Friday Talking Points -- Heading Into The Democratic National Convention On A Roll
For the past few weeks, JD Vance has been mightily trying to paint Tim Walz as having somehow claimed some "stolen valor" for his 24 years of honorable service in the National Guard. This required him to completely ignore the fact that Donald Trump got a deferment for non-existent "bone spurs" to avoid going to Vietnam, as well as Trump's naked contempt for those who do serve in the military. But hey, all that was a long time ago, and people have mostly forgotten how Trump denigrated an authentic war hero (John McCain) in 2015, so Vance just kept trying.
Today, this all comes back into focus after Donald Trump again heaped derision upon not just soldiers, not just war heroes, but the highest military decoration there is. Not only did Trump flub the name of it (it's just the "Medal of Honor") but he once again showed his contempt for those who serve. Here he is speaking about a Republican megadonor, complimenting her on a civilian honor that he himself awarded her (two months after she donated an enormous pile of money):
It's actually much better because everyone gets the Congressional Medal of Honor. They're soldiers. They're either in very bad shape because they've been hit so many times by bullets or they're dead. She gets it, and she’s a healthy, beautiful woman. They're rated equal, but she got the Presidential Medal of Freedom and she got it through committees and everything else.
Yeah, those stupid soldiers... getting shot up, so they're no longer healthy and/or beautiful... what were they thinking?
Vance, meanwhile, recently couldn't remember what the Veterans of Foreign Wars were called, even though he's a "card-carrying member." He first tried "V.F." then stumbled on "V.F.A." before having to actually pull his card out of his pocket to read "V.F.W." off of it.
Will any of this matter? Probably not. None of Trump's other disrespectful or dismissive comments about soldiers ever seemed to harm him politically, after all.
Meanwhile, prominent Republicans have been going on cable television to absolutely beg Trump to stop the personal attacks on Kamala Harris and instead focus on the issues. They do this because it is the easiest way to reach Trump, who famously loves watching cable television. But all their efforts have mostly been in vain. Trump gave what was supposed to be a speech on economics in North Carolina this week, but he stepped all over his prepared remarks and just flew off the handle again, hurling insults with abandon. The next day, he gave a press conference which was also supposed to showcase his economic issues, but once again Trump downplayed all the remarks he was supposed to be highlighting and instead just ripped into Harris, the media, Joe Biden, and (for good measure) Hillary Clinton. He even addressed the calls for him to calm down, stating: "I think I'm entitled to [hurl] personal attacks." For good measure, this week Team Trump sent out the most blatantly racist attack ad since the days of Willie Horton.
Donald Trump is losing it, before our very eyes. He's been saying crazier and crazier things, and people are actually starting to notice. The craziest thing he said this week (among a large selection of craziness to choose from) was undoubtedly the following, sent out on his pet social media (which just posted a quarterly loss of $16.4 million), after Harris gave a speech to yet another monster crowd:
Has anyone noticed that Kamala CHEATED at the airport? There was nobody at the plane, and she "A.I.'d" it, and showed a massive "crowd" of so-called followers, BUT THEY DIDN'T EXIST! She was turned in by a maintenance worker at the airport when he noticed the fake crowd picture, but there was nobody there, later confirmed by the reflection of the mirror like finish on the Vice Presidential Plane. She's a CHEATER. She had NOBODY waiting, and the "crowd" looked like 10,000 people! Same thing is happening with her fake "crowds" at her speeches. This is the way the Democrats win Elections, by CHEATING - And they're even worse at the Ballot Box. She should be disqualified because the creation of a fake image is ELECTION INTERFERENCE. Anyone who does that will cheat at ANYTHING!
This is beyond garden-variety crazy, folks. This is mega- (MAGA?) crazy. Trump bought into a conspiracy theory that Harris is just faking all those large crowds, because he really wanted to believe that (no matter how laughable the concept is). Multiple members of the media who had actually attended the rally immediately heaped scorn on Trump's delusion, which seems to have worked (somewhat), since Trump hasn't repeated the lie since. But we'd be willing to bet he still believes it (he has believed much crazier things, that's for sure).
Meanwhile, back in the real world....
This week brought the news that inflation has cooled to the lowest point in years, finally dropping below three percent. Crime rates continue to fall, even if Republicans refuse to believe it. President Joe Biden appeared with Kamala Harris in Maryland this week to tout the fact that they've forced prescription drug manufacturers to cut their prices -- which would have saved the government a whopping $6 billion this year alone.
Harris gave a real speech on the economy today, where she rolled out some policy proposals that will likely gain support from tens of millions of average Americans:
The most striking proposals were for the elimination of medical debt for millions of Americans; the "first-ever" ban on price gouging for groceries and food; a cap on prescription drug costs; a $25,000 subsidy for first-time home buyers; and a child tax credit that would provide $6,000 per child to families for the first year of a baby's life.
That is what real populism looks like, as opposed to the fake populism con-job of Trump and Vance. Harris and Walz have been barnstorming the country, holding giant rally after giant rally as they explain their vision for the future of the country to wildly enthusiastic voters. And they have realized that their big crowds are absolutely enraging Trump, and have begun openly taunting him about it.
