The former President cannot have been alone in seeking divine intervention yesterday, but only Auntie managed to read his mind. Some say it was unintentional, others are not so sure.
Oh Lord!
The former President cannot have been alone in seeking divine intervention yesterday, but only Auntie managed to read his mind. Some say it was unintentional, others are not so sure.
Boadicea's Chariot 
I trust Obama was asking the Almighty (whichever one) for forgiveness for eight years of incompetence.
I think it was a visceral abhorrence of Trump, shared by many of the glitterati!
And now, having read the meeja’s assessment of the crowds at the ceremony (or lack of them) his team says it will use social meeja to ensure the people know the truth! That sounds awfully like totalitarian prectice!
And meanwhile, our Nigel is to be a news commentator for Fox news – presumably to ensure correct reporting!
Sorry Janus – but every time I see this guy’s face I want to run away! So it’s taken a little while for me to comment here – a glass of wine (or two!) and I have the courage to so do.
A holy than thou Joe – who made it clear from Day 1 that he hated Britain and spent a lot of time talking and doing – sweet fa. That he thought Merkel has done a great job, says it all for me… It seems as if he hates all Europe as well. How could anyone think that Merkel’s invitation was anything but a disaster?
I found it incredible that he, Obama, thought to warn Trump that he would be ‘coming for him’ if he did things that he didn’t like. Who does he think he is?
Yet another Undemocratic Democrat who believes that his way is the only way and that he (and the rest of the bleeding heart mob) have the right to undermine the democratic process as established in most civilised countries.
I’d like to believe that this photo shows Obama thinking “Beam me up Scottie and all those like me – and take us all to a planet far, far away where we can live out the rest of our lives totally and utterly removed from reality”.
But, I’m dreaming… these people will never give up their idea that they, and only they, are right and will destroy anyone who stands in their way.
Does any one else here find the negative coverage of Trump to be way, way over the top? I do, from the ‘analysis’ of his relationship with his wife (they were holding hands as they walked down the steps) to his short (unusual speech) where he acknowledged that black white and brown soldiers all bled the same red blood… to his determination to put America first… and his statement to not impose America’s way of life on other countries.
Would that a few other USA presidents had not interfered in the internal politics of other countries. Would that a few other PMs put their own citizens and tax-payers first.
So Trump does not fit the “acceptable” mold … Good. It is time for a change. It may be better – it may be worse. But the old order has not worked. It is time to stop applying the same solutions to the same problems. If they haven’t worked up until now then it’s time to do something different.
We all live in “interesting times” – good!
I’m amazed that the backhanders from big business and foreign countries are so obvious and are almost taken as the “norm” It’s a thoroughly unsavoury business is politics in the USA.
The look of some one who has just realised he was an even worse POTUS than Jimmy Carter.
I hope this new broom does sweep clean and doesn’t just redistribute the mess! Trump’s lack of awareness of international intracacies is dangerous, to say the least. Let’s see if 100 days in power improves the outlook.
Wot Boadicea said and I haven’t even had a beer yet! I am astounded by the bias and vitriol of the press coverage of the inauguration and beyond. BBC World News spent far more time reporting the
wimmin’sdemocratic opposition’s rampage through Washington and elsewhere and seemed to have reporters everywhere from London to Nairobi and Kiev eagerly interviewing every disaffectedlezzerBLT supporter and social welfare beneficiary they could find. Sky was/is just as jaundiced.I was no fan of Trump when the nominations were announced, but became a firm ABH (anyone but Hillary) adherent as the campaign progressed. I wish him well and the more establishment noses he puts out of joint the better, in my humble wassname.
OZ.
I agree wholeheartedly with Boadicea and OZ, (though I am myself fond of BLT sandwiches). What is worrying is the stupidity of those who demonstrate against democracy. It is no business of any but the citizens of the USA and if they don’t like the way their system works, then that’s what they have to do something about. It would be interesting to know just how many of these protesters actually bothered to vote, since it has become clear that many of the Remainers, particularly younger ones, didn’t when it came to the Brexit referendum. It appears that Trump has surrounded himself with some good people so let’s hope he takes their advice.
