Trump Sounded Like a Democrat for a Second Last Night

[firebrand80]

He criticized spending billions on war overseas and said he should be spending that money to build our infrastructure at home.

I think it's worth noting that Trump is running far more as a populist than he is a right-winger. Frankly, I don't think he believes in much of anything at all, and will say anything at all to get elected. If he were to win the nomination he would be absolutely shameless in abandoning right-wing talking points and running toward the middle.

Could that potentially make him a dangerous GE opponent?

[Thinkingabout]

1. He has been more on the Democratic side than the republican side for a long time.

[Sherman A1]

2. I believe

that Donald Trump is really only interested in Donald Trump.

[firebrand80]

3. true nt

[earthside]

4. Trump was against the Bush-Cheney Iraq war ...

... he said that in the previous debate.

So, he's got a better track record on this issue than Mrs. Clinton.

One of my meandering political hypothesis is that Trump could indeed defeat Clinton; no doubt he would wipe the floor with her in a presidential debate. Two multimillionaires debating, with Clinton's nose in the air 'know it all' attitude will be easy pickings for the populist rhetoric of Trump.

I can't stand Trump, but he has a way of talking in a manner that average people can relate to ... he's a phony, in my estimation, but I think sometimes DU participants don't get that after eight years of Obama, people are going to want some change. Sander represents real change; Clinton stands for an Obama third term; Trump, if he is nominated, is the radical change agent.

[brush]

9. Guess you didn't see Hillary destroying one repug after another . . .

for 11 hours as they tried and failed to break her during the last Benghazi hearing.

She was polished, extremely knowledgeable on foreign policy and unflappable.

Sorry, but she would run circles around Trump and his default, and only mode — bluster.

[geek tragedy]

10. Would you vote for Trump over Hillary?

Because your gushing praise of his rhetorical abilities and touting of his superiority to Clinton certainly implies that.

Only Trump's stans think "no doubt he would wipe the floor" with Clinton.

[earthside]

12. I'm reserving judgement and prognostications ...

... about how I will vote in the 2016 general election for President of the United States.

I fully expect Sen. Sanders to be the nominee of the Democratic Party.

Hillary Clinton is not a good debater ... so, I'm trying to not let my distaste for Trump and Clinton affect how I view them as rhetorical combatants.

By the way, I also think that Sen. Sanders has the moxie to be much more effective against Trump; having the 'common touch' is how to counter Trump (or any of the Repuglican candidates, for that matter).

[geek tragedy]

13. I doubt any real Sanders supporters would consider voting for Trump

over Clinton. Maybe some bored over privileged dudebros, but not anyone who is liberal/progressive.

[treestar]

14. What you say about the debate might be worth Hillary team considering

She is a lot smarter than he is. But America is very anti-intellectual.

[Greybnk48]

5. Well, then there's this. He's clearly mentally ill.

Also, he has the emotional maturity of a ten year old boy. THAT'S what makes him dangerous.

[951-Riverside]

6. There are plenty of RW'ers who are now against the war for some reason...

which is why Jeb is tanking.

[Orsino]

7. That's the trouble with an entitled candidate who arrives unyoked by major donors...

...and not committed even to staying in the race. S/he may not stick to a preferred script.

Trump is perfectly capable of saying the right thing by accident, and if he were really running for president and actually won, there is a small chance of his occasionally doing the right thing, too, if reverse psychology is applied in time to make him double down rather than flip-flop.

[Cosmocat]

8. I would take him ANY day over the rest of the conbots

IF it were isolated to domestic policy.

Every other candidate on that stage will 100 percent advance the republican agenda domestically as a willing and gleeful tool.

He will do his own thing, admittedly that could be anything, but he won't be a functioning tool of the republican party.

UNFORTUNATELY, POTUS is commander in chief and directs foreign policy and relations, and given his tendencies and personality you can't even begin to risk that ...

I do agree he would turn to the middle in the general - it will come down to whether the people of this country are that stupid or not, which sadly could break either way.

[geek tragedy]

11. Trump is a right wing populist much like Mussolini

and Hitler were before taking office.

[dembotoz]

15. / / yep