Debate: Supreme Court and the Middle East
The Supreme Court question benefited Trump. While both hardcore liberals and hardcore conservatives are motivated by the Supreme Court issue to vote for Hillary or Trump, psychological research shows that people are far more motivated by potential losses than by potential gains. So losing the Supreme Court is more motivating to conservatives than gaining the Supreme Court is to liberals.
Furthermore, Trump is facing an insurrection within his own party much more so than Hillary. There are some disgruntled Bernie supporters, but that’s minor compared to the persistent #NeverTrumpers in the Republican Party, so every time there is a reminder about the Supreme Court, this benefits Trump.
Trump was also very smart to not say anything at all about abortion. Based on Pence’s performance in the vice presidential debate, if Pence were on stage he would not have been able to refrain from using that question as a platform to talk about fetuses. The hardcore conservatives who care about the Supreme Court don’t need to be reminded about abortion, but talking about it turns off many prole whites in Pennsylvania. A large percentage of those prole whites in Pennsylvania normally vote Democratic. Trump needs those votes.
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When the Trump haters say that Trump has no policies, they are obviously not paying attention to the foreign policy discussions at the debates, where Trump has a viewpoint that’s significantly different than mainstream Republican or Democratic thinking. I enjoyed it when Trump swatted away what Pence said in the vice presidential debate and reiterated a position he previously stated in primary debates, that we should let Assad and ISIS fight each other.
If there was an opportunity to remove Assad, that opportunity happened a few years ago and was bungled by the Obama administration and now appears to be off the table. It seems like the only way to have a government in Syria that’s neither Assad nor ISIS is for the U.S. to take over the country the way we did with Iraq, but no one wants to do that. Given the situation, Trump’s policy to let Assad and Putin reassert order over Syria is sensible and legitimate.
* * *
Both of these topics demonstrate what I’ve previously observed, that Pence is totally out of step with Trumpism and doesn’t even seem to get that he’s out of step. Nevertheless, Pence was still a good pick for VP. He’s been loyal to Trump in his own way, and his gravitas won the vice presidential debate.
Lion of the Blogosphere 
Lion, Not since Jim Jones persuaded his followers to drink the kool aid has there been a more complete and extreme Mass Suicide. It doesn’t matter where you stand on the issues, you have to admire and respect the success of the media in persuading the vast majority of University Educated whites to commit suicide.
Wencil Smith
October 11, 2016 at 12:02 PM
The crimes of Hitler have led large numbers of white elites (plus their brain-dead lemming-like followers) to embrace the white race is cancer worldview. This view is entirely glandular and not even remotely plausible, yet it’s managed to be viewed as the gospel truth by academics, the news media and Hollywood. To even question this thesis is evidence that one is irredeemably racist.
Lewis Medlock
October 11, 2016 at 2:24 PM
NW-European self-disgust precedes Hitler by at least a hundred years.
Garr
October 11, 2016 at 4:30 PM
Trump’s policy seems to be to let not just Assad and Russia but Iran as well have more control and influence in the Middle East.
Tom
October 11, 2016 at 12:18 PM
Making a deal with Russia could alleviate this.
IHTG
October 11, 2016 at 12:41 PM
What do you think the deal would look like?
Tom
October 11, 2016 at 2:03 PM
That’s what’s going to happen.
I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and I’ve gone wobbly. As awful as the thought is, Hillary will win.
If you look at the reactions to Trump, outside of the bubble of believers (which I admit I’ve been, off and on), it’s repugnance.
He’s not going to get that 45 million strong block of white voters who didn’t even come out to vote, to vote for him. Not even going to get 10%. Combine that with the disapproval from various GOP voters, and you spell epic disaster.
gothamette
October 11, 2016 at 1:10 PM
Ok, then go on predictit.org and put your money where your mouth is.
DdR
October 11, 2016 at 2:59 PM
I did, when I believed in Trump.
Got another brilliant question?
gothamette
October 11, 2016 at 4:12 PM
No Gothamette. Don’t lose hope till Nov 8. You heard Trump right. He said polls show him leading and we only believe him. It’s going to be a great night on Nov 8.
Wt
October 11, 2016 at 4:10 PM
No, he just doesn’t give a fuck. Well, I guess that amounts to “letting” stuff happen, but it’s not a policy. Which is fine. When the time comes for Iran to burn someone else will burn it. And he doesn’t give a fuck about that either, which I like.
Garr
October 11, 2016 at 1:16 PM
Other than the US or Russia, who could burn Iran without getting into a drawn out conflict? Burning Iran would require at least tacit support from either US or Russia.
Tom
October 11, 2016 at 2:05 PM
You know who could do it, Tom, and they don’t need any support from anybody. The “support” they’re getting from the US right now is just an anchor, and that’s what it’s intended to be.
Garr
October 11, 2016 at 2:20 PM
I’m not sure if Israel could do it without the situation turning into a wider, drawn out conflict. I think only the US or Russia, and probably only really the US, could.
Tom
October 11, 2016 at 3:26 PM
Tom, I said “burn”. It would take about 45 minutes.
Garr
October 11, 2016 at 4:28 PM
I’m not sure if Israel could do it without the situation turning into a wider, drawn out conflict.
Israel doesn’t need to have Iran burned to the ground. A narrowly focused Israeli airstrike that simply delays the Iranian nuclear program will be enough to keep them in check for years.
Denied nuclear weapons, Iran has no ability to seriously harm Israel. The most Iran could do is order Hezbollah to fire rockets into Israel and launch their own non-nuclear ballistic missiles. Neither would cause Israel to break a sweat, notwithstanding the media hysteria that would inevitably arise from this brief military exchange. The IDF is more than capable of shutting down Hezbollah in a few weeks and Israeli anti-missile systems would knock most Iranian missiles out of the sky.
