back to article Donald Trump promises 'such trouble' for Jeff Bezos and Amazon

Donald Trump has belched out another technology-related thought bubble, this time puffing in the direction of Amazon.com and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos. At a campaign rally in Texas over the weekend, The Donald said “I have respect for Jeff Bezos but he bought The Washington Post to have political influence.” “And I …

  1. Youngone Silver badge

    Inherited Wealth

    I have no idea what to make of Trump. He talks such a load of crap, but he's not stupid, he knows he can't do half the things he says he will.

    Surely the people who cheer this rubbish know the President can't go around attacking businessmen or their holdings just because he doesn't like what they say?

    I've seen the theory put forward on the Internet that he's just a shill for Hilary, but I'm not sure I'm buying that.

    1. Schultz

      Just a successful PR campaign

      My theory is that this started as a cheap PR campaign for Trump. As in: "Hey, I'll run for president. Worst case it's a lot of cheap PR, best case I'll be the next president."

      1. Tony S

        Re: Just a successful PR campaign

        ""Hey, I'll run for president. Worst Best case it's a lot of cheap PR, best worst case I'll be the next president."

        FTFY

      2. allthecoolshortnamesweretaken

        Re: Just a successful PR campaign

        Best case: lots and lots of cheap PR.

        Worst case: President.

        There, FTFY!

    2. Mark 85

      Re: Inherited Wealth

      I think he's serious about all this. He knows he can't do it including the changing the libel laws. But his supporters are sure eating it up. He's telling the dis-affected middle class just what they want to hear. If loses the nomination or election, he'll still come out as the "good guy" in a lot of people's eyes.

      It would be interesting if he were elected, how much of his posturing would be followed up by Congress.

      I won't go into the "other side" of the election but I see much playing to the crowd there also.

      Disclaimer: I still consider my self pretty much middle-of-the-road.

      1. FreemonSandlewould

        Re: Inherited Wealth

        So obviously clueless it makes me think you are a 35 year old virgin. Trump had been thinking about this for years. He finally saw the opportunity was right.

        You Brits should probably refrain from comment. You're hopelessly uninformed on this topic.

        1. My-Handle

          Re: Inherited Wealth

          Re: "You Brits should probably refrain from comment. You're hopelessly uninformed on this topic."

          Interesting that you should say such a thing, when you also commented "England is much more screwed up than the USA" not 26 days ago.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: Inherited Wealth

            And a million Americans slap their foreheads and go it's this guy, he's the one who makes them think we don't get irony.

        2. Lysenko

          Freemon?

          ... are you sure that in't supposed to be "Freeper" ?

        3. SolidSquid

          Re: Inherited Wealth

          > Trump had been thinking about this for years. He finally saw the opportunity was right.

          Was the time right in 2000 when he ran and then pulled out? Even US commentators initially thought he was doing this for publicity again and would be reluctant to go the whole way because of the pressures to release tax paperwork, which might undermine his claims on how much money he's worth (he tried to sue Forbes for libel when they tried to calculate it after the property market crashed and got a number significantly less than the one he claimed)

          It's also interesting the hypocrisy of Trump criticising someone for trying to buy political influence after countering claims he had supported Democrat candidates by saying he gave money to *all* parties in New York elections in an effort to buy influence and make things easier for his company

          1. Someone_Somewhere

            Re: the pressures to release tax paperwork

            Or, perhaps, https://news.vice.com/article/the-salacious-ammo-even-donald-trump-wont-use-in-a-fight-against-hillary-clinton-bill-clinton

        4. BurnT'offering

          Re: "You're hopelessly uninformed on this topic."

          @FreemonSandlewould: It's a start but it will be hard for us to compete with someone so hopelessly uninformed on so many topics.

        5. jzl

          Re: Inherited Wealth

          Brits should refrain from comment?

          The choice of US president affects our lives almost as much as the choice of our own prime minister, but we don't - obviously - get a vote. Commenting is the least we can do.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: Inherited Wealth

            "The choice of US president affects our lives almost as much as more than the choice of our own prime minister, but we don't - obviously - get a vote. Commenting is the least we can do."

            FTFY. British PMs can't even put their trousers on without the permission of the Secretary of State and large US corporations. At least in Puerto Rico they can have an actual debate about how the country is run; our politicians have to deflect attention - ooh, immigrants! ooh, referendum!

            1. Matt Bryant Silver badge
              FAIL

              Re: Voyna i Mor Re: Inherited Wealth

              "....At least in Puerto Rico they can have an actual debate about how the country is run...." Er, if you had read any news in the last year you might have known the Puerto Ricans can't afford to hold a debate! http://www.npr.org/2015/06/05/411710928/broke-and-barred-from-bankruptcy-puerto-rico-seeks-outside-cash

          2. TechBearMike

            Re: Inherited Wealth

            I am a Yank, and I approve this comment.

        6. Andrew Moore

          Re: Inherited Wealth

          "You Brits should probably refrain from comment. You're hopelessly uninformed on this topic."

          We have a thing called "free speech"- you might have heard of it.

          1. ShadowDragon8685

            Re: Inherited Wealth

            Just a few reminders:

            1: What you Brits call "Free Speech," we Yankees think of as "HAHAHAHAAHAHAAAA right!" (Even if sometimes we WISH we could silence assholes like the Westboro Baptist Church and the Klan and Neo-Nazis.)

            2: If you're defending your right to say something by saying "We have freedom of speech," what you're saying is "the very best argument I can put forward for what I am saying is that the government is not allowed to arrest me for saying it." It's pretty much conceding defeat in any argument, because what you're saying is that the very best argument for what you have to say is that it's not LITERALLY illegal to say it.

            Now, those reminders having been said, the guy who said that Brits should refrain from weighing in on the matter of the Ass Trumpet running for President was speaking a giant load of bollocks. Just saying you should probably come up with a better argument to defend your guaranteed right to gripe about the U.S. election system than that HM the Queen won't have you thrown in irons for voicing those gripes.

            Frankly, any of Trump's failings should do, anything from the fact he's reputed to sleep with a copy of Mein Kampf next to his pillow, to the fact that he's filed for bankruptcy god-knows how many times, to the fact that he is, in fact, a bombastic blowhard pandering to the worst impulses of ignorance, violence and Othering.

