Sunday, November 13, 2016

Donald Trump will soon realise that Washington is not Hollywood – and that will be his downfall - Independent

Donald Trump's fame, ego and mischievous delight in defying the status quo ensured he would be judged by the lax standards of Hollywood, rather than the unforgiving rules that govern politicians
“Politics,” Ronald Reagan once remarked, “is just like showbusiness. You have a hell of an opening, coast for a while, and then have a hell of a close.” More so than ever before, Reagan’s words ring true – but with a horrifying, nauseating twist exclusive to 2016.
Donald Trump’s election as the 45th president of the United States of America confirms that we are living in an age of “celebrity politics”. It showcases perfectly how people have become so disaffected that they are willing to place their faith in a lewd, bigoted, prejudiced, sexist, xenophobic, boorish, intolerant and inexperienced reality TV star.
Sadly, such debased qualities have underpinned Trump’s presidential campaign. They have been his bread and butter as he blazed across the US, tearing up the political textbook, kicking up dust wherever he went.
Muslims? Kick them out. Mexicans? Block ‘em out. Women? Grab them by the pussy. For the vast majority of Western politicians, such world views – regardless of how contrived they may be – would equate to political suicide.
But then came Trump. His unique blend of celebrity, ego and a mischievous delight in defying the status quo enabled him to connect with the millions who yearned for something different. This fame ensured he would be judged by the lax standards of Hollywood, rather than the unforgiving rules that govern politicians, and handed him an invincibility that enabled him to survive, and thrive, as an anomaly within the world of politics."
Donald Trump shifts his position on Obamacare during CBS 60 minutes interview
For those fans of Charlie Brooker’s cult series Black Mirror, this reality sounds terrifyingly familiar. In an episode titled “The Waldo Moment”, a blue animated bear, with his own celebrity status, runs for local office. Armed to the teeth with profanity, lewd jokes and non-PC views, Waldo captivates the electorate. In contrast to the emotionally distant, legalistic, orthodoxy of the candidates he runs against (enter Hillary Clinton), Waldo offers an alternative to the established status quo.
His ability to say and do things no one else would makes it very difficult for his opponents to reason with him. If your opponent doesn't play by the rules – or doesn't acknowledge there are rules at all – it’s virtually impossible to beat them at a verbal sparring match.
Trump’s resemblance to Waldo is uncanny, but his emergence is not unprecedented. Set against the backdrop of the information-rich 21st century, in which social media is king, the “celebritisation” of politics has become par for the course.
Boris Johnson springs to mind as one of the more notable examples. Throughout his career, Johnson’s political reputation has been intertwined with his comical, celebrity-like persona. Love or loathe him, this celebrity profile has handed him a certain durability that has seen him emerge unscathed from numerous would-be PR disasters.
When the former Mayor was caught on a zipline at Victoria Park during an Olympic event, brandishing two plastic flags, adorned with a ridiculous helmet and an unflattering harness hoisting up his crotch, the public lapped it up. Typical Boris, up to his old tricks. When he tackled a 10-year-old boy during a friendly match of rugby with schoolchildren, this reaffirmed for many his bumbling, loveable public image.
Even for his more severe transgressions, Boris has avoided the chopping block. Think back to when he suggested the Queen must love touring the Commonwealth because she's greeted by "cheering crowds of flag-waving piccaninnies”, or when he more recently compared the EU to Adolf Hitler’s Nazism. After issuing an apology and receiving a rap across the knuckles, it was back to business for Boris.
While the recent summer of discontent may have irrevocably altered the public’s perception of him, up until then Boris had enjoyed a degree of invincibility thanks to his celebrity undertones. Against the charmless homogeneity of Westminster politics, at least here was a personality willing to spice things up. Is it little surprise then that so many people followed him into Brexit?
Returning to the US, in August 2003, Arnold Schwarzenegger was elected as Governor of California. As a candidate who had never enjoyed public office and whose political views were unknown to most Californians, Schwarzenegger’s name carried him through the election campaign. As with Trump, personality prevailed over policies.
Trump has never listened to anybody in his life – why start now?
And much like Trump, the celebrity was also elected into office on the back of serious allegations of sexual misconduct. Within the last five days before the election, claims that the Austrian had sexually assaulted several women were published in the LA Times. Six came forward with allegations – and he was forced to apologise for “offensive” behaviour – but it wasn’t enough to derail his campaign.
Is it time, then, to bow down to our celebrity overlords? Not quite. Trump’s “hell of an opening”, as Reagan termed it, confirms the danger today’s “showbusiness” politics now poses. But celebrity is fickle, and the tides, it seems, are already turning in America. Perhaps we needed his victory – and the subsequent protests – to prevent us from sleepwalking into a celebrity-studded political Armageddon.
It’s quite possible that Trump’s “hell of a close” will come a lot sooner than he ever expected.

