The Future President, Donald Trump

Planned Parenthood trolls Trump-Pence debacle in epic fashion
If Donald Trump’s selection of Mike Pence as his running mate started off poorly when it was leaked that he had spent the entire night before trying to figure out how to dump Pence in favor of someone else, things took a turn for the worse when the campaign unveiled a Trump-Pence “TP” logo which quickly became the butt of social media jokes. Not only was it ripe for toilet paper references and nods to Beavis and Butt-Head, it was also lampooned for resembling a sex act. Planned Parenthood wasted little time lampooning the debacle:



Just a few hours after the Donald Trump campaign released the Trump-Pence logo, which appeared to depict the T penetrating the P in a sexual fashion, Planned Parenthood of New York City posted a revised version of the logo in which a condom had been placed on the T. “We fixed the #TrumpPence logo. Stay safe, y’all. When it comes to sex AND voting,” the group declared, along with “Not My Ticket” and “I’m With Her” in reference to its endorsement of Hillary Clinton.

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http://www.dailynewsbin.com/news/planned-parenthood-trolls-trump-pence-debacle-in-epic-fashion/25215/

Clinton campaign: Pence 'most extreme' VP pick in generation

Love that condom!

#LogoFail: Trump/Pence campaign scrubs “screw you” branding after one day of massive ridicule

Source: RawStory

After a day of ridicule for a poorly designed Trump/Pence campaign logo that launched a thousand memes, the Trump campaign disappeared the design from their official website overnight.

Following the Twitter announcement of Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as businessman Donald Trump’s choice of a running mate should he still be given the GOP presidential nomination, the logo was unveiled online and immediately became the object of derision.

With some commenters noting the T&P styling and comparing it to dangling toilet paper coming off a roll, others pointed out the penetration of the Trump ‘T’ into the Pence ‘P’ had a disturbing sexual connotation that became the subject of much mirth.

Full Frontal host Samantha Bee’s crack staff almost immediately posted and animated GIF (see below), under the heading: “Breaking the Mattress of America.”

-snip-

Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/2016/07/logofail-trumppence-campaign-scrubs-screw-you-branding-after-one-day-of-massive-ridicule/

Can you imagine how .... violated ..... Chris Christi must feel? Named with no closed letters but got the same thing anyways? "You can get on the plane now, go that way!" Yep. It must hurt to sit if you're Mike Spence or Chris Christi.

I think Spence thinks maybe tRump will be a short timer.

Apparently the logo was replaced on Trump's website with a pic of Trump. Is Pence even the VP pick anymore? Maybe Trump is using the uproar over the logo to simply replace Pence.

This is current: http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/14/politics/donald-trump-vice-presidential-choice/

Pence was introduced today. There was just something on the news about it. Apparently it was quite awkward. Trump left the stage after introducing Pence - no balloons, no hoopla.

http://www.vox.com/2016/7/16/12205878/donald-trump-mike-pence-vp-speech


(separate matter of interest - Ezra Klein on Vox. Is he catching up with us? )

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/17/us/politics/mike-pence-donald-trump.html?_r=0

hahahaha

They should have chosen Roger Miller's hits: Can't Rollerskate in a Buffalo Herd and Dang Me.

Wonder why NYT worded it as Mike Pence joins Donald Trump in the spot light? It should have read, Donald Trump abandons Pence at the podium.

Trump-appointed convention speakers are dropping like Clinton whistleblowers.

I heard that most of the speakers are tRump family!

"Dump the tRump!" Kinda catchy, isn't it?

That 28 min. "rollout" harangue could be used by medical schools as a textbook illustration of this:
_____Narcissistic personality disorder_____

Definition
By Mayo Clinic Staff

Narcissistic personality disorder is a mental disorder in which people have an inflated sense of their own importance, a deep need for admiration and a lack of empathy for others. But behind this mask of ultraconfidence lies a fragile self-esteem that's vulnerable to the slightest criticism.


Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic Staff

If you have narcissistic personality disorder, you may come across as conceited, boastful or pretentious. You often monopolize conversations. You may belittle or look down on people you perceive as inferior. You may feel a sense of entitlement — and when you don't receive special treatment, you may become impatient or angry. You may insist on having "the best" of everything — for instance, the best car, athletic club or medical care.

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/narcissistic-personality-disorder/basics/definition/con-20025568

________________________________________
This charade has gone beyond even a sick joke. Trump is dangerously mentally unstable and must never be allowed anywhere near the levers of power.

What a damning indictment that a major political party would nominate this precarious personality for the presidency.

The Republican Party must NEVER be allowed to "disremember" this moment of historically feckless and craven political malpractice.

Announcing Mike Pence, Trump talks mostly about himself
By Jenna Johnson and Robert Costa
July 16 at 6:32 PM

NEW YORK — Introducing his new running mate on Saturday, Donald Trump stood alone behind a lectern bearing only his name and rambled for 28 minutes about his primary victories, what he called Hillary Clinton’s crimes against the country, how pastors should be allowed to endorse candidates and how he correctly predicted the outcome of the Brexit vote.

Occasionally, Trump mentioned his new “partner,” Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, mostly looking down to read from notes when he did. The presumptive Republican nominee insisted Pence was his “first choice” despite reports that he was uncomfortable with the decision until the end. Trump eventually invited Pence onstage, and the two shook hands. “You’re amazing,” Pence whispered to him.

Then Trump left the stage. The interaction lasted all of six seconds.

The scene seemed as uncomfortable and forced as the pair’s original campaign logo — a massive “T” dominating a smaller “P” — and it underscored the uneasiness in this politically arranged alliance ...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/in-announcing-mike-pence-donald-trump-talks-mostly-about-himself/2016/07/16/655eb2f4-4b75-11e6-90a8-fb84201e0645_story.html

Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?

Not at the RNC convention in Cleveland!

Trump’s Celebrity Shortage
[Gail Collins]

Gail Collins JULY 15, 2016

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/16/opinion/campaign-stops/pence-and-trump-veep-by-tweet.html?_r=0

One thing Donald Trump ought to be good at is throwing a celebrity-packed convention, right?

Right?

It’s just about the only thing we should be able to count on. He’s never been in government. His business career includes a string of bankrupt casinos, unpaid bills from small businesses, a smarmy “university” and a rather troubled Scottish golf course. But Donald Trump has always been a guy who knew how to slather on some glitz.

“It’s very important to put some showbiz into a convention, otherwise people are going to fall asleep,” the man himself told The Washington Post.

The list is in, and the celebrities include pro golfer Natalie Gulbis, currently 484th in women’s world rankings, and Dana White, head of a big mixed martial arts organization. Plus Antonio Sabato Jr., former underwear model turned reality TV show regular. And a ton of members of the Trump family.

Trump said he was planning a “winners’ evening” with supporters like New England Patriot quarterback Tom Brady, who promptly said he wasn’t coming. (Although Brady, who has been banned from playing the first part of the next season would seem to have a lot of time on his hands.) Trump made a similar announcement about the Steelers’ quarterback, with similar results.

Even Tim Tebow, former college star turned failed professional football player turned inspirational speaker, is going to be a no-show. The Trump campaign said he was on the program. Then Tebow, who now runs a charitable foundation, posted an Instagram video bemoaning “rumors.”

Of course, none of us actually cares there aren’t going to be any quarterbacks at the Republican convention. But if Trump can’t negotiate some cheesy diversions, what makes anybody think he can negotiate a new trade deal with China?

And by the way, were you curious about why Sarah Palin wasn’t coming to the convention? Easy answer. The Republican Party’s presumed presidential nominee says it’s because Alaska is too far from Cleveland.

Honest to gosh. “She was asked. It’s a little bit difficult because of where she is. We love Sarah. Little bit difficult because of, you know, it’s a long ways away,” Trump told The Washington Examiner this week.

