The Trump Presidency – 2016

[wustin]

Originally Posted by Lathum

What would Trump stealing a second term do to the economy? It would have to destroy it, right? I would assume faith in the US from other nations would be non existent with the exception of a few countries that likely don't move the needle.

He'll keep deficit spending to make sure he looks good.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by Lathum

#Melania announces holiday plans at #WhiteHouse, saying `2020 marks the final holiday season for the Trump White House.' https://t.co/cTpt4NoxIR pic.twitter.com/ijWIs0wQ0U

— Nancy Ognanovich (@NOgnanovich) November 12, 2020

I wonder if Melania cleared that herself or if one of her underlings took the "initiative". If latter, I'm assuming the latter will be fired. If former, good sign.

[Ben E Lou]

Jon, is your CFA in Athens proper? I would imagine in any area that's heavily skewed toward left-leaning white academia and hippies, the CFA pool of potential employees would be much smaller than normal. I found a marked difference in the CFAs in the Atlanta area that typically fell along those lines. The two I frequented most were the one in Tucker (politically mixed area, the left-leaning population there had a much higher than average population of middle/upper-middle class blacks, a group less likely to "boycott" CFA,) which always ran smoothly, but the one on North Druid Hills across from Adams Stadium (more in the Emory predominately white liberal area) was pretty rough. The high school kids I knew who worked at the Tucker one were all top-25%-of-the-class types. I didn't know anyone who worked at NDH location, but I always got the impression when there that it wasn't the cream of the crop.

[miked]

Originally Posted by Ben E Lou

Jon, is your CFA in Athens proper? I would imagine in any area that's heavily skewed toward left-leaning white academia and hippies, the CFA pool of potential employees would be much smaller than normal. I found a marked difference in the CFAs in the Atlanta area that typically fell along those lines. The two I frequented most were the one in Tucker (politically mixed area, the left-leaning population there had a much higher than average population of middle/upper-middle class blacks, a group less likely to "boycott" CFA,) which always ran smoothly, but the one on North Druid Hills across from Adams Stadium (more in the Emory predominately white liberal area) was pretty rough. The high school kids I knew who worked at the Tucker one were all top-25%-of-the-class types. I didn't know anyone who worked at NDH location, but I always got the impression when there that it wasn't the cream of the crop.

It's been totally remodeled (it was closed for months) and re-staffed. It's hit or miss since it is so close to Buford Highway so you get that crowd, and far better service than the drive-through only CFA near Lawrenceville Hwy.

FWIW, most of the drive throughs are complete cluster fucks and I avoid CFA ones at all costs. Usually they split it into two lanes, and invariably one order taker with the ipad moves much quicker than the other. The last time I went, one was standing right near the actual speaker stand and moving slowly, the other was 7 cars deep already, so we had to sit there and wait for like 10-15 minutes as one lane moved and the other didn't. I use the app and just pull in and wait.

To answer Jon's query, I think we are still months from even starting to think about normal. You have to be pretty desperate or dumb to sit inside a restaurant these days, no matter how many servers are wearing masks. There are just so many dumb people out there, and many who just don't want to wear a mask, that the risk is so skewed. I'm enjoying take out and not having to pay $11 for a glass of wine for the lady, or $7 for a beer.

[Ksyrup]

Yeah, I'm not going into a restaurant for the foreseeable future. Easily see it being over a year since the last time we dined in (early March was last time) before I'd consider going into one to sit down and eat. But I will say, I don't exactly love take out given that it's 20-30 minutes back to our house from Lexington, so if we don't eat local or sit in our cars and eat, the food is usually not nearly as good after it sits.

[cuervo72]

So: ""Justice Alito says pandemic has resulted in ‘unimaginable’ restrictions on individual liberty"

And while he said he wasn’t being critical, he said the restrictions on public gatherings and worship services highlighted “trends that were already present before the virus struck,” which he identified as a “dominance of lawmaking by executive fiat” rather than by legislators.

WTF is this guy talking about??

[cuervo72]

Nobody is forcibly shutting down churches you dumb ass.

[Vegas Vic]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

Idk, Jon. I can tell you the local Chick-fil-A would love to never go back to in-house dinning. They are making way more money doing drive-through only. I can see restaurants possibly making better money with reduced dinning room, encouraging more take out which also takes less staff.

Reduced staff, plus a lot of the new designs for fast food buildings require less land (smaller buildings with no dining room, fewer parking spaces).

[Ksyrup]

This is partly the argument that the KY AG and some churches/businesses sued the KY governor over. The KY SC thankfully upheld the govevrnor's emergency order powers given the pandemic.

The end-around, in our GOP-run government (aside from the governor), is to now investigate the governor for illegally using government resources to send police to monitor churches for compliance with the Covid restrictions, under the theory that he is using taxpayer money to violate 1st Amendment rights. It's such a joke.

