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NEVERENDING ♾️ The NEVERENDING Political Discussion Thread

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Runoffs were held in Georgia yesterday, and the two statewide races (Sec of State and one of the Public Service Commission seats) appear to have stayed with the GOP - there are still some absentee ballots to be counted, but the AP was comfortable enough to call both races (which they refused to do with the Governor's race until it was certified). Republican voters in Georgia have historically had a better turnout for runoffs than their Democratic counterparts, so I'm curious if that's the explanation here, or if it's a larger refutation of the narrative of the state trending towards purple (i.e. damage to the downballot Dems caused by Stacey Abrams' ongoing temper tantrum).
 
WTMFH! I have been trying to be better about not engaging in discussions regarding this type of thing, but this is so far beyond stupid that it makes me question if there is further motive against something this ridiculous.

Fox News said:
A group of students at a California college’s “Annual Whiteness Forum” labeled the Christian children’s cartoon “VeggieTales” as “dangerous” and promoting racial stereotypes for making the villains colored.

The forum at Cal State San Marcos is a project from Professor Dreama Moon’s class titled “The Communication of Whiteness.” Students called various things racist, including the NFL, women who support President Trump, and the popular animated cartoon that started in 1993 and always ended with Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber’s tagline, “Remember kids, God made you special and he loves you very much,” the College Fix reported.
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LINK to full story.

Do you know what is dangerious, extremism like this BS class that seems to be supporting and endorsing crap like this.

What are your thoughts? Are Bob (a red tomato) and Larry (a green-ish tomato) teaching racism and white supremacy?
 
 
What are your thoughts on 41 and his legacy. Not only as a president but in his other roles as well?

On a side note, there is something about the friendship that past presidents seem to have after they leave office. Think about the times that you saw one 41 or 43 with Clinton for various events and fundraisers. I also think that despite all of 43's shortcomings while he was in office, he seems like a very personable guy and I think it is evident that people who get to know him outside of his political role, really like him.
 
michaelskis said:
What are your thoughts on 41 and his legacy. Not only as a president but in his other roles as well?

On a side note, there is something about the friendship that past presidents seem to have after they leave office. Think about the times that you saw one 41 or 43 with Clinton for various events and fundraisers. I also think that despite all of 43's shortcomings while he was in office, he seems like a very personable guy and I think it is evident that people who get to know him outside of his political role, really like him.
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I always thought 41 got short shrift and even a bad rap as a failed president, primarily (and wrongly) because he didn't win a second term but remember reading up on him a while back and always thought he was probably the smartest president in my lifetime. He may have been born to an WASPy, elitist patrician family but he seems to have admirably given his life to public service.

He was also a snazzy dresser and I've often said that he's a personal style icon! Somebody once accused him of being too stuffy and out-of-touch in his Brooks Brothers suits and he scoffed at them and replied that he's a J.Press man! I wore my favorite J.Press trousers and Shaggy Dog (along with a pair of George H.W. Bush socks) in his honor today.


On a related note... When I was a young Marine in Okinawa in the mid-90s I worked with a Staff Sergeant who had previously been a Yankee White assigned to Camp David a few years prior. He was there during the final year or so of the Bush administration and the President and the extended Bush family were frequent visitors to the camp (some presidents rarely ever go nor do they bring their extended family). The Staff Sergeant I worked with kept a big photo album on his desk with all sorts of pictures of President Bush and his family hanging out, playing, and enjoying Camp David right alongside the Marines and sailors who were stationed there. He said he met all sorts of politicians and world leaders while working there (including Reagan who visited after his presidency and Clinton during the start of his own) and George H.W. Bush was far and away one of the nicest people he had ever met. He also had some stories about various Bush granddaughters... :-$
 
Veloise said:
Our idiot soon-to-be-former governor is trying to come up with a deal to create a utility tunnel under the Mackinac Bridge for the Canadian oil pipeline.
The lege is pretty busy too.
Lame duck reps, who still control the lege, are proposing legislation to repeal the bottle bill, limit the authority of executive offices which will just happen to be filled by female Dems, modify the worker bills recently passed, modify the new gerrymandering legislation passed by voters,modify the wetlands regs.
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The two biggest douchebag outgoing Governors (Snyder and Walker) seem Hellbent on on destroying their state with lame duck slash-and-burn tactics. What's happening in Wisconsin is an absolute travesty.

