Donald Trump Retweets Troll Account With Quote From Fascist Dictator Mussolini

Fear, anger, and hate have coalesced in actively promoting fascists, white supremacists, and hate mongers.
Politics • Views: 50,376
Joseph Sohm / Shutterstock.com

We’re going down the rabbit hole once again.

The GOP frontrunner and presumptive nominee for the GOP nomination, Donald Trump, once again was caught quote-tweeting a white supremacist. This isn’t a one-off instance.

He keeps doing it.

Every few days he finds some white supremacist or fascist account to quote-tweet.

For any other candidate in any other year, this would have terminated their campaign. This isn’t like any other election year, and Donald Trump isn’t like any other candidate.

Those tweets are actually garnering little in the way of opposition from within the GOP. And now, he’s garnered support of noted racist/white supremacist and former Grand Dragon of the KKK David Duke and yet he keeps playing games.

Donald Trump wouldn’t disavow David Duke’s support for his presidential bid, saying Sunday that he knows nothing about the white supremacist leader.

“Just so you understand, I don’t know anything about David Duke, OK?” Trump told CNN’s Jake Tapper on “State of the Union.”

“I don’t know anything about what you’re even talking about with white supremacy or white supremacists,” he said. “So I don’t know. I don’t know — did he endorse me, or what’s going on? Because I know nothing about David Duke; I know nothing about white supremacists.”

You simply cannot make this stuff up.

Trump claims to have a perfect memory, and can’t recall that he went after Duke in 2000.

Now, Trump refuses to disavow Duke.

It’s all part of a pattern that has long been undeniable for months. Trump is actively soliciting, and pandering to, white supremacists and racists that form a significant portion of the GOP base. It’s part of the reason that the GOP isn’t pushing back against the racist and white supremacist and fascist statements Trump has made over the past few months. They’re increasingly worried that they’ll lose critical votes.

All of Trump’s statements and actions, and the counter-actions by the GOP are symptomatic of the rot in the GOP itself. They’ve spent years cultivating anger, fear, and hatred among the GOP base. Now, they’ve found the guy that epitomizes all that in Trump.

UPDATE at 2/28/16 8:20:12 am by lawhawk

It looks like Gawker decided to test whether Trump would quote-tweet anything that sounded like a compliment, no matter how extreme or the source.

It worked.

Trump willingly quote-tweeted the Mussolini quotes posted by the Gawker dummy account ilduce2016. Gawker salted that account’s timeline with Mussolini quotes and included white supremacists among its followers.

The problem isn’t that Gawker did this. It’s that Trump keeps quote-tweeting these extremist statements without pause. Every few days he does it. Without fail.

UPDATE at 2/28/16 10:34:01 am by Charles Johnson

Here’s Trump’s response when asked about this latest retweet issue on Meet the Press today:

MSNBC

Jump to bottom

107 comments
1
nines09  Feb 28, 2016 • 8:32:31am

I joked that Trump was Benito Mussolini in a business suit. Seems it was no joke. I joke no more.

2
CriticalDragon1177  Feb 28, 2016 • 8:44:17am

re: #1 nines09

I am going to be at least slightly tempted to commit suicide if Trump gets elected.

3
nines09  Feb 28, 2016 • 8:53:25am

re: #2 CriticalDragon1177

I am going to be at least slightly tempted to commit suicide if Trump gets elected.

Never let anyone bring you down to that level, even in jest. But I get your drift.

4
Thanos  Feb 28, 2016 • 8:59:34am

“I don’t know anything about what you’re even talking about with white supremacy or white supremacists,” he said. “So I don’t know. I don’t know — did he endorse me, or what’s going on? Because I know nothing about David Duke; I know nothing about white supremacists.”

Demonstrating that he’s either too damned ignorant to too damned dishonest to preside over this nation.

5
Decatur Deb  Feb 28, 2016 • 9:01:02am

There should be planning for such an outcome, though it is not highly likely. (Not all that convinced that Trump will even be the nominee.)

My plan would be to get drunk, spend 10-15 days licking wounds, and start working for 2020.

