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I kept watching and I know I shouldn't have.

Harris policies are in my best interest.

I was going to AGAIN vote Biden and be so proud of having him as President. But now I can't.

Voting Trump.

Not sure which swing state I'll do it in but it'll probably be the closest one for sure so if Trump wins that state by one, certainly you know I won't shut up about it :)


Hopefully Trump will be too lame duck to take my health insurance away and if he does, I'm going to a convention end of month and getting re-acquainted with my old business life. Kiss a few asses and see how it goes. There's a bit of profit from rents I'm having trouble erasing so a modest travel expense will help too and add a few air points lol. I've been out of the game just hanging out 3.5 years now but I think I get get back into the feel of it if I have to start another company or just swallow pride and work but hopefully it doesn't come to that.

Senate, c'mon you're supposed to be the Grown Ups. Murkowski, Collins and company....I know I've said crappy things and let's have bygones be bygones and take care of us for 4 years ok?

Trump 2024

Harris thinks you can sue people for high prices. That’s what passes for knowledge in today’s democrat party.

I’m edging back towards Let. It. Burn. mode, but I don’t want to go there. I’m spending more time in Central Washington and the dangerous stupidity that progressive policies brings tends to SMASH these people.

So I’m conflicted. Coastal types who sneer at where their food comes from deserve Defund the Police and No Police Pursuits. The problem is that real people get hurt more.

Did you notice how there was not one word in acknowledgement of what we told them? We said that the people who really run their party (Obama and co.) would choose their nominee for them.

For a bunch totally devoted to “democracy”, you’d think they would be upset. But nope!

As you know I've openly wanted and somewhat gotten PUNISHMENT for a decade now. (The Sheeple hated it.....and hated it even more when they saw it arrive lol)

So yes, I'm fine with that.

BUT - Dope - seeing Harris as 'my guy' meeting with the Europeans or whoever?

Harris being saluted?

Coming off Air Force One?

It's a lot for me. And despite my best efforts it's been hard to ignore all this.

I didn't feel this for ANY President in my lifetime.

But this time around....Oh man we've fallen so hard if she gets the Presidency. I still wish I was a non voter who didn't follow any of this.

But this time around....Oh man we've fallen so hard if she gets the Presidency. I still wish I was a non voter who didn't follow any of this.

Barack Obama and Joe Biden were both empty suit Presidents, both with gargantuan egos that neither had the savvy or skill to live up to.

Harris will be 10x worse.

Barack Obama and Joe Biden were both empty suit Presidents, both with gargantuan egos that neither had the savvy or skill to live up to.

Harris will be 10x worse.
***

I'd kiss either Obama or Biden's ass to take the Presidency over Kamala Harris.

If Harris gets it - the *only* positive would be a Dem Senate and Dem House with no checks and balances. They'd punish the shit out of America and then we'd change course. But Harris WITH a Republican congress saving her from herself? No can do.

Barack Obama and Joe Biden were both empty suit Presidents, both with gargantuan egos that neither had the savvy or skill to live up to.

Historians, or even just people with a brain who were alive, will remember that George Bush’s reign ended with an economic calamity the likes of which had not been seen since 1929. Millions out of work, hundreds of thousands of businesses bankrupt, Wall Street banks sold for pennies and local banks assimilated by the ever bigger ones, for sale signs on houses that wouldn’t and couldn’t be sold. And this after prosecuting a war for imaginary Weapons of Mass Destruction in the only country in the Middle East that served as a check on Iranian power.

And somehow the “empty suit” Obama managed to calm the country, get the economy moving, and even pass a form of universal health care as was possible during the fragmented political era of the time. So much empty suit that he was re-elected over a Republican stalwart who had been in Congress since before Obama finished college.

The came Trump and the never-ending laugh line “Infrastructure Week”, which never happened, along with an assortment of horribles, including a tsunami of immigrants at the border, children being separated from parents, Natzi parades with “very good people”, the ongoing DEI hires (DonJr, Eric, and Ivanka), the chaotic response to the pandemic, the end of Iranian nuclear monitors and the projected end of NATO, and culminating in the attempted overthrow of the election of 2020.

