From a certain perspective, the emergence of Donald Trump as the Republican presidential frontrunner is a farce. The idea that a windbag like Trump, whose main claim to executive management has been to file for corporate bankrupcy four times, would be taken seriously boggles the mind. (The hair alone–a cross between the Nike swoosh and a shag carpet–should be a disqualifier.)
Yet Trump is riding the crest of the wave, at the top of the polls as he rolls into tonight’s televised debate. And that’s the tragedy of the modern GOP. The party is currently governed by the unbridled id of the lunatic fringe, and there’s anyone who know about id, it’s Donald Trump. In many ways, Trump is the embodiment of all the crazy ideas that the Republican party has relied upon to whip up its base. He thinks Obama’s birth certificate is fake, global warming is a hoax, Mexican immigrants are rapists and the Republican political establishment a captive of evil Washington.
All of which makes Trump the perfect candidate for the Republican party. He’s takes all the wingnut ideas from the minor candidates of 2012–Herman Cain, Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich–repackages them, and sells them to the eager primary audience. Adding his own millions and reality TV experience makes him a force that the other radicals could never be.
With one exception: Trump isn’t a rabid homophobe. He’s opposed to marriage equality, although he is, by his own conceit, “a very fair person.” But he’s not rabid, like Rick Santorum or Mike Huckabee. In fact, his opposition is fairly lukewarm. By his own reasoning, it’s like golf.
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“A lot of people — I don’t want this to sound trivial — but a lot of people are switching to these really long putters, very unattractive,” Trump told The New York Times at one point. “It’s weird. You see these great players with these really long putters, because they can’t sink three-footers anymore. And, I hate it. I am a traditionalist. I have so many fabulous friends who happen to be gay, but I am a traditionalist.”
So, yes, Trump opposes marriage equality because we have longer putters.
So far, Trump hasn’t paid any political price for being inappropriately lukewarm in his opposition (and for considering us fabulous in any case). But that doesn’t mean he won’t. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is tripping all over himself to make opposition to anything gay a litmus test in the primaries, and he’ll have plenty of help from the even lesser lights, like Bobby Jindal and Rick Perry, to say nothing of Santorum and Huckabee.
Of course, Trump is a publicity hound, and if his PR instincts tell him that he needs to be more viciously antigay to get attention, he will do so. He’s repeatedly demonstrated that he will shift political positions to match the prevailing winds.
By any account, Trump has zero chance of winning the GOP presidential nomination. Even Republicans haven’t sunk that low. But unlike the minor candidates of 2012, Trump has his own deep pockets and an ego to match. If he wants to run as an independent–and he’s been hinting as much–he could, which would be the Republicans’ worst nightmare.
As is, Trump is getting a lot of criticism for damaging the GOP brand. But on that count, the Donald is innocent. The brand has been there all along.
He’s just better at merchandising it than anyone else.
JessPH
We should root for this guy to become the GOP candidate because any Democratic candidate can easily win against him.
stanhope
I am a Southerner. Bobby Jindal would have been relegated to Black status not so long ago and would still be in some places today. That he has the audacity to promote discrimination against gays and these other insane views. He is really ugly to boot.
Giancarlo85
Trump is a shitty businessman with stupid ideas. This man basically turns everything he touches into shit. Imagine what he would do in the White House. Pretty frightening. And to consider some trolls on here like him… Pathetic self hating idiots.
crowebobby
He probably really does have gay friends he thinks are “fabulous.” I worked with a guy once who was intellectually brilliant, but was an unrepentant Nazi: he claimed seeing Hitler when he was 4 years old had changed his life; and he never mentioned Goebbels’ name without prefacing it with “that genius”; one Jew left on earth would be one too many; yet he had enormous respect for John Silber, the president of Boston University, whom he worked for as a researcher, and he “adored” Allen Ginsburg, whom he had once met in the Village. Don’t look for logic from haters. On the other hand, Hilary is a wannabe Putin.
notevenwrong
Since a majority of white middle class gay men are really conservative, once Republican candidates become less anti-gay, I’m afraid these gays won’t see any reason to vote against them any more.
