Politics

[Ray B]

The parties are lining up their candidates and it is unclear who will be the nominees - but I know this Democrats are indistinguishable from 1917 Bolsheviks. As such I and several that I know will never vote for a Democrat.

 

[CoElkHunter]

The dems have attempted to taint Trump with women and moderates since Day-1... They have also attempted to charge him with every crime imaginable since his election.. Has it worked?

Not exactly.. Trump actually received more votes across the board from women in 2020 than in 2016. The latino and black vote also turned out more for Trump in 2020.. Trump's support from black women, although miniscule in 2016, (4%) actually doubled in 2020 to 8%..

The left's strategy of "get Trump at all costs" seems to be backfiring. The latest NYC indictment has only increased his overall poll numbers from republicans, and he is already a martyr in the eyes of his base.. His martyrdom was established long before this latest indictment..

Trump fails with left-leaning independents whose numbers are estimated to grow by 2024. This is the demographic that the dems have had the most success in motivating in the 2022 midterms.. That's not a good statistic regardless of who the republican nominee turns out to be.

I understand those of you who are ready to move on from Trump, but I cannot comprehend the ideology of not voting for him should he once again become the republican nominee? What are you accomplishing by withholding your vote other than to ensure another 4 years of a death march into socialism?



She is done supporting her father because much of her social political views are left-leaning.. She does not agree with a great deal of the MAGA agenda.. Ivanka or her husband were no great compliments to Trump's administration, and they will be no great loss to conservative politics. Ivanka and her husband are far from what I consider to be conservative..

If she intended to distance herself from her father, why did she buy a home in Florida after the election? She still makes her living from the Trump name, so I doubt she will go too far..

Not enough left leaning independents have felt the wrath just yet of Brandon's failed economy policies. They will soon enough though and way before the 2024 election cycle.

 

[Major Bonkers]

Dopey Joe is in Northern Ireland at the moment (or 'Nor'n Iron' as the locals pronounce it).

Here he is coming out of the cargo bay door of his aeroplane, in order to avoid falling over.

I once had to put a dog on an aeroplane to South Africa, and the dog went into the cargo hold in a plastic box. Perhaps they do the same with Dopey Joe.

We are all eagerly awaiting his latest f-up. I suppose that, like Macron, he is engaging in some inept diplomacy in order to avoid dealing with his own country's problems. Perhaps he'll declare war on us, but even the mighty US Army would want nothing to do with Nor'n Iron if they had any sense.

He is not coming to the coronation next month - there are vague excuses of it all being too tiring for him in his old age, and he probably couldn't be trusted not to do something embarrassing in any case - sniffing Queen Camilla's hair, or shitting himself (or both), perhaps. A pity, as he would have added to the gaiety of the occasion. Perhaps you could let us have President Trump instead.

 

[Hogpatrol]

 

[bowjijohn]

Oh we really can’t wait to hear his words of wisdom about N Ireland

A complex situation about which he knows two thirds of four fifths of f*ck all

 

[BSO Dave]

Not enough left leaning independents have felt the wrath just yet of Brandon's failed economy policies. They will soon enough though and way before the 2024 election cycle.

For as much as I would hope and wish you are correct, that was not the trend in the midterms. By and large, independent voters ignored inflation and gas prices which were both at historical highs.. Republican strategists counted on these historical trends of voters casting their ballots with their wallets and pocketbooks, but that didn't happen. Independents, and of course dems, rejected the failing economy and still voted emotionally on issues like climate change and abortion.

Like I've said here over and over, this is the first time in generations that the majority of the electorate has defied the historical trends and the polls by voting against their own best interests.. This historical divisiveness between the left and right has dems and republicans respectively dug in like Alabama ticks, and the swing voters have voted ignorantly, emotionally, or both.. It's a shocking and terrifying trend for which there is no immediate or forseeable solution..

 

[bowjijohn]

Macron

A case of more ego than intellect??

 

[Louis Toadvine]

Independents, and of course dems, rejected the failing economy and still voted emotionally on issues like climate change and abortion.

