Trump

[Hoss]

The Trump-Hitler comparison is getting painfully obvious. It has to be a parody.

- never held elected office before
- wrote a bad book about what a great leader they are which clearly shows they have no idea what they are talking about
- blames immigrants for most problems (spreading crime and disease, ruining the economy!)
- one was an immigrant married to a native, the other is a native married to an immigrant
- in favor of registration of religious minorities
- vilifies the previous administration
- ultra nationalistic
- favors militaristic solutions to foreign affairs
- underdog candidate that no one took seriously
- both keep copies of Mein Kampf and My New Order on their nightstands (seriously, Trump used to keep the collected works of Adolf Hitler on his nightstand. I just assume Hitler did)

You can call Godwin all you want, but no one calls for a registry of a religious minority unless it is in jest.


Here are some fun quotes for you:

1. "Do not compare yourself to others. If you do, you are insulting yourself."

2. "If you tell a big enough lie and tell it frequently enough, people will believe it."

3. "Who says I am not under the special protection of God?"

4. "Just look at the bill of fare served up in our movies ... and theaters, and you will hardly be able to deny that this is not the right kind of stuff."

5. "If you win, you don't have to explain ... If you lose, you should not be there to explain!"

6. "I do not see why man shouldn't be as cruel as nature."

7. "The more economic difficulties increase, the more immigration will be seen as a burden."

8. "Great liars are also great magicians."

9. "I can fight only for something that I love, love only what I respect, and respect only what I at least know."

10. "Any alliance whose purpose is not to wage war is useless."

11. "Anyone who sees and paints a sky green and fields blue ought to be sterilized."

12. "Humanitarianism is the expression of stupidity and cowardice."

13. "How fortunate for governments that the people they administer don't think."

Yep, I've always thought that there was a difference in calling someone a Nazi because you're losing an argument (Godwining) or because you actually sound Nazi-like.  In this case, Trump is leaning toward the latter with the rhetoric he's spewing.

[swake]

I can care less about Trump.  But I'm surprised at how easily you are taken in by media sources which keep doing these constructs to make him fit the mold of the typical GOP bigot.  Try harder Patric.  There's plenty to not like about this guy without resorting to op-eds which mangle facts.

He's a DB, but the racist/xenophobe profile of the leading GOP candidate is getting old.  What is everyone going to do when Carson becomes the odds-on favorite and the media starts to paint him as a racist?

No, Trump is owning the whole rabid racist bit. He posted this little fact challenged facebook tidbit that looks like it came right from Stormfront:

[cannon_fodder]

Did you know that 90% of banks are owned by Jews?*

*made up number, but it supports my racist world view so I'm going to run with it [that's sarcasm for the idiots out there]
- - -

If you are trying to make a race baiting point, you don't need to fabricate numbers. Black crime statistics are a serious problem that should be addressed (as in, why is this group of our citizens stuck in a cycle of violence. What can we do to change it.). But to try to make it sound like white people are somehow at great threat by black people is about as bad as you can get...

Statistically, 14.7% of white murder victims were at the hands of black assailants. Not exactly the 80+% Trump claims.  All the numbers are wrong. But hey if it fits your narrative.

Coincidentally, the "statistic" from the non-existing SF report actually comes from a neo-nazi Twitter account. But Trump found it on the interweb, so it must be true! Seriously, this has to be like the time Kang and Kodos ran for President in the Simpsons.
- - -

Also - on my previous list of Trump vs. Hitler, I added "encourages supporters to beat up dissidents/protesters." God I hope they were wearing brown shirts.

[patric]

You can call Godwin all you want, but no one calls for a registry of a religious minority unless it is in jest.

Its not so much Trumps shock-jock style of acidic one-liners that so depressing, its how many potential voters are apparently wanting to embrace fascism.

[Townsend]

its how many potential voters are apparently wanting to embrace fascism.

They don't know the meaning, origin, spelling of the word.

[rebound]

They don't know the meaning, origin, spelling of the word.

And for a lot of Okies, that Lefty/Commie Woody Guthrie hated Fascists,  so they can't be all bad, right?   

