Is President Trump suddenly Getting Worse?

[septimus]

@RadioWave

[Has unreasonable expectations of favorable treatment]

Remember, you can’t spell “presumptuous” without “Trump”.

@Washington Post

There was then-Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani (R) and former mayor David Dinkins (D). TV stars Frank and Kathie Lee Gifford, who were major donors. And there was a seat saved for Steven Fisher, a developer who had given generously to build the nursery.

Then, all of a sudden, there was Donald Trump.

“Nobody knew he was coming,” said Abigail Disney, another donor sitting on the dais. “There’s this kind of ruckus at the door, and I don’t know what was going on, and in comes Donald Trump. [He] just gets up on the podium and sits down.”

Trump was not a major donor. He was not a donor, period. He’d never given a dollar to the nursery or the Association to Benefit Children, according to Gretchen Buchenholz, the charity’s executive director then and now.

This is from a 1996 ribbon cutting for a school for children suffering from AIDS. Trump stole a seat from an actual donor and stood on stage accepting the applause and adoration of the crowd just because he’s Donald Trump.

Interesting story, but so what? Obama gave the Queen a copy of Obama’s own speech. Same-same.

[Beckdawrek]

Well, it’s fair to say Trump won’t be offering any gifts, since he ain’t freaking going there.

Maybe Melanie could send make-up tips in the interim.

[John_Mace]

@Skypist

http://www.cnn.com/2018/01/17/health/trump-heart-disease-gupta/index.html

FWIW, CNN says that Tmurp underwent a coronary calcium CT scan that indicated he does have “moderate” heart disease. Also, his LDL has increased despite taking rosuvastatin.

So maybe not quite as superhuman as he is trying to make himself out to be.

Not really. You need to look at what’s normal for a guy his age. At 71, the 50th percentile point for a Calcium Index score is 161, which means he’s better than average for a guy his age. A score of 133 would be much more of a concern for a guy who is 40, not so much for a guy who is 71.

[Gyrate]

@septimus

Interesting story, but so what? Obama gave the Queen a copy of Obama’s own speech. Same-same.

Maybe the Queen or her office had mentioned that she liked his speeches. It is certainly true that the Queen and her family are on unusually friendly terms with the Obamas even now that he has left office, so clearly she wasn’t bothered by the gift at all.

[RadioWave]

@septimus

Interesting story, but so what? Obama gave the Queen a copy of Obama’s own speech. Same-same.

The question was whether Trump expects special treatment just because of who he is. This is a pretty blatant example that he does. Secondly, whether Obama is a narcissist himself has no bearing on whether Trump is also narcissistic.

(or is this a whoosh?)

[Robot_Arm]

@septimus

If the Queen invited me for a visit, I’m not sure what I’d offer as a present. Anybody know if she already has a rice cooker?

She does. His name’s Nigel. Nice bloke; his family has been doing it for generations.

[Ludovic]

Except that automation is about to destroy the plans his family made for him.

[Arizona_Mike]

@Measure_for_Measure

That iPod story is certainly a stretch. Heads of state routinely exchange gifts with one another, generally ones that represent their country. Apple is a national champion, so it makes sense to give it to the Queen.

Since we’re here to fight ignorance, I will correct Arizona Mike’s oversight and report the sourcing of his commentary: it’s from the far right Washington Examiner.

The Guardian didn’t think the gift was exceptional when it was given:
President Obama gives the Queen an iPod | Music | The Guardian

The Sydney Morning Herald didn’t see anything amiss when it was given:
Barack Obama gives the Queen an iPod

Politico said, “So the new iPod could be an upgrade for the queen. So far the Ipod gift hasn’t resulted in the kind of “what was he thinking” response in the British press that came with the DVD gift.”
https://www.politico.com/story/2009/04/did-obamas-ipod-gift-make-the-cut-020788

So far, the only news sites I could find with their panties in a bunch were US conservative ones.
In short, pending additional information, I’d say that the characterization presented by Arizona Mike is misleading. To be fair, it does faithfully present the modern American conservative mentality, which is an addition to this discussion. Drawing such a parallel to Trump’s gaffes displays, IMHO, distorted perceptions and less than 100% quality judgment by modern conservative chroniclers.

I think you’re completely missing the point. The issue is not the iPod itself, which is an odd but not narcissistic gift. It was the narcissism of including his speeches on there, as if he felt the Queen would benefit from hearing them. I think that after he received the Nobel Prize, for what no-one is still entirely sure, probably made him feel that he was the new peacock of the world scene.

