kurtster wrote: 
Actually I think Obama's wish is that the Repubs return to the party of HW Bush. Or at least sometime between roughly Goldwater and the Tea Party. 

No snark either. 

 Lazy8 wrote: 
An extremely poor choice of Official Denouncer. Romney currently has no credibility except as show pony.

They should have picked one of two paths:
1)"real" office-holding non-crazy Republicans that their people will listen to or
2) the radio/TV talking heads that are still aligned with the party and spreading its propaganda. 
But trotting out Romney, almost unheard from since the Kenyan Socialist beat him fair and square, is a pathetic move. 

 Steely_D wrote: 
And Trump will help Obama to secure his greatest wish, the actual real demise of the Republican party once and for all.

No snark. 

Totally serious in this remark.

 kctomato wrote: 
Now that is funny!

Mitt Romney denounces the Republican front runner:



Full transcript here.

I can just about predict Trump's rebuttal: mocking that annoying tick in Romney's speech, attacking him as a loser and representative of the Republican establishment, and generally making the ad hominem his only tactic.

I can only think of one other recent example of this kind of internecine conflict: George HW Bush campaigning against David Duke for governor of Louisiana in 1991.

Trumps healthcare plan: https://www.donaldjtrump.com/positions/healthcare-reform

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/election/article63786822.html

- Repeal Obamacare. “Our elected representatives must eliminate the individual mandate. No person should be required to buy insurance unless he or she wants to,” the plan says.

- Repeal the McCarran-Ferguson Act, and allow the sale of insurance across state lines. “By allowing full competition in this market, insurance costs will go down and consumer satisfaction will go up,” it says.

- Allow tax payers to fully deduct health insurance premium payments in their tax returns, as businesses can. The plan asks: “Businesses are allowed to take these deductions so why wouldn’t Congress allow individuals the same exemptions?”

- Review basic options for Medicaid and work with states to ensure that those who want healthcare coverage can have it.

- Allow all individuals to use Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), and make those contributions tax-free and allow them to accumulate year after year. Make them part of an individual’s estate, able to be passed on to heirs without fear of any death penalty.

- Require price transparency from all healthcare providers, including clinics and hospitals.

- Block-grant Medicaid to the states. Incentivize the states to seek out and eliminate fraud, waste and abuse to preserve government resources.

- Remove barriers to entry into free markets for drug providers that offer safe, generic options. “Congress will need the courage to step away from the special interests and do what is right for America. Though the pharmaceutical industry is in the private sector, drug companies provide a public service,” the plan says.

 

 Steely_D wrote:

 
That is correct, but the old adage be careful what you wish for comes to mind (if you are a Democratic party partisan, not a progressive).  The Democratic party will be standing all alone on the hill with no one else to blame and there is going to be a lot of blame comin' at em!  I too think it is good for the country as opposing parties or even a whole new political system will arise from the ashes, but not good for the Democratic party as presently constituted.

 

 Steely_D wrote: 

 

 black321 wrote: 
I'm reframing this in my head to say that Trump's ascendancy is unrelated to the national mindset. He's clearly out of step with them.
BUT, it's the revolt of the rest of the Republican party saying that they didn't like the direction of their party: Koch, Romney, Bush, Rove. I agree with that wholeheartedly.

It's a statement of "Are Rubio/Carson/Cruz/Christie really the best that this party can do? Screw that."

But - and this may be wishful thinking - when it comes to the general election he doesn't really stand much of a chance.

This is really the bellwether of the end of the GOP as we've known it for the past few decades.

 

 black321 wrote:

 

Think it's fair to say he's pissed off most latinos and blacks, which represent close to 30% of the U.S., and about half the republicans...so how could he possibly win?  Is that why the GOP is scrambling to do everything they can to discredit him?  Vegas has Clinton with the best odds.

 rotekz wrote: 
Thanks, "Troy".
“The human capacity for self-delusion is limitless” 

 rotekz wrote: 
indeed it does:

 

This letter to Donald Trump really is amazing and gives some great insight into the Trump phenomenon.

http://blog.dilbert.com/post/140353736681/a-letter-to-donald-trump-from-a-voter-not-me

A Letter to Donald Trump (from a voter, not me)

Posted March 2nd, 2016 @ 4:34pm in #Trump

---

This letter from Troy Morton was in the comments to my post from earlier today. I am reposting it here, with permission, because it is simply beautiful.

Breathtaking, actually.

Enjoy. 

—

To: President Trump

From: Just a simple man

I’ve been following your campaign since your announcement, reading millions of words written about you, watching thousands of hours of video and speeches, listening to many talk radio show segments, and engaging in dozens of debates with people around me.

