KerleyQ

But you've given us Dayton, who has to be my favorite current state governor in this country right now. I so wish the Democratic party would point to what he's done, economy-wise, contrast it to what guys like Walker and Brownback have done, and paint the full picture of how horrible the TP/GOP economic policies actually are for everyone who isn't in the top 1% (and that even without the generous handouts to the top 1% that they feature, MN's economy has been good to them, along with everyone else in the state). I don't know why this isn't a bigger thing. I had to read up and research it all on my own. I so wish he'd consider a 2020 run. Him and Elizabeth Warren on the same ticket would be amazing. Don't forget the other costs associated with those rallies - venue rentals, local lodging for Trump, whoever he brings along to appear with him, and the SS, and any speaking fees due to the various guest speakers (because he needs an opening act to fawn over him before he comes out to be the main attraction). It's just an impression I get, one of those things I can't quite put my finger on. She seemed to not be fully into participating in the whole campaign, aside from the appearances that were "musts" for the candidate's spouse, and I just get this general sense of "done with him," from her. Although that could just as easily be "done with this campaign crap." Plus, if she was ever going to do it (and I fully believe she would at some point), that would have been the perfect set up for her to do so. Most people would understand her taking her son and getting out after the Bush tape, and some of the more appalling things he's said during the campaign, not to mention the recent revelations of the amount of cheating he's done on her - especially during her pregnancy, when he was on the record "joking" about her weight gain making her less attractive. And, like I said, if she was smart at all, she's negotiated 1 or 2 revisions to his notoriously stingy pre-nup over the course of this campaign. So it is likely more financially feasible now for her to get out. Now that he's won (which I think she, like most of us, including him, doubted would happen), she's in for 4 more years. I predict that, once he's out of office, she waits a suitable time and then tries to, as quietly as possible, end things. (Because my other prediction about any renegotiation to the pre-nup would be that she agrees to remain at his side for the duration of the campaign and any possible term(s) as POTUS. There's no way he would have been careless enough to not make that a condition if he was going to renegotiate). It's all speculation on my part, but I see it happening after he's out. Someone will need to hold his feet to the fire and demand proof of the donations (from his personal account, not from his "foundation" or his companies). We all remember that he claimed to be raising money for veterans' groups that he held onto until the Washington Post put the pressure on him for not donating yet. His followers will take him at his word, even though he's given every reason not to, but the rest of us absolutely need to hold him accountable for making the promise and living up to it.

I bet that, at some point during this whole scenario, she pats herself on the back for not liking to interfere, or some such shit. She has zero idea what a manipulative nosy bitch she really is.

Bill would be so proud if all three of his sons managed to hit that for him.

And, since Ridge is the head designer of record, wouldn't it reflect poorly on him. in terms of the media and fashion industry, if there was no show stopper?

