The Trump Presidency – 2016

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan

Definitely will need to see some major spending cuts, but he's clearly made the case that he's willing to trim the fat quite a bit. I certainly agree that we have to see those changes before we can believe them.

He said he wants to massively expand the militry and has a infrastructure plan that dwarfs anything that has ever been proposed. Also has said no cuts to Medicare and SS.

Where are you cutting fat that could possible make up for the revenue loss and massibe increase in spending?

[JonInMiddleGA]

On a side note that has me fairly amused tonight ...

I believe I've read where Kid Rock is performing at the inauguration.
What could possibly be more appropriate for his performance than "Ain't Never Met ..."?

Hell, that could replace Hail To The Chief sooooo easily.

[RainMaker]

Positions seem to mirror those of the Kremlin. Hmmmmmmm.

https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/a..._medium=social

[JPhillips]

How is the Mattis/Trump relationship going to work? Mattis just said NATO was the most important alliance in our history and now Trump says it's obsolete.

[kingfc22]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

How is the Mattis/Trump relationship going to work? Mattis just said NATO was the most important alliance in our history and now Trump says it's obsolete.

You can say that for any number of items.

Train wreck coming...

[JPhillips]

I just think Mattis is the most likely to say fuck this shit.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

How is the Mattis/Trump relationship going to work? Mattis just said NATO was the most important alliance in our history and now Trump says it's obsolete.

I didn't see the quote but the two notions aren't mutually exclusive.

NATO has been historically significant.
It could be approaching obsolescence in its current form.

[JPhillips]

You should read Mattis' testimony. He was absolutely saying NATO is important now. At one point he said that if NATO didn't exist we would need to create it. He also said that Putin is trying to break NATO.

That isn't surprising as he's previously been high in the NATO command.

[RainMaker]

Wouldn't it be funny if Trump of all people got us universal health care?

Trump vows ‘insurance for everybody’ in Obamacare replacement plan - The Washington Post

I will say I like the part about negotiating with drug companies. That aspect of Medicare and Medicaid is ludicrous and costs taxpayers a lot of money.

[tarcone]

Why is that funny?

I think this guy will get more done than any of you guys think he will.

Remember, this guy isnt a D or an R. He has things he wants to do. And the wherewithall to do them.

[Marc Vaughan]

Originally Posted by tarcone

Why is that funny?

I think this guy will get more done than any of you guys think he will.

Remember, this guy isnt a D or an R. He has things he wants to do. And the wherewithall to do them.

I think it'd be amazing if he managed to put in place Universal Health Care - but it would be funny (in an ironic manner) because it was lambasted so enthusiastically by the Republicans and 99% of people who voted for him ... remember the 'death panels' when Obamacare was in its infancy and meant to be more akin to a Universal system? ..

Its more dark humor because I feel that the Republicans obstructed a lot of stuff they knew were good ideas (such as Universal Health Care) because it wasn't them doing it rather than because it was bad for the country, in a similar manner look at their stance on spending on infrastructure and how it was under Obama (and potentially Hillary when she was running) ... but now Trump is talking about it, its a fantastic idea - balancing the budget/reducing debt ... not so important suddenly

[JPhillips]

Everybody covered. Lower deductibles. Cheaper. Not single payer.


Sounds easy. Let's do it!

[TroyF]

Originally Posted by Marc Vaughan

I think it'd be amazing if he managed to put in place Universal Health Care - but it would be funny (in an ironic manner) because it was lambasted so enthusiastically by the Republicans and 99% of people who voted for him ... remember the 'death panels' when Obamacare was in its infancy and meant to be more akin to a Universal system? ..

Its more dark humor because I feel that the Republicans obstructed a lot of stuff they knew were good ideas (such as Universal Health Care) because it wasn't them doing it rather than because it was bad for the country, in a similar manner look at their stance on spending on infrastructure and how it was under Obama (and potentially Hillary when she was running) ... but now Trump is talking about it, its a fantastic idea - balancing the budget/reducing debt ... not so important suddenly

And the dems intentionally lied to the American people about what Obama care was.

The architect of Obamacare at a conference: "And basically, call it the stupidity of the American voter or whatever, but basically that was really really critical to get for the thing to pass. Look, I wish Mark was right that we could make it all transparent, but I’d rather have this law than not."

The Republicans treated Obama like garbage. The democrats treated Bush like pure garbage. And the American public will let their own side slide with any problems with the truth because "we are only doing this because of the other side"

That got us where we are. I have no idea how the hell we get out.

[Marc Vaughan]

The Republicans treated Obama like garbage. The democrats treated Bush like pure garbage. And the American public will let their own side slide with any problems with the truth because "we are only doing this because of the other side"

I'd agree with that - I think it'd be fantastic to see politicians 'work' with their opposite numbers for the good of the country, but I'm not sure how to get there from here.

