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Tony Dejak/AP/Press Association Images

Trump, violence and one of the nastiest presidential campaigns ever

Rowdy standoffs between pro- and anti-Trump protesters — often with a racial edge to them — appear to have become the norm at rallies.

DONALD TRUMP’S GLADIATOR- STYLE politics may have finally caught up with him, as the Republican’s rivals accuse him of turning the White House race into a violent circus and analysts warn of more trouble ahead.

Can the genie be put back in the bottle now that mounting tensions pitting Trump’s angry, frustrated crowds against equally fired-up protesters have tipped over into violence?

There is increasing doubt on the question. Steffen Schmidt of Iowa State University has predicted “tensions and violence at political events will increase sharply” on the long road to the November election.

In a campaign already marked by foul language and below-the-belt attacks in the Republican camp, last weekend marked a new low.

First Trump was forced to cancel a rally on Friday as ardent supporters and opponents came to blows in chaotic scenes in Chicago.

Then early on Saturday a man tried to rush on stage in Ohio before Secret Service agents quickly stopped him and surrounded Trump. That same evening, police used pepper spray on anti-Trump protesters in Kansas City, Missouri, saying they had been infiltrated with “known anarchists, outside agitators”.

The weekend violence came after dozens of campaign stops where Trump has encouraged the crowd to verbally and physically mistreat protesters.

Rowdy standoffs between pro- and anti-Trump protesters — often with a racial edge to them — appear to have become the norm at the billionaire real estate mogul’s rallies.

After accusing Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders of infiltrating his rallies with disruptive protesters, Trump vowed to sends his own militants to the Vermont senator’s gatherings.

Sanders, speaking at a CNN townhall on Sunday, had a simple response: “Donald Trump is a pathological liar.”

Bloody noses, broken bones 

Does this mean the clashes, insults and beefed-up security presence are now part and parcel of this White House race? Some fear it openly.

“Trump has lit a fire. Can it be contained?” asked The Washington Post.

Not likely, Schmidt said.

Trump supporters will now go to Sanders events and disrupt them. Then Sanders supporters will hit back and there will be many bloody noses and broken bones at these and also other Trump events.

“Politics is not a polite game,” he said. “Politics is a contact sport.”

Trump has created many foes in the last nine months, since he launched his White House bid.

trump sign PA Images PA Images

By attacking Washington and insulting his rivals — from “little” Marco Rubio to “liar” Ted Cruz — stigmatising Muslims and Hispanics, Trump stands accused of fanning hatred and spurring his partisans to violence.

The Republican frontrunner has openly spoken of wanting to “punch… in the face” or “knock the crap” out of opponents, and said he would consider paying the legal fees for a supporter who sucker-punched someone at a Trump rally.

Yet the bombastic billionaire refuses to admit any responsibility for violence, insisting his rallies are friendly, peaceful affairs even as he continuously pushes the boundaries of acceptability with his verbal provocations.

“His rhetoric is inciting the thuggery spilling over at his rallies,” a Post editorial read.

Trump has justified violent outbursts by some of his supporters in the name of rightful “anger”.

In such a climate, it is little wonder his rallies have become a magnet for anti-racism activists, defenders of immigrants and minorities as well as libertarian and anarchist groups.

Genie out of bottle

“Trump has attracted these protester-types — they are not Bernie Sanders’s… but fringe-types and fringe-personalities and hard-core activists who want to engage,” Duke University associate professor Pope ‘Mac’ McCorkle told AFP.

GOP 2016 Trump Charles Rex Arbogast / PA Images Charles Rex Arbogast / PA Images / PA Images

“It might have some short-term gains in driving even more of his committed people to the polls, but as a long-term it’s a loser.

It’s a bit like the genie out of the bottle: I think these demonstrators are going to keep on appearing at his rallies and I don’t know how you put it back into the bottle.

It was already common for one or a handful of protesters to disrupt Trump’s speeches, only to be thrown out of the room.

But in Chicago on Friday, there were thousands. Trump called them professional “thugs” and agitators behind a “planned attack”.

The incidents earned Trump a sharp rebuke from President Barack Obama, who urged the candidates vying to replace him to reject “insults and schoolyard taunts” and “violence against other Americans”.

Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton bluntly accused Trump of “political arson”.

Trump’s three remaining rivals for the nomination, seizing a chance to bring the frontrunner down a notch, have also been unanimous in condemning the rally chaos.

“I think it is going to be a rocky road out there for a while,” McCorkle said.

