The Trump phenomenon 2

Why Trump tax revelation is stunning

1. There is no evidence whatsoever that Trump, himself, understands the tax laws benefiting him. The New York Times article indicates Trump's own tax accountant found him inattentive, and nothing that Trump has said in public has revealed a deep knowledge of the tax code. Trump does, on the other hand, have a frequently revealed fondness for debt, or using "other people's money."

2. Trump's own tax proposals would actually close down none of the remaining tax "loopholes" benefiting debt. Indeed, Trump's plan would greatly encourage and reward debt.Trump's impulsive last-minute decision to continue an interest loan deduction in his otherwise standard trickle-down tax du jour plan was a $1.2 trillion dollar "whopper" -- an expense nearly five times higher than the campaign's view of the cost of Trump's child care tax plan. Trump's continued preference for tax benefits for debt is reckless. Trump's tax policies would greatly increase taxpayer abilities to use other people's money to generate tax breaks for themselves.Whatever happens in the sea of complexity about to be sent forth, we should all remember this: A tax loss of nearly a billion dollars is a very, very nice thing to have, especially if it came from other people's money.

http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/02/opinions/why-trump-tax-news-is-stunning-mc...

All about the Chump!

Donald Trump for dummies

When Republicans express outrage at Donald Trump's racism, they are being disingenuous or self-deluded.

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2016/10/donald-trump-dummies-16...

Trump’s Empire: A Maze of Debts and Opaque Ties

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/21/us/politics/donald-trump-debt.html

What a scammer! 

The most shocking part of Donald Trump's tax records isn't the $916 million loss everyone's talking about

Now, to the $909 million loss reported by the New York Times - which vastly exceeds any cash losses that Trump would have suffered in the collapse of his casino-hotel-airline empire, which fell apart in the early 1990s and resulted in four bankruptcies. (He had two more bankruptcies, in 2004 and 2009, from a publicly-traded company in which he was the primary shareholder.)

I'm guessing, but can't tell for sure - there's not enough information - that the loss has to do with the collapse of his empire. I don't understand how Trump, who had very little of his own cash invested in his projects in the 1990s but did personally guarantee part of their debt, could end up with tax losses of that magnitude. They're almost certainly paper losses rather than out-of-pocket losses.

It's possible that those losses somehow vanished into the ether from which they came - we have no way to tell.

What we can tell, though, is that what I wrote recently about Trump's "That makes me smart" boast when Hillary Clinton prodded him about not paying taxes was right.

If Trump were truly smart - and wanted to lead by example - he would have disclosed his tax returns, showed the loopholes he used, and vowed to close them.

I have plenty of problems with the Clintons' financial behavior, as I wrote. But at least Hillary Clinton is proposing tax code changes that would cost her and her family money. Trump, by contrast, is proposing tax changes that would greatly benefit the commercial real estate business, which is his primary field, and would greatly benefit his own family. And when I asked his campaign last week whether he was proposing any tax changes that would cost him and/or his family any money, I got no reply.

This whole column and most of the articles I've read are based almost entirely on just one page of Trump's tax filings - the front page of his 1995 New York return. So, you see, we have learned quite a lot from Trump's tax returns - and we could learn a lot more when and if more of them make their way into the public domain.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/business/news/article.cfm?c_id=3&objectid=1172...

Trump running out of time as controversies pile up

http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/03/politics/donald-trump-tax/?iid=ob_lockedra...

Trump Foundation Ordered by New York AG to Stop Fundraising

http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/trump-foundation-ordered-n...

https://www.theautomaticearth.com/2016/09/why-there-is-trump/

I found this article on Trump's raise and why its happening to be interesting.  It it also suppourted my personal theory about the fact the "left" in northren part of north america is politicaly non existent.  But even in places that had a strong position in society like Europe those who to purport themselves to be representing the "left" are destroying their credibility. I what to focus on Hollande and his band of "socialists" in France.  According to Hollande he is following tenents of socialism but the people who voted for socialism are getting smiling form capitalism.  This crediability problem is destroying the trust in the organized left in europe and leaving room for populaist rights wringers to excel.

