* From the New York Times magazine…
As for [US Sen. Mark Kirk], Trump said he had reason to believe that the Illinois senator’s distaste for him was feigned, but he would not share his evidence for the record. He reminded me that he had won both Kirk’s and Ayotte’s states during the primaries and predicted that he would repeat that feat in November. If the two senators felt it wise to separate themselves from their party’s leader, then Trump would support, if not endorse, the idea. “I want them to do what they need to do,” he said of the vulnerable senators. “It’s fine with me. It won’t hurt me. I think it’ll hurt them, frankly.”
- Federalist - Tuesday, Jul 12, 16 @ 12:29 pm:
Won’t hurt Kirk in this very Blue state.
- Ghost - Tuesday, Jul 12, 16 @ 12:32 pm:
Trump clearly has good analysts and political knowledge…. how can he fail?
- Boone's is Back - Tuesday, Jul 12, 16 @ 12:33 pm:
He really needs to stop saying that he’s going to win Illinois…it’s not doing any help to the rapidly eroding credibility.
- walker - Tuesday, Jul 12, 16 @ 12:38 pm:
Kirk can be a chameleon.
- @MisterJayEm - Tuesday, Jul 12, 16 @ 12:42 pm:
“He reminded me that he had won both Kirk’s and Ayotte’s states during the primaries and predicted that he would repeat that feat in November.”
Confirmed: In November, Donald Trump will once again win more Illinois and New Hampshire votes than any other Republican presidential candidate.
– MrJM
- Formerly Known as Frenchie M - Tuesday, Jul 12, 16 @ 12:52 pm:
Maybe this has always been the case — but it seems like the way to win political office is to lie during the primary, double-down on it, triple-down on it — and then reverse course once elected — pretending like you said nothing of the sort in the first place.
That wins elections. Maybe that’s the reality of campaigns — and if that’s the case, so be it. But it makes it very hard to take politicians — especially those claiming *not* to be politicians — at their word.
*shrug*
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Jul 12, 16 @ 1:02 pm:
Could be.
Kirk was sure willing to swallow a lot of bile that Trump was spewing for months before he withdrew his support last June 7.
He said Trump was a “net benefit” to his own race, and even wanted to be Trump’s “adviser,” until Trump freaked out on the judge.
–In a statement, Kirk said that while he opposed the Democratic presidential nominee, “Trump’s latest statements, in context with past attacks on Hispanics, women and the disabled like me, make it certain that I cannot and will not support my party’s nominee for president regardless of the political impact on my candidacy or the Republican Party.”–
See, Kirk was cool with the “past attacks on Hispanics, women and the disabled” (note the absence of Muslims).
That is, until the new “context” — Trump was hurting Kirk’s own re-election chances.
If he thought Trump would help his chances, I have little doubt that Kirk would still be on the Trump bandwagon.
That ain’t a principled stand, that’s just raw self-interest.
- Louis G. Atsaves - Tuesday, Jul 12, 16 @ 1:08 pm:
Those of us who actually know Senator Kirk know better Mr. Presumptive Republican Presidential Nominee Donald Trump.
- Bogey Golfer - Tuesday, Jul 12, 16 @ 1:14 pm:
=He really needs to stop saying that he’s going to win Illinois…it’s not doing any help to the rapidly eroding credibility.=
Do you expect Trump to say: “This is my last visit to Illinois. I don’t have a snowball’s chance in hell in winning this state. See ya!!” So now he gets your support??
- pundent - Tuesday, Jul 12, 16 @ 1:15 pm:
Kirk doesn’t want to support Trump, he just wants (and needs) his supporters. Hard to thread the needle on that.
- hisgirlfriday - Tuesday, Jul 12, 16 @ 1:18 pm:
Speaking of Mark Kirk, what do folks think of MSNBC running promos with him in a wheelchair followed by reporters in a hallway? At first I thought it was a Kirk commercial when I saw it for the first time today. Very strange for a supposedly Dem-leaning outlet to give him this airtime in an election year. I also had no idea he wasn’t able to walk around the Capitol until this commercial. Not that it matters much but I had thought his rehab allowed him to walk again.
- AlfondoGonz - Tuesday, Jul 12, 16 @ 1:26 pm:
Feigned, you say? I thought the commercials touting Kirk’s liberal credentials were a true reflection of his Republican beliefs?
- Last Bull Moose - Tuesday, Jul 12, 16 @ 2:09 pm:
Kirk is most valuable as a bridge between the parties. For that and to serve as a check on Hillary, I support him.
I expect Trump to lead the Republicans to a catastrophic defeat. As others have said, we get the leaders we deserve.
- Annonin' - Tuesday, Jul 12, 16 @ 3:46 pm:
Wonder if CommandoMakeItUp will wander downstate and trash Trump
- Hedley Lamarr - Tuesday, Jul 12, 16 @ 3:48 pm:
Big Brain strikes again.
- Sue - Tuesday, Jul 12, 16 @ 3:56 pm:
The Illinois Senate race is a mirror image of the presidential contest- the two weakest candidates in recent memory and one of them is a lying dishonest charlatan and that is not a description of Kirk