Donald John Trump: 2016 President-Elect

[b2H]

6 hours ago, atomationage said:

The fake Sidney Blumenthal story that Drumpf has been waving around comes directly from Russian propaganda sources.   It was published in a Russian paper, then they withdrew the story when they realized that Blumenthal was only quoting a Kurt Eichenwald story in Newsweek.  It was never published anywhere else, but Drumpf has it in his hands and is still using it. 

Have said about the entire GOP campaign this year, that it's a fact-free zone.  Don't let a few facts get in the way of the narrative.

3 hours ago, Kromm said:

The big orange infant with a temper and no impulse control has threatened to sue the shit out of pretty much everyone over the past few days. Because apparently in TrumpTopia that's how you deal with all of your problems.

Donald Trump threatens to sue New York Times over sexual harassment report

He is now a toothless tiger.  One day, not too long ago, the threat of litigation was powerful for him.  Now, no one cares anymore.  Bring it on.  As someone else wrote on another board, once the discovery phase begins, he's toast.

[MulletorHater]

13 hours ago, Milk-Eyed Mender said:

Watching Paul Ryan trying to navigate Trump's ascent like a snail walking along the edge of a serrated knife blade has been absolutely fascinating. I must give mad respect to the Bush family, Jeff Flake, John Kasich and others who  recognized the GOP nominee's toxicity early on and could not or would not lower themselves to endorse him. To Ted Cruz, John McCain and other Republicans riding the on-again/off-again Trump train, these words I first saw on Twitter fit you all like a glove:

"Shut up, silly woman" said the reptile with a grin,

"You knew damn well I was a snake before you took me in."

Exactly.  These people are actually shocked (shocked, I tell you!) that a snake is doing what a snake does.  Yet, they made bargains because they thought they could handle him.  Well, how did that work out?  Speaker Ryan is appearing more and more dewy eyed at his press conferences.  Too bad; so sad.  The core of their mercenary hearts has been exposed for all to see.  

They were willing to bow down at the altar of this vile and evil demigod for the promise of a couple of Supreme Court nominees and being able to push their regressive agenda.  As someone pointed out this morning, Ted Cruz must have had the worst week in Washington last week.  The moment he jumps aboard the Trump Express, the videotape is released.

[Frost]

I've come to the conclusion that Donald Trump is a cult leader in Republican nominee clothing.  I've been trying to come to grips with his supporters for some time now and that's the only thing that makes sense to me.  To his acolytes, he has charisma and inside knowledge that will help them make it to the promised land.  Because they've drunk the (so far) metaphorical Kool Aid, they will follow him anywhere, any time.  It literally makes no difference what videos or stories come out.  They'll attend his rallies and achieve some kind of orgasmic release.  Reality doesn't enter into it at all.

He's the perfect cult leader.  He requires adulation and unquestioning obedience.  He's both calculating and free wheeling.  He's willing to do or say anything to get his followers fired up.  And after November 8th, there's no way his cult is going to disband.

[PatsyandEddie]

7 hours ago, backformore said:

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-on-the-commission-for-presidential-debates-it’s-a-‘rigged-deal’-and-‘i’m-done’/ar-AAiSgd1?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartanntp

Trump is considering NOT doing the third debate.  

Good! I don't have the stomach for a third foul mess.

[car54]

Isn't the next one with the Fox news guy who said he didn't need to fact check?  I figured that one would be a mess anyway.  I'd rather see Hillary get out on the campaign trail and not lose days for prep.   Trump just stands and lies for 90 minutes so really there's no point in more debate.

Sounds like Trump knows he's done in more ways than one.

[Landsnark]

It's not "kool aid" anyone has drunk.  His followers don't care at all about his policies or his background or anything; he COULD shoot someone and their support wouldn't wane.  They're mad, and he fuels it.  They are full of hate and lowest-common-denominator rage.  There is literally nothing he can do to shake their support.  Nothing.  People in this thread have said they support him because he's "non-PC."  That phrase doesn't even mean anything.  It's an ephemeral thought where the believer thinks he's being persecuted because he's full of hate, and Trump allows him to unleash his hate.  "Now I can say 'fag' and not feel bad."  THAT is the underpinning of that person's political beliefs.  Trump's policy on energy or trade or tax breaks have 0 meaning to his supporters.
That fucking idiot in the red sweater and creepy mustache said he understands that Trump will strip the rights of many Americans, but, he says, he may help his job.  This guy is able to vote, and the entire world to him, the legacy of America, to him, ends at his own fucking mustache.  He's not cute.  He's a moron.  He's an actual evil character out of "Animal Farm" or "Lord of the Flies."  He's a symbolic manifestation of greed, stupidity, and selfishness.  He's a Trump voter.

