I’m happy to share some criticisms of Trump. First, morally, I don’t think he is the type of person I would look up to, especially given his colorful past of infidelity. I also think he could speak in a more unifying way and not alienate people. Leaders unite and I think there is some improvement that can be made there.

Second, he stated that he would end the Russia/Ukraine war as president-elect before even stepping into the Oval Office. Don’t make promises you can keep. This promise hasn’t been kept, and we should stay out of the war anyway. Speaking of staying out of things, he is pro-Israel and we should stop support for Israel and stay out of the conflict with a Palestine as well.

Third, he hasn’t balanced the federal budget or decreased the deficit. I like the idea with DOGE and cutting frivolous spending, but I would have taken it even farther than he did. He hasn’t distinguished himself from the past presidents who all overspend.

I could list several more criticisms, but what’s the point. You you still miss the big idea that I don’t blindly support Trump. I simply agree with more of his policies than I do with Biden’s, Hillary’s or Obama’s. If there was a more moderate Democrat who supported the 1st and 2nd amendments, was fiscally responsible, and not have a bizarre fixation on social issues, I would probably consider voting for them.



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Trump is actually a dictator... Chosen by the people,, yes but not elected...

Nobody is elected under a rigged election system,, there can only be appointments,, not elections... The locals,, states and federal government has been knowingly certifying fraudulent elections for a very long time...

When you vote,, you are giving your approval,, your permission for them to rig the elections and put in whoever they want,, to pass whatever measures they want via their fraud system...

They are rigging the elections in several different ways so as to have every angle covered...

Trump got in in 2016 because Our Military, working with foreign powers shut down some of the vote rigging mechanism to get him in office,, In 2020 they did not prevent the fraud so that we could see how bad things were,, then in 2024 they stopped the fraud again enough to get him back in to finish the operation...

Streamer,

I appreciate that your support for Trump isn't blind. Trump is amoral, and by itself that's not a disqualifier. It's his despicable scum of the earth nature that makes it impossible for me to even consider giving the azzhole the time of day. He deserves credit for turning the southern border situation around, although his methods are disgusting. Deporting people who are in the country legally isn't making the US more respected among nations. Most of his actions have most of the rest of the world losing respect for the US, but Trump would never know because of the bubble he keeps himself in.

Because you like more of Trump's policies than those of Clinton's, Biden's, or Obamas, you end up supporting a fascist US government. Trump is fascist because he's using his power to control law firms, universities, businesses, and broadcasting media for starters, along with weaponizing the DOJ like no president has ever done. He appoints incompetent people who's main qualification is their unwavering loyalty to him. These things and more are what you support, even if they are unintended consequences from your POV. However, Trumps told us all that he would do these things, so it's not like anyone who voted for him isn't supporting fascism.

If things hadn't gone so far to the left in the democratic party, I don't think the average centrist American would have voted him in. Instead, toxic social media, the villainization and demonization of each side has caused the great divide.

Half truths and outright lies have made this so much worse. In the past both sides have been paralyzed from doing anything effective in areas of border security, the deteriorating large cities, corporate greed, misapplied socialism, etc. We should have health care that is affordable for all. We should have safe cities, we should have truth in causation of social ills, and not just play the blame game but apply resources to fairly create opportunities. In this state they love to say you can't arrest your way out of homelessness. How is that working out?

I'm sure glad we have such high taxation in this state since we all see how well our money is used to solve problems and provide the average tax payer services. Ha!

Good example is the so called climate tax on fuel (besides the new fuel tax). What a joke. Go ahead and look up how that has been spent so far.

I think this state wants us in a perpetual state of paying for all this and then coming to rely on the government for everything.

Yet we not only vote in taxes that hurt us, we don't demand that the ones we didn't vote for get thrown out. What are the metrics to measure the success of any of it?

Okay, rant over. hahahaha

I think I hear ya' Mr. Twister. The Dems certainly come with a lot of negative baggage. However, voting for Trump signals approval and accpetance of a convicted felon as president, a president who tried to overthrow the 2020 election - a step so far out of bounds that ultra right winger Liz Cheny actively campaigned against him. Trump is a dictator and trying to be a dictator when not actually succeeding at it, all while behaving with the emotional maturity of a 13-year old.

And if the Epstein files are a Democratic hoax, why are Democrats and a few Republicans the only ones clamoring for their full release? If Trump has done nothing wrong, what is he hiding, or trying to hide? The logical thought is that Trump not only raped women of legal age, in his sordid past he also raped underage girls. What other possible reason is there for Trump to try so hard to keep this information secret? Since Trump lies more than he tells the truth, cheats, steals, grifts, and bullies routinely, it's not a stretch to accept that he was a serial rapist as well. The guy has zero ethics. Everything is all about "what's in it for Trump," as he throws his former allies under the bus without hesitation. His continuous rage posting in the middle of the night does not suggest that he is even close to being a stable man.

So by voting for Trump, this is what you did support, or still do support unless you want him impeached and removed from office. It's kinda' that simple.

