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All-In [26968]
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This may seem obvious, but I think I've boiled it down.
Aug 16, 2017, 10:08 AM
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I don't believe the President is motivated by racism or Russia, or any of the other things often thrown his way.
Just about every speech, every tweet, every news conference makes it abundantly evident. The President's primary motivation is to be seen as great. Not to be liked necessarily, but to be thought of as great and important.
This is why he obsessed with approval polls on the campaign trail. This is why he is obsessed with touting his election win, even months later. This is why he cannot tolerate someone suggesting an election he won was meddled with. This is why he made a huge deal about inauguration crowds. This is why he almost daily retweets compliments toward himself made by other people. This is why he cannot let an opportunity go by, no matter how unrelated or even solemn the occasion, to brag about his accomplishments. This is why he complains to the Mexican president about how refusing to pay for "the wall" will make Trump look bad, not about how it will affect the USA. This is why, when talking about something important for America, he'll randomly say things like "that person has said the greatest things about me". This is why nothing will get him hotter than someone not being complimentary toward him. This is why he campaigned on the line "I alone can fix this," but then when it doesn't get fixed, he blames McConnell or McCain, or anyone else. This is why he obsessively watches and reads news, to see what they are saying about him.
I know everyone knows this about his personality, because he's been this way his entire public life. It just really hit home for me in the last day or two that his Presidency, and the way he executes it, can be reduced very simply to this aspect.
I believe if somehow burning America to the ground would make him be viewed as great, he would light the match. I personally do not believe he cares about the American people. He just wants to be their hero.
I'm not mad about this. I'm actually kind of at peace with it, because I think I at least understand what we've got. I don't think I will say "how could he possibly say that?" anymore. I'll say, "of course he would say that. Why wouldn't he?"
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Lot o points [155874]
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Bruh, Obama was obsessed about his legacy.
Aug 16, 2017, 10:12 AM
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(No, this isn't a but-Obama---it's an interesting contrast IMHO) It's interesting to me because in Obama's case though, it often led to inaction where action was needed. We seem to be in the opposite situation here, with Trump doing and saying things where inaction or silence might be a much better route.
I'm not sure you could be in contention for the office of President without a massive ego, you just sort of hope that person's ego leads to more things you like than things you don't like.
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All-In [26968]
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Of course, he was.
Aug 16, 2017, 10:17 AM
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That has nothing to do with my post.
(I did not vote for President Obama and believe he was the worst President of my lifetime.)
I think it does take some ego to be a leader. You have to be confident in yourself.
The things I described are beyond just having confidence, though, wouldn't you agree? This is narcissism, which is several steps beyond "having an ego". (I don't mean to make a clinical diagnosis of a disorder here.)
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Oculus Spirit [81060]
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In business, the guy who move up is often the guy who
Aug 16, 2017, 10:19 AM
[ in reply to Bruh, Obama was obsessed about his legacy. ] |
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actually does something, anything--rather than nothing at all. Maybe that's where that motivation comes from? Who knows. That's probably giving him way too much credit.
I was thinking the other day about who is successor will be..just think how much THAT guy is going to suck.
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Lot o points [155874]
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Oh man, I haven't really thought about that, but yeah.......
Aug 16, 2017, 10:27 AM
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Pub or Dem, the next person is going to be horrible, because they are going to go so far overboard trying to be the anti-Trump. If they're Dem, they're going to institute single-payer car insurance with no pre-existing condition clauses for previously wrecked cars, and if they're Pub they're going to spend all their time doing photo-ops reading books in Spanish to kids in border town elementary schools.
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CU Medallion [56067]
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That's weird... I thought we were talking about Trump.
Aug 16, 2017, 10:42 AM
[ in reply to Bruh, Obama was obsessed about his legacy. ] |
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So aside from Syria, which I understand many conservatives thought we should invade or otherwise get ourselves mixed up in, on which issues was Obama inactive where he should have been active? Srs qweshion.
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Lot o points [155874]
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Again, if you read my post, I was noting the contrast
Aug 16, 2017, 10:58 AM
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in the two of how the affliction impacted their actions. "But-but-Obama" isn't really a valid response to a point that wasn't seeking to deflect blame from Trump. It's possible to discuss both candidates openly and honestly in the same breath.
Inaction on Syria Related, but similar---Inaction on ISIS in general (JV Team) Inaction in diplomatic negotiations with Iraq govt, which would have allowed small US presence to remain. Removal of said small force led to Iraq fracture, and ISIS toehold in nation. Inaction on UN Israel resolution Inaction on pipeline approvals Multiple inactions on China testing out boundaries(SCS build up, drone and ship seizures, etc) Inaction on Crimea
They're mostly in areas of foreign policy.....not so say we should have gone all war-hawkish in all these scenarios, but in most cases the response was ineffectively tepid.
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CU Medallion [56067]
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Well he vocally opposed the Keystone pipeline.
Aug 16, 2017, 11:06 AM
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As far as foreign policy goes, his inaction always struck me as his effort to fulfill his campaign promises and his position on the Iraq war. He could have easily become more hawkish once he was in the White House, but it always seemed like he was making a concerted effort to avoid getting into the sort of military quagmire his predecessor encountered.
That doesn't change the fact that it was inaction, of course. But it's inaction that I approve of, especially in regard to Syria and ISIS.
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Lot o points [155874]
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I was thinking more of the Dakotas***
Aug 16, 2017, 11:08 AM
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Lot o points [155874]
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PS
Aug 16, 2017, 11:09 AM
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Update your GD account to allow 3rd party hosting already.
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CU Medallion [56067]
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I don't know. I'm getting kind of attached to that image.
Aug 16, 2017, 11:12 AM
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Oculus Spirit [83075]
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Mascot [18]
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Hence Talking Point 1 out of the White House Yesterday
Aug 16, 2017, 10:29 AM
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* "The president was entirely correct"
Followed by a few other actual talking points about his earlier statements and the situation in Charlottesville.
Once again, the most important thing to Trump is how he is perceived.
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All-In [26968]
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Ddi you see the one line from that memo?
Aug 16, 2017, 10:31 AM
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I read about it on the Fox News site.
...the president has been “a voice for unity and calm,”...
If I had soda in my mouth, it'd be on my screen. Even if you think what he said was correct or good, you cannot possibly believe that his has been a voice for unity and calm. It is literally the opposite of unity and calm.
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All-TigerNet [12851]
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You just described every person that ever ran for office***
Aug 16, 2017, 10:42 AM
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CU Medallion [56067]
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That must be disappointing to people who thought he'd be
Aug 16, 2017, 10:44 AM
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different.
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All-In [26968]
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So, all people do those things I listed...
Aug 16, 2017, 10:59 AM
[ in reply to You just described every person that ever ran for office*** ] |
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Including all Presidents? When you listen to the President speak, you think to yourself, "Gosh, I've been hearing this stuff from Presidents all my life."?
Come on, man. You know that's not true.
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Hall of Famer [24760]
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Narcissism to the Nth degree...***
Aug 16, 2017, 11:01 AM
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