The Trump Presidency – 2016

[ISiddiqui]

It does seem awkwardly worded. I have been fearful that Republicans will consider any result that comes after Nov 3 (due to mail in ballots) will be seen as illegitimate.

[thesloppy]

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui

It does seem awkwardly worded. I have been fearful that Republicans will consider any result that comes after Nov 3 (due to mail in ballots) will be seen as illegitimate.

I'd love to think the West Coast states with long-time vote-by-mail standards have precedence that would prevent this, but that's only wishful thinking.

I read a long Twitter thread yesterday suggesting that all of the opem talk about Trump stealing the election is entirely theater because it's the only position of strength left for him. He can't talk about the polls or covid or any actual results, so he has to draw attention to some of the hypothetical powers he still maintains. I don't know how true any of that is, but I guess it's slightly more comforting than taking it all at face value.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by Atocep

I don't think Trump has the support in Washington he believes he does. If he loses the election and tries to cause problems he's going to find out really fast most Congressional GOP only supported him as a GOP president.

I agree. But do think there is some wiggle room here for a lot of drama if the elections are close e.g. the damn hanging chad. But good to see our checks and balances working (albeit facing some very creative challenges from Trump).

I wonder if Pelosi and McConnell have private phone chats when something big comes up. If they wrote a book together I bet it would be a best seller.

[stevew]

We're absolutely positive that he even cares about winning at this point? My guess is he wants to lose in a fraud Dusty Finish(tm) and then go back out and fundraise for 4 more years. It's probably the easiest money he's actually made in his life. He can wash money and keep his family on the payroll.

[thesloppy]

Originally Posted by stevew

We're absolutely positive that he even cares about winning at this point? My guess is he wants to lose in a fraud Dusty Finish(tm) and then go back out and fundraise for 4 more years. It's probably the easiest money he's actually made in his life. He can wash money and keep his family on the payroll.

Yeah, I think Trump's relationship with the presidency is complicated. He loves the attention but hates the scrutiny. Loves the power but hates the responsibility. There is obviously a part of him that hates getting up every morning and having to do this job, and another part of him that would absolutely hate to give it up.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by stevew

We're absolutely positive that he even cares about winning at this point? My guess is he wants to lose in a fraud Dusty Finish(tm) and then go back out and fundraise for 4 more years. It's probably the easiest money he's actually made in his life. He can wash money and keep his family on the payroll.

I think the struggles with this internally but I do think he wants to win. The narcissistic Trump believes he is a winner and "losing" is not in his psyche.

So if/when he does lose, he is setting it up where he can blame it on fraud.

[JPhillips]

Originally Posted by stevew

We're absolutely positive that he even cares about winning at this point? My guess is he wants to lose in a fraud Dusty Finish(tm) and then go back out and fundraise for 4 more years. It's probably the easiest money he's actually made in his life. He can wash money and keep his family on the payroll.

One term Presidents are losers. It will crush his ego to leave.

[JPhillips]

Trump signed an executive order stating that it is the,

official policy of the United States Government to protect patients with pre-existing conditions.

Healthcare - DONE

[JPhillips]

And Trump said he's going to send every senior a card for 200 dollars to spend on prescriptions. I guess if the Treasury will honor the debt, a President can spend any amount of money on anything without any legislative action.

Makes a lot of Dem priorities a lot easier.

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

Trump signed an executive order stating that it is the,



Healthcare - DONE

If only we had a law that did this...

[JPhillips]

This might be my favorite thing Trump has ever said.

Trump, on AIDS research status, in his 4th year as president:

"When I first started they said it would take 10 years, now it's down to just 6 years," which "nobody" predicted.

— Craig Harrington (@Craigipedia) September 24, 2020

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

This is so much less than what it might appear to be. He's leaving room for a scenario where Trump could be winning on election night and then the counting is stopped by the courts. He certainly isn't saying that all the votes will be counted.

Exactly. If Trump is trounced or suddenly decides he's done when he loses, then this tweet is perfectly harmless and correct. If Trump wants to fight a close election, McConnell is saying that the vote as of November 3rd is the election result and by the time they are through with the court battle, the inauguration will be orderly because they will have prevailed.

[RainMaker]





These folks below are surely going to be pissed.

Originally Posted by Brian Swartz

Some of the reasons are bad ones, such as the whole 'Obama did it' thing. Others are traditional conservatism; freedom is good, the government having more control of health care is bad, health care can't be a human right because goods and services aren't a human right, etc.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

This might be my favorite thing Trump has ever said.

Trump, on AIDS research status, in his 4th year as president:

"When I first started they said it would take 10 years, now it's down to just 6 years," which "nobody" predicted.

— Craig Harrington (@Craigipedia) September 24, 2020

Can we talk more about Biden's mental decline?

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

One term Presidents are losers. It will crush his ego to leave.

Would that make Hillary the moral winner, as she resided two terms in the white house?

[Ksyrup]

So let me get this straight - Trump signed an executive order protecting people with pre-existing conditions, which already exists in Obamacare, a law his administration is trying to strike down.

