Trump's America

[commando]

pushing the white nationalists agenda a bit further

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/01/us/politics/trump-affirmative-action-universities.html

 

The Trump administration is preparing to redirect resources of the Justice Department’s civil rights division toward investigating and suing universities over affirmative action admissions policies deemed to discriminate against white applicants, according to a document obtained by The New York Times.

[Moiraine]

^ What kind of f'd up universe did we wake up to find ourselves in this year? I feel like puking.

[NM11046]

I feel like this is a good time to remind everyone what an amazing organization the ACLU is. If you havent yet supported them or participated in one of their calls/workshops think about doing so.

 

I get a quarterly magazine from them detailing their work and they do so much mioe than I imagined, also get a publication (less fancy) from my local chapter). They're so engaged in fighting stuff like this - thank goodness.

[Enhance]

A "bad tweet" from Trump is a powerful thing. The fear of political costs in crossing the President are quite legitimate.

Is it, though? I don't ask that in an adversarial way; instead, more along the lines of 'does it really mean that much to people?'

 

Trump has proven he can tweet and say just about anything he wants with seemingly little drawback. It also seems like many people, including those in his own party, are disgusted/annoyed by his Twitter habits... almost as if they don't take them seriously.

 

Perhaps my perception is warped or misinformed.

[Enhance]

I feel like this is a good time to remind everyone what an amazing organization the ACLU is. If you havent yet supported them or participated in one of their calls/workshops think about doing so.

 

I get a quarterly magazine from them detailing their work and they do so much mioe than I imagined, also get a publication (less fancy) from my local chapter). They're so engaged in fighting stuff like this - thank goodness.

I appreciate the work they do and (for the most part) support their mission, but they've had their own instances of outright bias and obscure fear-mongering. My own opinion might be a little biased, though, because I used to cover the local ACLU branch and sometimes disagreed with their approach to different policy issues.

 

The world needs groups like them, though, particularly because of routine social injustices. For example, I used to think affirmative action was 100% unfair, but I also didn't understand the socio-economic issues minorities face in the country and how often (and easily) they can be biased against.

[knapplc]

It has an impact, as in when he "banned" transgenders from the military. For a while, everyone thought that was a real thing - until the Pentagon said, Nope, we're not making policy based off tweets.

 

What if the Pentagon had taken that tweet as policy? Clearly some of Trump's tweets are intended to be enforced, and some of his tweets have been used in court cases (the travel ban).

[NM11046]

 

 

I feel like this is a good time to remind everyone what an amazing organization the ACLU is. If you havent yet supported them or participated in one of their calls/workshops think about doing so.

 

I get a quarterly magazine from them detailing their work and they do so much mioe than I imagined, also get a publication (less fancy) from my local chapter). They're so engaged in fighting stuff like this - thank goodness.

I appreciate the work they do and (for the most part) support their mission, but they've had their own instances of outright bias and obscure fear-mongering. My own opinion might be a little biased, though, because I used to cover the local ACLU branch and sometimes disagreed with their approach to different policy issues.

 

The world needs groups like them, though, particularly because of routine social injustices. For example, I used to think affirmative action was 100% unfair, but I also didn't understand the socio-economic issues minorities face in the country and how often (and easily) they can be biased against.

Do you feel the same way about the Southern Poverty Center? Seems like they do good work but are perhaps less prolific than the ACLU.

[TGHusker]

Now this is how you respond: http://wfla.com/2017/07/29/gainesville-police-reject-presidents-trumps-remarks-about-treatment-of-suspects/

 

Earlier today, the President made remarks that seemed to endorse and condone police brutality.

 

The President of the United States has no business endorsing or condoning cops being rough with arrestees and suggesting that we should slam their heads onto the car while putting them in.

 

The men and women of GPD absolutely reject those remarks and will continue to serve and protect this great community with respect.

 

The President's remarks today have set modern policing back and erased a lot of the strides we have made to build trust in our community, but we hope that each of you will recognize the work we have done to earn your trust.

 

It's certainly possible to enforce laws and arrest very bad folks and do it with respect. The men and women of GPD prove this on a daily basis.

 

YOUR Gainesville Police Department will continue to treat everyone with respect, no matter the circumstances.

 

It is truly an honor to serve this community.

 

Non-partisan rebuke to non-partisan transgressions.

 

We all know it is Guilty until proven Innocent! Well at least in Trump's America

[Enhance]

It has an impact, as in when he "banned" transgenders from the military. For a while, everyone thought that was a real thing - until the Pentagon said, Nope, we're not making policy based off tweets.

