The trouble with Trump’s third-party prospects

[KamaAina]

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/the-trouble-trumps-third-party-prospects

In recent weeks, the possibility of Donald Trump running for president on a third-party ticket – if his Republican campaign comes up short, of course – has been a frequent topic of conversation in campaign circles, and the candidate himself has stoked the fires. It came up at the start of last week’s debate, when Trump vowed, “If I’m the [GOP] nominee, I will pledge I will not run as an independent,”

It was an unintentionally amusing line, which continued to make Republican insiders quite nervous. Yesterday, ABC News reported that Trump, according to one of his “senior advisers,” may soon rule out an independent bid and commit fully to the Republican Party’s nominating process....

For Trump, this creates a practical challenge for which there is no easy solution. He’s running in Republican primaries and caucuses now, and if he comes up short, some states simply won’t allow him to appear on the ballot anyway. This includes Ohio, one of the nation’s most important swing states.

Looking ahead, this may get a little tricky. For example, Trump might consider skipping the Ohio GOP primary in order to leave open the possibility of an independent campaign in Ohio in the general election. It’s also possible state Republican officials will recognize this problem and start passing new “sore-loser” laws now, in anticipation of Trump trouble later.

[PoliticAverse]

1. Trump is not getting elected President as a third-party candidate. Period.

If he runs as a third-party candidate it will be for purposes other than winning.

[SheilaT]

2. I will politely disagree.

I think if he runs as a third-party candidate it will be because he's sufficiently delusional to think he can buy the Presidency that way.

This is a man who has never actually run for office, never done the hard work of campaigning or figuring out his policy positions. Most of all, he hasn't a clue that an elected official ought to have some obligations to those who elected him. And he probably knows next to nothing about the Constitution, and what a President can actually do or not do.

With any luck at all those who currently favor him will start to see what a total a**hole he is, and drift away. Not that there is any Republican currently running who is less than scary.

[PoliticAverse]

3. You agreed with me, you are arguing it would be to satisfy his delusion

not to actually win.

[SheilaT]

4. No, I am saying that if he

runs as a third party, it will be because he thinks he can win. He does not know he's delusional.