Donald Trump 2018

[atomheartbevo 88751]

2 minutes ago, DDD Dad said:

The tiki torch voters stayed home because McCain didn't speak like they did.

I'm willing to bet a lot of them rarely vote, unless it's just to take a selfie for Facebook.

[WhatTheBuck 28574]

27 minutes ago, sachick said:

I don't understand why he never really protected Cohen. After the initial raid, he did say it was horrible that Cohen's office was ransacked or whatever but after that, he kind of left Cohen hang out to dry. Distanced himself. If Cohen knows all the secrets, you should have been promising pardons.

I can't exactly recall the timeline of everything but maybe it was when he learned that Cohen had tapes of their conversations. He doesn't know what other evidence Cohen might have against him so he decided that discrediting everything he says would be his best defense.  That and a tape of their conversation about paying off Stormy (or was it Karen) came out and made him look bad and he can't handle that. 

[jimmyjazz 45055]

 

7 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

If Hillary isn't on a ticket, and Trump isn't, how much power do they hold if you don't have a huge chunk of people who were mainly showing up to vote against Hillary in 2016?

This is why it's vital that the Dems run a candidate in 2020 who has relatively broad appeal, and not someone like Bernie or another progressive.  Someone reluctantly pro-choice, who only advocates minor changes to our gun laws (longer waiting periods, stricter gun show sales regulations, MAYBE a limit on semi-auto capacity), who is in favor of somewhat tougher border control (but for God's sake not a stupid wall), and who will push for a rewind on some of the healthcare and tax changes without going full tilt.

Of course, the Dems will fuck this up.

[DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt 12301]

20 minutes ago, Ghost of LL said:

I love the optimism, guy.  I really do.  But it's misplaced.

If I'm a Republican senator--and let's just stipulate for a minute that if I'm a Republican senator, I almost certainly come from a very Republican state--what's my play here?  Toss out Trump?  Then what?  

Then let me tell you--Trump isn't going to go back to Yorba Linda and quietly live out the next two decades in self-imposed political exile.  He'll go to Trump Tower with a twitter machine in his tiny hands.  He'll feel no shame.  He'll feel no obligation not to criticize those in the political arena after he's departed.  That twitter machine will be on full blast, because it's all Executive Time all the time.

And if you were a Republican senator who opposed him, then a lot of that twitter machine time is going to be devoted to you.  And who are your Republican voters going to believe (and yeah--you only care about Republican voters in most places in which Republicans hold the Senate seats)--you or their orange god?  You think you can reach them and explain yourself before they read Trump's twitter screed against you?  

You're more likely to get a 12th Century baron to betray his feudal lord than you are to get a Republican senator to betray Donald Trump (for exactly the same reasons).

Do you believe that no Republican senators will be convicted of crimes once Mueller’s investigation is complete?

[SameSame 1671]

Damn I wish we had a viable 3rd party

[SameSame 1671]

 

[Js1 82369]

15 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

Hell, Wyoming snubbed Trump this week.

There's a couple of Republican Senators that aren't going to have to worry about that 35%.

Wyoming's sole Representative, Dick Cheney's daughter, slammed Trump over the Russia stuff, so she's not worried about that 35%.

Flip a Senate seat or two in 2018, put a lot of Senators at risk of a blue wave in 2020, and see where we are at this time next year.   

If you get the Senate to 50-50 or 51-49, you look who is up in 2020 and probably doesn't want to be on Trump coattails:

CO Cory Gardner - already an R in a blue state, def in danger
GA David Perdue - R senator in a trending to purple state
IA Joni Ernst - R senator in a state that could easily flip back due to the Trump Trade War
ME Susan Collins - R senator in a blue state that may not give a fuck if she plans to just call it quits and run for governor in 2022 instead (if D wins this year)
NC Thom Tillis - R senator in a purple-ish state

Maybe you get it to 55-56 votes for impeachment and at that point, you look at your vulnerable 2022ers - McCain's replacement (esp. if Sinema wins), Murkowski, Rubio, Ikason, Grassley (if he has retirement plans), Burr (who does plan on retiring and not running again in 2022), Portman and Toomey and Johnson (if the Midwest swings back to Democrats).

