Donald Trump 101

originally posted by: TheRedneck
a reply to: 14377

I've been saying the same thing ever since Trump started campaigning. And I've watched it pay off. No one has had the deep state in this much turmoil and confusion since JFK. Trump is literally a master at such manipulation... just look at the people trying desperately to berate him. Even when presented with the truth of how they are being manipulated, they deny it! Why? Because the mastermind of Russian collusion, the man who soundly defeated the great Hillary Clinton, the undefeatable candidate, despite all the advantages and dirty tricks she could muster, isn't capable of original thought.

The tweets are literally a stroke of genius. Not only do they play to his base, but they trigger his enemies to the point they trip over themselves trying to trip up Trump. He controls the news cycle; he decides who the next jester will be, he determines the agendas... using 140 (or did they change it to 280?) characters.

Let's face facts here: Donald Trump is not a nice guy. He's a manipulator and a user. He does have his own best interests at heart. It just so happens that his actions so far indicate those best interests align with mine. The words? Nothing but bait to trick his opponents. The actions are much harder to fake.

I do love to watch a professional work...

TheRedneck

Trump is the ultimate troll. His mastery of using Twitter to control and trigger the left is brilliant.

The left underestimates him and he continues to use it to his advantage. The left thinks they are so brilliant and arrogant they can't see it is they who are being manipulated.

a reply to: TerryMcGuire

Horrible mis-quote. Clever and "well thought out" 🤪

originally posted by: Edumakated

originally posted by: TheRedneck
a reply to: 14377

I've been saying the same thing ever since Trump started campaigning. And I've watched it pay off. No one has had the deep state in this much turmoil and confusion since JFK. Trump is literally a master at such manipulation... just look at the people trying desperately to berate him. Even when presented with the truth of how they are being manipulated, they deny it! Why? Because the mastermind of Russian collusion, the man who soundly defeated the great Hillary Clinton, the undefeatable candidate, despite all the advantages and dirty tricks she could muster, isn't capable of original thought.

The tweets are literally a stroke of genius. Not only do they play to his base, but they trigger his enemies to the point they trip over themselves trying to trip up Trump. He controls the news cycle; he decides who the next jester will be, he determines the agendas... using 140 (or did they change it to 280?) characters.

Let's face facts here: Donald Trump is not a nice guy. He's a manipulator and a user. He does have his own best interests at heart. It just so happens that his actions so far indicate those best interests align with mine. The words? Nothing but bait to trick his opponents. The actions are much harder to fake.

I do love to watch a professional work...

TheRedneck

Trump is the ultimate troll. His mastery of using Twitter to control and trigger the left is brilliant.

The left underestimates him and he continues to use it to his advantage. The left thinks they are so brilliant and arrogant they can't see it is they who are being manipulated.

When you have people that are wanting to have a serious conversation about the issues and take their jobs seriously, it can be difficult for them to decipher whether they are dealing with a troll, as you described, or an extremist, such as Trump's supporters.

That's the problem. If Trump is just trolling, the people that support him have been manipulated as well and it makes it hard to tell whether Trump is serious, which poses a credibility issue, or if he is trolling in order to play towards a base that actually believes what otherwise is considered "trolling".

originally posted by: introvert
When you have people that are wanting to have a serious conversation about the issues and take their jobs seriously, it can be difficult for them to decipher whether they are dealing with a troll, as you described, or an extremist, such as Trump's supporters.

You tried pretending to be reasonable at the beginning but couldn't make it through one paragraph without your (for want of a better phrase) 'TDS' interfering with rational thought. All Trump supporters are extremist. Okay.

People like you are incapable of changing anyone's mind on an issue, you have no tact, you're just one of the noisy people that add to the mess and hinder the serious conversation you pretend you want. You entrench people on the other side rather than sway them. Honestly, I mean this with no malice. Do the left a favour, if you seriously care about it and aren't just here because you enjoy arguing, just be quiet. You are counter productive to their cause.

a reply to: BelowLowAnnouncement

You tried pretending to be reasonable at the beginning but couldn't make it through one paragraph without your (for want of a better phrase) 'TDS' interfering with rational thought. All Trump supporters are extremist. Okay.

I didn't try to pretend. There is no reason to try to be reasonable on ATS.

It's a site for Right Wing extremists.

People like you are incapable of changing anyone's mind on an issue, you have no tact, you're just one of the noisy people that add to the mess and hinder the serious conversation you pretend you want.

I don't want to change your mind, or anyone else's.

You entrench people on the other side rather than sway them. Honestly, I mean this with no malice. Do the left a favour, if you seriously care about it and aren't just here because you enjoy arguing, just be quiet. You are counter productive to their cause.

But I don't care. So where does that leave us?

Do you feel better pointing fingers from your ivory tower?

originally posted by: introvert
a reply to: BelowLowAnnouncement

You tried pretending to be reasonable at the beginning but couldn't make it through one paragraph without your (for want of a better phrase) 'TDS' interfering with rational thought. All Trump supporters are extremist. Okay.

