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Today's Poll: Will Donald Trump win the GOP presidential nomination?

By Howard B. Owens

Mike Piazza

Mr. Meyer, why is it when someone doesn't agree with your political alliance, you try to insult them by saying they aren't reasonable? Given the choice of Hillary or Bernie on the Democratic ticket, that's like taking the lesser of 2 evils in my opinion. One will most likely be indicted for her shenanigans and the other would surely ruin the economic system of US with his socialist agenda. What would be unreasonable is to dismiss a candidate or candidates because of party affiliation.

Feb 25, 2016, 9:17am Permalink
Dave Meyer

Mike, I'll admit to being partisan on this forum, but in this case it has absolutely NOTHING to to with party.
I agree that Clinton and Sanders each have their particular issues with their respective candidacies. Having said that, I would take either in a heartbeat over the arrogant trump who NEVER speaks with specific ideas but rather just spouts idiotic venom.

Case in point, his recent beauty, "We love the poorly educated!". (of course he does).

There have been much better candidates from both parties who either have dropped out or probably will; example, Jim Webb for the Democrats and Chris Christie and John Kasich for the republicans. Sadly however, these obviously better people have been swallowed up by the process that our electoral process has become.

So don't lecture me about being partisan. It's my right an privilege to be partisan if I wish to, but in the case of trump, it has nothing to do with politics. It has to do with using one's intelligence to evaluate the venom and bluster that this moron spews.
For example do you believe (as he has stated) that all people from Mexico are rapists and that they bring drugs into our country? Do you believe (as he has stated) that all people who are Muslims are terrorists? Do you support his misogynistic views on women? I don't'
I despise him with the heat of 1000 suns and it saddens me that he appears to have so many followers

Feb 25, 2016, 9:52am Permalink
jeff saquella

give him a shot..... can't do any worse than what we've had the past 8 years...if he says he can make our country great again then lets see. wants to bring jobs back from china...that cant be a bad thing

Feb 25, 2016, 9:52am Permalink
Cheryl Saville

As a right-leaning moderate, I despair at the current electoral process and the probable slate of candidates, come November. It would seem that America, as I know it, is doomed.
I cannot support in good conscience any of the front runners.

To answer the question, I HOPE NOT. I agree with Howard's link, except for a few comments - most notably, the statement:

"The reason is simple. Unlike every other candidate in this race — and unlike the committed people that make up our government — Donald Trump has only an empty hole where his conscience should be."

Hillary Clinton has demonstrated time after time she has no conscience whatsoever. And many of the people who make up the government have pretty empty holes where theirs should be as well. It is rhetoric like this author's that doesn't sit well with me. Glossy generalizations hurt this author's piece.

Feb 25, 2016, 11:54am Permalink
Mike Piazza

Mr. Meyer, maybe I came across as lecturing you but I was just QUESTIONING you regarding as to why you try to insult others sanity because they might like some other candidates positions on certain policies other than your own. So I don't know where I'm lecturing - maybe that's your reaction to being questioned, by being defensive and in attack mode.

Feb 25, 2016, 1:20pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

This is an interesting podcast with author Marc Dunkelman, who wrote The Vanishing Neighborhood. Dunkelman's theory is that technology is enabling us to become more walled off, staying more within our own silos, so we fail to understand why people hold different views than our own, and since we don't have the same sense that we will have some level of ongoing relationships with people outside our siloed network, we're less inhibited about insulting them over their views. We're more polarized than ever because we're less connected to our communities. That was something I could hope The Batavian could help correct, but I see more and more people retreating to walled silos on Facebook where they can sing to the choir and never get exposed to opposing ideas. You can't get away with being in a walled garden on The Batavian and similar general interest venues, but you can on Facebook. It's a lot safer to be comfortable in your assumptions than openly debate with people who hold opposing views.

