My #nevertrump trigger

So, I'm on record with ATS as absolutely being opposed to Hillary Clinton in every conceivable way. And I am. However, I am now officially on record as being anti-Trump too. Oh, I know I claimed as much before but, I won't fudge, I was a bit lulled. Maybe because he's familiar to me? You see, I know someone so very like this in real life. So much so that people have made comments to me like "Hey, do you know "X" is just like Donald Trump!?" Yes. Yes, I do.

I've always been drawn to Trump's anti-PC schtick. And I find him to be somewhat likable, if crazy. A "drunk uncle" sort with charisma and foibles, like anyone. But I rode the my pseudo-Trump crazy train for just bit recently. Just enough. Enough for me to want to jump off and die. The narcissism, the chaos, the verbal abuse. The scape-goating, the name-calling, the rationalizations. The grand plans with no follow through. The incessant self-aggrandizement. The excuses and finger-pointing. You are either the hero or the goat with this type. It's all rainbows and unicorns if you are the hero but God help you if you are the goat. And there is no undoing any mis-impression or false narrative. It's you, not him, no matter what.

Nope. #nevertrump.

a reply to: JetBlackStare

So nothing to do with policy then. Just you dont like his demeanour.

Welcome queen clinton as an alternative.. huzzah.

a reply to: JetBlackStare

I have a feeling there will be many folks following that same line of thought in the coming months should he decide to keep on the path he is going. We shall see.

My main thing is his lack of vocabulary. How can he possibly convey a nuanced argument or rebuttal? I understand the significance of repetition but it's overly used.

a reply to: savemebarry

No policy or platform can succeed without leadership. Effective and inspiring leaders are not abusive.

a reply to: JetBlackStare


thank you, jetblackstare! my sentiments EXACTLY!!

You are certainly entitled to your opinion.

The people seem to reject the leaders we have now.

Both sides have had all the time in the world to fix it.

If you are in DC now, or have worked for the government in DC,

You are the problem...

People are pissed, but everybody hasn't had enough.

originally posted by: JinMI
a reply to: JetBlackStare

My main thing is his lack of vocabulary. How can he possibly convey a nuanced argument or rebuttal? I understand the significance of repetition but it's overly used.

Trump does not have a "lack of vocabulary" and his nuances is far above what most of the MSM even understand. An example is his "I wonder if Russia can get us some more emails" schtick. It was a sarcastic nuanced joke that the MSM took seriously. And you think Trump is stupid? Look at the MSM. They didn't even get it.

Now, here's what happened on the "less vocabulary" meme. A reporter stuffed a Trump speech into a "readability" computer program. Microsoft Word has one embedded in the program. He then reported that Trump spoke at a low elementary school level. I forget the exact grade level. This was picked up by AP and wound up in hundreds of news stories around the world.

What the reporter apparently did not realize is that "readability formulas" vary a good deal and are quite subject to misinterpretation. Some of them give what what looks like very accurate results. For example, the Fry score will give an answer of "4.23" as the grade level of the material. Now just stop and think about that for a minute. "4.23" Hmmm. The school year is nine months long, about what? 36 weeks? So this score of "4.23" is claiming it represents a sample of material suitable for the fourth grade, ninth week, third day of instruction?

Kind of absurd, isn't it? these formulas consist largely of regression equations that measure the number of syllables in a word, number of words in a sentence, even number of three syllable words in a sentence and stuff all this information in an equation that comes out with a grade level of the material. So, as you might expect, long-winded prose using bigger words tends to score higher.

The better formulas use vocabulary lists with the formulas. The original Dale-Chall formula, as an example, had a list of 3,000 words that most 4th graders knew. It has since been reformulated, but originally it had the word "schoolmaster," but not the word "television." Yet this is one of the most highly reputed formulas in existence. One of the reasons for this is that it does not try to say a given sample of text is "4.23." It will instead say, "4th through fifth grade" heavily hedging its bets.

Now this original reporter used just one formula included in Word. Had he known anything about readability formulas, he would have used several. And had he used several he would have discovered that Trump's speech scores were all over the map from 4th to college level. And had he known anything about readability he would have realized that speeches tend to grade lower because speech givers are not reading an essay. They use shorter sentences for emphasis. Indeed, it's sometimes hard to know when a sentence ends. Readability formulas were developed to grade text books to ensure they could be read at grade level. They were not design to measure speeches!

In other words, this reporter who started the meme that Trump has a low vocabulary has no idea what he is talking about. It's a complete myth. C'mon, people, the guy graduated from Wharton School of Business. Do you actually believe he has a low vocabulary? The whole idea is stupid.

Now, how do I know all this? Because I wrote one of the best selling readability programs of all time which sold for over ten years to schools and businesses all over the world in the 80's. This was back in the DOS days before Windows, but it sold on both the Apple ][ and IBM-PC platforms. I've been into the specific guts of these formulas and I actually do know what I'm talking about in this field (and probably no other.)

So this whole idea that Trump has a low vocabulary was a meme started by a clueless reporter who still thinks he's a really bright fellow when he blew the issue entirely. The whole idea is laughable.

a reply to: schuyler

I appreciate your incredibly thorough reply. I was not aware that a study had been done especially at such depth. I was coming from personal experience. What I've listened to and interpreted.

