How did we get here?

[pknopp]

Obama ran on Change. He was not. Trump ran on changing . He did not.

I understand voting for Obama the first time. I do not the second. I understand people voting for Trump the first time. I do not the second.

Once you realize the person you thought knew what he was doing just turned out to be another liar, dump them.

President Trump did change a lot. First President to stand up to China, instead of kissing its ass. No new wars overseas, just like he promised. ISIS wiped off the map, just like he promised.

China kicked his ass. ISIS is no different today than the day he took office. He didn't start any new wars and that's great but I'm not sure anyone would have let him.

How China Won Trump’s Trade War and Got Americans to Foot the Bill

Trump enacted Tariffs and walked away. China went on to create new alliances with other countries.

Over 10,000 Islamic State fighters active in Iraq, Syria as attacks ‘significantly’ increase: UN

You can not defeat an idea.

 

[pknopp]

Before we move forward we need to take a minute to figure out how we have ended up here. And the truth is. Everybody is sort of right. And everyone is sort of wrong.

Trump was elected because people in enough states agreed that the Status Quo was fucked. We knew there were problems not addressed by Washington. We knew there were issues with Departments doing things they shouldn’t. And we thought Trump saw this too. And let’s face it. Hillary was a terrible candidate.

So what went wrong? A little truth does not mean every extension and extreme variation is true. And what was worse was Trump did nothing to fix any of the problems. His fanboys blamed the Deep State. Imaginary enemies. The real enemy of Trump was Trump.

The truth is nobody is ready on day one. No President hits the ground on day one ready to do the job. There is a learning curve. And it is steep.

The first thing you have to learn is to listen to your advisors. Hire good ones and listen. Get people who are experienced in their fields. Being in charge does not mean you need to know more than anyone else. It means you are willing to listen. Make decisions. And seek responsibility for those decisions.

You do not need to do what the advisors say. But you do need to listen and consider. Here Trump screwed up. He did not like anyone who disagreed with him. And that is a problem.

The next thing you have to realize is that your communications people are responsible for getting your message out there. Let’s discuss how that works. A position on an issue is decided. The staff hold meetings. Lawyers are consulted to make sure the position is legal or justifiable. Experts are consulted to insure there is a foundation for the position.

As your Press Secretary goes out to announce this position, you get on Twitter and announce you are doing the exact opposite.

Trump had Brain Storms. Brain Waves. And when he had one he tweeted about it. And then he is angry and so are you when all the people consulted disagree and point out it is wrong.

Now. A smart person would have learned by March of 2016 that you needed to dump Twitter. A moderately intelligent person would have figured it out a few months later. Not Trump. He stayed with it despite the perpetual disaster it led to.

It want beautiful. It wasn’t fantastic. And the only thing huge was the groans by people who wished he would get off of Twitter.

Chasing a rabbit. I still think it should be called a Twit. A Runner runs. A baker bakes. Therefor a Twitter twits.

Next problem. Propaganda. Both sides did it. They set up the election where only by cheating could they possibly lose. It is a contest. And in every contest things end up in unpredictable situations and results.

Now even longtime Republicans are horrified at what has resulted. The siege of the Capital has shocked the nation. The Fanboys double down on the Propaganda. It is all the left. It is all ANTIFA. It is BLM. It is everyone except the RW loons photographed and recorded doing the activity. They were duped. Deceived by those clever ANTIFA folks. They were just going along.

Trump was never a savior. He was right. There were and are problems in Washington. He just wasn’t the one to fix it. Biden isn’t either.

Now the nuts are being rounded up. And perhaps we managed to dodge the bullet this time. But folks. Be a little more cynical. Doubt those who seem to be reinforcing your ideals. Chances are you are both nuttier than a Fruitcake in May

Trump was an outsider, and as such, not welcome to the Swamp. At least, that is the picture that is presented to us.

Trump also was more akin to the unrepresented voter from both parties. This included such issues as, controlling the border, jobs slipping away overseas, continuous wars abroad, and massive entitlements like Obamacare that fell short and sold to us on lies, etc.

However, I don't really believe Trump believes in such issues. After all, Trump waited till the democrats captures the House after 2 years to try and address the border issue so that they could vote it all down. Why wait for them to have the opportunity? Either Trump did not want it done, or he knew he did not have the votes within the GOP to get it done, so he tried to spare us the internal fighting. You be the judge

But what is more concerning to me is, Trump tried to run for President about 10 years prior, and asked Oprah of all people to be his VP. She declined and he pulled out of the race. But before he did, he made fun of Pat Buchannan who ran on securing the border, suggesting that Pat was some sort of right wing fanatic for wanting to do it.

This sort of double speak makes one extremely cynical to say the least. It is almost as though this was all scripted for us to steer us all in a certain direction. I can't help but continue to feel that. Propaganda evolves over time by the powers that be, but it never goes away and never will.

Having said that, I now look at news in a whole new light. I don't watch it to find out what is going on in the world, rather, I watch it to find out which direction we are being herded like cattle. The effect the media has had on this last election is apparent to all, considering the mass censorship of information whether it be true or false. Democracy, therefore, has become a battle of mere propaganda and controlling votes by mostly uneducated people who are incapable of critical thought.

