The Trump Presidency: Part 17

[dudalb]

Is he shifting to Warren in his hourly attacks?

Hell, it's more like an endless parade of two minute hates.

 

[Ladewig]

”Radical Left Dem Mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey, is doing everything possible to stifle Free Speech despite a record sell-out crowd at the Target Center."

And yet somehow folks on the right don’t see him as a whiney little bitch who is too cheap to pay his own way despite raising record amounts of money.

I wonder if it is possible for President Trump to lose because of his unwillingness to spend the raised funds? That would be hilarious.

 

[a_unique_person]

Is it a bigger crowd than Elton John got?

 

[fishbob]

In that case he's probably playing marbles.

By "playing", do you mean sticking them up his nose then snorting them across the room at Mulvaney? Because if what you really mean is sticking them up his nose then snorting them across the room at Mulvaney, I completely agree with you.

 

[shemp]

Is it a bigger crowd than Elton John got?

He totally ripped off Elton John's crowd!

 

[wasapi]

He totally ripped off Elton John's crowd!

Perhaps, but his impression of Elton was striking.

 

[SezMe]

Seems unlikely to me that the military would refuse a lawful order like that.

I would hope that military orders from the president would have a very well defined, no-exceptions line of communications between the White House and the Pentagon. Further, I would hope that line did (does) not include twitter.

 

[SezMe]

It's called the NICE.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/01/us/politics/white-house-classified-computer-system.html

From that link:

The Situation Room uses voice-to-text software to create a rough transcription in real time — no recording is made — and then the note-taker takes a first pass at cleaning it up by correcting any obvious garbled moments.

Why not? It seems obvious that a recording is better than the process stated in the link. All the additional reviews and commentary by NSC experts is also valuable; I'm not suggesting dropping that.

Nixon's taping system proved immensely valuable - just not to Nixon. Why does the NSC not use a tapping system?

 

[SezMe]

Even if we assume that people are recollecting the passage of time accurately (and if there's one thing I've learned from reading hundreds of CT threads over the years, it's that this is not a safe assumption), and even if we assume that therefore some material must have been omitted from this record, we still can't assume that any one set of ellipses must indicate an omission. It's possible for the same record to have ellipses that indicate omission, and ellipses that indicate idiomatic speech. It's possible that all of the omissions were handled simply by leaving a space between a period (.) and the capital letter starting the next sentences, and all the ellipses represent people trailing off in speech, as one does from time to time.

Not that it really matters. I just find it interesting the way assumptions inform "factual" conclusions.

For example, time could be taken by translators confirming and/or correcting a phrase or sentence so that both sides have the same sense of what was said. I can see that taking several minutes.

 

[SezMe]

I wonder if somehow conservatives are more susceptible to that, <snip>

I think there is evidence that they are. Right-wing AM radio is awash in right-wing loons with endless ads for buying gold, Erectile Dysfunction, etc. That wouldn't continue if the advertisers weren't getting their money's worth. So those ads and those loons who run them must appeal to the gullible.

QED

 

[varwoche]

From that link:


Why not? It seems obvious that a recording is better than the process stated in the link. All the additional reviews and commentary by NSC experts is also valuable; I'm not suggesting dropping that.

Nixon's taping system proved immensely valuable - just not to Nixon. Why does the NSC not use a tapping system?

I suspect it's a diplomatic courtesy out of deference to world leaders who prefer/expect not to be taped.

 

[alfaniner]

I think there is evidence that they are. Right-wing AM radio is awash in right-wing loons with endless ads for buying gold, Erectile Dysfunction, etc. That wouldn't continue if the advertisers weren't getting their money's worth. So those ads and those loons who run them must appeal to the gullible.

QED

If it weren't for the insurance and moderate-to-severe drug ads, (besides the constant Trump coverage) CNN would be out of business. I'm at the point where I have to turn some of them off because I'm so sick of them.

 

[Aridas]

I wonder if somehow conservatives are more susceptible to that, of if it's just the current climate that made them more receptive to the con.

Short version - yes. Not that liberals and other non-conservatives are immune, but that conservatives tend to respond better to authoritarian/tribalism and fear messaging. With fear messaging, their rationality tends to be impaired. Implicitly playing on group loyalty tends to have a much greater effect on conservatives, given that they tend to value loyalty to their in-group much more highly than liberals. The right-wing propagandists tend to be well aware of this - and, in fact, the so-called "merchants of doubt" are likely mostly "right-wing propagandists" specifically because it's easier and much more effective to target that group of people to accomplish their goals.

I wasn't aware that there was such a thing as divine right of presidents.

It's that thing that lets Trump ignore subpeonas, hide his tax returns, and violate the law constantly.

Is he shifting to Warren in his hourly attacks?

Warren is in a position where she's increasingly likely to win the nomination, so yes, the GOP smear machine is trying to focus on her even more. So far, all they've got is utterly lame material to work with, of course.

In other news...

It should come to no one's surprise that even the GOP controlled Senate has ended up admitting something -

Senate Committee: Russian intelligence backed Trump and smeared his GOP opponents in 2016 primary

Uh huh.

Trump supporter wields loaded gun to menace woman with Warren bumper sticker

Civility - Party of Trump style.

Breaking: ISIS involved in heavy attacks against Kurds. UPDATED: Turkish invasion within 24 hours.

