Thread: Can Trump be stopped?

Pat Buchanan: Rubio is establishment's last best hope against The Donald

Published: 3 hours ago
Patrick J. Buchanan

Three months ago, this writer sent out a column entitled, “Could Trump win?” meaning the Republican nomination.

Today even the Trump deniers concede the possibility.

And the emerging question has become: “Can Trump be stopped? And if so, where, and by whom?”

Consider the catbird seat in which The Donald sits.

An average of national polls puts him around 30 percent, trailed by Dr. Ben Carson with about 20 percent. No other GOP candidate gets double digits.

Trump is leading Carson in Iowa, running first in New Hampshire, crushing the field in Nevada and South Carolina. These are the first four contests. In Florida, Trump’s support exceeds that of ex-Gov. Jeb Bush and Sen. Marco Rubio combined.

If these polls don’t turn around, big time, Trump is the nominee.

And with Thanksgiving a month off, then the Christmas season, New Year’s, college football playoffs and NFL playoffs, the interest of the nation will drift away, again and again, from politics.

Voting begins Feb. 1 in Iowa. Super Bowl Sunday is Feb. 7. And the New Hampshire primary will likely be on Tuesday, Feb. 9.

We are only three months out, and Trump still holds the high cards.

After months of speeches and TV appearances, he is a far more disciplined campaigner and communicator. In a year when a huge slice of the nation is disgusted with political correctness, wants to dethrone the establishment, wipe the slate clean and begin anew with someone fresh, Trump is in the pole position.

His issues – secure the border, send illegal immigrants back, renegotiate rotten trade deals that shipped our jobs abroad – are more in tune with the national mood than pro-amnesty, Obamatrade or NAFTA.

Wall Street Journal conservatism is in a bear market.

Trump says he will talk to Vladimir Putin, enforce the nuclear deal with Iran, not tear it up on Inauguration Day, and keep U.S. troops out of Syria. And South Korea should pay more of the freight and provide more of the troops for its own defense.

A nationalist, and a reluctant interventionist, if U.S. interests are not imperiled, Trump offers a dramatic contrast to the neocons and Hillary Clinton, the probable Democratic nominee. She not only voted for the Iraq war Trump opposed, but she helped launch the Libyan war.

The lights are burning late tonight in the suites of the establishment. For not since Sen. Barry Goldwater won the California primary in 1964 have their prospects appeared so grim.

Can Trump be stopped?

Absent some killer gaffe or explosive revelation, he will have to be stopped in Iowa or New Hampshire. A rival will have to emerge by then, strong enough and resourced enough to beat him by March.

The first hurdle for the establishment in taking down Trump is Carson. In every national poll, he is second. He’s sitting on the votes the establishment candidate will need to overtake Trump.

Iowa is the ideal terrain for a religious-social conservative to upset Trump, as Mike Huckabee showed in 2008 and Rick Santorum in 2012.

But Carson has pre-empted part of the evangelical and social conservative vote. Moreover, Sen. Ted Cruz, an anti-establishment man, is working Iowa and has the forensic abilities to rally social conservatives.

Should Trump fall, and his estate go to probate, Cruz’s claim would seem superior to that of any establishment favorite.

Indeed, for an establishment-backed candidate – a Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, John Kasich, Chris Christie, Bobby Jindal – to win Iowa, he must break out of the single-digit pack soon, fend off Cruz, strip Carson of part of his following, then overtake Trump. A tall order.

Yet, the battle to consolidate establishment support has begun. And despite his name, family associations, size of his super PAC, Jeb has lost ground to Marco Rubio. Look to Marco to emerge as the establishment’s last best hope to take down Trump.

But if Trump wins in Iowa, he wins in New Hampshire.

The Iowa Caucuses then, the first contest, may well be decisive. If not stopped there, Trump may be unstoppable. Yet, as it is a caucus state where voters stick around for hours before voting, organization, intensity and endless labor can pay off big against a front-runner.

In Iowa, for example, Ronald Reagan was defeated by George H.W. Bush in 1980. Vice President Bush was defeated by Bob Dole and Pat Robertson in 1988. Reagan and Bush I needed and managed comeback victories in New Hampshire. One cannot lose Iowa and New Hampshire.

Thus, today’s task for the Republican establishment.

Between now and March, they must settle on a candidate, hope his rivals get out of the race, defeat Trump in one of the first two contests, or effect his defeat by someone like Carson, then pray Trump will collapse like a house of cards.

The improbabilities of accomplishing this grow by the week and will soon start looking, increasingly, like an impossibility – absent the kind of celestial intervention that marked the career of the late Calvin Coolidge.

http://www.wnd.com/2015/10/can-trump-be-stopped/

I don't think Trump can be stopped, because I don't believe most Americans want to stop him. They want our borders secured, illegal aliens deported, trade inequities corrected, jobs brought back, income rising, better benefits, less poverty, less welfare, less taxes, less debt, less war, less spending on things that don't benefit all of us, Americans have always wanted what Trump is offering to do for US, always, so now is no different. The only different today than before is we have a candidate who actually wants to do what we want and need for our country and citizens. Why would Americans, any American, want to stop that? Why would anyone even take the time to write an article that would try to show people how to stop that?

