American Politics

[purplehaze]

12 hours ago, trystan said:

is it election day yet?

Don't forget, it is still possible for Trump to win another term, unlikely as that may seem. Or to cast enough doubt on the results of the election to royally screw things up -- and he is starting that already with all his talk about mail-in voter fraud. We can't afford to be complacent!

[olympe]

11 minutes ago, purplehaze said:

Don't forget, it is still possible for Trump to win another term, unlikely as that may seem. Or to cast enough doubt on the results of the election to royally screw things up -- and he is starting that already with all his talk about mail-in voter fraud. We can't afford to be complacent!

Unfortunately, I wouldn't put it past him. On the other hand, he already seems to be employing a coping mechanism in case he doesn't win. It's all "because some people just don't like him". I wonder why they don't...  

[trystan]

7 hours ago, purplehaze said:

Don't forget, it is still possible for Trump to win another term, unlikely as that may seem.

actually, it really is still likely. there are people who just don't like Biden.  there are those who think their vote won't matter, but that has the 2018 election going for it.  there are those who wanted Bernie no matter what... even though Bernie told his supporters to vote for Biden.

 

7 hours ago, purplehaze said:

We can't afford to be complacent!

very very true!

 

6 hours ago, olympe said:

On the other hand, he already seems to be employing a coping mechanism in case he doesn't win. It's all "because some people just don't like him". I wonder why they don't...  

would he like my list alphabetically?  

[Fuzzbucket]

20 minutes ago, trystan said:

actually, it really is still likely. there are people who just don't like Biden.  there are those who think their vote won't matter, but that has the 2018 election going for it.  there are those who wanted Bernie no matter what... even though Bernie told his supporters to vote for Biden.

 

THIS is what will give you a Trump rerun. The people who are STUPID enough to write Sanders in. Remember when Ralph Nader stood as an independent and got you Bush by taking votes away from the Democrats. It could - and very likely will - happen again. Voters MUST look at possible outcomes of their write-ins if they really want rid of the Cheetoh. Voting for Sanders CANNOT bring him to power. It can return Trump - even without fraud and vote-rigging, which are also likely.

[trystan]

i completely agree.  and knowing this, i think that's why Sanders has endorsed Biden and told his followers to vote for Biden.  because we still have that @#$%^&#@ Electoral College, the only way the Cheeto is out is if there are no write-ins, and Biden sweeps.  we need a Blue tsunami.

[olympe]

41 minutes ago, Fuzzbucket said:

 

THIS is what will give you a Trump rerun. The people who are STUPID enough to write Sanders in. Remember when Ralph Nader stood as an independent and got you Bush by taking votes away from the Democrats. It could - and very likely will - happen again. Voters MUST look at possible outcomes of their write-ins if they really want rid of the Cheetoh. Voting for Sanders CANNOT bring him to power. It can return Trump - even without fraud and vote-rigging, which are also likely.

Isn't that exactly what happened 2016?  I remember quite a few members here proclaiming to vote for the 3rd candidate (wasn't it Sanders?) to show they didn't like either of the obvious choices - which resulted in Trump. I hope they learned to not be complacent because the candidate they hate the least will most assuredly win anyway...

[trystan]

11 minutes ago, olympe said:

Isn't that exactly what happened 2016?  

yes.... yes it is.

 

ever since i started voting, i always voted 3rd Party because i knew, no matter who the D or R was that won, i would not be fearing for this country, or any of my privileges i have.  until GW Bush.  i actually voted for a Dem, because i didn't want freedom of religion to go away.  there were scary overtones of a theocracy brewing.  but after that i went back to m 3rd Party people.  until 2016.  i paused at Clinton.  or Jill Stein? or Gary Johnson? i went for Clinton, because i didn't want what we have now.  every day since Inauguration Day i've shared an article on social media along the lines of "look what this idjit is f'ing up now.  he's taking away women's rights, religious rights, environmental protections, this isn't normal."

 

i really don't want another 4 years of that.  i'm exhausted already.

[dragon_mando]

Just as bad as not being able to afford people voting 3rd party, we can't afford to have people not showing up to the polls. I can't find the source now--I'm running on less than 3 total hours sleep in the last two days and can't focus on large blocks of text for crap--but I read that only 40%ish of Democrats and other left-leaning people vote at all. We absolutely cannot afford that. This country could do something great, could be something much more worthy of the poetry written about it, but not with people like the current administration. The alternative is far, so far from perfect, but it's better that what we've got. It's a step back toward center instead of the hard lean to the right we've been making.

