U.S. Politics: He's an Idiot, Plain and Simple

[Martell Spy]

Please continue.

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

It’s pretty ironic that Roseanne lost her show for making a racist comment when she previously said her character’s support of Trump was meant to highlight that Trump supporters aren’t racists.

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

@davos

Quote

There isn't even a country anymore.  Not really.  We are at least two countries, probably several more maintaining the increasingly thin and untenable delusion that we are a single nation.  While it could remain a single unit for sometime, the potential is there a split.  And it could happen very quickly once a threshold is crossed as the ground work has, largely without intent or comprehension, been being laid for some time.  

We are five countries in one: Blue America, Red America, Independent America, Under Informed America and Willfully Ignorant America, though there’s cross overs between the five. I’m just wondering what’s more likely, Texas leaves or California leaves?  

[drawkcabi]

50 minutes ago, Tywin et al. said:

It’s pretty ironic that Roseanne lost her show for making a racist comment when she previously said her character’s support of Trump was meant to highlight that Trump supporters aren’t racists.

Yep, this is why Trump supporters can't have nice things.

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

20 minutes ago, drawkcabi said:

Yep, this is why Trump supporters can't have nice things.

Trump has made his first comments about Roseanne, and of course it’s all about him:

 

[A Horse Named Stranger]

1 hour ago, Tywin et al. said:

It’s pretty ironic that Roseanne lost her show for making a racist comment when she previously said her character’s support of Trump was meant to highlight that Trump supporters aren’t racists.

Well, the real irony being, that NBC continued to let Twitler on air during and after his birther routine.

[Week]

18 minutes ago, Tywin et al. said:

Trump has made his first comments about Roseanne, and of course it’s all about him:

 

Um, what horrible statements?

http://money.cnn.com/2017/06/01/media/disney-ceo-bob-iger-trump-advisory-board/index.html

Quote

"Protecting our planet and driving economic growth are critical to our future, and they aren't mutually exclusive," Iger said in a statement. "I deeply disagree with the decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement."

He also posted his decision on Twitter, saying he'd resigned from Trump's business council "as a matter of principle."

[...]

Iger has aligned with the president on some issues, but clashed on others. The CEO has voiced his support for tax reform, but articulated a different vision on immigration.

"I don't believe we can close our borders," he told CNNMoney. "I do believe we need a very strong policy when it comes to security and safety, of course, but I think there's a way to have both."

Wowww! Damn, son -- Iger really let Trump have it. "I deeply disagree" -- the nerve to use that kind of language.

Anyone find a link with any actual edge to any comments Iger has made? I have not found any after a cursory search.

[mankytoes]

Regarding the title of this, I've had this conversation several times, and I definitely disagree, especially with the "plain and simple" bit. Like most things, we like to view intelligence too simply. There are many aspects to it. And yes, in some, obvious ways, Trump could be seen as an idiot. He apparently got confused between HIV and HPV. That's a sign of low intelligence.

However, his rise in politics has shown he is intelligent in other ways. He has managed to manipulate both the media and his opponents into promoting his image and agenda. And I think it's that last part that makes people really cling to the idea that he's just a lucky idiot who bumbled into the White House- the alternative is realising that he played us, he fooled us. And I do mean us, I was telling people for ages that he had no chance. He understood something that I didn't. You don't Presidents who are true idiots. 

Politics is like war- underestimating your opponent is often fatal. You guys want to avoid four more years of this? You've got to recognise what you're up against. It's absolutely shocking how some people still seem to think Trump's defeat in the next election is all but assured. 

This video shows his intelligence well. 

[Zorral]

Quite a few believe the dumpster is actually a madman.  We do know that white supremacy and hatred do drive people insane . . . .

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trump-doesnt-lie-he-does-something-worse/2018/05/29/fdd89d30-6372-11e8-99d2-0d678ec08c2f_story.html?