It's not "kool aid." It's hate, misogyny, fear, xenophobia, anger, and most of all, stupidity.  He's their representative.  He didn't convince them to feel that way.  They already did.  FINALLY, the stupid people have a candidate that says and does things they understand, he's one of them.  Even though his MBA is from Wharton and he's the scion of vast wealth.

To put a too fine point on it, he slams the military and veterans every few days.  The military, the sine qua non, the third rail, the heartbeat of the Republican base.  His careless insults elicit not a ripple of reaction in his pond of supporters... the "PATRIOTS" with their eagle avatars, and NASCAR fans, and military fetishists, and gun fetishists, and the hard-right pro-military.  Officers, of course, don't and never have supported him, but to the lowest-common-denominators... no inexcusable statement he makes matters.

Edited October 13, 2016 by Landsnark

[atomationage]

I'm curious to know what Chris Wallace is saying about Drumpf dropping out of the debate.  I was wondering if Wallace might possibly maybe have actually stepped up to the plate and put Drumpf's feet to the fire, even though he said he wouldn't, and prove that he really is his father's son.   Nah, he probably would have just joined Drumpf in attacking HRC.

Edited October 13, 2016 by atomationage
OMG CHRIS WALLACE NOT CHRIS MATTHEWS!!

[Guest]

I said this the other day. He could sell a girl into sex trafficking and his supporters would still defend him. It's disgusting.

[MulletorHater]

What fascinates me are the "women for Trump" contingent.  They are so outraged about that old satyr, President Clinton, but trip all over themselves manufacturing excuses for Trump.

I gave up a while ago when a woman told me that she thought he won the "debate" because Secretary Clinton didn't wear a flag pin.  And, there you have it, folks!  The fate of the world is at stake, as well as the freedoms we enjoy here at home, and this idiot was obsessing about a fucking piece of jewelry.  

As these revelations continue to come out, the standard responses from Trump's more hardcore cult members are, "What about crooked Hillary and WikiLeaks?!"  "What about BILL Clinton!!"  What's interesting is that the party of "family values" has had a gentleman living in the White House for 8 years who embodies what they claim to espouse.  They deride him as "un-American," yet will follow a leader who is in league with Putin and who admires other dictators.

[Frost]

40 minutes ago, Landsnark said:

It's not "kool aid" anyone has drunk. 

Drinking the Kool Aid doesn't mean there's a magic potion that, once drunk, the person is under a spell or something.  It means the Kool Aid drinker will, literally, drink poison if their cult leader tells them to.  They've found someone they can hand their decision making over to.  To my mind, it leaves them free to experience strong emotions without any governance save their cult leader.  I still hold Trump supporters responsible for their own actions.  It's just some kind of weak minded glomming on to a strong personality that reminds me a cult, not a political contest.

[backformore]

38 minutes ago, MulletorHater said:

I gave up a while ago when a woman told me that she thought he won the "debate" because Secretary Clinton didn't wear a flag pin.  And, there you have it, folks!  The fate of the world is at stake, as well as the freedoms we enjoy here at home, and this idiot was obsessing about a fucking piece of jewelry.  

Yeah, there was a reporter interviewing people outside a Trump rally, and a woman said that Hillary was "Disrespectful"  because she kept showing up to events wearing a pantsuit!  Because respectful women wear DRESSES! 

[galax-arena]

I'm not going to get into Bill Clinton because I've already talked about him enough elsewhere and if I get started, my entire post will turn into a rant about him because I loathe the motherfucker, and this is Trump's thread.

So. Trump. I am so glad that I have no close friends or family who (afaik) support Trump. Trump supporters might as well be an urban legend for me, for all the presence they have in my day-to-day life lmao. I have one old/distant evangelical Christian friend from college who keeps retweeting Franklin Graham, so it wouldn't surprise me if she's planning to vote for Trump on the down low. But aside from her, even my white evangelical friends loathe him.

I am cackling that Ted Cruz finally caved and supported Trump, only to have "grab them by the pussy" happen. If he had only stuck to his guns, he could claim the moral high ground the way Kasich did. But now he has major egg on his face. It's beautiful. 

[DeLurker]

1 hour ago, heatherrrrz said:

I said this the other day. He could sell a girl into sex trafficking and his supporters would still defend him. It's disgusting.

That would be just another example of how he was empowering the woman within his organization.

 

8 minutes ago, backformore said:

Because respectful women wear DRESSES! 

Then they would bash on her legs.  Or whether she wore the right kind of hose.  Remember when there was so much kerfluffle about her wearing hair bands?  Ahh...the good old days!

[hoosier80]

I really think he entered the race not thinking he'd get this far, even with all his blustering about he's not a loser.  He's all about the fame, notoriety, adulation, but not the actual day to day grind of what that job entails.  It's a daunting task, where details matter.  He likes to play, be in the spotlight.  I don't think he was equipped to go this far nor did he plan for it.  

