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Obama boosts Clinton; Kaine mocks Trump

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

President Barack Obama hugs Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton as she takes the stage at the conclusion of his speech during the third day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia tonight.

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

President Barack Obama and Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton wave together during the third day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia tonight.

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

President Barack Obama speaks during the third day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia tonight.

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

Vice President Joe Biden speaks during the third day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia today.

PHILADELPHIA » His own legacy on the line, President Barack Obama implored Americans to elect Hillary Clinton to the White House, casting her as a candidate who believes in the optimism that fuels the nation’s democracy and warning against the “deeply pessimistic vision” of Republican Donald Trump.

“America is already great. America is already strong,” he declared to cheering delegates tonight at the Democratic convention. “And I promise you, our strength, our greatness, does not depend on Donald Trump.”

For Democrats, the night was steeped in symbolism, the passing of the baton from a barrier-breaking president to a candidate trying to make history herself.

Obama urged Americans to summon the hopefulness of his first White House campaign eight years ago, before recession deepened and new terror threats shook voters’ sense of security. He robustly vouched for Clinton’s readiness to finish the job he started, saying “no matter how daunting the odds, no matter how much people try to knock her down, she never, ever quits.”

Earlier today, Clinton’s running mate, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, introduced himself to the nation as a formidable foil to Trump in his own right. With folksy charm, he ridiculed Trump’s list of promises and imitated one of the GOP candidate’s favorite phrases.

“Believe me!” he said mockingly, as the audience boomed back, “No!”

Obama’s vigorous support for Clinton is driven in part by deep concern that Republican Trump might win in November and unravel his two terms in office. He warned repeatedly today that the billionaire businessman is unprepared for the challenges that would await him in the Oval Office.

Trump fueled more controversy today when he encouraged Russia to meddle in the presidential campaign. On the heels of reports that Russia may have hacked Democratic Party emails, Trump said, “Russia, if you’re listening,” it would be desirable to see Moscow find and publish the thousands of emails Clinton says she deleted during her years as secretary of state.

Tonight’s Democratic lineup was aimed at emphasizing Clinton’s own national security credentials. It was a significant shift in tone after two nights spent reintroducing Clinton to voters as a champion for children and families, and relishing in her historic nomination as the first woman to lead a major political party into the general election.

The convention’s third night was also a time for Democrats to celebrate Obama’s legacy. Vice President Joe Biden, who decided against running for president this year after the death of his son, called it a “bittersweet moment.”

A son of Scranton, Pennsylvania, Biden appealed directly to the working class white voters who have been drawn to Trump’s populism, warning them against falling for false promises and exploitation of Americans’ anxieties.

“This guy doesn’t have a clue about the middle class,” he declared.

Kaine also picked up the traditional attacking role of the presidential ticket’s No. 2. He tore into Trump, mocking his pledges to build a wall along the Mexican border, asking why he has not released his tax returns and slamming his business record, including the now-defunct Trump University.

“Folks, you cannot believe one word that comes out of Donald Trump’s mouth,” Kaine said. “Our nation is too great to put it in the hands of slick-talking, empty-promising, self-promoting, one-man wrecking crew.”

Liberals, particularly those who supported Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, have grumbled about Kaine being on the ticket, particularly because of his support for “fast track” approval of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact. Several delegates held up anti-TPP signs as he spoke.

In a move aimed at broadening Clinton’s appeal, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg — an independent who considered launching a third party bid for president — endorsed the Democratic nominee. A billionaire businessman himself, Bloomberg took aim at Trump’s bankruptcies, reliance on foreign factories and other economic experience: “The richest thing about Donald Trump is his hypocrisy.”

President Bill Clinton, filling the role of devoted political spouse, joined the crowd packed to the arena rafters in cheering the attacks on Trump.

The core of Clinton’s strategy is putting back together Obama’s winning White House coalition. In both his campaigns, Obama carried more than 90 percent of black voters, the overwhelming majority of Hispanics, and more than half of young people and women.

That coalition was vividly on display in the first two nights of the convention in Philadelphia. Women lawmakers were prominently featured, along with young activists, immigrants, and mothers whose black children were victims of gun violence or killed during encounters with law enforcement.

Gun violence continued as a theme tonight as families of mass shooting victims took the stage. Delegates rose in an emotional standing ovation for the mother of one of the victims in last month’s Orlando nightclub shooting, who asked why “commonsense” gun policies weren’t in place when her son died.

