Seemingly overlooked amid the simple tweet presented by Donald Trump last evening was the glaringly obvious: the President Elect, after winning the White House, is directly talking to the Chairman of the Ford Motor Company.

FULL STOP.
Think about it. Big Picture.
Donald Trump is focused, intensely focused, on Main Street – not wall street. The era of Main Street, middle-class, American economics becoming the primary interest of economic policy is right now. Do you think President Obama would ever give consideration to calling a captain of American industry, personally?
(more…)

In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “2016 Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Trump/Pence presidential victory.

Transition Website HERE

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

Media are reporting that General Michael Flynn is being “offered” the position of National Security Adviser to President-Elect Donald Trump.   However, there should be some reasonable caution on this announcement:
Almost everyone who supports Donald Trump has also supported Michael Flynn.

HOWEVER, recently, unbeknownst –at least originally– to the to the Trump campaign, General Flynn accepted a lobbying role for the government of Turkey, specifically to advocate for Recep Erdogan and Turkish interests, and presumably never told the campaign.
(more…)

(LINK)

Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin responds:

2 days ago, @realDonaldTrump told me he was working w/ @Ford to keep smaller vehicle production in KY & in USA..Tonight they delivered..TY!

— Matt Bevin (@MattBevin) November 18, 2016

(more…)

Amid all of the pontification surrounding the Donald Trump transition timeline, here’s some comparative information:
(Via ABC)  Obama did not make his first Cabinet nomination — Tim Geithner for treasury secretary — until Nov. 24th.
In a press conference on Dec. 1, 2008, Obama revealed his next big batch of Cabinet positions, including Hillary Clinton as secretary of state and Eric Holder as attorney general.
Obama had three Cabinet nominees withdraw.
On Jan. 4, 2009, former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson withdrew his nomination for secretary of commerce, plagued by a federal pay-to-play investigation into whether a state agency contracted with a company belonging to a prominent Richardson donor. (more…)

Corporations plan for contingencies.  Almost every reasonable corporation has a five-year strategy team.  Against this prior article, Apple’s inquiry appears prescient.
TAIPEI — iPhones might one day soon carry “Made in America” labels. Key Apple assembler Hon Hai Precision Industry, also known as Foxconn Technology Group, has been studying the possibility of moving iPhone production to the U.S., sources told the Nikkei Asian Review.
“Apple asked both Foxconn and Pegatron, the two iPhone assemblers, in June to look into making iPhones in the U.S.,” a source said. “Foxconn complied, while Pegatron declined to formulate such a plan due to cost concerns.”
Foxconn, based in the gritty, industrial Tucheng district in suburban Taipei, and its smaller Taiwanese rival churn out more than 200 million iPhones annually from their massive Chinese campuses.
(more…)

President-Elect Donald Trump thinks bigger than any politician in modern American history…

♦ James ‘I-responded-in-the-least-untruthful-manner‘ Clapper’s resignation as Director of National Intelligence is a no-brainer and a nothingburger, being spun as a media narrative (talking point):

[Clapper’s ] formal letter of resignation was issued in response to a White House request that all Obama administration political appointees submit resignations effective at noon on Jan. 20, a spokesperson for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said. (link)

♦ Ted Cruz meeting with Donald Trump is also quite predictable. BIG PICTURE = Trump’s immigration policy -as it is carried out- will clearly push “birthright citizenship” (aka “anchor babies”, aka 14th amendment definition) into the federal courts and will be fast-tracked, ultimately ending up in SCOTUS.
While we do not have any ‘insider’ information, it is more likely Cruz is viewed as a Scalia replacement candidate, not Attorney General.  Ted Cruz’s specific argumentative skill-set more apt to a long-term SCOTUS benefit.  When combined with the Trump policy toward immigration, ie. law and order, the importance of determination/interpretation of the 14th Amendment is key to enforcement.  This is unsettled law.  This is a legacy issue.
(more…)

President Obama held a press conference today with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and fielded questions about the 2016 presidential election.  Within the optics and the presented narrative it is possible to find evidence of the globalist’s perspective on the loss, and more importantly their intents moving forward.  Very Rivkin-esque.
Within the EU Merkel is the defacto representative of the continent’s globalist vision; as such when President Obama and Merkel appear together you will always find the epicenter of globalist advocacy – the direct opposition of nationalism.

For the optics note Obama’s grey hair exhibition.  One of the indicators of his preferred approach is how he chooses to present his personal image to the EU audience. When done by design, Obama always draws attention to it – today is no different.
There are many responses within the overall Merkel/Obama event which should be keenly understood by all Americans.  However, this response within this specific video (soundbite below) is a good summation: (more…)

Former presidential candidate Senator Ted Cruz appeared on Fox and Friends this morning to discuss his visit to Trump Tower and the transition team.