There are 186 comments.

1. Inactive
   Columbo

   @Columbo

   9:38 AM EDT ⋅ Oct 20, 2020

   Lois Lane (View Comment):

   Bob Thompson (View Comment):

   Lois Lane (View Comment):

   DrewInWisconsin, Man of Consta… (View Comment):

   Columbo (View Comment):

   Well, you will all be happy to know that I have an exam question that goes something like: What is true about populism in American politics? a) It is always bad, b) It is always good, c) It is often a byproduct of democracy, d) It exists in only one political party.

   Boom.

   I don’t teach populism is good or bad. I also teach students that they need to define what they mean when they deploy any term in my classroom. ;)

   I assume whichever answer a student goes for they must then explain. I wish we were getting this approach across all ideas and all across our nation.

   In the case of this particular question, there is only one possible answer. “Always” in a history class is (almost) always a tell. Human beings simply don’t work in absolutes. In addition to going in depth where they would have deeper discussions about the populism of the 1890s, we also discuss how different presidents from different parties have used their “bully pulpits” to stir the people to their causes.

   Fun fact: Most kids think “bully pulpit” was named this because T. R. sometimes pushed people around like a bully. This, of course, is incorrect. “Bully” was a slang term that meant “grand” or “excellent,” and T. R. sprinkled this word throughout his daily discourse, i.e. he would have told anyone who asked that being in charge of the United States was bully. He had a bully time in the White House.

    

    

2. Coolidge
   Lois Lane

   @LoisLane

   Post author

   9:42 AM EDT ⋅ Oct 20, 2020

   Columbo (View Comment):

   Lois Lane (View Comment):

   Bob Thompson (View Comment):

   Lois Lane (View Comment):

   DrewInWisconsin, Man of Consta… (View Comment):

   Columbo (View Comment):

   Well, you will all be happy to know that I have an exam question that goes something like: What is true about populism in American politics? a) It is always bad, b) It is always good, c) It is often a byproduct of democracy, d) It exists in only one political party.

   Boom.

   I don’t teach populism is good or bad. I also teach students that they need to define what they mean when they deploy any term in my classroom. ;)

   I assume whichever answer a student goes for they must then explain. I wish we were getting this approach across all ideas and all across our nation.

   In the case of this particular question, there is only one possible answer. “Always” in a history class is (almost) always a tell. Human beings simply don’t work in absolutes. In addition to going in depth where they would have deeper discussions about the populism of the 1890s, we also discuss how different presidents from different parties have used their “bully pulpits” to stir the people to their causes.

   Fun fact: Most kids think “bully pulpit” was named this because T. R. sometimes pushed people around like a bully. This, of course, is incorrect. “Bully” was a slang term that meant “grand” or “excellent,” and T. R. sprinkled this word throughout his daily discourse, i.e. he would have told anyone who asked that being in charge of the United States was bully. He had a bully time in the White House.

    

    

   I’m not sure if they would recognize the idiom here.  But yes!!!  The shifting meaning of terms is one reason why I constantly say that you have to pin down what exactly a term means when it is being deployed, i.e. populism, bully, to have a productive conversation.  :)

3. Coolidge
   Gumby Mark (R-Meth Lab of Demo…

   @GumbyMark

   9:46 AM EDT ⋅ Oct 20, 2020

   Lois Lane (View Comment):

   Columbo (View Comment):

   Lois Lane (View Comment):

   Bob Thompson (View Comment):

   Lois Lane (View Comment):

   DrewInWisconsin, Man of Consta… (View Comment):

   Columbo (View Comment):

   Well, you will all be happy to know that I have an exam question that goes something like: What is true about populism in American politics? a) It is always bad, b) It is always good, c) It is often a byproduct of democracy, d) It exists in only one political party.

   Boom.

   I don’t teach populism is good or bad. I also teach students that they need to define what they mean when they deploy any term in my classroom. ;)

   I assume whichever answer a student goes for they must then explain. I wish we were getting this approach across all ideas and all across our nation.

