Politics

[BJH65]

That is also true. It is up to voters to say enough.

Hello Saul,

Well, in California, it was the voters who helped to create this mess. I can speak to this since I spent 25 years as a law enforcement officer in CA extensively dealing with this problem. Years back, CA passed a dangerous trifecta: AB109, Prop 57 and Prop 47. This in a nutshell, decriminalized the laws that we in law enforcement and the criminal justice system used as a tool to keep some semblance of order. It wasn’t a perfect system but it was the most effective I’ve seen to date.

Of course it’s no crime to be homeless, however, the vast majority are addicted to drugs and alcohol, committed mostly petty theft and possession of illegal narcotics type crimes among others. In addition, many suffered from mental health issues. We were able to use these crimes as tools to arrest and at least briefly incarcerate them where they received treatment in custodial facilities.

So with the public’s passage of AB109, Prop 57, and Prop 47, a large segment of a population that used to be incarcerated was no longer. It essentially decriminalized all of the previous laws we used as tools to maintain order and quality of life for citizens In CA. One could say, society decided they no longer desired to incarcerate these individuals for these types of crimes. I believe this to be a nationwide trend. Part of the disintegration of CA I have previously mentioned.

One could say its wasn't entirely the voting public’s fault. If you’ve ever seen a CA ballot proposition, you would shake your head. They are full of word trickery and must be carefully studied or one must have advanced knowledge ahead. A voter may think they are voting one way like a tough on crime proposition when it’s the exact opposite!

 

[Wheels]

I think this is wonderful...

people with zero awareness or common sense will buy the BS.. but theyve been buying BS for almost 4 years.. so nothing changes..

anyone with even a tiny measure of common sense knows thats an outright lie.. the whitehouse lying to them and continuing to make excuses will just disenfranchise more people that were thinking about voting left in a few months..

I hope they continue to double down, lie, make excuses, and push as hard as they can to keep Biden in the race.. that just pushes R's closer to victory..

The main stream media that have been telling the public that Biden is just fine and doing great are losers' in this.

So is Merrick Garland who has been keeping the video of Special Counsel Hur's interview with Biden from being released to Congress. Wonder if Garland is having second thoughts about being impeached to protect Biden.

 

[freefall]

Were I the Democrat elite, I would say "Sweet Jesus, we had no idea he was this bad! The Evil Dr Jill has fooled us all!"
Then I would immediately invoke the 25th Amendment, remove Biden from office, install Cackala as POTUS and declare loudly that anyone who votes against the First Black Woman President is RAAACISST, sexist, a Right Wing Terrorist who probably beats his wife, his children and abuses puppies.
Hopefully they don't read this blog and won't take my advice.

 

[freefall]

Victor Davis Hanson has an article titled "Stop the Ukrainian Meatgrinder?" at the Sword of Perseus site. It will meet disapproval from some here, but is thoughtful and thought provoking.

 

[meigsbucks]

I just watched Biden at a Rally in NC. He was energetic and articulate. This time he had a night’s sleep, teleprompters and speech writers.
i watched the debate last night. As Biden was walking out he looked feeble. Then when he began to speak: OMG! Raspy and weak. As time went on his confusion was just a confirmation of what we’ve been seeing and hearing from him the past three years. To me, Biden’s high water mark was calling Trump a “whiner”. His low was stating that nobody was killed on his watch. Did he forget about the chaotic and deadly withdrawl from Afghanistan?
Trump remained calm and hammered on the border and economic issues. Trump being Trump embellished his accomplishments. I think he should have shortened some of his attacks on Biden and given some brief answers to the moderator’s question.
Biden announced today that he’s staying in the race and will attend the next debate.
How this all plays out, only time will tell. I see the following scenarios possibly coming to fruition: Prior to the convention, Biden is asked to step down, which he does and the Cackler becomes POTUS. OR: The Cabinet invokes the 25th Amendment and the Cackler becomes POTUS. OR: Biden announces he’s withdrawing from the race. This puts Cackler or possibly Newsome or Whitmer as the nominee at the convention. Of course there is always Obama or Clinton.

 

[Hunt anything]

Why did Trump need to overperform last night? Is anyone focusing on Trump this morning? I don't think so. Even when they play a split screen of the two with Trump talking, you only focus on Biden.

Trump played by their rules, remained calm and boring, and Biden stole the show.