“I never want you to ask that question about your child,” Christine Leinonen said.

Clinton’s convention has been awash in history, with energized delegates celebrating her formal nomination as the first woman to ever lead a major political party in the general election. Some supporters of Sanders, her primary opponent, continued to voice their displeasure.

But Sanders, meeting with New England delegates, said, “As of yesterday, I guess, officially our campaign ended.”

91 responses to “Obama boosts Clinton; Kaine mocks Trump”

  1. Ikefromeli says:

    It is so very telling when a former Secretary of Defense and Director of the CIA says explicitly holds that Mr. Trump places the nation in grave danger. Never has a person in our entire history been so inexperienced, so inept and so cavalier with our foreign policy.

    Then, a legitimate businessman, Michael Bloomberg, an actual billionaire, just south of 50 billion and number 7 on Fortune’s list, entirely takes down and pares down, Mr. Trump, from his numerous bankruptcies, to his thousands of lawsuits, to his volatile shareholder revolts……again, a real tycoon of business just gave him the “business” and totally made him look like an amateur and a pretender. Bloomberg is smarter, more successful, more compassionate, and a metric that even Donald would resonate with, much much richer. Donald you are so f–i –r–e–d.

    • lespark says:

      133 speakers got up and tried to save their jobs. That’s 133 bureaucrats to many. They were fighting for 8 more years of Obama. The former CIA Director and the Secretary of Defense were two abject failures misguiding an extremely careless and inept Secretary of State. The results have staggered America.
      No matter how much money Bloomberg has cuts no ISIS. He did not step up and run. He condemns the man who did.
      As far as experience? Obama, Clinton had no executive experience. Only Trump does.

      • Ikefromeli says:

        The man is 70 years old and has one proven objective–how to advance and benefit Donald Trump–period.

        He cares nothing about the working class and history has shown that to be the absolute truth. The American Dream is not something a wall can contain #eatittrump.

        • lespark says:

          What’s age got to do with it, Trump and Hillary are about the same age, Bernie is 74.
          Difference is Crooked has to take naps.
          Most if not all government workers get paid 6 digits, cushy pension plans and job security. 133 people hit the stage, some of them the worst offenders, screaming, begging, for 8 more years.
          I hope you don’t age discriminate. I guess you are allowed a mulligan or two.

        • lespark says:

          Ike, one more thing, Trump provides jobs for thousands of middle class workers of all ethnic persuasions.

        • Ikefromeli says:

          Nope, thousands of minorities afford Trump his lavish lifestyle.

        • lespark says:

          Ikefromeli, we will see who’s mojo is stronger. Yours or mine. I can’t wait for China to release those emails.

        • Pocho says:

          Need you be reminded of the Clinton Foundation and the GodZillions free Willy and Crooked Hillary rakes in with speeches?

        • Ikefromeli says:

          My comment was related to the fact he has done nothing towards both public service or governance in the last 70 years–you know the old saw, history is the best indicator of future actions….

        • sarge22 says:

          Breaking news..Home ownership falls to lowest level in 50 years. Good job Barry.

      • Vector says:

        Lespark, you and Trump are descending into madness. I want the FBI, CIA , and Anonymous to hack all of the Trump and Republican emails. Then we will see who is a true American

      • RetiredUSMC says:

        Trump is a serial philanderer , proven liar, bankrupt financially and morally, treasonous and, Sarah Palin did not even show up for his coronation at the GOP Punk Fest!

        • sarge22 says:

          The Punk Fest ends today concluding with a speech by Lying Crooked Rotten Ms Willy Clinton. A person who shares classified emails with Mr Putin.

      • allie says:

        Obama has been, on the whole, a fine president. His high IQ and grace make him a wonderful representative of America. Trump’s sleaze and low intellect scare me.

        • sarge22 says:

          Be very afraid.

        • lespark says:

          At least his babes are knock outs. Not like those bimbos who save Bill’s DNA. Treason?
          Go down to the VA and get some help.

        • lespark says:

          Allie, I’m glad you quantified your comment.
          He’s at about 53% The 47% is troublesome.

        • mxp2000 says:

          Sorry Allie, Mr. Obama will be known as the president who destroyed America. How much more sleazy can that be? Having killers who hate America flown in by the tens of thousands doesn’t scare you?

    • dontbelieveinmyths says:

      Wait a minute Ikefromeli, I thought you liberals didn’t like people of income inequity. I guess it’s okay as long as Bloomberg fits your agenda for the moment.

