Trump was never going to run for president. This was a con from the beginning, a play for attention by a huckster who lives on publicity. The cornerstone of this charlatan's PR strategy is pretending to be much richer than he is, and it's fanciful to think that he would ever submit to the financial disclosures associated with a presidential candidacy. His "campaign," a xenophobic mix of economic illiteracy and conspiracy theorizing, was an insulting parody of conservatism by a rent-seeking thug to whom the philosophical underpinnings of limited government are completely foreign.
If we must give Donald Trump the attention he craves, it should be served with a heavy helping of the contempt he deserves.
Editor's Note: As of February 29, 2024, commenting privileges on reason.com
posts are limited to Reason Plus subscribers. Past commenters are grandfathered in for a temporary
period.
Subscribe
here to preserve your ability to comment. Your
Reason Plus subscription also gives you an ad-free version of reason.com, along with full access to the
digital
edition and archives of Reason magazine. We request that comments be civil and on-topic. We do
not moderate or assume any responsibility for comments, which are owned by the readers who post them. Comments
do not represent the views of reason.com or Reason Foundation. We reserve the right to delete any comment and
ban commenters for any reason at any time. Comments may only be edited within 5 minutes of posting. Report abuses.
Trump was a false flag but for a different reason. His function was to allow Obama to release that ridiculously fake birth certificate. Now that can't be used against him in the campaign. With the killing of bin laden days later, which of course was planned well in advance, it quickly fell out of the news cycle and the job was done.
On Free Republic and Townhall, there was a shitload of love by a huge chunk of the posters for Trump 2012. I don't think it was a given fact that he wasn't running, until now.
His "campaign," a xenophobic mix of economic illiteracy and conspiracy theorizing, was an insulting parody of conservatism by a rent-seeking thug to whom the philosophical underpinnings of limited government are completely foreign
Yeah, good thing he's gone. If there's one thing we don't need, it's a narcissistic, fame-seeking idiot with a history of wasting other people's money as President.
I never thought for a second that Trump would run. The whole thing was just a way to increase viewership for his shitty TV show.
That said, the smaller the GOP field, the better it gets for us. Ron Paul is in, as is Gary Johnson. If the rest of the GOP establishment defers to Mittens, he's going to have to debate and campaign against a pair of libertarian-leaning guys that demand smaller government, increased accountability and increased individual liberty...areas where Romney is rather weak in standing with the majority of Americans (even large segments of Team Red). Either way, it gives us a place on the main stage regardless of what the MSM and GOP heavyweights say.
Yeah, the whole thing seemed like a set-up to me, too. I doubt any of the other potential GOP candidates really thought he was going to run, either.
Since Romney and Newt seem to be self-destructing at the moment, I see the field as wide open. Gary Johnson can't seem to get any attention, but Paul might finally be in a position to be taken seriously. All that stuff he was saying (not very well) in 2008 sounds pretty prescient now, doesn't it?
Among the conservatives, Herman Cain seems to be the one to watch.
If Romney or Newt get the nomination, the GOP might as well close up shop.
this is not really news...devereax tackled this about a month ago....he has an unusual twist on what Trump was doing... http://devereauxdailydose.blog.....obama.html
I'd probably vote for Romney, just to piss off my wife. Not like it would make much practical difference for the future of the country. The fiscal crash would be the same either way.
It would also be more enjoyable to make fun of Romney.
Holy shit this is the first time in print I've seen Trump called out as not rich.
And it's 100% fucking true.
Trump would have NEVER submitted to external scrutiny of his wealth. Are you kidding? The house of cards would have come down.
My uncle's old home (since leveled from hurricans) is cattycorner to his former palace in Palm Beach. He got less than half of what he put into it. The man lives in credit just like the US government: he's fucking BROKE. Nobody does the Apprentice because they want to, he had to do it for money! Something has to feed the machine of multiple ex wives and half a dozen children.
He isn't a real developer anymore, he just licenses his name out for a fee. Like a washed up athlete in his 50's.
Bring on the conspiracy theories!
Donald Trump was a false flag operation by the Democrats, trying to discredit the GOP.
Nah. He played a willing media for suckers. They deserve each other.
What leverage would Democrats have over him to have him ruin his standing with lefty celebrities?
Trump was a false flag but for a different reason. His function was to allow Obama to release that ridiculously fake birth certificate. Now that can't be used against him in the campaign. With the killing of bin laden days later, which of course was planned well in advance, it quickly fell out of the news cycle and the job was done.
Dammit - second.
Trump was never going to run for president.
On Free Republic and Townhall, there was a shitload of love by a huge chunk of the posters for Trump 2012. I don't think it was a given fact that he wasn't running, until now.
Freepers are pretty stupid. They think Sarah Palin is the frontrunner. Its not surprising Trump fooled them.
I agree, but there are some liberterians on that site, so I won't say EVERY Freeper is stupid.
It's like the crowds at WWF events. One week, a certain guy is a bad guy and they all boo him. The next, he's the hero and they all cheer him.
You know who else said he wouldn't run for president.
I don't know. Who?
I want to make an Internet Hitler video where he's ranting about Trump running for prez.
