a clown car full of millionaires: the 2016 presidential primary thread

Statement from Donald J. Trump:

I don’t see how there is any room for misunderstanding or misinterpretation of the statement I made on June 16th during my Presidential announcement speech. Here is what I said, and yet this statement is deliberately distorted by the media:

“When Mexico (meaning the Mexican Government) sends its people, they’re not sending their best. They’re not sending you (pointing to the audience). They’re not sending you (pointing again). They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems to us. They’re bringing drugs.They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people! But I speak to border guards and they tell us what we’re getting. And it only makes common sense. They’re sending us not the right people. It’s coming from more than Mexico. It’s coming from all over South and Latin America, and it’s coming probably from the Middle East. But we don’t know. Because we have no protection and we have no competence, we don’t know what’s happening. And it’s got to stop and it’s got to stop fast.”

What can be simpler or more accurately stated? The Mexican Government is forcing their most unwanted people into the United States. They are, in many cases, criminals, drug dealers, rapists, etc. This was evident just this week when, as an example, a young woman in San Francisco was viciously killed by a 5 time deported Mexican with a long criminal record, who was forced back into the United States because they didn’t want him in Mexico. This is merely one of thousands of similar incidents throughout the United States. In other words, the worst elements in Mexico are being pushed into the United States by the Mexican
government. The largest suppliers of heroin, cocaine and other illicit drugs are Mexican cartels that arrange to have Mexican immigrants trying to cross the borders and smuggle in the drugs. The Border Patrol knows this. Likewise, tremendous infectious disease is pouring across the border. The United States has become a dumping ground for Mexico and, in fact, for many other parts of the world. On the other hand, many fabulous people come in from Mexico and our country is better for it. But these people are here legally, and are severely hurt by those coming in illegally. I am proud to say that I know many hard working Mexicans—many of them are working for and with me…and, just like our country, my organization is better for it.

The Mexican Government wants an open border as long as it’s a ONE WAY open border into the United States. Not only are they killing us at the border, but they are killing us on trade … and the country of Mexico is making billions of dollars in doing so.

I have great respect for Mexico and love their people and their peoples’ great spirit. The problem is, however, that their leaders are far smarter, more cunning, and better negotiators than ours. To the citizens of the United States, who I will represent far better than anyone else as President, the Mexican government is not our friend…and why should they be when the relationship is totally one sided in their favor on both illegal immigration and trade. I have pointed this out during my speeches and it is something Mexico doesn’t want me to say. In actuality, it was only after my significant rise in the polls that Univision, previously my friend, went ballistic. I believe that my examples of bad trade deals for the United States was of even more concern to the Mexican government than my talk of border security.

I have lost a lot during this Presidential run defending the people of the United States. I have always heard that it is very hard for a successful person to run for President. Macy’s, NBC, Serta and NASCAR have all taken the weak and very sad position of being politically correct even though they are wrong in terms of what is good for our country. Univision, because 70% of their business comes from Mexico, in my opinion, is being dictated to by the Mexican Government. The last thing Mexico wants is Donald Trump as President in that I will make great trade deals for the United States and will have an impenetrable border--only legally approved people will come through easily.

Interestingly, Univision has just announced they are attempting to go public despite very poor and even negative earnings, which is not a good situation for a successful IPO or high stock price—not to mention that I am currently suing them for breach of contract. Remember, Univision is the one who began this charade in the first place, and they are owned by one of Hillary Clinton’s biggest backers. After the speech was made, there were numerous compliments and indeed, many rave “reviews”—there was very little criticism. It wasn’t until a week after my announcement that people started to totally distort these very easy to understand words. If there was something stated incorrectly, it would have been brought up immediately and with great enthusiasm.

The issues I have addressed, and continue to address, are vital steps to Make America Great Again! Additionally, I would be the best jobs President that God ever created. Let’s get to work!

totally delusional

Univision started it! It's really about bad trade deals! One of thousands of similar incidents!

the Mexican government is not our friend…and why should they be when the relationship is totally one sided in their favor on both illegal immigration and trade.

That... sounds like a pretty good reason for them to be?

the Mexican Government playing even more dimensions of chess than usual here

it would be nice to get a full list of our friends and enemies from donald trump

http://www.thecommonsenseshow.com/siteupload/2013/06/joe-mccarthy.png

They’re sending us not the right people. It’s coming from more than Mexico.

Palin-level syntax there.

their leaders are far smarter, more cunning, and better negotiators than ours.

I look forward to Trump's plan to dump all of our drug-dealing murderous rapists in Mexico. can't believe no American leader has thought of this before!

predictably, obama caved at the 2011 murderer trade summit, conceded everything to the Mexican Government --- never again!!

I look forward to Trump's plan to dump all of our drug-dealing murderous rapists in Mexico. can't believe no American leader has thought of this before!

sam peckinpah had this idea decades ago and NOBODY LISTENED

you tell em, bernie

http://www.thenation.com/article/bernie-sanders-speaks/

good stuff.

