The Trump Presidency

[KeriYana72]

We need to invest in mental health in the US.

 

[Theopolis Q. Hossenffer]

We need to invest in mental health in the US.

Starting at the top

 

[gmase]

There's probably a large part of the media who will do this, but there are also quite a few who won't forget that the battle wasn't just over political differences. trump and republicans tried very hard to subvert democracy and install a fascist government, and for quite a while it was anybody's guess as to whether they would succeed.

If you voted for trump in 2020, you support:
* Concentration camps on US soil
* Incarceration of legal asylum seekers
* Forcibly removing children (including babies) from their parents, and placing both in concentration camps, without bothering to keep track of relationships
* Knowing that Russia is offering cash to Taliban fighters to kill US soldiers and being too scared to say anything to Putin about it
* Denying and lying about a global pandemic to the point that the US becomes the worst performing country in the world in terms of controlling it, with the worst death rate
* A president who uses his position to enrich himself at the expense of US taxpayers
* An endless procession of corrupt, criminal actors being placed in very high positions within the US government
* A level of lying, incompetence and ineptitude that was a humiliation for every American on a daily basis
* The significant diminishing of America's position as a global leader, allowing countries like China to elevate their own position
* Overt racism, sexism, xenophobia, and bigotry against the gay and transsexual communities
* Massive increases to the national debt and deficit to fund tax cuts to the ultra wealthy
* Surrender or defeat in every military engagement the US was involved in, allowing foreign adversaries like Russia to increase their power and influence in countries like Iraq

I could go on, but some of you get the point already, and some of you never will. This is why brunch is still cancelled. Because apparently almost 50% of the US population is fine with all this, and that should worry everyone.

Here's something to ponder: Why wasn't this a rout? Why didn't the Democrats sweep the House? Why didn't the Democrats gain control of the Senate? Why was it so close in PA and GA?

Instead of pointing fingers at the Republicans and painting them as your describe, the Dems better look in the mirror and find a soul. Then, find someone who can clearly articulate an agenda (like them or not, Obama and Clinton are two good examples; pre-Iraq Bush was good at articulating the compassionate conservatism). It took a global pandemic and a leader going off the rails just for Biden to eke out a victory. Without both, this thread would be lasting for 4 more years.

Not all Republicans support what you described. Just like Dems aren't all like how Dolphin and his personas describe them. Most Dems are not wrecking havoc on civic institutions, public landmarks, and wanting police departments to be defunded. The Dems, and most other rational citizens, want them reformed so these institutions work for all people.

Almost 50% of the US population is NOT fine with what you described. It's abhorrent and the US will be paying a price for some time.

Yeah, it occurred to me after that I should have said that. What a big chunk of republicans are doing right now is attempting to stage a coup.

I would suggest some, not many, Republicans are trying to stage a coup. The most maniacal are those in the Trump personality group while the leadership of the group is standing around watching while the process takes place. No evidence will be found and life will move on. Then we'll really see that group playing the victim or the martyr.

What does standing up to a bully mean? It's easy to Tweet, but who will man-up and face the bully head on?

Starting at the top

Trickle down therapy.

 

[xfire]

 

[Theopolis Q. Hossenffer]

I like this one.

 

[mongo18]

Here's something to ponder: Why wasn't this a rout? Why didn't the Democrats sweep the House? Why didn't the Democrats gain control of the Senate? Why was it so close in PA and GA?

I've pondered this and am nowhere near an answer. As I've said before (a lot), the dems aren't great, they're weak and wishy washy and they're shocked every time they expect republicans to act with decency and end up getting fucked no matter how many times it happens. But they're mostly not corrupt or treasonous. A plastic spork with googly eyes on it should have been able to easily beat trump and take back the senate. Biden may not be exciting or charismatic, but he's decent and to the best of my knowledge reasonably honest. But almost half of the voters stuck with trump, and that's a huge problem for the US and potentially other western democracies going forward. If plain, observable facts aren't enough to peel supporters away from him, then what else is there?

I didn't say all republicans support those things, I said anyone who voted trump in 2020 does. It's a small distinction, but it's a distinction I made for a reason. I know you're an old school repub and you want to believe that your party can be salvaged, just like the Lincoln project and others, but I think you're setting yourself up for disappointment. I haven't seen any decency from the republican party since Obama was elected.

The very fact that this election wasn't a bloodbath should be ringing all the alarms for all reasonable minded Americans, not just democrats.

As for the soul searching that the dems need to do, I have a feeling (not a certainty, and I don't really have a case built on solid evidence), that their problem is they're still basically republican lite. They're torn between being a legitimate progressive party and playing it safe and cuddling up to conservatives, and in the last 2 elections they've taken the right fork and the results speak for themselves. Like I said, people with more data and more time to think about it have obviously advised them otherwise, but I suspect if they ran on a common sense liberal agenda (things most other democracies already have, like health care and affordable education), they might not cash in immediately, but eventually they could build enough momentum to bulldoze the republican party into the history books. If there's one thing that has remained constant throughout all of human history, it's that progress never stops, by setting yourself up as a conservative, you're committing yourself to the losing side.

