Trump's Last Line of Defense

[EasterJoy]

What an absolutely crude post. Can’t you express yourself better than that?

Do you find this “less crude” for some reason?

“I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose voters.”

Why does the idea of dropping his pants shock you when the idea of committing a cold-blooded murder in public does not?

Donald Trump has said he has carte blanche with his voters. Apparently, he is right.

If I am wrong, tell me what the President could do that would prove he is incompetent. I would really like to hear in concrete terms what he would have to do to lose your support.

 

[BoomBoomMancini]

Do you find this “less crude” for some reason?

“I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose voters.”

Why does the idea of dropping his pants shock you when the idea of committing a cold-blooded murder in public does not?

Donald Trump has said he has carte blanche with his voters. Apparently, he is right.

If I am wrong, tell me what the President could do that would prove he is incompetent. I would really like to hear in concrete terms what he would have to do to lose your support.

Also, the pearl clutching is a little . If the phrase “butt cheeks” really sends you to the fainting couch, then the internet must be a truly scary place.

 

[Ridgerunner]

If I am wrong, tell me what the President could do that would prove he is incompetent. I would really like to hear in concrete terms what he would have to do to lose your support.

There are a lot of things. A short list would include:

Insist on full support for abortion in the party platform.
Reduce the military.
Call the Catholic Church “backward” and “medieval”
Start a war in a place like Libya, for nothing.
Back the Muslim Brotherhood.
Declare war on an energy industry.
Promise to make utility bills “skyrocket” and then do everything he could to carry it out.

 

[BoomBoomMancini]

There are a lot of things. A short list would include:

Insist on full support for abortion in the party platform.
Reduce the military.
Call the Catholic Church “backward” and “medieval”
Start a war in a place like Libya, for nothing.
Back the Muslim Brotherhood.
Declare war on an energy industry.
Promise to make utility bills “skyrocket” and then do everything he could to carry it out.

Let’s set aside the Obama “whataboutism” and even assume that everything on your list is true. None of that would be indicative of incompetence. One could pursue a bad goal competently and a good goal incompetently. Competence has nothing to do with your policy preferences.

 

[Monte_RCMS]

Let’s set aside the Obama “whataboutism” and even assume that everything on your list is true. None of that would be indicative of incompetence. One could pursue a bad goal competently and a good goal incompetently. Competence has nothing to do with your policy preferences.

[And now you know why I don’t tell you anything.]

 

[Monte_RCMS]

There are a lot of things. A short list would include:

Insist on full support for abortion in the party platform.
Reduce the military.
Call the Catholic Church “backward” and “medieval”
Start a war in a place like Libya, for nothing.
Back the Muslim Brotherhood.
Declare war on an energy industry.
Promise to make utility bills “skyrocket” and then do everything he could to carry it out.

Don’t forget the bitter clinger/guns and bibles:

theguardian.com/world/2008/apr/14/barackobama.uselections2008

** “They get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations.”**

 

[Sojourner003]

Oh c’mon, I’m just being “modern day” like Trump is “modern day Presidential.”

And your comment doesn’t come anywhere close the the Scaramucci interview.

 

[BoomBoomMancini]

[And now you know why I don’t tell you anything.]

It’s not going to keep me up at night. It was a fairly simple question that seems to have struck a nerve. Not sure why you’re reacting so weirdly to it.

 

[BoomBoomMancini]

[And now you know why I don’t tell you anything.]

Also, I’m almost positive you didn’t understand my point, but I doubt I’ll get an explanation of what you think I was saying out of you since you’re playing Secret Squirrel.

 

[EasterJoy]

Also, the pearl clutching is a little . If the phrase “butt cheeks” really sends you to the fainting couch, then the internet must be a truly scary place.

OK, but just for the record, using the term “pearl clutching” for someone who objects to a crude choice of words is one of my pet peeves.

This is a Catholic site. It isn’t too much to live with the fact that there are of course going to be some objections when we choose to push the edge of that boundary.

I have a pearl necklace. I do not clutch my pearls when someone steps beyond the boundaries of good taste. I do not think that being one of those people who actually wears pearls on occasion makes me into someone who ought to keep my mouth shut about it when people decide vulgarity is an entertaining rhetorical device.

