Polite Politics

[Iceresistance]

11 hours ago, hawkstwelve said:

We have some ultra-MAGA family members who watch Fox News/Newsmax religiously. We've come to the conclusion they love to feel a part of something greater than everyone else. Like they know stuff everyone else doesn't know. They've told us "oh if you just knew the kinda stuff actually going on" multiple times. They were among those who believed Trump was going to enlist the military to arrest Nancy Pelosi and stay in power because the election was rigged and Trump had this massive dirt on Pelosi/the entire deep state that he was going to finally weaponize against them. Just crazy . Then when it obviously didn't happen and we go back to them asking "so what happened to the military coup?" they just write it off like "ha you expected the deep state to go down that easily?" I mean, don't get me wrong, I hate the government and think they are corrupt just as much as the next guy. But D**n... that's just insane.

Ultimately the media outlets know there are many people like that in America who just love to soak that type of crap up. Moderates? Sane people? Nah, no interest in them. Let's feed the fire of the extremes and watch the world burn.

I know someone who is a sociologist and he said that what appears to be more of a political polarization of America is to be loud minorities vs the silent majority.

I agree with him, minority groups always get the more attention than the majority.

[SnarkyGoblin]

The truth hurts @SilverFallsAndrew.

Quote

Donald J. Trump’s daunting level of Republican support helped him vanquish a field of presidential primary rivals in under two months.

But he still hasn’t won over one small but crucial group of voters — the men and women who cost him a second term in 2020.

His overwhelming primary victories, including more than a dozen on Tuesday that pushed Nikki Haley from the race, have masked his long-term problems with voters who live in the suburbs, those who view themselves as moderates or independents, and Republicans who backed Joseph R. Biden Jr. in 2020.

On Tuesday, Mr. Trump lost suburban precincts in Virginia despite carrying the state by a staggering 28 percentage points. In North Carolina, his 51-point victory was tempered by much narrower margins in the highly educated and affluent suburbs around Charlotte and Raleigh.

While many Republican strategists anticipate that most Haley voters will eventually support the party’s nominee, Mr. Trump’s failure to bring these voters into the fold less than four years after they helped block him from a second term in the White House raises pressing questions about what he can do in the next eight months to win them over.

He has not seemed especially concerned about this challenge, recently threatening to excommunicate his rival’s donors from his political movement. On Wednesday, he posted on social media that Ms. Haley “got TROUNCED last night, in record setting fashion,” even as he invited “all of the Haley supporters to join the greatest movement in the history of our Nation.”

Mr. Trump’s inability to broaden his support stands among the biggest threats to his party’s efforts to reclaim the presidency. Notably, Ms. Haley appeared to be a stronger November candidate: Polls including a recent New York Times/Siena College survey suggested that she would have had an easier time unseating Mr. Biden.

 

[SnarkyGoblin]

13 minutes ago, Iceresistance said:

I know someone who is a sociologist and he said that what appears to be more of a political polarization of America is to be loud minorities vs the silent majority.

I agree with him, minority groups always get the more attention than the majority.

The senate, the electoral college, filibusters...

Unelected life time appointed scotus who are nominated and confirmed by the above.

Much of our constitution caters to the minority.  It's an institutional problem.

[chescowxman]

It is so sad that as a country we can no longer have discussions about politics without folks quickly devolving to name calling etc. In my family I am a lone conservative but moderate for sure....however my left leaning family cannot understand how it is possible for someone to vote for a person that they personally despise with a passion (Trump)...because they better align with their conservative agenda. I think folks on the left need to like the person they vote for....me I don't vote for my politician to be my priest - I just want them to enact policies I support. I can hold my nose and vote for a candidate who I personally hate.

Edited March 7 by chescowxman
update

[SnarkyGoblin]

16 minutes ago, chescowxman said:

It is so sad that as a country we can no longer have discussions about politics without folks quickly devolving to name calling etc. In my family I am a lone conservative but moderate for sure....however my left leaning family cannot understand how it is possible for someone to vote for a person that they personally despise with a passion (Trump)...because they better align with their conservative agenda. I think folks on the left need to like the person they vote for....me I don't vote for my politician to be my priest - I just want them to enact policies I support. I can hold my nose and vote for a candidate who I personally hate.

So if I asked you in 2012 whether you'd be ok to vote for a convicted felon for president as long as they enacted conservative principles, you honestly would have said "sign me up"? 

[SilverFallsAndrew]

1 hour ago, SnarkyGoblin said:

The truth hurts @SilverFallsAndrew.

 

So all the polls are wrong except the ones which support what you want to happen? Got it!

[Andie]

1 hour ago, chescowxman said:

It is so sad that as a country we can no longer have discussions about politics without folks quickly devolving to name calling etc. In my family I am a lone conservative but moderate for sure....however my left leaning family cannot understand how it is possible for someone to vote for a person that they personally despise with a passion (Trump)...because they better align with their conservative agenda. I think folks on the left need to like the person they vote for....me I don't vote for my politician to be my priest - I just want them to enact policies I support. I can hold my nose and vote for a candidate who I personally hate.

