Politics

[ActionBob]

Bob, there is nothing - absolutely nothing - you can say that will convince me that we have anything other than two terrible choices this time. My prayer is that the senate flips republican.

But we do have choices to make. Very differing policy choices. You well know what they are.

You and I have different opinions as to how Trump would direct policy towards Ukraine. We will have to agree to disagree on that. Although I'm betting that if Trump gets elected, you are hoping and praying that you get proven wrong on that.

As for me, I'm going to cast my vote for a Republican Administration. A Republican Cabinet. More Conservative Judges. I'm going to vote to defend the Constitution, especially the 1st and 2nd Amendments. I'm going to also vote to retain a Capitalist economy.

I am praying also. But I'm also voting and casting my votes for Republicans up and down the ticket because this is all bigger than my feelings and is more about big picture policy than it is about any individual.

And I am fascinated to see what Elon Musk could do to increase efficiency of government That right there should be worth voting for Trump...

 

[Red Leg]

But we do have choices to make. Very differing policy choices. You well know what they are.

You and I have different opinions as to how Trump would direct policy towards Ukraine. We will have to agree to disagree on that. Although I'm betting that if Trump gets elected, you are hoping and praying that you get proven wrong on that.

As for me, I'm going to cast my vote for a Republican Administration. A Republican Cabinet. More Conservative Judges. I'm going to vote to defend the Constitution, especially the 1st and 2nd Amendments. I'm going to also vote to retain a Capitalist economy.

I am praying also. But I'm also voting and casting my votes for Republicans up and down the ticket because this is all bigger than my feelings and is more about big picture policy than it is about any individual.

And I am fascinated to see what Elon Musk could do to increase efficiency of government That right there should be worth voting for Trump...

You are correct. I'll pray for any number of things regardless of which of these terribly flawed candidates wins.

 

[Red Leg]

Meanwhile back at the front - here is another of these short clips with a bit of a message. Russia has burned through all of its pre-war inventory of modernized tanks and armored fighting vehicles. They continue to cannibalize their former Soviet stocks to provide some replacements while also forcing troops to carry out assaults in Chinese ATVs and vehicles like the VAZ utility vehicle (think Toyota RAV without the warranty). This is an example of a Russian squad ordered into a frontal assault mounted on such a combat platform. One wonders how long before the soldiers say "no more."

https://www.reddit.com/r/CombatFootage/comments/1g0royv/a_russian_vaz_hits_an_antitank_mine

 

[bob meadows]

So, you are saying that if DeSantis had gotten the nomination, Trump voters would have stayed home? Another set of "pearl clutchers" as some would say?


I somewhat agree. That being said I am ambivalent, I like Trump for almost every policy statement except for foreign policy. Trump is not making it easy for people to hold their nose and vote for him. Haley could have helped if she was active in the campaign.

Tanks....just like the ones that say .....I cant even hold my nose and vote trump, you have the other side of it, only trump and no one else. both groups in my opinion are dumb asses. the big picture is vote r and not d.......pearl clucthers = cry babies......and I agree he can make it hard to want to......bob

 

[bob meadows]

I will have to disagree that Trump represents the economic aspirations of the Tea party, and while I agree with his "let the states decide" approach on abortion, it is going to result in many evangelicals, who also fueled that movement, staying home. He clearly does represent that movement's position with respect to immigration.

My problem with the "big tent" interpretation of Trump is that he is struggling against Harris and was, until the debate - where he did nothing - struggling against Biden. When still in the race, Haley was crushing Biden by double digits in polling and DeSantis, though not equalling Haley's numbers, was doing much better than Trump. We'll never know, but I would lay serious money should we step over into an alternate universe, either would be in landslide territory against Harris. That is what a big tent looks like.

Trump has bled college educated voters - male and female. He is trying to make up that deficit with working class and minority voters. We'll see how it goes shortly, but I do not see a bigger party, merely a few rearranged chairs.

DeSantis today handling a reporter. Compare that to our current nominee's Covid press conferences - and that was quite a while before he turned 77 and started claiming Haley was responsible for Capital security on January 6.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1844422985182060693

red leg.....the big tent is gather all , even opponents and bring them together. I agree.
desantis I wish would not have gone up against trump, but waited this one out......desantis would walk all over biden and harris I believe......but it is trump right now. I will vote for him the third time.

I try not to let emotions get in the way of important decisions.....bob

 

[Wheels]

I will have to disagree that Trump represents the economic aspirations of the Tea party, and while I agree with his "let the states decide" approach on abortion, it is going to result in many evangelicals, who also fueled that movement, staying home. He clearly does represent that movement's position with respect to immigration.

