Throwing the election

[AprilBaby]

I'm beginning to believe Trump is trying to throw the election to Clinton. They have been long time friends. I'm wondering if he really had any plan to be president. He is not a stupid man. I think he says outrageous things to get people NOT to vote for him and get his friend elected.

 

[ruby59]

But Clinton did not have any real competition neither in her party nor in the Republican party. So why the need?

IMO, I believe Trump is just naturally imploding. I am surprised he was able to hold it together this long.

But if he does resign, what would happen next? Would there be enough time for another Republican to step in and run a viable campaign?

 

[Niel]

What an embarrassment for this country if that's true.

 

[AprilBaby]

But Clinton did not have any real competition neither in her party nor in the Republican party. So why the need?

IMO, I believe Trump is just naturally imploding. I am surprised he was able to hold it together this long.

But if he does resign, what would happen next? Would there be enough time for another Republican to step in and run a viable campaign?

Reports today say Paul Ryan would step up.

 

[redwood66]

Trump's more fringe, out on the edge of reality, supporters might take him out if they ever found out that was the case. There are some loons out there. You know, the ones that would care if he shot someone in the street.

 

[AGBF]

Why is it so hard to believe that the Trump the conservatives chose is the one they got? Why the need to construct a story placing the blame on the opposing party when he starts to show his true colors? Redwood is still planning to vote for him.

AGBF

 

[redwood66]

I didn't choose him Deb. How many times do I have to tell you that?

 

[Niel]

I didn't choose him Deb. How many times do I have to tell you that?

And?

 

[kenny]

I didn't choose him Deb. How many times do I have to tell you that?

You may not have voted for Trump in the primaries, but you've stated you are voting for him in Nov.
Unless someone is holding a gun against your head in the ballot booth voting is choosing.

Whom you vote for is 100% your beeswax and your right.
Just don't play word games.
You are choosing, and you are responsible for choosing Trump.

 

[AGBF]

I didn't choose him Deb. How many times do I have to tell you that?

I said the conservatives chose him . That was to expel the ludicrous notion that Hillary Clinton chose him. Then I said you were voting for him. And when you do, you will be choosing him, Red. Unless you repent, of course.

Deb

 

[AprilBaby]

I'm not blaming the Clintons. I'm blaming Trump. I honestly don't think he wants to be president.

 

[Gypsy]

He can't drop out and be colluding with the Dems. Why? Because Trump is the ONLY person Hillary can beat. If he drops out and the Republicans put up someone sane, that person WILL beat Hillary. She only has the moderates because Trump is a lunatic. If he is replaced with Ryan or any other serious candidate, out of he sheer relief, that person will get a flock of voters and Hillary is not loved within the Democrats either. Honestly best thing that would happen if Trump does drop out is if Hillary does too. Then we get two new candidates and hopefully a course correction. But I do NOT think Hillary can beat ANYONE else. Worst thing for her is for him to drop out.

 

[chrono]

This is who Trump is. I don't believe that he is trying to throw the election and it just so happens that Trump's views and comments are starting to bother people the longer the campaign goes on.

 

[ksinger]

He can't drop out and be colluding with the Dems. Why? Because Trump is the ONLY person Hillary can beat. If he drops out and the Republicans put up someone sane, that person WILL beat Hillary. She only has the moderates because Trump is a lunatic. If he is replaced with Ryan or any other serious candidate, out of he sheer relief, that person will get a flock of voters and Hillary is not loved within the Democrats either. Honestly best thing that would happen if Trump does drop out is if Hillary does too. Then we get two new candidates and hopefully a course correction. But I do NOT think Hillary can beat ANYONE else. Worst thing for her is for him to drop out.

The sticky point there is of course, the purported sanity of the replacement candidate. The Rs HAD "sane" candidates - like Rubio and Bush and Cruz (who I personally think is a totally scary religious nutter, but I digress) and no one could be bothered to vote for them. So, how badly did the purported majority of Rs really want sanity? Not very much, apparently.

And how would the Republicans "put up someone sane", or insane for that manner? The prospect of him backing out is truly something new in American politics and I'm not sure we can handle such a deviation from the mostly genteel script we've all become accustomed to. To my knowledge, there is no mechanism within the party itself - not in modern times - for the party leaders simply selecting someone and presenting him/her as a fait accompli at the last minute. And with all the goose-in-a-new-world hysterical frothing there has been about both parties' machinations and everything is so unfair!!!, I really don't think that the party trotting out a warm body is going to be the slam dunk you think it will. Doing so will peel off the Trump diehards AND the party-is-evil whiners. I think that level of obvious disarray would make many just throw up their hands and say "next time". I think a lot of them would still stay home.

For one thing, there really IS still a divide in the world view of the parties. The people who were going to vote for Hillary, even if they find her flawed, are doing not so much as a vote against Trump (that is if one is to believe all those here who have claimed in the past few months that they won't sully their purity with a vote for either, then there are quite a few who are simply staying home rather than jumping ship), but because of the genuine and glaring differences between the party visions of what America should be. A new Republican candidate is not going to result in some glorious epiphany that drives these voters to the Rs. There is no Republican that won't be bound by the party's platform. And no one the Rs can put forth is going to be that much different than Trump, just less crazy and crass. I mean, just look at how the Republican debates went - a childish insult-fest long on schoolyard taunts about dick lengths and really short on substance.

The demographics that are impacting the Republicans are not going to change either. The old whites are still dying off, the young ones are more inclined to the progressive side of things and likely will stay there at this point. And a last minute candidate no matter how supposedly sane, is not going to win the required number of brown people who have been paying attention to how the bulk of Republicans view them and who refuse to give legitimacy to their concerns.

