GT40s.com Paddock Politics Thread

[Rod]

I feel the Republican misdirection coming...Clinton Foundation, emails, Benghazi, IRS, Monica Lewinsky, blah, blah, blah.

Dealing with the now, we have an obese intellectually-devoid man (who thinks exercise is bad?), who literally today had to push another world leader out of the way, so he can get to the front. He's a fraud, just like his Trump University, which settled for $25,000,000, even though he never settles.

And don't forget, he's saving those working class families by cutting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, cancer research, food stamps, etc. and kicking 23,000,000 people from medical coverage.

Yes, one of the greatest mistakes in US History.

 

[Steve]

[/B]

Do you have a Fox News IV drip or something? And you are just as good with the name calling as anyone else here.

Hillary was a flawed candidate. Granted. After the last 120 days can anyway say electing Drumpf was not the greatest mistake in our lifetimes? This isn't a D or R issue This is a man, and his advisors, who were very likely involved with our greatest geopolitical "enemy" -- and while there is no hard evidence of collusion (yet -- if there was, the impeachment process would have started) Drumpf and his gang sure seemed set on pushing/influencing/dare I say obstructing the investigation into those contacts?

Hillary -- your "despicable unelectable" candidate -- received the third highest vote total in the history of the US. Plenty of people liked here. I'd say most of those who didn't had been force fed BENGHAZI and email bullshit for so long their minds were jello. Plus, she's a woman, and it's clear that one thing middle aged to older white males don' twant is a woman in power -- check out th epolling data where Hillary had incredibly high approval ratings when IN office as Senator or Sec. o State, but lower rating when under full blown attack from the misognystic right when seeking office.

And those deplorables? You are damn right some of them are racist, Muslim haters and need to be called out as such. They can continue to keep working on that farm until the global steam roller crushes them. Which will happen no matter how much Drumpf lies to them to the contrary.

Ironic that the "enlightened left" as exemplified here demonstrates such intolerance of others that aren't like you. Do you have evidence that a measurable percentage of the population didn't vote for Hillary primarily because she was female? Lot's and lot's of name calling focusing on a large percentage of the population that aren't like you, that you likely don't understand or have never spent any time to lower yourself to be around. Easy to write them off as misogynistic racists blah blah blah. It does reinforce a rather intolerant narrative you like to perpetuate. Unfortunately, pretty far from the truth.

Oh, and just for the record, I didn't vote for Trump and my ideal candidate would have been Condoleeza Rice (that's right, a black woman) although she's way to smart to go back to Washington DC and put up with the BS there.

 

[Jeff Young]

I'm intolerant of racism, bigotry, misogyny and ignorance.

And you have a problem with this why?

 

[Randy V]

Rather interesting read regarding Comey.....

The Inside Story on James B. Comey | SOTN: Alternative News & Commentary

 

[Jeff Young]

Oh hell.

I'll read it, but when I see "SOTN: Alternative News and Commentary" I immediately think "white male right wing nutjob news source."

Aren't you the one who was convinced Hillary had Parkinson's by one of these "news sources?"

 

[Jeff Young]

Good grief. I read that cesspool, including stuff like this:

James Comey is a poisonous snake of the highest order… a deep-water Swamp Denizen who has been highly paid to deliberately provide cover for high-level corruption by the Clintons and Obama. He is has been central to trying to destroy the Trump campaign and then the Trump administration from the start. He is as dirty as they come in DC. He had highest-level cover (the FBI no less) and was deep into an effort to eliminate Trump. Trump had to move hard, fast, and at exactly the right time to cut the head off the snake without getting bitten by the snake or being finished by the other swamp denizens.

That's not an interesting read. It's a symptom of the sickness and dupability of the average older white male American. That you would even consider posting something like that really shows the magnitude of the problem with in this age of advocacy journalism.

You seem like a great guy. You scare the crap out of me with posts like that.

 

[Steve]

I'm intolerant of racism, bigotry, misogyny and ignorance.

And you have a problem with this why?

No Jeff, you're intolerant of anyone with differing views from your own. You don't seem to enjoy civil discourse and generally degenerate into name calling and belittling the opinions of those who disagree with you as well as the people themselves. You couch the put-downs with virtue signaling in order to justify mean-spirited attacks. I find it difficult to respect you or your posts as a result. That's disappointing because I know you're intelligent, educated, well-read, knowledgeable on a diverse set of subjects and experienced. When you express supported opinions without the hate speech, it's far more effective. I often learn and (it might surprise you) agree.

