S04.E10: Ivanka & Jared

[Athena]

Quote

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner hold an incredible amount of political power. That's troubling considering their incredibly small amount of political experience.

 

[Lantern7]

Wow . . . 100th episode in two weeks. How will John mark the occasion?

Sweet episode centered on Ivanka and Silent Jared, with an assist from Gilbert Gottfried. Il liked that I paused during the opening titles to see Bill O'Reilly pictured as "Non-Factor," and then John ends the show with 3-5 minutes of the guy's "best" work, including his hissy fit on Inside Edition (or whichever new program he was hosting). And unlike other places, we got it uncensored. Bless you, HBO!

Best part of the talking heads montage . ..  the random head smiling, knowing he/she looks sane by not trying to holler away.

[Primetimer]

'If they are the reason you are sleeping at night, you should probably still be awake.'

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[ganesh]

I don't watch this show as a substitute to watching the news, but I really wish the real news actually covered what a con artist Cersei Ivanka is. Not like most of us didn't know. How hard is it to find her book? How can one say she'll be a "moderating" influence on climate change when she has zero public statements on policy? Or Planned Parenthood? Because that's working. How isn't no one screaming that Kushner has zero qualifications to do any of those one things, let alone all of them? 

I wish JO pointed out how Ivanka used her audience with the Chinese president to obtain the trademarks for her brand because I think that underscores the point. No one is bringing up that there's a law against appointing relatives to the Executive branch. It's not clear whether that's just for cabinet positions or appointed positions in the office of the president. I'm surprised no one has sued. 

[lavenderrose]

It was a good show just not as good as last week's episode. I do think he was soft on those two, but he brought up a good point about people needing to be more smarter of who they place their trust in this wonky government. Loved the O'Reily montage he was just a vile piece of garbage that was finally thrown out.

[attica]

Another data point on the argument "Charlie Rose is a menace", with him demanding that Gayle testify to facts not in evidence about where Ivanka disagrees with her father. Dude, I know you've got air to fill, but that kind of thing isn't helping. (Not that I'm cutting Gayle any slack here, but CR's the eminence grise on the set.)

A poster on the Rachel Maddow thread pointed out something worth sharing here; after reading it, I was keen so see it borne out on the clips JO played. To wit: one reason Ivanka is seen as reasonable is that she speaks slowly and measuredly. It makes her sound thoughtful. Even though she's not saying anything content-wise, well, she just comes across as not-cray. (Her father, by contrast, can't get to the end of a single sentence without digression --unless, of course, that the sentence is some kind of self-praise.)

8 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

100th episode in two weeks. How will John mark the occasion?

My guess is that it will include some dancing mascots, and if I'm lucky, some of that sweet, sweet, no-fuck-giving Janice from Accounting.

[ganesh]

Ivanka is a far better con artist than her father. I have no doubt she carefully plans and vets every public word. I have no doubt the husband is being directed to do much of the same. That's why he never talks. 

[vibeology]

9 hours ago, Lantern7 said:

Best part of the talking heads montage . ..  the random head smiling, knowing he/she looks sane by not trying to holler away.

At one point Van Jones was just living for being the only silent person on the screen. That entire segment was headache inducing and a strong reminder of why I stopped watching most cable news. I might occasionally catch a clip of a one on one interview online after the fact or switch over if there's an actual breaking news crisis (remember when we used the term "breaking news" rarely and when there was an actual emergency?) happening but the day to day yelling that takes place is not for me.

As for Jervanka, I was glad to see John go after them. I'm so tired of people propping her up while she does little to earn it. I recently got into a debate with my mom about Ivanka and my mom's argument was that Ivanka was smart and had the most sense. I actually do think she's smart; I don't think you can have such tight control over your public image if you're dumb. But I don't think she cares about anyone other than herself, her family and her money. So far she's managed to find ways to personally benefit from the situation several times. I haven't seen her doing anything for someone else.

