The natural decline of those that still believe in elections to save them. They are getting desperate and desperate people sometimes make irrational decisions.

For Florida taxpayers, the move by the administration of then-Gov. Jeb Bush to forge a relationship with Lehman Brothers would ultimately prove disastrous. Transactions in 2005 and 2006 put the Wall Street investment bank in charge of some $250 million worth of pension funds for Florida cops, teachers and firefighters. Lehman would capture more than $5 million in fees on these deals, while gaining additional contracts to manage another $1.2 billion of Florida’s money. Then, in the fall of 2008, Lehman collapsed into bankruptcy, leaving Florida facing up to $1 billion in losses.

But for Jeb Bush personally, his enduring relationship with Lehman would prove lucrative. In 2007, just as he left office, Bush secured a job as a Lehman consultant for $1.3 million a year, Bloomberg reported.

From ZeroHedge

Well isn’t Jeb just ‘special’ ?

He’s a Liberal straight through the core.

With enough past video clips to make my assertion redundant.

Not in defense of them, but in explanation — I was there in 1964 when we conservatives took control of the party and ran a “true conservative” and were crushed, obliterated, wiped out — either the worst or second worst, I forget which, presidential defeat in American political history. I think McCain, McConnell, Boener, and the rest of them are probably very constrained by that memory.

Which to me says we have to run somebody who at least sounds reasonable, who can’t be caricatured by the media. If that means somebody who doesn’t agree with me 100%, so be it.

To quote myself, Harold, and Vince Lombardi — “Winning isn’t everything, winning is the ONLY thing!”

I beg to differ.

First of all, the conservative treehouse is not the last word on everything, or even lots of things. I notice you don’t include a link so I could go to the post and read it, however, so it’s hard to be specific.

However, I have no quarrel with the idea that there is a GOP establishment, that the Chamber of Commerce is allied with it, that money is a big part of it, and that they do what they can to get and support and elect the candidates that they like. Is that some sort of surprise? That’s politics. Instead of acting as though it is some sort of crime, conservatives should get together and fight it, for example supporting one candidate and raising money for that purpose and stop whining about what the terrible establishment has done to them.

And I don’t see that Ben Carson, Carly Fiorina, or Ted Cruz (who has bucked the establishment time and again), for example, are beholden to the GOP leadership.

I’ve already said my piece many times about Trump’s flaws, so I won’t repeat them here.

I agree (and I’ve written somewhere) that although Trump is leading, he actually has only a small percentage of voters. My fear, however, is that he will remain in the lead and could even win if many of the other candidates fail to drop out, and if enough remain in to split the vote effectively.

I also agree that many of the others sound rehearsed or scripted. I read that as “polished.” It certainly is careful rather than spontaneous. It used to be that’s what people wanted in a president—someone who thinks and is careful, not a blusterer who shoots from the hip (although apparently that’s the desirable thing right now to a lot of people). They (Walker and Fiorina) still sound human and sincere and not like robots. Fiorina is particularly un-PC and blunt, and manages to do it without blustering, which is a neat trick.

I understand your point, however. To some people Trump seems refreshing.

What I said is that people should stop worrying about Trump’s poll numbers, because the rest of the voters (75% of them) are split among a bunch of candidates right now. I did not say there weren’t other conservatives being forthright about their principles. However, I will say that Trump is ‘more real’ when he speaks than some of the others you listed. Because he stumbles, he says politically incorrect stuff, he isn’t ‘rehearsed’ in his answers, etc.

Even Fiorina and Cruz can be accused of sounding rehearsed. I have watched a lot of Fiorina interviews, and she does use the same wording over and over. Not that it isn’t her ‘real’ self, but it does come across as a memorized line after you watch her in action. Cruz is so educated and good at what he does, that he can also appear to be ‘rehearsed.’ That’s all I’m saying.

The people I’m really pointing the finger at would be Bush, Walker (he’s vacillated on topics…immigration is one that comes to mind), Kasich, Graham…I can’t even think of them all. But many of the candidates come across as rehearsed and afraid to say the wrong thing.

Once again, I am NOT saying I think Trump is awesome, should be the nominee, etc. But I appreciate his style, some of the topics he has discussed with no concern for political correctness, and his willingness to keep pushing even when both sides are claiming he’s a nut.

We would not be talking about illegal immigration in quite the same way without Trump. That’s a big deal to me. I’d like him to get as much attention for other conservative issues.

BTW, did you watch the two videos of a legal, Mexican immigrant and a black woman who appeared at a city meeting in CA and went ballistic on illegal immigration? Those people would both vote for Trump in a heartbeat, when they possibly would not vote for another conservative. Illegal immigration is NOT a ‘white person’ issue…and I was glad to see proof of that in those videos.

Some are so frustrated and angry by what has happened that they are lashing out at the wrong people. Instead of blaming Obama, the Democrats, and their supporters; let’s bash the candidates who have run against him and lost – sort of like: “see you’re so stupid you couldn’t even beat Obama!”

Such an attitude doesn’t help at all.

And, MDl: “Trump and Carson and Fiorina have the luxury of no actual political voting record . . “

I totally agree (and with the rest of what you said).

With no voting record, folks can project almost any belief they want on a candidate since there is no voting record to prove or disprove said belief.

Sort of like Obama voters when he first ran, no? (Only Obama did have a history – one that the media quite ignored) Since he was such a blank slate, they filled in what was missing with whatever they “supposed.”

Trump supporters seem to be doing the same.

The GOP is controlled by the Chamber of Commerce, which wants the retention of Obamacare, open borders & amnesty, Common Core and to continue funding Planned Parenthood.

Many of the current candidates are intended solely to split the anti-Bush vote.

Donald Trump, alone, is not controlled by the Chamber of Commerce, or any other special interest group.

Whatever failings Donald Trump has as a perfect conservative, it should be borne in mind that the GOP has a consistent policy of making promises to conservatives, which its leaders (or owners) have no intention of honouring.

If any establishment candidate is selected, then the presidential election will be fought, with theatrical vitriol, between two candidates, both of whom support open borders, amnesty, Obamacare, Common Core and the Transpacific Trade Treaty, whose proponents have already admitted that it will destroy jobs in America, diminish American sovereignty and compel the US to accept many millions of additional immigrants.

Except for Donald trump, all of the other candidates are beholden to the GOP leadership and despite their rhetoric can be relied upon to do as they are told, by their donors, after they are elected.