Thank you @ChaosEngine and @grumpyOldDude for your comments, I really appreciate it. Just a couple more things before I move on. Let me make this absolutely clear: I did not post this on the front page. That is a feature of this site that the moderators are thinking of changing up. If you feel upset by seeing this on the front page, my apologies, but that is not something I did. This has been posted in the appropriate subsection of this site, where we have had numerous political discussions in the past as well. We are following and will follow the rules as set by the moderators.
Now that that's aside, back to the discussion at hand.
On 7/24/2018 at 3:56 PM, Anri said:
That said, I think he has bitten off more than he can chew, and hes not as mouthy as when he first entered the role. From the first day he was like "I'm in charge and you will all do as I say because I WILL shut you up", but now hes eased up slightly as the world of politics is pushing back, and its clear to anyone that he is trying to catch up with the role he was not qualified nor prepared for.
I think it's more that he's discovered that it isn't as easy to do what he had promised earlier. That and I wonder if he ever really did or does care. Maybe it is all just an act for him and just a show. He's clearly unqualified: we knew that from day one. In fact, many sources also claim he never wanted to be President. This was all a ploy to start a new TV station, in the vein of Fox, some believe.
So maybe he actually just simply doesn't care, hence why it seems like he's eased up? Of course, he hasn't eased up on many things. He has started a trade war, amongst other things.
On 7/24/2018 at 10:27 PM, ChaosEngine said:
Politically, it's amazing. I've never seen a politician who can do as little wrong in the eyes of his supporters. It's frankly astounding, especially given how much damage his policies on tax and healthcare are going to do to the very same demographic that got him elected.
Surely there's a breaking point...I know it sounds like I'm sort of at a loss here, but I just can't believe they'd follow Trump off a cliff. Though perhaps his most vocal supporters are also in a very small minority that is really loud.
That and there's also the question of the Russia investigation, which still hasn't gone away. I'm curious to see if it can yield results.
On 7/24/2018 at 10:27 PM, ChaosEngine said:
To be fair, he didn't. More people voted for Hillary, so no matter how bad you think she was (and she certainly wouldn't have been my first choice), she still got more votes than Trump.
I've heard a lot that Hillary was 'just as bad' as Trump for many people which is why Trump 'beat' Hillary, but that's not really the case. For one, Hillary still got more votes than Trump. Would Hillary have been 'just as bad' in office? I think that's an emphatic no. No, Hillary was not the first choice for many of us, but to claim that she would've been a disaster on the same level is ridiculous. Maybe she wouldn't have been a great president. Maybe she would've been a below-average (or bad) President, but she would not have been Trump level of disastrous or stupid. I can concede that maybe history would not have remembered a Hillary presidency as a great one, and maybe even as a bad one, but the current Trump presidency is just a whole different level of insane.
Of course, it's rather pointless to discuss that now, since she lost, so whatever her administrations merits may or may not have been, it doesn't matter anymore.
On 7/25/2018 at 4:00 AM, Bregma said:
US President Richard M. Nixon was actively looking for ways around the term limit provisions of 25th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America so he could run for a third term when he was caught red-handed in active involvement in election-related criminal activities. While it's unlikely to succeed, manipulating things to gain more than two terms is a scenario with recent historic precedent and in keeping with Trump's proudly displayed ethos.
My guess is that as soon as his last mandated term is up, he's going to run like hell away from the presidency. Constantly swimming in the shark talk has got to be exhausting. It's the spooks behind his administration I'd be more concerned with: the presidency is not a one-man show (despite popular belief) and it's the off-camera puppet masters that are the sinister forces people should be worried about.
It doesn't sound ridiculous for Trump to try. He's pushed for all sorts of policies that are borderline violating certain rights (a Muslim database, remember that one?) or are straight up violating the 1st Amendment (such as changing laws so that he can sue the media).
Is doesn't sound too insane really, given everything else he's done so far.
Out of curiosity, do you mean Bannon and Miller by the 'spooks'?
On 7/25/2018 at 2:46 AM, Magogan said:
The problem is that Trump is not doing a good job. As a politician, you usually want people to support you and therefore do things that most people benefit from, e.g. affordable health care etc.
And this is the thing that irks me the most: we hear a ton of 'if only the critics would give him credit where it's due and stop attacking him all the time, maybe Trump supporters wouldn't be so crazily supporting him all the time'. On the first point, what positive things has Trump done? Sure certainly some of this is a matter of perspective, but what are the positive things he has done so far? Maybe North Korea, and we aren't even sure about that one.
Why is he criticized so much? Because he does a ton of things that are worth criticizing.
1 hour ago, d000hg said:
I would say the trade war is the first real change he's made that is going to have real ramifications. You're right, I missed that as it doesn't make the headlines too much here due to our own crazy situation getting all the limelight!
It will be interesting to see what the ramifications are... if he just backtracks on it all or not for a start!
He seems to be backing done from the trade war with the EU at least, but not China. It's already had some pretty strong impact in some sectors.
There's also the tax cut, though to be fair, that's more on the party than him. The tax cut adds more to the deficit, and some are predicting recession soon as a result.
Finally, I'd say his acidic and inflammatory rhetoric does have an impact. It can be less tangible at times, but it matters. He is the leader of this nation, and as such, reflects the will of the people (or is supposed to at any rate). Perceptions matter, both domestically and internationally.
6 hours ago, sprotz said:
he is going to get impeached sooner or later, or will go after two terms at most.
I'm really curious what people's thoughts are on impeachment. The main thing that seems like might impeach him is the Russia investigation. Could that really be the thing to end the administration?
