Trump announces he is running for Prez again

[Ban Basketball]

34 minutes ago, Crotalus said:

 

Virtually everything he said or tweeted was a verifiable lie (aka "alternative fact"), including most of his criticism of the media.

 

 

Edit:  Oops, 30,573.  You all can re-do my math.

Deuce's official tally of lies after four years: 30,353. Think about THAT in this way,  folks. 

-7,588 lies each year; 632 lies per month; 158 lies per week, and 22.5 lies per day.

I cam assure all of you that all of its together,  in our entire lifetimes,  have not collectively told 30,353 lies. Yet, Deuce can pull it off solo in a mere four years. 

Edited December 7, 2022 by Ban Basketball

[mspart]

With the revelations regarding Hillary and her and DNC handling of the Steele Dossier, and her email catastrophe, I think the vote for Trump was correct.   JRoss hit the high points.   What Trump said and tweeted was not always good.  What he did as policy decisions benefited the country for the most part.   It was predictable that Biden would not benefit the country and that has been borne out by the news.   If anyone thinks the country is in a better place now overall, than 4 years ago, there is some extreme ostrich head in the sand action going on.  

40 year high inflation, Afghanistan military evacuation horrible, the amount of clout the US has in the world right now has dropped (he cant even get Saudi to give us oil), war on domestic petroleum production, debacle with baby formula, complete abrogation of responsibility at the border.   More and more deficit spending that was called non-inflationary.   An "Inflation Reduction Act" that was not.  This is what we have after only 2 years of Biden.   Should be tempered with the House in control of the opposing party.  Split government is good, as generally nothing but the most important things get done.  

Even those that wanted Biden and voted for him are rethinking because neither he nor his vice president can make a coherent argument about what they are doing.   Hunter Biden's laptop is becoming bigger news now with CBS finally saying "it was a real story" and with Twitter now releasing documents showing the collusion with certain folks in the FBI that wanted Trump out.    Why is this happening now?   To set the stage to allow Biden not to run again and bring someone in who doesn't have the mental deterioration and baggage that he has.  You think Kamala will be the one to move forward?  Remember the D primary in 2020, when she got zero traction and was forced out before the first primary.   She had zero democratic support.   It will be someone else.   But the stage is being set.   

mspart

[Mike Parrish]

I see it differently.

Biden is doing an excellent job and will run again, unopposed in the Democrat primary.

Trump is toxic waste but won't be able to let anyone else run on the GOP side.
The hot GOP civil war will commence in April/May timeframe.

[jross]

4 hours ago, Crotalus said:

Virtually everything he said or tweeted was a verifiable lie (aka "alternative fact"), including most of his criticism of the media.

Wait.......what?????

 

My grandmother lived with my mother.  She went shopping, walked, and mingled with family before the pandemic.  I'd see her every few weeks.  After the pandemic, the news programmed her (in my opinion) to stay home.  She would not leave her bedroom when my family visited for two years, and she largely never came out of her room, even when it was just my folks with her.  Her physical health degraded until she was put into a nursing home, and she died a month later.  She never caught Covid, but she certainly stopped living and stayed glued to the news.  

[jross]

On 11/17/2022 at 2:29 PM, mspart said:

Can I be the first to say ENOUGH!!   His policies were good for the country for the most part, but his personality and all the drama it brought was not.  A lot of that is his fault, with a large amount being the press's fault with false allegations and general negativity towards him. 

Time for someone else.

mspart

I'm torn between his policies and the drama.  I don't want to vote for Trump in 2024 because of the drama, but Biden/Harris policies are bad.  If we get a 2020 election repeat, it's the USA saying FU to the people.  We the people have little to look forward to.  One would think the next president has nowhere to go but up.

[jross]

1 hour ago, Mike Parrish said:

Biden is doing an excellent job and will run again, unopposed, in the Democrat primary.

What has Biden done well, and how has it directly affected you?

When my pocketbook is hit this hard, the Biden team better cure cancer if he wants me to see past the red.  High inflation, less buying power, and my net worth dropped over 40% since he came to power.  His Covid policies destroyed small businesses, coerced me into vaccinating to work/travel, and influenced a ten-year subordinate employee to quit my company.  It's impossible to look past his incoherent speech and bad character to credit good achievements when his actions negatively impact my daily life.  

[mspart]

Mike,

I'm not sure how you can say that but that is a difference of opinion and tough to argue.   You like Biden, you see what he is doing is good.   I don't like Biden and I see what he is doing as not good.  At least a good portion is not good.  If the bullet points I made about his performance does not move you, then I guess you like "40 year high inflation, Afghanistan military evacuation horrible, the amount of clout the US has in the world right now has dropped (he cant even get Saudi to give us oil), war on domestic petroleum production, debacle with baby formula, complete abrogation of responsibility at the border."  It seems to me that all of these things are at the feet of Joe. 

