News Donald Trump as president - is he serious?

[KingNothing]

Obama had me laughing out loud. WOW that was a funny speech!

 

[rootX]

Obama had me laughing out loud. WOW that was a funny speech!

I enjoyed Obama's speech - quite clever - but Seth went bit over the line.

 

[SamirS]

Wish we had politicians with humor.

Reminded me of the brilliant roasting of Bush by Stephen Colbert.

I thought that Seth Meyers was on the spot. This line: "Mr President if your hair becomes any whiter, the tea party will endorse it" made me laugh with tears. Also, how Obama laughed at jokes about him.

I also liked how you could see smoke rising up from Trump's head.

 

[Ryumast3r]

His "laser focus" (in 2 areas - split beam laser?) and 2 different references to the biggest drag on the economy (in about 2 minutes?) aside - it sounds like Trump has the requisite experience to address job creation, business recovery, and of course real estate - that President Obama specifically does not.

Running a corporation and running a country are two totally different things... even when it comes to the financials of a corporation and the financials of a country. Trump's biggest ally, declaring bankruptcy and earning money because of it, is simply not an option for the government of the United States of America.

Hmm, when I think of a person who does not engage in "big boisterous rhetoric", Donald Trump most certainly does *not* come to mind.

Two words: Birther Argument.

 

[WhoWee]

Running a corporation and running a country are two totally different things... even when it comes to the financials of a corporation and the financials of a country. Trump's biggest ally, declaring bankruptcy and earning money because of it, is simply not an option for the government of the United States of America.



Two words: Birther Argument.

Have you been following the GM story?

Please elaborate on the US Government options - after tax rates are increased on everyone making over $250K and when interest rates rise and/or nobody loans any additional funds.

 

[Char. Limit]

Have you been following the GM story?

Please elaborate on the US Government options - after tax rates are increased on everyone making over $250K and when interest rates rise and/or nobody loans any additional funds.

How about my favorite: Deep, deep cuts to spending and raise taxes on everyone. It's politically unpopular, and for good reason, but it would WORK.

 

[WhoWee]

How about my favorite: Deep, deep cuts to spending and raise taxes on everyone. It's politically unpopular, and for good reason, but it would WORK.

The cost of money is always important.

 

[CAC1001]

How about my favorite: Deep, deep cuts to spending and raise taxes on everyone. It's politically unpopular, and for good reason, but it would WORK.

It's also likely unworkable. George H. W. Bush tried to balance the budget by signing a large tax increase. The Congress at the time promised him they would reduce spending for the increased tax revenue, but this did not happen.

 

[WhoWee]

The cost of money is always important.

http://www.tradingeconomics.com/united-states/interest-rate

Make sure you change the date back to 1971 for the full effect.

 

[ParticleGrl]

How about my favorite: Deep, deep cuts to spending and raise taxes on everyone. It's politically unpopular, and for good reason, but it would WORK.

How do you plan to go about these deep cuts? The growth in the long-term spending is almost all healthcare, medicare in particular. Healthcare costs are ballooning both private and public- how do we reign them in?

In the short term, unemployment benefits are certainly a big cost- do we cut them? Also, in the short term, is the deficit a problem?

http://www.tradingeconomics.com/unit.../interest-rate

Make sure you change the date back to 1971 for the full effect.

What point are you trying to make?

 

[Char. Limit]

How do you plan to go about these deep cuts? The growth in the long-term spending is almost all healthcare, medicare in particular. Healthcare costs are ballooning both private and public- how do we reign them in?

In the short term, unemployment benefits are certainly a big cost- do we cut them? Also, in the short term, is the deficit a problem?



What point are you trying to make?

We spend over 663.8 billion dollars a year on Defense. China, one of the top 5 nations in defense spending (and I believe #2, but I don't have a source for that) spends 91.5 billion. I think we can afford to cut defense a BIT.

Note: All figures taken from Wikipedia. Might not be true.

 

[WhoWee]

What point are you trying to make?

If the cost of money increases - there won't be many choices.

 

[ParticleGrl]

We spend over 663.8 billion dollars a year on Defense. China, one of the top 5 nations in defense spending (and I believe #2, but I don't have a source for that) spends 91.5 billion. I think we can afford to cut defense a BIT.

Oh, certainly we can cut defense. However, defense spending isn't the long-term problem. Healthcare spending (both public and private) is growing faster than GDP, defense spending isn't.

If the cost of money increases - there won't be many choices.

Increases to what? Are you insinuating that the chart shows this is happening?

 

[Char. Limit]

Oh, certainly we can cut defense. However, defense spending isn't the long-term problem. Healthcare spending (both public and private) is growing faster than GDP, defense spending isn't.