Harris and Walz are new and interesting, while Trump is old and has gotten more stale and boring than ever. That's a great contrast, you've got to admit. And it's not just crowd sizes -- Harris has completely turned things around in the polls as well. She's now beating Trump (by four points!) in the battleground states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin. And this is all before the Democrats hold their national convention, which will dominate the political news all next week.
When there were calls for Joe Biden to get out of the race, some worried that it would be an incredibly risky move. Maybe things would get even worse for the Democrats, the pundits fretted. So far, it seems these worries were completely unfounded -- Harris has taken off like a rocket, and Democrats are now visualizing a big victory in November. We fully expect the vibes in the convention hall to be joyful and exuberant and optimistic, all next week -- something that would have been inconceivable if Biden had stuck it out.
This may start to get a little repetitive, but it's hard to see how anyone else was any more impressive than Kamala Harris and Tim Walz this week.
Their campaign is going gangbusters, neither one of them has had a major stumble yet, and they've been getting mostly rave reviews from the political chattering class. The crowds they speak to just seem to keep getting bigger and bigger. The enthusiasm levels in the Democratic base are through the roof.
And, once again, that's before the Democratic National Convention even starts.
In fact, to us, it is so glaringly self-evident that Kamala Harris and Tim Walz were the Most Impressive Democrats Of The Week last week that we don't even feel the need to explain any further.
[Congratulate Vice President Kamala Harris via the White House contact page, and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on his official contact page, to let them know you appreciate their efforts.]
Once again, we find ourselves with no nominee for the Most Disappointing Democrat Of The Week award. Democrats are impressively united as a party, they're about to put on a weeklong showcase of both unity and excitement, and everyone seems to be on their best behavior. So we'll just stick the MDDOTW award back on the shelf until next time....
Volume 763 (8/16/24)
No doubt we're going to be inundated with Democratic talking points all next week, most of which will likely top our humble suggestions. But for now, here you go... our ideas for the strongest talking points to come out of the past week. Enjoy, and as always, use responsibly!
A Trump tax
This first one comes from the speech Kamala Harris gave today on the economy. This is a brilliant way to frame an issue that Trump is running on, because it explains it all in three short words:
[Donald Trump] wants to impose what is in effect a national sales tax on everyday products and basic necessities that we import from other countries. That will devastate Americans. It will mean higher prices on just about every one of your daily needs. A Trump tax on gas. A Trump tax on food. A Trump tax on clothing. A Trump tax on over-the-counter medication.
Seniors get relief from out-of-control drug prices
The headlines were all about the price caps, but there's an even more fundamental benefit coming soon that needs touting, because it will affect all seniors.
"Joe Biden and Kamala Harris just rolled out the first price caps on prescription drugs this week. These were put into effect because the pharmaceutical industry is completely out of control, charging prices that can only be described as 'obscene' for their products. But there's an even bigger change coming, and it is coming for everyone on Medicare. Next year, seniors will have their out-of-pocket drug costs capped at $2,000. Once you pay that much, you won't pay another dime for your prescriptions, all year long. This will be a life-changing policy for millions. And Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were the ones to get it done."
Living in the past
This is a basic formulation that needs to be pointed out as many times as possible.
"Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are looking ahead to the future of America and they have plans to make that future brighter for everyone. This is the main difference that voters will face on their ballots this November. You can vote for the future... or you can vote for Donald Trump, who is pretty obviously living in the past."
It was Ron Paul's idea, actually
Harris and Walz have mostly been ignoring Trump's tantrum over this one, but if they ever do address it, they should point out that it wasn't Trump's idea either.
"Democrats weigh policy proposals by whether they would work and whether they'd be a good idea for most Americans. This is why Kamala Harris is in favor of ending income tax on tips. Donald Trump is having a hissy fit over this, because he says she 'stole' the idea from him. But you know what? The idea was first proposed by a presidential candidate way back in 2012, by none other than Ron Paul. Trump couldn't think up an original tax proposal if his life depended on it -- and I haven't noticed him giving any credit to Ron Paul for the idea, have you?"
How are you going to vote, Donnie?
Trump's kind of damned if he does and damned if he doesn't on this issue, so point out the fact that he is refusing to take a stand one way or the other.
"Abortion rights will be on the ballot in multiple states this November, and Kamala Harris and Tim Walz support all of these measures. If either one of them lived in a state where abortion rights were on the ballot, they would proudly announce their support. Donald Trump, however, refuses to say whether he will vote for just such a measure in his home state of Florida. He ridiculed the state's governor for passing a Draconian six-week abortion ban, but now he won't say whether he supports overturning it or not. He's afraid of offending large chunks of his base, no matter which way he goes -- and he is too chicken to come out and say how he will vote on it. So I think the press should keep asking him, every chance they get: 'How are you going to vote, Donnie?' Maybe sooner or later he'll be forced to answer that."
Maybe he tried to do it himself?
Maybe there was a reason for it?
"Donald Trump has either come completely unglued, or maybe he is just projecting his own weaknesses on others again... this week he sent out a bizarre message where he accused Kamala Harris of using an artificial intelligence program to somehow create a crowd of 15,000 people. This is Looney Tunes stuff, folks -- just ask any of those 15,000 people who were physically present for her speech, they'll tell you! But it got me wondering... Trump's been angry at the size of his own small crowds lately, so maybe he was the one who tried to make his crowds look bigger with A.I.? I mean, it's hard to tell... who knows what goes on inside what passes for Trump's brain?"
