Without a doubt, Hillary Clinton has had a bad week. She’s got pneumonia, she had to take several days off of the campaign trail, she almost fainted at the 9/11 memorial services, and worst of all, Donald Trump seems to be gaining ground in key battleground states. With so much focus on what is happening with Clinton and around her campaign, it’s totally bizarre that every shady thing that Trump says or does is met with a shrug. I mean… why is that? This is Newsweek’s cover this week – an in-depth report on Trump’s organization, his shady business deals and how disastrous it would be if he ever did win the presidency. And Newsweek’s story was largely met with a shrug. There are no widespread, pressing, daily calls for Trump to release his tax returns. It’s absurd.
Considering the focus on Hillary’s health, there’s been a renewed interest in hearing more about Trump’s health too. The Trump campaign made a big deal about how they were going to release his medical records (they did not) and how he was going to talk about all of his health issues with Dr. Oz, on an episode taped yesterday (which has not aired yet). Here’s the teaser:
And here’s what one audience member recalls about Trump’s appearance. Trump thinks he gets good cardio from waving his arms around during rallies. That says it all.
Dr. Oz is a Republican, did you know that? He was also hauled before Congress and berated for putting his name on a weight loss supplement that did nothing. What I’m saying is that Dr. Oz and Donald Trump are birds of a feather. The NYT does report that one of the “letters” Trump presented to Dr. Oz said that Trump is overweight though.
And finally, a pastor short-stopped Trump’s speech in Flint, Michigan when he started bitching about Hillary Clinton.
A Flint pastor interrupts Donald Trump: I didn't invite you to "give a political speech" https://t.co/cN2VTMKDqy pic.twitter.com/eDjk5S9z5s
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) September 15, 2016
Photos courtesy of Newsweek, WENN.
“There are no widespread, pressing, daily calls for Trump to release his tax returns. It’s absurd.”
It’s more than absurd. It’s a disgraceful dereliction of duty.
And Dr. Oz should lose his medical license. He’s not interested in human health or the health of our democracy, only the health of his ego and bank accounts.
“Dr.” Oz was also fined $9million by the FTC for fraud.
dude is a QUACK and I wouldn’t trust anything he says about medicine.
We’re living a reality show election. It’s unbelievable.
I saw a headline this AM saying he said 236 pounds. I saw the actual clip yesterday, and he plainly said 267. How do the media get so mixed up?
I think Dr. oz may have said 236? I definitely heard it in a clip. But I am 200% sure 236 is not true. His height and girth says nothing like 236. He’s definitely 267, which puts him squarely into the obese category.
Even at 236, he’s at the high end of “overweight” according to NPR. Not that weight is the most important thing, but he has presented himself as “fittest candidate EVER” when that clearly is not true, and has knocked Hillary for a common temporary illness.
Barack Obama was clearly a more fit candidate. In every possible sense of the word.
Very true. The media needs to start harping about all these things about Trump, he is shady as all get-out. Let’s see those tax records, Mr. Trump. I don’t give one rip about his health.
Dr. Oz is an idiot
The instant he releases his taxes, his run for president is over. There’s something in there that the American public won’t stand for. That’s the only logical explanation
I hate him and think he’s the Antichrist, but I honestly don’t care if he’s overweight or not. I am too. I worry that a sudden focus on weight will lead to people calling Hillary fat and then people won’t vote for her because no one likes a fat woman (sarcasm but sadly true).
Donald Jr admitted as much today. Basically said Trump can’t release what’s in them because then everyone will know what’s in them and judge him for what’s in it instead of focusing on his “main message.” (of hate and pathological lying.)
Smile of the day: A little girl’s reaction to meeting Obama and then meeting Trump. 🙂 https://www.buzzfeed.com/stephaniemcneal/little-miss-flint-trump?utm_term=.ehAg9ogZx#.wklpnep4Y
That girl is wise.
If Trump wanted a tv doctor to review his health he should’ve paid a visit to Dr. Phil.
And by shouting. He stays in shape by waving his arms and shouting.
Shouting is very, very good exercise. The best. Believe me.
Lol, moms are all-to-familiar with this brand of exercise!
Actually, tracking, I was being sarcastic. Guess that didn’t translate. I don’t think shouting qualifies as any form of exercise.
LOL! Shouting is huge. I know the most about shouting out of anyone.
People say shouting is tremendous exercise. Tremendous. I don’t know, you tell me.
Shouting is yuge, YUGE in terms of exercise.
I am the best shouter! I have the best shouts! When I shout, I win people, believe me.
Because Oz is such a credible source. 🙄🙄
I get him confused with Dr Phil.
Oz and Phil are all by products of Oprah. She loves those guys. Wonder what she’s thinking now
She loves them because they make money–lots of it. She gets a percentage from the profits since she made them into the celebrities that they are today. She doesn’t care whether they are insufferable, a**hats and charlatans as long as the green keeps rolling in. That is Oprah’s kind of integrity.
The pastor stopping him is just glorious! Rest of the world, look how easily it can be done.