I guess I am an old school socialist becuase I believe that goal of socialism is to change the system not prop it by trying to temper the effects of capitalism.  Even Bernie which was a Roosevelt reformer which was abused by the winners or those want defend the scraps they own in society.  If you feel the trapping of power and want respectability then politically you will not even to say you want to reform capitalism.  Which leaves you a centrist that comfortable with the status quo and you will take the safe polictical route.  I guess its manner of interest you will defend you status quo because it works for you.  Politically Trump and Bernie were miles apart but they shared one thing.  They believed that system does not work for average person anymore. 

Yea Trump the guy who doesn't pay much if any federal income tax really is concerned about the average person What kind of nonsense is this? Equating Trump's philosophy with Sanders is mind boggling!

NorthReport wrote:

Yea Trump the guy who doesn't pay much if any federal income tax really is concerned about the average person What kind of nonsense is this? Equating Trump's philosophy with Sanders is mind boggling!

Oh my god. Trump (allegedly) didn't pay more tax than he was legally required to. Everyone else pays more, and the fact that he, alone, minimizes his tax burden is proof he's just a selfish hack who doesn't care about the everyday American!

THIS is the issue that will finally bring him down!

/s

So all the way back in 2012 Romney's biggest gaffe was his 47% comment. He said "47% of Americans don't pay tax." What he meant is "47% of Americans don't pay income tax." He was crucified for it - for weeks the media pushed stories of "Well this poor senior doesn't pay income tax but every month she gets a power bill and, trust us, she notices the tax portion of the bill." Etc.

Now in 2016 the only tax that matters to the media and the Democrats (but I repeat myself) is income tax. Even if he has somehow avoided income tax entirely for the last 20 years (a ridiculous conclusion the media came to based on a return from 1995), I guess Donald Trump has paid a few dollars in sales and property taxes in the last 20 years.

Maybe I should mail my 2015 tax return to the National Post and see if they can tell me how much tax I'll pay by 2035. Even if they just divine my income tax burden over the next 20 years from that I'd still be impressed.

But this is not an insignificant one. It cuts to the core of his whole reputation as a good businessperson, and what else does he have going for him? And the point has  been raised that if he still won't release them even though it is pretty clear he has NOT paid income tax, what else is in there that is potentially worse?

Anyway, here's Elizabeth Warren explaining why this is important (whether one agrees with her on the "world class military" bit or not):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUewbHseMQ4

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/10/donald-trump-says-he-call...

JKR]</p> <p>[quote=SeekingAPoliticalHome]</p> <p>[quote=NorthReport wrote:

Yea Trump the guy who doesn't pay much if any federal income tax really is concerned about the average person What kind of nonsense is this? Equating Trump's philosophy with Sanders is mind boggling!

Really really NR, hyberbole and a strawman argument.  I am sure you could do better than that if you actually read the post.  I clearly said that trump and sanders are tapping into the feeling of discontent in the US.  Does that indicate any way indicate a shared philosophy ? As for what is in trumps heart I cannot say but if listen to him talk he talks jobs and trade.  But he has no displince and a thing thin skin which makes it hard to take him seriously. 

But I have to say that Bernie disappointed me at the end.  He had movement behind him and he destroyed that movement by steering it to the democraic party.  If he actually acomplishmed something with the democratic party I would be less critical.  He could not even get minor cabinate position out the whole thing.  Generally people make up and loser goes into the cabinet but it tells you how much she cared about sanders contibrution. 

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/feb/3/bernie-sanders-obama-disa...

I just call it ironic that he criticzed Obama for letting down progressives.  Make sure that you read that last sentence in the article. 

I think Trump may be the worst candidate to run for presidemt for a major political party in US history. This election is a farce.

I agree.  New vidoe and audio about him and he how treats woman.  I thought he could still win becasue hillary was weak candiate but I just I heard this. WOW I think this is beyond the usual offensive trump, it clear what is in his heart.

Quote:

Oh my god. Trump (allegedly) didn't pay more tax than he was legally required to.

I agree with this.  Unless he committed tax fraud, his returns "tell us" just as much about him as a police radar photo that shows him driving 60mph in a 60mph zone.

Quote:

It can tell the loopholes he has used.

By "loopholes" do you mean "tax laws"?

As I noted, if he committed tax fraud, that's one thing.  If not, that's another.

Quote:

Speaks to the man's greed and cheapness, legal or not.

And to any tax law that would permit it.

I'll revisit an earlier analogy to suggest that if we don't want people driving 60mph (100kph in Canada) then we should really change the speed limit.  Not scold someone who drives 60mph.

