Donald Trump 2019

[Bozo_Casanova 26578]

None of this matters and Democrats are stupid for indulging the issue. What’s the worst that can happen? You think people on the fence about Trump are both extremely concerned about precise language and paying close attention to Adam Schiff?

[BrickHorn 18289]

I like Schiff’s approach. He put Trump’s mafioso shake-down language in the proper context and drew Trump offside.  Trump’s reaction is extreme and should shock his own party.  

What’s the alternative?  The high-and-mighty, above-the-fray approach?  Yeah, that was really effective with Mueller.  Half of this country is Idiocracy.  You don’t score points with them by calmly reciting facts and figures.  

[Mdhorn 5989]

U.S. Democratic Socialists

[Hugo Stiglitz 23367]

I have long suspected most Republican leaders are closet atheists that use church and religion for purely transactional reasons.

Edited September 30, 2019 by Hugo Stiglitz

[Anastasis 23489]

I didn't see anything wrong with Schiff's bit in real time.  Those meetings are 99% political posturing and douche baggery.  Expect no less.

What I find totally unacceptable is the threat to arrest a political douchebag for treason over political posturing during a committee meeting.  

[triplehorn 2664]

8 minutes ago, softlynow said:

I disagree with the notion that Schiff’s bit was an error. I think it’s exactly the kind of trolling he should do of Dotus. He’s better suited to be out front on this than Nadler, and the more he can get the media and Trump focused on him and not the Biden angle the better. 

Isn’t this what prosecutors do with circumstantial evidence - provide their own interpretations, use analogies, etc to provide a contextual framework to the jury to understand why something should be understood to be criminal ?

Trump is claiming that Schiff fabricated evidence, and it’s treason.  He didn’t fabricate evidence.  The truncated version of the zalensky transcript speaks for itself. This all goes to why mobsters speak in a “code” - for potential future legal deniability.  Schiff SHOULD be offering interpretations at this stage of limited access to evidence.  

Based on shifts in public opinion over the past number of days, the general public obviously gets it, and that’s really what matters most. Additionally whatever legitimate grievance Trump has is wasted through the extreme deception of his rants.

 

[Hugo Stiglitz 23367]

Ignore real treason, talk about Adam Schiff.

[Bateshorn 9942]

The senior senator from Okalahoma brought a fucking snowball onto the floor of the United States Senate to debate climate change, a thing that has the potential to affect the lives of literally BILLIONS of humans, and people are worked up that Adam Schiff lightly imitated a cliche movie mobster while largely accurately portraying the president's own words?

[DigDug 1672]

At this point some attention needs to be turned to @jack

The president is constantly floating ideas of execution of his accusers and rivals and now the idea of a civil war.  His account needs to be suspended or completely shut down.

If you or I were constantly posting messages about killing our classmates or co-workers, our account would be reported and shut down.

Having a Twitter account is NOT some right you have that is protected by the constitution.  

Trump has genuinely crossed lines that will directly lead to violence, more violence actually, and twitter helping him fuel it.

 

[Message Board User 12396]

9 minutes ago, Hugo Stiglitz said:

I have long suspected most Republican leaders are closet atheists that use church and religion for purely transactional reasons.

No wai.

[jimmyjazz 46219]

1 minute ago, Bateshorn said:

The senior senator from Okalahoma brought a fucking snowball onto the floor of the United States Senate to debate climate change, a thing that has the potential to affect the lives of literally BILLIONS of humans, and people are worked up that Adam Schiff lightly imitated a cliche movie mobster while largely accurately portraying the president's own words?

You know, it's possible to have the opinion that Schiff's ploy was stupid and not be particularly "worked up".  I don't see anyone saying "ZOMG the sky is falling Schiff just reelected Trump".

[Message Board User 12396]

I think we all know the answer to this but imagine if Trump actually ordered a treason investigation of Schiff.

Are there any GOPers who would stand up to him?