Also, in my post, I indicated the path he was on as in correlation with the OP. He has strayed away from policy and is taking the low path. What I mean is the twitter rebuts, the redundant use of "terrible", "horrible", and "bad." You may very well be right that he does in fact have more words in his mental library and if true, I would like to hear them.

originally posted by: JetBlackStare
a reply to: savemebarry

No policy or platform can succeed without leadership. Effective and inspiring leaders are not abusive.

Now I believe you. You shudda said that at the start.

originally posted by: JinMI
a reply to: schuyler

Also, in my post, I indicated the path he was on as in correlation with the OP. He has strayed away from policy and is taking the low path. What I mean is the twitter rebuts, the redundant use of "terrible", "horrible", and "bad." You may very well be right that he does in fact have more words in his mental library and if true, I would like to hear them.

I think the guy is very canny. Nothing he does is not on purpose, including his so-called off-the-cuff remarks. I think he's studied the Art of War or is a natural (which his business success may actually prove). It's kind of like Obama has been accused of using Neuro Linguistic Programming in his speeches. NLP is considered a pseudo-science by most, but the idea is to lightly hypnotize your subjects to accept what you are saying. Trump's is not an intellectual approach, something the GOP is completely incensed about, but the fact is he blew his GOP competition out of the water. They are, of course, still pissed.

As an aside, I'm thinking if the GOP got hacked, we'd see the same level of intrigue we see in the DNC emails. Bernie got screwed, but Trump kicked some significant GOP butt.

a reply to: schuyler

He did eliminate his competition efficiently and fiercely. I have also thought that he was dumbing down his words. Using different tricks to goad out his competition. In the primaries it was fairly effective. With the Democrats, I do wonder if the same tactics will be used. IMO if he sticks to policy and the errs of the competition he should have an armed slingshot into the Whitehouse. Whatever road he's going down now will not get him there.

As an Independent who is strongly opposed to Hillary but not sold on Trump and in a swing state, these things matter.

originally posted by: schuyler

Trump does not have a "lack of vocabulary" and his nuances is far above what most of the MSM even understand.
So this whole idea that Trump has a low vocabulary was a meme started by a clueless reporter who still thinks he's a really bright fellow when he blew the issue entirely. The whole idea is laughable.

hyperbole...you omitted that, Trump trumps everything with hyperbole, nuances are shiite.

Trump is probably so buried in debt to the Russians that if he doesn't win the election and make some great deals for them they're going to break his legs fifteen times.

My opinion

Even Mitt Romney is now saying he can win.

originally posted by: JetBlackStare
No policy or platform can succeed without leadership. Effective and inspiring leaders are not abusive.

That's just the Politically Correct way of thinking.

A good leader will abuse the living daylights out of a slacker. I highly doubt Trump has to abuse his inner circle. The little guy with a light load of bricks probably gets a boot right up there where the sun don't shine.

If you're not willing to kick a little ass as the boss ... you're not worth the title.

a reply to: schuyler
I agree. I'm still in a bit of a state of amazement at just how easily and thoroughly he kicked their rumps.

You are probably right about the Republicans but in all honestly, I think their in-fighting (the Neo-Con rhinos vs. old line Republicans vs Tea Party) allowed him to sound like a guy who just wanted to get the job done. It seems to me that he appealed to the rank and file party members and repulsed the party poobahs. Like Reagan, he is adept at being entertaining on the stage and didn't identify with any of the various factions.

Back on topic: My trigger is any candidate running on the Democrat or Republican ticket for federal office. Voting for either party is giving consent to the current mess. I'm agin it. Time to give someone else a try, someone wiling to throw party politics to the wind and work for the people.
But it's really hard to win without the support of the media and since they depend on the good will of the pharmaceutical companies and banks....honest third parties have it rough.

a reply to: schuyler

An example is his "I wonder if Russia can get us some more emails" schtick. It was a sarcastic nuanced joke that the MSM took seriously. And you think Trump is stupid? Look at the MSM. They didn't even get it.

OBJECTION!!!! The MSM did, in fact, get that it was a joke. However, they (Hillary's crew and her extended crew - the MSM) are starting to worry. They are worried about the polls. They are worried that all the predictions that Trump couldn't possibly stand a chance against her seem to be completely invalidated. No, the MSM KNEW it was a joke but in their desperation they are trying to create entire messages out of an out of context sound bite.

The fact that people like Panetta would actually take part in this farce while speaking with the MSM is entirely disheartening with a dash of shameful.

a reply to: JetBlackStare

Touche'. Agree with you here JBS. Thanks for stressing that point made!

MS

a reply to: schuyler

Wow Skyler, that's pretty impressive! Nice work and good post.

a reply to: JinMI

My main thing is his lack of vocabulary.

Who gives a rats donkey about vocabulary ? When you are President , your actions freakin matter , not your speeches. "Just words , just speeches" said by the biggest violator of the exact words he stated. 8 years nearly of nothing but words , pauses and I I I me me me