Is Trump's victory forever sullied?

[CriticalThought]

Trump won, and his victory, in my opinion, is legitimate, but it appears to me to be a heavily stained victory.

1. Russia, according to both the FBI and CIA, hacked the DNC and RNC and released DNC documents through WikiLeaks in an obvious attempt to undermine the election. Trump, as a joke, even encouraged the Russians during one of his rallies. This has raised numerous questions. Were the Russians aiding Trump? Were they colluding with his campaign? Do they now have RNC documents to hold over Trump's head? Trump's adamant denial that Russia was even involved and his selection of a very pro Russian nominee for Secretary of State is not helping to belay concerns.

2. The Director of the FBI released information 11 days before the election that it was looking at new e-mails that may be connected to the ones that had been on Clinton's server. There was an immediate drop in the polls for Clinton. No new evidence was found but the damage was done, and the impression was an acting director of the FBI had interfered in the political process.

3. Fake News sites, albeit seen by only a small audience, were being shared across social media suggesting that Clinton was involved in everything from murder to child exploitation.

4. Trump lost the popular vote by 2.7 million votes. Some of his supporters simultaneously argue his victory was legitimate and the election was rigged by claiming, with no evidence that "3 million illegals" voted in the election, a number that changed in accordance with by how much Trump was losing in the popular vote as it was reported. Trump claims an "electoral landslide" even though he ranks 46th in 58 elections on electoral vote. After months of decrying the election process as rigged and the electoral college as faulty, Trump is forced to defend it.

What is clear is Trump does not have anything close to a mandate. He may have won, but he and his supporters will never know whether it was his message or the political interference that clinched the victory for him. While it may be irrelevant to many Trump supporters, it is important to remember that many of the factors that led to their anger could now begin to fuel the anger of the majority of voters who had not voted for Trump. If Trump does not build bridges then his legacy shall be dismantled in 4 to 8 years as surely as he will begin to dismantle Obama's legacy.

 

[joG]

Trump won, and his victory, in my opinion, is legitimate, but it appears to me to be a heavily stained victory.

1. Russia, according to both the FBI and CIA, hacked the DNC and RNC and released DNC documents through WikiLeaks in an obvious attempt to undermine the election. Trump, as a joke, even encouraged the Russians during one of his rallies. This has raised numerous questions. Were the Russians aiding Trump? Were they colluding with his campaign? Do they now have RNC documents to hold over Trump's head? Trump's adamant denial that Russia was even involved and his selection of a very pro Russian nominee for Secretary of State is not helping to belay concerns.

2. The Director of the FBI released information 11 days before the election that it was looking at new e-mails that may be connected to the ones that had been on Clinton's server. There was an immediate drop in the polls for Clinton. No new evidence was found but the damage was done, and the impression was an acting director of the FBI had interfered in the political process.

3. Fake News sites, albeit seen by only a small audience, were being shared across social media suggesting that Clinton was involved in everything from murder to child exploitation.

4. Trump lost the popular vote by 2.7 million votes. Some of his supporters simultaneously argue his victory was legitimate and the election was rigged by claiming, with no evidence that "3 million illegals" voted in the election, a number that changed in accordance with by how much Trump was losing in the popular vote as it was reported. Trump claims an "electoral landslide" even though he ranks 46th in 58 elections on electoral vote. After months of decrying the election process as rigged and the electoral college as faulty, Trump is forced to defend it.

What is clear is Trump does not have anything close to a mandate. He may have won, but he and his supporters will never know whether it was his message or the political interference that clinched the victory for him. While it may be irrelevant to many Trump supporters, it is important to remember that many of the factors that led to their anger could now begin to fuel the anger of the majority of voters who had not voted for Trump. If Trump does not build bridges then his legacy shall be dismantled in 4 to 8 years as surely as he will begin to dismantle Obama's legacy.

What do you mean he has no mandate? 75 percent of the electorate either voted for him or wasn't so much against him that it seemed worthwhile going to cast a vote. We knew that the Democrats had been hacked, that it had probably been the Russians and so forth. So, where's the problem besides Trump being a timebomb?