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

Trump signed an executive order stating that it is the,



Healthcare - DONE

Makes about as much sense as opening everything back up because you declare COVID over.

I wonder if they'll have enough Justices to declare reality unconstitutional.

[miami_fan]

Originally Posted by Edward64

Good for you McConnell.

McConnell pushes back on Trump: 'There will be an orderly transition' | TheHill

And if he doesn't leave, then what?

I am not trying to be contentious. I am not saying he will not leave in an orderly fashion. But this reads like McConnell has a plan to put Trump out of the White House if Trump decides he is not leaving. I guess the assumption is he will leave because every other president has left in an orderly fashion. But Trump's calling card has been that he is not like any of those other guys. I guess I don't understand the reason for the benefit of the doubt given all that we have seen in the last four years.

[Ryche]

Just wait until he goes golfing and change the locks

[Ksyrup]

I don't know how anyone reads McConnell's statement as pushing back on Trump. At best, it's ambiguous enough to cover both scenarios.

[Thomkal]

So while its nice that Trump is doing something to help with prescription costs (and I won't believe it until my mother gets the card), this is something he could and should have done in the first year of his Presidency and he would have come out looking like the hero he so desperately wants to be...instead of looking just desperate that he's going to lose and throwing out anything that might save him.

[GrantDawg]

It looks like a direct bribe.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

[RainMaker]

$6 billion bailout for pharma. Cool shit.

[Brian Swartz]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

These folks below are surely going to be pissed.

Some will, some won't. I think this really highlights the disconnect between us, because it's clear that you don't understand the point of view I've been describing. A one-time bailout is not going to be considered to be nearly as bad by these people as a program that required citizens to buy a product, increased government control over a major industry, imposed required employee benefits on businesses, etc. It's not even close enough to the same thing to be considered apples to oranges.

They were generally against the Bush/Obama stimulus packages, wanted shorter COVID restrictions and had very mixed opinions on CARES objecting to some particulars such as the unemployment benefit, but those things simply are not remotely in the same category as the ACA.

[JPhillips]

They get pissed when other people get benefits, but they're happy to take their own benefits.

I got mine, fuck you.

[stevew]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

They get pissed when other people get benefits, but they're happy to take their own benefits.

I got mine, fuck you.

yeah but they "earned" their benefits.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by miami_fan

And if he doesn't leave, then what?

I am not trying to be contentious. I am not saying he will not leave in an orderly fashion. But this reads like McConnell has a plan to put Trump out of the White House if Trump decides he is not leaving. I guess the assumption is he will leave because every other president has left in an orderly fashion. But Trump's calling card has been that he is not like any of those other guys. I guess I don't understand the reason for the benefit of the doubt given all that we have seen in the last four years.

There is no doubt Trump will cause chaos if/when he loses, that is his modus operandi. The question is whether Congress & SCOTUS will stand for it.

If it's clear cut loss, GOP Congress won't play Trump's games. Sure there'll be some whining and some of the radicals will do their thing but overall, Congress/SCOTUS won't support Trump.

If it's a close loss, it'll be a different matter. With all the BS that is sure to come, best guess it'll eventually end up with/in SCOTUS playing a key role - were the elections rigged, mail-in ballots fair, Bloomberg actions in FL, recounts whatever etc.

And SCOTUS will rule based on their interpretation of the constitution and we'll have what we have. If they ultimately rule in Trump's favor, I'll accept it and wait for 2024. Unlike many on this board, I'm not concerned about a conservative slant in SCOTUS, I believe they are good people (well, at least the vast majority of them). They grew up in the system, they'll know what is at stake and do the best job they can.

My question to you:

If Trump wins a close one on Nov 3 (or maybe 4th, 5th) will you accept it?

Do you envision Dems contesting it? Will there be violence in the streets by "antifa"?

[tarcone]

Im going to play the "what if" game.

What if Trump has secretly been amassing a bunch of generals with his same mind set? What if he loses and refuses to leave and the military steps in and backs him? Then what?

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by tarcone

Im going to play the "what if" game.

What if Trump has secretly been amassing a bunch of generals with his same mind set? What if he loses and refuses to leave and the military steps in and backs him? Then what?

The military stepping in to back Trump after a loss is IMO the least likely scenario.

[Edward64]

I'm surprised there hasn't been a second stimulus by now but with how the market is tanking, good move by Pelosi to bring it up again and trying to re-start the conversation. It didn't seem that the Dems were pushing hard to continue discussions (e.g. continuously blasting the GOP publically), not sure why.

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/24/coro...lief-bill.html

House Democrats are preparing a new, smaller coronavirus relief package expected to cost about $2.4 trillion as they try to forge ahead with talks with the Trump administration, a person familiar with the plans said Thursday.

The bill would include enhanced unemployment insurance, direct payments to Americans, Paycheck Protection Program small-business loan funding and aid to airlines, among other provisions, the person said. To reach the price tag, Democrats would chop roughly $1 trillion from their previous proposal for a fifth pandemic aid plan.
:
:
The GOP put together a scaled-back bill after a measure costing about $1 trillion that they released in July failed to lead to a bipartisan breakthrough.