May Trump burn for the entirely foreseeable horrors that he has wrought. Their blood is on his hands, as much as ISIS', Erdogan's, and Putin's. I'd almost give him a pass for withdrawing those few Americans there, except for the pesky fact that he largely disarmed the Kurds on the assurance that the US would protect them, which made them a MUCH more enticing target for their enemies in the first place, besides the part where the US is broadcasting weakness and traitorousness. Also, looks like the Russians are in on this as their forces look like they're attacking from the other side.

 

[Foolmewunz]

After making noises for two days, Parscale tweeted that everything's signed for the big get-together in Minneapolis. Frankly, I thought they'd find an excuse to pull out and martyr themselves to the deplorables as victims of liberal bigotry.

Wouldn't Minneapolis be his first big-city visit to somewhere that is not an iron-clad red district? With his regular fight-picking with Ilhan Omar and his claims that she's handing him the state, I figured he'd probably stay as far away from the big city voters as he could get. (Although I suppose if he believes the Cops For Trump are solidly on his side, maybe he's hoping for a riot in the parking lot.)

Is anyone in Minneapolis? Are there any demonstrations being planned?

 

[kellyb]

Short version - yes. Not that liberals and other non-conservatives are immune, but that conservatives tend to respond better to authoritarian/tribalism and fear messaging. With fear messaging, their rationality tends to be impaired. Implicitly playing on group loyalty tends to have a much greater effect on conservatives, given that they tend to value loyalty to their in-group much more highly than liberals. The right-wing propagandists tend to be well aware of this - and, in fact, the so-called "merchants of doubt" are likely mostly "right-wing propagandists" specifically because it's easier and much more effective to target that group of people to accomplish their goals.

Have you read "The Authoritarians"?

https://www.theauthoritarians.org/

(Anyone who hasn't read it, needs to. It's very entertaining as well as being rock solid scientifically, and it's not long. And it's free!)

 

[Aridas]

After making noises for two days, Parscale tweeted that everything's signed for the big get-together in Minneapolis. Frankly, I thought they'd find an excuse to pull out and martyr themselves to the deplorables as victims of liberal bigotry.

Wouldn't Minneapolis be his first big-city visit to somewhere that is not an iron-clad red district? With his regular fight-picking with Ilhan Omar and his claims that she's handing him the state, I figured he'd probably stay as far away from the big city voters as he could get. (Although I suppose if he believes the Cops For Trump are solidly on his side, maybe he's hoping for a riot in the parking lot.)

Is anyone in Minneapolis? Are there any demonstrations being planned?

There is.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

Trump Tweets

Radical Left Dem Mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey, is doing everything possible to stifle Free Speech despite a record sell-out crowd at the Target Center. Presidents Clinton and Obama paid almost nothing! The Minneapolis Police have been incredible....

....In fact, the “Cops For Trump” T-shirt Web Site CRASHED because of incredible volume, but is now back up and running. Proceeds go to the Police Union Charities. See you on Thursday night in Minneapolis!

Tremendous volume? Is that a denial of service attack he doesn't understand?

 

[Foolmewunz]

There is.

Thanks. The video won't play over here but I got all the sound. I know where I'd be Thursday at sunset if I was local to the area.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

And in other news:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news...legal-bill-after-losing-windfarm-court-battle
Donald Trump’s family firm is refusing to accept a legal bill worth tens of thousands of pounds after he lost a lengthy court battle against a windfarm near his Aberdeenshire golf course..

I am shocked, shocked I tell you! No, wait, no I'm not.

How could Trump have lost such a case? Hmm.... I wonder.

From the article:

He took his battle to the Scottish parliament, claiming the country’s heavy investment in onshore windfarms would ruin its tourism industry. In one famous exchange with MSPs, Trump insisted the committee did not need to call any witnesses to verify his claims. “I am the evidence,” he said. “I’m an expert in tourism. I have won many, many awards … if you dot your landscape with these horrible, horrible structures, you will do tremendous damage.”

It would be fantastic if they put a lien on his bank accounts or one of his buildings. With the building they could then force a foreclosure sale.

 

[Andy_Ross]

Trump Tweets

Big Rally in Louisiana on Friday night. Must force a runoff with a Liberal Democrat Governor, John Bel Edwards, who has let your Taxes and Car Insurance get too high, and will never protect your 2nd Amendment. Vote for one of our two great Republicans on Saturday, force a runoff!

....If there is a Runoff in Louisiana, you will have a great new Republican Governor who will Cut your Taxes and Car Insurance, and do a fabulous job for you and your family. Vote Republican, the Party of Honest Abe Lincoln!

Gasoline Prices in the State of California are MUCH HIGHER than anywhere else in the Nation ($2.50 vs. $4.50). I guess those very expensive and unsafe cars that they are mandating just aren’t doing the trick! Don’t worry California, relief is on the way. The State doesn’t get it!

The Greatest Witch Hunt in the history of the USA!

“Bob Mueller was pursuing the FBI Director job when he met with President Trump in 2017, Administration officials say.” @FoxNews Bret Baier and Jake Gibson @seanhannity
This is true even though Mueller denied it!

Wow, Just Breaking: “The (big deal) Whistleblower had a ‘PROFESSIONAL TIE’ to 2020 Democratic Candidate.” Washington Examiner, @ByronYork In other words, was working with someone who was potentially running against me. Why wasn’t this reported by the ICIG? A Witch Hunt Scam!