Shame on you, Pat Buchanan! Shame On You!

HAHAHA! THIS IS FUNNY. KID MARCO V. NYC MEGA BILLIONAIRE FOX!!

Judy wrote:

Shame on you, Pat Buchanan! Shame On You!

Why should Pat Buchanan be ashamed? I viewed the article more as a positive for Trump vice a negative. Besides that, it was just his appraisal of the situation as he sees it. Nope, nothing there for him to be ashamed of.

Pat Buchanan wrote:

Thus, today’s task for the Republican establishment.

Between now and March, they must settle on a candidate, hope his rivals get out of the race, defeat Trump in one of the first two contests, or effect his defeat by someone like Carson, then pray Trump will collapse like a house of cards.

If Trump collapses, our country collapses. This is not an article that should have been written by Pat Buchanan, unless of course Pat Buchanan was never Pat Buchanan to begin with. And these days, that would not be surprising to learn at all. After all, we just leaned recently that Paul Ryan, the VP pick of Mitt Romney was Mr. Amnesty, Mr. More Immigration and Mr. Free Trade Whatever It Costs, which means Mitt Romney was also.

RELATED: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/pa...rticle/2574454

This weekend was an inflection point in the Republican presidential race — a moment in which some significant part of the GOP establishment came out of denial and realized Donald Trump might well become their party's nominee.
"The Republican establishment, for the first time, is saying, off the record, this guy can win," noted Joe Scarborough on MSNBC Monday morning. "I've heard that from everybody. I don't hear anybody saying he can't win the nomination anymore."
That doesn't mean Republicans have made their peace with a Trump victory. On the contrary — some are preparing to do whatever it takes to bring him down. Which could lead to an extraordinary scenario in which GOP stalwarts go to war to destroy their own party's likely nominee.
Related Story: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/article/2574118/
Over the weekend I talked to a leading conservative who opposes Trump. I asked what would happen if January comes and Trump is still dominating the race. Would he and other conservatives make their peace with Trump's candidacy, or would there be massive resistance?


More from the Washington Examiner
NY Times wants to strip 'alien' from immigration laws



"Massive resistance," was the answer. "He's not a conservative."
Insiders have watched as Trump defied what many believed were immutable laws of the political universe. First they thought Trump wouldn't run. Then they thought voters wouldn't take a reality-TV star seriously. Then they thought gaffes would kill Trump as they had other candidates. None of that turned out as expected.
But there is one belief Trump has not yet tested, and that is the political insiders' unshakeable faith that negative ads work.
"I don't think Trump can withstand 10,000 points of smart negative in Iowa and New Hampshire," says one veteran Republican strategist who is not affiliated with any campaign. "It would force him to spend money. That's when this starts to get real for him." ("Points" refers to gross ratings points, a way of measuring TV ad buys; 10,000 points would be a really big buy, meaning the average viewer would see an anti-Trump ad many, many times.)
There is no central anti-Trump conspiracy. But one group that would like to play a leading role in taking him down is the Club for Growth. In September, the Club ran two ads against Trump in Iowa — 2,000 points — with one arguing that Trump is not a true conservative and the other hitting Trump for his support of the Supreme Court's Kelo decision on eminent domain.

Also from the Washington Examiner
Trump on talking heads: 'They don't understand about winning'

By Eddie Scarry
• 10/20/15 8:28 AM



"We primed the pump with our ads in Iowa," says Club president David McIntosh. "We did some polling afterward. The ads flipped Trump from first to second place among caucus-goers and put a dent in his approval rating."
McIntosh is looking for donors to fund an anti-Trump campaign that would hit hard in the month before voting begins. It might be a Club for Growth production, or it might be a combination of efforts. "There is no other group that has decided to do it," says McIntosh. "There are a large number of donors and political activists who want to do it."
The triggers for the anti-Trump onslaught would likely be: 1) if next month arrives with Trump still in the lead, and 2) if Trump begins airing his own ads. "Once that starts, you'll see a lot of people saying we've waited long enough," notes McIntosh.
While that is going on, officials at the Republican National Committee vow to stay out of things. Asked what role the RNC might play in any movement against Trump, strategist and spokesman Sean Spicer said, "None. None. Zero. It is up to Republican voters to decide who our nominee is, not the RNC." Indeed, other sources inside the RNC say chairman Reince Priebus has stressed to staff that they must stay out of candidate fights.
The anti-Trump campaign will face several challenges. The biggest is the voters who support Trump. Conservative groups like the Club believe they can convince those voters that Trump is not a true conservative. Perhaps they can. But what if a large number of his voters are not wed to conservative orthodoxy as defined by Washington-based organizations?

