Mega-Thread: Trump Focused Discussion

[Lanrefni]

That account has been suspended now. I reported it, a while back, and when you said that Huckabee tweet, I saw it was suspended now.

https://twitter.com/ChatByCC

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That was Michael Flynn. Who is yet to be sentenced. This is Rick Gates, Manafort's deputy, who also sunk Manafort and Stone.

Shit,it's getting hard to keep track of all the scumbags in Trump's employ getting sentenced.

Apologies all.

[Shadowferal]

And then Rand went to take a nap. He had a dream...

Easier to quote it from Reddit than 4chan, but it's prime libertarian bullshit.

Stole it myself.

Reminds me of an advert from Savage Worlds "Extreme Earth" rpg; the Perpetual Puppy!
"Tired of those expensive vet costs?
Want to keep your kids happy all year long?
Guaranteed to stop aging after three months!!
Choose from 7 dog breeds
Guaranteed lifespan of 5 years or your money back!!"
$999.00

[Breccia]

There is already an analysis of the letter, or more precisely, the situation the letter represents.

For most of the impeachment inquiry, President Donald Trump has passed on opportunities to mount a formal defense of his conduct. Initially, the White House complained that House Democrats were not affording him chances to defend himself. Once they did, he eschewed them, declining to participate in House Judiciary hearings, and refusing to allow testimony from witnesses who (his allies claimed) might vindicate him.

Trump hasn’t been silent, of course—he’s railed against the inquiry publicly, and complained loudly in his somehow ever more prolific tweets. Today, however, on the eve of a vote that’s almost certain to impeach him, the president directly involved himself in a way he hasn’t since early October—when his White House counsel vowed that the administration would not cooperate—in the form of a remarkable letter.

The six-page letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is a wild ride. The president veers among incoherent semantic lament (“You have cheapened the importance of the very ugly word, impeachment!”), bald-faced lies (about former Vice President Joe Biden’s actions in Ukraine), self-righteous whining (“You did not recant. You did not ask to be forgiven. You showed no remorse, no capacity for self-reflection”), and atrocious misrepresentation of history (“More due process was afforded to those accused in the Salem Witch Trials”).

In other words: It’s more of the same. Much more. (At least his letter to Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was brief.)

For the most part, the letter is a farrago of common complaints the president has issued in rallies and on his Twitter feed. The president may be most comfortable at 280 characters, but he can expand to six pages given the opportunity. But even though the substance is recycled, the letter is notable because it’s an official communication, on White House letterhead.

Throughout the Trump presidency, his reluctant allies have asked the public to imagine that there are effectively two Trumps. Let’s call them Mr. Trump and President Trump. Mr. Trump says unhinged and unwise things at his rallies and tweets wildly. President Trump, meanwhile, is a dignified and relatively normal commander in chief. When Mr. Trump tweets something wacky, Republicans say they deal only with President Trump. Adopting a tactic popularized by former Speaker Paul Ryan, members of Congress will often insist that they don’t read Twitter.

When Mr. Trump heads off on self-destructive flights of fancy, Republican apologists try to redirect attention to President Trump’s actions—judicial appointments, regulatory rollbacks, and so on—and plead with people to ignore the rallies and social-media missives.

The White House has embraced this distinction, too. Sure, Mr. Trump loudly trumpeted his plans to ban Muslims from entering the United States, but government lawyers asked courts to ignore those statements and instead consider only the official paper trail of documentation that the administration created to support a ban after President Trump took office.

During the impeachment inquiry, Republicans have asked the public to accept President Trump’s assurances that his shadow foreign policy in Ukraine was simply a result of his executing the duties of his office, and to ignore the many statements from Mr. Trump that make clear he was seeking personal political advantage.

The idea of two Trumps has always been a thin fiction, and the letter to Pelosi rips through it like tissue. It’s Mr. Trump in his voice, while sitting at President Trump’s desk in the Oval Office and using his official stationery. The abandonment of any pretense of separation comes, as Trump correctly notes, at a historic moment. There can hardly be a more somber moment than the impeachment of a president, and this is how he responds to the moment. With apologies to Attorney General William Barr, this is the real unitary executive: There’s only ever been one Trump.

[Edge-]

There is already an analysis of the letter, or more precisely, the situation the letter represents.

