These messages sadly don’t get through to anyone likely to vote for him. It’s maddening.
Too many words.
Trump: ‘Vuhrry vuhrry confusing. It’s simple. They want you to be confused. Nasty people/the Left don’t want us to solve these problems so they print fake news. But it’s vuhrry simple. They hate America.
Trumpist: (purring noise)
Trump: ‘They will not divide us. BUILD THAT WALL’
(endless purring, some gunfire)
The youtube "algorithm" is getting worse. The main problem for me is just a lack of variety of the stuff I am actually interested in, ie sport and outdoors activities. But actually click on anything political, even left wing content and I get swamped by right wing click bait "Shapiro destroys SJW" type bullshit. The past 2 days I have spent more time clearing some fruitloop american evangelistic MacArthur from my feed didn't have a clue who he was till I googled him (apparently some covid denier liberal conspiracy nut who runs a megachurch), and I don't have a clue how he could have been linked to anything I clicked on recently, so assume he pays to be pushed to everyone.
Finished the Cohen book now, started the Woodward one this morning. Getting a bit 'Trump'd out'.
This amused me. 'Support our troops!' with a pic of some MiGs and Russian's with AKs.
‘Support our troops!’ with a pic of some MiGs and Russian’s with AKs.
as we're talking Trump here, they didn't make a mistake..........
Ruth Bader Gingsburg died overnight and in an unsurprisng move Mitch McConnell has reveresed his position from the last election and is going to try and ram through Trumps new nominee
Ruth Bader Gingsburg died overnight
Oh bollocks. That's the seat they need to steal the election and stop counting mail-in votes.
I know she was a great women etc and I don't wanna get too tasteless but couldn't they've done a 'weekend at bernies' or at least not reported her death until November? It's not entirely unexpected so expect the GOP to move into gear with a preferred candidate. He /she's gonna be a proper piece of work
The youtube “algorithm” is getting worse.
Never click on a YouTube video suggested by them, create a list of subscribed channels.
When Antonin Scalia died in Feb 2016 Obama ignored the accepted convention in US politics that a new SC justice should not be nominated in an election.
He nominated Merrick Garland; mcconnell and his acolytes refused to put the nomination to a vote in the Senate.
They're saying there will definitely be a vote this time; many of those republicans are still in the Senate.
Here's an extract from a US article with quotes made at the time by various high profile republicans.
Hypocrisy will be rank this time around.
no one led the charge as stubbornly as McConnell:
But it wasn’t just McConnell. This was the default position at the time. Here’s what a not-comprehensive look at what 17 active Republican senators said.
Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Col.): “I think we’re too close to the election. The president who is elected in November should be the one who makes this decision.” (source)
Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas):
“I believe the American people deserve to have a voice in the selection of the next Supreme Court Justice, and the best way to ensure that happens is to have the Senate consider a nomination made by the next President.
Confirming a new Supreme Court Justice during a presidential election year for a vacancy arising that same year is not common in our nation’s history; the last time it happened was in 1932. And it has been almost 130 years since a presidential election year nominee was confirmed for a vacancy arising the same year under divided government as we have today.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas): “It has been 80 years since a Supreme Court vacancy was nominated and confirmed in an election year. There is a long tradition that you don’t do this in an election year.” (source)
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.): “If an opening comes in the last year of President Trump’s term, and the primary process has started, we’ll wait to the next election” (This was actually what he said in 2018, doubling down on his previous stance. )
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.): “I don’t think we should be moving on a nominee in the last year of this president’s term — I would say that if it was a Republican president .” (source)
Is it wrong to want another human being to be murdered by some nutjob?
I actually would be very happy to see Trump assassinated. He's a ****ing hideous human being.
I don't regard trump as a human being so will shed no tears when he dies; can't happen soon enough.
gobuchul
Is it wrong to want another human being to be murdered by some nutjob?
I actually would be very happy to see Trump assassinated. He’s a **** hideous human being.
I see your point,I really do, however it's a no from me.
We dont want this guy martyred. Let him design his own downfall.
ricin or rice in, it wasn't a takeaway was it 🙂
the donald doesn't do rice; he's a straight up double cheeseburger with extra fries and a bucket of bile guy.
Donald is going to blame China for this, mark my words.
Or the the US Postal Service...
Something, something, mailed in votes...
I have to say, when it comes to portraits of Angry Tinkerbell, this bloke has created possibly the most appropriate...
Lol, had to zoom in to see. Very good.