Perhaps Trump can do it - its possible, but his authoritarian style is concerning because while it probably gives him the ability to force things through and persuade people to work together I'm not presently certain he'll be focusing them on things which I perceive as good rather than stripping health services from women (ie. Planned Parenthood does a lot more than just assist with abortions) and suchlike.

I hope I'm wrong and I'm waiting on his healthcare plans details with interest - I'm expecting it to be empty rhetoric, but I'd be happy to be wrong on this ... what he's describing sounds very much like a single payer system ...

[JPhillips]

Name one thing where Trump's team has released anything close to a detailed plan.

There is no health plan. Trump will throw out a few things(probably contradictory), argue with Congress for show, sign whatever they pass, and then claim credit for the greatest healthcare plan ever. That plan will look a lot like the GOP plan and very little like a single payer plan.

And as long as Congress doesn't push back on his conflicts or his ties to Russia, that's how things will go on every issue.

[Marc Vaughan]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

Name one thing where Trump's team has released anything close to a detailed plan

I'm fully expecting that to be the case - but at the moment its purely speculation and I'm trying not to pre-judge, I'd love to be wrong.

If I'm not then I'm hopeful that over time continued things like this will ensure that better decisions are made at the next election by the populace.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Marc Vaughan

I'd agree with that - I think it'd be fantastic to see politicians 'work' with their opposite numbers for the good of the country, but I'm not sure how to get there from here.

I keep seeing people say this sort of thing, I continue to scratch my head.

When there's such considerable disagreement (to put it mildly) about what constitutes 'the good of the country", you're essentially asking for one to either abandon their beliefs or work against their own beliefs.

How does either make sense, as an action or even as an expectation.

[TroyF]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

I keep seeing people say this sort of thing, I continue to scratch my head.

When there's such considerable disagreement (to put it mildly) about what constitutes 'the good of the country", you're essentially asking for one to either abandon their beliefs or work against their own beliefs.

How does either make sense, as an action or even as an expectation.

Because once you realize you can't/won't get everything you want, you can work to find common ground? There is a middle ground between "round up millions of illegal immigrants" and "give everyone amnesty" Will getting there be easy? Hell no. Some of those discussions get messy. But we damned well don't get anywhere if the left screams racism and the right screams COMMIE at each other for 3 hours.

It isn't about working against your own beliefs. That is absurd.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by TroyF

It isn't about working against your own beliefs. That is absurd.

Yes, we can agree, working against your own beliefs IS absurd.

And if you believe (just to pick an example) that rounding up every single invader here illegally IS the proper course, then settling for anything less IS working against your own beliefs.

That "middle ground" you mentioned is simply capitulation.

[JPhillips]

Now it's already being walked back. The Trump team is now saying that he meant the insurance market would be available to everyone. So if you can afford insurance, you're set, if not, oh well.

Remarkably, that's the Ryan plan, too.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by tarcone

Why is that funny?

I think this guy will get more done than any of you guys think he will.

Remember, this guy isnt a D or an R. He has things he wants to do. And the wherewithall to do them.

Because universal health care has been something Republicans have been against for decades. It would be funny if he was able to pass it as a Republican with a Republican legislature.

Nonetheless he backtracked today so it appears he got put in his place by the party or lobbyists.

[TroyF]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Yes, we can agree, working against your own beliefs IS absurd.

And if you believe (just to pick an example) that rounding up every single invader here illegally IS the proper course, then settling for anything less IS working against your own beliefs.

That "middle ground" you mentioned is simply capitulation.

So rather than work toward finding a middle ground and a plan to move forward they all stay as well as all of the illegals who come here until we do have a plan both sides have signed off on.

Sounds like a wonderful plan. That's been the plan for the last 12 years or so. How is that working out? Hell, we may as well just grant them all amnesty, because the sanctuary cities are doing that anyway and will continue until the the dems and reps actually agree on solution where they both lose a little and win a little. The left win big on this battle. The status quo gives them exactly what they want.

By no means am I only throwing sarcasm in your direction. There is a very large group of people who say that wanting immigration control is pure racism and compare anyone who believes in it to Adolf Hitler. And the "right" wins on a lot of stuff because the left won't compromise.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by TroyF

So rather than work toward finding a middle ground and a plan to move forward they all stay as well as all of the illegals who come here until we do have a plan both sides have signed off on.

Umm ... we need the Ds to sign off ... why?

As for sanctuary cities, they should be cut off from all federal funds of any kind immediately. And states cut off that don't cut them off as well.

Starve them.

[TroyF]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Umm ... we need the Ds to sign off ... why?

As for sanctuary cities, they should be cut off from all federal funds of any kind immediately. And states cut off that don't cut them off as well.

