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Post 16 Jan 2018, 4:40 pm

Forgive the cavalier suggestion but it seems as if it's at least remotely possible that Trumps' gafs are part of an overall strategy. What precisely? to regularly feed the mainstream media the raw meat they've come to depend upon for their ratings while his administration continues behind the scenes to accomplish agenda items unabated.

The odds of this being the case are profound I realize which is why I'm choosing my words carefully. But if it were true, his next book might be entitled, "The Art of Distraction."

It seems like every 5 days or so Agent Orange is found out to have said something outrageous or done something outrageous. The media then spends the better part of 5-7 days covering the "scandal."

All the while the stock market continues to sore to record highs, a tax scheme gets passed, immigration is front and center, serious $ has been promised to NASA for continued exploration (though not delivered as yet, still...promised), N. Korea appears to have backed off, and some companies are returning to the US to do business. And all this after he roped the media into paying for his campaign.

So is he dumb as a fox? Or just dumb?

Is the "Look at me, I'm the unbalanced guy doing anything to assuage my wounded male ego" routine a way of keeping his adversaries on their heels while in the ring with him?

Somewhere on Redscape I wrote that this fool is simply bored with life. I still hold to that. However, the timing of the "scandals" is what has me perplexed.

No matter where you land on the topic, Agent Orange has created a new paradigm in American politics.

Instability, or at least its perception, is the new Real Politik.
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Post 16 Jan 2018, 5:00 pm

I think there’s something to this, BUT some of the gafs are so ill-timed that it’s difficult to accept they’re all part of a plan.

But, I do hope the liberals and the media (I apologize for repeating myself) will give the whole “he’s got Alzheimer’s” a rest after today’s briefing by the presidential physician.
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Post 16 Jan 2018, 5:06 pm

Fate wrote:

“he’s got Alzheimer’s”


I laughed out loud on this one for 1 full minute. Much obliged.
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Post 16 Jan 2018, 5:26 pm

dag hammarsjkold wrote:Fate wrote:

“he’s got Alzheimer’s”


I laughed out loud on this one for 1 full minute. Much obliged.


I live to serve.
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Post 16 Jan 2018, 5:55 pm

Nah. I don't think what is happening is due to some overall plan. Here is what I think is pretty obvious:

(1) He has stereotypes regarding other racial groups which affects how he views subjects like immigration;
(2) He knows he has a base with certain non-PC views that he needs to periodically cater to;
(3) He has pro-business views with the exception of some almost mercantilist views on trade;
(4) He likes to see himself as someone as sort of a hero to the working man. But not enough to really do anything substantive about it.
(5) He is non-ideological on a lot of matters and is more concerned about winning each battle than concerned about some overall policy agenda. He is very concerned to avenge any insult by besting the other person. He has no concern about violating any norm, attacking any institution, causing any damage as long as he wins.
(6) He is extremely concerned about public image and when he does get a significantly negative story he will stir the pot to get the focus off of the negative story. He attacks the press and tries to undermine press that is negative to him, praises sources that are positive.
(7) He really, really, really likes to be liked. Susceptible to manipulation by flattery

It ain't no fourth dimensional chess going on.. There are no Marqis of Queensbury rules here. No strong ideological views. He just wants to win. And he constantly gets himself into one crisis after another because for he will not adhere to political/societal norms. There is no plan there. As long as he is president he will careen from one crisis to another.

I will say that I don't think he meets the criteria for removing a president for office under the 25th Amendment. That's not going to go anywhere.
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Post 16 Jan 2018, 7:19 pm

Some of what you write is spot on, freeman3. Some of it is arguable.

Then there’s the stereotypes part. That’s just too much mind reading. I don’t think his overall life reflects this.

I am thrilled you are wise enough to rule out the 25th Amendment. You probably should be a Senator from CA, as you have more insights than either of the current ones.
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Post 17 Jan 2018, 1:25 am

Wow. Thanks. I guess even a blind liberal can find a chestnut once in a while... :smile:

His doctor noted that he had a perfect score on a cognitive test for dementia. So that kind of takes care of that as far as I am concerned. You can't remove a guy from office...because he is a jackass.

I will also note that he was smart enough to figure out--from Birtherism times--how to cater to a certain part of the Republicsn base that hated Obama, wanted immigration control, is pro-gun, anti-abortion, and sick of the Republican Establishment. I think he strategized to appeal to them and thought if he got their support that could lead him to win the Republican nomination. And...then who knows? So that clearly was not dumb. I mean, no one else did it right?

He is also effective at using metonymy. In this context, taking an (allegedly) negative characteristic of another candidate and making it stand for the candidate him/herself (e.g. "Crooked Hillary, "low-energy JEB"). That's an effective technique.

I can't stand the guy, he has a terrible temperament to be president, he treats people terribly, his knowledge base is lacking and his policies are awful.