If Trump and Clinton win their party nominations, Schmidt predicted, “the campaign after this summer is going to be one of the nastiest presidential campaigns since Thomas Jefferson,” in the early 19th century.

© AFP 2016

Read: Donald Trump has a lot to say about the ‘organised thugs’ interrupting his rallies

Read: Sarah Palin’s husband in hospital after snowmobile accident

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    Mute john Appleseed
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    Mar 15th 2016, 6:39 AM

    If Trump invested the money he inherited in the S&P 500, he’d be worth about $8.3 billion today. He’s not some business mogul. He inherited the money, he is what he appears to be. An orange idiot.

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    Mute Tina Kanayo
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    Mar 15th 2016, 6:51 AM

    Don’t forget he is a conman as he duped thousands of people with a fake college.

    140
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    Mute liam
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    Mar 15th 2016, 6:55 AM

    Nobody can outperform the market in the long term. Do you feel clever for highlighting that Trump has merely imitated the market over a lengthy period, despite these being the best returns anybody could realistically have expected from good investments?

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    Mute Pt pat
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    Mar 15th 2016, 7:08 AM

    John that simply isn’t true, next time you see a claim like that fact check it, it takes about 5 minutes. http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2015/dec/09/occupy-democrats/occupy-democrats-say-simple-investment-trumps-fath/

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    Mute Tina Kanayo
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    Mar 15th 2016, 7:20 AM

    The man has been bankrupted FOUR TIMES, has dupped thousands of people for their money and you seriously think he has made his money through smarts and hard work?

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    Mute Francis Mc Carthy
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    Mar 15th 2016, 7:28 AM

    He would have lost everything back in the early 1990′s as his assets were worth 1/2 billion less than what he owed ..He was then up sh.it creek without a paddle ..
    The only things that saved him was the downturn & more laughable was his name/brand ..Fact..

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    Mute thejynxeffect
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    Mar 15th 2016, 7:46 AM

    He didn’t inherit the money. He was loaned 1 million dollars. Trump university was not a fake college but a successful online course with good reviews regardless of what the MSM says. What’s happening now is the establishments last ditch effort to connect Trump with violence. Violent protesters turn up and it’s Trumps fault for speaking. You’re all quick to jump on Trumps failures but none of you give him credit for his many obvious successes. He has changed the face of politics over there and is giving the establishment the finger. You guys would prefer Hitlery it seems

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    Mute Simon Burke
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    Mar 15th 2016, 8:14 AM

    @Liam Value Investors like Warren Buffett have beaten the market over decades.

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    Mute Avina Laaf
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    Mar 15th 2016, 8:21 AM

    Ah, but who was giving it the good reviews Jynx?

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    Mute Ciaran Ó Fallúin
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    Mar 15th 2016, 8:33 AM

    He inherited the property company from his father. If he had sold it right away and invested it all into a tracker fund matching the S&P index, he would have been worth far more than he is today. He’s a mediocre business man and a toxic politician who would alienate the US if he was president. Nobody’s saying that Ted Cruz wouldn’t be worse, but quite how the GOP has found these pair leading will be deemed a pivotal moment in history from which America is saved or continues to spiral.

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    Mute Sean Gallagher
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    Mar 15th 2016, 9:24 AM

    Fine… I’ll (under protest) concede the he’s not an abject failure as a businessman. Please tell me how that qualifies him for the position of President? Changing the face of something in no way indicates that you’ve improved it.

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    Mute thejynxeffect
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    Mar 15th 2016, 9:34 AM

    Avina

    The people who took the courses.

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    Mute Avina Laaf
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    Mar 15th 2016, 10:32 AM

    Exactly Jynx – try engaging your brain.

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    Mute Grot Master
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    Mar 15th 2016, 1:45 PM

    All he’s doing is aping the left – what with the blatant lies (bs college rape stats.), name calling (“You’re a racist”) and tacitly condoning violence (Obama praises Black Lives Matter) – and they hate him for it.

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    Mute Neil
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    Mar 15th 2016, 6:38 AM

    I’ve been hearing of his expected demise from mainstream media for months and he just won’t go away.

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    Mute thejynxeffect
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    Mar 15th 2016, 8:03 AM

    When the media is that hated and known for telling obvious lies, it’s a badge of honour to be ridiculed by them.

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    Mute Pete Slattery
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    Mar 15th 2016, 8:11 AM

    Oh yeah, because Trump is such a stalwart of truth and transparency.

