The Trump Presidency

[Zakalwe]

Oh boo hoo. You think you got problems? At least in three years you'll be done with this. In three years, our problems will only be just beginning.

What hope for us when a country that has an unelected head of government, an unelected head of state, an unelected upper chamber, an unelected civil service*, acts like somehow we're being oppressed because we don't get to directly vote for the President of the European Council, who doesn't even have legislative or executive power. Perhaps illusion might describe the mindset.

* not that I have a problem with most of that though I'm open minded about Lords reform

Sorry. Someone was wrong on the Internet and it got me worked up. I restrain myself from participating in the places I read, so I dumped here where noone will see it.

I feel your pain. It seems like the UK has been taken over by idiots and nationalists (is there a difference??). Watching the current UK government imploding in slow motion is painful.
My new word of the month is kakistocracy..."a system of government which is run by the worst, least qualified, or most unscrupulous citizens". Sounds like that admirably describes the current incumbents on both sides of the Atlantic.

[Glom]

If there was at least an opposition that wasn't terrifying, there would be a glimmer of hope. But that's too much to ask it seems.

[raven]

As a PM of ours said, the first Trudeau, "Living next to you is in some ways like sleeping with an elephant. No matter how friendly and even-tempered is the beast, if I can call it that, one is affected by every twitch and grunt." These messes are going to freaking reverberate.

[Zakalwe]

If there was at least an opposition that wasn't terrifying, there would be a glimmer of hope. But that's too much to ask it seems.

Shocking, isn't it? All Labour seem to be doing is enabling a shambolic Tory government.

Oh, and making a song and dance about a change in direction to go for something that the EU has explicitly ruled out from day one. 

[jfb]

Oh boo hoo. You think you got problems? At least in three years you'll be done with this.

Optimist. 

Democrats are going to run midterms on a platform of impeachment, which will just entrench support for Trump the way it did for Clinton in the '90s (even if Mueller finds multiple smoking guns).  Then they'll find the worst possible Presidential candidates in 2020 and he'll be re-elected handily.  Will Rogers had our number 80 years ago, and it's still true today. 

The only way he doesn't serve eight years in office is because of a stroke or an exploding ticker. 

In three years, our problems will only be just beginning.

What hope for us when a country that has an unelected head of government, an unelected head of state, an unelected upper chamber, an unelected civil service*, acts like somehow we're being oppressed because we don't get to directly vote for the President of the European Council, who doesn't even have legislative or executive power. Perhaps illusion might describe the mindset.

* not that I have a problem with most of that though I'm open minded about Lords reform

Sorry. Someone was wrong on the Internet and it got me worked up. I restrain myself from participating in the places I read, so I dumped here where noone will see it.

Heh.  Brings new meaning to "security through obscurity". 

[twik]

If the US can't get rid of Trump, who does absolutely nothing to hide his vice and his incompetence, well, you deserve your slide into fascism. I'd say at this point everyone knows who Trump is. No one's expecting him to start being "presidential" at any moment, except some reporters who apparently are in deep denial of just how much trouble the country is in.

Quite honestly, if I read a fictional POTUS like him in a book, I'd expect it to be crazy satire, because if it were intended to be realistic I'd have told the author "dial it back to believable levels of stupidity and corruption."

Unfortunately it seems the Bernie bros will be out in force to try to commandeer the Democratic party to accept a leader who's never been a Democrat, and they'll resume their sulking wait for the end of the world when it doesn't.

[gillianren]

I am cautiously optimistic based on how various elections have been going around the country.  Sure, okay, it feels like shooting fish in a barrel to beat the pedophile for Senate.  But in such a deeply red state, in which the pedophile still won the primary, it's definitely something.

Meanwhile, an idiot in my state has proposed a law to arm teachers, and I got an e-mail this morning telling me how my son's school district is preparing for live shooting incidents.

[gillianren]

Also, I frankly wouldn't put it past Trump to claim to have accomplished everything he wants to in a single term and just not run again.  I don't think he likes being President.

[jfb]

Also, I frankly wouldn't put it past Trump to claim to have accomplished everything he wants to in a single term and just not run again.  I don't think he likes being President.

This is true - he didn't actually want to win, he wanted to boost his resale value.  And yeah, he can just say "nope, done" in 2020 and go back to hawking steaks. 

I don't expect that, personally - between the apparent narcissistic personality disorder, the continued fellating by certain wings of the GOP, and the ever-present threat of a polonium cocktail from the Russians once he stops being useful, I fully expect that he will run for re-election (assuming he's healthy enough). 

[Obviousman]

Considering that the main thing he likes is money, are there any financial benefits he will get from being an ex-POTUS? Normally there would be 'celebrity' status, appearances, talking tours, etc but he already has that as being 'Trump'.

Is there anything he will actually get that would be of value to him?

[raven]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-florida-shooting-parkland-school-run-into-no-gun-stop-shooter-broward-deputy-a8229536.html
It's easy to be brave after the fact.

[Geordie]

Quite honestly, if I read a fictional POTUS like him in a book, I'd expect it to be crazy satire, because if it were intended to be realistic I'd have told the author "dial it back to believable levels of stupidity and corruption."

Perhaps he's a comedian, playing the long game, like Andy Kaufman.

[Zakalwe]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-florida-shooting-parkland-school-run-into-no-gun-stop-shooter-broward-deputy-a8229536.html
It's easy to be brave after the fact.

[gillianren]

"Sure, bone spurs in I-Don't-Remember-Which foot kept me out of Vietnam, but I'm sure Rambo now!"

[Apollo 957]

It's easy to be brave after the fact.

He would have "run in" ..... ?

Has anyone, anywhere, seen Trump run AT ALL in living memory? I would ask how quick he could run a 100metres, if I thought he could complete but a fraction of that....