Atheist/liberal correlation

[abaris]

This man is speaking in terms that are solely for the people that want to hear it.

Isn't every populist? I never know if I should laugh or cry over people buying that kind of narrative. I feel like laughing, but at the same time, they're ruining what is left for the rest of us. They may well have the power to install one of these shitheads at the helm of any given state. Not that regular politicians were to look out for their people, but at least it's business as usual, not the lose cannon approach.

[abaris]

If they are fiscally conservative, they may align with Republicans because they may assign more value or importance to fiscal conservatism than socially liberal policies.

The fiscally conservative Republican is on the same lines as Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster. Some claim to have seen one, but investigations came up empty.

[bennyboy]

This is what pissed me off with Obama: his first two years, he had both houses of Congress. The Republicans threatened several filibusters, and not once did he say, "Yeah? Go on ahead and do it, so I can paste that to your resume." He folded on a strong hand, in my opinion.

100% this. He let everyone down, and "at least he achieved something" is a piss-poor substitute for what he could have done: changed the face of America, as he promised to do, forever.

[robvalue]

Green Party for me. I'm not too up on politics and that, but I'm probably a leftie if anything.

[henryp]

When Trump says America first, this is what I think of.  Stopping outsourcing with the trade deals written by corporate lobbyists looking to drive up their stocks, and stop corporations/shady business from driving down wages through shady legal, and illegal immigration.  People try to paint it as some Aryan white thing.  But when I think America first, I think about giving poor black community at least a chance.  My family got ours when the getting was good.  But now, that opportunity is gone.  I'd like to see it brought back.  I don't know if Trump can do it.  Probably not.  But at least he'll be pushing in the right direction, I think.

I get this sentiment, but he is speaking purely to the populists when he says stuff like this. He is part of the Republican Party now. De-regulators. Not the party that is going to enact laws that will force companies to do things that will cost them money. I don't understand how people believe him. This man is speaking in terms that are solely for the people that want to hear it.

His party, the Republicans, live off of making promises that they know they can't or won't fulfill. That run contrary to their very core, which is smaller government, less corporate regulation. There is simply no trade deal that China will not undercut. There is no realistic corporate tax haven that some de-regulated country will not do better. It will always be cheaper to move your business elsewhere once it grows to a certain size with the capital to do so. Getting rid of illegal labor has been tried. It was a disaster in Alabama, as no one wanted to do the work that was left over. Even the people they found or forced to do it did a shitty job and the farmers who were against it in the first place got a big "I told you so."

It's a red herring to think any political party can significantly change this.

Yup, that's definitely the trick of it all.  Is he just saying what people want to hear, or did he just steal the Republican Party nomination from the Republican Party, and he's doing his own thing.

Some cause for optimism on that front, is that a lot of the establishment has abandoned him.  The Bush's are voting for Clinton.  He's having trouble raising money.  The shady corporate folks have abandoned him.  Maybe it's because rich white republicans just LOVE illegal immigrants and muslims SOOO much that their sensitive consciousnesses can't handle his positions that could be interpreted as racist.  Or, maybe it's because their interests are so heavily tied to  Wallstreet, the TPP, and Military intervention around the world.  

The practicality.  I don't know.  If nobody wants the shitty jobs, maybe hand out some visas.  But I do know people want construction jobs.  People will take janitorial jobs.  People work in fast food industry.  People loved working at Disney.  Maybe you have to pay a bit more.  Maybe that makes the price of a big mac go up 20 cents.  But that seems like a good tradeoff to me.


On trade, we'll see (or probably won't).  Nobody has ever really tried anything other than doing exactly what corporations want.  I want to give a populist a shot.  Whether it was Bernie or Trump.  I think the people want that as well.  I think the majority of people in the US want to see the US reshape how it interacts with the world.  

But even if it can't be fixed.  The idea of having some people in charge that consider the welfare of Americans could be pretty exciting.  And if that kind of thing gains momentum, maybe there can be some trickle down into the senate and house.

[The Grand Nudger]

Trumps not a "populist" on trade.  He's a corporate shill, same as the rest...you don;t even get to play at the american table unless you can be counted on to be precisely that, regardless of whatever narrative you need to sell in order to buy the popular vote. That's kind of how being a shill works, the very definition of a shill.

