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 Do_I_Not_Like_That wrote:

If it's any consolation, Trump may find himself hostage to fortune and of course, events.

GW Bush's time was shaped by 9/11 and famously, 100 years ago, Woodrow Wilson vowed to keep the USA out of WW1, and the rest is history...

Events will play their part, for better or for worse.

Much wisdom in this statement as most US presidencies were defined not by what they planned to do but how they responded to unanticipated events.

 d-usa wrote:

But I don't think he has any actual interest in governing. VP Pence will likely be Acting POTUS during Trump's term, appointments to cabinets are going to people who are cashing in favors and who will enforce their own agendas, and I'm worried that the conflict of interest stories will bear fruit and that it will be a "MAG for business A" administration.

I'm not sure how well they can be compared, but look at Dan McQueen, ex-Mayor of Corpus Christi, TX. No political experience except for a failed previous campaign, lots of promises to "fix" the city, won the position in an unexpected upset, lots of lies/half-truths about background, antagonistic relationship with media and "establishment." Went and resigned after just 37 days.

I was also trying to think of some easy "metrics" to compare Bush/Obama/Trump from the beginning of their terms to the end. Something like:

GDP
Budget Deficit/Surplus
Total Debt
Trade Balance
Unemployment Rate
# of soldiers killed
# of executive orders
# of uninsured
Cost of Insurance (although that one would be hard, because it is ripe for number games)
# of manufacturing jobs

Any other suggestions?

 infinite_array wrote:

 d-usa wrote:

But I don't think he has any actual interest in governing. VP Pence will likely be Acting POTUS during Trump's term, appointments to cabinets are going to people who are cashing in favors and who will enforce their own agendas, and I'm worried that the conflict of interest stories will bear fruit and that it will be a "MAG for business A" administration.

I'm not sure how well they can be compared, but look at Dan McQueen, ex-Mayor of Corpus Christi, TX. No political experience except for a failed previous campaign, lots of promises to "fix" the city, won the position in an unexpected upset, lots of lies/half-truths about background, antagonistic relationship with media and "establishment." Went and resigned after just 37 days.

I think Governor Ventura in MN is a better example. He was a single term but he didn't have any political support from a party.

Today is the day! rejoice!

 d-usa wrote:
I was also trying to think of some easy "metrics" to compare Bush/Obama/Trump from the beginning of their terms to the end. Something like:

GDP
Budget Deficit/Surplus
Total Debt
Trade Balance
Unemployment Rate
# of soldiers killed
# of executive orders
# of uninsured
Cost of Insurance (although that one would be hard, because it is ripe for number games)
# of manufacturing jobs

Any other suggestions?

Number of regulations added.
Number of people employed.
Price of cocaine.
Number of regulations overruled by SCOTUS.

 Frazzled wrote:

Price of cocaine.

+ Prescription Paint Pills in the US Sold

 Stevefamine wrote:

 Frazzled wrote:

Price of cocaine.

+ Prescription Paint Pills in the US Sold

Eh, indeed.

How would you measure "regulations added"?

 d-usa wrote:
How would you measure "regulations added"?

Number of regulations and "letters." Not hard to do as they are kept track of now.

Also: # of small businesses started; metrics on middle class jobs; real world inflation; earnings vs. productivity.

 Frazzled wrote:

 d-usa wrote:
How would you measure "regulations added"?

Number of regulations and "letters." Not hard to do as they are kept track of now.

Also: # of small businesses started; metrics on middle class jobs; real world inflation; earnings vs. productivity.

# of people out of the workforce, but 'can' work.

 whembly wrote:

 Frazzled wrote:

 d-usa wrote:
How would you measure "regulations added"?

Number of regulations and "letters." Not hard to do as they are kept track of now.

Also: # of small businesses started; metrics on middle class jobs; real world inflation; earnings vs. productivity.

# of people out of the workforce, but 'can' work.

So would a stay-at-home mom count positive or negative?

 Frazzled wrote:

 d-usa wrote:
How would you measure "regulations added"?

Number of regulations and "letters." Not hard to do as they are kept track of now.

So absolutely no weighting given to the nature of the regulations. So a regulation banning the use of anewly found to be carcinogenic (or toxic or whatever) material in a dogs chew toy would be regarded the same as one banning the colour blue from being used on the west-facing wall of office blocks as it ruins the feng shui.

 A Town Called Malus wrote:

 Frazzled wrote:

 d-usa wrote:
How would you measure "regulations added"?

Number of regulations and "letters." Not hard to do as they are kept track of now.

So absolutely no weighting given to the nature of the regulations. So a regulation banning the use of anewly found to be carcinogenic (or toxic or whatever) material in a dogs chew toy would be regarded the same as one banning the colour blue from being used on the west-facing wall of office blocks as it ruins the feng shui.

You've not dealt with the US government much have you...

Light crowd at the inauguration, but at least it doesn't look like any problems.

 d-usa wrote:
I was also trying to think of some easy "metrics" to compare Bush/Obama/Trump from the beginning of their terms to the end. Something like:

GDP
Budget Deficit/Surplus
Total Debt
Trade Balance
Unemployment Rate
# of soldiers killed
# of executive orders
# of uninsured
Cost of Insurance (although that one would be hard, because it is ripe for number games)
# of manufacturing jobs

Any other suggestions?