Churches were "singled out" because they were literally the only businesses refusing to cooperate with the orders. If movie theaters had stayed open, they would have been part of the enforcement operation as well. Yet another variation on the "persecution" theme.

[Lathum]

Just heard 10% of the secret service is either positive or quarantined because of trumps rallies.

[Lathum]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.was...outputType=amp

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by Lathum

Just heard 10% of the secret service is either positive or quarantined because of trumps rallies.

Yep. I think we all feared this. Unfortunately it has come to pass. Just an utter disregard for the people who are there to protect you.

[CraigSca]

Originally Posted by Edward64

I wonder if Melania cleared that herself or if one of her underlings took the "initiative". If latter, I'm assuming the latter will be fired. If former, good sign.

This has been shown to be a fake, btw.

[Lathum]

Press conference coming in a few minutes. I suspect it will be a total nightmare.

[Ben E Lou]

Originally Posted by Lathum

Press conference coming in a few minutes. I suspect it will be a total nightmare.

At this point, I have to hope he *doesn’t* take questions. Just read a statement about the vaccine and go back inside.

[GrantDawg]

He is so freaking petty. Attacking Governor Cuomo is just...

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[GrantDawg]

His hair is completely grey.

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[GrantDawg]

He almost said "the next adminstration" https://twitter.com/PodSaveAmerica/s...381834240?s=19

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[BYU 14]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

He is so freaking petty. Attacking Governor Cuomo is just...

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This struck me too, this MF has a chance to at least focus on a positive message and goes off on a petty side rant because Cuomo doesn't kiss his ring, basically threatening to withhold the vaccine from the state. What a petulant little child.

[GrantDawg]

I think Trump does just about everything wrong, but I can get behind Operation Warp Speed. It was the right thing to do. Yet his suggesting that other administratios wouldn't have a vaccine for '"three or four years" is just ridiculous. He just can't even do the "right thing" right.

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[AlexB]

This article cast a different light dor me on why he is fighting so hard, and mixes in with why he hasn’t released his tax returns. Apologies if this is common knowledge, but not being American nor living in the US, I’m not all over every angle

After Presidential Immunity Ends, Trump Faces Legal Battles | Time

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by AlexB

This article cast a different light dor me on why he is fighting so hard, and mixes in with why he hasn’t released his tax returns. Apologies if this is common knowledge, but not being American nor living in the US, I’m not all over every angle

After Presidential Immunity Ends, Trump Faces Legal Battles | Time

yeah.

It is a pretty commonly held belief he is fighting so hard because he is going to be in real hot water with the law and his creditors.

[Lathum]

dola- I wonder if the dems best defense against a Trump 2024 run is find a way to get criminal charges to stick.

[whomario]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

I think Trump does just about everything wrong, but I can get behind Operation Warp Speed. It was the right thing to do. Yet his suggesting that other administratios wouldn't have a vaccine for '"three or four years" is just ridiculous. He just can't even do the "right thing" right.

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It also has almost nothing to do with this particular vaccine. This would have been done not a day later regardless. They placed an offer on it and other candidates, like the EU and others did as well. And the same would have been done by any other Administration. That's about it. The support for the developer BionTech (not even mentioned by Trump) to develop it as well as to build up production facilities (in Belgium and Germany) has come from german coffers (and earlier contributions from private and public sources all over, including China ironically), even the distribution is handled by Pfizer itself rather than the OWS designated logistical partner.

Every government has their version of "Operation Warpspeed" or supports someone elses. It's the single most obvious thing to do, support vaccine (and other) efforts in a pandemic. And place orders on those and others as well. Now, OWS might just be awesomely constructed and might well be crucial to other efforts like the Moderna one (having more than one working will be crucial for a variety of reasons) but unique it certainly is not and not responsible for this one.

The achievement here amounts to promising to buy sth that you desperately need and that otherwise would have been bought by someone else (the EU would have gladly paid and taken the US share as well) so made no difference to the seller. He makes it sound like they were the only one willing to pay for it and basically willed this into being.

Which serves just one purpose and it isn't a benevolent one.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by CraigSca

This has been shown to be a fake, btw.

Damn, who's posting fake news here?

[SackAttack]

Originally Posted by Lathum

dola- I wonder if the dems best defense against a Trump 2024 run is find a way to get criminal charges to stick.

Unless there are laws on state books barring felons, incarcerated or otherwise, from running for office or holding office, unlikely.

His base would just believe that the charges were a conspiracy and pull the lever for him. Independents would depend on the economy. If McConnell stonewall everything he can to prevent a recovery, you could see a nostalgic "yeah he was a racist asshole but..." effect.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by SackAttack

Unless there are laws on state books barring felons, incarcerated or otherwise, from running for office or holding office, unlikely.

