Straight Dope Message Board

[ThelmaLou]

Originally Posted by Calatin

Yeah, but when they all say essentially the same damn thing, it just becomes clutter.

Even though we're now in a post-fact era, I'd like to stick to facts. You actually have to read the threads (or at least the OP) to see that they don't say the same thing. Yes, the theme is the same as the title of this thread, but the threads of mine currently on the front page of the Pit (SIX, including this one) are as follows and deal with different aspects of Trump.

"Is it that the Dems don't understand white, working-class America?" No, that's not it
(Not about Trump specifically, but about Trump voters)

Trump launches multi-state victory lap
(Perpetual campaign begins-- the Big Ego requires it)

Trump may not submit a budget next year
(DT is going to practice opacity instead of transparency)

Trump rewards big donors with Cabinet posts
(DT selling cabinet posts)

Will Trump Keep His Business Interests Separate from the Presidency?
(Mingling the two means DT and family can make lots of money through "honest graft")

There are TWENTY-SEVEN other Trump-bashing (or closely related to Trump-bashing) threads currently on the front page of the Pit that aren't mine. 51

[Morgyn]

Can I add something to bashing his cabinet appointments?

He's picked the Oklahoma attorney general, currently suing the EPA, to be the new head of the EPA. He thus proves what I have suspected for the last 3 weeks at least; he does not intend to run the government, he intends to disassemble its component parts down to bare rock, then nuke them to be sure they're dead. 52

[running coach]

Originally Posted by Morgyn

Can I add something to bashing his cabinet appointments?

He's picked the Oklahoma attorney general, currently suing the EPA, to be the new head of the EPA. He thus proves what I have suspected for the last 3 weeks at least; he does not intend to run the government, he intends to disassemble its component parts down to bare rock, then nuke them to be sure they're dead.

From orbit? That would require funding NASA. 53

[dasmoocher]

Originally Posted by running coach

From orbit? That would require funding NASA.

It's the only way to be sure. It also makes sense. Pence will be handling foreign and domestic policy. Trump gets to handle outer space. 54

[The Tooth]

Grope. Not handle, grope. 55

[ThelmaLou]

Originally Posted by Morgyn

Can I add something to bashing his cabinet appointments?...

Absolutely.

Originally Posted by The Tooth

Grope. Not handle, grope.

Good one. 56

[Guinastasia]

Originally Posted by ThelmaLou

There are TWENTY-SEVEN other Trump-bashing (or closely related to Trump-bashing) threads currently on the front page of the Pit that aren't mine.

True, but I don't think they're all started by the same person. Seriously, are you going to start a new thread every time the guy sneezes? 57

[SteveG1]

Originally Posted by running coach

Godwin?

Hitler. Stalin. Khomeini. Putin.

Man Of The Year is about perceived importance, not how good a person you are. 58

[running coach]

Originally Posted by SteveG1

Hitler. Stalin. Khomeini. Putin.

Man Of The Year is about perceived importance, not how good a person you are.

I know. I was making a mild joke. 59

[ThelmaLou]

Originally Posted by Guinastasia

True, but I don't think they're all started by the same person. Seriously, are you going to start a new thread every time the guy sneezes?

What's it to you?

Anyway, I addressed this question upthread. 60

[Morgenstern]

Originally Posted by ThelmaLou

And his supporters are still in massive denial about the damage their candidate has already inflicted...and he's not even President yet.

....

As Stephen Hawking put it, Trump appeals to the lowest common denominator. Those who aren't capable of smelling the bullshit, choosing to believe it's something else. Trump will screw up everything he touches, and we'll pay the price. As long as he lies to them, he will get a pass no matter how bad he does. And we all know, he's a very good liar.

Seriously, what kind of idiot would want to lock up Hillary for careless handling US confidential information, then turn around and consider General Petraeus (who knowingly revealed US secrets) for Sec of State? How does old hamster fists not see that as insane? 61

[running coach]

Originally Posted by Morgenstern

As Stephen Hawking put it, Trump appeals to the lowest common denominator. Those who aren't capable of smelling the bullshit, choosing to believe it's something else. Trump will screw up everything he touches, and we'll pay the price. As long as he lies to them, he will get a pass no matter how bad he does. And we all know, he's a very good liar.

