President Rejected Trump 50: Patient Zero of the White House Covid Cluster

[AmazonGrace]

Fox and Fiends y'all:

 

[fraurosena]

1 hour ago, SassyPants said:

Might I suggest that he can hold that event and place the wreaths himself?  Exercise is good for most people,  including him.

Honoring other people, be they living or dead, is an anathema to Trump.

38 minutes ago, AmazonGrace said:

Fox and Fiends y'all:

 

As if he could care less about the country...

[GreyhoundFan]

"The president is golfing and exercising White male privilege"

Quote

Few images capture the position of privilege from which the president operates better than the ones that depict him at his golf club in Virginia. In several of the pictures, he isn’t playing the game — or even holding a club — but rather simply tooling around the course like a feudal lord in a golf cart with his personalized campaign baseball cap pulled low.

These aren’t depictions of a sportsman or a statesman. For Donald Trump, who has recently turned golfing into his prime presidential duty second only to tweeting, they are portraits of a reckless man in full — specifically a man full of himself.

Trump is the unmasked duffer clutching the wheel of a golf cart, zipping over knolls while his caddie — also unmasked — hangs off the back. Trump has noted that these outings are an efficient form of exercise — practically medicinal, which is about as accurate as saying that being borne up the side of a mountain on a donkey is a form of good-for-you cardio.

The picture of a well-fed White man in a golf cart at a private club is a familiar trope in film and literature that has long been used to telegraph a narrative about fat-cat economics, stifling social hierarchies and inherited advantages. The golf course is the ground on which business is conducted by those on the inside track. It’s a place of backslapping, trash-talking and — in pre-pandemic days — handshaking.

It’s a classic metaphor for privilege and disregard — and sometimes establishment ineptness — and one that is also terribly apt for Trump. While a pandemic rages across the country, the president works on his swing. While images of unemployed Americans in seemingly endless food lines sear painful scars into our national psyche, the president is a man at leisure, rolling across the lush, manicured greenery of his private playground while his supporters cheer him on from outside the secure perimeter — and his critics protest.

In truth, Trump doesn’t even look like he’s having a particularly good time golfing. He simply appears to be avoiding the dreadfulness of his responsibilities. Such is his privilege.

In these long days since Joe Biden became president-elect, Trump’s refusal to concede or at least stop obstructing a peaceful transition of power can be described as many things — delusional, childish, unpatriotic, dangerous — but above all else it has been a tremendous display of the deference afforded to this man. As a man, who also happens to be White and wealthy, he has been able to muster the breathless support of both men and women — from Rudolph W. Giuliani in Pennsylvania court to Kayleigh McEnany in a full-throated media assault — because he lays claim to the benefit of the doubt even where there isn’t even a shadow of it.

Supporters have asserted that the president should be allowed to exhaust all of his legal options; he should be allowed to get used to the idea of loss; he should be given a chance to collect himself. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) in formal remarks spoke about the president like an indulgent parent blaming everyone else for his child’s bad behavior. “Let’s not have any lectures about how the president should immediately, cheerfully accept preliminary election results from the same characters who just spent four years refusing to accept the validity of the last election.” McConnell seemed not to understand that when the Democrats moved to investigate Trump and impeach him, that meant his critics had, in fact, accepted the reality of his victory. Disliking a president and being determined to hold him to account for malfeasance is not the same thing as denying his existence.

White male privilege is powerful. It overrides facts. It excuses horrendous behavior. It exalts the unqualified. It drew thousands of Trump supporters to the streets of the nation’s capital in their “Make America Great Again” gear and with their flags hoisted high, rubbing shoulders with members of hate groups because they believed the current president — the birther president — was righteous in his denial of his loss at the polls. They came to enable the illogic of a man who repaid their fervor with a drive-by appearance on his way to the golf course.

Others who might well have liked to choose fantasy over fact didn’t have that privilege. Hillary Clinton, who won the popular vote but lost the electoral count to Trump in 2016, was barely given 24 hours to nurse her wounds before much of the country was tapping its toes anxious for her concession. In Georgia, Stacey Abrams lost her 2018 gubernatorial race to Republican Brian Kemp, a man who was also serving as secretary of state, which is to say he was overseeing the election in which he was a candidate.

Abrams spoke up about voter suppression. Protesters converged on the state capitol to demand that all legal votes be counted. Abrams took her concerns to court. She took her time. But then, 10 days after voters had gone to the polls, she accepted the reality of her circumstances.

“I acknowledge that former Secretary of State Brian Kemp will be certified as the victor in the 2018 gubernatorial election. But to watch an elected official — who claims to represent the people of this state, baldly pin his hopes for election on the suppression of the people’s democratic right to vote — has been truly appalling. So, to be clear, this is not a speech of concession,” Abrams said.