   In the case of this particular question, there is only one possible answer. “Always” in a history class is (almost) always a tell. Human beings simply don’t work in absolutes. In addition to going in depth where they would have deeper discussions about the populism of the 1890s, we also discuss how different presidents from different parties have used their “bully pulpits” to stir the people to their causes.

   Fun fact: Most kids think “bully pulpit” was named this because T. R. sometimes pushed people around like a bully. This, of course, is incorrect. “Bully” was a slang term that meant “grand” or “excellent,” and T. R. sprinkled this word throughout his daily discourse, i.e. he would have told anyone who asked that being in charge of the United States was bully. He had a bully time in the White House.

    

    

   I’m not sure if they would recognize the idiom here. But yes!!! The shifting meaning of terms is one reason why I constantly say that you have to pin down what exactly a term means when it is being deployed, i.e. populism, bully, to have a productive conversation. :)

   Same thing when we try to categorize historical American political figures using today’s terminology when the reality is they often had a constellation of beliefs and ideas that don’t fit neatly into 21st century categories and indeed simply would not make sense the way we look at things now.

4. Coolidge
   Lois Lane

   @LoisLane

   Post author

   9:50 AM EDT ⋅ Oct 20, 2020

   Gumby Mark (R-Meth Lab of Demo… (View Comment):

   Lois Lane (View Comment):

   Columbo (View Comment):

   Lois Lane (View Comment):

   Bob Thompson (View Comment):

   Lois Lane (View Comment):

   DrewInWisconsin, Man of Consta… (View Comment):

   Columbo (View Comment):

   Well, you will all be happy to know that I have an exam question that goes something like: What is true about populism in American politics? a) It is always bad, b) It is always good, c) It is often a byproduct of democracy, d) It exists in only one political party.

   Boom.

   I don’t teach populism is good or bad. I also teach students that they need to define what they mean when they deploy any term in my classroom. ;)

   I assume whichever answer a student goes for they must then explain. I wish we were getting this approach across all ideas and all across our nation.

   In the case of this particular question, there is only one possible answer. “Always” in a history class is (almost) always a tell. Human beings simply don’t work in absolutes. In addition to going in depth where they would have deeper discussions about the populism of the 1890s, we also discuss how different presidents from different parties have used their “bully pulpits” to stir the people to their causes.

   Fun fact: Most kids think “bully pulpit” was named this because T. R. sometimes pushed people around like a bully. This, of course, is incorrect. “Bully” was a slang term that meant “grand” or “excellent,” and T. R. sprinkled this word throughout his daily discourse, i.e. he would have told anyone who asked that being in charge of the United States was bully. He had a bully time in the White House.

    

    

   I’m not sure if they would recognize the idiom here. But yes!!! The shifting meaning of terms is one reason why I constantly say that you have to pin down what exactly a term means when it is being deployed, i.e. populism, bully, to have a productive conversation. :)

   Same thing when we try to categorize historical American political figures using today’s terminology when the reality is they often had a constellation of beliefs and ideas that don’t fit neatly into 21st century categories and indeed simply would not make sense the way we look at things now.

   Preaching to the choir, friend!  Preaching to the choir!!!!  :)

5. Coolidge
   EHerring

   @EHerring

   9:51 AM EDT ⋅ Oct 20, 2020

   If Democrats want loosy goosy elections, then why should they have a monopoly on cheating? They project a lot. It wouldn’t take much to convince them that the other side cheats, even if we don’t. Let them lose sleep fretting like we do.

6. Member
   Bob Thompson

   @BobThompson

   10:54 AM EDT ⋅ Oct 20, 2020

   Lois Lane (View Comment):

   Bob Thompson (View Comment):

   Lois Lane (View Comment):

   DrewInWisconsin, Man of Consta… (View Comment):

   Columbo (View Comment):

   Well, you will all be happy to know that I have an exam question that goes something like: What is true about populism in American politics? a) It is always bad, b) It is always good, c) It is often a byproduct of democracy, d) It exists in only one political party.

