GOP Candidate for 2024

[mikewhitney]

So many of Mike's posts on this forum make it sound like he lives in some sort of parallel universe completely divorced from any reality of this one. It's quite stunning.

You failed to answer any useful questions needed for the reality check.

Are we able to agree that Adam Schiff presented a fabricated version of Trump's Ukraine phone call?

Have you heard what Schiff said and compared that to the transcript?

[demi-conservative]

Isn't nepotism basically the epitome of "swamp" politics?

Are you really that naive? Do you really think the worst part of the swamp is nepotism, that the worst thing Clintons and Biden have done is to get their kids a cushy job with high salaries?

[demi-conservative]

It is pretty weird. I am wondering how people can be freed from viewing the world through propaganda. Kids today are not learning to think. They are being taught how to close off discussion by calling people of traditional knowledge as bigots, racists or nazis. This is an aspect of mind control or brainwashing. People always need to be open to free discussion. That is why it is good some people like you are here. Maybe we will get you back to true knowledge too. That would be amazing.

Most people have had their child-like faith in the mainstream media shattered. People who triple down on Fake News like Starlight are outliers, and are more likely to be lost causes.

[Starlight]

You failed to answer any useful questions needed for the reality check.

I'm sorry, I think you're too far from reality to help.

Perhaps you could answer my original question though on what 'drain the swamp' actually means. Trump seems to have set a new record for number of lobbyists appointed. He also seems to be attempting to outdo the criminal Republican administrations of Nixon and Reagan in terms of sheer number of criminal acts committed by his administration and the number of people around him who are being indicted and convicted. As KG mentioned, the role his children are playing seems to be extremely nepotistic. And he seems to be funneling government and foreign money into his own businesses at a huge rate as he unconstitutionally and illegally tries to make a profit of being President. So I could understand if someone said Trump is deepening the swamp, or is the swamp, but to say he's draining the swamp makes no sense at all.

[KingsGambit]

Are you really that naive? Do you really think the worst part of the swamp is nepotism, that the worst thing Clintons and Biden have done is to get their kids a cushy job with high salaries?

In other words, no answer?

[demi-conservative]

In other words, no answer?

Why should there be any answer? Your premises are dumb.

1) The worst part of the Swamp is not nepotism. You know this.
2) Trump Jr running for president would not be nepotism. Nepotism would be his father just appointing him to the position. You know this.

[Teallaura]

Why should there be any answer? Your premises are dumb.

1) The worst part of the Swamp is not nepotism. You know this.
2) Trump Jr running for president would not be nepotism. Nepotism would be his father just appointing him to the position. You know this.

This is going to be an adjustment - I'm not used to agreeing with you.

[demi-conservative]

This is going to be an adjustment - I'm not used to agreeing with you.

You've come to agree with me on TDS and on Trump actually being a good President, it's all a matter of time.

[NorrinRadd]

It's really weird that the two main suggestions from this thread are "drain the swamp" and "Donald Trump Jr.". What qualifications does Trump Jr. have beyond nepotism? Isn't nepotism basically the epitome of "swamp" politics?

Not nepotism. That would be more like Jared and Ivanka. Or more egregiously (IMO), JFK and RFK from the ol' Camelot era.

Don Jr. would be more an example of "dynasticism," if that's a word. It's something we USAicans usually claim to dislike (because it smacks of "royalty," which we rejected), but in practice we tend to gravitate it its general direction.

I was being facetious, but only slightly, in suggesting Don Jr. I think his dad has done a good job, I think Jr. has about the same qualifications as dad, and I find him to be a better communicator.

[mikewhitney]

I'm sorry, I think you're too far from reality to help.

Perhaps you could answer my original question though on what 'drain the swamp' actually means. Trump seems to have set a new record for number of lobbyists appointed. He also seems to be attempting to outdo the criminal Republican administrations of Nixon and Reagan in terms of sheer number of criminal acts committed by his administration and the number of people around him who are being indicted and convicted. As KG mentioned, the role his children are playing seems to be extremely nepotistic. And he seems to be funneling government and foreign money into his own businesses at a huge rate as he unconstitutionally and illegally tries to make a profit of being President. So I could understand if someone said Trump is deepening the swamp, or is the swamp, but to say he's draining the swamp makes no sense at all.

If he was part of the swamp, why would the swamp be getting rid of him?

The Senate and Representative have not cooperated with him because they wanted someone who was already a corrupted member of the US govt. Corrupted members are like Comey, Schiff, and Pelosi. It is people that have made a living in the political world and the government. It is people who will lie -- like in Schiff's fake rendering of the Ukraine phone call. ONce he got the real transcript he should have recused himself from any actions against Trump. It is like the bad intentioned Mueller investigation.

I don't know if President Trump is only seeking good for the country, but he seems more effective at repairs to the government than any President in the last 30 years.

As to the supposed crimes, I have heard too many lies from the MSM to trust what they say. I wish the media situation was better. The MSM found President Trump guilty in the Mueller investigation even before the results were out. And the results were that no evidence was found of wrong doing. If there was wrong doing, then the representatives would have used that evidence to impeach him.

[Starlight]

If he was part of the swamp, why would the swamp be getting rid of him?

