3 Trump: Parables, Politics, Panic

[JMarie]

Aha!  I know why Katrina Pierson's glommed onto Trump!  She wants to be a fashion designer, something she's totally qualified for, what with that biology degree she has from the University of Texas (yes, Texas).

http://www.alternet.org/election-2016/12-craziest-things-about-trumps-spokeswoman-katrina-pierson

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11. She shares Trump’s entrepreneurial bent and plans to launch her own clothing line, although she apparently has not pitched her business to Ivanka Trump, who heads her own fashion line. In fact, Pierson thinks the Donald's branding brilliance is just what the world needs, telling the Dallas Morning News, “Mr. Trump is definitely someone that has an international economic appeal. He’s built a billion-dollar empire. He’s grown businesses. He’s had successes and failures. He’s learned the tricks of the trade. He’s a great negotiator. He’s known for building brands, and that’s what the country needs right now.” No word on whether Pierson's clothing line would also feature accessories, like bullet and fetus necklaces (together in one necklace, ideally!)

 

[nausicaa]

I expected better from Kellyanne Conway. She seemed to have a real political future; I don't know why she's aligning herself with this Hindenberg Disaster of a campaign.

[Cartmann99]

Article from the Washington Post about the Trump campaign hiring Kellyanne Conway to be the new lion tamer:

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Trump has called comedian Rosie O’Donnell “disgusting” with a “fat pig face” and Arianna Huffington “ugly inside and out.” He asserted supermodel Heidi Klum is “no longer a 10.” He said Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly had “blood coming out of her wherever.” He threatened to “spill the beans” on former rival Ted Cruz’s wife, Heidi, while retweeting an unflattering picture of her. Last week, he attacked the sanity of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, widely hailed as a feminist icon, claiming her “mind is shot.”

Conway doesn’t like the name-calling. “Maybe,” she said, “it’s just the mother in me.”

She also said she wants Trump to avoid criticizing people's looks and mental capacity.

 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/08/17/trumps-new-campaign-manager-kellyanne-conway-doesnt-like-his-name-calling/

I predict that Ms. Conway will transform Trump into a perfect gentleman by sundown. 

 

[Howl]

Talk about rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.....

[AmazonGrace]

Seriously? Some people want a president who needs a babysitter? 

Most people learned that name calling isn't nice in kindergarten. 

[Hera]

Oh, good. I'm glad Trump has just gone ahead and hired people who will support him in his bid to be the ignorant, misogynistic, race-baiting asshole he is. At least someone has accepted that this turd tornado (TM - see link for a laugh) is who he is and has no intention or desire to change.  I guess the good news for Trump is that he's already close to (or at) the floor of his support and the only people left are the dumb, white and uneducated folks that he "loves" so it's not like he can do much worse.  If he can't win, might as well burn the Republican Party down. At least that's accomplishing something. 

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/291747-former-breitbart-editor-calls-trump-a-turd-tornado

[Howl]

A commenter on the turdnado article used the term "shitgibbon" to refer to Trump.  It's the Scottish way to refer to Trump, according to Urban Dictionary:

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General insult....moron, idiot, Donald Trump in particular. (Origin: Scotland)

We voted to remain, you incomprehensible shitgibbon!

 

 

[Hera]

I need to make "shitgibbon" part of my regular vocabulary.

[Howl]

Holy crap, there is a second turdnado -- how did I miss this?  Paul Manafort is under investigation as part of an anti-corruption probe in the Ukraine. 

New York Times: 

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On a leafy side street off Independence Square in Kiev is an office used for years by Donald J. Trump’s campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, when he consulted for Ukraine’s ruling political party. His furniture and personal items were still there as recently as May.

And Mr. Manafort’s presence remains elsewhere here in the capital, where government investigators examining secret records have found his name, as well as companies he sought business with, as they try to untangle a corrupt network they say was used to loot Ukrainian assets and influence elections during the administration of Mr. Manafort’s main client, former PresidentViktor F. Yanukovych.

Handwritten ledgers show $12.7 million in undisclosed cash payments designated for Mr. Manafort from Mr. Yanukovych’s pro-Russian political party from 2007 to 2012, according to Ukraine’s newly formed National Anti-Corruption Bureau. Investigators assert that the disbursements were part of an illegal off-the-books system whose recipients also included election officials.

In addition, criminal prosecutors are investigating a group of offshore shell companies that helped members of Mr. Yanukovych’s inner circle finance their lavish lifestyles, including a palatial presidential residence with a private zoo, golf course and tennis court. Among the hundreds of murky transactions these companies engaged in was an $18 million deal to sell Ukrainian cable television assets to a partnership put together by Mr. Manafort and a Russian oligarch, Oleg Deripaska, a close ally of President Vladimir V. Putin. Full text here

Da fuq I just read? I quoted the first part of a long article.  Set aside about 20 minutes to process what's going on; it's convoluted.  Yeah, the Cayman Islands are involved.  

