U.S. Conservative top donors ready to throw their support behind General James "Mad Dog" Mattis as t
86 replies, posted
[QUOTE=Sprockethead;50100805]Who?[/QUOTE]
Only people in the US would really know who General Mattis is, even more so for the Marines. He's like a alive version of Chesty Puller right now, a man who gives literally no fuck and takes no shit from anyone.
[QUOTE=Govna;50100859]Literally nothing. Nothing makes him presidential. He's basically a meme because of that Marine Corps reputation you mentioned, and he has no political experience to speak of or clear policies outlined regarding social and economic issues. And that eagerness to fight Iran is to be expected in a military figure. Like Truman warned, all they ever want to do is fight, fight, fight. Not a good plan at all even from a military perspective.
We do not need this man.[/QUOTE]
Still better than Trump. Mattis wants to fight our enemies. Trump wants to fight our allies.
Also, political experience isn't strictly necessary. Eisenhower never held political office before being elected, and he was one of the greatest presidents we've had - and a remarkably peaceful one, at that. (For a contradictory anectdote, Grant similarly went from military general to President, and is generally considered one of the worst - lack of experience has loose negative correlation with presidential quality).
I would definitely want to hear more on his actual beliefs, policies and plans before I vote for him, but lack of experience should not be a deal-breaker, and lack of policies is understandable given that he's not currently running.
The President is supposed to be a diplomat, not a general. He maintains power over the military in order to prevent a military coup, not wield it with any legitimate authority. Occasionally a former general can fill this role, but only if, during their time as general, they understood the horrors of conflict.
This guy picked up a taste for war. He enjoys it, and apparently people are okay with giving him the keys to the world's largest war machine. How fucking short sighted could someone possibly be?
[QUOTE=GunFox;50101132]The President is supposed to be a diplomat, not a general. He maintains power over the military in order to prevent a military coup, not wield it with any legitimate authority. Occasionally a former general can fill this role, but only if, during their time as general, they understood the horrors of conflict.
This guy picked up a taste for war. He enjoys it, and apparently people are okay with giving him the keys to the world's largest war machine. How fucking short sighted could someone possibly be?[/QUOTE]
As oppose to who, Trump who wants to bomb half the middle east and Clinton who voted to invade Iraq?
[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;50101146]As oppose to who, Trump who wants to bomb half the middle east and Clinton who voted to invade Iraq?[/QUOTE]
Virtually everyone voted to invade Iraq. Between Trump, this guy, and Clinton, you only have bad choices. Clinton is clearly the least bad. It is in the interests of major banks and corporations to generally maintain stability, which is what she would do.
Sanders or probably Stein are the only valid choices.
[QUOTE=GunFox;50101132]The President is supposed to be a diplomat, not a general. He maintains power over the military in order to prevent a military coup, not wield it with any legitimate authority. Occasionally a former general can fill this role, but only if, during their time as general, they understood the horrors of conflict.
This guy picked up a taste for war. He enjoys it, and apparently people are okay with giving him the keys to the world's largest war machine. How fucking short sighted could someone possibly be?[/QUOTE]
Most people who are in a war enjoy it on some level. It's just Human. Veterans come back scarred, yeah, but the idea that they are all horrified by what they've done or something isn't really that true. There's a reason most Marines love the shit he says.
[QUOTE=TheBloodyNine;50101227]Most people who are in a war enjoy it on some level. It's just Human. Veterans come back scarred, yeah, but the idea that they are all horrified by what they've done or something isn't really that true. There's a reason most Marines love the shit he says.[/QUOTE]
Which is fine. It doesn't mean they should be our chief diplomat. The "takes no shit" attitude is precisely the opposite of what a diplomat needs to be.
[QUOTE=GunFox;50101132]This guy picked up a taste for war. He enjoys it, and apparently people are okay with giving him the keys to the world's largest war machine. [/QUOTE]
[quote=Gen. James Mattis]None of the widely touted new technologies and weapons systems would have helped me in the last three years. But I could have used cultural training, language training. I could have used more products from American universities who understood the world does not revolve around America and embrace coalitions and allies for all of the strengths that they bring us.[/quote]
He picked up a taste for defeating our enemies, not for war. There is a substantial difference. Even as a general, he placed a large emphasis on peaceful solutions, because that was the best possible way to end the conflict.
He certainly doesn't shy away from using force when it makes sense, as evidenced by nearly every other item on his Wikiquote page, but he's not a brute, not a sociopath.
Also, I did find some of his own words on Iran. [url=http://www.businessinsider.com/mattis-iran-nuke-2014-3]He doesn't seem to favor a war as his preferred solution[/url], he just didn't want a treaty that wouldn't stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons. The deal we have right now seems to meet his criteria, so as long as Iran keeps up its end of the deal, I expect Mattis would choose to keep up ours.
Hopefully R. Lee Emery will run as his VP.
To be honest I'm kinda conflicted. Because this quote
[QUOTE=James Mattis]You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil. You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them. Actually, it's a lot of fun to fight. You know, it's a hell of a hoot. It's fun to shoot some people. I'll be right upfront with you, I like brawling.[/QUOTE]
doesn't even sound like it's the same person who said this
[QUOTE]Following a U.S. Department of Defense survey that showed only 55% of American soldiers and 40% of U.S. Marines would report a colleague for abusing civilians, Mattis told U.S. Marines in May 2007 that "Whenever you show anger or disgust toward civilians, it's a victory for al-Qaeda and other insurgents." Reflecting an understanding of the need for restraint in war as key to defeating an insurgency, he added that "Every time you wave at an Iraqi civilian, al-Qaeda rolls over in its grave."[/QUOTE]
I'll vote for him.