Zing!
And then there was this... Tim Walz, in his first solo speech as the Democratic vice-presidential candidate, poked a little fun at Trump. He pointed out how the crowds for him and Kamala just seem to keep getting bigger and bigger, and then he slammed it home with a punchline designed to get under Trump's orange-hued skin:
It's not as if anybody cares about crowd sizes or anything.
-- Chris Weigant
Follow Chris on Twitter: @ChrisWeigant
Cross-posted at: Democratic Underground
"Will any of this matter? Probably not. None of Trump's other disrespectful or dismissive comments about soldiers ever seemed to harm him politically, after all."
We'll see. Trumpanzees are in a cult. It won't matter to them. On the other hand, it does make the swift boating of Governor Walz problematic for his propaganda machine.
Speaking of propaganda campaigns, I love that Kamala has resisted their "do an interview" idiocy. She's tricked the failing orange fatso into doing "press conferences" where he reminds everyone why they hate him. The Harris campaign is publicizing his appearances for him.
Dipshit Donold relentlessly called Biden old, senile, and feeble before the debate. That blew up in his face when Biden reinforced the narrative and was forced out.
Now this obese ignoramus is calling the black lady stupid and inarticulate (although he doesn't use big words like that). This is likely to blow up in his face as well when he looks stupid and articulate, not to mention old, senile, and feeble.
When America's Homecoming queen and king Taylor and Travis mobilize the Swifties for Harris/Walz, it'll be so unfair to Fat Donny. Groomer Nugent and Child Rock just can't compete.
"Once again, we find ourselves with no nominee for the Most Disappointing Democrat Of The Week award."
We've still got Bob Menendez for a few more days.
And we also have Henry Cuellar D-TX28.
But these two are the only Democratic Congresscritters in trouble. There are at least ten Republicans similarly situated to one degree or another (think Matt Gaetz).
Since CW likes to award MDDOWs to those Democrats who lose their election, shouldn't we also acknowledge those who don't?
For example, both AOC and Ilar Oman (IO anyone?) survived a difficult primary, the latter by the barest of margins.
Token DEI-Hire Headboard Harris put forth her economic "plan" today...
Let's see what Uber Demcorat Water Carrier CNN has to say about it..
Harris' plan to stop price gouging could create more problems than it solves
The VP’s proposal may lead to shortages at stores, economists say. ‘This is not sensible policy,’ one said.
There’s just one issue: Harris’ proposal could create more problems than the one it’s trying to solve, some economists say.
Gavin Roberts studied anti-price gouging laws some states passed during the pandemic. One of the biggest effects he observed, especially at grocery stores, was that these laws motivated people “to go buy goods more than they would if prices had risen.”
When prices are high, in most cases, the best policy action in response is actually taking no action, Roberts, the chair of Weber State University’s economics department, told CNN.
That would cause consumers who are deterred by, say, high prices of beef, to instead purchase another type of meat or protein. That helps keep beef on the grocery store shelves for people who want it enough to pay the higher prices.
And while Harris claims her proposal “will help the food industry become more competitive,” Roberts said it would do just the opposite. “It’s more likely to maintain that status quo,” he said because it would keep new competition from moving in to take advantage of the bigger profit margins — competition that could have helped lower prices in the long run.
Government Price Controls has been tried many times.. EACH and EVERY time it caused more problems than there would have been without government interference...
Token DEI-Hire Headboard Harris' plan is un-serious and only put out there to try and buy votes..
Anyone with more than 2 brain cells to rub together would realize that Token DEI-Hire Headboard Harris is just spewing nonsense in an effort to stay afloat...
:eyeroll:
LOL MAGAt dipshits. SMH.
Fat Donny gave us all a preview of his economic destruction "plan" during a couple of recent "press conferences". They were exactly what one would expect from an infantile 78 year old convicted felon and ignoramus.
"Drill baby drill" with a huge inflationary tax on American consumers in the form of tariffs on almost everything we buy is what he's selling. The icing on the fruitcake was a big dollop of hate for Medal of Honor recipients. They don't generate any cash for Big Orange. He prefers casino billionaires over those icky amputated war hero suckers and losers.
He should book his flight to Venezuela before it's too late.
Michale,
If the Dems wish to make any headway with voters on the economy, then talking about price gouging ain't the way to do it. I'll agree with you on that.
How would you describe the Republican plan - in the overall and generally speaking - for a pro-growth tax and fiscal policy? These are the fundamentals upon which you can draw the critical distinctions between Democratic and Republican administrations.
"How would you describe the Republican plan"
Please try to keep up. The Republican party in 2024 is a cult. The "plan" is to do whatever asinine idea pops into simpleton Dear Leader's dementia brain.
* Drill baby drill
* Tariffs on everything from China (and who knows? Maybe Germany)
* Deport all of the agricultural laborers
* Tax cuts for Elon and Thiel
* No tax on tips (something that mostly already doesn't get taxed)
* Bomb Mexico
JFC,
"How would you describe the Republican plan" Please try to keep up. The Republican party in 2024 is a cult.
Are you talkin' to me!?
That was a question directed at Michale.
And, the cult of economic failure dates all the way back to the Reagan and (David) Stockton years, at least, and continues largely intact to this day, Trump or no Trump.