      • Ikefromeli says:

        Never said I was a liberal, that is a faulty assumption on your part.

      • Vector says:

        We liberals are proud liberals. Our founding fathers were liberals and believed in equality, liberty and justice for all. What have you, Trump and the Tea Party, and Republicans have to offer, except bigotry, fascist propaganda, and divisiveness

    • Cricket_Amos says:

      “thousands of lawsuits”

      If you look at the details, the scope of the business enterprises, and the 30 year time period, it looks a little different.
      Combine this with someone who fights back, and does not allow himself to be taken advantage of.

      “The USA TODAY analysis identified at least 3,500 legal actions involving Trump.
      Among those cases with a clear resolution, Trump’s side was the apparent victor in 451 and the loser in 38.

      In about 500 cases, judges dismissed plaintiffs’ claims against Trump. In hundreds more, cases ended with the available public record unclear about the resolution.

      Close to half the court cases — about 1,600 — involved lawsuits against gamblers who had credit at Trump-connected casinos and failed to pay their debts.

      About 100 additional disputes centered on other issues at the casinos.

      Trump and his enterprises have been named in almost 700 personal-injury claims and about 165 court disputes with government agencies.”

    • allie says:

      agree…Republicans have been playing with fire with Trump. The Party is deeply discredited by this man who is in no way a conservative. He is deeply anti-American and unhinged. This is really scary.

    • lespark says:

      Those two former losers is the founders of ISIS.Panetta is a joke.

    • allie says:

      The thing about Trump is he hates America and exploits white males who he despises. Why on earth are so many pathetic white men following this guy? Makes no sense. Consider your family’s self-interest and security and vote Hillary. It is so obviously in your interest.

  2. biggerdog says:

    Obama worried that if Trump wins he will unravel his 8 years in office?
    Well then… Trump has my vote. How much national security experience did Obama bring to the white House? Zilch.
    How about Reagan? Zilch.
    And we know how Hillary handled her crack at Secretary of State?
    Benghazi? Fail.

  3. Ikefromeli says:

    Bush, earlier National Security Advisor for Pres. Bush)

    “No, look, it’s a unique situation. I think we all see that it’s unique. But my successor, Hillary Clinton, is an extremely talented woman. She is a woman of integrity. She believes in this country deeply. We’ve already had a couple of conversations. I know her from the time she brought her freshman daughter to Stanford for the first time when I was Provost. And she’s going to do this very well.” [Meet the Press, 12/21/08]

    “Former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice said her successor, Hillary Clinton, has done a ‘fine’ job. It’s the overall strategy of the Obama administration, Rice said, that has led the U.S. astray. ‘I think she’s done a fine job. The problem isn’t Hilary Clinton, who’s great,’ Rice told members of Ohio’s delegation to the Republican National Convention. ‘The problem is that we’ve chosen to speak with a muted voice about America’s role in the world. We’ve chosen to try to lead from behind. That’s an oxymoron in my mind.’” [NBCnews.com, 8/12/13]

    Ridge, Tom (Homeland Security Secretary)

    The Hill: Former Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge said he always had “productive’” meetings with Sec. Clinton when he was in the Cabinet. “Ridge also offered some praise for Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, saying he always had ‘productive’ meetings with her when he was in the Cabinet and she was a senator. He said a Bush versus Clinton match-up would be ‘almost a clash of titans,’ leading to a campaign that is ‘tough, rigorous, and hopefully, for the first time in a long time, civil.’” [Ballot Box, The Hill, 2/3/15]

    Daniels, Mitch (former Governor of Indiana and current President of Purdue University)

    Gov. Mitch Daniels: “She is comprehensively experienced and has advantages that some of the other contenders would have to scramble to match in terms of her exposure to the world and… foreign policy.” FORMER GOV. MITCH DANIELS, Republican Indiana: Well both [Governors Scott Walker and Chris Christie] very courageous. Everybody you’ve asked me about so far, the common denominator is these are doers. They didn’t mark time. They’ve attempted, at least as best as I understand it, to tackle the very different problems of their very different states. And that is not a complete portfolio for someone who would be president, but it certainly is a useful attribute and one, of course, that has often been rewarded by the American people. >> MARK HALPERIN: how would Hillary Clinton do by the standards you’ve laid out for what we need in the next president? >> GOV. DANIELS: She is comprehensively experienced and has advantages that some of the other contenders would have to scramble to match in terms of her exposure to the world and many of the tough issues we are facing in foreign policy. >> JOHN HEILEMANN: Do you think she’d be a uniter as well as, in the same way as, you mentioned Jeb Bush governing as a uniter. Do you think Hillary Clinton would be a united? GOV. DAVIELS: One could hope so. I mean it’s a matter of choice really… [Bloomberg’s With All Due Respect, 2/5/15]

