This man is not even President and I am already tired of him. His inability to be consistently truthful has worn me out. His need to share his thoughts on any topic reveals a lack of substance. And, his ego has to be stroked as he reacts very negatively to criticism.
None of this is a surprise, but I was hopeful the man might show a little more gravitas to such an important position. I want him to be successful where it helps the country. Yet, I have a very low bar of expectations. He has not even lived up to those.
So, I am weary of the man. I am also tired of his two PR people who are running out of perfume and lipstick on defending his piggish remarks or tweets. The world is already a less safer place and he has not taken the oath of office.
With the recent release of highly verifiable Russian involvement in our campaign, we have an interesting set of circumstances behind his victory. With the release of unverified information on his dossier built by the Russians, there is a need to confirm if any of this might be true. Then, there is the verified story of frequent conversation between a key cabinet nominee and the Russian ambassador’s office the day of sanctions announcement, which begs further scrutiny.
To be frank, nothing surprises me about this man. I do feel these stories are worthy of investigation. Whether there is fire under this smoke needs to be determined. And, call me crazy, but I would not be surprised if Mike Pence is President at this time next year. I don’t agree much with Pence, but I don’t think he will make me as weary.
musingsofanoldfart 
I am so weary (disgusted is closer to my feeling) of Trump. I hope that if and when he is forced to leave office his actions are not so grievous as to cause irreparable harm to this nation. My issue with Pence, because I know so little about him, is that he has chosen to align with a malignant force, it is hard to have respect for him.
Holly, I won’t begrudge the stronger sentiment. Pence may have been pushed on Trump for this reason. Keith
I think most are fearful of this vindictive person and who knows if his inner circle is complying under duress, fear of being bullied and disparaged.
Holly, it should not be surprising, that an attorney who worked for him said people he likes eventually get on his bad list and he treats them as poorly as if they never were on the list. When he has to start owning his mistakes, he will blame everyone else. Keith
That’s true Keith, there seems to be no way to get our representatives to face up to this guy, I believe they are afraid, some more than others. …never imagined anything like this. Just today I saw where The GOP is trying to find a way to “punish” this guy on the independent vetting agency for negative or perceived negative comments…it recalls “Brown Shirts”.
Holly, when he starts calling his own party members names will start the unraveling. McCain and Graham are the only ones in the GOP with any chutzpah right now. Keith
Well said. I have set the bar very low too but I think he has an excuse; spirochetes in the brain. ~~dru~~
We may not be the only low bar setters.
I didn’t have a bar! I had zero expectations of him doing anything right.
Toby, you would be less disappointed that way. Keith
I share your weariness, and your assessment of his longevity, or lack of, in office. I disagree with almost everything Pence stands for, however I think he has better sense and would exhibit a higher degree of self-control and restraint than Trump is capable of. I wish I could ignore Trump and all the broohaha surrounding him, but I am afraid to turn my back on him for even a day.
Jill, I agree we cannot turn our back on him. If I were the media, I would question everything he says given his propensity for lying. Keith
I just hope they will not give in to fear of this “man”, as Hugh fears they may. Sigh.
Jill, you have to expect the juvenile backlash on Twitter from the narcissistic one. Keith
I’m right there with you!!! which reminds me of a cartoon I found on facebook “my desire to stay informed is at odds with my desire to stay sane”. So true!!!
Yes, I saw that one a couple of weeks ago and thought the same! 🙂
Toby, a reason I blog is to have an outlet where I can vent over the lack of truth telling in politicians. As Senator John Kyl famously said when caught in a lie – you should not construe my words as the truth. Nor, should we with our new President.
It is indeed a sad day when Pence seems like the better solution. But make no mistake. He is a better solution.
Pence is a politician. He understands his role is to serve the country. He will do that within his particular life view, which does not match mine, but I don’t think he will lose sight of his primary purpose. To serve the country.
I don’t think YamPants is in it to serve this country. He just found another way to make money and serve his insatiable appetite for attention. He treats this entire things like he’s doing a reality TV show. It’s depressing at minimum. Terrifying at maximum.
I think you frame the minimum and maximum well. Plus, your assessment of Pence is on the money.
You picked precisely the correct term: weary. I feel the same way and am about to stop reading and writing about him entirely. It is exhausting and terribly frustrating — and pointless. Those who know the man is a fool don’t need to have out pointed out repeatedly and those who are convinced he is not a fool aren’t about to be convinced by anything I write!