“Concession means to acknowledge an action is right, true or proper. As a woman of conscience and faith, I cannot concede. But my assessment is that the law currently allows no further viable remedy.”

It has been two weeks since Election Day. Trump has neither conceded nor formally and finally acknowledged Biden’s victory. He simply golfs.

In recent days, former president Barack Obama has noted in interviews that Trump’s concession is long overdue for the sake of our democracy. Michelle Obama posted a long missive on her Instagram in which she recalled how difficult it was for her to welcome the Trumps into the White House, but that she did so because she felt compelled to put country before personal animus. She implored Americans to accept the vote tally. And one could only think of Trump’s more than 73 million voters and all those deaf ears on which her words almost certainly landed, people who have no intention of letting the pleas of a Black woman rise up to drown out the drumbeat of White male privilege because that hierarchy has always been essential to Trump’s appeal.

The only voices that can silence that privilege come from those who also have it. And so it’s significant that Michelle Obama turned her attention to the nation’s leaders and called on them to stop enabling Trump for the sake of national security. Perhaps they will listen. Perhaps they will pull the president aside and broker a deal with a bit of straight talk and an elbow bump.

Perhaps they will do so. Just a couple of lucky White guys on the golf course.

 

[Bluebirdbluebell]

It's a sad day when Fox and Friends is our source of sanity. However every news report of Trump not accepting his defeat is just really horrible to hear. It's almost more depressing than the pandemic. 

I keep telling myself. We're (America) in an abusive relationship with this man. Like any abusive relationship, the abuse can peak when you're trying to leave the relationship. That's what we're living through. It sucks though.

Maybe I'll try to call my senators soon, although I'm not sure what good that will do. 

[AmazonGrace]

Tremendous crowds! Largest ever!

[47of74]

56 minutes ago, Bluebirdbluebell said:

Maybe I'll try to call my senators soon, although I'm not sure what good that will do. 

I’m not bothering contacting mine.  Chuck and Joni have their heads so far up the Bonespur Buttplug’s ass that when he yawns they see daylight. 

[front hugs > duggs]

2 hours ago, 47of74 said:

I’m not bothering contacting mine.  Chuck and Joni have their heads so far up the Bonespur Buttplug’s ass that when he yawns they see daylight. 

I'm in FL. Preach.

[Cartmann99]

3 hours ago, front hugs > duggs said:

I'm in FL. Preach.

But Marco Rubio has a Bible verse he's anxious to share with you!

[HerNameIsBuffy]

6 hours ago, Bluebirdbluebell said:

I keep telling myself. We're (America) in an abusive relationship with this man. Like any abusive relationship, the abuse can peak when you're trying to leave the relationship. That's what we're living through. It sucks though.

I keep making this same point as well.  It is exactly like that.

To the degree I've been having a lot of nightmares and flashbacks about my ex and our divorce.  This is resonating on a very personal level with a lot of people for whom it's bringing up a lot of unpleasant memories.  

And like leaving an abusive spouse, if we get out of this intact enough to be able to rebuild our lives (or democracy in this case) we'll have done it right.

 Nuance and giving the benefit of the doubt have roles in lower stakes conflict, but with survival it's just about getting out alive and worry about the rest once it's safe to breathe.

 

Edited November 19, 2020 by HerNameIsBuffy

[Ozlsn]

7 hours ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

And like leaving an abusive spouse, if we get out of this intact enough to be able to rebuild our lives (or democracy in this case) we'll have done it right.

61 days. I am really worried that this feels like escalation, and where it will go next.

[clueliss]

So this evening I had a chiropractor appointment, coming home I flipped past CNBC on SiriusXM.  Now I’m concerned.  Apparently CEOs have been meeting because there is a concern about peaceful transfer of power so companies like say JP Morgan have apparently started making plans just in case.  It sounded like they would be paying attention to how Trump reacts as states begin certifying results.

[47of74]

 

[WiseGirl]

Turns out I still spend time yelling at Fuckopotamus.  Leave with some shred if...wtf just leave you incompetent moron. Maybe the CEOs will lead the coup d'etat. 

I am very fortunate that I have a senator that calls out 45 and McTurtle.  I always wanted to live somewhere warm but not right now.

[47of74]

3 hours ago, WiseGirl said:

Turns out I still spend time yelling at Fuckopotamus.  Leave with some shred if...wtf just leave you incompetent moron. Maybe the CEOs will lead the coup d'etat. 

I am very fortunate that I have a senator that calls out 45 and McTurtle.  I always wanted to live somewhere warm but not right now.