On a sidenote, the scene for those parodies is from Downfall. That movie is well worth watching. Bruno Ganz nailed it.
I don't know. I heard Hitler ran very subdued and nuanced meetings. Never once ranted about the Cowboys getting knocked out of the playoffs.
Ganz did the undoable: become Hitler. He deserved an Oscar for that, except that Oscars are worthless.
Calculon: I told you I want an Oscar.
Bender: Then maybe you should act better.
Calculon: The Oscar isn't about acting. It's about earning the respect and admiration of the creative community.
Zoid: How 'bout we rig the awards?
Calculon: That's fine too.
Yeah I actually rented it some years ago from a Blockbuster which is no longer there. Good movie.
Are you trying to suggest Hitler was somehow involved in the disappearance of your Blockbuster store?
I'm not "suggesting" anything...I know that fucker was involved. I'm going to track him down and pop him (ATHF reference).
Master Shake: So you see, not every Jew is evil, right?
Frylock: Shake, that's not the message here.
Frylock: Tell me again how this dumbass plan of yours is supposed to work?
Shake: That's the beauty of it...it won't.
"I'm just saying...we get people off drugs! We don't kill Jews!"
I'm glad to see this. He made for an entertaining foil, but a lousy candidate.
Oh, he was being a Republican candidate, wasn't he?
What was shaping up to be a potentially entertaining primary race is certainly getting less entertaining by the day.
Ross Douthat nailed it a while ago: everything is coming up Romney.
Romney is my guess for the GOP.
His "campaign," a xenophobic mix of economic illiteracy and conspiracy theorizing, was an insulting parody of conservatism by a rent-seeking thug to whom the philosophical underpinnings of limited government are completely foreign
Rectal wanted to vote for Trump, because she thought he'd let her hump his hairpiece to death after he won.
She just likes it because it matches her custom merkin.
And the chinstrap doubles as a handle.
Can a hairpiece consent to being sodomized by a mongoloid?
It wasn't unresponsive. Does that count?
Oh, great. Why didn't you two just send her an engraved invitation to fuck up another thread?
Hmm, they don't need me; they can do it all by themselves
Don't sweat the small stuff. Trump may be out of it, but his Libertarian Party counterpart may still jump in: Wayne Allyn Root for Prez!
Anyone remember when Warren Beatty was running for President? Same thing. Moving on...
an insulting parody of conservatism
If only this were true.
Yeah, good thing he's gone. If there's one thing we don't need, it's a narcissistic, fame-seeking idiot with a history of wasting other people's money as President.
You meant another narcissistic, fame-seeking idiot with a history of wasting other people's money as President, right?
:facepalm:
I never thought for a second that Trump would run. The whole thing was just a way to increase viewership for his shitty TV show.
That said, the smaller the GOP field, the better it gets for us. Ron Paul is in, as is Gary Johnson. If the rest of the GOP establishment defers to Mittens, he's going to have to debate and campaign against a pair of libertarian-leaning guys that demand smaller government, increased accountability and increased individual liberty...areas where Romney is rather weak in standing with the majority of Americans (even large segments of Team Red). Either way, it gives us a place on the main stage regardless of what the MSM and GOP heavyweights say.
the smaller the GOP field, the better?
Hell, they don't have a candidate who has a chance yet
Yeah, the whole thing seemed like a set-up to me, too. I doubt any of the other potential GOP candidates really thought he was going to run, either.
Since Romney and Newt seem to be self-destructing at the moment, I see the field as wide open. Gary Johnson can't seem to get any attention, but Paul might finally be in a position to be taken seriously. All that stuff he was saying (not very well) in 2008 sounds pretty prescient now, doesn't it?
Among the conservatives, Herman Cain seems to be the one to watch.
If Romney or Newt get the nomination, the GOP might as well close up shop.
this is not really news...devereax tackled this about a month ago....he has an unusual twist on what Trump was doing... http://devereauxdailydose.blog.....obama.html
http://rctlfy.wordpress.com/20.....rump-race/
http://rctlfy.wordpress.com/20.....onald-has/
Who would you vote for if your only choices were Romney or Obama, and you had to vote?
Go!
I'd probably vote for Romney, just to piss off my wife. Not like it would make much practical difference for the future of the country. The fiscal crash would be the same either way.
It would also be more enjoyable to make fun of Romney.
Thank you, Jesse Walker.
[i]The cornerstone of this charlatan's PR strategy is pretending to be much richer than he is...[/i]
Tags..!
Holy shit this is the first time in print I've seen Trump called out as not rich.
And it's 100% fucking true.
Trump would have NEVER submitted to external scrutiny of his wealth. Are you kidding? The house of cards would have come down.
My uncle's old home (since leveled from hurricans) is cattycorner to his former palace in Palm Beach. He got less than half of what he put into it. The man lives in credit just like the US government: he's fucking BROKE. Nobody does the Apprentice because they want to, he had to do it for money! Something has to feed the machine of multiple ex wives and half a dozen children.
He isn't a real developer anymore, he just licenses his name out for a fee. Like a washed up athlete in his 50's.