Furthermore, to trivialize the Republican "plan" with juvenile language doesn't help.
Yes, I was talking to you. I'm quite capable of reading, and unlike your troll pal, my reading comprehension is fine. I'll reply if I feel like it.
Your "cult of economic failure" on endless loop is old and tired like your hero. I am more than 100% unconcerned with what you believe is juvenile and/or helpful. Since you think you know what the plan is already, why are you asking a malignant, racist, bad faith propaganda troll?
I was not trivializing the Republican "plan". There is none other than what I outlined. A voter asked the orange one what he'd do to control rent costs for his adult children and "drill baby drill" was the answer he got. Check the video for yourself.
JFC,
Chill out!
Here's what I'm talking about ... while it's from 2010, it is still highly relevant today!
Here, former treasury secretary Timothy Geithner debates Republican policy advisor Doug Holtz-Eakin on apro-growth strategy for tax and fiscal policy.
If voters can't understand the fundamentals of economic policy, then they will continue to believe in the fantasy that Republicans are the best stewards of the economy - whether personally, nationally or globally speaking. This is the opportunity that Democrats consistently squander.
"If voters can't understand the fundamentals of economic policy . . ."
They can't and they don't. That's the problem with your argument. They believe that presidents can control the cost of gasoline, insulin, housing, eggs, etc. They don't understand how their own government works, let alone the economy. Maybe a civics teacher as VP can chip away at that wall of ignorance, but I wouldn't bet on it.
Then how can they be made to understand? My point is that Democrats have done little to make that understanding happen. :(
"Then how can they be made to understand?"
IMO that is a lost cause. Experiencing economic calamity every time a Republican is president hasn't worked and there is a vast, deplorable right-wing propaganda machine lying to them for profit. The liars are living high on the hog. How can they be wrong?
Looks like weather is wrecking King's Plate day.
Experiencing economic calamity every time a Republican is president hasn't worked
That is certainly true.
I just don't understand why Dems don't harp on this, at infinitum, at every opportunity.
I remember a speech that Biden gave as the vice presidential candidate in 2008. He explained that there is a substantial record, over the course of decades, of Republican administrations leaving economic messes on the order of magnitude of the Augean Stables for Democratic administrations to clean up. And, that was the first and last time that I ever heard a Democratic politician make that argument in quite that colourful way.
A rare tornado just touched down in my neck of the woods.
As the debate between Geithner and Holtz-Eakin over the Bush II tax cuts reveals, the Republicans don't have a credible argument to make to demonstrate that they are the best stewards of the economy.
[10]
Harris is already even or slightly ahead of Trump regarding the economy.
If you’re going to make a blanket statement about price gouging or anything else please include your reasoning.
And yes, cult of economic failure is lame and useless outside a faculty lounge, maybe. You can do better.
[20]
The campaign doesn’t really start until after Labor Day and a smart campaign waits until Americans start paying attention. Joe might be too institutional to think in these terms but I expect Kamala to use it when it counts.
Vance, meanwhile, recently couldn't remember what the Veterans of Foreign Wars were called, even though he's a "card-carrying member." He first tried "V.F." then stumbled on "V.F.A." before having to actually pull his card out of his pocket to read "V.F.W." off of it.
You will frequently find that the cowardly fake 4-Fs like Trump and one-tour public relations pencil pushers like Bowman/Hamel/Vance (or whatever he's calling himself these days) who've never even come close to full battle rattle haven't got a clue what they're talking about and are generally all hat no cattle, all talk no knowledge and a lot of BS all the time.
Not only did Trump flub the name of it (it's just the "Medal of Honor") but he once again showed his contempt for those who serve.
No big deal that Trump referred to it as the "Congressional Medal of Honor" because it's frequently referred to that way because it's presented in the name of Congress; however, it's batshit crazy and ignorant of facts to claim that "everyone gets" it and demeans the honor it represents. Trump's claims "they're soldiers" also discounts the fact they're also sailors, airmen, marines, etc. You think Trump is even aware there isn't simply one type MOH? There's a different MOH for Army, Navy, and Air Force and departments therein, but I would wager without hesitation that Trump has no clue.
Caddy,
For a clear understanding of my reasoning with regard to economic policy and how Democrats should be talking about it, I would strongly encourage you to take a look at the Geithner-Holtz Eakin debate I linked to above.
And, you might want to send it to the Harris-Walz campaign, as well. You know, for use after Labour Day! It wouldn't hurt.
Liz!!! :D
Always good to see you.. :D
If the Dems wish to make any headway with voters on the economy, then talking about price gouging ain't the way to do it. I'll agree with you on that.
Yep. Yep. Yep.
Price controls have never worked when they were applied in modern times.
The fact that Harris would go there simply indicates the level of desperation that the Harris campaign is at..
It smacks of the same level of desperation that Harris sunk to when she accused Joe Biden of being a racist.. :eyeroll:
How would you describe the Republican plan - in the overall and generally speaking - for a pro-growth tax and fiscal policy?
You know that economics is not my chosen forte.. :D
But I can tell you that President Trump DOES have a lot of good ideas about the economy??
How do we know this??
Because Harris keeps stealing his ideas and trying to pass them off as her own.. :D
These are the fundamentals upon which you can draw the critical distinctions between Democratic and Republican administrations.
