Friday Talking Points -- A Momentous Week
Throughout the presidency of Donald Trump there have been many weeks that have left everyone completely exhausted, because so many momentous events have happened with such blinding speed. Each time, it's been tempting to say: "Trump can never top that week" at the end of it. We've all but given up doing so, because no matter how intense things get, there always seems to be a way to ratchet things up the very next week. However, that temptation was almost overwhelming this particular week.
We had a State Of The Union speech on Tuesday (hopefully, Trump's last one). One day earlier, we had the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucus on the Democratic side, which turned into its own sort of spectacular meltdown. Then we had the Senate voting to acquit Trump of the impeachment charges brought by the House. Trump waited one day before doing a victory lap, in an extended "Two Minutes' Hate" broadcast live from the White House. He let everyone know he's got an enemies list and he's now totally unrestrained. And now we're rushing to put together a Friday column before the next Democratic presidential debate happens, later today. Add in, just for the heck of it, a Super Bowl and the Oscars and you've got a week that will indeed be hard to top, at least on the sheer exhaustion scale of things.
Normally, we'd wait until after the debate was over and then type up our snap reactions, but we're not going to do that today. It's Friday, and we feel we deserve a rest. Also, we've spent the last two Fridays commenting at length on the historical impact of the third impeachment of a United States president, so we wanted to get things at least marginally back to normal here at Friday Talking Points. But there will be two more Democratic debates before Super Tuesday -- one before Nevada votes and then another one before South Carolina, so we've got plenty of time to parse what the Democrats are saying about each other this month.
There's not much that can be said about Trump's speech that we haven't already said (we did do a post-speech snap reaction column Tuesday, in case you missed it). We weren't impressed by it, as usual, but we were definitely pleasantly surprised by the Democratic response (more on this later in the program).
Nancy Pelosi, at the end of the speech, absolutely stole the show by ripping up her copy of Trump's speech, right behind him, which was absolutely priceless. Republicans feigned a fit of the vapors (all the fainting couches in Washington got a workout) as a result, but they simply have no leg to stand on when it comes to demanding "decorum" from Democrats, at this point. To any Republicans attempting to do so, I have two words for them which were yelled at a previous State Of The Union from the GOP peanut gallery: "You lie!" Also, there's Donald Trump, who wouldn't know decorum if it came up and bit him on the ass at the tee of the eighteenth hole.
False pearl-clutching aside, however, there was one significant moment the day after the speech, when Republican Senator Mitt Romney became the only senator in all of American history to vote to remove a president of his own party from office. He gave a moving speech about his fealty to his oath to God before his vote, which Trump later mocked at the national prayer breakfast. Personally, we never thought we'd see the day when any Republican mocked anyone's professed faith, much less a member of his own party, but here we are. Was there outrage from all those self-professed devout Christians in the GOP at Trump's scorn for Romney's stance? There was not. There was, in fact, silence. How the mighty have fallen! Just another episode to put into the folder marked: "Things to bring up and throw in their faces if any Republicans ever try to pull that holier-than-thou nonsense ever again," which was already bulging at the seams after Trump's takeover of the Republican Party.
The Democratic race to replace Trump went through a political earthquake this week, when the Iowa results were finally announced (after three days of waiting). Pete Buttigieg did a lot better than expected while Joe Biden did a lot worse than expected -- those were the two biggest storylines. Bernie Sanders was proven right to demand that Iowa release not just the "state delegate equivalent" totals at the end of the night but also the actual popular vote -- something he had pushed hard for after the razor-thin result in 2016, when Hillary Clinton beat him in delegates by two-tenths of a percentage point. Bernie suspected that he had won the actual vote back then, but there was no way to tell because those numbers weren't actually recorded. In the changes the party has made since then, Iowa promised to release such numbers. This year, they showed an eerie similarity, when Buttigieg beat Bernie in delegates by only one-tenth of a percent, but this time around Bernie was able to claim victory for winning the most votes (which he did in both the first and the final rounds). Both candidates essentially tied, because both will wind up with exactly the same number of actual delegates to the national convention, and both candidates will doubtlessly portray themselves as the victors in tonight's debate.
Tonight is going to be a real throwdown, that's our guess (and that's why we're rushing to get this column done so we can watch the debate uninterrupted). Pretty much every candidate on the stage now has something to prove tonight, from the new frontrunners to the newly desperate. Andrew Yang will even be back, after being denied entry to the previous debate. However, one major candidate will still be absent, because the new rules for entry won't take effect until the next debate, so Michael Bloomberg will continue to be allowed to spend oodles of cash on television ads which (so far) have gone completely unchallenged by the other Democrats.
We are not among those who are denouncing this rules change, it bears mentioning. The rules were not (as some have claimed) "changed to allow Bloomberg onto the stage." The Democratic National Committee has said since last November that they were going to adjust things after the voting had actually begun, and their rules change reflects exactly what they said they were going to do. Any candidate who wins even a single national convention delegate gets an automatic free pass to the next round of debates. This will not include Bloomberg, because he is not competing in any of the first four contests. The donor hurdle was removed, because it was always a stand-in which was supposed to show widespread support among the voters, but now we have actual votes to show which candidates are widely supported and which are not, so it is no longer necessary. And the threshold for polling got incredibly higher, which few seem to have realized. In previous debates, this threshold began at only one percent in national polling, and stairstepped up to five percent the last time around (the rules which are in force for tonight's debate). The new threshold is ten percent in four national polls, or twelve percent in state-level polling in the states which are about to vote. That is a breathtaking leap, and it may well bar Amy Klobuchar and, yes, even Michael Bloomberg from the next debates (incidentally, it also will almost certainly leave Tom Steyer and Andrew Yang out in the cold). Bloomberg may make it in, but then again he may not -- the only candidates who have qualified so far for the next debate are Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, and Joe Biden. What with Pete Buttigieg's rise, he'll probably make it in too, but it's in no way guaranteed that anyone else will.
Now, don't get us wrong -- we are in no way supporting Michael Bloomberg's candidacy. In fact, we think he's got all kinds of baggage and may turn out to be a terrible president. We will probably hold our nose and vote for him in the general election, should he become the Democratic nominee, but then again that's true of every single other Democrat running. This is precisely why we would like to see him in a few debates before Super Tuesday, in fact, because we think it is high time all the claims he's been making in his ads are directly challenged by some Democrats who don't remember his stint as mayor of New York City quite so fondly. Just to make our position crystal clear, so we aren't accused of being in the tank for Bloomberg or anything. Far from it, in fact. We actually think he's got a glass jaw -- but it'll never shatter unless another Democrat takes a punch at him.
But back to tonight's debate. This one's going to be momentous because the Democratic field is currently in the process of realigning. Joe Biden no longer looks or sounds like a frontrunner after his dismal finish in Iowa. Amy Klobuchar is desperately trying to knock Biden down one more notch, because fourth place is a lot better than fifth place right now. Elizabeth Warren is hoping for a better finish than third, in a state right next door to her own. Bernie Sanders is hoping for the same thing, and he's doing a lot better in the New Hampshire polls than Warren is. And Pete Buttigieg is eagerly hoping that he'll become the lone moderate Democrat standing after New Hampshire, capitalizing on Biden's decline. Biden, of course, is in desperate straits, but a good finish in New Hampshire (second or even third place) would launch him right back into the fray at the front of the pack. Everyone has a lot to gain and a lot to lose, in other words.
As usual, it will be fascinating to see who gets attacked and who is launching such attacks. Will Biden be the biggest target, or will the other candidates ignore him? Will Biden be the most vicious attack dog, or will Klobuchar continue her streak? What will Warren do -- hang back and let the fur fly, or attempt to knock Bernie down a peg? Everyone's going to be targeting both Bernie and Mayor Pete, but will these two ignore the others and concentrate on attacking each other instead? Will anyone take a swipe at the absent Bloomberg? Will the moderators ask idiotic questions that totally ignore basic political reality? All kinds of things could happen, and many of them probably will.
Iowa didn't really narrow the race much at all, unless you count the confirmation that neither Tom Steyer nor Andrew Yang is going to be the Democratic nominee. Not counting Bloomberg, there were, in fact, five "tickets out of Iowa" this year, not the usual three. However, New Hampshire's primary could winnow this down to only four (again, not counting Bloomberg), especially if Amy Klobuchar fails to qualify for the next debate stage.
Tonight's debate will be the capstone on a week packed with momentous occasions, that much seems assured. So you'll have to forgive us for this rather condensed wrap-up of the week that was, since it's not over yet and we want to get this published before the final event begins.
This is going to be a short section, but don't worry, we're going to expand upon it in the talking points.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi certainly deserves an Honorable Mention this week for stealing Donald Trump's thunder by visibly ripping up her copy of his State Of The Union speech at the end, that's for sure. This was payback for him refusing to shake her hand at the beginning, which set the tone for how low the "decorum" bar for such events has fallen. Pelosi caused an epidemic of pearl-clutching among Republicans afterwards, and her viral moment ripping up Trump's speech stole a goodly portion of the news coverage away from what he had said. In other words, as political theater, it was stunningly effective.
Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders also deserve Honorable Mention awards, for doing so well in Iowa (even if it did take far too long to find this out). Mayor Pete in particular smashed expectations in the first state to vote, which has launched his candidacy into the front ranks of the race. Tonight's debate will most likely be the most fascinating one of the cycle so far as a direct result.
But the clear winner of the Most Impressive Democrat Of The Week this week was Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, for her delivery of the Democratic response to the State Of The Union. Again, though, we've got much more to say about this amazing speech later, so we're just going to hand Whitmer her award and move on. Congratulations are in order for Gretchen Whitmer, for summing up very succinctly the exact message that all Democratic candidates should focus on from now until November.
[Congratulate Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer on her official contact page, to let her know you appreciate her efforts.]
This one's pretty easy this week, too. We have a group award this time around, for the Iowa Democratic Party. And they won't even have to wait three days for the votes to be counted, either.
Sigh.
There's nothing like one snafu giving the entire party a black eye, and this one came at the worse imaginable moment -- the real start of the nominating race to take on Donald Trump. If ever there was a time when the entire world was watching, this was it.
We wrote yesterday about the larger problems the Iowa caucus has, and we sincerely hope that this fiasco spurs a national conversation about the entire concept of: (1) caucuses, Iowa's in particular, and (2) letting Iowa go first. Because it has now become painfully obvious that there's got to be a better way than what we just went through.
Not unlike the rollout of the Obamacare website, this was an unmitigated disaster. There really were no excuses, and no silver lining to be found. Eleanor Shellstrop of The Good Place would have called it a "clusterfork." And she'd be right.
Republicans everywhere reacted with unrestrained glee. As they had every right to (if the shoe were on the other foot, Democrats would have been equally justified in such gleeful scorn).
However, this won't be as big a deal once other states start voting -- and proving that what happened in Iowa is the exception and not the rule. Iowa's screwup is never going to be forgotten, but it also isn't going to change anyone's vote in November, to put it another way. So while it's embarrassing to see a state fall on its face so spectacularly, in the grand scheme of things it isn't going to be all that important.
Even so, the Iowa Democratic Party was, without any doubt, the winner of the Most Disappointing Democrat Of The Week award.
[Contact the Iowa Democratic Party on their official contact page, although it may take awhile for the message to get through because they're still busily cleaning up the mess they made earlier in the week.]
Volume 560 (2/7/20)
This week, we saw not only the president's State Of The Union speech, but also the Democratic response. As mentioned, this was an excellent speech, so rather than trying to come up with our own discrete talking points this week, we decided to highlight a few key passages from Governor Whitmer's speech instead.
It was a fairly short speech, less than 15 minutes in total. But in that short time, several key themes were addressed that all Democrats running for office this year would do well to pay attention to. In a nutshell, these themes are:
- This is what Democrats are for.
- This is what Republicans are against.
- Democrats want to fix problems, not make them worse.
- The Senate hasn't done anything since Republicans took control.
- Main Street is more important than Wall Street.
This is what wins elections, folks. Painting the differences between the two parties as starkly as possible, with a heavy emphasis on kitchen-table issues that voters care deeply about. Whitmer famously won her election on the campaign slogan: "Fix the damn roads," which is probably the best example of how to achieve this. Early on in her speech she explained why this was such a powerful political message:
[C]ar repairs take money from rent, childcare or groceries. And we, the Democrats, are doing something about it. In Illinois, Governor J. B. Pritzker passed a multibillion dollar plan to rebuild their roads and bridges. Governor Phil Murphy is replacing lead pipes in New Jersey. All across the country, Democratic leaders are rebuilding bridges, fixing roads, expanding broadband and cleaning up drinking water. Everyone in this country benefits when we invest in infrastructure. Congressional Democrats have presented proposals to keep us moving forward, but President Trump and the Republicans in the Senate are blocking the path.
As you can see, Whitmer wove many themes into a very succinct message. She highlighted one Michigander who, out of frustration, started filling in his street's potholes on his own, saying he had done more "with a pile of dirt than the Republicans in D.C. have with the Oval Office and the U.S. Senate." She followed this with the most memorable line of the entire speech: "Bullying people on Twitter doesn't fix bridges, it burns them."
The governor then pivoted to healthcare, which is still the strongest political subject Democrats have, due to Republicans continually trying to make the entire system worse for everyone. Donald Trump had just blatantly lied in his State Of The Union speech about protecting people with pre-existing conditions, when the reality is that his own Justice Department has joined a lawsuit which seeks to overturn the entire Affordable Care Act, including the protections such people now enjoy. Whitmer began this section by giving credit to some of her fellow Democratic governors (something she continued to do throughout the entire speech):
In Kansas, Governor Laura Kelly's working across the aisle to bring Medicaid coverage to tens of thousands. In New Mexico, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham enshrined A.C.A. protections into law. Every Democrat running for president has a plan to expand healthcare for all Americans. Every one of them has supported the Affordable Care Act with coverage for people with preexisting conditions. They may have different plans, but the goal is the same. President Trump, sadly, has a different plan. He's asking the courts to rip those lifesaving protections away. It's pretty simple, Democrats are trying to make your healthcare better, Republicans in Washington are trying to take it away.
This was the most impressive segment of a very impressive speech, in fact. There are two portions of it worth highlighting even further. The first is to point out that while the moderators of all the Democratic presidential debates have bent over backwards to expose all the sometimes-minor differences in the various plans each candidate has to further reform America's healthcare system, this focus misses a rather large point: "Every Democrat running for president has a plan to expand healthcare for all Americans.... They may have different plans, but the goal is the same." Republicans are on the record not just opposing any new effort to expand access to healthcare, but also vehemently opposing what's been achieved already. The contrast is about as clear-cut as it could be, and Whitmer's last line in this passage should become a key phrase that every single Democrat running for any political office starts using as many times as they can: "It's pretty simple, Democrats are trying to make your healthcare better, Republicans in Washington are trying to take it away."
Whitmer then expands her message to highlight how Donald Trump and the Republicans are much more concerned with how Wall Street is doing than how average American families are doing. She weaves a metaphor of strength through this passage:
But the reality is not everyone in America has a job with healthcare and benefits. In fact, many have jobs that don't even pay enough to cover their monthly expenses. Doesn't matter what the president says about the stock market. What matters is that millions of people struggle to get by or don't have enough money at the end of the month after paying for transportation, student loans or prescription drugs. American workers are hurting. In my own state, our neighbors in Wisconsin and Ohio, Pennsylvania and all over the country, wages have stagnated while C.E.O. pay has skyrocketed. So when the president says the economy is strong, my question is, strong for whom? Strong for the wealthy, who are reaping rewards from tax cuts they don't need. The American economy needs to be a different kind of strong. Strong for the science teacher spending her own money to buy supplies for her classroom. Strong for the single mom picking up extra hours, so she can afford her daughter's soccer cleats. Strong for the small business owner who has to make payroll at the end of the month. Michigan invented the middle class, so we know if the economy doesn't work for working people, it just doesn't work.
Whitmer then immediately follows this up by returning to the contrast between the two parties, comparing what the House Democrats under Nancy Pelosi have already gotten done with Mitch McConnell's refusal to do pretty much anything that would help the average voter. This is a very important point, and again it is one that any Democratic candidate can effectively make:
Who fights for hardworking Americans? Democrats do. In the U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democrats pass a landmark bill on equal pay. Another bill to give 30 million Americans are raise by increasing the minimum wage. And groundbreaking legislation to finally give Medicare the power to negotiate lower drug prices for America's seniors and families. Those three bills and more than 275 other bipartisan bills are just gathering dust on Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's desk. Senator McConnell, America needs you to move those bills. Meanwhile, Democrats across the country are getting things done. Pennsylvania's Governor Tom Wolf is expanding the right to overtime pay. Michigan is too. Because if you're on the clock, you deserve to get paid. Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper are working to give hardworking teachers a raise. And speaking of the classroom, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers unilaterally increased school funding by $65 million last year. In Colorado, Governor Jared Polis has enacted free all-day kindergarten. And in 29 states, we've helped pass minimum wage hikes into law, which will lift people out of poverty and improve lives for families. That's strength. That's action.
Democrats are getting plenty of good things done at the state level, and Democrats could get stuff like this passed nationally if we took control of the Senate and the Oval Office. This is a very clear message, and it is a winning one. Trump has tried to paint congressional Democrats as "Do-Nothing Democrats" through fear, because he knows full well the record shows exactly the opposite -- Democrats are doing plenty of good things, but they are all being blocked by Mitch McConnell and his Do-Nothing Republicans.
Whitmer drives this point home further by expanding the list of Democratic goals, towards the end of her speech:
Democrats want safe schools. We want everyone to have a path to a good life, whether it's through a union apprenticeship, a community college, a four-year university without drowning in debt. We want your water to be clean. We want you to love who you love and to live authentically as your true selves. And we want women to have autonomy over our bodies. We want our country welcoming and everyone's vote counted.
