Trump threatens to run as third party

[fredtoast]

http://www.vox.com/2016/2/16/11020370/donald-trump-3rd-party

Donald Trump commands a first-place lead in the polls and may have the clearest path to the Republican nomination of any candidate in the presidential race.

But his allegiance to the Republican Party remains as brittle as ever, and Trump proved it again on Monday when he resurfaced the idea that he would launch a third-party bid in retaliation to what he regards as unfair treatment by the GOP leadership.

In September 2015, Trump signed a pledge not to launch an independent bid for president if he lost the GOP primary. There was a catch: He added an exception to the pledge that made it invalid if the Republicans mistreated him — "a loophole so enormous it could mean anything Trump wants," as New York magazine's Jonathan Chait pointed out.

Trump affirmed his willingness to exploit that crater-size exception during a town hall in South Carolina on Monday, in which he criticized the GOP for allegedly packing the last Republican debate audience with Trump opponents.

"The RNC better get its act together because, you know, I signed a pledge. The pledge isn’t being honored by the RNC," Trump said, according to ABC News. "I signed a pledge, but it’s a double-edged pledge. As far as I’m concerned, they’re in default on their pledge."

It was the second time on Monday alone Trump had said he was unbound by his vow. Trump also said in a statement that the RNC would be "in default" of its pledge if it didn't stop the attack ads being aired against him by rival candidate Sen. Ted Cruz.

The Republican establishment is penned in here

It'll be no surprise that Trump's grandstanding here is, as a matter of substance, mostly nonsense.

The Republicans did have more party loyalists in the debate crowd than usual, and those party loyalists are more likely to dislike Trump. But here's the New York Times detailing the actual dispersion of tickets for the debate:

Of the approximately 1,600 people who attended, 300 tickets were given to Republican "grass-roots" activists and elected officials, 600 were divided evenly among the six candidates, and only 10 went to R.N.C. donors.

The remaining tickets … went to the South Carolina Republican Party and to CBS, which hosted the debate.

That hardly amounts to what the right-leaning news outlet Breitbart called a "stacked deck" against Trump. And Trump's call for the RNC to intervene over Cruz's attack ads is even less persuasive, as negative campaigning is pretty par for the course at this stage of the race.

Instead, these episodes really just serve as pretexts for Trump to remind the Republican Party that he is holding all of the cards at this point in the nomination fight.

If the GOP continues to let Trump plow ahead atop the polls, he'll win the nomination. If it uses every mechanism at its disposal to stop him — like breaking out obscure rules governing the party's convention — Trump can run as an independent. It's like a trick coin — heads, Trump wins; tails, the Republican Party loses.

Trump has the establishment penned in here. By firing a warning shot over so slight a transgression, he's reminding them of that fact.

[*bfine32*]

It is truely amazing. The DNC will do all they can to ensure one person gets the nomination and the RNC will do all they can to ensure one person doesn't.

[Belsnickel]

(02-16-2016, 06:50 PM)bfine32 Wrote: It is truely amazing. The DNC will do all they can to ensure one person gets the nomination and the RNC will do all they can to ensure one person doesn't.

Pretty much. A sad state of affairs, isn't it?

[*bfine32*]

(02-16-2016, 06:53 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: Pretty much. A sad state of affairs, isn't it?

I will say as a Conservative I have bounced around between candidates: I started with Jindal, then went to Cruz, no I am truly undecided due to some of his recent tactics. The 2 I would not consider are Trump and Carson. I cannot imagine being a liberal and choosing from my only 2 options. I ould have sworn someone else would have entered the race.

I think Perry or Paul would have been fairly moderate and liberals should have gotten behind Patacki.

[fredtoast]

(02-16-2016, 07:01 PM)bfine32 Wrote: I think Perry or Paul would have been fairly moderate and liberals should have gotten behind Patacki.

I always thought Kasich would emerge as an electable candidate for the Republicans.

Biden would have been the best alternate choice form Dems.

[Benton]

(02-16-2016, 07:01 PM)bfine32 Wrote: I will say as a Conservative I have bounced around between candidates: I started with Jindal, then went to Cruz, no I am truly undecided due to some of his recent tactics. The 2 I would not consider are Trump and Carson. I cannot imagine being a liberal and choosing from my only 2 options. I ould have sworn someone else would have entered the race.

I think Perry or Paul would have been fairly moderate and liberals should have gotten behind Patacki.

I get conservatives like to toss around the term liberal because of the perceived slight over Democrat. But in truth, you've got a liberal candidate and a Democrat running, not two liberals. And the one Democrat is about the same as half the conservatives. With Paul dropping out you don't even have a libertarian.

so really, it boils down to a liberal (sanders) and everyone else.

[StLucieBengal]

If sanders goes 3rd party then we potentially  relive the Woodrow Wilson 1912 election of he, Taft, TR, and debs the socialist.  

Would be an amazing race and very engaging.

[*wildcats forever*]

(02-16-2016, 10:37 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: If sanders goes 3rd party then we potentially  relive the Woodrow Wilson 1912 election of he, Taft, TR, and debs the socialist.  

Would be an amazing race and very engaging.

IF Sanders went third party it would give the GOP their best chance at taking the election. And I don't think Sanders would be happy setting up that scenario.