I will not disagree with Trump is toxic.   But he has no say in who else runs in the primary.   I personally do not think his style will work again, scorched earth take no prisoners.   https://www.texastribune.org/2022/11/14/texas-voters-ron-desantis-donald-trump/

I would say this website tells the story about R support for Trump.   All can see how his candidates did.  I think most Rs will be looking for someone else.   I know that independents will.  The D's would rather vote for a dead man than Trump so they don't need convincing. 

mspart

[Crotalus]

His Covid policies destroyed small businesses, coerced me into vaccinating to work/travel

What year did you get vaccinated? And what year did those various covid policies begin?

It's impossible to look past his incoherent speech and bad character  

Trump voters seem to have no problem.

[jross]

14 minutes ago, Crotalus said:

Trump voters seem to have no problem.

For me, that was because his achievements directly affected my pocketbook for the better.

[Mike Parrish]

On 12/7/2022 at 3:02 PM, jross said:

For me, that was because his achievements directly affected my pocketbook for the better.

That seems more mercenary and less civic minded than I would have given you credit for.

[jross]

On 12/7/2022 at 4:45 PM, Crotalus said:

What year did you get vaccinated? And what year did those various covid policies begin?

2021 - I have the receipts.  Our federally aligned employees followed the federal covid policies first and then it became a company-wide mandate.

[bnwtwg]

On 12/7/2022 at 4:29 PM, jross said:

What has Biden done well, and how has it directly affected you?

When my pocketbook is hit this hard, the Biden team better cure cancer if he wants me to see past the red.  High inflation, less buying power, and my net worth dropped over 40% since he came to power.  His Covid policies destroyed small businesses, coerced me into vaccinating to work/travel, and influenced a ten-year subordinate employee to quit my company.  It's impossible to look past his incoherent speech and bad character to credit good achievements when his actions negatively impact my daily life.  

You should take a step back and ask yourself if the current macroeconomy is directly due to three items:

1) The fed accomplished what was probably the most optimal outcome in an unprecedented scenario to continue propping the economy, but the can was kicked down the road and now we have to pay it back but it could have been much worse. This is neither a D or R result but rather an economical result.

2) A significant amount of inflation is due to energy costs directly attributed to the dependency and decoupling of Russian energy post-Ukraine invasion and the ripple affect experienced at a global scale.

3) Americans workers finally saw significant wage increases despite no federal minimum wage increase. In turn, prices across all sectors immediately shot up. I am not entering into an argument of the right or wrongness of that outcome but am merely bringing it to the forefront as a major point in this particular conversation

Maybe those bullet points resonate or maybe they don't. But I think the current state of the economy is not Sleepy Joe's fault - it would have happened no matter who won.

[Ban Basketball]

33 minutes ago, bnwtwg said:

You should take a step back and ask yourself if the current macroeconomy is directly due to three items:

1) The fed accomplished what was probably the most optimal outcome in an unprecedented scenario to continue propping the economy, but the can was kicked down the road and now we have to pay it back but it could have been much worse. This is neither a D or R result but rather an economical result.

2) A significant amount of inflation is due to energy costs directly attributed to the dependency and decoupling of Russian energy post-Ukraine invasion and the ripple affect experienced at a global scale.

3) Americans workers finally saw significant wage increases despite no federal minimum wage increase. In turn, prices across all sectors immediately shot up. I am not entering into an argument of the right or wrongness of that outcome but am merely bringing it to the forefront as a major point in this particular conversation

Maybe those bullet points resonate or maybe they don't. But I think the current state of the economy is not Sleepy Joe's fault - it would have happened no matter who won.

You're dead on correct,  from top to bottom.  I find it criminal that "news" sources irresponsibly keep people misinformed and angry by deliberately telling people incorrect reasons for inflation. 

My question that I always ask them is that if it's indeed a President's fault,  what then should a President do to fix it? Outside of the fed/ interest rates, that's about it. Outside of mandatory price reductions and/or wage increases,  which would go over about like a fart in church with those folks. 

Edited December 9, 2022 by Ban Basketball

[Ban Basketball]

Regarding inflation,  and specifically,  gas prices,  I loved what Joe Scarborough asked when gas prices began declining,  as they're doing now.

"Are you people who are putting the,  'I did this" Biden stickers on gas pumps going to do so now that prices are falling?"