Saying made-up things is a Trump stock in trade. Many of his fans defend his crazy statements about Muslims or Mexican walls or trade wars with a wave of the hand and a “you know he doesn’t mean it.” But we are getting into Twilight Zone territory here. There’s really no real.

The convention comes after a week in which we watched the drama of Trump’s vice-presidential selection. Indiana Gov. Mike Pence was the lucky winner. Pence is a social conservative who hews to the Paul Ryan vision of government — low taxes on the rich, free trade and a trimming of the Social Security safety net.

Big relief to the powers that be. But what about all those underemployed, alienated white workers who are expecting an anti-establishment, populist savior?

I dunno. Go ask Tom Brady.

The process by which Trump got to Pence was sort of stunning — several days of familial gatherings, muddied decision-making and an overweening sense that the Big Guy himself just couldn’t nail the decision down.

Tons of Trumps flew to Indiana. An announcement was scheduled. Then canceled. Pence was getting embarrassed. The runners-up, Newt Gingrich and Chris Christie, looked pathetic. Time passed. Eventually, Trump gave the rose to Pence via tweet. (“News conference tomorrow at 11:00 A.M.”)

It should have been simple, and it was a monumental screw-up. Obviously, Trump’s not the only candidate who makes mistakes. We’ll be hearing a lot about Hillary and her emails. The difference is that Clinton, like most people at the highest level in the American political system, can balance her disasters with a history of achievements. Trump has, um, Mar-a-Lago.

Based on the evidence we’ve seen so far, try to envision President Trump handling a crisis of major proportions. Pretend Wyoming is lifted into a giant spaceship by aliens who demand to speak with our leader.

1. Trump, who is off inspecting a new golf course in Sri Lanka, tweets that he’s sending his top celebrity endorser, Wayne Newton.

2. Newton says no via Facebook.

3. Cabinet meets and votes to send Mike Pence.

4. The president’s inner circle — Trump’s oldest daughter, two oldest sons, a son-in-law and 10-year-old Barron, who knows the most about the construction of spacecraft — hold an emergency meeting. The White House chief of staff is summoned from the basement and dispatched to fire the cabinet.

5. Space aliens take Montana, too.

6. After several days of conflicting reports, a new cabinet is formed with a mandate to build a dome over the remaining Plains states. President goes on TV and promises “a really, really big dome.”

7. Flags are reconfigured with the new national motto: “Forty-eight is great.”

A version of this op-ed appears in print on July 16, 2016, on page A21 of the New York edition with the headline: Trump’s Celebrity Shortage. Today's Paper|Subscribe

Where Trump Breaks
With the Republican Party

By ALAN RAPPEPORT and ALICIA PARLAPIANO MAY 11, 2016

The split between Donald J. Trump and Republican leaders in Congress — principally Speaker Paul D. Ryan, who will meet with him on Thursday — stems primarily from the fact that he is out of sync with the party’s mainstream on many of its core issues. Whether the presumptive presidential nominee is able to bridge these gaps could determine whether
he can unify the party behind him in the general election.

Where Trump Is to the Left of Party Leaders
He departs from the party on trade policies.

Republican Party MORE LIBERAL

Though Mr. Trump previously stated his support for free trade, he has called for punishing companies that move jobs abroad with tax hikes, and he has promised to renegotiate trade deals that do not favor American workers. He has also threatened to impose a tariff on Chinese goods if China manipulates its currency.

Republicans generally support trade deals, and Mr. Ryan has been a proponent of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade deal involving the United States and Pacific Rim nations. Mr. Ryan authored legislation that gave President Obama expanded negotiating powers to complete the accord, legislation Mr. Trump vocally opposed.

He aligns more with Democrats on some economic issues.

Republican Party MORE LIBERAL

Mr. Trump has broken with Republican orthodoxy by vowing to close tax loopholes that benefit the rich and by suggesting — and later retracting — that the wealthiest could pay higher taxes under his plan. He has said he would be open to raising the minimum wage. He has expressed little concern about reining in government spending, and when on the national debt, he said recently that the United States could walk away from some of its obligations and would never default because it prints the money.

