Polite Politics

[Iceresistance]

1 hour ago, SnarkyGoblin said:

Why do you believe the trump v Biden polls but not that Haley v Biden polls?

Because we have yet to see Haley as a true frontrunner

[roadtonowhere08]

30 minutes ago, Iceresistance said:

Because we have yet to see Haley as a true frontrunner

And we never will.  That's the side effect of the primaries.  Trump has it locked up, but that does not mean he would get the most votes in the general.  Haley very well might do better there as she would probably pull more moderates vs. Trump.  He's a known quantity.  She is not.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

3 hours ago, hawkstwelve said:

Ya know, Andrew tried that shtick with me before and when I pressed him to provide concrete examples of her being a "warhawk" he folded like a cheap lawn chair. If you want to take a crack at it though, be my guest.

Doesn't she support Ukraine? 

[SilverFallsAndrew]

2 hours ago, SnarkyGoblin said:

Why do you believe the trump v Biden polls but not that Haley v Biden polls?

 

42 minutes ago, roadtonowhere08 said:

And we never will.  That's the side effect of the primaries.  Trump has it locked up, but that does not mean he would get the most votes in the general.  Haley very well might do better there as she would probably pull more moderates vs. Trump.  He's a known quantity.  She is not.

Exactly. Haley is not a known quantity. She enjoys inflated poll numbers because she hasn't undergone scrutiny. While Trump is able to connect with average Americans, Nikki Haley thinks she is better than average Americans. At her core she is a walking talking uniparty elitist. There is no difference between her and Biden. If she were the nominee I would vote for RFK Jr. 

[hawkstwelve]

20 minutes ago, SilverFallsAndrew said:

Doesn't she support Ukraine? 

We've played this song and dance before not too long ago. When I made my valid point in regards to Ukraine and Haley you completely ignored it and moved on to your next talking point.

I'm not doing that again. Just not worth it.

[Andie]

So when’s Hillary going to jump in?   

Maybe Michelle?…..

Oh Lordy!!!…. Flash backs !!! 👁👁

 

[Rubus Leucodermis]

19 hours ago, Stormy said:

Right off you're posting the deaths of a few people because of others trying to have some border security, but you fail to mention the many, many deaths from fentanyl poisoning, and human trafficking and possibly slave labor, which is a result of open borders. Not to mention potential terrorists etc coming through as well. But I think any human death and suffering is no bueno! 

Yes, yes I know — They have to be treated as the vermin they are, for the good of society.

[Anti Marine Layer]

3 hours ago, Rubus Leucodermis said:

Yes, yes I know — They have to be treated as the vermin they are, for the good of society.

I thought he called the communists, Marxists, and fascists vermin, not the illegal immigrants.

Like Kamala Harris and her "Everyone must end up in the same place" video - You know, exactly the same idea as "From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs" (Who said that again?). Or how about teaching entire groups of people that they are oppressors. There are soooooooooooo many oppressor groups now, all who must feel guilty of their privilege. 

"Middle or owning class people" - weren't those were the original "bourgeoisie"? How did it get bumped down to Number 7? It was so much nicer when that was the only "oppressor" group.

Johns Hopkins had to take the above down from their website, after much backlash, and maybe you were sad when they took it down. 

Also, it seems those immigrants that drowned were already dead one hour before Texas border patrol noticed, but you probably won't trust my source.

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/spencerbrown/2024/01/16/the-biden-admin-just-got-caught-pushing-another-hoax-at-the-border-n2633704

 

 

[Anti Marine Layer]

Let's hope Misery Reid from MSNBC is overcoming last night's caucus results.

[Stormy]

19 hours ago, hawkstwelve said:

Rural counties go for Trump? What?!? Let me guess, the next thing you are going to tell me is water is wet... 

I'm not in a rural county by Iowa standards, and I was talking about my precinct which is a small part of the county. I was expecting DeSantis to do better in my precinct, but it basically ended up like average Iowa polling showed. Another thing is that Iowa was basically a purple swing state not so many years ago, but the the people are waking up. 

