It's funny that "Supply Side" continues to be seen as pejorative. This is stupid. Supply Side is the whole of economics from Adam Smith to John Maynard Keynes, who roundly condemned Individualism and for all intents and purposes advocated Collectivism. Benito Mussolini called his ideas "Pure Fascism". If Mussolini did not understand Fasc…
It's funny that "Supply Side" continues to be seen as pejorative. This is stupid. Supply Side is the whole of economics from Adam Smith to John Maynard Keynes, who roundly condemned Individualism and for all intents and purposes advocated Collectivism. Benito Mussolini called his ideas "Pure Fascism". If Mussolini did not understand Fascist economics, who did?
The root question is "who spends money more intelligently and sustainably, the government, or the invidual?" Put another way, Demand Side, Keynesian economists claim that the government knows what people want more than they do. It claims the government can run up huge deficits indefinitely buying shit people don't want, that is useless outside of very short bursts of injecting money into an economy, and that this builds prosperity. It doesn't. It is just a trick to increase government power.
What's insane and ironic is that the Chinese seem to have believed him, and seem to have implemented his policies and seem to be on the verge of a huge economic crash. Real estate prices are dropping precipitously. Millions of Chinese are losing their life savings.
And to return to Reagan, after he cut taxes, Federal tax revenues increased over the baseline about two years later. Look it up. Same thing happened with the George W. Bush tax cuts.
The Congress simply outspent the increases in revenue. It's that simple. The tax cuts worked. We just had awful and irresponsible Congresses and Presidents unable to reel them in.
As far as the election, what sort of idiot can EVEN NOW defend Joe Biden in any way? He's a crook. He's a creep. His people cheated him into office. And he is pissing himself on public stages into adult diapers, before and after babbling incoherent nonsense.
Trump is intelligent; he is patriotic; and he seems to be honest. That seems the most likely explanation for why nearly the whole of our corrupt System has been attacking him since he declared his candidacy. How is this complicated for anyone who is not stupid? Answer: it isn't. He has the support of two thirds of America.
I almost spit up my beer, Barry. What are you smoking? Herr Trump, the man who speaks in monosyllables and truncated sentences (perhaps imitating Joe), is at around 50 % with the Republican Party. How that translates to 67% of America I have no idea. He’s a four time indicted ex politician who might actually be convicted of something in six months time (waiting sentencing) and you actually think he’s gonna peel off Democrats and all the Independents out there and win this?
Trump is not a strong leader. If he was, he would have drained the swamp instead of the swamp draining him. I cannot for the life of me understand the support for Trump.
What should he have done differently? He was betrayed by two Attorney Generals, two FBI directors, and most of the Republicans in Congress.
My take is that nearly everyone is Washington is some combination of cowardly and corrupt. You can’t walk into that and fix it in one term while under continuous attack. If he wasn’t someone who likes fighting, he would not have even tried.
Very good BC, except for the part about Trump being honest. He is at times, but not at other times. We voters should understand, there are no perfect candidates. But today, Trump is better than the others.
Astonishing mix of truth (about supply side economics) and absurdity.
Trump is patriotic? Donald “Bone Spur” Trump has made it crystal clear that he looks at anybody who sacrificed something to serve their country as loosers. He is a card-carrying establishment crook who declared that servicemen who happened to be captured and suffer for years in prison are simply loosers. He didn’t attack John McCain just for his political views, but for being a prisoner in Vietnam, where he refused to be freed just because his dad was a big general. That is a direct insult from a draft-dodging member of the elite to those lower class “loosers” who were stupid enough to serve or loose children in defense of their country.
Just because senile Biden and his woke crowd lie, cheat and censor at every step doesn’t make Trump less of a lier and a crook, who has no other vision for America’s future than to vindicate his loss in 2020. How about all the elections since 2018 on, lost by the Republicans due to Trump’s treacherous, narcissistic obsessions?
Even if what you said about Trump wasn't mostly hyperbole, you simply can't dispute that all Americans were on an upward track when he was in office and are rapidly losing ground under the senile imbecile who was installed to replace him.
If you have been around for the last few years, you must have a very exact recollection that what I mentioned is exactly what Trump said, loud and clear. Did you learn from the wokes how to deny obvious truths or twisting facts has always been your thing? Yes, Trump had a good record in office due to able advisors who dampened his worst ideas and charted a reasonable path. He got rid of those advisors even before the end of his mandate and is now surrounded only by absolute loonies, with easy to foresee consequences.