[trystan]

37 minutes ago, dragon_mando said:

I read that only 40%ish of Democrats and other left-leaning people vote at all.

i agree that we need EVERYONE to vote in November.  states ARE trying to make mail-in voting easier, but trump said that quiet bit out loud somewhere - if it's easier to vote, Republicans wouldn't ever get elected again.  and he's probably right, hence his attacks on voter fraud and on the postal system.  of course, him and all his ilk does, in fact, vote by mail!  pretty sure that's called hypocrasy.

 

the goal behind all the drives to get people to vote is that there are so many younger people who are now able to vote in november, and my hubby says that by nature they're more progressive/liberal, and anti-trump.  if we can mobilize all the young people to actually vote, they'll vote Dem.  we do need to go back to the center, if we can remember where we left it... those goal posts have really moved to the right.

[olympe]

59 minutes ago, trystan said:

pretty sure that's called hypocrasy.

Hypocrisy with an i, not an a.  But yes.

[trystan]

oops, I can't spell..... yeah

[Fuzzbucket]

11 hours ago, olympe said:

Isn't that exactly what happened 2016?  I remember quite a few members here proclaiming to vote for the 3rd candidate (wasn't it Sanders?) to show they didn't like either of the obvious choices - which resulted in Trump. I hope they learned to not be complacent because the candidate they hate the least will most assuredly win anyway...

 

Well, now you are all screwed. Kanye West has decided to stand as an independent. As with Nader - he will pull enough votes to let Trump in - no TRUMPist will vote for him, but... How STUPID can these celebrities get ?

[Confused Cat]

Isn't he sort of a friend of Trump's?

I don't know if this is a plan to take some "lesser evil"-votes away from Biden, but it sure looks like one.

[Astreya]

You'd better see to it that such ploys to divide and conquer are called out and explained so that people don't fall for it.

 

Otherwise you'll get more of this:

Quote

Donald Trump said Thursday’s jobs report, which showed an uptick in June, proves the US economy is “roaring back”.

 

Rubbish. The labor department gathered the data during the week of 12 June, when America was reporting 25,000 new cases of Covid-19 a day. By the time the report was issued, that figure was 55,000.

 

The US economy isn’t roaring back. Just over half of Americans have jobs now, the lowest figure in more than 70 years. What’s roaring back is Covid-19. Until it’s tamed, the American economy doesn’t stand a chance.

 

The surge in cases isn’t because America is doing more tests for the virus, as Trump contends. Cases are rising even where testing is declining. In Wisconsin, cases soared 28% over the past two weeks, as the number of tests decreased by 14%. Hospitals in Texas, Florida and Arizona are filling up with Covid-19 patients. Deaths are expected to resume their gruesome ascent.

(...)

Not only will the virus take many more lives in the months ahead, but millions of Americans are in danger of becoming destitute. Extra unemployment benefits enacted by Congress in March are set to end on 31 July. About one in five people in renter households are at risk of eviction by 30 September. Delinquency rates on mortgages have more than doubled since March.

 

An estimated 25 million Americans have lost or will lose employer-provided health insurance. America’s fragile childcare system is in danger of collapse, with the result that hundreds of thousands of working parents will not be able to return to work even if jobs are available.

 

What is Trump and the GOP’s response to this looming catastrophe? Nothing. Senate Republicans are trying to ram through a $740bn defense bill while ignoring legislation to provide housing and food relief.

 

They are refusing to extend extra unemployment benefits beyond July, saying the benefits are keeping Americans from returning to work. In reality, it’s the lack of jobs.

 

Trump has done one thing. He’s asked the supreme court to strike down the Affordable Care Act. If the court agrees, it will end health insurance for 23 million more Americans and give the richest 0.1% a tax cut of about $198,000 a year.

 

This is sheer lunacy. The priority must be to get control over this pandemic and help Americans survive it, physically and financially. Anything less is morally indefensible.

 

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jul/05/donald-trump-reopen-america-covid-19-coronavirus

 

Edited July 5, 2020 by Astreya

[trystan]

1 hour ago, Astreya said:

You'd better see to it that such ploys to divide and conquer are called out and explained so that people don't fall for it.

 

Otherwise you'll get more of this:

Quote

Donald Trump said Thursday’s jobs report, which showed an uptick in June, proves the US economy is “roaring back”.

 

Rubbish. The labor department gathered the data during the week of 12 June, when America was reporting 25,000 new cases of Covid-19 a day. By the time the report was issued, that figure was 55,000.

 

The US economy isn’t roaring back. Just over half of Americans have jobs now, the lowest figure in more than 70 years. What’s roaring back is Covid-19. Until it’s tamed, the American economy doesn’t stand a chance.