   Boom.

   I don’t teach populism is good or bad. I also teach students that they need to define what they mean when they deploy any term in my classroom. ;)

   I assume whichever answer a student goes for they must then explain. I wish we were getting this approach across all ideas and all across our nation.

   In the case of this particular question, there is only one possible answer. “Always” in a history class is (almost) always a tell. Human beings simply don’t work in absolutes. In addition to going in depth where they would have deeper discussions about the populism of the 1890s, we also discuss how different presidents from different parties have used their “bully pulpits” to stir the people to their causes.

   Fun fact: Most kids think “bully pulpit” was named this because T. R. sometimes pushed people around like a bully. This, of course, is incorrect. “Bully” was a slang term that meant “grand” or “excellent,” and T. R. sprinkled this word throughout his daily discourse, i.e. he would have told anyone who asked that being in charge of the United States was bully. He had a bully time in the White House.

   Throughout my life I’ve heard the expression ‘bully for you’ used to congratulate someone on a positive outcome.

7. Member
   Bob Thompson

   @BobThompson

   10:57 AM EDT ⋅ Oct 20, 2020

   Flicker (View Comment):

   Let me say, I’ve known a few people like Trump. They are above average intelligence, always have a cogent pertinent remark, have come from upper middle-class or higher backgrounds, are not religious but respect those who are, like the ladies, drive nice cars, help strangers, very generous to friends, decisive when dealing with employees, require loyalty, are creative, meticulous in planning, work systems to their advantage, can deal with everybody, have made themselves rich, are tall, fairly good-looking, have diverse friends and interests, have an active social life, and are mostly respected by the community.

   There are very few people who are outstanding in most everything they do. Trump is one of these people.

   And judging by his favorite twenty books on China, he’s not the illiterate that he is portrayed to be.

   And he doesn’t even drink or smoke.

   Come to think of it I’ve never known anyone quite like Trump.

   I’ve moved more to this view. At the beginning I thought Trump was possessed of a big ego and a bit of narcissism. I’ve dropped any thoughts of narcissism and just up my view of ego to gigantic but pretty much justifiable.

8. Coolidge
   Manny

   @Manny

   11:00 AM EDT ⋅ Oct 20, 2020

   Bob Thompson (View Comment):

   Lois Lane: I, too, have a cultural bias against nepotism, and it seems to me as if the whole Trump family is engaged in the White House. What does Jared Kushner really know about the Middle East? Why is Ivanka heading up a task force looking at cold case killings of indigenous children? Surely these people are only where they are because of who they know???? It’s so distasteful.

   Without saying your position stated here is without merit, I do find it far from persuasive. Do you consider what has been presented in the NY Post articles and related items relating to the Hunter Biden laptop, without denial by those implicated, to be nepotism? I can think of some more severe wording for what I think I see. I do agree that, whatever political roles members of the Trump family are performing, they are there because of who they know. Would you describe most Washington political assignments any differently? Since we know this is the case, maybe we should focus more on the distortions resulting from so many of these political selections coming from networks supplied by a handful of universities’ output, mostly from the northeast and west coast.

   Not only that, they are all doing it pro bono – free!  I don’t see Hunter Biden working for free.  Quite the opposite.  And that line against Podheretz and his father’s help in getting him jobs is spot on.  What a hypocrite.  

   And the proof is in the pudding.  The Middle East deal brokered by Kushner is worthy of a Nobel Prize.  

9. Coolidge
   Manny

   @Manny

   11:05 AM EDT ⋅ Oct 20, 2020

   Frankly basing your vote on whether you like a politician’s personality is superficial.  Would you rather have had Trump’s Supreme Court nominations or Hillary’s?  Would you rather have Trump’s tax plans or Joe Biden’s?  Would you rather have the Democrat’s policies or the Republican’s?  And so on.  The NeverTrumpers who point to Trump’s personality for their voting are deranged.  If you’re voting based on personality or style, they should take your voting card away.

