Paul Revere by Cyrus Dallin, North End, Boston

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Saturday, October 8, 2016

Who's Surprised?



UPDATE BELOW

I'm not and neither is the rest of sane America, which includes principled Republicans who have finally decided to get out of the gutter and run away from this proto-fascistic "malignant clown."

The only people remaining loyal to Trump are the professional Hillary Haters who make excuses, blame Bill Clinton, blame Hillary Clinton, blame the "Klintoon Machine," for Trump's revolting behavior.  Just like Trump, they will deceive themselves into believing this is nothing compared to WHAT BILL CLINTON DID!  

But Bill Clinton is not running for the presidency. And since when do "family values" voters accept the "He did it too!" excuse for despicable behavior?  By trying to drag Clinton's past into Trump's present, isn't Trump essentially saying "Bill disgraced himself, so you shouldn't be angry when I do the same."  Seriously, do those people accept that excuse from their children? 

This latest shocking, vulgar revelation has the cumulative effect of months and months and months of appalling disclosures about Trump's character, temperament, and lies and that's what makes it so damaging. 

However, as we've seen already, Trump's base will continue to support him because, IMO, they have no core values, so a revolting louche like Trump, as long as he's running against Hillary Clinton, doesn't disgust them.

Watch for these morally unmoored Trump supporters to publish every essay they can find that justifies the Short Fingered Vulgarian's present and past behavior, because that's all they've got.

Good luck with that, Trump supporters. With 31 days left until Election Day, you and Trump will need it.




From PM Carpenter:


The GOP's gutter: With Trump, it's distance or death Firsts are breaking out everywhere. First we got Donald Trump as the Republican presidential nominee — "a malignant clown," in fellow Republican Mark Kirk's delightful wording; then we got repeated confirmations of just how malignantly unprecedented Trump is (the list is far too lengthy to exhaustively itemize here); and now we get the Old Grey Lady, the paper of record with all the news that's fit to print, with some astonishingly unbowdlerized reporting: Trump didn't say in 2005 that he could grab women by the "p - - - -" and try to "f - - -" one of them — no, the NYT flatly relates that Trump said he could "grab them by the pussy” and that he "did try and fuck her." That should give an extra lift to middle-school boys enrolled in NYT-subscribing, current events classes. 

 [skip] 

As the NY Times might put it, What in the fuck does it take for these cowards to finally show some cajones? On the one hand, sure, there are 2016 political considerations — Trump's base. On the other hand, there is infinity — all that will forever pass, after Trump's November thumping. Democrats will hang this bloody shirt of a malignant clown around the necks of every enabling Republican for a generation to come, even as Trump's generation is demographically dying off. Quite aside from the wretched ethics of sanctioning Trump and Trumpism, the future's electoral headcounts do not bode well for the GOP.

UPDATE:


POLITICO Breaking News: Pence reverses, no longer attending event with Paul Ryan 
By Matthew Nussbaum 10/08/16 12:05 PM EDT  

23 comments:

Shaw Kenawe said...

From a friend of mine who is a pastor:

"I think its quite clear that Trump has no chance of being elected to any office in this country. Nail...meet coffin. He didn't become a raving, incoherent racist, sexist, ignorant, immoral greed head overnight. The GOP knew what they were getting - they simply didn't care. He is the culmination of the right wing dominance over that party for the last 20 years at least.

However, my concern from the beginning has not been that he had any chance of being elected, but that he has a base at all. There are people who have supported him from the beginning and will do so to the bitter end. When Trump goes down in flames, they will still be there, still trying to drive a political party, still influencing their local, state, and federal elections. Still angry and likely to only get angrier.
It's like, you and four of your friends are trying to decide on something to do. Three of you vote to go to the movies, and the other two vote to kill a puppy. Even though you ultimately end up going to the movies, you still have to deal with the fact that two of your friends are 100% down with killing a puppy."

Steven Banks said...

Trump's apology tells me that he doesn't understand why what he said was so awful. His apology was for offending someone by using the words "pussy" and "bitch," not for saying that he could grope women's genitals because he is a celebrity, or that he aggressively tried to have sex with a married woman who clearly said no. That's where this tape veers wildly away from "locker room banter."

Shaw Kenawe said...

From Donald Trump's lips:

"I did try and fuck her. She was married.

I moved on her like a bitch, but I couldn’t get there. And she was married. Then all of a sudden I see her, she’s now got the big phony tits and everything. She’s totally changed her look.

You know I’m automatically attracted to beautiful — I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait.

And when you’re a star they let you do it. You can do anything.

Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything."


The above quotes, which are on tape proving that Trump actually said them, are being dismissed by the "family values" far right "Christian" bloggers and their commenters as "just locker room talk," and that they still prefer Trump over Hillary because..."

What these people fail to understand is that it's not just the degrading words (what they call non-PC talk) that are shocking, it's the implied physical assault on women that Trump, because he's "a star," can engage in and that he brags about that is nauseating. Those words were spoken by a 60 year old man who was newly married and whose wife was pregnant at the time.

None of this matters to Trump's base of deplorables. Because 1) They are soaked in hatred for Hillary, and 2) they have no moral grounding or decency.

