Good To See The Trumpster Is Delivering For His Voters...

[ToraToraTora]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-44324545
second only to the great GWB. if only we could get a politician to back their own nation so vigorously.

[youngmafbog]

And Bush is being judged on his full tenancy, President Trump is barely into his!

Go Donald!

[jim360]

What does this have to do with Trump delivering? It's only about popularity in his party, which would naturally be high in an era when American politics has become sharply polarised.

Next week Trump certainly *does* have the chance to deliver big, though, as the Kim-Trump summit is back on, apparently. Fingers crossed, there.

[youngmafbog]

If Trump delivered World peace and ended World poverty people like you would still moan.

It's an achievement, bet you would he pushing Obama's or Hillary (if she could achieve it).

[jim360]

"And Bush is being judged on his full tenancy, President Trump is barely into his! "

Not quite -- this figure is a like-for like comparison with the 500-day approval rating; later on, Bush's popularity plummeted. Then again, maybe that's somewhat in Trump's favour, since Bush Jr.'s AR was only high at this point in the first place because of 9/11.

As I noted above, this is as much about party politics as about Trump himself; for sure, there are many who like him, but there are just as many who tolerate him because he's not a Democrat (and because he annoys those who are...)

[ToraToraTora]

did you read the article jim? better than JFK, Dwight D...Truman and carter barely over 50%. Also: "At the moment, the US economy is rolling along, unemployment is down, the stock market is rising and the nation is at peace - key benchmarks that determine positive presidential approval, particularly among the incumbent's party faithful."

[youngmafbog]

Yes, I misread that bit jim

But I stand by this "If Trump delivered World peace and ended World poverty people like you would still moan."

[jim360]

Yeah, I read it. I've also been following US politics for quite a while, so I don't need to read the article to know what's going on over there anyway.

Historic presidents aren't valid comparisons when the point is that politics is massively polarised. Trump's AR is 87% amongst Republicans, but about 10% amongst Democrats. While ymb is partly right in his "you'd hate Trump if he brought about world peace" retort, the converse is also true. There are people who'd like Trump if, in his own words, he would "go out into the street and shoot someone."

It's not an ideal situation, because Trump needs to be held to account on some things and praised for others. If he pulls off the summit with Kim, then it would be an incredible coup and worthy of praise (although credit should also go to those who managed to get the thing back on after Trump cancelled the summit in a huff), depending on what the outcome is of course.

Even with that I should be worried, though. As one pertinent example, Trump is on the verge of trying to set up Fox News as a de facto state-sponsored news channel, given how much he endorses that and slags off its rivals at every opportunity. That's not healthy, and should be worrying even to his supporters. No doubt they won't be overly concerned.

There's also the dark shadow of the Mueller investigation. I wish it would get a move-on, one way or another.

[vetuste_ennemi]

Trump has been good on some of his promises, patchy on others, and been shamefully thwarted on yet others.

I'm on opposite sides regarding two of the promises he's delivered on. Obviously pulling the plug on the Iran nuclear deal is good for America and the world, his introduction of trade tariffs (a key promise of his campaign and possibly a decisive factor for his gains in the Rust Belt) will, in the opinion of this free-trader, be bad for both. And that includes those Americans whom the policy was intended to help.

Feel rather sad about the trade issue. Don't know what the solution to the loss of jobs in America's declining industries is, but don't think protectionism is it.

[Gromit]

I doubt Mrs May’s approval is 87% amongst Conservative members. I don’t think the majority of her own cabinet support her.

[vetuste_ennemi]

// Trump is on the verge of trying to set up Fox News as a de facto state-sponsored news channel... That's not healthy, and should be worrying even to his supporters. No doubt they won't be overly concerned//

Explain more about the "de facto state-sponsored" bit, Jim. Haven't heard about this. You don't think, of course, that - Fox apart - the total anti-Trump consensus among the mainstream media (not to mention the academy etc.) is anything to worry about? Who owns the New York Times?

We have the same unhealthy consensus in Europe too, don't we?

PS: nice to see we agree in the principle, if not the precise definition of free speech.

[ToraToraTora]

quite gromit, so DT is doing pretty good.

[jim360]

v-e -- it's an easy inference to draw from Trump's twitter feed/news conferences, etc. Four of his last five tweets (as of the time I write this post, but probably true most days) blast "Fake News", and specifically "Fake News CNN" in one case.

Then there's all the positive tweets for Fox News. Universally positive, endorsing their opinions and key quotes and so on.

Then there's this beauty: https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/1002954515941941249

I mean... he's not even *trying* to be subtle in his favouritism, is he?

[vetuste_ennemi]

Don't do Twitter except when notified of one of the few people I follow, Jim, and certainly wouldn't be reading Trump's tweets.

Your example didn't seem particularly sinister.

Do you watch CNN, by the way? It's liberal (US meaning) bias is even more blatant than the UK's BBC, Sky etc.

[Spicerack]

'There's also the dark shadow of the Mueller investigation. I wish it would get a move-on, one way or another.'

That straw you've been clutching at, jim. Snapped a long time ago, everyone knows it.

[Spicerack]

https://www.rt.com/usa/428842-mccabe-senate-fbi-immunity/