So it's probably Saturday when trump announces his SC nomination, could be a Cuban American Floridian to harness the Florida vote or a deeply conservative Catholic with 7 kids (I wonder where she stands on the abortion debate?)
The stark hypocrisy, I mean visible from space hypocrisy of McConnel and Graham, is hard for the democrats to call out given that Biden was guilty of the same thing (taking the complete opposite stance) when an SC judge needed replacing under Obama's watch 8 months before his re-election.
I think this SC issue will play better for Trump, who has shown rare, and relative for him, graciousness in his reaction to RBGs death
Plus it takes attention away from his abysmal covid reaction
a deeply conservative Catholic with 7 kids
A member of the culty Christian group which apparently inspired 'The Handmaid's Tale'. Which is nice.
I think the Democrats have seen sense and realised that there is nothing they can do to prevent the appointment of a conservative judge, and all they will do is turn it into a an issue that Trump can make political capital out of up to the election.
Turn attention back onto the pandemic (200,000 dead - which is apparently 'a shame', according to Donald), and try to win the election by enough of a margin to stop Trump stealing it (good luck with that).
If they do manage to get Biden installed, and take the Senate, then they can go nuclear - expand the SC, rewrite Senate rules to prevent it blocking legislation with the filbuster etc.
Biden was guilty of the same thing (taking the complete opposite stance)
As I understand it (but could be wrong), Biden was opposed to that in 2016 because it was the Republicans looking to change the rules. i.e. It hadn't been done that way in the past. It was a new precedent.
The hypocrisy is the same Republicans who fought to change those rules now want to ignore the precedent they set and change the rules back, because it doesn't suit them this time.
Ah I was being blind, sorry.
His answer to the question of whether he could guarantee a peaceful transition of power after the election is scarey. Are all Republicans on board with this?
The hypocrisy is the same Republicans who fought to change those rules now want to ignore the precedent they set and change the rules back, because it doesn’t suit them this time.
Not really, there are no rules or principles involved in Washington. Republicans blocked Merrick Garland because they could. They are installing their candidate now because they can. It is just the exercise of power, the only hypocrisy is reversing the spin they chose to issue four years ago rather than just saying we're blocking Obama's pick.
Even the comparison makes this decision understandable. Obama was very much a lame duck, he was definitely going. Trump is fighting for a second term, and stands a good chance of getting it, and in Republicans' minds he will be re-elected, so why not fill the vacancy?
His answer to the question of whether he could guarantee a peaceful transition of power after the election is scarey.
Certainly is, and this kind of thing needs to be the focus of the electioneering.
The GOP would love the Democrats to be dragged into an argument about this lost cause, because it distracts them from talking about Trump's abysmal record on a variety of other issues.
WTAF!
“Get rid of the ballots and you’ll have a very peaceful — there won’t be a transfer, frankly. There will be a continuation. The ballots are out of control. You know it. And you know who knows it better than anybody else? The Democrats know it better than anybody else.”
Get rid of the ballots? Is Trump actually advocating for blocking voting?
The GOP would love the Democrats to be dragged into an argument about this lost cause, because it distracts them from talking about Trump’s abysmal record on a variety of other issues.
This is an interesting idea, all this is just a distraction to have Democrats flapping about constitutional issue rather than going after Trumps performance as president
The appointment of conservative justices is an election rallying call for Trump to the evangelical right, and any genuine attempt by Democrats to disrupt the process is a boon to him.
The GOP have been seeding the courts since the 80’s, something the Democrats didn’t pick up on until it was to late. It was explained to me last year when I was over there.
Get rid of the ballots? Is Trump actually advocating for blocking voting?
He's talking about mail-in ballots (the way he votes...) it's just the garbage he spews often makes little sense
It will be interesting if the biased SC will end up having to make a ruling on the outcome of the election
Trump is 'vetting' the female candidates as we speak. A 'show me how much you will repudiate LGBT rights' followed by a swimsuit round. He's taking the Berlusconi policy direction
How much can I trust you? show me
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the only hypocrisy is reversing the spin they chose to issue four years ago rather than just saying we’re blocking Obama’s pick.
It's not just hypocrisy. It is outright lies. Something we are sadly used to with Trump, but I had hoped Lindsey Graham or Mitch McConnell would show some backbone - or at the very least have the decency to be ashamed of their duplicity.
Unfortunately though many voters simply don't care.
Obama was very much a lame duck, he was definitely going.
Well he was "definitely going", but because he had had completed his second term, not because he was "lame".
