Mike Pence says it’s ‘inarguable’ that Putin is a stronger leader than Obama

[TomCADem]

Source: MSN/Washington Post

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence said Thursday that he agrees with Donald Trump's assertion that Russian President Vladimir Putin is a stronger leader than President Obama.

"I think it's inarguable that Vladimir Putin has been a stronger leader in his country than Barack Obama has been in this country," Pence said during an interview with CNN at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library on Thursday. "And that's going to change the day that Donald Trump becomes president of the United States of America."

Pence said Trump's bold statement is similar to some of those made by Reagan, who famously met with Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. Pence clarified that Trump "doesn't particularly like" the way Putin, the Russian president, operates without the same checks and balances that exist in the United States.

Trump regularly praises Putin and has continued to do so while faced with continued criticism for seeming to embrace the Russian leader, a former KGB intelligence officer whose administration has been accused of unfairly jailing and even killing political detractors and journalists. Trump's latest praise came Wednesday night during an NBC candidate forum.


Read more: http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/mike-pence-says-it%e2%80%99s-%e2%80%98inarguable%e2%80%99-that-putin-is-a-stronger-leader-than-obama/ar-AAiFvkl?ocid=iehp

---

Well, I guess the party of Reagan is now the party of Stalin.

[C_U_L8R]

1. Mike would've loved Joe Stalin

Hey Mike, how 'bout that Pol Pot. Whatta hunka man, right?

[William Seger]

25. Catchy new slogan: Make America Russia Again (n/t)

[DonCoquixote]

2. if anyone else, Democrat OR Republican

dared worship Putin in this manner, there would have been calls for their head on a pike!

[Person 2713]

14. IKR. What is happening here? Putin is thier model now??

[cstanleytech]

40. Yes he is because under him Russia has become what they wish they could do in the US

but have failed to achieve because of the courts blocking most of the laws that they want because the courts have ruled them as unconstitutional.

[hibbing]

3. I cannot even watch the "news" shows anymore

It no longer matters what Trump or his VP, or his spokespeople say. Millions upon millions of people will be voting for him. I thought that maybe, just maybe some people may have learned after 8 years of the worst president in my lifetime, but obviously not.

Peace

[MBS]

20. I share your pain.

Unbelievable, no?

[msongs]

4. putin is essentially the russian dicatator. trump admires absolute rulers a lot nt

[question everything]

9. And this is the fallacy about electing someone who'd run government "like business"

As a CEO, you can just decide about a course of action. Yes, you have your board of directors and shareholders but as long as you generate profit they'd like it. Look at the "incentives" at Mylan with their EPIPEN.

And a successful businessman knows how to get rid of "losing assets." With government operations, these assets would be the poor, the elderly, the disabled.

[Sunlei]

41. Republicans respect a "Leader" who picks their next wife or employee out of the "binder of woman"

Fuck that shit!!

[Thor_MN]

5. If Obama were like Putin, the GOP would be missing...

[anamandujano]

12. You speak sooth.

I was going to say, when you rule with terror, you can't be beat.

[47of74]

6. 47of74 Says It's Inarguable that Mike Pence is a Fucking Idiot.

[vlyons]

7. Mike Pence is an arrogant, self-righteous asshole

Hey Mike! Open your red letter Bible and do what Jesus says. Feed the poor, heal the sick, don't judge, don't pray in public, practice peace, and love thy neighbor. And stop acting like you're a better Christian than everybody else.

Strike up Mike's band

"Onward Christian soldiers
Marching as to war
With the cross of Jesus
Going on before"

[6000eliot]

8. If we had a real media, the shady connections between Trump's campaign and the Russians

would be investigated. Unfortunately, the media appears to be filled with morons and fools.

[truthisfreedom]

10. And now Pence is welcome to join Trump in Russia.

Immediately. Go.

[EricMaundry]

11. So Pence is also a member of the traitor wing of the GOP?

Can't say I'm surprised.

[duncang]

13. So pence do you think President Obama

Should take Putin's lead and have dissenters killed? Is that the kind of strength you admire pence? Sounds like you would love Kim Jong-un he knows how to really show strength.

[Person 2713]

15. I was already thinking all KJU has to do is call trump a genius and trump will admire him too

Plus NKorea just possibly tested a nuke . Trump will dig that. Pence will admire KJU's strength

[duncang]

16. Actually dipshit donnie has commented on kim.

But it was one of those normal dipshit answers. He said you have to give kim credit for taking over from his father. But he did say Kim was a maniac.

What dipshit originally said.
"If you look at North Korea – this guy, he’s like a maniac, OK? And you have to give him credit. How many young guys — he was like 26 or 25 when his father died — take over these tough generals, and all of a sudden — you know, it’s pretty amazing when you think of it. How does he do that? Even though it is a culture and it’s a cultural thing, he goes in, he takes over, and he’s the boss. It’s incredible. He wiped out the uncle. He wiped out this one, that one. I mean, this guy doesn’t play games. And we can’t play games with him. Because he really does have missiles. And he really does have nukes."


And what the north Korean news said about dipshit
"a prescient presidential candidate"

So there will probably be a mutual admiration thing going on later. Then lets see if pence still supports what he says.

[ProfessorGAC]

37. I Would Hope He'd Think That Through

Given that Pence is on of the dissenters, i don't think he'd like the outcome.

[olddad56]

17. Probably a little harder to be the leader of a democracy than a dictatorship.

I think we know which one Trump desires to be.

[wishstar]

18. Reps claim Pres Obama has overstepped his authority but like that Trump would be more authoritarian

They've been falsely accusing Pres. Obama of using too many executive orders and blocking him in court, but now saying we should elect Trump because he would be more dictatorial than Pres. Obama.

