Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts

Trump obviously coached tonight. Looking very presidential. Gang: This guy could very well be our next president. Sigh.

Watching Trump handle O'Reilly post-debate.
Why do i find myself pulling for Trump?
This is scary!

The thing that stood out to me, and perhaps others... Fox News did almost everything it could to frame a Trump pile on. I only watched about half of the debate, but the moderators went after Trump and in so doing gave Cruz and Rubio chance after chance to attack him. At the same time, I didn't see a single hard-hitting "question" against anyone else (the closest was to Kasich about selling cupcakes to gay couples).

Just watched O'Reilly tell Rubio that he, O'Reilly, has never seen anything like this race.
Iv'e been watching presidential campaigns since Kennedy-Nixon in 1960.
(I was within feet of JFK two nights before he was elected in '60.)
I too have never seen anything like this.
I'm not sure that even the educated public has an idea about how wild this could potentially become.
This is an amazing race!

Jim, though older than you, the first race I really recall was 1960 with Kennedy-Nixon. And clearly this is the most "unusual" campaign that I have experienced. It strikes me that it's a bit like a lot of the reality TV programs today. Over the top emotions to grab the audience and keep them watching. That's just my speculation - I don't watch them.

I do think that Trump's performance in the primaries highlights a growing societal gap between the "haves" the "have nots" and the majority of folks who are the "tweeners." There is a segment of our society that is clearly angry with the status quo because they are losing ground economically. The problem I have with the current politicing about this issue is that everyone wants to label someone else as the bad guys. In reality it is a very complex global and multi-dimensional issue that probably transcends the ability of many people to fully comprehend - me included, and I'm "educated."

I am concerned that, as a society, we seem to be devolving into a governance that is confrontationally-based as opposed to striving for a compromised solution. Unless you are a dictator, your don't impose the solution; you need to look for a compromise. David Brooks in the NYT had an interesting perspective on this topic a couple of days ago. Link below for those interested in reading it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/26/opini ... -time.html

There was something really weird that happened in tonight's debate.

As you know, I'm very liberal on social issues. I would NEVER vote for The Donald. Having sad that, I must say: I actually found myself sympathizing with him tonight. There is nothing phony about his appeal. When O'Reilly was interviewing him, literally seconds after the debate -- when the adrenaline surely must have still been flowing -- I felt a sympathy for the guy. O'Reilly was being a dink, as usual. And there was almost an innocence to Trump in the interview. It was totally bizarre. It was almost, dare I say it… endearing.

I don't now, man. I keep underestimating this guy. I never in a million years thought he could win the nomination. Now, I think he is going to do it!
I actually think Romney helped him in a big way today.
I'm struck by the fact that Little stud boy from FLA seems to have come in 4th place in ever poll tonight.

This seems to have been a BIG day for Trump.

Looks like he is going to sweep this weekend's primaries/caucuses, including Maine, plus Michigan next week.

There is NOTHING to laugh about concerning Donald J. Trump anymore.

This guy is DANGEROUS!

Trump may be genuine, which can resonate with voters. A lot of fed-up voters cotton to his blow-up-the-system statements. But he is a know-it-all blowhard bully shoot-from-the-hip jingoistic nationalistic narcissist. Any one of which makes him a poor candidate for the job.

Did I mention that I'm not likely to vote for him?

Trump , and he acknowledges it, appeals to the less educated citizens who find themselves marginalized in society. That said, should they be the driving force behind our next president?

Education is not a pre-requisite to vote or to run for office. Nor should it be.

>>
he is a know-it-all blowhard bully shoot-from-the-hip jingoistic nationalistic narcissist.
>>

Why do you emphasize his best attributes, David?

And, David, you are too much of a populist:

>>
Education is not a pre-requisite to vote or to run for office. Nor should it be.
>>

Only people with a PhD from a tier one university should be allowed to vote.

DavidG wrote:Education is not a pre-requisite to vote or to run for office. Nor should it be.

