US Politics XXXIV: Biden Against the Manchine (Live at the Sinema)

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The issue is not that the Democrats are too complex. The issue is that they means-test things to the point where they become useless, or compromise to the point where things become useless. They offer nothing packaged as something. But materially nothing is nothing, and the people who need material improvements notice when they don't get better.

The Democrats are bad at messaging because people realize you're selling them bullshit when it actually arrives. ...."

How "nice" of you to ignore my comments on how Biden's Infrastructure Bill will help to structurally improve NYC's Subway System, and stave off a Fare Hike - that helps Black and other POC, and poor whites like myself who use the system all the time.
(well, way less for me past 2 yrs re: covid)

Wtg, dude!!111!11
 
As (probably) the only active (half 2nd gen) Ukrainian American here for now... who probably has unknown cousins over there (our Greek American side is waaaay bigger) - I sure hope Putin doesn't invade (not that you'd disagree w me!) further!

I don't want US troops there. I'm very glad however that we are, plus other countries are sending ancillary aid!

Should it happen bc of covid I can't (won't) go down to where a bunch of Ukrainian Americans still live, and probably would take to the streets in anguish.
Hopefully (but not betting) the :fist: bastard won't do it.
 
Looking at what's been happening over the last 48 hours, it's indeed difficult to imagine nothing's going to happen. Reports are traffic cameras in Belarus have been disabled yesterday. They'd been a major source to see Russian troop movements inside the country. And today of course the announcement that the "exercise" in Belarus is going to be extended; due to the events in Donetsk and Luhanks the last few days.
Putin's like the cat in this video:

I don't see the US, or any Western European countries, sending in any troops though. There's no desire for a direct confrontation.
 
How "nice" of you to ignore my comments on how Biden's Infrastructure Bill will help to structurally improve NYC's Subway System, and stave off a Fare Hike - that helps Black and other POC, and poor whites like myself who use the system all the time.
(well, way less for me past 2 yrs re: covid)

Wtg, dude!!111!11
The sheer volume of things they could have done, things they promised to do, and the things that are needed to stave off the horrors incoming due to climate change ... I'm sorry, I can't give credit for doing the bare minimum. There are so many more things they needed to do that would help the poor and the oppressed and didn't do. It's not all just Republican obstruction. The calls come from inside the house as well.

I can see where the winds are blowing based on the leaks to reporters in the know. They're going to blame "the Squad' and believe that the cultural issues are what cost the Democrats in the mid-terms. It's what they always do. There's no appetite in the Democratic Party to consider moving to the left on economic issues, so everything is in terms of trying to thread some kind of needle with culture war issues. And so the cycle continues.
 
to further clarify ... Democrats "complexities" come from the party probably being too influenced by/beholden to academia and technocrats, and awful consultants and too-left donors. they need to go for the gut.

most Americans do not read on a college level. messaging needs to be simplified and emotionalized in the way that Republicans do ... this is the challenge of representing a broad coalition rather than a homogenous one. there's also, sadly, some racism at work here -- Democrats need to be aware that they cannot be seen to represent only the interests of one group more than others. there's a lot of needle threading that needs to happen. plus, they need to do a better job of remind folks of the real, material accomplishments that happen every time that Democrats control the government (deficits shrink, real social reforms happen, good judges are appointed, more people get health care) as well as point out what happens when Republicans are in control (deficits explode, wars are started, viruses are politicized, life expectancy goes down).

there are myriad Democratic failures to be sure, but the problem is that Democratic accomplishments are expectations. So some may say "I want a pony!" and when they don't get a pony, it's like "you lied, daddy! you said I'd get a pony!" when, yes, it's much, much more complicated than that. we all want everyone to get a pony, but some people don't want anyone to have a pony.

i think full-throated criticism of Democrats is better aimed at messaging and political strategy rather than policy compromises that are a part of any democracy, because it's always better to have something rather than nothing. the Susan Sarandon "i hope Hillary loses in 2016 so we can have Bernie in 2020" attitude is disgusting. with better messaging and a willingness to break the rules the GOP breaks all the time comes better policy results. contrasts need to be made. tell people that Republican policies result in death. in war. in Russian influence over Congress. it's all true. say it. grow a pair.

Democrats also need to stay away from super unpopular, often repulsive far left wing positions and policies and people (ACAB, defund), because those guarantee loses at the ballot box. i tend to think "The Squad" helps more than they hurt, because they do speak to more left-wing folks, and younger folks, and they point the way to the future for a party that is becoming more liberal/left with every cycle. this is inarguable. Biden (always the center of the party since the 1970s) is to the left of 2016 Hillary who was to the left of 2012 Obama, and so on all the way down. it's the big-money Democratic donors who are to the left of the population and fixated on certain specific issues who are the biggest problem. they are ideologues. and often these are white folks speaking for everyone else. look at NYC. Eric Adam wins based on broad, multiracial working class support from the outer boroughs. the white socialists of Brooklyn hate him ... see the disconnect? in order to avoid judges like Kavanaugh, Barrett, and Gorsuch, the Democratic party needs to be a home for Jon Tester and Joe Manchin and Elizabeth Warren. due to the wild power imbalance rural states and districts have, there's no other option.

we can wish we lived in a different country than we do, but we don't. and in a winner-take-all two-party system, this is what we have. the political battles of the next three years need to be pitched at winning MI, WI & PA -- my own politics and preferences do not matter. this isn't about me. this isn't about what i want. this is about what will win and what is possible, given the fact that this is a country of 320m really different people. the US is not comparable to Denmark. or Canada. or Iceland. it's composition is much more like India or Brazil or the EU as a whole.

things can get better.
 
