• Cyburbia is a friendly big tent, where we share our experiences and thoughts about urban planning practice, the built environment, planning adjacent topics, and anything else that comes to mind. No ads, no spam, and it's free. It's easy to join!

NEVERENDING ♾️ The NEVERENDING Political Discussion Thread

michaelskis said:
Here is a question...

In 2016, Trump was elected to office with a majority in both the House and Senate. If he was going to "Destroy" the country, don't you think he would have done it the first time around. Sure, he made decisions that we didn't agree with, but what President hasn't done that.

The only thing that I can think of now is that it is time to put the checks and balances to the test to keep him doing what y'all fear.

But the biggest message that I want to express is that we as Planners have the power to make positive change in the communities and regions that we work and live in. Let's just deal with whatever comes from DC, but do the best we can where we can.
Click to expand...

He is a fascist who promised violent retribution on his opponents. What planet are you on?
 
michaelskis said:
I do believe that these next four years are going to be a real test for the Republican Party to see if they can keep him in line.
Click to expand...
That is a very good point. I don't see him changing as his ego is too big. I think Trump will have a burn-the-fields mentality. He cannot respect the office and will make it a personal mission to destroy anyone in his way. This is a revenge mission. Too bad as he could guarantee a GOP victory in 2028 if he handles himself and puts the country first, which he will not. I see a sweeping victory for the Dems in the next presidential/house/senate cycle.
 
SlaveToTheGrind said:
That is a very good point. I don't see him changing as his ego is too big. I think Trump will have a burn-the-fields mentality. He cannot respect the office and will make it a personal mission to destroy anyone in his way. This is a revenge mission. Too bad as he could guarantee a GOP victory in 2028 if he handles himself and puts the country first, which he will not. I see a sweeping victory for the Dems in the next presidential/house/senate cycle.
Click to expand...

What makes you think there will even be an election in 4 years?
 
fringe said:
I do not imagine conspiracies but I do think we have an oligarchy ever since corporations got rights as people and money became free speech. Every dollar became a vote.
Click to expand...
This is absolutely the case. Especially once you consider the level of ownership they have of key media outlets.

The Democrats do not understand key elements of the electorate, and rely far too much on identity politics. They boldly assumed black and brown people would follow them, and focused way too much on "Trump is the devil and a threat to democracy." That's well and good, but it does not resonate with the everyday experience. Black men and brown men in particular lean far more socially conservative on many issues, and economically progressive on many others. The democrat campaigns almost universally failed in that space, and should have been hitting much, much harder on economy and populist economic policies. James Carville is an ass, but "it's the economy, stupid" continues to resonate.

There is one county in Texas I consider the most important, and it is not a metro suburb. It is Hidalgo County on the Rio Grande border with Mexico. It was historically a democrat stronghold going back decades into the Farmworkers Movement. It is from that movement that the Clinton's built a lot of political credibility, by the way. Now Hidalgo County isn't, as evidenced by the 2024 results vs. the 2020 results. Biden pulled 58% in 2020. Harris pulled 48% in 2024, a 10 point negative swing. Democrats losing this is inexcusable, and the result of incredibly lazy campaigning and a serious missed swing on economic issues. You have to campaign the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, because it sends a message to Latinos everywhere. Harris didn't do that. Pay the piper. Every campaign consultant involved with the Harris campaign should never work again.

There's also the nature of Harris's nomination. She was nominated late when primaries had already begun. She did not get enough time to bury Biden's ghost and separate herself from "godless California."
 
Moderator note:

Let's be careful what we say here as this is an easily found forum and all of us are not truly 'anonymous'
 
SlaveToTheGrind said:
I see a sweeping victory for the Dems in the next presidential/house/senate cycle.
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, I don't see it that way. If we make it to 2028 at all, the Republicans will put so many laws and restrictions in place (draconian voting rights restrictions, extreme gerrymandering, etc), they are almost guaranteed a victory in 2028, 2032 and so on. And with the Supreme Court in Trump's pocket, they will do anything to ensure that Trump is in power into the next decade, unless he (hopefully) croaks before then. Or course, that will just mean that Vance will be President.

So say goodbye to term limits and don't be surprised if there isn't an election in 2028 at all.
 
Democrats are reluctant to boast about their successes. Sure, most of the indicators that should be down are down, and what should be up is up. (Exception: housing affordability.). Preach that message, though, and many on the left would protest, citing the continued existence of racism, homophobia, poverty, etc., and expanding visible homelessness. Republicans are MUCH better at boasting about their successes, and glossing over their shortcomings.

Democrats also won't delve into "strategic bullshit". Many folks actually believe that their son might be genderswapped after a high school gym class, or that Nancy Pelosi will force them into an electric car. Democrats are ethnically opposed to "strategic bullshit" of their own, like getting swing voters to believe that Trump will ban unions, or deport legal immigrants from Latin America. Democrats said almost nothing about the real effects of a Trump presidency, like the fallout of repealing the Affordable Care Act, or individual recommendations of Agenda 2025.

The blue collar and working class crowd always embraced brash, "tell-it-like-it-is-fuck-you" politicians, regardless of their politics. With a few exceptions (John Fetterman comes to mind), post-deindustrialization Democrats don't have that kind of swagger. The blue collar crowd related to Donald Trump because he's like thir pal at the bar who loudly spouts bullshit and insists he's right. Being a billionaire has nothing to do with it.

Democrats also don't take advantage of wedge issues. Republicans have abortion, immigration, and the culture wars.

All of this, combined with the party loyalists who would never vote for a Democrat, is enough to push enough undecided and center-left voters over to the right.
 
I hope that Trump gets into office and watches TV for 16 hours every day. I think last time he didn't know what to do and there were people in place to provide internal checks on him. I think this time, he'll make sure that the people in those positions will let him do whatever.

What little agenda he has could have some drastic effects. The idea of mass deportation and pushing job creation with a historically low unemployment could create some issues. In my area, and I'm sure in others, much of the service industry, home building, and other labor positions are performed by immigrants. I'm not sure who does that if they disappear. This would also have significant impacts on our housing and commercial markets. Tariffs that push manufacturing in the US sounds great, but again, not sure who does those jobs.

I really worry about environmental regulations, social safety net programs, and healthcare.
 
Hawkeye66 said:
You act as if he is alone. He has no checks at all. His cabinet will be freaks and weirdos.

Some people are in serious denial.
Click to expand...
But most are not in denial at all. They chose Evil and they got it. That's because they get to relish in all the chaos, mayhem and violence of the upcoming Trump term with masturbatory glee.
 
1730913654108.png
 
SlaveToTheGrind said:
And it will never happen. Trump is a blowhard.
Click to expand...

At a minimum, a repeal of the 22nd amendment seems entirely plausible with Republican control over both houses and the white house. Also, the attempt at overturning the 2020 election results seemed pretty concerted to me, I certainly would not label that as the work of a blowhard without any real consequences.
 
HomerJ said:
At a minimum, a repeal of the 22nd amendment seems entirely plausible with Republican control over both houses and the white house. Also, the attempt at overturning the 2020 election results seemed pretty concerted to me, I certainly would not label that as the work of a blowhard without any real consequences.
Click to expand...
I highly doubt 38 state legislatures would agree to ratify a repeal of the 22nd amendment.
 
btrage said:
I highly doubt 38 state legislatures would agree to ratify a repeal of the 22nd amendment.
Click to expand...
Do you really though? Who knows what the Republicans can instill in the next four years. They could simply make it a simple majority to overturn that Amendment. And with the Republicans now in control of EVERYTHING, you can bet that will happen.

JNA said:
View attachment 63598
Click to expand...
You can add Toxic Masculinity to the Cause of Death
 
Hawkeye66 said:
He is a fascist who promised violent retribution on his opponents. What planet are you on?
Click to expand...
I am on the planet where he has said a lot of horrible things, including that he would imprison Hillary Clinton, but has not been able to follow through on almost any of them.
 
HomerJ said:
At a minimum, a repeal of the 22nd amendment seems entirely plausible with Republican control over both houses and the white house. Also, the attempt at overturning the 2020 election results seemed pretty concerted to me, I certainly would not label that as the work of a blowhard without any real consequences.
Click to expand...
Changing the actual words of the Constitution does take an amendment, as does actually deleting, or repealing, an amendment. Including the first 10 amendments, the Bill of Rights, which were ratified in 1789, the Senate historian estimates that approximately 11,699 amendment changes have been proposed in Congress through 2016. Only one amendment, the 18th Amendment that established Prohibition, was later repealed by the states. The Constitution’s Article V requires that an amendment be proposed by two-thirds of the House and Senate, or by a constitutional convention called for by two-thirds of the state legislatures. It is up to the states to approve a new amendment, with three-quarters of the states voting to ratifying it.

Not happening.
 
Last edited:
How would you rewrite the Martin Niemöller confession ?

First they came for the illegal immigrants, and I did not speak out - because I was not a illegal immigrant.
Then they came for the LGBTQ , and I did not speak out - because I was not LGBTQ.
Then they came for the enemy from within, and I did not speak out - because I was not enemy from within
Then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak for me.
 
michaelskis said:
I am on the planet where he has said a lot of horrible things, including that he would imprison Hillary Clinton, but has not been able to follow through on almost any of them.
Click to expand...

Except for that part where him and his gang violently tried to overturn an election huh?
 
SlaveToTheGrind said:
Changing the actual words of the Constitution does take an amendment, as does actually deleting, or repealing, an amendment. Including the first 10 amendments, the Bill of Rights, which were ratified in 1789, the Senate historian estimates that approximately 11,699 amendment changes have been proposed in Congress through 2016. Only one amendment, the 18th Amendment that established Prohibition, was later repealed by the states.The Constitution’s Article V requires that an amendment be proposed by two-thirds of the House and Senate, or by a constitutional convention called for by two-thirds of the state legislatures. It is up to the states to approve a new amendment, with three-quarters of the states voting to ratifying it.

Not happening.
Click to expand...
They will just ignore the Constitution. It's as simple as that.
 
I think the first few days will be the signifyer of things to come. But the checks and balances have been heavily removed, and the repercussions of the MAGA influence are going to remain for decades. The house and senate majorities, the stacking of the supreme court (and possible expansion for even more imbalance) along with their trend to reverse precident and offer immunity, plus the number of judicial appointments (which have been exploited by conservative groups) means that the rule of law is going to be drastically shaped towards MAGA-conservatism for many of our foreseeable lifetimes.

There are reports that the transition team has already been soliticing firms to build the internment camps, so I am less likely to think that his proposed actions were simply a bluff. But again, we'll know how things look as the transition and the start of the presidency begins.
 
The right thought the end of the world when Obama was elected. Left thinks the end of the world with Trump's election(s). To quote myself, "not happening."
 
Super Amputee Cat said:
This just reaffirms that what I've been saying for decades. That most people are basically evil in their nature and that they are predisposed to violence, mayhem and are bloodthirsty in their quest for power no matter what the costs. If last night's results don't convince anyone of that, I really don't know what to say.

But even I didn't expect that numbers to be that high.
Click to expand...

Did man make the weapon or did the weapon make man?

Planit said:
Just back from lunch. There's an uptick in red hat wearing.
Click to expand...

Ugh.
 
dw914er said:
To be fair, Obama did not signify any sort of retribution or any of the other types of changes Trump was. People thought the end of the world for Obama for entirely different reasons.
Click to expand...
Just the perspective of what each side thinks when their side did not win. Trump is full of shit and hot air.
 
SlaveToTheGrind said:
Trump is full of shit and hot air.
Click to expand...
He certainly circumvented the Senate-confirmation process during his first term with Acting Secretaries of This and Acting Secretaries of That. He also used his powers as POTUS to grant security clearances to people that would never have gotten them otherwise.
 
Now is the time for progressive Americans to organize, arm themselves, and set up robust networks of mutual aid.

I am not going to flee like last time. These times will separate the mice from the men and I am going down with my ship.
 
The Terminator said:
Now is the time for progressive Americans to organize, arm themselves, and set up robust networks of mutual aid.

I am not going to flee like last time. These times will separate the mice from the men and I am going down with my ship.
Click to expand...
I'm still in despair mode. What does this actually mean? Last night, my seven year old asked me "Daddy, Donald Trumpet couldn't actually win, could he?' Well, he has won. And not just an eked out win, an overwhelming victory. We may not recognize this country in four years. It's like we've crossed into the mirror universe from Star Trek. The nuclear arsenal, the multitrillion dollar economy, 350 million lives, our civil rights, our health and wellbeing, now in the hands of a mad king bent on vengeance.
 
Back
Top