Tom Brokaw rips Trump for calling Chuck Todd a 'son of a bitch': 'Really classy'

[TomSea]

Though, I disagree with the language, this is pretty minor, Joe Sixpack isn't going to be paying that much attention to little stories like this.  It's not even on the radar for many and close to half of the American public doesn't vote anyway, yet, here we are quibbling about it.

[Formerly Once-Ler]

Though, I disagree with the language, this is pretty minor, Joe Sixpack isn't going to be paying that much attention to little stories like this.  It's not even on the radar for many and close to half of the American public doesn't vote anyway, yet, here we are quibbling about it.

We are not quibbling.  We are discussing.
You are right.  It's just one more of many daily straws on my back.

[Emjay]

The defense of Trump doesn’t offend me.  The obtuseness does.  Your posts are like walking through the Louvre and seeing gang tags on the wall.

If you even know the definition of 'obtuseness' please repost one comment I made that was obtuse.

Thank you in advance.

[Emjay]

Coming from you that is quite a statement.

@Weird Tolkienish Figure

Unless English is my second language, I have not been mean to anyone.

I have disagreed with people in a calm and relatively pleasant manner.  Please repost any 'mean' posts of mine you can find and perhaps I can mend my ways.

[Emjay]

@Emjay

I doubt anyone is "aghast" or "amazed" when Trump uses "language not quite suitable for polite society", but that doesn't mean as American People and American Voters some of us can't be disappointed when we think the President of the United States acts childishly.  I feel that when our leader does act childishly, it reflects badly on our entire country.  I'm not "aghast" or "amazed" by the childish name-calling, the nicknames, the lies/falsehoods/misleading statements, but I remain disappointed by it all.  When Clinton and Obama lied to the American people, I criticized them.  I feel like when any President does things that disappoint me, it's my right to publicly criticize him.  For some reason, it seems as though Trump supporters want to silence criticism of this President. 

Look, I suspect the root cause of the apparent angst some of his supporters has is because they feel the criticism is almost constant.  Well, guess what, it's only almost constant because this President's disappointing behavior is almost constant, at least to me.  As frustrating as the criticism may be to some of his supporters, the almost constant disappointing behavior to frustrating to me.

@Concerned 

It is certainly your right to criticize Trump for anything whatever.  I'm simply pointing out that to act all surprised because he called someone an SOB is just odd because he's said stuff like that so many times before.  It's like people woke up in a new universe and were, OMG, I can't believe it.  Trump used language.

But you are right about the criticism being almost constant.  And most of it is about Trump's personal vocabulary and behavior.

It's like beating a horse that is not only dead but mounted somewhere.

I have no problem at all with people criticising Trump's actions as President.

[edpc]

If you even know the definition of 'obtuseness' please repost one comment I made that was obtuse.

Thank you in advance.

I had a plethora (there's another word for your speak and spell) of choices, but this one was a real beauty......

Our country probably enjoys twice as much respect from the rest of the world now than it did during the Obama reign.

[Formerly Once-Ler]

If you even know the definition of 'obtuseness' please repost one comment I made that was obtuse.

Thank you in advance.

[musiclady]

@Concerned 

It is certainly your right to criticize Trump for anything whatever.  I'm simply pointing out that to act all surprised because he called someone an SOB is just odd because he's said stuff like that so many times before.  It's like people woke up in a new universe and were, OMG, I can't believe it.  Trump used language.

But you are right about the criticism being almost constant.  And most of it is about Trump's personal vocabulary and behavior.

It's like beating a horse that is not only dead but mounted somewhere.

I have no problem at all with people criticising Trump's actions as President.

But you do have problems with people criticizing Trump for his gross personal flaws which affect his ability to be President?

The two cannot be disconnected.  His lack of character is a great problem in his being a President who can effectively represent this country and its values.

Just as LBJ's, Clinton's, and Obama's were.

If you try to separate the two - character and performance - you lose your argument completely.

(And you certainly don't post as if others on this board have the "right" to criticize Trump).

[Emjay]

Wholeheartedly agree. 

I cuss like the proverbial sailor.  So I'm not aghast or appalled when people use strong language.

But here's the thing.  I'm not President of the United States -- the leader of the free world.  I guess I'm old fashioned.  I expect my leaders to be better than me.  I expect them to have class and decorum.  I expect them to be grownups.   I expect them to lead by example. 

