Michael Avenatti is starting to remind me of Tom Arnold.

[LuvLoogie]

I'm not sayin'
I'm just sayin'

[Chickensoup]

1. Why some people are suddenly against

Avenatti?

[LuvLoogie]

12. Not against him. Just increasingly skeptical.

He is close to becoming a very Tom Arnold - like caricature for me.

[snowybirdie]

2. Me too

Think he's getting the overexposed tv guy big head. He seems to have abandoned Stormy and is talking about a presidential run! No more amateur presidents, please!

[brooklynite]

15. He hasn't "abandoned" Stormy; there isn't a legal action to be taken at present.

[nolabear]

18. Stormy has posted that she's not been abandoned. It's a delicate thing though.

If he has money to put where his mouth is, all is fine. And he’s been truly helping mothers whose kids have been taken. That said, I like the guy unless he can’t cash that check. The fact that Spanky isn’t taking his bait is fascinating too. Makes me think he has something(s).

[brush]

3. Not me. He's done a good job for his client and is now representing...

some of the families caught up in the border crisis pro bono.

I assume you didn't know that?

[jrthin]

4. Count me with you. nt

[LuvLoogie]

14. I know he's picked up immigrant clients,

but so have hundreds of other attorneys. We can't let Avenatti become the face of the legal community that was on board way before him in the defense of these immigrant families.

I'm getting a Gideroy Lockhart vibe from this guy lately.

[brush]

16. You're getting vibes? That's your proof? You gotta have more than...

that to smear him.

We need someone with the guts to blast trump and defend other Dems. Pelosi and Schumer wouldn't even defend Maxine Waters and Gillebrand attacked fellow Dems Al Franken and Bill Clinton.

The guy is a Democrat and a fighter. He's got a gift of gab, media savvy and not bad looks.

When you think about it, those are positive characteristics for a candidate instead of the usually milquetoast, afraid-to-attack Dems we get.

I'm not touting him for president as we have some strong candidates for a change this time but he can throw his hat in the ring like anyone else.

Remember, he's on our side so cool it with the attacks with no proof already.

What do we need repugs for if we've got Dems to attack Dems?

[LuvLoogie]

19. Proof of what? I'm skeptical of him. So are others, including the Cohen prosecutors.

Avenatti's own actions are causing my skepticism. Why do you consider him a Democrat? I haven't seen anything that specifies his party affiliation.

I think it rather presumptuous for him to think he could be a savior to vote for, if no one else was viable. I can't really think of any Dem on the shortlist that I wouldn't prefer over him.

I'd rather see him primary trump. That's what he may have been talking about.

[brush]

22. Catch up. He came out as a Dem several weeks ago.

He's a fighter and takes on trump and repugs unhesitatingly, he's representing separated families on the border as well.

He's not my choice for president as we have a deep benck of strong candidates for 2020 but he's welcome to throw his hat in the ring.

And I for one am tired of Dems attacking other Dems.

[LuvLoogie]

23. Avenatti attacked "other" Dems in his speculative announcement. He sounded like Jill or Bernie

--Avenatti elaborated to Newsweek that he believes there is a “small group of people that identify as street fighters that could potentially beat Trump in an election,” and that he would not name the individuals but “I could prevail.”

“The election in 2020, if he is still in office, will require a non-establishment candidate,” Avenatti said. “Some weak policy wonk isn’t going to cut it.”

Other candidates “certainly have a chance” against Trump, but the list is not long, Avenatti said. The lawyer said an honest discussion with highly active Democratic Party members would reveal the “field thus far is uninspiring, with a few exceptions” he would not disclose.

“Some of the establishment candidates that I have heard may run, they may be able to get through the primary, but they will be crushed by Mr. Trump come the general election,” Avenatti said. “If people believe that some traditional, weak-kneed career politician can beat this guy, they’re fooling themselves and setting themselves up for a repeat of 2016.”--Newsweek

http://www.newsweek.com/michael-avenatti-says-hed-absolutely-beat-trump-2020-election-and-be-his-1008494

I am skeptical

[DeminPennswoods]

30. Seems like a clear-eyed and unsentimental analysis of the situation

to me.

[LuvLoogie]

33. Avenatti has a fan base that will peak somewhere between now and the mid-terms.

I don't think he has much of a political power base. He's done work for both Republicans and Democrats, so I'm not sure he is a true believer one way or another.

When he states that the Democratic field is "uninspiring" and warns against "weak-kneed policy wonks," why won't he say who he has in mind? Why won't he speak up about who he thinks those "few exceptions" are?

Here are my suspicions. He doesn't have any intention of running. He's chumming the airwaves, setting himself up to berate whoever the Democratic front-runner happens to be during a given week. He'll criticize them as not being good enough or tough enough. Here are my predictions.

