Are GOP Voters Delusionally Overconfident?
Just to warn everyone up front, this is not really going to be a proper column. I had actually intended to take the day off for unrelated reasons, but rather than running a re-run column or not running anything at all, the following caught my eye. So I'm running this excerpt to stimulate conversation in the comments, because it certainly is an interesting concept, if true -- especially given the fact that the poll came from the Republican National Committee itself.
According to Bloomberg, Republican congressional candidates might wind up being hoist by a widespread GOP petard -- becoming victims of their own denial of reality. You see, because "the polls were wrong in 2016," that now equates to "all polls are always wrong because they're part of the liberal conspiracy against us." There simply is no impending blue wave, because instead on election night all the pointy-headed weenies are going to be aghast (once again) at the exact opposite -- the red wave that President Donald Trump has been predicting. Therefore, since Republicans are going to win big time anyway, there's no real urgency to get out and actually vote. Here's the full story:
A private survey conducted for the Republican National Committee and obtained by Bloomberg Businessweek contains alarming news for Republicans hoping to hold on to control of Congress in November: Most Trump supporters don't believe there's a threat that Democrats will win back the House. President Trump's boasts that a "red wave" could increase Republican majorities appear to have lulled GOP voters into complacency, raising the question of whether they'll turn up at the polls.
While most election forecasters, as well as strategists in both parties, believe Democrats are likely to win the 23 seats necessary to take control of the House of Representatives, Republican voters aren't convinced, the survey shows.
According to the RNC study, completed on Sept. 2 by the polling firm Public Opinion Strategies, most voters believe Democrats will win back the House -- just not Republican voters. Fully half of self-identified Republicans don't believe Democrats are likely to win back the House. And within that group, 57 percent of people who describe themselves as strong Trump supporters don't believe Democrats have a chance (37 percent believe they do).
If overconfident Republican voters stay home, Democrats could win a landslide. The report urges GOP officials to yank their voters back to reality: "We need to make real the threat that Democrats have a good shot of winning control of Congress."
The president instead has delivered the opposite message. At rallies and on Twitter, Trump has claimed that -- contrary to conventional wisdom and polling -- Republicans might actually increase their margin in November.
The internal RNC study finds that complacency among GOP voters is tied directly to their trust in the president -- and their distrust of traditional polling. "While a significant part of that lack of intensity is undoubtedly due to these voters' sentiments toward the President, it may also be partly because they don't believe there is anything at stake in this election," the authors write. "Put simply, they don't believe that Democrats will win the House. (Why should they believe the same prognosticators who told them that Hillary was going to be elected President?)"
If true, and if this comes to pass, the word "irony" doesn't even begin to cover it. And, to a minor extent, we've even seen this movie before. Remember Mitt Romney's 2012 campaign? And all the conservatives who would only believe the "unskewed" polling they had created to make themselves feel better? Remember Karl Rove on the night of the election, confronted with the reality of Ohio?
That could very well play out again this November. So, I open the discussion up to the readers: Are Republican voters so wildly deluded by the prospect of a red wave materializing that they'll stay home and not even bother to vote? What do you think? Please remember, too -- this was a poll commissioned by the Republican Party itself. No media or liberals were involved at all, in other words.
Discuss among yourselves.
-- Chris Weigant
Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant
Well CW, among ourselves, I've only seen one person convinced that the Blue Wave is a fantasy ... oddly enough he is also believes everything that BLOTUS tells him as well.
I think it is our duty to encourage the belief in the Red Wave just as predicted.
I mean, who ever heard of a "reality TV" actor who defied the odds in 2016 and we know is a "stable genius" because he told us himself, being wrong about anything?
It certainly would be ironic!
Great timing, CW! I had just read this article and was going to post its link, but there is no need now!
Great minds think alike is how I view it....but you may view our thought processes being similar more as a red flag for the early onset of dementia.
Re: yesterday's column, this is really good:
The definition of power must include the power to set the timetable in which facts are discernible, and Senate Republicans, who held a Supreme Court seat open for almost a year, are now unwilling to hold one open for three months. The reason the eleventh hour wasn’t, say, the third hour is entirely because the timetable has been set by those who wanted to short-circuit meaningful scrutiny. So the complaint that it’s too late in the process is hard to swallow.
That is one reason why complaints about Ford’s timing ring hollow. But here is the deeper reason why women don’t publicly report their assaults until the last possible instant and until they absolutely have to: Women who are victims start the clock at the moment of their trauma. Men who are perpetrators start it at the moment they are caught.
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/09/christine-blasey-ford-brett-kavanaugh-accusation-timing.html
Are Republican voters so wildly deluded by the prospect of a red wave materializing that they'll stay home and not even bother to vote?
I don't think so. That would seem to me to be a wild generalization. And wish fulfillment on the part of Democrats.
My guess is that any voter - Republican or Democrat - comes out to vote for any number of reasons just as they choose not to vote for any number of reasons.
Having said that, I'm wondering if these midterms are going to be any different this time around because everything else is different and there is precious little that lends itself to prediction these days.
I understand that the turnout in midterm elections is low to begin with, in normal circumstances. But, wait for it, normal circumstances went out the window some time ago.
I'm suggesting that, as far as Republican voters go, they have a number of reasons to vote in the midterms this year: because they really like President Trump and want to show their support or they really dislike a lot about Trump; they love divided government and want to see Democrats gain control of at least one of legislative houses; they really like their local candidate(s);
There are countless reasons why they wouldn't vote in the midterms this year.
Bottom line - I think being deluded by the prospect of an imminent red wave in the 2018 midterms would be the last reason a Republican voter would choose not to vote, if it's even on the list.
And, finally, why should we believe the results of the RNC poll? How many more of these polls will be conducted and reported to counter the idea that republican voters are being lulled into complacency?
It's hard not to be overly cynical about this, even for me.
CW: Are Republican voters so wildly deluded by the prospect of a red wave materializing that they'll stay home and not even bother to vote?
Yes, Republican voters are "wildly deluded," but the mere act of allowing yourself to entertain the idea that they'll stay home is embarking on a path that might lead to your own misconception, illusion, and apathy. So don't even... just don't!
