Donald Trump 2018

[NowThis 931]

bye bitch 

[Chad Fuck 17556]

10 minutes ago, GRHorn said:

http://thefederalist.com/2018/10/09/never-trumper-democrats-went-gonzo-kavanaugh-now-hand-red-hat/

  Reveal hidden contents

Is it too late to get one of those red hats?

I didn’t support Donald Trump during the 2016 election — not that it mattered. I wasn’t in a swing state and I wasn’t publicly opining about the general election. Had my vote mattered, I might have brought myself to vote for him, but it didn’t, so I didn’t. 

On election night, I had a few drinks and enjoyed Hillary Clinton losing. It was a spectacle at which, to borrow a line, it would have taken a heart of stone not to laugh. I did text a friend or two that I hoped I was wrong about Trump.

In some ways, I was. He has kept his promises on judges, for instance. In other ways I think my low opinion of him has been thoroughly vindicated. Thus, in writing for The Federalist, I have defended President Trump and criticized him, sometimes in the same column.

I have also criticized the die-hard Never-Trumpers who are willing to jettison conservatism to pursue their vendetta against Trump. Like many Trump-skeptical conservatives I tried to call things as I saw them. Sometimes I was pleased with Trump’s policy, and sometimes I was appalled by him. I do not disavow any of what I wrote. Nonetheless, I now support Trump’s reelection.

To use the word du jour: I have been radicalized. The enormity of the efforts by the Democrats and their media allies to destroy Brett Kavanaugh forced me to reconsider my views. The concerns I have about Trump’s character, temperament, and propensity to damage America’s cultural and political institutions are still there, but I am supporting him anyway.

It is not just that the Democrats have vitiated any claim to possess superior character or temperament (though they have), or that Trump’s policies have been better than I expected. I now support Trump because the Democratic Party and its media allies are controlled by people who view conservatives not as political opponents to be voted down, but as enemies to be personally destroyed.

Trump will say anything, but Democrats will do anything. They and their media allies smeared a universally respected judge with an impeccable record as a serial sexual predator on evidence that would not have justified an indictment. They repeatedly lied and hid evidence in order to create delay (e.g., Christine Blasey Ford’s supposed fear of flying).

In the end, the evidence against Kavanaugh consisted only of the dubious testimonyof a woman who could not recall basic details like a time or a place, whose story changed repeatedly, and whose witnesses remembered nothing of what she claimed. But Democrats did their best to forever brand him as a sexual predator anyway. They did not want a serious, confidential investigation; they wanted to publicly grind him into the dirt while the mob howled for his head.

They wanted the circus, the smears, the insane rumors and allegations from cranks. They wanted the tabloid journalism from formerly respectable outlets like The New Yorker. If Kavanaugh refused to withdraw, then they wanted Ford on national television. They even wanted the lunatic claims from a nutcase dredged up by a creepy porn lawyer, alleging that Kavanaugh ran a gang-rape ring as a teen. Even as the sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh collapsed, they switched to smears about his high school yearbook and college drinking.

With rare exceptions, the national media repeated every smear and Democratic talking point. They spent weeks trying to destroy Kavanaugh’s life and reputation with lies, then had the effrontery to sneer at his anger when he took umbrage at being labeled a gang-rape mastermind. Lushes from the soused D.C. media lectured Kavanaugh about his teenage drinking. They earned every bit of Trump’s “enemy of the people” and “fake news” epithets.

Kavanaugh was a normal establishment Republican pick. Destroying him had nothing to do with opposing Trump’s particular flaws. This was about annihilating anyone who gets in the Democrats’ way, especially anyone who threatens their illegitimate Supreme Court policy wins. It was a declaration of war on every conservative, no matter how respected, reasonable, and mainstream.

There is no refuge from this sort of totalizing, destructive politics. The Republican rejection of Merrick Garland was political hardball; the sliming of Kavanaugh was categorically different and much worse. The Democrats crossed the line from policy disagreement to personal destruction, and in doing so they nuked any middle ground between themselves and conservative Trump skeptics. And they put every conservative on notice: You could be next.

If the Democrats will do this to a man as respected and mainstream as Kavanaugh, they will do it to anyone who gets in their way. The left has embraced mob justice that disdains our culture of due process and the presumption of innocence, and merely disagreeing with the mob provokes its wrath. At Facebook, the mob is afteran executive who stood by his friend. At my alma mater, a dean was punished for tweeting skeptically about the woman accusing Kavanaugh of running a gang-rape ring in high school. Ordinary people are being targeted for having opinions the mob hates.

