'I won' - Trump rebuffs criticism from incoming Senator Romney

[keemapoot]

Romney said Trump is causing dismay around the world:

 

Quote

Romney, who starts work on Thursday when members of the 2019-2020 Congress take office, suggested in a newspaper essay published on Tuesday that Trump had "caused dismay around the world" and said his presidency had "made a deep descent in December."

And,

 

Just a few hours ago, the CEO of Apple confirmed the stock market's biggest fear

 

Quote

More and more companies are confirming that President Trump’s trade war is slowing down the global economy.

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/apple-just-confirmed-stock-markets-225049102.html

 

The stable genius (who never read a book on economics) smarter than all economists just cratered world growth.

[Berkshire]

43 minutes ago, Joe Mcseismic said:

How did a man-child with no intellectual curiosity, a record of misogyny, racism and stupidity, crap at business and an inability to speak, or respect the truth hijack the Republican party and bend it to his will?

Though, Trump is a disgusting human-being, he is but one man and I'm sure that he is blissfully unaware of any of his faults. The Republican party is full of, I'm sure, intelligent people that used to have principles.

How did Trump get them to dump these principles (free trade, fiscal conservatism) and turn them into slavish Trump worshipers?

As much as Trump disgusts me, the Republican party disgusts me more.

Good points and good questions.  I have been trying to figure out how these Trump minions can support such a lying, immoral, cowardly, scumbag of a human being and I haven't a clue.  It doesn't make sense.  But just among the elected Republicans, here's how one writer put it:

 

[As I wrote in my book, the typology of Republican electeds goes like this; just as in the electorate, about 35 percent of GOP electeds are true-believer Trumphadis. They’ve bought into the nationalist-populist claptrap, dumb tropes like the Wall and the caravan, and Trump’s dictator-fellating authoritarian-curious style. Roughly 50 percent suffer from FOMT: Fear of Mean Tweets and are cowed by the Trump-Fox-talk radio Axis of <deleted>. The remaining types are opportunists and hacks, hoping to salvage personal political gain from the trainwreck of Trumpism. They’re delighted by table scraps, sloppy seconds, and ancillary, ephemeral victories.]

 

https://www.thedailybeast.com/mitt-romney-is-the-most-dangerous-man-in-trumps-city-of-lackeys?ref=wrap

 

The Republican Party seems to be filled with people who are more interested in being reelected than doing their jobs.  I hope there are more Romney's out there, but I wouldn't hold my breath.  Also from the article:

 

[(Romney) has a chance to be a voice for the facts, for principles, and for personal integrity. The coward caucus won’t get the headlines, the media attention, and the political capital that flows from calling on Republicans to live up to their principles and for providing a living contrast to Trump’s egregious, juvenile behavior. Romney just might.]

 

[Baerboxer]

57 minutes ago, Joe Mcseismic said:

How did a man-child with no intellectual curiosity, a record of misogyny, racism and stupidity, crap at business and an inability to speak, or respect the truth hijack the Republican party and bend it to his will?

Though, Trump is a disgusting human-being, he is but one man and I'm sure that he is blissfully unaware of any of his faults. The Republican party is full of, I'm sure, intelligent people that used to have principles.

How did Trump get them to dump these principles (free trade, fiscal conservatism) and turn them into slavish Trump worshipers?

As much as Trump disgusts me, the Republican party disgusts me more.

 

That's a good question; and good observations that could also apply to other Western democracies.

 

Many Americans I know chose Trump because they thought another corrupt Clinton would be worse and saw the Democrats as becoming to liberal and politically correct; ignoring the real issues that concerned them. So they chose the other candidate to "punish them".

 

Macron got in because the alternative was the far right. Now he probably "enjoys' the lowest ratings of any French leader. Many French I know voted for him to keep Le Penn out. And many are now regretting it and wondering why they had such a poor choice.

 

May and Cameron before her have screwed the UK up and made a mockery of the British constitution and it's parliament. The Tories' warts are being exposed and they are likely to disintegrate before the next election. That will let the very left wing communist at heart Corbyn and his loony mates in. Heaven help Britain if those nutters take power. The UK will be another Venezuela - the political classes will do just fine and everyone else will be screwed.

 

Merkel hung on by the skin of her teeth. But Germany remains divided and the growth of the ultra right, especially among young people, is worrying. 

 

Australian governments and PM life expectancy is becoming as solid as their rugby union team! 