Yep. He likes the attention he got, which is why he wants to continue the rallies. He's going to end up wanting to do some real Kim Jong-Un shit - with rallies where we're all required to show up and cheer for him, and Heaven help us if we don't look happy enough to be there - his freaky supporters will attack. I still think she saw this election as her way out. I imagine her initial pre-nup wasn't great, because he's known for really shitty pre-nups. But, then he announced he was running, and he, of course, needed his wife (who wanted no part of it) to appear to support it all. Re-structure number one on the pre-nup. Then, the Billy Bush tape happened. And, of course, the best way to overcome that, to any degree, was to have his loyal wife out there, telling Anderson Cooper how much this was out of character, how she has already forgiven him, etc. Pre-nup renegotiation number 2. So, there, she was, she had her pre-nup probably the most favorable it was ever going to get, and not even her husband thought he was actually winning this thing. So, once November 8th came and went, she could put in some appearances as the, of course, disappointed spouse. Once the attention died down, she could have waited a few months and filed for divorce. Now? Now she's stuck as First Lady, a job she never wanted, in a house and city she has zero desire to live in, with a 24/7 spotlight she would really prefer to not deal with (her speech writer says the FLOTUS is a woman Melania admires, so she has to see what a bitch that spotlight has been for her, and likely has zero desire to experience it first hand). As much as I joke about Trump needing to go back to his blankie and nightlight in Trump Tower, I'm guessing that's her demand. She doesn't want to move at all, but it's not a good look for a First Lady to live full time away from the POTUS. So she's telling him she wants frequent, regularly scheduled trips back to one of their homes, including a long winter break in Florida to avoid the DC winter. This may end up being a huge sticking point in his accepting the job. I'm actually going to be pissed if this is what he backs out over, leaving us with Pence. Pence is a very damaged, dangerous man. At this point, I'd rather take the malleable Trump, who may be workable depending on who gets to him first (or kisses his ass best) on any given issue, over the certainty that Pence will roll back rights for everyone who isn't exactly like him. Hopefully, he just throws even more pre-nup money in Melania's direction, and then she and Barron can get the hell out in 4 years. You forgot his hour to 90 minute lunch, and two 15 minute breaks per day. And, yes, he will absolutely find a way to profit off of the work that needs to be done and the rent that needs to be paid to have the SSA's staying there. He did it on his campaign with his supporters' money, and now he'll do it as POTUS, with all of our money. Or, at least that's his plan. I can't imagine the Secret Service will really and truly sign off on this kind of arrangement. It's a financial, security, and logistical nightmare. The FLOTUS and their child living away from the WH would be the same. It's something that simply can't be done. Of course, I say that, and watch - he's going to get some crooked inspector who owes him a favor to check out the WH - you know, to ensure he and his family will be safe living there. And, shockingly, there will be a number of significant issues that take a long time to correct that will make it so that he needs to find alternate housing for himself, Melania, and Barron. And, oh, hey, he already has an office and home in Trump Tower. He can just run the country from there, and it's not a long commute to DC for any meetings or require appearances.

I think Christie, like 80 percent of the time is a party stooge, but, that other 20 percent? He sometimes manages to grab a hold of his moral compass and tries to do the right thing. Of Trump's inner circle, he's probably the least scary. (Other than, maybe, Ivanka, who I think won't publicly go against her father but will privately try to influence him when she thinks he's wrong). Rudy and Newt are evil goblins. Palin is that dangerous combination of epic stupidity with overwhelming confidence in her own "intelligence." Carson, I still can't get a read on, but he seems to be one of those candidates who plays the "I'm a Christian" card and thinks it's a blanket pass to do whatever he wants. Ditto Huckabee. Priebus is likely as bad as Rudy and Newt. Bannon is, well, Bannon. He's pretty much pure evil. Pence is a lot like Palin - not nearly as smart as he thinks he is, and determined to display his "intelligence" despite not having much. And, like Paul Ryan, he's utterly, shamelessly beholden to his financial backers, welfare of the people be damned.

When Eric initially seemed perplexed by Quinn being the model, I had a fear that this was going to turn into him somehow thinking that she was just using him to advance herself, and that she willfully substituted herself in without telling him. Then, that would start the build up to (ick) him being available to Katie. But, then he seemed so thrilled with how great she looked and how well she did with the show, so I was relieved. I do hope that she tells him what happened, though, so that there can be no chance for anyone (Ridge/Steffy) to insinuate anything like that to him.

I agree. I was saying last night that the Dems in Congress need to move quick, kiss up a little, and then offer to make deals with him. You know how he considers himself the ultimate deal maker. Play to that, ask for the moon, let him "deal" you down to what you wanted in the first place. He's really easy to play if you know the buttons to push.

Just saw a list of Trump's transition team. Guess who's on it (among many others, including three of his children and his son in law)? Florida AG Pam Bondi. Now, we might all recall that she and Trump both swore up and down that they don't even know each other, in the wake of the accusation that the (illegal) donation to her campaign was a payoff for her dropping the state's investigation into Trump U. But, look at that, they certainly know each other well enough for her to have earned an invite to the table now that he's going to be President.

