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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM

Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#164576: Dec 28th 2016 at 3:08:50 PM

I suspect that the Russians have RNC internal emails that are just as bad as the Dem ones, Trump's tax returns and possibly something super daming like like a sex tape of Trump and his daughter or proof of him being a member of the American Man Boy Love Association.

edited 28th Dec '16 3:09:29 PM by Silasw

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
unknowing from somewhere.. Since: Mar, 2014
#164577: Dec 28th 2016 at 3:15:49 PM

[up][up]Now he dosent have the "Outsider status" to shield him or at least is going to wear off soon, meaning his shit is going to stick and a lot, in fact consider how many are regreating him I feel is staring to happen

edited 28th Dec '16 3:16:05 PM by unknowing

"My Name is Bolt, Bolt Crank and I dont care if you believe or not"
AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#164578: Dec 28th 2016 at 3:42:23 PM

I really don't think Trump cares about appearing to look like a Russian puppet, because he doesn't care about the long history between our countries or seem to think he looks like a puppet now. He has no advisers on his team that would encourage him to keep those sanctions: Tillerson alone probably wants to drop those so they can get some kind of oil deal going on. The Republicans that are decrying this sort of move aren't on Trump's team, and I don't think Trump respects them at all. ("I like those who weren't caught.", anyone?)

It may not be the first thing he does, and he may be lazy about it, but he's not got any incentive to keep up sanctions at the moment. And hell, given his bullshit with Taiwan he clearly doesn't understand the nuances of international politics and doesn't care to learn from those who've been working in it their whole lives.

Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#164579: Dec 28th 2016 at 3:43:04 PM

[up][up]Not sure. He might have a genuine Teflon coating with the media like Ronald Reagan had.

He still came into office on a platform of being an asshole. If he sexually harasses WH staffers, for example, nobody who supported him is going to care.

edited 28th Dec '16 3:43:53 PM by Ramidel

unknowing from somewhere.. Since: Mar, 2014
#164580: Dec 28th 2016 at 3:50:41 PM

[up][up]Trump dealing with thing is him being the "tought" guy who could force people to do things unlike the "Weak" Obama, he project that on US.

[up]No really, the whole "Grab her by the pussy" REALLY harm him as is pitifull devolpment in the debates, the only reason he got out that was because the narrative of "But BILL CLINTON" and "It was just mean things"

a scandal in the house? THAT would be bad.

"My Name is Bolt, Bolt Crank and I dont care if you believe or not"
Gilphon (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#164581: Dec 28th 2016 at 3:55:20 PM

Trump is not Reagan. Reagan won by a landslide. Trump won by the smallest margin ever, and with less than 1/8 of the country actually liking him.

But I'd say he does care about looking like a Russian puppet- remember his spluttering 'no puppet!' outburst in the third debate? Or how, when this stuff started up again, he decided to start tweeting about how 'these were the same organizations that said there were WMDs in Iraq', and 'if this stuff is true, why wasn't it brought up in the election?'

On the other hand, by leaving sanctions alone, he can derail 'Russian Puppet' narrative, and look like a strongman who's willing to stand up to Russia and put the country before his own personal agenda, while Putin discreetly implies that the sanctions are a price he's willing to pay for having a puppet in the White House.

edited 28th Dec '16 3:56:27 PM by Gilphon

Draghinazzo (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: I get a feeling so complicated...
#164582: Dec 28th 2016 at 3:57:37 PM

I think the main thing is that even a tacit admission that he's a russian puppet makes Trump look like he's under someone's thumb, and he won't have that. He doesn't tolerate anything that makes him look weak or beholden to someone else.

Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#164583: Dec 28th 2016 at 4:04:06 PM

Trump got away with "grab them by the pussy" because he was caught saying it rather than doing it, for many people the statement was only bad because he said the word pussy.

Getting caught sexually assaulting a White House staffer or guest will be very different, especially as he won't have Bill Clinton to use as cover.

edited 28th Dec '16 4:04:31 PM by Silasw

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
Gilphon (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#164584: Dec 28th 2016 at 4:06:41 PM

The other thing is he no longer has an opponent the media is bound by convention to give equal time to. There's no more 'they're both equally bad'- it's just 'he's bad' now.

Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#164585: Dec 28th 2016 at 4:07:08 PM

[up][up][up]Yeah, that might hurt him. Sexual harassment claims won't, or they would have derailed him by now. I think that whatever else they believe or don't believe, people believe that Trump will absolutely do whatever he likes to a woman who gets within reach - that's what a lot of the men in line for him voted for.

