President Trump: Making America Great Again...

[Walter Sobchak]

No. Trump's 45% tariff on imported goods and killing trade deals and starting trade wars will increase prices.

Well, I'm a glass half full kinda guy. People won't need(/want) to buy a new cell phone and TV every 6 months.

[BlueK]

Well, I'm a glass half full kinda guy. People won't need(/want) to buy a new cell phone and TV every 6 months.

the average down on their luck, struggling to get by, hard core Trump supporter probably can't afford that kind of a price hike on their groceries though. The sad irony of this is that the folks he is trying to help would actually be the ones most hurt by the ideas he's throwing out there.

[Northwestcoug]

Well, I'm a glass half full kinda guy. People won't need(/want) to buy a new cell phone and TV every 6 months.

That sentiment will poll real well with today's electorate.

[byu71]

A positive to come from the negative talk about what Trump will do to the economy should keep us from having a market that runs away and creates a bubble. IMHO, as long as there is cash on the sidelines the market has room to go up.

I realize I am talking selfishly here. You know the billions Soros lost after the election, guess who got it.

[Walter Sobchak]

a few days too late for my taste, but kudos to Republican members of congress for starting to speak out against some of the insanity.

"If you're going to spend that kind of money, you're going to have to show me where you're going to get that money," said Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, a key swing vote who has already broken with Trump over his nominee for secretary of education.
"I don't see how you can get a bill like that through (Congress) without offsets," she added. "I don't see how that's possible."

Trump's wall already faces legal hurdles given the likelihood that it could spawn lawsuits at the border. But if Congress doesn't go along with his funding plan, it could effectively stall Trump's proposal right out of the gate. House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said last week that the cost could range from $12 billion-$15 billion, while Ryan suggested that the project may not be fully offset with spending cuts, saying the wall is "a national security priority."

Sen. John Cornyn, the No. 2 Senate Republican who represents the border state of Texas, was deeply skeptical about whether a wall alone would be enough to deter immigrants from entering the country illegally. And he issued a stark warning to Trump.
"I have concerns about spending un-offset money, which adds to the debt, period," Cornyn said bluntly when asked about the wall. "I don't think we're just going to be able to solve border security with a physical barrier because people can come under, around it and through it."

http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/03/politi...ans/index.html

I don't really think the wall is a good idea or a bad one. As has been mentioned before, much of the current fenced portions of the border between Mexico were put there by a bill with wide bi-partisan support. But for some reason, "the Wall" has become this lightning rod for the Left. Not sure why really. The border wall can easily be paid for with offsets from the military budget (my personal preference). For example, cut JSF and you probabaly save $15 billion alone. If the wall is part of a broad infrastructure investment package, then I won't have a problem with it.

[BlueK]

A positive to come from the negative talk about what Trump will do to the economy should keep us from having a market that runs away and creates a bubble. IMHO, as long as there is cash on the sidelines the market has room to go up.

I realize I am talking selfishly here. You know the billions Soros lost after the election, guess who got it.

Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but you seem to present the idea that the stock market and the overall economy are the same thing. Haven't there been lots of times when the market is up when the economy is slow and vice-versa?

[Walter Sobchak]

That sentiment will poll real well with today's electorate.

Then you(/we) all should welcome the idea! Once people realize they can't buy the latest/greatest iPhone and 80" LCD TV for anything less than a couple grand then President Trump's support will quickly erode!

[falafel]

A positive to come from the negative talk about what Trump will do to the economy should keep us from having a market that runs away and creates a bubble. IMHO, as long as there is cash on the sidelines the market has room to go up.

I realize I am talking selfishly here. You know the billions Soros lost after the election, guess who got it.

Is this investment advice? Cuz I have a big chunk of money and I'm ready to invest.

[byu71]

Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but you seem to present the idea that the stock market and the overall economy are the same thing. Haven't there been lots of times when the market is up when the economy is slow and vice-versa?

Over the long run I think they are, however over the short term who knows what really moves a market.

The market got over 20,000 and hurah, hurah. Trump talking about this and that caused it to go up. Then the market went down a couple of hundred points over a couple of days and guess what, it was blamed on things Trump was saying. Today we are up 188 and at least there was some economic news that could have moved it, good jobs report.

They say the market anticipates. I think most of the thinking there must be better times are ahead for the economy. Doesn't mean it is so though. General thinking can be wrong.

I love the saying, "the market is telling us". What a load of crap. What was the market telling us everytime it peaked. Good times ahead, right. Not really. How about when we hit 6,500. Market was telling us dire times were ahead, no they really were behind us. Next time you hear someone say "the market is telling us" and then predict the future, under your breath say bull shit.

