President Trump: The NEW one and only politics thread

Re the ACA: Grow up: Obamacare didn't raise insurance rates, you did - Alabama Political Reporter

 

Trump will find a spot in his cabinet for Chad Curtis. They do have a lot in common, you know.

 

Hell, after I posted that comment about Manky, I was wondering if Jeter would've been a better choice for president. I'm not sure about his politics, but he does no when to keep his mouth shut and he is Captain Intangibles.

 

Grab 'em by the intangibles.

 

The same people who excoriated Clinton for "having a private position and a public position" believe this bullshit.

 

That said: This Carrier deal by Trump and Pence was an absolute political masterpiece.

The @YankeeFan -type acolytes can point to it as an undisputable win. "Trump said he'd keep jobs in Indiana and he did!" Never mind that it was actually a Pence deal, never mind that it's not "all" the jobs, never mind that those other 1,000 jobs will probably leave anyway in a few years, never mind whatever effect that $7 million loss of revenue has on the state of Indiana as a whole.

Progressive types are torn between cheering the fact that 1,000 people won't lose their jobs and worry that they might have to pay $10K rather than $8K for a new HVAC system. Which of course is part of what has created the "globalization" problem in the first place -- our demand for Everyday Low Prices. But nobody'll stand up and admit that, because higher prices hurt Real Americans who are just trying to get by.

Folks like @The Big Ragu can attack it as the Hand of the Government in Business. He's right, too, and whatever you think about his position, he's at least consistent. The worry about government interference in private enterprise was the focus of today's Wall Street Journal editorial, also. But if you take that position, you're on the side of Business, and who can be on the side of Business when so many people are suffering? Sad!

Through it all, it comes down to this: Trump wins. And since politics is now nothing but a big damn scoreboard, that's the only thing that matters. The sumbitch can damn sure play the game.

 

I think I heard somewhere once that holding press conferences to tout your achievements is "spiking the football," and unbecoming of a president.

And, doing things from which you benefit politically are hollow achievements because your motives aren't 100 percent altruistic.

 

Yes, but that involves nuance and deep thinking, two qualities that, shall we say, aren't exactly held in high esteem in our post-factual society of 2016.

 

Worrying about government interference in private enterprise is not being on the side of business. Industries and individual companies are always advocating for government interference in their favor with tax breaks, trade protection, barriers to entry, etc.

 

Abbreviated pundit roundup: Trump's Carrier scam proves he is a liar and a bad negotiator