[KaiserJeep]

Completely correct, Ibon. As long as their core voters are intensely partisan, so will be the politicians. I blame partisanship for the lack of integrity in government. I'd like to see political advertizing banned, including "push" ads in all the media, and reduce the candidates to touring via bus and having a web page that one could "pull" information from, but only if you wanted it. Ban all political contributions. Have live debates on TV, paid for entirely by the networks.

The objective is simple - today, he who collects the most money from lobbyists wins most often. Remove the inducement for corruption.

[Cog]

You seem to be forgetting about the First Amendment KJ.

[Plantagenet]

The objective is simple - today, he who collects the most money from lobbyists wins most often. Remove the inducement for corruption.

Hillary received more corporate money then Trump did, and Hillary outspent Trump by 3 to 1.

And yet Hillary lost.


A small victory, perhaps, in the battle against corporate domination.

[Ibon]

Trump wont last long. Just my prediction. The writing is on the wall. But he wont go down without an ugly fight. I think there is a turning point coming soon when more and more Republicans realize they have a liability on their hands with Trump.

There are skeletons in the closet. Big ones. And yes, a power structure in Washington, with both parties, that want him gone. Too much baggage and to much power against him.

Just my two cents.

[Cog]

What baggage might that be?

[Ibon]

What baggage might that be?

We'll see. At this point I base this conclusion in that his actions and reactions are that of someone acting guilty and wanting to hide something. I do not follow details so I am no authority, my opinion is more intuition based on this.

Also the stories of all those suppliers he never paid, owning casinos, bankruptcies, it all just adds up to someone with a disregard for ethics. Doesn't want to release his tax records.

There is something heating up here. He knows it. His actions will get more irrational and aggressive the closer investigations get to nailing him for past financial misdeeds.

This is what I suspect. Just throwing it out there.

I have tales to tell as well having been in business for almost 15 years in Latin America and working in Europe in international sales. I know many of the nefarious business games, I was involved myself in past business practices I am not proud of. Let's just say my instincts have been honed due to this and in Trump I smell a rat!

[KaiserJeep]

Yet, Ibon, the Clintons had and have skeletons in the closet as well. Many were known before Bill was reelected for his second term.

Hillary lost because of the E-mail scandal. She wasn't just dishonest, she believed that rules were made to be broken, even when such rule-breaking compromised national security.

Note that the Senate (54 Republicans) and House (247 Republicans) won't support impeachment of the POTUS. It does not matter whether they like the man or not, they are partisans, and he is implementing Republican policies.

BTW, I think he will win a second term based on performance. Even though I don't like him, either.

[Ibon]

Yet, Ibon, the Clintons had and have skeletons in the closet as well. Many were known before Bill was reelected for his second term.

That is irrelevant in my opinion even though I agree that it is true. Clinton is not the subject though. Trump is. And he is a slime bag. And I predict that Republicans one after another will begin to abandon him he will squeal disloyalty all the way to impeachment. And in the end he will either resign or get impeached. With Republicans joining in.

The baggage that will be revealed will be so bad that even republicans will abandon him.

Just my bold prediction and this has nothing to do with what I personally think about him. Something stinks here. I trust my intuition on this. We'll see. I may be wrong but I doubt it.

[Plantagenet]

Its possible that Trump will be impeached.

But its a long road to get there.

First the special prosecutor has to complete his investigation, write his report, and submit it to the DOJ.

So far the worst thing the Ds have found is that Trump and his associates talked to Russians. Some Ds are screaming "treason" but just because they've gone into hysterical fits over it is no reason for us rational people to go there with them. Lots of people talk to Russians all the time. Heck---even I talk to Russians, especially when I travel to Russia---whats wrong with that? We've even got Russians posting at this site---does that make us all traitors?

Since when is talking to Russians a criminal offense, much less an impeachable "High Crime and misdemeanor"?

Cheers!

[KaiserJeep]

Ibon, you are probably correct about Trump being a slimeball. But if you did not have the same feelings about Bill & Hill, GWB, or Obama, your perception is still flawed. The job attracts slimeballs and corrupts those who started with some kind of moral code.

The main thing is to look at what they DO versus what they SAY. Trump has a serious case of foot-in-mouth disease, but that is meaningless, as is the "media coverage" of his tweets and comments.

