Born to Run the Numbers speculates on how the great Trump v. Pelosic Shutdown Stalemate will end.

http://www.borntorunthenumbers.com/2019/01/btrtn-great-wall-of-trump-how-shutdown.html

Excerpts:
"New stories about the government shutdown have a frothy head of excitement about the utter intractability of the two opposing positions. Giddy reporters behave like they have been tipped off and know the location of the railroad crossing where a high speed train will next smack into a stalled SUV...

"The combustible ingredients are all here. Nancy Pelosi could not have been more clear in saying that the Democrats would not approve a single dollar for building an “immoral” wall. Donald Trump has said that he will keep the government shut down for “years,” if need be, but that he will never cave in on his demand that Congress provide $5.6 billion funding for the wall. Somebody’s bluff is going to get called, and that is certain to be a humiliating surrender… right?

"Wrong. Sadly, it is easy to predict how this is going to get resolved. Sure, there may be a slight variations on the script, but it is likely to go down looking something like this..."

Born to Run the Numbers speculates on how the great Trump v. Pelosic Shutdown Stalemate will end.

http://www.borntorunthenumbers.com/2019/01/btrtn-great-wall-of-trump-how-shutdown.html

Excerpts:
"New stories about the government shutdown have a frothy head of excitement about the utter intractability of the two opposing positions. Giddy reporters behave like they have been tipped off and know the location of the railroad crossing where a high speed train will next smack into a stalled SUV...

"The combustible ingredients are all here. Nancy Pelosi could not have been more clear in saying that the Democrats would not approve a single dollar for building an “immoral” wall. Donald Trump has said that he will keep the government shut down for “years,” if need be, but that he will never cave in on his demand that Congress provide $5.6 billion funding for the wall. Somebody’s bluff is going to get called, and that is certain to be a humiliating surrender… right?

"Wrong. Sadly, it is easy to predict how this is going to get resolved. Sure, there may be a slight variations on the script, but it is likely to go down looking something like this..."

Born To Run The Numbers: The only people who ever believed Trump's lies were Republicans. Now, the mounting evidence that they are pissed.

http://www.borntorunthenumbers.com/2018/12/btrtn-turning-of-screwed.html

Excerpts: "It was all so much fun for the right wingers when the only consequence of Donald Trump’s lies was the sight of the liberal media going into pulmonary shock on a daily basis, agog with outrage at Trump’s projectile bullshitting. Slowly, however – but surely -- things are changing. It is now becoming more apparent that Trump’s deceits have all been improvised explosive devices set on timers designed to detonate in the hands of Republicans. It is the Trump worshipers, lackeys, apologizers, enablers, and suck-ups -- from Ann Coulter to Rush Limbaugh to Mitch McConnell -- who are getting toasted by the time-bombs they were eagerly carrying for the President.

Democrats may be angry, but they do not feel victimized by Trump’s deceit, because they were not naive, ignorant, cavalier, or willfully gullible enough to buy into any of it in the first place. But the people who believed it? They are starting to get pissed. They are beginning to feel victimized, let down, and manipulated. They are starting to voice their anger, disappointment, and sense of betrayal. Call it the turning of the screwed."

Born To Run The Numbers: The only people who ever believed Trump's lies were Republicans. Now, the mounting evidence that they are pissed.

http://www.borntorunthenumbers.com/2018/12/btrtn-turning-of-screwed.html

Excerpts: "It was all so much fun for the right wingers when the only consequence of Donald Trump’s lies was the sight of the liberal media going into pulmonary shock on a daily basis, agog with outrage at Trump’s projectile bullshitting. Slowly, however – but surely -- things are changing. It is now becoming more apparent that Trump’s deceits have all been improvised explosive devices set on timers designed to detonate in the hands of Republicans. It is the Trump worshipers, lackeys, apologizers, enablers, and suck-ups -- from Ann Coulter to Rush Limbaugh to Mitch McConnell -- who are getting toasted by the time-bombs they were eagerly carrying for the President.

Democrats may be angry, but they do not feel victimized by Trump’s deceit, because they were not naive, ignorant, cavalier, or willfully gullible enough to buy into any of it in the first place. But the people who believed it? They are starting to get pissed. They are beginning to feel victimized, let down, and manipulated. They are starting to voice their anger, disappointment, and sense of betrayal. Call it the turning of the screwed."

Born To Run The Numbers' sends Santa a Christmas list designed to end our long national nightmare that is not contingent on 20 Republican Senators suddenly sprouting integrity and growing spines:

http://www.borntorunthenumbers.com/2018/12/btrtn-im-dreaming-of-indict-christmas.html

Excerpt:

"Because the father is President of the United States, he cannot be indicted for the crimes he committed in concert with his children. But his children can... (we can) trigger an epic crisis of conflicting interests between Donald Trump and his own children, in which the President must choose between their future and his own. No matter how he chooses, he loses."

Born To Run The Numbers' sends Santa a Christmas list designed to end our long national nightmare that is not contingent on 20 Republican Senators suddenly sprouting integrity and growing spines:

http://www.borntorunthenumbers.com/2018/12/btrtn-im-dreaming-of-indict-christmas.html

Excerpt:

"Because the father is President of the United States, he cannot be indicted for the crimes he committed in concert with his children. But his children can... (we can) trigger an epic crisis of conflicting interests between Donald Trump and his own children, in which the President must choose between their future and his own. No matter how he chooses, he loses."

