GOP2020: What Becomes Of The Collaborators Post-Trump?

Inside the minds of Trump voters...

To try and better understand the public opinion dynamics over James Comey’s testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee, CNN conducted an informal focus group in Fairfield, Ohio.

“Butler County Ohio, north of Cincinnati, has been very kind to Republican presidential candidates over the years, since 2000 the Republican candidates won each time, including in 2016 with Donald Trump with sixty-one percent of the vote,” CNN national correspondent Gary Tuckman explained.

Tuckman had nine Trump supporters watch the morning hearings with him at Rick’s Tavern and Grill and then return to answer questions about the former FBI Director’s testimony.

“First thing i want to ask you, it is a crime when you testify before Congress to lie, it is perjury and you can to prison for it,” Tuckman began. “Raise your hand if you believe James Comey lied. Four of you believe he lied.”

Then Tuckman inquired about the focus group participants’ view of Donald Trump.

Comey “says that Donald Trump quote told lies plain and simple,” Tuckman followed up. “Raise your hand if you believe that Donald Trump lied at all about the situation. None of you believe it.”

The CNN journalist was baffled by results and followed up with direct questions of the voters.

“Well, first of all, things can be distorted and appear like lies, and I think maybe the media might have be distorted some things and now we’re not getting both sides,” one of the Trump supporters rationalized.

The final question had the most startling results.

“Let me ask you, a show of hands, how many of you feel better about Donald Trump, your president, after this hearing?”

All hands went up.

http://www.rawstory.com/2017/0...

They were in a group and raising their hands so all could see. Would they say the same thing off the record one on one?

If so it's very very sad because it means that there are people in this country who will blindly follow a leader. 

People voted for DJT because many were just tired and disappointed with the same old, same old over the last few decades. Voters were fed up with political double speak.

The Dems only offered more of the same, even while HRC was considered untrustworthy.

The President consistently campaigned to run the government like a successful business -- an arena with which he is very comfortable. 

I am hoping this works; we had no other choice.

People were done being lied to. 

Instead they wanted to be lied at.

ridski said:

People were done being lied to. 

Instead they wanted to be lied at.

They wanted the best, most fantastic lies. 

mtierney said:

People voted for DJT because many were just tired and disappointed with the same old, same old over the last few decades. Voters were fed up with political double speak.

The Dems only offered more of the same, even while HRC was considered untrustworthy.

The President consistently campaigned to run the government like a successful business -- an arena with which he is very comfortable.

 

Successful business?   With his many bankruptcies? With US banks refusing to lend him money? With him having to get funds for his real estate and golf courses from Russians?

His two sons did say the Russians funded them. Or were they lying?

So you no longer want the same old, same old. Neither do I. But be careful of what you get instead. Germany voted for change, ending of the Weimar republic. Italy voted to end the same old when they elected Mussolini.

mtierney said:

People voted for DJT because many were just tired and disappointed with the same old, same old over the last few decades. Voters were fed up with political double speak.

The Dems only offered more of the same, even while HRC was considered untrustworthy.

The President consistently campaigned to run the government like a successful business -- an arena with which he is very comfortable. 

I am hoping this works; we had no other choice.

 

Successful business?  Like one of his bankrupt casinos?  Or slapping his name on a tacky building?  Or creating a fake university and stealing money from people?  Or when he lost close to a billion dollars in one year?

Tired of political doublespeak?  I guess you believe President Obama was born in Kenya and had a fake birth certificate and that TedCruz's father was in on the JFK assassination.

Trump is absolutely correct:  He could shoot someone on 5th Avenue and his blind followers will follow.  God help us.

mtierney said:

People voted for DJT because many were just tired and disappointed with the same old, same old over the last few decades. Voters were fed up with political double speak.
 

What do you mean by "same old, same old" over the last few decades? Do you think Reagan, Bush I, Clinton, Bush II, and Obama were all the same? What were the people disappointed with over the last eight years? This is what happened, I'll list just a few (with citations) from each category (OK, I got carried away). You can click into the link to see the rest of the long list. Oh, and by the way, our last president left office with an approval rating above 60%, 20 points higher than his successor had going into the office.

http://pleasecutthecrap.com/ob...