As for Jered, it absolutely blows my mind that he's been put in charge of so much without any significant pushback. He is a 36 year old who coasted on family money, is business failure who was also an academic failure and has no government experience. (Wait, I think I get what Trump sees in him- a mirror!) He's in charge of basically everything and there is little support staff in most departments. Why is this okay? How can he be in every meeting and still have time to make peace in the Middle East?

[stillshimpy]

Jeez, poor John and his poor staff.  Yet another uplifting week to cover.  Assignments in that writers' room must be a source of a fucked-no-matter-what-lottery.  "Hey, the likelihood that we'll blow up as a world increases daily! Wooo!  Look towards Turkey and weep for the future.   Also, in the so-much-for-leading-the-free-world category, 45 called the next scary assed dictator of a continually destabilizing region to congratulate him on his win while simultaneously contradicting everything his press secretary just said that made everyone feel a teeny bit better for approximately 8 seconds.  Hope you enjoyed that brief respite and that it sufficiently distracted you from the attempts to provoke a plump madman with bad genes. Also, Bill O'Reilly was finally fired...and he only got 7 million dollars more for his disgrace than his collective victims got for his gross mistreatment of them.  Ah, justice, it's a thing of beauty.  Or would be, if I could remember what it looks like.  Who wants which story?!?" 

Cue the stampede to the liquor cart or possibly the medicine cabinet and that's before we get into the family drama of all things White House related that could, oh bonus, is yet another reason that it's probably time for all of us to really pursue our bucket lists. 

Add the creepy cherry to the grotesque sundae:  We think Ivanka represents hope.  Ha.  Also?  Oh shit.  

[Traveller519]

Well John, if your goal was, as you said, to make my sleep more difficult to come by last night, mission accomplished.

I do think that, as John alluded to, the reason people have gravitated towards Jared and Ivanka is because while they will freely admit that by-and-large their politics don't align (that's part of democracy, and really, being a human being) they recognize them as at least quasi-stable people in the Clown Car. For many of us, having some confidence that while policies that can eventually be undone can be endured so long as there's someone even keeled enough to slap away his hand from the nuke button, is hope to which we can cling.

[ganesh]

I would have liked a little more time spent on the hundreds of executive branch posts that are currently unfilled. It's not the congress stalling. No one has been submitted for these jobs. It's indicative how no one knows how to run the government. 

Just now, Traveller519 said:

I do think that, as John alluded to, the reason people have gravitated towards Jared and Ivanka is because while they will freely admit that by-and-large their politics don't align (that's part of democracy, and really, being a human being) they recognize them as at least quasi-stable people in the Clown Car.

But there's no evidence of that. Ivaka's own words are to passively manipulate people for her own gain. There's demonstrable proof of that by obtaining the trademarks when the Chinese president visited. People think that because of her carefully cultivated public image. That was the point of the segment. There's no way the other one can solve one, let alone the twenty something things he's been tasked with. There's more of a chance he'll screw everything up royally. Actually, there's more of a chance that nothing will get done, which probably is the best outcome in this scenario. 

Trump isn't going to get "his fingers on the nukes". You don't just push a button unilaterally. If anything, the argument is that the secretary of defense won't let it happen. He's the actual sane adult and Trump will back right down.

[iMonrey]

I was appreciative of this in depth look at Jared Kushner because it's something I've not seen elsewhere. All we ever seem to hear are the same talking points on cable news that John played clips of: people saying over and over how smart he is, because he went to Harvard. Yeah because his daddy made a 2 million dollar donation. But the look at Ivanka feels like deja vu - I think Sam Bee or someone else already covered this angle.

[ganesh]

Sam Bee covered her from a feminist pov: If you wanted a progressive feminist in the White House, you could have voted for Clinton. 
I've never seen/heard anyone who examined her book though. 

[Victor the Crab]

Gilbert Gottfried's voice over of one of Jared Kushner's rare televised interviews was the hilarious, belly laughing remedy needed for a rather depressing show. Ollie played it three times during the show, including at the very end, and it's still fuckin' funny. XD

I think another reason why Kushner and his sweetheart in corruption and conflict of interest Ivanka escape scrutiny from the lazy Liberally Biased Mainstream Media™ is that they are a youthful photogenic couple who "can't do anything wrong" because "they're so beautiful (sigh!)". Ollie wasn't just kidding about comparing them to William and Kate, if for that reason alone. Being beautiful and fit looking seems to get you quite far and get away with things in this society. If they looked fat and ugly, you think the LBMM™ would be swooning over them? From the looks of it, these apples don't look like they fall far from the trees when you know who their fathers are.