Talk about engaging in fairy tale narratives. It wasn't Trump's "advisors" that animated his most successful and sane policies of border control, fair trade, confronting but also engaging with our foreign enemies, lower taxes and less regulation.
In distinct contrast, Biden and his advisor are entirely in sync - adopt whatever policies are ruinous for America and detrimental to its loyal, hardworking citizens.
So, are you taking back your lie about Trump insulting people who served their country being just “hyperbole” or you want to go the same way as your role model? You keep talking about Biden, but with your style of dealing with facts you should write for the NYT.
Barry, thanks for the thoughtful commentary here and below. What are your thoughts on fiscal spending during Trumps first term, and what would you expect if he lands a second term? My opinion, Trump’s economic policy was great for the economy, but I have to think some of that success was the result of massive increase to the deficit. I don’t see how our country can keep spending at the pace we’ve seen over the past six years…it’s clearly a (some say the) key issue.
The system is crashing, by design, but he MIGHT be energized enough to do something about it. There is a 100% chance anyone else will just watch it and act as if they have nothing to do with it.
If Trump can’t fix this mess, then our system is going to go into steep decline that may last the rest of our lives and those of our children.
Looking at the patent idiocies on display here, its hard not to think we fucking deserve all of it. Decline, tyranny, dissolution and mass death.
I post because I have hope, but its getting harder and harder to maintain.
Two-thirds? Trump has the support of less than half of America, and the 2020 vote proved it.
And I don't know about "the system," but I attack Trump because he routinely stiffed contractors for three decades; made fun of a disabled reporter during a rally; and molested E. Jean Carroll. "Honest?" Bullshit. He defrauded states on the financial value of his buildings, which deprived those states of tax revenue that had to be made up by higher taxes on the little people. "Patriotic?" He ordered a D.C. park cleared with batons and tear gas so he could take a photo op with a Bible in front of a church, and he and called for the assassination of the joint chiefs of staff. "Intelligent?" Conveve, The Battle of Bowling Green, and Sharpiegate.
These and a thousand and one other things--I haven't even mentioned the four trials he faces this and next year, in which he will be convicted--make him patently unfit for re-election.
That doesn't mean I like Joe Biden; I'd much prefer a younger person free of oily family entanglements. It means that in a one-on-one contest like the presidency, Biden is Flu and Trump is Ebola.
I feel the same way. I would love to see an agency that was dedicated to investigating the three branches of government and all high ranking government officials and if corruption is found the miscreants spend hard time in a supermax prison not club fed.
Thanks, Lee. Weird thing is, people can hate Biden, Pelosi, Democrats, or Them Child-Molestin' Commie Libtardzz (tm) and still admit that Trump is a the 9/11/1/6 of toxic landfill fires in Hell. It's not a mortal sin to admit we can do a crapload better.
Absolutely right. It's binary here. When you say you despise Trump, it's automatically assumed you're for Biden. We can do better. And one day, we will..
I thought there might be some salvageable points from your post until you juxtaposed your allegation of Biden wearing adult diapers next to a claim that Trump is intelligent! We have pictures of Trump’s puffy britches poorly concealing what’s obvious an adult diaper, and countless examples of him not being able to use the English language. You’re making the wrong arguments to suit your substantive statements.
And how did Trump get the leaders of North and South Korea to meet if he is stupid?
I see accused of being stupid by saying ridiculous things, but his record was outstanding, particularly since he had to fight most of Permanent Washington all four years.
I didn't mean to get this involved. I actually have work to do.
I will note simply that most of our Federal apparatus has been captured by latent, One Party authoritarians who simply do not value the will and opinions of most of us. They think they know better, and to the extent possible are preventing us from voting for anything or anyone they don't like.
The CIA is more or less openly interfering in our elections. So too with the FBI, DoJ, IRS, and others. Most of our government has been weaponized to suppress political dissent. The people who agree with what our government says it is doing largely ignore this, or even approve of it. But their time will come, too. It always does.
No opinion on our political climate that fails to address these enormous problems is in my view serious or worthy of any consideration.
What all these people are missing is that much of what trump did was great for most Americans. Low gas and oil prices, booming economy, NO WARS, border security.
And that he was ruthlessly attacked for much he didn’t do. Start with those facts, then explain how it can be done without inciting hatred from the left and in a way that Trumps haters can embrace. He is hated because he beat Hillary and the press painted him as a terrible person.
Did you mean to say 2/3 of the Republican party!? Definitely not 2/3 of the country. Looking back on the past almost 8 years I can’t get over the attack campaign against President Trump. It seems the powers to be have something to hide why else would they go to such extremes to ruin the man? Even though I haven’t ever voted for the Trump ticket I will never agree with what is going on in our sad corrupt government. What’s good for thee isn’t good for me!!!!