Donald Trump Is Picking His Cabinet: Here’s a Short List - New York Times

By THE NEW YORK TIMES NOV. 12, 2016

Donald J. Trump’s transition team, which was handed over to Vice President-elect Mike Pence on Friday and includes a host of corporate consultants and lobbyists in addition to independent experts, is moving quickly to assemble leaders of the new administration. Here are some possibilities for the cabinet and other key posts.
Secretary of State
Whether Mr. Trump picks an ideologue or a seasoned foreign policy hand from past Republican administrations, his challenge will be that the State Department is the centerpiece of the post-1945 experiment of alliance-building and globalism, which Mr. Trump said he would dismantle.

John R. Bolton Former United States ambassador to the United Nations under George W. Bush

Bob Corker Senator from Tennessee and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Newt Gingrich Former House speaker

Zalmay Khalilzad Former United States ambassador to Afghanistan

Stanley A. McChrystal Former senior military commander in Afghanistan
Treasury Secretary
The secretary will be responsible for government borrowing in financial markets, assisting in any rewrite of the tax code and overseeing the Internal Revenue Service. The Treasury Department also carries out or lifts financial sanctions against foreign enemies — which are key to President Obama’s Iran deal and rapprochement with Cuba.

Thomas Barrack Jr. Founder, chairman and executive chairman of Colony Capital; private equity and real estate investor

Jeb Hensarling Representative from Texas and chairman of the House Financial Services Committee

Steven Mnuchin Former Goldman Sachs executive and Mr. Trump’s campaign finance chairman

Tim Pawlenty Former Minnesota governor
Defense Secretary
The incoming secretary will shape the fight against the Islamic State while overseeing a military that is struggling to put in place two Obama-era initiatives: integrating women into combat roles and allowing transgender people to serve openly. Both could be rolled back.

Kelly Ayotte Departing senator from New Hampshire and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee

Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn Former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency (he would need a waiver from Congress because of a seven-year rule for retired officers)

Stephen J. Hadley National security adviser under George W. Bush

Jon Kyl Former senator from Arizona

Jeff Sessions Senator from Alabama who is a prominent immigration opponent
Attorney General
The nation's top law enforcement official will have the authority for carrying out Mr. Trump's “law and order” platform, including his threat to “jail” Hillary Clinton. The nominee can change how civil rights laws are enforced.

Chris Christie New Jersey governor

Rudolph W. Giuliani Former New York mayor

Jeff Sessions Senator from Alabama
Interior Secretary
The Interior Department manages the nation’s public lands and waters. The next secretary will decide the fate of Obama-era rules that stop public land development; curb the exploration of oil, coal and gas; and promote wind and solar power on public lands.

Jan Brewer Former Arizona governor

Robert E. Grady Gryphon Investors partner

Harold G. Hamm Chief executive of Continental Resources, an oil and gas company

Forrest Lucas President of Lucas Oil Products, which manufactures automotive lubricants, additives and greases

Sarah Palin Former Alaska governor
Agriculture Secretary
The agriculture secretary oversees America's farming industry, inspects food quality and provides income-based food assistance. The department also helps develop international markets for American products, giving the next secretary partial responsibility to carry out Mr. Trump's positions on trade.

Sam Brownback Kansas governor

Chuck Conner Chief executive officer of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives

Sid Miller Texas agricultural commissioner

Sonny Perdue Former Georgia governor
Commerce Secretary
The Commerce Department has been a perennial target for budget cuts, but the secretary oversees a diverse portfolio, including the Census, the Bureau of Economic Analysis and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Chris Christie New Jersey governor

Dan DiMicco Former chief executive of Nucor Corporation, a steel production company

Lewis M. Eisenberg Private equity chief for Granite Capital International Group
Labor Secretary
The Labor Department enforces rules that protect the nation’s workers, distributes benefits to the unemployed and publishes economic data like the monthly jobs report. The new secretary will be in charge of keeping Mr. Trump’s promise to dismantle many Obama-era rules covering the vast work force of federal contractors.

