I was right: President Elect Trump

[Opti]

What Putin actually called Trump in Russian is “ochen’ yarkiy chelovek,” which literally translates to “a very bright person.” Unlike the English word “bright,” the Russian yarkiy does not connote intelligence; rather, it means someone who is colorful, flashy, showy, an individual who makes himself stand out from the crowd. The more colloquial translation is “a colorful character,” a phrase that in the Russian carries a note of bemusement. Putin added that Trump is also “talented (talantlivyi), without a doubt.” He then went on to say that “regarding [U.S.] internal politics and the turns of phrase [Trump] employs to boost his popularity, I repeat that it is not our business to assess that aspect of his performance.” Taken as a whole, the statement suggests that Putin recognizes the theatrical component of Trump’s campaign, and chose not to comment on the contentious impact that Trump and his statements have had on American politics.

Prominent CNN host Fareed Zakaria, during a moderated discussion with Putin at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in June, asked the Russian president: “you said that Donald Trump is a brilliant, talented, and smart candidate. What is it exactly about Donald Trump that made you say this, and do you still have these views?”

After a ripple of laughter from the (largely European) audience, Putin responded: “you are known in our country not only as a media host… but also as an academic. So why are you jumbling my words? I said in passing that Trump is a bright (colorful) candidate. Do you not find him to be so? I do. I did not ascribe any other characteristics to him” (he forgot about the “talented” part). The problem, Putin told Zakaria, was that the latter was “letting his ‘journo’ side take over his ‘analyst’ side.”

globalinterests.org/2016/07/27/what-putin-actually-said-about-donald-trump/

[Deleted]

Or he could be a person who listens as well as speaks....

[djAdvocate]

Jul 30, 2016 4:10:15 GMT -5 Ratchets said:

Jul 29, 2016 8:33:16 GMT -5 deminmaine said:

If you think that Trump and Sanders are "separated by a few degrees" then you really haven't been paying attention to what Sanders has said and written.  Pay no attention to what the RW radio says- they are not at all the same.  Bernie is a good, old fashioned, unabashed, leftist. He is closest to what you imagine all Democrats are; a leftist Democratic Socialist who believes in the Scandinavian style of Social Democracy and economic principals.  I am simplifying- but that is basically it.  Gawd love him, he certainly makes it plain enough.  He does tell the truth, at least as he sees it.  A more honest pol I have never seen.

His supporters love it.  They love his style, his fight, his no BS straight talk (which may be where you see the similarity to Trump, I don't know) and at least some, if not all, parts of his agenda.  Certainly the thought of power to the people, economic justice as it is perceived, and a big FU to the PTB.

Regarding your worldview- have you been talking to Virgil again?  Because for a self described entrepreneur you are some pessimistic!  The macro economics of this old world are sure scary.  It is amazing that it manages to somehow truck along, right?  And certainly it can crash, many ways, many causes.  And certainly too, we are near a Malthusian moment, where our use of resources threatens to overwhelm their availability!  Damn right it is scary.

But it is also opportunity.  Just like the end of the petroleum economy brings shining opportunities in other energy sources and infrastructure,(which I have discussed here before)  The change to a sustainable economy will also bring amazing opportunity.  Obviously there is opportunity in the economies of the developing world.  But there is also incredible opportunity in the future in a trend that has not yet emerged- sustainable lifestyle.  Yes, there will also be a lot of dislocation, economic loss and hurt.  But there will also be positive change and the opportunity that brings.  I am not sure the US will be the leader though.  In fact- odds are it won't.  Could be China, India, or another.

And then there is another trend that is emerging, and that is the employment dislocation that is being caused by technology, and may get more pronounced.  There will simply be a lot of people whose labor is not required.  And that will bring about a movement for a ULI- a Universal Living Income.  And now, we are back to Bernie again. 

His "old fashioned and obsolete" leftist views will suddenly be in fashion again. 

Holy crap man...you could have been his campaign manager !

perhaps.  but i think he is more or less correct, as well.

