Trump's art of doing everything without doing anything

Jun 2013
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1(a) According to https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/17/us/politics/trump-laws-bills.html

(Begin excerpts)
“We’ve signed more bills — and I’m talking about through the legislature — than any president, ever,” Mr. Trump said at a “Made in America” event at the White House. “For a while, Harry Truman had us. And now, I think, we have everybody.”...

In fact, as he approaches six months in office on Thursday, Mr. Trump is slightly behind the lawmaking pace for the past six presidents, who as a group signed an average of 43 bills during the same period. And an analysis of the bills Mr. Trump signed shows that about half were minor and inconsequential, passed by Congress with little debate. Among recent presidents, both the total number of bills he signed and the legislation’s substance make Mr. Trump about average. (End excerpts)

1(b) How can narcissistic Trump do everything without doing anything? Sounds like magic, isn't it? The secret lies in bragging or self-praise. He likes to praise himself while denigrating others. The following are some of the countless examples of his bragging about his "very, very large brain".

(i) “Sorry losers and haters, but my I.Q. is one of the highest — and you all know it! Please don’t feel so stupid or insecure. It’s not your fault.” Donald Trump on Twitter.

(ii) Trump told Bob Woodward in September 2018: “Accurate is that nobody’s ever done a better job than I’m doing as president.”

Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...esident/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.99546a39c1fc

(iii) Asked on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” whom he talked with “consistently” about foreign affairs, Donald Trump responded in 2016, “I’m speaking with myself, number one, because I have a very good brain and I’ve said a lot of things.”

Source: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/mar/17/donald-trump-i-consult-myself-on-foreign-policy-be/

(iv) Trump told a reporter in 1984. “It would take an hour and a half to learn everything there is to learn about missiles. … I think I know most of it anyway.”

Source: http://time.com/4437770/presidential-debate-donald-trump-nuclear-negotiator/

1(c) Here are some more examples of his boasting or self-praise from his interview by Sarah Westwood of Washington Examiner Magazine on his first 100 days (published on April 28, 2017)

(i) “A lot of good things are happening. Really good things. We’re very proud of the job we’ve done."

(ii) "I think we've done more than perhaps any president in the first 100 days. But I don't want to set the 100 days as a standard — I think even more importantly, I think that we've established foundations for the next, almost eight years."

(iii) "I'd give us an A. I would say communication would be a little bit less than an A because I don't think we've gotten the word out what we've done because I think we're so busy getting it done that we're not talking about it. But I would give the administration, on the big picture, an A."

(iv) "I've passed a lot of legislative bills that people don't even know about. Whether it's the VA and choice and whether it's a lot of different things, a lot of bills we've passed, including relating to the Internet, so we believe we'll have 32 legislative — this is not executive orders — this is legislative bills passed. And nobody knew that."

(v) "We've freed up the economy, the work on regulation is unprecedented, what we've done on regulation. And I will tell you on legislative — which people said, 'oh well he's done nothing legislatively,' they didn't know, because we didn't make a big deal out of it, but we've done a great job. Not since Harry Truman has anybody done so much. That's a long time ago."

(vi) "I think we've created some amazing, we've done some amazing things, and I think we've set some incredible foundations going onward, with relationships, with other countries, et cetera, et cetera."

(vii) "I am somebody with a lot of heart and you know, you've heard what I said. Just, relax and let's let it all play out. Because I think everyone's going to be happy in the end. I will say that we're doing an amazing job at the border."

Source: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/full-interview-with-president-trump-on-his-first-100-days

1(d) AP White House Correspondent Julie Pace interviewed Donald Trump at the Oval Office, and the following are his remarks.

(i) "Have you seen the tremendous success we’ve had in the Middle East with the ISIS (an abbreviation for the Islamic State group)? When (current Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al) Abadi left from Iraq, he said Trump has more success in eight weeks than Obama had in eight years. ... We have had tremendous success, but we don’t talk about it. We don’t talk about it."

(ii) "I have learned one thing, because I get treated very unfairly, that’s what I call it, the fake media. And the fake media is not all of the media. You know they tried to say that the fake media was all the, no. The fake media is some of you. I could tell you who it is, 100 percent. Sometimes you’re fake, but — but the fake media is some of the media. It bears no relationship to the truth. It’s not that Fox treats me well, it’s that Fox is the most accurate."

