Quote from: Lokmar on September 27, 2023, 10:41:43 PMHopefully, the shit show economy, EV travesty, supply chain collapse, out of control inflation, and booga woogas robbing stores blind will be enough to at least make democRAT voters stay home.

Progs always vote. Usually three or more times.

Trump's GOP rivals are calling him "Donald Duck" Trump because he is skipping the second debate.

Quote from: DKG on September 28, 2023, 11:15:43 AMTrump's GOP rivals are calling him "Donald Duck" Trump because he is skipping the second debate.

Trump has such an unquestionably commanding lead I can't really fault him for skipping these early winnowing process debates (he has nothing to gain; it would only potentially help his opponents) but that's still funny.

Quote from: Garraty_47 on September 28, 2023, 11:26:11 AMTrump has such an unquestionably commanding lead I can't really fault him for skipping these early winnowing process debates (he has nothing to gain; it would only potentially help his opponents) but that's still funny.

Most of you disagree with my opinion, but I resolutely believe all declared candidates must attend debates. It's Trump's duty to go in stage and face Christie, Ramaswamy and co. Biden must face off against RFK Jr.

Skipping debates because it could chip away at a commanding lead, or in Biden's case, he cannot handle staying focused for ninety minutes is not fair to voters in both parties. Just my two cents.

I understand *why* they are both skipping a primary or debates but that doesn't mean I approve.

I happen to agree that they *ought* to be there in the thick of it and let voters decide.

But for that to happen we'd have to be a functional democracy which we demonstrably are not.

It's better that Trump didn't go to the debate because he would have mopped the floor with all of them. Without Trump there they can kind of build a case for themselves.

Quote from: Oliver the Second on September 28, 2023, 03:33:34 PMIt's better that Trump didn't go to the debate because he would have mopped the floor with all of them. Without Trump there they can kind of build a case for themselves.

They're all auditioning for the VP slot or other appointments anyway.  Except for the fat guy from New Jersey.  He's just a douche.

All they did at the second debate was talk over each other the entire time. Ron DeSantis performed the best.

Quote from: DKG on September 28, 2023, 05:30:15 PMAll they did at the second debate was talk over each other the entire time. Ron DeSantis performed the best.

I didnt watch it except for close to the end. I walked through the room and saw Scott and Haley bickering over a 10 cent gas tax. I LOL'd.

Quote from: Lokmar on September 28, 2023, 06:31:31 PMI didnt watch it except for close to the end. I walked through the room and saw Scott and Haley bickering over a 10 cent gas tax. I LOL'd.

Nikki Haley was the biggest flop in the debate.

It's a sad commentary when the best either the democrats or republicans can do is either Biden or Trump.

Can't they do any better?

I'm game for some other Republican to run this time & Biden to get the boot too

As a liberal I'd rather see Trudeau step down in Canada as well

Fear and lies are how the Dems will campaign next year.

https://twitter.com/MissnDemocracy/status/1707228241507836318?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1707228241507836318%7Ctwgr%5Ee0bcd087b2e75e1d614e8540dd8978132c9c28fc%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theblaze.com%2Fcolumn%2Fopinion%2Fcommentary-get-ready-for-a-year-of-fake-politics

https://twitter.com/WillAtkins4FL/status/1704324166101729578?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1704324166101729578%7Ctwgr%5Ee0bcd087b2e75e1d614e8540dd8978132c9c28fc%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theblaze.com%2Fcolumn%2Fopinion%2Fcommentary-get-ready-for-a-year-of-fake-politics

https://twitter.com/GavinNewsom/status/1706485988837748949?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1706485988837748949%7Ctwgr%5Ee0bcd087b2e75e1d614e8540dd8978132c9c28fc%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theblaze.com%2Fcolumn%2Fopinion%2Fcommentary-get-ready-for-a-year-of-fake-politics

Quote from: DKG on September 28, 2023, 11:45:10 AMMost of you disagree with my opinion, but I resolutely believe all declared candidates must attend debates. It's Trump's duty to go in stage and face Christie, Ramaswamy and co. Biden must face off against RFK Jr.

You do know that you don't actually need debates, right? That candidates can actually go out and campaign under their own steam and that people might judge for themselves based off their performance in person? That this was effectively how it was done... for centuries... before the advent of television?