Also from the Washington Examiner
By Kelly Cohen
• 10/20/15 8:21 AM



The other problem is Trump himself. If he decides to spend serious money on his campaign — and some GOP veterans still aren't convinced he will — he can launch a serious counterpunch to any anti-Trump campaign.
And then there is the fact that Trump is improving as a candidate. Just look at Sunday's interview on "Fox News Sunday" in which he was sharp, focused, and forceful. A talented candidate who does something over and over again will get better at it. Trump is better than he was just a month ago, which is not good news for his opponents.
Some anti-Trump Republicans still harbor hope Trump will begin to fade all by himself. Yes, Trump, who has been atop the RealClearPolitics average of national polls for three months straight, has outlasted the various flavor-of-the-months from the 2012 GOP race. But opponents point out that Rudy Giuliani led the poll average for an incredibly long time four years earlier — from February 2007 to January 2008 — before sinking when voting actually began. Their hope is the same will happen to Trump.
It could. But a closer look at the 2007-2008 polls shows that Giuliani was almost always trailing in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina. And of course, ignoring the early states killed his candidacy. Trump, on the other hand, is on top in those three states, plus Nevada — all the states that will vote first in February. His organization is growing. He is hiring smart operatives. The Giuliani analogy doesn't apply.
Which makes it more likely that the anti-Trump forces will ultimately have to take it on themselves to go on the attack. Their core belief is that Trump cannot withstand a long and withering bombardment of negative ads. But core beliefs have been cast aside repeatedly in this race. That might happen again.

Good article, realbsball. And what we need to remember is this so-called "Establishment" isn't Republicans, per se, it's Globalists, those are the ones who are "anti-Trump", the ones who have hijacked our nation with their open borders and free trade crap, something Republicans never ever supported. That Club for Growth ... evil hacks for evil people.

Trump will turn them to toast, crumple them up into bread crumbs and sling them out the window to feed the crows.

These shysters have met their dragon-slayer.

GO TRUMP!!

Originally Posted by Judy

If Trump collapses, our country collapses. This is not an article that should have been written by Pat Buchanan, unless of course Pat Buchanan was never Pat Buchanan to begin with. And these days, that would not be surprising to learn at all. After all, we just leaned recently that Paul Ryan, the VP pick of Mitt Romney was Mr. Amnesty, Mr. More Immigration and Mr. Free Trade Whatever It Costs, which means Mitt Romney was also.

Just his view ..... doesn't mean he supports the so-called establishment's candidate of choice. Pat Buchanan has been extremely vocal in his opposition to excessive immigration and illegal immigration. Of course that is something you should already know, but just in case you didn't:

http://www.ontheissues.org/Celeb/Pat...mmigration.htm

Just because one of our adamant friends shares an appraisal isn't justification to blast and shame them. Would you do that to one of your personal friends? Furthermore, Buchanan is also where you want him to be on trade issues:

http://www.ontheissues.org/Celeb/Pat...Free_Trade.htm

What's not to love about Pat Buchanan where two of our most important issues are concerned?

Sometimes it's best to just say nothing at all. In other words, choose your battles. Attacking Pat Buchanan is not a winning battle when it comes to immigration.

MW wrote:

What's not to love about Pat Buchanan where two of our most important issues are concerned?

His article.

His article is a push for Marco Rubio.

Indeed, for an establishment-backed candidate – a Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, John Kasich, Chris Christie, Bobby Jindal – to win Iowa, he must break out of the single-digit pack soon, fend off Cruz, strip Carson of part of his following, then overtake Trump. A tall order.

Yet, the battle to consolidate establishment support has begun. And despite his name, family associations, size of his super PAC, Jeb has lost ground to Marco Rubio. Look to Marco to emerge as the establishment’s last best hope to take down Trump.

But if Trump wins in Iowa, he wins in New Hampshire.

The Iowa Caucuses then, the first contest, may well be decisive. If not stopped there, Trump may be unstoppable. Yet, as it is a caucus state where voters stick around for hours before voting, organization, intensity and endless labor can pay off big against a front-runner.

In Iowa, for example, Ronald Reagan was defeated by George H.W. Bush in 1980. Vice President Bush was defeated by Bob Dole and Pat Robertson in 1988. Reagan and Bush I needed and managed comeback victories in New Hampshire. One cannot lose Iowa and New Hampshire.

Thus, today’s task for the Republican establishment.

Between now and March, they must settle on a candidate, hope his rivals get out of the race, defeat Trump in one of the first two contests, or effect his defeat by someone like Carson, then pray Trump will collapse like a house of cards.

As far as I'm concerned, just my opinion only of course, Chris Wallace's statement 3 days ago following his interview with Trump was far more a friend to our cause than this article Pat Buchanan wrote 1 day ago raising the question of whose friend is Pat, really?

After the interview Chris Wallace told his panel,

“All of us dismissed Trump early on. A summer fling, momentary amusement. As I watch that interview and I heard what he had to say about the country and about trade and about losing and just the sheer force of his personality, I am beginning to believe he could be elected president of the United States.”

Boom.

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2015...-states-video/

Articles that provide any type of encouragement, hope, prayers, guide, let alone an appraised road map to pro-amnesty competition in the race for President by Pat Buchanan or any other Republican is a recipe for their own irrelevancy.

Judy
I lie your post . no trump can not be stop he know our country is in a mess he said that him self . obama did this to,our country & now he ship allof our guy over sea I say he want to kill all of our guy be for he out . & now he let all of the jail bird free . to run our street.
why don't he let all of the other jail bird's free . SB obama your no good