The Trump Presidency 2.0

[Ooh-Rah]

I'll scroll back and find if you or the other left-leaning folks

Actually… I voted for Trump, I voted for Trump the last time too. You can call me left leaning if you choose, but as far as I’m concerned, I didn’t change, what I used to know as the Republican Party has changed.

Hey guys, was this over the line, whether intentional or not? Is this what the president should do?" Cause I would have happily answered "Absolutely over the line, and pretty fucking disgusting. Full stop.

I tried that the last time, and got shouted down.

Post in thread 'The Trump Presidency 2.0'

Dec 15, 2025

Come on Mr. President - couldn’t you just say something about “all in the family” and move on?

Trump levels political attack on Rob Reiner in inflammatory post after his killing

• Ooh-Rah

• 

But let's stop short of othering people and using the worst bad-faith assumption to demonize like 80% of the board from the only leadership position.

I don’t even know what to say here, but if what I said made you or anyone else feel demonized then I sincerely apologize, and I will attempt to choose my words more carefully going forward.

 

[Topkick]

what I used to know as the Republican Party has changed

I asked this question the last time you posed this, and I ask because I vote on issues, not personality. What exactly has Trump done to the party? Trump is Trump, but I'm not seeing a big shift on the issues. I understand you'd rather have the stuffed- shirt politician we were all used to because you think Trump isn't "presidential" , but the party hasn't changed much on what matters, the issues.

 

[Ooh-Rah]

I asked this question the last time you posed this, and I ask because I vote on issues, not personality. What exactly has Trump done to the party? Trump is Trump, but I'm not seeing a big shift on the issues. I understand you'd rather have the stuffed- shirt politician we were all used to because you think Trump isn't "presidential" , but the party hasn't changed much on what matters, the issues.

I vote on the issues too, which is why I continue to vote Republican. For me personally, it’s how the message is being communicated and what I see as an abuse of power and the trampling of constitutional rights when it seems convenient to the “greater good”. We used to be about free trade, strong alliances, and an independent press.

This current administration seems dead set on up-ending those traditions, the most recent example being Bezo’s gutting of the Washington post.

 

[Topkick]

trampling of constitutional rights

What rights are being trampled?

 

[Devildoc]

Actually… I voted for Trump, I voted for Trump the last time too. You can call me left leaning if you choose, but as far as I’m concerned, I didn’t change, what I used to know as the Republican Party has changed.

I think the Overton window has not necessarily shifted, but has widened. Or the model is outdated and a political scientist needs to come up with a new model.

Most of the GOP's platforms have remained consistent: border control (that used to be a democrat plank too), strong military, tax reduction, more law and order. I think what has largely changed has been the degree to which instruments have been used to enable these policies. Couple those instruments with the cult of personality and the narcissism/sociopathy Trump has and we have what we have.

I think the democrats have changed WAYYYYY more than the republicans, as have their presumptive national leaders.

 

[Florida173]

I don’t even know what to say here, but if what I said made you or anyone else feel demonized then I sincerely apologize, and I will attempt to choose my words more carefully going forward

I feel dehumanized! I'm not a nazi, even if I find myself looking at memes on IG with Erika playing in the background

 

[amlove21]

I feel dehumanized! I'm not a nazi, even if I find myself looking at memes on IG with Erika playing in the background

Just what a Nazi would say bro...

 

[amlove21]

Don't care, not a defense, still a foul.

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[Marauder06]

I vote on the issues too, which is why I continue to vote Republican. For me personally, it’s how the message is being communicated and what I see as an abuse of power and the trampling of constitutional rights when it seems convenient to the “greater good”. We used to be about free trade, strong alliances, and an independent press.

This current administration seems dead set on up-ending those traditions, the most recent example being Bezo’s gutting of the Washington post.

I don't understand the bolded part. Is Jeff Bezos part of the current administration?

 

[ThunderHorse]

I vote on the issues too, which is why I continue to vote Republican. For me personally, it’s how the message is being communicated and what I see as an abuse of power and the trampling of constitutional rights when it seems convenient to the “greater good”. We used to be about free trade, strong alliances, and an independent press.

This current administration seems dead set on up-ending those traditions, the most recent example being Bezo’s gutting of the Washington post.

I don't think you have changed. Just as I don't think I have. @Marauder06 and I share some fairly liberal view. I used to vote Democrat, A LOT. I think I have posts on here talking about voting for Obama (2x).

But I'm interested to know where the current administration is "trampling" on constitutional rights that Biden, Obama, and Bush were not already trampling. If you're talking about removing criminal aliens at gun point, well, that used to be a bi-partisan and well supported issue. Immigration used to be an 80/20 issue. I can agree with you that at times I don't like the messaging. But using the "presidential" style of messaging is what lost Republicans elections.

Free Trade, honestly, free trade gutted our industrial base. NAFTA and admitting China to the WTO screwed us a ton. Under Trump we've seen a wild amount of investment come back on the high tech side of the house. If anything as a country we acted incredibly stupid with trade and made our economy delicate and possibly weak instead of resilient. Our economy not being resilient and full of redundancies is a national security threat.

Bezos gutting the Washington Post specifically one of the best Sports Sections in the World has been odd to see. We have all these newspapers owned by Billionaires and instead of funding them to bring back journalism's credibility we have just value extraction. I don't see what Bezos is doing as tied to Trump, because his decisions will lead to a decline in subscriptions.

