The Politics Thread

[Roman]

 I just unfriended someone who wante to talk about Clinton's BJ instead of what this twerp did.

[Juliajms]

Well if he is, I wish he'd do it a bit faster.

[Khan]

 

There's really no point in watching.  By now, we know he just lies and dog-whistles his way through these things.  And the message is always the same: America's a s**tbox, and it's all our (meaning, non-whites') faults.

 

 

Not really.

 

Now, if she had spat at him while holding up a picture of one of the many "illegals" who've been unnecessarily and indefinitely detained since he's been elected....

 

But seriously.  On the one hand, it's good that Pelosi knows how to play Trump's game.  But, on the OTHER hand, it's sad that American politics have been reduced to .gif/meme-ready moments such as this.

 

 

That's because talking about it would mean killing the golden goose that lays all the delicious headline eggs.

Edited February 5, 2020 by Khan

[Khan]

Mitt Romney: I am aware that there are people in my party and in my state who will strenuously disapprove of my decision, and in some quarters, I will be vehemently denounced. I am sure to hear abuse from the president and his supporters. Does anyone seriously believe I would consent to these consequences other than from an inescapable conviction that my oath before God demanded it of me?

 

Yes, Senator Romney, I seriously believe you would.

 

I can't put my finger on what you'd hoped to gain by being the lone Republican to vote to remove Trump from office. At the end of the day, however, you're still Mitt Romney. Ergo, I'm certain there was something in it for you beside your so-called oath before God.

 

Want to prove me wrong, Senator? It's very simple. For starters, you could renounce the Republican Party and either join the Democratic Party or become an Independent.

 

Again, that's just for starters. But, I doubt you will ever completely turn your back on the GOP.

 

So, no, I'm NOT joining the line of Democrats and others who are congratulating you at this moment, because I don't believe your vote (or your speech explaining your vote) to be genuine. I believe it to be nothing more than classic, self-serving, Mitt Romney behavior.

Edited February 6, 2020 by Khan

[DRW50]

 

I think it's his attempt at a 'moment in history,' which is what he's been trying to have ever since he ran against Ted Kennedy in 1994. Now he's got it.

 

There's been a lot of pushback against lionizing this or Pelosi's paper-ripping, calling them both performative and hollow while real threats are still being enabled. I can see those points, but if people who are in a world where they can barely get through each day find some comfort in these moments, hollow as they are, then I don't begrudge them. 

[ChateauCardboard]

It's easy to be courageous when there are no consequences. Romney specialises in that. Utah isn't turning Blue. People there don't particularly like Trump. It was obvious that the Senate wasn't going to convict so he could display this act of "courage" when there was nothing at stake. If conviction came down to one Republican voting for it he would have done jack sh#t. He'd continue down the Jeff Flake path, periodically breaking out the fainting couch when Trump does something disgusting but voting with/supporting him 95% of the time. The man's a weather vane. So I'm with Kahn. He gets no credit from me.

[Khan]

 

Exactly.  No doubt, Romney will applaud the next tax cut (for the rich) or budget slash (on entitlement programs for the middle and working classes) that Trump proposes, conveniently forgetting that he just voted to convict and remove the s.o.b. from his job.  Whatever.

 

If we fail to vote Trump out of office this November, then we have the government we deserve.  Pure and simple.

[Chris B]

Going back a bit to the primaries, for one after seeing Iowa in action I think the idea of a caucus is insane and I'd probably want to fight with all those people screaming in my ear to vote for Bernie lol. But considering the issue with diversity, why not just combine the first four states into one day as a kick off? Nevada, Iowa, South Carolina and New Hampshire all on one day? It would give a more accurate reading of where the general electorate is at. I don't care what state it is, I just don't understand putting so much into ONE state where only 172,000 people are gonna vote. 

[Khan]

Hey, anything's better than what we've been doing!  Anything!

[Juliajms]

I agree.  I think there was a time decades ago when it was nice for voters to get an intimate look at candidates via their interactions with small town locals. The country has changed so much in the last 40 years though. Not just in terms of race, but in terms of urbanization. I don't see how anyone can continue to justify letting these small places have an out-sized influence.

 

Plus, most of what was real about seeing the candidates meet so many people and press the flesh has been lost anyhow. It has an air of reality TV about it now. You just know that images are being crafted and polished by consultants and it's all about image and perception.

 

As for Mitt Romney, I don't see anyone who stands against Trump as a hero. It does make me happy that it wasn't a completely partisan vote however. It's like McCain and the healthcare vote, every once in awhile someone's conscious comes up for air, but doing the bare minimum right thing does not a hero make.

[sivad40]

Mitt is already getting the McCain treatment by some of us on the left. They are saying that it took guts to do that, he would've been a good president, he's one of the last true members of the "real" GOP, etc. Donald and Don Jr. have already went on the offensive on Mitt.

 

Here's Trump trolling but I believe he's seriously about installing his children as next in line for the presidency.

 

 

Edited February 6, 2020 by sivad40

[JaneAusten]

With Trumps failing health which Marceline said NO ONE IN THE MEDIA is reporting on it, he won't live long enough to see anything much less justice being served to him or his family. This idea that there is some legacy when his following is all about the cult of personality is kind of funny and scary in a way. 

 

I feel a bit more charitable toward McCain than I do Romney but neither were/are profiles in courage. Although in all fairness to McCain, he did vote "no" on overturning the ACA. That earns him a little more empathy. Romney well if it helps sink people like that hypocrite Susan Collins and McSally, more power to him. Cory Gardner I believe already knows he's losing Colorado.

 

The one with courage was Doug Jones. He's likely to lose Alabama and this will likely seal it. But what a thing to have to say that someone is heroic for honoring their constitutional oath.

 

[marceline]

I'm one of those people who thinks that what Romney did was brave. Trump is a mobster and we can already see that he's geared up for payback. Trump is going to try to make an example of him in order to keep everyone else in line.

[Khan]

 

See, that's why the Democrats keep getting played.  The Republicans keep winning, not because they're just so brilliant (because, they're not), but because the Democrats are just so gullible.

 

 

I'm sorry, @marceline, but with all due respect and love, I have to disagree.  I don't believe what Romney did was brave.  I believe what he did was self-serving.

 

As much as I am loathe to say it, the brave ones who those who said, "Nah, Trump didn't do anything wrong; and if you disagree, well, that's too bad!".  To me, that's brave.  Wrong, and destructive to the country as a whole, but brave.

 

 

Don't tell Mitt that, though.  Let him enjoy his moment in the sun.  The slick bastard.

 

 

Yup.  That's brave as well.  I'd rather honor someone like Doug Jones for his courage than [!@#$%^&*] Mitt Romney.

 

I never worry about Donald Jr., Eric, or even Ivanka, because I know if any one of them tried to enter politics, they'd be laughed out ten minutes later, even by people who worshipped at their dad's gold(leaf)-plated altar.  Now, the one I'm keeping my eyes on -- and forgive me, because I know we're not supposed to talk about the underaged -- is Barron.  And that's all I'm going to say about that.

Edited February 6, 2020 by Khan

[Gray Bunny]

 

... Yet when Hillary coughed, it was all over the news that she's dying. 

 

Here's to hoping whatever is secretly plaguing him takes him out this year. Does that make my karma rotten? So be it.