Don't worry, he'll "grow into the office". Since he won't be campaigning anymore, he won't be in "campaign mode" and will tone things down. When he gets better people around him in the White House they'll help steer him on track.

I could go on with the excuses, but damn if that article doesn't remind me of the endless avalanche of bullshit conservatives pushed about how he totally wasn't going to behave exactly like he did on the campaign trail when he was in office. I mean, fuck, can we remember how media overall, both left and right, fawned over him during his first address to Congress? He managed to get through an hour or so speech without going off on an unhinged rant and they couldn't shut up about how presidential he was.

[solinari6]

Don't worry, he'll "grow into the office". Since he won't be campaigning anymore, he won't be in "campaign mode" and will tone things down. When he gets better people around him in the White House they'll help steer him on track.

I could go on with the excuses, but damn if that article doesn't remind me of the endless avalanche of bullshit conservatives pushed about how he totally wasn't going to behave exactly like he did on the campaign trail when he was in office. I mean, fuck, can we remember how media overall, both left and right, fawned over him during his first address to Congress? He managed to get through an hour or so speech without going off on an unhinged rant and they couldn't shut up about how presidential he was.

I remember that time on the campaign trail he told us he'd be "so presidential, we'd all be bored out of our minds"! LOL

[Edge-]

I remember that time on the campaign trail he told us he'd be "so presidential, we'd all be bored out of our minds"! LOL

And he'd never leave the White House. Who would ever want to leave the White House? He'll be so busy he can't visit his properties, and he's going to love being that busy.

Seriously, this is a terrible comedy and I would like to request a refund of the past 4 years of my life.

[cubby]

And he'd never leave the White House. Who would ever want to leave the White House? He'll be so busy he can't visit his properties, and he's going to love being that busy.

Seriously, this is a terrible comedy and I would like to request a refund of the past 4 years of my life.

We'll be lucky to survive as a country. 2020 might be the biggest turning point for the United States since 1860.

[Adam Jensen]

Mehhhh, I'm against the destruction of the rainforest for various reasons, but the whole "lungs of the Earth" thing has been busted for a while now.

https://www.factcheck.org/2019/09/am...earths-oxygen/

It should definitely be preserved because of the wealth of knowledge, ecology and even just "plain" beauty it provides, but we likely wouldn't notice any difference in terms of oxygen levels.

Yeah, but it's still this idea of destroying the environment we depend on, just to make a few bucks.

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And he'd never leave the White House. Who would ever want to leave the White House? He'll be so busy he can't visit his properties, and he's going to love being that busy.

Seriously, this is a terrible comedy and I would like to request a refund of the past 4 years of my life.

Hey, if according to Mike Huckabee Trump gets a refund and a free extra term, why can't get a refund and a redo of 2016 and onward?

[Shadowferal]

Some genuine Never-Trumpers: George Conway, other conservatives launch effort to block Trump's reelection

A group of conservatives known for their criticism of President Trump, led by lawyer George Conway, is launching a super PAC aimed at stopping Trump from winning reelection.

The Lincoln Project is made up of some of Trump’s staunchest conservative critics and represents the first formal operation for the so-called Never Trump movement, according to The Associated Press.

Organizers have reportedly garnered more than $1 million in fundraising commitments, with the hopes of raising much more to spend on anti-Trump advertising in the build-up to the 2020 election.

The group announced the launch of the super PAC in a New York Times op-ed published Tuesday, authored by Conway, former John McCain adviser Steve Schmidt, former Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R) adviser John Weaver and Republican operative Rick Wilson. Former New Hampshire GOP Chairwoman Jennifer Horn is also a principal founder of the group, according to the AP.

“This effort transcends partisanship and is dedicated to nothing less than preservation of the principles that so many have fought for, on battlefields far from home and within their own communities,” read the op-ed in the Times.

The authors wrote that their effort over the next 11 months will be to defeat Trump “and Trumpism at the ballot box and to elect those patriots who will hold the line.”

--------------------

Trump conservative critics launch PAC to fight reelection

[cubby]

Hey, if according to Mike Huckabee Trump gets a refund and a free extra term, why can't get a refund and a redo of 2016 and onward?

I heard/saw Huckster was going to do this, but did he ever actually do it? I think his team is the one who runs being ridiculous ideas initially up the flag pole to plant them in people's minds for later.

[Benggaul]

Yeah, but it's still this idea of destroying the environment we depend on, just to make a few bucks.

