The Former Trump Presidency Thread

Carpet_pissr · Post by **Carpet_pissr** » Tue Jul 25, 2017 8:43 am

Holman wrote:
Kraken wrote:
I meant to ask what the Trumpelos think. I struggle to understand their alien world.
They think Trump will Fix The Bad because he's a genius businessman who can cut through the crap, but mainly health care somehow doesn't really matter because they've been fine so far, and anyway Trump hates the people they hate.

Don't forget that he's seen as pushing back against the non-whites and immigrants. That's a key point.

pr0ner · Post by **pr0ner** » Tue Jul 25, 2017 9:09 am

Trump is still going after Sessions, this time for being weak on Hillary Clinton.

Donald Trump wrote:Attorney General Jeff Sessions has taken a VERY weak position on Hillary Clinton crimes (where are E-mails & DNC server) & Intel leakers!

I guess if Sessions gets canned, the new AG will be tasked with a) ending the Russia investigation and b) going after Hillary Clinton. Ugh.

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Tue Jul 25, 2017 9:26 am

Right. And the Senate will soon go on vacation, allowing Trump to fire Sessions and make an incontestable recess appointment.

The person waiting in the wings is Associate AG Rachel Brand, who is expected to be amenable to Trump's views. But he could just as easily go Full Donald and appoint Giuliani or Gingrich.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Tue Jul 25, 2017 10:04 am

Why isn't he just firing Sessions? I guess the logic must be that a Session resignation + recess appointment + appointee firing Mueller looks less "Saturday Night Massacre"-ish?

Just so bizarre that the president is repeatedly criticizing his own political appointee on Twitter.

Paingod · Post by **Paingod** » Tue Jul 25, 2017 10:07 am

El Guapo wrote:Just so bizarre that the president is repeatedly criticizing his own political appointee on Twitter.

Not really. Trump enjoys tearing people down and demoralizing them before firing them. He needs his fix from Sessions before he dumps him.

malchior · Post by **malchior** » Tue Jul 25, 2017 10:10 am

That is it in a nutshell. The optics of him firing Sessions won't work. He needs the AG to quit. His "clean" replacement of course will naturally come in, fire Mueller, and bury the Russia investigation. Or so he believes because he is a fucking moron. Then we will see if we are dhoomed.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Tue Jul 25, 2017 10:16 am

CNN has a hilarious piece on Trump's speech to the Boy Scouts. How anyone with even basic cognitive powers could find this anything but embarrassing, inappropriate and sleazy is beyond me.

AWS260 · Post by **AWS260** » Tue Jul 25, 2017 10:22 am

$iljanus wrote:Watching Trump address Boy Scout Jamboree. Said at beginning that he wouldn't bring politics into his speech. So couple minutes in he talks about repealing Obamacare. Scouts start chanting USA! USA! And now he talks about the loyalty of Boy Scouts and how we can use more loyalty. Scouts chant Make America Great Again! Very, umm late 1930s Germany. Also whining about fake news and how they will lie about crowd size.

Oh shit now he called out Obama for not coming to a jamboree. Will have to check that...

As a former Boy Scout who attended two national jamborees, this saddens and depresses me.

I'm glad my son has a great scouting group that's not affiliated with the BSA.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Tue Jul 25, 2017 10:28 am

hepcat wrote:CNN has a hilarious piece on Trump's speech to the Boy Scouts.

From that article I learned Jeff Sessions is an Eagle Scout. I feel gross. But the rest of it? Jesus. H. Christ.

Carpet_pissr · Post by **Carpet_pissr** » Tue Jul 25, 2017 10:31 am

Apparently they were chanting 'USA USA!' and 'Make America Great Again!' so yeah, we're doomed.

stessier · Post by **stessier** » Tue Jul 25, 2017 10:45 am

My boss was in charge of the regional trip to the jamboree. It is the 7th consecutive one he has been to. He was hot when Obama did not attend. It will be interesting to hear his take on the speech.

malchior · Post by **malchior** » Tue Jul 25, 2017 10:50 am

I'm glad that the youth got to hear a bunch of non sequitors about Trump by Trump. A memory to cherish.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Tue Jul 25, 2017 10:55 am

Pyperkub wrote:
Kraken wrote:
LordMortis wrote: Democrats ruined health care...
I'm curious what made the halcyon days before the ACA so halcyon. Do Trumpsters remember a mythical golden age of cheap insurance and stable prices?

