Obama, in Greece, says world leaders must heed people's economic fears

viking68,

Trump as suicide belt?

No, the analogy would be Trump is the con man inciting extreme behavior, denying facts that don't agree with conservative's feelings, racism, anti-semitism, sexism. Those extreme behaviors are the suicide belt that will cripple U.S. citizen's rights in favor of a conservative's opinion on how another person should live.

The U.S. has a history of supporting ME dictators who kept opportunities from the poor. The poor remain poor. Then we (ME dictators or the U.S. once they turn terrorist) blast them to oblivion with smart bombs from multi-million dollar jets when they rise up, which creates further unchannelled anger.

The U.S. has nearly the opposite problem. The rich always remain rich. It is difficult to lose wealth once created. You can get greedy and take on too much risk or consume yourself poor (hard to do), but basically this holds true. Just look at the Kennedy's. They have been subject to 55% estate taxation for generations, but they are still wealthy. The rich control the politicians, who tend to pass laws to increase the power and divide between wealthy and middle class. Sure, the U.S. is not socialist, it also isn't libertarian either. The result, there are those with power, and there are those without.

I am all for the fight against terrorism. However, the root of terrorism cause is typically economics and lack of opportunity.

that's not how our system goes, thank god, otherwise one party could dominate over the other in winning elections

Yeah, god forbid the people be able to elect the government that most people think represents their interests.

There'll be plenty of honks and quacks to keep everyone ROFLing, WTFing and faces burying in hands over the next few years as the stupid party insults the intelligence of amoeba over the next few years.

Why Jim, if I didn't know better, I could swear you aren't so happy with the present outcome of the election.

Trump won the electoral college, Clinton won the popular vote.

Yes, but we don't go by the popular vote.

In the US the electoral college winner becomes president. I haven't questioned the results nor have I criticized them.

Good to know.

But....be careful. You might find it hard to say things like, "Well, that's who the people chose" since people will surely remind you that a majority voted for Clinton.

But that's not how our system goes, thank god, otherwise one party could dominate over the other in winning elections and I know the Dems don't believe in a one party system. They can't be that far out there.

turbo: Who won the election?

Trump won the electoral college, Clinton won the popular vote. In the US the electoral college winner becomes president. I haven't questioned the results nor have I criticized them.

But....be careful. You might find it hard to say things like, "Well, that's who the people chose" since people will surely remind you that a majority voted for Clinton.

For Obama, this is just a free trip on the public purse. He's nothing but a celebrity traveler, now, feeding off the trough, and should be staying at home, with his tail between his legs, looking for a way out of the mess he created.

SuperLib: Have fun with that, turbo.

Who won the election?

Have fun with that, turbo. Seems like a lot of frustration trying to make a point no one believes and will quickly forget. Be prepared to post that hundreds if not thousands of times over the next 4 years. Enjoy the prison.

Laguna: Okay, Turbo, let's say that there are 11 million illegal immigrants in the US (that's in the upper range of government estimates) and that 2.2% voted in 2016, and let's assume that all voted for Clinton (it would be unlikely they'd vote for Trump) - that would be 242,000 votes spread over 50 states, or on average by state, 4,840 per state. ...

You're choosing the wrong year, 2010, that was not a presidential election year ... the profs said "is that 6.4 percent of non-citizens voted in 2008 and 2.2 percent of non-citizens voted in 2010" ... 6.4 percent of 11 million is 704K, almost 3 times larger than 242K ... and don't forget, not all absentee votes have been counted and some absentee votes will never be counted.

Also note you are only using illegal immigrant population as your base figure. The base figure should be the total number of non-citizens, as it is illegal for non-citizens to vote for president. The following link says "Combining the estimated numbers of both legal and illegal aliens, there appear to be at least 26 million non-U.S. citizens in the United States at any given time. " Applied to 6.4 percent that gives 1.7M non-citizens voting illegally.

In reply to the rest of your post, 'no one reported any or much of any', these quotes from the link:

http://www.fairus.org/issue/noncitizens-voting-violations-and-u-s-elections

Noncitizens, Voting Violations and U.S. Elections - NOVEMBER 2016

U.S. Elections Are Vulnerable to Noncitizen Voting Fraud (section) ... Noncitizen Voting Is Illegal (section) ... Noncitizen Voting Is Easy (section) ...

There Are Few Deterrents to Noncitizen Voting (section) ... The U.S. Election Assistance Commission published its last report on Election Crimes a decade ago in December 2006. This 23 page report mentioned noncitizen voting once, only to note that it had been addressed in media reports. ... Federal and state lack of interest in election offenses is not an indication that noncitizen voting is a minor problem. It is only an indication that election authorities are failing to prosecute violators. ...

