Trump puts Iowa victory at risk with attack on GOP governor

[Free Vulcan]

Thanks @massadvj

Does this definition of most qualified automatically translate into "best" for the job, or can outsiders also apply?

I'll add to that people that can pull the trigger and not just talk a good game and go after low hanging fruit.

[massadvj]

Thanks @massadvj

Does this definition of most qualified automatically translate into "best" for the job, or can outsiders also apply?

Absolutely does not translate to "best" for the job. As with any job, who is "best" depends on the attributes one is looking for in a candidate. Some will be looking for ideological matching, others for a steady hand to guide the ship, others for disruption. In my case, I don't support Trump because we are not in line ideologically. He has his plusses, to be sure, and he is better than Biden, but there are others I consider more solid in terms of the attributes I most favor in a candidate. I am probably in the minority, but I have been in the minority through Bob Dole, GWB, John McCain and Mitt Romney. I am pretty used to it.

Outsiders can certainly apply. When an outsider wins, as Trump did, it is an extraordinary event, which is why I say he should never be underestimated.

[Right_in_Virginia]

Absolutely does not translate to "best" for the job. As with any job, who is "best" depends on the attributes one is looking for in a candidate. Some will be looking for ideological matching, others for a steady hand to guide the ship, others for disruption. In my case, I don't support Trump because we are not in line ideologically. He has his plusses, to be sure, and he is better than Biden, but there are others I consider more solid in terms of the attributes I most favor in a candidate. I am probably in the minority, but I have been in the minority through Bob Dole, GWB, John McCain and Mitt Romney. I am pretty used to it.

Outsiders can certainly apply. When an outsider wins, as Trump did, it is an extraordinary event, which is why I say he should never be underestimated.

Terrific ---- thank you for the reply @massadvj

[sneakypete]

I'll add to that people that can pull the trigger and not just talk a good game and go after low hanging fruit.

@Free Vulcan

Any President that doesn't go  after the "low-hanging fruit" first is a fool. Start in on the easy "takes" and work your way  up. That gives your voters some faith  that you WILL try to straighten that mess up,as well as MAYBE make the globalists a little less confident and MAYBE more prone to making mistakes.

At the MINIMUM it will free up more of your time to focus on the more dangerous "fruits".

[sneakypete]

Absolutely does not translate to "best" for the job. As with any job, who is "best" depends on the attributes one is looking for in a candidate. Some will be looking for ideological matching, others for a steady hand to guide the ship, others for disruption. In my case, I don't support Trump because we are not in line ideologically. He has his plusses, to be sure, and he is better than Biden, but there are others I consider more solid in terms of the attributes I most favor in a candidate. I am probably in the minority, but I have been in the minority through Bob Dole, GWB, John McCain and Mitt Romney. I am pretty used to it.

Outsiders can certainly apply. When an outsider wins, as Trump did, it is an extraordinary event, which is why I say he should never be underestimated.

@massadvj

I am a Trump supporter,but I would say his win had more to do with  so many  voters being disgusted with the status quo and the "party machines" than anything else.

I am STILL disgusted by them,and STILL support Trump for that reason. He needs to gain the Presidency again so he can do more of it. Plus,he was a total political rookie the first time,and won't be so trusting this time.

As a venture capitalist,you tend to trust the people who work for you because when you benefit,THEY also benefit.

The same can not be said about politics,where the Golden Rule is "Bleep  YOU,ME FIRST!",and the majority of the people you deal with are moral whores for rent to the highest bidders.

[massadvj]

@massadvj

Plus,he was a total political rookie the first time, and won't be so trusting this time.

This is a compelling argument, but so far I have not seen any evidence that Trump has learned anything. He seems to be operating based on the same old playbook.

[LMAO]

This is a compelling argument, but so far I have not seen any evidence that Trump has learned anything. He seems to be operating based on the same old playbook.

That, and his left of center drift especially on spending

[sneakypete]

This is a compelling argument, but so far I have not seen any evidence that Trump has learned anything. He seems to be operating based on the same old playbook.

@massadvj

I agree,but that IS what got him elected the last time.

I am hoping that after all the backstabbing he received last time,that once he is in office this time he will PERSONALLY take the time to review applicants for advisor and other high-power jobs,and not just have an assistant do it for him.