Then came Biden, a reassertment of science over nonsense, an infrastructure bill which actually passed (over 50,000 projects now underway), a strengthening of the American economy - but not without downsides including inflation and a resurgent border crisis. All in all, not bad for a couple of “empty suits” who have had to clean up after two of the most disastrous Presidencies in modern history.

Barack Obama and Joe Biden were both empty suit Presidents, both with gargantuan egos that neither had the savvy or skill to live up to.

Once again...shall we see what historians have to say?

CSPAN survey of historians 2021:
Trump...not dead last but fourth from the bottom (seems generous for a guy who tried to end our Republic, but OK)
Obama...10th. Excellent
Bush...ranked 29th
Biden...too early to include

American Political Science Association (APSA) 2024 rankings
Trump...dead last in rankings. no surprise.
Obama...ranked 7th. Excellent
Bush... ranked 32nd
Biden...ranked 14th

Sienna Poll 2022
Trump...ranked 3rd from the bottom
Obama...ranked 11th
Bush...ranked 35th
Biden...early in polling but ranked 19th

But, of course, you know more than professional historians.

And you talk about 'gargantuan egos'...Biden and Obama? Compared to that orange blob that is just one massive narcissistic ego? LOL

If you believe that one of the absolute worst Presidents we've ever had, is one of the best...you are in the cult.

What a great post. It perfectly illustrates what pot use does to one's cerebral cortex.

DOPE: What a great post. It perfectly illustrates what pot use does to one's cerebral cortex.

I would say that if he had pot use, it was later in life, whereas yours was heavy and before 16.

SNIP They have discovered, for example, that individuals who start heavy recreational marijuana use before age 16—when the brain is still developing—may perform more poorly on cognitive or behavioral tasks involving the frontal cortex, such as memory, attention, and judgment, than those who don’t use cannabis or who started using it later in life. A recent paper that Gruber co-authored underscored these findings using results from a simulated driving test. Neuroimaging has also revealed changes in white matter, the neural fibers critical for efficient communication among brain regions, in early-onset cannabis users.SNIP

https://hms.harvard.edu/news-events/publications-a...

Keep smoking up.'

The S and P 500 is looking elsewhere not just for mid level programmers that racist liberals can't stand - but for its C suite population too.

Let the Americans and Europeans smoke up and cut their genitals off.

Have some binge drink nights too.

Oh and be nice - learn to kiss the butts you secretly want to kick.


Haha

Barack Obama and Joe Biden were both empty suit Presidents, both with gargantuan egos that neither had the savvy or skill to live up to.

-------------------------

And somehow the “empty suit” Obama managed to calm the country, get the economy moving, and even pass a form of universal health care as was possible during the fragmented political era of the time. So much empty suit that he was re-elected over a Republican stalwart who had been in Congress since before Obama finished college.

====================

Uhhhhhh, yup.

I've made the point before that Barack Obama may have earned his place as one of the greatest Presidents in American history before he ever took the oath of office. How? By being the ONLY adult in the room in a critical meeting in October of 2008 before the November 2008 election when the financial markets were spiraling into an abyss.

https://watchingtheherd.blogspot.com/2012/04/pbs-i...

Surely, everyone remembers this meeting, right? John McCain "suspended his campaign" to "focus" on the financial crisis and Bush calls a meeting at the White House with leading Treasury officials, various Wall Street types and the two Presidential candidates. Presumably, the purpose of the meeting was to privately convey to both candidates the perils seen by the "professionals" to ensure they didn's say something on the stump that could spook the public and world markets and trigger a greater calamity while agreeing upon a common message to convey to the public.

To the transcript....


============================
Rep. NANCY PELOSI: Senator Obama said, "Well, I’d really like to hear from Senator McCain because he’s the person who called for this meeting."

