Can this country survive another 4 years of the Orange Imbecile?

[FORD]

Scamala Harris: phony right wing cunt. Hillary with a tan. Jamaican Indian woman who was raised in Canada and somehow calls herself "black".

She was losing her own state to such a miserable extent that she bailed out of the primary before a single vote was cast.

She brings NOTHING of value to the ticket.

pull the plug on the USA. It's over.

[twonabomber]

They're gonna pick her record as prosecutor apart. I almost can't wait for the commercials!

[FORD]

Yep. Jailing stoners & threatening to arrest parents when their kids skip school is not a good look for a supposedly "Democratic" candidate. Especially when you're supposedly bringing "balance" to a ticket headlined by the guy who created the militarization of police & the prison industrial complex with his 1994 crime bill.

[twonabomber]

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTfm3PuXnct4NyEhB_U06Wd5F6tNL6F3 xzZcZCbHS9xFD1ji8oG&s

[Seshmeister]

Yep. Jailing stoners & threatening to arrest parents when their kids skip school is not a good look for a supposedly "Democratic" candidate. Especially when you're supposedly bringing "balance" to a ticket headlined by the guy who created the militarization of police & the prison industrial complex with his 1994 crime bill.

If you don't vote for them you may well not get to vote meaningfully again for anyone.

Also this from The Independant


I like Vice President mike pence much better. He's solid as a rock," Mr Trump said. "He's been a great vice president, and I will take him over Kamala and the .... horrible way she treated Justice Kavanaugh.

"I thought she was the meanest, most disrespectful of anyone in the US Senate," the president claimed.

He also, like his campaign did in a statement, tried to describe Ms Harris as too liberal for most Americans, even amid questions about whether the progressive wing of the Democratic Party is fired up about her selection.

"She's known as being about the most liberal person in the United States Senate," Mr Trump said without citing any academic or think tank studies.

But a 2017 Pew Research Center study backs up the charge, grouping Ms Harris, based on her voting record in the "very liberal" portion of her party.

[FORD]

Cheeto also says that Biden is "controlled" by Bernie Sanders. Fuck, if only that were true....

Also the evaluations of her "voting record" basically comes down to how she voted on Cheeto's cabinet nomnations (she was FOR Nimrata Haley & McTurtle's wife, for some reason, but against the rest of the assholes, I think) and votes on his budget things, repealing Obamacare and shit like that.

Or in pther words, in typical DLC Turd Way fashion, they'll tell you what she voted against, but not what she stands FOR. Because there's not much to tell.

As much as Hillary sucked, and as much as she alienated millions of voters with the stolen primary, she might have brought some of them back with a VP to "balance the ticket". Instead she went with Tim Kaine who was just as Republican as she was.

Now Biden has done the same thing. Once he opened his mouth and locked himself into a female VP, the only logical choice would have been Elizabeth Warren. She would have brought back some of the voters who were still raw from the party bullshit in 2016, let alone another round of it this year, even though Liz herself played a part in that.

Biden never said he was going to pick a "black" woman. But the corporate media and others said so for him. Alright then.... call Barbara Lee. The only woman in Congress who both stood up to oppose the false certification of Florida's electoral votes in 2000, AND opposed the Patriot Act & Afghanistan war in 2001.

I would have easily voted for either of those tickets. And then hoped they became officially the President before the first term was over.

No such hope for Scamala Harris.

Not that my vote matters.... I'm in Deep Blue Cascdia where the electoral votes are already a done deal.

[Seshmeister]

Scamala Harris: phony right wing cunt. Hillary with a tan. Jamaican Indian woman who was raised in Canada and somehow calls herself "black".



What's not black about being half Jamaican?

She spent high school in Canada but the other 90% of her life in the USA. Maybe going to high school in Canada is an advantage.

When you jump to the cunt word so often I'm sorry but I wonder if you maybe have a little bit of you deep down who isn't sure about having a woman president or VP. There have been 48 vice presidents of the USA and 48 of them have been white men.

Anyway you need to rejoin planet earth and look at what the other side is doing and going to do. If you democrats didn't spend so much time fighting you might actually stop some of the crazy shit going on.

[Nickdfresh]

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTfm3PuXnct4NyEhB_U06Wd5F6tNL6F3 xzZcZCbHS9xFD1ji8oG&s

Dude, good luck with that delusional attack line - I mean the current pResident "wished" a pedophile rape queen "well" recently. I get not everyone likes Biden but the whole "he creepy" from Trump supporters is really fucking odd at this point....

[Seshmeister]

Not that my vote matters.... I'm in Deep Blue Cascdia where the electoral votes are already a done deal.

Why vote ever? A single vote isn't going to change anything ever no matter where you live. Your argument makes no sense especially when the popular vote is important to a degree. If every single person in Washington votes against Trump it sends a big message. The fact that Scotland voted against Brexit is important politically years later - these things do matter even when the system is fucking you over.

[Nickdfresh]

What's not black about being half Jamaican?

She spent high school in Canada but the other 90% of her life in the USA. Maybe going to high school in Canada is an advantage.

When you jump to the cunt word so often I'm sorry but I wonder if you maybe have a little bit of you deep down who isn't sure about having a woman president or VP. There have been 48 vice presidents of the USA and 48 of them have been white men.

Anyway you need to rejoin planet earth and look at what the other side is doing and going to do. If you democrats didn't spend so much time fighting you might actually stop some of the crazy shit going on.

A fairly racist litmus test Ford is throwing these days. She was president of an African American college and I am pretty sure a lot of African Americans would call Ford a fake, racist "Democrat"....

[Nickdfresh]

....

Not that my vote matters.... I'm in Deep Blue Cascdia where the electoral votes are already a done deal.

What if it comes down to Drumpf trying to hang onto power because the vote was close and he tries to make a fake case of "voter fraud" to try to hang onto power? ALL the votes matter then!!

[twonabomber]

What's not black about being half Jamaican?


My cousin is married to a Jamaican woman. You do NOT want to call her "black..."

[Seshmeister]

What is she then? Is she one of the 8% or whatever non black Jamaicans? If so fine but Harris dad isn't.

Black Jamaicans in the UK are proud to be black.

If your slave ancestors were shipped to Jamaica rather than Virginia what difference does it make?

Anyway even a racist at this point should realize it's not about black v white or red v blue the US has to vote non authoritarian v authoritarian, competent v fucking idiotic, a bit dodgy because of the rules v complete fucking crook.

Idi Amin was black and he was terrible. Color should be 10th on the list of concerns at this point...

[twonabomber]

She's Jamaican! Duh! :D

I remember a Haitian woman calling into Howard Stern's show back in the 90's and the whole crux of the call became "I'm not black, I'm Haitian!"

[FORD]

What if it comes down to Drumpf trying to hang onto power because the vote was close and he tries to make a fake case of "voter fraud" to try to hang onto power? ALL the votes matter then!!

The only way that would work is if the electoral votes were somehow tied or nearly tied, as they were in the 1876 election. If that's the case the election goes to the House of Representatives, but it's not a matter of who gets a majority of 435 votes. Rather, each state delegation gets ONE vote. And since the Republicans currently control the House delegations in 26 states & the Democrats control 23, Cheeto would win that vote.... unless three states flipped over. Utah & Idaho are slight possibilities in that scenario, because Mormons really don't like the Orange Imbecile. But it's nothing I would bet money on, if a bookie was taking odds on such a thing.

So in that case, my vote actually means even LESS. As does everyone else in the country who is not a congressman.

In the 1876 election BTW, Samuel Tilden won the popular vote by a decent margin and the elctoral count by ONE vote. Yet the House election still somehow put Rutherford B. Hayes in office. Second most fucked up way a President ever got into office, but at least it was constitutional. Unlike the clusterfuck in 2000.

[FORD]

My cousin is married to a Jamaican woman. You do NOT want to call her "black..."

Yep. I heard several folks with Jamaican accents calling into talk radio shows today saying the same thing. As well as a couple of Indians who questioned why that part of her heritage isn't mentioned very much.

[Nickdfresh]

The only way that would work is if the electoral votes were somehow tied or nearly tied, as they were in the 1876 election. If that's the case the election goes to the House of Representatives, but it's not a matter of who gets a majority of 435 votes. Rather, each state delegation gets ONE vote. And since the Republicans currently control the House delegations in 26 states & the Democrats control 23, Cheeto would win that vote.... unless three states flipped over. Utah & Idaho are slight possibilities in that scenario, because Mormons really don't like the Orange Imbecile. But it's nothing I would bet money on, if a bookie was taking odds on such a thing.

So in that case, my vote actually means even LESS. As does everyone else in the country who is not a congressman.

In the 1876 election BTW, Samuel Tilden won the popular vote by a decent margin and the elctoral count by ONE vote. Yet the House election still somehow put Rutherford B. Hayes in office. Second most fucked up way a President ever got into office, but at least it was constitutional. Unlike the clusterfuck in 2000.

They don't give a fuck about the distinction between the electoral or popular vote if it doesn't benefit them and that may make it even easier for scum like drumpf to try to cry foul. The speculation is that Trump will only be able to try to subvert the system is the popular vote is close enough to cry fake-fraud....

[FORD]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vl4_TCnRI1g

[FORD]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iQ4h5ThJIo

[ZahZoo]

I know it's silly but I still sit and wonder... by insisting that the Democratic VP pick be a black female, then dissecting her ancestral heritage debating if Jamaican ancestry is actually "black"... isn't all this just perpetuating racial entrenchment..? Next I expect someone to question just how female she is...

I thought the whole objective was racial and gender equality?

If that is really the long term objective... shouldn't we be more concerned with leadership skills, capabilities and their record..?

Hmmmm... both Democratic P & VP candidate's actual past accomplishments are deeply rooted in anti-crime, tough law and order related actions they made happen... Yet... their party appears to be aligned and supporting BLM, Defund the Police and the nightly domestic terrorism destroying our larger cities nightly.

Does anyone clearly see the disparity here..?

Seems impossible to ignore the complete opposing elements that do not align with the objectives being played out. This is the team that's going to lead us out of today's mess..?

[FORD]

https://youtu.be/SN4dt7Lib50

[FORD]

https://assets.amuniversal.com/7ff13340beb801381a0e005056a9545d

[FORD]

https://youtu.be/JPBNU-WtBPw

[FORD]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neLVen4h5p8

[Seshmeister]

It's just a copy of the classic anti-Semitic argument - they are sub humans who are so clever and brilliant they secretly rule the world...

[FORD]

newsweek.com
Cornel West says Trump's wrong on Kamala Harris: "I'm a radical, she's a centrist"
Jeffery Martin


Philosophy professor Dr. Cornel West said Wednesday that President Donald Trump had misclassified presumptive Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris as a "radical."

Dr. West has been outspoken in his criticism of Trump, referring to him in a June interview as the "neo-fascist gangster in the White House." Describing himself as a democratic socialist, Dr. West has lamabsted politicians from both the Republican and Democratic parties. While Trump has attempted to paint Harris as a member of the radical left, West said that wasn't the case.

