Donald trump. what is your take on him?

[DaveP]

When I listened to the Kellyanne Conway interview on the talk show, I took her comments about Ivanka's stuff  in the spirit that they were intend, i.e. a joke.

Her failure was hardly ethical, it was her error of judgement to think that anyone still had a sense of humour in the current charged climate.

DaveP

 

[mattiasNYC]

When I listened to the Kellyanne Conway interview on the talk show, I took her comments about Ivanka's stuff  in the spirit that they were intend, i.e. a joke.

Her failure was hardly ethical, it was her error of judgement to think that anyone still had a sense of humour in the current charged climate.

DaveP

Ah, yes, of course it was "a joke". We're all good then. I bet Trump was joking when he talked about Nordstrom as well.

 

[tands]

He's Making America Hilarious Again. Probably why he was elected, in general. Who wants Cheney in a pantsuit?

President Trump welcomed Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe to "the very famous White House" during a joint press conference in the East Room on Friday.

"Prime Minister Abe, on behalf of the American people, I welcome you to the very famous White House. You honor us with your presence," Trump said.

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/trump-welcomes-japanese-prime-minister-to-the-very-famous-white-house/article/2614513

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYdlqjiQPAc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAE6Il6OTcs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14r7y6rM6zA

 

[Matador]

Her failure was hardly ethical, it was her error of judgement to think that anyone still had a sense of humour in the current charged climate.

I know, right! Those pesky laws and their lack of a sense of humor!

"An employee shall not use his public office for his own private gain, for the endorsement of any product, service or enterprise, or for the private gain of friends, relatives."

 

[DaveP]

Most people can tell the difference between a throw away remark on a talk show and a serious attempt to endorse a product.

Although this does not appear to apply to people in a state of shock and disappointment.

DaveP

 

[ramshackles]

Most people can tell the difference between a throw away remark on a talk show and a serious attempt to endorse a product.

Although this does not appear to apply to people in a state of shock and disappointment.

DaveP

"Go buy Ivanka's stuff, is what I would tell you," Conway said. "It's a wonderful line. I own some of it. I fully -- I'm going to just, I'm going to give a free commercial here: Go buy it today, everybody. You can find it online."

Is what she said, this coming after praising Ivanka as a role model and some stats about how many stores do sell her stuff. All this from within the white house briefing room.

More of a throwaway paragraph then? 

 

[mattiasNYC]

Most people can tell the difference between a throw away remark on a talk show and a serious attempt to endorse a product.

Although this does not appear to apply to people in a state of shock and disappointment.

DaveP

You assume that people won't react to the endorsement and buy the product. Go back and look at a lot of the US public and consider for a second what their beliefs were or are; they believed Obama was a Muslim, that he was not a US citizen because the birth certificate was fake, that the earth is only thousands of years old, that dinosaurs and man lived together, and about 40% are creationists. So I think it's absolutely fair to say that there will be a potentially large group of people who hear this and take it as an endorsement rather than a joke, or a joke AND an endorsement.....

Secondly however, if this isn't dealt with, then with what I just mentioned being the case, what is to prevent "jokes" becoming routine? Rather than either sincerely joking or blatantly promoting a product, you'd never be able to prove that a statement was unethical because you've just opened the door for "humor". So when is it a "joke" and when is it blatant promotion? How would you distinguish between a bad joke and promotion? Would you have a humor czar who decided it? A court?

 

[mattiasNYC]

Jerry Falwell Jr.

Add him to Betsy Devos.

It's like Republican Americans just can't wait to screw around with education to make the US more ignorant, and in the process increase discrimination against LGBT people.

 

[DaveP]

You assume that people won't react to the endorsement and buy the product. Go back and look at a lot of the US public and consider for a second what their beliefs were or are; they believed Obama was a Muslim, that he was not a US citizen because the birth certificate was fake, that the earth is only thousands of years old, that dinosaurs and man lived together, and about 40% are creationists. So I think it's absolutely fair to say that there will be a potentially large group of people who hear this and take it as an endorsement rather than a joke, or a joke AND an endorsement.....

On that basis I guess you have a point, but as a Brit I would not say that for fear of upsetting my US cousins.

I just watched Betsy Devos being denied entry to speak at a school.

I think this is a dangerous route to go down, denying free speech, same thing happened at Berkeley.

Several had signs saying Black lives matter, has this movement morphed from anti police shootings to anti Trump now?

Why are they now involved in education issues?

DaveP

 

[Matador]

Why are they now involved in education issues?

Wow.

 

[DaveP]

That was a serious question, I'm trying to understand here.

It is a switch from policing issues from this distance.

DaveP

 

[pucho812]

I just watched Betsy Devos being denied entry to speak at a school.



DaveP

I saw that too.  If you watch the video the guy chases her down to yell at her beyond just denying her entry. It must take a real big honorable man to want to chase down a female and yell at her.  He must be real proud of doing that.  I don't get the protesters being allow near the school  during school time and I don't understand why they feel someone who has a job in education should be denied entry into a school.

But this is just an example of the bigger picture, Which is  that people who think one way are so opposed to people who think a different  way that they are not willing even have a dialog anymore, they prefer to yell, be aggressive, demand,  and ultimately act anything but civil to one another.  This has been seen in the news and seems to be progressing at an alarming rate.  Things like chasing devos down to yell at her is hardly the answer. Things like what happened at Berkley in california is hardly the answer. 

 

[mattiasNYC]

I saw that too.  If you watch the video the guy chases her down to yell at her beyond just denying her entry. It must take a real big honorable man to want to chase down a female and yell at her.  He must be real proud of doing that.

Trump: Yeah, that’s her. With the gold. I better use some Tic Tacs just in case I start kissing her. You know, I’m automatically attracted to beautiful — I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything.