10. Coolidge
    Manny

    @Manny

    11:08 AM EDT ⋅ Oct 20, 2020

    Bob Thompson (View Comment):

    Flicker (View Comment):

    Let me say, I’ve known a few people like Trump. They are above average intelligence, always have a cogent pertinent remark, have come from upper middle-class or higher backgrounds, are not religious but respect those who are, like the ladies, drive nice cars, help strangers, very generous to friends, decisive when dealing with employees, require loyalty, are creative, meticulous in planning, work systems to their advantage, can deal with everybody, have made themselves rich, are tall, fairly good-looking, have diverse friends and interests, have an active social life, and are mostly respected by the community.

    There are very few people who are outstanding in most everything they do. Trump is one of these people.

    And judging by his favorite twenty books on China, he’s not the illiterate that he is portrayed to be.

    And he doesn’t even drink or smoke.

    Come to think of it I’ve never known anyone quite like Trump.

    I’ve moved more to this view. At the beginning I thought Trump was possessed of a big ego and a bit of narcissism. I’ve dropped any thoughts of narcissism and just up my view of ego to gigantic but pretty much justifiable.

    He is pretty amazing.  He’s sort of a Paul Bunyan folkloric character.  If he were more likable (and I don’t dispute he’s hard to take) he would go down as the president for the ages.

11. Coolidge
    Lois Lane

    @LoisLane

    Post author

    11:13 AM EDT ⋅ Oct 20, 2020

    Manny (View Comment):

    Frankly basing your vote on whether you like a politician’s personality is superficial. Would you rather have had Trump’s Supreme Court nominations or Hillary’s? Would you rather have Trump’s tax plans or Joe Biden’s? Would you rather have the Democrat’s policies or the Republican’s? And so on. The NeverTrumpers who point to Trump’s personality for their voting are deranged. If you’re voting based on personality or style, they should take your voting card away.

    To some extent this is true, Manny, but you know as well as I do that this is not how democracy actually works.  The presidential election has crept more and more towards becoming a popularity contest.  It’s been that way since JFK looked handsome on TV.  As my grandmother once said, the boob tube would kill the republic.  

    But I am disciplined enough to reassess my former opinions.   

    I still don’t like Donald Trump, but I think he’s easily the most rational choice for a pro-life, liberty loving Catholic who is almost extreme when it comes to free speech, free thought, and the preservation of US History.

12. Member
    Bob Thompson

    @BobThompson

    11:14 AM EDT ⋅ Oct 20, 2020

    Manny (View Comment):

    Bob Thompson (View Comment):

    Flicker (View Comment):

    Let me say, I’ve known a few people like Trump. They are above average intelligence, always have a cogent pertinent remark, have come from upper middle-class or higher backgrounds, are not religious but respect those who are, like the ladies, drive nice cars, help strangers, very generous to friends, decisive when dealing with employees, require loyalty, are creative, meticulous in planning, work systems to their advantage, can deal with everybody, have made themselves rich, are tall, fairly good-looking, have diverse friends and interests, have an active social life, and are mostly respected by the community.

    There are very few people who are outstanding in most everything they do. Trump is one of these people.

    And judging by his favorite twenty books on China, he’s not the illiterate that he is portrayed to be.

    And he doesn’t even drink or smoke.

    Come to think of it I’ve never known anyone quite like Trump.

    I’ve moved more to this view. At the beginning I thought Trump was possessed of a big ego and a bit of narcissism. I’ve dropped any thoughts of narcissism and just up my view of ego to gigantic but pretty much justifiable.

    He is pretty amazing. He’s sort of a Paul Bunyan folkloric character. If he were more likable (and I don’t dispute he’s hard to take) he would go down as the president for the ages.

    Looks as if Trump’s children like him a lot more the Hunter Biden likes his dad. Maybe the word is respect.

13. Coolidge
    Lois Lane

    @LoisLane

    Post author

    11:16 AM EDT ⋅ Oct 20, 2020

    Bob Thompson (View Comment):
    Looks as if Trump’s children like him a lot more the Hunter Biden likes his dad. Maybe the word is respect.

