The Donald....the newest savior.....

[Typhoon]

Trump is a successful negotiator. The typical method for early negotiations is Trumpish - extreme, even outrageous, positions vociferously presented. One sets the desired opening position as far out as possible, expecting to give away something during the close.

Nonc,

Hillary has called out Trump with IMO her best line yet.

"We are electing a president, not a dictator. Trump wants to be a dictator"

Of course she is correct. He has already taken the GOP without negotiating anything. Ask the humiliated Paul Ryan.

Alex.

Speaking of wannabe dictators, always best to judge politicians by what they do, not what they say . . .

Perfect End to Democratic Primary: Anonymous Super-Delegates Declare Winner Through Media

Last night, Associated Press – on a day when nobody voted – surprised everyone by abruptly declaring the Democratic Party primary over and Hillary Clinton the victor. The decree, issued the night before the California primary in which polls show Clinton and Bernie Sanders in a very close race, was based on the media organization’s survey of “super-delegates”: the Democratic Party’s 720 insiders, corporate donors and officials whose votes for the presidential nominee count the same as the actually elected delegates. AP claims that super-delegates who had not previously announced their intentions privately told AP reporters that they intend to vote for Clinton, bringing her over the threshold. AP is concealing the identify of the decisive super-delegates who said this.

This is the perfect symbolic ending to the Democratic Party primary. The nomination is consecrated by a media organization, on a day when nobody voted, based on secret discussions with anonymous establishment insiders and donors whose identity the media organization – incredibly – conceals. The decisive edifice of super-delegates is itself anti-democratic and inherently corrupt: designed to prevent actual voters from making choices that the party establishment dislikes. But for a party run by insiders and funded by corporate interests, it’s only fitting that their nomination process ends with such an ignominious, awkward and undemocratic sputter.

3rd world tyrants hit the "Like" button.

[YMix]

The decisive edifice of super-delegates is itself anti-democratic

Ummm, the entire electoral system designed by the Holy Framers was anti-democratic. Shirley that's not news to the locals.

Also, I'm guessing that AP called it for Clinton just before the California primary in order to discourage Sanders voters and sway the undecideds.

[Parodite]

Has it ever not been us SM... We are the undivided we and always will be...many.

Us is them and them is you, all is one and one is two.

Parodite, your medications!

You forgot to take them, again.

Maybe I should take some. More likely it was the poor breakfast this morning and no cold beer yet. (vodka only for real emergencies)

[Parodite]

Time for Anna:

Super Delegate :: Desperate Glue

Indeed!

[Typhoon]

Time for Anna:

Super Delegate :: Desperate Glue

Indeed!

Very good.

[Doc]

The decisive edifice of super-delegates is itself anti-democratic

Ummm, the entire electoral system designed by the Holy Framers was anti-democratic. Shirley that's not news to the locals.

Also, I'm guessing that AP called it for Clinton just before the California primary in order to discourage Sanders voters and sway the undecideds.

To the latter yes it appears that way.

As to the Framers the electoral college was set up so bigger state would not solely decide who would be president. Without the electoral college presidential candidates would only campaign in about 10 states.

[Simple Minded]

Also, I'm guessing that AP called it for Clinton just before the California primary in order to discourage Sanders voters and sway the undecideds.

Not at all unusual. MSM has been calling state vote tallies before the polls close at lest as far back as the 1980's.

[Simple Minded]

Has it ever not been us SM... We are the undivided we and always will be...many.

Now yer startin to get it!

[Heracleum Persicum]

.

Traditionally, Ayatollahs, last few POTUS elections, always cast the "king maker" vote.

mad mullahs still thinking who should be next POTUS .. once they decided, they might pull a "stunt" to push POTUS into
a "ZugZwang".

2B fair (to mad mullahs), Melania, makes things difficult.

Melania-Trump-trump-wife-1.jpg

But

Hillary in Hijab 4sure would "brake the ice".

.

Told you , difficult to fit in Melania

mad mullahs prefer Hillary


.

[manolo]

3rd world tyrants hit the "Like" button.

Typhoon,

There is a 'like' button in every American polling booth.

Alex.

