Author Topic: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...  (Read 1309167 times)

accolay

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4450 on: October 16, 2018, 05:40:31 PM »
And now they're starting to dust off their old playbook. God help us.

https://www.newsweek.com/deficit-budget-tax-plan-social-security-medicaid-medicare-entitlement-1172941


Glenstache

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4451 on: October 16, 2018, 05:55:25 PM »
And now they're starting to dust off their old playbook. God help us.

https://www.newsweek.com/deficit-budget-tax-plan-social-security-medicaid-medicare-entitlement-1172941

Well, this was the master plan, after all. Manufacture a crisis that allows them to do what Paul Ryan has wanted to do all along: gut the safety net. That they reached this point by giving a big fat tax break is just the obvious path, right?

I think McConnell is pretty disgusting. See this quote from the article you linked above:
Quote
"It’s disappointing, but it’s not a Republican problem," McConnell said of the deficit, which grew 17 percent to $779 billion in fiscal year 2018. McConnell explained to Bloomberg that "it’s a bipartisan problem: Unwillingness to address the real drivers of the debt by doing anything to adjust those programs to the demographics of America in the future." The deficit has increased 77 percent since McConnell became majority leader in 2015.

He did not seem to think this when he ignored all of the credible analyses predicting exactly this budget result from the tax bill. He will like and shift however he needs to in order to get what he wants.

Johnez

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4452 on: October 16, 2018, 06:10:20 PM »
Truly disgusting. If he follows through Democrats have better carry the message the that Trump and Co. are fcking over the poor, working, and middle class.

MasterStache

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4453 on: October 16, 2018, 06:22:34 PM »
Truly disgusting. If he follows through Democrats have better carry the message the that Trump and Co. are fcking over the poor, working, and middle class.

Yeah, they have been telling them that, even during the election. They are either too ignorant to understand or simply don't give a shit.

DavidAnnArbor

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4454 on: October 16, 2018, 07:42:56 PM »
Truly disgusting. If he follows through Democrats have better carry the message the that Trump and Co. are fcking over the poor, working, and middle class.

Yeah, they have been telling them that, even during the election. They are either too ignorant to understand or simply don't give a shit.

Or votes get thrown out, or people are unable to vote cause they were deregistered, or voters ID's are suddenly not good enough for elections.

accolay

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4455 on: October 16, 2018, 07:45:13 PM »
Yeah, they have been telling them that, even during the election. They are either too ignorant to understand or simply don't give a shit.

Be sure not to tell them they're voting against their best interests though.

MasterStache

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4456 on: October 17, 2018, 05:19:20 AM »
Yeah, they have been telling them that, even during the election. They are either too ignorant to understand or simply don't give a shit.

Be sure not to tell them they're voting against their best interests though.

I still remember an interview with a rural Kentucky couple during the election, (husband was a former coal miner) who specifically stated their intention to vote for Trump while admitting it could mean they would lose their healthcare (which they were finally able to afford thanks to Obama).

wenchsenior

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4457 on: October 17, 2018, 08:08:28 AM »
Yeah, they have been telling them that, even during the election. They are either too ignorant to understand or simply don't give a shit.

Be sure not to tell them they're voting against their best interests though.

I still remember an interview with a rural Kentucky couple during the election, (husband was a former coal miner) who specifically stated their intention to vote for Trump while admitting it could mean they would lose their healthcare (which they were finally able to afford thanks to Obama).

I remember that too. Vox did some great reporting on KY during the last election cycle.  People like that deserve every bit of misery their votes might get them.

GuitarStv

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4458 on: October 17, 2018, 08:09:39 AM »
Yeah, they have been telling them that, even during the election. They are either too ignorant to understand or simply don't give a shit.

Be sure not to tell them they're voting against their best interests though.

I still remember an interview with a rural Kentucky couple during the election, (husband was a former coal miner) who specifically stated their intention to vote for Trump while admitting it could mean they would lose their healthcare (which they were finally able to afford thanks to Obama).

I remember that too. Vox did some great reporting on KY during the last election cycle.  People like that deserve every bit of misery their votes might get them.

Agreed . . . but everyone's on the same bus that they're fatalistically driving into that brick wall.  Probably better to save them (and everyone else) in spite of what they deserve.

wenchsenior

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4459 on: October 17, 2018, 08:38:33 AM »
Yeah, they have been telling them that, even during the election. They are either too ignorant to understand or simply don't give a shit.