No candidate has ever captured my attention the way you have.

Now that it’s clear you will be the Republican nominee, I want to share with you something so personal, painful, and uplifting, that I almost don’t want to write it, but I will anyway…trolls be damned:

My whole life, up until yesterday, has been based on reaction to fear.

Growing up as a black man in Washington D.C. during the “crack 80’s”, when Marion Barry was mayor, I lived a lower middle class childhood in one of the most dangerous cities in America. Though I had many friends, I was also subject to the threats, intimidation, and bullying that happens when you’re not like the people around you.

There was no father in my life to steel me against the world I lived in. My mother was strong, but it’s not exactly the kind of strength I needed. I was a boy, and needed a Man.

Without strong male guidance, I learned to fear…but not how to face fear and win. Even joining the military and going to war didn’t overcome my weakness, and all my future decisions considered strongly the level of fear I had at the time.

As a result, my life has been full of conflict, as I have unintentionally signaled to adversaries that I am an easier opponent to beat than others. I have won victories, but never truly enjoyed them knowing the battle is never won for me…only endured. I have also suffered crushing defeats, and important people in my life lost confidence in me as a result. I have not reached my potential, and settled instead into apathy and stasis, content to only being “smart enough” or “good enough”…not great. Not strong. Not resolute…

Not a leader. Not a winner.

My life, in many important ways, mirrors the American experience. Potential to be great, but paralyzed by fear. Full of conflict. Enduring, not winning. No leadership. No strong Male inspiration. And occasional, crushing defeats that hit to the core of our country…most notably 9/11, but also with the erosion of our middle class and uniquely American culture.

Like you say so often: we don’t WIN anymore.

Watching your campaign, and being as invested in it as I am, has been an exercise in recognizing, and confronting, fear that I never expected. Every time your opponents hit you…I feel fear for your candidacy and our country. Every charge of racist, sexist, facist, etc. causes me to worry that no one, not even you, can really change the country for the better. That we’re doomed to failure…

Then…inevitably…you win the battle. You don’t “survive”, or “endure”…you attack, and put fear into your opponents. You don’t stop until they are buried under your feet. Until they become paralyzed…

Sometimes, you even bait them into hitting you, just so you can beat the crap out of them again. Your life is full of conflict, but it becomes yet another opportunity to WIN, and makes you MORE powerful…not less.

Then, once they are eliminated as a threat, you are generous to the vanquished. It’s not personal, and they are not evil. They were, simply…in the way. Once they are not, they become worthy of kindness and respect.

Furthermore, you’re not just a blunt instrument…your strategy is impeccable. You go into every conflict knowing exactly what your opponents weaknesses are, how to exploit them, and what levers to pull to ensure victory. Clearly, you spend good time before announcing your candidacy doing the things the military taught me as a young soldier: surveying, recon, intelligence-gathering, ammunition, discipline, execution…

You are defending America from our enemies within, and it’s an AMAZING thing to watch.

Last night, you also did something else. You became the Man that helped me see fear for what it is: an illusion of power, a powerful teacher, and the path to winning if used properly. There is no reason, regardless of the enormity of the task, to lose to fear if you prepare well, are disciplined in your execution, and have the faith necessary, in God, yourself, and in others…that leads to victory.

Winning is always possible, but becomes probable if you never back down, never quit, and become your dominant self. Once the battle is won, treat the vanquished with kindness and respect. Be the bigger man.

You taught me how to Win.

I appreciate what you’ve done for me personally, and what you’re doing for our country. I know I’m not the only man who admires you, and can’t wait for you to become the father, and leader, of our country. It’s been a long, cold winter for men in America the last 8 years, and I believe that your election will dramatically improve the level of respect, admiration, and love people will show for strong men and Fathers, and will create a new generation of leaders from impressionable young boys.

That, more than anything, will Make America Great Again.

-Troy

 

 Beaker wrote: 
opposite side of the fence 

 sirdroseph wrote: 
I was keeping with the Hunger Games plot... the books aren't terrible, by the way. I pre-read them to see if it was okay for our girl...

 ScottFromWyoming wrote: 
True dat and for all of the "panic", I sincerely believe there would be little difference in a Clinton and Trump presidency.   They pretty much hold the same positions on policy with the major exception being immigration, but neither of them would be able to enact any meaningful immigration reform wherever they are coming from.  I think Trump is just using his hard core immigration position cause he liked the reaction and ran with it.

 sirdroseph wrote: 
Things don't look too good for Hillary in that scenario, either.