[SnarkyGoblin]

14 hours ago, SilverFallsAndrew said:

 

Exactly. Haley is not a known quantity. She enjoys inflated poll numbers because she hasn't undergone scrutiny. While Trump is able to connect with average Americans, Nikki Haley thinks she is better than average Americans. At her core she is a walking talking uniparty elitist. There is no difference between her and Biden. If she were the nominee I would vote for RFK Jr. 

You didn't answer my question.  You bring up polls often, but only when it's trump. 

Especially in the supposed context that you don't like Trump....why?

[Rubus Leucodermis]

Democrat Keen wins state House 35 special election over GOP’s Booth

He apparently did it by leveraging rising insurance premiums and abortion rights while his opponent was all about fighting “woke” this and “woke” that.

[SnarkyGoblin]

11 hours ago, Anti Marine Layer said:

I thought he called the communists, Marxists, and fascists vermin, not the illegal immigrants.

Yeah, they're done calling those people names like rapists and killers.  They now just want to straight up shoot them.  It's the obvious next stage of fascism.

From the Texas governor's own mouth:

Quote

“The only thing that we're not doing is we're not shooting people who come across the border, because of course, the Biden administration would charge us with murder,” 

[Stormy]

21 hours ago, hawkstwelve said:

For all the celebrating and coronations MAGA wants to do today for their King Emperor, it should still be noted that half of voters in extremely conservative Iowa voted for someone other than Trump. This goes to show there is a real appetite within the Republican Party to try and move on from his cancer, no matter how much MAGA wants to make it seem like any Republican who doesn't vote for Trump is just a RINO. 

Whether it will ultimately matter in a broken primary system where extreme candidates always do better than they should, who knows. But it's heartening to see none the less.

So why did you move to an extremely conservative (by your definition) state? SD is even more conservative than Iowa, especially before IA turned redder. You're surrounded by Trump supporters and even your governor who I really like endorsed Trump! I guess you like the benefits of conservatism, but definitely aren't one.

I heard Nikki was urging democrats to register as republicans so they could vote against Trump, which some were doing in my county. You're Queen Empress Nikki is basically a democrat, kind of like Hillary. She wasn't wealthy when she got into politics, but suddenly she's very rich and has a multi-million dollar home. She probably got rich from the military industrial complex system, so expect wars to continue under her leadership! 

[hawkstwelve]

Well, MAGA Twitter and even the Don himself are having a complete meltdown over Nikki Haley. They must be getting a little nervous with NH around the corner.

Tucker Carlson is putting out videos claiming Haley is not even a Republican. Even though she has a conservative record to stand on, apparently she is all of a sudden a secret Democrat who is in cahoots with the pedos of the party because she has some random Democrat-tied person who donated to her campaign. This is coming from the guy who told his Fox News viewers one thing while texting his producers the exact opposite. But yeah, let's trust whatever this imbecile is saying now. Complete morons. 

[hawkstwelve]

3 minutes ago, Stormy said:

So why did you move to an extremely conservative (by your definition) state? SD is even more conservative than Iowa, especially before IA turned redder. You're surrounded by Trump supporters and even your governor who I really like endorsed Trump! I guess you like the benefits of conservatism, but definitely aren't one.

I heard Nikki was urging democrats to register as republicans so they could vote against Trump, which some were doing in my county. You're Queen Empress Nikki is basically a democrat, kind of like Hillary. She wasn't wealthy when she got into politics, but suddenly she's very rich and has a multi-million dollar home. She probably got rich from the military industrial complex system, so expect wars to continue under her leadership! 

I get so sick and tired of you MAGA Republicans telling any other Republican who doesn't bend the knee to your God Emperor that we are somehow not Republicans. Let's look at the definition of "conservative" just in case you need a refresher: In the United States, conservatism is based on a belief in limited government, individualism, traditionalism, republicanism, and limited federal governmental power in relation to U.S. states.