How Much Noncitizen Voting Is Going On? (section) ... If we take the mean of these three estimates -- 7.25 percent -- and apply it to just the 22 million non-citizen residents currently in the United States, then approximately 1.6 million non-citizens vote every year. According to the high and low estimates here, that number could be as high as 2.9 million (at 13 percent of 22 million), or as low as 528,000 (2.4 percent of 22 million). Both are unacceptably high numbers. ...

If you're thinking of criticizing the WaPo article, please be aware of the authors' followup:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2014/11/02/do-non-citizens-vote-in-u-s-elections-a-reply-to-our-critics/

Do non-citizens vote in U.S. elections? A reply to our critics. By Jesse Richman and David Earnest November 2, 2014

"But the Democrats do? It shows. By the way, what's Obama doing these days? ROFL"

I watched him a few hours ago making a highly intelligent speech in which he talked about things like the scientific method being a way to move forward.

I didn't see him say the pyramids were stuffed with grain, women can't get pregnant through rape, the planet is 6,000 years old, evolution is a myth created by atheists, the Big Bang is a lie from the pit of hell, climate change is a lie created by the Chinese and other crackpot trash the GOP is wallowing in.

There'll be plenty of honks and quacks to keep everyone ROFLing, WTFing and faces burying in hands over the next few years as the stupid party insults the intelligence of amoeba over the next few years.

Sigh. Another right winger who doesn't understand finance but likes to think they do.

But the Democrats do? It shows. By the way, what's Obama doing these days? ROFL

This from a Californian Republican with a short memory:

the majority of the country doesn't care about the whacky George Soros globalization ideas

How dare Soros steal The Gipper's GATT ideals!

Did Obama mention that he racked up more debt than all presidents before him combined?

Sigh. Another right winger who doesn't understand finance but likes to think they do.

Trump decisively won the Electoral College 306 to 232.

Yep. But more people wanted Hillary president than him.

Did Obama mention that he racked up more debt than all presidents before him combined?

Trump decisively won the Electoral College 306 to 232. The end.

Obama is being a great ambassador for Trump. Be thankful, Republicans.

bass: Sorry, if you take all he blue spots that voted for Hillary, the map of the US STILL looks like the US, in other words, you can't really tell

I'm not sure why you guys are arguing against math. A majority voted for Hillary. The end.

"Obama is a great talker. and talk is cheap."

I'm just watching Obama's speech now. He's a great speaker.

He just mentioned the value of the scientific method over ideology. I enjoyed that. I doubt there'll be anything like that kind of common sense coming out of the GOP asylum over the next 4 years.

Quote of the day, from Eliot A. Cohen, counselor of the State Department from 2007 to 2009 under the younger Bush:

The president-elect is surrounding himself with mediocrities whose chief qualification seems to be unquestioning loyalty.

Christie is gone, and all of his compatriots have been purged. Who will be next?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/i-told-conservatives-to-work-for-trump-one-talk-with-his-team-changed-my-mind/2016/11/15/f02e1fac-ab7c-11e6-977a-1030f822fc35_story.html?utm_term=.d5169539571c

It seems there are 7000 Greeks in the streets who feel differently. Greek police, protesters clash in Athens during Obama visit

I'm not gonna support Obama, but as a Greek, let me tell you, rioters in Athens are not brilliant and not-brainwashed creatures. There is even a date (6th December) when they just burn a part of Athens every year, as a "tradition", so yeah, do not even think they need a reason for causing trouble.

obama is a great talker. and talk is cheap.

Yep, he's a classy dude, one of the classiest.

That would depend on what is your level of classiness is, but you might be right, that's the only thing Obama will leave with. A classy man with nothing to show for it. Very sad.

Yep - more than half of them voted for Hillary. So they obviously cared about his legacy.

Sorry, if you take all he blue spots that voted for Hillary, the map of the US STILL looks like the US, in other words, you can't really tell, even in sunny California where I thought my state was hopeless, but come to find out, there are more conservatives than we all thought, they just hunkered down and stayed dormant until now. Wonders never cease to amaze me.

With the dust settling, Dems are now considering how to counter the Trump onslaught. Opinions vary, but one I support is this: Let them collapse due to their own ineptitude.

Controlling all 3 branches and having 33 governors across the country and more Republican legislative districts, you guys have more than your work cut out for you. At this point, the Democrats need to take a hard look at themselves and realize, the majority of the country doesn't care about the whacky George Soros globalization ideas and a stark progressive society. The people have outright rejected that crazy lifestyle and philosophy.

viking68,

Trump as suicide belt?

Strangerland,

No coincidence the OED's global word of the year is "post-truth."

https://www.oxforddictionaries.com/press/news/2016/11/15/WOTY-16

These are the same economic pressures that has always fueled the ranks of radical Muslims. They turn to slick con men who tell them to blow them-selves up in the name of Alah.

