A Quietened Trump

[Zacs-Master]

As either a supporter or detractor of Donald, are you critical of his recent U-turns, or do his reasons for doing so demonstrate a willingness to learn and adapt?
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/donald-trump-u-turns_uk_58f0b5dfe4b0b9e9848b1131?utm_hp_ref=uk

[jim360]

I'm not ready to believe that his U-turns are serious and permanent until they become serious and permanent. One of the things I didn't like about him was how flip-floppy he's always been about, well, pretty much anything (and then denying this after the fact). Supporters could then find him saying whatever they want to hear, because on so many things he would give all possible opinions anyway, so of course one of them matched what his fans agreed with. In one sense that's still true, then. Maybe his U-turns are what *I* want to hear, and tomorrow he'll reverse again.

I'm cautiously optimistic that, perhaps, he'll start to recognise that his bombastic simple message from before just won't work. In one sense that doesn't matter, though -- what matters is what his fans think in response. It seems that a few are of the opinion that he's been corrupted by the system, or some such -- rather than that their entire approach to solving whatever problems they think the US and world face is broken from the start. I'd like to see a few Trumpistas go on the same journey Trump appears to be going on, anyway, rather than treating him as a lost sheep.

[Old_Geezer]

I'm suspecting that failure to get his own way on command, and hopefully advisors telling him he needs to change tactics, will be having an effect. One changes a losing strategy, not a winning one. Trump proved adept at dismissing/dropping anything that brought him more trouble than it was worth when campaigning. Seems to be a continuation of that strategy.

[ladybirder]

I think he is learning and starting to listen for a change, slowly and probably painfully for him but learning nevertheless. Not getting his own way must have been a painful lesson for him.

[ichkeria]

Yes he's realising that the world is a more complicated place than he thought. Trump is one of those people whose bombast and vanity are mixed with more than a flash of honesty. The exact opposite of Obama, who was smooth and highly articulate. Trump is all rough edges and when he speaks you almost sense he is feeling his way as he goes. It's a fine balance isn't it between flexibility and fickleness on the one hand, consistency and dogmatism on the other. One very positive aspect is that Steve Bannon appears to have been shunted into the background. He was seriously bad news. I hope it's true

[Khandro]

It seems you can't beat The Deep State.

[Kromovaracun]

The things that have always bothered me about Trump are:

1) He is a liar. An egregious one even by political standards.

2) He has enormous conflict of interest and is one of the least transparent candidates in the annals of democracy. He has never released his tax returns and giving his business to his children is not a sufficient degree of distance.

3) He has a worryingly authoritarian temperament. He is extremely hostile to free press and seems to view the checks and balances built into the American system with contempt.

As far as I am concerned, nothing has happened since January to change my mind on any of those points. I still view Trump as an abjectly unqualified and dangerous President who happens to have made one good decision.

[Khandro]

Kromo; So it doesn't sound like he will be getting a Christmas card from you, right?

[derekpara]

Nor me, NJ. I totally agree with Kromo.

D.

[Peter Pedant]

I think he as found out that being a president offers less choice than a business man with a string of bankrupties behind him

[Zacs-Master]

Mixed reviews then.

[ToraToraTora]

I never complain about "U turns", it shows that you cannot stick rigidly to predefined statements regardless of circumstances. Frankly I'm weary of any politician that sticks to a manifesto etc come what may.

[ToraToraTora]

kromo, you forgot 4) He's the choice of the US electorate.

[douglas9401]

"Frankly I'm weary of any politician that sticks to a manifesto etc come what may"

What, even Brexit when it all collapses about your ears? :)

[ToraToraTora]

brexit was never a political policy was it douglas?

[RandyMarsh]

I think it depends on who he spoke to last and what they said to him.

[Kromovaracun]

"kromo, you forgot 4) He's the choice of the US electorate."

Except he lost the popular vote by millions to his opponent. As has been explained hundreds of times, it is possible to win an election without winning a majority of votes.

Even if he were though, it wouldn't fuss me. I'm not of the opinion that the majority is always right or that "popular" equals "good and correct".

[ToraToraTora]

popular vote ....yada yada ....yawn.....

[jim360]

It would be interesting to see if TTT were similarly keen on yawning if an Electoral College in the UK had "overturned" the democratic will of the people in last year's referendum. Somehow I doubt he'd be so willing to accept the fairness of the result (which isn't the same as the legitimacy).

[ToraToraTora]

that was a simple binary vote jim. If we had PR then UKIP would have got about 80 seats last election, you can't have it both ways. I respect the results given in the systems of the nations concerned. The referendum was,like the one in 1973, a binary choice, one side won, how do you think that could possibly be a) comparable to the US/UK voting system and b) "Overturned"??

[Khandro]

jim; that's hypothetical and irrelevant. The Erdogan vote was rigged for sure, a judge in his pocket (as they now all are) allowed a large amount of unstamped ballot papers to be accepted as valid.
Instead of making 'smart' comments, and in the light of the fact that he can't wait to bring back the death penalty, you should be thinking of the fate of the 10,000 thousand journalists, reporters, military and intellectuals he has held under lock and key in appalling conditions since last year's attempted coup.