[Parodite]

Has it ever not been us SM... We are the undivided we and always will be...many.

Now yer startin to get it!

Or I'm just good at producing convincing nonsense when the conditions are right.

[Doc]

3rd world tyrants hit the "Like" button.

Typhoon,

There is a 'like' button in every American polling booth.

Alex.

However they don't count so much as super delegates

But then again...

MpQ6X4ojHws

orYcAiFqknU

[Simple Minded]

Has it ever not been us SM... We are the undivided we and always will be...many.

Now yer startin to get it!

Or I'm just good at producing convincing nonsense when the conditions are right.

Like I said.... now yer startin to get it

[Alexis]

Geert Wilders’ PVV or Freedom party is leading the polls for next year's Dutch general election

The Guardian, left-leaning pro-European British newspaper, explains:

Once a beacon of progressive politics, the Netherlands today is a traumatised, angry and deeply confused nation. Support for immigration and the European project are at all-time lows. Synagogues and Jewish schools need police protection from homegrown jihadists, and freedom of expression is under serious pressure.
(...)
Fast-forward 28 years, and heading the polls today is Geert Wilders’ PVV or Freedom party. (...) He wants the Netherlands to drop the euro and leave the EU. Like Donald Trump he demands an end to all immigration from Islamic countries. A typical Wilders tweet: “As long as we have ‘leaders’ such as [Dutch prime minister] Rutte, Merkel, Obama and Cameron denying Islam and terror are one and the same, there will be more terrorist attacks.”
(...)
These questions, formerly taboo, are now being debated across the continent, reflecting a deep loss of faith in the competence and trustworthiness of traditional elites. Yet no country seems quite as disoriented as the Netherlands. One important reason must be the unprecedented series of catastrophes to have hit the country over the past 15 years. Three high-profile political murders. The country’s first mass shooting. An attempt on Queen Beatrix’s life in which eight people died. And finally the downing over Ukraine of an airliner, nearly two years ago, killing all 298 on board. Of those, 193 were Dutch, meaning that, relative to population-size, the country suffered a larger loss of life than the US did on 9/11.
(...)
How does an open society based on equality survive, when every year it takes in tens if not hundreds of thousands of immigrants from countries with no tradition of openness, equality or democratic debate? Especially when those immigrants consistently have more children than the native Dutch?
There was a time when mainstream Dutch politicians and opinion-makers would answer breezily that the EU was a work in progress and that successful integration would simply take a generation: why would the children of immigrants remain socially and culturally conservative if they could also be Dutch?
That self-confidence is gone and what will take its place is anyone’s guess. What seems certain is that the heady days of progressive optimism are not coming back.

Should this be in the Europe subforum? Maybe, and then maybe not.

The USA are a specific country with specific and original culture, no denying that. Yet American culture remains not so dissimilar from European one. And the Trump phenomenon is both a specifically American one - and the mere American incarnation of a Western-wide one. Including Russia in the West, by the way - Moscow is the self-styled beacon of cultural conservatism, or at least likes to present itself as such.

[Heracleum Persicum]

.


There Are More White Voters Than People Think
That’s Good News for Trump.

An Older, Whiter, Less-Educated Electorate

Interesting NYT article


El Presidente Trump, here we come

.

[Heracleum Persicum]

.


https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/t ... story.html

.

Two rabbis have spoken at the interfaith memorial service for Muhammad Ali, with one of them receiving four standing ovations and leaving the crowd chanting, “Ali! Ali! Ali!”

Rabbi Michael Lerner gave a fiery speech in which he declared that American Jews stand in solidarity with Muslims, saying they will not tolerate politicians demonizing an entire religion by the actions of a few.

.

.

[Doc]

.


https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/t ... story.html

.

Two rabbis have spoken at the interfaith memorial service for Muhammad Ali, with one of them receiving four standing ovations and leaving the crowd chanting, “Ali! Ali! Ali!”

Rabbi Michael Lerner gave a fiery speech in which he declared that American Jews stand in solidarity with Muslims, saying they will not tolerate politicians demonizing an entire religion by the actions of a few.

.

.