But he aint dumb. Or crazy.
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Post 17 Jan 2018, 8:26 am

freeman3 wrote:I can't stand the guy, he has a terrible temperament to be president, he treats people terribly, his knowledge base is lacking and his policies are awful.

But he aint dumb. Or crazy.


I can agree with everything except "his policies are awful."
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Post 17 Jan 2018, 8:28 am

dag
Instability, or at least its perception, is the new Real Politik.


The notion that the President is not stable was a particular ploy used in negotiations with the North Vietnamese .Haldeman quoted him...
I call it the Madman Theory, Bob. I want the North Vietnamese to believe I've reached the point where I might do anything to stop the war. We'll just slip the word to them that, "for God's sake, you know Nixon is obsessed about communism. We can't restrain him when he's angry—and he has his hand on the nuclear button" and Ho Chi Minh himself will be in Paris in two days begging for peace.[4]


However Nixon, in his last days, was considered by his aides to be in danger of dangerous behaviour due to increasing instability.

Anyone who thinks Trump is actually capable of restraining his gaffes, isn't paying attention.
Mitch McConnel has said that "Trump will sign anything we put in front of him".
Although this was attributed by Michael Wolf to Steve Bannon ... it was later confirmed in a public meeting by no less an authority than Donald Trump.
"I'll sign whatever immigration bill they send me".

He doesn't care about anything except his own ego, and the perception that he is "winning".
Charlie Sheen without the drugs .

I believe you voted for him because he was going to "drain the swamp". Does this explain Mnunchin, Zinke, Ross, or Cohn? Or the tax plan that benefited Wall Street above all others?
How's his swamp draining going? Has he kept his election promises ?
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter ... se-broken/
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Post 17 Jan 2018, 8:44 am

Ricky, that is one of your worst posts in memory.

Congratulations.
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Post 17 Jan 2018, 9:20 am

dag hammarsjkold wrote:Forgive the cavalier suggestion but it seems as if it's at least remotely possible that Trumps' gafs are part of an overall strategy. What precisely? to regularly feed the mainstream media the raw meat they've come to depend upon for their ratings while his administration continues behind the scenes to accomplish agenda items unabated.


Does it really matter if it's the result of a plan or just the outcome of Trump? The result is the same. The near daily scandals have been drowning out a pretty effective policy agenda. The change to the tax code is huge, and won't easily be rolled back. The rest of it is more easily changed by a future president, but that's going to be years.

In my opinion, this couldn't have been planned, but we are seeing some very smart Republicans making lemons into lemonade.
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Post 17 Jan 2018, 10:35 am

geojanes wrote:Does it really matter if it's the result of a plan or just the outcome of Trump? The result is the same. The near daily scandals have been drowning out a pretty effective policy agenda.


Near-daily? You have a unique, I will even dare to say, "liberal" view of the word "scandal." He's gruff. He's impolitic.

Scandal?

Because he said some countries are poorly-run places no one wants to live?

Here's a thought experiment for you: of all the people who promised to move out of the US if Trump won:

1. How many have moved?
2. How many have moved to Haiti? El Salvador? Liberia? When was the last time you or your friends said, "I really need to go vacation in Zimbabwe?

Democrats have lost their minds. We can't "insult" countries like El Salvador by telling the truth about them AND simultaneously we cannot send people back there who are El Salvadoran (and have been here "temporarily" for more than 16 years)?

So, which is it? Is it a hellhole or is El Salvador a nice place to live? It can't be both.This kind of doublespeak is going to sink Democrats.

Another example: they will shut down the government over DACA?

So, let me see if I have this right: you won't agree to defend the border, fund the military, or even run the government unless undocumented immigrants are protected against the legal possibility of deportation?

Who elected you? Why won't you work for them?

Name another government in the world that would rather shut down than risk deporting illegal immigrants.
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Post 17 Jan 2018, 10:57 am

Unlike MANY people here on Redscape, I have been in many of these countries.

Haiti is a S**THOLE!
El Salvador is a S**THOLE!

He was being honest, and I wish he would say it proudly, and proclaim the truth "If it is so great, why the large numbers of immigration?"
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Post 17 Jan 2018, 11:08 am

You know Tucker Carlson said the same thing you guys did. Here's the problem: Trump essentially said he doesn't want people from Haiti because they come from a shithole country. So essentially he is saying the people are garbage too. Spin that.
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Post 17 Jan 2018, 11:45 am

Sure. America needs to control it's immigration. We need to bring the best and brightest from the rest of the world. If there is someone from Haiti who meets the eligibility requirements for immigration and enters legally, they should be welcome with open arms. Having been there, I can say that many are not what I would want entering the US.

Spin this:
A river of feces and urine running down the street of Port a Prince into the harbor.

Sounds like a hole (or at least a river) of feces to me...