     I think a better word is “co-dependent.”  But I shouldn’t splice and dice their actual relationship since I know nothing about it. 

    All I really know is that Trump’s kids simply haven’t been treated the same.  

14. Coolidge
    Manny

    @Manny

    11:17 AM EDT ⋅ Oct 20, 2020

    Lois Lane (View Comment):

    Manny (View Comment):

    Frankly basing your vote on whether you like a politician’s personality is superficial. Would you rather have had Trump’s Supreme Court nominations or Hillary’s? Would you rather have Trump’s tax plans or Joe Biden’s? Would you rather have the Democrat’s policies or the Republican’s? And so on. The NeverTrumpers who point to Trump’s personality for their voting are deranged. If you’re voting based on personality or style, they should take your voting card away.

    To some extent this is true, Manny, but you know as well as I do that this is not how democracy actually works. The presidential election has crept more and more towards becoming a popularity contest. It’s been that way since JFK looked handsome on TV. As my grandmother once said, the boob tube would kill the republic.

    But I am disciplined enough to reassess my former opinions.

    I still don’t like Donald Trump, but I think he’s easily the most rational choice for a pro-life, liberty loving Catholic who is almost extreme when it comes to free speech, free thought, and the preservation of US History.

    God bless you.  ;)

15. Coolidge
    Manny

    @Manny

    11:21 AM EDT ⋅ Oct 20, 2020

    Bob Thompson (View Comment):

    Manny (View Comment):

    Bob Thompson (View Comment):

    Flicker (View Comment):

    Let me say, I’ve known a few people like Trump. They are above average intelligence, always have a cogent pertinent remark, have come from upper middle-class or higher backgrounds, are not religious but respect those who are, like the ladies, drive nice cars, help strangers, very generous to friends, decisive when dealing with employees, require loyalty, are creative, meticulous in planning, work systems to their advantage, can deal with everybody, have made themselves rich, are tall, fairly good-looking, have diverse friends and interests, have an active social life, and are mostly respected by the community.

    There are very few people who are outstanding in most everything they do. Trump is one of these people.

    And judging by his favorite twenty books on China, he’s not the illiterate that he is portrayed to be.

    And he doesn’t even drink or smoke.

    Come to think of it I’ve never known anyone quite like Trump.

    I’ve moved more to this view. At the beginning I thought Trump was possessed of a big ego and a bit of narcissism. I’ve dropped any thoughts of narcissism and just up my view of ego to gigantic but pretty much justifiable.

    He is pretty amazing. He’s sort of a Paul Bunyan folkloric character. If he were more likable (and I don’t dispute he’s hard to take) he would go down as the president for the ages.

    Looks as if Trump’s children like him a lot more the Hunter Biden likes his dad. Maybe the word is respect.

    I think there is a distinction between public personality and private personality.  From what I understand, he is much more gentlemanly and cordial in private.  I don’t think Trump has the knack of a public persona.  But he’s also a businessman who worked in the crazy NY real estate world.  Those skills require a sense of ruthlessness.

16. Member
    Bob Thompson

    @BobThompson

    11:23 AM EDT ⋅ Oct 20, 2020

    Lois Lane (View Comment):

    Bob Thompson (View Comment):
    Looks as if Trump’s children like him a lot more the Hunter Biden likes his dad. Maybe the word is respect.

    I think a better word is “co-dependent.” But I shouldn’t splice and dice their actual relationship since I know nothing about it.

    All I really know is that Trump’s kids simply haven’t been treated the same.

    Regarding the most recent Biden chapter involving Hunter’s laptop I have this thought. Did the ‘big guy’ engineer this whole process from the beginning with his several family members and the foreign officials of the countries Joe Biden was charged with or did officials in those countries search out his family members and proceed to offer payments for influence?

    I vote for the ‘big guy’ having engineered it.