D-Biden/Harris
I-Sanders/Avenatti
G-Stein/?
R-Trump/Pence

Who do I want?

Jerry Brown/Jennifer Granholm--but I know that's impossible.

[brush]

35. Seriously? That's nothing but your own speculations.

[radius777]

36. Avenatti's analysis is spot on

and not anything like Stein/Bernie type attacks on Dems.

He says much of what many rank-and-file Democratic voters feel, that the party is milquetoast and not capable of dealing with Trump, who is a streetfighter, and as we all know 'there are no rules in a streetfight'.

I don't support Aventatti for president but his perspective at this point is valuable, and perhaps could be an asset to a Dem campaign as a strategist type, to add some toughness.

[mchill]

28. Lot's of bashing, just because?

I think they don't know what he has done and is doing. He stepped up where there was a void.

[tman]

5. I stopped paying attention to him months ago

And it seems my suspicions were well placed. He expressed with 100% confidence Trump wouldn't make it through his term, implying access to incriminating info that he has. Now he claims Trump will probably win reelection and we need him to save the day. He is playing you for fools.

Also, a mere "street fighter" won't cut it. Rolling around in shit with Trump won't win it. Voters will go with the devil they know. The one who inspires with a real message (..and can fight) will win the primary and the election.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

26. Here's a problem I have with him: A few months ago

he wanted to intervene in the Michael Cohen matter in federal court in NY, claiming he needed to protect Stormy Daniels' interests in communications between her and Cohen. But the judge told him that if he appeared as an attorney in that case he would have to stop talking about the case on TV because of the rules of professional conduct applicable to lawyers in NY. In other words, when he had to choose between protecting his client and going on TV, he chose TV. After that I stopped taking him very seriously.

[Trust Buster]

6. Let's see;

* a bankrupt past

* no experience in government

* a self promoting narcissistic temperament

* teases with coy references yet never delivers

* never misses an opportunity for promote himself

* gravitates to all issues out of his lane that he believes will be received as red meat to his “presumed” base

CONCLUSION: Been there, done that.........NO THANKS

[LXY123]

8. Lets see

Lets stay with what we have which equals NOTHING !

[Fla Dem]

7. I hope he's doing the right things, but he keeps saying it's coming....

I just got tired of seeing and hearing him on tv. He is a self promoter and very media savvy. In a way he's like Trump. But he's on our side so we overlook the hype and promises. I hope he's got the goods on Trump, Cohen, and Manafort. I hope he's serious about helping immigrant Mom & Dads reunite with their kids. I just wish he'd keep his cards close to his vest until he actually produces results.

[tman]

11. He doesn't have anything

Otherwise he would not be issuing warnings about Trump winning re-election. He's turning to his next act because he know's his first one is just about up.

[LXY123]

13. He is a self promoter

In other words, a politician.

[cilla4progress]

9. Hope he isn't overplaying

his hand.

Can’t take any more disappointment

[pnwmom]

10. How many clients does Tom Arnold represent? n/t

[LuvLoogie]

21. How many teaser tweets are generated by the hundreds of other lawyers representing immigrants?

I'm skeptical of him. So are a lot of other people.

[pnwmom]

24. I'm reserving judgment. But he's been doing a good job till now. n/t

[SamKnause]

17. How many asylum seekers is Tom Arnold representing ???

To compare the two is nonsense.

[LuvLoogie]

20. There are a lot of lawyers doing pro-bono work for asylum seekers.

It is certainly appropriate to compare the teaser tactics of Arnold and Avenatti.

[pnwmom]

25. Yes, there are. But he is also doing PUBLIC RELATIONS for them. And that is worthwhile, too. n/t

[redstateblues]

27. One of the few prominent Dems keeping the heat on Trump

He’s toned down a bit since Cohen has made noise about flipping. Wish we had a cadre of lawyers like him

[cilla4progress]

29. Anyone listen to Tom Arnold on Lawrene ODonnell's show last night?

He actually had some insightful things to say about Roseanne Barr...his ex-wife.

Like many here, I had written him off as a fruitcake. But he was fairly coherent.

Essentially, Arnold's thesis is that trump's cult is powered by a healthy dose of mental instability...not that there's anything wrong wi th that...which trump stokes through fear-mongering.

[DeminPennswoods]

31. The most interesting thing I learned from Arnold

is that Roseann has been diagnosed with multiple personality disorder. That would explain a lot.

[cilla4progress]

32. Yes - I think he said 27?!

Hard to know how much to take seriously from him. He sounded pretty coherent, though. I thought a lot of what he said made sense. Did you?

I mean, I hope this isn't offensive, but, I do believe the cultish behavior of trump's base belies instability.

[DeminPennswoods]

34. I thought he made sense, but he's hard to listen

to because he talks so fast.

I don't think trumpers are all mentally ill, but I do think their brains are wired differently (by nature and/or nuture) than liberals et al.