http://www.artofmanliness.com/2016/02/10/podcast-176-the-vanishing-neig…

Feb 25, 2016, 1:58pm Permalink
Debra Nanni

Very well said Dave... It really has nothing to do with politics why I dislike him either. I see him as wishy washy and can't really concentrate on a subject long enough to talk about it without insulting someone. I think a lot of people see him as being really strong and bold. Loud and mouthy and sarcastic does not mean strong, it is usually the opposite.... insecure. Another thing I disagree with . People have made the argument that he is such a great businessman that he would make a GREAT President and leader. But remember this... when you are a multi-millionaire, or even just your average businessman you are striving and working to make money for yourself. NOT for the rest of the world or the people under you. There is a big difference in working to make yourself better, and working to make things better for the country you serve. I don't think he is really interested or KNOWS HOW to do that. As far as him doing what he says he is going to do, he really hasn't SAID he was going to do anything, he keeps "changing the subject". So how has he followed through with anything. All that money he raised for veterans organizations was given by several of his friends, and if he really was sincere he would have gotten them to give the money anyways instead of grandstanding about it!! And no one really knows what organizations that money went to anyways.
I am being kind here as far as how I feel about him, because I don't feel the need to be disrespectful on this site, but just felt there are a few things that need to be thought about.

Feb 25, 2016, 3:32pm Permalink
Dave Meyer

Jeff feels that trump is a good businessman.
Here's a list of some of his highlights:
Bankruptcies - 4
Trump Airlines - failed
Trump Vodka - failed
Trump Mortgage - failed
Trump University - failed
Trump Casinos - failed
Trump clothing - manufactured in China, Mexico and Bangledesh. This is someone who rails about Mexico and the Mexican people, but I guess they're OK to manufacture his clothing. Wonder why he doesn't have it manufactured in the U.S.A.?
Trump marriages - he's currently on his third wife.

I don't know about you, but someone with this kind of business and personal track record doesn't exactly inspire confidence in me that he a) knows what he's doing or b) has any kind of personal values.

Not to mention his arrogance and bluster and lack of specificity on issues. Oh, and there's the refusal to release his tax returns.

Seriously folks....this guy is a loser.

Feb 25, 2016, 4:08pm Permalink
Jim Urtel Jr

Terrible businessman?? He`s a billionaire!!!! I for one am all for Trump. Anyone who could support Hillary or especially Bernie would be the one with mental issues! It`s time for some real change and I think Trump is the man for the job.

Feb 25, 2016, 4:21pm Permalink
Debra Nanni

I think Howard's post about technology was interesting, because just a few weeks ago, I was at a meeting with an organization I belong to and we were discussing the decline in membership. We were trying to come up with why in such a worthwhile organization that membership was declining. It occurred to me that people do not have to "BE somewhere" anymore. We don't have to go to meetings to discuss things, we can discuss things on facebook, we don't have to volunteer, we can post awful photos of abused animals on facebook, we don't have to go to the same places ... libraries, church, trainings, etc... we can find what we need online. And when it comes to speaking our minds, we can post whatever we want. We don't have to look the person in the eye and have the courage to say it. We can send a cruel , rude or unjust post or comment and we don't even have to go back and look at it to see if or how badly we have hurt or insulted someone. We may very well have, but we don't have to see it if we don't want to. I brought up the idea of "virtual attendance " at the meeting I was at . It seemed like a valid point. Very interesting post Howard. Progress is really wonderful, but sometimes very sad ..

Feb 25, 2016, 4:25pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

"But remember this... when you are a multi-millionaire, or even just your average businessman you are striving and working to make money for yourself. NOT for the rest of the world or the people under you. There is a big difference in working to make yourself better, and working to make things better for the country you serve."

That's a rather broad brush statement. And I dare say highly inaccurate. Yes, business owenrs want to make more money. We all want to make more money, and owning a business, big or small, can be a great vehicle for achieving financial goals. But few entrepreneurs succeed who are solely motivated by money. Most want to make the world a better place, or at least their small corner of it. They want to create something. If they have any economics training at all, they realize they are the vehicle that creates jobs and generate income for the people who work for them. Business owners drive economic growth, from which we all benefit.

As for whether Trump is a great businessman, pointing out his bankrupcies isn't much of an argument. Most successful business people have more failures than successes. Failure is an accepted part of the game. It's very difficult to be successful in business and nobody bats 1,000. In baseball, you need only get a hit three out of 10 at bats to make it to the Hall of Fame. In business, you only need a hit once in 100 at bats to be successful.