            1. Kumar2012

              Re: Inherited Wealth

              "Frankly, any of Trump's failings should do, anything from the fact he's reputed to sleep with a copy of Mein Kampf next to his pillow, to the fact that he's filed for bankruptcy god-knows how many times, to the fact that he is, in fact, a bombastic blowhard pandering to the worst impulses of ignorance, violence and Othering." --- you already failed playing the Nazi card, but let me humour you since you are hapless low info leftist and can't help but being ignorant about.. .well everything... Trump hasn't gone bankrupt even ONCE, he has however put 4 companies through bankruptcy protection... that is 4 companies out of OVER 500, that's a 99.2% success rate... how terrible right? As for pandering... no you silly gibbon, he is just stating what people are already thinking, everyone is sick of illegals, everyone is sick of the fringe freak left ruling their lives, and everyone is sick of the sycophant leftwing media and Trump is finally someone they can rally behind who says it like it is, that is why he got 46% of the Hispanic vote in Nevada, you just have no clue how angry everyone is, you are going to find out though.

              1. Rich 11

                Re: Inherited Wealth

                everyone is sick of the fringe freak left ruling their lives

                Have you ever actually been to the US? Ah, no, I bet you are an American, probably with politics somewhere to the right of Genghis Khan if you think that you've had a left-wing government at any time in the last 40 years.

              2. TechBearMike

                Re: Inherited Wealth

                @Kumar2012

                Ah, the not-so-veiled threat. So ineffective, but so Trump-like. How high is the dirt mound you're standing on? Wouldn't want you to fall off, wee one. But enjoy the view while you can.

          2. RedCardinal

            Re: Inherited Wealth

            >>We have a thing called "free speech"- you might have heard of it.

            Do we still have that under our curent caring benevolent regime? Does Theresa may know? :P

        7. Chika
          Mushroom

          Re: Inherited Wealth #MakeDonaldDrumpfAgain

          You Brits should probably refrain from comment. You're hopelessly uninformed on this topic.

          Oh really? Well I do know of one "Brit" who was pretty spot on about Donald Drumpf. Of course, if your one line of defence against comments that malign Drumpf is to fire off non sequiturs such as "35 year old virgin" and question the knowledge of those of us that comment about possibly the biggest mistake in Merkan politics ever, then perhaps it is us that should be asking you to refrain from comment before you make a bigger fool of yourself than you already have.

          And for those with the necessary browser extensions that can be used to beat the inexplicable blocking of the YouTube video of the 22 minutes of hilarity that John Oliver put out on the subject of Donald Drumpf (or you aren't in a country that is being blocked, of course), the link is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnpO_RTSNmQ

          And remember to #MakeDonaldDrumpfAgain

          1. Nick Ryan Silver badge

            Re: Inherited Wealth #MakeDonaldDrumpfAgain

            Us Brits will comment all we like, thank you. We like lampooning idiots, it's a national passtime, please look into our historical documentaries "spitting image" and "yes (prime) minister".

            Also, come back when you genuinely have a democracy: Hollywood repeatedly telling the world that the US has a democracy does not make it so. Even the UK is more of a democracy than the US, and the US recognises the UK as being a constitutional monarchy (https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/uk.html).

        8. This post has been deleted by its author

    3. FreemonSandlewould

      Re: Inherited Wealth

      Not sure what anyone's gripe here is. What Trump said was so obviously true I'm not sure why you argue as it only makes you look dishonest or dumb.

      Point Blank: Bezos bought the Washington Post for political influence. DUH!

      That is even worthy of a "no shist Sherlock" or a "Thank you Captain Obvious!"

      It dismays me that you can't see the obvious.

      1. Mark 85

        Re: Inherited Wealth

        So what if it's obviously true? The point was that Trump, if elected, wants to single-handedly change the laws. That seems to be the issue.

        Maybe he will ask Congress to change the law on this and other things he's been shoutie about lately, but there's a couple of bigger questions: a) would Congress go along with this? and b) would it pass muster with the Supremes?

        Obama and other past Presidents have tried this. Sometimes it works, other times, not so much.

        1. The_Idiot

          Re: Inherited Wealth

          @Mark 85's comment (but not directed at the good Sir Mark :-) )

          "b) would it pass muster with the Supremes?"

          The Donald doesn't think he'll have any problem with The Supremes. He's got an inside track - he bought a Diana Ross album once, so he figures he's good to go.

          Sigh...

      2. KeithR

        Re: Inherited Wealth

        "Not sure what anyone's gripe here is"

        So neither you nor Trump understand the word "hypocrite", then?

        1. Roq D. Kasba

          Re: Inherited Wealth

          It's just a prank, bro!

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Inherited Wealth

          " So neither you nor Trump understand the word "hypocrite", then? "

          surely the word 'hypocrite' is an immigrant, so Trump wouldnt want it around? (Thinking about it though, the anti-immigration stance of a second generation immigrant does show that he understands the word "irony" at least as well as Baldrick)

          1. Lysenko

            surely the word 'hypocrite' is an immigrant...

            Damn right it is, and not just any immigrant either ... it's GREEK!! You've seen the news. Europe is being invaded by head chopping jihadis and they are all coming through GREECE!!

            As a precautionary measure the USA should prohibit words like: hypocrite, idiot, moron etc. until we can figure out what these "Greeks" are up to !!

            1. The_Idiot

              Re: surely the word 'hypocrite' is an immigrant...

              @Lysenko's remark - but not the good Lysenko...

              "the USA should prohibit words like: ... idiot"

              Hey! I resemble that remark! I don't want to be perhobbit... er, prodibbit... er, pregravid... er, bloody banned! (blush). <--- Not intended to offer offense, and none taken :-).

              1. Lysenko

                Re: surely the word 'hypocrite' is an immigrant...

                Assuming you an NBI (Natural Born Idiot)[1] then the prohibition won't apply to you. Locking you up in an internment camp somewhere in Nebraska and waterboarding you will do for the time being.

                [1] Naturally NBI status can't be finally ruled upon until the recently assassinated member of the Supreme Court is replaced by a sufficiently reactionary demagogue, obsessed with the original intent of ancient manuscripts[2].

                [2] No, I don't see any irony. What are you talking about Mr Ayatollah?

            2. magickmark

              Re: surely the word 'hypocrite' is an immigrant...

