President Donald J. Trump

[starrmtn001]

Well the most important thing now is ensure a Trump presidency.  We know Hillary will pack the Supreme Court with liberals if elected.  I am not sure what Trump will do but he is far more likely to put conservatives not judicial activists on the Supreme Court.  I have to support Trump now and it is time for the #nevertrumps to come back to the fold.  Trump needs to pick a conservative candidate for VP to move forward that would appeal to the #nevertrumps.  I doubt Cruz would want to be on the ticket given Trump and his surrogates disgusting behavior during the primaries.  Maybe Dr. Carson, Jeff Sessions, or Newt Gingrich.  I think Newt would be the best choice of these 3.

I hope your wisdom is shared by other, formerly, pro Cruz supporters.

[21st Century Man]

I liked Christie before he turned into an imbecile. And now that he is Trump's lap dog, begging to be thrown a bone, it's embarrassing.

[21st Century Man]

I hope your wisdom is shared by other, formerly, pro Cruz supporters.

Thanks for the kind words.  I don't understand the #nevertrumps especially those that are conservative.  They are willfully enabling the election of Hillary Clinton and with that comes disaster.

[Billy Joe Mulgreavey]

The gridlock in Washington has been so bad for so long,  I am willing to muster up the little faith I have left in Washington politics, and shoot the dice on someone other than the status quo career politician. 

[starrmtn001]

Thanks for the kind words.  I don't understand the #nevertrumps especially those that are conservative.  They are willfully enabling the election of Hillary Clinton and with that comes disaster.

The irony that Hillary is allowed to run during her (indictment?) just . . . I can't even express in words, how appalling it is.

[starrmtn001]

The gridlock in Washington has been so bad for so long,  I am willing to muster up the little faith I have left in Washington politics, and shoot the dice on someone other than the status quo career politician.

First election in a long time or maybe ever, for me, that I feel I'm making the best choice rather than having to choose the lesser of the evils.  I like that.

[whoozit]

I wouldn't be surprised to see some folks leave the forum over this.

[SciFiAuthor]

Well the most important thing now is ensure a Trump presidency.  We know Hillary will pack the Supreme Court with liberals if elected.  I am not sure what Trump will do but he is far more likely to put conservatives not judicial activists on the Supreme Court.  I have to support Trump now and it is time for the #nevertrumps to come back to the fold.  Trump needs to pick a conservative candidate for VP to move forward that would appeal to the #nevertrumps.  I doubt Cruz would want to be on the ticket given Trump and his surrogates disgusting behavior during the primaries.  Maybe Dr. Carson, Jeff Sessions, or Newt Gingrich.  I think Newt would be the best choice of these 3.

I'd be fine with Carson or Sessions, but I agree that Newt would be an excellent choice. He's got the right mix. Plus he's no slouch when it comes to tearing into Hillary.

[starrmtn001]

I wouldn't be surprised to see some folks leave the forum over this.

Really?  Why?  People are expressing their opinions.  But, their opinions are not who they are.

Of course, politics and religion are two of the most incendiary topics one can debate.  If anyone does leave, I hope it's just for a couple days of fishing, or a weekend outing with the family, or somewhere to let off some creative steam.

[whoozit]

Really?  Why?  People are expressing their opinions.  But, their opinions are not who they are.

Of course, politics and religion are two of the most incendiary topics one can debate.  If anyone does leave, I hope it's just for a couple days of fishing, or a weekend outing with the family, or somewhere to let off some creative steam.

Some people have really bought into the danger of Trump and are quite militant about it.  I'm sure inquiries about emigrating to Canada will rise too.  The media really has the sold the think like I think or you are a moron angle.  Differences of opinion have become deadly.

[aldousburbank]

The irony that Hillary is allowed to run during her (indictment?) just . . . I can't even express in words, how appalling it is.

I can't even imagine why anybody would ever consider voting for the Hillary creature although I imagine them as the type that would end up on WTFtattos.com.

[whoozit]

I can't even imagine why anybody would ever consider voting for the Hillary creature although I imagine them as the type that would end up on WTFtattos.com.

Emergency bleach in eyes.  It burns, it burns!