Be sure not to tell them they're voting against their best interests though.

I still remember an interview with a rural Kentucky couple during the election, (husband was a former coal miner) who specifically stated their intention to vote for Trump while admitting it could mean they would lose their healthcare (which they were finally able to afford thanks to Obama).

I remember that too. Vox did some great reporting on KY during the last election cycle.  People like that deserve every bit of misery their votes might get them.

Agreed . . . but everyone's on the same bus that they're fatalistically driving into that brick wall.  Probably better to save them (and everyone else) in spite of what they deserve.

Oh, I definitely agree in practice.  I have zero sympathy for moral hazard arguments if it imposes broad-scale misery and costs to greater society.  But I will sure judge those idiots on a personal level. 

Glenstache

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4460 on: October 17, 2018, 09:20:32 AM »
Yeah, they have been telling them that, even during the election. They are either too ignorant to understand or simply don't give a shit.

Be sure not to tell them they're voting against their best interests though.

I still remember an interview with a rural Kentucky couple during the election, (husband was a former coal miner) who specifically stated their intention to vote for Trump while admitting it could mean they would lose their healthcare (which they were finally able to afford thanks to Obama).

I remember that too. Vox did some great reporting on KY during the last election cycle.  People like that deserve every bit of misery their votes might get them.
oh, but we all have our blind spots, and those blind spots are often the cause of misery for others as well. How many on this very forum recognize human impacts on climate change and blithely get on a long-haul flight several times a year? Yes, we deserve the climate misery we invoke on ourselves, but unfortunately those climate votes also have an impact on many, many others.

Glenstache

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accolay

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bacchi

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4463 on: October 17, 2018, 10:47:52 AM »
And now they're starting to dust off their old playbook. God help us.

https://www.newsweek.com/deficit-budget-tax-plan-social-security-medicaid-medicare-entitlement-1172941

Lol. That first paragraph is almost Onion-quality satire.

Quote from: newsweek
After instituting a $1.5 trillion tax cut and signing off on a $675 billion budget for the Department of Defense, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday that the only way to lower the record-high federal deficit would be to cut entitlement programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.


ysette9

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4464 on: October 17, 2018, 10:50:24 AM »
I’ve been finding myself saying a lot of times with this administration that the headlines are Onion-worthy. When do you stop laughing and start crying?

wenchsenior

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4465 on: October 17, 2018, 11:25:33 AM »
Yeah, they have been telling them that, even during the election. They are either too ignorant to understand or simply don't give a shit.

Be sure not to tell them they're voting against their best interests though.

I still remember an interview with a rural Kentucky couple during the election, (husband was a former coal miner) who specifically stated their intention to vote for Trump while admitting it could mean they would lose their healthcare (which they were finally able to afford thanks to Obama).

I remember that too. Vox did some great reporting on KY during the last election cycle.  People like that deserve every bit of misery their votes might get them.
oh, but we all have our blind spots, and those blind spots are often the cause of misery for others as well. How many on this very forum recognize human impacts on climate change and blithely get on a long-haul flight several times a year? Yes, we deserve the climate misery we invoke on ourselves, but unfortunately those climate votes also have an impact on many, many others.

Yup.  I always say, if I truly wanted to live according my moral priorities, I would put a gun to my head and commit suicide.  But, I'm selfish, just like everyone.

One

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4466 on: October 17, 2018, 05:04:31 PM »
Politics has turned into religion, people have blind faith in whatever their team decides to do.

MasterStache

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4467 on: October 17, 2018, 05:44:13 PM »
Yeah, they have been telling them that, even during the election. They are either too ignorant to understand or simply don't give a shit.

Be sure not to tell them they're voting against their best interests though.

I still remember an interview with a rural Kentucky couple during the election, (husband was a former coal miner) who specifically stated their intention to vote for Trump while admitting it could mean they would lose their healthcare (which they were finally able to afford thanks to Obama).

I remember that too. Vox did some great reporting on KY during the last election cycle.  People like that deserve every bit of misery their votes might get them.

Agreed . . . but everyone's on the same bus that they're fatalistically driving into that brick wall.  Probably better to save them (and everyone else) in spite of what they deserve.

It sure is tough to help folks who refuse to help themselves.

runbikerun

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4468 on: October 18, 2018, 10:19:25 AM »
Trigger warning: repeated reference to the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.

