This is all tremendously reassuring to me. My greatest fear has been that the Republicans would find someone just as awful as Trump, but focused, disciplined and capable of follow-through. What a pleasant surprise to find that Republican voters have some kind of brain malfunction that makes "focused, disciplined, capable of follow-through" a turn-off.
This is all tremendously reassuring to me. My greatest fear has been that the Republicans would find someone just as awful as Trump, but focused, disciplined and capable of follow-through. What a pleasant surprise to find that Republican voters have some kind of brain malfunction that makes "focused, disciplined, capable of follow-through" a turn-off.
The GOP has a deep bench of Grade A assholes, but (I believe) Trump is sine qua non. If only he’d shuffle off his mortal coil. Whatever it is won’t transfer to Don Jr or Eric or even Ivanka.
It used to get a lot more attention, but Trump's decades of being a Celebrity is/was his real superpower. That, combined with his willingness to be the unfiltered mouthpiece of White Greivance, made him the Optimus Prime of America. You need both, and none of his kids nor any "professional" (put in quotes because people like Green, Gaetz, and Boebert were unknown until they became elected officials) have both. Plus, the man has a way with words that would require serious brain damage to match.
I think this was once an old (and probably very tiresome) debate among historians, are guys like Napoleon and Hitler really unique figures, without which history would have turned out much differently, or are they just the product of the objective forces of their times? If you'd strangled Hitler in his crib, wouldn't some other Nazi have just taken his place?
I used to lean more towards the "objective forces" side until I saw and experienced Donald Trump.
Also, his willingness (compulsion?) to lie constantly and shamelessly, to tell the audience whatever they wanted to hear, was a big part of it. He isn’t a comedian, but he has a keen sense of his audience.
He's Bill Cosby, and I don't just mean as a date-rapist! Like Cosby, totally comfortable and in command, the opposite of try-hard, sure that you'll be entertained by whatever comes out, whether it's funny noises or a story that goes on and on and on...
Yeah, that's it. The society column mentions, the cameos in movies like Home Alone 2: Lost In New York, the big dumb casino scams, all those crappy little I'm Still Here pokes, all added up to the fun sloppy uncle who shows up with a bunch of cheap presents every 5 years or so. If you loaned him money you'd never expect to see it again but he always had a great story why he couldn't pay you back right now. John Candy could have nailed it.
This is all tremendously reassuring to me. My greatest fear has been that the Republicans would find someone just as awful as Trump, but focused, disciplined and capable of follow-through. What a pleasant surprise to find that Republican voters have some kind of brain malfunction that makes "focused, disciplined, capable of follow-through" a turn-off.
The GOP has a deep bench of Grade A assholes, but (I believe) Trump is sine qua non. If only he’d shuffle off his mortal coil. Whatever it is won’t transfer to Don Jr or Eric or even Ivanka.
I do have a new appreciation for his uniqueness. Like how there are many, many strains of Covid, but there's only one smallpox.
It used to get a lot more attention, but Trump's decades of being a Celebrity is/was his real superpower. That, combined with his willingness to be the unfiltered mouthpiece of White Greivance, made him the Optimus Prime of America. You need both, and none of his kids nor any "professional" (put in quotes because people like Green, Gaetz, and Boebert were unknown until they became elected officials) have both. Plus, the man has a way with words that would require serious brain damage to match.
I think this was once an old (and probably very tiresome) debate among historians, are guys like Napoleon and Hitler really unique figures, without which history would have turned out much differently, or are they just the product of the objective forces of their times? If you'd strangled Hitler in his crib, wouldn't some other Nazi have just taken his place?
I used to lean more towards the "objective forces" side until I saw and experienced Donald Trump.
It’s somewhat comforting to think that historical forces alone can’t reach a state of criticality without a catalyst like one of them.
These days, we take our comfort wherever we can find it.
I draw the line at Southern.
Flashback so vivid I nearly barfed.
Sorry. Will try to do better. Whatever that looks like...
Nonsense. As soon as the flashback was over, I began to rejoice when I remembered that it’s been a half-century since I drank it.
Also, his willingness (compulsion?) to lie constantly and shamelessly, to tell the audience whatever they wanted to hear, was a big part of it. He isn’t a comedian, but he has a keen sense of his audience.
He's Bill Cosby, and I don't just mean as a date-rapist! Like Cosby, totally comfortable and in command, the opposite of try-hard, sure that you'll be entertained by whatever comes out, whether it's funny noises or a story that goes on and on and on...
“… and my mother … had thrown … the snowball … away.”
Even before The Apprentice, he spent decades burnishing the image of the ultra-wealthy playboy. It's like a character from a really stupid B movie.
A really stupid B movie THAT REFUSES TO END.
Yeah, that's it. The society column mentions, the cameos in movies like Home Alone 2: Lost In New York, the big dumb casino scams, all those crappy little I'm Still Here pokes, all added up to the fun sloppy uncle who shows up with a bunch of cheap presents every 5 years or so. If you loaned him money you'd never expect to see it again but he always had a great story why he couldn't pay you back right now. John Candy could have nailed it.