Trump runs for POTUS / Trumped Up! Part V

[NoahFence]

The system is designed to keep any President in check and at the end of the day he just doesn't have the political capital to make his wild presidential dreams come true. Most US Presidents come into the office having generated and solidified at least the support of the people running their political party. Trump doesn't have a bit of that. The far more likely scenario is that Trump becomes the tool of the Republicans in Congress because a) he can do little without their support and b) he doesn't have real policy ideas/positions and instead just spouts whatever he thinks people want to hear at a given moment.

The guy currently treats everyone around him except his boy toy putin with complete disrespect. You don't think that'll blow back on us? He can and WILL do massive damage to our international standing. That's just common sense.

 

[Babbylonian]

The guy currently treats everyone around him except his boy toy putin with complete disrespect. You don't think that'll blow back on us? He can and WILL do massive damage to our international standing. That's just common sense.

Yeah, and the Republic still won't fall because of it.

Trump would be awful, potentially the worst President ever. You will get zero argument from me on that. However, I don't buy the doomsday scenarios. I think they're being generated because people are getting hysterical.

 

[NoahFence]

Yeah, and the Republic still won't fall because of it.

Trump would be awful, potentially the worst President ever. You will get zero argument from me on that. However, I don't buy the doomsday scenarios. I think they're being generated because people are getting hysterical.

Are you entirely sure about that? It's uncharted waters, man. How can you possibly be sure? Do we not have a right to get apoplectic when the man seemingly wants to start a war with MEXICO?? And his best friend is PUTIN?

Did you not see how easily manipulated he was by the President of Mexico? He's totally unhinged. His staff - who I would argue are more retarded than Trump himself, are ready to start wars at the drop of a hat. Conspiracy minded idiots. Can you imagine Clayton Moore or a person like Alex Jones having the ear of the President? come on man.

 

[Bob001]

Yeah, and the Republic still won't fall because of it.
.....

Is that the only criteria? Yeah, I think the United States will continue to exist after four years of President Trump. I suspect that if he's elected, someone will take him into a small room and tell him "Mr. Trump, if you start a nuclear war all those gaudy buildings with your name on them will fall down!," and that will help protect us. But it's naive to think that an ignorant clown can't inflict severe long-term damage on the nation and its interests abroad.

 

[acbytesla]

Were Trump to win the presidency, it would certainly be an interesting few months or years.

There is an old Chinese curse which is "may you live in interesting times".

No thanks.

 

[Belz...]

The system is designed to keep any President in check and at the end of the day he just doesn't have the political capital to make his wild presidential dreams come true. Most US Presidents come into the office having generated and solidified at least the support of the people running their political party. Trump doesn't have a bit of that. The far more likely scenario is that Trump becomes the tool of the Republicans in Congress because a) he can do little without their support and b) he doesn't have real policy ideas/positions and instead just spouts whatever he thinks people want to hear at a given moment.

By "bully", I meant a president unpopular with the establishment, but popular with a large segment of the population and willing to use violence to force political opponents to go along with his wishes.

 

[acbytesla]

If you actually believe he would do this, why haven't you killed him, or at least tried to kill him? I'm quite serious here. If I actually believed it was possible the Republican nominee (ETA: or the Democratic nominee - I'm against genocidal maniacs no matter their party affiliation) for the presidency was at all likely to launch a nuclear war "on a whim," I would have to do something about it.

In 1980, I distinctly remember being told by friends in school that "Reagan is going to start a nuclear war." It was almost certainly nonsense they heard from their parents and, obviously, it wasn't true.

While I believe the reports of Trump asking lots of questions about nuclear weapons indicate a concerning lack of understanding, I also don't think he's looking to turn any countries into the proverbial glass. If I did, again, I would feel morally obligated to intervene.

ETA2: How the hell have I found myself in the position of defending Trump? He would be a terrible president but these doomsday scenarios people are presenting are Trump-style crazy.

While I agree somewhat, his temperament and total lack of understanding as well as any interest in learning is greatly disturbing.

 

[marplots]

What an unexpected, creative and novel reply

Let me try and explain the difference.

A virtue is a character trait that guides your behavior whether someone is looking or not. It can be entirely invisible to inspection.

Virtue signaling is a social event. It may or may not reflect true beliefs, but always presents as a public message.

The first is necessarily authentic, the second is subject to skepticism and the possibility of lying in service of an agenda.

 

[Biscuit]

Expected by whom? Sources, please. In all my time having to dig into patently false statements from ODS/HDS Sufferers, I've not seen anything that would indicate that it was "expected" to be renegotiated.

I too would love a source for the claim that SOFA was intended to be renegotiated. The whole point of the expiration of the agreement was to set a date for the last troops to be out of Iraq, not to have it renegotiated.

The whole point, from the Iraqi point of view, was to get foreign troops out of their country. Why would they renegotiate to keep them?

 

[Babbylonian]

Are you entirely sure about that? It's uncharted waters, man. How can you possibly be sure? Do we not have a right to get apoplectic when the man seemingly wants to start a war with MEXICO?? And his best friend is PUTIN?

Did you not see how easily manipulated he was by the President of Mexico? He's totally unhinged. His staff - who I would argue are more retarded than Trump himself, are ready to start wars at the drop of a hat. Conspiracy minded idiots. Can you imagine Clayton Moore or a person like Alex Jones having the ear of the President? come on man.