 

Western democracies are faltering. This encourages the bully boy dictators like Putin, Erdogan to be bold and take more chances. And watching, quietly, smiling and moving at his own pace in the background is President Xi.

 

The world is changing.

 

 

[Joe Mcseismic]

As bad as those politicians that you mention are, they are nowhere near Trumps league when it comes to lying and childish behaviour. You'll also notice that none of their respective parties have become Churches to their leaders ego and vanity. Big difference. Unpopular politicians are commonplace.

The Republicans were never so subservient to their hero Reagan, or, come to think of it, any other Republican president. Only Trump. 

[keemapoot]

2 minutes ago, Joe Mcseismic said:

As bad as those politicians that you mention are, they are nowhere near Trumps league when it comes to lying and childish behaviour. You'll also notice that none of their respective parties have become Churches to their leaders ego and vanity. Big difference. Unpopular politicians are commonplace.

The Republicans were never so subservient to their hero Reagan, or, come to think of it, any other Republican president. Only Trump. 

Very accurate. However, even though Reagan was the hero or idol, he was installed that way voluntarily. The difference with Trump is that he has coerced and threatened Republicans into his world. He was prescient enough to realize that if he could corral, pander to and control this "base" of Republicans he has now, that the Republican apparatus could not just throw him away because that is the only way to stay in power. So, he has leverage over them and is choke holding them until their necks are red...so to speak....

[JAG]

2 hours ago, Joe Mcseismic said:

How did a man-child with no intellectual curiosity, a record of misogyny, racism and stupidity, crap at business and an inability to speak, or respect the truth hijack the Republican party and bend it to his will?

Though, Trump is a disgusting human-being, he is but one man and I'm sure that he is blissfully unaware of any of his faults. The Republican party is full of, I'm sure, intelligent people that used to have principles.

How did Trump get them to dump these principles (free trade, fiscal conservatism) and turn them into slavish Trump worshipers?

As much as Trump disgusts me, the Republican party disgusts me more.

He offered them a chance of power. He brought with him a voting base who wouldn't recognise free trade, fiscal conservatism or any ethical considerations if they fell off the bookshelf and hit them on the head, but were still wound up by the horror of having had a  black liberal man as a two term President.

 

The Republican party establishment thought they could ride this tiger to power.

 

Oops...

[Berkshire]

2 hours ago, keemapoot said:

Very accurate. However, even though Reagan was the hero or idol, he was installed that way voluntarily. The difference with Trump is that he has coerced and threatened Republicans into his world. He was prescient enough to realize that if he could corral, pander to and control this "base" of Republicans he has now, that the Republican apparatus could not just throw him away because that is the only way to stay in power. So, he has leverage over them and is choke holding them until their necks are red...so to speak....

Yes, Republicans fear Trump's base.  But what is it about this base?  How the heck can they support a freakin lying conman like Trump?  It's so obvious that Trump doesn't care about America, Americans, or any of his supporters.  He only cares about his brand, i.e., whatever makes him look good.  Yet, the Trumpets blindly follow this human excrement. 

 

One of the most baffling are the evangelicals.  These are people who are supposed to be about Christianity, family values and all that.  Yet, they throw themselves behind a lying, cheating, practically atheist conman.  Bill Clinton got crucified by these same people for doing much less.  So that's what the Republican party stands for anymore, corruption, hypocrisy, and cowardice. 

[keemapoot]

I don't know what Mitt is talking about. Today's unhinged bizarre hour long cabinet meeting had some wonderful observations made by the smartest man on earth:

 

Quote

“I know more about drones than anybody.”

“I could be the most popular person in Europe- I could run for any office I wanted to- but I don’t,”

“I think I would have been a good general, but who knows?”

https://www.salon.com/2019/01/02/7-of-the-most-bizarre-moments-from-trumps-unhinged-hour-long-cabinet-meetin/

[keemapoot]

8 hours ago, joecoolfrog said:

Whatever his motivation , I applaud what Romney said , lets hope a few more Republicans take up the mantle.

Indeed. And by the way, we are all thinking about a true American hero, a true Republican hero, John McCain, when we contemplate Anderson Cooper's quote this evening in response to the boast by Trump today that he would make a great Military general:

 

Quote

“The world will never know General Trump, in part because the president never set foot in a combat theater until last week with his trip to Iraq,” said the host of “Anderson Cooper 360°.”