I’ve held my nose through so many local and federal elections that I can’t recall voting for someone I admired or liked.   
it’s often the lesser of the evils.  
No matter who wins I’ll have to limit how much news I watch. I just can’t stand either men. Their speaking voices and patterns make me want to throw something at the screen.   
I mean, take some elocution lessons already!!!

[SnarkyGoblin]

58 minutes ago, SilverFallsAndrew said:

So all the polls are wrong except the ones which support what you want to happen? Got it!

Well considering previous election polling, the fact that this years' primary election polls were too favorable for trump, and the fact that we are just now starting the general election season.....yes? 

I would be shocked if there wasn't a small bump for Biden now that we know who the nominees are going to be and the reality of Trump potentially being president again sets in for poll takers.  I recall several people on here who thought Trump was done for politically just after Jan 6th happened.  Those same fed-up feelings are going to re-emerge.

[Deweydog]

Donald will be his own worst enemy just as he was in 2020. That should have been a chip shot for him and he screwed the pooch. This year those tendencies will only be amplified despite the fact January 2021 occurred during a time most Americans are tending to erase from their hard drives. It’s getting harder and harder to believe that March 2020 through about February 2022 really happened.

On the other hand, Biden can’t run a bunker campaign this time around and his frailty will be put on full display after four years of pretty rapid decline. The debates this fall are going to be an absolute gong show for both of them but I think the stakes are a bit higher for Biden. 

[Hoosier]

35 minutes ago, Deweydog said:

Donald will be his own worst enemy just as he was in 2020. That should have been a chip shot for him and he screwed the pooch. This year those tendencies will only be amplified despite the fact January 2021 occurred during a time most Americans are tending to erase from their hard drives. It’s getting harder and harder to believe that March 2020 through about February 2022 really happened.

On the other hand, Biden can’t run a bunker campaign this time around and his frailty will be put on full display after four years of pretty rapid decline. The debates this fall are going to be an absolute gong show for both of them but I think the stakes are a bit higher for Biden. 

Assuming the debates happen, it's going to be a shitshow unless they have their mics cut off while the other person speaks.  If there is no mic cutting, then Trump is going to roll right over Biden from a stylistic perspective... the whole bull in a china shop thing.  

[Hoosier]

Important speech for Biden tonight.  These get a lot of eyeballs (if not for the duration, then clips at least) and any major gaffe or stumbling will reinforce people's concerns.  If I'm him, I'm napping before, taking stimulants, whatever it takes to have energy and look good.

[Hoosier]

16 hours ago, roadtonowhere08 said:

That sums it up nicely.  That kind of crap tears families apart, and for what?

Speaking of which, my aunt and my sister are no longer on speaking terms because of politics.  My aunt is strongly Dem and my sister is Republican.  They had it out a while back and both of them seem content with cutting the other person out.  It's sad. 

[Rubus Leucodermis]

Biden is failing at the most important task of his presidency

[Iceresistance]

31 minutes ago, Hoosier said:

Important speech for Biden tonight.  These get a lot of eyeballs (if not for the duration, then clips at least) and any major gaffe or stumbling will reinforce people's concerns.  If I'm him, I'm napping before, taking stimulants, whatever it takes to have energy and look good.

There is already a hint that he is going to try to raise taxes on the SOTU speech, mostly on Billionaires (I said mostly since I am sure they are going to try to sneak in something that would raise taxes for EVERYONE)

[roadtonowhere08]

2 hours ago, Deweydog said:

Donald will be his own worst enemy just as he was in 2020. That should have been a chip shot for him and he screwed the pooch. This year those tendencies will only be amplified despite the fact January 2021 occurred during a time most Americans are tending to erase from their hard drives. It’s getting harder and harder to believe that March 2020 through about February 2022 really happened.

On the other hand, Biden can’t run a bunker campaign this time around and his frailty will be put on full display after four years of pretty rapid decline. The debates this fall are going to be an absolute gong show for both of them but I think the stakes are a bit higher for Biden. 

 

2 hours ago, Hoosier said:

Assuming the debates happen, it's going to be a shitshow unless they have their mics cut off while the other person speaks.  If there is no mic cutting, then Trump is going to roll right over Biden from a stylistic perspective... the whole bull in a china shop thing.  

 

1 hour ago, Hoosier said:

Important speech for Biden tonight.  These get a lot of eyeballs (if not for the duration, then clips at least) and any major gaffe or stumbling will reinforce people's concerns.  If I'm him, I'm napping before, taking stimulants, whatever it takes to have energy and look good.

Honestly, just pump them both full of cocaine and enjoy the spectacle.  It's going to be a train wreck, at least they can make it entertaining for us who have to put up with four more years of absolute garbage.

