The Official "Making America Great Again" Thread

[Pwns]

Obama was the gateway drug to celebrity presidencies I'm afraid. At this rate 2020 will be Ted Nugent versus Oprah.

[JohnStOnge]

I started thinking of the cult aspect of Trump support a long time ago on my own. But it's always the case that if I think of something so do a lot of other people. In that regard I Googled something about Trump and cult. One article I found to be interesting is this one by a former political cult member who is now an expert on cults:

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style ... 28741.html

Cults also use a process of brainwashing which boils down to isolating people or saying the group is the saviour in some way, or in my case will lead the revolution for a better life. Then you instil fear in members by saying the apocalypse is coming, or the foreigners are coming, or people with different coloured skin will take your job, or you have a demon inside of you. The victim is convinced they can only get comfort from the group, even though it’s actually extremely dangerous.

For people on the outside it’s very frustrating to talk to someone in a cult because they can only spout nonsense. All of those things together create groups with leaders who control someone and make them go against their own needs for survival.

With Trump, I say watch this space. There are too many warning signs to ignore. I’d call it totalitarianism. The belief system is fictional and people don’t know what is real anymore. When it was argued that more people were at President Obama’s inauguration, Trump's followers argued that the photos were doctored. Otherwise reasonable people start to get confused. Be scared!

And to me that hits on one thing I noticed. A critical mass of Trump support comes from people, I think, who appear to be living in an alternate reality. If reality contradicts Trump support they simply refuse to accept the reality.

[Ibanez]

Obama was the gateway drug to celebrity presidencies I'm afraid. At this rate 2020 will be Ted Nugent versus Oprah.

Oprah isn't running. It'll be Kanye and The Rock in the Democratic Primaries.

Maybe Mark Cuban.

[Gil Dobie]

I started thinking of the cult aspect of Trump support a long time ago on my own. But it's always the case that if I think of something so do a lot of other people. In that regard I Googled something about Trump and cult. One article I found to be interesting is this one by a former political cult member who is now an expert on cults:

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style ... 28741.html

Cults also use a process of brainwashing which boils down to isolating people or saying the group is the saviour in some way, or in my case will lead the revolution for a better life. Then you instil fear in members by saying the apocalypse is coming, or the foreigners are coming, or people with different coloured skin will take your job, or you have a demon inside of you. The victim is convinced they can only get comfort from the group, even though it’s actually extremely dangerous.

For people on the outside it’s very frustrating to talk to someone in a cult because they can only spout nonsense. All of those things together create groups with leaders who control someone and make them go against their own needs for survival.

With Trump, I say watch this space. There are too many warning signs to ignore. I’d call it totalitarianism. The belief system is fictional and people don’t know what is real anymore. When it was argued that more people were at President Obama’s inauguration, Trump's followers argued that the photos were doctored. Otherwise reasonable people start to get confused. Be scared!

And to me that hits on one thing I noticed. A critical mass of Trump support comes from people, I think, who appear to be living in an alternate reality. If reality contradicts Trump support they simply refuse to accept the reality.

There are a lot of people on the right and left that fit that definition. Pretty equal split IMO.

phpBB [video]

[∞∞∞]

There are a lot of people on the right and left that fit that definition. Pretty equal split IMO.

Not really:

Study after study shows liberals typically have an expanded network of news/friends, while conservatives (and particularly Trump supporters) have fairly insular ones. But that does make conservatives a little more cohesive as a group...although they still can't govern.

[Gil Dobie]

There are a lot of people on the right and left that fit that definition. Pretty equal split IMO.

Not really:

Study after study shows liberals typically have an expanded network of news/friends, while conservatives (and particularly Trump supporters) have fairly insular ones. But that does make conservatives a little more cohesive as a group...although they still can't govern.

You are confusing conservatives with Republicans. aka, IMO, Hillary is more conservative than Trump.

PS: you can find study after study that supports your view from either side of the aisle.

[Gil Dobie]

There are a lot of people on the right and left that fit that definition. Pretty equal split IMO.

Not really:

Study after study shows liberals typically have an expanded network of news/friends, while conservatives (and particularly Trump supporters) have fairly insular ones. But that does make conservatives a little more cohesive as a group...although they still can't govern.

We can even go back to my favorite Democratic Cult, Bob Jones and Jonestown. Darlings of the California Democratic Party at the time.

[kalm]

Obama was the gateway drug to celebrity presidencies I'm afraid. At this rate 2020 will be Ted Nugent versus Oprah.

Oprah isn't running. It'll be Kanye and The Rock in the Democratic Primaries.

Maybe Mark Cuban.

Thought Cuban is a libertarian.

[Gil Dobie]

Obama was the gateway drug to celebrity presidencies I'm afraid. At this rate 2020 will be Ted Nugent versus Oprah.

Oprah isn't running. It'll be Kanye and The Rock in the Democratic Primaries.

Maybe Mark Cuban.

[BDKJMU]

Obama was the gateway drug to celebrity presidencies I'm afraid. At this rate 2020 will be Ted Nugent versus Oprah.