Anyone who had "publicly defending a dictator accused of having a critical journalist dismembered with a bone saw while still alive" as your This Is Too Far moment on the Trump train, you're this week's winners. Anyone still on the Trump train: what the fuck is wrong with you?

Let's not mince words: under almost any other president, the Saudis would have been extremely unlikely to abduct and murder a US green card holder by hacking him to pieces with a bone saw while he was still alive. Bin Salman did it because he knew he could get away with it while Trump was in charge. Remember that when you decide how to vote. Remember those words: dismembered with a bone saw while he was still alive.

GuitarStv

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4469 on: October 18, 2018, 10:22:54 AM »
Trigger warning: repeated reference to the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.

Anyone who had "publicly defending a dictator accused of having a critical journalist dismembered with a bone saw while still alive" as your This Is Too Far moment on the Trump train, you're this week's winners. Anyone still on the Trump train: what the fuck is wrong with you?

Let's not mince words: under almost any other president, the Saudis would have been extremely unlikely to abduct and murder a US green card holder by hacking him to pieces with a bone saw while he was still alive. Bin Salman did it because he knew he could get away with it while Trump was in charge. Remember that when you decide how to vote. Remember those words: dismembered with a bone saw while he was still alive.

I have every confidence that Trump will treat his Saudi friends as harshly as he has treated Putin after proof of election rigging came out.

former player

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4470 on: October 18, 2018, 10:25:22 AM »
Trigger warning: repeated reference to the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.

Anyone who had "publicly defending a dictator accused of having a critical journalist dismembered with a bone saw while still alive" as your This Is Too Far moment on the Trump train, you're this week's winners. Anyone still on the Trump train: what the fuck is wrong with you?

Let's not mince words: under almost any other president, the Saudis would have been extremely unlikely to abduct and murder a US green card holder by hacking him to pieces with a bone saw while he was still alive. Bin Salman did it because he knew he could get away with it while Trump was in charge. Remember that when you decide how to vote. Remember those words: dismembered with a bone saw while he was still alive.


Oh Christ, I didn't know about the "still alive" bit.  Fuck.

Kris

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4471 on: October 18, 2018, 11:01:03 AM »
Trigger warning: repeated reference to the murder of Jamal Khashoggi.

Anyone who had "publicly defending a dictator accused of having a critical journalist dismembered with a bone saw while still alive" as your This Is Too Far moment on the Trump train, you're this week's winners. Anyone still on the Trump train: what the fuck is wrong with you?

Let's not mince words: under almost any other president, the Saudis would have been extremely unlikely to abduct and murder a US green card holder by hacking him to pieces with a bone saw while he was still alive. Bin Salman did it because he knew he could get away with it while Trump was in charge. Remember that when you decide how to vote. Remember those words: dismembered with a bone saw while he was still alive.

Yes indeed.

Trump will say, "The Saudis say they didn't do it, and I believe them."

Because he just doesn't fucking care.

And you know what? The GOP will allow this.

And that will be it.

Anyone who supports this regime at this point is a monster.

Malloy

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4472 on: October 18, 2018, 11:12:15 AM »
Hey-remember when people used to be super mad in 2016 about Hillary Clinton's ties to Saudia Arabia and wanted to vote for Trump to be tougher on SA?  Whatever happened to those people?  Because I also have some questions to ask them about Jared Kushner using WhatsApp to send memes and the names of Saudi dissidents to MBS.


Glenstache

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4473 on: October 18, 2018, 11:21:33 AM »
Shall we get a betting pool on if it was the Saudis who put up the $1.2 billion to keep Kushner and his failed building afloat?


PathtoFIRE

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4474 on: October 18, 2018, 11:24:36 AM »
Naw, who's going to bet against that?

How about instead we start a betting pool on when Trump's going to cut Kushner loose and try to redirect all of the Russian, Saudi, and UAE conspiracies on to Kushner to deflect from Trump's upcoming impeachment hearings.

talltexan

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4475 on: October 18, 2018, 12:47:53 PM »
Pretty sure the Saudis have been killing people in Yemen for several years, too. One of the complexities of the ME is that it's like a table, with Saudi Arabia on one end, and Iran on the other. Trump cannot turn on KSA without Iran thinking he's weak and getting too uppity.

Even without the personal financial exposure he has to KSA, it'd be a quagmire.

Kris

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4476 on: October 18, 2018, 12:53:10 PM »
Pretty sure the Saudis have been killing people in Yemen for several years, too.