I guess what I meant is ignorant people who don't understand or don't care about the issues outside their world. I've met ignorant, educated people as well.

The first Kennedy-Nixon debate. Sigh.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbrcRKqLSRw

stefan wrote:And, David, you are too much of a populist:

Only people with a PhD from a tier one university should be allowed to vote.

In my department, only full professor's have complete voting rights. As an associate, I protest!

I watched the whole one hour Kennedy-Nixon first debate. Had only seen parts of it over the years. I know the old analysis: If you saw it on TV, you thought Kennedy won. If you listened to it on the radio, you thought Nixon won. Having watched it, I say the winner was… Nixon. By a fairly narrow margin. Both men were nearly flawless. I gave the slightest of edges to Nixon. I thought Kennedy might have been a touch too much cerebral. As for Nixon's sweat… I saw some sweat on his chin after about ten minutes, but he wiped it off and was fine for the rest of the debate. What a great debate. What a contrast to what we have today. So sad!

You have the germ of an interesting counterfactual, think piece or even novel. It's generally believed that, if that debate and the televising of it did not change everything, at least everything changed after it. Now it partakes of legend. It would be interesting to carefully analyze the reaction to that in the days afterward - what we would call now the buzz - and see how what it looked like and more importantly, was it shaped and how. In other words, what was the proto-spin? We could move up in time to an event still before the time when the internet had such a massive affect on things to the '92 NH democratic primary, which Clinton lost but is famously remembered as propelling him forward on the basis of his "comeback kid" spin.

>>
In my department, only full professor's have complete voting rights. As an associate, I protest!
>>

Interesting, Patrick. In my department associates have full voting rights except for promotion to professor.

Thanks, Jim, for the link to the Kennedy-Nixon debate, which I have not watched since I saw it in 1960. Both candidates went deeply into issues and did not assume that their audience was comprised entirely of reality TV viewers.

Thanks for that link Jim, fascinating to see in its entirety.

Look how far we've fallen, with Rubio and Trump debating the size of Trump's penis. And it's not just the Republicans. Even Hillary weighed in:

There's some amazing stuff on Youtube, including this 9-part video of the 1960 election night.
Here's part 9, featuring an ever so slightly choked-up JFK giving his acceptance speech the next afternoon in Hyannis.
Part 8 is really good too, with the circa-1960 limos departing from the Kennedy compound with the president elect in the open-windowed front seat of the white limo, waving to the crowd mere inches away on the narrow streets of Nantucket Sound:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOUIbZaKBlE

I have a confession to make…. I like Megyn Kelly. I think she's a firecracker. Is it my imagination or has Fox been a little more palatable to watch during this election?

Looking like another strong night for the Big Man. As expected, I honestly think that Mitt and all this "establishment" opposition helped him more than hurt him.

The little fraud from Florida seems to be flatlining, but I'm not counting my chickens yet. If he were smart he'd drop out before next Tuesday. But watch him prove me wrong and pull out a surprise in FLA. The golden boy may really have been permanently branded, a la Quayle, Palin, etc., etc. That would be sweet.

Tonight we are seeing firsthand the limits of the Ted Cruz candidacy.

Watching the Trump victory "press conference."
OMG, an insane man has taken over the GOP.

Entertaining though!

This press conference is epic.

This Republican race is ooovah.

Jim, I know you cannot stand Rubio, but listen to what Cruz says. He is even scarier than Trump. Kasich is the only halfway sane Republican candidate left, while Rubio might be at least a quarterway sane. Clinton looks like the only person who has a chance to be elected and is even marginally qualified to be president. And she might be indicted before the the election! What has happened to this (formerly) great country?

In 1960, the country had a choice between two pretty good candidates. Same in '64, '68, and '72. The candidates in '76 were less impressive, but not scary. '80, '84, '88, '92, '96 all brought at least reasonable choices for president even if some VP candidates were suspect. 2000 was weaker even if the candidates looked OK on paper, and everyone knows what has happened since then.