To be fair, I think emotional voting is the norm in American politics across the spectrum, unfortunately. It is not just independents and dems whose voting principles are built on emotional or social issues like abortion. There are several examples in this very thread of members stating that abortion and a candidate's views on the practice are "lines in the sand" when it comes to candidates/elections, and I suspect that and other social issues are gating items for many (most) conservative voters in the U.S.

Widespread voting on foundational economic issues (rather than social/emotional issues) will not be a thing until quality-of-life diminishes by a significant enough margin to demand the attention of voters. Consider Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and how it can applied to the American voter base and you realize things are "good" (base needs covered for the majority of Americans), meaning we are left to fight over the upper parts of the pyramid: aesthetics, emotions, morality, etc..

 

[Louis Toadvine]

Macron

A case of more ego than intellect??

There's no shortage of ego in that man, but I suspect he knows exactly what he is doing in regards to foreign policy and what he hopes to accomplish (this is not a comment on the worth or value of his actions/words or whether or not it will be successful).

I think he has a gift for getting under skin (especially American and British skin, a quality that seems to be genetic in the French, haha), but he is no dummy: rather, he is very sharp, and above all, he is an incredibly skilled politician and relationship-builder. His meteoric rise through top French universities, the public service sector, and then international finance all before becoming President shows that he is not only intelligent (in terms of raw intellect, no comment on his beliefs or politics) but that he knows how to build relationships and win people over, which is perhaps the most powerful (and sometimes dangerous) quality in a man.

Here is an overview of his life from university to becoming a managing director and partner at one of the larger "boutique" European investment banks to President of France--in under fifteen years. This is cribbed from an online forum but it closely follows his biography.


"By way of background, Macron graduated from the top French school of public administration, the Ecole Nationale d'Administration (ENA). Nearly all French presidents and ministers come out of ENA.

Admission to ENA is through an exam, for which the admission rate is around 5%. French students usually take a gap year after their master's to prepare for this exam (which spans public finance, European law, social policy…).

Once in, you are not still not quite there yet… during their time at ENA, which lasts for 2 years, students will take classes but also complete 2x internships: one in a French embassy, and one in a domestic governmental body. At the end of these 2 years, students are ranked based on their academic achievements (both in-class grades and performance in their internships). This ranking is crucial in determining which government body a student will be able to join, as the first ranked gets to pick first where he wants to work, then the second, and so on.

The 3 most prestigious gov bodies (the French equivalent of the Supreme Court, along with 2 state finance inspection bodies) each have 3 seats available. So effectively, only the top 9 students (out of c. 100) can access these 3 institutions.

Macron ranked in the top 9 and joined the Finance Inspection. He was quickly identified as a top performer by Jacques Attali, a very influential French public servant and former president of the EBRD. Attali and Macron worked together on a paper for President Sarkozy on how to unleash economic growth. As part of their research efforts, Macron met with numerous high profile CEOs (including Accor, Nestlé, Essilor…).

Attali then recommended Macron to the Partners of Rothschild. The partner who interviewed Macron for the role of MD was questioned by a French media for a documentary… he said he had never met someone as smart as Macron and proceeded to offer him the job in the middle of the interview.

Remember when I said Macron had met with numerous CEOs for his paper? Well he just leveraged this network to originate deals...

Overall, Macron went through a terribly selective and prestigious academic pathway, which led him to be among the few French finance inspectors, a role holding a lot of prestige. The Finance Inspection has been the launchpad for multiple high profile French politicians. He then showed outstanding interpersonal and technical skills, which allowed him to stand out from an already small group of highly competent individuals. This was topped by the support of influential people, allowing him to be introduced to the right persons."
Source: https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/for...me-an-md-and-partner-at-rothschild-so-quickly


Who knows what will come of his recent actions and comments, but given his past and continued success, I suspect he applies as much intellect as ego in his diplomacy. Whether that will work for him and the French people or blow up in his face is to be determined, of course.