Victoria A. Lipnic Equal Employment Opportunity commissioner and work force policy counsel to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce

Health and Human Services Secretary
The secretary will help Mr. Trump achieve one of his central campaign promises: to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. The department approves new drugs, regulates the food supply, operates biomedical research, and runs Medicare and Medicaid, which insure more than 100 million people.

Dr. Ben Carson Former neurosurgeon and 2016 presidential candidate

Mike Huckabee Former Arkansas governor and 2016 presidential candidate

Bobby Jindal Former Louisiana governor who served as secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals

Rick Scott Florida governor and former chief executive of a large hospital chain
Energy Secretary
Despite its name, the primary purview of the Energy Department is to protect and manage the nation’s arsenal of nuclear weapons.

James L. Connaughton Chief executive of Nautilus Data Technologies and former environmental adviser to President George W. Bush

Robert E. Grady Gryphon Investors partner

Harold G. Hamm Chief executive of Continental Resources, an oil and gas company
Education Secretary
Mr. Trump has said he wants to drastically shrink the Education Department and shift responsibilities for curriculum research, development and education aid to state and local governments.

Dr. Ben Carson Former neurosurgeon and 2016 presidential candidate

Williamson M. Evers Education expert at the Hoover Institution, a think tank

Secretary of Veterans Affairs
The secretary will face the task of improving the image of a department Mr. Trump has widely criticized. Mr. Trump repeatedly argued that the Obama administration neglected the country's veterans, and he said that improving their care was one of his top priorities.

Jeff Miller Retired chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee
Homeland Security Secretary
The hodgepodge agency, formed after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, has one key role in the Trump administration: guarding the United States’ borders. If Mr. Trump makes good on his promises of widespread deportations and building walls, this secretary will have to carry them out.

Joe Arpaio Departing sheriff of Maricopa County, Ariz.

David A. Clarke Jr. Milwaukee County sheriff

Michael McCaul Representative from Texas and chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee

Jeff Sessions Senator from Alabama
White House Chief of Staff
The chief of staff manages the work and personnel of the West Wing, steering the president's agenda and tending to important relationships. The role will take on outsize importance in a White House run by Mr. Trump, who has no experience in policy making and little in the way of connections to key players in Washington.

Stephen K. Bannon Editor of Breitbart News and chairman of Mr. Trump’s campaign

Reince Priebus Chairman of the Republican National Committee
E.P.A. Administrator
The Environmental Protection Agency, which issues and oversees environmental regulations, is under threat from the president-elect, who has vowed to dismantle the agency “in almost every form.”

Myron Ebell A director at the Competitive Enterprise Institute and a prominent climate change skeptic

Robert E. Grady Gryphon Investors partner who was involved in drafting the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990

Jeffrey R. Holmstead Lawyer with Bracewell L.L.P. and former deputy E.P.A. administrator in the George W. Bush administration
U.S. Trade Representative
The president’s chief trade negotiator will have the odd role of opposing new trade deals, trying to rewrite old ones and bolstering the enforcement of what Mr. Trump sees as unfair trade, especially with China.

Dan DiMicco Former chief executive of Nucor Corporation, a steel production company, and a critic of Chinese trade practices

U.N. Ambassador
Second to the secretary of state, the United States ambassador to the United Nations will be the primary face of America to the world, representing the country’s interests at the Security Council on a host of issues, from Middle East peace to nuclear proliferation.

Kelly Ayotte Departing senator from New Hampshire and member of the Senate Armed Services Committee

Richard Grenell Former spokesman for the United States ambassador to the United Nations during the George W. Bush administration
C.I.A. Director / Director of National Intelligence
Mr. Trump takes over at a time of diverse and complex threats to American security. The new C.I.A. director will have to decide whether to undo a C.I.A. “modernization” plan put in place this year by Director John O. Brennan, and how to proceed if the president-elect orders a resumption of harsh interrogation tactics — which critics have described as torture — for terrorism suspects.

Michael T. Flynn Former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency

Peter Hoekstra Former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee

Mike Rogers Former chairman of the House Intelligence Committee

Frances Townsend Former homeland security adviser under George W. Bush
National Security Adviser
The national security adviser, although not a member of the cabinet, is a critical gatekeeper for policy proposals from the State Department, the Pentagon and other agencies, a function that takes on more importance given Mr. Trump's lack of experience in elective office.

