President Donald J. Trump

[starrmtn001]

It's nothing new. Presidents like Washington and Lincoln gave dignity to the office.  Other lesser Presidents followed their lead.  While I am also fond of Jackson, he was always adversarial and stood out as such among 19th Century presidents.

Jackson treated the indigenous People abhorrently.  I may be mixing up my history notes here, but didn't Jackson try to commit genocide by instructing Sherman to give The People small pox infected blankets?  Yeah, my high school years were a really long time ago.  Please, feel free to correct me where I'm wrong.

[VtaGeezer]

Would Cruz, who's openly down on immigrants, rely on the discretion of immigrant DC hotel help to keep his afternoon trysts secret?  Nah, he's way too smart for that.     

[VtaGeezer]

Jackson treated the indigenous People abhorrently.  I may be mixing up my history notes here, but didn't Jackson try to commit genocide by instructing Sherman to give The People small pox infected blankets?  Yeah, my high school years were a really long time ago.  Please, feel free to correct me where I'm wrong.

Jackson was long dead when Sherman was in the Army, but he did legitimize the disenfranchise of Indians by initiating the Indian Removal Act that forcibly evicted Indians; some of the most assimilated tribes at that; from their lands in the South.  He also reversed the practice of recognizing tribal groups as sovereigns with treaties.  Until Jackson, Indians generally got reasonable if not good treatment from the American government.  After Jackson, the floodgates opened across the states to ignore treaties signed by the pre-Jackson govt. And the rest is history.

[21st Century Man]

Jackson treated the indigenous People abhorrently.  I may be mixing up my history notes here, but didn't Jackson try to commit genocide by instructing Sherman to give The People small pox infected blankets?  Yeah, my high school years were a really long time ago.  Please, feel free to correct me where I'm wrong.

No, you are absolutely right.  He did treat the Indians horribly.  Still, there are some funny and interesting stories about Jackson that amuse me.  I don't think he was one of the great presidents mainly due to his mistreatment of the Indians and his handling of the Nullification crisis.

[Value Of Pi]

Since those pics of his wife are available, isn't it better that they came out NOW rather than when Trump faces Hillary?  I mean, Hillary must have had this as part of her ammo against Trump and now it's useless for her.

In terms of Hillary and now versus later, I'm not sure it makes much of a difference. Hillary wouldn't have gone after Trump's wife (people in glass houses with husbands named Bill...). In any case, she would expect to get both barrels from Trump on her various scandals. She'd rather not be the one to get personal in that way. I'm sure she realizes that there are more effective ways to attack Trump in the general election.

[Lt.Uhura]

Rumors are he's jockeying to become Trump's VP.

[VtaGeezer]

In terms of Hillary and now versus later, I'm not sure it makes much of a difference. Hillary wouldn't have gone after Trump's wife (people in glass houses with husbands named Bill...). In any case, she would expect to get both barrels from Trump on her various scandals. She'd rather not be the one to get personal in that way. I'm sure she realizes that there are more effective ways to attack Trump in the general election.

I could agree with you, but Clinton hired David Brock; long time political "hit man",  whose scraper has never found the bottom of a barrel.

[Faustina]

Rumors are he's jockeying to become Trump's VP.

His lapband is gonna be stretching if he doesn't quit snacking on M&M's.

[Value Of Pi]

I could agree with you, but Clinton hired David Brock; long time political "hit man",  whose scraper has never found the bottom of a barrel.

Well, if he's half the hit man people say he is, he'd better find some better ammunition than Melania. I don't think she packs much of a punch, except possibly in Utah. So she was a supermodel, or posed nude, or did whatever with whoever? Not a huge problem. The idea isn't just to do something totally tasteless, it's to do some actual damage to the other guy's reputation.

How do you ruin Trump's reputation, after all the self-inflicted damage has not done the job already? That's the challenge. The guy has already injected himself with a boatload of toxic substances and it only makes him stronger. He's built up lots of immunity to publicity that would kill anyone else. Any good hit man would be searching high and low for a silver bullet.

[CornyCrow]

I don't want someone in the oval office who does not think before he opens his mouth.  That rules out Trump.  There is something about Hillary, when I watch her, that just seems so repulsive and artificial. 
Both of them seem to be in it for ego purposes, neither really caring about the country or the people, and both very selfish.  I would vote for Sanders if he were the candidate.  Maybe I'll vote for some third party.  The Greens, maybe. 

[Value Of Pi]

I don't want someone in the oval office who does not think before he opens his mouth.  That rules out Trump.  There is something about Hillary, when I watch her, that just seems so repulsive and artificial. 
Both of them seem to be in it for ego purposes, neither really caring about the country or the people, and both very selfish.  I would vote for Sanders if he were the candidate.  Maybe I'll vote for some third party.  The Greens, maybe.

