Kevin D. Williamson article...from the National Review

[Chillwell]

"Death of a F***ing Salesman"

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/449988/donald-trump-cant-close-deal-failing-salesman

Don't always agree with Williamson, but I think he's a damn good writer.

An excerpt:

"Trump is the political version of a pickup artist, and Republicans — and America — went to bed with him convinced that he was something other than what he is. Trump inherited his fortune but describes himself as though he were a self-made man.

He has had a middling career in real estate and a poor one as a hotelier and casino operator but convinced people he is a titan of industry. He has never managed a large, complex corporate enterprise, but he did play an executive on a reality show. He presents himself as a confident ladies’ man but is so insecure that he invented an imaginary friend to lie to the New York press about his love life and is now married to a woman who is open and blasé about the fact that she married him for his money. He fixates on certain words (“negotiator”) and certain classes of words (mainly adjectives and adverbs, “bigly,” “major,” “world-class,” “top,” and superlatives), but he isn’t much of a negotiator, manager, or leader. He cannot negotiate a health-care deal among members of a party desperate for one, can’t manage his own factionalized and leak-ridden White House, and cannot lead a political movement that aspires to anything greater than the service of his own pathetic vanity.

He wants to be John Wayne, but what he is is “Woody Allen without the humor.” Peggy Noonan, to whom we owe that observation, has his number: He is soft, weak, whimpering, and petulant. He isn’t smart enough to do the job and isn’t man enough to own up to the fact. For all his gold-plated toilets, he is at heart that middling junior salesman watching Glengarry Glen Ross and thinking to himself: “That’s the man I want to be.” How many times do you imagine he has stood in front of a mirror trying to project like Alec Baldwin? Unfortunately for the president, it’s Baldwin who does the good imitation of Trump, not the other way around."


I still cannot believe so many Americans voted for such an obvious, self-absorbed, narcissistic con artist. Oh...and an ignorant & stupid one at that.

 

[OKSTATE1]

It is real simple, there were more never Hillary's than never Trumper's. SCOTUS was at stake in the last election. Hillary blames Russia, but Hillary was a deeply flawed candidate. Trump is the gorilla in the China shop and we know what he is, Hillary is the snake in the grass that frankly I believe in time will go down as one of the most corrupt politicians in history. Trump might be an egotistical narcissistic maniac, but Hillary is an evil corrupt person. Americans are not totally stupid, many understood exactly what Hillary is and Trump is when they voted. And decades of SCOTUS rulings were hanging in the balance. For as many that can not understand how anyone voted for Trump, there is more that feel the exact same way for Hillary. How on earth this country could not come up with better candidates and came up with the 2 they did at exactly the same time is the real unbelievable part. Trump had the right issues, if he had the personality to go with the issues Hillary would have lost in a landslide, SHE was that bad of a candidate.

 

[davidallen]

It is real simple, there were more never Hillary's than never Trumper's.

Really? How many more were with Trump than were with her?

 

[OKSTATE1]

Really? How many more were with Trump than were with her?

It is the only way the election went down like it did. I understand the popular vote, but Hillary had built up years of history with voters, my wife being one of them. Trump did not have the years of political dislike going in.

Hillary had a ton of Dem voters that voted the Dem ticket like they had for Obama in the last election, they were voting that way no matter who the Republicans ran. The reason the election swung Trump's way because their were more swing voters that would never vote for Hillary than there were for Trump. That is my opinion, agree with it or not but in my mind explains the results.

Sorry, but at a minimum there was equal hatred for Hillary in terms of NEVER being able to vote for her as there was for Trump. You see, those that voted for Trump perfectly understood the candidate they voted for. Sorry, but if you are Dem that voted Hillary and thought she was the Virgin Mary and not corrupt ass hell, you are naive. Trump voters much more in tune, we had 2 really bad choices, Trump as they say was the best of 2 evils, and in this situation evil is the perfect word. My opinion, is that Hillary is corrupt and evil, voted Gorilla and SCOTUS over Snake. I hope and pray Hillary and the DNC get fully investigated, I could be wrong but it is a cess pool. I would like to know why people connected to Hillary and the DNC commit suicide. If it was suicide what did they know that burden them so much to do that? If it was murder? Who had the motive and what are they hiding?

I know a whole bunch of people that very well might have voted for the devil over Hillary. When Dems figure that out they might start getting a clue of why they lost the election.

 

[davidallen]

It is the only way the election went down like it did. I understand the popular vote, but Hillary had built up years of history with voters, my wife being one of them. Trump did not have the years of political dislike going in.