6
Thanos  Feb 28, 2016 • 9:09:31am

Here’s an also see link:

npr.org

NPR

7
bratwurst  Feb 28, 2016 • 9:58:11am

Reminder: every member of the GOP will be behind this man by Labor Day.

Every.

Single.

Member.

8
Charles Johnson  Feb 28, 2016 • 9:58:35am

Eight hours later, the tweet is still posted.

9
Charles Johnson  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:02:17am

My troll-dar told me this wasn’t a real fascist’s account as soon as I saw it. Wasn’t surprised to find Gawker behind it.

10
lawhawk  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:04:23am

re: #9 Charles Johnson

Thing is that Trump keeps doing this - quote-tweeting white supremacists and racists. They’re often people who are eggs or nearly so online, so he has to make an effort to pick them out of the noise.

That’s perhaps the underlying truth - he’s going out of his way to find and approvingly tweet these nuggets of racism, white supremacy, and fascism.

11
Romantic Heretic  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:05:04am

First thing that comes to mind whenever I see the word ‘Mussolini’.

Invention is more useful than truth.

It seems Trump!™ has taken that advice to heart.

12
Charles Johnson  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:05:33am

re: #10 lawhawk

Thing is that Trump keeps doing this - quote-tweeting white supremacists and racists. They’re often people who are eggs or nearly so online, so he has to make an effort to pick them out of the noise.

That’s perhaps the underlying truth - he’s going out of his way to find and approvingly tweet these nuggets of racism, white supremacy, and fascism.

Yes, clearly he RTed this because it appealed to him and he found it flattering - the words of a fascist dictator allied with Hitler.

13
ObserverArt  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:06:28am

re: #5 Decatur Deb

There should be planning for such an outcome, though it is not highly likely. (Not all that convinced that Trump will even be the nominee.)

My plan would be to get drunk, spend 10-15 days licking wounds, and start working for 2020.

I’m not much of a drinker…but I may find myself making my way to Colorado!

Hmmm. I wonder if I could sleep on teleskiguy’s floor for a couple nights.

14
Maxwell Not So Smart  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:06:46am

re: #8 Charles Johnson

Eight hours later, the tweet is still posted.

[Embedded content]

He won’t be taking it down. He was asked about it on Meet The Press this morning. He basically said it’s a good quote. He would will not be walking away from quoting a fascist. Trump has zero trouble with that quote or who it came from.

Well that was his story earlier today. Who knows if he’ll change his mind later. Personally I think he’s so arrogant that he will never admit he is wrong or doesn’t know something. That might look weak.

15
Romantic Heretic  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:08:29am

re: #1 nines09

Well, fascists always wear the uniform of the most admired segment of society. In the early 20th Century it was the armed forces. Hence, military style uniforms.

Now ‘business people’ are the most admired so business attire.

16
Belafon  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:12:00am

I can see Trump wanting to be a lion. The giant mane, the perception by others that it’s a big fearsome creature when the males mainly sit around and have the females go hunt. It’s pure ego boost with none of the work.

17
lawhawk  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:12:32am
18
Targetpractice  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:12:41am

I’ve come to the conclusion that there’s nothing that Trump could do, short of ripping off a mask to reveal he’s really been George Soros the entire time, that would destroy support for him. The man has retweeted white supremacists and quoted fascist dictators, he’s menaced protesters and boasted he could shoot somebody in the streets w/o losing votes, and he’s argued points during debates that would have flat-lined any other Republican’s campaign.

19
Blind Frog Belly White  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:13:16am

I watched that clip of Trump and Christie (“Go home.” “Okay.”), and I thought, if they were dogs, Trump just mounted him.

20
Charles Johnson  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:14:42am
21
Viscous Obama  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:14:58am

re: #8 Charles Johnson

Eight hours later, the tweet is still posted.

[Embedded content]

Gawker is too clever by half. He can still be a racist and point out that the tricky liberals want him to look like a racist. Thanks to Gawker he can have his cake and eat it too.

You can’t troll a troll.

22
Charles Johnson  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:18:12am
23
Belafon  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:19:14am

re: #21 Viscous Obama

Gawker is too clever by half. He can still be a racist and point out that the tricky liberals want him to look like a racist. Thanks to Gawker he can have his cake and eat it too.