On entitlements, Mr. Trump offers a clean split from many Republicans, who have called loudly in recent years for deep spending cuts. “I’m not going to cut Social Security like every other Republican, and I’m not going to cut Medicare or Medicaid,” Mr. Trump has said.
Where Trump Is to the Right of Party Leaders

His stance on immigration is more hard-line.

Republican Party MORE CONSERVATIVE

Mr. Trump has said he wants to build a big wall along the border with Mexico and deport all undocumented immigrants. He has also called for a moratorium barring foreign Muslims from entering the country.

Republicans have opposed amnesty and supported enhanced border security, but leaders like Mr. Ryan have been open to combining border controls with a path to legal status for undocumented immigrants. The party has been divided on the idea of mass deportations, and few Republicans have expressed support for the Muslim ban that Mr. Trump proposed.


Where Trump is Out of Sync With Party Leaders
He is more isolationist on foreign policy.

Though he can sound hawkish when talking about the use of power, Mr. Trump’s foreign policy doctrine can be summed up by the phrase “America First.” He claims to want to avoid foreign interventions and nation building, and he has warned that he will walk away from international treaties or agreements in which the United States provides military protection while getting little in return.

Mr. Trump has also suggested that Japan and South Korea should build their own nuclear arsenals so they can protect themselves — an idea that has sent the heads of national security experts of all stripes spinning.

While Republicans are also war weary, the party continues to prize relationships with key allies around the world and has criticized President Obama for leading from behind. The 2012 Republican platform promoted a “peace through strength” doctrine and said the United States should remain committed to promoting democracy in places such as Cuba and Syria.


Where Party Leaders May Have Cause for Concern
He is far from a firebrand on social issues.

Previously an abortion rights advocate, Mr. Trump now says he opposes abortion, at one point calling for women who seek abortions to be punished, which runs afoul of conservative doctrine. But he has also said Planned Parenthood offers valuable medical services to women, and he has opposed Republican efforts to cut off funding to the group.

He has said he opposed the Supreme Court’s decision to make same-sex marriage legal across the country, and would appoint judges who would overturn it. Though most establishment Republicans believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman, many have accepted same-sex marriage as the law of the land.

Generally, Mr. Trump does not make social issues central to his campaign, and he recently broke with some Republicans when he said he had no problem with transgender people using the bathrooms of their choice. He supports some gay rights, and at one point advocated amending the 1964 Civil Rights Act to include a ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation.

He has taken a variety of positions on health care.

Mr. Trump has called for universal health care that the government would fund, and even briefly favored insurance mandates, though he ultimately settled on a plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act and reduce health insurance costs by allowing consumers to shop for insurance across state lines.

Mr. Trump advocates allowing the federal government to negotiate lower prescription drug prices for Medicare and Medicaid, a central plank of Democratic health proposals that have been adamantly, and successfully, opposed by Republican leaders.

Nearly all Republicans have staunchly opposed government meddling in the health system. Party leaders have wanted a full repeal of the Affordable Care Act since its inception and have called for replacing it with a market-based system that would be overseen by the states, with better price transparency.

He has voiced support for a
gun control measure that Mr. Ryan called a distraction.

Mr. Trump, a gun owner himself and an ardent supporter of the Second Amendment, has railed against gun-free zones as "soft targets," and in the aftermath of terrorist attacks he suggested that the outcome might have been different had the victims been armed.

While the Republican Party has also been highly resistant to gun control measures, one area where Mr. Trump and Mr. Ryan have disagreed is whether people who are on the terrorist watch list can purchase guns. Mr. Ryan last year called that debate a “distraction” from the fight against terrorism, but Mr. Trump agreed with gun control groups such as the Brady Campaign that people thought to be potential terrorists should not have easy access to guns.