Perhaps it is time for Trump

Given the many ugly aspects of the US that have boiled up into this electoral stretch, and given that the likeliest outcome is a race between Trump and Clinton, Trump the demogogic outsider, Clinton the product of the Democratic machine, the ultimate oligarchic insider, and given that a Trump win seems it will convince many that something in the US is broken, is it perhaps time for the victory of the US version of D'Annunzio?

Might that be a case of the treatment being worse than the disease? I fear that if Trump prevails the country would be torn asunder, allies would fear rather than respect us, and foes would hate us even more. If Trump manages to implement even part of what he promises, what kind of nation will we be left with and will we be able to recover?

It might work like a vaccination.

The trouble is, it's not just about the Presidency. Parties matter even when they don't win the presidency.

Consider that the Republicans are already in a presidential bind. They lost badly in the last two contests, with demographic math that makes it hard to see how they could win at all, without a major repositioning, attracting minorities and young people. At the same time, though, Republicans have solid majorities in the both the House and Senate. That can go on and on, with or without of a Trump Presidential win. And if the Republican Party is Trumpified, those majorities will give Trumpism a lot of power.

Democrats may like a Trumpified party, though. The bigotry will drive young people and minorities to the Democratic party.

And Trump's anti-free-trade stance is a species of xenophobic irrationality the Democrats pioneered, and will be only to eager to work with.

I'm not so sure Trump is wrong to oppose the TPP, though I hope I haven't reached my conclusion by the same path.

The Demos pioneered xenophobic irrationality of that species? B. Clinton?

I should also add that I fear Cruz more than Trump.

ETA: And I fear H. Clinton nearly as much.

The Demos pioneered xenophobic irrationality of that species? B. Clinton?

How did Clinton pass his trade bills—on Democratic support? No. Republican. Free trade is traditionally a Republican issue, with opposition mostly from the left.

#3--Cruz could be worse than Trump IMO--but basically both Cruz and Trump are hated within their own party. Lindsay Graham suggested not so long ago that if someone murdered Cruz and the jury were made of US Senators--the murderer despite whatever evidence of his guilt would go free. Your comment about a Trump presidency being like a vaccination is what I've been thinking for a while. I don't believe Trump will accomplish very much---he's not liked by the establishment of his own party and the Democrats are certainly not going to help him. Legislatively both he and Cruz would IMO be lame ducks their entire time in that office. Pretty much left with executive order and veto.

By the way I'm absolutely against TPP and practically every trade deal that has sold out the working people of this country for the wealthy and those of the investor class.

In respect to Trump/Clinton--the dilemma for me is that if Trump wins--it will be four years and out. The GOP will make his 4 years a nightmare and try to switch him out in 2020. If Clinton wins--her party will circle the wagons around her to get her a second term. In the scenario that the democratic party loses in November IMO they will benefit from moving away from the moderate/centrist positions of the Clinton's and the democratic party establishment and shift leftwards towards the younger millennials while still hanging onto their other core constituencies. 4 years from now the democratic party could be a lot stronger than it is now because of that. 8 years of Hillary probably kills that and I'd expect some of those same constituencies particularly those fueled by younger voters will break up.

Speaking of the Nafta. Less than two years after passage the Mexican peso collapsed and the United States congress moved to bail out the major banks and corporations who by that time were heavily invested in the Mexican economy. It was a mini-version of the 2008 bailout of Wall St. or what one might call a dry run that set a precedent for the future Wall St. ideology of 'too big to fail'. So as it happens the bailout wasn't just a one time thing and as long as many of the same political and economic actors are still around it could very easily happen again.

>8 lriley: In respect to Trump/Clinton--the dilemma for me is that if Trump wins--it will be four years and out. The GOP will make his 4 years a nightmare and try to switch him out in 2020.

He may be supporting Trump now, but even Ben Carson is saying it'd only be four years.

http://www.rawstory.com/2016/03/ben-carson-isnt-worried-if-trump-is-not-such-a-g...

If it's any consolation, IF Trump gets elected, I'm pretty sure he'd throw a tantrum and quit when he realizes that being president is harder and less lucrative than what he usually does.

President Ben Christie?