President Trump

User avatar
AlohaArtakaHoundsong
Posts: 1460
Joined: Sun Sep 02, 2012 5:12 pm
Contact:

Re: President Trump

Post by AlohaArtakaHoundsong »

Jim, I sense you are saving up most of your convention commentary for the Hillary show?
User avatar
JimHow
Posts: 20106
Joined: Thu Nov 20, 2008 10:49 pm
Location: Lewiston, Maine, United States
Contact:

Re: President Trump

Post by JimHow »

Ha I've had a busy week, I was listening to Trump's speech on the way back up the turnpike from Fenway last night. My observation was the same as that of David Brooks's: The big man does much better extemporaneously than he does from monitors. He is gonna go completely unhinged by the time this circus is over.
User avatar
DavidG
Posts: 8280
Joined: Sat Nov 22, 2008 1:12 pm
Location: Maryland
Contact:

Re: President Trump

Post by DavidG »

JimHow wrote:He is gonna go completely unhinged by the time this circus is over.
Ah, but is the electorate willing to go flying off the hinges with him?
User avatar
JScott
Posts: 400
Joined: Sat Nov 22, 2008 3:37 pm
Contact:

Re: President Trump

Post by JScott »

jal wrote:
JimHow wrote:And I think this Milania controversy is much ado about nothing.
Of course it is, but it's also a reflection on the kind of shoddy work that Trump and his entourage do. Good nuff for government work seems to be the only established motto Trump is willing to follow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8M6x1H0 ... e=youtu.be
User avatar
JScott
Posts: 400
Joined: Sat Nov 22, 2008 3:37 pm
Contact:

Re: President Trump

Post by JScott »

Blanquito wrote:This sums up my feelings about the state of affairs in US politics since at least 1995:
"the Democratic Party, for all its politically correct smugness and silliness, has never surrendered its soul to the extremists lurking on its left. The Republican Party, by contrast, has become a national embarrassment." - Joe Klein

I don't know. Which extremists exactly lurking on the left has the party bravely resisted? Bernie? I find a coalition of State AG's using their office to shut down dissent pretty extreme. I also find the current absence of free speech and dissent on virtually every college campus pretty extreme. I agree with his second statement but not his first. When politically correct smugness and silliness become the basis for policy you've surrendered.
User avatar
jal
Posts: 2931
Joined: Mon Jan 26, 2009 9:30 pm
Contact:

Re: President Trump

Post by jal »

JScott wrote:
jal wrote:
JimHow wrote:And I think this Milania controversy is much ado about nothing.
Of course it is, but it's also a reflection on the kind of shoddy work that Trump and his entourage do. Good nuff for government work seems to be the only established motto Trump is willing to follow
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8M6x1H0 ... e=youtu.be
I think this is reaching, Scott. I won't convince you but I find big differences between Deval Patrick and Barack Obama on the one hand and Melania Trump and Michelle Obama on the other.

In any case, I am not a big fan of Obama so it's difficult for me to defend him here. I believe he is just another in a long line of mediocre to bad presidents we've had.
Best

Jacques
User avatar
DavidG
Posts: 8280
Joined: Sat Nov 22, 2008 1:12 pm
Location: Maryland
Contact:

Re: President Trump

Post by DavidG »

The plagiarism brou-ha-ha is much ado about very little IMO. I thought Melania's speech was flat and uninspiring. Ivanka was a much better speaker, though I wasn't particularly moved by what she said. No surprise given my opinion of Trump.

I liked David Axelrod's summary of Trump's position at the end of the convention. To paraphrase, he said that Trump doubled down on what won him the nomination: a very dark portrait of America in 2016. And that Trump is betting that will remain a winning hand in the general election. Axelrod thought that was a tough bet, but I'm worried. There are a lot of P-O'd people who may be just angry enough that they are unable to comprehend the consequences of a narcissistic, incompetent, conspiracy-theorist, short-tempered angry bigot in the White House. Plus there's no paucity of fuel for the R's well-oiled Pillory Hillary machine.

