2016 elections - because it's never too early

[merithyn]

This is indicative of why I fear a Trump Presidency. It's not what he's saying. It's that he's reacting without thinking. He's so ridiculously simplistic in his responses, with zero understanding of the nuances of much of anything.

"If they broke the law, they should be punished." It's really not that cut and dried. If it were, prostitutes would still be arrested, though most of the time it's now the customers who are. Why? Because of the nuances present in that kind of situation.

Arrest a woman so desperate that she already risked her life by going to a back-alley abortion clinic? How does that serve anyone? How does that help anyone? Where is the benefit to our society in doing something like that?

Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump said on Wednesday that women who end pregnancies should face some sort of punishment if the United States bans abortion, but appeared to walk back on his comments after their release by MSNBC to say the abortion issue should be handled by the states.

In a clip of an interview with MSNBC that aired Wednesday, Trump said even if abortion are banned, some women would access the procedure illegally.

"There has to be some form of punishment," he said in the excerpt. Asked what form of punishment he would advocate, Trump said, "That I don't know."

MSNBC is expected to air the rest of the interview later on Wednesday.

Trump's comments immediately unleashed a torrent of negative reactions, and his campaign emailed a statement to Reuters in which Trump moderated his view.

"This issue is unclear and should be put back into the states for determination," Trump said in the statement.

The billionaire's rivals in the race for the Republican nomination  say Trump is not conservative enough on issues such as abortion. They have also criticized him for comments that have offended women and minority groups.

"Of course women shouldn't be punished," rival candidate John Kasich, the governor of Ohio, told MSNBC. Kasich said he opposes abortion except in specific cases such as rape.

"I think probably Donald Trump will figure out a way to say that he didn't say it or he was misquoted or whatever," Kasich said. "I don't think that's an appropriate response."

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, the third candidate for the Republican presidential nomination, earlier this year released an ad saying voters could not trust Trump because he has not always opposed abortion.

"Don't overthink it: Trump doesn't understand the pro-life position because he's not pro-life," Cruz spokesman Brian Phillips wrote on Twitter on Wednesday.

Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, on the other hand, say women should be able to choose to have an abortion.

"Just when you thought it wouldn't get worse," Clinton, the Democratic front-runner, wrote on Twitter about Trump's remarks. "Horrific and telling."

Trump's insurgent campaign for the Republican nomination for the Nov. 8 election has alarmed many in the party establishment.

On Tuesday, Trump and Kasich abandoned pledges to support the party's eventual nominee, revealing the discord among Republicans. "If the nominee is somebody that I think is really hurting the country ... I can't stand behind them," Kasich said.

Cruz did not explicitly abandon the pledge but said Trump wasn't going to be the nominee.

[Barrister]

Trump, Cruz, and Kasich have all declared that if they don't win the primary, there is a chance that they will run as independents.

Wonder if Sanders and Clinton will also declare that. In which case, we could have a five-way run for the President!*



*In states that would allow them to jump in that late in the game

You've hit on the problem though - several states require an exorbitant number of signatures, and they need to be filed soon, in order to get on the ballot.

Ross Perot in 1992 was already well into organizing a ballot drive by March.  You can't wait until the summer to make a credible third-party campaign for President.

I understand that. And you understand that. I'm not 100% sure that Trump et al understand that....

Also there is a strong element of spite here.  Cruz hates Trump.  I have no idea if Trump actually hates Cruz, he may just be thoughtlessly cruel as a matter of course.  I could totally see Cruz sabotage Trump's election just because he hates the man.  Trump might do the same thing because he's a complete jackass.

Cruz seems to calculating for spite and hate.  Plus remember at one point Cruz and Trump were like best buddies, even holding a joint event.

[Eddie Teach]

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, the third candidate for the Republican presidential nomination,

Nice, Kasich slides into second place without the hassle of having to get votes and delegates.

