POLITICS: what have you done for us lately?

[Achtane]

It's kind of disturbing that the Trump administration feels the ideas behind the Green New Deal and socialized medicine are extreme.

The closer it gets to election time, the more I see "socialism SUCKS" bumper stickers. I love seeing one on a Volvo especially.
Where can I get a "socialism is my jam" sticker?

[Chankgeez]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvsDb4Ybp1A

[Jwar]

As a rule I'm opposed to some types of socialist programs merely because some of them enable people too much. However, I'm for universal healthcare as long as I'm not taxed 50% of my income (because, like I can't afford that), free college (because fuck you system and school is some bullshit anyway), I'm for veteran retirement support (in most cases, some people do work the system here too and it's sad), rehabilitation in the prison systems....etc. There's a lot of good ones. A lot of shit ones too. I'm opposed to food stamps for instance because there's no good way to keep people from abusing them and they do abuse them like fucking crazy. When I worked at Whole Foods, I swear that a 1/3rd of our shoppers were on EBT. Now, how the hell is that fair? I couldn't even afford to shop there and I fucking worked there yet you have people buying caviar, prime rib and 18 dollar cuts of salmon. That shit doesn't make any fucking sense. Then those bastards from the United Nation of Islam would buy shit with EBT and tax exempt status just to turn around and return the shit without a receipt so they get the tax money back they didn't spend. Shit used to make me fucking fume.


It seems to me that the DNC is doing almost the same thing they did last time. Who will be the strongest candidate to face Trump and his onslaught? You know he's going to bring that shit hard this time, even worse than last time I'm sure. People will vote for him. I could honestly see him easily winning again.

[Achtane]

Maybe I can claim refugee status and flee the country if that happens.

[Sonaboy]

Biden has been essentially the same guy for the length of time he's been in office. He's middle-of-the-road, right-leaning Dem who has lots of support from unions/civil service sectors and lots of donor connections. His positions on social issues has improved somewhat, but he's still the same 70 year old white guy who struggles to reach young voters because his attitudes about gender/culture are outdated.
The whole "icky grandpa" stuff that got amplified recently is astroturf, as far as I'm concerned. Show me another guy who has been in politics over 40 years who DOESN'T have some question marks and asterisks next to his name regarding incidents, policy, statements, whatever. The GOP can cry wolf all they want, but at the end of the campaign, they still promote and support a guy with lots of question marks about how he makes money, how he treats women, and how much he understands about policy. They can't have it both ways.

He's not my pick, but if he got the nom, of course I would vote for him. He knows the game and he knows how to build out a competent administration. All the rumormongering about him is pointless outside of the election. He needs to pick a younger VP and create a strong-office architecture that puts actual power in the hands of that pick. It has to be someone that appeals to PTA moms AND disengaged voter blocks. That candidate won't be easy to find.

[Blackened Soul]

That's why I still love to read this thread, so I can keep up with the how the lib-middle is thinking and make predictions based on how lazy, afraid of change and enabling to the alt right will keep chugging along making all the same problems worse. Meaning, ya'll are going to get Trump that 2nd term.

[Benn Roe]

Sad truth.

[Jwar]

I really think he will win. I never would have thought so before but I do now. He's a master manipulator. I've been saying this forever, but people underestimate the guys intelligence. He is not stupid. He's calculated and cunning. Like a snake. Soooooooooo....


I'm voting for The Rock.

[Benn Roe]

Nah, he's a total moron. Most of his tactical advantage comes from blindsiding people with moves so ludicrously uncunning, nobody would've thought them possible. If anything, people constantly overestimate him, so he keeps blundering into advantage. His platform was entirely developed by spouting random garbage, and then repeating that garbage when enough people clapped. That's not cunning; it's blissfully ignorant narcissism.

[Bassist_Diver]

At the very least, the Biden-Trump debates will be entertaining

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=L00B4MeziiI

IMO a Biden-Tulsi Gabbard ticket would appeal to an overwhelming majority of Americans and definitely be enough to give Trump a run for his rubles

[Benn Roe]

The problem is this: Trump won largely based on the support of three camps 1) Republicans who actually bought the shit he was selling; 2) Republicans who held their noses and voted for him anyway; and 3) weirdo independents who didn't care about policy, but just wanted the most likely candidate to burn down the house. Nobody the democrats field is pulling voters from the first two groups, and Biden definitely isn't pulling anyone from the third, same as Hillary. Bernie would have, though. Further, Biden (again, just like Hillary) isn't likely to bring out the left. They'll just stay home, because the left doesn't hold its nose; it just sits in its armchair and hopes the smell goes away. The only shot we've got is running a weirdo anti-establishment hard-left candidate, because moderate democrats (unlike the left) will still turn out to vote against Trump AND such a candidate would also bring out the left and convert the weirdo independents. The problem there is THAT candidate probably can't win the democratic primaries. So, we're fucked.

[Jwar]

Nah, he's a total moron. Most of his tactical advantage comes from blindsiding people with moves so ludicrously uncunning, nobody would've thought them possible. If anything, people constantly overestimate him, so he keeps blundering into advantage. His platform was entirely developed by spouting random garbage, and then repeating that garbage when enough people clapped. That's not cunning; it's blissfully ignorant narcissism.

His platform is playing into the stupidity of the masses, which is cunning and manipulative. He knows precisely what he’s doing and what the majority of his voters what to hear. You don’t do the kind things this man has done and be a moron.

[Benn Roe]

Yes, you do. Emphatically, you do. In fact, you don't do most of them WITHOUT being a moron. He follows the sound of the clapping. That's all he does. That's why he keeps making these big, completely ludicrous announcements, and then backpedaling a few days later (or just failing to follow through) if, for instance, Fox & Friends condemns the announcement. There's no part of anything he's done that's been even marginally tactical. He's managed to remain unpredictable to many politicians and pundits because they keep trying to evaluate him as though he understands the game he's playing, when he so clearly doesn't.

What stands out to you as proof of this human lump's brilliance and cunning? I think you just have the cause and effect backwards: the stupidity of the masses plays into his platform; not the other way around.

[Jwar]

Umm any of his real estate deals in NY come to mind. Anyone that can get the government to offset their taxes like he has is not an idiot. They are cunning and manipulative and know how to work the system.

Also he is also able to sway a lot of the voting public still. He knows how to play the game.

I think you’re thinking I’m complimenting him. I’m not. I’m saying don’t underestimate the guy either.

[Gone Fission]

He lost money running a casino.