Trump 2020

[brekin]

Possibility? Predictions? Opposing contenders with a chance?

His reign so far has been a near hourly/daily/weekly train wreck but (and he can't take all/any credit perhaps for most of this but does) unemployment is very low, the stock market is running hot, building is booming, etc. Even his continuous "gaffes" and intentional gougings make him the most dramatically watched, entertaining (if you like the horror-dystop genre) president ever - he still brings the ratings. Nobody thought he would get elected in the first place - but now he's here - is he going away?

Where I live (PNW) is blowing up - this may be atypical and was becoming feverish long before the election but talking to a few people they say this is happening "all over" (T or F?). I've never seen so many hiring signs in construction and fast food, granted this is due in no small part to the decimation and fear brought to immigrant communities who fill many of these jobs (and are currently needed in great demand as 1000's of these jobs are going unfilled creating a project back log.) But if Trump can keep encouraging and throwing out big building projects - unemployment is not going to be an issue combined with the immigrant squeezing.

Also, there is the constant "tough talk" and saber rattling domestically and internationally that tickles the hearts of so many arm chair Pattons. A war -as we have seen again and again- is no mistep for the administration that gets into - just the administrations that try to win it or resolve it. Trump would/could flip the ratings if old orange ass starts talking tough with someone the majority of the world wants (or is told to want) despise and destroy.

The "protests" are so amorphous and often have bad actors even on the "good side" that get the stage that it is often just a spectacle - for Trump. Same with the "the resistance" or a.k.a. late night talk show hosts - who really do nothing but talk continually about Trump. Again just a form of distorted backward praise which keeps him relevant.

So, how long is the tunnel? When do we see the light?

[seemslikeadream]

from trump's ghost writer Tony Schwartz, who wrote Art Of The Deal

Tony Schwartz‏Verified account
@tonyschwartz

The circle is closing at blinding speed. Trump is going to resign and declare victory before Mueller and congress leave him no choice.
10:34 AM - 16 Aug 2017

Tony Schwartz‏Verified account @tonyschwartz 37m37 minutes ago
Trump's presidency is effectively over. Would be amazed if he survives till end of the year. More likely resigns by fall, if not sooner.

[Burnt Hill]

Jumpin' Jehosaphat Brekin!

I may get physically ill if I consider your post too long.

Not gonna do it. Not yet anyway.

[brekin]

from trump's ghost writer Tony Schwartz, who wrote Art Of The Deal

Tony Schwartz‏Verified account
@tonyschwartz
The circle is closing at blinding speed. Trump is going to resign and declare victory before Mueller and congress leave him no choice.
10:34 AM - 16 Aug 2017

Tony Schwartz‏Verified account @tonyschwartz 37m37 minutes ago
Trump's presidency is effectively over. Would be amazed if he survives till end of the year. More likely resigns by fall, if not sooner.

I sincerely hope so, but to paraphrase Mark Twain, Trump could likewise claim “The reports of my impeachment are greatly exaggerated.”
Obama's presidency ran on the progressives drug of choice; "Hope". Trump's runs on same manufacturer, but different brand; "Hope of Impeachment".
It constantly keeps the door open that any day now he'll have to skedaddle or be pried out of the West Wing - but week by week he implements the agenda for the dark side of the force.

Jumpin' Jehosaphat Brekin!
I may get physically ill if I consider your post too long.
Not gonna do it. Not yet anyway.

Ha, well, like my Pappy always use to tell me, "Son, R.I. is where you go when you start to think things just couldn't get any worse - only to be surprised to find - that yes, yes they can."

[Heaven Swan]

Because of the eclipses I spent part of a sleepless night reading astrology blogs. The upcoming solar eclipse makes a direct hit on Trumps' Leo ascendant, which is potentiated by the fact that he was born under a lunar eclipse. IOW looks like he'll have a health crisis then resign.

[8bitagent]

Great posts Brekin. A lot of pundits and journos almost every day during the 2016 campaign would say "This, finally this is the moment where Trumps campaign is going to collapse". And after the Access Hollywood leak, "He's done for, it's over" was the general refrain. From talking heads on CNN to skits on SNL. But every time, some strange unforseen miracle would pull him from the brink of self destruction. There were a few days before the election where I thought, maybe Trump is just there to act as a foil for Hillary's assumed win. The renting of that massive convention center for Hillarys "victory party" compared to Trump's tiny ballroom was another clue.