Edited August 22, 2018 by Js1

[Biff Tannen 44921]

Maybe I'm just drinking the koolaid, but it really does feel like it's starting to happen.

[27-25 2030]

2 hours ago, GhostOfTomJoad said:

2 hours ago, 'stache said:

He’s right and I agree with him. What on earth makes you believe anything changes? He’s untouchable among his base, which includes most elected republicans.

... She wants lower taxes/elimination of inheritance tax. That's it. Nothing else matters.

Unless she stands to inherit more than $11 million (or maybe more these days) it's already been done.  BEFORE Cheeto was in office.  My father used to wring his hands about the inheritance tax as well and didn't seem to understand his estate wouldn't be taxed at all.  It just never seemed to sink in.  Worked for the R's at the ballot box though.

[SuingToGetAMessageBoard? 3861]

4 minutes ago, Biff Tannen said:

Maybe I'm just drinking the koolaid, but it really does feel like it's starting to happen.

Yeah.  Yesterday was beyond my wildest dreams.  I never thought we would get someone saying "I committed a felony intending to influence the election at the direction of Donald Trump" under oath.  And with the cooperation discussion coming out now, it sounds like just the beginning.

 

Go to TexAgs today and the party line is "Look, I always knew Donald was a crook surrounded by crooks, but he is doing so much good for the country."  There are only so many people willing to adopt that position.

[Brisketexan 103148]

Yeah.  Yesterday was beyond my wildest dreams.  I never thought we would get someone saying "I committed a felony intending to influence the election at the direction of Donald Trump" under oath.  And with the cooperation discussion coming out now, it sounds like just the beginning.
 
Go to TexAgs today and the party line is "Look, I always knew Donald was a crook surrounded by crooks, but he is doing so much good for the country."  There are only so many people willing to adopt that position.

All of the folks who supported Trumpism yesterday still support him today. All of them.

[HornOHFour 0]

4 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

All of the folks who supported Trumpism yesterday still support him today. All of them.

You act like this is a permanently static situation.  Mueller might yet make things explode a bit.

[retread 2951]

 

[SuingToGetAMessageBoard? 3861]

3 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

All of the folks who supported Trumpism yesterday still support him today. All of them.

Probably not true, but true enough for message boards.  But what is happening from all this is the "undecided" bucket is being emptied, and poured entirely into the "anti-Trump" bucket.

[SameSame 1671]

12 hours ago, cactusflinthead said:

It didn't take long to find one on my timeline .

 

[Post Oak 20068]

2 hours ago, 4th&Five said:

 

This is legitimately the funniest thing any conservative has tweeted in 10 years.  

[Js1 82369]

18 minutes ago, Biff Tannen said:

Maybe I'm just drinking the koolaid, but it really does feel like it's starting to happen.

I want to believe.

But I think The Kush or Dummy Jr. has to be the domino to fall for the "looking after my own skin" GOPers to realize there is 100% no way Trump didn't know anything/directed it.

[David Dennison 17660]

24 minutes ago, Js1 said:

If you get the Senate to 50-50 or 51-49, you look who is up in 2020 and probably doesn't want to be on Trump coattails:

CO Cory Gardner - already an R in a blue state, def in danger
GA David Perdue - R senator in a trending to purple state
IA Joni Ernst - R senator in a state that could easily flip back due to the Trump Trade War
ME Susan Collins - R senator in a blue state that may not give a fuck if she plans to just call it quits and run for governor in 2022 instead (if D wins this year)
NC Thom Tillis - R senator in a purple-ish state

Maybe you get it to 55-56 votes for impeachment and at that point, you look at your vulnerable 2022ers - McCain's replacement (esp. if Sinema wins), Murkowski, Rubio, Ikason, Grassley (if he has retirement plans), Burr (who does plan on retiring and not running again in 2022), Portman and Toomey and Johnson (if the Midwest swings back to Democrats).