Feb 25, 2016, 5:30pm Permalink
Ed Hartgrove

Dave Meyer - (a "copy & paste", of a full paragraph, from your February 25, 2016 - 9:52am comment) "Case in point, his recent beauty, "We love the poorly educated!". (of course he does)."

I've been searching, but, have been unable to locate any such statement by Mr. Trump.

Just wondering if you could post a link to such a statement - if it, indeed, exists.

Thanks, in advance.

Feb 25, 2016, 6:41pm Permalink
Ed Hartgrove

Thanks, Bea. But, I had already seen that video.

As Mr. Meyer quoted Mr. Trump as saying, "We love the poorly educated!", I supposed there must be a different video out there - one where Trump is saying, "We love the poorly educated!"

Would you, Bea, happen to know of such a video, or, should I await Mr. Meyer's response?

Feb 25, 2016, 7:42pm Permalink
Debra Nanni

Yes Howard, I did make a pretty broad statement. And it really wasn't meant to be that way. However it is true in some circumstances, and I don't feel it's totally inaccurate. And I know business owners who would agree with me. But I certainly didn't mean to say that included everyone. I will apologize for that. I was trying to point out that certain occupations have their focus. I am involved with horses, I'm a good rider, and I am great at training troubled, abused horses. There is a big difference between me, and a professional rider who would not feel my type of involvement benefitted them.
Yes, I misspoke by using such a broad statement. But inaccurate ? No more than the person who says Trump will make a great president because he is a great businessman. And I was just trying to make the point that that was not necessarily true.

Feb 25, 2016, 7:51pm Permalink
George Richardson

The poll asks if Trump will win the Republican nomination. The answer speaks loudly of Republicans who are a minority voice in current American Politics. He will win the nomination and he will embarrass Republicans in crushing defeat as he has planned all along. Donald is having fun with the mopes, dopes and mooks who eschew education.

Feb 26, 2016, 8:36am Permalink
Dave Meyer

Ummmmm......Ed, you're waiting for some response from me? With regard to what?
You seem to believe that I made up the fact that trump said "we love the poorly educated".

The video that Bea so kindly posted is exactly what I saw the morning after the Nevada primary where trump was bragging (as is seen in the short video clip) about how he won with the 'poorly educated' vote.

I don't make this stuff up....you can't make this up. trump is a joke.

Feb 26, 2016, 8:46am Permalink
John Roach

Let's clear up what he was talking about. At his after the vote victory speech he was talking about the media exit polls that said he won with the "less educated", and other groups that media exit pools said the carried. He did not just make that statement up

Feb 26, 2016, 11:51am Permalink
Ed Hartgrove

Ummmmm.... Dave.
You might think I believe that you made that up.

I only asked for a link to proof that Mr. Trump said,  "We love the poorly educated!" (which is what you posted)

Do you have such a link? Either a press report, or a video, would suffice. Just wondering, was all. As of yet, I haven't seen/read one. But, of course, that doesn't me one doesn't exist. (the one Bea posted doesn't show what you posted)

Feb 26, 2016, 11:53am Permalink
Dave Meyer

Jeezus Ed....LET ME GOOGLE THAT FOR YOU. Are you completely helpless??
I assume you're a FOX news watcher....this had to be all over that. It was all over all of the netwoirks.
Below is a link to the idiot's speech after the Nevada primary. The section I'm quoting is at ~ 5:15 into it. I had to watch that long to find it...After that I went to the bathroom and vomited..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngk6tg8sWJw
Ed for the last time....I don't make this $hit up.

Feb 26, 2016, 2:08pm Permalink
Ed Hartgrove

Jee.. Jee.. Jeezus, Dave. Nope. I'm not helpless. But, when I quote someone, I don't change the words!

As I said in my LAST comment, (the one Bea posted doesn't show what you posted)

Ya might want to have your hearing checked. Mr. Trump DID NOT say (in the video you linked to) "We love the poorly educated!"
What he said was, "I love the poorly educated."

But, then, I figure you're probably one of those that listens to Hillary and Obama LIE straight-faced to the TV camera, and think nothing of it.

Again, please, if you're gonna quote someone, at least have the courtesy to quote them, and not change the words.

Feb 26, 2016, 3:25pm Permalink

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