Good post, but I disagree with your take on immigration and "border issues" in the 3rd paragraph.
My recollection was that Trump pressed for immigration reform but too many RINOs like Ryan, who were owned by the Chamber of Commerce, were addicted to the cheap labor migrants provided. Republicans blocked immigration reform, so Trump built his wall. I applaud Trump doing as much as he could do, including having Mexico keeping migrants away from the wall.

There was no immigration reform to block. Trump didn't mention the real problem in any of his four years. Employers hiring illegals. While Obama did very little there even he did more than Trump.

Exactly!

And why does neither party want to secure the border? Cheap labor, and probably massive amounts of money under the table for illegal drugs and human trafficking, etc. After all, the drug lords control governments like Mexico, so how is the US exempt from such corruption? They are not.

But telling people you want to secure the border is obviously a good way to get votes.

Business gets whatever business wants in this country. Trump was going to do nothing to hurt businesses. His supporters understand this which is why they avoid this most important aspect of addressing immigration.

 

[kyzr]

Before we move forward we need to take a minute to figure out how we have ended up here. And the truth is. Everybody is sort of right. And everyone is sort of wrong.

Trump was elected because people in enough states agreed that the Status Quo was fucked. We knew there were problems not addressed by Washington. We knew there were issues with Departments doing things they shouldn’t. And we thought Trump saw this too. And let’s face it. Hillary was a terrible candidate.

So what went wrong? A little truth does not mean every extension and extreme variation is true. And what was worse was Trump did nothing to fix any of the problems. His fanboys blamed the Deep State. Imaginary enemies. The real enemy of Trump was Trump.

The truth is nobody is ready on day one. No President hits the ground on day one ready to do the job. There is a learning curve. And it is steep.

The first thing you have to learn is to listen to your advisors. Hire good ones and listen. Get people who are experienced in their fields. Being in charge does not mean you need to know more than anyone else. It means you are willing to listen. Make decisions. And seek responsibility for those decisions.

You do not need to do what the advisors say. But you do need to listen and consider. Here Trump screwed up. He did not like anyone who disagreed with him. And that is a problem.

The next thing you have to realize is that your communications people are responsible for getting your message out there. Let’s discuss how that works. A position on an issue is decided. The staff hold meetings. Lawyers are consulted to make sure the position is legal or justifiable. Experts are consulted to insure there is a foundation for the position.

As your Press Secretary goes out to announce this position, you get on Twitter and announce you are doing the exact opposite.

Trump had Brain Storms. Brain Waves. And when he had one he tweeted about it. And then he is angry and so are you when all the people consulted disagree and point out it is wrong.

Now. A smart person would have learned by March of 2016 that you needed to dump Twitter. A moderately intelligent person would have figured it out a few months later. Not Trump. He stayed with it despite the perpetual disaster it led to.

It want beautiful. It wasn’t fantastic. And the only thing huge was the groans by people who wished he would get off of Twitter.

Chasing a rabbit. I still think it should be called a Twit. A Runner runs. A baker bakes. Therefor a Twitter twits.

Next problem. Propaganda. Both sides did it. They set up the election where only by cheating could they possibly lose. It is a contest. And in every contest things end up in unpredictable situations and results.

Now even longtime Republicans are horrified at what has resulted. The siege of the Capital has shocked the nation. The Fanboys double down on the Propaganda. It is all the left. It is all ANTIFA. It is BLM. It is everyone except the RW loons photographed and recorded doing the activity. They were duped. Deceived by those clever ANTIFA folks. They were just going along.

Trump was never a savior. He was right. There were and are problems in Washington. He just wasn’t the one to fix it. Biden isn’t either.

Now the nuts are being rounded up. And perhaps we managed to dodge the bullet this time. But folks. Be a little more cynical. Doubt those who seem to be reinforcing your ideals. Chances are you are both nuttier than a Fruitcake in May

Trump was an outsider, and as such, not welcome to the Swamp. At least, that is the picture that is presented to us.

Trump also was more akin to the unrepresented voter from both parties. This included such issues as, controlling the border, jobs slipping away overseas, continuous wars abroad, and massive entitlements like Obamacare that fell short and sold to us on lies, etc.

However, I don't really believe Trump believes in such issues. After all, Trump waited till the democrats captures the House after 2 years to try and address the border issue so that they could vote it all down. Why wait for them to have the opportunity? Either Trump did not want it done, or he knew he did not have the votes within the GOP to get it done, so he tried to spare us the internal fighting. You be the judge

But what is more concerning to me is, Trump tried to run for President about 10 years prior, and asked Oprah of all people to be his VP. She declined and he pulled out of the race. But before he did, he made fun of Pat Buchannan who ran on securing the border, suggesting that Pat was some sort of right wing fanatic for wanting to do it.

This sort of double speak makes one extremely cynical to say the least. It is almost as though this was all scripted for us to steer us all in a certain direction. I can't help but continue to feel that. Propaganda evolves over time by the powers that be, but it never goes away and never will.

Having said that, I now look at news in a whole new light. I don't watch it to find out what is going on in the world, rather, I watch it to find out which direction we are being herded like cattle. The effect the media has had on this last election is apparent to all, considering the mass censorship of information whether it be true or false. Democracy, therefore, has become a battle of mere propaganda and controlling votes by mostly uneducated people who are incapable of critical thought.