Another great Good Riddance! Goodbye Bill O'Reilly send off, but with the non censured version of his meltdown. >:D

[peeayebee]

6 hours ago, attica said:

A poster on the Rachel Maddow thread pointed out something worth sharing here; after reading it, I was keen so see it borne out on the clips JO played. To wit: one reason Ivanka is seen as reasonable is that she speaks slowly and measuredly. It makes her sound thoughtful. Even though she's not saying anything content-wise, well, she just comes across as not-cray.

So true. She's very polished, very proper, always put together. There were a couple of times while watching her speak that I wondered when and how she learned to present herself. I can imagine her daddy -- always concerned with appearances and perceptions -- giving her lessons, training her to be "perfect." 

Frankly, I think she and her husband look like Barbie and Ken; i.e., non-human, inoffensive on the surface, without genitals.

 

5 hours ago, vibeology said:

At one point Van Jones was just living for being the only silent person on the screen. 

I absolutely loved watching him smile as the annoying blathering went on around him. I just hate this trend of shout-discussion. 

 

1 minute ago, Victor the Crab said:

Gilbert Gottfried's voice over of one of Jared Kushner's rare televised interviews was the hilarious, belly laughing remedy needed for a rather depressing show.

That was so inspired. I kept expecting John to go back and play it with the real audio, but I'm glad he didn't.

I admit I don't watch very much news on TV, so I was wondering if that clip of Trump from a couple of years ago was played before, the one where he admits his building in Turkey is a conflict of interest.

[GHScorpiosRule]

That clip of O'Reilly from his days at Inside Edition, a Tabloid tv show, has been shown before-I think Jon Stewart showed it before he retired. Trevor aired it last week on his show.

Alas, though the sexual harassing ASSHOLE was booted from his job, he's still got his podcast, which he'll be talking from today (I read that on my FB feed over the weekend), so I doubt he'll disappear into oblivion like he deserves to be. The only silver lining, if you will, is that it's a subscription podcast and not free.

Ivanka just looks like a stepford person-there is no affect when she speaks and her eyes are so DEAD looking. And she also looks like the man who spawned her. All his kids, except for Tiffany, do.

That's why I always scroll past anything to do with her and her husband; because my head will just explode. 

[HawaiiTVGuy]

The presentation video for Dumbo Heights was exactly as JO described it, and...unfortunately probably all too common.

[iMonrey]

Quote

Ollie wasn't just kidding about comparing them to William and Kate

"Except that both are good looking." Awwwww - that was uncalled for. Wils is just fine looking, especially compared to his father.

Quote

Alas, though the sexual harassing ASSHOLE was booted from his job, he's still got his podcast, which he'll be talking from today (I read that on my FB feed over the weekend), so I doubt he'll disappear into oblivion like he deserves to be.

No, he won't, he'll just get another show somewhere else. He also walked away from Fox with a $25 million severance package. It's not like he's being punished in any way. His doting fans are more devoted to him than ever.

Edited April 24, 2017 by iMonrey

[ganesh]

I'm telling y'all. He replaces Spicer by the end of the summer. 

[ruby24]

Ivanka has dead, lifeless eyes. She looks like a stepford wife. I don't understand why people think she sounds smart because she talks slowly. She says NOTHING in those sentences. Nothing. They're a collection of buzzwords. 

I understand people wanting to have some hope, because being hopeless all the time is exhausting and can lead to despair, but placing it in her? I just can't do it, because for me the only thing she could have ever done to prove she had any decency was disavow her father and everything he's said and done. 

John was too easy on them in this episode. By the way, by the time he's supposed to be on in two weeks, there may be a writers strike happening. If that occurs, he wouldn't even come back until it's over, right? I'm scared of losing the late night shows over this. John and Sam Bee and Colbert and Trevor Noah have been the only things keeping me afloat these days.