Yeah, they have. And we've been helping them by selling the Saudis weapons and planes for this current attack.

And Yemenis know it, too. So does the rest of the Middle East.

Our policies regarding Saudi Arabia are making us less safe, and ripe for more terrorist attacks going forward.

So, yay.

nereo

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4477 on: October 18, 2018, 02:26:07 PM »
How about instead we start a betting pool on when Trump's going to cut Kushner loose and try to redirect all of the Russian, Saudi, and UAE conspiracies on to Kushner to deflect from Trump's upcoming impeachment hearings.

I'd just love to hear DJT spin cutting Kushner loose...
Trump: "Mr Kushner, who was only with us for a short time as a low-level analyst and who I barely know..."
Ivanka: 'um, Dad...?'

marty998

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4478 on: October 18, 2018, 02:50:07 PM »
How about instead we start a betting pool on when Trump's going to cut Kushner loose and try to redirect all of the Russian, Saudi, and UAE conspiracies on to Kushner to deflect from Trump's upcoming impeachment hearings.

I'd just love to hear DJT spin cutting Kushner loose...
Trump: "Mr Kushner, who was only with us for a short time as a low-level analyst and who I barely know..."
Ivanka: 'um, Dad...?'

The cynic in me suggests the journalist made a fatal mistake by not being a correspondent for Fox News...

scottish

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4479 on: October 18, 2018, 05:04:07 PM »
Here's some more news.    Mitch McConnell says that the Republicans will not stop deficit spending because they would have to cut entitlement programs.

Now it's not that they have a problem with *cutting* the programs.   They just don't want to get *blamed* for it.

https://slate.com/business/2018/10/mitch-mcconnell-deficit-lies.html

Glenstache

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4480 on: October 18, 2018, 05:24:52 PM »
Here's some more news.    Mitch McConnell says that the Republicans will not stop deficit spending because they would have to cut entitlement programs.

Now it's not that they have a problem with *cutting* the programs.   They just don't want to get *blamed* for it.

https://slate.com/business/2018/10/mitch-mcconnell-deficit-lies.html

Goddamn is McConnell terrible.

This quote from the article is gold, though:
Quote
Still, it’s worth dwelling on the political implications of his comments.

1) McConnell thinks the deficit is a longterm threat to the country.
2) He also says that it is driven almost entirely by entitlement spending. (This is absurd, given that we could raise taxes to pay for those entitlements, but let’s grant it for argument’s sake).
3) Finally, he admits that it will be “difficult if not impossible” for Republicans to take the supposedly essential step of reforming entitlements as long as they maintain uniform control of government.

The obvious conclusion to all this is that, if you’re the sort of person who supports entitlement reform, you should vote for Democrats, since the cause is hopeless without them.
« Last Edit: October 18, 2018, 05:27:57 PM by Glenstache »

sol

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4481 on: October 18, 2018, 05:54:18 PM »
it will be “difficult if not impossible” for Republicans to take the supposedly essential step of reforming entitlements as long as they maintain uniform control of government.

Yea, it's pretty funny that the one thing they've been harping on for generations is now apparently impossible when they have 100% control and can do whatever they want. 

Of course, we also shouldn't forget that they did the exact opposite of "balancing the budget" (by increasing spending while passing a big tax cut for the rich) and they've been harping on that old chestnut for just as long.  If that's any indication, maybe republicans will be expanding medicaid in the next congress?

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4482 on: October 19, 2018, 03:52:33 AM »
New messaging by the GOP:  Trump was the one betrayed by the crown prince.  He's the victim here.
 (and oh yeah, that dismembered journalist also probably too...)

Clever way of deflecting the criticism that the WH has offered a shield and been slow to criticise the Saudis - you can't be blamed if you're the victim...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/theres-no-perfect-answer-on-khashoggi-so-dont-expect-trump-to-have-one/2018/10/18/5e1f9e32-d2fe-11e8-b2d2-f397227b43f0_story.html?utm_term=.babbadf924a9

MasterStache

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4483 on: October 19, 2018, 05:48:25 AM »
New messaging by the GOP:  Trump was the one betrayed by the crown prince.  He's the victim here.
 (and oh yeah, that dismembered journalist also probably too...)