    Gov. Mike Huckabee, on Sec. Clinton: “She’s a policy genius.” According to Real Clear Politics, “Huckabee says the environment for him now is very different than it was in 2008 (when he ran) and 2012 (when he thought doing so). He said he has stronger name identification and donors. He recently launched a political action committee. He insisted that he would do a good job showing what the party is for, not what it is against — a criticism of and a challenge for the GOP. Among the other credentials he listed for himself is his familiarity with Hillary Clinton. When asked about the Democrat’s potential run for the White House, Huckabee said no Republican knows her better than he does, given their Arkansas connections. He described her as ‘smart’ and ‘tough,’ and cautioned that she should never be underestimated. ‘She’s a policy genius,’ he said. ‘But I don’t know if she has that same affable charm that her husband does. But then, who does?’” [Real Clear Politics, 9/15/14]

    Kasich, John (Governor of Ohio)

    John Kasich on Hillary Clinton: “I know her. I like her. I’ve worked with her.” BRET BAIER: How do you think Republicans fight a Hillary Clinton nomination? >> GOV. JOHN KASICH: I don’t think you have to run against her. I think you run for what you’re for. I think you create a vision for people that everybody is included. Everyone can rise. And we’ll be personally responsible here. So with Hillary, you know I know her. I like her. I’ve worked with her. They have cameras out following me around places where I go. They think I’m going to make a mistake. And you know, maybe I will. I’m as capable of that as anybody is. >> BAIER: So they have cameras following events? >> GOV. KASICH: Oh yeah. They go out and they got these trackers. BAIER: The Clinton people? GOV. KASICH: It’s called American Bridge. I don’t know who they all are. I like Hillary but look, the bottom line is you need tell people what you’re for. You can say where they have fallen down. But you need to be very clear in the things that you want to do and paint a vision. >> [fox News’ Special Report with Bret Baier, 1/22/15]

    So, why are these Rs not saying the same accolades about Mr. Trump?

    • lespark says:

      Ike, this is 2016. Trump announced June 2015.
      The dates and comments you refer are dated. A lot can happen in even a day. Like emails, private servers, Clinton Foundation, lies, corruption.
      12/21/08
      8/12/13
      2/3/15
      2/5/15
      9/15/14
      1/22/15
      Is this the kind of spin you do when you operate or lecture? God, I hope not.

    • dontbelieveinmyths says:

      Because he is not part of the establishment. I think that is the only thing that makes him attractive to the voters. I see it this way. Clinton gets in, we get the same old politics. Dems vs Repubs. Nothing gets done. They blame each other. Trump gets in, both sides of the aisle has to work to with each other to get things done. Can’t count on Trump to be loyal to either side. I am weary of Trump, but I think it will kick start congress into some real action for the country.

  4. Ikefromeli says:

    Michael Bloomberg, a brand-name billionaire far wealthier than Donald Trump, a famously independent voter who derides both the Democratic and Republican parties, endorsed Hillary Clinton on Wednesday and called Trump a “risky, radical and reckless choice” for president.

    “Let’s elect a sane, competent person,” he said.

    The normally soft-spoken owner of Bloomberg financial-news service excoriated his fellow New Yorker, labeling him a “dangerous demagogue,” a hypocrite, a con, and—slashing at the core of Trump’s self-worth—a horrible businessman.

    “Throughout his career,” Bloomberg said in his prime-time address. “Trump has left behind a well-documented record of bankruptcies and thousands of lawsuits and angry shareholders and contractors who feel cheated and disillusioned customers who feel ripped off. Trump says he wants to run the nation like he’s run his business. God help us!”

    God help us…indeed.

    • lespark says:

      Ike, Mr. Trump will make it happen.
      What difference does it make who we have in the WH as long as it isn’t a Clinton. Nancy said white uneducated people are Republicans. Perfect thing to say.
      Reed is corrupt as the day is long,
      Now you know why nothing gets done in Washington.

    • Hitaxpayer says:

      If the little NY mayor dictator is for Hillary I will never vote for her.