I'm sorry, but I don't see anything in there about blind loyalty to Trump being a part of conservative values. I am a staunch, staunch believer in limited government, especially when it comes to the federal level. I am a staunch believer in individual rights, traditional values (faith, family, country), fiscal responsibility (something your King Trump doesn't believe in), and the list goes on. We like SD because for the most part the government stays out of your way. Not always, but more-so than when we lived in Washington State. 

Republicans have lost seven out of the last eight popular votes in the general election and yet MAGA Republicans believe alienating even more people within their own party will somehow mean they will suddenly win elections. Newsflash for you, buddy: Trump has cost us every election since his fluke win in 2016. 2018 midterms, 2020 general, 2022 midterms, special elections in between - Republicans lost all of them because regular, common sense people can't stand the guy. But sure, try to drive even more people out of the party and see how well that works out for you. 

[SnarkyGoblin]

Quote of the day for y'all:

"There is nothing which I dread so much as a division of the republic into two great parties, each arranged under its leader, and concerting measures in opposition to each other. This, in my humble apprehension, is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our Constitution."

-- John Adams, Letter to Jonathan Jackson (2 October 1780)

[Anti Marine Layer]

2 hours ago, SnarkyGoblin said:

Yeah, they're done calling those people names like rapists and killers.  They now just want to straight up shoot them.  It's the obvious next stage of fascism.

From the Texas governor's own mouth:

He basically said he's doing everything he can to secure the border except for shooting people. It's not very Christian of him to say that, but he doesn't mean that he wants to shoot people who try to cross the border illegally.

The Biden administration does not consider abortion to be murder, however, and he even dares to call pro-life people evil extremists. In regard to abortion though, the 10-year-old girl who got raped and had to go out of state to get an abortion was actually raped by an illegal immigrant.

In addition they are bringing in diseases like polio and leprosy, which would clearly affect poor people and minorities the most. This is similar to how the colonists brought in diseases that Native Americans had no immunity to. They also get free health care in some states now like California, while citizens must pay for that in taxes in addition to their own health insurance. This only leads to longer waiting time in hospitals and more people dying.

 

[Anti Marine Layer]

34 minutes ago, SnarkyGoblin said:

Quote of the day for y'all:

"There is nothing which I dread so much as a division of the republic into two great parties, each arranged under its leader, and concerting measures in opposition to each other. This, in my humble apprehension, is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our Constitution."

-- John Adams, Letter to Jonathan Jackson (2 October 1780)

That's why we don't want people without traditional American values to come here. You can't have moral relativism when people's beliefs are antithetical to each other or say things like all religions are equally valid and at the same time be the United States. A house divided cannot stand.

The clash is really between two worldviews. One says there is no creator, no creation, and no moral absolutes. The other is the worldview of the Declaration of Independence, which, as Judge Darrell White, the founder of Retired Judges of America, points out in the program, “speaks of the presuppositional self-evidence of a Creator, creation, and moral absolutes. That is the epicenter of the culture war.”

[Stormy]

This morning's video by Benny Johnson (formerly from Iowa) has some clips of Nikki saying she got into politics because of Hillary. 

 

https://youtu.be/KAIV7VrdaPM?si=7jjrypN9Dj9VBD8z

And the video that Benny is live streaming now had something about Joe Manchin jumping into the race, but I only listened to a few minutes and didn't catch much of it yet. 

Edited January 17 by Stormy

[roadtonowhere08]

1 hour ago, hawkstwelve said:

Well, MAGA Twitter and even the Don himself are having a complete meltdown over Nikki Haley. They must be getting a little nervous with NH around the corner.

Tucker Carlson is putting out videos claiming Haley is not even a Republican. Even though she has a conservative record to stand on, apparently she is all of a sudden a secret Democrat who is in cahoots with the pedos of the party because she has some random Democrat-tied person who donated to her campaign. This is coming from the guy who told his Fox News viewers one thing while texting his producers the exact opposite. But yeah, let's trust whatever this imbecile is saying now. Complete morons. 

