Trump Vs. The Boy Scouts: Much Ado About Nothing, or An Embarrassing Mess?

[Steve_MB]

@Czarcasm

Son of a bitch-Right off the bat he attacks the fourth estate twice, then he lies about how he wasn’t going to go the policy-fight route.

Rather like the opening of the Penguin-vs-Batman debate from the 60s series:

[QUOTE=The Penguin]
Friends and fellow citizens, I want to give you my solemn word that there will be no mud-slinging in this campaign – unless, of course, my opponent slings it. But I intend to stick to the issues. Now, what are the issues? There is only one: Batman. Who is he? Who is this acrobatic clown who somersaults around Gotham City in that ridiculous costume? I suggest that behind that mask, Batman is in reality a dangerous criminal…
[/QUOTE]

[Czarcasm]

@HurricaneDitka

I’m not in a position to watch the video right now. Are there points in the video where you think the crowd is booing the President? Where there wasn’t applause where the White House transcript said there was?

Rather than put you at the disadvantage of having to defend something without first know what it is you are defending, I think I’ll wait until you get up to speed.

[Czarcasm]

@HurricaneDitka

Yeah, and this was one of them. It was inappropriate. But our current president’s strong suit is definitely not “finding the appropriate thing to say”. He says all sorts of inappropriate things. Most of them aren’t terribly significant or important. This strikes me as another one of those.

And you say this while repeatedly saying you don’t know what he said.
Neat trick.

[ElvisL1ves]

But it’s a solid assumption that he *will *try to defend it.

[bucketybuck]

@HurricaneDitka

but for me personally, it doesn’t seem like a big deal.

Imagine that.

[HurricaneDitka]

nevermind

[Buck_Godot]

@Czarcasm

According to that OFFICIAL transcript, everybody applauded at the appropriate places, and said the right encouraging words, and said boo when he mentioned his opponents(making it seem as if they were booing his opponents and not him). This whitehouse-washed document makes it look like the BSA actively supports their Prez.

My guess, is that the scouts were sternly instructed not to disrespect the president, so all of the Liberals basically had to sit on their hands, while the MAGAs could whop and holler to their hearts content. Also the Boy scouts membership tends to lean Conservative, so there was probably about a 70/30 pro/anti Trump ratio in the crowd.
Annecdote time:
When I was at the Jamboree in 89 the Army rock band was assigned to play, and near as I coud tell only knew two songs. “God bless the USA” and for some reason “walk the Dinosaur”. In any case a warmup the the arrival of the president H. W. Bush the Army Band gave a reprise “God bless the USA” and at the lyric “And I gladly stand up Next to you” The whole crowd got up and rose to their feet, except for me and a few of my friends who were A) sick of this stupid song, b) even more disgusted by the glurgy false patriotism behind it. We got lots of glowering looks from everyone around us and some even tried to drag us to our feet. It was my first taste of civil disobedience.

[HurricaneDitka]

@ElvisL1ves

But it’s a solid assumption that he *will *try to defend it.

Maybe you should read post #40 …

[Czarcasm]

@HurricaneDitka

Maybe you should read post #40 …

The one where you said that it inappropriate…but since he says inappropriate things things all the time, that somehow makes it a “meh” issue for you?
Pray tell us, what would he had to say to get you from “Yeah, so what-he does it all the time” to “Now THAT went too fucking far, in my opinion.”?

[skdo23]

@Buck_Godot

I’m a Former Eagle scout who attended in National Jamboree in 1989.

The speech was entirely inappropriate for the venue. If ever there was a time for innocuous pablum this was it. All he had to do was say how proud he was of the scouts, how great America is, and how you should reach for the stars.

Here is atranscriptof the speech.

If you took out all the parts highlighted in yellow it probably would have been ok, and he probably could probably could have gotten away with one quick jab as a bit of a joke, but this speech is half political, and largely negative. Commenting on crowd size in particular is a off base, given the fact that all those in attendance were basically forced to be there, and presumably given strict instructions by their leaders not to disrespect the president.

That said I have no problem with how BSA handled it. To do otherwise would have brought even more controversy. Its traditional to have the president give a speech at the end of the Jamboree, so not inviting Trump would be a political act. Also one of the values promoted by the boy Scouts is patriotism and respect for authority, so calling out the sitting president after this speech would be a major change in policy. Distancing themselves from him is probably the best they could do.

No such thing as a former Eagle Scout, and I was there in 1989 as well.

[HurricaneDitka]

@Czarcasm

Pray tell us, what would he had to say to get you from “Yeah, so what-he does it all the time” to “Now THAT went too fucking far, in my opinion.”?

I don’t know, but this wasn’t it.

[Bricker]

Trump knows how to give one type of speech.

Absolutely inappropriate for the Jamboree.

Not the BSA’s fault that the sitting President is an asshole, though.

[Czarcasm]

@HurricaneDitka

I don’t know, but this wasn’t it.

Not having goal posts at all is much easier than having to move them, isn’t it?

[Czarcasm]

@Bricker

Trump knows how to give one type of speech.

Absolutely inappropriate for the Jamboree.

Not the BSA’s fault that the sitting President is an asshole, though.

Agreed. They didn’t have much choice beforehand…but I wonder how they would have reacted if they had had access to the speech beforehand.

[HubZilla]

@skdo23

No such thing as a former Eagle Scout, and I was there in 1989 as well.

Eagle Scout, there in 1989 as well. I remember how George Bush was asking us if we went snipe-hunting yet.

[Bricker]

@Czarcasm

Agreed. They didn’t have much choice beforehand…but I wonder how they would have reacted if they had had access to the speech beforehand.

They were in a tough bind regardless. They always invite the sitting President. Perhaps they might have made post-review gentle suggestions about avoiding partisan topics.

But gentle, subtle suggestions affect Trump like a sudden attack from a soap bubble.

[HurricaneDitka]

@Czarcasm

Not having goal posts at all is much easier than having to move them, isn’t it?

I don’t know, why don’t you go ask someone about your local county fair about that?

[Revenant_Threshold]

I’m more curious as to whether they’ll ask for a look at the speech beforehand next year.

And what would happen if it’s much the same thing.

[Czarcasm]

@HurricaneDitka

I don’t know, why don’t you go ask someone about your local county fair about that?

You want to give that come-back another try? At least provide a little background for those that don’t follow your posts religiously.

[Czarcasm]

@Revenant_Threshold

I’m more curious as to whether they’ll ask for a look at the speech beforehand next year.

And what would happen if it’s much the same thing.

As someone has previously noted, this is a once-every-four-years event, and if we’re lucky the chance of it happening again will be slim.