Trumpism is a Scam -- You’re Actually Voting for Mike Pence
By Thom Hartmann A...
When he officially accepts the 2016 Republican nomination for president Thursday night, Donald Trump will do so as a different kind of Republican.
Or so the thinking goes.
Although Trump has won the Republican nomination for president in large part because he’s taken very non-Republican stances on trade, foreign policy, and the social safety net, a Trump presidency would be just like every other Republican presidency, arguably even worse.
We now know this for fact.
According to a story out today in the New York Times Magazine, when Donald Trump was looking for a running mate, he initially offered the job to one of his former opponents, Ohio Governor John Kasich.
And while that’s interesting enough on its own, what’s even more interesting is the offer the Trump campaign made to try to convince Kasich to join the ticket.
According to the New York Times, when Donald Trump, Jr. contacted a Kasich advisor about the running mate job, he told that adviser that his father wanted to make Kasich the “most powerful vice president in history.”
What happened next reveals a lot about the real Donald Trump.
When Kasich’s adviser asked how this would be the case Donald Jr. explained that his father’s vice president would be in charge of domestic and foreign policy.
Then what, the adviser asked, would Trump be in charge of?
“Making America great again” was the casual reply.
Now, we have no explicit confirmation of this, but everything in the Times’ report suggests that Trump made this exact same offer to Mike Pence before making him his running mate.
And if that’s true, it reveals two very important things.
The first thing it reveals is Trump’s management style. Like a lot of billionaire corporate executives, Trump is a delegator, which is fine for the business world, but poses some big problems for the presidency, a job that requires attention to detail and around-the-clock engagement.
So that’s the first thing this Times story reveals. The second thing it reveals is a much bigger deal.
If Donald Trump really did offer Mike Pence complete control over domestic and foreign policy in return for serving his running mate, then that means that Donald Trump’s entire campaign is a sham.
Unlike Donald Trump (or at least 2016 presidential campaign edition of Donald Trump), Mike Pence is a rock-solid, down-the-line all-for-the-billionaires-and-corporations Republican.
Pence voted for and supported the Iraq War.
Pence supports the Trans-Pacific Partnership, NAFTA, CAFTA, and all the rest of the so-called free trade agreements that have run the American middle-class into the ground.
Pence supports slashing Social Security, and Medicare, hates unions, and wants to cut taxes for the rich, and on and on.
So if Donald Trump really did offer Mike Pence complete control over domestic and foreign policy in exchange for being his running mate, then that means that a Trump presidency would really just be a Pence presidency.
In other words, if you’re thinking of voting for Trump because you hate the TPP and NAFTA and want to bring the jobs home, what you’re actually going to get is Mike Pence, who loves the TPP and NAFTA.
If you’re thinking of voting for Trump because you’re sick of us wasting all that blood and treasure in the Middle East, what you’re actually going to get is Mike Pence, who was one of the biggest Iraq War boosters around.
If you’re thinking of voting for Trump because you think he’s going to protect Social Security, what you’re actually going to get is Mike Pence, who’s just another Republican who wants to throw granny off the cliff.
You get the idea.
Of course, the fact that his campaign is such a blatant scam doesn’t matter one bit to Donald Trump.
He doesn’t care about what Pence will do to the middle class, he doesn’t care what Pence will do to the nation, and he certainly doesn’t care what Pence will do to you and me.
All Trump cares about is inflating his personal brand, and getting elected president is the best way to do that.
But, just because Trump doesn’t care, doesn’t mean Republican voters shouldn’t.
They should be outraged that their candidate is pulling a fast one on them.
Unfortunately, the media is so busy covering the Trump campaign like a reality show that it hasn’t bothered pointing any of this out.
Hopefully they do before it’s too late, because the last thing this country needs is another right-wing Republican president.
Comments
#2
If you’re thinking of voting for Trump because you've been bamboozled into thinking Hillary Clinton would be bad for the nation, what you’re actually going to get is Mike Pence, who’s just another Republican who will be worse.
#3
Trump will continue to be the Trump we all know until after the election. Only if they win will the Pence agenda reveal itself. The puppet master will become the puppet.
#4
""The puppet master will become the puppet."
That would be great! I mean it worked okay during the Cheney/Bush Presidency, didn't it? Oh my!
#5
If Trump wins the election, shortly after inauguration he will resign or die under 'mysterious circumstances'...and Pence will be president. It's all been pre-arranged, the fix is in.
#6
Two war hawks both willing and able sell us out to the bankers who always win every war.Wake up Americans foreign policy is disgusting under either of these two candidates and our aggressiveness around the globe endanger every living being on this sad planet.I hold all media but especially free speech afraid to speak truth to power so sad not worth a plug nickel so sad sold we the people out for what HRC.
#7
Sort of reminiscent of the Chaney/Rove administration, isn't it? Those were the good old days, when a billionaire didn't need to worry about where his next $100 million was coming from.
#8
Pence is part of the biggest political swindle in history, the Tea Party! It's basically a Fascist bait and switch overthrow of our democracy. Persuade the vulnerable victims of Fox News, "Merica," that you're on their side, and then stick it to them with economic and tax policy that is nothing short of devastating to those same citizens.
Thom's predicted crash is coming, boy is it ever! Free trade and the extreme concentration of wealth it has lead to certainly guarantees it.
Trump is an establishment fascist and has made Pence his Teafascist partner. I'll say it again, the corpse media has been the passive evil behind Trump's rise to power. For god sakes, is Hillary still even on the road? Very very little is being said about her or the democrats....and now it looks like she is going to pick a lack luster VP. This is so typical, the democrats rarely fight or speak out.
Jeff Epstein, Trump, and 13 year old Katie Johnson, look it up.....and all they have on Hillary is Benghazi and emails...if the Dems don't learn how to fight back real soon, we're all screwed!
#9
Or.. Trump dramatically removes himself from the ticket shortly before the election (as envisioned and planned with Koch's). Dems, who were leading at the time, won't have time to react. General relief that the country dodged a bullet. GOP wins with President Pence and hand picked (by Kochs) VP. Walker, anyone?
#10
I believe it was a pitch in order to secure a VP. Look, it's no secret that the job of a VP is not one of glory. Not to mention they would be sharing a ticket with Trump. All Trump did was make it more important and then those wanting power find it more attractive and willing to be considered.
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This news should make the general election campaign debates very interesting cause Mike Pence can't do the debating for him. Perhaps this wil be his downfall. I cross my fingers.