US Election & Presidency

Rick Gates, Senior Trump campaign adviser and Deputy to former Campaign Manager Paul Manafort is finalising a plea deal with Robert Mueller's office, indicating he is poised to cooperate in the investigation

It has been widely reported that Trump has said in conversations that even though he does not believe that Manafort would flip that he fears that possibility as he would be in real jeopardy in the Mueller probe as Manafort could incriminate him. Gates being Manafort's Deputy will know what Manafort knows and he looks like he is about to flip

I feel obliged to mention my ire about the latest school gun tragedy - America seems addicted to guns

(15-02-2018 22:44 )Goodfella3041 Wrote:  I don't think anyone is suggesting that the Russians hacked voting machines or otherwise interfered directly in the election.

Nobody credible has even suggested that Russian interference was decisive in swinging the election to Trump who -- sadly -- won for a whole host of reasons.

Well, I'm glad to hear that

Quote:The allegation has always been that the Russians meddled in another country's election by manipulating social media and news feeds with a view to swaying public opinion. It's the 21st century equivalent of dropping propaganda leaflets from an airplane. It's hardly decisive, but still not acceptable.

See, this is clearly my problem - I think this is idiotic beyond belief.

If a streaker ran on the pitch in the middle of the Superbowl, and the losing team then went "oh well, the streaker was in league with the other side", I'd think that was pathetic too.

The Russians TRIED (allegedly) to interfere with the result, but it can't even be proved that this cause had an effect - and this is the end of the world as far as these people are concerned. Shouldn't they just grow up?

Since that was the EXACT SAME attitude that the Clinton camp made to the Sanders supporters, over more proven rigging!

so he knows how to negotiate does he?

(16-02-2018 08:40 )Doddle Wrote:  

(15-02-2018 22:44 )Goodfella3041 Wrote:  I don't think anyone is suggesting that the Russians hacked voting machines or otherwise interfered directly in the election.

Nobody credible has even suggested that Russian interference was decisive in swinging the election to Trump who -- sadly -- won for a whole host of reasons.

Well, I'm glad to hear that

People have been trying to tell you this for months, don't pretend it's a revelation

(16-02-2018 08:40 )Doddle Wrote:  The Russians TRIED (allegedly) to interfere with the result, but it can't even be proved that this cause had an effect - and this is the end of the world as far as these people are concerned. Shouldn't they just grow up?

Or maybe you should take your head out of the sand. If nothing is done to try and counter it, sooner or later they will succeed in affecting a result somewhere. They are not stupid, they will be learning all the time.

(16-02-2018 08:40 )Doddle Wrote:  If a streaker ran on the pitch in the middle of the Superbowl, and the losing team then went "oh well, the streaker was in league with the other side", I'd think that was pathetic too.

A better analogy for you would be - hearing someone trying to jemmy your back door in and thinking "I'll just turn the telly up and worry about it if they actually manage to get in"

(16-02-2018 13:56 )The Silent Majority Wrote:  Or maybe you should take your head out of the sand. If nothing is done to try and counter it, sooner or later they will succeed in affecting a result somewhere. They are not stupid, they will be learning all the time..

Not... THEM!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAARGHHHHHH!!

Puh-lease. If you don't think Trump was elected directly because of Russian interference, then how much worse a candidate do you think it will take for it to work? Your argument is that if we can prove there was meddling here, we'll jolly well stop them next time.

All evidence of history suggests they won't be stopped, however hard you try. Usually because the truly terrible people are often welcomed by masses of the people who evidentially support them, like it or not.

Not to mention the cases where supposedly nice people get elected and carry out some of the worst stuff.

Trump was elected by the same sorts of people who wanted Reagan and Bush II. There are lots of them in America. They don't need Russian help. The Russians will know that.

Quote:A better analogy for you would be - hearing someone trying to jemmy your back door in and thinking "I'll just turn the telly up and worry about it if they actually manage to get in"

Not really. A better analogy might be is if two people running round a track, one gets bumped or harassed by spectators alongside.

Trumpy to meet the family's what could possibly go wrong

He'll be off to play golf again in Florida, so he doesn't have a choice. He's callous at the best of times and tension is running very high, so he'll need to try his best not to fuck it up. Let's see if meeting people face to face will actually prompt him to do something positive about the gun control problem, you know, like how it's too easy to get them and that there are far too many, oh and powerful riles are easily accessible and so on. It beggars belief that some people actually think that more guns will solve the problem

His solution to make pupils safer in schools will be to make the carrying of guns compulsory on school premises. That's how his mind works

(16-02-2018 12:20 )babelover48 Wrote:  so he knows how to negotiate does he?

And that's just the top 5...

13 russian indicted by Muller for Meddling in US election