Absolutely. I just wanted to note that it's really not about the oxygen since you know the right likes to pounce on those smaller mistakes to try to discredit the entire argument.

Some genuine Never-Trumpers: George Conway, other conservatives launch effort to block Trump's reelection

A group of conservatives known for their criticism of President Trump, led by lawyer George Conway, is launching a super PAC aimed at stopping Trump from winning reelection.

Just saw this earlier. I wonder how much of an impact it'll actually have. It's sad but true that money makes a huge difference in elections, so either having Trump's campaign need to funnel some to battle the Never Trumpers or the new PAC contributing to the Dem candidate(s) (is this what they are suggesting? It's vague.) would be a huge help.

[Kaleredar]

Absolutely. I just wanted to note that it's really not about the oxygen since you know the right likes to pounce on those smaller mistakes to try to discredit the entire argument.



Just saw this earlier. I wonder how much of an impact it'll actually have. It's sad but true that money makes a huge difference in elections, so either having Trump's campaign need to funnel some to battle the Never Trumpers or the new PAC contributing to the Dem candidate(s) (is this what they are suggesting? It's vague.) would be a huge help.

It'll be good to attract Republicans that might not support Trump but feel indebted to the party away from supporting him and his lunatic base. It gives them a formal cause to rally around.

Anything that diminishes Trump's power in any way, shape, or form is a positive, here.

[TigTone]

The latest 538 aggregates have Trump's approval at 43.8%, the highest since just after he took office.

What's happening to my country?

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com...ex_cid=rrpromo

American culture decided that being stupid/uneducated was more important than striving for our country to be #1 in education for All its citizens.

[Captain N]

American culture decided that being stupid/uneducated was more important than striving for our country to be #1 in education for All its citizens.

I don't think even education can fix the willful ignorance problem. All the facts in the world can be presented at this point and we'll still have people with their blinders on, fingers in their ears, and screaming "I can't hear you!". People have sold their souls for a brief moment of political power, and they honestly believe that when the pendulum swings the other way that they won't be reminded of what they're choosing to do now.

[cubby]

I don't think even education can fix the willful ignorance problem. All the facts in the world can be presented at this point and we'll still have people with their blinders on, fingers in their ears, and screaming "I can't hear you!". People have sold their souls for a brief moment of political power, and they honestly believe that when the pendulum swings the other way that they won't be reminded of what they're choosing to do now.

Agreed. There is known intellectual phenomenon in which people from all walks of life are shown evidence (literal facts) that contradict their opinion of something, and instead of reevaluating their stance, they double down on their now proven ignorant belief.

I doubt that it's only found in the United States. But we seem to be high victims of it atm. Hopefully sanity can recover. 2020 might be the most important year since 1860 in the history of the United States.

[Benggaul]

American culture decided that being stupid/uneducated was more important than striving for our country to be #1 in education for All its citizens.

It's not just that. Idiots voting isn't a new thing. I think the rise in "troll culture"--the irrational need some people have to just try to piss someone else off--has been handing him and the GOP a few unearned wins.

[nonameelf]

It's not just that. Idiots voting isn't a new thing. I think the rise in "troll culture"--the irrational need some people have to just try to piss someone else off--has been handing him and the GOP a few unearned wins.

Yeah, internet is to blame for this one. Sure these assholes existed before, but they never could really gather in any significant numbers to influence anything. Now they're getting together online and coordinating just to try to fuck shit up for people just for the sake of it.

[omerome]

I will pray that the right people will do the right thing and vote to impeach and then remove this guy in the White House.

[Benggaul]

No chance of this happening, tbh.

There's always a chance. It's just HIGHLY unlikely unless all of the Senate GOP start suddenly fearing for their jobs/power, which I don't see happening anytime soon.

[Noxx79]

No chance of this happening, tbh.

Schumer is going to force a vote on his witnesses, (specifically Mulvaney and Bolton) which only requires a simple majority. There a small chance this will happen, but much more likely than him being removed:

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/...ton-to-testify

Looking at you: Romney, Murkowski, and Collins, any any of the 3 republicans not running for re-election...

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You also have two Democrats currently voting against any impeachment stuff. One of which is only there to vote as a Democrat so the Republicans can claim their was bipartisan support against impeachment, before he changes team.

Both are representatives, at least the one switching parties.