If I'm not mistaken, Canadian tax forms include a blank box near the end of the form where taxpayers can choose to pay MORE taxes than required.  Is there any babbler who can say, truthfully, that they added an additional amount of taxes to their form, above and beyond the minimum that the law demanded they pay?  Tell us more, I'd love to hear.

SeekingAPoliticalHome wrote:

...I agree.  New vidoe and audio about him and he how treats woman.  I thought he could still win becasue hillary was weak candiate but I just I heard this. WOW I think this is beyond the usual offensive trump, it clear what is in his heart.

Yeah, I just got this from CBC. I would say Trump will not be able to crawl out of the hole he's dug for himself. The family values crowd, which is a large part of the Republican Party base will not be able to hold their noses long enough to vote for Trump now. I suspect they will stay home.

Trump brags about groping women

Quote:

"I'm automatically attracted to beautiful — I just start kissing them," he says in the video. "It's like a magnet. Just kiss. I don't even wait. And when you're a star they let you do it. You can do anything."

That was the mildest of his comments. I do find it interesting that all the racism and bigotry was fine, but this has even the top brass in the GOP condemning him.

6079_Smith_W wrote:

I suppose there is an outside chance he might do a Chuck Colson. But I don't think anyone would believe it.

Then again, I think he has already been running on people studiously holding their noses and ignoring stuff because they think Hillary is worse. So why not in this case?

As I posted above. The family values crowd which is the GOP base. They don't mind racism, they don't mind bigotry, they don't mind demagoguery. In fact they may even like it. But this is different. To this crowd the 'wife and mother' is placed firmly on a pedestal, at least symbolically. When their candidate starts talking about grabbing women by the pussy, and being able to get away with it because he's a star, he's kind of crossed a line.

And whatever the Trump base voters think, there's a whole bunch of Republicans running for Senate and Representative seats that will have to put up with the fallout. They're already heading for the exits, distancing themselves from their presidential candidate. Honestly, it's possible, perhaps not likely, but possible, that Trump will be forced to resign as candidate.  

Aaaand... here's the apology.

http://theslot.jezebel.com/donald-trump-appears-to-pledge-not-to-grab-wo...

Don't know about his base, but I am kind of surprised he played his hand and let everyone know the big surprise he was saving up for the debate, so Clinton can be fully prepared with a response.

It is pretty much the only card, and the lowest card he has left. Dumb. Dumb. Dumb.

Sure. They have been waffling since day one. Him telling jokes about having sex with his daughter didn't stop them from giving him the nomination.

And yes, he is sliding in the polls.This latest nosedive started a week ago.

If you want to think that this is somehow a watershed moment, that is fine. I don't see it as particularly different than a lot of things he has done. And alleged Christian values aside, I think many of them don't care about guys talking about women like this.

Does it add a bit more fuel to the fire? Sure. But given his base, it could easily turn around again. Of course none of these polls determine ensure the outcome on election day. And if there isn't a good ground game, and if there is voter suppression, anything could happen. Especially in a critical swing state like Florida.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/10/07/the-gops-bigge...

http://mashable.com/2016/10/08/tic-tac-trump-statement/#UmyM9tM3Wsqi

Unprecedented

http://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/world/in-unprecedented-turn-rebellion-erupt...

Unlikely!

montrealer58 wrote:

If people are wondering why the evangelicals are sticking with Trump consider that his personality type is very similar to the Christian preachers who lead them: egotistical, womanizing, maniacal, deluded, grandiose, type-'A' etc.

I think it is more because he is their only hope to push their interests on the anti-choice front, on the supreme court, on their "religious right to discriminate against others" front, and on the anti LGBT front.

Not to mention the whole range of conservative social issues they tend to favour. Given that, it is no surprise many of them will hold their nose and vote for him. 

I think that some voters would and will vote Republican no matter what.

This is probably true of any established party in any electoral jurisdiction.  I expect that Canada also has its fair share of "committed" voters for each of the three, or maybe even four, parties.  I'm not convinced it's contingent on this or that policy nor exclusive to the U.S.

All that's left to be interesting is their rationalizations.  It was eleven years ago; everyone talks like that; it was a private (on air!) conversation; what matters is that wall.

Read: "please don't try to make me change who I am -- I'm a Republican!"