These are the messages that got Democrats elected in the midterms, and in the off-year elections last year. Democrats want to make things better, Republicans want to make them worse. So we end where we began, by restating the overarching themes of Whitmer's excellent speech. These should be the touchstones of all Democratic candidates' stump speeches, because they are so undeniable and plain to see. Want to know how Democrats can win in November? Gretchen Whitmer just showed them all how to do so. Hammer the following points home, in as many ways as you can:
- This is what Democrats are for.
- This is what Republicans are against.
- Democrats want to fix problems, not make them worse.
- The Senate hasn't done anything since Republicans took control.
- Main Street is more important than Wall Street.
-- Chris Weigant
All-time award winners leaderboard, by rank
Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant
Cross-posted at: Democratic Underground
If Democrats can't beat Trump on the economy, then they can't beat Trump.
If Democrats can't beat Trump on the economy, which should be a simple task, then they and most of the rest of us are doomed.
Democrats going back to Reagan have had some version of this to say to voters. I congratulate Gov. Whitmer for this simple, powerful summary of voter's choice in November.
- This is what Democrats are for.
- This is what Republicans are against.
- Democrats want to fix problems, not make them worse.
- The Senate hasn't done anything since Republicans took control.
- Main Street is more important than Wall Street.
Excellent. Thanks for that. Here's hoping.
Can I add something that's been on my mind about the Dems vs. the Repubs, about immigrants, both legal and illegal. They come from Syria, Afghanistan, Ireland, El Salvador, China, India, Nigeria, and about a hundred other countries. They WANT TO BE AMERICANS.They're going to give up their languages, their histories, their homeland places, their ancestries - TO BE HERE. Just like our ancestors did. THEY WANT TO BE AMERICANS.
Why are the Republicans scared of them? Why deport them, drive them away, forbid them, ban them, scare them, demonize them? THEY WANT TO BE AMERICANS. THEY ARE US.
Without sweating the dirty details and the vetting and the visas and the checks and the fines and the waiting periods, our principle ought to be, as they always should have been: WELCOME, AMERICANS.
The Dems get this, on a very basic level. The Repubs do not.
FPC
Russ,
So doing your job properly and telling the truth makes you a “traitor” in Trump’s White House, is that it?
Vindmen DIDN'T "tell the truth".. He supplanted his own "wisdom" for that of his commanding officer..
He broke his oaths of confidentiality and went outside the chain of command, simply because he did not like his commander..
He is a traitor..
Anyone who dares speak any words that do not please the Trump, that disagrees with Trump on any matter — that person deserves to be tarred and feathered and run out of the party!
It's a military thing. You couldn't POSSIBLY understand, never having served...
Trump knows better than any of you! Trump cannot be wrong; so no matter how many times he contradicts himself, he’s always right!
In the context of the United States Military, that's exactly factually accurate..
CW,
We had a State Of The Union speech on Tuesday (hopefully, Trump's last one).
Hope all ya want.. We all know how this ends, even if some of ya'all can't admit it.. :D
e. He let everyone know he's got an enemies list and he's now totally unrestrained.
Yep, exactly..
This outcome could have been predicted.. Hell, this outcome WAS predicted..
But Democrats and Trump/America haters were too stoopid to realize it or to filled with hate and bigotry to care...
Which is it??
We weren't impressed by it,
Of course ya'all weren't.. Another outcome that was predicted...
But people who DON'T hate on President Trump said it was a great speech.. Some of them were even Democrats..
Nancy Pelosi, at the end of the speech, absolutely stole the show by ripping up her copy of Trump's speech, right behind him, which was absolutely priceless. Republicans feigned a fit of the vapors (all the fainting couches in Washington got a workout) as a result, but they simply have no leg to stand on when it comes to demanding "decorum" from Democrats, at this point. To any Republicans attempting to do so, I have two words for them which were yelled at a previous State Of The Union from the GOP peanut gallery: "You lie!"
And, remember how ya'all reacted to that??? I believe a "fit of vapors" would accurately describe ya'all's reactions..
So, with a Democrat, it's "priceless".. When it's a Republican, it's a fit of vapors..
Do you not even SEE the blatant hypocrisy and bigotry???
False pearl-clutching aside, however, there was one significant moment the day after the speech, when Republican Senator Mitt Romney became the only senator in all of American history to vote to remove a president of his own party from office.
Which means ya'all cannot say that Republicans march in lockstep. :D Kinda burn yer butt, eh?? :D
It's obvious that Romney's treachery was solely based on his ego and not on the facts at hand.. Or, in this case, LACK of facts on hand...
As such, it says more about Romney then it does about anyone else..
We will probably hold our nose and vote for him in the general election, should he become the Democratic nominee, but then again that's true of every single other Democrat running.
Really!!??? "Probably".... So, what yer saying is that there is a chance you will remain home and not vote??
Hmmmmmm That is a mighty large concession..
All thru the entire commentary and not a single disparaging words for the Democrat Party..
Pure as the driven snow, indeed.. :smirk: :D
There's nothing like one snafu giving the entire party a black eye, a
Wait!!?? So, NOW you are saying that the entire Democrat Party has a black eye???
Could you expand upon this??
Republicans everywhere reacted with unrestrained glee. As they had every right to (if the shoe were on the other foot, Democrats would have been equally justified in such gleeful scorn).
And a peek of the old Weigantia seeps thru!!! :D
Another mighty big concession..
I am impressed... Kudos to you.. Let's hope you can expand upon this..
However, this won't be as big a deal once other states start voting -- and proving that what happened in Iowa is the exception and not the rule.
Unless, of course, the future voting DOES prove Iowa is the exception..
Given the propensity of Democrats to frak up an iron football, it's entirely plausible that future voting proves that Iowa IS the rule..
"We can't discard a possibility simply because we don't happen to like it."
-Martin Sheen THE FINAL COUNTDOWN
One of Kirk Douglas' best movies..
Liz,
If Democrats can't beat Trump on the economy, then they can't beat Trump.
DING DING DING!!!!
We have a winner!!! Tell 'er what shes won, Johnny!!!!
Very true Liz.. Not only that, but it's dead on ballz accurate as well..
If Democrats can't beat Trump on the economy, which should be a simple task, then they and most of the rest of us are doomed.
Awwww, you were doing so well..
Did you know that 90% of Americans are happy or very happy with their lives in the here and now.. In no small part to President Trump's economy...
"There's nowhere but UP from here..."
-Shania Twain, UP
JM CT
Can I add something that's been on my mind about the Dems vs. the Repubs, about immigrants, both legal and illegal. They come from Syria, Afghanistan, Ireland, El Salvador, China, India, Nigeria, and about a hundred other countries. They WANT TO BE AMERICANS.
No, they don't want to be Americans.. If that were true, then they would assimilate into our culture and quite trying to impose THEIR culture on America and Americans.
They want all the benefits and privileges of being an American, but they want none of the responsibility and they want to keep their own culture..
So, please don't propagate the utter bullshit that they want to be Americans..
The LEGAL ones do.. But not the illegal criminal vermin..
The Dems get this, on a very basic level. The Repubs do not.
If THAT were true, then Dems would join with Republicans to keep ILLEGAL immigrants out..
But Dems love ILLEGAL immigrants.. They are one of the largest voting blocs the Dims can count on..
Trump fires key impeachment witnesses Sondland, Lt. Col. Vindman in purge
The officials provided critical testimony during the House inquiry into the president's conduct with Ukraine.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-impeachment-inquiry/vindman-who-provided-key-impeachment-testimony-escorted-white-house-attorney-n1132526
President Trump is cleaning house!! The White House, that is.. :D
3 years to late, in my not so humble opinion...
"Allow me a moment to thank — and this may be a bit of a surprise — Adam Schiff. Were it not for his crack investigation skills, @realDonaldTrump might have had a tougher time unearthing who all needed to be fired."
-Donald Trump Jr
hehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe
"There is mimicry and there is mockery and THAT was definitely mockery!!"
-Dr Leonard 'Bones' McCoy
:D
Com'on, guys!! Ya'all just GOT to love the irony... :D
Democrats' every actions serve the needs and desires of President Trump... :D
It's hilarious.. :D
And Democrats only have themselves to blame. If the weren't so mired and snared in their hate and bigotry, President Trump would be infinitely less powerful than he is right now..
Congrats Democrats.. You have CREATED the President Trump we have today..
Awesome job!!! I mean that sincerely.. :D
-Reposted For Clarity
Trump fires key impeachment witnesses Sondland, Lt. Col. Vindman in purge
The officials provided critical testimony during the House inquiry into the president's conduct with Ukraine.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/trump-impeachment-inquiry/vindman-who-provided-key-impeachment-testimony-escorted-white-house-attorney-n1132526
President Trump is cleaning house!! The White House, that is.. :D
3 years to late, in my not so humble opinion...
As far as Iowa goes..
In all the fiasco of this Democrat debacle, one fact is overlooked..
The Dem turnout was MUCH MUCH lower than 2016 or 2018..
Democrats are dejected and demoralized and are staying home..
It's the Turnout, Stupid: The Real Story of Iowa Caucus
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2020/02/05/its-turnout-stupid-real-story-iowa-caucus
Ya'all simply must realize that President Trump is going to win re-election...