Capitulation to the outrage mob is contemptible, but it has become the norm, with lives ruined professionally and personally. The worst aspects of the online mob, the campus tribunal, and the gutter press have been embraced by the leaders of the Democratic Party, and they think any and everyone on the right is fair game. Those determined to believe the worst about the accused also believe the worst about those standing up for the rights of the accused, and want to destroy them as well. Dissent will not be tolerated—those who dare speak out against the witch-hunt will be burned as witches themselves.

I wish this was not so. I would rather be arguing about the Enlightenment than jumping on the Trump train. As a writer and scholar I want to persuade, not to destroy. I do not want American politics to be like this.

But as a voter who recognizes the unfortunate realities of our politics, I believe supporting Trump has become the responsible choice. Things may change, but right now Trump’s policies are better than I expected, he is not the authoritarian some feared, and he does not want to destroy me and mine. It isn’t much, but since Trump stands between me and those who would ruin me, he will have to do.

This is about self-defense. And that is why I’ve gone from “Meh” to “MAGA!”

 

He lost me when he started talking about Never-Trumps jettisoning conservatism.  That's pure Orwellian Double-Speak when the exact opposite has occurred.  

[HenryJames 65887]

lulz federalist

[GRHorn 105]

2 minutes ago, Biff Tannen said:

To come to this decision at all, let alone based on the Kavanaugh circus, is just laughable.

I get the reasoning. Kavanaugh was a run of the mill SC pick. Still, the Democrats, with great assistance from the media, attempted to destroy his life and career over uncorroborated nonsense. I think it shows that anyone right of center is endangered. 

4 minutes ago, David Dennison said:

This reveals panic. The Republicans know the House is lost.

I think that’s a stretch. There was no appeal to get out the vote in midterms. Just one man’s analysis. 

[wildcat09 29224]

8 minutes ago, GRHorn said:

http://thefederalist.com/2018/10/09/never-trumper-democrats-went-gonzo-kavanaugh-now-hand-red-hat/

  Reveal hidden contents

Is it too late to get one of those red hats?

I didn’t support Donald Trump during the 2016 election — not that it mattered. I wasn’t in a swing state and I wasn’t publicly opining about the general election. Had my vote mattered, I might have brought myself to vote for him, but it didn’t, so I didn’t. 

On election night, I had a few drinks and enjoyed Hillary Clinton losing. It was a spectacle at which, to borrow a line, it would have taken a heart of stone not to laugh. I did text a friend or two that I hoped I was wrong about Trump.

In some ways, I was. He has kept his promises on judges, for instance. In other ways I think my low opinion of him has been thoroughly vindicated. Thus, in writing for The Federalist, I have defended President Trump and criticized him, sometimes in the same column.

I have also criticized the die-hard Never-Trumpers who are willing to jettison conservatism to pursue their vendetta against Trump. Like many Trump-skeptical conservatives I tried to call things as I saw them. Sometimes I was pleased with Trump’s policy, and sometimes I was appalled by him. I do not disavow any of what I wrote. Nonetheless, I now support Trump’s reelection.

To use the word du jour: I have been radicalized. The enormity of the efforts by the Democrats and their media allies to destroy Brett Kavanaugh forced me to reconsider my views. The concerns I have about Trump’s character, temperament, and propensity to damage America’s cultural and political institutions are still there, but I am supporting him anyway.

It is not just that the Democrats have vitiated any claim to possess superior character or temperament (though they have), or that Trump’s policies have been better than I expected. I now support Trump because the Democratic Party and its media allies are controlled by people who view conservatives not as political opponents to be voted down, but as enemies to be personally destroyed.

Trump will say anything, but Democrats will do anything. They and their media allies smeared a universally respected judge with an impeccable record as a serial sexual predator on evidence that would not have justified an indictment. They repeatedly lied and hid evidence in order to create delay (e.g., Christine Blasey Ford’s supposed fear of flying).

In the end, the evidence against Kavanaugh consisted only of the dubious testimonyof a woman who could not recall basic details like a time or a place, whose story changed repeatedly, and whose witnesses remembered nothing of what she claimed. But Democrats did their best to forever brand him as a sexual predator anyway. They did not want a serious, confidential investigation; they wanted to publicly grind him into the dirt while the mob howled for his head.

They wanted the circus, the smears, the insane rumors and allegations from cranks. They wanted the tabloid journalism from formerly respectable outlets like The New Yorker. If Kavanaugh refused to withdraw, then they wanted Ford on national television. They even wanted the lunatic claims from a nutcase dredged up by a creepy porn lawyer, alleging that Kavanaugh ran a gang-rape ring as a teen. Even as the sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh collapsed, they switched to smears about his high school yearbook and college drinking.

