Trump's Policies Part 6

[Huckleberry]

Might?

That the mainstream media already lost much of the public’s confidence plays into this…

So no, they’re not going to get a free ride on this one after they (and a vast majority of the democrats) blasted those of us for calling out what we plainly saw in Biden’s obvious decline . They’ve not done their jobs consistently well in a long time, so don’t expect us to forget that they been politically motivated for years.

That's fair, but ad hominem reactions don't negate the validity of the stated position.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

I think it's more about making fun of Trump than any particular strategy. After all, the guy constantly claims that he has the answers to most big problems (past, present, and future).

I actually agree with you on that.

I recall one of the stories about Ronald Reagan, he'd had a motorcade somewhere and gotten a great reception, and his campaign manager was along for this ride and glowing about the reception. Reagan said, "Just wait. About a mile up the road here, we're gonna pass a guy who's down on his luck or doesn't like me and he's gonna give us the finger and say, "(You know the word) you, Ron, you big (expletive). THAT is the guy who keeps it all in perspective for me.

If the rank and file Democrats would follow the Pelosi strategy early on of FLATTERING this guy and pretending to work with him, they could get all kinds of concessions. The extreme ends of the horseshoe (and this IS a both sides issue) would rather be martyrs running off the cliff "Thelma and Louise" style than in getting things incrementally.

 

[selmaborntidefan]

Nope. It might smack of hypocrisy, but it's entirely appropriate for Democrats (and the press) to raise concerns about Trump's age and how it might be affecting him.

Look, you're correct it actually IS hypocrisy, and they don't REALLY care about Trump's performance, at least most of them.

What they care about is revenge for losing the election.

Otherwise, no one one will bring it up (certainly Republicans/conservatives will never speak ill of their Dear Leader).

Again, I don't disagree with the BASICS of what you're saying.

The problem, though, is you can't sway folks for four years "Biden is hitting every pitch when nobody is in the stadium" for four years and THEN try to persuade the NON-PARTISANS that age is the real concern.


Trump has a lowered bar of acceptability kind of like Dan Quayle and George W. Bush both did. But part of the reason he has it is the shrieking freak out attacks of the hard partisans. Democrats spent 18 months saying, "George W Bush is a dimbulb who thinks a Rhodes scholar is a hitchhiker." Okay, you can go down that route......it's just when Bush is even a tiny bit smarter than what you've been saying, you can't get mad because the attack chosen backfires.

The Republicans learned this with Bill Clinton - or should have. Their entire 1992 campaign on Clinton - legitimately to a point - was about his "character." He was a shady liar. All Clinton had to do to flip that argument on its head is exactly what he did - "Hey, I'm not the one who said 'read my lips, no new taxes' and raised them."

 

[selmaborntidefan]

Might?

That the mainstream media already lost much of the public’s confidence plays into this…

So no, they’re not going to get a free ride on this one after they (and a vast majority of the democrats) blasted those of us for calling out what we plainly saw in Biden’s obvious decline . They’ve not done their jobs consistently well in a long time, so don’t expect us to forget that they been politically motivated for years.

Somewhere, the media lost the plot.

I recall watching Eleanor Clift of "The McLaughlin Group" in the New Hampshire primary phase in 1992, right after the Gennifer Flowers and then draft dodging stories had hit Clinton in consecutive weeks. Clift - who worked for "Newsweek" at the time - actually came out and said that the media wasn't destroying Bill Clinton like they had done Gary Hart four years earlier "because they like him and they like what he has to say."

I mean, you may as well say, "We slant our coverage based on whether we like the guy" since that's what she said. That's not to say Clinton didn't do a pretty good job parrying the queries, but some of them were so smarmy and condescending that the guy couldn't help but look good.

 

[crimsonaudio]

That's fair, but ad hominem reactions don't negate the validity of the stated position.

I agree, my point is don’t expect me to grant the media any validity when they’ve shown themselves to be extremely biased.

A restaurant might rightly claim to make the best steak on the planet, but I if I got food poisoning the last time I ate there, I don’t really care if it’s true or not.

 

[Huckleberry]

Look, you're correct it actually IS hypocrisy, and they don't REALLY care about Trump's performance, at least most of them.

What they care about is revenge for losing the election.




Again, I don't disagree with the BASICS of what you're saying.

The problem, though, is you can't sway folks for four years "Biden is hitting every pitch when nobody is in the stadium" for four years and THEN try to persuade the NON-PARTISANS that age is the real concern.


Trump has a lowered bar of acceptability kind of like Dan Quayle and George W. Bush both did. But part of the reason he has it is the shrieking freak out attacks of the hard partisans. Democrats spent 18 months saying, "George W Bush is a dimbulb who thinks a Rhodes scholar is a hitchhiker." Okay, you can go down that route......it's just when Bush is even a tiny bit smarter than what you've been saying, you can't get mad because the attack chosen backfires.

