Central Perk: 23 ian. 2016

sâmbătă, 23 ianuarie 2016

Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis

Arrogant Trump: "I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose voters"

Posted: 23 Jan 2016 03:30 PM PST

At an Iowa rally earlier today, Donald Trump made the arrogant claim "I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose voters".

CNN reported Trump refused to clarify what he meant.

Donald Trump boasted Saturday that support for his presidential campaign would not decline even if he shot someone in the middle of a crowded street.

"I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose voters," Trump said at a campaign rally here.

After the event, Trump declined to answer when asked by CNN to clarify his comments.

Teflon Trump

At what point does making arrogant, seemingly idiotic statements matter?

No doubt his campaign is working on damage control now.

Here's the likely explanation: "Trump was obviously referring to being attacked and responding in kind."

Reaction So Far - Positive

Then again, perhaps Trump can just brush it off. NPR has this Report on Trump.

NPR's Don Gonyea reports that so far, the reaction to Trump's remarks has followed a familiar pattern.

"His audiences love it. His opponents try to use it against him — but so far, to no avail," Gonyea reports. "I talked to some of his supporters and they say, 'Yeah, sometimes he makes me cringe, but I still like him and I still think he's the right thing for America.' "

One supporter, who spoke to ABC News, said he found Trump's point clear — but mentioned Trump could have articulated it differently.

"He probably could've worded it a little bit better," campaign volunteer Brandon Fokkema said.

Fed Up

One thing's for sure: Former New York City mayor, Michael Bloomberg is so fed up with both Democratic and Republican candidates, that despite the longshot odds, Bloomberg Contemplates Running for President as Independent.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock

Bloomberg Contemplates Running for President as Independent; Longest of Longshots

Posted: 23 Jan 2016 03:10 PM PST

Former New York Mayor, billionaire Michael Bloomberg, is fed up with Donald Trump, the republicans in general, Bernie Sanders, and Hillary Clinton's shift to the left to fight Sanders.

As a direct result of being fed up with everyone but himself, Michael Bloomberg Mulling Run for President as Independent.

Mr. Bloomberg, 73 years old, has long contemplated a run at the White House. But the unlikely rise and continued strength of Donald Trump, along with polls suggesting Hillary Clinton's campaign may be flagging, have driven the billionaire businessman closer than ever before to entering the race, a close adviser said Saturday.

Eyeing a potential opening for the first time, Mr. Bloomberg has retained a consultant to help him run on the independent ballot in state primaries. He has commissioned polls to test his path to victory. And he has directed the close circle of advisers who worked for him as mayor and have remained by his side over the past two years since he left office to begin mapping out a blueprint for a run, one adviser said.

That adviser said the former mayor has been upset by what he sees as extremist rhetoric from Republicans in the race, as well as a leftward turn from Mrs. Clinton, who is fending off an unexpectedly strong challenge in the Democratic primary from the more liberal Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

If he runs, Mr. Bloomberg is likely to face hurdles with voters, especially those outside the Northeast, where he is better known. A recent poll by Morning Consult showed Mr. Bloomberg receiving 13% support from voters, Democrat Hillary Clinton getting 36% and Republican Donald Trump 37%. The same poll found that 43% of voters either hadn't heard of Mr. Bloomberg or had no opinion. Morning Consult said the poll was conducted from Jan. 14 to Jan. 17 among a sample of 4,060 registered voters around the country.

Longest of Longshots

Should he choose to run, Bloomberg would be the longest of longshots. But, he has a lot of money to waste.

Should he choose to do so, would it help or hurt Trump?

Mike "Mish" Shedlock

Seth's Blog : The client and the customer

The client and the customer

This is a choice, a huge one in the life of the freelancer, the entrepreneur or anyone who seeks to engage with the marketplace.

The customer buys (or doesn't buy) what you make.

The client asks you to make something.

The customer has the power to choose, but the client has the power to define, insist and spec.

There is a large number of potential customers, and you make for them before you know precisely who they are.

There are just a relative handful of clients, though, and your work happens after you find them.

If a customer doesn't like what's on offer, she can come back tomorrow. If the client doesn't like what you deliver, she might leave forever.

You can do great work for either.

But don't confuse them.

Choose your customers. Choose your clients.

And most of all, choose which category you're serving.

[Worth noting: Software and the internet let us disrupt a market by transforming clients into customers and customers into clients. People who used to have to take what was an offer can now get a customized version almost as easily. And people who used to pay extra for the bespoke version can now have the convenience and economy of merely buying what's on offer.]