Trump looks around and sees a world in decline: he sees a world where his privileges are being siphoned off by brown people.  and that is what a lot of white people see.  but what BERNIE sees is that his future is being siphoned off by oligarchs like Trump.  i think that Bernie would say that he is a champion of minorities, and that is absolutely a threat for Trump and those that support him.

in other words, i don't see Trump and Sanders as "separated by degrees", but as, essentially, enemies- most particularly ECONOMIC enemies.

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

Jul 30, 2016 11:03:41 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

Jul 30, 2016 4:10:15 GMT -5 Ratchets said:

Holy crap man...you could have been his campaign manager !

perhaps.  but i think he is more or less correct, as well.

Trump looks around and sees a world in decline: he sees a world where his privileges are being siphoned off by brown people.  and that is what a lot of white people see. 

This is complete and total horseshit.  Boiling down the frustration and confusion of MOST Americans to a race issue misses the point entirely.  America is, for a variety of reasons, in decline. 70% of the population is white.  It also makes sense that as you will agree- most of the newcomers are "brown people" they do not have the collective cultural memory of America that existed 30 and 40 years ago when Trump (and a lot of other mostly white) Americans were living through the greatest peacetime economic expansion in American history.  For a bunch of reasons, mostly macro-economic, that you and I probably agree on-- that America is for the most part not coming back.  However, to simplify the complex reasons for the angst of millions of Americans down to "racistsexistbigothomophobexenophobia" is insulting-- and by the way, another reason the vast majority of people have absolutely had it with the establishment.

but what BERNIE sees is that his future is being siphoned off by oligarchs like Trump.  i think that Bernie would say that he is a champion of minorities, and that is absolutely a threat for Trump and those that support him.

What Bernie sees in his future is converting all that campaign cash to his own personal use. Sure, he'll pay income taxes on it-- but like Ron Paul, the libertarian and green party candidates-- the cause is a cottage industry for their own personal enrichment.

in other words, i don't see Trump and Sanders as "separated by degrees", but as, essentially, enemies- most particularly ECONOMIC enemies.

They both believe, when it comes to economics, they have the solution to problems that are larger and more complex than either of them have the ability to grasp.

[djAdvocate]

Jul 30, 2016 13:13:33 GMT -5 AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP said:

Jul 30, 2016 11:03:41 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

perhaps.  but i think he is more or less correct, as well.

Trump looks around and sees a world in decline: he sees a world where his privileges are being siphoned off by brown people.  and that is what a lot of white people see. 

This is complete and total horseshit.  Boiling down the frustration and confusion of MOST Americans to a race issue misses the point entirely.  America is, for a variety of reasons, in decline. 70% of the population is white.  It also makes sense that as you will agree- most of the newcomers are "brown people" they do not have the collective cultural memory of America that existed 30 and 40 years ago when Trump (and a lot of other mostly white) Americans were living through the greatest peacetime economic expansion in American history.  For a bunch of reasons, mostly macro-economic, that you and I probably agree on-- that America is for the most part not coming back.  However, to simplify the complex reasons for the angst of millions of Americans down to "racistsexistbigothomophobexenophobia" is insulting-- and by the way, another reason the vast majority of people have absolutely had it with the establishment.

that is what it is.  the problem is one of globalization, not one of immigration.  that is the fundamental schism between Sanders and Trump.

the ONE area that Trump and Sanders agree on, rhetorically, is trade.  that is about it.

[weltschmerz]

Jul 29, 2016 21:47:08 GMT -5 Opti said:

What Putin actually called Trump in Russian is “ochen’ yarkiy chelovek,” which literally translates to “a very bright person.” Unlike the English word “bright,” the Russian yarkiy does not connote intelligence; rather, it means someone who is colorful, flashy, showy, an individual who makes himself stand out from the crowd. The more colloquial translation is “a colorful character,” a phrase that in the Russian carries a note of bemusement. Putin added that Trump is also “talented (talantlivyi), without a doubt.” He then went on to say that “regarding [U.S.] internal politics and the turns of phrase [Trump] employs to boost his popularity, I repeat that it is not our business to assess that aspect of his performance.” Taken as a whole, the statement suggests that Putin recognizes the theatrical component of Trump’s campaign, and chose not to comment on the contentious impact that Trump and his statements have had on American politics.