My problem with the "big tent" interpretation of Trump is that he is struggling against Harris and was, until the debate - where he did nothing - struggling against Biden. When still in the race, Haley was crushing Biden by double digits in polling and DeSantis, though not equalling Haley's numbers, was doing much better than Trump. We'll never know, but I would lay serious money should we step over into an alternate universe, either would be in landslide territory against Harris. That is what a big tent looks like.

Trump has bled college educated voters - male and female. He is trying to make up that deficit with working class and minority voters. We'll see how it goes shortly, but I do not see a bigger party, merely a few rearranged chairs.

DeSantis today handling a reporter. Compare that to our current nominee's Covid press conferences - and that was quite a while before he turned 77 and started claiming Haley was responsible for Capital security on January 6.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1844422985182060693

This isn't what my post was about. I was responding to the comment about Trump voters staying home if DeSantis was the candidate and describing the voters that Trump has reached out to that would not vote for DeSantis.

Regarding the Tea Party, the Republicans chose to ignore them. Even pushing candidates and funding anti Tea Party Republican's in the primaries. Trump reached out to those people, picked them up and pushed their platform except for the balanced budget.

DeSantis is certainly more articulate than Trump and has much the same position on domestic policy. Foreign policy seems to be the major distinction. Has Trump bled main line Republicans. Definitely. Look no further than the Cheney's, Bush's, Romney's, etc.

We will find out if Trump's tent is large enough in a month. Would a DeSantis or Haley beat Harris. We will never know. What we do know is that the DeSantis and Haley tents weren't large enough to get through the primary.

 

[Red Leg]

red leg.....the big tent is gather all , even opponents and bring them together. I agree.
desantis I wish would not have gone up against trump, but waited this one out......desantis would walk all over biden and harris I believe......but it is trump right now. I will vote for him the third time.

I try not to let emotions get in the way of important decisions.....bob

That is wise. I never do.

 

[John Wasmuth]

I think if Desantis or Haley had a chance in the primaries one of them would be standing where Trump is standing right now instead of trump………… they were defeated before it even started which is unfortunate but it is what it is. So now we have a choice between a capitalist and a democratic socialist (aka a communist). It’s a pretty simple choice.

 

[wesheltonj]

Had Trump lost straight out last time, instead of all the rule changes, vote harvesting, etc., Trump would have most likely not been the R choice this time around.

 

[Hunt anything]

Had Trump lost straight out last time, instead of all the rule changes, vote harvesting, etc., Trump would have most likely not been the R choice this time around.

Maybe but I doubt it, not sure he has a conciliatory bone in his body.

 

[cash_tx]

To me, this smells of desperation. Flying in "the professor" to (as Hillary put it) call them to heel is likely to go over like a lead balloon.

https://www.npr.org/2024/10/10/g-s1-27633/barack-obama-kamala-harris-black-men-pennsylvania

 

[Topshots]

I think if Desantis or Haley had a chance in the primaries one of them would be standing where Trump is standing right now instead of trump………… they were defeated before it even started which is unfortunate but it is what it is. So now we have a choice between a capitalist and a democratic socialist (aka a communist). It’s a pretty simple choice.

Absolutely not, Haley still has some learning to do.

 

[Tanks]

Trump brought many people into the "Republican" tent that DeSantis and the "Old line Republican Party" would not be able to reach, starting with blue collar workers in 2016. Significant gains in black, hispanic, union, anti foreign entanglement, fiscally conservative/socially liberal Democrats, etc this year. Those are the people that would not vote for DeSantis if he was the candidate. So yes. A significant number of Trump voters would not vote for DeSantis. No pearl clutching about it.

I guess we will see if the number of people Trump brought into the GOP are greater than the number of people he drove away. Voting already has started, got my ballots a few days ago.

 

[Ridge Runner]

I was specifically talking about regulating hunting weapons. Just about every State in the nation has regulations/laws on the caliber and/or weapons one can use to hunt from minimum calibers to bottleneck cartridges to lead ammo etc., etc.. Not just the Feds. Not a 2A issue as they are not prohibiting ownership but hunting with the said firearms. I am NOT saying I agree with their view, just that they have precedence on their side.

Ok. On the first part of your response. We agree.

Not so sure on the second part.

What precedence redefines a muzzle loading firearm to a cartridge firearm? Regardless of ignition system, or aesthetics of the design; muzzleloader means the firearm must be loaded from the muzzle end.

Son gets a job. Employer relocates son to another state. Son and family return for vaction/ holidays/etc to visit with dad-grandad, grandchild is under 16 and now a nonresident. It is now illegal for the grandchild to hunt on the family farm, because the grandchild is now a non resident under 18 years old.

 

[spike.t]

 

[Red Leg]

I think the biggest non-secret in Washington is that Biden now absolutely despises Harris and Pelosi.