Donald Trump winning in 2016 is going to wind up being a blessing for the Democratic Party.

If Hillary had won, the Democrats would be looking at huge losses in November.

[RomaVicta 29472]

2 hours ago, 4th&Five said:

 

 

8 minutes ago, Post Oak said:

This is legitimately the funniest thing any conservative has tweeted in 10 years.  

It's too lucid to be Dotus. I wonder if it was the winning submission from his staff.

[Brisketexan 103148]

15 minutes ago, HornOHFour said:

You act like this is a permanently static situation.  Mueller might yet make things explode a bit.

It IS permanent.

Remember, we're not dealing with voters.  We're dealing with a cult.

THIS is how dedicated people are to their cults:

 

Stop thinking that they will respond to facts, logic, or reason.

[HornOHFour 0]

2 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

It IS permanent.

Remember, we're not dealing with voters.  We're dealing with a cult.

THIS is how dedicated people are to their cults:

 

Stop thinking that they will respond to facts, logic, or reason.

True.  But I think a less-crazy percentage might finally be persuaded, if and when overwhelming evidence result in convictions for crimes that stink of treason.  I'm foolishly optimistic that way.

[lemonlime 5482]

Sadly, team Brisket here.  The cult is supporting Trump now.  Wholly discounting information that their orange god illegally paid off women he had affairs with to influence the outcome of the election, in addition to all the other insanity they ignore or but Obama/Hillary with.  Nothing will change their minds.  And nothing will get the gutless invertebrate party of trump members in Congress to do anything.  Hell, a large number of them probably received Russian money or help and they know it and want to cover this up.

Meanwhile, we're counting on the gutless to take a moral stand and on a free and fair election happening in 2018 and in 2020.  Meanwhile, it appears nothing's been done to stop  Russian interference in the election.  We know the voting systems are hackable.  The GOP is going all in on voter suppression, at least in states where they control the state government.  And the country has been gerrymandered to death.

[Ghost of LL 15225]

56 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

I have no doubt that Trump will pull a Howard Hughes and retreat to his penthouse or to Florida, and that he'll spend his days tweeting like crazy.

However, we had 80,000 votes between three states that gave us Trump instead of Hillary.  That margin will be gone in 2020, because Hillary isn't on that ticket, and support of Trump will be a negative for many voters, arguably as much of a negative as Hillary was in 2016.

This 35% that everybody fears, where were they in 2008 when a decorated Vietnam hero was running against Barrack Hussein Obama?  Where were they in 2012?

The GOP doesn't have some kind of magical lock on the country.  We are less than 5 years removed from a Democrat-led Senate, and less than 10 years removed from a Democrat-House, and we are just a few years removed from a Kenyan from Chicago named Barrack Hussein Obama running the White House for 8 years.  That's not even getting into demographic changes affecting 2020 and 2024.

If Hillary isn't on a ticket, and Trump isn't, how much power do they hold if you don't have a huge chunk of people who were mainly showing up to vote against Hillary in 2016?

I'm not saying that Trump won't result in a permanent Democratic majority ("permanent" being defined as the rest of my life).  I think he will.  His treason is going to have the same effect that the Democrats' treason had in 1861--they were pretty much out of power at a national level for the next 71 years.

But as far as the notion that this is going to turn before 2020--forget about it.  The Republicans are going to try to save their own skins.  And right now, their skins are in a lot more danger from their primary voters than from Democrats.

[DigDug 1637]

2 hours ago, GhostOfTomJoad said:

 

But Obama'd!

 

 

[The Royal We 3041]

I've taken the tack when talking to holdout friends and family that Trump is going to end up doing more damage to the GOP than Obama and Hillary could've ever dreamed of doing.  Some wave me away as having TDS but some seem to understand that this could end up swinging wildly the other way and hammering them on issues near and dear to their GOP hearts.