There is an easy way to show those critical distinctions..
Simply compare how things were under President Trump and how things are under Vice President Harris..
Diet Coke 12pk
Under President Trump?? $3.49
Under Vice President Harris $10.59
Gallon of gas
Under President Trump?? Roughly $2.12 per gallon
Under Vice President Harris?? Roughly $6.47 per gallon
Jar of mayonnaise
Under President Trump?? $2.49
Under Vice President Harris?? $9.89
Those are the critical distinctions that the average American voter are going to draw..
All the rest is nothing but campaign hyperbole..
Are you talkin' to me!?
That was a question directed at Michale.
Awww, don't mind JFC... He lost so many brain cells due to drug abuse he no longer has any functional ones left.. :D
Furthermore, to trivialize the Republican "plan" with juvenile language doesn't help.
Word.... :D
Then how can they be made to understand? My point is that Democrats have done little to make that understanding happen. :(
They really haven't..
It's because they are too busy catering to the hysterical Progressive Left Wingery…
K, Elizabeth.
I’ll review it and revert.**
**Do they say “revert” in Canada? How about “enclosed please find…?”
Once again, let's check in with Uber Demcorat Water Carriers..
This little gem comes from USA TODAY...
Harris' economic plan promises voters affordable groceries and homes. Don't fall for it.
Kamala Harris has no problem with an economic agenda that expands government's reach and power and places burdensome restraints on the free market.
I know you learned in school that socialism doesn't work. Apparently, Vice President Kamala Harris didn't.
But what do you know? You iPhone-carrying, Starbucks-sipping, freedom-loving American? Haven't you wondered what it would be like if your president gave away things for free? Things like a house? And groceries?
Enter Kamalanomics.
Hold on, it's a ride through utopia.
You get a house! And you get a house!
A free down payment? What a deal! But I have a few questions: Where will that money come from? What will it do to home prices? Wouldn't a line of new buyers with $25,000 on hand drive up the price of homes?
No thanks, Oprah. I mean, Kamala.
Every time the government offers subsidies for anything, what happens??
The dealers of those items simply raises the price of the subsidy'ed item..
Even an economic-challenged magoo such as myself understands THAT.. :eyeroll:
And, next we will take a look at Token DEI-Hire Headboard Harris' abysmally moronic Price Controls Plan.
Again, courtesy of Uber Demcorat Water Carrier USA TODAY..
Next up, price controls for groceries
Harris has a cure for that: As a part of her economic plan, she would place a federal ban on price gouging for groceries. Her presidential campaign claims that she will set "clear rules of the road to make clear that big corporations can’t unfairly exploit consumers to run up excessive corporate profits on food and groceries.”
President Joe Biden hands Vice President Kamala Harris the microphone after speaking in Prince George's County, Md., on Aug. 15, 2024.
When I read that, I laughed. No one with a half-way functioning brain thinks that inflation, which caused high prices, at the local grocer is due to price gouging by corporations.
This is a lie from one of the oldest tricks in the book: Demonize companies for abiding by capitalistic principles and then propose reforms that throttle businesses by placing the government at the helm.
What IS it about Demcorats that they simply lie right in the face of American voters?
The ONLY good economic ideas that Token DEI-Hire Headboard Harris has had are the ones she has stolen from President Trump..
How hilarious is THAT!!?? :D :D :D
Next year, seniors will have their out-of-pocket drug costs capped at $2,000. Once you pay that much, you won't pay another dime for your prescriptions, all year long. This will be a life-changing policy for millions. And Joe Biden and Kamala Harris were the ones to get it done.
Under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (happy second birthday, 08/16), the $35 cap on insulin went into effect in 2023 for Medicare recipients, the $2,000 cap on out-of-pocket drug costs begins soon, and I'll bet everyone can guess how many Republicans voted to pass that bill. Zero. Not a single Republican in the so-called "Party of family values" voted to pass it in the House or in the Senate where Vice President Kamala Harris broke the tie, and Republicans and Trump will gut it the first chance they get if allowed.
A federal ban on price gouging won't substantially enhance Americans' financial well-being. It won't reduce inflation or bring food prices back to pre-surge levels, which were influenced by the Biden administration's policies. In reality, such government controls could potentially cause shortages or trigger hoarding of specific items.
"I know Trump is awful. But he's still better for America than Harris. When your opponent calls you 'communist,' maybe don't propose price controls? Harris' policy plan would be a sweeping set of government-enforced price controls across every industry, not only food. Supply and demand would no longer determine prices or profit levels. Far-off Washington bureaucrats would."
-WaPoop Writer Catherine Rampell
Even Uber UBER Demcorat Water Carrier WaPoop is crushing Token DEI-Hire Headboard Harris' ignorant and dangerous economic plan..
Here's the bottom line, my fellow Weigantians…
Kamalanomics sucks.. It really does..
The vast majority of Token DEI-Hire Headboard Harris' economic ideas are rooted in socialism..
A form of government that has been PROVEN a complete and utter failure. Time and time and time and time again...
Token DEI-Hire Headboard Harris and her socialist ideas stem from the socialist idea that government is (or, in this case SHOULD BE) more powerful than the people..
That it's GOVERNMENT that has all the answers.. That it's GOVERNMENT who should be the ultimate arbiter of everything you do and everything you need and everything you want..
