American Politics

[Pat Rice in Short Shorts]

Looks like there may not be enough votes for witnesses.

Lamar Alexander is a limp dick but admits Trump did wrong.

The Democrats just got a major boost and ammo for the presidency and the Senate.

Cowards and hypocrites, the lot of the GOP. If any Dem president had done what Trump did, every Republican would've voted for witnesses and an eventual conviction.

And every Democrat would have voted against ... when it's party politics above the law you know you're fecked.

Vote on Friday will probably be entirely on party lines (maybe a couple of switches) but it will in no way be bipartisan ... exactly as it wasn't in the House.

Not sure if anyone wins - Reps will cry witch-hunt - Dems will scream cover-up - it's the swing voters that matter and history tells us they vote with their wallets. The challenge for the Dems will be to keep the economy out of the argument, that's a tough ask.

I would watch Manchin's vote and that of Jones in AL. They both are in Trump states.

A new Gallup poll shows that most Americans are very satisfied with the economy and other aspects of life, a huge jump from a couple years back. As with any poll how a question is asked is the key to the answer as well as who is asked obviously. The best polling is done in a tracking poll which samples evenly and consistently. Wallet based voting is the norm for most people, so given historical voting trends during presidential years I'd suspect that the GOP will hold the Senate and come very close to retaking the House.

https://news.gallup.com/poll/284033/ame ... mixed.aspx

All the emphasis by the media has been what effect a acquit vote will have on GOP Senators. The same concern has to be for Dem House members who voted to impeach especially those from Trump districts.

[LMAO]

Well the Iowa Democratic Party royally screwed things up lol

Imo, the big winners are Bernie (should he win) and Bloomberg. Bernie can spin it as he can win even with the establishment against him, and Bloomberg can say that the Democrats need someone like him with experience in charge of a large organization to get things running smoothly.

The big loser post-Iowa is Buttigieg. If the rumors are true and his campaign helped fund the app, then wew boy...

[EliteKiller]

Well the Iowa Democratic Party royally screwed things up lol

Imo, the big winners are Bernie (should he win) and Bloomberg. Bernie can spin it as he can win even with the establishment against him, and Bloomberg can say that the Democrats need someone like him with experience in charge of a large organization to get things running smoothly.

The big loser post-Iowa is Buttigieg. If the rumors are true and his campaign helped fund the app, then wew boy...

The problem is should Bernie or Buttigieg have 'won' it now won't matter, frankly whatever Iowa now comes up with as a result nobody will trust it ... should Bernie/Buttigieg have been declared the winner this would have been a huge launch for their candidacy campaign ... now all that momentum has been killed stone dead.

Not big on conspiracy theories but this smacks of the DNC realising that "their guy" had completely crashed and burned and are now looking to spin the damage by preventing Bernie/Buttigieg (or indeed any other candidate) from getting the jump that winning Iowa brings.

Long term any Democratic results will now be treated with derision and disbelief, the Trump team will endlessly advertise this total screw up as proof positive that you can't trust the Dems to run the country ...

After four years to prepare for this vote to feck it up so spectacularly could be the biggest political mistake since Bill asked "why didn't you swallow?"

[Pat Rice in Short Shorts]

Well the Iowa Democratic Party royally screwed things up lol

Imo, the big winners are Bernie (should he win) and Bloomberg. Bernie can spin it as he can win even with the establishment against him, and Bloomberg can say that the Democrats need someone like him with experience in charge of a large organization to get things running smoothly.

The big loser post-Iowa is Buttigieg. If the rumors are true and his campaign helped fund the app, then wew boy...

What no Macedonians or Russians to blame? Actually MSNBC did blame Trump and Putin.

I am not a big conspiracy guy (unless it is warranted as the FISA/Russian BS turned out to be) but it sure looks like Bernie got screwed again by the DNC. Biden it seems came in a distant fourth. Buttigieg it seems from head counts to have done quite well, but there were reports that several people who had joined his group in some high school gym moved to Warren when they were told he is gay. Not sure how anyone could have missed that.

Bernie is the DNCs worst nightmare besides Trump. He is not even a Democrat and the DNC/Pelosi know if he were to be nominated they lose the House and any chance at the Senate. They also know they are losing their party to a bunch of socialist idiots like AOC. The dirty secret of the DNC is that much of their campaign cash comes from Wall Street and big banks. If Bernie or Warren get the nod they are not giving them a penny.

