Donald Trump running for President.

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Hype
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Re: Donald Trump running for President.

#621 Post by Hype » Fri Jan 12, 2018 6:43 am

The bar is so low that I'm just glad he called them 'people'.

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chaos
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Re: Donald Trump running for President.

#622 Post by chaos » Fri Jan 12, 2018 8:29 am

This past year has been a David Lynch nightmare.

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Re: Donald Trump running for President.

#623 Post by Hype » Fri Jan 12, 2018 8:46 am

He should make a sequel to one of his classic movies, this time called "Red Velvet", about Trump eating cake in bed at 5pm every evening, covered in crumbs, watching Fox and Friends talk about him. :scared:

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Re: Donald Trump running for President.

#624 Post by chaos » Fri Jan 12, 2018 11:28 am

Here is an excerpt from his rambling, incoherent mess of an interview with the WSJ yesterday:

https://www.wsj.com/articles/transcript ... 1?mod=e2tw:
WSJ: So when you say you have to have people, clearly there’s the 800,000 ‘Dreamers,’ but there’s also the larger group of people who are currently in the country…

Mr. Trump: That’s a different discussion.

WSJ: So, you said on Tuesday…

Mr. Trump: That’s comprehensive—well, if we could do that, that’s fine. I don’t know that that’s going to be possible.

There’s a lot of—there’s a lot of—there’s a big difference—first of all, there’s a big difference between DACA and Dreamers, OK?

Dreamers are different. And I want American kids to be Dreamers also, by the way. I want American kids to be Dreamers also.

But there’s a big difference between DACA and Dreamers. And a lot of times when I was with certain Democrats they kept using the word dreamer. I said, “Please, use the word DACA.” You know it’s a totally different word.

WSJ: Sure.

Mr. Trump: OK, people think they’re interchangeable, but they’re not.

Image

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Hype
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Re: Donald Trump running for President.

#625 Post by Hype » Fri Jan 12, 2018 12:04 pm

It's really difficult to tell whether he is a very clever manipulator of language, or a fucking idiot. Or both.

I mean that it's difficult to tell whether when he talks like that he's doing something intentional. The insistence on a distinction between 'DACA' and 'Dreamer' is a version of something he has done several times in other contexts, and it seems intentional. When he claimed that Antifa were "just as bad" as Neo-Nazis and that some Neo-Nazis (or their supporters) are "good people", that seemed intentional. So, it seems totally plausible that he may be an idiot with several mental and personality disorders, but it also seems equally plausible that some of what he's doing is an intentional campaign of confusion and distortion for the purposes of furthering the ideology of his base.

But, given how contradictory he has been, and continues to be, and what we know of his relationship with advisers, and staffers, it's not clear to me that when he talks like this, the words, or the intent behind them (confusion, dog-whistling, intentional distortion and manipulation) are actually his, rather than some group of people who are using him to do this.

Until recently I would have said it could be Bannon's influence, but that seems gone now. There are still some people left who we know are affiliated with the Alt-Right, though, and who are smart enough to spin words like this for him to spew, whether he knows what he's doing or not.

One reason to think that someone else is behind the cleverer maneuvers that Trump sometimes pulls off is that we know that Roger Stone was behind a lot of that shit for the past few years. And there have been other people behind many of these Republican nitwits. Grover Norquist was behind a lot of Reaganism, and I seem to recall some other experts in strategy and media manipulation who helped G.W. Bush...

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Re: Donald Trump running for President.

#626 Post by Larry B. » Fri Jan 12, 2018 2:55 pm

"When you're rich they think you really know."

That's what happens with Trump.

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Re: Donald Trump running for President.

#627 Post by chaos » Sat Jan 13, 2018 1:39 pm


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Re: Donald Trump running for President.

#628 Post by chaos » Sat Jan 13, 2018 1:44 pm

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing- ... 1515870995

Ex-Obama defense official on Hawaii false alarm: 'Thank God the President was playing golf'
BY BRANDON CARTER - 01/13/18 02:15 PM EST

A former Defense Department official under former President Obama reacted to the false alert that a ballistic missile was headed toward Hawaii on Saturday by saying “thank God the President was playing golf.”

