The Trump Presidency – 2016

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by PilotMan

What's amazing to me is that the man in charge, who can quite literally get to the bottom of anything with investigations and powerful allies,

This gives me a chance to talk about one of the things I find the most perplexing about how he operates.

Can you imagine having access to the CIA, FBI, NSA, and the intelligence arms of every branch of the military? And being able to talk to them whenever you want? And you still get most of your information about the world from cable TV?

It's like having the ten greatest chefs in the world on call 24/7 with fully tripped out kitchens eager to cook you whatever you want. And you just eat day-old leftover Taco Bell for every meal.

Leaving aside whether that is good or bad for the President to do, I just don't get how anyone could waste that opportunity--just for the "holy shit, this is awesome information" aspect of it.

[kingfc22]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

Leaving aside whether that is good or bad for the President to do, I just don't get how anyone could waste that opportunity--just for the "holy shit, this is awesome information" aspect of it.

This doesn’t register when you are a grade A narcissist

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Atocep

I can't imagine how much worse Trump is going to get over the next 70 or so days. FYI the head of the FDA is someone nominated by Trump.

The deep state, or whoever, over at the FDA is making it very difficult for drug companies to get people in order to test the vaccines and therapeutics. Obviously, they are hoping to delay the answer until after November 3rd. Must focus on speed, and saving lives! @SteveFDA
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 22, 2020

Of course, the FDA director was hand picked by Trump LESS THAN A YEAR AGO.

SI

[Thomkal]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

None of this would be happening if Trump was President.

+1

[Ksyrup]

I was curious why Mike Hunt was trending on Twitter, then I saw this:

I cannot even begin to explain how risky this is pic.twitter.com/ALWy8CMGYO

— Andrew Solender (@AndrewSolender) August 22, 2020

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by Atocep

I can't imagine how much worse Trump is going to get over the next 70 or so days. FYI the head of the FDA is someone nominated by Trump.

The deep state, or whoever, over at the FDA is making it very difficult for drug companies to get people in order to test the vaccines and therapeutics. Obviously, they are hoping to delay the answer until after November 3rd. Must focus on speed, and saving lives! @SteveFDA

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 22, 2020

I am waiting for when we start hearing about postal workers being accosted and assaulted.

[Ksyrup]

Umm... The Maryanne Trump Barry tapes. Wow. Ha!

LISTEN: Maryanne Trump Barry Slams Donald In Recorded Audio | Heavy.com

[ISiddiqui]

I always thought that Trump’s other relatives (not his kids) thought that about him.

[JPhillips]

It must be a terrible eistence for Trump. At some level he has to realize that everyone hates him. The only people that don't, are people that he hates.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

It must be a terrible eistence for Trump. At some level he has to realize that everyone hates him. The only people that don't, are people that he hates.

I don't think he's capable of that sort of introspection.

SI

[kingfc22]

And zero mention or reference of or to the audio on Fox News’ entire site.

Probably waiting for Putin’s bot farm to figure out a reply.

[JPhillips]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

I don't think he's capable of that sort of introspection.

SI

He's tried for decades to make the important people like him. He's hinted that he thought it would change when he became President.

[thesloppy]

This is the 'Select Fighter' screen you see when you turn on your Xbox in hell.

[Atocep]

Half of the key speakers are Trump family. The GOP is a hell of a party right now.

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

Shit I forgot you still do the monarch stuff too. Either way, you had 10 deaths yesterday, we had 1100.

Monarchy... It's hardly political on content, it's practically just cosmetic. And practical too: the prime minister does the decision making and the conference calls with other world leaders, while the king cuts ribbons and does the PR things.

[cuervo72]

Stopped at a Flying J (or Pilot, can’t keep them apart) about an hour north of Blacksburg yesterday. Signs everywhere say masks required. Masks not worn by the fat bald guy, the young black woman, the guy with the cig behind his ear and face tats and looked like he hadn’t showered in days. The 70IQ cashier at the adjoined Wendy’s had a mask — worn on his chin. Fryer cook at least had his under his nose.

