Why can't a caustic jackhole be a good president?

[Boss]

Politics The silly outrage that follows a candidate s insensitive words Best of Cain

I loved this article by Dan Calabrese, one of my favorite political writers. It raised a valid question and one that I would like to open this thread in discussion of:

Why can't a caustic jackhole be a good president?

Someone must have really said something horrible when a bunch of people who can't stand John McCain are incensed over a purported insult of John McCain. Someone needs to explain the rules to Donald Trump: The senator from Arizona, who regularly refers to those who disagree with him as "crazies" and "wacko birds", must always be acknowledged as a war hero. No exceptions. No room for discussion about whether the designation of "hero" should be limited to those who actually achieve something that furthers the war effort - as opposed to the tragedy colored with honor that characterizes five years as a prisoner of war under the most inhumane conditions imaginable.

Oh, I'm sorry, did I just cross the line too by wondering aloud if the right words are typically applied here? Well then I guess I'm not going to be president either. I'll find something else to do. Not a problem.

By pointing out what is simple fact - McCain is seen as a war hero because he was captured, as opposed to having avoided capture and inflicting major damage on the enemy - Trump is now coming in for the predictably universal condemnation that even sees McCain's biggest critics among the punditry calling for Trump's head. You. Cannot. Question. War. Heroism.

Clearly Trump violated this ironclad rule of American politics, which suggests to me that it's a good time to ask a very basic question: Why do we have that rule? More broadly, why do we have the rule that says any candidate who makes a statement that's rude, insulting, upsetting, obnoxious or insensitive must be bum-rushed from the race?

Edited to comply with copyright rules.
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I agree with Calabrese, Trump is not my first or even second choice, but if it came down to him versus Hillary, I'd vote for him without any reservations. I don't care what he says really, it's more about what he does. I don't automatically assume we are better off with the nice guy. Lots and lots of nice guys finishing last out there.

 

[Two Thumbs]

I want a leader to be President, not some asshole that wants to be an asshole on an international scale where the mic is always in front of him.


There's difference between wanting to call a muther fucker a muther fucker and actually doing it on the mic.

he's got no little voice telling him to stfu

 

[HenryBHough]

Why can't a caustic jackhole be a good president?

Good question. But America's Kenyan Jackhole still has a few months to possibly redeem Himself.

 

[Boss]

I want a leader to be President, not some asshole...

That's the point of the OP article. Assholes make good leaders sometimes. Being a "nice guy" doesn't mean you're a great leader... George W. Bush was a nice guy! One of your great liberal icons, LBJ... was a total asshole and jerk... ask anyone who ever had to deal with him. Jimmy Carter...another really nice guy, I love him as a person... terrible awful president, but a really nice guy! Newt Gingrich, I've met him before (several times, actually) and he is a jerk. I agree with him on politics, loved him leading the House... but he's an asshole. I don't know Hillary, but by all accounts she can be a total bitch. I'm close friends with Zell Miller, the former Democrat governor of Georgia.... I disagree with his politics but he was a good leader and a really nice guy. So there is no 'litmus test' when it comes to leadership and assholiness.

 

[Two Thumbs]

I want a leader to be President, not some asshole...

That's the point of the OP article. Assholes make good leaders sometimes. Being a "nice guy" doesn't mean you're a great leader... George W. Bush was a nice guy! One of your great liberal icons, LBJ... was a total asshole and jerk... ask anyone who ever had to deal with him. Jimmy Carter...another really nice guy, I love him as a person... terrible awful president, but a really nice guy! Newt Gingrich, I've met him before (several times, actually) and he is a jerk. I agree with him on politics, loved him leading the House... but he's an asshole. I don't know Hillary, but by all accounts she can be a total bitch. I'm close friends with Zell Miller, the former Democrat governor of Georgia.... I disagree with his politics but he was a good leader and a really nice guy. So there is no 'litmus test' when it comes to leadership and assholiness.

there's a difference between you learning someone is an asshole and someone proving it to 6 billion people

 

[Boss]

there's a difference between you learning someone is an asshole and someone proving it to 6 billion people

Hidden in your comments is a testament to how the liberal mind works. You assume all 6 billion people on this planet heard of Mr. Trumps comments and shared your viewpoint. Of course, now you'll claim you were being sarcastic and just meant that most sane people see Trump as an asshole. To which I say... So what?

Oh... but what about foreign leaders he may offend or piss off? Well, they are the people who have to deal with Trump if he is president, so I would suggest they get over whatever personal beefs they may have with something he said and get to dealing with the man. These people are Big Boys (and Girls)... they can pull their panties up and put personality behind them when it comes to business and they will.