Starve them.

We are actually on the same side on that. I think it's disgraceful. But how are you going to starve them when you need to pass laws to do it? Without the two sides coming to the table, this doesn't stop. Congress, the house and the president are all temporary. Eventually, the dems will get all of them back. Then the reps will, then it'll be split.

There needs to be a long term solution. And there won't be until both sides realize they aren't going to get everything they want.

[Mantle2600]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Umm ... we need the Ds to sign off ... why?

As for sanctuary cities, they should be cut off from all federal funds of any kind immediately. And states cut off that don't cut them off as well.

Starve them.

Because if republicans just push through a bill where only they win it will just be overturned next time the democrats run it, which will happen again as much as you probably don't want to believe it. Politics are cyclical and if the country gets screwed up again like it did under Bush, which is a pretty decent chance imho then the populous will vote the other way.

[JPhillips]

The conversation around Rep. Price is quickly changing from, will he be confirmed, to, will he stay out of jail.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by TroyF

Eventually, the dems will get all of them back. Then the reps will, then it'll be split.

That would seem to make it even more critical to do as much, as thoroughly, as possible.

[NobodyHere]

Trump Inauguration: D.C. braced for 900,000 Protesters

I wonder how many of them voted

[cartman]

So the nominee for Sec. of Education says that a reason guns might be needed at a school would be to protect the students from grizzly bears.

[digamma]

Originally Posted by digamma

Yes, we would. We did. We do.

The other counterpoint here is that as great as 700 people keeping their jobs is the viability of Ford is going to have a much bigger effect on Americans in a huge number of ways. I hope that Ford and other companies are able to operate with duties to stakeholders (including pensioners and retirees) in mind rather than only focusing on jobs. In a perfect world those two are aligned and you can do both, but the world is far from perfect.

Not sure if this is pay walled or not, but this is the dilemma I was talking about above.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-vs...73054?mod=e2tw

[JPhillips]

Originally Posted by cartman

So the nominee for Sec. of Education says that a reason guns might be needed at a school would be to protect the students from grizzly bears.

A deer crashed through a window a few years ago in a classroom where I teach. I often think, what if that had been a grizzly bear?

[JPhillips]

Writing my inaugural address at the Winter White House, Mar-a-Lago, three weeks ago. Looking forward to Friday. #Inauguration pic.twitter.com/S701FdTCQu

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 18, 2017

Is there any doubt that there's nothing on that paper?

[Groundhog]

I think he probably drew a pair of tits.

[HomerSimpson98]

hahaha. I cant wait! Its going to be fantastic, tremendous pair of tits. Best tits ever.

Just look at that guy! So serious! Donald down to business! Exciting! He will definitely build a wall, give healthcare to everyone, jail Clinton, make minorities and women absolutely love him, keep all jobs in America, revamp the tax code, shutdown SNL and Vanity Fair, replace NATO with something so much better, tell Putin to kiss his ass, move Isreal's cities, personally rebuild the midwest, not grab anymore pussies, and make the Chiefs win the next 4 Super Bowls! Going to be a great prez, boys!

[kingfc22]

Over/under on "great", "tremendous", and the word "many". Vegas has to have a prop bet for this right?

[Groundhog]

Hoping he comes up with some real gems when he randomly jumps off into tangents mid-sentence, like just about the entire The Times interview, but one of my personal faves (re: Brexit and the future of the EU):

Personally, I don’t think it matters much for the United States. I never thought it mattered. Look, the EU was formed, partially, to beat the United States on trade, OK? So, I don’t really care whether it’s separate or together, to me it doesn’t matter. I can see this — I own a big property in Ireland, magnificent property called Doonbeg, what happened is I went for an approval to do this massive, beautiful expansion — that was when I was a developer, now I couldn’t care less about it — but I learnt a lot because I got the approvals very quickly from Ireland and then Ireland and my people went to the EU to get the approval — it was going to take years — that was a very bad thing for Ireland.

[cuervo72]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

A deer crashed through a window a few years ago in a classroom where I teach. I often think, what if that had been a grizzly bear?

Or what about Russian paratroopers???

(Sorry, North Koreans.)

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

Writing my inaugural address at the Winter White House, Mar-a-Lago, three weeks ago. Looking forward to Friday. #Inauguration pic.twitter.com/S701FdTCQu

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 18, 2017

Is there any doubt that there's nothing on that paper?

Is that a sharpie?

[JPhillips]

And it turns out the desk is the receptionist's desk for Mar-a-Lago.

Everything's a con.

[kingfc22]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

Writing my inaugural address at the Winter White House, Mar-a-Lago, three weeks ago. Looking forward to Friday. #Inauguration pic.twitter.com/S701FdTCQu

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 18, 2017

Is there any doubt that there's nothing on that paper?