[StLucieBengal]

(02-16-2016, 10:44 PM)wildcats forever Wrote: IF Sanders went third party it would give the GOP their best chance at taking the election. And I don't think Sanders would be happy setting up that scenario.

He already is 3rd party.    Plus he is getting screwed by bs procedure.    He has the best case to go 3rd IMO

And the Dems are letting him poach their youth voters while they fix the election for Hillary.

[JustWinBaby]

I honestly question whether Trump has the mental fortitude to be POTUS. I can't figure out if all these "perceived" slights are an act or he's actually that childish.

Either his ability to know and connect with the mob is truly legendary, or he really does have some serious issues.

[*Nately120*]

(02-16-2016, 09:33 PM)Benton Wrote: I get conservatives like to toss around the term liberal because of the perceived slight over Democrat. But in truth, you've got a liberal candidate and a Democrat running, not two liberals. And the one Democrat is about the same as half the conservatives. With Paul dropping out you don't even have a libertarian.

so really, it boils down to a liberal (sanders) and everyone else.

Gary Johnson has more Libertarian in his pinky than Rand Paul has in his whole body!  I plan to toss my vote at him again...he's a political dreamboat.

(02-16-2016, 10:50 PM)JustWinBaby Wrote: I honestly question whether Trump has the mental fortitude to be POTUS.  I can't figure out if all these "perceived" slights are an act or he's actually that childish.

Either his ability to know and connect with the mob is truly legendary, or he really does have some serious issues.

I believe Trump's answer to questions of the "Are you really going to act like a maniac when you are president?" were met with an answer along the lines of "No, I'll tone it down but I need to act insane to get all this attention right now."  Of course I'm paraphrasing, but that seemed to be the way it sounded. 

[Vlad]

(02-16-2016, 07:09 PM)fredtoast Wrote: I always thought Kasich would emerge as an electable candidate for the Republicans.

Biden would have been the best alternate choice form Dems.

[GMDino]

(02-16-2016, 10:50 PM)JustWinBaby Wrote: I honestly question whether Trump has the mental fortitude to be POTUS.  I can't figure out if all these "perceived" slights are an act or he's actually that childish.

Either his ability to know and connect with the mob is truly legendary, or he really does have some serious issues.

He's a guy born on third who thinks he hit a triple.  I've used the analogy many times...but it fits.  I think he truly believes he can just go in and get his way and if he doesn't he'll do it anyway.

You know, the kind of stuff Obama has been accused of that the GOP hates.  

[Millhouse]

If Biden was running, Id vote for him over the the top 2 from each party right now.

[Rotobeast]

(02-16-2016, 11:29 PM)Vlad Wrote:

Excuse me, Sir......
I am from the Meme Police.
Any meme containing Mr. Biden and the word "awesome" is in clear violation, as it is immediately recognized as a blatant lie.
We have even revoked the oxymoron clause.
Please visit our site at USGov/MemePolice.gov , review our guidelines, and refrain from future infractions.
Thank you for your future cooperation.

[*Nately120*]

(02-16-2016, 11:39 PM)GMDino Wrote: He's a guy born on third who thinks he hit a triple.  I've used the analogy many times...but it fits.  I think he truly believes he can just go in and get his way and if he doesn't he'll do it anyway.

You know, the kind of stuff Obama has been accused of that the GOP hates.  

I don't think Donald Trump is actually stupid enough to believe that if he were born Tyrone Jenkins on the south-side of Chicago to a broke family that he'd still be a zillionaire today...but I have a feeling Trumps followers believe that.

[*wildcats forever*]

(02-16-2016, 10:45 PM)StLucieBengal Wrote: He already is 3rd party.    Plus he is getting screwed by bs procedure.    He has the best case to go 3rd IMO

And the Dems are letting him poach their youth voters while they fix the election for Hillary.

All Bernie accomplishes by going 3rd party is splitting the vote with HRC with neither getting the majority vote. Plus the possibility of no candidate of getting the required electoral, sending the selection responsibility to Congress. I can see how those 'leaning right' would prefer such a scenario.

[GMDino]

(02-17-2016, 12:43 AM)Nately120 Wrote: I don't think Donald Trump is actually stupid enough to believe that if he were born Tyrone Jenkins on the south-side of Chicago to a broke family that he'd still be a zillionaire today...but I have a feeling Trumps followers believe that.

I disagree.  Its like Elvis and Michael Jackson and any other person who reaches the dizzying heights and is surrounded by people telling them they are always right and how great they are...eventually they believe it was always that way and will never change.

[StLucieBengal]

(02-17-2016, 09:57 AM)wildcats forever Wrote: All Bernie accomplishes by going 3rd party is splitting the vote with HRC with neither getting the majority vote. Plus the possibility of no candidate of getting the required electoral, sending the selection responsibility to Congress. I can see how those 'leaning right' would prefer such a scenario.

To a Bernie voter..... Hillary has the same policy positions as an establishment GOP.

[fredtoast]

(02-17-2016, 11:02 AM)StLucieBengal Wrote: To a Bernie voter..... Hillary has the same policy positions as an establishment GOP.

No she doesn't.

Is her tax plan the same as the Republicans?

Her position on abortion?

Hre position on health care reform?

Seriously, please explain how her position on these things are the same as the Republicans.

Every time you say this I prove you are wrong then you just keep saying it.