the slop is not helping her or the party one bit.

    Parent

    As a student of human nature (none / 0) (#38)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 10:09:55 AM EST
    Sadly it makes perfect sense to me.  

    Parent
    Tempted to disagree (5.00 / 2) (#47)
    by KeysDan on Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 03:45:23 PM EST
    on the basis that "having a loose screw" infers that there is something there that could benefit from tightening.  But, that, too, may be trivializing the Trump phenomenon.

     We know his basic modus operandi is to demonstrate ignorance of policy, make false claims and double down on the lies.  But Trump is more--bluster and bluff supplant analysis, complexities are simplicity , and leadership is braggadocio and  bullying, with or without a pulpit.

    And, critically,  the cake under the frosting is his attack on an enemy worse than ISIS: political correctness. Jettison the dog whistle and say it like in the olden days. Never hold back, it only acknowledges social progress, another enemy rivaling the red menace.

    Trump is the top candidate because he is entirely representative of the Republican party.  And, he is the natural consequence of the party's dumbing down from dopes who are fun to have a beer with, to a you betcha, anti-intellectual governor who reads all of them.

    The so called establishment candidate, and new alternative to Trump is Rubio--who proclaims that God's law trumps the US Constitution and no abortion even in cases of incest and rape. Or take Cruz, please. These guys are different, but are they any better?  

    No, I do not think Trump has a screw loose. When at his best, he behaves in an abhorrent manner. But, he is just the manifestation of what the Republicans  have (pardon the expression)--evolved into.  

    30% of Trump's base supports bombing (5.00 / 3) (#63)
    by Mr Natural on Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 11:20:10 PM EST
    Agrabah, the fictional kingdom in the story of Aladdin and his magic lamp, according to a report released by Public Policy Polling last week.

    Public Policy Polling also polled Democratic primary voters: only 19% of them said they would support bombing Agrabah, while 36% said they would oppose it.

    Would that be (5.00 / 2) (#87)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Dec 23, 2015 at 08:30:52 PM EST
    Magic carpet bombing?

    (Didn't make that up, just heard it)

    But I laughed

    Parent

    Jeff Greenfield is an idiot (5.00 / 1) (#65)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Dec 23, 2015 at 08:53:15 AM EST
    And he always has been.

    Can we just agree on that now?

    Jeff Greenfield @greenfield64
    On further review, Trump is right on this. "I got schlonged" is a commonplace NY way of saying: "I lost big time," w/out genital reference.
    7:11 PM - 22 Dec 2015
    Lived, until recently, in NYC my whole life (5.00 / 1) (#71)
    by vicndabx on Wed Dec 23, 2015 at 03:42:25 PM EST
    and NEVER heard the word used as slang before - other than in the context discussed here.

    Rachel Maddow had an interesting take last night.  Trump really wanted to say "shellacking," as in mid-term election loss, but his powers of recall were not up to the task. As evidence - his prior use of the word to describe some candidate's loss after much coverage describing the loss as a shellacking.

    Parent

    Funny, I heard the word (none / 0) (#78)
    by fishcamp on Wed Dec 23, 2015 at 04:53:32 PM EST
    Early in life since I learned to swim at the Jewish Community Center in downtown Portland.  My dad and I used to laugh about it on the way home from swimming, while listening to Fibber McGee and Molly, on the car radio.  We were a strong Catholic family, but I remained a member of the JCC all through college, playing tournament handball.  Also the JCC was right across the street from Portland State College, so I always had a parking place, due to the tiny Star of David decal on my window.  kdog is right though, nobody said schlonged.

    Parent
    I consider myself... (none / 0) (#66)
    by kdog on Wed Dec 23, 2015 at 09:16:11 AM EST
    somewhat of an expert on off-color NY slang...nobody says "schlonged".  "Schlong" is in the vocab, but not "schlonged".  We'd say "screwed", "f*cked", "reamed", "raped", or "d*cked".  

    Parent
    My theory (5.00 / 1) (#67)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Dec 23, 2015 at 09:21:32 AM EST
    I believe it was a reference to her losing to Obama do it was more a dog whistle about Obama.  You know...

