Donald Trump, Rand Paul feud reaches new level

[Patrick Henry]

well its on now. rand chose this strategy of going after trump. now he's gotta pull it off. hopefully he gets in a few good zingers in the debate that make the news cycle. the media will be on our side if he does. they want trump taken down as much as we do

I think that "attacking' is the way to go, because it generally works. Especially when going after Dbags. He needs to go after Bush as well.

 

[Slave Mentality]

Somehow they followed me even though I packed and moved my home
No matter what, they come and they come they won't leave me alone
Another monkey in the mail could make me lose my mind
But look at me shuffling through the stack until I finally find
Some trumps in swimsuits
Some trumps in Jackboots
Some trumps in hard hats
Some trumps who love cats
I've got some shaved trumps; that's trumps devoid of any hair
I've got depraved trumps dressed up in women's underwear

Are you going to share man?

 

[ThePaleoLibertarian]

The only thing Rand has done after attacking Trump was make himself look like a part of the establishment. The problem is, that if he stops going after him now, it'll look like Trump won their fight, and that Rand doesn't want another licking. It's a case of damned if you do, damned if you don't.

 

[Peace&Freedom]

The only thing Rand has done after attacking Trump was make himself look like a part of the establishment. The problem is, that if he stops going after him now, it'll look like Trump won their fight, and that Rand doesn't want another licking. It's a case of damned if you do, damned if you don't.

Rand could use the high profile platform of the debate to transition to a triangulated approach, by clarifying where he agrees with Trump on a key issue, and then distancing himself from both Trump's blustering, policy-free approach and the establishment's extreme put downs of Trump. Rand needs to position himself as also being anti-establishment, but with substance and principle.

Post-debate, he could then continue to transition, by answering every question about Trump with "I understand what he's basically concerned about, but the media's been out to lunch attacking him on it," and then present his statesman like version of the anti-establishment position. This way, he will be stealing Trump's themes, instead of appearing to attack his supporters.

 

[RonPaulMall]

Rand could use the high profile platform of the debate to transition to a triangulated approach, by clarifying where he agrees with Trump on a key issue, and then distancing himself from both Trump's blustering, policy-free approach and the establishment's extreme put downs of Trump. Rand needs to position himself as also bring anti-establishment, but with substance and principle.

Post-debate, he could then continue to transition, by answering every question about Trump with "I understand what he's basically concerned about, but the media's been out to lunch attacking him on it," and then present his statesman like version of the anti-establishment position. This way, he will be stealing Trump's themes, instead of appearing to attack his supporters.

They could, yes, but there has been no indication from Team Rand that they have interest whatsoever in such a strategy. Trump's huge refugee faux pas last week for example, elicited no response at all from Rand's camp.

 

[erowe1]

The only thing Rand has done after attacking Trump was make himself look like a part of the establishment. The problem is, that if he stops going after him now, it'll look like Trump won their fight, and that Rand doesn't want another licking. It's a case of damned if you do, damned if you don't.

That's not the only thing it accomplished. But that was one downside. This was more on account of how he attacked Trump than the fact that he did. He should have done it as a champion of smaller government, rather than the Republican party. It seems like his more recent attacks on Trump have gotten better. If he can establish himself as the anti-Trump candidate, and get credit as the one who more than anyone else takes him down, that will be a huge boon for him.

 

[erowe1]

Rand could use the high profile platform of the debate to transition to a triangulated approach, by clarifying where he agrees with Trump on a key issue, and then distancing himself from both Trump's blustering, policy-free approach and the establishment's extreme put downs of Trump. Rand needs to position himself as also bring anti-establishment, but with substance and principle.

There is nothing to agree with Trump on. Can you imagine vying for the Republican nomination and going out there talking about what you like about Obama?

 

[Peace&Freedom]

There is nothing to agree with Trump on. Can you imagine vying for the Republican nomination and going out there talking about what you like about Obama?

My use of the word "issue" was a bit general or careless. I'm talking about Rand adopting the themes Trump has stumbled into---being anti-establishment, emphasizing cultural matters, standing up to PC shaming or bullying, being 'energizing' instead of presenting like another over-rehearsed boring pol.

Rand shouldn't attack Trump's positions directly (it makes him look too establishment), but embrace his urgent attitude about plainly talking about and prioritizing issues like immigration, and challenging mainstream frameworks about dealing with such subjects. Rand should lead with criticizing Trump's hostile reception by the MSM, and then follow up by offering his own version of anti-establishment solutions.

 

[RonPaulGeorge&Ringo]

There is nothing to agree with Trump on. Can you imagine vying for the Republican nomination and going out there talking about what you like about Obama?

I wasn't aware that Obama was the frontrunner for the Republican nomination with a wide base of support among GOP voters.

 

[RonPaulGeorge&Ringo]

They could, yes, but there has been no indication from Team Rand that they have interest whatsoever in such a strategy.

Rand is a lot like his father in that he doesn't seem super-interested in doing what his campaign handlers tell him to do. "Team Rand" might not be interested, but that doesn't mean Rand won't go ahead and do it anyway.

 

[erowe1]

I wasn't aware that Obama was the frontrunner for the Republican nomination with a wide base of support among GOP voters.

He might as well be, since Trump is.

 

[phill4paul]

Tax plan. Tax plan. Tax plan. Repeal the payroll tax. Repeal the payroll tax. Repeal the payroll tax.

 

[adam220891]

Are you going to share man?

It's a BNL reference

 

[CaptainAmerica]

 

[Henry Rogue]

It just hit me, Trump is Rand's Morton Downey, jr.

 

[CPUd]

 

[Jan2017]

. . . Which is why I say Rand needs to move on, and treat every Trump question he gets as an opportunity to talk about whatever he wants to talk about but they're afraid to ask him.

I agree . . . Jindal no less called out Trump effective enough.

Rand could turn any Trump question into an answer on a policy issue interesting to voters -
not just one candidate's opinion of another over how much media attention they get, etc.

Rand could get them back on topic - answering as a question about immigration or foreign policy or
whatever are the biggest difference(s) he wants to emphasize . . .

And he doesn't even need to mention "The Don" by last name even anymore, imo.



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