Trump to GOP: Be ‘Mean As Hell’
- Posted on August 27, 2012 at 8:41pm by
Mytheos Holt
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Depending on your perspective, real estate mogul Donald Trump has either injected a lot of celebrity-sponsored life into the national Republican party or has become a nuisance of epic proportions for people trying to have a reasonable conversation. But whatever your perspective is, one thing is unquestionable: ‘The Donald,‘ as he’s called by both his fans and detractors, almost certainly doesn’t care what you think. He’ll happily chew his critics out at the drop of a hat, and he doesn’t care who knows it.
Donald Trump
And, to hear him tell it, the GOP should adopt precisely the same approach. Speaking to a gathering of Republican activists who chose to honor “The Donald” with their “Statesman of the Year Award” last night, Trump called for the Republican party to shed any pretense of being the nice people in the room and hammer their opponents as hard as they could.
“I hope they are tough as hell and mean as hell and they fight fire with fire. And if they do–and if they‘re smart because it’s all about being smart–we’re going to have a great president of the United States,” Trump said at the event.[...]
Trump also posited his belief-perhaps introspectively–that successful people have trouble running for office because of their own success.
“They’ve been tough. They’ve been competitive. They work. They built their business,” Trump said. “And honestly, they have left people in their wake, and they’ve made enemies.”
Trump, who flirted with a presidential bid last year, argued that successful business people are the kind of candidates needed for political office, but their “enemies” eventually become roadblocks in their campaigns.
“They can’t really go out there. They can’t put it together because all of those people that they beat consistently over a lifetime…all of those people come back to haunt him,” he said.
He continued: “And I see it happening with Mitt. Mitt was a successful man, he did a great job.”
Trump’s reasoning is simple: the Democrats are already slamming Romney as an inadvertent murderer, and a tax cheat, so why should Republicans keep the gloves on? From Trump’s perspective, there’s no point.
He may be right, but data is scarce. Despite President Obama‘s blistering assault on Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney’s business record, the polls have remained close over the past week. Obama currently leads Romney by an average of 1.2 percentage points nationally, according to RealClearPolitics, and polls show the key swing states Ohio, Virginia and Florida as dead heats. In fact, two polls out today show Obama and Romney in an exact tie both in Ohio and in Michigan.
That doesn‘t necessarily mean that the Obama campaign’s attacks were busts (Obama led Romney by a wider margin before the selection of Republican Vice Presidential nominee Paul Ryan), but it does suggest that negative advertising offers a relatively fragile advantage, and a high degree of risk that a particular criticism might engender sympathy for the person on the receiving end.
However, Trump‘s line of thinking may yet turn out to represent the Romney campaign’s line of thinking as well. The former Massachusetts Governor has yet to really begin spending his massive war chest against the President in earnest. Once that begins, it‘s anyone’s guess how Romney will press his attack.
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antrancher
Posted on August 28, 2012 at 10:17amI didn’t see Trumps speech. My husband did. I am stuck with NBC, CBS and ABC. Liberal hacks who not only scew the news but withhold the news!
Report Post »Meyvn
Posted on August 28, 2012 at 8:15amI am down with Trumps strategy. No more kid gloves.
Report Post »Individualism
Posted on August 28, 2012 at 8:01amthey are mean, criminally mean. mean like the nazis.
Report Post »WATER-THE-TREE
Posted on August 28, 2012 at 2:14amYou know, He IS orange.
Report Post »thegreatcarnac
Posted on August 28, 2012 at 1:19amTrump is correct. The RNC sometimes act as if they are too ‘refined’ to scrap with the democraps.
Report Post »sillyfreshness
Posted on August 28, 2012 at 1:58amTrump is correct. McCain was “Mr. Nice Guy” and look where that got him. Romney needs to take the gloves off and realize this isn‘t a gentleman’s campaign. Romney is fighting against an anti-Western, anti-colonial, Muslim sympathizing, pro-Marxist revolutionary, not so different than Castro or Mao.
Report Post »Wildblue3
Posted on August 28, 2012 at 5:22amThe only thing is that I hate to sink to thier level. but the honest anwer is that we may not have a choice. But remember this, Positivity honestly beats negativity any day of the week. We need to get the party united and focused. Maybe all republicans volunteer events on behalf of the Romney campaign would help as well.
Report Post »Jezreel
Posted on August 28, 2012 at 12:12amThat is a pretty good start. We need another “House committee on unAmerican Affairs” and start arresting traitors who want to destroy our liberties and destroy our children education. We need to get rid of perverts who want to push gay history on children in school etc and prosecute Planned parenthood for murder of unborn babies and giving young girls abortions without parental permission. Parents rights need to be restored. We need to be totally rid of the EPA too. There are lots of other things like getting rid of looney left liberal idiot women who are destroying our country too. Women’s rights to vote need to be revoked for a while until the country is in a healing mode. Women are just too stupid right now and I am a woman and can see the disgrace and filth they are so proud of committing. They boast and love to be evil and kill babies and be sluts and whores.
Report Post »BeckIgnoresConstitution
Posted on August 28, 2012 at 1:25am@ Jezreel
Freedom of speech is particularly well celebrated when well used for political satire. Your ‘modest proposal’ offending many modern sensibilities will surely be so displeasing a recipe to the common palate, that your your intended task of eliciting a ‘Swift’ tirade of hostility is sure to succeed. Playing the devils’ advocate is often the last resort to express sentiments so obviously sincere and genuine. Many share your concern. However for a better solution, seriously ponder the broader benefits of repealing the heinous 17th amendment that is easily done with sufficient state approval independent of Congress, rather than the 19th.
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