    If I'm wrong about the I'm sure I will be corrected.

    Parent

    I think people choose the words they do (5.00 / 2) (#70)
    by Anne on Wed Dec 23, 2015 at 01:53:03 PM EST
    for a reason, and when I heard the word, and realized he was referring to her losing to Obama, my mind went to the same place yours did.

    I guess I'm at the point where, after so many words chosen because he knew they would inflame and offend, I no longer am willing to give Trump the benefit of the doubt.

    I've never taken kindly to people who think I am too stupid to know I am being rolled; he strikes me as exactly the kind of person who, even as he basks in the adulation of his supporters, has little but contempt for them for being so easily led down the garden path.

    Parent

    Donald is a media creature (none / 0) (#75)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Dec 23, 2015 at 04:12:59 PM EST
    IMO he says nothing by accident

    Parent
    He definitely has contempt for his fans (none / 0) (#88)
    by shoephone on Wed Dec 23, 2015 at 10:02:16 PM EST
    He's like the most filthy version possible of Lonesome Rhodes.

    Parent
    Just heard on teevee (none / 0) (#89)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Dec 24, 2015 at 08:47:39 AM EST
    That its Donald's plan to start talking about Hillary's "suspicious" relationships with her female aids.  Like Huma Abedin.

    This is interesting not just because of its obvious vile nature but because so far he has stayed away from gay baiting and has actually gotten some praise for that.

    Buckle up.  It's going to be a bumpy ride.

    Parent

    He is (none / 0) (#90)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu Dec 24, 2015 at 08:55:15 AM EST
    going to put sunshine on every conspiracy theory that has been out there for close to 25 years.

    Bumpy ride for sure.

    Parent

    Let him (none / 0) (#91)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Dec 24, 2015 at 08:59:51 AM EST
    For every ignorant red neck he inspires to get registered to vote for him there will be 10 republican women who will vote against him.

    Parent
    Probably (none / 0) (#92)
    by Ga6thDem on Thu Dec 24, 2015 at 09:03:45 AM EST
    more than just Republican women voting against him. Frankly I don't see him getting much past the talk radio crowd voters. However in the GOP primary talk radio voters seem to be enough to drive the train.

    Parent
    The ones who feel (5.00 / 1) (#93)
    by Zorba on Thu Dec 24, 2015 at 09:51:39 AM EST
    the most strongly, on both sides of the political spectrum, are the ones who tend to come out and vote in the Primaries.
    (This is assuming that they have a candidate to vote for who has fired up the base, for good or ill.)

    Parent
    Sure (none / 0) (#94)
    by CaptHowdy on Thu Dec 24, 2015 at 09:57:50 AM EST
    I meant the general election.  That talk IMO could very well win him the primary and lose him the general.

    Parent
    I'd vote for Bette Davis (none / 0) (#95)
    by Mr Natural on Thu Dec 24, 2015 at 11:51:36 AM EST


    Parent
    Well (none / 0) (#68)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed Dec 23, 2015 at 09:43:16 AM EST
    that is how I took it.

    Parent
    Hopefully The Donald will say something (none / 0) (#69)
    by fishcamp on Wed Dec 23, 2015 at 01:34:24 PM EST
    Even more rude, lewd, and crude than he already has, and get blown out of the race.  Quite frankly I thought the schlonged word would do it, but no, it just increased his ratings.  Of course if he does go away, that will leave a batch of loathsome hopefuls behind.  The torture never stops.

    Parent
    It really sort of scary (none / 0) (#73)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Dec 23, 2015 at 04:11:09 PM EST
    To ponder what might actually disqualify him.  At this point.

    Parent
    If he kicked a cripple to death (none / 0) (#76)
    by jondee on Wed Dec 23, 2015 at 04:41:08 PM EST
    on stage, the frat boys and angry gun nuts would probably cheer him on for having the guts to "tell it like is about entitlements".

