I think that Trump is a blowhard and a showoff who
likes to fire people. From some things I have read
about him, he is apparently not all that much in fav-
or of free enterprise. I want Scott Walker to be the
nominee. Still, I would vote for
Trump over Hillary Clinton, of course,

The Donald has shown throughout the years his concern for himself...and only himself. He used 'junk bonds' to become wealthy screwing over millions of people, Credit Union's, Business partners, wife’s, communities & employee's yet we are now supposed to believe he has the republic's best interest at heart??
He donated to Obama, Hillary/Bill Clinton and many other Dem's yet he is conservative and cares for the republic?
He has major deals, investments, money & businesses in Saudi Arabia as well as Dubai [muslim controlled areas]. So we see he has his hands in doing whatever the islamist's want to save his interests there.
We see his name everywhere but, real estate searches show he doesn't actually own most of them all sold off years ago! An example of this comes from Atlantic City and the Trump Casino's which he declared bankruptcy on 5 TIMES from 1991-2009, all making him money...he now has a minimal 'holding' in the company, this is the same across the world with his holdings...his mortgages are 84% of his holding’s [not including interest, which for him comes as balloon payments some of which come due while he would be POTUS (if elected)].
Add to this the fact that his NYC announcement speech was funded by him right down to the majority of attendees [he hired actors to attend many paid extra to hold signs], same was found in NH as well. He claims to have the largest followings in Iowa and other stops he has gone too, only a quick search show he is lying about that as well. He is a ‘salesman’ and good at ‘bloviating’.
This man sends up so many red flags I believe he has stock in them… I as others like to hear him say it like [we want to be] it is but how do you believe him is the question of those of us that have looked into the man and his past? I for one cannot.

If Trump works in the same executive manner he describes in his rants he would be the antithesis of Obama, but constitutionally no better than a community organizer with a pen and a phone. IMHO what our nation needs is a return to constitutional government. I want the involvement of our elected officials. In regulation nation, congress has abdicated their powers to the executive and his cabinet. When they right a law giving the rule making authority to the Secretary of HUD or EPA, we then must live under laws that no representative voted on. This is handy for keeping their name off the issues, but in reality it is government without representation. That led to big changes a couple of centuries ago.

So, Trump saying he will build a wall and make Mexico pay for it ignores the writing of a bill, the debate, the amendment, the vote, sending it to the senate, finding the appropriate committee, the debate, the amendment, the vote, the resolution between house and senate versions, and finally presentation to the executive branch for signing to become law. What he is saying is food for the low information voters in the republican party.

He's a showman. PT Barnum with clown hair.

He is telling people the lie-du-jour to convince them he shares their concerns. He is just good at doing it in an entertaining way. I don't see anything about this guy that makes one thing that:

a) He operates based on reason
b) He has any core principles whatsoever except to increase his personal fame
c) He could actually get anything done at all in DC.

I don't even trust his so called business acumen. It's not clear how he has actually had "success" (or how much of it he has had) or whether he mostly got the successes he got through political pull (or outright buying off the local politicians).

To the question "if you lived in Central America and your children were starving what would you do?" Is that a general question for anyone who wants to answer? I thought we were talking about thoughts on Trump? If you want to know what I would do I would drag my children out to speak to Scott Walker in the middle of a press junket!

I want to see actual policy statements not bombast, and I need some indication that he'll do what he promises, unlike the present holder of that honor.

Uninteresting, as a candidate.

You'll find out if he really is a democrat if he loses the republican primary (likely) and then runs as an independent. I'm sure Hillary will reimburse him.

While I rather like what Trump is harping at the moment, on both illegals and McCain (yes I am an Arizonan, and see the need to oust BOTH our senators, I greatly fear that Trump might be a real tyrant as President. That appears to be his "thing".

With all his said and done in the past, the only logical conclusion is that Trump is an opportunist first and foremost. He works toward his own financial gain. This type of character is certainly something this country, and government, could use, particularly now. If this country were his "company" I have no doubt he would make it profitable and immune from hostile takeover. The only issues i have with Trump is 1) Is he sincere in his pursuit of the white house? 2) Will he set aside his own desire for personal profit to do whats solely in the best interest, financial and otherwise, for the US.

