The Donald Trump Thread

Yes, there is a Fox News anchor, whose name escapes me at the moment, who is protesting Trump's decision because people from the banned networks did the same for his.

"...Banned Networks..." you're even regurgitating this crap...

OMG get a grip, there are loads of news organisations who would have liked to be in Sean's Friday "gaggle"... but it was a limited do...
 
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But it's all distractions all the time.

Might be on to something there lol:

Alternative Flags: Mike Pence trolled for confusing Nicaraguan and Israeli flags

"Mike Pence’s support for Israel at the Republican Jewish Coalition in Las Vegas on Friday night backfired spectacularly, when a staffer posted numerous tweets from the Vice President’s official account with the Nicaraguan flag instead of the Israeli one."


Not sure I even get the idea of having a "media team" handle a Twitter account? Seems like it can more often than not lead to situations where a staffer gets the person whose account they are controlling in trouble?
 
"...Banned Networks..." you're even regurgitating this crap...

OMG get a grip, there are loads of news organisations who would have liked to be in Sean's Friday "gaggle"... but it was a limited do...

Banned... barred... forbidden... prohibited... restricted... use whichever word you want, but that's what happened. Don't really know how that could be refuted. That "gaggle" was held instead of the usual briefing.

I also don't know how a person could be okay with a government limiting media access to those they feel are not as critical. It's a bad sign. Now let's watch a video of what Sean had to say in December about that:

https://twitter.com/kenvogel/status/835219520541364225
 
And the "gaggle' that Spicer had on Friday has a full transcript...

https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-pres...ss-gaggle-press-secretary-sean-spicer-2242017

So what? It doesn't justify the admin's approach at all!

Also Charles Krauthammer. The dust up was partly to distract from the FBI story I think, which in itself doesn't seem like much of a big deal. But it's all distractions all the time.

I Might add it disturbs the shit out of me when I find myself in recent agreement with arch neocons Krauthammer and Kristol.
 
Also Charles Krauthammer. The dust up was partly to distract from the FBI story I think, which in itself doesn't seem like much of a big deal. But it's all distractions all the time.

I Might add it disturbs the shit out of me when I find myself in agreement with a
Correct me if I'm wrong but Obama did plan to begin excluding Fox News from access, but this was protested by other members of the press?

I'm not excusing Trump, anymore than I want to excuse the Democratic elite, I'm just saying political divisions superseding longstanding protocols/traditions/expectations of government is bad. It's in line with your own post, though I'm not as willing to say Bush/Obama were so unintentional in their executive over-reach.

The temptation of the strong executive on one's own side is just too tempting - note the National Review article on limited government I posted a few pages back.

I don't think Obama did personally, it was officials in his admin, and this was rightly taken to task by other members of the media, and if it was Obama, I wholeheartedly condemn him for it. I like PBO but he's by no means the second coming of Christ. He's a reasonably popular, likeable, smart president, but he of course has his flaws
 
Banned... barred... forbidden... prohibited... restricted... use whichever word you want, but that's what happened. Don't really know how that could be refuted. That "gaggle" was held instead of the usual briefing.

I also don't know how a person could be okay with a government limiting media access to those they feel are not as critical. It's a bad sign. Now let's watch a video of what Sean had to say in December about that:

https://twitter.com/kenvogel/status/835219520541364225

It's not a bad sign. It's another total non story... there are limitations on how many can fit in the press briefing room too. Those who can't get in, are they banned?

Sean wanted to do something different, he's also been doing Skype seats too, in an effort to allow news organisations from further away - who can't practically get to Washington briefings - to have the ability to ask questions by video. They have about 8 Skype seats available at some briefings.

The access to this administration for the press has been pretty damn good. Press Briefings have been virtually every day, apart from when it might get in the way of something Trump is doing.

There are about 3000 news organisations who have cards to allow them access to these briefings... they can't all get in.

When the president (or anyone else) does an interview with a single news organisation, do the rest scream they were banned.

OMG... get a grip!
 
So what? It doesn't justify the admin's approach at all!



I Might add it disturbs the shit out of me when I find myself in recent agreement with arch neocons Krauthammer and Kristol.

Next you'll be telling me persons in the administration shouldn't be able to do one to one interviews with the media, because the rest get banned by default.

Get a grip... for gods sake...
 
  1. Martha Joynt Kumar, a political science professor at Towson University in Maryland who specializes in White House communication, said press gaggles normally are “accessible to everyone.”
  2. New York Times executive editor Dean Baquet said in a statement: “Nothing like this has ever happened at the White House in our long history of covering multiple administrations of different parties.”
  3. “It is not the job of political leaders to determine how journalists should conduct their work, and sets a terrible example for the rest of the world,” said Committee to Protect Journalists executive director, Joel Simon. “The U.S. should be promoting press freedom and access to information.”
.... and even frisky fox (Bill O'Reilly 02/24/17) weighed in to criticise the decision.