Would you agree that for the most part, the media is not a "platform" as such, but rather a captured and effectively managed publisher of content? Owned and operated by a few wealthy elites who are not above curating the information to achieve a desired narrative? That this also applies to the so-called "live" content of a debate where seven and twenty-five second delays might be employed, along with "technical difficulties" and other minutia to shut down any content the owners disapprove of?

Why then would you demand any televised debate at all? For entertainment purposes? Because that's the only valid reason I could see; otherwise it's practically a floor show marketed to a gullible public to shape their opinions in the TV magnate's image and shepherd them towards a desired outcome at the ballot box. You are kidding yourself if you are thinking it's in any way a level playing field; you only need look at the criteria one has to meet to get on that stage to see that if someone with enough clout doesn't want you on it, you will not get on it.

And with the demoKKKrats going hell bent for leather in their attempts to lock up the most popular candidate so that he cannot appear in public at all, you're going to have your work cut out for you to prove that the curated publishing option the Idiot Box represents should be afforded any kind of gatekeeping role in the election process at all.

I've worked in media, I know how it can be abused. I wouldn't trust any lamestream media outlet to organize a fuck in a flophouse armed with a fistful of fifties, much less anything as critical as who gets to run a country on my behalf.

I just had a realization and I'm kicking myself I didn't see it sooner.

The reason the democrats are sticking with Biden even though it's clearer every day he's on course to lose in 2024 is simple: they don't fucking care. Not really.

They can run around screaming about democracy being on the ballot and what an existential threat Donny is, but they were saying the same shit in 2016 but then didn't obstruct the Trump administration *nearly* as much as Mitch and friends obstructed Obama. Joe even promised a gaggle of donors: "nothing will fundamentally change" during his administration, exposing the lie in that scam of democrats' claims of being functionally different from republicans.

That's not to say there aren't cosmetic and marketing distinctions having to do primarily with identity politics but as soon as you scratch off that veneer it's obvious both parties owe their allegiance not to 'Murica's citizens but to the same special interests that fund and manage both halves of the duopoly.

Win or lose they couldn't give any fucks because either way they'll just spin their fundraising boilerplate to match the current political balance. Are they ascendant? Gotta keep it that way and expand our majority! Are they sucking hind tit? We must RESIST and retake the levers of power!

It's a game to them. They keep score by counting the money in their bank accounts from insider trades, influence peddling, and corporate sponsorships. Winning or losing elections is incidental, ultimately. Merely a factor to be considered when choosing the phrasing for this fiscal quarter's propaganda.

The hullabaloo about D/vs/R, complete with insincere hand-wringing and hyperbolic partisanship, is so much smoke and mirrors.

Joe was right: nothing will fundamentally change.

And they damn well know that.

Quote from: Garraty_47 on September 29, 2023, 08:02:27 PMI just had a realization and I'm kicking myself I didn't see it sooner.

The reason the democrats are sticking with Biden even though it's clearer every day he's on course to lose in 2024 is simple: they don't fucking care. Not really.

They can run around screaming about democracy being on the ballot and what an existential threat Donny is, but they were saying the same shit in 2016 but then didn't obstruct the Trump administration *nearly* as much as Mitch and friends obstructed Obama. Joe even promised a gaggle of donors: "nothing will fundamentally change" during his administration, exposing the lie in that scam of democrats' claims of being functionally different from republicans.

That's not to say there aren't cosmetic and marketing distinctions having to do primarily with identity politics but as soon as you scratch off that veneer it's obvious both parties owe their allegiance not to 'Murica's citizens but to the same special interests that fund and manage both halves of the duopoly.

Win or lose they couldn't give any fucks because either way they'll just spin their fundraising boilerplate to match the current political balance. Are they ascendant? Gotta keep it that way and expand our majority! Are they sucking hind tit? We must RESIST and retake the levers of power!

It's a game to them. They keep score by counting the money in their bank accounts from insider trades, influence peddling, and corporate sponsorships. Winning or losing elections is incidental, ultimately. Merely a factor to be considered when choosing the phrasing for this fiscal quarter's propaganda.

The hullabaloo about D/vs/R, complete with insincere hand-wringing and hyperbolic partisanship, is so much smoke and mirrors.

Joe was right: nothing will fundamentally change.

And they damn well know that.

I disagree that nothing changed. There were some major policy reversals under Biden. If Biden had defeated say Mitt Romney in 2020, the changes would superfical.