[Bateshorn 9942]

Just now, jimmyjazz said:

You know, it's possible to have the opinion that Schiff's ploy was stupid and not be particularly "worked up".  I don't see anyone saying "ZOMG the sky is falling Schiff just reelected Trump".

Are you not familiar with the modern Democrat party?  This is a group that could fail to get laid in a whore house on pay day.

[Bateshorn 9942]

Just now, Message Board User said:

I think we all know the answer to this but imagine if Trump actually ordered a treason investigation of Schiff.

Are there any GOPers who would stand up to him?

Well, he's ordered Pompeo to investigate basically every senior democrat who sent an email to Hillary during Obama's presidency, so I wouldn't be surprised by anything at this point.

[Mdhorn 5989]

1 hour ago, Hugo Stiglitz said:

#CivilWarSignup is trending #1 right now. 

Great way to get on a government watch list. 

[atomheartbevo 89817]

5 minutes ago, DigDug said:

At this point some attention needs to be turned to @jack

The president is constantly floating ideas of execution of his accusers and rivals and now the idea of a civil war.  His account needs to be suspended or completely shut down.

If you or I were constantly posting messages about killing our classmates or co-workers, our account would be reported and shut down.

Having a Twitter account is NOT some right you have that is protected by the constitution.  

Trump has genuinely crossed lines that will directly lead to violence, more violence actually, and twitter helping him fuel it.

Put aside the amount of Traffic Trump brings in for a moment.

Twitter leadership ain't going to do anything that's going to draw the wrath of Trump, and potential action by the GOP.  @jack's role is to keep the company rolling along, making money.    Banning Trump throws that out the window.

It's not worth getting upset about it, because they aren't going to boot him off.

[jimmyjazz 46219]

2 minutes ago, Message Board User said:

I think we all know the answer to this but imagine if Trump actually ordered a treason investigation of Schiff.

Are there any GOPers who would stand up to him?

I'd like to see him try.  The simple fact that Schiff's behavior doesn't conform in any way to the definition of treason would generate a fascinating round of gaslighting by the right.

Quote

Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason and shall suffer death, or shall be imprisoned not less than five years and fined under this title but not less than $10,000; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States.

 

[Chooky 13319]

Schiff doesn't need a rhetorical device or cartoonish theatrics. You'll never out stupid Trumpy tactics. It's an unnecessary distraction. This evidence doesn't need to be framed in metaphorical improv or sketch comedy. The only way to fuck this up is by overreaching. Schiff did well in every other part  of the hearing and be has been mostly effective throughout Trump's entire term. His bit was overreaching and moronic. You have a wide open layup and you attempt a 360 between the legs dunk over a Ford Escort. 

"How can we compete against lunacy if we don't behave like lunatics?"

[atomheartbevo 89817]

4 minutes ago, Message Board User said:

I think we all know the answer to this but imagine if Trump actually ordered a treason investigation of Schiff.

Are there any GOPers who would stand up to him?

I think some actually would, because they have their eyes on future elections beyond November of next year.  Trump wrecking the Constitution, etc. in pursuit of his political opponents will ensure that the GOP is finished, and they care more about their future than appeasing Trump.

[WhatTheBuck 28805]

1 hour ago, Pig Bellmont said:

The President has lost his fucking mind. Every day he becomes more unglued than the last 

And he has the nuclear codes. What a world. 

[SameSame 1705]

1 hour ago, 4th&Five said:

 

This statement is what you should be focused on, not Schiff's.    Trump is the one completely misrepresenting what happened and what Schiff said.   Schiff did not say he was quoting and his essence statement was 100% accurate.

Of course this is just more shit Trump throws against the wall along with the hundreds of other piles of shit.

[SuingToGetAMessageBoard? 3861]

5 minutes ago, jimmyjazz said:

I'd like to see him try.  The simple fact that Schiff's behavior doesn't conform in any way to the definition of treason would generate a fascinating round of gaslighting by the right.

 

You’re going to take the position paraphrasing the President doesn’t amount to levying war against the United States? 