RON SUSKIND: McCain is fumbling with his cue cards. He doesn’t even barely get started. Obama kind of patronizes him, saying, “I think Senator McCain has something to say.” McCain just melts on the spot.

MATT LATIMER: Obama took charge, had authority. John McCain had no plan, no strategy. I don’t think he understood what was happening, or didn’t have a plan for what he wanted to accomplish.

JONATHAN ALTER: President Bush whispered to Nancy Pelosi, who was sitting next to him, when McCain was talking, he said, “You guys are going to miss me.” And she kind of laughed.

PETER BAKER: The meeting ends up breaking into— into a cacophony of shouting and— and screaming back and forth. And Bush stands up and says, “Well, I’ve clearly lost control of this meeting,” and he walks out.

JONATHAN ALTER: And another Republican at the table joked to the person sitting next to him, “After this, even we’re going to vote for Obama.” That was the level of Obama’s dominance in this meeting.

MATT LATIMER: It becomes a turning point because McCain started this. He suspended his campaign. Obama did not suspend his campaign. McCain promised some sort of dramatic action. He sent mixed signals and did not seem to have the authority that a commander-in-chief should have. And I don’t think he ever really quite recovered from that.
============================


Who is saying this? A Democratic party hack? No. Matt Latimer, a White House speech writer in the Bush Administration between 2007 and 2008.

People will argue for centuries about whether TARP was the right thing of the right size at the right time to attempt to plug the drain we were headed down at the time. It may have only slowed the rush of water out of the tub for a few months or years. However, just think about the stakes that WERE clear in that room at that time involving a few TRILLION dollars in household wealth and Wall Street market capitalization then compare the communication styles and composure of the players in that room.

One guy starts the meeting with "we gotta do something or this sucker's going down" then immediately punts on first down. This is the President of the United States.

One guy has the opportunity to come to the meeting and frame the discussion -- having called for the meeting thereby MAGNIFYING worldwide risk by setting expectations to "do something" -- and freezes -- literally like a deer in the headlights. This is a candidate for President from the party professing to know business, management and leadership.

One guy shows up, comes prepared with ideas having done HOURS of homework with input from advisors in government and business, and -- simply by appearing focused and informed -- dominates a meeting with the President of the United States and the heads of the Treasury and Federal Reserve at a moment of national economic peril.



WTH

It perfectly illustrates what pot use does to one's cerebral cortex.

I thought you were against personal attacks. Or is that only for others and not for you?

—Peter

Heh. Obama was easily the best POTUS of my lifetime. I didn't agree with him on everything (I never do). But he was the kind of man I think the Founders envisioned in that Office (except for him being black). And my lifetime included Kennedy (just barely, but it did).

Joe Biden, despite his age, did a very competent job.

Both were saddled with fixing the previous Rep administration's blunders, corruption, and/or ineptitude. Though Biden had more of a challenge in that regard.

OTOH, the convict is on the list of the five worst POTUSes we ever had, and hopefully will ever have. And that list includes Andrew Jackson (which is still competition!).

OCD:

stiff competition.

Heh. Obama was easily the best POTUS of my lifetime. LOL! One of the worst.

Both were saddled with fixing the previous Rep administration's blunders
Then you're missing the history of the financial crisis and severely underestimating how much red tape Trump cut to get the vaccines done.

The 5 worst Presidents.
1. James Buchanan
2. Andrew Johnson
3. Woodrow Wilson
4. Andrew Jackson
5. (lots of great candidates, Biden heading that list)

BTW if you really want to know how the financial crisis kicked off, then you should read
https://www.amazon.com/Reckless-Endangerment-Outsi...

Reckless Endangerment: How Outsized Ambition, Greed, and Corruption Led to Economic Armageddon

If you do, you'll learn that the roots of the financial crisis goes back to the...1970's and spans multiple Presidents of both parties.

BTW if you really want to know how the financial crisis kicked off, then you should read
https://www.amazon.com/Reckless-Endangerment-Outsi...

