What if Trump doesn't intend to win?

I think he's the lead icebreaker for Jeb.

Hillary will be fine by doing her own damage to herself.

She needs no help.

a reply to: notmyrealname

My theory is that Donald Trump is entering the race and making brash (some would say foolish) statements, which get media attention. We all know that media attention given in one direction sometimes is used to misdirect attention from other issues (such as Hillary’s current problems). Let’s see how many times Trump says something outrageous while Hillary is speaking to congress or some other problem with the DNC is happening….

After all, The Donald IS a businessman

He certainly isn't taking his presidential run seriously, that's for sure. I'm sure Trump is smart enough to know he's not going to get the GOP nomination, and he won't win running third party. Not sure about whether his crazed statements are to serve as a distraction from Hillary Clinton's 'problems' as you think. I believe he's just there to embarrass the GOP and push them further to fringe right, too far for any potential appeal to independents. Trump is doing a great job of this. I think the pay off for him is the media attention he receives which equals more $$$ for future ventures.

It's also amusing watching many of Trumps supporters (both closeted and out) insist he's the real deal. He couldn't care less for the average middle and working class american.

a reply to: xuenchen

I think of him as more of a claymore than an icebreaker

originally posted by: khnum
a reply to: xuenchen

I think of him as more of a claymore than an icebreaker

good one.

originally posted by: khnum
a reply to: xuenchen

I think of him as more of a claymore than an icebreaker

Shhhh! They're not supposed to know!

a reply to: Southern Guardian
I agree. I am hypothesizing as to why he is running as a main focus. Worst case it is nice to see a few DC blowhards get spanked as well as have some of the status quo media pundit a$$hats get slapped with impunity. That alone, to me, is worth having him run in the mix.

Split the right wing vote by running as Independent; he's already threatened to.

This ensures Democratic (Hillary Clinton) victory.

If it happens, it'll be rather black and white.

Then he would split the vote and cause the Democrats to win yet another election.

a reply to: r0xor

You've got it Rockey!

a reply to: notmyrealname

Said this last week. Trump, like Romney, really doesn't want the presidency. Romney almost won and that wasn't the way it was supposed to go. He looked relieved when he knew he had lost. He was there to ruin Paul's chance and any other Republican contender.

Trump is overshadowing any Republican at the present moment. Once the debates come along and then the convention, he'll run independent and spoil any Republican's chance by splitting the vote. Hillary will be POTUS and Col. Sanders will be VP.

originally posted by: Bilk22
a reply to: notmyrealname

Said this last week. Trump, like Romney, really doesn't want the presidency. Romney almost won and that wasn't the way it was supposed to go. He looked relieved when he knew he had lost. He was there to ruin Paul's chance and any other Republican contender.

Trump is overshadowing any Republican at the present moment. Once the debates come along and then the convention, he'll run independent and spoil any Republican's chance by splitting the vote. Hillary will be POTUS and Col. Sanders will be VP.

Ross Perot, just saying, it looks to be the exact same scenario.

originally posted by: Bilk22
Hillary will be POTUS and Col. Sanders will be VP.

@ johnwick, agreed. Very valid comparison.

Ross Perot had a heavy southern draw and wasn't the smartest or best well spoken guy. But Trump on the otherhand..

a reply to: johnwick
Yep, he won't get the Republican nomination, run as an independent and then whammo, he will duck out to protect his daughter that was threatened.

I think that is giving him to much credit. More than anything Trump is a narcissist. As we found out in his financial disclosures he was not making any money off the apprentice and all those books he wrote 90% of them he made less than $200 in royalties on. He loves to put his name on everything and then when it fails or turns out is ripping people off (Trump University) he claims to have nothing to with it. All vanity projects. This Presidential run is for the same reason he keeps writing books that make no money. Pure vanity. He does not care about being President, he does not care about America, he does not care about how bad this has been for his business. All he cares about is that people are paying attention to him and it does not matter if the vast majority are only doing so because they hate him. For Trump this race is all about vanity, nothing more.

a reply to: ManBehindTheMask

Even if Trump was like Reagan he would be most unwelcome in today's Republican Party. The fact that Reagan was willing to cut deals with democratic members of congress would see him labelled a RINO. Nixon and Ford would be considered to Liberal for the GOP.