I'm going to be yelling at Bonespur Buttplug until that fucker actually leaves office.  And I'll still have plenty of bad things to say about him too after he leaves and is in the news.  I hope after January 20 it's all news about losing civil and criminal cases against him along with his groupies.  If you have a Democratic Senator count your blessings.  Here in Iowa we're not so fortunate and have two GOP drones and in January we'll have another drone in the House here in IA-1. 

I hope when they peal all mention of the Trump name off the Trump Tower they film it.  I do wonder what they'll call the place afterwards?  I'm thinking Bonespur Buttplug Plaza has a nice ring to it.

[HerNameIsBuffy]

14 hours ago, clueliss said:

So this evening I had a chiropractor appointment, coming home I flipped past CNBC on SiriusXM.  Now I’m concerned.  Apparently CEOs have been meeting because there is a concern about peaceful transfer of power so companies like say JP Morgan have apparently started making plans just in case.  It sounded like they would be paying attention to how Trump reacts as states begin certifying results.

Me too.  Not trying to be a doomer, but the people who are saying we have nothing to worry about as their coup of the EC can't happen should be more concerned as well.  They are openly talking about taking this election through the EC and no one cares.  How is that not cause for immediate removal and charges of sedition?

[SassyPants]

I’m over here on the left coast where one of my Senators is really old, and the other is really busy being the VP-elect. Can’t wait for this clown to be gone, but he’s milking his supporters for money while simultaneously setting the house on fire. Clearly, he is really afraid of what awaits him in the real world. I know speculating on people’s sanity is frowned upon, but this dude is insane. He has zero, healthy, adult coping mechanisms.

[front hugs > duggs]

You know it's 2020 when we are partially relying on Wall St. CEOs for protection of the American people and democracy.

[Alisamer]

On 11/15/2020 at 6:20 PM, 47of74 said:

It’s kind of a challenge for euchre players now. What in hell are we supposed to call the trump suite now that fuck face has ruined the word forever? 

In Tarot, the major arcana are sometimes called Trumps (though most people lately just use "majors" or similar). I think it was derived from "triumph" though, so possibly similar in euchre? 

As for Trump - this is ridiculous. Not only has he been hired for a job that he is not qualified for, he's spent the past 4 years profiting off that job and now he's not even pretending to DO the job. For real, if I was making prints at work and selling them for my own profit, and spent half my time watching TV and the other half golfing, I'd have been fired ages ago. 

He's effectively abdicated what little he was pretending to do before the election. I wish the Repubs in the senate would grow a pair. He needed to be fired ages ago, but at least they could make it clear THEY intend to transition to the new administration. Then no matter what tantrums he throws they can counter some of it, and kick his ass out of the White House on Inauguration Day.

Frankly, I still expect him to spitefully do the "you can't fire me, I quit! (Hey Mike, where's my pardon? Melanie, to the private jet!)" thing - but only once/if it is totally clear he has no way to steal the election. If the rest of the republicans in government would quit kissing his orange spray-tanned ass he'd do it super quick, most likely. But as long as he's got people in his corner and thinks he can continue to profit, he'll hold out as long as possible. Sadly (for us, he deserves it), I think many of those people are doing the same thing - hold onto his coattails and leech as much money off him as possible, for as long as possible.

[AmazonGrace]

 

[Destiny]

21 minutes ago, AmazonGrace said:

 

I keep thinking, "You know, we've reached the bottom. Nothing he can do can surprise me anymore," then, somehow, he still manages to make me gasp with shock. Gods, I can't wait till he is out of our fucking lives for EVER.

[AmazonGrace]

 

[Cartmann99]

 

[clueliss]

Junior has the covid 

Oops, thought I’d posted this.

[47of74]

Of course the Bonespur Buttplug can’t be bothered to pay attention 

Quote

As leaders from across the globe began a virtual summit discussing issues from the coronavirus pandemic to climate change, Donald Trump’s thoughts were elsewhere -- on the tussle over the U.S. election.

The president kept his head down, staring at something on his desk out of sight during a nine-minute speech on Saturday by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz, who welcomed countries taking part in a meeting of the Group of 20 nations hosted by his kingdom. The speech and footage of other leaders was shown live on the official G-20 website.

Then, within moments of the monarch ending his address, Trump tweeted to comment on an encounter with Republican leaders of the Michigan state legislature. He promised: “We will show massive and unprecedented fraud!”

The optics underscored Trump’s disinterest in such forums. After a flurry of tweets, he delivered his own remarks before leaving the virtual session and heading to his golf course near Washington, D.C. Trump has appeared only occasionally in public since his election defeat, though he continues to insist he won and is pursuing long-shot legal strategies to cling to power.

Jesus Fucking Christ. Grow up Donald. I bet cash money the other people on that call are all counting down the number of days until this shit gibbon in our Brady Bunch square is replaced by a goddamn adult. 

[Jana814]

Not surprised that Junior has COVID.