That would be like saying Bill Clinton was too clever by half for encouraging Trump to enter the race.

Let me tell you the one group I truly fear in this race: White Democrats who fail to understand the concerns of minorities and other groups the GOP is targeting. Getting them to go vote when Trumps racism doesn’t hurt them will be the ultimate challenge.

24
Charles Johnson  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:19:23am

re: #22 Charles Johnson

Look how belligerent and grudging his so-called “disavowal” of David Duke is.

25
stpaulbear  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:19:46am

re: #18 Targetpractice

I’ve come to the conclusion that there’s nothing that Trump could do, short of ripping off a mask to reveal he’s really been George Soros the entire time, that would destroy support for him. The man has retweeted white supremacists and quoted fascist dictators, he’s menaced protesters and boasted he could shoot somebody in the streets w/o losing votes, and he’s argued points during debates that would have flat-lined any other Republican’s campaign.

I keep wondering what would happen if something (a big gust of wind, etc.) caused a major hair failure. It would be an event. I can’t look at him without being overwhelmed at just how artificial he looks.

26
TedStriker  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:21:22am

re: #24 Charles Johnson

Look how belligerent and grudging his so-called “disavowal” of David Duke is.

It’s because we know he just did it for the optics.

27
Danack  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:26:56am

For any other candidate in any other year, this would have terminated their campaign. This isn’t like any other election year, and Donald Trump isn’t like any other candidate.

I disagree with this - this is likely to be the new normal for the Republican party.

Trump has been throwing enough ‘red meat’ to the GOP base that they’re not going to accept the old dog-whistles about deporting Mexicans and discriminating against Muslims.

The only thing that Trump has backed away from saying explicitly is white supremacist crap. Other Republicans have undoubtedly noticed this and are going to start following that pattern.

This will only stop being the new normal when the Republicans actually start getting punished for it…..which might take a while.

28
Dr. Matt  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:29:49am

I keep expecting Trump to proclaim his entire campaign is a complete ruse and a facade just to prove that the GOP will support just about anything and anyone. But, clearly, it hasn’t happen and it probably won’t. The GOP really has found a new low to sink to.

29
Charles Johnson  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:29:52am

Video

30
Viscous Obama  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:30:29am

re: #23 Belafon

That would be like saying Bill Clinton was too clever by half for encouraging Trump to enter the race.

Let me tell you the one group I truly fear in this race: White Democrats who fail to understand the concerns of minorities and other groups the GOP is targeting. Getting them to go vote when Trumps racism doesn’t hurt them will be the ultimate challenge.

Did a little deeper, and you’ll find a huge chunk of those Trump supporters are Alex Jones listeners, conspiracy theorists with a martyrdom complex. I don’t think people realize how huge his audience is among uneducated, lower class whites.

The game that Trump is playing is abundantly clear, with or without Gawker. Tomorrow he’ll probably retweet another racist, and he won’t need any help.

31
Jenner7  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:31:52am

From the MTP Transcripts:

CHUCK TODD:

And as you know, right now on Twitter, there is a trending retweet of yours, you retweeted somebody from Il Duce 2016, it was a Mussolini quote, but you didn’t know it was Mussolini when you retweeted it, it said, “It is better to live one day as a lion than 100 years as a sheep.” That’s a famous Mussolini quote, you retweeted it. Do you like the quote? Did you know it was Mussolini?

DONALD TRUMP:

Sure, it’s okay to know it’s Mussolini. Look, Mussolini was Mussolini. It’s okay to— it’s a very good quote, it’s a very interesting quote, and I know it. I saw it. I saw what— and I know who said it. But what difference does it make whether it’s Mussolini or somebody else? It’s certainly a very interesting quote. That’s probably why I have—

nbcnews.com

Wow.

32
ObserverArt  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:32:30am

re: #29 Charles Johnson

[Embedded content]

Charles…all I get when playing this is the commercial and then it stops.

33
Maxwell Not So Smart  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:33:53am

re: #29 Charles Johnson

I think it’s safe to call Trump an unrepentant asshole.