[patric]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/compost/wp/2015/11/23/we-have-a-nazi-analogy-problem/

[TheArtist]

Very interesting.

http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2015/09/14/3701084/donald-trump/

"In his essay, Barthes contrasts pro wrestling to boxing.
This public knows very well the distinction between wrestling and boxing; it knows that boxing is a Jansenist sport, based on a demonstration of excellence. One can bet on the outcome of a boxing-match: with wrestling, it would make no sense. A boxing- match is a story which is constructed before the eyes of the spectator; in wrestling, on the contrary, it is each moment which is intelligible, not the passage of time... The logical conclusion of the contest does not interest the wrestling-fan, while on the contrary a boxing-match always implies a science of the future. In other words, wrestling is a sum of spectacles, of which no single one is a function: each moment imposes the total knowledge of a passion which rises erect and alone, without ever extending to the crowning moment of a result.
In the current campaign, Trump is behaving like a professional wrestler while Trump's opponents are conducting the race like a boxing match. As the rest of the field measures up their next jab, Trump decks them over the head with a metal chair.
Others in the Republican field are concerned with the rules and constructing a strategy that, under those rules, will lead to the nomination. But Trump isn't concerned with those things. Instead, Trump is focused on each moment and eliciting the maximum amount of passion in that moment. His supporters love it. "

The rest of the article puts up some more interesting tidbits.  Gives one an interesting lens through which to look at things.

[AquaMan]

After Trump's mocking of a disabled reporter he is history. The other's have been waiting for his moment thinking that his lies will catch up with him but its not truth his followers are interested in. They have already constructed their truths. But everyone has someone in their family or circle of friends who has some disability. Respectable people will not support Trump's lack of character. He has placed the noose of his own construction around his neck.

Kasich is still the most reasonable, experienced, level headed candidate the party could win with despite not being an "outsider".  A republican for sure but not a glory seeking, extremist, liar.

[Ed W]

And Kash doesn't have a prayer either. He tried to push some far right "reforms" as governor of Ohio and both the voters and the legislature pushed back. That makes him weak in the eyes of the party's ideologues.

[Conan71]

The last nail has been driven into Trump's coffin time after time, yet he still leads the polls.  He's the proverbial "turd in the punch bowl" or uninvited party guest.  No one professes to like him yet no one has managed to tune him out.  He's acerbic, politically-incorrect, obnoxious, and boorish.  He speaks his mind and apparently lacks any sort of filter.

I won't vote for him, but I think it's hilarious to watch him shake up the presidential election process.  Maybe it's time we re-evaluate why we keep electing people who are overly concerned about correctness and making sure they say everything the focus groups think they should.

[swake]

The last nail has been driven into Trump's coffin time after time, yet he still leads the polls.  He's the proverbial "turd in the punch bowl" or uninvited party guest.  No one professes to like him yet no one has managed to tune him out.  He's acerbic, politically-incorrect, obnoxious, and boorish.  He speaks his mind and apparently lacks any sort of filter.

I won't vote for him, but I think it's hilarious to watch him shake up the presidential election process.  Maybe it's time we re-evaluate why we keep electing people who are overly concerned about correctness and making sure they say everything the focus groups think they should.

It also speaks to most of his supporters being really horrible human beings.

[Ed W]

Here's an op-ed from the NY TIMES on Trump's version of a police state. Honestly, I think he believes the president's authority is limitless and he'd act accordingly.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/27/opinion/donald-trumps-police-state.html

[Vashta Nerada]

"You might not care if Donald Trump says Muslims should register with their government, because you're not one."

"And you might not care if Donald Trump says he's going to round up all the Hispanic immigrants, because you're not one. And you might not care if Donald Trump says it's okay to rough up black protesters, because you're not one. And you might not care if Donald Trump wants to suppress journalists, because you're not one. But think about this: If he keeps going, and he actually becomes president, he might just get around to you. And you better hope there's someone left to help you."
http://www.people.com/article/donald-trump-nazis-campaign-ad-john-kasich

[Conan71]

It also speaks to most of his supporters being really horrible human beings.

You mean like a table-full of people playing "Cards Against Humanity"?