That his past is coming up to haunt him should not be a surprise.  Every candidate's past is brought up ad nauseum.  Unless you are absolutely squeaky clean, something will come out as a fault, even something small. Why you would go into a national race when you have things that can be used against you, I do not understand that.  But he clearly thought he could bluster and bully his way through like he did in the primaries. The tape was not small by a long shot.  If it was said when he was a college student, you could maybe say oh I've learned since that time, blah blah blah, but it was said as an adult, at 59 years old.  I think he said well I was only 59......give me a break.  I'm in that general age bracket now, and I surely know what is right and what is wrong.   Someone in the GOP (can't remember who) had a comment that he could learn and change.  No.  He's 70 years old; I think it's too late for him to change what is now emerging as a pattern and thought process for most of his (if not all) of his adult life.  

I don't understand how the GOP now says oh he's not suitable.  All of the vile comments before this were not enough to give you pause?  And, it's not because he's a truth cannon........far from it.  His comments have been proven to be incorrect by fact checkers.  I think most were just spineless and wanted didn't want to go against the flow.  They saw his numbers and wanted to ride along.  

I don't agree with them at all, but I have to give props to Kasich and Graham (could be more but those two I recall right now).  They said they were not endorsing Trump and stood their ground, in the face of party pressure to do so.  The ones who are now suddenly withdrawing support, you just look silly.  

[atomationage]

At least Drumpf has The National Enquirer on his side.  Last week, they were claiming that he's winning.  We'll see what they come up with this week.  538.com has his chances at 13% with Iowa more likely to vote for HRC than Drumpf now.

[callmebetty]

17 minutes ago, hoosier80 said:

I really think he entered the race not thinking he'd get this far, even with all his blustering about he's not a loser.  He's all about the fame, notoriety, adulation, but not the actual day to day grind of what that job entails.  It's a daunting task, where details matter.  He likes to play, be in the spotlight.  I don't think he was equipped to go this far nor did he plan for it.  

That his past is coming up to haunt him should not be a surprise.  Every candidate's past is brought up ad nauseum.  Unless you are absolutely squeaky clean, something will come out as a fault, even something small. Why you would go into a national race when you have things that can be used against you, I do not understand that.  But he clearly thought he could bluster and bully his way through like he did in the primaries. The tape was not small by a long shot.  If it was said when he was a college student, you could maybe say oh I've learned since that time, blah blah blah, but it was said as an adult, at 59 years old.  I think he said well I was only 59......give me a break.  I'm in that general age bracket now, and I surely know what is right and what is wrong.   Someone in the GOP (can't remember who) had a comment that he could learn and change.  No.  He's 70 years old; I think it's too late for him to change what is now emerging as a pattern and thought process for most of his (if not all) of his adult life.  

I don't understand how the GOP now says oh he's not suitable.  All of the vile comments before this were not enough to give you pause?  And, it's not because he's a truth cannon........far from it.  His comments have been proven to be incorrect by fact checkers.  I think most were just spineless and wanted didn't want to go against the flow.  They saw his numbers and wanted to ride along.  

I don't agree with them at all, but I have to give props to Kasich and Graham (could be more but those two I recall right now).  They said they were not endorsing Trump and stood their ground, in the face of party pressure to do so.  The ones who are now suddenly withdrawing support, you just look silly.  

One of the things that still baffles and irks me is how there was no real backlash for his comments about John McCain not being a hero because he was captured.  When that came out I thought oh boy I can't wait to hear McCain's response and veterans groups.  But I dont' remember McCain every lashing out, which he had every right too, I don't remember any real backlash.  Please if someone can give me links to prove me wrong I would appreciate it.  Too add to the things Trump could do and no one would care: he could take a dump in Arlington Cemetery and wipe his ass with the US flag and no one would bat an eye. At least not the GOP.

[car54]

MSNBC just showed a clip of Newt talking about Trump--he said "There's a Big Donald, and a Little Donald and the Little Donald is pathetic."

[ChromaKelly]

16 hours ago, Jordan27 said:

Raise your hand if you have never said anything ugly about someone in a private conversation.   Now let's get any Dem politicians to raise their hands.  Finally, those holier than thou liberal media types.

No hands raised.  And so my point is made. 

I've never bragged about sexually assaulting people.

[thewhiteowl]

I don't think any less of those that have finally withdrawn their support of this buffoon. The ones that were left were just the hanger-ons. They jump on whichever bandwagon is in motion. They supported him when it was cool and now they jump off cuz it's cool now. In the early days, I compared Trump to Ross Perot ( I remember) Trump has gotten much further than Perot did but he didn't say his daughter was kidnapped by government approved aliens.  Trump may be just as crazy though. 

