Mark Steyn on Trump

Mark Steyn explains why he thinks Donald Trump is gaining traction with some Republicans:

On Thursday night’s “The Hugh Hewitt Show,” Steyn blamed a gun-shy Republican Party, particularly in its recent budget battle Congress, for the shift in the polls toward Trump.

“I think he is serious about it,” Steyn said. “And you know the strange thing about this is that the Republicans play into his hands. The more they go the John Boehner line, the more their up on TV trying to explain to us why the most historic budget cut in the whole of historic history actually increases spending, the more people roll their eyes and say, ‘To hell with and a plague on the entire political class. Let’s just take a guy who’s a proven success at something even if it’s only real estate and reality TV shows and take a flyer on him.’ And so I think any kind of Trump phenomenon is in a sense sort of a response tentativeness and lack of ability to make things happen the Republicans are currently demonstrating.”

And if Trump should not win GOP nomination but decide to run as a third-party candidate, Steyn warned a result similar to the 1992 presidential election which Bill Clinton defeated incumbent Republican President George H.W. Bush, with independent Reform Party candidate Ross Perot siphoning votes from the Republican side.

“I think undoubtedly that a ‘Trump Party’ run guarantees Obama a second term,” Steyn continued. “But you know at some point, real Republican candidates have to get in this game for real. And this is no time – this is just no time for the tentativeness we’re seeing from the Republican establishment. That’s just driving traffic to the Trump end of the spectrum.”

Watching my Facebook and Twitter feeds it's obvious that Trump either inspires admiration or hatred. Some Republicans can't believe their party would even consider looking at a guy like Trump, while others don't believe we can win with anyone else. My fear is that one side or the other will decide to take their votes and stay home on election day if they don't get their way in the nominating process. That pretty much would ensure an Obama re-election.

I'm nowhere near deciding whether I would support Trump or not.  The benefit I see right now in his candidacy is the candor he will bring to the campaign.  He's not afraid to take on any subject, unlike most of the candidates who are likely to be in the GOP field.  John McCain stifled criticism of Obama during the 2008 campaign.  Trump won't do that.

Rich Lowry also has some thoughts on the Trump Moment here.