A separate comment on Trump's "I'm with you" vs. Clinton's "We're with her" slogans which has no bearing on policy. Trump's is self-centered. It's all about what he will do. Clinton's is other-centered, about what the people will do. I think that's consistent with their respective personalities.
User avatar
JimHow
Posts: 20106
Joined: Thu Nov 20, 2008 10:49 pm
Location: Lewiston, Maine, United States
Contact:

Re: President Trump

Post by JimHow »

It's fascinating how many different media sources have used the word "dark' to describe the republican convention.
User avatar
JScott
Posts: 400
Joined: Sat Nov 22, 2008 3:37 pm
Contact:

Re: President Trump

Post by JScott »

Jacques, point taken. I think it's clear the text and theme were "borrowed" by Obama, if maybe more artfully and less directly. My only point is that it's done all the time.
User avatar
JScott
Posts: 400
Joined: Sat Nov 22, 2008 3:37 pm
Contact:

Re: President Trump

Post by JScott »

DavidG wrote:I liked David Axelrod's summary of Trump's position at the end of the convention. To paraphrase, he said that Trump doubled down on what won him the nomination: a very dark portrait of America in 2016. And that Trump is betting that will remain a winning hand in the general election. Axelrod thought that was a tough bet, but I'm worried. There are a lot of P-O'd people who may be just angry enough that they are unable to comprehend the consequences of a narcissistic, incompetent, conspiracy-theorist, short-tempered angry bigot in the White House. Plus there's no paucity of fuel for the R's well-oiled Pillory Hillary machine.

A separate comment on Trump's "I'm with you" vs. Clinton's "We're with her" slogans which has no bearing on policy. Trump's is self-centered. It's all about what he will do. Clinton's is other-centered, about what the people will do. I think that's consistent with their respective personalities.
I think this juxtaposition is also nothing new. In every election there is an incumbent (or their surrogate) trying to convince voters of their progress and successes and a challenger pointing out all the flaws and problems. The second position is always the easier one and the former is almost always on defense. Without a doubt Trump's "style" is new. :shock:

Along those lines, this week Hillary's campaign said that the foreign policy is Obama's, not hers. Rather than defend it, she's saying she wasn't responsible for it - as Sec of State. Going to be a tough position to take.

Not so sure I'd describe either of them as "other-centered." Hillary took the White House furniture with her when she left.
User avatar
JimHow
Posts: 20106
Joined: Thu Nov 20, 2008 10:49 pm
Location: Lewiston, Maine, United States
Contact:

Re: President Trump

Post by JimHow »

I see our buddy Debbie Wasserman Schultz has been "sequestered" from the convention over, yep, an "email scandal." God, what scum.

And I've been getting myself up to date on Tim Kaine's specific views. He's against the death penalty but as governor he allowed 6 inmates to be put to death, including at least one who was so mentally delayed that he couldn't tie his own shoes. He is personally against abortion but has a 100% approval rating from Planned Parenthood. Imagine that. Hillary picked a guy who puts political expediency ahead of personal conscience. Who'd have thunk it?
User avatar
DavidG
Posts: 8280
Joined: Sat Nov 22, 2008 1:12 pm
Location: Maryland
Contact:

Re: President Trump

Post by DavidG »

Bernie deserved everything he got from the DNC, and more. Not only did he refuse to raise money for Dems, his gang broke into the DNC server and stole Clinton data. Then sued the DNC when he was locked out of the server. The DNC and DWS did their jobs in discussing how to deal with him. Bernie and his minions will continue to whine like the sore losers they are.
User avatar
DavidG
Posts: 8280
Joined: Sat Nov 22, 2008 1:12 pm
Location: Maryland
Contact:

Re: President Trump

Post by DavidG »

JimHow wrote: He's against the death penalty but as governor he allowed 6 inmates to be put to death, including at least one who was so mentally delayed that he couldn't tie his own shoes. He is personally against abortion but has a 100% approval rating from Planned Parenthood. Imagine that. Hillary picked a guy who puts political expediency ahead of personal conscience. Who'd have thunk it?
I'm bothered more by the death penalty cases but suspect there is more to it than the bare bones in your post. What were the options, and the consequences of them?

As to abortion, I have absolutely no qualms about someone who is personally opposed but does not believe in imposing those views on others.

Jim, as mayor did you ever support or implement a policy that was at odds with your personal views? Do you really think that any politician is able to maintain the degree of consistency between their personal views and what is possible to accomplish politically that you appear to demand here?
User avatar
JimHow
Posts: 20106
Joined: Thu Nov 20, 2008 10:49 pm
Location: Lewiston, Maine, United States
Contact:

Re: President Trump

Post by JimHow »

Jim, as mayor did you ever support or implement a policy that was at odds with your personal views?
I really can't think of any, David. Certainly nothing major.
The biggest examples were when I had to become Chris Christie against the unions that had been my friends and had helped to elect me. We had to call for no raises because the economy went into depression up here and we lost millions in local tax revenues after the real estate bubble of the late 1980s burst. Some of them still don't talk to me to this day, but it had to be done.