Good post, but I disagree with your take on immigration and "border issues" in the 3rd paragraph.
My recollection was that Trump pressed for immigration reform but too many RINOs like Ryan, who were owned by the Chamber of Commerce, were addicted to the cheap labor migrants provided. Republicans blocked immigration reform, so Trump built his wall. I applaud Trump doing as much as he could do, including having Mexico keeping migrants away from the wall.

There was no immigration reform to block. Trump didn't mention the real problem in any of his four years. Employers hiring illegals. While Obama did very little there even he did more than Trump.

House overwhelmingly rejects latest Republican immigration bill after last-ditch Trump push for support

The bill, crafted as a compromise between conservative and more moderate House Republicans, would have funded President Donald Trump's proposed border wall and limited legal immigration.

www.cnbc.com

 

[pknopp]

Before we move forward we need to take a minute to figure out how we have ended up here. And the truth is. Everybody is sort of right. And everyone is sort of wrong.

Trump was elected because people in enough states agreed that the Status Quo was fucked. We knew there were problems not addressed by Washington. We knew there were issues with Departments doing things they shouldn’t. And we thought Trump saw this too. And let’s face it. Hillary was a terrible candidate.

So what went wrong? A little truth does not mean every extension and extreme variation is true. And what was worse was Trump did nothing to fix any of the problems. His fanboys blamed the Deep State. Imaginary enemies. The real enemy of Trump was Trump.

The truth is nobody is ready on day one. No President hits the ground on day one ready to do the job. There is a learning curve. And it is steep.

The first thing you have to learn is to listen to your advisors. Hire good ones and listen. Get people who are experienced in their fields. Being in charge does not mean you need to know more than anyone else. It means you are willing to listen. Make decisions. And seek responsibility for those decisions.

You do not need to do what the advisors say. But you do need to listen and consider. Here Trump screwed up. He did not like anyone who disagreed with him. And that is a problem.

The next thing you have to realize is that your communications people are responsible for getting your message out there. Let’s discuss how that works. A position on an issue is decided. The staff hold meetings. Lawyers are consulted to make sure the position is legal or justifiable. Experts are consulted to insure there is a foundation for the position.

As your Press Secretary goes out to announce this position, you get on Twitter and announce you are doing the exact opposite.

Trump had Brain Storms. Brain Waves. And when he had one he tweeted about it. And then he is angry and so are you when all the people consulted disagree and point out it is wrong.

Now. A smart person would have learned by March of 2016 that you needed to dump Twitter. A moderately intelligent person would have figured it out a few months later. Not Trump. He stayed with it despite the perpetual disaster it led to.

It want beautiful. It wasn’t fantastic. And the only thing huge was the groans by people who wished he would get off of Twitter.

Chasing a rabbit. I still think it should be called a Twit. A Runner runs. A baker bakes. Therefor a Twitter twits.

Next problem. Propaganda. Both sides did it. They set up the election where only by cheating could they possibly lose. It is a contest. And in every contest things end up in unpredictable situations and results.

Now even longtime Republicans are horrified at what has resulted. The siege of the Capital has shocked the nation. The Fanboys double down on the Propaganda. It is all the left. It is all ANTIFA. It is BLM. It is everyone except the RW loons photographed and recorded doing the activity. They were duped. Deceived by those clever ANTIFA folks. They were just going along.

Trump was never a savior. He was right. There were and are problems in Washington. He just wasn’t the one to fix it. Biden isn’t either.

Now the nuts are being rounded up. And perhaps we managed to dodge the bullet this time. But folks. Be a little more cynical. Doubt those who seem to be reinforcing your ideals. Chances are you are both nuttier than a Fruitcake in May

Trump was an outsider, and as such, not welcome to the Swamp. At least, that is the picture that is presented to us.

Trump also was more akin to the unrepresented voter from both parties. This included such issues as, controlling the border, jobs slipping away overseas, continuous wars abroad, and massive entitlements like Obamacare that fell short and sold to us on lies, etc.

However, I don't really believe Trump believes in such issues. After all, Trump waited till the democrats captures the House after 2 years to try and address the border issue so that they could vote it all down. Why wait for them to have the opportunity? Either Trump did not want it done, or he knew he did not have the votes within the GOP to get it done, so he tried to spare us the internal fighting. You be the judge

But what is more concerning to me is, Trump tried to run for President about 10 years prior, and asked Oprah of all people to be his VP. She declined and he pulled out of the race. But before he did, he made fun of Pat Buchannan who ran on securing the border, suggesting that Pat was some sort of right wing fanatic for wanting to do it.

This sort of double speak makes one extremely cynical to say the least. It is almost as though this was all scripted for us to steer us all in a certain direction. I can't help but continue to feel that. Propaganda evolves over time by the powers that be, but it never goes away and never will.

Having said that, I now look at news in a whole new light. I don't watch it to find out what is going on in the world, rather, I watch it to find out which direction we are being herded like cattle. The effect the media has had on this last election is apparent to all, considering the mass censorship of information whether it be true or false. Democracy, therefore, has become a battle of mere propaganda and controlling votes by mostly uneducated people who are incapable of critical thought.

