The Former Trump Presidency Thread

[Smoove_B]

That said, if Romney goes the Christie / Cruz abrupt obsequiousness role, that would be tremendously disappointing.

I'd be disappointed if Romney isn't vocal that Floyd Mayweather was given audience before he was.

[hepcat]

Priorities, my man. You always give wife beaters an audience before anyone else.

[malchior]

[Zarathud]

I expect Trump to broadcast all the times he fires Cabinet members and other administration officials. Might as well enjoy some entertainment from the insanity of a Trump administration.

[malchior]

Rumors are that the Donald will tap Romney for Sec. of State. That'd be a bit of a relief.

[Kurth]

Rumors are that the Donald will tap Romney for Sec. of State. That'd be a bit of a relief.

Rudy would freak!

[Rip]

Obviously something he worded poorly and miscommunicated.

What's the obvious interpretation of his comment then?

That they report on and discuss what it is that these groups get upset about what their agenda is, then analyze the fundamental issues at play when you strip away the racial bias and hatred. You know instead of just writing them all off as deplorable and not listening to any of the issues they face that lead them to cling to those ridiculous biases.

Oh, that is obvious. Bonus points for working in an argument on why it's okay to be Racist.

No one said it was ok. I am saying I would rather engage them and use reasoning to show them where they are wrong than just call them racist, spit in their face and walk away. When I say that I am also including the black people who scream white pigs must die, a Japanese person who tells me that Chinese people are animals, or the Englishmen who tells me Spanish people are born crooks.

If murderers can change/be rehabilitated so can racists.

[hepcat]

Good luck finding a Breitbart piece that does that with any sincerity.

Breitbart is their voice, but not a voice of reason.

[Rip]

Well, at least he's finally admitting that there is racial bias and hatred at work.

Baby steps, men. Baby steps.

Of course there is. There is racial bias everywhere and in everybody. Including you, whether or not you choose to admit it.

It is like being a liar. Every human is a liar. Even the Pope.

[hepcat]

Not everyone acts on those prejudices though. Hell, some even believe they are virtues.

Take a wild guess which group were discussing.

[Chrisoc13]

Romney would be a surprising touch. Not sure why people on here would criticize that. If he picks a nut job everyone says "see he is crazy" and if he picks and incredibly reasonable person people decide that person is just a sell out. Lose lose.

I have a hard time believing he would pick Romney after Romney never relented. Rather than thinking it was Romney giving in to crazy I would be cautiously optimistic that Trump managed to ditch the crazy enough to bring someone rational on board.

[Rip]

I'm not a fan of rudy or Mitt for the job. I think Bolton would be of the right temperament, background.

This is one of the jobs you can't just walk in cold on, Bolton may not have the exact ideology you want but he knows the players, issues, and data as well as anyone. He has also shown the ability and willingness to be a yes man which is what the job will require.

[RunningMn9]

Also, there are a lot of crazies in the Trump orbit (not counting Trump himself). In some ways Romney taking a cabinet position would be a great comfort to me, because god knows what lunatic Trump would appoint if Romney turns him down.

That said, if Romney goes the Christie / Cruz abrupt obsequiousness role, that would be tremendously disappointing.

That would be surprising, no? Christie and Cruz still have political careers to think about. Does Romney?

[RunningMn9]

Romney would be a surprising touch. Not sure why people on here would criticize that.

I sure as shit wouldn't criticize that. That's almost the best I could hope for given my expectations for Team Trump.

[El Guapo]

Romney would be a surprising touch. Not sure why people on here would criticize that. If he picks a nut job everyone says "see he is crazy" and if he picks and incredibly reasonable person people decide that person is just a sell out. Lose lose.

I have a hard time believing he would pick Romney after Romney never relented. Rather than thinking it was Romney giving in to crazy I would be cautiously optimistic that Trump managed to ditch the crazy enough to bring someone rational on board.

Yeah, this strikes me as (potentially) good news. We want someone responsible running the state department, and Romney is responsible. It's also good in that the danger was that Trump's cabinet would wind up getting stocked with incompetent yes men loyalists, and Romney would not seem to be that. If nothing else, it sure as hell beats Secretary of State Guiliani.

