Politics

[ActionBob]

I won't really argue with what you're saying here Bob, but it still made no sense for Trump to have said what he did. How much will it hurt him? Maybe a bunch, maybe not, but perhaps just enough to make the difference between losing and winning.

True, and I've made that argument as well. But as it was pointed out to me, then Trump wouldn't be Trump.

Having said that, two other points I'd make. The way Presidential politics work in this country, first you need the endorsement of your party. And except for the Democrats taking a Politburo approach to their process this time around.... Winning the endorsement meant full on pandering to the base of the party. Or in Trumps case, building his own base and making that the base of the party.

Then typically a candidate must make the switch from pandering to a generally bit extremist base... To appealing to a much more moderate general electorate. In other words, they have to not be true to their beliefs either before or after the party endorsement.

In Harris’s case, she is obviously trying to moderate her stance but no one believes her. Her long track record is too strong to think she can or will change.

As for Trump, he has no long political track record but a very diffinitive 4 year track record of doing arguably much better than his rhetoric indicates. Trump fans would argue he is true to himself and to his supporters.

But yes it would be great if he could avoid those pits he loves to jump into. But that is not him.

There was a great argument that his unpredictable nature is what gives him a massive edge, especially on the World Stage.

 

[Wheels]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1843657230786408639

 

[Tanks]

...

Anyone in the middle of those two vast differences is not being honest.

Or they are ambivalent between the two choices and will go with one that wants their vote. In the case of a lot of moderate Republicans the choice is between Trump when he is a lucid and sane candidate and Trump the narcissistic and unhinged candidate. If the latter Trump wins, then they will either vote for Kamala or stay home.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

True, and I've made that argument as well. But as it was pointed out to me, then Trump wouldn't be Trump.

Having said that, two other points I'd make. The way Presidential politics work in this country, first you need the endorsement of your party. And except for the Democrats taking a Politburo approach to their process this time around.... Winning the endorsement meant full on pandering to the base of the party. Or in Trumps case, building his own base and making that the base of the party.

Then typically a candidate must make the switch from pandering to a generally bit extremist base... To appealing to a much more moderate general electorate. In other words, they have to not be true to their beliefs either before or after the party endorsement.

In Harris’s case, she is obviously trying to moderate her stance but no one believes her. Her long track record is too strong to think she can or will change.

As for Trump, he has no long political track record but a very diffinitive 4 year track record of doing arguably much better than his rhetoric indicates. Trump fans would argue he is true to himself and to his supporters.

But yes it would be great if he could avoid those pits he loves to jump into. But that is not him.

There was a great argument that his unpredictable nature is what gives him a massive edge, especially on the World Stage.

The inner mental conflict is maddening isn't it? The idea of voting for Harris and the behind the scenes puppet masters is something you just can't even consider. But your alternative is one that drives you to the point of having to be an apologist for the man as much as actually being in strong support of him. At least that's how it is for me.

 

[Red Leg]

I don't know Joe? Chaney has probably got more negative personality traits than Trump. And if you wanted to see vindictive behavior to one's own political demise, look no farther than Liz Chaney. How many Republican voters care what the Chaney's do or say?

Trump having RFK Jr and Tulsi Gabbard on his side so solidly seems to have done much more good than losing Cheney.

And I would actually contend that winning me and several others on this site over might be much more indicative of what the actual voting masses are going to do. We are going to step up and be realistic about what our choices are. And we are going to vote for overal basic policy rather than personalities.

We are not going to stoop to being so trivial as to vote against our beliefs because of individual personality differences.

And we are going to look at the very obvious records of performance when we vote.

It really doesn't matter what you or I think Bob. I am merely reporting the poll - which unlike a supposition drawn from interactions on this site is based on actual interviews. It is a poll that indicates almost a 5% difference in favor of Harris among democrats and republicans who are not supporting the top of their respective party tickets. I do not know how many votes that 5% represents or where they are located, but I will again offer my opinion that Trump was/is a fool to do anything that alienates a single Republican that he could have earned with just a bit of outreach. And a lot of Haley supporters do not fall into the Cheney mold, and I suspect most of them are able to analyze the candidates as effectively as you or I can.

If the polls underestimate Trump support this time as much as they did in 20 or 24, he will come close to if not actually winning the popular vote, and he will win the electoral college. If, on the other hand, the majority of those polls have improved their methodology in the wake of prior fiascos, then this will go to the wire. In either case, why on earth alienate a single party vote that a bit of effort could win.

And I don't think Gabbard or Kennedy amount to anything, positive or negative, for either candidate.

 

[Hogpatrol]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1843657230786408639

Electric chainsaws? you have to wonder about so called educated people. There was a local volunteer effort at a nearby airport. I offered a case of twenty four bottles of two stroke oil. One bottle did a gallon of gas for chainsaws. It wasn't that much weight but I was told no good. They were only taking what was on their "list". Being a flib driver for twenty two years, I thought they would have had more sense.

 

[John Wasmuth]

Harris just publicly blamed Hurricane Helene fema response on Trump…….. you can’t make this crap up…..

 

[Hunt anything]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1843657230786408639

You have to remember that when dealing with most of the government your dealing with an organization that lost any common sense a LONG, LONG time ago. Common sense has become a super power!

 

[Boyd Brooks]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1843657230786408639

Of course they sent electric chainsaws, gasoline chainsaw emissions caused the hurricane in the first place!