Democrats would win easily.
[QUOTE=Sprockethead;50100805]Who?[/QUOTE]
If you've ever seen the HBO series Generation Kill, this is a supposedly accurate rendition of him:
[video=youtube;fTXzcILPPp8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTXzcILPPp8[/video]
As depicted, Mattis was in command of the first marine division during the invasion of Iraq and was later appointed as the head of CENTCOM, the U.S. command region responsible for the middle east and Egypt.
Aside from that, most of the qualifications posters in this thread are highlighting would make him suited more to be secretary of defense, not president. Perhaps he's better than Trump, but those two are far from our only options, particularly since Mattis hasn't even expressed any desire to run himself.
I hope they didn't just unearth Trump's potential running mate with this scheme :v:
[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;50102007]I hope they didn't just unearth Trump's potential running mate with this scheme :v:[/QUOTE]
they're putting him up there to knock trump out, tho
[QUOTE=Ninja Gnome;50102273]they're putting him up there to knock trump out, tho[/QUOTE]
Whats the best way to stop that? Make him a VP
I actually would love to see Trump and Mattis together, it pretty much guarantees all support from any military present or previous. Not to mention, it simply would make every other standing politician look like the Wallstreet Sideshows they are.
I would like to see Mattis as Secretary of Defense, actually
y'know what would be funny.
Mattis endorsing Sanders, unlikely, but would be hilarious as the GOP scrambles to call him a terrible general and evil socialist.
finally someone Putin would respect ... +1
[editline]10th April 2016[/editline]
[QUOTE=LtKyle2;50102397]y'know what would be funny.
Mattis endorsing Sanders, unlikely, but would be hilarious as the GOP scrambles to call him a terrible general and evil socialist.[/QUOTE]
oh, I get the plot, Mattis gets VP and when Sanders gets ill or die, ... ;)
[QUOTE=JoeSkylynx;50102355] Not to mention, it simply would make every other standing politician look like the Wallstreet Sideshows they are.[/QUOTE]
An apt choice of words, considering if everyone else is a sideshow, that'd make them the circus.
[QUOTE=Mingebox;50102757]An apt choice of words, considering if everyone else is a sideshow, that'd make them the circus.[/QUOTE]
At least the circus is entertaining.
[QUOTE=JoeSkylynx;50102355]I actually would love to see Trump and Mattis together, it pretty much guarantees all support from any military present or previous. Not to mention, it simply would make every other standing politician look like the Wallstreet Sideshows they are.[/QUOTE]
The marine corps, definitely, but I imagine the army, air force, navy, and coast guard won't be immediately convinced.
[QUOTE=proboardslol;50097287]Is this like an explicit admission that conservatives don't give a fuck about democracy?[/QUOTE]
the united states has never been a democracy
[editline]10th April 2016[/editline]
[QUOTE=Judas;50097941]the GOP would rather have clinton or bernie win than trump[/QUOTE]
there's a reason for that. trump would break the status quo so hard. that's not a bad thing in case you didn't know
[QUOTE=butre;50103124]
there's a reason for that. trump would break the status quo so hard. that's not a bad thing in case you didn't know[/QUOTE]
Explain?
[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;50103172]Explain?[/QUOTE]
trump has a history of questioning political leaders and every one of those fuckers has something or another they're hiding. trump being in a position of real power would leave a lot of crooked politicians exposed I think
this is conjecture. all I know is that there's some kind of reason the GOP doesn't want their best chance in the running.
[QUOTE=butre;50103192]can you think of any other reason the gop wouldn't want the gop's best chance in the running?[/QUOTE]
I'm going to stop you right there. [url=http://www.gallup.com/opinion/polling-matters/188177/trump-image-among-democrats-independents-negative-gop-candidate.aspx]Trump has the highest disapproval ratings[/url] [url=http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/donald-trump-is-really-unpopular-with-general-election-voters/]of all Republican candidates[/url] among non-Republicans, in multiple polls. Your logic is broken from its very premise - at this moment in time, Donald Trump is damn near unelectable. He's about as liked as [url=http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/01/12/presidential-job-approval-ratings-from-ike-to-obama/]post-Watergate Nixon[/url].
The rest of your argument is similarly broken, but you're wrong from the very beginning so I see no point in proving you wrong at the ending too.
[QUOTE=butre;50103124]the united states has never been a democracy[/QUOTE]
uh yes it has, and it continues to be
[url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy_Index#Democracy_index_by_country_.282015.29[/url]
[quote] United States 8.05 Full democracy[/quote]
[QUOTE=butre;50103192]trump has a history of questioning political leaders and every one of those fuckers has something or another they're hiding. trump being in a position of real power would leave a lot of crooked politicians exposed I think
this is conjecture. all I know is that there's some kind of reason the GOP doesn't want their best chance in the running.[/QUOTE]
Trump is an outsider who has hijacked the Republican nomination process. Oh, and just happens to be so widely disliked by the general voting population that he's going to turn red states blue.
That's why the GOP doesn't want Trump.
[QUOTE=Sobotnik;50103279]uh yes it has, and it continues to be
[url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy_Index#Democracy_index_by_country_.282015.29[/url][/QUOTE]
That's basically just showing how much of an effect people's voices have in their country, the U.S. is a republic, not a democracy.
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