When the President of the United States publicly sides with a Russian dictator against our government and repeatedly makes decisions that advance his own interests rather than the interests of the people, while the current Congress largely abdicates its constitutional responsibility of oversight on the Executive Branch of our system of checks and balances, it's time to believe what you're seeing and vote.
Vote like our Constitution and democracy are under attack... because they are.
Yes, Republican voters are "wildly deluded," but the mere act of allowing yourself to entertain the idea that they'll stay home is embarking on a path that might lead to your own misconception, illusion, and apathy. So don't even... just don't!
That's a very good point.
The following seems to have been lost in the current 3 ring news circus. The Supreme Court let a lower court ruling stand: sources of campaign dark money must be disclosed. That is a game changer. Nice to know reform is still possible, if unusual.
Link?
@liz [7],
i had the same thought.
JL
Well CW, among ourselves, I've only seen one person convinced that the Blue Wave is a fantasy ...
And, among ourselves, that ONE person called the 2016 election down to the actual EC count and everyone else was wrong..
So, apparently, that ONE person has a helluva lot more credibility than the lot of ya :D
oddly enough he is also believes everything that BLOTUS tells him as well.
Of course, that's not factually accurate..
But since when have you let FACTS get in the way of your rancid bullshit?? :D
CW,
Allow me to sum your commentary up thusly...
I think it's so cute that you believe in polls.. :D
For the duration of Trump, all polls are bullshit.. :D
I don't think so. That would seem to me to be a wild generalization. And wish fulfillment on the part of Democrats.
"Billy, I love you. I have just fallen in love with you.."
-Eddie Murphy, BEVERLY HILLS COP
:D
That's exactly factual...
Having said that, I'm wondering if these midterms are going to be any different this time around because everything else is different and there is precious little that lends itself to prediction these days.
Democrats are notoriously unreliable voters for midterms..
I know, I know.. Every time, Democrats say "Well, THIS time it's going to be different!!" and every time they are always proven wrong..
Bottom line - I think being deluded by the prospect of an imminent red wave in the 2018 midterms would be the last reason a Republican voter would choose not to vote, if it's even on the list.
Exactly...
"I think there is going to be a red wave, but I am going to vote to make DAMN sure there is a red wave"
-Republican
"I think there is going to be a blue wave, so I don't have to bother to vote.."
-Democrat
And, finally, why should we believe the results of the RNC poll? How many more of these polls will be conducted and reported to counter the idea that republican voters are being lulled into complacency?
It's hard not to be overly cynical about this, even for me.
It's what the FACTS and reality support..
Elizabeth Miller wrote:
Link?
nypoet22 wrote:
@liz [7],
i had the same thought.
JL
I am so very proud of both of you.... :D
Blue Texas???
Voters elected political newcomer Pete Flores to the Texas Senate on Tuesday, flipping a Democratic district red for the first time in 139 years and bolstering Republicans’ supermajority in the chamber ahead of the November elections.
A retired game warden, Flores defeated former state and U.S. Rep. Pete Gallego for the Senate District 19 seat after receiving backing from some of the state’s most prominent politicians, including Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, and U.S. Sens John Cornyn and Ted Cruz.
https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/Polls-close-at-7-p-m-in-Senate-District-19-13239398.php
Shirley, you jest... :D
"Not only do women like Dr. Ford, who bravely comes forward, need to be heard, but they need to be believed. They need to be believed. We cannot continue the victimization and the smearing of someone like Dr. Ford."
-Senator Hirono
Ahhhh But women like Paula Jones and Kathleen Wiley and Juanita Brodderick DON'T NEED to be believed...
You CAN continue the victimization and smearing of women like Keith Ellison's former girlfriend, eh??
The Party bigotry is sickening...
As far as the current commentary....
Here's a thought you haven't considered..
The RNC poll is bullshit designed to motivate GOP'ers to get to the polls.
That's another funny difference between Democrats and Republicans..
When Democrats see polls that show them losing, they get disillusioned and sad and just want to curl up in a ball on election day....
When Republicans see polls that show them losing, they get determined and undaunted and shove their noses to the grindstone and press on....
:D
Ain't life funny.. :D
As far as this so-called victim goes, it's really simple..
If she wants to tell her story to the committee, she can do so on Monday...
If she doesn't want to tell her story to the committee on Monday, then she must not really want to tell her story..
The Dumbocrat plan is clear..
Delay the confirmation until after the midterms in a hail mary hope that somehow, someway, Dumbocrats take the Senate...
BBWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Well, it sure can't be said that Dumbocrats don't have an active imagination.. :D
Well, it sure can't be said that Dumbocrats don't have an active imagination.. :D
A Double-Negative Full Gainer with a full twist!!
NAILED IT!!! :D
I mean, it's really easy..
If you want to get into the mind of a serial sexual harasser and rapist??
Just have Bill Clinton testify...
Oh that's right.. Bill Clinton has a -D after his name, so he is as pure as the driven snow.. :^/
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/09/19/elizabeth-warren-slammed-over-editing-kavanaugh-video.html
Leave it to Fauxcahontas (or Lieawatha, if you prefer) to make a totally bullshit out of context claim..
Joshua,
i had the same thought.
Yikes!
Liz-11
NYT, WAPO and NPR, no paywall at NPR
No time for that, TS.
Democrats’ smash and smear agenda reaches new heights
https://nypost.com/2018/09/18/democrats-smash-and-smear-agenda-reaches-new-heights/
This disgusting and perverse display of gutter politics will cost Democrats in the mid-terms..
While the Dumbocrat base will love, Independents will be totally turned off by such a naked partisan mob lynching..
As in your comment, TS, sometimes providing a link is the courteous thing to do ...
Here ya go, Liz..
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/18/us/politics/supreme-court-dark-money.html
But what Stig leaves out is that this is going to scroo over Democrats more than Republicans...
All the big Dark Money donations that Democrats take in anonymously??
NOT gonna happen any more...
Of course, all the links that Stig provides are unabashadly Left Wing Propaganda links, so take their info with a grain of salt...
Michale,
The NYTimes is my homepage, Michale.
And, by the way,
HAPPY (regretfully belated) BIRTHDAY!!!
Hope you had a good one!
HAPPY (regretfully belated) BIRTHDAY!!!
Hope you had a good one!
Actually, not belated.. 9 more days..