Hillary had a ton of Dem voters that voted the Dem ticket like they had for Obama in the last election, they were voting that way no matter who the Republicans ran. The reason the election swung Trump's way because their were more swing voters that would never vote for Hillary than there were for Trump. That is my opinion, agree with it or not but in my mind explains the results.

Sorry, but at a minimum there was equal hatred for Hillary in terms of NEVER being able to vote for her as there was for Trump. You see, those that voted for Trump perfectly understood the candidate they voted for. Sorry, but if you are Dem that voted Hillary and thought she was the Virgin Mary and not corrupt ass hell, you are naive. Trump voters much more in tune, we had 2 really bad choices, Trump as they say was the worst of 2 evils, and in this situation evil is the perfect word. My opinion, is that Hillary is a corrupt and evil, voted Gorilla and SCOTUS over Snake. I hope and pray Hillary and the DNC get fully investigated, I could be wrong but it is a fess pool. I would like to know why people connected to Hillary and the DNC commit suicide. If it was suicide what did they know that burden them so much to do that? If it was murder? Who had the motive and what are they hiding?

I know a whole bunch of people that very well might have voted for the devil over Hillary. When Dems figure that out they might start getting a clue of why they lost the election.

Yanking that chain a bit over the popular vote... Agree in large part with your assessment on the election (plenty I don't agree with here, but that is another thread), HRC lost the election rather than DJT winning it.

 

[OKSTATE1]

Yanking that chain a bit over the popular vote... Agree in large part with your assessment on the election (plenty I don't agree with here, but that is another thread), HRC lost the election rather than DJT winning it.

I still believe Trump had the issues. Trump ran on HC, Wall, Tax Reform, SCOTUS, trade agreements, immigration, helping small business, removing regulations on large business, the VA, and the military.

Seriously, what did Hillary offer on the issues?

 

[davidallen]

I still believe Trump had the issues. Trump ran on HC, Wall, Tax Reform, SCOTUS, trade agreements, immigration, helping small business, removing regulations on large business, the VA, and the military.

Seriously, what did Hillary offer on the issues?

You and I have a dramatically different recollection on what DJT stood for in the election. His main pitch was "crooked Hillary", "build the wall" and the nebulous but expansive MAGA.

As to HRC on actual issues:

• HRC was pushing reforming not destroying ACA - lets see who is winning on the issue today.
• HRC pitched working with partners not against them - policy based immigration reform rather than a fantasy that a physical structure can somehow fix what is wrong economically and socially with our southern neighbor. Again, where we stand now on immigration and the wall. Haven't seen a poll on this in some time but as I see it important for a fraction of his base, not an overall priority. Add in the fiasco of the Muslim ban, you really want to stand behind that mess?
• Tax reform - what tax reform - did the dude ever put a plan out during the election. HRC much too wonky but no lack of detail.
• SCOTUS - Trump was smart here publishing a list of candidates during the election. Galvanized a lot of "hold my nose and vote DJT" support.
• Climate - clear win for HRC as Trump again had no real plan. By that I am saying rolling back the clock was not a real plan. Now that he has Pruitt actually rolling back the clock, I would again say not a real plan.

Too bad she sucked as a candidate. As POTUS she would be much less entertaining but less damaging to the long term health of the Republic even with all her faults.

 

[OKSTATE1]

You and I have a dramatically different recollection on what DJT stood for in the election. His main pitch was "crooked Hillary", "build the wall" and the nebulous but expansive MAGA.

As to HRC on actual issues:

• HRC was pushing reforming not destroying ACA - lets see who is winning on the issue today.
• HRC pitched working with partners not against them - policy based immigration reform rather than a fantasy that a physical structure can somehow fix what is wrong economically and socially with our southern neighbor. Again, where we stand now on immigration and the wall. Haven't seen a poll on this in some time but as I see it important for a fraction of his base, not an overall priority. Add in the fiasco of the Muslim ban, you really want to stand behind that mess?
• Tax reform - what tax reform - did the dude ever put a plan out during the election. HRC much too wonky but no lack of detail.
• SCOTUS - Trump was smart here publishing a list of candidates during the election. Galvanized a lot of "hold my nose and vote DJT" support.
• Climate - clear win for HRC as Trump again had no real plan. By that I am saying rolling back the clock was not a real plan. Now that he has Pruitt actually rolling back the clock, I would again say not a real plan.

Too bad she sucked as a candidate. As POTUS she would be much less entertaining but less damaging to the long term health of the Republic even with all her faults.

You call the ACA mess today a win for the Dems? You can have that win. Would not be in this position if the Dems had not crammed that legislation down the throats of Republicans to begin with. Party politics need to stop and it needs to be fixed.

