Let's start guessing Trump cabinet picks

Most of these picks are fairly straightforward. We are seeing some insiders but also folks who are being unfairly categorized as such. Giuliani, for example, is not a Washington insider. NYC politics are their own animal. Him being added to a cabinet is definitely a step toward drawing from outside views while capitalizing on experience.

So far the only one that has me really cringing is Steve Bannon. Even Glenn Beck thinks that Bannon is a "terrifying man."

But, at the same time, he'll likely be one of many senior advisors. I don't necessarily buy into the narrative that Bannon will be the only voice whispering in the ear of Trump and defining his presidency.

 

I agree.

While the GOP is rejoicing I think it is important to remember that there is a reason why so many fellow Republicans distanced themselves from Trump. He's a loose cannon and associating with him can threaten the position of a Representative or Senator in their home constituency in some cases.

I'll be very curious to see how folks feel in four years when Hillary isn't in prison (and likely was never even indicted), there is no wall and the coal industry is still in shambles.

It's also worth considering that Trump may not desire a second term. So his brash attitude may not get better as he might just not give a damn about 2020. I suspect the reason why Pence was willing to play ball with Trump may have involved a promise for the Donald to step aside and give Pence a run at the White House next.

 

There will be a strengthened partition along the border and the coal industry will not be in shambles. You will also feel good about it when it's operational and successful.

The United States will have eight years under a Trump administration and that will be followed by a Pence administration. It is glorious.

 

Exactly. Just like all those people who are upset by the campaign promises that President Obama broke; Eliminate all Oil & Gas tax loopholes, Create fund for roads and bridges, Expand the child and dependent care credit, etc.


And the reason why? "It's only because the powerful conservatives that are against him!"

 

It's interesting to watch leftist pundits on MSNBC vilify and demonize Trump's cabinet picks. Many leftist-wingnuts on MSNBC have officially soared into the outer-limits-of-no-return.

 

Why not Ben Carson for Surgeon General?

 

I think people have a general expectation of being lied to by politicians. One of the things that gave Trump credibility were his claims of being an "outsider" and of promising to "drain the swamp."

So I think it's possible that more people might be mad when/if these promises fail to come through.

A lot of these things have also been walked back almost immediately. A full Obamacare repeal became "well, maybe we'll just amend it." The cabinet is now looking at the prospect of some serious Washington insiders playing a role and the fence is a logistical and financial disaster waiting to happen (we also have no way of ensuring Mexico pays for it).

It's like if you grow frustrated with your boss and then delight when your best friend gets your boss's job. But then, just a few weeks in, your buddy starts acting just like your old boss.

Time will tell. I just hope Trump's critics give him more of a chance than Obama's critics gave him.

 

No chance. Nobody is willing to give grace, but we all expect it. Actually try it in real life, it's harder than it sounds.


But yeah, the losers and winners are going to give no quarter.


I've been "paying attention" since Clinton. It's just one side against "the other", each yelling about the injustices brought upon them from the "other". I'm sick of the entire thing.


You ever notice that no matter who you talk to that they have an uncanny ability to literally hopscotch through political history and lay blame for every bad thing at the feet of some "other" and claim for victory all good things on their "team".


Why do I see it so clearly?


Like I mentioned with Obama. I did not vote for him but he's my President. I want his ideas to fix the problems in this country. I would want the same for Hillary had she won. If you want to fix "education" "jobs" "infrastructure" things like that, it should not matter what color tie the person is wearing, we want the problem fixed.


I'm telling you, it's only going to get worse.

 

A white male voted for Obama during the first election because he was sick and tired of racism. However, the same white male then voted for Trump in this last election. Then the white male's peers accused him of being racist. The accusatory allegations are disgusting, outrageous and nonsensical.

 

Trump's Transition Team is operating out of the top floors of Trump Tower in NYC. The building's lobby is open to the public (who have passed through airport like security, have had their bags checked and have been wanded) and for the last few days has been swarming with reporters (and police and security), with the media camped near the elevators, hoping to spot big names entering or leaving.

Well, you can play that game too, right alongside the New York Times and the Washington Post. CSPAN has a live video feed of the elevators here:

https://www.c-span.org/video/?418689-1/watch-pool-feed-trump-tower-lobby&live

If you look closely when the cameras are aimed at the highly reflective gold elevator doors, you can see the crazy horde of reporters shoulder to shoulder behind a velvet rope, reflected in the doors.

Just now (12:50 pm EST) I saw the bored looking guy at the desk by the elevator get a call on his phone, which made him become much more alert, then the camera swiveled to the outside door where there was a group of well-groomed guys wearing expensive suits whose faces I didn't recognize talking jovially to the NYPD cops doing security at the outside doors. They passed into the building and into an elevator. So that's how you recognize the bigshots. The security guys are alerted to their approach on the phone and become visibly more alert. The rest of the time the people going in and out of the elevators are workers at other tenants in the building, going to or coming back from lunch.

 

Can you imagine you're just living in your place, minding your own business and then the guy in the penthouse above gets elected President and turns your lobby into a circus?

"My Amazon Prime packages are getting delayed by an extra 2-3 days! I could have had the Amazon Pantry credits if I wanted it to get here slow!"

 

Fox news tells me that the condos in the building have a different entrance. (Which is impacted too, by the crowds on the sidewalks and street closures they say.)

The lobby in the CSPAN feed is apparently for the offices in the building. (I believe that the fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger is one of the resident businesses.)

Watching so far, I've seen Kellyanne Conway, Trump's election campaign manager and confidante posing for photos with tourists in the lobby, then making some remarks for the press.

But the star of the time I was watching has to be Texas Representative Jeb Hensarling, who addressed the assembled press while looking quite happy. This guy has risen in the House of Representatives like a rocket and is currently Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee. He's under consideration (along with several others) for Treasury Secretary I believe. I think that he probably needs to be added to the usual suspects to any short list for a high-ranking position.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeb_Hensarling

Jeb Hensarling: Little-Known Republican Will Shape US Financial System

 

Have you ever heard an angry 450 pound sow squealing on a farm? It's a very loud, high-pitched squeal that sounds terrifying. Well, Donald Trump has not even been sworn into office and doesn't assume the presidency until next year (today is 11.17.16), but the self-anointed media elite (and DNC operatives) are squealing like angry sows. They are overreacting, like the world is blowing up before our very eyes.

 

Two more people who have made an appearance at the elevators this afternoon are Fred Smith, founder and CEO of FedEx, and South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.

 

Mitt Romney is reportedly meeting with Trump and there is speculation that they are going to consider him for the Secretary of State job.

For all that's good and holy, Mitt, just use the government email account if you get the job!

 

National Security Advisor - Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn

CIA Director - Rep. Mike Pompeo

Attorney General - Sen. Jeff Sessions

Hardly "drain the swamp" picks. But none would really be surprising under any Republican administration.

My biggest problem with Jeff Sessions is that he fully supports civil forfeiture and adamantly opposes any attempts to reform civil forfeiture in any way.

I cannot fathom how anyone who supposedly supports the U.S. Constitution, from either party, can support the government takings your stuff without even charging you with a crime. I see even less how a party that supposedly wants smaller government could support such a practice which is used far more by the IRS than any other agency.

Also, considering he simply "cannot fathom" how anyone can think cannabis is less harmful than alcohol I think the likelihood of the DOJ now cracking down on states that have legalized marijuana is much higher (though only time will tell how that plays out long-term for the GOP in the current climate).