Posted on 07/17/2018 7:12:22 AM PDT by COUNTrecount
Disgraceful. Embarrassing. A complete lack of grasp of the situation.
Such were the observations about President Trump’s performance at the joint press conference with Vladimir Putin. Everyone is free to like or dislike the way Trump navigates the world, but I would suggest those descriptions are more suited to the swarm of wild overreaction.
It has become a familiar rhythm for the President to do or say something, only to be attacked reflexively by his harshest opponents. But the Monday festival of totally wrongheaded analysis ensnared even the occasionally sympathetic.
One could expect the bug-eyed calls for impeachment, and the media chorus that Trump had somehow committed some grave offense against American honor. But the triangulation necessary to understand this episode was apparently too much heavy lifting for even some occasional supporters.
So, I’ll make it easy. If you were expecting Donald Trump to wag a finger at Putin at that lectern in Helsinki, throwing down an ultimatum to never, ever mess with our elections again, that was enormously foolish.
Not because it would be undeserved. Because it would have sprouted more negatives than positives.
Imagine for a moment that the President had told Putin where to stuff that souvenir World Cup soccer ball. The media would have briefly approved, critics might have issued momentary grudging appreciation, and John Brennan might have put down the voodoo doll. Meanwhile, the layer of ice that would have encased the relationship would shut the door on things Trump actually wants to achieve, goals a little more lasting than kicking Putin in the shins in public. CARTOONS | Michael Ramirez View Cartoon
He would like to cooperate with Russia in fighting ISIS. He would like to loosen the buddy relationship with Assad in Syria. He might even seek to wheedle a Russian exit from Crimea. And being Donald Trump, he would surely like to see if there are trade deals to be gleaned from improved relations.
One might suggest that those are noble, but wouldn’t he also like to dissuade Russia from launching cyberattacks into our political process? I’m sure he would. He may well have made that clear behind closed doors over Finnish cuisine. But let’s spend a moment examining the source of all of this sudden hand-wringing.
How many people condemning Trump for coddling Putin raised the slightest eyebrow at the Barack Obama open mic wink to the Russians that he would have “more flexibility” after the 2012 election?
And how many of these sudden warriors for election purity are on the record fighting for voter ID and other laws which protect us from the real-life threat of illegal voting?
From the shrill retorts Monday afternoon, you would think Trump had delivered our nuclear codes to the GRU. The main thrust of the vilifications was: 1) We should be really tough on bad countries, and 2) Russia is a really bad country.
Fair points, but please. We are downright chummy with China, the largest, most evil remaining Communist dictatorship on the planet. And it’s not as though Obama laid down an eight-year legacy of toughness versus Russia, or anyone else. The opportunistic gasps at Trump’s comments are born of a different passion: profound distaste for him.
That distaste ranged from the predictable howls of the haters to the more nuanced (but still sharp) revulsion of establishment elitists, haughty status-quo devotees and the usual suspects for whom Trump has always been too brash, too unmannerly, too, well, Trumplike.
Their hyperventilations will do little to gin up the backlash they seek. The online taunts were immediate, along the lines of “Hey, MAGA people, where’s that Trump strength you people love so much?”
One of the reasons Trump was elected was the expectation that he would be tougher against Russia and our other foes.
We will never know the exact language Trump may use to address past meddling or discourage it in the future.
I think we do know. The President does not believe Russia meddled in the election and said so yesterday.
No they wouldn't- they would have said "How dare he act so un-presidential" and "he's going to start a war"...
They will NEVER, EVER say anything approving.
Ever.
Trump is right- he could cure cancer and they would not approve.
I’m confused. Is President Trump a reckless hot-head who will start World War III on Twitter, or a wimp who is kowtowing to the Little Rocket Man and Putin? The Dems, RINOs and media keep switching the narrative in response to anything that the President says. Their only goal is to oppose him on everything. If he suddenly said he was 100% pro-abortion they would find a way to turn it against him.
Davis gives a reasonable analysis. I am surprised the SHill published it.
Pretty much nothing Trump will ever do will be seen favorably by the media because they are the PR agency for the liberal left.
Given the choice between the deep state and Putin’s version, he made the right one.
It wasn’t a soccer ball, it was a filing cabinet
Yeah, that was my first thought when I saw this thread.
But these guys tell it like it is:
What the President said: "My people came to me, Dan Coates, came to me and some others they said they think it's Russia. I have President Putin. He just said it's not Russia.
I will say this: I don't see any reason why it would be...I have great confidence in my intelligence people but I will tell you that President Putin was extremely strong and powerful in his denial today..."
So you tell me when the President said he believed Russia meddled in the election?
Even the ultra-liberal The Nation magazine believes this hypothesis.
-PJ
There are things the press says that people, even here, wish to analyze and dissect, and then discuss.
They might even agree, or disagree with what the media says.
However, remember, Nothing, Nothing the media says is ever stated for the purpose of discussing content.
No, the sole intent is to put down the sitting president. (or uplift a leftie prez.
If President trump pointed the Sutherland finger at Putin and declared Russia was guilty, the press would have had a similar field day portraying President Trump as a careless belligerent bull intent on starting world war three with his uncouthness to the other leader of the world.
The treason was committed by all of the participants and enablers of the Kenyanesian Usurpation.
The Constitution says Obama can’t be President.
He is not a natural born citizen.
He told US he was born a British subject.
Natural born citizens are naturally citizens because they only have one nationality, that’s what makes them natural born citizens.
BOTH parties colluded to violate the Constitution.
Those screaming the loudest are the traitors.
I really like how you think!
The leak to Wikileaks from the DNC was Seth Rich.
He was murdered for it.
That’s what the whole Russia,Russia,Russia thing is to cover up.
Wow.
However, "Russia" may be to cover up the murder, but "Russia, Russia, Russia" is to cover up the domestic spying by Obama of his enemies.
-PJ
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