BUT.. if I recall correctly, Happy Birthday to you!!!!! :D
Hope it's everything you want it to be...
I thought you were a day before me, no?
The NYTimes is my homepage, Michale.
I won't hold that against you.. :D
heh
Did you catch the Captain Marvel trailer yesterday?? It's gonna be a kick ass movie!!! :D
On a political note..
The problem with Democrat rank and file complaining and fighting against Dark Money is that Democrat leaders are up to their eyeballs in Dark Money...
How Democrats use dark money — and win elections
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/how-democrats-use-dark-money-win-elections-n849391
I'm confused.
Yes, I did watch the trailer … it wasn't aa good as some others, namely for any Captain America one. :)
But, it does look like it's going to be something to see.
EM-26,28
Sorry about that, but I'm using a tiny portable device and can't get it to copy and paste URLs. I'll post links in about 30 minutes when I get back to my desktop.
I'm confused.
Which part??
Yes, I did watch the trailer … it wasn't aa good as some others, namely for any Captain America one. :)
Yea, troo... Word is Captain Marvel is going to be instrumental in the next AVENGERS movie.. :D Can't wait.. :D
TS,
I'm sorry - I didn't know you had tech issues.
I should have known you would have put a link in there if you could.
Neil,
Well CW, among ourselves, I've only seen one person convinced that the Blue Wave is a fantasy ...
I have to ask.... What's yer story going to be when it turns out that I am factually correct as I was with the 2016 election??
That there is no blue wave and that the GOP retains the House & Senate...
What's yer spin on that going to be???
MY spin on that, Michale, is that we're all doomed. :(
Liz-40
https://www.npr.org/2018/09/18/648722358/supreme-court-orders-disclosure-for-dark-money-as-new-report-unveils-some-donors
(One URL Rule per post rule, 2 more to follow)
MY spin on that, Michale, is that we're all doomed. :(
I'll just have ta disagree and point out that THAT spin (we're all doomed if Trump wins the electoon) was the spin this time in 2016...
And, things have been going quite well, eh??
Admit it.. President Trump is doing a lot better than you thought possible.. :D
Stig,
I'll post links in about 30 minutes when I get back to my desktop.
Already took care of that lil buddy.. :D
Liz-40
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/18/us/politics/supreme-court-dark-money.html
may be pay walled.
Liz-40
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/18/us/politics/supreme-court-dark-money.html
looks to be open to non subscribers
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/18/us/politics/supreme-court-dark-money.html
may be pay walled.
WOW.. THAT link looks familiar.. :D hehehehehehe
That's our STIG.. A day late and a dollar short. :D
Just joshin' with ya, lil buddy.. :D
Liz-40
oops, my bad, that should be:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/supreme-court-refuses-to-block-dark-money-court-order/2018/09/18/546ddc20-bb96-11e8-adb8-01125416c102_story.html?utm_term=.280628ab311c
Obviously, I still need more coffee.
oops, my bad, that should be:
Hehehehehehehe
Too funny, TS... Too funny... :D
Republicans push to move ahead with Kavanaugh vote if accuser Christine Blasey Ford declines to testify
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/09/19/republicans-push-to-move-ahead-with-kavanaugh-vote-if-accuser-christine-blasey-ford-declines-to-testify.html
Yep... The so-called "victim" wanted her day to be heard.. She was given it and then punked out..
It's clear that ALL this so-called "victim" and Dumbocrats want is a delay.. That is ALL that this is about..
It's what they wanted from the very start of the nomination... Booker with his hilarious "I AM SPARTACUS!!" moment showed their attempts to delay to be the utter joke they were.....
So they hit on this strategy....
It's not going to work...
Oh and let's not forget Kamela Mistress Of The Week Harris who slept her way thru married men to get to her Senate seat....
She laughably tried to cut n paste a Kavanaugh quote that earned her FOUR PINOCCHIOs from WaPoop...
This latest attempt is just another indication of how low Dumbocrats will sink in their attempts to derail President Trump's AMERICA FIRST agenda..
Guess what??? NOT happening.
"So, you think you're taking me in, huh? Guess what, not happening."
-Denis Leary, DEMOLITION MAN
:D
After learning of the allegation, Chairman @ChuckGrassley took immediate action to ensure both Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh have the opportunity to be heard, in public or private. Republicans extended a hand in good faith. If we don’t hear from both sides on Monday, let’s vote.
-Senator Bob Corker
Imminently logical....
TS,
looks to be open to non subscribers
Why would you presume that I am a "non subscriber"?
RH-49
Here is a simple solution to your problem. Put a copy of your article on your own website. Post a comment on CW.com containing a link to your own website. Problem solved! Run this idea past your underpants gnomes and see what they say.
One more suggestion. Free Willie (Nelson). Copyright infringement damages are incredibly easy to win. Willie could sue the underpants off your gnomes. Unless you really ARE Willie Nelson, in which case I really like your body of work, but especially your (live)covers of Townes Van Zandt’s Pancho and Lefty. This song incredibly fun to sing with a bunch of drunk, expat Germans.
I don't usually post polls, but for this particular poll I'm going to make an exception.
https://www.texastribune.org/2018/09/19/beto-orourke-leads-cruz-new-poll-texas-senate-race/
First poll I've seen that showed Beto O'Rourke with a lead over Ted Cruz. Beto is making the GOP spend money here that they normally wouldn't, and that's not nothing. :)
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/blasey-ford-refuses-monday-hearing-kavanaugh-appears-confident
It's funny... All day Tuesday, the Dumbocrat's and this so-called "victim"'s attorney were badgering the GOP for a hearing..
"Just give us a hearing!!" they said..
"All we want is a hearing!!" they whined..
Grassley said, "OK Fine.. You will have your hearing. Be there first thing Monday (24 Sep) morning."
Then came the backpedaling..
"Oh no.. We want an FBI investigation.. THEN we want our hearing.."
This is so blatantly obviously a delay tactic that has nothing to do with facts or justice or getting at the truth...
This so-called victim wants a hearing. She has one.. Monday, 24 Sep...
If she doesn't show, she will be branded forever a liar...
EM55- If I post a link to an article I get thru subscription I try and remember to caution that non-subscribers may not be able to get past the wall. WAPO is pretty good about opening their gate to important stories, but not always, and when they do, not always right away. Like lots of things I try and do I don't always remember to do.