Giancarlo85
I would even take a wannabe Putin over Trump or any Republican. It is hilarious how people bash Hillary on here. Again the only viable candidate.
Kieran
Personally, I’m enjoying watching Donald Trump whip the asses of so many vicious GOP homophobes and dopey, neocon warmongers. It’s good entertainment watching him publicly humiliate Jeb and Santorum and Lindsay and Huckabee and all the rest of the Lilliputians on offer.
And this flippant talk about him having “zero chance”, well, let’s just say that’s what the media said about that “upstart” Ronald Reagan when he dared challenge the GOP establishment in 1980.
ProfessorMoriarty
@stanhope: Jindal is awful, but don’t fall into the trap of being accused a lookist. Attack him for his views, not his view in the mirror.
1EqualityUSA
He’s helping jeb! by knocking down the gnats.
BJ McFrisky
The only reason Trump currently leads the polls is that he’s an anti-establishment non-politician, and voters are hungry for a non-politician.
Once it’s established that he has no solutions to the problems he bemoans, his status as frontrunner will quickly evaporate. Sadly, it’s looking to be a Bush-Clinton face-off once again.
Ladbrook
Our entire political system is beyond fucked. One party offers us a busload of Christian nutters, homophobes, and xenophobes, while the other offers us the love child of Lady Macbeth and Eva Peron… and neither party understands why most Americans hate just about everyone in DC.
I suspect Trump’s popularity is, in some respect, an outgrowth of this general frustration. It would interesting to see what would happen in the Dem party if the Starbucks CEO jumped in. Maybe the same thing we are currently seeing in the Rep party.
rockmaster09
@Giancarlo85: Bernie Sanders was fighting for gay rights when Hilary was still defining marriage as a man and woman
Kangol
@Ladbrook: the love child of Lady Macbeth and Eva Peron…
LOL! I probably will vote for Hillary Clinton unless Bernie Sanders (or Elizabeth Warren or some other truly progressive person) emerges as the candidate. Everything about HRC is coming off as so managed, polled, tested. Even her speech about the “gig economy,” as great as it was, felt so careful and timorous.
On the other hand, you have a circus tent’s worth of anti-gay, r@cist, xenophobic, anti-women, pro-plutocratic crazy on the GOP side. They are taking dictation from the Kochs, Sheldon Adelson, other hedge funders, etc., and it’s sooo transparent. Trump (Dump Drumpf) embodies this nuttiness, but he can at least claim to be independently wealthy enough NOT to need the puppetmasters’ dollars. But his comments and past behavior show him to be utterly unpresidential.
I just hope he stays in it long enough to drag the entire GOP field, including Jeb!–who unbelievably to me appears to be ten times less informed and more right wing than George W. Bush–down into a canyon. With people like the horrendous Santorum, Huckabee, Christie, and Walker in the mix, they really are the worst.
onthemark
Trump has “fabulous” gay friends? If only one of them would work on his hair!
Curty
I keep waiting for someone else to jump into the race. I’m not enthuse but anyone running. Nutjobs, corporate hacks. Bernie sanders is ok but he has little chance to win and he will be blocked from doing anything by the gop led house and Senate. Hilary is just a panderer and I feel she is disingenuous. Trump certainly has Made this election cycle more interesting, I will say that. The guy is funny! I don’t think queerty should be almost encouraging him to be more anti gay. Trump doesn’t seem to dislike gay people, hell he knows enough gays, has worked with gay people. Right now I’m enjoying this spectacle. Trump has given life to an otherwise boring process. Would I vote for him? No! But hey I’m listening and he makes me laugh. Lol
AxelDC
Being a homophobe is a vote loser these days. Gay marriage is a settled issue and their “religious freedom”, aka the freedom to force your religion on others, is not working even in Indiana.
