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First blood to Trump

(1001 Posts)
whitewave Wed 04-Jan-17 06:03:50

Trump will be inaugurated in 16 days time. Ford has recognised this new era.

How will his Junta of advisors deal with the political world?

Will Trump continue to govern by twitter?

Will his erratic behaviour stop?

Will he be less muddled in his thinking?

What will happen to NATO and article 5?

Will the world survive his environmental policy - such that it is?

Will America be able to contain him?

durhamjen Sat 07-Jan-17 00:35:39

We need a time-turner, as in Harry Potter. Just a small change in the Florida vote and this nightmare wouldn't be happening.
Quite a few people think he won't last until the end of the year, once he realises the enormity of the task.
Just hope he doesn't bankrupt the country before he goes.

durhamjen Sat 07-Jan-17 00:36:51

Like somebody said today, there aren't many 70 year olds who have been told to grow up.

Ankers Sat 07-Jan-17 05:46:55

GillT57's post.

whitewave Sat 07-Jan-17 07:34:40

rinouchka what a thought!!!!! Anyone who found him would need counselling

Iam64 Sat 07-Jan-17 07:46:18

What is it with racism and anti Muslim feeling that leads some people to making unfounded and in fact, stupid, comments about Obama. Hinting that his political decisions in the middle east mess make sense if you accept he's a secret Muslim, as Ankers has is confusing. If that's what you mean, say it clearly and out loud (as Hagrid might have said)

Anya Sat 07-Jan-17 09:12:35

Iam64 there are those who fail to pass the 'unfounded' and plain 'stupid' through a reality checker. They tend to believe everything they hear and read which is why more than 50% of Americans apparently believe that Sherlock Holmes was a real person and why the likes of Trump is now president-elect.

Anya Sat 07-Jan-17 09:13:30

With sincere apologies for to the other 49% of Americans.

Iam64 Sat 07-Jan-17 09:39:58

I made my first visit to America this autumn, in the build up to the election. My prejudice that American's were insular, unaware of world issues etc was soon dismissed as what it was, ill informed prejudice on my part. We were not in the south or Texas, which may well have made a difference but almost without exception, people we talked to in hotels, subway, etc etc talked about their fear their country could end up with a Trump presidency. I don't want this thread to deteriorate into an anti Remoaner thread but what was interesting was how well informed they were about the issues leading to the Brexit vote. Also, about the rise of the right (as they saw it) all over Europe.
I watched a fair bit of tv news, in the absence of my usual radio 4 whilst getting ready for the day, or arriving back in the early evening. I watched various channels with in depth interviews and commentary on the days unfolding events. I remain puzzled that a man who talked openly about sexually assaulting women etc etc has become POTUS. I don't accept the argument that Hilary was the reason Trump won. My view is we're back to the simple answers to complex problems, to a dislike for political dynasties and I won't mention anti feminism because that always causes disagreement.

rosesarered Sat 07-Jan-17 09:54:04

It was GillT57 and not Ankers who mentioned there was a rumour about Obama being a secret Muslim btw.

rosesarered Sat 07-Jan-17 10:04:45

That's puzzling Iam64 that you say you don't believe that Hilary was the reason that Trump won....then say it was a dislike for political dynasties ( the US people liked the Kennedy clan, and the Bush dynasty after all) but you think also it was because she was a woman? Possibly....but who would have predicted that a mixed race man would become the President, and yet he did.
That Hilary Clinton was disliked and distrusted by a lot of Americans was very obvious,
And she only did as well as she did in the end, because of the fear of Trump being elected.

AlieOxon Sat 07-Jan-17 10:08:03

In some other thread I likened Trump to an evangelistic US preacher.
I've now decided he's a snake oil salesman. Enough Americans went for his remedy.....

Jalima Sat 07-Jan-17 10:48:12

Last time there was a query with the Florida vote look what happened - and all the disastrous consequences [glum]

Lewlew Sat 07-Jan-17 11:06:38

Voter turnout was only 58%, so you can't say that half of Americans voted for him. Half of the VOTING Americans did. Not voting is like giving your vote to the person you oppose! We saw this with the referendum.

I have also read that those who supported Sanders did not vote at all rather than vote for Clinton.

