US Presidential election 2016

Two of our greatest Presidents - JFK and Ronald Reagan - were unfaithful to their wives. We are not in a position to judge them in their personal lives.

We can, however, judge the candidates on their STATED POSITIONS in the campaign now in 2016. What they believed or said in 1999 is irrelevant to this election. There is no reason to believe that Trump's STATED POSITIONS on the issues are not genuine. I take ALL the candidates on their word when they state their positions. I don't agree with all their positions but I do take them at their word that they mean what they say. You take the very curious position, Beth, of not even taking Trump at his word. And yet you give a free pass to Cruz's cheating and lying BEHAVIOR in Iowa as well as Marco Rubio's warmongering BEHAVIOR (aka voting record) on Syria, his belligerent tone towards Russia, his readiness to increase arms to the Kiev Junta, and his recent lies regarding what Trump actually said regarding Israel and the Healtcare Mandate. You act like Cruz and Rubio are morally superior to Trump, Beth, all evidence to the contrary.

 

The Litigious — and Bullying — Mr. Trump

Read more at: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/431575/donald-trump-tim-obrien-courtroom-story

 

Last time I checked Trump was putting up his own money, not taking special interest money. When was the last time that happened?

 

Certainly, I think that a person's previous life and expressed character is relevant to one seeking the Presidency. We can also judge their stated positions, as you said. We can also judge whether or not we believe their stated positions. I do not agree with you on taking all candidates at their word when they state their positions. If my political experience has taught me anything, it's that often you can't believe a politician's stated positions. Very often, they are just trying to find the magic combination of positions that will get them elected.

 

Perhaps the last time an ultra-rich person ran....Ross Perot?

 

Trump was right: that O'Brien was out to slime him. Just like this NYT hit piece by Ian Tuttle. I want my time back after reading this NYT hit piece: it promised early on that Trump was "humiliated" but it never delivered on that promise. Instead, the legend of Trump has only grown stronger. Strange how that works. Maybe Tuttle is secretly working for Trump.

 

Old Ross Perot. I didn't realize he self-funded his campaign. Of course, I never really paid much attention to him. He never had a chance.

 

I start with the proposition that people usually mean what they say. Of course, we must give reasons for why we either agree or disagree with what they say.

For example, when Rubio says that he favors regime change in Syria or when he says he favors increasing arms to the Kiev Junta, I take him at his word. Of course, I think he is dangerously wrong. But I don't say that Rubio secretly holds the opposite position of his stated public policy. But that is exactly what Beth says of Trump. It is a cheap and fallacious way of avoiding the issues.

 

Sorry Richard...

TRUMP IS A SERIAL CHEATER ....CHARACTER MATTER...THIS IS HOW TRUMP OPERATES AT EVER LEVEL!


TRUMP BRAGGED HOW HE CHEATED WITH MARRIED Women...not just his wives!

He put strip joints in his casinos. On and on and on...

But trump doesn't need to ask God for forgiveness, because he sees himself as not needing forgiveness. What kind of human being thinks like that? Seriously flawed person to lead the free world!

Follow
Ben Sasse

✔‎@BenSasse
.@realDonaldTrump
Q4: You brag abt many affairs w/ married women. Have you repented? To harmed children & spouses? Do you think it 9:13 PM - 24 Jan 2016

The reality TV star Trump has often bragged about the women whom he has slept with, including married ones, and Sasse didn’t pull any punches with his fourth question.

http://thefederalist.com/2016/01/25...ould-answer-before-conservatives-support-him/

Senator Has 5 Questions Trump Should Answer Before Conservatives Support Him
We're still waiting on his answers.
JANUARY 25, 2016 By The Federalist Staff
While taking a break from watching the NFL playoffs, Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) tossed a few questions to Donald Trump via Twitter Sunday night.

 

I wouldn't say that Trump secretly holds the opposite position. I'd just say that I thoroughly distrust him to the point where I have no idea what his real position is, or if he even has a real position.

 

I'd say his position is quite simple: he loves his country, see's it being destroyed (by a monster he helped create), and feels he has a duty to try and correct the situation. Unlike most of us, he actually has the money to realistically do something about it and run for President. He's a Scottish-Teuton on a mission. Hillary don't stand a chance.

 

JFK was also unfaithful. So was Ronald Reagan.

If the rumors I am hearing about Cruz and Rubio in their early days are true, it would make Trump look like a hermit. But they aren't fit to print here.

 

I watched that rally online the Candain poster spoke about.