Patrick Granfield, a former strategic communications director at the Pentagon, posted the tweet after Hawaii officials declared the emergency alert was a false alarm.
Critics went after Trump for being at his Trump International Golf Course in Florida when the false alarm alert was sent out on Saturday.

The false alarm came amid heightened tensions between the U.S. and North Korea over Pyongyang's nuclear program and continued testing of ballistic missiles.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) accused Trump of not taking the threat of North Korea's nuclear program seriously during a phone interview with CNN minutes after the false alarm.

Gabbard had posted a tweet saying that "there is no incoming missile to Hawaii” and adding she confirmed with officials that the alert, sent to mobile devices and televisions across Hawaii, was a false alarm.

U.S. Pacific Command spokesman Cmdr. David Benham said in a statement that the military "has detected no ballistic missile threat to Hawaii" and that an "earlier message was sent in error."

Another alert was sent out on Hawaii's emergency system 38 minutes later calling the initial alert a false alarm.


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Re: Donald Trump running for President.

#629 Post by Artemis » Sun Jan 14, 2018 9:00 am

Today's op-ed in The Guardian is one of the best summaries I've read of Trump's presidency thus far.


https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... ?CMP=fb_gu


It is almost one year since Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th US president. Will he last another 12 months? Day after tumultuous day since 20 January 2017, Trump has provided fresh evidence of his unfitness for America’s highest office.

It is not only that his politics and policies, from tax cuts and climate change to Palestine and nuclear weapons, are disastrously wrong-headed. It is not just that his idea of leadership is divisive, confrontational and irresponsible. Nor does the problem lie solely with his blatant racism, misogyny and chauvinism, though these are indeed massive problems.

His latest foul-mouthed outrage – describing developing countries as “shitholes” – is appalling even by his crude standards.

The fundamental failing underlying Trump’s presidency is his wilful ignorance. His frequently petulant, childish behaviour combines with a staggering lack of knowledge and contempt for facts to produce serial, chronic misjudgments. Trump, in power, cannot be trusted. He has been exposed as lacking in empathy, shamelessly mendacious, cynical and unversed or uninterested in the enduring human and constitutional values his office is sworn to uphold. Trump is the first and hopefully the last of his kind: an anti-American president. He is a disgrace and a danger to his country. The sooner he is sent packing, the better.

How much longer will Americans tolerate his embarrassing presence in the White House? His tenancy runs until November 2020, when he could seek a second term. But the problem is getting worse, not better. A series of scenarios, fuelled by his endlessly damaging, unacceptable words and actions, is beginning to unfold that could bring about his early departure.

The first and, democratically speaking, the most desirable scenario is that the electorate will simply reject Trump. This process is already well under way, if opinion polls are to be believed. Trump’s personal approval rating has averaged below 40% over the past year, a record for presidential unpopularity. More telling, perhaps, were the findings of a Pew Research Center poll last month that debunked the myth that Trump’s “base” – his core support – is impervious to his daily blundering. Trump’s backing among key groups that helped elect him – white men, Protestant evangelicals, the over-50s and the non-college educated – has fallen significantly across the board. At the same time, a Gallup survey found the number of voters redefining themselves as uncommitted “independents” rose to 42%.

Trump’s fading electoral appeal was cruelly exposed in shock defeats in Virginia and Alabama. Anger and disappointment with Trump among white voters was said to be a decisive factor, assisted by record turnout among African Americans. Nationally, evidence that the Trump rump is shredding is on the rise. A Monmouth University poll last August found that 61% of Trump voters said they could not think of anything he might do that would turn them against him. A poll last month put that figure at 37%. It is plain that many ordinary voters who trusted Trump to make a positive difference have been repelled and disgusted.

