Not "so-called;" like him or not he's the president, and pretending otherwise gives us a way to dodge the responsibility to deal with him.

As previously explained, 'so-called' comes directly from his challenging the legitimacy of the first judge who ruled against his Muslim travel ban (Trump referred to him as a 'so-called judge'). The judge in question was a Bush appointee, unanimously confirmed to his seat. Meanwhile, the current occupant of the White House lost the popular vote, and gained electoral victory through nefarious interference of both foreign and domestic players. He claims ultimate executive authority and has no regard for facts or truth, denying both in order to claim a mandate. He is the very antithesis of legitimacy, by several measures. Once again, I stand by my terminology. Obviously he officially holds the office, but denying his legitimacy if anything makes dealing with him all the more urgent.

But those were the rules, so surely he's no less legitimate as any previous winner by those same rules.

The 'rules' don't include interference from foreign governments or the FBI.
Meanwhile, the guy spent nearly eight years challenging the legitimacy of a president who was elected twice by a truly clear popular and electoral majority. He himself denies the rules (remember he was also prepared to challenge the legitimacy of this past election if he lost, and he's even doing it anyway).

Easy, tiger. I'm just talking about the rules. Questioning the legitimacy of the rules when you're losing isn't against the rules. Questioning he legitimacy of the previous winner isn't against the rules. It's all bad form, but it doesn't invalidate legitimacy. Is foreign interference against the rules? I Dunno. But unless there's a mechanism in place to throw out the winner which can't be derailed by his other elected supporters, any rule against it isn't worth much in practice.

Look, I agree that the rules are shite, but none of the previous 'legitimate' winners seems to have wanted to do anything to change them, so those are the rules.

Well if you insist on talking about rules, let's just consider the rules of 'free and fair' elections as we apply them to other countries, where we might for example send monitors. Plus let's consider the standards that we can expect from, say, a developing country with a history of political corruption, as opposed to a developed country that presumes to be the model and gold-standard of 'free and fair'. You're British, right? How would you feel if it was revealed that a foreign power had manipulated inside information in order to get a Brexit result that suited their interests? Would you still consider it a legitimate result?

To me, sanepride uses "so-called" in the same way that the 'President' described the judge. The Pres dished it out so he deserves getting it back.

Right, but to take it further, Judge Robart has far more claim to legitimacy in his position than our so-called president, given both the circumstances of the election and his claim to authority as a result.

You know back in grade school when you were told "two wrongs don't make a right"? It still applies. "They do it too" is not a valid reason.

See also: how the response to Trunp's xenophobic dogwhistle about Jon Stewart was to use a xenophobic dogwhistle against him.

Just to be clear, my use of 'so-called' was inspired by Trump's attack on judge Robart, it's not a response to it. I've simply appropriated the expression to actually challenge his legitimacy. This is the heart of resistance.

It does not claim that he is not the president either as some are sugesting...only that he is not qualified to have the job as should be obvious to anyone...and it is his own words..what better thing to call him. Doesn't disrespect the office...just the man.

I'm not merely questioning his qualifications, which is a whole different matter, but the circumstances by which he attained the office. I'm challenging his very legitimacy in the same vein as Rep. John Lewis. Does this disrespect the office? I'd say the office is diminished by the man currently holding it, and those willing to grant him the ensuing authority. The very presence and acknowledgement of this man in this position disrespects the office. The persistent refusal of the opposition to accept President Obama's legitimacy disrespected the office.

well you are taking it one More step than I am. While there is ample evidence that there was Russian interference There is still no evidence of coordination between Trump and Moscow...although there is a possibility and if that happened he is defiantly illegitimate.



Senate Intelligence Committee Member Suggests FBI Is Sitting on Information on Trump-Russia Ties
At a hearing, Sen. Ron Wyden pushed FBI Director James Comey to release it by Inauguration Day.

There is also some who believe that the FBI had their finger on the scale as well. This wouldn't even need coordination to make him illegitimate.

But I haven't seen enough to call him illegitimate yet, not to say that won't come out...just not yet.

In my view it doesn't matter whether there was any coordination or even knowledge by Trump or his team (things are looking pretty dubious with Flynn though). There's little question that there was manipulation on Trump's behalf. If indeed Trump didn't coordinate it all that does is exonerate him from guilt in election tampering. It doesn't diminish the illegitimacy of his election.

