Home Forums FineTunedMac Community Lounge The thread formerly known as: Maybe 45 ...

Narcissists crave attention of any kind, good or bad, but while they want everyone's adulation they will settle for approbation if that is all they can get. What he would hate most of all would be for the media to ignore him. If you don't believe this is true, consider his recent tweet storms against magazines because they are not putting his wife's photos on their covers. Ignoring him is far more likely to some action that will put him away for good. Sadly that includes the risk he might do something that would cost innocent lives.

What I don't understand is how many otherwise intelligent U.S. citizens are buying his, and the Russian social media campaign's, propaganda.

And it becomes more and more inexplicable as each day passes. Maybe his followers, including at least 130 Republican members of Congress, aren't "otherwise intelligent U.S. citizens".

The NYP article would fall on deaf ears if anyone bothered to read it to him. For good or bad - depending what side you are on - Trump does not like to be told what to do. His pattern has been to fire anyone who tells him something he does not want to hear. I don't see much chance of him changing regardless of whatever deadlines are dangling in front of him. This could be "Advantage Biden" on January 5th.

Twitter has announced that after January 20th Trump will be under a different set of rules and if he tweets his regular nonsense, his account will be taken down. In the meantime @POTUS and @WHITEHOUSE wo;; be archived as @POTUS45 and @WHITEHOUSE45 and the accounts assigned to Biden and the new adminiistration but the follower base will have to be rebuilt from scratch. Trump is apparently already protesting that he and he alone owns and controls both accounts. Twitter has responded saying their position is final.

No tweets from the twit would be a relief.

First off, those tweets were triggered by a post by Breitbart's fashion "guru," not his own addled thought processes.

To the point, though, I think you're oversimplifying his state of mind.

Beyond his narcissism, I see him as living in abject fear of losing...losing anything...having to admit defeat...ever. His being a winner is an integral part of his brand, and his being re-branded "LOSER!" would strike right to the heart of that fear. It's his greatest vulnerability.

Yes, he does crave attention, but I very much doubt that attention of that sort would feed his ego.

I think ignoring him would be a wonderful way of dealing with him after branding him a loser.

Yup...the media could say "We have more important things to cover" when he embarks on his rants after leaving office. However, he may well be preoccupied with other matters....like an investigation into his finances/taxes/business activities. Also, there could be another major issue for him.

I've seen lawyers talk about the possibility of Trump being charged with obstruction of justice because of pardons he's handed out - most particularly Manafort and Stone. These pardons involved a quid pro quo (you lie for me, or clam up, and I'll make sure you get a pardon), which is illegal and for which charges can be brought when he becomes citizen Trump. Making it more interesting is the fact that Stone, Manafort and Trump's family can be put on the stand where they will no longer have Fifth Amendment rights. Those went away with the acceptance of the pardons.

I do look forward to the coverage of any of the above.

Not me! Trump's followers are already convinced the liberal conspiracy (media and Democrats a.k.a. Communists) have some sort of strangle-hold on the truth so they would reject anything that comes out in court as prima-facie evidence their hero, Donald Trump, is being railroaded by them. Any trials would assure Trump's name would continue to appear at the top of the six o'clock news every night which is exactly what Trump wants. I would much rather see him being tried in state courts for fraud and/or tax evasion. That would be much harder for Trump to turn into a political circus.

(There are rumors the New York State Attorney General already has sealed indictments that will be opened on January 21, 2021.)

None of the above contemplates a potential "self pardon" or "pardon by Pence" which would absolve him of crimes committed while in office.

What if he leaves office unpardoned and dares the Democrats to act against him?

I think we're in store for a lot of fascinating action following Congress's formalization of Biden's win.

IIRC, the president can only pardon federal crimes. He cannot pardon crimes committed against the State of NewYork.

That's correct.

I should have been more clear.