I thought she was great, too. So polite, but she also conveyed in no uncertain terms to him that she was going to make him stick to what they had agreed on. I have seen NO ONE else do this. She meant business, he knew it, and he got his butt off that stage in a hurry. LOVED IT!
Now he is saying it was a set up and the pastor was shaking and nervous when introducing him because she knew she was going to do that to him. Oh and he said when she did it the crowd was chanting let him speak, let him speak (he said this on Fox and Friends apparently according to NPR). The guy from NPR said no one in the crowd said anything of the sort. In fact, he said the crowd was heckling Trump and asking about rumors of racist renting practices. The pastor told the crowd to be polite and let him talk because he was an invited guest.
Why oh why is he allowed to blatantly lie without being fact checked, but we have to hear about Clinton’s non issue emails over and over again, along with the conspiracies about her health??? I went to a meeting in Maryland yesterday about 75 minutes from my house. I counted 28 Trump signs along the way and zero Hillary signs. There are signs for Hillary in Philly and Jersey but the Trump signs I see in the burbs far outnumber them. I am scared, honestly. Why is no one able to take their blinders off. The man is a buffoon!!
Has he not yet called the pastor a failure and a disgrace. That’s his SOP for anyone who disagrees or calls him out. He should look in the mirror when he says those words.
The fact that the race is tightening is incredibly scary. I try to picture how the US and the world would look at the end of a Trump presidency and my imagination fails. Being Canadian, I thought (selfishly) that at least we were safe from his madness, but not anymore. I believe that he will endanger the whole world, not just the US. It is useless to try and convince his supporters that he is a madman, unfit for office. My only hope lies in everyone else turning out to vote Hillary.
My fear is so many people will vote third party as a ‘protest’ of two not great candidates and hand the election to that mad man. Under normal circumstances I would never vote for Hilary, I think she’s shady as hell, but she’s by far the lesser of two evils in this race.
YES.
Also she’s not shady. Why do people who think they are thinking people keep saying this? There is NO EVIDENCE. Only a Republican smear campaign that began in the 1990s because they foresaw that she could be a threat.
Exactly what Who ARE These People said. Exactly this. Innuendo is all they have on HIllary, but if you say something enough times, it becomes fact, right?
@Who are these People/ Mrs. Odie
I have this theory that the Republican party in general just cannot understand that a woman can be well-educated, ambitious and powerful in her own right without a man standing by. They are incredibly insecure that their boy’s club is being threatened by someone whose values and instincts are far more inclusive than their own. I think this explains this vendetta they have had against Mrs. Clinton (the future POTUS) for these past decades. She is not perfect and would probably be the first to admit it but the fact that this blatant sexism is alive and thriving in the 21st century is so depressing, isn’t it?.
You speak the truth, Lisa.
Berned out Bernie bros. As someone that voted for Bernie, it seriously angers me they are voting third party as a protest against Hillary rather than voting for the actual person.
@Lisa… Your interpretation of the Republican party is way off, and seriously all wrong. Boys club? Your entire comment is truly comical!
As a fellow Canadian I have to say that I am hoping so hard that HRC wins. Not only because I cannot fathom a jerkweed like Trump as the leader of ANY country, but because of what could happen to the world as a whole. I mean, just our economy alone could take a massive hit if he wins and people start to panic or whatever. It’s a bit scary to think about.
Totally agree with you about HRC! Trump is a disaster. However, as I fellow Canadian myself (granted I live in the USA due to spouse) I think you and I as well as all fellow Canadians should also be concerned that Canada’s version of Dubya (George Bush Jr) is Canada’s leader. His father was brilliant. (Full disclosure I vote left of center). Justin isn’t even particularly intelligent. Mediocre at best. So who is the puppet master? Clearly there is a team of Dad’s friends at the helm. As Canadians we all spend quite a bit of time scrutinizing US leaders and the antics of a**hat american politicians without doing nearly enough of it in our own country.
If Justin is the puppet… what was Harper? The block of wood that maybe would be intended to be made into a puppet?
@Lady MTL+1. I believe all thinking Canadians are worried about a Trump presidency.
Another Canadian here. Trudeau may be a puppet (or not, I don’t know), but at least he’s an inclusive one. I’m an NDP girl myself, but strategically voted Liberal in the last election even though I didn’t then think very highly of Justin Trudeau. He’s changed my view of him somewhat in the last year, and even if that’s just because of his puppet-masters, at least his political rhetoric is, by and large, reflective of my own values concerning inclusivity and basic human decency, unlike our last Prime Minister.
@Erinn – Let me just say to start that I cannot believe I am about to type this.
Harper may have been an unpopular leader who made a lot of unpopular choices but he is not stupid nor was he a puppet. His changes were brought about in most part because of what he wanted, not just what the party wanted. He is definitely a wooden speaker and was not my choice, ever, but I have met him several times and he is extremely well spoken and educated. In person he is actually much more animated and personable than he comes across on television or in speeches. You can also very much tell that he makes no decision unless it is something that he wants to do.
