What does a TRUMP presidency look like?

[grumbler]

Does go fund me work like kick-starter where you need all your target to get anything or if not when does the grifter get his cash?

\
No, the money goes straight through.

Trump will have to pay income taxes on it, though, so they're gonna need a much larger goal than $355 million.

[Zoupa]

Without limiting the foregoing, you agree and represent, warrant and covenant:

A. not to use the Services to raise funds or establish or contribute to any Fundraiser with the implicit or explicit purpose of promoting or involving:

9. the legal defense of alleged financial and violent crimes;

This is from GoFundMe's Terms of Service. Not sure how that squares with Trump's fundraiser.

[The Minsky Moment]

NYT ran a story on Trump branded buildings in New York.  Condo units in Trump branded buildings used to sell at a significant premium to the average prior to 2016.  Since 2016, they have sold at a discount.  Several buildings took the name off and the value of apartments went back up. 

No surprise, there is a danger in politicizing what was previously a non-political, aspirational brand.  Elon Musk, take note.

[Valmy]

Elon clearly thinks right wing people love overpriced electric vehicles.

[Josquius]

NYT ran a story on Trump branded buildings in New York.  Condo units in Trump branded buildings used to sell at a significant premium to the average prior to 2016.  Since 2016, they have sold at a discount.  Several buildings took the name off and the value of apartments went back up. 

No surprise, there is a danger in politicizing what was previously a non-political, aspirational brand.  Elon Musk, take note.

Strange. I'd have thought even before becoming president he had quite a reputation for being trashy and low class.

[crazy canuck]

NYT ran a story on Trump branded buildings in New York.  Condo units in Trump branded buildings used to sell at a significant premium to the average prior to 2016.  Since 2016, they have sold at a discount.  Several buildings took the name off and the value of apartments went back up. 

No surprise, there is a danger in politicizing what was previously a non-political, aspirational brand.  Elon Musk, take note.

In 2015 a developer bought the rights to brand his new hotel in downtown Vancouver with the Trump name.  In 2017 the hotel owner, who purchased the hotel, was in court to have the branding contract declared void because the brand had no value.  It settled out of court fairly quickly and the Trump name was removed.

After that the hotel quickly filled up.

[OttoVonBismarck]

Trump I think is showing the innate vulnerability the GOP and he personally has on abortion. He has said he "won't rule out a 16-week nationwide abortion ban" but "doesn't commit to it either."

This is actually an attempt, IMO, for Trump to avoid being seen as too hardcore pro-life, a movement Trump has always been skeptical of, and I think (correctly) realizes is largely not popular in a national election.

But there is some risk with his position--for one, a "16 week ban" isn't a pro-life position at all, to pro-life voters that is saying "abortion is legal before 16 weeks", which they will view as a pro-choice position.

Since it is more restrictive than some State's more permissive abortion laws, it will also not be seen as pro-choice by pro-choice voters. It is an unhappy compromise that likely alienates the people Trump is attempting to avoid riling up, and does little to solve the underlying problems with the GOP's abortion policy.

[Tamas]

Trump I think is showing the innate vulnerability the GOP and he personally has on abortion. He has said he "won't rule out a 16-week nationwide abortion ban" but "doesn't commit to it either."

This is actually an attempt, IMO, for Trump to avoid being seen as too hardcore pro-life, a movement Trump has always been skeptical of, and I think (correctly) realizes is largely not popular in a national election.

But there is some risk with his position--for one, a "16 week ban" isn't a pro-life position at all, to pro-life voters that is saying "abortion is legal before 16 weeks", which they will view as a pro-choice position.

Since it is more restrictive than some State's more permissive abortion laws, it will also not be seen as pro-choice by pro-choice voters. It is an unhappy compromise that likely alienates the people Trump is attempting to avoid riling up, and does little to solve the underlying problems with the GOP's abortion policy.

Does it matter though? Do we really think there's a significant group consisting of people who  a) like Trump and want to vote for him but won't because of (out of all the things he has done and said) his non-clear stance on abortion and b) people who do not want to vote for Trump but if he would become more clear on abortion (on either end) would vote for him?

I find that impossible.

[OttoVonBismarck]

Trump's main fear with abortion is the suburbs--he did better than expected in suburbs vs Hillary and won, he did worse than expected in suburbs vs Biden and lost. His mealy mouthed position is an attempt to get some of those voters back.

Trump also, at times, has good political instincts (sometimes weirdly so given how bad they are in other situations), I think he has observed that in damn near every election since Dobbs where abortion has been a big issue, Republicans have either lost elections they expected to win, or massively underperformed. I guarantee more than just Trump in the GOP hierarchy are afraid of the abortion issue. DeSantis tried his best to adopt a "vague" position when he was ramping up his political campaign, but the very hard-right pro-life GOP State legislature in Florida essentially forced his hand by passing legislation he had to sign or risk losing conservative credibility.

[Sheilbh]

Trump also, at times, has good political instincts (sometimes weirdly so given how bad they are in other situations), I think he has observed that in damn near every election since Dobbs where abortion has been a big issue, Republicans have either lost elections they expected to win, or massively underperformed. I guarantee more than just Trump in the GOP hierarchy are afraid of the abortion issue. DeSantis tried his best to adopt a "vague" position when he was ramping up his political campaign, but the very hard-right pro-life GOP State legislature in Florida essentially forced his hand by passing legislation he had to sign or risk losing conservative credibility.

A bit like his line on protecting Social Security, used while attacking other Republican candidates for their normal plans to privatise or "reform" Social Security which is the mainstream GOP orthodoxy for politicians.

In a way he's just reflecting reality/what many people think and dumping a position that is very unpopular and politically very, very difficult. Similarly when he attacked W Bush and said Iraq was a disaster while the rest of the candidates had to as respectable Republican politicians keep the shibboleth that the last Republican President wasn't a disaster. Trump isn't constrained in that way.

[The Minsky Moment]

Strange. I'd have thought even before becoming president he had quite a reputation for being trashy and low class.

Twice during that period, I was shopping for condos/coops and looked at some Trump buidings.  They were usually newer, which tends to carry some premium and the lobbies and some fixtures were superficially gaudy.  However, the overall quality of the materials always seemed below average and the spaces were overpriced for the amount of space.  I quickly got in the habit of avoiding those buildings, not because of any animus towards Trump - who I viewed as a garden variety real estate mogul jerk much like all the others - but because of the perception they were overpriced.

[HVC]

Get your gold Trump sneaks!

Fox now says this will win the black vote because African Americans just love sneakers so much

[Jacob]

At least some CPAC folks are openly planning to end American democracy: https://www.mediaite.com/trump/welcome-to-the-end-of-democracy-trump-booster-jack-posobiec-vows-to-finish-what-began-on-jan-6-as-steve-bannon-cheers-on/

[Razgovory]

Jack Posobiec is a fucking Nazi.  In a more enlightened time he would have simply been shot.

[grumbler]

Jack Posobiec's ranting is so insane you have to kind of wonder if he isn't an agent provocateur.