Michale
52
It's what they wanted from the very start of the nomination... Booker with his hilarious "I AM SPARTACUS!!" moment showed their attempts to delay to be the utter joke they were.....
The vote on Kavanaugh was originally set for September 20, and now it's going to be later.
It's not going to work...
While they may not have yet achieved the length of delay they had hoped for, if it was actually their strategy to delay the vote, they've already done that. Just saying. :)
"When Dr. Ford came forward, I said that her voice should be heard and asked the Judiciary Committee to delay its vote on Judge Kavanaugh. It did so. I now implore Dr. Ford to accept the invitation for Monday, in a public or private setting. The committee should hear her voice."
-Senator Jeff Flake
Looks like Republicans are back to uniting behind Kavanaugh..
This so-called "victim" had her chance.. But all the back-pedaling and obfuscations and outright lies have proven that the **ONLY* agenda here is a delay...
Sorry, Dumbocrats.. Unless this so-called "victim" wants to show up and make her case at the hearing SHE demanded.....
Kavanaugh vote goes thru next week..
One of the confusing factors for the right wing will be the counter-intuitive role the economy is playing in the November election. Any normal mid-term with the economy booming and consumer confidence at cyclical highs should be a chance for the ruling class to expect a good result.
However, as we can see from TOTUS's approval rating, even a blow out economy can't overcome the disgust decent Americans have for this White House. MPOTUS himself isn't helping of course.
Kick-57
Not nothing, but an outlier. Sometimes the outlier is right, not usually. I think the most reliable prognostication comes from grizzled old local political reporters who know every district in the a state. I don't know who they are in Texas.
Michale
58
It's funny... All day Tuesday, the Dumbocrat's and this so-called "victim"'s attorney were badgering the GOP for a hearing..
No, they weren't doing that at all yesterday because Grassley had already set the hearing on Monday for the following Monday.
"Oh no.. We want an FBI investigation.. THEN we want our hearing.."
DiFi had already sent Ford's letter to the FBI requesting that they investigate about a week ago.
https://www.businessinsider.com/dianne-feinstein-brett-kavanaugh-letter-fbi-2018-9
One of the confusing factors for the right wing will be the counter-intuitive role the economy is playing in the November election. Any normal mid-term with the economy booming and consumer confidence at cyclical highs should be a chance for the ruling class to expect a good result.
And, when the GOP does keep the House and Senate, it will be President Trump's awesome efforts on the economy that will be the cause... :D
even a blow out economy can't overcome the disgust decent America-Haters have for this White House.
There.. Fixed it for you.
"What can I say except 'yer weclome!!'..."
-Maui, MOANA
:D
Leaks at Department of Health and Human Services: “It’s kind of like the Nixon, ‘deep throat’ type of thing.”
Department of Justice Paralegal Allison Hrabar: “what’s kind of lucky is at the DOJ, we can’t really get fired.”
Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) Actively Resisting Inside Government: “We have a member who works for the people who distribute food stamps…they’re slowing down what they do.”
Apparent Abuse of DOJ Resources for DSA: “she uses it probably on her work computer… that’s the kind of thing that you would get fired for if people knew about it.”
Targets Political Enemies: “And so we ran the license plate… we cannot do it officially"
https://www.projectveritas.com/2018/09/19/breaking-deep-state-unmasked-doj-official-resists-from-inside-cant-get-fired-leaks-at-hhs/
Scumbag America hating traitors...
TS
63
Not nothing, but an outlier. Sometimes the outlier is right, not usually.
There have been multiple polls showing them a few points apart or dead even. This poll being within the margin of error of +/- 4 points wouldn't qualify as an "outlier" in that it matches the majority of polls showing the candidates a few points apart or even or within the margin of error. The outlier poll at the moment would be that poll showing Cruz ahead by 9 points. :)
I think the most reliable prognostication comes from grizzled old local political reporters who know every district in the a state. I don't know who they are in Texas.
Ah, but I do. :)
VIDEO: Liberal students admit Trump is helping economy
Campus Reform's Cabot Phillips traveled to Michigan State University after former President Barack Obama took credit for the economy under President Donald Trump.
Surprisingly, students disagreed that the current booming U.S. economy is mostly because of Obama, as the former president suggested recently.
Instead, most students acknowledged President Trump's role in unleashing the economy.
https://www.campusreform.org/?ID=11322
Oh.... SNAP!!!!
That's just gotta hurt!!! :D
If I post a link to an article I get thru subscription I try and remember to caution that non-subscribers may not be able to get past the wall. WAPO is pretty good about opening their gate to important stories, but not always, and when they do, not always right away. Like lots of things I try and do I don't always remember to do.
TS,
There is really no need for you to go to all that trouble.
Making assumptions is generally dangerous. But, in this case, I think you can assume that paywalls, especially to the NYT or Washington Post, present no obstacle to Weigantians.
Kick- do tell. Who are those old grizzlies? Links please! (Almost) nothing would please me more than to see Cruze turned out.
DH
Is it just coincidence that the suggestions on what I should do when I point out how CW is not doing what he should do never what address what CW should be doing?
I don't think it's a coincidence at all. Since CW obviously enjoys freedom of the press and speech -- and it's undeniably his very own website -- he's clearly already met the threshold of "doing what he should." Since you're the one who is requesting that CW exercise his freedoms to do what you believe "he should," you're obviously the one who is going to have to meet or exceed his expectations... and not the other way around.
I know Don didn't ask me, but I thought I'd give my two cents anyway. :)
TS
71
Kick- do tell. Who are those old grizzlies? Links please! (Almost) nothing would please me more than to see Cruze turned out.
These particular "old grizzlies" aren't actually all that old, but what they lack in links they make up for in phone numbers... which I can't post, of course.
Wouldn't it be fun to see Gru-ze lose? I'm not holding my breath, but it's fun watching him squirm and beg DC for money since they seriously hate him. :)
DH,
Too soon to start trash talking the Titans??? :D
Well, okay, the premise is that Trump has led his followers into a delusion bubble, a fact and reality-free zone in which everything is fine and going according to plan.
God I hope that's true. And it would also be nice if they decide to blow-off the midterm results and stay bubblicious through 2020.