Strong Alliances, remember this quote from Washington:

It is our true policy to steer clear of permanent
alliances with any portion of the foreign world—so
far, I mean, as we are now at liberty to do it—for let
me not be understood as capable of patronizing
infidelity to existing engagements (I hold the maxim
no less applicable to public than to private affairs, that
honesty is always the best policy)—I repeat it
therefore, let those engagements be observed in their
genuine sense. But in my opinion it is unnecessary
and would be unwise to extend them.

https://www.senate.gov/artandhistor...ress.pdf?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

In certain ways our allies have lived on welfare from us instead of investing in their own protection. We have been the world's police force and remain the city upon the hill. But in some sense we must look inward and fix our country.

 

[RackMaster]

As for free trade, Canada is a great example. We have Dairy cartels that artificially inflate the price with quotas and force farmers to dump over production into the drain. Then the government restricts the amount of American dairy able to be imported. Spread misinformation to keep Canadian's from buying it. Oh and they manipulate our dollar to keep it low, so our exports keep flowing at discounted rates because we can't equally compete internationally.

I forgot the insanely high tariffs on US goods, that have been there long before Trump. Tariffs on imports have been in place in Canada since the 1800's.

 

[ThunderHorse]

Not related to Trump, but 100% related to politics and what I expect will be a failure in LA.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2019957901683749069

The Olympics are a way to showcase and be proud of your country, but I bet the opening anthem will be shit.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2019992975724671326

 

[Marauder06]

I don't think you have changed. Just as I don't think I have. @Marauder06 and I share some fairly liberal view. I used to vote Democrat, A LOT. I think I have posts on here talking about voting for Obama (2x).

Not too many years ago, I would have probably been considered a liberal. But the left ran far to the left, and they kept shoving me further and further to the right. We got a good luck at what the left's vision for our country is under President Biden. I'll take my chances under President Trump.

Nations will continue to ally with the US because it's in their interests to do so. It's the same reason we ally with them. But for too long, too many nations have become too comfortable in the shade of our shield and have used our largess and our generosity against us. A reset is long overdue.

 

[The Quartermaster]

They got a taste of what could have been. Feel free to finish the rest of that. I'm calling it a temper tantrum.

 

[Kaldak]

I'VE GOT A LOT TO SAY ABOUT POLYTICKS.....























...but instead of causing more outrage, here's a potato:
View attachment 49255

So, I stopped reading everything after this post. Because, the only politics I care about are the origin of this potato.

Is it from Idaho? If not, you sir, are out of line!

 

[Box]

"Idaho Potato" is trademarked by the "Idaho Potato Commission" - for that reason, I would never 'deliberately' post an 'Idaho Potato' in a way that might infringe on their intellectual property.

One might spend a few seconds looking at my potato and become outraged simply because a brief few seconds provoked deep feelings of rage. Maybe on first glance the potato has dark brown skin and few eyes...
...but an extended viewing would also show that the flesh is white, dry, soft, and mealy.

Are you still outraged at the potato I posted once you have more information?
Are you angry that I didn't post a Yukon Gold?
Should my post have been more diverse by inserting a Red Pontiac or a Russian Blue?
Maybe you'd be happier with a sweet potato?
Maybe you are just angry at me because you don't like potatoes.

Do you know who DOESN'T care where that potato came from?
Potatoes.
Potatoes don't give a SHIT if other potatoes came from Idaho or France or Ireland or New Zealand or Russia.
It seems like the folks that get the most upset about the potatoes are NOT actually potatoes.

I don't know what to tell you my brother - I like ALL potatoes - fried, baked, mashed, roasted - its all good.
Have a sense of humor and just enjoy the ride.


























...in the spirit of inclusion, here is another potato

 

[RackMaster]

What about PEI potatoes?

 

[Box]

What about PEI potatoes?

For what its worth - those purple potatoes - roasted in an InstaPot Air Fryer with some Freddie's French Fry Seasoning...
...wow

 

[Kaldak]

"Idaho Potato" is trademarked by the "Idaho Potato Commission" - for that reason, I would never 'deliberately' post an 'Idaho Potato' in a way that might infringe on their intellectual property.

One might spend a few seconds looking at my potato and become outraged simply because a brief few seconds provoked deep feelings of rage. Maybe on first glance the potato has dark brown skin and few eyes...
...but an extended viewing would also show that the flesh is white, dry, soft, and mealy.

Are you still outraged at the potato I posted once you have more information?
Are you angry that I didn't post a Yukon Gold?
Should my post have been more diverse by inserting a Red Pontiac or a Russian Blue?
Maybe you'd be happier with a sweet potato?
Maybe you are just angry at me because you don't like potatoes.

Do you know who DOESN'T care where that potato came from?
Potatoes.
Potatoes don't give a SHIT if other potatoes came from Idaho or France or Ireland or New Zealand or Russia.
It seems like the folks that get the most upset about the potatoes are NOT actually potatoes.

I don't know what to tell you my brother - I like ALL potatoes - fried, baked, mashed, roasted - its all good.
Have a sense of humor and just enjoy the ride.


























...in the spirit of inclusion, here is another potato

View attachment 49271

I purposely asked if it was from Idaho to avoid any trademarks, copyrights, registrations, patents, or any other lawyer-y stuff.

I do, however, guarantee you that potatoes care where they come from...

You see, Idaho is free. Idaho is beautiful. Idaho loves guns. Idaho is pro-America. Idaho hates assholes. All potatoes want to be from Idaho, especially the California ones, but we don't want anymore of those. They ruin the soil for future Idaho potatoes.

Beets on the other hand... unless they're fans of becoming sugar, they like to avoid Idaho. Just ask the smell along I-84.

 

[Box]

I would never assume identity - not even that of a potato so I will take your word for it !