              Beware of Greeks bearing gifts!!!!

            3. Michael Habel

              Re: surely the word 'hypocrite' is an immigrant...

              Isn't obvious, the Greeks want to use those 'Immigrants' as leverage to get out of paying back their debts. They've already gone on official record stating that much. Though you'd probably have to do some digging to find it. Since Germany apparently will just about take anyone in these days.

              Sadly the next General Election ain't due until Q4 of 2017. :( On the other hand Merkel has promised not to run again. Now if only there was some way to oust her now before she really screws us, and Europe (which has pretty much with one voice said F[REDACTED]k you! to that idea. The Brits for sure, as well as the French. Who had to deal with Two separate attacks against them last year. And the newer Eastern Block that doesn't want them either. This would be fun to watch, best advice GTFO outta Europe while ya still can!

          2. Kumar2012
            Mushroom

            Re: Inherited Wealth

            "Thinking about it though, the anti-immigration stance of a second generation immigrant does show that he understands the word "irony" at least as well as Baldrick" ---- Nothing Ironic about it at all, Trump, along with the vast majority of Americans (including LEGAL Hispanics), is against ILLEGAL immigration, nice try (as usual) to try and mix the too, so there is nothing ironic or hypocritical about it at all, Trump's parents, like mine immigrated LEGALLY, what is so hard to understand for you leftwing dingbats about that? That is why Trump IS going to win and change the whole game, you can all sit there and gnash your teeth as the people take back the country. Nuke because that's what's happening to politics as usual in the USA!

      3. TonyJ

        Re: Inherited Wealth

        Wow sandlewould. Just had a quick glance through your posts and...well you don't half talk some shit, eh?

        Climate change is bull; anyone who doesn't agree with your socio-eco-policitcal views is a liberal pansy etc etc etc and most of your responses to whatever post you feel the need to troll tend to be argumentative and personal attacks...stay classy.

        I have a lovely bridge for you to buy but something tells me you're probably happy with the one you're clearly already living under waiting for goats to come along.

      4. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Inherited Wealth

        ...yes, and it smells quite a lot like buying the Presidency of the US for political influence.

    4. KeithR

      Re: Inherited Wealth

      "but he's not stupid"

      Enough of these unsubstantiated claims. Cite some evidence.

    5. enormous c word

      Re: Inherited Wealth

      I beg to differ. Trump is thick as 5hit - he has the barest understanding of the majority of what he's talking about - because he doesnt unerstand, he has no doubts. He's also manipulative, astute and surrounded by admiring flunkies and that's why he is able to speak so convincingly Trump makes even Bush Jr and Reagan appear *bright* (cumulatively speaking of course not individually)

      1. P. Lee
        Paris Hilton

        Re: Inherited Wealth

        Trump is smart?

        I think he's "Paris Hilton smart" - making a good living out of appearing stupid.

        People are so annoyed with being lied to. The political elite say all the right things and change nothing. Quite a few people are willing to blow out the front door with a shotgun, just to get some fresh air. It may be damaging and cost to undo the damage in the long run, but the atmosphere inside is so fetid its making everyone sick.

        It doesn't matter too much that he's unlikely to change anything. Voters just want to flex some muscle and poke some eyes. They could do it by voting for smaller parties, but they appear obsessed with money=success and won't vote for what they want in case they vote for a loser. Trump has money, therefore must be a winner and can be voted for.

        1. A Ghost

          Re: Inherited Wealth

          @P. Lee

          Trump knows exactly what he is doing.

          He is the ultimate protest vote.

          He's clever in that way.

          However, the way in which he is stupid is this: He believes he won't die in a plane crash like the rest of them (the days of lone gun assassins are gone - take out another 100 people as well and you are good to go).

          No way in hell will he get in to office. I'm surprised anyone thinks this is even a possibility. The POTUS does not run the world, he's a puppet like a Prime Minister. Kings have more power, though they pretend not to. The Queen of England runs the planet! But pretends not to even run England or the UK. There is this thing called diplomacy - can you imagine Trump taking on the Chinks, sorry, Trump moment, Chinese?

          I rest my case. But it's good theatre and gives the peasants something to chatter over.

          Any one remember the mighty Ron Paul?

        2. Chika
          Trollface

          Re: Inherited Wealth

          Trump is smart?

          I think he's "Paris Hilton smart" - making a good living out of appearing stupid.

          Yes, but he has "all the best words!"

          Heh! ;)

    6. LaunchpadBS

      Re: Inherited Wealth

      It's like you've never seen a politician before...

    7. Someone Else Silver badge
      Coat

      @Youngone -- Re: Inherited Wealth

      Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity. (Hanlon's Razor).

      We are talking Donald Trump here....

    8. A Ghost
      Flame

      Re: Inherited Wealth

      He talks such a load of crap, but he's not stupid

      Actually, he talks a load of sense, but he's an idiot.

      When I see people getting emotive about Trump, I immediately dismiss them, same for ad hominem against him. I've very rarely seen anyone debate his arguments in a decent fashion.

      Before you start spitting foam out of the corner of your mouths, NO, I'm not a Trump supporter. He will either be murdered as a warning to others, or suffer a horrible gardening accident, as a warning to others. There is no way in hell this man will ever take over the running of America. He talks too much sense, and for that he is an idiot.

      He feels invincible because of his power, but he's just one car crash away from reality.

      Ignore him and what he has to say at your peril. This man is being seen as the second coming in America by those poor souls that think he has a chance to get elected. They love him. In fact, they are willing to fight for him, with their guns.

      The fact is, you need a gun in America. The place is fucked. There are millions of crims running around with them, so you need to be tooled up as well. Pretty logical if you ask me. I support gun rights by the way - every American citizen should be armed. It will take centuries to sort the mess out, but eventually I would like to see a total ban on guns, with them not even being manufactured any more. So I'm a sort of gun-nut pacifist if you like.

      As for Trump, he's the stalking horse to end all stalking horses. I'm surprised and both dismayed to see his supporters and his 'enemies' do not see that yet. There is more chance of Richard Nixon being re-elected.

      But continue frothing at the gills, ignoring the bigger picture.

      Trump won't get in. Fact. But someone else will. Do you know who that is yet? How do you think that will work out?

