US Politics Thread

[Satchmo]

6 minutes ago, Bob Long said:

 

I think we know. 

 

It's too bad imo how unpopular Harris is. If the Dems had a candidate or vp people could get behind it would be a landslide. 

 

I think Bidens heart is in the right place but if I were a US voter I would want a different choice. I get why he's not running away with it.

It just struck me that we have no idea what's being discussed behind closed doors.

 

There is still lots of time to come up with a VP candidate.   Harris may be compelled to gracefully remove herself from contention.

 

There, I just started a new conspiracy theory.

[Bob Long]

8 minutes ago, Boudrias said:

There are some good moderates on both sides of the aisle that might steer this mess towards a better America. 

 

That would ideal. Sad that things have to get this bad for people to consider that.

[Johngould21]

3 minutes ago, Satchmo said:

It just struck me that we have no idea what's being discussed behind closed doors.

 

There is still lots of time to come up with a VP candidate.   Harris may be compelled to gracefully remove herself from contention.

 

There, I just started a new conspiracy theory.

There sure is! But, neither party has a leader with those qualifications. Right now, Biden is the best choice, and would beat any Republican candidate easily.

[Satchmo]

6 minutes ago, Johngould21 said:

There sure is! But, neither party has a leader with those qualifications. Right now, Biden is the best choice, and would beat any Republican candidate easily.

I can agree.  

 

But I just wonder what the Dem election staff might be thinking.   They keep a keen eye on polls and public opinion.  They want to win, but I'm sure they'd prefer a landslide win.

 

And I admit this is all just speculation on my part.  On a hockey site to boot.

[Johngould21]

34 minutes ago, Satchmo said:

I can agree.  

 

But I just wonder what the Dem election staff might be thinking.   They keep a keen eye on polls and public opinion.  They want to win, but I'm sure they'd prefer a landslide win.

 

And I admit this is all just speculation on my part.  On a hockey site to boot.

I can see the Dems also getting control of the House as well, especially with all the MAGA dregs that have infiltrated it.

[PistolPete13]

4 hours ago, Sabrefan1 said:

 

and yet...  Can you say self-serving?  God damn, these opportunistic two-faced people disgust me.  Romney is no exception.

 

https://www.politico.com/blogs/donald-trump-administration/2016/11/dinner-for-3-trump-romney-and-reince-231976

 

 

Mittens must have been auditioning for the ball polisher job. 

[Johngould21]

3 hours ago, Sabrefan1 said:

 

That wasn't exclusive to his presidency.  Like most presidents, lying and bullshitting went on before, during, and after he was president.

 

Hell this country got into a war that got huge amounts of Americans killed over the dishonesty of one president and his political party.

We're forgetting the other mastermind in that Capitol attempted takedown, Steve Bannon. How this pos isn't in the crowbar hotel is beyond me. Isn't he the one that's been sued over the Sandy Hook school shooting never happened?

[24K]

2 hours ago, Sabrefan1 said:

 

Yep.  It ensures that no one part of the country has power over the other parts.  If it was straight up popular vote, the middle less populous states would get screwed over and be dominated by the more populous bigger states.  Politicians would favour cities like NYC and LA when it came time to dole out federal programs and federal investment.

The only thing I really want to change either the EC is winner take all. I would rather split the electoral votes of each state proportionally so candidates don't just pander to a few states which is the opposite extreme of the popular vote. 

 

Also it has to be proportional to popular vote the state and not be congressional districts that would just make gerrymandering worse. 

Edited October 20, 2023 by 24K

[Cerridwen]

2 hours ago, Gurn said:

The judge hit Trump with a whole $5,000 fine for violating a gag order.

travesty of justice

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/politics/trump-hit-with-fine-after-violating-gag-order/ar-AA1iAdF2?ocid=00000000&pc=U531&cvid=6abbf68e7c854ab696f1c9dd948dc70d&ei=6#comments&commentId=fcb740c7-ed02-4285-a1c1-73ed7d51e97b

"

Donald Trump was hit with a $5,000 fine Friday after a judge discovered a social media post disparaging a court clerk on a campaign website days after a gag order was issued.

Judge Arthur Engoron had threatened to hold Trump in contempt and even jail him after the post was found. Instead, he issued the fine.

