Keep going, Donald

ETA: Why do I get the sense Trump is just shaking the gop down ... as in:

Pay Me -

$1,000,000 - I will tune down my rhetoric

$10,000,000 - I will not mount an independent run

$100,000,000 - I will drop, completely, out of the race.

$500,000,000 - I will endorse you

(Yes, that is highly unlawful; but, who needs laws ... that's the Donald!)

And he's rapidly losing all other income sources.

They urged him to tone it down the other day, and now he's upping the pressure.

that what made me think of the shake down thing.

something the little shit knew was bullshit.

Maybe he will use a threatened 3rd party run to shake down the Koch Bros and so on.

Think about it, the Koch Bros would gladly write him a check for half a billion to prevent that

but all the other gop candidate's campaigns and donors.

"Stick 'em up! One move and the gop gets it!"

And then, for good measure, he'll write a book about it.

Good bizness men have multiple income streams.

That would be awesome beyond words.....

Maybe run on the Libertarians ticket (if they qualify for all 50 states)? He has a big mouth and lots of national media, but not much political infrastructure.

Anyone wanting to mount an independent campaign should be researching that right now.

However, I would be delighted if Trump and maybe a couple other R clowns would make independent runs. That would definitely splinter the erstwhile Republican vote.

This comes up every 4 years. Most states have a "sore loser" election law. It states that if you run in the Dem or Rep primary you can't run as an Independent or another party. Trump would only be allowed on the ballot in a few meaningless states so he would not bother doing it.

the Bull Moose ticket? It would be interesting to find out.

We do have two-term presidents because of FDR, after all, courtesy of rabid anti-New Deal Republicans.

Roosevelt first ran in the Republican primaries in 1912 before starting the Progressive Party.

So if he bails on the repubs before next year, he should be good to go. At least, I hope so…..

But I remember him talking about running as an indie in 2012. I would not trust anything he said.

For any other office, if you run in the primary and win, you're the nominee. A primary is an election at which a candidate is nominated.

The presidential primaries and caucuses, however, don't nominate a candidate who must then face a general election. Instead, they choose people for the office of delegate to the national convention. From that point of view, Trump isn't running. "Donald Trump" on the ballot is convenient shorthand for "A slate of delegates pledged to support Donald Trump". Sometimes this is even spelled out.

I don't think this question is of burning importance. Trump enjoys the attention he gets by threatening an independent run, but he wouldn't enjoy finishing third with a tiny fraction of the vote. He won't actually run outside the Republican Party. Thus, the applicability of the "sore loser" laws won't be tested.

He ran as a republican for president in 2012 and then he switched and became the libertarian candidate in 2012. I'm just curious because I don't know much about this subject. Thanks.

I don't think he did.

He ran in the NH primary. He didn't do very well. He only got 4 votes. He had been excluded from the debates. He announced his candidacy for the republican nomination on April 21, 2011. He withdrew from the republican presidential nomination on December 28, 2011 and started campaigning for the Libertarian nomination which he won. He became the libertarian presidential candidate. He did run as a republican for 8 months.

as a R in the sore loser election states. He was actually on the ballot as a R in one state - NH.

the sore loser laws generally don't apply to the Presidential candidates. It names Michigan as one state where they do apply, and apparently there are a few others.

But this seems to come up every 4 years and no one runs as an indie.

because it's prohibitively expensive, and you have no party machinery to help you out. Ross Perot did it in 1992, because he had plenty of money to spend on an independent campaign. Donald Trump could afford it if he wanted to. But probably none of the other candidates on either side could do it. Well, maybe the Bushes have about enough money, and Romney probably could if he wanted to, but he's not running this year, and I seriously doubt he'd step outside the Republican party to do so.

John Anderson ran in R primaries and then as an independent vs. Carter and Reagan.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_1980

I doubt he will though. He just likes the drama.

He is like a fish on land. Thrashing all around with great intensity, but going nowhere and doomed to die.

He loves starring in his own little play but he would never go to the trouble to actually run for president.

You might even get Jon Stewart to reconsider his retirement!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026746342

I recall, after Univision dropped him, he claimed Univision called him the next morning to apologize for dropping him.

I suspect, someone called him and said: "You sorry piece of racist sh!t. You are the boil on mankind's a$$"

And Donald heard: "Sorry, man."

Rinse he wouldn't be stifled. These are not his exact words but I'm paraphrasing. I think Rinse really blasted him and of course Trump would never admit to that...

have to watch UNTIL THE ELECTION.....He is the best part of the entire thing....
You can only watch so much jeb and clinton and Ted Cruz....God this is just getting
started....Just give me a glass of wine and some popcorn....cuz the show is just beginning.

Trump makes me laugh EVERY DAY.....

If he stays in the GOP he will damage them and if he runs as an independent he will damage them.

what's gotten into him? he didnt used to be like that

. . . well, have at it.

I believe that Bernie can beat any any Republican current or likely to be in the field and, furthermore, I think even Hillary can.

So go for, Mr. Rump.

Um.... Donny.....

Doesn't matter how you label yourself, the American people know you're an idiot.


But, please, by all means, split the GOP.

You may be the best think to happen to the Democrats since Sarah Palin.

that is the life purpose of this despicable bigot.

Since Trump can spend his own cash, he can do for more damage to the GOP than Perot ever did. If I was a rich DNC donor, I wouldf shovel money into the trump pac once he goes indy

Last time I was in Fort Lauderdale I could help but notice his huge condo buildings completely empty and out of business.