I was a big Trump supporter and defender of his four years in office, appreciating nearly all of his policies, including reducing regulations and taxes to stimulate the economy, addressing the border crisis, isolating China for its cheating, attempting to break the decades-long conflict with North Korea, isolating the Palestinians for their rejectionism and support of terror, doing away with the horrendous Iran nuclear deal, putting sanctions on their rogue regime, and achieving the breakthrough Abraham Accords.
However, he lost me when he violated the most sacred tenet of our democracy: the peaceful transition of power, with his continued insistence that the election was stolen. This erodes trust in democracy, damages our global image, and diminishes America’s global influence in promoting democracy and human rights.
While 60% of Republicans support him, it’s important to note that Republicans make up only 30% of the electorate. That means a majority of Americans do not want him reelected. Republicans are stupid for making him their presumptive nominee.
Why are you so certain he's wrong, and that there was no interference, despite some of the information that has come out since? I know of at least 2 national presidential elections in fall of 2020 that are widely considered to be unfair elections -- in Belarus and Kyrgyzstan (the latter of which had a happy ending after some protesting). Tons of others around the world at various time; those two were just within 3 months of the US one. Why not a third one?
I respond to factual evidence -- let's hear what you've got. I know this: the Dominion voting machines was such a losing case that Fox was willing to settle for $850 million than risk losing $1.5 billion in a trial. Funny what came out in the depositions for that case -- that his biggest Fox anchor supporters, incluidng Tucker Carlson, were saying privately among themselves that his claims about the election being stolen was bullshit, as did his Attorney General Bill Barr and other close WH advisers.
Then there are the things that are arguably legal, but result in a rigged election, like media suppression of the Hunter Biden laptop story until after the election, or "Zuckbucks" turning selected county election offices into Democrat get-out-the-vote machines.
None of this is beyond-a-reasonable-doubt proof that Trump won. But I think it is impossible to have beyond-a-reasonable-doubt proof that he didn't.
OK, I was curious enough to look into the first issue about multiple absentee ballots sent to addresses in Maryland. Turns out that was true. But, missing from her story is that each ballot has a barcode and, like showing up at a sporting event or concert, if you try scanning your ticket after someone has already used it it won’t work:
Ross Goldstein with Maryland’s Board of Elections was quick to answer. “There should be no concern about double voting. We have procedures to catch that. On every ballot there is a barcode that's unique to that voter and we scan that into our system,” Goldstein explains. “So, we know if we get the same barcoded ballot back from the same voter. And we will only count one of those ballots from that voter." He says only the second ballot with the later date will count.
I bet every one of these other incidents she goes through is either very minor or has an explanation – and I’m sure were presented during the 63 court cases and were unconvincing.
Try again. The individual in that report did not try to vote twice with the same barcoded ballot, he was sent his ballot and a ballot for his brother, who for years has lived out of state. Two ballots with two barcodes, but only one eligible voter. A big problem in the states that mass mail ballots to everyone and who don't keep their voter registration lists accurate.
I didn't say anything about Dominion voting machines. There are many, many other vectors of attack, such as a water pipe to bursting in Georgia and then wheeling in a lot of fake ballots. Such as passing out ballots around a certain ethnic neighborhood in Detroit and then coming by in person to collect them. Such as 50,000 people in Michigan having illegal addresses on their voter registration. Things that the party with more than 3x as much funding would be able to do at about a 3x rate. Things that the party which is supported by America's largest social media giants would be able to instantly cover up and ban people for talking about -- after all, nothing says "trustworthy and fair" than banning people for asking questions about it or arresting protestors.
But I'm guessing we're not going to convince each other of much. Maybe Lukashenko did get 4.6 million votes in Belarus without any cheating or manipulation, and maybe Biden got 81 million in America. Who's to say other than the "trusted" news sources and officials of each country, eh?
I'll go with 63 court cases where they couldn't provide enough evidence to convince even one court to side with them. Not one. So, go ahead and believe what you want or try to liken the United States with Belarus -- doesn't fly with me.
So obvious that no proof was shown to the people who mattered in court. And why wasn’t any hard evidence shown to judges in the two months after the vote. What happened there? If it was so obvious where did it all go?
If you believe in the rule of law, which is another tenet of our democracy, then you will reject Trump. He had every right to sue because of his belief that the election was stolen. However, he lost or had all 63 cases dismissed, including many before Republican judges, some of whom he appointed. They were called frivolous and without merit.