The discussions about a relief proposal come as concerns grow about the potential for the U.S. economic recovery, boosted by the trillions in relief Congress has passed this year, to falter. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, among other economic experts, has warned the economy could take a hit without more fiscal stimulus.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by tarcone

Im going to play the "what if" game.

What if Trump has secretly been amassing a bunch of generals with his same mind set? What if he loses and refuses to leave and the military steps in and backs him? Then what?

When has Trump ever shown any ability to organize anything even closely related to something of this scale. It’s just not how his brain works.

[Ksyrup]

It's not Trump we need to worry about, it's the people around him. Trump is just the carnival barker keeping us occupied/entertained/scared while others do the heavy lifting. If anything, he hurts his/their cause as much as he has enabled them to get this far.

[albionmoonlight]

It won't be the military.

If it happens, it will be the glorified meter maids working for the Border Patrol along with local yokel Sheriffs.

[Galaril]

Exactly. The military just has to do nothing and let Trump and his “ federal agents and eventually states national guards to quell all protests which this time won’t be just “ antifa”. I will never accept Trump as President after the way he has discredited the military and pissed on our constitution for example messing with mail in ballots/election. My wife and I plan on protesting and resisting (legally) any way we can. We have signed up in our conservative county to be election ballot judges for the fours days during the voting here in CO.

[JPhillips]

Originally Posted by Edward64

It didn't seem that the Dems were pushing hard to continue discussions (e.g. continuously blasting the GOP publically), not sure why.

Because Dems have the attention span of a kitten. They are genetically unable to voice an opinion for more than 72 hours.

[miked]

My employer has decided not to give us a tax holiday as they recognize it is just a deferral and would mean double the withholding in January. They have stated it is up to congress to pass legislation to address the holiday.

[Kodos]

My employer said they weren't doing the tax holiday either.

[Galaril]

Originally Posted by Kodos

My employer said they weren't doing the tax holiday either.

Same here.

[spleen1015]

I haven't heard anything from my employer but my check on Friday which included the last week of August and the first week of September didn't change. So, I assume they aren't doing it either.

We were putting it in savings if they did anyway, but I am glad it appears they're not doing it.

[ISiddiqui]

Being a federal employee I had no choice in the matter. So I'm just going to keep it in my account knowing it'll have to be paid back from Jan-Apr. Though it's annoying.

[JPhillips]

Originally Posted by Kodos

My employer said they weren't doing the tax holiday either.

Me, too. They sent us an email saying it would be difficult to do and we'd all be mad next year when we had to pay it back. I was very happy with that decision.

[NobodyHere]

Publicly traded firms paid dividends, bought their own stock after receiving PPP loans to pay employees



This is partially why I favored a UBI as the preferred stimulus/virus relief payment method.

[albionmoonlight]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Gov. Ron DeSantis lifts restrictions on restaurants and other businesses, moving to completely reopen Florida economy.

— Zeke Miller (@ZekeJMiller) September 25, 2020

This Just In: Floridians are weak-ass quitters, too.

No word yet on whether they will organize bus trips up to Arlington National Cemetery to make fun of the KIA service members for being "too stupid to have looked out for number 1"

[albionmoonlight]

Dola:

Just checked. 14 hours one-way from Pensacola to Arlington. I don't see them having the patience to sit through a trip that long.

[JPhillips]

The CARES Act worked really well, but the PPP was a giant disaster and was too often used for things like the above.

[sterlingice]

Or the self-reflection

SI

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

Indiana just opted to fully reopen in a Stage 5 return to normalcy

Stage 5 dictates:

• Restaurants, bars, and nightclubs may operate
at FULL capacity
• Conventions, sports events, fairs, festivals and like events may resume

— Zack Guzman (@zGuz) September 23, 2020

Indiana just quit.

Fucking quitters.

Americans used to actually be willing to sacrifice. Or, at least, that was the story we told ourselves.

Now we aren't even telling the story anymore. We're a nation of weak-ass quitters and don't even care who knows about it.

That's one way to look at it. The other is that enough people - even pretty reasonable, smart people - have decided that the cure is worse than the disease. I've seen a spike in social media posts about the mental toll of lockdowns, increased suicides, drug overdoses, keeping kids out of school/away from peers, etc., that suggests even people who were willing to go along with things for a while are second-guessing the continuation of these protocols for what seems to be an indefinite period.

Of course, much of this is due to the prolonged nature of what we're having to go through because we half-assed the initial attack against the virus, which set the course of having to deal with this for months more than we might have had we really smacked it down (or at least bought ourselves a decent reprieve before a true 2nd wave hit and we had to institute another 2-3 month lockdown).

[JPhillips]

Right. It didn't have to be this way.

Just giving up and reopening may be understanable, but it's going to lead to a lot of suffering and death.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

It won't be the military.

If it happens, it will be the glorified meter maids working for the Border Patrol along with local yokel Sheriffs.

I think the military showed back a couple of months ago that they have no interest in backing him doing something crazy like this. They had no interest in doing martial law in June and I'm fairly certain (as much as anything these days) they won't do it for thee election.

SI

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Kodos

My employer said they weren't doing the tax holiday either.

Same

SI