Subject: Re: Newsom positioning for a run in 2028?

Dope1.....from my side, what is say now is POLITICS, not POLI-CY. I'm speaking from that vantage point. Maybe I've watched and read too much Ed Rollins or Carville or Rove or Deaver back in my geek days -----but to me, it's all about winning - and then governing.
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"Sure about that?
The electorate sent a message that the dems didn't hear in 2024: Time to address some problems."

YES. What the electorate AND many of us don't understand - the electorate is unsatisfied and not content. And they will blame Biden, Trump, Lincoln, or Gandhi if they are the incumbent. Part of this is socioeconomic trends: We decided that cheap stuff is what matters. We got cheap stuff. 'The Dow" flourished yet many in our middle class who used to live proud lives - car, small home, kids, meat and potatoes, family trip to Myrtle Beach......now have both parents working - just for check to check lifestyles and this is ASSUMING there's two parents any more. The middle class I just spoke of now has higher expenses (part real, part culture driven), a tattoo, a mullet, in many cases a baby daddy----life sort of sucks. They are becoming the new working-poor, they just dont know it but they hate how it feels.



"Everyone knows that Social Security isn't on the greatest of financial footing only the democrats have been pretending for 40 years that as long as there's 1 rich guy in the country they can tax that 1 dude and all our problems go away. Won't work. "

Most polls - non partisan - show that Americans favor *raising taxes* versus cutting benefits. Imagine for a moment SirDope: Trump raises taxes on ALL earners making over $175k per year - no more donut shit----everyone pays full FICA-----to save SS as we know it. Austin TX, and Austins around the country will cry BUT think of Ohio, PA, MI, WI, ---remember swing states? Those voters, MOST voters will be very pleased. Rinse and repeat on Medicare and Medicaid. NOT doing this ---we will give the country to Dems and one day AOC will be in Mitch McConnell's office.
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"The greatest mistake the GOP ever made was in impeaching Bill Clinton. Had they NOT done that...we would have had a deal in partially privatizing Social Security back then (because Clinton wanted to)."

AGREED - we saved his ass on China fundraising scandal and Los Alamos. And yeah, him and Newt would've fixed it BUT WE----were political tone deaf and stupid. That is what I don't want to repeat on SS and Medicare.

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"And for the inevitable haters out there, the average return on your Social Security payments is roughly 2-3%. More or less inflation (at least until Biden showed up). " -YES BUT.....

DO MOST voters have your financial acumen Dope? Do MOST voters have the financial knowledge of most TMF'ers who were part of a financial website? Sadly, I feel the dumbing down of Americans means only a plurality have a clue. If I'm wrong, PayDay Loan places wouldn't be laughing to the bank not just in the Housing Project neighborhoods, but in the tattoo'd up White-People-aspiring-to-become-white-trash towns also.

Also while Liberal Woke Wall Street would *luv* the fees (Biden had a name for Greedy Bankers btw - lkolololol), Trump will NEVER be allowed to privatize just like W wasn't allowed. It's just not possible. And if I grew a 3rd nut and this privatizing happened under Trump--=-=--WE'D BE BLAMED every single time a Costco in Tulsa sold one less stick of chewing gun causing the stock to go down. These Liberals will blame us and succeeded at it. Privatization will not happen under a GOP Regime --right or wrong doesn't matter. Politics - does.

"But...$1000 invested in 1996 would be worth north of $16,000 today. Oh, well."

Right again but, I still feel a slight majority of people don't have a clue. Ok yeah they have 401K but that is "oh, they take it out of my check". "it comes out of my check". Believe me, I've worked closely in my life with the hood rat, and literally the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and CEO of America Online and all in between. A slight majority has zero clue what you are talking about. Fathers and Mothers used to teach it ---- our culture is different now because IF there's a Dad and mom- many of them are out buying tattoos or the latest phone or the Peloton or the $20 Fast Casual lunches.


A slight majority of Americans - not mooches - they want to work, and they're willing to work BUT - they don't want to manage shit. They want to "get the check" in the mail and now it's worse, they wanna see the money show up "on my phone!". Seriously, go. park in an urban population center - not Fifth avenue. Not LakeShore drive - but the real city. Look and listen to the people. Then do the same thing in sub $40k per year places in Red States ----I'm sorry, but they're not discussing nor thinking about compound interest or tax advantaged dividends.


Hence politically: I want to PRESERVE 100% of Social Security and medicare and ---I want to do it by taxing the shit out of blue states. Club 401K here will squeal like pigs if I got my way ;)