YellowKing wrote:
Unless somehow Trump can magically bring back economic prosperity to the working class, AND avoid all fallout from the Russian scandal, AND prevent any other disastrous fuck-ups in the next three years, AND hope the Democrats put up another candidate as reviled as Hillary, he's one and done. I don't care how many Fox News Facebook friends he has.

Irrespective of whatever tax and budget policies the Republicans manage to impose upon us, we are overdue for an ordinary business-cycle recession. Whether it's two months or two years away, it's sure to land during Trump's watch, and he will take heat for it, as presidents always do. That alone will turn some percentage of the Trumpelos.

If they succeed in screwing over the healthcare sector this week, that recession will begin with a good old-fashioned panic just days or weeks from now.
I don't think we're overdue. I think we're due at some point in the next year or 2, but all it would take is one catastrophe (not even market related) to send things spiraling.

I agree with the second half of that sentence, and I believe that nuking the healthcare sector could be that catastrophe...although it's hard to say that since we don't know yet what McConnell has up his sleeve.

According to this source the average business cycle from 1945-2009 lasted 68.5 months (peak-to-peak), with the longest being 128 months. The current expansion is 97 months old, and older if you count the cycle from its last peak. Hence, my use of "overdue."

Statistics aside, the Great Recession confounded the normal cycle by being so great -- it wrung a lot of sins out of the economy, and we haven't fully returned to our old evil ways yet. There are no immediate, obvious bubbles waiting to pop (except maybe student loan debt) so this expansion might still have some running room.

But I quibble. I think we agree that the next contraction will almost surely come during this administration, whether the precipitating event is two days or two years away.

Fireball · Post by **Fireball** » Tue Jul 25, 2017 11:19 am

Holman wrote:Right. And the Senate will soon go on vacation, allowing Trump to fire Sessions and make an incontestable recess appointment.

Probably not. Most "recesses" these days include pro-forma sessions where a member of the House or Senate gavels the body into session then right back out of session every couple of days.

Fireball · Post by **Fireball** » Tue Jul 25, 2017 11:20 am

Carpet_pissr wrote:Apparently they were chanting 'USA USA!' and 'Make America Great Again!' so yeah, we're doomed.

Most troops gave kids the option of not going to the speech, so really what you're seeing in those reactions are people who were enthusiastic that Trump was there.

malchior · Post by **malchior** » Tue Jul 25, 2017 11:22 am

Fireball wrote:
Holman wrote:Right. And the Senate will soon go on vacation, allowing Trump to fire Sessions and make an incontestable recess appointment.
Probably not. Most "recesses" these days include pro-forma sessions where a member of the House or Senate gavels the body into session then right back out of session every couple of days.

Wasn't that essentially an anti Obama procedure. What need is there for it now?

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Tue Jul 25, 2017 11:24 am

Fireball wrote:
Holman wrote:Right. And the Senate will soon go on vacation, allowing Trump to fire Sessions and make an incontestable recess appointment.
Probably not. Most "recesses" these days include pro-forma sessions where a member of the House or Senate gavels the body into session then right back out of session every couple of days.

Wasn't the only point of that to deny recess appointments to Obama? I would assume that they would go into a regular recess for a Trump appointment, wouldn't they?

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Tue Jul 25, 2017 11:30 am

Smoove_B wrote:
hepcat wrote:CNN has a hilarious piece on Trump's speech to the Boy Scouts.
From that article I learned Jeff Sessions is an Eagle Scout. I feel gross. But the rest of it? Jesus. H. Christ.

He got his merit badge in lynching, I believe.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Tue Jul 25, 2017 11:36 am

hepcat wrote:
Smoove_B wrote:
hepcat wrote:CNN has a hilarious piece on Trump's speech to the Boy Scouts.
From that article I learned Jeff Sessions is an Eagle Scout. I feel gross. But the rest of it? Jesus. H. Christ.
He got his merit badge in lynching, I believe.

Brutal.