    Parent
    His book (5.00 / 1) (#77)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Dec 23, 2015 at 04:51:42 PM EST
    Crippled America

    Try to imagine if, for example, Hillary or Obama had written a book with that title.

    Go ahead.  Try.

    Parent

    As Jim said about Obama.. (none / 0) (#80)
    by jondee on Wed Dec 23, 2015 at 05:12:13 PM EST
    and "Change" (not that he thought of it himself)

    Crippled America?! that means he thinks theres something wrong with America; which means he doesn't love America the way it is!

    Parent

    His freakin motto (none / 0) (#81)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Dec 23, 2015 at 05:15:39 PM EST
    Is MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN

    Doesn't that literally mean it's not currently great?

    Parent

    It sounds like Trump hates America (none / 0) (#82)
    by jondee on Wed Dec 23, 2015 at 05:30:39 PM EST
    and all it's once-proud values and traditions that our forefathers fought and died for.

    Has he ever made his birth certificate available for public scrutiny?

    Parent

    I'm not (none / 0) (#74)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed Dec 23, 2015 at 04:11:53 PM EST
    sure there is anything that would be too lewd or crude for his supporters. It seems the more lewd and crude he is the better they like him.

    Parent
    Yeah, as an old Nawth Pawt LI (5.00 / 1) (#72)
    by jondee on Wed Dec 23, 2015 at 03:52:31 PM EST
    and Rochester boy I've heard "schlong" a few times, but never "schlonged"..

    Parent
    I think it's becoming apparent that (none / 0) (#6)
    by Anne on Mon Dec 21, 2015 at 09:56:44 PM EST
    it's way more than a loose screw.  Way more.  Like narcissistic personality disorder more.

    Whatever Trump's mental situation is, this isn't about shedding the chains of political correctness, it's about the GOP answering the much larger question, which is this: "is Donald Trump the Republican Party?" Is he who they want to be?

    Has the GOP decided it wants to be the party of rank racism, sexism, misogyny?

    His opponents seem afraid to really challenge him; the media seems unable to avoid being steamrolled by him.  Lately, they just seem gobsmacked at his florid, kind of manic, verbal barrage.

    If people/the media really wanted to shut him down, they would just stop covering him, stop taking his calls and putting him on the air and in front of the cameras.  Just pretend like he's not there, because at this point, it doesn't matter whether the attention he's getting is the good kind or the bad kind - it just matters that people are paying attention to him.

    Funny... (5.00 / 2) (#39)
    by ScottW714 on Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 10:24:46 AM EST
    Has the GOP decided it wants to be the party of rank racism, sexism, misogyny?

    Yes, yes, and yes.  I don't think they like the in-your-face bit, but there is a reason Trump is popular and it ain't his foreign policy chops.

    Parent

    Yes, I've decided that it isn't so much (5.00 / 2) (#40)
    by Anne on Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 10:39:44 AM EST
    that they don't want to be that party, it's that they don't like Trump being so open about it - they'd much prefer the stealth route, where they disguise themselves as humans until they get what they want.

    Parent
    IMO there is a distinction to be made (5.00 / 1) (#42)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 10:45:21 AM EST
    Between the party and the voters.   The party most definitely does NOT want this.  They have gone to great lengths to only dog whistle what Donald is now screaming.  And they are terrified.  I watch Morning Joe a lot because I think, as obnoxious as they both are, there are probably a very good window into establishment republican thinking.
    He has been saying.  Over and over and over. That if Trump is the nominee it will split the party.  He say he knows many powerful republicans, he does, who say they will vote for Hilkary if Trump is the nominee.

    If Trump takes the nomination THAT is when it's really going to get interesting.  Apart from the abject terror of his finger on the button I actuall believe there are large numbers of republicans who are repelled by him.

    The real war coming is likely to not be between republicans and democrats but between republicans.  It's been coming since at least McCain and it's not going to be pretty.

    Parent

    The Party Clearly Wants Trump... (5.00 / 1) (#44)
    by ScottW714 on Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 11:13:29 AM EST
    ...the few 'rationale leaders' understanding what it will do to the party.  But the idea that the establishment doesn't back 'racism, sexism, misogyny' is not supported by past deeds in anyway.

