Priebus is to meet with Trump about signing a pledge to not run third party.
This shows just how weak the GOP is. I'd love to be a fly on the wall in that meeting.
It's been reported Trump has considered signing the pledge recently.
This could be his Rubicon. He signs, his momentum will come to a screeching halt.

If he does not sign and outs the GOP as a bunch of groveling weaklings trying to get him to sign off on a deal that will let them get up off the mat and make him one of them, he may find new heights to his popularity and poll numbers.

Link
We may soon find out what Trump is all about.

Someone needs to ask Jeb just what country he wants to be president of - the USA or Mexico?

The more I see the RNC fight Trump the more I feel they don't care who wins - Dem or Repub - as long as it's "one of them".

I have seen some noise from the repub delegates to the national convention suggesting that Trump would not be allowed to run for president.
What a collection of god damned butt worms. If something like this happens, I will never vote for another republican.

quote:

Originally posted by mbinky:
... I feel they don't care who wins - Dem or Repub - as long as it's "one of them".

I have long felt that way. THEY OWN YOU!

quote:

Originally posted by Iron bottom:
I have seen some noise from the repub delegates to the national convention suggesting that Trump would not be allowed to run for president.

In the case of someone with the demeanor and the money of Trump, it just doesn't work like that. They don't get a say in the matter.

quote:

Originally posted by mbinky:
... I feel they don't care who wins - Dem or Repub - as long as it's "one of them".

That is exactly right.

Trump Can Win The GOP Nomination

by Bruce Bartlett via The Fiscal Times,

To save myself from answering this question repeatedly, these are the thoughts I have had about Trump since he became a presidential candidate, which were partly expressed in a Politico article over a month ago.

First of all, I think his support is firm and shows no sign of diminishing. He has already weathered storms such as his criticism of John McCain that would have doomed any other candidate. Anyone who thinks he is the current version of Cain, Bachmann, Santorum or other nutcase that briefly led the GOP field in 2012 is dead wrong.

Keep in mind also that in primary elections, one doesn’t need majority support to win in a field with multiple candidates. And intensity of support is often more important than the percentage. Support for the designated favorite of party insiders is often exaggerated in polls and I think Trump’s supporters are unusually motivated.

Second, Trump’s positions on the issues are largely irrelevant to his success. None of his supporters care whether a wall across Mexico is remotely feasible or that he regularly flip-flops on the issues. What he is selling is attitude and a certain fascistic form of leadership. He will get things done, his supporters believe. And it’s less important what he will do than that he will do something.

Ironically, Republicans brought this on themselves in two ways. To begin with, they grossly oversold what they could do just with control of Congress. The Republican base really seems to have simply forgotten about the presidential veto or the Senate filibuster. They seem to have thought all they had to do was pass bills with a simple majority and they would magically become law. How else to explain voting over and over and over again to repeal Obamacare. It makes no sense unless my assumption is correct.

Additionally, Republicans are suffering from the gridlock that they themselves caused. We all know that nature abhors a vacuum, but I think it abhors gridlock as well. That has always been the appeal of fascism and it would be very foolish to believe that Americans are immune from its attractive qualities of getting things done that need to get done. And let us not forget that Trump is talking about genuine problems even if his solutions are simplistic or even wrongheaded.

My third point in Trump’s favor is his willingness to fund his own campaign and ability to run such a campaign on the cheap. By the latter, I mean that he started his campaign with close to 100% name ID and he has the amazing ability to get massive free media exposure any time he wants it. The mainstream media seem powerless to ignore the newsworthiness of anything he says about anything at any time in any place. In lieu of a traditional campaign staff, all Trump needs are the PR people he has long employed, a scheduler and a pilot for his plane.

Related to this, I would note that Trump has a very powerful ally in the form of talk radio. Rush Limbaugh and Mark Levin have been especially strong in their support for Trump, in part because Trump’s base and theirs are one and the same. It is extremely valuable to any candidate to have such a megaphone at his disposal, whipping up support, attacking his enemies, explaining away his mistakes etc. This also explains why Trump can treat Fox News with the disdain it deserves. It helped create the Trump monster, thinking he could be controlled, and discovered to its horror than he cannot.

Fourth, as a consequence, the traditional means of controlling an out-of-control candidate are not available to the GOP leadership. They cannot deny him media exposure or money or organizational support because he doesn’t need them. Moreover, the anointed GOP nominee, Jeb Bush, has turned out to be a remarkably poor politician. His ineptness makes me wonder how he ever got elected dog catcher. And the rest of the GOP field lacks the name ID or support to catch up. But, importantly, because several have deep pocketed supporters, they too can afford to stay in the race indefinitely, keeping the field divided to Trump’s advantage..

This means it is very unlikely that the stop-Trump forces can coalesce around one candidate. The field will remain divided until the end, meaning that Trump needs no more support than he has now to win the nomination. As I have said repeatedly, the key to understanding Trump is not the ceiling on his support, but the floor, which appears higher than the ceiling of all the other candidates.

Lastly, I think many Republicans simply delude themselves that Trump is not a serious candidate who cannot, for some reason, get the nomination. I say, don’t underestimate his ego, which we know is and always has been enormous. If he can win the GOP nomination, why shouldn’t he go for it? I would also point to the example of Wendell Willkie, a very Trump-like candidate who won the GOP nomination in 1940. Then as now, he took advantage of the fact that as the anti-government party, Republicans are unusually attracted to non-politicians.

