Donald Trump

[RandyForRubio]

It seems like we all want tax reform, but what specifically does everybody want?

I don't mean generalities like higher taxes, lower taxes, but more specifics. Like, should we increase capital gains tax? Reduce estate tax? Mandatory sales tax across the nation? Etc etc.

 

[Joe Bagadonuts]

Dumbest thing I've heard of.

You obviously have Thriller on ignore.

 

[JimLes]

Trump has horrible poll numbers with latinos. 7 out of 10 have a strong dislike and an extra 10% (so 8 out of 10) have a dislike how him.

If he has already convinced the other 2 to like him, I don't see how convincing some of the 8 is any more impossible.

 

[Stoked]

If he has already convinced the other 2 to like him, I don't see how convincing some of the 8 is any more impossible.

I do. Considering those 2 out of 2 are the registered repubs. He will gift wrap the latino vote for the Ds. He already is.

 

[JimLes]

I do. Considering those 2 out of 2 are the registered repubs. He will gift wrap the latino vote for the Ds. He already is.

I'm not convinced. People are horribly irrational. On both sides. I mean, black people are supporting Hilary over Sanders. Why not Latinos for Trump. Remember, when he's talking about rapists, he's talking about other Latinos. Not you. Everyone else but you.

 

[Eminence]

It seems like we all want tax reform, but what specifically does everybody want?

I don't mean generalities like higher taxes, lower taxes, but more specifics. Like, should we increase capital gains tax? Reduce estate tax? Mandatory sales tax across the nation? Etc etc.

Hmm, not being a politician I've never thought about it too much, so just spitballing a bit here.

Firstly: It's my understanding that a tax capturing 20-25% of national GDP(16.77 trillion 2015) would pretty much cover any budget(3.69 trillion 2015) our current government could come up with. Is that essentially right? It would be great to get ourselves at least close to balanced.

Longterm I would like to see the US tax system move towards a sales tax based system, obviously it couldn't all be implemented at once, but I do think it could be phased in in place of income tax.

Benefits I see to a sales tax based system:
A) Less bureaucracy - from the IRS and in terms of everyone having to file all that junk every year
B) maybe a bit harder to find loopholes through (big one obviously being buying overseas)
C) seems fairly easy to tax different items different amounts (food vs yachts)

So perhaps a marginalized* sales tax based around 20%(completely based off earlier GDP guess) would be my favored approach? (items like food are left out or taxed lightly, while more luxury items are taxed more heavily)

*marginalized - I think this only really applies to income taxes, but I couldn't think of a better word for what I was describing, does it still make sense?

 

[Stoked]

I'm not convinced. People are horribly irrational. On both sides. I mean, black people are supporting Hilary over Sanders. Why not Latinos for Trump. Remember, when he's talking about rapists, he's talking about other Latinos. Not you. Everyone else but you.

Because he is also talking about deporting all the illegals. So their brother/cousin/mother/child/friend... If this voting bloc saw it as him talking aobut "others" than he wouldn't have an 80% negative rating.

He is wildly unpopular in that voting bloc. A voting bloc that already leans towards the dems.

Convinced or not convinced we will see come the general election I guess.

 

[Joe Bagadonuts]

Because he is also talking about deporting all the illegals. So their brother/cousin/mother/child/friend... If this voting bloc saw it as him talking aobut "others" than he wouldn't have an 80% negative rating.

He is wildly unpopular in that voting bloc. A voting bloc that already leans towards the dems.

Convinced or not convinced we will see come the general election I guess.

In the general election he will soften his position. He'll say that of course it's not possible to send them all back, but that they are going to set up clearing houses where Latinos will be required to begin the process of applying for legal citizenship, and that those who don't start that process will immediately lose all rights in this country so that they'll soon be begging to be deported.

People will say, "But that's totally different from what you said in the primaries!" And he will answer, "Of course it is. Next question. Sheesh!" Everyone will be stunned that he can simply shrug something like this off, but it will work. Just like it already has the first dozen times we thought he had killed his own candidacy.

He will soften his position just enough to get the percentage of Latinos he needs in order to win, paying extremely close attention to his numbers all the time. Those on the right will realize that if they don't turn out in large numbers, even though they feel betrayed on this issue, they will have four years of President Hillary. They won't be able to forget this because Trump will remind them about it over and over and over and over. And when it comes time to vote, they will turn out for him in droves.

 

[Jamezz]

The Dennis Rodman of American politics.

 

[fgcamel]

In the general election he will soften his position. He'll say that of course it's not possible to send them all back, but that they are going to set up clearing houses where Latinos will be required to begin the process of applying for legal citizenship, and that those who don't start that process will immediately lose all rights in this country so that they'll soon be begging to be deported.

People will say, "But that's totally different from what you said in the primaries!" And he will answer, "Of course it is. Next question. Sheesh!" Everyone will be stunned that he can simply shrug something like this off, but it will work. Just like it already has the first dozen times we thought he had killed his own candidacy.

He will soften his position just enough to get the percentage of Latinos he needs in order to win, paying extremely close attention to his numbers all the time. Those on the right will realize that if they don't turn out in large numbers, even though they feel betrayed on this issue, they will have four years of President Hillary. They won't be able to forget this because Trump will remind them about it over and over and over and over. And when it comes time to vote, they will turn out for him in droves.

I think you can already see signs of him swinging back towards the middle now that it's looking more and more certain that he has the nomination. I mean his stance on planned parenthood in the last debate as well as calling out the bush administration were incredible to see on a republican stage.

 

[Stoked]

I think you can already see signs of him swinging back towards the middle now that it's looking more and more certain that he has the nomination. I mean his stance on planned parenthood in the last debate as well as calling out the bush administration were incredible to see on a republican stage.

It was but it was also a BS move.

 

[Joe Bagadonuts]

I think you can already see signs of him swinging back towards the middle now that it's looking more and more certain that he has the nomination. I mean his stance on planned parenthood in the last debate as well as calling out the bush administration were incredible to see on a republican stage.

He always speaks off the cuff. It's never scripted and it's often shocking. People love that. But you should also notice that almost every time he is pressed on an issue (the comments about Bush, for instance) he softens his position. He initially said flat out that "Bush lied," but in later interviews when asked if Bush lied he said something like, "All I know is that the war was a bad idea, a terrible idea." But did he lie? "Well, there were no weapons of mass destruction there, where there?" They can ask until they are blue in the face but he will keep on controlling the conversation and giving them only what he wants to give them. He is extremely good at taking control.