This guy sounds as dirty as they come.  Someone upthread referenced the Hindenburg.....Manafort sailed on the Titanic, but his baggage is on the Hindenburg.  Trump, what the HELL were you thinking to let this guy anywhere near you?   But it's all ok 'cause Manafort's lawyer says it is. 

[Mecca]

15 hours ago, Cartmann99 said:

I honestly don't understand the point of hiring new people for this flaming trainwreck. If they propose something Trump doesn't like, he's just going to ignore them and do what he wants to do anyway. Also, how does having the Trump campaign listed on your resume help your career?

 

I think Trump hired these people, especially that extremely awful Steve Bannon, because they are more in line with his craziness and will not try to calm the Donald down. Steve Bannon is a Trump fanboy. This switch up came down at 4:30am and Trump cut his children out of the decision making.

I think we are about to see some real craziness with Bannon running the campaign. Trump has also brought in Roger Ailes to help him before the debates. Gag. Nothing says family values like sexual harassment. It appears Trump has no interest in reaching out to the people he needs to win. He will now cater to the extremely far right-wingers that deal with conspiracy theories over facts. This will be disasterous shit show of epic proportions.

I am beginning to wonder if Trump is self-sabotaging at this point. Fine by me. That puts Hillary in the White House and possibly the Dems can gain some seats in Congress. 

[Howl]

4 hours ago, Mecca said:

I am beginning to wonder if Trump is self-sabotaging at this point. Fine by me. That puts Hillary in the White House and possibly the Dems can gain some seats in Congress. 

I think you've nailed it.  To hell with Trump University.  The Donald is now attending the Charlie Sheen school of WINNING!  Tiger blood, anyone? 

Such an epic campaign season.  Yes, this could be such a major turning point.  I'd love to see the Dems ascendant in the House. 

[louisa05]

So...Obama once was at a meeting with a former member of the Weather Underground and that was an enormous scandal worthy of deeming him unqualified. But the GOP will mumble support for a nominee affiliated with a guy like Manafort? Okay. 

[VelociRapture]

I'm still trying to understand why the fuck Cinnamon Hitler decided to come harass us in Connecticut last weekend. We haven't gone Red for President since George H.W. Bush in 1988. I sincerely doubt Cinammon Hitler is going to have enough support here to win our whooping 7 electoral votes.

So... Any insight on this solid campaign choice? 

Oh. And for those wondering - I have yet to see a single ad for Cinammon Hitler here. Lots for Hillary. My favorites are the ones where they just use clips of Trump speaking because that's really all that's needed at this point. 

[AmazonGrace]

It is probably too much to hope that he's going bankrupt again and can't afford them.

Perhaps Trumpy thinks that Hillary's clips of himself speaking are good press, and is saving up for a last minute mud slinging campaign on the assumption that his voters have a short memory anyway. 

[GreyhoundFan]

The Orange Menace's latest claim is that Hillary is physically unable to be POTUS, but that his health is just the best ever. A physician posted an interesting review of Trump's alleged health statement here.

Trump's doctor's note looks like it was written by Trump, or maybe "John Miller"

[AmazonGrace]

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/08/18/how-donald-trump-s-new-hire-finally-killed-gop-unity.html

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But the fact that Trump’s campaign is now helmed by a man who built his reputation on attacking Republicans—and whom establishment Republicans loathe in turn—means those hopes of unity are probably toast.

You know you're in trouble when your speech writer is jumping ship:
 

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Growing up, Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan were my icons. My sense of party fealty is such that I worked on the paid GOP convention staff in Philadelphia in 2000, and again, just recently, as a professional volunteer on the speechwriting staff in Cleveland.

In fact, I personally drafted the speech of the "Benghazi mom," Patricia Smith. In that speech, I concluded with the following line: "If Hillary Clinton can't give us the truth, why should we give her the presidency?" As a political speechwriter, that was something of a home run moment for me. The New Yorker called the speech "the weaponization of grief."

But weeks after the end of the 2016 GOP convention, I am confronted by an inconvenient fact: Despite what I wrote in that nationally televised speech about Hillary Clinton, I may yet have to vote for her because of the epic deficiencies of my own party's nominee.

 

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bs-ed-lifelong-republican-20160817-story.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/ive-always-voted-republican-until-now/2016/08/17/03a1b970-622d-11e6-96c0-37533479f3f5_story.html?hpid=hp_no-name_opinion-card-d%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.a52d66742fb1
 

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And I have always voted for Republicans for president. Not this year.

The compelling rationale behind this decision: leadership. A good leader must demonstrate such qualities as competence, integrity, empathy, character and temperament. Hillary Clinton has these essential qualities. Donald Trump does not.

 

 

[nausicaa]

21 hours ago, Hera said:

Oh, good. I'm glad Trump has just gone ahead and hired people who will support him in his bid to be the ignorant, misogynistic, race-baiting asshole he is. At least someone has accepted that this turd tornado (TM - see link for a laugh) ...