 

[bowjijohn]

Interesting and valuable insight

he is playing a very dangerous game

sharing a sandwich with China is like sharing one with a croc

the croc is not so much interested in the offering as the hand that holds it

undermining the west serves none of us well I fear

 

[Red Leg]

For as much as I would hope and wish you are correct, that was not the trend in the midterms. By and large, independent voters ignored inflation and gas prices which were both at historical highs.. Republican strategists counted on these historical trends of voters casting their ballots with their wallets and pocketbooks, but that didn't happen. Independents, and of course dems, rejected the failing economy and still voted emotionally on issues like climate change and abortion.

Like I've said here over and over, this is the first time in generations that the majority of the electorate has defied the historical trends and the polls by voting against their own best interests.. This historical divisiveness between the left and right has dems and republicans respectively dug in like Alabama ticks, and the swing voters have voted ignorantly, emotionally, or both.. It's a shocking and terrifying trend for which there is no immediate or forseeable solution..

I think your general observation is absolutely correct, but rather than emotionalism, I define it as their "belief" systems. Whether the climate change mantra, omnipresent racism, transitory gender, or the blue mask dead enders, they believe these things in the way others (an ever shrinking minority) look at religion. Logic is irrelevant when it comes to faith - whether Jesus Christ, the rising oceans, or Gaia. Sadly these secular religions are rapidly replacing traditional faith and belief.

They find their catechism in social media where they learn to repeat the same things, believe the same cannons, and receive congregational support and feedback while ostracizing and condemning those who are non-believers.

Unfortunately, I am afraid it will take catastrophic changes to shake any of those beliefs.

 

[jeanes]

- I am afraid it will take catastrophic changes to shake any of those beliefs.

I think that you are absolutely correct in your conclusion. I am afraid we (all of us) are in for a really really bad time that may be generational.

 

[Wheels]

For those that saw the interview.

 

[Doug3006]

I think that dramatic change is about to happen. This brief period in human history when conditions have been generally positive for most people on earth was engineered by the United States at the end of WW2. The deal was simple. Ostracize the Soviets, and the United States will ensure that your neighbors don’t invade you, and your lines of commerce will be free and open. Our end of the bargain cost the United States. Not just the cost of having an outsized military for our own needs, but it also cost us jobs. We allowed these jobs to migrate to countries that would never have been able to compete before the new global order was established by the United States. It worked too! The Soviets are no more.

Nobody in Washington, republican or democrat, wants to continue making the investment to hold up our end of the deal. This is going to be a catastrophe for many nations in the world. For the US, it will be a major bump in the road, but not fatal. It will however be enough to shake us out of this shared hallucination we‘ve been having regarding so many silly distractions. Forget about green energy once the world order breaks down. One of America’s chief strengths is the availability of cheap fossil fuels. When the chips are down, we‘ll start pumping again. Gender issues won’t matter at all once people begin experiencing the inevitable crisis posed by the reordering of our economy.

 

[CoElkHunter]

For as much as I would hope and wish you are correct, that was not the trend in the midterms. By and large, independent voters ignored inflation and gas prices which were both at historical highs.. Republican strategists counted on these historical trends of voters casting their ballots with their wallets and pocketbooks, but that didn't happen. Independents, and of course dems, rejected the failing economy and still voted emotionally on issues like climate change and abortion.

Like I've said here over and over, this is the first time in generations that the majority of the electorate has defied the historical trends and the polls by voting against their own best interests.. This historical divisiveness between the left and right has dems and republicans respectively dug in like Alabama ticks, and the swing voters have voted ignorantly, emotionally, or both.. It's a shocking and terrifying trend for which there is no immediate or forseeable solution..

Well, your absolutely right about the independent voters voting emotionally on issues like abortion and climate change and disregarding record inflation and the huge increase in interest rates. I guess for the ones that actually work for now, their substantial wage increases over the last couple of years have allowed them to focus on "social issues" rather than massively rising food, gas and rent costs. Of course, many of them are included in the 5 million that don't work and aren't looking for a job. It only takes a few minutes each day to check their mailboxes for a Government check and the rest of the time they can protest and focus on all the ills of society that make them feel "uncomfortable". It IS a shocking trend!