So, either this was an own goal by Spicer, giving the press a free pass to kick around the story for a few days, or a deliberate provocation. Given this administration's current obsession with 'fake news' (both generating it and complaining about it, both condemning anonymous sources and then quoting their own anonymous sources, lol?!) I will go with the latter.
 
I think the President got to the heart of the issue regarding the main stream media. He pointed out that because of the convention of the press reporting unattributable discussions, the media are free to make up anything that they like, or to distort what they do hear as they see fit. This is undoubtedly one aspect of 'Fake News'.

There may have been a time when the media genuinely reported unattributable views in a conscientious way, but I am sure that time is past - at least until the media discover just how badly their behaviour resonates with the people.

People of all political views should realise that a campaigning media, promoting one side of an argument, is ultimately truly awful for democracy. However, unless someone manages to censor the internet, the MSM will ultimately destroy themselves by their actions.

I don't know about most people, but I listen much less to the BBC (one of the news organisations he banned) because it is so biassed. The BBC doesn't so much inform you, as tell you what you should believe, and shield you from unhelpful facts.

David
 
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I have found Donald Trump's election & the comments of his supporters quite sublime. A surreal delicacy. Much like the rest of existence, only heightened ;)

Much like any other profound psychedelic experience, there is just too much content, too much absurdity and bizzareness to even begin to articulate in a linear, semi-coherent manner. So I will just make a throw-away comment and post a link:

Wouldn't it be odd/surreal/ironic/tricksterish if all these believers in conspiracy theories who also happen to be supporters of Trump - were the victims of the only real major conspiracy of recent times?:

https://twitter.com/i/moments/818487233439207424

;)
 
I have found Donald Trump's election & the comments of his supporters quite sublime. A surreal delicacy. Much like the rest of existence, only heightened ;)

Much like any other profound psychedelic experience, there is just too much content, too much absurdity and bizzareness to even begin to articulate in a linear, semi-coherent manner. So I will just make a throw-away comment and post a link:

Wouldn't it be odd/surreal/ironic/tricksterish if all these believers in conspiracy theories who also happen to be supporters of Trump - were the victims of the only real major conspiracy of recent times?:

https://twitter.com/i/moments/818487233439207424

;)
What group is this? What is IC or CI?
 
I think the President got to the heart of the issue regarding the main stream media. He pointed out that because of the convention of the press reporting unattributable discussions, the media are free to make up anything that they like, or to distort what they do hear as they see fit. This is undoubtedly one aspect of 'Fake News'.

Would you include the National Enquirer publishing that Cruz's father helped kill JFK in that fake news + anonymous sources problem?

Didn't Trump say they should've won a Pulitzer long ago for their incredible journalism over the years?
 
It's not a bad sign. It's another total non story... there are limitations on how many can fit in the press briefing room too. Those who can't get in, are they banned?

Sean wanted to do something different, he's also been doing Skype seats too, in an effort to allow news organisations from further away - who can't practically get to Washington briefings - to have the ability to ask questions by video. They have about 8 Skype seats available at some briefings.

The access to this administration for the press has been pretty damn good. Press Briefings have been virtually every day, apart from when it might get in the way of something Trump is doing.

There are about 3000 news organisations who have cards to allow them access to these briefings... they can't all get in.

When the president (or anyone else) does an interview with a single news organisation, do the rest scream they were banned.
Seriously, Max? There was plenty of room for those major news organisations to be allowed in. And once again, this gaggle was held instead of the usual briefing. Even people who were allowed access called out Spicer on this.

Then there is the Virginia GOP chairman, John Whitbeck, tweeting:

"Good job, @seanspicer. Why would we let media who hate us have access to @POTUS? Time to take a stand."

And you're comparing that to giving a one on one interview with a news organisation? Are you being deliberately obtuse? If so, you're doing a damn fine job of it.

OMG... get a grip!

Max, based on your posts in this thread, the only thing you have a grip on is a bottle out of a brown paper bag. Time to put it down for a while.
 
Next you'll be telling me persons in the administration shouldn't be able to do one to one interviews with the media, because the rest get banned by default.

Get a grip... for gods sake...

Irrelevant, the administration has repeatedly targeted and tarred certain organisations, and then has seen fit to prevent some of them from attending a briefing on friday in a manner that is unprecedented. Second, I will not 'get a grip' whilst cornerstones of democratic society, the judiciary and the media are slandered and delegitimised by a a man who refuses to accept he will be held accountable for his actions, who himself is a prop for people who actually know what they are doing.
 
I think those of a 'left' persuasion on this issue, might like to answer this question:

Could the media pose a threat to democracy if they acted in concert to distort the news?

Once that question is answered - and I can't possibly see how the answer could be 'no' - we can discuss this issue in a grown up way.

Let me take one example. How can the media in all honesty refer to the Russian invasion of Crimea, when in truth Crimea was given a vote as to whether to rejoin Russia (they were given to the Ukraine last century, probably with no say in the matter), and voted heavily to do so!

Let's get back to honest - if messy -truth!

David
 
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