His base would just believe that the charges were a conspiracy and pull the lever for him. Independents would depend on the economy. If McConnell stonewall everything he can to prevent a recovery, you could see a nostalgic "yeah he was a racist asshole but..." effect.

Can't hold rallies if you'rw in jail.

[Ksyrup]

I'm not exactly sure where this should go, but I just wanted someone else to laugh at it with me.

pic.twitter.com/NP2RssFPpi

— Four Seasons Total Manscaping ��️‍���� (@SJGrunewald) November 14, 2020

[Brian Swartz]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

Nobody is forcibly shutting down churches you dumb ass.

This isn't for cuervo's benefit since I know I have the honor of being on their ignore list, but this just isn't true. There were cases discussed on these forums earlier in the spring of churches here and there refusing to abide by the restrictions on indoor gatherings, legal actions taken as a result, etc. In California more recently, Grace Community came under fire for violating Gov. Newsom's similar order on that front, and also was sued for unrelated matters in what they claim was an act of government harassment. In many states across the country, restrictions on indoor gatherings did in fact affect churches being able to hold traditional indoor services. Most complied, but for some these orders are considered tantamount to disbanding as they consider such gatherings a nonessential, vital part of their worship that can't be replaced by virtual services. It's no mystery what Alito was referring to here.

[Ghost Econ]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

His hair is completely grey.

This should be higher and was the only thing I noticed during the press conference.

[miked]

Apparently God wants you to risk getting covid to worship him/her. It is the way.

[Ksyrup]

Or they could have held outdoor services temporarily until the virus got somewhat under control. But no, it was open defiance of lawful orders intended to protect many of its own members or nothing. Just another example of the persecution complex infecting the right.

[Ben E Lou]

Did a little post moving to consolidate threads a bit. (NO ONE LOST POSTS!)

Moving forward, let's try this...

"IF TRUMP LOSES IN NOVEMBER...."--Trump's continued fight against the results of the 2020 election, the finalizing of the electoral college, etc. Discussion here should largely end when he either concedes (HA!) or Biden takes office.

"THE BIDEN PRESIDENCY..."--Obviously will be the "moving forward" thread, but I also put the most recent discussion of the Georgia Senate race in there, as it impacts the Biden Presidency tremendously.

"THE TRUMP PRESIDENCY"--If by some miracle the President decides to actually govern--rather than whine and sulk--for the next 2 months, I'd expect this thread to remain active. Yesterday's COVID presser made sense to be in here, and speaking of that....

"COVID 19 POLITICAL DISCUSSION"--Merging that entire thread into the Trump Presidency. Once Biden takes over, COVID-19 political discussion belongs in that thread. There's definitely a place for a non-political COVID-19 discussion, but given the national nature of the response, the political pieces of it fit into discussion of the Presidency.

[Edward64]

Good news but wonder how much command & control the old/original AQ have with the newer affiliates in Asia & Africa.

I do think the Syria, Iraq, Israel is in better shape for Biden than what Trump inherited it, arguably Afghanistan also. Iran ... maybe, but that is obviously much more complex.

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/14/isra...r-in-iran.html

Al Qaeda’s second-in-command, accused of helping to mastermind the 1998 bombings of two U.S. embassies in Africa, was killed in Iran in August by Israeli operatives acting at the behest of the United States, the New York Times reported, citing intelligence officials.

Abdullah Ahmed Abdullah, who went by the nom de guerre Abu Muhammad al-Masri, was gunned down by two men on a motorcycle in the streets of Tehran on Aug. 7, the Times reported on Friday.

The killing of Masri, who was seen as a likely successor to al Qaeda’s current leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, was kept secret until now, the newspaper said. It was unclear what, if any, role the United States had in the killing of the Egyptian-born militant, the Times said.
:
:
Masri, one of al Qaeda’s founding leaders, was killed along with his daughter. She was the widow of former al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden’s son, Hamza bin Laden, the Times reported. Osama bin Laden orchestrated the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States and was killed in a U.S. raid in Pakistan in 2011. Shi’ite Iran and al Qaeda, a Sunni Muslim militant organization, have long been enemies.

Masri had been in Iran’s “custody” since 2003 but had been living freely in an upscale suburb of Tehran since 2015, the Times cited unnamed U.S. intelligence officials as saying. U.S. counterterrorism officials believe Iran, also a U.S. enemy, may have let him live there to conduct operations against U.S. targets, the Times said.

[Lathum]

Ksyrup posted about Lou Dobbs and Maria Whateverhernameis in a locked thread so I couldn't reply there.

I think very few of these people actually believe what they are saying. They know they have a captive audience who eats this shit up and it draws eyeballs to the TV and makes them money. They are marketing plain and simple.