Once he appealed, even to the Supreme Court, and lost, it’s over. It’s when Gore called Bush and said, ‘Congratulations, Mr. President.’ Trump refused to even attend the inauguration.
None of those courts heard any evidence, did they? In all cases I know of, they used spurious technicalities—typically a lack if “standing”, as if every defrauded voter did not suffer from it—to rationalize a very real fear of left wing Brownshirt mobs.
Roberts reportedly cited his fear of riots explicitly behind closed doors.
honest is not a word I would use for Trump. I am not saying he is some sleezy liar or anything, but nothing about him comes off as real or honest to me, aside from the fact that he seems to say things without a filter. But any time he is talking, I don't feel like I am getting an honest person. I feel like I am being sold to. I feel like he is saying things I want to hear (in my case they rarely are things I actually want to hear).
It is fine that people like him. But I don't see him as any more moral or trustworthy than most other politicians. He's just motivated about different things than they are.
Orange Jesus attacked the First Amendment by asking Congress to pass a law that would allow him to sue the news agencies for articles that wounded his oversize ego.
Orange Jesus attacked the Second Amendment (after telling us in the NRA, "I've got your back") by banning bump stocks by executive fiat, nominating an anti-gun Attorney General, nominating an anti-gun BATFE director, asking Congress to pass a so-called Assault Weapons Bill, asking Congress to pass a Universal Background Checks bill and asking Congress to pass a Red Flag bill. He had our backs alright, by slipping a knife in...
Orange Jesus attacked the Fourth Amendment by signing the reauthorization of the so-called PATRIOT Act after promising to reduce the government's power, so yet another failed promise.
Orange Jesus ran up the national debt even faster than Obama (even when you discount pandemic spending). His best three years of deficit spending added more to the national debt than Obama's worst three years.
"Trump is intelligent; he is patriotic; and he seems to be honest."
Orange Jesus might be intelligent, but he has no understanding or respect for the Constitution. "Patriot" implies a love of country but Orange Jesus loves only himself. Finally, to say that, "He seems to be honest" cannot be taken seriously after years of his lying to us on a nearly daily basis.
If Republicans think that they can win without Independents, they are delusional and if he is the nominee, then Republicans will have only themselves to blame when Dementia Joe wins a second term.
Great recap, Barry, although this notion that Trump has the support of two thirds of America may be a stretch. The poll are demonstrably lousy predictors of eventual results. Trump is basically another Huey P. Long from Louisiana who was the only politician that FDR was ever afraid of. Like Long, Trump speaks directly to voters who none of the other politicians ever bothered with - those folks without fancy educations and high net worth. People who get up at 4 AM to go to low paying jobs. They are the folks left behind by major corporations sending their jobs overseas, major corporations and individuals buying candidates with massive campaign financing. These folks realize that the politicians could care less about them. Trump not only speaks directly to these folks, he speaks to them in the language and tone that they speak to each other. In return, they are ferociously loyal and will vote for him no matter what he does. The irony is that the more the Left attacks Trump, the deeper the support from this group. They represent about 30% of the Republican vote. As demonstrated by the mid-terms, this voting block is not, in and of itself, enough to swing the election. The key to this election, imho, are the independents along with people across the political spectrum that are sick of watching the country they love degenerate into a dysfunctional third-world country. Addressing this requires someone who can think big and, most importantly, bring people together. DJT is great at dividing people, not bringing them together. Also, turning the country around will require some of America’s smartest and effective people. Based on past performance, who in their right mind would work for the past President? I didn’t see any Ronald Reagan’s last night, but this is not Hollywood. There were a couple of people last night, however, who have demonstrated the capability to change course in a meaningful way. If it comes down to Trump v. Biden then Walt Kelly’s line applies : We have met the enemy and it is us.
It's funny that "Supply Side" continues to be seen as pejorative. This is stupid. Supply Side is the whole of economics from Adam Smith to John Maynard Keynes, who roundly condemned Individualism and for all intents and purposes advocated Collectivism. Benito Mussolini called his ideas "Pure Fascism". If Mussolini did not understand Fascist economics, who did?
The root question is "who spends money more intelligently and sustainably, the government, or the invidual?" Put another way, Demand Side, Keynesian economists claim that the government knows what people want more than they do. It claims the government can run up huge deficits indefinitely buying shit people don't want, that is useless outside of very short bursts of injecting money into an economy, and that this builds prosperity. It doesn't. It is just a trick to increase government power.