 

[afterlights]

Yeah, it occurred to me after that I should have said that. What a big chunk of republicans are doing right now is attempting to stage a coup.

Best description I've read is "Coup Clutz Clan."

 

[gmase]

I've pondered this and am nowhere near an answer. As I've said before (a lot), the dems aren't great, they're weak and wishy washy and they're shocked every time they expect republicans to act with decency and end up getting fucked no matter how many times it happens. But they're mostly not corrupt or treasonous. A plastic spork with googly eyes on it should have been able to easily beat trump and take back the senate. Biden may not be exciting or charismatic, but he's decent and to the best of my knowledge reasonably honest. But almost half of the voters stuck with trump, and that's a huge problem for the US and potentially other western democracies going forward. If plain, observable facts aren't enough to peel supporters away from him, then what else is there?

I didn't say all republicans support those things, I said anyone who voted trump in 2020 does. It's a small distinction, but it's a distinction I made for a reason. I know you're an old school repub and you want to believe that your party can be salvaged, just like the Lincoln project and others, but I think you're setting yourself up for disappointment. I haven't seen any decency from the republican party since Obama was elected.

The very fact that this election wasn't a bloodbath should be ringing all the alarms for all reasonable minded Americans, not just democrats.

As for the soul searching that the dems need to do, I have a feeling (not a certainty, and I don't really have a case built on solid evidence), that their problem is they're still basically republican lite. They're torn between being a legitimate progressive party and playing it safe and cuddling up to conservatives, and in the last 2 elections they've taken the right fork and the results speak for themselves. Like I said, people with more data and more time to think about it have obviously advised them otherwise, but I suspect if they ran on a common sense liberal agenda (things most other democracies already have, like health care and affordable education), they might not cash in immediately, but eventually they could build enough momentum to bulldoze the republican party into the history books. If there's one thing that has remained constant throughout all of human history, it's that progress never stops, by setting yourself up as a conservative, you're committing yourself to the losing side.

Great post. Progressives need a brake and conservatives need a push.

All our rights are because of progressives - people who challenged an inequitable situation (i.e., slavery, suffrage, segregation, et al.). You correctly state the conservative opinion is rarely on the right side of history. But, it's because the definition of conservative is subjective and fungible. Is me believing "all people are created equal" radical? I don't think so. However, many conservatives forget "all" means all - not just some.

At this point, I believe the party is beyond salvaging for me. I have told my kids (2/3 are progressives), progress comes incrementally and usually needs a consensus to get it started. Nothing of lasting substance happens with 51/49 (or 5-4) votes. Getting 60+ is necessary or else we keep fighting about it. They rightly push back in a manner similar to your comment.

The Dems allow themselves to be labeled by Reps. And, too many Reps believe the label is true. "Socialism" is the one which bothers me most. Social Security and Medicare are socialist programs. America loves them. Socialism is not an evil. There - a conservative said it.

We already have a socialist healthcare system hidden as a free market. Sick people go to the ER, they get help, go on their way, and then don't pay. Who then pays? Those of us who pay insurance premiums. Healthcare providers build it into their billing rates. There is no free lunch. It just matters who is collecting.

Remember, today's radical establishes what a future conservative wants to preserve. The American Revolution was radical for its time.

 

[Luxman]

Pete Buttigieg leaves Fox host stammering on her OWN show with epic takedown

 

[mongo18]

The Dems allow themselves to be labeled by Reps. And, too many Reps believe the label is true. "Socialism" is the one which bothers me most. Social Security and Medicare are socialist programs. America loves them. Socialism is not an evil. There - a conservative said it.

Yep, if we could just convince everyone that a lot of these ideas aren't radical left or socialist, they're just good, common sense ideas no matter which angle you're coming from.

 

[gmase]

Yep, if we could just convince everyone that a lot of these ideas aren't radical left or socialist, they're just good, common sense ideas no matter which angle you're coming from.

But that does not make for good TV. A schmuck like me sitting there opining about what makes sense is boring. In the late 90s I would listen to Jim Rome's sports talkfest. He would say "Have a take and don't suck."

 

[gmase]

A Koch brother awakens at 85 and realizes he fucked up?
https://thehill.com/homenews/news/525878-charles-koch-regrets-his-partisanship-boy-did-we-screw-up

or is it just pandering?

 

[Theopolis Q. Hossenffer]

Pete Buttigieg for Secretary of State.

Yep, if we could just convince everyone that a lot of these ideas aren't radical left or socialist, they're just good, common sense ideas no matter which angle you're coming from.