[Mexal]

48 minutes ago, Week said:

Um, what horrible statements?

http://money.cnn.com/2017/06/01/media/disney-ceo-bob-iger-trump-advisory-board/index.html

Wowww! Damn, son -- Iger really let Trump have it. "I deeply disagree" -- the nerve to use that kind of language.

Anyone find a link with any actual edge to any comments Iger has made? I have not found any after a cursory search.

He wasn't talking about comments Iger made but comments made about Trump on ABC shows.

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

48 minutes ago, Week said:

Um, what horrible statements?

http://money.cnn.com/2017/06/01/media/disney-ceo-bob-iger-trump-advisory-board/index.html

Wowww! Damn, son -- Iger really let Trump have it. "I deeply disagree" -- the nerve to use that kind of language.

Anyone find a link with any actual edge to any comments Iger has made? I have not found any after a cursory search.

I think he’s just referencing the negative news coverage in general. Trump has never seen a pity party that he’s not willing to hold court at…

[Week]

"On ABC" -- misread -- gotcha, thanks dudes. Still a moronic statement -- just in a different way.

[mankytoes]

32 minutes ago, Zorral said:

Quite a few believe the dumpster is actually a madman.  We do know that white supremacy and hatred do drive people insane . . . .

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trump-doesnt-lie-he-does-something-worse/2018/05/29/fdd89d30-6372-11e8-99d2-0d678ec08c2f_story.html?

This is exactly what I mean. Believing he's just some madman who has by incredible luck become President is mentally a lot easier than acknowledging he outsmarted us. 

People talk about "post truth", but in truth people, particularly powerful people, have always understood that truth can be very limited in its' usefulness. Pursuit of truth, especially in politics, is much more of a moral endeavour than a practical one. Why would Trump tell the truth when a lie serves him better? He wants more people to have been at his inauguration than Obama's. His supporters want that as well. So why not say it's true? As a businessman, it's simple. Language either makes you money or it doesn't. Truth isn't important, unless you're legally forced to tell it. In politics, it's similar, except the ends are power, not profit (though of course the two are linked). 

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

51 minutes ago, mankytoes said:

Regarding the title of this, I've had this conversation several times, and I definitely disagree, especially with the "plain and simple" bit. Like most things, we like to view intelligence too simply. There are many aspects to it. And yes, in some, obvious ways, Trump could be seen as an idiot. He apparently got confused between HIV and HPV. That's a sign of low intelligence.

However, his rise in politics has shown he is intelligent in other ways. He has managed to manipulate both the media and his opponents into promoting his image and agenda. And I think it's that last part that makes people really cling to the idea that he's just a lucky idiot who bumbled into the White House- the alternative is realising that he played us, he fooled us. And I do mean us, I was telling people for ages that he had no chance. He understood something that I didn't. You don't Presidents who are true idiots. 

Politics is like war- underestimating your opponent is often fatal. You guys want to avoid four more years of this? You've got to recognise what you're up against. It's absolutely shocking how some people still seem to think Trump's defeat in the next election is all but assured. 

This video shows his intelligence well. 

Trump is a world class marketer and an elite used car salesman who understood an emerging communications medium better than all the other candidates. Combine that with his willingness to sink as deep into the mud as possible and you can understand how he won. But he’s not an intelligent human being. Frankly, the only elected official I think Trump is smarter than is Louie Gohmert. Maybe Devin Nunes too, but that’s only because Trump made him his *****.

[Fez]

It took years of effort, but Virginia finally expanded Medicaid under Obamacare today after 3 Republican state senators broke ranks and joined Democrats on the vote (2 were expected, the 3rd was a surprise). The state house already approved it last month with 18 Republicans in support.

Guess the election last year finally convinced Republicans they needed to act to try to save their legislative majorities (which are only 51-49 in the House and 21-19 in the senate).

[mankytoes]

14 minutes ago, Tywin et al. said:

Trump is a world class marketer and an elite used car salesman who understood an emerging communications medium better than all the other candidates. Combine that with his willingness to sink as deep into the mud as possible and you can understand how he won. But he’s not an intelligent human being. Frankly, the only elected official I think Trump is smarter than is Louie Gohmert. Maybe Devin Nunes too, but that’s only because Trump made him his *****.