Hugh, you make an excellent point. Per The Guardian, many of his followers don’t know and don’t care about the Russian involvement and dossier. Keith
I agree and I disagree, respectively. I have two friends that I have dinner with a few times a year. When dubya was president we had some hearty conversations, with two of us agin and one for him. After years of sending the other friend who was for him information I convinced her to vote for Obama as his first election was drawing near. and this is why I continue to argue with people on facebook etc. There are three on one of my friend’s page, two are absolute imbeciles and I can tell there will be no convincing them. There is one other who seems like he might be convincable(I guess that’s not a word, heh. but you get my meaning I think) so I just keep talking to him and tell the other two to just shut up already 😀 Yes, it’s terribly frustrating but you just never know about those seeds that might be getting planted.
I guess I just haven’t seen any of that sort of thing. But I do applaud your tenacity!
Haha. Thanks 😊
Toby, keep planting. You should know I send out a weekly email which includes all of our NC legislators. They are usually modified version of one of my posts. I try to focus on issues, but actions/ inactions by legislators are part of them. I will never stop trying to spread what I feel are truths. Please keep on keepin’ on. Keith
Yea. When I get frustrated or angry, I just stop for the moment. I guess we will have to keep doing what we’re doing.
Yes, we will. The truth should not be so hard to get out. If you want, I can forward you an example.
an example of your weekly email? Sure, would love to see it. thanks!
Note to Readers: Two unrelated comments. My wife and I had dinner with another couple many moons ago. He told his wife that she made him “weary.” On the way home, we commented on that word choice and predicted they may not last as a couple, which turned out to be the case.
The other comment is I was thinking of a song line, “when you are weary and down and out.” Unfortunately we need Simon and Garfunkel to build us “a bridge over troubled water.”
Keith, I share your concerns and for the reasons you so succinctly stated.
I also agree about Pence and what his status may be in the near future.
What concerns me also is the lack of attention he and his associates seem to be paying to the fact that an institution, which is at the very core of our existence as a “free” nation, has been severely compromised; that of a free and fair election; a government, “by the people, for the people”, a Democracy.
I think we’re witnessing what could be the slyest, slickest, coup d’etat ever executed, and Russia is a key ally of the invaders.
One of the first actions a dictator takes, is suppression of the press. In their paper, “MEDIA FREEDOM IN DICTATORSHIPS”, Egorov, Guriev, and Sonin state, “Free Media are an anathema of any dictator”
From Wikipedia, a definition: “In modern usage, the term “dictator” is generally used to describe a leader who holds and/or abuses an extraordinary amount of personal power, especially the power to make laws without effective restraint by a legislative assembly.
Dictatorships are often characterised by some of the following traits: suspension of elections and of civil liberties; proclamation of a state of emergency; rule by decree; repression of political opponents without abiding by rule of law procedures; these include one-party state, and cult of personality”.
That all sounds vaguely familiar to me.
The system of “Checks and Balances” has been suspended i.e. The Legislative, Judicial branches belong to the Executive branch, for the moment. The soil is ripe and fertile for a narcissistic, megalomaniac to enjoy a short-term stint as “Emperor of the U.S.A.”
Ron, we need an active media and our other institutions – Congress, Judicial to do their job. The Israeli press is reporting that our intelligence members have told Israel’s not to share classified information with the new administration as it will end up in the hands of the Russians and Iran. That is a pretty bold statement, if it turns out to be true. This was reported in The Guardian. Our huge advantage in the world is our global reach and trade. This administration is wanting to retrench from that which is a God-awful move. Putin must have a big smile on his face with the havoc he has wreaked. Keith
Yes, absolutely!
Dear Keith,
DT is exhausting to keep up with and he is not even in the WH yet. Everyone one in his circle has to follow him around to clean up his messes.
I suspect that there is a reason Mrs. Trump is staying behind in NY. She needs a rest.
Ciao, Gronda
Gronda, as we know, there will be a lot more messes to clean up. Keith
I agree with you that Pence will probably be president soon. I’m not a fan of his politics, but at least he does not seem to be a narcissistic man-child. I would feel safer with an adult as president.
Agreed on the adult part and the lack thereof in our pending leader
You sound depleted….