I didn't try to pretend. There is no reason to try to be reasonable on ATS.

It's a site for Right Wing extremists.

People like you are incapable of changing anyone's mind on an issue, you have no tact, you're just one of the noisy people that add to the mess and hinder the serious conversation you pretend you want.

I don't want to change your mind, or anyone else's.

You entrench people on the other side rather than sway them. Honestly, I mean this with no malice. Do the left a favour, if you seriously care about it and aren't just here because you enjoy arguing, just be quiet. You are counter productive to their cause.

But I don't care. So where does that leave us?

Do you feel better pointing fingers from your ivory tower?

You label the users here right wing extremists but I'm in the ivory tower lol.

So you don't care, you don't want to change minds, you admit you aren't reasonable, you cast a wide net of judgement on the people here. Almost 23 thousand posts in 3.25 years averaging around 19 posts per day.

Amusing.

a reply to: introvert

When you have people that are wanting to have a serious conversation about the issues

Please let me know when that happens.

Most of the time, these people I assume you are referring to start every post with a derogatory assumption. That just tells me that they are either attempting to start an argument, or they are operating with such tunnel vision that they are incapable of having a serious discussion. Given that, why would I take them seriously?

So instead of trying to discuss quantum physics with a brick wall, I just watch, listen, and try to keep up with the mood of the country. So do many others. If you want to have a serious discussion, leave the prejudice at the doorstep. If you just want to scream at the moon... well, you're maybe doing that right.

I didn't try to pretend. There is no reason to try to be reasonable on ATS.

It's a site for Right Wing extremists.

ATS is a pretty good cross section of the country as a whole, and to a lesser degree of the global population. If it is, as you say, a site for "right wing extremists," than the reasonable assumption is that the country as a whole has become a country for "right wing extremists."

I don't think that is true, of course... it is rare for a country as large as the US to change public opinion so rapidly. Instead,I believe this is just another example of what I pointed out above: another post opened with a derogatory and false assumption.

There are plenty of places where political ideology is censored... Facebook and YouTube have been under some pretty close scrutiny for that recently. I suppose if one compares ATS to one of those sites without taking into account the censors in place, ATS would seem more "right wing." That is, however, less of a reality than a comparison to a cardboard cutout, a manufactured impression, just as trying to state that people were open about their true opinions during the Obama years is a manufactured reality. Constant threats of being labeled a "racist" tend to have such effects.

TheRedneck

a reply to: TerryMcGuire

Ultimately what he is doing is for himself, while I think he does love his country he will take care of Donald Trump first foremost and always.

BUT what a lot of folks are forgetting (which is funny considering how often his ego is talked about) is the guy has an ego the size of texas, people laughed at him when he said he wanted to run saying it would never ever happen, then he wins and people laughed at the idea he could do a good job.

For his ego he will do the best job he can, and try to leave a legacy of better times with americans because it will leave him in a bright spot in the history books.

Cause lets be honest when its all said and done if the economy stays strong, unemployment stays low all the stuff people rage about today will be forgotten when the history books are written tomorrow.

a reply to: BelowLowAnnouncement

You label the users here right wing extremists but I'm in the ivory tower lol.

Yes. You want me to just be quiet, right?

It takes some arrogance to say something like what you did.

So you don't care, you don't want to change minds, you admit you aren't reasonable, you cast a wide net of judgement on the people here. Almost 23 thousand posts in 3.25 years averaging around 19 posts per day. Amusing.

Your point?

a reply to: TheRedneck

So instead of trying to discuss quantum physics with a brick wall, I just watch, listen, and try to keep up with the mood of the country. So do many others. If you want to have a serious discussion, leave the prejudice at the doorstep. If you just want to scream at the moon... well, you're maybe doing that right.

Incorrect. You engage just as much as anyone else and have proven to be quite dishonest in nature.

Not only are you a brick wall, you also like to troll when you have no better argument. You've been called on that many times before.

ATS is a pretty good cross section of the country as a whole, and to a lesser degree of the global population. If it is, as you say, a site for "right wing extremists," than the reasonable assumption is that the country as a whole has become a country for "right wing extremists."

No. That is not a reasonable assumption.

When you start off with illogical positions, it's no wonder you end on one as well.

I don't think that is true, of course... it is rare for a country as large as the US to change public opinion so rapidly. Instead,I believe this is just another example of what I pointed out above: another post opened with a derogatory and false assumption.

Sure.

There are plenty of places where political ideology is censored... Facebook and YouTube have been under some pretty close scrutiny for that recently. I suppose if one compares ATS to one of those sites without taking into account the censors in place, ATS would seem more "right wing." That is, however, less of a reality than a comparison to a cardboard cutout, a manufactured impression, just as trying to state that people were open about their true opinions during the Obama years is a manufactured reality. Constant threats of being labeled a "racist" tend to have such effects.

