President Donald J. Trump

[K_Dubb]

Even the most devoted admirer of Trump surely accepts he's his own worst enemy? He has no apparent ability to pause and think before blurting out whatever he thinks is his view of the world at that moment.

He doesn't seem to be able to deal with data that requires any attention span longer than a few minutes. Then he finds another ball to run after.

In his defense, that is rather in the nature of Twitter and, while we're not used to a President doing it that way, we'll get used to it.  I'm more worried about stuff he does.

I think part of Obama's motive was to make it politically infeasible for Trump to make nice with Russia.  Trump's tweets on Friday about that, immediately after his briefing, show he understands this and won't let it distract him.  Whatever you think of that, it's been part of his agenda from the beginning.  It certainly isn't 4d chess, but it's at least checkers.

Yes he looks like a fool in this case for overcommitting himself without seeing what the other guy had (it must have been persuasive), but I'm not prepared to write him off as an idiot yet.

[gabrielle]

Hi SV. Bet yer Colonial cousins are making ya real proud right about now!
The cognitive dissonance is so thick (unbearable) at this point that here (BG) might be the safer refuge after all!
I have a greater appreciation now for the need/ulitity of an uncensored/moderated space (grudgingly praises MV) -- although there's still no escaping the spel-it-rite-nics I reckon 

Meister, is it really you!!!!!!   Missed you.  So good to see you back.

[mikuthing01]

Hi SV. Bet yer Colonial cousins are making ya real proud right about now!
The cognitive dissonance is so thick (unbearable) at this point that here (BG) might be the safer refuge after all!
I have a greater appreciation now for the need/ulitity of an uncensored/moderated space (grudgingly praises MV) -- although there's still no escaping the spel-it-rite-nics I reckon 

Konnichiwa O-genki desu ka Meister-chan!

[Taaroa]

I can assure you sir, that women, servants, and common peasants are not allowed to vote in the UK. And long may it remain so.

I've been saying for years now that voting rights should be pared down so that only landowners would be able to vote.

[Inglorious Bitch]

I've been saying for years now that voting rights should be pared down so that only landowners would be able to vote.

Makes sense.

[Kidnostad3]

I've been saying for years now that voting rights should be pared down so that only landowners would be able to vote.

I think it ought to be based on some combination of IQ and shoe size.

[albrecht]

I've been saying for years now that voting rights should be pared down so that only landowners would be able to vote.

-Nominal poll tax and literacy test, all ballots in English only (English Braille ballots for blind people)
-No mention of political party on ballot by candidate's name
-No "straight party ticket" voting
-Grandfather clause
-property owners only people allowed to vote on things like bond issues or property tax provisions
-repeal the 17th Amendment
-no early voting
-no internet or voting by mail (except for US citizens overseas, real medical conditions (attested to by a doctor or court,) the elderly, or if your primary legal residence is beyond 65 miles from a polling station.
-Valid US Passport, Driver's License, CCW, or Military ID to vote and to prove residency. In States that allow illegal to get D/Ls only a US Passport or US Military ID would be acceptable.

[Meister_000]

Meister, is it really you!!!!!!   Missed you.  So good to see you back.

Hi Gabie! Big hugs -- you warm my wintered soul.

[Jackstar]

hey doll--you left? Godspeed!

[Jackstar]

-no internet or voting by mail (except for US citizens overseas, real medical conditions (attested to by a doctor or court,) the elderly, or if your primary legal residence is beyond 65 miles from a polling station.
-Valid US Passport, Driver's License, CCW, or Military ID to vote and to prove residency. In States that allow illegal to get D/Ls only a US Passport or US Military ID would be acceptable.

Also, the polling station is on the other side of this boss:

Veterans would have little trouble.

[Taaroa]

-no internet or voting by mail (except for US citizens overseas, real medical conditions (attested to by a doctor or court,) the elderly, or if your primary legal residence is beyond 65 miles from a polling station.

My family members that live overseas have been required to vote in person at our nation's embassy for federal, state, and local council elections or face being fined $55usd for not voting (because it's mandatory).

Maybe America can implement something as much of a pain in the arse as that.

[WOTR]

I can assure you sir, that women, servants, and common peasants are not allowed to vote in the UK. And long may it remain so.

Then just how the hell do you explain Brexit?   

[Jackstar]

explain Brexit?

