-
Obama said something along the lines of preferring to be a one-termer who reformed rather than a two-termer who played it safe. I guess that went the way of hope and change.<br><br>
Ultimately anyone who wants to be president doesn't want the job to be an agent of change. They want the job to be the farking most powerful person on the planet and they'll say whatever the hell they need to say to get it. -
<p>This morning on Fox News (link to clip at bottom).</p>
<p> </p>
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote">
<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;background-color:rgb(248,248,248);"><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-size:24px;"><strong>Donald Trump</strong> finally laid out his plan for dealing with Iran</span> on <em>Fox & Friends </em>Tuesday, recommending that the United States “knock the hell out of them†and then “take the oil.â€</span></p>
<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;background-color:rgb(248,248,248);"> </p>
<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;background-color:rgb(248,248,248);"><span style="font-size:14px;">Host <b>Steve Doocy</b> asked Trump about his plans to deal with ISIS. But whether he was confused or misspoke, Trump started talking about <i>Iran</i>. “Iran is taking over Iraq 100%, just like I predicted years ago,†he said. “I say this, I didn’t want to go there in the first place. Now we take the oil.â€</span></p>
<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;background-color:rgb(248,248,248);"> </p>
<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;background-color:rgb(248,248,248);"><span style="font-size:14px;">“We should have kept the oil,†Trump continued. “Now we go in, we knock the hell out of them, take the oil, we thereby take their wealth. They have so much money.â€</span></p>
<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;background-color:rgb(248,248,248);"> </p>
<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;background-color:rgb(248,248,248);"><span style="font-size:14px;">“They have better internet connections than we do in the United States,†he complained. “They’re training our kids through the internet. We have to knock out their wealth.â€</span></p>
<p> </p>
</blockquote>
<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;background-color:rgb(248,248,248);"> </p>
<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;background-color:rgb(248,248,248);"><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.mediaite.com/tv/donald-trumps-iran-plan-knock-the-hell-out-of-them-take-the-oil/'>http://www.mediaite.com/tv/donald-trumps-iran-plan-knock-the-hell-out-of-them-take-the-oil/</a></p>
<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;background-color:rgb(248,248,248);"> </p>
<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;background-color:rgb(248,248,248);">(Maybe Donald is actually talking about Iraq here. Maybe both!!)</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Rancid Schnitzel" data-cid="507591" data-time="1439284660">
<div>
<p>Obama said something along the lines of preferring to be a one-termer who reformed rather than a two-termer who played it safe. I guess that went the way of hope and change.<br><br>
Ultimately anyone who wants to be president doesn't want the job to be an agent of change. T<strong>hey want the job to be the farking most powerful person on the planet and they'll say whatever the hell they need to say to get it.</strong></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p> </p>
<p>I don't think it's a desire to have that job. I think it's the thrill/challenge of a second presidential election campaign that is so tantalising.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>You keep the pension, you keep the security detail, you keep the profile, you can command six figures to speak at unlimited functions at whatever venue around the world you choose, you can do literally anything you want and go anywhere you want as a former POTUS. You can't tell me Bill Clinton hasn't had a more enjoyable last 4 years than Obama all told, but he'd probably do anything for another campaign (thus Hilary).</p>
<p> </p>
<p>There is also probably a lot of legacy to it as well. Two-term presidencies have become the norm (if you consider GHWB an extension of a Reagan republican threepeat) and it certainly does seem like Jimmy Carter is not put in the same honour circle as the other living presidents as my time.</p> -
<p>Yeah, I do think there was a ridiculius amount of "Feck you" in Obama winning the second one. He desperately wanted to stamp all over the Republicans since they had right from the start said their key goal was to make him a 1 term failure</p>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
<p> </p>
<p>this was a MASSIVE bitchslap to the Republicans, it was basically "you can all go fuck yourselves". Easily one of my favourite moments ion US politics.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="rotated" data-cid="507641" data-time="1439306387">
</p>
<div>
<p>... it certainly does seem like Jimmy Carter is not put in the same honour circle as the other living presidents as my time.</p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p> </p>
