Politics Thread

[Nigel Tufnel]

LOL... Overt racism is now being described as 'bonehead comments'. I gotta think the DNC is cooking up a 9th inning call to the bullpen.

I’ve thought about the 9th inning bullpen call for the last several months. I’ve decided on this...at the Democratic Convention, over the loud speaker, you hear, “and the Democratic nominee for the 2020 Presidential election is...”. The lights go out...and then you hear over the loud speaker....”IF YA SMELLLLLLLLL, WHAT THE ROCK IS COOKIN’!!!”

I have a lot of very conservative friends. When I tell them this, instead of laughing or telling me that’s absurd...they say, “yeah...it’s possible. All bets were off after Obama and Trump were elected.”

At the first debate, Rock tells Trump he’s going to take his size 13 boot, shine it up real nice, turn that somabitch sideways...and stick it straight up Trump’s candy ass.

That would make for entertaining tv...hehe.

If our country is going to go full blown Idiocracy, let’s do it right.

[X Factor]

I’ve thought about the 9th inning bullpen call for the last several months. I’ve decided on this...at the Democratic Convention, over the loud speaker, you hear, “and the Democratic nominee for the 2020 Presidential election is...”. The lights go out...and then you hear over the loud speaker....”IF YA SMELLLLLLLLL, WHAT THE ROCK IS COOKIN’!!!”

I have a lot of very conservative friends. When I tell them this, instead of laughing or telling me that’s absurd...they say, “yeah...it’s possible. All bets were off after Obama and Trump were elected.”

At the first debate, Rock tells Trump he’s going to take his size 13 boot, shine it up real nice, turn that somabitch sideways...and stick it straight up Trump’s candy ass.

That would make for entertaining tv...hehe.

If our country is going to go full blown Idiocracy, let’s do it right.

Except The Rock has long been a registered Republican. Pretty sure he now considers himself an Independent though.

[boozehound]

Predictably, it's interesting to see how people respond in this thread. My favorite is the ability to criticize the opposing candidate for something that 'your' candidate also does without acknowledging that fact in any way.

Joe Biden is a Habitual Liar? Maybe (he is a politician), but I would probably leave that one alone if was supporting Trump. You would have to do some Jedi-mind-trick level mental gymnastics to criticize Biden for lying while claiming that somehow Trump is a more honest candidate. It's been pretty well documented that Trump lies virtually all the time. If you honestly believe that Trump is the more 'honest' candidate then please agree to donate your brain to science so we can study it after you are gone (like we do with NFL players that have traumatic brain injuries).

How about the videos of Biden flubbing words and looking confused. I remember during (and since) the 2016 campaign liberals were posting video after video of Trump saying nonsensical shit and the conservatives were all up in arms about how they were all doctored, or Trump was joking, or he was tired, or whatever. Now these same assholes are posting videos of Biden flubbing words like they have uncovered some kind of smoking gun.

But my favorite. My very favorite, is the Trump supporters jumping on Biden for being 'racist'. Many of these people would also tell you that they voted for Trump as a reaction to the overly-PC outrage culture that the liberals perpetuate, however they are more than happy to jump in when Biden says something racially insensitive. When Trump was making comments about Mexican illegal immigrants being 'rapists and murders, and some, I assume, are good people', and liberals were going crazy, that was presented as evidence of just how out of hand these liberals had gotten with the racial sensitivity crap. People were twisting Trump's words and not understanding the real message. Now those same people are acting like Biden is David Duke because he said something stupid on a Podcast.

[muskiefan82]

I find it sad that the best the Republicans and Democrats can come up with is Trump and Biden. I think this country is in deep trouble if these are the two individuals the parties are putting forward. Clearly, the office of the President is no longer the goal of those who could actually do a decent job. That is the problem to me. Our best want nothing to do with becoming President.

[Juice]

I find it sad that the best the Republicans and Democrats can come up with is Trump and Biden. I think this country is in deep trouble if these are the two individuals the parties are putting forward. Clearly, the office of the President is no longer the goal of those who could actually do a decent job. That is the problem to me. Our best want nothing to do with becoming President.

Republicans put forward what have been thought of (now) as good candidates in Romney, McCain, and Dole. They were experienced politicians and I believe many would call them good men. But Romney was called racist/sexist/an evil millionaire. Dole and McCain were called old and unexciting. It has been a no win situation for Republicans in recent history. Nominate an experienced and reasonable candidate like the three named above and Democrats still attack them. Eventually Republicans will lash out and will back someone like Trump that doesn't care about the dumb attacks by Democrats.