Altered the Culture of the Executive Branch and the Federal Government

Within his first week, he signed an Executive Order ordering an audit of government contracts, and combating waste and abuse.   http://1.usa.gov/dUvbu5

Created the post of Chief Performance Officer, whose job it is to make operations more efficient to save the federal government money.   http://n.pr/hcgBn1

On his first full day, he froze White House salaries for the duration of the Great Recession.  http://cbsn.ws/2aNMqNN

He appointed the first Federal Chief Information Officer to oversee federal IT spending and efficiency. http://www.cio.gov

He committed to phasing out unnecessary and outdated weapons systems and signed the Weapons Systems Acquisition Reform Act, in an attempt to limit waste, fraud and abuse in the defense procurement and contracting systems. http://bit.ly/hOw1t1

Signed an Executive Order instructing federal agencies to review all federal regulations and remove any unnecessary and/or burdensome regulations from the books.  http://1.usa.gov/Lpo5bd

Dismantled the Minerals Management Service, thereby cutting ties between energy companies and the government.  http://nyti.ms/bw1MLu

Provided the first voluntary disclosure of the White House Visitors Log in history.  http://1.usa.gov/hQ7

Prevented a Depression, Improved the Economy

Pushed through and signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, also known as “the stimulus package.” He also launched recovery.gov, a website that allows taxpayers to track spending from the Act. http://bit.ly/2aw6HGt

By the end of his first year, the economy created and sustained 2.1 million jobs and the ARRA stimulated the economy by 3.5%.  http://reut.rs/i46CEE

He guided the massive TARP financial and banking rescue plan and forced financial organizations to pay back virtually all bailout money. http://bit.ly/2alXjlV

In 2010 alone, more jobs were created than had been created during Bush’s eight years. http://bit.ly/hrrnjY

He pushed through and implemented an auto industry rescue plan that saved as many as 1 million jobs and possibly the entire auto industry. http://bit.ly/ibhpxr   http://bit.ly/gj7mt5

Through his investment in GM, returned to the company to its place as the premiere car company in the world.   http://lat.ms/zIJuQx

Increased infrastructure spending after years of neglect. http://bit.ly/f77aOw

Signed the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act, which helped millions of Americans avoid preventable foreclosures and provided $2.2 billion to combat homelessness and stabilize the housing market. http://bit.ly/2aiFCbi

Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, saved at least 300,000 education jobs, such as teachers, principals, librarians, and counselors that would have otherwise been lost.  http://1.usa.gov/ez30D

Provided funding to states and the Department of Homeland Security to save thousands of police and firefighter jobs from being cut during the recession. http://bit.ly/g0IKWR

Signed bill to provide extra training for local police forces, especially with regard to active shooter situations.  http://bit.ly/2cvFlRf

China’s largest manufacturer, Foxconn, is building a large plant in Pennsylvania http://cnnmon.ie/1k7LT4S

Worked with Apple Computer to get them to build more product here, and the company is building two large plants to manufacture products here; one in Texas http://zd.net/1nkpt2O and one in Arizona http://bit.ly/1mXY5Vg

Specific Examples of Economic Improvement

As of December 2016, a record 75 consecutive months of overall job growth, a record. http://on.msnbc.com/1TKFCPQ

As of August 2016, Unemployment drops below 5% for the first time in eight years and without a significant bubble, remains below 5% until he leaves office. 4.9%   http://on.msnbc.com/1TKFCPQ

As of December 2016, there have been 82 consecutive months of private sector job growth, a record.  http://1.usa.gov/1Xhizho

Oversaw a reduction in the federal budget deficit by two-thirds since taking office. http://bit.ly/1xKMmjY

Reduced the federal budget deficit from 9.8% of GDP in Fiscal Year 2009 under Bush, to 2.5% of GDP in FY 2015.  http://bit.ly/2cI4ABV

Scolds Congress and gets a $305 billion highways bill passed. This bill has the added benefit of created hundreds of thousands of new jobs and creating incentives for green cars.   http://bit.ly/1NsL2Zq

Wages have risen more in 2015 and 2016 than at any time in almost 20 years, without the aid of an economic bubble. http://theatln.tc/2iX24JK

For the first time in 15 years, the lowest income demographic is seeing a rise in income. http://theatln.tc/2iX24JK

Addressed Wrongdoing in the Financial Sector

Signed the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act giving the federal government more tools to investigate and prosecute fraud in every corner of the financial system, and create a bipartisan Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission to investigate the financial fraud that led to the economic meltdown.  http://abcn.ws/g18Fe7

Along with Congressional Democrats, pushed through and got passed Dodd-Frank, one of the largest and most comprehensive Wall Street reforms since the Great Depression.  http://bit.ly/hWCPg0http://bit.ly/geHpcD