 

[CriticalThought]

What do you mean he has no mandate? 75 percent of the electorate either voted for him or wasn't so much against him that it seemed worthwhile going to cast a vote. We knew that the Democrats had been hacked, that it had probably been the Russians and so forth. So, where's the problem besides Trump being a timebomb?

Interesting strain of logic. By that view, Obama has had a massive mandate for 8 years. I guess every right winger who did not support Romney was firmly behind Obama this whole time.

But this thread is not an attack on Trump. It is a warning. Not knowing how you won sets you up to lose big time. It is a lesson Obama is still learning.

 

[longview]

Think of the election as like a job interview.
Trump has now gotten the job, His performance on the job will long overshadow
what went on in the interview!

 

[Praxas]

What do you mean he has no mandate? 75 percent of the electorate either voted for him or wasn't so much against him that it seemed worthwhile going to cast a vote. We knew that the Democrats had been hacked, that it had probably been the Russians and so forth. So, where's the problem besides Trump being a timebomb?

Take a look at the actual number he wo by. Slim margins in most of those states and the overall popular is far in favor of Clinton which usually has not happened. No, Trump has ZERO mandate and when he goes too far (which he will) the GOP congress will suffer for it in 2018 and eventually him as well in 2020. Go ahead and try it and see what happens. It's not who has the bigger dick, but who has the bigger hammer.

 

[humbolt]

Take a look at the actual number he wo by. Slim margins in most of those states and the overall popular is far in favor of Clinton which usually has not happened. No, Trump has ZERO mandate and when he goes too far (which he will) the GOP congress will suffer for it in 2018 and eventually him as well in 2020. Go ahead and try it and see what happens. It's not who has the bigger dick, but who has the bigger hammer.

Huge mandate. HUGE. And that's not all. It's bigly, too.

 

[CriticalThought]

Think of the election as like a job interview.
Trump has now gotten the job, His performance on the job will long overshadow
what went on in the interview!

I like your optimism. Remember 2010? Someone got a "shellacking". They had a great interview, had control of the Senate and House, and decided they had a mandate.

Trump did not have a good interview. He is even further from a mandate. Let's see if he figures that out.

 

[VanceMack]

2 things.

1-The assertion that he is somehow not legitimate is the crux behind the rat talking points and narrative since he won the election. This was and has been their intent all along.

2-Does anyone think Donald Trump gives a **** about their opinion on whether or not his election is seen as legitimate in the eyes of a bunch of angry disconsolate rats?

 

[jimbo]

Trump won, and his victory, in my opinion, is legitimate, but it appears to me to be a heavily stained victory.

1. Russia, according to both the FBI and CIA, hacked the DNC and RNC and released DNC documents through WikiLeaks in an obvious attempt to undermine the election. Trump, as a joke, even encouraged the Russians during one of his rallies. This has raised numerous questions. Were the Russians aiding Trump? Were they colluding with his campaign? Do they now have RNC documents to hold over Trump's head? Trump's adamant denial that Russia was even involved and his selection of a very pro Russian nominee for Secretary of State is not helping to belay concerns.

2. The Director of the FBI released information 11 days before the election that it was looking at new e-mails that may be connected to the ones that had been on Clinton's server. There was an immediate drop in the polls for Clinton. No new evidence was found but the damage was done, and the impression was an acting director of the FBI had interfered in the political process.

3. Fake News sites, albeit seen by only a small audience, were being shared across social media suggesting that Clinton was involved in everything from murder to child exploitation.

4. Trump lost the popular vote by 2.7 million votes. Some of his supporters simultaneously argue his victory was legitimate and the election was rigged by claiming, with no evidence that "3 million illegals" voted in the election, a number that changed in accordance with by how much Trump was losing in the popular vote as it was reported. Trump claims an "electoral landslide" even though he ranks 46th in 58 elections on electoral vote. After months of decrying the election process as rigged and the electoral college as faulty, Trump is forced to defend it.