[GoMuskies]

I think it's bad timing more than anything for that group. Running against Bill Clinton and Barack Obama was always going to be a losing proposition. However, George W. Bush got elected twice, so it's not like it's been impossible for real Republican politicians to get elected. It's really just been a function of the strength of the Democrat candidate they're running against. I just wish Romney/Ryan would have been the ticket in 2016 instead of 2012.

[boozehound]

I find it sad that the best the Republicans and Democrats can come up with is Trump and Biden. I think this country is in deep trouble if these are the two individuals the parties are putting forward. Clearly, the office of the President is no longer the goal of those who could actually do a decent job. That is the problem to me. Our best want nothing to do with becoming President.

I agree that this is a real problem. Trump vs. Biden is not a good set of choices for a country.

Republicans put forward what have been thought of (now) as good candidates in Romney, McCain, and Dole. They were experienced politicians and I believe many would call them good men. But Romney was called racist/sexist/an evil millionaire. Dole and McCain were called old and unexciting. It has been a no win situation for Republicans in recent history. Nominate an experienced and reasonable candidate like the three named above and Democrats still attack them. Eventually Republicans will lash out and will back someone like Trump that doesn't care about the dumb attacks by Democrats.

I agree with most of this, but I also thought that Obama was a good man, as was John Kerry (not sure I'd make that statement about either Clinton, though). Ultimately I'm afraid it's a gambit that may backfire spectacularly (although not necessarily in 2020). The long term Demographics generally support the Democrats - although what remains to be seen is how many current Democrats / Moderates become Republicans as they get older and make more money.
11
The thing that I worry most about is that I see us heading to a system of total gridlock punctuated by periods of rapid legislative change only when one party or another controls both the Executive and Legislative branches of the Government. For a long time we had a system of gridlock punctuated by occasional progress when an issue was universally agreed upon. You can credit/blame the Obama administration for casting the first stone by forcing through the ACA after which point the Republicans basically said 'game on'. My concern going forward is if a party has control over both legislative and executive branches that they will pass whatever they want without regard for compromise, and I don't think it's good for America if either party does that. Imagine a world in which Democrats take control of Congress and the White House and they start passing unchecked social reforms. Now imagine in world in which 4 years later the Republicans take control and do the complete opposite. It's hard to see that being a good thing.

[boozehound]

I think it's bad timing more than anything for that group. Running against Bill Clinton and Barack Obama was always going to be a losing proposition. However, George W. Bush got elected twice, so it's not like it's been impossible for real Republican politicians to get elected. It's really just been a function of the strength of the Democrat candidate they're running against. I just wish Romney/Ryan would have been the ticket in 2016 instead of 2012.

This is a really good point. I think that Romney / Ryan would have absolutely smoked Clinton in 2016.

[xavierj]

I think it's bad timing more than anything for that group. Running against Bill Clinton and Barack Obama was always going to be a losing proposition. However, George W. Bush got elected twice, so it's not like it's been impossible for real Republican politicians to get elected. It's really just been a function of the strength of the Democrat candidate they're running against. I just wish Romney/Ryan would have been the ticket in 2016 instead of 2012.

I think a lot of people were just tired of politicians and that’s why we elected the exact opposite of a polished politician. I for one am pretty much done with a bunch of people talking politics and being politically correct and slamming the other party. Can we just get someone that has a clue and isn’t just going to toe the party line and give us the same shit all of the time? Probably best to just blow up both parties who are more concerned about bringing up dirt rather than just providing good sound solutions and brining everyone together? The back and forth slamming by both parties is really old.

[GoMuskies]

I think a lot of people were just tired of politicians and that’s why we elected the exact opposite of a polished politician. I for one am pretty much done with a bunch of people talking politics and being politically correct and slamming the other party. Can we just get someone that has a clue and isn’t just going to toe the party line and give us the same shit all of the time? Probably best to just blow up both parties who are more concerned about bringing up dirt rather than just providing good sound solutions and brining everyone together? The back and forth slamming by both parties is really old.

This is why I liked Romney, in particular, and also McCain. I know neither checks all the boxes from your post, but both are/were decent human beings that did not spend all their time demonizing the other party. I tend to like blue state Republicans (like Romney as governor of MA) and red state Democrats (like the current governor of Kansas).