[plurie]

18 hours ago, ganesh said:

Trump isn't going to get "his fingers on the nukes". You don't just push a button unilaterally. If anything, the argument is that the secretary of defense won't let it happen. He's the actual sane adult and Trump will back right down.

But if Trump keeps goading Kim, N. Korea might strike first, and THEN Trump could easily launch a retaliatory nuclear strike and start WW III. Sleep well...

[ganesh]

Strike what? I take your point, but they don't have tactical nuclear weapons. I would be surprised if they have 2 devices. Even if they did, I seriously think the Chinese would prevent them. They (Chinese) are invested in maintaining the status quo and aren't going to let things get out of hand either. 

But yes, Trump needs to shut up and not take their bait. He has no idea of the geopolitics of the region. 

Oh, I was also going to say that Ivanka is at some women's conference in Berlin and the media is getting on her case. Why are you here? Your father has a terrible record with women. She's giving standard nonanswers. "Well there's 1000s of women who worked for him." Oh, you mean the ones in Las Vegas who tried to strike because he didn't pay them minimum wage?

Edited April 25, 2017 by ganesh

[mojoween]

The talking head segment made me tense and made my chest hurt.  I have never wanted anything to end more than I did that segment.  And people actually watch that shit regularly?  On purpose?

There is nothing decent in our current presidential administration.  I'm glad John pointed out that Jared and Ivanka are not an exception to the rule, but the people watching probably already thought that.  The ones who disagree with John on most things most likely don't watch and probably think Ivanka is sweetness personified.

[Danny Franks]

Has there ever been a montage that summed up cable news more accurately than that? A bunch of people shouting their opinions out, unfettered and unintelligible. 

The Erdogan referendum is genuinely concerning, but hardly unexpected. The voter breakdown I've seen of it shows what is becoming more apparent with every election. That is, the less educated you are, the more right wing you're likely to be. Easier to manipulate and with more insecurities to exploit, I suppose. But still, I cannot fathom why you would ever vote to give your national leader massively increased powers.

I'm glad John mainly ignored the nepotism aspect of Ivanka and Jared's roles. Because it's easy to get hung up on that instead of looking at what they're actually planning to do, in the roles they've been given.

Shining a light on Ivanka's style over substance presentation is valuable. I don't know if people have been wooed by her being young and attractive, and figure she must therefore be a better person, or if they're just desperate to hope that someone in this administration isn't a monster. But the woman stands for nothing except enriching herself and building her brand. Just like all Trumps. They are moral vacuums. And how could they not be, with that man as a father?

As John pointed out, all the things that news woman listed that she feels Ivanka disagrees with, and moderates her father on? They're all things he's directly attacking, through the few measures he's bothered to try to get passed, in between golfing trips. So either he doesn't listen to her, or she doesn't give a shit about any of those things. Either way, it means she is useless.

Regarding Kushner, I think it's clear that there's a case of projection and fantasy going on, for the Donster. He wishes he was Kushner. Young, handsome, appealing, married to Ivanka. I've heard that Kushner has had a similar effect on Rupert Murdoch, who invested a lot of time in him, when Kushner bought that newspaper.

John pointing out that just 'listening and not talking' doesn't mean you have a fucking clue what's going on was so on point. This guy is probably out of his depth to the Nth degree, and desperately hoping none of the adults figure it out and ask him to leave.

The Gilbert Gottfried bit almost made me cry laughing. I honestly wasn't expecting one of John's bait and switch gags, there. But this was a nice and quick analysis of the ways in which Kushner has no right to even be interning at the White House, let alone revamping the entire Federal Government. His dad paid his way into Harvard, he got control of the Kushner business because his dad is a crook, he married into the Trump empire. He's just one of those rich kids who has managed to fail upwards, because old men are happy to take him under their wing.

