Thoughts

On not being the least bit surprised

Has Trump surprised you at all thus far? Deporting criminals, refusing a salary, backtracking on the Obama care repeal. All good things thus far. Have you decided to hate him no matter what he does?

 

I hate Trump for the grotesque monster that he is. I never expected him to actually do half the stupid shit he promised to all the hateful mouth-breathers who voted for him, but don’t start cutting him slack just because he hasn’t set the building on fire.

Refusing a salary is just a Presidential-level humblebrag. (Notice that he’s not donating it to charity.) He isn’t backtracking on Obamacare as much as he’s just handing off the repeal to a Republican controlled legislature, and referring to undocumented immigrants as criminals to be deported is a page right out of Hitler’s book.

And of course, let’s not forget that he just appointed a white nationalist as his senior advisor and a sycophantic twerp as his chief of staff. No, none of this has been a surprise. This isn’t goodness or restraint. All we’re witnessing is the bluster and bravado of the campaign morphing into a machiavellian exercise in conniving and self-aggrandizement.

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62 thoughts on “On not being the least bit surprised

  1. Becky says:

    It’s so tempting to believe he won’t be so bad, or might even be good. It’s basically just the bargaining of grief, though. This is gonna be a rough four years.

    But it will be less rough if everyone dives into local politics and slams the GOP in Congress in 2018, so please y’all, get involved.

    • Stephen says:

      Trump showed you who he is on the campaign trail. His incoming advisors did the same elsewhere. Take them at their word. Do not believe they’ll be anything other than who they are because they’re bullshitting their way through the next two months and trying to normalize the bigotry and hatred expressed during Trump’s campaign.

      • Becky says:

        In case it wasn’t clear, I do NOT believe the things I think are tempting to believe.

        Like I said, those desires come from the bargaining of grief. Wanting to avoid the reality of who Trump is and what his presidency is going to be like.

        • Jill Stein 2016 says:

          Why is it a bad thing to believe he might not be so bad? You’re not supporting him, you just have an opinion on his performance that differs from the liberal mandate, that He Will Be Very Bad. Are you afraid of being shamed or judged?

          You know this reminds me of how they all KNEW that Hillary would win based on polls, and they ridiculed Nate Silver for giving Trump a 30% chance of winning.

  2. Chris says:

    While being hopeful he’ll actually do more good than bad, I’m trying to see what I can do for a Tammy Duckworth victory in 2020.

  3. María says:

    For anyone who is surprised and want to see a different perspective on things I suggest reading Scott Adams’ blog all the way back to… a year ago? To whenever Trump showed up, really. But if you don’t feel like doing that much reading (the articles are short so it’s not that time-consuming) if you’re gonna read any of it read this: http://blog.dilbert.com/post/152734465316/unhypnotizing-a-clinton-supporter
    And here’s a video my brother showed me (might be hard to watch but it was the verbal ass kicking I needed right now): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLG9g7BcjKs

    • Esme Pendergast says:

      I tried to read his blog, but the misogyny got to me. He seems really bitter that women don’t seem to like him as much as he would prefer. And he does posts about why marriage to women forces men to become lying liars, and parsing out exactly what percentage of the women excluded from the tech industry is due to the higher percentage of men being naturally better at it. You know, it is very important not to overestimate sexism in the tech industry. Very important.

    • Momo says:

      I saw that video, and I understand the frustration towards “Outrage culture”, where people’s idea of activism is to call out the tiniest bit of misstep. tumblr sucked that way.

      It seems like there are two types of Dems right now; one thinks that Hillary lost because she didn’t appeal to conservatives the right way, the way that Bernie did and those that think Hillary won because of whitelash. The truth might be a mix of both.

      BUT.

      The people in the first crowd may have a genuine point, but there’s a subset of them who are over the goddamn moon because now they have a loaded weapon to point against people who have legitimate grievances over the extent of racism and sexism in this country. “Trump won because of idiot pussy-footed liberals who see racism everyone!” they say. And yet, in the comment section, without the slightest trace of irony, there are people who say they voted for Trump because they were tired of hearing all this.

      Anyway, the guy in the video is ridiculous. Don’t buy his drivel for one second. He doesn’t realize that conservatives don’t want to have a conversation with us because they genuinely think the facts about what it’s like to not have any rights in this country is a matter of opinion.