Maybe the whole world is going down the tubes and led by the disenfranchised on both spectrum's of the divide.

Really? Tea Party intelligence (pardon the oxymoron), and something from Breitbart?

It's almost laughable how these guys will criticize organizations like CNN that actually operate under a guide of ethics, then quote Breitbart, which doesn't. It would be laughable if it was so not funny.

Two rabbits in the hat:

Really? Tea Party intelligence (pardon the oxymoron), and something from Breitbart?

A pretty piss-poor magic act.

Okay, Turbo, let's say that there are 11 million illegal immigrants in the US (that's in the upper range of government estimates) and that 2.2% voted in 2016, and let's assume that all voted for Clinton (it would be unlikely they'd vote for Trump) - that would be 242,000 votes spread over 50 states, or on average by state, 4,840 per state.

Now, stats on this issue are difficult to come by, and while I do not agree with whatever your WaPo sources say because, even in this year, when alertness to this issue was at an unprecedentedly high level, the number of non-citizens charged for voting (even in red states) is exactly zero (see my above point: it would be STUPID!), as a devil's advocate, let's say that what you say is true: This would not have affected the result in any state; and it would still be just 10% of the popular vote margin by which Clinton will likely have won.

ts: an estimated 3 million non-citizens voted illegally, probably 80% for Hillary

SenseNotSoCommon: Any rabbits in that hat? Who did they vote for?

Two rabbits in the hat:

http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/immigration/item/24630-vote-fraud-monitoring-group-says-three-million-noncitizens-voted-in-presidential-election

An organization formed back in 1996 to publicize computerized vote fraud, and which continues to monitor election results to detect vote fraud, has issued a statement that it has uncovered evidence of more than three million people who are not U.S. citizens casting votes in this past presidential election.

http://www.breitbart.com/2016-presidential-race/2016/10/18/flashback-washpost-illegal-immigrant-voting-gave-us-obamacare/

FLASHBACK– Washington Post in 2014: Non-Citizen Voting Gave Democrats 60th Vote for Obamacare - 18 Oct 2016

... The 2014 Washington Post article titled “Could Non-Citizens Decide The November Election?” was written by Jesse Richman and David Earnest, two associate professors of Political Science and International Studies at Old Dominion University. Their research relied upon data from the Cooperative Congressional Election Study (CCES). ... The professors found “that some non-citizens participate in U.S. elections, and that this participation has been large enough to change meaningful election outcomes including Electoral College votes, and Congressional elections.” ...

(WaPo, quoting the profs): " How many non-citizens participate in U.S. elections? […] Our best guess… is that 6.4 percent of non-citizens voted in 2008 and 2.2 percent of non-citizens voted in 2010… Because non-citizens tended to favor Democrats (Obama won more than 80 percent of the votes of non-citizens in the 2008 CCES sample), ... "

With the dust settling, Dems are now considering how to counter the Trump onslaught. Opinions vary, but one I support is this: Let them collapse due to their own ineptitude.

The Trump transition team is already in extreme disarray. Word has it that professionals are unwilling to join on, not just because of Trump but due to the department heads he's considering, whom many find to be sufficiently batshit insane to forever tarnish their resumes. Than there's the internecine warfare already apparent in the "You're fired!"-ing of Christie (whom Trump's son in law, Jared, despises); this extends to the question of House Speaker; apparently, some Trump supporters are not to keen on Paul "I will vote for Trump but will not endorse him" Ryan, though that leaves the question, if not him, who? Also, Trump seems to have received his smartphone back; his midnight tweets now will not endear him with the judge to whom he's asked for a postponement of his Trump University trial because he's "too busy". (On the lawsuit front, there is enough sh!t waiting for fan hitting that it makes the DMV look like an AU outlet.) And much, much more, of course (Have you noticed that Trump seems unusually distant these days? - don't think he's digging this whole "responsible for the country" gig).

Today marks only one week since this political earthquake, and Trump's movement is already disintegrating in multiple directions and for multiple reasons. Question: will Trump even make it to his inauguration?

greeks, in their thousands, in the street protesting obama. I guess they arent fooled by CNN. btw, what DID obama get the peace prize for, exactly???

Uh-oh!

Hold off on the bromance guys. Obama's "Love Me Tender" World Farewell Tour 2016 just hit a roadblock.

It seems there are 7000 Greeks in the streets who feel differently.

Greek police, protesters clash in Athens during Obama visit

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-greece-obama-protests-idUSKBN13A2DT

Don't let the headline fool ya. They are definitely protesting the Peace Prize winner.

Also, an estimated 3 million non-citizens voted illegally, probably 80% for Hillary.

Please don't spread lies like this. I hope you aren't one of the many who also said that there were Iraqi's on the planes that crashed on 9-11 (2001).

