2020 US Presidential Election

[Lane]

Okay, I'm at the hour mark. I'll try to finish next week

@just1morething -- Here's your chance. You can tell @FGG not to bother continuing to critique your videos. It seems pretty clear her diligent homework has so far been revealing the videos you've posted lack credibility by making some pretty specious claims. -- It seems ironic that FGG is finding herself in lockstep with the likes of William Barr and Mitch McConnell--when it comes to false accusations of widespread voter fraud. I'm guessing she's not so much in agreement on a host of other topics however!

There was statistical evidence of fraud

I once ran across an idiom that went something like, "You can prove anything using statistics or the Bible". Ever since first coming across that phrase, I've seen it attempted to be used countless times, often by people with less than ethical purposes. I just ran across the following which highlights my point...

"You can selectively present cherry-picked statistics, or simply make them up, to bolster a false argument. We professional statisticians have a technical term for this technique: we call it "lying." Amazingly, you can also use the technique without any statistics whatsoever!"

Daniel Dvorkin, Ph.D. Bioinformatics & Biostatistics, University of Colorado School of Medicine
​

 

[FGG]

I look more like Bruce Willis, but a bit darker, seriously. I want to post my photo but some members on this forum have made me think that may not be such a good idea, shame.

The confederate flags and team Auschwitz shirts don't leave me feeling part of the team. Why would Trump doubt Obama being American? Skin color and eye color means a lot to some Americans, thus my quasi Joke.

Lol. I have a picture in my mind of what all of you look like and I was way off in your case.

 

[Lane]

A 7-minute video of interview with a freshman Republican Congressman who voted for impeachment--a man with a conscience. I thought it was interesting at the 3:20 mark where he's asked if he may have committed political suicide. He's a young man, but clearly understands how important it is to put country over party.

The last few days have been 'absolutely gut-wrenching': Rep. Peter Meijer

 

[Juan]

And I can't believe progressives are complaining about this $2,000 check stuff. People were never supposed to get $2,600 a person. From the very beginning it was supposed to be a total of $2,000. The Democrats' Cash Act was literally written that it would amend the $600 to $2,000, not have $2,000 on top of the $600. They're acting like Biden is lying when what he's proposing is exactly what Democrats were pushing since the beginning. I'm a progressive but we have to be fair to the guy, he's doing what he said he would.

To me, reading you from Spain, it is surreal that Americans can get so much money for not working.

How does that encourage people to look for a new job?

 

[Juan]

Another act of nepotism:

Donald Trump pardons Steve Bannon amid last acts of presidency

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news...ve-bannon-amid-last-acts-of-presidency-report

Bye bye Trump!

 

[Luman]

The reason that the impeachment hearings are postponed until after the inauguration, is because it would be more interesting to watch than Biden and that woman being sworn in.

 

[Born To Slay]

To me, reading you from Spain, it is surreal that Americans can get so much money for not working.

How does that encourage people to look for a new job?

We don't want people looking for new jobs, the economy is partially shut down and we want people to stay home. America is still getting its ass kicked by COVID-19.

 

[linearb]

Welp, I for one look forward to leaving behind the carnival sideshow of the last four years, and getting back to my political bread and butter: complaining about neoliberal warmongers being more interested in drone bombing brown children abroad than they are at helping brown (or even white) children at home.

This isn't great, but it's a lot better than "oh hey, what's the current illegal treasonous thing the admin is doing that's hurting the stature of the US Federal apparatus at home and abroad?" that we all know and love from 2016-present.

 

[linearb]

To me, reading you from Spain, it is surreal that Americans can get so much money for not working.

How does that encourage people to look for a new job?

This was a one time deal to try to duct tape over the massive holes in our social support structure that COVID-19 made apparent. This was a desperation ploy, combined with an eviction moratorium, to prevent a mass homelessness event during a pandemic.

In general the US has terrible unemployment benefits compared to the EU, including Spain, so your overall situation is better than ours:

How U.S. Employee Benefits Compare To Europe's

 

[Born To Slay]

The reason that the impeachment hearings are postponed until after the inauguration, is because it would be more interesting to watch than Biden and that woman being sworn in.

No it's because the Senate was out of session until yesterday and we still need to get 3 senators sworn in before we can even hold the trial. And even if that all wasn't the case, they surely wouldn't be holding the trial during the inauguration.

 

[GlennS]

That's exactly the problem. A Democrat President, a Democrat-controlled House, and a Democrat-controlled Senate... and bringing a public option into play would be too much? That's where we're at.