      Honestly, fuck these liberals and conservatives who think this way. They’re celebrating our fear. There’re no conversations to be had with them. They want us to sit down and shut up. I’ve talked to enough people in my life to know when a dialogue will be productive or not, and it seems that some people have found the perfect justification to stop listening.

      Also, why do people keep excusing people who voted for Donald Trump by saying they were in a desperate enough economic situation do so? As if democrats and minorities who voted for Clinton don’t know what a desperate economic situation looks like?

      That being said, I hope the democratic party pulls itself together and takes advantage of the fact that Trump will inevitably let down these poor white rural folks. I know I learned my lesson about how I failed as a citizen.

      • Becky says:

        I think it’s possible to examine and understand a person’s motivations without excusing them, and to then use that information to persuade them to join you.

        • Alyssa says:

          Becky, this is exactly what I’ve been arguing all week. Thanks for phrasing it so succinctly.
          I find it incredibly frustrating when I’m debating with my far-left friends because I feel the majority of their arguments are “that person is racist, I’m going to call them out for being racist, because they’re RACIST” which I’m sure makes them feel good and morally superior, but doesn’t actually fix a damn thing and probably just pushes said racist person farther away from us. Yet if I try to point out why they believe that, I’m excusing their racism. Not sure why people have such a hard time understanding that it’s part of a much bigger game plan.

    • SALAMANDA says:

      i saw his reaction to the election. i couldn’t stand how calm that motherfucker was. like this is the fucking guy that will send blacks back to africa!

  4. Chops says:

    “Aw, look. Just give the guy a chance!”
    *appoints Steve Bannon as head advisor*

    Thats it. Thats all the chance he was getting.

    • Jill Stein 2016 says:

      And how many of you just heard of Steve Bannon this week I wonder? Protip: White Supremacists don’t read Breitbart, and they’re not his audience. They read the daily stormer and shit like that.

      • J Lynn says:

        Since you asked, ever-so-sincerely: I learned about Steve Bannon last year when reading an article about Milo Y…polis. Then I read MANY articles about him when he was added to Trump’s campaign in August. I learned he had been the patron of the smear book and Trumper manifesto, _Clinton Cash_.

        Yes, of course the Daily Stormer audience are white supremacists. But of course many white supremacists ALSO read Breitbart. The web site features all kind of racist content, which I am sure Bannon himself enjoys, and if it didn’t generate clicks it probably wouldn’t be there. Just stating the obvious. Not sure what point you’re trying to make, that Breitbart’s audience isn’t racist?

        Do you have any evidence that white supremacists DON’T read Breitbart?

        What a bizarre counter-factual assertion for you to make.

        • JILL STEIN 2016 says:

          Breitbart is anti-PC, and caters to anti-PC crowd. They write edgy headlines but not overtly racist headlines. And the edgiest stories are usually written by the gay jew attentionfag, Milo. The stormers call it alt-lite in a derogatory manner. And since they have employed several jews, some stormers also call it kikebart. But really it’s just Nazibart because you totally understand nazis right?

          Of course I don’t have survey data, but I participate in that community and know it much better than you. I know which types of people read what. It’s really laughable that you think you are fit to say who reads what. If you don’t believe me fuck off and quit talking out of your ass.

          • akelet says:

            I adore this. “I’m right because I’m right. No, I have no evidence either way, but I’m probably more right than you because I have a myopic bubble community, shaped by my own perceptions, that I can reference. Oh, by the way, I literally admitted to associating with white supremacists. And If you don’t believe me fuck off and quit talking out of your ass.”

            Wow. slam dunk. No further questions.

  5. ken says:

    I am honestly hoping the Republicans up for re-election in 2018 will offer some sort of small hand break to huge, horrible change.

    But I doubt they can think that far ahead. Heck, they probably feel enabled at this point.

  6. mothbat says:

    know what else is a page right out of hitler’s book? refusing a salary.
    know what else is a page right out of hitler’s book? saying, “hey guys, i was just trying to get elected, just kidding about all the hate”

  7. Kelly says:

    The salary is a drop in the bucket to the kind of money the presidency will allow him to rake in. He’s going to have foreknowledge of events that he can reap huge profits from.

    • J Lynn says:

      Total insider trading w/ Trump kids, too. As just the BEGINNING of the list of outright kleptocracy.

