Enough with the "Trump is still the most sane of the bunch" arguments.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

Last edited Wed Dec 9, 2015, 11:37 AM - Edit history (1)

The man is a walking, talking Cluster B case study.

Yes, politics has its share of narcissists in its fold. But Donald Trump is an extraordinary case like we haven't seen before.

Yes, the entire GOP field is a wide spectrum of craziness and yes, Carson and Cruz probably rank right up at the top with Trump with sheer, unbridled insanity. But the presence of Carson and Cruz doesn't make Trump any less insane.

Nor can we say (as some have) that Trump is "the best of the worst". He isn't. He's a horrific, xenophobic disaster who's whipping up a mass hysteria of the very ugliest elements in society this country has to offer. Anyone who willingly panders to that--even if it's just for personal gain--is just as bad as the very worst ideologue out there.

Donald Trump is an extraordinary awful human being and political figure. Period. Even when compared to other Republicans, as crazy as that sounds.

[apnu]

1. Who is making this claim?

I've seen noone make the claim that "Trump is the most sane one of the bunch"

[Tommy_Carcetti]

2. It's been said by a few here on DU.

As well as the claim that in the event he is elected President, Trump might still moderate himself and rule competently. Which his track record absolutely does not suggest.

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

6. Well, those few are wrong.

The 'sane' Republicans mostly never even run for office.

[apnu]

7. Those are probably right-wing trolls.

Of which there are a few here.

I know of no liberal, even moderate liberal, who thinks Trump is the sane one of the bunch.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

11. I think some are just misguided attempts at stating the obvious.

With the obvious being, "Jeb/Rubio/Christie/Kasich would be awful presidents just like Trump."

And I obviously agree with the obvious. And I think none of those individuals are particularly admirable or worthy of any sort of faint praise (My grievances with Jeb being especially significant.)

But as awful as they are, they're not Trump crazy. What we are seeing with Trump and the sort of individuals following him is unprecedented and very scary.

[ljm2002]

19. Wow, mark the calendar...

...I agree with everything you say here!

[FrodosPet]

3. You are correct

I fell into that trap myself. With a whacked out field like the GOP is offering, it is hard figuring out who is least insane.

[apnu]

8. There isn't one. They are all equally insane.

The only difference is the type of insanity.

[sharp_stick]

4. I've never

heard that claim from anyone outside of anonymous message boards and those I assume are posted by Trump himself.

[bigwillq]

5. Trump is insane (nt)

[ProfessorGAC]

9. While I See Your Point. . .

. . .i think we can agree that Trump actually functions outside the political realm. Carson did not act like this when he was in the medical field. Not that many folks anxious to go the crazy doctor.

We have no reason to believe that Cruz was a high performer before he entered the political realm. His track record of private enterprise success pales compared to where Trump is now.

So, while i don't like Trump, don't agree with anything he stands for, and am patiently awaiting the implosion, i actually do think he has shown the ability to be the closest to competent when compared to the other 2.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

10. I'd agree with you more if Trump was actually the so-called "self-made" man he's made out to be.

(For the record, I don't actually believe in the concept of a "self-made" person, and anyone who achieves anything in life will ultimately benefit in some way from the help of others, how big or small. But in general, I'm talking about a person who has risen from very humble beginnings to great heights in life.)

Trump was born a multi-millionaire with automatic built in political and business connections. He's managed to insulate his own personal wealth quite fine, but in terms of actual business, he's pretty crummy. He's ran his company into the ground four times owner, and ruined many a good business venture he's involved himself with.

Personally, I'd be rather wary in partnering up in business with Trump. Try booking a room at the Trump casino in Atlantic City if you don't believe me.

[ProfessorGAC]

21. No Disagreement, Tommy

Sorry, late to getting back.

I didn't mean to imply i didn't think he was a silverspoon. And i know about his failures. But you can be nutty and still succeed as an entrepreneur. But, nutty and surgeon doesn't seem like a combination that leads to success. And, the Cruz, et al, have done nothing of merit except self-promotion in politics.

There, crazy is not an exclusionary trait. Obviously

[cali]

12. There will always be a tiny minority of people making this or that absurd claim

But all you have to do to see this is not widespread here is read GD.

[Trajan]

13. I don't see this claim being made here

Simple as that ...

[Tommy_Carcetti]

15. It's been made by a few.

I think it's a misguided attempt at stating the obvious, the obvious being that Jeb/Rubio/Christie/Kasich would all be awful, terrible presidents.

But there's something even more extreme with Trump and what he's doing to maintain his support. We're talking about real fascism, and that's no hyperbole.

[cali]

14. You make it sound like this is an actual problem here on DU with your declaration of "enough"

It ain't. That is nonsense. You just made up a problem.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

16. It's not a majority view, but it's persistent.

And I don't think most of the people who are doing it are doing it consciously to compliment or excuse Trump. They're attempting to comment on the poor quality of the GOP field in general.

But throughout the past few months, I've seen multiple posts claiming that as bad as Trump seems, somehow he's still the "best of the worst" or "the most sane". And that's just not true.

[cali]

17. I haven't seen any of those posts.

Please post a link. If it's as pervasive as you say, that shouldn't be difficult.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

20. Check your PM. nt

[Orsino]

18. Well, he's the most ignorant of the bunch, anyway.

Each of the others, at some point, had to learn things.

[Vinca]

22. I fess up. I have said such a thing in the past, as it pertains to the small 6 or 7 batsh*t crazies

at the top of the GOP heap. He has made comments in the past that have led me to believe he won't send seniors to the poor farm and let people die in the streets for lack of medical care. In any case, the worm has turned. The Donald belongs in a straight jacket.

[Bluenorthwest]

23. Trump is the first Republican candidate to be so bigoted even straight white people can tell he's

a bigot. The rest of them are as well. But some have a harder time seeing that.