Trump Was Sockpuppeting But It Was A Long Time Ago

Ken AshfordElection 2016Leave a Comment

A recording has surfaced of Trump pretending to be his own publicist in a 1991 call with a reporter. That’s something Trump did regularly back in the day, but of course he doesn’t want to admit it now, because “yes, I pretended to be my own publicist to fluff myself even more to the press than I’m comfortable doing under my own name, even though I’m a … Read More

I Would Like To Know More About This

Ken AshfordElection 2016Leave a Comment

From National Review: A friend of Donald Trump’s recently approached him to suggest that he will eventually have to release his tax returns, as every presidential nominee has for decades. The friend told Trump that he should do it before the GOP convention to ensure everyone can process what’s in the returns and help make any revelations “old news” by … Read More

Sometimes The Simplest Answer Is The Right One

Ken AshfordElection 2016Leave a Comment

Jonathan Chait wins: Why did almost everybody fail to predict Donald Trump’s victory in the Republican primaries? Nate Silver blames the news media, disorganized Republican elites, and the surprising appeal of cultural grievance. Nate Cohn lists a number of factors, from the unusually large candidate field to the friendly calendar. Jim Rutenberg thinks journalism strayed too far from good old-fashioned … Read More

Polls, Polls, Polls

Ken AshfordElection 2016, PollsLeave a Comment

I don’t think any Democrat is complacent about the general election.  After all, most Democrats — pundits, politicians, and laymen alike — are still surprised by Trump’s nomination.  But most seem to believe that a Hillary Clinton victory will be the likely outcome. Do the first round of polls bear that up?  Not as well as I had hoped. A … Read More

Trump Says He Would Allow America To Default On Its Loans

Ken AshfordEconomy & Jobs & Deficit, Election 2016Leave a Comment

He didn’t actually say the word “default”, but what he is describing here is a default (“not repaying loans in full”): One day after assuring Americans he is not running for president “to make things unstable for the country,” the presumptive Republican nominee,Donald J. Trump, said in a television interview Thursday that he might seek to reduce the national debt … Read More

Trump’s Awkward Outreach To Hispanics

Ken AshfordElection 2016, RaceLeave a Comment

Happy #CincoDeMayo! The best taco bowls are made in Trump Tower Grill. I love Hispanics! https://t.co/ufoTeQd8yA pic.twitter.com/k01Mc6CuDI — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 5, 2016 Because when one thinks of Hispanics, of course, one thinks of tacos.  That’s what their culture is all about, right?  Tacos? The number of things wrong with this tweet is astounding.  Cinco de Mayo is … Read More

My Brilliant Prediction

Ken AshfordElection 20161 Comment

From this blog on July 2, 2015, I wrote: Trump will not be a candidate for President.  Like Michele Bachmann in 2012, he’s enjoying a very early leap in the polls.  Also, like in 2012, I suspect many of the candidates will enjoy a brief moment in the sun before the drop out.  This is Trump’s.  But if it were … Read More

The Race Ahead

Ken AshfordElection 2016Leave a Comment

Trump has an uphill battle. Interestingly, North Carolina is in play.  As is Ohio and Florida.  This will make vice president choices important.  Hillary can sew up Ohio, and take it out of play simply by picking Sherrod Brown as VP.  He’ll bring in the Bernie supporters; he’ll bring in Ohio; he’ll bring in blue collar workers.

Panicky RedState: Confirm Garland Now

Ken AshfordElection 2016, Supreme CourtLeave a Comment

From Think Progress: RedState, the influential conservative blog that has often helped shape the outcome of Republican primary elections and congressional Republican strategy, says its now time for Republicans to end their blockade of Chief Judge Merrick Garland’s nomination to the Supreme Court. “Now that Donald Trump is the presumptive nominee, this is not even a close call,” the site … Read More

The New Dynamic

Ken AshfordElection 2016Leave a Comment

Nate Silver, who has been as wrong about Trump as, well, everybody, explains why he thinks he was so wrong, in a single tweet: Updated post-Trump priors: 1. Voters are more tribal than I thought. 2. GOP is weaker than I thought. 3. Media is worse than I thought. — Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) May 1, 2016 Let me take each … Read More

Yes, This Is Happening

Ken AshfordElection 2016Leave a Comment

Funny, the chattering heads in the media.  Trump gave a victory speech last night, which many called “presidential” simply because he didn’t call anybody a childish name, and didn’t mention his penis.  Seriously, that’s how low the bar is now for this guy. But I noticed something else. Since Trump’s win (and Cruz’s exit) in Indiana last night, the media … Read More

Breaking: Ted Cruz Drops Out

Ken AshfordElection 2016Leave a Comment

Well, well, well. I guess there still could be a contested election but I doubt it. I think the humiliation was too much for Ted. I think the nation could use a politics break before the general election campaign. Don’t think we’ll get one with this Trump obsession.  I just want him off the TV.