The Republicans learned this with Bill Clinton - or should have. Their entire 1992 campaign on Clinton - legitimately to a point - was about his "character." He was a shady liar. All Clinton had to do to flip that argument on its head is exactly what he did - "Hey, I'm not the one who said 'read my lips, no new taxes' and raised them."

The Democrats have certainly lost a great deal of credibility when it comes to the age issue, so I agree that it will be tough for them to convince independents of Trump's decline. Given that (barring unforeseen circumstances) he's in for his full term (and no more), those independents have to realize it for themselves and pressure Republican incumbents to abandon the lunacy or face electoral defeat.

 

[TIDE-HSV]

As for taxes, I do not favor an asset based approach, too many opportunities for gamesmanship. I definitely favor a trickle up approach over trickle down, so yeah I'm in favor of raising the top marginal rates and trying to lower taxes on middle and lower income folks. I think about how a $5,000 windfall would affect me versus my 20 something sons. I'd just stick it in the bank while they would pay off car loans or buy things they need. They would stimulate the economy while I would not.

Since I'm 60, the idea of raising the retirement age falls into NIMBY status for me. I don't disagree that it should improve the liquidity of Social Security, but I want to quit working soon. Self interest, I know.

If you're in the tax return end of the business, folk just don't realize how brutal your schedule is. I had two older brothers who were CPAs and I dodged it...

 

[4Q Basket Case]

As for taxes, I do not favor an asset based approach, too many opportunities for gamesmanship. I definitely favor a trickle up approach over trickle down, so yeah I'm in favor of raising the top marginal rates and trying to lower taxes on middle and lower income folks. I think about how a $5,000 windfall would affect me versus my 20 something sons. I'd just stick it in the bank while they would pay off car loans or buy things they need. They would stimulate the economy while I would not.

Since I'm 60, the idea of raising the retirement age falls into NIMBY status for me. I don't disagree that it should improve the liquidity of Social Security, but I want to quit working soon. Self interest, I know.

Which is why I did the phase-in starting with people who are 55 or younger at time of implementation.

IOW, if you’re within 10 years today, you aren’t affected. You have to be 45 or younger today to feel the full effect, and that’s 25 years into the future.

 

[bamacpa]

Which is why I did the phase-in starting with people who are 55 or younger at time of implementation.

IOW, if you’re within 10 years today, you aren’t affected. You have to be 45 or younger today to feel the full effect, and that’s 25 years into the future.

It's a fair approach. I admit I'm willing to pay more in income tax but not so much on deferring retirement.

 

[bamacpa]

If you're in the tax return end of the business, folk just don't realize how brutal your schedule is. I had two older brothers who were CPAs and I dodged it...

My user name is pretty old. I've been working in problem asset management for banks for over 15 years now - including the great recession.

 

[Tidewater]

That's fair, but ad hominem reactions don't negate the validity of the stated position.

When I read a lot of stuff on line, and I read someone critical of Trump, my first thought is: "THRHT." ("Trump Hater Really Hates Trump.") Their critique could be entirely fair and appropriate. Or it could be garbage. (A lot of what comes out of NBC/MSNBC falls into the category of THRHT. But at the same time, they will level critiques at Trump that FoxNews won't. There is value in that.) I have to dig in and explore more about the critique, reading other things from other authors from other perspectives before forming a mature opinion. But that requires me to care enough about the subject to investigate.

The concept of THRHT first came to me when Billy Graham died. Trump said he would attend the funeral. Critics said, "Oh my gosh! This wonderful man dies and you have to make this man's funeral all about you! What a boor!" Then Trump reconsidered and announced he would not attend, in order to give the family space to grieve without the presidential circus. Again critics, responded, "Oh my gosh! This nice man has advised ten presidents and you cannot even be bothered to honor his life by attending the funeral! What a boor!" I recall thinking, "Wait a minute, is it right for the president to attend a funeral for a guy like Graham or not?" And the answer from some folks was, "Whatever Trump decides is wrong." Someone in that category I do not need to pay much attention to, because I already know what they are going to say about a given subject. Not saying they are wrong. I'm just not overly interested.

 

[Bamaro]

Lost all credibility at "tremendous cabinet".

Lost me at " Trump 2.0 is a phenomenal President "

 

[bamacpa]

Lost me at " Trump 2.0 is a phenomenal President "

I'd really struggle if asked to name the least qualified member of the cabinet. At least Gaetz got canned early.

