Donald Trump caught on hot mic bragging about sexually assaulting women

[Iosif]

Laura Ingraham is not taking this well.

https://twitter.com/IngrahamAngle

[BlueSwan]

This is really interesting to me. As I wrote in my first response, I didn't think this would hurt him much. I will also maintain that we haven't actually seen any polls yet, just media hysteria.

But I want to elaborate on my initial post. How is some "locker room" talk in any way worse than the despicable things that Trump has said in the past about muslims, mexicans, etc? How is this worse than Trump clearly demonstrating that he does not understand foreign policy? How is this worse than Trump wanting to "take the oil" from Iraq and clearly not understanding the dangers of starting a nuclear war? How is this worse than Trump claiming that global warming is a hoax perpetrated by the chinese?

It has been painfully clear to anyone with half a brain (sorry, Seriously) that Trump is historically and uniquely unqualified to be president. That the idea of a Trump presidency threatens western civilization itself. That any decent person has a moral obligation to vote against Trump.

In that context, a clip of him talking locker room sh*t seems very "meh". Who on earth is truly surprised by this? Trump has been married three times and has had affairs. Trump has cultivated a playboy image. He has appeared in soft porn movies. He has said offensive things about women numerous times.

Sure, if this can get some of the people who have been in denial about Trump to realize what kind of a person he is, then I'll take it. I just seriously doubt how many of those people are actually out there. I have a hard time imagining his supporters actually abandoning him over this. All that we have seen so far is elected republicans who have images and careers to look after, that have critized him.

Don't get me wrong. I hope with all of my heart that this finally sinks him, but I want to see very solid polling data confirming that before I even start getting my hopes up.


EDIT: I should also add that I don't personally find this kind of trash talk all that offensive. I wouldn't talk like that myself, but I have certainly heard talk like this from people I have encountered - and have generally not taken it very seriously. If this had been Obama caught on that tape, it would not have meant that I wouldn't support him.

[Fusionmunster]

This is really interesting to me. As I wrote in my first response, I didn't think this would hurt him much. I will also maintain that we haven't actually seen any polls yet, just media hysteria.

But I want to elaborate on my initial post. How is some "locker room" talk in any way worse than the despicable things that Trump has said in the past about muslims, mexicans, etc? How is this worse than Trump clearly demonstrating that he does not understand foreign policy? How is this worse than Trump wanting to "take the oil" from Iraq and clearly not understanding the dangers of starting a nuclear war? How is this worse than Trump claiming that global warming is a hoax perpetrated by the chinese?

It has been painfully clear to anyone with half a brain (sorry, Seriously) that Trump is historically and uniquely unqualified to be president. That the idea of a Trump presidency threatens western civilization itself. That any decent person has a moral obligation to vote against Trump.

In that context, a clip of him talking locker room sh*t seems very "meh". Who on earth is truly surprised by this? Trump has been married three times and has had affairs. Trump has cultivated a playboy image. He has appeared in soft porn movies. He has said offensive things about women numerous times.

Sure, if this can get some of the people who have been in denial about Trump to realize what kind of a person he is, then I'll take it. I just seriously doubt how many of those people are actually out there. I have a hard time imagining his supporters actually abandoning him over this. All that we have seen so far is elected republicans who have images and careers to look after, that have critized him.

Don't get me wrong. I hope with all of my heart that this finally sinks him, but I want to see very solid polling data confirming that before I even start getting my hopes up.

Trump could claim to be forgoing political correctness when he was making comments against immigrants and Muslims. However there's no defense for a 70-year-old to make about forcing himself on women. NOT A ONE. He just looks like a disgusting pervert.

[eric82oslo]

This is really interesting to me. As I wrote in my first response, I didn't think this would hurt him much. I will also maintain that we haven't actually seen any polls yet, just media hysteria.

