Calandale's turn in the spotlight

[Yuri Bezmenov]

I've been considering moving to the Rouge Valley (Medford/Ashland area) if I can find a place that isn't too expensive. If not, I might consider the Redmond/Madras area.

Have you been to either of those places??

[Calandale]

I guess this is as good a place as any to answer the (unasked) question of why the fuck I'm here.


Yeah, I said lulz, but that ain't precisely it.


I enjoy discussing site politics - and political experiments.

[Al Swearegen]

How do you think Trump has done (personality aside) and do you think that the fears of Trump have been realised or are even likely?

[Calandale]

How do you think Trump has done (personality aside) and do you think that the fears of Trump have been realised or are even likely?

I think he's done an amazing job of setting the Republican Party up for some of the worst times they are likely to have.
This is important because he will have to co-opt their support in order to destroy certain institutions. A strong Republican
party would be likely to (eventually) draw a line in the sand at some point - but here he's going at the very heart of the
'deep state', and perhaps ensuring their support for an eventual autocratic replacement.


He's got a strict timeline though. The 2018 elections will have to be postponed, or the full crisis brought to a head by then.




It's intriguing to watch a master, with real practice at this, arranging such a thing. But, the democratic institutions
were already so weakened that I suppose it was inevitable one way or another - the bureaucratic ones may have
been the only remaining pillar of defense.

[Al Swearegen]

How do you think Trump has done (personality aside) and do you think that the fears of Trump have been realised or are even likely?

I think he's done an amazing job of setting the Republican Party up for some of the worst times they are likely to have.
This is important because he will have to co-opt their support in order to destroy certain institutions. A strong Republican
party would be likely to (eventually) draw a line in the sand at some point - but here he's going at the very heart of the
'deep state', and perhaps ensuring their support for an eventual autocratic replacement.


He's got a strict timeline though. The 2018 elections will have to be postponed, or the full crisis brought to a head by then.




It's intriguing to watch a master, with real practice at this, arranging such a thing. But, the democratic institutions
were already so weakened that I suppose it was inevitable one way or another - the bureaucratic ones may have
been the only remaining pillar of defense.

The DNC has had their credibility eroded. The Democrats have two things going for them and both are tenuous. The Mueller investigation and the fact that they side with the establishment. He has done an incredible job of eroding both.

A year in he is STILL not leading his party completely. If I had to give percentages of where he stands now I would say that the establishment wing of the GOP resting on Mitch McConnel is still in charge of maybe 40% of the hearts and minds of the GOP and 30% with the President, with the balance waiting to see which way the wind blows.

If he was to get impeached or otherwise ousted, it would fall on Mike Pence to lead and Mike would quickly fall in lockstep with the Establishment and quickly get control of the party. It would become business as usual in Washington and most of the big plans of trump would fall away.

Trump always had a path to getting control and taking over the party but it was always going to be a hard road.

I believe Mueller has nothing substantial to hurt Trump and cause his impeachment. But that is not to say he will not go down that path. I give 50/50 that he either exonerates him and throws a heap of indictments and charges at Republicans, Lobbyists and Democrats, and allows the Presidency to go ahead unharassed, OR tries to doctor charges to be litigated out through court which Trump will be further inconvenienced with but will likely win out with.

The best time to drop any such BS will be before the midterms. I think that is his plan. But with the way things are coming out with Strozk and McCabe and Fusion GPS, and the various players, it is looking worse and worse for everyone NOT called Trump.

This has been a Hell of a ride and I love watching it roll out.

[Jack]

and perhaps ensuring their support for an eventual autocratic replacement.

This is an interesting perspective. From the beginning believed Trump wasn't intended to win, and his being elected was an unexpected error in some larger design to ensure Clinton to be elected. FourAceDeal said some time back he viewed Trump as a stalking horse, designed to take down Clinton and pave the way for someone else. Viewed that as a unique viewpoint deserving of consideration.

It's intriguing to watch a master, with real practice at this, arranging such a thing.

It's not only interesting Trump being viewed as a pawn, but that he also is aware of being one.

[Calandale]

The DNC has had their credibility eroded. The Democrats have two things going for them and both are tenuous. The Mueller investigation and the fact that they side with the establishment. He has done an incredible job of eroding both.

He's wrecking more than that. He's brought the media into more question than ever, is dismantling the state department - basically
any power base which can oppose him.

A year in he is STILL not leading his party completely. If I had to give percentages of where he stands now I would say that the establishment wing of the GOP resting on Mitch McConnel is still in charge of maybe 40% of the hearts and minds of the GOP and 30% with the President, with the balance waiting to see which way the wind blows.

It doesn't matter though. He's presenting the Republicans with a choice - My way or the Toilet. If they are complicit in helping
preserve the democratic institutions, or even just try sitting it out, they are finished for years.

I believe Mueller has nothing substantial to hurt Trump and cause his impeachment. But that is not to say he will not go down that path. I give 50/50 that he either exonerates him and throws a heap of indictments and charges at Republicans, Lobbyists and Democrats, and allows the Presidency to go ahead unharassed, OR tries to doctor charges to be litigated out through court which Trump will be further inconvenienced with but will likely win out with.

There's enough on the record for an impeachment to proceed. But, it's a political game, and the question is whether the Republicans
are willing to throw Trump under the bus, and lose, or surrender the remaining tatters of our democracy and be nominal winners
in the following regime.

This has been a Hell of a ride and I love watching it roll out.

Yeah. I didn't think it could happen here. It's good to live in interesting times - so long as you don't have
children, or any other stake in the future.

[Calandale]

This is an interesting perspective. From the beginning believed Trump wasn't intended to win, and his being elected was an unexpected error in some larger design to ensure Clinton to be elected.

I think there are many layers here. The Clinton connection may have been one branch, from the cheeto-in-chief's perspective.


Putin has a grudge against Pillory though, and definitely didn't want that.

[odeon]

Meh. Don't you think plain stupidity explains it all better?

[Calandale]

On who's part precisely? Putin's been playing quite well, I think.

[odeon]

On who's part precisely? Putin's been playing quite well, I think.

Trump and the Republicans.

[Calandale]

The R's in general, yes.


Trump? I'm not sure. I don't think he's a dumb man - even if he sounds like a five year old.
He's indebted - and probably in ways that would have gotten him locked up. What choice does he have?
Of course, it plays to his ego to boot.

[odeon]

I think the man is a moron with no redeeming features, a danger to his country.

[Calandale]

I agree on everything but the moron part. He has a wileyness that enables him to be an effective con artist.
I wouldn't call someone with such a competency a moron, even if, like most con men, he is also easily taken in.

[Al Swearegen]

I dunno?
Many have been trying to say that everything is about to go bad and all I see is people don't agree with everything he does and the economy seems to be doing great, what do you see him doing that is really bad?
What do you think he has done that is impeachable?
I would agree that Putin gets a win no matter which way the wind blows but how do you think he has played the game well with US?
What are his cons as President (I personally am VERY suspicious of his promises on the Wall and on Immigration reform - I think that maybe regardless of his promises he sees these purely as negotiables - but that is me, what do YOU think)?