Sigh. I can’t add to this sentiment.
What on earth are we headed in to?
Thanks to the Obamas for their service to their country. Thanks for bringing the country back from the brink of financial disaster. Thanks for 8 years of dignity and a scandal free administration. Thanks for the humor. Thanks for setting a good example.
Heard Trump call KellyAnn Conway “Babe” on TV last night.
“Babe?” 🙄
“Thanks for 8 years of dignity and a scandal free administration.”
http://www.reactiongifs.com/r/ritter.gif
As difficult as it’ll be and how much many of those around me refuse to, I’m going to remain hopeful that this country will CONTINUE to be the greatest in the World. I’m at least satisfied that General Mattis is Secretary of Defense and will shake things up for the best (or quit if he’s not allowed to do things his way).
I like General Mattis also, Joe. He brings some sanity to the cabinet.
There are those of us who already thought America was great.
“Thanks for 8 years of dignity and a scandal free administration.”
You are entitled to your opinion, but I hope you recognize that there are many, myself included, who count “Fast and Furious”, IRS targeting of conservatives, the VA, The “Muslims were protesting a video”, Solyndra, and a whole host of other “controversies” do qualify as scandals…including the Secretary of State setting up a private email server.
I recognize and acknowledge that for some, it is the end of an 8 year nightmare, while for others, the nightmare is just beginning. I mean, I remember when all of those Tea Partiers rioted in 2009 and 2013, assaulting people and destroying property in a futile effort to stop the inauguration of President Obama….wait!…you mean there weren’t any riots? No assaults? No destruction of property? Just a lot of grumbling and tri-cornered hats?
The (comforting) fact is the Democrats are at an historical nadir of political power, at all levels of government. I am sure that this will be quite disconcerting when they realize that while basking in the glow of Former-President Obama’s cult-of-personality, listening to the admittedly honeyed words he liberally bestowed on the people, Republicans were busy winning elections. State elections. Midterms. And last November, the most unconventional candidate of my half-century on this Earth, absolutely stunned the world.
Over the last few months, as Former President Obama rushed to scorch as much earth a possible, I would go to youtube and watch the compilations of MSM commentators, HRC supporters, DNC Strategists. These usually start out with a festive, party-type atmosphere, and then transition to the shock, emotions, and distress as the night unfolded. My favorite is Rachel Maddow. One clip, before election day, has her prognosticating on just how badly Donald Trump would lose. This is followed by her distraught message “If you are watching this, you are awake and the nightmare is real”. I would tell myself “He (Obama) will be gone soon”. It was quite comforting. I would encourage my fellow Americans who a lamenting the end of the Obama presidency to seek solace in the fact that the longest this nightmare can last is 8 years. It may be tough, but you will get through it.
Yes. For some of us, it’s morning again in America, and our new President will systematically dismantle the policies of his predecessor. For others, the nightmare begins in earnest, and they will have to watch it happen, knowing that they can do little to stop it. Sure, they can protest, burn flags, throw trashcans through windows, or assault those with whom they disagree, but they can’t stop it, at least until the midterms, and even then the best they can realistically hope for is to retake the Senate. Won’t be retaking the House until at least after the 2020 census, and before that, they need to take a whole bunch of state legislatures.
Yep…it is going to be a very interesting first 100 days. I don’t plan to comment much, just watch the reactions of the Left. Thunder is impressive, but lightning does the work.
You know, as much as I disagreed with the policies of George Bush, or most of them, I always felt he was a decent and honorable man. I don’t feel that Trump is.
I will forever wonder how you, a man I considered principled, can accept someone with Trump’s demeanor and ethics. I can accept policy difference far more than I can accept a massive over-ride of what I consider just plain decency and civility. Trump morally offends me.
@MoonHowler
I believe you once said that this election was a matter of choosing the lesser of two evils. You and I just disagree as to which was greater. Now that he is actually president, I expect him to be “Presidential” and to honor his oath of office by acting only in a Constitutional manner.
As for the “High Ground”….if an (paid) agitator goes to a Trump rally with the specific purpose of confronting Trump supporters and disrupting the event, getting punched or pepper-sprayed is a possible and likely outcome.
How you can equate this with anarchists throwing bricks through the Bank of America window or throwing bottles at people who are trying to go to a social event, and chunks of broken concrete at police boggles my mind as much as your trying to understand my acceptance of a Trump Presidency.
There was enough punching, hooting and bullying at Trump rallies to equalize anything that is happening now. There is no high road here.
Frankly, in my world, one “grab them by the *****” upends anything anyone can dish out now.
I can’t leave it alone. I think that the Constitution will take care of any lightning coming our way.
I am not a Democrat. Everything Democrats do isn’t ok with me. Everything people do posing as Democrats isn’t ok with me. I hope you don’t really think Trump is a Republican. Anyone can call themselves whatever. I could even call myself a Republican if I wanted to. (to the sound of much laughter)
I hope that many of you will put country above party or supposed party. Some folks have. Let’s hope it continues. I don’t think Trump is going to be able to shoe in a lot of things he has promised. I read his speech. It sounded egotistical, Messianic and frankly, not sustainable. It was written on an 8th grade level.
We shall see. Lots of empty space out there at that inauguration. If Trump even knew any ordinary people, I would be surprised. How does he know what they want or need? How is he going to be able to achieve any of his promises? he won’t be able to bring back jobs or coal or factories. Time to move on.
@MoonHowler
“It sounded egotistical, Messianic and frankly, not sustainable.”
Funny, I said almost the exact same thing when Obama was sworn in in 2008. If you read it, you will note similar challenges, goals, aspirations and promises. Obviously, the challenges remain, the goals and promises unfulfilled.