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/anderson-cooper-donald-trump-very-good-general_us_5c2de628e4b05c88b7061a61

[JAG]

3 hours ago, keemapoot said:

I don't know what Mitt is talking about. Today's unhinged bizarre hour long cabinet meeting had some wonderful observations made by the smartest man on earth:

 

https://www.salon.com/2019/01/02/7-of-the-most-bizarre-moments-from-trumps-unhinged-hour-long-cabinet-meetin/

Fascinating reading. The fellow is absolutely barking...

"I know more about drones than anyone..."

 

"I could win any election in Europe..."

 

Extraordinary!

[anon4546543]

11 hours ago, Joe Mcseismic said:

How did a man-child with no intellectual curiosity, a record of misogyny, racism and stupidity, crap at business and an inability to speak, or respect the truth hijack the Republican party and bend it to his will?

Though, Trump is a disgusting human-being, he is but one man and I'm sure that he is blissfully unaware of any of his faults. The Republican party is full of, I'm sure, intelligent people that used to have principles.

How did Trump get them to dump these principles (free trade, fiscal conservatism) and turn them into slavish Trump worshipers?

As much as Trump disgusts me, the Republican party disgusts me more.

Just in answer to your first paragraph.  US citizens voted him in. It is up to US citizens to vote him out.

So far that seems unlikely. That in itself says everything you need to know about the US citizen mindset.

Why worry yourself about it? Until the next election, you cannot change a thing, US fought its last revolution centuries ago.

 Maybe you can  get apathetic voters to vote, easy. But they won't. Trump will fly into office at the next elections because US citizens love

him. They love misogyny, racism, stupidity, no intellectual curiosity. They understand his business failures and that Russians paid to bail him out.

Some where in your post you suggested that politicians have principles. ha, ha

 

[Joe Mcseismic]

That doesn't answer the question in my first paragraph. The question wasn't how did he get into power, it was how did he take over the Republican party so completely.

[bendejo]

18 hours ago, keemapoot said:

The stable genius (who never read a book on economics) smarter than all economists just cratered world growth.

 

And my IRA.

 

[bendejo]

6 hours ago, spiderorchid said:

 Maybe you can  get apathetic voters to vote, easy. But they won't. Trump will fly into office at the next elections because US citizens love

him. They love misogyny, racism, stupidity, no intellectual curiosity. They understand his business failures and that Russians paid to bail him out.

Some where in your post you suggested that politicians have principles. ha, ha

 

Something else about the MAGAts is they think they are at an advantage because they voted for him and he won, that all this mess puts some pain on the snowflakes who opposed him but that they are going to be rewarded.  Don't ask me to explain further because I can't.  The nearest I can figure it's like your favorite team won the championship and you get to go around boasting that you're #1 and everyone else is a loser.  There's also a conformity thing in families, at places of work, etc.

Well, three more days of today's market performance and we're back to January 2017.  Is putting the market back to where it was before Obama came along part of the MAGA strategy?  If so he's winning at it.

Let's see if the farmers who are losing their livelihood due to trade disputes will vote for him again.  Unfortunately I think this guy of fully capable of dragging the country into another war in time for Nov. 2020, after all everyone knows you have to stand behind your pres-blah-blah,,,  At that point I would hope someone relatively sane would step up.

 

 

[bendejo]

5 hours ago, Joe Mcseismic said:

The question wasn't how did he get into power, it was how did he take over the Republican party so completely.

Do you watch The Simpsons?

Think Milhaus and Nelson.

 

[keemapoot]

1 minute ago, bendejo said:

 

Something else about the MAGAts is they think they are at an advantage because they voted for him and he won, that all this mess puts some pain on the snowflakes who opposed him but that they are going to be rewarded.  Don't ask me to explain further because I can't.  The nearest I can figure it's like your favorite team won the championship and you get to go around boasting that you're #1 and everyone else is a loser.  There's also a conformity thing in families, at places of work, etc.

Well, three more days of today's market performance and we're back to January 2017.  Is putting the market back to where it was before Obama came along part of the MAGA strategy?  If so he's winning at it.

Let's see if the farmers who are losing their livelihood due to trade disputes will vote for him again.  Unfortunately I think this guy of fully capable of dragging the country into another war in time for Nov. 2020, after all everyone knows you have to stand behind your pres-blah-blah,,,  At that point I would hope someone relatively sane would step up.

 

 

Yeah, one more thing the MAGAs will start to feel now that their hero's trade wars is in full swing is the prices rising and selection narrowing at their favorite Walmart. Since Walmart's supply chain depends on Chinese sourcing for about 85% of its products, let's see how happy they are as consumers facing higher prices now. But, at least they can still afford to at least drive their pickups to Walmart and proudly display their MAGA bumper stickers.