But by 3pm my time on the west coast I started seeing early county returns from both blue, red and purple states and had a feeling people would be in for a shock. Huffington Post's "98% chance of a Hillary win" soon
became New York Time's "75% chance of Trump winning" then 85%....eventually 98%. People on social media just didnt want to believe it. They thought outstanding county returns would hand Hillary a last inning come from behind.

And it's something we see play out every week, with each incident, lie and self made crisis outdoing the last. But "this finally is the moment where Trump's presidency finally unravels" now feels like right now. Not the gold star or "he's a Mexican judge" or "grab em by the..." scandal. We're seeing the entire corporate, social media, celebrity/entertainment and large part of the media on tv now saying he needs to go after the Tuesday press conference.

And yet...as some writers point out, there always seems...right when it seems like Trump is about to implode...he magically comes back. Most politicians only are afforded 1 or 2 scandals. Not hundreds.

Which leads me to wonder...if bumbling Georgy boy's first year in office, marred by a perceived stolen election, too much time on the golf course and a hamstrung house was saved by the 9/11 crisis...what will be Trump's "Reichstagg"... As I cant help but feel, right when it seems he'll be forced to resign...*something* beyond the scope of imagination will save his sorry ass.

[liminalOyster]

I talked to a successful progressive political strategist today. She's very concerned/convinced that both Trump's latest presser ("What's next - George Washington?" etc) and his North Korea psychodramatic war theater is playing very well indeed to a significant swath of flyover country.

[seemslikeadream]

2 - 3 weeks

[norton ash]

Amendment 25. I think he'll be gone before 2018. He can't keep his crazy yap shut.

[KUAN]

This is my last post until jack comes back.
Or 2020, whichever comes first

[brekin]

I scribed a bunch last night in response to the above - but poof, guess I didn't submit or something.
Anyhow agree with the above and in a nutshell, the guy has made a career out of destroying people who play by the rules - or at least still make gestures that they do. It would take someone equally ruthless to challenge him and win - but he's the president now. He obliterated seasoned and super connected political entrenched Machiavelli's (he beat The Clintons for crying out loud) when no one really supported him and I don't see anyone coming along except some proggy's who will make some nice speeches, possibly some epic ones, but won't be able to withstand the character blast furnace that is his method of melting the faces of his opponents.

And it can't be too far off when everyone will put away their "Resist" signs and sheepishly march in lockstep again to "Support Our Troops" because "United We Stand" and must "Never Forget" if Trump's eluded to above Reichstag appears. It will probably be some ISIS'ish attack that will result in a trifecta of authoritarian repercussions with Trump crowing "I told you so on X, Y, & Z didn't I? Nobody wanted to support my plan against X, Y, & Z, and look what happened!" And congress will shout, "Bring out the Gimp!" And lead Bernie Sanders on a leash to the throne room and Bernie will drop from his mouth at Trump's feet, a signed blank check from the Congress and Senate.

[KUAN]

yeh but his posts were really on the nose

[seemslikeadream]

I guess you didn't read the impeachment thread

Trump is just six Senate votes away from impeachment. And Republicans are deserting him fast

[Wombaticus Rex]

It seems to me that Donald Trump, as a man and as an executive, really only cares about one thing: Barack Obama is more famous and better loved than Donald Trump.

The only things that he's demonstrated initiative to do, aside from golf and post-election campaign rallies, is undoing the work of Barack Obama.

He's not going to leave the White House until he's more popular thank Barack, which will never happen.

I'll be very surprised if Trump leaves willingly.

Edit: If Trump gets defeated, though, it will be a defeat at the hands of Donald Trump. The Democrats are blaming their own base for Hillary losing, it's been a fascinating implosion to watch. Apparently nepotism hollows out institutional competence? Who knew.

[brekin]

I guess you didn't read the impeachment thread
Trump is just six Senate votes away from impeachment. And Republicans are deserting him fast

Yes, and there was a good Atlantic or Prospect article (can't remember) where technically a President doesn't have to do anything criminal per se to be impeached, the language is loose enough, and the intention was to remove someone who was no longer having the country in his/her best interest.
But I just see Trump being further embattled - actually drawing his base closer to him.
Our culture has been progressively going more and more Tom Cruise Crazy to where it is the new defacto operating system. Trump is like the Steve Jobs for this new OS.