 

[Jeff Young]

Wrong. I'm very tolerant and willing to engage in polite discussions with conservatives who want to discuss the appropriate size of government, or tax rates, or the proper line between church and state, or foreign policy, etc. Have done it, will do it, etc.

This place used to have a few conservative posters who could do that Pete, some of our UK friends, etc. But it got to the point that the Fechers and Al Wolhstroms and Larrys of the world -- who just parrot right wing hate for "snowflakes" and who have no interest in a rational discussion. Those folks need to be called out for who and what they are.

And good conservatives, yourself included, are as much to blame as anyone. You've let your party become corrupted by hate for anything non-white, non-Christian or that you deem non-American. You've let news sources arise that feed on that hate and report it as "news."

I mean, LOOK at what Randy just posted. Look at it. You think a rational debate can be had with that?

 

[Steve]

Jeff, "those people" don't need to be called out. You're not going to change their mind and if you degenerate into name calling the point you're trying to make gets lost in all the back and forth. And FWIW, both parties have been corrupted by self-serving politicians as well as extremists who are unreasonable, uncompromising and destructive to our national interests. For every f'up on the republican side there's an equally egregious f'up on the democratic side.

And I find Randy's posts very reasonable and you have indicated as such as well in the past. I read his reference and the sequence of events is accurate. The assessments as to Comey's motivation and reasons behind his actions are pure conjecture and impossible to know. Because it's mostly conjecture, it's simply a conspiracy theorists wet dream currently. If further evidence comes to light in the future then lend it more credence then. In the meantime, it's a Trump supporter's wishful thinking. That's a rational response to Randy's post.

 

[Steve]

There was a Harvard study demonstrating how profoundly negative the media is towards Trump and how gracious they were towards Obama:

Donald Trump & Media Coverage -- 80 Percent Negative, Harvard Study Finds | National Review

And yes, I do think the media (Fox being the only exception, and they swing to the right for sure) is largely left and has had it out for Trump from the start. They also despise (and don't understand) most of the country outside of the DC beltway and the corridor from New York to DC. They're screwed up polling and election night coverage revealed their true colors and was showed what a shameful industry journalism has become in the US. They rate on a level field with Congress in my book.

 

[Jeff Young]

They absolutely need to be called out. We just didn't set and tolerate segregation, we ended it. Same with getting women the right to vote. Same with equality for gay folks. People need to be told it is UNACCEPTABLE in modern society to gleefully self identify as a deplorable.

I find Randy to be reasonable. I also find him to be a prime example of what is wrong with this country, posting stuff like the craziness in that article, and most of it resides on the right. The right has gone bat shit nutjob crazy and unable to accept reality about science, climate change, global economics, labor flows, automation, etc. Republicans used to be the smart guys in the room. Now they are the loons. The Democrats are bad because they are listless and directionless, but that is far less dangerous that the reality denying that has become the bread and butter of the right.

 

[Jeff Young]

There was a Harvard study demonstrating how profoundly negative the media is towards Trump and how gracious they were towards Obama:

Donald Trump & Media Coverage -- 80 Percent Negative, Harvard Study Finds | National Review

And yes, I do think the media (Fox being the only exception, and they swing to the right for sure) is largely left and has had it out for Trump from the start. They also despise (and don't understand) most of the country outside of the DC beltway and the corridor from New York to DC. They're screwed up polling and election night coverage revealed their true colors and was showed what a shameful industry journalism has become in the US. They rate on a level field with Congress in my book.

Or maybe the reality is Drumpf has said enough dumb things, did enough dumb things and has generated enough crisis to generate that 80 percent negativity rating. It comes from him, not the press.

And you are completely wrong about what the press thinks of the rest of the country. That's just Midwestern east coast hate. Despite your completely wrong assumptions, I've lived all over the country and in various socio-economic "states." The demonization you and others cast on the cities and the coasts is just as wrong and misguided as the minority of folks on the coasts and in the cities who look down on you.

The media is not largely left, and for that 30% of Americans who are so far right they are blind, all they see is Breitbart, Fox, Infowars, etc. CNN, NBC, CBS, WSJ, Economist, US News, etc. - they don't pay attention to or read. It's just a steady diet of hate for all things non-white, non-Christian and non-American.

It's fucking us up, bad.

