You have to get the twisted thinking of Donald Trump for this to make any kind of sense, but once you do, then it makes perfect sense. Trump only thinks in terms of polls and ratings, that you know. He sees the world stage and every stage for that matter, in those same terms. He assumes that everybody on that stage thinks like he does, i.e., in terms of popularity, first, foremost and exclusively. Forget facts, nuance or history, Trump’s mind doesn’t grasp any of that, only the bottom line, ratings.
Take that concept and mix it with this one and you’ll see that Trump is working on Russia, If You’re Listening, the Sequel. You recall how in 2016 Trump famously asked Russia, ir it could help find Hillary Clinton’s lost emails. Yesterday, on his Just the News interview with John Solomon — which was not a blockbuster outside the right-wing news hemisphere, but now CNN is talking about it, so maybe it will become that — Trump once again asked Russia for its help, this time with Hunter Biden. Washington Post:
In a new interview on a website that just so happens to be run by a key figure in the Ukraine scandal, Trump came out and said that Russian President Vladimir Putin should provide more purported dirt on Hunter Biden.
Trump suggested that the Russian leader had a window into some of Hunter Biden’s work in the region, recycling an unproven claim about money flowing from the then-wife of Moscow’s former mayor to the president’s son. Trump added: “I would think Putin would know the answer to that. I think he should release it. I think we should know that answer.”
Trump also made clear this wasn’t just an off-the-cuff comment, saying again, “I think Putin now would be willing to probably give that answer. I’m sure he knows.”
Just to put this in perspective, it was pretty objectionable when Trump asked Russia for help in 2016, but Putin wasn’t nearly the pariah he is now. A poll this week showed that just 1 percent of Americans have a positive view of Putin, compared with 88 percent who have a negative one (including 80 percent very negative). That’s entering territory generally reserved for your Osama bin Ladens, your Saddam Husseins and your Ayatollah Khomeinis.
To Trump, though, this appears to be merely a chance for yet more leverage. The logic seems to be: The American people hate you, so why not do something that at least a fair number of them might appreciate? (Indeed, that seems to be implicit in Trump’s comment that Putin “now would be willing” to do such a thing — apparently because the war in Ukraine has gone poorly for Russia?)
And indeed, that might not be a terrible bet. When is the last time a really substantial number of Republicans said they liked Putin? Right after Trump won in 2016, and we learned that Russia had interfered to assist in that victory. Favorable GOP views of Putin shot up from 16 percent the previous summer to 37 percent in one poll. […]
Putin’s newfound status in the United States would also seem to call into question any such dirt he might pony up. It’s become blatantly obvious that his invasion of Ukraine has been premised on disinformation — including the idea that this was about “denazification” and that Ukraine was somehow the aggressor.
That is your lesson for the day not only in Trumpian logic but in Republican logic. Here’s the review: 1) The key point is that only the impression that the rubes have and might vote on is important. Not right or wrong, moral or immoral, none of that hooey. Forget about that. 2) Also drop any ideas of policy or long term goals, because they don’t exist either. 3) The one and only objective, short and long term, is staying in power. Analyze the rubes’ reaction and function accordingly.
So Trump has, once again, taken us to an interesting place. Putin is a pariah, even among Republicans. But he’s still going to ask for the guy’s help? And legitimize him in doing so? Let’s see how this one plays.
I think this is Trump jumping the shark, a phrase which means doing some spectacular publicity stunt in order to return a TV show to a place of previous popularity. It is a hint that a series has long since reached its zenith and is heading for its nadir. I think it may be that way with Donald Trump as well.
We can only hope the decent people who have historically voted republican for whatever reason, rediscover their morals, some sense of justice, and will abandon this treasonous pimp. Also let’s hope all those who consider themselves under the umbrella of ‘Christianity’ remember the two greatest commandments & that Jesus railed time & again about hypocrisy & the way the rich treat the poor. He also called the devil “the father of all lies” so if you stand with a pathological liar, then you know Who you really believe in. Fact.
Satan is the father of all lies and Trump is a close second. I share your views. I can’t believe that there aren’t more sane Republicans and sane Christians. I used to identify as a Christian but I stopped when that term became synonymous with evangelical wingnut.
Ursula, there are sane Christians but only real ones, not the evangelical grifters and the Christian-means-white bigots.