Good post, but I disagree with your take on immigration and "border issues" in the 3rd paragraph.
My recollection was that Trump pressed for immigration reform but too many RINOs like Ryan, who were owned by the Chamber of Commerce, were addicted to the cheap labor migrants provided. Republicans blocked immigration reform, so Trump built his wall. I applaud Trump doing as much as he could do, including having Mexico keeping migrants away from the wall.

There was no immigration reform to block. Trump didn't mention the real problem in any of his four years. Employers hiring illegals. While Obama did very little there even he did more than Trump.

House overwhelmingly rejects latest Republican immigration bill after last-ditch Trump push for support

The bill, crafted as a compromise between conservative and more moderate House Republicans, would have funded President Donald Trump's proposed border wall and limited legal immigration.

www.cnbc.com

This was after they lost the House. This is what politicians do. They push things after they know there is no chance to get it to pass. Obama did it big time and Trump did it here. Even then the "reform" did not "reform" business.

Enforcing immigration is a federal issue. Trump ran it. He did nothing.

 

[kyzr]

Obama ran on Change. He was not. Trump ran on changing . He did not.

I understand voting for Obama the first time. I do not the second. I understand people voting for Trump the first time. I do not the second.

Once you realize the person you thought knew what he was doing just turned out to be another liar, dump them.

I voted for Trump twice. I like his "promises kept" list.
His personality sucks, but I agree with most of his policies, except for the personal tax cut.
The democrats have no policies that I agree with.

and that is fair....

and that doesn't mean Democrats are evil and want to rape all of your kids just because they want to expand Social Security and make sure everyone has adequate healthcare...

But, if you were honest.........it seems for the past 3 or 4 republican presidential campaigns/administrations --- the views of those who once supported them have not aged well......do you think the same will be said with Trump years from now??

Will people open up and be more honest about it or will they continue to claim he was the greatest leader in human history like they do now?
View attachment 442185

1. I think you refer to "Medicare for all", not expanded SS.
2. Healthcare needs to be paid for, its not free. More and better jobs with healthcare is the answer.
3. IMHO Trump's new "populism" is here to stay, replacing "conservatism", which is another name for "protect the wealthy".
4. What does "open up and be more honest" even mean?? We will vote for the populist candidates over the socialist candidates. Simple.

 

[pknopp]

Obama ran on Change. He was not. Trump ran on changing . He did not.

I understand voting for Obama the first time. I do not the second. I understand people voting for Trump the first time. I do not the second.

Once you realize the person you thought knew what he was doing just turned out to be another liar, dump them.

I voted for Trump twice. I like his "promises kept" list.
His personality sucks, but I agree with most of his policies, except for the personal tax cut.
The democrats have no policies that I agree with.

and that is fair....

and that doesn't mean Democrats are evil and want to rape all of your kids just because they want to expand Social Security and make sure everyone has adequate healthcare...

But, if you were honest.........it seems for the past 3 or 4 republican presidential campaigns/administrations --- the views of those who once supported them have not aged well......do you think the same will be said with Trump years from now??

Will people open up and be more honest about it or will they continue to claim he was the greatest leader in human history like they do now?
View attachment 442185

1. I think you refer to "Medicare for all", not expanded SS.
2. Healthcare needs to be paid for, its not free. More and better jobs with healthcare is the answer.
3. IMHO Trump's new "populism" is here to stay, replacing "conservatism", which is another name for "protect the wealthy".
4. What does "open up and be more honest" even mean?? We will vote for the populist candidates over the socialist candidates. Simple.

Trump gave billions of taxpayers dollars to corporate farms. What do you call that? Free market capitalism?

 

[Mac1958]

Our reality has split in two. We can no longer even agree on what a FACT is.

That destroys communication and leads to arrogant ignorance and paranoia.

Self-inflicted wound.

 

[kyzr]

Obama ran on Change. He was not. Trump ran on changing . He did not.

I understand voting for Obama the first time. I do not the second. I understand people voting for Trump the first time. I do not the second.

Once you realize the person you thought knew what he was doing just turned out to be another liar, dump them.

President Trump did change a lot. First President to stand up to China, instead of kissing its ass. No new wars overseas, just like he promised. ISIS wiped off the map, just like he promised.

China kicked his ass. ISIS is no different today than the day he took office. He didn't start any new wars and that's great but I'm not sure anyone would have let him.

How China Won Trump’s Trade War and Got Americans to Foot the Bill

Trump enacted Tariffs and walked away. China went on to create new alliances with other countries.

Over 10,000 Islamic State fighters active in Iraq, Syria as attacks ‘significantly’ increase: UN

You can not defeat an idea.

1. Your comment on ISIS shows ignorance. Or is it just partisan bullshit afraid to give Trump any credit for a military win? ISIS grew under Obama, Trump killed it.

Territory of the Islamic State - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Maximum extent of ISIL's territorial control in Syria and Iraq on 21 May 2015.[5]

2. How did China kick Trump's ass? By releasing Covid-19 so Trump would lose in 2020?

3. So you're a China fan? Who knew? I'm an America Firster.

 

[TheParser]

I agree that President Trump (for whom I voted twice) had a big problem: Himself.

IMHO, he was obnoxious, he lacked a sense of humor, he could criticize others but could not tolerate the slightest criticism of himself, was arrogant, and just plain rude ("You're fired!").


