What's your opinion on Trump?

I feel he represents the id of the Republican party, i.e. how the base of the GOP would look if you strip away any inhibitions or concessions to propriety.

Remember the incident of Phineas Gage, the railway worker who lost his prefrontal cortex in an accident back in the 1800s? Without the executive control function of his prefrontal cortex to help him rein in his impulses, he became an obnoxious boor, saying and doing whatever he felt like: “The equilibrium or balance, so to speak, between his intellectual faculties and animal propensities, seems to have been destroyed. He is fitful, irreverent, indulging at times in the grossest profanity (which was not previously his custom), manifesting but little deference for his fellows, impatient of restraint or advice when it conflicts with his desires, at times pertinaciously obstinate, yet capricious and vacillating, devising many plans of future operations, which are no sooner arranged than they are abandoned in turn for others appearing more feasible. A child in his intellectual capacity and manifestations, he has the animal passions of a strong man.”

That reminds me of Trump. I think much of his popularity stems from the fact that the GOP base is generally sick of having to be careful not to sound racist or xenophobic or greedy or misogynistic or bellicose, and they like seeing someone who expresses himself the way they’d really like to be able to.

^^That was excellent and eloquent. Much more professional than I anything I can muster. I must be lacking enough of my executive control function in that pesky prefrontal cortex. The cleanest four-letter word that describes my view of Trump is “joke.”

If you are able to remove the bluster, the ill-conceived pseudo-policies, the rubbery face, the alien hair, the bravado and the crap, you’ve still got that narcissism. That alone allows any other candidate to trump the Trump.

I actually cannot accept that he is a real candidate with real support. My brain refuses to accept that he’s anything more than a tabloid joke publicity candidate whom people support ironically. Then I look on Facebook and see people wholeheartedly and earnestly supporting him and I realize that my thoughts on him are a psychological defense mechanism and then I truly comprehend the death of god and the suffering of life.

As i’ve said on these pages more than once, he & Eeh-merry-ka truly deserve each other.

I’m astounded that he’s so popular, but @thorninmud nailed it. Some are tired of political correctness and Trump tells is like he sees it.

Funny that the OP said I want your god honest opinion on Trump in this race, as though we’d give him anything but! :D

Well, the fact that he “tells is like he sees it,” and does so so bluntly, and, at times, inappropriately, tells me he has a lack of self control and a lack of tact and wisdom.

Well, honest opinion?

I’m a 90’s child.

I have known for years that This guy is 100% the inspiration for This guy

and while I’ve often rooted for the villain, President Koopa is not on my list of favourite bad-guys.

He hates women… and any other social or biological group to which he does not belong.

He is a pompous, out-of-touch clown.

If he is elected there will be HELL TOUPEE!!!

The fact is that he is the perfect reflection of the average conservative.
Loud mouthed, confrontational, ignorant, unapologetic, racist.

I’m a Democrat and I agree with a lot of what he says.

I said a long time ago the candidate to talk about addressing the theft in the medical system will get my vote, God help me, and Trump is the only person I have heard say it. I’m hoping the next democratic debate they talk about health costs, and not just about how to pay for universal health care (Bernie Sanders) but addressing why it’s so costly. I want to hear examples of diagnostic centers and doctors charging ridiculous amounts to insured patients and the patient being unable to get straight answers about fees. Trump wants to create more competition in health care, which would be better than what we have now, but really I want it completely socialized. Assuming it won’t be socialized I want some sort of watchdog or regulation on medical costs. Some sort of investigation on how disgusting the medical business can be and the fraud in it. He didn’t get that specific about it, so I’m not sure he would go that far.

I’m interested on what he knows about the Middle East, I wish we could hear him talk at length about it. I think he knows a lot of the powerful players there.

I don’t think for a second he would treat a female executive in his business differently than a woman.

His mother was an immigrant his paternal grandparents were immigrants, and so have been two of his wives. It’s a little ridiculous that he thinks he can send all illegal immigrants home and then have them come back, but he seems to want to have a path to let them become legal. I don’t think he hates Hispanics, just sick of violence and crime, and that’s what he should address. There is some sort of bill being voted on recently or soon about jailing illegal immigrants that cross back over after a felony conviction. Yes! Put them in jail. We are talking about felons who are illegal in our country. Why should we tolerate them? We have enough trouble with felines who are legal here.

I think he will listen to real data and statistics if they are presented to him.

I think he doesn’t care if someone is a democrat or republican. He is not controlled by the party, except to say he seems to cater to it a little to get the right wing vote.

I think he loves his children, and cares about family, and although he seems a little bit of the typical ick guy who moves onto the next pretty young chick who comes along, I don’t think that would affect his policy for women in the country being treated equally. I do believe he cares about health for women and in general.

I also think he needs to prove he can real it in and not say such shocking things that offend a lot of people.

I don’t think he cares what religion a person is, and I don’t think religion affects his positions.