17. Member
    EDISONPARKS

    @user_54742

    

    11:23 AM EDT ⋅ Oct 20, 2020

    Manny (View Comment):

    Bob Thompson (View Comment):

    Lois Lane: I, too, have a cultural bias against nepotism, and it seems to me as if the whole Trump family is engaged in the White House. What does Jared Kushner really know about the Middle East? Why is Ivanka heading up a task force looking at cold case killings of indigenous children? Surely these people are only where they are because of who they know???? It’s so distasteful.

    Without saying your position stated here is without merit, I do find it far from persuasive. Do you consider what has been presented in the NY Post articles and related items relating to the Hunter Biden laptop, without denial by those implicated, to be nepotism? I can think of some more severe wording for what I think I see. I do agree that, whatever political roles members of the Trump family are performing, they are there because of who they know. Would you describe most Washington political assignments any differently? Since we know this is the case, maybe we should focus more on the distortions resulting from so many of these political selections coming from networks supplied by a handful of universities’ output, mostly from the northeast and west coast.

    Not only that, they are all doing it pro bono – free! I don’t see Hunter Biden working for free. Quite the opposite. And that line against Podheretz and his father’s help in getting him jobs is spot on. What a hypocrite.

    And the proof is in the pudding. The Middle East deal brokered by Kushner is worthy of a Nobel Prize.

    I am not a JPod fan in anyway in his current NT iteration, however in all fairness to JPod, I’m not certain being owner, boss, and chief bottle washer of Commentary Magazine is quite the lucrative gig you appear to believe to where he was the beneficiary some big money making gift from his father.

    Which is to say, I surmise John Podhoretz may be keeping afloat an enterprise which could have been put to rest years ago, having nothing to do with a lack of competency or mismanagement, but rather these political/cultural thinker periodicals are typically not big money makers and are often propped up by a big dollar patron who would like to see the periodical continue.

18. Coolidge
    Lois Lane

    @LoisLane

    Post author

    11:35 AM EDT ⋅ Oct 20, 2020

    EDISONPARKS (View Comment):

    I am not a JPod fan in anyway in his current NT iteration, however in all fairness to JPod, I’m not certain being owner, boss, and chief bottle washer of Commentary Magazine is quite the lucrative gig you appear to believe to where he was the beneficiary some big money making gift from his father.

    Which is to say, I surmise John Podhoretz may be keeping afloat an enterprise which could have been put to rest years ago, having nothing to do with a lack of competency or mismanagement, but rather these political/cultural thinker periodicals are typically not big money makers and are often propped up a big dollar patron who would like to see the periodical continue.

    I definitely am a JPod fan.  I think he’s hilarious.  Of course there is no equivalence per renumeration between him and Hunter Biden.  However, the point is more that nepotism still existed for him, too. 

    I mean, I’m pretty sure that Podhoretz loves his job, and good for him!  I don’t think there’s anything wrong with his running this enterprise either.  But he got something at least in part because of his name.  I’m sure some doors were opened for him when he was a young writer.  

    What have Jared and Ivanka really gotten from their “big guy” outside of what they had when Trump was actually a popular figure?  

    I think it’s important to know what that “get” is before judging whether or not the president is in an okay enough position to attack Joe Biden for his son’s influence peddling.  

    The Commentary crew also discussed Jimmy Carter’s brother, as these things happen often in political families.  They mentioned the S&L scandal with Bush.  They cited the Clinton foundation.  They weren’t just picking on Trump, but all of these things are different in degree.

    I don’t want to ever excuse any bad behavior, but it’s through comparison that bad/good are often established?  

19. Member
    MarciN

    @MarciN

    11:40 AM EDT ⋅ Oct 20, 2020

    Manny (View Comment):

    Frankly basing your vote on whether you like a politician’s personality is superficial. Would you rather have had Trump’s Supreme Court nominations or Hillary’s? Would you rather have Trump’s tax plans or Joe Biden’s? Would you rather have the Democrat’s policies or the Republican’s? And so on. The NeverTrumpers who point to Trump’s personality for their voting are deranged. If you’re voting based on personality or style, they should take your voting card away.