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    Mute thejynxeffect
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    Mar 15th 2016, 8:20 AM

    Correct Pete. More so than any other candidate

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    Mute Jbob How
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    Mar 15th 2016, 8:30 AM

    So incorrect then given your qualifying second line

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    Mute Larissa Caroline Nikolaus
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    Mar 15th 2016, 8:56 AM

    @jynx, you’re pulling my leg, aren’t you? only 1% of what Trump is spouting is actually the truth, even Cruz is better than him, with 5% truth

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    Mute thejynxeffect
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    Mar 15th 2016, 9:19 AM

    Talking about massive trade deficits, a 19 trillion dollar national debt, illegal immigration, Saudi Arabia’s involvement in 9/11, political correctness, TPP and TTIP, NAFTA destroying jobs, Common Core, Corporate Inversion, Obamacare, the US arming ISIS and saying the Iraq invasion would destabilise the Middle East. Oh ye, it’s all lies. He’s talking about what most Americans are concerned about. Hence his widespread populist support and the medias widespread attacks on his character.

    59
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    Mute Sean Gallagher
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    Mar 15th 2016, 9:21 AM

    Jynx you realize that a non partisan fact checker concluded that only 8% of what Trump said was either true or mostly true. So I’m sorry the “tells the truth” stuff are spouting is as untrue as 92% of what Trump is.

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    Mute TheBull
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    Mar 15th 2016, 9:32 AM

    He had widespread support amongst a smaller group of people than he will need to get elected.

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    Mute thejynxeffect
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    Mar 15th 2016, 9:32 AM

    Ye I bet it was non-partisan. Link?

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    Mute Sean Gallagher
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    Mar 15th 2016, 9:35 AM

    Politifact.com find me something to refute it and I’ll gladly read it.

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    Mute thejynxeffect
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    Mar 15th 2016, 9:48 AM

    Ye like I said, non-partisan my ass

    https://m.reddit.com/r/NeutralPolitics/comments/39fbov/is_politifact_truly_neutral/

    I read several “pants on fire” fact checks about Trump that I know to be true.

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    Mute Sean Gallagher
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    Mar 15th 2016, 10:18 AM

    You’re citing a SubReddit?

    What facts do you “know to be true” and please give sources…

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    Mute John Smith
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    Mar 15th 2016, 11:11 AM

    Oh man. I mean you can slightly get away with citing Wikipedia, but a subreddit? What’s next, marker on a toilet cubicle? That’s laughable in the extreme. No wonder he supports Trump.

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    Mute Sean Gallagher
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    Mar 15th 2016, 1:16 PM

    Avast,

    Go for it… Please tell us why the vast majority of the media are not in favour of the policies of a man who:

    1. Wants to build a wall that he thinks he can make someone else pay for
    2. Wants to ban Muslims in their entirety from entering the US
    3. Advocates violence
    4. Comments on whether or not a woman is on her period because she didn’t react well to him
    5. Lies about being self financing (as of December 2015 only 66% of his money was self financed)

    To hell with whoever owns the media and yes, you might be right… They might not like him, they might have campaigned against him if he was the next Ghandi in his policies, but the point is we don’t even get to that hypothetical part of the argument because the things he has ACTUALLY said are enough for people to dislike him and think that he’s nuts.

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    Mute Robert Cummins
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    Mar 15th 2016, 6:59 AM

    I love how the media blame trump for the actions of violent totalitarian liberals. Imagine it was reversed and it was his supporters violently crashing hillarys rallies. The liberal media has become such a joke that they are all shutting down their comments sections on line because if the backlash from ridiculous articles. Ironically, this is one of the reasons trump is so popular

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    Mute liam
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    Mar 15th 2016, 7:10 AM

    Liberals regard saying mean things as equivalent to violence, therefore to respond with physical violence to insults becomes acceptable. The SFers who felt it was their right to infringe upon the freedom of association, expression and conscience of peaceful, but mean, Pegida supporters in Dublin a few weeks ago indicates Ireland liberazis are imitating this trend.

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    Mute thejynxeffect
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    Mar 15th 2016, 7:54 AM

    Modern day liberals are lunatics who love to start violence and only counter protest. They’re free speech hating little Nazi’s

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    Mute Pete Slattery
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    Mar 15th 2016, 8:16 AM

    “Totalitarian liberals.” That is the stupidest thing I’ve ever read on this site. Absolutely hilarious!

    40
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    Mute John R
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    Mar 15th 2016, 8:59 AM

    Pete yes it is ridiculous. An oxymoron in fact. But very Trump like. You can see where he attracts his support from.

