Discussion: Trump’s Inauguration Paid Trump’s Company — With Ivanka In The Middle

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#101

I wouldn’t call what I think possible an epiphany. I think they may resent it just a bit that he went straight into their pockets and ripped them off. The people who fell for the Trump University scam persisted for a time, out of embarrassment and wishful thinking, in believing they got something of value. But eventually they formed a class action suit and expressed their irritation to the tune of $25 million. Things change, is my perhaps naive and overoptimistic view.

Yes, we all remember how Dubya’s popularity never flagged or faltered, and McCain was president for eight years, and the Tea Party happened because why again? Seriously, I don’t get why people are so offended if I dare to hint that Donald Trump might become even more unpopular than he is now, like I’m so soft in the head to think that way that I’m a danger to myself and others.

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#102

Its sort of win/win for the press. They got good ratings having him on all the time during the primaries, now his bottomless corruption is also a ratings bonanza. Imagine, when he’s out of office and some Democratic president gives them nothing but policy papers to report on!

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#103

Art of the deal?

When you’re playing both sides, it’s pretty fucking easy.

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#104

Fithy grifters gonna grift, grift, grift…

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#105

Yes, I’m aware of those contradictions and failures to see one’s own self-interest. But I’m talking about a situation where that guy right over there took your own damn money and put it in his pocket instead of spending it on what he said he’d spend it on. Jesus, people are capable of feeling betrayed! Half the country’s divorced, for Christ’s sake. I’ve been called cynical all my life but I just don’t see what this form of it does for anyone.

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#106

Maybe he figured if Obama and Hillary can get away with all their crimes while in office, why wouldn’t I. Presupposes Obama and Hillary committed real crimes though.

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#107

I’m not saying he won’t become more unpopular. I’m saying it’s a lousy bet to assume that because people don’t like being made to feel the victim that they will therefore turn on the one who cheated and victimized them.

History is replete with examples showing that it simply doesn’t work that way. You’re certainly right that people don’t like being made fools of or feeling they were taken advantage of. But an exceedingly common response to that in cult-like contexts is that group members protect their core selves not by turning against the one who hornswoggled them but rather by turning (ofen violently) against the ones who seek to make them aware of having been hornswoggled.

That is what all of my examples show. An entertaining yet shocking look at this particular quirk of the human psyche can be found in the movie Honest Liar – a biography of James Randi (mentioned above). Good movie, btw.

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#108

Here’s Wiki on it but that New Yorker article will do fine. Serious corruption with a link to the Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. Trump was never fussy about the company he kept but even for him that’s pretty bad.

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#109

rumors- Jarvank debated which would run for president first, how they would take turns…

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#110

I agree with you (on the further flagging of support.)

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#111

I think we see more and more of this - the distortions and lies from Right Wing media - talking about these “crimes” for years - to the point where the right believes and acts as if those crimes happened, and now that they are in power (in Congress, in the Admin - not just Trump) - they think it is their due.

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#112

Support will fall off when loving him is harder (for his followers) than rejecting him. But beware, because that does not mean they’ll become open to questioning their choices. Just means they’ll keep looking for some other vehicle to carry their anger (born of shame) on the world stage.

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#113

Of course I’m aware of all those denial mechanisms; brain research in recent years has shown us that we’re even more susceptible to irrational, emotion-driven thinking than we knew before. It takes real critical-thinking ability to even struggle against it, and that’s rare. But I’m stubbornly my own self insisting that if you looked at everyone who pulled the lever for the GOP in 2016, there’s a segmentation there. For the real cultists, and that’s an apt comparison and maybe not a comparison but a fair label, they simply deny reality. “Well, if you believe the New York Times!” There’s literally no negative evidence they’d believe. But I live among a lot of country-club Republicans. They never did like Trump, but held their noses. Tell you what to listen for—when people start saying “He was never really a conservative.” That will tell you there’s a big segment ready to bail. Maybe we’ll never see it. Maybe they’ll all go down with the ship. But pity me for a credulous fool, I think his support is volatile in the non-cultist segments. They’ll find an out in the artful way you’ve described.

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#114

Rachel covered this last night.

She said in June 2017, the WH told the press that a full and comprehensive audit had been done by an independent accounting firm, and everything was squeaky-clean.

The press then asked for a copy of the audit. Nada.
Then they asked who the firm was. Nada.

And to this day…nada.

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#115

To the surprise of absolutely no one.

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#116

Any resentment that these small contributors have will be directed at those they already despise, not the ones who fleeced them. The Trump “University” victims were seeking economic gain (jobs/career) from their direct investment in the cost of “attending” this scam educational institution. Theirs was an economic transaction; the promised education for the fees paid. The contributors to his campaign and his inaugural were looking to defeat those they long hated. These were contributions, not payment for services.

The danger of your “naive and overoptimistic” view is that some Democratic politicians will seek to woo the ever elusive “white working class voter” while ignoring those who comprise the base of the Democratic Party. Believing that the natavists, racists, and misogynists will turn their anger towards Trump and embrace those who have opposed him is unrealistic, at best.

Those who supported Bush’s war, turned on a dime to support a proto-fascist who mendaciously proclaimed that he never supported this war. These folks didn’t come to a realization that those who opposed Bush were right and they were wrong. They instead blamed the left for the failure of Bush’s wars. They created their own reality to comport with their own fractured view of the world and the people that they’ve always seen as enemies.

None of this is about to change because Trump’s gotten richer at their expense. They’re just going to blame who they’ve always blamed - the “other”.

I guess I’m just a cynic. But history has proved me right.

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#117

Looks more like she needed hip-waders. And every other person on the planet with experience in those things says no one competent would have touched it. Wow.

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#118

One of the mysteries of ADHD is that when patients are given stimulants that wreck the focus of the rest of us, their attention spans increase. I believe adderall is repackaged amphetamines.

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#119

looks like Tiffany is available for marriage fellas

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#120

I totally forgot the delusions he absorbed when he gave whatever was left of his mind to FAUX News.
He probably really thought that. Just like he hates Sessions for not protecting him like Holder did to Obama.

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