[Value Of Pi]

I think the main thing to understand about a potential President Trump is that nobody knows what to expect if he gets to the White House, least of all the man himself. Most reasonably educated people recognise that he won't be able to play the 'street brawler' unless he's actually prepared to go to war with countries to get his own way (cf. Hitler, Mussolini et al). A tricky proposition in the nuclear age. So, he's either knowingly presenting a false image to his supporters - in other words, he's a liar - or he's hopelessly ignorant of the political landscape. I don't think either situation is all that desirable. Trump reminds me of the character played by Robert Redford in 'The Candidate'. After he won a hard-fought campaign for election to the senate, he turned round to his advisor and said "what do we do now?".

Speak softly and carry a big stick, said Theodore Roosevelt. Genuinely tough guys don't go to great lengths to show you they're tough - they don't have to. Putin is another would-be tough guy, with all those absurd shirtless pictures and wars in Chechnya, so I can understand that he sees Trump as some kind of spiritual brother. I don't think a second Cuban Missile Crisis, with those two playing Kennedy and Khruschev, would turn out nearly so well, because neither would be able to back down without losing face. If there is really a sober-sided tactician underneath all the rodomontade, perhaps Trump is a sounder choice than he appears, but most people vote for him because he's an impulsive bully, and they want Trump to bully them back to greatness. You actively want someone who may push you closer to a nuclear war, it appears.

Let's dispose of the idea of Trump as some kind of self-made man. It's not really a 'loan' when it comes from your dad, is it? Is he going to call in the bailiffs if Trump fils doesn't make his payments on time? Unlikely. He may have paid it back, but I bet he did it when he could do so without tightening his belt. His success deserves respect, but he also did it in the same area as his father, no doubt utilising his contacts and experience. He's not some kind of rough pioneer who went west and made it big by the sweat of his own brow. There is a tendency to think because someone is successful in one part of life then they must be equally successful everywhere else (like Michael Jordan trying baseball) but people forget the wise saying "cobbler, stick to your last". A country isn't a business, because if you mess things up you involve a whole nation, and you just can't declare bankruptcy and start again. Americans have had it too good for too long, and don't remember what  it can be like when things go bad. Spoiled brats, in other words.

The Roman empire lasted over 1100 years before the Goths sacked Rome, so I don't think you are in a decline and fall situation yet, but it's interesting how defeatist many of you seem to be. The Roman empire fell because it over-extended itself and the people became decadent and lazy, like Falkie. You are collectively unable, or unwilling to shoulder responsibility yourselves so you want to find an imaginary tough guy to solve all your problems while you go back to sleep. It's just another branch of advertising, where people are assured their lives will change if they buy a particular brand of deodorant. This happens again and again throughout history, and I'm amazed that people never learn. Say what you like about the Brits, we'd never fall for Trump. We get fooled in other ways, but we can see that he's an empty suit. At best he will be a disappointment. I don't want to imagine what the worst could be.

Lots of good points here, but the bolded one in particular deserves more attention than it's gotten. It's one thing to want to turn the system upside down when you're a poor starving peasant and the revolution is promising bread, maybe even cake. The reward may be worth the risk, even if a few years later you're forced to join Napoleon's army and end up losing an arm and a leg fighting people you have no quarrel with.

But these diehard Trump supporters, do they understand how bad things can get, even in a world of iPhones and Trump Towers? Their frame of reference is what, the Great Recession? Were they eating regularly during the Great Recession? Did they have a decent place to live? The answer is yes.

You can't say the same for millions of Americans during the Great Depression who were lucky to get a spot on a soup line or not get evicted regularly from their farms and tenements with barely two nickels to rub together. And unemployment? Try five or ten years of it, with the exception of occasional hard or menial low-paying labor. All with no safety net and minimal government assistance.

That generation understood hardship and they could tell the current generation of voters about what it stands to lose if they put a Trump in the White House. Not that they would listen, of course, childish winner wannabes that they are.

[starrmtn001]

Some people have really bought into the danger of Trump and are quite militant about it.  I'm sure inquiries about emigrating to Canada will rise too.  The media really has the sold the think like I think or you are a moron angle.  Differences of opinion have become deadly.