It's the moral decency, stupid!

What they raged over in Bill Clinton's behavior when he was president, they now accept in Donald Trump.

What could be more damning evidence of their moral corruption than that? They've sold their souls for a "malignant clown."

KanaW said...

The only downside I can see with these Republicans running in the down-ticket races is that their repudiation (finally!) of Trump might convince some moderate (if there are any) voters to skip voting for Trump but still vote for the down-ticket Republicans.

President Clinton will really need a Congress that will back her, or we'll end up with the same logjam that we've had for the last 8 years.

Anonymous said...


They're defending Trump because like him they can never admit a mistake. Trump is an indecent pig, liar, misogynist, and racist. A perfect person to represent what the GOP stands for today.

Shaw Kenawe said...



Trump’s leaked comments aren’t just “lewd.” They describe sexual assault.
Which Trump has been formally accused of before.


"Trump has been credibly accused of sexual harassment, sexual assault, and rape
Trump’s comments are an unsettling reminder of a story that former Miss Utah Temple Taggart told the New York Times. She said Trump kissed her on the lips at the Miss USA pageant, twice, against her will.

We cannot ignore that Trump hasn't just said countless boorish things about women in public. He has also been accused of sexually aggressive and creepy behavior in private, as interviews with dozens of women who worked with or for him have revealed.

Some of those encounters were the textbook definition of a “hostile work environment” created by sexual harassment and objectifying behavior. Others, like Taggart’s story, could constitute sexual assault.

And Trump has also been accused, in sworn statements, of a brutal 1989 rape by his ex-wife Ivana, and of sexual assault by another woman, Jill Harth.

Neither of the women like talking about the incidents publicly, and Ivana explicitly denounced a recent news story about it. But despite backpedaling on various aspects, neither woman has actually recanted the details of her original testimony."


JOAN DARK said...


It's sorta funny watching the Goopers losing the sh*t over what Trump did to himself. Is it wrong for me to be smiling?

Kevin Robbins said...

Is Pence just going to go into hiding for the next month? Seems like a plan. Can't wait for the debate tomorrow. I may have to listen to a little of Hannity on Monday to hear the spin on all this.

Bluebull said...

I can't wait to vote against this evil slimeball and his fake orange hair.

Shaw Kenawe said...

Pence is soiling himself by being associated with Trump. You can take the meaning of the verb "soiling" both ways.

The right wingers are are excusing Trump because what he said on the tape was said 11 years ago ( but he's been insulting women all during his campaign and his supporters don't think that women notice that? They're excusing his disgusting behavior because it's from 11 years ago, it was "private'" and bill did it too.

They ignore the fact that in Trumps case his "private" bragging about assaulting women, and a married woman in this case, is an accurate insight into what he really thinks about women and an accurate insight into his complete lack of anything resembling moral decency. Yes, the "family values" Christian Right wingers are perfectly fine with an indecent creep like Trump because he's running as a Republican.

They would be screaming for Trumps head on a pike if Trump were a Democrat. More than a few Americans have noted their inexcusable hypocrisy and they're disgusted with Trump supporters.

Trump has no one but himself to blame for this.

Shaw Kenawe said...

The Married Journalist Who Rejected Trump’s Advances? He Tried to Fire Her.

What a guy.

Shaw Kenawe said...

At least we can do some chuckling over this:

·
In an email from the RNC to a victory program mail vendor, with the subject line "Hold on all projects," the committee asked the vendor to "put a hold" on mail production.
"Please put a hold/stop on all mail projects right now. If something is in production or print it needs to stop. Will update you when to proceed," Lauren Toomey, a staffer in the RNC's political department, wrote in an email that was obtained by POLITICO.

Shaw Kenawe said...

Thank Gawd!

Republicans Get What They Deserve As Trump Vows To Never Ever To Drop Out Of Race

Donald Trump is vowing to never ever drop out of the presidential race, which means that Republicans are getting exactly what they deserve for nominating him.



Although Trump is not known for keeping his word -- he's cheated many small businesses out of what he owed them and contracted them for -- let's hope he stays true to his questionable word on this.

I want him to ride his train wreck of a campaign all the way to hell.

Flying Fig said...


Too bad it's not considered "lewd" and "disgusting" to leave your ambassador and 3 others to the wolves.

Lady Pinkbottom said...

I am shocked, SHOCKED, I tell you, that so many are up in arms because Donald Trump made those comments in a private conversation on a Hollywood studio's bus.

What Trump said was merely male braggadocio. Males often brag about assaulting women by grabbing, I believe the term is "pussy," whether or not she wants the gentleman's attention or his hands on her lady parts!

Don't all men brag about that? Isn't that just "boys will be boys" talk? I mean I wouldn't blink an eye if my husband or son talked like that -- it is, afterall, only braggadocio! Even if there are women out there attesting to the fact that Trump actually physically behaved in this braggadocio gentlemanly way. Heavens! What is all the fuss about?! Don't they have a sense of humor? They're certainly NOT good sports!

As for the blaring headlines condemning his words as "Extremely lewd!" those people who created the headlines don't have a clue as to what constitutes lewd. Can someone point out to me what is "lewd" about saying: "I did try and fuck her. She was married.

I moved on her like a bitch, but I couldn’t get there. And she was married. Then all of a sudden I see her, she’s now got the big phony tits and everything..."


That's just plain ordinary gentlemanly braggadocio talk from a man who wants to be our President! What gentleman doesn't engage in fun talk like that? Every gentleman I associate with does, dear me! I'm not offended by their joking and objectifying women!

Mr. Trump has shown himself to possess a tremendous sense of humor where the ladies are concerned. I think he is just a talented comedian talking about what he thinks about women. And it's a gas!

Anonymous said...


Show me a guy who has never engaged in locker room chatter about women and I'll show you a fag.

Shaw Kenawe said...

Good Evening, Lady P.,

For your edification: What Donald bragged about is not "lewd or vulgar," it's criminal and illegal. It's not groping; it's sexual assault. It's not jock talk; it's rape culture. You dismiss it as braggadocio? The rest of the country sees it as disgusting male dominant talk. But thanks for your opinion. We get you don't see anything wrong with rape culture. Ha. Ha. Ha.

Shaw Kenawe said...

Anonymous, what kind of disgusting men do you hang with? Real men don't joke about groping women. Men who are insecure about their ability to perform or even get women do. In Trump's case, he's probably insecure about the size of his hands.

No woman I know would want to shake hands with a creep like Trump, never mind have sex with him.

Shaw Kenawe said...


"Anonymous Flying Fig said...

Too bad it's not considered "lewd" and "disgusting" to leave your ambassador and 3 others to the wolves."

BENGHAZI! is not about lewd and lascivious behavior by a creepy presidential candidate who uses women like toilet tissue.

Hillary has been investigated on BENGHAZI! for years and was found not culpable for what happened. It was a tragedy that the Republican Bush administration suffered more than once. In fact the Republican Bush administration suffered 13 attacks on consulates and embassies with resulting 60 DEATHS. And there were no investigations into those tragedies.

Give it up Fig. Your comment is not valid.

Also. Get used to Madam President.

Infidel753 said...

The Anon 5:41 comment is a reminder of the kind of people (among males, anyway) who tend to become Trump supporters, and the kind of social environment they operate in.

There are men -- a minority, but they exist -- who really do talk among themselves about women the way Trump does, and probably engage in actual groping and suchlike to the extent that they think they can get away with it. Especially since they tend to hang out with and interact with others like themselves, they assume most men deep down are the same way (except "fags", of course), but refrain from expressing it in mixed company due to political correctness or some such buzzword.

Men like this obviously don't find Trump's words and behavior particularly shocking, and they believe most other men don't either. They may even persuade themselves that most women secretly enjoy such attentions as a form of appealing "bad boy" machismo.

And so they think that the revulsion at Trump's remarks is a big put-on and most "regular guys" aren't really bothered by it -- and thus that this whole thing will quickly blow over without damaging Trump's chances much.

They're unreachable by argument, but they're in for a surprise when the election results come in.

Shaw Kenawe said...

Infidel753, I've seen a lot of women who excuse Trump's words and behavior as nothing more than braggadocio, otherwise known as "rape culture." As you stated, they believe women love this sort of attention, so where's the harm?

If Trump thinks bringing up Bill Clinton's abominable behavior will cancel out his, he and his supporters have another think coming to them. Trump can't use that to dismiss his actions because he'd be telling the American people that his sexual predations are the same as Clinton's.

Besides all that, Bill isn't the candidate, Hillary is, and her fidelity is not in question.

That's a dead end smear for Trump, women won't appreciate going after Hillary for what her husband did any more than they would appreciate going after Melania for how her husband behaves. The right wingers are all for personal responsibility, not for blaming other people for one's own failings.

Shaw Kenawe said...

This is for the Flying Fig.

Don Avalon of The Daily Beast:

"This entire campaign has been an exercise of the electorate being slowly simmered in a pot of boiling water, losing our sense of outrage amid a steady of onslaught insults and lies. But sex and cruelty resonates in a way that financial scandals or demagoguery just don’t.

Character is what you do when nobody’s looking. And this video captures Trump in the middle of the day, sober, a few months after being married, talking with a man he barely knows, bragging about sexual assault, while wearing a microphone.

This is, apparently, the real Donald Trump. So much for any claims to having “great judgment” and “the best temperament.” So much for indignant campaign spin, like the Baghdad Bob-esque denial issued from Trump Tower this week after allegations of sexism emerged from The Apprentice set: “These outlandish, unsubstantiated, and totally false claims fabricated by publicity hungry, opportunistic, disgruntled former employees, have no merit whatsoever.” Add to that the now-classic insincerity of “nobody respects women more than I do.”

Conservative supporters have been played for fools by Con Man Donald. Shouting back “Benghazi!” isn’t going to help. You can’t deflect; you have to deal with the reality of this situation. Even Mike Pence won’t be able to shake his head over this one to make it go away. Trump’s own VP nominee will have to distance himself from this particular disgrace because it cuts against his political brand and undercuts his 2020 ambitions.

Les Carpenter said...

Simply put, A leopard can't change its spots. .