Trump's America

[Frelga]

Here's a perspective:

"Trump hits 34% [job approval]" doesn't convey the full story. It's "Trump somehow hits 34% without a recession, a military disaster, a gas crisis, etc"
Benjy Sarlin, NBC News

[yovargas]

The lowest 538's had him is 36% (just after The Mooch, I believe). I suspect (hope?) this past weekend will not be seen favorably either.

[River]

His 538 number was creeping up around 38% when he started talking about war with North Korea and then Venezuela but then it declined. Last I checked it was 37.4%, probably because of the Gallup result. We'll see where this goes.

[Frelga]

Terry Pratchett may be gone, but his words live on.

TP+and+MAGA[1].jpg (80.58 KiB) Viewed 7152 times

[Impenitent]

May I use this, Frelga?

Sent from my SM-N920I using Tapatalk

[Primula Baggins]

Perfect.

I wish it weren't.

[Frelga]

May I use this, Frelga?

I didn't make it, I found it on Google+. Which probably means I should try too look up the person who did make it. But I can't imagine they'd object.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

I was pretty surprised by this:

Corker: Trump hasn't demonstrated the stability or competence to be successful

Obviously, I agree that this is true, but I'm surprised to see someone high in the GOP Senate leadership admit it.

[Frelga]

Most prominent Republicans have spoken up about C-ville. Even McConnell. Speaking up is not enough.

In the meantime...
Steve Bannon Detonates His Trump Survival Plan, Worrying Allies

Bannon, an ally said, was very angry that Cohn was telling the press about how uncomfortable he was with Trump's Tuesday comments. "Bannon felt it was the opposite, he thought it was great," the source relayed.

That same day, Bannon spoke to the American Prospect, tearing into Cohn and forcefully detailing his own agenda to a reporter, blowing up the earlier, cautious approach to survival.

Bannon has now made the calculus that he’s on thin ice regardless, and won't go down quietly, the first supporter said. "He's saying, 'I’m going to force you to fire me in a public way or we’re going to follow the agenda we were elected for.'"

"Bannon thinks he's going to be in the shit house," the second Bannon ally said. "But the reason I think he could survive this one is they had Charlottesville, they disbanded two [business advisory councils,] now they're going to fire the president’s chief strategist?"

I miss the days when politics were boring. I am also still not used to buzzfeed delivering intelligent, well sourced news stories. Right alongside "which Kardashian are you" quizzes.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Most prominent Republicans have spoken up about C-ville. Even McConnell. Speaking up is not enough.

There is a big difference between speaking up about Charlottesville in vague terms, without even mentioning Trump by name (as McConnell and Ryan did), and specifically stating that Trump is unstable and incompetent. I agree that speaking up is not enough, but this is a distinctly different tone than I have heard from anyone in GOP leadership. We'll see if it leads anywhere.

[Frelga]

True dat.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Bannon has either been fired, or resigned, depending on which story you believe. Not that I think it matters much. Bannon was never the real problem. Trump is.

[yovargas]

What's the story on why? Too dispirited about....everything.....to google right now.

[Frelga]

Yov, read it, it might raise your spirits.

V, while I agree with you, Bannon was one of the most dangerous voices in the White House, imo. His removal will not solve all problems, but I do think it improves our chances of us maybe surviving the next few years.

Eta: Colbert just now

".@realDonaldTrump Congrats on removing your first monument to racism! https://t.co/XF4XIQyAO3"

Although, unlike condemning the Nazis, this development is not straightforward.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Trump believes that Bannon is the source of some of the leaks that have infuriated him. Apparently he was supposed to be fired two weeks ago, but Mark Meadows, the head of the House Freedom Caucus talked him out of it. But this week Bannon gave an interview to the liberal American Prospect magazine in which he contradicted Trump on North Korea (Bannon actually made some sense in saying that there was no military solution to the crisis in North Korea) and insulted other Trump advisors and apparently that was the last straw.

Frelga, I agree about Bannon, but I still don't think it makes much difference. Trump was a scary wildcard before Bannon joined his team, and he will continue to be a scary wildcard now that Bannon is (allegedly) no longer involved.

[yovargas]

Will Trump have any friends left (that aren't relatives) when he's done with all this?

[Frelga]

That's true, but Trump appears to repeat the last thing someone put in front of him, and who is putting things in front of him matters. Not that I disagree with you.

So who's left? He kicked out the Republican establishment. Business councils disbanded or failed to form. The nationalist is out. Trump's family is still his trusted circle but their only characteristic is their personal loyalty to Trump.

We are run by the military right now, aren't we?

[Voronwë the Faithful]

Yep. If anyone is in charge, it is Gen. Kelly. Which is scary enough, but could be worse.

[Frelga]

I... was kinda hoping you'd tell me why I'm wrong.

[Inanna]

Right now, that looks like a positive thing.