 

[bamacpa]

When I read a lot of stuff on line, and I read someone critical of Trump, my first thought is: "THRHT." ("Trump Hater Really Hates Trump.") Their critique could be entirely fair and appropriate. Or it could be garbage. (A lot of what comes out of NBC/MSNBC falls into the category of THRHT. But at the same time, they will level critiques at Trump that FoxNews won't. There is value in that.) I have to dig in and explore more about the critique, reading other things from other authors from other perspectives before forming a mature opinion. But that requires me to care enough about the subject to investigate.

The concept of THRHT first came to me when Billy Graham died. Trump said he would attend the funeral. Critics said, "Oh my gosh! This wonderful man dies and you have to make this man's funeral all about you! What a boor!" Then Trump reconsidered and announced he would not attend, in order to give the family space to grieve without the presidential circus. Again critics, responded, "Oh my gosh! This nice man has advised ten presidents and you cannot even be bothered to honor his life by attending the funeral! What a boor!" I recall thinking, "Wait a minute, is it right for the president to attend a funeral for a guy like Graham or not?" And the answer from some folks was, "Whatever Trump decides is wrong." Someone in that category I do not need to pay much attention to, because I already know what they are going to say about a given subject. Not saying they are wrong. I'm just not overly interested.

I am a THRHT, as can easily be deduced by posts on this board. I do try, with varying success, to offer some critical thought along with my petty insults. On the flip side, I have noticed that TLRLT friends on social media are no longer interested in elderly mental health issues or sharing the meme about current prices versus Day 1 of the current admin. Relics of a distant time, I guess.

 

[UAH]

Some on here may be interested in the inteview with John Bolton on DW yesterday. I came away feeling that the interviewers did an excellent job interviewing Bolton and represented more of how journalism should be conducted.

Berlin Briefing - Exploring German politics and the German perspective on global events shaping our world
US President Trump's former national security advisor John Bolton checked in with Berlin Briefing's hosts. Bolton explained why he doesn't believe Trump will send the bunker-busting bomb to Iran. Pushed for a character assessment, Bolton questioned whether Trump had even made up his mind on what he will do next – on Iran and on NATO. On the question whether Trump is a Russian asset, Bolton says "no" but warns that Trump "thinks he and Vladimir Putin are friends." Listen to DW's Michaela Küfner, Nina Haase and Richard Walker challenge Bolton on the state of instability in the Middle East and beyond, and hear the former US Ambassador to the UN say that he "would disregard" international law on Israel.

 

[Huckleberry]

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/06/20/one-big-beautiful-bills-changes-for-obamacare-could-be-ugly-for-florida/

One Big, Beautiful Bill’s changes for Obamacare could be ugly for Florida
More than 4.7 million Floridians are covered through a federal marketplace plan.

President Donald Trump during his first administration promised to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, often called Obamacare, but fell short.

While there’s less chatter about the repeal, during Trump’s second administration the One Big Beautiful Bill Act might deliver on the years-old promise.

Although cuts to the Medicaid and supplemental nutrition assistance programs (SNAP) are grabbing the headlines, Florida health care advocates worry that the changes to the ACA may be even more damaging.

 

[Huckleberry]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1936068994026635694

Somebody stitched together every time Trump said he’d make a decision “in two weeks”—and let’s just say, the only consistent thing is that he never does.

 

[some_al_fan]

Soviet born, the director of presidential personnel, has never submitted his forms for the security check:

Exclusive | Powerful Trump aide who’s in charge of vetting thousands of staffers still hasn’t been fully vetted himself: sources

Three administration insiders told The Post that the vetter-in-chief has not turned in his Standard Form 86, or SF-86 – a 100-page set of questions required for officials who need security clearanc…

nypost.com

 

[selmaborntidefan]

Meanwhile, because - you know, I can't even say what I'm thinking without a suspension......

Donald Trump wants prosecutor to investigate 2020 loss to Joe Biden

President Donald Trump is calling for a special prosecutor to investigate his false claims that the 2020 election was stolen, continuing to press an issue that resulted in an attack on the U.S. Capitol and his impeachment, but remains a central preoccupation.

"Biden was grossly incompetent, and the 2020 election was a total FRAUD! The evidence is MASSIVE and OVERWHELMING. A Special Prosecutor must be appointed," Trump wrote on social media June 20.

Trump's efforts to challenge his 2020 election loss to former President Joe Biden failed in court. Independent reviews and leading members of his own administration dismissed his fraud claims.

==================================

Uh, if the Democrats managed DURING A PANDEMIC WITH EVERYONE AT HOME to.....steal and election in a country Trump was running, who exactly is the incompetent?

 

[Huckleberry]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1936175639930847378

Tammy Bruce to the press: "I think it's important to not second guess the president."