Watched a few interviews with panels of young Dem voters from Iowa yesterday, and to be honest they have no clue about the history of any of the candidates nor why the economy is so hot. They were all pretty much pompous morality Nazis claiming to be the sole arbiters of compassion and equality. All white liberals BTW who often crossed into savior of the black community mode. One group was asked to comment on certain comments made by the Dem field such as Biden's famous "they gonna put ya'll back in chains" quip to the NAACP. They all assumed it was a Trump quote and denounced it as racist and despicable... as it was. But when they were shown it to be Biden's quote they were either shocked or changed their mind. One girl then claimed that "everyone is a hypocrite sometimes" referring to Biden but the irony of her reaction was lost on her. She was partially right, but clearly lacking self awareness.

The question now IMO is not who will be President but if the Dems can hold the House. History says no.

State of the Union is tonight, will be quite interesting to watch. Amazing that all of the Dem candidates yesterday were campaigning on what they claim is weak economy...yet something like 78% of Americans are loving it and seeing their wages rise significantly. So the tables have been turned in the past four years when Trump was lambasted for being negative, and now it is the Dems who are all doom and gloom.

[Royal Gooner]

Well the Iowa Democratic Party royally screwed things up lol

Imo, the big winners are Bernie (should he win) and Bloomberg. Bernie can spin it as he can win even with the establishment against him, and Bloomberg can say that the Democrats need someone like him with experience in charge of a large organization to get things running smoothly.

The big loser post-Iowa is Buttigieg. If the rumors are true and his campaign helped fund the app, then wew boy...

What no Macedonians or Russians to blame? Actually MSNBC did blame Trump and Putin.

I am not a big conspiracy guy (unless it is warranted as the FISA/Russian BS turned out to be) but it sure looks like Bernie got screwed again by the DNC. Biden it seems came in a distant fourth. Buttigieg it seems from head counts to have done quite well, but there were reports that several people who had joined his group in some high school gym moved to Warren when they were told he is gay. Not sure how anyone could have missed that.

And that, and that alone, will be the reason why he will not be President.

[LMAO]

Well the Iowa Democratic Party royally screwed things up lol

Imo, the big winners are Bernie (should he win) and Bloomberg. Bernie can spin it as he can win even with the establishment against him, and Bloomberg can say that the Democrats need someone like him with experience in charge of a large organization to get things running smoothly.

The big loser post-Iowa is Buttigieg. If the rumors are true and his campaign helped fund the app, then wew boy...

What no Macedonians or Russians to blame? Actually MSNBC did blame Trump and Putin.

I am not a big conspiracy guy (unless it is warranted as the FISA/Russian BS turned out to be) but it sure looks like Bernie got screwed again by the DNC. Biden it seems came in a distant fourth. Buttigieg it seems from head counts to have done quite well, but there were reports that several people who had joined his group in some high school gym moved to Warren when they were told he is gay. Not sure how anyone could have missed that.

Bernie is the DNCs worst nightmare besides Trump. He is not even a Democrat and the DNC/Pelosi know if he were to be nominated they lose the House and any chance at the Senate. They also know they are losing their party to a bunch of socialist idiots like AOC. The dirty secret of the DNC is that much of their campaign cash comes from Wall Street and big banks. If Bernie or Warren get the nod they are not giving them a penny.

Watched a few interviews with panels of young Dem voters from Iowa yesterday, and to be honest they have no clue about the history of any of the candidates nor why the economy is so hot. They were all pretty much pompous morality Nazis claiming to be the sole arbiters of compassion and equality. All white liberals BTW who often crossed into savior of the black community mode. One group was asked to comment on certain comments made by the Dem field such as Biden's famous "they gonna put ya'll back in chains" quip to the NAACP. They all assumed it was a Trump quote and denounced it as racist and despicable... as it was. But when they were shown it to be Biden's quote they were either shocked or changed their mind. One girl then claimed that "everyone is a hypocrite sometimes" referring to Biden but the irony of her reaction was lost on her. She was partially right, but clearly lacking self awareness.

The question now IMO is not who will be President but if the Dems can hold the House. History says no.

State of the Union is tonight, will be quite interesting to watch. Amazing that all of the Dem candidates yesterday were campaigning on what they claim is weak economy...yet something like 78% of Americans are loving it and seeing their wages rise significantly. So the tables have been turned in the past four years when Trump was lambasted for being negative, and now it is the Dems who are all doom and gloom.

Not a moment of irony lost?

