Trump charms GOP critics as unity test begins

[Kablooie]

Source: Washington Post

Donald Trump is winning over his Capitol Hill critics after a one-day charm offensive that again demonstrates the power of his personality to drive his White House bid.

Trump’s closed-door charisma on Thursday triggered a fresh wave of GOP optimism across Washington, even as deep concerns remain about the notoriously unpredictable New York billionaire’s evolving policy prescriptions and brash tone heading into the general election.

....

"I thought he has a very good personality. He’s a very warm and genuine person,” said Ryan, who declined to endorse Trump after the meeting at the Republican National Committee headquarters but suggested he was moving in that direction.

....

One of Trump’s most aggressive Washington critics, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, seemed to agree.

“He’s got a great sense of humor,” said Graham, who spoke to Trump on the phone ahead of Thursday’s meetings. Not long ago, Graham called Trump a “nut job” and a “loser as a person.” After speaking with Trump on the phone, the senator softened his stance.


Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/whitehouse/trump-ryan-pledge-to-work-together-see-end-to-rift-in-gop/2016/05/12/ca09c2ee-18b6-11e6-971a-dadf9ab18869_story.html

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Good God, that was fast!
Just as I expected he's going to have all of the GOP in his pocket before the election and very possibly a large portion of America since Americans have the memory of an ant.

He's a master manipulator and is going to be a real challenge to defeat.
Dismiss him at your peril.

[OwlinAZ]

1. Republicans will sacrifice the welfare of the country

for power.
They would support Lucifer himself if it would please and further enrich their donors.
The poor and middle class can go hang.

[scottie55]

8. My Thoughts Exactly

Their god is Mammon.

Obviously.

[rurallib]

2. Trump's approach is probably "Get out of the way or get run over"

or maybe "I could shoot you in broad daylight in front of the White House and get away with it"

[Kablooie]

4. Don't think so. He's about making the deal.

he probably told them he's willing to negotiate anything which calmed them down.
He is a master persuaded so can win in most personal negotiations.

[Vinca]

3. There is one thing worse than Trump and that is Republicans putting party over country.

They'll say they don't agree with him, they don't like him, they don't think he's qualified and then they'll say "but I'll support my party's nominee." Party over country. They should be ashamed.

[Saviolo]

5. Dismiss him at your peril! (bears repeating!)

The frothing caricatures that are already following him because they believe he "speaks his mind" and "isn't afraid to not be PC" (when really he's just saying what they want to say) will continue to follow him because they'll believe that his new softened positions are just a cover for what he'll do when he gets into office. They'll follow him enthusiastically.

Now that his positions are softening and he's pivoting more to GOP moderate-land, he'll get a bunch more moderate and "sane" GOP voters, libertarians, and self-styled conservative independents all believing that the bluster and craziness at the beginning of the campaign was the cover for someone who will toe the GOP party line and bring some protectionist trade policies in to fix trade deficits w/ China, etc...

But what are his deeply-held views? Does he actually have any? He's a con man playing a game of "Let's you and him fight."

[Zorro]

6. Let the Republican Party embrace him

It would clearly and undeniably expose them to be the party of racists and bigots.

Democrats would make every local, state, and federal Republican politician own that label.

[Kelvin Mace]

7. There are only two ways Trump could "charm" anyone:

Black magic on his part, and lethal stupidity on others.