What's insane and ironic is that the Chinese seem to have believed him, and seem to have implemented his policies and seem to be on the verge of a huge economic crash. Real estate prices are dropping precipitously. Millions of Chinese are losing their life savings.
And to return to Reagan, after he cut taxes, Federal tax revenues increased over the baseline about two years later. Look it up. Same thing happened with the George W. Bush tax cuts.
The Congress simply outspent the increases in revenue. It's that simple. The tax cuts worked. We just had awful and irresponsible Congresses and Presidents unable to reel them in.
As far as the election, what sort of idiot can EVEN NOW defend Joe Biden in any way? He's a crook. He's a creep. His people cheated him into office. And he is pissing himself on public stages into adult diapers, before and after babbling incoherent nonsense.
Trump is intelligent; he is patriotic; and he seems to be honest. That seems the most likely explanation for why nearly the whole of our corrupt System has been attacking him since he declared his candidacy. How is this complicated for anyone who is not stupid? Answer: it isn't. He has the support of two thirds of America.
Beautifully written. TRUMP 2024. Destroy the swamp!!
I almost spit up my beer, Barry. What are you smoking? Herr Trump, the man who speaks in monosyllables and truncated sentences (perhaps imitating Joe), is at around 50 % with the Republican Party. How that translates to 67% of America I have no idea. He’s a four time indicted ex politician who might actually be convicted of something in six months time (waiting sentencing) and you actually think he’s gonna peel off Democrats and all the Independents out there and win this?
That’s nuts. Even Donald would agree.
Trump is not a strong leader. If he was, he would have drained the swamp instead of the swamp draining him. I cannot for the life of me understand the support for Trump.
What should he have done differently? He was betrayed by two Attorney Generals, two FBI directors, and most of the Republicans in Congress.
My take is that nearly everyone is Washington is some combination of cowardly and corrupt. You can’t walk into that and fix it in one term while under continuous attack. If he wasn’t someone who likes fighting, he would not have even tried.
Very good BC, except for the part about Trump being honest. He is at times, but not at other times. We voters should understand, there are no perfect candidates. But today, Trump is better than the others.
Barry Cooper
Astonishing mix of truth (about supply side economics) and absurdity.
Trump is patriotic? Donald “Bone Spur” Trump has made it crystal clear that he looks at anybody who sacrificed something to serve their country as loosers. He is a card-carrying establishment crook who declared that servicemen who happened to be captured and suffer for years in prison are simply loosers. He didn’t attack John McCain just for his political views, but for being a prisoner in Vietnam, where he refused to be freed just because his dad was a big general. That is a direct insult from a draft-dodging member of the elite to those lower class “loosers” who were stupid enough to serve or loose children in defense of their country.
Just because senile Biden and his woke crowd lie, cheat and censor at every step doesn’t make Trump less of a lier and a crook, who has no other vision for America’s future than to vindicate his loss in 2020. How about all the elections since 2018 on, lost by the Republicans due to Trump’s treacherous, narcissistic obsessions?
Even if what you said about Trump wasn't mostly hyperbole, you simply can't dispute that all Americans were on an upward track when he was in office and are rapidly losing ground under the senile imbecile who was installed to replace him.
If you have been around for the last few years, you must have a very exact recollection that what I mentioned is exactly what Trump said, loud and clear. Did you learn from the wokes how to deny obvious truths or twisting facts has always been your thing? Yes, Trump had a good record in office due to able advisors who dampened his worst ideas and charted a reasonable path. He got rid of those advisors even before the end of his mandate and is now surrounded only by absolute loonies, with easy to foresee consequences.
Talk about engaging in fairy tale narratives. It wasn't Trump's "advisors" that animated his most successful and sane policies of border control, fair trade, confronting but also engaging with our foreign enemies, lower taxes and less regulation.
In distinct contrast, Biden and his advisor are entirely in sync - adopt whatever policies are ruinous for America and detrimental to its loyal, hardworking citizens.
So, are you taking back your lie about Trump insulting people who served their country being just “hyperbole” or you want to go the same way as your role model? You keep talking about Biden, but with your style of dealing with facts you should write for the NYT.
Barry, thanks for the thoughtful commentary here and below. What are your thoughts on fiscal spending during Trumps first term, and what would you expect if he lands a second term? My opinion, Trump’s economic policy was great for the economy, but I have to think some of that success was the result of massive increase to the deficit. I don’t see how our country can keep spending at the pace we’ve seen over the past six years…it’s clearly a (some say the) key issue.
