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America was having a frank conversation about the administration's ineffectiveness in combating terrorism in light of his Sunday Night address. The significance of the issue caused it to penetrate the mass media's biases and even they were having a serious conversation about the president's failures. It was a sight to behold....for about a day, until Donald Trump drove a flashing Zamboni down Main Street and gave everyone something else to talk about. Now there's barely a person on earth discussing Sunday Night's nothingburger.This isn't the first time Trump has enveloped a news cycle that was focusing, against all odds, on the president's failures and it won't be the last.

We'll be back to talk about the failed Foreign and National Security policies of our current administration soon enough. Just wait for the next work place violence committed by a member of the Religion of Peace known as Islam.Now, because of the lack of legitimate leadership by both Republicans and Democrats, Donald Trump will have carved out a larger chunk of support. The only response is for people to act offended. That has not been an effective strategy to date for his opponents.When everyone is involved in group think, a Donald Trump is beyond possible. The reality is that we have a massive problem with ideological terroristic behavior by a very sizable population of Muslims. We have an uncontrolled border and a hospitable environment for bad actors to very easily leverage. And, we're so politically correct, we cannot deal with it honestly.Enter Donald Trump.

I think Ted Cruz offers a credible alternative to Donald Trump.Other than that, I can't disagree with you. Donald Trump's rise is terrifying, but in the absence of anyone else who is willing to voice the things Americans are feeling, they'll naturally be drawn to the only one who is, even if he is a crazed radical. That's how it's worked throughout history. Hitler didn't rise to power on the basis of his looks.

Dave, I didn't know you were a long time Democrat contributor - but it makes sense regarding your posts - that always include scary and terrifying when describing those that oppose you. You and Hillary seem to be cut from the same cloth.I worked with some folks like Trump before - and a guy like that is invaluable in a room with folks that are trying to solve a problem. I believe Trump is in the brain storming phase of trying to solve a problem - where he throws things out there - and refines it until it gets a consensus on how to attack a problem. As a candidate - it just opens you up to attacks - but as with everything else he has done - the proposed solution gets tweaked and refined until it makes sense. It would be helpful if his brainstorming was behind closed doors - but it beats the alternative -where you do NOTHING and hope things change. And if any Democrat or Republican tried to denigrate one of my ideas for solving a problem - I would say (if I were Trump) - fine - what exactly was your proposed solution?Pot shots - and crying Boo gets you on TV - and makes you look like you care on Actscelerate - but how about coming up with a better solution before you attack someone that proposes one.Acting all offended is the new American way - but those folks need to move aside and let someone that will come up with solutions have the reins a while.

Yeah, it's all a part of the process. He sounds like he's well on his way to a final solution though. What exactly is your solution

Destroy ISIS, with ground forces if needed. The US was well on its way to achieving a temporary and potentially region-changing victory after the Surge and the Arab Spring, before the president pulled the forces out. Return to the Bush Doctrine and treat states that harbor terrorists as if they are terrorist states themselves. I am under no illusion that this would not be a tremendously costly and deadly effort, but we have little other choice.Put enormous pressure (up to and including military pressure) on allies like Saudi Arabia that consistently fund and support terror. Sunni states need to repudiate the notion of a Sunni caliphate, up to and including by force of arms, if they are to have any expectation of dealing with the United States on any kind of friendly or even neutral basis.Continue to become energy independent (the US is a net exporter now, so little effort is required here except to continue what is already happening). I could go on about the importance of the US understanding that it is fighting a global war against Wahhabism, but those like you would do well to understand that the United States is not Wahhabism's only target. Organizations such as ISIS that want to establish a Sunni caliphate also want to kill or exile all Shia and Sufi Sunni Muslims. They condemn them all as apostates. These Muslims, and even many Sunni Muslims who suffer under Wahhabism's oppression in states like Saudi Arabia and Egypt, are at worst the enemies of our enemy and are at best potentially much more.Wahhabism consistently polls very well in the Arab world. And why wouldn't it -- when a tiny sin against Wahhabist Islam will cost you your hand, tongue, or head?The people beheaded in Saudi Arabia for expressing pedestrian liberties are not our enemies.The slaves of Boko Haram are not our enemies. The victims of Al-Shabaab are not our enemies.And Americans who are followers of the Muslim faith are not our enemies.There is no easy solution to this problem, and the solutions proposed by populist carnival barkers have no value or possibility of actually addressing the problems we face. The solution to the problem is a long-term and exceedingly costly commitment to rooting out and destroying Wahhabism, as the free world rooted out and destroyed Nazism and fascism before it....

I find your comments here almost irrational. Trump's comments have only cast a greater light on Obama's failures and has caused the conversation to grow. If it weren't for Trump there would be no conversation about this at all

I have no doubt that is completely true in your bubble. All anyone in the real world is talking about, though, is how stupid Trump is. Everyone was focusing on the total ineptness of the president, especially after he failed to say anything new in his short address on Sunday. Now he has completely vanished from the conversation and all anyone's talking about around the water cooler is how dumb Trump is.

I have no doubt that is completely true in your bubble. All anyone in the real world is talking about, though, is how stupid Trump is. Everyone was focusing on the total ineptness of the president, especially after he failed to say anything new in his short address on Sunday. Now he has completely vanished from the conversation and all anyone's talking about around the water cooler is how dumb Trump is. Once again, the president's been saved by Donald Trump. Irrational. If you cannot see that Trump is the one keeping the conversation going, then you are blind. A few days ago Rand Paul introduced a bill in the Senate that would have halted immigration from known terrorist countries. It was voted down 89-10. The 10 yay votes were all Republican. So who is it that is having this conversation? It sure ain't the GOP until Trump kicks them in the rump and makes them. And of course the leftists and cowardly Republicans are going to attack Trump and try to change the focus of the topic of the conversation to him. But it is having the opposite effect they intended, except with you

You are clearly claiming that everyone was critically examining Obama's failures and weakness after the pathetic speech he gave. The fact is, the left was spinning it and the GOP was trying hard to slink back into the shadows of cowardice like they always do. Trump's remarks yesterday have kept the subject going