No leader anywhere is going to blow a trade deal with the US because they got their feelings hurt by Trump. Perhaps that is part of the strategy? I know YOU don't get it, but someone who is business savvy might understand that diminishing someone's sense of self-worth is often a useful tactic in negotiation. If I make you think that what you have isn't "all that and a bag of chips" then you might be willing to take less for it. ...Art of the Deal, Baby!

 

[occupied]

Being an asshole does not (necessarily) make someone a bad leader, being erratic and reckless does.

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

"Why can't a caustic jackhole be a good president?"

That would depend on whether the caustic jackhole were comprehensively wrong on all the issues, such as the current caustic jackhole running for the republican nomination.

 

[theDoctorisIn]

It's not that a "caustic jackhole" can't be a "good" President - but they'd need other redeeming qualities in order to do so.

But the only thing that Trump has going for him is that he's a caustic jackhole. That's the whole package. That's his only appeal - and that's not enough to be a good President.

 

[edthecynic]

I loved this article by Dan Calabrese, one of my favorite political writers. It raised a valid question and one that I would like to open this thread in discussion of:

Why can't a caustic jackhole be a good president?

By pointing out what is simple fact - McCain is seen as a war hero because he was captured, as opposed to having avoided capture and inflicting major damage on the enemy

It figures an idiot would be one of your favorite political writers.

McCain was shot down on his 23rd combat mission. You would have to be incredibly stupid, as Drumpf Truck and Calabrese and you obviously are, to assume that major damage was not inflicted on the enemy in the previous 22 combat missions!!!

Meanwhile, during the time McCain was inflicting major damage on the enemy, Drumpf Truck was dodging the draft.

 

[bripat9643]

I want a leader to be President, not some asshole that wants to be an asshole on an international scale where the mic is always in front of him.


There's difference between wanting to call a muther fucker a muther fucker and actually doing it on the mic.

he's got no little voice telling him to stfu

But you're OK with Obama?

 

[BluesLegend]

Trump vs these asshole politicians who have been caught in like 40,000 lies, not a difficult choice.

 

[Boss]

I loved this article by Dan Calabrese, one of my favorite political writers. It raised a valid question and one that I would like to open this thread in discussion of:

Why can't a caustic jackhole be a good president?

By pointing out what is simple fact - McCain is seen as a war hero because he was captured, as opposed to having avoided capture and inflicting major damage on the enemy

It figures an idiot would be one of your favorite political writers.

McCain was shot down on his 23rd combat mission. You would have to be incredibly stupid, as Drumpf Truck and Calabrese and you obviously are, to assume that major damage was not inflicted on the enemy in the previous 22 combat missions!!!

Meanwhile, during the time McCain was inflicting major damage on the enemy, Drumpf Truck was dodging the draft.

So you were a McCain supporter?

 

[edthecynic]

I loved this article by Dan Calabrese, one of my favorite political writers. It raised a valid question and one that I would like to open this thread in discussion of:

Why can't a caustic jackhole be a good president?

By pointing out what is simple fact - McCain is seen as a war hero because he was captured, as opposed to having avoided capture and inflicting major damage on the enemy

It figures an idiot would be one of your favorite political writers.

McCain was shot down on his 23rd combat mission. You would have to be incredibly stupid, as Drumpf Truck and Calabrese and you obviously are, to assume that major damage was not inflicted on the enemy in the previous 22 combat missions!!!

Meanwhile, during the time McCain was inflicting major damage on the enemy, Drumpf Truck was dodging the draft.

So you were a McCain supporter?

What the hell does that have to do with the fact that it is incredibly stupid to claim that McCain did not inflict major damage on the enemy in his 22 successful combat missions before he was shot down on #23 while Drumpf Truck was dodging the draft????

 

[Boss]

What the hell does that have to do with the fact that it is incredibly stupid to claim that McCain did not inflict major damage on the enemy in his 22 successful combat missions before he was shot down on #23 while Drumpf Truck was dodging the draft????

I know, it was awesome, wasn't it? So, you supported McCain and thought he was a great American hero when he ran for president, right?

 

[Boss]

McCain was shot down on his 23rd combat mission. You would have to be incredibly stupid, as Drumpf Truck and Calabrese and you obviously are, to assume that major damage was not inflicted on the enemy in the previous 22 combat missions!!!

I've not said anything about McCain's service, nor did Trump or Calabrese. You are inferring things into what was said, as you typically do here.