You're doing the same exact thing the rest of us who said Trump couldn't win in 2016 did, and saying the same things Trump did.

Trump before 2016 elections: WEAK ECONOMY! TERRIBLE STOCK MARKET! NO JOBS!

When in reality, the economy was doing good and unemployment was on the decline.

If Trump could win in 2016, then Bernie absolutely can in 2020.

[LMAO]

Well the Iowa Democratic Party royally screwed things up lol

Imo, the big winners are Bernie (should he win) and Bloomberg. Bernie can spin it as he can win even with the establishment against him, and Bloomberg can say that the Democrats need someone like him with experience in charge of a large organization to get things running smoothly.

The big loser post-Iowa is Buttigieg. If the rumors are true and his campaign helped fund the app, then wew boy...

What no Macedonians or Russians to blame? Actually MSNBC did blame Trump and Putin.

I am not a big conspiracy guy (unless it is warranted as the FISA/Russian BS turned out to be) but it sure looks like Bernie got screwed again by the DNC. Biden it seems came in a distant fourth. Buttigieg it seems from head counts to have done quite well, but there were reports that several people who had joined his group in some high school gym moved to Warren when they were told he is gay. Not sure how anyone could have missed that.

And that, and that alone, will be the reason why he will not be President.

Also the fact that he seems like a snake.

I mean, I'd vote for him over Trump, but I'd hold my nose for another neoliberal, right-wing economic policy candidate.

Idk what it is, but Pete reminds me a lot of Macron.

[Pat Rice in Short Shorts]

Well the Iowa Democratic Party royally screwed things up lol

Imo, the big winners are Bernie (should he win) and Bloomberg. Bernie can spin it as he can win even with the establishment against him, and Bloomberg can say that the Democrats need someone like him with experience in charge of a large organization to get things running smoothly.

The big loser post-Iowa is Buttigieg. If the rumors are true and his campaign helped fund the app, then wew boy...

What no Macedonians or Russians to blame? Actually MSNBC did blame Trump and Putin.

I am not a big conspiracy guy (unless it is warranted as the FISA/Russian BS turned out to be) but it sure looks like Bernie got screwed again by the DNC. Biden it seems came in a distant fourth. Buttigieg it seems from head counts to have done quite well, but there were reports that several people who had joined his group in some high school gym moved to Warren when they were told he is gay. Not sure how anyone could have missed that.

And that, and that alone, will be the reason why he will not be President.

Also the fact that he seems like a snake.

I mean, I'd vote for him over Trump, but I'd hold my nose for another neoliberal, right-wing economic policy candidate.

Idk what it is, but Pete reminds me a lot of Macron.

I don't think being gay is hurting Pete in the polls, perhaps helps him a lot with ID voters. But he has no record of making a city work much less an economy.

The Dems are hurting. They decided to "resist" common sense policies they had been supporting but never got done, and in comes Trump (whom they irrationally hate ) who implements those policies and they decide to oppose him on everything.

Pelosi was acting like an 84 year old child. The Dems could not bring themselves to applaud low unemployment, millions off welfare, thriving markets and jobs coming out of our ears. Trump by contrast was positive and the adult in the room. His Gallup poll numbers were at 49% approval before that speech, and will be higher yet next poll. He wins again.

[LMAO]

Well the Iowa Democratic Party royally screwed things up lol

Imo, the big winners are Bernie (should he win) and Bloomberg. Bernie can spin it as he can win even with the establishment against him, and Bloomberg can say that the Democrats need someone like him with experience in charge of a large organization to get things running smoothly.

The big loser post-Iowa is Buttigieg. If the rumors are true and his campaign helped fund the app, then wew boy...

What no Macedonians or Russians to blame? Actually MSNBC did blame Trump and Putin.

I am not a big conspiracy guy (unless it is warranted as the FISA/Russian BS turned out to be) but it sure looks like Bernie got screwed again by the DNC. Biden it seems came in a distant fourth. Buttigieg it seems from head counts to have done quite well, but there were reports that several people who had joined his group in some high school gym moved to Warren when they were told he is gay. Not sure how anyone could have missed that.

And that, and that alone, will be the reason why he will not be President.

Also the fact that he seems like a snake.

I mean, I'd vote for him over Trump, but I'd hold my nose for another neoliberal, right-wing economic policy candidate.

Idk what it is, but Pete reminds me a lot of Macron.

I don't think being gay is hurting Pete in the polls, perhaps helps him a lot with ID voters. But he has no record of making a city work much less an economy.