As for WA state politics, it's a mess. Last election we saw that a moderate Republican could be elected governor, if only he wasn't a Trumper. Being a Trump or MAGA Republican is toxic to WA liberal and moderate and independent voters. So we get consistent Democratic leadership that leans too far left, such that we have the most state tax revenue ever, the largest tax increase ever, and the Dems still can't balance the damn budget. How can this be? The simplest explanation is that every Republican leader I have listened to speaks like they have a Trump stripe running down the middle of their backs, so whatever good they might have to offer gets rejected out of hand because the liberals and moderates and conservatives with half a brain have zero tolerance for Trumpism. It just ain't gonna' happen in this state. And a moderate Republican can't make it past the primaries because of the MAGAtards controlling the party.

Wow! I missed this one! I don't generally participate in opinion forums because everyone has a different one, but couldn't resist this time. Trumpanzees is what I call the blind far right idiots who follow Trump. Americans should be constantly criticizing leadership, no matter who or what party in power and not to have to be worried about getting snuffed out. Isn't that called the 1st Amendment of the Constitution? That's our responsibility and obligation. I'm so tired of all the blatant lies that come out of his mouth, and surprised how the dumbasses believe it ALL and continue to support and follow. It's no secret, Republicans in Congress are afraid to say anything against him, even when they know they should. Splineless aholes. Cudo's to MT Green for stepping up and being critical, and hope more do, the rest of his term. Can't wait to see what happens at the mid term elections. Vote the aholes out!
Almost forgot. GO HAWKS!

R&G,

Hmm, if “Trumpanzees” are what you’ve named the far right idiots following Mr. Trump, what’s your pet name for all the non far right folks following him?

Asking for a moderate friend....

Left Wing Loon's!

Happy New Year, and let’s go fish’n .

Agree with the opinions regarding the MAGA movement. Just pointing out there is a causation for how they were created. The far left needs to look in the mirror. That being said, this state is hopeless

Twister,

Just a non-scientific wild azz guess here, but I think both the far right and far left could use a look in that mirror. I come short of fully appreciating the far left's compassion for their fellow citizens, or as we used to call it, "bleeding heart liberals." I don't know if the far left believes it, but they act like there exists such a thing as a free lunch. Economist Milton Friedman proved there isn't, in case anyone actually believed it.

There's no shortage of lunatics, left and right. Cases in point, the MAGAtards who believe (agnostic) Trump was sent by God to save the U.S. How fvckin' idiotic is that? Of course the counterpoint might be the voter who believed that if Obama was elected, he would pay her cell phone bill. Yeah, that's idiotic too.

The best analyses I've read indicates that MAGAtards were created because the Democratic leaders left the blue collar segment of the middle class behind by catering to the educated white collar segment of the middle class. There's lots of evidence pointing to the truthfulness of that argument.

Unfortunately the MAGAtards were conned. Conned by one of the best grifters ever - Trump. Trump campaigns on populist policies that appeal to the "left behind" lower and lower middle class whites, promising to restore family wage middle class manufacturing jobs, either knowing that ain't ever gonna' happen or being as stupid as he often acts. Trump employs the Hitleresq tactic of blaming "others," in this case illegal immigrants, of taking their jobs and buying houses that they could otherwise own. Totally untrue. Illegal immigrants take low paying jobs that whites generally won't do and lower middle class Americans can't afford to do. And illegal immigrants don't buy houses because they can't qualify to or afford to even if they did qualify. But MAGAtards are willfully and conveniently ignorant, or they really are stupid. Probably some of both. It's no wonder Trump loves the uneducated. They are so easily manipulated.

Trump never had any intention of helping "ordinary" middle class white Americans. He doesn't remotely understand or relate to them, having lived his entire life in the bubble of the ultra-rich. Trump is supported financially by other ultra-rich billionaires who don't give a sh!t about average Americans. So he and they formulate policies that benefit the ultra-rich and do little to nothing for middle class Americans. And it's working. The top 10% of Americans account for 50% of the US GDP. Fully 50% of Americans are economically irrelevant to the prosperity of the US economy. That likely includes you and me.

So Trump thinks the economy is doing great, because it is doing well for the rich and ultra-rich and those well invested in the stock market. But more than half of Americans don't have enough extra cash on hand to cover a $400 emergency, living literally paycheck to paycheck. The rising prices that don't affect Trump and his ultra-rich cronies do hurt average Americans, but Trump is incapable of understanding that. Trump relates to and understands grand ballrooms and Gatsby style parties at Mar a Lago.

And switching gears for a moment, WA state is not hopeless. The pendulum swings left and right. Currently it's too far left. The key to balancing it is for the far right to allow moderate Republicans to succeed in primaries. Moderates and independent voters have been waiting for such a candidate for years. The last R gov candidate lost because he is a Trumper. The previous two R gov candidates lost because they were too Catholic, and therefor anti-abortion in this clearly pro-choice state. This state badly needs an Evans style Republican.

Yet, Salmo still won’t vote for any R candidate because he will always find a problem with them.



Streamer