 

1 hour ago, hawkstwelve said:

I get so sick and tired of you MAGA Republicans telling any other Republican who doesn't bend the knee to your God Emperor that we are somehow not Republicans. Let's look at the definition of "conservative" just in case you need a refresher: In the United States, conservatism is based on a belief in limited government, individualism, traditionalism, republicanism, and limited federal governmental power in relation to U.S. states.

I'm sorry, but I don't see anything in there about blind loyalty to Trump being a part of conservative values. I am a staunch, staunch believer in limited government, especially when it comes to the federal level. I am a staunch believer in individual rights, traditional values (faith, family, country), fiscal responsibility (something your King Trump doesn't believe in), and the list goes on. We like SD because for the most part the government stays out of your way. Not always, but more-so than when we lived in Washington State. 

Republicans have lost seven out of the last eight popular votes in the general election and yet MAGA Republicans believe alienating even more people within their own party will somehow mean they will suddenly win elections. Newsflash for you, buddy: Trump has cost us every election since his fluke win in 2016. 2018 midterms, 2020 general, 2022 midterms, special elections in between - Republicans lost all of them because regular, common sense people can't stand the guy. But sure, try to drive even more people out of the party and see how well that works out for you. 

What is the Allegory of the Cave?

Plato’s "Allegory of the Cave" is a concept devised by the philosopher to ruminate on the nature of belief versus knowledge. The allegory begins with prisoners who have lived their entire lives chained inside a cave. Behind the prisoners is a fire, and between the fire and the prisoners are people carrying puppets or other objects. These cast shadows on the opposite wall. The prisoners watch these shadows, believing this to be their reality as they've known nothing else.

Plato posits that one prisoner could become free. He finally sees the fire and realizes the shadows are fake. This prisoner could escape from the cave and discover there is a whole new world outside they were previously unaware of.

This prisoner would believe the outside world is so much more real than that in the cave. He would try to return to free the other prisoners. Upon his return, he is blinded because his eyes are not accustomed to actual sunlight. The chained prisoners would see this blindness and believe they will be harmed if they try to leave the cave.

[Anti Marine Layer]

How America Could Follow the Fate of Civilizations That Collapsed

 

[SilverFallsAndrew]

4 hours ago, hawkstwelve said:

I get so sick and tired of you MAGA Republicans telling any other Republican who doesn't bend the knee to your God Emperor that we are somehow not Republicans. Let's look at the definition of "conservative" just in case you need a refresher: In the United States, conservatism is based on a belief in limited government, individualism, traditionalism, republicanism, and limited federal governmental power in relation to U.S. states.

I'm sorry, but I don't see anything in there about blind loyalty to Trump being a part of conservative values. I am a staunch, staunch believer in limited government, especially when it comes to the federal level. I am a staunch believer in individual rights, traditional values (faith, family, country), fiscal responsibility (something your King Trump doesn't believe in), and the list goes on. We like SD because for the most part the government stays out of your way. Not always, but more-so than when we lived in Washington State. 

Republicans have lost seven out of the last eight popular votes in the general election and yet MAGA Republicans believe alienating even more people within their own party will somehow mean they will suddenly win elections. Newsflash for you, buddy: Trump has cost us every election since his fluke win in 2016. 2018 midterms, 2020 general, 2022 midterms, special elections in between - Republicans lost all of them because regular, common sense people can't stand the guy. But sure, try to drive even more people out of the party and see how well that works out for you. 

You are a conservative in the form that no longer exists in viable numbers, in a way that is practically a relic in todays Republican Party. Obviously you don't fit in on the left either, though I suppose a doddering establishment figure like Biden is much less threatening to you than a hair on fire populist reformer like Trump. 

Edited January 17 by SilverFallsAndrew

[hawkstwelve]

1 hour ago, SilverFallsAndrew said:

You are a conservative in the form that no longer exists in viable numbers, in a way that is practically a relic in todays Republican Party. Obviously you don't fit in on the left either, though I suppose a doddering establishment figure like Biden is much less threatening to you than a hair on fire populist reformer like Trump. 