The Dem turnout was MUCH MUCH lower than 2016 or 2018..
Strike that to say...
The Dem turnout was MUCH MUCH lower than 2018..
The biggest problem for Democrats wasn’t the vote count
In Iowa, the party was counting on Barack Obama-levels of enthusiasm. They got Hillary Clinton-level turnout instead.
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/02/04/iowa-caucus-low-turnout-110674
As I surmised and predicted.. Democrats are staying home in droves..
DES MOINES — Iowa’s caucus-reporting meltdown was painful. But another grenade from Monday night, just beyond the line of sight, may be just as consequential.
For more than a year, Democrats have been preparing for high turnout in 2020, powered by an electorate juiced by rage against President Donald Trump. But in their first test of the year, early data suggested Tuesday that turnout was “on pace for 2016,” the Iowa Democratic Party said, far below levels many observers predicted.
In other words: Democrats were counting on Barack Obama-levels of enthusiasm. They got Hillary Clinton numbers, instead.
No matter how ya'all slice it, no matter what parameter you use, no matter what spin on reality you can muster....
Democrats are well and truly frak'ed in Nov....
Looking at the low turnout estimate in Des Moines late Monday night, an adviser to one candidate said simply, “Wow.”
The turnout statistics are not final and were referenced only briefly, tucked into an Iowa Democratic Party statement about the reporting fiasco just as it began swirling out of control.
"What we know right now is that around 25% of precincts have reported, and early data indicates turnout is on pace for 2016,” the party’s communications director, Mandy McClure, said in a prepared statement.
If that number holds, turnout will run only to about 170,000 people, well below the 240,000 who participated in the caucuses in 2008.
“It’s an enthusiasm gap,” said Michael Ceraso, who worked for Bernie Sanders’ 2016 campaign and was Pete Buttigieg’s New Hampshire director before leaving the campaign last year.
WOW, indeed...
All the excitement, all the enthusiasms, all the momentum....
It's all for President Trump..
This is a repeat of the Dole/Clinton election...
"Look, the turnout in the Iowa caucus was below what we expected, what we wanted. Trump’s approval rating is probably as high as it’s been. This is very bad. And now it appears the party can’t even count votes. What the hell am I supposed to think?
I’ll just say it this way: The fate of the world depends on the Democrats getting their shit together and winning in November. We have to beat Trump. And so far, I don’t like what I see. And a lot of people I talk to feel the same way."
-James Carville
It's not just ME saying that the Democrats are in real trouble..
It's widely acknowledged by people, DEMOCRAT people, who KNOW the facts on the ground that the Democrats are heading for a historical shellacking..
Ya'all don't even have to take my word for it..
Talk to your own Democrats about..
Ignore the Democrat "truth" which is nothing more than bullshit and spin..
Get the FACTS....
And the facts are, unless something dramatically changes, Democrats are going to loser and lose big in Nov...
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2020/2/7/21123518/trump-2020-election-democratic-party-james-carville
Pretty eye opening read from VOX..
But, of course, no one here (NEN) will take it to heart..
It deals out some hard facts and reality, but no one here wants to take their heads out of the sand to look at those hard facts or reality...
Which suits me fine, cuz it means that President Trump will win in a landslide and Democrats will lose the House...
So, I am peachy keen wonderful.. :D
You seem elated that you think you will be right about picking who will be captain when we hit the iceberg and that that captain will hit the iceberg at a greater speed than another possible captain.
I am elated because I don't buy into the GLOOM AND DOOM/TITANIC scenario...
My country will go on.. :D
I entered the real world under President Saint Ronald Reagan... So I know first hand how great this country is..
President Trump is bring us back to that heady time..
I couldn't be happier..
The future... OUR future... is Star Trek... Not V FOR VENDETTA...
Put another way..
I feel now like we all felt when Obama was elected.. Euphoric, excited and an eye towards a bright future..
Unfortunately, Obama was not the leader and visionary he pretended to be...
But THAT became apparent quit quickly....
President Trump has PROVEN beyond any doubt that he can lead this country to higher aspirations..
So, yea.. I'm good.. I am awesome, in fact..
Now if we can just get those good-for-nothing malingering and incompetent Democrats out of the House, everything will be even MORE awesome.. :D
It is kind of a faith..
A faith in FACTS...
That is why my President Trump predictions are always accurate...
Because the facts are there to make the accurate prediction...
That's why everyone else's predictions are wrong.. Because their's are based on wishful thinking, hatred and bigotry...
It's not clear to me that Klobuchar got a ticket out of Iowa. Or even Warren.
Biden still has a substantial lead in national polls, so he had a ticket no matter how badly he did. I still expect to vote for Warren, but it doesn't look to me as though she has a chance.
Who gives a flying fuck if your predictions on Trump winning elections are accurate.
Bragging rights demand accuracy.. :D
That's why most everyone here (NEN) don't gloat very well..
They don't have the accuracy chops to back it up..
I do.. :D
The faith in question is your faith in Trump being worth being elected and doing anything good for citizens or our country.
No.. My faith is in FACTS that PROVE President Trump was (and is) worth being elected. The FACTS PROVE that President Trump is doing good for Americans and America...
In this regard you are the same as those that are wrong in their Trump is toast predictions because your beliefs in one of the actors in the show are based on wishful thinking that the show is real.
It's as real as we're going to get in our lifetimes...
DSWS,
Biden still has a substantial lead in national polls, so he had a ticket no matter how badly he did. I still expect to vote for Warren, but it doesn't look to me as though she has a chance.
Would you vote for Sanders??? :D
Finally, a Dem candidate has announced that they will, in the post Trumpian era, launch a version of 'truth and reconciliation'. It will take the form of commission with no governmental oversight or affiliation to one party or another. This commission will be tasked to look into every nook and cranny of the Trump administration, the findings of which will be made public in their entirety and without the usual redactions, for all to see. The majesty of this proposal works for everyone, if nothing actionable is found, the Trumps and their gang can go about their money laundering business for Putin's cronies and all will be good...However, and I suspect this will be the most likely scenario, Trump and his enablers will have years of explaining to do and fingers to point.
Obviously investigations of this type are acceptable to the GOP, considering the 'investigate the investigators' stance they have taken recently with failed investigations in the Clinton emails (again) and the investigation into the FISA courts and potential Obama spying on Trump's campaign fail. Surely no one on the right will mind if the rules of the road are equally applied? How could or would they, Trump is squeaky clean after all...Right? right.
These sweeping investigations aren't being inaugurated for punitive purposes, according to their author, Liz Warren, they are primarily designed to bring a sense of reality to what she considers a nation at the crossroads of governmental abuse and governmental accountability. It's her belief that if all is laid bare it will go a long way to mending the partisan rift. If, as it's claimed, the investigation churns up messes of both parties, then it might stand a chance of being useful, that remains to be seen, but harbour no illusions, once Trump is combed out of office, along with all the attendant odious apparatus that is his 'Idiocracy', there will be sweeping investigations from why the secret service pays three times the going rate to stay at Trumps gaudy estates to how it is that Ivanka can secure patents in China when even Apple and Microsoft can't.
In post WW2 Germany the British, American and French governments decided to learn the lessons of the previous war and its disastrous peace. It was agreed that the German nation as a whole would not be judged for the war, but the individuals who were in power would be called to account. It was at Nuremburg that the full scope of Nazi atrocities was displayed to the German people in their complete grotesqueness. It was only after all the German people, confronted by the despicable action of their government, saw the Nazis for what they really were that the spell of National Socialism was finally broken.
It's worth a shot.
LL&P
A "TRUTH COMMISSION"
Yea.. What could POSSIBLY go wrong with that!!!
"Their truth is not YOUR truth!!!"
-Oracle of Yonada
In the dystopian novel, 1984, there was a "TRUTH COMMISSION"...
Why does it not surprise me that it would be DEMOCRATS who wanted to emulate 1984... :smirk: :D
I don't gloat because I am not an asshole.
Oh come now, DH..
I have read MANY of comments of yours that PROVE yer an asshole.. :D
There are many ways to be an asshole.. Gloating is just one.. :D
It is much easier to gloat about unimportant success than to acknowledge your "success" is obtained by being a moral accessory to murder.
"Unimportant" is a matter of opinion.. It's in the eye of the beholder.. I won't begrudge what YOU believe is important.. I would expect the same courtesy to be reciprocated....
Finally, a Dem candidate has announced that they will, in the post Trumpian era, launch a version of 'truth and reconciliation'. It will take the form of commission with no governmental oversight or affiliation to one party or another. This commission will be tasked to look into every nook and cranny of the Trump administration, the findings of which will be made public in their entirety and without the usual redactions, for all to see.
So, basically, Dumbocrats are going to CONTINUE their witch hunts and bullshit investigations even AFTER President Trump has left office..
I can just hear the campaign slogans..
"We're going to investigate TRUMP!!! WHY??? Because THAT IS ALL WE KNOW HOW TO DO!!!"
With slogans like that, we'll never have to worry about Democrats being elected to power any more..
Funny.. Ya'all attacked Trump when you claimed he would do the EXACT SAME THING to Hillary Clinton..