The wall will help, that was not just DJT's immigration platform, he ran on policy as well, like enforcing the laws already on the books. You call it the Muslim issue and just play identity politics. It was a security issue, and those countries were identified by God (Obama) himself as a security problem.

There is a tax proposal put together, I attended a KPMG meeting for their clients with their top Washington advisors in attendance and breaking it down. HC had to come first because it is part of tax reform.

Climate is a fear tool that has been politicized and has hurt American companies and has put US businesses at a disadvantage. Rolling back is a clear win in voluntary agreements in which the US paid the bills and US companies get screwed.
Optics more important to Dems than protecting American interests, you know, the US taxpayer.

Trump's first day in office he met with the Union Heads and they know he is serious about jobs. While Dems define bathrooms and hurt US business on bogus trade and climate agreements, Trump is taking your votes away for good with the Unions, these are the people the Dems forgot.

In the end in 3 more years people will ask themselves are they better off?

The economy is cooking, stock market all time high, unemployment lowest in years, etc.....My personal net worth up substantially.

Every single investment advisor I know which is 3, said US companies were sittting on the largest cash reserves in history waiting to get a Republican pro business President and when that happened the money was coming off the sideline, it is happening and will continue if the Congress gets behind Trump on business Thank god the new OT rules did not go in effect at the 47,560 level, I might be off a few dollars, another Democratic economy killer.

All depends on your viewpoint. Dems can have bathrooms, embrace bad HC, embrace climate, embrace open borders, etc....

GOP will take secure borders, strong military, jobs, bringing manufacturing back to the US, increasing the value of retirement funds, lowering taxes, and hopefully fix HC when the RINO's get replaced in 2018 or perhaps after Trump pulls congressional HC support and put them on the same footing as the US taxpayer.

The winning hand is obvious, people want to work, or should I say most do and do not want handouts. And those that do work do not care to pay for illegal immigrants and the problems that come with it.

 

[MegaPoke]

SC placement and he's still not Hillary right?

You and I have a dramatically different recollection on what DJT stood for in the election. His main pitch was "crooked Hillary", "build the wall" and the nebulous but expansive MAGA.

As to HRC on actual issues:

• HRC was pushing reforming not destroying ACA - lets see who is winning on the issue today.
• HRC pitched working with partners not against them - policy based immigration reform rather than a fantasy that a physical structure can somehow fix what is wrong economically and socially with our southern neighbor. Again, where we stand now on immigration and the wall. Haven't seen a poll on this in some time but as I see it important for a fraction of his base, not an overall priority. Add in the fiasco of the Muslim ban, you really want to stand behind that mess?
• Tax reform - what tax reform - did the dude ever put a plan out during the election. HRC much too wonky but no lack of detail.
• SCOTUS - Trump was smart here publishing a list of candidates during the election. Galvanized a lot of "hold my nose and vote DJT" support.
• Climate - clear win for HRC as Trump again had no real plan. By that I am saying rolling back the clock was not a real plan. Now that he has Pruitt actually rolling back the clock, I would again say not a real plan.

Too bad she sucked as a candidate. As POTUS she would be much less entertaining but less damaging to the long term health of the Republic even with all her faults.

This post ->

 

[Been Jammin]

Re: the article in the OP. I think there is a lot of accuracy in that article. Trump has proven to be adept at pulling the wool over the public's eyes and convincing them that he is great at things when he is really mediocre at best.

 

[OKSTATE1]

Re: the article in the OP. I think there is a lot of accuracy in that article. Trump has proven to be adept at pulling the wool over the public's eyes and convincing them that he is great at things when he is really mediocre at best.

Nope. They knew what he was, liked his policies, expected policy changes to make improvements. Although Dems laugh about it, those that voted for him appreciated him overturning Obama's executive orders. Hillary had no platform. That article is giving Trump far too much credit, he could be the worst manager on earth but he fully understood what middle America wanted while the 2 coasts have looked at middle America as uneducated peasants for the last 8 years. The voting public in middle America has been underestimated, the candidate was not overestimated. Dems in trouble next election if they keep thinking like this.

 

[Been Jammin]

Nope. They knew what he was, liked his policies, expected policy changes to make improvements. Although Dems laugh about it, those that voted for him appreciated him overturning Obama's executive orders. Hillary had no platform. That article is giving Trump far too much credit, he could be the worst manager on earth but he fully understood what middle America wanted while the 2 coasts have looked at middle America as uneducated peasants for the last 8 years. The voting public in middle America has been underestimated, the candidate was not overestimated. Dems in trouble next election if they keep thinking like this.

I wasn't referring to Trump the candidate. I was referring to Trump the person/businessman.