      1. Someone Else Silver badge
        WTF?

        @A Ghost -- Re: Inherited Wealth

        I've very rarely seen anyone debate his arguments in a decent fashion.

        How can anyone debate the "argument" that "Mexico is sending rapists" or "I'm going to get Mexico to build a wall..." without becoming a self-recursive lampoon?

        I'll hang up an wait for my answer...

        <crickets/>

  2. Mike 16

    @youngone

    -- Surely the people who cheer this rubbish know the President can't go around attacking businessmen or their holdings just because he doesn't like what they say? --

    Putin is also a president and he can/does act like that. Also, it appears that Trump really admires him. So expect a few changes in the U.S. if the Donald wins.

    And if Trump really wants to cut down on hate speech, maybe Bezos can help him out with

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/S-M-Solid-Ball-Gag/dp/B005QEPLDQ

    Maybe custom fitted to him and printed with "Make America Grate Again"

    1. Naselus

      Re: @youngone

      "Putin is also a president and he can/does act like that. Also, it appears that Trump really admires him. So expect a few changes in the U.S. if the Donald wins."

      You do realise that the post of 'president' means different things in different countries, right..? Like, in some countries he's the dictator-for-life, and in others he's just a glorified Maitre d' who greets foreign dignitaries as they get off the plane.

      The US is somewhere in the middle, and the president can't just change the constitution at the drop of a hat. Otherwise Obama might have tried it - he'd certainly be fairly justified in trying to do so given the demented tea party types currently reducing Congress to constant deadlock on every single issue. Trump's borderline fascist rants would struggle to get backing from even some of the hardline republicans in the House, let alone getting a majority in the Senate.

      1. Roq D. Kasba

        Re: @a ghost

        Your point about diplomacy is a fine one. Trump has none whatsoever, and isn't a fit leader, pretty sure we're all on the same page there.

        There is a bigger problem that the US has a track record of letting itself down when it comes to leaders. Regan, Schwarzenegger, just actors. Family dynasties also feature heavily. Having been married to/brother of/spawn of another politician should not give you a free ride, but a familiar name is similar to the actors getting elected. Celebrity seems to be quite important over there, perhaps if that arrogant twat West ran, he'd also get Trump-scale coverage despite being at least as shit.

        Maybe this is unfair, but this is how it looks from the outside/old world.

        1. Mark 85

          @Roq D. Kasba -- Re: @a ghost

          As an US citizen and voter, I think you pretty much nailed it.

  3. a_yank_lurker

    The Issue

    Trump is alluding to a real problem; many media outlets are owned by third parties whose only interest often is to use the outlets for propaganda (both ways). Also, there are very few independent media outlets around as most major outlets are owned large corporations. Both mean that the effective editorial control is not local and many outlets will have essentially the same editorial policies as set by the parent management.

    I have no idea how Pravda on the Potomac is doing under Bezos.

    1. Flocke Kroes Silver badge

      Re: The Issue

      The solution?

      Independent news took a severe beating when people stopped paying for it. Hands up all those who paid to read news on The Register. The Trump 'solution' is to make vague threats against Amazon and Bezos. [I think a more productive solution would be to convince people to pay for their news. It wouldn't work because "Who's boinking who" would get a ton of cash for fictional articles, but I have yet to see a better idea.]

      If Trump gets nominated and elected (or wins as an independent), he becomes commander in chief of the US military. In theory he cannot declare a war on Bezos - that power remains with congress, but this has not stopped other presidents. He can order troops to surround Bezos for up to 60 days. He can promise a presidential pardon to the person who murders Bezos. He cannot create a new law directly: He can ask/pay a congressman to introduce his law. Then he has to get/buy enough votes to have to law passed, and finally the law will probably get struck down if it is not constitutional. In theory, he cannot buy congressmen with the military budget because that requires congressional approval (there could be a design flaw in the US system of checks and balances here). Finally Trump can appoint federal officials. Bezos could be investigated by the IRS and the Antitrust Division while getting raided daily by the ATF. President Trump could cause 'such trouble' for Jeff Bezos, but I am not convinced this will cause fair and honest newspapers, TV and internet news any better than asking people to pay for proper investigative reporting.

      In real life, Trump talks to his faction, and gets hardly any votes from the other Republican factions. Trump has got this far because the other factions all had multiple candidates splitting the vote. Trump is now down to four opponents and two of those will be gone soon. His loyal supporters are not enough to get him nominated in a three way split. His next step to being nominated has to be a completely new message that appeals to at least two factions - and to find a really good excuse to avoid Megyn Kelly. If he does not get nominated, Trump is sufficiently big headed to run as an independent.

      Although Trump is Hillary's dream opponent (doubly so as an independent), I doubt they are working together because Trump would never make a deal where he gets second place.

      1. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge

        Re: The Issue

        Trump could not make laws if he was El Presidente?

        Sure he could if is a likely both Congress and the Senate remain strongholds of the GOP...

        Perhaps your quote should read

        Hillary could not make laws

        With both houses in GOP hands they would do everything they could to stop her doing anything even, from leaving the White House. A lame duck from the day she was sworn in.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: The Issue

          Due to the large number of republican senators up for re-election this fall it is highly unlikely they hold the senate.

          I think Trump would probably have some initiatives that would interest democrats, some that would interest republicans, and some things (like building a wall and sending Mexico the bill) that would interest very few though he won't ever try to do that if he gets into office.

          Trump is just telling people what they want to hear. Between the idiots who actually believe what he says, and the reasonable but fed up people who think that he can't possibly be worse than the career politician alternatives in both parties, he's got a lot of support. Maybe not enough to win the general election, that remains to be seen (polls about who wins a general election have historically proven to be useless at this stage of the game)

          The US had an actor as president in the 80s. Not sure why people think a real estate developer would be so much worse. I wouldn't mind seeing the republican party fall apart as a result of him winning the nomination - if that happens the democrats will quickly follow suit as they decide to take advantage of their easy majority over the fractured republicans by purging all moderate ideas and people on the logic of "we don't need to compromise any longer". Maybe something better will rise up from the ashes of the two destroyed parties that actually represents my views...it could hardly be worse than what we have now!

          1. Alan_Peery

            Re: The Issue

            Because the actor was less chauvinistic, less racist, and less divisive?

          2. JennyZ

            Re: The Issue

            Reagan was Governor of California for 8 years (elected twice).

