Editorials & Other Articles

DonViejo

(60,536 posts) Sat Dec 22, 2018, 08:32 AM Dec 2018

Shutdown Proves Once and For All Trump Has No Idea What He's Doing

Anybody with half a critical mind and an attention span longer than a gerbil can figure out that Donald Trump is no master negotiator.

Michael Tomasky
12.21.18 10:19 PM ET

Who believed that “great negotiator” stuff in the first place? Who? Anybody with half a critical mind and an attention span longer than a gerbil's could figure out in 2016 that Donald Trump was no master negotiator. If he won negotiations, it was because he lied more than the other side. But usually, as time went on, he lost. But win or lose, in all those negotiations over air rights and concrete prices and how much on the dollar he’d pay contractors he’d cheated, he was operating in a world where the scrutiny wasn’t intense and the law was only haphazardly actually enforced. A world where you could bluff and delay and make the people suing you take a number. You can agree to settlements, pay money, admit no wrongdoing, and skate to the next disaster.

That’s not the world when you’re president. When you’re president, believe it or not, your word has to be good. You have to have some basis for saying Mexico will pay for your wall. And—and thank God this is still true—you have to have public opinion on your side.

Which, on this wall question, Trump does not. Bill Clinton won the 1995-96 shutdown against Newt Gingrich not because he was nicer or better-looking. He won because public opinion was on his side on the question of the proposed domestic spending cuts at issue. For all the noise and bullshit, the substance still matters.

So now look at this mess. What a joke. He is so crazy out of his league. It turns out that the guy who “knows more” than the generals and goes on instinct and can’t read a sentence of policy analysis and sits there while policy aides are trying to talk wondering what they’re saying about him on Fox is as laughably bad at this job as millions of us knew he would be.

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https://www.thedailybeast.com/shutdown-proves-once-and-for-all-trump-has-no-idea-what-hes-doing?ref=home

5 replies

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Highlight:

Shutdown Proves Once and For All Trump Has No Idea What He's Doing (Original Post) DonViejo Dec 2018 OP

He does know what he's doing, duforsure Dec 2018 #1

drumpf is proud to shutdown the government to protect his sh't show wall. democratisphere Dec 2018 #2

Russian money. Scarsdale Dec 2018 #3

drumpf may be the antichrist. democratisphere Dec 2018 #4

As stated by George Conway, elleng Dec 2018 #5

duforsure

(11,885 posts)

1. He does know what he's doing,

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Sat Dec 22, 2018, 08:43 AM

Dec 2018

He is intentionally hurting people by abusing his powers, and to try to pressure Congress with to get whatever he wants. If they allow him to do this without consequences , he'll continue using this tactic, and also use other ways to hurt us even more with to get his way. He'll bypass them when they prevent him from hurting us with a declaration of martial law , bypassing Congress altogether. Then he'll have whatever he wants with absolute power to do as he pleases. The Republicans will also be outraged but they'll become powerless to do anything to him then. He wants all investigations stopped on him , then started on Hillary and President Obama to use to make them criminals for prosecution with the DOTJ . He wants to be the judge, jury, and executioner.

democratisphere

(17,235 posts)

2. drumpf is proud to shutdown the government to protect his sh't show wall.

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Sat Dec 22, 2018, 09:00 AM

Dec 2018

Tell me again how this colossal idiot remains in the oval office?!

Scarsdale

(9,426 posts)

3. Russian money.

Reply to democratisphere (Reply #2)

Sat Dec 22, 2018, 09:26 AM

Dec 2018

The gop took it, and spent it. They really think we do not know this! We are smarter than their orange asshole leader they bow down to. If something is not done, and soon, THIS may be the very last Christmas any of us spend here on Earth.

democratisphere

(17,235 posts)

4. drumpf may be the antichrist.

Reply to Scarsdale (Reply #3)

Sat Dec 22, 2018, 10:02 AM

Dec 2018

We should cherish Christmas like it was our last.

elleng

(130,974 posts)

5. As stated by George Conway,

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Sat Dec 22, 2018, 04:34 PM

Dec 2018

'All this talk about the lack of “process” is valid and true, but it’s also a proxy for the unstated postulate that Trump doesn’t have the slightest clue what he’s doing.'

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