Trump's descent into dementia

[LV426]

LOL. We've seen Biden off teleprompter, it doesn't even take 2 minutes before he's mucked it up.

If you asked Biden to do other than read crotch notes at a world leader or the teleprompter to a crowd he would either dither off into nonsense words about beer and end with "Thanks for the Great Lakes" or he would proceed to tell you a story where he remembers something that never happened. Perhaps he would thug life with a hard hat backwards...

Without reading, this man couldn't make it through a 5 minute scripted presser without going off into a story where he "almost lost his wife and his cat" to a fire that had already been found to be a fabrication in an earlier speech...

Trump stands in front of crowds and with no 'prompter provides near endless repertoire (yes at a 4th grade level, and with 4th grader insults like saying someone's name wrong and crap.. but definitely near endless unscripted speeches).... Yeah, he's gone and used the wrong name for Nancy Pelosi (called her Nikki Haley)... I get you, but this challenge would not end up well for pResident Brandon...

The fact of the matter is that not only did Biden recover the economy from the most recent Conservative failure, he's actually delivered on the GDP and job growth numbers that TRUMP promised before COVID but never managed to hit.

Every single Conservative policy fails.

Every. Single. One.

No exceptions.

There has never been a successful Conservative policy. Not once. Not ever.

Conservatives have only made the country weaker with their policies, which is why NONE OF THEM ARE CAMPAIGNING ON POLICY.

 

[martin]

Yes, Trump is the greater danger but only if he can convince Congress to go along with him. I have no control about who are the candidates of other parties nor the Senators and Representatives of other states.

Claiming that I'm traitor, betraying my oath, turning my back on my country, etc, simply because I refuse to vote for your candidate is an example of political bullying. Why should I trust a party that does that?

Pointing out, even urging consideration of "the greater danger" is fair game, regardless of implications.

 

[Cypress]

Yes, Trump is the greater danger but only if he can convince Congress to go along with him. I have no control about who are the candidates of other parties nor the Senators and Representatives of other states.

Claiming that I'm traitor, betraying my oath, turning my back on my country, etc, simply because I refuse to vote for your candidate is an example of political bullying. Why should I trust a party that does that?

I'm not too terribly worried about Biden not being able to win over the majority of American voters. The Republican Party has only won the national popular vote only once since the 1980s.

I believe you should think about the fairness of the electoral college system. The founders never intended to establish a tyranny of the minority, and changing the electoral college is a quick fix by constitutional amendment. Less populated states are already given disproportionate power in the US Senate

 

[Dutch Uncle]

Pointing out, even urging consideration of "the greater danger" is fair game, regardless of implications.

Yes. False accusations are not.

 

[Dutch Uncle]

I'm not too terribly worried about Biden not being able to win over the majority of American voters. The Republican Party has only won the national popular vote only once since the 1980s.

I believe you should think about the fairness of the electoral college system. The founders never intended to establish a tyranny of the minority, and changing the electoral college is a quick fix by constitutional amendment. Less populated states are already given disproportionate power in the US Senate

Why not split California in two? That'll double their Senators.

Since 3/4s of the states won't accept letting a handful of states always pick our national leaders, I think changing the Constitution is unlikely. Better, IMO, to encourage states to have ranked voting. It would not only allow more Third Parties (AKA DEI) but also reduce the risk of Third Parties being spoilers.

 

[Cypress]

Why not split California in two? That'll double their Senators.

Since 3/4s of the states won't accept letting a handful of states always pick our national leaders, I think changing the Constitution is unlikely. Better, IMO, to encourage states to have ranked voting. It would not only allow more Third Parties (AKA DEI) but also reduce the risk of Third Parties being spoilers.

Modifying the EC by constitutional amendment is administratively and legally a much easier fix in principle, than asking states to carve themselves up.

I think if a concept appeals to common sense, is eminently fair, and is easily defensible, then it should be easily explainable to people. I've tried to explain the EC to Brits, Canadians, and Russians and they don't get it.

 

[martin]

I'm not too terribly worried about Biden not being able to win over the majority of American voters. The Republican Party has only won the national popular vote only once since the 1980s.

I believe you should think about the fairness of the electoral college system. The founders never intended to establish a tyranny of the minority, and changing the electoral college is a quick fix by constitutional amendment. Less populated states are already given disproportionate power in the US Senate

The Founders intended to avoid a tyranny of the stupid and this was the point of the electoral college, a tyranny of the wise - the intended criteria for section of electors. Their goal quickly sank in the swamp of party politics.