So, unless the GOP base stops watching Fox News (‘Fox News’ being a generic term for any RWNJ media outlet, ie kleenex)-which is NEVER going to happen and unless the most stupid, racist bigots on the planet suddenly stop being stupid, racist bigots -isn’t going to happen-or stop needing GOP politicians to help them out of poverty etc (while still oppressing non whites, non christian, non hetero, non cis gendered folk-which is why they are STILL so heavily invested in Trump as that is why they flocked to Trump to begin with and why they refuse to vote for their own best interests because the non white, non christian etc etc are helped either incidentally or purposefully-in the case of democrats) -which isn’t going to happen, I don’t see much chance for change. The decent human beings in this country have long since abandoned Trump and don’t support Trumpian politicians. To keep the soccer moms voting Democrat, democrats are going to have to stop playing the game ‘it doesn’t matter who wins or loses, it’s how you play the game.’ That game is precisely how we got here. The democrats pretended the deplorables didn’t really exist and the GOP didn’t know they were THIS deplorable. Now that Trump has demonstrated to the GOP and the GOP has learned they can do whatever the fuck they want and do it shamelessly AND in bad faith, that they will NEVER lose those Trump supporters as long as they are blatant racist, bigots, the democrats need to play differently to get the soccer moms on board, or the US WILL be lost to what Ted Cruz wants this end game to be….an autocratic Christian republic, with no abortion, only married women w/notes from their husbands getting birth control, and ‘Susie’s going straight to hell because she didn’t run away from home when she was 3 and found out her 2 dads/moms were an abomination’ featured prominently in the public school library. The reason is b/c those stupid racist bigots don’t give an Flying F&ck about anyone but themselves, that they are the ME FIRST & f@ck everyone else party. deplorables are NEVER going to change. A 6 times married twisted woman was celebrated because HER religious/political ideology and constitutional rights are entitled. The 2 gay men who SHE unilaterally prevented from getting married -DESPITE THE LAW aren’t allowed ‘freedoms’. Their constitutional rights are absolutely limited by HER religious /political ideology. They are entitled to infect whomever, wherever, whenever with a potentially deadly disease and it’s UNQUESTIONABLE that THAT is anything but a family matter regarding their kids. But LGBTQ peopke, LGBTQ kids, who freedoms, you’d think would be important simply b/c it has ZERO bearing anyone else’s life, the healthcare of that child is a matter of public forum. These are NOT religious people. These are racist bigots using Christian doctrine to rationalize their behavior. It doesn’t matter what their reps do as long as their reps are blatantly racist bigots. See Matt Gaetz, Paul Gosar, the 2 vapid twits that every single time I hear them speak I’m absolutely positive it’s an SNL skit. I’m surrounded by people BORN IN CUBA who are positive Biden’s a communist. I’ve asked if they are familiar with communism and they clearly are so invested in the Trump ‘racist bigot, me first, f&ck everyone else’ that they absolutely refuse to wander even remotely near reality. Anyone who tries to broach reality is ‘biased’. They are DESPERATE to believe Trump is anything but what he really is. They will renounce christianity before they let go of the dream that Trump is a brilliant mastermind and is going to help them while still oppressing everyone else. They will EMBRACE any and every asshole that uses this technique. Evangelical ‘prosperity blessing’ conmen know it, Trump knows it, DeSantis knows it, the GOP knows. The good news is This group is a MINORITY in the US. The democrats don’t need them. I can’t figure out why Dems or anyone else spend a second thinking about them. Democrats need to cast out everyone and ANYONE who has been a consultant/strategist for the Dems EVER and use the never trumpers strategists/consultants. If the Dems don’t get a house/senate majority in 2022, the US has ALREADY held its LAST free and fair election. And the Dems will have ALLOWED a minority to do it.
Perhaps someone over the5re in GQP land will catch on to the fact that Ivanka had deals with China (or is that Chy-Nuh) and Eric’s “We have all the funding we need out of Russia” statement
I have to wonder about b that 450+ million owed to Russian oligarchs that is coming due. The Russian mob emulates Putin when it comes to the nun opposition and those who borrow and don’t pay them back. Russia,is Donnie”s loan shark.
Putin, like Trump, doesn’t have friends. He has people who are useful.to him until they aren’t. When they stop being useful,they stop being alive. The Donald is no longer useful. Putin won’t help him. Fat Donnie doesn’t realize yet what that means. His star is losing its luster even with his base (that rally had a,lot of empty seats) but he still.controls a large percentage of Republican voters, so the GOP is afraid to cross him. This election cycle will be critical for him. If those he endorse, lose, maybe the GOP will take its meds and regain what little sanity is left,which means calling Putin what he is.
We can but hope.
That’s OK Ursula. The early disciples were called believers. ‘Christian’ was a derogatory term the early Romans used. The early group practiced communism, as recorded in Acts, but I doubt this cult accepts that. Oh well.
Oh goodie. More fascist thumbs down. The truth hurts aholes. Get used to it. Ur maggot leader will die & so will you. The truth will remain. Rome & the Jewish religious leaders tried stamping it out 2000+ years ago. As Dylan sang, ” you didn’t know it. You didn’t think it could be done, but in the end He won the war after losing every battle.” TIC fucking TOC! One less day mutherfuckers.
Scott, they feel threatened by your eloquent rhetoric.