Clever way of deflecting the criticism that the WH has offered a shield and been slow to criticise the Saudis - you can't be blamed if you're the victim...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/theres-no-perfect-answer-on-khashoggi-so-dont-expect-trump-to-have-one/2018/10/18/5e1f9e32-d2fe-11e8-b2d2-f397227b43f0_story.html?utm_term=.babbadf924a9

I am surprised he didn't just blame the Dems.

GuitarStv

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4484 on: October 19, 2018, 07:07:50 AM »
New messaging by the GOP:  Trump was the one betrayed by the crown prince.  He's the victim here.
 (and oh yeah, that dismembered journalist also probably too...)

Clever way of deflecting the criticism that the WH has offered a shield and been slow to criticise the Saudis - you can't be blamed if you're the victim...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/theres-no-perfect-answer-on-khashoggi-so-dont-expect-trump-to-have-one/2018/10/18/5e1f9e32-d2fe-11e8-b2d2-f397227b43f0_story.html?utm_term=.babbadf924a9

I am surprised he didn't just blame the Dems.

Thanks, Obama.

PathtoFIRE

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4485 on: October 19, 2018, 08:01:44 AM »
I am surprised he didn't just blame the Dems.

FDR did it!



I am curious about the way FDR is wearing his coat over his one shoulder, what's up with that?

accolay

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4486 on: October 19, 2018, 08:17:01 AM »
I am curious about the way FDR is wearing his coat over his one shoulder, what's up with that?

He's keeping the sun off his shoulder.

sol

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4487 on: October 19, 2018, 09:38:26 AM »
I am curious about the way FDR is wearing his coat over his one shoulder, what's up with that?

It's hiding his wheelchair.  Seriously.

FDR was disabled due to childhood polio.  He rarely appeared in public while standing, because he had to be immobilized in leg braces.  Public perception of the disabled back then was pretty negative, and it would have made America seem "weak" for a disabled person to be the leader of the free world.  There was a carefully constructed public relations campaign built around deceiving the American public about his inability to walk.

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4488 on: October 19, 2018, 09:59:20 AM »
It's all about timing, right? Last night Trump was making jokes about assault on a journalist! MAGA! /s
https://www.newsandguts.com/video/donald-trump-applauds-violence-journalist/


sol

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4489 on: October 19, 2018, 10:07:24 AM »
It's all about timing, right? Last night Trump was making jokes about assault on a journalist! MAGA! /s
https://www.newsandguts.com/video/donald-trump-applauds-violence-journalist/

I'm fresh out of outrage, sorry.

Oh, the President is defending the torture and murder of a journalist in Saudi Arabia AND applauding assaulting a journalist in America?  Hmmm, these are both terrible things for a President to say, but at least he's consistent.  He hates journalists, we all get it. 

I expect the white house will be sending Greg Gianforte a bone saw for Christmas.

Malloy

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4490 on: October 19, 2018, 12:02:17 PM »
GOP now sending out trial balloons on the talking point that Khashoggi was a bad dude.  Is the GOP base so craven that bad dude=OK for government agents to dismember with a bone saw while still alive?  Oh, I almost forgot who I was talking about. 

Nevermind.

GuitarStv

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4491 on: October 19, 2018, 01:01:10 PM »
GOP now sending out trial balloons on the talking point that Khashoggi was a bad dude.  Is the GOP base so craven that bad dude=OK for government agents to dismember with a bone saw while still alive?  Oh, I almost forgot who I was talking about. 

Nevermind.

The GOP is OK with kidnapping non-white children.  I doubt their base cares too much about dismembering some annoying journalists.

bacchi

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4492 on: October 20, 2018, 05:01:12 PM »
GOP now sending out trial balloons on the talking point that Khashoggi was a bad dude.  Is the GOP base so craven that bad dude=OK for government agents to dismember with a bone saw while still alive?  Oh, I almost forgot who I was talking about. 

Nevermind.

The GOP is OK with kidnapping non-white children.  I doubt their base cares too much about dismembering some annoying journalists.

The comments on a redstate article about the journalist are...telling but not surprising. Some don't give a shit, some think he deserved it, and some argue for sanctions.

(There's an ironic juxtaposition with a front-page article about how sad it is that McConnell can't eat in peace. Maybe not the same people but, still, ironic.)

Most of the criticism is about his membership in the Muslim Brotherhood (in the mid-1990s, from what I can tell, though the CSM* is pushing that he was still an active member). I'm assuming there's some triggering from redstaters when you mention "Muslim" in their midst.