"I want Trump people to know, I'm a radical," West said in a Wednesday interview with Anderson Cooper on CNN. "My dear sister [Kamala] Harris is not a radical—she's a centrist and a moderate. I love the sister, she's my AKA sister and everything, but at the same time, I recognize that when it comes to serious class struggles that are going on, the class war of the bosses against workers, she's not always been on the side of the workers. Neither has Biden."

"We have to tell the truth about even those we vote for," West added. "That's why I don't endorse them, I vote for them."

West warned that if presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and Harris still retain their ties with "neo-liberal elites, then we're just going to have another slow disaster rather than a quick catastrophe."

Newsweek reached out to the Biden campaign for comment.

Regardless of his views about Harris and Biden, West told Cooper that Americans "have got to make sure Trump leaves the White House one way or another. Either by election or if he loses and he won't leave, then some of us will have to go and escort the brother. It's time to go. You've done your damage."

As the first Black woman to run for vice president, some observers believe Harris could draw both progressives and Black voters to Biden's side in November. Widely regarded as a safe choice, Harris could complement Biden's own political platform without pushing away voters with moderate viewpoints.

The Trump administration reacted quickly to the announcement of Harris as Biden's running mate. Minutes after news of Biden's choice was made public, Trump's campaign released a video calling Harris a "phony."

"Biden calls himself a transition candidate," the ad said. "He is handing over the reins to Kamala while they jointly embrace the radical left."

During a Tuesday press briefing, Trump said Harris was "a big tax raiser, she's a big slasher of funds for our military, and she's got a lot of difficult things that she's going to have to explain."

"Plus, she was very, very nasty to—one of the reasons it surprised me, she was very—she was probably nastier than even Pocahontas [Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren] to Joe Biden," Trump added. "She was very disrespectful to Joe Biden. And it's hard to pick somebody that's that disrespectful. When she said things during the debates—during the Democrat primary debates—that were horrible about Sleepy Joe."

Vice President Mike Pence told a crowd in Arizona on Tuesday that he was not surprised by the news that Harris had been chosen as Biden's running mate. "As you all know, Joe Biden and the Democratic Party have been overtaken by the radical left," Pence said. "So given their promises of higher taxes, open borders, socialized medicine and abortion on demand, it's no surprise that he chose Senator Harris."

Harris criticized Trump on Wednesday during a campaign event in Delaware, saying that he had "inherited the longest economic expansion in history from Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Then, like everything else he inherited, he ran it straight into the ground."

[Seshmeister]

I heard a question today, 'if you could wave a magic wand and replace Trump with Dennis Rodman as POTUS would you?'

[FORD]

Sure.. why not? At this point I don't see how Dennis Rodman could do any worse. And at least he would be more entertaining in his incompetence than Cheeto.

[Nickdfresh]

I think Rodman might be better because he would actually listen to his advisers and people like Fauci...

[Seshmeister]

THat was the argument I heard. He would have put Fuaci in charge and then just fucked off to a party in Vegas which would have been so much better. Maybe not ideal but so much better... :D

[FORD]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPoUaSsEgzA

[Nickdfresh]

THat was the argument I heard. He would have put Fuaci in charge and then just fucked off to a party in Vegas which would have been so much better. Maybe not ideal but so much better... :D

Rodman wouldn't try to cut Post Office funding as he probably wouldn't give a fuck about reelection and worrying about going to jail when he loses...

[FORD]

But he probably would have made more visits to North Korea. And brought some hookers in for Lil' Kim.

[Funkmonkey]

If I remember correctly, Harris was indignant and vicious in her condemnation of Biden over his sexual misconduct. But no one holds her accountable for what she said now that she's the VP candidate. It's all dreamy Cool Whip and wagging puppy dog tails now.

[FORD]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuL2Ik5EmXA

[twonabomber]

If I remember correctly, Harris was indignant and vicious in her condemnation of Biden over his sexual misconduct. But no one holds her accountable for what she said now that she's the VP candidate. It's all dreamy Cool Whip and wagging puppy dog tails now.

I don't think Harris on the ticket is enough to get Biden elected.

Her record as prosecutor...the Willie Brown thing...she's gonna get picked apart by the PAC's.

Now this thing about people in the Obama administration saying "Don’t underestimate Joe’s ability to f--k things up..."

And everyone is getting their dick hard about Trump's poor showing in the polls. No one remembers the pollsters got fucked four years ago?

[FORD]

Willie Brown knows what's coming. He actually wrote an article recently, advising his ex-girlfriend to decline the nomination if asked......

https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/williesworld/article/Willie-Brown-Kamala-Harris-should-say-no-to-vice-15468145.php

Of course he did also say she would make a good Attorney General, despite letting Steve Mnuchin off the hook when she had that job in Collieforneea.

[Nickdfresh]

I don't think Harris on the ticket is enough to get Biden elected.

Her record as prosecutor...the Willie Brown thing...she's gonna get picked apart by the PAC's.

Now this thing about people in the Obama administration saying "Don’t underestimate Joe’s ability to f--k things up..."

And everyone is getting their dick hard about Trump's poor showing in the polls. No one remembers the pollsters got fucked four years ago?

I think he'll have to suffer being over 10 points ahead of Trump in every poll as I do not think Mikey Pence will be enough to get Trump reelected...

The polls showed Clinton up by maybe 3 points in 2016 and were close in the popular vote actually, the latest polls show Trump slumming in the battleground delegate states as well, but okay...

[Funkmonkey]

I don't think Harris on the ticket is enough to get Biden elected.

Her record as prosecutor...the Willie Brown thing...she's gonna get picked apart by the PAC's.

Now this thing about people in the Obama administration saying "Don’t underestimate Joe’s ability to f--k things up..."

And everyone is getting their dick hard about Trump's poor showing in the polls. No one remembers the pollsters got fucked four years ago?


I wonder if Kamala Harris was selected now so that she'll take all the attacks and scrutiny to be replaced just before the election by Michelle Obama. This is so Obama doesn't have to debate or take any shots from political opponents, and is seen as the heroine saving the election. I could be wrong.

[FORD]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8Dfq4dM16I

[Funkmonkey]

I wonder if Kamala Harris was selected now so that she'll take all the attacks and scrutiny to be replaced just before the election by Michelle Obama. This is so Obama doesn't have to debate or take any shots from political opponents, and is seen as the heroine saving the election. I could be wrong.

This article makes me think my suspicious may be a little closer to reality than I originally thought. Why have Michelle Obama speak on behalf of Biden as a character witness instead of Pres. Obama what actually worked closely with Biden and is more of an authority on Biden? Well, having Michelle Obama speak positions her in front of the public for something, anything. Perhaps a cabinet-level position, or maybe to take over as the VP running mate when Kamala Harris peters out before the election


Michelle Obama to highlight Biden’s character in DNC speech
https://apnews.com/105dedebd16d3fd28e9c23e85ed479bc

[Funkmonkey]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8Dfq4dM16I

I think your video is spot on, Ford. Biden picking Harris is being perceived as identity politics by the black community, and that Harris won't be able to mask Biden's record in the eyes of the black community.

[Nickdfresh]

I think your video is spot on, Ford. Biden picking Harris is being perceived as identity politics by the black community, and that Harris won't be able to mask Biden's record in the eyes of the black community.

What is his "record"? Biden has been traditionally popular with the majority of Afro-Americans. Certainly expodentially more popular than Ford's horse Bernie. And the whole "identity politics" statement is a tad double standard, don't you think? Would you be here saying Mike Pence was identity politics for white males? He was a desperate reach to appeal to evangelicals yet not to have someone with any charisma or balls to challenge Trump? Every ticket tries to have some sort of balance and appeal...

Biden chose someone who called him out in the debates and he sparred with. Do you think Trump would ever even consider that?

[Funkmonkey]

Quote Originally Posted by Funkmonkey
I think your video is spot on, Ford. Biden picking Harris is being perceived as identity politics by the black community, and that Harris won't be able to mask Biden's record in the eyes of the black community.


What is his "record"? Biden has been traditionally popular with the majority of Afro-Americans. Certainly expodentially more popular than Ford's horse Bernie. And the whole "identity politics" statement is a tad double standard, don't you think? Would you be here saying Mike Pence was identity politics for white males? He was a desperate reach to appeal to evangelicals yet not to have someone with any charisma or balls to challenge Trump? Every ticket tries to have some sort of balance and appeal...

Biden chose someone who called him out in the debates and he sparred with. Do you think Trump would ever even consider that?


My post had nothing to do with Sen. Sanders or Pres. Trump. I was pointing out the black community perception of Joe Biden is not favorable. And I disagree, Biden has not been traditionally popular with African-Americans. They have long memories when it comes to his 1994 crime bill which was seen as mass incarceration and imprisonment of blacks, bigoted statements telling them if you don't support him you're not black, opposing school bus desegregation, eulogizing Sen. Strom Thurmond who rose to prominence as a segregationist, his provision in the 1986 crack law viewed as racially slanted against blacks, not supporting Anita Hill while powerful white men questioned her character, and made a racist comment about Barack Obama before he became Obama's running mate, "I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy." Biden has a lot of work to do to clean up his image in the black community before the November election. I believe selecting Kamala Harris was his attempt to do this and look better to blacks. The following posts are articles to support my statement.

[Funkmonkey]

Joe Biden's dicey past on racial issues could come back to bite him in the 2020 Democratic primaries
https://www.businessinsider.com/joe-biden-anti-integration-past-resurfaces-considers-2020-presidential-bid-2019-2?op=1

“Biden drafted the infamous 1994 crime bill, signed into law by former President Bill Clinton, that many have cited as one of the driving factors behind mass incarceration and the disproportionate imprisonment of people of color.”

“Biden for the most part, however, has typically refused to apologize for the 1994 crime bill, and in a 2016 interview contended it "restored American cities."

“Sokol said Biden's role in crafting the 1994 crime bill will be more likely to hurt him with voters than his opposition to busing in the 1970s.”

[Funkmonkey]

Joe Biden questions my blackness one moment, defends racist 1994 crime bill the next
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/05/25/joe-biden-you-aint-black-racism-trump-column/5254434002/

“Much attention has been rightfully devoted to bigoted comments former Vice President Joe Biden made during his Friday interview with “The Breakfast Club” when he had the audacity to say "Well I tell you what, If you have a problem figuring out whether you're for me or Trump, then you ain't black."

[Funkmonkey]

The burden of a 40-year career: Some of Joe Biden’s record doesn’t age well
https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-biden-senate-record-controversies-20190318-story.html
“Biden opposed school busing for desegregation in the 1970s.”
“He eulogized Sen. Strom Thurmond (R-S.C.), who rose to prominence as a segregationist.”