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some people don't want anyone to have a pony.

Manya-Rozsika-Halmos.jpg
 
so, for example, Democrats better make hay out of this daintily lobbed shit softball of evil + stupid from medicare fraudster Rick Scott:

THE HOUR IS LATE FOR AMERICA

Our government has created the highest debt in human history
Americans are afraid to speak their minds for fear of being silenced and canceled by the woke elitists
Our children are being poisoned by a false political agenda in their schools
Inflation is a tax placed on us by politicians who waste our money
Our inept withdrawal from Afghanistan dishonored the sacrifices of thousands of Americans and encouraged our enemies
Our porous southern border is a national crisis
Our cities are overrun by theft, violence, and a 30% increase in murder
Our government is making us less energy independent and killing jobs
American warfighters are being indoctrinated with left-wing woke foolishness and kicked out of the military because of the ‘Big Brother’ vax mandate
Our government is eroding our work ethic by paying people not to work
We are allowing biological males to destroy women’s sports
Our kids are taught to hate America and divide each other by skin color
The FBI is spying on concerned parents who speak out at school board meetings
Washington’s economy is growing, America’s economy is shrinking
Lethal drugs are pouring into our country from China and our southern border


https://rescueamerica.com/overview/


here's one amazing example of stupid:

All federal legislation sunsets in 5 years. If a law is worth keeping, Congress can pass it again.

and one of evil:

No government assistance unless you are disabled or aggressively seeking work. If you can work, but refuse to work, you cannot live off of the hard work and sweat of your fellow Americans.

and, heck, one more:

Remember – the Second Amendment was established in order to protect the freedoms guaranteed in the First Amendment.

and just for you non-Americans out there:

We will unapologetically lead the world by example. A world without American leadership would be a very dark world.
Adhere to the New Monroe Doctrine – America will not allow any global enemy, such as China, Russia, or Radical Islam, to grow their presence in our hemisphere.
No foreign aid to any country that habitually opposes us at the UN.
We will not pay any dues to the United Nations or any international organization that undermines the national interests of the USA
We will make our international allies pay their fair share for their own defense. We will not send our kids to do what their kids will not do.
Our military will not be used as a peace-keeping force, it exists to protect us by intimidating or killing our enemies.
Nation-building does not work, we will not waste our treasure or troops doing it.
We will always defend our allies, starting with Israel.
We will treat our enemies like enemies.
No adversarial foreign government or corporation controlled by an adversarial foreign government can purchase American land.
The weather is always changing. We take climate change seriously, but not hysterically. We will not adopt nutty policies that harm our economy or our jobs.
We will gradually end all imports from Communist China until a new regime honors basic human rights and freedoms.
We will build supply chains that rely solely on American workers and allies. We will not be at the mercy of our enemies for medications or any essential commodities.
We will terminate any trade deal that takes away American jobs.
America will be energy independent.

this is why smart Republicans want no Republican agenda. because what their base wants is not just evil and stupid, but also an electoral loser.
 
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Not even a little.

almost equal time (17 years democrat and 16 repub), no chance it's a 97-3 ratio.



Even if it doesn’t, what’s to stop the democrats from saying it ? The GOP fucking lies about everything so why not twist numbers too ?

The democrats still act like it’s 1970s and there can be bipartisanship

The GOP plan that Rick put out is horrible. Roe is gone this year, so too is probably any civil rights laws (the religious discrimination), and we know loads of states are punishing the trans community

The 2024 leader for GOP nomination sides with Putin, it’s not that far fetched to see the rest of the field and the base follow
 
so, for example, Democrats better make hay out of this daintily lobbed shit softball of evil + stupid from medicare fraudster Rick Scott:




here's one amazing example of stupid:



and one of evil:



and, heck, one more:



and just for you non-Americans out there:



this is why smart Republicans want no Republican agenda. because what their base wants is not just evil and stupid, but also an electoral loser.



https://twitter.com/ronbrownstein/status/1496298982607310852?s=21

There’s no real support for a lot of this stuff, but GOP floor the air and it appears like this is some phenomena which ends up passing state legislation.

The Dems end up blaming the squad for everything, and yet they’ve correctly called out how Biden’s agenda was going to fall apart by not linking BBB and Infra together.

Now i don’t like the defund bullshit they spout, and i do hope we can pass parts of BBB which may have been the route all along.

But people like Manchin never operated in good faith, the progressives compromised over and over and yet it’s a “centrists” who spread the blame.
 
It reads like a senator floating a presidential run.



it was a memo written up by the head of he National Republican Senatorial Committee as a 2022 midterm election agenda, but i agree that Mr. Scott would like to be president.

if he wants to run on raising taxes on 100m Americans, ending social security, ending all non-disaster related federal aid to states, a 12-year limit on all federal employment, and the sunsetting of laws after 5 years, he's free to do so.

this is quite a tell on where they believe the Trump base -- and, therefore, the GOP base -- lie on the issues.

this is the agenda of a party that is certifiably nuts and deserves to go down in flames.
 
But people like Manchin never operated in good faith, the progressives compromised over and over and yet it’s a “centrists” who spread the blame.


the truth is that the D's don't have a majority in the Senate. they need 51-53 seats to function as if they are a majority. you can't do that with The Squad.

the way to do that is to run more Jon Testers in more states. there's really no other way around the rural overrepresentation.
 
It’s just unfathomable to me how an American can support Putin. Which means supporting Trump. But seeing as how Trump wants to take over the U.S. in the same vein, I guess it shouldn’t be a surprise at this point.
 
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