            Trump has held no public office.

            1. Geoffrey W

              Re: The Issue

              RE: Reagan

              Reagan was almost strangled by his ape costar in bedtime for Bonzo. Imagine how different everything would be now if that had happened!

          3. anonymous boring coward Silver badge

            Re: The Issue

            "The US had an actor as president in the 80s. Not sure why people think a real estate developer would be so much worse."

            Because this particular estate developer is a crazy and very nasty piece of thuggerish work?

            Just a thought..

        2. JennyZ

          Re: The Issue

          I can tell you right now, it doesn't happen that way here in America...

      2. Medixstiff

        Re: The Issue

        "Independent news took a severe beating when people stopped paying for it. "

        Most don't pay because most reporting these days is a copy/paste from elsewhere and "investigative journalism" is a joke because most news outlets don't want to rock the boat in case the government stops throwing stories their way.

        1. Lamont Cranston

          Re: The Issue

          Most don't pay because most reporting these days is a copy/paste from elsewhere and "investigative journalism" is a joke because most news outlets don't want to rock the boat in case the government stops throwing stories their way they don't have to.

          I really don't think it's any more complicated than that.

      3. ShadowDragon8685

        Re: The Issue

        To be honest, Trump running as an independent would be a Democratic dream scenario, at least if the House and Senate swing back to the D.

        Of course, it really doesn't matter, since Bernie's losing his traction. Frankly, I have a feeling that Hillary's going to get the nomination because she's a woman, not because her stated politics are any good. She USED to be, you know, putting forth a single-party national healthcare system that would bring the U.S.A. in line with such luminaries of medical healthcare outcomes as Cuba (or, dare I say it, the rest of the First World,) but that was ~1994. Now she's sold out to Big Insurance, whereas Sanders is the guy actually saying what needs to be said - that this country needs a huge shot in the arm of democratic socialism, to try and reverse our Fuck the Poor stance.

        But she's gonna get the nomination because people want to see the first female president. And you know what?

        I voted for Obama (though I voted for Hillary in the primaries originally). I had high hopes in doing so, too. I wanted to see a Combo Breaker hit the White House, and I liked what he seemed to be saying.

        Only instead of a liberal attack dog, what I GOT was a weak-willed centrist who reached out far, FAR too many times and got his hand bitten by the GOP at every turn. From the day he was elected, the stance of the GOP was "We're not going to cooperate with that nigger, we're not going to let him do a damn thing." And Obama?

        He SQUANDERED the opportunity to strike whilst the iron was hot. There WAS at time in his Presidency when the House and Senate were both blue. He's basically let down every liberal cause, from gay rights to the right to choose to healthcare.

        Admittedly, he did make SOME progress on healthcare, but I'd say "too little, too late," because A: what reforms he DID make aren't universal (some states can reject them, and they focus on forcing people to get private healthcare insurance,) and B: it helps the poor only so long as they stay absolutely poor. I don't dare get a job for fear that my income situation will rise and suddenly I'll find myself with worse healthcare coverage than I have now, and forced to pay for it, and I just cannot afford to do that with my health as precarious as it is.

        And Hillary? She showed her chops when she did a 180 on universal healthcare back in the '90s, and went down - just, full-on politically fellating the for-profit healthcare insurance industry.

        She may be the President we deserve, but she's not the President we need. That would be Bernie.... Though she'd still be worlds better than the Ass Trumpet, which means I'm gonna be stuck voting for her even if I don't WANT her to be the President.

        I'd take European-style runoffs and voting blocks any day of the week. This one-person, one-vote, first-past-the-post bullshit is strangling my country, and the worst part is all the ignorant, poor, sick hicks who vote for the asshole who shouts the loudest and waves the flag the most and will wipe his ass with them if he gets elected, rather than the one who will ACTUALLY improve their lot in life.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Hillary 'sold out to big insurance'

          Or she's, you know, a pragmatist who knows there is no possibility of getting a single payer system through congress unless the democrats control a supermajority in the Senate (and maybe not even then, as house democrats worry about losing their next election) so she figures why bother advocating for something that will never happen.

          Regardless of how one feels about Sanders' plans for single payer health care, 52% top tax rate and so forth he might as well include "a human settlement on Mars before the end of my first term" because that is no less likely to happen than the other things he's running on.

      4. admiraljkb

        Re: The Issue

        @Flocke Kroes

        "He can ask/pay a congressman to introduce his law. "

        Presidents have routinely "made law" via Executive Actions, increasingly so since the 80's. While I agree with the Chief Exec being allowed to take certain actions with rapidity as required (The President is the Commander in Chief and the Chief Exec of the Country after all), I do think that Congress should vote to approve any Exec Actions after 6-12 months, and if they aren't approved, they need to just expire. Otherwise, the President has "effectively" bypassed Congress and legislated laws.

    2. Geoffrey W

      Re: The Issue

      RE: "I have no idea how Pravda on the Potomac is doing under Bezos"

      On the other hand I know that "Der Stürmer" on the airwaves is doing OK under Murdoch and Ailes.

      Yes, I know...Godwin! Godwin! But he started it.

  4. Destroy All Monsters Silver badge
    Windows

    Woah. The president will be guarantor of a free/independent press?

    That's a third rail in US politics. Sheldon Adelson and other influence mongers must be picking up the phone and threaten to withhold funds/transfer funds to presidential competitors or to talk darkly about "reputation".

    But apart from that, has the neocon post been different under Bezos? I don't think anything has changed.

    Plus, you can't get good press outfits by decree.

    Also, nobody actually wants to read the stuff such an outfit would put out. Better go through the day with the rah-rah amurrica dream.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Trump is as mad as a cut snake

    As dangerous too.

    1. Francis Boyle Silver badge

      Dangerous not mad

      The guy knows exactly what he is doing. He'll say whatever he thinks will play in order to get what he wants (and he's very good at that) but like a dog chasing a car. . .

      1. Roq D. Kasba

        Re: Dangerous not mad

        The only thing he cares about is power. His life story is one of a kid trying to impress a parent, 'when I get x then maybe they'll love me' types of decisions, he'll never be powerful enough or notorious enough so will continue.

  6. Winkypop Silver badge
    Devil

    So, now we know!

    Media tycoons buy newspaper and media outlets 'cause they crave influence!