[Funkmonkey]

How Trump — not Biden — has helped make black lives better
https://nypost.com/2020/07/04/trump-not-biden-has-helped-make-black-lives-better/

“The black vote will be the swing vote this year. And right now, it’s looking like it’s Joe Biden’s for the taking. This is despite Biden’s history, which is riddled with policies that have historically and devastatingly disenfranchised African Americans.”
“For example, the 1994 crime law, which Biden helped author when he was a senator, incentivized local police departments to lock up as many black people as possible, creating mass incarceration of African Americans, along with more prison cells and more aggressive policing.”
“In addition, Biden was responsible for a provision in the 1986 crack law which came to be viewed as one of the most racially slanted sentencing policies on record: a rule that treated crack cocaine as significantly worse than powder cocaine and ended up disproportionately punishing African Americans and sending them to prison but sparing white Americans who typically used cocaine.”
“Biden has used numerous times, including the notion that if you don’t vote for him, “you ain’t black.”

[Funkmonkey]

The Long List of Joe Biden’s Terrible Record
https://activatenow.us/the-long-list-of-joe-bidens-terrible-record/

“Joe Biden’s 1994 Crime Bill …it passed, and ended up particularly targeting black Americans being incarcerated at a much higher rate.”
“Joe Biden on Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas …This has become an issue for both women and black people, with Hill’s name bringing up memories of a black woman who struggled with attacks by a dozen powerful white men who asked aggressive questions and questioned her character, while Biden did not do much to stop it”
“Joe Biden on Desegregated School Busing …Joe Biden’s letters revealed how he sought support of segregationists in the fight against desegregated busing.”

[Funkmonkey]

The 10 Worst Things Joe Biden Has Done in His Political Career
https://www.pastemagazine.com/politics/joe-biden/the-10-worst-things-joe-biden-has-done-in-his-poli/#6-he-gave-obama-a-classic-racist-backhand-compliment
“He gave Obama a classic racist backhand compliment

Before he became Barack Obama’s running mate, he took a shot at America’s soon-to-be first black president that was just dripping in racism. Per Biden:

“I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy.”

Biden went on The Daily Show and apologized for using the word “clean,” saying he should have opted for the word “fresh.” He did not address the “articulate” part of his statement, which is a classic racist backhanded compliment that typically conveys a sense of surprise that a black person can speak clearly and with gravitas.”

“Eulogized one of America’s most famed racists. Perhaps there is no better summation of Joe Biden’s Senate career than the fact that America’s most famed 20th century congressional racist asked him to speak at his funeral.

“Opposed school integration in the 1970s. ‘Forced busing’ was a phrase that Thurmond leaned on heavily to oppose integrating schools, and when Biden embraced Thurmond’s politics on this issue, he also embraced his rhetoric”.

[Seshmeister]

The 10 Worst Things Joe Biden Has Done in His Political Career
https://www.pastemagazine.com/politics/joe-biden/the-10-worst-things-joe-biden-has-done-in-his-poli/#6-he-gave-obama-a-classic-racist-backhand-compliment

You do know he is running against Donald Trump?

Those 10 would be a good week.

[Nickdfresh]

How Trump — not Biden — has helped make black lives better
https://nypost.com/2020/07/04/trump-not-biden-has-helped-make-black-lives-better/

“The black vote will be the swing vote this year. And right now, it’s looking like it’s Joe Biden’s for the taking. This is despite Biden’s history, which is riddled with policies that have historically and devastatingly disenfranchised African Americans.”
“For example, the 1994 crime law, which Biden helped author when he was a senator, incentivized local police departments to lock up as many black people as possible, creating mass incarceration of African Americans, along with more prison cells and more aggressive policing.”
“In addition, Biden was responsible for a provision in the 1986 crack law which came to be viewed as one of the most racially slanted sentencing policies on record: a rule that treated crack cocaine as significantly worse than powder cocaine and ended up disproportionately punishing African Americans and sending them to prison but sparing white Americans who typically used cocaine.”
“Biden has used numerous times, including the notion that if you don’t vote for him, “you ain’t black.”

Complete fucking nonsense post from a rag. How has Trump made black lives better? By allowing them to die in the COVID 19 Pandemic at much higher rates? By reacting to the pandemic like a complete fucktard starting early with the media hoax shit? By destroying healthcare access and defunding the welfare state for the poor while benefiting the top 1%?

Oh Trump had a good economy going? The one he inherited from Obama-Biden? Kay...

[FORD]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9neCXIZIRrg

[Seshmeister]

Its so fucking dumb that your favorite bedroom journalists, Fox News, Trump and Russian TV are all putting out the same message.

[Funkmonkey]

You do know he is running against Donald Trump?

Those 10 would be a good week.


Yes, I fully realize who's in the election. My recent posts were only to answer Nickdfresh's question about what record Vice President Biden had when it came to the black community and what their perception of him is. My position is Biden has not been traditionally popular with the majority of Afro-Americans as Nickdfresh maintains, and I cited references to support my claim.

[Funkmonkey]

Complete fucking nonsense post from a rag. How has Trump made black lives better? By allowing them to die in the COVID 19 Pandemic at much higher rates? By reacting to the pandemic like a complete fucktard starting early with the media hoax shit? By destroying healthcare access and defunding the welfare state for the poor while benefiting the top 1%?

Oh Trump had a good economy going? The one he inherited from Obama-Biden? Kay...

I wasn't talking about President Trump. I was rebutting your claim that Vice President Biden has been traditionally popular with the majority of Afro-Americans. In fact, Biden has a lot of work ahead of him to improve his image with the black community before the election.

[Nickdfresh]

He has 92% of the black vote as of the end of June, the ones who vote. How much more popular should he be...

[ZahZoo]

What is his "record"? Biden has been traditionally popular with the majority of Afro-Americans. Certainly expodentially more popular than Ford's horse Bernie. And the whole "identity politics" statement is a tad double standard, don't you think? Would you be here saying Mike Pence was identity politics for white males? He was a desperate reach to appeal to evangelicals yet not to have someone with any charisma or balls to challenge Trump? Every ticket tries to have some sort of balance and appeal...

Biden chose someone who called him out in the debates and he sparred with. Do you think Trump would ever even consider that?

I think the Democratic party has been traditionally popular with black Americans... Biden's just been rotting in the bottom of that popular barrel for 40+ years.

Also didn't feel Pence was much of a weighting factor in 2016 to shift the interest Trump brought on his own. Definitely nowhere near what's riding on Harris to prop up Biden's appeal...

[Seshmeister]

I think Pence is very popular among closeted homosexual evangelical racists with mommy issues.

It's a bigger demographic than you might think...

[Funkmonkey]

I think the Democratic party has been traditionally popular with black Americans... Biden's just been rotting in the bottom of that popular barrel for 40+ years.

Also didn't feel Pence was much of a weighting factor in 2016 to shift the interest Trump brought on his own. Definitely nowhere near what's riding on Harris to prop up Biden's appeal...

I see what you're saying; Biden has been a member of a party that has been traditionally popular with black Americans, but not personally popular with them himself. It appeared to me Pence's contribution to the Trump campaign in 2016 was simply the ability to be consistently loyal and also stay the hell out of the way of his running mate. Harris has a lot of work cut out for her to improve Biden's image, but will also have a few personal credibility challenges to overcome as well. It wasn't long ago that she was labeled and known as an Indian-American ( https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/12/opinion/kamala-harris-indian-american.html ), but now she is being called black. So if she is being marketed in this election as black, she will have to convince the black community she is part of their society to gain acceptance. And she has only two months to accomplish this, though. However, she will be a political god among gods if she can pull that off.

[Nitro Express]

I think the Democratic party has been traditionally popular with black Americans... Biden's just been rotting in the bottom of that popular barrel for 40+ years.

Also didn't feel Pence was much of a weighting factor in 2016 to shift the interest Trump brought on his own. Definitely nowhere near what's riding on Harris to prop up Biden's appeal...

Lyndon Johnson said he could keep the blacks voting Democrat for the next 30 years by using the welfare system. He was correct but today more blacks are educated and more own their own businesses and the world has changed. In many ways both parties are dinosaurs full of lifetime politicians and lots of corruption. Currently there is a populist movement going on and what's fueling it is the people who don't work for the government and the people who didn't benefit from having industry outsourced. The Democrat Party's bread and butter for years was unions and government employees. But with the outsourcing unions aren't what they used to be. So what's left is government employees and people who want socialism. So the Democrat Party has moved left. Too far left for people who own their own businesses or are more independently minded so the Republican Party has been the go to place out of default because there is no other place to go.

in the past there really wasn't that much difference in the Republican or Democrat Parties. You had religious people in both. Both seemed to view our constitution as essential. How they sold themselves differed. You did get more social welfare from the Democrats and that became a bigger part of their agenda but now they have migrated really far left to where a lot of people who called themselves Democrats no longer relate to what they are. If you shift too far one way or the other you lose the middle.

People usually don't vote for a candidate. They vote against a candidate. Trump won by default.

[Funkmonkey]

Lyndon Johnson said he could keep the blacks voting Democrat for the next 30 years by using the welfare system. He was correct but today more blacks are educated and more own their own businesses and the world has changed. In many ways both parties are dinosaurs full of lifetime politicians and lots of corruption. Currently there is a populist movement going on and what's fueling it is the people who don't work for the government and the people who didn't benefit from having industry outsourced. The Democrat Party's bread and butter for years was unions and government employees. But with the outsourcing unions aren't what they used to be. So what's left is government employees and people who want socialism. So the Democrat Party has moved left. Too far left for people who own their own businesses or are more independently minded so the Republican Party has been the go to place out of default because there is no other place to go.

in the past there really wasn't that much difference in the Republican or Democrat Parties. You had religious people in both. Both seemed to view our constitution as essential. How they sold themselves differed. You did get more social welfare from the Democrats and that became a bigger part of their agenda but now they have migrated really far left to where a lot of people who called themselves Democrats no longer relate to what they are. If you shift too far one way or the other you lose the middle.

People usually don't vote for a candidate. They vote against a candidate. Trump won by default.

LBJ was absolutely right. In fact, his plan lasted a few more decades later and capitalizes on human desire to receive something for free.

[Seshmeister]

Seems to me the Democrats are following the Republicans to the right. Where they are at the moment they would be conservatives in most other western countries. The conservative government in Germany just announced a 2 year furlough today, they have a good medical system and they are doing a hell of a lot better than the US and the UK in this crisis.

Also what's with your 'the blacks' way of talking - you sound like a white South African from the 1980s...

[Nitro Express]

Seems to me the Democrats are following the Republicans to the right. Where they are at the moment they would be conservatives in most other western countries. The conservative government in Germany just announced a 2 year furlough today, they have a good medical system and they are doing a hell of a lot better than the US and the UK in this crisis.

Also what's with your 'the blacks' way of talking - you sound like a white South African from the 1980s...

Ha! Ha! If you think New York, Chicago, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and LA are more conservative now you are confused. Ah nice attempted racist slag on me but what else do you call a group of people who seem to prefer being called black? Black Lives Matter? Naw if I was a racist I would have used the N word.