    They might not like Trump, but they sure as hell support his policies, from walls, to nukes in the middle east, to squashing minority/female rights, to saving the rich from dastardly taxes, Donald isn't the great divisor of new ideas, he is simply not being as subtle about backing the exact same policies the right has been backing for years.

    Parent

    Of course (none / 0) (#46)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 11:51:19 AM EST
    Anne and I both said that.  What sets him apart is not what he apparently believes.  It that he SAYS IT.  Right out loud.

    THAT is not permitted and it is baaaaaaad for "the party"

    Parent

    The media (none / 0) (#7)
    by Ga6thDem on Mon Dec 21, 2015 at 10:01:20 PM EST
    kind of has to cover him as he's the GOP front runner. That also doesn't mean anybody else has to talk about him though.

    And you never know. A media blackout might be something that he could use to his advantage.

    Parent

    Agreed (none / 0) (#9)
    by Jeralyn on Mon Dec 21, 2015 at 10:04:00 PM EST
    And I try only to write about him when something big has happened. This was the lead headline when I first logged onto Google News tonight.

    Parent
    His opponents are more than afraid (none / 0) (#11)
    by shoephone on Mon Dec 21, 2015 at 10:20:30 PM EST
    to challenge him. They are probably terrified. After all, this is the guy who threatens to sue anyone who so much as looks at him the wrong way. Just like a mobster. Also, there's that stupid "11th Commandment" constriction placed on GOP candidates: not being allowed to talk smack about fellow Republicans.

    Parent
    This weekend (none / 0) (#10)
    by Ga6thDem on Mon Dec 21, 2015 at 10:06:36 PM EST
    I thought Christmas with family was going to be ruined because Sunday morning we get up and my stepfather looks at my husband and I and asks if we are voting for Trump. So we announced no. Then he announces that his deceased wife has some book on Hillary that he is going to read. Since she was a right winger I'm sure it's one of those Hillary killed Vince Foster tomes and unlikely to get him to vote for her.

    Then my mother starts going on about how disappointed she is that Ben Carson is fading. I said well, he couldn't answer the questions. My mother says it was because he was too nice. I just said nothing else after that.

    This must be an east coast term. (none / 0) (#12)
    by oculus on Mon Dec 21, 2015 at 10:37:40 PM EST


    Ah. Yiddish. (5.00 / 1) (#13)
    by oculus on Mon Dec 21, 2015 at 10:42:05 PM EST


    Parent
    yes, and (none / 0) (#18)
    by Jeralyn on Mon Dec 21, 2015 at 11:48:14 PM EST
    in my experience, it was used in a comedic sense, not a nasty one. Kind of like, "you got taken to the bank on that one." But as I said, I probably haven't even heard the word in 40 years.

    Parent
    It's more than a screw loose (none / 0) (#15)
    by Green26 on Mon Dec 21, 2015 at 11:38:51 PM EST
    He is a despicable and dangerous person. A ego beyond belief. Rude and obnoxious. Mean. Has totally screwed up the primary season especially for the Repubs. Is embarrassing the US. Is causing problems for the US internationally. I am shocked at the percentage of people who support him. I knew there were fringe people in the US and in the Repub and conservative side, but the percentage supporting Trump is surprising and shocks me.

    Maybe Republicans thought (none / 0) (#19)
    by Jeralyn on Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 12:00:42 AM EST
    he was a momentary fad that would blow over and better to let him flame out on his own. It may be too late for them now. If I were a Republican, I'd probably be angry that my party missed the early warning signs. They may still think there's some savior out there going to stop Trump.

    There's still a long way to go before the nomination. The problem for Republicans is that most of their viable candidates can'tt last that long, economically, and will drop out before he fizzles.  

    Other times I think the only person who can stop Trump is Trump by hoisting himself on his own pertard ("causing the bomb maker to be blown up with his own bomb"), or stepping too hard on his own schlong (if he has one.)