There's also -- I shit you not -- some "Benghazi!" comments. I'm sure some "Hillary!" comments will show up eventually.


* Conservative Mainstream Media

Glenstache

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4493 on: October 22, 2018, 10:01:40 AM »
I feel like we are still living with the ghost of Alex Jones.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/10/19/grainy-video-guatemala-sparks-trump-conspiracy-theory/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.cce0e4fb2c55

1. Why would Democrats ever do this? This is insane.
2. As Sol has pointed out, Trump often accuses others of exactly what he is doing. "Storm the border by election day"? Really? (for the record, there is not data to support any of these conspiracy theories, but we can be sure that Trump is using fear of brown people to excite his base for the midterms).


Johnez

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4494 on: October 22, 2018, 01:39:18 PM »
Trump's trying to lead the Democrats into a ditch once again, first with the immigrant caravan, now with the transgender issues. With the Kashoggi murder front and center, he's having a tough time deflecting attention. Rand Paul directly defying Trump....are the winds shifting here? I'm curious to see if the arms sale issue will explode. Tomorrow Turkey shows it's investigation results. So much going on, getting tough to follow everything.

bacchi

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4495 on: October 22, 2018, 02:11:41 PM »
Trump's trying to lead the Democrats into a ditch once again, first with the immigrant caravan, now with the transgender issues. With the Kashoggi murder front and center, he's having a tough time deflecting attention. Rand Paul directly defying Trump....are the winds shifting here? I'm curious to see if the arms sale issue will explode. Tomorrow Turkey shows it's investigation results. So much going on, getting tough to follow everything.

We've seen Trump get out of sticky situations before but unless he can bring some serious pressure on Turkey, it won't go well for the WH.

In other news, early early voter turnout is high, maybe at a Presidential year level. That's usually not good for the Republicans.

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4496 on: October 22, 2018, 02:17:12 PM »
I'm aghast that some have accepted the rationalization that we shouldn't attempt to punish Saudi Arabia for murdering Jamal Khashoggi because we are selling them too many weapons. 

Seriously think about that for a second.
Trump's justification for NOT punishing a murderous regime is that we've got to keep selling them lethal weapons.  Because jobs. 
Not even the NRA is willing to suggest we shouldn't have firearm restrictions because criminals won't be able to buy as many guns.

The moral bankruptcy here is staggering and we're all sinking in the muck.

sol

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4497 on: October 22, 2018, 02:21:23 PM »
Not even the NRA is willing to suggest we shouldn't have firearm restrictions because criminals won't be able to buy as many guns.

I think you're overestimating the NRA, because they absolutely have and do advocate for allowing felons to purchase firearms, for exactly that reason.  I mean they couch it in terms of "even criminals have constitutional rights" but ultimately it's about selling as many guns as possible, and not cutting off any potential customers.

So fear not!  Trump's apparent hypocrisy on this issue is not hyporcrisy, it's just their usual level of moral bankruptcy writ large.  The NRA is outraged that felons might be allowed to vote, but they absolutely insist that they be allowed to buy guns.
« Last Edit: October 22, 2018, 02:24:39 PM by sol »

nereo

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4498 on: October 22, 2018, 02:39:01 PM »
Not even the NRA is willing to suggest we shouldn't have firearm restrictions because criminals won't be able to buy as many guns.

I think you're overestimating the NRA, because they absolutely have and do advocate for allowing felons to purchase firearms, for exactly that reason.  I mean they couch it in terms of "even criminals have constitutional rights" but ultimately it's about selling as many guns as possible, and not cutting off any potential customers.

So fear not!  Trump's apparent hypocrisy on this issue is not hyporcrisy, it's just their usual level of moral bankruptcy writ large.  The NRA is outraged that felons might be allowed to vote, but they absolutely insist that they be allowed to buy guns.

My point is that the NRA won't come out and say it - whereas DJT just says we can't put at risk "600,000 jobs" by halting arms sales (which one should note is inflated from the 40,000 jobs he claimed in 2016, which itself was likely inflated).

... but yes, bad people buying guns helps spur growth of good people buying guns, which helps increase more accidental firearm deaths and suicides. Everyone wins, ...right?

Lews Therin

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Re: So Let's Speculate about the Future of a Full Trump Presidency...
« Reply #4499 on: October 22, 2018, 02:39:49 PM »
Sol: Where is the +1 button? I'd like to vote in your favor.

Can you be officially in charge of passing the news?