[FORD]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39ViyJeey0g

Have to agree with this. i have watched both nights of this convention so far, and Bernie Sanders is the ONLY speaker who has talked about fucking policies and the direction this country should go. AOC made general mention of the direction, but they only gave her 60 seconds, so she didn't have time for details.

Other than that, it's been a whole lot of bullshit about how Joe's a nice guy with personal empathy. That may be true, but it damn sure isn't reflected in his actual track record as Senator & VP.

[Nickdfresh]

I think the Democratic party has been traditionally popular with black Americans... Biden's just been rotting in the bottom of that popular barrel for 40+ years.

Also didn't feel Pence was much of a weighting factor in 2016 to shift the interest Trump brought on his own. Definitely nowhere near what's riding on Harris to prop up Biden's appeal...

"Prop up Biden's appeal" from what? Being up 10 points or more in just about every poll? The Democratic Party only became popular with blacks when the Republicans adopted the Dixiecrats positions of nuanced racial hegemony...

[Nickdfresh]

I think Pence is very popular among closeted homosexual evangelical racists with mommy issues.

It's a bigger demographic than you might think...

IDK if he's really a closet homo or not, but he definitely had the safe, pasty-white mid-Western white guy appeal that Trump was pandering too...

[Nickdfresh]

Lyndon Johnson said he could keep the blacks voting Democrat for the next 30 years by using the welfare system....

When did he say that?

It just sounds like a racist trope, especially since LBJ, for all his failings, was fighting poverty everywhere including white Appalachia, not for welfare...

[Nickdfresh]

LBJ was absolutely right. In fact, his plan lasted a few more decades later and capitalizes on human desire to receive something for free.

You're getting a bit fucking borderline with the white racist stereotypes...this is a website dedicated to a Jewish singer who was black that was trapped in the whiteman's body, not fucking alti-right Stormfront world...

[Nickdfresh]

Ha! Ha! If you think New York, Chicago, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and LA are more conservative now you are confused. Ah nice attempted racist slag on me but what else do you call a group of people who seem to prefer being called black? Black Lives Matter? Naw if I was a racist I would have used the N word.

These are cookie cutter districts neatly sliced delicately around the gerrymandered inner cities vs. the suburbs and deprived of the tax bases they inflate with their proximity to trade and infrastructure. Most of the whites I know and hang out with in the city are moderate leftists and earn pretty good chunks of change. But compare the funding of an urban Chicago school compared to its suburban counterpart, and that's where the racism begins. But in any case, at least the those blacks cookie-cuttered into marginalized voting districts are smart enough to vote for their self interests, unlike their working class white counterparts in the 'burbs. It's the reason why the Republican party is transitioning to the party of opposition, because whites in the suburbs are increasingly fleeing it and becoming Democrats, it's the reason as Sesh and Ford say that the Democrats are more or less center-left-to-center-right and the Republicans are uneducated blue collar fucktards voting for the interests of the top-1% plutocratic interests. But it is changing, that's why Trump fears mail in voting and they undertake massive voter suppression efforts that are becoming more and more unsuccessful, because the Republican Party only represents the interests of a very small subset of rich whites...

[Nickdfresh]

IDK if he's really a closet homo or not, but he definitely had the safe, pasty-white mid-Western white guy appeal that Trump was pandering too...

I should add also a servile bootlicking pussy that will never challange his fat, orange overlord, which is why he was hired...

[FORD]

IDK if he's really a closet homo or not...

https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/3b8577a2-004d-438d-8d3a-db39d590dae8/d307or1-734c0b44-92dd-4f4c-bd57-2538c861b51a.jpg/v1/fill/w_900,h_563,q_75,strp/jonny_quest_by_idaiku17-d307or1.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1 NiJ9.eyJpc3MiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhN WYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwic3ViIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg 4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsImF1ZCI6WyJ1c m46c2VydmljZTppbWFnZS5vcGVyYXRpb25zIl0sIm9iaiI6W1t 7InBhdGgiOiIvZi8zYjg1NzdhMi0wMDRkLTQzOGQtOGQzYS1kY jM5ZDU5MGRhZTgvZDMwN29yMS03MzRjMGI0NC05MmRkLTRmNGM tYmQ1Ny0yNTM4Yzg2MWI1MWEuanBnIiwid2lkdGgiOiI8PTkwM CIsImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9NTYzIn1dXX0.2vZMc3RH-ZEJd5YXzSrvQ4xW6sqwmzzEH0IbbzTN-Lg

Only Dr. Quest knows for sure.

[Funkmonkey]

Quote Originally Posted by Funkmonkey View Post
LBJ was absolutely right. In fact, his plan lasted a few more decades later and capitalizes on human desire to receive something for free.



You're getting a bit fucking borderline with the white racist stereotypes...this is a website dedicated to a Jewish singer who was black that was trapped in the whiteman's body, not fucking alti-right Stormfront world...

Nope. I was talking about LBJ.

[Funkmonkey]

https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/3b8577a2-004d-438d-8d3a-db39d590dae8/d307or1-734c0b44-92dd-4f4c-bd57-2538c861b51a.jpg/v1/fill/w_900,h_563,q_75,strp/jonny_quest_by_idaiku17-d307or1.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1 NiJ9.eyJpc3MiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhN WYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwic3ViIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg 4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsImF1ZCI6WyJ1c m46c2VydmljZTppbWFnZS5vcGVyYXRpb25zIl0sIm9iaiI6W1t 7InBhdGgiOiIvZi8zYjg1NzdhMi0wMDRkLTQzOGQtOGQzYS1kY jM5ZDU5MGRhZTgvZDMwN29yMS03MzRjMGI0NC05MmRkLTRmNGM tYmQ1Ny0yNTM4Yzg2MWI1MWEuanBnIiwid2lkdGgiOiI8PTkwM CIsImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9NTYzIn1dXX0.2vZMc3RH-ZEJd5YXzSrvQ4xW6sqwmzzEH0IbbzTN-Lg

Only Dr. Quest knows for sure.

Oooh, you can just sense the love between those two men. grr grr Oh, do behave!

[Seshmeister]

Have to agree with this. i have watched both nights of this convention so far, and Bernie Sanders is the ONLY speaker who has talked about fucking policies and the direction this country should go.


He also said you really really need to vote for Biden or you are fucked.

[FORD]

Well, Bernie's always been more of an optimist than I am. I can't share his faith that Biden has any intention of enacting the policies that Bernie and I believe in.

I'm not voting for the Greens this time though.... Don't even know who they have running... some guy named Howie? (no, not Dean. Or Stern)

But then there's always.....

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmixedtees.com%2Fimage%2Fcache%2Fc atalog%2Fdata%2FShirts%2FStar%2520Trek%2520UFP%2FP icard%2520Riker%2F2020%2FPicardRiker2020-PLATE-750x750.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

[Nickdfresh]

Well, Bernie's always been more of an optimist than I am. I can't share his faith that Biden has any intention of enacting the policies that Bernie and I believe in.

I'm not voting for the Greens this time though.... Don't even know who they have running... some guy named Howie? (no, not Dean. Or Stern)

But then there's always.....

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmixedtees.com%2Fimage%2Fcache%2Fc atalog%2Fdata%2FShirts%2FStar%2520Trek%2520UFP%2FP icard%2520Riker%2F2020%2FPicardRiker2020-PLATE-750x750.jpg&f=1&nofb=1

So you'd rather have fascist policies you pretend to not believe in?

[Seshmeister]

To be fair they are the correct old white man demographic and the fact that Patrick Stewart is English wouldn't cause any birther queries because he is white.

[Nickdfresh]

Quote Originally Posted by Funkmonkey View Post
LBJ was absolutely right. In fact, his plan lasted a few more decades later and capitalizes on human desire to receive something for free.




Nope. I was talking about LBJ.

I am far from LBJ (Look at my Big Johnson)'s fan, but I don't think that was his actual plan. To say he was cynically giving welfare checks away is pretty simplistic and it goes a lot deeper issues like fighting the Cold War...

[Nickdfresh]

To be fair they are the correct old white man demographic and the fact that Patrick Stewart is English wouldn't cause any birther queries because he is white.

But he was playing a FRENCHIE!!!!!

[Funkmonkey]

He also said you really really need to vote for Biden or you are fucked.

Sure. If Pres. Trump wins the election he will be like other second-term presidents having nothing or not much to lose. So he might be pretty ruthless to his political enemies.

[Funkmonkey]

LBJ (Look at my Big Johnson)


HA! :smiley-lol:

[Funkmonkey]

But he was playing a FRENCHIE!!!!!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWBUl7oT9sA

[FORD]

LBJ (Look at my Big Johnson)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nR_myjOr0OU

And yes, that's really him! :biggrin:

[Funkmonkey]

But he was playing a FRENCHIE!!!!!



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nR_myjOr0OU

And yes, that's really him! :biggrin:


Wow, this goes on the Menagerie of Interesting Things thread. LBJ says he varies 10-15 pounds a month. So it appears he needs pants with enough extra fabric to be resewn to match the changes in his size... wait for it .... per month.

And if LBJ needs an extra inch in the crotch for his nuts, well damnit, LBJ gets an extra inch for his nuts all the way back to his bunghole.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHv2dIM3t9I

[Seshmeister]

Yesterday as spotted by Luke Skywalker

https://i.ibb.co/rkBcrmh/hammiltrump.jpg

[Funkmonkey]

Yesterday as spotted by Luke Skywalker

https://i.ibb.co/rkBcrmh/hammiltrump.jpg


The incessant self-marketing is getting old whether it's Presidents Trump, Obamba, Luke Skywalker, and just about every politician.

[FORD]

jacobinmag.com
It’s Fine to Feel Like Shit About Joe Biden and the DNC
By David Sirota


It is always hard to get back from some time away — the email backlog, the pile of bills, the untended to-do list, and the inevitable aggravation from the home appliance that somehow no longer works, even though it was running smoothly before you left.

But heading home to Colorado last week from a family trip to Michigan was more than hard. Driving back during a pandemic, past a heartland destroyed by storms, toward a cloud of wildfire smoke, and into the final weeks of this dreadful election — it was downright crushing, to the point where I find it tougher to bounce out of bed, harder to force a smile, and wondering whether during a crazy time, I’m the one who’s gone insane.

I’m wondering, because this isn’t how it’s supposed to be. I’m told I should be bouncing up in the morning, uplifted by the Democratic convention and its promise of a new era soon — seventy-five days. But at least for me, watching the cable TV snippets, the convention speeches, and the celebratory Twitter dunks has left me with that feeling you get after eating junk food — full but not nourished; bloated, tired, and vaguely nauseous.

