The Political Junkie Thread

[ArkieDukie]

U.S. Muslim leaders who supported Republican Donald Trump to protest against the Biden administration's support for Israel's war on Gaza and attacks on Lebanon have been deeply disappointed by his Cabinet picks, they tell Reuters.

Suckers. Just another voting bloc that's gonna be dealing with buyer's remorse.

"Trump won because of us and we're not happy with his Secretary of State pick and others," said Rabiul Chowdhury, a Philadelphia investor who chaired the Abandon Harris campaign in Pennsylvania and co-founded Muslims for Trump. Muslim support for Trump helped him win Michigan and may have factored into other swing state wins, strategists believe.

Trump picked Republican senator Marco Rubio, a staunch supporter of Israel for Secretary of State.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/muslims-vote ... 17749.html

Yeah, this group annoys me. You don’t like Biden’s policies in the Middle East, so you abandon Harris for someone far worse? How did you expect this to play out? Your candidate blocked a cease fire deal so he could use the issue in the campaign.

In general, I find myself not having any feelings of sympathy for the voters who are feeling buyer’s remorse. The first group I heard about was the Trump supporting factory workers who lost their Christmas bonuses because the factory decided to stock up in advance of the Trump tariffs. They thought the foreign governments paid the tariffs, because that’s what Dear Leader told them. Their bosses had to explain to them how tariffs actually work. I have sympathy for those who realized what was coming and voted against the felon but none for the ones who inflicted this on the rest of the country.

(Yes, I may still be in the anger stage.)

[Phredd3]

Yeah, this group annoys me. You don’t like Biden’s policies in the Middle East, so you abandon Harris for someone far worse? How did you expect this to play out? Your candidate blocked a cease fire deal so he could use the issue in the campaign.

A pick like that was completely predictable. And it's a little scary that "Li'l Marco" is the most reasonable of pretty much all the picks that have been announced so far. So-called "protest votes" don't do anything except shoot said voters in their own foot. The candidate doesn't owe you anything. You pick the candidate because of who they are, not because of who you want them to be.

I have sympathy for those who realized what was coming and voted against the felon but none for the ones who inflicted this on the rest of the country.

(Yes, I may still be in the anger stage.)

I'm right there with you on both.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

U.S. Muslim leaders who supported Republican Donald Trump to protest against the Biden administration's support for Israel's war on Gaza and attacks on Lebanon have been deeply disappointed by his Cabinet picks, they tell Reuters.

Suckers. Just another voting bloc that's gonna be dealing with buyer's remorse.

"Trump won because of us and we're not happy with his Secretary of State pick and others," said Rabiul Chowdhury, a Philadelphia investor who chaired the Abandon Harris campaign in Pennsylvania and co-founded Muslims for Trump. Muslim support for Trump helped him win Michigan and may have factored into other swing state wins, strategists believe.

Trump picked Republican senator Marco Rubio, a staunch supporter of Israel for Secretary of State.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/muslims-vote ... 17749.html

Yeah, this group annoys me. You don’t like Biden’s policies in the Middle East, so you abandon Harris for someone far worse? How did you expect this to play out? Your candidate blocked a cease fire deal so he could use the issue in the campaign.

In general, I find myself not having any feelings of sympathy for the voters who are feeling buyer’s remorse. The first group I heard about was the Trump supporting factory workers who lost their Christmas bonuses because the factory decided to stock up in advance of the Trump tariffs. They thought the foreign governments paid the tariffs, because that’s what Dear Leader told them. Their bosses had to explain to them how tariffs actually work. I have sympathy for those who realized what was coming and voted against the felon but none for the ones who inflicted this on the rest of the country.

(Yes, I may still be in the anger stage.)

I have my tiers of Trump voters:
1. (least bad) - Those who voted for him in 2016 thinking he wouldn't be as bad as they thought he would be and would grow up once in office, quickly realized they were wrong, and have never supported him again.
2. Those who still voted for him in 2020 despite seeing how bad he was as president
3. Those who still supported him after refusing to admit he lost and January 6
4. Those who still voted for him now and are OK with him.

I'm not sure where to fit the one issue voters in to that list. Those are the ones who don't like him now but feel that he is much better for them on one major issue they care about (abortion, middle east, etc.) so held their noses and supported him. Those who supported him just for abortion were rewarded with what they wanted. Those like what you described who thought he was more aligned with them on the middle east were ignorant and didn't do their homework.