I understand most of what you are saying, except for the above in bold.

[henge0stone]

My biggest problem with Trump is that he says the minimum wage is already good enough. It shouldn't be an argument of whether its good or it should be an argument of how much it should go up. MW has not kept up with inflation and to say that its fine at 7.25 is crazy. Most people making MW can only survive by getting aid from the government because its simply not even close to a living wage. If you really want to cut government spending what you need to do is make these corporations pay a fair wage.

[starrmtn001]

I can't even imagine why anybody would ever consider voting for the Hillary creature although I imagine them as the type that would end up on WTFtattos.com.

AAAAAAAA

[starrmtn001]

Emergency bleach in eyes.  It burns, it burns!

Pass it over if there's any left!!!

[whoozit]

I understand most of what you are saying, except for the above in bold.

The media has been pushing the if you don't think like I do you are an idiot.  It has always been around but became more prevalent the last eight years or so.  Part political correctness, part divide and conquer.

[Richard Groyper]

I can't even imagine why anybody would ever consider voting for the Hillary creature although I imagine them as the type that would end up on WTFtattos.com.

"Make beach butts great again!"

[starrmtn001]

Lots of good points here, but the bolded one in particular deserves more attention than it's gotten. It's one thing to want to turn the system upside down when you're a poor starving peasant and the revolution is promising bread, maybe even cake. The reward may be worth the risk, even if a few years later you're forced to join Napoleon's army and end up losing an arm and a leg fighting people you have no quarrel with.

But these diehard Trump supporters, do they understand how bad things can get, even in a world of iPhones and Trump Towers? Their frame of reference is what, the Great Recession? Were they eating regularly during the Great Recession? Did they have a decent place to live? The answer is yes.

You can't say the same for millions of Americans during the Great Depression who were lucky to get a spot on a soup line or not get evicted regularly from their farms and tenements with barely two nickels to rub together. And unemployment? Try five or ten years of it, with the exception of occasional hard or menial low-paying labor. All with no safety net and minimal government assistance.

That generation understood hardship and they could tell the current generation of voters about what it stands to lose if they put a Trump in the White House. Not that they would listen, of course, childish winner wannabes that they are.

I like you Pi.   But, with all due respect, and I do mean respect, I'd like to speak to just a couple of your points.

Yes, things are going to get bad.  That's where the current momentum is carrying us regardless of whom is elected.  It's a question of recovery.  I believe we will recover faster and in a way that encompasses the best for the whole of America.

I am not rich nor even well off (I should clarify that I'm speaking finances only.  Not life in general).  I just moved into low income housing for Senior Citizens.  It's a beautiful single story complex on the outskirts of town.  There are pics in Bella Haven.

Trump specified he will not change Social Security.  I'm confident I can spend the rest of my life here, or at least the next four years (which ever comes first lol).

Lost my train of thought.  I think what I'm trying to say is that there won't be some privy click, but every American Citizen will have the opportunity to share in all the goodies.  At least a much better chance of it.

There was something else but, you know; old fart = brain fart.

[starrmtn001]

The media has been pushing the if you don't think like I do you are an idiot.  It has always been around but became more prevalent the last eight years or so.  Part political correctness, part divide and conquer.

Oh, yes.  You're absolutely right!

[mikuthing01]

MEME MAGIC IS REAL! WE PRESIDENT NOW!

http://www.breitbart.com/milo/2016/05/04/meme-magic-donald-trump-internets-revenge-lazy-entitled-elites/

[Camazotz Automat]

I wouldn't be surprised to see some folks leave the forum over this.

I wouldn't be surprised to see some folks join the forum over this. 

MV might even be hoping for/expecting the spike in membership and lurkers.

What a greedy capitalist - benefiting from the virtual gnashing of teeth of others!

Pepper spray MV!

[GravitySucks]

My biggest problem with Trump is that he says the minimum wage is already good enough. It shouldn't be an argument of whether its good or it should be an argument of how much it should go up. MW has not kept up with inflation and to say that its fine at 7.25 is crazy. Most people making MW can only survive by getting aid from the government because its simply not even close to a living wage. If you really want to cut government spending what you need to do is make these corporations pay a fair wage.