[Red Five 40897]

Trump clearly doesn't know what treason means. 

[jimmyjazz 46219]

Just now, SuingToGetAMessageBoard? said:

You’re going to take the position paraphrasing the President doesn’t amount to levying war against the United States? 

I realize I'm out on a limb there . . .

[Captainant 27822]

Chooky coming in strong with the concern trolling on Schiff, completely ignoring the selling out of US foreign policy in favor of lamenting a dramatic reading of a summary of a transcript. Good job kiddo, you're giving oxygen to the iconos and swams and tahoes of the board.

[SameSame 1705]

7 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

Put aside the amount of Traffic Trump brings in for a moment.

Twitter leadership ain't going to do anything that's going to draw the wrath of Trump, and potential action by the GOP.  @jack's role is to keep the company rolling along, making money.    Banning Trump throws that out the window.

It's not worth getting upset about it, because they aren't going to boot him off.

But he is completely right in that if I was regularly posting that my co-workers should be killed, my twitter account would be suspended and investigated.

[Bama Chick 28596]

And some of y’all want Nancy to throw everything Trump has ever done into this impeachment.

And yet y’all fall for Trump’s distractions every time.

Debating what Adam Schiff did instead of discussing the president calling for a civil war.

Nancy knows we’re dumb and easily distracted.

[Junior Miller 1502]

I think there's a really strong chance for far more mass shootings and even political assassinations/attempts in the coming months if trump is finally held to task for his crimes. I seriously doubt there's much of a chance of a full civil war breaking out in the traditional sense. That won't happen until our now over $1 trillion a year financial deficit accumulation combined with the republicans' reducing of resources to fight economic recession causes a massive and prolonged recession/depression of the US economy to occur. 

In a way we are already in an American civil war just fought electronically with media/social media and propaganda other than physical violence yet. Americans have way too many creature comforts to lose today that the Americans of the 1800s didn't have. If financial collapse removes the majority of those creature comforts for most Americans then the threat of physical violence on a mass scale will become reality. 

 

[jimmyjazz 46219]

4 minutes ago, Bama Chick said:

And some of y’all want Nancy to throw everything Trump has ever done into this impeachment.

And yet y’all fall for Trump’s distractions every time.

Debating what Adam Schiff did instead of discussing the president calling for a civil war.

Nancy knows we’re dumb and easily distracted.

I'm pretty sure the vast majority of surlys are not "distracted" when discussing Schiff's SNL audition.  His civil war tweet has gotten plenty of play here.

[atomheartbevo 89817]

On the issue of civil war, there's two things/two groups of people.  I'll address the ones who actually act like they want it and are prepared for it in another post, but let's talk about Trump's main base.  The gray/white-haired folks that constantly show up at his rally, that sell the occasional commemorative plate on eBay so they can donate to him.

They are conservative by their nature.  Not in a "the government should be smaller and spend less" and "don't fuck with the Constitution" sense of conservatism, but in the sense of not wanting change -  "I'm on a fixed income/pension, I need my Social Security checks, I need the VA, I need Medicare, I'm just trying to ride out the rest of my life without spending my days standing at the entrance of the local Walmart,  and with keeping everything I think I've earned, and fuck everybody else."

I joke about these people fearing a civil war because it could disrupt the power grid, and therefore their Rascal scooters, and it could disrupt transportation, which could affect their insulin deliveries, but the truth is not very far off.

Trump is doing a fine job of selling them on the idea of returning things to the way they were, or at least maintaining the status quo.  Keeping their pensions/SS/VA/Medicare, etc. etc.  He does a good job of scaring them with talk of socialism, while they blissfully (and deliberately) ignore all of the government programs they rely on, and he does it by scaring them into thinking the Dems are going to fuck with everything.  

The idea of change scares the shit out of them, because they are vulnerable.   Ethel and Frank are in their late 60s, they don't want to have to go back to work - they (rightfully) think they've earned the right to retire and do all the things they didn't have time to do before, and the idea of Socialist Communist Marxists taking over the government and fucking with their pensions, medical care, etc. scares the hell out of them.

