The Silence Around Character: A Leadership Question

[dmallord]

It’s always telling what gets defended and what gets ignored.

On this forum, Trump’s legal troubles are met with a full-throated defense—every indictment, every verdict, every investigation is branded a political witch hunt. Biased judges, rogue DAs, Democrat plots. That part of the script is always ready.

But on matters of character, the silence is deafening.

Where are the defenders when it comes to Trump calling fallen soldiers “suckers and losers”?

What about dodging the draft with phantom bone spurs?

Or mocking POWs, assaulting women, cheating on multiple wives, praising dictators, and inciting a mob to overturn an election he lost?

No one seems eager to touch that.

And now, with the Epstein files in the news again—something that rightly angers many Americans—we get Trump’s strange public statement: “I never had the privilege of going to the island.”

“Privilege”?

That’s not how most people describe avoiding a site infamous for underage exploitation. But when you live a life of unchecked entitlement, maybe the lens is different. Still, it raises a real question: What kind of man talks like that about Epstein’s island—and expects to be trusted with the moral weight of the presidency?

Here’s the deeper issue: if your defense of Trump only activates when he’s charged in court, but shuts down when his character is questioned, what does that say about the line you’re willing to overlook?

You can debate politics all day. But character isn’t partisan. And leadership without integrity—without honor—isn’t leadership at all.

So I ask honestly: Is this the kind of man you truly want representing you?

 

[Lance_Castro]

Obviously he’s exactly the man America wants representing them.

You elected him. Twice!
Ahahaha!

Prep H thyself.

 

[Saint_Ann]

It’s always telling what gets defended and what gets ignored.

On this forum, Trump’s legal troubles are met with a full-throated defense—every indictment, every verdict, every investigation is branded a political witch hunt. Biased judges, rogue DAs, Democrat plots. That part of the script is always ready.

But on matters of character, the silence is deafening.

Where are the defenders when it comes to Trump calling fallen soldiers “suckers and losers”?

What about dodging the draft with phantom bone spurs?

Or mocking POWs, assaulting women, cheating on multiple wives, praising dictators, and inciting a mob to overturn an election he lost?

No one seems eager to touch that.

And now, with the Epstein files in the news again—something that rightly angers many Americans—we get Trump’s strange public statement: “I never had the privilege of going to the island.”

“Privilege”?

That’s not how most people describe avoiding a site infamous for underage exploitation. But when you live a life of unchecked entitlement, maybe the lens is different. Still, it raises a real question: What kind of man talks like that about Epstein’s island—and expects to be trusted with the moral weight of the presidency?

Here’s the deeper issue: if your defense of Trump only activates when he’s charged in court, but shuts down when his character is questioned, what does that say about the line you’re willing to overlook?

You can debate politics all day. But character isn’t partisan. And leadership without integrity—without honor—isn’t leadership at all.

So I ask honestly: Is this the kind of man you truly want representing you?

If recent events haven't been enough to convince you, they are all horrible people.

 

[73Seahawks]

It’s always telling what gets defended and what gets ignored.

On this forum, Trump’s legal troubles are met with a full-throated defense—every indictment, every verdict, every investigation is branded a political witch hunt. Biased judges, rogue DAs, Democrat plots. That part of the script is always ready.

But on matters of character, the silence is deafening.

Where are the defenders when it comes to Trump calling fallen soldiers “suckers and losers”?

What about dodging the draft with phantom bone spurs?

Or mocking POWs, assaulting women, cheating on multiple wives, praising dictators, and inciting a mob to overturn an election he lost?

No one seems eager to touch that.

And now, with the Epstein files in the news again—something that rightly angers many Americans—we get Trump’s strange public statement: “I never had the privilege of going to the island.”

“Privilege”?

That’s not how most people describe avoiding a site infamous for underage exploitation. But when you live a life of unchecked entitlement, maybe the lens is different. Still, it raises a real question: What kind of man talks like that about Epstein’s island—and expects to be trusted with the moral weight of the presidency?

Here’s the deeper issue: if your defense of Trump only activates when he’s charged in court, but shuts down when his character is questioned, what does that say about the line you’re willing to overlook?

You can debate politics all day. But character isn’t partisan. And leadership without integrity—without honor—isn’t leadership at all.

So I ask honestly: Is this the kind of man you truly want representing you?

We're in the Era of the Republican version of Cancel Culture (see PBS getting dismantled).

 

[SgtSpiderMan]

If recent events haven't been enough to convince you, they are all horrible people.

All? Besides Trump what other politician made fun of a disabled person?

 

[Saint_Ann]

We're in the Era of the Republican version of Cancel Culture (see PBS getting dismantled).

All their best shows are from the BBC.

 

[Saint_Ann]

All? Besides Trump what other politician made fun of a disabled person?

How about Russiagate for starters?

 

[SgtSpiderMan]

How about Russiagate for starters?

“Russiagate” somehow made fun of a disabled person?

 

[Saint_Ann]

“Russiagate” somehow made fun of a disabled person?

How about multiple Biden health coverups?

 

[coati]

How about multiple Biden health coverups?

That involved making fun of a disabled person?