I am not yet ready to predict that Trump will be the GOP nominee, but I am disinclined to bet against him. I honestly don’t see how any of his current opponents can beat him. I think his odds of winning the nomination are better than even. Whether he can win the general election is another question that I will discuss at a later date.

Final note - the Democrats’ growing disarray plays into Trump’s hands because it reduces the importance of electability as a prime requirement for the GOP nominee.

Good article

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:

quote:

Originally posted by Iron bottom:
I have seen some noise from the repub delegates to the national convention suggesting that Trump would not be allowed to run for president.

In the case of someone with the demeanor and the money of Trump, it just doesn't work like that. They don't get a say in the matter.

Agreed. How can they not yet have figured out he does NOT play by their ROE?!? The latest jab at Jeb another obvious reminder.....

That was a very poignant article and pretty much sums up what we have been discussing. At least some people "get" it.

excellent article - have copied it and sent it along to several people (including a few who think that Trump is a flash in the pan)

That pretty much spells it out! Well written!

Donald Trump: Nuclear deal calls for US to defend Iran against Israeli attack
By JPOST.COM STAFF
09/03/2015
"If Israel attacks Iran according to that deal, I believe... that we have to fight with Iran against Israel," Republican presidential candidate tells CNN.
In a telephone interview with CNN Tuesday, Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump said that under the auspices of the Iran nuclear agreement, if Israel were to attack the Islamic Republic, the United States would have to come to the Tehran's aid.

Trump has vocally opposed the deal since announcing his run for president, saying that the United States "should have doubled up the sanctions for another couple of months" and that the 24-day notice Iran receives before sites can be inspected is unacceptable.

But Trump added an unconventional twist to the opposition argument, suggesting that under the terms of the deal the United States was required to fight alongside Iran if Israel were to attack.

"You know, there is something in the Iran deal that people I don't think really understand or know about," the real estate mogul said. "And nobody is ever to explain it that if somebody attacks Iran, we have to come to their defense."

Trump added, "And I'm saying this - that includes Israel? And most people say, yes. So, if Israel attacks Iran according to that deal, I believe... that we have to fight with Iran against Israel."

On Wednesday, the Obama administration secured the support of 34 senators for its landmark nuclear agreement with Iran, ensuring its safe passage through a vote scheduled in Congress this month.

Senator Barbara Mikulski, Democrat from Maryland, announced her support for the deal on Wednesday morning. She followed announcements from two Democratic colleagues, senators Chris Coons of Delaware and Bob Casey, Jr. from Pennsylvania, the previous day.

Congress may still vote and pass a resolution disapproving of the deal when it reconvenes next week.

"ARTICLE LINK"

http://www.ijreview.com/2015/0...s&utm_term=ijamerica

The Republican Party Wants Trump to Sign a Special ‘Loyalty Pledge’ – Now The Donald Has Decided
BY JUSTIN GREEN (30 MINS AGO) | ELECTIONS, POLITICS
IJRSHAREEMAIL
Donald Trump plans to sign a pledge saying he won’t run as a third party candidate, RealClearPolitics reported Thursday.


The billionaire businessman, who boasts twice the support in the polls as his closest competitor, caused a stir in August when he told Fox News’ Bret Baier that he wouldn’t rule out an independent candidacy:



But while it looks like he’s doing just that, his campaign manager told Politico that nothing is certain:

“I don’t think you can ‘expect’ ANYTHING from Mr. Trump.”
The pledge reads, according to Politico:

“I [name] affirm that if I do not win the 2016 Republican nomination for president of the United States I will endorse the 2016 Republican presidential nominee regardless of who it is … I further pledge that I will not seek to run as an independent or write-in candidate nor will I seek or accept the nomination for president of any other party.”
A Trump associate told Politico that the change of heart comes because Trump feels like Republicans have treated him fairly, as well as wanting to be sure he doesn’t have any issues getting on ballots in primary states:

“He’s willing to sign it to avert any problems with is state filings – South Carolina asked for a pledge to support the nominee if you’re on the ballot.

“He’s been treated fairly, like any candidate. … And it takes away a line of attack for debates.”
Trump plans to meet with RNC Chairman Reince Priebus today, and he will give a press conference after the meeting.

pledge schmledge, don't sign it - just to make the GOP continue to sweat.

I have no faith that his signing it will somehow change how they treat him, that the GOP itself will somehow suddenly be supportive of him, or that they'll suddenly listen to the people.

unless they have no choice.

quote:

Originally posted by 46and2:
I have no faith that his signing it will somehow change how they treat him, that the GOP itself will somehow suddenly be supportive of him, or that they'll suddenly listen to the people.

unless they have no choice.

It doesn't matter "how they treat him or that the GOP itself will somehow suddenly be supportive of him"

They (the GOPe e=establishment) won't be supportive. They want Jeb. Some are panicking and begging for Mitt. What they really want is Nelson Rockefeller.

What this is all about is making sure that they can't keep him off of primary ballots in some states that have a rule about this.

and write-ins are going to be huge if they try to pull that stunt

Well, thank goodness the GOP still has a while to figure this out.

Get George Will on the case, boys!

I am happy with this decision. It continues to cement the fact that he is serious about being the next President and has the confidence that he will win the nomination.

In any event, it's better to have Trump, as LBJ so eloquently put it, "inside the tent pissing out than outside the tent pissing in."