34
KingKenrod  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:35:48am

There was some discussion in the previous thread about Helmut Norpoth’s election model. You can read about it here: primarymodel.com

35
stpaulbear  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:36:25am

(deleted)

36
b.d.  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:37:14am

re: #35 stpaulbear

Oh look, you can buy a Teabagger pocket knife on Amazon.

Link borked

37
Dr. Matt  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:38:24am
38
Dr. Matt  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:38:36am

re: #36 b.d.

Link borked

This? amazon.com

39
stpaulbear  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:39:59am

re: #36 b.d.

Link borked

Yep. I’m glad. It would have gone to my AmazonSmile account with my info. I’ll get logged off of Amazon then repost it…

40
b.d.  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:41:10am

The thing most aren’t mentioning about Trump liking that Mussolini quote is that Mussolini INSPIRED Hitler just like how it seems he is inspiring another guy right now.

At least we’ll finally get some fancy uniforms and maybe a nice military parade or two.

41
stpaulbear  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:41:44am

re: #38 Dr. Matt

Yep. That was it.

42
b.d.  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:43:29am

re: #38 Dr. Matt

This? amazon.com

That works, what makes it a Teabagger knife? The reamer?

43
ObserverArt  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:43:42am

re: #34 KingKenrod

There was some discussion in the previous thread about Helmut Norpoth’s election model. You can read about it here: primarymodel.com

Thanks…I was the one asking about it.

I’m still trying get my head around it all and judging how full of crap it is or is not.

44
Dr Lizardo  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:44:24am

re: #38 Dr. Matt

This? amazon.com

I have this little baby - it’s come in handy from time to time. Picked it up when I lived in Berlin at some little locksmith’s store.

amazon.com

45
KingKenrod  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:44:43am

Like any bully, Trump thinks the poor whites who make up his support base are chumps. He isn’t going to do anything for them.

46
stpaulbear  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:45:42am

re: #42 b.d.

That works, what makes it a Teabagger knife? The reamer?

The yellow one (fifth choice) has the Gadsden symbol on it.

47
Jenner7  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:45:46am

Just watched the video of MTP. Chuck just chuckles at Trump’s excuse for quoting Mussolini. “Hahaha, so funny. Thanks for coming.”

48
b.d.  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:47:07am

re: #46 stpaulbear

The yellow one (fifth choice) has the Gadsden symbol on it.

Ewwwwww, I guess that is one way to keep people from stealing your pocketknife.

49
Dr. Matt  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:47:25am

During the 2012 campaign, I recall a brief discussion between two lizards regarding the fate of our nation. I don’t remember who is was, but one lizard worried about the future and fate of our nation with a Romney presidency. The other lizard replied that our nation has survived much worse (and giving such examples as civil war, world wars, civil unrest, and shitbags like Reagan and Nixon) and said we will survive a Romney presidency. I wonder can we same the same about Trumps? Can we survive a Trump presidency in that we’ll still recognize this nation after 4 to 8 years of his potential damage?

50
Dr. Matt  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:48:00am

re: #42 b.d.

That works, what makes it a Teabagger knife? The reamer?

The don’t tread on me option. Scroll through the various color options.

51
b.d.  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:50:11am

I guess this means it is all over for Trump now. Oh well, he had a good run.

Just like the Wingnut Welfare Machine to create a new industry. The Stopping Trump money hole run by the same tired folks will have a predictable end.

52
Nyet  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:50:39am

GOPe doth protest too much. Like LePage did. Before he went and endorsed the candidate he previously condemned in strongest terms. I expect McConnell et al. to fall in line.

53
Dr. Matt  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:52:10am

re: #51 b.d.

I guess this means it is all over for Trump now. Oh well, he had a good run.

.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Trump supporters dropped their support for Israel for the sake of Herr Donald.

54
b.d.  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:55:32am

re: #53 Dr. Matt

I wouldn’t be surprised if Trump supporters dropped their support for Israel for the sake of Herr Donald.

In a heartbeat. The would come the claims that all Jewish people are Dems anyways.

It’s not like that a large chunk of Donald’s followers admire any non-Christian.

