Obama takes on Donald Trump

[mrjon]

Great to see 'argument' on TV not about Thailand/Thais

My 2c worth is that Trump is doing a fantastic service - to both USA and the World. While he probably wont be elected President, he is moving the political pendulum. The USA has in the last 20 years become far too 'accomodating' of the views of other Nations (especially the EU), and it has involved itself in problems that it should not have. Both the Republicans and the Democrats have got it very very wrong - both parties Presidents have been elected on the promise to make things better and to change things ('Yes we can' - etc etc etc). Meaning - everything is pharrked and I am going to fix it - it is an oldy, but it is a goody: if it aint broke dont fix it.

Obama stated that he would withdraw American troops from Iraq and elsewhere around the world, and he made several left-wing 'pollyanna' promises that the US public bought - particularly universal health care, and illegal immigration and racial 'changes' to improve the life of minorities. GeorgeW said he would win the war on terrorism - he had the right idea about responding to the 9/11 event, but he got it very very wrong. Both of them have failed both internationally and domestically - their meddling in overseas issues has resulted in ISIS and so many other problems.

The reality of that approach is that the USA has become 'watered down' by a myriad of economic and social changes that suit the vested interests and minorities, but they have not made it a better place to live economically or socially, for the majority of US citizens. The involvement of the USA in the world's affairs has by and large been an expensive disaster. Meanwhile the EU has gone so far 'left' that the Pollies there opended their own people's homes to millions of illegal immigrants - and the UK is probably going to vote to leave just for that reason alone. Many countries in the EU are now starting to swing the political pendulum to the right - hopefully not too far. The world's politics are undergoing a change - something well overdue - the UN experiment has failed.

Because of the popularity of Trump, and his refusal to accept the neo-liberal views of the current political elite and his refusal to be 'owned' by any of them, he is forcing the entire political 'system' in the USA to change. They are beginning to see that making promises that reflect what they see as the way to be elected, but never being held accountable for not delivering them, has created a political climate where the people are sick of all the bulldust. They are responding positively to a direct no-bulldust approach that is offering what is obviously needed to be done - issue by issue. What Trump is saying is not 'politically correct', but it is mainly (IMO) exactly what needs to be done. Trump says - if it benefits USA and the people, then I will do it - but if it does not, then I will stop it. If that means building a wall - he will do it, if that means withdrawing UISA troops/money from 'solving' all the world problems, then he will do it.

So far he hasn't fallen flat on his face with that approach, because he has not said he will nuke Mecca - but time will tell. Hopefully he stays in the race long enough that he makes the whole system change. The USA needs to be changed so that anything and everything the USA President/Govt does, are ONLY for the benefit of USA and its people. Trying to do what is best for every other Nation who needs help, as if they are the policeforce/nanny for the world, is sucking the life and drive out of what was once the greatest country on earth. Trump's politics (if not himself) will hopefully take the USA back to where it should be. The USA needs to take the approach of 'leading' the free world - that is what they have always done best. The USA does not work well when trying to 'influence and manage' by imposing their military might to solve problems (from Vietnam onwards). Trump basically takes that approach - either come with us or stay where you are - up to you.

Edited February 17, 2016 by mrjon

[Thaidream]

I am also a Vietnam Vet and I agree with much of what the poster says- however, Donald Trump wil only change things for the wealthy in the hope that the spoils will trickle down to the 99% and keep them docile. The man is no fool. He is a smart businessman who has bought both sides and he admits it. His change is not the change America needs. America needs to get rid of money politics; make health care a right by going to a single payer system which puts insurance companies and big pharma out of business; make a college education an affordable right; and start taxing the wealthy and Wall Street to pay for it all. The Us Tax Code is almost 80000 pages which not even the politicians understand. It is an unfair assemblage of breaks for the rich and Wall street which means the rest of the population has to pay for it. Donald Trump has struck a chord but his solutions are vague and without merit. Bernie Sanders- even though a Democratic Socialist will actually produce the changes America needs. However, if it can't be Sanders- I would prefer Trump over Clinton.