Most Republicans know the route to getting rid of gay marriage is long and perilous. Most Americans approve of gay marriage, over 60% in most polls, and the Supreme Court already ruled on it.
The way to end gay marriage in America is to get a vote or two on the court, overturn Obergefell, and then state by state restore antigay marriage bias laws. That would take at least 5 years before the first state can restore its bans, and by then polls will likely be in the 70s in favor of gay marriage. That state would then have to deal with a myriad of legal issues, such as the legal status of married gay couples in the state, the legal status of couples who marry out of state and move into the state, plus the social and economic implications of going against popular will on a civil rights issue.
AxelDC
@Curty: Jim Gilmore, Governor of Virginia from 1999 to 2003, just joined the race last week. He got only 1/3 of the vote in his 2008 Senate race, so I’m not sure why he thinks he has a shot at the White House today.
Ronbo
@Giancarlo85: Hillary is now losing to three Republican candidates in three contests. Sen. Sanders, however, has won over 13 elections and wins every poll against Republicans. More voters choose authentic Republican over Republican-lite. As recently as 15 months ago, HRC stated that she did not favor marriage equality.
I also don’t think you know what viable means. Even her spending $19,000,000 so far seems to have had little to negative effect. Unless you includes her new staff of “digital associates” whose job is to post comments favoring her and dismiss Sen. Sanders as “not viable”.
richard s
I’m confused with the Donald. I worked backstage at a Broadway show back when he was married to Marla and she was in Will Rogers Follies. Rosie O’Donnell was in Grease at the time and she and Marla were good buds. We used to see Donald at many of the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids fundraisers and such. He was buddies with Rosie too. He’d donate nicely to Broadway Cares. I fondly remember him at a drag show for a dear friend, Beverly Hills. It was at the ballroom at the Edison Hotel. Big crowd and in the middle of the audience, having a blast was Donald. Maybe he’s just getting old and cranky? Maybe alot of his schtick these days is part of his show…the Donald Trump Show. Whatever it is, I wish fun Donald would come back.
Njsphynx
Please let Donald Trump stay in the republican race as long as possible. Let him lose and register as an independent and draw off from the republicans and give the democrats a huge victory.
Atldeuce
Remember it was only a year ago that most of the Dems read the tea leaves and decided to get on board with same sex marriage equality. Obama and Clinton were in favor of traditional marriage until last year when Biden forced their hands. We have a Clinton to think for “Don’t ask, don’t tell”
iggy6666
@Giancarlo85: then again, who isn’t an “idiot” according to the all knowing Giancarlo. ….im surprised queerty hasn’t kicked you off yet. Everything that comes out of your mouth is hate. Yet you’re still convinced that everyone else are the “trolls”. Yikes!!!
LandStander
@Atldeuce: MOST Dems yes. But not Bernie Sanders, he was with us long before it was politically expedient! 🙂
Giancarlo85
@Kieran: Mindless response! He has said many inflammatory things about minorities, including gay people. Do you as a Republican drone simply ignore those facts. And it isn’t 1980. Stop living in the shitty past.
@Ronbo: Um what? Polling data doesn’t mean anything. It is too early to judge a few outlier polls. You Sanders supporters are a lot like Ron Paul supporters. Full of shit and not much to back you. Sanders would actually be more appealing if he wasn’t back by a bunch of wannabe rebels.
@iggy6666: Hate? Prove it! You right wing gays are all the same. You think you are the victim when in reality you live in some parallel reality. You want haters? Look in the mirror for a change. My views are very open and left wing. Anything to the right is dementia.
notevenwrong
Why is the Green Party not ever mentioned, even here? They have supported full gay rights since long before anyone else.
Why do the gay media pretend that the best we can do is a center-right party (the Democrats) over a far-right party (the Republicans)? It is a manufactured choice, and it is a false choice,
Giancarlo85
All the revision sanders supporters are out now. First off, Hillary was making landmark speeches on LGBT rights in 2011. Two years before Biden even said a damn thing.