Of course not,  furthering my belief that they'd rather see the country fail,  versus see good things happening while Biden is in office. 

[Ban Basketball]

https://l.smartnews.com/vgk5s/BtERpj

[BerniePragle]

On 12/9/2022 at 5:19 PM, Ban Basketball said:

Regarding inflation,  and specifically,  gas prices,  I loved what Joe Scarborough asked when gas prices began declining,  as they're doing now.

"Are you people who are putting the,  'I did this" Biden stickers on gas pumps going to do so now that prices are falling?"

Of course not,  furthering my belief that they'd rather see the country fail,  versus see good things happening while Biden is in office. 

I was told by very reliable sources (lol) that Biden was putting all that extra money we were paying for gas right directly into his pockets.  Maybe his pockets got full and he couldn't fit any more in.  Musk, Bezos, etc weren't proud of him.

[BerniePragle]

On 12/9/2022 at 4:19 PM, bnwtwg said:

You should take a step back and ask yourself if the current macroeconomy is directly due to three items:

1) The fed accomplished what was probably the most optimal outcome in an unprecedented scenario to continue propping the economy, but the can was kicked down the road and now we have to pay it back but it could have been much worse. This is neither a D or R result but rather an economical result.

2) A significant amount of inflation is due to energy costs directly attributed to the dependency and decoupling of Russian energy post-Ukraine invasion and the ripple affect experienced at a global scale.

3) Americans workers finally saw significant wage increases despite no federal minimum wage increase. In turn, prices across all sectors immediately shot up. I am not entering into an argument of the right or wrongness of that outcome but am merely bringing it to the forefront as a major point in this particular conversation

Maybe those bullet points resonate or maybe they don't. But I think the current state of the economy is not Sleepy Joe's fault - it would have happened no matter who won.

For up and down and round, says he
Goes all appointed things,
And losses on the roundabouts
Means profits on the swings
         -Patrick R Chalmers  Irish banker and poet

[GreatWhiteNorth]

On 12/7/2022 at 4:33 PM, mspart said:

Mike,

I'm not sure how you can say that but that is a difference of opinion and tough to argue.   You like Biden, you see what he is doing is good.   I don't like Biden and I see what he is doing as not good.  At least a good portion is not good.  If the bullet points I made about his performance does not move you, then I guess you like "40 year high inflation, Afghanistan military evacuation horrible, the amount of clout the US has in the world right now has dropped (he cant even get Saudi to give us oil), war on domestic petroleum production, debacle with baby formula, complete abrogation of responsibility at the border."  It seems to me that all of these things are at the feet of Joe. 

I will not disagree with Trump is toxic.   But he has no say in who else runs in the primary.   I personally do not think his style will work again, scorched earth take no prisoners.   https://www.texastribune.org/2022/11/14/texas-voters-ron-desantis-donald-trump/

I would say this website tells the story about R support for Trump.   All can see how his candidates did.  I think most Rs will be looking for someone else.   I know that independents will.  The D's would rather vote for a dead man than Trump so they don't need convincing. 

mspart

 C'mon Art, let's be reasonable:

1. Inflation - Not a result of decisions made by the sitting president. That's a wave of economic momentum that would hit any leader essentially the same way.

2. Afghanistan evacuation - The details of analyzing, scrutinizing, and planning were done by the U.S. Military. If any mistake was made, it was on the military. 

3. Border problem - This problem has existed for many decades without any solution in sight. To somehow attribute it to a current president/party is just wrong.

 

[mspart]

Hi GWN,

I'll be reasonable.

1.  Inflation was probably coming based on the last bailout of the previous administration.   Biden put gas on that fire by his reckless spending efforts and essentially telling petroleum companies their business was not going to be supported.   He single handedly reduced oil production by his 1st day in office edict, his then declaration that there would be no more drilling, and his recent reiteration of no new drilling.  

2.  Afghanistan evacuation - https://www.politico.com/news/2021/09/28/top-generals-afghanistan-withdrawal-congress-hearing-514491

Top generals contradict Biden, say they urged him not to withdraw from Afghanistan

Gen. Frank McKenzie said that he recommended maintaining a small force of 2,500 troops in Afghanistan earlier this year.

Top generals told lawmakers under oath on Tuesday that they advised President Joe Biden early this year to keep several thousand troops in Afghanistan — directly contradicting the president’s comments in August that no one warned him not to withdraw troops from the country.

The remarkable testimony pits top military brass against the commander-in-chief as the Biden administration continues to face tough questions about what critics are calling a botched withdrawal that directly led to the deaths of 13 American service members, scenes of chaos at the Kabul airport, and the abandonment of American citizens and at-risk Afghans in the war-torn country...