But I want to elaborate on my initial post. How is some "locker room" talk in any way worse than the despicable things that Trump has said in the past about muslims, mexicans, etc? How is this worse than Trump clearly demonstrating that he does not understand foreign policy? How is this worse than Trump wanting to "take the oil" from Iraq and clearly not understanding the dangers of starting a nuclear war? How is this worse than Trump claiming that global warming is a hoax perpetrated by the chinese?

It has been painfully clear to anyone with half a brain (sorry, Seriously) that Trump is historically and uniquely unqualified to be president. That the idea of a Trump presidency threatens western civilization itself. That any decent person has a moral obligation to vote against Trump.

In that context, a clip of him talking locker room sh*t seems very "meh". Who on earth is truly surprised by this? Trump has been married three times and has had affairs. Trump has cultivated a playboy image. He has appeared in soft porn movies. He has said offensive things about women numerous times.

Sure, if this can get some of the people who have been in denial about Trump to realize what kind of a person he is, then I'll take it. I just seriously doubt how many of those people are actually out there. I have a hard time imagining his supporters actually abandoning him over this. All that we have seen so far is elected republicans who have images and careers to look after, that have critized him.

Don't get me wrong. I hope with all of my heart that this finally sinks him, but I want to see very solid polling data confirming that before I even start getting my hopes up.


EDIT: I should also add that I don't personally find this kind of trash talk all that offensive. I wouldn't talk like that myself, but I have certainly heard talk like this from people I have encountered - and have generally not taken it very seriously. If this had been Obama caught on that tape, it would not have meant that I wouldn't support him.

This is personal, that's what's different. It's not your ludicrous policy positions that get you, it's the personal stuff. That's why the 47% comment sank Romney, because it informed all you wanted to know about Romney's character traits (although the past 4 years have shown us that Romney is actually a much more decent person than the 47% comment let us believe). USA might be getting a lot less religious than it once was, yet it's still at the 1980s levels of religiousity compared to Western Europe, perhaps you would even have to go further back than that. All this crude, unfiltered talk of his about women will seriously hurt him with his core support of voters, namely the die-hard evangelicals who reads the bible twice a day. How in their right minds will they be able to defend him anymore, once he has publically admitted that he would love to rape women if he could?

[Mallow]

This is really interesting to me. As I wrote in my first response, I didn't think this would hurt him much. I will also maintain that we haven't actually seen any polls yet, just media hysteria.

But I want to elaborate on my initial post. How is some "locker room" talk in any way worse than the despicable things that Trump has said in the past about muslims, mexicans, etc? How is this worse than Trump clearly demonstrating that he does not understand foreign policy? How is this worse than Trump wanting to "take the oil" from Iraq and clearly not understanding the dangers of starting a nuclear war? How is this worse than Trump claiming that global warming is a hoax perpetrated by the chinese?

It has been painfully clear to anyone with half a brain (sorry, Seriously) that Trump is historically and uniquely unqualified to be president. That the idea of a Trump presidency threatens western civilization itself. That any decent person has a moral obligation to vote against Trump.

In that context, a clip of him talking locker room sh*t seems very "meh". Who on earth is truly surprised by this? Trump has been married three times and has had affairs. Trump has cultivated a playboy image. He has appeared in soft porn movies. He has said offensive things about women numerous times.

Sure, if this can get some of the people who have been in denial about Trump to realize what kind of a person he is, then I'll take it. I just seriously doubt how many of those people are actually out there. I have a hard time imagining his supporters actually abandoning him over this. All that we have seen so far is elected republicans who have images and careers to look after, that have critized him.

Don't get me wrong. I hope with all of my heart that this finally sinks him, but I want to see very solid polling data confirming that before I even start getting my hopes up.

It's a matter of plausible deniability amongst the Republican leadership. Before this surfaced, they could at least pretend Trump was just a "tell it like it is," anti-PC kind of guy. With this clip, there is zero denying his disgusting, misogynistic personality. It confirms those things most people already suspected, but many Republican leaders were still able to "plausibly" deny before now.