Prominent CNN host Fareed Zakaria, during a moderated discussion with Putin at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum in June, asked the Russian president: “you said that Donald Trump is a brilliant, talented, and smart candidate. What is it exactly about Donald Trump that made you say this, and do you still have these views?”

After a ripple of laughter from the (largely European) audience, Putin responded: “you are known in our country not only as a media host… but also as an academic. So why are you jumbling my words? I said in passing that Trump is a bright (colorful) candidate. Do you not find him to be so? I do. I did not ascribe any other characteristics to him” (he forgot about the “talented” part). The problem, Putin told Zakaria, was that the latter was “letting his ‘journo’ side take over his ‘analyst’ side.”

globalinterests.org/2016/07/27/what-putin-actually-said-about-donald-trump/

This is true. Yarkiy doesn't mean smart, even though the literal translation is "bright."
Just like the French term "special". It doesn't mean special in the conventional sense. If a French person calls Trump special, it's an insult. It means special in the sense that he's a few fries short of a Happy Meal.

[weltschmerz]

"Ochen yarkiy" could just as easily mean "He's bright orange."

[Virgil Showlion]

He's "special".

[dondub]

ed

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

Jul 30, 2016 13:22:22 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

Jul 30, 2016 13:13:33 GMT -5 AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP said:

that is what it is.  the problem is one of globalization, not one of immigration.  that is the fundamental schism between Sanders and Trump.

the ONE area that Trump and Sanders agree on, rhetorically, is trade.  that is about it.

No. That's a side issue. The ONE area that Trump and Sanders agree is that it's a RIGGED SYSTEM. And the whole world just got confirmation that Trump and Sanders were absolutely correct on that point. Hillary Clinton and the DNC worked together to shaft Bernie and it's no longer an inference, it's a FACT. And it's a fact that is going to significantly impact Hillary Clinton's campaign.


Hell no DNC, we won't vote for Hillary  

And unlike the #NeverTrump astroturf that is made up of old crusty party apparatchiks who got whipped in the primary and are staring down the barrel of being tossed out on their asses-- the #NeverHillary crowd are made up of scorched grass roots and they mean it. 

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

Jul 30, 2016 13:22:22 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

Jul 30, 2016 13:13:33 GMT -5 AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP said:

that is what it is.  the problem is one of globalization, not one of immigration.  that is the fundamental schism between Sanders and Trump.

the ONE area that Trump and Sanders agree on, rhetorically, is trade.  that is about it.

We have a substantial illegal immigration problem- from the southern border, from legal immigrants that overstay their welcome. 12 million unidentified illegal aliens-- especially after the folly of our approach to illegal immigration resulted in the attacks of 9/11/01-- is something that can and must be stopped.

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

My serious question is: how long can the "Baghdad Bob" media hide the complete collapse of support for Hillary?

theconservativetreehouse.com/2016/07/31/media-rush-to-use-khizr-kahn-as-leverage-to-aid-candidate-hillary-clinton/

Candidate Hillary Clinton has almost no visible voter support outside the liberal bastions of the Clintonian Universe, which includes the media.

All the evidence of a complete collapse of mainstream support is highly visible within the past three days. The Clinton-Kaine campaign ticket’s feeble enterprise of a Pennsylvania and Ohio kick-off failed miserably:

The visible lackluster attendance in campaign stops in Pennsylvania (Saturday) and Ohio (Sunday) speaks louder than any words the media might use to try and spin them.

The entire weekend of campaigning consisted of four poorly attended stops, and they were even forced to cancel a campaign event.