I also wonder if the Trump team was getting signs from key senate republicans that they wouldn't confirm the earlier Trump names getting floated.

We'll see if it happens. I'll also be curious if it does, how it will play out.

[El Guapo]

Also, there are a lot of crazies in the Trump orbit (not counting Trump himself). In some ways Romney taking a cabinet position would be a great comfort to me, because god knows what lunatic Trump would appoint if Romney turns him down.

That said, if Romney goes the Christie / Cruz abrupt obsequiousness role, that would be tremendously disappointing.

That would be surprising, no? Christie and Cruz still have political careers to think about. Does Romney?

Honestly I'm not sure that Christie still has a political career at this point, after getting unceremoniously dumped by Trump this week. Seriously, Christie's ongoing public humiliation is (I'm sad to say) one of the few bright spots of this election for me.

But yes, it would be surprising. But it wouldn't be the shock of my life.

[hepcat]

Romney would be a surprising touch. Not sure why people on here would criticize that. If he picks a nut job everyone says "see he is crazy" and if he picks and incredibly reasonable person people decide that person is just a sell out. Lose lose.

I have a hard time believing he would pick Romney after Romney never relented. Rather than thinking it was Romney giving in to crazy I would be cautiously optimistic that Trump managed to ditch the crazy enough to bring someone rational on board.

I should feel that way. But I actually started to admire Romney for standing up to Trump early on. To hear that he's even possibly entertaining the thought of a position in his cabinet just makes me feel sick inside now.

[RunningMn9]

Honestly I'm not sure that Christie still has a political career at this point, after getting unceremoniously dumped by Trump this week. Seriously, Christie's ongoing public humiliation is (I'm sad to say) one of the few bright spots of this election for me.

But yes, it would be surprising. But it wouldn't be the shock of my life.

That may be true, but back when Christie turned into his toadie, I presume it was for the promise of future political career rewards.

[Rip]

Shall we let Jon Stewart weigh in?

When asked by host Charlie Rose if now was the time to have a conversation about “who we are” as a country, Stewart said “absolutely” and that he’d rather have the conversation openly than in “dog whistles.”

“I would rather have this conversation openly and honestly than in dog whistles,” Stewart said. “You know, somebody was saying, ‘There might be an anti-Semite that is working in the White House.’ I was like, have you listened to the Nixon tapes? Like, forget about advising the president – the president. Like, have you read LBJ? Do you know our history?”

He criticized those quick to attack Trump voters as racist, pointing out that to do so would be creating Trump voters as a “monolith,” which in the case of ethnic and religious groups is something liberal detest.

“We also have to caution ourselves to the complexity of that history,” he said. “I thought Donald Trump disqualified himself at numerous points. But there is now this idea that anyone who voted for him has to be defined by the worst of his rhetoric. There are guys in my neighborhood who I love, I respect, that I think have incredible qualities – that are not afraid of Mexicans and not afraid of Muslims and not afraid of blacks. They’re afraid of their insurance premiums.”

“In the liberal community, you hate this idea of creating people as a monolith,” Stewart continued. “Don’t look at Muslims as a monolith. They are individuals and it would be ignorance. But everybody who voted for Trump is a monolith – is a racist. That hypocrisy is also real in our country. And so that is the fight that we wage against ourselves and against each other because America is not natural. Natural is tribal. We’re fighting against thousands of years of human behavior and history to create something that no one ever [has]. That is what is exceptional about America. This ain’t easy and that’s an incredible thing.”

http://www.breitbart.com/video/2016/11/ ... g-muslims/

[El Guapo]

Honestly I'm not sure that Christie still has a political career at this point, after getting unceremoniously dumped by Trump this week. Seriously, Christie's ongoing public humiliation is (I'm sad to say) one of the few bright spots of this election for me.

But yes, it would be surprising. But it wouldn't be the shock of my life.

That may be true, but back when Christie turned into his toadie, I presume it was for the promise of future political career rewards.

Yeah. And I do assume that Romney's political career is done - I mean, it's *possible* he could mount another presidential run, but I think it's pretty clear that his time is done.