I’ve worked on a lot of Democratic campaigns, wins and losses. I’m literally married to a Democratic elected official. Over twenty years, I’ve put in an almost embarrassing amount of time working to support the Democratic Party. So these feelings are somewhat new for me, and I don’t think I’m having them just because Democratic officials decided to turn this year’s convention into a promotional platform for Republican icons who attacked unions, laid off thousands of workers, promoted climate denial, endangered 9/11 survivors, and lied us into a war that killed hundreds of thousands of people.

I’m also not glum just because the Democrats’ presidential standard-bearer is often an uninspiring mishmash of incoherent here’s-the-deal colloquialisms that mean nothing.

I think the despair is deeper — and it has something to do with the now-yawning gap between social expectation and reality.

Right now, if you are following politics at all, you are asked to feel chipper and energized. We are expected — no, required — to conjure 2008-level enthusiasm during this even darker time than the financial crisis, all so that we can move into a new, glorious moment of Hope™.

But pretense is the necessary ingredient for authentic enthusiasm, and there is no pretense anymore. Everyone, on all sides of this situation — and I mean literally everyone — knows that politics today is pantomime. You may not say it out loud, you may not like thinking about it — but I’m not telling you anything you don’t know, because somewhere deep down in there, everyone senses the fraudulence at hand.

This is a moment of apolitical crises — that is, crises that aren’t just manufactured by and confined to the political soundstage, but instead life-and-death, out-here-in-the-real-world emergencies in the realms of money, biology, and ecology. We’re facing an economic and environmental collapse in the midst of a lethal pandemic. And we’re going through this cataclysm with a legislative branch controlled by right-wing senators, a court system that rubber stamps corporate demands, and an authoritarian president whose major crisis-management experience was firing people on the Apprentice.

And yet, in the middle of this five-alarm garbage fire, we’re asked to white-knuckle it and feign excitement for an opposition party machine run by insiders, lobbyists, and careerists who keep letting us know that they think campaign promises are distinct from policy. In so many ways, they keep telling us over and again that the most we can hope for is, in the words of the nominee himself, that “nothing would fundamentally change.”

There has certainly been a lot of inspiring talk about the health care emergency, the climate crisis, and oligarchy, but the party platform says it all.

During a recession that has resulted in millions losing health insurance, Medicare for All is nowhere to be found in the platform. During climate-intensified wildfires, inland hurricanes, and — yes, really — fire tornados, the platform’s section on ending fossil fuel subsidies was removed. The lobbyists who run the DNC also killed an initiative to reduce the influence of corporate money on the party. Meanwhile, Joe Biden himself rolled out a whole package of legislative promises, and then told his Wall Street donors that, in fact, changing corporate behavior is “not going to require legislation,” and he won’t be proposing any. Please clap.

The worst part is that dispassionately recounting any of these facts obviously proves you love Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin — at least, that’s what you’ll be told if you dare even whisper this. In our tribalized politics, war is peace, freedom is slavery, and dissent is disloyalty. Failure to match the rah-rah spirit of the Blue Team, refusal to get psyched for the charade, asking questions about inconvenient facts — it all means you must be on the Red Team and are being paid in rubles, comrade.

As an electoral strategy, this kind of vote shaming and dissent suppression doesn’t have a winning track record. It is both immoral and bad politics. There must be a better strategy — and for the love of god, with polls now tightening, the world needs the Democrats to find one fast, because another Trump term is unthinkable.

Either way, the constant, incessant demand to be happy about fraudulence — the insistence that we put on a smile and insinuate that the New Deal is on the ballot — is shamefully dishonest. It helps make the whole process into exactly what Ohio state senator Nina Turner described: “It’s like saying to somebody, ‘You have a bowl of shit in front of you, and all you’ve got to do is eat half of it instead of the whole thing.’ It’s still shit.”

This is demoralizing for obvious reasons, but to feel demoralized is to feel like you’re crazy and alone — because it requires you to deviate from the norm of blissful and willful ignorance. It requires you to pay attention and reject a culture that tries to turn you into a goldfish, forgetting your entire world every fifteen minutes.

To be demoralized at this political moment is to remember that, for all the great progressive oratory during the convention, the Democratic presidential ticket is the guy who wrote the crime bill, spearheaded the bankruptcy bill, and worked with Republicans to authorize the Iraq War — and, oh yeah, a running mate who blocked her law enforcement staff from prosecuting Steve Mnuchin.

To be demoralized is to feel momentarily uplifted by Michelle Obama’s inspiring convention speech deriding our “greed is good” culture from her Martha’s Vineyard castle — and to then remember that the Obama administration knowingly fortified that culture when it protected the Wall Street firms that destroyed millions of lives during the financial crisis.

To be demoralized is to make the mistake I made during my family break — to sit along the shore of Lake Michigan and, for some reason, reject a mindless beach novel to instead read Ron Suskind’s old book Confidence Men. That tome meticulously recounts Barack Obama and Biden promising real health care reform during the 2008 campaign, and then steamrolling a public option — and dishonestly pretending they never even pushed such a modest reform in the first place (they did). The book reads like a cautionary tale of what could come during the next Democratic presidency — especially if you believe the signals already coming from Capitol Hill.

To be demoralized, in other words, is to remember — and that’s not what Democrats do in America.

Minds are wiped, and Iraq War architects become Resistance heroes and Democratic convention speakers. Memories are scrubbed, and Wall Street thieves become Democratic economic gurus and treasury secretaries. Amnesia takes hold, and the Democratic governor of Mount COVID becomes a pandemic man crush. Democrats lose a presidential campaign to Donald Trump by defending the Washington establishment — and now, four years later, they are running the same Washington valor campaign again, telling themselves they’re too legit to quit, baby.

Our society is not interested in recollection and learning from the past. We are immersed in short-attention-span media and propaganda that doesn’t want us to remember, and that therefore goes out of its way to omit mention of historical context.

Indeed, this is part of why it’s almost sad that podcasts like Slow Burn seem like such wonderful aberrations — they are fascinating because they resurface lost history, but it shouldn’t be such a fascinating novelty, because political history should never be lost in the first place. Memory is the last defense against repeating catastrophes — but we choose to live in the memory hole.

On the long drive back from Michigan, I listened to some of those lost-history podcasts, and their themes mixed with my recent reading of Confidence Men. That first morning back home, I laid in bed, scrolling the news with that feeling of dread, wondering whether we have forgotten the most important history of all: the history of how authoritarianism rises.

We’ve seen this parable over and over again — elite-run, neoliberal governments are democratically elected and then do not economically deliver for the vast majority of the population, creating popular frustration and the political space for a right-wing strongman to seize power.

This is the taboo tale tying together the Obama and Trump eras. Though oversimplified, the broad strokes are clear: a populist campaign won the election, before an elite-run administration capitulated to corporate power, sowing frustration and disillusionment, which helped a demagogue peddling racism and sexism to successfully vault himself into the presidency.

We’ve been lucky that Trump is so narcissistic, clumsy, and inept — in many cases, his own idiocy has inhibited his ability to make things even worse than they are.

However, if our goldfish culture means we omit inconvenient facts and no longer allow ourselves to remember that journey from Obama to Trump, then what is to prevent us from repeating the journey again?

If we forget how bad the old “normal” was and just have to go back to a Wall Street–run White House championing incrementalism in the face of existential crises, what is to stop another Trump from emerging afterward?

If the 2009 capitulations of a new Democratic president, his party, and liberal groups in Washington become the 2021 capitulations of a new Democratic president, today’s party, and liberal groups, then what is to prevent 2024 from ending up like 2016, only with President Tom Cotton?

I probably should’ve read a pulp novel during my time off, because I don’t want these questions haunting my mind. I’d prefer that innocent, moronically naive hope I felt, standing with tens of thousands of others, when Obama visited Denver at the very end of the 2008 campaign.

But now, here in the middle of the country, with the sun blocked out by wildfire ash, with people losing jobs and health care, with schools closed, with a Democratic governor refusing to halt evictions — I can’t find that feeling. It’s gone.

That doesn’t mean I don’t know what to do when I get my ballot. I know I’ll have to deliver it to a drop box rather than by mail if I want to make sure it gets there on time. And I know to vote the Democratic ticket, because I live in a swing state, and I know that fascism’s bid for reelection must be defeated.

But I also know that the threat of fascism isn’t going away after November, so don’t ask me to be excited or feel happy. I’m not, and I don’t — and I suspect it’s the same for many people.

Maybe that doesn’t make us crazy. Maybe it makes us human.

At least, that’s what I’m telling myself when I have trouble rising and shining the morning after Joe Biden’s convention speech.

[Funkmonkey]

The worst part is that dispassionately recounting any of these facts obviously proves you love Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin — at least, that’s what you’ll be told if you dare even whisper this. In our tribalized politics, war is peace, freedom is slavery, and dissent is disloyalty. Failure to match the rah-rah spirit of the Blue Team, refusal to get psyched for the charade, asking questions about inconvenient facts — it all means you must be on the Red Team and are being paid in rubles, comrade.


George Washington warned us about political parties and what will result in having them.

[FORD]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9qrQVuhmjI

[Funkmonkey]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9qrQVuhmjI

It's possible Powell and Kasich bring some votes to Biden. I wouldn't rule it out because there are Republicans that don't like Pres. Trump.

[Funkmonkey]

Wow, Biden has Fox news and Drudge Report kinda swooning about him. Looks like Biden is the juggernaut in the election race now. The bring in Kasich and Powell strategy appears to have gained traction.


Fox News and the Drudge Report praised Biden's 'barn burner' DNC speech, despite attacks from Trump
https://www.businessinsider.com/fox-news-drudge-praise-biden-dnc-speech-despite-trump-2020-8

[twonabomber]

Kasich is shit.

[Seshmeister]

I never saw it but apparently the Kasich video showed him at a crossroads talking about how the US was at a crossroads. I agree with the sentiment and I'm hoping people will realize that this isn't a left right thing that doesn't matter so much as it being an authoritarian v non authoritarian thing. Anyhoo I have to admit it was funny that someone tracked down the roads in question which were near his home and apparently both routes led to houses worth over $800k which does say a lot about politics and politicians.

[Nickdfresh]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9qrQVuhmjI

He wasn't originally going to watch the DNC Convention, but mom yelled down into the basement and made him?

[Kristy]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9qrQVuhmjI

Oh, Jesus fuck, really? Really? I knew you were a lazy, wet liberal but to go to Marianne New Age Flake Fuck has made you hit new lows. Yes, let's all get our healing crystals out, maybe a Tarot card or two, some patchouli and a Yanni CD and try to give a rat fuck what she has to say.

Again, you self-entitled Bernie shits fail to see it's people like her (and you) that Ol' F A T T Y is president and probably will be for another 4 years.

[FORD]

I'd take Marianne Williamson over John Kasich or Michael Bloomberg any goddamned day.

[FORD]

huffingtonpost.ca
Joe Biden’s DNC Speech Sounded A Lot Like A Jack Layton Quote


Former vice-president Joe Biden delivered a stirring speech as he accepted the party’s nomination for president at the Democratic National Convention Thursday night.

