The Trump implosion thread!

The recount in WI is going well. Trump has
picked up 146 votes.

'Trump has widened his victory margin over Clinton in Wisconsin by 146 votes, with 23 of the state’s 72 counties having finished their recounts as of Tuesday. In those counties, Trump gained 105 votes and Clinton dropped 41 votes.'

Quote:

He got up there and lied his a__ off': Carrier union leader on Trump's big deal

Trump lied??? No shit.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/%E2%80%98he-got-up-there-and-lied-his-a%E2%80%93-off-carrier-union-leader-on-trump%E2%80%99s-big-deal/ar-AAldQLA?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartanntp

This guy has been showing his faults for the entire campaign and the voters just ignored it and made him President.

Boggles the mind.

Holy crap. I'm giddy over what Trump is
doing and he isn't even president yet.
Obama is gnashing his teeth and smoking
again.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/softbank-investors-cheer-ceos-meeting-with-trump-1481095552

Quote: Evenbob

Holy crap. I'm giddy over what Trump is
doing and he isn't even president yet.
Obama is gnashing his teeth and smoking
again.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/softbank-investors-cheer-ceos-meeting-with-trump-1481095552

Pay walled article. You'll have to tell us what Obama said, as it's not in the summary...

About the Air Force One kerfuffle, Popular Mechanics has a good, factual article about it. I suggest looking it up.

The numbers are about as follows:

Boeing has a contract for $170 million, which would make it a killer discount on list price if it represents two 747-8s. Boeing does not do the whole outfitting of the plane, however.

The Air Force has $1.7 billion budgeted for the AF1 replacement, presumably since signing the contract in 2015 and through 2020-23 when the planes go into service. An oversight office estimates total expenditures at $3.2-3.6 billion, presumably also in that time frame.

Mid-air refueling is required. Also the ability to withstand an EMP attack, a nearby nuclear strike (protection from fallout), plus missile defenses (jammers, chaff, flares, one assumes, at the least, maybe decoys as well), plus the whole communications suite on the upper deck, meeting rooms in the lower deck, passenger spaces, galleys, the first couple's bedroom and bathroom (with shower), etc.

The air force requires a four-engine plane with mid-air refueling capability. Only two production aircraft meet that: the 747-8 and the A380. Airbus wasn't interested in submitting a bid.

Currently the Air Force operates twin VC-25s as AF1s. They are 747-200s, built in the late 80s and which were first used by George H. W. Bush. They're close to 30 years of operational life (albeit a sedate one; ie no daily flights at all). Just the same, that's two models old (superseded by the 747-400 and the 747-8). Spare parts are not easy to get, or may require to be custom made. Plus the aging AF1 fleet, as any older plane, requires more frequent maintenance. The older, less efficient engines use up more fuel.

Bottom line, scrapping the program now, regardless of what it does to Boeing, will mean a great deal more good money will need to be spent, after the bad money of 1) what has already been spent and 2) the extra money in maintenance and extra fuel for years to come.

A new program, moreover, would still come down to the 747-8 or the A380. Although I think the Russians did build a 4-engine wide body, which is perhaps where the Orange Man wants taxpayer money to be spent.

Boeing is slowing down production of the 747-8, and Airbus is doing the same with the A380. neither has plans for a next generation VLA (Very Large Aircraft) wither for passenger or freight purposes. Boeing is focused on the 777-9X, a stretched version of the 777-300ER. Airbus has the A350-1000. These will be the largest planes produced in quantity, and both are single deck and not as big as the 747-8.

One wonders, then, what the Orange Man wants.

If he thinks he can keep using his own plane, an aging 757, I'd like popcorn and live streaming of the fight he'll have with the Secret Service and the Air Force. Not to mention as it is not government property, anyone riding on it will have to reimburse Trump for doing so. This includes the media, but also his cabinet officials, Representatives, Senators, aides, Secret Service personnel, etc.

But such a gambit to extort a few thousand dollars per trip from the government seems extreme for even such an accomplished con-man as Thieving Donald.

Doesn't it?

Uh Oh

Quote: Evenbob

Uh Oh

I know for a fact that there are some old tweets from Donald discussing what a joke the Time Person of the Year always is.

Donald's twitter feed is the gift that never stops giving.

Quote: ams288

I know for a fact that there are some old tweets from Donald discussing what a joke the Time Person of the Year always is.

He joins other such luminaries of his caliber as the Ayatollah Khomeini.

People misunderstand TIME's criteria. It's not an honor, or recognition, or anything like that. It's merely the person who most dominated the news. Whether that person is a saint or a jerk makes no difference.

Quote: Nareed

People misunderstand TIME's criteria.

Trump has been on Time's cover about
15 times, Hillary over 25 times. Hillary
has never been person of the year. She
was runner up this year, she lost to Trump
yet again.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4009276/Donald-defeats-Hillary-Trump-named-Time-Person-Year.html

Quote: Nareed

He joins other such luminaries of his caliber as the Ayatollah Khomeini.

People misunderstand TIME's criteria. It's not an honor, or recognition, or anything like that. It's merely the person who most dominated the news. Whether that person is a saint or a jerk makes no difference.

I agree. It's not an honor (although, based on his previous tweets, Donald clearly thinks it is). No one dominated the conversation this year more than Donald, so I agree with giving him Person of the Year. Why would they make Hillary PotY when she's not going to be President?