Stefan for some reason Cruz doesn't bother me as much as Rubio.
I think it may be in part because Cruz is a joke to me.
I've never felt he has had a prayer of being president.
He's a nasty Rick Santorum.
Rubio, on the other hand, seemed to have it all: Good looking, great family story, articulate, conservative credentials.
The problem is it was all an inch deep. Completely shallow. No depth. And then in about 45 seconds he was caricatured by Chris Christie.
Remember, he was on a roll after his third place "victory" <rolls eyes> in Iowa, well on the way to his 3-2-1 strategy in IA, NH, and SC.
Then Christie pulled his pants down and he never recovered.
Now, just a couple weeks later, he's polling under 10% and coming in 4th place in every state.

I'm wondering if Trump will release his tax returns?

It is a shame Michael Bloomberg is not in the running. He knows that as a third candidate he might hand the presidency to Trump or Cruz. He would make a much better president than any of that other shower and I would include Hillary in that. She is barely fit for purpose.

Blanquito wrote: Re: President Trump
Post by Blanquito on Wed Jan 27, 2016 9:39 pm

Right now, I'd go even money on Trump winning the nomination over any other individual candidate. I'd still take the field over Trump though.

My bet in January is looking good right now (scary). I'd still take that bet, I might even give odds now. Might even take Trump over the field, but we'll know much more after next Tuesday, which is the next Rubicon in a series of them... it's to Ohio now.

If Trump wins Ohio even by a tiny margin (a winner-take-all state and the polls show a very tight race with Kasich) and takes Florida (another winner-take-all state) as the polls say he will do easily, the delegate math becomes much, much more plausible for him to pull off a win outright.

But seriously, how did we get here?: right now, there are only two plausible outcomes-- Trump winning outright or a contested convention. Insanity.

To me, this race is over. Trump is going to win not only FL but also OH next week.
As well as IL.
You know, it's crazy, but I'm actually thinking my guy Bernie has a path to the presidency. I mean the whole ball of wax.
Bernie v. Donald, Bernie wins.
I'm not trying to be melodramatic here, I think there is gonna be violence here before all is said and done.
I think the death of Scalia raised the stakes.
This is a once in a century election.

I'm not nearly as down on Hillary as some are here, but I would love an Bernie presidency. I just can't see it happening, but he's come further faster than anyone thought possible. In this loopy presidential campaign, never says never.

But Trump still has to win Ohio. Do that, and then I'll join you in calling it over.

My entire life, conservatives have dominated the Supreme Court. Branches of Congress, the White House, state offices... these things have gone back and forth with great regularity. But the Supreme Court, not once. That could be the real game changer.

Bernie vs. The Donald, I may stay home on Election Day. In a couple of years, I might even be looking to retire outside of the US. I like some of what Sanders says, but he's a financial disaster waiting to happen. Once in office it's unlikely he'd be able to take all our money, so I might be able to hold my nose and vote for him. Trump OTOH is loony and while Congress is a pretty good brake on domestic shenanigans, I fear he will create more trouble abroad than even W was able to.

Hillary is no more dishonest than the rest of them. But she's got the Republican machine focused on her 1000% and making stuff up when they aren't getting enough traction with the facts.

The Donald owns a winery (actually one of his sons is the official owner) in Virginia about 100 miles from DC. What night does BWE do the tasting of Trump Wines or will we doing a tasting at the vineyard?

Chris Bublitz

That's not a bad idea! We gotta get some Trump wine there!

And steaks!

I have a Trump suit. I almost gagged when I noticed the label when I bought it, and that was before his run for President. If he wins I may burn it.

Aw come on David, we want you to model it!

A GREAT article on the menace that is/was Marco Rubio:

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_ ... ingle.html

That suit could be worth something someday. Sort of like nazi paraphernalia nowadays.