[wabothai]

I do not like Trump, but he may be nominated by the party...... That... will says ALL about the USA!

And..if Trump becomes President?.... Mohamed, Jehovah, Buddha and Christ together cannot save the USA!

It's not just about saving the USA. If this crazed meglomaniac is elected, the whole world is at serious risk.

Therefore non-americans ought to be able to vote.

[cmrichsw]

the American people are too "sensible" to elect him.

Boy is that rich or what? They elected Obama.

[wabothai]

Is Trump the right man for the job? Honestly, I don't know. There are things about him I like, and things about him I don't like.

Hillary? A proven liar, and someone who has switched horses in the middle of the stream so many times she now has saddle sores.

Bernie? Only if you want a dyed in the wool, confessed Socialist.

Cruz? Sorry, but he's got too much "religious baggage" for me.

Of all of them, I'd be inclined to go with Trump. He's not "beholding" to anyone, or any special interest groups, and maybe, just maybe, he has the right attitude to change things around.

He might be for America, he is or would be a danger to the rest of the world.

[Acharn]

I do not like Trump, but he may be nominated by the party...... That... will says ALL about the USA!

And..if Trump becomes President?.... Mohamed, Jehovah, Buddha and Christ together cannot save the USA!

Or maybe it scares the shit out of both Democrats and Republicans enough that they feel they must work together in the public interest thereby making Trump irrelevant. No circumstance exists in a vacuum.

No way. The Republican Party has been entirely captured by the Tea Party and the most extremely unhinged of the billionaires. Sheldon Adelson? Koch Brothers? The less unhinged billionaires are whining because things have spun out of their control. The neoliberals who seized the Democratic Party in 1992 are only slightly less crazy, only slightly less right wing, and are in bed with the neoconservatives for foreign policy advice. There's no vacuum.

[grumpyoldman]

the American people are too "sensible" to elect him.

Boy is that rich or what? They elected Obama.

Obama guns.jpg

[zydeco]

I am also a Vietnam Vet and I agree with much of what the poster says- however, Donald Trump wil only change things for the wealthy in the hope that the spoils will trickle down to the 99% and keep them docile. The man is no fool. He is a smart businessman who has bought both sides and he admits it. His change is not the change America needs. America needs to get rid of money politics; make health care a right by going to a single payer system which puts insurance companies and big pharma out of business; make a college education an affordable right; and start taxing the wealthy and Wall Street to pay for it all. The Us Tax Code is almost 80000 pages which not even the politicians understand. It is an unfair assemblage of breaks for the rich and Wall street which means the rest of the population has to pay for it. Donald Trump has struck a chord but his solutions are vague and without merit. Bernie Sanders- even though a Democratic Socialist will actually produce the changes America needs. However, if it can't be Sanders- I would prefer Trump over Clinton.

Bernie Sanders has already made clear that he will sacrifice his economic egalitarianism to a racial spoils system, as he battles Hillary to prove which one can pass Al Sharpton's approval.

[kennw]

"Obama also appeared to raise the question of whether Trump was prepared to be commander-in-chief."

Well, Obama thought a community organizer was. He'd never done 1/10 of what Trump's done including internationally when he was the green pea. Obama had done exactly NOTHING when he became POTUS and it's showed embarrassingly for 7+ years.

Cheers.

Well he hasn't started any new wars, And he has brought troops home, And he has rescued the economy and raised the employment level, And health and .................and yes he hasn't been able to stop Americans shooting themselves.................