What is clear is Trump does not have anything close to a mandate. He may have won, but he and his supporters will never know whether it was his message or the political interference that clinched the victory for him. While it may be irrelevant to many Trump supporters, it is important to remember that many of the factors that led to their anger could now begin to fuel the anger of the majority of voters who had not voted for Trump. If Trump does not build bridges then his legacy shall be dismantled in 4 to 8 years as surely as he will begin to dismantle Obama's legacy.

All the liberal talking points in a single post.

If there is something sullied it's Hillary's loss.

 

[MaggieD]

Trump won, and his victory, in my opinion, is legitimate, but it appears to me to be a heavily stained victory.

1. Russia, according to both the FBI and CIA, hacked the DNC and RNC and released DNC documents through WikiLeaks in an obvious attempt to undermine the election. Trump, as a joke, even encouraged the Russians during one of his rallies. This has raised numerous questions. Were the Russians aiding Trump? Were they colluding with his campaign? Do they now have RNC documents to hold over Trump's head? Trump's adamant denial that Russia was even involved and his selection of a very pro Russian nominee for Secretary of State is not helping to belay concerns.

2. The Director of the FBI released information 11 days before the election that it was looking at new e-mails that may be connected to the ones that had been on Clinton's server. There was an immediate drop in the polls for Clinton. No new evidence was found but the damage was done, and the impression was an acting director of the FBI had interfered in the political process.

3. Fake News sites, albeit seen by only a small audience, were being shared across social media suggesting that Clinton was involved in everything from murder to child exploitation.

4. Trump lost the popular vote by 2.7 million votes. Some of his supporters simultaneously argue his victory was legitimate and the election was rigged by claiming, with no evidence that "3 million illegals" voted in the election, a number that changed in accordance with by how much Trump was losing in the popular vote as it was reported. Trump claims an "electoral landslide" even though he ranks 46th in 58 elections on electoral vote. After months of decrying the election process as rigged and the electoral college as faulty, Trump is forced to defend it.

What is clear is Trump does not have anything close to a mandate. He may have won, but he and his supporters will never know whether it was his message or the political interference that clinched the victory for him. While it may be irrelevant to many Trump supporters, it is important to remember that many of the factors that led to their anger could now begin to fuel the anger of the majority of voters who had not voted for Trump. If Trump does not build bridges then his legacy shall be dismantled in 4 to 8 years as surely as he will begin to dismantle Obama's legacy.

A mandate means he won.

The left is trying to destroy the USA. On the one hand, "the Electoral College is illegitimate. Destroy it!!" On the other, "Electoral College!!! Do your job!! Do not cast your votes for Trump!!!" The EC is NOT a pathway to the popular vote. It is a pathway to the presidency. Period.

What is happening in the US right now is frightening. We should all be very nervous. The Left is attempting a coup...a sudden appropriation of power... a takeover.

 

[RickJames3000]

Yes. Trump definitely deserves an asterisk next to his name.

 

[Praxas]

A mandate means he won.

Oh come on, you guys didn't think Obama had a mandate even though he won.

The left is trying to destroy the USA. On the one hand, "the Electoral College is illegitimate. Destroy it!!" On the other, "Electoral College!!! Do your job!! Do not cast your votes for Trump!!!" The EC is NOT a pathway to the popular vote. It is a pathway to the presidency. Period.

What is happening in the US right now is frightening. We should all be very nervous. The Left is attempting a coup...a sudden appropriation of power... a takeover.

Some on the left are, I happen to think this is both dangerous and idiotic. Idiotic, because folks wouldn't have had a problem with it had Hillary won and Dangerous because if it really did happen (which I don't think it would) it would cause a dangerous precedence.

 

[CriticalThought]

2 things.

1-The assertion that he is somehow not legitimate is the crux behind the rat talking points and narrative since he won the election. This was and has been their intent all along.

Irrelevant since 86% of the country see his victory as legitimate, as stained as it is.

2-Does anyone think Donald Trump gives a **** about their opinion on whether or not his election is seen as legitimate in the eyes of a bunch of angry disconsolate rats?