When he won, the Dem Establishment (and its pampered activist groups) were in absolute shock (as was everyone else), The Dems decided the next day to destroy him, and they have succeeded beyond their wildest dreams in doing so.

He was also naive. He had no idea to what lengths his enemies would go to destroy him. After all, he wanted to dismantle their gravy train, and so naturally they were going to fight back tooth and nail.

They are now going to hound him after he becomes an ordinary citizen. Some of the more vindictive enemies are salivating at the thought of seeing him in an orange jump suit handcuffed to other prisoners. They would probably like to see Melania also humiliated in some way. And maybe even their son, Barron. There is no end to what they want to do to the Trumps for temporarily having blocked their plans to change this country. They are announcing to all future contenders: "See what happened toTrump? Don't get in our way or ..."

 

[SavannahMann]

Now even longtime Republicans are horrified at what has resulted. The siege of the Capital has shocked the nation. The Fanboys double down on the Propaganda. It is all the left. It is all ANTIFA. It is BLM. It is everyone except the RW loons photographed and recorded doing the activity. They were duped. Deceived by those clever ANTIFA folks. They were just going along.

You ask how we got here

it was globalist elites in washington ignoring the will of the people

It was 12 years of racist anti white hate that even many black people could no longer stand - hence trumps’s rising approval among blacks

it was 8 months of Black Lies Matter and ANTIFA nightly riots in the streets

and finally a stolen election and a judicial class that turned its nose up at trump voters

Yeah. Cut back on your diet of propaganda.

 

[pknopp]

Obama ran on Change. He was not. Trump ran on changing . He did not.

I understand voting for Obama the first time. I do not the second. I understand people voting for Trump the first time. I do not the second.

Once you realize the person you thought knew what he was doing just turned out to be another liar, dump them.

President Trump did change a lot. First President to stand up to China, instead of kissing its ass. No new wars overseas, just like he promised. ISIS wiped off the map, just like he promised.

China kicked his ass. ISIS is no different today than the day he took office. He didn't start any new wars and that's great but I'm not sure anyone would have let him.

How China Won Trump’s Trade War and Got Americans to Foot the Bill

Trump enacted Tariffs and walked away. China went on to create new alliances with other countries.

Over 10,000 Islamic State fighters active in Iraq, Syria as attacks ‘significantly’ increase: UN

You can not defeat an idea.

1. Your comment on ISIS shows ignorance. Or is it just partisan bullshit afraid to give Trump any credit for a military win? ISIS grew under Obama, Trump killed it.

Territory of the Islamic State - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

View attachment 442193
Maximum extent of ISIL's territorial control in Syria and Iraq on 21 May 2015.[5]

2. How did China kick Trump's ass? By releasing Covid-19 so Trump would lose in 2020?

3. So you're a China fan? Who knew? I'm an America Firster.

"Isis" is a word we made up. It's a boogeyman. I don't deny Obama completely failed internationally but that's where you have to do and then you call me the partisan.

I posted links from sources that could hardly be described as "left" to back up what I said. Read them.

 

[Votto]

Our reality has split in two. We can no longer even agree on what a FACT is.

That destroys communication and leads to arrogant ignorance and paranoia.

Self-inflicted wound.

Sure we know the truth. That's why we rely on social media to censor out the lies. Everything social media tells us is true.

 

[Votto]

Now even longtime Republicans are horrified at what has resulted. The siege of the Capital has shocked the nation. The Fanboys double down on the Propaganda. It is all the left. It is all ANTIFA. It is BLM. It is everyone except the RW loons photographed and recorded doing the activity. They were duped. Deceived by those clever ANTIFA folks. They were just going along.

You ask how we got here

it was globalist elites in washington ignoring the will of the people

It was 12 years of racist anti white hate that even many black people could no longer stand - hence trumps’s rising approval among blacks

it was 8 months of Black Lies Matter and ANTIFA nightly riots in the streets

and finally a stolen election and a judicial class that turned its nose up at trump voters

Yeah. Cut back on your diet of propaganda.

You need to stop listening to your own lies and listen to Mac.

He believes social media cuz they only speak the truth and censor out the lies.

 

[Mac1958]

Our reality has split in two. We can no longer even agree on what a FACT is.

That destroys communication and leads to arrogant ignorance and paranoia.

Self-inflicted wound.

Sure we know the truth. That's why we rely on social media to censor out the lies. Everything social media tells us is true.

 

[Bootney Lee Farnsworth]

Before we move forward we need to take a minute to figure out how we have ended up here. And the truth is. Everybody is sort of right. And everyone is sort of wrong.

Trump was elected because people in enough states agreed that the Status Quo was fucked. We knew there were problems not addressed by Washington. We knew there were issues with Departments doing things they shouldn’t. And we thought Trump saw this too. And let’s face it. Hillary was a terrible candidate.

So what went wrong? A little truth does not mean every extension and extreme variation is true. And what was worse was Trump did nothing to fix any of the problems. His fanboys blamed the Deep State. Imaginary enemies. The real enemy of Trump was Trump.

The truth is nobody is ready on day one. No President hits the ground on day one ready to do the job. There is a learning curve. And it is steep.