    This is what mystifies me about this election, and the election of 2016 as well, that people see this as a contest between two candidates alone. Well said.

    Trump and Biden sit atop icebergs of Republicans and Democrats, respectively, and the election of one or the other determines pretty much which party will dominate the federal government, at least at the top of each department’s organization chart.

    Republicans and Democrats are polar opposites in their philosophies on what government should and shouldn’t do and the nature of the relationship between the individual and the government.

20. Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Man of Constant Sorrow

    @DrewInWisconsin

    11:46 AM EDT ⋅ Oct 20, 2020

    Am I the only one who thinks the President actually is a likeable person?

    If I was given the opportunity to interview any politician, I’d pick him. He’d be a fascinating interview.

    I think that’s why I want him to do Joe Rogan. Rogan’s a great interviewer. Trump would be a great person to interview. It would be fantastic.

21. Member
    Stina

    @CM

    11:48 AM EDT ⋅ Oct 20, 2020

    Lois Lane (View Comment):
    don’t want to ever excuse any bad behavior, but it’s through comparison that bad/good are often established?

    I don’t know if comparison is how we determine what is good or bad. Largely, good and bad are platonic types where everything falls on some scale in between. I would never teach my children this before sr year of high school (if they haven’t figured it out yet).

    What is used in comparison is determining our threshold for tolerance. And that’s where categorical thinking and comparison come in.

    With Trump, we note he is being brushed with “bad” for largely the same things we tolerate in other people and it’s a good question to ask why. 

22. Member
    Stina

    @CM

    11:51 AM EDT ⋅ Oct 20, 2020

    DrewInWisconsin, Man of Consta… (View Comment):

    Am I the only one who thinks the President actually is a likeable person?

    No. You are not.

    I would love to have dinner with him.

23. Member
    Bob Thompson

    @BobThompson

    11:53 AM EDT ⋅ Oct 20, 2020

    Stina (View Comment):

    DrewInWisconsin, Man of Consta… (View Comment):

    Am I the only one who thinks the President actually is a likeable person?

    No. You are not.

    I would love to have dinner with him.

    I would love to know him personally. My guess is he is very likable.

24. Coolidge
    Lois Lane

    @LoisLane

    Post author

    12:08 PM EDT ⋅ Oct 20, 2020

    DrewInWisconsin, Man of Consta… (View Comment):

    Am I the only one who thinks the President actually is a likeable person?

    If I was given the opportunity to interview any politician, I’d pick him. He’d be a fascinating interview.

    I think that’s why I want him to do Joe Rogan. Rogan’s a great interviewer. Trump would be a great person to interview. It would be fantastic.

    I am on the outs as far as liking Trump is concerned, though you have a lot of good company on this thread with people who feel more as you do.  That said, I would never, ever, ever be rude to him or anything like the people who get invited to the White House and don’t go.  (I think that’s very disrespectful.)  If I ever had the occasion to meet him, I would also keep an open mind because I do understand that people have different personas per different contexts. 

    I would have loved Joe Rogan as the moderator of one of the debates.  That was suggested, and Trump was all in, or am I imagining that happened?  I think it would be fabulous and a thousand times more insightful than anything that’s happened thus far, though I enjoyed the Pence/Harris debate quite a lot.   

25. Coolidge
    Lois Lane

    @LoisLane

    Post author

    12:11 PM EDT ⋅ Oct 20, 2020

    Stina (View Comment):
    I don’t know if comparison is how we determine what is good or bad.

    One of Aquinas’s arguments for God is based on degree.  He is the ultimate good to which we compare all else.  

26. Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Man of Constant Sorrow

    @DrewInWisconsin

    12:19 PM EDT ⋅ Oct 20, 2020

    Bob Thompson (View Comment):

    Stina (View Comment):

    DrewInWisconsin, Man of Consta… (View Comment):

    Am I the only one who thinks the President actually is a likeable person?

    No. You are not.

    I would love to have dinner with him.

    I would love to know him personally. My guess is he is very likable.