Pollsters and pundits are looking to November’s midterm congressional elections. Forecasts suggest a stunning repudiation of a “toxic” Trump, with the Alabama upset being replicated nationwide. The GOP could lose control of the House of Representatives, where large numbers of moderate Republicans are retiring, and its grip on the Senate may be loosened by an anti-Trump tsunami. No party since 1950 has hung on to the house in a midterm poll when the president’s approval was below 40%.

A humiliating nationwide slap in the face from voters this year, coupled with the loss of Congress, could bring Trump’s presidency shuddering to a halt, leaving him wounded, deserted by most Republicans and doomed to one-term ignominy. Meanwhile, another scenario prospectively leading to his political demise is playing out simultaneously. Nobody knows, as yet, whether the federal investigation into the Trump campaign’s alleged collusion with Russian agents in 2016 will ultimately irretrievably compromise the president himself. But claims that Trump conspired to obstruct justice by putting pressure on the FBI and firing its unbiddable director, James Comey, appear to have substance and are potentially fatal to his presidency. Robert Mueller, the special counsel, is proposing a formal interview under oath.

It’s not over yet. Supporters of Trump point to what they see as a string of successes. They cite a stock market that has added $7tn in value, 2m new jobs and radical tax reform. They credit Trump with defeating Islamic State (a vain boast) and reducing illegal immigration. The number of Americans saying the US economy is in “excellent shape” has jumped from 2% in November 2016 to 18%. About 48% say the economy is “good”, up 11% in the same period. By these measures, his trademark vow to “make America great again” may be beginning to work – and this is likely to slow the pace of desertions from his electoral base.

Elsewhere, conservatives will point to some significant triumphs that give the lie to the idea that Trump has been a hapless figure unable to bend America to his will. On many fronts, his administration is landing significant blows to the Obama-Clinton legacy. The environment secretary, Scott Pruitt, has effectively disembowelled the Environment Protection Agency, sacking scores of advisers and scientists. He is intent on scrapping many Obama-era regulations on water, climate, pollution and more. There has been a bonfire of environmental rules. New rules on chemicals previously declared toxic are being relaxed.

The president is busy appointing predominantly young, white male, conservative judges to federal appeal and district courts. While the supreme court hears only a handful of cases a year, it is in these lower courts where America’s settlement on issues of gender, race, work, relationships and much more is decided.

Meanwhile, the interior secretary, Ryan Zinke, is shrinking America’s national monuments. Part of the Obama-designated Bears Ears in Utah (1.3m acres) and the Clinton-designated Grand Staircase-Escalante (1.9m acres) will likely be opened up for mining and other industrial pursuits. (Trump was lobbied by the uranium mining company Energy Fuels to open up Bears Ears for its uranium rich deposits.)

Then there are the quiet revolutions under way by Betsy DeVos at the education department, while former presidential candidate Ben Carson, at the department of housing and urban development, is slashing government spending on affordable housing. And on and on. These are some of the wins that conservatives are happy to bank while tolerating the intolerable in the White House.

The overwhelming impression of Trump’s first 12 months is not of steady progress but chaos. Tantrums, tears and irrational rage dominate the reality TV scene inside the White House, according to Michael Wolff’s new book, Fire and Fury. On the national stage, Trump has displayed open bigotry over migrant and race issues. His lowest point, among numerous low points, was his implied support for white supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Internationally, Trump made nuclear war with North Korea more likely, dismayed the entire world by rejecting the Paris climate accord, insulted and threatened the UN over Jerusalem, did his best to wreck the landmark 2015 treaty with Iran and did next to nothing to halt the terrible conflicts in Syria, Yemen, South Sudan and Afghanistan. Worse still, in a way, he has scorned US friends and allies in Europe and cosied up to authoritarian leaders in China, Russia and the Middle East. Britain has been treated with condescension and contempt, as in his abrupt (but welcome) cancellation of next month’s London visit.

Is this dysfunction evidence of an unhinged personality, as many people suggest? Rather than invoking the 25th amendment and dumping Trump, it would be better if he was held responsible for his actions. For his wilful ignorance, his dangerous lies and his unAmerican bigotry, Trump must be held to account. Perhaps 2018 will be the year.

