Anyone who thinks trump is really completely stupid is wrong.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

Last edited Tue Aug 6, 2019, 11:50 PM - Edit history (1)

He is systematically dismantling our government as we know it He is the chess player.

He has:

* blocked the press (no press conferences),

* blocked the enforcement of law (Barr),

* blocked the courts (dragging issues out)

* Influenced the investigation of himself by appointing Whitaker and Barr.

* installed his crony in the SC,

* thumbed his nose at the House (ignoring subpoenas),

* did an end-around funding using fake emergency,

* changed the method for justifying regulation (disallowing benefit $$ in equation)

* Refused to fill positions with qualified people, increasing his control and reducing needed regulation.

* Overturned regulations that protect the public (cancer causing sludge produced by coal companies ok in water now, for example)

* Cozied up with our enemies, putting money over values.

*Stoked hate and division among the population,

* Manipulated the stock market, by trashing US companies creating volatility,

* Lined his own pockets via his hotels, golf courses, and Mara Lago fees.

* Appointed 140 judges that GOP will breeze through.

[edhopper]

1. No he is not a genius

just a petty dictator who has the willful compliance of the GOP to be lawless.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

2. Who was able to get away with everything I listed. nt

[NewJeffCT]

6. he's not doing that, however

it's Pence, Mulvaney, Miller, etc pulling the strings. Trump is just there to distract everybody from what is really happening.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

8. Good point. Impeach pence too ?

[ehrnst]

19. For what? (nt)

[Laura PourMeADrink]

38. Say we somehow did get trump out...pence

Would be prez. Like Jeff said, he's complicit too. He would keep all the same advisors.

[SharonAnn]

51. At least he would not have adulation that 45 does.

He couldn’t whip up a crowd with white suprematism tropes the way 45 does.

The cult would start to wither.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

68. Good point

[ehrnst]

54. Frying pan - fire. And way more electable in 2020.

[cwydro]

26. Too? You think the shitgibbon will be impeached?

[Laura PourMeADrink]

37. No, sadly, don't.

[cwydro]

42. I know, me either.

Sigh.

[Butterflylady]

57. I'd say Miller is responsible

For most of them.

[ehrnst]

64. And Bannon. He's still in touch by phone. (nt)

[Andy823]

73. Exactly!

It think it was Cheney who said that a republican president didn't have to be smart, he just had to sign everything the republicans in congress sent to him. Trump takes care of the distractions, hate mongering, pissing of liberals, and the things a narcissist does so well, and he gets his ego fix from the "admiring" GOP.

Only one thing the GOP didn't think about, you can't control him and he is taking the whole party down the rabbit hole with him.

[ginnyinWI]

77. That's what I think, too.

Trump's one talent is marketing. He's able to con a certain percentage of the population. The rest he leaves up to his aides and handlers, the Bannons and Millers and the like. He only does what he can do without thinking too hard because he's lazy.

[ehrnst]

7. Having fixers and lawyers to carry out what you want isn't genius.

He certainly wasn't a genius at business.

Reagan was clearly not a genius, especially in his second term, but everything that the GOP wanted sure got done.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

12. I will respond like you do to me...when did I use the word

Genius?

[ehrnst]

13. Nice try at evasion. And you only apply that smackdown to me?

and not: https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=12353283

He is the chess player.

"Genius" is the opposite of "really completely stupid" as you seem to imply that people are saying about him - that you disagree with...

But do go on.

“If a corporate leader tried to do what Trump does, he would probably get fired,” says Jeffrey Pfeffer, a professor of organizational behavior at Stanford Graduate School of Business and author of the book “Dying for a Paycheck.”

As for the White House, Pietersen questions whether Trump intentionally uses a chaos-based management style — namely because the U.S. government is not a start-up. “I don’t know that it’s an explicit philosophy so much as a sense of disorganization,” he says.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/13/business-professors-discuss-donald-trumps-chaotic-management-style.html

[Laura PourMeADrink]

43. Oh, forgot the second one "evasion"

[ehrnst]

44. Got nothing, eh?

[Laura PourMeADrink]

46. Ah, the third one "got nothing". Hey what about "crickets"??

[ehrnst]

47. Even more nothing.

I think if I said, "My god, I think that Pelosi is utterly wrong on this, impeach now," you would find a way to disagree with me...



I think you keep responding,even when you have no response, so that I can't reply with 'crickets.'

[fescuerescue]

23. That's true. But it's also true of every President

That's what all presidents in living memory do. They surround themselves with fixers, lawyers etc. I.e. "do'ers"

Think of your favorite President and the best bill he ever championed and signed. Really think he sat down and wrote it? Of course not. People close to him did that and he supported them.

