Mr. Trump Goes to Washington

[Svata]

People claim that Hitler was a Nazi, but they also claim that was killed by a Nazi. Does that sound like something the Nazis would have done if he was one of them?

I mean, give Hitler some credit. He killed Hitler, after all.

[dpareja]

http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/346680-post-election-chaos-leaves-dnc-far-behind-in-fundraising

Trump is ridiculously unpopular.

And the RNC is blowing the DNC out of the water on fundraising.

Why?

Because the big money donors went all in on Hillary Clinton and now feel like they flushed money down the drain, and the small money donors are pissed off at the DNC for screwing over Bernie Sanders and Keith Ellison.

[Sigmaleph]

There are two snippets in the story that confuse me:

That’s why one longtime Democratic fundraiser told The Hill that he was “shocked” the party managed to raise even as much as it has — more than it had at this point in each of the past two cycles — with such a shoestring staff.

With Trump’s help, the RNC continues to pull big money from small donors, raising $33 million in donations under $200. Through the first six months of 2017, the RNC has raised more online than it has in an entire year, with the exception of 2008.

The article mostly focuses on how the DNC is effing things up, but based on the numbers implied here the real story appears to be that they are doing about as usual, and the cause of the disparity is the RNC fundraising exceptionally well.

So why focus on divisions in the democratic party rather than asking the far more interesting questions of why the republicans are doing better than before?

(also, Trump's approval rating is a bit less than 40%. I would not describe that as 'ridiculously unpopular')

[dpareja]

So why focus on divisions in the democratic party rather than asking the far more interesting questions of why the republicans are doing better than before?

(also, Trump's approval rating is a bit less than 40%. I would not describe that as 'ridiculously unpopular')

1. Trump's unpopularity should be driving down RNC fundraising and driving up DNC fundraising... but it's not doing either.

2. Compared to other Presidents at this point in their terms, yes, 40% is ridiculously low. (Ford might have been this low, but then he'd just pardoned Nixon.)

[Id82]

Yeah but the massive amount of democrats running for Congress is staggering. Currently democrats have 209 people registered to run for congressional positions. While Republicans only have 28. Which is very high compared to on my 44 dems who ran in 2014. Which shows mass excitement amongst dems to make a change.  Also dems have been winning across the board at state level elections. https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-sheer-number-of-democrats-running-for-congress-is-a-good-sign-for-the-party/

[dpareja]

Yeah but the massive amount of democrats running for Congress is staggering. Currently democrats have 209 people registered to run for congressional positions. While Republicans only have 28. Which is very high compared to on my 44 dems who ran in 2014. Which shows mass excitement amongst dems to make a change.  Also dems have been winning across the board at state level elections. https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-sheer-number-of-democrats-running-for-congress-is-a-good-sign-for-the-party/

Well, I think a lot of that is a desire to get corporatist Dems out in primaries to put in more progressive candidates who will enthusiastically sign on to things like single-payer health care and getting money out of politics, rather than only reluctantly (if they sign on at all).

[dpareja]

Meanwhile, the Secret Service is literally out of money for the year (absent a Congressional resolution to increase their budget, which will probably happen) because of all the trips Trump's taking to his properties, the rooms and equipment the Secret Service has to rent (much of the money for which goes back into Trump's pocket), and the trips his kids are taking that have nothing to do with advancing US interests (like opening Trump hotels around the world).

[Cloud3514]

But he's donating his salary! How can he personally profit when he's donating an amount that he thinks of as pocket change?

[Svata]

I mean, he makes more every time he takes a trip to his private property, which he pays himself to stay at. Also he charged the Secret Service rent. Which is scummy as fuck.

[dpareja]

http://www.newsweek.com/trump-says-thats-too-bad-after-crash-uss-john-mccain-652584

The USS John S. McCain (named after Sen. McCain's father and grandfather) collided with a merchant ship near Singapore. A number of personnel were airlifted to Singapore for treatment for non-life-threatening injuries.

However, 10 sailors are still missing.

Trump's response when asked? "That's too bad."

Now, he was asked this about half an hour before the news was officially announced by the military, so it's entirely believable that this is literally the first time he's heard about it.

But here's what he could have said (and what any other President would have said):

"I haven't been fully briefed on the situation, and I will have more to say once I have been. But for now my thoughts and prayers are with the sailors and their families, and we will perform a thorough investigation into the accident and put every effort into our search-and-rescue operations. Thank you."

Diplomatic, presidential, and nowhere contains the phrase "That's too bad."

[ironbite]

That's too bad.  Bout sums it up don't it?

[dpareja]

That's too bad.  Bout sums it up don't it?

My other theory is that he heard about it before he was asked, and his aides managed to talk him out of saying, "I prefer ships that don't crash" or "I prefer sailors who aren't lost."

EDIT:

Meanwhile:



Trump was Blinded by the Light.

Melania and Barron experienced a Total Eclipse of the Heart.

[pyro]

Of course he looks straight up at the Eclipse without using glasses.

[RavynousHunter]

Well, at least he'll be able to claim the title of the country's first ever blind President.

[dpareja]

Of course he looks straight up at the Eclipse without using glasses.

He was told not to look into the eyes of the sun, but he knew that that's where the fun is.