Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[Dr. Strangelove]

And this month's Marquette Wisconsin poll

Biden 49, Trump 45
Sanders 47, Trump 46
Trump 48, Warren 45
Trump 46, Buttigieg 44

Biden was +1 last month and Sanders was -2. Warren and Buttigieg with weaker numbers than last month.

[THE_WIZARD_]

I guess we should all prepare ourselves for a Biden presidency...

heh

[Jeff Buchanan]

Where's Bloomberg in this. I saw something suggesting he could beat Trump - think it was from his campaign though and not a fact based assertion.

Same for Klobuchar - I've read a bit about her. More moderate than progressive, very well spoken, experienced, save name recognition, a better candidate than Biden I would think.

[iam416]

Trump officials threatened all three countries that the US would be imposing a 25% tariff on all imported cars if they didn't

Sounds like it's time for the House to add another article of impeachment for extortion and blackmail.

[Dr. Strangelove]

Connecticut GOP says it has asked Robert Hyde (the crazy guy working with Parnas) to step down and end his congressional campaign. He's a "distraction" from the other fine Republican candidates across Connecticut.

[iam416]

There are Rs in Connecticut? I thought it was entirely D-controlled. And, incidentally, they're doing a wonderful job. California would be envious.

[Dr. Strangelove]

There are Rs in Connecticut? I thought it was entirely D-controlled. And, incidentally, they're doing a wonderful job. California would be envious.

Can you name the last CT Republican to serve in the House off the top of your head? I saw his name come up as trivia in connection to this. He was actually pretty well known and used to be described as the last Rockefeller Republican.

[iam416]

Chris Shay?

[Dr. Strangelove]

Chris Shay?

Ding ding ding

[iam416]

Not related to legendary father-son big man combo of Dolph and Danny Schayes

[Ghengis Jon]

.....Same for Klobuchar - I've read a bit about her. More moderate than progressive, very well spoken, experienced, save name recognition, a better candidate than Biden I would think.....

Biden would make a fine VP running mate for Amy K.

[iam416]

Speaking of Danny Schayes, did any sports franchise ever have a better run of gangly, unpleasant looking players than the late 80s/early 90s Bucks?

Jack Sikma, Paul Mokeski, Randy Breuer, Frank Brickowski, Larry Krystkowiak, Brad Lohaus, Fred Roberts, Danny Schayes....unbelievable GM'ing. They also had Jerry Sichting for a bit, though not a big man.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Our index of investor confidence in the global economy - the markets, all of them - are up today on news of a "pause" in the tit-for-tat business of tariffs being levied on imports/exports from the world's two largest economies. That's the good news.

The bad news is that nothing is settled with respect to Chinese government subsides to businesses that operate with distinct competitive product pricing advantages to other global companies that don't enjoy such subsidies. But, there is a silver lining here: This isn't just a US issue but Trump, to the applause of businesses and governments in Asia and the West, took on the Chinese by neutering the WTO (a good thing in my view becasue they couldn't or wouldn't due shit about this complaint) and imposing punitive tariffs on China. The goal of those tariffs was to get the Chinese to negotiate outside of the WTO that essentially protected the BS advantages the Chinese were enjoying.

Is it a slam dunk victory for the Trump administrations? No. But it is noteworthy that the Chinese are no longer enjoying a free ride on subsidies or technology transfer/intellectual property theft. Why? Because Trump has held the upper hand with the current tariffs, none of them removed per this agreement, removal of them, pending an evaluation by US trade reps going forward on Chinese willingness to address structural issues in their economy that simply create something way different than the level playing field required for what everyone wants, free trade.

I think, long term, the current approach has a very good chance of extracting some level of change from the Chicoms. They have the business success of Hong Kong associated with loosening of ownership and capital markets as a guide post and, certainly, they cannot deny what Taiwan has achieved as a free market economy and use that circumstance as a model. They're not going to give up the central planning inherent in Communism but there is no question that if they want to compete globally on the political and economic stage, they are going to have to accept the value of the undergirding principals of capitalism and find ways, without appearing to cave to the capitalist powers, to implement some of those principals.

I think the biggest risk is that all of this might get undone in November of 2020. It's going to take longer than that, with the same approach to the Chicoms, to establish anywhere near the level playing field being sought by governments world wide. The one saving situation is that the Congress has generally supported the aggressive, to one extent or the other, the trade policies of multiple administrations with China. IOW, be tough on China. The problem is that only Trump, the ass-hole that he is, could have set the US up on the path, I think at least, that it is appears to be on. If he leaves office, and I expect the Chinese think there is a good chance he will, the pressure will come off and the Chicoms can continue to slide.

[Jeff Buchanan]

In other news of the day and has already been briefly discussed, Vlad has taken steps to become Emperor of Russia. It's big news actually, something that Catherine the Great, having displaced her weak Husband, Peter III as ruler while she became Empress of Russia, would applaud. I'm about to do the unthinkable, for me anyway, becasue I try to respect pay-walls and copy writes but I love, as you know, the Economist. Some of their lefty shit I don't agree with but their writers are superb and the editorial staff there does a bang-up job. So, I apologize to journalists who might object ..... well, not really. This is just too good:

Glued to the throne

[WingsFan]

Three headed monster right now Biden/Bernie/Warren

Its bad for the Dems when Huffpost and CNN are beefing. CNN basically called Bernie a LIAR last night, it was humerus. I wouldn't be surprised if it a brokered convention in Milwaukee. When Warren is eliminated, Bernie should get a lot of her voters and the Dems will not have him vs Trump.

Bloomberg could be an x factor.