I get that it may not be indicative of his full plan, but still. I don't have much hope. I guess now we await the $2,000 stimulus checks. I mean the $1,400 stimulus checks...

Glass always half empty for you, gotcha.

 

[Luman]

There has to be a better way to do this, other than keeping everybody home because one in a thousand people is susceptible to death from COVID-19. They have the vaccine, now let's see some action from the sleepy man and his sidekick.

 

[FGG]

The reason that the impeachment hearings are postponed until after the inauguration, is because it would be more interesting to watch than Biden and that woman being sworn in.

I, for one, am glad/relieved Biden is boring.

 

[linearb]

Glass always half empty for you, gotcha.

I don't think this is a fair characterization.

I see myself as a centrist who leans left on some social issues and center to center right on some fiscal issues. In this capacity I am happy with the Biden admin because I think it will basically be a centrist admin that moves left slightly on a handful of issues.

Therefore, if I were someone who is somewhat to the left of myself, I would find Biden a problematic President because he seems pretty well destined to just be another corporate democrat. We're not going to see any serious challenge to Citizens United (even if SCOTUS makeup would make such things destined to fail). We're not going to see movement towards the kind of actual socialized healthcare that members of the US military and veterans already have, nor will we see substantial overhauls to those ailing VA systems.

There will be plenty to complain about without being a "glass half empty" type, because we'll still be living in a largely broken country with a small, extremely wealthy ruling class, and systems of social and cultural control which are not meeting the needs of the average person.

Real wages are worse than stagnant and have been for generations. This country has all kinds of hotspots percolating under the surface. The unrest we say following the Floyd murder is just scratching the surface.

Things overall do not appear to be headed in a positive direction and Biden does not seem to be the kind of unifying visionary needed to turn that around.

This does not mean I am unhappy he is about to be sworn in; only that I well understand the deep dissatisfaction in him which many Americans feel, in many cases people who voted for him.

 

[PeteJ]

We don't want people looking for new jobs, the economy is partially shut down and we want people to stay home. America is still getting its ass kicked by COVID-19.

The US is destroying itself. Good job.

Also, impeachment of a President TWICE, for doing practically nothing. Awesome. Clap, clap.

 

[Emgee]

Glass always half empty for you, gotcha.

More like seeing the glass as what it really is instead of letting mainstream media tell me what it looks like.

 

[PeteJ]

The USA is destroying itself since the long term plan is an intentional collapse.

But, this is crazy conspiracy talk, right? Hee, hee. I wear my tinfoil hat proudly. I will explain why. First of all, you have a 27 trillion debt, secondly, many businesses died because of riots or COVID-19 lockdowns. Businesses were forced to close because of strict regulations. Then there's inflation, layoffs and the bewilderment of lower purchasing power for Americans which should be evident and understandable for those who have common sense, an open mind and a modicum of understanding in economics.

The US dollar is not quite transforming into toilet paper but it's not much more valuable. The only economy that did well???? China. Me thinks the globalist want people to conclude, dose Commies aren't so bad (a society). We should have our own 'version.' Yeah, that's a prediction from yours truly. Have a good day!

Chinese economy to overtake US 'by 2028' due to Covid

China's Growth Beats Estimates as Economy Powers Out of Covid

 

[Emgee]

A public option takes time and effort to design properly. There's so many factors that go into it. The COVID-19 relief bill is supposed to be passed quickly to get help out as quickly as possible. I'm already shocked he's trying to get a minimum wage hike passed with it. Including his entire healthcare plan which included several changes to Obamacare, a public option, prescription drug reform and more in a COVID-19 relief that's supposed to be passed quickly just doesn't seem feasible.

And I can't believe progressives are complaining about this $2,000 check stuff. People were never supposed to get $2,600 a person. From the very beginning it was supposed to be a total of $2,000. The Democrats' Cash Act was literally written that it would amend the $600 to $2,000, not have $2,000 on top of the $600. They're acting like Biden is lying when what he's proposing is exactly what Democrats were pushing since the beginning. I'm a progressive but we have to be fair to the guy, he's doing what he said he would.

If President Biden wants a public option installed, he could get a public option installed. He's in the pocket of private insurers after how much he received in donations from Anthem and Centene — and the CEO of Independence Blue Cross headlined his first big campaign fundraiser. In the words of Joe Biden, "No one's standard of living will change, nothing would fundamentally change."

There is an outpouring of support for the minimum wage hike to $15/hour. He knows he can get it through.

How the Democrats' Cash Act was written vs. presented/platformed on are two different things. Regardless of how they wrote it up, especially when it came to the Georgia Senate runoff, they were touting $2,000 checks — not $600 from the prior administration and then $1,400 signed by President Biden.