<p>That is certainly true, but there are some extenuating circumstances to the mythology. Carter's victory was a big reaction against Watergate, corruption in Washington, DC. Carter was an outsider, much like Obama was. He carried the vote because he seemed decent and pure compared to everybody else. His presidency was doomed by gasoline shortages and the Iranian hostage crisis, especially the failure of special forces to rescue hostages when helicopters crashed in the desert. So he got blamed as a failure, it was all his fault, allegedly.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>There was a huge malaise as Americans saw small compact imported cars flooding their highways and neighborhoods. Reagan had a lot more charm than Jimmy did, and his ascent coincided with the rise of raw-meat fire-breathing conservative talk radio. The national phenomenon of Rush Limbaugh didn't come in until the 90's, but local blowtorch radio was filled with talkers pounding the message daily that Jimmy Carter was "the worst president of all-time," and if Reagan had any problems, they blamed it on Carter and gave Reagan blowjobs for rescuing America from "the worst president ever." Carter had few-if-any friends in either house -- he was an outsider, not a Washington insider -- so nobody was there to defend his legacy, and conservatives pissed on him.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>That lasted three decades, at least until the end of GWBush's presidency, when conservative leaders quietly & conveniently stopped yelling about "worst presidents of all time."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It's part-and-parcel of American presidential campaign's that candidates trumpet their pious Christianity. Carter was one of the few who didn't wear his religion on his sleeve, and yet actually walked the walk. His legacy is doing good works. He didn't retire from public life when he lost the presidency. I was fortunate enough to meet the man in the mid-1990s. A friend was organizing a Habitat-For-Humanity construction job to build 19 low-income houses. I was invited to be a photographer. I was there for four days, and while Canada's Governor-General and Ontario's Premier came by for a couple hours of photo-ops, Carter had no time for bullshit. Others sat and ate their lunch. He was 70 years old working full days in the summer, eating sandwiches on a ladder with a drill in his hand. I was amazed how much lumber the guy was loading from trucks to the work site. His wife Roslyn was looking pale and weak, but Jimmy was strong. I thought how bloody fantastic it must be for one of those 19 low income families to know they were living in a house built by a president!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Anyway, I like the guy, and am delighted to see his tarnished reputation getting a reformation by reasonable people.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>And of course, as I recently posted on the "Awesome things" thread, he also got <em>Deliverance</em> made.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> -
Presidents who aren't reelected are pretty much labelled failures for that very fact. Any talk about being a "really good one-term president" is complete bullshit. None of these guys want to be one of those presidents.<br><br>
Carter is/was a thoroughly decent man but was completely out of his depth. It of course didn't help that he had so many problems to deal with. I presume the reason he's worked so hard since getting the arse, is that it still haunts him and he is desperate to leave a positive legacy. Even if his term as president is examined in a more positive light, he'll still be remembered as the guy who lost 489-49 to Reagan. -
<p>Apparently the FBI investigation into Hillarys email server has found 'Top Secret' information in the emails. Hillary has always claimed there was no classified information on the server. This information was classified at the second highest level and involved operational CIA information.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The DOJ has taken possession of the server</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="red terror" data-cid="507640" data-time="1439305784"><p>
This morning on Fox News (link to clip at bottom).<br><br><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);"><span style="font-family:Helvetica;"><span style="background-color:rgb(248,248,248);"><br><a class="bbc_url" href="http://www.mediaite.com/tv/donald-trumps-iran-plan-knock-the-hell-out-of-them-take-the-oil/">http://www.mediaite.com/tv/donald-trumps-iran-plan-knock-the-hell-out-of-them-take-the-oil/</a></span></span></span><br><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);"><span style="font-family:Helvetica;"><span style="background-color:rgb(248,248,248);"><br>
(Maybe Donald is actually talking about Iraq here. Maybe both!!)</span></span></span></p></blockquote>
<br><br>
Awesome -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Rancid Schnitzel" data-cid="507714" data-time="1439339311">
<div>
<p>he'll still be remembered as the guy who lost 489-49 to Reagan.</p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p> </p>
<p>It's true that Carter got crushed, but I highly doubt you could find one American in one-hundred who remembers the electoral college score of 1980.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="red terror" data-cid="507948" data-time="1439424048"><p>
It's true that Carter got crushed, but I highly doubt you could find one American in one-hundred who remembers the electoral college score of 1980.</p></blockquote>
<br>
The point was that he'll be remembered as the guy who not only wasn't reelected but was utterly annihilated by Reagan. -
<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-33898331'>And now unfortunately he has cancer.</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Former US President Jimmy Carter says recent liver surgery revealed that he has cancer and it has spread to other parts of his body.</p>
<p>The 90-year-old statesman underwent surgery to remove a small mass in his liver earlier this month.</p>
<p>He said he would reveal more "when facts are known, possibly next week".</p>
<p>Mr Carter will undergo treatment by physicians at Emory Healthcare in Atlanta.</p>
<p>President Barack Obama wished Mr Carter "a full and fast recovery" in a statement released on Wednesday.</p>
<p>"Jimmy, you're as resilient as they come, and along with the rest of America, we are rooting for you," Mr Obama said.</p> -
That's a shame , he came out and stayed at the Huka lodge in the 90s . Apparently he's a keen outdoorsman and in particular loves fly fishing , Gary Kemsley was his guide while he was fishing here and said before he got to meet him he had to go through all sorts hoops with the secret service and they told him he was to be addressed at all times as Mr Carter. According to Kemsly he arrived in a helicopter got out walked over to him and said , "hi call me Jimmy ".