But at the same time, serving high in the Trump administration feels like using the One Ring. Sure, you may start out doing so for noble reasons, but...

But again, if people like Romney won't serve, we'll have Secretary of State Anthony Sabato Jr.

[malchior]

Honestly I'm not sure that Christie still has a political career at this point, after getting unceremoniously dumped by Drumpf this week. Seriously, Christie's ongoing public humiliation is (I'm sad to say) one of the few bright spots of this election for me.

But yes, it would be surprising. But it wouldn't be the shock of my life.

That may be true, but back when Christie turned into his toadie, I presume it was for the promise of future political career rewards.

There was an amazing moment today where Christie all of a sudden said he had no intention of ever leaving before his term was up. I almost took a spit take. The guy is flat out a huge *har har* liar. He is just another politician where you hear the words he says and just think to yourself - how stupid does he think everyone is? He is by far my biggest regret in a vote...ever. By far.

[Alefroth]

If he picks a nut job everyone says "see he is crazy" and if he picks and incredibly reasonable person people decide that person is just a sell out. Lose lose.

Those positions aren't irreconcilable at all. They don't even reference the same subject

[Exodor]

Romney would be infinitely better than Guliani or Gingrich but would be interesting to see his approach to Russia - Romney cast Russia as our greatest threat in 2012 while Trump seems to want to improve our relationship with Putin.

[Combustible Lemur]

Romney would be a surprising touch. Not sure why people on here would criticize that.

I sure as shit wouldn't criticize that. That's almost the best I could hope for given my expectations for Team Trump.

Let's be real, Trump heard about Romney's binders full of women and needed something to grab now that his little black book is spent.

I also have no qualms with Romney, besides the socially conservative Mormon ideals, ultrarichism. Neither of which are rare or diaqualifying.

[Kraken]

Romney would be a surprising touch. Not sure why people on here would criticize that. If he picks a nut job everyone says "see he is crazy" and if he picks and incredibly reasonable person people decide that person is just a sell out. Lose lose.

I have a hard time believing he would pick Romney after Romney never relented. Rather than thinking it was Romney giving in to crazy I would be cautiously optimistic that Trump managed to ditch the crazy enough to bring someone rational on board.

I should feel that way. But I actually started to admire Romney for standing up to Trump early on. To hear that he's even possibly entertaining the thought of a position in his cabinet just makes me feel sick inside now.

He's going to have to eat a heaping helping of crow if he does meet with Trump this weekend, as rumored.

I have mixed feelings about it. Romney's a pragmatist and a professional. IDK what kind of foreign policy chops he has...I assume he took some foreign trips as governor, and had overseas dealings with Bain. But geez, remember his European tour?

Still, to the extent that Trump hires non-ideological professionals, that's hopeful. One hopes that Trump is wooing Romney rather than Romney toadying to Trump.

I also have no qualms with Romney, besides the socially conservative Mormon ideals, ultrarichism. Neither of which are rare or diaqualifying.

That wasn't a factor when he ruled MA as a moderate; he was fairly popular before he chucked it to run for president. Remember that he was the architect Romneycare. If Obamacare goes away MA will revert to Romneycare, because the law is successful and popular here.

[Defiant]

I'd be happy if Romney were to serve as Sec. of State. It would still be Mr. Trump making the decisions on the foreign policy, but Romney would be able to (a) carry it out more competently and (B) influence those decisions (or at least present a loud, sane voice in the crowd). Well, to the extent that Mr. Trump is willing to listen to those voices. Hell, he might just delegate those decisions out to Romney.

[gilraen]

Yeah. And I do assume that Romney's political career is done - I mean, it's *possible* he could mount another presidential run, but I think it's pretty clear that his time is done.

I don't think Romney actually cares that much about his political career. Sure, Giuliani and Gingrich are now also rich but their business *is* politics. They have to stay relevant, or the gravy train goes away. Romney's business dealings are not tied to his political aspirations; if he never serves another day in political office, he will be no worse off financially (probably better...campaigns ain't cheap these days!)

