I just figured out the conspiracy!

[edwardmurphy]

TRUMP IS A DIABOLICAL GENIUS AND A SECRET DEMOCRAT!

Let's look at the facts. Lifelong Democrat Donald Trump came out of nowhere to win the Republican nomination. He did it by cynically manipulating the anger and fear of a lot of uneducated, poor, disenfranchised white guys who feel like they've been abandoned and want simple explanations and someone to blame. However, anyone who knows anything about presidential politics knows that, while spewing crazy nonsense works great in the Republican Primary, it won't win a general election. Trump's decision to eschew the traditional pivot to the center and double down on the crazy nonsense might seem moronic, but it's actually brilliant. He has three clear goals:

1) Get richer and more influential (most likely so that he can do more good works).
2) Move the progressive agenda forward - put a Democrat in the White House, lock up the Supreme Court for the Progressives, and maybe even take Congress back from the Republicans.
3) Neutralize the angry white guy vote for long enough to enact meaningful reforms on their behalf and make their lives better.

Again, the facts:

1) He's talking about monetizing his base by creating a Trump News Network. That's genius, and if he uses a subscription model it will make him a ton of cash. And the ancillary benefits, like speaking fees and free publicity will just be gravy.

2) By dialing up the crazy Trump has thrown the Republicans into complete disarray. Paul Ryan has to start every day by disavowing whatever crackpot comment Trump made the night before. Republican candidates in tight races are running from the Donald like he's a leprous gay-rights activist looking for an on-camera hug. If they dump him they'll split the party, and if they don't they'll get rolled in the general election and maybe lose down-ballot for good measure. The GOP has been hijacked from within and effectively neutralized as a political force just 5 months before the presidential election. Genius!

3) This is the most incredibly diabolical part. Angry, working class white guys tend to vote Republican out of anger, fear, and/or hate, but the reality is that they're voting against their own best interests. Trump, acting purely out of compassion, is going to neutralize those guys by drawing them out to the political fringes and holding them there long enough to save them from themselves. As long as they're voting for unelectable crackpots they're not an effective political force. Not only that, but by stripping their support from the Republicans Trump has created an environment in which Progressives can have a field day.

I have completely changed my views about Donald Trump. He actually boasts an astounding mix of financial savvy, political genius, and deeply-felt compassion for people who need help but have been tricked into pushing it away. Perhaps most astonishing is that he has the will-power to do all of this without ever breaking character or tipping his hand. What an amazing man!

[RickD]

[melanie]

Haha
Satire much Ed

[abelcainsbrother]

TRUMP IS A DIABOLICAL GENIUS AND A SECRET DEMOCRAT!

Let's look at the facts. Lifelong Democrat Donald Trump came out of nowhere to win the Republican nomination. He did it by cynically manipulating the anger and fear of a lot of uneducated, poor, disenfranchised white guys who feel like they've been abandoned and want simple explanations and someone to blame. However, anyone who knows anything about presidential politics knows that, while spewing crazy nonsense works great in the Republican Primary, it won't win a general election. Trump's decision to eschew the traditional pivot to the center and double down on the crazy nonsense might seem moronic, but it's actually brilliant. He has three clear goals:

1) Get richer and more influential (most likely so that he can do more good works).
2) Move the progressive agenda forward - put a Democrat in the White House, lock up the Supreme Court for the Progressives, and maybe even take Congress back from the Republicans.
3) Neutralize the angry white guy vote for long enough to enact meaningful reforms on their behalf and make their lives better.

Again, the facts:

1) He's talking about monetizing his base by creating a Trump News Network. That's genius, and if he uses a subscription model it will make him a ton of cash. And the ancillary benefits, like speaking fees and free publicity will just be gravy.

2) By dialing up the crazy Trump has thrown the Republicans into complete disarray. Paul Ryan has to start every day by disavowing whatever crackpot comment Trump made the night before. Republican candidates in tight races are running from the Donald like he's a leprous gay-rights activist looking for an on-camera hug. If they dump him they'll split the party, and if they don't they'll get rolled in the general election and maybe lose down-ballot for good measure. The GOP has been hijacked from within and effectively neutralized as a political force just 5 months before the presidential election. Genius!

3) This is the most incredibly diabolical part. Angry, working class white guys tend to vote Republican out of anger, fear, and/or hate, but the reality is that they're voting against their own best interests. Trump, acting purely out of compassion, is going to neutralize those guys by drawing them out to the political fringes and holding them there long enough to save them from themselves. As long as they're voting for unelectable crackpots they're not an effective political force. Not only that, but by stripping their support from the Republicans Trump has created an environment in which Progressives can have a field day.

I have completely changed my views about Donald Trump. He actually boasts an astounding mix of financial savvy, political genius, and deeply-felt compassion for people who need help but have been tricked into pushing it away. Perhaps most astonishing is that he has the will-power to do all of this without ever breaking character or tipping his hand. What an amazing man!

You're setting yourself up for a heartbreak.

[Hortator]

The 50-year veteran of journalism can't figure him out

The doctor of political science can't figure him out

The average man or woman on the sidewalk can't figure him out

If there is one thing you cannot rely on this election season, it's conventional logic. There is simply no past U.S. election that is similar to this one. Any analysis is as good as yours, or mine, or any supposed expert.