Absolutely! He is incredibly thin skinned. The moment he realized he lost the popular vote he jumped on any rationalization he could garner. It was the illegals! It was because I wasn't trying to win the popular vote! Etc. Now he repeats the "I won an electoral landslide" line every chance he gets even though it betrays his own insecurity and is something of a lie given he is ranked 46th in electoral college vote for presidential elections.

I think he wants his victory to be a mandate. I think he will convince himself and his supporters he has one. I think he will act on that belief. I think he will get a shellacking for it. I think he will find himself in a similar position as Obama, with watching his achievements being dismantled because he did not care to build bridges.

 

[CriticalThought]

A mandate means he won.

The left is trying to destroy the USA. On the one hand, "the Electoral College is illegitimate. Destroy it!!" On the other, "Electoral College!!! Do your job!! Do not cast your votes for Trump!!!" The EC is NOT a pathway to the popular vote. It is a pathway to the presidency. Period.

What is happening in the US right now is frightening. We should all be very nervous. The Left is attempting a coup...a sudden appropriation of power... a takeover.

Absurd. The "left". You are talking about a small handful of people who are engaged in the hopeless task of swaying electors to vote for anyone but Trump. So what? John Kasich gets to be the president? Big coup! Lol.

Your concerns make little sense. The Republican controlled House would ultimately get to pick if Trump were somehow denied enough electoral college votes. They would most likely still pick Trump.

 

[Henrin]

Trump won, and his victory, in my opinion, is legitimate, but it appears to me to be a heavily stained victory.

1. Russia, according to both the FBI and CIA, hacked the DNC and RNC and released DNC documents through WikiLeaks in an obvious attempt to undermine the election. Trump, as a joke, even encouraged the Russians during one of his rallies. This has raised numerous questions. Were the Russians aiding Trump? Were they colluding with his campaign? Do they now have RNC documents to hold over Trump's head? Trump's adamant denial that Russia was even involved and his selection of a very pro Russian nominee for Secretary of State is not helping to belay concerns.

Which they have provided no evidence of whatsoever.

2. The Director of the FBI released information 11 days before the election that it was looking at new e-mails that may be connected to the ones that had been on Clinton's server. There was an immediate drop in the polls for Clinton. No new evidence was found but the damage was done, and the impression was an acting director of the FBI had interfered in the political process.

Yes, law enforcement is supposed to hold back on investigations because of concerns of damaging the reputation of those people they are investigating. :roll:

3. Fake News sites, albeit seen by only a small audience, were being shared across social media suggesting that Clinton was involved in everything from murder to child exploitation.

How in the hell is this connected to Trump?

4. Trump lost the popular vote by 2.7 million votes. Some of his supporters simultaneously argue his victory was legitimate and the election was rigged by claiming, with no evidence that "3 million illegals" voted in the election, a number that changed in accordance with by how much Trump was losing in the popular vote as it was reported. Trump claims an "electoral landslide" even though he ranks 46th in 58 elections on electoral vote. After months of decrying the election process as rigged and the electoral college as faulty, Trump is forced to defend it.

And if you take out California Trump won the popular vote. Big whoop. Also, the number didn't really change all that much during the process. Just sayin'.

 

[Bob N]

Trump won, and his victory, in my opinion, is legitimate, but it appears to me to be a heavily stained victory.

1. Russia, according to both the FBI and CIA, hacked the DNC and RNC and released DNC documents through WikiLeaks in an obvious attempt to undermine the election. Trump, as a joke, even encouraged the Russians during one of his rallies. This has raised numerous questions. Were the Russians aiding Trump? Were they colluding with his campaign? Do they now have RNC documents to hold over Trump's head? Trump's adamant denial that Russia was even involved and his selection of a very pro Russian nominee for Secretary of State is not helping to belay concerns.

This is probably one of the most important ones. The damage has already started before voting occurred. When one runs for President of the USA, one does not ask an unfriendly country to hack areas of our country--indeed, welcoming it. Can't figure out how the Trump administration can fix this in January. Personally, I'm thinking that it could be done by carrying out the plan of Obama's retaliatory reply through a series of hacks that would embarrass Russia or Putin himself, but with Donald's appointments and his will to get along with Russia (e.g. keep the drone.) I just can't see him getting this acne off of his face.