[ChromaKelly]

Besides all the horrible and gross things Trump has said and done, there is still the fact that he is completely unqualified for the job of POTUS. There's really no two ways about it. He spouts nonsense, he seems to have no idea how government works, he says things that are just false, and he has zero understanding of foreign policy. I do think his awful statements are worth discussing, however it does seem to distract from his lack of real policies and plans. I watched both debates actually saying out loud to the TV "That's not a thing" "It doesn't work like that" "No, you can't _____(jack up other countries to pay for protection/instruct your AG to prosecute someone/insert other outrageous statement).
So, I really don't understand why anyone would want this man anywhere near the Oval Office, for so, so many reasons.

[callmebetty]

2 minutes ago, ChromaKelly said:

Besides all the horrible and gross things Trump has said and done, there is still the fact that he is completely unqualified for the job of POTUS. There's really no two ways about it. He spouts nonsense, he seems to have no idea how government works, he says things that are just false, and he has zero understanding of foreign policy. I do think his awful statements are worth discussing, however it does seem to distract from his lack of real policies and plans. I watched both debates actually saying out loud to the TV "That's not a thing" "It doesn't work like that" "No, you can't _____(jack up other countries to pay for protection/instruct your AG to prosecute someone/insert other outrageous statement).
So, I really don't understand why anyone would want this man anywhere near the Oval Office, for so, so many reasons.

Because he's like the football player running for student council who says if he's elected they'll be no more homework, and soda will be in the drinking fountains and and gym class and lunch will be twice as long.

[madmaverick]

28 minutes ago, car54 said:

MSNBC just showed a clip of Newt talking about Trump--he said "There's a Big Donald, and a Little Donald and the Little Donald is pathetic."

Oh dear God.  The image I have stuck in my head of Trump grabbing people's pussies like an octopus is bad enough.   And who could forget Trump's obnoxious reference to his own genitalia?  Ugh.  

Edited October 13, 2016 by madmaverick

[backformore]

Trump thinks he's running for king.  Emperor, dictator. something.  if you listen to what he says, he seems to believe that he can fire generals and appoint new ones, arrest, torture and imprison whomever he wants, change laws to suit him, and dictate what other countries have to do.  He's going to lower taxes, increase wages, and bomb to hell out of any country he wants to. 

He lived his life surrounding himself with people who told him he was great.  And then tried to destroy anyone who disagreed. 

It's like he was back on Celebrity Apprentice - he chose the contestants, put them on teams, gave them tasks, assigned partners, and determined the winner.  The "contest"  was completely a game for him, manipulating people, moving them around like they were avatars in the ultimate game of The SIMS.  A complete power play, where he was in charge of every element.  People played a game without knowing the rules, because the only rule was what Donald Trump decided in the moment.   It was fun for him, to have all that control, to have celebrities groveling for his approval so that he might throw money at their charities.  

Now he wants the same thrill on a national level.   And he is PISSED OFF that everyone stopped groveling. 

[Frost]

20 minutes ago, backformore said:

Trump thinks he's running for king.  Emperor, dictator. something

And he's absolutely addicted to his rallies.  He gets to appear before cheering acolytes and rant and rave and yell about whatever the hell he wants to.  No way he's ever going to give that up.  I'm actually kind of fascinated to know how he's going to handle this addiction once he's lost.  Will thousands of people still show up for rallies several times a week?  Even is he starts his own media outlet, I don't know that sitting in a studio is going to satisfy his ego any longer.

[Padma]

Andrea Mitchell just reported that RT (Russian official govt television) released the latest Podesta material from wikileaks before wikileaks did. That should pretty much make it clear that our govt was right about Russian intelligence working with wikileaks to throw our election to Trump.

It's outrageous, and I think the press complicity is outrageous, too. It's John Podesta, not a government official, and its his PERSONAL email.  Why is this okay?

Also, at Washington Post, looking into Trump possible connections, they mentioned his old (sleazy) buddy Roger Stone talking in summer about Podesta emails released nearer the elections and hurting Hillary.

Stone also was the one quoted in that National Enquirer article (the week of the crucial Indiana primary) falsely linking Ted Cruz's father to Oswald and the JFK assassination.  (The Nat Enquirer is the only paper that's endorsed Trump and its publisher is his long-time buddy).

These seem a lot like "dirty tricks"--in fact, if the Trump-Russia connection is verified, they will seem a lot like treason.

I think the press should stop collaborating with them in invading (private US citizen) John Podesta's privacy. (Ten years of email just dumped for all to see! Very very unfair.)

