President Joe Biden

[Bigga]

LOL!! More accolades for a hypocrite!

Where are we up to now?

We had "great man", "good man", "great politician", "Unite the US", "brilliant president" and "proper US statesman".

I've probably missed half a dozen or more...

Honestly, so funny!

 

[Mr Kobayashi]

Because they don't have the votes in the Senate is probably the rather boring answer.

Even if Biden’s agenda is popular, which it is, if Republicans keep winning Senate seats, progress will never be made. Oddly, the Republicans who oppose everything bar lots of defence spending and tax cuts never seem to get beaten over the head for obstructing everything, even things their voters actually like.

Which brings me to the question: Republicans? What is the point of them?

To represent their true constituency.

 

[ChicagoBlue]

To represent their true constituency.

I’ve said this in numerous answers, albeit without a video or the heft of Chomsky’s reputation behind me.

It is spot on about the Right, but it also ignores the fact that telling people what a moderate is for is like explaining why a particular wall color, that looks like it is white, is so attractive. Describing it takes time, requires context, understanding, and comparison. In this multimedia, internet sound bite, 15 second attention span world, it’s difficult to explain why pre-K is important, while increased Child Care Credit is a dollar multiplier, why fighting to increase the minimum wage (which is clearly not as easy as Bigga seems to think in his American Dictatorship Utopia) are such worthwhile goals. Indeed, in an “us vs them” American world, where “us” is taxpayers and “them” are “tax takers,” it is easy to demonize the “them” as the “non-white others” the Republicans warned us about and whom you can see causing all the problems on the news every night!

The American electorate is so disparate, it is easy to tailor responses to pick them off with slogans that feed their prejudices. Trying to overcome that takes time, discussion, explanation…and so few people have the time, patience, or frankly the intelligence to listen and have that discussion!

The VA Governor’s race is a perfect example. Youngkin is a Trump Republican in a purple state. His SOLE DEFINING MESSAGE was that parents should have a say in their kids education! Well, they do! Every school board is composed of parents. However, McAuliffe made the rookie mistake of saying the words that “parents should NOT be telling teachers what to teach!”

He didn’t mean what Youngkin ran with, but the sound bite made it seem like McAuliffe was kowtowing the the Teachers Union, rather than listening to parents. Nothing mobilizes white women like telling them they can’t decide what happens to their kid’s, eh, voila!!!

Now, the sheep’s clothing can come off and people will get the wolf!! AND, ALL BECAUSE OF A SOUND BITE ON VIDEO THAT WAS RUN A MILLION TIMES ON YOU TUBE, FACEBOOK AND FOR FREE ON TV!!

THAT is the level of sophistication of the American electorate, especially in a red rural state like VA, which has blue urban pockets!

Had McAuliffe won, he would have been the FIRST VA GOVERNOR TO EVER WIN A SECOND TERM AS GOVERNOR FOR THE SAME PARTY! He would also have been the first VA Governor of the President’s Party to win an off year election in over 50 years!

He had history running against him, was considered a Washington insider, and was not so well liked the first time that he was ever going to be a shoo-in for a second term! Throw in the video sound bite and the current zeitgeist that “others” are ruining everything for white Americans and it was a fairly simple task once the sound bite became the focal point of the race!

America loves “trying something else!” It happens all the time when they think nothing is getting done FOR THEM! They understand money, less taxes, a check in the mail. They don’t understand more subtle changes that often have a much greater influence on their lives, like a right wing Judiciary, tax policy for the rich, the undermining of the social construct over time, etc…

America has been broken. It may never get fixed, especially if one powerful group likes it broken so they can ransack it for themselves.

 

[mancity1]

I’ve said this in numerous answers, albeit without a video or the heft of Chomsky’s reputation behind me.

It is spot on about the Right, but it also ignores the fact that telling people what a moderate is for is like explaining why a particular wall color, that looks like it is white, is so attractive. Describing it takes time, requires context, understanding, and comparison. In this multimedia, internet sound bite, 15 second attention span world, it’s difficult to explain why pre-K is important, while increased Child Care Credit is a dollar multiplier, why fighting to increase the minimum wage (which is clearly not as easy as Bigga seems to think in his American Dictatorship Utopia) are such worthwhile goals. Indeed, in an “us vs them” American world, where “us” is taxpayers and “them” are “tax takers,” it is easy to demonize the “them” as the “non-white others” the Republicans warned us about and whom you can see causing all the problems on the news every night!

The American electorate is so disparate, it is easy to tailor responses to pick them off with slogans that feed their prejudices. Trying to overcome that takes time, discussion, explanation…and so few people have the time, patience, or frankly the intelligence to listen and have that discussion!

The VA Governor’s race is a perfect example. Youngkin is a Trump Republican in a purple state. His SOLE DEFINING MESSAGE was that parents should have a say in their kids education! Well, they do! Every school board is composed of parents. However, McAuliffe made the rookie mistake of saying the words that “parents should NOT be telling teachers what to teach!”