[PaloAltoCougar]

I don't really think the wall is a good idea or a bad one. As has been mentioned before, much of the current fenced portions of the border between Mexico were put there by a bill with wide bi-partisan support. But for some reason, "the Wall" has become this lightning rod for the Left. Not sure why really. The border wall can easily be paid for with offsets from the military budget (my personal preference). For example, cut JSF and you probabaly save $15 billion alone. If the wall is part of a broad infrastructure investment package, then I won't have a problem with it.

Perhaps my biggest problem with the wall is that Trump made it the number one focal point of his campaign. It was his biggest tagline at all of his rallies and the first issue on his website. But with things like the deficit, the Middle East (with many problems right there), Russia, China, a languid economy, education, veterans, and [insert at least a dozen] other issues, Trump's fixation on a highly ineffective wall really bugs me. Would it help? Maybe a little, but it's not worth the many billions of dollars, not to mention the distraction from many other far more important issues. It will certainly do very little to thwart crime or terrorism.

[Maximus]

President of Liberty University is heading a task force to reform Higher education regulations. LOL

[Walter Sobchak]

Perhaps my biggest problem with the wall is that Trump made it the number one focal point of his campaign. It was his biggest tagline at all of his rallies and the first issue on his website. But with things like the deficit, the Middle East (with many problems right there), Russia, China, a languid economy, education, veterans, and [insert at least a dozen] other issues, Trump's fixation on a highly ineffective wall really bugs me. Would it help? Maybe a little, but it's not worth the many billions of dollars, not to mention the distraction from many other far more important issues. It will certainly do very little to thwart crime or terrorism.

The reward/cost is very low, I agree. And I see your point wrt to The Wall being emblematic of his bombastic campaign and thus becoming a symbol for which his most radical opponents can rally around. But as you state, there are many other pressing issues to be worried about. So perhaps this is all part of the Trump strategy, look at this shiny thing (The Wall) that we are holding with our right hand while we do something else (e.g. undermine the EPA) with our left.

[Commando]

The reward/cost is very low, I agree. And I see your point wrt to The Wall being emblematic of his bombastic campaign and thus becoming a symbol for which his most radical opponents can rally around. But as you state, there are many other pressing issues to be worried about. So perhaps this is all part of the Trump strategy, look at this shiny thing (The Wall) that we are holding with our right hand while we do something else (e.g. undermine the EPA) with our left.

The wall is emblematic of the other promises he's been keeping. The muslim ban from those 7 countries? In my mind, it's a way to fulfill those campaign promises while not pissing off the more powerful trade partners. Iran? Iraq? Sudan? Somalia? Libya? Ok- whatever. Sure none of those countries are any kind of urgent terrorist threat, nor is there evidence that more vetting would help (reduce attacks from 0 to.. -0 I guess?) but he said it on his whistlestops so he's doing it. Just like the Wall.

[Omaha 680]

Trump lost Pat Buchanan already. It sounds weird saying this, but Pat Buchanan makes some good points here.

As for the Iranian missile test, a 2015 U.N. resolution “called upon” Iran not to test nuclear-capable missiles. It did not forbid Iran from testing conventional missiles, which Tehran insists this was.

Is the United States making new demands on Iran not written into the nuclear treaty or international law – to provoke a confrontation?

Did Flynn coordinate with our allies about this warning of possible military action against Iran? Is NATO obligated to join any action we might take?

Or are we going to carry out any retaliation alone, as our NATO allies observe, while the Israelis, Gulf Arabs, Saudis and the Beltway War Party, which wishes to be rid of Trump, cheer him on?

Osama’s bin Laden’s greatest achievement was not to bring down the twin towers and kill 3,000 Americans, but to goad America into plunging headlong into the Middle East, a reckless and ruinous adventure that ended her post-Cold War global primacy.

Unlike the other candidates, Trump seemed to recognize this.

It was thought he would disengage us from these wars, not rattle a saber at an Iran that is three times the size of Iraq and has as its primary weapons supplier and partner Vladimir Putin’s Russia.

When Barack Obama drew his red line against Bashar Assad’s use of chemical weapons in Syria’s civil war, and Assad appeared to cross it, Obama discovered that his countrymen wanted no part of the war that his military action might bring on.

President Obama backed down – in humiliation.

Neither the Ayatollah Khamenei nor Trump appears to be in a mood to back away, especially now that the president has made the threat public.

http://www.wnd.com/2017/02/the-coming-clash-with-iran/

[Walter Sobchak]

Trump lost Pat Buchanan already. It sounds weird saying this, but Pat Buchanan makes some good points here.

Pat Buchanan is awesome. Always has been, always will be. Were there more conservatives like him, our country would be in a far better place.