This protester started throwing fists on the way out. Trumps reply everyone laughed about is true. Not so long ago if you got out of line cops would give ya a good smack.
My dad used to tell me stories when he was a kid growing up in NY City, if you got out of line the Irish cops walking the beat would pull a wise guy into the alley way .
Knuckle sandwhich free of charge. Cops can barely say boo now...

As far as this snake episode, i don't know what that's about, didn't happen at any rally I watched
Didn't Canada just elect a Bernie sanders type by the way?
lol

 

View attachment 4415 Why not to vote for a Trump....



Dear Faithful Catholics,

CV cannot remain on the sidelines any longer.

As Iowans prepare to cast the first votes in the 2016 nomination process, we owe you our thoughts. While we are not officially endorsing a candidate at this time, we believe it is important to share some critical thoughts on the race, or at least on one candidate in particular.

As Catholics, we are called to participate in the democratic process. The Church does not endorse candidates for public office. That job rests with us, the laity. No candidate is perfect, and no simple checklist is sufficient. Prudence is a necessity. Some candidates ought to be disqualified from receiving the support of a Catholic voter. Others must be weighed in light of the moral principles given to us by our Church.

We have asked for your feedback on multiple occasions. Thousands of CV members have written. We’ve read them all. In addition we follow the daily news, analysis, polling, and have crafted our strategy for 2016.

And so today we begin with the elephant in the room.

Should Catholics support Donald Trump? No.

We have sifted through the most popular arguments in defense of Trump and listed them below along with our own take. Here they are:

1. “Trump is a leader we can trust”

While we share much of the frustration over the failure of the GOP to make significant progress, we are reminded of Republicans' once oft-quoted criticism of President Bill Clinton: character matters.

Donald J. Trump left his first wife and married his mistress, only to leave her a few years later for another mistress. Reportedly he left his second wife by leaking the news to a NY newspaper and left the headline on the bed for his wife to find. In his book, The Art of the Deal, Trump bragged about having sex with many women, including some who were married. He has appeared on the cover of Playboy Magazine with a model wearing only his tuxedo jacket. He has mocked the disability of a NY Times reporter. He belittled John McCain for being a prisoner of war. His casino in Atlantic City was the first in the country to open up a strip club. His Twitter account is a running barrage of insults, lies, and personal attacks on anyone who disagrees with him. And did we mention he famously cheats at golf? Now who does that remind you of?

Now ask yourself: does this man have the character becoming of the President of the United States?

2. “Trump can’t be bought because he is rich!”

Trump is a salesmen, and salesmen don’t buy, they sell. So he won’t be “bought.” Instead he will sell out everyone and anyone when it benefits him, as he has his entire career. He was a liberal democrat, pro-abortion, pro-gay marriage, pro-universal health care, pro-government bailouts, and a financial backer and friend of Hillary Clinton until he decided to run as a Republican last summer. He is the definition of an opportunist with no guiding principles.

 

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3. “Trump is a leader who will get things done”

Trump markets himself as an effective leader who will get things done simply by making “smart deals.” He refuses to explain precisely how he intends to deliver results, and more often than not, promises to use force or work around or outside the law. Such a leader mirrors what we currently see in the White House. It would be incredibly harmful to our system of government, which is limited by our Constitution -- even if we like the policy outcome. We must be a nation of laws. For Trump, it is all about power. For a Christian, the presidency should be about service.

4. “Trump is a successful businessman who will make great deals”

If you believe the headlines, you would assume everything Donald Trump touches turns to gold. Not so. Trump has only demonstrated an ability to make deals that benefit him personally. Four times he bailed on his own casinos to shield himself from their impending bankruptcies. And then there is Trump Magazine, Trump Airlines, Trump Steaks/Steakhouse, Trump Vodka, and most famously Trump University, to name only a few -- all bankrupt or closed, and massive failures. “Losers” as Trump is fond of saying.

He has constantly cozied up to big government to trample the little guy, either by abusing private property rights, or selling out small contractors and vendors, many of whom lost their life savings. Just ask elderly widow Vera Coking, whom Trump attempted to displace via eminent domain laws to make way for a limousine parking lot for his New Jersey casino -- the same casino he put into bankruptcy. Vera stood tall against the politically-connected billionaire Trump for years in court, enduring his practice of belittling personal attac

 

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5. “Trump will end illegal immigration”

Trump has pledged to build a massive wall on our southern border and to make Mexico pay for it. Meanwhile he has promised to deport 11 million+ illegals, without explaining how, then plans to allow them all back in legally according to criteria he has yet to fully explain.