I guess it's OK for Dims, but not for GOP'ers, eh??
Once again.. Left wing morons wear their hypocrisy on their sleeves...
:eyeroll: moron..
in 1984 it was the 'ministry of truth' i think. they managed to convince people that 2+2 was in fact equal to 5. as yet nothing the dems have conceived comes nearly as close to that reality as the trump administration itself.
"sharpie-gate" for example...
in 1984 it was the 'ministry of truth' i think. they managed to convince people that 2+2 was in fact equal to 5. as yet nothing the dems have conceived comes nearly as close to that reality as the trump administration itself.
Of course you would think that..
And, just of course you would be wrong.
NOTHING compares to Democrats impeaching a POTUS for "obstruction of Congress"....
As far as the sharpie thing..
President Trump was simply updating his map with the LATEST from NOAA..
The head of the NOAA confirmed this..
Would you vote for Sanders?
Not unless the remaining opponents were even more likely to lose the general election. For example, if there was only one opponent left in the race by the time it reached Massachusetts, and she had a habit of doing things like saying "basket of deplorables" within range of a live mic (even if she hadn't done that particular one yet, at the time), then yes, definitely, I would vote for Sanders.
There's no one in the race who sinks to that level of unelectability (thank goodness), just sniping from the sidelines (good grief, can't she shut up already?), and even if Biden were that unelectable, MA votes early enough this time that he wouldn't be the only other one left. So in the current context, the answer is no. I do not expect to vote for Bernie Sanders again.
in 1984 it was the 'ministry of truth'
Toe MAY toe, Toe MAA toe...
It's the same thing.. Imposing one's TRUTH over other people without any regard to FACTS...
That's the Democrat Party personified..
I mean, seriously..
Do you HONESTLY believe that President Trump could get a fair shake from Democrats??
Considering how much they lied and made shit up??
Commissioners vote for resolution to make St. Johns a 2nd Amendment sanctuary
ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – Commissioners in St. Johns County have voted unanimously for a resolution declaring the area a Second Amendment sanctuary.
The vote followed a brief discussion during which only one member of the public spoke. That person was in favor of the decision.
St. Johns County joins a list of Florida counties that have declared themselves Second Amendment sanctuaries, including Bradford, Clay and Putnam counties. The resolution recognizes that the right to keep and bear arms is secured by the U.S. Constitution and the Florida Constitution, and that it allows the county not to enforce gun laws it feels are unconstitutional or violate the Second Amendment.
https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2020/02/04/commissioners-vote-for-resolution-to-make-st-johns-a-2nd-amendment-sanctuary/?fbclid=IwAR3cmV39ntnRW6ofjSY9y5vlC2PYVKDnrLrKTls6ejn19lHbAStAbNzeLU8
Florida.. A SANE gun state....
As far as the sharpie thing..
President Trump was simply updating his map with the LATEST from NOAA..
The head of the NOAA confirmed this..
by continuing to hew to the ridiculous idea that donald and his sharpie-altered map were somehow accurate you're making my point for me.
by continuing to hew to the ridiculous idea that donald and his sharpie-altered map were somehow accurate you're making my point for me.
Which point is that?
That I always adhere to the facts???
The Don Strikes Back
An enraged and ebullient Trump ups the body count.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/08/opinion/sunday/trump-vindman-sondland.html
Like I said.. If yer gonna try and kill the king, you better KILL the king...
Cuz if ya don't, President Trump is gonna come back at you ten times harder..
"I'm gonna flip ya.. spin ya... frap your body till your bones hurt. If you scream, its just gonna make me go harder and faster."
-NASA Test Pilot, ARMAGEDDON
Democrats: The only thing you have to fear is Trump himself.
You should be quaking. Our unhinged monarch had a very good week and your party had a very bad week — and that’s no B.S.
A lot of you told me, with expletives, that while you were watching President Trump’s carnival-barking this past week, you were thinking, “We’re going to freaking lose.”
The writing is on the wall, people..
There has always been political theater; now there’s Trump political theater, as he perfects the black art of turning Democrats into mincemeat.
What could be more flamboyantly offensive than the anti-bullying advocate, Melania, hanging a Presidential Medal of Freedom around the neck of one of the biggest bullies and hate preachers of all time, Rush Limbaugh? Talk about the bully pulpit.
The president even finally managed to send his classy nemesis, Nancy Pelosi, over the edge, as she became so agitated that she was driven to Trumpian tactics to rebut his lies.
Pelosi driven to try and out Trump President Trump..
Ya'all just HAVE to laugh at the irony.. :D
By the time I got to New Hampshire, the Democratic hysteria was rising — and a faltering Joe Biden disappeared in a crisis cloud — while internecine class war was intensifying. Pete Buttigieg was pre-declaring victory, spurring Sanders supporters to dub him “Mayor Cheat” on Twitter. Bernie Sanders spoke on Friday morning, tying Buttigieg to Wall Street and urging Democrats to decide if they were on the side of the working class or greed, “where billionaires control not only our economy, but our political life.” #PetesBillionaires began trending on Twitter.
But!! But!!! But!!!
Democrats would NEVER stoop to name-calling!!!
"We are able to have differing opinions on how we best solve problems without having to resort to name calling and insults."
-Russ
“Donald Trump is narrowcasting to African-Americans and Latinos with his Super Bowl ad and at the State of the Union, and the economy’s doing well, and meanwhile we’re fiddling around with a Socialist and Encyclopedia Brown,” moaned one top Democrat on the Hill.
Hehehehehe
Now THAT brings back some childhood memories..
If ya don't recognize 'Encyclopedia Brown', yer just a youngin'... :D
Reposted for clarity...
“Donald Trump is narrowcasting to African-Americans and Latinos with his Super Bowl ad and at the State of the Union, and the economy’s doing well, and meanwhile we’re fiddling around with a Socialist and Encyclopedia Brown,” moaned one top Democrat on the Hill.
Hehehehehe
Now THAT brings back some childhood memories..
If ya don't recognize 'Encyclopedia Brown', yer just a youngin'... :D
And a little closer to home..
Van plows through Republican voter registration tent, narrowly missing volunteers
https://www.actionnewsjax.com/video/?id=4837629
Remind me again how Democrats are "peaceful" and "tolerant"???
I seem to have forgotten, what with all the facts to the contrary....
f You Think It’s Bad for Mainstream Democrats Now, Just Wait
It is always darkest, John McCain used to say, before it gets totally black. So it is for the American center-left right now. Bernie Sanders is currently favored to win the nomination, a prospect that would make Donald Trump a heavy favorite to win reelection, and open the possibility of a Corbyn-esque wipeout. While Sanders has not expanded beyond a minority of the party, he has consolidated support of the party’s left wing, and while its mainstream liberal wing is split between numerous contenders, it is hard to see how the situation is likely to improve soon. Indeed, it could get worse, much worse.
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/02/democratic-primary-biden-bernie-sanders-buttigieg-klobuchar-bloomberg-liberal.html
As I said, people.. The writing is on the wall..
"There is no version of this where you come out on top. "
-Tony Stark, AVENGERS
"There is no version of this where you come out on top."
-Tony Stark, AVENGERS
JUST like it was with the faux impeachment coup.
There was ***NO WAY*** it could have gone good for Democrats..
Which begs the question..
WHY did Democrats do it?? Why did Democats push this Faux Impeachment Coup when they KNEW that it would be a HUGE plus for President Trump???
Answer is simple.
Their hate and bigotry forced them into acting hysterical and irrational....
They can't help but dance to President Trump's tune...
Exclusive NH Tracking Poll: Sanders And Buttigieg Lead Amid Signs Of Momentum For KlobucharM
https://boston.cbslocal.com/2020/02/08/nh-primary-poll-sanders-buttigieg-klobuchar/
Joe Biden likely a FIFTH place in New Hampshire..
I derive no pleasure in reporting this.. Other than it is encouraging to see my fact-based and reality-based has proven once again to be dead on ballz accurate...
I genuinely like Joe Biden, despite his Left Wing pandering lurch...
His fall from grace is a real shame...
Reposted for clarity....
Exclusive NH Tracking Poll: Sanders And Buttigieg Lead Amid Signs Of Momentum For KlobucharM
https://boston.cbslocal.com/2020/02/08/nh-primary-poll-sanders-buttigieg-klobuchar/
Joe Biden likely a FIFTH place in New Hampshire..
I derive no pleasure in reporting this.. Other than it is encouraging to see my fact-based and reality-based has proven once again to be dead on ballz accurate...
I genuinely like Joe Biden, despite his Left Wing pandering lurch...
His fall from grace is a real shame...
Which point is that?
That I always adhere to the facts???
that donald, and you along with him, mirror orwell's ministry of truth more than any other political operation since axis germany.q`
calling a false statement a fact doesn't make it so, except in the ancient philosophical sense of fact being any statement that can be proven incorrect. nor does the constant repetition of logical fallacies in support of said false statement make it a true fact. you can get as many experts as you like to claim that 2 and 2 make 5, but you'll still be wrong.
calling a false statement a fact doesn't make it so,
No.. But calling a FACT (such as the head of the NOAA backed up President Trump's version of event) a fact.. THAT is what makes it so..
but you'll still be wrong.
