The Trump

[sidd]

Sing it, Tom:

"In other words, across the top of that front page, there was no world but a Trumpian one ..."

"Of the nine pages of national news inside the paper, approximately five were dedicated to Trump-related pieces ..."

" ...  we’ve been watching is indeed the creation of an all-American cult of personality ... "

" ... you would be excused for thinking that we were in a world of Donald Trump and little else."

"And doesn't all this suit him to a T? "

Inverted totaliatarinism to a T:

"Donald Trump is evidently our upside-down version of Mao, a major difference being that the media that rushed to create his all-American personality cult did so without either official approval or the threat of a draconian state forcing it to do so."

"Big Brother isn’t watching us, we’re forever watching him."

http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/176403/tomgram%3A_engelhardt%2C_the_white_ford_bronco_presidency/

Taibbi nailed this earlier in an article i have quoted before:

"Trump in the White House may just be a monkey clutching history's biggest hand grenade. Yes, he's always one step ahead of us, and more dangerous than any smart person, and we can never for a minute take our eyes off him. "

"He is already making idiots and accomplices of us all, bringing out the worst in each of us, making us dumber just by watching."

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/features/taibbi-on-trump-the-destroyer-w473144

sidd

[SteveMDFP]

If the the DNC Democratic Party is "the cure" then I have no idea what the disease could possibly be. It must be a new alien virus or something arrived on a comet.

The DNC is not the Democratic Party.  It's little more than a fund-raising arm of the Party.  The Party is all those individuals who identify with the party--voters and elected officials.

The DNC does not control votes in the legislatures, does not craft legislation.  It does not even determine who can run, who can appear on a ballot.

Of course a fundraising arm of any organization is going to be where you find the worst dirt.  The problem with the Democratic Party isn't that it has to stoop to questionable tactics to gather money, the problem is that we have a very poorly-regulated electoral process, a system that invites anyone with wealth to influence outcomes.  It's utterly impossible for any political party to have any influence whatsoever without playing the dirty game.

We should be realistic in our idealism.  Ethical compromises are a sad, unfortunate, disheartening necessity for relevance in this twisted system.

[Neven]

We should be realistic in our idealism.  Ethical compromises are a sad, unfortunate, disheartening necessity for relevance in this twisted system.

Indeed. Now go sit back in the bus, Rosa Parks. And stop marching for your lives.

[Buddy]

: SteveMDFP  Today at 12:57:47 PM

We should be realistic in our idealism.  Ethical compromises are a sad, unfortunate, disheartening necessity for relevance in this twisted system.

Neven:

Indeed. Now go sit back in the bus, Rosa Parks. And stop marching for your lives.

62 years ago Rosa Parks moved to the front of the bus.  SIXTY TWO YEARS.  And we still have bigotry and racism.  So I hope you are patient while you watch the US work through OUR twists and turns in our democracy.

Rosa Parks went straight for the people who were the MOST RACIST.  She was going for the OBVIOUS LOW HANGING FRUIT FIRST.  Here we are.... 62 years later.... and we continue to go after the REST OF THE FRUIT.

[Buddy]

Almost 40% of the market value created during the Trump rally is gone

It’s been an ugly couple of weeks for the stock market.

After dropping 5% for the week ending March 23, stocks jumped 3% on Monday and gave almost all of this back on Tuesday. Markets are now sitting just above where they were in early February when the market dropped 10% in just a few days.

And with this past week’s latest leg lower being led by big tech names — notably Facebook (FB) — the total market cap the S&P 500 has shed since late January is now over $2 trillion. This drop has also erased almost 40% of the market cap gains the S&P has enjoyed since President Donald Trump was elected to office.

So much for "we'll be winning so much, you'll get tired of all the winning." 

And what happens if WHEN the other 60% disappears?  I wonder how the Republicans running for office this summer and fall will think about that?

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/almost-40-market-value-created-trump-rally-gone-175052153.html

[SteveMDFP]

. . .
 Then the elites of the GOP and Democrats took over the show and screwed it into the ground until it became unrecognizable as a real democracy with real separation of powers with checks and balances. It's been infested with parasites ever since. 