Signed the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act, closing many of the loopholes that allowed companies to send jobs overseas, and avoid paying US taxes by moving money offshore.    http://1.usa.gov/bd1RTq

Thanks to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, inflation in the healthcare sector dropped to its lowest point in 50 years.  http://on.wsj.com/1E6cYjF

Improved Conditions for Consumers and Small Businesses

Signed the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure (CARD) Act, to protect consumers from unfair and deceptive credit card practices.   http://1.usa.gov/gIaNcS

Guided the housing market all the way back from total collapse, which led to a rally for housing starts.  http://reut.rs/1NTAOVU

Spent unprecedented amounts of money on technology, to move the country well into the 21st Century, after eight years of lag. http://bit.ly/2jCTwsA

Brought airline industry back to their highest profitability since before the recession.   http://lat.ms/1O8H1iE

Created an airline passenger bill of rights, preventing airlines from stranding passengers on tarmac for hours, requiring them to return to the gate within three hours or face stiff fines.    http://bit.ly/2c3jAZi

Stock market has reached record highs, restoring most of the economic losses felt during the Bush Recession.   http://bit.ly/1z4FAtL

Promoted and signed a bill to established the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and implemented it.  http://1.usa.gov/j5onG   http://bit.ly/fnTayj

Consumer confidence continues to inch up to its highest level more than a decade.   http://bit.ly/1PZLRcK

Initiated a $15 billion plan designed to encourage increased lending to small businesses.  http://1.usa.gov/eu0u0b

Used recovered TARP money to fund programs at local housing finance agencies in California, Florida, Nevada, Arizona and Michigan.    http://bit.ly/2b3jKOk

Improved Treatment of Soldiers and Veterans

Provided active combat troops with better body armor.  http://bit.ly/hzSv2h

Created a Joint Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record program for military personnel, in order http://abcn.ws/1ghLrEshttp://abcn.ws/1ghLrEs to improve the quality of their medical care.  http://1.usa.gov/f4yaxW

Put an end to the Bush-era stop-loss policy that kept soldiers in Iraq/Afghanistan beyond their enlistment date. http://nyti.ms/e2YQ7Q

Signed and implemented Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act, making more money available to enable better medical care for veterans. http://1.usa.gov/fN4ur1

Raised soldiers pay. http://bit.ly/2k5sOFD

you left out the "red line" debacle -- Syria's war against its own people and the millions of migrants destablizing Europe.

mtierney said:

you left out the "red line" debacle -- Syria's war against its own people and the millions of migrants destablizing Europe.

^^^This is called "whataboutism." When someone makes a point that the other person can't refute, the response is—"But, but WHAT ABOUT [fill in the blank]."

I'll raise you one: What about Iran Contra (your guy Reagan DID IN FACT sell arms to Iran)? What about ... what's that called again?—oh, yeah: 9/11. What about 2008 financial crisis?

It's not my style to engage in whataboutism, but I wanted to demonstrate it's fruitlessness. It gets you nowhere.

Do you expect the world to be perfect, like a lullaby, during any particular president's term(s)?

I would never say that I agreed 100% with every single thing that happened under Obama, or that the world was perfection under Obama. But you IGNORE the immense accomplishments and cherry-pick a few things to criticize. And I'm not even addressing whether or not Europe is being "destabilized" (it's not) and whether, if it were, it's because of BHO. And he's responsible for the Syrian civil war? Yeah, everything was was sweet-smelling flowers in Syria and the region before 2009.

Tired of Trumps lies. Show up this weekend at the corner of Lamington Road and Rt. 206, Bedminster public library. The corner is set up for protesters. Very nice. You can even buy a cappuccino in the library! Come one, come all!! Show the 30% of Trump supporters that the MAJORITY who did not vote for Trump won't stand still while Trump tries to turn the USA into a dysfunctional dictatorship!

SHUTUP ALREADY!!!!!

mtierney said:

People voted for DJT because many were just tired and disappointed with the same old, same old over the last few decades. Voters were fed up with political double speak.

The Dems only offered more of the same, even while HRC was considered untrustworthy.

The President consistently campaigned to run the government like a successful business -- an arena with which he is very comfortable. 

I am hoping this works; we had no other choice.

 

SHUT UP!!

mtierney said:

you left out the "red line" debacle -- Syria's war against its own people and the millions of migrants destablizing Europe.

seriously, I just can't take your mindless, drone-like babbling anymore.