I have the head of the NOAA's statement as FACT..
What do you have again??
Democratic disarray, dysfunction
https://www.axios.com/democrats-worst-week-iowa-caucus-1897dc63-341b-4f5d-a274-566c6704cbdb.html
It's pretty sad when mainstay Left Wing rags start sounding the Democrat Death Knell.. :D
This was the worst week for Democrats since Donald Trump’s election-night shocker of 2016.
Why it matters: In less than 200 hours, Democrats botched Iowa, watched Trump hit an all-time popularity high, debated ousting the DNC chair, and watched a socialist soar and an ideological civil war intensify.
Axios' Margaret Talev reports from New Hampshire that amid real enthusiasm at candidate rallies, there's an underlying unease about unifying the party enough to get the kind of turnout needed to win in November.
What we're hearing: There's a new fatalism in my conversations with Democrats, with many telling me that what once seemed unthinkable — Trump's re-election in November — is now starting to look more likely than ever.
In a CNN segment this morning that included Friday's rosy economic statistics, a graphic asked: "IS TRUMP'S RE-ELECTION PATH WIDENING?"
It's all bad news for Democrats....
Joe Biden Is Running Out Of Gas
EMPTY TANK?
The former VP has lost the plot, voters say. And they’re wondering if he will ever get it back.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/joe-biden-is-running-out-of-gas
Joe Biden should have taken on Hillary for the nomination.. He likely would have destroyed her and been the one to face Trump..
Forty-five minutes after Joe Biden’s first campaign event was supposed to start on Saturday, his crowd had grown restless. The former vice president wasn’t at the Rex Theatre in downtown Manchester and those crammed inside were wondering just how much longer they’d have to suck in the heated air before they get to see him speak.
In the rafters, a chant broke out.
“We Want Joe!” the voices said, overpowering the soundtrack of classic rock and commercial motown that had been playing on blast to keep the crowd from completely dozing off.
“This is a microcosm of the failure of this campaign. The energy is slowly dissipating from this room.”
— Adam Ross
But no one picked it up. Instead, after two renditions, the men simply stopped. And those who’d bothered to consider joining in the chorus did what they’d been doing since it became clear that the event would not start on time: they dumped their faces back into their cellphones.
“This is a microcosm of the failure of this campaign,” said Adam Ross, a Long Islander who helped start the chant. “The energy is slowly dissipating from this room.”
Biden’s campaign is running on fumes. A candidate with all the trappings of a traditional frontrunner—the long résumé, party backing, relevant experience, and steady poll numbers—suddenly is on electoral life support. A fourth-place showing in the Iowa Caucus days ago has raised the stakes for the upcoming primary. But even Biden himself seems to be grappling with the likelihood that another humiliation is on the horizon. His first answer during Friday night’s debate was devoted, in part, to explaining how he was likely to lose on Tuesday.
It's not just a microcosm of the Biden campaign, it's a microcosm of the entire Democrat Primary..
Decimated, disillusioned and demoralized...
Democrat (so-called) Leaders have given President Trump too many wins... Too many victory laps.. Too many opportunities to bitch slap Democrats to hell and back...
Rank and file Democrats have no fight left...
No.. But calling a FACT (such as the head of the NOAA backed up President Trump's version of event) a fact.. THAT is what makes it so..
no, that is a logical fallacy, appeal to authority, compounded by the likelihood that the NOAA under orders from the president THROUGH its director, are the ones who created the false information in the first place.
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6749506-LEOPOLD-FOIA-NOAA-Hurricane-Dorian-Sharpie-Gate.html
BIDEN CALLS SKEPTICAL NEW HAMPSHIRE VOTER ‘A LYING, DOG-FACED PONY SOLDIER’
The dust-up came after the voter asked whether he can rebound from Iowa
Perhaps the pressure is getting to him.
On Sunday, Joe Biden snapped at a voter in New Hampshire, calling her a “lying, dog-faced pony soldier.”
The dust-up came after the voter asked Biden, “How do you explain the performance in Iowa and why should the voters believe that you can win a national election?"
"You ever been to a caucus?" Biden replied.
After the voter said she indeed had attended a caucus, Biden shot back: "No you haven’t. You’re a lying dog-faced pony soldier."
"You gotta be honest,” he continued. “I’m gonna be honest with you. It was a little bit confusing in Iowa. But let’s assume it was all exactly right."
Biden told the unknown voter Iowa has a poor record picking presidential winners. The comments were first flagged by Yahoo News’ Jon Ward.
https://news.grabien.com/story-biden-calls-skeptical-new-hampshire-voter-lying-dog-faced-po
WOW.... Joe is really feeling the pressure.. :(
So much for the claim that Democrats don't stoop to name-calling and personal attacks.. :eyeroll:
no, that is a logical fallacy, appeal to authority, compounded by the likelihood that the NOAA under orders from the president THROUGH its director, are the ones who created the false information in the first place.
You have "likelihoods"....
I have FACTS...
The fact that your "proof" using the "Sharpie Gate" meme proves the inherent Anti-Trump bias..
@m,
it doesn't matter what anyone's bias is when dealing with facts. you can't claim ownership of one while at the exact same time citing the other. which is it, facts or opinions? make up your mind.
Now let's hear from the mostest Left Wing Rag of all Left Wing rags...
Yesterday’s Gone: Iowa Was Waterloo for Democrats
In a fiasco for the ages, the blue party faceplants in Iowa
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/iowa-caucus-democrats-disaster-trump-sanders-949655/amp/
Notice where the blame is put..
ON DEMOCRATS... Not on IOWA, but on DEMOCRATS..
That's the kind of reality that has sorely been missed around here for the past few years...
It’s pearl-clutching Democrats who got massacred by Trump impeachment trial: Goodwin
Pearls clutched, hair on fire, heads exploding — pick your favorite image to describe the left’s latest reaction to President Trump. Once again, the end is near, he’s gone too far, this time we got him.
His outrage against all that is good and pure was to pink-slip star impeachment witnesses Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman and EU Ambassador Gordon Sondland.
“Friday Night Massacre” screamed the usual suspects, a not-very-subtle reference to Richard Nixon’s “Saturday Night Massacre.” The difference, unmentioned, is that Trump was already acquitted, whereas the Nixon impeachment hadn’t formally started.
Still, assuming this is not the end of the world, something more important demands attention. Namely, that conventional wisdom got it right when it declared that Trump had one of the best weeks of his presidency while Democrats had one of their worst.
He beat impeachment, they screwed up the Iowa caucuses, he gave a roaring State of the Union address and Nancy Pelosi was reduced to being a paper shredder. Friday’s boffo jobs report was the icing on Trump’s cake, then he got the cherry when a federal appeals court unanimously rejected a suit by 200 Dem lawmakers over foreign payments to his businesses.
https://nypost.com/2020/02/08/its-pearl-clutching-democrats-who-got-massacred-by-trump-impeachment-trial-goodwin/
And I am STILL not tired of WINNING.. :D
But I bet ya'all are tired of me (And President Trump) winning, eh? :D
it doesn't matter what anyone's bias is when dealing with facts.
But you have no facts..
I have the head of the NOAA's statement supporting President Trump's conclusion..
which is it, facts or opinions? make up your mind.
If it's labeled "Sharpie Gate" it's a Trump/America hater's opinion..
See how easy it is to tell the difference??
I'll give you an example..
Would you accept a website with the title ODUMBO IS A MORON as factual???
Of course you wouldn't.. No SANE person would..
Just as accepting a website with the title "SHARPIE GATE" as factual is insane and moronic..
The heart of the case is that Dems dug themselves into a hole and won’t drop the shovel. They have nothing to show for their 2018 House victory except a partisan impeachment that was rejected by the public before the Senate killed it.
Equally telling, Rep. Jerry Nadler said the Judiciary Committee likely will subpoena former national security adviser John Bolton; other Dems said the many investigations into Trump and his businesses will continue.
In other words, they learned nothing from last week, or the last three years for that matter. Blinded by their personal contempt for the president and his supporters and captive to the wacko wing of the party, Pelosi’s team still acts as if there is a magic button that will persuade even the deplorables to turn on the president.
Meanwhile, Dems obviously intend to fritter away their two years of power without producing a coherent agenda that would give swing voters a reason to reelect them. A November platform of resistance, rage and failed impeachment is a narrow base appeal, not an effort to win the middle.
Democrats are trying the VERY DEFINITION of insanity..
Doing the same thing over and over hoping for a different result..
the map donald used, and which some unknown individual wrote on with a sharpie (hence the meme), was on television. that is a fact. it had been generated a week prior and was already known to be inaccurate at the time he showed it. those are facts. at the time he showed the map, the hurricane had already spent the better part of a week on a different path than the map showed; that is a fact.
donald's map showed the hurricane in one place. the actual hurricane was in a different place, because days had passed, and it had gone a different direction from the path on that map. those are facts, and neither a statement from the head of the NOAA, the pope or elvis presley back from the dead changes it.