“Let us begin you and I together, one nation under God. United in our love for America. United in our love for each other,” Biden said. “For love is more powerful than hate, hope is more powerful than fear and light is more powerful than dark.”

Biden’s words about the power of love over hate were heralded as inspirational, as he looks to defeat President Donald Trump in the November election.

There’s just one thing: Canadians have heard those words before. Or, at least, a version of them.

In his final message to Canadians, the late NDP leader Jack Layton promised something quite similar.

“My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world.”

Many Canadians on Twitter were quick to take notice of the similarity.


Jack Layton did it better https://t.co/N4wJhqZsOF
— nashwa lina (@nashwalina) August 21, 2020

this is basically a Jack Layton quote https://t.co/k3FbbuWWfd
— Jenn has maskne (@JennJefferys) August 21, 2020

So did he credit Jack Layton or no? https://t.co/8skVhQnjsH
— daanis gwaanden 🔥👊🏽💃🏽 (@gindaanis) August 21, 2020

While others were touched that Layton’s words were once again being mobilized for change.


Last night, Joe Biden invoked the words of Jack Layton. These thoughts from Jack are also mine and many of you in the NDP and of millions of Canadians.

Let's make sure these words, Jack's letter, help bring change.

"Don't let them tell you, it can't be done," Jack Layton. pic.twitter.com/G6zckO0Jqy
— Rick Barnes (@queerthoughts) August 21, 2020

People complaining that Joe Biden channeled Jack Layton should understand that

'Quoting a positive message is more powerful than whining and tweeting lies in ALL CAPS' https://t.co/WUsQ3sShvP
— Sue Me (@IAmHighOnHeels) August 21, 2020

My fellow Canadians, be glad that Biden is emulating/quoting Jack Layton. Be proud of that. Get your heads out of your asses and support our neighbours to the south in getting Trump the fuck out of office. FFS.
— Violet Fawkes (she/her) (@fireandhoney) August 21, 2020

Oh wow, so many people accusing Biden of “plagiarizing” Jack Layton in his speech last night. Two things:

1. He used some similar language, yes. Probably unintentionally.

2. I don’t think Jack would mind. He wanted everyone to think this way. https://t.co/7Rz8TgTdSU
— Stevie Jackson 🏳️*🌈 (@steviekayjay) August 21, 2020


Biden’s campaign did not respond to HuffPost Canada’s request for comment on whether Layton was a reference for the speech.

But even Layton wasn’t the first Canadian politician to mobilize “love is better than hate” phrasing. That honour goes to prime minister Wilfrid Laurier, who said something similar in 1916.

“I shall remind you that already many problems rise before you: problems of race division, problems of creed difference, problems of economic con*flict, problems of national duty and national aspiration,” Laurier said during a speech in London, Ont.

“Let me tell you that for the solution of these problems you have a safe guide, an unfailing light if you remember that faith is better than doubt and love is better than hate.”


A 19th century conservative Canadian prime minister (Wilfrid Laurier), a 20th century socialist opposition leader (Jack Layton) and a 21st century liberal U.S. presidential candidate (Joe Biden) agree love is better than hate. Hm, is that the starting place?
— Kelly Toughill (@ktoughill) August 21, 2020

Biden has been accused of using other politicians’ words before. His first presidential run in 1988 was halted amid multiple instances of plagiarism, including lifting specific phrases and from a British Labour Party politician Neil Kinnock while making closing remarks at a debate.

[FORD]

Maybe if Joe actually put his plagiarism skills to work, and stole Bernie Sanders platform (and actually enacted all of it) he could be a halfway decent President??

[Seshmeister]

Assuming the Democrats won the senate you still have the same problem of right wing southern Democrats. Biden like Obama can maybe get the odd thing through but nothing remotely radical is doable now that consensus has broke down.

That's why all your Bernie dreams are so unrealistic, that's not how your system works. It's designed not to. The only consolation is the powerlessness of the president has protected you from some of the fucking insane shit Trump would have done.

[FORD]

The Senate is a whole other problem in and of itself. Should the Democrats manage to win it, rule # 1 has to be that Chuck Schumer isn't allowed anywhere near the Senate Majority Leader chair, as he has no idea what the words "majority" or "leader" mean. Bernie himself would be well suited for that job, but of course he would probably have to officially designate himself as a "Democrat" in order to do it.

As far as the "powerlessness of the President" goes, after Reagan, Chimpy, Cheeto, and the possibility of Biden, it really is starting to look like various degrees of Zaphod Beeblebrox, isn't it? At this rate I expect to see the Vogon ships show up any day now.... :gulp:

[Kristy]

Maybe if Joe actually put his plagiarism skills to work, and stole Bernie Sanders platform (and actually enacted all of it) he could be a halfway decent President??

Here we go again, ladies and gentlemen. The ever-so-entitled Bernie shits are doing what? Oh, that's right complaining. Remember, always fucking remember, it's people like slave FORD that peole like Ol' F A T T Y are in office.

[FORD]

Yeah, people like FORD stole the 2016 primary and alienated half the fucking voters. Just keep telling yourself that, dumbass.... :rolleyes:

[Kristy]

Yeah, people like FORD stole the 2016 primary and alienated half the fucking voters. Just keep telling yourself that, dumbass.... :rolleyes:

At least your spoiled, self-entitled Bernie shits are admitting you fucked things up. Yes, we have Ol' F A T T Y because of people just like you. Dumbass. :flame:

[Funkmonkey]

I never saw it but apparently the Kasich video showed him at a crossroads talking about how the US was at a crossroads. I agree with the sentiment and I'm hoping people will realize that this isn't a left right thing that doesn't matter so much as it being an authoritarian v non authoritarian thing. Anyhoo I have to admit it was funny that someone tracked down the roads in question which were near his home and apparently both routes led to houses worth over $800k which does say a lot about politics and politicians.

It's mind-boggling the amount of wealth politicians gain while serving as government employees.

[Funkmonkey]

He wasn't originally going to watch the DNC Convention, but mom yelled down into the basement and made him?

:happy0065:

[FORD]

At least your spoiled, self-entitled Bernie shits are admitting you fucked things up. Yes, we have Ol' F A T T Y because of people just like you. Dumbass. :flame:

I think I figured out who Kristy really is. She's professional lying & Bernie hating media whore Joy Reid of MSDNC/Scumcast Inc.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pfthr2GuC78

[Funkmonkey]

I think I figured out who Kristy really is. She's professional lying & Bernie hating media whore Joy Reid of MSDNC/Scumcast Inc.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pfthr2GuC78

Kulinski makes a great point; it's not about ideology, it's about the structure of the party. The party is what is important. George Washington warned us about political parties. I'm also amazed at Joy Reid's almost fawning on Joe Biden.

[FORD]

Funny thing is, up until a few months ago, Joy Reid hated Biden almost as much as she hated Bernie Sanders (and still does hate him, of course.)

Considering Biden literally kicked off his campaign in the mansion of Scumcast's CEO, I'm guessing she was told her future paycheck depended on her getting over her hate for Biden.

As for the structure of the Democratic Party, it's been rapidly deteriorating for 30 years now, despite the fact that Bill Clinton was the only candidate to date who actually won on the DLC agenda.

Technically, Al Gore won, but he wasn't allowed to take his office. Obama certainly won... but he campaigned as a progressive, NOT a neoliberal DLC'er. Effective as all hell on the campaign trail, just sad he didn't mean a word of it.

This Turd Way, Republican lite (not even all that lite anymore, honestly) strategy has failed repeatedly, yet they insist on using it again and again. As Kyle says in many of his videos, "it's not 1992 anymore".

[Funkmonkey]

Funny thing is, up until a few months ago, Joy Reid hated Biden almost as much as she hated Bernie Sanders (and still does hate him, of course.)

Yeah, that's what shocks me is what seems like the complete about-face Reid took on Biden. Rachel Maddow appeared to get a little moist listing to Reid. It was a little surreal.

[Funkmonkey]

Obama certainly won... but he campaigned as a progressive, NOT a neoliberal DLC'er. Effective as all hell on the campaign trail, just sad he didn't mean a word of it.


I'm not totally sure what happened with Obama, but change in Washington is very difficult regardless of left or right.

[FORD]

newsweek.com
Richard Spencer backs Joe Biden, says "MAGA/alt-right moment is over"
By Ewan Palmer On 8/24/20 at 8:34 AM EDT


White nationalist Richard Spencer has said he will be backing Democratic candidate Joe Biden in November's election after previously distancing himself from Donald Trump.

Spencer, who was one of the key figureheads of the alt-right movement, tweeted how he is "on Team Joe" on Monday, adding in a self-made campaign slogan, "Liberals are clearly more competent."

In a series of tweets, Spencer further explained his reasoning for backing Biden.

"The MAGA/Alt-Right moment is over. I made mistakes; Trump is an obvious disaster; but mainly the paradigm contained flaws that we now are able to perceive. And it needs to end," Spencer wrote. "So be patient. We'll have another day in the sun. We need to recover and return in a new form." :meinsmiley:

In another tweet, Spencer added: "I will never flip on my fundamental principles. (My principles were never voting for the supposed 'the lesser or two evils' or 'stopping big government.')

"Walking into certain defeat, even death, is not heroic. It's foolhardy. I have no sympathy for martyrs. I admire winners."

The Southern Poverty Law Center describes Spencer as "a suit-and-tie version of the white supremacists of old."

Spencer first rose to prominence in 2016 after shouting "Hail Trump!" and being greeted with Nazi salutes at an event in Washington shortly after Trump was elected.

However, Spencer said earlier this year that he regrets voting for Trump, following the killing of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani.

Spencer feared that Trump's approved airstrike which resulted in the death of Soleimani brought the U.S. to the brink of war with Iran.

"I deeply regret voting for and promoting Donald Trump in 2016," Spencer tweeted. "To the people of Iran, there are millions of Americans who do not want war, who do not hate you, and who respect your nation and its history.

"After our traitorous elite is brought to justice, we hope to achieve peace, reconciliation, and forgiveness," he added.

Spencer also led a protest against the Trump administration launching an airstrike on a Syrian airbase in 2017.

Credited with creating the term "alt-right," Spencer was also one of the main organizers of the neo-Nazi "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017 at which counter-protester Heather Heyer died after being struck by a car driven by white supremacist James Alex Fields Jr.

In a statement released on the third anniversary of the deady rally, Biden said: "Three years ago today, the world watched in horror as neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and far-right extremists with torches in hand descended on Charlottesville, Virginia, spewing the same anti-Semitic bile that was heard in Hitler's Germany in the 1930s.

"It was a moment of testing for our country, and a wake-up call to the fact that hate never dies—it only hides. And when our leaders give it oxygen, it can come roaring back to life.

"And then our president claimed that there were 'very fine people on both sides.' Donald Trump had the audacity to assign moral equivalence between those spreading hate and those who stood against it.