[potatoradio]

Because both sides need equal presentation (barf), I, a Hillary supporter, offer a few minutes of being nice to Mr. Trump:

1. He was kinda funny on the Apprentice. The humor was not worth the sexism and inappropriate behavior that took place off and on camera and it wasn't worth suffering his ego enough to watch, but I admit, sometimes I'd laugh at what he said when I caught an ep.
2. I can appreciate someone who (allegedly) wants incisive, direct answers to questions and not vague, self-serving spins from politicians. 
3. I freaking love his forcing the vapid, fake Republican party weather vanes to twist in the wind or go down in a blaze of misplaced loyalty. Suck it, Ryan and Christie and McConnell and Rubio and Cruz. There's an oaf at your elegant table and you want us to feel badly for YOU because you won't send him away and instead keep suffering his tantrums and telling us it's not the behavior you endorse? Oooohkaaay....good luck with that. You have proven exactly how pathetic and useless you really are. I really can't stand Trump, but I really loathe you guys even more. He's exposed you more than he has Hillary.
4. Maybe because he's 70 and I'm feeling a bit emotional about my own elderly parents, but I do feel the TINIEST flicker of empathy for him for his total dependence on others for validation and self-worth. It's not easy to think of someone at his age potentially having his entire self-perception trashed without redemption, and I do think there's the TINIEST bit of humanity under all that bluster/BS and it's a shame he can't develop that. 
5. When trying to address sexism or racism or homophobia, I, personally, am far more comfortable dealing with someone who's blatant and out with it, not a well-mannered, insidious racist/sexist/homophobe. 

That said - it's a sad, terrifying day in American politics that this dangerous, ignoble fool is so close to the White House and that he's ramping up a dangerous level of hate for Hillary at his rallies. I feel like I'm watching the groundwork laid and emotional hysteria getting revved up for an assassination attempt. I hope I'm wrong, but I am sickened that a political candidate would encourage such base, violent hatred toward his opponent and that crowds seem to be eating it up. 

Edited October 13, 2016 by potatoradio
Oops. Loath and loathe. Sometimes, grammar is not my friend.

[backformore]

watching  Trump's response to the sexual allegations against him.

 What I've heard so far:   False attacks by Hillary Clinton and Barak Obama, who are letting radical Islamic terrorists into our country, blah blah, blah, make America Great Again,   our policy is  "America First" , blah blah, secret meetings, Hillary should be prosecuted.  The FBI is corrupt, Hillary is guilty of everything she's been accused of, and FAR MORE.   blah blah,  Conspiracy against the American people.  Malicious attacks against me, when I just want to give back to the country I love.    Crowd chants USA USA ! 

[MulletorHater]

1 hour ago, hoosier80 said:

I really think he entered the race not thinking he'd get this far, even with all his blustering about he's not a loser.  He's all about the fame, notoriety, adulation, but not the actual day to day grind of what that job entails.  It's a daunting task, where details matter.  He likes to play, be in the spotlight.  I don't think he was equipped to go this far nor did he plan for it.  

I remember Rachel Maddow theorizing about that last year.  She even went so far as predicting that he would try to find a way to gracefully bow out before things got too far and would do it in a way where he didn't end up looking like a loser.  She was certain that he didn't really want to be president and that his campaign was just one big scam to enrich himself and his awful fambly.  

I'm inclined to agree with her, but will add that because he's such a narcissist, he was seduced by all the adulation and worship and needed more.  There was nothing too outrageous for his fans.  Based on the PBS/Frontline documentary, The Choice 2016, it became clear to me that this was a huge ego salve for him and he wanted his revenge on President Obama for daring to clown him at the White House Correspondents Dinner the night before Osama bin Laden was killed.  

1 hour ago, callmebetty said:

One of the things that still baffles and irks me is how there was no real backlash for his comments about John McCain not being a hero because he was captured.  When that came out I thought oh boy I can't wait to hear McCain's response and veterans groups.  But I dont' remember McCain every lashing out, which he had every right too, I don't remember any real backlash.  Please if someone can give me links to prove me wrong I would appreciate it.  Too add to the things Trump could do and no one would care: he could take a dump in Arlington Cemetery and wipe his ass with the US flag and no one would bat an eye. At least not the GOP.

Some of the party elite denounced Trump's comments about Senator McCain, but I don't recall anyone withdrawing their support for him and there was no huge backlash from voters.  Some of Trump's more vocal supporters saw no problem with it since, according to them, McCain is a RINO anyway and is weak.  Never mind that Captain Heel Spur couldn't seem to remember which foot the bone spurs were in or whether both feet were affected.  He never had surgery for his condition, couldn't remember how long it lasted or when it cleared up.  Nor, could he produce the letter that he claimed his doctor wrote to Selective Service.

[madmaverick]

I just love Michelle Obama!! She speaks for us all.

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/10/13/politics/michelle-obama-donald-trump-election-2016/index.html

[Guest]

Aubrey O'Day formally of Making the Band's "Danity Kane" went on the apprentice. Someone tweeted her the other day asking her to "spill the tea" about Donald and she said something like "I don't have a nondisclosure, and trump is lucky I haven't said what I know. He is garbage."

[abstractstuff]

Aubrey was pure garbage bully  when she was on that season. I loved Mrs. Obama's speech. I'm still waiting to wake up from all of this. I can't accept that this is real life. 

[atomationage]

1 hour ago, car54 said:

"There's a Big Donald, and a Little Donald and the Little Donald is pathetic."