2. The Director of the FBI released information 11 days before the election that it was looking at new e-mails that may be connected to the ones that had been on Clinton's server. There was an immediate drop in the polls for Clinton. No new evidence was found but the damage was done, and the impression was an acting director of the FBI had interfered in the political process.

I don't know why this would stain Trump. I believe this to be an incorrect decision by James Comey. And I can see why the other side can see it as being biased. Nothing was found--especially with the investigation being timely with the closing elements of the election.

3. Fake News sites, albeit seen by only a small audience, were being shared across social media suggesting that Clinton was involved in everything from murder to child exploitation.

Must say again that I do not understand why this would stain Trump? It would affect Hillary more than Trump. The only thing that could stain Trump further is his actual relationships with those women that came out against him here lately or in the future--or whatever else comes out against him such as lawsuits or questionable financial dealings.

4. Trump lost the popular vote by 2.7 million votes. Some of his supporters simultaneously argue his victory was legitimate and the election was rigged by claiming, with no evidence that "3 million illegals" voted in the election, a number that changed in accordance with by how much Trump was losing in the popular vote as it was reported. Trump claims an "electoral landslide" even though he ranks 46th in 58 elections on electoral vote. After months of decrying the election process as rigged and the electoral college as faulty, Trump is forced to defend it.

This was something unexpected that Trump didn't directly cause but now he needs to alleviate the division that can be seen. Starting in January, the ball is in his court.

What is clear is Trump does not have anything close to a mandate. He may have won, but he and his supporters will never know whether it was his message or the political interference that clinched the victory for him. While it may be irrelevant to many Trump supporters, it is important to remember that many of the factors that led to their anger could now begin to fuel the anger of the majority of voters who had not voted for Trump. If Trump does not build bridges then his legacy shall be dismantled in 4 to 8 years as surely as he will begin to dismantle Obama's legacy.

The bridges are definitely the key. I can see his major problem is how does he make America forget his coziness with Russia and show that he can put America first--both from a domestic and foreign perspective.

 

[VanceMack]

Irrelevant since 86% of the country see his victory as legitimate, as stained as it is.



Absolutely! He is incredibly thin skinned. The moment he realized he lost the popular vote he jumped on any rationalization he could garner. It was the illegals! It was because I wasn't trying to win the popular vote! Etc. Now he repeats the "I won an electoral landslide" line every chance he gets even though it betrays his own insecurity and is something of a lie given he is ranked 46th in electoral college vote for presidential elections.

I think he wants his victory to be a mandate. I think he will convince himself and his supporters he has one. I think he will act on that belief. I think he will get a shellacking for it. I think he will find himself in a similar position as Obama, with watching his achievements being dismantled because he did not care to build bridges.

I think he will set about doing things as he knows how regardless of whether or not the people support him. Throughout the election, the GOP didnt embrace him. Working against opposition wont be anything new.

I am interested to see how/if he follows through with working with people in the black community to bring about some form of positive change or if the meetings have all been flash.

 

[CriticalThought]

Which they have provided no evidence of whatsoever.



Yes, law enforcement is supposed to hold back on investigations because of concerns of damaging the reputation of those people they are investigating. :roll:



How in the hell is this connected to Trump?



And if you take out California Trump won the popular vote. Big whoop. Also, the number didn't really change all that much during the process. Just sayin'.

It is nice to know you don't care about those issues. But that isn't the point. It is the 64 million American voters who did not vote for Trump who will care about them. Those people will not just evaporate when the election is over. If Trump does not acknowledge their concerns and build bridges with them, then he will be in for a shellacking. Governing is not the same as campaigning and we have yet to see if Trump understands as much.

 

[jamesrage]

Trump won, and his victory, in my opinion, is legitimate, but it appears to me to be a heavily stained victory.