I am just consistently amazed by just how flat-out ass stupid people are that they just do not know how masks are supposed to work.

[Ksyrup]

I have some sympathy for the workers. I can't wear my mask for more than 30 minutes without it bugging the crap out of me. I can't imagine 8 hours straight. The customers can go to hell

[cuervo72]

I mean, fine - go to the back and pull it down for a bit. Or vent it. Don’t ask someone for their order with a mask chinstrap.

[spleen1015]

While traveling for softball this summer, we wouldn't order from some place where they weren't wearing masks. Not worth it to mention it to them. We just took out business else where.

[Lathum]

Here in NJ you really never see people without them. We of course have the idiots who wear them under the nose, but I just give them a wide birth.

They are doing a good job of enforcement. I went to Costco the other day and was on the phone while running in from the rain and totally forgot my mask. Guy at the door was right on me about it.

I am also going to the Apple store tomorrow, when they were reviewing the safety protocols they specifically said wear a mask and it has to be over your nose. Pathetic they even have to say that.

[cuervo72]

Originally Posted by spleen1015

While traveling for softball this summer, we wouldn't order from some place where they weren't wearing masks. Not worth it to mention it to them. We just took out business else where.

Yeah, wife and kid noped out of there. We will see if I perish for want of a chicken sandwich.

[Lathum]

What is your favorite Bible verse? pic.twitter.com/f1LyLNyxbk

— Paul �� (@pablo_honey1) August 23, 2020

[PilotMan]

Have you EVER met a Christian who wouldn't tell you their top 5 favorite Bible verses? And all the backstories that go with each of them?

[Thomkal]

Originally Posted by Atocep

Half of the key speakers are Trump family. The GOP is a hell of a party right now.

And no McConnell either after he originally said he wasn't going to appear, but then changed his mind.

[stevew]

Just a dumb thought but what is our signature that a mail in ballot would be compared to? Driver’s license sig? I’m assuming voter ID card? I sign my name a handful of times a year. I just wonder how technical they’re going to get with matching signatures. Figure all kinds of handwriting experts will show up out of the woodwork to try to disqualify ballots.

[kingfc22]

These guys are so off the rails.

Navarro pushing hydroxy again by referencing the single opinion of an orthopedic surgeon.

Bunker boy railing against ballot drop off boxes and once again showing is ignorance asking if these will be placed in R or D areas. Everyone has the right to vote you dipshit.

[Thomkal]

You know it'd be a nice thing for evangelicals to actually see the President go to church not just appear outside of one for a photo op, and maybe not go play golf on a Sunday, just once? Has he tweeted at all about the potential back to back tropical storms/hurricanes about to hit the gulf coast?

[Ryche]

Originally Posted by stevew

Just a dumb thought but what is our signature that a mail in ballot would be compared to? Driver’s license sig? I’m assuming voter ID card? I sign my name a handful of times a year. I just wonder how technical they’re going to get with matching signatures. Figure all kinds of handwriting experts will show up out of the woodwork to try to disqualify ballots.

I believe you provide a signature when you register. My signature is definitely erratic as hell but it hasn't been an issue with my ballot being accepted.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Lathum

What is your favorite Bible verse? pic.twitter.com/f1LyLNyxbk
— Paul �� (@pablo_honey1) August 23, 2020

Equally "funny" (read: sad). Who answers "are you a New Testament or Old Testament guy" with a blank stare followed by "equal" and then segues into trying to compare it to his 30 year old con book?

SI

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Thomkal

You know it'd be a nice thing for evangelicals to actually see the President go to church not just appear outside of one for a photo op, and maybe not go play golf on a Sunday, just once? Has he tweeted at all about the potential back to back tropical storms/hurricanes about to hit the gulf coast?