In other words, when you decide to use vulgar language, go ahead and tell me you do not care if it offends me, but please do not talk down to me when you do it.

 

[MaryT777]

There are a lot of things. A short list would include:

Insist on full support for abortion in the party platform.
Reduce the military.
Call the Catholic Church “backward” and “medieval”
Start a war in a place like Libya, for nothing.
Back the Muslim Brotherhood.
Declare war on an energy industry.
Promise to make utility bills “skyrocket” and then do everything he could to carry it out.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Let’s set aside the Obama “whataboutism” and even assume that everything on your list is true. None of that would be indicative of incompetence. One could pursue a bad goal competently and a good goal incompetently. Competence has nothing to do with your policy preferences.

I have said this before, and will say it again.

Support for Trump (at least among those I know) has nothing to do with his mannerisms, his manners, or what the media says about him. And particularly the latter, because presently the media is not well trusted anyway.

The reason a lot of people support Trump is exactly that he is not taking us down the Obama road in many areas, and is not perceived as being likely to do so. He would have to betray that pretty significantly (and not just through some congressional failure) to cause most of his supporters to abandon him. Or at least that’s my take on it.

 

[BoomBoomMancini]

I have a pearl necklace. I do not clutch my pearls when someone steps beyond the boundaries of good taste. I do not think that being one of those people who actually wears pearls on occasion makes me into someone who ought to keep my mouth shut about it when people decide vulgarity is an entertaining rhetorical device.

In other words, when you decide to use vulgar language, go ahead and tell me you do not care if it offends me, but please do not talk down to me when you do it.

I don’t think the term “pearl clutching” has anything to do with literal pearls, at least as it is used today. I’m sure your necklace is very nice. (Not being sarcastic here.)

And I’m not being deliberately offensive. Perhaps we just disagree about what the line is. But I find it annoying (call it a pet peeve) when someone who is especially sensitive, beyond the bounds of what you can reasonably expect among adults, demands that everyone else lower the bar to accommodate their expectations.

I think we can agree that it’s reasonable to expect people to refrain from dropping f-bombs or using sexually explicit imagery. But I think “the line” is well to the right of people using phrases like, “he’s just pulling that figure out of his butt” or “that damn dog won’t quit barking.” If someone is going to be scandalized by some very mild PG rated language, I just have a very hard time taking that seriously.

 

[BoomBoomMancini]

I have said this before, and will say it again.

Support for Trump (at least among those I know) has nothing to do with his mannerisms, his manners, or what the media says about him. And particularly the latter, because presently the media is not well trusted anyway.

The reason a lot of people support Trump is exactly that he is not taking us down the Obama road in many areas, and is not perceived as being likely to do so. He would have to betray that pretty significantly (and not just through some congressional failure) to cause most of his supporters to abandon him. Or at least that’s my take on it.

I get what you’re saying re: his behavior. You’re willing to excuse it as long as you get your preferred policies in place. Fine, I understand. I don’t necessarily agree, but I get what you’re saying.

What I’m saying is that Trump is proving himself to be incompetent regardless of whether you think his policies are good or bad. Take this transgender military ban, for example. Whether you think it’s a good or bad thing, I think everyone would agree that announcing a major military personnel change via Twitter without even giving the Pentagon advance notice so they can plan is dumb. It’s hamstringing the very people you’re expecting to carry out your policy. And it’s not the first time he’s done that: see the first Muslim travel ban, when CBP was caught completely off guard and had no idea how to actually implement his directives.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I get what you’re saying re: his behavior. You’re willing to excuse it as long as you get your preferred policies in place. Fine, I understand. I don’t necessarily agree, but I get what you’re saying.

What I’m saying is that Trump is proving himself to be incompetent regardless of whether you think his policies are good or bad. Take this transgender military ban, for example. Whether you think it’s a good or bad thing, I think everyone would agree that announcing a major military personnel change via Twitter without even giving the Pentagon advance notice so they can plan is dumb. It’s hamstringing the very people you’re expecting to carry out your policy. And it’s not the first time he’s done that: see the first Muslim travel ban, when CBP was caught completely off guard and had no idea how to actually implement his directives.