-
<p>Idiocracy was on full display on Meet the Press this morning. </p>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> -
<p>Obama tried early on to get the Republicans on board, but they filibustered everything of note - that's why Obama couldn't get anywhere even with a majority in both houses. They even refused to close Guantanamo Bay. I'm not surprised Obama stopped paying them any attention and switched to Exec orders eventually...</p>
-
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Duluth" data-cid="507414" data-time="1439240051">
<div>
<p>It's also worth noting Obama had two years at the start of his Presidency where he could have done what he wanted</p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p> </p>
<p>Sometimes it takes a new President that long to get his Secretaries (of State, Education, Agriculture, Navy, Surgeon General, etc.) appointed through Congress, and if the other party controls the House they can stall and dither & sabotage for months holding up a new administration's plans and implementations. And God forbid there becomes a vacancy on the Supreme Court.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="red terror" data-cid="509155" data-time="1439779992">
<div>
<p>Idiocracy was on full display on Meet the Press this morning. </p>
<p> </p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p> </p>
<p>Link sadly pulled. Try to watch the whole Trump on Meet the Press interview 08/16/2015. It's fantastic.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Chuck Todd:</p>
<p>"Who do you talk to about military affairs?"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The Donald:</p>
<p>"Well, I watch the shows. I watch all the shows --y'know, like yours with the Generals and great guests...</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Todd (interrupting):</p>
<p>"Who specifically do you talk with... Presidents always confer w- ..."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Donald:</p>
<p>"John Bolton."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Donald's lead is solidifying. He's struck a nerve with the illegal immigration issue. It's not one you feel much in the north. United States is not too worried about illegal immigration from Canada, and although I'm sure it happens, the illegals being white and sounding kinda similar never raises a red flag. But in the rest of the United States, I imagine there is widespread anger & fear fueling Trump because he has a "plan" to build a wall (like China) along the Rio Grande, make Mexico pay for the construction cost of the whole thing, and create some sort of vague Judge Dredd-style police force to locate and evict all illegals. 24% of registered Republicans are currently buying it.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Meanwhile... Hillary is getting in deep drip-drip doo-doo over her "lost" Top Secret emails. If this scandal drags out past Labor Day (three weeks from now, when summer is traditionally over and Americans return to working life) this could actually do some real damage to her campaign. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Of course by then, the entire noise machine will be consumed with the GOP and Israel-lobbies feverish attempts to derail Obama's P5+1 Iran nuclear deal. Obama is already getting smeared as an anti-semite, and as I say the real ugliness is being held back until September.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>(As George W. Bush's White House Chief of Staff Andy Card famously told reporters anticipating the roll-out for the Iraq War, "From a marketing standpoint, you don't introduce new products in August.")</p> -
<p>On Trump, I'm still with Nate Silver, he has 2% chance of being president.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>In past years Michelle Bachman has looked good. So has Howard Dean. Its just a circus act to sell books / publicise.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>On Hillary, I'm not sure how much this hurts her. Those who like her see it as a smear. Those who don't like her already know what she is. The story there is "Hillary is a bit shadey & might be a bit secretive". Thats not new - Benghazi, the book tours, the death of Vince Foster, Whitewater... this new bit is nothing that those who are OK with her have not heard before.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>For it to really hurt her it has to step over a line that is new. Or its got to upset those who already forgive for all that.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>We're in the crazy season now, where every year the nutters zoom up the ranks & the real polititians look shakey, then when we get round to the crunch & the spotlight comes on, they fall away. </p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="gollum" data-cid="509427" data-time="1439912804">
<div>
<p>On Trump, I'm still with Nate Silver, he has 2% chance of being president.</p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p> </p>
<p>The personalities aren't always as important as the issues. The issue Trump has tapped into is substantially stronger than 2% and is not going away. Today paleo-Republican <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.wnd.com/2015/08/immigration-issue-of-the-century/'>Pat Buchanan articulated</a> quite well conservative fears, calling Trump's signature issue not simply the issue of 2015, but moreover the "issue of the 21st century" by placing it in the broader context of the West. I'm not prepared to travel with him that far, and I had to hold my nose <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.wnd.com/2015/08/immigration-issue-of-the-century/'>pasting a hyperlink to World Nut Daily</a>, but he makes make some valid points. </p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="red terror" data-cid="509428" data-time="1439914497">
<div>
<p>The personalities aren't always as important as the issues. The issue Trump has tapped into is substantially stronger than 2% and is not going away. Today paleo-Republican <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.wnd.com/2015/08/immigration-issue-of-the-century/'>Pat Buchanan articulated</a> quite well conservative fears, calling Trump's signature issue not simply the issue of 2015, but moreover the "issue of the 21st century" by placing it in the broader context of the West. I'm not prepared to travel with him that far, and I had to hold my nose <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.wnd.com/2015/08/immigration-issue-of-the-century/'>pasting a hyperlink to World Nut Daily</a>, but he makes make some valid points. </p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p> </p>
<p>Buchanan is a prime example. He campaigned to be president on immigration, started off in 96 especially with a hiss & a roar & looked great. Then once the proper stuff started the staggereingly bland Bob Dole shit all over him. Ran again 2000 & literally no one voted for him... And he levered everything into a great TV show & lots of book sales...</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Trump will be exactly the same</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Biggest problem is Trump wants to send back the mexicans.... the Republican hard right core want to send back the blacks.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em><strong>Race</strong></em> is huge in America, immigration is just a politically OK way of venting over that...</p>
US Politics