I think that's the key fact - there are a lot of men in this country who think that it's okay for a guy to force himself sexually on women so long as they adhere to some kind of rules that they made up.

edited 28th Dec '16 4:09:31 PM by Ramidel

pwiegle Cape Malleum Majorem from Nowhere Special Since: Sep, 2015 Relationship Status: Singularity
Cape Malleum Majorem
#164586: Dec 28th 2016 at 4:07:16 PM

Trump's idea of a "Strongman" or "Tough Guy" is someone who always wins and never fails, never looks weak, never backs down from any challenge, and beats those challenges without even breaking a sweat. In other words, a child's simplistic view of a comic book superhero.

But true strength is determined by overcoming adversity, not by facing no adversity at all. If you always win and never fail, you've never actually tried to do anything very hard.

Trump has never succeeded at anything on his own; his friends and family have always bailed him out whenever he screwed up.

This Space Intentionally Left Blank.
unknowing from somewhere.. Since: Mar, 2014
#164587: Dec 28th 2016 at 4:11:30 PM

[up]actually, is more like a dumb down version of a sitcom protagonist: always having the best insult, and when he said something mean is because the other deserved it while all other people are ether idiots or nasty because they are mean to him.

In sort, Trump aplies protagonist central morality and is fanbase does the same...for the time being.

"My Name is Bolt, Bolt Crank and I dont care if you believe or not"
MarqFJA The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer from Deserts of the Middle East (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer
#164588: Dec 28th 2016 at 4:14:17 PM

Apparently, Trump got booed during a December 9 rally over praising Obama. From this article today, which is mainly talking about his outrage over Obama's latest moves/statements:

During his campaign-like rallies following the election, Trump went out of his way to praise Obama. At a Dec. 9 rally, his fans even booed the president-elect for offering kind words about the president.

“No, no, no, he’s really doing great,” Trump told supporters. “He’s been so nice.”

From the same article, Trump seems to have a bizarre 180 over the whole "not a smooth transition" thing.

On Wednesday afternoon, Trump was asked by reporters huddled outside his Mar-a-Lago estate if he felt the transition was still going “smoothly.”

“Oh, I think very, very smoothly,” Trump replied. “Very good. You don’t think so?”

Later Wednesday, Trump told reporters that he spoke to President Obama earlier in the day.

“He called me,” Trump said. “We had a very nice conversation.”

The president-elect added: “We had a general conversation. Very, very nice.”

Make up your mind, Don: Is Obama being obstructive or cooperative?

edited 28th Dec '16 4:14:35 PM by MarqFJA

Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus.
Draghinazzo (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: I get a feeling so complicated...
#164589: Dec 28th 2016 at 4:16:31 PM

He probably changed his mind after Obama went up to talk to him. Remember when he said he favored keeping select parts of Obamacare after his visit to the White House?

TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#164590: Dec 28th 2016 at 4:17:00 PM

Both. He's being Wilma to his Fred.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
kkhohoho (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#164591: Dec 28th 2016 at 4:17:49 PM

[up][up][up]Why not both?tongue

[up]Curses! Foiled again![nja]

edited 28th Dec '16 4:18:13 PM by kkhohoho

MadSkillz Destroyer of Worlds Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: I only want you gone
Destroyer of Worlds
#164592: Dec 28th 2016 at 4:33:07 PM

I'm starting to wonder if perhaps Obama should try to establish a friendship with Trump in order to sabotage him.

Trump will alienate his base by praising Obama and Obama could influence him to go in good directions.

Obama could be the Littlefinger to Trump's Joffrey.

RBluefish Since: Nov, 2013
#164593: Dec 28th 2016 at 4:38:30 PM

That won't last long if the GOP have anything to say about it - not to mention Russia. Putin won't let anybody move in on his pawn, and Obama would have to get his claws in pretty damn deep for Trump to side with him over his Republican cronies.

"We'll take the next chance, and the next, until we win, or the chances are spent."
Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#164594: Dec 28th 2016 at 4:57:28 PM

I think that whatever else they believe or don't believe, people believe that Trump will absolutely do whatever he likes to a woman who gets within reach

I disagree, so many people dismissed what Trump said as "lockeroom talk", the basis of that idea is that Trump is all talk and wouldn't actually do that, he's just blustering because men bluster and talk like that (for those curious, we actually don't).