The system is crashing, by design, but he MIGHT be energized enough to do something about it. There is a 100% chance anyone else will just watch it and act as if they have nothing to do with it.
If Trump can’t fix this mess, then our system is going to go into steep decline that may last the rest of our lives and those of our children.
Looking at the patent idiocies on display here, its hard not to think we fucking deserve all of it. Decline, tyranny, dissolution and mass death.
I post because I have hope, but its getting harder and harder to maintain.
Two-thirds? Trump has the support of less than half of America, and the 2020 vote proved it.
And I don't know about "the system," but I attack Trump because he routinely stiffed contractors for three decades; made fun of a disabled reporter during a rally; and molested E. Jean Carroll. "Honest?" Bullshit. He defrauded states on the financial value of his buildings, which deprived those states of tax revenue that had to be made up by higher taxes on the little people. "Patriotic?" He ordered a D.C. park cleared with batons and tear gas so he could take a photo op with a Bible in front of a church, and he and called for the assassination of the joint chiefs of staff. "Intelligent?" Conveve, The Battle of Bowling Green, and Sharpiegate.
These and a thousand and one other things--I haven't even mentioned the four trials he faces this and next year, in which he will be convicted--make him patently unfit for re-election.
That doesn't mean I like Joe Biden; I'd much prefer a younger person free of oily family entanglements. It means that in a one-on-one contest like the presidency, Biden is Flu and Trump is Ebola.
Well said.
Now for off topic.
Off topic. We have known this all along but the press and govt agencies have covered it up. Let's hope there is jail time involved:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/hillary-clinton-gets-bad-news-from-judge/ar-AA1hmGVS?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=d57a4a150b0b40b083c4195fcfd149bd&ei=9
The Clinton family corrupt? I am shocked, shocked to read this, LP!
Shane I posted a rather long post to you on your profile page. Did you get it?
I feel the same way. I would love to see an agency that was dedicated to investigating the three branches of government and all high ranking government officials and if corruption is found the miscreants spend hard time in a supermax prison not club fed.
Nicely said, Shane. But I don’t think facts matter much on this thread. The Trump narrative runs too strong. Sad.
"Fuck your facts, Shane, I have feelings . . . "
Amirite???
Thanks, Lee. Weird thing is, people can hate Biden, Pelosi, Democrats, or Them Child-Molestin' Commie Libtardzz (tm) and still admit that Trump is a the 9/11/1/6 of toxic landfill fires in Hell. It's not a mortal sin to admit we can do a crapload better.
Absolutely right. It's binary here. When you say you despise Trump, it's automatically assumed you're for Biden. We can do better. And one day, we will..
I thought there might be some salvageable points from your post until you juxtaposed your allegation of Biden wearing adult diapers next to a claim that Trump is intelligent! We have pictures of Trump’s puffy britches poorly concealing what’s obvious an adult diaper, and countless examples of him not being able to use the English language. You’re making the wrong arguments to suit your substantive statements.
I’ve never seen such a picture. Post one.
And how did Trump get the leaders of North and South Korea to meet if he is stupid?
I see accused of being stupid by saying ridiculous things, but his record was outstanding, particularly since he had to fight most of Permanent Washington all four years.
I didn't mean to get this involved. I actually have work to do.
I will note simply that most of our Federal apparatus has been captured by latent, One Party authoritarians who simply do not value the will and opinions of most of us. They think they know better, and to the extent possible are preventing us from voting for anything or anyone they don't like.
The CIA is more or less openly interfering in our elections. So too with the FBI, DoJ, IRS, and others. Most of our government has been weaponized to suppress political dissent. The people who agree with what our government says it is doing largely ignore this, or even approve of it. But their time will come, too. It always does.
No opinion on our political climate that fails to address these enormous problems is in my view serious or worthy of any consideration.
What all these people are missing is that much of what trump did was great for most Americans. Low gas and oil prices, booming economy, NO WARS, border security.
And that he was ruthlessly attacked for much he didn’t do. Start with those facts, then explain how it can be done without inciting hatred from the left and in a way that Trumps haters can embrace. He is hated because he beat Hillary and the press painted him as a terrible person.
Thank you Barry simply put!
Did you mean to say 2/3 of the Republican party!? Definitely not 2/3 of the country. Looking back on the past almost 8 years I can’t get over the attack campaign against President Trump. It seems the powers to be have something to hide why else would they go to such extremes to ruin the man? Even though I haven’t ever voted for the Trump ticket I will never agree with what is going on in our sad corrupt government. What’s good for thee isn’t good for me!!!!