Bubba said:
Runoffs were held in Georgia yesterday, and the two statewide races (Sec of State and one of the Public Service Commission seats) appear to have stayed with the GOP - there are still some absentee ballots to be counted, but the AP was comfortable enough to call both races (which they refused to do with the Governor's race until it was certified). Republican voters in Georgia have historically had a better turnout for runoffs than their Democratic counterparts, so I'm curious if that's the explanation here, or if it's a larger refutation of the narrative of the state trending towards purple (i.e. damage to the downballot Dems caused by Stacey Abrams' ongoing temper tantrum).
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"Temper tantrum?" She is totally justified in refusing to concede to KKKemp. She would have won (or at least forced a runoff) had Kemp and his cronies not suppressed or intimidated tens of thousands of voters in the months leading up to the election.
 
Super Amputee Cat said:
"Temper tantrum?" She is totally justified in refusing to concede to KKKemp. She would have won (or at least forced a runoff) had Kemp and his cronies not suppressed or intimidated tens of thousands of voters in the months leading up to the election.
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Dude...just stop. Posts like this on something you really don't know anything about are unbecoming. And,"KKKemp"? Seriously? So. Much. Hate. :glum:

Anyhoo, the number of registered voters in Georgia increased by over one million from 2010 to 2018, while the population of the state during that time span increased by less than 800,000. Voter suppression :lmao:

Also, Ms. Abrams took ten days to "bow out" of the race (not concede) when she literally had no mathematical chance of even getting to a runoff, and the leadership of her party in Georgia quickly started to caution her during that period that she was damaging their chances in the actual down-ballot runoffs. I really thought that both of the Dem candidates in the statewide runoffs would win (speaking as one of the coveted suburban swing voters)...and they didn't. I'm curious to see some eventual analysis of if that was simply a factor of the historical norm of GOP voters in Georgia turning out for runoffs in larger numbers than their Dem counterparts, or if Ms. Abrams' post-general election behavior turned off enough swing votes to damage her party's chances.
 
Super Amputee Cat said:
The two biggest douchebag outgoing Governors (Snyder and Walker) seem Hellbent on on destroying their state with lame duck slash-and-burn tactics. What's happening in Wisconsin is an absolute travesty.
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I'm holding out some hope that Snyder will resist the legislature and not sign off some of their more egregious lame duck bills (though, I don't have much hope for the Line 5 bill). Walker on the other hand I fear will just be a rubber stamp for the Wisconsin GOP's Christmas wishes.
 
Twitter is blowing up with video from 41’s service in DC.

tRump is shown NOT reciting the Aspoltes Creed or singing hymns. In particular the comments say the Evangelical President doesn’t participate while the Muslim president (&the others) reciting by heart.
 
Planit said:
Twitter is blowing up with video from 41’s service in DC.

tRump is shown NOT reciting the Aspoltes Creed or singing hymns. In particular the comments say the Evangelical President doesn’t participate while the Muslim president (&the others) reciting by heart.
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Clearly this man is secular, and that should be okay. I don't know why people really give a s*it about our commander in chief's religion preferences.
 
Raf said:
Clearly this man is secular, and that should be okay. I don't know why people really give a s*it about our commander in chief's religion preferences.
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To me it is more about showing respect. If I was invited to a Muslim or Jewish or any other religions funeral, I would follow the prescribed norms. Even if he isn't Christian, he should follow the norms out of respect for the dead. Or just don't go. I mean why go if you can't bare to show any respect?
 
I made a comment, but never mind.