[BB24]

I am also a Vietnam Vet and I agree with much of what the poster says- however, Donald Trump wil only change things for the wealthy in the hope that the spoils will trickle down to the 99% and keep them docile. The man is no fool. He is a smart businessman who has bought both sides and he admits it. His change is not the change America needs. America needs to get rid of money politics; make health care a right by going to a single payer system which puts insurance companies and big pharma out of business; make a college education an affordable right; and start taxing the wealthy and Wall Street to pay for it all. The Us Tax Code is almost 80000 pages which not even the politicians understand. It is an unfair assemblage of breaks for the rich and Wall street which means the rest of the population has to pay for it. Donald Trump has struck a chord but his solutions are vague and without merit. Bernie Sanders- even though a Democratic Socialist will actually produce the changes America needs. However, if it can't be Sanders- I would prefer Trump over Clinton.

I am more concerned about global issues than US issues alone - but I agree with your sentiment - and we both know Clinton is the worst outcome. Sanders has some merit - and he is benefitting from Trump. It is not only about right/republican versus left/democrat this time - now it is more about substance and merit, and not only about style and rhetoric. There has never been a candidate with Obama's style and 'presence' and Americans now finally realise those 'media' qualities when in office mean very little. Now they want a straight shooting 'leader' who will do what he/she says - they don't want another good looking 'show pony'. And that is what the world needs too - the EU and UN looney left human rights khrapp has taken us nowhere - only a strong USA will balance things out. Failing that - China and Russia will only get stronger as the years go by - and the 'Muslim issue' will only get worse - and that is not what the average person in the western world wants to happen.

[Trouble]

All the comments about Americans having more sense than to elect Trump are interesting in that America has in the last 20 + years had such poor choices put up for election on either side. For 20 years people have been forced to vote for the least of the evils. The system is broken and the people know it. The popularity of Trump and Sanders is an indication that people of both parties are fed up with the establishment. Certainly Obama had his agenda for the last 7 years but did not have the ability to bring anyone together in agreement and compromise make things work. The Presidency cannot work in a vacuum. While Donald is a brash individual surely used to getting his way, he certainly had to make compromises in his business dealings and he probably knows how to get things done. Bernie the socialist is forthright in what he believes and says it like he believes while Hillary waffles around everything. Quite honestly I would look forward to a battle between Donald and Bernie because any one else would just mean another 4 years of stagnation in Washington. A lot of you might think I am nuts but quite frankly it can't get much worse than it's been for the last 20 + years. At least with Bernie you know where he stands and with Donald, although he might be a bull in a china shop, I don't think he is as naive as some might think. What America really needs is a strong Libertarian Party which is fiscally conservative and socially liberal. That would suit me fine.

[NeverSure]

For those who say Obama has been good for the economy, it was already well on its way out of recession when he took office. TARP and quantitative easing were old news.

What Obama did do was to nearly double the national debt.

Anyone could look like an economic genius if he spent 9 trillion dollars he didn't have and people didn't notice. This debt alone is enough to disqualify Obama AND the Congress from running the country. A Hillary presidency would be more of the same or worse.

The people are in full revolt. The old metrics don't matter. This is the year of Donald Trump who at least knows how to manage money and to get things done.

Stand by and just watch.

Cheers.

Edited February 17, 2016 by NeverSure

[Alwyn]

the American people are too "sensible" to elect him.

Boy is that rich or what? They elected Obama.

And Nixon!!

[mopar71]

"Obama also appeared to raise the question of whether Trump was prepared to be commander-in-chief."

Well, Obama thought a community organizer was. He'd never done 1/10 of what Trump's done including internationally when he was the green pea. Obama had done exactly NOTHING when he became POTUS and it's showed embarrassingly for 7+ years.

Cheers.

Obama had 'done' exactly nothing when he became POTUS? Define nothing. In the interim here's a Cliff Notes recap: Prior to becoming President, Obama served four years in the U.S. Senate. Before that, he was a state senator for eight years. As a senior lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School Obama taught Constitutional Law - Equal Protection and Substantive Due Process. Prior to that he graduated from Columbia University. Then after a stint as a finserv analyst he became a community organizer in Chicago before going to Harvard Law School. At Harvard he became the first black president of the Harvard Law Review.