I voted for the federal Liberal Party, not for Mr. Trudeau. He is not his father (let’s be honest, no one can be like Sr. in this day and age anyway) and signs are not looking good at this point in his term. There are still three more years for him to sink or swim. As a Canadian I hope he gets swimming for our country’s sake.
Given US power and influence, no one is exempt – and Canadians share the longest unprotected border with the US and have it as its biggest trading partner. It’s truly worrisome.
Bush destabilized both the world order and the world economy through recklessness, ignorance and ideology. Trump raises all of that to a much higher degree.
Support Democratic races and turnout in the swing states nearest you.
I got an email from Avaaz today – asking me to go and download an app that allows ex-pat Americans to vote and do their part in keeping out Trump. Not entirely sure why Avaaz thinks I’m American, but perhaps they are just blanket emailing everyone in the hopes of not missing anyone?
A vote from abroad link from the US State Department:
https://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/abroad/legal-matters/benefits/voting.html
Also check the registration deadlines in your last state of residence. They are beginning soon!
I agree with you. I do not understand why it seems people are falling for his out and out b… sh t. He is very dangerous to me and we are right next door. For the people of the US, I feel absolute horror if he gets in.
Why do people of either party act as if the world will end if someone from the other party gets elected President? The world will survive. He’s not going to attack CAnada:-)
He might not attack Canada, but Canada is in the fall out zone of a US conflict. Not to mention being a target because we are next door to, and friendly with the States.
“When America sneezes, Canada gets a cold.”
He won’t attack us with military but I fear for our trade relationship. We have no softwood lumber agreement with the US right now (haven’t for a year as of October 12th) and that is a huge problem. As of today, October 15, US softwood producers are able to lobby Washington to impose new duties on Canadian softwood entering the US. This will effect ALL of us and is bad news. If Trump gets in with his protectionism platform, everyone is screwed. Not just Canadians, but Americans too as the prices will rise with no external competition.
This is only one area that is of concern to many Canadian businesses and policy makers right now. We should all be concerned about the economic fall out if he wins. HRC may not be the best choice but she does understand how politics and agreements work. Ripping apart trade agreements with US trading partners is not a good thing for anyone, anywhere.
People didn’t feel that anon before the republican party started choosing the likes of Dubya and Trump and Palin. There is absolutely no comparison between Trump and traditional republicanism. He truly is a cuckoo in the nest.
Why are you assuming that he wouldn’t suddenly decide Canada is an enemy? Because that would be irrational? IRRATIONAL IS THE DRUMPF’S STOCK IN TRADE!
So, yeah, it’s perfectly reasonable, aside from the trade issues already noted by posters, for Canadians–and the rest of the world–to be extremely concerned by the idea of a Drumpf presidency.
@Lisa, your comment is spot on.
I feel the same way from the UK vauvert. It’s surreal his election is even a possibility. And we live in a globalised world, there is nowhere to hide from this vile specimen.
Yes, Donald seems overweight. But so does Hillary. And she’s quite big around the middle, which is the most unhealthy place to carry weight. He is no more overweight than she is.
She is wearing a bulletproof vest.
Thank you, lilacflowers. Speaking as a woman who wore a bullet proof vest everyday for years (I was a cop), I challenge any woman, even model-types, to look sleek in one. Sorry, it can’t be done, and I was a size 2 at the time.
So is he!
@ladysussex, he does not have breasts! The vests are box-shaped so even if she slims from breast through the waist, the vest will hide that whereas for a man with a huge belly, the vest will hold it in and make him look more streamlined.
She’s wearing a bullet proof vest FOR OBVIOUS REASONS… she’s healthy she’s fine and she’s gonna win!
Reasons that include her opponent encouraging his supporters to shoot her.
Yeah, someone’s weight is really irrelevant IMHO. If she’s wearing a vest (as others have said) it’ll make her look bigger to begin with, and really, who cares how much someone weighs? You can only elect skinny people?
Weight may be irrevelant if someone is eating healthy meals, Donald like fast food so that’s different imo. I also remember Bill Clinton love of fast food and ended up with by pass heart surgery, just saying.
As others have stated, most of the time she wears a bullet proof vest. That is why she wears those jackets. You can tell they are cut too big for her, but they allow her to move more under all that. I imagine the bullet proof vest also contributed to her losing her balance since it adds so much weight.
Even if she’s not wearing a bulletproof vest, shame on anyone who says her body type is the worst. Are we only now supposed to elect pear-shaped instead of apple-shaped women? Her brain works better than his.
I don’t understand this emphasis on presidential candidates-as-paragons of fitness. There are vice presidents and a clear chain of succession, and the cludgy US political system has survived any number of assassinations and presidential illnesses. Yes, the job of president is demanding, but presidents also get a lot of support in terms of diet, exercise and medical care.
It’s just another thing for sexist people to pick at her about. Nobody ever talks about Trump’s appearance. People talking about it here are the first I’ve seen.