"I knew then that we were in a battle for the soul of this nation. And I knew then that I could not stand by and let Donald Trump destroy the core values of this nation. Now, three years later, we can see even more clearly that everything that has made America, America, is at stake."

Spencer and Biden's campaign team have been contacted for comment.

[FORD]

So did Spencer make his endorsement after Joe picked Scamala Harris?? Because she doesn't exactly seem like the ideal white supremacist candidate. Though they are probably fine with her record of locking up a lot of black & brown folks as a prosecutor.

[Seshmeister]

The Southern Poverty Law Center describes Spencer as "a suit-and-tie version of the white supremacists of old."


Is that a thing, white supremacists have often dressed well?

NAZI SS uniforms, Hitler youth and brownshirts were all designed by Hugo Boss!

[FORD]

I think it's a reference to Spencer wearing "normal" suits, as opposed to most of the neo-Nazi types who prefer to dress up in the halloween costume versions of the old Hugo Boss designs.

[FORD]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HEqWNXIJnY

[FORD]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LR-D4XavdQ

[FORD]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eq1k7zpNGpY

[Kristy]

Please take note ladies and gentlemen, that when Ol' F A T T Y get his 4 more years you will have slave FORD to blame.


So I will take the time now to say "fuck you" to slave FORD and his fucking stupid hipster propaganda.

[Funkmonkey]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LR-D4XavdQ

"If voting was the solution, well these problems wouldn't, I mean, people voted for you twice, he's acting like he was never President, they voted for you twice and then Trump won. What does that tell you?"

[FORD]

Please take note ladies and gentlemen, that when Ol' F A T T Y get his 4 more years you will have slave FORD to blame.


So I will take the time now to say "fuck you" to slave FORD and his fucking stupid hipster propaganda.

Aren't you late for an appointment at the weave shop, Joy? :rolleyes:

[Kristy]

Aren't you late for an appointment at the weave shop, Joy? :rolleyes:

Oh you so funny! Me love you long time.


Aren't you a little old to be subscribing to this pseudo-intellectual hipster podcast shit? Are your old, decrypted white guys no longer doing it for your self-entitlement? Must be.

Anyway, fuck you for giving Ol' F A T T Y another four years.

[Seshmeister]

The Senate is a whole other problem in and of itself.


It's only been in the last few years I've appreciated just how powerful the senate is. I had wrongly thought it was like our even less democratic 'upper house' and more like a review chamber, I didn't realize just how powerful it is. I guess this has been made more obvious by the playing of the system by Moscow Mitch. In Obamas defence during the brief window when he had the senate, the pseudo democrats didn't help him much and he was firefighting a seriously major financial crisis and did a decent job on that. If Biden gets in then it will be the same thing except way worse. Politicians always blame the last guy but in the US it really is becoming a pattern that the Republicans leaving terrible messes for the Democrats to clear up and then by the time they have they get kicked out again. :D

That's probably too kind to them but still...

[Grit]

There is no "Republican Party" anymore. They have bowed to Don the Corrupt Con Trump. The Cowards are scared that Donny will mean tweet them so they've been sucking him off for the last 3+ years. The Republicans should be held in contempt for selling out their country for a Narcissistic, Pathological-Compulsive-Lying, Incompetent, Corrupt Buffoon.It's quite pathetic.:baby::baby:

[Kristy]

There is no "Republican Party" anymore. They have bowed to Don the Corrupt Con Trump. The Cowards are scared that Donny will mean tweet them so they've been sucking him off for the last 3+ years. The Republicans should be held in contempt for selling out their country for a Narcissistic, Pathological-Compulsive-Lying, Incompetent, Corrupt Buffoon.It's quite pathetic.:baby::baby:

As should slave FORD Remember, him and his terminally lazy Bernie Brat ilk also put Ol' F A T T Y in office. And they are going to do it again.

[FORD]

https://i.postimg.cc/NMYwjtQj/yjqlwedr6xi51.png

[FORD]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSqyzBkO-N8

[FORD]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxSRLrsbP70

[Seshmeister]

You should try and also get some of your information from places other than Zoomstream media ™©

[FORD]

You should try and also get some of your information from places other than Zoomstream media ™©

Such as what? The corporate media?

Besides, since the Cheetoplague, it's ALL "Zoomstream media". Even the network guys who look like they're still in the studio, usually if you look closely at the "newsroom" backdrop behind them, it's a still photo. They just have more expensive cameras than the average independent journalists.

Not quite as ridiculous as the fake crowd noise piped into the NBA games on TV, but close.

[FORD]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ysFftg4nYA

[Seshmeister]

Progressives need to campaign once they get into power. At the moment they are literally campaigning for Trump. The more times you compare Biden to Trump or say that the other wing of your party are just as bad, that allows a false equivalency and makes it easy for swing voters to go with the guy that made their tax bill go down a little.

This is why Russia supports Bernie too. We tried it in Britain, take on the populist blustering bullshit incumbent with a progressive old guy on the back of a massive young movement and the Labour party got their biggest defeat since the 1920s. The tactic relies on a bunch of new people turning out to vote and they didn't. They never do,

[FORD]

Half the voting population stayed home in 2016, because neither of the two right wing candidates were suitable. This is separate from the relatively small number who voted for Jill Stein, Gary Johnson, or some even lesser known third party candidates, or those who wrote in somebody, either real or fictional.

If Biden wants to win this election, he has to give those people a reason to show up. Loading the DNC convention with Republicans, while limiting actual progressive speakers to Bernie & AOC (who only had a 60 second nominating speech) is NOT the approach that's going to get those votes.

"Because Cheeto Sucks" is not a campaign strategy. There should be somebody worth voting FOR, not just somebody to vote against..

And the Corbyn comparisons really don't fit, because they couldn't run the "anti-semite" lie against Bernie, or even against Biden, for that matter. It's bad enough that AIPAC tried to use it against Ilhan Omar in her primary, and it failed miserably, thank Allah!

[Nickdfresh]

Half the voting population stayed home in 2016, because neither of the two right wing candidates were suitable. This is separate from the relatively small number who voted for Jill Stein, Gary Johnson, or some even lesser known third party candidates, or those who wrote in somebody, either real or fictional.

....!

Ford, half the population ALWAYS sit out elections, then bitch. Bernie fans make up a good proportion of those! And not just general election, counts primaries as well...

[Seshmeister]

Half the voting population stayed home in 2016, because neither of the two right wing candidates were suitable. This is separate from the relatively small number who voted for Jill Stein, Gary Johnson, or some even lesser known third party candidates, or those who wrote in somebody, either real or fictional.

If Biden wants to win this election, he has to give those people a reason to show up. Loading the DNC convention with Republicans, while limiting actual progressive speakers to Bernie & AOC (who only had a 60 second nominating speech) is NOT the approach that's going to get those votes.

"Because Cheeto Sucks" is not a campaign strategy. There should be somebody worth voting FOR, not just somebody to vote against..

And the Corbyn comparisons really don't fit, because they couldn't run the "anti-semite" lie against Bernie, or even against Biden, for that matter. It's bad enough that AIPAC tried to use it against Ilhan Omar in her primary, and it failed miserably, thank Allah!


There was a bigger % voter turnout at the last election than there was in Bill Clinton's 2 elections. Bernie didn't even come close in the primaries you are kidding yourself from inside a Zoombubble if you think he would have run away with it. It's a shame you only get to vote for Biden but that's just because you had a lack of talented electable candidates. You should be happy it isn't like France recently where the choice was crook v fascist. You have a choice between meh and fascist crook.

BTW the anti-semite thing wouldn't have had as big an effect as you would think, there are 1/6 as many Jews in the UK as the US by population. It was just another appalling part of his leadership but not that important electorally.

[FORD]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7d4qVs0T3M

Death squad Markos is a total cunt... just like the murderers he descended from.

[FORD]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91lUkMOThB0

[Seshmeister]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91lUkMOThB0

The title of this implies that either Trump isn't playing you people or it was one of those rare times he was wasn't lying.

Who gives a fuck either way?

We do know for a fact he went to pretty extreme lengths to fuck up Biden but that doesn't mean much either because he is a fucking nutcase.

[FORD]

Cheeto was able to beat Hillary in Midwest states by pretending to be against predatory capitalist "free trade" bills like NAFTA/WTO/SHAFTA/etc. He couldn't have used that lie to get votes running against Bernie, because Bernie had a documented track record of ACTUALLY opposing such policies, while Hillary supported them. As did Biden.

I don't believe that any actual committed Bernie voters would have supported the Orange Imbecile, based on that issue. But I DO believe that "middle of the road" voters in those states, who more than likely have been impacted by these idiotic "trade" bills taking away their jobs, and/or some other economic ripple effect from that, sided with Trump over Hillary for that reason, where they clearly would have voted for Bernie, had he been the nominee.

And since Biden supported those bills just like Hillary did, the outcome in those states may be the same. Biden seems to be able to use that mythological "I'm just a working class kid from Scranton who took the train to work even when I was a Senator" image to fool some people, but his track record does not show him on the side of the working class all that often, and certainly not on the trade issues.

So yeah, I think Orangenfuhrer was having one of his twice a day "broken clock" moments there and actually speaking the truth. He would have a much harder time making a case for himself in those states if he were running against Bernie.

[DONNIEP]

I don’t think the question is “Can the country survive another four years of Trump”. I think the question is “Can the country survive another four years?” Regardless of which side you’re on, one has to ask oneself if what’s happening in America right now is what you want your future to look like. Defund the police? Ok, why? Because Jacob Blake took 7 shots after he resisted arrest and was openly carrying a knife - video proves it, unless you believe the video was doctored. That guy made himself a bullet magnet. Tony’s Ice Cream here in my town - the NBPP showed up and were armed and threatened everyone there. They even live streamed it. So the question shouldn’t be can this country survive another four years of Trump. But can this country survive even for four more years??

I think we’re pretty much fucked. Once you let the genie out of the bottle you can’t put him back.

[ZahZoo]

Donnie raises a very good point... the current direction the nation is heading is quite concerning.

It's naive to think that the guy in the White House for the last 3.5 years is the source of the troubles facing the nation. That's just not the reality, no matter what blinding filter you want to make up. We didn't just arrive here in such a short time within the slow advance of our system of government.

It's even more naive to think an establishment, career politician with 47 years of direct involvement in leading this nation to where it's at presently, will magically change the direction we're heading... That's just plain delusional foolishness.

I've never seen Bernie as a viable alternative in any of this... his socialist crap wouldn't capture independents and frankly scares most of the moderate ranks within the Democratic party. If you seriously look at his record and try to align that with the bullshit that comes out of his mouth... I don't see how anyone with an once of sense could believe the shit he's selling.

There's no reverse gear for time and the nation. As a whole though, we, the people, better get a grip on the steering wheel and get us back on a better course.

[Seshmeister]

My understanding of the defund the police idea is that a large part of police work is taken up with social work because the US has less of a safety net than most other western countries. So instead of sending a pair of highly armed jumpy police officers you take some of that money and spend it on social workers and others professionals to reduce the root of the problem.

