MSNBC’s Ed Schultz argues that Donald Trump is the Republican Party’s best option in 2016 because of his “unparalleled” history of success in the business world:
“I know everybody thinks that Trump is a joke and he jumps in front of the parade all the time and is a carnival barker and all that kind of stuff, but if it is about the economy, he’s created more jobs than any of them, than all of the candidates put together. He’s done more deals, he’s signed more contracts, he has the business experience, he’s the guy who’s taking the risk, he’s the guy who has been successful. I mean, Trump’s business experience, compared to the rest of the Republican field, is unparalleled, so why don’t they listen to him?”
Why is Trump a joke for president? Well, there is, no doubt, an array of persuasive answers to that query, but let’s first check in with a guy named Ed Schultz and this 2011 column titled, “Why Donald Trump for President Is a Joke:”
Donald Trump continues to parade himself around the media as if people in this country actually care about his potential candidacy in 2012. I don’t think they do. This is a circus and it’s fake.
Trump gives public service a bad image. It’s not about flash, it’s not about wealth, and it’s not about hairstyle. It’s about doing something for people and being an advocate for the community you represent. Trump, well, he’s done none of that… ever.
Agreed. If there’s one thing that should bring this country together–right and left, black and white–it’s a sweeping rejection of another fake Donald Trump presidential vanity run. But yet, every four years America is subjected to a charade that allows the media to call Trump a “conservative” and allows Trump to hock whatever it is he’s hocking these days.
I guess @edshow is a lot smarter than dopes like @JonahNRO & @stephenfhayes. Oh well, both mags are dying anyway. http://t.co/KzwmixmfW4
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 21, 2015
Chew over this for a moment: there is a prospective Republican candidate that believes Ed Schultz is smarter than Jonah Goldberg and Stephen Hayes.
Well, “prospective.” Well, “prospective” and “Republican.” After offering what must have been one of the most platitudinous speeches in CPAC’s history (quite a feat, I admit), Trump told The Washington Post’s Robert Costa that he is “more serious than ever” about running for the presidency. Which sounds a lot like 2010, when Trump claimed he was seriously considering running for president: “I’m totally being serious because I can’t stand what’s happening to the country,” he told MSNBC. “I am being serious about it. I’ve been asked for years to do it. And I had no interest.”
Well, except for that time in 1999 when he joined the Reform Party and was said to be “seriously considering a run for the presidency.”
You know what America’s really looking for these days? A dynastic ‘billionaire’ celebrity without any comprehensible ideological viewpoint, an exceptionally flexible set of political values and a reality show! But who exactly is asking him to run? (Other than this guy, that is.) An NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll found that 74 percent of Republican primary voters said they couldn’t see themselves supporting Trump. A few years back, a CNN poll found that 64 percent of adults said they had an unfavorable opinion of him. Can you imagine what those polls look like after having to listen to him blather on about his own prowess for the next 500 or so days?
Though, perhaps, if he ran we could get a better sense of his politics. From the research I’ve done, and one short interview, I can extract one tangible policy position from the real estate tycoon:
- He will be “tough” on stuff that people do not to like right now, especially the Chinese.
Seriously, that’s pretty much it.
Also, let’s not forget he’s a twitter-feuding birther quack probably has a treasure trove backlog just waiting for any opposition researcher. Then again, what are the chances of Trump releasing his tax returns, anyway? Not only will we have to continue to live through his birtherism, but Trump told Hugh Hewitt that he believes vaccinations can cause autism: “Spread [them] out over a year. There’s no harm in that, and I believe autism will go way down.” What scientific evidence led Trump to offer this advice and make such claims about autism is anyone’s guess.
Trump contends: “I’m very conservative.” But some of the folks he’s given money to in the past–Ted Kennedy, Harry Reid, Ed Rendell, Rahm Emanuel, John Kerry, Hillary Clinton, Anthony Weiner, Chuck Schumer–might disagree. According to a 2011 a Washington Post piece, the biggest political recipient of Trump’s generosity has been the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee of New York. Trump explained that he gave money to the winners because he’s not stupid. No, he’s not. So why do prestigious media outlets continue to play along? Why does CPAC let him speak?
For decency’s sake. Please stop.