There are few issues that can be so important that it should make one cross over when the candidates are so different. I am Jewish and I know some Jews for whom Israel is priority 1, 2 and 3 so they either voted for him or were extremely torn. I try to explain to them that this is a candidate whose behavior violates all of the core principles of our religion, but they don't care. I also remind them that they currently live in America, not Israel, but that really pisses them off (I support Israel but I am less Zionist than most Jews - my perspective on the current situation is very nuanced).

[Phredd3]

I have my tiers of Trump voters:
1. (least bad) - Those who voted for him in 2016 thinking he wouldn't be as bad as they thought he would be and would grow up once in office, quickly realized they were wrong, and have never supported him again.
2. Those who still voted for him in 2020 despite seeing how bad he was as president
3. Those who still supported him after refusing to admit he lost and January 6
4. Those who still voted for him now and are OK with him.

I'm not sure where to fit the one issue voters in to that list.

IMO, single issue voters belong on the list exactly where the other criteria place them. Just because you happen to be obsessed with one thing, that doesn't let you off the hook for ignoring literally everything else. If you're OK with someone who was that corrupt as president, you don't deserve any credit for trying to take refuge in your pet issue.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

I have my tiers of Trump voters:
1. (least bad) - Those who voted for him in 2016 thinking he wouldn't be as bad as they thought he would be and would grow up once in office, quickly realized they were wrong, and have never supported him again.
2. Those who still voted for him in 2020 despite seeing how bad he was as president
3. Those who still supported him after refusing to admit he lost and January 6
4. Those who still voted for him now and are OK with him.

I'm not sure where to fit the one issue voters in to that list.

IMO, single issue voters belong on the list exactly where the other criteria place them. Just because you happen to be obsessed with one thing, that doesn't let you off the hook for ignoring literally everything else. If you're OK with someone who was that corrupt as president, you don't deserve any credit for trying to take refuge in your pet issue.

I think I agree with that.

[Phredd3]

So about the Matt Gaetz appointment: I'm hearing a lot of fuss about the appointment and talk that he won't get confirmed. And maybe that's even true. But the thing is, Trump is already flooding the zone with shit. If Gaetz gets turned down, it will help Trump by helping him to identify the Senators with either actual principals and/or a grudge that's more important to those Senators than Donald Trump. In other words, it's going to mark those who have insufficient loyalty. And it won't particularly hurt Trump, because then he'll just pick a second, extremely loyal candidate who will do all the things the Gaetz would do, but would just dress it all up in a nicer package. I don't see a net win here.

Not that I don't hope that Senators won't approve the guy, just that I don't think Democrats or any other people of principal can draw much comfort from it. Sooner or later, Trump is going to get at least most of what he wants out of this nomination, whether that takes form of the Gaetz of Hell, or something that, as Frodo would say, looks fairer and feels fouler.

[jipops]

Walmart (per their CFO) and other companies are already talking about potentially raising prices if Trump's trade plans take place. I guess this would be the "Find Out" stage?
https://www.yahoo.com/news/3-ceos-prepa ... OaVn5AvTS-

[jipops]

So about the Matt Gaetz appointment: I'm hearing a lot of fuss about the appointment and talk that he won't get confirmed. And maybe that's even true. But the thing is, Trump is already flooding the zone with shit. If Gaetz gets turned down, it will help Trump by helping him to identify the Senators with either actual principals and/or a grudge that's more important to those Senators than Donald Trump. In other words, it's going to mark those who have insufficient loyalty. And it won't particularly hurt Trump, because then he'll just pick a second, extremely loyal candidate who will do all the things the Gaetz would do, but would just dress it all up in a nicer package. I don't see a net win here.

Not that I don't hope that Senators won't approve the guy, just that I don't think Democrats or any other people of principal can draw much comfort from it. Sooner or later, Trump is going to get at least most of what he wants out of this nomination, whether that takes form of the Gaetz of Hell, or something that, as Frodo would say, looks fairer and feels fouler.

I agree. And the bar will be kept extremely low in the event Gaetz can’t be pushed through. Anyone who is not a child predator can be seen as a perfectly acceptable and qualified candidate.