Seriously, what kind of idiot would want to lock up Hillary for careless handling US confidential information, then turn around and consider General Petraeus (who knowingly revealed US secrets) for Sec of State? How does old hamster fists not see that as insane?

Trump did say on 60 Minutes that though Pence had voted for the Iraq war, that it was a forgivable mistake and then said that Clinton had committed an unforgivable mistake for doing the same thing.
*Cheering by Trump supporters ensued* 62

[Morgenstern]

Originally Posted by Guinastasia

True, but I don't think they're all started by the same person. Seriously, are you going to start a new thread every time the guy sneezes?

That's not really fair. The pit is for mocking and shaming idiots. Trump is an idiot worthy of mocking and shaming. What would you prefer, an omnibus thread with 12,500 pages and 600,000 posts slowing the hamsters down every time someone loaded it to read it or respond? 63

[ThelmaLou]

Originally Posted by Morgenstern

...
Seriously, what kind of idiot would want to lock up Hillary for careless handling US confidential information, then turn around and consider General Petraeus (who knowingly revealed US secrets) for Sec of State? How does old hamster fists not see that as insane?

Someone said to me, "It's okay when the Republicans do it."


As stated, I'm confining my news items about the Buffoon-Elect to this thread.

Trump to name Scott Pruitt, Oklahoma attorney general suing EPA on climate change, to head the EPA

My bold.

President-elect Donald Trump is expected to nominate Scott Pruitt, the attorney general of the oil and gas-intensive state of Oklahoma, to head the Environmental Protection Agency, a move signaling an assault on President Obama’s climate change and environmental legacy.

Pruitt has spent much of his energy as attorney general fighting the very agency he is being nominated to lead.

He is the third of Trump’s appointees who have key philosophical differences with the missions of the agencies they have been tapped to run. Ben Carson, named to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development, has expressed a deep aversion to the social safety net programs and fair housing initiatives that have been central to that agency’s activities. Betsy DeVos, named education secretary, has a passion for private school vouchers that critics say undercut the public school systems at the core of the government’s mission....

This should work out well for everyone. 64

[ThelmaLou]

Originally Posted by octopus

...You got a point though. Trump is that unusual of a president-elect that perhaps the volume of critique serves a useful purpose.

Thank you. 65

[ThelmaLou]

Trump hires a third general, raising concerns about heavy military influence

Why, you may ask.

...
Trump, who received multiple draft deferments and who has no military experience beyond his years at a military boarding school, is said to be drawn to generals by their swagger and dazzled by their tales from the battlefield....

66

[Morgenstern]

Here's another one...

President-elect Donald Trump picked Linda McMahon, former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, to serve as the administrator of the Small Business Administration, his transition announced Wednesday.

She's well qualified, she's been in entertainment.

Circus in Washington. Lots of seats available. See the clowns without their makeup, get there early.

Trump hiring generals, I thought he knew more than they did? 67

[ThelmaLou]

Originally Posted by Morgenstern

Here's another one...

President-elect Donald Trump picked Linda McMahon, former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, to serve as the administrator of the Small Business Administration, his transition announced Wednesday.

She's well qualified, she's been in entertainment.

She has the most important qualification of all:

McMahon, 68, ... was one of Trump’s early backers and contributed more than $6.5 million to support his campaign.

Pay for play, anyone? Oh, I forgot-- it's okay when the Republicans do it.

Trump hiring generals, I thought he knew more than they did?

What's that old line-- "How can you tell when he's lying? When his lips are moving." Actually, in fairness, I think Trump only lies some of the time. I think he often believes and means his contradictory statements at the time he is making them. And then he either changes his mind depending on whom he wants to impress, or else he just forgets what he said before. 68

[Little_Pig]

Originally Posted by ThelmaLou

Trump hires a third general, raising concerns about heavy military influence

Why, you may ask.

Generals and Billionaires. Hang on gang. This should prove interesting. 69

[Kobal2]

Originally Posted by Morgenstern

Trump hiring generals, I thought he knew more than they did?

Well that's why he's hiring new ones, see ? So's he can teach 'um. 70

[leftfield6]

Originally Posted by Morgenstern

Here's another one...

President-elect Donald Trump picked Linda McMahon, former CEO of World Wrestling Entertainment, to serve as the administrator of the Small Business Administration, his transition announced Wednesday.