Giancarlo85
I can’t believe some self hating right wing gays support Trump. Have fun supporting a hateful empty suit with a big mouth.
Maude
Giancarlo85,
“Donald Trump is a shitty business man”. And you know that, how?
As a business man he is a huge success, he released his confirmed assets and they are:Eight Billion Dollars. He knows how to work the system. That’s why he declared
bankruptcy four times.He’s an international wheeler and dealer and employs several million people all over the world.
Call him anything, but he ain’t no ‘shitty businessman’.
He’s gathering up a whole lot of support from the rank and file, and I predict at some point, he will drop out and throw his support to whomever is the front runner.
That’s not good for us, and we better not under estimate him…others have in the past, much to their regret.
Wishful thinking isn’t going to get us anywhere.
Trump is a viable opponent, and the sooner we recognize that, the better off we will be.
richard s
@Giancarlo85: I’ve always been a Hillary supporter because of her support for the gay community. When she ran for NY senator, she had no problems with walking in the NY gay pride parade. No other politician would do that at that time.
Aromaeus
I really don’t get the anti-bernie sanders sentiment here. He’s literally what true progressives should want in a candidate and has the record to prove that it’s not just talk whereas Hilary is a true blue corporate moderate democrat and will only do what the big money allows her to do with maybe a little leeway. Yes she’s better than any republican candidate running but aren’t you all tired of voting for the lesser of 2 evils?!
Bernie Sander is bringing in huge crowds wherever he speaks and he’s even going into the belly of the beast (south and midwest) to talk about the issues. Not double speak or dodge questions like SHILLARY. Seriously this “he can’t win” shtick is getting really old. They said the same thing about a half-black man named Barack Hussein Obama.
aliengod
How can a person be so ignorant to say that a billionaire is a “shitty businessman”? If he sucks so bad, how is he worth so much? Duh! Most of the Republican candidates are despicable. Trump, so far, seems the most logical choice for LGB votes on the Republican side. Just about any of the candidates would be better for this country than Hillary. How about Bernie Sanders? He seems like a decent choice as well.
richard s
@aliengod: do you work on Trump’s campaign team? I mean come on…not one single Republican candidate would be better for this country. They’re all despicable.
aliengod
@richard s: That’s flattering but no, I don’t work for Trump’s campaign. This country has been so badly damaged by GWB and Obama. I’m afraid Hillary would continue on that same path. We’ve got to elect a President that would shake things up and start repairing some of the damage done by the previous two administrations.
richard s
@aliengod: and how exactly has Obama damaged the country? All indicators show that the economy is doing quite well. We have marriage equality. I can go on and on. If anything, the damage done to this country has been by the Republican party and its constant attacks on our president and any good he has tried to do. If anything, Obama has persevered and been a very successful president. Please, turn off Fox News.
Giancarlo85
@Maude: “As a business man he is a huge success, he released his confirmed assets and they are:Eight Billion Dollars. He knows how to work the system. That’s why he declared
bankruptcy four times.He’s an international wheeler and dealer and employs several million people all over the world.’
His value is NOT 8 billion dollars. This is a major lie. It’s probably half that, and much of it is tied up in assets (bankrupt properties mostly). Many of his businesses are suffering. you need to learn the difference between liquid wealth and properties. You are a LIAR.
http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2015/06/donald-trump-companies-bankruptcy-atlantic-city – He’s declared bankruptcy multiple times related to numerous failing businesses, and other businesses of his are failing.
“That’s not good for us, and we better not under estimate him…others have in the past, much to their regret.”
He is the one that underestimates people. He seriously underestimated Latino voters in this country, in particular Mexicans. He screwed up his business relations with Carlos Slim who could effectively screw him over. Carlos Slim is worth about 74 billion.
He’s NOT a viable candidate and he can’t even run a campaign.
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2015/08/trump-campaign-has-descended-into-civil-war.html – His minimal staff have begun arguing and fighting with each other, and even his own daughter lambasted him for his statements on immigrants!