Unfortunately, the reverse tends to be true. The Tea Party boosted the GOP to historic gains in 2010 - which lulled the GOP back to sleep in 2012.
It will be important for Democrats to learn the lesson: this year is critical, but the real battle won't be engaged until 2019-20. These midterms should at best be considered a preliminary dress rehearsal for that one.
a fact and reality-free zone in which everything is fine and going according to plan.
Except it IS a fact that things ARE really really good and it's ya'all living in the fact/reality free zone where the economy is decimated and this country is really REALLY bad off..
Hay, wait a tic.. Aren't you in TN??? :D
And ANOTHER witness who the so-called "victim" says was at this so-called "party" refutes the so-called "victim"'s claims...
"I understand that I have been identified by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford as the person she remembers as 'PJ' who supposedly was present at the party she described in her statements to the Washington Post. I am issuing this statement today to make it clear to all involved that I have no knowledge of the party in question; nor do I have any knowledge of the allegations of improper conduct she has leveled against Brett Kavanaugh."
-Patrick J. Smyth
More **FACTS** that prove how full of shit this so-called "victim" is...
what expectations must be met to make One Demand worthy of discussion?
That's easy. It has to be relevant anywhere else.
Except it IS a fact that things ARE really really good and it's ya'all living in the fact/reality free zone where the economy is decimated and this country is really REALLY bad off..
No, you've got that backward. The economy is, for a moment, really good, thanks to Obama. Your Orange crush is doing everything he can to fuck that up {tariffs, alliances). HE's the bug in the software.
Y'all are just too dense to realize that.
The economy is, for a moment, really good, thanks to Obama.
Yes.. THAT is your claim.. But it simply proves my point that you are living in a factless delusional world..
Do you know how we know this??
Because ya'all SAID that President Trump, if he did the things he was going to do, he would destroy the economy..
Trump did the things he said he would do and the economy is flourishing..
So, either ya'all were full of shit THEN or ya'all are full of shit now...
You can pretend that Trump has nothing to do with the great economy..
VIDEO: Liberal students admit Trump is helping economy
Campus Reform's Cabot Phillips traveled to Michigan State University after former President Barack Obama took credit for the economy under President Donald Trump.
Surprisingly, students disagreed that the current booming U.S. economy is mostly because of Obama, as the former president suggested recently.
Instead, most students acknowledged President Trump's role in unleashing the economy.
https://www.campusreform.org/?ID=11322
But even COLLEGE kids no the facts, that it's President Trump's doing and not Odumbo's...
Your Orange crush is doing everything he can to fuck that up {tariffs, alliances).
Yes, President Trump is doing ALL of those things. And ya'all screamed hysterically how bad it's all going to be..
And, guess what?? Ya'all were **WRONG** again.. :D
But even COLLEGE kids no (sic) the facts
That's the second time that you posted from that same astro-turfed website. You're proving today's premise correct even as you try to dig out of it.
College kids are unreliable economic forecasters. Listen to the experts, like Ben Bernanke, who calls this the 'Wile E. Coyote' economy, because the administration just doesn't see the cliff that it's about to go over.
The economy is, for a moment, really good, thanks to Obama.
Correct. Obama got hammered in 2010 because of the economy, which was unfair. Those of us who were focused on the fundamentals saw that the economy was turning around from his actions, but that inequality was built into the recovery (focus on capital markets at the expense of labor). Public sentiment is notoriously lagging, usually by at least a year, and this was no exception.
Now we are seeing the afterglow of the economic recovery raising consumer sentiment just when the economy is leveling off. If a downturn starts now it will be late 2019 to mid 2020 before consumer sentiment catches up.
I can only imagine TOTUS's approval ratings if there is even a mild recession and unemployment goes up. He is in the toilet even at the cyclical peak of sentiment.
It will be important that Democrats can explain reality simply:
1. The Republicans were handed a strong and growing economy
2. The major issue was inequality
3. They passed a tax bill targeted at the rich that made inequality worse by giving the bosses a huge pay raise
4. They then let a clown interfere with international trade when even his own people were calling him a "moron" with the understanding of a "fifth or sixth grader"
5. Running the country is real reality - a "reality TV performer" is just that
This stupidity will end as soon as normal America takes control back from the tin foil hat crowd.
DH
78
Okay. We agree it's CW's blog and he can write aboot what he wants. That has never been in question.
Good.
But when CW ignores my comments and the issues and realities then I can't possibly know what I would have to do to meet his expectations, even though many commenters seem to think they know.
He ignores the majority of everyone's comments, Don; I would wager it is nothing personal. He obviously has seen what you're offering multiple times, and his answer is "no." Since you obviously have no problem understanding yet ignoring other commenters' requests regarding what you should do on your website, it seems to me like it ought to be crystal clear to especially you why CW might not want to incorporate your ideas into his. Just saying. :)
When you say CW is doing what he should be doing does that mean that you think he should not explain what expectations must be met to make One Demand worthy of discussion?
I'm saying he owes you what you owe everybody else here: nothing.
If so, how could I possibly be expected to meet expectations that are unknown?
Honestly? I don't give a "ship," or should I say that ship has long since sailed? I'm long past the point of caring about your political venture; although, I'm infinitely interested in other things you have to say. Sometimes attempts at political activism can have the exact opposite effect of what they're trying to achieve; rather than rallying people to your cause or to even entertain or consider your point of view, some techniques can actually push them further and further away... something to consider. :)
[82] So what you are saying is that if one journalist would write aboot One Demand that would make it worthy of discussion by other journalists, politicians, activist, etc. ?
Nope. That's not what I'm saying at all.
What I'm saying is that your idea is like a talented guy without any credentials. He might believe that he'd make a fine CEO, but nobody else is going to believe that until he goes out and proves that he can master the basics of middle management. Save those big ideas for later.
If you were to, for instance, go to work for a local politician, and prove that you can lick stamps and knock on doors with the best of them, then you might work your way up into an assistant's job. Eventually you might find yourself trusted enough to give advice. That's when you'd pull out your 'one demand' idea.
Conversely, you might go get yourself heavily credentialed as a political science expert. It would require a Master's degree at least, and it would help if your degree comes from an Ivy League institution.
Or you could go the Trump route. Make enough money at anything else to finance a run for office. Then wow the crowds with your ability to inspire, enrage, or enrapture them. Then spring your One Demand idea on them, see if they bite.