Perhaps they assumed Clinton would win because Trump looked unlikely, but did not want to be part of it. I used to see bumper stickers in the US after Bush,Jr got elected saying things like 'Don't blame me, I voted for Gore or Kerry'.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/11/14/us-election-2016-voter-turnout-fell-to-58-per-cent-this-year-est/

rosesarered Sat 07-Jan-17 11:11:26

Not voting is not like giving your vote to the person you oppose ( as who knows which way you would have voted, had you been bothered to do so.)
The outcome of any elections is always the result of the 'voting' population, we can't draw any conclusions about those who don't vote....it's an unknown.

laidback Sat 07-Jan-17 11:33:53

I'm worried for the US and so are some of my family that live there. The GOP have already begun attacking Ethics Committee, Obamacare, Planned Parenthood funding. Trump and his cabinet are extreme in every department. As a few have said I think Trump will just be a figurehead, his pea brain is too small to engage in policy. Mike Pence will be in there doing press conferences. Trump will do symbolic stuff and bluster. It still amazes me how the very people who would have benefited from Dem policies voted against them?

varian Sat 07-Jan-17 13:03:01

Aparently Mike Pence is not only Christian fundamentalist but he is also a "young earther" who beieves that God created the world about 6000 years ago, and so rejects evolution and wants children to be taught creationism in school.

So lets hope its not his job to make the decisions

Elrel Sat 07-Jan-17 13:20:41

Anya - funny you should mention Sherlock Holmes. Years ago friends worked in the London pub of that name. They soon gave up attempting to put right the coachloads of US tourists who streamed in daily so excited to be in the very pub that Sherlock himself used to drink in...
A thought occurs - was this prompted by mischievous tour guides?

whitewave Sat 07-Jan-17 15:50:35

There was a British Professor of cyber intelligence on news night last night. And he suggested that Trump is being manipulated by Russian Intelligence and Putin. A CIA bod then came on and said that this is highly credible -. interesting times. Although of course Trump is denying it all.

Anya Sat 07-Jan-17 15:51:54

Possibly Elrel grin

Elrel Sat 07-Jan-17 16:29:22

Whitewave- well he would, wouldn't he?!

Jalima Sat 07-Jan-17 16:35:57

There was a British Professor of cyber intelligence on news night last night. And he suggested that Trump is being manipulated by Russian Intelligence and Putin.
Gosh, he must have read my post where I said that Putin probably thinks that Trump is a 'useful idiot'
grin

Jalima Sat 07-Jan-17 16:38:17

They tend to believe everything they hear and read which is why more than 50% of Americans apparently believe that Sherlock Holmes was a real person
whereas we all know that Sherlock is pretending to be Benedict Cucumberpatch in RL.

Rhinestone Sun 08-Jan-17 12:06:34

Iam64I'm a Yankee and I know that the tooth fairy does not exist. Geez where did you get that notion that we believe everything and aren't worldly on politics? I'm glad you changed your opinion.
Interesting to note that Trump used to be a democrat and gave lots of money to Hillary's run against Obama in the primaries.
The problem, in my opinion, was not just with Hillary as she DID win the popular vote by three million votes. I see our electoral college and the gerrymandering of districts as the problem. In some states the district lines are drawn that do favor a political party. Remember our votes are not necessarily representative of the indivisible people. Each state based on size gets so many votes per state. That's how someone could win the popular vote but loose the election. So it wasn't just voter turnout or the angry vote .. it was a combination of things.

Rhinestone Sun 08-Jan-17 12:07:43

LOL meant individual people not indivisible

Iam64 Sun 08-Jan-17 18:10:12

Rhinestone, you are of course absolutely right, Hilary won the popular vote by three million. I don't know enough about your electoral collage to begin to understand the process. You are spot on though in saying it was a combination of things that has left the USA and worryingly, the rest of the world, with a narcissist who has no experience of politics or diplomacy as POTUS.
I apologise for offending you by having views of America that were unfounded by first hand experience.

laidback, my American friends and the family members of close UK friends are all worried about what the future brings, with Trump in power. I'm not sure the congress can hold him back from tweeting at 3am but I do hope I'm wrong.

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