 

[Steve]

I haven't seen any posts in recent memory that identified gays, women, blacks etc as deplorable. We all tend to categorize people to some extent. In fact, you just generalized and categorized the "right" in a very derogatory way. Are all the right bat shit crazy? Of course not. How is categorizing all people right of center that way OK? It's not, of course and neither is it true. I personally think we've gotten way too sensitive when it comes to protected classes but way to insensitive if you're not in a protected class. A surprising and confusing turn of events.

And FWIW, the left is being usurped by the progressive Warren/Sanders of the world. She is the only one gearing up for a 2020 run and there doesn't appear to be another viable candidate yet. Sanders very strong run (take away the superdelegates that were always in Hillary's camp and make up 20% or so of the total and the race was very close and trending Uncle Bernie's way) is a telltale sign of the future. The intolerance of free speech and anything short of a far left opinion on college campuses is further evidence of the "educated" young democrat.

 

[Jeff Young]

LOL says you who talks endlessly in the gross generalization of the left as "elitist" and so on. YOU DO THE VERY SAME THING YOU COMPLAIN ABOUT OVER AND OVER.

There is zero chance Warren or Sanders win the 2020 nomination. It's funny to hear Republicans complain about superdelegates in the Democractic primary scheme, especially since they would have prevented Trumpageddon if the Republicans had been smart enough to use that procedure.

Most on the left I know are not "intolerant of free speech." That's mostly bunk. Yes, shutting down some discussion on campuses has happened and its not good. But the idea that the Right is not just as guilty? Palin and her book banning. Conservative Supreme Court justices limiting drastically minor's free speech. And so on.

 

[Steve]

Or maybe the reality is Drumpf has said enough dumb things, did enough dumb things and has generated enough crisis to generate that 80 percent negativity rating. It comes from him, not the press.

And you are completely wrong about what the press thinks of the rest of the country. That's just Midwestern east coast hate. Despite your completely wrong assumptions, I've lived all over the country and in various socio-economic "states." The demonization you and others cast on the cities and the coasts is just as wrong and misguided as the minority of folks on the coasts and in the cities who look down on you.

The media is not largely left, and for that 30% of Americans who are so far right they are blind, all they see is Breitbart, Fox, Infowars, etc. CNN, NBC, CBS, WSJ, Economist, US News, etc. - they don't pay attention to or read. It's just a steady diet of hate for all things non-white, non-Christian and non-American.

It's fucking us up, bad.

I don't know Jeff, a lot of the hate I see is coming from the left. The riots on college campuses suppressing free speech. The "resistance" marches that seem unfocused and more about hate and resentment rather than promoting a set of beliefs.

If you read the whole article, the Harvard authors (not exactly the bastion of conservatives) refute the assertion it's all brought on by Trump's own actions.

There's a reason why the media refer to the midwest as "flyover states". And I too have lived in east and west and midwest. That includes California, New York, Charlotte NC (not too far from your neck of the woods), Arkansas, suburb of Chicago,Illinois, Minnesota etc. Everyone in the midwest in knows the coasts well. When I tell people from the coast I went to the University of Iowa (in Iowa City, Iowa), the think we grow potatoes and the school is in Idaho City, Ohio. I kid you not!

There are a lot of youtube videos on the media coverage of the election. Their somewhat humorous in retrospect but their speechlessness regarding the developments demonstrated their profound ignorance of the angst much of the country was feeling regarding Clinton and our current state. The media (and seemingly you) easily wrote off the results as misogynistic homophobic racist behavior. That's simplistic and arrogant virtue signaling. It certainly doesn't explain how so many white people who didn't vote for Clinton voted for a black guy named Obama twice.

 

[Steve]

LOL says you who talks endlessly in the gross generalization of the left as "elitist" and so on. YOU DO THE VERY SAME THING YOU COMPLAIN ABOUT OVER AND OVER.

There is zero chance Warren or Sanders win the 2020 nomination. It's funny to hear Republicans complain about superdelegates in the Democractic primary scheme, especially since they would have prevented Trumpageddon if the Republicans had been smart enough to use that procedure.

Most on the left I know are not "intolerant of free speech." That's mostly bunk. Yes, shutting down some discussion on campuses has happened and its not good. But the idea that the Right is not just as guilty? Palin and her book banning. Conservative Supreme Court justices limiting drastically minor's free speech. And so on.

I do generalize some to be sure. Guilty as charged. To be fair, I'm largely referring to the political establishment and not all democrats.