There is only so much the media can do to prop up a candidate who is lacking the enthusiasm, engagement and support from an electoral base. Believe it or not, even the worst water-carriers in the media don’t want to be known as the next best Baghdad Bob, especially Mrs. Alan Greenspan.

This factual lack of support, and the abject inability of the Clinton-Kaine ticket to even hide the obvious, is screaming far more loudly than any controversial media-cycle bait. There is always going to be the next “gotcha”, the next “clock boy”, the next Khizr Kahn” delivered by the “next Candy Crowley”.

It’s simply what the media do.

Each time the more the media use these ridiculously biased hits, the less any individual hit matters. The media are creating their own irrelevance. Don’t focus on the shiny things. Focus on the transparency of failure that is fundamentally underpinning the looming landslide.

This is not going to be close folks. This is not going to even be remotely close:

[djAdvocate]

Jul 30, 2016 19:12:56 GMT -5 AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP said:

Jul 30, 2016 13:22:22 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

that is what it is.  the problem is one of globalization, not one of immigration.  that is the fundamental schism between Sanders and Trump.

the ONE area that Trump and Sanders agree on, rhetorically, is trade.  that is about it.

No. That's a side issue. The ONE area that Trump and Sanders agree is that it's a RIGGED SYSTEM. . 

oh yeah.  that too. 

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

theconservativetreehouse.com/2016/07/31/donald-trump-abc-interview-with-george-stephanopoulos-2/

It would appear Bill Clinton’s former White House Communications Director, George Stephanopoulos, is up to his old tricks again.

Perhaps most have forgotten a Jan ’12 New Hampshire debate when Stephanopoulos asked Mitt Romney a very carefully worded and scripted question, seeming to come out of left field, about whether states have the right to ban contraception. Exactly two weeks later the DNC 2012 campaign attack narrative “Romney’s War On Women” began.

This interview has all the same characteristics:

[Opti]

OK, I had to abandon the interview when he said at about the one minute mark he had a great temperament, one of the outstanding temperaments and she is weak...

Is orange the new brown?

[Opti]

And WTE by the way?! Trump is not a conservative. I'm pretty sure a conservative posted that very fact more than once.

[djAdvocate]

management: is it OK for me to call that site theconservativeouthouse?  just wondering. 

[djAdvocate]

when will he start posting half-naked on horseback shots?

[Tennesseer]

Jul 31, 2016 21:07:23 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

management: is it OK for me to call that site theconservativeouthouse?  just wondering. 

Are they running for president?

[weltschmerz]

Lol!
I was watching Paul Manafort being interviewed on Meet the Press.
He was asked why Trump insulted the Gold Star mother. He could barely form a coherent sentence, but was somehow trying to shift the blame to Obama and Hillary. Never answered the question. Started ranting about immigrants.
What a tool.

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

Jul 31, 2016 21:05:25 GMT -5 Opti said:

And WTE by the way?! Trump is not a conservative. I'm pretty sure a conservative posted that very fact more than once.

I'm pretty sure I pointed out that this election is Americans v. Democrats. It's not Republicans v. Democrats. It's not Conservatives v. Liberals.  Donald Trump is a moderate Republican with progressive leanings. We know this. The GOP base has decided this doesn't matter because they want 1. Order at the border, 2. ISIS defeated (w/out Bush-era nation-building), 3. Fair trade deals, 4. The rest of the world to carry their own weight and pick up their own tab. 5. Deport criminal illegal aliens & end welfare for illegal aliens.

They finally realize that the GOP is a giant purposeful fraud and that none of that conservative stuff they spew is anything they're sincere about anyway. Fine. If we're going to have a moderate- at least let's nominate a patriot.

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

Aug 1, 2016 2:09:47 GMT -5 weltschmerz said:

Lol!
I was watching Paul Manafort being interviewed on Meet the Press.
He was asked why Trump insulted the Gold Star mother. He could barely form a coherent sentence, but was somehow trying to shift the blame to Obama and Hillary. Never answered the question. Started ranting about immigrants.
What a tool.