It strikes me that picking a President is, for each of us, a little like having to pick a parent. You want all those good qualities -- honesty, good character, strength, judgement, integrity etc. -- plua someone who's human, personable and down-to-earth because you'll have to live with them every day. Tough too because even though you personnally don't want to be sent to your room, you understand that he/she will need to do this with someone at some point.

It's not a perfect analogy (or original) and it doesn't make us all children just because we might want a bit of Mom or Dad in the White House. Nobody seems to mind talking about George Washington as the father of the country. And it seems like we've had several Moms.

[RealCool Daddio]

Trump gets taken to the wood shed by a conservative talk show host:

http://www.businessinsider.com/wisconsin-radio-donald-trump-heidi-cruz-2016-3

[VtaGeezer]

Trump gets taken to the wood shed ambushed by a conservative Cruz-supporting talk show host:

http://www.businessinsider.com/wisconsin-radio-donald-trump-heidi-cruz-2016-3

FIFY.  Trump is correct; the Texas Drama Queen started it, is milking it for all its worth, the corporate MSM is happily distorting it wildly, and the far right's fanatical poster boy is gaining undreamed of traction.

And what Trump did was the equivalent of this:

 

[Up All Night]

Be Afraid . . .  Be Very Afraid ! ! ! !

[FightTheFuture]

Be Afraid . . .  Be Very Afraid ! ! ! !

A terrifying prospect, indeed.

[21st Century Man]

So now Trump is going to sue Louisiana Republicans because though he got more of the popular vote, Cruz got more delegates. Louisiana has 5 delegates that are not bound by the popular vote.  They went with Cruz.  Sorry bub. You think you're being screwed, talk to Bernie.  Now there is someone who is being screwed.  Donald, you can take all your lawyers and put them where the sun don't shine.   Stop with the suing crap. 

[GuerrillaUnReal]

So now Trump is going to sue Louisiana Republicans because though he got more of the popular vote, Cruz got more delegates. Louisiana has 5 delegates that are not bound by the popular vote.  They went with Cruz.  Sorry bub. You think you're being screwed, talk to Bernie.  Now there is someone who is being screwed.  Donald, you can take all your lawyers and put them where the sun don't shine.   Stop with the suing crap.

That's rather corrupt.

[21st Century Man]

That's rather corrupt.

I won't argue that point as I don't particularly care for the system but that is what happens when some of the delegates are not bound by the popular vote.  Donald Trump is not going to win a suit and get more delegates.  Maybe he should have spent a little money and wined and dined them a bit.  I'm sick and tired of this litigious society that we live in.  I hate it and want reforms and I really despise people who think because they have a lot of money, they can sue to get their way.

[GuerrillaUnReal]

I won't argue that point as I don't particularly care for the system but that is what happens when some of the delegates are not bound by the popular vote.  Donald Trump is not going to win a suit and get more delegates.  Maybe he should have spent a little money and wined and dined them a bit.  I'm sick and tired of this litigious society that we live in.  I hate it and want reforms and I really despise people who think because they have a lot of money, they can sue to get their way.

Trump/Cruz shit aside. How does that work with the independent delegates? That's wild that exists.

[21st Century Man]

Trump/Cruz shit aside. How does that work with the independent delegates? That's wild that exists.

Each state has its own rules.  Some delegates are picked according to who wins a congressional district or county.  I'm not sure about the rules in Louisiana though it appears to be complicated.  I googled Louisiana delegates and the best article I found was this one by red state. 

http://www.redstate.com/streiff/2016/03/25/hilarious.-ted-cruz-wins-louisiana-delegates-donald-trump/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

What is important from all of this is that Trump needs to bribe his delegates to stay with him after the first ballot.  If he doesn't, then they most likely won't stick with him after the first ballot.  Yeah, the delegate process is rife with corruption on both sides of the aisle.

Now I wished I had tried to become a delegate.  Lots of free goodies and maybe a free  trip to some island resort.  Damn.  Well maybe next time.  LOL

[onan]

presidential candidates posting pics of opponent's spouses, wow, what cunts.

[VtaGeezer]

Its the same scam that Ron Paul's fanatics used in a state or two.  Actual delegate selection is up to the state party rules and not the election.  So they can pack the delegate selection process to have their people selected as delegates.  Trump should be spending more money on a good ground team or he'll be done in by insider tricks.

[analog kid]

presidential candidates posting pics of opponent's spouses, wow, what cunts.

Somewhere Rove is thinking this is all pretty cute; enjoying a bowl of rusty nails and glass shards.

[albrecht]

Its the same scam that Ron Paul's fanatics used in a state or two.  Actual delegate selection is up to the state party rules and not the election.  So they can pack the delegate selection process to have their people selected as delegates.  Trump should be spending more money on a good ground team or he'll be done in by insider tricks.