He didn’t mean what Youngkin ran with, but the sound bite made it seem like McAuliffe was kowtowing the the Teachers Union, rather than listening to parents. Nothing mobilizes white women like telling them they can’t decide what happens to their kid’s, eh, voila!!!

Now, the sheep’s clothing can come off and people will get the wolf!! AND, ALL BECAUSE OF A SOUND BITE ON VIDEO THAT WAS RUN A MILLION TIMES ON YOU TUBE, FACEBOOK AND FOR FREE ON TV!!

THAT is the level of sophistication of the American electorate, especially in a red rural state like VA, which has blue urban pockets!

Had McAuliffe won, he would have been the FIRST VA GOVERNOR TO EVER WIN A SECOND TERM AS GOVERNOR FOR THE SAME PARTY! He would also have been the first VA Governor of the President’s Party to win an off year election in over 50 years!

He had history running against him, was considered a Washington insider, and was not so well liked the first time that he was ever going to be a shoo-in for a second term! Throw in the video sound bite and the current zeitgeist that “others” are ruining everything for white Americans and it was a fairly simple task once the sound bite became the focal point of the race!

America loves “trying something else!” It happens all the time when they think nothing is getting done FOR THEM! They understand money, less taxes, a check in the mail. They don’t understand more subtle changes that often have a much greater influence on their lives, like a right wing Judiciary, tax policy for the rich, the undermining of the social construct over time, etc…

America has been broken. It may never get fixed, especially if one powerful group likes it broken so they can ransack it for themselves.

Both parties have become disconnected from the working person , its not America that is broken.

Its hardly surprising Biden and the Swamp are on the nose.

if they continue to focus on culture wars especially in education and public policy they will sink further into the abyss.

Yes America needs a good leader and Biden sure ain't a leader he is a complete non -entity and the emerging powers that for example show no interest in climate change or at best give it lip service sure know it.

it was right to put Trump into the political wilderness but with such ineptness America now has the president it deserves.

 

[Bigga]

Both parties have become disconnected from the working person , its not America that is broken.

Its hardly surprising Biden and the Swamp are on the nose.

if they continue to focus on culture wars especially in education and public policy they will sink further into the abyss.

Yes America needs a good leader and Biden sure ain't a leader he is a complete non -entity and the emerging powers that for example show no interest in climate change or at best give it lip service sure know it.

it was right to put Trump into the political wilderness but with such ineptness America now has the president it deserves.

This is fairly observant post. There are those that post fairly long winded posts that put the the blame squarely at everyone else's doorsteps except the Dem one. It's this voter's, it's that voter's, it's the Progressives, it's leaning too far left.

Everything but offering the people something to vote for instead of voting against. Why were the 'Big Guns' for McAuliffe so adamant about he wasn't Trump whilst the 'other guy' was best buds with him and yet Youngkin, besides other bits and pieces, ran on making sure there were no further food taxes.

Real world, kitchen table talking points. Things that affect people here and now. As noted Universal Pre-K is important, but also why the big companies are okay with it, since it saves them money.

Lessons to be learned.

 

[mancity1]

This is fairly observant post. There are those that post fairly long winded posts that put the the blame squarely at everyone else's doorsteps except the Dem one. It's this voter's, it's that voter's, it's the Progressives, it's leaning too far left.

Everything but offering the people something to vote for instead of voting against. Why were the 'Big Guns' for McAuliffe so adamant about he wasn't Trump whilst the 'other guy' was best buds with him and yet Youngkin, besides other bits and pieces, ran on making sure there were no further food taxes.

Real world, kitchen table talking points. Things that affect people here and now. As noted Universal Pre-K is important, but also why the big companies are okay with it, since it saves them money.

Lessons to be learned.

Hit the nail on the head with this post , the average voter in the real world needs hope and action to support that hope.

To date Biden has been a total disconnect at putting his action plan of unity into action.

they are not interested in the squabbles in both houses , they just want to know that they can be safe and secure and have the means to aspire to their goals for themselves and their loved ones.

Bid blames Trump for the Democrats loss in Virginia still living in the past.

They are not interested in the elite , the corporates and while in lock down many parents actually got to see what the teachers were up to for themselves for the first time and they didn't like it and one can't blame them.

 

[FogBlueInSanFran]

Hit the nail on the head with this post , the average voter in the real world needs hope and action to support that hope.

To date Biden has been a total disconnect at putting his action plan of unity into action.

they are not interested in the squabbles in both houses , they just want to know that they can be safe and secure and have the means to aspire to their goals for themselves and their loved ones.

Bid blames Trump for the Democrats loss in Virginia still living in the past.

They are not interested in the elite , the corporates and while in lock down many parents actually got to see what the teachers were up to for themselves for the first time and they didn't like it and one can't blame them.

This last statement has no evidentiary support whatsoever and I challenge you to produce it. It’s also especially annoying because it belies a kind of blanket hands-off parenting cluelessness that doesn’t reflect what I think the average suburban American thinks. And you don’t remedy local educational ills by voting for a governor.

 

[Vic]

Hit the nail on the head with this post , the average voter in the real world needs hope and action to support that hope.