Janus: the US media have blatantly lied about Trump for the past year. It wasn’t simply a minor error or mangled phrasing, but systematic distortion of not outright lying. The US media are infamous for their left-wing bias and inability to treat anyone to the right of Ed Miliband as anything less than the reincarnation of Hitler. Trump is the first one to actually fight back. The media establishment in the US are utterly discredited. Cooking and DIY channels regularly attract more viewers than all but one major US network. The emperor is walking about exposing his buttocks and dangling bits to the world and Trump’s the first to mock him from the impropriety.
Morning all: DC is about 60 miles from where I sit, 40 miles of that is open water (thank the Lord) but it is still close enough for comfort.
President Trump. Yes, I decided back in April 2016 That I should at least hear what he had to say and trotted along to Harrington Delaware (you may have to Google it) with a couple of my breakfast club members. The rally was held in a goat barn and 20,000 people showed up. Not as Janus might expect all straw-sucking bib-overalled yokels but a fair cross section of the populace, even (gasp) some black people. Perhaps most noticeable were a sizable contingent of immigrants (the legal kind just like me) and later on I was to see that these newcomers were those most implacably opposed to the 10 or 12 million illegal border crossers now residing here.
I voted for Trump twice, once for his nomination, I had doubts, and expressed them here, that he would be “allowed” to win by the establishment, but he did by defeating 18 other Republican hopefuls. I voted for him again in November and for Mike Pence as VP, it is not my habit to vote a straight ticket so I spread my favors on a few local Democrats then too.
It was clear at the Primaries that there was an enormous protest vote (HUUGE as the POTUS might say), almost half of the Democrats voted for Bernie Sanders, yes a long term Senator, but an avowed Marxist and certainly not an establishment figure, the Democrats response was to move left to try to get some of this vote in the mistaken belief it could be garnered by a candidate whose rallying cry was “More of the Same”. Didn’t work. Rest is history.
The media proved itself to be biased, largely ill-informed but most of all irrelevant. They still don’t get it, my daily read is The Wall Street Journal, Brett Stevens and Karl Rove often contributors were as negative on Trump as the columnists of the Washington Post, which I read on Sundays as the WSJ does not publish. Post the election they have switched in lockstep to criticize what Trump may be able to achieve during his presidency against opposition from both the left and the right. He is already half way home, the establishment in DC (Republicans and Democrats) do not know weather to jump out of the window or hide under the desk, they have been shaken to the roots of their complacency, maybe now they will act.
LW, I have limited knowledge of Murcan goat barns, so no, I wouldn’t.
I’m pleased the cognoscenti approve of the way things are going.
Can’t say that I agree with most of you on this one.
To me there is a conception of what the office of the President of the USA should be and the incumbent ought to behave in such a way as to make the office respected.
Trumps behaviour in the few hours he has been in office has been a farcical disregard for all polite conventions and a deliberate insult to many, his narcissistic, egotistical behaviour is a total embarrassment.
To turn up to the CIA in a so called effort to mend fences and engage in a rambling diatribe on the quantity of people attending his inauguration and to accuse the media of lying about it whilst standing in front of a memorial to the dead was gross! It was so, I watched it in its entirety on CNN. Absolutely disgusting.
He then instructed his White House spokesman to lie to the press. Again, I watched that press conference in its entirety. Photos plainly show the difference and interestingly no one cares except Trump! What does exercise people is that if he could order his press secretary to lie about something so unimportant what about the lies when it is important!?
There seems to be some misconception about the women’s march on Saturday. They were not marching against Trump but for causes they wanted to bring to his attention.
1. Equality in wages, women earn 49-80 cents on the dollar here versus male wages.
2. Women’s rights over reproduction. There is a move afoot in the Republicans to stop funding for Planned Parenthood which means women would not have reasonably priced access to contraception or abortion. There is also a move to reverse Rowe versus Wade and make abortion illegal in the USA.
3. Minorities, sexual deviants etc
4. Others hitched their wagons to the same star such as illegal immigrants and Black Lives matter.
It is to be noted that millions turned out, peacefully. Unlike the inauguration where there were running battles on the streets of Washington.