The Dems are hurting. They decided to "resist" common sense policies they had been supporting but never got done, and in comes Trump (whom they irrationally hate ) who implements those policies and they decide to oppose him on everything.

Pelosi was acting like an 84 year old child. The Dems could not bring themselves to applaud low unemployment, millions off welfare, thriving markets and jobs coming out of our ears. Trump by contrast was positive and the adult in the room. His Gallup poll numbers were at 49% approval before that speech, and will be higher yet next poll. He wins again.

Such as? And the timeframe you mean for these policies.

Also you say Dems irrationally hate Trump. So sort of like Republicans with Obama? And now Bernie and AOC? Even Guaido (y'know, the guy Trump backs in Venezuela and invited to the SotU last night) said AOC wasn't this radical socialist the right portrays her as:

The question of the United States’ intentions hung over the crisis in Venezuela, but Guaidó admitted to being hazy on American politics. In Vargas, he took me aside to ask about the 2020 elections. He noted that Bernie Sanders had announced his intention to run, but he knew little about Beto O’Rourke. Asked about Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez during a recent Fox Business interview, he had drawn a blank. He’d Googled her afterward, and he told me with a laugh that she didn’t seem all that radical: “What they refer to as socialist in the United States is what we’d call a Social Democrat here.”

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019 ... ts-collide

And that's what I've been trying to tell you for weeks now: Bernie and AOC aren't radical socialists; they'd be center-left in most of the Western world. It's just that America's center is so far right that even moderates get painted as sOcIaLiStS.

Also, the SotU is political theater and has been for decades. The Dems not applauding is nothing out of the ordinary and is a nothingburger in the grand scheme of things. Democrats did it to Reagan and Bush, Republicans did it to Clinton, Democrats did it to GWB, Republicans did it to Obama, Democrats did it to Trump, and Republicans will do it to the next Democratic president.

[LMAO]

Oh wow. Romney is going to vote to convict.

A part of me wants to believe he's doing it because of his conscience, but the other, cynical part of me thinks he's doing it to distance himself from Trump so the Mormon can use it to his advantage during a 2024 presidential run.

[jayramfootball]

The Dems got what they wanted - campaign material for November.
Given the polling, seems to me the election is a coin toss in Nov.
Will be interesting to see how it plays out.
For insight into who is going to win as the months pass, ignore the Dem and Rep politicians plus the media - and keep an eye on the independents and middle ground.

[Highbury Hillbilly]

Oh wow. Romney is going to vote to convict.

A part of me wants to believe he's doing it because of his conscience, but the other, cynical part of me thinks he's doing it to distance himself from Trump so the Mormon can use it to his advantage during a 2024 presidential run.

As if you need a clean moral slate to run as a Republican. I'd respect Romney more if he ran as an Independent. Otherwise he'll still be a Republican in the eyes of non-Repub voters, and a RINO in the eyes of Republican voters.

[Royal Gooner]

Oh wow. Romney is going to vote to convict.

A part of me wants to believe he's doing it because of his conscience, but the other, cynical part of me thinks he's doing it to distance himself from Trump so the Mormon can use it to his advantage during a 2024 presidential run.

As if you need a clean moral slate to run as a Republican. I'd respect Romney more if he ran as an Independent. Otherwise he'll still be a Republican in the eyes of non-Repub voters, and a RINO in the eyes of Republican voters.

You have no chance unless you get either of the big two's nominations. It's almost as if you have no choice. Why else do you think Bernie Sanders is going for the Democratic nomination?

[EliteKiller]

Oh wow. Romney is going to vote to convict.

A part of me wants to believe he's doing it because of his conscience, but the other, cynical part of me thinks he's doing it to distance himself from Trump so the Mormon can use it to his advantage during a 2024 presidential run.

Romney is dead as a Republican - he has more chance of getting the Democratic nomination in 2024 (I'm serious) far more likely that he's just ended his political career ... not that it ever amounted to much anyway.

[Pat Rice in Short Shorts]

Well the Iowa Democratic Party royally screwed things up lol

Imo, the big winners are Bernie (should he win) and Bloomberg. Bernie can spin it as he can win even with the establishment against him, and Bloomberg can say that the Democrats need someone like him with experience in charge of a large organization to get things running smoothly.

The big loser post-Iowa is Buttigieg. If the rumors are true and his campaign helped fund the app, then wew boy...

What no Macedonians or Russians to blame? Actually MSNBC did blame Trump and Putin.