Trump said, he was a "war hero" because he was captured. Now, do you agree or disagree with that? Would he be considered a "war hero" if he had never been captured and spent time as a POW? I doubt we'd even know his name, he didn't do anything more extraordinary than thousands of other men of his age. Yeah, I suppose anyone who puts on a uniform and serves their country at war is a hero, but I think most people can comprehend that we have a distinction for those who go above and beyond the call of duty to become war heroes.

Trump simply said he favored people who didn't get captured. I get his point. He's not knocking McCain's service or even his "hero" status, for that matter... just stating his preference. Is that not allowed anymore? Seems like Obama can talk about imaginary sons who would look like Trayvon, and that's fine and dandy... no problem with his stupid-ass opinions! You're all over this board constantly spewing your idiotic preferences, I don't see anyone shutting you down or making you get off the damn board.

 

[candycorn]

there's a difference between you learning someone is an asshole and someone proving it to 6 billion people

Hidden in your comments is a testament to how the liberal mind works. You assume all 6 billion people on this planet heard of Mr. Trumps comments and shared your viewpoint. Of course, now you'll claim you were being sarcastic and just meant that most sane people see Trump as an asshole. To which I say... So what?

Oh... but what about foreign leaders he may offend or piss off? Well, they are the people who have to deal with Trump if he is president, so I would suggest they get over whatever personal beefs they may have with something he said and get to dealing with the man. These people are Big Boys (and Girls)... they can pull their panties up and put personality behind them when it comes to business and they will.

Or when their national airline wants to buy planes, they will call Airbus instead of Boeing; when the leases for our bases come due in their nation, they can say, "see ya" and force us to launch the next wars from over here, or they can side with Russia or China at the UN on trade agreements that are crucial to our economy, or they can pimp travel to the far east instead of the West hurting our tourist economy.

You get nowhere by trying to bully people. This is why you lose the general elections when you need independents.

No leader anywhere is going to blow a trade deal with the US because they got their feelings hurt by Trump. Perhaps that is part of the strategy? I know YOU don't get it, but someone who is business savvy might understand that diminishing someone's sense of self-worth is often a useful tactic in negotiation. If I make you think that what you have isn't "all that and a bag of chips" then you might be willing to take less for it. ...Art of the Deal, Baby!

Straight out of Dale Carnegie...or is it Dale Earnhardt?

Doesn't matter, as usual, you have zero idea of what you're talking about.

 

[candycorn]

McCain was shot down on his 23rd combat mission. You would have to be incredibly stupid, as Drumpf Truck and Calabrese and you obviously are, to assume that major damage was not inflicted on the enemy in the previous 22 combat missions!!!

I've not said anything about McCain's service, nor did Trump or Calabrese. You are inferring things into what was said, as you typically do here.

Trump said, he was a "war hero" because he was captured. Now, do you agree or disagree with that? Would he be considered a "war hero" if he had never been captured and spent time as a POW? I doubt we'd even know his name, he didn't do anything more extraordinary than thousands of other men of his age. Yeah, I suppose anyone who puts on a uniform and serves their country at war is a hero, but I think most people can comprehend that we have a distinction for those who go above and beyond the call of duty to become war heroes.

Trump simply said he favored people who didn't get captured. I get his point. He's not knocking McCain's service or even his "hero" status, for that matter... just stating his preference. Is that not allowed anymore? Seems like Obama can talk about imaginary sons who would look like Trayvon, and that's fine and dandy... no problem with his stupid-ass opinions! You're all over this board constantly spewing your idiotic preferences, I don't see anyone shutting you down or making you get off the damn board.

You're allowed to believe whatever you want when you're in this nation.

If you are trying to win a popularity contest and run for President, diminishing those who were captured (and by extension those who were injured and killed to a greater degree), you're not going to engender much support as the polls will soon show.

I can see it now..."Dear Mr. and Ms. Smith: I regret to inform you that your son who was shot down over _____________ was a loser and got killed in combat. Love, Donald"

 

[Mac1958]

Because an American President's temperament is crucial.

I'm not comparing him to Obama or Bush or whatever President you want to toss out. I'm talking about him, and he does not have the temperament of a person I want in the Oval Office.

.

 

[edthecynic]

McCain was shot down on his 23rd combat mission. You would have to be incredibly stupid, as Drumpf Truck and Calabrese and you obviously are, to assume that major damage was not inflicted on the enemy in the previous 22 combat missions!!!

I've not said anything about McCain's service, nor did Trump or Calabrese. You are inferring things into what was said, as you typically do here.

And you are lying as usual. Calabrese clearly and undeniably said:

By pointing out what is simple fact - McCain is seen as a war hero because he was captured, as opposed to having avoided capture and inflicting major damage on the enemy

Lie and deny, that is all you ever do.