All Purpose News and Politics Thread Part IV: The Center Cannot Hold

[BeastieRunner]

What I find weird is that about a week into the impeachment investigation, after daily insane meltdowns on twitter, with a weak economy and drowning in a swamp of scandals, there hasn't really been a dip in Trump's approval yet. He holds on to the slight improvement he saw a few months ago.

Monmoth just published a 10 point drop.

Also, historically speaking, Nixon didn't see approval among his base wane till the evidence came out and it fell off a cliff. Clinton watched it slowly erode during the process.

[Tami]

Shoot Them in the Legs, Trump Suggested: Inside His Border War

WASHINGTON — The Oval Office meeting this past March began, as so many had, with President Trump fuming about migrants. But this time he had a solution. As White House advisers listened astonished, he ordered them to shut down the entire 2,000-mile border with Mexico — by noon the next day.

The advisers feared the president’s edict would trap American tourists in Mexico, strand children at schools on both sides of the border and create an economic meltdown in two countries. Yet they also knew how much the president’s zeal to stop immigration had sent him lurching for solutions, one more extreme than the next.

Privately, the president had often talked about fortifying a border wall with a water-filled trench, stocked with snakes or alligators, prompting aides to seek a cost estimate. He wanted the wall electrified, with spikes on top that could pierce human flesh. After publicly suggesting that soldiers shoot migrants if they threw rocks, the president backed off when his staff told him that was illegal. But later in a meeting, aides recalled, he suggested that they shoot migrants in the legs to slow them down. That’s not allowed either, they told him.

“The president was frustrated and I think he took that moment to hit the reset button,” said Thomas D. Homan, who had served as Mr. Trump’s acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, recalling that week in March. “The president wanted it to be fixed quickly.’’

Mr. Trump’s order to close the border was a decision point that touched off a frenzied week of presidential rages, around-the-clock staff panic and far more White House turmoil than was known at the time. By the end of the week, the seat-of-the pants president had backed off his threat but had retaliated with the beginning a purge of the aides who had tried to contain him.

Today, as Mr. Trump is surrounded by advisers less willing to stand up to him, his threat to seal off the country from a flood of immigrants remains active. “I have absolute power to shut down the border,’’ he said in an interview this summer with The New York Times.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Shoot Them in the Legs, Trump Suggested: Inside His Border War

Sweet baby Jesus. The only thing scarier than Trump’s vile and inhuman suggestions to stop migrants from crossing the border is that his brain dead lemmings are all in with whatever he wants done.

[Tami]

Sweet baby Jesus. The only thing scarier than Trump’s vile and inhuman suggestions to stop migrants from crossing the border is that his brain dead lemmings are all in with whatever he wants done.

At least he didn't ask for piranha or electric eels or eight headed monster sized man-eating hydras.

[Astral Disaster]

Sweet baby Jesus. The only thing scarier than Trump’s vile and inhuman suggestions to stop migrants from crossing the border is that his brain dead lemmings are all in with whatever he wants done.

They're basically a fanatical cult, one that's armed and dangerously unhinged.

[Mecegirl]

At least he didn't ask for piranha or electric eels or eight headed monster sized man-eating hydras.

Was gonna say sharks with lasers on their heads...

[JCAll]

Shoot Them in the Legs, Trump Suggested: Inside His Border War

He's suggesting the border be turned into a Home Alone style death trap, probably because he's still bragging that they were contractually obligated to let him cameo in Home Alone 2. He really is just a big dumb baby-man.

That being said, he's been suggesting that we just start shooting people at the border for a while now, to riotous applause naturally, so it really is just a matter of time until we get there as long as the GOP is in power.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

At least he didn't ask for piranha or electric eels or eight headed monster sized man-eating hydras.

Or maybe Trump got his hands on the Necronomicon and asked Cthulhu to do him a solid.

[Tami]

Or maybe Trump got his hands on the Necronomicon and asked Cthulhu to do him a solid.

Lucky for us, we have Cthulhu as a member of the CBR Forum. We can ask him ourselves.

[worstblogever]

The State Department's Inspector General has asked to testify before Congress TOMORROW, citing an "urgent" matter.

This is related to Pompeo, Trump, and Ukraine, and the State Dept. IG seems to think it's bad enough that it can't wait for all of Congress to return from recess.

[JCAll]

Or maybe Trump got his hands on the Necronomicon and asked Cthulhu to do him a solid.

Luckily Trump can't read, so we don't have to worry about him unleashing any Deadites.

[Tendrin]

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky's former House speaker says he won't run for reelection in 2020, capping a long legislative career tarnished by his involvement in a secret sexual harassment settlement.
Republican state Rep. Jeff Hoover said in a statement that it will be the right time for him to give up his House seat and depart the legislature next year. Hoover was first elected in 1996 in his rural, southern Kentucky district and became one of the state's most influential political leaders until taken down by the harassment scandal.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/former-ke...165549977.html

[worstblogever]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/former-ke...165549977.html

Now I just need to read the same being true of Tennessee's House Speaker, as well.

[Robotman]

What I find weird is that about a week into the impeachment investigation, after daily insane meltdowns on twitter, with a weak economy and drowning in a swamp of scandals, there hasn't really been a dip in Trump's approval yet. He holds on to the slight improvement he saw a few months ago.

This is part of the answer to your question.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/01/n...mid=fb-nytimes

Trump Is ‘Last Hope for White People,’ Said Police Chief on Trial

The former chief, accused of a hate crime after allegedly slamming a black teenager’s head into a doorjamb, has used “derogatory racial terms,” his lawyer said.

The economy is just a smoke screen for most of Trump’s supporters. They can say “I support Trump because he’s doing great things for our economy.” But in reality they love him because he makes them feel safe. White people (especially men) are terrified by recent societal changes. There was a black president!!! ‘Gasp’ women want to be president too!!! Gay people can get married!!! The hispanic population is growing!!! Women are demanding equal pay and are calling out the men who have sexually harassed and/or assaulted them!!! There are too many minorities in Star Wars movies!!!

Trump is the antithesis of all the progress we’ve made as a society. He’s openly racist, he represents toxic masculinity, he’s xenophobic, etc. etc. etc.

If the economy tanks I’m very curious to see what their excuse will be. Who am I kidding, they’ll blame it all on the Democrats and never mention the moron and his tariffs.

[Tendrin]

They'll definitely ust blame the 'liberals' and quadruple down on Trump.