I’ll give Obama his due…the man could deliver an inspirational speech. Now let’s watch Trump act.
https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2009/01/21/president-barack-obamas-inaugural-address
Obama’s was considerably more inspirational. On the other hand, why are we comparing Trump to Obama? He didnt run against Obama.
I am not surprised you didnt address Trump’s moral flaws. Its difficult to defend the indefensible.
Where did Trump reach out to all Americans? Where are the unifying remarks? It sure wasn’t Kennedy-esk.
That’s because most Trump voters have jobs.
Not the kind of jobs that have sick leave or personal leave, I guess.
May President Trump be successful – and may Congress finally step up and be successful also. The current economic indicators point to more success. Hopefully we, as a country, do not squander the opportunity ahead of us.
@Pat.Herve
Pat,
From your lips to God’s ears.
The nation will miss the Obamas. They were the epitome of beauty and grace.
As for the current occupant, he will earn my respect when he shows some respect for the office he holds.
and for those around him.
I have to disagree with you. Although the Obamas did carry themselves with style and class, that by itself is not enough to make America miss them (or, at least, not me). I disapprove of nearly every decision and every policy enacted by President Obama. No matter how nice he was, I could hardly wait for his term to end.
The Trumps were very respectful of the Obamas, HRC and the Office of the President yesterday. Let us hope that it continues.
However, no matter how nice Trump becomes (or does not become), results matter. His supporters will be very unhappy if he does not control the border, repeal Obamacare, appoint conservative Supreme Court Justices, rebuild the military, etc.
Kelly, you seem like a nice person. Trump is not a nice person. I feel like people who think Trump is going to stand and deliver are deluding themselves. A president is offset by Congress and the Supreme Court. He just can’t go around zapping existing laws.
I doubt if he will last a year. I think he will take his toys and go home.
He cannot deliver on his promises. For instance, he says he will remove ISIS from the face of the earth. Now, how is he going to do that? He can’t work magic.
I didn’t agree with much of George W. Bush’s policy but I always thought he was a decent human being. I don’t think Trump is anywhere close to being a decent human being. Just today he stood in front of the CIA wall and boasted and lied about his numbers. What is WRONG with the man?
@MoonHowler
A president has a lot of power to get legislation passed in his first 1 to 1 1/2 years. Lawmakers in the president’s party tend to feel intense pressure to carry out the agenda of a new administration.
The current questions about legitimacy, the wailing and gnashing of teeth, and the protest about a decade-old private, crude comment are all intended to undermine this power. They are meant to provide establishment Republicans with reasons to vote against the Trump agenda.
And, in fact, this is not really a fight between Republicans and Democrats. Rather, it is a fight between the establishment and outsiders who want to turn Washington on its head. Establishment R’s and D’s may well be on the same side.
Sure, Trump is not a nice guy. But I bet that if Trump were a Democrat backed by an establishment firmly in power, there would be no protests, the headlines would be positive, and his past crude statements forgotten.
But he wouldn’t be a Democrat backed by the establishment. If it were just the one decade old grab comment, perhaps one could simply not like it. But Kelly, there is a laundry list of misogyny, much of it during the campaign. There are lengthy lists of crude remarks about women, minorities, religious groups, and people with disabilities. He cozies up to a nation that has been an enemy of the United States. He has insulted our intelligence community time and time again and then lied about it. He has been derogatory about our federal workers.
He is simply inappropriate and unacceptable as the president of this country. If you think that all of this protest is simply about a grab remark, no, it really isn’t and you have missed our point completely. I find it insulting to suggest that an amassed protest of millions of men and women is “wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
I think it would probably behoove the doubters who want to reduce all this to “little woman level” might be in for a powerful surprise now and come the next election.
As for establishment, the establishment has kept the wheels grinding for a fairly long time. I am not even sure what that all means. Was Ronald Reagan the establishment? How about Jimmy Carter? Certainly Bill Clinton and Barack Obama weren’t establishment. I reject the idea that its between establishment and outsiders because all those people I just named were outsiders, at least outsiders in terms of Washington.
@MoonHowler
On a flight last week, I talked to several women on their way to the protest. None of them seemed very upset about the things you mentioned. They seemed mostly interested in having a good time.
That’s the nature of the beast. If they weren’t upset, they would not have spent the money and time for the trip. They were going to an event, not a funeral. I bet they were a raucous crew!!!
@MoonHowler
My statement that they were interested in a good time is not meant to belittle the protest. It just seems that they were not as dead set against Trump as you are. The impression that I got (from a admittedly VERY small sample) was that if Trump grows the economy, produces new jobs across America, and reduces the threat of ISIS, some of these women can be won over.
It’s interesting to me how quickly conservatives abandon their “bedrock principles.” We heard constantly over the past 8 years that the debt and deficit was destroying the country and HAD to be addressed immediately. #1 concern. Now Trump comes along with plans to blow an additional 10 trillion hole in the budget and…crickets.
Similarly, Russia has been held by conservatives for decades as an existential threat that MUST be controlled (which I agree with). Now Trump comes along dragging ExxonMobil with their 67 million acres of oil land under contract in Russia into the White House to help kill sanctions, and not a peep is heard from conservatives.
Kinda makes one wonder if conservatives really stand for anything other than eliminating health care and reducing corporate taxes…oh yeah, controlling women’s bodies, raping the environment and treating DC like a congressional plantation.
The Russian factor has been a huge question for me for some time. I agree with you. Their aggression MUST be controlled. Now we are all cozy with them and they are meddling in our elections. Where is the Republican outrage?
Trump plans large spending cuts:
http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/315537-trump-gop-set-to-battle-on-spending-cuts
Russia and China have been hacking into American sites for years, with little to no reaction from the US government. It would seem to be a little late for outrage.