The first thing you have to learn is to listen to your advisors. Hire good ones and listen. Get people who are experienced in their fields. Being in charge does not mean you need to know more than anyone else. It means you are willing to listen. Make decisions. And seek responsibility for those decisions.

You do not need to do what the advisors say. But you do need to listen and consider. Here Trump screwed up. He did not like anyone who disagreed with him. And that is a problem.

The next thing you have to realize is that your communications people are responsible for getting your message out there. Let’s discuss how that works. A position on an issue is decided. The staff hold meetings. Lawyers are consulted to make sure the position is legal or justifiable. Experts are consulted to insure there is a foundation for the position.

As your Press Secretary goes out to announce this position, you get on Twitter and announce you are doing the exact opposite.

Trump had Brain Storms. Brain Waves. And when he had one he tweeted about it. And then he is angry and so are you when all the people consulted disagree and point out it is wrong.

Now. A smart person would have learned by March of 2016 that you needed to dump Twitter. A moderately intelligent person would have figured it out a few months later. Not Trump. He stayed with it despite the perpetual disaster it led to.

It want beautiful. It wasn’t fantastic. And the only thing huge was the groans by people who wished he would get off of Twitter.

Chasing a rabbit. I still think it should be called a Twit. A Runner runs. A baker bakes. Therefor a Twitter twits.

Next problem. Propaganda. Both sides did it. They set up the election where only by cheating could they possibly lose. It is a contest. And in every contest things end up in unpredictable situations and results.

Now even longtime Republicans are horrified at what has resulted. The siege of the Capital has shocked the nation. The Fanboys double down on the Propaganda. It is all the left. It is all ANTIFA. It is BLM. It is everyone except the RW loons photographed and recorded doing the activity. They were duped. Deceived by those clever ANTIFA folks. They were just going along.

Trump was never a savior. He was right. There were and are problems in Washington. He just wasn’t the one to fix it. Biden isn’t either.

Now the nuts are being rounded up. And perhaps we managed to dodge the bullet this time. But folks. Be a little more cynical. Doubt those who seem to be reinforcing your ideals. Chances are you are both nuttier than a Fruitcake in May

Well said.

 

[pknopp]

I agree that President Trump (for whom I voted twice) had a big problem: Himself.

IMHO, he was obnoxious, he lacked a sense of humor, he could criticize others but could not tolerate the slightest criticism of himself, was arrogant, and just plain rude ("You're fired!").


When he won, the Dem Establishment (and its pampered activist groups) were in absolute shock (as was everyone else), The Dems decided the next day to destroy him, and they have succeeded beyond their dreams in doing so.

No, as you correctly originally note, he destroyed himself. He wins again if could have transformed himself into a decent person. He couldn't do it.

He was also naive. He had no idea to what lengths his enemies would go to destroy him. After all, he wanted to dismantle their gravy train, and so naturally they were going to fight back tooth and nail.

What "gravy train" is this? Do you realize what a worthless statement this is?

They are now going to hound him after he becomes an ordinary citizen. Some of the more vindictive enemies are salivating at the thought of seeing him in an orange jump suit handcuffed to other prisoners. They would probably like to see Melania also humiliated in some way. And maybe even their son, Barron. There is no end to what they want to do to the Trumps for temporarily having blocked their plans to change this country. They are announcing to all future contenders: "See what happened toTrump? Don't get in our way or ..."

When you go around for four years calling people names, well.................. He simply never could grasp that this is not how you accomplish things.

 

[Biff_Poindexter]

Obama ran on Change. He was not. Trump ran on changing . He did not.

I understand voting for Obama the first time. I do not the second. I understand people voting for Trump the first time. I do not the second.

Once you realize the person you thought knew what he was doing just turned out to be another liar, dump them.

I voted for Trump twice. I like his "promises kept" list.
His personality sucks, but I agree with most of his policies, except for the personal tax cut.
The democrats have no policies that I agree with.

and that is fair....

and that doesn't mean Democrats are evil and want to rape all of your kids just because they want to expand Social Security and make sure everyone has adequate healthcare...

But, if you were honest.........it seems for the past 3 or 4 republican presidential campaigns/administrations --- the views of those who once supported them have not aged well......do you think the same will be said with Trump years from now??

Will people open up and be more honest about it or will they continue to claim he was the greatest leader in human history like they do now?
View attachment 442185

1. I think you refer to "Medicare for all", not expanded SS.
2. Healthcare needs to be paid for, its not free. More and better jobs with healthcare is the answer.
3. IMHO Trump's new "populism" is here to stay, replacing "conservatism", which is another name for "protect the wealthy".
4. What does "open up and be more honest" even mean?? We will vote for the populist candidates over the socialist candidates. Simple.

1. No, I refer to expanded Social Security -- in other words, not austerity cuts but boosting benefits.....

2. Healthcare is paid for, it is not free....but health insurance is a parasitic unnecessary middle man that inflates costs for the purpose of a profit motive, period....ALSO, if Trump came out in favor of M4A -- Trumpers will instantly support it because that is what Trumpers always do....i.e $2000 stimulus checks that they initially called socialist...