1. Russia, according to both the FBI and CIA, hacked the DNC and RNC and released DNC documents through WikiLeaks in an obvious attempt to undermine the election. Trump, as a joke, even encouraged the Russians during one of his rallies. This has raised numerous questions. Were the Russians aiding Trump? Were they colluding with his campaign? Do they now have RNC documents to hold over Trump's head? Trump's adamant denial that Russia was even involved and his selection of a very pro Russian nominee for Secretary of State is not helping to belay concerns.

2. The Director of the FBI released information 11 days before the election that it was looking at new e-mails that may be connected to the ones that had been on Clinton's server. There was an immediate drop in the polls for Clinton. No new evidence was found but the damage was done, and the impression was an acting director of the FBI had interfered in the political process.

3. Fake News sites, albeit seen by only a small audience, were being shared across social media suggesting that Clinton was involved in everything from murder to child exploitation.

4. Trump lost the popular vote by 2.7 million votes. Some of his supporters simultaneously argue his victory was legitimate and the election was rigged by claiming, with no evidence that "3 million illegals" voted in the election, a number that changed in accordance with by how much Trump was losing in the popular vote as it was reported. Trump claims an "electoral landslide" even though he ranks 46th in 58 elections on electoral vote. After months of decrying the election process as rigged and the electoral college as faulty, Trump is forced to defend it.

What is clear is Trump does not have anything close to a mandate. He may have won, but he and his supporters will never know whether it was his message or the political interference that clinched the victory for him. While it may be irrelevant to many Trump supporters, it is important to remember that many of the factors that led to their anger could now begin to fuel the anger of the majority of voters who had not voted for Trump. If Trump does not build bridges then his legacy shall be dismantled in 4 to 8 years as surely as he will begin to dismantle Obama's legacy.

No Trump's victory is not sullied any more than Obama's victory was sullied by fake birth certificate and secret muslims claims or Bush's victory sullied by claims of stealing the election,lying for war or going awol.Most people know that when someone wins the losers throw a fit. Partisan hacks in the FBI and CIA making up **** doesn't prove anything other than the fact they put partisanship above doing their jobs.

 

[Henrin]

It is nice to know you don't care about those issues. But that isn't the point. It is the 64 million American voters who did not vote for Trump who will care about them. Those people will not just evaporate when the election is over. If Trump does not acknowledge their concerns and build bridges with them, then he will be in for a shellacking. Governing is not the same as campaigning and we have yet to see if Trump understands as much.

Did Obama do anything to build bridges to the people that didn't vote for him?

 

[joG]

Take a look at the actual number he wo by. Slim margins in most of those states and the overall popular is far in favor of Clinton which usually has not happened. No, Trump has ZERO mandate and when he goes too far (which he will) the GOP congress will suffer for it in 2018 and eventually him as well in 2020. Go ahead and try it and see what happens. It's not who has the bigger dick, but who has the bigger hammer.

You and your wet dreams. He has all the Mandat he needs. And 25 percent being enough to win seems more like only few people care. So stop blowing nasty hate and be constructive. I know it's tough on the losers. But sour grapes will only pucker the mouth, which doesn't look dignified.

 

[Singe]

1. Russia, according to both the FBI and CIA, hacked the DNC and RNC and released DNC documents through WikiLeaks in an obvious attempt to undermine the election. Trump, as a joke, even encouraged the Russians during one of his rallies. This has raised numerous questions. Were the Russians aiding Trump? Were they colluding with his campaign? Do they now have RNC documents to hold over Trump's head? Trump's adamant denial that Russia was even involved and his selection of a very pro Russian nominee for Secretary of State is not helping to belay concerns.

Although they seem to be widely accepted in the news, I really struggle with this premise and the questions that necessarily follow. At the time of these hacks/leaks, Hillary Clinton was expected to trounce Trump by virtually every poll and report. If I'm the Russians, "aiding Trump" isn't my goal. Instead, my goal is (always) strengthening Russia's position on the world stage. Weakening the inevitable incoming US President (Clinton) furthers that goal.

It's impossible (for me anyway) to assume the intentions/goals of the hackers, so I volunteer that my suspicions are just guesses. But in my opinion, Trump's unexpected victory is more of a happy accident to the hackers who were probably just like the vast majority of people... expecting a Hillary victory.