[ConferenceRoom 5956]

34 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

It IS permanent.

Remember, we're not dealing with voters.  We're dealing with a cult.

THIS is how dedicated people are to their cults:

 

Stop thinking that they will respond to facts, logic, or reason.

[Anastasis 23191]

Lanny Davis is a magnificent troll. You have to click the link: www.michaelcohentruth.com

 

 

 

Edited August 22, 2018 by Anastasis

[David Dennison 17660]

Donald Trump is fucked.

His base is small and shrinking. 

Most Americans are appalled at this White House.

[Chooky 13277]

1 hour ago, SameSame said:

 

Then she tweeted this in response:

What a dumb, overrated, classless cunt.  I can't wait until all of the useless "identity" bullshit ends.  The only value in Candace Owens' grift, and others like her, is that she's black and supports Trump.  There's money to be made if you fit a certain racial, gender or sexuality criteria and you support Trump or are even willing to pretend.  Owens has very little substance or anything unique to bring to the table. 

90% of Milo's value isn't because he's intellectually intriguing.  It's because he sucks on dicks.  Would anyone have ever given two shits about Sheriff Clarke if he was a middle-aged white dude with a shitty mustache and crew cut?  Diamond and Silk and on and on and on.  Fuck off.       

[jimmyjazz 45055]

Uh, Candace?  She responded to YOUR shitty tweet.

[Jiggy-Z 3419]

1 hour ago, longhornmatt said:

 

Until something truly unspeakable comes out, like him actually murdering someone on Fifth Avenue, I’m pretty sure about 95% of the people who have remained his supporters up to this point would be willing to adopt that position.  They still have hope he can be their champion and win against the evil libs.   Only when they become convinced he’s lost will they abandon him, and then at that point they’ll turn on him like a dime.   But that might not happen until 2020.

Politico had a really interesting article a few days ago comparing Trump and Joe McCarthy.  https://www.politico.com/magazine/amp/story/2018/08/19/trump-mcarthyism-joe-mccarthy-219373. They’re basically the same person, and Roy Cohn was even the confidant for both of them.   I think history will repeat itself.  Trump will eventually flame out and have to leave politics in disgrace.  He will have a not insubstantial amount of followers who fifty years from now will still say shit like, “He was right, you know!”, but to everyone else his name will become a perjorative, things will go back to normal and his movement will die until the next generational con man comes along.

Don't underestimate this pull.

For years, no matter what the republican party did that I spoke out against, no matter how vile I thought Limbaugh et al had become, no matter how infiltrated the party had become with creationists-in my presence you had better not have spoken ill of Ronald Reagan.  It has only been in the last three years that I have taken a "more tempered" stance on the Reagan administration.

I was in 8th grade when Ronnie was elected and his administrations occurred during a formative period in my life in Texas.

Reagan's first election was similar to Trumps in that there was a significant portion of the population, that right or wrong, felt marginalized.  In Reagan's case it was a bunch of middle of the roaders who were fed up with the perception of a declining American image that was highlighted by the vulnerability to gas prices, the hostage crisis, high inflation, high interest rates, stale social programs,  and a president in Carter who seemed wimpy.  Unlike Trumps election, it was a landslide and seemed like a no brainer.

As I said, it was only in the last few years that I came to realize some of the extremely negative effects of Regain era policies.

[Pescado_Rojo 19192]

1 hour ago, Anastasis said:

Lanny Davis is a magnificent troll. You have to click the link: www.michaelcohentruth.com

 

 

 

Man, I'd give Megyn Kelly the best 35 seconds of my life. 

[Gil Bang 25510]

I don't think Trump pardons Manafort.  Maybe on the last day of his presidency, but not before.

If Manafort has a pardon, he can't take the 5th.  SIC actually gives a fuck (a complete 180 from HIC), and Burr and Warner will call his ass to testify. 