 

[Hunt anything]

Of course they sent electric chainsaws, gasoline chainsaw emissions caused the hurricane in the first place!

That’s right and we must remember that the electric power used to charge the batteries is magic electricity and has no effect on the environment, no matter how it’s produced. LOL

 

[mdwest]

Electric chainsaws? you have to wonder about so called educated people.

Ive seen this in almost every en masse govt response to a natural disaster to one degree or another..

the worst Ive ever witnessed was in Haiti in 2010 after the earthquake that leveled port au prince (and much of the rest of the country...

they rushed to get the airport reopened.. and then immediately started landing USAF cargo aircraft full of perishables like liquid baby formula and refrigerated medicines for phase one of the relief effort.. (it was actually pretty amazing how fast they got the airport opened considering the damage and devistation..)...

without considering that quite literally every road in Port Au Prince had mountains of concrete and rubble all over them and they couldnt get anything out of the airport and into the city...

and... to make matters worse.. they didnt bring any equipment to off load any of the supplies.. the fork lifts, palate jacks, etc at the airport were all destroyed and under piles of rubble.. and the USAF didnt bring any with them.. .

So several plane loads (millions of dollars) of much needed supplies just sat in the heat of the Haitian sun, ruining for dayss until they figured out how to unfuck themselves and actually start getting supplies to people that needed them...

you would have thought they would have figured out their mistake and immediately flown back to South Florida where they could have saved all of the stuff on the birds.. its only a 680 mile flight from Port Au Prince to Miami..

but nope.. instead they just sat on the tarmac and waited for fork lifts to be delivered and roads to be cleared.. while everything ruined in the bellies of the aircraft..

 

[Wheels]

Kind of like the millions of bottles of water sent to Puerto Rico by FEMA after the hurricane that sat unused for years. Here is a photo of one location.

 

[mdwest]

A quick follow up on the earlier post about the fundraising we (my firm) has been doing with Samaritans Purse...

We just hit the $10K goal that was set a few minutes ago...

Several of the donations that came in over the last 48 hours have been from AH members... THANK YOU! BlueForce will be matching funds for every dollar donated up to this point.

We intend on keeping the fundraiser open. Every penny counts and is going to a good organization that is doing great things in Appalachia right now. We'll probably do a social media blitz and see if we can get some more money heading that direction soon.. we just wont be matching additional dollars beyond the original $10K (that eats up a pretty decent bit of our budget for all charitable contributions each year.. and we still have other efforts to support before the year is out.. theres an orphanage in South Africa we put some focus on, a couple of charities that take care of disabled veterans, etc..etc..)..

We are continuing to offer employees paid time off to go physically assist with relief efforts though and encouraging volunteers, etc..etc..

 

[Wheels]

Most American's grew up with fluoride in the water. It's what our children drank. Now the US Department of Health is telling us fluoride is associated with lower IQ in children. (Now you all know what my problem is) Reports likes this makes a person wonder about all the other "crazy" stuff RFK Jr. has been saying for years.

Fluoride Exposure: Neurodevelopment and Cognition

ntp.niehs.nih.gov

 

[WAB]

It would appear Trump is getting his wish. To remind, his rejection of Haley supporters back in January. Moreover, he has ignored her with respect to campaigning for him even after her endorsement.

Trump wrote on Truth Social that anyone who made a contribution to the Haley campaign "from this moment forth, will be permanently barred from the MAGA camp." "We don't want them, and will not accept them,"

https://www.newsweek.com/kamala-har...blicans-almost-doubles-nyt-siena-poll-1965611

It really doesn't matter what Trump or his supporters may think of nearly 10% of republicans voting for Haley - what they have studiously ignored is that it could matter a very great deal indeed what that 10% thinks. Like in so many areas, Trump's personal grievances are far more important to him than even winning the election.

It is truly beyond comprehension. This is the root of our problem. There are many who would prefer to shrink the tent and lose the election. Those same folks chastise us for pointing out that this is a losing strategy. Apparently math skills are in short supply.

 

[Tanks]

It is truly beyond comprehension. This is the root of our problem. There are many who would prefer to shrink the tent and lose the election. Those same folks chastise us for pointing out that this is a losing strategy. Apparently math skills are in short supply.

It is the same people that would rather have 100% of nothing rather than 90% of something in a purple district or State. No need to look at political realities.

 

[lwaters]

Harris just publicly blamed Hurricane Helene fema response on Trump…….. you can’t make this crap up…..

Well quite a few gop representatives from Florida voted against the bill that would of funded fema. Now they want to call congress back to fund it. Politicians really are screwed up bunch.

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

Agreed it was dumb of Trump. That said, what does it say about a person who is so offended by something like this that they would hold out their vote? Some would say they are principled. I would say they’re prideful and are worried more about their hurt feelings than their country.

 

[Rocked and Loaded]

Harris just publicly blamed Hurricane Helene fema response on Trump…….. you can’t make this crap up…..

It’s funny because as much as they harp on election denial, they still act like Trump has been in charge the last four years.

 

[freefall]

It is truly beyond comprehension. This is the root of our problem. There are many who would prefer to shrink the tent and lose the election. Those same folks chastise us for pointing out that this is a losing strategy. Apparently math skills are in short supply.

So who's shrinking the tent? The bad-tempered candidate who says something stupid or the "adult" pearl-clutchers who are saying "well I never, I'm taking MY ball and staying home!"