Would they block him in order to make his presidency fail?

That's quite a revealing question in terms of where the Republican Party and its policies - or, should I say, America and its politics - is headed. Since the election of Barack Obama, it has been all about how to block the president at every turn, regardless of the merits of the polices or the benefits to the country.

It doesn't bode well for the future ...

I will watch the Last Action Hero - the film I watched after listening to Arnold wax lyrical on politics was True Lies - but it won't diminish his seriousness as a politician. Which, by the way is why I cringe every time you compare him to the decidedly non-serious Trump.

As for timing of a terrorist attack on US soil and its impact on Trump's chances to win the White House - God forbid, on both counts - I was thinking in terms of an October surprise, timing that would put it very close to the November election.

Do you think such an incident, timed in that way - given the open question of how the Trump campaign is going to evolve between now and then - could put Trump over the top and defeat Clinton?

I think a lot will have to do with how the Obama administration and Democrats, at large, react to an attack. Which doesn't exactly give me much comfort.

Watch "The Last Action Hero" -- it's hilarious. Arnie poking fun not just of himself, but of his entire action-movie persona. Best Arnie movie to see if you've never seen any of the others. Doesn't take itself very seriously at all...

[2] -

It would depend heavily on the timing. In other words, how close to the election it happened.

JohnM [4] -

Good questions. What I wonder is how a Republican Congress would interact with a President Trump. Would they block him in order to make his presidency fail? Or would they go along with him in the hopes of hopping on his coattails with the voters? I honestly don't know.

-CW

Today's column is now up, with Indiana predictions...

http://www.chrisweigant.com/2016/05/03/end-of-the-road-in-indiana/

-CW

I think that this old saying explains perfectly the rise of Donald Trump as the Republican front runner -- it isn't that Trump's campaign would, in and of itself, be the masses first choice for President. The Republican voting base has been abused, lied to constantly, and treated with such disrespect by the GOP leadership that barely even tries to hide their contempt for the middle class. The GOP stopped trying to hide the fact that they were lying to their supporters years ago, but they also misjudged the ignorance of their supporters and their willingness to just sit back and be abused. Donald Trump came onto the scene and made the GOP elites uncomfortable and unhappy. He was crude, brash, and the more he made the elites squirm, the more popular he got with the masses. If the GOP is going to screw over their supporters regardless of which candidate they offer gets the nomination, then why not make sure that you aren't the only one made to suffer?!? The elites play by different rules than the masses do, and there is very little most of us could ever do that could even register as a blip on their radar screens... But Trump entered the picture and gave the masses hope...the hope that they could finally do something that would make the elite take notice. Sadly, the Republican base aren't willing to dream big enough to leave the party, but they are spiteful enough to make the elite suffer as much as they possibly can!

I was never an Arnold fan and was not at all into his movies. I'm still not in to his movies, generally speaking. But, after listening to some interviews he did when he was running for Governor and while he was Governor, I was impressed with his political style and substance. Consequently, I even watched one of his movies. Apparently, that, in and of itself, is hysterical. It is true, nevertheless. :)

In any event, Trump is no Schwarzenegger.