 

What if the Pentagon had taken that tweet as policy? Clearly some of Trump's tweets are intended to be enforced, and some of his tweets have been used in court cases (the travel ban).

I was thinking less policy but more public humiliation, which is how I interpreted zoogs 'political costs' comment. For example, does a 'McCain didn't do what I wanted so now I'm pissed' (or some other bash leveled at various policy makers) register on most people's scales?

[zoogs]

 

A "bad tweet" from Trump is a powerful thing. The fear of political costs in crossing the President are quite legitimate.

Is it, though? I don't ask that in an adversarial way; instead, more along the lines of 'does it really mean that much to people?'

 

I think at least in perception, yes. Whether Trump actually has the power to cause problems for, say, Sen. Murkowski, is debatable. But there we see an example of a fairly brave politician who refuses to be cowed.

 

Trump makes these threats on the regular. We don't know about all the Senators, Reps, and Governors who do modify their behavior to keep out of the line of fire. But I'd say it's very clear cut that (whatever the motivation) this happens, since a lot of politicians do line up behind him. And we can name people, from Paul Ryan to Jake Tapper to whomever else, whom Trump goes after and like clockwork end up demonized in unison by the alt-right (you can look around, or refer to their membership on HB). Even for those Republicans who whether the political storm from the alt-right, it can nudge behavior; ref. Paul "It's time for the Wall" Ryan.

 

The Pentagon thing, also...I think there's an argument that the tweet *is* the President making policy.

[knapplc]

 

It has an impact, as in when he "banned" transgenders from the military. For a while, everyone thought that was a real thing - until the Pentagon said, Nope, we're not making policy based off tweets.

 

What if the Pentagon had taken that tweet as policy? Clearly some of Trump's tweets are intended to be enforced, and some of his tweets have been used in court cases (the travel ban).

I was thinking less policy but more public humiliation, which is how I interpreted zoogs 'political costs' comment. For example, does a 'McCain didn't do what I wanted so now I'm pissed' (or some other bash leveled at various policy makers) register on most people's scales?

 

I think most people disregard those tweets. Everyone has a snit online once in a while, and Trump (sadly) is no different. We're all used to blowing those off from other people. So in those instances, probably there are little to no consequences.

[zoogs]

I mean, there's nothing that silly in the end about the platform. It's called a tweet and that's funny (see another thread title...) but it's also modern-day communication. Trump comes off as this total buffoon on it, but he's also empirically wielded this tool to good effect. It's weird.

 

Trump is fundamentally about bringing people to heel beneath him. And while he's met up against plenty of stubborn resistance, he's also accomplished quite a bit in this area. Having the prestige of the office of President does quite a bit for him, and anyone who chooses to wield that office in this way.

 

There are always political costs to breaking with a President who will regard the action as traitorous, and political benefits to aligning. Most times, the cause/effect does not play out on the public stage.

[Danny Bateman]

Here is a story that dropped just today that reinforces the belief people are growing to just ignore him.

 

[TGHusker]

Not good news for the Trump team. Poor polls and mixed bag job report wt manufacturing going down.

 

The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Wednesday shows that 38% of Likely U.S. Voters approve of President Trump’s job performance. Sixty-two percent (62%) disapprove.

The latest figures for Trump include 25% who Strongly Approve of the way Trump is performing and 50% who Strongly Disapprove. This gives him a Presidential Approval Index rating of -25. (see trends).

Regular updates are posted Monday through Friday at 9:30 a.m. Eastern (sign up for free daily email update).

Trump’s overall approval numbers this week are lower than any Barack Obama received during his entire presidency.

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/trump_administration/prez_track_aug2

 

 

Manufacturing jobs go down. A key campaign pledge was to build the manufacturing sector (in which I personally work). He needs to start building quickly. His unworkable tariff and tax proposals during the campaign

will not be implemented as he predicted. So other than broad tax cuts, trying to strong arm manufacturers, I don't know what his plan is to turn this around.

 

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-08-02/adp-employment-growth-weakens-second-month-manufacturing-loses-4000-jobs

[TGHusker]

Here is a story that dropped just today that reinforces the belief people are growing to just ignore him.

 

 

I swear after reading the story, I think Trump is in a fantasy world of his own making. Ready Amendment 25, Article 4 for action. Someone has to be profiling his detachment from reality.

Example:

The Boy Scouts apologized for Trump's odd, politically charged remarks to the group. After Trump claimed in an interview that the Boy Scouts chief had called to declare it "the greatest speech ever made to them," the Scouts organization disclaimed any such call.