Yesterday she said she is not running
http://edition.cnn.com/2017/10/18/polit ... index.html

[BDKJMU]

Oprah isn't running. It'll be Kanye and The Rock in the Democratic Primaries.

Maybe Mark Cuban.

He's going to have to lay off the steroids 1st..

[JohnStOnge]

I think this report illustrates the problem:

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/10/1 ... oll-243884

Note this:

Among the voters who strongly approve of Trump’s job performance in the poll, 85 percent believe the media fabricate stories about the president and his administration.

What you've got is a substantial number of people isolating themselves from reality. The media do not "fabricate" stories. Not the "mainstream media" organizations. They have quality control procedures in place. Not that they don't make mistakes and don't have bias. But they don't just make stuff up.

But Trumpists have to BELIEVE they make stuff up in order to sustain their cult-like devotion to the Dear Leader. The truth is just not consistent with what they want to believe.

[JohnStOnge]

This is to refer to another thing that contributes to my belief that we have a cult-like phenomenon going on. Google "Death threats against people who criticized Clinton." I got one hit linking an article describing Kellyanne Conway as saying she got death threats. But she said it was because of Jen Palmieri Washington Post op ed alleging that the Trump Campaign catered to White Supremacists; not because Conway criticized Clinton.

Google "Death threats against people who criticized Obama" and "Death threats against people who criticized Bush." I saw one link to a story where a Dixie Chick got one after criticizing George W.

Now Google "Death threats against people who criticized Trump."

It's clear that there's a different level involved.

[BDKJMU]

2nd qtr GDP: +3.1%
3rd quarter GDP: +3.0%, beating +2.5% forecast
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/27/first-r ... ected.html

[Chizzang]

Obama was the gateway drug to celebrity presidencies I'm afraid. At this rate 2020 will be Ted Nugent versus Oprah.

You missed the gate drug president by a mile there Pwns...

[∞∞∞]

This has to be one of the funniest (or saddest) articles I've read about this administration:

https://www.thedailybeast.com/no-one-kn ... en-omarosa

In short, a reporter from The Daily Beast asked for an interview with "Communications Director for the Office of Public Liaison," Omarosa Manigault (most famous from season 1 of The Apprentice). Instead, Omarosa invites the reporter for a whole day of shadowing her...which essentially ends up as Omarosa planning for her bridal shower, hosting a luncheon, and making small talk with people at the WH.

Throughout the day, Omarosa ignores all questions about what her role is...and when the reporter asks other people at the WH what Omarosa does, no one knows either.

And the best part? No one knew the reporter in the West Wing was shadowing Omarosa:

“Wait, Hope [Hicks] let you follow [Omarosa] around?” the source asked. No, I hadn’t spoken with Hope, who now serves formally as the White House communications director. “So Sean [Spicer] let you?” Ditto. “Christ,” the source said. “No one in the comms department knew a random reporter was walking around the West Wing. This is why people think we’re a shit show.”

Ultimately, in my quest to better understand what, exactly, Omarosa does each day, I learned little more than the fact that she was getting married. I reached out to then deputy press secretary Sarah Sanders to find out more about the bridal luncheon—whether it was normal, in the middle of a workday, for a staffer to use the White House for a personal event? Did taxpayers, or Omarosa herself foot the bill?

“I have no idea… I will try to track her down,” Sanders responded. On Friday, a senior White House official emailed: “She did not have a bridal lunch but did invite her bridesmaids to have lunch with her in the navy mess which all commissioned officers are allowed to do.”

[JohnStOnge]

Add "delusional" to the list of disconcerting Trump characteristics. All the stuff about the United States gaining respect by virtue of him. No way. The United States now has a complete buffoon as President and has lost respect as a result.

Watched some of his "speech" today. So embarrassing. I wonder when people who voted for that atrocity are going to start claiming they didn't. Don't expect it tomorrow but I've got to believe it's going to happen. All that crap ragging on others about teleprompters during the election. Now he's on teleprompters. And he has to be the worst ever at using them. Just awful. Can't even read smoothly. Then the water thing. After all that crap during the primaries ragging on Rubio. Then he's worse.

What a dark time our nation is in with this complete zero as President. And with the fact that enough people VOTED for this zero to create this situation. What do you do when there are that many complete idiots in the population with the right to vote? Then there's the fact that it's an emotionally immature and unstable zero. Just awful.

[Chizzang]

Add "delusional" to the list of disconcerting Trump characteristics. All the stuff about the United States gaining respect by virtue of him. No way. The United States now has a complete buffoon as President and has lost respect as a result.

Watched some of his "speech" today. So embarrassing. I wonder when people who voted for that atrocity are going to start claiming they didn't. Don't expect it tomorrow but I've got to believe it's going to happen. All that crap ragging on others about teleprompters during the election. Now he's on teleprompters. And he has to be the worst ever at using them. Just awful. Can't even read smoothly. Then the water thing. After all that crap during the primaries ragging on Rubio. Then he's worse.

