The Political Junkie Thread

[dudog]

I pray every night that Trump will not run and I wake up every morning and look at my phone hoping for an alert about something bad happening to him (why Tony Dow instead of Trump?). But there is a tiny part of me that wants to see Trump run against Pete just to see how close to the line of being blatantly homophobic Trump would get. The problem is that Trump could make fully homophobic comments and use every slur in the book and his supporters would find an excuse for it.

You're overthinking this, buddy. Of course you want Trump to run. He'll be heavily damaged, possibly under indictment, but do you think that will stop him? So he'll probably lose in a hotly contested, close, nasty R primary. And then what do you think are the chances of him stepping aside graciously and endorsing the R candidate? Is there a percentage less than 0? Let them tear each other, and their misogynistic, homophobic, racist party apart.

I'm not a fan of this iteration of the GOP.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

I pray every night that Trump will not run and I wake up every morning and look at my phone hoping for an alert about something bad happening to him (why Tony Dow instead of Trump?). But there is a tiny part of me that wants to see Trump run against Pete just to see how close to the line of being blatantly homophobic Trump would get. The problem is that Trump could make fully homophobic comments and use every slur in the book and his supporters would find an excuse for it.

You're overthinking this, buddy. Of course you want Trump to run. He'll be heavily damaged, possibly under indictment, but do you think that will stop him? So he'll probably lose in a hotly contested, close, nasty R primary. And then what do you think are the chances of him stepping aside graciously and endorsing the R candidate? Is there a percentage less than 0? Let them tear each other, and their misogynistic, homophobic, racist party apart.

I'm not a fan of this iteration of the GOP.

Yes. My dream is for the Dems to quickly agree on a nice, moderate candidate and then let the Republicans beat the living crap out of each other in the primary while we all sit on the couch, eat popcorn and laugh/cry at it. The latter might happen, but unfortunately the Dems probably will not cooperate and will have an internal civil war between the progressives and the moderates.

I saw a headline the other day that Bloomberg said that the Dems should really be prioritizing the swing states and having early primaries there, etc. I know others have said this as well. It makes sense.

Still waiting to see the details on this agreement with Manchin. It would be nice if a few Republicans could jump on board but it is unlikely. From the little I read the Dems seem to have actually done this in an intelligent way that, despite McConnell's best efforts, they can positively spin heading into elections. They just need to stay in front of it and try to control the narrative.

[CameronBornAndBred]

You're overthinking this, buddy. Of course you want Trump to run. He'll be heavily damaged, possibly under indictment, but do you think that will stop him? So he'll probably lose in a hotly contested, close, nasty R primary. And then what do you think are the chances of him stepping aside graciously and endorsing the R candidate? Is there a percentage less than 0? Let them tear each other, and their misogynistic, homophobic, racist party apart.

I endorse this comment.

[CameronBornAndBred]

In his threatened lawsuit against CNN is the seed of Trump's future legal defense against any upcoming indictments.

In their document, the lawyers said that CNN repeatedly said Trump was "lying" but that Trump could not be lying as he "subjectively believes" his loss was due to voter fraud.

"In this instance, President Trump's comments are not lies: He subjectively believes that the results of the 2020 presidential election turned on fraudulent voting activity in several key states," the lawyers wrote.

So he's not lying, he's simply certifiably insane.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-legal- ... 06885.html

[Phredd3]

Still waiting to see the details on this agreement with Manchin. It would be nice if a few Republicans could jump on board but it is unlikely. From the little I read the Dems seem to have actually done this in an intelligent way that, despite McConnell's best efforts, they can positively spin heading into elections. They just need to stay in front of it and try to control the narrative.

And this is the thing about Biden: He's actually pretty damn good at governing. He convinced some Republicans to break ranks on the first gun bill in 30 years. He's handled COVID intelligently. He's put good people in good positions in government, and he's taken himself and government in general out of the daily scandal report. He's quiet and he gets some stuff done.

Unfortunately, he's also awful as the face of the party. He's a terrible speaker. He's good at forming a consensus, but awful at setting the Democratic agenda. Even in prepared statements, he message is often fuzzy and unclear. He's slow to react to changing conditions. And he's unmistakably old. He walks like an 80-year-old, which he will in fact be later this year. The guy really ought to be a Senator.

Also, his luck is really bad. The timing of this inflation/downturn is really unfortunate. 2 years is forever in politics, so maybe it's all sweetness and light by the time 2024 rolls around. But it will be really hard for him to get anything at all done - even in terms of messaging - if the Dems don't control any of Congress, and as of right now, it sure looks like they won't.

It can be really frustrating to be a Democrat.

[Phredd3]

In his threatened lawsuit against CNN is the seed of Trump's future legal defense against any upcoming indictments.

In their document, the lawyers said that CNN repeatedly said Trump was "lying" but that Trump could not be lying as he "subjectively believes" his loss was due to voter fraud.

"In this instance, President Trump's comments are not lies: He subjectively believes that the results of the 2020 presidential election turned on fraudulent voting activity in several key states," the lawyers wrote.

So he's not lying, he's simply certifiably insane.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-legal- ... 06885.html

Really? His suit turns on the word "lie"...against CNN?!?!

I wonder exactly how many times Trump used the words "fake news" in referring to CNN? Gotta be in the thousands by now, right?

[OPK]

“It’s not a lie if you think it’s true.”

— George Costanza

[CameronBornAndBred]

Yay!!! We're saved!!! ;)

Dozens of former Republican and Democratic officials announced on Wednesday a new national political third party to appeal to millions of voters they say are dismayed with what they see as America's dysfunctional two-party system.

