Trump

[Which Tyler]

An awesome speech from the man on preventing opioid addiction. His one idea was to run an advert telling kids not to try drugs, perhaps he doesn't know that already happens, a lot. Then he moved onto praising China for the death penalty, a dress worn by Melania (at least it wasn’t one of Ivanka's) , how he's unfairly harassed, and around a minute in praise of dogs, there was more but it's genuinely hard to keep track, and this is when in theory he's staying on a specific single issue

Stopped clock? Or time to reassess my pet priorities?

[Digby]

An awesome speech from the man on preventing opioid addiction. His one idea was to run an advert telling kids not to try drugs, perhaps he doesn't know that already happens, a lot. Then he moved onto praising China for the death penalty, a dress worn by Melania (at least it wasn’t one of Ivanka's) , how he's unfairly harassed, and around a minute in praise of dogs, there was more but it's genuinely hard to keep track, and this is when in theory he's staying on a specific single issue

Stopped clock? Or time to reassess my pet priorities?

Much informed by his thinking that modern life and technology is too complex and thus it's better to use old fashioned tools, such as sniffer dogs on the border. In fairness dogs can do a remarkable job, but Trump might now hold the world record for the must uses of the word dog in a single ramble.

[Digby]

A truly weird man says now that measles is going around people should get shots to protect from it, luckily he's not such an incompetent lying wanker that he was part of the crowd berating vaccinations before there was a problem with measles

In other news a truly weird man says there it was a perfect answer that claimed there were good people on both sides in the stand off between white supremacists and people protesting those supremacists

And in other news the truly weird man turns out to be the greatest hostage negotiator, and not just the greatest but better than Obama, who knew

[Puja]

I'm actually really pleased that Trump's come out with a pro-vaccination statement (although it's certainly just because the last person to speak to him was pro-vaccination). Say what you will about him (and I do), but he has a lot of pull with stupid people who are mistrustful of scientists and "the establishment" which is a major part of the non-vaccinated group. Him saying it's important to get your shots will drive immunisation rates more than any amount of facts or logic.

Puja

[Digby]

Say immunisation rates go up how does one strip out that positive derives from Trump rather than dead/dying children?

[Stom]

Say immunisation rates go up how does one strip out that positive derives from Trump rather than dead/dying children?

Because people don't make changes based on facts that challenge their worldview. They make them based on people and emotions that adhere to their worldview.

[Digby]

Say immunisation rates go up how does one strip out that positive derives from Trump rather than dead/dying children?

Because people don't make changes based on facts that challenge their worldview. They make them based on people and emotions that adhere to their worldview.

That's not an answer, the query being if immunisation rates increase how does one attribute causation? I wouldn't be surprised if Trump claimed credit, but whilst we've plenty of evidence he can stoke fear is there much in the way of him delivering more positive outcomes?

[morepork]

It would appear Americans are terrified of the prospect of women in power and the default older white dude is the only thing on any menu.

*sigh*

[morepork]

You know, it takes a special kind of prick to pander to an organisation that is motivated by mass shootings to promote cartoon rambo levels of gun fetish and ownership, both domestically and abroad, run by the type of individuals that would sell arms to a country they are indirectly in conflict with and use the proceeds to support a rebel central American body known to carry out terrorism and human rights violations, and in the same breath stir up angry ignorant hatred of individuals from these same Central American locales. I don't know if it's the charter schools or what, but the American public needs a crash course in contemporary foreign policy, like, yesterday dude.

[morepork]

Yeah....I'm thinking that the US should probably take a seat at the kiddies table for the next little while and stay out of international affairs until such time as it can hold a general election that is about something other than just trying to recruit racism.

[Which Tyler]

Yeah....I'm thinking that the US should probably take a seat at the kiddies table for the next little while and stay out of international affairs until such time as it can hold a general election that is about something other than just trying to recruit racism.

It can't.
It's been rattling sabres at NKorea, Venezuela and Iran (and China, economically) and they've haven't just sat down and done what they're told!
The cheek of it, independent nations not putting Donald Trump's personal interest ahead of anything else.
His bluff is being called abroad, which his son is being subpoenad, and there's still a good chance that he will be, or at least, that the Mueller report will actually be made public...

The pressure's oiling in on a man who really doesn't deal with pressure.

[morepork]

Yeah....I'm thinking that the US should probably take a seat at the kiddies table for the next little while and stay out of international affairs until such time as it can hold a general election that is about something other than just trying to recruit racism.

It can't.
It's been rattling sabres at NKorea, Venezuela and Iran (and China, economically) and they've haven't just sat down and done what they're told!
The cheek of it, independent nations not putting Donald Trump's personal interest ahead of anything else.
His bluff is being called abroad, which his son is being subpoenad, and there's still a good chance that he will be, or at least, that the Mueller report will actually be made public...