What does any of that have to do with me? I don't care about your persecution complex.

a reply to: Irishhaf

Yeah, I can see that sympathetic vision of him. And yes, if the economy stays strong and unemployment stays low, and the rivers don't rise, he will be seen as a bright spot of the future that grows out of the present.

I for one to not want him impeached. I want him to run in 2020 against at least two other strong individuals. I would like to see a strong contender in the Democrat Party and a strong contender in the Republican Party. Along with that I would like to see at least one or more strong individuals embark on third and fourth party agendas. Being an American who finds Trump a boil my best hope for the country is that he is roundly defeated in 2020

a reply to: introvert

Hahaha.

"Your honor, I rest my case."

TheRedneck

a reply to: TerryMcGuire

I want him to run in 2020 against at least two other strong individuals. I would like to see a strong contender in the Democrat Party and a strong contender in the Republican Party.

Competition is a good thing.

I am curious, though: do you have any names in mind? I ask because Trump has seemingly already done that. How many Republicans were running against him in 2016? I've lost count, but I do know the names there included some who were considered heavyweights... Jeb Bush, John McCain, Lindsey Graham, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio... and in the general election, Hillary Clinton was regularly touted as "the most experienced candidate for President ever." Who do you think would make better contenders?

TheRedneck

a reply to: TerryMcGuire

Yea I can see that, I voted third party all but one time in my life and I will vote for third party next election as well. (couldn't stomach voting for him or against Hillary)

The best option for the democrats will never see the nomination she is to middle of the road, and as long as the economy doesn't have the floor drop out form under it republicans wont even try to get rid of him.


As for third party options to many people are locked in to "their" team, I think last election was the best chance we had to hit that magical 5% number, so unless the economy starts to contract and the democrats lay another egg for their candidate we may never see a serious third party candidate again.

a reply to: TheRedneck

First, the democrats should go young. Allow the old hacks who still think of themselves as the spearhead of liberalism fending off the onslaught of conservative hoards to retire or in the case of someone like Feinstein, refuse to endorse them like happened to her in California. Push em out. Let them go to the talk shows and live out their lives pretending to be relevant.

Those Republicans were bowling pins. They thought that they had wrapped up the conservative T Party types by accepting some of the people elected by them as tokens into the Republican structure. Boom. Just a blind as the Democrats.

Now Trump was not a conservative was he, prior to running as a Republican? He was wishy washing on liberalism and conservatism as I recall. His success was finding a demographic and pandering to it. As I see the Republicans at this time, there are no people who can appeal to that portion of the party. Maybe if things go south for Trump, a moderate may arise to challange him but otherwise the party is his.

Dems should find someone who exibits the best of what the party voters stand believe in. A strong America, probably some one who has served in the military. Someone with a life dedicated to service to America. A younger woman who could embody all the best of what Americans can hope to be. Not that gal, the one who is the democratic socialist as she is to much a newbie and already hated by to many.

Out of the parties, any one with fame. That is what Trump's main attribute was at first. Fame. A household name, a face that everyone knew. That got him coverage from the get go. So I would think that someone else with fame and a household name that people would not automatically hate like Oprah. That would only further divide the country and I don't want to see that.

So I'm thinking some one who everybody already likes. Like Neil deGrasse Tyson. Well liked, personable, handsome, well spoken. What are his politics? Does it matter? Would he try to be a king pin like Trump or Clinton? I don't know, but I do think that someone like him who could appeal to many from both sides would at least give us a chance to decide between extremism and moderation.

Again, he is only a name that pops into my head. So him as a generality, someone we could all like who might cut a course across the middle and allow us, us moderates, to claim the day back from all the extremes on both sides.

a reply to: 14377

my boxing coach used to say, "put em to sleep and knock em out!!"

it worked really well for me over a ten year period

a reply to: Irishhaf

I started voting third party back when Barry Commoner ran on the Citizens Party. Their party platform consisted of one word. ''Bull#''. That was enough to get my vote.

For me, the third party possibility died when neither the Democrats nor the Republicans would allow Nader into any of the debates in 2000. They were so frightened of him that they would not even allow him in the building where it was taking place. He was escorted from one of the large viewing rooms and away from the building so as to not allow the press access to him. For me, that killed it for the Democratic Party.

a reply to: toysforadults

Or hit them with the jab. ( Misdirection )

Then tag them on the button .

a reply to: TerryMcGuire


I solidly fell in the third party camp after Perot and the threats (I believe) that were made against his family.

then later after Ron Paul getting screwed over.

Couple that with watching the declining options in the job market over the last 30 years and I have zero trust in republicans or democrats.

Most of my defense of trump is the absurdity of so many of the attacks against the president, coupled with a realism of the current state in politics.

At best (from a democrat view point) I see them getting impeachment (if they take the house) and it dying in the senate, and quite honestly the my team sentiment is so strong it might actually galvanize the right to vote trump in for a second term as they will be defending their team and fighting the socialists (yes hyperbole).

a reply to: 14377

I would say it would be more like missing them on purpose with the jab for a few rounds first