[Vinca]

19. They're the part of traitors.

[MBS]

21. This election is surreal. n/t

[BumRushDaShow]

22. Trump is no Reagan and Putin in no Gorbachev

From an essay by Gorbachev in Time magazine just a couple months ago -

Mikhail Gorbachev: Putin Is an Obstacle to Progress

Mikhail Gorbachev

May 23, 2016

<...>

The 2000s, creating an illusion of stability and prosperity, were a period when Russia’s natural resources were squandered. The regime locked itself in a bunker and erected an impenetrable shield consisting of all manner of trickery, abuse of state administrative resources and hypocritical legislation that makes a change of regime impossible. Russia is being pushed back to the Brezhnev era, forgetful of how that period ended. People trust the regime less and less, are losing hope in the future, and are humiliated by poverty and deepening social divisions, unlike a celebrity set who are rolling in money. Another five or six years of this and Russia is unlikely ever to be able to escape from this dead-end situation.

How is Russia to get out of it? It would be naive to imagine that economic reform alone will suffice. In any case, that is not going to happen without a root-and-branch transformation: without ridding our electoral system of phoney, unjustifiable restrictions whose sole purpose is to enable the current ‘elite’ to rule in perpetuity; without establishing an independent representative branch, an independent judiciary and independent local government; without freeing the media; without civil society.

In Russia today the executive branch lords it over society, beholden to no one. The president can appoint his successor, extend or renew his authority using rigged elections. With the presidency in that state we have no grounds for optimism that the other branches of government will function normally or that civil rights will be respected. A system of appointment from above has replaced free elections.

Those responsible for the current situation in Russia are incapable of initiating real change for fear they would undermine their own power. There is no precedent in history for a failed system being reformed by those responsible for establishing it.

<...>

http://time.com/4343154/mikhail-gorbachev-the-new-russia/

What Gorbachev describes as the state of Russia today is what the U.S. will solidify under Trump - literally word for word.

[erpowers]

23. What Has Putin Done

So, what had Vladimir Putin done that is so great? What has he done that shows such great leadership?

[roamer65]

24. Pence the dense.

[treestar]

26. Yeah well he is stronger and they don't have our

Constitution and Bill of Rights. So stronger is not better. We'll keep the republic we have, thanks very much Pence.

[bigbrother05]

28. Being led by a "strongman" isn't the same as having a strong leader nt

[treestar]

29. AS I've always said, this country does not have a strong leader

and it's just fine that way, thank you very much. WE THE PEOPLE govern this country, macho bullshit notwithstanding.

[get the red out]

27. It used to be that Americans didn't want a dictator

But it seems that a lot of people on the right want one desperately. Of course someone with complete power looks "stronger", they always get their way and control everything.

[bigbrother05]

30. W said he didn't mind a dictator as long as it was himself

pretty much sums up the GOP view. Everything's fine as long they get their way.

[SummerSnow]

31. i would like for these idiots to elaborate on their definition of 'stronger'

Do you think they are stronger leaders in a positive or negative sense? Explain.Stronger doesn't always mean good.

[SummerSnow]

32. Garry Kasparov on Mike Pences' comments about Putin/Obama

Governor Pence, Vladimir Putin is a strong leader in the same way arsenic is a strong drink. Your country should be ashamed of you.


https://twitter.com/Kasparov63/status/773996059949404160




No sophistry. Calling a strongman like Putin "strong" is redundant, and so it is praise not for the individual but for dictatorship itself.


https://twitter.com/Kasparov63/status/774004601318170625

[SHRED]

33. Why don't they ask these fools...

"Can you give us 3 examples of this so-called "strength you admire?"

Is journalism dead?

[JoePhilly]

34. So Trump will be a leader in the style of Putin ... got it.

That's actually what Pence is saying.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

35. Pence was only saying this in hopes he'd be able to speak at the 2016 United Russia party convention

"Come on guys, somebody's going to have to let me speak at a convention! I'll take anybody!"

"The Association of Cargo Trailer Insurance Agents of South Illinois, I'm looking at you! I'll even bring cheese!"

[Maeve]

36. Hey, if you want a charming if murderous thug running your country...

You probably aren't looking for America, Half-Pence!

[Sunlei]

38. t(R)ump "respects" a "Leader" who can ruin a persons very life if they don't go along with them.

[rurallib]

39. Think Pence had to say this out of fear of ending up like a Russian journalist

or any opposition to his Dear Leader.
Pence reads the news. He knows what happens when your disloyal.

[Marthe48]

42. Hey Mikhail

I mean Mike, how many sanctions are set up against the U.S.A.? How many does the U.S.A. have in force against other countries? How about the the newest sanctions, imposed by President Obama's administration?

http://rbth.com/business/2016/09/05/what-do-new-us-sanctions-mean-for-russia_627181


How about these others:
http://www.bis.doc.gov/index.php/regulations#ear

And if sanctions aren't tough enough for you:

http://www.defense.gov/News/Special-Reports/0814_Inherent-Resolve

Be sure to pass the info along to your boss.

[Loki]

43. I hope Mike Pence never holds another paying job in his life.

He's just another Useful Idiot Republican Liar.

[christx30]

44. It makes perfect sense that Pense would say that.

Trump has been on record saying this about the Chinese crackdown of Tiananmen Square:

"When the students poured into Tiananmen Square, the Chinese government almost blew it. Then they were vicious, they were horrible, but they put it down with strength. That shows you the power of strength. Our country is right now perceived as weak... as being spit on by the rest of the world."

I'd hate to see what "strength" Trump wants to show in the US. Especially since it seems like his VP pick is cut from the same authoritarian cloth.