IMO, the only reason Trump won the nomination, won the Presidency and is in strong position to win again is because he is continually under-estimated by those all us that oppose him.

He's not a genius. Maybe not even smart. But he does have skills.

[ehrnst]

31. No, every president didn't go into office having that be true of their life.

There is a difference between advisors, the cabinet and staff that carry out the administrative part of the office of the White House, and a 'shadow' Oval Office.

Reagan had a 'shadow' Oval Office in his second term. He was only there from 9am- 3pm.

He's not a genius. Maybe not even smart. But he does have skills.

I think that he has pathologies, instincts, knee jerk reactions. Like Reagan in his second term, he could turn on the part of himself that's camera ready. When he's at a rally, and not on teleprompter, that 'salesman' lobe lights up.

[fescuerescue]

33. We are talking about their life?

I thought we were talking about their time as President. Ok. Goal post shifted but thats ok.

We can call what he has different names. Doesn't matter.

The problem is that WHATEVER it is, bested all 20 (or whatever) Republican challengers, and then bested the most qualified candidate in generations.

None of us like what it is he is doing, but under-estimating it hasn't really worked out well for us.

[edhopper]

66. Because, and only because

the GOP is enabling him.
Not because he is so smart.

[Cosmocat]

41. Yeah - he is a moron, but his one master skill

is identifying the lesser aspects of the human spirit and speaking to it.

He has no grand masterplan, but he knows people's weaknesses and how to manipulate them.

Just makes it up as he goes along ...

[smirkymonkey]

67. +1000

Exactly. He is cunning, like a NY City sewer rat who is able to get what it wants and needs despite it's harsh environment, yet he is NOT an intelligent man.

[brush]

45. My word for him is cunning. He operates on his racist instincts. Nothing genius about him.

Check his business history. Again, nothing genius about him.

[BruceWane]

3. Wrong synonym

None of that stuff indicates a "chess player"; it's all just pure exercise of power by someone without morality or conscience.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

15. I think putting blockers in to achieve objectives

is like chess. My opinion.

But not the point. It's about those things he has done.

[Clarity2]

4. I totally agree

Thats why I hate when people try to diagnose him with dementia. It almost gives him a get out of jail free card if he is ever indicted. Hes doing destructive things purposely.

He isnt an intelligent guy. He is a moron. But he has criminal skills that are instinctive because he has been doing it for decades.

He is not doing it alone though. Whether its the Koch bros, putin, bannon, steve miller, the heritage foundation directing him on how to dismantle, probably all of them: he couldn't do it all alone. Just like he relied on so many other crooked people in his business dealings.

[ehrnst]

5. I wouldn't call him a chess player, and I believe that those people he surrounds himself with

are doing much of the planning and executing these things while he's in 'executive time.' He's always had "his people" lawyers, fixers, consiglieres that handle things for him. He says what he wants, they handle the details of getting it done.

I think that there definitely are signs of dementia - that's not a 'get out of jail free card' it's just looking at the obvious - especially after the July 4 airport ramble and recent "Toledo" statements - I'll bet he's on a combination of a very high dose of Propecia, amphetamines to keep him focused (and subsequently sleepless), and likely Arricept, a cocktail of which might have its own effects. Unlike Reagan, he appears one of those who gets more angry and abusive as the confusion increases. He's shown this confusion and lack of ability to focus on anything or anyone that doesn't flatter him or that he doesn't find interesting. (asking the woman where her family was after she told him they were murdered...) His blank, monotone reading of a telepromter, etc.

He's definitely more 'there' than Reagan was in his second term, but his lawyers, Bannon, Stephen Miller, Ivanka and Mulvaney are doing the moving of any chess pieces, if not telling him where to move them.

I've never thought of him as 'stupid,' just a bit of an outsized narcissistic personality who is no genius, but has been insulated all his life from the negative consequences of his actions. His entourage makes sure of it.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

18. Not the point...point is about what he has done. nt

[ehrnst]

20. That's what I'm talking about...

Like when Reagan 'did things' in his second term.

I know you are irritated by most anything I post, but really.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

39. I don't really know how I got assigned but yes, totally

Irritating.

[ehrnst]

49. So replying to me helps it be less irritating?

Don't quite understand how that works, but whatever makes you feel better.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

50. Good news.

[ehrnst]

52. You just can't get enough of my replies.

Otherwise, you'd put me on ignore, or stop replying.

I'm flattered.

[BruceWane]

9. However...........

You are correct in that he is not stupid, if by that you mean he is not unintelligent.

