This presidential race really highlights the illusion of choice in government

[wheywhey]

Donald Trump will eventually drop out of the race. In order to be placed on the ballot, presidential candidates have to submit an financial disclosure form.

Donald Trump lies about being a billionaire and does not want the world to know how much he is really worth.

 

[Skooby]

Donald Trump will eventually drop out of the race. In order to be placed on the ballot, presidential candidates have to submit an financial disclosure form.

Donald Trump lies about being a billionaire and does not want the world to know how much he is really worth.

How much is he actually worth?

 

[wheywhey]

How much is he actually worth?

In January 2006, Trump filed a $5 billion lawsuit against author Timothy O'Brien and his publisher for understating Trump's wealth. In his book Trump Nation, O'Brien reported that three people close to Trump had estimated his worth at between $150 and $250 million. Trump, who said he had told O'Brien that he was worth between $4 billion and $6 billion, claimed that O'Brien's low estimate had hurt his reputation and cost him specific business deals. Trump's suit was dismissed in July 2009, and his subsequent appeal failed in September 2011.

The Lawsuits of Donald Trump

Here are excerpts from the deposition:

Ceresney: Let me just understand that a little. You said your net worth goes up and down based upon your own feelings?

Trump: Yes, even my own feelings, as to where the world is, where the world is going, and that can change rapidly from day to day ...

Ceresney: When you publicly state a net worth number, what do you base that number on?

Trump: I would say it's my general attitude at the time that the question may be asked. And as I say, it varies.

But the deposition shows Trump's valuation of his properties can be at odds with others' views.

"Donald owns 40 Wall Street, which he spent about $35 million to buy and refurbish in 1996," lawyer Ceresney read from O'Brien's book. "The building has about $145 million in debt attached to it, and New York City assessors value it at $90 million. Donald values it at $400 million."

Trump reacts to the passage by saying: "Anybody would understand that a city assessment is 15 and 20 percent the value of a building."

When questioned about the return on his investment from several golf courses, Trump said he does his own math.

Donald Trump net worth: I'm worth whatever I feel - Apr. 21, 2011

 

[OsO]

well, since you are the first to allege it, what is your proof that trump is preselected?

I assume all serious presidential candidates are pre-selected, in the sense they can be trusted to some degree to play the role and adhere to certain principles as president (e.g. US will be a war state, we will support certain countries like England and Israel, we will cater to corporate interests, etc.)

The power structure would never, ever allow some rando to hop on the scene and become president. A president has to be affiliated.

i have noticed that the RNC and fox are working against him, he is insulting the establishment candidates by calling them in-electable, and is going after certain establishment sacred cows such as hedge fund managers and politicians who shamelessly take money from rich people. so trump's behavior is way off message and unsupported by the establishment. if they somehow selected that, they need to get their money back (actually, he is not even taking their money).

He's just creating good media by telling people the truth in a blunt and sensational way, and people are fascinated by it. And trust, the corporations would love to get Trump in as president. They would all ...

and if deez nuts can poll well, there is no reason for you to be a defeatist, dont just write yourself in. campaign, breh

Not my role breh. But either through political means or through force this system has got to change.

I actually think the internet is going to be the vehicle of the next big political reform movement. What easier way to reach millions of people all over the country, all at the same time

 

[NZA]

I assume all serious presidential candidates are pre-selected, in the sense they can be trusted to some degree to play the role and adhere to certain principles as president (e.g. US will be a war state, we will support certain countries like England and Israel, we will cater to corporate interests, etc.)

The power structure would never, ever allow some rando to hop on the scene and become president. A president has to be affiliated.



He's just creating good media by telling people the truth in a blunt and sensational way, and people are fascinated by it. And trust, the corporations would love to get Trump in as president. They would all ...



Not my role breh. But either through political means or through force this system has got to change.

I actually think the internet is going to be the vehicle of the next big political reform movement. What easier way to reach millions of people all over the country, all at the same time

considering he is popular with low level people, the people are actually getting what they want. i would see evidence of preselection if you had a field full of unpopular candidates. instead they get all the anti mexican bashing they want. even jeb with his mexican wife is trying to get in on the action by talking about anchor babies

the stuff you describe is popular cacery that white people in general want in their candidates

 

[Sensitive Blake Griffin]

We are living under a monarchy

i think you mean oligarchy

 

[Calmye]

If anything its showing we do have a choice. Now if Hillary wins all bets are off. and Lol at Obama being preselected

 

[CACtain Planet]

If anything its showing we do have a choice. Now if Hillary wins all bets are off. and Lol at Obama being preselected

If you look closely at Obamas background and financial ties it's easy to see he was preselected after his speech in '04

 

[Professor Emeritus]

If you look closely at Obamas background and financial ties it's easy to see he was preselected after his speech in '04

Ya'all are misusing that word.

Hillary Clinton was clearly the preselected Democratic candidate in 2008, to whatever extent there is such a thing. She had a large majority of the money and endorsements from quite early. Obama only won the nomination because of the way a few thousand caucus votes fell here and there in January and early February (he only had a chance because of Iowa, almost lost it with New Hampshire and Nevada, held on in Super Tuesday and won the nomination with the races on February 9-12). If Obama was preselected by some secret grand powerful conspiracy, no way they play it so close that a few voters could have screwed it up so early.

Now, if you simply mean that Obama was "pre-approved", then of course he was. The vast majority of major-party politicians at the state and national level have to be pre-approved by party structures and corporate funders to get where they are. Only the rare famous independent or small-state candidate can get that far without party and corporate support. That doesn't mean that they're selected to go further, just that they're "acceptable" to the powers that be.

I don't believe that either Trump or Sanders is pre-approved, and that's why they don't have the endorsements or the money behind them that they other candidates do. Trump could easily sell himself out and thereby get approved, and that would be his only chance to actually win. Sanders probably can't be approved - he's one of the rare independents who has gotten where he is without selling his would entirely - and unless Clinton completely crashes AND Sanders sells his soul to the party, it's almost impossible that he'll get nominated, much less win.

 

[Truth200]

We are living under a monarchy

 

[AyahuascaSippin]

It really is an illusion.

If you look at countries we have demanded have democracy and as a result removed dictators, they were always in a better state before our intervention. Iraq was a flourishing secular state under Saddam, now you have ISIS. Somalia developed their first written language (in latin script and not arabic surprisingly) in modern history and gave women the power to divorce their husbands until we created yet another power vacuum and war torn nation.

The difference between them and us is that we live in a dictatorship acting as a democracy. The same families with the same interests keep gaining power, and even our vote has been proved to be highly susceptible to manipulation.



But hey if dudes wanna posture pose and debate the credentials and election strategies of possible candidates, then so be it.

 

[wheywhey]

Apparently presidential candidates have to disclose their finances. Unfortunately, you can value assets between $1M-$5M or $5M-$25M so there is still no way to tell if Donald Trump is really a billionaire. He probably only owns a percentage of certain assets and I didn't see anything about debt, but I didn't look too hard.

Donald Trump financial disclosure
http://pfds.opensecrets.org/N00023864_2015_Pres.pdf

All candidates
Financial Disclosures | OpenSecrets

 

[Lucky_Lefty]

If Bernie doesn't get it, looks like I'll be voting for myself again

 

[hashmander]

Here are excerpts from the deposition:

damn, so the donald estimates his own net worth based on how he feels that day. shyt i feel like a millionaire right now. i'm a millionaire y'all. it was tough sledding, but i did it

 

[tmonster]

Best way to create the impression of democracy is to only allow a narrow spectrum of candidates participate, but encourage rigorous debate along that spectrum.

That's Chomsky right?