I was a big Trump supporter and defender of his four years in office, appreciating nearly all of his policies, including reducing regulations and taxes to stimulate the economy, addressing the border crisis, isolating China for its cheating, attempting to break the decades-long conflict with North Korea, isolating the Palestinians for their rejectionism and support of terror, doing away with the horrendous Iran nuclear deal, putting sanctions on their rogue regime, and achieving the breakthrough Abraham Accords.
However, he lost me when he violated the most sacred tenet of our democracy: the peaceful transition of power, with his continued insistence that the election was stolen. This erodes trust in democracy, damages our global image, and diminishes America’s global influence in promoting democracy and human rights.
While 60% of Republicans support him, it’s important to note that Republicans make up only 30% of the electorate. That means a majority of Americans do not want him reelected. Republicans are stupid for making him their presumptive nominee.
Why are you so certain he's wrong, and that there was no interference, despite some of the information that has come out since? I know of at least 2 national presidential elections in fall of 2020 that are widely considered to be unfair elections -- in Belarus and Kyrgyzstan (the latter of which had a happy ending after some protesting). Tons of others around the world at various time; those two were just within 3 months of the US one. Why not a third one?
I respond to factual evidence -- let's hear what you've got. I know this: the Dominion voting machines was such a losing case that Fox was willing to settle for $850 million than risk losing $1.5 billion in a trial. Funny what came out in the depositions for that case -- that his biggest Fox anchor supporters, incluidng Tucker Carlson, were saying privately among themselves that his claims about the election being stolen was bullshit, as did his Attorney General Bill Barr and other close WH advisers.
First segment (14 minutes) of report by Sharyl Attkisson:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PaU04GBLDI
Estimate of votes by non-citizens in 2020:
https://www.justfactsdaily.com/quantifying-illegal-votes-cast-by-non-citizens-in-the-battleground-states-of-the-2020-presidential-election
Illegal vote harvesting in Florida:
https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/elections/florida-opens-criminal-probe-democrat-whistleblowers-evidence-ballot
The Gableman Report on vote fraud in Wisconsin:
https://www.manhattancontrarian.com/blog/2022-3-5-wisconsin-report-reveals-how-systematic-election-fraud-is-done
Then there are the things that are arguably legal, but result in a rigged election, like media suppression of the Hunter Biden laptop story until after the election, or "Zuckbucks" turning selected county election offices into Democrat get-out-the-vote machines.
None of this is beyond-a-reasonable-doubt proof that Trump won. But I think it is impossible to have beyond-a-reasonable-doubt proof that he didn't.
OK, I was curious enough to look into the first issue about multiple absentee ballots sent to addresses in Maryland. Turns out that was true. But, missing from her story is that each ballot has a barcode and, like showing up at a sporting event or concert, if you try scanning your ticket after someone has already used it it won’t work:
Ross Goldstein with Maryland’s Board of Elections was quick to answer. “There should be no concern about double voting. We have procedures to catch that. On every ballot there is a barcode that's unique to that voter and we scan that into our system,” Goldstein explains. “So, we know if we get the same barcoded ballot back from the same voter. And we will only count one of those ballots from that voter." He says only the second ballot with the later date will count.
I bet every one of these other incidents she goes through is either very minor or has an explanation – and I’m sure were presented during the 63 court cases and were unconvincing.
Try again. The individual in that report did not try to vote twice with the same barcoded ballot, he was sent his ballot and a ballot for his brother, who for years has lived out of state. Two ballots with two barcodes, but only one eligible voter. A big problem in the states that mass mail ballots to everyone and who don't keep their voter registration lists accurate.
I didn't say anything about Dominion voting machines. There are many, many other vectors of attack, such as a water pipe to bursting in Georgia and then wheeling in a lot of fake ballots. Such as passing out ballots around a certain ethnic neighborhood in Detroit and then coming by in person to collect them. Such as 50,000 people in Michigan having illegal addresses on their voter registration. Things that the party with more than 3x as much funding would be able to do at about a 3x rate. Things that the party which is supported by America's largest social media giants would be able to instantly cover up and ban people for talking about -- after all, nothing says "trustworthy and fair" than banning people for asking questions about it or arresting protestors.
But I'm guessing we're not going to convince each other of much. Maybe Lukashenko did get 4.6 million votes in Belarus without any cheating or manipulation, and maybe Biden got 81 million in America. Who's to say other than the "trusted" news sources and officials of each country, eh?