The pressure's oiling in on a man who really doesn't deal with pressure.

Dude, there have already been armed militants caught "patroling" the southern border and rounding up brown folk who look like dey up to no good. Just yesterday someone yelled out "shoot 'em" in response to the question "what shall we do with them (immigrants)"? posed by Donald J Cunt at one of his xenophobia 3000 rallies, which he naturally made light of. There are legions of millenial alt-right whack jobs high on conspiracy theory jacked into self-fuelling social media bonfires getting more radicalised by the hour. All because a fat cunt makes shit up about brown people to energise an already racist base of (armed) shouty people. Think of a white Maro Itoje screaming at the opposition line out on their throw in, but armed to the teeth.

Seriously, fuck this shit.

[Sandydragon]

So it sounds like even the Donald is beginning to wonder if his National Security advisor is completely off the rails. Leaving Bolton in charge of anything is a recipe for a disaster.

[morepork]

Poor old fatty just wombles around from room to room with a vague sense of what he is supposed to do based on the most recent cartoon schematic presented to him. The degree to which the entire world views him as an incompetent fuckwit just adds to the morbid fascination of viewing his waddlings through the machinery of state. Bolton and Pompeo are cartoon characters of such idiotic proportion that they begin to filter through even Donell's fog of conciousness. Other state actors play them, and they play Donell. It's just pathetic. Meanwhile the next country on the list of avoidable policy disaster looks on with a "WTF?" look plastered on their Chevy Chase.

Add to this the loss of revenue from tax cuts to the top tier, increased consumer costs from this truely bizzarre trade war (a tax on the consumer that does not go to the government but covers tariffs), blatant caving in to requests for increased military spending (which seems to double as a discretionary spending account), an almost inconceivable rolling back of civil and human rights (way to go Alabama...Jesus may love you, but everyone else thinks you're a cunt), and a horrible picture emerges of a catastrophically inept executive branch of government being played by a clashing diversity of vested interest that is horribly out of tune. Well done America, you've gone full Berlusconi. We all can't wait for Jared's ultimate solution for Peace in the Middle East.

[Sandydragon]

I had completely forgotten that Jared was working to save the ME. I won’t get the champers out just yet.

[Digby]

Jared has forgotten too. But seemingly has secured millions if not billions in financing for his family to prevent their financial implosion over 666, so we've that to be grateful for, and all without any conflict of interest in a monstrous case of corruption too, else I'd assume he'd have been fired by Trump and perhaps even in jail.

Still whilst peace in the Middle East isn't yet upon us we can at least be thankful Jared is close to solving the opiate crisis in America, already one billionaire family isn't making lavish cash awards toward art exhibits, and if that's not progress...

[Digby]

As of today I'd suggest Republicans are about to shoot both barrels into the one foot, reload and do the same to the other foot as they go after Roe Vs Wade. Though I'd have to concede I didn't think Trump could win through as the Republican nominee never mind win the presidency

But surely they're about to abandon hope of getting anyone but lunatics to vote Republican, and really, how many lunatics can there possibly be?

[Mikey Brown]

Jesus Christ. Don’t ask questions like that.

A fucking shitload is the answer.

[Digby]

He lost the popular vote last time, there are 3 if not 4 big swing states in play he only limped over the line in, and he is making it much harder to gain even 90% of the women's vote he got last time around.

[Mikey Brown]

Narrowly losing the popular vote still requires a totally absurd number of real, functioning humans, with eyes and ears and brains and stuff, to be willing to vote for someone like him.

I know a lot of those were because his opponent was also an utter piece of shit, but you couldn’t rule out a repeat of that situation.

[Which Tyler]

But surely they're about to abandon hope of getting anyone but lunatics to vote Republican, and really, how many lunatics can there possibly be?

About 40% seems to be as low as it gets for him...

[morepork]

It's going to be waged on FaceBook. Whoever has the most compelling insulting memes for their respective opposing elderly straight white male candidate will gain the upper hand. It's fucking pathetic. The most capable looking candidates appear to be women, but Fear of a Black Planet is apparently not as scary a score as Pussaliah Goddess of Beef Curtains.

[Digby]

I've got no sense from the very limited coverage so far (and rightfully limited so far in the UK) as to which prospective democratic nominees are performing best. From a long time back I've been impressed by Elizabeth Warren, but the age is a concern, and whether she's Presidential as opposed to a leading contender for a senior cabinet role I don't know.

I'm assuming no Republican who's said they'll take on Trump, is doing so under instructions from Team Trump to dissuade any realistic contenders, and any which way I'll assume they're making no progress

[morepork]

We must be nearing peak man baby, shirely?

[Which Tyler]

We must be nearing peak man baby, shirely?

Trump will always find a way of going lower