My own sense is that the political system in the US (and in most democracies) has *always* been this way, more or less.  Remember Crédit Mobilier?  Teapot Dome?  Boss Tweed and Tammany Hall?

I think the decade after Watergate enjoyed enhanced public engagement and reform efforts, which have gradually languished.  Such efforts may have a resurgence now.

There's nothing new under the sun.

[Buddy]

Exclusive:  Trump's Coal Job Push Stumbles In Most States

Unreleased full-year coal employment data from the Mining Health and Safety Administration shows total U.S. coal mining jobs grew by 771 to 54,819 during Trump’s first year in office, led by Central Appalachian states like West Virginia, Virginia, and Pennsylvania - where coal companies have opened a handful of new mining areas for shipment overseas.

“You know, West Virginia is doing fantastically well,” Trump told Reuters in an interview this week about the state, which gained 1,345 coal jobs last year, according to the data. “It’s great coal.”

But the industry also lost jobs in other Appalachian states like Ohio, Kentucky, and Maryland; the western Powder River Basin states Montana and Wyoming; as well as in several other states like Indiana, New Mexico, and Texas.

So much winning.....

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-coal-jobs/exclusive-trumps-coal-job-push-stumbles-in-most-states-data-idUSKBN1F81AK

Below....is chart of coal production AND coal jobs through 2016.

[Buddy]

Watergate vs RussiaGate

The psychology of this whole thing (RussiaGate) has always been of interest to me.... and that is why I looked closely at video clips and articles of what happened in Watergate.  The psychology of humans DOESN'T CHANGE.  The same types of failings that people had in Nixon's administration....are in Trump's administration.  Now..... Trump's administration is not NEARLY as "qualified" as the administration of Trump....but that is to be expected.  But the fact that SO MANY people were willing to lie EARLY AND OFTEN in the Nixon administration..... has also been present in the Trump administration (in spades).  And while it doesn't surprise me, since I studied the Watergate history, it still AMAZES ME that there are so many people willing to lie at the drop of a hat.  And that doesn't say anything good about humanity...

You can see that the "process" of the Trump administration unwinding is picking up speed this month.  Two steps down....one step back up....two more steps down....one step back up.  His recovery days are never as good as his steps down are bad.

Kellyanne Conway's husband has been getting into the "Trump bashing act" over the last month or so.  Robert Palmer has a blog posting on it below.  Why is Kellyanne's husband bashing Trump....and what does Kellyanne think about it?  Strange....

This is an administration in absolute freefall.  Trump nominating his personal doctor to head the Veteran's Administration is one more crazy job hiring.  Who's next?

I certainly hope that Kellyanne Conway and Sara Huckabee stay with "the ship" to the bitter end.....they deserve to go down with it since they are two of the biggest liars on board.

http://www.palmerreport.com/analysis/kellyanne-conway-attacks-trump/9074/

[Buddy]

FOX and the Trump Administration....

One of the interesting things I will be watching for over the next year.... will be the ratings of FOX News.  FOX has 3 issues which I believe will impact them negatively.... and I also believe that has already started:

1)  FOX and Trump .....they helped to get him elected...now they have to sleep with him (eewww) and watch him self destruct
2)  FOX and global warming denial
3)  FOX and guns..... the more the merrier

While FOX News continues to sit in their perch as the #1 watched cable channel... they MAY have peaked about a year ago.  The "slide" down from a very high perch almost never is ABRUPT.  It usually starts SLOWLY, and then gains speed later.

In the article linked below.... you can see that "Trump's channel" is still the number 1 cable channel...but their viewership is down over last year.  I think that will continue DOWN as the 3 issues noted above continues to gain traction.

It will also think it will be difficult for FOX to "pivot" from the above 3 subjects.  I'll be watching over the coming months and years.  But FOX's day as the number 1 news show may come to an end...

http://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/february-2018-ratings-fox-news-marks-194-consecutive-months-as-the-most-watched-cable-news-network/358292

The truth NEVER goes away.... it just waits to be discovered.