I should have clarified that I don’t find most of his behavior offensive, either. I grew up in a household that much admired Harry Truman. My parents positively like the man, not despite his often confrontational and sometimes vulgar ways, but because of them. They enjoyed seeing the effete elites with all their pretenses of propriety taken down a peg.

And I’m not sure either of the things you mention equal incompetence. So he’s overreaching. So what? Reagan threatened SDI without having the slightest idea how it could be implemented. But it still took the Russians aback.

 

[mary_bobo]

Do you find this “less crude” for some reason?

“I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose voters.”

Why does the idea of dropping his pants shock you when the idea of committing a cold-blooded murder in public does not?

Donald Trump has said he has carte blanche with his voters. Apparently, he is right.

If I am wrong, tell me what the President could do that would prove he is incompetent. I would really like to hear in concrete terms what he would have to do to lose your support.

No, I don’t find it less crude. And as much as I do not like some of the tweets and other "over the top, IMO) mannerisms, he is doing pretty much what I wanted him to do.

 

[BoomBoomMancini]

I should have clarified that I don’t find most of his behavior offensive, either. I grew up in a household that much admired Harry Truman. My parents positively like the man, not despite his often confrontational and sometimes vulgar ways, but because of them. They enjoyed seeing the effete elites with all their pretenses of propriety taken down a peg.

We probably just disagree about the line between “effete” and “mature”, but I don’t see us resolving that one, so we’ll let it go.

And I’m not sure either of the things you mention equal incompetence. So he’s overreaching. So what? Reagan threatened SDI without having the slightest idea how it could be implemented. But it still took the Russians aback.

…You’re losing me. Strategic surprise with a geopolitical foe is fine, and possibly even wise. Strategic surprise with your own Secretary of Defense is just dumb. You might try to trick and mislead your adversary, not the guy you actually expect to implement your policy. It would have cost Trump nothing to tell Mattis a week in advance, “Hey, I’m going to announce a reversal of Obama’s transgender policy. It’s not public yet, but start doing any planning you need to do on the nuts and bolts.” Again, leave aside whether you think that transgender people should be in the US military. (For the record, I’m inclined to say no.) But any halfway competent manager would communicate it to their subordinate, not just blast it out over Twitter along with the latest sick burn of the NY Times.

 

[Sy_Noe]

I don’t think Christ was embarrassed or shamed (as it relates to this thread), you are welcome to your opinion though.

May I use “as it relates to this thread” everytime I see the Clintons or Obama brought up on a Trump thread?

 

[Sy_Noe]

I should have clarified that I don’t find most of his behavior offensive, either. I grew up in a household that much admired Harry Truman. My parents positively like the man, not despite his often confrontational and sometimes vulgar ways, but because of them. They enjoyed seeing the effete elites with all their pretenses of propriety taken down a peg.

And I’m not sure either of the things you mention equal incompetence. So he’s overreaching. So what? Reagan threatened SDI without having the slightest idea how it could be implemented. But it still took the Russians aback.

Well at least Harry wasn’t on video tape talking about trying to do things to women that are unfitting for me to repeat on a Catholic forum nor did the Boy Scouts have to apologize for him.

 

[Theo520]

I get what you’re saying re: his behavior. You’re willing to excuse it as long as you get your preferred policies in place. Fine, I understand. I don’t necessarily agree, but I get what you’re saying.

What I’m saying is that Trump is proving himself to be incompetent regardless of whether you think his policies are good or bad. Take this transgender military ban, for example. Whether you think it’s a good or bad thing, I think everyone would agree that announcing a major military personnel change via Twitter without even giving the Pentagon advance notice so they can plan is dumb. It’s hamstringing the very people you’re expecting to carry out your policy. And it’s not the first time he’s done that: see the first Muslim travel ban, when CBP was caught completely off guard and had no idea how to actually implement his directives.

Your measures of competence are obviously your own. To other people, who voted for him, they will look at what he’s done. With illegal immigration, which already down 70% year over year, it is a huge win for a problem that has persisted for decades and really only required enforcing our rule of law. They also really like that he’s pusing our NATO allies to man up and start investing at levels they’ve promised. Stronger allies will mean the US doesn’t have to carry the burden alone of being the world’s policeman.

His twitter feed is irrelevant vs getting actual results on problems that matter, but you focus on the twitter feed, because it feeds your bias.