      While campaigning for Hillary, Mark Cuban said (several times) he sincerely feared that Trump, and/or the people around him, would a) take US cash, plus b) take bribes from elsewhere, then c) simply abscond to someplace non-extraditable, exactly like the stereotypical dictator we’ve seen in weak states so many times. This wasn’t so much a prediction, but a possibility that Cuban considered not beyond the pale. Cuban is not a paranoid conspiracy theorist, and I’m certain someone at his level knows what people do to move and stash both legit and non-legit money internationally.

  8. James says:

    Oh for fuck’s sake. Are we supposed to be happy that he’s breaking his campaign promises one by one?

    Actually yes. I would very much like to watch his base realize that they got nothing out of this election.

    • J Lynn says:

      Right. Two terrifying possibilities:
      1 He didn’t mean a word he said
      2 He meant everything he said
      And the fact that we have no idea which of these, in which combination, is true!

      “Oh, I lied” on Days 1-5 doesn’t inspire confidence.

      • VeryIrritable says:

        My greatest fear is that racist america won’t blame him for their troubles in the next election cycle. He’s got at least one, “We inherited that problem from the obama administration.” card.

        God, who am i kidding…my greatest fear is actually that the world will be set on a trajectory to end civilization around 2030.

        He’s like a fear onion. No matter how many layers of “what if he doesn’t?” you pull away, you’re left with more…and then there’s the stringy tentacles at the bottom too…wtf kind of scary cthulu onion is this fucker?

      • Chops says:

        And lets give the dude the hugest benefit of the biggest doubt. Lets assume it was all a farce and he’s gonna take office and be like “haha, suckers, Im actually a moderate and I didnt mean a damned word of it”

        What are his followers gonna do? Not the “I voted against Clinton” type but the “I voted for Trump” types.

        We already have vigilantes roaming the desert, acting as “border security”. How long until they decide they’re also now a “deportation force”? Or a Muslim removal force? Or any other batshit, vigilante white supremacist bullshit?

        Thats what really terrifies me. Not Trump himself. But what his followers are gonna do when they realize that, even if he did mean everything, its not gonna happen quickly/period.

  9. Betsy says:

    He wants to withdraw from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, kickstart coal and build pipelines, so yes, he really is that fucking bad. Not to mention, dropping out of a 20-year old treaty that other Republican presidents kept does serious damage to the UN.

    Someone on Twitter said climate optimism should be considered a form of denialism, and I pretty much agree. If he manages to get out of COP21 with people going on how “it’s not that bad”, all of humanity is screwed.

    People think that Republicans only influence their base, but they really have managed to get a great chunk of the US to severely underestimate the climate crisis.

  10. apricot says:

    Also love that LBGT people are expected to feel safe now because he said gay marriage was “settled” in Supreme Court. So was Roe vs. Wade, 43 years ago, yet that’s being turned back to the states according to the same interview. I can’t trust a word from this man.

    I have a horrible feeling that he’s starting soft, deliberately being hazy so so people think “see? He’s not that bad” then come Jan we’re totally fucked.

    • Paige says:

      I’m not saying he won’t turn abortion back to the states but since he hasn’t actually said he will yet or made any actions in that regard, maybe don’t make it seem like its a sure thing?

      • apricot says:

        Technically nothing is a sure thing until he officially gets sworn in.

        I hope it doesn’t get turned back to the states and stays right where it is.

      • Stephen says:

        Trump alone might not be able to do it.

        But a Trump administration and a GOP-controlled Congress could. And given how the GOP is generally opposed to any form of abortion for any reason, it’s not a stretch to believe the worst.

        In fact, that’s how we have to act going forward: We must believe the Trump administration will do the absolute worst things possible with their power and keep up the pressure on them to not do those things. Left unchecked, Trump and his goon squad will take any opportunity to pass all their dream legislation; with Congress generally out of play for the next two (and possibly four) years, the American public is the last check against “Trump’s America”. Acting as if we’re anything less, or that Trump won’t be “as bad as we think”, would be giving up any ground we stand to hold during the next two to four years.

      • Cuttlefish says:

        Turning abortion back to the states is a matter for the supreme court, not the president directly. It’s a sure thing that he’s going to appoint at least one supreme court justice. It’s a likely thing that he’ll appoint at least two. And it’s nearly a sure thing that he’ll nominate hard-right justices that would ABSOLUTELY love their legacy to be that of overturning Roe v. Wade. So it may not be a sure thing, but it is a very, very, VERY likely thing.