I'll go with 63 court cases where they couldn't provide enough evidence to convince even one court to side with them. Not one. So, go ahead and believe what you want or try to liken the United States with Belarus -- doesn't fly with me.
The election WAS stolen, and obviously so. There is nothing illegal, yet, about speaking obvious truths.
So obvious that no proof was shown to the people who mattered in court. And why wasn’t any hard evidence shown to judges in the two months after the vote. What happened there? If it was so obvious where did it all go?
If you believe in the rule of law, which is another tenet of our democracy, then you will reject Trump. He had every right to sue because of his belief that the election was stolen. However, he lost or had all 63 cases dismissed, including many before Republican judges, some of whom he appointed. They were called frivolous and without merit.
Once he appealed, even to the Supreme Court, and lost, it’s over. It’s when Gore called Bush and said, ‘Congratulations, Mr. President.’ Trump refused to even attend the inauguration.
None of those courts heard any evidence, did they? In all cases I know of, they used spurious technicalities—typically a lack if “standing”, as if every defrauded voter did not suffer from it—to rationalize a very real fear of left wing Brownshirt mobs.
Roberts reportedly cited his fear of riots explicitly behind closed doors.
Nah… I don’t believe that for a second. Do you really think that’s how courts work?
honest is not a word I would use for Trump. I am not saying he is some sleezy liar or anything, but nothing about him comes off as real or honest to me, aside from the fact that he seems to say things without a filter. But any time he is talking, I don't feel like I am getting an honest person. I feel like I am being sold to. I feel like he is saying things I want to hear (in my case they rarely are things I actually want to hear).
It is fine that people like him. But I don't see him as any more moral or trustworthy than most other politicians. He's just motivated about different things than they are.
Orange Jesus attacked the First Amendment by asking Congress to pass a law that would allow him to sue the news agencies for articles that wounded his oversize ego.
Orange Jesus attacked the Second Amendment (after telling us in the NRA, "I've got your back") by banning bump stocks by executive fiat, nominating an anti-gun Attorney General, nominating an anti-gun BATFE director, asking Congress to pass a so-called Assault Weapons Bill, asking Congress to pass a Universal Background Checks bill and asking Congress to pass a Red Flag bill. He had our backs alright, by slipping a knife in...
Orange Jesus attacked the Fourth Amendment by signing the reauthorization of the so-called PATRIOT Act after promising to reduce the government's power, so yet another failed promise.
Orange Jesus ran up the national debt even faster than Obama (even when you discount pandemic spending). His best three years of deficit spending added more to the national debt than Obama's worst three years.
"Trump is intelligent; he is patriotic; and he seems to be honest."
Orange Jesus might be intelligent, but he has no understanding or respect for the Constitution. "Patriot" implies a love of country but Orange Jesus loves only himself. Finally, to say that, "He seems to be honest" cannot be taken seriously after years of his lying to us on a nearly daily basis.
If Republicans think that they can win without Independents, they are delusional and if he is the nominee, then Republicans will have only themselves to blame when Dementia Joe wins a second term.
Great recap, Barry, although this notion that Trump has the support of two thirds of America may be a stretch. The poll are demonstrably lousy predictors of eventual results. Trump is basically another Huey P. Long from Louisiana who was the only politician that FDR was ever afraid of. Like Long, Trump speaks directly to voters who none of the other politicians ever bothered with - those folks without fancy educations and high net worth. People who get up at 4 AM to go to low paying jobs. They are the folks left behind by major corporations sending their jobs overseas, major corporations and individuals buying candidates with massive campaign financing. These folks realize that the politicians could care less about them. Trump not only speaks directly to these folks, he speaks to them in the language and tone that they speak to each other. In return, they are ferociously loyal and will vote for him no matter what he does. The irony is that the more the Left attacks Trump, the deeper the support from this group. They represent about 30% of the Republican vote. As demonstrated by the mid-terms, this voting block is not, in and of itself, enough to swing the election. The key to this election, imho, are the independents along with people across the political spectrum that are sick of watching the country they love degenerate into a dysfunctional third-world country. Addressing this requires someone who can think big and, most importantly, bring people together. DJT is great at dividing people, not bringing them together. Also, turning the country around will require some of America’s smartest and effective people. Based on past performance, who in their right mind would work for the past President? I didn’t see any Ronald Reagan’s last night, but this is not Hollywood. There were a couple of people last night, however, who have demonstrated the capability to change course in a meaningful way. If it comes down to Trump v. Biden then Walt Kelly’s line applies : We have met the enemy and it is us.
Good comparison of Trump to Long. I suspect Trump's story will end the same way Long's did.