Pic related.

[WOTR]

-no internet or voting by mail (except for US citizens overseas, real medical conditions (attested to by a doctor or court,) the elderly, or if your primary legal residence is beyond 65 miles from a polling station.

Thank goodness Senda will still be allowed to vote by mail.

[WOTR]

It's funny how short people's memories can be. Literally a month ago this was still about the voting machines. Now it's about wikileaks...

And Iraq was invaded to help free the Iraqi people from oppression, and Sadam was behind 9/11 and was stockpiling WMD's.

I particularly like how Iraq was invaded to help free the people from oppression.

[Kidnostad3]

-Nominal poll tax and literacy test, all ballots in English only (English Braille ballots for blind people)
-No mention of political party on ballot by candidate's name
-No "straight party ticket" voting
-Grandfather clause
-property owners only people allowed to vote on things like bond issues or property tax provisions
-repeal the 17th Amendment
-no early voting
-no internet or voting by mail (except for US citizens overseas, real medical conditions (attested to by a doctor or court,) the elderly, or if your primary legal residence is beyond 65 miles from a polling station.
-Valid US Passport, Driver's License, CCW, or Military ID to vote and to prove residency. In States that allow illegal to get D/Ls only a US Passport or US Military ID would be acceptable.

I offer the following comments:

A.  If you mean no provision for voting a straight ticket with one click or flip of a leaver I agree. To forbid one from choosing one party over another through individual selection of the candidates of one party would be a restriction of voting rights.

B.  Voting should be the right of every citizen who pays taxes.  If a certain bond issue affects only property owners and it can be shown that it has no impact on non property owners then it's fair to limit the vote to affected parties.  However, I think in most instances you'd be hard pressed to show that to be the case. 
I
C. As far as property taxes go, the revenue goes into the general fund and supports schools and a range of other services and infrastructure.  If the tax rate were determined only by property owners there is no doubt that non property owners would get short shrift.  I could reason that I am a property owner that no longer has children in school so I will vote for the lowest possible rate without regard to
the needs of the school system. That sort of reasoning could also be applied in other tax supported municipal endeavors. 

D.  I doubt that you could roll back voting by mail, early voting or voting on line.  It's too convenient and in some instances necessary.  At this point it would be like trying to put toothpaste back in the tube in terms of public acceptance.  The best that could be done in this regard is to implement a standard  automated methodology for vote collection and compilation thats software architecture minimizes human intervention and protects data integrity in all phases of processing and transmission.  The technology to do this is available. It's just expensive. Of course this would require states to relinquish their ability to call the shots where voting methodology is concerned. 

E.  I'm not clear on what would be grandfathered.

Concur on the other provisions.

[Kidnostad3]

My family members that live overseas have been required to vote in person at our nation's embassy for federal, state, and local council elections or face being fined $55usd for not voting (because it's mandatory).

Maybe America can implement something as much of a pain in the arse as that.

My Australian wife has convinced me that it's only fitting and proper since it's the way it's done down under.  I am smart enough to know the right answer when told. 

[pate]

...the year 1790, when the late Mr. William
Richardson first projected his publication of a series
of Portraits to illustrate Granger s " Biographical
History of England;" it was his intention to bring
out an enlarged and improved edition of the work
itself. For that purpose he had several copies of
the editions of 1775 and 1779 interleaved with blank
paper, which he forwarded to the most distinguished
Collectors of English Portraits,, requesting their as
sistance in the undertaking, by giving him information
of such Portraits as had escaped the Author s notice,
which might happen to be in their own possession,
or have come within their knowledge.

...

Drumpf//..

[albrecht]

I offer the following comments:

A.  If you mean no provision for voting a straight ticket with one click or flip of a leaver I agree. To forbid one from choosing one party over another through individual selection of the candidates of one party would be a restriction of voting rights.

B.  Voting should be the right of every citizen who pays taxes.  If a certain bond issue affects only property owners and it can be shown that it has no impact on non property owners then it's fair to limit the vote to affected parties.  However, I think in most instances you'd be hard pressed to show that to be the case. 
I
C. As far as property taxes go, the revenue goes into the general fund and supports schools and a range of other services and infrastructure.  If the tax rate were determined only by property owners there is no doubt that non property owners would get short shrift.  I could reason that I am a property owner that no longer has children in school so I will vote for the lowest possible rate without regard to
the needs of the school system. That sort of reasoning could also be applied in other tax supported municipal endeavors. 