I already knew about the 666 5th Avenue deal. They covered it on Trumpcast a couple of weeks ago, and it seems like the Kushners are in a bit of a financial hole with the building. A hole that Kushner may just be able to use his new governmental connections to dig himself out of. A Chinese company was ready to pay the Kushners $4billion for the building and the debt, a deal which would have made no sense financially, so the most likely reasoning behind it is that it also came with some other perks. Like, maybe, a direct route into the White House. Fortunately, that Chinese company pulled out of the deal.

It's amazing how many clips people can pull of Bill O'Reilly being an absolutely abysmal human being, without having to repeat them. It seems like everything that ever came out of his mouth was disgusting.

[ganesh]

4 minutes ago, Danny Franks said:

I'm glad John mainly ignored the nepotism aspect of Ivanka and Jared's roles. Because it's easy to get hung up on that instead of looking at what they're actually planning to do, in the roles they've been given.

I agree with the motivation for the segment, but there is an actual law against nepotism in government. Whether it applies to direct appointments or only confirmed appointments is a legal question that should be addressed. I would have liked some acknowledgment of that but since they are actually there, really looking at who these people are is important. 

[Hanahope]

1 hour ago, Danny Franks said:

Shining a light on Ivanka's style over substance presentation is valuable. I don't know if people have been wooed by her being young and attractive, and figure she must therefore be a better person, or if they're just desperate to hope that someone in this administration isn't a monster. But the woman stands for nothing except enriching herself and building her brand. Just like all Trumps. They are moral vacuums. And how could they not be, with that man as a father?

People like Ivanka because she pretty and blonde.  Yes, she's also well-dressed and generally articulate, but her appearance is 90% of why people, on first impressions, like her.  Its the way the world works everywhere.  If the woman is the epitome of that culture's beauty standard, that woman has power.  Ivanka has also learned how to con, just like her Daddy, and she knows that because of her appearance, she can do almost whatever she wants with men.

I just think how things would be different if Hillary had won and then tried to appoint Chelsea and her husband to some position, akin to Ivanka and Jared.  

[Cyranetta]

I hadn't been aware of "Dumbo Heights" before John Oliver's show, but I kept expecting him to ding Kushner for such a weird name. I'm trying to imagine who would be attracted to "Dumbo Heights" - I find myself deficient in imagination.

[Robert Lynch]

I for one never found Ivanka attractive. There was always something unsettling about her. Be it her eyes or face, she never seemed real to me. Like a Barbie doll come to life, but without any of the emotions. Did you guys remember her on SNL two years back? She was horrid. She had that bitch face when she did that one line. My guess is that she still has that resting bitch face.

 

As for Jared, is it just me or does he look like a young Wil Wheaton? I am expecting someone to say "Shut up, Jared" anytime now. 

[ganesh]

13 minutes ago, Robert Lynch said:

There was always something unsettling about her. Be it her eyes or face, she never seemed real to me.

She seems to have an overly steady gaze, which tells me she's concentrating very hard on what she's saying because she's trying to maintain that facade that was discussed on the show. 

[Danny Franks]

8 hours ago, Hanahope said:

People like Ivanka because she pretty and blonde.  Yes, she's also well-dressed and generally articulate, but her appearance is 90% of why people, on first impressions, like her.  Its the way the world works everywhere.  If the woman is the epitome of that culture's beauty standard, that woman has power.  Ivanka has also learned how to con, just like her Daddy, and she knows that because of her appearance, she can do almost whatever she wants with men.

I just think how things would be different if Hillary had won and then tried to appoint Chelsea and her husband to some position, akin to Ivanka and Jared.  

Ah, but you're forgetting the cardinal rule of American politics: It's Okay if You're a Republican.

Their hypocrisy is staggering, but Trump and his 'literally everything I accuse people of is something I've done myself' approach is actually managing to take it to new heights.

Regarding Ivanka, I would not go so far as to say she's the epitome of any culture's beauty. From some angles, she looks very attractive, but from others she has an alien or insectoid aspect that's quite disturbing. Particularly in that interview John showed, where she was filmed head on. But hey, Donnie Moscow still thinks she's hot, so what do I know?

5 hours ago, Cyranetta said:

I hadn't been aware of "Dumbo Heights" before John Oliver's show, but I kept expecting him to ding Kushner for such a weird name. I'm trying to imagine who would be attracted to "Dumbo Heights" - I find myself deficient in imagination.