Contrary to your assumptions, and probably the other MAGA-ers on here who think I am not Republican enough, I actually extremely liked Trump's populist bent in 2016. His 'tear it all down' rhetoric and focus on the "average American" was refreshing. I was all-in on Trump and riding the Trump Train hard back then. I even voted for him in 2020. Granted, I was much more reluctant to do so than in 2016 but I still believed he was better than Biden. I believe that even today.

That all being said, we don't need a 'tear it all down' candidate right now. Our country (let alone the world) is already tearing it all down on their own without any help from Trump. We need someone who won't be focused on vendettas, grievances, chaos, drama, legal battles, "owning the libs" and everything else that comes along with Trump. We need someone who can focus on putting things back together, on trying to bridge the political divide in this country, on trying to actually fix the plethora of issues we face both home and abroad. Do you honestly believe Trump will not cause more division, more chaos, more drama, more legal battles, more riots and protests? He loves that shit. He eats it all up and thrives off of it. Aren't you tired of it all?

I just can't take that shit anymore. I can't take the calling of four-star generals, who have more patriotism in their pinky finger than Trump has in his entire body, "overrated". I can't take the constant pitting of people against each other simply because they fall on a different side of the political divide than you do. I can't take him raking people over the coals just because they said one small critique of him. I can't take his personal vendettas and thin skin. I can't take his extreme narcissism. All the things that made him kind of endearing in 2016 are just old and stale now.

I'm just so done with him on so many levels. I love MAGA-based policies - I love America first, I love being tough on immigration, and although Haley doesn't really fall into this camp (and is the one area I slightly disagree with her on), I like the idea of America pulling back from the world stage a bit and focusing on the shit we have going on in our own homeland. All of those policies, all of his policies sound great. But I can no longer turn a blind eye to his many, many, many, many issues just because I like his policies. If we can get someone in there who enacts 80% of policies and can beat Biden resoundingly while also not stoking the fires of hatred and division, why not do that? Enough is enough, IMO. 

[SnarkyGoblin]

4 hours ago, Anti Marine Layer said:

How America Could Follow the Fate of Civilizations That Collapsed

 

Only reading this, I tend to agree.  We are definitely in a slow decline that will only be amplified during times of crisis.  

I legitimately fear the quality of life for my 3 year old son when my wife and I are dead.  Gotta make sure he gets his French passport in case shitt really hits the fan here.

[SnarkyGoblin]

18 minutes ago, hawkstwelve said:

Contrary to your assumptions, and probably the other MAGA-ers on here who think I am not Republican enough, I actually extremely liked Trump's populist bent in 2016. His 'tear it all down' rhetoric and focus on the "average American" was refreshing. I was all-in on Trump and riding the Trump Train hard back then. I even voted for him in 2020. Granted, I was much more reluctant to do so than in 2016 but I still believed he was better than Biden. I believe that even today.

That all being said, we don't need a 'tear it all down' candidate right now. Our country (let alone the world) is already tearing it all down on their own without any help from Trump. We need someone who won't be focused on vendettas, grievances, chaos, drama, legal battles, "owning the libs" and everything else that comes along with Trump. We need someone who can focus on putting things back together, on trying to bridge the political divide in this country, on trying to actually fix the plethora of issues we face both home and abroad. Do you honestly believe Trump will not cause more division, more chaos, more drama, more legal battles, more riots and protests? He loves that . He eats it all up and thrives off of it. Aren't you tired of it all?

I just can't take that anymore. I can't take the calling of four-star generals, who have more patriotism in their pinky finger than Trump has in his entire body, "overrated". I can't take the constant pitting of people against each other simply because they fall on a different side of the political divide than you do. I can't take him raking people over the coals just because they said one small critique of him. I can't take his personal vendettas and thin skin. I can't take his extreme narcissism. All the things that made him kind of endearing in 2016 are just old and stale now.

I'm just so done with him on so many levels. I love MAGA-based policies - I love America first, I love being tough on immigration, and although Haley doesn't really fall into this camp (and is the one area I slightly disagree with her on), I like the idea of America pulling back from the world stage a bit and focusing on the we have going on in our own homeland. All of those policies, all of his policies sound great. But I can no longer turn a blind eye to his many, many, many, many issues just because I like his policies. If we can get someone in there who enacts 80% of policies and can beat Biden resoundingly while also not stoking the fires of hatred and division, why not do that? Enough is enough, IMO. 