Trump had the chance to bring many of these into his fold, after all, he was the one to make his platform for the American people! So what does he do, offer an insulting tweet this morning as to whether or not they had voted! ( Known as how to fuck yourself royally!) Frankly if this guy survives the first six months with this type of behaviour then I’ll be surprised!
I didn’t like Obama either, I thought he lacked the bottle when things got difficult and was an intellectual coward, but, he never publicly bought the presidency into disrepute as Trump has manged in 24 hours!
Even republicans interviewed on TV are obviously hideously embarrassed, shuffling about with the cheapest excuses ever.
PS There were marches everywhere, not mentioned on the media. Bellingham, a town of 70,000 turned out 6000 to march, the biggest crowd ever. This was replicated all over the USA. Trump is a misogynist fool if he thinks he can piss off quite that many women with such gay abandon! Trouble is the man has got away with far too much because of his money in the past and thinks he can carry on, I think it time someone disabuses the SOB.
Personally I do not approve of marches but by direct political activism. It will be interesting to see if they can unite subsequently politically for the mid terms in two years time. That is what they need to do. Get alternatives into the Democrats and get rid of the Hilary mob that are electable.
Well said, Tina. I agree with you. He’s treating the role, and those who voted for him with contempt. The majority of Republicans began to back off before he was sworn in. He’s a loose cannon and a complete egotistical, unstable embarrassment.
Why don’t you save your breathe until he’s been in office for a while and you’ve got something to criticise.
Trump doesn’t have to be a nice person he just has to be effective.
Nice, isn’t it, that we can politely disagree on The Chariot without starting WW III ?
Here are a few mild comments from a laid-back Bear –
Anyone would be better than the damp squib of a tinted Irishman of dubious religious allegiance who has just become ex. His expression in the photo clearly shows a resigned acceptance of his immediate consignment to obscurity (“Barry O’Bama? Who he?”). And even the drover’s dog (look it up) would be preferable to the Clinton couple.
Trump was fairly and squarely elected by “the people” under the American system, and as far as I know, he hasn’t (yet) done anything wrong, or even anything vaguely nasty. Why do so many Yanks and a few Charioteers want to throw the democratic system away and revert to vocal minority mob rule? Time for a few smacked bottoms and straight to bed without tea, I reckon.
Of course it’s all very different from an Australian perspective, and some of our pollies have already woken up to the global stirrings of discontent amongst hoi polloi. Many haven’t, but they’ll probably lose their seats in short order. Brexit, Trump . . . the world is changing, and neither the press nor the left-wing luvvies are going to put the genie back in the bottle (to brazenly mix my metaphors). 🙂
Have a nice day, now.
1. Trump was never liked by the Republican establishment. They only very grudgingly accepted him after all other candidates were forced out. Trump managed to secure the nomination only because there were too many candidates early on which split the non-insurrection vote. Had Perry or Walker been left to stand against Trump either would have won and won handily.
2. Rowe vs Wade did not legalise abortion in the US. What it did was prevent the Federal government from restricting abortion laws. Later Supreme Courts expanded the initial ruling to prevent states from passing restrictions on abortion. States such as California and New York already had very liberal abortion laws. Planned Parenthood is loathed because it’s a corrupt organisation which has acted beyond any ethical pale for years. It needs serious reform if it is to remain palatable.
3. Trump is carrying out a vendetta against the discredited media. He’s at risk of losing the plot if he lets it get out of control. There’s a method to his madness, usually. Oh, and I’ve met few men who haven’t made similar comments about women — or men, for that matter, I’m perfectly at ease with gay men.