I would love it if journalists would ask each candidate two questions:

1) Describe, in as much detail as possible, your strategy for winning your party's nomination for President.
2) Describe, in as much detail as possible, how you plan to get legislation through Congress if you are elected.

If you don't have a realistic, real-world answer to either/both of those, you're not worth paying attention to.

there's no real way anyone can accurately predict the latter, given that the make-up of congress is variable

And explaining your strategy for the campaign upfront would mean that your opponents know exactly what you're planning on doing...

"well, first I would demonize Mexican immigrants"

"the trick is to appease the base using exaggerations and outright lies during the primary, and then move toward the center during the general elec- SHIT! all of that was off the record"

"my strategy is to say whatever the majority of the American people want to hear"

2) Describe, in as much detail as possible, how you plan to get legislation through Congress if you are elected.

"Firing squad."

you're basically asking for more spin.

"realistic, real-world answers" get you shitfucker Survivor Politicians. Which again is why this is all deck chairs on the Titanic.

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/140227202405-rick-perry-story-top.jpg

"By secession!"

I guess ultimately my real problem is that the presidency is the shiny object everyone focuses on, but it doesn't seem to be in any way the real center of power in the US government. If you really want to change things, you want to either be the Speaker of the House or the Senate Majority Leader. But everybody runs for president like somehow they're going to overcome the system.

but you get a lovely book deal and Secret Service detail for life

you want to either be the Speaker of the House or the Senate Majority Leader.

hmm no this is not really accurate. the President has a much freer hand than either of those - the Imperial Presidency is a thing, executive power has expanded massively since the 20th century and there are all sorts of things a President can (and does) do without Congress.

POTUS is much more boring now that they all have the same paymasters. Frankly, only a GOP administration gets Dems out in the street yelling (until Occupy at least).

top man obv wants all Sanders talk to cease and desist, overlooking that the only answer he'd get from HRC on his first question is "by listening to everyday Americans."

as president you can do whatever you want in foreign policy; the Constitution is magical that way.

there's no real way anyone can accurately predict the latter, given that the make-up of congress is variable

― Οὖτις, Tuesday, July 7, 2015 1:27 PM (38 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yeah this just seems like a recipe for dumb boilerplate answers "i will work hard with both parties blah blah blah"

congresspeople -- even the leadership i believe -- spend like 70% of their time on the phone begging for money. it's a sales job! everybody hates those. get in the cabinet and at least you can order people around.

tbh I'd fight like hell to be vice president

Honestly, Clinton's contempt for people who ask her questions is one of the things I admire most about her. I think if she were to actually spit in a Washington journalist's face, she'd win the presidency in a landslide, with like 90% voter turnout.

why do you admire that? isn't it part of her job to be as transparent as possible (he asked naively)?

xps

the presidency is the shiny object everyone focuses on, but it doesn't seem to be in any way the real center of power in the US government.

To the extent a single "real" center of power exists in the US government, it is the presidency. But in reality, power is gathered into several clusters, each with its own center. The authors of the Constitution thought Congress would be the biggest power among the three branches, but it hasn't exactly turned out that way in practice.

Clinton's contempt for people who ask her questions is one of the things I admire most about her

I keep my admiration on this front to Barry Bonds.

To the extent a single "real" center of power exists in the US government

http://d329y26hx05pom.cloudfront.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/nedbeatty.jpg

barry bonds would get my vote, for sure

Ohh, I want to play!

To the extent a single "real" center of power exists in the US government
http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/internet-world-wide-web-spider.jpg

why do you admire that? isn't it part of her job to be as transparent as possible (he asked naively)?

― wizzz! (amateurist),

99.999 of those questions are silly "process"-type questions.

https://twitter.com/CapehartJ/status/618531514100391936

"I'm rubber, you're glue
whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you
because you're racist"

pretty sure it's a thing with journalists to hang on to & post their personalized hate mail from trump, gotta be hundreds by now.

i don't understand what happened there. was that signed by trump?

yes

that signature looks more like "DashBunnnnngh"

trummmmmmmmmp

the donald is probably sad he can't write his name dollar $igns

maybe he can move to britain?: Dona£d Trump

i hear that someone named "Jim Gilmore," who exists, is running for president as a republican

"I'm rubber, you're glue
whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you
because you're racist"

Downside: read that note. Upside: have Daphne and Celeste stuck in my head.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/09/us/politics/a-political-lifer-scott-walker-has-long-been-his-own-strategist.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=second-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0

Just as it is considered unwise for a lawyer to represent himself in court, though, Mr. Walker’s self-reliance on political strategy could prove problematic.

His penchant for veering off into the arcana and mechanics of politics can divert him from his message, unintentionally raise expectations and, more significantly, reinforce an impression his opponents are hoping will take hold: that he is a political lifer with a shallow grasp of policy who lacks the gravitas the presidency demands.

fingers crossed