On a different note, I wonder what the government's response will be to the possibility that 2018 might finish in negative territory on the stock exchange. I am sure Trump will blame others because if he had control of the economy it would be the greatest economy ever.
 
michaelskis said:
On a different note, I wonder what the government's response will be to the possibility that 2018 might finish in negative territory on the stock exchange. I am sure Trump will blame others because if he had control of the economy it would be the greatest economy ever.
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The Fed will probably do nothing, trump will hop on twitter about interest rates should be lowered, and he will dawn his cape as "tarrif man" and continue to sink the market with his idiotic drunk uncle musings about a trade war that doesn't really exist
 
Raf said:
his idiotic drunk uncle musings about a trade war that doesn't really exist
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I think it will exist soon, only because we keep exacerbating the problem. The CFO of Huawei was arrested in Vancouver earlier today. No idea what the charges are, but the US Justice Department is seeking her extradition.
 
Raf said:
The Fed will probably do nothing, trump will hop on twitter about interest rates should be lowered, and he will dawn his cape as "tarrif man" and continue to sink the market with his idiotic drunk uncle musings about a trade war that doesn't really exist
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Dude... not cool...




I thought you were above bashing idiotic drunk uncles like that... Sure they are not the brightest and they smell like filtered camels and bud light... but it is crossing the line when you associate them with Trump.
 
Raf said:
Clearly this man is secular, and that should be okay. I don't know why people really give a s*it about our commander in chief's religion preferences.
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That would be fine except that Trump "found religion" during his presidential campaign, and has continued to play "the Christian card" to appeal to the Religious Right bigots. It's typical Trump hypocrisy that apparently his most "devout" supporters continually excuse and defend.
 
Why was Trump uncomfortable at HW’s funeral?

As the distinguished speakers praised Bush, Trump couldn’t have helped but take offense at some of the comments that he might interpret as barbed contrasts between himself and Bush.

Alan Simpson struck a direct blow -
[Bush] knew what his mother and my mother always knew: Hatred corrodes the container it's carried in.”

With former President Lincoln’s call for the “better angels of our nature” and George H.W. Bush’s “thousand points of light,”
Meacham said that “both called on us to choose the right over the convenient, to hope rather than to fear, and to heed not our worst impulses, but our best instincts.”
Did these words cause Trump to reflect at all about his own legacy?

But perhaps the rest of Washington might truly embrace cooperation, consensus, collaboration and civility to honor the legacy of George H.W. Bush, and in the process, make progress beneficial to all Americans.
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https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/420084-why-was-trump-uncomfortable-at-hws-funeral
 
michaelskis said:
What are your thoughts on 41 and his legacy. Not only as a president but in his other roles as well?

On a side note, there is something about the friendship that past presidents seem to have after they leave office. Think about the times that you saw one 41 or 43 with Clinton for various events and fundraisers. I also think that despite all of 43's shortcomings while he was in office, he seems like a very personable guy and I think it is evident that people who get to know him outside of his political role, really like him.
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My thoughts are the same for most past presidents--he got a lot of stuff right, and a lot of stuff wrong. He could work highly effectively across the aisle. His work toward ADA as well as clean water & other environmental acts is commendable. I have a great deal of respect for him falling on his sword and raising taxes because it was the right thing to do and put the country on course for the Clinton surpluses. He represented us well on the world stage, and managed the post-Soviet world with skill & tact. He denounced the NRA. But there are also errors, and glaring errors at that: his approach to civil rights was unfortunate and politically opportunistic, to the point I think it may have laid groundwork for white supremacy to gain a voice in the GOP going forward to today. And he did it over a veto, which is what allows you to lay this squarely at his feet. He failed to acknowledge AIDS. And it was his campaigns that ushered in the modern era of junkyard dog win at any costs, allowing people like Roger Ailes (and the democrat equivalent guy whose name I forget) to take over, and leading on to people like Karl Rove who then led to, well, all of the people involved with the Trump campaign. But I don't think those bad things define him, and subsequent comments from him indicate regret about those issues. That is one thing I like about 41--he could admit error and change direction.

