What are we to do with the bully in the ultimate bully pulpit?
How did the president become the person who now insults and degrades everyone who does not idolize him? Where does this need to be revered come from? And most important, what is the correct response to this type of bullying?
Dr. Gail Gross looks at what makes a child become a bully.
Source: What Causes Your Child to Become a Bully? | HuffPost
US president Donald Trump is increasingly frustrated and lashing out, surrounded by aides who struggle to contain his impulsive behavior with a combination of distraction and stalling techniques that make him seem more like a toddler than one of the world’s most powerful men, according to multiple advisors in Washington, DC. The long Columbus Day…
via President Trump’s long, lonely, Columbus Day weekend — Quartz
George Bush ran on being a kinder, gentler conservative, but what got him elected was the emotional drain from eight years of Clinton scandals. Whether contrived or real, Bill Clinton’s scandals wore the voters out. It was one reason wooden Al Gore lost, the other being his wooden-ness.
Donald Trump maintains strong approval numbers from Republicans, despite the near constant controversy. There is no indication that his base is slipping away. Still, no matter how devoted, lies cause voter fatigue.
From WSJ-
Even Donald Trump might agree that a major reason he won the 2016 election is because voters couldn’t abide Hillary Clinton’s legacy of scandal, deception and stonewalling. Yet on the story of Russia’s meddling in the 2016 election, Mr. Trump and his family are repeating the mistakes that doomed Mrs. Clinton.
Source: The Trumps and the Truth – WSJ
Call Barack Obama. Ask him for some cool lessons. Beg him for lessons in how not to be a jive honky.
Donald Trump has issued an executive order that makes no sense, does not make us any safer, and may encourage our enemies to renew their fight against us. He has told our allies that we come first, and that the rest of the world does not matter. He also has made a statement to the world, […]
If you do not worship me, you must be my enemy. If you do not agree with me, you must be wrong.
A little girl who wants an impossible Christmas present perfectly sums up the wants of a large segment of the voting public who came out for Donald Trump. Kudos to the USPS for the ad of the season, and the statement of our times. I want a hippopotamus for Christmas.
Short of promising everyone that they would be young again, Donald Trump promised just about everything else. All the good-paying jobs would return. Immigrants who are stealing our jobs would be sent away. We would be great again. And in the minds of the American people who have been convinced by politicians that this country is going down the tubes, that message means a lot of things that are mostly pipe-dreams today.
America was great in fifties and sixties. It was an era of prosperity and promise, of high paying jobs with companies that also provided health insurance and retirement. The country was growing at a brisk pace, we were the most powerful nation on earth, and no one challenged us.
That is the America that flyover voters think about when they hear the words ‘great again.’ The reality of this day and age are far different. The global community that we have created is diverse and interconnected. We are not the only game on the planet. We are one of many, and that means that we cannot force our will on the rest of the planet.
Yes, we still have economic power, but so do others, and they make things, make them well, and make them cheaper. And until those countries develop into first world countries, they will continue to compete well against developed countries with higher paid workers. Eventually their wages will also rise like ours did, but that will take decades. We have never had to compete before this. It is time to learn.
We are still a great nation in terms of defense, but we cannot use that power in the same way we did a half century ago. Knocking over a tin-pot dictator is part of the old ways. They don’t work when those dictators are not the enemy, when an underground movement operates within the very countries you are aligned with. The attacks in Paris cannot be solved by American troops on the ground.
Donald Trump did not tell you how he would make you great again, because he does not know how to make us great. The people who have his ear have convinced him that deregulation and a better business climate is going to turn this country around. It will certainly make companies more profitable, but the good jobs that pay well and offer benefits will not return. Businesses make a greater profit without them. They have been doing well for years, with fewer employees. That will not change. I want a hippopotamus for Christmas. Only a hippopotamus will do. It is very unlikely that you will get one.
Kinda looks like Donald
Pssst. You wanna know how your Senator got so rich? It’s pretty easy if you know what the government is going to do before they do it.
Probably the most popular get rich quick scheme of all. Say you just got a new extension to a road in your state, or a new curb-cut on the interstate. If you purchase the land before the road is announced, you can make a killing. But that is not the only way. Think of all the vendors and suppliers of gravel and tar, all the heavy equipment people. Plenty of opportunity to make a killing buy bringing home the bacon, and keeping a nice chunk for your kids, or best friend.
This works great for defense too! If you know what the DOD says they need, you probably also know who will be awarded the contract. This was really popular during the reign of Dick Cheney due to a really bad decision called ‘sole sourcing.’ That’s when you award contracts to your former employer because of vital security information that is never divulged. It makes making your first billion a lot easier than those nasty silicon valley start-ups that are so prone to going belly up. It’s a license to steal from the American people.
This one is like taking candy from a baby. You find a nice lobbyist who needs a friend in Congress, and you take warm showers with them. In return, they invite you to speak at their annual convention. It is called an honorarium. That is what they call a bribe in Washington. It usually comes with free plane tickets, meals, and so many other perks.
Well, there is no such thing if the people managing your business are also raising your grandkids. You would have to blind and deaf to not make a killing in this situation. Any trust so configured will have their pick of the juiciest deals. And they can become the very conduit into the White House that the upcoming administration accused the Clinton’s of being. This blind trust can take pay-for-play to a new, richly rewarding level.
Of course the real blind trust in all of this is the trust that American voters placed in this most peculiar of places. A real estate developer and beauty pageant owner who promised them the moon.
Maybe one of the reasons that Donald Trump suddenly began to stay on message is the prospect of losing this election. The consequences of a Trump loss on Tuesday may be critical to the future of the man, and his empire. Donald Trump has made a lot of serious enemies in his bid to become president. Some of those people have long memories, and an acute desire to see the man and his company face the consequences. And even if he wins, there are wheels in motion that Donald Trump may not be able to stop.
There will be an investigation into Trump University. The allegations are that this was merely a scheme to hook unsuspecting folks into paying money for very little in return. Some of the recruiters may have acted in a manner that could be deemed fraudulent. The University’s namesake will sure be called on to testify. He may even face charges.
With twelve women alleging improper sexual advances by the candidate, and reports of him walking into rooms of scantily clad contestants in a beauty pageant, if Donald Trump is not elected President, this allegation may move forward. Even if he is elected, once again, the wheels of justice may have begun to turn.
Donald Trump’s followers do not generally frequent hotels that charge hundreds of dollars for a one-night stand, and that makes so-called glamour properties out of reach for them. Will the likes of the Republican leadership suddenly start hanging out in Trump lobbies? Probably not. Even more so for the Democratic leadership. These people have long memories, and for the most part, dislike outsiders. Especially one that has hammered them for an entire election cycle.
Trump owns some signature golf courses, but the golf industry is in a down cycle. There is less viewership, and less interest in the game. To make matters worse, there are plenty of courses. Once again, Trump’s penchant for making enemies of the political elite does not make his courses very attractive.
When Donald Trump attacked the Justice Department and the press over his Trump Foundation, he opened up a can of worms that will not go back willingly. The press will continue to look for gaudy portraits, and follow the money. This puts Justice in the position of having to act upon the information that is exposed.
In contrast, there is Hillary Clinton, the most investigated candidate in the history of the election process. Sure, those ploys by Republicans in Congress will not diminish, but there may be little left to scrutinize. If Hillary Clinton loses, she can write her memoirs, and run the Clinton Foundation. If Donald Trump loses, he may face the fight of his life.
If you were considering letting this man build your house, you would at least ask for references.
This election is not about letting Donald Trump build your house. It is about letting him run it. We hope that it will not be run like the Trump Foundation. Or a few of the other organizations this man has run.