The other big example, of course, was when I came out in favor of an anti-discrimination ordinance against gays and lesbians. I took a terrible political beating on that one. This was at the time that Hill and her man were supporting the Defense of Marriage Act.

I had a reputation for taking positions that weren't politically expedient. I usually did what my conscience told me, regardless of who was happy with it or not.
User avatar
DavidG
Posts: 8280
Joined: Sat Nov 22, 2008 1:12 pm
Location: Maryland
Contact:

Re: President Trump

Post by DavidG »

Understood. Sometimes we all have to make choices that are contrary to our personal preferences. That plays out in public with politics, which makes it even more difficult.

I share your frustration and disgust with the triumph of political expediency over principles. The Clintons are masters of that, no argument. As are almost all successful politicians at the state and national level. But I see no alternative choice that would reverse that, so I look beyond that to who will be best for the country.
User avatar
DavidG
Posts: 8280
Joined: Sat Nov 22, 2008 1:12 pm
Location: Maryland
Contact:

Re: President Trump

Post by DavidG »

Just saw Sanders on one of the AM talk shows and have to give him kudos for refusing to take the DNC e-mail bait and focusing on the real issue at hand: defeating Trump. Not sure if his most fervent supporters will be able to do the same. They may say their protests are designed to move policy further left but viewers at home won't get the nuance. Young black voters will see that they should be angry with Clinton. That will discourage them from voting for her. If they stay home, it will increase the risk of a Trump win, an outcome even more detrimental to their interests.
User avatar
JimHow
Posts: 20106
Joined: Thu Nov 20, 2008 10:49 pm
Location: Lewiston, Maine, United States
Contact:

Re: President Trump

Post by JimHow »

If it weren't for the Supreme Court issue, there is a side of me that would prefer Trump to win.
This country needs to bottom out.
If Trump wins and the Republicans hold the Senate, we will be screwed for two generations.
Maybe we need Trump to win and the Dems to capture the Senate as a bulwark against Supreme Court catastrophe.
That scenario is unlikely though because if Trump wins it will have meant that he didn't bring down the rest of the ticket, probably just the opposite.
User avatar
JimHow
Posts: 20106
Joined: Thu Nov 20, 2008 10:49 pm
Location: Lewiston, Maine, United States
Contact:

Re: President Trump

Post by JimHow »

Oh man this Wasserman story is just too delicious.

She was mocking Reince just a week ago. Oh man the arrogance.

I have been screaming about this scumbag for more than a year.

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/07/w ... ion-226088

She may have even violated some campaign laws. We can only hope!

Lock her up!
User avatar
JimHow
Posts: 20106
Joined: Thu Nov 20, 2008 10:49 pm
Location: Lewiston, Maine, United States
Contact:

Re: President Trump

Post by JimHow »

The Democratic Party chair and Clintonite was abusing her office to score "Hamilton" tix for herself and seven college buddies:

Canova remarked that one of Wasserman Schultz’s emails, in which she asked the DNC finance chair to help her obtain seven tickets to the Broadway musical “Hamilton" for herself and her college roommates underscores just how out of touch and deceptive she has been with the race for Florida’s 23rd Congressional District.
“She said she has no time to debate me because she’s busy — busy trying to score tickets to Hamilton,” Canova said. “Well now she’s in quarantine by the party, and it’s time for her to come back to the district.”
Morgan also singled out her effort to obtain the “Hamilton” tickets by saying it was evidence of her “grotesque self-dealing."


Lock her up!
User avatar
JimHow
Posts: 20106
Joined: Thu Nov 20, 2008 10:49 pm
Location: Lewiston, Maine, United States
Contact:

Re: President Trump

Post by JimHow »

And Hillary and Obama just go on supporting her….

What a corrupt party, the Democrats.