Bush: Whatever you want.

Trump: Grab ’em by the pussy. You can do anything.


The President Of The United States. Brought to you by Pucho.

If it's good enough for the president you support.....

But this is just an example of the bigger picture, Which is  that people who think one way are so opposed to people who think a different  way that they are not willing even have a dialog anymore, they prefer to yell, be aggressive, demand,  and ultimately act anything but civil to one another.  This has been seen in the news and seems to be progressing at an alarming rate.  Things like chasing devos down to yell at her is hardly the answer. Things like what happened at Berkley in california is hardly the answer.

I'm tempted to quote more of Trump.....

 

[DaveP]

Matt,
That is a cheap shot, you can do better than that.

One is a silly man pushing his luck with hangers-on, the other is violent behaviour.  I don't see the comparison.

What I see on the news over here is increasingly aggressive and violent behaviour from the liberals and it started at Trump rallies.
Yet from all the mud being thrown around now you would have expected it from Trump supporters, but no, it is not coming from them because 99.9% are older US citizens, yet they are being painted as nazis, white supremacists and KKK.

Until you properly understand his voters and stop demonizing them, you will never get it.

DaveP

 

[mattiasNYC]

Matt,
That is a cheap shot, you can do better than that.

One is a silly man pushing his luck with hangers-on, the other is violent behaviour.  I don't see the comparison.

You assume both that Trump was lying and then that all the women that accused Trump of sexual assault are lying, correct?

The amount of slack-cutting extended to 'your guy' is borderline mind-boggling.

And please show the "violent behavior" you speak of. I haven't seen that in any videos.

What I see on the news over here is increasingly aggressive and violent behaviour from the liberals and it started at Trump rallies.

Would this be the rallies in which Trump advocated violence? Those rallies or different ones?

Did you watch the video I posted from my neighborhood? The one with the guy referring to Trump while yelling race-based anti-Muslim rants? Would that qualify as "increasingly aggressive" as well?

You see what you want to see Dave, and apparently Trump promoting anti-Muslim sentiments, then asking Giuliani how to ban Muslims, then banning Muslims, then giving preferential treatment to Christian refugees, then appointing a religious DeVos, then appointing a religious Falwell Jr, none of that appears to register to any degree where you think a concern is warranted.

No concern was apparently warranted before the election, during the campaign, when liberals warned about his potential nominations and policies, and it still doesn't. I asked where you draw the line and quite frankly I don't think you ever will. There will always just be more individual small steps that never amount to any larger picture that one should worry about, and any opposition to it will seemingly always be characterized as "aggressive" or "violent" regardless of whether or not it really is.

Yet from all the mud being thrown around now you would have expected it from Trump supporters, but no, it is not coming from them because 99.9% are older US citizens, yet they are being painted as nazis, white supremacists and KKK.

Until you properly understand his voters and stop demonizing them, you will never get it.

DaveP

FFS Dave; who the hell is demonizing all Trump supporters????

Do YOU get how you just succumbed to ridiculous strawmen and hyperbole - just like the Trump team have done since the beginning of the campaign???

 

[DaveP]

This is Devos being denied free speech.
http://news.sky.com/video/protests-block-education-secretarys-visit-10763424

Over here we saw lots of people trying to disrupt Trump rallies and protesters inside as well.  What we didn't see were Trump supporters disrupting Hillary rallies, only Sanders supporters doing that.

I can see that there is a movement growing that is trying to make parts of the USA ungovernable for Trump.

I prefer to give democratically elected people a chance to see what they can do, not pre-judge and condemn beforehand.

If he screws up, then that can be remedied via the ballot box.

DaveP

 

[DaveP]

FFS Dave; who the hell is demonizing all Trump supporters????

Everyone who calls them fascists, alludes to Nazi Germany, etc.  We have seen the posters and placards on the marches.

DaveP

 

[Matador]

Jon Steward said it the best: we should expect people to be consistent in their outrage.  It's difficult to understand that on one hand, bragging about assault is "just boys talk", and religious litmus tests for immigrants is "just what the people want!"...Yet protesting a cabinet appointment is "dangerous sedition".  It makes it sound like rules only apply when your side benefits.

BTW, there were police at that school, and aside from moving some protesters to clear way for traffic, there were no arrests, being as said protesting is protected free speech.

 

[Matador]

Everyone who calls them fascists, alludes to Nazi Germany, etc.  We have seen the posters and placards on the marches.

DaveP

You are right, only one side seems to be doing this!

 

[JohnRoberts]

That was a serious question, I'm trying to understand here.

It is a switch from policing issues from this distance.

DaveP

I fear you are not going to get a sensible answer here, but FWIW the news is mostly dominated by sensational political theater and less about deep thoughts. Try to ignore the noise intended to distract us.

We are now experiencing divisive identity politics on steroids.  There is no pretense of thoughtful debate but anybody who doesn't agree with your POV, must be an idiot, must be shouted down, and should fear expressing contrary ideas publicly and in the worst extremes be subject to bodily harm.

The left still seems to be in denial about the election outcome and they don't seem to grasp the potential damage they are doing themselves (while raising lots of money by perpetuating the aggressive team politics). The right is not much smarter as they only have a finite window to deliver on promises before budgets, debt ceiling, and the next mid-term election rolls around making many legislators too timid to address important issues.

Devos has a target on her back because she will likely diminish the teachers union's influence, an old democratic power base. Criticism that she is not from inside the education profession is meaningless since the old way is not working very well and needs a fresh reboot.

The amount of insult hurled at public figures inside this thread could erode our civility toward each other if we normalize that speech.  The thinly veiled insults embedded in posts here would be hard to ignore, if I (we) didn't have so much practice ignoring the repetitive rants from some.

It's nice to be nice...

JR