Trump

[Missy]

That's actually genuinely frightening that people believe this. The world through their eyes must be a completely different place. Effectively Wacky Conspiracy Theory Land has become real life for some. There ought to be free counselling set up for those that think this way so they can be rehabilitated back into normal society and function properly alongside the rest of us. You can't unify America with that mindset occupying the brains of a massive chunk of the population. This Conspiracy-Cultism is definitely a new thing since the early 2000s. It seemed to begin with 9/11 and the moon landings and anti-vax and now everything for some people is a huge lie. My mind boggles at how their existence must seem to them.

A good portion of the issue at hand in this is the general poor quality of American education, not just the fact that our youth score in the average to below average range in critical competencies, but that the American Public Education System is also structured around the capitalist model. American education is constructed around preparing youth to get jobs as adults, this isn't a bad thing, sometimes it's not what you do, but what you don't that matters, what American education doesn't do is prepare youth to participate in politics and society, that's left up entirely to happenstance parental intellects/wisdom/education or the luck of the draw social circle determining how soon to be adults perceive the world. Americans need most to be offered the education to think critically, to be able to identify and confront their biases (and studies have shown education is the most effective means to address a persons biases), Americans need an education in the fine points of psychology basics and more than a broad diagram of the structure and function of government (mind you this is to allow them to think and analyuze critically, not to instill any particular ideology); but that's not likely to happen anytime soon, however.

Perhaps in fairness it seems many other nations aren't much different in this regard, I recall some brits on the subject of Brexit expressing their concerns that most people aren't smart enough to know what decision to make on such a referendum, regardless of your political stripe, this is probably true of most people. The great failing of modern education is it is structured to support and sustain an economic system, without any thought nor concern to enabling the citizens of their participatory democracies the critical and detailed knowledge to be effective participants as so.

[Caela]

I'm not concerned by this posturing. Let all the Georgia Trump supporters live in denial and boycott the electoral process while the runoff elections proceed. This is great.

I'd love to see both those seats flip so that McConnel would no longer be in charge but if only one flipped (leaving the Senate deadlocked) that could be amusing in it's own right since Harris would then be the tie-breaker on everything.

[Oniya]

Is that Xenoglossy? Literal speaking in tongues?

In other news, what’s the over/under of the First Lady filing for divorce in a year or so?

Yes - and let me tell you, it's freaky as hell to see it in person.

I'm betting that Melania and Trump split within 6 months.  He was certain that the campaign would be a substantial 'infomercial' for the Trump brand, and it's one of those ads that has probably driven the brand to bedrock - so she's got no real reason to stick with him.

[Callie Del Noire]

Yes - and let me tell you, it's freaky as hell to see it in person.

I'm betting that Melania and Trump split within 6 months.  He was certain that the campaign would be a substantial 'infomercial' for the Trump brand, and it's one of those ads that has probably driven the brand to bedrock - so she's got no real reason to stick with him.

Let’s see:
-  He’s continually undercut her cyber bullying platform, hell he’s the literal example of an online bully
- I don’t think I’ve seen her smile in appearances with him
- Let’s be honest she needs to secure something concrete for Barron.. as soon as he departs this mortal coil, the Elder trio of kids are going to steal EVERYTHING they can. They, Ivanak’s trio, are steal everything they can get away with as benefits being Daddy’s little monsters.

[Callie Del Noire]

Let’s see:
-  He’s continually undercut her cyber bullying platform, hell he’s the literal example of an online bully
- I don’t think I’ve seen her smile in appearances with him
- Let’s be honest she needs to secure something concrete for Barron.. as soon as he departs this mortal coil, the Elder trio of kids are going to steal EVERYTHING they can. They, Ivanak’s trio, are steal everything they can get away with as benefits being Daddy’s little monsters.

The big question is..when they turn on one another, which one will come out on top? Daughter #1 or Junior?

[Deamonbane]

Yes - and let me tell you, it's freaky as hell to see it in person.

I'm betting that Melania and Trump split within 6 months.  He was certain that the campaign would be a substantial 'infomercial' for the Trump brand, and it's one of those ads that has probably driven the brand to bedrock - so she's got no real reason to stick with him.

That she held out for the first six months(?) of the presidency, staying in New York, while the rumor went that she was renegotiating her prenup to make sure that Baron received his share of the Trump fortune (*sad trombone noises*) seems fairly significant.

Or it would if it's true.

Oh and as someone raised around that sort of religious group, can confirm that it's even freakier to see the speaking in tongues thing in person than it is on video.