We agree illegal immigration is a problem that must be solved. Trump’s solution is delusional, strikes us as xenophobic -- and truthfully, will never happen. If anything, Trump’s demagoguery on immigration showcases the emptiness of many of his promises. As President Obama has learned, American presidents don’t dictate laws. The Senate and House would have to pass any change of this magnitude, and such a solution has little to no chance of being approved. Border security and immigration enforcement are realistic fixes. Rounding up 11 million+ people and sending them back to Mexico is not practical or realistic, let alone humane. Those who rightfully want to solve the problem of illegal immigration deserve more than crowd pleasing platitudes. And it’s certainly worth noting that Donald Trump criticized Mitt Romney for being too harsh on immigration back in 2012. This is just another issue where Donald Trump had a very recent and rather convenient conversion.

Several other presidential candidates have outlined more realistic policies to deal with problem. And that’s what real leaders do. They outline solutions and build consensus. Hyperbole and demagoguery are tools of salesmen (see above) out for your money or your vote. Trump’s lack of detail reminds us of another famous politician who proclaimed: “we have to pass the bill before you can see what’s in it.”

6. “Trump will fight the Establishment!”

This defense of Trump is somewhat rich, given the irony that Trump himself has boasted of playing the game, paying off politicians and enriching himself from the very system he now purports to reform. Case in point: in the past week a growing number of so-called “establishment Republicans” have warmed to supporting Trump, people like Bob Dole and Trent Lott -- including establishment Republicans in Iowa like Gov. Terry Branstad. Why? Because they believe, rightly in our view, that Trump doesn’t have any principles at the end of the day. He’s someone who will wheel and deal -- and you and I will be stuck with the bill.

Electing Donald Trump would send the pro-life movement back to the 1990s, when the Republican Party wanted to run away from defending the unborn. In fact, Trump recommended his own sister, Maryanne Trump Berry, for the Supreme Court. She’s the federal judge who overturned New Jersey’s ban on grisly partial-birth abortions. The next President may choose as many as three or more new justices. Trump’s suggestion of his pro-abortion sister as an example ought to worry anyone who cares about the Court. And let’s not forget he once said Oprah would make a great Vice President. Enough said.

 

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7. “Trump is one of us”

Trump’s political conversions have all happened at very convenient times. As recently as 2000, Trump was firmly “pro-choice,” even refusing to oppose partial birth abortion! He was in favor of gay civil unions. He is open, even now, to subsidizing abortion giant Planned Parenthood with our tax dollars. He considers gay marriage a settled issue and has offered no plan to protect religious freedom. He is pro-universal health care, supported the stimulus package and government bailouts, supported gun control and a host of radical positions. Trump is like many Democrats we know. He is a political opportunist.

Conclusion

Trump is right about something -- it is time for a change. We do need to shake things up and make America great again. And his awakening of working class voters who are often sidelined by terrible policy and poor leadership is a lesson every Republican must take seriously or they will lose in November.

But the power to change does not require a fear mongering business mogul, appealing to our worst fears instead of our best hopes.

With other good candidates in the race, we encourage our members to look beyond Trump.

This is an historic opportunity to win back the White House with someone we can be proud to have as President.

Iowa, New Hampshire... we’re looking to you to lead the way.

Brian

 

Sounds like propaganda straight out of the Cruz/Rubio campaign. Let me guess, this "Brian" wants us to nominate the proven cheater Cruz or the warmonger Rubio. In other words, this "Brian" wants Hillary to win. Figures.

 

Oh my gosh, how pathetically desperate you are to post that "you heard stories" about Cruz and Rubio. Looks like slander to me...pm me the links ...this is such trash I don't know why I even bother!

Looks like your falling into the same camp as Trump...do or say anything !

You say you heard rumors of Cruz and Rubio in their early days....Really...let us hear about those rumors...define early days Richard? Say, early like Trumps recent multiple affairs cheating on all of his multiple wives with other married women...as Both a young married man and now an older man? Stories like that Richard??? Hummmmm. Funny, I'm looking at political stuff all the time...never did see those rumors about Cruz or Rubio marital infidelities....hummmm?



I post what is widely , printed and known facts about Trump. Trump himself BRAGGS about how immoral his behavior is...he's proud of it, doesn't need to ask God for forgiveness.....as he doesn't see his behavior as wrong.

Because no matter what he does, or how he does it, trump thinks that the ends justify the means.....and the means are getting anything and everything he wants!

And this is YOUR GUY?

 

No, Brian sees the truth....as do the ProLife organizations....trump is soooo bad that the motto, "ANYONE BUT TRUMP" is a better alternative!

How do you not see this? Makes one wonder how even good people , needing a revolution, will be so desperate, that they could accept this seriously flawed candidate....and try to defend him? What spirit is at work here that men could be so deceived...you gotta wonder....