I am not in the habit of giving the Democrats advice, but this Democratic Party-media coordinated narrative is from the old political playbook which hasn't worked thus far on Trump, and will not work.  It's shameful really that Hillary will do or say anything, and exploit anyone to win- and she can't even get real support. This guy is a lawyer whose principle practice of law is muslim immigration and he's got ties to the Clinton Foundation. Doesn't she have one single "clean", detached, no-agenda supporter? It appears all Hillary support is from those whose interests are directly connected to the corruption of the Clinton's foundation or other political insiders.  In the meantime, Hillary Clinton called 

It's not going to work is the bottom line. Trump will not be derailed by some random comment he makes- however "offensive". The Democrat-media outrage machine has been neutralized. It's over.  Well, that is-- for them. 

Establishment candidates, who must rely only on traditional bases of support-- are still screwed. And once again this weekend, Hillary called surviving family members of those killed in Benghazi-- liars.  She's got some nerve. It's not only disgraceful, it's hypocritical. A woman who repeatedly-- without question, on record-- lies in nearly every statement she makes-- calling people who've lost loved ones liars? 

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

Jul 31, 2016 21:07:23 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

management: is it OK for me to call that site theconservativeouthouse?  just wondering. 

I use it because it's a good aggregator of relevant information with the added benefit that it is synthesized well-- and they have been 100% correct in everything they've said and predicted with one exception which we will find out in November: The Monster Vote. They've been right about everything so far. There's one final test... 

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

The Hillary Campaign can be boiled down to a single phrase: "He's worse than me". The problem for Hillary is that literally no one is worse than her. Not even Trump.

[djAdvocate]

Aug 1, 2016 9:43:53 GMT -5 AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP said:

Jul 31, 2016 21:07:23 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

management: is it OK for me to call that site theconservativeouthouse?  just wondering. 

I use it because it's a good aggregator of relevant information with the added benefit that it is synthesized well-- and they have been 100% correct in everything they've said and predicted with one exception which we will find out in November: The Monster Vote. They've been right about everything so far. There's one final test... 

will you still love them after the epic fail?

[djAdvocate]

Aug 1, 2016 9:52:02 GMT -5 AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP said:

The Hillary Campaign can be boiled down to a single phrase: "He's worse than me". The problem for Hillary is that literally no one is worse than her. Not even Trump.

well, it seems that your opinion of Obama has gone up.  that's encouraging. 

[tallguy]

Hillary is better than Trump in just about every area that matters.  The good news for Trump is that he's not the absolute worst.  There is always that vile, disgusting POS Ted Cruz to look down on.  

[happyhoix]

Aug 1, 2016 9:43:53 GMT -5 AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP said:

Jul 31, 2016 21:07:23 GMT -5 djAdvocate said:

management: is it OK for me to call that site theconservativeouthouse?  just wondering. 

I use it because it's a good aggregator of relevant information with the added benefit that it is synthesized well-- and they have been 100% correct in everything they've said and predicted with one exception which we will find out in November: The Monster Vote. They've been right about everything so far. There's one final test... 

Look - I read the New Yorker for it's well written articles full of relevant information - but I fully admit it's a liberal publication and the articles are slanted to the left.

Being willfully blind to the bias in the media you consume makes you begin to think the whole world adheres to your particular world view, and this makes you intolerant to people who don't share that view, IMHO.

[billisonboard]

Aug 1, 2016 9:43:53 GMT -5 AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP said:

... There's one final test... 

That is the sole bright spot in all of this.

[happyhoix]

Reuters has Hillary up by six points.

www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-poll-idUSKCN1092M5

538 has her 53 to 47

projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2016-election-forecast/

New York Times says Hillary 70 to 30 - surely that's an outlier though?

www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/upshot/presidential-polls-forecast.html?_r=0

DJ will have to weigh in on the quality of the poll sources.... he is our poll geek.