That's quite a list! But even with all that, he still had less qualifications to head the Executive branch than Sarah Palin had after being a mayor and Governor. Ouch! but now you have a better idea how unqualified Obama was..oh, and that "4 years in the US Senate"?...it was only 2 years before he declared he was running for president. Trump - as goofy and clownish as he is - is way ahead of where Obama was at this point of Obama's first campaign.

[mopar71]

Next November when Hillary is elected in a landslide, far worse than the beating Romney took, all the Teapublicans will be scratching their ass trying to figure out where it all went so wrong. Poor candidates with a far right agenda will be the death of them.

By the number of gross comments here about Obama, you'd think that he done a terrible job. It isn't true. The economy? The ending of two wars. 20 million Americans with health insurance? Bin Laden dead. Unemployment cut in half. He's been a remarkable President with many accomplishments in the face of dedicated opposition to any success he has had. The Republicans don't have a single accomplishment in that time. They're a laughing stock.

What you do have here is many old bitter failed white guys, i.e. the Republican base. People who get ALL their misinformation from Fox News.

The next Republican President hasn't been born yet.

Think Trump has a prayer of ever being President?

Oh yeah, cheers back at ya.

You forgot to mention the unicorns and rainbows.

[mopar71]

For those who say Obama has been good for the economy, it was already well on its way out of recession when he took office. TARP and quantitative easing were old news.

What Obama did do was to nearly double the national debt.

Anyone could look like an economic genius if he spent 9 trillion dollars he didn't have and people didn't notice. This debt alone is enough to disqualify Obama AND the Congress from running the country. A Hillary presidency would be more of the same or worse.

The people are in full revolt. The old metrics don't matter. This is the year of Donald Trump who at least knows how to manage money and to get things done.

Stand by and just watch.

Cheers.

Obama was sworn in Jan 2009...the recession ended in Jun 2009 before any of his policies had taken effect.

[amja]

Trump is more of a threat to the world than Daesh!

Think he´s the richest clown in the world and he should stay like that!

A rich clown among his hotels.

Amja

[slipperylobster]

People are afraid of Trump only because they do not understand politics.

Presidents are not dictators/monarchs. Checks and balances are also involved.

If Trump turned out to be President, he would most likely have a tough time getting support in the House and Senate. If he proved to be more incompetent than Obama...he would be left on his own to "trip" the impeachment wire. Special Interest Groups would be glad to see that.

It would definitely be interesting to see who the Vice President and Speaker of the House would be...... (if Trump was to be elected)... as they may end up replacing him.

Finally...popular vote does not mean snot. Electoral votes are what counts. They may (or may not) follow popular vote. The American system is not a "direct" voting system. Not many people even know the names of the members appointed to the "Electoral College", who are mandated to follow popular vote...but have the power not to. Majority of people in the USA 200 years (and some) ago...were not deemed intelligent enough to vote directly for a President). Funny thing is....even the Electoral College screws up. Look what we have now.

Edited February 17, 2016 by slipperylobster

[thaibeachlovers]

I do not like Trump, but he may be nominated by the party...... That... will says ALL about the USA!

And..if Trump becomes President?.... Mohamed, Jehovah, Buddha and Christ together cannot save the USA!

The US has survived Johnson, Carter, Clinton, GW and the great one in his own mind himself. It will survive Trump.

If the American people can re elect the war criminal and the community organiser, they deserve whatever they get.

It constantly amazes me how many people only think democracy is a good thing if the candidate they like is elected. Tough. Get elected and change it, or lump it.

BTW, for the great one in his own mind to complain about "entertainers" is rich, coming from the crooning "pressie of the United Stasie", and the entertainment spectacle that he put on when he promised hope and change was just that- entertainment, as it sure wasn't going to make people's lives better.

If he wants to be remembered as more than just another lying pollie after he's gone, he could actually do what he promised and close Guantanamo. I gave him the benefit of the doubt on that, but he's just another lying sack of ............ when it comes down to it. "You can keep your plan and your Dr." etc etc etc. No wonder normal sane people don't trust politicians. The best we could do is stick them all on a space ship and send them to Uranus. Rant over.