Reckless Endangerment: How Outsized Ambition, Greed, and Corruption Led to Economic Armageddon

Did you read it, Dope? Or just a synopsis?

hen you're missing the history of the financial crisis and severely underestimating how much red tape Trump cut to get the vaccines done.
****

And how while Obama whimpered it - TRUMP was the one go got mooch Europeans to pay more towards their defense. You'd think the Putin Haters from the Leftists Woke Military Industrial Complex would like that.

It was TRUMP that got BOTH sides more hawkish on the border.

It was TRUMP- whose trade policies were continued by Biden in some cases.

Best? No.

Top? No.

Would I lend him 20 bucks? No.

But one of the worst Presidents? Hardly

It was TRUMP that got BOTH sides more hawkish on the border.

I think you're giving Governor Abbott short shrift there....

I think you're giving Governor Abbott short shrift there....

Trump put the issue square into the national consciousness when he came down the stairs in 2015 to announce his campaign. From then on it's been a Front And Center issue.

Greg Abbott, to his eternal credit, figured out how to make every locale that has the loads of the annoying "In this House We Believe no Human Being Is Illegal" signs in yards live up to their virtue signaling...and they failed - hard - with the most spectacular example being Maaaatha's Vinyaaahd.

Trump put the issue square into the national consciousness when he came down the stairs in 2015 to announce his campaign. From then on it's been a Front And Center issue.

Greg Abbott, to his eternal credit, figured out how to make every locale that has the loads of the annoying "In this House We Believe no Human Being Is Illegal" signs in yards live up to their virtue signaling...

I was responding to his point that migrants are now an issue for "both sides" of the political divide.

Trump centered the issue in his first campaign, but that did not cause Democrats to moderate on the issue. If anything, his campaigning and election on that issue drove Democrats to become even more progressive on the issue (as often happens - for many issues, if one party stakes out a strong position on an issue, voters will take more partisan views on it). Trump drove up the salience of the issue, but it still remained a heavy partisan split.

Abbott is the one that drove Democrats to move more towards immigration enforcement. It was his approach that drove up the political pain within the Democratic caucus, especially in New York. That's what created the political circumstances where Democrats were forced - as a party - to move towards the center on the issue.

I can't say I'm actually shocked at how little credit Abbott is given, in light of the narcissistic attention-glutton that sits at the center of GOP politics who demands that all tribute be rendered to him. But still...it was the buses that changed the trajectory of immigration politics in the Democratic Party. Not Trump.

Abbott is the one that drove Democrats to move more towards immigration enforcement. It was his approach that drove up the political pain within the Democratic caucus, especially in New York. That's what created the political circumstances where Democrats were forced - as a party - to move towards the center on the issue.

We're saying the same thing.

I can't say I'm actually shocked at how little credit Abbott is given, in light of the narcissistic attention-glutton that sits at the center of GOP politics who demands that all tribute be rendered to him. But still...it was the buses that changed the trajectory of immigration politics in the Democratic Party. Not Trump.

Trump has been about 1 thing for the majority of his time in the Presidential Spotlight: stopping illegal immigration. That's all I'm saying. I get that you don't want to give the man credit for tying his tie correctly, but he did in fact raise something that had been simmering below the surface to miles above it.

Trump has been about 1 thing for the majority of his time in the Presidential Spotlight: stopping illegal immigration. That's all I'm saying. I get that you don't want to give the man credit for tying his tie correctly, but he did in fact raise something that had been simmering below the surface to miles above it.

Sure. He certainly drove up the salience of the issue. But only for Republicans/conservatives. It was Abbott who got Democrats to care about immigration restrictions.

Trump was showier, but Abbott actually accomplished something that few politicians are ever able to do - force the other party to change their position on something to approach what they want. It's really an incredible political feat. Truly amazing. He's gotten very little recognition for it, as far as I can tell.

But only for Republicans/conservatives. It was Abbott who got Democrats to care about immigration restrictions.