He is willfully ignorant on many issues, but this is a symptom of his narcissism, not a symptom of significantly low IQ. He believes he knows it all, believes he knows better than the experts, on all subjects.

[dalton99a]

10. And the press continues to broadcast the fake news for him

[Laura PourMeADrink]

21. Good point.

[Javaman]

11. how much was that him as opposed to those around him taking full advantage of his addled mind? nt

[ehrnst]

22. +1. Like Reagan... (nt)

[Laura PourMeADrink]

36. Yes ! And, makes puppet bush with Cheney pulling

the strings look like candyland.

[JI7]

14. mcconnell is responsible for a lot of that shit

[Kilgore]

16. And for some reason there are more who love him in my workplace & town

Dont get it, but its happening here.

There is no question that there are more jobs, reopened facilities, and rising wages, but somehow your list is overlooked.

The old saying that people vote with their wallets is true here.

This is why I dont discount a Trump 2020 reelection.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

29. You are right.

There's this segment of people who have completely tuned it all out. Either they got turned off at some point to the discord ( congressional favorability very low)...or, there's just too much other stimulai in society today, or they never paid attention to begin with. (There was a time, long ago, when the whole country heard the same news from three networks at 6pm.) Regardless, they and their friends and family now have jobs so the world is ok.

I do know, living now in a deep red place, that many were waiting to see what we would do when the Mueller report came out. And said, well I do know Democrats hate trump. If there was anything there, they would have impeached.

[ehrnst]

58. I think a re-election in 2020 is far more likely after an impeachment

that emboldens his base with his "exoneration" by the Senate of all the things Democrats accused him of.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

69. Thanks Nancy :)

[Chickensoup]

17. Dear Laura

I just poured u a drink to thank
U for your posting.
The man is pure evil. A con who
Posses no morales or ethics what so ever
Who loves money without regard of
how he gets it. He is an utter failure
On all his endeavors even the only so called
Achievement, the stock market ,
is smoke and mirror and time will prove
It soon enough. His only success
Is in spreading hate, lies, and dismantling
Our institutions, laws, and disrespecting
Our constitution and way of life to his benefit.
He should be impeached not because
He is worth it or not. He should be impeached because America is worth it
even if republican senate fail
To convict the effort to save America
from others who may emulate him in the future is well worth it.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

30. Ah! Reminds me of your books :) " Chickensoup

for those who will always think we should have impeached"

[kentuck]

34. Well said, chickensoup!

[uponit7771]

24. K&R, Most malignant sociopaths are maniacal not complete morons

[kentuck]

25. One can be corrupt and still be very intelligent, I would think?

Trump is very corrupt, in my opinion.

[lpbk2713]

27. Trump is clearly in way over his head.

He should have been a plumber. He's got the ass for it.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

32. Ew..made me almost throw up. I hope you are right..

that all this evil will come tumbling down, just like his bankrupt business endeavors.

[Thomas Hurt]

28. Trump is a sociopath....

implementing dogmatic christofascist goals through corrupt enablers, McConnell and the rest, some of it to his profit.

That dogma preexisted him. He did not come up with it. He isn't the one actually executing on the implementation.

He is a sloganeer and grifter. He is the public face and shit stirrer.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

35. I would agree completely if it wasn't well documented that he used

many of the same tactics in his business career.

It's probably somewhere in between. A perfect storm of his devious narcissistic nature mixed with others who feed him new devious ideas, mixed with a segment of our population who are tuned out and or bigoted to begin with, mixed with a Republican Senate whose goal is to make the rich and powerful more rich and powerful.

[ehrnst]

56. Chaos is a losing strategy in established businesses... and he lost bigly.

As for the White House, Pietersen questions whether Trump intentionally uses a chaos-based management style — namely because the U.S. government is not a start-up. “I don’t know that it’s an explicit philosophy so much as a sense of disorganization,” he says.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/03/13/business-professors-discuss-donald-trumps-chaotic-management-style.html

[Downtown Hound]

40. He's nothing more than a wealthy con man

Born into privilege. He's not stupid, but he's far from a genius. He greatly overestimates his base, believing them to be much larger and more powerful than they are. He doesn't understand much about anything that does not affect him personally. And he underestimates his opponents time and again. He's arrogant and narrow minded. And ultimately, that will be his undoing. Trump would never have gotten this far were it not for the abject ignorance of a sizeable portion of the American public. But it will only carry him so far. And that's ultimately what he's too stupid, arrogant, and ignorant to understand.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

48. Or is he? His base + disinterested + election rigging win ?

[Nevermypresident]

59. +1

[ehrnst]

53. Careful. The OP author gets upset if you say that they called him a 'genius.'

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=12353348

[Laura PourMeADrink]

70. Never ever called him a genius. Unless it was maniacal or devious. Please stop

repeating that.