And the Parties aren't some government organization and I think can't even throw out a person who claims membership (David Duke a decade ago comes to mind) or registers as one, but they can support alternative candidate, not provide funds, use State rules against him, etc.  But I think anyone can register and claim to run in whatever Party they want. But a stupid strategy if that Party doesn't like you and you aren't aware of the rules in each of the State's Party! Almost everything is done at the State level- even for Federal elections.
ps: I wonder, if it came down to Trump, or Bernie, vs a "mainstream" candidate if ELECTORS themselves would bail? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faithless_elector

[Value Of Pi]

I saw Bob Woodward today talking about his 20-minute interview with Trump. This is one of the two reporters who broke Watergate and was getting hard-to-get answers when others couldn't even come up with questions. He got nowhere with Trump, despite four follow-ups pressing the original foreign policy question. Trump just blathered on, undisturbed.

How does Trump manage this, everyone asks? The answer, IMO, is purple monkey dishwasher. When asked a question you either can't or don't want to answer, just reply "purple monkey dishwasher." This is Trump's not-so-secret secret. And, for various reasons, in his case it is mostly effective.

In court, this is known as a witness being non-responsive to a question. How does the judge or anyone else know that the witness is being non-responsive? It's self-evident. At a certain point after the witness has declared that red is blue or up is down, someone objects and the judge agrees that the witness isn't cooperating or acting in good faith. It's not arguable that purple monkey dishwasher answers the question asked because it's self-evident.

But Trump isn't in court, he's talking to journalists who are reluctant to tell him that he is full of shit, however nicely, for fear of being branded partisan or not objective. So they get experts or partisans to do that job, but their credibility and motivation can be easily attacked. Purple monkey dishwasher survives to fight another day, destroying all logic and common sense it finds in its path.

Is there a remedy for this plague of purple monkey dishwasher, perpetrated by one of the greatest living con men? Absolutely, there is. Part of the remedy is for the fraud victims, also known as Trump supporters, to start to catch on to his game and understand how it works. Then comes the really hard part for some: they have to care that he's playing this game.

[RealCool Daddio]

I saw Bob Woodward today talking about his 20-minute interview with Trump. This is one of the two reporters who broke Watergate and was getting hard-to-get answers when others couldn't even come up with questions. He got nowhere with Trump, despite four follow-ups pressing the original foreign policy question. Trump just blathered on, undisturbed.

How does Trump manage this, everyone asks? The answer, IMO, is purple monkey dishwasher. When asked a question you either can't or don't want to answer, just reply "purple monkey dishwasher." This is Trump's not-so-secret secret. And, for various reasons, in his case it is mostly effective.

In court, this is known as a witness being non-responsive to a question. How does the judge or anyone else know that the witness is being non-responsive? It's self-evident. At a certain point after the witness has declared that red is blue or up is down, someone objects and the judge agrees that the witness isn't cooperating or acting in good faith. It's not arguable that purple monkey dishwasher answers the question asked because it's self-evident.

But Trump isn't in court, he's talking to journalists who are reluctant to tell him that he is full of shit, however nicely, for fear of being branded partisan or not objective. So they get experts or partisans to do that job, but their credibility and motivation can be easily attacked. Purple monkey dishwasher survives to fight another day, destroying all logic and common sense it finds in its path.

Is there a remedy for this plague of purple monkey dishwasher, perpetrated by one of the greatest living con men? Absolutely, there is. Part of the remedy is for the fraud victims, also known as Trump supporters, to start to catch on to his game and understand how it works. Then comes the really hard part for some: they have to care that he's playing this game.

Very well put.  Interestingly, one of his former strategists just posted a tell-all, begging people to not vote for him, saying many of the same things:

"The man does not know policy, nor does he have the humility to admit what he does not know â€" the most frightening position of all.

I remember watching the second Trump debate and thinking, After this, he is going to have to start hammering it home on policy; the country needs substance to make an informed decision.

I wished for it six months ago and am still waiting for it today. He had an opportunity after the terror attacks in Belgium and instead he used the opportunity to talk about closing the borders and what a mess that country had become. I was appalled that he offered no condolences or words of support; he merely gave his "build a wall" stump speech and talked about his greatness."

http://www.xojane.com/issues/stephanie-cegielski-donald-trump-campaign-defector

[RealCool Daddio]

How big are the gaps in Trump's understanding of foreign policy?  Yuge!

http://www.vox.com/2016/3/28/11318722/trump-foreign-policy
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/27/us/politics/donald-trump-transcript.html

[gabrielle]

http://charleslindbergh.com/americanfirst/

A bit of info about "America First" .......it is not new.

[21st Century Man]

How big are the gaps in Trump's understanding of foreign policy?  Yuge!

http://www.vox.com/2016/3/28/11318722/trump-foreign-policy
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/27/us/politics/donald-trump-transcript.html

Yeah but he'll keep us safe and make America great again.  It's going to be incredible, that I can tell you.  :

[VtaGeezer]

It's clear Trump has the traits of Caligula, Vlad the Impaler, Hitler and Stalin rolled into one.  His record is replete with racism, misogyny, corruption, and unspeakable violence.  It is, isn't it?