Donald Trump is likely to run as a third-party candidate if he doesn’t win the GOP nomination.
“I’m thinking about that. And that bothers me, because I’m very conservative,” Trump told the Wall Street Journal in an interview released last night, saying that if he ran as independent, he would probably take votes from the GOP candidate, unlike someone like New York mayor Michael Bloomberg, who could win votes from Obama.
“To be honest with you, I think it would be very, very bad for the Republican party,” Trump said, talking about how some polls showed him getting as much as 29 percent of votes if he ran as Independent. “I’m sort of convinced that I could win as an Independent.”
“I hate what’s happening with the country. We’re not respected by anybody. Our leadership is not respected,” said Trump on his reasons for considering a presidential run.
Asked about his thoughts on his second place showing among possible 2012 contenders in a recent Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, Trump appeared unenthusiastic. “Second’s never been great as far as I’ve been concerned,” he remarked, but then pointed out that he hadn’t begun campaigning.
Talking about the GOP field, Trump singled out Sarah Palin, saying that she “was so nice and so gracious to me on the birther issue. She really thought that I was doing a great service by what I’m doing on that issue.”
He also made it clear that he has no intention of dropping the issue of Obama’s birth place.
Trump fought back against the claims that he would not run because he wouldn’t be willing to disclose his financial situation. “I would be proud to give those disclosures,” he said.
Trump said he would announce his decision about 2012 before June.
Donald Trump is rapidly becoming the Charlie Sheen of the 2012 campaign. How's he going to find time to run, though, when he's so busy printing out blog posts and scribbling on them?:
Like we're supposed to be too dumb to see through his moronic attempts to manipulate the race? "Make me the GOP nominee or else I'll enter the race as an indy and hand the win to Obama." Yeah, that makes me a lot more likely to support him.
For the record, I doubt he would take away more GOP votes than Obama votes. He may see some difference between himself and Bloomberg, but most of us don't - except that Bloomberg has some meaningful political experience.
And as for trying to slime Palin with birtherism...
I don't support Trump, and a run as an independent would be stupid. That said, if he's going to pot stir over the birth certificate, he would help himself by widening his scope. How about college transcripts? Law school transcripts? His work at Harvard Law Review? Chicago Annenberg Challenge? A better picture of Obama's community organizing?
He needs to make the birth certificate a secondary item on a larger list of "Who is Barack Obama?" He wouldn't sound so nutty and more people might start to get the idea that our President isn't the person he campaigned as. I'd enjoy watching Trump spend millions doing the investigative work ignored by journalists.
IOW, William, you want the sequel to The Arkansas Project to be The Honolulu Project. How did that work out last time?
Trump and every other birther are at least unknowingly serving as Obama's useful idiots. The only question is how many of them are in fact doing it knowingly. Loosely attach yourself to the right, then start acting crazy. A typical leftist sockpuppet ploy.
"For the record, I doubt he would take away more GOP votes than Obama votes."
So you think that if Trump were to run as an independent he would steal votes from Obama? After all this birther stuff?
I'm pretty sure that anyone who is either stupid enough to be a birther or worse, stupid enough to believe that Trump is a genuine birther, wouldn't vote for Obama under any circumstances.
@ linearhights: Yes, because I don't think he'd make birtherism his only issue. That's just a lame ploy for now to try to get traction among a few crazies on the right. In the general, he wouldn't need or want to limit himself to that one thing. The main attraction of any socially liberal billionaire is usually to the young. Perot's support came from youth (and came a lot more from Clinton voters than people acknowledge). If Trump got any votes, a lot of them would come from former 2008 young Obama voters who have become disenchanted with him but still aren't ready to make the move to voting for an actual conservative Republican.
BTW, I don't believe Trump for a second. He knows an independent candidate cannot win no matter how many billions he throws into the race. He's not going to jump into the general just to sabotage Pawlenty. This is just a threat - nominate me or else I'll ruin the chances of the actual nominee and give you four more years of Obama. He has no intention of following through.
And that...is how you ensure you never win the Republican nomination. Good going Trump, you just sabotaged your chances. Assuming he was sincere about running in the first place, this just tanked ANY chance he had.
Sigh. There goes my fantasy that The Donald might actually be a serious candidate, and might, at noon on January 20, 2013, yell “You're fired!” at the incumbent.
As an independent, he'd simply be a saner version of Ross Perot. With the same result: re-election of the Democrat.
I completely agree with linearheights. With all that Birther noise, Trump is going to pull almost exclusively from votes that would have otherwise gone to the GOP.
A Trump 3rd-Party candidacy virtually guarantees Obama is reelected, probably in an electoral landslide.