    • Winston says:

      As though Bloomberg’s wealth now makes him some sort of oracle. He has a likeminded following of about three people.

      Politics, ike, is about comparison, a fact you do not acknowledge. Trump, with all his faults has to be compared to his opponent, a corrupt, incompetent without measurable success—and absent of moral character. Tough choice. It’s not clear who would do the least damage.

      • Ikefromeli says:

        Closest thing to an oracle that I have seen. A man that presided over one of the most vibrant cities in the world, made it more successful and safe at the same time. He waived a salary and rode the subway–pretty sure, simp,e things Mr. Trump would never consider.

        When he walked into the mayor’s office 12 years ago, businessman and billionaire Michael Bloomberg took charge of a damaged city. The World Trade Center was a windblown construction site, barely cleared after the attacks on Sept. 11. Tourists were afraid to come to the city; residents were afraid to stay. The budget was a disaster, $3 billion to $5 billion in the red. In a modest speech at an intentionally modest inauguration, Mr. Bloomberg nevertheless pledged to rebuild and renew New York and to keep it “the capital of the free world.”

        When he left office, Mr. Bloomberg has, in many ways, fulfilled his promise. New York is once again a thriving, appealing city where, Mr. Bloomberg boasts, more people are moving in than out. More than 54 million tourists, the most ever, crowded the streets in 2013. The crime rate is down, the transportation system is more efficient, the environment is cleaner. He left a $2.4 billion budget surplus.

        On the plus side, one of his underappreciated accomplishments was to make public service a valued vocation for a new group of urban experts. Despite the occasional mistake, he hired mostly top-notch professionals without political pedigrees, and challenged them to try new ideas.

        With their help, he recaptured mayoral control of the schools, and with it full responsibility for their performance. He rezoned almost half the city, hoping to turn (and in some cases actually turning) industrial deserts into sites for skyscrapers or residential housing — among them Hunter’s Point South, with thousands of new affordable units, in Queens; the Hudson Yards on Manhattan’s West Side (plus a new subway extension to get people there); and the Greenpoint-Williamsburg complex in Brooklyn.

        He created a healthier city, where smokers are now taboo in many public and private spaces, where calorie counts are publicized and where trans fats are forbidden. He opened 800 acres of outdoor space, much of it along the city’s shorelines, expanded bike lanes to cover more than 600 miles and added a fleet of Citi bikes for tourists and commuters. He fought to reduce greenhouse gases, approved a balanced plan to dispose of the city’s enormous waste stream, and, after initially rejecting recycling as too costly, became a strong advocate of it. Using private funds, including his own, he helped create new parks like the High Line and the new greenway on Governors Island. After Hurricane Sandy, he began updating building codes and created a long-range plan to help defend the city against future storms.NYT

        • sarge22 says:

          Great write up so why is he wasting his valuable time attacking Mr Trump? Agree it is extremely difficult to say something positive about Mrs Willy Clinton. He should go to Chicago and put up or shut up.

        • Ikefromeli says:

          Why, because he has an intimate history and relationship with Mr. Trump that spans over 40 years. They are both New Yorkers and businessman. The difference is that Blomberg is actually a successful businessman, not basing his business models on debt financing nor quick schemes to cash out. Moreover, Bloomberg has a storied history in being both a student of public policy and engaged in public governance.

          Here is an example: if Willie Mays says another player is not really a good player, you would believe him–such is Bloombergs critique of Trump. Not only is he a much more successful businessman (by 12-15 fold) his commitment to public service is long and profound.

        • sarge22 says:

          Now for the rest of the story. Would like to hear Mr Trump’s side of the story but he doesn’t have time as he is concentrating on “Making America Great Again” and doesn’t have time for small talk. I guess Bloomy couldn’t think of anything positive to say about Ms Clinton. What would Jackie Robinson say?

  5. nalogirl says:

    The media is intentionally missing is, what difference does it make who released the emails andnow voicemails. Wikileaks didn’t create the emails they just released them. If the DNC was impartial, like they are supposed to be, they wouldn’t be in this situation. Don’t blame the messanger.

    • lespark says:

      You go girl. Like it was Trumps fault. One of many countries including China could have hacked the DNC server. Maybe Crooked gave them her old one. Trump He asked around including Russia if they had it the FBI could use the emails in their investigation. Man, what’s in those emails? She let attorneys getting paid hundreds of dollars an hour go through 33,000 emails with no security clearance? OMG. Extremely careless.