What kind of example does it set when our President constantly picks fights with enemies, real or imagined?  What example does it set when he uses foul language and behaves like a 2 year old?  This type of behavior does not set well with the rest of the world.  And look at what it does to our kids.  Kids notice more than we realize and I'm sure they notice Trump's behavior.  Do we want our kids growing up, behaving like this president? 

Over the years, I have tried to curb my foul language and I don't cuss nearly as much as I used to -- at least not publicly.  If I can make some progress in ditching the curse words, I would hope Trump could do the same.

cc  @Emjay

@Applewood   Totally agree.  I hoped Bill Clinton would be better.  He wasn't.  He actually raped women and abused underlings sexually.   I hoped Barack Obama would help Black people.  He did not, he catered to illegals and put the country in a financial bind. 

I had no particular hopes for Trump but he has done well.  Everybody who has been conscious
 for the past couple of years knew that Trump was a crude guy in language and behavior.  He didn't suddenly change from Mr. Rogers to Donald Trump.

But people elected him because he promised stuff they wanted and they liked him.  He promised to protect us from flooding the country with illegals and he's tried to do so and will eventually succeed.

He promised to help the economy and the economy is much better.

I have never cussed like a sailor; in fact my husband was in the Navy and he never cussed either.  We just didn't do that.

But, guess what?

I care more about what Trump does for the country than about his personal behavior.

[Formerly Once-Ler]

@Weird Tolkienish Figure

Unless English is my second language, I have not been mean to anyone.

I have disagreed with people in a calm and relatively pleasant manner.  Please repost any 'mean' posts of mine you can find and perhaps I can mend my ways.

[musiclady]

@Applewood   Totally agree.  I hoped Bill Clinton would be better.  He wasn't.  He actually raped women and abused underlings sexually.   I hoped Barack Obama would help Black people.  He did not, he catered to illegals and put the country in a financial bind. 

I had no particular hopes for Trump but he has done well.  Everybody who has been conscious
 for the past couple of years knew that Trump was a crude guy in language and behavior.  He didn't suddenly change from Mr. Rogers to Donald Trump.

But people elected him because he promised stuff they wanted and they liked him.  He promised to protect us from flooding the country with illegals and he's tried to do so and will eventually succeed.

He promised to help the economy and the economy is much better.

I have never cussed like a sailor; in fact my husband was in the Navy and he never cussed either.  We just didn't do that.

But, guess what?

I care more about what Trump does for the country than about his personal behavior.

And again............. you cannot logically or morally separate the two.   If you continue to do so, you will twist yourself in knots that cannot be undone.

I think that's why we're seeing so much anger in Trump supporters who actually DO have moral values.   You cannot continue to defend what you don't believe in (crassness, filth, immaturity, vulgarity, nastiness) without becoming nasty yourself....

[Emjay]

We’ll now, that creates a problem for the Republican Party, doesn’t it?

Because they are most certainly NOT a “viable” alternative for a Christian Conservative any longer.  At least not on the national level.

That’s what happens when you sell your soul .

@musiclady   Look, I haven't sold my soul and if you're implying I have, I kinda resent it.  You might look back at what Jesus said about less than desirable people.

It would be nice if we had saints in politics but we don't.  If you plan to find a party run by saints, let me know.

[Formerly Once-Ler]

@edpc  Yeah, right.  You are such a classy chap yourself, you instantly recognize the quality in others.

You are not a grown up who can argue intelligently but you instantly launch personal attacks on people who politely disagree with you.

[Formerly Once-Ler]

@edpc   Another example of class by Ed, before our very eyes.

[Formerly Once-Ler]

Frankly, it's kinda sick how much the NTers are enjoying this opportunity to jump on the guy.

[Emjay]

...and imho the gentlemanly Pence in 2016 would not have stood a chance of beating the vicious democrat left. He represents a bygone era. Trump was right for the times. That’s part of the reason he won. The other part is he’s good at sizing up people.

@aligncare   You are exactly right.  I love Pence.  He is a decent man which actually irritates some people.

But, as I said yesterday, I was strongly for Ted Cruz but I'm almost glad he is not President in this climate.  Trump is right for these times.  The insults bounce off him.

[musiclady]

@musiclady   Look, I haven't sold my soul and if you're implying I have, I kinda resent it.  You might look back at what Jesus said about less than desirable people.

