More of the Trump Effect

[Glocktogo]

In the simplest terms, Obama was extremely hostile to business during his 8 year term, causing many corps and businesses to hold onto cash reserves instead of investing in people & infrastructure. At least, not to the level they would've had Obama been less hostile. I vividly remember some of Obama's public tantrums over that fact. They were epic.

The moment Trump defeated Hillary, it was like a noose was removed from their necks and they started spending and investing. At least they did in a way they hadn't for at last 8 years. This fundamental "shift", in turn caused a sharp upswing in consumer confidence. People less afraid of losing their jobs are more likely to spend on expensive purchases like homes and more expensive autos. It's this confidence and change to our economy that has allowed the FED to finally raise interest rates.

I don't necessarily subscribe to "trickle down economics", but in this one instance, it's operative in what we're seeing. This graph doesn't lie:

Simply put, Obama presided over the longest flat spot in the American economy in 45 years. Trump is significantly impactful in changing that. Anyone trying to tell you different is deluding themselves.

 

[huntemup]

Many are speculating that doubling the standard deduction will hurt home sales as the need to itemize for a great many will go out the window. Time will tell on that I suppose.

As for the trump effect. I think there are two major parts of it. One is how one man can inspire so much hate and at the same time so much delusion. The hate part I'm guessing you'll see fully culminate November 2018 and 2020.

We got trump bc of just how much we hated Hillary. And it seems pretty evident that the trump hate is far stronger and felt by more than the Hillary hate and it's only going to increase.
That bounce back in the other direction is going to be painful for a great many who think it's cute to have an obtuse ass who uses school yard bully tactics when faced with adversity or criticism, as a president. Having a mental midget who cant express himself any more eloquently than your average 2nd grader as your leader, isn't really something to be proud of. Remember, the same thing that'll make you laugh will make you cry.

It wont matter what the stock market looks like if this fool cant find a way to at least appear human at times and acknowledge his mistakes or at the very least allow his press secretary to acknowledge when mistakes were clearly made and not double down on lie on top of lie. There's a lot to be said for humility. There's a lot to be said for surrounding yourself with people who actually know what the hell they're doing. You cant simply hire and fire your way to a cabinet full of puppets and yes men while appointing dolts to very important positions in government, all the while denying simple truths and shouting "fake news" at every criticism aimed a you.

By his own words and the words of his cronies, Trump has not had a single misstep. He's not gotten a single fact wrong. He hasn't been incorrect about a single thing. Every single time there has been a discrepancy between something he's said and the facts or anytime he's been questioned about something he got wrong, he or those speaking on his behalf have 100% of the time denied that the president got anything wrong. EVERY SINGLE TIME. Regardless of what you think of the man, I would certainly hope you can see that's not possible. And that sort of ego and lack of awareness should scare the ever loving piss out of you. Watching people you know hate the man overlaugh with him and sing his praises even on the heels of him blasting them to anyone that will listen, should cause you concern.

And say what you will, but most of the trumpies out there would have long ago lost their minds had there been even 1/10th of the amount of smoke surrounding a dem and Russia as there has been with this administration. Had Hillary gotten elected and said she refused to believe our own intel folks but couldn't bring herself to say a bad word about putin, you'd all be going nuts. Had Joe Biden hired as a campaign manager a guy who was an agent for the Ukraine who held multiple passports and had money laundering schemes to make al capone blush, you'd all be calling for her impeachment. It wouldn't matter how you could tie it to her if at all - the guilt by association would be enough. Had she brought Chelsea into the white house to advise on key items, and had Rachel Maddow sitting in on the security council, your heads would've exploded. If her son in law was her most trusted advisor and he wasn't able to get a TS clearance, your heads would've exploded. Hell, if she had divorced Bill (that actually would've bought her a few positive points for many) but then married an eastern European who spoke English about as well as Ivan Drago, there would be torches and pitchforks in the streets.

The delusional part of the trump effect shows that he's capable of making otherwise rational human beings throw all reason, morals, beliefs, and sense of right and wrong out the window. He's made sheep of millions, simply by pretending to be one of them - getting a temporary branding with an (R) and saying follow me. He's shown a penchant for insulting anyone who dares disagree with him. He didn't hesitate to bash a once beloved POW who has done more for this country than trumps entire lineage will ever do and did so simply bc he had the audacity to get caught. The most amazing thing is that he suffered no consequence for it. He insulted his way to the white house in a way we've never seen and played to the worst in us while pretending he'd take us somewhere into a nonexistant past.

It's ironic that Hillary, who is most responsible for giving us a Donald trump presidency, was herself so hated by many. The big difference however is that while Hillary was hated, those who supported her, actually believed in her and wanted her as a leader. Given that, it would've made sense to see them championing all things Hillary were she to have won the election. Trump supporters are defending him at every turn even as he wasn't really their guy. They're doing so even as he's the antithesis of who they'd want their daughter to marry or who they'd want their son to grow up to be. He's as far from being one of them as is Harry Reid or Nancy Peolosi.

