Once again, Trump is at the bottom of my list, with only Obama below him. I reserve the right to place other potentially nutcase contenders below Trump, but right now, he's at the bottom. I only defend him (and i use "defend" loosely) because I see the possibility that he could be better than Obama.

@ Santa,

How many people recover from bankruptcy to become wealthy again? my only point is that Trump has shown he can do that. My point about the debt is that the growing size of the debt is worse for America's future than bankruptcy.

Also, why are the liberals answering the questions about Trump? I already know what the left thinks of Trump..

"but let me point out that Trump recovered from bankruptcy three times."

Wow, that's some spin right there. Sure he declared bankruptcy three times, but he "recovered", see! What a brilliant business mind.

"we've watched Obama abuse his elected position"

How on earth did Obama "abuse" his position? And you say I'm intolerant of opposing POVs? Because Obama doesn't share your discredited tax philosophy he's "abusing" his position? And yet you're probably one of those people who backed Bush twice. Give me a break.

" If the economy is "recovering" why are gas and food prices skyrocketing, and why is the Fed talking about raising interest rates, and why is the rest of the world getting rid of T-bills as fast as they can?"

Yeah sure looks like T-bills are being unloaded....

http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/data-chart-center/tic/Documents/mfh.txt

But this is a heads you win, tails I lose argument. You'll probably respond by saying the fact that T-bill purchases have increased is proof of our evil spending policy.

As for interest rates, you rightwingers have been claiming we're heading toward hyperinflation for almost 2 years now. All of you predicted we're going to have massive inflation and interest rates are going to skyrocket. And the best you can come up with is the fact that fed is "talking" about "possibly" raising rates in 2011. Why, yes because of higher energy prices, which as predicted you blame on Obama instead of speculators. But unemployment is going down, which you trickle-downers don't care about, but it's happening.

"The Bush tax cuts actually ended up in the rich as a group paying more in total taxes (while individually paying less) and lead an increase in revenue."

This is completely false. http://www.econdataus.com/recsrc06.html

1) The rapidly increasing deficit appears to be chiefly due to a steep drop
in receipts. From 2000 to 2004, receipts have dropped from 20.9% of GDP
to 16.3% of GDP, their lowest level since 1959. Meanwhile, outlays have
risen from 18.4% of GDP to 19.8% of GDP. The drop in receipts of 4.6%
of GDP is over three times the rise in outlays of 1.4% of GDP.

2) The largest drop in receipts has been to individual income taxes. From
2000 to 2004, they have dropped from 10.34% of GDP to 7% of GDP, their
lowest level since 1951. This drop of 3.34% of GDP is about 73% of the
total drop in receipts.

3) The second largest drop in receipts has been to corporate income taxes.
From 2000 to 2003, they went down from 2.13% of GDP to 1.22% of GDP, a
drop of 0.91% of GDP. In 2004, however, they recovered nearly half of
that loss to a total drop of 0.49% of GDP. That is about 11% of the
total drop in receipts.

Trump is not a conservative he has a lot of history giving to liberal causes and Democrats. At best he is pandering to the fringe birthers for higher ratings. At worst he is a straw-man that will run a 3rd party candidacy to siphon votes from the eventual GOP nominee.

I still wish Christie would run, a Christie-Ryan ticket would be a good duo. Alas, I am afraid Republicans are going to have to settle for a weaker candidate with obvious flaws.

"How many people recover from bankruptcy to become wealthy again? my only point is that Trump has shown he can do that. My point about the debt is that the growing size of the debt is worse for America's future than bankruptcy."

Alot! especially when you made your name your #1 most valuable asset through publicity stunts. NBC pays this guy millions, people are willing to pay for his apartments and hotels because of the name. It has NOTHING to do with his qouldnt have business skill. If he had any skill he wouldn't have bankrupt his company THREE TIMES. He is a marketing genius, sticking his nose everywhere, including presidential elections to connect the name Trump with money. Meanwhile John Q Public doesnt hear about the Bankruptcys or forgets quickly and somehow retains the perception that this idiot is a business genius.

And by the way, there are many who believe in the end that he is not nearly as rich as he says he is.

TJ- You mean the Chris Christie that has cost the state of New Jersey over 500 Million because of administrative incompetence.

Theres another dog that's all bark and no bite, but again I guess thats all you need to impress conservatives. That is what their foreign policy is based on after all (after iraq that is)

Geez 500 million all on his part? Impressive! It sure beats Obama's 2+ trillion dollar deficit this year.

Q: Why is Trump so qualified to be president?