He’s talking about mail-in ballots (the way he votes…) it’s just the garbage he spews often makes little sense
He appears to be saying he would win if there was no mail-in ballots then:
Get rid of the ballots and you’ll have a very peaceful — there won’t be a transfer, frankly. There will be a continuation.
Blocking, suppressing, obstructing or whatever you want to call it, a form of voting because it favours one candidate is vote rigging pure and simple.
but I had hoped Lindsey Graham or Mitch McConnell would show some backbone – or at the very least have the decency to be ashamed of their duplicity.
This seems to be optimism bordering on insanity.
It was clear at the time that they lied through their teeth about the reasons for blocking Merrick Garland, and that, presented with a similar scenario, would appoint their own justice. FWIW, I'm pretty sure that Obama in 2013 would have done the same. The strategic value of Supreme Court justices is immense.
Even the likes of Romney are fine with it. It has been a major project for conservatives which predates Trump by decades.
The appointment of conservative justices is an election rallying call for Trump to the evangelical right, and any genuine attempt by Democrats to disrupt the process is a boon to him.
So far his picks have been somewhat like for like, in terms of judicial behaviour/ideology. Scalia was a textualist, so is Gorsuch(Garland was not). Kavanaugh, whilst being more conservative than Kennedy, still finds himself voting both ways.
Yes, and I think you can see the gradual shift from a philosophy of 'rebalancing' the SC away from so-called liberalism to making it a direct political tool.
Obviously this strategy involved persuading Kennedy to retire with an incumbent Republican president and senate, which involved putting up Kavanaugh, who would be an acceptable candidate to him. If Amy Coney Barratt had been the candidate (she was on the shortlist, apparently), Kennedy might well still be there. Even then, Kavanaugh was clearly politically suitable, having worked on the Bush campaign and in his WH.
This time they are going straight for the ultra batshit candidate, because they don't need anyone's permission to install her.
From: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-us-2020-54274115
Every losing presidential candidate in modern times has conceded.
If Mr Trump were to refuse to accept the result of the election, it would take the US into unchartered territory and it is not clear how it would play out.
However President Trump's opponent, Democrat Joe Biden, has previously said that in this scenario he believes the military would be deployed to remove Mr Trump from the White House.
Well, that would be amusing!!
However President Trump’s opponent, Democrat Joe Biden, has previously said that in this scenario he believes the military would be deployed to remove Mr Trump from the White House.
That would be off the scale brilliant. They should broadcast it on Pay Per View with proceeds going to charity. I would buy a ticket to watch that.
Much as I would dearly love to see Trump being dragged out and dumped on the Whitehouse lawn by his own secret service, I think the sad reality is we'd see violence across the entire country.
Right now I am expecting the "election fraud" rhetoric to cause an limited escalation to violence anyway, so a recalcitrant Trump would only add to fuel to that fire.
If the direct voting figures are in his favour then he will argue that the mail-ins should be discarded as "fraud". His supporters will take any Democrat boost from mail-ins as evidence that it has been tampered with.
Of course deploying the military would play into the prejudices of the bat shit militias, sorry "staunch defenders of the second amendment".
Maybe naive but I can't see even a radically right wing SC playing fast and loose with the US constitution. The judiciary do view themselves as largely independent, obviously they view the legislation through their own biases but look at Kavenaugh - he's "voted against" the presidential line already.
It would be like a computer game: you are a SWAT guy advancing thru the white house with Eric and Donald jr as end of level bosses before you get to the final boss.
Actually you'd have to get past Eric in the rose garden as an entry level, Ivanka and Melania would be in the later levels, and with mad Kill Bill skillz, and then Donald jr is the final henchman: odd job to his father's Goldfinger
Similar to team America when they assault Film Actors Guild HQ, sorry for repeated team America references and lowering of the tone
Donald jr is the final henchman
Love it. A Scarface finale tribute:
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If the direct voting figures are in his favour then he will argue that the mail-ins should be discarded as “fraud”. His supporters will take any Democrat boost from mail-ins as evidence that it has been tampered with.
This scenario is pretty likely.
In the key swing states like Pennsylvania and Florida, the margin between the Trump and Biden is probably only 2% (with Biden slightly favoured in both). But if more Republican supporters vote on the day rather than mail in, as has been suggested by many, then Trump absolutely will be ahead in these key swings states before the mail-in votes are counted.
If the direct voting figures are in his favour then he will argue that the mail-ins should be discarded as “fraud”. His supporters will take any Democrat boost from mail-ins as evidence that it has been tampered with.