The Washington Post says a lot of things

Here is what a former politician has to say

Joe Walsh
‏@WalshFreedom

Trump has no filter. As a Congressman, I had no filter. Most politicians have filters on top of filters.

America is ready for no filter.

jw.jpg (86.12 KiB) Viewed 1328 times

[Simple Minded]

Geert Wilders’ PVV or Freedom party is leading the polls for next year's Dutch general election

The Guardian, left-leaning pro-European British newspaper, explains:

Once a beacon of progressive politics, the Netherlands today is a traumatised, angry and deeply confused nation. Support for immigration and the European project are at all-time lows. Synagogues and Jewish schools need police protection from homegrown jihadists, and freedom of expression is under serious pressure.
(...)
Fast-forward 28 years, and heading the polls today is Geert Wilders’ PVV or Freedom party. (...) He wants the Netherlands to drop the euro and leave the EU. Like Donald Trump he demands an end to all immigration from Islamic countries. A typical Wilders tweet: “As long as we have ‘leaders’ such as [Dutch prime minister] Rutte, Merkel, Obama and Cameron denying Islam and terror are one and the same, there will be more terrorist attacks.”
(...)
These questions, formerly taboo, are now being debated across the continent, reflecting a deep loss of faith in the competence and trustworthiness of traditional elites. Yet no country seems quite as disoriented as the Netherlands. One important reason must be the unprecedented series of catastrophes to have hit the country over the past 15 years. Three high-profile political murders. The country’s first mass shooting. An attempt on Queen Beatrix’s life in which eight people died. And finally the downing over Ukraine of an airliner, nearly two years ago, killing all 298 on board. Of those, 193 were Dutch, meaning that, relative to population-size, the country suffered a larger loss of life than the US did on 9/11.
(...)
How does an open society based on equality survive, when every year it takes in tens if not hundreds of thousands of immigrants from countries with no tradition of openness, equality or democratic debate? Especially when those immigrants consistently have more children than the native Dutch?
There was a time when mainstream Dutch politicians and opinion-makers would answer breezily that the EU was a work in progress and that successful integration would simply take a generation: why would the children of immigrants remain socially and culturally conservative if they could also be Dutch?
That self-confidence is gone and what will take its place is anyone’s guess. What seems certain is that the heady days of progressive optimism are not coming back.

Should this be in the Europe subforum? Maybe, and then maybe not.

The USA are a specific country with specific and original culture, no denying that. Yet American culture remains not so dissimilar from European one. And the Trump phenomenon is both a specifically American one - and the mere American incarnation of a Western-wide one. Including Russia in the West, by the way - Moscow is the self-styled beacon of cultural conservatism, or at least likes to present itself as such.

Alexis,

Interesting that this is considered a swing to the "right" by the author. I thought any change away from the status quo, especially if it involved "sticking it to da man." or "power to the people" (ala hippies) was considered left wing ideology.

Looks like what the Elliott Wavers would describe as a rise in pessimism or what Straus and Howe would describe as a generational cycle.

Guese we are still in the mode of trying to determine if Hitler was a right winger or a left winger......

[Doc]

Like father like son

Mitt Romney's father George led effort to side line Reagan at 1980 republican convention

NxmoYjR3NWk

Mitt Romney on Reagan

yg4iWPXDojY

[Parodite]

Geert Wilders’ PVV or Freedom party is leading the polls for next year's Dutch general election

This article I find confusing. "The Netherlands" is not one person who used to be liberal free minded but now switched to some opposite opinion or dunno what to think any more. It just means that around 30% of the people here are scared, poorly informed an/or not equipped with the sharpest set of brains and primarily responsive to populist rhetoric of type Wilders. They have this default kind of mindset "nobody ever listens to me/us... now it is our time!". Usually without any suggestions of exactly what to do and how and why that can be suggested to have favorable results.

The voices that want to be heard, that feel neglected but have genuine fears and concerns. For solutions they are not much of a capable source however. I do find however that the peoplez in power in Dutchland at the moment fail to reassure the scared, angry and worried.. that everything will be done for their security that can be done. They tend to depict Wilders voters as dummies with racist tendencies; i.e. they disrespect them. Those who feel neglected and disrespected of course then feel even more ignored and disrespected which drives more of them right into the Wilders camp. As such the politically correct center-left is equally responsible for Wilders' popularity.