    Parent

    Agreed. Don't know what the Repubs (none / 0) (#20)
    by Green26 on Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 12:29:57 AM EST
    will or can do. Looks like their best hope is a floor fight at the convention. Was surprised they didn't go after him bigger early. Maybe they were afraid of his threat/bluff to go independent. Bush seems to be getting some play from going after Trump recently. Glad Bush is speaking up.

    Assume HIllary is still in drivers seat, but some poll numbers are a bit closer than I would have thought. She seems to have weathered the email storm, but I suppose there might be something out there to bite her.


    Parent

    Oh, he's got one, Jeralyn. (none / 0) (#22)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 12:53:43 AM EST
    He told us so and further, it's YUUUGE!!, the most fabulous one that America's ever seen. And I'm tellin' you, it's going to be wonderful, the best ever.

    And that's because we're trapped inside a Fellini film.

    Parent

    It's actually more like living (none / 0) (#85)
    by Mr Natural on Wed Dec 23, 2015 at 06:15:26 PM EST
    - in a John Waters film.  

    Donald's making his bones as the most disgusting man alive so he can run for Schlong-in-Chief of Mortville.

    Parent

    OH my god (none / 0) (#86)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Dec 23, 2015 at 06:18:58 PM EST
    You are totally right.  Before Iowa we will definitely see Donald armed and bouncing on a trampoline screaming "WHO WANTS TO DIE FOR FREEDOM!!!"

    Parent
    he was a momentary fad that would blow over (none / 0) (#24)
    by TrevorBolder on Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 06:28:18 AM EST
    As did I.
    It appears the visceral distaste for Republican politicians, and their promises, as compared to their policies, has formulated into a opposition force to establishment Republicans, and Trump has captured them.
    And Trump is not a conservative, not in any sense of the word. He has admittedly supported Democrats, and many Democratic policies.
    He has a high floor, and low ceiling, and in a race with 10 candidates, he is King of the Jungle, for now.

    Lol, I hear CBS bleeped out schlong on their telecasts.
    Grew up in Far Rockaway Queens, a large Jewish population at the time. Learned some Yiddish, and thoroughly enjoyed the times Mom hosted the Maj Jong games in the basement den, a smoke filled room of Maj Jong players with tons of snacks around.

    Parent

    Where have (none / 0) (#23)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 01:53:43 AM EST
    you been? Maybe it's because I live in the south but what Trump says is not something that surprises me. I have been hearing the exact same thing around here for years. My family has bought into GOP shopped conspiracy theories. My friend's husband 20 years ago was telling me we needed to get rid of all the blacks, Hispanics and Muslims in the country and this was before 9/11. I know educated people that have bought into the birther conspiracy about Obama. Trump is literally saying what the GOP base has been saying for a long, long time.

    Parent
    Maybe it is a southern thing (none / 0) (#26)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 07:44:41 AM EST
    But it's a fact we have been telling them this fir months.  I believe we agreed in the early spring that Donald was the one.   The crazy the crazies had been waiting for.  

    I agree with J that the only person who could stop Donald is Donald (and I don't mean DfromH) and that's not going to happen.   He is getting better by the day.  He knows exactly how far he can go.  He knows his audience.  He knows his opponents.  He has found all the right buttons and in every case will continue pushing them.

    The most interesting question at this point is what happens to Cruz.  Will he become roadkill or a partner.  I still lean toward the latter.

    Parent

    I actually do think Trump will (5.00 / 1) (#31)
    by Anne on Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 09:32:24 AM EST
    do himself in, it's just a question of whether it happens in time for someone else to get the nomination, or when it's too late for a do-over.

    The Secret Service must be losing its collective mind, because I have to think that all this craziness he's attracting and the actions we've already seen at rallies and appearances, are going to ratchet up as Trump's incendiary rhetoric ratchets up.  It worries me that it's going to take the form of something really bad, either an attempt on his life, or some sort of mass event that the perpetrator will directly attribute to Trump's rhetoric.

    I hope I'm wrong, but all I see is things getting more heated, more insane.