After all,this is NOT a capitalist position where everyone applying for a job is determined to do their best because that's how they make the most money.

This is politics,where weasels who are hired to destroy an administration apply for advisory positions so they can collect big "under the table paychecks" from the opposition,plus plum positions in the next Dim administration.

[Kamaji]

That, and his left of center drift especially on spending

Trump was left of center on spending even when he was president.  He primed the pump on inflation; Biden simply made it orders of magnitude worse.

[massadvj]

Trump was left of center on spending even when he was president.  He primed the pump on inflation; Biden simply made it orders of magnitude worse.

More than left of center. He spent like a drunken sailor. He spent half a trillion dollars giving money to businesses NOT to fire people, and pay their employees to do nothing. Now they say more than $150 billion of that giveaway was likely fraudulent. No liberal could have gotten away with something this absurd.



 

[libertybele]

More than left of center. He spent like a drunken sailor. He spent half a trillion dollars giving money to businesses NOT to fire people, and pay their employees to do nothing. Now they say more than $150 billion of that giveaway was likely fraudulent. No liberal could have gotten away with something this absurd.

Perhaps, but also remember that Trump was dealing with COVID and governors were shutting down the country -- people still had to feed their kids and survive.  We were in uncharted territory and IMHO all in all he did well.

Don't forget it was Brandon who conspired with the Chinese -- the blame falls on him!

[massadvj]

@massadvj

I am hoping that after all the backstabbing he received last time,that once he is in office this time he will PERSONALLY take the time to review applicants for advisor and other high-power jobs,and not just have an assistant do it for him.

I am concerned about his appointments, especially his ability to attract talented people. But I am more concerned about his ideology. I see nothing in Trump that indicates any fiscal restraint at all, and I have heard nothing from him that sounds like he has changed in this regard. My main concern is that the government is too big. Trump made it bigger.  Much bigger than any Democrat or Republican who came before him. I have not heard him utter a word of regret about that.

[massadvj]

Perhaps, but also remember that Trump was dealing with COVID and governors were shutting down the country -- people still had to feed their kids and survive.  We were in uncharted territory and IMHO all in all he did well.

Don't forget it was Brandon who conspired with the Chinese -- the blame falls on him!

It was wrong. Period. Cannot be rationalized IMHO.

[Kamaji]

Perhaps, but also remember that Trump was dealing with COVID and governors were shutting down the country -- people still had to feed their kids and survive.  We were in uncharted territory and IMHO all in all he did well.

Don't forget it was Brandon who conspired with the Chinese -- the blame falls on him!

Wow.  More pathetic excuses for Trump.

[Free Vulcan]

@Free Vulcan

Any President that doesn't go  after the "low-hanging fruit" first is a fool. Start in on the easy "takes" and work your way  up. That gives your voters some faith  that you WILL try to straighten that mess up,as well as MAYBE make the globalists a little less confident and MAYBE more prone to making mistakes.

At the MINIMUM it will free up more of your time to focus on the more dangerous "fruits".

Yeah @sneakypete but whoever gets in there  is going to have to take a hard core attitude and really clean house, so that things aren't reversed as soon as they are out of office. Trump punted too many times for my comfort and right now I'm willing to take a chance on new blood to get it done.

[LMAO]

Much bigger than any Democrat or Republican who came before him. I have not heard him utter a word of regret about that.

Not only has he not spoken a word of regret, he plans on growing it even further

It’s not just the MAGA cities and baby bonuses idea in and of themselves. It’s a reflection of what a governing philosophy under a Donald Trump second term would look like.

[LMAO]

Perhaps, but also remember that Trump was dealing with COVID and governors were shutting down the country -- people still had to feed their kids and survive.  We were in uncharted territory and IMHO all in all he did well.

Don't forget it was Brandon who conspired with the Chinese -- the blame falls on him!

https://www.propublica.org/article/national-debt-trump/amp

Economists agree that we needed massive deficit spending during the COVID-19 crisis to ward off an economic cataclysm, but federal finances under Trump had become dire even before the pandemic. That happened even though the economy was booming and unemployment was at historically low levels. By the Trump administration’s own description, the pre-pandemic national debt level was already a “crisis” and a “grave threat.”