  6. Publicbraddah says:

    So much drama, so little substance from both parties. As an American, I demand to hear details of how they’re going to fix our problems. I don’t want to hear about personal attacks, I want substance from our elected officials.

    • Ikefromeli says:

      Hilary has detailed plans of most of her proposals on her website. The other guy, not a single detail…not a one.

    • lespark says:

      Mr. Public,
      Tomorrow, Hillary is going to tell you what she is going to do that Obama could not accomplish in 8 years.
      If she knew and didn’t let Obama in on her big secret maybe she has nothing.
      Trump said he was going to convince America to bring back jobs, use our natural resources, build our military, restore law and order, fight terror and illegal immigration, none of which the DNC addressed.
      I hope that helps.

  7. Ikefromeli says:

    William Inboden, who served on the NSC during the George W. Bush administration, said Trump’s comments were “tantamount to treason.”

    “Trump’s appeal for a foreign government hostile to the United States to manipulate our electoral process is not an assault on Hillary Clinton, it is an assault on the Constitution,” said Inboden, who now teaches at the University of Texas at Austin.

  8. Ikefromeli says:

    His presence on the podium was also a valedictory for an exceptional man and president who will be remembered for eloquently defending the founding precepts of the country — even as he used those precepts to expand the mandate of inclusiveness and broaden the definition of what it means to be an American.

    From that standpoint, the Obama presidency has been transformative — perhaps even miraculous. But the very idea of a black man in the White House was too much to bear for white supremacists, birthers and the antigovernment militia groups that have only grown more savage over time. The Republican nominee, Donald Trump, traded openly on these impulses, amping up the racism, xenophobia and religious bigotry that have poisoned public discourse in this nation.

    Wednesday night’s beautiful and emotional speech came 12 years after Mr. Obama, then a Senate candidate from Illinois, delivered the keynote address at the Democratic convention in Boston that brought him into the national spotlight. As he did then, Mr. Obama laid out his personal history, the son of a black Kenyan and a white American, and sounded the theme that has been common to his orations ever since: that the progress of American history is toward the creation of one people — “out of many, one.”

    Steadfast optimism about the country’s ability to move past racial division even in times of tragedy and desperation is a constant theme in Mr. Obama’s philosophy. NYT.

    • kekelaward says:

      I didn’t know there was a medical heroin card available in this state.

      • Ikefromeli says:

        Did you realize there is a community college probably close to where you reside–you should take advantage of their intro to political science classes, and probably, basic literacy skills.

        • sarge22 says:

          Mr Trump has trumped the political science graduates. It’s a new ball game and Donald is hitting home runs.

  9. Ikefromeli says:

    “The invitation to Russia to hack a presidential candidate’s email messages is stunning and reckless,” said Matt Olsen, a former director of the National Counterterrorism Center. “To the extent our adversaries take this seriously, it presents a threat to the integrity of our electoral process and our national security. “

    Added George Little, a former Pentagon and CIA spokesman, “This is absolutely a national security issue, and it is yet another vivid example of Trump’s complete lack of foreign policy experience. His campaign’s disturbing coziness with Russia was already a worrying head-scratcher, and this latest episode of recklessness profoundly underscores that very real concern.”

    • Cricket_Amos says:

      “The invitation to Russia to hack a presidential candidate’s email messages is stunning and reckless”

      Like this never occurred to them? or they had refrained because they were waiting for permission?

  10. wrightj says:

    Make America Great Again? – Duh, It’s Already Great.

  11. WizardOfMoa says:

    We taught our children not to speak unkindly of others and to respect their peers, adults and especially the elderly! So what have we here at this national scene of candidates vying for President of our country? Prominent adults threshing the opponents and vise versa. Auwe! You can expect this type of behavior from children, but from our Leaders? Wake me up when this nightmare is over! I wanted to add “Kids”, but at this moment in time , it would seem insulting of my usual endearment toward the Posters here!

  12. opihi123 says:

    Never seen so much craap spewed out. never voting for hillary

  13. kekelaward says:

    Anyone would be boosted standing next to that zero.

  14. wiliki says:

    It continues to be very historic. A black president standing with a woman nominee. Will we ever see that again?

    Yes. When a black president stands with a woman president-elect.

    • Keonigohan says:

      The darkest chapter in American history. Never again I hope.
      Time to take back the America I once knew.
      Trump/Pence will MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN 2016!!!