We can get into semantics about the meaning of "intelligence", he certainly doesn't have conventional intelligence, but you can't in any honesty call him an idiot. 

Perhaps the smartest thing he's done is convince people he's an "anti politician". Because he is such a politician. If it wasn't so harmful to so many people, I'd have to admire what a conniving manipulative bastard he is. I really thought Jeb! was going to get the nomination. How embarrassing. He was ten steps ahead of me. I thought he was making a fool of himself on twitter. 

Obviously he should be mocked, but some Americans take such apparent joy in continually mocking him, when I feel like the joke is really on them. That's your leader, your head of state. Tweeting "not my President" feels like a very hollow gesture. 

[butterbumps!]

1 hour ago, mankytoes said:

Regarding the title of this, I've had this conversation several times, and I definitely disagree, especially with the "plain and simple" bit. Like most things, we like to view intelligence too simply. There are many aspects to it. And yes, in some, obvious ways, Trump could be seen as an idiot. He apparently got confused between HIV and HPV. That's a sign of low intelligence.

However, his rise in politics has shown he is intelligent in other ways. He has managed to manipulate both the media and his opponents into promoting his image and agenda. And I think it's that last part that makes people really cling to the idea that he's just a lucky idiot who bumbled into the White House- the alternative is realising that he played us, he fooled us. And I do mean us, I was telling people for ages that he had no chance. He understood something that I didn't. You don't Presidents who are true idiots. 

Politics is like war- underestimating your opponent is often fatal. You guys want to avoid four more years of this? You've got to recognise what you're up against. It's absolutely shocking how some people still seem to think Trump's defeat in the next election is all but assured. 

This video shows his intelligence well. 

no, he is a fucking idiot.  plain and simple.   Bigotry was the driving force that put him in office, and even then, it was only through an electoral glitch in which our country's fine racists are arranged geographically such that their votes count for more than the majority's.  it doesn't take skill or intelligence to be racist.  or to exploit racism in others.   if you want to say it took skill to recognize that racism/ misogyny and general bigotry ran that deep across America, then ok I guess?  Though I think most minorities already had a pretty good idea that was the case.   

[mankytoes]

1 minute ago, butterbumps! said:

no, he is a fucking idiot.  plain and simple.   Bigotry was the driving force that put him in office, and even then, it was only through an electoral glitch in which our country's fine racists are arranged geographically such that their votes count for more than the majority's.  it doesn't take skill or intelligence to be racist.  or to exploit racism in others.   if you want to say it took skill to recognize that racism/ misogyny and general bigotry ran that deep across America, then ok I guess?  Though I think most minorities already had a pretty good idea that was the case.   

Bigots are ten a penny. Why did he get the top job, and none of the others? 

[butterbumps!]

6 minutes ago, mankytoes said:

Bigots are ten a penny. Why did he get the top job, and none of the others? 

No, they aren't ten a penny like this.  No one else was stoking bigotry like he was.  He went well beyond the dog whistle, and instead sobs white MRA tears over a megaphone, telling all these similar fragiles sweet nothings about how everything wrong in their lives is someone else's (i.e. brown people's) fault, that being white is super duper special, and de-stigmatizing bigoted speech.  to name just a few things here.    He's the only candidate to have completely transgressed those boundaries.   

ETA:  seriously-- do not underestimate white fragility, gender resentment, and whatever else bigotry you can conjure in the US.  

[Week]

1 minute ago, butterbumps! said:

No, they aren't ten a penny like this.  No one else was stoking bigotry like he was.  He went well beyond the dog whistle, and instead sobs white MRA tears over a megaphone, telling all these similar fragiles sweet nothings about how everything wrong in their lives is someone else's (i.e. brown people's) fault, that being white is super duper special, and de-stigmatizing bigoted speech.  to name just a few things here.    He's the only candidate to have completely transgressed those boundaries.   

He also portrays his refusal to apologize as a strength which people ... respect? Or something.