3. Trump isn't a populist if his policies are not populist -- his policies are the same ole conservative policies...tax cuts for the rich or as you called it "protect the wealthy" -- Trump does as many other GOP politicians before him did (Pat Buchanan, Newt Gingrich, etc) -- they manipulate and prey on the frustrations, fear and ignorance of their base and tell them the reason things are the way are is because of the "others" and other culture war BS...

4. Open up and be more honest means simply this.....instead of waiting until after it is clear a certain administration or candidate was a disaster -- say it when you see it....it's easy for folks to say "I always knew Bush was a moron, globalist, blah, blah, blah) -- there is a reason current day Trumpers claim to hate their last 4 presidential nominees, even tho policy wise, Trump has passed the same policies they did....

Since there aren't many digital receipts from the Bush years, lots of current day Trumpers pretend they were not equally onboard with Bush from 2000 to 2007 or so....that bothers me because I was old enough to remember the Bush years -- I remember being called a traitor and a terrorist because I didn't buy into the Saddam was behind 9/11, gung-ho Iraq war bullshit....I am old enough to remember people just going along with it just to avoid being called these things....

Then after the smoke clears and the dust settled -- now these same people want to rewrite history and pretend they knew all along it was BS....if only they were honest about it then

 

[Rye Catcher]

Before we move forward we need to take a minute to figure out how we have ended up here. And the truth is. Everybody is sort of right. And everyone is sort of wrong.

Trump was elected because people in enough states agreed that the Status Quo was fucked. We knew there were problems not addressed by Washington. We knew there were issues with Departments doing things they shouldn’t. And we thought Trump saw this too. And let’s face it. Hillary was a terrible candidate.

So what went wrong? A little truth does not mean every extension and extreme variation is true. And what was worse was Trump did nothing to fix any of the problems. His fanboys blamed the Deep State. Imaginary enemies. The real enemy of Trump was Trump.

The truth is nobody is ready on day one. No President hits the ground on day one ready to do the job. There is a learning curve. And it is steep.

The first thing you have to learn is to listen to your advisors. Hire good ones and listen. Get people who are experienced in their fields. Being in charge does not mean you need to know more than anyone else. It means you are willing to listen. Make decisions. And seek responsibility for those decisions.

You do not need to do what the advisors say. But you do need to listen and consider. Here Trump screwed up. He did not like anyone who disagreed with him. And that is a problem.

The next thing you have to realize is that your communications people are responsible for getting your message out there. Let’s discuss how that works. A position on an issue is decided. The staff hold meetings. Lawyers are consulted to make sure the position is legal or justifiable. Experts are consulted to insure there is a foundation for the position.

As your Press Secretary goes out to announce this position, you get on Twitter and announce you are doing the exact opposite.

Trump had Brain Storms. Brain Waves. And when he had one he tweeted about it. And then he is angry and so are you when all the people consulted disagree and point out it is wrong.

Now. A smart person would have learned by March of 2016 that you needed to dump Twitter. A moderately intelligent person would have figured it out a few months later. Not Trump. He stayed with it despite the perpetual disaster it led to.

It want beautiful. It wasn’t fantastic. And the only thing huge was the groans by people who wished he would get off of Twitter.

Chasing a rabbit. I still think it should be called a Twit. A Runner runs. A baker bakes. Therefor a Twitter twits.

Next problem. Propaganda. Both sides did it. They set up the election where only by cheating could they possibly lose. It is a contest. And in every contest things end up in unpredictable situations and results.

Now even longtime Republicans are horrified at what has resulted. The siege of the Capital has shocked the nation. The Fanboys double down on the Propaganda. It is all the left. It is all ANTIFA. It is BLM. It is everyone except the RW loons photographed and recorded doing the activity. They were duped. Deceived by those clever ANTIFA folks. They were just going along.

Trump was never a savior. He was right. There were and are problems in Washington. He just wasn’t the one to fix it. Biden isn’t either.

Now the nuts are being rounded up. And perhaps we managed to dodge the bullet this time. But folks. Be a little more cynical. Doubt those who seem to be reinforcing your ideals. Chances are you are both nuttier than a Fruitcake in May

STATEMENT; "Everybody is sort of right. And everyone is sort of wrong."

RESPONSE: Not everybody, and herein maybe the worst of the worst

If this is the murderer and the weapon he used, the needle is in his future.

 

[Mac-7]

China kicked his ass.

Nonsense

it was quislings like you seeking the lowest possible price that empowered china and handcuffed America

from your Bloomberg link celebrating the growing trade deficit with china:

” Once China got the virus under control, demand for medical equipment and work-from-home gear expanded its trade surplus with the U.S. despite the levies.”

instead of US companies investing in America by making those products here they prefered to buy from china instead

 

[kyzr]

Before we move forward we need to take a minute to figure out how we have ended up here. And the truth is. Everybody is sort of right. And everyone is sort of wrong.

Trump was elected because people in enough states agreed that the Status Quo was fucked. We knew there were problems not addressed by Washington. We knew there were issues with Departments doing things they shouldn’t. And we thought Trump saw this too. And let’s face it. Hillary was a terrible candidate.

So what went wrong? A little truth does not mean every extension and extreme variation is true. And what was worse was Trump did nothing to fix any of the problems. His fanboys blamed the Deep State. Imaginary enemies. The real enemy of Trump was Trump.