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    Mute thejynxeffect
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    Mar 15th 2016, 9:28 AM

    Pete

    It’s not that hilarious, he’s saying that people who would claim to be liberals often aggressively and violently shut down free speech. They are actually fascists. Protesting at a Trump rally is like turning up to a Catholic Church and demanding Islam. He’s right, if Trump supporters did this, we’d never hear the end of it, if Bernie supporters do it to Trump, it’s Trumps fault for speaking!

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    Mute Marg murphy
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    Mar 15th 2016, 9:37 AM

    It’s actually spot on. The violence comes to trump rallies courtesy of the facist liberals. Trump supporters don’t go trashing Bernies rallys. It’s the lunatic left that want to silence opposition by violent means just like their totalitarian counterparts, the nazis.

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    Mute stopit
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    Mar 15th 2016, 9:40 AM

    Trump has been inciting violence from the podium. Clinton hasn’t.

    you’re point is pointless whataboutery.

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    Mute Pete Slattery
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    Mar 15th 2016, 9:41 AM
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    Mute thejynxeffect
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    Mar 15th 2016, 9:54 AM

    “Forcefully Protect” – I think that means self defence

    12
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    Mute Róisín Ní Bheirn
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    Mar 15th 2016, 9:59 AM

    That’s the most ridiculous statement I’ve heard in a while. You’re comparing someone protesting racism and hatred to someone protesting religious choices. It makes absolutely no sense.

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    Mute Pete Slattery
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    Mar 15th 2016, 10:03 AM

    Of course it does. Because the type of people Trump attracts have always been measured and non-violent.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/list-racist-things-trump-rallies_us_56d7019ae4b0871f60ed519f

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    Mute thejynxeffect
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    Mar 15th 2016, 10:10 AM

    Roisin

    The whole point is that Trump is not a racist. You’re just naive and buying the spin. Ben Carson wouldn’t endorse him if he was racist. Hispanics vote for him more than any other candidate. There is nothing racist about the guy. If they wanted to protest racism go to somewhere where there is racism,second, don’t start punching people

    12
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    Mute Pete Slattery
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    Mar 15th 2016, 10:20 AM

    “Ben Carson wouldn’t endorse him if he was racist.”

    The political version of ‘some of my best friends are black.’

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    Mute Sean Gallagher
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    Mar 15th 2016, 10:24 AM

    Jynx,

    Can I see some numbers on that claim?

    And yeah, there’s no way a politician would get onside with someone they didn’t like or thought was a liar in the hopes of quid pro quo… That would never happen. Unless it’s the liberal fascist left or whatever you’re calling them today.

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    Mute thejynxeffect
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    Mar 15th 2016, 10:26 AM

    You just can’t stand the obvious. He’s not a racist

    10
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    Mute Pete Slattery
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    Mar 15th 2016, 10:28 AM

    His attitude to Mexicans, Muslims and immigrants in general would suggest otherwise.

    18
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    Mute Ben McArthur
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    Mar 15th 2016, 10:36 AM

    “Liberal fascist” is an oxymoron, but most self-proclaimed liberals aren’t remotely liberal. Most self-proclaimed conservatives aren’t remotely conservative either, unless you count corporate welfarism as the long-established order of things.

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    Mute Sean Gallagher
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    Mar 15th 2016, 1:30 PM

    Jynx that doesn’t even make sense.

    You’ve offered NO evidence in the face of a number of examples offered by myself and others and instead just prefer to tell us that he’s not racist, simple as.

    You want a look at the kinds of things he’s actually said and tell me if this is the temperament of a potential President:

    ““Ariana Huffington is unattractive, both inside and out. I fully understand why her former husband left her for a man – he made a good decision.”

    “When Mexico sends its people, they’re not sending the best. They’re not sending you, they’re sending people that have lots of problems and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bring crime. They’re rapists… And some, I assume, are good people.”

    “I’ve said if Ivanka weren’t my daughter, perhaps I’d be dating her.”

    “If I were running ‘The View,’ I’d fire Rosie [O'Donnell]. I mean, I’d look her right in that fat, ugly face of hers, I’d say, ‘Rosie, you’re fired.’”

    I’ll give you that the next two are attributed quotes:

    “Laziness is a trait in the blacks. … Black guys counting my money! I hate it.”

    “The only kind of people I want counting my money are little short guys that wear yamakas every day.”

    6
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    Mute thejynxeffect
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    Mar 15th 2016, 3:01 PM

    Sean

    I know he’s not a racist because I’ve listened to every speech he has made. The problem is building a wall and protecting your border is now racist. Standing against illegal immigration is racist. You’re nitpicking at every little thing he says and I admit he could pick his words better sometimes but you just sound like you’re looking for a candidate who is completely flawless and that would never insult your hyper-sensitive little mind. Why don’t you look at what Rosie O’Donnell said about him?? She is fat and ugly!!