I hope you participate in this post, Justin. I appreciated your moderation in the panel at Freedomfest with Keith Weiner. Now to your question. I think Trump is walking the bases to bring Hilary in to home plate. From the other day at Politico:"Trump said he’s honored by Clinton mentioning his rhetoric, if not his name, during her interview."

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/06...

Trump shoots from the hip, or should I say, from the lip? Yet, with all the negativity spread about him, he has hit a nerve with the people. He tells the truth as he sees it. It may not be the way you see it, or the Washington insiders see it, but there is no doubt that he strongly believes everything he says and he will not easily back down. He is refreshing, compared to most other politicians who seem to wiggle and writhe their way into their presentations. Whether they are dirty or not, Trump seems squeaky clean by comparison. That being said, I think we can do better. But if it comes right down to it, we could do worse.

A couple of things about Trump. I like what he says, no mealy mouth avoiding the issues, who else does that? And secondly I'm for anyone that can get rid of the Liberal base in the Republican party, especially the ones who hold the stranglehold in the Northeast. Little difference in them and the dems.

He has my vote. Better choice than the others who are likely to be elected

Someone needs to lay out his earlier political record--of statements, advocacy, contributions, and so on--before him. And ask him whether he changed his mind after doing those earlier things, and why. I don't mind anyone changing his mind when he realizes he has been in error and corrects the error. I do mind anyone who pretends to have "always held such-a-position" when he hasn't. That, of course, is dishonest. It also reminds me very much of George Orwell's "Nineteen Eighty-four." You know the line: "We have always been at war with East Asia."

Trump has little chance as a candidate, but raises issues voters care about and demand the other candidates address. Perhaps best of all, he doesn't hold back and he doesn't back down, refreshing in an environment where his opponents seem to have no back at all.

I would want to see more policy proposals from Trump before evaluating his candidacy. However, I do very much like the fact that he is in the race, because he is forcing the other Republican candidates to abandon their tell-the-people-what-they-want-to-hear strategies and to directly confront issues, such as immigration, that they would prefer to avoid taking a firm stand on at this point in their campaigns.

I stand with Rand, but I love the hell Trump has whipped up in the establishment Big Government Party. My understanding of Trump is he is a crony-capitalist and made his money more from the aristocracy of pull than from being a good businessman. I have not checked this out, but it fits with his inconsistent, apparently unprincipled, statements.

BTW, Ron Paul’s new book is excellent.

I personally believe that Trump is a spoiler. As others have said he is breaking down the politically correct walls. All the other candidates being politicians are being loyal to the GOP leadership. Unfortunately, that leadership has failed it constituency a lot in recent years. This past election they ran on anti-immigration and dismantling the Affordable Healthcare Act (Obamacare). And as soon as they get the mandate from the electorate to do just that, quickly bowed down to the Washington status quo and dropped it all. So I believe Trump is tapping this group of people who feel let down by the people they thought would do what they wanted.
Now Trump, I believe, has a snowballs chance in hell of getting the presidency. He will, however, cause the GOP candidates to move towards him in their campaigning and hopefully it will stick, so whomever gets the nomination and perhaps the win, will actually walk into Washington and put the people's wishes before those of the powers that be currently.

I would hope that The Gulch, which supports the principles of Ann Rand (who stood against government corruption), would support a candidate like Donald Trump.

He's refreshing in at least one respect: He says what he thinks and he won't back down. This is the example he's setting for the rest of the field that they need to figure out. Americans are sick of hearing great-sounding things from Republicans during a campaign, then seeing them cave in when it comes time to realize those ideals. But I don't really trust him. He's a real-estate tycoon, which to me means he's been dealing with politicians for his entire career, lobbying for permissions to build his various projects. So is he really a capitalist, or a crony capitalist?

The candidate in the field that I think has done the best in translating thought to action is Scott Walker. He didn't back down when the teacher's union got all nasty in Wisconsin. FINALLY a Republican with a backbone!

I like Carly Fiorina in that she is the Official Republican Shrillary Clinton Criticizer. And she's the only candidate that I have heard saying that government needs to get smaller, and taxes need to go down.

Establishment types like Graham, Pataki, Christie, and Bush I don't think are the kind of leader the country needs now. Maintaining the status quo in Washington now just keeps the country on the path to economic disaster. They'll get in there and make a show of cutting back or reforming a few entitlement programs, but they'll really just be playing in the rickety house that Dimocrat policies have built.