I like this post because I don't agree with what you're saying but I do like that you're at least acknowledging how ridiculous he is.

I don't like that you're framing it by saying it's about winning and not necessarily doing the right thing.  Would you be supporting him if he had a winning record?

[SnarkyGoblin]

6 hours ago, Anti Marine Layer said:

That's why we don't want people without traditional American values to come here.

Quote

"There is nothing which I dread so much as a division of the republic into two great parties, each arranged under its leader, and concerting measures in opposition to each other. This, in my humble apprehension, is to be dreaded as the greatest political evil under our Constitution."

-- John Adams, Letter to Jonathan Jackson (2 October 1780)

Your response to John Adam's quote is something else, marine.  

[hawkstwelve]

3 minutes ago, SnarkyGoblin said:

I like this post because I don't agree with what you're saying but I do like that you're at least acknowledging how ridiculous he is.

I don't like that you're framing it by saying it's about winning and not necessarily doing the right thing.  Would you be supporting him if he had a winning record?

No, I would not because of all those other reasons I listed. Above all: I'm just exhausted of all the drama he causes.

Don't get me wrong - Would I like to nominate someone who could take advantage of Biden's political weakness and win with huge margins? Of course I would, for all the things that come along with a mandate like that. Sure, that's a big part of it. But that's not all of it. Not in the slightest.

[SnarkyGoblin]

If I could make a poll for this site, I would ask how many of the registered users were gun owners.

What percentage do you guys think it would be?

I'd guess 80%.

[Anti Marine Layer]

2 hours ago, SnarkyGoblin said:

Your response to John Adam's quote is something else, marine.  

The basic idea is that everyone must share the same values in order for everyone to be united and truly free, because otherwise we become polarized and tribalistic. That's why both Republicans and Democrats call each other a threat to democracy, because they have completely different views of what freedom means and what is right/wrong. 

For example, if 10 billion hard-core MAGA Republicans came into the country illegally and their children became voting citizens in the next generation, you would consider their values to be un-American.

In the past, immigrants were expected to study our Declaration of Independence and Constitution and agree with what they said and were expected to assimilate to our culture. Today, however, expecting people to assimilate is considered to be offensive and intolerant and even emotionally harmful because the left knows how to play out on people's emotions.

Traditional American values that people were expected to assimilate to is that "all men are created equal" since they all came from one man (Adam) being created in God's image, that there is an authority higher than the government that determines what is right and what is wrong and that humanity cannot perfect itself because all people are fallen and imperfect. That's exactly what the Declaration of Independence says.

The left believes that all people must have equal outcomes or that all ideas are equal, because if you say your morals are better than someone else, that is imposing your morality on someone. 

Trying to redistribute wealth in order to level the playing field and manufacture equality of outcome doesn't work, because government must become the ultimate authority and take control over sinful people.

John Adams also said "We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge, or gallantry, would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

 

 

 

[Rubus Leucodermis]

Kentucky Republican Pushes Bill to Make Sex With First Cousin Not Incest

[Anti Marine Layer]

The commies are messing with viruses again.

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2024/01/17/the-chinese-have-cooked-up-another-covid-strain-thats-beyond-irresponsible-n2633738

[Anti Marine Layer]

1 hour ago, Rubus Leucodermis said:

Kentucky Republican Pushes Bill to Make Sex With First Cousin Not Incest

I thought love is love. Why worry about incest? Though, I would have expected a Democrat, not a Republican, to push for such a bill. Or maybe a Democrat that identifies as a Republican.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

6 hours ago, SnarkyGoblin said:

If I could make a poll for this site, I would ask how many of the registered users were gun owners.

What percentage do you guys think it would be?

I'd guess 80%.

What is the percentage of the general population that owns guns? Probably 95% of forum users are men so that would probably make the percentage higher. I do not own a gun. 
 

