Trump crushes his Republican rivals in the Iowa caucus!

He is likely to win, we can pretend that's not likely if you want, not sure what that will achieve.

I think he has a real chance. Don’t underestimate his appeal and realise that whilst he would have zero chance in the UK or most other countries, the US is different.

The people did speak, and they didn’t elect Trump.

And all he’s done so far this year is win a caucus in one state, meaning the only people who have spoken are registered republicans in that state.

Britain needs someone like Trump, and I'm sure if we had such a person he would be in No 10, no problem. Someone who sees the world as it is, and puts the interests of his country first.

There is a conspiracy to keep Trump out of the White House, but the people have spoken. This is what democracy is all about.

MayBee70

I see that Farage was with Trump. What with the threat of Trump winning the election and Richard Tice now being on UK tv as much as Farage (which means I have to turn the tv off) used to be I’ve decided that I’m going to ignore politics for a while and, to preserve what little sanity I have left, am absorbing myself in children’s fantasy fiction. I honestly can’t cope with it. I thought we’d seen the back of the orange one.

Are you reading anything good that you’d like to share with the class?

I think its impossible for us as a culture to understand Americas issue with guns. It is beyond my understanding. That has not stopped me being beyond grateful for Americas role in the world in the last few months.

MayBee70

I keep thinking of an imaginary Mrs Merton interview in which she asks someone ‘ so why would you vote for a misogynistic, racist, tax evading, riot inciting candidate such as Donald Trump’. The very people that he targets votes for him . Someone once told me that people in America depend on the church because they provide the help and social care that the state doesn’t.So I wondered if they supported him because they lose power when there is a more socially aware president? Because I can’t work out a reason why the church should encourage people to vote for him. It’s totally beyond my comprehension.

His anti abortion policies.

The leading cause of death for children is guns in the US. How ridiculous to talk about keeping the world safe when kindergarteners can’t be sure of being safe in their classroom.
www.forbes.com/sites/darreonnadavis/2023/10/05/firearms-now-no-1-cause-of-death-for-us-children---while-drug-poisoning-enters-top-5/

Urmstongran

Much of the media, the metropolitan bubble, a large portion of our politicians, institutions etc etc. regard Trump as some demon who’s only interest is himself and his mantra Make America Great Again. Well it's about time the West woke up and realised that without a great and powerful America we are all ‘up the creek without a paddle’. Just who do we think is going to protect our freedom, our way of life, our democracy from the gathering forces moving to destroy us from within and without. We certainly don't currently have the means or the will to defend ourselves. Trump may well not be to everyone's taste but the sneering of those that oppose him is not doing the free world any good.

Do you really think that if the rest world gets into dire straits Trump's USA will help us. I doubt it somehow. Trump's Great America won't be so great if the rest of us are involved in wars.

Urmstongran

I am.

Why?

What assumptions? The agreed increase in NATO contributions is a matter of record. I got the year massively wrong. It was 2006.

www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_67655.htm

My sources for Trump’s Ukraine position include Czech president, and former head of NATO’s military committee, Petr Pavel, and NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, and one Donald Trump.

Anything else?

You ask me for ‘empirical evidence’ Siope and then make your assumptions without proving any yourself.
😁

Re NATO contributions: it is true that they increased during Trump’s tenure, but that is because it had been agreed in, I believe, 2014 (so pre/Trunp) that this would happen.

Can you provide empirical evidence for your other claims, please? Brcsuse it just reads like right-wing media fearmongering to me, but I’m happy to be proved wrong by evidence that is verified by responsible and independent bodies.

Re Putin: you’re right that he would dearly like to destabilise Europe and North America. That’s why Russia worked so hard to get Trump elected last time, and why it will do so again. Trump is an isolationist, who will, as a starting point, throw Ukraine to the wolves without a second thought, thus gifting Putin control over even more of Europe’s food and fuel markets.

But Trump is in Putin's pocket...

Urmstongran

Much of the media, the metropolitan bubble, a large portion of our politicians, institutions etc etc. regard Trump as some demon who’s only interest is himself and his mantra Make America Great Again. Well it's about time the West woke up and realised that without a great and powerful America we are all ‘up the creek without a paddle’. Just who do we think is going to protect our freedom, our way of life, our democracy from the gathering forces moving to destroy us from within and without. We certainly don't currently have the means or the will to defend ourselves. Trump may well not be to everyone's taste but the sneering of those that oppose him is not doing the free world any good.

I don’t know where you get the idea that Trump is here to save the world : laughable ! I am not even sure where you get your basis for this comment : Fox News ? Daily Mail ? He is a huckster of populist ideals of the sort Hitler spewed . He is just barely literate , never reads and spent most of his presidency watching Fox News . That’s a very sad fact ! Most of his former cabinet think of him as a danger to democracy . So please do some reading about him from his former advisors . This is a man who supported an insurrection on Jan 6 in huschen country ! I think it is you Urmstogran who needs to inform yourself better before you come here espousing such absurd ideas !

Being strong = giving rogue nations pause for thought.

But Trump doesn’t want America to be the great protector of the western world does he?He just wants America to look after it’s own interests.

Take your pick Siope - Iran, N Korea, Russia, ‘lone wolves’ (think Manchester Arena 2017), mass immigration via routes that are unlawful and then we ‘lose’ so many of them. Not everyone who comes to our shores wishes us in the West ‘well’. Trump nudged the European countries to up their subscriptions to NATO. It needed saying.

What forces are they, Urmstongram?

Much of the media, the metropolitan bubble, a large portion of our politicians, institutions etc etc. regard Trump as some demon who’s only interest is himself and his mantra Make America Great Again. Well it's about time the West woke up and realised that without a great and powerful America we are all ‘up the creek without a paddle’. Just who do we think is going to protect our freedom, our way of life, our democracy from the gathering forces moving to destroy us from within and without. We certainly don't currently have the means or the will to defend ourselves. Trump may well not be to everyone's taste but the sneering of those that oppose him is not doing the free world any good.

In the Washington Post, that should read.

Some interesting analysis of the Iowa caucus votes in the Washington which suggest that Trump did better in the religious counties than in counties which more widely reflect the USA.

There’s a history for this, with those counties ensuring caucus victories for a number an evangelical candidates (Huckabee, Santorum, Cruz) who have not gone on to win the republican nomination.

There’s a strong educational divide, and that’s widened massively since 2016. In 2016, he got 29 percent of the vote in the parts of the state with the lowest levels of college education and 22 percent in the counties with the highest levels.
In 2024, that spread more than doubled to 18 percentage points. He did particularly badly in university towns (one of which a few of my family live in, so they will be pleased).

Income was another key factor; he did better in the counties with the lowest median household income.

It will be interesting to see the Democrat caucus results.

PS: as I write, Trump is in court glowering at potential jurors in the defamation case brought by E Jean Carroll, the woman he raped.

I should think Putin & similar aggressors are rubbing their hands with glee, Trump will cease to help Ukraine with weapons and Putin's job will be complete.

Maybee the only one thing I remember about Des Moines is that Bill Bryson comes from there!

Grantanow

Iowa was merely the prequel. It's not over till the fat lady sings.

Have we got to put up with this until November? 😲

😴