Mr Bear: At the moment the USA is seized by self-righteous fits of retribution. This started under Obama. Suddenly, everyone with a perceived grievance took the Obama Presidency as an excuse to exact revenge. The strongly pigmented (this is the term approved by the German Government) attacked people of pallor physically and verbally with increasing relish. Not all, or even most, but a very loud minority. People of dubious legal status openly mocked those who happened to hold US passport or be in the US legally. Apparently, breaking immigration laws is no reason to be considered “illegal” in the most post-modern of presidencies. Carriers of a second X chromosome, again, not all or even most — but a very vocal minority — took advantage of a militantly PC climate to attack those of us unfortunate to be born with a Y chromosome. Men were viciously attacked for daring to express opinions or even sit in such a way as is normal for men. Even men who were decidedly masculine were attacked for being decidedly masculine. Any person of colour, immigrant or feminine-type person who was well adjusted and didn’t consider having a Durack-sized chip on each shoulder to be obligatory to be considered a balanced person was smeared as being self-loathing or, worse, a traitor. Worse yet, anyone who was opposed to Obama’s policies was branded a racist — no matter how relevant or valid her or his concerns were. The smug, insufferable “cultural elite” holed away in Malibu, Santa Barbara, Boston, IRAchusetts, NYC, Chicago, the wretched two hovels too horrible to mention south of British Columbia, etc. grew complacent. They assumed that viciously attacking a large majority of people was the new normal. Then, just enough voters in just enough states revolted and rejected the entirety of this “normal” in the same way that the majority of voters rejected the Bush Doctrine in 2008. Whatever will come of this remains uncertain. Trump is a New York bully. He’s aggressive and well-versed in the tactics of cultural warfare. He’s also not a man to back down, even when he’s wrong — at least publicly. I am not entirely comfortable with the pettiness of his attacks. As much as I’m amused by his trashing of the “cultural elite”, he chooses his battles poorly. Still, I’d like to see what he actually does and what is actually accomplished rather than what he sees or whom he chooses to engage.
Huh? That’s all a bit deep for a Bear who’s past his use-by date Christopher, but I’m sure you’re right.
However, I say again, he stood for office and was elected according to the laws, rules and customs of the US of A. Just like any other President, Prime Minister or Head Honcho of any so-called Western “democracy”.
So he’s a bully. So what? At least he’s not a . . . expletive deleted 😦
Bearsy: In short, he was elected because people wanted to tell smug, self-righteous to get stuffed.
He bullies the bullies so they scream foul.
Exactamundo! Jetzt verstehe ich. 🙂
Christopher – I just loved your comments!
Time will tell what Trump does or does not achieve.
CT, it remains to be seen whether Trump’s uncouth behaviour is intended to achieve anything or is just the way he behaves.
Bearsy, it’s a pleasure not to endure ad hominem/feminam stuff when things hot up!
Boadicea: I’m inclined to give him the benefit of a doubt. He has a tendency to be extremely bellicose, cretinous even, one day and then become polished, almost civilised the next. He’s confounded all expectations so far.
Janus: Take nothing for granted. You don’t become a multi-billionaire in New York by being a fool. As for the millions he was given– only after he proved his worth and a spare few millions in Manhattan means nothing.
The ‘scandal’ of Trump, Russian influence and schenanigans in a Moscow hotel room left me bemused and also the folk in the Kremlin who were probably scratching their heads and saying ” Blimey ( or Russian equivalent ) wish we’d thought of that”
CT, he may not be a fool but he almost certainly is a bully.
Jazz, I agree. Backside is surprised so many people can see the truth through all the fog!
To all who love / hate Trump… let’s see what he does. Words mean little – it’s only the actions that count.
You can follow some of what’s going on here:- https://www.whitehouse.gov/
I think Donald intends jumping over the MSM direct to the public using social media.
It’ll be interesting to see how that works out.
…….as I mentioned at 6.25 pm on 21st! 🙂
Jazz – it will indeed be interesting to see how things pan out. He may well have to accept compromises – since other countries must also look after their own as well!
Araminta, if Trump is treating the role of POTUS and the people who voted for him with contempt, then he is following in the footsteps of his predecessor. Remember the “salute” to the military while clutching a coffee cup? And I don’t see Trump bowing to the king of Saudi Arabia or any other ruler. However the guy has only been in office for a couple of days, so I’ll follow Pope Francis and wait to see what happens.
Of course we must wait and see, and he was democratically elected, I agree. I’m not aware that anyone suggested otherwise. Tina’s comment which very much echoed my thoughts mentioned his extraordinary behaviour on the trivial matter of how many people attended his inauguration. Let us hope that he does learn how to compromise, Boadicea but from his conduct so far it looks unlikely.