Back in grade school I was also told you needed a hall pass to use the bathroom, but it turns out that in the real world that's rarely the case.

3 lefts make a right. everyone knows this.

I thought that was three wrongs.

You should probably put "so-called" in quotes then but I ain't trip'n 'bout grammar yo.

Nah, I don't think so. It's not sarcasm, it's my political viewpoint, and considering what people seem able to justify these days, I think it's perfectly valid. Nobody's putting claims of millions of illegal voters in quotes, this is deadly serious bullshit. Anyone wants to challenge my usage I'm fine with that, we all have our ways of coping with the current situation.

You know, really, I'm fine with the gloves coming off a bit :)

Trump is something that many liberal (and I use that term very loosely) people can rally and organize around. Hopefully it lays the foundation for a new better America in the future.

Any good that can come out of this fucking mess...

Trump is also someone that people can write angry political songs about. Remember those? If enough disaffected youths figure out that electronic dance music doesn't have to be about dancing, hip-hop doesn't have to be about weed and conspicuous consumption, pop songs don't have to be vapid teenage love songs, etc., and put their pirated copies of Ableton Live to good use, this generation's punk rock equivalent could end up being pretty rad.

I dreamed I saw Al Gore last night.

Last night I had the strangest dream
I've ever had before.
I dreamed the world had all agreed
to listen to Al Gore.

I'm waiting for Millennials to find their voice. They now outnumber Boomers in most of the West. And they are of voting age. Once they realise this then surely we will see some rapid changes.

And yes, this aging punk is really curious as to what the thoughtfully pissed off kids of today might cook up.

Considering your president's persistence in parlaying blatant lies I find your use of the word 'denial' quite ironically amusing.

Honestly, yes it does. I think it's going to come back to bite the republicans a little bit, but frankly I think they are so gerrymandered in, that it won't really matter.

They already have a lockdown on the SCOTUS and the pretty much have the senate locked down. They can just block any democrat president that comes along.

So unless you guys reallllly fuck this up, I think you got this for the foreseeable future minus a couple presidencies were you play defense and the democrats slowly drift right of Ronnie.

At least until the millenial revolution comes and we're all sent to the hipster reeducation camps were we're forced to make artisanal ear gauges where escapes are gunned down by automated poly-gender-turrets.

That's the future you guys are building. That's on you guys.

So I'm supposed to listen to some foreign immigrant who doesn't know the government killed the director of the Moon Landing Hoax way back in '99, so of course he didn't direct Sandy Hook Hoax. Your whole argument falls apart.

Less word and more pictures please.

[W]hile Mr. Obama liked policy option papers that were three to six single-spaced pages, council staff members are now being told to keep papers to a single page, with lots of graphics and maps.

“The president likes maps,” one official said.


When it comes to intelligence briefings, ‘the president likes maps’

bet you 5$ he doesn't know how to read a map.

Thanks for the mirror

Nice executive power you got there...be a shame if something happened to it

Stephen Miller is all up in that uncanny valley. I've seen Real Dolls with more convincing eyes.

Hmmm...where have I seen those eyes?

Can we just have a sticky post at the top of the page proclaiming "Trump is Hitler" every day for the next four years?

Or is it going to be all Godwin all the time.

(Yeah. I thought so.)

I've never once compared our so-called president to Hitler (though if I were inclined to compare him to a fascist dictator, I think Mussolini would be a better fit).

But any political leader who strives toward authoritarianism certainly benefits from suppression of the truth and dissemination of falsehoods and rumors that further his agenda, and to accomplish this a loyal, effective propagandist is essential. No denying that Goebbels was a master of the art, so considering the clumsy, clownish attempts at furthering blatant lies by relative amateurs like Conway or Miller, really I'm paying them a generous compliment. You're welcome.

Hmmm...where have I seen that moustache?

numbers has this one tattooed someplace on their androgynous body.

how about you make a chart giving trump and hitler comparisons on how they ran their platforms and the tenets each was based upon. let's see how many similarities you intentionally don't find.

there, now was that a fun little exercise?

maybe we can try again when you have removed your head from your own ass and your mouth from The Donald's Dick™. (neat trick btw)

Hmmm...where have I seen that salute?