Biden wanted to get troops out of Afghanistan so badly that he went against his military's recommendations.   The military perhaps did the best they could in a crappy situation that Biden handed them.   Hundreds of millions of dollars of munitions left and fell into Taliban hands.   Thousands of people that did not get evacuated as they should have for helping the US effort there.   13 soldiers needlessly killed due to the frantic manner in which this was done.   100% on Biden. 

3.  Yes the border has been a problem for quite some time, since before Reagan.   No one does anythign about it mostly because D's don't want anything changed.  To Trump's credit, he did something about it.   He slowed down the on rush dramatically.   Compared to now, he had it in drip mode.  Now it is in fireshose mode with more illegal immigration coming each month than we had in years past.   And with the coming of Title 42 being ignored, it will open the floodgates even more. 

https://news.yahoo.com/bidens-title-42-revocation-borders-100109463.html

Biden's Title 42 revocation borders on political malpractice

W. James Antle III, Columnist

April 14, 2022

 

The first migrants arrived in Washington, D.C., on buses sent by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) to protest the Biden administration's handling of the southwest border. The stunt achieved this much: the Border Patrol is going to stop releasing migrants into the Texas community that called for Abbott's help — for now.

But the agency has already reported encountering 1 million illegal border crossers in the first six months of the current fiscal year. That's on track to exceed the more than 1.7 million recorded the entire previous fiscal year. Now the administration is lifting former President Donald Trump's invocation of Title 42, which denied migrants entry on public health grounds during the pandemic.

"We have every expectation that when [Title 42 is lifted], there will be an influx of people to the border," White House communications director Kate Bedingfield told reporters last month. Homeland Security officials are preparing for 18,000 encounters a day. The New York Times further noted, "Democrats do not want the southwest border to appear out of control in the months ahead of the midterm elections, which would fuel more Republican attacks on the Biden administration's border policies."

That ship has sailed. The border has been a mess for the entirety of Joe Biden's presidency, even if the White House has sought to avoid the word "crisis." Some of Biden's lowest job approval ratings concern his handling of immigration. Voters overwhelmingly oppose this Title 42 change specifically.

So with this, is it still not Biden's issue?  You must say you see no daylight when outside at noon to be able to ignore this reality.

On each of these, Biden poured gas on the situation to make a bad situation infinitely worse.   That is fact via the legislation he has had pass, by the ignoring of officials in his administration who knew better than him, and by his order that the border be opened.   Sure, the border is under control.   There are no controls by design so the border is therefore under control.   Tell that to the kids' parents whose loved ones died from fentanyl, tell that to the tots in coyote and drug smugglers hands who are sold into sexual slavery.   If you won't listen to that, listen to the Border Patrol Chief.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/border-patrol-chief-says-border-crisis-caused-bidens-no-consequences-policies-illegal-migrants

Border Patrol chief says border crisis a result of Biden's 'no consequences' policy for illegal migrants

Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz said under oath that President Biden's border policies have "no consequences" for illegal migrants traveling into the U.S. and are to blame for the unprecedented surge at the border and release of hundreds of thousands into the interior of the country.

Fox News Digital first obtained a video of Ortiz's assertions, which came during a recorded deposition from July 28 as part of discovery in a lawsuit by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody against the Department of Homeland Security and other border agencies.

Ortiz, who has more than 31 years of experience in law enforcement, told attorneys representing Florida that he believes migration will increase at an exponential rate at the southern border because there are no "consequences" in place to curb the tide of migrants flooding into the U.S.

"So, if migrant populations believe that they're going … there are not going to be consequences, more of them will come to the border. Is that what you're saying?" questioned the attorney.

Ortiz responded: "There is an assumption that if migrant populations are told that there is a potential that they may be released, that, yes, you can see increases."

"So, it will increase at an exponential rate. Is that what is being suggested here?" continued the attorney.

"Well, I do think it will increase, yeah," responded Ortiz.

In addition, the attorney pressed Ortiz, asking, "Since President Biden was elected, does this document indicate that aliens illegally entering the United States perceive that they will be able to enter and remain in the United States?"

"Yes," he told the lawyers while under oath.

I think I am being quite reasonable here.  Like I said, we all have our own opinions.   But what are those opinions based on is the question.  Facts and data?  Political ideology?   I have provided some facts and data.   You might dispute them.   But they are there on the record. 

mspart

[GreatWhiteNorth]

6 hours ago, mspart said:

Hi GWN,

I'll be reasonable.