A wise many once said that the scariest sentence in the human language is I am from the government and I am here to help
That is what Token DEI-Hire Headboard Harris is saying to the American voter.
And the American voter should be very very VERY afraid..
Let's turn now to Uber Water Carrier CNN...
Harris Is Lying, There Is No Price-Gouging, Only Inflation
The other thing that I picked up on today was this whole notion that price gouging or gauging as she called it is what people are feeling. That is a total canard. This is not true. This is made up because they're trying to deflect attention from the actual inflation that has caused everything in your life to get more expensive. So they need the American people to believe something other than the
Truth, there is no price gouging. Grocery stores, these things, they operate on very slim profit margins. There is no gouging, there is just inflation.
So to go out and say, I'm going to get the federal government involved in setting prices are capping prices or interrupting the flow of the free market economy -- let me tell you something. If you like, bread lines, product shortages, black markets, hoarding, if you want to recreate the happy economic conditions of "The Walking Dead", Kamala Harris has a plan for you.
The bottom line is, the Republicans are going to be all over this. It's not smart and its a plan from a ticket that has no private sector experience and no -- and no interest whatsoever and taking responsibility for everything they have done to plunge the working class of the United States of America and do an economic crisis.
-CNN
Holy crap, CNN!!!
Don't keep it all bottled up inside... Tell us how you REALLY feel..
CNN can expect a visit from the Progressive Left Wingery Thought Gestapo in the near future..
:eyeroll:
As everyone can see, things are not going good for the Token DEI-Hire Headboard Harris and NO-BALLZ Walz campaign..
They can't seem to get their water carriers to toe the line..
Basically, Token DEI-Hire Headboard Harris and NO-BALLZ Walz said "Yunno what.. Let's simply ignore all the times that socialism has failed and try it again. We can make it work this time!!"
:epic eyeroll:
I don't even have to get into Token DEI-Hire Headboard Harris' border incompetency...
But of course, ya'all know I will. :D
But for now, it's time ta get ready for work.. I am really beginning to enjoy 12 hr shifts! :D
Donald Trump, however, refuses to say whether he will vote for just such a measure in his home state of Florida. He ridiculed the state's governor for passing a Draconian six-week abortion ban, but now he won't say whether he supports overturning it or not. He's afraid of offending large chunks of his base, no matter which way he goes -- and he is too chicken to come out and say how he will vote on it.
Just Trump taking both sides of the issue, as he so frequently does depending on the issue and what crowd he's addressing.
It should also be pointed out that Convicted Felon Donald Trump already voted in the primary in Florida because statutes of the State of New York allow convicted felons to vote unless they are incarcerated at the time of an election, and Florida follows the law of the state in which the conviction took place. If Trump is ever convicted in Florida, he would lose his voting rights until he serves his entire sentence and pays any imposed fines. The stolen documents case isn't going away as easily as it seems Trump believes it is... unless he is elected... so we should definitely collectively vote in numbers off the charts to ensure that never happens.
Work hard blah blah blah don’t get overconfident blah blah blah.
Most of corporate or billionaire-owned MSM won’t report their meal ticket Trump’s weirdness because otherwise this campaign would be over. But Trump still hasn’t reached any new voters, the Dems are fired up and sentencing starts off Trump’s legal trail of tears.
MSM will stick to their game plan until November’s result isn’t in doubt and suddenly focus on the Trump Trials(c).
John From Censornati
4
When America's Homecoming queen and king Taylor and Travis mobilize the Swifties for Harris/Walz, it'll be so unfair to Fat Donny.
Heh. Poor Fat Donny. Everything is unfair to him. If you don't believe me, just listen to him whine constantly about living in a third-world country... as if! If he hates America so much, he should GTFO. Oh, wait; he actually can't because he's a convicted felon.
It seems likely that Swift will either endorse Harris/Walz or no other presidential ticket in 2024 because she's already famously voiced her absolutely dead-on accurate assessment of Trump and his bullshit:
Then there's the fact she allowed her music to be used in a Biden/Harris campaign video in 2020, that I will post (not for the first time):
Only the Young - Biden/Harris campaign video
The first voice you hear on the campaign video? Kamala Harris
And she famously posted on Twitter, now Ex:
And she was dead-on accurate about that too.
Meanwhile, they're already on record losing their collective shit about this over on Fox News -- remember the Super Bowl conspiracy bullshit -- and spewing stupid stuff like "shut up and sing" and "childless cat lady."
If anyone ever wondered the meaning of the phrase "Stupid is as Stupid does," it's akin to the prattling talking heads on Fox News and the MAGA morons who mainline their asinine propaganda bullshit and regurgitate it like useful idiots all over social media. LOL MAGA Monkeys
[34]
Today's cut-and-paste uncredited plagiarism posted by the troll is the partisan opinion of the GOP's Scott Jennings, a Republican mouthpiece for multiple decades.
Repetitive regurgitation of GOP talking points and obvious Republican rhetoric in monotonous attempts to pass them off as left-wing opinions reeks with the stench of desperation or ignorance... or both.