[AbruptSLR]

Did Trump fire Shulkin in order to make it easier to privatize the VA?

Title: "Fired VA Secretary Says White House Muzzled Him"

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/03/29/597866101/fired-va-secretary-says-white-house-muzzled-him?utm_source=npr_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=20180329&utm_campaign=breakingnews&utm_term=nprnews

Extract: "Privatization has been the major issue at the department, and political appointees within the administration had been discussing removing Shulkin over the matter. Shulkin demurred from pointing a finger squarely at President Trump, but described a VA riddled with political pressure and conflict."

[AbruptSLR]

The GOP are facilitating the Vulture Capitalists:

Title: "Republicans Promised to Cut the Deficit. It’s Only Getting Worse"

https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2018-republicans-growing-deficit/

Extract: "Republicans are presiding over an escalation in U.S. indebtedness after years of railing against widening deficits under Democrats."

[sidd]

This should get the neocons mad:

https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/breaking-trump-announces-us-troops-to-withdraw-from-syria-soon/

He was in Richland OH, they got some kids in the wars.

sidd

[sidd]

EU to keep iran deal, extend credit to firms under US sanctions :

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/mar/23/eu-may-offer-credit-to-firms-trading-with-iran-if-trump-pulls-out-of-nuclear-deal

sidd

[AbruptSLR]

A case can be made that Trump has been (& still is) acting as Putin's puppet by first wiping-out both ISIS, and local civilian populations, and then rapidly withdrawing from Syria thus leaving a strengthened Russia/Syria military force to dominate the local region:

Title: "Trump promise to get out of Syria 'very soon' could be a win for Russia"

https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/30/politics/trump-russia-syria/index.html

Extract: "If President Donald Trump makes good on his promise to get out of Syria "very soon," one of the biggest winners will be Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Russian government."

[SteveMDFP]

Title: "Trump promise to get out of Syria 'very soon' could be a win for Russia"

Of course, just because this would be a "win" for Russia doesn't mean it's a loss for the US.
I can't see any compelling interest for the US to stay any longer.  ISIS is effectively vanquished. 
Syria is a sovereign nation.  If Syrian forces can control territory to prevent international terrorist activity (with an ally of their choice, Russia) then it's an act of war to have US troops there.

Kurdish, Turkish, Iraqi, Syrian, and Russian forces are all in play, some shooting at others, and the US has no compelling interest for or against any of them (unless the US wants to try to topple Assad, which would be unbelievably stupid).

[TerryM]

Title: "Trump promise to get out of Syria 'very soon' could be a win for Russia"

Of course, just because this would be a "win" for Russia doesn't mean it's a loss for the US.
I can't see any compelling interest for the US to stay any longer.  ISIS is effectively vanquished. 
Syria is a sovereign nation.  If Syrian forces can control territory to prevent international terrorist activity (with an ally of their choice, Russia) then it's an act of war to have US troops there.

Kurdish, Turkish, Iraqi, Syrian, and Russian forces are all in play, some shooting at others, and the US has no compelling interest for or against any of them (unless the US wants to try to topple Assad, which would be unbelievably stupid).

I'm not sure it isn't an act of war to place unwanted and uninvited military forces in another nation's territory whether you believe they are adequately preventing terrorist activity or not.


The US policy of toppling Assad is as you say "unbelievably stupid". If Trump ends it, more power to him.
Terry

[magnamentis]

@terry

i think what he said that it "IS" an act of war not it isn't but:

what could my eyes is "more power to him"

that sounds like permiiting a nurse to do surgery on the patents heart because she "guessed" or in the best case knew which threads or which scalpells have to be used ?

sorry if i got you wrong but i think it's very common that power and glory is given to too many who found a piece of corn like even a blind chicken can do.

just let me know if that's what you meant or not, i gladly will improve my english skills  to understand everyone correctly :-)

happy easter @all

[TerryM]

