[hawkice]

I've read this so many times I am starting to think this makes sense to the people saying it: "Trump may be [insert whatever], and [policy X] is ridiculous, and [statement Y] went over the line. But [X] won't ever happen, so I don't have to worry about it."

Don't get me wrong, using policy and public statements to judge fitness for public office isn't perfect, but it seems in this case we are substituting policy and public statement with something that has little or no relationship with executing a complex and demanding job.

[MicroBerto]

You act like his entire life hasn't been "executing a complex and demanding job"? Running a small business is hard enough, I can't even imagine running an empire.

Trump has been one step ahead of every last person this entire election cycle. It's been fascinating to watch and I'm done doubting him, underestimating him, or second-guessing why he does or says anything. Now I'm simply at the point where I'm just trying to learn from it, because there are lessons for any business owner or public figure inside.

In fact, if he were to win, I'm not even convinced [X] "won't happen".

[mikeash]

It doesn't have to be hard to run an empire badly.

A shell script that just repeats "Sell all assets and invest in SPY" would outperform Trump at running his empire, and it would have the side bonus of not being a crazy asshole.

[MicroBerto]

How many people have you hired in your life?

[mikeash]

How is that remotely relevant?

[MicroBerto]

Clearly it's easy, right?

If you've never give through the experience of hiring good people, you have absolutely no clue how difficult it is.

So convenient to drive from the back seat though, yeah? I never said Trump was "right". I said he's been a step ahead every time, which he has.

But it's easy to trivialize things and call him an asshole because it fits your narrative.

Walk a mile in those shoes and then tell me how simple it is. You have no clue. Empires are not built from shell scripts. If only it were that easy.

[mikeash]

I'm sure it's hard to do well. My point is that Trump hasn't done well. The fact that he built a not particularly successful business empire with inherited money doesn't say much about his skills or smarts.

Hiring good people is hard, for sure. Has Trump ever done it?

[over]

Being a crazy asshole is Trump's strongest suit. Hatred is a powerful motivator.

[coliveira]

If what you're trying to learn is how to manipulate people, then I agree, he is a master. There is a name for this type of people, they're called con men. Trump is a sales person. He has trained himself to sell anything, and he is just selling a quick solution for people that feel disenfranchise by the current political system.

[MicroBerto]

He is selling exactly what a serious amount of people in this country want. If you don't know that then you don't understand America. Go work in a factory for a year.

[danenania]

What a serious amount of uneducated racist people want.

This has been tried before a number of times in history. It doesn't end well, for the working class or anyone else.

[MicroBerto]

> uneducated racist people

You sorely overestimate anyone's intentions. Nearly all Trump types simply want productive jobs and to be left alone. I know this because I've worked in factories with them (non-Union).

If it's racist to not want to send my job to China, then you really need to check the definition of racism.

And why is it that so many legal immigrants are pro-Trump? Hmmm.....

[coliveira]

Should we try to read intentions beyond what he is literally saying? The defense of Trump is solely based on the idea that he doesn't mean what he says. But this is tantamount to say that he is a liar. If that is the case, how can someone ever trust him? If you need to build on fear and lies to be elected, it is anyone's guess what might be the result.

[coliveira]

Except that he cannot provide it. Most of his proposals would require to overturn centuries of laws and other American traditions. Promising that is akin to trying to sell the statue of liberty.

[MicroBerto]

Building a border? Forcing existing immigration laws to be upheld?

[coliveira]

I mean simple things like deporting 11 million people, killing families of terrorists, legalizing torture, and closing the US to China imports, just for starters.