I am not a big conspiracy guy (unless it is warranted as the FISA/Russian BS turned out to be) but it sure looks like Bernie got screwed again by the DNC. Biden it seems came in a distant fourth. Buttigieg it seems from head counts to have done quite well, but there were reports that several people who had joined his group in some high school gym moved to Warren when they were told he is gay. Not sure how anyone could have missed that.

And that, and that alone, will be the reason why he will not be President.

Also the fact that he seems like a snake.

I mean, I'd vote for him over Trump, but I'd hold my nose for another neoliberal, right-wing economic policy candidate.

Idk what it is, but Pete reminds me a lot of Macron.

I don't think being gay is hurting Pete in the polls, perhaps helps him a lot with ID voters. But he has no record of making a city work much less an economy.

The Dems are hurting. They decided to "resist" common sense policies they had been supporting but never got done, and in comes Trump (whom they irrationally hate ) who implements those policies and they decide to oppose him on everything.

Pelosi was acting like an 84 year old child. The Dems could not bring themselves to applaud low unemployment, millions off welfare, thriving markets and jobs coming out of our ears. Trump by contrast was positive and the adult in the room. His Gallup poll numbers were at 49% approval before that speech, and will be higher yet next poll. He wins again.

Such as? And the timeframe you mean for these policies.

Also you say Dems irrationally hate Trump. So sort of like Republicans with Obama? And now Bernie and AOC? Even Guaido (y'know, the guy Trump backs in Venezuela and invited to the SotU last night) said AOC wasn't this radical socialist the right portrays her as:

The question of the United States’ intentions hung over the crisis in Venezuela, but Guaidó admitted to being hazy on American politics. In Vargas, he took me aside to ask about the 2020 elections. He noted that Bernie Sanders had announced his intention to run, but he knew little about Beto O’Rourke. Asked about Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez during a recent Fox Business interview, he had drawn a blank. He’d Googled her afterward, and he told me with a laugh that she didn’t seem all that radical: “What they refer to as socialist in the United States is what we’d call a Social Democrat here.”

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019 ... ts-collide

And that's what I've been trying to tell you for weeks now: Bernie and AOC aren't radical socialists; they'd be center-left in most of the Western world. It's just that America's center is so far right that even moderates get painted as sOcIaLiStS.

Also, the SotU is political theater and has been for decades. The Dems not applauding is nothing out of the ordinary and is a nothingburger in the grand scheme of things. Democrats did it to Reagan and Bush, Republicans did it to Clinton, Democrats did it to GWB, Republicans did it to Obama, Democrats did it to Trump, and Republicans will do it to the next Democratic president.

Such as the Dems passing funding for a new southern wall under Obama then rejecting the same proposal from Trump. The refusal to deal with him on DACA or immigration reform, prison reform, school choice, late term abortion, the list is long... you missed the whole "resistance" debacle? Trump's positions have been mainstream Dem policies for decades BTW. You cannot be serious.

You don't find anything like the hate for Trump dude, never. Not even close. Obama pissed off conservatives by pushing Obamacare through (and causing our insurance to skyrocket), funding Iranian terrorism and paying for their IEDs which they provided to the Taliban, Hamas, Hezbollah, the Yemeni rebels and AQ in Iraq.

You are so wrong about Bernie, or are so far left as he seems normal to you. Have you ever perused the DS of A website? Have you not researched his stances on Communism and his defence of totalitarian governments such as Cuba? You can try to persuade me all you want but I know Bernie. I was working out of Sen Paul Wellstone's office helping to write the EQIP program in DC back in the mid 90's. Bernie was a Congressman at the time and was so deep into socialism that he was not even a member of the Dem Party. He was seen as a socialist even by hardcore Dems in the House and Senate, and I worked pretty closely with Dorgan, Conrad, Boxer and their staff. Bernie was constantly butting heads with the Clintons and just about everyone else. One thing I appreciated about the man was that he was on the frontlines of passing the first legislation concerning what is now referred to as Gulf War Syndrome. The only folks to the left of AOC and Bernie are actual Communists. Guaido is your source? Wow.

So let me ask you question. What policies and results that Trump has produced do you agree with? Then what fears that you guys held about him reversing civil rights have come true?

State of the Union is indeed a political spectacle. That does not excuse Pelosi. But then the right is not offended by her actions, we are laughing because it like everything else she has tried v Trump has exploded in her face. She was pushed by the AOC wing into much of it, but it all backfired as many predicted.