    7
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    Mute James McGill
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    Mar 15th 2016, 6:55 AM

    When you run on an anti-establishment platform, attacks from the establishment tend not to affect your campaign all that much. He’ll win the Republican nomination before losing to Hillary in November. Until then, we can carry on laughing at this circus.

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    Mute Mr J. Skankhammer
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    Mar 15th 2016, 7:18 AM

    He’s going to give Clinton a serious run, would not be surprised at all if he won.

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    Mute Jim Brady
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    Mar 15th 2016, 8:19 AM

    Bookies rarely get it wrong
    https://electionbettingodds.com

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    Mute Ben McArthur
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    Mar 15th 2016, 10:30 AM

    That’s not how bookies work. They don’t bet against you. They set bets off against each other, so that no matter what the result, they win. The current odds reflect the money flowing in bets for the respective candidates, that’s all.

    The collective response of the crowd usually reflects actual probability, but there’s plenty of reason to doubt it in the case of this election. After all, the Jeb Bush campaign raised, and blew, close to $100M – lots of money following a complete no-hoper.

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    Mute Tina Kanayo
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    Mar 15th 2016, 7:12 AM

    It’s quite ironic that Fox News has turned on him giving the fact that their propaganda for years especially their support for the Tea Party movement paved the way for someone like Trump to com in and dominate. They are literally afraid of him because he has no filter. He threw Bush under the bus by calling him a liar about America’s presence in Middle East, he does not bow his head to any rich donors unlike the rest (apart from Bernie) and what is most facinating is that he really has shown what the Republican party stands for, ignorance, racism, and xenophobia. Would be interesting to see how both the Republican party and American politics go from here since there is an obvious populist repulsion at these mainstream politician who have only had their donors interests mind.

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    Mute Eamon Mac Gowan
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    Mar 15th 2016, 8:42 AM

    Trump:
    1 He wants to stop illegal immigration.
    2 He’s against TTIP.
    3 He’s against NAFTA.
    4 He was against the Iraq invasion.
    5 He’s against the lobbying and bribery of politicians by Wall Street.
    6 He wants to help Putin defeat ISIS.
    Hillary opposes every one of these policies, so no wonder the Establishment support her.

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    Mute Anton Friendo
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    Mar 15th 2016, 9:07 AM

    Never try to understand the cognitive thought process of the frenzied Liberal mind.
    People in Ireland will also support Hillary even though she is backed by Goldman Sachs

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    Mute Cal Cryton
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    Mar 15th 2016, 9:25 AM

    And crucially, Trump is self funded. So he is not bought off by donors. That’s massive.

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    Mute Sean Gallagher
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    Mar 15th 2016, 9:40 AM

    Cal, that’s again not true. He’s only self funded a few hundred thousand. He also has several donate buttons on all of his websites. There’s also a certain irony in someone saying “I’m against political contributions” while having contributed to the campaigns of both Cruz and Clinton in previous campaigns.

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    Mute thejynxeffect
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    Mar 15th 2016, 9:53 AM

    Trump has spent 32 million dollars of his own money on this campaign. He is self funding.

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    Mute Ross Stewart
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    Mar 15th 2016, 9:59 AM

    “Let’s not vote for politicians who are funded by big businessmen. Let’s vote for the big businessman instead”!

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    Mute Rosie is very PC
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    Mar 15th 2016, 10:41 AM

    Trump is ‘loaning’ himself out money for his campaign -and I’m sure that he will be able to get it back through some creative means …
    Where does one donate to his campaign ?

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    Mute Drew TheChinaman :)
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    Mar 15th 2016, 6:16 AM

    Is it just me or in post-modern politics do others find themselves looking less at the actual candidate and more at the type of people out there promoting and supporting them?

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    Mute Paige Turners
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    Mar 15th 2016, 6:50 AM

    What in heavens name is post-modern politics??!

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    Mute Drew TheChinaman :)
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    Mar 15th 2016, 7:32 AM

    In Irish terms…

    I’d describe modern politics as the general era that coincided with the good Friday agreement, New Labour in the UK, policy that lead to rapid growth as part of the EU and the introduction of the euro, shifting of the Irish economy to a globalized financial/tech/multinational base, bailouts of banks and then countries, NAMA, the most recent 2007-2011 recession.

