Donald Trump specializes in self-own. This has actually resulted in a sort of mini-revelation for me: now I respect all presidents less than I used to; we’re into negative numbers.
All a president needs to do to succeed is shut up, read off the teleprompter, shake hands, and not grope constituents. It’s an easy job for a non-asshole. We shouldn’t respect these packaged and fluffed nobodies; let’s have someone challenging and intelligent. Shirley Chisolm your country betrayed you but now it needs your spirit.
There is so much here: [db]
President Trump on Saturday took a moment to hand out autographed photos of himself to emergency officials following a roundtable discussion of the devastation wrought by Hurricane Laura, which bashed Louisiana and Texas as a Category 4 storm earlier this week. He advised the officials to put the autographs up for auction online. “Sell this tonight on eBay. You’ll get $10,000,” he told one attendee. Signing a sheet of paper, he said, “If I put your name down, it loses a lot of value. So sell it tonight on eBay.”
Bystander: “Internet is down.”
Seriously, though, the whole moment becomes emblematic of one of the worst presidents people in the history of the US. He’s at the sweet spot straddling delusional, malicious, and clueless. He’s like if Inspector Clouseau picked up a massive cocaine habit and decided to become a super-villain.
$10,000? What is a Trump signature worth?
Next: How much is just the baseball worth?
Using top secret NSA-grade Math Technology(tm) I can tell Trump’s signature is worth $25. There’s a slight shipping difference and I’m not sure whether that means the USPS values Trump’s signature more than a bare ball, but let’s just call it $25.
This is emblematic of Trump: the guy’s entire wealth-grift is about puffing up the value of assets on the sale, and downplaying them when it’s time for taxes. He’s taking his $25 signature and telling the poor gomers he gave it to that it’s worth $10,000 – because he’s either delusional, stupid, or evil: either he has no idea that signed Trump stuff is worthless on Ebay, or he’s too stupid to check, or he’s deliberately messing with the gomers because he knows they won’t check Ebay right away and he’d have time to escape.
Meanwhile:
Wow, that protective case sure is valuable!
There is 1 bid on the Trump one and 0 bids on the Obama one so this may not be the free market speaking yet. Strictly speaking, free market will have spoken when the items are sold.
Everything Trump says is PR. I doubt the question of true/false even enters his head. “In order to be successful, one must project an image of success at all times.”
And why not? It worked for decades. It worked through nomination and election; through impeachment and four years of incompetence. Why would he stop now?
A friend saw a Trump necktie at a church garage sale and picked it up, without haggling, for $.50. Probably could have talked them down to $.25 but she was short on time and … its 25 cents difference. The tie is still for sale for online $95. I’m not sure how well they are moving at that price.
https://www.amazon.com/Donald-Trump-Black-Ivory-Silver/dp/B01BTACTNU/ref=sr_1_180?dchild=1&keywords=Donald+Trump+Ties&qid=1598804889&s=apparel&sr=1-180
I figure that if I need to escape through Trump country that tie and a flag pin may be handy as part of a disguise.
I recently picked up a Trump branded toiletry bag, not bad quality, for a quarter at Goodwill. I got it empty but filled with cheap Trump brand crap it goes for $85.
https://www.trumpstore.com/collections/men-accessories/products/nylon-dopp-kit
Melania Trump fashion items, mostly cheap knockoffs of other designers, sank so low that most retailers stopped carrying them. We have spotted quite a few at Goodwill where they are frequently discounted still more to get them to move. Seems likely they will end up shipped off the one of the poorer parts of Africa as rags. Even there they are unlikely to have much value. Cheap polyester doesn’t even make for a good rag.
A friend stayed a few nights in NYC and paid extra, in both time and money, to avoid staying at a Trump property. How much is the Trump name worth? If people are paying pennies on the dollar at Goodwill and paying extra to avoid the brand the name, by definition, can’t be worth much.
At least he isn’t holding up actual relief efforts like he did with Puerto Rico. That would have been a very Trumpian insult added to injury: first hobble the relief effort and then show up with a bunch autographs, telling people to flog them online for lots of dosh. No power, no internet and, I suspect, no shipping either. All of this would obvious to even the most casual thinker if they actually took the time to take in their surroundings for five minutes and wonder what the implications might be. In other words: Any one of 7 bn people except the sitting POTUS. And he was probably briefd on everything beforehand….