 

[ThatOwlWoman]

His antics in court didn't help either. He's a loser through and through.

Supposedly the judgment on what he owes for the fraud business is due to be released today. Hope it's a bundle. BTW, I tried to answer your message but your inbox is full.

 

[Dutch Uncle]

Modifying the EC by constitutional amendment is administratively and legally a much easier fix in principle, than asking states to carve themselves up.

I think if a concept appeals to common sense, is eminently fair, and is easily defensible, then it should be easily explainable to people. I've tried to explain the EC to Brits, Canadians, and Russians and they don't get it.

The Alt-Right has sought a Constitutional Convention for decades now, but like changing the EC, that's a pipe dream since the results would be the same: an inability to get 2/3s of the states to agree on an amendment and 3/4s of the states to ratify it.

I suspect they don't get it because their countries have a history of monarchism or autocrats. An easier way to explain it is to compare the US to the EU; a collection of semi-autonomous states under a single banner. One problem the EU has is similar to the US before the Civil War; their central government is toothless. Outside of historians, most Americans don't understand the general American attitude pre-1860 compared to Americans in 1960.

 

[martin]

Thanks for the reference. I found there's a movie! LOL There's also this: https://blogs.baruch.cuny.edu/greatworks540spring2013/files/2013/03/James-Joyce_The-Dead.pdf

The famous last paragraph:

A few light taps upon the pane made him turn to the window. It had begun to snow again. He watched
sleepily the flakes, silver and dark, falling obliquely against the lamplight. The time had come for him to set
out on his journey westward. Yes, the newspapers were right: snow was general all over Ireland. It was falling
on every part of the dark central plain, on the treeless hills, falling softly upon the Bog of Allen and, farther
westward, softly falling into the dark mutinous Shannon waves. It was falling, too, upon every part of the
lonely churchyard on the hill where Michael Furey lay buried. It lay thickly drifted on the crooked crosses and
headstones, on the spears of the little gate, on the barren thorns. His soul swooned slowly as he heard the
snow falling faintly through the universe and faintly falling, like the descent of their last end, upon all the
living and dead.

 

[ThatOwlWoman]

I am quite certain it was actual concern amongst some in his inner circle that the things he was saying and doing were showing strong signs of onset dementia but they had to lie to to him to get him to take the test, by telling him it would have strategic value and make him look smart.

Trump is so dumb that he believed them, and thought others would be impressed that he passed the test and he thought it was proof of his intelligence, that he did.

Yes, he IS that stupid.

As I recall the mini cognitive test was part of the routine presidential physical Trump had. But I don't know if they give it to everyone over a certain age, or only if there are signs of a problem. If it's routine, say for POTUSes over the age of 70, then we know Biden has had more than one as well -- and evidently passed it too. So much for him being senile.

 

[ThatOwlWoman]

I won't be bullied into voting for anyone's candidate. In fact, the mere act of trying to strong arm or bully people into voting one way or another is anti-American.

I understand your point but don't see this as bullying. We're all very concerned about the possibility of another #TRE45ON regime. I have to agree with Phan on this. A vote for anyone other than Biden is a vote for fascism and chaos.

 

[QP!]

Yes, he IS that stupid.

As I recall the mini cognitive test was part of the routine presidential physical Trump had. But I don't know if they give it to everyone over a certain age, or only if there are signs of a problem. If it's routine, say for POTUSes over the age of 70, then we know Biden has had more than one as well -- and evidently passed it too. So much for him being senile.

It reminds me of the Trump Press conference where he wanted to let everyone know it was his idea that 'bleach' and 'injection...into the body'... 'like a cleaning for covid' was his idea.


It is so easy to see that the Public Health people were placating Trump who they saw as incredibly stupid. So when Trump came to them with the suggestion of 'bleach' and 'cleaning', they chose not to tell him it was a stupid idea and instead treated him like a child while rolling their eyes. 'yes Donny, we can look into 'bleach', 'in the body' ...'like a cleaning'. 'Good idea Donny'.


Trump then took to the Press conference and thinking he was going to make sure he got credit for the idea, thinking the public health people thought was a good idea, and he figured he would scoopt them by announcing it, leading to this moment...

 

[ThatOwlWoman]

It reminds me of the Trump Press conference where he wanted to let everyone know it was his idea that 'bleach' and 'injection...into the body'... 'like a cleaning for covid' was his idea.