It's not about anything that dramatic. This case is about knowing the difference between here and there.
~amistad
This is all great for Trump, but the fact that he is in his strongest position yet is not owing solely to Dems’ errors. His policy successes are undeniable, starting with the economy. Its continued expansion is simply remarkable and when the president says it is the envy of the world, he’s not exaggerating.
His poll numbers rose 10 points during impeachment and Gallup’s finding that he gets a whopping 63% approval on the economy confirms that more and more people are seeing and believing the jobs boom.
Gallup also found that 90% of Americans, the highest ever, report they are satisfied with their personal lives, and that a record 65% say they are “very satisfied.”
Those kind of numbers rip the heart out of the claim by Sanders and others that the economy is working only for the rich. In fact, wages are rising faster at the bottom of the income ladder than at the top.
And to judge from his gallery guests at the State of the Union, Trump is eager to make direct appeals to black and Latino Americans on pocketbook and family issues. He talks about an “inclusive” agenda and notably included Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman and Martin Luther King Jr. in a list of American heroes. He continued that theme in a visit to a North Carolina community college.
His approval ratings among those groups already are far above the vote totals he got in 2016. Even modest increases in November could be decisive in key states.
To be sure, the election is a long way off and events, like Trump, are unpredictable. But for now he is on a roll while the other team is stuck in a hole.
There is simply no denying the reality...
President Trump is kicking ass and taking names and the Democrats are digging themselves in a hole and refuse to relinquish their shovels...
This is the reality of the here and now..
the map donald used, and which some unknown individual wrote on with a sharpie (hence the meme), was on television. that is a fact. it had been generated a week prior and was already known to be inaccurate at the time he showed it.
Factually not accurate.. At the time it was shown, Alabama was part of the NOAA warning.. This has been verified by the head of the NOAA himself..
These are the facts.. They are undeniable..
those are facts, and neither a statement from the head of the NOAA, the pope or elvis presley back from the dead changes it.
Those were not the facts at the time.. Hindsight is ALWAYS 2020.. And that is all you have.. Hindsight..
The devil bowed her head because she knew she had been beat..
And she laid that golden pen on the ground at Donald's feet..
Donald said, "Nancy, just come on back if ya ever wanna try again...
I done told you once you rank old bitch, I'm still your President..."
Sung to the tune of DEVIL WENT DOWN TO GEORGIA
:D
Factually not accurate: At the time it was shown, Alabama was part of the NOAA warning.. This has been verified by the head of the NOAA himself..
yes. the head of the NOAA did make a statement that was factually not accurate. glad we're finally on the same page.
That's pretty childish.. Especially coming from you..
YOUR statement was not factually accurate..
At the time of the display of the sharpie'ed map, Alabama was in the cone of uncertainty..
This was been factually VERIFIED by the head of the NOAA...
It's a old matter.. I understand you wanting to dredge up old news as a salve to cool the current Democrat butt hurt.. :D
the significance of sharpie-gate is that it is the simplest example of donald and his adherents insisting that here is in fact there, now is in fact then, and this is in fact that.
the map he showed was dated thursday, august 29. the date he initially tweeted about it was saturday, september 1, and the date he showed it on TV was wednesday, september 4 - six days later, at which point everyone who had so much as watched a weather report knew that the cone of uncertainty was here:
https://www.iii.org/insuranceindustryblog/hurricane-dorian-update-september-4-2019/
so you can cite as many government authorities as you like, but you can't make 2+2=5, and you can't make donald's map of hurricane dorian accurate, because it wasn't, and your defense of this false claim lies somewhere on the border of comical and tragic.
JL
OMG!!!!!
Just watched the 3rd episode of PICARD
******SPOILER*****SPOILER*****SPOILER
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Hugh, from TNG is the director of the Romulan Borg Cube operations..
And it's the SAME HUGH!!! The same actor and everything..
My mind is OFFICIALLY BLOWN... :D
so you can cite as many government authorities as you like, but you can't make 2+2=5, and you can't make donald's map of hurricane dorian accurate, because it wasn't, and your defense of this false claim lies somewhere on the border of comical and tragic.
Ironically enough, I am quoting the SAME government authorities YOU cite when you spew the Global Warming garbage... :D
Funny how when they say what ya want to hear, their word is gospel..
But when they say something that support President Trump??
All of the sudden, they can't be trusted...
Funny how that is, eh?? :D
For the record, the entire Global Warming con is nothing BUT an "appeal to authority"...
Funny how that is, eh?? :D
Top Democrats turn on one another after Iowa, threatening the party's chances against Trump
https://www.greenwichtime.com/news/article/Top-Democrats-turn-on-one-another-after-Iowa-15043098.php
Hmm.. That's strange...
"{Democrats} are able to have differing opinions on how we best solve problems without having to resort to name calling and insults."
-Russ
MANCHESTER, N.H. - Democratic leaders have edged toward the brink of open war with each other in recent days after a series of jarring setbacks that could jeopardize the party's chances against President Donald Trump, who continues to solidify his iron-fisted control over the Republican election apparatus.
The infighting focuses largely on the failed caucus process in Iowa, with state and national Democratic leaders at odds over who deserves blame, as well as an increasingly bitter dispute over the rules governing who gets into future nationally televised candidate debates - a process that could allow billionaire Mike Bloomberg to make the stage later this month.
In a particularly stark sign, supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., have returned to bashing the Democratic National Committee, reviving grievances from the divisive 2016 primary race. In that campaign, Sanders backers said the system had been stacked against the democratic socialist - a view later affirmed when WikiLeaks released hacked internal emails - and supporters of nominee Hillary Clinton blamed Sanders for not sufficiently rally his base on Clinton's behalf in the general election.
Sanders's allies are again charging that the DNC is maneuvering to thwart his anti-establishment movement. They say the DNC's decision last week to call for a "recanvass" in Iowa threatened to undercut Sanders's ability to claim momentum from winning the popular vote there, while changing the rules to benefit Bloomberg reflects the desire among the party elite for a savior to deny Sanders the nomination.
"They can shout unity all they want, but the actions show otherwise," said Nina Turner, a national co-chairman of the Sanders campaign.
"Open War"....
Seems that Democrats are just as mean and nasty towards each other as Republicans are accused of being, eh? :D
Once again...
Ya'all have wishful thinking...
I have the FACTS.. :D
That's why I always win.. :D
Gunman ambushes NYC police twice in 12 hours, spawns outrage
NEW YORK (AP) — A gunman was arrested after he ambushed police officers in the Bronx twice in 12 hours, authorities said, wounding two in attacks that brought outrage from officials who blamed the violence on an atmosphere of anti-police rhetoric.
Robert Williams, 45, of the Bronx, was captured after he walked into a police station in the Bronx and started shooting shortly before 8 a.m. Sunday, police said. His shots struck a lieutenant in the arm and narrowly missed other police personnel before he ran out of bullets, lay down and tossed his pistol, officials said.
https://apnews.com/4bc2296db89a22c7c313f717ce76ff6f
You see the Democrats' anti-cop agenda results?
The subject is black, so it MUST be racist cops, right??
:eyeroll:
From CNN of all places...
Democrats whine while Republicans govern
The remarkable resiliency of President Donald Trump will pay dividends for his Republican Party, as it further unifies behind him in the wake of impeachment and ahead of what is sure to be a savage reelection campaign.
Trump's latest Gallup poll numbers are remarkable -- 94% approval rating among Republicans, 49% job approval overall (highest of his term so far) and a 63% approval on his handling of the economy. Trump can thank his rock-solid support among Republicans and conservative-minded independents for floating his balloon even as Democrats have tried for three years to pop it.
I've heard Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell say often that he views politics as a team sport. As frustrated Democrats ask over and over when Republicans are going to break with their President, it appears that Trump and McConnell have operationalized that "go team" philosophy to keep their base together, both in votes on Capitol Hill and at ballot boxes across the country.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/06/opinions/democrats-whine-republicans-govern-jennings/index.html
President Trump and the Republicans are actually governing.. Doing good things for this country and Americans..
Democrats are simply trying to nullify a free, fair, legal, democratic and Constitutional election..
And Democrats actually believe they will prevail at the ballot box??
Not gonna happen..
And MORE from ANOTHER Left Wing rag mainstay...
Trump’s reelection odds
Trump is an incumbent in a good economy with a bad approval rating. So what are his reelection chances?
For Democrats, there should be one big fear heading into the 2020 election: A booming economy could save Donald Trump.
The adage “it’s the economy, stupid” has condensed the conventional wisdom to four words: Voters (rightly or wrongly) hold the president accountable for America’s financial health, and their perceptions of how they and the country are doing economically will be the most important factor when they vote. Politico was already reporting last year, using economy-based predictors, that Trump actually seemed “on track for a landslide.”
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2020/2/7/21124947/donald-trump-2020-election-odds-chances-likelihood
Democrat rags across the spectrum are saying what I have been saying for quite a while..
President Trump's re-election is a foregone conclusion.. The ONLY variable is how big of a landslide it's going to be..