Agree, this was the classic saying “you don’t have to outrun the bear you just need to out run the slowest person in your group”

 

[Saul]

Hello Saul,

Well, in California, it was the voters who helped to create this mess. I can speak to this since I spent 25 years as a law enforcement officer in CA extensively dealing with this problem. Years back, CA passed a dangerous trifecta: AB109, Prop 57 and Prop 47. This in a nutshell, decriminalized the laws that we in law enforcement and the criminal justice system used as a tool to keep some semblance of order. It wasn’t a perfect system but it was the most effective I’ve seen to date.

Of course it’s no crime to be homeless, however, the vast majority are addicted to drugs and alcohol, committed mostly petty theft and possession of illegal narcotics type crimes among others. In addition, many suffered from mental health issues. We were able to use these crimes as tools to arrest and at least briefly incarcerate them where they received treatment in custodial facilities.

So with the public’s passage of AB109, Prop 57, and Prop 47, a large segment of a population that used to be incarcerated was no longer. It essentially decriminalized all of the previous laws we used as tools to maintain order and quality of life for citizens In CA. One could say, society decided they no longer desired to incarcerate these individuals for these types of crimes. I believe this to be a nationwide trend. Part of the disintegration of CA I have previously mentioned.

One could say its wasn't entirely the voting public’s fault. If you’ve ever seen a CA ballot proposition, you would shake your head. They are full of word trickery and must be carefully studied or one must have advanced knowledge ahead. A voter may think they are voting one way like a tough on crime proposition when it’s the exact opposite!

Unfortunately there is not much the courts or the president can do about that. California should remind everyone of the importance of local elections. Hopefully things will eventually turn around.

 

[BJH65]

Unfortunately there is not much the courts or the president can do about that. California should remind everyone of the importance of local elections. Hopefully things will eventually turn around.

I hope so although I don’t believe it’ll go back to the old way. As preposterous as it may seem, I don’t believe California has hit rock bottom yet.

 

[Brent in Az]

The Biden team is rejecting calls for Biden to bow out of the election.

Biden s refusal has nothing to do with America. It's about trying to save the Biden family.
Hunter is in trouble. Joe's brother is in trouble. Joe himself could very well be in deep trouble.

 

[DillonG]

The problem is Biden bowing out renews a D shot at victory..

Right now the biden camp is clearly in shambles.. while I dont see many people changing their vote.. what I do see is a lot of D's simply not pulling the lever for Biden when they go to the polls.. they'll vote the down ticket.. but not for POTUS.. .

that creates 2 potential problems...

R's get lazy.. and think the election is in the bag.. and enough of them dont show up..

and/or

the D's replace Biden.. with even a marginal and controversial candidate like Whitmire or Newsome.. and they are still in the race.. most everyone that was willing to vote for Biden 48 hours ago would vote for pretty much any D candidate, to include unreasonable ones..

what happened last night isnt a surprise.. we've all been watching Bidens mental capacity fall apart for the last 3+ years... it was simply confirmation and leaves D's with the inability to continue to deny or make excuses..

the absolute best thing right now for Trump would be for Biden to stay in the campaign.. and for Trump to find a way to continue to invigorate not only his base.. but to convince centrists and independents to actually vote for him at the polls (and not just vote the down ticket.. or not show up at all..)...

Absolutely agreed, I still believe any marginal candidate will have to deal with a debate with Trump. He is the king of clips. I don’t believe Dems have a good candidate other than Michelle. I am still placing my money on that move.

Again, Dems really screwed up when they shunned RFK. He could’ve given Trump a run, if the DNC didn’t force him out of the party.

 

[DillonG]

The Biden team is rejecting calls for Biden to bow out of the election.

Biden s refusal has nothing to do with America. It's about trying to save the Biden family.
Hunter is in trouble. Joe's brother is in trouble. Joe himself could very well be in deep trouble.

Hopefully that is all the pressure needed to keep him running. Dyed in the wool Dems are very quiet today. It makes me both happy and nervous. More nervous to see what kind of judicial loopholes they find to mess with Trump’s candidacy and/or state voting regulations.

 

[Red Leg]

Victor Davis Hanson has an article titled "Stop the Ukrainian Meatgrinder?" at the Sword of Perseus site. It will meet disapproval from some here, but is thoughtful and thought provoking.