[32}
The dipshit Nazi troll's cut-and-paste job in [32} is dated 8/17/24. Please note the date of this statement from Rampell:
Yes there was still some silliness in her speech, but her comments on prices were more toned down than campaign factsheet sent to reporters (punishing companies that raise prices above their costs etc). A generic call to increase antitrust enforcement is fine and I support it.
https://t.co/HF97UxxMq8 — Catherine Rampell (@crampell)
August 16, 2024
Lying is all the troll and his corpulent idol have got.
This morning on Fox Notnews, JD Whateverhisnameis said:
"We can't worry about polls."
LOL. Short Fingers is obsessed with polls so fake nonchalance regarding them turning dramatically against you is unconvincing, not to mention a clear acknowledgement that you're LOSING.
At his Klan rally on Saturday, the short bus orangutan said this to explain to the MAGAts what a tariff is:
"It’s a tax on a foreign county. It's a tax that's ripping us off and taking our jobs. And it's a tax that doesn’t affect our country."
Yep. That is exactly what that know-nothing Loony Goon said.
It's so unfair that people actually want a president to know stuff. Sad.
"If voters can't understand the fundamentals of economic policy . . ."
They can't and they don't.
I'd say they could but they won't. It takes a bunch of time and effort. There are way more things to do, even just things to learn about, than any one person can. Most people aren't going to put in the effort on econ.
The language in [42] is inaccurate and demeaning, both to special-needs students and to orangutans. Neither has done anything to warrant such a comparison.
Dipshit JD went on the Fox Defamation Channel today and said this:
“Giving Kamala Harris control over inflation policy, Shannon, it’s like giving Jeffrey Epstein control over human trafficking policy.”
LOL. That's right, Fat Donny's human trafficker buddy! JD is not very good at this.
what ought to be concerning is that even with all this positive media coverage and "momentum" for kamala's campaign, donald still seems to be ahead in the electoral count. if he keeps scoring own-goals against himself (as he did in 2020 and has been for the past two weeks), that may change. here's hoping.
Dan,
Let me rephrase ... voters don't have to understand the fundamentals of sound economic policy.
All they have to understand is what distinguishes Republican from Democratic thinking on economic policy and how damaging the decades long record of Republican administrations has been on the economic health of the country.
Chris knows how this is done and I expect he will soon devote a few FTP columns to precisely how Dems should talk about the economy in ways that voters will understand well enough.
[46]
How do you figure? Last I saw the still too early to be predictive polls show Kamala at least even with if not ahead in the swing states.
The last two Republican presidents trashed America’s economy and Democrats had to clean up their messes. If you want Republican results like this keep voting for Republicans. But why not skip another Republican disaster and vote for Democratic results?
How’s this TP, Elizabeth?
It's a fair start, Caddy.
Short Fingers held a "press conference" in the swing state of his country club the other day. Included in his WEIRD, rambling, boring, seemingly endless word salad was this "let them eat cake" gem:
You’re all going to be thrown into a communist system. It’s a communist system. You’re going to be thrown into a system where everybody gets health care.
The stupidity is mind boggling. A communist system where the Dow Jones is at a record level and billionaires are like locusts? LOL.
John [51]
Could it be that 'everybody gets health care' is a problem to some people because that means 'people who aren't like me get health care too'?
I have a horrible feeling that there are people who would go hungry themselves before letting other people eat as well.
Mezzo
52
That’s exactly what Republicans have fashioned — millionaires get richer while the rest of us fight each other for the crumbs that fall from their table.
How ‘bout this one, Elizabeth?
Caddy [53]
This attitude is nothing new, and other may be defined by class, nationality, religion, being any kind of outsider--over the state line or from the next valley or next village--not just race. It's always been applied to later immigrants. And it's not just North American.
John From Censornati
41
This morning on Fox Notnews, JD Whateverhisnameis said:
"We can't worry about polls."
Just Dumb Whateverhisnameis especially hates the polls showing his (un)favorability rating in the double digits and climbing still:
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/favorability/jd-vance/
I think Just Dumb is receiving these horrid favorability ratings because he's running around the country running his mouth running down a soldier who served his country for almost a quarter century while at the same time he's cock holstering a 34-time fraudulent felon fake 4-F draft-dodging coward, and that's just dumb.
LOL. Short Fingers is obsessed with polls so fake nonchalance regarding them turning dramatically against you is unconvincing, not to mention a clear acknowledgement that you're LOSING.
Exactly this, John! If one day you're bragging relentlessly about your poll numbers and then today you're all...
... inventing the latest in a long line of GOP conspiracy theories about those same polls, you just might be an effing imbecile.
Caddy[53],
Way off track.
Did you watch the pertinent debate I linked to?
Caddy,
As counter intuitive as it may seem to some, the only policy issue that Dems can really win on if they play it well is the economy.
Let me rephrase, again...
The economy is still the most important issue for voters and Democrats should win any economic policy debate with Republicans if they can make the arguments that can persuade voters that they are the better stewards of the economy.
Even the most rational sounding Republican and conservative arguments on the economy are "political arguments masquerading as substance."
J. Michael Luttig may have just forced yet another rephrasing on my part. Whoa, pretty heavy stuff!
J. Michael Luttig endorses vice president Kamala Harris
Elizabeth Miller
57
As counter intuitive as it may seem to some, the only policy issue that Dems can really win on if they play it well is the economy.
Absolutely incorrect, Canada. There has never been a single presidential election in America that has been won (or lost) based on a single policy issue.