Workforce participation
Median income
Number of people on SNAP
Number of people receiving public assistance other than SNAP
Number of drone strikes carried out
Number of Presidential Memos


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 d-usa wrote:
Light crowd at the inauguration, but at least it doesn't look like any problems.

Light crowd or protesters/rioters (anyone smashing up a Starbucks, bank, bus stop, or damaging property is not a protester), or attendees?

 d-usa wrote:

 whembly wrote:

 Frazzled wrote:

 d-usa wrote:
How would you measure "regulations added"?

Number of regulations and "letters." Not hard to do as they are kept track of now.

Also: # of small businesses started; metrics on middle class jobs; real world inflation; earnings vs. productivity.

# of people out of the workforce, but 'can' work.

So would a stay-at-home mom count positive or negative?

I think they do now don't they?
https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/LNS15000000

It's about 95 million at this point...



Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Dreadclaw69 wrote:

Automatically Appended Next Post:

 d-usa wrote:
Light crowd at the inauguration, but at least it doesn't look like any problems.

Light crowd or protesters/rioters (anyone smashing up a Starbucks, bank, bus stop, or damaging property is not a protester), or attendees?

Not as massive is the 2008 inauguration... but, that's not 'a light crowd'...


Automatically Appended Next Post:
We have a new President.

NOW: SCOTUS Associate Justice Clarence Thomas administers Oath of Office to Mike Pence #InaugurationDay https://t.co/KQIQKZOBvv pic.twitter.com/gsbt1YWpOc

— CBS News (@CBSNews) January 20, 2017

Pretty unique transfer of power...

Goodbye 44, and thank you.
Welcome 45, and good luck.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I know the number of "not in labor force" is counted, I asked what the meaning of the number should be.

I just felt a sudden wave of nausia

Speaking of crowds, here was ABC not too long ago



Obama's inaguration around the same time in 2009:

 d-usa wrote:
Goodbye 44, and thank you.
Welcome 45, and good luck.

Yup. Ditto.

As much as I harangue Obama... you cannot deny the service and sacrifice he has done for America.

I wish Trump good luck...


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 d-usa wrote:

Automatically Appended Next Post:
I know the number of "not in labor force" is counted, I asked what the meaning of the number should be.

It should be a factor with the current way how the Unemployment rate is calculated... it provides a clearer picture. That's all.

The number itself really shouldn't be used in absence of other factors.

 WrentheFaceless wrote:
I just felt a sudden wave of nausia

Speaking of crowds, here was ABC not too long ago

Spoiler:

Obama's inaguration around the same time in 2009:

Spoiler:

I think 2013 would be a better source of comparison.

2009 was the inauguration of the first African-American POTUS, that alone would inflate the size regardless of policies or political affiliation.

I'll miss the class and civility of Obama. Truly a well educated and eloquent man. By far my favorite modern President
If Trump can muster even half of what Obama had, the next 4 years might not be so dreadful. Too bad he has yet to exhibit any of those qualities.

Here's to 4 years of horrible examples of behavior I'll have to explain to my kids

Trump's speech is absolutely phenomenal.

 d-usa wrote:

 WrentheFaceless wrote:
I just felt a sudden wave of nausia

Speaking of crowds, here was ABC not too long ago

Spoiler:

Obama's inaguration around the same time in 2009:

Spoiler:

I think 2013 would be a better source of comparison.

2009 was the inauguration of the first African-American POTUS, that alone would inflate the size regardless of policies or political affiliation.

Ask and ye shall receive 2013:

Source :http://live.mprnews.org/Event/Presidential_inauguration?Page=1

 NuggzTheNinja wrote:
Trump's speech is absolutely phenomenal.

Trying to find the transcript... twittah is blowing up now...

They're watching the inauguration in the lunchroomat work, and its so loud I can hear Trump's speech over my Finnish metal. This bites.


Personally I think Trump will puss out, and pretty much do nothing other than sign laws into effect that the GOP put forward. I don't think he realizes the magnitude of his job just yet.

 whembly wrote:

 NuggzTheNinja wrote:
Trump's speech is absolutely phenomenal.

Trying to find the transcript... twittah is blowing up now...

"We will eradicate radical Islamic terrorism from the face of the Earth."

Also loving that the first speaker to follow his speech is a rabbi.

 NuggzTheNinja wrote:
Trump's speech is absolutely phenomenal.

It is.

 nels1031 wrote:

 NuggzTheNinja wrote:
Trump's speech is absolutely phenomenal.

It is.

Hmph... i'll be sure to read the transcript once available...

Sounds like more of the same of his RNC acceptance speech.

Here's one dude's quick take:

People panning the speech still don't seem to understand how resonant the "I will never ignore you" theme has been, and still is.

— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) January 20, 2017

Goodbye 44, good riddance. Hello 45, god damn.

 Frazzled wrote:
If only the DNC hadn't run someone under investigation by the FBI.

Indeed. Sanders would've won. Clinton did more to get Trump elected than anyone else did.