 

[Rdcldad]

It is real simple, there were more never Hillary's than never Trumper's. SCOTUS was at stake in the last election. Hillary blames Russia, but Hillary was a deeply flawed candidate. Trump is the gorilla in the China shop and we know what he is, Hillary is the snake in the grass that frankly I believe in time will go down as one of the most corrupt politicians in history. Trump might be an egotistical narcissistic maniac, but Hillary is an evil corrupt person. Americans are not totally stupid, many understood exactly what Hillary is and Trump is when they voted. And decades of SCOTUS rulings were hanging in the balance. For as many that can not understand how anyone voted for Trump, there is more that feel the exact same way for Hillary. How on earth this country could not come up with better candidates and came up with the 2 they did at exactly the same time is the real unbelievable part. Trump had the right issues, if he had the personality to go with the issues Hillary would have lost in a landslide, SHE was that bad of a candidate.

well said

with all trumps faults he was the only one to right this country

for such a polarizing candidate how are the blm marches going this summer?

how many police shootings are in the news?

this russian deal is good for something...

 

[Headhunter]

For someone who is such a scam artist he sure owns a lot real estate and receives a lot of net income.

Just another butt hurt article from a never Trumper.

I look at real tangle results.

Trump has gotten NATO to pony up 12 billion in owed money.
In just 6 months in office the growth in GDP has went from a paltry 1% to a healthy 2.5% and growing.
Unemployment - down, labor participation rate - up, food stamp recipients - down.
Illegal border crossings are down 70%.
Eliminated thousands of bureaucratic regulations and is getting rid of more every week.
Downsizing is going on in almost all government agencies.

You don't hear about these things because all the MSM and Democrats want you to hear is Trump stole the election and he's a fraud.

Politico actually has a thing they do every week called "Things the Trump administration did this week while you weren't looking" of course they don't like the things his people are doing but to me everything they report on is exactly what needs to be getting done.

 

[Chillwell]

Americans are not totally stupid, many understood exactly what Hillary is and Trump is when they voted. And decades of SCOTUS rulings were hanging in the balance. For as many that can not understand how anyone voted for Trump, there is more that feel the exact same way for Hillary. How on earth this country could not come up with better candidates and came up with the 2 they did...

It is not as simple as Hillary v. Trump. There were literally more than a dozen other Republican choices who were smart, competent men/women of character who could have appointed a conservative SCJ + not behave like whiney toddler, taking stupid actions & making embarrassing comments practically every other day. Take your choice... Jeb, Ted, John K., Mike H., etc. Most of the 2016 R candidates had a proven track record of successful public service.

You are right about one thing - the public did know who they were voting for and why I have to question their discernment.

 

[OKSTATE1]

It is not as simple as Hillary v. Trump. There were literally more than a dozen other Republican choices who were smart, competent men/women of character who could have appointed a conservative SCJ + not behave like whiney toddler, taking stupid actions & making embarrassing comments practically every other day. Take your choice... Jeb, Ted, John K., Mike H., etc. Most of the 2016 R candidates had a proven track record of successful public service.

You are right about one thing - the public did know who they were voting for and why I have to question their discernment.

We know the Democratic establishment hates Trump, we are learning some of the Republican establishment fear him as well. All the other Republican candidates IMO did not express as clearly and precisely as Trump as to what they were going to do once in office. Just like many Republicans obviously lied about changing HC over the years, many of Trump's GOP opponents in the race were scared to take on some of the issues Trump did in a very direct and honest way (not politically correct way), Trump was very transparent in what he wanted to do, arrogantly bragged about it. Everyone knew Trump's policy positions, even those that hated him. Those that voted for Trump were voting for change, and in their eyes not just change for the sake of change, but very specific changes and policies.

You have to set aside any dislike or hatred for Trump, and his faults, to see that one thing he did incredibly well, is that he was able to tune in to what middle America really wanted and expressed it in an open and transparent (i.e., non politically correct candidate) way. It was refreshing for some to get a candidate that was completely honest with what was going on in his brain, people can handle the truth, some hated Trump for it, but a bunch saw his warts and saw his platform as a positive. Yes, they were ok with him bragging about grabbing *ussy if he did the things middle America wanted, that is how bad middle America wanted help. Optics and being politically correct is killing this country, the average Joe in middle America wants a decent job, lower taxes, and does not want to pay for a bunch of stupid government programs. They also want their guns and bibles. Hillary labeled these people behind their backs as deplorables, Trump called them Americans and proudly shouted it from the roof tops. None of the other GOP candidates "got it", they thought if they acted more Presidential it would make them a better candidate easily, optics was not winning this election, actual platform positions was going to.