 

[Wheels]

For as much as I would hope and wish you are correct, that was not the trend in the midterms. By and large, independent voters ignored inflation and gas prices which were both at historical highs.. Republican strategists counted on these historical trends of voters casting their ballots with their wallets and pocketbooks, but that didn't happen. Independents, and of course dems, rejected the failing economy and still voted emotionally on issues like climate change and abortion.

Like I've said here over and over, this is the first time in generations that the majority of the electorate has defied the historical trends and the polls by voting against their own best interests.. This historical divisiveness between the left and right has dems and republicans respectively dug in like Alabama ticks, and the swing voters have voted ignorantly, emotionally, or both.. It's a shocking and terrifying trend for which there is no immediate or forseeable solution..

Agree with you.

Let's not forget, we were warned.

Now it is not only Russia that has undermined America, but also China, Iran, Qatar, KSA and probably a few others to a lesser extent.

 

[BSO Dave]

To be fair, I think emotional voting is the norm in American politics across the spectrum, unfortunately. It is not just independents and dems whose voting principles are built on emotional or social issues like abortion. There are several examples in this very thread of members stating that abortion and a candidate's views on the practice are "lines in the sand" when it comes to candidates/elections, and I suspect that and other social issues are gating items for many (most) conservative voters in the U.S.

While I do agree that none of us are immune to having our point of view influenced by emotion at least to some extent, I am not entirely convinced that it is the norm across the spectrum.. I also wouldn't agree that all social issues decided by any significant portion of the electorate are emotion-based.. The tendency to apply logic and reason when making life altering decisions is one of the main tenets of conservatism, so I reject the idea that the majority voters who identify as conservative vote with the rest of the spectrum in general..

You can have a personal "line in the sand" on any issue, but that doesn't automatically dictate that line was drawn on emotion over logic and fact.. As an example, although it is a highly charged emotional issue for many, I oppose abortion beyond the first 6 weeks of conception simply because I regard it to be murder of an unborn human. My position is not based on my subjective opinion that newborns are cute and cuddly, but on the irrefutable fact of the fetus having a verifiable heartbeat at that stage of pregnancy.

Widespread voting on foundational economic issues (rather than social/emotional issues) will not be a thing until quality-of-life diminishes by a significant enough margin to demand the attention of voters.

Hmmm...? So how much worse do you estimate inflation or the failing economy needs to get to motivate the spectrum? The Gen Z idiots will live in their parents' basements and work at Starbucks indefinitely. Then they can live in their parents' houses when the parents eventually die off. With the exception of the hispanics, the majority of minorities who are already poor will continue to vote democrat as long as they continue to be convinced they they are victims in need of and entitled to a hand out.. The midterms demonstrated that the working class moderates and conservatives didn't have the voice or the numbers to affect that kind of change, and it was certainly not for the lack of outrage in that demographic.. So, how and when will this revelation of the broad spectrum of the electorate occur in your estimation?

Furthermore, there is an alternative and opposite outcome that also needs to be recognized. And, that is the more quality of life diminishes, the more the weakest and ill-informed become dependent on government for support. In my assessment, we are more likely to become a full-blown socialist welfare state, then to see a significant referendum from voters across the full spectrum willing to once again vote with their own well-being in mind.

I think your general observation is absolutely correct, but rather than emotionalism, I define it as their "belief" systems.

There may be a better term for it, but when I refer to "emotion" as the motivation for someone's voting decision, it can certainly apply to any broader set of "beliefs" that are not based in logic and reason. I was simply generalizing that if someone did not make an informed decision based on logic, reason, and fact, then the basis for the decisions was an emotional one.

In any case, you are absolutely right in that getting these groups to shake those beliefs will be a monumental, if not impossible task.