I so agree. They're portrayed as these prizes, when, in actuality, anyone who cares about these women would say "girl, dump him and don't look back. He's no good!" When Ivy said the models were all too tall, I immediately said "well, Quinn is Steffy's height." I floved watching Steffy have to sit backstage watching Quinn wear "her" showstopper. And Ridge having to go out there with her? Icing on the cake. On a shallow note, I don't know how Wyatt can stand back there, between Ivy and Steffy, and even give Steffy a passing thought or glance. I'm still holding out hope we end up with another shot at Wyatt/Ivy. And just say no to Katie/Eric. I'd be great with her being someone who's in Quinn and Eric's corner, after sitting there with Eric and seeing how much he loves her, and after she "got" what Quinn was doing with the jewelry pass. I know Katie needs a new love interest, but, let's put the emphasis on "new" there. Bring in someone who hasn't slept with at least one of her sisters. Of course, I'm still good with Katie/Liam. She and Quinn are the only ones he's had real genuine chemistry with.

So, being ranked Logan Sister the Second with Ridge wasn't bad enough for Katie? Now she's going for a third place Logan Sister finish with Eric?

There are times I'm convinced Zende is the worst character on this show. This is one of those times. He's such a self-absorbed, short-sighted flake. Sasha is too good for him, by far. Hell, Nicole is too good for him.

I would imagine that the only one moving in is Barron. Tiffany, from my understanding, hasn't really lived with him since the divorce, she's been with Marla. (And from things Ivana has said in the past, Trump doesn't really have much use for his kids until they're adults and ready to work in the family business. He's not a "Dad" kind of guy.) I can't imagine the older kids, who all have jobs and their own families, would pick up and move to DC with him. Did people who did this not remotely pay attention to Brexit?? That whole "we didn't think it would happen, we just wanted to vote to send a message" thing is exactly why the UK was shell shocked by the results that the majority of them did not want. He and his kids have said that they'll be running the business, and they consider that a "blind trust." It's so not a blind trust, though. I saw one reporter try to explain to Don Jr why it's not, and he just had blinders on and refused to acknowledge the truth he was being told. Regardless of whether he makes a single solitary decision from the company's end while in office, it's a huge conflict of interest. Off the top of my head - if any Trump owned company wants a government contract, the other companies competing would be screwed. Even if the bidding process if blind, this family has already proven they have no problem behaving in a questionable ethical manner when it comes to their business (I mean, hello, that's why the man has a fraud trial starting soon), so I have little doubt they'd find a way around it. To avoid any hint of impropriety, his children should remove themselves from bidding for any government jobs, period. I doubt they'll go along with that, though. Additionally, what happens when his kids are working on some project either here or abroad, and they need a variance signed off on by local officials? It's going to be awfully hard for any local level government official in a US city or any foreign officials on those projects to refuse signing off on something presented to them by the children of the President of the United States. And, then, in the case of those foreign officials, they'll believe they have an "in" with the White House the next time they need something. Or, when they don't approve something, perhaps they have to fear retaliation in some form down the line (refusal to send aid when needed, refusal to abide by pre-existing treaties). Considering that just under half of eligible voters didn't even vote at all, it's more like 3/4 of us who don't support him. So far, judging from the rumored appointments to his cabinet, it sounds like when he talked about "draining the swamp," he meant he'd drain it right into his cabinet. I haven't heard a peep from his supporters about this. And that's one of the reasons I doubt their sincerity in saying they voted for him to change things up in Washington. This isn't change. He's going to carry on with the exact same business/1% friendly, shit on the middle class and poor agenda that the GOP has been pushing for years. And he was clear on that in the little policy he did talk during the campaign. Cut taxes on the wealthiest and corporations? Remove the "death tax" that only applies to, what, the wealthiest 0.2% in the country? (Side note: when I heard him say that he's seen that tax "destroy families," I could not stop laughing. He has no idea what life is like for people who aren't extraordinarily wealthy.) Remove regulations from business, including things like food safety? None of that is taking our government back for the people.