[thaibeachlovers]

People are afraid of Trump only because they do not understand politics.

Presidents are not dictators/monarchs. Checks and balances are also involved.

If Trump turned out to be President, he would most likely have a tough time getting support in the House and Senate. If he proved to be more incompetent than Obama...he would be left on his own to "trip" the impeachment wire. Special Interest Groups would be glad to see that.

It would definitely be interesting to see who the Vice President and Speaker of the House would be...... (if Trump was to be elected)... as they may end up replacing him.

Finally...popular vote does not mean snot. Electoral votes are what counts. They may (or may not) follow popular vote. The American system is not a "direct" voting system. Not many people even know the names of the members appointed to the "Electoral College", who are mandated to follow popular vote...but have the power not to. Majority of people in the USA 200 years (and some) ago...were not deemed intelligent enough to vote directly for a President). Funny thing is....even the Electoral College screws up. Look what we have now.

If Trump is elected he will have no support at all from the professional hacks poliies that are elected by the people to serve them, but serve only themselves. That is because they hate him for exposing the fact that they are bought and sold like cattle by the lobbyists.

That is a good thing though, as it will allow him to be what a president should be, and be a check on the power of the legislature. I don't get all this business of the president making laws- that's not his job.

It's time the House got back to making the laws, and the president vetting them.

Trump is far too clever to be impeached, but he'll get what he wants by refusing to pass laws they want to provide their pork unless they give him what he wants in return.

[Publicus]

NBC News/WSJ post-Saturday debate survey released this morning (our time) shows a collapse in support for Trump.

Ted Cruz is at 28% nationally and Trump is at 26% nationally.

Admittedly this survey which is the first reputable one since the Saturday debate is an outlier. It is however consistent with what political pros have been saying, which is that as the field is reduced of candidates, voters will distribute among survivors other than Trump. This would be true because Trump has a limited appeal, i.e., rightwhingenuts and whack job losers.

The salient question is whether this survey captures something temporary or the beginning of the end of Donald Trump for potus. It sounds like Trump has maxed out.

Trump is still on course for a big (if reduced) win in South Carolina but he did offend many Republicans there too by attacking their boy GW Bush over the Iraq war and 9/11.

BREAKING NEWS: Trump Falls Behind Cruz in New NBC/WSJ POLL

http://www.fggam.org/2016/02/breaking-news-trump-falls-behind-cruz-in-new-nbcwsj-poll/

[webfact]

Obama poo-poos Trump’s presidential ambitions



WASHINGTON: -- US President Barack Obama believes the Republican frontrunner in the race for the White House will lose out on the presidency.

Speaking at the Asean economic summit in California, the president was asked by a reporter about the presidential prospects for Mr Trump.

The two-term leader made his views clear:
“I continue to believe that Mr. Trump will not be President. And the reason is because I have a lot of faith in the American people. And I think they recognise that being President is a serious job. It’s not hosting a talk show. Or a reality show.”

The billionaire businessman took the out going president’s opinion as a campaign boost: “This man has done such a bad job. He has set us back so far. And for him to say that is a great compliment if you want to know the truth.”

Trump won the state primary in New Hampshire and leads the polls in South Carolina where Republicans vote on Saturday.


-- (c) Copyright Euronews 2016-02-18

[ezzra]

Obama message to Trump... is from the soon to be a has been, to the never will be, wannabe.....

[gemguy]

He probably will not be President......but very well may come close.

But the fact that the man has a good chance and has a huge amount of support tells us that the American citizen could be "that" dumb and elect him President.

They were dumb enough to elect Bush and Obama back then....lol ...all the time having better choices back then....so it would be no surprise if Trump was elected.

Cheers

[Publicus]

Obama message to Trump... is from the soon to be a has been, to the never will be, wannabe.....

Barack Obama's best years are ahead of him. Decades of 'em.