I thought it was normal to hold up the pad of paper with your left hand while you write.

[Easy Mac]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

And it turns out the desk is the receptionist's desk for Mar-a-Lago.

Everything's a con.

To be fair,

His desk in his office there is surrounded by actual naked women dipped in bronze, so I mean he had to go with something a little less ostentatious.

Also, my wife told me that she was asked by one of her patients if they were closing the office (physical therapy) on Friday. She asked why and he said, "for the inaguration, its historical." She informed him that they would be open and that it would probably just be on the TV.

I told her she should be glad I wasn't there, because I would have responded, "you're right, it has been a long time since an old white guy was president. My 7 year old was shocked to learn a white guy could be president."

[albionmoonlight]

I'll go on the record here. Hopefully, we'll have a great four/eight-year run and y'all can come back and point at this and laugh at me for being so stupid.

But I don't think that we'll have a great four/eight-year run. I think that the GOP with which I grew up is gone. I think that the party is so driven by identity politics and by being against liberalism that it lacks the capacity to govern well.

I think that the GOP works on paper the same way communism works on paper. And they both fail in reality. The GOP presidential debates involved discussions of penis size. That's not an aberration. That's the natural and obvious result of a party that cares more about sound-bite campaigning than governing. The GOP Congress is rubberstamping an executive branch filled with conflicts-of-interest, nepotism, and connections to hostile foreign governments. Again, this isn't a bug. It's a feature of a party that, as Jon correctly puts it, has decided that absolutely nothing matters other than beating politicians with D next to their name.

And I think that side-show politics, conflicts-of-interest, and subservience to foreign strongmen are a poor way to govern a country. I think that the government is complex; that society is complex; and that the issues we face are difficult and subtle. And I think that the GOP model of governance is fundamentally broken. I think that they will do poorly running the country.

Accordingly, I predict that private sector job growth, GDP growth, and the S&P 500 will all do worse over the next four years than they did (per year) over the last eight. (I also think that we'll regress on social issues, but that's harder to measure with metrics).

I hope to be wrong. I hope we are on the dawn of an unprecedented boom-time. I put this out here now in part so that if I am wrong, I can't go back and pretend that I knew it would all be OK. So I can challenge myself and change my beliefs. And so you can make fun of me for it.

Let the great experiment begin.

[Kodos]

We are at the dawn of the actual Worst. President. Ever.

[CU Tiger]

I just see no way this can go ok.
It will either be YUGE or a Colossal flop. Thats probably hyperbole, but thats how I feel.


That aid my wife and 13 year old daughter left this AM for a school field trip to attend the inauguration. Yes we were Trump supporters (or really ABH) butt his trip was booked and paid for in September. They were going to be there either way. I'd be lieing if I told you I didnt have a twinge of trepidation telling them goodbye this morning hoping nothing stupid happens. I certainly didn't express that, as they are both carefree as a bird and I didnt want to ruin their trip.

[CrescentMoonie]

I'm hopeful that it's only as bad as Warren G Harding and no more.

[Izulde]

Trump team prepares dramatic cuts | TheHill

Proposed budget cuts. Hatchet job to the environment and the arts. I suppose I shouldn't have expected anything else, but it's still depressing. Sounds like the moderate elephants will fight back, however, and any donkey who votes for this is a jackass in the most negative connotation possible.

[cuervo72]

Corporation for Public Broadcasting would be privatized

Private, public broadcasting. Of course!

[JPhillips]

And remember that even with these cuts the GOP voted for a resolution authorizing over nine trillion added to the deficit during the next decade.

[Easy Mac]

I keep seeing Democrats hedging about various appointments, proposed laws, anything else with, "Well, there could be 1 or 2 Republicans who could go against Tillerson, DeVoss, Price... they seem concerned..." In what world do these people live? When have these people shown a spine to actually do what they might think as right, as opposed to what is going to keep them in office? I saw where people think Rubio might go against Tillerson because he really grilled him on Russia. There is less than a zero percent chance Rubio would do this. He won re-election by 7%. It would be political suicide to go against Trump at any point in the next 4-8 years.

Remember when Trump said he could murder someone in the street and still have support? He's completely right. He knows the media somehow has less of an attention span than he does. He can get away with anything because the media is too lazy/scared to actually put forth the effort to do anything about it.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Easy Mac

Remember when Trump said he could murder someone in the street and still have support? He's completely right. He knows the media somehow has less of an attention span than he does. He can get away with anything because the media is too lazy/scared to actually put forth the effort to do anything about it.

Maybe you're overlooking the obvious: he can do it because a whole lot of his supporters are likely to be on board with removing his target from the list of oxygen consumers.

It isn't that we don't know EM, it's that he's probably doing what we'd do ourselves given the same opportunity.