Hannity to Trump: Listen to the will of the American people

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIlWCiBaN0E

Also, an estimated 3 million non-citizens voted illegally, probably 80% for Hillary.

If I were an illegal alien, I would definitely risk breaking Federal law and immediate deportation simply so that I could be a tiny drop in a bucket of a state which is probably blue anyway. It only makes sense.

Snark aside, Google "illegal alien voting" for a whose-who of fake-news sites (which, coincidentally, match the whose-who list of alt-right and Russian-sponsored Webmills). A Washington Post poll has found that 60% of Republicans believe illegal immigrants vote. Not stated but can be implied is that 60% of Republicans do not use their brains to think and instead regurgitate whatever link shows up on their Twitter page.

I love Obama's style. He can connect with all kinds of people. He just had a way of carrying himself and speaking that not many Presidents have had. He presents such a good image when he travels across the world to represent us.

Well, after 8 years of Bush, it wasn't really a hard acting job.

an estimated 3 million non-citizens voted illegally, probably 80% for Hillary

Any rabbits in that hat? Who did they vote for?

"I love Obama's style. He can connect with all kinds of people. He just had a way of carrying himself and speaking that not many Presidents have had. He presents such a good image when he travels across the world to represent us."

That must be why the president of the Philippines said Obama can go to hell.

The Democrats Aren't Learning Their Lesson, Still

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwuqxKXbogY

Absentee votes won't all be counted, so we will never know. They are not that far apart in the count so far.

No we know, she won. Look at the numbers.

I know you want to come up with excuses, but you're just in denial.

Also, an estimated 3 million non-citizens voted illegally, probably 80% for Hillary.

Nope, 8 million non-citizens voted for Trump.

Strangerland: As is the fact that more people voted for Hillary than for Trump.

'Fact'?

Absentee votes won't all be counted, so we will never know. They are not that far apart in the count so far.

Also, an estimated 3 million non-citizens voted illegally, probably 80% for Hillary.

RealCDN, of course you are correct, however the "popular vote" thing is a convenient refuge for those in denial.

In denial of what? We accept that Trump is president, there is no denying it whatsoever. It's absolute fact.

As is the fact that more people voted for Hillary than for Trump.

RealCDN, of course you are correct, however the "popular vote" thing is a convenient refuge for those in denial.

The electoral college is what matters

Yep, it's what determines who the president is.

But that doesn't change the fact that more people wanted Hillary for president than Trump.

The electoral college is what matters, not another 250,000 out of 51,000,000 votes. The electoral college serves a very important function. Yes, Obama is a talker - and that appeals to some people. 'Crude nationalism'. 'Deplorables.' Looks like a lot of 'elite' democrats out there.

in denial about his own part in the massacre of the democratic party.

What massacre? They got more than half the vote.

turbo, thanks for the link. indeed, obama seems to be throwing hillary under the bus, and in denial about his own part in the massacre of the democratic party.

I love Obama's style. He can connect with all kinds of people. He just had a way of carrying himself and speaking that not many Presidents have had. He presents such a good image when he travels across the world to represent us.

I keep hearing from certain quarters how much "class" obama has.

Yep, he's a classy dude, one of the classiest.

during hillarys campaign he told the public that if they cared abt his legacy they would vote for hillary. well, he got their answer.

Yep - more than half of them voted for Hillary. So they obviously cared about his legacy.

I keep hearing from certain quarters how much "class" obama has. he indeed changed nothing and will be relegated to a footnote in history. during hillarys campaign he told the public that if they cared abt his legacy they would vote for hillary. well, he got their answer.

Wow! He really must be a lame duck if the AP is harshing on him. Or maybe they're angry he 'threw shade' on Clinton the other day, about her election effort.

'... anything but his own performance, ...'!!!

Gloves are off!

(NYT site but AP article):

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2016/11/15/world/europe/ap-eu-obama.html

Obama, Conceding No Fault, Struggles to Explain Trump's Rise

By The Associated Press - NOV. 15, 2016 - Associated Press writer Lisa Lerer in Washington contributed to this report.

ATHENS, Greece — President Barack Obama pointed Tuesday to fears of globalization, economic uncertainty, suspicion of elites — anything but his own performance — as he grasped for ways to explain the unexpected rise of Donald Trump. ... It was also the clearest sign yet that the president did not accept Trump's election as a repudiation of his policies, despite Trump's ardent rejection of nearly every piece of Obama's legacy. ...

Obama campaigned on 'change'. Nothing change. Things will change now - so both the democrats (that voted for him/change) and the republicans should be happy.

“Sometimes people just feel as if we want to try something and see if we can shake things up,” Obama said."

This election became sometime.

President Obama's skill, grace and leadership will be greatly missed. The next four years of Trumpism will magnify that.

some of the rhetoric seen in the elections was “pretty troubling and not necessarily connected to the facts”

Very generously put.