[Rules for me, but not for thee]

http://i.imgur.com/k2Xz9Az.gifv

[BoAtlantis]

This is really interesting to me. As I wrote in my first response, I didn't think this would hurt him much. I will also maintain that we haven't actually seen any polls yet, just media hysteria.

But I want to elaborate on my initial post. How is some "locker room" talk in any way worse than the despicable things that Trump has said in the past about muslims, mexicans, etc? How is this worse than Trump clearly demonstrating that he does not understand foreign policy? How is this worse than Trump wanting to "take the oil" from Iraq and clearly not understanding the dangers of starting a nuclear war? How is this worse than Trump claiming that global warming is a hoax perpetrated by the chinese?

It has been painfully clear to anyone with half a brain (sorry, Seriously) that Trump is historically and uniquely unqualified to be president. That the idea of a Trump presidency threatens western civilization itself. That any decent person has a moral obligation to vote against Trump.

In that context, a clip of him talking locker room sh*t seems very "meh". Who on earth is truly surprised by this? Trump has been married three times and has had affairs. Trump has cultivated a playboy image. He has appeared in soft porn movies. He has said offensive things about women numerous times.

Sure, if this can get some of the people who have been in denial about Trump to realize what kind of a person he is, then I'll take it. I just seriously doubt how many of those people are actually out there. I have a hard time imagining his supporters actually abandoning him over this. All that we have seen so far is elected republicans who have images and careers to look after, that have critized him.

Don't get me wrong. I hope with all of my heart that this finally sinks him, but I want to see very solid polling data confirming that before I even start getting my hopes up.


EDIT: I should also add that I don't personally find this kind of trash talk all that offensive. I wouldn't talk like that myself, but I have certainly heard talk like this from people I have encountered - and have generally not taken it very seriously. If this had been Obama caught on that tape, it would not have meant that I wouldn't support him.

This largely sums up my reaction as well. The behavior he portrays was defined a long time ago. Most undecided voters are already conscious of who he is. I am very skeptical that there are more than a miniscule # of people that were at the cliff of voting for him and use the video clip as an excuse to not vote for him.

It's time to stop celebrating early by the presumption that this will sink him because his voters are here to stay for a long time and will persist whether he wins or loses the election.

[Mallow]

EDIT: I should also add that I don't personally find this kind of trash talk all that offensive. I wouldn't talk like that myself, but I have certainly heard talk like this from people I have encountered - and have generally not taken it very seriously. If this had been Obama caught on that tape, it would not have meant that I wouldn't support him.

My god, I'm glad I don't hang around the same circles you do...

I can honestly say I've never heard discussions like that and honestly thought "that's nothing, those could still be good people." If Obama had said those kinds of things as a married adult, I would NOT support him anymore. Misogyny should not be acceptable or mainstream.

[BlueSwan]

I get the point about the evangelics, but aren't those people already massive hypocrites for even entertaining the idea of voting for an immoral character like Trump?

[BlueSwan]

EDIT: I should also add that I don't personally find this kind of trash talk all that offensive. I wouldn't talk like that myself, but I have certainly heard talk like this from people I have encountered - and have generally not taken it very seriously. If this had been Obama caught on that tape, it would not have meant that I wouldn't support him.

My god, I'm glad I don't hang around the same circles you do...

I can honestly say I've never heard discussions like that and honestly thought "that's nothing, those could still be good people." If Obama had said those kinds of things as a married adult, I would NOT support him anymore. Misogyny should not be acceptable or mainstream.

Well, I'll give you that I haven't heard it from 60 year olds. But yeah, I have heard somewhat comparable stuff from young guys and I have basically interpreted it as mere braggadocio not to be taken very seriously.

[BlueSwan]

Let's be clear: If I ACTUALLY thought that people were going around grabbing strange women in the crotch, then yes, that would be extremely offensive. I seriously doubt that Trump has actually done that. Even Trump.

[Mallow]

EDIT: I should also add that I don't personally find this kind of trash talk all that offensive. I wouldn't talk like that myself, but I have certainly heard talk like this from people I have encountered - and have generally not taken it very seriously. If this had been Obama caught on that tape, it would not have meant that I wouldn't support him.