 

[Chernosoth]

Most presidents are scumbags. Trump is uncommonly open and honest about his scumbaggery, which may be below average. Still, he could have done much better than Stormy Daniels. He overpaid by a galactic amount, which gives me a little pause for someone making financial decisions for the nation.

 

[YDB95]

I think anyone who came of age in the '90s is incapable of being surprised by what you're getting at here. I mean, for nearly every day of the Clinton administration we had right-wingers screaming at the top of their lungs about how "character does matter"...and then they fell head over heels in love with George W.M.D. Bush, who was guilty of nearly everything they ever threw at Clinton, up to and including his wife being responsible for the death of an innocent friend. Ever since then, everyone knows they don't really care about character, they just know a good wedge issue when they see it.

 

[SgtSpiderMan]

How about multiple Biden health coverups?

Why not just answer the question instead of trying to change the subject?

 

[YDB95]

Why not just answer the question instead of trying to change the subject?

You know as well as I, Saint Ann never does that.

 

[BabyBoomer50s]

It’s always telling what gets defended and what gets ignored.

On this forum, Trump’s legal troubles are met with a full-throated defense—every indictment, every verdict, every investigation is branded a political witch hunt. Biased judges, rogue DAs, Democrat plots. That part of the script is always ready.

But on matters of character, the silence is deafening.

Where are the defenders when it comes to Trump calling fallen soldiers “suckers and losers”?

What about dodging the draft with phantom bone spurs?

Or mocking POWs, assaulting women, cheating on multiple wives, praising dictators, and inciting a mob to overturn an election he lost?

No one seems eager to touch that.

And now, with the Epstein files in the news again—something that rightly angers many Americans—we get Trump’s strange public statement: “I never had the privilege of going to the island.”

“Privilege”?

That’s not how most people describe avoiding a site infamous for underage exploitation. But when you live a life of unchecked entitlement, maybe the lens is different. Still, it raises a real question: What kind of man talks like that about Epstein’s island—and expects to be trusted with the moral weight of the presidency?

Here’s the deeper issue: if your defense of Trump only activates when he’s charged in court, but shuts down when his character is questioned, what does that say about the line you’re willing to overlook?

You can debate politics all day. But character isn’t partisan. And leadership without integrity—without honor—isn’t leadership at all.

So I ask honestly: Is this the kind of man you truly want representing you?

Many comments from Trump, including some you referenced, especially the one about McCain, are indefensible.

The draft dodging reflects poorly on him as well, but Americans forgave Clinton (“I loathe the military”) for his draft dodging. That, combined with the length of time that’s elapsed since the Vietnam war pretty much eliminated draft dodging as a political issue.

Same with the infidelity. Trump is by no means the first president to fuck around on his wife. After Americans forgave Clinton for sexually exploiting a 22 year old emotionally disturbed student intern working in the office of the most powerful man in the world, sexual behavior is rarely scandalous anymore.

The Epstein issue is a nothing burger. MAGA influencers are upset because they were told by Bondi, Bognino, and others that there’s a client list that would be released. Then they were told there actually is nothing new to release. So they’re pissed. Obviously if there was dirt on Trump, the Biden people would have gotten it out before the election.

In much the same way Democrats gifted Trump with a terrible opponent in 2016, they gifted him again with two of the very worst candidates imaginable in Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. I know that’s impossible for the Miserables on this board to accept, but the voters have settled that debate. The crazy thing is they still haven’t learned anything from their mistakes.

 

[YDB95]

The draft dodging reflects poorly on him as well, but Americans forgave Clinton (“I loathe the military”) for his draft dodging.

Clinton didn't say "I loathe the military". He wrote to Col. Eugene Holmes of the Arkansas ROTC, "I am writing too in the hope that my telling this one story will help you to understand more clearly how so many fine people have come to find themselves still loving their country but loathing the military, to which you and other good men have devoted years, lifetimes, of the best service you could give." Agree or disagree, love it or hate it, what he said was certainly true at the time - and more to the point, it's not what you claim he said.

Same with the infidelity. Trump is by no means the first president to fuck around on his wife. After Americans forgave Clinton for sexually exploiting a 22 year old emotionally disturbed student intern working in the office of the most powerful man in the world, sexual behavior is rarely scandalous anymore.

What Clinton did was certainly wrong, but Monica Lewinsky was a consenting adult. Epstein's victims were not, nor was E. Jean Carroll or the other couple of dozen women who have accused Trump of assault or harassment. (I'm also not aware of any evidence that Lewinsky was "emotionally disturbed".)

The Epstein issue is a nothing burger.

Not to his victims it isn't.

In much the same way Democrats gifted Trump with a terrible opponent in 2016, they gifted him again with two of the very worst candidates imaginable in Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. I know that’s impossible for the Miserables on this board to accept, but the voters have settled that debate. The crazy thing is they still haven’t learned anything from their mistakes.

You forgot the part where those two "very worst candidates imaginable" beat him in 2020.

 

[Saint_Ann]

Why not just answer the question instead of trying to change the subject?

Fuck off.

 

[Chernosoth]

What about dodging the draft with phantom bone spurs?

Clinton, Bush 2, and Trump dodged the draft and became presidents. Kerry and McCain served in Vietnam and lost their races. In both parties, that is enough for a conclusion, but opinions will still vary on what conclusion.