I shy away of voting for Senators who have no record of pushing major pieces of (good) legislation into law, which is about the only yardstick there is for measuring the executive ability in the Senate. Junior Senators like Paul, Cruz, and Rubio make good points ideologically, but can they really get things done? I could see Rubio as VP candidate, and a strong presidential candidate in 2024.

I am glad someone else brought this up. There are more reasons I am voting for Trump than reasons not to.

First No politician or leader on the planet will achieve 100% agreement between their views and 100% of the population. This means that we have to identify with the candidate that share the most views that match and represent our own.

So I begin using a process of elimination first.
Define Career Politician: To me is anyone who has spent more than 15 consecutive years in government as a politician.

Having said that, I must disregard as a potential candidate ANY career politician if for no other reason than being career politicians are nothing but "Looters" and also since they suck the nipples of the taxpayers for their livelihood, are also "Moochers" a double whammy excluding them from contention in my book.

Next. Which candidate has not "produced" anything at all in the private sector and by extension which one(s) have.

Next since communism if opposite Capitalism which is what Objecitivsm leans heavily toward, I will eliminate ANY politician who favors, promotes or exercises "PC" speech. Being "Politically Correct" originated with and in Communism, and I do not want a communistic President running us more and more that direction as that is opposite not only Objectivism, but opposite our Representative Republic.

This pretty much leave only Donald Trump.

Now let's look at some of the GREATEST Presidents we have had in this country as defined by history.

George Washington: Was a General, Surveyor and Farmer and had no political affiliation.
Abraham Lincoln:
Was a self taught lawyer, surveyor, Postmaster, He fought in the Blackhawk War, was discharged as a Captain and re-enlisted as a Private. He did serve as a Politician working his way toward President was was unpolished, and outspoken, definitely NOT a true "Politician."
Ronald Regan:
Career was an Actor, while he was conscripted into the Military he never served over seas due to his eyesight.

All-in-All some of our most respected and greatest Presidents were NOT at all politicians but the kind of people our founding fathers wanted to be running this country. Every-Day people, who would server a term or two then go back to their productive careers.

One of our major problems in Politics and Donald Trump said he is part of the problem, is that they are bought and sold for campaign contributions, and serve whoever helps them get re-elected. In essence Trump said hate the game not the player.

Trump is using his own money to run. He has no allegiance visa-vie campaign donors to serve as President so he is free to speak his mind with no apologies. This is refreshing and reminiscent of the Greatest of our past Presidents.

Donald Trump took what wealth his father left him when he died, (estimated 300 million) and has turned that into at last reports about 10 billion and is privately held not trading on the NYSE.

Anyone who thinks you can do that without diplomacy has never been in business trying to negotiate deals.

Next Trump directly employs 22,000+ people. Ancillary jobs exceed 500,000 totally due to HIS enterprises. Trump is directly responsible for more wealth generation with the product of his labor than all the politicians in Washington combined, so he has a great handle on economics.

Next he is NOT a lawyer. This is a HUGE plus since half of our problems in this country are BECAUSE of lawyers and their refusal to employ simple tort reform. Loser Pays!!!. Trump has no loyalty to lawyers other than the ones he pays to do his bidding.

Next While Trump does have some views I disagree with his views i.e. reports of Single Payer Health Insurance, MUST BE PASSED BY CONGRESS!!!. He cannot institute that himself at all.

I can go on and on regarding the reason I am voting for Trump in the primaries, and all I can say is if he wins the Primary and picks Alan West as VP. THAT would put our country on a VERY strong path both Economically and Militarily since if Trump picked up West, that means he would be listening to a 22 year military veteran.

I like WHAT The Donald is saying, although I don't like the WAY he is saying it. He is a big fat mouth that is rudely blaring truths that resonate with a lot of people. In the end though, he is running as someone who knows "how to get things done." He's going to have to reveal his program of how he will get things done in order to convert his substantial following (and those standing in the foyer, watching) into winning votes.

You would need to take a poll to find the collective of the Gulch on this question. I honestly don't know Trump all that well and I never watched any of his shows on TV. I do very much agree with much of what he is saying and bringing to light and the very fact that the media, democrats and republicans hate his guts makes him OK so far in my book!

Haha very funny! I'm wanting individual comments from the "Gulch." Diversity of opinions is always good. It was more of a shout out.