"Hey yall, I'm one of you, look at how awesome these tax cuts are, look at this sweet deregulation, have you ever seen such quality de-funding...I'm totally going to buy it."
-Well, I mean if one of us thinks it's awesome :holds out his wallet:

I know, I know, "but he's not getting the corporate backing". You don;t pay a shill with your own money, you pay him after he delivers, with the marks money. Now, if you can show you merit, as a shill...and consistently swindle people into parting with their "x"...you can negotiate for an advance based on past performance....like Hillary.

[Cecelia]

I think there's some correlation.  When I was a believer, I was more conservative/libertarian.  When I stopped believing in God, I shifted more liberal/green party.  It makes sense though, I think, that conservatives would believe in god and 'personal responsibility'.  I mean they think it's okay that God wiped out the earths population in a flood because it was his to do with what he wanted.  So they apply that to their own lives.  Their money is theirs to do with what they want.

[RobertE]

Trumps not a "populist" on trade.  He's a corporate shill, same as the rest...you don;t even get to play at the american table unless you can be counted on to be precisely that, regardless of whatever narrative you need to sell in order to buy the popular vote.  That's kind of how being a shill works, the very definition of a shill.

"Hey yall, I'm one of you, look at how awesome these tax cuts are, look at this sweet deregulation, have you ever seen such quality de-funding...I'm totally going to buy it."
-Well, I mean if one of us thinks it's awesome :holds out his wallet:

I know, I know, "but he's not getting the corporate backing".  You don;t pay a shill with your own money, you pay him after he delivers, with the marks money.  Now, if you can show you merit, as a shill...and consistently swindle people into parting with their "x"...you can negotiate for an advance based on past performance....like Hillary.

If I know one thing about Trump, that is I am sure that most people are taking him seriously when in reality, I am sure he is just doing it for fun. I seem to remember him when he took over the WWE from Vince McMahon and most Americans believed it, when it was simply kayfabe. I get the impression that he is there for the ride and because he is too bored counting his dough.

[henryp]

Trumps not a "populist" on trade.  He's a corporate shill, same as the rest...you don;t even get to play at the american table unless you can be counted on to be precisely that, regardless of whatever narrative you need to sell in order to buy the popular vote.  That's kind of how being a shill works, the very definition of a shill.

"Hey yall, I'm one of you, look at how awesome these tax cuts are, look at this sweet deregulation, have you ever seen such quality de-funding...I'm totally going to buy it."
-Well, I mean if one of us thinks it's awesome :holds out his wallet:

I know, I know, "but he's not getting the corporate backing".  You don;t pay a shill with your own money, you pay him after he delivers, with the marks money.  Now, if you can show you merit, as a shill...and consistently swindle people into parting with their "x"...you can negotiate for an advance based on past performance....like Hillary.

The republican voters are fucking nuts.  Democrats got it easy.  They tell the minorities who to vote for.  The minorities do so blindly, and they get the candidate they want.  Republicans are a different beast.  You could see the party losing control as it struggled like hell to get Romney nominated over flat out insane people in 12.  Not populists.  Just batshit crazy nutballs.  Herman Cain led the republican primary polls at one point.  That crazy eyed lady also did.  Rick Perry was in the lead for a bit until he talked.

Trump understood how to use his brand and manipulate the media in a way that nobody else in politics has done.  He is sort of the godfather of branding. You combine that with enough personal wealth to fund his own primary, and he ends up the nominee despite 450 million in money funding his opponents.  

And you absolutely pay Trump ahead of time.  He's got 4 billion dollars.  He doesn't need speaking fees after he's done.  He doesn't need donations to the Clinton Foundation type organization.  All he needs is for someone to pay for his general election campaign. 

The tax cuts and deregulation are certainly something to keep an eye on.  We'll see how much of that is designed to help American businesses in America.

[RobertE]

This is what pissed me off with Obama: his first two years, he had both houses of Congress. The Republicans threatened several filibusters, and not once did he say, "Yeah? Go on ahead and do it, so I can paste that to your resume." He folded on a strong hand, in my opinion.

100% this.  He let everyone down, and "at least he achieved something" is a piss-poor substitute for what he could have done: changed the face of America, as he promised to do, forever.

There is only one President who could ever change the face of America, and that is the one who finally stands up and finally tells it how it is with regards to gun culture. Unfortunately, he will not get the backing votes from either the Senate, the republicans, the yakuza, the Chinese, the Mexican gangs and the bloods/crips and other offshoots.