You don't need the federal government involved in raising the minimum wage to provide a middle class lifestyle. This should be left up to the states. Have a federal minimum wage that acts as an absolute bottom, and let each state decide what is right for their own local economy.

But you know what happens?  Look at California. The unions lobbied for $15 and hour and are now lobbying for an exemption so that they can undercut everyone else. Crooks.

[RealCool Daddio]

Thanks for the kind words.  I don't understand the #nevertrumps especially those that are conservative.  They are willfully enabling the election of Hillary Clinton and with that comes disaster.

Many people believe politics is still important, and don't vote for a party's candidate as if they were supporting a sports team.  Donald Trump has deeply, deeply offended many people - maybe none more so than "movement" conservatives.  The folks at RedState are far from being part of the mainstream media, and were deeply aligned with the Tea Party movement. 

And they fucking hate Trump.

http://www.redstate.com/leon_h_wolf/2016/04/27/trump-loses-november-dont-blame-nevertrump-keeping-word/

"People like Trump, Reince Priebus, Sean Hannity and all the writers at Breitbart operate from the erroneous assumption that Republican voters owe the Republican nominee their vote regardless of what he or she says, does, or believes, and that failing to give this owed vote is some sort of moral failing. This is frankly an undemocratic notion and is insulting to the very concept of free will, not to mention responsible citizenry.

I never signed a loyalty oath to the GOP or to Donald Trump, and I don’t owe anyone my vote. I’m a free citizen with a brain and I will vote according to my own independent judgment of who would be the best candidate. That’s exactly how voting is supposed to work, the end.

Maybe it’s somehow obvious to Trump supporters that he would be a better President than Hillary; to me, the exact opposite is perfectly obvious. Trump’s ideas on the economy are no less insane than Hillary’s, his foreign policy is a good deal more clueless, he is much less suited to the job by temperament, and he has repeatedly demonstrated appalling judgment in his hiring decisions (which is probably the most important quality that a President can have). Moreover, Trump’s intentional division of America and his open stoking of age-old and unworthy prejudices are enough alone to cause me to believe that not only does he not deserve my vote, he deserves to lose â€" and by the largest margin possible.

Hillary as President would continue the slow decline of America; Trump as President would present an instant threat to the health and safety of the Republic. Neither are good choices, but I have kids who have to live here, and so the choice is not a difficult one. Under no circumstances could I look myself in the mirror in the morning if I actually cast a ballot to put Donald J. Trump in charge of a sizeable nuclear arsenal. The only choice I will have to make is whether I will vote for a third party candidate, not vote at all, or vote for Hillary. And as a fully functional adult, I can’t be peer pressured into believing otherwise."

Or this:

http://www.redstate.com/brandon_morse/2016/05/04/nevertrump-vote-hillary-stupid-think/

"He encourages violence, fails to distance himself from well known racists and institutions (I don’t care if he did it repeatedly afterward as it only takes once), at one point supported an assault weapons ban that he abandoned, again, when it was convenient. He likes to retweet racists, wants to stay neutral between Israel and Palestine, and responds like a pissed off high school aged girl whenever someone says something nasty about him, which I’m sure will work out real well for us on the global stage whenever a foreign leader makes a comment he finds insulting.

He wants to dangerously expand libel laws, mocks disabled reporters, and thinks he’s going to make Mexico pay for a giant wall across our southern border that gets 10 feet higher whenever they rightfully say no.

And that’s just some of the issues we have with him. Why in the holy hell would I, and my friends and colleagues, ever want to elect that dumpster fire?"

[Billy Joe Mulgreavey]

Many people believe politics is still important, and don't vote for a party's candidate as if they were supporting a sports team.  Donald Trump has deeply, deeply offended many people - maybe none more so than "movement" conservatives.  The folks at RedState are far from being part of the mainstream media, and were deeply aligned with the Tea Party movement. 