@Aromaeus: Ron Paul got some big crowds too, but he never went anywhere in the primaries. Sander supporters sound a lot like Ron Paul supporters (perhaps some are former Paul supporters). They sound more like a cult group who tries to tout up straw polls. Never gets anywhere.
@aliengod: Most of his assets are tied up in bankrupt assets, idiot. Maybe that’s too much for your puny little mind to understand. How could any LGBTQQI person ever vote republican? That’s some of the most self hating shit out there.
And yes, how did Obama damage this country? He saved it from idiots like you. The economy has experienced strong GDP and job growth under Obama. Trump would only screw us over many times over.
You right wing gays are FAILING and FAILING MISERABLY!
Giancarlo85
@richard s: Don’t let alienturd get to you. He has nothing to his argument. He constantly complains about Obama, yet can’t provide any proof as to why Obama “damaged” this country or failed lol.
I don’t get these right wing gays. They try so hard to peddle a shitty candidate like Donald Trump. Trump can’t even get his own campaign in order.
Giancarlo85
@Aromaeus: “He’s literally what true progressives should want in a candidate and has the record to prove that it’s not just talk whereas Hilary is a true blue corporate moderate democrat and will only do what the big money allows her to do with maybe a little leeway.”
No. Bernie Sanders is a moderate at best. He’s not a progressive. And he’s tied to corporations too. But that’s a nice try. Also try to avoid run-on sentences… they don’t help your case!
OzJosh
@richard s: Well, he sure turned on Rosie. That alone shows how fickle, duplicitous and self-serving he can be. Let’s not forget how many truly terrifying leaders – and I don’t just mean the moustachioed one – started out as a joke.
OzJosh
@aliengod: Only a true nutbag can look at health care, marriage equality and a recovering economy and conclude that Obama has damaged the country. You should take a look around the rest of the world – maybe starting with Greece – and see how well the US is still doing, and how universally admired Obama is in other western countries suffering under douchebag conservatives with crazy austerity agendas, the UK and Australia to name just two.
Victor Incerti
Geeez…
Victor Incerti
Bush mis speaks
darian
If the any of the Republican candidates do as piss poor in this second debate as they might as well just say we aren’t going to do anything but go back to 2002. Not one of them with the exception of Rick Santorum (can believe I said that) had an answer on how we can “make America great again” with the idea of being back manufacturing jobs back. Everyone of them just wants to undo everything and go to war.
Victor Incerti
Rubio doesn’t think.
Victor Incerti
And Trumps just stinks!
tjr101
I hope Trump hangs around as long as possible and when he’s finally knocked out by Jeb (we all know Jeb is going to be their nominee) I hope Trump pulls a Perot/Nader and goes the independent route. That will mean a Madame President come 2017.
tjr101
@aliengod: Funny how you’re propping up someone like Trump by bashing Hillary and Obama at the same time. Trump is not a self-made billionaire, he inherited his wealth and filed for bankruptcy several times.
richard s
@Giancarlo85: trust…aliengod doesnt bother me at all. Alot of hot air coming from that one! lol
richard s
@OzJosh: its unfortunate that he’s turned into this raging asshole. He was really cool back than. I guess Marla brought out the fun in him.
Finrod
Freaky as Mr. Trump may be, Bobby Jindal still manages to be more cringeworthy. The man looks like he needs his handlers and a script to decide whether or not water is wet.
Aromaeus
When Hilary loses the nomination for the second time it’ll be a great day in America.
jwtraveler
@Ronbo: The election is 15 months away. Nobody is winning or losing anything yet.
jwtraveler
@Aromaeus: Regardless of what anyone thinks about Hillary Clinton, that’s just a ridiculous statement.