Similar process also explains Trump's success me thinks. The harder you kick, humiliate and vilify him.. the more popular he gets. If you lavender on Trump you also lavender on the people who support him and more people who feel shitted upon in general already will join his ranks. If you want to steal back votes from Trump that ain't smart strategy. Given that Clinton and Trump are already engaging in a throwing lavender fest and everybody in the US joins the fun.. it will be exciting anyways.

[NapLajoieonSteroids]

Geert Wilders’ PVV or Freedom party is leading the polls for next year's Dutch general election

The Guardian, left-leaning pro-European British newspaper, explains:

Once a beacon of progressive politics, the Netherlands today is a traumatised, angry and deeply confused nation. Support for immigration and the European project are at all-time lows. Synagogues and Jewish schools need police protection from homegrown jihadists, and freedom of expression is under serious pressure.
(...)
Fast-forward 28 years, and heading the polls today is Geert Wilders’ PVV or Freedom party. (...) He wants the Netherlands to drop the euro and leave the EU. Like Donald Trump he demands an end to all immigration from Islamic countries. A typical Wilders tweet: “As long as we have ‘leaders’ such as [Dutch prime minister] Rutte, Merkel, Obama and Cameron denying Islam and terror are one and the same, there will be more terrorist attacks.”
(...)
These questions, formerly taboo, are now being debated across the continent, reflecting a deep loss of faith in the competence and trustworthiness of traditional elites. Yet no country seems quite as disoriented as the Netherlands. One important reason must be the unprecedented series of catastrophes to have hit the country over the past 15 years. Three high-profile political murders. The country’s first mass shooting. An attempt on Queen Beatrix’s life in which eight people died. And finally the downing over Ukraine of an airliner, nearly two years ago, killing all 298 on board. Of those, 193 were Dutch, meaning that, relative to population-size, the country suffered a larger loss of life than the US did on 9/11.
(...)
How does an open society based on equality survive, when every year it takes in tens if not hundreds of thousands of immigrants from countries with no tradition of openness, equality or democratic debate? Especially when those immigrants consistently have more children than the native Dutch?
There was a time when mainstream Dutch politicians and opinion-makers would answer breezily that the EU was a work in progress and that successful integration would simply take a generation: why would the children of immigrants remain socially and culturally conservative if they could also be Dutch?
That self-confidence is gone and what will take its place is anyone’s guess. What seems certain is that the heady days of progressive optimism are not coming back.

Should this be in the Europe subforum? Maybe, and then maybe not.

The USA are a specific country with specific and original culture, no denying that. Yet American culture remains not so dissimilar from European one. And the Trump phenomenon is both a specifically American one - and the mere American incarnation of a Western-wide one. Including Russia in the West, by the way - Moscow is the self-styled beacon of cultural conservatism, or at least likes to present itself as such.

Really, shouldn't that read "Trump is like Wilders" instead of "Wilders is like Trump"? (If one even buys into that sort of vacuous comparison)

Wilders has been at it a much longer time in the political arena than Trump has. It irritates because the article has all the hallmarks of a lazy framing by a lazy writer making copy without a serious thought in his head.

[Heracleum Persicum]

FullSizeRender.jpg (96.98 KiB) Viewed 1226 times

[Doc]

FullSizeRender.jpg

CCNY commencement. Not her daughter's graduation.

[Typhoon]

FullSizeRender.jpg

CCNY commencement. Not her daughter's graduation.

Quite.

A student with a quote from Prophet Muhammad on her graduation cap received a hug from First Lady Michelle Obama, but this student was not one of the First Daughters.

[Typhoon]

Reason | No-Fly List, No Guns: Trump Agrees with Obama, Clinton. He Thinks the NRA Should, Too.

Donald Trump is not a man of ideological principles, conservative or otherwise. He's a reflexive authoritarian who thinks the answer to virtually every problem is more government involvement, at least and especially if "winners" like himself are in charge. Case in point: Trump is backing a gun control measure fervently supported by Hillary Clinton and the Obama administration.

And he wants the NRA to do the same.