And they fucking hate Trump.

http://www.redstate.com/leon_h_wolf/2016/04/27/trump-loses-november-dont-blame-nevertrump-keeping-word/

"People like Trump, Reince Priebus, Sean Hannity and all the writers at Breitbart operate from the erroneous assumption that Republican voters owe the Republican nominee their vote regardless of what he or she says, does, or believes, and that failing to give this owed vote is some sort of moral failing. This is frankly an undemocratic notion and is insulting to the very concept of free will, not to mention responsible citizenry.

I never signed a loyalty oath to the GOP or to Donald Trump, and I don’t owe anyone my vote. I’m a free citizen with a brain and I will vote according to my own independent judgment of who would be the best candidate. That’s exactly how voting is supposed to work, the end.

Maybe it’s somehow obvious to Trump supporters that he would be a better President than Hillary; to me, the exact opposite is perfectly obvious. Trump’s ideas on the economy are no less insane than Hillary’s, his foreign policy is a good deal more clueless, he is much less suited to the job by temperament, and he has repeatedly demonstrated appalling judgment in his hiring decisions (which is probably the most important quality that a President can have). Moreover, Trump’s intentional division of America and his open stoking of age-old and unworthy prejudices are enough alone to cause me to believe that not only does he not deserve my vote, he deserves to lose â€" and by the largest margin possible.

Hillary as President would continue the slow decline of America; Trump as President would present an instant threat to the health and safety of the Republic. Neither are good choices, but I have kids who have to live here, and so the choice is not a difficult one. Under no circumstances could I look myself in the mirror in the morning if I actually cast a ballot to put Donald J. Trump in charge of a sizeable nuclear arsenal. The only choice I will have to make is whether I will vote for a third party candidate, not vote at all, or vote for Hillary. And as a fully functional adult, I can’t be peer pressured into believing otherwise."

RC Daddio,  This is the damnable misery in all this...terrible choices we must make while coming to the realization that we may well be a generation that hands off a much shittier situation to our kids than we received.  It is so shameful what we have become as a country, as a collective people.  Still, we must be hopeful.  Hope we make the right choices.  Hope we can turn things around. 

[VtaGeezer]

Most of the anti-Trump sentiment is quite similar to what people were saying about Reagan in early 1980.   They'll all learn to love DT once they've settled into the re-education camp.

[RealCool Daddio]

Can't resist one more from RedState.  The anger, vitriol and overwhelming loathing of Trump there is producing some epic prose:

"Which is why the threat that the coalition of low IQ personality cultists, Birthers, 9/11 Truthers, Neo-Nazis, unrepentant segregationists, modern day know-nothings, WWE and Jerry Springer afficianados that Trump has brought out of the fever swamps would be upset and no longer call themselves Republicans should have no bearing on the decision to deny Trump the nomination other than to make it more attractive."

http://www.redstate.com/diary/Martin_A_Knight/2016/05/02/trump-voters-disrespected.-deserve-it./

[starrmtn001]

RC Daddio,  This is the damnable misery in all this...terrible choices we must make while coming to the realization that we may well be a generation that hands off a much shittier situation to our kids than we received.  It is so shameful what we have become as a country, as a collective people.  Still, we must be hopeful.  Hope we make the right choices.  Hope we can turn things around.

Amen, Billy Joe, Amen!

[GuerrillaUnReal]

Can't resist one more from RedState.  The anger, vitriol and overwhelming loathing of Trump there is producing some epic prose:

"Which is why the threat that the coalition of low IQ personality cultists, Birthers, 9/11 Truthers, Neo-Nazis, unrepentant segregationists, modern day know-nothings, WWE and Jerry Springer afficianados that Trump has brought out of the fever swamps would be upset and no longer call themselves Republicans should have no bearing on the decision to deny Trump the nomination other than to make it more attractive."

http://www.redstate.com/diary/Martin_A_Knight/2016/05/02/trump-voters-disrespected.-deserve-it./

I'd be salty too if I had invested into an ideology and party that has been failure for the last 30 years only to have a reality TV star show up and shatter it all into pieces. Fortunately I'm just a WWE aficionado who's going to go with the best choice presented to me, so I feel great. They also misspelled aficionado in that brilliant prose you're talking about. Low IQ cultists indeed.