Sheona, point taken, both incidents caused an almighty fuss, but compared with all the nonsense written about him in the media or probably social media these incidents seem relatively minor.
To be fair, I can’t imagine voting for either Trump or Clinton. I sincerely hope Trump doesn’t disappoint the people who voted for him in what seems to have been very much an anti establishment/ protest vote.
Janus: Of course he’s a bully. That’s one reason why so many supported him and why Chris Christie was initially very popular. A very large number of those on the left have bullied conservatives and moderates for decades. Obama was extremely passive-aggressive, but he was still very much a bully albeit not directly. How does one deal with a bully? By hitting back. Bullies are the most likely to scream the loudest when someone hits back.
Araminta: Trump is a natural deal-maker. He is, however, a brutal negotiator and there is little about him that’s straightforward.
My definition of a bully is clearly not the same as yours, CT. He/she is defined by their chosen victims. In Trump’s case, let’s start with women and Mexicans!
Janus: Obama went against anyone who criticised him. In case you’ve forgotten, or never heard about it, the US tax service launched politically-motivated “investigations” of conservative groups with his knowledge. As for bullying women — other than grotesque comments that, as I’ve said earlier are actually fairly typical for men speaking with men, he was treating women exactly the same way he treated men who crossed him. His comments about Mexicans, while simplistic and harsh in tone, weren’t entirely incorrect. At the peak nearly 60pc of Mexicans in the US were in the US illegally. The most recent statistics I’ve seen indicate that nearly half of Mexicans currently in the US are in the US illegally. Most “illegal” Mexicans are poorly educated and they largely work as transient construction or agricultural labourers, as maids, cooks, etc. Crime connected to illegal immigrants occurs at a far higher rate than crime connected to legal immigrants.
,b>christophertrier“…..Trump is a natural deal-maker. He is, however, a brutal negotiator and there is little about him that’s straightforward…….”
Of course Trump is a tough devious b*****d he has to be.
However I suspect that if you’re straightforward with him he will return the favour.
But if you start playing games then watch out.
A Good New Year to one and all.
Christopher, yours of 23rd inst. at 1.17 am. Surely ‘Roe’ and not ‘Rowe’ v Wade? Don’t agree with your analysis of the case either but we’ll just have to differ until we have another oppurchancity to debate it face to face.
Speaking of which, Mrs M and Dougal send you their best wishes. We all hope that you will haste ye back to Caledonia (stern and wild) sooner rather than later. We are broaching the vanilla-infused rum this weekend and will raise a glass to you.
Moving on, I believe Donald Trump to be a blowhard and an egotistical, lying, bullying, misogynistic, and irredeemable waste of space who is also, I further believe, not very bright.
I could, as ever, be wrong. It does, of course, pain me to say all this given that I am probably far more closely related to him than any other Charioteer.
But, CO and Ara have the measure of the man for me.
Nonethehoweverelse, he was democratically elected and everyone will have to work with him for the next four years at least.
Jazz: Yes, very true. To understand Trump you have to understand New York City. He’s from Queens, but he made it in Manhattan. The British equivalent would be an Essex lad making good in the Square Mile. It’s a brutal enough world as it is, but if one is seen as a bit of a bumpkin one must be even more tenacious. New Yorkers are also infamously brusque. Actually, I quite like New Yorkers. Once you get past the loud, brash and brusque demeanour they’re hardly the worst people in the world. His bluntness and tendency to tear people apart is part-and-parcel of the NYC way. Giuliani, Schumer, etc. are little different temperamentally.
JM: My apologies, it is Roe v Wade. Prior to that 1973 ruling, abortion was already legal to extents in California, Hawai’i, Massachusetts, New York, Maine, Alabama among others. In some states such as Arizona, Minnesota and Wyoming among others it was completely illegal. States have to extents regulated some aspects of abortion, but outright prohibitions are generally not permitted under Roe V Wade and subsequent rulings. A number of states have passed “trigger” laws which would restrict abortion immediately should Roe v Wade be overturned. It’s a strange case but is telling about how utterly dysfunctional the US really is. Laws concerning abortion in England-Wales, Germany and Sweden are generally far better thought-out and sensible. For what it’s worth, I’m not keen on Trump either. He was one of the worst candidates the Republicans had, but he still wasn’t as odious as Hillary. Which is much the same as saying that Small Pox isn’t quite as nasty as Ebola.