He's wrong though, both Donalds are bathetic.  Personally, I blame Mark Burnett for the whole mess.   He's the one who put Drumpf in prime time and made him into someone that the deplorables could admire.

[backformore]

I remember Aubrey being  a self-involved asshole on Apprentice, but I don't remember details.  JUst that she treated  others like crap.  BUT - I'd love to hear what she says about Trump.  

[Guest]

I don't particularly like Aubrey any more, I did when she was on Making the Band but I'd love to hear what she has to say. Wish she would tell us.

[Kitty Redstone]

1 hour ago, Frost said:

And he's absolutely addicted to his rallies.  He gets to appear before cheering acolytes and rant and rave and yell about whatever the hell he wants to.  No way he's ever going to give that up.  I'm actually kind of fascinated to know how he's going to handle this addiction once he's lost.  Will thousands of people still show up for rallies several times a week?  Even is he starts his own media outlet, I don't know that sitting in a studio is going to satisfy his ego any longer.

Same here.  I'm quite interested in who's going to fund his next phase of megalomania.  I can't imagine that his "deplorables" have enough discretionary income available to support the ol' gasbag in the manner he thinks he deserves.  Maybe he'll go fully off the rails and spend his own money, and then bankrupt himself again.

Agreeing with others that the Republicans have been in trouble for quite some time.  I remember reading analysts back in the early 90s worried about the rise of the Religious Right (specifically Dominionists) and how it was going to negatively affect the party.  These people were (and still are) relentless and some of them downright totalitarian, and yet party leaders still courted them.  It's continued on through the years with the Tea Party and now with Trump.  I don't feel bad that their support for some of these loons is coming back to bite them.  Anyone with a brain not riddled by short-term thinking saw it coming.

Edited October 13, 2016 by Kitty Redstone

[HumblePi]

19 hours ago, Jordan27 said:

We had 16 to Trump.  Who is running for the Dem nomination in 2020 if Hillary loses?

Hopefully, Michelle Obama

[Darian]

I remember watching the Democratic National Convention thinking how many rising stars were speaking. There are many legislators I can see running in 2020 and doing quite well. But I hope President Hillary Rodham Clinton is running for reelection!

[Padma]

1 hour ago, potatoradio said:

Because both sides need equal presentation (barf), I, a Hillary supporter, offer a few minutes of being nice to Mr. Trump:

1. He was kinda funny on the Apprentice. The humor was not worth the sexism and inappropriate behavior that took place off and on camera and it wasn't worth suffering his ego enough to watch, but I admit, sometimes I'd laugh at what he said when I caught an ep.
2. I can appreciate someone who (allegedly) wants incisive, direct answers to questions and not vague, self-serving spins from politicians. 
3. I freaking love his forcing the vapid, fake Republican party weather vanes to twist in the wind or go down in a blaze of misplaced loyalty. Suck it, Ryan and Christie and McConnell and Rubio and Cruz. There's an oaf at your elegant table and you want us to feel badly for YOU because you won't send him away and instead keep suffering his tantrums and telling us it's not the behavior you endorse? Oooohkaaay....good luck with that. You have proven exactly how pathetic and useless you really are. I really can't stand Trump, but I really loathe you guys even more. He's exposed you more than he has Hillary.
4. Maybe because he's 70 and I'm feeling a bit emotional about my own elderly parents, but I do feel the TINIEST flicker of empathy for him for his total dependence on others for validation and self-worth. It's not easy to think of someone at his age potentially having his entire self-perception trashed without redemption, and I do think there's the TINIEST bit of humanity under all that bluster/BS and it's a shame he can't develop that. 
5. When trying to address sexism or racism or homophobia, I, personally, am far more comfortable dealing with someone who's blatant and out with it, not a well-mannered, insidious racist/sexist/homophobe. 

That said - it's a sad, terrifying day in American politics that this dangerous, ignoble fool is so close to the White House and that he's ramping up a dangerous level of hate for Hillary at his rallies. I feel like I'm watching the groundwork laid and emotional hysteria getting revved up for an assassination attempt. I hope I'm wrong, but I am sickened that a political candidate would encourage such base, violent hatred toward his opponent and that crowds seem to be eating it up. 

I always appreciate a devil's advocate! (And if Hillary's "a demon", Mr. Trump, what does that make you? But I digress).  When he began his campaign, I had kind of a benign, amused view of him (yes, in spite of his birtherism, which I forgot about--now ashamed to say).  It was from watching the edit he got on the Apprentice. Yes, he was gruff and an egotist, BUT he could be supportive and funny and the "decisions" were usually shown to have been fairly deliberated (more or less). He was like a movie character with a lot of flaws, but you kind of get used to them and find him likeable in spite of them.

