US General Election 2016

I just realized how cool it is to read the Dilbert comics in tandem with Scott Adams blog. His comics seem to carry on the theme that Trump tweets are wacko, while his blog suggests that they are subtle genius.

Eldorion wrote:Since when has any US cable news network been "one of the most respected news outlets in the world"? (To quote the Guardian article Blue linked to.)

Not that I condone all of Trump's interactions with the media but c'mon guys. Progressives have been shitting on cable news for years, justifiably so in my opinion. Don't flip flop on this just because of Trump's positions.

I don't mean to single out anyone here ... consider this a more general gripe.

"Donald Trump is now president. This challenges many of us, not least members of the press. Countless reporters are still shaken and stunned by how he singled out a CNN reporter, one of the most respected news outlets in the world, to attack and humiliate him during his first press conference since winning the elections. Worryingly, none of his fellow journalists in the room stood up for him at the time."
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jan/24/panama-papers-media-investigation-next-donald-trump-hold-accountable?

I guess some would say its hyperbole, but this is a discussion that has been held at that level from the get go. I myself would prefer the other news networks, like the BBC, but the size and value of CNN as a news network, I don't think can be in question.

My issue more specifically is the singling out of critical journalists and the general antagonistic approach to the press in particular. This is a modus operandi we can recognize from many dictatorial or semi-dictatorial heads of states throughout the world. And it is one I for one will not sit silently by and watch happen. It is so important that there is a fair and unbiased view of politicians of the Trump mould, as we have seen what a lack of it has resulted in elsewhere in the world.

https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-01-24/the-trump-putin-parallels-pile-up

The US is luckily a far more robust democracy, but these first two years of Trump's presidency will be hard on all involved. With any actual opposition severely limited in their ability to uphold opposing views, even when those views are supported by a majority of Americans. Then the electorate will get their first chance to reflect their view on his tenure. Until then, a free and robust press is very important. And the sort of bullying utilized by the sitting administration to silence criticism so dangerous.

need to fight back via twitter and "reality" TV.

The traditional press has been having to "adapt or perish" for the last decade with all the alternate news sources now available, but it looks like the new White House policies are going to put even more pressure on them. But one thing's certain - blackouts are no longer possible. The more pressure they put on agencies to control their messaging, the more leaks they'll have.

Reading through the news the last few days, I've got a theory. I think Trump is still using an old tactic of floating "test balloons" early in negotiations to start the discussion, but I don't think he's realized yet that as of this week his balloons now look like strategic bombers....

{{Watching Trump/May press conference.

Question asked about US/Mexico relations to Trump with follow up to May about if she is troubled by the relationship between the two.
Before Trump addressed it he held out his arm in Mays direction with his hand spread out as if to shut her down, and said "Im sure the Prime Minister has more important things to worry about than the US Mexican releationship."

And when it did go to her answer she just meekly said basically, 'what he said.'

Pathetic May. really pathetic. You let him dictate your answer. What happened to you weren't going to shy away from speaking out where we have differences. }}}

Pettytyrant101 wrote:{{{ What happened to you weren't going to shy away from speaking out where we have differences. }}}

Having her hands tied by the upcoming Brexit didn't help her negotiating position any. I'm guessing it would have been much easier to speak out if there'd been other major markets to turn to. It would be a shame for everybody if this becomes the UK's new role.

http://www.vogue.com/13525611/trump-chavez-similarities/

halfwise wrote:I just realized how cool it is to read the Dilbert comics in tandem with Scott Adams blog.  His comics seem to carry on the theme that Trump tweets are wacko, while his blog suggests that they are subtle genius.

Of course he can't say anything positive about him in the comics, though they aren't of a political nature like Doonsebury. Scott has said many times because of his blogging about the election his average number of speaking engagements dropped drastically. Like zero, and organizations were cancelling already scheduled events. Just for blogging about the election. Although he was most recently on BBC radio and Joe Rogans podcast before the election.