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/291747-former-breitbart-editor-calls-trump-a-turd-tornado

I never thought I could actually like Ben Shapiro, but now I think I could let him sit at my lunch table. 

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"A what tornado?" CNN host Brianna Keilar asked Shapiro.

"A turd tornado," Shapiro answered. "It's like a 'Sharknado' except with poop."

 

[Cartmann99]

3 hours ago, VelociRapture said:

 I'm still trying to understand why the fuck Cinnamon Hitler decided to come harass us in Connecticut last weekend. We haven't gone Red for President since George H.W. Bush in 1988. I sincerely doubt Cinammon Hitler is going to have enough support here to win our whooping 7 electoral votes.

So... Any insight on this solid campaign choice? 

Obviously,  you folks in Connecticut just needed to see him up c!ose and personal so you'd quit believing all those lies from the librul media.  

Reminds me of 2008 when Palin was trying to convince McCain to let her go campaign in Michigan. McCain still had enough guts at that point to tell her that they needed to concentrate their efforts elsewhere. Fortunately for the Democrats, Trump's too damn stubborn to listen to anyone who advises that the campaign needs to focus on winning over the swing states.

New York? New Jersey? Washington? California? Can any of you issue a challenge to the Trump campaign? I'd love to watch him waste his resources seriously campaigning in your states!  

32 minutes ago, AmazonGrace said:

You know you're in trouble when your speech writer is jumping ship:

[Ali]

The orange idiot is coming to my state, Michigan, tomorrow. Help!

 

[Howl]

@Ali, love your avatar!  Yeah, lay in a supply of snacks and don't let it get ya down.   It's just for a day.  Y'all have survived the Todd Courser/Cindy Gamrat circus; this should be a piece of cake.  Unless The Donald is in your city, then traffic will be a night mare.  When Obama came to my city, Austin, TX, they just told everybody who worked downtown to stay home and all was well. 

[Ali]

@Howl Thanks, I have been a Simone Biles fan since 2013. I am so happy she was able to stay injury free and show the world how awesome she is.

No, the Donald will not be in my city. I survived him being closer to me for one of the debates. I guess I can survive this.

[GreyhoundFan]

I was perusing The Washington Post and couldn't stop laughing when I found this story about an artist who created unflattering nude statues of Rumplethinskin and has placed them in several cities around the U.S. Thank heavens there isn't one near me, or I'd need to get a crate of airsick bags. Here's the story, complete with pictures -- click at your own risk. I like how the artist said he tried to make DT look constipated.

[Cartmann99]

2 hours ago, GreyhoundFan said:

I was perusing The Washington Post and couldn't stop laughing when I found this story about an artist who created unflattering nude statues of Rumplethinskin and has placed them in several cities around the U.S. Thank heavens there isn't one near me, or I'd need to get a crate of airsick bags. Here's the story, complete with pictures -- click at your own risk. I like how the artist said he tried to make DT look constipated.

I love the response from the NYC Parks Department:

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The most surprising government agency to lampoon Donald Trump this week? The New York City Parks Department.

The department issued a short response after an arts group called Indecline hoisted a life-size, naked Trump statue in Union Square park Thursday. "NYC Parks stands firmly against any unpermitted erection in city parks, no matter how small," said Sam Biederman, a parks spokesman.

 

http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/18/politics/naked-donald-trump-statue-nyc-parks-department/index.html

[Geechee Girl]

One of Trumplethinskin's advisors is said to be an anti-Semite. Joseph Schmitz, former Dept of Defense Inspector General has been accused by 3 federal employees of boasting pushing out Jewish employees. The trio have filed grievances with the federal gov't, with one testifying under oath.

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“In his final days, he allegedly lectured Mr. Crane on the details of concentration camps and how the ovens were too small to kill 6 million Jews,” wrote Meyer, whose complaint is before the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB).

 It's long read, and I had trouble keeping all the names straight. Allegations are flying back and forth among different sketchy characters. Bottom line, I think this guy is vile, and I'm not surprised his type would be in the Hate Monger's circle. 

The article was linked via HuffPo.

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/election/article96421087.html

[AmazonGrace]

Trump is sorry but not really:

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/19/us/politics/donald-trump-steps-out-of-character-to-voice-unexplained-regrets.html?_r=0
 

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“Sometimes, in the heat of debate and speaking on a multitude of issues, you don’t choose the right words or you say the wrong thing,” Mr. Trump said. “I have done that. And believe it or not, I regret it.”

The crowd gathered at a convention center here responded by chanting Mr. Trump’s name, and he gave them a thumbs-up.

“And I do regret it, particularly where it may have caused personal pain,” Mr. Trump added.

 

 

That's what everyone wants: a president who does not think before he speaks.

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“Too much is at stake for us to be consumed with these issues.”

This sort of negates the whole thing. He's sorry but really folks, why are you getting hung up on every stupid thing that the Donald says when he's trying to make America great again? Just shrug and move on, and remember to vote for the Donald.

He's not really sorry for being an obnoxious bully, he has regrets only because it has cost him votes.