[gemguy]

I have been following the election campaign but not extensively.

I have come to the conclusion that most of the American voters want someone to actually change things for the better ...or ....what they believe would be better ....so.... they are pinning their hopes on a guy like Donald Trump while they are hoping Trump will be the sorely needed President who Kicks Ass and sets things straight the way they feel it should be.

That is what the American citizens have always wanted in their Presidents.

And a guy like Trump will kick ass in some respects....for certain .....while he will have the support of the American public regardless of the ramifications and implications.

They are certain of that and they want to give the man a chance so they can say: "Trump did what others did not do or did not even try to do and I helped to vote the man in"

He is the hoped for and or believed to be: "Fix it all tool box" that the citizens want to buy.

However, America is a behemoth, while there is no one ( Not even Superman and the Fantastic 4 ) who can change and or correct the many issues going on in America and in need of change in America.

So far, nearly every President that did get elected in the last 40 years talked their way into the presidency and then ended up doing very little of what they talked about to get into the presidency....but they did try in many respects...but could not accomplish but 10 percent of what they tried to accomplish while many aspects of America continued to grow worse.

Maybe Trump, as crude and embarrassing as he is, could be the person that finally satisfies the American citizens lust for a "Kick Ass, get things done President".... and cleans up the mess far more so than any other President in the last 40 years.

But, we all know that whatever Trump does do will come with its ramifications and some of them will be dire ramifications so that old saying:

"Be careful what you wish for" could be used as a warning and well applied in the case of Trump as President.

Cheers

[Norvid 1950]

Every politician is a politician because it gives him ................money. Trump doesn't need money. He knows how to govern the business and country is a business with millions of people working there for their own benefit and for the benefit of the country they work for. What Americans achieved in the last 20 years of mismanagement? Lost lives in the wars they were forced to start with phony pretexts based of pure lies, plenty of injured solders, trillions of dollars of cost in the hole every American has to pay for who know how long and the hate from the Muslims, and plenty of other countries. It could be nice to see America strong inside and out with people believing again the great Americans dream, which could be again achievable. Political bullshit we hear for so many years has to stop, so the lies published for years on main media brainwashing American public and the world.

Oh, I forgot one thing, all those Christians fundamentalist believe the solar system is 6, 000 years old instead of 4, 56,000,000 years old. How imbeciles, who can't think can make an educated decision ?

http://www.earthobservatory.sg/faq-on-earth-sciences/how-do-we-know-age-earth-and-age-solar-system

[ggt]

When President Obama Poo Poos...I am told by liberals...that it does not stink...it is transparent...and flows downhill...

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

Obama message to Trump... is from the soon to be a has been, to the never will be, wannabe.....

Barack Obama's best years are ahead of him. Decades of 'em.

Yes it's true, but unfortunately only after he has <deleted> up the world. When he became POTUS for the first time we had to major conflicts going - Iraq and Afghanistan, now we still have that 2 plus Syria, Libya and the ISIS threat in Africa, ME, Asia and Europe. From a non-US view he was a disaster for the world. During his time we have moved from a mile away from the next world war to within inches.

[kamahele]

For those who say Obama has been good for the economy, it was already well on its way out of recession when he took office. TARP and quantitative easing were old news.

What Obama did do was to nearly double the national debt.

Anyone could look like an economic genius if he spent 9 trillion dollars he didn't have and people didn't notice. This debt alone is enough to disqualify Obama AND the Congress from running the country. A Hillary presidency would be more of the same or worse.

The people are in full revolt. The old metrics don't matter. This is the year of Donald Trump who at least knows how to manage money and to get things done.

Stand by and just watch.

Cheers.

Obama was sworn in Jan 2009...the recession ended in Jun 2009 before any of his policies had taken effect.

Actually, as the Bush White House ceded some financial control to Obama before Obama took office and pumped an additional 350 billion dollars into the relief effort per Obama's request prior to Obama taking the oath of office. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/bush-agrees-to-obama-bailout-request/