All Israel would need from Trump is for him to not object while the IAF bombs Iran for a few days and then have his ambassadors veto any significant international sanctions against Israel.
The Undiscovered Jew
October 11, 2016 at 7:48 PM
Via fighting each other. Ie making even the “winner,” weaker. It’s the best available strategy.
dsgntd_plyr
October 11, 2016 at 1:23 PM
Are we not going to talk about the polls?
Trump, a New York Democrat surrounded by New York Democrats, is about to bring the entire GOP down with him.
Dub Be Good 2 Me
October 11, 2016 at 1:00 PM
What about them? You could show me one poll where Hillary’s in the lead (NBC poll) whereas I can show you one where Trump’s in the lead (USC . You need to look at the sampling in order to discern who’s got an agenda.
DdR
October 11, 2016 at 3:04 PM
Lion- could you post on the electoral college math? Seen a lot of MSM posts saying Trump’s path is mathematically impossible (most recently Ryan Holiday). Thanks
Pete M
October 11, 2016 at 1:05 PM
What do you think he’ll win?
DdR
October 11, 2016 at 3:02 PM
Unfortunately, nevertrump appears to hate trump with so much passion they’re willing to throw away the scotus.
I don’t understand that mindset.
dsgntd_plyr
October 11, 2016 at 1:25 PM
So many NeverTrump losers and defeatists here. Sad. The polls are rigged, they recently released a poll claiming Hillary was ahead by 11 points! LMAO. Turns out the poll was conducted by a Hillary Super-pac. Yeah, that’ll be an honest poll. All the negativity towards Trump is agit-prop designed to confuse and weaken his supporters. Don’t fall for such nonsense.
https://theconservativetreehouse.com/2016/10/11/media-polling-fully-exposed-about-that-nbcwsj-clinton-11-point-poll/#more-123009
Here’s something to think about, would the NeverTrumpers like Ryan be going to such extremes to undermine Trump if they knew he was gonna lose? No, they would just sit back, smirk and enjoy the show. They have no problem working with Hillary, they are all charter members of the rigged system. Their desperation shows that Trump is winning.
JimBonobo
October 11, 2016 at 2:04 PM
Here’s something to think about, would the NeverTrumpers like Ryan be going to such extremes to undermine Trump if they knew he was gonna lose? No, they would just sit back, smirk and enjoy the show.
They want his failure to have as little negative impact on them as possible.
Magnavox
October 11, 2016 at 2:48 PM
one poll, the poll you cited, might be rigged. are they all rigged? when people are resorting to the “all the evidence from multiple sources all showing the same thing is wrong” claim, anybody trying to make a prudential determination based on probabilistic judgment would be best to assume the exact opposite of what those people are saying. nobody here is spreading agitprop man. its time to step out of the bubble and just face whats most likely to happen. it sucks. it really is disappointing. the implications are bad. but on the basis of the evidence, donald trump is not going to win this election.
james n.s.w
October 11, 2016 at 3:02 PM
Yes all polls are rigged except ones showing trump ahead. It’s going to be epic on Nov 8 night.
#MAGA #MakeAmericaGropeAgain
Wt
October 11, 2016 at 4:08 PM
Magnavox said:
“They want his failure to have as little negative impact on them as possible.”
that doesn’t make any sense. If that were true, they would be trying to minimize the magnitude of the candidate’s loss (like they did with McCain and Romney) in order to limit down ballot damage. They wouldn’t be conspiring with the other party to destroy their own party’s nominee. Use some common sense here.
JimBonobo
October 11, 2016 at 3:11 PM
Hummm I think they might have a reason do go for a major GOP loss. They want to repudiate Trump and civic nationalism, they want GOP voters to feel so burned, they never try this again, or at least don’t try it for 8 years, whereupon the demographics of the country shift enough that even the conventional GOP can’t win.
Economic Sophisms
October 11, 2016 at 3:49 PM
I’ve been fascinated by the #nevertrump phenomenon. I’ve not seen any equivalent in my lifetime. There isn’t even a #neverhillary contingent among Democrats, and she’s a lying felon. It boils down I think to the #nevertrumpers hating the faction that Trump appeals to, working class whites. It’s more globalism/nationalism than left/right and when you get right down to it, Ryan and his ilk would rather have a Hillary than a Trump.
Mike Street Station
October 12, 2016 at 6:48 PM
And because Trump behaves in a LOW CLASS manner. It’s his LOW CLASS manner that really disgusts the upper classes.
Lion of the Blogosphere
October 12, 2016 at 6:59 PM
Yes there is definitely a class conflict. Trump represents the worst kind of prole to the #nevertrumps; a prole with a billionaire wallet.
Mike Street Station
October 12, 2016 at 8:14 PM
NeverTrump has four factions. 1) billionaires and business interest who want open borders, H1B’s and outsourcing 2) GOP establishment politicians, lobbyists, pundits etc who depend on them and the MSM for their livelihoods 3) libertarians who wrap themselves in the constitution and 4) religious extremists. Faction 1 is paying faction 2 to sabotage Trump by inciting factions 3 and 4 against him. There is no similar contingent of NeverHillary because the Democrat establishment supports her.
NeverTrump pundits are political prostitutes. NeverTrump voters are too stupid to see through it.
destructure
October 12, 2016 at 9:18 PM
The LA times poll has Trump ahead now and for most of the race. It was accurate in 2012. If you are not a paid Hillary shill don’t act like one.
JimBonobo
October 11, 2016 at 3:39 PM