What? That can't be a real thing.

[in which leftfeild6 opens a new tab in his browser and checks multiple news sites, drops his head in disbelief, and then returns to this tab]

Holy fuck. Seriously? Is he not even going to make an effort to make his administration seem like a legitimate thing? What's next, Ted Nugent heading up the National Endowment for the Arts? 71

[slumtrimpet]

Originally Posted by ThelmaLou

What's that old line-- "How can you tell when he's lying? When his lips are moving." Actually, in fairness, I think Trump only lies some of the time. I think he often believes and means his contradictory statements at the time he is making them. And then he either changes his mind depending on whom he wants to impress, or else he just forgets what he said before.

Or he just does not give a shit. He says whatever he thinks his audience of the moment wants to hear, truth is completely irrelevant. I doubt he forgets or believes. He doesn't care.
And his supporters and sycophants eat it up. 72

[Steve MB]

Originally Posted by Morgenstern

Circus in Washington. Lots of seats available. See the clowns without their makeup, get there early.

Could we at least have more Ronald McDonald / Clarabelle / Bozo clowns and fewer Sideshow Bob / Pennywise / Joker ones? 73

[Morgyn]

Originally Posted by ThelmaLou

Someone said to me, "It's okay when the Republicans do it."


As stated, I'm confining my news items about the Buffoon-Elect to this thread.

Trump to name Scott Pruitt, Oklahoma attorney general suing EPA on climate change, to head the EPA

My bold.

This should work out well for everyone.

Cough.

And you even responded to it! 74

[dasmoocher]

Originally Posted by leftfield6

Holy fuck. Seriously? Is he not even going to make an effort to make his administration seem like a legitimate thing? What's next, Ted Nugent heading up the National Endowment for the Arts?

He's probably searching for a modern day equivalent of Savonarola. 75

[Son of a Rich]

Originally Posted by Steve MB

Could we at least have more Ronald McDonald / Clarabelle / Bozo clowns and fewer Sideshow Bob / Pennywise / Joker ones?

That's why we need a "like" button here. 76

[ThelmaLou]

Originally Posted by Morgyn

Cough.

And you even responded to it!

Sorry, that went over my head. Explain, if you're inclined.

(You did get that the rolleyes indicated irony, right?) 77

[Morgyn]

Originally Posted by ThelmaLou

Sorry, that went over my head. Explain, if you're inclined.

(You did get that the rolleyes indicated irony, right?)

Because I'd already posted that story?

Maybe it's going over my head. Not hard to do, I'm on the short-ish side. 78

[ThelmaLou]

Originally Posted by Morgyn

Because I'd already posted that story?

Maybe it's going over my head. Not hard to do, I'm on the short-ish side.

Oh. I must have forgotten which thread I was in. So sorry. Didn't mean to be redundant, although some of this stuff bears repeating, amirite? I'll try to be more alert. 79

[Stranger On A Train]

Originally Posted by leftfield6

Holy fuck. Seriously? Is he not even going to make an effort to make his administration seem like a legitimate thing? What's next, Ted Nugent heading up the National Endowment for the Arts?

No, Nugent is going to be director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, shortly to be renamed to the "Department of Homeland Hammerdown and Hunting".

Originally Posted by slumtrimpet

Or he just does not give a shit. He says whatever he thinks his audience of the moment wants to hear, truth is completely irrelevant. I doubt he forgets or believes. He doesn't care.

Kind of like this guy?

Stranger 80

[El_Kabong]

Originally Posted by Stranger On A Train

No, Nugent is going to be director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, shortly to be renamed to the "Department of Homeland Hammerdown and Hunting".

Stranger

Dammit, you got in ten minutes ahead of me. 81

[Czarcasm]

Originally Posted by Little_Pig

I doubt in 12 months that you will find one sorry Son Of A Bitch who will admit that they voted for this Sack-O-Shit.

Would these be the same sorry SOBs that swore they would never vote for this SOS in the first place? 82

[Stranger On A Train]

Oh, and Trump's pick for Secretary of Labor? Andrew Puzder, CEO of the parent company that owns Hardee's and Carl's Jr., noted opponent to expanded overtime protection, increased minimum wage, and the Affordable Care Act because he claims (with no basis whatsoever) that it impacts his bottom line profit because people can't afford to eat as much of his shitty food.