My god, I'm glad I don't hang around the same circles you do...

I can honestly say I've never heard discussions like that and honestly thought "that's nothing, those could still be good people." If Obama had said those kinds of things as a married adult, I would NOT support him anymore. Misogyny should not be acceptable or mainstream.

Well, I'll give you that I haven't heard it from 60 year olds. But yeah, I have heard somewhat comparable stuff from young guys and I have basically interpreted it as mere braggadocio not to be taken very seriously.

If Trump's tape was from when he was 18 or something, it would still be abhorrent (most guys aren't even that misogynistic as teenagers), but would at least be defensible ("it was a phase, and I grew out of it"). A married, mature man should not be engaging in that kind of misogynistic bravado. There are some who do, but that doesn't make it acceptable, and it certainly disqualifies a person from leading a country in which more than 50% of the population are women.

[Fargobison]

I get the point about the evangelics, but aren't those people already massive hypocrites for even entertaining the idea of voting for an immoral character like Trump?

If they support Trump then they are no better then those on the left who they rip for blindly supporting Dems.

[Devout Centrist]

Let's be clear: If I ACTUALLY thought that people were going around grabbing strange women in the crotch, then yes, that would be extremely offensive. I seriously doubt that Trump has actually done that. Even Trump.

He incriminated himself. Are you not inclined to believe him?

[BlueSwan]

EDIT: I should also add that I don't personally find this kind of trash talk all that offensive. I wouldn't talk like that myself, but I have certainly heard talk like this from people I have encountered - and have generally not taken it very seriously. If this had been Obama caught on that tape, it would not have meant that I wouldn't support him.

My god, I'm glad I don't hang around the same circles you do...

I can honestly say I've never heard discussions like that and honestly thought "that's nothing, those could still be good people." If Obama had said those kinds of things as a married adult, I would NOT support him anymore. Misogyny should not be acceptable or mainstream.

Well, I'll give you that I haven't heard it from 60 year olds. But yeah, I have heard somewhat comparable stuff from young guys and I have basically interpreted it as mere braggadocio not to be taken very seriously.

If Trump's tape was from when he was 18 or something, it would still be abhorrent (most guys aren't even that misogynistic as teenagers), but would at least be defensible ("it was a phase, and I grew out of it"). A married, mature man should not be engaging in that kind of misogynistic bravado. There are some who do, but that doesn't make it acceptable, and it certainly disqualifies a person from leading a country in which more than 50% of the population are women.

Well, I hope that you are right. I just played the clip to my wife and she was disgusted by it - but again, she was already freaked out by Trump, just like you and I.

[BlueSwan]

Let's be clear: If I ACTUALLY thought that people were going around grabbing strange women in the crotch, then yes, that would be extremely offensive. I seriously doubt that Trump has actually done that. Even Trump.

He incriminated himself. Are you not inclined to believe him?

No, I don't believe that part of it. Trump constantly brags and lies anyway. If he goes and around and does that, wouldn't we likely have heard more about it?

[heatcharger]

Trump tweets:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Yeah, you could say that...

[dspNY]

Gabriel Sherman: Emergency meeting at Trump Tower with Giuliani, Gingrich and Sessions. Sessions arguing that Trump should quit

https://twitter.com/gabrielsherman/status/784764563170422784

[riceowl]

WHERE IS KELLYANNE

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

Gabriel Sherman: Emergency meeting at Trump Tower with Giuliani, Gingrich and Sessions. Sessions arguing that Trump should quit

https://twitter.com/gabrielsherman/status/784764563170422784

A wise man once said, "If I've lost Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III, I've lost Middle America."

[eric82oslo]

Gabriel Sherman: Emergency meeting at Trump Tower with Giuliani, Gingrich and Sessions. Sessions arguing that Trump should quit

https://twitter.com/gabrielsherman/status/784764563170422784

I just want to see Giuliani scream again. It's always so enjoyable to hear Giuliani scream at his full lungs' capacity. The only person more insane in the US than Trump is in fact Giuliani. What an utterly enjoyable man.