The polling data is what got democrats to care.
But yes, Abbott's move was awesome.

Trump has been about 1 thing for the majority of his time in the Presidential Spotlight: stopping illegal immigration.

Anne Coulter pushed him back into that. It would've languished. And, as you said, it's his best issue.

Trump has been about 1 thing for the majority of his time in the Presidential Spotlight: stopping illegal immigration.

Well, maybe. If there is 1 thing that he has been about, 1 thing that takes up the majority of his time and thoughts and energy, that would be doing what is best for Donald Trump. Doing what is best for himself is more important than any policy position. He will take whatever policy positions he thinks are necessary to do what is best for him. At the moment, winning the election is what is best for Trump, as that is the best way for him to avoid further criminal trials and stay out of prison.

His potential voters seems to be obsessed with immigration. So he says he's concerned about immigration. In fact, he's so concerned about immigration that he didn't want an immigration bill to pass under the current administration. He needed immigration to remain a problem so he could run his campaign on that issue. That's how concerned he is about immigration.

But don't worry, elect him and he will have the greatest and most powerful immigration policy ever. It will the best immigration policy that anyone has ever seen. Everyone is saying so. And it's all so simple he will get it done in two weeks.

--Peter

But don't worry, elect him and he will have the greatest and most powerful immigration policy ever. It will the best immigration policy that anyone has ever seen. Everyone is saying so. And it's all so simple he will get it done in two weeks.

--Peter

----------------

No way to do it in two weeks or even six months, or a year, but one thing you can count on, Trump will be pushing hard starting on day one. As opposed to an election year conversion to appear to be a border hawk in the twilight of his presidency.

The polling data is what got democrats to care.
***

NOT a sermon to my Friend - but a plea.

Yes, polling data got them to care as did punishing them by making White Liberals having to show their true colors when the migrants wooed up. BUT the bigger point:

Imagine if Dems actually *did* do something real - that issue would be taken away from us. We're toast.

Moral: Raise taxes on $160K+ earners. Not only save SS - but *increase* the benefits. Add more taxation to the Woke SP 500. The result: We win, and Schumer is seeing ho'ing for corporations, begging us not to do it.

Then - they are toast. Not to mention, more old folks vote for us. The higher W-2 incomes - are Blue States. They'd be paying our people, not the other way around.

Moral: Raise taxes on $160K+ earners. Not only save SS - but *increase* the benefits. Add more taxation to the Woke SP 500. The result: We win, and Schumer is seeing ho'ing for corporations, begging us not to do it.


Hey, you're preaching to the choir here. Recall that your buddy Dope was and still is in favor of getting rid of their SALT deductions. I put my money where their mouths are :).

My turn

No way to do it in two weeks or even six months, or a year,

Talk about humor impaired.

[Foghorn Leghorn voice]
That was a joke, son. Humor. Comedy. A laugh.

Gotta keep up.

—Peter

DEI hires (DonJr, Eric, and Ivanka)

Oh how I wish Kamala Harris uses that line in her debate with Trump.

well, trump has to glom on to SOME conservative grievance that will get him votes, and where friends&family can benefit.
it just happens to be immigration. does anyone think Trump Inc. would have not kept underpaid immigrant employees without the notion of being caught?

but only diehard MAGA thinks the idiot can do something effective.
End-to-end mexican-paid concrete wall? (how many MAGA scams ran for funding that?)
muslim ban?

this is the caliber of solution one must expect, whether immigration or whatever grievance displaces it.

It was TRUMP that got BOTH sides more hawkish on the border.

I think you're giving Governor Abbott short shrift there....
****

I meant at the Presidential Level.

Yes, Abbot was the spark.

Come to think of it on TMF - *someone* had said that they will be writing to a few Governor's political websites,. suggesting to export illegals to Liberal Blue states.

Forget who it was but yes, the Governor of Texas had tons to do with it.

He didn't go for the throat but it was a good lesson he taught them and something he sparked.

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