CNN has lost all credibility

[Sam Flynn]

In contrast, President Trump is essentially a pragmatist.

I don't think he's a pragmatist, so much as content-free. Trump is pragmatic in the same sense that a lump of plasticine can be called "accommodating".

[Steadmund Brand]

Another annoying aspect of CNN, for me at least, is that after reporting some major event around the world like the earthquake/tsunami off Sumatra in 2016, or the nuclear meltdown in Japan some years ago, they immediately go off on a tangent posing the question, "could that happen here?", which then occupies many hours of various guests invited to give their opinions on a "what-if" scenario - really, really annoying.

Just report the freaking news, quite trying to make it![/QUOTE]

Well said... but that is the problem with a "news network".. see in the past the entertainment on a network was to pay for the news .. so the news could be just that.. the news....the money was made with the sitcoms and sports... but now.. with "news networks" they have to be the news, and entertainment AND money maker....which is why it ISN'T NEWS ANYMORE...it's ...."watch what you agree with... never hear the facts....you are conservative...welcome to FOX News.. no need to think for yourself... oh, you are Liberal.... well here ya go MSNBC just for you.... drool away... no need to form an opinion we will for you"....
in this day and age sadly the public doesn't want INFORMATION they want AFFIRMATION..

Steadmund Brand

[Wickerman]

Most interesting in the above article is that CNN is about news as entertainment, and in that regard, Trump is a gold mine for them. Stories about Trump sell views, that's all.

That's exactly how I see it, Trump is a gift-horse for CNN. His incompetent administration can provide CNN with an endless menu of related topics to pursue.
I noticed their tendency to 'make news' rather than report news way back with the disappearance of MH-370. Asking the same questions to different panels of guests, hour after hour, it was mind-numbing at times.

I prefer Politico.com or the BBC News, myself-- as well as "the failing" New York Times.

:-) I figured if I said that it might be seen as merely bias, but yes, if you want a more balanced view of what is happening in the world tune in to BBC World News - I find it refreshing when compared to the likes of CNN who often take a more internal focus.

Another annoying aspect of CNN, for me at least, is that after reporting some major event around the world like the earthquake/tsunami off Sumatra in 2016, or the nuclear meltdown in Japan some years ago, they immediately go off on a tangent posing the question, "could that happen here?", which then occupies many hours of various guests invited to give their opinions on a "what-if" scenario - really, really annoying.

Just report the freaking news, quite trying to make it!

[Steadmund Brand]

I'm completely in love with him. This is the first POTUS in my adult life (I'm 56) who puts America's interests ahead of a poliical party's. That's appalled a lot of the career politicians, but I think it's way too late to put the cat back into the bag. I don't expect American politics to return to business as usual any time soon.

That is why you can't see/ or understand so many of the complaints against him.... no offence, but it's true.. the people who really love Trump blindly love him...sure, it is like that way with other politicians but...remember, Trump was to be the Anti- Politician....there are many things to be against with his administration as a whole...giving the Alt-right such a platform and power...constantly changing their story on people...such as claiming they are important, then when the crap comes out against them all of the sudden they are " someone who had a limited role...or someone who was not important".....also.... so many people who are cheering Trump for his decision in Syria are the same people who voted against letting Obama take action....and also, so many in the public saying how great it is he "bombed" Syria are the same people who agreed with Trump when he would tweet that Obama should stay out... and it's none of our business...well which one is it.... President Trump has every right to (and SHOULD be able to ) change his mind on these things.... but everyone else.....come on.. makes you all look like mindless followers who would agree with whatever he said no matter what....Trump: "the sky is green".. His faithful: "oh look at the beautiful green sky"......plus these people BASHED Obama for going to congress and asking permission to take action (you know... they was the constitution says you should) ... talk about just being partisan....

Look...I am the one who has said from the get go, let's let Trump be Trump...see what happens...give him a chance...and I STILL FEEL THAT WAY...but, the hypocrisy of his defenders is mind boggling....he has made TERRIBLE decisions on personal, and his own behavior (stop quoting what you see on TV without researching.. it looks bad when the President is called out on his falsehoods, then says.. "well that is what people were saying") you are the POTUS.. act like it....stop tweeting like a child having a temper tantrum.... not saying he should stop tweeting....I like a President who is open...but come on... he sounds like a child half the time.....and stop blaming others for actions...."it was Obama, it was the Generals, it was Clinton"...it was friggin Santa Claus..who cares... you are the President.. .ACT LIKE IT....

I hope Trump does a wonderful job... I respect and support the office of the commander in chief no matter who is in it (so far).. and I believe if he really wants to unite the country he can.... but so far he just plays the Republican strong hold card.. and he divides the country further....

With respect to Syria.. it was a joke.. calling Russia in advance (who in turn warned Syria).. dropping bombs that did NO DAMAGE.. the airfield was up and running THE NEXT DAY...grandstanding after like you are the worlds savior....and denying that for years you were STRONGLY against what you did.. as were your supporters....it seemed like a giant publicity stunt...almost like trying to deflect attention...I am not saying it was... but that is how it came off......

again... I want our President (yes OUR....I don't care if you are Red/Blue ultra Lib or Ultra CON...) to do the best job he can...and will support him until such time as they prove not to be trusted or supported (No I am not saying in his case... I mean in general..) I think we as a country need to really find the common ground and come together... but so many people, on both sides, will never do that...and the proof is Trump supporters cheering all his moves,, even though they are sometimes the OPPOSITE of what he has said.... and Trump bashers booing everything... even when he does something they want.....was the same with Obama, And Bush and Clinton and on and on....the difference is this time we were suppose to have the "outsider" but it's business as usual....

