Countdown to Extinction: The 2016 Presidential Election

[Pat B]

Well, I had hoped that Walker would be exposed at least a little bit, but I guess I'll have to settle for him being out of the race and increasingly unpopular in Wisconsin.

Did anyone see this article on Trump? I thought Gary Johnson's comments were interesting. Of course you can't win the Presidency by telling people they're wrong. Or by running as a Libertarian. I rather admire him anyway.

[Ken B]

Trumpery!

The presidential campaign of Donald Trump on Tuesday threatened legal action against a politically oriented clothing outlet for using the GOP front-runner's name, which is trademarked, in its domain name and merchandise.

StopTrump.us sells t-shirts and other apparel online ...  Its merchandise features Trump's name and face along with slogans such as "Donald Is Dumb," "Stop Trump" and "America Is Already Great."

This both hilarious and awful.

I wonder though how many of those who decried the notion that corporations can have speech rights will suddenly leap to the defense of StopTrump.us's speech rights. Which are of course nothing but the speech rights of the owners, exercised through the medium of their company.

[Brian]

I wonder though how many of those who decried the notion that corporations can have speech rights will suddenly leap to the defense of StopTrump.us's speech rights. Which are of course nothing but the speech rights of the owners, exercised through the medium of their company.

Well I do think there is some sort of fair use, even if Donald has trademarked his name. Hypothetically, "Donald is Dumb" could be a T-shirt from a Mad Men fan club.

[North Star]

Donald can indeed be pretty dumb.

[ZauberdrachenNr.7]

Donald can indeed be pretty dumb.

Donald Duck has a bit of the everyman about him and thus is redeemable.  Donald Trump is a fat, arrogant self-centered toad of a man and thoroughly irredeemable. 

[Ken B]

Donald can indeed be pretty dumb.

Every interview seems to go the same way.

Interviewer: Do you know the beach at Marina del Rey?
Trump: No, but I'll know it better than you do when I have to. I'll know it better than the seagulls who live there. Nobody will ever be able to know that beach as well as I will, and I learn it fast. Faster than you can learn even a small beach, with rocks.

[Ken B]

Donald Trump is a fat, arrogant self-centered toad of a man and thoroughly irredeemable.

Hey! What's wrong with fat??

*reaches for dragon strength fire extinguisher*

[(poco) Sforzando]

Well I do think there is some sort of fair use, even if Donald has trademarked his name. Hypothetically, "Donald is Dumb" could be a T-shirt from a Mad Men fan club.

Fair use of trademarks is sometimes permitted, but it's not quite the same as fair use of a sentence or two in a review. Consider the case of Olympic Meat Packers:
http://rmfpc.com/the-fair-use-of-anothers-trademarks/
http://articles.latimes.com/2009/oct/16/nation/na-olympics-name16

[Ken B]

Fair use of trademarks is sometimes permitted, but it's not quite the same as fair use of a sentence or two in a review. Consider the case of Olympic Meat Packers:
http://rmfpc.com/the-fair-use-of-anothers-trademarks/
http://articles.latimes.com/2009/oct/16/nation/na-olympics-name16

There are numerous exemptions for trademarks including satire and criticism. Plus this is political speech.

This is pathetic and strange even for the Donald.

[ZauberdrachenNr.7]

Hey! What's wrong with fat??

A little marbling for winter comfort is ok, but Trump's beyond the pale in more ways than that.   

[ibanezmonster]

but Trump's beyond the pale

True. He's orange. Except I like oranges. So maybe he isn't an orange. I'm confused.

[ZauberdrachenNr.7]

True. He's orange. Except I like oranges. So maybe he isn't an orange. I'm confused.

Reddish-orange - his blood pressure must be through the roof, judging from weight and complexion (however, he claims it's "as low as a great athlete's").

[Brian]

Fair use of trademarks is sometimes permitted, but it's not quite the same as fair use of a sentence or two in a review. Consider the case of Olympic Meat Packers:
http://rmfpc.com/the-fair-use-of-anothers-trademarks/
http://articles.latimes.com/2009/oct/16/nation/na-olympics-name16

There are numerous exemptions for trademarks including satire and criticism. Plus this is political speech.

This is pathetic and strange even for the Donald.

Of course, I suppose that either way Donald's intentions are to drive the company out of business just by excessive legal fees alone.

[Pat B]

There are numerous exemptions for trademarks including satire and criticism. Plus this is political speech.

This is pathetic and strange even for the Donald.

I was just thinking it was par for the course -- he has also threatened to sue Club for Growth.

[(poco) Sforzando]

I was just thinking it was par for the course -- he has also threatened to sue Club for Growth.

Agreed. To me it sounds entirely in character.

[Ken B]

I was just thinking it was par for the course -- he has also threatened to sue Club for Growth.

I hadn't heard that. Not that it surprises me. This goes to why I doubt whether Trump *really* wants the nomination. He'd lose an actual vote. Losing an actual vote is not an ego-stroke. Finding some way to blame some insiders and flamboyantly withdrawing -- "look what you could have had" -- still seems more in character. Everything with the Donald is ego. But he does seem to be actually trying, so maybe I'm wrong.

[drogulus]

     

This goes to why I doubt whether Trump *really* wants the nomination.

     It never occurred to me Trump wanted anything other than what he's getting.

[Ken B]

I hadn't heard that. Not that it surprises me. This goes to why I doubt whether Trump *really* wants the nomination. He'd lose an actual vote. Losing an actual vote is not an ego-stroke. Finding some way to blame some insiders and flamboyantly withdrawing -- "look what you could have had" -- still seems more in character. Everything with the Donald is ego. But he does seem to be actually trying, so maybe I'm wrong.

Here's more on the CFG thing. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2015/09/25/donald-trump-v-club-for-growth/

Notice how he's going after basically everyone now!

I hope this might be Trump setting up his pretext for withdrawing. "See, they can just lie about me and no-one will stop them. The system is just slanted and corrupt. I could have fixed it but I can't overcome this sort of disgusting blah blah blah."

[kishnevi]

Right now the MSM is all Pope all the time.   I would not be surprised if Le Combover is doing a slow burn, and comes out with a megaDonaldism just to get back in the news.

[drogulus]

     We could have a kind of matter/anti-matter explosion with Francis and Donaldo.

     If we made Trump Ambassador to the Sea of Holes as a kind of consolation prize......ohhh my lack of god what fun that would be!!