@terry

i think what he said that it "IS" an act of war not it isn't but:

what could my eyes is "more power to him"

that sounds like permiiting a nurse to do surgery on the patents heart because she "guessed" or in the best case knew which threads or which scalpells have to be used ?

sorry if i got you wrong but i think it's very common that power and glory is given to too many who found a piece of corn like even a blind chicken can do.

just let me know if that's what you meant or not, i gladly will improve my english skills  to understand everyone correctly :-)

happy easter @all

Mag
What I was trying to say was that it is an act of war to invade another country even if you are not happy with the way that they are handling their terrorist problem.


"More power to him" is American slang for "well done" or "he did well".


Hope the above helps.
Terry

[Rob Dekker]

I'm not sure it isn't an act of war to place unwanted and uninvited military forces in another nation's territory whether you believe they are adequately preventing terrorist activity or not.

Yeah. Like Russian military in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine, and Georgia, and many more places.

The US policy of toppling Assad is as you say "unbelievably stupid". If Trump ends it, more power to him.

The US policy in Syria is not and has never been to topple Assad. It is and was to destroy ISIS.
Believe me, if the US wanted to, it could topple Assad within a month or two. Especially now that the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) has been all but destroyed and consists mostly of only militias from Iran and Hezbollah and such. And of course the Russian Air Force.

If we leave Syria "soon" as Trump proposes, he will be making the same mistake that Trump himself blamed Obama for leaving Iraq too soon (with Al Qaida in Iraq not destroyed, it turned into ISIS).

As sidd mentioned : once you are there, you need to own it and take responsibility.
And as Neven said : "Send in the military, enforce a ceasefire, then start the rebuilding process of 10-20 years."

If the cooler heads prevail, we are going to be in Syria for a long time. As we should, to rebuild that country.

[Rob Dekker]

John Oliver at his best (again) : Here with an epic take down of Mike Pence and his LGBT discrimination policies :



You can buy the Marlon Bundo book here :
https://betterbundobook.com/
or at Amazon where it beats the crap out of Mike Pence's own book sales :
https://www.amazon.com/Day-Life-Marlon-Bundo/dp/B07BFJF8PP

[Rob Dekker]

Trump signs resolution to permit dumping mining waste into waterways

The resolution, signed Feb. 16, reversed an Obama-era rule aimed at blocking coal-mining operations from dumping waste into nearby waterways.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/videonational/president-trump-signs-resolution-to-permit-mining-waste-dumping-in-waterways/2017/02/21/cde426aa-f84b-11e6-aa1e-5f735ee31334_video.html?utm_term=.ed93e3eb5672

[sidd]

To clarify: my quote in another thread was regarding afghanistan: " ... I took no position on what the USA should or should not have done. But having invaded, she bears responsibility."

That said, my comment should not be taken as construing support for the USA retaining soldiers in foreign lands. But having once intervened she bears responsibility for the intervention regardless of whether she subsequently withdraws or not.

Some diehard interventionists argue that since the USA is present, she had better remain and help in reconstruction of those woeful lands. I have a more cynical view, for my reading of history tells me that almost every intervention by the USA for a century or more has but led to wreck and ruin for the affected lands. Including, in smaller measure, for the USA itself.

sidd

[Rob Dekker]

Trump just added $ 160 billion to a Military budget that was already over inflated.



Some 25% of my tax dollars go toward military related spending... I would rather spend my tax dollars on education, healthcare, infrastructure.

[Rob Dekker]

Some diehard interventionists argue that since the USA is present, she had better remain and help in reconstruction of those woeful lands. I have a more cynical view, for my reading of history tells me that almost every intervention by the USA for a century or more has but led to wreck and ruin for the affected lands. Including, in smaller measure, for the USA itself.

Since you mention the 'century' timeline, I would argue that the US pulling out of Western Europe after WWI was a disastrous decision. The US learned their lesson, so after WWII the US initiated the Marshall plan and retained a military presence (for 70 years now) in Western Europe, which worked miracles. Same strategy was executed in Japan. Not just did we build lasting trust and allies, but also we also allowed Western Europe to rebuild and create a thriving economy that we can trade with, and we prevented another world war.

