US Politics - 2020 Presidential Election - GOP v Dem cage fight (ENTER AT YOUR PERIL)

[kayrone]

Can't wait for the country to be run by a bunch of Bond villains.

Trump, Musk, JFKjr. What could go wrong?

I haven't had enough coffee yet, but for starters...

many more women dying in pregnancy & childbirth
kids dying of polio, measles, mumps, rubella, etc.
lots more salmonella & listeria outbreaks (who really needs the FDA, amiright?)
child labor for the ones who don't die of diseases that were eradicated by vaccines
child brides
no fault divorce - gone
Social security - gone
Medicare - gone
Unions, pensions - gone
Affordable Care Act - gone
taxes - UP unless your AGI is over $360k
food prices - UP (produce? good luck!)
EPA - gone
FEMA - gone
NOAA - gone
Dept of education - gone
Any competent gov't employees - gone
Putin allowed to obliterate Ukraine (then Latvia, then Poland, then....)
Netinyahu allowed to obliterate Gaza

but hey, at least we will be great again!

[chemiclord]

People were speaking about Biden and him being old as the hills........, but this Mitch McConnell dude currently speaking......, leader of the Senate I believe? (Him and some other dude called Phil. A. Buster) ....., McConnell is like someone you'd see at lunch in a garden centre on a Sunday afternoon. Jaysus H C, these politicians are old as fk.

Part of the problem is that you might be amazed at the utter lack of engagement the general population has for politics and the people representing them.

All they want is to find a name they recognize, have vague feelings of familiarity, then shove that person off to Washington D.C. and never think about it again. I'd argue a majority of Americans actually resent having to think about it every four years. A ton of McConnell's voters don't see him as he is now. They still see the guy from thirty years ago.

[Marko69]

Never heard of “no fault divorce” 🤷♂️
That couples who just cant be arsed to live with each other anymore? Wow. Thought i’d have heard of that. I’d place a bet at least 50% of the people would go for “no fault divorce”. Certainly the people me & the mrs know.

Guy i know: “You know what, Mark, she just, you know….. gets on my nerves constantly!”

His wife to my wife: “Sacha, I’m bored. I’ve read 25 books in the last month.”

Its a catch22. She’s getting on his nerves because she’s always reading! Nothing wrong with reading though ——>> No fault divorce.

Then he can continue being at the pub every night. Guilt free!!

[kayrone]

Never heard of “no fault divorce” 🤷♂️
That couples who just cant be arsed to live with each other anymore? Wow. Thought i’d have heard of that. I’d place a bet at least 50% of the people would go for “no fault divorce”. Certainly the people me & the mrs know.

Guy i know: “You know what, Mark, she just, you know….. gets on my nerves constantly!”

His wife to my wife: “Sacha, I’m bored. I’ve read 25 books in the last month.”

Its a catch22. She’s getting on his nerves because she’s always reading! Nothing wrong with reading though ——>> No fault divorce.

Then he can continue being at the pub every night. Guilt free!!

basically, it means that you can get a divorce without proof of some sort of violation of the marriage contract. A woman has only been legally allowed to initiate a divorce in this country for about 50 years; before that, women had no recourse and no financial freedom, so they were trapped. Americans love to think of the women's movement of the 60's and 70's in terms of sexual freedom, when it had a LOT more to do with physical safety and financial security than Americans would have you believe.

[kayrone]

Part of the problem is that you might be amazed at the utter lack of engagement the general population has for politics and the people representing them.

All they want is to find a name they recognize, have vague feelings of familiarity, then shove that person off to Washington D.C. and never think about it again. I'd argue a majority of Americans actually resent having to think about it every four years. A ton of McConnell's voters don't see him as he is now. They still see the guy from thirty years ago.

Well, Trump did say that people will never have to vote again after this election, maybe that's why they voted for him?

[chemiclord]

Well, Trump did say that people will never have to vote again after this election, maybe that's why they voted for him?

It would not surprise me if that was a selling point for a lot of people. And as long as his stupid policies never affect them, they will remain blissfully happy.

I would argue that roughly half of the American public are people that pose absolutely no problem to anyone. They are quite content to focus on their little corner of the world, and not think one solitary whit about anything beyond what their eyes can see. But you also can't count on them to defend anyone in the crosshairs of others, because they simply don't care.

[Blue Lagoon58]

Part of the problem is that you might be amazed at the utter lack of engagement the general population has for politics and the people representing them.

All they want is to find a name they recognize, have vague feelings of familiarity, then shove that person off to Washington D.C. and never think about it again. I'd argue a majority of Americans actually resent having to think about it every four years. A ton of McConnell's voters don't see him as he is now. They still see the guy from thirty years ago.

Americans are extremely lazy in their politics. Maddening.