That requires them actually judging him by the same standards they judge everyone else

SI

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by Thomkal

You know it'd be a nice thing for evangelicals to actually see the President go to church not just appear outside of one for a photo op, and maybe not go play golf on a Sunday, just once? Has he tweeted at all about the potential back to back tropical storms/hurricanes about to hit the gulf coast?

you are mistaking him for someone who gives a fuck

honestly, the whole point of the BIG con - telling everyone they can't trust what they see and hear and read - is so he doesn't have to actually do any of the proper, civil, and human things that we ordinarily expect of our leaders... and it's worked with an alarming share of the populous, sadly

[QuikSand]

Seems fine

Honestly, this isn't about covid... it's about the near absolute power of the psychological need to defend your already-made choices. Once you have been tagged as a Trumpist, then you feel compelled to align everything from that point on to connect to it.

It can't be that you were wrong, and your guy is awful. It has to be... a conspiracy... the fake news media... liberal doctors... or just the flu. Whatever it takes, whatever the subject. As long as it doesn't require me to go back and say "wow, I blew it, I thought he'd be okay but he's terrible." Not that under any circumstances.

[GrantDawg]

Those numbers are so believable, yet totally unbelievable.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

[Brian Swartz]

The state of Michigan has taken political silly season to a new level of stupid. This one requires a bit of explanation.

For those who don't live here, our longstanding tourism campaign is known as Pure Michigan since 2008. This then spawned a series of semi-popular parody videos in the same vein with the same music but a health dose of sarcasm. For example here: Pure Michigan: Winter Virgins - YouTube

So all of that is to set up the lawn signs that have been going up. If you're a Republican as most in my area are, you're supporting the second attempt of John James to get elected to the US Senate, various commissioners, and so on. But there's also a fair chance your lawn sports this beauty:




Now negative campaigning happens all the time. But this is a unique situation in my recollection, because this is a campaign against an official who isn't even on the ballot. You can't vote for her opponent or try to unseat Gov. Whitmer. She was just elected in 2018 and doesn't face the voters again until 2022. And there's no serious recall effort underway either, nobody's trying to drum up support for that - they were trying but that imploded at the beginning of the month. No, this is blowing off steam pointlessly, since you can hate on the governor all you want but you literally can't do anything about it when you vote.

I know a lot of politics is shouting at the rain anyway, but this really takes the cake for me.

[Brian Swartz]

Originally Posted by KSyrup

I have some sympathy for the workers. I can't wear my mask for more than 30 minutes without it bugging the crap out of me. I can't imagine 8 hours straight. The customers can go to hell

At a certain level you just get used to it like anything else. I wear mine for hours at a time and most of that period I forget I'm even wearing it.

[stevew]

the last 4 years of constant "Trump:No more Bullshit" flags has been annoying

[Brian Swartz]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

Honestly, this isn't about covid... it's about the near absolute power of the psychological need to defend your already-made choices. Once you have been tagged as a Trumpist, then you feel compelled to align everything from that point on to connect to it.

What do you think it means that Independents are just as close to Rs as Ds here? I also think it's worth noting that Republicans are far more split. That would seem to contradict this narrative. There's a lot of what you describe going on, but those numbers also show a sizable minority of Republicans that are concerned about it.

[Brian Swartz]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

In what ways are any of those countries in danger of moving to authoritarianism?

Some of them already have. For example economic freedom in Denmark is considerably reduced. To the point on what KSyrup said, conspiracy-theory beliefs are similar in Canada and the USA. Decline of the family is dramatic across all those countries any many more over the past decades. Etc. All of these things and others point in the direction of less freedom and more government power.

You can make an argument that some, many, all, whatever of these changes are positive, but that doesn't change the fact that they are still happening.