In a written ruling, Engoron said he was “way beyond the ‘warning’ stage,” but decided to issue just a fine because of Trump’s attorney’s claim that the post was inadvertent, theAssociated Press reported.

He had earlier said the failure to delete the post was a “blatant violation” of the gag order issued on Oct. 3.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Don's net worth is estimated at 2.5 billion, by Forbes in May. at a paltry 2% interest it is 50,000,000 per year or 136,886.3 per day  or 5,707.76 per hour. So it cost him less than 1 hour of the interest. Joke of a fine.

We really do need an eyerolling thingamajiggy to comment on shared info in posts!

[Gurn]

44 minutes ago, Johngould21 said:

We're forgetting the other mastermind in that Capitol attempted takedown, Steve Bannon. How this pos isn't in the crowbar hotel is beyond me. Isn't he the one that's been sued over the Sandy Hook school shooting never happened?

Alex Jones, might be the freak you are thinking of.

[JoeyJoeJoeJr. Shabadoo]

1 hour ago, Johngould21 said:

We're forgetting the other mastermind in that Capitol attempted takedown, Steve Bannon. How this pos isn't in the crowbar hotel is beyond me. Isn't he the one that's been sued over the Sandy Hook school shooting never happened?

Bannon is the pos Trump pardoned after he got caught bilking the rubes out of millions with the we build the wall scam. He was the architect of a lot of what we saw from Trump later in his campaign and early presidency and he absolutely knows where the bodies are buried. I don't think he was in the picture as much during Jan 6 as he and Trump had a fallout earlier in his tenure. 

[King Heffy]

22 minutes ago, JoeyJoeJoeJr. Shabadoo said:

Bannon is the pos Trump pardoned after he got caught bilking the rubes out of millions with the we build the wall scam. He was the architect of a lot of what we saw from Trump later in his campaign and early presidency and he absolutely knows where the bodies are buried. I don't think he was in the picture as much during Jan 6 as he and Trump had a fallout earlier in his tenure. 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/dc-bannon-sentencing-congress-1.6623755

[Gurn]

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world/former-florida-lawmaker-who-sponsored-don-t-say-gay-sentenced-to-prison-for-covid-19-relief-fraud/ar-AA1izMCJ?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=U531&cvid=a542ba02cdf54cd78409bd7047780fb5&ei=33

"

 

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The former Florida lawmaker who sponsored the controversial law critics call “Don’t Say Gay” was sentenced to six months in federal prison Thursday for defrauding a federal coronavirus relief loan program for small businesses.

Former state Rep. Joe Harding, a 36-year-old Republican, resigned in December after being charged with fraudulently obtaining more than $150,000 from the Small Business Administration in pandemic aid loans. He pleaded guilty in March to wire fraud, money laundering and making false statements in connection with COVID-19 relief fraud.

-----------------------------------

more at link

[Sabrefan1]

3 hours ago, Johngould21 said:

We're forgetting the other mastermind in that Capitol attempted takedown, Steve Bannon. How this pos isn't in the crowbar hotel is beyond me. Isn't he the one that's been sued over the Sandy Hook school shooting never happened?

 

I know Alex Jones was sued and lost.  I don't think Steve Bannon was, but I could be wrong.

[Sabrefan1]

3 hours ago, 24K said:

The only thing I really want to change either the EC is winner take all. I would rather split the electoral votes of each state proportionally so candidates don't just pander to a few states which is the opposite extreme of the popular vote. 

 

Also it has to be proportional to popular vote the state and not be congressional districts that would just make gerrymandering worse. 

 

Both parties gerrymander.  The Republicans are just stupid about their gerrymandering because they try to disenfranchise protected voters.

 

As for the electoral votes, there are states that have decided to split their EC votes.  2 or 3 of them I believe.

[24K]

22 minutes ago, Sabrefan1 said:

 

Both parties gerrymander.  The Republicans are just stupid about their gerrymandering because they try to disenfranchise protected voters.

 

As for the electoral votes, there are states that have decided to split their EC votes.  2 or 3 of them I believe.

Yeah Maine and Kentucky does it but it is based on congressional districts.