[eric82oslo]

Gabriel Sherman: Emergency meeting at Trump Tower with Giuliani, Gingrich and Sessions. Sessions arguing that Trump should quit

https://twitter.com/gabrielsherman/status/784764563170422784

A wise man once said, "If I've lost Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III, I've lost Middle America."

That's actually an ancient Russian saying. Just ask Mike Pence.

[Fuzzy Bear]

Okay, I take back what I said about Clinton not having a shot at winning Texas.

He's probably going to do a Jimmy Swaggart--just to keep his floor.  Otherwise, all that's left are the deplorables.

This is a bigoted statement, unless you're OK with a double standard.  Bigoted, in all likelihood toward Conservative Christians and much of the white working class.  Perhaps that's OK on Atlas; I doubt it's any more OK with God than Trump's conduct.  Or Bill's.  Or Hillary's.    

Millions of decent, moral, hard-working Americans are going to vote for Donald Trump.  They will, I'm sure, be conflicted.  I'm most conflicted, and I'm not going to defend Trump's conduct.  But I'm not going to defend Hillary's behavior toward Juanita Broaddrick and Kathleen Willey; it was no less reprehensible, even if it was done antiseptically with good manners and clean language.  It was the active discrediting of victims alleging sexual misconduct by a Governor and a President, and that FACT cries out for attention in this "character" debate.

I'm not thrilled by the choice between a candidate whose lack of self-control on a personal level amazes me and a candidate who, in all likelihood, has received grace for the commission of a felony AND who has abused alleged victims of sexual misconduct for the preservation of her own career.  I am an undecided voter at this point.  I may well vote for Gary Johnson, and if I vote for Trump, I will do so only in the privacy of the voting booth.  I won't defend his conduct, and, in all honesty, I am amazed that he can't control his own Twitter account better than he does.

But I will call out the double standard.  A crude, locker room comment about women made years ago by a married man, caught on camera, is not what I expect in a President.  This, vs. a woman who trashed alleged victims of sexual misconduct, lied about her e-mails (a matter of law) to the point where it is arguable that her actions rose to the level of a criminal charge, for which she's been given grace.  I don't espct that from a President, either.  I get it why people call out conservative Christians supporting someone like Trump simply because, reprehensible comments or not, he lines up with them on issues more than Hillary.  They have a point.  But it is NOT a false equivalence to compare this to the Feminist Left and Secular Liberals who support Hillary for acting in a reprehensible way toward sexual misconduct victims when their allegations impacted not just the alleged perpetrator (Bill), but her, as well.  (If Juanita Broaddrick had been victimized by Trump and my wife had gone out and perpetuated a "nuts and sluts" disinformation campaign, would she be "deplorable"?)

If the election were about who's the best person, I'd be voting for Gary Johnson.  It's about more than that.  It's about what they're going to do.  And unless there's some kind of Texas End-Around Play in the Electoral College, it's going to be Hillary or Donald.  For different reasons, I don't like either outcome.

[riceowl]

Okay, I take back what I said about Clinton not having a shot at winning Texas.

He's probably going to do a Jimmy Swaggart--just to keep his floor.  Otherwise, all that's left are the deplorables.

I get it why people call out conservative Christians supporting someone like Trump simply because, reprehensible comments or not, he lines up with them on issues more than Hillary.  They have a point.

Um, how?  I think the biggest problem for me this election has been evangelical support of Trump. And the only reason I can think of is abortion, and even that is fairly crazy because 1) what has he said about abortion, and 2) abortion rates have gone down under the baby-killing Comrade Obama.

What Christian values are evangelicals using to vote for Trump, and why aren't they voting for the Democratic ticket?  Especially given that the latter definitely seems to be the more "family values" ticket this year? 

[Skye]

This kills the Trump.