Just read it. I am generally a fan of Hansen and just finished his new book "The End of Everything," which I highly recommend. I'll set aside the popular neoissolationist allegation that the US, CIA, or some mysterious force other than the Ukrainian people were behind the Dignity Revolution.

Other than that and some other hand wringing (the average age of a UA soldier is not forty), his suggestion for an eventual peace settlement is one which any number have suggested here previously, including myself. Unfortunately, Putin's conditions for even a ceasefire just to enter into negotiations are significantly different.

Putin Makes Cease-Fire Offer With Sweeping Demands on Ukraine’s Territory

Ukraine denounced the offer, saying that Mr. Putin was “afraid of real peace.” The Russian leader made the remarks one day before a peace summit organized by Kyiv.

www.nytimes.com

As an initial requirement to even begin to talk, Putin demands withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from and recognition of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson as Russian territory. Parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson were seized during the initial invasion, but both provincial capitals and much territory remain in UA hands, the city of Kherson was retaken a year and a half ago in a UA counteroffensive. Large majorities of both those provinces supported UA independence from Russia. Also, based upon our unwillingness to act unilaterally to guarantee UA sovereignty in 2014, UA will be unlikely to trust any sort of guarantee again short of full NATO membership.

Finally, with the resumption of US military aid, Ukraine has crushed the Russian Spring offensive and is inflicting unsustainable casualties on the Russian army. Virtually all armor vehicles now being destroyed by the UA are 60+ year old designs like the T- 64. They are death traps for their operators, and a clear indicator that Russia is struggling trying to maintain offensive operations.

I do believe the "Hansen settlement" is possible, but it will only happen if Putin believes that NATO, led by the US, will remain steadfast in its support of Ukraine. Regrettably, largely because of his Trump's undisciplined rhetoric, Putin has every reason to do absolutely nothing until November.

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

 

[Certus]

Was this the Chinese commenting on the debate? Asking for a friend.
View attachment 616496

Ha, that happens every other day. Typically cleaned up while the US members are still asleep

 

[mdwest]

 

[DillonG]

Anyone else unsettled by the lack of defense from Dems the day after the debate? I’m not as ummm, aged as some other forum members. However, I can tell something wild is going to be brewed by the Dems now that the dust is settling.

Does anyone think Trump should’ve refused the debate until after the DNC convention?

 

[Newboomer]

Brutal

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1806555571937591578

Trump is sounding old and incoherent?......,....yeah....o.k.

What in hell was he trying to say?? That was beyond painful.

 

[jpr9954]

I just watched Biden at a Rally in NC. He was energetic and articulate. This time he had a night’s sleep, teleprompters and speech writers.
i watched the debate last night. As Biden was walking out he looked feeble. Then when he began to speak: OMG! Raspy and weak. As time went on his confusion was just a confirmation of what we’ve been seeing and hearing from him the past three years. To me, Biden’s high water mark was calling Trump a “whiner”. His low was stating that nobody was killed on his watch. Did he forget about the chaotic and deadly withdrawl from Afghanistan?
Trump remained calm and hammered on the border and economic issues. Trump being Trump embellished his accomplishments. I think he should have shortened some of his attacks on Biden and given some brief answers to the moderator’s question.
Biden announced today that he’s staying in the race and will attend the next debate.
How this all plays out, only time will tell. I see the following scenarios possibly coming to fruition: Prior to the convention, Biden is asked to step down, which he does and the Cackler becomes POTUS. OR: The Cabinet invokes the 25th Amendment and the Cackler becomes POTUS. OR: Biden announces he’s withdrawing from the race. This puts Cackler or possibly Newsome or Whitmer as the nominee at the convention. Of course there is always Obama or Clinton.

I saw some of Biden looking good and then there is the totally bewildered look on his face while "Dr Jill" is speaking.

Biden in Raleigh

 

[BSO Dave]

You thought Trump came off well? Anyone other than Biden would have wiped the floor with him, which only further shows how weak Biden is at this point.

Another assessment from that parallel universe that I keep referring to... Your TDS is keeping you from making an impartial assessment...

I remember back in 2015 when the so-called experts said that every one of the 16 other republican career politicians running for the nomination would wipe the floor with Trump... The opposite was true... Trump is a good natural debater in that he is completely comfortable working without a script or a net which has been both a blessing and a curse for him during his political career... When he remains focused, he is extremely effective at getting his message across... He is also quick on his feet and can be quite entertaining when he wants to be...

