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“I WAS TICKLED pink.” That was how Ronald Schwartz reacted to the election of President Donald Trump.
While the result may have been somewhat of a surprise, his reaction is not so.
When we spoke to him back in October, Schwartz was in campaign-mode as the county manager for Trump in Laurens County in the state of Georgia.
The county includes the town of Dublin, from where Schwartz spoke to us again on the eve of Trump’s inauguration.
“A lot of people thought it would never happen, but some of us had quite a bit of faith that it would. You know a lot of us spent a lot of time helping him,” he says.
So for us we’re enthused, but if you look at the other side they’re really disillusioned.
Schwartz was in campaign mode until the very end. Trump won in Laurens County by a healthy margin of about 2:1, but the Indiana native says he was checking absentee ballots and voter registrations until after 10pm on election day.
It meant he knew little about how the votes were going until later, when the rest of the world was realising that Trump had a shot at winning.
I hadn’t heard anything about what was going on and when I got home I turned on the TV and they were saying that Trump could win this thing. He only needed one of the three states and he could actually win it.
“I stayed up ’till 3.30am expecting them to call Michigan but they actually called Pennsylvania and put it away and I was tickled pink. I couldn’t believe it,” he adds.
Transition team
Schwartz supported Trump from the early days of the primary stage, in large part because of his pro-gun and anti-establishment stances.
So has Trump’s choice of several billionaires for his cabinet made him feel like he’s broken his promise to ‘drain the swamp’?
“No, because the billionaires who are there are successful people,” Schwartz says.
And I think with the agenda being set as it is, they’re going to be expected to perform for what the people want not what they want. Because Trump got elected by the people, he didn’t get elected by the ones with lots of money.
He doesn’t worry about the new president’s tweeting either, saying Trump will become more businessman than showman in office.
“It (Twitter) has gotten him a long way but I think he has to be extremely careful now that he’s actually going to be president,” Schwartz warns.
He might have to cut the comments down but I don’t think it’ll keep him from going to the people with his position. But I do think that they’ll have to monitor it.You know he’s a showman, but I think when it comes down to it and it comes to actually doing the job a lot of that’s going to go away and the seriousness is going to come in.
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Got stuck in this monster of a traffic jam. I was nearly an hour just a few hundred metres short of the Leopardstown exit.
One thing which annoyed me, is there are dozens of ignorant motorists who won’t move for the emergency services or the M50 maintenance people responding to the incident. Some enterprising morons will even try cut up the hard shoulder, only ending up to block the emergency vehicle’s access to the incident. We should be prosecuting these people.
Should all be on traffic cams?
BMW x5 hefty price tag for something to go up in flames
I’m going to sue BMW for electric fire In my air conditioning. BMW ” Where’s the evidence”. Me “Burnt out on the aide of the M50″
Ive no idea whats going on but im absolutely certain from reports such as this and the evidence along the highways and motorways of Ireland that cars are spontaneously burning out at an unprecedented rate…seriously.
One in my local town burst into flames there 4 evenings ago. Wondering if they are all Opels??
Dont know Lily..only days ago the M4 at Liffey Valley eastbound was similarly blocked…and the M1 just weeks ago…something is wrong.
the dpf filter its the main cauze for overheated exhaust system from witch those cars burnout
Third party, FIRE, and theft is the cheapest insurance and daddy needs a new car!
The dpf is so expensive to service. Too many people buying diesel cars but they only do short drives that doesn’t suit a car with a dpf filter. The seller won’t tell you about that though.
Eduard…this dpf filter…is it on/in the exhaust system? Are 10 year old diesels fitted with them or is it only newer models?
Just newer cars Peter to keep the emissions down. Earlier insignias were horrible for it around the 2010 mark. Long drives the way to go.
Making sure the right type of engine oil is used when servicing is also critical and it’s not as simple as just referring to the grade as 5w30 synthetic, semi synthetic etc. Using oil with the correct ACEA/API or similar rating for your car engine type is critical to ensure that your dpf doesn’t get gunked up inside. I know for a fact that many garages aren’t up to speed on this issue either.
Thanks James…thats a relief..ive a 05 Mondeo diesel and her indoors has a diesel Renault…also old…isnt it ironic….
Peter, only Alanis Morissette would see any irony in that.
My wife care its anfiat croma 2007 and it has it. After 2000 they come on the cars
I would welcome a law whereby we all have to have a fire extinguisher in your car like on the continent. I hold my breath.
And let untrained people tackle a fire that has the added danger of a substantial amount of highly combustible and explosive fluid in it.
Nah , get out , get away and call the professionals . Not worth risking a life for a replaceable piece of metal.
Keith…for sure…even opening the bonnet on a car beginning to burn could cost you your face…
First thing I thought. Small bit of smoke, open the bonnet with your trusty fire extinguisher and then you’ll be hit with a big plume of smoke and a burned face!
The fire brigade had to come back out to this as it started burning again . Can’t see a fire extinguisher doing much.
You could just go and get one…if you like…not wait for a law to say you have to get one.
BMW X5 for Sale. Ash grey in colour, blazingly fast motor, excellent air con / heating system, drives like new.
‘Heavy delays’
Why?
Just put put the fire, remove the wreckage and let the world continue.
Why the big song and dance about minor road incidents in Ireland?
“No injuries have been reported”. The most important line in the story.
BM Trouble U
Drove past the car just as the fire was starting, flames started underneath the car looks looked like an oil leak, driver was out talking on his phone. Car was only an 08… thought the fire brigade would have arrived before it really caught fire, goes to show how quick a fire can spread.
“Bring in mandatory extinguisher in every car” brigade must be excited…
Leopardstown. Just has to be an X5.
A BMW ?
The driver must have used the indicator…
Publicity stunt for the new Absolutely Fabulous movie? Wheels on fire,rolling down the road…
Wasn’t service I say BMWs don’t go up in flames for no reason !
Opel Zafira ?
BMW X5 by the look of it, i thought the same initially, have a zafira myself recalled a second time because of fire hazard with air con/heating system.
Was it Nij burning out his X5 after a hit?
Has my Escort a DFP filter it gets very hot..
Ask her yourself.
I saw what happened. A big black bag of rubbish blew into the cars way and got stuck under it, which started the fire!!
Luckily nobody was injured.
I saw what happened. A big black bag of rubbish blew into the cars way and got stuck under it, which started the fire!
Luckily nobody was injured.
Spontaneous combustion, happens more frequently than most people think.
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