@Snowflake — I agree. Trump’s appearance, though, bothers me greatly. Because we don’t hear enough of this in most forums, so let’s turn the tables for once and break it down: His hair. His horrible tan. His smug face. His weight. I remember, ages and ages ago, my father making a comment along the lines of, “Couldn’t he at least afford a decent dye job?” As a hairstylist, his hair color disturbs me — can’t someone put a toner on that hair? As a writer…well, words elude me.
I think you’re definitely right. Hillary Clinton is the better candidate by far and she is healthy enough to do the job. But just to nit-pick, I don’t think it’s sexist or discriminatory to say that being apple-shaped puts you at a greater health risk. That’s backed up by years and years of medical research. For example: http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/11/the-health-dangers-of-a-spare-tire/415194/. It’s insensitive for sure to say that “apple-shaped bodies are the worst”. But I don’t think it’s discriminatory. White skin is the “worst” for melanoma. That’s not a racist thing to say.
Trump has been photographed eating junk food and fast food several times now. I’m not going to judge Hillary for having weight around the middle (all while wearing a bullet proof vest) when we have Trump looking like Humpty Dumpty eating KFC and burgers and listing waving his tiny hands around as his form of exercise!
Gold star comment, WATP.
Bottom line to think about – Is there anyone (regardless of fitness level or supposed health) who is guaranteed to be here tomorrow? Anyone – at any age – can be involved in an accident, have a sudden cardiac event, etc.
Still x2 smaller than obese Donald. Yes, he is obese. Such a sexist attitude when you have the man more overweight than the woman, yet it is the woman that is targeted.
Exactly!
I think John Oliver put it best – if you stand on one nail, it hurts like a bitch. If you stand on several nails all at once, you don’t notice the sensation of each nail and they all blend together.
All of Trumps’ numerous clusterf-ks just melt into one, big cheeto-hued mess. Which, really, is a problem in and of itself; that people think a potential head of state can consistently and blatantly lie and not be called out on it.
It has to be numbness or just “that’s how he is”. There seem to be so many new distractions every day to deflect from the tax returns, immigration questions about the wife, business dealings, donations, etc.
Yeah, it’s impossible to keep up the outrage for this long. He simply wore us down. He made it clear that whenever we think this is it, this is the worst, IT’S NOT! So now we know he’ll top it and that’ll be that. It’s like if his supporter are still supporting him, there’s nothing that can be done. It’s not a bad strategy, really.
I had to giggle at “cheeto-hued mess”. I had visions of an Oval Office covered in orange cheeto dust.
I’m ready for this election to be over. This wouldn’t even be a close race if the Democrats had put literally anyone but Hilary against him. Her whole campaign has been plagued by her shady past and ongoing investigations. If Trump wins I’m seriously going to blame the Democrats, not for bad policy as I’ve been pretty happy the last 8 years, but for nominating someone who has way too many valid reasons to not be trustworthy.
Boooooo Trump, I wish Obama had a little more time to clean up some of his loose ends.
Except…she has no shady past and investigations have turned up nothing. Honestly, if you have not made the time to read about this by now and are listening only to 30 years of Republican lies about a Democratic woman with political ambition (the one they rightly judged could come this close to the White House), you do not support the Democratic party.
And you’ve been “pretty happy the last 8 years” and you don’t want a continuation of that kind of governance.
And you don’t understand the kind of “fix” the Republicans and the Scalia-dominated Supreme Court put in for Republican and Tea Party dominated state and local governments, as well as gerrymandering.
If Trump wins the rest of us are going to seriously blame people like you.
Obama did what he could in his limited time; it’s an election and we all have to make a responsible choice based on fact and good judgment, not smear campaigns.
Yes, exactly. The Dems could not put up “literally anyone but Hillary” and run away with the race. She is qualified and ready to be the POTUS…yet the “shady” narrative that’s been so carefully planted continues to dominate.
You’re going to blame people like me? People who are voting for her despite the fact that as a politician we believe that she’s shady?
Even the FBI said she was careless, the thing she did with the emails would have cost anyone else their jobs and she’ll be getting even more responsibility. Basically every investigation shows that she screwed up, but not enough to be criminal. She was also part of the Watergate scandal which should be accounted for also.
All that being said, she’s just part of what’s broken in this country, the next man up system. Obama was a breath of fresh air, but Hilary is no Obama.
Better than Trump, but not a good democratic representative.
This. People are barely even touching Trump and his flip flopping, it is all about Hillary.
@SunnyD Being careless isn’t being shady. It obviously wasn’t illegal. Why do you think Clinton should be held accountable for her part in the watergate scandal? She didn’t do anything. http://www.snopes.com/politics/clintons/zeifman.asp
Clinton was on the House Judiciary investigation team during Watergate. She was NOT “part of the Watergate scandal.”
President Nixon, his legal and office staff, and Republican campaign organizers perpetrated the Watergate theft, the cover-up and the resistance to exposing the cover-up.
Don’t tell me people are even getting this mixed up now. Soon we’ll be hearing from the far right and the far left that Hillary Clinton fired the first shots on Fort Sumter.
The emails thing has been misrepresented, but it gets turned into “emails!” shorthand, so people never understand that really happened.