    Post modern being the era subsequent to that, so continued/wind down of austerity, influx of refugees, the current FF/FG coalition or FG minority government, return to growth, aftermath of bailouts, euro instability, UK referendum, oil prices, weakness in BRIC countries…

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    Mar 15th 2016, 7:50 AM

    Post modern politics is a preamble to pre-futuristic politics which is due to begin in 2026. Everyone knows this

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    Mar 15th 2016, 9:30 AM

    Fairly simple reason, same as in the justice system “cui bono”. Who benefits. If something is so big and complex you look at who thinks they win the most from a certain outcome and if you question their motives or whether their goals are aligned to yours.

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    Mar 15th 2016, 8:42 AM

    Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz are slime buckets. They are no better than Donald Trump.

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    Mar 15th 2016, 8:47 AM

    They’re far more right wing.

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    Mar 15th 2016, 10:02 AM

    I hate to agree with Eamon Mac Gowan but he is totally right. Trump is obviously a pompous peacock who loves to gloat about Penis size but Rubio is a puppet devoid of anything and Cruz is conservative nut job who oozes slime and darkness.

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    Mar 15th 2016, 6:13 AM

    Trump is “Donald Ducked”, today I seen something happen that I didn’t think would, Fox News turned against him. The right arm, maybe even both arms of the GOP media, who IMO has been ultra pro DT, turned against him in a big way. The man is on his way out, as quick as his rise to the top was, his fall from grace will be just as quick.

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    Mar 15th 2016, 7:58 AM

    Fox News turned against him? Oh no!Trump should reevaluate his massive lead and 1st position and drop out because Fox News said so! Sean Hannity has been giving him very fair coverage

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    Mar 15th 2016, 8:40 AM

    What happened on Fox?

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    Mar 15th 2016, 10:03 AM

    If he becomes president we’re probably looking at The Civil War: Part 2, sponsored by ExxonMobil or some such

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    Mar 15th 2016, 10:05 AM

    Or maybe Pepsi sponsors the right wingers and Coke the left. It’s all a big pharking stupid game

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    Mar 15th 2016, 8:01 PM

    Fox News was against him from the start you idiot. Rupert Murdoch doesn’t want Trump as President. Did you not see the first debate? Every question to Trump was a ‘gotcha’ type. It was only when I saw how he was able to deflect them I realised he could actually win the bloody thing.

    Here’s a video about how Trump campaigns. It’s almost required watching if you want to talk about him (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55NxKENplG4). He basically uses hypnosis techniques and strong word association to win people over. It’s daft, but it works. I actually think he’d destroy Hillary in a general election, based on his skill in this area alone.

    He’s also deliberately courted an extremely strange group of fans on the internet who pretty much act as his social media team for free. Sanders, Hillary, Cruz, even Jeb have been caught paying posters or at least courting them to write favourable things about them and Trump got a bunch of trolls to do it because they thought it was funny. http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2015/10/13/donald_trump_embraces_4chan_fans_retweets_cant_stump_trump_video.html

    I’m so fed up with all this nonsense that I don’t actually care who wins anymore, but Trump’s campaign is by far and away the most bizarre thing I’ve ever seen in politics.

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    Mar 15th 2016, 8:32 AM

    Let me get this straight, people infiltrate Trump rallies to incite violence, and we blame Trump for the ensuing violence?

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    Mar 15th 2016, 9:00 AM

    There’s no need to infiltrate a Trump rally with inciters, the nut jobs who are following him are already violent enough

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    Mar 15th 2016, 9:11 AM

    A leader of a country is supposed to bring all the citizens together and promote peace in the land. Trump has only ever promoted hatred and division in his presidential campaign; an ‘us versus them’ rhetoric that can only lead to violence.

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    Mar 15th 2016, 9:41 AM

    No Eamonn they infiltrate for the purposes of protest. He responds with threats of violence. Hope that clears it up for you.

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    Mar 15th 2016, 9:47 AM

    @Sean Gallagher,
    I saw a “protester” attack Trump on the stage.
    Could you clear that up for me?

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    Mar 15th 2016, 9:48 AM

    Big difference between one lone nut and one who wants to run the country.