He is a criminal and has broken many, many laws both before and after taking office. That's why he's being investigated and why people around him keep going to jail. His lawyer is in jail (Michael Cohen). His campaign chairman is in jail (Paul Manafort). His adviser is on trial likely facing jail time (Roger Stone). His new lawyer (Rudy Giuliani) has just had associates jailed (Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman), and is now looking for a lawyer himself because of the danger of himself going to jail. Trump is the swamp. He is a criminal who hires criminals, who do criminal things, who end up in jail for it. Thus those who are for justice, law, and lack of corrupt, are against Trump.

It is people who will lie -- like in Schiff's fake rendering of the Ukraine phone call.

You seem obsessed with this. There was nothing wrong with Schiff's summary. I have read it, I've read the memo about the call Trump released, and I've read the whistleblower complaint - Schiff's summary was a totally reasonable summary. Your obsession with it and attempt to use it to distract from Trumps numerous crimes is weird.

I don't know if President Trump is only seeking good for the country, but he seems more effective at repairs to the government than any President in the last 30 years.

He's stoked division in the country to the point where there have been fights in the streets between opposing factions and right wing commentators keep talking about the possibility of another Civil War. That's not repairs, or seeking good for the country. Name two things you think are the most important things Trump has done to 'repair' the government, I'll wait.

As to the supposed crimes, I have heard too many lies from the MSM to trust what they say.

So because the MSM once or twice got it wrong, instead you gullibly believe insane right wing propaganda sources that deliberately get it wrong 100 times per day and fill your head with utterly crazy stuff?

The MSM found President Trump guilty in the Mueller investigation even before the results were out.

A lot of the evidence was available publicly, so Trump's guilt was plain to see.

And the results were that no evidence was found of wrong doing.

No. Try reading it. Mueller identified about 8-10 different instances in which Trump met all three of the criteria for Obstruction of Justice charges.

If there was wrong doing, then the representatives would have used that evidence to impeach him.

Nice wishful thinking. I indeed think they should have impeached him as a result, because I firmly believe that nobody is above the law and that he should have been held to account for his criminal behavior. However the spineless House Democratic leadership made the decision that the charges against Trump coming out of the Mueller report were 'too complicated and legalistic' in terms of getting the average person in the street to be able to understand it and follow along and being able to sell an impeachment narrative to the public. Typical spinelessness, cowardice, and incompetence on their part. It's silly on your part to confuse a political judgment call about whether or not to proceed further with the results of the Mueller report by Democratic leadership, with the facts of whether the Mueller report outlined crimes by Trump (which it did).

At least with the Ukraine stuff the spineless, incompetent, and cowardly democratic leadership are happy to proceed because they've got a very simple story that the average person on the street can understand about exactly what crimes Trump committed, as well as plenty of evidence that he committed them, which pretty much all his officials seem to have now admitted to in public.

[demi-conservative]

Don Jr. would be more an example of "dynasticism," if that's a word. It's something we USAicans usually claim to dislike (because it smacks of "royalty," which we rejected), but in practice we tend to gravitate it its general direction.

Respect for aristocracy persists. Its failure to be eradicated indicates that it's just intrinsic to human nature.

I think his dad has done a good job, I think Jr. has about the same qualifications as dad, and I find him to be a better communicator.

On the whole he might do better. Less forceful and in-your-face alpha, but also less of the moral baggage.

[demi-conservative]

People like Tassman have asked why should we think that Trump will drain the Swamp since he hasn't shown any sign of doing so. It's a valid question, which I haven't properly answered. For one, it's overlooks the fact that the corrupt FBI leaders (Comey, Page, Strozk, McCabe) were all fired.

The other part is that openly, Trump has been largely on the defensive. Until the failed coup of the Mueller investigation, and the dud that the Ukranian call turned out to be. Only after the Mueller in, when the Swamp's ammunition is expended, did Trump start going on the offensive. Now we hear that Barr is turning the probe into a criminal one, and allies (Italy, Ukraine, Austalia) are collaborating in investigations.

[mikewhitney]

Nice wishful thinking. I indeed think they should have impeached him as a result, because I firmly believe that nobody is above the law and that he should have been held to account for his criminal behavior. However the spineless House Democratic leadership made the decision that the charges against Trump coming out of the Mueller report were 'too complicated and legalistic' in terms of getting the average person in the street to be able to understand it and follow along and being able to sell an impeachment narrative to the public. Typical spinelessness, cowardice, and incompetence on their part. It's silly on your part to confuse a political judgment call about whether or not to proceed further with the results of the Mueller report by Democratic leadership, with the facts of whether the Mueller report outlined crimes by Trump (which it did).

At least with the Ukraine stuff the spineless, incompetent, and cowardly democratic leadership are happy to proceed because they've got a very simple story that the average person on the street can understand about exactly what crimes Trump committed, as well as plenty of evidence that he committed them, which pretty much all his officials seem to have now admitted to in public.

It is interesting to see what you have accepted as justification of the Democrat's behavior. Hopefully your view of the situation will be recorded for future psychological studies.

[Starlight]

Hopefully your view of the situation will be recorded for future psychological studies.

I guess me trying to tell a crazy person that they were crazy was never going to go well...