Classified emails are supposed to be noted with specific headings. NONE of the emails in question had this heading. What they did find, however, is emails among her staff noting the importance of not opening classified messages on the private server. So the documentation shows, the intentions were good but human error on behalf of the SENDERS lead to emails being opened on the private server because they weren’t labeled properly.
It is not the big deal that the GOP would like it to be, but that won’t stop them from making a mountain out of a mole hill.
It is patently ridiculous for people to be so flippant about painting even mild objection to Clinton as tantamount to a vote for Trump. Trump is a ludicrous, offensive candidate, and Clinton is LEAGUES beyond him in intelligence, skill, temperament, and readiness. Trump regularly skates through genuine scrutiny while Clinton has suffered countless sexist attacks throughout her long career.
Your definition of shady may not match mine, but here’s what some people think is objectionable about this candidate: Clinton’s connections to AIPAC; her hypocrisy about BDS; her coded race-baiting in the 2008 primaries; her use of proven warfare state national security advisors like Patraeus and Chertoff; the cognitive dissonance between the censure of Citizens United on the grounds that quid pro quo/influence is often unprovable vs. the “no provable quid pro quo” argument as it regards the Clinton Foundation; her choice of a VP who wants to eliminate advanced approaches capital requirements for regional banks even if they have over $250B in assets; her friendship with Hosni Mubarak; her failure to publicly explain or speak out against the waivers on aid to South Sudan, which violates both CSPA and Clinton’s own disavowals of child soldier forces; etc.
These aren’t things that are considered shady simply because she is a woman, and it doesn’t matter that they pale in comparison to the numerous heinous, racist, and illegal actions undertaken by Trump throughout his life. Thoughtful, honest critiques of every candidate always have a place in an election. No candidate is above that scrutiny, and accusing those who politely point out Clinton’s problem areas of leading the nation into Trump’s arms is both unfair and unhelpful.
Sunny–
“Even the FBI said she was careless, the thing she did with the emails would have cost anyone else their jobs and she’ll be getting even more responsibility. ”
The FBI certainly never said it would have cost anyone else their jobs–and in fact, it didn’t cost the Bush administration officials (including Colin Powell) who handled emails inappropriately.
You ARE buying into a decades-long smear campaign, because it isn’t (as Lyka painted it) mild objection or thoughtful, honest critique. It is a constant barrage of “she is the lying, evil Queen of Shadiness.’ Or worse.
And it stuns me that so many otherwise good people say “she is against everything I stand for, her policies are terrible” when she has a 93% in common voting record with Bernie, and otherwise has been a rock in the Obama administration.
You can’t blame the Dems for Trump. It’s not automatically the opposing party’s fault when a nutcase is successful. Oh if only you had put up a better candidate. No! If only the Republicans had put up a better one! They all sucked. If only they hadn’t spent years playing with racist/misogynistic fire! If only more people would find their brains and stop supporting a crazy orange Teletubby.
And btw, can someone explain why she’s shady? The emails? That’s it? That was seriously stupid but apparently not criminal. So what has she done that other politicians haven’t done? You know who’s shady? TRUMP!
I have a feeling a lot the posters here have realized this, but this is not completely a political war, folks. A lot of this is a CULTURAL WAR. This is the American white underclass feeling slighted and affronted and charging at politicians they feel are elitists. Of course, eschewing this so-called elitism will only wind up in people cutting of their noses to spite their faces.
I would even argue that it has almost nothing to do with politics at this point. Is anyone even debating policy anymore?
It’s totally about politics – politics is about gaining power – and Trump and Clinton are vying to become the most powerful person on Planet Earth.
But it’s not about policy, yes. Actually, Clinton – I would think – would love nothing more than to discuss policy, but the media isn’t having it, and neither is Trump.
This is what happens when news organizations monetize the elections.
No one is giving him hard balls because he won’t come back and do (his job) another debate/interview. They want the ad money so badly they are literally forgoing all journalistic integrity to make the toddler happy. It’s disgusting.
Looks like Hillary has done their job for them:
“Hillary Clinton Just Asked Trump 20 Direct Questions We Can’t Wait to Never Hear the Answers”
http://www.pajiba.com/miscellaneous/hillary-clinton-just-asked-trump-20-direct-questions-we-cant-wait-to-never-hear-the-answers.php
“4. If you were willing to work with Qaddafi—a known terrorist and dictator—is there anyone you aren’t willing to make a deal with? Who?”
DAMN!!!
WOW….I just fell in love with her a little bit.
It’s amazing to me that the media (other than Washington Post and Newsweek) aren’t asking these questions. They should have asked them during the primaries, for goodness sake!
Karen–NAIL ON THE HEAD COMMENT!!
You are exactly right. The click bait/page view business model has brought us here, the algorithms that create a knowledge bubble, the gradual thickening of the lens of perception. It takes effort to get full-spectrum information, and time/money. Corporations have found it isn’t necessary to make money on the news by investing that time and money, and there’s no civic responsibility either inherent or required.
On a separate note, I take issue with the “white American underclass” generalization. I’m a member of that demographic, and there’s more to it than that. Just like painting the Brexit voters (in a previous discussion) as all the white British underclass is a severe oversimplification.
