Trump may be may be many things but one of the things he is not is electable. It would be easy to dismiss Trump, but at this stage he is the unchallenged leader in the Republican presidential race. Trump is a leader in many ways. In addition to being a first class asshole, Trump is a climate denier of the first order. He is among those who believe that cold weather and snow disprove the veracity of global warming. “With the coldest winter ever recorded, with snow setting record levels up and down the coast,” Trump said last February, “the Nobel committee should take the Nobel Prize back from Al Gore.”
Trump continues to ride high in the polls even after the first Republican presidential debate. It is his bizarre brand of sensationalism that has catapulted him to the top of the heap. Some people think he might make it through the primary process. Impossible as it might seem some are even beginning to consider the specter of a “President Trump.”
However, many are deriding Trump due to his outlandish statements and his policy positions. He has said some powerfully unfavorable things about immigrants, women and Senator John McCain. Most in the know reject his candidacy because they think he will be an unelectable Republican presidential candidate.
Trump may be resonating with people because he gives the impression of being beyond the control of the power structure that traditionally sets the policy agenda for Republican politicians. As he explained in an open letter, Trump is inviting conservatives to join his “crusade” and offering the American people “an alternative to the inept career politicians who talk big but never produce results.”
“The political establishment is in shock over the way I have taken the lead in the presidential race – and they are scared to death.” Trump said. “Because my campaign will be funded mostly with my own money, the Washington insiders know that the lobbyists and special interests will have no influence in a Trump administration…The special interests know you can’t buy” me.”
Trump said of career politicians, “They will never make America great again,” adding that “they’re controlled fully by the lobbyists, by the donors, and by the special interests, fully.”
Trump has suggested that Sarah Palin would be tapped for a cabinet position and the real estate billionaire has been linked to Mark Cuban as his Vice Presidential running mate. Cuban said he is, “probably the best thing to happen to politics in a long, long time.”
However others like Lindsey Graham have a different view. Graham said that if Trump wins the Republican nomination the GOP will not win the White House. The other presidential candidates have slammed Trump. Jeb Bush dismissed Trump as “divisive” and “vulgar,” Walker accused him of using the Democrats talking points. However, former Presidential contender Pat Buchanan warned that attacking Trump could backfire on candidates if they are seen as picking on the popular Trump.
The Koch brothers are some of the highest profile conservatives that think Trump is unelectable. This climate denying duo is in bed with many of the Republican presidential candidates including Jeb Bush, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Scott Walker, Carly Fiorina and Rand Paul. But not Donald Trump.
The Kochs are going to spend almost a billion dollars on political propaganda over the next year. Through their kochtopus they intend to spend $889 million ahead of the 2016 election. With a net worth estimated to be between $3 and $9 billion Trump can finance his own campaign so he does not need to pander to wealthy donors.
From massive campaign contributions to votes, the Koch’s bring a lot to the table. Their vast network of think tanks and front groups are formidable. Their propaganda machine is capable of significantly advancing the interests of any candidate they choose. Through firms like i360 they can help with analytics. The can also provide strategic information with which a resonant communications strategies can be built. The Koch’s bring a sophisticated array of technology including data mining, that make them valuable friends for ambitious reactionary politicians. However, this state of the art data has been denied to one Donald Trump.
The Trump campaign has also been prevented from speaking at Koch functions. The Kochs vast influence includes Americans for Prosperity (AFP), Concerned Veterans for America, Freedom Partners Chamber of Commerce, and the Latino focused organization LIBRE.
The Kochs bring a lot to bear for the right candidate. This includes much more than just speaking opportunities in front of some of the most influential Conservatives in the US. However the Kochs also have their own agenda and they want their horse to win the race.
The Kochs are not the only members of the Conservative elite that oppose Trump. It is not only the perception that he cannot win the Oval Office, there are also many who worry that he is tarnishing the Republican brand.
Even though the Trump campaign has taken a lot of talent from the Koch brothers and despite the fact that the Donald is a long time friend of the oil billionaires, it would appear that they consider the real estate magnate unelectable. The Kochs know what they are talking about, they are masters of sculpting public opinion.
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