I know I have mentioned this here before but my brother in law met Tucker Carlson at a dinner in 2015 and Carlson told him Trump was a fucking idiot and he couldn't stand him, but when 15 million people a night tune in to hear you lick his balls its easy to set that aside for the almighty dollar.

[JPhillips]

I'm not even sure the Million Maga March will hit my prediction of a couple of hundred attendees. Almost everyone is ready to move on.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

I'm not even sure the Million Maga March will hit my prediction of a couple of hundred attendees. Almost everyone is ready to move on.

Is that today??

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

I'm not even sure the Million Maga March will hit my prediction of a couple of hundred attendees. Almost everyone is ready to move on.

Wait? That's today? I figured this would be like a month from now, around the time electors are chosen - give them time to buy up some supporters, etc. Hell, they'll probably have more counter-protesters than protesters if it's today

SI

[GrantDawg]

I was going to say this in the Covid political thread, but since we aren't allowed to have one for some reason and this is now the covid political thread for some reason, I will say it here so it will get lost in the discussion of Trump:


As the cases gets higher, we are in some real trouble. I see no way we are putting the genie back in the bottle and getting people to stay home again. I am rarely seeing masked used anywhere outside of major chains that enforce employees to wear them. Gas stations, small shops and restaurants, etc. No one is wearing them anymore. As for customers, I see mostly non-whites wearing mask, but hardly any white people. It is like nothing is going on.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

I was going to say this in the Covid political thread, but since we aren't allowed to have one for some reason and this is now the covid political thread for some reason, I will say it here so it will get lost in the discussion of Trump:


As the cases gets higher, we are in some real trouble. I see no way we are putting the genie back in the bottle and getting people to stay home again. I am rarely seeing masked used anywhere outside of major chains that enforce employees to wear them. Gas stations, small shops and restaurants, etc. No one is wearing them anymore. As for customers, I see mostly non-whites wearing mask, but hardly any white people. It is like nothing is going on.

Honestly, that's not what I'm seeing in my area. Most people are wearing masks but there are some exceptions. But you are right about exceptions being exclusively white, I don't remember seeing a minority not wearing masks in public areas (even in the BLM protests that my daughter and I went to).

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

I was going to say this in the Covid political thread, but since we aren't allowed to have one for some reason and this is now the covid political thread for some reason, I will say it here so it will get lost in the discussion of Trump:


As the cases gets higher, we are in some real trouble. I see no way we are putting the genie back in the bottle and getting people to stay home again. I am rarely seeing masked used anywhere outside of major chains that enforce employees to wear them. Gas stations, small shops and restaurants, etc. No one is wearing them anymore. As for customers, I see mostly non-whites wearing mask, but hardly any white people. It is like nothing is going on.

People in NJ still take it very seriously. Rarely do I see someone not with a mask in public.

That being said I agree it is going to be really bad by Christmas. Kids here are still in school full time, but I suspect after winter break we will go to all virtual again. Thanksgiving is going to be the catalyst for massive outbreaks between gatherings and kids coming home from college.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

As the cases gets higher, we are in some real trouble. I see no way we are putting the genie back in the bottle and getting people to stay home again. I am rarely seeing masked used anywhere outside of major chains that enforce employees to wear them. Gas stations, small shops and restaurants, etc. No one is wearing them anymore. As for customers, I see mostly non-whites wearing mask, but hardly any white people. It is like nothing is going on.

This is Texas, too.

SI

[Ksyrup]

Zombie apocalypse?

MOMENTS AGO: Trump supporters rush to see the president's motorcade driving by. pic.twitter.com/h0brs4gfC0

— The Hill (@thehill) November 14, 2020

[wustin]

imagine how much money you'd make selling maga merch and overpriced bottled water

[BYU 14]

All that is missing is the huge cliff at the end of their journey. Of course he will now compare himself to the Beatles or something.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by BYU 14

All that is missing is the huge cliff at the end of their journey. Of course he will now compare himself to the Beatles or something.

"Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn't argue about that; I'm right and I'll be proved right. I'm more popular than Jesus now; I don't know which will go first – Trumpism or Christianity. Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. "

SI

[spleen1015]

I can't imagine being excited by watching Donald Trump drive by in a car.

[kingfc22]

He’s so excited that he just drove by and went golfing while his cult celebrates a man who could care less about them.

[MIJB#19]

Originally Posted by spleen1015

I can't imagine being excited by watching Donald Trump drive by in a car.

Can you imagine people doing that for Barack Obama?

[spleen1015]

Originally Posted by MIJB#19

Can you imagine people doing that for Barack Obama?

No doubt. You can't compare Trump to Obama. I wasn't a fan of Obama but I can see how folks would find seeing/meeting him as a life time moment. He has positive US historical significance.