    • kekelaward says:

      Like a Hawaiian governor in this state after Waihee, it’ll be a long time before we see another Black person as the President.

      Very sad that the dems got a fool and 1di0t who hates America instead of one of the millions of intelligent, educated, experienced, patriotic Black Americans who would have done a great job as the President.

  15. cojef says:

    Lackey for Obama’s failed administrations. 4 more years of discontent in the country with population divided and unable to have a coherent program to fight “Radical Islam”!

  16. Ikefromeli says:

    “I never thought a serious candidate for US President could be a serious threat against the security of the West. But that’s where we are,” Carl Bildt, the former Swedish prime minister, wrote on Twitter.

  17. Maipono says:

    Obama calling America is still great, sounds like he still has work to do, further weakening our defenses, destroying our economic engine, and making the population totally dependent on government and the only way to complete this is to elect HilLIARy Rotten Clinton. Trump has his issues, but you need to ask yourself, are you tired of the corruption in government, then you need to shake it up by voting for Trump.

  18. bsdetection says:

    NY Times conservative columnist Ross Dothan on Obama’s speech: “A speech to make Republican elites feel sickened (as they should be) by what their party has nominated.”

  19. Ikefromeli says:

    What networks would Trump draw upon? His lack of experience in government is important. Government is different. He may renegotiate what he owes his bondholders and his contractors, knowing precisely how much he can cheat them before they are likely to go to court. But governments can’t operate on the same principles, and they can’t be run entirely by people whose background is in hotel marketing or financial legerdemain. Trump will have to find thousands of experienced people to fill appointed positions in the federal government. Unlike a Hillary Clinton or a Jeb Bush, with their carousel-size Rolodexes linked to hundreds of other Rolodexes, he has few or no existing networks to draw on outside his very narrow world of real estate and entertainment.

    The one existing network that would ordinarily be available to a Republican president—the party itself—will find it hard to step up in key areas. Trump’s positions on too many issues are at odds with what the establishment stands for. Take economic policy. Republican arithmetic always offers challenges: combining tax cuts with deficit reductions, without reducing any of the popular government programs, has proved impossible in practice. But Trump’s promises are on a totally different scale, making fiscal conservatives blanch. No economist or corporate executive with mainstream conservative views could sign on with a straight face for any job in the Treasury Department, the Office of Management and Budget, or the Council of Economic Advisors. It would be a betrayal of principles and would tarnish that person in Republican circles for life.

    Trump has torn up other key tenets of Republican orthodoxy. In some cases, he may be speaking only what is common sense, but that in itself may be heretical and make entire categories of federal service impossible to fill for a conventional Republican. Free trade was supposed to make everybody better off. Clearly, large swaths of America know that they are worse off today than they were a third of a century ago. Trade may have been good for the G.D.P., but it wasn’t good for them.

    While this is totally consistent with textbook economics, Republican orthodoxy has denied textbook economics—even opposing assistance for those who have lost their jobs. For a young Republican to sign up to work with Trump in international economics is to cast his lot with a set of ideas that will never be accepted by the Republican establishment.

    Per the Nobel Economist Joseph Stiglitz.

  20. Ikefromeli says:

    What Mr. Trump should have done was to warn President Vladimir Putin of Russia that if he interfered in the election, American political leaders would be united in imposing consequences of some kind on his nation, as the Republican candidate’s vice-presidential running mate, Gov. Mike Pence of Indiana, has suggested.

    That Mr. Trump has not done so reinforces the growing perception that he is ready and willing to pursue policies favored by Mr. Putin, who has made clear his preference for Mr. Trump over Mrs. Clinton. News reports have questioned Mr. Trump’s financial dealings with Russian companies, providing another reason he should release his tax returns, like all recent major party presidential candidates.

    The bizarre affinity for Mr. Putin is just one reason to question Mr. Trump’s judgment. He has endorsed waterboarding, even though it is illegal; he has argued for retaliating against political enemies and journalists; and he has proposed excluding people from America based on their religion. It grows ever harder to imagine that he could honor the high office to which he aspires.

  21. PMINZ says:

    I would not trust HC to Buy TP for my WC

  22. PMINZ says:

    What happened to a Write-in Ballot?

  23. lespark says:

    My my. They are still rioing in Philly. Thunderstorms, Lucifer. God is not happy with this flock. Cleveland? The Sun was shining, the birds were singing. God’grace blessed this flock.

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