When Trump talks about civil war, he's not trying to motivate his base into taking up arms against the Democrats - Ethel and Frank may not care for the lifestyle choices of that Democrat couple down the street, but Ethel and Frank a) aren't murderers and b) don't want to risk spending the rest of their lives in prison.  Trump is trying to manipulate Ethel and Frank into pressuring their Reps and Senators.

It's always about manipulation with Trump.  He and his family/friends (and his BMDs) don't want civil war, and he knows his base is even less prepared for it (unlike he and his friends/family who can bail on the US with a nice chunk of change for other countries), so he tosses civil war out there to scare the shit out of the base, to manipulate them into calling up their Reps/Senators.

So no, he's not going to call for civil war, and his base does not want civil war.  He's scaring his base into acting politically.

[Junior Miller 1502]

8 minutes ago, Red Five said:

Trump clearly doesn't know what treason means. 

He obviously knows what treason is since he's committed it multiple times already in 3 years. He's just too stupid and obtuse to connect the dots between the action and the word. To him treason is what everyone who opposes him does. 

[Chooky 13319]

26 minutes ago, BrickHorn said:

I like Schiff’s approach. He put Trump’s mafioso shake-down language in the proper context and drew Trump offside.  Trump’s reaction is extreme and should shock his own party.  

What’s the alternative?  The high-and-mighty, above-the-fray approach?  Yeah, that was really effective with Mueller.  Half of this country is Idiocracy.  You don’t score points with them by calmly reciting facts and figures.  

The mere fact that there's even a hearing is enough to draw Trump offside. His fragile psyche will provoke itself. 

The high and mighty approach? Forgive me for sounding snooty, but it's fucking Congress, not open mic night. Yeah, I'd prefer a formal approach. I've seen the alternative and it doesn't suit me. I don't want facts filtered through goofy schtick. The executive branch has been polluted with inane antics. Is it too highbrow to not want that seeping into the highest legislative body in the land? 

[atomheartbevo 89817]

10 minutes ago, Red Five said:

Trump clearly doesn't know what treason means. 

Or he knows, but he's counting on his base not too.

[atomheartbevo 89817]

9 minutes ago, SameSame said:

But he is completely right in that if I was regularly posting that my co-workers should be killed, my twitter account would be suspended and investigated.

He is right, yes, but if you get banned from twitter, you don't have friends who have the political power to make corporate life for twitter a living hell, and your banning is not going to affect twitter's bottom line.

[Brisketexan 105430]

3 minutes ago, Junior Miller said:

I think there's a really strong chance for far more mass shootings and even political assassinations/attempts in the coming months if trump is finally held to task for his crimes. I seriously doubt there's much of a chance of a full civil war breaking out in the traditional sense. That won't happen until our now over $1 trillion a year financial deficit accumulation combined with the republicans' reducing of resources to fight economic recession causes a massive and prolonged recession/depression of the US economy to occur. 

In a way we are already in an American civil war just fought electronically with media/social media and propaganda other than physical violence yet. Americans have way too many creature comforts to lose today that the Americans of the 1800s didn't have. If financial collapse removes the majority of those creature comforts for most Americans then the threat of physical violence on a mass scale will become reality. 

 

This.  You're not going to see armies in the field and shit.

You're going to see significant acts of violence and assassination against 1) the ebil dems, 2) the fake news media, and/or 3) minorities.  The chances of a bomb going off outside of CNN HQ are actually measurable now.  The chances of a Dem Congressperson being assassinated are real, not hypothetical.

I go to courthouses where there are several dem judges.  I'm damned sure keeping my head on a swivel.  If I were anywhere near a media outlet, I'd do the same.

[sachick 1189]

14 hours ago, Bama Chick said:

Thank the lord we didn’t elect an emotional woman!!!!!!

I love when the emotional woman decides to chime in.