 

[wesheltonj]

To me, this smells of desperation. Flying in "the professor" to (as Hillary put it) call them to heel is likely to go over like a lead balloon.

https://www.npr.org/2024/10/10/g-s1-27633/barack-obama-kamala-harris-black-men-pennsylvania

He wants his 4th term.

 

[Wheels]

I guess we will see if the number of people Trump brought into the GOP are greater than the number of people he drove away. Voting already has started, got my ballots a few days ago.

We will definitely find out who wins next month. That however won't give us a breakdown of whether Trump's tent is larger or if a main line Republican's tent is larger. The main line Republican tents of McCain and Romney weren't large enough. What's to say a DeSantis or Haley tent would be large enough. They certainly weren't large enough to win the primary.

What is interesting about this election is that the old line Republican's have become completely irrelevant. The top of the Republican party has been taken over by old line centrist Democrats who have been abandoned by their party. Look at the prominent figures on the campaign trail.

Trump- Democrat most of his life
Vance- Raised in a Democrat family. Registered as a Republican in 2014
RFK jr- Democrat
Gabbard-Democrat
Musk-Independent who has sided with Democrats since coming to America.

Many old line Republican's realize they have lost their party so they are supporting Harris to defeat Trump and try to regain control. If Trump wins, the Republican party is forever changed. That's why we are watching an extinction burst in real time.

 

[Red Leg]

We will definitely find out who wins next month. That however won't give us a breakdown of whether Trump's tent is larger or if a main line Republican's tent is larger. The main line Republican tents of McCain and Romney weren't large enough. What's to say a DeSantis or Haley tent would be large enough. They certainly weren't large enough to win the primary.

What is interesting about this election is that the old line Republican's have become completely irrelevant. The top of the Republican party has been taken over by old line centrist Democrats who have been abandoned by their party. Look at the prominent figures on the campaign trail.

Trump- Democrat most of his life
Vance- Raised in a Democrat family. Registered as a Republican in 2014
RFK jr- Democrat
Gabbard-Democrat
Musk-Independent who has sided with Democrats since coming to America.

Many old line Republican's realize they have lost their party so they are supporting Harris to defeat Trump and try to regain control. If Trump wins, the Republican party is forever changed. That's why we are watching an extinction burst in real time.

For the moment yes, but I question the durability of the Trump "movement" whatever that actually is, absent Trump. With respect to your list -

Trump - obviously, but very limited continuing relevance - an age and term limitation thing.

Vance - potentially, but we will not know until 2028. I do think he has the opportunity to bridge the personality cult that is totally married to Trump with traditional conservatives, and does seem to have the intelligence not to immediately alienate those that don't meet some sort of purity test.

RFK Jr and Gabbard are of almost no consequence to the republican party nor will they be in the future. I think they are frankly of little consequence in this election, but it is clearly better to have them on the republican side.

Musk is relevant from an alternative information perspective. We'll see if anything comes of his potential role in a new administration.

I think the real change will occur when Trump leaves the stage. That, to my mind, has the potential to affect the democrat party at least as much as the republican. I am certain a significant portion of the democrat party is as uncomfortable with wokism, radical gender policies, neo racism, and Marxism as the staunchest conservative. However, they are united in their fear of a second Donald Trump presidency. I hasten to add that I am passing no judgement on those fears, but I suspect the radical democrats will have enormous difficulty maintaining a unified party without Trump.

That group of moderates represent the real opportunity to expand the republican tent beyond this election. There are a number of potential candidates that could lead that effort.

 

[deewayne2003]

For those that are curious as to the true situation regarding FEMA response; I think this video is the best source of information I've seen from people who are on the ground who actually know what they are doing in the Helene zone.....

@3:20 - Prepositioning in Florida for storm and arrival on scene with no government command, control or assets.
@10:30 - FEMA & MSM taking credit for saving lives/running missions that were preformed by private citizens using private aircraft
@31:50 - C17 loaded with supplies for Harris photo op, then plane/supplies were never sent.
@32:30 - Joe Biden fly over that shut down airspace & then joe couldn't remember what storm!
@35:00 - Biden interview where he couldn't remember which storm...
@36:00 - Sling load kits removed from helicopters so officials could be flown around for tours of damage, but helicopters useless for supply drops.
@40:00 - Supplies cut off from rural areas with no road access and having to lower supplies to areas with no landing zone because of lack of sling load kits
@1:01:02 - CNN is not allowed to show true storm damage
@1:06:00 - Unqualified FOR PROFIT contractors that submitted bids for relief work interfering/obstructing in recovery/rescue efforts by state guard unit and non profit.
@1:10:00 - Guardsmen that is FAA/Air Combat controller offering assistant and access to private helicopter denied because of incompetence and TFR(total flight restriction) set up to block both private and national guard helicopters from entering the area of La Fleur NC.