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Larry B.
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Re: Donald Trump running for President.

#630 Post by Larry B. » Sun Jan 14, 2018 9:59 am

40% approval?

That's at least 35% too much. If he really has 40% approval, then Trump is just the tip of the iceberg.

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Re: Donald Trump running for President.

#631 Post by kv » Sun Jan 14, 2018 11:18 am

Well ya...but we knew that the day he was elected

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Re: Donald Trump running for President.

#632 Post by Bandit72 » Thu Jan 25, 2018 7:10 am

Oprah Winfrey rules herself out of US presidential election
Wut? Seems like American politics is turning into a sideshow for the rich and famous to become even more rich and famous. Who next? Tom Cruise?

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Re: Donald Trump running for President.

#633 Post by Bandit72 » Thu Jan 25, 2018 8:40 am

Image

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Re: Donald Trump running for President.

#634 Post by Eric B. » Sun Jan 28, 2018 7:45 am

Bandit72 wrote:Who next? Tom Cruise?

I could see that happening for sure......or Denzel.

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Re: Donald Trump running for President.

#635 Post by mockbee » Fri Feb 02, 2018 8:33 pm

Hmmmmm.....
:conf:

I dont see how a politician beats trump in 2020.

System of checks and balances is a thread away from being non-existent, if not already dead.
:sad:

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Re: Donald Trump running for President.

#636 Post by Matz » Sat Feb 03, 2018 4:08 am

he's not running again, don't worry

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Re: Donald Trump running for President.

#637 Post by mockbee » Sat Feb 03, 2018 11:36 am

Why because he's bored...? :noclue:

He's not going to be impeached.

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Re: Donald Trump running for President.

#638 Post by Matz » Sat Feb 03, 2018 12:27 pm

I think he's so narcissistic that he just wanted to win the presidency and get the ultimate ego dopamine trip and be a part of history and then forgot to think about that if he won he'd be in that very demanding job for 4 years. In an interview last year he talked about what a great life he had before becoming president and complained about how he now lives in a bubble and that he has to work really hard. :dunce: I think he longs for his old life. Plus he'll be 74 at that time, who runs for president at that age? The cheese burgers could well catch up with him also, no way his health is as good as that report that came out on it said

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Re: Donald Trump running for President.

#639 Post by Bandit72 » Tue Feb 27, 2018 9:11 am

Running again in 2020!

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Re: Donald Trump running for President.

#640 Post by Mescal » Tue Feb 27, 2018 10:49 am

Matz wrote:I think he's so narcissistic that he just wanted to win the presidency and get the ultimate ego dopamine trip and be a part of history and then forgot to think about that if he won he'd be in that very demanding job for 4 years. In an interview last year he talked about what a great life he had before becoming president and complained about how he now lives in a bubble and that he has to work really hard. :dunce: I think he longs for his old life. Plus he'll be 74 at that time, who runs for president at that age? The cheese burgers could well catch up with him also, no way his health is as good as that report that came out on it said
This is kinda what I thought.

That he even didn't want to be elected at all. Hé just wanted to protect everyone wrong.

Then again, power is addictive

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Re: Donald Trump running for President.

#641 Post by SR » Tue Feb 27, 2018 12:04 pm

This guy created major damage....serious attention needs to be paid him the next time around.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brad_Parscale

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Re: Donald Trump running for President.

#642 Post by Artemis » Mon Mar 05, 2018 3:03 pm

Wow, this guy sounds like dumbass.
Former Trump Aide Says Mueller May Have “Something” on Trump
Sam Nunberg is refusing to cooperate with Robert Mueller’s investigation, but he’s doing interviews on cable television.

Former Trump campaign aide Sam Nunberg thinks special counsel Robert Mueller may have something on the president. But he still plans to refuse to cooperate with Mueller’s investigation.

In an interview on MSNBC, Nunberg said the questions he was asked by Mueller’s investigators make him think they may have “something” on the president. “I think that he may have done something during the election, but I don’t know that for sure,” Nunberg said. He also said that he thinks allegations that Trump colluded with Russia during the campaign are a “joke.”