All that said, yeah... I think Trump's victory is forever sullied to many people, and I believe #4 (popular vote) will be the longest-lasting reason. The others are fleeting and/or dismiss-able.

 

[<alt>doxygen]

What do you mean he has no mandate? 75 percent of the electorate either voted for him or wasn't so much against him that it seemed worthwhile going to cast a vote. We knew that the Democrats had been hacked, that it had probably been the Russians and so forth. So, where's the problem besides Trump being a timebomb?

That 75% is a red herring. An absurd number of people sit out every election, and when you subtract those the remainder renders the point silly.

I would say that while Trump has no mandate in terms of popular will (that would mean a large majority voted for him and his platform - whatever people thought that really was), Trump ran as a Republican. Republicans have complete control of the government, including the SCOTUS. They can ram whatever they really want through.

What scares me is the thought of Trump making a deal with the Repubs whereby he rubber stamps every partisan wish list item they have in exchange for them looking the other way while he uses the office to enrich himself.

 

[jimbo]

This is probably one of the most important ones. The damage has already started before voting occurred. When one runs for President of the USA, one does not ask an unfriendly country to hack areas of our country--indeed, welcoming it. Can't figure out how the Trump administration can fix this in January. Personally, I'm thinking that it could be done by carrying out the plan of Obama's retaliatory reply through a series of hacks that would embarrass Russia or Putin himself, but with Donald's appointments and his will to get along with Russia (e.g. keep the drone.) I just can't see him getting this acne off of his face.

I don't know why this would stain Trump. I believe this to be an incorrect decision by James Comey. And I can see why the other side can see it as being biased. Nothing was found--especially with the investigation being timely with the closing elements of the election.

Must say again that I do not understand why this would stain Trump? It would affect Hillary more than Trump. The only thing that could stain Trump further is his actual relationships with those women that came out against him here lately or in the future--or whatever else comes out against him such as lawsuits or questionable financial dealings.

This was something unexpected that Trump didn't directly cause but now he needs to alleviate the division that can be seen. Starting in January, the ball is in his court.

The bridges are definitely the key. I can see his major problem is how does he make America forget his coziness with Russia and show that he can put America first--both from a domestic and foreign perspective.

Trump needs to do none of that which you suggest. If anything needs to be done, and not necessarily by Trump, it is to recognize the fact that all countries with the ability to do so are listening in on all other countries communications, especially when their own interests are involved.

Second, recognize the fact that private communication in this new IT world is not all that secure. Obama was caught in an open mike conversation stating he would have more latitude after the election. Hillary apparently stored her backup to her private not secure server on a computer shared by a pervert and her assistant. Neither was a wise decision. Interestingly, there seems to be no alleged hacking of the Republican's communications. Are they smarter in their security planning, or is it that nobody cared?

You want private, bring back the smoke filled rooms, or conduct your business one on one on the back lots of airports.

 

[chuckiechan]

If Trump is able to make progress in getting the nations house in order, he will get another four years, plus the make up of the house and senate will become more republican, and the democrats will become more estranged from the "center". Yes. They will be able to see Hell from their doorsteps.

The democrats have indicated they plan to be the "party of NO", so the fights will be public, drawn out, and partisan, and they will lose in the House due to sheer numbers and in the Senate because they don't have the votes thanks to Harry Reid. So all they can do is try to undermine Trump. But it's different this time. It's a change election, and that means the democrats have to undermine "change" with a corrupt and exposed MSM as their spokesmen. Good luck with that.

Biden was out there sniveling about "we love the white working class" and the "rural families who go to church". Sure Joe. It's sinking in, ain't it? Priceless.

Sooo...

Trump has momentum going in, and he is going to attack American's many problems with market based solutions - cutting taxes, getting business up and running and most importantly - hiring. It's a slow slog to change the course of a nation, but he is hiring the right people to get it done. Obama hired academics, Trump is hiring hands on professionals with track records in the real physical world.

I hope he does so well, you skeptics actually will vote for him.

Are they smarter in their security planning, or is it that nobody cared?

They have been guarding secrets for years. Formulas, financials, etc.