Mark Burnett obviously doesn't have the conscience Tony Schwartz does. I'm sure we've all seen Schwartz in interviews trying to make amends for mythologizing someone "so awful" when he wrote The Art of the Deal. He consults with Clinton for free "in penance" and has donated all royalties from the book sale (since Trump announced his candidacy) to charities that Trump wouldn't approve of--climate change, abortion, liberal causes.

Back to my own take on the things you mentioned in the post above:

1. Yes.
2. Yes, but Trump spins just like anyone EXCEPT its not about ideas, its about personalities and slogans (the Wall, etc.) It would be great to have a straight-talker, but imo that's not him. He doesn't know anything about anything and can't get out of obsession with personalities (most of all, with himself).
3. Yes. It's not on purpose on his part, but they've imploded and been exposed which is all to the good. (A few even acquitted themselves well, I never would have expected--like Romney, and Lindsey Graham. Most of the others? Not so much.)
4. After reading so many books by and about him the past few months I feel zero sympathy for him, 70 or not. He's a bully and he's mean. He's ruthless and he doesn't care whom he crushes.  As Barbara Res (construction head of Trump Tower and other DT projects), "Donald can be charming, but he isn't nice." I believe her. He's, at heart, a mean SOB and he makes other people's lives a living hell without a shred of remorse.
5. I prefer Trump's unfiltered style to Cruz, Rubio and even Ryan and Kasich.  He's got his own kind of fakeness, but it's still preferable to theirs.

[HumblePi]

20 hours ago, HunterHunted said:

Trump would say something outrageous and/or incendiary. The press would cover it and reach out to his campaign to explain his statement (as decent journalists would normally do). Trump and his surrogates would give dozens of interviews doubling down on his incendiary soundbites. So by saying some dumb insane thing, he would end up with 5 hours (just guessing) of his crazy pants statements repeated on tv and he never had to pay a cent to do so. I don't even know if it was intentional. 

Unfortunately, the last 20 years has been disastrous for American journalism and for the American population's understanding of what journalism is. People seem to think it's all opinion and no investigation into the underlying truth. Additionally the last 20 years has been disastrous for Americans' understanding of what the government does and how it's supposed to function. 

Donald Trump and the Republican supporters have always been at odds with the press claiming 'rigged' and 'biased', but here's where the beginning of his troubles began with the press. If you recall, when he was selected by the Republican Party as their candidate and began doing rallies, there was problems from the start.  One of Hillary's protestors was punched in the face with an elbow by a Trump supporter, and Trump condoned that. Then Corey Lewandowski who was his campaign manager at the time, grabbed reporter Michelle Fields and denied it, but it was all recorded on video. After those incidents and a few others involving protestors, Donald Trump banned the press, took away their credentials and refused them entrance to his rallies. He banned and blacklisted Univision, The Daily Beast, The Huffington Post, Politico, Buzzfeed, The Des Moines Register, and multiple digital news feeds just to name a few.  This was actually in violation of the protection of the First Amendment, 'Freedom of Speech'.  Then he began complaining, "why didn't the press give me more coverage of the millions of dollars I promise to donate to charity?"  He clearly asked for a double standard of the media. He banned them from his press conferences and rallies, but then he turned around and demanded coverage from the press on only hand-picked topics.

Donald Trump is comfortable appearing on Sean Hannity's show on Fox Network 'Hannity'. Sean Hannity has no credentials as a journalist, nor does he hold a college degree. He will admit it himself clarifying that he is a 'commentator'.  Sean Hannity and Bill O'Reilly 'feed the beast'. They pander to Trump like nobody else and never hold him responsible for his words. They inflate his ego and play right into his bombastic exaggerations and lies.

[atomationage]

Hannity will always be "Lumpy" to me now, ever since Jon Stewart called him that on Colbert's show.  

[zxy556575]

9 hours ago, backformore said:

Trump thinks he's running for king. Emperor, dictator. something. if you listen to what he says, he seems to believe that he can fire generals and appoint new ones, arrest, torture and imprison whomever he wants, change laws to suit him, and dictate what other countries have to do. He's going to lower taxes, increase wages, and bomb to hell out of any country he wants to.

As repugnant and stomach-churning as his comments on the bus were, his personal treatment of women as fuck objects is not even one of my primary concerns about him as President. His belief that he can run roughshod over the Constitution and bomb other countries into submission at whim is much scarier to me. This thin-skinned egotist with zero impulse control could order the release of nuclear weapons!

And no, he doesn't want to do any of the work of being President but would let true religious zealots make those decisions for him. On his own, he doesn't care about gays or abortion and isn't in the least religious, nor does he have strong moral convictions.

It's interesting to speculate about what has changed over the last few years. Trump has run and talked about running for President before and was laughed out of the room. As trifling as it is, I think his slogan to make American great again resonated with a lot of people: those who feel that the (white males in the) U.S. should rightly rule -- and stomp -- the rest of the world.