My experience is wealthy people don’t get into personal things like religion, nationality, none of it. Wealthy is it’s own group, that other stuff is for home and family and sharing with friends when it’s appropriate like, baptisms, bar mitzvahs, weddings, and holidays.

I think he says a lot of what is said behind closed doors, and said not by people who hate women or are racist. It’s just when you know the person saying it you aren’t as critical about how it is said. He needs to stifle more and watch his wording.

I don’t think he will wind up being the republican choice and definitely not President.

Um… he raped his wife and pulled out her hair. He makes derogatory and ill-informed statements regularly. He would be an even worse representative of our country than any Bush.

I’m all for not being controlled by what’s “politically correct”, but when you believe things that are false and derogatory, you should probably try to be more PC. And while I also appreciate that he’s got enough of his own money to not be tied to super PACs, he’s only out to make more money for himself. And he has plenty of behind-the-scenes quiet agreements that he will honor, which probably aren’t all that different than being indebted to donors.

We haven’t heard the worst from him yet.

Trump is lacking in both substance and style. He has 0 years of political experience. He mostly talks about how qualified he is on account of being rich, without giving any indication of what he intends to do. As to his style, he just says whatever comes into his head, like a two year old. I can’t fathom how he is doing so well in the polls. It just seems unthinkable that he would be nominated let alone being elected president.

He is Biff Tannin Personified.

”...he just says whatever comes into his head, like a two year old…” Exactly @LostInParadise.

His candidacy for President of the United States of America, and its accepting reception by the media, other politicians, and some of the public, is one of many clear indications that the government, political parties, and the media, are grossly incompetent and should be replaced by intelligent, well-educated, emotionally sound, non-pathological, non-compromised people who want good things for the people and the planet.

I think it’s all a move for him to boost his own ego even more and I don’t think he actually gives two shits about anything other than making more money. “No publicity is bad publicity”, and too many Americans are happy to support him. He is the perfect example of everything that is wrong with America.

I think he is a distraction to divide the Republican Party and let Hillary walk right in, which looks like it’s working.
Here is an article that further explains the idea that he is a Clinton plant.

As a child, he should have been spanked, and held more.

I have to admire his extreme candor (or perhaps his tourette’s) Thanks @thorninmud . If by chance he were to prevail, I believe he is is savvy enough to surround himself with capable people to keep him advised on stuff he is weak on. He may need a couple more advisers than other Presidents, but being able to delegate is something he is very good at. His strong personality would serve him well in negotiations, provided he has sufficient knowledge of his goals. I think he has quite a set of cojones on him to have lost and regained his fortune so many times. Not afraid to take a calculated risk. this could be good or bad. It’s too early for me to have formed a complete impression of him as I missed the last debate and don’t watch much television.

One thing that I think presidents should be is diplomatic, and I don’t think Trump is that.

I don’t like him. I don’t care for his politics; we disagree on almost everyone of his stances on important issues. I don’t care for him on a personal basis; he seems to be a blowhard used to getting his own way by throwing cash at it. He appears racist, misogynistic, self centered, unwilling or uncapable of compromise and seems to make a habit of speaking first and fact checking later.

He (or Carson) is the greatest gift the Democratic could ever hope to have. Can you picture Hillary-Trump debate? Now THAT I would pay to see.

@Pachy LOL. I have to agree, that would be something to see.

Go Hillary!

Although, I bet in a regular setting when they are just two people talking at a party I have a feeling they get along fine, laugh, know a lot of the same people, etc.

I keep thinking who are the independents going to vote for in this field of candidates? I wonder what they are thinking? I will cross party lines when I vote, but if I’m honest it happens very rarely.

I can’t imagine Trump will wind up the Republican candidate. I have a girlfriend who feels very sure it is a definite possibility, and she often has really good intuition about these things.

@JLeslie, you might be right, but I wouldn’t want to be in Trump’s helium-filled shoes if the subjects were women rights, foreign affairs, or… anything else. ;-) As for whether he will wind up the Republican candidate, I was saying the same thing a few months ago, but now I’m not so sure.

Hillary certainly can talk circles around most of them on most subjects in my opinion. Her experience is incredible. To me it is not so much Hillary’s knowledge of a topic, but her opinion or strategy to deal with it. I think Biden has the same strong knowledge base, and probably Jeb Bush too. I’m not sure about everyone else. I do feel Trump understands the Middle East more than people might think. He was the one who called out Bush about letting the Saudis fly out of our country after 9/11. He was the one who pointed out 9/11 happened during Bush. I don’t think he is accusing Bush of being negligent, I think he is speaking to hypocrisy, reality, and being honest enough to analyze these things in a way to help the country. I just don’t know how well he really knows the long history of the region.

I would so love to see Trump get his ass kicked by a lowly, inferior woman.

Donald Trump is not a statesman or a diplomat but that’s why he is popular. Republicans are so anti-government they don’t want to vote for any kind of politician and Donald Trump fits the bill. He is an entertainer.

A bad one at that.

Just saw this on a Facebook post and find it clever and apropos:
Stupid-callous-xenophobic-nasty-braggadocious