James Carville's "Intervention" For Democratic Party: Attack Trump On Issues That Matter In Real Life, Not Just On Twitter
Democratic strategist James Carville joined presidential candidate Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet on MSNBC Saturday evening to talk about the current state of the Democratic Party and how they could lose again to Donald Trump in 2020.
He made the case that the Democratic Party is "too stupid" to attack President Trump on issues that matter to people in real life and too focused on "causing trouble" about "goofy things" on Twitter.
Carville disputed the notion he says is pushed by the media that President Trump is "powerful" and "strong," saying: "The problem here is the Democratic Party. The problem is we can't seem... to talk about things that are relevant and matter in people's lives. We're out there chasing every kind of goofy thing that we can."
"To MSNBC," he said, "Manhattan is the epicenter of the Democratic Party."
"The Democratic Party I know consists largely, a lot of African Americans. It consists of a lot of suburban women. It a lot it’s a lot of Latino and Asians and people of color. It's a lot of older retirees," explained. "The Democratic Party that I read about, and I see on television, is a bunch of people on Twitter running around, causing trouble."
"The idea of a political party is to win elections. That's all it's about. If you don't do that, you have done nothing. It's not to make a point, it's not to start a revolution, it's not to win an argument. It is to win the election," he said.
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2020/02/09/james_carville_has_an_intervention_for_democratic_party_the_idea_of_a_political_party_is_to_win_elections.html
Carville nails it..
Democrats are too worried about bullshit like "covfefe" and "sharpie gate" and ignoring REAL concerns that REAL Americans have..
You think Joe Sixpack gives a royal frak about covfefe???
You think Jane Sixpack in Kentucky gives two shitz over an altered weather map that reflects the latest up to date information??
If Democrats REALLY want to win the White House.. If they want to hold onto the House..
They need to forgo their hysterical HHPTDS and address the concerns of REAL Americans..
Not the faux Americans who blame America for every ill under the sun...
Democrats need to tell THOSE Americans to go pound sand..
But Democrats won't do that because THOSE Americans are their base..
And THAT is why Democrats are going to lose and lose BIG in Nov...
Ya'all seeing the pattern here???
The last three comments were based on 3 different Left Wing rags media outlets..
ALL have the same theme..
Democrats are going to lose..
Even the Left Wing rags are seeing the writing on the wall...
Ooooo Russ.... NOW you have a dilemma..
NYC cops ‘declaring war’ on Mayor de Blasio, union says, following ‘assassination attempts’ on officers
https://www.foxnews.com/us/nyc-union-declares-war-on-mayor
Do you bleed PD blue??
Or Democrat blue??
the significance of sharpie-gate is that it is the simplest example of donald and his adherents insisting that here is in fact there, now is in fact then, and this is in fact that.
It also shows us that Trump is not above “doctoring” official government reports with intentionally dishonest data to make himself look good. We may have always believed that Trump was not above doing it, but this was the first time that we saw Trump altering information that people counted on being correct to keep their families alive and safe.
So why should we put any faith into any reports coming out from Trump’s administration that paints him in a positive light? These reports are automatically suspect thanks to Trump’s own actions! Michale can claim that this is all based on hatred of Trump, but It is Trump doing things like this that has led to people hating Trump — and for good reason!
It also shows us that Trump is not above “doctoring” official government reports with intentionally dishonest data to make himself look good.
As opposed to Pelosi altering an official government document???
Funny how you don't care about that...
The altered map reflected the most up to date information from the NOAA..
Again, I point out.. Ya'all think the NOAA information is gospel.. WHEN it support your bullshit global warming agenda..
So why should we put any faith into any reports coming out from Trump’s administration that paints him in a positive light?
Because you put faith in it when it says what you want to hear..
So, yer conceding yer hypocrisy??
I accept your concession..
Michale can claim that this is all based on hatred of Trump, but It is Trump doing things like this that has led to people hating Trump — and for good reason!
So, yer saying that the fifteen year old who wears a short skirt and low cut top, that it's OK for her to be raped because she gives a good reason to be raped.
Yer on sicko, Russ...
Ooooo Russ.... NOW you have a dilemma..
NYC cops ‘declaring war’ on Mayor de Blasio, union says, following ‘assassination attempts’ on officers
No dilemma for me. Your article points out that this is just one out of the 12 unions that represent New York’s finest. The Sgt’s Union has a right to their own opinion. I don’t blame de Blasio for the sick SOB who tried to kill the officers. It’s not like de Blasio was using trigger statements — like that immigrants are “invading” our country— and those statements motivated the shooter to commit the shootings.
Do you bleed PD blue??
Or Democrat blue??
My blood color is not based on who I choose to support at any given moment. It’s red, as healthy blood should be. If your blood is blue in color, it is possibly caused by Raynaud disease...you should get to a doctor ASAP.
As opposed to Pelosi altering an official government document???
Funny how you don't care about that...
Funny that from the start, you are basing your entire argument on dishonest statements! You have lost all self-respect, haven’t you?
The altered map reflected the most up to date information from the NOAA..
Another lie. JL made this point crystal clear above, so there is no need for me to repeat him.
Again, I point out.. Ya'all think the NOAA information is gospel.. WHEN it support your bullshit global warming agenda..
Yes, I do take NOAA information that is released during times of potentially deadly weather events very seriously. The event you are discussing is someone at NOAA being willing to help our pouty president lie...after the fact. No lives were at risk days after the hurricane had passed. I can guarantee that no one at NOAA would hesitate to correct the president again if he makes false claims that could endanger lives. Why you support a president whose ego is so fragile that he cannot admit when he screws up, which he does quite often, is beyond me?
Funny that from the start, you are basing your entire argument on dishonest statements! You have lost all self-respect, haven’t you?
Only "dishonest" according to you and the rest of the Trump/America haters..
And yer opinions are biased by hatred and bigotry..
Another lie. JL made this point crystal clear above, so there is no need for me to repeat him.
JL pointed to a Left Wing rag.. Like your opinions, nothing but hate and bigotry from Trump/America haters..
Yes, I do take NOAA information that is released during times of potentially deadly weather events very seriously.
EXCEPT when it supports President Trump...
Your hypocrisy is well documented...
. I don’t blame de Blasio for the sick SOB who tried to kill the officers.
And yet, you DO blame President Trump with Right Wing sick SOBs kill people..
Again, your hypocrisy is well documented..
EXCEPT when it supports President Trump...
But that never has happened! NOAA only agreed with Trump after they were ordered to do so because the fat baby could not handle people laughing at his idiotic attempt at proving he had been correct by lying to them once again! They could satisfy the narcissistic sociopaths desire to always look like he isn’t just making random comments as if he is educated and knows what he is talking about when really he is just a bumbling idiot— and it didn’t put anyone in danger.
Personally, I love it when you go over board defending Trump in these obvious moments where the rest of the world knows he was wrong, but you still swear he was right! It just shows how desperate you are for Trump to be right — when he rarely is— that you have to fight for every little scrap that you can. It just proves that you know how damaged Trump truly is, no matter how much you kiss his ass with your compliments!
My take on sharpiegate, at the time:
NOAA was right to refuse comment on exactly what Trump had said. Their job is to forecast the weather, not to parse presidential statements. They stuck to that job. Good for them.
And,
NOAA was also right to correct the person at the Birmingham bureau who used absolute language in response to a presidential tempest-in-a-teaspoon. The folks there are professionals, who should be held to a corresponding standard. That means not involving themselves in a political dispute, and it means saying "negligible" when they mean negligible.
http://www.chrisweigant.com/2019/09/06/ftp541/#comment-143411
Russ
102
Personally, I love it when you go over board defending Trump in these obvious moments where the rest of the world knows he was wrong, but you still swear he was right! It just shows how desperate you are for Trump to be right — when he rarely is— that you have to fight for every little scrap that you can.
A combination of pure unadulterated ignorance and hysterical nonstop sucking. They don't know they're rubes. :)
And yet.. WHO called the 2016 election perfectly??
And WHO claimed that Hillary would take FL and PA???
So, it seems the "unadulterated ignorance" & "rube" label is permanently affixed to yer stooping and moronic face, Victoria.. :D
Ooops.. Forgot..
BBBBWWWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Russ
This type repetitive con works spectacularly on ignorant people who're quite content to narrowly focus while conveniently filtering out anything else that doesn't fit their worldview, and while no one else on this forum qualifies as breathtakingly clueless to buy into bullshit quite like Mike, he certainly seems to have convinced himself in his never-ending quest to fill his ever-present neediness. *laughs*
It's always a bonus when a rube steps up to volunteer to prove our point. Who but a rube would continue to claim hysterically that they possess some kind of superior knowledge because they "called" a 50/50 race in 2016, meanwhile ignoring the multitude of other things wherein he's been proven time and time again by every poster on this forum to be an uneducated dipshit who's rusted shut and stuck permanently on stupid?
So, Russ, pay no attention to that "Red Tsunami" or that citizenship question "guaranteed" to be on the 2020 Census, all those "winning" candidates like "Senator Roy Moore," and those multitude of other things we were promised because it's just so much easier to ignore the inconvenience of reality and be a simple-minded sucker wound tightly around Donald Trump.
They don't know they're rubes.