    I think that Trump may have had some sense of where the edge is, but each time he gets close to where he thinks that is, and the result is higher numbers and ineffective pushback, he is able to move it.  There will come a point where he gets so close that he tumbles off the edge, but it doesn't feel - yet - like that is going to happen anytime soon.

    As for Cruz...I haven't decided what his game plan is.  I'm inclined to think he believes he will inherit the mantle when Trump finally implodes, but I also think it's just as likely he'd be fine with positioning himself as VP.

    Parent

    I think you are totally right (5.00 / 1) (#32)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 09:40:17 AM EST
    About it getting worse.  The remarks about Hillary are an indication of what's coming.   Hillary is the most hated person in the country who is not Obama.   There will be no line.  If you read what reporters say about his rally's they say that when he starts talking about Hillary the reaction of the crowd is actually frightening.   And he is just getting started.  If itsTrump and Hillary we will see something the likes of which has never been seen before.  I think that's probably true no matter who the dem is.  It's one of the reasons I think it has to be Hillary.  It's going to take skills.  Skills honed over decades of brutal relentless attacks.  

    Parent
    I think that when she's through with him, ... (5.00 / 2) (#43)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 10:46:43 AM EST
    ... he'll know that he's been schlonged, big time.

    Parent
    If (none / 0) (#51)
    by TrevorBolder on Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 04:30:24 PM EST
    All of the also rans drop out before NH, Trump will not win NH,
    But I doubt the ego's of politicians will allow for that.
    Looking at NH numbers, Rubio, Christie, Kasich, Fiorina, totals combined pass Trump.

    There are just too many options, they need to consolidate behind 1 candidate.


    Parent

    True (none / 0) (#52)
    by FlJoe on Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 05:02:42 PM EST
    Trump has flatlined around 28% in NH but the other 72% is split relatively evenly, I thought Rubio was going to get some traction, but I haven't seen it yet, Christie might beat him and Cruz might even beat the both of them especially if Carson folds after Iowa. Rubio/Bush/Christie/Kasich are currently holding around 40% with none of them going anywhere any time soon.

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    There is (none / 0) (#56)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 06:42:19 PM EST
    a good chance Christie could knock out Rubio in NH. I can see Christie being able to pull out some wins ala McCain in 2000 that I cannot see Rubio being able to do.

    All that being said it's probably would not be enough to get Christie the nomination.

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    Knock out? (none / 0) (#57)
    by CoralGables on Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 06:59:13 PM EST
    as in beat him in NH, or as in knock him out of the race? Rubio isn't leaving anytime soon. He has too much cash and has invested next to nothing in Iowa or New Hampshire to care what the outcome is there.

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    Rubio (none / 0) (#58)
    by TrevorBolder on Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 07:12:08 PM EST
    Is counting on Nevada as his "win" state, for starters.

    If, after NH, there is only Trump, Cruz, Rubio and Christie, I doubt Trump can win.
    Then if someone can convince Rubio/Christie to close ranks, Trump should be locked out,

    And it would come down to Cruz - Establishment.

    Lot of if's there,
    And Trump , if he doesn't want to totally blow up the Republican Party would most likely back Cruz, and 6 months ago I would never have seen a path for Cruz

    Parent

    Rubio (none / 0) (#60)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 07:40:01 PM EST
    seems to have no base of support in the GOP outside of the elite.

    The last poll from Nevada has Rubio 31 points behind Trump. There are probably enough Republicans suffering from Dixie Influenza in Nevada that there's no way Rubio is going to win there. Trump the casino man is looking to walk away with NV right now.

    What state is Rubio going to win on Super Tuesday? The best he can hope to do in the southern states is 3rd after Trump and Cruz.

    You're ignoring the fact that the Trump/Carson/Cruz trifecta adds up to over 50% of the vote right now.

    Rubio and Christie together add up to about 15% of the voters. That's still half of what Trump is pulling down in numbers.  

    I see Rubio having zero chance right now unless the GOP just gives him the nomination blowing up the party at the convention.