55
Nyet  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:55:58am

re: #51 b.d.

The same committee that published that lying anti-Occupy ad. And I think anti-Obama ads too.

This time it’s about Israel - or rather about the Israeli wingnuts, because these folks hate Israeli leftists - again. Not about Trump’s proto-fascism. Had he sung the ritual paeans about crushing the Palestinians, this committee would be all for him.

56
bratwurst  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:56:13am
57
retired cynic  Feb 28, 2016 • 10:57:41am

re: #20 Charles Johnson

Oops! That flag has gold fringe on it! Won’t work!

58
Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Feb 28, 2016 • 11:02:09am

How long until Trump starts using this song at a campaign rally?

59
A Cranky One  Feb 28, 2016 • 11:02:26am

re: #57 retired cynic

Oops! That flag has gold fringe on it! Won’t work!

Another false flag!

/

60
bratwurst  Feb 28, 2016 • 11:03:07am
61
KingKenrod  Feb 28, 2016 • 11:05:25am

re: #43 ObserverArt

Thanks…I was the one asking about it.

I’m still trying get my head around it all and judging how full of crap it is or is not.

Relative strength in the primaries is a pretty good predictor of the general election. But it fails in a lot of cases. What Norpath did is tune his primary model with a some things that made his “predictions” work, like making two term incumbency for a party a big drag and adjusting for partisanship changes in the electorate. Also many of his predictions are within the margin of error, making them meaningless.

And don’t forget, it really crashed and burned in the 1960 election.

62
Charles Johnson  Feb 28, 2016 • 11:06:33am

Wow. In Trump’s interview on CNN today, he said he knows nothing about David Duke or the Ku Klux Klan, and refused to disavow them.

63
retired cynic  Feb 28, 2016 • 11:07:32am

re: #62 Charles Johnson

Wow. In Trump’s interview on CNN today, he said he knows nothing about David Duke or the Ku Klux Klan, and refused to disavow them.

After apparently disavowing them on two days ago. Some perfect memory!

64
Bill and Opus for 2016!  Feb 28, 2016 • 11:08:05am

One of these is a womanizing racist fascist dictator who dreams of world domination while inspiring the worst of humanity … and the other is Benito Mussolini.

Almost impossible to tell the difference, honestly.
65
De Kolta Chair  Feb 28, 2016 • 11:09:17am
66
Nyet  Feb 28, 2016 • 11:11:44am

Trump is anti-Christian! He rejects the Bible!/

Ecclesiastes 9:4
Anyone who is among the living has hope —even a live dog is better off than a dead lion!

67
De Kolta Chair  Feb 28, 2016 • 11:11:59am
68
Timothy Watson  Feb 28, 2016 • 11:12:44am

re: #65 De Kolta Chair

[Embedded content]

Rule 3 is especially appropriate nowadays.

69
Stanley Sea  Feb 28, 2016 • 11:15:05am
70
FormerDirtDart  Feb 28, 2016 • 11:17:02am

Just in case you hadn’t heard about the mass shooting last night in Woodbridge VA.
Two dead, two injured.

71
De Kolta Chair  Feb 28, 2016 • 11:18:03am

re: #68 Timothy Watson

Rule 3 is especially appropriate nowadays.

Agreed, and I wonder if that’s the origin of the fake Einstein “definition of insanity” quote.

72
Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Feb 28, 2016 • 11:19:22am

How many seconds of Internet research to it take to check the origin of a quote?

How many seconds of consideration go into a Trump tweet? Obviously fewer than that.

73
Stanley Sea  Feb 28, 2016 • 11:21:00am
74
bratwurst  Feb 28, 2016 • 11:21:58am

re: #69 Stanley Sea

I seriously had that experience just today…I saw #RIPKeith and feared it had something to do with Richards, Jackson or even Olbermann. It turns out to be the father of a One Direction member…I think.

75
Stanley Sea  Feb 28, 2016 • 11:23:48am

re: #74 bratwurst

I seriously had that experience just today…I saw #RIPKeith and feared it had something to do with Richards, Jackson or even Olbermann. It turns out to be the father of a One Direction member…I think.

That was it. The one direction kids swarm twitter.