The new party, called Forward and whose creation was first reported by Reuters, will initially be co-chaired by former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang and Christine Todd Whitman, the former Republican governor of New Jersey. They hope the party will become a viable alternative to the Republican and Democratic parties that dominate U.S. politics, founding members told Reuters.

Of course, any third party has to start somewhere, so who knows. At least they have some viable names on board.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/exclusive-fo ... 54665.html

[dudog]

It can be really frustrating to be a Democrat.

"I am not a member of any organized political party. I am a Democrat." - Will Rogers

It should be noted that his Democratic Party was much different than today's, but it's still a great quote.

[OPK]

It can be really frustrating to be a Democrat.

"I am not a member of any organized political party. I am a Democrat." - Will Rogers

It should be noted that his Democratic Party was much different than today's, but it's still a great quote.

And speaking of — folks are hailing the Joe Manchin deal but Sinema has not signed off yet. She wants to review and see what the parliamentarian says.

[dudog]

Hey OPK, ever get flipped off by opposing counsel in the courtroom?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/al ... li=BBnb7Kz

No big surprise, I suppose, the guy works for Alex Jones. But I thought you guys were supposed to behave in these circumstances.

If you have the facts, pound the facts...if you have the law, pound the law...if you have neither, pound the table...If you're losing badly, give the finger.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

It can be really frustrating to be a Democrat.

"I am not a member of any organized political party. I am a Democrat." - Will Rogers

It should be noted that his Democratic Party was much different than today's, but it's still a great quote.

And speaking of — folks are hailing the Joe Manchin deal but Sinema has not signed off yet. She wants to review and see what the parliamentarian says.

She is going to be asking for a few special treats for Arizona to be included that she can take credit for. And maybe some gold-plated toilets (and bidets) for her office.

[OPK]

Hey OPK, ever get flipped off by opposing counsel in the courtroom?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/al ... li=BBnb7Kz

No big surprise, I suppose, the guy works for Alex Jones. But I thought you guys were supposed to behave in these circumstances.

If you have the facts, pound the facts...if you have the law, pound the law...if you have neither, pound the table...If you're losing badly, give the finger.

Yeah, that’s not a sign that things are going well….

[CameronBornAndBred]

Some polling info!

Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia has a nine-point lead over Republican challenger Herschel Walker in the state's high-profile Senate contest, according to a new poll conducted by SurveyUSA for 11Alive News.

The survey showed Warnock with 48% support among likely voters in the Peach State, while Walker received 39% support; eight percent of respondents were undecided.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/raphael-warn ... 58852.html

I've got no idea how dependable of a polling source SurveyUSA is, but nine points? Ouch.

[dudog]

Can anyone explain to me why Pelosi is going to Taiwan?

[CameronBornAndBred]

Can anyone explain to me why Pelosi is going to Taiwan?

Pelosi and the congressional delegation that accompanied her said in a statement on Tuesday that the visit "honors America's unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan's vibrant democracy."
"Our discussions with Taiwan leadership will focus on reaffirming our support for our partner and on promoting our shared interests, including advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region," the statement said. "America's solidarity with the 23 million people of Taiwan is more important today than ever, as the world faces a choice between autocracy and democracy."

https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/02/politics ... index.html

I'm pretty sure if you translate that statement to Chinese, it reads "We're here to piss you off".

[dudog]

Can anyone explain to me why Pelosi is going to Taiwan?

Pelosi and the congressional delegation that accompanied her said in a statement on Tuesday that the visit "honors America's unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan's vibrant democracy."
"Our discussions with Taiwan leadership will focus on reaffirming our support for our partner and on promoting our shared interests, including advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region," the statement said. "America's solidarity with the 23 million people of Taiwan is more important today than ever, as the world faces a choice between autocracy and democracy."

https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/02/politics ... index.html

I'm pretty sure if you translate that statement to Chinese, it reads "We're here to piss you off".

Thanks. And I didn't know you were bi...lingual, that is.

(I amuse myself)

[Phredd3]

Can anyone explain to me why Pelosi is going to Taiwan?

Keep in mind that this is hardly unprecedented. I'm no diplomacy expert (except the 7-player game kind), but I think this is a good signal to send. China has continually gotten more and more aggressive in the region, highlighted by the doings in Hong Kong. It's high time someone stood up and said, "Yeah, that's enough." It doesn't change a thing, really, but it tells China that there's still a line there.

[OPK]

(I amuse myself)

careful if you travel, that’s no longer legal in Georgia.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

Can anyone explain to me why Pelosi is going to Taiwan?

Pelosi and the congressional delegation that accompanied her said in a statement on Tuesday that the visit "honors America's unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan's vibrant democracy."
"Our discussions with Taiwan leadership will focus on reaffirming our support for our partner and on promoting our shared interests, including advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region," the statement said. "America's solidarity with the 23 million people of Taiwan is more important today than ever, as the world faces a choice between autocracy and democracy."

https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/02/politics ... index.html

I'm pretty sure if you translate that statement to Chinese, it reads "We're here to piss you off".

I'm a lot smarter about domestic policy than about foreign policy. And I generally think our government should focus the vast majority of its time and resources on domestic policy. So someone correct me if I'm wrong.

But this seems like a very Trump-esque move, basically saying screw you to the Chinese. Though perhaps it is something Trump would threaten to do in a tough guy moment but wouldn't actually follow through on.

Also interesting that Pelosi went, as opposed to someone else.