Edited October 14, 2016 by lordonia

[Frost]

22 minutes ago, Kitty Redstone said:

I'm quite interested in who's going to fund his next phase of megalomania.  I can't imagine that his "deplorables" have enough discretionary income available to support the ol' gasbag in the manner he thinks he deserves.  Maybe he'll go fully off the rails and spend his own money, and then bankrupt himself again.

At one time, I imagine Trump's 'brand' was mid to high end luxury (although always on the gaudy side).  Where does his brand go from here?  High society must be running from him as fast as possible.  I've heard his Trump branded properties are down in earnings since his campaign started.   Who's going to pay mega-bucks for membership to his golf courses or high prices for his hotel rooms?  My brightest dream is that the Trump brand is utterly trashed long term and his children will actually have to go work somewhere nepotism doesn't automatically elevate them to a vice presidency.  If they earn it, fine. 

Since Trump Airways went belly up, maybe they can turn their attention to Trump Doublewides.

[HumblePi]

1 minute ago, lordonia said:

And no, he doesn't want to do any of the work of being President but would let true religious conservatives make those decisions for him. On his own, he doesn't care about gays or abortion and isn't in the least religious, nor does he have strong moral convictions.

 

I've been saying this from the start, during the Republican debates when there were still 47 candidates on stage (well, it seemed like it). I thought at that time that Donald Trump really, REALLY didn't want to actually be a working President, he wanted to WIN.  Winning!! As Charlie Sheen has said, was the motivation behind Trump, not living in the White House in Washington, not being involved in board rooms sitting with diplomats, and politicians, not dedicating four years of his life being where the buck stopped. His motivation was just one more ego-satisfying wins. If nothing else, Donald Trump is a man with an honest-to-goodness mental disorder. His ego needs affirmation from screaming and adoring fans, His energy, drive and motivation come from the rallies. He isn't motivating him, they are motivating him. It's all backwards. And besides, Melania Trump doesn't want to be forced to have to live in that 'dump' (the White House)

[backformore]

for laughs, there's a twitter hastag -  https://twitter.com/hashtag/TrumpDrSeuss?src=hash#

look it up #TrumpDrSeuss

Examples:
‏

Quote

 

@BenHooperWrites

"I would grab her by the box, yes I would, if she's a fox

Samantha Bednarz ‏@theOGsammajamma

Cindy Lou Who, who was no more than two and he told her they'd date when she turned 22

 

Quote

April Del Rario ‏@AprilDelRario

You cannot touch me here or there You cannot touch me anywhere! I do not like your tiny hands I do not like them orange man!

Chrissa Hardy ‏@chrissahardy

Your heart's an empty hole. Your brain is full of spiders. You've got garlic in your soul, Mr Trump

Sarah Wood ‏@SarahWoodwriter

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can make sure Trump isn't the person you choose

Edited October 13, 2016 by backformore

[HumblePi]

1 minute ago, backformore said:

for laughs, there's a twitter hastag -  https://twitter.com/hashtag/TrumpDrSeuss?src=hash#

look it up #TrumpDrSeuss

Examples:
‏

 

[SPLAIN]

14 hours ago, backformore said:

Trevor Noah replied to the Trump team who are acting like it's the word "pussy"  that is making people clutch pearls and gasp. 

 

the part I'm referring to is at the 8 minute mark.  He makes it clear that crude language is NOT the issue. 

I watch this show every chance I get. I am so glad I DVR'd this episode because he was right on the money. He clearly made the distinction between what Trump said and what true locker room chatter is all about. This is probably my favorite episode thus far.

 

12 hours ago, backformore said:

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-on-the-commission-for-presidential-debates-it’s-a-‘rigged-deal’-and-‘i’m-done’/ar-AAiSgd1?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartanntp

Trump is considering NOT doing the third debate.  

Trump won't do the debate, but he will continue to use television and social media as his platform to continue to spew his nonsense, hate, vulgarities, and all the other matters he deems important. What he doesn't talk about are the issues that a presidential elect should be focusing on. All this person is interested in doing is threatening to sue anyone who dares to lay an accusation against him, seeking revenge, and threatening H. Clinton.

[Hanahope]

I would be more than happy if Trump refuses to do the 3rd debate, since that's the one 'moderated' by Faux News.

[backformore]

[car54]

http://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-apologises-serbia-yugoslavia-bombing-509417

WHUT?

[HunterHunted]

That he is thin skinned and petty has been one of my chief concerns about him. When Mitt Romney gave that press conference and refuted that Trump was a good business man, Trump won a ton of primaries, but spent an entire press conference talking about all of his Trump products. His own insane ego is so easily bruised that he can't stay on message.  Who cares if someone makes fun of Trump steaks and vodka. He was that much closer to being president and he could only fixate on bullshit. Emotionally he's a toddler. You cannot have a person like that negotiating with other countries. I'm positive that had he received the snub President Obama got in the Philippines, he would be calling for war.