To date Biden has been a total disconnect at putting his action plan of unity into action.

they are not interested in the squabbles in both houses , they just want to know that they can be safe and secure and have the means to aspire to their goals for themselves and their loved ones.

Bid blames Trump for the Democrats loss in Virginia still living in the past.

They are not interested in the elite , the corporates and while in lock down many parents actually got to see what the teachers were up to for themselves for the first time and they didn't like it and one can't blame them.

You mean the teachers might not have fascist tendencies?

 

[mancity1]

This last statement has no evidentiary support whatsoever and I challenge you to produce it. It’s also especially annoying because it belies a kind of blanket hands-off parenting cluelessness that doesn’t reflect what I think the average suburban American thinks. And you don’t remedy local educational ills by voting for a governor.

Never inferred that you do but people will exercise their right to vote and their children's education is important for many of them whether they play more than a supporting role on not.

Rightly or wrongly it became a factor in the outcome.

if your inference on educational ills has merit then the stakeholders can address if there is a will to do so.

 

[Javi Garcia's Hairstylist]

I’ve said this in numerous answers, albeit without a video or the heft of Chomsky’s reputation behind me.

It is spot on about the Right, but it also ignores the fact that telling people what a moderate is for is like explaining why a particular wall color, that looks like it is white, is so attractive. Describing it takes time, requires context, understanding, and comparison. In this multimedia, internet sound bite, 15 second attention span world, it’s difficult to explain why pre-K is important, while increased Child Care Credit is a dollar multiplier, why fighting to increase the minimum wage (which is clearly not as easy as Bigga seems to think in his American Dictatorship Utopia) are such worthwhile goals. Indeed, in an “us vs them” American world, where “us” is taxpayers and “them” are “tax takers,” it is easy to demonize the “them” as the “non-white others” the Republicans warned us about and whom you can see causing all the problems on the news every night!

The American electorate is so disparate, it is easy to tailor responses to pick them off with slogans that feed their prejudices. Trying to overcome that takes time, discussion, explanation…and so few people have the time, patience, or frankly the intelligence to listen and have that discussion!

The VA Governor’s race is a perfect example. Youngkin is a Trump Republican in a purple state. His SOLE DEFINING MESSAGE was that parents should have a say in their kids education! Well, they do! Every school board is composed of parents. However, McAuliffe made the rookie mistake of saying the words that “parents should NOT be telling teachers what to teach!”

He didn’t mean what Youngkin ran with, but the sound bite made it seem like McAuliffe was kowtowing the the Teachers Union, rather than listening to parents. Nothing mobilizes white women like telling them they can’t decide what happens to their kid’s, eh, voila!!!

Now, the sheep’s clothing can come off and people will get the wolf!! AND, ALL BECAUSE OF A SOUND BITE ON VIDEO THAT WAS RUN A MILLION TIMES ON YOU TUBE, FACEBOOK AND FOR FREE ON TV!!

THAT is the level of sophistication of the American electorate, especially in a red rural state like VA, which has blue urban pockets!

Had McAuliffe won, he would have been the FIRST VA GOVERNOR TO EVER WIN A SECOND TERM AS GOVERNOR FOR THE SAME PARTY! He would also have been the first VA Governor of the President’s Party to win an off year election in over 50 years!

He had history running against him, was considered a Washington insider, and was not so well liked the first time that he was ever going to be a shoo-in for a second term! Throw in the video sound bite and the current zeitgeist that “others” are ruining everything for white Americans and it was a fairly simple task once the sound bite became the focal point of the race!

America loves “trying something else!” It happens all the time when they think nothing is getting done FOR THEM! They understand money, less taxes, a check in the mail. They don’t understand more subtle changes that often have a much greater influence on their lives, like a right wing Judiciary, tax policy for the rich, the undermining of the social construct over time, etc…

America has been broken. It may never get fixed, especially if one powerful group likes it broken so they can ransack it for themselves.

You speak of some powerful group (presumably Republican) ransacking the country.

Perhaps true before Clinton when every oligarch, Dow 30 board (and most employees) voted Republican.

True story - in 1992 I had a job offer with Deloitte (then Deloitte and Touche) rescinded because they found out I voted for Bubba

In 2020 something like 98% of recorded donations by Deloitte employees went to Democrats.

All of the fortune 500, all the tech oligarchs, pretty well all the counties of high household income vote overwhelmingly Democrat.

At some point in time you rabid partisans living in 1988 need to have the "are we actually the baddies?" moment.

I agree with you that the country is broken. One party represents Mark Zuckerberg, the mother fucking C fucking IA, Lockheed Martin, all the modern analogues to the top hat robber Baron Carnegie/Hearst/Rockefeller types, et cetera et cetera et cetera

And the other one represents the cult of personality of a despicable Clown, some legacy racists, and God knows what else.

Where does someone who is anti-war, anti-corporate, anti-establishment, and pro civil liberties have as a home? I don't know but I'd like to find one. Till then I'll mind my own business and hope someday for someone to come along worth voting for that doesn't get capped in the Dem primary charade.

Sincerely,
Tulsi/Bernie fan who you guys hate most of all!