I think an Enter the Gungeon mod is being coded as we speak
This time they are going straight for the ultra batshit candidate, because they don’t need anyone’s permission to install her.
The track record on supreme court justicies of Trump doesn't show this. However we will see.
In addition, stacking courts is not a new thing:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-obama-idUSKCN1110BC
CNN did have an article on what would happen if Trump refuses to leave. The presidency is for 4 years only unless re-elected for one additional term, after 4 years they become normal citizen. Refusing to leave could be looked upon as an act of treason and even worse for Trump, power would go to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi till its sorted, let's just say their not best of buddies 🙂
Actually you’d have to get past Eric in the rose garden as an entry level, Ivanka and Melania would be in the later levels, and with mad Kill Bill skillz, and then Donald jr is the final henchman: odd job to his father’s Goldfinger
Remake of that Whitehouse is Fallen, Olympus went Doink films only no one actually gave a shit and came to rescue the Prez.
CNN did have an article on what would happen if Trump refuses to leave. The presidency is for 4 years only unless re-elected for one additional term, after 4 years they become normal citizen. Refusing to leave could be looked upon as an act of treason and even worse for Trump, power would go to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi till its sorted,
This, and the fact that the military have consistently said their job is to protect the country and the constitution, not the President.
I wouldn't be surprised if there's violence and unrest at some level, but if he thinks calling in the army will save his second term - well, I'd pay to have a ringside seat for that conversation.
Itd be Qanon militia, secret service goons that are shagging Melania, various right wing nut jobs who fancy a ruck, mark Francois and Donald junior with a swag bag full of coke
Vs
US navy seals, special forces, airborne divisions, drones etc. We already know where the white house bunker is cos he went there to hide from some protestors
It's whether the Russians or even North Korea get stuck in
He appears to be saying he would win if there was no mail-in ballots then
Yes, he's busy laying the groundwork for his "I only lost because of fraudulent mail-in voting" excuse, I'm sure he'll drag it through the courts first (assuming he does lose) but if that goes against him I wonder if he's desperate enough to try an incite his right-wing base/militias. I can't see that actually working in reality though, assuming the military support the constitution rather than Trump but I'm sure there will be localised rioting and violence from the militias.
I'm taking this as a positive sign - not sure if Republicans want another term if this chaos
BBC News - US election: McConnell promises an 'orderly' transition of power
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-us-2020-54285869
If republicans get their pick into the SC then they're probably happier if Biden gets in anyway. In fact, I'm sure they would be. Another trump term would be so catastrophic, for everyone, the GOP would be sunk
I think I said earlier in the thread, but I think militias were a lot more worrying before coronavirus. All the preppers etc seemed pretty scary til it turned out they all had nervous breakdowns after 2 weeks without a haircut.
Why would you do that?
Bold stance from Trump here...
“Right now in a number of States, the laws allow a baby to be born, from his or her mother’s womb, in the ninth month. It is wrong, it has to change.”
Pleasingly, in a Twitter spat with James O’Brien, my MP gave her explicit support to this man. 🤦😫
$750 seems kinda low to me for a billionaire.
I've put a quid on trump winning the election.
Sorry.
Hope you lose it.
He just went into a conspiracy theory meltdown at a hastily arranged press conference. All distraction from the tax stuff. The press still asked him why he only paid $750 in 2016 and 2017. Fake news, his taxes being audited, he can't release them...🙄
Over a billion in debt but still finds $3-400 million in cash to buy up golf courses in Scotland
https://twitter.com/DanAlexander21/status/1310342791336284160?s=19
I posted it before but a few journalists are convinced Scotland is the centre of everything
just getting through the Times article and the figures make my mind boggle. I just don't understand how rich owe so much money yet stay so rich. I guess if i understood that I may have more.
I just don’t understand how rich owe so much money yet stay so rich. I guess if i understood that I may have more.
The generally accepted wisdom about Trump and the money he has borrowed is that he has become too big to fail, so the baks need to keep supporting him.
I just don’t understand how rich owe so much money yet stay so rich.
In general terms rich people get rich and stay rich by spending other people's money.
I wonder if some of the banks may be hesitating now they have a) more information on his debts and how they are stacked and b) dozens of journalists going through every deal in detail, highlighting every lender and the deal. What was private is about to be shown in detail in the glare of journalism.
May some of these lenders be making a decision that getting out is needed?
I just don’t understand how rich owe so much money yet stay so rich.