Looks like you'll get your wish, which is the wish of many other folks. The Washington Post has reported: "The Manhattan District Attorney's Office has retained forensic accounting specialists to aid its criminal investigation of President Trump and his business operations, as prosecutors ramp up their scrutiny of his company's real estate transactions...."

Here's a horrible thought: What if someone slips Pence the wrong envelopes on Wednesday?

I hope he'll have a list in front of him of what the envelopes should say as he opens them.

It's hard to imagine that I'm even thinking the thought!

Further evidence, if any is needed, that Trump is unhinged: ‘I just want to find 11,780 votes...ate to recalculate the vote in his favor

And I quote: “I can’t imagine he’s (Raffensperger) ever getting elected again, I’ll tell you that much right now,” he said.


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Ahem. Trump an "authority" on what it means to NOT be re-elected?

No doubt about it....the man has gone over the rainbow. He is absolutely desperate to do anything that will prevent him facing the upcoming examination of his companies' books by forensic auditors. January 20 can't come soon enough.

Now, some questions:

1. Who made the tape? Was it in Georgia at the receiving end or did someone at the White House do it?
2. Who made the tape available to the Washington Post?
3. Will the tape be played on January 6 during the so-called debate about the integrity of the election?
4. Is this the equivalent of Nixon's smoking gun tape?
5. Can the tape be used as evidence in a trial after January 20?

Politics is certainly interesting (as per the Chinese curse, "May you live in interesting times."

I stand by my conviction that his desperation is, first and foremost, about avoiding being branded a loser.

Excellent questions, and my first thoughts when I read about the call.

(You forgot the most important question: Who imitated his voice on that spurious tape which was obviously made and disseminated to the fake media specifically to discredit his honest attempts to wrest justice from a corrupt system?)

Yes, there's that, but I also wonder what is in his business dealings that he is so desperate for the world not to see.

First, foremost, and back to his image of being a winner, I think, is the record of his dealings will knock the wind out of his claims about being a phenomenally successful businessman who's worth $10 billion.

And there's also the question of what foreign entanglements may be uncovered.

The apparently fraudulent activity documented in the media seems to have been exempted from prosecution by the statute of limitations, leaving civil tax (+ interest & penalties) collection as the state's avenue against him unless more recent criminal type activity is uncovered.

This is mind-boggling!
Shafer's characterization of that call as a "settlement discussion" is a chilling reminder of just how far removed from reality some Republicans are.

I don't doubt that it was intended to be confidential, though.

It's truly laughable.

And, by the way, despite Shafer's assertion that Raffensperger recorded the call, the person who recorded it is yet to be named.

That’s for sure. And, sadly, it is more evidence of how far removed many Republicans are from any interest in the good of the people. It is beyond incredible that they devote any time to this crap, given the far more important issues facing the nation.

And, going back to Jon’s first question "Who made the tape? Was it in Georgia at the receiving end or did someone at the White House do it?", it is quite possible that the recording and its distribution could have taken place in Washington. Given the way Trump generates disdain in the people working around him, my money is on Washington.

For sure! Why should the health and stability of America and its democratic institutions be more important than Trump's bruised ego?

There's a time to throw in the towel, and his continued efforts don't suggest anything near as benign as mere ego stroking.

Could anyone have ever imagined a more surreal ending to a presidency than the President of the United States urging his supporters to insurrection because he lost an election? Today may be one of the sadest days in the history of our Republic.
I don't know what bothers me the most, Trump or those who swallow his lies. I am beginning to understand how Hitler was able to ascend to power in Germany.

My father was a true patriot who volunteered for the Army after Pearl Harbor. He was old enough to possibly not be drafted, but he felt the call of duty strongly. I will always be grateful that he survived the war (he fought in the Philippines) and that I was lucky enough to know him until his death at age 85. He had the greatest admiration for FDR and for the democratic institutions of this country. I can only say that I'm glad that he isn't here to see this and that he must be turning over in his grave.