[CGVT]

I haven't had enough coffee yet, but for starters...

many more women dying in pregnancy & childbirth
kids dying of polio, measles, mumps, rubella, etc.
lots more salmonella & listeria outbreaks (who really needs the FDA, amiright?)
child labor for the ones who don't die of diseases that were eradicated by vaccines
child brides
no fault divorce - gone
Social security - gone
Medicare - gone
Unions, pensions - gone
Affordable Care Act - gone
taxes - UP unless your AGI is over $360k
food prices - UP (produce? good luck!)
EPA - gone
FEMA - gone
NOAA - gone
Dept of education - gone
Any competent gov't employees - gone
Putin allowed to obliterate Ukraine (then Latvia, then Poland, then....)
Netinyahu allowed to obliterate Gaza

but hey, at least we will be great again!

They either have no idea what they have unleashed on this country or they just don't give a shit.

Either option is sad.

But I guess I'll just sit back and wait for the buck-fidy a gallon gasoline.

[Blue Lagoon58]

There better be $1.25/gallon gas by Feb 1st.

[chemiclord]

Americans are extremely lazy in their politics. Maddening.

I'll say that I doubt that a uniquely American problem, but a problem that comes whenever a social stability has emerged for a length of time.

[froot loops]

I've said enough about Trump to write several novels. It doesn't get you anywhere. People like the crassness. But as far as the election.

1. In 2006 Howard Dean was the head of the Democratic party and he instituted the 50 state strategy, meaning he wanted the party to compete in all 50 states. That meant actually getting people to run in races that were considered impossible. Rahm Emanuel was in charge of recruiting blue dog democrats (the conservative wing of the party). 2006 was very successful for that and they won a lot of races, by 2009 they had the Blue Dog coalition was 59 members. Today it's 10.

2. Obama took that 50 state strategy to heart and won the nomination largely because he completed in all of the primaries. By the end of 2008 the Democratic party had its shit together organizationally but they didn't keep it up. Obama's big insight in the general election is saying you can't lose 85-15 in the rural areas, try to get it to 70-30. Trump keeps on improving the margins in rural areas. The Democratic party is ceding the rural areas and it's lethal to electoral prospects.

3. The last three Presidential elections have morphed into a 10 state, 8 state and now 7 state strategy. The Democrats don't even try anymore in Ohio and Florida. They just cede the ground. The seven state strategy sucks because it assumes that the states don't move in concert

4. Biden did irreperable harm by waiting so long. When one candidate is running for office for two years and you aren't, you are getting obliterated in the messaging war. 100 days is not enough time.

5. Kamala Harris ran a fine campaign but it was always going to be a hard uphill climb because of the messaging deficit and while she was a pretty good candidate, the clips of her prior campaign were just devastating. That anti-trans ad ran on loop in Michigan. That is poison if you are trying to get votes in the Thumb. The preliminary results appear to say the general populace went 6 points right but the swings states only went three that tells me the strategy was OK for her. So the seven state strategy sucks, but if you are thrown into the fight 102 days, you cannot do much more than that.

6. Lastly, Trump says ridiculous things but he shows up to those rallies in obscure places and he's been doing it for ten years. That builds loyalty even if he is saying ridiculous shit.

[Septem]

"Humble in victory, gracious in defeat."

I liked Kamala Harris defeat speech!

Always vote. But do not discuss politics in public, even in Portugal. Have my opinion but usually keep it private to friends and family!

Think this is my second post in this thread.

To those forumites that are sad with the result of the elections, if you want to cheer up a bit, watch John Stewart and Desi Lydic day after reactions to the elections on The Daily Show. (probably you already have). Hilarious without putting away the sadness of the defeat. Just brilliant!

[Marko69]

Too those forumites that are sad with the result of the elections, if you want to cheer up a bit, watch John Stewart and Desi Lydic day after reactions to the elections on The Daily Show. (probably you already have). Hilarious without putting away the sadness of the defeat. Just brilliant!

You must watch Jonathan Pie on the election aftermath as well, Septem. Absolutely hilarious regarding a very painful election result.

The only positive from it all is not having to listen to Kamala's voice. ....., she was like Janice from "Friends" in my head. I bet when it all became evident that things were going tits up, she said out loud, "OH...MY...GOD. JOE. THAT DING-A-LING TRUMPET IS GOING TO WIN!"

[Septem]

You must watch Jonathan Pie on the election aftermath as well, Septem. Absolutely hilarious regarding a very painful election result.

Going to check it! Always ready for a good laugh!

[Iron Lion]

Iron Lioness and I, walking off this L with some edibles. We were discussing what we would watch tonight, and she rattled some ideas, but I simply said, "Deadpool and Wolverine." And she looked at me and admitted with her eyes that my logic was irrefutable.