On a personal level, Romney may want a position in the Trump cabinet - not sure how much of his views and positions he's willing to concede to Trump's megalomaniac tendencies. One has to keep in mind that Romney certainly fell in line with the Republican party during his 2012 campaign, even though his own positions were often on record as being the opposite of what he was told to run with.

[Unagi]

Was it common knowledge that Bannon smacks his wife around?

[gilraen]

Was it common knowledge that Bannon smacks his wife around?

Rachel Maddow covered it pretty extensively, not sure how much coverage other networks gave it.

[Zarathud]

If murderers can change/be rehabilitated so can racists.

When I stand my ground against racist behavior, no one will be killed. Maybe they'll even rehabilitate.

There is racial bias, and racial discrimination. One of these things is worse than the other. It's not just a matter of degree.

When you say you're a racist or support racism (or try to whitewash to explain it away), you should be called out on bad behavior. You don't have to be Pope to know right from wrong and act accordingly.

Maybe my attitude is because I'm a parent and my kids at 7 and 9 years KNOW Donald Trump is modeling unacceptable behavior.

[Rip]

If murderers can change/be rehabilitated so can racists.

When I stand my ground against racist behavior, no one will be killed. Maybe they'll even rehabilitate.

There is racial bias, and racial discrimination. One of these things is worse than the other. It's not just a matter of degree.

When you say you're a racist or support racism (or try to whitewash to explain it away), you should be called out on bad behavior. You don't have to be Pope to know right from wrong and act accordingly.

Maybe my attitude is because I'm a parent and my kids at 7 and 9 years KNOW Donald Trump is modeling unacceptable behavior.

Wait, now we are talking about Trump? I know you guys think Trump=Bannon=Alt-Right but thinking it doesn't make it fact. Have we already forgotten Trump opening up his exclusive golf course to blacks and jews to much flack? From Democrats no less.

http://dailyheadlines.net/2016/07/remem ... -and-jews/

At the time there was an article written for the WSJ that included input from Abe Foxman, the longtime head of the Anti-Defamation League:

Mr. Trump also has resorted to the courts to secure his foothold here, and many residents wince at the attention his legal battles with the town have drawn — to the town in general, and to the admission practices at some of Palm Beach’s older clubs in particular.

…The culture clash began to approach a climax last fall, when Mr. Trump’s lawyer sent members of the town council a copy of the film “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” a film that deals with upper-class racism. Mr. Trump then approached the town council about lifting the restrictions that had been placed on the club. He also asked some council members not to vote on the request because their membership in other clubs created a conflict of interest.

Last December, after the council refused to lift the restrictions, Mr. Trump filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Palm Beach, alleging that the town was discriminating against Mar-a-Lago, in part because it is open to Jews and African-Americans. The suit seeks $100 million in damages.

… Mr. Foxman seems pleased that Mr. Trump has elevated the issue of discriminatory policies at social clubs. “He put the light on Palm Beach,” Mr. Foxman says. “Not on the beauty and the glitter, but on its seamier side of discrimination. It has an impact.”

In recent weeks, Mr. Foxman says, the league has received calls from Jewish residents telling of how Palm Beach clubs are changing. Locals concur that in the past year, organizations such as the Bath and Tennis Club have begun to admit Jewish patrons. The Palm Beach Civic Association, which for many years was believed to engage in discriminatory behavior, this month named a Jewish resident as its chief officer.

[hepcat]

It's Bannon = alt right...by his own admission. Trump's just reaping the benefit of their votes. He doesn't give two shits about any ideology.

P.S. You do know Trump had to settle a discrimination suit early in his career. It's pretty well documented. So let's not claim that any acts he's done since ( probably for cash purposes) makes him the second coming of Martin Luther King Jr..

[malchior]

I guess we should also forget the times he called Mexicans rapists or said a judge couldn't do his job because that judge's parents happened to come from said nation as well. Within the last year or so.

[Rip]

Looks like Flynn with get the National Security Advisor post.

Important post and an unquestionably capable guy.

[Pyperkub]

Looks like Flynn with get the National Security Advisor post.

Important post and an unquestionably capable guy.

Unless he was fired for cause in being a bad manager.