Obama’s narcissism would make Trump’s narcissism (which is considerable) do a double take. Consider the preening of his nomination victory speech:

I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal; this was the moment when we ended a war and secured our nation and restored our image as the last, best hope on Earth. This was the moment - this was the time - when we came together to remake this great nation so that it may always reflect our very best selves, and our highest ideals.

Obama’s “gaffe displays”, such as the Marine “Corpse” (said repeatedly), the “57 states”, ““The Middle East is obviously an issue that has plagued the region for centuries,” calling his own grandmother “a typical white person,” referring to his “Muslim faith” in an interview with George Stephanopolous, referring to the Austrian language, etc., are pretty well known. He wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer.

[Airbeck]

If you really want to start an Obama v Trump narcissism and gaffe off I don’t think it’s going to go very well for you. Especially considering you have 8 years to choose from and Trump hasn’t even been president for a year.

[running_coach]

@Arizona_Mike

I think you’re completely missing the point. The issue is not the iPod itself, which is an odd but not narcissistic gift. It was the narcissism of including his speeches on there, as if he felt the Queen would benefit from hearing them. I think that after he received the Nobel Prize, for what no-one is still entirely sure, probably made him feel that he was the new peacock of the world scene.

Obama’s narcissism would make Trump’s narcissism (which is considerable) do a double take. Consider the preening of his nomination victory speech:

Obama’s “gaffe displays”, such as the Marine “Corpse” (said repeatedly), the “57 states”, ““The Middle East is obviously an issue that has plagued the region for centuries,” calling his own grandmother “a typical white person,” referring to his “Muslim faith” in an interview with George Stephanopolous, referring to the Austrian language, etc., are pretty well known. He wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer.

From here.

Claim: If any other of our presidents had given the Queen of England an IPod Containing videos of his speeches, would you have thought it a proud Moment For America?

Partly true. It’s true that the president and first lady gave Queen Elizabeth II a video iPod when they visited Buckingham Palace in 2009. But there was more uploaded to the device than the president’s 2009 inauguration speech and his 2004 speech at the Democratic National Convention when he was a state senator. ABC News’ Jake Tapper reported that dozens of well-known musical show tunes were uploaded on the iPod given to the queen, as well as photos and video from the queen’s visits to the United States in 1957 and 2007. There were also photos from the 2009 presidential inauguration. Tapper reported that the Obamas also gave the queen “a rare musical songbook signed by Richard Rodgers.”

The White House said the queen had requested the iPod, according to a report from Fox News’ Major Garrett. While the queen reportedly already had an audio-only version of the iPod, she did not have one capable of playing video. The queen’s gift to Obama? A signed photo of herself, and the Duke of Edinburgh, in a silver frame.

[ThelmaLou]

Aren’t you people tired yet?

[JackieLikesVariety]

@Robot_Arm

She does. His name’s Nigel. Nice bloke; his family has been doing it for generations.

[septimus]

@Arizona_Mike

Obama’s narcissism would make Trump’s narcissism (which is considerable) do a double take.

That half-Muslim half-“white” sure is uppity. Recently his baby momma had the audacity to go to the beach without wearing a burqa! All the smartest Americans are disgusted with her voluptuous figure. Has that porn show at the beach been Pitted at SDMB yet?

[Johnny_Ace]

@Arizona_Mike

Obama’s narcissism would make Trump’s narcissism (which is considerable) do a double take.

No offense, but you are in serious far-right lalaland.

[VinylTurnip]

@Johnny_Ace

No offense, but you are in serious far-right lalaland.

Ya think?

Here, let me Trumpify that Obama quote for you:

“I am absolutely certain that generations from now, I will be able to look back and tell my children that this was the moment when I began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when I began to slow the rise of the oceans and heal my planet; this was the moment when I ended a war and secured my nation and restored my image as the last, best hope on Earth. This was the moment - this was the time - when I came together to remake this great nation so that it may always reflect my very best self, and my highest ideals. Also, I won the electoral college, which everybody said was impossible. And I would’ve won the popular vote if not for all the illegals voting, and won very bigly.”

[Bone]

@Johnny_Ace

No offense, but you are in serious far-right lalaland.

If you have to preface what you’re saying with “no offense”, I’d take that as an opportunity to consider what you’re posting. In this instance, this is not okay. Do not personalize arguments in this fashion.

---

I think this thread has run its course, if it were ever really on a course. Rather than call out all the other borderline comments, I’m going to close it. While actual discussion of the mental state of a public figure is permissible in this forum, we’ve gone into near Pit land now of ranting. I invite anyone who wants to continue ranting and sniping to do so in the Pit. Even pick one of the existing threads - there may be one or two available.

[/moderating]