[Gil Bang 25510]

 

[Hugo Stiglitz 23245]

People seem to be sleeping on the Obstruction of Justice angle.

If a Mueller report on obstruction becomes public before the midterms, look out.

I know Brisket “nothing matters” but I see this whole thing as a Cat 5 hurricane brewing in the gulf.  It’s going to have consequences.

[Hugo Stiglitz 23245]

2 minutes ago, Gil Bang said:

I don't think Trump pardons Manafort.  Maybe on the last day of his presidency, but not before.

If Manafort has a pardon, he can't take the 5th.  SIC actually gives a fuck (a complete 180 from HIC), and Burr and Warner will call his ass to testify. 

I don’t think Trump is going to pardon Manafort either.  

Trump’s signaling isn’t directed at Manafort, it’s intended for other would be flippers “rats”. 

[hobbes2702 12481]

Holy shit this Trump interview. Jesus dude lol

[Captainant 26861]

12 minutes ago, hobbes2702 said:

Holy shit this Trump interview. Jesus dude lol

You talking about this one?

 

seems like he doesn't understand that paying for a campaign expense from personal funds without reporting the expenditure IS in fact a campaign finance violation. Isn't this straight up an admission of guilt?

[atomheartbevo 88751]

2 hours ago, jimmyjazz said:

This is why it's vital that the Dems run a candidate in 2020 who has relatively broad appeal, and not someone like Bernie or another progressive.  Someone reluctantly pro-choice, who only advocates minor changes to our gun laws (longer waiting periods, stricter gun show sales regulations, MAYBE a limit on semi-auto capacity), who is in favor of somewhat tougher border control (but for God's sake not a stupid wall), and who will push for a rewind on some of the healthcare and tax changes without going full tilt.

Of course, the Dems will fuck this up.

Bless their hearts, they can't help themselves.  At least there don't appear to be any Dukaki-wannabes floating around.

[Hugo Stiglitz 23245]

We are at the, “yeah, I did it. So what? I can’t be indicted and even if I could, I’d pardon myself.”

[GhostOfTomJoad 9096]

"That could be...a little dicey."

L-O-fucking-L.

[hobbes2702 12481]

4 minutes ago, Captainant said:

You talking about this one?

 

seems like he doesn't understand that paying for a campaign expense from personal funds without reporting the expenditure IS in fact a campaign finance violation. Isn't this straight up an admission of guilt?

Yes. He clearly doesn’t understand that it doesn’t matter. That’s an admission lol.

[Js1 82369]

1 minute ago, Hugo Stiglitz said:

We are at the, “yeah, I did it. So what? I can’t be indicted and even if I could, I’d pardon myself.”

I didn't do it.

But if I did, it's not illegal.

But if it is illegal, it won't affect me.

But if it did affect me, I'll pardon myself.

 

[SameSame 1671]

"that would be a little dicey"...it's called illegal motherfucker lol

[Nice Guy Eddie 13271]

These guys (Bill Clinton and now Trump) always have a downfall with sex.   And more precisely the subsequent lying, cover up, pay offs, etc.  I suppose other Presidents either don't do it, or they are better at the coverup.

[Ted Lange 15832]

If Trump paid for the hush money out of his own pocket, that isn’t illegal, right? An individual can donate as much as they want to their own campaign.   The not reporting it is the illegal part? What sort of penalty is there for not reporting it? 

Or am I missing a bunch of stuff?

[Red Five 40109]

He admits guilt all the time. It apparently doesn’t matter.

[Chuckie Finster 22253]

39 minutes ago, Gil Bang said:

 

It should be illegal for Bill Kristol to use the word "lit."

[SaucyJack 3468]

4 hours ago, Kringelbert Fishtybuns said:

 

Can you just wander into court and start pleading guilty to things that aren't against the law?  How would sentencing go - the judge just makes up shit on the fly?  

Edited August 22, 2018 by SaucyJack

[Gil Bang 25510]