Evidence that Trump isn't a "straight shooter," that he tailors his outspokenness to fit his audience
Donald Trump claims to be the true conservative in the Republican primary.
Trump in 2000: "The Republicans, especially those in Congress, are captives of their right wing."
-- Since 1990, for federal offices Trump has given $541,650 to Democrats and $429,450 to Republicans. it looks to be at least as lopsided for state offices.
-- A 2011 article in the Washington Post has this headline: "Trump’s donation history shows Democratic favoritism"
-- Trump has given between $100,000 and $250,000 to the Clinton Foundation.
-- Referring to his views on Obama in 2008, Trump said "I was his biggest cheerleader." In 2009, Trump said that he would "hire" Obama. That "he’s handled the tremendous mess he walked into very well.”
When Trump was toying with running as an independent in 2000, he attacked conservatives and liberals. He supports Democrats when it is in his interest and Republicans at other times.
He lauds Obama early during his presidency, but then when Trump was toying with running as a Republican in 2011 he goes after the nutty birther claims.
Other notes on Trump are available here.
Trump in 2000: "The Republicans, especially those in Congress, are captives of their right wing."
-- Since 1990, for federal offices Trump has given $541,650 to Democrats and $429,450 to Republicans. it looks to be at least as lopsided for state offices.
-- A 2011 article in the Washington Post has this headline: "Trump’s donation history shows Democratic favoritism"
The Democratic recipients of Trump’s donations make up what looks like a Republican enemies list, including former senator Hillary Rodham Clinton(N.Y.), Sen. John F. Kerry (Mass.), Rep. Charles B. Rangel (N.Y.), Sen. Charles E. Schumer (N.Y.) and the late liberal lion Edward M. Kennedy(Mass.).
The biggest recipient of all has been the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee of New York, which has taken in more than $125,000 from Trump and his companies. Overall, Trump has given nearly $600,000 to New York state campaigns, with more than two-thirds going to Democrats. . . .Donations to Ted Kennedy? John Kerry? All those donations would seem hard for a true "conservative" to explain.
-- Trump has given between $100,000 and $250,000 to the Clinton Foundation.
-- Referring to his views on Obama in 2008, Trump said "I was his biggest cheerleader." In 2009, Trump said that he would "hire" Obama. That "he’s handled the tremendous mess he walked into very well.”
When Trump was toying with running as an independent in 2000, he attacked conservatives and liberals. He supports Democrats when it is in his interest and Republicans at other times.
He lauds Obama early during his presidency, but then when Trump was toying with running as a Republican in 2011 he goes after the nutty birther claims.
Other notes on Trump are available here.
Labels: Donald Trump
posted by John Lott at 9:40 PM
3 Comments:
I was listening to one of his speeches and he came out and said this- that he supported a lot of different people, exactly like other business people in his class do. They pay off likely winners, so when they do win, there's a record somewhere that they've contributed.
This doesn't really reflect badly on him. Trump's 'badness' is already baked into the cake; instead, this sort of thing just reminds us how bad the politicians are- it doesn't matter if you vote for person x or y, because somebody like Trump has bought both of them off, and if it comes down to something you care about versus whatever the rich guy wants, well you are screwed.
He doesn't have to be a saint, he just has to be not-a-politician. And he has the additional capability of spending a lot of money to overcome the nasty crap the GOP pulled on Ron Paul and his supporters. Supporters the GOP lost, unilaterally, because they willfully broke their own rules for a big government type like Romney. Trump seems like a guy who could smash that up. And he's a lot more entertaining.
Thanks, August, but he isn't just giving them money. With the same enthusiasm he uses for all his statements, he claimed that those politicians were great. He supported gun control and now he claims that he is the best friend of gun owners. The point is: how can you believe anything he says? He convinces everyone that he believes everything he says, but he says everything on both sides of the issue. He says that he is a true conservative, but he has also said that conservatives are destroying the Republican party.
He's not popular because he is believable- he is popular because he is not any of the rabble he's running against. The very fact he's confrontational is a welcome relief- a lot of the candidates are governors- they have a right, backed up by the 10th amendment, the documents of the founding fathers, and the precedent of every state that legalized pot, to nullify the Supreme Court and refuse to issue marriage licenses for relationships that are not marriage.
But what did they all do?
They immediately turned to this pap about trying to protect us. They won't risk themselves to do the right thing; they also aren't going to risk themselves to protect us. They will let the Feds do what they want to us, just like was done with Terry Schaivo or Elian Gonzales, right under Jeb's nose. They may even help, as is done so often with the ridiculous number of S.W.A.T. team invasions into people's homes in this country.
This is just one issue. How about abortion? Taxation? Mitt Romneycare? Maybe some of the newer guys aren't as tainted, but, for instance, somebody like Cruz- he's going to be excluded, period. The leadership won't want him. That's why somebody went and sweet talked Walker off the fence in the first place.
Trump ain't what I want, but I've been watching the GOP for 25 years and it has had plenty of chances to deliver. It is good that they have a thorn in their side.
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