With rare exceptions, the national media repeated every smear and Democratic talking point. They spent weeks trying to destroy Kavanaugh’s life and reputation with lies, then had the effrontery to sneer at his anger when he took umbrage at being labeled a gang-rape mastermind. Lushes from the soused D.C. media lectured Kavanaugh about his teenage drinking. They earned every bit of Trump’s “enemy of the people” and “fake news” epithets.

Kavanaugh was a normal establishment Republican pick. Destroying him had nothing to do with opposing Trump’s particular flaws. This was about annihilating anyone who gets in the Democrats’ way, especially anyone who threatens their illegitimate Supreme Court policy wins. It was a declaration of war on every conservative, no matter how respected, reasonable, and mainstream.

There is no refuge from this sort of totalizing, destructive politics. The Republican rejection of Merrick Garland was political hardball; the sliming of Kavanaugh was categorically different and much worse. The Democrats crossed the line from policy disagreement to personal destruction, and in doing so they nuked any middle ground between themselves and conservative Trump skeptics. And they put every conservative on notice: You could be next.

If the Democrats will do this to a man as respected and mainstream as Kavanaugh, they will do it to anyone who gets in their way. The left has embraced mob justice that disdains our culture of due process and the presumption of innocence, and merely disagreeing with the mob provokes its wrath. At Facebook, the mob is afteran executive who stood by his friend. At my alma mater, a dean was punished for tweeting skeptically about the woman accusing Kavanaugh of running a gang-rape ring in high school. Ordinary people are being targeted for having opinions the mob hates.

Capitulation to the outrage mob is contemptible, but it has become the norm, with lives ruined professionally and personally. The worst aspects of the online mob, the campus tribunal, and the gutter press have been embraced by the leaders of the Democratic Party, and they think any and everyone on the right is fair game. Those determined to believe the worst about the accused also believe the worst about those standing up for the rights of the accused, and want to destroy them as well. Dissent will not be tolerated—those who dare speak out against the witch-hunt will be burned as witches themselves.

I wish this was not so. I would rather be arguing about the Enlightenment than jumping on the Trump train. As a writer and scholar I want to persuade, not to destroy. I do not want American politics to be like this.

But as a voter who recognizes the unfortunate realities of our politics, I believe supporting Trump has become the responsible choice. Things may change, but right now Trump’s policies are better than I expected, he is not the authoritarian some feared, and he does not want to destroy me and mine. It isn’t much, but since Trump stands between me and those who would ruin me, he will have to do.

This is about self-defense. And that is why I’ve gone from “Meh” to “MAGA!”

 

There's no such thing as a Never-Trump Republican turned Trump-supporting Republican. They always supported Trump, but thought he was crass so didn't want to admit it. 

[GRHorn 105]

4 minutes ago, Chad Fuck said:

He lost me when he started talking about Never-Trumps jettisoning conservatism.  That's pure Orwellian Double-Speak when the exact opposite has occurred.  

Maybe he’s referencing people like Jennifer Rubin or Bill Kristol?  Calling Rubin a conservative at this point is big stretch. 

 

4 minutes ago, HenryJames said:

lulz federalist

Thanks for reading. 

[AbeFroman 2110]

12 minutes ago, Michael Knight said:

 

That's not big.  I was thinking maybe she had found Jesus and was going to do porn.  That would have been big.

[David Dennison 18651]

1 minute ago, GRHorn said:

Maybe he’s referencing people like Jennifer Rubin or Bill Kristol?  Calling Rubin a conservative at this point is big stretch. 

It's Trump Republicans who are no longer conservative. 

[Chad Fuck 17556]

1 minute ago, AbeFroman said:

That's not big.  I was thinking maybe she had found Jesus and was going to do porn.  That would have been big.

And awesome.  I would've liked to see that dichotomy play out on film.

[HenryJames 65887]

1 minute ago, David Dennison said:

It's Trump Republicans who are no longer conservative. 

They never were.

[Voldemort86 2259]

Trump was tapping it. She probably got sick of washing his toadstool cock.

[Horn Under a Bad Sign 20342]

18 minutes ago, GRHorn said:

 I think it shows that anyone right of center is endangered. 

 

 

Clearly. That's why Republicans control the senate, the house, the White House, and most of the state houses.

 

[Fozzz 152]

People like Nikki Haley are much more reprehensible than Trump.  

[Nice Guy Eddie 13410]

The Nikki Haley announcement is strange this close to the election.   Unless there is someone Trump wants to nominate prior to the election to rally the troops.