It's the same way that they rail about the "intellectual elite." Like being smart and educated is a character flaw.

I don't think she'll mind. My theory is she was all ready with her re-negotiate prenups, expecting to be done with him by spring/summer. Now she's stuck for four more years. She'll probably happily let Ivanka handle all the heavy lifting there, and she'll just show up when there's something she's particularly interested in going on, or someone she really wants to meet. I definitely don't think we're going to see the same clearly in love Inauguration dance that we saw the Obamas do.

Apparently, when you hit on just the right combination of name-calling, it gets you to the White House. It continually amazes me that the same people who demand the right to call people "retard" the N word, and any number of other slurs, in the name of being "politically incorrect," lose that "it's OK to call names that offend people" thing when you call them racist (or whatever other label they earn through their speech and behavior). Are we doing away with that darn "PC culture run amok" thing or not, Republicans? He'll take it as the highest compliment someone can pay him. He'll "condemn" it in a "wink wink" way that makes it clear he's flattered. Guess again. Paul Ryan went on TV this morning glorying in Trump's "mandate." Never mind that he saw no such mandate when President Obama won handily (and didn't lose the popular vote). I fully believe this is a big part of it. The first black POTUS was a huge blow for them. There was no way they were going to stand for the first woman right after. Not in their old white boys club. Call me crazy, but I don't think it's ever "great" to have the entire government run by one party, only representing the will of half of the country. You may not like the "liberal influence" but it's our country, too. As much as the GOP likes to blame President Obama for the divide in this country, it's really the GOP attitude that our government should not contain any liberal influence, despite half of the people they are supposed to represent wanting that liberal influence. Ridding the government of one side of the conversation is how you end up with dictatorships. Funny, I watched both conventions this summer, and only one of them was preaching what dire, awful condition this country is in. Spoiler alert, it wasn't the liberal party. The DNC focused on a positive message. The RNC featured a wannabe dictator telling us what a hell hole this country is now and how only he can save us. He'll definitely change things, but it won't be on the "great" side of the ledger.

Yep. I saw one of his supporters ranting on Twitter about how they're just so sick of the "liberal elite pushing for changes." (And, by changes, they, of course, mean progress.) My thought when I saw his face while she spoke was "well, if anyone has doubts as to whether he loves his wife, it's written all over his face." I'd give just about anything to sit around for a no holds barred, off the record, conversation between Hillary, Bill, Barack, Michelle, and Joe. Except for the part where the economy is no longer struggling and improved dramatically from 2009 to now (well, until even the idea of the shit stain cult leader winning the Presidency resulted in one of the (if not the) biggest drops in the market in decades).

Ann Coulter. I cannot live in a world where Ann Coulter is happy. That's just not right.

Absolutely, one hundred percent. There is a segment of this country who has always hated her for the cardinal sin of being an unapologetic ambitious woman. Hell with that. They should be on the front line of experiencing every single one of his horrendous policies. Unlike the Drumpf cult, they KNEW he was wrong, and they still let their petty little egos take the wheel instead of doing the right thing.

That was expected. It sucks, but it was expected all along.

No, it's not. So far, nothing unexpected has been called. I feel like a broken record, but - the more populated areas take longer to count (for obvious reasons). Hillary is favored in those areas. So the couple percentage point back and forth in various states is not the doom some want to see it as. I'm not saying she's guaranteed a win, but it's not remotely over, either. Not by a long shot.

Yep. When I saw that tweet, I had to go back and look at her time line like "it was her I saw bragging about her write in vote earlier, right??" Yep, it was. People have amazing levels of cognitive dissonance.

Polls stay open until the people already in line vote. From what I'm seeing, there were a lot of voters left in line (in Hillary heavy areas). They get to vote.

Nope, neither called yet.

Just saw someone on Twitter who, earlier today, bragged that she wrote in Bernie, asking "how did we let this happen?" I responded "People smugly casting protest votes because they assumed it was in the bag?"