1.  Inflation was probably coming based on the last bailout of the previous administration. 

1. Agreed. Biden is not responsible for inflation. This is an inherited situation from the previous administration, combined with Russian moronic and homicidal leadership. This isn't a simple "cause and effect" situation. Economists all know the economy doesn't work that way.

In an F1 car, a twitch will turn you 180. On an aircraft carrier, it may take miles. The economy is more of a carrier.

Let's be fair - Trump was accused of the economic downturn caused by Covid. He didn't deal with Covid well, but the economic results were not his fault. Any sitting president would have experienced a similar trial.

6 hours ago, mspart said:

2.  Afghanistan evacuation

2. You said nothing more on item #2 other than quoting a slack article (not fact nor data) - so I am unable to respond to your personal contribution.

The truth is that Trump has been campaigning for getting out of these "endless wars" since he got on the DC stage. Other than the border wall, this was probably the only real policy Trump was ever behind that wasn't independently created by the Senate.

To think that Biden, somehow, made a bad decision by actually getting us out of Afghanistan (instead of just talking about it for years), doesn't make much sense. We were all in agreement on this one. At a cost of $300 million per day to keep us in Afghanistan, getting out was a welcome decision across the board.

The president isn't ever involved in the logistics of specific military operations. Period. Anybody who thinks otherwise is simply confused.

The military leadership handles the budget, manpower, planning and, most importantly, manages the risks involved in each operation.

Blaming a failure by military leadership on Biden is simply BS. 

7 hours ago, mspart said:

3.  Yes the border has been a problem for quite some time, since before Reagan.   No one does anythign about it mostly because D's don't want anything changed.  To Trump's credit, he did something about it.   He slowed down the on rush dramatically.   Compared to now, he had it in drip mode.  Now it is in fireshose mode with more illegal immigration coming each month than we had in years past.   And with the coming of Title 42 being ignored, it will open the floodgates even more.

3. Agreed. Border with Mexico is one of those difficult things that none of us, regardless of political leanings, has had any answer to for many decades.

Trump had zero answers. "Build wall" is, and was, not a solution. (Consider this, if it was viable, then why is nobody asking for it now?)

Trump had no other new solutions at all - he had no "slow down" or "drip mode", he has changed nothing. Again, be honest, he spent much more time on Twitter than actually doing anything about the border other than repeating his "build wall" nonsense.

This isn't a D vs R issue. We would ALL really like to figure out a way to get the border under control. Too bad that so many politicians would rather divide us so we continue to argue between ourselves rather than work to find solutions.

Title 42 is NOT being ignored. We all wish we had all the answers. But we don't. Haven't had for decades. Not having an answer isn't the same as "ignoring."

7 hours ago, mspart said:

I think I am being quite reasonable here.  Like I said, we all have our own opinions.   But what are those opinions based on is the question.  Facts and data?  Political ideology?   I have provided some facts and data.   You might dispute them.   But they are there on the record. 

mspart

I think you are being quite reasonable, given the weakness of your sources. I have no political bent, so that isn't an issue. 

Be careful what you trust as "Facts and data?" ... they may well be "on the record", which is good. Because, after review, we see much of it is garbage.

The bad news sites get by because so many of us are too lazy to critically review them.

Even the best web news sites are only as good as our ability to filter them.

[BerniePragle]

9 hours ago, GreatWhiteNorth said:

To think that Biden, somehow, made a bad decision by actually getting us out of Afghanistan (instead of just talking about it for years), doesn't make much sense. We were all in agreement on this one. At a cost of $300 million per day to keep us in Afghanistan, getting out was a welcome decision across the board.

 

So, this means my taxes go down?  (Rhetorical question.)  I very clearly remember the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union.  There was a feeling that there would be a new peace in the world.  But, amazingly (lol) we found many more countries to fight with.
Anyone with a sense of history and a lick of common sense should be able to see that the US DoD is an out of control monster that constantly needs to be fed more and more, and is empowered by the politicians that are well rewarded for their support of the DoD.  How do we keep electing these turds?   I'm full of rhetorical questions this morning.

[Mike Parrish]

Still waiting for Republicans to give President Biden credit for plummeting gas prices and dropping inflation.

[headshuck]

Nope, a 12-pack of Coke is still $10.

[MPhillips]

12 hours ago, headshuck said:

Nope, a 12-pack of Coke is still $10.

If you're going to, "pick your poison" I suppose there are worse...

[headshuck]

If you're going to, "pick your poison" I suppose there are worse...

I should’ve used spinach as an example. Or eggs, milk, oranges.