You're thinking long-term. I'm not.

 

[WhoWee]

Oh, certainly we can cut defense. However, defense spending isn't the long-term problem. Healthcare spending (both public and private) is growing faster than GDP, defense spending isn't.



Increases to what? Are you insinuating that the chart shows this is happening?

The chart tells me with ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY that I can predict interest rates will rise from our current (lowest rates on the chart) at some point. Historically speaking, 20% is the upper limit for a spike following a deep recession - 8% is always a safe long term guess.

 

[ParticleGrl]

The chart tells me with ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY that I can predict interest rates will rise from our current (lowest rates on the chart) at some point.

Yes, the Fed lowers rates in recession and increases them in better times.

Are you suggesting that we can't run any deficit once the rate goes up? Or that we should keep running large deficits because rates are low, there are no bond vigilantes in sight, and unemployment should be the priority?

You're thinking long-term. I'm not.

There isn't really a short term deficit problem. When in a recession, the deficit will always be larger as GDP declines and social programs kick in. This is natural, and expected. Its only a problem if people aren't willing to buy treasuries, but the bond market isn't seeing that.

 

[CAC1001]

We could eliminate the defense budget entirely and still wouldn't close the federal deficit by half. Cuts to defense spending can be made I am sure, but they must be done in a correct manner. The military needs to be able to replace worn out equipment, vehicles, parts, etc...from Iraq and Afghanistan.

There isn't really a short term deficit problem. When in a recession, the deficit will always be larger as GDP declines and social programs kick in. This is natural, and expected. Its only a problem if people aren't willing to buy treasuries, but the bond market isn't seeing that.

That's true, but usually the deficit is a lot smaller than what it is now. The size of deficit currently is adding over a trillion dollars a year to the national debt, which isn't sustainable.

 

[WhoWee]

Yes, the Fed lowers rates in recession and increases them in better times.

Are you suggesting that we can't run any deficit once the rate goes up? Or that we should keep running large deficits because rates are low, there are no bond vigilantes in sight, and unemployment should be the priority?



There isn't really a short term deficit problem. When in a recession, the deficit will always be larger as GDP declines and social programs kick in. This is natural, and expected. Its only a problem if people aren't willing to buy treasuries, but the bond market isn't seeing that.

This thread is about Trump. I think you'll find his financial problems started with junk bond financing - during a boom. I'll try to dig up a link - until I do, please label IMO.

 

[WhoWee]

I promised a link here's a few about Trump and "junk bonds":
http://www.nytimes.com/1990/06/16/business/junk-bonds-for-casino-fall-on-news-of-missed-payment.html

http://www.nytimes.com/1995/06/08/business/trump-pays-15.5-in-junk-bond-sale.html

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/b...m-launch-a-year-after-bankruptcy-1491802.html

http://www.casinocitytimes.com/news/article/trump-hopes-to-raise-$470-million-in-junk-bonds-125466

Last - from his book:
http://books.google.com/books?id=Ye...snum=10&ved=0CDoQ6AEwCTgK#v=onepage&q&f=false

Trump knows debt.

 

[Amp1]

I think Seth Meyers said it best at the correspondents' dinner "... I thought Donald Trump was running as a Joke."

 

[Gokul43201]

I think Seth Meyers said it best at the correspondents' dinner "... I thought Donald Trump was running as a Joke."

He probably was.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43051689/ns/politics-decision_2012/

 

[WhoWee]

Somehow, I don't think he;ll fade into the sunset anytime soon. Now he can REALLY say whatever comes to mind. Like Huckabee, he can still be an influence.

 

[turbo]

Somehow, I don't think he;ll fade into the sunset anytime soon. Now he can REALLY say whatever comes to mind. Like Huckabee, he can still be an influence.

A gadfly, and an inspiration to all the right-wing loons. Obama wasn't born in the US. Obama was a poor student that got into Columbia and Harvard because he was black. Obama was a poor student who somehow ended up as the editor of the Harvard Law Review.

Trump is a creep, and he would have demolished the GOP had he emerged from the primaries as their nominee. As much as I hate the two-party dichotomy that characterizes our politics, I would not want either party to be destroyed. That would not be good. I would love for the parties' influences to be greatly diminished through campaign-finance reform, but I don't see it ever coming to fruition. There is far too much money to be made influence-peddling and bribing elected officials with campaign contributions and "speaking fees" etc.

 

[CAC1001]

Trump showed himself to be extremely thin-skinned IMO. He comes out saying a bunch of incredibly outrageous things, gets called on it, and then can't handle it.