 

I k ow both do it but I am saying if they do split EC vote it shouldn't be dine via congressional districts as it would incentivize both party to be more blatant and ruthless about it as the stakes are even higher.  

[Sabrefan1]

32 minutes ago, 24K said:

Yeah Maine and Kentucky does it but it is based on congressional districts.

 

I k ow both do it but I am saying if they do split EC vote it shouldn't be dine via congressional districts as it would incentivize both party to be more blatant and ruthless about it as the stakes are even higher.  

 

So you'd prefer it was percentage vote based?

[Riddikulus]

51 minutes ago, Sabrefan1 said:

Both parties gerrymander.  The Republicans are just stupid about their gerrymandering because they try to disenfranchise protected voters.

 

As for the electoral votes, there are states that have decided to split their EC votes.  2 or 3 of them I believe.

Is it really stupid, if you are trying to disenfranchise voters who are overwhelming going to vote against you? Republicans know that policies that are beneficial to black people will likely cause them to lose the more extremist portion of their base, so they don't even try to appeal to black voters. You can argue its callous and perpetuates racism but seems like the smart play if your goal is to do everything possible to win. 

[Sabrefan1]

46 minutes ago, Riddikulus said:

You can argue its callous and perpetuates racism but seems like the smart play if your goal is to do everything possible to win. 

 

That's why they do it.  They want the power that comes with winning.  They'll try and get away with breaking civil rights laws if it brings them their precious power. 

 

Don't kid yourself though.  If the shoe was on the other foot, the Democrats would do the same.

[Riddikulus]

1 minute ago, Sabrefan1 said:

That's why they do it.  They want the power that comes with winning.  They'll try and get away with breaking civil rights laws if it brings them their precious power. 

 

Don't kid yourself though.  If the shoe was on the other foot, the Democrats would do the same.

I don't disagree, its in the very nature of politicians to seize power and do your damnedest to hold on to it. Plus if the other side is doing it so unabashedly, then you would be a fool not to follow suit. 

[Sabrefan1]

32 minutes ago, Riddikulus said:

I don't disagree, its in the very nature of politicians to seize power and do your damnedest to hold on to it. Plus if the other side is doing it so unabashedly, then you would be a fool not to follow suit. 

 

I'm just not a fan of how they basically disenfranchise an entire selection of people.  I know they aren't doing it because they're collectively racist, because if those same exact people suddenly started to vote Republican, they'd redraw the election districts at first opportunity and empower them as much as possible as their party's newest base of voters.

[24K]

5 hours ago, Sabrefan1 said:

 

So you'd prefer it was percentage vote based?

Yeah dish the vote each state had by percentage of the popular vote in the state. Round down to the number if votes and award the extra vote to the overall winner. 

 

Of course have a threshold of percentage of vote needed to get a single vote like 5%.

[Sabrefan1]

6 hours ago, 24K said:

Yeah dish the vote each state had by percentage of the popular vote in the state. Round down to the number if votes and award the extra vote to the overall winner. 

 

Of course have a threshold of percentage of vote needed to get a single vote like 5%.

 

Any system based solely on a popular vote would eventually screw over small states to the point where they would want to secede from the union.  That's why we can't do it that way no matter how many liberals whine and cry about wanting it that way.  Until of course the day comes when it wouldn't benefit them, then they'd embrace the count the way that it's done.

[Bob Long]

3 minutes ago, Sabrefan1 said:

 

Any system based solely on a popular vote would eventually screw over small states to the point where they would want to secede from the union.  That's why we can't do it that way no matter how many liberals whine and cry about wanting it that way.  Until of course the day comes when it wouldn't benefit them, then they'd embrace the count the way that it's done.

 

all liberals in the US have to do is get out and vote in higher numbers, particularly U40s. 

[Sabrefan1]

2 minutes ago, Bob Long said:

all liberals in the US have to do is get out and vote in higher numbers, particularly U40s. 

 

The reason that the total vote numbers are so high for Democrats is because they dominate in the 2 most populous cities, NYC and LA.  Since both NY and California are already fairly solid Democratic states, that doesn't help them with the electoral college count in a presidential race.  Take out those 2 cities and the parties are fairly evenly split,  That's why both parties have to stump so hard to get their base voters to go to the polls while also at the same time appeal to independents.