[Furniture]

So about the Matt Gaetz appointment: I'm hearing a lot of fuss about the appointment and talk that he won't get confirmed. And maybe that's even true. But the thing is, Trump is already flooding the zone with shit. If Gaetz gets turned down, it will help Trump by helping him to identify the Senators with either actual principals and/or a grudge that's more important to those Senators than Donald Trump. In other words, it's going to mark those who have insufficient loyalty. And it won't particularly hurt Trump, because then he'll just pick a second, extremely loyal candidate who will do all the things the Gaetz would do, but would just dress it all up in a nicer package. I don't see a net win here.

Not that I don't hope that Senators won't approve the guy, just that I don't think Democrats or any other people of principal can draw much comfort from it. Sooner or later, Trump is going to get at least most of what he wants out of this nomination, whether that takes form of the Gaetz of Hell, or something that, as Frodo would say, looks fairer and feels fouler.

I agree. And the bar will be kept extremely low in the event Gaetz can’t be pushed through. Anyone who is not a child predator can be seen as a perfectly acceptable and qualified candidate.

New narrative from the GOP.

I was watching Anderson Cooper last night and both D commentators were commenting on Gaetz and asking where is the GOP moral compass? Reply from the GOP talking head: "If you don't stop questioning the moral compass of the American people that voted in Donald Trump you will never get elected again".

Thats where we are.....

[CameronBornAndBred]

Someone hacked the Gaetz deposition files.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/hacker-got-d ... 04393.html

[CameronBornAndBred]

Let's say you a very well known pollster and you make a very surprising announcement that your state is going to flip for the challenging candidate.

That's illegal, right? Trump says yes.

Trump on Sunday described the poll as "possible ELECTION FRAUD by Ann Selzer and the now discredited 'newspaper' for which she works," adding, "An investigation is fully called for!"

Survey errors aren't known to violate criminal statutes. Asked if Trump was calling for a criminal investigation of the pollster, spokesman Steven Cheung replied: "President Trump was very clear in his Truth Social post."

https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-demand ... 50279.html

[Chicago 1995]

Just checking in to say hello. Looking forward to continuing the discussion.

Not much closer to answers now two weeks out. Shaking a bit out of apathy, but not much. Mostly angry at National Democratic leadership.

Anyway, enough with that.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Just checking in to say hello. Looking forward to continuing the discussion.

Not much closer to answers now two weeks out. Shaking a bit out of apathy, but not much. Mostly angry at National Democratic leadership.

Anyway, enough with that.

A welcome hello back.

[Furniture]

Just checking in to say hello. Looking forward to continuing the discussion.

Not much closer to answers now two weeks out. Shaking a bit out of apathy, but not much. Mostly angry at National Democratic leadership.

Anyway, enough with that.

I know how you feel. I had my angry rant a couple of pages ago.....

[Furniture]

So about the Matt Gaetz appointment: I'm hearing a lot of fuss about the appointment and talk that he won't get confirmed. And maybe that's even true. But the thing is, Trump is already flooding the zone with shit. If Gaetz gets turned down, it will help Trump by helping him to identify the Senators with either actual principals and/or a grudge that's more important to those Senators than Donald Trump. In other words, it's going to mark those who have insufficient loyalty. And it won't particularly hurt Trump, because then he'll just pick a second, extremely loyal candidate who will do all the things the Gaetz would do, but would just dress it all up in a nicer package. I don't see a net win here.

Not that I don't hope that Senators won't approve the guy, just that I don't think Democrats or any other people of principal can draw much comfort from it. Sooner or later, Trump is going to get at least most of what he wants out of this nomination, whether that takes form of the Gaetz of Hell, or something that, as Frodo would say, looks fairer and feels fouler.

I agree. And the bar will be kept extremely low in the event Gaetz can’t be pushed through. Anyone who is not a child predator can be seen as a perfectly acceptable and qualified candidate.

According to Marjorie Taylor Green the amount of Rs that don’t have some kind of ethic's issues could be a low number.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/202 ... lor-greene

“For my Republican colleagues in the House and Senate, If we are going to release ethics reports and rip apart our own that Trump has appointed, then put it ALL out there for the American people to see,” Taylor Greene wrote on X in a post which had received 1.3m views by Tuesday 1pm ET.

“Yes.. all the ethics reports and claims including the one I filed, all your sexual harassment and assault claims that were secretly settled paying off victims with tax payer money, the entire Jeffrey Epstein files, tapes, recordings, witness interviews but not just those, there’s more, Epstein wasn’t/isn’t the only asset. If we’re going to dance, let’s all dance in the sunlight,” she wrote.

[Phredd3]

“Yes.. all the ethics reports and claims….