CNN posted photos of Trump golfing and he looked like he needed to lose a lot more than 15lbs.
He seriously looked like Humpty Dumpty in that golf shirt!
Reading this, seeing this horrible man on Dr. Oz, I just got this sudden sinking feeling. Can someone give me some comfort and reassurance that my fellow Americans will not make this man our next president? Please? A virtual hug from a stranger is welcome.
We can only hope that in the privacy of the voting booth, common sense will prevail. If no other question arises in one’s mind, let it be — Who has the experience / qualifications? Even someone with a spotless reputation (I think) should have held public office.
Our current President was viewed as being too inexperienced, yet he had served in Congress. Now we have a major party candidate who hasn’t so much as served on a city council, yet no one seems to be seriously questioning that.
@Christin — Thank you for the reassurance. Let us hope beyond hope, then. I’m with her, and I have been from the beginning of this cycle. Not everyone has to love Hillary, I get that, but holy moly Trump is just awful.
I live in a strongly party-centric (Republican) area, and I only know of a few people who are strongly DT this time.
As one of my co-workers said, he’s typically Republican (as is his family), and thought DT wasn’t a terrible candidate at first. The more he and his family members heard from the candidate’s own mouth, the more their eyes opened. He isn’t the smart, affable businessman portrayed on a (scripted) reality show.
Affable? That’s funny. I never watched his show but couldn’t help but be exposed to clips and he just seemed liked a nasty blowhard who got off on saying, “You’re fired.”
That said, I know too many affable businessmen still thinking of voting for him.
I also live in an area that leans VERY Republican (Democrats don’t bother to really offer up candidates here. Added bonus: I live in Mike Pence’s home town). I know someone who took her kid to a Trump rally. I see people with Trump signs in their yards. I’m usually not so needy as to ask for hugs. I think my surroundings have a lot to do with it.
Eggy, ugh I need reassurance too. There is a lot of Hillary support in Philly and I see a lot over the river in Jersey too. However the further I venture out into PA and over to Delaware and into Maryland I see Trump signs everywhere. On every third lawn it seems like. I have seen people with their own giant printed signs. These people had special signs made to put up in front of their homes!! There is a man who owns a lumber business who has a giant Trump sign in front right next to a Hillary for Prison sign. I almost don’t like to venture out of the bubble because I get depressed. My husband salutes the Trump signs as we drive past just to make me laugh.
Honestly, voting is so important but support of the campaign is necessary too. Donate time, donate money. The resources will target the most vulnerable areas, so you can do good even if your states is predictably going one direction.
Then when it is all over with you won’t feel the guilt that you didn’t do enough when shit goes terribly wrong. (As I did when Gore lost to GWB and I realized that all I did was show up on one day. And then Iraq happened, and I felt even worse).
@Who – I can understand why the affable description would not fit the ‘you’re fired’ clips. However, the whole show (yes, I am ashamed to confess I watched several episodes) was a little more balanced.
He would offer ‘personal’ consolation donations, for example. Donations that may or may not have happened, but it looked softer than just the harder ‘you’re fired’ parts.
I’m wit you, @Tiffany :). HRC is the first politician I’ve ever given money to. And I’m proud that I’ve given to her.
@Shark Bait, a hug for you, too. Also, for WATP. Hugs for all of us. It’s been a rough year!
All the new polls have me terrified.
@Jayna It’s too close for comfort. WAY. TOO. CLOSE.
It’s an entire country in crisis. The election will not tone down the blind hatred that is seeping out.
I’ll tell you what I told my mom: DON’T PANIC, the polls are not always accurate and are constantly fluctuating, and we still have a couple months to go–SO much can change between now and then.
(This is what I tell her, mind you, but deep down I’m losing my shit).
I just hope the night of election ‘exit polls’ don’t lull people on the West Coast into not voting. Polls can be very skewed.
@original kay: Yeah, so much ugly has been revealed…this entire country needs a go-round with a smudge stick and a colonic!
@kitten: OK. I will try not to panic. Also, you do not lose your sh–!
@Christin: OMG, another fear!
Think its very possible Ohio (he will probably win it), Iowa, Florida, maybe Nevada will end up voting for him. If you live in those swing states for the love of this country please vote, even if you need to drag your body to the polls.
And a lot of other bodies, too. And people from surrounding states can travel in to help get out the vote. Registration is equally important – call the state Democratic party office to see how you can help.
I know I want the virtual “it will be okay” hug too, because I have visions of hunger games dystopia if Trump is elected. Two things bother me, first I think we can be done with the health crap. We either believe doctors or we don’t. They are both in or about to be in their seventies, and their health is probably good enough for 70. The reality is at that age statistically, you really should be looking at the VP a bit more carefully, and I would rather have the dorky uncle-type Tim Kaine over a only slightly less nuttier than Ted Cruz- Mike Pence. Also, I know why he is surging, and I didn’t really believe it during the Republican nomination, but I wasn’t really watching. Trump literally gets all the coverage. He spits and they are on him. I know he makes for good tv and gossip, but this is ridiculous. Even the so-called liberal channels such as MSNBC cover him like he is their last glass of water. Here’s hoping the American celebrity hyped culture gets tired of his overexposed self around election time.