Giancarlo85
@Aromaeus: WRONG! I’m starting to think that some Ron Paul supporters are now Sanders supporters. Weird.
aliengod
@Giancarlo85: @Giancrazy85… God NO! Please! Do us all a favor and don’t start tying to think again. It always winds up bad. You’ll resort to the psychotic thought patterns from your past. Delusions, dishonesty, fantasy… mental breakdown. Do us all a favor and avoid your usual childish outbursts. I know your compulsion will lead you to parrot back to me what Ive just said, but please avoid it. Just pretend you didn’t read what I’ve written and carry on with your typical night. It’s time to remove your makeup, paint your nails and pick out your best androgyneous outfit for tomorrow. Try and avoid your compulsions and focus on what’s important to you.
Giancarlo85
@aliengod: And the Alienturd is back at it with his crazed fanatical rantings. You are the one that is delusional and dishonest. You keep talking shit about Obama, yet can’t be bothered to back up a single thing you say. You are suffering from the early onset of dementia. You should probably talk to a medical professional about that. And you keep attacking my identity… just like the weak inept person you are.
darian
Wow that debate was a giant cluster fuck from the 1st question. Who votes for these people?
Giancarlo85
@darian: A total mess. No republican could actually answer a question.
youarekiddingme
@aliengod: The great Donald Trump. Inherited $200 million dollars from daddy! Never had to work for a penny of it. His net worth is only “slightly” inflated by him (100%) to be exact. He says it’s $8 billion dollars and it’s actually $4 billion dollars. By my account he has two problems: 1. He can’t relate to me as a working person because he’s never worked a day in his life, and 2. he’s a proven liar.
Now let’s talk about Donald’s bankruptcies. He says they were all legitimate, legal parts of doing business. Fair enough. Agreed. He financed one of his “deals” using junk bonds which were then dumped back into the market. He says that no one was hurt by these bankruptcies. He says that all of these were big companies doing deals with him. Where was this money coming from? Would it be banks by any chance? Who backs the banks when they are hit with big losses? Hmmm? Oh, is it the Fed? Meaning the tax payer, or us? Yea, I want this guy in charge of the federal government…the budget. Not even mentioning his political stance on the issues.
Giancarlo85
@youarekiddingme: Of course he didn’t make the money on his own. I was going to bring up Mitt Romney but he actually got the money from corrupt Salvadorean families tied to right wing death squads during the civil war.
But hey, even that $4 billion is disputable. It isn’t liquid wealth. Much of it is tied up in assets that are facing severe financial problems right now. He’s a shitty businessman indeed.
wagnerwallace
@Giancarlo85: Actually John Kasich and Carly Fiorina were stand outs at the debates. Fiorina is even trending on Facebook and Twitter.
darian
@wagnerwallace: I’ll give it to Kasich he was able to defend his actions and stances well. Trending is all well and fine doesn’t mean they had a good idea how to run the country. Trump had been trending for a while now doesn’t mean he’s good either.
wagnerwallace
@darian: Well it means people were listening, watching, and were interesting…
Giancarlo85
@wagnerwallace: Kasich was an absolute fucking disaster. Carly Fiorina left her notes in the hotel printer. Two disasters. Fiorina is a nobody who screwed over a once prestigious computer company. HP used to be a desirable, likeable company until Fiorina got her hands on it.
Trending? Who cares? They’ll be trending for a week or two and then disappear.
Bad crappy republicans who are more for entertainment purposes.
People weren’t interested. They were laughing so hard. Kasich was a DISASTER.
Giancarlo85
LOL…. Fiorina even got crushed by Meg Whitman a few years ago in the California governor primaries, who proceeded to get shellacked by Jerry Brown. What a shitty candidate.
Fiorina was one of the worst performers out there.
gregoire77
Enjoy the Trump Show…hope it lasts long into the republican calendar.
As a Wisconsin resident know all too well about Scott Walker, he ruined
Wisconsin and would do worse for the nation. Only sane vote is Democratic Party
choice.
scotshot
@crowebobby: “Don’t look for logic from haters. On the other hand, Hillary is a wanna be Putin.” That comment may or not be brilliant snark