[roadtonowhere08]

1 hour ago, Hoosier said:

Speaking of which, my aunt and my sister are no longer on speaking terms because of politics.  My aunt is strongly Dem and my sister is Republican.  They had it out a while back and both of them seem content with cutting the other person out.  It's sad. 

Indeed.  There used to be a lot more friction in my family, but the people who were not interested in researching topics and only regurgitated what they saw on TV are getting older and more apathetic towards it all.

[hawkstwelve]

Biden should have plenty of ways to get his hands on some cocaine to make sure he looks energized tonight. In fact, he needs to look no further than his own son. Heck, maybe he'll find some in the cubbies within the White House again? 

[Iceresistance]

14 minutes ago, hawkstwelve said:

Biden should have plenty of ways to get his hands on some cocaine to make sure he looks energized tonight. In fact, he needs to look no further than his own son. Heck, maybe he'll find some in the cubbies within the White House again? 

Do presidents like him need to take a test for things like that?

[SnarkyGoblin]

43 minutes ago, hawkstwelve said:

Biden should have plenty of ways to get his hands on some cocaine to make sure he looks energized tonight. In fact, he needs to look no further than his own son. Heck, maybe he'll find some in the cubbies within the White House again? 

a pretty bad post.

[hawkstwelve]

36 minutes ago, SnarkyGoblin said:

a pretty bad post.

So we can talk as much crap as we want about Trump and rake him through the coals but we should put the gloves on for Biden?

That might fly with you, but that's not how I roll.

[BLI snowman]

11 hours ago, SnarkyGoblin said:

The truth hurts @SilverFallsAndrew.

 

Biden benefitted heavily from the near unprecedented voter turnout in 2020. Will he manage that again in 2024 with two such stale and broadly unpopular candidates and the very different pandemic-free circumstances of this year? I have my doubts.

Any significant drop in turnout this go-around will probably serve to favor Trump. Even if there won't be a statistically significant number of people crossing the aisle to vote for Trump, I can in fact picture a much more statistically significant number of 2020 Biden voters simply staying home this time.

Edited March 8 by BLI snowman

[SnarkyGoblin]

35 minutes ago, hawkstwelve said:

So we can talk as much crap as we want about Trump and rake him through the coals but we should put the gloves on for Biden?

That might fly with you, but that's not how I roll.

You're talking crap about his son who has a disease and readily admits it.

It might fly with you that they are somehow the same person, but that's not how I roll.

[Iceresistance]

You can't fix stupid

 

[Hoosier]

29 minutes ago, Iceresistance said:

You can't fix stupid

 

They probably feel like this is one of their best ways to make some noise and get his attention.  

[Andie]

State of the Union is a half hr late to start as I write.
All the Dem ladies are wearing white. Looks like a nurses convention.  
Guess we’ll see if Pop-Pop sets the audience alight!! Maybe he’s grabbing that last ice cream cone.

[roadtonowhere08]

1 hour ago, Iceresistance said:

You can't fix stupid

 

Fine with me.  SOTU is antiquated and Biden is apparently okay with genocide.  Let him sit a bit.

[Hoosier]

George Santos is there.  

[Hoosier]

Any president ever taken this long to walk down the aisle?  Geez

[Timmy Supercell]

16 minutes ago, Hoosier said:

Any president ever taken this long to walk down the aisle?  Geez

If you call stumbling "walking" 

[Hoosier]

This guy speaking has a lot of energy.  

So where's the real Joe Biden?  j/k

[Hoosier]

Fly to Moscow.  Haha

[TT-SEA]

2 minutes ago, Hoosier said:

This guy speaking has a lot of energy.  

So where's the real Joe Biden?  j/k

Still waiting for him to melt down.   But he is doing waaaaaay better than I expected so far.  

[roadtonowhere08]

30 minutes ago, TT-SEA said:

Still waiting for him to melt down.   But he is doing waaaaaay better than I expected so far.  

[Hoosier]

So many references to the "predecessor."  Then again, the former president usually isn't running against the current president.

[TT-SEA]

2 minutes ago, Hoosier said:

So many references to the "predecessor."  Then again, the former president usually isn't running against the current president.

Has that ever happened?  Not in our lifetime.   He had to do it.

[Hoosier]

1 minute ago, TT-SEA said:

Has that ever happened?  Not in our lifetime.   He had to do it.

You have to go back to the 1800s with Grover Cleveland.  

Eisenhower and Stevenson ran against each other in 1952 and 1956, but obviously Stevenson was never president.  

[TT-SEA]

Republican rebuttal is hard to watch.   She comes across as a bad actress.   Trying waaaaaaay too hard.

[Hoosier]

The woman giving the Republican response seems a little forced.

[Hoosier]

Just now, TT-SEA said:

Republican rebuttal is hard to watch.   She comes across as a bad actress.   Trying waaaaaaay too hard.

Yes!

[Hoosier]

I'm still watching her for some reason.