I just read comments by an acquaintance, a long-time journalist from New York. She said that Trump is picking fights with the likes of CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS, NYT, WP, etc. in order to keep them distracted. He uses social media to communicate directly with voters by-passing more traditional outlets and, as the decaying media establishment go on wild goose chases Trump is pushing through his agenda.
CT, let’s get back to being suspicious of labels, New Yorkers are….etc More than half of my grandchildren are Essex types and none will be out of place in the Square Mile! QED
JM, I was hoping you’d pitch in and you have. Thank you. Of course you are right.
Janus:I was referring to the status-obsessed class-conciousness that marks certain parts of society. In the upper echelons of Manhattan society being from the outer boroughs is akin to being a bumpkin from the bayous.
That’s more like it! 🙂
JM – I agree, sort of, with your analysis of Trump as a person – although he is certainly sufficiently bright to have made a great deal more money than you or I… 🙂
My commiserations in the fact that you are, as you say, probably more closely related to Trump than anyone else here! No Scots in my family tree!
My feelings are, sadly, that at the end of the day those who have always had power will manage to retain it.
Trump may, or may not last his four year term. He may or may not “return power” to the American people. He may or may not solve the problems of those people who have been dubbed as ‘deplorables’, racist, sexist, ignorant, etc, etc…
But what he has done, is to show that those who think they have the right to rule can no longer ignore the day-to-day problems that ordinary people face from globalisation and will not accept that they are xenophobic, racist, sexist or whatever when they ask “What about me and my family?”
If nothing else – Trump has given America a new vision – one of change. That should ensure that the next candidate for the White House will not assume that they can continue as before – but must take their “forgotten people” into account.
Where the money came from.
Rumour has it that the money was originally made by Trump’s grandfather, an emigrant from Germany , who went to Alaska in the gold rush and made a fortune running whore houses. He tried to go back to Germany but they wouldn’t have him back! So he went back to the USA a second time to New York with his ill gotten gains and invested in property and building, thus it began. Sounds about right from the type of people the whole family appear to be.
I think the expression is…….
“No better than they ought to be”
PS The old girl would have sniffed deprecatingly, told them the way to the tradesmen entrance and ‘counted the spoons’ on their departure’! I swear that woman could sniff class from a 1000 yards.
I think it’s now obvious what Obama was praying for in your photo, Janus. “Oh Lord, please don’t let Branson charge me rent for Necker.” Rate per night $80,000 apparently.
Sheona (22nd Jan) and totally off thread – I like BLT sarnies too, apart from those cold, limp apologies offered on trains and planes, but according to today’s DT the very latest generic title for the sexually confused is LGBTI, the ‘I’ presumably standing for ‘Intersex’. In solidarity with the current trend towards diversity and mutual understanding I have thus far been making lettuce, gherkin, bacon and tomato triple-deckers for elevenses, but now I’m buggered, so to speak, if I know what to add for the ‘I’.
OZ
Tabasco? Lea and Perrins would be better, but lacks a ‘T’. Sob!
Now I’m confused.
Easy-peasy, OZ.
Wash your sarnie down with a refreshing draught of Irn-Bru:-
Oz: You could always serve it on pão integral.
Oh dear, oh dear. I didn’t have my reading glasses on, and it were late, so I read the “I” as a “T”. I’m not confused, just heartily embarrassed. Sorry all. 😦
Bearsy, what a relief! I thought I was losing it.
Que, CT?
Janus – Christopher is suggesting brown bread in Portuguese. It’s close, but misses by one letter LGBTH(ovis).
OZ
Harrumph. In any case I’ve departed the ghastly Sub-Canadian North America and have arrived safely in Denmark. This despite a nasty shouting match with an untouchable South Asian TSA “officer”.