Settle the **** down. If the election of one man can destroy this nation then it's obviously past time it was destroyed.

Is that the only criteria?

No. As I've tried to make abundantly clear, I believe Trump would more than likely be the worst US President in history. It still doesn't mean that the nation would be ruined if he was elected.

While I agree somewhat, his temperament and total lack of understanding as well as any interest in learning is greatly disturbing.

Absolutely. As I've repeatedly stated, anyone supporting Trump in this election is, without exception, a moron*.

The election, however, is not a choice between Hillary Clinton and the end of life as we know it.

*ETA: A bit of explanation. This is different from other elections where I thought the Republican candidate was a piece of ****. At least in those other elections, diehard Republicans could fall back on principles (anti-abortion, anti-gay, etc.). The principles were and remain stupid but at least they were principles. Trump has no real principles, so there's no excuse left for conservatives to give him their votes...except that they're morons.

 

[CapelDodger]

I do not even think that Alice could fall down a rabbit hole that is this deep.

If she did she wouldn't keep digging.

Whereas ...

 

[phiwum]

Also, a Republican Congress would absolutely impeach him. ****, they'd be looking for the first excuse to get his relatively sane vice president into the big chair. You do get that the Republican elite hates Trump only slightly less than they hate Ted Cruz, right?

I think that you're a little optimistic here.

Consider the reasons that Republicans who should know better have endorsed Trump. Primarily, it has to do with the strength of the party. An impeachment of a Republican president would be a significant weakness for the party, a symptom of deep problems. I don't think that a Republican Congress would want that.

 

[Jrrarglblarg]

I'm starting to get really worried about Trump becoming President.

I go to 538 every day to make myself feel better, but even that isn't helping anymore.

Somebody make me feel better and tell me he's not going to win..

I believe a substantial number of primary votes for trump were Hillary Hipsters trolling the system.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

I hope Clinton inserts a bit of truth in the debates that Trump obsessively avoids answering questions.

 

[NoahFence]

Settle the **** down. If the election of one man can destroy this nation then it's obviously past time it was destroyed.

Check your tone, junior. I think you're being incredibly naive. Lets say JFK decided to use nukes instead of a blockade. We wouldn't be here right now.

No. As I've tried to make abundantly clear, I believe Trump would more than likely be the worst US President in history. It still doesn't mean that the nation would be ruined if he was elected.

naive.

Absolutely. As I've repeatedly stated, anyone supporting Trump in this election is, without exception, a moron*.

True.

The election, however, is not a choice between Hillary Clinton and the end of life as we know it.

Donald Trump represents an existential threat to this country. PERIOD.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

I believe a substantial number of primary votes for trump were Hillary Hipsters trolling the system.

You'll need to show some stats to back that up. For example, did Trump do better in states that Sanders was not a challenge to Clinton, thus freeing up Clinton supporters to cast spoiler votes?

 

[acbytesla]

The system is designed to keep any President in check and at the end of the day he just doesn't have the political capital to make his wild presidential dreams come true. Most US Presidents come into the office having generated and solidified at least the support of the people running their political party. Trump doesn't have a bit of that. The far more likely scenario is that Trump becomes the tool of the Republicans in Congress because a) he can do little without their support and b) he doesn't have real policy ideas/positions and instead just spouts whatever he thinks people want to hear at a given moment.

If it was virtually any other candidate I would agree with you. The system is exactly as you say it is but Trump has total contempt for the system. What happens if Trump does exactly as he has promised which is to surround himself with people that are loyal to him and not the laws?

I studied the rIse of the Third Reich in great detail as well as the fall of many governments and the one conclusion I have always had is it CAN happen here. Those that think it can't have their eyes closed to history. Now, I'm not saying Trump is Hitler, still he talks exactly like a wannabe dictator.

THEY will OBEY my orders to torture and break the laws. I'll fire Generals and pick my own.

 

[CapelDodger]

I think that you're a little optimistic here.

Consider the reasons that Republicans who should know better have endorsed Trump. Primarily, it has to do with the strength of the party. An impeachment of a Republican president would be a significant weakness for the party, a symptom of deep problems. I don't think that a Republican Congress would want that.

Hanging onto Trump as their President until 2020 isn't going to hide the GOP's deep problems. That ship's long gone.

 

[Jrrarglblarg]

You'll need to show some stats to back that up. For example, did Trump do better in states that Sanders was not a challenge to Clinton, thus freeing up Clinton supporters to cast spoiler votes?

I plead Zig's Priviledge: I don't need to prove anything it's just an opinion and anyway you'll just dismiss my sources so why make the effort?

My theory doesn't require proof to help me get to sleep at night.

 

[Dr. Keith]

How does planting a yard sign help your candidate to get elected? All it amounts to is virtue signaling.

Is that supposed to be a negative?

When I was a kid we would often do seeming stupid things to show that we supported a cause or a virtue. We put out a US flag on designated flag days. we put a yellow ribbon around our tree when hostages were held overseas. We decorated our home for holidays and events. We were a part of a community and our front yard was an indicator of our participation in that community. Was that all bad? Should I feel ashamed for having signaled my virtues or values?

I think it helps for others to see that they aren't the only person who is fed up with the GOP for having Trump as the nominee. My neighbors endorsement may not be as persuasive as the local paper or another politician I respect, but the cumulative impact could mean something to undecided voters.

ETA: I want to put a Trump/Putin sign in our front yard but my wife doesn't want the house to be egged.