@noway
(I live in Pence-land. No one wants him to be a heartbeat away from the red button. Believe me.)
The only thing i like about first picture is the font, otherwise its scary world with trump even for non American.
American values are good ones, i think the world should stand behind america in this hard time when the like of trump is roaming around & preparing for the next war of races.
Honestly as non american , I hope american vote very wisely, the world can not take another Idiot Aka Bush .
What gets me is that Oz is Muslim – and the son of Muslim immigrants – and he’s up for promoting this $hit. He will truly put his name on anything.
Dr Oz says (per Wikipedia) that when he meditates, he goes to “that place where truth lives.”
Then he stops meditating and goes to the TV set, the place where truth does not live.
In an update to this story, Trump attacked the Pastor this morning on Fox and Friends. He accused her of being a “nervous mess” and that he knew “something was up” when he went there. Yes, you read that right. Donald Trump went after a female African American pastor on national television.
And he’ll get away with it.
I just goggled it.
🙁
Yep, he’ll get away with it.
He also said that the crowd shouted at her “let him speak, let him speak” when she interrupted him. The reporter, who was there, said that didn’t happen and, in fact, the crowd was heckling him at one point and the pastor asked them to stop. Why is he allowed to get away with blatant lies??
My GOD he is such a terrible f*cking human. I’m just at an utter loss to find ONE redeeming quality.
I dont think there could be any one more terrible, he makes my skin crawl.
Of course. Typical bullying coward. He won’t confront her there, but he’s oh so brave on Fox & Friends, excuse me, calling in to Fox & Friends.
The only ‘nervous mess’ was the Orange Turd. The Pastor, as per the footage evidence, was calm, no-nonsense dignity made flesh.
I’m truly confounded by so much of the American media allowing someone so all-round unfit for purpose as a human being, let alone a potential president, get away with what he’s getting away with. It’s just….
Yet she also told the crowd to show him respect when they apparently heckled him, but he conveniently omits that part.
It was a set up! She had an agenda, believe me! And sadly, people will believe him to or whatever social media post hits their one-sides feed.
The US has been on a downhill slide ever since the Bush family got into the White House. All we hear about is your guns,religion and this greasy election campaign. I’ve been to the US many times and find the country so beautiful and the people very outgoing and friendly. It’s sad to watch it crumble. And the comment upthread regarding the news organizations having a field day…I can’t agree more.
There’s currently an article floating around saying Sanders should be given the Dem nomination has a double digit lead over Trump and that his health is just fine, while hers is failing. I have never seen red so fast in my life. I didnt vote in the primaries because I’m independent, but if I was a Hillary supporter, Sanders voters would have long destroyed any respect I had for them due to their utterly privileged, self-indulgent, hypocritical bullshit that makes them think it’s acceptable to ignore democracy when it’s in their benefit.
Yes. I was pleased to vote for him in the primary and help pull the Democratic platform a bit to the left, but this nonsense is blind and unreasoning. I think he lost control of the narrative.
The Pastor was great. Trump lied about what happened.
“…speak, let him speak,’ ” Trump told Fox and Friends.
That isn’t true. In fact, several audience members began to heckle Trump, asking pointed questions about whether he racially discriminated against black tenants as a landlord.
And that’s when Timmons — who Trump said Thursday had planned to ambush him — stepped in to defend Trump, saying the Republican nominee was “a guest of my church, and you will respect him.”
“Thank you. Thank you, Pastor,” Trump responded.
The pointed questions for Trump continued as he wrapped up his remarks, though — and that’s the moment when the press traveling with Trump were hastily escorted out of the room.
Just watched his speech at The Economic Club of New York. I’ll be the first to say he is sick. He’s fighting a cold or something. He’s congested and low energy and I heard him sniffling. If he takes a break from campaigning or starts coughing on the trail this will be gloriously rich. I’m grabbing my popcorn now.
Let’s see him dragged and thrown into the limo.
Ha! Who knew cold season is also an extension of that bitch Karma?
When Trump was so uncharacteristically quiet about Hillary not instantly calling a press conference on her antibiotic prescription for a lung infection- my first thought was that he’s probably now or previously been taking an antibiotic for an equally treatable illness and finally has realized that if he makes too much noise about her – his own identical actions will come out.
Trump is older than Clinton and he is flabby and red in the face. Not exactly a picture of health.
Watch this woman pastor, debate moderators! It can be done. Make them stick to the rules, truth and topic at hand. That goes for both candidates, but I suspect Trump will be a bigger problem than Hillary Clinton.
Someone on another site pointed out how DT relies on distracting daily controversies to deflect from the real questions about business dealings, tax returns (including the far wealthier W. Buffett’s challenge to share returns and answer questions).