I'm sure Trump's advisors made him painfully aware that any bad behavior would keep him from accomplishing what they needed to have him do which was to come off as calm, collected, and articulate which was the polar opposite of Brandon... In that regard, Trump exceeded what was necessary, and quite frankly, what was expected of him by critics and allies alike... Did he hit a homerun? No... But, I would say it was a deep triple off the opposite field wall that cleared the bases for what he needed to accomplish... Brandon's scripted shots barely made a mark on Trump, and the low hanging fruit Trump left on the table was due to his newly found self-restraint that he has obviously been practicing for that moment.

The actual issues would have been far more important in the end result if it were not for the fact that Brandon finally showed the entire world what most of us have already known for the last 3.5 years... Trump let Joe be Joe, and was very smart not to overly engage with the petty personal crap... He did a solid job hammering away at Brandon's biggest weaknesses, and pivoted nicely away from some of the other topics that were not among his talking points for the evening... He wobbled a bit engaging with the golf stuff, although he did manage to hammer Brandon with a very funny shot about saying something to the affect that there was no way Brandon was a 6 handicap because he had seen his golf swing... LOL.! Then he quickly recovered by being the first to suggest that they not act like children...

There is not a single democrat in existence that can go toe to toe with Trump all for the exact same reasons Brandon could not, and that is that they all have horrific policies and indefensible records...Trump has a record of 4 years of prosperity, security, and success... Brandon and his fellow democrats have 4 years of failures and terrible policies which Trump himself made quite clear on several occasions in that there was really nothing here to debate and only the lies of Brandon and the democrats to contest... Brandon's successful 2020 campaign promises of being the "steady hand on the wheel" and putting the "adults back in charge" crashed and burned in front of the entire world to see last night, and no democrat on the planet will be able to put out that fire this time around...

 

[Saul]

Another assessment from that parallel universe that I keep referring to... Your TDS is keeping you from making an impartial assessment...

I remember back in 2015 when the so-called experts said that every one of the 16 other republican career politicians running for the nomination would wipe the floor with Trump... The opposite was true... Trump is a good natural debater in that he is completely comfortable working without a script or a net which has been both a blessing and a curse for him during his political career... When he remains focused, he is extremely effective at getting his message across... He is also quick on his feet and can be quite entertaining when he wants to be...

I'm sure Trump's advisors made him painfully aware that any bad behavior would keep him from accomplishing what they needed to have him do which was to come off as calm, collected, and articulate which was the polar opposite of Brandon... In that regard, Trump exceeded what was necessary, and quite frankly, what was expected of him by critics and allies alike... Did he hit a homerun? No... But, I would say it was a deep triple off the opposite field wall that cleared the bases for what he needed to accomplish... Brandon's scripted shots barely made a mark on Trump, and the low hanging fruit Trump left on the table was due to his newly found self-restraint that he has obviously been practicing for that moment.

The actual issues would have been far more important in the end result if it were not for the fact that Brandon finally showed the entire world what most of us have already known for the last 3.5 years... Trump let Joe be Joe, and was very smart not to overly engage with the petty personal crap... He did a solid job hammering away at Brandon's biggest weaknesses, and pivoted nicely away from some of the other topics that were not among his talking points for the evening... He wobbled a bit engaging with the golf stuff, although he did manage to hammer Brandon with a very funny shot about saying something to the affect that there was no way Brandon was a 6 handicap because he had seen his golf swing... LOL.! Then he quickly recovered by being the first to suggest that they not act like children...

There is not a single democrat in existence that can go toe to toe with Trump all for the exact same reasons Brandon could not, and that is that they all have horrific policies and indefensible records...Trump has a record of 4 years of prosperity, security, and success... Brandon and his fellow democrats have 4 years of failures and terrible policies which Trump himself made quite clear on several occasions in that there was really nothing here to debate and only the lies of Brandon and the democrats to contest... Brandon's successful 2020 campaign promises of being the "steady hand on the wheel" and putting the "adults back in charge" crashed and burned in front of the entire world to see last night, and no democrat on the planet will be able to put out that fire this time around...

I must not have been clear. Make no mistake, Biden is clearly in much worse shape than Trump. However, there is also no getting around the fact that Trump is now 78 years old. If he had been willing to debate Haley and DeSantis, we would see that even more clearly. As it stands, though, Biden is not physically fit enough to be president.