[ehrnst]

75. Straw man. I pointed out that you get upset when 'some' people reply to you that he's not a genius.

Like you did here:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=12353348

That is you, yes?

I never said that you called him a genius, any more than Downtown Hound said you did.

I said this: "Having fixers and lawyers to carry out what you want isn't genius."

However, you got prickly and defensive - and Downtown Hound replied to you that "he is far from being a genius." No defensive, prickly "When did I use the word Genius?" retort out of you, though.



When one feels a need to misrepresent someone's words in order to "prove them wrong," maybe it's time that one reexamines their motives behind replying to that person at all. Clearly double standards are being applied.

[themaguffin]

55. He's not a genious. He's not playing chess. He's openly doing all of those things & the GOP...

won't stand up to him.

And the media doesn't help

[samnsara]

60. hes Mr Chaos and he thinks America is as stupid as he is..

[Kurt V.]

61. he's not the ignoramus many ppl believe he is. That's for sure.

[IcyPeas]

62. 140 judges appointed.... I would like to add to your list...

https://www.apnews.com/dea2d85fa7b34746886961d8b23ff02b

But topping McConnell’s list were Senate votes this week confirming 13 of President Donald Trump’s judicial nominees. The actions bring to more than 140 the number of judges confirmed by the Senate since Trump took office in 2017.

McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, called the Senate votes “big progress for the federal judiciary,” adding that “for too long, thoroughly uncontroversial judicial nominees just like these have been held up and delayed by our Democratic colleagues.”

Frustrated by delays in confirming dozens of lower-profile nominees, McConnell and Senate Republicans rammed through a rules change this spring that cut back debate on most of Trump’s picks.

while the trump clown show is on our teevees 24/7 and on twitter tweeting away THIS IS THE SHIT THAT IS GOING DOWN AND WE GET SILENCE ON IT. Hello? Beuller? Beuller?

[Laura PourMeADrink]

72. Thanks I P Think we have only touched the surface of all the horrible things he has

done. And that is why he throws the crazy balls up in the air - to hide everything else he is doing in "semi-private."

[MFM008]

63. Some thought Charles Manson

Was an 'evil genius.'...
Both = CONS and master manipulators
Preying on weaknesses of the gullible.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

65. He's no master genius. As a con man, he merely needs to be smarter than the people he's conning.

And those people aren't very smart.

He has a limited amount of savvy that he uses to help build his own name and feed his ego, and not much beyond that.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

71. True. Yet, he did manage to get everything I listed done. whether he was fed the

bull by someone else or not. No??

[ehrnst]

78. So... are you going to ask this person

"When did I use the word Genius?"

[ehrnst]

79. +1000.

[NCLefty]

74. Much of that he simply doesn't care about. His bargain with the GOP was to let them have whatever

judges they wanted, etc., as long as they all remain loyal to him and his agenda. They gave him power and he in turn let them run free. Every Republican fever dream of the past few decades is on the table now. The future is not bright unless he is routed hard in 2020.

[lark]

76. No, no, no. he is not a chess player, way too stupid and careless.

He is getting instructions constantly from PUtin and does as he's told. PUtin utilizes both the carrot and the stick to keep dotard donnie compliant. drumpf on his own is cunning, an animalistic predator who prefers instincts to facts. He is not smart in any way and is definitely drug addled and from those who have known him a long time, on the road of dementia, and has no curiosity or sense of humor at all. Fun to him is hurting someone or having a sycophant slobber over him, even if he has to pay them to do this, he doesn't care as long as the camera captures it. If he wasn't born rich we'd have never heard anything about him, his daddy and $$ bailed him out all his life, then the $$ people got behind him and now they are the ones propping up the flat blob of hatred.

[Afromania]

80. He's "intelligent" in the way that all thieves and conmen seem to be.

It's one of those things that I can never understand about humans. People who's minds are completely useless otherwise can game out all kinds of wicked shit. Orange bum face is prime example of this at play. In every way you can be stupid the man is stupid, until he's presented with an opportunity to do some dirt. Then, as you said, he's ready to play chess.

[awesomerwb1]

81. Couldn't disagree more

It's the people around him that are coming up with all these policies. The fucker is just a voice and and a signer. The plan to dismantle environmental laws, trade(have their own architects) and of creating an almost impossible environment for immigrants has architects (Miller and others) as well and don't come from trump.

His minions work 24/7 for ways to protect him and enact far right wing policies.

trump's a fucking idiot who just watches fox and plays golf.