Lisa, I am, but as I shared with Toby, I will keep informing with what I believe are less known truths. Keith
Ha. for some reason, your reply made me flashback to my first tarpon-fishing experience. My friend Dan, owner of the lodge, was in the boat, and the fish and I had been flexing muscles for half an hour at least. I dropped to my knees and rested my arms on the side of the boat, and he said, ‘lisa.. you rest-the fish rests…’
your post and reply reflect that you aren’t going to give the tarpon a break..
You are a wise person, giving sage-like fishing analogies. We cannot let the tarpon rest.
Ha.. Anyone who knows Dan (Rio Colorado Lodge) would love to sit at his table and hear what he has to say about what’s going on in our country! He’s most likely very busy trying to recover from Hurricane Otto’s path, which hit just north of his lodge… I’ve not bothered him with queries….
Lisa, I am glad you are spreading his pearls of wisdom. Keith
I agree with your prediction that Pence could soon be our president. The sad irony is that he would have never won against Clinton. Will you be participating in a march on Saturday?
Janis, I will continue the fight to share the truth and give the disenfranchised a place at the table. Keith
I never had any hope of him rising to the occasion of the office that he sought. I don’t think he ever actually wanted to be president. It was a contest to be won. Oh and my suspicion of him owing money to the Russians. and now quite possibly, the dossier of compromising information that Russian would most likely use as blackmail. Robert Reich thinks he will go the same way that Nixon went. Nixon was smarter than Trump and that one took two years. So, with any luck (and lots of prayer!!! God, are you listening????), that racist pig will be removed from office. But first we need some republicans to grow consciences. At least we now have Richard Burr and John Warner taking this seriously and are doing an investigation. I agree, this man makes me weary. I hope he goes to jail for treason.
Agreed.
Also, I’m considering starting another blog just for political posts. I don’t feel right writing about politics on my little travel blog…..cogitating, cogitating…..like I have time for two blogs! 🙂
Toby, I would read it. Keith
Thanks! Will keep you posted on that. So many ideas, so little time….
Yes, but your voice is one of reason. What I would find interesting is to learn more what non-Americans think of our travails. Keith
It’s a mixed bag. On Facebook I follow El Pais, one of Spain’s news outlets, and there are many misinformed commenters there. I’m not sure that facebook comments are something to gauge by and these are just my observations. I can tell you that one British blogger that I met up with told me she was frightened for the world if the chump got elected. Another friend in Spain was also worried. This is not a big group to judge by but those are my experiences. I’ll keep cogitating my new blog. Thanks for your support!
Thanks for sharing. It reveals misinformation can take root anywhere. I do think non-Americans, on the whole, are more aware of global and US political events. One of our worst exports is the dumbing down of others. Keith
Agreed!!
It’s sad to think that just anybody would seem more fit for the job. I know some 14-year olds who are more thoughtful and articulate and better equipped to lead rather than star. Yeah. Pence. There’s a lot to not like, especially with the cabinet that is taking shape. But at least it wouldn’t be a national embarrassment.
Linda, there are times when he acts like a toddler. Little Donnie and his Twitter tantrums. Keith
When are the times that he acts like an adult? Oh, I know, when he’s grabbing pussy. Sorry. Just couldn’t resist.
Linda, off camera, there has to be a more adult man. Otherwise, he would not be able to convince folks in private. There will be some interesting hats at the upcoming march based on a word in your comment as a protest to our “groper in chief.”
Note to Readers: Again, Mike Pence is no day at the beach. He is blaming Democrats for trying to de-legitimize the Trump Presidency with these Russia stories. I would add that there are a growing number of Republicans who are concerned about the verified stories and right now, unverified stories. And, it should be noted that it was the President-elect who has been adamant that it could not be the Russians denigrating his future Intelligence force even as late as this past Wednesday, when he compared their behavior to the Nazis.
As I have said many times before, politicians use the “Nazi” term as a shortcut slur. When I hear it means the following to me – I have no argument or data, so I will just call you a Nazi to let my followers know I mean business. The sad truth, our President-elect uses labels like tic-tacs and throws them around with ease. It means he does not have a good argument or data to support his contention.
So, the next time you read or hear our President-elect (or any politician) use a label – think his point is not valid. You will be right more than not, if you believe the opposing argument as a result.