Journalists won't get you anywhere. They write volumes and volumes of enlightened prose only to find that nobody remembers what they'd written, and that there's more due. Take CW's excellent recent article about Elizabeth Warren's 'drain the swamp' plan for example. Nobody in this forum has mentioned it since. It's a great idea, and CW can, and has, praised it to the heavens.
But if it succeeds, it will be because she put in the work required to convince her colleagues, who will listen to her only because she's had good ideas before, and followed through on them. Her whole life has been the predicate for that.
neilm
84
I have read this comment in its entirety and find it to be a masterpiece. :)
That's the second time that you posted from that same astro-turfed website. You're proving today's premise correct even as you try to dig out of it.
And by "astro-turfed" you mean, anything that doesn't agree with your factless deluded outlook.. :D
College kids are unreliable economic forecasters.
Heh, see that's funny.. When college kids are screaming hysterically and attacking anyone that doesn't agree with them, you are full on supportive..
When they say what you don't like to hear, then they are "unreliable forecasters"..
Those unreliable forecasters are also voters, my young friend...
And if they are giving President Trump credit for the economy.....????
Well, you can do the math.. :D
Listen to the experts, like Ben Bernanke, who calls this the 'Wile E. Coyote' economy, because the administration just doesn't see the cliff that it's about to go over.
The problem is, you only see the cliff based on your Party blinders..
Ya'all have been claiming there is a cliff there for THREE YEARS!!???
And ya'all have **ALWAYS** been wrong..
So, why should ANYONE think ya'all have any credibility???
Come Jan of 2025 when President Trump prepares to leave office, ya'all will STILL be screaming hysterically about cliffs and fear-mongering about shit that has **NEVER** come to pass..
Ya'all have ALWAYS been wrong...
Why should ANYONE believe anything ya'all say???
Maybe after the mid-terms when the GOP is still in firm(er???) control of the House and Senate, MAYBE reality will begin to seep in.
I doubt it, but hope springs eternal.. :D
ALL WOMEN ARE TO BE BELIEVED..
Ellison accuser releases 2017 medical document saying she feared 'retribution'
Congressman's ex-girlfriend posts doctor's notes to corroborate abuse allegations
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/sep/19/keith-ellison-accuser-releases-2017-medical-docume/
EXCEPT....
Except when it's detrimental to the Dumbocrat Party agenda..
PARTY UBER ALLES
:^/
Balthasar
86
Great analogy with Elizabeth Warren's idea, and yet another masterpiece. :)
Neil,
This stupidity will end as soon as normal America takes control back from the tin foil hat crowd.
But, won't there still be "two Americas"? How long do you think America can stay on this current edition of a divided path without losing all control?
Statements like the one you made above are part of the problem, not the solution.
Liz,
But, won't there still be "two Americas"? How long do you think America can stay on this current edition of a divided path without losing all control?
And THERE lies the rub..
Neil's faction doesn't want to live in peace with the factions that won't toe his ideological line..
Neil is like the Palestinians who feel that Israel doesn't have a right to exist...
Michale,
Your comments are generally just as divisive as anyone, and that includes the president.
If you don't like the divisiveness, then stop being part of it.
Your comments are generally just as divisive as anyone, and that includes the president.
Oh, of course..
As the ONLY representative of viewpoints OTHER than the Party line, ANY of my comments, no matter how benign are, by definition, "divisive"....
The ONLY way my comments could NOT be "divisive" would be for me to simply ignore facts and reality and agree with everything ya'all say..
And the chances of THAT happening are well.... impossible.. :D
The ONLY way my comments could NOT be "divisive" would be for me to simply ignore facts and reality and agree with everything ya'all say..
That's not the only way, Michale.
The other way to avoid divisive comments is to state your point of view without dividing up the rest of our opinions into one of two groups.
I know that is going to be hard for you to do but, try imagining that there are no parties, just points of view.
Say why you disagree with expressed ideas and points of view. Listen to the arguments you get back in response.
Try to start from common ground. You are all Americans, after all.
DH
91
No he will not discuss the idea.
He has discussed your idea... several times too. If you paid attention to details, you'd understand how he's discussed it recently too.
I do not ignore other comments on what I should do or do on my website. I explain why I disagree with their opinion.
Good for you; however, it obligates no one to respond to you or to care about whether or not you receive a response.
So CW should only respond if he owes someone something?
Obviously, I didn't say that; however, it's you who keeps insisting that he has some kind of social "responsibility"... to which I respond he owes you exactly what you owe everyone else: nothing. It's not a difficult concept to grasp.
First you set a standard that can not be met of meeting unknown expectations, then when challenged to explain your standard you say you don't give a ship.
Wrong, wrong, wrong. I'm saying the same thing over and over: CW owes you nothing. There's nothing to explain; it's not that complicated. I gave you an honest answer that I don't care whether he ever answers you or not.
At least it clearly demonstrates that your assertion that I must somehow meet unknown expectations is an assertion that is full of ship since you have chosen not to back up your assertion.
I made no such assertion about you meeting anyone's expectations. On the contrary, Don; I said I didn't care, and I don't.
Food for thought, with a side of poutine...
https://www.macleans.ca/politics/in-the-heart-of-america-trump-is-the-only-politician-they-know/
I don't think Trump is all that concerned about 'party politics' as he is 'cultivating his cult of personality'. As I noted before, Trump prefers the role of victim in politics, it is after all his only true shared feeling he has with his diehard base.
LL&P
Try to start from common ground. You are all Americans, after all.
Yes we are.... But I doubt anyone here sees me as anything but a Republican..
Which is funny because I am not even that and I have the registration card to prove it... :D
Battle lines are drawn.. It's going to get worse before it gets better..
I think the only thing that's going to make things better is a prosperous and peaceful US.. We are WELL on our way to the prosperous part.. Once the other side realizes how good things actually are and that it's useless to keep trying to nullify a free, fair and legal election, "peaceful" will follow.. :D
I have faith.. Because the alternative is a shooting civil war...
And NO ONE wants that..
As I noted before, Trump prefers the role of victim in politics,
Yea.. And those who oppose President Trump would **NEVER** play the victim card, right???
Puuuullleeeessssseeeee...