 

if it doesn't fit trump's narrative, he conveniently ignores it, and that's dangerous.

 

my boss is a trump supporter.  one day last week in the office I'd mentioned something about the Federal Reserve and the interest rates (which are lousy).  she said the only way the rates will go up is if trump is re-elected.  now, i don't know enough about the Fed and the rates to have a conversation about it, but it shows how the financial sector just looks at the jobs, the economy, and the stock market. if that's doing well, the country is doing well.  those people don't really seem to care about anyone in the other 99%.  well, i'm pretty sure my boss isn't in that top 1%, but with her attitudes, she certainly acts like it.

 

 

[AngelsSin]

This could turn out to be really good news, the Supreme Court unanimously voted in favor of those who formally select the president can be required by the state they represent to cast their ballots for the candidate who won their state's popular vote. They can be held accountable if they don't. This was done to resolve before hand any issues that might arise if those who are elected to cast the ballot for the electoral college vote to actually vote the way their state's intended. And all members of the Supreme court voted in favor of this. It gives me hope we might actually get Trump out of office.

Edited July 6, 2020 by AngelsSin

[Astreya]

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you that this means you get your election system fixed so that the public vote really is reflected in the electoral vote.

[Lagie]

1 minute ago, Astreya said:

I'll keep my fingers crossed for you that this means you get your election system fixed so that the public vote really is reflected in the electoral vote.

*adds her crossed fingers to that* Please.

[AngelsSin]

I've been hoping that Biden would choose Keisha Lance Bottoms as his VP pick. I know some would say Kamala Harris but I'm not so fond of her. Keisha Lance Bottoms is smart, tough and relatable and I think would mesh well with Biden better than Harris. I think it would improve his chances to pick Keisha Lance Bottoms. Who just tested positive for covid and is asymptomatic. I pray that she stays well and has no complications I think the country would be less without her voice.

[olympe]

I was just looking at collections of Trump quotes, and found this 30-year-old gem:

Quote

On Running For President

"Well, if I ever ran for office, I'd do better as a Democrat than as a Republican - and that's not because I'd be more liberal, because I'm conservative. But the working guy would elect me. He likes me. When I walk down the street, those cabbies start yelling out their windows."

Playboy, March 1990

 

And this one:

Quote

On Why People Would Vote For Him

"To be blunt, people would vote for me. They just would. Why? Maybe because I'm so good looking."

New York Times, 19/9/99

 

[trystan]

 

i've seen a LOT of  comments and posts about trump on twitter, and people - New Yorkers - have known he's a bigoted racist since at least the 1970s!

 

heard a piece of an interview with a man who wrote a book on Joseph McCarthy - Demagogue,i think was the title, where McCarthy became Washington's biggest bully, and that mentality hasn't left Washington, or trump.  i think - if trump knew who McCarthy was (heh), he'd have called him a "very fine person." *sigh*

[AngelsSin]

@trystan.

I think a good portion of us knew how bad he was. I certainly did. 

Also I worked in a book store were I learned he actually literally paid to have his books put on display. They sat on those shelves collecting dust. They really really did, a lot of it.

 

Trump is talking about banning TikTok which is a Chinese tech company but is run by an American CEO. Guess he was more upset than he let on that a bunch of teens used the app to punk his rallies! Doesn't he realize that if he banned it it would simply pop up under another name?

Edited July 8, 2020 by AngelsSin

[trystan]

7 minutes ago, AngelsSin said:

Also I worked in a book store were I learned he actually literally paid to have his books put on display. They sat on those shelves collecting dust. They really really did, a lot of it.

after seeing the excerpts from Mary Trump's book, i believe anything about him.  it's that quote from Maya Angelou - i had to google to get the exact words:  "When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time."

 

9 minutes ago, AngelsSin said:

Guess he was more upset than he let on that a bunch of teens used the app to punk his rallies! Doesn't he realize that if he banned it it would simply pop up under another name?

excellent point!

[olympe]

33 minutes ago, AngelsSin said:

Trump is talking about banning TikTok which is a Chinese tech company but is run by an American CEO. Guess he was more upset than he let on that a bunch of teens used the app to punk his rallies! Doesn't he realize that if he banned it it would simply pop up under another name?

Actually, there is good reason to ban TikTok. According to the (in)famous hacker group by the name of Anonymous, TikTok is more spyware than anything else, and the worst kind of it pretty much constantly snooping through your hard drive and sending the data somewhere.

[trystan]

the blurb i saw (Washington Post?) said that TikTok sends your personal info to the Chinese Communist Party.

 

apparently my younger daughter doesn't care, loves her TikTok