The news cycle washes away these topics daily. Look at today — Weight (who really cares), accusing a pastor of being part of a setup, his son saying the public is basically too dumb to understand his father’s taxes, etc. Watch how it works. Master news cycle manipulation.
And it distracts from the one question I don’t think anyone can dispute — We have a major party candidate for highest office in the US who has ZERO political office experience. Not even school board or city council. Nothing. In DT speak, I guess you could say his political experience level is ‘incredible — just incredible’.
I think both Donald and Hillary have unusual stamina and are both healthy enough for the job.
With Donald, I would be concerned about his sleep habits. He has said he only sleeps three or four hours a night. He is at an age when sleep needs tend to change, and he may also be prone to insomnia. His habit of wanting to always fly home to sleep in his own bed in NYC or Florida is worrisome. That suggests sleep difficulties also (the need for ritual). He needs to at least figure out how to make his private plane enough of a home away from home that he can sleep there instead. Plus if you compare pictures of him a few years ago with today – he used to look much healthier and reasonably fit. That’s a change and he needs to deal with it. He should take steps to reduce his weight to a more comfortable level either by eating a bit less or getting more exercise. And no, Donald, waving your arms around at rallies is not enough. In trying to judge his weight, though, the presence of body armor needs to be considered.
Hillary seems prone to overheating and dehydration. This is probably mainly because she is one of those people who doesn’t sweat much, and that’s an important cooling mechanism. The body armor and the heavy clothing to disguise it is not helping with the tendency to overheat. Plus she rather famously doesn’t like to drink much water. This is not uncommon in women, since running to the toilet is disruptive and is more of a time-consumer for women than men. Women often have to deal with men who mock them for too many toilet trips and it’s easy to get into the habit of running on empty to reduce the trips. She needs to figure out a hydration scheme that works for her since it’s a problem that doesn’t typically improve with age. I would suggest drinking small amounts frequently, trying at least couple of ounces at least a couple of times per hour when toilet breaks are inconvenient but making up for it at meals.
She has hypothyroidism, if I recall, and inability to heat regulate is a side effect of the condition because your body can’t properly adjust your basal metabolic rate. I have Hashimoto’s, and one of the major symptoms I had pre-diagnosis was a complete and utter intolerance to temperature extremes. Even on medication, I sometimes get hot flashes or break out in goosebumps in otherwise mild temperatures. I’m honestly amazed that she can get away without hydrating more because polydipsia is a MAJOR side effect of thyroid conditions. My fluid intake doubled after the disease onset because of how thirsty I am all of the time. (Though, I get why she doesn’t – because the side effect of all that hydration is that you literally have to drop everything because you don’t just need to go – you need to GO.)
I thought your site was better than this: You are now trying to “gaslight” people who saw with their eyes Hillary Rodham Clinton’s disturbing lack of motor control by saying Mr. trump is overweight!
Many of us thought Ms. Clinton’s refusal to hold press conferences nor campaign energetically were early, ominous signs of something very seriously wrong with her health.
But she is the latest suit to be unfolded from the closet to be propped up. Too bad the Dems overruled the people by not allowing Senator Sanders to stand for us.
Her “lack of motor control” is fairly reflective of the kind of disorientation seen in people who are overheated and hypoxic from advanced pneumonia. Considering she’s been campaigning for a year and has yet to exhibit any similar behavior, it’s a remarkable feat of media censorship to have avoided getting caught until now if it’s a chronic issue. It’s not gaslighting to discuss Trump’s health when he’s going on national television and talking about it.
As for Sanders, he was not overruled by the Democratic party. He was overruled by the millions of people who felt Hillary Clinton represented their views better as the Democratic nominee and voted for her. Clinton supporters went through the same disappointment in 2008. Democracy sometimes means being overridden by the majority vote.
Veronica: I respectfully disagree. Her lack of motor control was due to spasticity. Something neurological os going on, possibly from the stroke she sustained in 2012.
They didn’t overrule the people. The people made their choice clear by the millions, wasn’t it?
Why isn’t someone forcing Trump to release his Tax Records? Everyone else has he really needs to be taken to task but he seems to be getting away with everything. If he wins I think he will be a lame President cause I can’t see anyone stupid enough to let him get away with any of his threats. He will cost America millions it will be a disaster.
People, people, people! When you don’t like either of the candidates, you vote for the PARTY and what it stands for.
As the years and the presidential elections pass you will be confronted with lousy choices many times during your lifetime. So don’t even worry your pretty heads about the person, just vote for the party that encompasses your beliefs the best.
I believe in women’s rights including abortion rights. I believe the Social Security system has worked pretty darn well over the years and want it to continue. And I don’t think people should be allowed to make “alternative investments into the stock market” in place of Social Security deductions.
I believe in government sponsored health care for all of our citizens. I believe that not one dime of Foreign Aid should ever be paid to another country as long as there is a hungry American child.
And for what it is worth, neither FDR or JFK could be elected to the presidency by today’s “health standards”. FDR had survived adult-onset polio but was wheelchair dependent for the remainder of his life. JFK suffered from Addison’s disease, a serious endocrine system disorder.
Vote DEMOCRATIC.