Trump is draining the swamp, alright...directly into his own candy bowl of advisors and Cabinet secretaries.

Originally Posted by El_Kabong

Dammit, you got in ten minutes ahead of me.

That's okay, you can cut in front of me in the line for the re-education camps when Trump starts arresting every single person who mocks him.

Stranger 83

[Little_Pig]

Originally Posted by Stranger On A Train

Oh, and Trump's pick for Secretary of Labor? Andrew Puzder, CEO of the parent company that owns Hardee's and Carl's Jr., noted opponent to expanded overtime protection, increased minimum wage, and the Affordable Care Act because he claims (with no basis whatsoever) that it impacts his bottom line profit because people can't afford to eat as much of his shitty food.

Trump is draining the swamp, alright...directly into his own candy bowl of advisors and Cabinet secretaries.

That's okay, you can cut in front of me in the line for the re-education camps when Trump starts arresting every single person who mocks him.

Stranger

The brazenness of his picks is, well, brazen. At Trump's first Cabinet meeting, everyone should be issued both a clown suit and clown car. 84

[Morgyn]

Originally Posted by Little_Pig

The brazenness of his picks is, well, brazen. At Trump's first Cabinet meeting, everyone should be issued both a clown suit and clown car.

I thought all the clowns were supposed to pile out of the same car? 85

[Neo-Calredic]

Originally Posted by leftfield6

What? That can't be a real thing.

[in which leftfeild6 opens a new tab in his browser and checks multiple news sites, drops his head in disbelief, and then returns to this tab]

Holy fuck. Seriously? Is he not even going to make an effort to make his administration seem like a legitimate thing? What's next, Ted Nugent heading up the National Endowment for the Arts?

At this point, can you honestly say you'd be surprised? 86

[DiggitCamara]

Originally Posted by leftfield6

What? That can't be a real thing.

[in which leftfeild6 opens a new tab in his browser and checks multiple news sites, drops his head in disbelief, and then returns to this tab]

Holy fuck. Seriously? Is he not even going to make an effort to make his administration seem like a legitimate thing? What's next, Ted Nugent heading up the National Endowment for the Arts?

Don't give him ideas. 87

[Colibri]

Originally Posted by Morgyn

I thought all the clowns were supposed to pile out of the same car?

More money to be made if you buy them each their own car. 88

[Czarcasm]

Originally Posted by Neo-Calredic

At this point, can you honestly say you'd be surprised?

I certainly would be-I thought Nugent would get the ATF. 89

[running coach]

Originally Posted by Czarcasm

I certainly would be-I thought Nugent would get the ATF.

Nugent could be the Government Waste Czar. 90

[Czarcasm]

Originally Posted by running coach

Nugent could be the Government Waste Czar.

I think you dropped a comma there. 91

[Colibri]

And Ted Kaczynski for Postmaster General! He knows the mails! 92

[Morgenstern]

Maybe Trump can teach the TSA how to properly execute the one handed Trump lock on a woman's genitals. Seems legit. 93

[drad dog]

Too bad Bill Cosby is black. He would be the perfect Ombudsmen. It's going to be a big job. 94

[Darth Ayebaw]

I appreciate your threads TL. Within the rules, I wouldn't mind seeing more. 95

[ThelmaLou]

Originally Posted by Darth Ayebaw

I appreciate your threads TL. Within the rules, I wouldn't mind seeing more.

You mean me?? <looks around> Thank you. You're very kind.

When I find Trump-related news items, I will post them in this thread. So it will be easy for people who don't want to see them to avoid them. And easy for people who want to be biting and critical to find me, too. 96

[Morgenstern]

From CNN

As Trump prepares to take office, 41% say they approve of the job he has done explaining his plans and policies for the future of the American people, while 55% say they disapprove of the job Trump has done.

The muppet hasn't even taken office yet and 55% of the people disapprove of the job he's done? 97

[Stranger On A Train]

Don't insult Muppets. They have a lot more substance than Donald Trump, and also larger hands.

Stranger 98

[SteveG1]

Originally Posted by Morgenstern

... hasn't even taken office yet and 55% of the people disapprove of the job he's done?

Isn't that a first??? 99

[ThelmaLou]

Originally Posted by SteveG1

Isn't that a first???

Well, he likes to be the firstest with the bestest. 100