    Who'd a thunk it?

    I thought they were just in it for the answers to the crosswords!

    Trump is such a dangerous fool.

  7. Oengus

    Two words for Trump

    You're FIRED!!!

  8. Graham Triggs

    And people say Americans don't do irony.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      They do do irony

      but most of the population are too stupid/think/braindead to realise it.

      Gimme another six-pack Bubba!

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: They do do irony

        and some do irony in the afore-mentioned Baldrick sense ....

    2. Stoneshop

      And people say Americans don't do irony.

      Not since they invented self-ironing shirts, anyway.

  9. Alister

    I wonder whether Alan Sugar has thought of becoming Prime Minister?

    It seems only fair for him to copy Trump, as Trump copied him.

    1. 45RPM Silver badge

      I don't think Trump did copy Sugar. Sugar is a highly successful businessman who is many orders of magnitude richer than he was when he started. A self made man.

      Trump inherited it all from daddy, and is poorer now than he was when he started. By any definition, and no matter how rich he is, he's a failed businessman.

      1. Roq D. Kasba

        In fairness, Sugar got some lucky breaks with property, which represented most of his portfolio, and has a much smaller net worth.

        1. 45RPM Silver badge

          @Roq D. Kasba

          I think that a lot of business is luck - you have to have a good idea, but then you need to have a spot of luck too. And yes, Sugar has a smaller net worth - but look what he started with. He's vastly increased his wealth.

          Trump, on the other hand, might have more than any of us (including Sugar), but he still has less now than he started with. Not only is he a worse businessman than Alan Sugar, he's a worse businessman than most of the people who read The Register.

          By this measure, he's about on a par with the chap who sleeps on the bench in the park by my office, and who pisses in his sleeping bag. Except I'd rather spend time with him than with Trump.

          1. Francis Boyle Silver badge

            I looked into this a while back

            His share of his his father's business when he took it over was around $100 m give or take a factor of two. He's now worth 4.5 billion according to Forbes but a figure as low as 2 billion is plausible. Which means, if I crunched the numbers correctly, he could just as well invested the money and spent his life on the golf course. (Does Trump place golf - it's probably a bit too genteel for his image.) Or he could have just let his underlings run the company and take all the credit. (What was I saying about his image?)

            1. Tom 38

              Re: I looked into this a while back

              He's now worth 4.5 billion according to Forbes but a figure as low as 2 billion is plausible.

              He purposefully over-inflates estimates of his net worth. In 2005, he was claiming a net worth of $5-6 billion, but the a NYT journo got the inside track from 3 different sources with direct knowledge of his finances that it was actually $150-250 million dollars.

              Trump got irate at this, sued the reporter (for $5 billion!) and lost, and then lost the appeal as well. His net worth is important because by inflating it he can access more favourable loans (how happy would you be lending $1bn dollars to someone worth $150m vs someone worth $10bn?). OTOH, it's largely irrelevant because he has shown (four times!) that when he gets a loan wrong, he's more than happy to let the company go in to chapter 11 and buy the assets at a discount.

              Some people think Trump is this amazing property developer, whilst in fact most of his income comes from branding deals to put his name on buildings - its all one big shell game.

              1. anonymous boring coward Silver badge

                Re: I looked into this a while back

                In my book Trump is worth less than zero.

                1. Roq D. Kasba

                  Re: I looked into this a while back

                  Overinflating 'worth' is easy, you include the values of the investments of companies you are dominant in, but forget to discount by the liabilities and loans.

                  Other than getting loans, he's also in a country without such a strong social class system as we have in the UK (for better or worse). In Britain it's entirely coherent to be rich scum or broke aristocracy, one's social standing is more loosely coupled to income. Trump embodies vulgar nouveau riche which is not something to aspire to over here. Making a huge fuss about wealth is pleading for status.

                  And I've no reason to doubt that he'd lie blatantly about it, he seems to have no problems with dishonesty, either with his Scottish golf course (as championed by Salmond) or his electorial rhetoric which he cannot genuinely believe.

            2. disgruntled yank

              Re: I looked into this a while back

              He does play golf, and is said to be a notorious cheater.

              I must recuse myself from further comment about Trump, because I spent the fall telling people that he would sink out of sight once Iowa was over. Clearly I have no more idea than the talking heads, but I do have something of a sense of shame.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      How did Trump copy Sugar? If you mean the Apprentice, that started in the USA and was copied by the BBC.

  10. redpawn

    Simple

    Trump is binary. Float a trial balloon. If it gets a strong reaction, make it bigger, else make it smaller and float another one. He is like an AI "digital fascist" written by undergrads. Too bad pent up anger makes this attractive to binary primary voters. Don't try to make sense of him.

  11. Bloodbeastterror

    Alas...

    The fact that Trump has made it this far says all you need to know about the American world view. And let's not forget that they voted for GWB. Twice...

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Alas...

      Not all of us did, not even once. I'm in favor of having Mexico take Texas back.

      1. ShadowDragon8685

        Re: Alas...

        Amen to that, Anonymous Yankee. Amen to that.

    2. allthecoolshortnamesweretaken

      Re: Alas...

      Arguably, they voted for him only once, in 2004... as I'm feeling kinda retro-nostalgic today, anyone up for another re-count?

  12. 45RPM Silver badge

    If he objects to Amazon then they might refuse to sell his book "My Struggle".

    1. billse10

      didn't that come out of copyright this year?

    2. Lysenko

      That is a transparent slur...

      ...the book is called "My Life" (La Mia Vita).

      His daughter is Jewish, he just wants to make the trains run on time.

    3. Laura Kerr

      Oh, he'll find a way round that. He could hand copies out at weddings, for example.

  13. DropBear
    Trollface

    "Trump Productions cranks out beauty pageants and The Apprentice..."

    Okay, hands up - who read that and wondered for about three full milliseconds "what that heck does Trump have to do with PuTTY...?!?"

    1. Stoneshop

      Trump Productions

      I keep reading "Turnip Productions"

  14. MJI Silver badge

    Donald Fart

    I am not sure who is more stupid, the small furry creature called Donald or his pet buffoon who carries him around on his head.

    1. Chika

      Re: Donald Fart

      I am not sure who is more stupid, the small furry creature called Donald or his pet buffoon who carries him around on his head.