D.  I doubt that you could roll back voting by mail, early voting or voting on line.  It's too convenient and in some instances necessary.  At this point it would be like trying to put toothpaste back in the tube in terms of public acceptance.  The best that could be done in this regard is to implement a standard  automated methodology for vote collection and compilation thats software architecture minimizes human intervention and protects data integrity in all phases of processing and transmission.  The technology to do this is available. It's just expensive. Of course this would require states to relinquish their ability to call the shots where voting methodology is concerned. 

E.  I'm not clear on what would be grandfathered.

Concur on the other provisions.

For clarification: Grandfather provision for voting would allow recent immigrants to be assimilated before they could influence voting. Grow up in the country after some generations versus immediate voting influence. "If your grandfather could vote, you can vote."

[SciFiAuthor]

Even the most devoted admirer of Trump surely accepts he's his own worst enemy? He has no apparent ability to pause and think before blurting out whatever he thinks is his view of the world at that moment.

He doesn't seem to be able to deal with data that requires any attention span longer than a few minutes. Then he finds another ball to run after.

He wouldn't be where he is if he were his own worst enemy. And blurting out shit seems to have worked and gained massive amounts of media attention and ultimately won him the presidency. The guy was a reality show star and this will be a reality presidency running on more or less the same rules. Hell, he's snowed you in much the same way Falkie did. He gives you a shiny object to obsess over and you eat the shit up and fixate and spend all this time posting on an internet forum to blither your musings about someone.  But what I would not have done is weigh too far into the fake red scare. That's a different kind of trick unique to politicians. Instead I'd have put the focus on the accomplishments made before taking office, particularly Softbank's investment. But it's a minor mistake no one will remember in a month, much like the red scare. We'll be onto some other fake bullshit by then.

[Dr. MD MD]

Everyone say hello to Dr. MD, Mikuthing and Quackstar.

While you're at it say hi to Mr. Meatie Pie!

[Dr. MD MD]

I don't know what the hell to believe anymore...

Yes you do. Just stop playing dumb. 

[Dr. MD MD]

The whole point was to embarrass Trump, yeah, but he played right into it.

Care to explain how he "played right into it?" 

[Dr. MD MD]

Even the most devoted admirer of Trump surely accepts he's his own worst enemy? He has no apparent ability to pause and think before blurting out whatever he thinks is his view of the world at that moment.

He doesn't seem to be able to deal with data that requires any attention span longer than a few minutes. Then he finds another ball to run after.

The fact that you keep trying to hammer this image of Trump into everyone's brain here makes me think he's most likely a genius. Give it a rest!  :

[Dr. MD MD]

I've been saying for years now that voting rights should be pared down so that only landowners would be able to vote.

We like to keep trash who think like that in Europe. 

[Taaroa]

My Australian wife has convinced me that it's only fitting and proper since it's the way it's done down under.  I am smart enough to know the right answer when told. 

There's something perverse about a democracy having voting mandatory and non participation punishible by fining. It leads to people doing donkey votes and voting with little awareness of relevant policies and issues, who would probably have not bothered participating if it weren't for the punishments.

It's probably why Australians have such terrible modern politics and had 5 different prime ministers in 6 years.

[Jackstar]

https://twitter.com/HamillHimself/status/817901534948179968

[Kidnostad3]

For clarification: Grandfather provision for voting would allow recent immigrants to be assimilated before they could influence voting. Grow up in the country after some generations versus immediate voting influence. "If your grandfather could vote, you can vote."

Good idea.  Prevents democrat politicians from importing voters by various manipulations as is their practice.

[Kidnostad3]

It leads to people doing donkey votes and voting with little awareness of relevant policies and issues, who would probably have not bothered participating if it weren't for the punishments.

Not much different than typical democrat voters in the large urban areas that have become Democrat party strongholds whose vote is a Pavlovian response rather than an informed choice.

[Dr. MD MD]

So, Meryl Streep called upon the "principled press" to hold power accountable now. Funny, she didn't seem too concerned about this for the past 8 years though. :

Please, Ms. Streep! Stick to acting. 

http://video.foxnews.com/v/5270763590001/?#sp=show-clips