The "Victim" strategy is the entirety of the Democrat Party... :D
Michale
100
Yes we are.... But I doubt anyone here sees me as anything but a Republican..
I can assure you that you're wrong about that. :)
Michale
"Fair enough" should be your only response. :)
Some Republicans are beginning to discuss how to withdraw Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to SCOTUS.
No, I cannot reveal my sources or I will forever lose my sources. I thought y'all might like to know that some of them are now discussing it. Will they act on it? Who knows. Stay tuned. :)
Some Republicans are beginning to discuss how to withdraw Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to SCOTUS.
I understand..
Ironically, I am in a very similar situation..
I have sources telling me that a very similar letter was received by DiFi from this so called "victim" saying a very similar accusation against Judge Gorsuch...
I can't reveal my sources, but it should come out in a day or so, if Republicans choose to act on it.. :D
In other news, sources are telling me that the closure of the sun observatory was due to aliens landing.. What is REALLY strange is all the aliens look like President Donald Trump..
I can't reveal my sources, but word will get out soon.. :D
@DonHarris
No, you most certainly don't need to wait; in fact, you shouldn't. Are you of the opinion that all you've done in response to comments was somehow wasted? Is your proposal no nearer to viability? Have you done all you possibly can to bring your idea to market, so to speak, or do you feel that the idea itself is your contribution and it is up to someone else to make it happen?
Just curious:
Does your research lead you to conclude that a political blog is the place to reach voters who don't vote in non-presidential election years?
Have you connected with GOTV groups to learn how they target those who don't vote regularly or at all?
Have you connected with any other group that is actively working on any strategy to get big money out of politics?
Have you written for feedback to any small donor candidates or office holders regarding getting big money out of politics or getting an endorsement?
Would you be open to joining forces with other grassroots organizations to make change happen?
It just seems to me that there's more you can do without great cost to position your idea so it can get traction. Waiting won't advance the cause.
Don Harris
105
No he did not discuss my idea, he discussed what my idea isn't. No matter how many times you repeat it it's not true.
So he discussed your idea; you're making my point.
Your opinion is that he owes me nothing. My opinion is he has a responsibility as a journalist and as a journalist that claims to address reality to address this very real idea.
Wrong. CW owing you nothing isn't my opinion, Don, it is a fact.
Was it a different Kick that wrote in comment 72 "...you're obviously the one who has to meet or exceed his expectations...." ?
No, Don, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to deduce that if someone has refused to shill for your idea that it somehow doesn't meet their expectations; however, that in no way whatsoever obligates anyone to explain to you regarding why or why not.
Now... no offense, but I don't care. OAO :)
Michale
106
Ironically, I am in a very similar situation..
No, you're not in a similar situation.
I'm attempting to inform people what I know from direct sources, while you're inventing false equivalencies and outright fabrications and setting up straw men arguments. Two entirely different things.
RH-69
"Is it just coincidence that the suggestions on what I should do when I point out how CW is not doing what he should do never what address what CW should be doing?"
That sentence makes absolutely no sense.
The next three sentences are about reasonable suggestions that did not pan out. Yet you keep repeating a failed approach. Are you going to stay in this rut until you die? Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Learn lessons, move on.
"Still haven't received an explanation of how people are going to sign up to participate in something that they don't know aboot." You aren't asking for an explanation, you are demanding free "air time." CW doesn't want to give that - end of story.
"So it is obvious that if I were to follow the suggestions made here that are just excuses to avoid discussion of the idea that the goal posts would once again be moved with another excuse." In words, you are willing to try the same failed approach yet again because you are afraid you might have to try something new. The goal posts haven't moved. You keep getting tackled before you get anywhere near the goal posts because you don't change your game plan in response to new information. See Einstein's definition of insanity.
"And the article on my site with a link from the comments here does not carry the same weight or have the same exposure as a guest article (cross-posted) or an article by CW that is cross-posted." So you are demanding CW give an endorsement AND free "air time." I'll give Brass Balls Award for that.
The Underpants Gnome meme just is an economical way of saying you have not established a plausible chain of causality in your proposal.
A: Collect Underpants B: ??? C:Reap the Profits
A: Collect pledges to only vote for small money candidates B: ???? C: American politics are reformed!
The biggest problem that I have with your proposal is that you don't try and get into the heads of voters and candidates. You are proposing a very complicated game. How it plays out is unclear.
Are quality candidates going to be willing to run on small money, or are small money candidates mostly going to be niche candidates who just can't raise money?
Does being small money mean a candidate is really on my side or represents my values? If Hitler runs on small money + kill Jews and Gypsies, should,nay must I vote for him?
What if there are only two candidates running, both big money? Do I stay home? Or do I vote for the "least lizard?"
Big and small money are relative terms, what's big in some races is small in others. Who sets the limits?
What percentage of pledged small money voters will honor their pledge? What percentage will cheat and vote for a big money guy who actually seems more in line with their views?
What about a small money candidate who just got an unsolicited and uncoordinated ton of commercial endorsements from what until yesterday was called a Dark Money Donor. Has OneDemand just engineered a new variation of dirty trick?
What is the overhead associated with running OneDemand. Doing it mostly right seems to be replicating the existing USA voter registration system.
I'm attempting to inform people what I know from direct sources, while you're inventing false equivalencies and outright fabrications and setting up straw men arguments. Two entirely different things.
My claims are identical to yours..
Without ANY substantiation whatsoever..
The *ONLY* difference is you are simply saying what people here want to hear and therefore, they will believe it without requiring substantiation..
In other words, we're both wishcasting and treating it as fact...
The only difference is, I admit it's what I am doing. :D
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/huppke/ct-met-brett-kavanaugh-ford-assault-fbi-huppke-20180918-story.html
The person who should be demanding an FBI investigation into these accusations is Judge Brett Kavanaugh. That should be more important to him than anything right now.
But instead, the only person asking for a thorough investigation is Ford, the woman Republicans are aggressively trying to discredit and ignore, the woman who, according to The New York Times, has had to leave her home due to death threats and all manner of online harassment.
I don’t know who is telling the truth.
But I know that right now, the woman who claims a drunk, 17-year-old future Supreme Court nominee climbed on top of her, tried to take her clothes off and covered her mouth with his hand sounds a lot more confident in her story than the man heading toward a seat on the high court. A seat that may well wind up irrevocably tainted.