[RomaVicta 29775]

22 minutes ago, GRHorn said:

I get the reasoning. Kavanaugh was a run of the mill SC pick. Still, the Democrats, with great assistance from the media, attempted to destroy his life and career over uncorroborated nonsense. I think it shows that anyone right of center is endangered. 

Don't forget about how scary the world has been made for young men due to sexual assaults of women.

[Js1 85095]

6 minutes ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

The Nikki Haley announcement is strange this close to the election.   Unless there is someone Trump wants to nominate prior to the election to rally the troops.

I smell some sort of fake out.  Lindsey Graham, Nikki Haley....

Why do I feel like he's going to be part of the administration and she's going to be in the US Senate come 2019....?

[pacman 7324]

Trump is now warning his supporters that if Democrats take back the Senate, they’ll pass a bill written by Sen. Dianne Feinstein called the “Open Borders Bill.”

No such bill actually exists.

[Js1 85095]

3 minutes ago, pacman said:

 

 

He also isn't forced to sign it...

[retread 2951]

So creepy

 

[GRHorn 105]

15 minutes ago, Horn Under a Bad Sign said:

 

Clearly. That's why Republicans control the senate, the house, the White House, and most of the state houses.

 

Endangered was the wrong word.  

Point remains that it was an middle of the road, establishment pick and they tried everything to ruin him, unjustly.  Doesn’t have to be an extremist. Any level of disagreement is enough.

It’s at a national level now, but not hard to picture it filtering down to other levels of politics/life.  Ridiculous. 

[Chuckie Finster 22598]

16 minutes ago, GRHorn said:

Endangered was the wrong word.  

Point remains that it was an middle of the road, establishment pick and they tried everything to ruin him, unjustly.  Doesn’t have to be an extremist. Any level of disagreement is enough.

 It’s at a national level now, but not hard to picture it filtering down to other levels of politics/life.  Ridiculous. 

Get the fuck out of here with this bullshit.  John McCain had the nerve to only agree with Trump 80% of the time, and you'd think he was fucking Bernie Sanders with how Trump and his minions treated him near the end.  On a daily basis, Trump and Co. attack everyone and anyone who dares disagree.  Framing this as a Democrat only issue?  I agree, Ridiculous.

[Fozzz 152]

22 minutes ago, retread said:

So creepy

 

This is the first time I've seen her speak publicly without groveling to Bibi.  

[pacman 7324]

23 minutes ago, retread said:

So creepy

 

There are going to be some hilarious/sad tell alls in 15 years.

"Every time we shook his limp wristed hand, we had to tell him how big his hands were."

On the tax evasion bill, wouldn't he just declare bankruptcy for the 13th time?

[RomaVicta 29775]

I didn't see the beginning, but I assume the event started with Trump saying, "My next guest is a favorite of mine..."

I was reminded of this:

 

[Chad Fuck 17556]

31 minutes ago, retread said:

So creepy

 

Trump gonna be jelly.

[RomaVicta 29775]

40 minutes ago, Js1 said:

I smell some sort of fake out.  Lindsey Graham, Nikki Haley....

Why do I feel like he's going to be part of the administration and she's going to be in the US Senate come 2019....?

Interesting. Graham sure burned bridges with the Dems in the Senate. Maybe he knows he doesn't need any goodwill there anymore.

All that's left out of your trade is a Russian-owned American politician to be be named later.

[GRHorn 105]

12 minutes ago, Chuckie Finster said:

Get the fuck out of here with this bullshit.  John McCain had the nerve to only agree with Trump 80% of the time, and you'd think he was fucking Bernie Sanders with how Trump and his minions treated him near the end.  On a daily basis, Trump and Co. attack everyone and anyone who dares disagree.  Framing this as a Democrat only issue?  I agree, Ridiculous.

Really?  First that was an intraparty issue. Secondly, Trump tweeting something is different than being drug through dirt and having nonsense, life damaging allegations spewed breathlessly by 90% of the media. 

[Kyrie Eleison 9312]

I'm also proud that Ohio State fans wouldn't ban you from a Buckeye board for saying that on a Longhorn board. 
Always been more of a cargo shorts and hoodie guy, myself. Those are much more functional articles of clothing. 

[4th&Five 41457]

 

[wildcat09 29224]

41 minutes ago, GRHorn said:

Endangered was the wrong word.  

Point remains that it was an middle of the road, establishment pick and they tried everything to ruin him, unjustly.  Doesn’t have to be an extremist. Any level of disagreement is enough.

It’s at a national level now, but not hard to picture it filtering down to other levels of politics/life.  Ridiculous. 