The truth is nobody is ready on day one. No President hits the ground on day one ready to do the job. There is a learning curve. And it is steep.

The first thing you have to learn is to listen to your advisors. Hire good ones and listen. Get people who are experienced in their fields. Being in charge does not mean you need to know more than anyone else. It means you are willing to listen. Make decisions. And seek responsibility for those decisions.

You do not need to do what the advisors say. But you do need to listen and consider. Here Trump screwed up. He did not like anyone who disagreed with him. And that is a problem.

The next thing you have to realize is that your communications people are responsible for getting your message out there. Let’s discuss how that works. A position on an issue is decided. The staff hold meetings. Lawyers are consulted to make sure the position is legal or justifiable. Experts are consulted to insure there is a foundation for the position.

As your Press Secretary goes out to announce this position, you get on Twitter and announce you are doing the exact opposite.

Trump had Brain Storms. Brain Waves. And when he had one he tweeted about it. And then he is angry and so are you when all the people consulted disagree and point out it is wrong.

Now. A smart person would have learned by March of 2016 that you needed to dump Twitter. A moderately intelligent person would have figured it out a few months later. Not Trump. He stayed with it despite the perpetual disaster it led to.

It want beautiful. It wasn’t fantastic. And the only thing huge was the groans by people who wished he would get off of Twitter.

Chasing a rabbit. I still think it should be called a Twit. A Runner runs. A baker bakes. Therefor a Twitter twits.

Next problem. Propaganda. Both sides did it. They set up the election where only by cheating could they possibly lose. It is a contest. And in every contest things end up in unpredictable situations and results.

Now even longtime Republicans are horrified at what has resulted. The siege of the Capital has shocked the nation. The Fanboys double down on the Propaganda. It is all the left. It is all ANTIFA. It is BLM. It is everyone except the RW loons photographed and recorded doing the activity. They were duped. Deceived by those clever ANTIFA folks. They were just going along.

Trump was never a savior. He was right. There were and are problems in Washington. He just wasn’t the one to fix it. Biden isn’t either.

Now the nuts are being rounded up. And perhaps we managed to dodge the bullet this time. But folks. Be a little more cynical. Doubt those who seem to be reinforcing your ideals. Chances are you are both nuttier than a Fruitcake in May

Trump was an outsider, and as such, not welcome to the Swamp. At least, that is the picture that is presented to us.

Trump also was more akin to the unrepresented voter from both parties. This included such issues as, controlling the border, jobs slipping away overseas, continuous wars abroad, and massive entitlements like Obamacare that fell short and sold to us on lies, etc.

However, I don't really believe Trump believes in such issues. After all, Trump waited till the democrats captures the House after 2 years to try and address the border issue so that they could vote it all down. Why wait for them to have the opportunity? Either Trump did not want it done, or he knew he did not have the votes within the GOP to get it done, so he tried to spare us the internal fighting. You be the judge

But what is more concerning to me is, Trump tried to run for President about 10 years prior, and asked Oprah of all people to be his VP. She declined and he pulled out of the race. But before he did, he made fun of Pat Buchannan who ran on securing the border, suggesting that Pat was some sort of right wing fanatic for wanting to do it.

This sort of double speak makes one extremely cynical to say the least. It is almost as though this was all scripted for us to steer us all in a certain direction. I can't help but continue to feel that. Propaganda evolves over time by the powers that be, but it never goes away and never will.

Having said that, I now look at news in a whole new light. I don't watch it to find out what is going on in the world, rather, I watch it to find out which direction we are being herded like cattle. The effect the media has had on this last election is apparent to all, considering the mass censorship of information whether it be true or false. Democracy, therefore, has become a battle of mere propaganda and controlling votes by mostly uneducated people who are incapable of critical thought.

Good post, but I disagree with your take on immigration and "border issues" in the 3rd paragraph.
My recollection was that Trump pressed for immigration reform but too many RINOs like Ryan, who were owned by the Chamber of Commerce, were addicted to the cheap labor migrants provided. Republicans blocked immigration reform, so Trump built his wall. I applaud Trump doing as much as he could do, including having Mexico keeping migrants away from the wall.

There was no immigration reform to block. Trump didn't mention the real problem in any of his four years. Employers hiring illegals. While Obama did very little there even he did more than Trump.

House overwhelmingly rejects latest Republican immigration bill after last-ditch Trump push for support

The bill, crafted as a compromise between conservative and more moderate House Republicans, would have funded President Donald Trump's proposed border wall and limited legal immigration.

www.cnbc.com

This was after they lost the House. This is what politicians do. They push things after they know there is no chance to get it to pass. Obama did it big time and Trump did it here. Even then the "reform" did not "reform" business.

Enforcing immigration is a federal issue. Trump ran it. He did nothing.

1. Trump couldn't get the Republican House to pass immigration reform. RINO Ryan was leading the opposition.

2. OMG, you are you really that clueless about Immigration & Trump? Remember the massive migrant caravans coming north pushed by the drug cartels in 2019? Then Trump built the wall and got Mexico to stop migrants at their southern border.

3. Trump also deported more than any predecessor, protecting low wage US workers.

IMHO "sanctuary cities" protected illegals from ICE deportation. Not Trump's fault.

4. Any bets on how Biden runs immigration? IMHO Trump will be missed.