Maybe, if one day, you actually bother to RESPOND to a post or question that challenges you... To EXPLAIN your "reasoning" underpinning your beliefs.

But that hasn't happened yet, so it's unlikely to ever happen.

Before Trump, you were just a Republican annoyance. It's only with your support and excuse for this execrable piece of distorted humanity that your true colors have come out. Mindless drone. The kind of person an evil ruler needs to drive a country into the ground, as he gets cheered.

If anyone is still finding Trumpism, in any way, "startling", they will never, ever understand Trumpists.

Something is only startling when it's not what's expected. Isn't it obvious that the mere fact that someone choose to support Trump in the first place means that every behavior after that is not explainable using normal human experience?

They have chosen to support a person that, other than certain serial killers and cannibals, is one of the worst examples of humanity that they're ever likely to come across. Trumpists saw this man and said "He's my guy!" A new way of understanding is needed to grok them. If it's even possible.

GL2 said:

...
The final question had the most startling results.

“Let me ask you, a show of hands, how many of you feel better about Donald Trump, your president, after this hearing?”

All hands went up.

http://www.rawstory.com/2017/0...

Appropriate newspaper story about the mind of Trumpists:

After railing for a year on lobbyists and Goldman Sachs executives, they now dominate his administration. His national security advisor resigned in disgrace and may very well be charged criminally. His attorney general has been forced to recuse himself because of conflicts of interest with Russia.

What do you like, exactly?

Did you like it when he shoved a Prime Minister to get in the front of the cameras for a photo op? Did you like it when he bragged about how he helped cause a crisis in the Middle East this week that sparked a blockade against Qatar that appears to be causing our own troops problems? Did you like hearing James Comey testify that Trump ordered him to stop an investigation into Mike Flynn? Did you like it when he suggested he was secretly recording conversations in the White House or claimed that Obama wiretapped Trump Tower? Did you like it that he literally had a party for destroying the Affordable Care Act when every single analysis shows that tens of millions of Americans will lose their health insurance with his crappy replacement plan?

If you still approve of the job Donald Trump is doing right now, I am left to assume that you don't really understand what it means to be respected by the world and what the costs of ruining our reputation truly are.

My best guess is that you approve of him because he's you think he's a good Christian man and you're just relieved we no longer have a scary Muslim in the White House. My best guess is that you're just glad that he's white. My best guess is that you're just glad he's a man. My best guess is that you're just glad he's a Republican. My best guess is that you love that he seems to despise Muslims and immigrants just as much as you do.

http://www.nydailynews.com/new...

mtierney said:

People voted for DJT because many were just tired and disappointed with the same old, same old over the last few decades. Voters were fed up with political double speak.

The Dems only offered more of the same, even while HRC was considered untrustworthy.

The President consistently campaigned to run the government like a successful business -- an arena with which he is very comfortable. 

I am hoping this works; we had no other choice.

 

if he were a successful businessman he wouldn't now be beholden to Russian banks because the guy couldn't get a fcuking car loan from an American bank.

Bottom line: His supporters like his "screw you" attitude. They don't care about anything else.

drummerboy said:

seriously, I just can't take your mindless, drone-like babbling anymore.

Maybe, if one day, you actually bother to RESPOND to a post or question that challenges you... To EXPLAIN your "reasoning" underpinning your beliefs.

Mindless drone-like babble is right.

Instead of responding to posts where we refuted Trump's business acumen, she's posted on another thread on the Pope's demand for loyalty. 

Are we supposed to take that Trump's demand for loyalty is just as valid? 

There is a difference between the "obey your superiors" oath taken in holy orders vs. the oath to protect and defend the constitution. I don't remember governmental officers being required to take a loyaty oath to the leader. In Nazi Germany, yes.

.

some people talk about the "red line" though that statement was what actually forced Assad to use chemical weapons. 

tom said:

some people talk about the "red line" though that statement was what actually forced Assad to use chemical weapons. 

"Forced" Assad to murder his own citizens? Please explain how.

exactly. What does the phrase "red line" have to do with Assad's war crimes? Why use it the way you did?

Kim Jong Trump...

shoshannah said:

Bottom line: His supporters like his "screw you" attitude. They don't care about anything else.

If yesterday's cabinet circle jerk didn't show just how sick the exec branch is, noting will. 

Whenever we talk of how despots/dictators/strong men get away with their crimes, we cite the people who fear and enable them. 