Man, I'd like to get Hamilton tix, I actually read the Chernow book…. But, alas, all the bribe taking pols keep filling the joint every night.
User avatar
AlohaArtakaHoundsong
Posts: 1460
Joined: Sun Sep 02, 2012 5:12 pm
Contact:

Re: President Trump

Post by AlohaArtakaHoundsong »

I have to admit I am hard boiled and pretty much inured to scandal and abuse of trust but I have been rocked to the core by the plagiarism of the wife of the Republican nominee and the DNC chair asking a colleague to get her some theater tickets. I'm thinking of not voting this election, you know, as a sanction on both candidates. Send a message, like.
User avatar
Blanquito
Posts: 5923
Joined: Mon Jan 26, 2009 9:24 pm

Re: President Trump

Post by Blanquito »

AlohaArtakaHoundsong wrote:I have to admit I am hard boiled and pretty much inured to scandal and abuse of trust but I have been rocked to the core by the plagiarism of the wife of the Republican nominee and the DNC chair asking a colleague to get her some theater tickets. I'm thinking of not voting this election, you know, as a sanction on both candidates. Send a message, like.
:D
User avatar
JimHow
Posts: 20106
Joined: Thu Nov 20, 2008 10:49 pm
Location: Lewiston, Maine, United States
Contact:

Re: President Trump

Post by JimHow »

Trump leading Clinton by 6 points.
User avatar
Comte Flaneur
Posts: 4863
Joined: Mon Jan 26, 2009 9:05 pm
Contact:

Re: President Trump

Post by Comte Flaneur »

Even on an eight poll average Trump now leads by 0.2

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls ... -5491.html

Seems like one Julian Assange really has it in with Hillary.

http://yournewswire.com/julian-assange- ... ys-arrest/
User avatar
jal
Posts: 2931
Joined: Mon Jan 26, 2009 9:30 pm
Contact:

Re: President Trump

Post by jal »

A partys alway gets a boost after its convention. Hopefully, that's the case here.
Best

Jacques
User avatar
DavidG
Posts: 8280
Joined: Sat Nov 22, 2008 1:12 pm
Location: Maryland
Contact:

Re: President Trump

Post by DavidG »

Dems are doing their best at shooting themselves in the foot. Totally mis-handled DWS. I doubt it will do anything to mollify the Sanders supporters. I think they will still try to disrupt the convention. If they do become disruptive they should be removed from the convention hall.
User avatar
Comte Flaneur
Posts: 4863
Joined: Mon Jan 26, 2009 9:05 pm
Contact:

Re: President Trump

Post by Comte Flaneur »

Its wide open and the momentum is with Trump. There will be a steady barrage of embarrassing leaks for HC.

For Hillary arguably she needs more than just luck. She needs:

1. To take risks, and there are plenty of issues on which she can take a strong position. Come off the fence, luv.
2. The constant goodwill of the great and the good - Barack, Michelle, Bloomberg, Mick n Keef etc.
3. She needs to trounce Trump in the debates. I am told her mastery if detail is second to none

That from a diehard Democrat.

With Brexit, I would only go far as saying that Hillary winning is a default assumption, nothing more.
User avatar
Antoine
Posts: 218
Joined: Sun May 31, 2015 2:45 pm
Contact:

Re: President Trump

Post by Antoine »

http://michaelmoore.com/trumpwillwin/
Just read this...
And Ian, Trump does not do details....his supporters neither...we have had Brexit, then Trump, then Austria, then Le Pen/Sarkozy... The triumph of this "globalisation" ...
User avatar
jal
Posts: 2931
Joined: Mon Jan 26, 2009 9:30 pm
Contact:

Re: President Trump

Post by jal »

Antoine wrote:http://michaelmoore.com/trumpwillwin/
Just read this...
I can't stand Michael Moore, yet I agree with everything he says here
Best line: "You can see where this is going. A fuckin’ hamster is going to be running the country. This has to stop!"
Best

Jacques
User avatar
DavidG
Posts: 8280
Joined: Sat Nov 22, 2008 1:12 pm
Location: Maryland
Contact:

Re: President Trump

Post by DavidG »

I agree Jacques. Trouble is, the f'in hamster in the White House isn't coming after a woman, "The Gays" and "The Transgenders." The f'in hamster is just steps away from taking the oath of office in a short 6 months.
User avatar
JimHow
Posts: 20106
Joined: Thu Nov 20, 2008 10:49 pm
Location: Lewiston, Maine, United States
Contact:

Re: President Trump

Post by JimHow »

Good article, Antoine, thanks for posting it.

