Quote from: Thiel on September 29, 2023, 08:33:25 PMI 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.

The changes (actual changes, not rhetorical posturing) were the equivalent of putting a new cover on an old manky pillow and pretending it was somehow a different pillow. The MIC continues to grow and become more belligerent every day. Corporations continue to amass power and influence over legislation, policies, laws, and society. The stratification of our "justice" system in which the wealthy and/or well-connected are rarely held accountable and the private prison industry has become a network of modern-day slave plantations proceeds apace.

The things that literally affect everyone everywhere don't fundamentally change. The system itself only becomes more paranoid and fascistic and violent as we near the end of our nice little run as undisputed hegemon in a unipolar world.

We've been a parasitic thing that supported our own rise and expansion by sucking the nutrients out of vassal states and conquered territory. That can work for a while, obviously, but it's not an eternally sustainable lifestyle.

Democrats and republicans both built this system.
It's not broken; it's working exactly as they designed it.

They just didn't design it for us and will never change it because we ask nicely.

Quote from: Adolf Oliver Bush on September 29, 2023, 06:40:16 PMYou do know that you don't actually need debates, right?

Voters deserve to hear the candidates debate issues. That was the tradition until Biden and Trump decided it was not in their interest to debate their intra party opponents. Who cares what Dem and GOP voters want.

In a sudden development to come as the race for the 2024 White House continues to heat up, sources close to RFK Jr. revealed that he will officially announce his campaign as an independent candidate on October 9 in Pennsylvania.

Quote from: DKG on September 30, 2023, 12:22:26 PMIn a sudden development to come as the race for the 2024 White House continues to heat up, sources close to RFK Jr. revealed that he will officially announce his campaign as an independent candidate on October 9 in Pennsylvania.

LoL

So it looks like the main choices will probably be Trump, Biden, West, and RFKJr.

RFKJr might siphon off a few votes from people who would ordinarily pull the lever for Biden but he'll siphon off a few from Trump as well. There's speculation he may even hitch his wagon to an existing third party like the Libertarians for the ballot access head start. People who will vote Libertarian are generally less likely to vote for Biden than Trump so I expect RFKJr will actually attract more republican defectors than disaffected democrats.

West also might draw a few otherwise Biden voters but not a statistically significant number by themselves because people who will vote Green generally eschew both democrats and republicans anyway. It's not impossible that a few otherwise republican voters will select West but far fewer than might support RFKJr.

Basically, this means Biden has already lost no matter who his republican opponent happens to be.

Joe only has enthusiastic support in that small sliver of democrat voters who only care that a candidate has a 'D' next to their name. It's not enthusiasm for Joe himself... it's party loyalty.

The democrats can't afford to shed any votes at all given Biden's unpopularity and obviously declining mental acuity. They just can't. Support in their traditional demographic bases is slipping away and they have nowhere else to turn for voters to replace the ones lost to apathy and disappointment.

If it was only West to contend with history has shown that the Green party doesn't actually "spoil" elections for the democrats. Assuming everyone who votes Green represent a vote that was "taken" from a democrat is a lie used by the democrats to gaslight people back into supporting the duopoly.

With both West and RFKJr peeling off some votes from the democrats and Joe's complete failure to make anyone *want* to vote for him, he's doomed. Done. Call in the sweepers 'cuz the parade is over.

Personally, I love to see it.
It's a small but beautiful nail in the democrat party's coffin.

I predict RFK's candidacy will be more problematic for Trump than Biden. If Biden is reelected, he should send a thank you gift to RFK Jr. Particularly so if RFK runs on the Libertarian party banner.

Quote from: DKG on September 30, 2023, 11:36:35 AMVoters deserve to hear the candidates debate issues. That was the tradition until Biden and Trump decided it was not in their interest to debate their intra party opponents. Who cares what Dem and GOP voters want.

I already told you in the section you redacted how that could happen, independent of a monied interest such as a corporate infotainment outlet such as CNN, NBC or FOX. And that revived tradition is indeed happening to a degree at the Trump rallies. I wish I could say the same for Mumbly Joe.

Americans are not excited about another Trump Biden match. It is not like that in Canada. Something like seventy percent of Canadians want Trudeau gone. There is a lot of excitement around Pierre Pollivere.

Ron DeSantis,said he would not serve as Trump's vice president if the former president asked him to be his running mate.

Quote from: DKG on September 30, 2023, 01:26:22 PMI predict RFK's candidacy will be more problematic for Trump than Biden. If Biden is reelected, he should send a thank you gift to RFK Jr. Particularly so if RFK runs on the Libertarian party banner.

I disagree. democRATs who waffle on joe will go to RFK. ANY RINO that would vote RFK wouldnt vote Trump regardless.

Cornel West locks up the angry black communist vote.

This is all YUGE for Trump!

Quote from: DKG on October 01, 2023, 11:46:48 AMRon DeSantis,said he would not serve as Trump's vice president if the former president asked him to be his running mate.

That's a relief. Don't get me wrong, there was a time not even a year ago where I would have welcomed a placement of DeSantis as VP, but between his tax policy and attacks on the first amendment that time has long passed.

Quote from: Adolf Oliver Bush on October 02, 2023, 02:03:05 PMThat's a relief. Don't get me wrong, there was a time not even a year ago where I would have welcomed a placement of DeSantis as VP, but between his tax policy and attacks on the first amendment that time has long passed.

I do not believe Desantis wants to create a state church. He lowered taxes in his state.

Quote from: Herman on October 02, 2023, 02:11:49 PMI do not believe Desantis wants to create a state church. He lowered taxes in his state.

Uhhhhhhmmmm, okay. Not quite what I was getting at.

A federal court approved a new congressional map for Alabama in time for the 2024 congressional elections, a decision that's expected to boost Democrats' electoral chances in the heavily Republican state.

The decision by a three-judge panel of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama came on Oct. 5, after the same panel found twice previously that district lines drawn by the Republican-controlled state legislature appeared to violate the federal Voting Rights Act by diluting the voting strength of black voters.

Quote from: DKG on October 06, 2023, 11:44:16 AMA federal court approved a new congressional map for Alabama in time for the 2024 congressional elections, a decision that's expected to boost Democrats' electoral chances in the heavily Republican state.

The decision by a three-judge panel of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama came on Oct. 5, after the same panel found twice previously that district lines drawn by the Republican-controlled state legislature appeared to violate the federal Voting Rights Act by diluting the voting strength of black voters.

The fact that we let political parties draw their own districts in a system that's supposed to result in proportional representation is near the top of the list detailing utterly stupid shit we do in 'Murican politics.

The corruption is baked into the process.

The Supreme Court said Monday that it will not take up a longshot challenge to Donald Trump's eligibility to run for president because of his alleged role in the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.