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    Mar 15th 2016, 10:00 AM

    Look at the videos Sean, these protestors are the one throwing punches with kids around the place. Nothing someone could say is an excuse for violence. Don’t you think people are responsible for their own actions? These “protests” are politically motivated

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    Mar 15th 2016, 10:02 AM

    I saw a protestor try to get on the stage but taken down by security – what did you see Eamon? Afaik, trump never got attacked by anyone

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    Mar 15th 2016, 10:05 AM

    @thejynxeffect, I suppose you can say the same about the old trump supporter who sucker punched the protestor while he was being escorted out? No excuse for violence but yet trump defends him

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    Mar 15th 2016, 10:17 AM

    If you turn up at a Trump rally with 20,000 supporters looking for trouble and disrupting the rally expect to find someone who will punch you in the head for being a little fascist

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    Mar 15th 2016, 10:26 AM

    Try this on for size

    “The democratic process is there to enable us to have these kinds of disagreements without resorting to violence, I would urge my supporters and supporters of other candidate to show restraint and calm in during this campaign.”

    -That would be a reasoned response.

    “I’d like to punch him in the face” and comments about paying legal fees for those committing acts of violence… That’s the stark contrast.

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    Mar 15th 2016, 10:30 AM

    “Nothing someone could say is an excuse for violence”.. Then goes on to excuse violence..

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    Mar 15th 2016, 10:31 AM

    @Ross Stewart,
    Maybe he was trying to present Trump with a bouquet of flowers.

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    Mar 15th 2016, 10:40 AM

    Eamon, you said you saw a protestor attack trump. You did not

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    Mar 15th 2016, 10:47 AM

    @Ross Stewart,
    He tried to attack Trump, but Trump’s security took him down, how can you excuse someone trying to harm a presidential candidate?

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    Mar 15th 2016, 12:50 PM

    Haha Sean that’s some shite, the man has a right to speak whatever you think of his views

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    Mar 15th 2016, 1:06 PM

    Darren, at no point have I questioned his right to speak. People also have the right to protest. What’s your point?

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    Mar 15th 2016, 1:43 PM

    Eamon, where’s your proof that the protestor was about to attack trump? I’ve mostly seen protestors jump on a stage to show their placard or shout their message and get media coverage.
    Glad you also admit that trump wasn’t attacked..

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    Mar 15th 2016, 8:11 PM

    Sean, their protest took the form of smashing the windows of cars with Trump stickers and throwing debris at Trump supporters leaving the cancelled event. If it’s a choice between harmless idiots supporting Trump and a mob that believes they have the right to attack people and destroy their property over political opinions, I’m probably siding with the idiots.

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    Mar 15th 2016, 7:00 AM

    “When” someone is killed Trump should be charged with that persons murder

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    Mar 15th 2016, 7:13 AM

    So when somebody comes to try and shut down a free assembly of citizens and this undemocratic action results in somebody’s death, then an entirely innocent party who was trying to organise the democratic gathering of citizens should be charged with murder? Why not skip the charade and just say he should be locked up for holding what you regard to be unacceptable opinions?

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    Mar 15th 2016, 7:15 AM

    Won’t happen. Bill O Riley was not charged for his inflammatory remarks which prompted the bombing of an abortion clinic that lead to a doctor being killed.

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    Mar 15th 2016, 7:19 AM

    You say that like its a bad thing Tina! People saying “inflammatory” things generally isn’t a crime in the civilised world. If someone is inflamed and commits a crime then the person who committed the crime is rightly charged with a crime. You people are scary, one sniff of power for librards like you and Orwellian thought crimes would be on the statute books within a week.

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    Mar 15th 2016, 7:40 AM

    I love the way you say libtards like its a negtive thing. As if most of the greatest parts of Western democracy is not from liberalism. Freedom of speech is a liberal right so no I don’t think it’s bad thing. But your words can be used against you if your not careful like it has in OReilley case. So is being a right wing nut a better alternative? As you know most right wing people believe in guns, creationism, the inferiority of certain races, trickle down economics, and just a dull backward ignorance. I’ll rather be a “libtard” as you so eloquently put it.

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    Mar 15th 2016, 9:23 AM

    Tima i think the “tard” part is the relevant bit. We have a lot of those in our Western Democracy.

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    Mar 15th 2016, 9:43 AM

    Wow Tina, way to go with the gross generalisations. You really have your mind made up don’t you. You seriously need to widen your reading material and educate yourself before your brain calcifies with the rigidity of your thinking. I was once like you. When I was a right on little teenager. Growing up and opening my eyes clued me in that the world wasn’t so black and white. Paying taxes copper fastened that.

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    Mar 15th 2016, 10:11 AM

    Marg Murphy I fail to see your argument against my opinion. You just yawned on about your youth with out critically addressing my point about the slur “libtard”. And I think you find that your the one who is set in your rigid ways not me. And fyi I pay taxes too, still doesn’t make me rigid.

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    Mar 15th 2016, 10:21 AM

    Tina

    You truly are a libtard.

