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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW New Valley radio station covers Ashland area ... Driver dead in single-vehicle crash near Ashland ... Old buildings, new buildings and public art on agendas ... New Valley radio station covers Ashland area ... Driver dead in single-vehicle crash near Ashland ... Old buildings, new buildings and public art on agendas ... COMMENTARY Waiting for the 47 percent moment Comment By Chris Honoré DailyTidings.com By Chris Honoré Posted Jun. 6, 2016 at 12:01 AM By Chris Honoré Posted Jun. 6, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News In early fall 2012, Mitt Romney spoke at a fundraiser that he assumed was closed to the press. But his comments, intended only for the well-heeled Republican audience, were recorded. “There are 47 percent (of Americans) who are dependent upon government,” he said, “who believe they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe they are entitled to health care, food, housing, you name it.” That singular statement was not only unguarded but profoundly revealing, filled with coded language, and proved supremely damaging to his campaign. Some viewed it as a tipping point from which Romney never fully recovered. It was his 47 percent moment. What is startling to the point of being surreal is that Donald Trump has made statements that are equally revealing and clearly as damaging as Romney’s 47 percent statement. But he has thus far emerged unscathed. That is what makes his candidacy so unsettling. If there is a standard by which he is judged, it continues to be elusive. Nothing he says seems to matter. In the context of the above, let’s review some of Trump’s more recent statements, none of them presidential and always beside the point (if the point is to present policies that would address pressing national issues). Of late he has inadvertently disclosed that he is a conspiracist, evident during his “birther” periodm but now including the death of Bill Clinton’s deputy White House counsel Vincent Foster. Foster’s body was found on a park bench in Virginia. Trump has implied that the Clintons were somehow implicated in what was judged (after an extensive investigation) to be a tragic suicide. Trump suggested that Ted Cruz’s father was involved in the assassination of John F. Kennedy. He said it was curious that when Supreme Court Judge Antonin Scalia was found deceased in his hotel room, he had a pillow covering his face (he didn’t). Having concluded that Hillary Clinton will be the likely Democratic nominee, he refers to her as a “low-life” and “crooked Hillary” and Bill’s “enabler.” He continues to call Sen. Elizabeth Warren “Pocahontas,” and questions her Native American heritage, while referring to her “high cheekbones.” He also calls her “Goofy” and alleges she’s a failed senator. Last week in New Mexico, for reasons that defy logic, he trashed the state’s Republican governor, Susana Martinez, not only the most prominent Latina in politics but also the chairwoman of the Republican Governors Association. He said she was “not doing her job” and blamed her for the state’s unemployment numbers as well as New Mexico residents' increasing use of food stamps. He has praised Vladimir Putin for his strong leadership. But then, in an interview some years back, he lauded the Chinese for their decisive handling of Tiananmen Square, including the ensuing massacre. “That shows you the power of strength,” he said. In a recent speech to the National Rifle Association he disclosed that he has a permit to carry a concealed weapon in New York and that his sons “... have so many rifles and so many guns, sometimes I even get a little bit concerned.” He has often commented that if the French had been armed, the death toll in Paris’ Bataclan Theater would have been far less. “I can tell you that if I had been there in the Bataclan Theater or the cafes I would have opened fire ... I would have drawn.” Good to know the Republican candidate for president is packing heat and that he hopes all Americans follow his example. He’s declared there will be no gun-free zones on his watch. Now pause and try to imagine the Republican response had President Obama said he had a Glock 19 on his hip. Meanwhile, according to the CDC, 31,000 people in the U.S. are killed by gun violence annually and 70,000 suffer nonfatal injuries. Will Trump have his 47 percent moment? It’s hard to imagine what he would have to say to not receive a pass from conservatives. But perhaps he will think of something. Chris Honoré of Ashland is a Daily Tidings columnist. By Chris Honoré DailyTidings.com By Chris Honoré Posted Jun. 6, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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