I'm not complaining about superdelegates, they kept Sanders out and that's a blessing. A Sanders/Trump contest would have been for the ages though.

I agree that most of the left isn't intolerant of free speech. You can't argue, however, that the multiple events on multiple college campuses throughout the country are all perpetuated by the left. Combine this with some of the firings on campuses of conservative professors and the attempts at revisionism (trying to rid Yale of Woodrow Wilson's statue and his hame? Successfully ridding Calhoun's name from a Yale college? Come on). There are no firings of intolerant liberal professors that I'm aware of and no conservative campus groups suppressing free speech and rioting.

Yeah, Palin's a kook but she has no clout.

Good discourse, but gotta go to bed. Early day.

 

[Randy V]

Wow Jeff....
The articles I pointed out regarding Comey and Hillary were interesting reads to me and nothing more. Just because I linked to them and called them "interesting reads" does not mean that I buy into them. They were interesting and from another vantage point only.
I listen to NPR/MPR most of my day and sometime Fox Talk Radio on TuneIn. I occasssionally will listen to CNN audio on TuneIn but find their coverage to be slammed so far left that it is difficult to extract value from their shows..
---
Prior to the recent campaigns and election - who here had ever heard of Fake News?
Certainly there are now and seems to always have been Supermarket Tabloids like the National Enquirer (et al) and we knew to take them with a grain of salt. However, it does appear that so much of the press has become a blatantly biased industry that it is doggoned hard to put a lot of stock in anything they say.

It will be interesting where the congressional investigation goes...
If there was any collusion between members of our government and Russia - I hope it is identified, quantified and those guilty should be prosecuted to he fullest extent of our laws.

 

[Larry L.]

Wrong. I'm very tolerant and willing to engage in polite discussions with conservatives who want to discuss the appropriate size of government, or tax rates, or the proper line between church and state, or foreign policy, etc. Have done it, will do it, etc.

This place used to have a few conservative posters who could do that Pete, some of our UK friends, etc. But it got to the point that the Fechers and Al Wolhstroms and Larrys of the world -- who just parrot right wing hate for "snowflakes" and who have no interest in a rational discussion. Those folks need to be called out for who and what they are.

And good conservatives, yourself included, are as much to blame as anyone. You've let your party become corrupted by hate for anything non-white, non-Christian or that you deem non-American. You've let news sources arise that feed on that hate and report it as "news."

I mean, LOOK at what Randy just posted. Look at it. You think a rational debate can be had with that?

....however there's NEVER even so much as a hint of the hate you insist permeates the right in any of your posts, is there, Jeff.

Just reread each of the last, oh I don't know, half dozen or so posts you made above. Seriously. Reread 'em. There's more venom per line in them than there is in entire posts made by others.

I cannot remember even one post you've made (although I'm reasonably sure there must have been at least 1 or 2 somewhere along the line) wherein you haven't used words like bigot, racist, hater, misogynist, homophobe, Mexiphobe, Islamophobe, this-a-phobe and that-a-phobe, nut job, jackass, et al, to describe whomever may be the focus of your displeasure at the moment - not to mention occasionally(?!) dropping the "F" bomb for emphasis and insisting that the right in general has gone "bat sh-- nutjob crazy"............and yet you are OUTRAGED when someone uses the term "snowflake" to describe a LIB????? Ooooooookay...

When you can show me a video of conservative hordes rioting, looting, committing arson, destroying public and private property, blocking freeways/surface streets and/or RR tracks, taking over government buildings, preventing LIBERALS from speaking at this-or-that venue, throwing rocks, bricks, Molotov cocktails and whatever else at police (not to mention gunning them down)...then I might be open to the idea that conservatives are just as "bat sh-- nutjob crazy" as liberals and therefore do not somehow occupy a bit higher moral ground.

But, UNTIL then.................

 

[Rod]

And then there was that whole Congressman Gianforte body slam of the Guardian reporter that was caught on audio while Fox News was an eyewitness.

And the rise in Anti-semitic crime. Bomb threats and arson aren't always caught on video.

Anti-Semitic incidents rose a whopping 86% in the first 3 months of 2017 - CNN.com

That whole "caught on video" is a crock of $hit argument. You can sell it, but I'm not buying it.

 

[Rod]

Is it your belief that because there's no video of crimes being committed by right wing and/or conservative Republicans, then right wing and/or conservative Republicans don't commit crimes? Is that your belief? Really?