Born to Run the Numbers on the fact that Trump is hell-bent on replacing all those experienced "human guardrails' with toadies, yes-men, and sycophants:

http://www.borntorunthenumbers.com/2018/11/btrtn-welcome-to-syco-fantasy-island.html

Excerpts:"Some men are born sycophants, some men become sycophants, and some men have the mantle of sycophant thrust upon them.What they all seem to have in common, however, is that they all are Republicans, and they all work for Donald Trump...
"Finally, there is group of individuals in the White House who we hesitate to slap such a pejorative upon: the alleged 'adults in the room' who have the experience in government, intelligence, and the military to act as “guardrails” to contain this President and serve as a check on his wildest impulses...
"It is this group of people who represent one of the more fascinating ethical dramas to emerge from this White House. We sleep better knowing that the White House still has a few competent, experienced individuals who understand our government, the separation of powers, the vital importance of vigorously exerting moral leadership on the world stage, and the limitations and dangers of military intervention. But at what point, exactly, does their involvement in the Trump White House and their apparent public endorsement of many of his positions render them complicit?
"How perfect it is that a cheesy tv series from the 1970s seemed to grasp lessons in morality more firmly than the losers in Trump's toady farm. At least Ricardo Montalbán knew that when your fantasies become real, the outcome is rarely what you hoped it would be.As for the rest of us? Once that last guardrail is gone, we will all be living on Donald Trump's Sycophantasy Island, where the fantasies of sycophants all come true."

Born to Run the Numbers on the fact that Trump is hell-bent on replacing all those experienced "human guardrails' with toadies, yes-men, and sycophants:

http://www.borntorunthenumbers.com/2018/11/btrtn-welcome-to-syco-fantasy-island.html

Excerpts:"Some men are born sycophants, some men become sycophants, and some men have the mantle of sycophant thrust upon them.What they all seem to have in common, however, is that they all are Republicans, and they all work for Donald Trump...
"Finally, there is group of individuals in the White House who we hesitate to slap such a pejorative upon: the alleged 'adults in the room' who have the experience in government, intelligence, and the military to act as “guardrails” to contain this President and serve as a check on his wildest impulses...
"It is this group of people who represent one of the more fascinating ethical dramas to emerge from this White House. We sleep better knowing that the White House still has a few competent, experienced individuals who understand our government, the separation of powers, the vital importance of vigorously exerting moral leadership on the world stage, and the limitations and dangers of military intervention. But at what point, exactly, does their involvement in the Trump White House and their apparent public endorsement of many of his positions render them complicit?
"How perfect it is that a cheesy tv series from the 1970s seemed to grasp lessons in morality more firmly than the losers in Trump's toady farm. At least Ricardo Montalbán knew that when your fantasies become real, the outcome is rarely what you hoped it would be.As for the rest of us? Once that last guardrail is gone, we will all be living on Donald Trump's Sycophantasy Island, where the fantasies of sycophants all come true."

Born To Run the Numbers takes an historical view to note that Trump may be far stronger going into 2020 than one would think based on the mid-terms. But the mid-terms also show the Democrats the mantra for success...

http://www.borntorunthenumbers.com/2018/11/btrtn-its-get-out-vote-stupid.html

Excerpts: "First, the bad news: progressives need to know that the Americans tend to re-elect their incumbent President by an overwhelming degree. There are significant reasons why… which all seemed aligned to benefit Trump as we head toward 2020. Moreover, we cannot and should not assume that this blue wave generated momentum that will in any way carry into 2020. In sum, Donald Trump may be in a far stronger position going into 2020 than we realize. Let’s examine this through the lens of history...
"Aside from two exceptions, the party in power has held fast for their eight year turn at the wheel. In a 72 year period that contained a maximum of nine possible eight-year single-party terms, it happened seven times...
"If anyone is taking comfort that Donald Trump is wounded and therefore badly damaged going into the 2020 Presidential campaign season, think again. For starters, he has enormous wind at his back from two simple facts: the economy is roaring, and the country is not neck-deep in a wildly unpopular war. Those two facts alone are huge...
"We’ve been talking for a long time now about the fact that the United States of America is radically polarized. About the fact that it seems everyone has already made up their mind...The game has changed. Now, it is simply counting how many minds have been made up on the Red team vs. the Blue team. It is no longer a question of who can persuade the most people of their message. It is who can get the most people who already agree with them to actually vote. That is the logical conclusion of radical polarization."

Born To Run the Numbers takes an historical view to note that Trump may be far stronger going into 2020 than one would think based on the mid-terms. But the mid-terms also show the Democrats the mantra for success...

http://www.borntorunthenumbers.com/2018/11/btrtn-its-get-out-vote-stupid.html

Excerpts: "First, the bad news: progressives need to know that the Americans tend to re-elect their incumbent President by an overwhelming degree. There are significant reasons why… which all seemed aligned to benefit Trump as we head toward 2020. Moreover, we cannot and should not assume that this blue wave generated momentum that will in any way carry into 2020. In sum, Donald Trump may be in a far stronger position going into 2020 than we realize. Let’s examine this through the lens of history...
"Aside from two exceptions, the party in power has held fast for their eight year turn at the wheel. In a 72 year period that contained a maximum of nine possible eight-year single-party terms, it happened seven times...
"If anyone is taking comfort that Donald Trump is wounded and therefore badly damaged going into the 2020 Presidential campaign season, think again. For starters, he has enormous wind at his back from two simple facts: the economy is roaring, and the country is not neck-deep in a wildly unpopular war. Those two facts alone are huge...
"We’ve been talking for a long time now about the fact that the United States of America is radically polarized. About the fact that it seems everyone has already made up their mind...The game has changed. Now, it is simply counting how many minds have been made up on the Red team vs. the Blue team. It is no longer a question of who can persuade the most people of their message. It is who can get the most people who already agree with them to actually vote. That is the logical conclusion of radical polarization."