2020 General Presidential Election Thread

[Walter Sobchak]

I heard a podcast with a former green beret who was just aghast at how obviously far in over his head Trump is and how he's just getting played like a fiddle by Putin. He wasn't much of a fan of Biden b/c of some 2nd amendment stuff, but he had nothing good to say about Trump-- he's just a non starter for lots of these guys.

We definitely need to keep listening to military leadership... maybe do another "surge" in Iraq? or how about prolong the pointlessness of our Afghan intervention another decade? maybe actively engage in more regime change fiascoes a la Libya? or how about perpetuate our presence in Syria to steal their gas and oil?

One thing that military hardliners never have an answer for... "How does this war end?" President Trump should be given some credit for not starting another one.

[Non Sequitur]

Did you ask him since Drumpf and Putin are buddies if the Russians would make available their vaccines to us? Those red basturds are already have their "Sputnik" vaccine and are kicking our butts!

As a child, my parents were big fans of Cleon Skousen. His book The Naked Communist was prominent on our bookshelf (as a child I admit to browsing through it and being disappointed that there were no pictures). Were my parents alive today they would undoubtedly love Trump but would struggle to reconcile his affinity for Russia and their hatred of all things soviet. It's fortunate that mom and dad don't have to navigate those waters.

For the newly Trump-adjusted Mormon conservatives, is Cleon Skousen still a prophet or is he just a cranky old worry wart?

[BigPiney]

I was gone for 10 days backpacking and I came home to find out we are the neighborhood Democrats. My wife put a Biden sign on our lawn in my absence.

[Bo Diddley]

I was gone for 10 days backpacking and I came home to find out we are the neighborhood Democrats. My wife put a Biden sign on our lawn in my absence.

You hate America! (Or so Facebook tells me.)

[BigPiney]

You hate America! (Or so Facebook tells me.)

Pretty much. It is going to interesting to watch the reactions around here.

[Commando]

We definitely need to keep listening to military leadership... maybe do another "surge" in Iraq? or how about prolong the pointlessness of our Afghan intervention another decade? maybe actively engage in more regime change fiascoes a la Libya? or how about perpetuate our presence in Syria to steal their gas and oil?

One thing that military hardliners never have an answer for... "How does this war end?" President Trump should be given some credit for not starting another one.

Trump should get credit for wiping properly all by himself after that stroke last November that he kept on the DL. I see that you have no answer for the fact that military personnel can't stand Trump and the GOP incumbent commander in chief does not have the military's unanimous support. That's pretty unprecedented. You can go on a skid about how the U.S. military has acted improvidently over the years but you can't defend your orange, shit-diapered leader on the merits.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Always cracks me up when people show a photo of rioting and say "This is what Joe Biden's America will look like." This is literally a photo of Donald Trump's America right now.

Case in point:

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[beefytee]

Case in point:

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[Now who’s the dean?]

Biden raised 365 million dollars in August.
Wow.

We literally couldn’t count the money fast enough. It’s a crazy problem to have,” said one Democratic donor and financier for the Biden campaign who was not authorized to speak on the record.

Don’t get me wrong: a lot of this is because of Trump. America hates him and people are giving what they can to stop him because they believe,” the donor said. “But you can’t underestimate how well Joe has played this, how important Kamala is to the team or how solid the campaign has been.

https://www.politico.com/amp/news/20...sh-haul-407712

[swampfrog]

Case in point:

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Should one ask oneself, "What is the narrative that Trump supporters are telling themselves, or being told, which concludes in equating what they see in Kenosha with a Biden presidency?" Simply to understand where they may be coming from to make a determination if there is any merit at all embedded in that narrative? I believe Trumpism (if there is such a coherent philosophy that isn't just Trump jumping to whatever position he perceives as status profitable) is an ideological dead-end. I also believe the Critical Social Justice (woke) ideology (as described by Obama, "This idea of purity and you're never compromised and you're politically woke, and all that stuff--you should get over that quickly.") to be a dead-end. Both appeal to emotion, denigration of others and result in divisiveness. I don't hate Trumpists, and I don't hate Wokists. I despise some of both ideologies because when it becomes embodied in true believers, it's dangerous. Both attempt to paint a black and white picture of the world. Continuing the Obama quote, "The world is messy. There are ambiguities. People who do really good stuff have flaws."

As an example in Kenosha, the current owners of a photography shop (who are materially affected) that burned down refused to meet with Trump. The former owner (who still owns the property--and is thus also materially affected) did meet with him. Why?

Should we be familiar with both narratives? How familiar? If one was to steelman the Trump supporters' narrative of the facts, what would it look like?

I dislike the "Trump caused this!" or "Democrats caused this!" as wholesale narratives because there is likely truth in both, though truth doesn't have to be in either, nor does it necessarily have to be equally divided between two narratives.

Mostly I'm just tired. "Understanding is a three-edged sword: your side, their side, and the truth.” -- J. Michael Straczinski"

[Uncle Ted]

Case in point:

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Yeah, Biden’s Dem friends in these cities should prove Drumpf wrong and stop the rioting and violence now!


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[Bo Diddley]

Case in point:

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Biden's not elected yet, but look what he's already doing to America! Just imagine how much worse it'll be when he's actually running the show.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Biden's not elected yet, but look what he's already doing to America! Just imagine how much worse it'll be when he's actually running the show.

Don't let Biden destroy america! Like or share if you agree.

[Uncle Ted]

Don't let Biden destroy america! Like or share if you agree.

Joe says if we don't vote for him the violence will continue!...

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We better vote for Joe or he will have the teamsters and mafia hitman break our kneecaps!

[Pelado]

Should one ask oneself, "What is the narrative that Trump supporters are telling themselves, or being told, which concludes in equating what they see in Kenosha with a Biden presidency?" Simply to understand where they may be coming from to make a determination if there is any merit at all embedded in that narrative? I believe Trumpism (if there is such a coherent philosophy that isn't just Trump jumping to whatever position he perceives as status profitable) is an ideological dead-end. I also believe the Critical Social Justice (woke) ideology (as described by Obama, "This idea of purity and you're never compromised and you're politically woke, and all that stuff--you should get over that quickly.") to be a dead-end. Both appeal to emotion, denigration of others and result in divisiveness. I don't hate Trumpists, and I don't hate Wokists. I despise some of both ideologies because when it becomes embodied in true believers, it's dangerous. Both attempt to paint a black and white picture of the world. Continuing the Obama quote, "The world is messy. There are ambiguities. People who do really good stuff have flaws."

As an example in Kenosha, the current owners of a photography shop (who are materially affected) that burned down refused to meet with Trump. The former owner (who still owns the property--and is thus also materially affected) did meet with him. Why?

Should we be familiar with both narratives? How familiar? If one was to steelman the Trump supporters' narrative of the facts, what would it look like?

I dislike the "Trump caused this!" or "Democrats caused this!" as wholesale narratives because there is likely truth in both, though truth doesn't have to be in either, nor does it necessarily have to be equally divided between two narratives.

Mostly I'm just tired. "Understanding is a three-edged sword: your side, their side, and the truth.” -- J. Michael Straczinski"

Thanks. I really like that Straczinski quote.