So in hindsight, the longest lasting 'intervention' turns out to be the best.
That's maybe the problem with recent interventions : Bush thought that the mission was accomplished after less than 2 years. Obama thought the mission was accomplished after 10 years in Iraq.

And Trump is about to make the same mistake after just a few years in Syria.

In reality, if you intervene, you need to be there for many, many decades. Building trust, help rebuild, and help create lasting democracies.

That's my 2 cts on that.

[Buddy]

Keep in mind what I said more than a year ago is even MORE true today:  I have a LOT of confidence in Trump to make BAD DECISIONS because of his "decision making process."

Now that he has even fewer "semi reasonable" people around him.... his decisions will become even worse..... because many of them will be unchecked.

We have Donald Trump surrounded by Steven Miller, John Bolton, Wilbur Ross.... as well as his key advisor Sean Hannity and FOX and Friends.

What could possibly go wrong....?

We'll see if people start paying more attention to "Mr. Market" later in the summer as more of the "Trump bounce" disappears.....

[be cause]

strange .. Donald must have lots of Buddies .. I see his support has tumbled from 35% to 42% .. b.c.

[Rob Dekker]

The White House has ordered the State Department to put on hold $200 million in recovery funds to Syria, following President Trump's remarks last week signaling a possible withdrawal of American troops from Syria.

https://www.npr.org/2018/04/02/598885081/trump-freezes-syria-aid-funds-sends-mixed-messages-on-anti-isis-strategy

The funding, which was meant to support infrastructure projects in areas controlled by U.S.-backed rebels, was promised by former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson last month at an aid conference in Kuwait. The freeze on the money could put Trump in a confrontational position with U.S. military officials who say the fight against ISIS is not yet complete.

[TerryM]

The following is a reply to a post of Thomas's on another thread. I think this is a more appropriate thread.
-----

I advocated voting for Trump even though as a Canadian I was off target for any directed micro-ads, out of the range of Citizens United Dollars, and my radio, TV, Newspaper and Magazines still carried advertising for restaurants, new cars, and destination resorts.
For me it all boiled down to three cackling laughs, delivered as she watched a peer being sodomized by bayonet. No person that depraved should be allowed around children or animals. She should never be allowed to work in a Seven Eleven, or to manage anything other than her own reading list.
She needs help, and should be locked away until she has recovered.

Trump is terrible.
Is he any worse than his Republican rivals?
Would another Bush be more to your liking? How about one of the Capital "C" Christians who believe god created the world and only he can destroy it. We'll probably have a President Pence in the not too distant future, so we'll be able to compare your howls of rage.


It's 2018 and I still haven't seen a mushroom cloud!
Terry

[Rob Dekker]

Terry, are you turning into a bot going haywire, spitting out sentences that are incoherent, inconsistent and even self-contradicting.
What's going on with you ?

[TerryM]

Terry, are you turning into a bot going haywire, spitting out sentences that are incoherent, inconsistent and even self-contradicting.
What's going on with you ?

Reading comprehension problems again?
It's a reply to a post on another thread - which is spelled out in the first two sentences.


Should I limit my scribbling to accommodate the least capable?


I think not.
Terry

[Rob Dekker]

I advocated voting for Trump even though as a Canadian I was off target for any directed micro-ads...
...
Trump is terrible.

Explain that to the 'least capable', please.
Because I don't get it.

[Neven]

Enough with the personal stuff.

I agree with the argument that you should've voted Clinton if you lived in a swing state, but Stein if you lived elsewhere. If the Green Party had received 10-15% of the vote, it could've been a game changer. Now the polarizing divide&conquer game is continuing, which will make it difficult to replace Trump with something useful. The good thing about Trump becoming president, is that people are awake and energized. The question is whether all that energy is going to get stumped again, like it did under Obama.