(iii) "I’ve only been here now 93 days, 92 days. President Obama took 17 months to do Obamacare. I’ve been here 92 days but I’ve only been working on the health care, you know I had to get like a little bit of grounding right? Health care started after 30 day(s), so I’ve been working on health care for 60 days. ...You know, we’re very close. And it’s a great plan, you know, we have to get it approved."

(iv) "I think the 100 days is, you know, it’s an artificial barrier. It’s not very meaningful. I think I’ve established amazing relationships that will be used the four or eight years, whatever period of time I’m here. I think for that I would be getting very high marks because I’ve established great relationships with countries, as President el-Sissi has shown and others have shown."

Source: https://apnews.com/c810d7de280a47e88848b0ac74690c83
 
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Sep 2018
503
7
Atlanta area
he certainly takes up some rent-free residence in your mind.

Yes, the poor chap obviously suffers from (or enjoys) TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome).

Trump Derangement Syndrome
Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) is a mental condition in which a person has been driven effectively insane due to their love of Donald Trump, to the point they will abandon all logic and reason.

Symptoms for this condition can be very diverse, ranging from racist or xenophobic outbursts to a complete disconnection from reality. TDS can also often result in the sufferer exhibiting violent, homicidal, or even genocidal desires, particularly against residents from foreign countries.

Sufferers have also been known to wish direct self-harm on themselves (such as increased tariffs, a desire for tax cuts heavily favoring corporations and the 1%, infringement of first amendment rights, and even the destruction of NATO for comrade Putin), provided that action was initiated by Donald Trump.

Paranoia is also a common symptom of TDS. Sufferers have been known to believe that they are in some way being persecuted when their Trump related beliefs are questioned, and in some cases believe they are about to be a victim of an immigrant related crime. The paranoia does however not seem to be bad enough to make TDS sufferers attempt to actually becoming informed and think for themselves.

If properly treated, suffers of TDS can make a full recovery. Many suffers have been known to grow out of TDS, yet many can only be treated by having their condition directly treated through the application of logical reasoning. It is also known that products containing mole can exacerbate the condition.

"Did you hear what Billy said the other day? He was saying how the US is being overrun by murderers and rapists from Mexico?!?"

"Yeah I know.. he has a serious case of TDS.."

"What's that?"

"Trump Derangement Syndrome"

"Is it treatable?"

"I can't see any reason why it wouldn’t be."

"Wait, I meant to say ‘I can't see any reason why it would be.’ Logical reasoning is kryptonite to Trump Flakes."

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Trump Derangement Syndrome

Donald-Trump-DERANGEMENT-SYNDROME-Screamers.jpg
 
Jun 2013
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2. Zachary Karabell is a contributing editor at Politico Magazine. The following are excerpts from his February 13, 2017 article headlined "President Trump Has Done Almost Nothing" with the subheading "Tune out the noise coming from the White House. So far, very little has actually happened".

(Begin excerpts)
....So far, Trump has behaved exactly like he has throughout his previous career: He has generated intense attention and sold himself as a man of action while doing little other than promote an image of himself as someone who gets things done.

It is the illusion of a presidency, not the real thing.

The key problem here is understanding Trump’s executive orders and presidential memoranda. Trump very quickly seized on the signing of these as media opportunities, and each new order and memo has been staged and announced as dramatic steps to alter the course of the country.....

And yet, words are not the same as actions. Trump can issue as many documents called executive orders and presidential memoranda as he wants. As the fate of the travel ban shows, however, that doesn’t mean that even the more meaningful ones are actionable, and the preponderance of the orders to date would in any other administration have been news releases stating broad policy goals that may or may not ever become actual policy.

But too many of us take these words as action. That confirms both the worst fears of what the Trump administration is and the greatest hopes of what Trump wants it to be: a White House that shoots first and asks question later, a White House of action and change that shakes the status quo to the core and charts a new path for America and Americans. To date, this White House has broken every convention and rule of tone and attitude, toward Washington and toward the truth. But in reality, it has done far less than most people think....

