Skip to main content

Donald Trump Isn’t Blowing 2016 for the GOP

By U.S. News & World Report

There are a few things apparently left to be said after last week’s debate in Cleveland, Ohio between 10 of the top tier GOP presidential candidates.

First, Donald Trump has not hijacked the Republican Party, nor will he. The departure from his orbit of uber-consultant Roger Stone is the real beginning of the end. Trump will continue to make noise but, without Stone around to guide the otherwise inexperienced campaign team through the difficulties of running a real presidential campaign — as opposed to what he is doing now — then things will hit the rocks sooner or later.

The polls indicating he is still way out in front post-debate are specious. They employ a different methodology than most analysts are used to and have yet to be proven out. His support may be at this time significant but is it solid and strong? There’s really no way to tell, since a lot of it seems to come from populist types who typically sit the race out when it’s establishment A’s candidate against establishment B’s in the general election.

Unlike the other candidates in either party, the bilious billionaire from the five boroughs is, like him or hate him, a genuine cultural icon. People are listening to him because they know him from and in other contexts and have some degree of confidence in what he’s saying. These same people are on purpose turning a deaf ear to the professional politicians in the presidential race because they blame those politicians for bringing about the ruination of the country.

SEE: [Editorial Cartoons on Donald Trump]

They may cheer when Trumps says “Build a wall to stop the illegals coming in from Mexico,” but they might just as likely cheer as loud if he said “The New York Mets are going to win the World Series.”

This is both silly and sick. At a time when Iran may soon get at least one nuclear weapon, the Islamic State group is conducting mass executions of Christians, the Chinese stock market is in free fall, and former Secretary of State and Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton’s email server is the subject of an FBI criminal investigation, the biggest political story in the country — perhaps the biggest story period — is a national conversation about whether Trump crossed the line when talking about Fox News’ Megyn Kelly.

If the goal of the candidates in Thursday’s debate was to make a cogent case for why they should be president and how their ideas for bringing back the economy and the country were better than anyone else’s — something the debate format worked against like Grant at Vicksburg — then Trump was not the winner. Give that prize to Carly Fiorina, who wasn’t even on the 9 p.m. stage.

If, on the other hand, the goal was to have people talking about you as much if not more coming out of the debate than they were going in, then Trump wins, hands down, with Kelly coming in a close second. All this business about people being encouraged in social media to stand with Megyn or back “The Donald” does is ask people to make a false and meaningless choice; after all , can’t both of them of them be open to legitimate criticism for the way they conducted themselves during and after the debate?

SEE: [Editorial Cartoons on the 2016 Presidential Elections]

One thing is for sure: The focus on Trump’s remarks has neutralized any discussion of the several significant errors of fact Kelly made while questioning other candidates about real issues. They were mistakes Chris Wallace, Bret Baier, Fred Barnes, Brit Hume, Michael Barone, Nina Easton and others who appear regularly on Fox would not have made. All the noise that Trump has kicked up has done her an unexpected favor by shunting to one side any real questions about her competence — and “she was too hard on the candidates” does not count as a credible observation.

The GOP solons who fear Trump is blowing it for them need to take a deep breath, relax, and find something else upon which to fixate. The people who have reacted most harshly to what Trump had to say in the run up to debate No. 1 were not going to be with the GOP candidate in November 2016. The people who are applauding the loudest weren’t going to be with the GOP candidate in 2016 until Trump got them motivated and excited about the race. Up until Stone quit Trump’s campaign there was a chance he could have emerged as a substantive force with real ideas and a bold agenda to bring America back. Originally he had tapped into something; now it’s just noise.

Hopefully, in the next debate, the moderator will spend more time asking former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush about education reform, asking Sen. Ted Cruz about the constitutional limits on the presidency, asking Ohio Gov. John Kasich about the pathway to bringing federal spending under control, asking Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul about the economic impact of replacing the current tax structure with a pro-growth flat tax, asking former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee about the need for criminal justice reform and asking Donald Trump a lot less about everything but especially the things he’s tweeted. The candidates did all agree to the rules, and largely abided by them, but they need to be forceful, to be presidential the next time out and seize control of the proceedings and the agenda. If a moderator wants to be the main focus of a political debate let him or her file for public office and get up on the stage.

More from U.S. News

Editorial Cartoons on Donald Trump

Editorial Cartoons on the 2016 Presidential Elections

Editorial Cartoons on Hillary Clinton

Donald Trump Isn’t Blowing 2016 for the GOP originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote