You actually are NOT!
How many of us have known in our lifetimes a boastful jerk like Trump who has to constantly brag to people what a brilliant genius he is, instead of allowing people to make that determination themselves by watching what he says and does. And when people are told by malignant narcissists like Trump that they're "geniuses," the opposite is always the truth.
Trump is a self-assured fool who continues to debase himself with laughably inaccurate high estimations of his intellect.
But think about this:
Michael Wolff, a magazine writer and author, was able to talk Trump and his administration into letting him have unlimited access to Trump and his White House staff by appearing to be a friendly-to-Trump writer. It worked. Wolff was granted access by flattery -- Trump's Achilles Heel. Now Trump and his minions are crying FOUL! Well, they let Wolff in, didn't they? And Wolff got exactly what he wanted by playing Trump for a fool.
Think about that when you see "Trump the Genius" meeting with foreign leaders friendly or hostile to American interests. With this "genius" in the White House, the entire planet knows that flattery will get you anything you want from him.
TRUMP CLAIMS HE'S A "STABLE" GENIUS!
When you have to, like, tell people you're, like, a genius...
Charlie Pierce:
"Secretariat was a real "stable genius."
15 comments:
Really? I thought everyone would be reassured by that statement.
Of course he's a genius! He came up with a new insulting nickname for Bannon just like that!
The material that's been quoted from Wolff suggests that senile dementia may be at work here, which would explain why Trump is depicted as far less functional than he was during the campaign in 2016. Dementia can completely transform a person in less than a year. Stresses such as moving to a new residence can exacerbate the problem.
If that's what's happening, it's all the more imperative that Trump be removed from office as quickly as possible. Dementia can include paranoid delusions which seem totally real to the person, and which he becomes determined to act on.
This is also something we need to consider when choosing a Presidential nominee in 2020. Some of our top candidates are in Trump's age range. We shouldn't put ourselves at risk for the same problem. Perhaps we should opt for a younger person.
My personal experience has been when you know a really smart person, it is obvious by what the say and what they do. They don’t have to tell you. I see very little, if anything, that indicates Trump is a very smart person.
Does anyone have any examples of Trump’s “very smartness”?
Kevin You mean you weren't?
Infidel753, my husband died from Alzheimer's disease. He was definitively diagnosed in December 2014 and passed away Sept. 6, 2017. His decline was rapid and catastrophic. I'm convinced my illness in 2015 contributed to his decline, since he witnessed what I had to go through to fight the cancer I had, and that must have stressed him terribly. I know what dementia looks like. I've read that Trump repeats himself, and we all know he has delusions -- I think he really believes the size of his inaugural crowd was bigger than President Obama's and that he really did see thousands of Muslims cheering on 9/11. Delusions.
I almost feel sorry for him, as I would any human who has to continually assert that he's smart -- a genius -- when everyone knows the sad truth: That he's nothing more than a common bullshitter and liar. He nakedly reveals himself when he sends out those pathetic self-aggrandizing tweets.
Jerry, it goes without saying, but I'll say it: No truly intelligent person has to brag to the world that they are a genius. A really smart person knows the limits of his/her intelligence and understands they must continue to learn.
Infidel753, I also agree with you about the ages of people who run for POTUS. Call me an ageist, but I don't think the presidency is for people in their mid-70s. Look how it aged a very fit, very young Barack Obama. The stress from that job is tremendous. And sadly as humans age, they become ill. Eisenhower had a heart attack, Kennedy had Addison's disease (a serious disease, even though he was young), Johnson had heart problems, and his family convinced him not to run for office, Nixon had mental and sukbstance abuse problems, Carter was only one term, but was fine, Reagan had Alzheimer's, Bush Sr. only one term, Clinton young but overweight and eventually had heart surgery, Bush, Jr. not at all fit for the presidency, Obama, mentally and physically fit, Trump -- mentally and psysically unfit -- apparently he's on various medications, but that's not been confirmed.
Forgive me for saying so but you just described the condition of millions of Americans that have very stressful jobs and suffer similar physical and medical conditions.
I'm fairly certain that the presidents you mention would have experienced the same had they not been president. There are many factors involved.
RN< I'm pretty sure average Americans, even with stressful lives and jobs, don't face the sort of problems and decisions that a POTUS faces. The average American, old or young, does not hold the fate of millions and millions of people's lives in his or her hands, nor does that average American sign legislation that affects their health and welfare. IOW, self-reflecting presidents, I would hope, think about how their actions affect not just our military men and womnen, but civilian Americans and their lives. I don't know many people who would want that sort of responsibility or stress on their shoulders for 4 or 8 years. I can't imagine someone in their middle 70s welcoming that.
I agree with you Shaw. It is why most all Americans choose to do other things than aspire to be president. It takes a certain temperament to seek to be the leader of the word's wealthiest and most powerful nation. Thankfully Trump is an anomaly and America will likely self correct. Before it is too late we hope.
There are likely millions of folks who are more intelligent, have better character, integrity, empathy, and WISDOM than the present POTUS. Hopefully one of them runs and unseated the anomaly.
unseats
RN, I can't think of any one of our presidents, except perhaps George Washington, who've been almost perfect in the job, and that's, I suppose, because Washington didn't have to contend with political parties, and he was smart enough to know that serving two terms was enough, so he left a job that had been handed to him with the idea that he could stay as long as he wished.
Limiting the POTUS to two years was an excellent change to the Constitution, but the Congress will never do that to themselves, so we're stuck with career pols who end up serving their own self-interests and the interests of their donors. They do not represent the American people.
Senators should be limited to two terms -- 12 years is plenty. And Representatives to 6 terms, 12 years also.
It's a dream, I know.
Washington was an exceptional man and leader. He was not perfect, but he was the perfect individual for the job of the first President of the fledgling USA.
I've heard many argue the ballot box is our term limit. The electorate in each legislative district of a state and each state vote to limit or extend a person's time in office. While theoretically that may be true we know how well it has actually worked.
Term limits are an idea whose time has arrived. 12 years is certainly a reasonable period. Government service in the House and Senate was not intended to be a near life long career. Realities of today are much different than when our nation was founded. It is time for term limits. But you're right, it isn't going to happen, and precisely for the reason you point out.
Hope springs eternal. But I know we'll never see the day that hope is realized.
My grandfather (my mother's father) died from Alzheimer's. My Uncle (my mother's brother) had Crohn's disease (and I think that contributed to his death). I didn't know it, but my mother told me yesterday that her brother's family suspected that he might have Alzheimer's, but that the test was expensive (so they never had it done). Trump should have the test. I doubt he'd consent to it, however. And even if he did, we (the American public) won't likely know. Not while he's in office, in any case.
We already have term limits. They're called elections. As Thom Hartmann points out, if you get rid of term limits, the people left with the "institutional knowledge" would be the lobbyists. I think we can all agree that we don't want lobbyists showing new lawmakers "the ropes". But why are we discussing this? Afraid that Trump could be another FDR (elected over and over)? I think the cheating would have to be pretty severe for Trump to "win" again. After the tax cuts start "working". One thing they're going to do is pump up the stock market, and all the trumpers will be cheering (right up until the bubble bursts).
RN, "Hope is the thing with feathers."
Dervish, my husband had two psychiatrists examine him, one from Beth Israel Hospital and one from Mass. General Hospital. They gave him neurological tests -- he had to provide answers to questions, remember a list of 3 things to later recall them, and draw a clock's face depicting a certain time of day, and other tests of that sort, etc., and they determined from those tests that he had Alzheimers. I don't know what "expensive" tests you refer to.
Idk, that's what my mother said. Their family (my mother's brother's) is pretty poor. And Republican voters. My cousin said she can't vote for Democrats because they support abortion and gay marriage.
Everyone has their "pet agendas" Dervish. It has always been this way. For a very large number of the electorate the R or the D behind the name determines who they vote for.
Term limits, followed by a 12 year freeze out before a elected official can lobby should take care of Hartmann's concerns and yours.
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