41 and even 43 benefit from comparisons to the current office holder. Sometimes a way to look better is to stand next to someone uglier. One thing I do appreciate though is the warm friendship between 41 and Clinton. That was really an amazing thing. You see flashes of that now with W and the Obamas. And I think all of them have something in common that makes this possible: humility and a self-deprecating sense of humor.
 
JNA said:
Why was Trump uncomfortable at HW’s funeral?

https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/420084-why-was-trump-uncomfortable-at-hws-funeral
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Winning: Trump Memorized The Whole Apostles' Creed And Recited It Quietly In His Head So As Not To Draw Attention To Himself

Wow!

Get a load of this: while attention-seeking people like the Clintons, the Obamas, and everyone else in the venue felt the need to recite the Apostles' Creed loudly and boastfully at a memorial service for George H.W. Bush yesterday, there was one man of humility present.

That man was President Donald Trump. The guy obviously had the Apostles' Creed memorized word for word, and didn't need to read off a program like some kind of a religious weakling.

In fact, he's so pious that he didn't want to draw attention to himself, so he just recited it quietly in his head, as is his custom.

Amazing!

"I am the best at memorizing creeds," he told reporters. "The very best. All these losers here, they had to read off the program. Sad! Very bad look!" When asked what his favorite Bible verse was, Trump used some master 4D chess skills and replied, "I don't want to come off as bragging about all my bibley knowledge. My actions speak for themselves."

Awesome. It's great to have such a Christian leader of our nation!
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Pretty decent satire site, imo. :p
 
These Headlines -

National Enquirer owner admits to paying off Playboy model to protect Trump
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/prosec...ayboy-model-to-protect-trump-before-election/

"You can make anything a crime": Republicans shrug at Trump being implicated in felonies
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-poli...ump-cohen-payments-crimes-republican-response

Trump made competence a dirty word. Now he has to settle for second-rate talent.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/outl...le-second-rate-talent/?utm_term=.5edbf3270e16
 
michaelskis said:
So how long until Trump steps down or is impeached? I give it 8 months.
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I don't believe Trump would ever voluntarily step down. That would require placing the interests of the nation above his own - not gonna happen. The timeline on impeachment sounds about right. The Senate won't convict.
 
Maister said:
I don't believe Trump would ever voluntarily step down. That would require placing the interests of the nation above his own - not gonna happen. The timeline on impeachment sounds about right. The Senate won't convict.
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I also agree that Trump won't go of his own accord, faced even with the same circumstances that confronted Nixon. Indeed, Trump has already begun using the threat of civil unrest in the event of impeachment (not advocating, simply associating, at least at this time). Even if there is an impeachment (and likely an acquittal in the Senate), following a devastating defeat in the 2020 General, I doubt we see a peaceful transition for the first time ever in American history.:-o
 
Gedunker said:
I also agree that Trump won't go of his own accord, faced even with the same circumstances that confronted Nixon. Indeed, Trump has already begun using the threat of civil unrest in the event of impeachment (not advocating, simply associating, at least at this time). Even if there is an impeachment (and likely an acquittal in the Senate), following a devastating defeat in the 2020 General, I doubt we see a peaceful transition for the first time ever in American history.:-o
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You bring up a good point. On one hand I think that things could get so bad with Trump, that even his own party will want to oust him. On the other hand here he is, a guy with zero political experience, a horrible reputation, questionable associations, and continuous activities of questionable legality, who beat the queen of a political dynasty to become president. Once again it goes to show you how fed up the public was with politics as usual, and even I thought that Trump would lose in 2016 in an extremely lopsided election. Everyone did.

I don't think that Trump stands a chance in 2020, but it is going to be dependant on who the democratic candidate is. I think Crazy Uncle Bernie would end up with a record percentage of the votes over Trump in 2020... but I would once again not vote for either of them.
 
Senate Elections 2020

David Perdue (r) is up for reelection (here in Georgia) to the Senate in 2020 - this could get interesting...and nasty. He's tolerated at best by the GOP rank and file (views generally range from lukewarm to he's an empty suit). The interesting part will be whether or not the state GOP leadership allows a true challenge to him in the primary. The nasty part could be the general (emphasis on could). Stacey Abrams is considering a run at it for the Dems, and she has the best statewide ground game I've ever seen here. But, she's damaging herself with her post-Gubernatorial actions, and (just personally) I think her skill set is better suited to take over for John Lewis in GA-4 (she'd be a gerat rep for that district for many years). And, now, Jon Ossoff (the greatest fundraiser ever in a House of Reps race) is considering a run for the Dems as well (just a couple of weeks after urging Abrams to run). Ossoff is a slick political chameleon - after running for GA 6 with a dual message (moderate to in-district audiences, hard left in out-of-state fundraisers), he tested the waters with a populist-toned speech yesterday to a small select group of Dems in a heavily red county in north Georgia. If either Abrams or Ossoff end up squaring off against Perdue (who I really hope gets primaried), it'll be weeks of negative ads and robocalls from both sides. Yay.

Side note for SAC - your girl Abrams was the most Googled politician of 2018 :h: (beating Beto O’Rourke, Ted Cruz, Andrew Gillum and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, in that order...I'm assuming that ranking was limited to actively campaigning pols).
 
Bless their heart -

The 2018 Golden Dukes Awards Nominees Are Here!
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/golden-dukes-2018-nominees

And so, as we do every year, we’ve rounded up some of the best instances of corruption, stupidity and craziness for the 12th Annual Golden Duke Awards!

The awards are named after former Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham, as Josh recounted last week.

Duke Cunningham revolutionized corruption in his time, and with the Golden Dukes, we recognize those who have followed in his footsteps.
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Not sure if anyone is following the “Silent Sam” controversy at UNC, but it has gotten out of control. Some professors are refusing to issue student grades in protest. One of the couples that I go with church is a little frustrated by this because their daughter is getting ready to graduate and will not be able because one of her profs is part of the protest.

If I was paying tuition at this college for me or a child, there would be lawsuits.

Here is a link to the story. http://www.wunc.org/post/dozens-unc...n-withhold-grades-silent-sam-protest#stream/0

What are your thoughts? Are the professors going too far?
 
^^^^^

What a bunch of idiots. How in the world can anyone from this state think that a 5.3m building to house a Confederate statute is a good idea? This is basically like taking a baseball bat to a hornets nest. Just get rid of the damn statue and be done. :-@
 
A selected tweet responding to tRump calling his longtime attorney a "Rat" -

Do you realize that by calling #Cohen a “rat” you’re admitting he had something to rat on you with? Are you really this dumb?
 
AG74683 said:
^^^^^

What a bunch of idiots. How in the world can anyone from this state think that a 5.3m building to house a Confederate statute is a good idea? This is basically like taking a baseball bat to a hornets nest. Just get rid of the damn statue and be done. :-@
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I agree. On one hand I think moving it to an existing museum or somewhere else on campus is not a bad idea, but on the other hand, I can see the argument with leaving the it in the original location. However, they should not build a new building for it.

However, I think holding student grades hostage is not a good way of protesting.
 
AG74683 said:
What would be the alternative? I see no other way short of just quitting.
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One alternative is to protest, but you have students that need those final grades before they can formally graduate. Let's spin this into the planning world for a moment. If the City Manager in your community made a recommendation to council that you were totally opposed to, would it be ethical for you to hold up development permits that were unrelated to the CM's recommendation? I know I would get fired.
 
There seems to be some skullduggery afoot with the Kentucky General Assembly. Apparently, they have come into session tonight to consider a pension bill much to the surprise of - um, pretty much everybody. We’ll see where this goes.
 
Gedunker said:
There seems to be some skullduggery afoot with the Kentucky General Assembly. Apparently, they have come into session tonight to consider a pension bill much to the surprise of - um, pretty much everybody. We’ll see where this goes.
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Keep me posted on this. I do have a dog in this fight.
 
michaelskis said:
One alternative is to protest, but you have students that need those final grades before they can formally graduate. Let's spin this into the planning world for a moment. If the City Manager in your community made a recommendation to council that you were totally opposed to, would it be ethical for you to hold up development permits that were unrelated to the CM's recommendation? I know I would get fired.
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Good example, that makes sense.
 
michaelskis said:
One alternative is to protest, but you have students that need those final grades before they can formally graduate. Let's spin this into the planning world for a moment. If the City Manager in your community made a recommendation to council that you were totally opposed to, would it be ethical for you to hold up development permits that were unrelated to the CM's recommendation? I know I would get fired.
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The issue with this comparison is that we don't have the same leverage in our roles. Planners going on strike wouldn't shut down the government. It would stop certain permits, but the rest of the government would continue to function, thus stripping us of some of the power of our positions. Plus, local government is much more directly a political environment as far as employment is concerned. I'm not saying there AREN'T politics in local universities, but I'm saying that individual faculty members are not reporting to elected officials directly as they would be in a local government environment. That's why the strike is so effective.

That's not to say that I think this is the best option for students or anything. But it's certainly a powerful way to gain leverage. The university can't possibly replace all of it's faculty, especially at the end of the semester when final grades are due, there is pressure for students to get their grades so they can graduate, so it gives them a ton of leverage...
 
2 for Tuesday

tRump actually banned bump stocks 8-! I'm really surprised at that.

tRump Foundation was dissolved as part of a court order and assets will be distributed to charities of the judges choosing to avoid sham charities getting the funds.
 
Planit said:
tRump actually banned bump stocks 8-! I'm really surprised at that.

tRump Foundation was dissolved as part of a court order and assets will be distributed to charities of the judges choosing to avoid sham charities getting the funds.
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Both of these will be good for everyone. (Now let's also do away with the Clinton Foundation too and get some serious campaign finance regulations in place)
 
Ill conceived brinksmanship

Shutting down the government because the opposition party refuses to fund a highly partisan project/program is asinine. It would be like a democratic President refusing to sign a bill funding the government unless the GOP voted for a provision requiring $5 billion for construction of new Planned Parenthood facilities in every major city! Hell, a lot of republicans recognize a wall is ultimately a waste of money and ineffective tool to manage illegal immigration. Do you know what country most illegal immigrants come from? Canada! Do they get in by sneaking across the border? No, the vast majority overstay visas. Why isn't Trump proposing a wall along the northern border? Because white people from Canada are wonderful folks, whereas Mexicans are rapists and murderers! Wall construction on the southern border has much more to do with racism than 'secure borders'
 
I'm not sure, but I believe GoT might have something to say about using their font and tag line. Also, are the sanctions against some country that actually deserves it, a token look at me I do sanctions I'm presidential, or maybe against the president himself?
 
dvdneal said:
I'm not sure, but I believe GoT might have something to say about using their font and tag line. Also, are the sanctions against some country that actually deserves it, a token look at me I do sanctions I'm presidential, or maybe against the president himself?
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They did, and it was pretty funny. The reply was "How do you say trademark misuse in Dothraki?" :D:D
 
dvdneal said:
I'm not sure, but I believe GoT might have something to say about using their font and tag line. Also, are the sanctions against some country that actually deserves it, a token look at me I do sanctions I'm presidential, or maybe against the president himself?
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AG74683 said:
They did, and it was pretty funny. The reply was "How do you say trademark misuse in Dothraki?" :D:D
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I can't take credit for this quote - it was from an article I was reading about tRump's GoT poster ...

... considering that the president spent a lot of time during his meeting talking about how effective walls are—something Game of Thrones spectacularly debunked more than a year ago.
 
michaelskis said:
I don't think that Trump stands a chance in 2020, but it is going to be dependant on who the democratic candidate is. I think Crazy Uncle Bernie would end up with a record percentage of the votes over Trump in 2020... but I would once again not vote for either of them.
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Last I saw Trump still has about a 90% approval rating among republicans and conservatives. He most definitely has a good chance in 2020 with that kind of support.
 
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