What matters is what he actually does. Where are the economic indicators trending, and what is he doing that influences such?

[Newfie]

Really interesting comments in the above few posts.

I'm not taking sides on the impeachment argument yet. Time will tell.

What I do think is that Trump has made many enemies in the Republican camp. I believe there are a lot of folks there who want revenge. But they don't want a President Pense either, especially not early when he could build a following.

So my bold prediction is that even if there is an impeachable offense it won't actually happen until late in this term. That or you start to see Republican attacks to discredit and remove Pense. No R wants a President Pense. Nor does any D. At least not until late 2019.

[Cog]

If Mueller steers too far outside his lane, that being Russian collusion lane, he will be fired.

[Ibon]

Ibon, you are probably correct about Trump being a slimeball. But if you did not have the same feelings about Bill & Hill, GWB, or Obama, your perception is still flawed. The job attracts slimeballs and corrupts those who started with some kind of moral code.

Bill & Hill = Yes
GWB = No not a slimeball. He surrendered his power over to Cheney and Rumsfeld
but he was not a slimeball. GWB was a bit goofy and someone you would enjoy
having a beer with
Obama = Also not a slime ball. A very calculating cool and calm technocrat, a great
statesman, articulate. Lacked heat, a bit of a coward, brainy, ideologically
compromised.
Trump = Super slimeball

I am not a political animal. My field is ecology, I am just being playful here but this does reflect what I think. I am no authority, I am an expat who is not so identified with American politics like many of you.

[Plantagenet]

If Mueller steers too far outside his lane, that being Russian collusion lane, he will be fired.

We've already had six months of hearings and leaks and investigations. The CIA and NSA already know everything there is to know----if Trump had colluded with the Russians it would've already leaked.

So there was no collusion.

Thats why Mueller is now looking into Trump's financial records. The DEEP STATE is out to get Trump and they are desperately looking for anything "bad" they can dig up.

Cheers!

[Ibon]

If Mueller steers too far outside his lane, that being Russian collusion lane, he will be fired.

We are still just heating up here. I predict the recent turmoil is a permanent fixture of Trumps administration and it will get worse. There will never be normal day to day governance with Trump. It will be conflict the whole way through. In addition to being a slimeball he has a pathological need to be center stage. His incompetence to actually govern will keep him focused on power struggles with the media and his adversaries.

Mueller will stay very professional and he will dig deeply into financial transactions. You can bet on it. There is slime here to be found.

It will be fascinating to see how far his defenders and supporters will go before they drop him.

His core supporters are loyal to the point of being passionate. They love Trump and will be woefully blindsided.

[Cog]

Keep fantasizing about over-turning an election Ibon. You do realize that Clinton lost right? I was unsure if the telegraph vines had broadcast the news down your way yet.

[Ibon]

Keep fantasizing about over-turning an election Ibon. You do realize that Clinton lost right? I was unsure if the telegraph vines had broadcast the news down your way yet.

You are like KJ bringing up something totally irrelevant. Clinton is history. She would have been an awful president. My critique of Trump is free of this polarization.

[jedrider]

Expecting a Pence Presidency, but I still wouldn't expect much difference overall, but far less drama certainly, and a much more steady, do nothing (hopefully) course.

It seems that politics nowadays is mostly hand-tied into impotence. However, a lot of bad stuff can still happen, even if the good stuff seems to have reached a ceiling.

At some point, someone will have to say enough is enough. Only Trump's popularity will be able to save him. I haven't seen much of that lately, has anyone?

[Cog]

Keep fantasizing about over-turning an election Ibon. You do realize that Clinton lost right? I was unsure if the telegraph vines had broadcast the news down your way yet.

You are like KJ bringing up something totally irrelevant. Clinton is history. She would have been an awful president. My critique of Trump is free of this polarization.

I know when someone is trying to urinate down my back and tell me its raining.

[Ibon]

Keep fantasizing about over-turning an election Ibon. You do realize that Clinton lost right? I was unsure if the telegraph vines had broadcast the news down your way yet.

You are like KJ bringing up something totally irrelevant. Clinton is history. She would have been an awful president. My critique of Trump is free of this polarization.

I know when someone is trying to urinate down my back and tell me its raining.

This is pure projection Cog. You are the one deeply entrenched in a political polarized world and you see two camps here. I don't. I see a slimeball doing a dance all by himself.