According to TASS (the Russian version of Fox), Moscow will provide assistance to any foreigners who want to escape the neoliberal ideals being put forward in their countries and move to Russia, where traditional values reign supreme, according to a decree signed by President Vladimir Putin.
Traitor Alex Jones is enthused! "If you're ready to reject the insane policies of your home countries that push these destructive, anti-human, neoliberal agendas, Russia is rolling out the red carpet!"
Hope is a wonderful thing! I wonder if Soros would buy each and every MAGAt a ticket to paradise as a hostage in a Russian dungeon.
[52] Could it be that 'everybody gets health care' is a problem to some people because that means 'people who aren't like me get health care too'?
I tend to think that it means "My employer provides a health insurance plan and I don't give a damn that yours doesn't."
Kick,
There has never been a single presidential election in America that has been won (or lost) based on a single policy issue.
That is one way of interpreting what I said in that comment and subsequent comments, but not the only one. Having a real back and forth in a comments section like this is how to achieve better understanding.
Elizabeth Miller
58
Let me rephrase, again...
Okay, then ignore [60]. :)
The economy is still the most important issue for voters and Democrats should win any economic policy debate with Republicans if they can make the arguments that can persuade voters that they are the better stewards of the economy.
This!
Easier path to winning the "economic policy debate" is to remind voters they can't trust Donald Trump because:
* Trump ran the economy into the ground with his pathetic and disastrous handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.
* Imagine being POTUS for four years -- and an alleged Wharton student -- and still not understanding "Economics 101" and the fact that tariffs are a tax that is paid by Americans in the form of higher prices. Trump is doubling down on the stupid and promising more of that.
I could go on. :)
Even the most rational sounding Republican and conservative arguments on the economy are "political arguments masquerading as substance."
Yep. It's a lot of throwing around the word "communism." Same shit, different day.
Fat Donny is giving another "economic address" word salad, bragging about how when he left office, he "handed Kamala a surging economy with no inflation" and low gas prices. LOL
IOW, LizM, the GOP economic plan is gaslighting.
Elizabeth Miller
63
That is one way of interpreting what I said in that comment and subsequent comments, but not the only one.
Obviously. I did it my way .
Having a real back and forth in a comments section like this is how to achieve better understanding.
See above. :)
He's talking at length about the silly Republican impeach Biden report that makes unsupported claims of impeachable offenses that they won't be impeaching him for.
Short Bus Don knows economic policy.
Numerous elected members of the orange cult are appearing on TV begging Dear Leader to stop the personal attacks and focus on "policy". I agree. He should speak incessantly about:
Abortion bans
Injecting bleach
Huge tariff tax on everything
Bomb Mexico
Turn Ukraine over to the Russians
Concentration camps
Deportation of the agricultural work force
Policy!
Big Orange seems hellbent on portraying Harris as responsible for all current policy. I wonder when the media will push back and ask if Mike Pence was responsible for everything.
Mike built the Big Beautiful Wall, didn't he?
John From Censornati
61
According to TASS (the Russian version of Fox), Moscow will provide assistance to any foreigners who want to escape the neoliberal ideals being put forward in their countries and move to Russia, where traditional values reign supreme, according to a decree signed by President Vladimir Putin.
And remember to take your firearms with you because Vlad the Impaler needs soldiers to fight for Russia's historical "traditional values" of invading sovereign nations and sending them fleeing into the (mostly) welcoming arms of NATO.
Traitor Alex Jones is enthused! "If you're ready to reject the insane policies of your home countries that push these destructive, anti-human, neoliberal agendas, Russia is rolling out the red carpet!"
Red carpet!? I would say "pun intended" if Alex Jones wasn't such an inveterate ignoramus where speaking and words and talking are concerned.
Hope is a wonderful thing! I wonder if Soros would buy each and every MAGAt a ticket to paradise as a hostage in a Russian dungeon.
They keep whining about living in a third world country so deport all their asses to Chechnya. :)
John [62]
I fear that for some people, it's darker than 'I don't care about you.' They don't think people unlike themselves deserve healthcare, education or whatever and will vote down any attempts to broaden access or to increase a benefit because of that.
Not just 'I don't care whether your kids go to a good school,' but 'I don't actually want your kids to have as good an education as mine, so I will vote against all bond issues, even though that holds up improvements to my kids' school.' 'If we increase child benefits, those parents will just spend it on drugs, so we won't help anyone.'
Prove you are not a robot
Trump edition
It's not policy debates that bring one side's likely non-voters to the polls, or reassure the other side's likely voters enough that they don't bother, and thus determine the outcomes of elections. It's vibes. If you say that LIBOR should weigh more heavily in the Fed's evaluation of upside risk to US exporters from fluctuations in yuan-denominated interest rates as they read the tea leaves that guide US monetary policy, or if you say its significance is already overstated, no one will change their voting behavior on that basis. If you sound like a serious authority with the weight of longstanding tradition behind you, that might make a difference.
The foregoing gobbledygook is in fact mere gobbledygook (unless by sheer coincidence). It's there to illustrate how policy debates sound if you're not paying attention, and why you might prefer to decide on vibes instead of substance.
The Democratic message on the economy need not be a lesson in how to conduct a policy debate, to state the obvious.