[keemapoot]

To add even more fuel to Mitt Romney's brave statement of the truth, more winning today from the US State Dept., as it's now not safe to travel to China due to Trump's trade war with China. 

 

Quote

• The US State Department has issued a travel advisory urging Americans to "exercise increased caution" when traveling to the People's Republic of China.

https://www.businessinsider.com/us-china-travel-advisory-2019-1

[billd766]

19 hours ago, keemapoot said:

I don't know what Mitt is talking about. Today's unhinged bizarre hour long cabinet meeting had some wonderful observations made by the smartest man on earth:

 

https://www.salon.com/2019/01/02/7-of-the-most-bizarre-moments-from-trumps-unhinged-hour-long-cabinet-meetin/

I think the saddest thing about Trump is that he believes that what he says is true and correct. If anybody says anything to contradict him, in Trumps opinion it is fake news.

[Berkshire]

1 hour ago, billd766 said:

I think the saddest thing about Trump is that he believes that what he says is true and correct. If anybody says anything to contradict him, in Trumps opinion it is fake news.

You think so?  I believe that Trump knows darn well that he is lying and doesn't care.  When he told the troops recently that they hadn't had a pay raise in 10 years and that he got them a 10% raise (all lies), it's impossible to believe that he didn't know he was lying.  The guy will lie his ass off if he thinks it benefits him in some way.  I've never met a human being who lies as much as Trump. 

[bendejo]

On 1/2/2019 at 4:19 PM, keemapoot said:

Romney was trying to establish that there is still someone in the party with some balls to stand up to Trump.

 

Mitt doesn't even have the balls to defend his own political accomplishments, like the health care system he set up in Massachusetts.

However, his wife believes he was born with a mission, his country truly needs him, etc.

 

 

[keemapoot]

25 minutes ago, bendejo said:

 

Mitt doesn't even have the balls to defend his own political accomplishments, like the health care system he set up in Massachusetts.

However, his wife believes he was born with a mission, his country truly needs him, etc.

 

 

Yeah, that health care system did not fit with the Republican agenda I guess. He was more like a democrat at that point. He's become a pretty interesting fellow. Prior to Trump, in the recent era, he was the wealthiest man to run for President so he certainly doesn't need the brain damage of politics anymore at his age. His going back to Utah and winning a Senate seat shows he still wants to be at the forefront of keeping traditional Republican values alive in the Trump era. Fellow Mormon Orrin Hatch recruited him to take his Senate seat and keep the anti-Trump resistance alive (even though Hatch also fell into line publicly behind Trump).

 

Let's see how far he takes it. I noticed he threw his support behind the wall yesterday, so not sure if he can defy Republican party or not. Maybe he is the candidate in waiting foro 2020 if Trump is forced to resign or is impeached?

[bkkcanuck8]

2 hours ago, keemapoot said:

Yeah, that health care system did not fit with the Republican agenda I guess. He was more like a democrat at that point. He's become a pretty interesting fellow. Prior to Trump, in the recent era, he was the wealthiest man to run for President so he certainly doesn't need the brain damage of politics anymore at his age. His going back to Utah and winning a Senate seat shows he still wants to be at the forefront of keeping traditional Republican values alive in the Trump era. Fellow Mormon Orrin Hatch recruited him to take his Senate seat and keep the anti-Trump resistance alive (even though Hatch also fell into line publicly behind Trump).

 

Let's see how far he takes it. I noticed he threw his support behind the wall yesterday, so not sure if he can defy Republican party or not. Maybe he is the candidate in waiting foro 2020 if Trump is forced to resign or is impeached?

He is a pragmatist really, still reasonably conservative but ... it is suppose to be a democracy... so if the people are left of center then you really should not go to far left or too far right of who you are the leader for.  When you are elected leader a good leader is going to recognize that yes he got elected by a subset, but once you are in office you have to realize you are the Governor for all - not just a small portion of voters that voted for you.  

 

I am just happy that he is not being a lemming -- and is willing to actually be a senator...  too many party lemmings in government right now rather than truly representing their constituents in party rather than being a spokesman for the president etc.  People are going to be sorely disappointed though if they think he is going to be the anti-trump for the sake of it...  he seems to be aiming to backing what he agrees with and speaking out on issues that he does not.  You really cannot ask for more than that.

[racket]

Romney a.k.a. a mormon and now a moron. 