Chaz · Post by **Chaz** » Tue Jul 25, 2017 11:48 am

It wasn't so overt. They called it "knot tying" instead.

tgb · Post by **tgb** » Tue Jul 25, 2017 11:49 am

Speaking of Sessions, am I the only person who immediately thinks of Foghorn Leghorn every time he opens his mouth?

hentzau · Post by **hentzau** » Tue Jul 25, 2017 11:58 am

Smoove_B wrote:
hepcat wrote:CNN has a hilarious piece on Trump's speech to the Boy Scouts.
From that article I learned Jeff Sessions is an Eagle Scout. I feel gross. But the rest of it? Jesus. H. Christ.

I heard about this while sitting at summer camp with my son. And the news of it physically nauseated me. My internet connection is crap out here, did he say anything even remotely uplifting in the speech?

I was really sad that my son did not express an interest in the Jambo this year. Now, not so sad.

Carpet_pissr · Post by **Carpet_pissr** » Tue Jul 25, 2017 12:30 pm

tgb wrote:Speaking of Sessions, am I the only person who immediately thinks of Foghorn Leghorn every time he opens his mouth?

[raises hand]

Also, why is it that politicians with that almost over the top, saccharin-sweet Southern accent also have really effeminate (high pitched?) voices? Lindsay Graham has it, Sessions has it, and I bet I could find a few more examples (almost afraid to look). Just an odd observation on my part.

malchior · Post by **malchior** » Tue Jul 25, 2017 12:47 pm

I thought it was an affectation - if I recall correctly it is a holdover from old aristocratic speech patterns of olde.

YellowKing · Post by **YellowKing** » Tue Jul 25, 2017 1:01 pm

All bashing of Sessions aside, it is a travesty that he has not yet investigated Hillary's emails. I can think of nothing more important and worthy of our tax dollars than finding out what an ex-politician did that in no way, shape, or form affects the present administration.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Tue Jul 25, 2017 1:05 pm

Virginia speechways

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Tue Jul 25, 2017 6:59 pm

Who here has the constitution to watch the live-stream of the Ohio rally?

Fitzy · Post by **Fitzy** » Tue Jul 25, 2017 7:20 pm

Smoove_B wrote:Who here has the constitution to watch the live-stream of the Ohio rally?

/roll 3d6

17!

I got this.

Clicks link.

/dies

Captain Caveman · Post by **Captain Caveman** » Tue Jul 25, 2017 8:36 pm

Trump with some over the top race-baiting at his rally tonight:

https://twitter.com/ddale8/status/890004780143325185
The guy is sick.

Chaz · Post by **Chaz** » Tue Jul 25, 2017 8:42 pm

That's some textbook slavery era dehumanizing going on right there. This is a disgusting man.

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Tue Jul 25, 2017 9:14 pm

That's pure lynch/beating narrative. We've heard it before, thousands of times.

I thought we could do so much better.

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Tue Jul 25, 2017 9:27 pm

Goebbels wrote: A lie told once remains a lie but a lie told a thousand times becomes the truth

Huxley wrote:The propagandist's purpose is to make one set of people forget that certain other sets of people are human.

But really when you think about it, ALL the torturing, serial killers in US history have been immigrant alien predators.

Kurth · Post by **Kurth** » Wed Jul 26, 2017 12:44 am

AWS260 wrote:
$iljanus wrote:Watching Trump address Boy Scout Jamboree. Said at beginning that he wouldn't bring politics into his speech. So couple minutes in he talks about repealing Obamacare. Scouts start chanting USA! USA! And now he talks about the loyalty of Boy Scouts and how we can use more loyalty. Scouts chant Make America Great Again! Very, umm late 1930s Germany. Also whining about fake news and how they will lie about crowd size.

Oh shit now he called out Obama for not coming to a jamboree. Will have to check that...
As a former Boy Scout who attended two national jamborees, this saddens and depresses me.

I'm glad my son has a great scouting group that's not affiliated with the BSA.

Never been to a Jamboree yet, but my son is in the Scouts and I've been an adult leader for many years (more prominently in Cub Scouts, less so now that he's older and in Boy Scouts). My son's actually at Boy Scout Summer Camp right now in Idaho. This is what I received from our council regarding Trump's speech:

President Trump's Speech at Jamboree

I want to thank the many people who called or emailed their opinion to me today in response to the speech delivered by President Trump yesterday to Scouts at the National Jamboree in West Virginia.