If you owe 50 grand, the bank owns you. If you owe 500 million, you own the bank.
I had a similar conversation with my missis when some rich person was buying a football club, after which loan debt would then be transferred to the club.
'So why can't I get a loan to by a football club and do that?'
Nope, I couldn't really explain the logic of that either.
The lenders who have been splashing the cash might have to come up with answers to their backers as to whether they showed due diligence in giving Trump the money.
Does Trump have access to firearms in his White House bunker?
Just for historical comparison purposes...🤔
He claims his tax returns are "under audit" but surely there's a time limit on that process - checked on the IRS site and three years is the norm but under exceptional circumstances "if we identify a substantial error" they can go back six years.
So he's either paid no tax or made significant errors in his tax returns for many years.
So he’s either paid no tax or made significant errors in his tax returns for many years.
Why not both? I think the second option was employed to achieve the first. Well, if you substitute the word 'fraud' for 'errors'.
If you owe 50 grand, the bank owns you. If you owe 500 million, you own the bank.
If you owe the bank 50 grand its your problem, If you owe the bank 500 million, it's their problem.
I had a similar conversation with my missis when some rich person was buying a football club, after which loan debt would then be transferred to the club.
Like every other Man Yoo fan, I've spent the last 10 years looking at the parasites who 'own' the club and wondering how on earth this can possibly be legal. The club had no debt at all, then the 'owners' loaded it with the billion they borrowed to buy it, at crippling interest rates, while ripping huge sums out for themselves in 'consultancy fees'
It does seem that there's a financial VIP club where once you're a member then the rules that govern everyone else's finances no longer apply, and you can pretty much do what you like
Is this the tipping point?
Is this the 'october surprise'? Hopefully there's more. I like to think Biden is getting briefed and drilled within an inch of his life right now, not literally obvs given his age and frailty
He claims his tax returns are “under audit” but surely there’s a time limit on that process – checked on the IRS site and three years is the norm but under exceptional circumstances “if we identify a substantial error” they can go back six years.
So he’s either paid no tax or made significant errors in his tax returns for many years.
He applied for a 70-odd million dollar rebate a while back I think, which triggered the IRS to review everything. Suspect he's been stretching that out for as long as poss, but if the decision goes against him he owes them $100M.
Also in the Cohen book, the IRS sent him a cheque for $10M.
https://twitter.com/CarlosLozadaWP/status/1310423537644077057
Sexual misconduct doesn’t stick, racism is good for business, dissing the military seemed reasonably toxic but unfounded and ‘in the moment’, let’s hope this is the one. It’s been a spectre for the entire presidency and bizarrely has been suppressed despite it being a thing for presidents to disclose.
Then there’s Russia.....
Is this the tipping point?
People have been suggesting the arrival of tipping points every month from mid 2016 onwards!
Truth is, about 35-40% of the US electorate does not give a shit.
Truth is, about 35-40% of the US electorate does not give a shit.
Or cheering him on for beating the system. Most of his base are relatively high earners, with relatively low levels of education. They see taxation as the government taking what is theirs, with no thought to what they might be doing with it (giving refunds to rich people it seems, but that’s not the point).
Must take some stones to, as a multimillion/billionaire, physically write that you owe less for a year than the average person pays for roughly a month.
I agree about his base, they will actually lap this up.
Might persuade some moderates that enough is enough.... Mind you, you'd think they would have thought that a few years back!
America with Trump is in the same position as us with Brexit
We'd deluded ourselves into believing we were a warm, fuzzy, liberal nation of tolerant and inclusive people
Now the reality has been ruthlessly exposed. Actually, a large percentage of people, possibly the overall majority, are petty, small-minded, nasty, intolerant racists.
Trump (and Farage and Boris over here) have just legitimised being open and unapologetic about that.
The one thing that is quite surprising is how legitimising racism seems to have overridden every other consideration. The right to be openly racist is clearly really, really important to an awful lot of people
Or cheering him on for beating the system. Most of his base are relatively high earners, with relatively low levels of education. They see taxation as the government taking what is theirs
Absolutely this. This is not a tipping point. Might just make a few waverers waver a bit more
The one thing that is quite surprising is how legitimising racism seems to have overridden every other consideration. The right to be openly racist is clearly really, really important to an awful lot of people
What's interesting is how it was framed. Both Trump and Brexit were described as "a rejection of political correctness" or "a backlash against metropolitan elites" but really those a just euphemisms for much darker motivations.