 

[jimmyjazz 46219]

4 minutes ago, Junior Miller said:

He obviously knows what treason is since he's committed it multiple times already in 3 years.

How so?  

The definition of a treasonous act is specifically limited in the Constitution, and the code which defines treason is pretty short and to the point.  I'm as anti-Trump as it gets, but I certainly don't think he's waged war against the United States, and I think it's a stretch to say he's aided and abetted our enemies.  The most obvious candidate would be Russia, and if I squint I suppose I could say Trump is providing "aid" (delaying sanctions, disclosing classified information, etc.) but I think it would be difficult to pursue the angle that Russia a true "enemy" at this point in time.

[Eastwood 4394]

15 minutes ago, Junior Miller said:

In a way we are already in an American civil war just fought electronically with media/social media and propaganda other than physical violence yet. Americans have way too many creature comforts to lose today that the Americans of the 1800s didn't have. If financial collapse removes the majority of those creature comforts for most Americans then the threat of physical violence on a mass scale will become reality. 

 

The Civil Cold War

[atomheartbevo 89817]

As far as civil wars, and those who actually seem to want it and are acting like they are preparing for, they've had all the motivation they needed to start some shit - a Black Muslim Kenyan Atheist Socialist Marxist Communist Community Organizer from Chicago whose name including "Barrack" was in office for 8 years.

Right now, Trump is calling people like Schiff and the media his enemies.

And yet, these people aren't rising up and  shooting up CNN or targeting Democrats at Congress.   They aren't firebombing the local offices of the elected Democrats.  They have access to all of the guns they need, and plenty of info on the internet to find for making explosives.

Why?

A) Because most of them are comfortable.  It's a fun image for them to project to make them feel important and more secure, and it masks all of their insecurities, but it's just that, an image.

B) They don't want to fight with the local cops and the National Guard.   Even if the local police may look like them in skin-tone, and act like them in conversations, the local police most likely have cushy lives and don't want Bubba Redneck fucking with things, and they know it, and the people who sign the paychecks of those local cops damn sure don't want a disruption.

C) This isn't the 1850s where states as a whole, support a certain idea, and where everything you need can be found/traded for locally.  Outside of smaller rural areas, most of these idiots live around people they don't politically agree with, and more importantly, these idiots know they rely on people they don't politically agree with.  They can pretend to be self-sufficient, but going back to A, they love them some internet and cable TV and electricity, and all of that goes away in a hurry if they all rise up and start taking potshots at their neighbors down the street.

They've got all of the prompting and dog whistles they needed - they are watching Trump potentially being booted out, or at least being put in a position to be taken down politically (at the election box), but they ain't doing shit, because ultimately they are too comfortable, too soft, and they know most of their fellow Americans would not be down with it.

[gyroprotagonist 2595]

At this point, the Dems should just throw the Bidens under the bus.  Go to great lengths to point out that yes, Hunter was receiving this money for influence.  This was illegal and and a felony.  Make sure everyone agrees Rs and Ds.  Then hammer the point home on all the illegal pay for favor that everyone in the Trump family is doing.  Shirley, some one on the Trump team is pointing this out...that they may want to cool it with going down this path.

[Junior Miller 1502]

I 100 percent was referring to Russia. He's definitely provided aid and cover for Putin/Russia and since Russia attacked our election process they are, IMO, defined as an enemy. He requested, accepted, and covered up a foreign government's attack of an American presidental election to benefit himself. In my book that's clearly under even the strictest definition of treason.  

It even meets all of the criteria of the most textbook example in American history: Benedict Arnold. Aiding an enemy in attack on America? Covering it up? Personal gain? Yes yes and yes. 

[BrickHorn 18289]

16 minutes ago, Chooky said:

I don't want facts filtered through goofy schtick. 

Your whole gag on this site is facts filtered through goofy schtick.  And it works.  Righteous Chooky is far less persuasive.