A: He has so much experience kicking black families out of their home.

It does, by a longshot 500 million not even used, left on the god damned table because the idiot's ignorance, meanwhile, the economy is recovering in the country thanks to whatever figure is true (ive learned not to trust bull shit conservative statistics). But you are right, Christie is loud, that's what you want right?

But whatever, you guys win, I'll laugh as you run the country into the ground. Bunch of lemmings

" It sure beats Obama's 2+ trillion dollar deficit this year. "

And of course this has nothing to do with the recession and massive deficit inherited from the Bush era.

""The Bush tax cuts actually ended up in the rich as a group paying more in total taxes (while individually paying less) and lead an increase in revenue."

This is completely false. http://www.econdataus.com/recsrc06.html

1) The rapidly increasing deficit appears to be chiefly due to a steep drop
in receipts. From 2000 to 2004, receipts have dropped from 20.9% of GDP
to 16.3% of GDP, their lowest level since 1959. Meanwhile, outlays have
risen from 18.4% of GDP to 19.8% of GDP. The drop in receipts of 4.6%
of GDP is over three times the rise in outlays of 1.4% of GDP.

2) The largest drop in receipts has been to individual income taxes. From
2000 to 2004, they have dropped from 10.34% of GDP to 7% of GDP, their
lowest level since 1951. This drop of 3.34% of GDP is about 73% of the
total drop in receipts.

3) The second largest drop in receipts has been to corporate income taxes.
From 2000 to 2003, they went down from 2.13% of GDP to 1.22% of GDP, a
drop of 0.91% of GDP. In 2004, however, they recovered nearly half of
that loss to a total drop of 0.49% of GDP. That is about 11% of the
total drop in receipts."

-----------

I came in to ask Leif for a citation of this ridiculous claim but it looks like you already pretty well filleted him, Putin. The problem is, facts don't matter to a staggeringly high number of Americans.

At times like this I'm happy to live in American's Hat. Two months of comparatively civil campaigning instead of years of this circus. And even the worst choice is better than any of the republican candidates.

So much for my original questions..

On a serious note:

What qualifications does Trump have that makes you think he could be president? And, in what ways has Obama "ruined" this country? He has done nothing but try to reverse the effects of Bush. Has he fallen back on some promises, such as Guantanamo? Yes, but overall I think he's doing what he should be.

What skills does Trump have? Inheriting money? Losing all his money? Getting more money? Hosting a reality TV show?

http://www.americanthinker.com/2010/03/lying_about_bushs_tax_cuts.html

But why do I even try? Even if it came from the CBO (which by the way this data is ultimately from), the OMB, the IRS, the AP, Obama himself, the end of a Chinese military assault, writing in the sky, or God Himself who on the liberal side would change their mind, the more taxes the better, eh? why not confiscate all wealth? Haven't we tried that before?

And by the way NJ ranks number 2 in largest state deficit as a percentage of spending. Christie is at least trying to stop the spending rampage.

Revenue problem my ass. Like much of the rest of the country, for which the disparity between personal spending and personal income is appalling (figures I've seen say almost half of americans spend more than they earn), our country has a spending problem..

Jesus, dude, you can't link American Thinker articles as evidence and expect me to take you seriously.

You sing Obama's praises and claim all this is bush's fault?

Gas creeping up on $5 a gallon bush's fault?
-Who stopped drilling in the gulf?
Debt skyrocketing bush's fault?
-Who spent more than every president before him?
Tired of wars?
-Who started another in Lybia?
Healthcare problems?
-Who is (countermanding a federal order from a judge by the way) ramming a potentially disastrous and unpopular health care plan down America's throat?

As to Trump, who I've repeatedly said is at the bottom of my list, at least he's had a job in the private sector and knows what making money is..

Okay, Leif. Name for me something you think our government spends too much on. Tell me about an experience you had where you thought "man, that program's budget is just way overfunded, those guys are rolling in it." Education? Police? Fire? Roads? Medicare? Social Security? Those old people are really putting on the ritz with their poverty-line benefits. Where do you want to cut? Specifically, not just something about "inefficiency" or "streamlining to become pro-business" or vague shit like that. What do you want to cut, and in sufficient amounts to actually matter?

See what did I tell you?

If a conservative organization compiles numbers and sets forth evidence, it's not to be taken seriously.

How is econdataus believable and any organization that is conservative that attempts to do the same thing not??

Which of those potential sources that I listed would you believe?

@orangefarm.. You want a detailed list? I'll give you a detailed list.. give me some time to compile it, right now I'm late for class.

