Should we be concerned that Trump has proven that there is no moral or ethical restriction on political ambition?

~On a bright side I guess the keys to the government are open to all citizens even if they have dirt in their past. When I was three I peed on a meteorite in a museum and thought I was further disqualified from running because of failing out of university and losing all my friends. If citizens can vote for Trump then maybe I could run too. It’s liberating,~
My dad said that he couldn’t run in city politics because he was divorced. POOF! He can run.

I suppose there are 2 sides to the adage that ANYONE can be President.

He is a MOB boss through and through.
There is nothing unethical in his book if it means him winning.

Yes we should be concerned by that. And all the other ways that thing got into and stayed in the office and did what it did and it was possible and even thought likely they’d get back in for another term, etc etc etc.

SO many things about recent years deserve a lot of concern and attention.

Trump is just one tool. There are so many tools.

I see a progression of the string-pullers barely even trying to offer anyone who seems like they’re competent. They just want obedient tools, and a distracting false drama that there are really two different parties and candidates who are the actual players determining what’s going on.

It’s a little late, for that.

I think that has been an issue with the politics, as long as it has existed…

Oh Stan, your Midwest idealism is showing. Haha!
Throughout history politics has been corrupted by greed and ambition.
Even on a local level its so obvious its gross. Thats why I call it a ‘game’, because anyone can win using the right formula.

Dark triad traits (narcissism, machievallianism, and psychopathy) are probably advantageous to have in the pursuit of the Presidency, or any sort of power and status.

Trump’s failing was that he was crass and charmless, which educated liberals find distasteful.

Contrast with Obama, who killed thousands of civilians in a murderous drone bombing campaign, deported migrants in record numbers, expanded fossil fuel production and usage, literally had a Wall Street approved cabinet, launched wars and military attacks in numerous countries—is regarded as a charming and decent man.

I think what Trump has proven is is that the Presidency is irrationally partisan, with the factional and party differences being mostly aesthetic rather than ideological.

@Kropotkin There is certainly no disputing the fact that Trump is crass and charmless. But those traits, while offensive to educated liberals are by no means viewed as failings by the maga unwashed. In fact they are perceived as strengths and proof positive of the idiot’s “authenticity”. Your final paragraph is universally accepted and goes without saying. But I disagree with your take on what Trump has proven. What Trump has shown me is that a substantial portion of our population are worthy of the contempt showered upon them at the behest of an inept and ignorant thug.

There may be no “moral or ethical restriction,” but there seems to be a limit as to what and how much society as a whole will allow.

@stanleybmanly: “What Trump has shown me is that a substantial portion of our population are worthy of the contempt showered upon them at the behest of an inept and ignorant thug.”

I don’t share your contempt for the voters, who are rational in the context of the system. I may disagree with liberals and conservatives, but I understand how they got there. It makes sense.

@stanleybmanly ‘What Trump has shown me is that a substantial portion of our population are worthy of the contempt showered upon them at the behest of an inept and ignorant thug.’

You have to know that half the US feels the exact same way towards you though.
And in essence, doesn’t that go against your pro minority stance as a Democrat, since Trump got a lot of the religious Hispanic votes?

I mean, think about it, do you only care about minorities if they vote Democrat?

Personal contempt is fine, but I’d be careful about alienating people who could very well be your voters in another four years, as a party.

Remember, any religious supporting President, could run again and if convincing, do the exact same thing Trump did if ya’ll don’t get it together and stop being so contemptuous of people who believe differently than you.

I think that’s what bothers me the most about the party itself, is that when I voted Dem, I was voting for a young, charming, seemingly religious man named Bill Clinton. Now it almost feels like you wouldn’t have accepted him as your President, simply due to his religious beliefs, living in flyover country, in a semi-racist state-all the things you mock the Right for.

@stanleybmanly Liberals are relateively more inclined to understand that society and environmental conditions will shape a person and affect their psychology and decision making. Yet, this consideration seems to stop when it comes to people voting “irrationally”, at which point liberals will angrily blame voters for being immoral, morons, etc

It’s a great pity that Sanders was not nominated, as he’s someone who talked to right-wingers without insulting them, and tried to address their grievances without being patronising, or to blithely and arrogantly tell them to “go vote Trump”.

Ok. You both have a point. Poking fun at the right is counter productive. There’s no insulting any sense into them. In fact judging from the turnout in the church of Trumpism, there’s no shortage of knuckle dragging inbred illiterate duplicates wallowing in the conservative sty eager for their shot at running the country.

@stanleybmanly A point missed apparently. I hope you don’t continue to display your bitterness, after all, you won.

@KNOWITALL I don’t pretend to be a gracious winner. In fact I don’t feel that I won. The fact that the election is even close repudiates any theory of Americans living through these 4 years with even a hint of sanity. You mistake my disgust over that fact with bitterness. I have spare time today, and my complaining while berating the behavior of conservative blockheads is just a matter of venting my frustration. I sorely wish the 2 twins were here for me to slap and kick around, but alas.

@stanleybmanly That’s representative democracy for you.

Biden’s campaign sucked. He’s an uninspiring liberal who basically just wants to manage the status quo, and not fundamentally change anything.

If not for Covid-19, it could well have been another 4 years of Trump.

@stanleybmanly haha, see that’s why I can’t be mad at you. Such good humor alongside such strong beliefs.

So let me ask you this, if half of the Trump voters told you it was simply over religious beliefs (which for half it probably was), what would you want to say?

Why should your beliefs (pardon the intentional pun) trump our beliefs?