While I was honored to serve as a volunteer at the jamboree personally for several days, my schedule did not allow me to remain in West Virginia this week. As a result, I flew home Sunday evening and then watched President Trump's speech on Monday via a livestream from Oregon.

Early this morning, one person (who shared her opinion) suggested that Trump's speech and actions present a very teachable moment for our Scouts, but also for all of us. I tend to agree and I am confident that our leaders and parents along with fellow Scouts will take time to reflect on what was said. I am optimistic that today's youth will be very engaged in future elections as part of their civic duty. Reflective discussions with mentors and role models (such as Scout leaders and parents), will help instill a core set of values such as respect for differences and diversity of opinion. These and other core values of Scouting such as "service above self" are constantly reinforced by volunteers, parents and fellow Scouts. As an aside, thousands of Scouts attending the jamboree are rolling out into the state of West Virginia to perform community service projects. While at the jamboree I was personally inspired by the selfless acts of servant leadership. I am most grateful to our group of volunteers and parents who have made it possible for hundreds of our local youth to participate in this life-changing program.

As you may know, the BSA is wholly non-partisan and does not favor the interests of one political candidate over another. We do not promote nor endorse any one position, product, service, political candidate or philosophy. The invitation for the sitting U.S. President to visit the National Jamboree is a long-standing tradition and is in no way an endorsement of any political party or specific policies.

I will not presuppose what other people, including our Scouts and their parents, believe. However, I do have faith that our Scouts, volunteers and leaders will use this as a teachable moment and have intelligent reflective discussion as a result.

Last but not least, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson spoke to a crowd of Scouts at the jamboree last Friday. I was honored and humbled to be sitting about 40 feet away from Secretary Tillerson while he shared a very amazing, inspirational and nonpolitical message. Sadly the media barely covered it. A few key points of his excellent message are shared in this article:

Thank you very much.

Matthew S. (Matt) Devore
Scout Executive / CEO
BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA
Cascade Pacific Council

BSA is definitely taking some flak for Trump being Trump, but I think the blame is squarely on Trump for this. It's not like the Scouts made a special invitation to him to come and speak, and, as a professed non-partisan organization, they'd be hard-pressed to exclude Trump. Everything about having this man as our president is incredibly sad.

Skinypupy · Post by **Skinypupy** » Wed Jul 26, 2017 8:44 am

Last but not least, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson spoke to a crowd of Scouts at the jamboree last Friday. I was honored and humbled to be sitting about 40 feet away from Secretary Tillerson while he shared a very amazing, inspirational and nonpolitical message. Sadly the media barely covered it. A few key points of his excellent message are shared in this article:

Thank you very much.

Matthew S. (Matt) Devore
Scout Executive / CEO
BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA
Cascade Pacific Council

That last bit bugs me. Of course "the media barely covered" Tillerson's speech. That's because the Sec of State delivering a speech to Boy Scouts isn't particularly newsworthy. It's a very normal thing for a political leader to do and I'm glad he did it, but no one really cares.

Trump's speech wouldn't have been newsworthy either, if he hadn't gone batshit insane.

malchior · Post by **malchior** » Wed Jul 26, 2017 9:09 am

Tweeting out military personnel policy decisions first thing in the morning is totally normal now. Awesome.

pr0ner · Post by **pr0ner** » Wed Jul 26, 2017 9:16 am

malchior wrote:Tweeting out military personnel policy decisions first thing in the morning is totally normal now. Awesome.

I was just coming in here to post about that.

According to the Trumpster, if you're transgender, there's no place in the military for you anymore.

msteelers · Post by **msteelers** » Wed Jul 26, 2017 9:16 am

What an asshole.

pr0ner · Post by **pr0ner** » Wed Jul 26, 2017 9:17 am

I beat msteelers! Winning bigly!

msteelers · Post by **msteelers** » Wed Jul 26, 2017 9:17 am

pr0ner wrote:I beat msteelers! Winning bigly!

Damn you!

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Wed Jul 26, 2017 9:19 am

Well, that lasted all of twenty-five days. I'm sure the lawyers are already scrambling.