2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumHeard on NPR this morning (Watch out - left turn ahead for the GOP)
Now before you go and flame this post as RW propaganda, first, remember that is was reported on NPR via WSKG in Binghamton.
This is a warning as to what cards the Republicans have up their sleeves.
Second, bear in mind that Trump has, almost by definition as a non-politician (up until now) no foreign policy backstory to defend. He can paint himself any foreign policy color he wishes - at possible great expense to a hawkish Democratic candidate.
Finally - there is an entire new generation of voters who do not know some of the old names in American political commentary. A 20-something voter is NOT going to dismiss a soundbite heard on the radio as coming from a right-wing-nut if he/she has no idea who the person is.
Scenario: I was driving my younger son (age 20) to work this morning. We were engaged in conversation until a voice I have not heard from in quite a while came on the radio.
It was not Trump's voice.
"Why does the United States have to be up in Russia's face? We don't live there. Going forward into the next presidency, we should encourage the nations that do 'live there' to take the lead in their own defense. We should mind our interests and our treaty obligations and provide support to free nations, not be the world's policeman."
Quoted from memory as best I can remember - it was about an hour ago that I heard this.
The commentator was Pat Buchanan.
My son has no idea who Pat Buchanan is. He asked me 'Dad, I guess that guy does not like war?'
dsc
(52,188 posts)CompanyFirstSergeant
(1,558 posts)....do not know the cast of characters we know.
All they hear are comments on the radio from people who are talking politics.
I actually only knew it was him because I recognized his mousy voice.
I think he was introduced by name while we were still talking in the car.
JSup
(740 posts)...and a scary one.
As parents, my generation has failed at passing down the things we have learned to our children.
Armstead
(47,803 posts)Demsrule86
(68,980 posts)You quote Pat Buchannon? And tell us it is not Right wing...he and Trump are racist buds.
CompanyFirstSergeant
(1,558 posts)My son did not.
20 year-olds can vote.
Armstead
(47,803 posts)Buchanan is a racist asshole.
But life is not always cut and dried. On issues of war and peace and the neo-conservatism embraced by Clinton -- and especially our disastrous intervention in Iraq -- he is closer to many democrats than Clinton is.
That's not endorsement of him or Trump. But it does point out the danger of Democrats like Clinton becoming too hawkish.
http://www.ontheissues.org/Celeb/Pat_Buchanan_War_+_Peace.htm
Source: Where The Right Went Wrong, by Pat Buchanan, p. 13-17&34-35 , Sep 1, 2004
Bushs war risks the safety of America
yourout
(7,543 posts)Heads left.
DookDook
(166 posts)My wife and I have talked about how Trump could very easily run left of Secretary Clinton on a bunch of issues and I've seen threads on here talking about how Thom Hartmann was saying about how Trump is already running to the left of the Clinton when it comes to trade deals.
CompanyFirstSergeant
(1,558 posts)"But it does point out the danger of Democrats like Clinton becoming too hawkish."
Exactly.