7 ms·

Politically, bringing back Snowden brings back the issue, Obama/Biden era big government spying program Prism. Trump: Remember everyone, Biden used to spy on y

Politically, bringing back Snowden brings back the issue, Obama/Biden era big government spying program Prism. Trump: Remember everyone, Biden used to spy on you. This is similar to when he did a press conference with all of Bill Clinton’s accusers. Just a means to an end for Trump.

gringoDan 6y ago
If this is the case, not a bad strategy for Trump. In general, I assume that any move by a politician is made entirely out of self-interest.
- runawaybottle 6y ago
  Yeah I mean, if he pardons before the debates, suddenly that takes up a debate topic slot. All he has to do is directly ask Biden, ‘You don’t think Snowden did the right thing by exposing your administration’s surveillance program?’. It’s such an easy win, and will take mindshare away from other issues (coronavirus response, police reform, Medicare/social security cuts). Add a TikTok ban in there and take up another debate slot, fill it in with all the anti China stuff. There are things he can do to set the stage for sure.
  - tlear 6y ago
    I think there is almost zero chance that Biden will debate him. If he does pardoning Snowden and making that into an issue is a brilliant move. That will sting hard.
    - monocasa 6y ago
      There's no way there won't be several debates.
    - eagsalazar2 6y ago
      Biden already accepted invitations to the debates, last I read Trump had not.
      - refurb 6y ago
        Huh? Biden agreed to 3 debates and Trump asked for a 4th which Biden declined.[1] [1]https://www.wsj.com/articles/joe-biden-rejects-trumps-push-for-more-debates-11592860503 https://www.wsj.com/articles/joe-biden-rejects-trumps-push-f...
        eagsalazar2 6y ago
        Not sure honestly and I can't read that article (paywall). I recently (just a few days ago) read official acceptance of the debate committee schedule had only been completed by Biden campaign. So maybe Trump proposed 4 but then hasn't accepted the actual invite yet?
        refurb 6y ago
        Maybe. Article doesn't state he's accepted any invites.
    - stjohnswarts 6y ago
      The prez candidate who refuses to debate will lose several percentage points in the election, so that's not going to happen, they have to debate at least once. Trump will debate Biden.
- padmadevu 6y ago
  one desicion should be taken with entirely self interest!!! https://devu.in/devops-certification-training-in-bangalore/ https://devu.in/devops-certification-training-in-bangalore/
smt88 6y ago
Politically, he just says insane things that get headlines, which distract from the real news: Covid killing hundreds of thousands under his care, dismantling of the Post Office, and other highly unpopular consequences of his presidency.
- ekianjo 6y ago
  > which distract from the real news: Covid killing hundreds of thousands under his care, Nevermind that in the states the main actors responsible in times of health crises are the local State authorities not the Federal ones. Your 'under his care' is terribly loaded.
  - smt88 6y ago
    He has control over the FDA, which bungled the early response. He also controls the CDC and has appointed many inexperienced donors to important positions (many of my friends work there, and whistleblowers have come forward). He is also influential among a large group of Americans, as is any president. He called for Obama to resign after a single case of ebola[1] in the US. Clearly he agrees with me that the president has an effect in fighting infectious disease. 1.https://www.axios.com/trump-obama-resign-787b042d-0361-48f1-bba5-c97b05837331.html https://www.axios.com/trump-obama-resign-787b042d-0361-48f1-...
    - ekianjo 6y ago
      > He has control over the FDA, which bungled the early response. He also controls the CDC and has appointed many inexperienced donors to important positions (many of my friends work there, and whistleblowers have come forward). Yet this has nothing to do with the fact that whether to go into lock-down or not and what kind of measures to take are taken by State actors, not the federal government. We can see that right now with the debate on school opening: the Federal government has no power. I am not sure where you think that States play almost no role, the USA is one of the countries where the local States have the most power compared to any other Western democracy out there.
- listenallyall 6y ago

gringoDan 6y ago

If this is the case, not a bad strategy for Trump. In general, I assume that any move by a politician is made entirely out of self-interest.

runawaybottle 6y ago
Yeah I mean, if he pardons before the debates, suddenly that takes up a debate topic slot. All he has to do is directly ask Biden, ‘You don’t think Snowden did the right thing by exposing your administration’s surveillance program?’. It’s such an easy win, and will take mindshare away from other issues (coronavirus response, police reform, Medicare/social security cuts). Add a TikTok ban in there and take up another debate slot, fill it in with all the anti China stuff. There are things he can do to set the stage for sure.
- tlear 6y ago
  I think there is almost zero chance that Biden will debate him. If he does pardoning Snowden and making that into an issue is a brilliant move. That will sting hard.
  - monocasa 6y ago
    There's no way there won't be several debates.
  - eagsalazar2 6y ago
    Biden already accepted invitations to the debates, last I read Trump had not.
    - refurb 6y ago
      Huh? Biden agreed to 3 debates and Trump asked for a 4th which Biden declined.[1] [1]https://www.wsj.com/articles/joe-biden-rejects-trumps-push-for-more-debates-11592860503 https://www.wsj.com/articles/joe-biden-rejects-trumps-push-f...
      - eagsalazar2 6y ago
        Not sure honestly and I can't read that article (paywall). I recently (just a few days ago) read official acceptance of the debate committee schedule had only been completed by Biden campaign. So maybe Trump proposed 4 but then hasn't accepted the actual invite yet?
        refurb 6y ago
        Maybe. Article doesn't state he's accepted any invites.
  - stjohnswarts 6y ago
    The prez candidate who refuses to debate will lose several percentage points in the election, so that's not going to happen, they have to debate at least once. Trump will debate Biden.
padmadevu 6y ago
one desicion should be taken with entirely self interest!!! https://devu.in/devops-certification-training-in-bangalore/ https://devu.in/devops-certification-training-in-bangalore/

smt88 6y ago

Politically, he just says insane things that get headlines, which distract from the real news: Covid killing hundreds of thousands under his care, dismantling of the Post Office, and other highly unpopular consequences of his presidency.

ekianjo 6y ago
> which distract from the real news: Covid killing hundreds of thousands under his care, Nevermind that in the states the main actors responsible in times of health crises are the local State authorities not the Federal ones. Your 'under his care' is terribly loaded.
- smt88 6y ago
  He has control over the FDA, which bungled the early response. He also controls the CDC and has appointed many inexperienced donors to important positions (many of my friends work there, and whistleblowers have come forward). He is also influential among a large group of Americans, as is any president. He called for Obama to resign after a single case of ebola[1] in the US. Clearly he agrees with me that the president has an effect in fighting infectious disease. 1.https://www.axios.com/trump-obama-resign-787b042d-0361-48f1-bba5-c97b05837331.html https://www.axios.com/trump-obama-resign-787b042d-0361-48f1-...
  - ekianjo 6y ago
    > He has control over the FDA, which bungled the early response. He also controls the CDC and has appointed many inexperienced donors to important positions (many of my friends work there, and whistleblowers have come forward). Yet this has nothing to do with the fact that whether to go into lock-down or not and what kind of measures to take are taken by State actors, not the federal government. We can see that right now with the debate on school opening: the Federal government has no power. I am not sure where you think that States play almost no role, the USA is one of the countries where the local States have the most power compared to any other Western democracy out there.
listenallyall 6y ago