Matt Taibbi thinks Donald Trump just stopped being funny. I never thought Donald Trump was particularly funny but I thought (and still think) a lot of this country finds him entertaining. Car chases aren't funny either but most of us watch them.
I continue to think that very little of what happens in current political news has much to do with who will be the Republican nominee or the next President of the United States except that as we go along, certain people become a little more or less likely than others. For instance, Chris Christie is more likely than Lindsey Graham. Then again, the Geico gecko is more likely than Lindsey Graham — and that gecko probably wasn't even born in this country.
Is Trump inevitable? Last I heard, Nate Silver was still pegging the guy's chances at the nomination as between two and four percent. Silver, who looks at polling not at domination of news cycles, would have to up that number a lot before I'd think Trump was possible.
One thing that may impact the election is the new dynamic of the G.O.P. as increasingly hostile to illegal immigrants. Weren't Republican leaders saying just a few months ago that the party had to do a better job of attracting racial minorities and women voters? The assaults on Planned Parenthood are probably not winning over a lot of ladies, either.
I don't know where all this talk about "anchor babies" is going except that a lot of people out there seem to think that if two illegal aliens have a baby in this country, mother and father automatically become American citizens. I wish someone they'd trust would explain to them that is not so. An illegal couple might become less likely to be deported because of the kid but the parents don't instantly get citizenship. The child, when he or she reaches the age of 21 can sponsor them for that but even after that, it takes a long, long time to qualify.
I do know that the current yelling is not going to result in a constitutional amendment to rescind the 14th and do away with Birthright Citizenship. We have an ongoing position of this blog: Constitutional amendments do not happen in this country unless at least 80% of the nation is in agreement on the issue. It pretty much has to be a proposal that has no organized opposition.
Something like 90% of the time when someone calls for one, they don't even bother to take the first step to make it happen. The other 10%, they get it introduced just so they can say they tried, and it gets quickly defeated and that's the end of it. We will never see an amendment passed that outlaws abortion or Gay Marriage or overturns Citizens United or institutes a mandatory death penalty for the making of cole slaw or any of those. My cole slaw one is about as likely as any of the others.
Calling for a constitutional amendment is apparently great for fund-raising. Also in this country, a lot of voters don't want their candidates to ever admit a cause is lost so they cheer his or her determination to fight, fight, fight. Instead of admitting that you've lost on an issue like Gay Marriage, you pledge to fight for a constitutional amendment that overturns the Supreme Court or whatever. You don't actually do anything but make that pledge and maybe introduce a bill that is quickly shot down but it still impresses people that you said you'd fight for it. I don't get why.