Michale
111
My claims are identical to yours..
False equivalency... again.
The *ONLY* difference is you are simply saying what people here want to hear and therefore, they will believe it without requiring substantiation..
Don't you think it's past time that you let go of the absurd idea that you can read everyone's minds? The fact is, you have no idea what "people here want to hear."
For instance, I didn't even post what I wanted to hear. The fact is, I hope the Republicans vote next week to confirm Kavanaugh against the wishes of the majority of the American people because I think it will be a grave mistake that will set off a series of events that will be a game changer. Confirm him, please. I would wager there are those here who agree with that; however, I'm not concerned with posting to please what I think they believe, and I sure don't presume that I know what that is.
In other words, we're both wishcasting and treating it as fact...
Wrong. Just wrong. I'm reporting directly from sources I trust while you're obviously fabricating.
The only difference is, I admit it's what I am doing. :D
Wrong. It speaks volumes that you believe everything can be explained away with false equivalency and/or your ridiculous belief that you can successfully read everyone's mind and that anyone not you happens to agree among each other... bigly volumes. :)
EM [92]:
This stupidity will end as soon as normal America takes control back from the tin foil hat crowd.
...
Statements like the one you made above are part of the problem, not the solution.
We have a conspiracy theorist who is totally out of his depth trying to ru[i]n the country at the moment. And the country is already divided. Let's get the sensible people back in charge then we can start to address the divisions in our society.
Waiting for the extremists on both sides to come to their senses before we act is not a viable plan.
Yes we are.... But I doubt anyone here sees me as anything but a Republican..
Which is funny because I am not even that and I have the registration card to prove it... :D
If the Republican Party were truly “The Party of Lincoln”, then no member of the GOP would be considered a “Republican”!
You are the perverted mutation of what the Party has turned into and what Trump has so perfectly become the physical manifestation of!
I WAS a TRUE Republican — and actually believed in the concepts that defined the Party! I still firmly support limited government intervention into our private lives! Those that are against a woman’s right to choose whether she wants to be pregnant and are against marriage equality are demanding the government interfere in our private affairs.
I believe(d) we must fully support a strong military. That support should be focused on our actual military personnel and not on making military contractors rich!
I believe(d) in being fiscally conservative — and that didn’t change depending on which party was in the White House! We have multiple wars being fought without any plan on how to pay for them.
Government agencies should not waste money! When I worked as a 911 call receiver, they got the corded headsets we used from the same business that had served the agency for over 20 years...no one bothered to make sure that the company was providing us the best product at the best price for over two decades! I found a dealer who could get us the newest Bluetooth technology for less than what they were paying for the refurbished older equipment we were getting. Seriously, they were paying $75 for refurbished headsets that were four or five generations old that went for $5 online....if you could even find someone that still bothered to carry the outdated headsets! That’s a waste of taxpayer money!
I believe(d) in “strong family values” - which meant I believed that “strong families” must have access to enough nutritional food, affordable medical care, quality educational opportunities and safe communities in order to remain “strong”.
I believe(d) our officials were elected to represent their constituents’ best interests. They were to be honest and service-minded in their conduct.
These were the qualities that supposedly defined what a Republican believed when I was growing up.
So, NO, I don’t think of Michale as a Republican!
Neil,
And the country is already divided. Let's get the sensible people back in charge then we can start to address the divisions in our society.
Well, in order to get the sensible people back in charge, don't you think less divisive talk and more effective communication of an alternative way of doing things is a better approach … now, before the midterms and 2020?
I don't know about you but, I'm not convinced that Trump won't be re-elected (heavily dependent, btw, on who Democrats choose as their nominee). I am suggesting that in order to ensure sensible people regain control, they are going to have to counter Trump's divisiveness with a message and plan of action that will translate into votes for Democrats.
America, and indeed, the fee world is in the hands of an adolescent...
https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/world/trump-to-florence-victim-at-least-you-got-a-nice-boat-out-of-the-deal/ar-BBNzEcq?ocid=spartandhp
Hells bells... A turbulent priest.
LL&P
I am suggesting that in order to ensure sensible people regain control, they are going to have to counter Trump's divisiveness with a message and plan of action that will translate into votes for Democrats.
They do, but it's been kept at the local level in most concepts. The Democrats have mostly been running at home on bread-and-butter issues: healthcare, education, earning a living wage.
As CW pointed out recently, the Republicans have managed to make Obamacare far more popular now than it used to be. I heard Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate and habitual liar Mike DeWine tonight say in a debate that he supports both medicare expansion and coverage for pre-existing conditions. Sounds a lot like Obamacare to me.
... in most contests.
So, NO, I don’t think of Michale as a Republican!
And yet, when people accused me of being a Republican, you remained silent, thereby giving ASSENT to the accusation..
NOW you have a different story.. :D
Gotcha, Russ.. :D
They do, but it's been kept at the local level in most concepts. The Democrats have mostly been running at home on bread-and-butter issues: healthcare, education, earning a living wage.
Facts to support??
Oh sure.. you can find a snippet here or a snippet there...
But it's clear to every American what Democrats are running on..
I heard Ohio Republican gubernatorial candidate and habitual liar Mike DeWine tonight say in a debate that he supports both medicare expansion and coverage for pre-existing conditions. Sounds a lot like Obamacare to me.
Why am *I* the only one who is harangued and harassed to find every bit of substantiation for every little bit of info I put out, yet those who toe the Party line are satisfied with "I heard" and anonymous non-existent "sources"??
Is it because ya'all's BS is what ya'all want to hear and the FACTS that I have disturb the delusional utopia ya'all have created for yerselves?? :D
Yea.. THAT must be it.. :D
Wooops.. Looks like my "sources" were wrong..
It wasn't aliens at the solar observatory in NM..
It was child porn..
This so-called victim has til noon today to indicate she wants to testify and provide the committee with the proper documentation...
Anyone wanna lay any bets??
Seems she's got some bollocks, good for her... She's come this far, why not upbraid those bobble-headed yes-men masquerading as men in GOP garb...
She's being railroaded, why not strut her stuff in front of America, we all know she's going to be formidable, and we all know she's going pin these Donkey's to this tale... farewell GOP congress.
LL&P