And claims. Yeah. Just slip that in there, like it’s on par with a report after an investigation. How do these people get away with saying crap like that? Are Americans that stupid?

Yeah, don’t answer that. It’s too depressing.

[jipops]

Linda McMahon for Department of Education. From the world of pro wrestling.

Ladapo from Florida possibly surgeon general. Anti-trans campaigner and ardent anti-vaxxer.

Those are just from today. We knew it would be bad with a horde of crazies and loyalists appointed by Trump’s staff but this is at minimum as horrific as predicted

If you told someone 3 weeks ago that Matt Gaetz and RFK Jr were going to be appointed to AG and Health Secretary respectively, you would have been accused of being an alarmist. I don’t know if Gaetz will ultimately make it but there is obvious retribution intent to the appointment. And thr Hegseth appointment (a damn Fox News weekend anchor) is clearly to politicize the military.

The disdain and rage I feel towards people that knowingly voted for this incoming administration…not sure I can describe it. So many American lives are about to be tormented and put in harms way. And the disgusting aftermath of this second Trump term will last more than a lifetime.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

Linda McMahon for Department of Education. From the world of pro wrestling.

Ladapo from Florida possibly surgeon general. Anti-trans campaigner and ardent anti-vaxxer.

Those are just from today. We knew it would be bad with a horde of crazies and loyalists appointed by Trump’s staff but this is at minimum as horrific as predicted

If you told someone 3 weeks ago that Matt Gaetz and RFK Jr were going to be appointed to AG and Health Secretary respectively, you would have been accused of being an alarmist. I don’t know if Gaetz will ultimately make it but there is obvious retribution intent to the appointment. And thr Hegseth appointment (a damn Fox News weekend anchor) is clearly to politicize the military.

The disdain and rage I feel towards people that knowingly voted for this incoming administration…not sure I can describe it. So many American lives are about to be tormented and put in harms way. And the disgusting aftermath of this second Trump term will last more than a lifetime.

These people are all either "stick it to the libs" and/or "blow the whole thing up." Well, they are going to blow it all up, and people are going to realize how good they had it before Trump ruined it. Yet somehow they will not hold him accountable and blame it on Biden, migrants, transgender people, or anyone else.

I have said it before and I will say it again. I want nothing to do with these people. I don't see how someone can be on the fence about this. I live in NY. I wish we could just secede. But of course they wouldn't let us because that would be yet another way for them to own us and make us miserable.

As you noted, this was all so obvious. Yet so many people denied it. And we will all suffer. Hugely.

But what am I but an alarmist snowflake.

[jipops]

Linda McMahon for Department of Education. From the world of pro wrestling.

Ladapo from Florida possibly surgeon general. Anti-trans campaigner and ardent anti-vaxxer.

Those are just from today. We knew it would be bad with a horde of crazies and loyalists appointed by Trump’s staff but this is at minimum as horrific as predicted

If you told someone 3 weeks ago that Matt Gaetz and RFK Jr were going to be appointed to AG and Health Secretary respectively, you would have been accused of being an alarmist. I don’t know if Gaetz will ultimately make it but there is obvious retribution intent to the appointment. And thr Hegseth appointment (a damn Fox News weekend anchor) is clearly to politicize the military.

The disdain and rage I feel towards people that knowingly voted for this incoming administration…not sure I can describe it. So many American lives are about to be tormented and put in harms way. And the disgusting aftermath of this second Trump term will last more than a lifetime.

These people are all either "stick it to the libs" and/or "blow the whole thing up." Well, they are going to blow it all up, and people are going to realize how good they had it before Trump ruined it. Yet somehow they will not hold him accountable and blame it on Biden, migrants, transgender people, or anyone else.

I have said it before and I will say it again. I want nothing to do with these people. I don't see how someone can be on the fence about this. I live in NY. I wish we could just secede. But of course they wouldn't let us because that would be yet another way for them to own us and make us miserable.

As you noted, this was all so obvious. Yet so many people denied it. And we will all suffer. Hugely.

But what am I but an alarmist snowflake.

There is a selling point to these appointments. The lack of expertise and incompetence in these areas IS the selling point. To many voters, the norms and establishment types weren’t working for them anyways. So yeah, just blow it all up and who cares who gets hurt.

We are truly a country of spoiled decadence.

[OPK]

For those that wondered what life would be like if FoxNews ran the country, we’re about to find out.

Wait until he announces Tucker Carlson as White House press secretary.