      Bruce Forsyth called. He wants his hair back.

      Hey Donald! Have you shown Bill Maher your long form birth certificate yet? Ook!!!

  15. Someone_Somewhere

    'Boat People' and Other Refugees

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/cape-breton-donald-trump-canada_us_56c568a3e4b08ffac127b1ab

  16. Someone_Somewhere

    Jeff Bezos bought The Washington Post "to have political influence"

    So, if seeking political influence is dubious behaviour, why is The Fart running for POTUS?

  17. Unicornpiss
    Meh

    It's a mad, mad, mad, mad world...

    Everyone keeps saying "Trump isn't stupid." While I might beg to differ with that assessment, you can certainly be crazy without being stupid. Personally I think he's a self-serving asshole, and that if he was not already wealthy, couldn't properly manage a Burger King. Certainly he should not be leader of the most powerful nation in the free world. His rhetoric disgusts me, even the physical sight of him disgusts me. He is hateful, tactless, and uninformed. His viewpoint is narrow, toxic, and ill-considered. And what scares the hell out of me most is that there are apparently enough morons out there that seem to think any change is good, and that support this cretin. In a sane, just world, a yappy dog like this would never have gotten this far. Sometimes I wonder if his hair is a parasitic alien organism that is controlling what is left of his deranged little brain.

    1. Someone_Somewhere

      Re: It's a mad, mad, mad, mad world...

      > a parasitic alien organism

      You've described The Fart himself there, not his toupee.

      1. MJI Silver badge

        Re: It's a mad, mad, mad, mad world...

        You are all wrong, the hair is the alien and uses the idiot underneath as transport

        1. Someone_Somewhere

          he just needs to switch to an antifungal shampoo

          http://www.nature.com/news/fungus-that-controls-zombie-ants-has-own-fungal-stalker-1.11787

          1. MJI Silver badge

            Re: he just needs to switch to an antifungal shampoo

            Oh shit he is becoming a clicker!

            http://thelastofus.wikia.com/wiki/The_Infected

    2. Uffish

      Re: It's a mad, mad, mad, mad world...

      The thing about the USA is that it has a lot of big things, the grand Canyon, Walmart, bombs etc etc. It also does big WTFs. I'd put my money on them avoiding disaster, they are not (in the majority) fools.

      In the mean time enjoy the WTF show.

      1. Roq D. Kasba

        Re: It's a mad, mad, mad, mad world...

        I suspect he is far stupider than we charitably suppose, but has at least realised that people wanting to get paid to feed families gives him power to abuse.

        I think he's almost certainly a hideous bully who'll say anything to get attention, and not let minor details like veracity get in the way.

  18. Someone_Somewhere

    It's not called the WHITE house for nothing

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-35682844

  19. kmac499

    On the assumption that it's 'La HIlary' vs 'The Donald' I suggest that at some point in the presidential debates when Don has gone off on one bullying and insulting his opponent.

    Hilary takes a short pause a shallow breath and says quite audibly "Screw you I'm here to debate for the presidency not debase it". and walks off.

  20. Hans Neeson-Bumpsadese Silver badge

    Load of hot air

    As the late great Linda Smith once said about somebody....I don't so much object to him getting the oxygen of publicity, I object to him getting the oxygen of oxygen.

  21. SpammFreeEmail

    If it wins.......

    Trump has already commissioned appropriate lawyers to start drafting legislation to change the framing of certain titles within the American political system on his election.

    Existing Title -- President of the United States.

    New Title -- El Presidente for Life and Beyond

    Existing Title -- Vice President of the United States

    New Title -- Beatch Number One

    Exiting Title -- Leader of the House

    New Title -- Beatch Number Two

    Existing Title -- The White House

    New Title -- Trump Edict Centre

    Existing Title -- Senate

    New Title -- Loser Central

    Existing Title -- House of Representatives

    New Title -- (Disbanded for dissing Ivana/Marina/Marleen whoever.........)

    and as to the REAL power behind the scenes in the US you only need to look here to see how bad it has really gotten.......how these guys are not charged under RICO is beyond me.

    http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/02/koch-brothers-take-on-trump

    Trump is a bombastic blowhard, but idiot he is not. Do not get sucked in and believe the public persona he projects is the real him, he is an experienced and skilled manipulator, almost certainly a world class narcissistic and without any shadow of doubt the biggest danger to the free world if he gets elected. Not because of what he says, but as he is so hard to predict his actions are far too easily misinterpreted and on the global stage you cannot have statesmen acting as loose cannons....people (sometimes LOTS of people) end up dead that way.

  22. PhilipN Silver badge

    Unfair

    Hey! - Cut Donald some slack. Getting one's leg over Ivana with regularity at some point would have done anybody's head in

    1. Chika

      Re: Unfair

      Nope. No slack cutting allowed. He knew the deal when he got into it.

  23. This post has been deleted by its author

  24. TechicallyConfused
    Paris Hilton

    Gotta love it

    I mean really, what's not to love. Election time in America is like driving along the motorway and seeing a full on 500 car pile up on the other side of the road complete with burning corpses, body parts littering the road and big dripping chunks of meat splattering around after being exploded a half mile into the air.

    You KNOW you should be horrified. You KNOW you shouldn't stand and stare. You KNOW the spectacle will haunt you for years. You KNOW that it hurt a LOT of people,

    You ALSO know that you simply can't look away because morbid fascination has rooted your eyes to scene to see if it can get any worse and you are both thrilling and appalled by the prospect.

    Of course the other great thing about election time in the USA is watching the Canadians enjoying the show.

    1. Someone_Somewhere

      Re: Canadians enjoying the show.

      All the while forgetting that the U.S. can just /walk/ into Canada - same reason I don't consider anywhere in Latin America a viable bolthole come the day.

      1. Chika

        Re: Canadians enjoying the show.

        All the while forgetting that the U.S. can just /walk/ into Canada -

        Perhaps they could persuade Drumpf to build a wall there at the Canadians' expense.

        same reason I don't consider anywhere in Latin America a viable bolthole come the day.

        Oh, come on! At that rate, there wouldn't be a safe place anywhere in the world!

        Now there's a thought...

        1. jreid

          Re: Canadians enjoying the show.

          That's the rub - Scott Walker, when he was still in the running, was promising a northern wall. Just need to convince Trump now.