    Cruz is not the establishment guy if you believe what the GOP is spilling to the newspapers. They hate him even more than they hate Trump it seems. I would love to see a Hillary Cruz match up though. It would be legendary. Cruz would be so crushed for wanting to blow up the country.

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    Well (none / 0) (#59)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 07:28:30 PM EST
    no, knock out permanently but do a lot of damage.

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    Christie (none / 0) (#61)
    by FlJoe on Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 07:58:41 PM EST
    may very well beat Rubio in NH, he is a very good retail politician well suited to the environment there. That won't work as well elsewhere down the road.

    My enthusiasm for Rubio's chances has waned over the last week. His silly no win slap fight over Immigration with Cruz was very counter productive, he seems to have gone relatively radio silent since. Then he made an epic mistake of not showing up for the budget vote, giving Christie and others a free shot at him.

    To my knowledge Rubio has cash, Christie does not. Christie understandably is going all in on NH hoping for a miracle, who knows it may work.

    Parent

    I at least (none / 0) (#62)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 08:17:31 PM EST
    see a constituency for Christie albeit a small one of so called moderate Republicans. I could see him winning some of the states McCain carried in 2000.

    As far as the cash thing goes, Christie could get a sugar daddy to flip from one of the other candidates and he would be flush. Christie however would be looking at a massacre on Super Tuesday much the same as Rubio would be.

    Rubio is just proving what everybody else thinks by his behavior recently and it's that he's not ready for prime time.

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    I see (none / 0) (#36)
    by Ga6thDem on Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 09:56:51 AM EST
    Cruz as partnering with Donald. Cruz brings along the Focus on the Family crowd which apparently Donald is a tad too much for them.

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    comment with name calling of (none / 0) (#17)
    by Jeralyn on Mon Dec 21, 2015 at 11:44:56 PM EST
    Trump deleted. Please refrain from potentially libelous comments.

    Who makes these kinds of comments? (none / 0) (#21)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 12:38:02 AM EST
    The frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination, that's who.

    And what's even scarier, Jeralyn, is this report from today's Los Angeles Times, which notes that an analysis of polling data by Morning Consult indicates that these polls may actually be underestimating the extent of Donald Trump's support among the GOP rank-and-file:

    "The firm conducted an experiment aimed at understanding why that happens and which polls are more accurate -- online surveys that have tended to show Trump with support of nearly four-in-10 GOP voters or the telephone surveys that have typically shown him with the backing of one-third or fewer.

    "Their results suggest that the higher figure probably provides the more accurate measure. Some significant number of Trump supporters, especially those with college educations, are 'less likely to say that they support him when they're talking to a live human' than when they are in the 'anonymous environment' of an online survey, said the firm's polling director, Kyle Dropp." (Emphasis is mine.)

    What this potentially means is that the Republican Party may be even further out to sea without mainsail, rudder and compass than we had heretofore realized.

    Aloha.

    Actually from the Washington tribune the 21st (none / 0) (#27)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 07:50:02 AM EST
    I posted it upthread

    Parent
    More (none / 0) (#25)
    by jbindc on Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 07:37:14 AM EST
    From your link

    More than a dozen times, Trump was interrupted by protesters, including one who called him a "bigot." Late in the rally, a woman began screaming at Trump.

    "Yes, darling? Yes?" Trump said to the woman, who was quickly escorted out. "Well, she doesn't sound very tough. That's a very weak voice. Go a little louder, we can't hear you, darling. Wow."
    He may indeed have screws loose (none / 0) (#29)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 08:24:13 AM EST
    But consider a few things.

    He has no advisors.

    He has no pollster.

    He as spent virtually no money.

    He is and has been crushing his opponents in every poll for months.

    IMO Donald has been dismissed as crazy for far to long.  He is not.  

    It is much more than spontaneity (none / 0) (#33)
    by christinep on Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 09:44:05 AM EST
    Trump, imo, is quite a planner.  The question tho: What is his plan? There still remains an unknown quality about potential plan for so-called strategic end-game.