Dumbo is a neighbourhood in Brooklyn, where this project must be based. I guess it represents Kushner actually trying to get up to speed in the real estate game. From what I've heard, Brooklyn is the real hot spot at the moment, for all that 'synergy' and 'innovation' that Kushner's promotional video prattled on about. I don't know where the name came from originally.

[dcalley]

It's an acronym of Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass.

[spaceghostess]

I enjoyed this episode and was happy to see the hilarious/creepy spotlight on those two cyborgs. But, while warning against placing hope or trust in an apparently soulless void and the soulless void/cipher she married is always a good idea, that segment could have been cut to three minutes because the answer to why J and I are not and will never be moderating influences is SO simple.

As many actual mental health professionals have opined (not diagnosed, of course), Trump checks every box as a malignant narcissist. I see truth in this, not as a professional, but only as someone whose brother is married to a malignant narcissist who has toxically manipulated everyone in my family for the last 17 years. Well, everyone except me . . . because I was too busy being toxically manipulated by the malignant narcissist I married (and with whom I am now engaged in an interminable divorce proceeding and custody battle). My point? There's no such thing as "managing" a narcissist, nor is there such thing as having a "moderating influence" on one. There are two types of people around narcissists: (a) lackeys/flying monkeys who worship the narc's supposed brilliance and/or hope to benefit from their association with him/her, and (b) depressed doormats who've been emotionally bullied to the point of losing touch with who they were before they entered a relationship with the narc (often the fate of a non-narc person who marries one of these walking nightmares). Children of narcissists will either rebel and run fast and far as soon as they can or become enablers par excellence. Having one of these creatures as a parent means never being loved for who you are, or even for who the narc wants you to be (since they're never satisfied). Kids pour endless effort into pleasing a narc parent in hope of getting a scintilla of genuine feeling back. These efforts are doomed, of course--but that doesn't mean they don't drag on for decades.

The only people who make any impression whatsoever on narcs are those who save themselves by going no contact and those who confront and expose the narcissist. Being ignored freaks narcissists right the hell out. Paying no attention to them and their antics causes narcissistic injury from which they recover only by finding other cronies to fill the void left by the smart one who fled. Confrontation and exposure triggers narcissistic rage and usually results in revenge of some sort. Fun anecdote: Within two days of my attorney deposing my ex's former mistress (who was completely in my corner after being subject herself to his sadism), the ex had one of his minions stalking me with a video camera to try to catch me "abusing" our children.  He even got the cops involved. His efforts failed and exposed him for the dick that he is--which has actually helped my custodial case-- but still, not the greatest weekend for me or my kids. This is life on the wrong side of a narc. 

 In Ivanka, I see a daughter who's all about staying on the right side of her narc dad.  She's made herself into a Trump Empire mannequin in the interest of getting and keeping her father's approval. She's a flying monkey whose carefully cultivated ability to fly under the radar is of enormous advantage to daddy dearest. As such, she's the absolute LAST person who will moderate him in any way whatsoever. Jared, doubtless the suckiest suck-up who ever sucked, is the perfect spouse and son-in-law who won't be rocking the yacht in any way, ever.

So that's my Lucy-Van Pelt-The- Doctor-is-IN take on Javanka/Ivared. Which doesn't mean I won't be watching the clip of GG's voice coming out of JK's mouth (along with JO peeing his pants at it) like, fifty more times, at least.

And yup, Van Jones absolutely killed it by saying nothing--and looking sooo happy about it--hee!

[Hanahope]

That clip where Donald and Ivanka are asked what they had in common and Donald says "I would say sex, but she's my daughter" is just so gross, so inappropriate, so horrifying.  And Ivanka just laughs at it.  Are you kidding me???!!! OMG, if my father had said something like that, or my husband to our daughters, I would run away as far as I possibly could.  That is absolutely the worst thing he could have said, and everyone just laughs it off.  So disgusting.