[NobodyHere]

Originally Posted by Brian Swartz

Now negative campaigning happens all the time. But this is a unique situation in my recollection, because this is a campaign against an official who isn't even on the ballot. You can't vote for her opponent or try to unseat Gov. Whitmer. She was just elected in 2018 and doesn't face the voters again until 2022. And there's no serious recall effort underway either, nobody's trying to drum up support for that - they were trying but that imploded at the beginning of the month. No, this is blowing off steam pointlessly, since you can hate on the governor all you want but you literally can't do anything about it when you vote.

I know a lot of politics is shouting at the rain anyway, but this really takes the cake for me.

This is not an uncommon GOP tactic. I remember living in Alabama and being bombarded with commercials saying the Democratic candidate will vote for Pelosi for Speaker of the House and advance her agenda, therefore a vote for D is a vote for Pelosi.

Personally I think it's quite clever (assuming Whitmer isn't polling well, I'm too lazy to check. I just know my conservative parents don't like her). And I don't think it's untrue that more Democrats in Lansing will help Whitmer advance her agenda.

[JPhillips]

There was a time when the Secretary of State giving a convention speech in from Israel would have been seen as outrageous. Now, not a single GOPer will bat an eye.

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by NobodyHere

Personally I think it's quite clever (assuming Whitmer isn't polling well, I'm too lazy to check. I just know my conservative parents don't like her). And I don't think it's untrue that more Democrats in Lansing will help Whitmer advance her agenda.

Also, Whitmer is a Democrat. And they think that any Democrat in a position of power is not legitimate.

It isn't about whether she is on the ballot or not.

As long as anyone holding elected office anywhere in the country at any level of government is not a MAGA-Republican, these people will be angry and upset.

[Brian Swartz]

I've never seen the tactic before in Michigan. As to polling, latest (end of July) that I can find gives Whitmer 67% approval in handling the pandemic. In general the feuding she's done with Trump has benefited her. So really it looks me like minority frustration, which is understandable but not exactly smart.

Either way Republicans are getting their clocks cleaned in Michigan this time around, like they did in '18.

[JPhillips]

The GOP has fully transitioned to be a Trump cult. Instead of a platofrm they have this:

RESOLVED, That the Republican Party has and will continue to enthusiastically support the President’s America-first agenda.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

The GOP has fully transitioned to be a Trump cult. Instead of a platofrm they have this:

From what I was reading, it appears they are officially voting to continue the 2016 platform for 2020 (not like a platform matters much to Trump anyways)

SI

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

From what I was reading, it appears they are officially voting to continue the 2016 platform for 2020 (not like a platform matters much to Trump anyways)

SI

From that platform

The President has been regulating to death a free market economy that he does not like and does not understand. He defies the laws of the United States by refusing to enforce those with which he does not agree. And he appoints judges who legislate from the bench rather than apply the law.

We, as Republicans and Americans, cannot allow this to continue. That is why the many sections of this platform affirm our trust in the people, our faith in their judgment, and our determination to help them take back their country

https://prod-cdn-static.gop.com/medi...1468872234.pdf (at page ii)

So if they really are just adopting it, they are right about a few things, at least.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by Brian Swartz

Either way Republicans are getting their clocks cleaned in Michigan this time around, like they did in '18.

From what I understand, a lot of Michigan folks who voted for Trump thought he'd do something about trade and manufacturing. But then he did nothing and in some respects made things worse (due to retaliatory tariffs), so they are a bit peeved.

[JPhillips]

The GOP took so much shit for the 2016 platform that they decided not to pass a adopt a platform and just go with whatever Trump says.

[ISiddiqui]

N/m wrong thread

[JPhillips]

Just as there's always a Trump tweet, there's almost always an Eisenhower quote:

If a political party does not have its foundation in the determination to advance a cause that is right and that is moral, then it is not a political party; it is merely a conspiracy to seize power.

[Thomkal]

Apparently one of KellyAnne and George Conway's kids has been tweeting bad stuff about one or both of them today. (Not seen the tweets). As a result KellyAnne is leaving her position as Counselor to Trump at the end of the month and George is stepping away from Twitter and his Project Lincoln responsibilites.