I always marveled at just how it was that Hitler or any other tyrant was capable of getting others on board his hate train. I've long wondered how Jim Jones could get those people to drink the kool aid. I've wondered how people could be so weak-minded that they'd go against their own moral compass and self interest and follow someone blindly who was clearly led by ego and little more. It's always boggled my mind that people would willingly become sheep. It still boggles my mind but actually witnessing it is more disturbing than I would've imagined. No, he's not hitler. He's not Jim Jones. He's not even the hail bop comet guy. To the best of my knowledge he hasn't killed anyone. But he's got a great many people carrying his water and they're doing so even as it makes them hypocrites to the person they used to be.

 

[Glocktogo]

Many are speculating that doubling the standard deduction will hurt home sales as the need to itemize for a great many will go out the window. Time will tell on that I suppose.

As for the trump effect. I think there are two major parts of it. One is how one man can inspire so much hate and at the same time so much delusion. The hate part I'm guessing you'll see fully culminate November 2018 and 2020.

We got trump bc of just how much we hated Hillary. And it seems pretty evident that the trump hate is far stronger and felt by more than the Hillary hate and it's only going to increase.
That bounce back in the other direction is going to be painful for a great many who think it's cute to have an obtuse ass who uses school yard bully tactics when faced with adversity or criticism, as a president. Having a mental midget who cant express himself any more eloquently than your average 2nd grader as your leader, isn't really something to be proud of. Remember, the same thing that'll make you laugh will make you cry.

It wont matter what the stock market looks like if this fool cant find a way to at least appear human at times and acknowledge his mistakes or at the very least allow his press secretary to acknowledge when mistakes were clearly made and not double down on lie on top of lie. There's a lot to be said for humility. There's a lot to be said for surrounding yourself with people who actually know what the hell they're doing. You cant simply hire and fire your way to a cabinet full of puppets and yes men while appointing dolts to very important positions in government, all the while denying simple truths and shouting "fake news" at every criticism aimed a you.

By his own words and the words of his cronies, Trump has not had a single misstep. He's not gotten a single fact wrong. He hasn't been incorrect about a single thing. Every single time there has been a discrepancy between something he's said and the facts or anytime he's been questioned about something he got wrong, he or those speaking on his behalf have 100% of the time denied that the president got anything wrong. EVERY SINGLE TIME. Regardless of what you think of the man, I would certainly hope you can see that's not possible. And that sort of ego and lack of awareness should scare the ever loving piss out of you. Watching people you know hate the man overlaugh with him and sing his praises even on the heels of him blasting them to anyone that will listen, should cause you concern.

And say what you will, but most of the trumpies out there would have long ago lost their minds had there been even 1/10th of the amount of smoke surrounding a dem and Russia as there has been with this administration. Had Hillary gotten elected and said she refused to believe our own intel folks but couldn't bring herself to say a bad word about putin, you'd all be going nuts. Had Joe Biden hired as a campaign manager a guy who was an agent for the Ukraine who held multiple passports and had money laundering schemes to make al capone blush, you'd all be calling for her impeachment. It wouldn't matter how you could tie it to her if at all - the guilt by association would be enough. Had she brought Chelsea into the white house to advise on key items, and had Rachel Maddow sitting in on the security council, your heads would've exploded. If her son in law was her most trusted advisor and he wasn't able to get a TS clearance, your heads would've exploded. Hell, if she had divorced Bill (that actually would've bought her a few positive points for many) but then married an eastern European who spoke English about as well as Ivan Drago, there would be torches and pitchforks in the streets.

The delusional part of the trump effect shows that he's capable of making otherwise rational human beings throw all reason, morals, beliefs, and sense of right and wrong out the window. He's made sheep of millions, simply by pretending to be one of them - getting a temporary branding with an (R) and saying follow me. He's shown a penchant for insulting anyone who dares disagree with him. He didn't hesitate to bash a once beloved POW who has done more for this country than trumps entire lineage will ever do and did so simply bc he had the audacity to get caught. The most amazing thing is that he suffered no consequence for it. He insulted his way to the white house in a way we've never seen and played to the worst in us while pretending he'd take us somewhere into a nonexistant past.

It's ironic that Hillary, who is most responsible for giving us a Donald trump presidency, was herself so hated by many. The big difference however is that while Hillary was hated, those who supported her, actually believed in her and wanted her as a leader. Given that, it would've made sense to see them championing all things Hillary were she to have won the election. Trump supporters are defending him at every turn even as he wasn't really their guy. They're doing so even as he's the antithesis of who they'd want their daughter to marry or who they'd want their son to grow up to be. He's as far from being one of them as is Harry Reid or Nancy Peolosi.

I always marveled at just how it was that Hitler or any other tyrant was capable of getting others on board his hate train. I've long wondered how Jim Jones could get those people to drink the kool aid. I've wondered how people could be so weak-minded that they'd go against their own moral compass and self interest and follow someone blindly who was clearly led by ego and little more. It's always boggled my mind that people would willingly become sheep. It still boggles my mind but actually witnessing it is more disturbing than I would've imagined. No, he's not hitler. He's not Jim Jones. He's not even the hail bop comet guy. To the best of my knowledge he hasn't killed anyone. But he's got a great many people carrying his water and they're doing so even as it makes them hypocrites to the person they used to be.

