Maybe there should be an academic class called Cynicism 101. You know the kinds of things that would be taught there, “No good deed goes unpunished,” and “He who has the gold makes the rules.” Donald Trump has two abilities and two only: He understands television and has ruled in that medium for many years and he understands grift. And in politics he’s been able to put those two skills together and voila: everything is for sale. Trump is headed to the White House again, while selling Xmas ornaments and Trump toys, and of course the wrapping paper to wrap the Trump toys and Melania’s keepsakes, as well. And the Trump Bible is there to read on Xmas morning, if you care to get religious. He’s got it covered.
This is all salesmanship and P.T. Barnum. And there are a lot of IOUs out there and they’re going to be called in. The clip you’re about to listen to is scary. But as Barack Obama says, “the sequel is always worse,” and unless something amazing happens, like in Godfather II, where the sequel was actually better than the original, we are going to be one nation of cynics when this shitshow is over.
Trump’s not in good physical, emotional, or mental shape. He’s pretty much of a basket case but he doesn’t get reamed for it like Joe Biden did. Biden is as fit an 82-year-old man as you will ever find. And Happy Birthday, Joe. November 20, 1942 was when Biden was born, and that’s today.
But Trump can be morbidly obese, sallow, pale, (or very flushed, I’ve seen both extremes) and he just covers it with makeup. Biden used to get called out for making one of his signature gaffes, but Trump can literally stand up at the podium, day after day, night after night and lie through his teeth about everything from crowd size to how tarrifs work and people love him. His people love him. The rest of us are appalled.
Trump has no mandate, that’s only in his head, but he did win the Electoral College by a decent margin and looks to be on track to win the popular vote by maybe one percent. That’s not a huge margin but it still is a wonder to me that Trump could get that many votes if his opponent was a fence post.
I don’t see what the Trump voters see. I see a monster. I see a phony. I see a user. I saw it in 2015 with great clarity and have never wavered from my initial reaction.
And now what I think we’re going to see is Trump collapsing in office. And frankly? If and when it happens, nobody will be happier than the Republicans. Mark my words. It’s just a matter of time now before we see how much damage Trump does before he either collapses or the 2026 midterms allow some kind of control over his worst impulses, although it won’t be enough.
So now those people who’ve paid him lots and lots of money to do something for them are now waiting for him to do it.
Don’t they know his history?
He’s got what he wanted, the Presidency, and staying out of jail, and a whole lot of money.
They want him to DO something now?
What’s in it for him?
Are we all sorry now he didn’t get assassinated?
Not really a good look for and by anyone.
Trump seems inclined to nominate cabinet members who (1) can’t keep it in their pants, and (2) have the sole skill of talking on TV but no clue about government.
because that’s him
By the latter 1980s when Art of the Deal came out and the rest of the country was “introduced” to what New Yorkers had been putting up with I took a look at this guy being interviewed. My gut reaction was that he was an entitled, rich ASSHOLE who would cheat any and everyone for a buck. Someone who would feast on taking advantage of others whether individuals or banks. And his “dessert” would be their dismay at his having screwed them over because he once had the ability to appear smart and/or charming to people who really should have been able to see though his bullshit.
Basically I saw him as someone who wouldn’t be jack-shit had he not been born to a wealthy and highly successful (financially at least – character and business practices are another matter) father. Had he not been born to someone with Fred Trump’s resources Trump seemed like the kind of guy who’d be wearing an ugly plaid blazer on some way off the main drag used car lot selling clunkers to rubes thinking they were getting a great deal. A con-man.
That was my initial impression of the guy. Nothing he’s said or done since has improved that view of him. In fact he’s only turned out to be increasingly WORSE over time! I said as much to my sister that last time we talked. She won’t quite admit to being a Trump fan but she insists he’s not as bad as so many (including me) think. She couldn’t really respond to what I said because in her heart she knew I was right. He wouldn’t be shit if he hadn’t been born rich and connected.
His appeal is that he’s great at selling ‘something/someone to hate’ to the masses who unlike me (or my sister, and countless others) who past or nearing retirement age a vision of a life quite different than what Trump sells. Us old farts, especially the overwhelming number of us who didn’t grow up with at least some privilege and family money (i.e. dad owned a local business, was a doctor or lawyer etc.) were taught that we had a chance to have a good life and earn a decent retirement. IF we studied hard in school and put in decades of serious and often long and hard work. But if we did as retirement approached we’d have a home, means to travel to places we’d only read and heard about and our “golden years” could actually be golden. But the main point was we’d have to put in DECADES of hark work to make it happen.
That’s NOT what Trump (and others) have been selling. Who wants to put in a lifetime of dedicated actual work when they’ve got a carnival barkster(s) telling them the life they want would be there, that they’d be on ‘easy street’ except for all these “takers?” The “other” we keep hearing about. Ever since Reagan and his economic policies promising the masses something for nothing when things turn to shit rather than look in the mirror and accept having been conned an increasing number of Americans have instead looked increasingly hard for someone else to blame. Trump has been mainlining just what they seek for years now.
I don’t know how long he’s got left. His health has got to be pretty bad. Even if he keels over dead before the end of the week from a heart attack or stroke the poison he’s spread will be with us for a long, long time. I don’t see anyone out there that can deliver it the way he does but enough are there can keep doling it out (if not nearly as effectively as Trump can) that flushing it is going to take the better part of a generation.
YES AND NOW he has ELON breathing down his neck… cuz guess what ELON knows how and who stole the election via #bulletballots …hopefully this will put a lot of pressure on Trump.
#BULLETBALLOTS. Why so many this year .. And EXCESS in only SWING STATES .. and Elon won’t leave Trump ?
Crayfish33482 days ago| next[–]
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42186479