Gender issues won’t matter at all once people begin experiencing the inevitable crisis posed by the reordering of our economy.

Gender issues don't matter now to anyone with half a brain.. These nonsensical social issues are deliberately being created and exploited by this Administration to provide the much needed distractions for their failed policies. The problem is that for the most part, they seem to be working for them... MSM news is dominated by them.. The real issues are either being ignored or completely inverted by all of the social media platforms and legacy media (with the exception of Twitter).

 

[BSO Dave]

On a different topic, did anyone watch the Trump interview on Tucker Carlson last night? It certainly took a different tack than what I was expecting from Trump.. Just wondering what your thoughts were..?

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

US gives final nod to huge power line from Wyoming to Nevada

U.S. officials on Tuesday gave final approval for a company owned by billionaire Philip Anschutz to begin building a massive transmission line that will deliver wind energy from blustery Wyoming to power-hungry California.

www.reuters.com

April 11 (Reuters) - U.S. officials on Tuesday gave final approval for a company owned by billionaire Philip Anschutz to begin building a massive transmission line that will deliver wind energy from blustery Wyoming to power-hungry California.

The "notice to proceed" from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management allows TransWest Express LLC to break ground on its $3 billion line after more than 15 years of development. About two-thirds of the project will be on federal lands.

 

[Doug3006]

While I do agree that none of us are immune to having our point of view influenced by emotion at least to some extent, I am not entirely convinced that it is the norm across the spectrum.. I also wouldn't agree that all social issues decided by any significant portion of the electorate are emotion-based.. The tendency to apply logic and reason when making life altering decisions is one of the main tenets of conservatism, so I reject the idea that the majority voters who identify as conservative vote with the rest of the spectrum in general..

You can have a personal "line in the sand" on any issue, but that doesn't automatically dictate that line was drawn on emotion over logic and fact.. As an example, although it is a highly charged emotional issue for many, I oppose abortion beyond the first 6 weeks of conception simply because I regard it to be murder of an unborn human. My position is not based on my subjective opinion that newborns are cute and cuddly, but on the irrefutable fact of the fetus having a verifiable heartbeat at that stage of pregnancy.



Hmmm...? So how much worse do you estimate inflation or the failing economy needs to get to motivate the spectrum? The Gen Z idiots will live in their parents' basements and work at Starbucks indefinitely. Then they can live in their parents' houses when the parents eventually die off. With the exception of the hispanics, the majority of minorities who are already poor will continue to vote democrat as long as they continue to be convinced they they are victims in need of and entitled to a hand out.. The midterms demonstrated that the working class moderates and conservatives didn't have the voice or the numbers to affect that kind of change, and it was certainly not for the lack of outrage in that demographic.. So, how and when will this revelation of the broad spectrum of the electorate occur in your estimation?

Furthermore, there is an alternative and opposite outcome that also needs to be recognized. And, that is the more quality of life diminishes, the more the weakest and ill-informed become dependent on government for support. In my assessment, we are more likely to become a full-blown socialist welfare state, then to see a significant referendum from voters across the full spectrum willing to once again vote with their own well-being in mind.



There may be a better term for it, but when I refer to "emotion" as the motivation for someone's voting decision, it can certainly apply to any broader set of "beliefs" that are not based in logic and reason. I was simply generalizing that if someone did not make an informed decision based on logic, reason, and fact, then the basis for the decisions was an emotional one.

In any case, you are absolutely right in that getting these groups to shake those beliefs will be a monumental, if not impossible task.




Gender issues don't matter now to anyone with half a brain.. These nonsensical social issues are deliberately being created and exploited by this Administration to provide the much needed distractions for their failed policies. The problem is that for the most part, they seem to be working for them... MSM news is dominated by them.. The real issues are either being ignored or completely inverted by all of the social media platforms and legacy media (with the exception of Twitter).

You are so right! Gender issues, or so-called gender issues, mean very little even today. However, it’s amazing what the prospect of going hungry will do to one’s priorities!