And keep in mind, debt to GDP ratio was already well over 100% when Trump took office.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

Perhaps, but also remember that Trump was dealing with COVID and governors were shutting down the country -- people still had to feed their kids and survive. 

The governors would not have kept their states shut down if their people had no money and couldn't eat.  They'd have been forced to stay open.

Trump giving away all that money to people and businesses enabled the shutdowns.

[Kamaji]

The governors would not have kept their states shut down if their people had no money and couldn't eat.  They'd have been forced to stay open.

Trump giving away all that money to people and business enabled the shutdowns.

He also enabled the theft of - so far - $200 billion of the funds spent, given that it was the SBA - an executive agency - that allowed the PPP loans to be issued without any auditing, double-checking, or evidence of actual need.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

He also enabled the theft of - so far - $200 billion of the funds spent, given that it was the SBA - an executive agency - that allowed the PPP loans to be issued without any auditing, double-checking, or evidence of actual need.

 

[Maj. Bill Martin]

Trump screwed up COVID for one very simple reason - in 2020, he was more concerned about getting re-elected than doing the right thing.

[Kamaji]

Trump screwed up COVID for one very simple reason - in 2020, he was more concerned about getting re-elected than doing the right thing.

So, just another garden-variety politician, more interested in his own personal political career than anything else.

[sneakypete]

Yeah @sneakypete but whoever gets in there  is going to have to take a hard core attitude and really clean house, so that things aren't reversed as soon as they are out of office. Trump punted too many times for my comfort and right now I'm willing to take a chance on new blood to get it done.

@Free Vulcan

You forgot that Trump was a rookie politician. His first public office was in the White House,and politics is it's own little inbred world,just like banking and investing.

I like to think he has learned a few lessons about retail politics by now.

Yeah,his campaign style is still the same,but I can't fault him for going with what works for him. I can only hope that once he gets the nomination he starts working on "building a few bridges" with a few key politicians in the background,so he can hit the ground running after he is elected,and start making some of the changes that so desperately  need to be made.

Everybody else that is running is a career politician,and America is where it is today thanks to career politicians and their "behind the scenes deal-making".

[sneakypete]

Yeah @sneakypete but whoever gets in there  is going to have to take a hard core attitude and really clean house, so that things aren't reversed as soon as they are out of office. Trump punted too many times for my comfort and right now I'm willing to take a chance on new blood to get it done.

@Free Vulcan

Consider two indisputable facts:

Fact 1: He was rookie politician his first term,after becoming the President of the US after running in the first campaign for elected office in his life. Thus,no experience dealing with the back-stabbing bastards we call "career politicians".

Fact 2: The above won't happen this time because he understands that this will be his LAST shot at making it big in the history books as "The President that Saved America",and there is NOTHING in this world more important to him that that.  He can't be bribed and he can't be  blackmailed,and this,plus jealousy,is the reason so many career politicians hate him with a passion.

I would like to call this last paragraph "Fact 3",but it is just what I think will happen. I honestly think  that once elected,a lot of the "public bombast" will disappear from view,and he will work hard to get laws passed that benefit America. If some corporations also benefit from it,good for them! If they don't,"tough titty".

I also think there  will be a sudden shutting down the border to prevent illegal aliens/Dim "Voters" from coming into the country,which is going to cause  the left to get truly hysterical.

With any  luck at all,some might even  become suicidal. The ONLY "good communist" is a dead communist.

[LMAO]

Trump punted too many times for my comfort and right now I'm willing to take a chance on new blood to get it done.

Ditto

And I’m not saying a DeSantis, Youngkin, or Scott are going to be the candidates that “save America” because everybody has a different opinion what that would mean

But the size of government and our dire fiscal situation gained steam under Trump. And I can’t take the risk of “this time will be different. We promise.”

I see nothing that indicates that he found religion on these issues. In fact, every indication suggest that he would be much worse in a second term. His lashing out at Republicans that don’t ask for his endorsement, won’t endorse him, or those that he does not deem “sufficiently loyal”  is a clear indicator. And his recent claim that he could end the conflict in Ukraine and 24 hours is another. It would be better for him to come out and say we either we have no business sending money there or he would fund the  Ukrainian military more robustly than Biden