Michael T. Flynn Former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency



Nigel Farage has managed to rewrite history – and now we’re stuck with him forever - Independent

Just when Nigel Farage’s critics thought they had seen the back of him, he has not only returned as Ukip leader for a fourth time but now claimed the credit for Donald Trump’s remarkable victory. He is in Washington this weekend as he angles for a job with the Trump administration in Washington.
For the second time in five months, the man who secured and won the EU referendum can revel in his self-styled role as the most important man in Britain.
You couldn’t make it up. Perhaps Farage is doing just that, or at least over-hyping his connections to Trump a little. We can hardly blame him. Trump hailed him as “Mr Brexit” during the presidential campaign and took his advice; now he is being described as the second “Mr Brexit”.
Farage boasts he was “the catalyst” for Trump’s triumph and “the downfall of the Blairites, the Clintonites, the Bushites”. There is a bit of rewriting history going on. Farage has admitted previously the EU referendum would not have been won without Boris Johnson, to which we can add Vote Leave, which froze Farage out.
He never formally endorsed Trump, saying only that he would not vote for Hillary Clinton if he were American.
Nigel Farage jokes about Donald Trump groping Theresa May
Before Trump won, the Ukip leader even played down his appearance on a platform with him in August. He said last month: “I happened to be invited to go to Mississippi by the governor of Mississippi to talk about Brexit … and just by happenstance, coincidence, finished up meeting Trump, going on stage with him. I haven’t endorsed him as a candidate, I don’t agree with everything he says but I do think in terms of direction of travel, he’s right on several big issues.”
But that was then, and now Trump has won. So Farage applied – during a radio interview this week– to be US ambassador to the EU. He may have been half-joking, even though he usually doesn’t do halves. Normally such a post would be held by an American. But Farage’s application has been taken seriously by the media and so we will soon find out how influential he really is in Trumpland.
Allies of Farage insist Trump was grateful for him recommending a data company which helped his Leave.EU campaign target voters by understanding their worries, and very interested in how working-class Labour supporters in the North were persuaded to vote Leave, foreshadowing Trump’s appeal among blue-collar workers.
Farage stood by Trump over the allegations that he abused women. “They couldn’t care less,” he said after meeting Trump supporters. Just as Tony Blair stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Bill Clinton at the height of the Monica Lewinsky scandal, leaders remember those who stay loyal in hard times.
Ukip MEPs who criticised Farage for dismissing the allegations are also happy to bask in Trump’s glory now. William Dartmouth, a deputy party chairman, called for Farage to be made UK ambassador to Washington because he has better ties with Trump than anyone else in British public life. Perhaps Farage could be a US and UK ambassador at the same time, and have a meeting with himself in a bar.
Johnson, now an insider as Foreign Secretary, has been urged to give Farage a role as a go-between with Trump for Theresa May’s Government, which hoped and believed that Clinton would win and has built few links with Trump’s closed inner circle. “The traditional relationship between the British Conservative Party and the Republicans has completely broken down,” Farage claimed in another job application.
Inevitably, Downing Street stamped on the idea of using Farage, with sources dismissing him as an “irrelevance”. May would never give a rival party such oxygen, especially with Ukip gasping for breath after so many self-inflicted wounds since the referendum. The most likely link man with Trump will be Liam Fox, the International Trade Secretary, who has long-standing ties with the Republicans.
Even if Farage fails to win a formal role on either side of the Atlantic, he is not going to disappear. He will hand over the Ukip leadership next month, probably to either Paul Nuttall or Suzanne Evans. But he has fallen out with both of them and his former aide Raheem Kassam has pulled out of the race.
Nigel Farage has become the most powerful man in politics
That, and Trump’s victory, will increase the prospects of a new grassroots, social media-based movement being launched by Arron Banks, the Ukip donor and Leave.EU founder. Despite protestation that he wants to “get [his] life back,” Farage is surely bound to emerge as its figurehead.
His critics would like to stop this mad new world and get off. They will be glad when 2016 is over. But Trump and Farage, the two Mr Brexits, are going to be around for a while. “There are plenty more shocks to come,” Farage said ominously. “2017 may surprise us as much as 2016.”
Let’s hope not.