What a dark time our nation is in with this complete zero as President. And with the fact that enough people VOTED for this zero to create this situation. What do you do when there are that many complete idiots in the population with the right to vote? Then there's the fact that it's an emotionally immature and unstable zero. Just awful.

John,
Your fellow conservatives will not acknowledge anything you actually wrote ^ above
They will talk about you - not your post...

so be prepared for that

I think it's too painful to admit for them
every week Trump does something really stupid
with no end in sight

[CID1990]

Add "delusional" to the list of disconcerting Trump characteristics. All the stuff about the United States gaining respect by virtue of him. No way. The United States now has a complete buffoon as President and has lost respect as a result.

Watched some of his "speech" today. So embarrassing. I wonder when people who voted for that atrocity are going to start claiming they didn't. Don't expect it tomorrow but I've got to believe it's going to happen. All that crap ragging on others about teleprompters during the election. Now he's on teleprompters. And he has to be the worst ever at using them. Just awful. Can't even read smoothly. Then the water thing. After all that crap during the primaries ragging on Rubio. Then he's worse.

What a dark time our nation is in with this complete zero as President. And with the fact that enough people VOTED for this zero to create this situation. What do you do when there are that many complete idiots in the population with the right to vote? Then there's the fact that it's an emotionally immature and unstable zero. Just awful.

John,
Your fellow conservatives will not acknowledge anything you actually wrote ^ above
They will talk about you - not your post...

so be prepared for that

I think it's too painful to admit for them
every week Trump does something really stupid
with no end in sight

Actually, I put JSO and Trump in pretty much the same basket:

Predictably says the same things OVER and OVER

and ultimately I try to ignore them both

(It's not even fun trolling the guy anymore)

[BDKJMU]

Add "delusional" to the list of disconcerting Trump characteristics. All the stuff about the United States gaining respect by virtue of him. No way. The United States now has a complete buffoon as President and has lost respect as a result.

Watched some of his "speech" today. So embarrassing. I wonder when people who voted for that atrocity are going to start claiming they didn't. Don't expect it tomorrow but I've got to believe it's going to happen. All that crap ragging on others about teleprompters during the election. Now he's on teleprompters. And he has to be the worst ever at using them. Just awful. Can't even read smoothly. Then the water thing. After all that crap during the primaries ragging on Rubio. Then he's worse.

What a dark time our nation is in with this complete zero as President. And with the fact that enough people VOTED for this zero to create this situation. What do you do when there are that many complete idiots in the population with the right to vote? Then there's the fact that it's an emotionally immature and unstable zero. Just awful.

[Pwns]

John,
Your fellow conservatives will not acknowledge anything you actually wrote ^ above
They will talk about you - not your post...

so be prepared for that

I think it's too painful to admit for them
every week Trump does something really stupid
with no end in sight

Chizzang, pretty much no one here really thinks Trump is anything other than what he is. People get tired of JSO because he basically is not saying anything about Trump he hasn't been saying for over a year now.

On my list of things I don't like about my concerns with Trump, making an awkward comment to a foreign first lady and drinking water at a foreign press conference are far from the top.

Choosing between Clinton and Trump was like choosing between bipolar disorder or the meds that cause nausea and dizziness.

[Chizzang]

John,
Your fellow conservatives will not acknowledge anything you actually wrote ^ above
They will talk about you - not your post...

so be prepared for that

I think it's too painful to admit for them
every week Trump does something really stupid
with no end in sight

Chizzang, pretty much no one here really thinks Trump is anything other than what he is. People get tired of JSO because he basically is not saying anything about Trump he hasn't been saying for over a year now.

On my list of things I don't like about my concerns with Trump, making an awkward comment to a foreign first lady and drinking water at a foreign press conference are far from the top.

Choosing between Clinton and Trump was like choosing between bipolar disorder or the meds that cause nausea and dizziness.

You flatter your team mates....
There are several folks on here who think Trump is great



Don't worry I haven't confused them with you or CID
I get it... but thinking that "everybody" realizes Trump is a bumbling idiot is far too generous

His fan base is real
and we've got a few

[ALPHAGRIZ1]

#TrumpTrain

[JohnStOnge]

Have you Trump zombies yet figured out that he is NOT an expert negotiator?

[JohnStOnge]

What a dumbass this guy is. Like just now I saw a clip of him saying that the Democrats would be blamed if there is a Government "shutdown." And as part of his argument as to why that is so he said most people want his border wall. That is absolute nonsense. That has never been the case. The 2016 election exit polling estimate on that issue was 54% opposing his wall vs. 41% supporting it. It's gotten nothing but worse for his position since then. The latest poll I could find on it just now was in September but it had 63% opposing it vs. 33% supporting it.

The man is an idiot. If there is a Government "shutdown" the Republicans will be blamed. Anybody with a lick of sense and familiarity with the history of this sort of thing knows that. And if Trump wants to "shut down" the Government based on wanting that stupid border wall thing? OMGosh.