It is so easy to see that the Public Health people were placating Trump who they saw as incredibly stupid. So when Trump came to them with the suggestion of 'bleach' and 'cleaning', they chose not to tell him it was a stupid idea and instead treated him like a child while rolling their eyes. 'yes Donny, we can look into 'bleach', 'in the body' ...'like a cleaning'. 'Good idea Donny'.


Trump then took to the Press conference and thinking he was going to make sure he got credit for the idea, thinking the public health people thought was a good idea, and he figured he would scoopt them by announcing it, leading to this moment...

... And the moment when he informed everyone that he was smart, smarter than the doctors even, and how shocked they were that he "knew so much about this."

 

[QP!]

I understand your point but don't see this as bullying. We're all very concerned about the possibility of another #TRE45ON regime. I have to agree with Phan on this. A vote for anyone other than Biden is a vote for fascism and chaos.

All my adult life i have never believed in the Democrat position that you 'must vote for them as the lesser of two evils' and reject all third party candidates.

What that type of reasoning has lead to is BOTH parties moving ever to the right because as bad as the Republicans have become and as much as they have abandoned all but the Rich and corporations, the Dems would say 'we only need to run a candidate a single HAIR to the left of the republicans to claim we are LESS BAD and thus should get all the votes'.

You will never get real change that way. It means the Dems can and WILL run Hillary with the second worst likeability score in all of politics against Donald Trump with the worst likeability while claiming she is the lesser of two evils you MUST vote for'.

We have largely the same dynamic now with both Trump and Biden running. Both know they would get CRUSHED by any other opponent and both know their best chance is each other running. IF the Dems ran a fresh face like Gavin Newsome this would be a walk away home run but instead the party is saying 'you MUST vote for Biden because Trump is so bad'. And i am not critical of Biden but perception is what it is.


BUt i do actually believe Trump poses a unique threat, that Bush Jr, or even Ron DeSantis (who would be terrible) do not, in that if Trump can do it, he will end Democracy in the US, pull the US out of NATO, and align the US with Russia, Chian and N.Korea, creating a new world order.

NO hyperbole in any of that. If the system can not stop Trump that is where i believe he will go.

So for that reason i do think all voters have a responsibility to vote for the 'lesser of two evils' to preserve America and world order for future generations.

It is a unique time where saying 'I was willing to stand by my principles and not vote to remove Trump, knowing the cost was losing everything we hold dear' is not good enough, imo.

 

[martin]

Modifying the EC by constitutional amendment is administratively and legally a much easier fix in principle, than asking states to carve themselves up.

I think if a concept appeals to common sense, is eminently fair, and is easily defensible, then it should be easily explainable to people. I've tried to explain the EC to Brits, Canadians, and Russians and they don't get it.

No wonder they don't get it. Absent its intended purpose, as it does and has almost from the beginning, it makes no sense.

 

[Dutch Uncle]

I understand your point but don't see this as bullying. We're all very concerned about the possibility of another #TRE45ON regime. I have to agree with Phan on this. A vote for anyone other than Biden is a vote for fascism and chaos.

Persuasion is positive such as explaining the reasons for voting for a particular candidate. Attacking someone for voting differently is negative. Ergo, bullying.

 

[Phantasmal]

Yes, he IS that stupid.

As I recall the mini cognitive test was part of the routine presidential physical Trump had. But I don't know if they give it to everyone over a certain age, or only if there are signs of a problem. If it's routine, say for POTUSes over the age of 70, then we know Biden has had more than one as well -- and evidently passed it too. So much for him being senile.

It has become routine for your annual Medicare wellness exam.

 

[Phantasmal]

Persuasion is positive such as explaining the reasons for voting for a particular candidate. Attacking someone for voting differently is negative. Ergo, bullying.

So, I’m a bully, but I feel very strong about protecting my country from a domestic terrorist. I will be a bully and continue to tell third party voters my opinion, especially those who swore to protect and serve.

 

[Dutch Uncle]

So, I’m a bully, but I feel very strong about protecting my country from a domestic terrorist. I will be a bully and continue to tell third party voters my opinion, especially those who swore to protect and serve.

It depends. Can a person engage in bullying but not be a bully? I think so.

I support shooting domestic terrorists and am confident the FBI is able to do so.

You are free to be a bully, Phan. There are plenty of them among the Trumpers.