As far as a progressive agenda, what he platformed on isn't anywhere near enough, and I don't see much reason to believe he will move further left. I believe this is the time for progressives to be vocal and continue the fight for a better tomorrow.

 

[GlennS]

More like seeing the glass as what it really is instead of letting mainstream media tell me what it looks like.

There's a lot I'd like to see get done that I don't think has a snowball's chance of happening. That doesn't mean I'm incapable of appreciating stepping back from the brink of a dictatorship and meaningful steps forward in areas I do care about.

Those on the far end of each ideological pole lack such perspective and are destined to be disappointed.

I mean, Bernie comes from VT, a state that has threatened to secede and form its own socialist utopia for some time now. His contingent has no chance whatsoever of winning a presidential election as long as red states remain part of the union. You're more likely to see a successor to Trump drag the country into a full dictatorship than the entire country getting dragged into any brand of socialism.

The statistical average in this country skews right of center. That's just how it is and no amount of articulation of the so-called benefits of socialism/marxism will change that.

 

[Lane]

A friend just sent me the following, which I thought was pretty cute...

Trumpty Dumpty never finished the wall.
Trumpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All of his lawyers and all of his yes men
couldn't get Trumpty elected again.

Trumpty spread many lies how he had won,
but as far as the evidence there was none.
So Trumpty fanned the flames of a riot to save his presidency,
but Trumpty Dumpty took another great fall, so moved to Mar-a-lago, which is now his residency.

Hopefully, Trumpty Dumpty can never be put back together again,
and never have another presidential win.​

 

[Born To Slay]

If President Biden wants a public option installed, he could get a public option installed. He's in the pocket of private insurers after how much he received in donations from Anthem and Centene — and the CEO of Independence Blue Cross headlined his first big campaign fundraiser. In the words of Joe Biden, "No one's standard of living will change, nothing would fundamentally change."

There is an outpouring of support for the minimum wage hike to $15/hour. He knows he can get it through.

How the Democrats' Cash Act was written vs. presented/platformed on are two different things. Regardless of how they wrote it up, especially when it came to the Georgia Senate runoff, they were touting $2,000 checks — not $600 from the prior administration and then $1,400 signed by President Biden.

As far as a progressive agenda, what he platformed on isn't anywhere near enough, and I don't see much reason to believe he will move further left. I believe this is the time for progressives to be vocal and continue the fight for a better tomorrow.

Installing a public option is basically a brand new insurance company and there's a lot of questions about how it would be run, what reimbursement rates would be and who would eligible. These questions will likely take months of congressional debate and tinkering but we don't have that kind of time for COVID-19 relief. It's really not fair to expect Biden to pass a full comprehensive healthcare plan in his first few weeks imo.

If he releases his full healthcare bill without a public option, then I agree. Attack him and go hard. But this isn't that.

And I knew the whole time that they meant $1,400 + $600, to the point that I'm shocked this is even controversial.

 

[Lane]

OMG, the national nightmare is finally over!

 

[Born To Slay]

Trump's final speech as President:

 

[GlennS]

OMG, the national nightmare is finally over!

And with that I am retiring from this thread as the 2020 election is finally and truly over, regardless of the postscript of the impeachment trial.

 

[ajc]

And with that I am retiring from this thread as the 2020 election is finally and truly over, regardless of the postscript of the impeachment trial.

You wish. I'm sure you'll be reading it and commenting again. You can't help yourself.

@Born To Slay a great thread you started!

 

[Born To Slay]

@Born To Slay a great thread you started!

Thank you lol, I try.

 

[GlennS]

You wish. I'm sure you'll be reading it and commenting again. You can't help yourself.

Adieu. Enjoy continuing to nurse your butt-hurt, but I have a nice warm beverage to drink.

 

[Lilah]

Also, impeachment of a President TWICE, for doing practically nothing. Awesome. Clap, clap.

Impeachment of President twice only shows how crazy/paranoid the Democrats are, especially since both impeachments were basically voted along party lines.

 

[aot]

"Hey there, the rest of the world. It's me, USA. Things kinda... got a bit weird for a while. I'm getting clean, I swear. Just give me some time to work stuff out. I got a bug or something. Call me?"

 

[Born To Slay]

Impeachment of President twice only shows how crazy/paranoid the Democrats are, especially since both impeachments were basically voted along party lines.

The second one was actually the most bipartisan impeachment ever, so it's not like it didn't follow precedent. Plus McConnell seems to back it this time.