          If he does win, I'm pretty sure we could take up a collection in Canada to pay for the thing ....

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Canadians enjoying the show.

        Can the average USian even walk to the end of their driveway?

  25. anonymous boring coward Silver badge

    Already talking big like a dictator?

    Good help us all if Il Trumpet gets real power.

  26. Florida1920
    Trollface

    The art of the steal

    Under a Trump presidency, all books will be banned -- except his.

  27. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Pot, kettle, black

    The Donald said “I have respect for Jeff Bezos but he bought The Washington Post to have political influence.”

    Whilst he just tries to buy the Presidency to get political influence...

  28. harmjschoonhoven

    A little cloud in the blue sky

    Thousands of people are suing Donald Trump over the now-defunct Trump University. A massive marketing campaign, just like his presidential campaign, which a judge compared to selling snake oil. The trial is now scheduled for the summer and the judge has said he's not delaying it.

    http://blogs.reuters.com/great-debate/2016/02/26/trump-u-the-lawsuit-donald-trump-will-be-facing-this-summer/

    http://time.com/4101290/what-the-legal-battle-over-trump-university-reveals-about-its-founder/

  29. Maty

    Trump on Amazon: "If I become president, oh do they have problems. They're going to have such problems"

    If.

  30. Maty

    wait for it ...

    The Republican party contains some real wingnuts who believe the Donald is 'right on' with his overblown rhetoric. There's a lot of others who are - in their words - 'mad as hell' about how the current system does not benefit ordinary Americans, and they are using Trump as a sort of rabid attack dog to scare the mainstream political establishment into actually considering their needs. (This appears to be working, for now).

    These two groups are all that Trump needs to sew up the republican nomination, so why should he not speak to them? Then once he becomes the Republican candidate, wait for the pivot, and we get the moderate, toned-down Trump who talks to the average undecided voter. Problem is, I'm not sure the real Trump is either the attack dog he is now or the moderate he will become. It's going to be an interesting year.

  31. MatsSvensson

    Yeah, there is NO way he would ACTUALLY kill all Jews, like he say he will.

    Right?

    So it should be perfectly safe to vote for him, because you want trains to run on time.

    Right?

    Good thing we will never fall for that again...

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Didn't he just say that there was a "Jewish problem" (actually "Jewish question"), but not much about any solution.

      Trump is more specific: A wall.

      He forgot to mention if, like in Berlin, bullets will help guard the wall.

  32. earl grey
    Unhappy

    "Fox News is unashamedly one-eyed"

    Yes, you can see that every time they bend over.

    I'm seriously worried that no one else mentioned this before now.

  33. Florida1920
    Pint

    It took a Brit to set the record straight

    And a night of free beer to John Oliver:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnpO_RTSNmQ

    1. SpammFreeEmail

      Re: It took a Brit to set the record straight

      I think you mean this for people outside US.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGc2nN9OguQ

      1. Lars Silver badge
        Happy

        Re: It took a Brit to set the record straight

        @ SpammFreeEmail

        Nice, and I'll see you and raise you with this one.

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FPrJxTvgdQ&list=RD2FPrJxTvgdQ#t=3

  34. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I do so enjoy Donald Chump's little outbursts

    Every now and again the US throws up a candidate to represent the dimmer members of the populace. Those who find a full sentence a bit of a challenge. Those who run out of words half way through and trail off into mumbles and grunts and shoulder shrugs. They all seem to come from the Republican camp.

    1. Captain Badmouth

      Re: I do so enjoy Donald Chump's little outbursts

      Surely it's time we had a Sarah Palin icon? At least pro tem?

  35. Howard Hanek
    Facepalm

    A Nest of True Radicals

    Reading the bizarre comments against Trump my first thought was that Josef Stalin would have purged you all in 1937.

  36. Matt Bryant Silver badge
    Facepalm

    Que?

    I can only assume Trumpet "thinks" Bezos is a Mexican name.

  37. Captain DaFt

    May I ask Americans a few questions?

    How many of you can name just one of the more than 40 3rd party candidates in this election?

    What their parties are?

    What their platforms are?

    Have you seen or heard of any of them on the news at all?

    No?

    Then Trump has done a damn fine job as this election's gonzo candidate tying up the media with his antics so that no one even so much as glimpses away from the rep/dem theatre to see if anything else might be out there that would be more palatable.

    So Americans get to waste their vote yet again this November on one of two candidates whose whole purpose is to maintain the status quo in Washington without even realising that options exist.

    Bravo Trump, Kudos to you and that caterpillar on your head for a job well done.

    1. TechBearMike

      Re: May I ask Americans a few questions?

      @CaptainDaFt

      "So Americans get to waste their vote yet again this November on one of two candidates whose whole purpose is to maintain the status quo in Washington without even realising that options exist."

      The damning thing about voters' options anywhere is that the "options" have to be viable, n'est-ce pas? BTW, I don't think my vote is ever "wasted."

      1. Captain DaFt

        Re: May I ask Americans a few questions?

        -The damning thing about voters' options anywhere is that the "options" have to be viable, n'est-ce pas? BTW, I don't think my vote is ever "wasted."-

        And the options never will be viable, as long as people keep voting for a "winner", rather than voting for change, no?

        Democrats and Republicans: "Cheers! Business as usual! >clink<"

  38. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    it's not like he's original in all this

    people b*tching about Murdoch for the last decade suddenly having an issue when "their" guy is called out? Sadly Trump hasn't floated an original idea yet. He's recycling the same sorta BS populist crap that worked so well the last couple elections, distilled, and fired from "the other side".

    Electing people based on emotional state and basing entire campaign strategy on snappy media attacks worked. Works even better if you can reuse the exact same tripe the "competition" spammed the world+dog with the last times around.

    Now the mediasphere is butthurt their loose cannons have been reaimed. Indefensible rhetoric, personal attacks, meaningless snark, bombastic cult of personality, ignorance of reality-impossible to logically defend against, because logic ain't a part of the emotional tirade. And now "the enemy" finally learned to play the game on the same level.

  39. nilfs2
    Facepalm

    Only in 'merika...

    ...the presidential campaign turns into a reality show

  40. jreid

    Purchases

    I guess buying media outlets is bad, but buying off Florida prosecutors is ok....

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