"
Gas creeping up on $5 a gallon bush's fault?"

How exactly is it Obama's fault? I think it has something to do with a war in Libya that would be going on whether we intervened or not. But enjoy your fantasy world

"Debt skyrocketing bush's fault?"

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Who started the war in Iraq? Who started the war in Afganistan? Who was in charge when the economy tanked? Are you serious?

"Who spent more than every president before him?"

Ronald Reagan? Oh you mean George W. Bush? Oh I get it you mean Obama...

"Tired of wars?"

That Republican Presidents started, yes

"Who started another in Lybia?"

You mean Gadaffi or the UN, you pick.

"-Who is (countermanding a federal order from a judge by the way) ramming a potentially disastrous and unpopular health care plan down America's throat?"

Or a potentially successful and popular health care plan,


On another planet.

Pfft I think it speaks VOLUMES to the insanity that is US politics that people can claim Obama is not a moderate. Anywhere in the world other than the US and an middle eastern islamic republic, Obama would be centrist or centre-right. In the states he's far left.

1. Having a job in the private sector does not qualify you to be president.

2. Gas creeping up on $5 a gallon?
Where do you live, the Netherlands? Also, gas prices started increasing under the Bush administration, so don't go blaming that all on Obama.

3. Who spent more than every president before him?
Reagan? Bush? Obama? Which one are you referring to? Let's put this in context, please.

Tired of wars?
I'm tired of Presidents who lie about the facts to encourage the American public to go to war. I'm tired of unilateral invasions and diplomatic fiascoes.

Healthcare problems?
I'm not going to say I know very much about the policy and its ramifications, but I do wonder what your solution is. And don't say "less government," say how you're going to remove the government from the system.

Which conservative figure would be most palatable to you if Obama were to lose to a conservative?
None of the publicity hunters. At this point, it seems like the only people talking about running publicly are the Trumps rather than the serious contenders. I'm not moving to Canada regardless, but it would be nice to see a Conservative candidate who runs on the issues and with a reasoned approach to politics rather than a reactionary.

Which conservative are you most afraid of in terms of their likelihood to beat Obama?
I don't think it's possible. Obama has the incumbent advantage, and his popularity isn't as low as seems to be suggested.

Which conservative are you most afraid of in terms of their beliefs and policies?
Any Tea Party candidate. I agree that we have to reign in the deficit, and I agree that we need to go through serious spending cuts in order to do so, but the hypocrisy of small government in business and big government in civil rights, in addition to their perception of tax cuts as an anathema makes the movement entirely unpalatable.

@Santa - There is no arguing that his health care plan is UNpopular. Numerous poles have shown that to be the case and that his approval rating is dropping more and more every quarter.

As far as the war in Afghanistan - would you rather have let Al-Quaida get away with the WTC/Pentagon attacks and the world appear weak when it comes to terrorism? While the UN didn't officially act in this conflict, it didn't have two resolution (1368 and 1373) which made it abundantly clear that the NATO nations had tacit approval. And while we are on that, the US was not the only nation in Afghanistan. It is a full NATO conflict which means most of Europe, Canada, the US, and several former Soviet states are involved to some degree as they are members of NATO.

*it did have two resolutions...

Mitch Daniels.

"There is no arguing that his health care plan is UNpopular. "

This is false also. For one, a majority of Americans say they are confused or don't know how the reform will affect them. Gee I wonder why, because the right has done nothing but lie about it from day one. For two, when asked about specific provisions of the reform, people say they support it. For three, even general polls about reform indicate people oppose repealing it and are split about 50/50 on the bill.

http://www.kff.org/kaiserpolls/posr022310nr.cfm
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/21/health-reform-law-same-opinions_n_838753.html

Leif, it's pretty rich to completely ignore my numbers on tax receipts, which come from the federal government/IRS itself, and then whine that people would ignore your rightwing magazine's "numbers". Your website provides no data whatsoever on revenues. It simply asserts that tax cuts led to greater revenues and has some irrelevant theoretical discussion about the Heritage Foundation and the Laffer Curve. Show me actual data which says your tax cuts led to increases in actual taxes paid by individuals or corporations.

"(countermanding a federal order from a judge by the way)". He's not countermanding anything. The same judge granted the law a stay while the ruling was being appealed. It's again very rich to bitch and moan about laws being "rammed through" considering the shenanigans Republicans have pulled to implement their union busting laws. And healthcare reform involved over a year negotiations and appeasement of every rightwing complaint holding countless meetings townhall and otherwise. It's about as opposite from a "ram through" as you can get on a piece of legislation.