Personally I don’t have a problem with hunting though I think it is a bit of a grotesque sport. On the other hand without the natural balance of large predators we need hunting to manage game populations or invasive species. But I do not enjoy it or have an interest in it. But it’s a legitimate hobby for many responsible gun owners. 
 

Hand guns on the other hand really serve no purpose except to kill people. I respect people’s right to own handguns, but I feel that I and my family would be less safe if they were in the house. Though I understand some have life experiences which may give them a different perspective on this. I am a fairly physically imposing man, I have never felt physically threatened or unsafe (by another person), in my adult life. Many people I have met who own firearms seem to me to live with irrational fear. Or at least fear which to me seems irrational. 

Edited January 18 by SilverFallsAndrew

[SilverFallsAndrew]

14 hours ago, SnarkyGoblin said:

You didn't answer my question.  You bring up polls often, but only when it's trump. 

Especially in the supposed context that you don't like Trump....why?

I felt I did answer your question. I give polls involving Trump more validity because people know Trump. People do not know Haley, in that context her support could be more volatile once she is truly challenged. The media is friendly now, but could she weather that storm in a general election campaign? I don’t think so. Also she is not going to be the nominee so polls including her are largely irrelevant. 

[Iceresistance]

11 hours ago, Anti Marine Layer said:

The commies are messing with viruses again.

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2024/01/17/the-chinese-have-cooked-up-another-covid-strain-thats-beyond-irresponsible-n2633738

Not another one!

[SnarkyGoblin]

9 hours ago, SilverFallsAndrew said:

What is the percentage of the general population that owns guns? Probably 95% of forum users are men so that would probably make the percentage higher. I do not own a gun. 
 

Personally I don’t have a problem with hunting though I think it is a bit of a grotesque sport. On the other hand without the natural balance of large predators we need hunting to manage game populations or invasive species. But I do not enjoy it or have an interest in it. But it’s a legitimate hobby for many responsible gun owners. 
 

Hand guns on the other hand really serve no purpose except to kill people. I respect people’s right to own handguns, but I feel that I and my family would be less safe if they were in the house. Though I understand some have life experiences which may give them a different perspective on this. I am a fairly physically imposing man, I have never felt physically threatened or unsafe (by another person), in my adult life. Many people I have met who own firearms seem to me to live with irrational fear. Or at least fear which to me seems irrational. 

Wow - I'm a little surprised by you not owning a gun.  Maybe it's less rural than it seems down there. 

I always think about the old Simpsons segment when I think about gun ownership.

Agree with you on the hunting & handgun/AR.

 

[SnarkyGoblin]

It's remarkable how age is a big issue for Biden for some reason for Trump it is not.  

Does this sound like a guy we want to lead our country?  

Quote

Trump: But we're also going to place strong protections to stop banks and regulators from trying to de-bank you. From your— you know, your political beliefs, what they do. They want to de-bank you, and we're going to de-bank— think of this. They want to take away your rights. They want to take away your country. The things they’re doing, all-electric cars. Give me a break.

[SnarkyGoblin]

It really is too bad Haley isn't going full throat against Trump.  She has to have figured out by now that tiptoeing around the idiot isn't convincing primary owners.  She should have ignored Iowa and focused all her effort on the 40ish percent of the New Hampshire independents.

And it's not like she'd be alone:

 https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/01/18/opinion/trump-cabinet-election-2024.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Ok0.UIZ4.3GY1wco5hlak&smid=url-share (written by a conservative)

It was always a long-shot, but 2016 should have been all the proof she needed that ignoring trump doesn't work.

[SilverFallsAndrew]

22 minutes ago, SnarkyGoblin said:

Wow - I'm a little surprised by you not owning a gun.  Maybe it's less rural than it seems down there. 

I always think about the old Simpsons segment when I think about gun ownership.

Agree with you on the hunting & handgun/AR.

 

I am sure I am the only person in my area who does not have a gun. It's kind of a personal preference thing, and my mom was always super against guns, so that stuck with me too.