Trump poses a challenge to decades of tradition and precedent. He is masterful as conflating words and actions in a way that enrages and alarms his opponents and exhilarates and excites his supporters. It’s more important than ever to distinguish what is from what isn’t. Understanding the difference between what this president says and what he does is one of the only things that will keep our public debate from plunging ever deeper into the hall of mirrors. (End excerpts)

Source: https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/02/president-trump-has-done-almost-nothing-214775
 
Oct 2012
2,384
437
NC
Reedak,

i would suggest revealing something of yourself to this forum first, then your messages will seem more real, as though it was from a real person.
you used to reveal your poetic and metaphoric gift which made the readings more interesting.

lately though it seems you rely more on cutting-and pasting from anti-trump rags <yawn>.

don't take offense . I just think you need to put more skin in the game....do you know what I mean ole boy?

your cheering fan,
arcturus88
 
Sep 2018
503
7
Atlanta area
Reedak,

i would suggest revealing something of yourself to this forum first, then your messages will seem more real, as though it was from a real person.
you used to reveal your poetic and metaphoric gift which made the readings more interesting.

lately though it seems you rely more on cutting-and pasting from anti-trump rags <yawn>.

don't take offense . I just think you need to put more skin in the game....do you know what I mean ole boy?

your cheering fan,
arcturus88

Yeah! Tell us about yourself on the Fireside Chat!

DisloyalThirdArcticseal-max-1mb.gif
 
Jun 2013
1,640
179
Earth
Reedak,

i would suggest revealing something of yourself to this forum first, then your messages will seem more real, as though it was from a real person.
you used to reveal your poetic and metaphoric gift which made the readings more interesting.

lately though it seems you rely more on cutting-and pasting from anti-trump rags <yawn>.

don't take offense . I just think you need to put more skin in the game....do you know what I mean ole boy?

your cheering fan,
arcturus88

I liken myself to the little boy who cried out, "But the Emperor has no clothes!" in Hans Christian Andersen's famous satire.

http://www.shortkidstories.com/story/th-emperors-new-clothes/
 
Jun 2013
1,640
179
Earth
Reedak,

i would suggest revealing something of yourself to this forum first, then your messages will seem more real, as though it was from a real person.
you used to reveal your poetic and metaphoric gift which made the readings more interesting.

lately though it seems you rely more on cutting-and pasting from anti-trump rags <yawn>.

don't take offense . I just think you need to put more skin in the game....do you know what I mean ole boy?

your cheering fan,
arcturus88

My dear friend, does anyone including you want to reveal his identity? Even if a person claims to do so, can his words be trustworthy?

Did Hans Christian Andersen find it necessary to reveal the identity of the small boy who revealed that the emperor wore no clothes?

I believe you, like any other American, are more capable than Trump. Why are you so subservient to him? So the problem now is not to place your heart on the "left" or "right" (anyway, Nature or God has decided its place in the chest for us) but to place it according to your conscience.

If you find anything wrong in America, listen to your conscience and speak up!

If you find that those in power are incapable, listen to your conscience and speak up!
 
Jun 2013
1,640
179
Earth
he certainly takes up some rent-free residence in your mind.

My dear friend, what's in my mind is conscience, that's why the pushback against the brash fellow.

Do you still have a good opinion of anyone, especially a candidate for the highest office in the land, after hearing him bragging that he could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and he wouldn't lose voters?

https://edition.cnn.com/2016/01/23/politics/donald-trump-shoot-somebody-support/index.html
 
Last edited:
Aug 2018
565
107
Shady Dale, Georgia
My dear friend, what's in my mind is conscience, that's why the pushback against the brash fellow.

Do you still have a good opinion of anyone, especially a candidate for the highest office in the land, after hearing him bragging that he could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and he wouldn't lose voters?

https://edition.cnn.com/2016/01/23/politics/donald-trump-shoot-somebody-support/index.html

Repeating the same lie over and over again doesn’t help. Trump stated, “They say, I could shoot...” by taking those first words off you are using an out of context remark to push your point. That works when you are talking with like minded people around the water cooler, it doesn’t work around people who actually look into things.


Sent from my iPad Pro using Tapatalk Pro
 
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Oct 2012
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My dear friend, what's in my mind is conscience, that's why the pushback against the brash fellow.

Do you still have a good opinion of anyone, especially a candidate for the highest office in the land, after hearing him bragging that he could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and he wouldn't lose voters?


I agree with the point SD stated above.

But beyond that , I am more concerned with the job a president can do. Not the particular way they make me feel at any given moment.

I'm more about their ideology, and ability than I am about the "feels" if you will.

That's a hard concept for leftists (not saying you are one) because, they operate, it seems, entirely on their "feels".
 
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