[Rlb8031]

18 hours ago, Cyranetta said:

I hadn't been aware of "Dumbo Heights" before John Oliver's show, but I kept expecting him to ding Kushner for such a weird name. I'm trying to imagine who would be attracted to "Dumbo Heights" - I find myself deficient in imagination.

Its actually a contraction of the names of two Brooklyn neighborhoods, Brooklyn Heights, which overlooks the waterfront next to the Brooklyn Bridge and Dumbo (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge), the adjacent neighborhood. This development sits right on the line between the two neighborhoods (and bridges!!).  Amusing factoid, it was the worldwide headquarters of the Jehovah's Witness until a few years ago when the liquidated their property holdings and departed for greener pastures. Those buildings were where their Watchtower pamphlets were produced and printed.

[dusang]

On 4/25/2017 at 10:30 AM, ganesh said:

Strike what? I take your point, but they don't have tactical nuclear weapons. I would be surprised if they have 2 devices. Even if they did, I seriously think the Chinese would prevent them. They (Chinese) are invested in maintaining the status quo and aren't going to let things get out of hand either. 

I listen to entirely too many political podcasts and I've heard two things that are reassuring/scary - 1) North Korea only threatens retaliatory actions, so we can be somewhat reassured that they won't randomly attack; and 2) the US has 28,000 troops stationed in 15 bases in South Korea -- NK doesn't have to launch a missile very far to hit the US hard.

6 hours ago, Hanahope said:

That clip where Donald and Ivanka are asked what they had in common and Donald says "I would say sex, but she's my daughter" is just so gross, so inappropriate, so horrifying.  And Ivanka just laughs at it.  Are you kidding me???!!! OMG, if my father had said something like that, or my husband to our daughters, I would run away as far as I possibly could.  That is absolutely the worst thing he could have said, and everyone just laughs it off.  So disgusting.

As Trevor Noah said, "Never forget, Donald Trump wants to fuck his daughter."  He's said things like that many times over many years.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-elections/donald-trump-ivanka-trump-creepiest-most-unsettling-comments-a-roundup-a7353876.html

[SpiritSong]

On 4/25/2017 at 10:34 PM, spaceghostess said:

As many actual mental health professionals have opined (not diagnosed, of course), Trump checks every box as a malignant narcissist. I see truth in this, not as a professional, but only as someone whose brother is married to a malignant narcissist who has toxically manipulated everyone in my family for the last 17 years. Well, everyone except me . . . because I was too busy being toxically manipulated by the malignant narcissist I married (and with whom I am now engaged in an interminable divorce proceeding and custody battle). My point? There's no such thing as "managing" a narcissist, nor is there such thing as having a "moderating influence" on one. There are two types of people around narcissists: (a) lackeys/flying monkeys who worship the narc's supposed brilliance and/or hope to benefit from their association with him/her, and (b) depressed doormats who've been emotionally bullied to the point of losing touch with who they were before they entered a relationship with the narc (often the fate of a non-narc person who marries one of these walking nightmares). Children of narcissists will either rebel and run fast and far as soon as they can or become enablers par excellence. Having one of these creatures as a parent means never being loved for who you are, or even for who the narc wants you to be (since they're never satisfied). Kids pour endless effort into pleasing a narc parent in hope of getting a scintilla of genuine feeling back. These efforts are doomed, of course--but that doesn't mean they don't drag on for decades.

 

So sorry you're dealing with this, spaceghostess, but thank you very much for your insight into dealing with this kind of personality disorder. I wish you and your children the best.

Edited April 27, 2017 by SpiritSong

[spaceghostess]

25 minutes ago, SpiritSong said:

So sorry you're dealing with this, spaceghostess, but thank you very much for your insight into dealing with this kind of personality disorder. I wish you and your children the best.

Thank you so much for your kind words. I don't usually go into such lengthy personal detail in posts re: TV, but so many of Trump's behaviors remind me of things my ex has done. He's just one big, orange trigger for me. The only thing that helps is being able to laugh about it (when I'm not going ballistic).

ETA: The kids are doing okay, despite his frequent efforts to use them as pawns. Knowing the narc's game as well as I now do helps me protect them.