[MadImmortalMan]

This is indicative of why I fear a Trump Presidency. It's not what he's saying. It's that he's reacting without thinking. He's so ridiculously simplistic in his responses, with zero understanding of the nuances of much of anything.

If he were president, he'd be surrounded by an army of people to keep his...impulses in check. He'd probably fire them at a rate of about one per week, but the White House is a pretty careful place.

[Valmy]

Which is not to say you shouldn't fear a Trump presidency.

[Barrister]

This is indicative of why I fear a Trump Presidency. It's not what he's saying. It's that he's reacting without thinking. He's so ridiculously simplistic in his responses, with zero understanding of the nuances of much of anything.

If he were president, he'd be surrounded by an army of people to keep his...impulses in check. He'd probably fire them at a rate of about one per week, but the White House is a pretty careful place.

Who is going to hold Trump in check?

He seems pretty content to surround himself with nothing but yes-men.  Or, as he put it:

"And you'll find that when you become very successful, the people that you will like best are the people that are less successful than you, because when you go to a table you can tell them all of these wonderful stories, and they'll sit back and listen," he said. "Does that make sense to you? OK? Always be around unsuccessful people because everybody will respect you. Do you understand that?"

http://www.politico.com/blogs/2016-gop-primary-live-updates-and-results/2016/03/trump-advice-wisconsin-college-students-221383#ixzz44QFM5Yxj

[Savonarola]

Who is going to hold Trump in check?

He seems pretty content to surround himself with nothing but yes-men.  Or, as he put it:

"And you'll find that when you become very successful, the people that you will like best are the people that are less successful than you, because when you go to a table you can tell them all of these wonderful stories, and they'll sit back and listen," he said. "Does that make sense to you? OK? Always be around unsuccessful people because everybody will respect you. Do you understand that?"

http://www.politico.com/blogs/2016-gop-primary-live-updates-and-results/2016/03/trump-advice-wisconsin-college-students-221383#ixzz44QFM5Yxj

Well, he understands Negative Selection at least.  Maybe he does have what it takes to be head of the bureaucracy; or a fascist dictator.

[FunkMonk]

All the dems have to do in the general is play the clip of Trump saying women should be punished for having abortions over and over again on loop and it'll be a bloodbath. 

The GOP needs to be on its knees praying every night that Trump doesn't become the nominee. It might be necessary to destroy the party in order to save it, Colonel.

[Legbiter]

There's a Trump winery with a nice little selection. Has Minsky tried any? 



http://trumpwinery.orderport.net/wines/

[DGuller]

I know that Minsky is well-off, but is he in a class that Trump caters to?

[CountDeMoney]

This is indicative of why I fear a Trump Presidency. It's not what he's saying. It's that he's reacting without thinking. He's so ridiculously simplistic in his responses, with zero understanding of the nuances of much of anything.

If he were president, he'd be surrounded by an army of people to keep his...impulses in check. He'd probably fire them at a rate of about one per week, but the White House is a pretty careful place.

They're called "lawyers", and he would never be able to fire enough of them.

[Jaron]

Trump would surround himself with the best and brightest. He knows talent when he sees it and he'd replace all the yes men and losers who've been appointed to high positions as political favors. He'd replace them with the best and most successful people in this country and they'd all work for free.

[CountDeMoney]

I know that Minsky is well-off, but is he in a class that Trump caters to?

It is pretty hilarious that, between Bolshevik Bernie and the "party of big business" down to Dutch mercantilism in one corner and the gold standard in the other, the only real candidate aligned the most to filthy Wall Street cuntfucks like Minsky is Hillary.  Go fig.

[CountDeMoney]

All the dems have to do in the general is play the clip of Trump saying women should be punished for having abortions over and over again on loop and it'll be a bloodbath. 

He's so convinced he doesn't have a problem with women that he's willing to double down to prove it.

[FunkMonk]

He's got better than binders; he's got libraries full of women.