It would certainly churn things up uncomfortably if Trump left, but I just don't think it would be as easy for the Rs as you do.

 

[Madam Bijoux]

I recently read a newspaper article that said his net worth would increase if he lost the election. Maybe that's why he's running. He might prefer not to win.

 

[soxfan]

He can't drop out and be colluding with the Dems. Why? Because Trump is the ONLY person Hillary can beat. If he drops out and the Republicans put up someone sane, that person WILL beat Hillary. She only has the moderates because Trump is a lunatic. If he is replaced with Ryan or any other serious candidate, out of he sheer relief, that person will get a flock of voters and Hillary is not loved within the Democrats either. Honestly best thing that would happen if Trump does drop out is if Hillary does too. Then we get two new candidates and hopefully a course correction. But I do NOT think Hillary can beat ANYONE else. Worst thing for her is for him to drop out.

Yes. This.

 

[momhappy]

Nothing would surprise me. I never would have predicted that Trump and Hillary would have even made it this far, so anything goes at this point.

 

[AnnaH]

There is, of course, a mechanism in place should Trump drop out. A group of delegates would choose another candidate. Trump would have to drop out soon in order for the new candidate's name to make the ballot. Not making the ballot could be a problem.
If Trump drops out, conventional wisdom says Clinton is toast, but who knows? This has been an unconventional political season.
The new choice would be an insider, which is not what many want. On the other hand, Clinton is so broadly disliked, she could lose to anyone, maybe even Trump.
I don't think he will quit. No such luck.

 

[Tekate]

But Clinton did not have any real competition neither in her party nor in the Republican party. So why the need?

IMO, I believe Trump is just naturally imploding. I am surprised he was able to hold it together this long.

But if he does resign, what would happen next? Would there be enough time for another Republican to step in and run a viable campaign?

Reports today say Paul Ryan would step up.

he won't win. he's tooo looney. he's establishment. the trump lovers would go nuts. I would suggest the tried and true republican Romney, he will bring out all the republicans and democrats in the middle right.

 

[Tekate]

ANYONE but Cruz, he's insane.. he's worse than Trump.. he's evil, his heart is stone, he's a religious zealot.. I'd take Rubio any day of the week.

He can't drop out and be colluding with the Dems. Why? Because Trump is the ONLY person Hillary can beat. If he drops out and the Republicans put up someone sane, that person WILL beat Hillary. She only has the moderates because Trump is a lunatic. If he is replaced with Ryan or any other serious candidate, out of he sheer relief, that person will get a flock of voters and Hillary is not loved within the Democrats either. Honestly best thing that would happen if Trump does drop out is if Hillary does too. Then we get two new candidates and hopefully a course correction. But I do NOT think Hillary can beat ANYONE else. Worst thing for her is for him to drop out.

The sticky point there is of course, the purported sanity of the replacement candidate. The Rs HAD "sane" candidates - like Rubio and Bush and Cruz (who I personally think is a totally scary religious nutter, but I digress) and no one could be bothered to vote for them. So, how badly did the purported majority of Rs really want sanity? Not very much, apparently.

 

[momhappy]

There is, of course, a mechanism in place should Trump drop out. A group of delegates would choose another candidate. Trump would have to drop out soon in order for the new candidate's name to make the ballot. Not making the ballot could be a problem.
If Trump drops out, conventional wisdom says Clinton is toast, but who knows? This has been an unconventional political season.
The new choice would be an insider, which is not what many want. On the other hand, Clinton is so broadly disliked, she could lose to anyone, maybe even Trump.
I don't think he will quit. No such luck.

I enjoyed reading your post, Anna and I agree with you. I'm hopeful that something unconventional will happen, but you're right, we probably won't be that lucky.

 

[wildcat03]

Why is it so hard to believe that the Trump the conservatives chose is the one they got? Why the need to construct a story placing the blame on the opposing party when he starts to show his true colors? Redwood is still planning to vote for him.

AGBF

Exactly. Trump was JUST AS CRAZY when he was one of multiple candidates.

 

[VRBeauty]

I'm sorry, AprilBaby, but the idea that the Trump candidacy is a conspiracy to get Clinton elected is just about the silliest thing I've heard in a long time. I do understand, however, how it might make more sense than either Trump the candidate and Trump the campaign. And I am ready to believe that 1) Trump never expected to get this far, and 2) having made it this far, he might be having second thoughts about whether he really wants to be President.

To me, the flaw in the conspiracy theory is that whoever came up with it would also have come up with the worst case "what might go wrong" scenario - which from their perspective would be either that Trump wins, or that the conspiracy is exposed, mortally wounding Clinton's prospects of ever running for office again. Either of those scenarios is plausible, and either would stop any implementation of such a plan dead in its tracks.

My fear was and still is that Trump will be able to "reign it in" and somehow show a more "presidential" side at some point in the next 99 days or so, thereby lulling some voters into once again believing that he is presidential material. I know recent events argue against this, but three months is a long time and the 24-hour news cycle seems to encourage short memories.

Party politics and platforms aside, the idea of someone who is so thin-skinned and ill-informed being in the Oval Office scares me. And it should scare Republicans as well... even if congressional GOP candidates do well in this year's general elections, they'll certainly face a bloodbath in the mid-terms after the country has had two years to see an unbridled President Trump in action.

 

[AprilBaby]

The conspiracy theory is all mine. I'm sitting out this election so far. I hate them equally.

 

[ruby59]

The conspiracy theory is all mine. I'm sitting out this election so far. I hate them equally.
__________________________________________

I have a feeling a lot of people feel the same way. Unless something changes, I am not going to vote either which would be the first time since I became of age.