76
Stanley Sea  Feb 28, 2016 • 11:24:02am

re: #73 Stanley Sea

[Embedded content]

Looks like Gabe deleted this tweet..??

77
FormerDirtDart  Feb 28, 2016 • 11:24:46am

re: #72 Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)

How many seconds of Internet research to it take to check the origin of a quote?

How many seconds of consideration go into a Trump tweet? Obviously fewer than that.

I am waiting for Trump to state he knows nothing about anyone ever called or named “Il Duce”

78
De Kolta Chair  Feb 28, 2016 • 11:26:11am

That’s our TV’s Frank! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The Greatest Frank of All

79
CleverToad  Feb 28, 2016 • 11:31:03am

FYI — Subjective status of the campaign outreach in this apparently-close caucus state of Colorado. Haven’t seen much polling because of the caucus factor; have only received Republican-sounding push-pollster calls this election season.

So far, we’ve received two mailers from the Sanders campaign, and one phone call from a young-sounding volunteer who was somewhat disconcerted when I told her that I was backing Clinton — she basically said ‘Oh’ rather blankly, then gabbled ‘Thank you, goodbye’ and hung up.

From the Clinton side, we’ve received about ten mailers from the campaign itself and from NARAL and PP, including a nice little “Pro-Choice/Pro-Hillary’ poster to hold up at the caucus. We’ve had at least eight phone calls both for me and for hubby from the campaign, all of them prepped to tell us exactly where and when to caucus. And I’ve received a very nice personalized form letter from William J. Clinton, thanking me for my past volunteer work for the Dems, and including again my personal caucus information.

Caveat — I’m an AARP-aged white female, so in the prime demographic for Hillary. I don’t know if that accounts for the sharp difference in the amount of outreach I’ve seen.

Be interesting to hear from other CO lizards if they’ve had different experiences.

80
De Kolta Chair  Feb 28, 2016 • 11:40:31am

Meanwhile, abroad…

81
Whack-A-Mole  Feb 28, 2016 • 11:42:16am

re: #49 Dr. Matt

Can we survive a Trump presidency in that we’ll still recognize this nation after 4 to 8 years of his potential damage?

The answer is an unqualified yes. It may not be an America or a government that I’m particularly proud of but it will still be America and it will still be recognizable. Even if the left were to suddenly disappear and, in a mere 4 or 8 years, the right was able to roll everything back to circa 1950, it would still be America and it would still be recognizable.

It might take generations to reverse the damage and retake our gains, but it would still be America.

The question itself bothers me though. I think that sounds uncomfortably close to something a right winger would have said regarding Obama in 2008 or regarding Hillary today. I think that kind of apocalyptic thinking is not helpful, not for the liberal side nor for the polity as a whole. It feeds into a way of thinking that is corrosive for our democracy: the idea that our political opponents, rather than simply having different opinions, want to destroy our country and our way of life.

The GOP has fed it’s base on that way of thinking for at least a decade now and it is coming back to poison and destroy the GOP. Let’s not follow them.

82
Dr. Matt  Feb 28, 2016 • 11:43:45am
83
The Vicious Babushka  Feb 28, 2016 • 11:44:02am

re: #29 Charles Johnson

[Embedded content]

“What difference does it make?” That’s supposed to be Hillary’s line!

84
EPR-radar  Feb 28, 2016 • 11:45:06am

re: #61 KingKenrod

Relative strength in the primaries is a pretty good predictor of the general election. But it fails in a lot of cases. What Norpath did is tune his primary model with a some things that made his “predictions” work, like making two term incumbency for a party a big drag and adjusting for partisanship changes in the electorate. Also many of his predictions are within the margin of error, making them meaningless.

And don’t forget, it really crashed and burned in the 1960 election.

I really don’t think any statistical model has a reasonable chance of being accurate for this election. Trump as the GOP nominee is the kind of black swan event that makes models based on past patterns mostly useless.