What does it say when US Corporations had a record amount of cash sitting on their Balance Sheets building up over the years literally rotting away (i.e., the return on cash was less than inflation so the longer you held it the less purchasing power you have), preferring to not invest in Capital projects to grow their companies and to not invest in the stock market? That is how bad the Obama administration was seen in Board rooms of America, business sentiment was low. Why invest for higher taxes, punitive trade agreements, rising labor costs based on forcing income equality and not actual job skills, an administration that was ok shipping out "dated" mainstream industries so the US could take some phony BS "leadership" position on climate and the environment while our international competitors gladly took the jobs and manufacturing and goes on polluting and laughs at us. But hey, Obama got patted on the head for making America a "leader". Americans do not want to lead in unemployment and the highest taxes on earth. The average Joe may not have understood what was happening in the Board rooms, but they felt the end result, people that wanted to work and work hard and did not want public assistance and had no place to go.

In the end, 3 years from now Trump either wins or loses the election based on jobs and the economy, not the wall, not HC, not immigration. If our citizens are doing better in the check book, he wins easily. If it is a push, he will have to win on HC, immigration, etc....to get elected again. If they are doing worse he is out easily. MSM not covering how well the economy, etc...is doing under him. It is a big dirty secret but come election time it will be discussed a bunch.

 

[Ponca Dan]

It is real simple, there were more never Hillary's than never Trumper's. SCOTUS was at stake in the last election. Hillary blames Russia, but Hillary was a deeply flawed candidate. Trump is the gorilla in the China shop and we know what he is, Hillary is the snake in the grass that frankly I believe in time will go down as one of the most corrupt politicians in history. Trump might be an egotistical narcissistic maniac, but Hillary is an evil corrupt person. Americans are not totally stupid, many understood exactly what Hillary is and Trump is when they voted. And decades of SCOTUS rulings were hanging in the balance. For as many that can not understand how anyone voted for Trump, there is more that feel the exact same way for Hillary. How on earth this country could not come up with better candidates and came up with the 2 they did at exactly the same time is the real unbelievable part. Trump had the right issues, if he had the personality to go with the issues Hillary would have lost in a landslide, SHE was that bad of a candidate.

That is arguably the best written reply this board has ever seen. Kudos to you.

 

[EvilPOKES]

It wasn't Hitlery. Win for me.

 

[Rdcldad]

It is not as simple as Hillary v. Trump. There were literally more than a dozen other Republican choices who were smart, competent men/women of character who could have appointed a conservative SCJ + not behave like whiney toddler, taking stupid actions & making embarrassing comments practically every other day. Take your choice... Jeb, Ted, John K., Mike H., etc. Most of the 2016 R candidates had a proven track record of successful public service.

You are right about one thing - the public did know who they were voting for and why I have to question their discernment.

these other GOP candidates are lapdogs Hildebeast and the DNC would have picked them clean

 

[BIGOSUFAN]

You and I have a dramatically different recollection on what DJT stood for in the election. His main pitch was "crooked Hillary", "build the wall" and the nebulous but expansive MAGA.

As to HRC on actual issues:

• HRC was pushing reforming not destroying ACA - lets see who is winning on the issue today.
• HRC pitched working with partners not against them - policy based immigration reform rather than a fantasy that a physical structure can somehow fix what is wrong economically and socially with our southern neighbor. Again, where we stand now on immigration and the wall. Haven't seen a poll on this in some time but as I see it important for a fraction of his base, not an overall priority. Add in the fiasco of the Muslim ban, you really want to stand behind that mess?
• Tax reform - what tax reform - did the dude ever put a plan out during the election. HRC much too wonky but no lack of detail.
• SCOTUS - Trump was smart here publishing a list of candidates during the election. Galvanized a lot of "hold my nose and vote DJT" support.
• Climate - clear win for HRC as Trump again had no real plan. By that I am saying rolling back the clock was not a real plan. Now that he has Pruitt actually rolling back the clock, I would again say not a real plan.

Too bad she sucked as a candidate. As POTUS she would be much less entertaining but less damaging to the long term health of the Republic even with all her faults.

Hillary would've done irreparable damage to the Republic with her Supreme Court nominations and immigration ideas.

 

[CBradSmith]

Dumb.

Guy has the ability to write, but when you put that skill alongside the desire to hear one's own words and a person that speaks forcefully in spite of their blind spots, it makes for half-baked articles like this. ....That do a service to no one.

 

[Rdcldad]

Hillary would've done irreparable damage to the Republic with her Supreme Court nominations and immigration ideas.

yea but the DNC and liberal agenda would be set for the next generation

that's what's important right?