This defund the police phrase is being used to try and frighten people that Biden of all people is going to go around closing police departments and black swarms will come and take away your stuff. Its a fantasy of course but will work on some people.

Its the whole North Korea thing but done x10. Trump creates a problem and then says he is the only one that can solve it. Yeah I know there were police shootings and problems with Korea before Trump but they both got worse.

The US police kill 4 times as many people by population as the Canadian police.

The US police kill 10 times as many people by population as the French police.

The US police kill 30 times as many people by population as the UK police.



So unless there is something inherently evil about Americans that's the menu. Some gun control 1/4, lots of gun control 1/10, lots of gun control and police not routinely armed 1/30th.


As to the Zahzoo thing about it's been slow march and not Trumps fault, maybe but he's hit the accelerator. Police killing for the last 10 years were sitting around 1300 which is shocking enough but they have gone up a few hundred a year since Trump got into power which is a big jump.

[twonabomber]

My understanding of the defund the police idea is that a large part of police work is taken up with social work because the US has less of a safety net than most other western countries. So instead of sending a pair of highly armed jumpy police officers you take some of that money and spend it on social workers and others professionals to reduce the root of the problem.


We can funnel more money into those programs, but it's up to the people to take advantage of them. We're kind of there now.

We can put more money into the schools with the goal of bringing test scores or graduation rates up, but we can't do anything about kids who want to be disruptive and not want to learn.

Now, the militarization of the police...yeah, that could change. Not every department needs discarded military equipment. Even if it's offered for free.

[Seshmeister]

one of the things that really bugs me about politicians is the way they use ideology rather than evidence to make decisions. British ones are bad for this and I think US even worse. If i was in government and I had a problem one of my first questions would be who is better at this and what do they do? The way you would deal with any other thing in your life. Hey that guitarist sounds better than me, what does he do?

Politicians hardly ever seem to do this, they treat each problem as though it's never ever happened anywhere else in the world before and then try to apply some simple ideology to it. Let the market fix Covid...

[twonabomber]

After years of listening to people bitch about the government not being able to fix roads, bridges, health care, and Social Security...and then they expect the government to fix the virus? Makes me laugh.

[Seshmeister]

Yeah but you are the USA!

You used to be really good at this stuff, The USA fucking prevented a worldwide ebola pandemic, This is beyond politics right or left. Trump for whatever reason and there are a few i his mind decided to try and erase the Obama presidency,

In the same way that GW Bush did some undeniably don't care who the fuck you are or what you think empirical good stuff on aid for Africa, Obama did the same for pandemic planning, You guys should be Germany+ especially given the spread out nature of your demographics compared to Europe. Trump threw away the playbook like a child, Historians are going to destroy him, this isn't an opinion thing it's just fact.

[ZahZoo]

Defund the police isn't a viable option and the current waves of violence is exactly the reasons why.

It may be a far better proposal to reform and restructure specific portions of police work, especially the non-violent elements. Turning off the funding won't fix anything without clear plans and transitions to fill the community needs.

Getting this virus under control will go a long way to helping calm shit down. Too much fear compounded by the pent up energy of the lock-downs just fired up a bunch of people with nothing better to do. Good news is science is kicking ass on therapeutics, vaccinations and treatments.

[FORD]

After years of listening to people bitch about the government not being able to fix roads, bridges, health care, and Social Security...and then they expect the government to fix the virus? Makes me laugh.

There's one main reason for all of that though.....

And that's the fact that corporations and the inheritance rich leeches haven't paid taxes since 1980.

Biden's dumb campaign slogan of "Build Back Better" is fucking stupid, because Joe - like the other DLC "democrats" before him has no intention of rolling back the Reagan/Chimp/Cheeto tax "cuts" for the tax dodgers, and without that, you're not going to get things like needed infrastructure and a real health care system built. Harry Truman wanted a national health care system in 1947. The post-war occupying governments in Germany & Japan set up their health care systems based on the same thing Truman wanted to set up in the US. And the top marginal tax rate was still 91% then, so he had the money to do it.... but the "do nothing Republican congress" of that day blocked him.

And those guys were downright civil & friendly compared to the Republicans of today.

People look at taxes as "evil" because 40 years of right wing media programming has made them think so. Taxes are higher in other countries, but they get their money's worth. They can go to the doctor any time they need to, and won't have to risk fucking their car up on a bad road getting there. (Or take a high speed train if they don't drive, for whatever reason)

[Nickdfresh]

It's not just "funneling money into programs", it's redirecting money from other parts of the prison industrial complex and some studies have shown that when targeted, well run programs reduce things like poverty and drug abuse we reduce crime and save money, not spend more. On policing overall I think we need a nationwide systemic reform and reducing the number of departments via regional consolidation. The suburb I am originally from is fairly Republican and many bitch about taxes and "big government" yet if you have a plebiscite and say, "hey let's save money and consolidate our three police depts. (two village depts and one town) into one bigger town police dept. and eliminate the highly paid lieutenants and captains," and they freak out. Even if we didn't lay any cops off, they would have had to take pay cuts and ranks would have been reduced because it seems like the whole tribe were made chiefs without any indians. Relieving police of their militarized social worker duties is probably one of the biggest steps forward. Social workers, medics, and councillors are cheaper than police and we would have better outcomes with more social services and freeing up the police to solely focus on crime rather than focusing on filling prisons with nonviolent offenders.

As far as cops using deadly force inappropriately, I believe in part this is poor training mindset. My impression is that from Day 1 at the academy policemen are trained to dominate and be "dicks" and they have a 1980's marine corp basic training mentality. It fosters a poor attitude in some otherwise very good people and it brings out the utter cunt in people like Ofc. Chauvin. I do think police should have a military ethos in their training, but it should be more like a special operations intellectual ethos on counterinsurgency where they see themselves as ideally guarding and protecting the population from an outside foe rather than often times seeing themselves as overlords supervising and seeing everyone as a potential threat from a population as a whole. They should be taught to be more operationally flexible and learn to deal with situations with tact that many otherwise deal with with posturing and threat.

I think at one time this was called "community policing" but it gets lost with all the tactical quasi-military shit hoisted on American policing. There certainly is a need for police in kevlar helmets and vests carrying long arms but only in extreme situations. And at one time a lot of the "conservatives" decried the overuse of deadly force when applied against white people and when Clinton was the president in the 1990s. Ruby Ridge? Koresh and The Branch Davidians? Anyone? NWO? FEMA Camps? "Jackbooted federal police thugs" according to the late G. Gordon Liddy, a former conservative radio commentator and Watergate burglar? Anyone remember those days? It does seem like a bit of a double standard when avowed rightests get pissed when religious and white zealots die, but somehow black people deserve the extremes of force because the didn't comply...

[Nickdfresh]

After years of listening to people bitch about the government not being able to fix roads, bridges, health care, and Social Security...and then they expect the government to fix the virus? Makes me laugh.

They are same people the root cause of why we can't have nice things, competent gov't that is effective in suppressing the pandemic because we have morons that fundamentally mistrust any sort of gov't and think they should just do whatever the fuck they want. Germany and Korea suppressed their pandemics quickly and have a fraction of the deaths. They also don't have asshole militias running around protesting wearing of masks. FFS you can't sit here and complain that gov't doesn't work when you vote for the guy who dissolved the pandemic team simply because he hates the previous black president.....

[Nickdfresh]

Defund the police isn't a viable option and the current waves of violence is exactly the reasons why.

It may be a far better proposal to reform and restructure specific portions of police work, especially the non-violent elements. Turning off the funding won't fix anything without clear plans and transitions to fill the community needs.

Getting this virus under control will go a long way to helping calm shit down. Too much fear compounded by the pent up energy of the lock-downs just fired up a bunch of people with nothing better to do. Good news is science is kicking ass on therapeutics, vaccinations and treatments.

Few seem to know what defund the police actually means, and it's both those for and against it. The Camden, NJ sole example of defunding a dept. to liquidate it and start over, it actually turned out okay, but of course other county and state police took over for a while until the police were reformed, by all accounts it's better than the old one. The police unions are the biggest stumbling block because they just knee jerk-obstruct everything. Defunding the police was the workaround there but that obviously will not work everywhere...

[twonabomber]

You guys really think that if, in April, Trump said "wear a mask!" people would have?

I'm laughing again!

[FORD]

Well, he could have set a proper example by wearing one himself, which he refused to do, up until late June or so.

At the very least, he could have NOT repeatedly called it "a Chinese hoax". At least he finally dropped the "hoax" part, but it was after tens of thousands had already died.

Nobody expects Cheeto to know all the answers on this. He's not a doctor, he's not a scientist. Problem with the Orange Imbecile is that he ignores what the doctors & scientists DO say, if it in any way makes HIM look bad. And after the way he's botched the handling of this pandemic clusterfuck, it's pretty much ALL going to make him look bad, at this point (and deservedly so.)

Look at the last two nights of the RNC with his speech & Malaria's speech from the White House lawn. Hundreds of people sitting close together. Very few of them wearing masks, and nobody tested before being allowed to attend the speeches. There's no excuse for anybody - let alone the so called "leader of the free world" to be deliberately doing something so fucking stupid & reckless after 180,000 deaths in this country.

People who attended those speeches are going to die. Cheeto better hope they live in states where they can mail in their ballots in early, because odds are they will be dead (and ineligible to vote) by November 3.

[Nickdfresh]

You guys really think that if, in April, Trump said "wear a mask!" people would have?

I'm laughing again!

Well Trump called for a boycott of Goodyear tires and one of his retard minions slashed the Goodyear tires on his truck, so...

[Seshmeister]

Funniest line of the week goes to Ivanka with 183 000 dead Americans and 30 million unemployed,



“I recognize that my dad’s communication style is not to everyone’s taste. And I know that his tweets can feel a bit unfiltered,” she added. “But the results — the results speak for themselves.”

I know I shouldn't but that was genuinely LOL funny. :biggrin:

Someone put it quite well, last year the message was 'Vote for Trump, he is an asshole but he's our asshole and gets things done'. This year it is 'Vote for Trump, he is an asshole'.

[ZahZoo]

Any politician who's not an asshole generally won't hold office for long...

[Seshmeister]

There are degrees of it.

[Funkmonkey]

Any politician who's not an asshole generally won't hold office for long...

Very true. There has to be something fundamentally wrong with you to want to run for office.

[ZahZoo]

There are degrees of it.

Agreed. There's a wide range of personalities and positions on the various things any politician deals with. There's no pleasing everyone and they have to make difficult decisions constantly. No matter how thoughtful, intelligent and reasonable... someone will disagree with their position and dub them an asshole...

[Funkmonkey]

To actually want to endure a Presidential campaign requires deep psychological problems and breathtaking amounts sociopathy.

[FORD]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdBuhJRBg5g

[Funkmonkey]

There's a shocker.