85
Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Feb 28, 2016 • 11:46:02am

re: #84 EPR-radar

I really don’t think any statistical model has a reasonable chance of being accurate for this election. Trump as the GOP nominee is the kind of black swan even that makes models based on past patterns mostly useless.

exactly. people who vote for him don’t admit it and people who claim to vote for him do not. and a lot of people who never voted before out of protest are now voting for him out of protest

86
bratwurst  Feb 28, 2016 • 11:49:33am

Chicago has a new all-time high temperature for this date, breaking a record that stood for 121 years.

Where are all the baggers yucking it up over seasonal weather observations today?

87
Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Feb 28, 2016 • 11:52:31am

re: #86 bratwurst

Chicago has a new all-time high temperature for this date, breaking a record that stood for 121 years.

Where are all the baggers yucking it up over seasonal weather observations today?

out falling through holes while ice fishing

88
Stanley Sea  Feb 28, 2016 • 11:53:46am
89
bratwurst  Feb 28, 2016 • 11:54:45am

Rup seems to have…uh…forgotten someone.

90
EPR-radar  Feb 28, 2016 • 11:57:09am

re: #81 Whack-A-Mole

The answer is an unqualified yes. It may not be an America or a government that I’m particularly proud of but it will still be America and it will still be recognizable. Even if the left were to suddenly disappear and, in a mere 4 or 8 years, the right was able to roll everything back to circa 1950, it would still be America and it would still be recognizable.

It might take generations to reverse the damage and retake our gains, but it would still be America.

The question itself bothers me though. I think that sounds uncomfortably close to something a right winger would have said regarding Obama in 2008 or regarding Hillary today. I think that kind of apocalyptic thinking is not helpful, not for the liberal side nor for the polity as a whole. It feeds into a way of thinking that is corrosive for our democracy: the idea that our political opponents, rather than simply having different opinions, want to destroy our country and our way of life.

The GOP has fed it’s base on that way of thinking for at least a decade now and it is coming back to poison and destroy the GOP. Let’s not follow them.

I think the Republicans are presently so extreme that this line of reasoning is weaker than it may seem.

1) Trump as president could start world war III completely randomly. Cruz as president could start world war III based on his personal interpretation of the Book of Revelations.

2) The GOP as a whole is steadily propagandizing itself to believe that any Democrat in office anywhere is in office illegitimately. Right now the GOP is only acting on these urges at the edges of the issue (e.g., by voter suppression). If present trends continue, the GOP will eventually be much more direct in subverting democracy.

3) For decades, the GOP has been encouraging and fostering every available resentment and hatred in the voters that it can. How much more of this poison can the US take?

91
Backwoods_Sleuth  Feb 28, 2016 • 11:57:36am
92
De Kolta Chair  Feb 28, 2016 • 11:58:36am

re: #82 Dr. Matt

[Embedded content]

93
Stanley Sea  Feb 28, 2016 • 11:59:21am
94
Dr. Matt  Feb 28, 2016 • 12:00:09pm

re: #89 bratwurst

[Embedded content]

Rup seems to have…uh…forgotten someone.

Just imagine if the CEO of NBC, CNN, or any other network made that remark about the Democratic party candidates.

95
bratwurst  Feb 28, 2016 • 12:02:04pm

re: #94 Dr. Matt

Just imagine if the CEO of NBC, CNN, or any other network made that remark about the Democratic party candidates.

Network CEOs are all too busy trying to generate ratings with an “all Trump all the time” format to care very much about who is seeking the other nomination!

96
EPR-radar  Feb 28, 2016 • 12:03:29pm

re: #94 Dr. Matt

Just imagine if the CEO of NBC, CNN, or any other network made that remark about the Democratic party candidates.

This should have been a joint statement by Rupert Murdoch, Rush Limbaugh and the Koch brothers. Let the real leaders of the GOP come forth. No more grey eminences in the shadows.

97
Wendell Zurkowitz (slave to the waffle light)  Feb 28, 2016 • 12:04:33pm

re: #96 EPR-radar

This should have been a joint statement by Rupert Murdoch, Rush Limbaugh and the Koch brothers. Let the real leaders of the GOP come forth. No more grey eminences in the shadows.

bring forth the brown execrences into the foreground!

