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I Am Interested In Politics

[b][center][big]Kicking Money Out of Politics: Trump Boots Koch Brother from Golf Course[/big][/center][/b]
President-elect Donald Trump told a critical biographer and guest of billionaire David Koch to leave his West Palm Beach golf course on New Year’s Eve, forcing Koch to leave with him.

Trump’s gesture was another slight against the pro-amnesty, pro-“free trade” billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch, who opposed Trump during the Republican primary season and refused to help him during the general election. [b][i]It also signals Trump will not necessarily play nice with the GOP political establishment and Beltway right.[/i][/b] [c=#003BB2][b]Hooray!!! Dismantle the political establishment[/b][/c]

The Kochs swooped in during the Tea Party revolt in 2010, training amateur political activists and trying to channel populist energy against the Obama administration into supporting the progressive-business alliance that wanted more cheap labor and lesser sentences for drug traffickers, under the umbrella term of “smaller government.”

But the “grassroots army… was not controllable,” as one former Koch staffer lamented, and the Kochs appeared curiously unwilling to make any concessions to Americans who wanted populist, nationalist policies, and relief from the relentlessly eroding forces of mass immigration and globalization. A majority of voters— some of whom saw more demographic change take place in their communities than many countries saw in a millennia—want immigration slashed in half or reduced to zero. Trump captured that energy and it propelled him to the White House, much to the Kochs’ and their network’s chagrin.

The Kochs wanted candidates amenable to their will, and Trump didn’t fit the bill. They considered him a distraction before he rocketed to first in the polls, and even toyed with the idea of spending tens of millions of dollars to attack him.

Trump mocked the Kochs while on the campaign trail, calling their preferred candidates “puppets” enacting their donors’ agenda

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Northwest · M

Do you really think this behavior is appropriate, for a President Elect. Along with his New Year tweet, where he mentions his "enemies"?

Isn't it time he starts acting, like he's the President for all Americans? His approval rating, coming into the Presidency, is below 42%. This is unprecedented, as it's one of the lowest (if not the lowest), among incoming Presidents.

If he, and his supporters, continue to play partisan games, trying to vilify the opposition, his Presidency is going to descend quickly, into grid lock, with the country divided.

He won. He does not need to continue campaigning, or Tweeting tabloid stories.

Goralski · 51-55, M

D tweets are working like magic. .did ya notice how the republicans back tracked on their ethics reforms or how ford is building a billion dollar auto plant in Michigan instead of Mexico. ...Fuck the main stream news and d koch brothers

Northwest · M

@Goralski: You may notice that the Ford story has a lot more to it. Read the full text of the Ford CEO speech.

Goralski · 51-55, M

@Northwest: I just remembered it is an 700 million facility not billion sorry. ....I dont remember Obama calling out no CEO to keep the jobs in d USA

Northwest · M

@Goralski: The point I was making, is that Ford's decision is related to how its business is evolving. The plant in Mexico, was supposed to build the Ford Focus. Ford's new data, indicates that the Focus is not going to be in as much demand, as they thought, as consumers are switching to bigger cars (cheaper gas now, and anticipated cheaper gas).

So, they decided that they will now build the Focus in an existing plant, in Hermosillo, Mexico, and expand the existing facilities in the US, to meet expected demand for bigger cars. In the meanwhile, Ford will get PR brownie points, for "shifting jobs to the US", which is not really what happened.

If President Obama is not as loud as President Elect trump, it does not mean that his administration, was not working with the auto industry. The bailout of the auto industry, at the beginning of his term is an example.

Ford, GM and others, will do what's good for their shareholders, when it comes down to it.

Goralski · 51-55, M

@Northwest: the car manufacturing bailout did more good than bad in the long run even though I despise bailouts ill give you that

Northwest · M

@Goralski: Generally speaking, I am against bailouts as well. In this case though, had Detroit not been bailed out, we would not have an auto industry today. The US auto industry, blackmailed us into buying American, on emotional basis.

The correct answer was: build better cars. I submitted to this emotional blackmail, until I got a brand new Suburban, only to have it go back to the shop for misaligned cargo doors. This was clear to anyone who opens the doors and tries to close them! I went German and Japanese after that.

In tandem, the UAW, was getting out of control. The bailout came with reduced UAW, something on one advertised and was done behind the scenes. It worked. The GM cars, I play around with (for technology add-on purposes), pre-production, are just as good as European cars, that cost twice as much.

Bottom line, is that the Ford move, did not really come as a result of Trump pressure, but rather business reasons. So, both Trump and Ford are taking the opportunity to get PR mileage out of it, but it does NOT solve the underlying problem.

I am not being political. I like seeing GM and Ford produce in the US, but they're also coming up against tough competition form Japanese and Korean auto makers. For these companies, the US market is not large enough to keep them afloat financially, so to sell internationally, they have to abide by rules of business fairness. Mexican cars are not the problem, it's Korean and Japanese (setting aside the German cars, because it's a luxury market).

Goralski · 51-55, M

Its kinda funny d only pick up made in America is an Toyota. ..go figure. ...NAFTA Fucked US manufacturing like nobody's business im glad at least trump is paying it some lip service one thing I am for is tariffs

Northwest · M

@Goralski: I don't know what you classify as made in America, but the Ford F-150, Chevy Colorado, GMC Canyon, The RAM 1500, Checy Silverado, to name but a few.

Both Nissan and Toyota, have made in America pick up trucks.