It was an establishment pick, but it wasn't middle of the road. The GOP establishment hasn't been remotely near middle of the road for a single moment in the past ten years (and I'm being very charitable here regarding how recently they became this radical). The GOP establishment's number one goal, which is enthusiastically shared by Kavanaugh, is the total destruction of the federal administrative state. That's extremely radical and something that is only supported by at most 30-35% of the country (and by much less than that once some mouth breathing Republicans realize that will include taking away their medicare and social security). That's hardly middle of the road.

[GRHorn 105]

4 minutes ago, wildcat09 said:

It was an establishment pick, but it wasn't middle of the road. The GOP establishment hasn't been remotely near middle of the road for a single moment in the past ten years (and I'm being very charitable here regarding how recently they became this radical). The GOP establishment's number one goal, which is enthusiastically shared by Kavanaugh, is the total destruction of the federal administrative state. That's extremely radical and something that is only supported by at most 30-35% of the country (and by much less than that once some mouth breathing Republicans realize that will include taking away their medicare and social security). That's hardly middle of the road.

Sen. Collins quoted a number on the Senate floor that Kavanaugh and Garland agreed on something like 95% of cases.  

[Hugo Stiglitz 23356]

1 hour ago, Nice Guy Eddie said:

The Nikki Haley announcement is strange this close to the election.   Unless there is someone Trump wants to nominate prior to the election to rally the troops.

[AbeFroman 2110]

1 hour ago, retread said:

So creepy

 

So clenched.  Looks like she's nursing a root canal.

[Celery Man 20882]

Also he attempted to rape a girl in high school and it’s unsubstantiated because any attempt to shed light on it was completely blocked by the trump party.

[Mo Horn 8807]

Pan Handle

[wildcat09 29224]

57 minutes ago, GRHorn said:

Sen. Collins quoted a number on the Senate floor that Kavanaugh and Garland agreed on something like 95% of cases.  

I'm not sure what she was citing, but if you expand the scope of issues wide enough you and I probably agree on 99.5% of issues. The cases everyone agrees on don't make it before the Supreme Court. On the cases that will make it before the Supreme Court, there is an enormous difference between Garland and Kavanaugh. One is an actual judicial moderate, and the other is a partisan saboteur installed to destroy the administrative state. 

[Hank Kingsley 20678]

That's good, right?

 

[Satchel 6908]

2 hours ago, GRHorn said:

Endangered was the wrong word.  

Point remains that it was an middle of the road, establishment pick and they tried everything to ruin him, unjustly.  Doesn’t have to be an extremist. Any level of disagreement is enough.

It’s at a national level now, but not hard to picture it filtering down to other levels of politics/life.  Ridiculous. 

Kavanaugh is a life long GOP partisan and political hack. Stop pretending not to know that.

[Pancho 44454]

#trumptarrifs

[jimmyjazz 45546]

15 minutes ago, Hank Kingsley said:

That's good, right?

Depends on how much of a globalist you are.  Not at all?  It's fantastic.

[David Dennison 18651]

5 minutes ago, Pancho Negro said:

#trumptarrifs

[Hugo Stiglitz 23356]

 

[Fozzz 152]

This would be nice.  

 

 

[jimmyjazz 45546]

I guess this is common knowledge, but I never knew that Haley is Indian (dot not feather).  (Sikh burn.)

Did Donald just discover this as well?  It would explain a lot.

[David Dennison 18651]

7 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

I guess this is common knowledge, but I never knew that Haley is Indian (dot not feather).  (Sikh burn.)

Did Donald just discover this as well?  It would explain a lot.

She's not Mexican?

[SquishMitten 10398]

Sen. Collins quoted a number on the Senate floor that Kavanaugh and Garland agreed on something like 95% of cases.  

Honestly, that’s pretty low. Judges should probably agree on about 99% of cases. On the SC though, the majority of their cases will be in that small percentage where there’s room for reasonable disagreement.

[SquishMitten 10398]

She's not Mexican?

I’ll take a chinchilla!

[triplehorn 2664]

Nikki Haley's resignation comes one day after an ethics watchdog requested an investigation into her acceptance of free flights on private jets

Abrupt resignation seems kind of extreme at this point in time, right?  Trump don't care, why should she ?

[jimmyjazz 45546]

16 minutes ago, David Dennison said:

She's not Mexican?

Not sure if serious . . . given name "Nimrata Randhawa".

(Commence "Nimrod" jokes.)

[hayden_horn 11360]

jesus, this orange fuckstick is going to appoint either his daughter or son-in-law as un ambassador, isn't he?