    Meantime ... Kudos to both you and Ga6th for enduring the crazy local atmospheres you describe ....  I would give you the equivalent of medals for bravery (my blood pressure would have long ago gone through the roof of my head to parry with such atmospherics for so long.)

    Parent

    Didn't mean it to sound that way. (5.00 / 1) (#35)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 09:52:59 AM EST
    I my we are talking about family and friends.  It's not so bad really.  I have found stupid is generally pretty evenly distributed in the world.  Rural stupid takes a different form from urban stupid, it still just stupid.

    As far as end game, it's to win.  Not sure what's unclear about that.  He is far ahead in every state except Iowa as far as I know.  Far ahead.  I think that constitutes the end game.

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    Of course he does (none / 0) (#34)
    by ruffian on Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 09:47:56 AM EST
    It is the screw that holds in the filter from his brain to his mouth. He knows it is loose but he does not care. Why should he? He is too rich to care.

    My only question is why I should care if Ivanka denounces him? Who is she to me?

    Cruz is a Lot More Interesting, Smarter (none / 0) (#48)
    by RickyJim on Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 03:54:15 PM EST
    and calculating!  I enjoyed this analysis by novelist Richard North Patterson. A nice sample
    His path to the nomination runs through Iowa and the deep South -- through evangelicals, gun fanatics, nativists, climate deniers and social conservatives -- and every position he takes is laser focused on winning them over. And it's working -- Cruz has surged past Trump in Iowa and into second place in the latest national polls, and the growing consensus within the Clinton campaign is that Cruz will be the GOP nominee. Cruz, not Trump, is becoming the man to watch.

    And he bears watching. His holiday rhetoric is not that of a God-smacked extremist prone to verbal excess, but a cold-eyed cynic, a top-tier graduate of Princeton and Harvard who condescends to his target audience for his own narrow ends. For the construct which defines him is not a hard right-wing belief system, but something far more frightening: the barren psyche of a demagogue.
    Almost more troulbling (none / 0) (#49)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 04:13:44 PM EST
    IMO is his talk of killing journalists

    There is a video at that link (none / 0) (#50)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 04:23:21 PM EST
    Of him on Morning Joe that's quite interesting.  It includes a Putin discussion.

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    Am I remembering correctly (none / 0) (#53)
    by ruffian on Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 05:41:03 PM EST
    that the word 'schlong' came up in the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings, in context of a porno flick he tried to discuss with Anita Hill? I don't want to google it and get that search history or all my pop-up ads will be disgusting until I buy shoes or something.

    So it DOES have a precedent in modern politics!

    As I recall, it was the similar-sounding one (5.00 / 1) (#54)
    by shoephone on Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 05:51:25 PM EST
    ...I'm not even going to get into it here because that whole episode still repulses me. But I'll bet you can find it if you google.

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    Nope (none / 0) (#55)
    by CaptHowdy on Tue Dec 22, 2015 at 06:02:10 PM EST
    Close.  No cigar.  Btw I have that video.  The funny thing is, it's fake.  Not the real thing.  Similar to Clarence.   Not a real Justice.  Easily googleable.  

    Parent
    yes, see my update about (none / 0) (#64)
    by Jeralyn on Wed Dec 23, 2015 at 02:09:13 AM EST
    him using the word in 2011 to describe a two women House race

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    I am watching ANOTHER (none / 0) (#79)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Dec 23, 2015 at 04:58:42 PM EST
    Pundit conversation about "what happens in X state if Donald Trump collapses"

    It's beginning to remind me of a show I once saw on the History Channel (I think) called "if there was no moon"

    Why (none / 0) (#83)
    by Ga6thDem on Wed Dec 23, 2015 at 05:51:17 PM EST
    are they even prognosticating about that? It seem obvious that Cruz is the one that is going to pick up his voters. At least to me it seems that way.

    Parent
    Absolutely what would happen (5.00 / 2) (#84)
    by CaptHowdy on Wed Dec 23, 2015 at 06:10:29 PM EST
    If there was no moon

    Parent
    Does Donald Trump Have a Screw Loose? | 92 comments (92 topical)

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