[RunningMn9]

Ummm...his capability is certainly open to question. Which is why it was immediately questioned, by members of both parties.

[RunningMn9]

It won't matter because the position does not require confirmation, but hopefully Chaffetz is paying attention to the fact that Flynn was sitting in on intelligence briefings while simultaneously advising foreign clients. Although maybe there's no emails involved so it's ok.

[Rip]

Looks like Flynn with get the National Security Advisor post.

Important post and an unquestionably capable guy.

Unless he was fired for cause in being a bad manager.

No he was fired for telling them the truth when they were unwilling to hear it.

A registered Democrat, Flynn became a vocal critic of the Obama administration after he was forced out of his DIA post in 2014. Flynn had pushed for more DIA personnel to serve in the war zones rather than at DIA headquarters in Washington. This was an excellent idea but it ruffled bureaucratic feathers at DIA, which may have played a part in being Flynn ousted.

In his book, Flynn says his removal came because he testified in 2014 before a congressional committee that the jihadist terrorist threat was growing, not declining, as was the official Obama administration line at the time. Flynn, of course, was right about the growing threat.

To say he is a bad manager just doesn't hold water. You don't successfully run JSOC if you are a bad manager.

The problem was he will tell you what he thinks, whether you like it or not.

From another CNN article.

But the question may be whether his management style rubs people the wrong way.

Fuck that. If the National Security Advisor rubs you the wrong way, get over it. He isn't running the safe room at a college campus. His results speak for themselves and how he gets them doesn't make a shit to me. He has repeatedly correctly analyzed threats and accurately determined whether actions were effective or not.

[Rip]

In the course of hosting Thursday’s Breitbart News Daily, Breitbart London Editor-in-Chief Raheem Kassam stood up for departed Breitbart News Executive Chairman Steve Bannon, who has been under sustained attack from the Left since becoming first Donald Trump’s campaign chairman and now chief White House strategist.
Kassam recalled how he was a 27-year-old with his own website when he met Bannon in late 2013.

“He came to me and he said, ‘You know, I hear great things about you. Can you do what you do from inside Breitbart?’ At the time Breitbart was not a very well known name in the U.K. I admit to being skeptical — what was the commitment going to be? Would I be taken care of? Would I have editorial freedom? Why do they want me, or trust me?” he said.

“But I knew of Breitbart from my trips to CPAC — there’s only ever been about 12 Brits at CPAC, in any one year, but I was always one of them,” he continued.

“You know, people say with a name like Raheem Kassam, that I was born and raised into a Muslim family and I get asked sometimes if I am practicing or religious. And I say no, I don’t do that stuff, I don’t make the Hajj, I don’t do the pilgrimage. My pilgrimage is every February or March to CPAC.

“In 2013 I took Bannon at his word, and my life has just become a remarkable journey since.

“You know when he thinks of any move, when he thinks of any policy, he’s thinking about what makes people’s lives better. He doesn’t care about the color of your skin, or which God you choose to pray to, or whether you pray to a God at all.

“He doesn’t nit pick over diversity, or bureaucracy, or even quite frankly ideology. Conservatism, as a philosophy, is the antithesis of ideology — and Stephen Bannon, as a human being, is the antithesis of ideologues.

“And that’s why they’re calling him one. They’re projecting. The liberal media, who has decided amongst themselves what the world should look like — through their ideology – sees people who stand athwart history yelling ‘stop’ as the biggest threat to their androgynous, zombie civilization.

“As a caller said earlier they said Bannon reminds them of Gandalf: ‘YOU SHALL NOT PASS.’ I get it. I get that. I’m all about that. And it terrifies the establishment. It terrifies the Left. So they resort to the thing that they know, the only thing they know: smears, lies, hate, libel, defamation, and an abdication of decency.

“No, Stephen K. Bannon is not an anti-Semite. Stephen K. Bannon is not a white nationalist. Stephen K. Bannon is not far right, or an extremist, or someone whose influence should be feared in the White House.

http://www.breitbart.com/radio/2016/11/ ... im-family/

[Max Peck]

I'm really surprised that Breitbart has good things to say about Bannon. Seems legit and totally not self-serving propaganda.