[Beguile's Mistress]

I'm putting my money on Ivanka and Jared.  She is the most like her father and has no heart.  She's know where this is going and she has always known where this could end.  Her nest is feathered.  Her pockets are lined.  She has Swiss bank accounts all lined up and protected or else there are accounts in the Caymans she'll be able to tap into. 

[Iniquitous]

The big question is..when they turn on one another, which one will come out on top? Daughter #1 or Junior?

Ivanka.  I'm telling you, that female is ice cold.  Everyone thinks she is warm and compassionate and loving.  Naw, that bitch is heartless.  Besides, Don Jr is going to be dealing with Guilford dumping him and his kids not wanting to be around him.

[Missy]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_98infWoIT0

Also if anyone wanted to hear from the nations resident expert on Trump.

Really Trumps going to go down with the ship, mostly because he's going to sink it so no one else can have it.

The real concern in my opinion is that I can cite three separate instances of actions on the part of his supporters on his behalf bordering on the degree of domestic terrorism in relation to the election. There's a lot of people who voted for him and believe in him and eat up everything he says, they'll eat up all the things he's going to say about the election and everything he's already said. I wouldn't generalize and say everyone who voted for him, but it's not an isolated problem either.

[Lexandria]

My husband and I have been talking, and we're both pretty sure that he's going to try to run again in 2024 (barring ending up in jail or something). Which, if he does, the Republican party might not (given how things have gone this time around) be backing him, and since he cares only for himself he'll not care about splitting the vote and will probably run as an independent or other third party, which could end up with him being a spoiler for the republicans in 2024. Maybe.

[stormwyrm]

What are the odds that he'd have a General Ripper moment and open up the nuclear football while he still can? Last I heard there are no restrictions on a president's ability to order a nuclear strike.

[Dhi]

My husband and I have been talking, and we're both pretty sure that he's going to try to run again in 2024 (barring ending up in jail or something). Which, if he does, the Republican party might not (given how things have gone this time around) be backing him, and since he cares only for himself he'll not care about splitting the vote and will probably run as an independent or other third party, which could end up with him being a spoiler for the republicans in 2024. Maybe.

2024 is a long way off. It's likely Trump will have a von Willebrand Factor stroke before then, and around 5 months from infection is the danger zone for that. It's far likelier than that he will be convicted of a whole slew of serious crimes and try to flee the country before then. And it's almost certain his finances will collapse, his backers will abandon him, and he will have no ability to mount a serious presidential campaign in 2024.

I don't intend to reserve any space in my head for what Trump is going to do with the life he has left in his tomato body. Recall how rapidly Newt Gingrich became completely irrelevant. He is still out there squawking, riling up deplorables- we just have no reason to care.

[Lexandria]

What are the odds that he'd have a General Ripper moment and open up the nuclear football while he still can? Last I heard there are no restrictions on a president's ability to order a nuclear strike.

A member of the military is actually holding the football, and I sincerely doubt that they would let him just do that on a whim.

[Haibane]

Some commentary from two political analysts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x79q0tSJrwI

[Beguile's Mistress]

HUD Secretary Ben Carson tested positive for C19

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/11/09/ben-carson-coronavirus/?wpmk=1&wpisrc=al_news__alert-politics--alert-national&utm_source=alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=wp_news_alert_revere&location=alert&pwapi_token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJjb29raWVuYW1lIjoid3BfY3J0aWQiLCJpc3MiOiJDYXJ0YSIsImNvb2tpZXZhbHVlIjoiNTk2OTljNzk5YmJjMGY2ZDcxYzU3ZmZkIiwidGFnIjoid3BfbmV3c19hbGVydF9yZXZlcmUiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy53YXNoaW5ndG9ucG9zdC5jb20vcG9saXRpY3MvMjAyMC8xMS8wOS9iZW4tY2Fyc29uLWNvcm9uYXZpcnVzLz93cG1rPTEmd3Bpc3JjPWFsX25ld3NfX2FsZXJ0LXBvbGl0aWNzLS1hbGVydC1uYXRpb25hbCZ1dG1fc291cmNlPWFsZXJ0JnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPXdwX25ld3NfYWxlcnRfcmV2ZXJlJmxvY2F0aW9uPWFsZXJ0In0.nZ7NpX0uowkYHS5i9wL4SQjLW9ARhk0m2haeSeErDZ0

[Haibane]

Yup. This is what happens when you lack empathy for anyone but yourself and choose to ignore medical and scientific advice. They have only themselves to blame.

[Muddy Waters]

I also want to warn everyone that 2021 is going to be hell for middle and low-class Americans. 
Trump's Tax Scam from 2017 doesn't go into effect to pay back that "tax cut" until 2021 as it was intended to do.

