Darren wrote:I have a bone to pick with the media. After pursuing Trump all the way to the finish, they haven't let up. What is going on in DC? Obviously little to nothing in Congress which may or may not be a good things. What the media doesn't seem to report in detail is what's happening in the executive branch. So far what I've been able to glean parallels Trump's handling of his business. As an example, if it didn't work out as a business, he moved on. I'm picking up similar actions on his part as President. I suspect Trump will remake the executive branch somewhat like that which the Hoover chaired commission proposed to Truman. That will take time. FWIW those focused on Congress and Trump's tweets are missing the action in the the center ring.
Fascinating. Since everything Trump is doing which is visible is feckless chaotic insanity you propose (fantacize) an invisible administration which is, by contrast, purposeful, intelligent, and strategic.
Unfortunately in 40 years in public he has hidden that side completely.
[quote="rubato
Fascinating. Since everything Trump is doing which is visible is feckless chaotic insanity you propose (fantacize) an invisible administration which is, by contrast, purposeful, intelligent, and strategic.
Unfortunately in 40 years in public he has hidden that side completely.
yrs,
rubato[/quote]
It's invisible only to those who limit themselves to the media offerings. What's your POV on the executive branch changes?
Darren wrote:So far what I've been able to glean parallels Trump's handling of his business. As an example, if it didn't work out as a business, he moved on. I'm picking up similar actions on his part as President.
I suspect—no, I FEAR—that you are right.
Some of of the things that didn't work for Trump in his business were paying his debts and paying taxes. As pResident, it looks like some of the things that don't work for him are Congress, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and international treaties and alliances...
People who are wrong are just as sure they're right as people who are right. The only difference is, they're wrong.
— God@The Tweet of God
The media have pursued our president mercilessly. Yep. That is what they are supposed to do. Remember Whitewatergate? The NY Times pursued president Clinton mercilessly.
However, I don't give CNN or any of the other major media, particularly the WaPo, a passing grade on this. They have continued the story as if it were a sports event or a report from a fashion show. The stories are about style and rarely about policy or content. WaPo, as a matter of editorial policy, will not call POTUS a liar. Even when POTUS boldly claims 'somebody' told him Obama never personally contacted parents of military killed by enemy action. Even though POTUS himself has defined 'fake news' as statements that are not backed up with the identity of sources.
As one far left pundit put it: "Up until now, most of the press coverage of the Trump administration has been to enable, rather than expose, the president. No matter how absurd his actions, he has continued to benefit from a campaign of normalization based on a combination of purposeful blindness, wishful thinking and a commitment to outdated professional mores. . . . .Too many members of the media find themselves intellectually paralyzed by this president. Reporting on him truthful, in context, and explaining just how outlandish his behavior is involves violating journalistic taboos that were put in place when the presidency was not occupied by a psychopath with only the most tenuous grip on reality. Denial is the only mode in which these institutions feel comfortable operating. This explains why we keep reading stories about how Trump is somehow all of a sudden acting 'presidential' when he happens to say or do something that is at least imaginable coming from one of his
predecessors. . . ." Eric Alterman in "The Nation"for Oct 30, 2017.
FWIW, the only reorganizing of the executive department I can see on Trump's behalf is pretty much what every other president (at least since Nixon) has done--setting up a committee to study duplication and waste, proposing to slash the budgets of departments and agencies he does not like, and getting recommendations from the committee for proposed changes (that are never implemented). Face it, one needs significant political capital to make changes, and Trump pisses most of his away by ticking everyone off.
Two national security advisors, two chiefs of staff, two press secretaries, four communications directors and a host of other dismissals of senior advisors in the space of just the first few months would seem to represent substantial "executive branch change"...
Unprecedented in fact...
Though not exactly indicative of an executive branch running like a "finely tuned machine"...
I don't know, that's more like random personnel changes, not any real change in the executive branch. I thought Trump wanted to reorganize it from the bottom up, not just shift his own players around.
Lord Jim wrote:Come on Big RR, it's all part of his cunning plan...
Just like that clever move of his managing to get himself investigated by a special counsel earlier than any President in history...
And his going out of his way to alienate the key players on Capitol Hill that he would need to get anything passed...
The Donald is so far above us in cerebral ability, that we mere mortals just can't understand the brilliant calculations of all his actions...
It looks like it's Mueller that's on the hot seat with the latest from the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Russian "thing" is looking more and more about Clinton et al given Mueller's position as head of the FBI at the time of the recently disclosed FBI investigation that was buried.
As far as alienating Congress, I suspect his base has been stocking up on popcorn.
It's understandable that his actions are confusing people. Even magicians, and Trump isn't a magician by any means, have proved that diversion is a sure fire way of diverting attention. Between the media generated chaos and the ongoing tweet storm from Trump it's proven to be an effective diversion.
Absolutely! Lord Dampnut knew what he signed up for.
I'm not sure about that Ray. Some of the stuff is business 101. I'm not sure how fast he's coming up to speed on the limitations of the presidency. I wasn't happy when he went along with the Saudi business as usual scheme that's served them well since the early 70's. It's time we returned the ring and did an AMF. We're cutting their throats anyway. Why stick around in the Middle East mess? Same with the so-called Palestinians. Screw negotiations. We should be out of there.
For now Trump looks like a bull in the federal china shop. That doesn't bother me. I stopped buying that crap long ago.
Business 101. That is the problem. Mr. Trump could not make money running a casino or selling booze or steaks under his own name.
Running the USofA government as CEO and COO, which is a non-profit organization, with a Sovereign Bank, and the power to seize all assets, even kill members of the organization. Business 101 in most particulars does not apply.,