It would be nice if we had saints in politics but we don't.  If you plan to find a party run by saints, let me know.

I was referring to the Republican party's selling its soul.....not you.

The fact that you "resent" what I said about a political party indicates some unwarranted sensitivity on your part........ or at the very least, unhealthy association with an entity in which you are only a single member, and not part of the decision making process.

I used to think that I was a loyal Republican.  But now that I see how dangerous that kind of "loyalty" is and how it damages people, I'm sorry I ever claimed that loyalty.

The leaders of the Republican Party sold their soul when they decided to forego character and decency, and back a liberal charlatan, forcing all but the most independent thinking Republicans into their false "binary" choice.

I know lots of loyal Republicans who wept in the voting booth because the Republican party forced them to vote for a man they found despicable.

[Formerly Once-Ler]

@JazzheadThis 'sideshow antic' meme is only rotten meat to the vultures who already hate him  And there are far too many here.

[Formerly Once-Ler]

Sorry @Emjay, I only got through the first 2 pages you vomited on this thread.

[musiclady]

Sorry @Emjay, I only got through the first 2 pages you vomited on this thread.

Thank you for taking the time to do that. 

[Emjay]

I had a plethora (there's another word for your speak and spell) of choices, but this one was a real beauty......

@edpc   What a sad fail.  And you tried so hard.  That statement was true and you cannot prove otherwise. 

[Concerned]

@Concerned 

It is certainly your right to criticize Trump for anything whatever.  I'm simply pointing out that to act all surprised because he called someone an SOB is just odd because he's said stuff like that so many times before.  It's like people woke up in a new universe and were, OMG, I can't believe it.  Trump used language.

But you are right about the criticism being almost constant.  And most of it is about Trump's personal vocabulary and behavior.

It's like beating a horse that is not only dead but mounted somewhere.

I have no problem at all with people criticising Trump's actions as President.

I don't think anyone has been surprised by his childish name-calling, but I do think people continue to be disappointed in it.  I know I am, and I'll NEVER simply find it acceptable behavior for the President of the United States.  I would like the President of the United States to act like a mature adult.  I just don’t think normal, mature adults pick petty squabbles; they don’t give childish nicknames to real or imagined foes; and they don’t lie/make false statements/mislead consistently.  I want the President to reflect my values and principles.  When he doesn’t, I’m going to call it out, and I encourage everyone else to do the same.   For example, when Clinton and Obama lied, I (and many others) called them out.  I'll do the same with Trump even if many of his supporters refuse to (not suggesting you refuse to).

I think there's a perfectly logical explanation for why the criticism is "almost constant".  It's because Trump's childish behavior is almost constant.  I've praised him on several issues (e.g., Gorsuch, regulations, focus on vets, attacking ISIS, etc.).  I've also criticized him for his adding to the debt (which is my number 1 issue), and his childish behavior (e.g., lies/falsehoods/misleading statements/distractions).  If he stops doing things I disapprove of, I'll stop criticizing.  Until then, I'll exercise my right.

@Emjay

[INVAR]

I care more about what Trump does for the country than about his personal behavior.

I find this common statement of belief among Trump fanatics and supporters - to be a FASCINATING exposé on how cognitive dissonance works in the mind of a True Believer.

The ridiculous belief that a person wholly devoid of any moral character or decorum in their personal behavior, is a person who is going to enact morality and decorum in policy via their governance.

i.e.; A congenital liar in their personal behavior is not going to suddenly tell the truth when it comes to public policy.

But as long as Trump puts money in their pockets and punishes their hated adversaries - they do not give a shit what his behavior is.  As long as they get what they want.

[Emjay]

Sorry @Emjay, I only got through the first 2 pages you vomited on this thread.

Very classy remark.  And you call Trump crude. 

None of the people who got all bent by my remarks here can find a single thing I said that was mean unless I was replying to someone who personally insulted me.

The problem with some people here is that they can't stand someone who disagrees with them and also makes sense.  It's a real shame you can't kick me off like Free Republic does.

[edpc]

@edpc   What a sad fail.  And you tried so hard.  That statement was true and you cannot prove otherwise.

I'm pretty sure @Once-Ler posted a nice, pretty graphic that dispelled that silly notion.  Go back and review page 4 of the thread.  While you're being mesmerized by the pretty colors, get a responsible adult to explain the text to you.