As a tax professional, I've screamed from the mountain tops about it.
Single parents will be hit the hardest as they watch their refund dwindle to nothing by 2027.
Every year starting in 2021 the repayment for the 2017 tax cut will get bigger.
Meaning that you might start off getting 2500 back for a child but by 2027 those with children that are single will be getting little to nothing back.
https://taxfoundation.org/2021-tax-brackets/
https://www.congress.gov/115/bills/hr1/BILLS-115hr1enr.pdf

Unless Biden has a plan to change this, Trump supporters are going to be using this as a "See Trump said we'd get higher taxes" point.   
Which, by a technicality, they would be right.
It was designed exactly like that to affect the new president, not Trump during his four-year term.

[Beguile's Mistress]

It was whispered about when the tax cut was passed by 45's constant nonsense kind of covered it up.  There was too much to think about so the important stuff fell through the cracks.

[Lexandria]

I know Biden has a new tax plan, I'm hoping part of it is to fix that real obvious trap for his presidency.

[Beguile's Mistress]

The purge continues.  Mark Esper has been fired.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/2020/11/09/biden-trump-election-live-updates/?wpmk=1&wpisrc=al_news__alert-politics--alert-national&utm_source=alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=wp_news_alert_revere&location=alert&pwapi_token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJjb29raWVuYW1lIjoid3BfY3J0aWQiLCJpc3MiOiJDYXJ0YSIsImNvb2tpZXZhbHVlIjoiNTk2OTljNzk5YmJjMGY2ZDcxYzU3ZmZkIiwidGFnIjoid3BfbmV3c19hbGVydF9yZXZlcmUiLCJ1cmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy53YXNoaW5ndG9ucG9zdC5jb20vZWxlY3Rpb25zLzIwMjAvMTEvMDkvYmlkZW4tdHJ1bXAtZWxlY3Rpb24tbGl2ZS11cGRhdGVzLz93cG1rPTEmd3Bpc3JjPWFsX25ld3NfX2FsZXJ0LXBvbGl0aWNzLS1hbGVydC1uYXRpb25hbCZ1dG1fc291cmNlPWFsZXJ0JnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPXdwX25ld3NfYWxlcnRfcmV2ZXJlJmxvY2F0aW9uPWFsZXJ0In0.HicH6SJwKlSWAmH27qj2nX7qjkarbbm0ymAbX7HdnmU

[TheGlyphstone]

Its truly frightening that so little has been made of that. Violating posse comitatus to quell domestic protests is beyond insane.

[Beguile's Mistress]

My theory is that 45 got away with so much because he was being used as a scapegoat by the Republicans.  He was doing all the things they wanted to do yet didn't have the power and egg was going to be on his face rather than theirs.  This is why they seldom spoke up against him.  They didn't want him thinking about what he was doing let alone thinking twice about what chaos he was causing.  As long as he thought he was getting away with it he thought he was winning.

[Haibane]

I've heard comments that Trump tried to run a country in the same way he ran his CEO suite - he'd just be a dictator and shout and things would happen. He'd sign executive orders and things would happen. He'd wave a hand and things would happen. Like he wanted. The problem was that the honourable post of President has a variety of safeguards built around it in the way to dissuade exactly those kinds of tactics. My personal view is that the Orange Narcissist just wanted to do whatever he wanted and was stymied at various turns. I think it was always all about him. Or rather "ME!"

I have sat here these last couple of days and wondered "What do all the others think?" What do his cabinet and close advisors and lawyers think about this situation? Has it occurred to any of them yet that "oh shit, this is bad... more than bad, its wrong. Wrong for America, wrong for democracy, wrong on every level." ...and if so what will happen?

[Dhi]

The problem was that the honourable post of President has a variety of safeguards built around it in the way to dissuade exactly those kinds of tactics.

While I appreciate the thought, it doesn't, and that's why he was on the verge of becoming a dictator.

[TheGlyphstone]

I've heard comments that Trump tried to run a country in the same way he ran his CEO suite - he'd just be a dictator and shout and things would happen. He'd sign executive orders and things would happen. He'd wave a hand and things would happen. Like he wanted. The problem was that the honourable post of President has a variety of safeguards built around it in the way to dissuade exactly those kinds of tactics. My personal view is that the Orange Narcissist just wanted to do whatever he wanted and was stymied at various turns. I think it was always all about him. Or rather "ME!"

I have sat here these last couple of days and wondered "What do all the others think?" What do his cabinet and close advisors and lawyers think about this situation? Has it occurred to any of them yet that "oh shit, this is bad... more than bad, its wrong. Wrong for America, wrong for democracy, wrong on every level." ...and if so what will happen?

That was exactly the problem. He had one way he knew how to jnteract with the world, and was too old to adapt his way of thinking to a new situation.