Then tell us great Sage, when Obama ever admitted to a mistake? Oh, and saying "dog gone it, he just he cared too much!" isn't admitting to a mistake. That's just humblebragging. Obama was about as eloquent as an unbuttered piece of whole grain toast, but the lefties fawned all over him constantly like he was the next great coming of JFK.

And you're wrong about Hillary. It was her turn and the Dems knew she was the Titanic, but they happily played on and rearranged the deck chairs for her. Meanwhile the right repudiated everything GOPe and in spite of the Quisling RINO's, won anyway. Had they had their way and nominated Little Marco Napoleon, Krispy Kreme Christy or God forbid, "JEB!", we'd be saying President Hillary Clinton right now. You may think that's better than Trump, but most of us don't.

Let's face facts, Trump is the least "Presidential" POTUS since TR, and while he may often make us cringe, that's still a good thing. I wouldn't necessarily want to have a beer with him but let's face it, Crazy Uncle Joe is probably the only one worth tilting one with, and I damned sure don't want him running the economy or foreign policy. He's more gaffe prone than Dan Quayle ever was.

So yes, Trump has many warts. He's rougher than 80 grit sandpaper, but he runs that grit over RINO's equally as much as he does the Dems. Many of us value that part of him and accept that he's never going to win a presidential beauty pageant. We don't have to like it, but we're not going to throw the baby out with the bathwater. If you can't see the value in that, then I really can't help you understand what's going on. Good luck!

 

[TerryMiller]

Here's a bit more about the "Trump Effect." It's a scorecard touted by the White House as to what the Trump administration has done in his first year.

Year One List of 81 Major Trump Achievements with 11 Obama Legacy Items Repealed

While I've not analyzed the full list and the end "effects" of the actions, I won't say that I agree with all of these things as being "good."

The list is broken down into 12 "categories" with the 81 items listed in their appropriate places. I won't bother to copy and paste the list here, so check out the link.

 

[John6185]

Trump is a businessman and has the ability to make money even with his faults, he takes educated and calculated chances and hopefully the economy and country will take off in a positive direction. He is the first real businessman we've had in the presidency, GWB wasn't a genuine businessman, he didn't know how to "milk" the system. Trump has irritated a lot of people but so have I and the job has always been done but he irritates those in congress that won't accept him as ne of their own, he's an outsider but gradually they're siding with him.

 

[gerhard1]

Here is Bernie Goldberg's take on it.

https://bernardgoldberg.com/47898-2/

 

[Glocktogo]

Here is Bernie Goldberg's take on it.

https://bernardgoldberg.com/47898-2/

I strenuously object to his misuse of the word "journalists" in that article. Substitute the word "propagandists" and it reads about right.

 

[TerryMiller]

Bernie tends to be pretty moderate and doesn't necessarily believe that the media is out to get Trump. However, I have long believed that when polls are done to "measure" the President's approval ratings, and we all know that the main stream news media helps drive bad ratings by writing and broadcasting negative stories about Trump. Even some of the liberal news sources have reported that the media, especially CNN, reports roughly 90 percent negative stories about him.

Glocktogo is right.

 

[gerhard1]

I strenuously object to his misuse of the word "journalists" in that article. Substitute the word "propagandists" and it reads about right.

Point taken. Many if not most journalists (or if you prefer, propagandists) object strenuously if they are accused of a liberal bias. And, to be fair, I don't believe they are lying.; they really and truly believe that they are mainstream, and middle of the road. And they are--for the Upper West Side of Manhattan. They surround themselves with like-minded people, who think like they do and they honestly think that except for what they think of as 'fly-over' country, the vast majority of Americans share their political outlook. So, what we hicks in Oklahoma, Kansas, Wyoming, the Dakotas or the deep South think doesn't really matter.

News media people don't call each other up in the morning after a major news story breaks, and conspire against us. They don't think among themselves 'now, how can we make Republicans, evangelical Christians, gun-owners, corporate executives (other than media, of course) or any other groups look bad. It is not a conspiracy, per se. Rather, it is nothing more than groupthink. It is a refusal to think outside of the box. The folks of the MSM think that they are mainstream because in their social circles, they are mainstream. And since at least 75% of the domestic news stories are generated from bastions of liberal power, New York, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, and Chicago, what is mainstream for them, is they think, mainstream for everyone. Unless of course, you are a conservative, then you are an extremist. What liberal ideology says is so, must be so and they want to be thought of people who make a difference. And if you don't agree with them, they look down their noses at you much as Charlie Gibson did with Sarah Palin.

In short, they think of us as a bunch of hicks, not as sophisticated as they are.

 

[gerhard1]

Bernie tends to be pretty moderate and doesn't necessarily believe that the media is out to get Trump. However, I have long believed that when polls are done to "measure" the President's approval ratings, and we all know that the main stream news media helps drive bad ratings by writing and broadcasting negative stories about Trump. Even some of the liberal news sources have reported that the media, especially CNN, reports roughly 90 percent negative stories about him.

Glocktogo is right.

I don't agree with everything that Bernie Goldberg says, but I think he does try to be fair.