Trump and the Kardashians: should a serious nation care about either?

 For many on the right, their frustration about the inability of Republicans to stop President Obama from implementing his policies has become as great as their anger at the administration.

Can You Criticize Trump Without Insulting His Fans?  . . . "But in employing his trademark bullying tactics as well as by making a vulgar comment about Kelly (that he later disingenuously claimed was innocent), Trump showed us that he is a master manipulator of the media. But the question to be asked about all of this is not so much whether his lead in the polls will last, but whether it’s ever going to be possible to speak or write honestly about Trump without such criticism being interpreted as a defense of the establishment or an unfair attack on voters who are fed up with business as usual in Washington? The answer is that as long as Trump is controlling the conversation, the answer may, unfortunately, be no." . . .Jonathan S. Tobin

TRUMP. PERIOD. That’s Really the Best We Can Do? 
Add "raise awareness" to the list of silly phrases some of us are sick of. TD

"Tampons. That seems to be the prevailing theme of the week on the internet. Women that don’t wear them. A GOP Presidential contender that could probably use one. Seriously, the last few days have taught me two things: the general public doesn’t appreciate a poorly placed menstruation joke and period shaming is actually a thing. " . . .

"Donald Trump denied that his reference to blood coming out of Megyn Kelly during the GOP debate had anything to do with her menstrual cycle but referred to her attitude. President Obama said if you like Donald Trump’s hormonal denial, you can believe Donald Trump’s hormonal denial. Period."  Comedian Argus Hamilton

Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura (I) told CBS News that, “If Donald Trump were to ask me to be his running mate, I would give it very serious consideration.”

Roger Ailes to Donald Trump: 'We resolve this now...or go to war' (Brian Stelter/CNNMoney)
 . . . "The candidate is also being kind to Fox; when Trump called into Lou Dobbs' Fox Business show on Wednesday, he said "I love your show and watch it all the time."
"Given the billionaire's popularity, "Ailes had to make peace," said Roger Stone, a Trump senior adviser who recently left the campaign in disputed circumstances.
"But no one knows how long the peace will last." . . .

Don’t kid yourselves: if you support Trump, you are supporting the Democrats, you are supporting liberalism, you are supporting the elite. Deny it as vehemently as you like, make your accusations, mouth your obscenities, make your threats. But face up to the truth.   J.R. Dunn

Haven't We Seen the Trump Saga Before?   . . . "There’s a persistent rumor that Trump cleared this campaign with Bill Clinton in a phone call last April. I don’t know the truth of it any more than anybody else. But I do know this: that Trump is tight with the Clintons (this should be enough in and of itself to sound the alarm), that Big Bill never misses a trick, and the he knows exactly how he won two elections back to back with only 49% of the vote.

"You think it just happened this way, boys and girls?"  Read more

The unfolding tragedy here is that conservatives have the most impressive bench since the 1980s. Look at them: Walker, Jindal, Cruz, just to name the three best. Each of them has in the recent past done more for conservatism -- and this country -- than Trump could manage if he lived until the 30^th century.

People used to say, "A vote for Ross Perot is a vote for Ross Perot!" But it was a vote for Bill Clinton, pure and simple. Nothing more.