[TerryM]

I advocated voting for Trump even though as a Canadian I was off target for any directed micro-ads...
...
Trump is terrible.

Explain that to the 'least capable', please.
Because I don't get it.

I told people to vote for Trump.
I am a Canadian, and live in a country that was not the aim of nasty actors like Cambridge Analytical and others. 
These nasty people use data from the internet to aim their ads at a very small groups of people that may be swayed by the message that was directed at them.
Because I was not aimed at by these nasty people my ideas are more likely to be my own than those who were targeted.


Trump is a bad President.


I think most 6 year olds could grasp this message. I thought most 8 year olds could have grasped the earlier message.
My apologizes to ESL readers, this is aimed at those who have read English as their primary language and still insist that they can not understand what was written.
A very strange and ineffective form of arguing.


Terry
edit: Sorry for the cross post Neven.

[budmantis]

Terry: I recall it was less than a week before the Pres. election, and I was expressing here that I didn't think I could vote for Hillary. You replied saying I should reconsider, that a non-vote for Hillary would be a vote for Trump, even if I didn't vote for him. Now you're saying you supported Trump? That's a 180 degree switch from what you said back in early November 2016.

Bud

[TerryM]

Terry: I recall it was less than a week before the Pres. election, and I was expressing here that I didn't think I could vote for Hillary. You replied saying I should reconsider, that a non-vote for Hillary would be a vote for Trump, even if I didn't vote for him. Now you're saying you supported Trump? That's a 180 degree switch from what you said back in early November 2016.

Bud

My recollection is the opposite. I do remember our talks, but believe I was arguing the other side of the coin. I was a very long time supporter of Democratic candidates but was dismayed when my wife cast her vote for Hillary - early postal voting.
Not convinced that my ministrations caused much of a swing either way.
Terry

[Neven]

Was it this comment? 

Budmantis


Please consider what the Republicans have done to your country, and the world, just this century.


I fear Clinton because of her belligerence re. Russia. If this is your concern then by all means leave a protest vote, but if climate change is of any concern then Clinton must beat Trump.


I moved to California in 1963 and have been "politically aware" ever since. I was there when Kennedy was assassinated and when "W" stole the election from Gore.
Imagine where we would be if we'd had Gore for 2 terms instead of "W".


I have doubts about Hillary, unfortunately I have no doubts what Trump will mean for the world.


Allowing Trump in will NOT improve the political climate & will be a disaster for climate change.


Terry

[TerryM]

Was it this comment? 

Budmantis


Please consider what the Republicans have done to your country, and the world, just this century.


I fear Clinton because of her belligerence re. Russia. If this is your concern then by all means leave a protest vote, but if climate change is of any concern then Clinton must beat Trump.


I moved to California in 1963 and have been "politically aware" ever since. I was there when Kennedy was assassinated and when "W" stole the election from Gore.
Imagine where we would be if we'd had Gore for 2 terms instead of "W".


I have doubts about Hillary, unfortunately I have no doubts what Trump will mean for the world.


Allowing Trump in will NOT improve the political climate & will be a disaster for climate change.


Terry

OUCH!!
Wonder when I did change my mind?
The wife and I had quite a heated discussion when she told me of her vote for Clinton. I'd certainly been very much for the democratic candidate at one time, but was sure I'd changed my mine pre-election, not post.
Terry

[Rob Dekker]

I told people to vote for Trump.
...
Trump is a bad President.

Somehow that still does not make sense to me.

[be cause]

I told people to vote for Trump.
...
Trump is a bad President.

Somehow that still does not make sense to me.
[/quot
perhaps .. as is becoming obvious .. opinions change with time .. b.c.

[TerryM]

I told people to vote for Trump.
...
Trump is a bad President.

Somehow that still does not make sense to me.
[/quot
perhaps .. as is becoming obvious .. opinions change with time .. b.c.

