Cont: The Trump Presidency Part III

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Fast Eddie B said:
He said this today in regards to unfilled positions in the State Department:

"Let me tell you, the one that matters is me, I'm the only one that matters because when it comes to it that's what the policy is going to be."

Authoritarian? Narcissistic? Or a toxic brew of both?
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"Toxic" I'm good with, but I get only good vibes from "brew". "Toxic slurry" perhaps?
 
Craig4 said:
But will it kill us in four years? He can appoint justices to the courts. Congress can check him. He can not fill positions in the departments, those jobs will still need to be done. He's attacked journalists but the FCC has said no; NBC still broadcasts. Judges still block his orders and the agencies comply. We're not at a point where we have one person one party rule yet.
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To my mind the US is simply too diverse and devolved to be captured from the centre. What I can envision (and history provides an example) is fracture, but even that prospect hardly seems imminent.
 
quadraginta said:
You don't need to be a Twitter user to see his tweets. They are copied in news articles everywhere.

I'm a bit surprised you can miss them.
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It's not an accident; I actively avoid Trump's tweets on the basis that they are, at best, a waste of time. If I was King President, government tweeting would be barred.
 
Craig4 said:
But for now, he's been checked by the courts. He's been checked by the Justice Department and by the Congress. The checks and balances seem to be working.
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Sadly, the courts are a very thin defensive line between responsible governance and political chaos. And that tenuous line is being weakened every day that Trump makes yet another atrocious nomination and the Senate GOPers can hear no evil and see no evil.

You're right, but I wish we had a more robust third leg of the three-legged constitutional stool in the legislative branch.
 
SezMe said:
You're right, but I wish we had a more robust third leg of the three-legged constitutional stool in the legislative branch.
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Given their makeup it's probably just as well they can't get much done.

Most political appointments don't matter. Federal judges do, but they sometimes end up more moderate than anyone expected.
 
Craig4 said:
But will it kill us in four 8 years? He can appoint justices to the courts. Congress can check him. He can not fill positions in the departments, those jobs will still need to be done. He's attacked journalists but the FCC has said no; NBC still broadcasts. Judges still block his orders and the agencies comply. We're not at a point where we have one person one party rule yet.
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FTFY :p

His "know nothing" movement could have a long term effect on the US. IMO he won't destroy the US but if he becomes the new normal for Presidential, and more generally political, behaviour then that's a big issue. If the civil rights cause is put back decades, or worse completely reversed, then that's a big issue.
 
President Trump is off on an 11 day tour of Asia. When he went to the Middle East, Israel (;)) and Europe, the turmoil back home seemed to go down a notch, even if there were a couple of minor foreign relationship hiccups.

I wonder if the same will happen this time with the reporting heat going out of the Mueller investigation, tax reform (aka massive tax cuts for billionaires) going on the back burner and so on ?
 
The Don said:
President Trump is off on an 11 day tour of Asia. When he went to the Middle East, Israel (;)) and Europe, the turmoil back home seemed to go down a notch, even if there were a couple of minor foreign relationship hiccups.

I wonder if the same will happen this time with the reporting heat going out of the Mueller investigation, tax reform (aka massive tax cuts for billionaires) going on the back burner and so on ?
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Well, he alit in Hawaii. Maybe he's got that documentation to prove Obama's a Keenian?

Japan, China, South Korea, Vietnam, The Philippines. Anyone making predictions on where he steps in it, big time? He's bound to say something completely stupid in Vietnam, but the likelihood of an "open mic" session with the press there is very low. I'm betting on him going off script in The Philippines.
 
Foolmewunz said:
Well, he alit in Hawaii. Maybe he's got that documentation to prove Obama's a Keenian?

Japan, China, South Korea, Vietnam, The Philippines. Anyone making predictions on where he steps in it, big time? He's bound to say something completely stupid in Vietnam, but the likelihood of an "open mic" session with the press there is very low. I'm betting on him going off script in The Philippines.
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Marcos. Shoes. Lots of them. Did you see them? I know shoes. Good shoes. I know shoe people. It is obvious she didn't know shoe people. I have shoes...the best shoes...she didn't. If you saw them, you know what I'm talking about. Not. The. Best. Shoes. Can't decide on shoes, can't make good choices. I make choices with the best people. THE. BEST. PEOPLE....etc...etc...
 
Craig4 said:
Look, every country everywhere can produce the Brown Shirts. You can always get the failures in the majority ethnicity who aren't smart enough to understand that their failure is their own fault that will follow a Hitler, or Mussolini or Trump. To really take over, you need the military, industrialists and civil society. Trump isn't good enough to attract the professional military or civil society and industry can't be bothered with him. Our society isn't collapsing. Everything intended to keep society from collapsing is working and Trump is in check. Let's not panic here yet.
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Actually this is very true. Here in the UK Brexit was largely driven by Little Englanders (ok and Welsh) who seem to believe that "foreigners" are out to get them. Everything was done to do the Great country of Great Britain down and don't you know we had an Empire once upon a time? I joke with friends that we will never truly be great again until we go back to LSD (pounds, shillings and pence unfortunately) but it is the same mindset as so many Trumpians. Once we were great and if we can just get rid of the "others" who make us weak. It is a troubling world.
 
Civet said:
I must admit that I haven't watched any of the confirmation proceedings for any of Trump's judicial nominees. Do the Democrats ever ask them their opinions about any of the President's more... questionable positions like this?
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Not that I've been able to find, but then again, most of the nominees appear savvy enough to keep quiet and only speak when they absolutely have to.

In any case, a Republican majority and a ruthless McConnell means it'll take something spectacular to prevent them getting confimed.
 
Since Trump is having trouble filling posts, he should just hire staff from Breitbart and Fox and Friends. His entire policy comes from there.
(Leave out Bannon)
 
Foolmewunz said:
Well, he alit in Hawaii. Maybe he's got that documentation to prove Obama's a Keenian?

Japan, China, South Korea, Vietnam, The Philippines. Anyone making predictions on where he steps in it, big time? He's bound to say something completely stupid in Vietnam, but the likelihood of an "open mic" session with the press there is very low. I'm betting on him going off script in The Philippines.
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I don't know if "stepped in it" is correct for this, but China is going to play him hard. For the cameras they will speak polite generalities until the dunderhead is gone. Behind the scenes where any actual negotiations may happen they will make it clear that Trump has no leverage, no knowledge, and no standing.
 
The Don said:
FTFY :p

His "know nothing" movement could have a long term effect on the US. IMO he won't destroy the US but if he becomes the new normal for Presidential, and more generally political, behaviour then that's a big issue. If the civil rights cause is put back decades, or worse completely reversed, then that's a big issue.
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Looking at "The 13 Keys", he's not looking too good. He has major failures in his policy initiatives; significant scandal; failed foreign policy. If we go to war with Korea it will be a nasty, bloody affair. We will either still be in Afghanistan or have left in exhaustion. Or, most of our allies will have left us alone there.

It's only the first year but having the time to turn things around doesn't do you any good if you don't have the ability.
 
I have no doubt that he is going to make reference to winning last year's election on Wednesday (assuming the world is still here, of course) to a foreign audience that could not care less.
 
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