Tell me what has any of the professional politicians accomplished the past 75 years... nothing... just a slow slide into the mess we are in. I say go Trump- He loves his country as does the other 315 million americans. the maisntream media is all about protectign the status Qou. I want anyone other than all these idiots like Romeny, Huchabee, Obama, the Clintons...
The new Ross Perot 2012!
The GOP had better nominate Trump--OR ELSE.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseDonald Trump is rapidly becoming the Charlie Sheen of the 2012 campaign. How's he going to find time to run, though, when he's so busy printing out blog posts and scribbling on them?:
External Link
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseLike we're supposed to be too dumb to see through his moronic attempts to manipulate the race? "Make me the GOP nominee or else I'll enter the race as an indy and hand the win to Obama." Yeah, that makes me a lot more likely to support him.
For the record, I doubt he would take away more GOP votes than Obama votes. He may see some difference between himself and Bloomberg, but most of us don't - except that Bloomberg has some meaningful political experience.
And as for trying to slime Palin with birtherism...
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI don't support Trump, and a run as an independent would be stupid. That said, if he's going to pot stir over the birth certificate, he would help himself by widening his scope. How about college transcripts? Law school transcripts? His work at Harvard Law Review? Chicago Annenberg Challenge? A better picture of Obama's community organizing?
He needs to make the birth certificate a secondary item on a larger list of "Who is Barack Obama?" He wouldn't sound so nutty and more people might start to get the idea that our President isn't the person he campaigned as. I'd enjoy watching Trump spend millions doing the investigative work ignored by journalists.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMaybe he'd siphon off the independents who gave the presidency to Obama in 2012. I can't imagine him siphoning off many Republicans or conservatives.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseIOW, William, you want the sequel to The Arkansas Project to be The Honolulu Project. How did that work out last time?
Trump and every other birther are at least unknowingly serving as Obama's useful idiots. The only question is how many of them are in fact doing it knowingly. Loosely attach yourself to the right, then start acting crazy. A typical leftist sockpuppet ploy.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse@PatrickJ
"For the record, I doubt he would take away more GOP votes than Obama votes."
So you think that if Trump were to run as an independent he would steal votes from Obama? After all this birther stuff?
I'm pretty sure that anyone who is either stupid enough to be a birther or worse, stupid enough to believe that Trump is a genuine birther, wouldn't vote for Obama under any circumstances.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseTrump will easily exceed Ross Perot's performance.
Simply because (1) it is not as if Republicans are a great brand, and (2) none of the GOP candidates gets unified support of the GOP base.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse@ linearhights: Yes, because I don't think he'd make birtherism his only issue. That's just a lame ploy for now to try to get traction among a few crazies on the right. In the general, he wouldn't need or want to limit himself to that one thing. The main attraction of any socially liberal billionaire is usually to the young. Perot's support came from youth (and came a lot more from Clinton voters than people acknowledge). If Trump got any votes, a lot of them would come from former 2008 young Obama voters who have become disenchanted with him but still aren't ready to make the move to voting for an actual conservative Republican.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseBTW, I don't believe Trump for a second. He knows an independent candidate cannot win no matter how many billions he throws into the race. He's not going to jump into the general just to sabotage Pawlenty. This is just a threat - nominate me or else I'll ruin the chances of the actual nominee and give you four more years of Obama. He has no intention of following through.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI really wish this fool weren't being given so much attention. Shame on Sarah Palin for giving him any cover on this birther nonsense.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseAnd that...is how you ensure you never win the Republican nomination. Good going Trump, you just sabotaged your chances. Assuming he was sincere about running in the first place, this just tanked ANY chance he had.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseTrump/Palin '12
We Are The Candidates We've Been Waiting For!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseOk, we have our pale imitations of Bubba and Perot. All we need is a second-rate Bob Dole and we're good to go!
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseSigh. There goes my fantasy that The Donald might actually be a serious candidate, and might, at noon on January 20, 2013, yell “You're fired!” at the incumbent.
As an independent, he'd simply be a saner version of Ross Perot. With the same result: re-election of the Democrat.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseWow, that was a total slime attack on Palin.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseTrump just proved that his campaign is all about Trump, and not about defeating President Obama.
This says a lot about Trump, who (if elected) would give Obama serious run for the title of 'worst President, ever."
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI completely agree with linearheights. With all that Birther noise, Trump is going to pull almost exclusively from votes that would have otherwise gone to the GOP.
A Trump 3rd-Party candidacy virtually guarantees Obama is reelected, probably in an electoral landslide.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseRoss. Perot. But with more money and ego.
Bill. Clinton. But with more money and less wife.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseTell me what has any of the professional politicians accomplished the past 75 years... nothing... just a slow slide into the mess we are in. I say go Trump- He loves his country as does the other 315 million americans. the maisntream media is all about protectign the status Qou. I want anyone other than all these idiots like Romeny, Huchabee, Obama, the Clintons...
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse