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NEVERENDING ♾️ The NEVERENDING Political Discussion Thread

One of my fave substackers, a lawyer named Hubbell, points out that 93 million registered voters did not vote at all. That is a third of the voting public, so please no more talk of a mandate.
 
fringe said:
One of my fave substackers, a lawyer named Hubbell, points out that 93 million registered voters did not vote at all. That is a third of the voting public, so please no more talk of a mandate.
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Saw something similar in NC. In 2020, 75% of registered voters went to the polls, this year 73%. In the major metros (which has had a lot of growth=more people), that basically the same number of people voted.
 
Is this really a collectible ?
1731078604589.png
 
fringe said:
One of my fave substackers, a lawyer named Hubbell, points out that 93 million registered voters did not vote at all. That is a third of the voting public, so please no more talk of a mandate.
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I would say that alone is a mandate, that many people sitting out. Mandate for what, I have no idea.
 
Will be interesting to look back in four years at the end a second Trump presidency (assuming he completes) and see what fears actually came to fruition.
 
btrage said:
Mandate for what, I have no idea.
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In that spirit, let me add this tangential observation. Over on Twitter/X I see a bunch of lefties posting a graph of the "surplus" democrats that voted for Biden in 2020 and insinuating that's Trump's 2024 victory must have been some kind of MAGA shenanigans to suppress democratic voices because how come those ~11,000,000 voters didn't vote for Harris this time around? Maybe you've seen the graph, something along the lines that ~11,000,000 votes are missing in 2024 when compared to the amount of vote's Biden received in 2020. All week since Wednesday, those posts have circulated, all by different users/bots. And they are almost word for word, the same assertion. But here's the thing, I think. I recall that Covid was a serious and impactful issue in 2020, and by my way of thinking, there was likely, I suppose, a "I don't want to die" and/or a "I don't grandma to die" sentiment that could have animated those ~11,000,000 additional voters, likely a contingent of traditionally entrenched disgusted with government, non-political non-voter types, because of Trump's persistent inaction to respond appropriately to Covid.
 
Bubba said:
Um, seriously? CSA = Confederate States of America. Someone decided to paint with a broad brush simply because I live in Georgia.
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I'm not a troll. It was a serious question. I assume we're all planners or planning-adjacent here, and for context of my thinking as I scrolled past those post engagements this morning, a CSA sounded like a Census statistical area or something like to that. The appearance of someone having a negative reaction to a potential Census reference here on this board seemed off. Understand?
 
Wannaplan? said:
I'm not a troll. It was a serious question. I assume we're all planners or planning-adjacent here, and for context of my thinking as I scrolled past those post engagements this morning, a CSA sounded like a Census statistical area or something like to that. The appearance of someone having a negative reaction to a potential Census reference here on this board seemed off. Understand?
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Sure, but the deliberate usage of "CSA" by the troll had a specific connotation that was an unwarranted personal attack on me. Heaven forbid I make an offhand observation about how Cali politics might play on the larger national scale, apparently.
 
I think Mayor Pete could be a real player in 2028. He's clearly very smart, speaks well and I like how he never gets flustered and
fringe said:
One of my fave substackers, a lawyer named Hubbell, points out that 93 million registered voters did not vote at all. That is a third of the voting public, so please no more talk of a mandate.
Click to expand...
I think "registered voters" is a bit of a misnomer. Many states let you register when you get or renew your driver's license. My point being that it takes almost no effort so people just do it. But they were never going to be engaged voters to begin with.
 
Wife and I have had a long week with all the election stuff so we are going to a comedy club tonight to escape the world. We seldom do "comedy clubs"--this is only the second time in 20 years.

(We will be watching, not performing.)

Jim
 
jumbach said:
Wife and I have had a long week with all the election stuff so we are going to a comedy club tonight to escape the world. We seldom do "comedy clubs"--this is only the second time in 20 years.

(We will be watching, not performing.)

Jim
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I worked at a comedy club in the early 90s while in college. Where I learned the term "illusion of spontaneity" which comedians use.
 
SlaveToTheGrind said:
I worked at a comedy club in the early 90s while in college. Where I learned the term "illusion of spontaneity" which comedians use.
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I worked at a big hotel with an events venue years ago. Sometimes had magic acts. Got to see how they worked from backstage so it somewhat ruined it.

Let’s just say that when you pull up to valet and the valet asks, “Are you going to the show?,” it’s not just idle chatter.

But you’ll still be surprised an hour later when the magician suddenly imagines a “2018 whatever car, and I am seeing 1234 Main Street.” Is this anyone in the audience?
 
jumbach said:
I worked at a big hotel with an events venue years ago. Sometimes had magic acts. Got to see how they worked from backstage so it somewhat ruined it.

Let’s just say that when you pull up to valet and the valet asks, “Are you going to the show?,” it’s not just idle chatter.

But you’ll still be surprised an hour later when the magician suddenly imagines a “2018 whatever car, and I am seeing 1234 Main Street.” Is this anyone in the audience?
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Maybe that's why damn phone, which I only bought a couple of months ago, is wishing me a happy birthday!
 
MD Planner said:
I think Mayor Pete could be a real player in 2028. He's clearly very smart, speaks well and I like how he never gets flustered
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I will sorely miss having Mayor Pete as Transportation Secretary. If Trump's election is a sign that the country wants change and they want it now, I think it unfortunately does not bode well for technocrats like Buttigieg who showed it's still possible to work within a system without trying to tear it all down.
 
As darkness grows by the hour and the day I have been reading Conrad's Heart of Darkness, a masterpiece of prose available free on public domain.

His narrator Marlowe skewers the white Europeans that descend onto the dark reaches of the Congo River in search of the wealth their whiteness grants them.

Marlowe is so funny in his telling of the horrific realities of that time and place.

As Marlowe reminds his listeners, this, too, has been one of the darkest places on the planet.
 
fringe said:
As darkness grows by the hour and the day I have been reading Conrad's Heart of Darkness, a masterpiece of prose available free on public domain.

His narrator Marlowe skewers the white Europeans that descend onto the dark reaches of the Congo River in search of the wealth their whiteness grants them.

Marlowe is so funny in his telling of the horrific realities of that time and place.

As Marlowe reminds his listeners, this, too, has been one of the darkest places on the planet.
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Cool story, bro.
 
As posted on Facebook
ScienceExplained
Isaac Asimov's quote highlights the dangers of conflating ignorance with patriotism. When society glorifies uninformed loyalty over critical thinking, it creates an environment where intelligent discourse is suppressed. This mindset not only discourages innovation but also stifles the pursuit of truth, making it perilous to question or challenge the status quo. #Trending, #Viral, #SocialMedia #TikTok

1731255038649.png
 
Hawkeye66 said:
L


False equivalence.

Just a ridiculous comparison.
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So, when are you moving? I mean you seem quite positive that Trumps election will signal the end of America. While I have never, nor will ever, support him, I don't share your doom and gloom predictions. Maybe I am wrong and if everything falls apart, I will be more than willing to admit it. But until then, we will agree to disagree. Furthermore, I don't think it is a ridiculous comparison at all. You can jump up and down, rant and rave, but I still believe that a riot is a riot and both sides have been guilty of this in recent history.



Having said that, I think we as a society need to really take a look at what happened. Trump swept all seven battleground states with 312 electoral votes. Harris received 48% of the popular vote to Trumps 50.4%. Was it just because Harris was not the best candidate for the Democrat party or is there something deeper here? Did the left go too far left?
 
michaelskis said:
So, when are you moving? I mean you seem quite positive that Trumps election will signal the end of America. While I have never, nor will ever, support him, I don't share your doom and gloom predictions. Maybe I am wrong and if everything falls apart, I will be more than willing to admit it. But until then, we will agree to disagree. Furthermore, I don't think it is a ridiculous comparison at all. You can jump up and down, rant and rave, but I still believe that a riot is a riot and both sides have been guilty of this in recent history.



Having said that, I think we as a society need to really take a look at what happened. Trump swept all seven battleground states with 312 electoral votes. Harris received 48% of the popular vote to Trumps 50.4%. Was it just because Harris was not the best candidate for the Democrat party or is there something deeper here? Did the left go too far left?
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George Floyd protests do not equate to J6. J6;was a bona fide violent insurrection, incited and led, even if indirectly, by the felonious president elect. Campus protests over Israeli warfare are not of any wing. Those are humanitarian.

The Seattle riots of '99 were not left wing. They were actually protectionist.

Labels are easy and cheap to apply
 
fringe said:
George Floyd protests do not equate to J6. J6;was a bona fide violent insurrection, incited and led, even if indirectly, by the felonious president elect. Campus protests over Israeli warfare are not of any wing. Those are humanitarian.

The Seattle riots of '99 were not left wing. They were actually protectionist.

Labels are easy and cheap to apply
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I am not arguing regarding what the J6 was. We all agree on that. What we don't agree on is that the extremist left are peaceful, law abiding citizens that don't try to change things through the use of force.

Binders are easy and cheap to apply, and no one learns from the past if we refuse to acknowledge it.
 
Gedunker said:
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.
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As if on cue: Trump v2.0 Demands Right to Recess Appointments And, of course, the Republicans all fall in line even though they took the exact opposite tack when the Supreme Court stopped Obama from trying it.
 
SlaveToTheGrind said:
Such as Fox on the Right and CNN and MSNBC on the left?
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Reminds me of the time I worked at a major hotel casino in Nevada. I was working my usual bell shift, 2 p.m. to midnight, on a quiet winter night. Phone rings.

ME: "Bell desk. How can I help you?"

GUEST: "Are you a Republican or a Democrat?"

ME (Trying to figure out why this is relevant to my job . . . I don't answer)

GUEST (a few seconds later): "Because I can get that damn Fox News, but I can't get CNN!"

(click)

(Our satellite feed carried both. He probably just didn't check all the channels.)

JIm
 
SlaveToTheGrind said:
Such as Fox on the Right and CNN and MSNBC on the left?
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In a broad brush, you can understand the different biases and make the conscious decision to watch a specific news channel. Do most seem to recognize the bias and try and get a balanced perspective, or fact check the information? No, and I agree.*

My comment was more along the lines that, in the social 'town square' of these networks, they are specifically changing what you can see. Elon has rigged X so that you are going to see his posts. So even if you didn't mean to watch CNN or Fox, you are stuck with it unless you bail completely out of the system. But because so much of how we interact and get information is in that system (including how we as agencies communicate with our stakeholders) we are stuck with this growing cesspool. Elon isn't the only one either, but he has been the one that has unabashedly went to "11" this year.

* Part of the issue with the 24 hour cable news is that most of the programming is not actually news, but editorials, which further confuses people.
 
"...so don't fear
when you hear
a foreign sound
to your ear ...

It's alright ma,..."---B.. Dylan

I'm only gritting my teeth, biting my lip, growling under spoken breath, stamping my feet, clenching my fists, tossing my gaze up while rolling my eyes, so I have to ask, ma, just what is it that's alright.
 
dw914er said:
In a broad brush, you can understand the different biases and make the conscious decision to watch a specific news channel. Do most seem to recognize the bias and try and get a balanced perspective, or fact check the information? No, and I agree.*

My comment was more along the lines that, in the social 'town square' of these networks, they are specifically changing what you can see. Elon has rigged X so that you are going to see his posts. So even if you didn't mean to watch CNN or Fox, you are stuck with it unless you bail completely out of the system. But because so much of how we interact and get information is in that system (including how we as agencies communicate with our stakeholders) we are stuck with this growing cesspool. Elon isn't the only one either, but he has been the one that has unabashedly went to "11" this year.

* Part of the issue with the 24 hour cable news is that most of the programming is not actually news, but editorials, which further confuses people.
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Yes, they should clearly delineate news and editorial. Often, they don’t. Having an opinion is fine, and expressing it on the air is fine, but expressing such as news is a violation of journalistic ethics.
 
dw914er said:
They make sense for Project 2025. I do wonder how fast some of them get canned - the same goes fo Elon and RFK Jr. from their inner circle.
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It will be interesting to see how many Senators/Governors/Representatives will give up their elected positions to place themselves at the whim of a petulant child to fire them. I guess getting rid of Marco Rubio from the Senate is a bonus.
 
MD Planner said:
I think Mayor Pete could be a real player in 2028. He's clearly very smart, speaks well and I like how he never gets flustered and

I think "registered voters" is a bit of a misnomer. Many states let you register when you get or renew your driver's license. My point being that it takes almost no effort so people just do it. But they were never going to be engaged voters to begin with.
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He's a sharp guy that people like. That being said, he'll start from a disadvantage because some percentage will not vote for someone who is LGBTQ. I don't know if that is a bigger or smaller percentage than those who won't vote for a woman. The right will try to wrap up any fears about schools, libraries, girls athletics, and make him the face. I think many churches would take a more direct approach that he represents what is wrong with America including those that have supported Trump.
 
Laugh me out the door. My fave substacker Robert Hubbell says prez elect chooses cabinet officers by watching them on video and choosing them if they look good.

Thus we have a TV show host as Secretary of Defense.
 
estromberg said:
It will be interesting to see how many Senators/Governors/Representatives will give up their elected positions to place themselves at the whim of a petulant child to fire them. I guess getting rid of Marco Rubio from the Senate is a bonus.
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There is a lot of talk about that here in TN... who is staying and who is going to DC is the biggest question right now.
 
Not much talk of it here, although we have some state level crackpots the nation can have.

Also, no one mention Kari Lake. Let her wallow in her loserdom. She is not good enough for any position and I hope trump recognizes her for the loser she is and not the suck up crap she does. I just don't want to see her on any political stage any more much less the daily paper.
 
DVD said:
Not much talk of it here, although we have some state level crackpots the nation can have.

Also, no one mention Kari Lake. Let her wallow in her loserdom. She is not good enough for any position and I hope trump recognizes her for the loser she is and not the suck up crap she does. I just don't want to see her on any political stage any more much less the daily paper.
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Sorry sailor, but she's been a reliable boot-licker for him for years. I'd guess she's likely to get Secretary of the Interior.
 
Can we at least give her ambassador to some country no one cares about and she can't come back here with swagger like I was ambassador to a cool country so now I'm smrt.
 
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