[Chooky 13319]

18 minutes ago, Captainant said:

Chooky coming in strong with the concern trolling on Schiff, completely ignoring the selling out of US foreign policy in favor of lamenting a dramatic reading of a summary of a transcript. Good job kiddo, you're giving oxygen to the iconos and swams and tahoes of the board.

Schiff embellishing a transcript only dilutes the severity of an already damning transcript. The only thing that even slightly took the focus off selling out US foreign policy is the debate about whether or not is was appropriate. The distraction was and is easy to anticipate. Now some of you have to define other antics that were far dumber, like bringing a snowball to the floor, to justify something that you're arguing "was just kinda dumb." It's a distraction. If you had told me he was gonna do it beforehand I would've told you that it would become a distraction. But fuck it. Just do a puppet show next. 

[BrickHorn 18289]

It’s no embellishment.  Trump was doing a shake-down.  That’s how he fucking operates.  He’s Tony Soprano with stupid hair and ill-fitting suits.

[Brisketexan 105430]

2 minutes ago, Chooky said:

Schiff embellishing a transcript only dilutes the severity of an already damning transcript. The only thing that even slightly took the focus off selling out US foreign policy is the debate about whether or not is was appropriate. The distraction was and is easy to anticipate. Now some of you have to define other antics that were far dumber, like bringing a snowball to the floor, to justify something that you're arguing "was just kinda dumb." It's a distraction. If you had told me he was gonna do it beforehand I would've told you that it would become a distraction. But fuck it. Just do a puppet show next. 

[Chooky 13319]

Just now, BrickHorn said:

Your whole gag on this site is facts filtered through goofy schtick.  And it works.  Righteous Chooky is far less persuasive.

You're right. That shit would run pretty thin if I was the Chair of an investigative committee in Congress. Not the place to throw pies or squirt your eye from the flower on my lapel. 

[Degenerate Gardner 4085]

Since the CIC is now apparently able to issue thinly veiled death threats to American citizens, are we OK responding in kind?  Just asking questions.

[Biff Tannen 45749]

5 minutes ago, Chooky said:

Schiff embellishing a transcript only dilutes the severity of an already damning transcript. The only thing that even slightly took the focus off selling out US foreign policy is the debate about whether or not is was appropriate. The distraction was and is easy to anticipate. Now some of you have to define other antics that were far dumber, like bringing a snowball to the floor, to justify something that you're arguing "was just kinda dumb." It's a distraction. If you had told me he was gonna do it beforehand I would've told you that it would become a distraction. But fuck it. Just do a puppet show next. 

[atomheartbevo 89817]

21 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

This.  You're not going to see armies in the field and shit.

You're going to see significant acts of violence and assassination against 1) the ebil dems, 2) the fake news media, and/or 3) minorities.  The chances of a bomb going off outside of CNN HQ are actually measurable now.  The chances of a Dem Congressperson being assassinated are real, not hypothetical.

I go to courthouses where there are several dem judges.  I'm damned sure keeping my head on a swivel.  If I were anywhere near a media outlet, I'd do the same.

If it was going to happen on a significant scale, it should have already started.  Every day that it doesn't happen, is another day for the media and Dems to expose and embarrass him.  The impeachment process has started and Trump has shouted in all caps plenty of times on twitter.  Trump has named all of his enemies, and his base know who they are.

We'll get the occasional lone nuts (although plenty of them are doing a fine job of putting themselves on government watchlists), but we aren't going to see anything major.  It's far easier to sit in mom's basement and bitch about the Dems in between Fortnite sessions or whatever.

[Pig Bellmont 8739]

9 minutes ago, gyroprotagonist said:

At this point, the Dems should just throw the Bidens under the bus.  Go to great lengths to point out that yes, Hunter was receiving this money for influence.  This was illegal and and a felony.  Make sure everyone agrees Rs and Ds.  Then hammer the point home on all the illegal pay for favor that everyone in the Trump family is doing.  Shirley, some one on the Trump team is pointing this out...that they may want to cool it with going down this path.

Wait, people give a shit about the children of the President or VP profiting from foreign business deals?