If you could get the dodos to understand that they already have some Socialist programs and most of them love them you would have a chance. But no. Some other SOB might get something for free and that can not be allowed.

 

[mongo18]

A Koch brother awakens at 85 and realizes he fucked up?
https://thehill.com/homenews/news/525878-charles-koch-regrets-his-partisanship-boy-did-we-screw-up

or is it just pandering?

The term "like rats from a sinking ship" gets tossed around a lot these days.....fuck charles koch. We have that piece of shit to thank for the tea party. If the peasant class ever gets around to overthrowing their masters he should be one of the first cunts they burn. Handed everything by his rich daddy and convinced himself he deserves it more, while trying to fuck honest working people out of a decent life. Fuck him and everyone like him.

 

[Theopolis Q. Hossenffer]

His brother died without any payback and he most likely will as well.

 

[Theopolis Q. Hossenffer]

And a couple more "Food for Thought" moments:

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/trump-reportedly-asking-pardons-himself-194038001.html

https://www.yahoo.com/news/the-long...ofpresidency-chaos-and-revenge-203348087.html

 

[Theopolis Q. Hossenffer]

Pete Buttigieg reminds me of a male version of the old joke about a woman who was said to be able to "Slay a man at 20 paces with her tongue" And he has the brains to do it .

 

[tvstrip]

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/trump-reportedly-asking-pardons-himself-194038001.html

This was debated during impeachment. IIRC it's theoretically possible, but no pres had the balls to actually try it.
Also accepting a pardon was an automatic acknowledgement of guilt, so there was no rush for him to try it.

Now he has nothing to lose, you can be sure he'll be dropping some pre-emp pardons on his way out just to be safe.
Or as a big FU to everyone who wants to see him charged. Either way it would be within his character.

 

[mongo18]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/the-long...ofpresidency-chaos-and-revenge-203348087.html

I think it finally clicked why I miss some of the old trumpers. It's not because I would have loved rubbing their noses in what's going on now (I absolutely would have though), it's because at least they had the balls to attempt to defend everything he did. Where are all the trump defenders now? What's your excuse for the current state of affairs?

When they do finally show themselves here again (assuming they don't just quit like some spineless pussies), I'm not going to pretend like their silence during this period is not an admission that their chosen-one alpha 4D-chess player is corrupt and a loser and a coward.

 

[John_8581]

Think about it.

The Affordable Care Act despite how controversial it is did provide the country with a national healthcare initiative. That is President Obama's claim to fame. Although, he had to deal with the Tea Party advocates and of course, Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner and the difficulty he had in his two terms in passing legislation.

President Trump and Congress could not even budge the ACA. They did get rid of the penalty mandate for individual taxpayers not having health insurance. But other than that nothing. So instead, they focused on other areas. And so the Tax Cuts And Jobs Act came into play.

The Tax Cuts And Jobs Act, under President Trump, lowered the IRC tax rates dramatically at the corporate level from 35% to a workable 21%. It got US domestic companies to start filing back in the United States again. Instead of in Luxembourg and in Switzerland. That's why the President has the millionaire and billionaire CEOs of companies respecting and supporting him. However, the tax scale went the other way. It had to. How else is Congress going to get the tax revenue that the Internal Revenue Service and Treasury Department collect on and the Justice Department enforces? Yes and as a result, the TCJA affected individual taxpayers dramatically. The ability to itemize on Schedule A of Form 1040 is greatly hindered. From limiting the deduction of state and local taxes to just $10,000, to deducting home equity interest (in some instances not at all, unless the loan was used to improve the residence. That had always been the case), to not being able to deduct unreimbursed business expenses, not deducting investment fees, etc. under the 2% miscellaneous floor. That will be President Trump's claim to fame at least till 2025. The only thing of significance that it did at the individual level was eliminate the Alternative Minimum Tax by bringing the taxable income requirement to past a million dollars.

So unless the Affordable Care Act is thrown out in its entirely by the now conservative led Supreme Court. That, of itself, will be a big undertaking. As the Court may keep all of it. But most likely, they will rule to keep parts of it. And so it would have to go back to Congress to get the other parts put back. Try having that with a divided Congress? Almost impossible. In the end, it justifies the means, so that the people can have equitable and reasonable health insurance coverage.

On the other hand, I would expect parts of the TCJA to be repealed sooner at some point where it affects individual taxpayers and the deductibility of state and local taxes especially in the high tax states like New York, California, Connecticut, New Jersey, Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio and Massachusetts. Other areas to be repealed will be the restrictions on the 2% miscellaneous floor and the ability to deduct unreimbursed business expenses, investment fees, et al.

So whose legacy will stay? President Obama's Affordable Care Act versus President Trump's Tax Cuts And Jobs Act. I'd be more in line to keep the ACA.