    • Chris says:

      Apricot, totally legit concern. After all, if he did and said what it took to win the primaries, then beat Clinton, it’s safe to say he’s doing and saying what it takes to assuage people’s gigantic fears in the moment.

      Let’s not forget that a heartbeat away from the Presidency is a guy who believes he talks to Jesus. That’s some fucked up shit right there.

  11. archibald says:

    Not to mention the fact that his 3 million number for “criminal” immigrants is vastly inflated (no expert fully understands where he’s getting it) and even reasonable/empirical estimates (usually less than 1 million) include people whose only crime is re-entry, often to reunite with family after being deported (i.e., not drug dealers and gang members and rapists).

    Oh and refusing a salary is also, literally, a page out of Hitler’s playbook.

  12. Laura says:

    Also, refusing a salary is just his narc-y way of demonstrating that he doesn’t see himself as working for us, the people of the United States.

  13. Lin says:

    It’s astounding how people try to rationalize. The press did this during the campaign as well.

    Just because Trump didn’t take his dick out and smack a white house staffer in the face with it suddenly his a pillar of restraint and composure. Meanwhile he’s appointing neo-Nazis and his idiot children to cabinet positions.

    He is the President-elect. His threshold of good behaviour can’t be “kept my pants on for the whole meeting”.

    • VeryIrritable says:

      Well…whipping your dick out isn’t a very high bar, and he hasn’t sunk that low yet. LBJ would do that every chance he got.

      The things we can hope for:
      1. Incompetency : None of them will be able to figure out how to get their ideas to work in government.
      2. Laziness : None of them will be motivated to do the things that would do real damage.
      3. Selfishness : They only do the things that benefit themselves which could get them booted because they weren’t smart enough to cover their tracks [see 1.]
      4. Resistance : They meet so much resistance from every direction that absolutely nothing gets done.
      5. Realization : As they try to build their plans someone explains how much effort it is, what the risks are, and what the consequences would be.
      6. Lack of attention : In trying to execute anything, they completely lose track of everything. The ensuing avalanche of process buries them in their own ambitions.
      7. The Saudis crank the fuck out of gas prices and force clean energy initiatives due to cost effectiveness.

  14. J Lynn says:

    Just to add another level of fear:
    Not only what Trump & GOP will try to do. But what will happen on their watch while they are busy being incompetent Nazi monsters?

    1 Natural or environmental disaster – odds are, one is bound to happen in 4 years, usually there’s a big one somewhere in the US at least once a year. Remember how poorly Bush handled Katrina? Well, imagine bungling it 100 times worse.

    2 Terrorist attack – Putin’s interference showed the US is much weaker than it was thought to be. And now Trump & co is embracing the guy who interfered! Basically, this will be a good time to try something on America or an ally, either at home or at some vulnerable point abroad like a consulate. And Trump’s hateful rhetoric is its own recruitment.

    According to CNN exit polls, voters whose top priority was national security were for HRC by a large majority. For obvious reasons.

  15. Kylie says:

    Elon Musk is a genius he could see the outcome from miles away. I wanna jump on his rocket and start a new colony on Mars. Let Trump and his supporters keep earth. Peace I’m out

    • J Lynn says:

      Yes. Re Steve Bannon: Ask them to put out a formal statement opposing him. He doesn’t need a vote to be hired, but Congress can still raise a big fuss.

      (Some have already done so, like Harry Reid & Diane Feinstein.)

      IN ADDITION: While you’re on the phone, tell them you ALSO oppose Paul Ryan’s plan to privatize Medicare. Say it needs to remain AS IS, UNCHANGED. No privatization.

      (In fact, it should be expanded by lowering the age of eligibility, as Hillary Clinton proposed.)

      Medicare is a program that’s popular across the board, bipartisan. I’m sure even the stupid Trumpers like it. Privatization was not once mentioned by Trump in his campaign. Geo W Bush tried a proposal to privatize Soc Security 2004-05 iirc and it crashed and burned, really cost him in political capital. So Medicare is another issue to create bipartisan opposition around. Josh Marshall at talkingpointsmemo.com and Jeet Heer at New Republic have been talking about this on their sites + on Twitter.

      Please make these calls.

  16. VeryIrritable says:

    This election is like finding out you have incurable skin cancer. Your friends are like, “it won’t be so bad! Take the treatments, you might alright!”

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