The idea of Trump being all talk and no action when it comes to forcing himself on women (by the way even being all talk about such a thing shodul be reason enough to not vote for him) is one that won't be broken by sexual assault acusstions, he's very much have to be caught on tape sexually assaulting someone. Thing is that might happen.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
unknowing from somewhere.. Since: Mar, 2014
#164595: Dec 28th 2016 at 5:05:57 PM

Yeah, the problem with "he is just taking" is how he got away with a lot of shit, ether that or that is awfull policies will work exactly like he wanted it(like somehow making a ban of muslim with result in less terrorist and no in awfull mess that dosent do anything)

In sort, ether he is bluffing or he is a miracle man that can do anything

"My Name is Bolt, Bolt Crank and I dont care if you believe or not"
TacticalFox88 from USA Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Dating the Doctor
#164596: Dec 28th 2016 at 6:05:03 PM

Trump Responds to Russian Hacking

...This man will be President in a month.

"The Whole age of the Computer..."

New Survey coming this weekend!
DingoWalley1 Asgore Adopts Noelle Since: Feb, 2014 Relationship Status: Can't buy me love
Asgore Adopts Noelle
#164598: Dec 28th 2016 at 6:37:49 PM

[up][up] You know, if it weren't for the fact that Trump is downplaying the Russians hacking very heavily, I would say that that is at least a standard observation that anyone could make.

Unfortunately, it's Trump who said it, and he only said it because he doesn't want to outright say Russians hacked us, but everyone and their cousins are.

RBluefish Since: Nov, 2013
#164599: Dec 28th 2016 at 7:11:11 PM

Election integrity in the US is as bad as in some third-world countries.

After taking over a number of legislatures in the 2010 midterm elections, Republicans led the charge to require voters to show identification at the polls in states such as North Carolina, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania, among others. Democrats have sued over many of those laws, which they say unfairly affect older and low-income voters who might not have access to identification documents or the money to obtain them.

Democratic-led states such as California and Oregon, on the other hand, have passed laws that aim to register more voters. In California, a universal voter registration law led to a surge of new voters ahead of November's elections.

Arizona scored particularly badly in categories involving electoral laws, district boundaries and the efficacy of electoral authorities. The Supreme Court in 2013 struck down a state law that required voters to show proof of citizenship when registering, and the chief election official in Maricopa County lost her job this year after a debacle at early voting sites led to long lines during the presidential primary.

Wisconsin scored particularly low in the district boundaries category. A panel of three federal judges ruled last month that the state's legislative district lines unfairly benefitted Republicans. The state also scored dismally on election laws, after court battles over voter identification rules.

North Carolina, where legislative Republicans passed a sweeping election reform measure in 2013 and subsequently redrew district boundaries after courts ruled the old lines unconstitutionally violated minority rights, scored lower than any other state when it came to district boundaries.

"America is particularly bad in terms of gerrymandering of political districts," said Pippa Norris, the Harvard political scientist who runs the Electoral Integrity Project. "That's a problem for voter choice. It's also a problem of course for voter turnout."

Of the 15 lowest-scoring states, Republicans control both state legislative chambers in 14. And in most of those 14 — including Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Michigan, Ohio, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Arizona — the Republican-led legislatures have made significant changes to state election laws in recent years.

Rhode Island, where Democrats control both chambers of the legislature and the governor's mansion, is the lone state near the bottom not controlled by Republicans.

On the other end of the spectrum, researchers gave the highest marks to smaller states with few electoral controversies, as well as those that conduct their elections largely by mail.

Along with Vermont, Idaho, New Hampshire, Iowa and New Mexico ranked among the best-run states. Washington and Colorado, which conduct their elections by mail, ranked in the top 10 as well.

The report finds states in the South are generally seen as having more troubled electoral systems than Northeastern and Western states.

The political scientists pointed to the 2013 Supreme Court decision striking down Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, ruling that states with histories of racial discrimination no longer needed to seek Justice Department approval before changing election laws. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote that racial discrimination in election laws was no longer a pervasive problem.

"Evidence from these expert evaluations ... suggests that this may have been unduly optimistic," the researchers wrote.

It bears repeating: this needs to change, or the GOP will continue to run amok.

Also, how sad is it that election integrity is now apparently a partisan issue?

"We'll take the next chance, and the next, until we win, or the chances are spent."
TacticalFox88 from USA Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Dating the Doctor
#164600: Dec 28th 2016 at 7:14:17 PM

GOP knows they can't win on the issues so they cheat instead.

New Survey coming this weekend!

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