[direction BANGKOK]

Trump is not even the most pitiful player in all this. 

 

There is absolutely no doubt the most reprehensible behavior when it is all said and done will be from these conservatives who never spoke out against such a train wreck. It would be like buying your alchoholic cousin a liter of vodka every nignt and then asking everyone why they are blaming you when she croaks. They have been enabling him the entire time. 

[bendejo]

6 hours ago, keemapoot said:

Maybe he is the candidate in waiting foro 2020 if Trump is forced to resign or is impeached?

There was a headline the other day "Romney says he will not run against DT in 2020."

I'm not sure if he actually said that verbatim or the reporter just expressed it that way, and at this point I don't have the stomach to pore through vid clips of him ????.

But I like the nuance: it does NOT say he will not run for president.  Perhaps he knows more than we do.

On the GOP side just about anybody with a spine has been weeded out, so I could see a GOP clown car filled with guys of the caliber of Rick Scott.  Combine that with the potential Dem clown car, and by fall we can have 40 contenders total.

But anyway I think DT will only step down by force. MAYBE if things got bad enough he would bring one of his illnesses to the fore and step down "for health reasons." (Anybody who is so cagey about their health records, to the point of getting goons to raid his doctor's office, definitely has something to hide).

 

 

[keemapoot]

Romney, as a wildly successful businessman who built his empire with brains, a first-class education, acumen, and none of the slime that has characterized Trump's business career, has correctly argued the traditional Republican position on free trade and why Trump's base-pandering isolationism-conceived trade war with China is hurting the country.

 

Quote

But I have openly expressed my disagreement with certain of the administration decisions such as the withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP); I want more markets open for Utah and American goods. I also oppose broad-based tariffs, such as those proposed on steel and aluminum, particularly when they are imposed on our allies

https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/commentary/2018/06/24/mitt-romney-where-i-stand-on-the-trump-agenda/

 

And, sadly, whereupon the GOP used to proudly stand for the principles of free trade as articulated by brilliant Republican thought leaders like Bill F. Buckely and acknowledged experts in their fields, under Trump,

 

Quote

Today, the Republican Party is led intellectually not by the likes of William F. Buckley Jr. and Irving Kristol, but by Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh.

https://fareedzakaria.com/columns/2018/3/8/trade-is-the-republican-partys-last-stand

 

And now, HSBC financial analysts have confirmed what all thinking people knew was going to happen with this damaging Trump policy:

 

Quote

Americans have felt relatively more pain from President Donald Trump's trade war than Chinese consumers and businesses, according to analysts at HSBC.

https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/trump-trade-war-likely-hitting-us-economy-harder-than-chinas-hsbc-2019-1-1027844039

 

I'm rooting for Mitt to be the Anti-Trump free trade voice in the Republican party to bring the GOP and America back to the world after Trump flames out soon, either by resignation, impeachment, or a 2020 Republican primary challenge of a severely damaged Trump.

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎1‎/‎3‎/‎2019 at 12:40 PM, neeray said:

I think the turning point has arrived. America is at the point where others, no matter what their political stripe, will start to speak out.

Ahh, love those words, "the beginning of the end".

555555555555555555

The anti Trumpers have been predicting the end of Trump for over 2 years now. So far, fail.

This is just another anti to add to the hundreds of other antis that assail the Donald every day. It's all become so OTT that I doubt Donald even bothers to get upset about it any more.

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎1‎/‎6‎/‎2019 at 11:27 AM, keemapoot said:

But I have openly expressed my disagreement with certain of the administration decisions such as the withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP);

Personally, the best thing Trump did as president, was to withdraw from that flawed and revolting scheme.

[keemapoot]

18 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Personally, the best thing Trump did as president, was to withdraw from that flawed and revolting scheme.

We absolutely disagree. The result has been a rising China through RCEP, loss of influence by the US in the Asian region and world, and the rest of the partners of TPP moving on without the US.

 

In response to critics, It could have, and would have been amended given the US is such dominant trading partner. Trump's kneejerk withdrawal was done with the same ill-conceived, lack of expert consensus and opinion plan that mostly everything else he touches is done with. 

[mshs]

On 1/3/2019 at 4:49 PM, bendejo said:

 

 

Well, three more days of today's market performance and we're back to January 2017. 

 

 

 

It's just you, the markets are up 12%-18% plus a dividend yield of 2%-3% per year.

 

Markets January 2017

S&P 2,277

DOW 19,966

 

Markets January 2019

S&P 2,550

DOW 23,533