Edited April 27, 2017 by spaceghostess

[larapu2000]

Look, I don't disagree with John's report on Ivanka and Kushner, but to imply that not talking and actually listening to what others have to say is NOT a good thing, especially when it comes to leadership and facilitating discussion is ridiculous.  The saying of "better to remain silent and appear the fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt certainly applies here."  I'm not aware of a single career or personal situation where listening to what other have to say is a bad thing.

Believe me, there are a million guys his age that love the sound of their own voice.  There is plenty to dislike about Kushner, but the ability to listen is not one of them.  

Also, just because he paid his way into Harvard doesn't mean he's not smart.  It doesn't mean he didn't earn his Harvard diploma once he got there.  

Edited April 27, 2017 by larapu2000

[ganesh]

I think that misinterprets what Jon was trying to get across. Yes, it's good to listen and ask questions too. What he's saying is that people are imprinting their own impressions on both of them, and it's largely unfounded. There's no consistent record of Kushner being some great listener and making all these wise decisions. With nothing really known at all about the guy, all possibilities are equally likely. He could be listening, or he could be a moron. It's that they've created careful public personas leading to just these discussions. Instead of examining Kushner's background viz. his new role. 20 people couldn't solve everything he's been tasked to do. 

32 minutes ago, larapu2000 said:

Also, just because he paid his way into Harvard doesn't mean he's not smart.  It doesn't mean he didn't earn his Harvard diploma once he got there.

No, it doesn't. But perception --> reality, so I think it's a fair criticism. And paying your way into any university isn't a reflection of one's abilities, but it is a reflection on how wealth gets access that not everyone has. Ivanka probably has the business acumen to obtain trademarks in China for her businesses, but maybe it takes longer or there is a cost. She used her access to the Chinese president to bypass all that. So, it's unethical at best on both counts. 

Also, his Dumbo thing is considered a financial failure iirc what Jon was saying about it after the video. 

[Rlb8031]

3 hours ago, larapu2000 said:

Look, I don't disagree with John's report on Ivanka and Kushner, but to imply that not talking and actually listening to what others have to say is NOT a good thing, especially when it comes to leadership and facilitating discussion is ridiculous.  The saying of "better to remain silent and appear the fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt certainly applies here."  I'm not aware of a single career or personal situation where listening to what other have to say is a bad thing.

Believe me, there are a million guys his age that love the sound of their own voice.  There is plenty to dislike about Kushner, but the ability to listen is not one of them.  

Also, just because he paid his way into Harvard doesn't mean he's not smart.  It doesn't mean he didn't earn his Harvard diploma once he got there.  

I get your point, but if you look at what people who have actually worked with him have said, he doesn't appear to be 1) a deep thinker; 2) someone who is willing to be convinced that he is wrong; and 3) an stereotypical Harvard intellectual who likes to let people see his intellect at work. So given that, suggesting that he's not that smart isn't a huge leap

https://www.recode.net/2016/8/19/12543790/jared-kushner-new-york-observer-donald-trump-elizabeth-spiers

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/learned-jared-kushner-working-observer-article-1.2944536

http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2016/11/how_trump_son_in_law_jared_kushner_ruined_the_new_york_observer.html

http://www.businessinsider.com/jared-kushner-trump-media-mogul-observer-2016-12

Again, he may indeed be the proverbial still waters, but the fact remains that even if he were brilliant, he's got a portfolio that is not achievable for any one man - especially one that doesn't have any support in the way of professional-level staff and the ten or so federal agencies he's been indirectly placed in charge of. And someone that was smart would probably manage expectations by pointing this out to his father-in-law.

[OneWhoLurks]

Quote

 

President Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner gave a rare public speech Monday about how the Trump administration is working to modernize the federal government's antiquated technology system.

Almost instantly, his voice became a topic of discussion — and mockery.

Try Googling his name and you'll see that “jared kushner speaks” and “jared kushner voice” have the top queries within the past day.

 

Jared Kushner finally spoke. The Internet can’t stop mocking his voice.

[peeayebee]

When I heard him spoke, it was about what I had expected.