If Trump is elected, David, the career Hamilton-ticket-scoring pols, Democrat and Republican, will have only themselves to blame. The elites in the New York Times editorial room and the hotel suites of the Democratic Party have zero cognizance of how vile someone like Debbie Wasserman is to the average person out there on Main Street. Hillary is part of the Debbie Wasserman clique, and she's going to go down. And it's always someone else to blame. Ah, before all Hillary needed was for Bernie to drop out of the race. well, he dropped out. Maybe it's not Bernie, and maybe it's not the right wing conspiracy, and maybe it's not Fox News, and maybe it's not some backlash because she's a woman. Maybe people are just sick and tired and fed up with these phonies like Hillary, Bill, Debbie, etc. And now they have Donna Brazile in there. OMG. Now THERE'S an improvement! <rolls eyes>
User avatar
Blanquito
Posts: 5923
Joined: Mon Jan 26, 2009 9:24 pm

Re: President Trump

Post by Blanquito »

JimHow wrote:Trump leading Clinton by 6 points.
Jim, are you rooting for Trump? All the polls you seem to post are the outliers which show Trump ahead.
Last edited by Blanquito on Mon Jul 25, 2016 10:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Blanquito
Posts: 5923
Joined: Mon Jan 26, 2009 9:24 pm

Re: President Trump

Post by Blanquito »

The Huffpoll combo still shows Hillary with a lead:
http://elections.huffingtonpost.com/pol ... vs-clinton
User avatar
Blanquito
Posts: 5923
Joined: Mon Jan 26, 2009 9:24 pm

Re: President Trump

Post by Blanquito »

I'm going on the record:

Today is Trump's high water mark in the polls

He will lose in November.

The only question is by how much.

And yes, I am rooting for Hillary.
User avatar
JimHow
Posts: 20106
Joined: Thu Nov 20, 2008 10:49 pm
Location: Lewiston, Maine, United States
Contact:

Re: President Trump

Post by JimHow »

As I have said repeatedly: I am not casting a vote in the presidential race this year.
User avatar
JimHow
Posts: 20106
Joined: Thu Nov 20, 2008 10:49 pm
Location: Lewiston, Maine, United States
Contact:

Re: President Trump

Post by JimHow »

Both are unfit. A big question will be, how many more fellow Bernie supporters are out there like me?
User avatar
JimHow
Posts: 20106
Joined: Thu Nov 20, 2008 10:49 pm
Location: Lewiston, Maine, United States
Contact:

Re: President Trump

Post by JimHow »

I predict Hillary will be booed off the stage on Thursday night:

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/ ... li=BBnb7Kz
User avatar
AlohaArtakaHoundsong
Posts: 1460
Joined: Sun Sep 02, 2012 5:12 pm
Contact:

Re: President Trump

Post by AlohaArtakaHoundsong »

I think most of the fence and hand sitters are motivated by a personal revulsion produced by the candidates and not by lack of political affiliation. My view is to swallow my pride (I find both these candidates unpalatable and I'm not sure I can recall a presidential election where I felt neither candidate had any morally redeeming qualities, regardless of politics, but ultimately it comes down that sort of selfish emotion and not some sort of principled reason, the fault lies not in our candidates but in ourselves) and to vote as my interests are best served. One of these candidates will become president. In light of that fact I would like to hear an argument that a voter's interests are best served by not voting.
User avatar
Chateau Vin
Posts: 1522
Joined: Thu Oct 20, 2011 3:55 pm
Contact:

Re: President Trump

Post by Chateau Vin »

AlohaArtakaHoundsong wrote:.
.
.
In light of that fact I would like to hear an argument that a voter's interests are best served by not voting.
AlohaArt,

Even though I never met you and know you personally, just for that statement, I am fan of yours.

I am surprised when I hear, especially from Jim, that one is not voting because the system is rigged and the nominee has flaws. I understand the frustration about the system, but we can only fix if we participate in the political system. I am glad that Bernie has taken the fight so far and because of it people are talking about bringing positive change to the rigged system.

Jim, I would ask one question.

As a trial defense lawyer, if the case facts are stacked against your client or even maybe the client did commit the crime, wouldn't you argue for a lesser sentence making the best out of the slated outcome? Would you just give up and argue nothing before the judge?

If you don't like clinton, that's fine. Even I don't like her. But if you believe that Trump becoming the president would be even worse, why would you want to help him get the keys to the kingdom by not voting at all?
User avatar
JimHow
Posts: 20106
Joined: Thu Nov 20, 2008 10:49 pm
Location: Lewiston, Maine, United States
Contact:

Re: President Trump

Post by JimHow »

We need to pick the scab, CV.
We need to lance the boil.
We cannot get better until we vomit out all of the poison.
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Bing [Bot], Google [Bot] and 8 guests