Whatever Trump's motivations are his intent isn't to win the presidential election. He may well be a plant from the Hillary Clinton Camp. By taking out Jeb Bush, Clinton wouldn't face any creditable come the main event. Trump could also mimic Ross Pero in 1992 and run as an interdependent. In either case Hillary would sail into the White House rather then jog.

originally posted by: notmyrealname
As a matter of fact Trump has donated most of his political donations to Democrats over the years

I agree with you that his run isn't REALLY serious. I do think he has a secret hope that the people will just want him so much that he may decide to make it more serious, but when that doesn't happen, he'll concede. His bombastic rhetoric is rooted in insecurity. Only the most insecure boast about their accomplishments and worth as this man does.

He really has no idea who he is or what he believes in...

Americans can change their political orientation over time—Ronald Reagan did it—but you’d be hard-pressed to find a Republican who during the last 28 years has variously listed his voter registration as Republican, Independence Party, Democrat, Republican again, and (as recently as 2012) registered himself in New York as “decline to state.” In the midst of that orgy of fickleness, Trump ran briefly for president—as a Reform Party candidate.

Having said that, he has donated fairly equally to republicans and democrats over the years, so it's difficult to say where his loyalties lie. My guess is wherever will bring him personal success at the moment.

Trump gave over $100,000 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, and to its Democratic counterpart over in the House. All during this time, he gave to Republicans, too—just not as much. According to F.E.C. records, Trump donated $1.3 million between 1989 and 2011, 54 percent of it going to Democrats. Since 2012, however, federal records show that Trump has given $463,450 to Republicans and only $3,500 to Democrats. Why the change in orientation? Trump himself is incoherent on this question, but a few theories spring to mind.

It's hard to tell why he does what he does. My guess would be simply for the attention. He feels his money will buy "love" from the people. I feel kinda sorry for the guy, but I sure do enjoy the spectacle that he provides...

Source

Oh come off it, Donald Trump believes first and foremost in Donald Trump. He's a bloviating narcissist who is sucking all the O2 out of the room, leaving the GOP to implode - if that isn't already happening. The GOP has been circling the plughole for years now and now they've entered their death spiral. It's, what, 17 candidates now? That's insane! And look that collection of delusional blowhards. Walker is genuinely dangerous. Perry's an idiot. Fiorina has the eyes of a reptilian. Santorum is a religious lunatic who belongs in the 1950's. Cruz and Rubio are both pandering gasbags. Huckabee is a religious lunatic to rival Santorum. Bush is in the back pocket of the Koch Brothers and so needs to be taken out and shot, but then he's already done that with his call to get rid of Medicare. Carson is a void and the others are a bunch of yapping no-hopers. The fact that Trump is ringing the bells of the base right now shows how far the GOP has fallen, courtesy of Faux News and vermin like Limbaugh.

Oh, now here's the worst case: Trump doesn't intend to win, but effs up and somehow does?

President Camacho ... with hair?

originally posted by: ketsuko
Oh, now here's the worst case: Trump doesn't intend to win, but effs up and somehow does?

President Camacho ... with hair?

I wouldn't worry too much, he'll burn out eventually. The GOP debates will be a fascinating debacle to watch. From a distance.

originally posted by: Ultralight
a reply to: ketsuko

Jeb will win. So enjoy the circus while it lasts. Times are a changing...

God. Please. Just. No.

Ditto X's Infinity for Hillary.

I like Trump, so far. If he has the ways and means to make America great again, to bring manufacturing back to the place where it all started, to get the gov't out of everyone's hair? Then more power to him and he's got my vote.

However, there's a part of me that thinks he isn't serious...It's not that he isn't a serious man, I just don't know if he's got the sticktuitivness to see this campaign through.