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    Mar 15th 2016, 10:30 AM

    Thejyneffect I have been called way worse things so Im not offend by that particular word. What if really shows that people who throw around libtard is that they can’t objectively discount my points so they just rest easy by throwing out the ad hominem word “libtard”.

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    Mar 15th 2016, 2:17 PM

    You got it. The exact same way the words racist, bigot, homophobe and islamophobe are thrown around. Both sides of the spectrum could do with less of the name calling and more of the point – counterpoint kind of discourse.

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    Mar 15th 2016, 7:49 AM

    I’d love to know what was a more violent and nasty US Presidential campaign than this.

    Sadly, I have conceded defeat on my belief that Rubio would start cracking on in Florida – Trump will most likely win there and if so, game over. Kasich will win Ohio but he’ll never go VP to Trump either.

    The Oompa Lumpa will take the nomination and then you’ll see how cookoo it can get in the rust belt of America.

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    Mar 15th 2016, 8:30 PM

    There were fist fights in Congress and Senate centuries ago. I think it was Andrew Jackson’s wife was treated so horribly by the press (they claimed she was an adultress, a bigamist, etc.) during the election that it effected her health and she ultimately died before he was inaugarated. Presidential candidates used to accuse each other of all sorts of insane things.

    Trump is not so assured of getting the nomination though. He could still be blocked by the RNC through delegate swapping, but this would be electoral suicide. The Republican base simply wouldn’t turn out to vote for a candidate they felt was forced on them. The Democrat establishment tried this in 1968 with pro-Vietnam War candidate Hubert Humphrey (Johnson’s VP and proxy replacement) being nominated instead of anti-Vietnam War Gene McCarthy. This was despite Humphrey not having won a single primary (this was after RFK, also anti-war and himself winner of 4 primaries, had been killed). The result was basically a riot at the convention and demoralised Democratic voters turned their back on the party in the general. Humphrey lost to Nixon.

    That said, retaining control of the party is probably more important to the Republican big wigs than winning the general election.

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    Mar 15th 2016, 9:22 AM

    “Hillary Clinton bluntly accused Trump of “political arson”.”

    If i were Hillary i would not repeat this phrase again. The one thing most people fed up with paralysis in Washington want is a political arsonist. She is helping him with such talk.

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    Mar 15th 2016, 8:27 AM

    and his wealthy Arab friends who bought his worthless stock as a favor.

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    Mar 15th 2016, 7:36 AM

    Trump will be Sinn Fein’s greatest ally. He loves republicans.

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    Mar 15th 2016, 11:23 AM

    It seems to gave helped not hurt him with republicans in the polls taken since. Violence has no place in a democracy. Both sides should cut it out.

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    Mar 15th 2016, 8:17 PM

    It helped him in the polls because Cruz and Rubio seem insistent on shooting themselves in the foot. After the violent protests in Chicago, they decided to declare that Trump shouldn’t have the right to hold rallies. They sold out the First Amendment in a bungled attempt to take down Trump, and drove a lot of their support away.

    All they had to do was say, “I may disagree with Trump’s opinions on x, y, z but the First Amendment must be protected.” It would have been statesmanship at a time it was badly needed, but they couldn’t see past an opportunity to point score in the hunt for the nomination!

    Who is running their campaigns? What are their qualifications? Are they TRYING to lose?!

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    Mar 15th 2016, 9:24 AM

    Let the Games begin!

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    Mar 15th 2016, 9:03 AM
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    Mar 15th 2016, 5:50 PM

    But fur the Yanks we would be speaking German

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    Mar 15th 2016, 7:08 PM

    It amazes me that so many of you “liberal intellectuals” haven’t figured this out yet. People aren’t voting for Trump or Sanders based on political ideology alone. People are voting to finally, after nearly 60 years, destroy the Washington political establishment. Revolution is a good and necessary thing sometimes…and this one is overdue. Will we cause stress and unrest with our votes? Hell yes…and that’s the point…

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    Mute Edward
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    Mar 15th 2016, 3:29 PM

    heres a good video on hilary.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-dY77j6uBHI

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    Mute Ronan Gallagher
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    Mar 15th 2016, 1:11 PM

    Build a wall around America to keep the Yanks in

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    Mute Philip Gerard
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    Mar 15th 2016, 1:42 PM

    Bankrupted multiple businesses, ripped of college students, slighted Mexicans, Muslims, women, and people with disabilities. Tells his crowds to physically harm protesters and promises to pay their legal fees. The only reason he’s rich is because his father slept with his mother. No chance in November.

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