98
Backwoods_Sleuth  Feb 28, 2016 • 12:09:35pm
99
HappyWarrior  Feb 28, 2016 • 12:14:47pm

re: #98 Backwoods_Sleuth

[Embedded content]

Yet he’s pledged to support him.

100
No Depression  Feb 28, 2016 • 12:14:47pm

re: #93 Stanley Sea

[Embedded content]

there goes Shillary again, copying Bernie’s positions!

101
Ming5000  Feb 28, 2016 • 12:20:44pm

re: #56 bratwurst

[Embedded content]

The hashtag #NeverTrump is the right wing effort to prevent a Trump GOP nomination, or to create an anti-Trump 3rd party. (The link is another delicious read btw)

Nice that they have to use a left wing boogie man trope to scare Trump followers. Is Reverend Wright still even remembered? Seems lame and desperate.

102
Whack-A-Mole  Feb 28, 2016 • 12:23:15pm

re: #90 EPR-radar

I think the Republicans are presently so extreme that this line of reasoning is weaker than it may seem.

1) Trump as president could start world war III completely randomly. Cruz as president could start world war III based on his personal interpretation of the Book of Revelations.

2) The GOP as a whole is steadily propagandizing itself to believe that any Democrat in office anywhere is in office illegitimately. Right now the GOP is only acting on these urges at the edges of the issue (e.g., by voter suppression). If present trends continue, the GOP will eventually be much more direct in subverting democracy.

3) For decades, the GOP has been encouraging and fostering every available resentment and hatred in the voters that it can. How much more of this poison can the US take?

1) I don’t believe this for a second. Neither of them are irrational or insane. Trump may be a bully but he’s not unbalanced. He’s a showman putting on a tough-guy show for the rubes. He knows what the consequences of a war would entail.

Cruz worries me slightly more I’ll admit but I still don’t think he’s irrational or insane. I think he’s a pretty conventional politician, albeit one who most everybody thinks is a giant dick.

2) That propaganda that they’ve been feeding their base is coming back to bite them. All of the hate they’ve supplied has sparked a hunger for blood in their base that is consuming them as a party. They are on the verge of implosion. There are huge fault lines within the party that are threatening to rip it in two before our very eyes. It’s not sustainable long term. Either the actual politicians within the party are going to regain control during this (or possibly the next) election cycle or the GOP splits and ceases to become a national electoral threat.

3) I actually agree. So why add to the hate by thinking in the same manner they do? They’re not enemies, they’re your fellow Americans.

103
Nyet  Feb 28, 2016 • 12:36:15pm

re: #80 De Kolta Chair

Kadyrov: “Challenge accepted.”

104
BeachDem  Feb 28, 2016 • 1:06:26pm

re: #40 b.d.

The thing most aren’t mentioning about Trump liking that Mussolini quote is that Mussolini INSPIRED Hitler just like how it seems he is inspiring another guy right now.

At least we’ll finally get some fancy uniforms and maybe a nice military parade or two.

What also isn’t being mentioned is why is Chuck Todd wasting time delving into that oh so important policy question of “right now on Twitter, there is a trending retweet of yours” rather than, you know, asking TRUMP an actual fucking policy question?

105
Areopagitica  Feb 28, 2016 • 3:00:34pm

I want to say that it’s baffling just how far into the depths of ugliness the GOP continues to go, but then, is it really baffling?

106
Anymouse  Feb 28, 2016 • 3:52:37pm

re: #79 CleverToad

Well, I am in the Nebraska Panhandle, and our own caucuses are coming up.

Both Mrs. Clinton’s and Mr. Sander’s campaigns have called our house. (My wife just switched her party affiliation a few months ago from the Libertarian Party to the Democratic Party.)

Both callers were quite engaging with us.

107
CleverToad  Feb 28, 2016 • 6:18:58pm

re: #106 Anymouse

Well, I am in the Nebraska Panhandle, and our own caucuses are coming up.

Both Mrs. Clinton’s and Mr. Sander’s campaigns have called our house. (My wife just switched her party affiliation a few months ago from the Libertarian Party to the Democratic Party.)

Both callers were quite engaging with us.

Glad to hear it! Phone banking for the campaigns is a thankless task — always appreciate the folks who do it well.


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