    Of the recent Presidents, sitting down to dinner with Obama would be excruciating. His focus would be on himself to overcome his deep insecurity, he’d babble about uninteresting nonsense, he wouldn’t really listen to anything you said, and it would be painfully obvious that he wanted to go off somewhere and smoke a lid.

    George W. might be okay, but I also think just a bit too aloof. I think the conversation would consist of trying to find a subject you both found interesting, and if you didn’t find that subject quick, the conversation would get increasingly awkward.

    Dinner with Bill Clinton might be okay. He’s famous for being able to schmooze and drop into “good old boy” mode. But I think I’d be unable to relax knowing what a lech he is.

    George H. W. Bush? Nah. The class differences would be too stark.

    Ronald Reagan? Yeah, he’d be fun to talk to. Though I bet we’d talk more about old Hollywood than anything.

    But President Trump would make for a really great dinner guest. I stand by this.

27. Member
    DrewInWisconsin, Man of Constant Sorrow

    @DrewInWisconsin

    12:21 PM EDT ⋅ Oct 20, 2020

    Lois Lane (View Comment):
    though I enjoyed the Pence/Harris debate quite a lot.

    I got frustrated by all her lies. But Pence was so good that I ended up thinking “Yeah, Pence 2024? I’m in.”

28. Coolidge
    Manny

    @Manny

    12:45 PM EDT ⋅ Oct 20, 2020

    EDISONPARKS (View Comment):

    Manny (View Comment):

    Bob Thompson (View Comment):

    Lois Lane: I, too, have a cultural bias against nepotism, and it seems to me as if the whole Trump family is engaged in the White House. What does Jared Kushner really know about the Middle East? Why is Ivanka heading up a task force looking at cold case killings of indigenous children? Surely these people are only where they are because of who they know???? It’s so distasteful.

    Without saying your position stated here is without merit, I do find it far from persuasive. Do you consider what has been presented in the NY Post articles and related items relating to the Hunter Biden laptop, without denial by those implicated, to be nepotism? I can think of some more severe wording for what I think I see. I do agree that, whatever political roles members of the Trump family are performing, they are there because of who they know. Would you describe most Washington political assignments any differently? Since we know this is the case, maybe we should focus more on the distortions resulting from so many of these political selections coming from networks supplied by a handful of universities’ output, mostly from the northeast and west coast.

    Not only that, they are all doing it pro bono – free! I don’t see Hunter Biden working for free. Quite the opposite. And that line against Podheretz and his father’s help in getting him jobs is spot on. What a hypocrite.

    And the proof is in the pudding. The Middle East deal brokered by Kushner is worthy of a Nobel Prize.

    I am not a JPod fan in anyway in his current NT iteration, however in all fairness to JPod, I’m not certain being owner, boss, and chief bottle washer of Commentary Magazine is quite the lucrative gig you appear to believe to where he was the beneficiary some big money making gift from his father.

    Which is to say, I surmise John Podhoretz may be keeping afloat an enterprise which could have been put to rest years ago, having nothing to do with a lack of competency or mismanagement, but rather these political/cultural thinker periodicals are typically not big money makers and are often propped up a big dollar patron who would like to see the periodical continue.

    LOL, fair enough and well put.  

29. Coolidge
    ToryWarWriter

    @ToryWarWriter

    12:45 PM EDT ⋅ Oct 20, 2020

    Everything you describe is exactly the same thing they were doing to W.  What they did to Stephen Harper.  What they do to any conservative in power.

30. Coolidge
    Manny

    @Manny

    12:47 PM EDT ⋅ Oct 20, 2020

    DrewInWisconsin, Man of Consta… (View Comment):

    Am I the only one who thinks the President actually is a likeable person?

    If I was given the opportunity to interview any politician, I’d pick him. He’d be a fascinating interview.

    I think that’s why I want him to do Joe Rogan. Rogan’s a great interviewer. Trump would be a great person to interview. It would be fantastic.

    I’ve grown to like him.  We’re fellow New Yorkers.  I understand him.  ;)