Chemi Shalev, Israeli newspaper columnist, said Trump’s remarks “must have delighted the Caliph, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi,” the leader of ISIS.
“For some Jews, the sight of thousands of supporters waving their fists in anger as Trump incited against Muslims and urged a blanket ban on their entry to the United States could have evoked associations with beer halls in Munich a century ago,” he wrote.
A spokeswoman for British Prime Minister David Cameron called the remarks “divisive, unhelpful and quite simply wrong.”
“The prime minister has been very clear that, as we look at how we tackle extremism and this poisonous ideology, what politicians need to do is look at ways they can bring communities together and make clear that these terrorists are not representative of Islam and indeed what they are doing is a perversion of Islam,” she said.
"This is not who we are as a party or a country," Ryan, a Wisconsin Republican, told his House GOP colleagues during a meeting at the Capitol Hill Club. Ryan's remarks were met with applause.
Ryan said Trump's proposal violates at least two amendments: the First Amendment protecting the freedom of religion, and the 14th forbidding guaranteeing due process of law and citizenship to all persons "born or naturalized" in the U.S.
(Scott Wong. "Ryan condemns Trump's Muslim ban." The Hill. December 08, 2015.)
Before his recent inflammatory proclamation on December 7, The latest Rasmussen Reports weekly "Trump Change" survey of December 4 found that 68% of Likely Republican Voters believe Trump is likely to be their party’s nominee next year, up from 53% two weeks ago and the highest finding since late October.
("Trump Change: Trump Change: Trump’s Chances Continue To Improve."
Rasmussen Reports. December 04, 2015.)
Yet, one journalist, Igor Volsky, Director of Video and Contributing Editor of ThinkProgress.org, believes Trump's plan to ban Muslims is not that far out of line with the rest of the GOP. Volsky says ...
"But Trump’s anti-Muslim rhetoric didn’t come out of nowhere. Throughout the 2016 presidential campaign, Republican candidates have sought to energize conservative voters and shore up their anti-terror credentials by denouncing Muslims. Anti-Muslim rhetoric reached its height in the aftermath of the Paris bombing and the presidential candidates continue to back policies that would discriminate against Muslim immigrants and refugees and could have the effect of intimidating the American Muslim community. Below is the comprehensive guide to this year’s anti-Muslim sentiment."
(Igor Volsky. "Trump’s Plan To Ban Muslims Is In Line With The Rest Of The GOP." ThinkProgress.org. December 08, 2015.)
Volsky cites the following in his "comprehensive guide to this year’s anti-Muslim sentiment":
* During an appearance on Fox News, Marco Rubio said he would consider shutting down mosques or “any place where radicals are being inspired.” [11/20/2015]
* Rick Santorum blasted Muslims at the Values Voter Summit, arguing that the Middle East conflict is the result of an age-old fight between the West and those who see the world in a “fundamentally different” way — namely, Muslims. “[There is] a fundamental foundational problem in Islam of embracing issues of freedom of conscience and religious persecution,” he said. [9/29/2015]
* During a campaign stop in South Carolina, Jeb Bush responded to the ongoing debate about the status of refugees fleeing ISIS by saying, “At a minimum we ought to be bringing in people that have — orphans or people that clearly aren’t going to be terrorists. Or Christians.” He added, “I mean you can prove you’re a Christian. I think you can prove it, if you can’t prove it, you are on the side of caution.” [11/17/2015]
* During an appearance on Fox News Sunday, Ben Carson said that taking in refugees “from that area of the world, I think, is a huge mistake. … To bring them over here, under these circumstances, is a suspension of intellect” that would ignore “the reason the human brain has these big frontal lobes, as opposed to other animals.” [11/16/2015]
* Scott Walker claimed that only a “handful” of the world’s Muslims are “reasonable” or “moderate” while answering a question in New Hampshire. “It is a war against not only America and Israel, it’s a war against Christians, it’s a war against Jews, it’s a war against even the handful of reasonable, moderate followers of Islam who don’t share the radical beliefs that these radical Islamic terrorists have,” Walker said. [8/25/2015]
Read the entire Igor Volsky article. Click here: http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2015/12/08/3729448/your-comprehensive-guide-to-islamophobia-in-the-2016-presidential-election/
So ...
According to the Monmouth University poll released on December 7, Ted Cruz had already taken a slight lead over Donald Trump in Iowa. In the Monmouth poll, Cruz received 24 percent of the vote and Trump received only 19 percent. Yet, a CNN/ORC poll (November 28-December 6) on the Iowa presidential caucuses showed Trump had 33% support among likely GOP caucusgoers, followed by Cruz at 20% with Carson at 16%.
Will Donald Trump lose support after his statements
about shutting down Muslims entering the U.S.?
Janet Hook of The Wall Street Journal reported "Ted Cruz ‘disagrees’ with Trump's Muslim ban, but he won't criticize him for it." Hook wrote Cruz said ...
“I disagree with that proposal. I like Donald Trump. A lot of our friends here have encouraged me to criticize and attack Donald Trump. I am not interested in doing so.”
Asked if he would support Mr. Trump if he were the Republican Party’s presidential nominee, Mr. Cruz said, “I will absolutely support the Republican nominee but I hope and intend for that nominee to be me.”
(Janet Hook. "Ted Cruz ‘Disagrees’ With Trump Muslim Ban, But Won’t Criticize
Him For It." The Wall Street Journal. December 08, 2015.)
Perhaps Mr. Volsky is right -- the GOP frontrunner needs to keep views concerning Muslims similar to Trump's to get the nomination of his conservative party. The substance of a person seems to pale when he is confronted with the reality of manipulating public opinion to gain votes. Cruz is happy to sit on the fence until the dust clears completely after Trump's latest incendiary blast. You can bet Ted Cruz will have much more to say about Trump's December 7 rant in the near future ... after he sees how the majority Republican voters react.
And, the GOP seems to be devoted to maintaining political ranks at all costs, despite growing fear over a possible Trump presidency.
In an interview Sunday on the CBS program “Face the Nation,” presidential candidate Jeb Bush said the idea of frontrunner Donald Trump receiving the Republican nomination is “kind of scary.” Bush elaborated ...
"He (Trump) doesn't talk about the issues at hand that are of national security importance for our country -- to keep us safe is the first priority of the president. And he's all over the map, misinformed at best and preying on people's fears at worst."
But asked if he would support Trump if he is the nominee, Bush said he would “because anybody is better than Hillary Clinton.”
Oh my, "anybody"? That includes a wide, wide range of applicants who might fill the position of Leader of the Free World. I guess if you consider a loud-mouthed, offensive megalomaniac a viable candidate, the "anybody" comment is understandable. Shame on the GOP candidates for not sharing their real views of Donald ... well, all except one who is constantly telling anyone who will listen "I am the best" ... the obnoxious, ginormous-egoed Trump.
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