Ramen!!
In a perfect world, or perhaps in Canada, I could vote for a candidate that wouldn't be a bad leader as opposed to voting for one that could possibly defeat a worse one.
I did vote for Trudeau to get rid of the despised Harper. Trudeau doesn't yet qualify as a "Bad Prime Minister", he has however done enough to have lost my support in a coming election.
With 3 major parties I have the choice of voting for who I want to win, or of voting for who has the best chance of defeating someone I don't want in power.
In all of the elections since I've been back in Canada I've supported the Liberal Party since they presented the best chance of defeating Harper. Hopefully next election I'll be able to support the more progressive NDP.
Terry

[TerryM]

OUCH!!
Wonder when I did change my mind?

Don't worry Terry I have the perfect defense. You never said that.

Either it has been planted by Russian agents to discredit you OR CA connected operative hacked your ID and mimicked you and their auto-bots posted that post, which is why you cannot recall it.

Works for everyone else in 'authority' so you may as well take advantage while it topical.

Thanks for the laugh, but I'm a big enough guy to take my lumps when they're due.
Terry
edit: Apologies to Bud, but it's still the way I remember it   - Great to here from you, even under this circumstance.

[Jim Pettit]

Reading comprehension problems again?
It's a reply to a post on another thread - which is spelled out in the first two sentences.

Should I limit my scribbling to accommodate the least capable?

I think not.
Terry

If you're going to post in one thread a response to a post in a different thread, should you have the courtesy of also posting the original comment to which you are responding so people know just what it is you are going on about?

I think so.
Jim

[Buddy]

It is now April.... and the Republicans are SLOWLY beginning to pull away.  Even Senator Ron Johnson from Wisconsin has started to slightly "pull away" from Traitor Trump.



This is a PROCESS....and still has longer to play out.  As the stock market heads further south over the coming months, more Republicans will be forced to pull away.  Will enough of them pull away to force Traitor Don out of office?  We'll see....  They will be forced to make a decision:  Either face a tsunami (not a wave).... or bail on Traitor Don.  Will they bail BEFORE midterm elections..... or will they bail AFTER the midterm elections.  But bail they will....

[TerryM]

Buddy

Are they pulling away from Trump because Trump has a 41.7% approval rating with likely voters, while only 39.5% of Americans favor Republicans?
Petty jealousy wins over shrewd politics one more time.

Only Truman, Johnson, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Daddy Bush, and Clinton had approval numbers as low as the Trumpster's present numbers in their first term, and three of them didn't even win a second term.

At least that's the story that the folks at fivethirtyeight are spinning.
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/trump-approval-ratings/voters/

Terry

[AbruptSLR]

I think that the GOP should be concerned about a blue tsunami in November:

Title: "Dem challenging Cruz in Texas brings in $6.7M in first quarter"

http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/381378-dem-challenging-cruz-in-texas-brings-in-67-million-in-first-quarter-of-2018

[TerryM]

I think that the GOP should be concerned about a blue tsunami in November:

Title: "Dem challenging Cruz in Texas brings in $6.7M in first quarter"

http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/381378-dem-challenging-cruz-in-texas-brings-in-67-million-in-first-quarter-of-2018

Because campaigning with more money is more effective than campaigning with better ideas.


Not arguing the point, just pointing out the absurdity of the system.
Terry

[charles_oil]

....... That was on Sunday I guess.

[budmantis]

OUCH!!
Wonder when I did change my mind?

Thanks for the laugh, but I'm a big enough guy to take my lumps when they're due.
Terry
edit: Apologies to Bud, but it's still the way I remember it   - Great to here from you, even under this circumstance.

No worries Terry! Nobody's perfect!

Bud

[AbruptSLR]

The rumors are getting louder that Scalise may soon replace Ryan as Speaker of the House:

Title: "Scalise comeback fuels talk of succeeding Ryan"

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/03/29/scalise-shooting-house-speaker-490944

[AbruptSLR]

It's looking more & more like Pruitt's days in the Trump Administration are numbered:

Title: "Two Republican lawmakers call for Pruitt to step down or be fired:

http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/381439-gop-rep-calls-for-pruitt-to-step-down-or-be-fired