He didn't truly endorse Trump until he knew (like many of us) that he needed to double down. Most of the election he endorsed Clinton "for his own personal safety." Somewhat of a joke and a lot of us readers knew he backed Trump, but there was a lot of truth in that "for my own personal safety" excuse.

Even now his blogs aren't really endorsing Trump, but saying he's more clever than he appears. I'm surprised that nuked all his speaking engagements. I'd expect some of them to vanish, but not all.

Pettytyrant101 wrote:{{Watching Trump/May press conference.

Question asked about US/Mexico relations to Trump with follow up to May about if she is troubled by the relationship between the two.
Before Trump addressed it he held out his arm in Mays direction with his hand spread out as if to shut her down, and said "Im sure the Prime Minister has more important things to worry about than the US Mexican releationship."

And when it did go to her answer she just meekly said basically, 'what he said.'

Pathetic May. really pathetic. You let him dictate your answer. What happened to you weren't going to shy away from speaking out where we have differences. }}}

they were skipping hand in hand round the White House. She is going to let him do anything he likes. He gets to take tea with the Queen, and she gets NATO and 'deals'. looks like its a good job we have the Queen.

{{Thought this was an interesting report from CNN-

'Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim said he was celebrating, not his birth, but the unity of his country...
on Friday entered a standing-room-only press conference in the same building from which he runs his empire, holding a set of papers with handwritten notes and a book with several pages marked, titled: "Great Again: How to Fix our Crippled America," by Donald Trump....
"This meeting was a reason for joy and happiness and emotion, to see how all Mexico has joined together, " he said.
Slim praised his country for solidarity at a time when the country is applauding its President, Enrique Peña Nieto, for canceling a scheduled meeting with US President Trump....
After holding up the well-worn paperback to the crowd of reporters, he urged others to read it as a way to understand the new American leader....
Trump's strategy, according to Slim, is to shock and provoke. But in the end, Slim said, Trump's "not a terminator, he's a negotiator."
What President Trump signifies for us is a big change, a big change in politics and we need to make adjustments in this new civilization," he said.
The change, he says, is favorable for Mexico. "The engineer," as others refer to him, doesn't think Mexicans will end up paying for a wall, especially if Trump's plan is to use a tax on goods coming into the United States.
"The taxes would be paid, not by Mexico, but by those who import and those who are going to be the users."...
Trade and a wall are no reason to get angry, he says. It's a reason to negotiate. While he declined to offer advice to Trump or Peña Nieto, Slim offered a small piece of advice on negotiations.
"Twitter is not a way to negotiate. Glad they were able to talk over the phone.".. }}}

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/01/27/politics/mexico-billionaire-carlos-slim-trump/index.html

I think he understands Trump very well. Just think of him as a hustler wanting the best deal. I think its guys like Pence who actually believe the Pro-life shit, I don't think Trump is interested in things like that.

No, he only cares about "moral" stuff so far as it helps him with his base.

And I think that's exactly the guy a lot of the Trump voters I know voted for.

Here's a pretty good radio story from a Public Radio reporter who ventured out into the wilderness of my area to try to figure out Trump voters in their native habitat (a pretty good story really.)


http://knkx.org/people/jennifer-wing
Go down to the Grays Harbor story and click "play".

In Grays Harbor County, A Crack Emerges In The Blue Wall
By Jennifer Wing • Jan 21, 2017
The last time Grays Harbor County voted for a Republican was in 1928, when Herbert Hoover was elected — that is, until last year when it went for Donald J. Trump.

At one time, Grays Harbor was an economic powerhouse. Tim Quigg grew up there.  He says back then just about anyone could get a job that paid well.

That was a good story. It got me to look up Aberdeen on the map and I was tickled to see the "Cranberry Coast Highway".

As I said somewhere earlier on this thread, the main reason people are anti-Trump is NOT because of his policies, but because of the qualities of the man. And yet when you are finding jobs and business hard to come by, perhaps...just perhaps... policy begins to matter more than personal qualities.

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