This cabinet of "blessed" cowards explains the process.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/0...

“The greatest privilege of my life is to serve as vice president to the president who’s keeping his word to the American people,” Mike Pence said, starting things off.

“I am privileged to be here — deeply honored — and I want to thank you for your commitment to the American workers,” said Alexander Acosta, the secretary of labor.

Reince Priebus, the chief of staff whose job insecurity has been the subject of endless speculation, outdid them all, telling the president — and the assembled news cameras — “We thank you for the opportunity and the blessing to serve your agenda.”

“I will say that never has there been a president, with few exceptions — in the case of F.D.R. he had a major Depression to handle — who’s passed more legislation, who’s done more things than what we’ve done,” Mr. Trump said. “We’ve been about as active as you can possibly be, and at a just about record-setting pace.”

If there's a god, she will instruct Merriam-Webster to redefine "blessing."

Yeh, looking at it I was wondering if they were worried that they would be executed by anti-aircraft guns if they were not sufficiently obsequious.

Conservative (my italics) Daily Beast columnist Rick Wilson went on a scathing rant about the news that President Donald Trump has pondered firing special counsel Robert Mueller. 

Like many who have come before him, Wilson tried to explain to Trump and his followers why that would be an unbelievable mistake. 

“It’s time for the final divorce between the clickservatives and any pretense they believe in the rule of law,” Wilson wrote of the armchair activists. “Let’s just get the f*ck on and this shabby pretense that we still live in a nation of laws. So, clickservatives, Trump fellators, fanboys, grunting MAGA mouthbreathers, sing out now [sic]. I really want to know. Is there anything he can do that strikes your conscience? Is there any sin, any excess, any affront? No? Good. That makes it easy for all of us.”

He went on to encourage them to go all the way and get a “Trump” tramp stamp. But he believes the only reason that people really love the president is that all they really love is “that he pisses off people [they] hate.”

“You’re already filled with atavistic lust for the purge, the long knives, the broken glass, the whiff of grapeshot,” he wrote. “You excuse everything because duh-liberal media or whatever bullsh*t fantasy you believe he fulfills [sic].”

Wilson continued, saying he thinks “clickservatives” should go all the way and act out Trump’s actual fantasies, regardless of consequences. 

“Embrace his utter f*cking degeneracy and third-world generalissimo act. It’s the new you! Ride with it!” he exclaimed.

http://www.rawstory.com/2017/0...

Perhaps we could surround the White House with loud speakers and play Jay-Z songs at him until he surrenders.

What's wrong with these people? What are they afraid will happen to them? The WORST that can happen is they'll lose their jobs. Big f'ing deal. None of them will end up on the streets broke and homeless. A whole new area of social psychology research is going to open up after this disaster, just as it did after the Nazi regime (Milgram, Zimbardo, Asch, etc.).

GL2 said:

Conservative (my italics) Daily Beast columnist Rick Wilson went on a scathing rant about the news that President Donald Trump has pondered firing special counsel Robert Mueller. 

Like many who have come before him, Wilson tried to explain to Trump and his followers why that would be an unbelievable mistake. 

“It’s time for the final divorce between the clickservatives and any pretense they believe in the rule of law,” Wilson wrote of the armchair activists. “Let’s just get the f*ck on and this shabby pretense that we still live in a nation of laws. So, clickservatives, Trump fellators, fanboys, grunting MAGA mouthbreathers, sing out now [sic]. I really want to know. Is there anything he can do that strikes your conscience? Is there any sin, any excess, any affront? No? Good. That makes it easy for all of us.”

He went on to encourage them to go all the way and get a “Trump” tramp stamp. But he believes the only reason that people really love the president is that all they really love is “that he pisses off people [they] hate.”

“You’re already filled with atavistic lust for the purge, the long knives, the broken glass, the whiff of grapeshot,” he wrote. “You excuse everything because duh-liberal media or whatever bullsh*t fantasy you believe he fulfills [sic].”

Wilson continued, saying he thinks “clickservatives” should go all the way and act out Trump’s actual fantasies, regardless of consequences. 

“Embrace his utter f*cking degeneracy and third-world generalissimo act. It’s the new you! Ride with it!” he exclaimed.

http://www.rawstory.com/2017/0...

Problem is, the more he's pressured about doing/not doing something, the more likely he is to do the opposite. He is highly allergic to bowing to pressure or considering the opinions of others. That's why he didn't affirm Article 5 of the NATO agreement.