How is it possible?

That Trump can be the huge front runner for the Republican nomination? Forget about all the past reasons. Wouldn't the ignorant things he said just over the past few weeks be enough to make you say "wow, we can't let this man represent America".

I just don't understand. It makes me really sad. What would he have to say or do to end this? Even if I loved my candidate, comments like that would be enough for me to give him/ her up

The problem is that for the people who are supporting him he DOES represent what they believe America should be

Watch the Bloomberg focus group talk about Trump. Basically Trump is viewed an outsider at a time when people are tired of career politicians. Also, Jeb needs Trump because without Trump, Walker gets all those votes.

I just figured his disgusting tirade against McCain would have been enough for you to say "whoa, while this guy stands for what I want, this is just too much". I can't imagine supporting someone who says such disgusting things even if I thought he'd do well for America. I get that people like him but I just wonder what it takes to make you say- "I like this guy but he's just inappropriate for this type of office". I know even if he were my guy, I would have had enough

There's a huge difference between supporting him in a phone poll and pulling a lever for him. The observation in this thread that it's a protest vote is a fair one. Judging by Hiilary's recent cratering, particularly among suburban women, it's clear that people aren't enamored with the coronations both party's establishment wings are trying to orchestrate

He's a stalking horse. Jeb will look saintly when all of these clowns fall away.

I hope that's true. I don't like Bush but at least he has experience, intelligence and (so far) a respectable professionalism and dignity. It's simply astonishing to me that anyone can think Trump is an acceptable choice to represent our country.

Many do. Not enough to make it count in November '16, however.

You know, I was watching footage of some recent horrible remarks of his and suddenly it struck me: when Trump talks, you know he believes every word he says; he's not pandering to anybody. As awful as he is, he's no phony. And in today's political climate, that's almost...refreshing.

There's a difference between honesty and directness and having absolutely no filter. One is great, the other might possibly be amental illness.

MissGradenko said:
You know, I was watching footage of some recent horrible remarks of his and suddenly it struck me: when Trump talks, you know he believes every word he says; he's not pandering to anybody. As awful as he is, he's no phony. And in today's political climate, that's almost...refreshing.

Funny, because I have the opposite response. Maybe he's not pandering, but I don't think he believes everything he says. Partly because much of what is says gibberish.

Partly because much of what is says gibberish.

I don't disagree that it's gibberish. But I think it makes perfect sense to him.

Perfect soundtrack to the first debate.

Is anybody alive in here? Is anybody alive in here? Is anybody at all in here? Nobody but us in here. Nobody but us.

Support for Trump is an indication of the deserved low regard most of us have for too many politicians these days.

According to Robert Reich: "....Political insiders don’t see that the biggest political phenomenon in America today is a revolt against the “ruling class” of insiders that have dominated Washington for more than three decades.

In two very different ways, Trump and Sanders are agents of this revolt. I’ll explain the two ways in a moment. "

http://www.salon.com/2015/08/04/robert_reich_america_is_revolting_against_its_ruling_class_partner/

America has become an obnoxious and arrogant country. What better person to represent this than the bloviating and obnoxious Donald.

All sound and fury

A lot like Sarah Palin

Only with worse hair.

I didn't think it possible but much worse than Sarah Palin. Good lord, imagine if he picks her as his VP running mate?!?!

Please read this article. It rings true, and explains perfectly why we have a regressive conservative majority today in most states and both houses of Congress, despite the majority of the country leaning Democratic. Republicans have followed it to a Tee in the past decade, which has allowed an ideological minority to take charge. Dems need to follow this same tactic but mobilizing the liberals at the local level.

http://www.theocracywatch.org/taking_over_fifteen_percent.htm

If this were any other election year, Trump would not be anywhere near where he is. Part of the problem is that there are so many other candidates, they soak up the rational, semi-rational and barely rational voters. Trump gets all the rest. He has well under 30 percent of the poll numbers, but he's at the top because the other 16 candidates are splitting the rest. If there were three or four candidates, I don't think Trump would be where he is.

We are in the age of unenlightenment.

shoshannah said:
We are in the age of unenlightenment.

Queue the intro scene from "Idiocracy"...

http://youtu.be/YwZ0ZUy7P3E

ParticleMan said:
If this were any other election year, Trump would not be anywhere near where he is. Part of the problem is that there are so many other candidates, they soak up the rational, semi-rational and barely rational voters. Trump gets all the rest. He has well under 30 percent of the poll numbers, but he's at the top because the other 16 candidates are splitting the rest. If there were three or four candidates, I don't think Trump would be where he is.

This.

Rob_Sandow said:
Please read this article. It rings true, and explains perfectly why we have a regressive conservative majority today in most states and both houses of Congress, despite the majority of the country leaning Democratic. Republicans have followed it to a Tee in the past decade, which has allowed an ideological minority to take charge. Dems need to follow this same tactic but mobilizing the liberals at the local level.
http://www.theocracywatch.org/taking_over_fifteen_percent.htm

So wait....Donald is the preferred candidate of the Jesus Freaks?

You realize that was written 22 years ago in 1993, yes? And nonsense on stilts?

http://thinkprogress.org/election/2015/01/09/3609934/more-americans-liberal-2/

Still, it is fun to mock and feel superior to people, and otherizing & conspiracy theories always work with some, so in that regard it's timeless.

I especially love the way the writer mocks people for being allegedly insular and afraid of the outside world while describing tens of millions of people as though they're body snatchers and monsters. A gallon of irony spilled and not a drop got on him!

I believe that The Donald is an operative from the Democratic Party.

From a world wide perspective the Donald Trump situation is not unusual. Unfortunate but not unusual. Most come from the right, a few come from the left but all are Nativist and Autarkist and at least skate the boundaries of ideologically racist. Geert Wilders, Marine Le Pen and Nigel Farage are all part of the same trend as Trump.

spontaneous said:
The problem is that for the people who are supporting him he DOES represent what they believe America should be

bettyd said:
America has become an obnoxious and arrogant country. What better person to represent this than the bloviating and obnoxious Donald.

I think that about sums it up. And we laughed at folks like Berlusconi.

GOP is whistling in the dark if they think he hasn't the legs to last. He's got three necessary ingredients - incredible ego, a stupid reactionary constituency, and money. GOP, this is your nadir of nadirs. And I thought you couldn't sink lower than Sarah, an Eleanor Roosevelt by comparison.

If I recall correctly, Herman Cain had a huge lead until he got to the debates. Once you see it's all bark and no bite his popularity will decrease. I also think I saw in one poll that he was thought as very favorable BUT in the same poll people would not vote for him.

Haiku said:
All sound and fury
A lot like Sarah Palin
Only with worse hair.

Sybil said:
From a world wide perspective the Donald Trump situation is not unusual. Unfortunate but not unusual. Most come from the right, a few come from the left but all are Nativist and Autarkist and at least skate the boundaries of ideologically racist. Geert Wilders, Marine Le Pen and Nigel Farage are all part of the same trend as Trump.

But in the rest of the world, I believe the above represent marginal parties whereas Trump represents one of our two major parties.

For that matter, in 08 Hillary Clinton had a similar lead over Obama