Nunberg told the Washington Post Monday that he does not intend to comply with what he described as a subpoena to appear before Mueller’s grand jury on Friday. “Let him arrest me,” Nunberg told the paper. “Mr. Mueller should understand I am not going in on Friday.”

Nunberg kicked off the MSNBC interview by saying that Mueller’s demands are “absolutely ridiculous.” He said investigators are seeking all of his emails with Trump confidante Roger Stone and former campaign chief executive Steve Bannon. “Why should I hand them emails from November 1, 2015?” he asked.

Nunberg said it would take him 50 hours to go through all his emails. Later in the interview, he said it would take him 80 hours. Either way, he made one thing clear: “I’m not going to cooperate.”

Watch the full interview:



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Re: Donald Trump running for President.

#643 Post by Hype » Tue Mar 06, 2018 9:21 am

I think maybe the craziest thing about this entire situation has been how easily these "dumbasses" and "idiots" somehow manage to say out loud that they don't think they should have to abide by laws, norms, decency, etc., and they manage to get away with it... maybe not perfectly, but it's exposing the limits of the system in a way that seems frighteningly close to anarchy. The closest thing to this that I can remember, I guess, is Clinton's impeachment, which was pretty unbecoming, but now seems quaint.

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Re: Donald Trump running for President.

#644 Post by SR » Tue Mar 06, 2018 12:09 pm

The answer could lay in the dumbass populate in the form of anticipatory obedience. Cited as a principle warning sign of tyranny (in On Tyranny), Timothy Snyder uses Stanley milgrams’ experiment to test authority’s measure of persuasion where obedience is concerned. The subjects were both Yale students and new haven residents who were asked to apply electrical shocks to people not known to them that were not limited to lethal amounts. His experiment was an attempt to understand the mass compliance in nazi Germany but was disallowed entry. The stated goal of the experiment was to learn more on ‘learning’....lol. The results were so alarming he didn’t consider a test in Germany necessary. Apparently the subjects who didn’t continue the experiment to the lethal end never inquired about the welfare of those ‘studied’. The others didn’t have to. :lol:

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Re: Donald Trump running for President.

#645 Post by Hype » Tue Mar 06, 2018 3:35 pm

SR wrote:The answer could lay in the dumbass populate in the form of anticipatory obedience. Cited as a principle warning sign of tyranny (in On Tyranny), Timothy Snyder uses Stanley milgrams’ experiment to test authority’s measure of persuasion where obedience is concerned. The subjects were both Yale students and new haven residents who were asked to apply electrical shocks to people not known to them that were not limited to lethal amounts. His experiment was an attempt to understand the mass compliance in nazi Germany but was disallowed entry. The stated goal of the experiment was to learn more on ‘learning’....lol. The results were so alarming he didn’t consider a test in Germany necessary. Apparently the subjects who didn’t continue the experiment to the lethal end never inquired about the welfare of those ‘studied’. The others didn’t have to. :lol:
One answer someone gave to me is simpler than this (there are some issues with Milgram, Stanford, etc.): there exist many people who vote Republican, but when you show them the actual Republican platform, they don't believe those are the real policies, and they continue to vote Republican, despite the fact that they are now literally informed, and understand that the Republican policies aren't things they agree with (e.g., medicare/medicaid cuts). Worse: Trump supporters appear to be those AND the complete opposite: there exist Trump voters who support policies they only imagine Trump will actually implement, whether or not these policies are insane, or even literally impossible, and worse, they believe Trump is doing things that they support, whether or not Trump actually does those things. That combination is so hard to comprehend, I think we all hoped that we just would never have to.

The foundations of liberal democracy take very seriously the irrationality and potential danger of the multitude, and safeguards were developed that were supposed to protect liberalizing and stabilizing institutions. Somehow, the authors of these foundations (Hobbes, Spinoza, Locke, Rousseau, etc) never seem to have conceived a world in which so many stupid people of so many different kinds could accidentally agree enough to elect someone as painfully stupid as Trump. :neutral:

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