Steadmund Brand

[Pcdunn]

Background on Trump and Zucker, chief of CNN news

CNN has gotten so hopelessly obsessed with Donald Trump that since his election 90 percent of its headlines and main stories are about him. FAke news, flat out errors, twisting of headlines so that every story, no matter how peripheral they try to tie to him and with a negative spin. They have gotten so bad that even liberal leaning people I know, and there's a lot of them, even say that they don't even believe CNN anymore. CNN has become the National Enquirer of national news.

It be laughable if it wasn't so sad.

The funny thing is, Trump and Jeff Zucker of CNN were once on good terms.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/04/magazine/cnn-had-a-problem-donald-trump-solved-it.html?_r=0

Trump thinks he got Zucker his job, though the latter is less sure of that. Trump now feels betrayed, which is pretty standard operating procedure for him.
Most interesting in the above article is that CNN is about news as entertainment, and in that regard, Trump is a gold mine for them. Stories about Trump sell views, that's all.

I prefer Politico.com or the BBC News, myself-- as well as "the failing" New York Times.

[Robert]

BTW if nuclear war breaks out, can anyone recommend a really good denture glue?

[Robert]

I appreciate that politicians might make an election pledge and then, when 'new' circumstances arise, they change their minds. But then they shouldn't have made the pledge. When they're electioneering, they don't say "I will do X provided that A, B or C don't happen," because that makes them sound shifty. What they say is, "I will do X. Trust me. I keep my word. I will do X." So when they later go back on their pledge, they get no sympathy from me.

[Abby Normal]

Watching CNN now. The headline of this section is "Trump changes stance on Syria, Russia, china and more". Seriously. That's the headline.

LOL!!!!!!!!!!

[Abby Normal]

Oh, it's still laughable! I laugh almost every night. Honestly, I would have guessed MSNBC would have gone 'round the bend first. But, CNN beat them to it, handily....before Trump took office.

What's more, it's CNN's 'straight news' that's become an unmitigated joke. I mean, we knew MSNBC's Rachael Maddow, Lawrence O'Donnell, and Chris Matthews would throw nightly conniptions, and they have. Alas, over on CNN you have Tapper, Cooper, and Blitzer tirelessly blowing everything that comes out of the Trump White House into an international crisis, Watergate, or the beginning of the end times.

To be fair, Fox did the same thing for eight years with Obama. But, as with MSNBC, that was - primarily with some exceptions - the opinion people like O'Reilly, Hannity, and the Fox and Friends crew. CNN has historically tried to set itself apart from Fox, MSNBC, et al...they're 'America's Newsroom', the "most trusted" name in news, all that baloney. Now they've lost any ability to hide what they've always been: a bunch of crybaby liberals whose worldview is simple: Democrats = Always Right, Good, True, Honest; Republicans = Hitler (who would never stoop to using chemical weapons, by the way).

Bingo. And I don't think I've seen a single program where they don't play the race card. I think every CNN commentator has got a stack of them in there front pocket ready to wip out any chance they get.

[Ginger]

I argued some time ago that Donald Trump was destined to disappoint a lot of people and this is already proving to be the case. The difficulty as I see it is that many of his supporters are deeply ideological-in fact, that's probably true of the Republican Party generally. In contrast, President Trump is essentially a pragmatist. He's certainly nothing like Margaret Thatcher, for example, who's total inflexibility eventually destroyed her political career.

I'm completely in love with him. This is the first POTUS in my adult life (I'm 56) who puts America's interests ahead of a poliical party's. That's appalled a lot of the career politicians, but I think it's way too late to put the cat back into the bag. I don't expect American politics to return to business as usual any time soon.

[GUT]

CNN lost credibility...


Did they ever have it????

Or any of the others for that matter.

[John G]

I argued some time ago that Donald Trump was destined to disappoint a lot of people and this is already proving to be the case. The difficulty as I see it is that many of his supporters are deeply ideological-in fact, that's probably true of the Republican Party generally. In contrast, President Trump is essentially a pragmatist. He's certainly nothing like Margaret Thatcher, for example, who's total inflexibility eventually destroyed her political career.

This really shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone, particularly as he made his position clear during the campaign: "No, it's not going to be the Trump doctrine. Because in life, you have to have flexibility. You have to change. You know, you may say one thing and then the following year you want to change it, because circumstances are different."

[Ginger]

I'm not up on current economic thinking, so I searched "why is globalism bad" and got this result from Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/panosmo.../#204fb8dc483f

Interesting.

https://www.the-american-interest.co...ats-globalism/ is interesting and relevant as well, IMHO.

[Ginger]

I really don't think that concern for the Syrians played any role in that decision. Europeans and the American left just love it when you justify a decision on grounds of "compassion", and I think that's why he said that, was to wrong-foot people who would otherwise be up in arms about it.

The real reason, IMHO, is that it's absolutely in America's interest to prevent other countries from using or even possessing chemical weapons. They're cheap, and effective, and they're a powerful battlefield equalizer. Even though Assad's just using them to kill his own people, that still threatens our interests by making their use seem an acceptable part of war. We'd much rather have the acceptable weapons of war be restricted to multi-millon dollar precision munitions guided by GPS, which we can field but others cannot.

[John G]

I think that President Trump's actions in Syria represent the best foreign policy decision of his presidency, whatever the alt-right may think. He had clearly been genuinely disturbed by Assad's brutal recourse to chemical weapons against his own people, and came to the conclusion that such atrocities couldn't go unanswered.

The alt-right also should understand that American isolationism will be disastrous for world stability, just as it was in the inter-war years. Simply put, if America doesn't stand up to brutal dictators who else will?