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Post by JW on Nov 17, 2016 12:28:03 GMT -5
It's a shitstorm and I'm frustrated but I don't think that it serves anything to dismiss the thought processes of others just because they don't come up with the same answers that I do. I am hurt that so many people are in danger because those concerns weren't important enough to them to vote for Clinton... but... I think no one is served by the easy dismissal of others as idiots. This is so true. There are definitely some racists and extremists who voted for Trump, but there are still a lot of people who the Democrats failed to reach because their message didn't resonate with them. Republicans are going to control the Presidency, the House and the Senate and can shape the future of the Supreme Court, so clearly the Democrats did something wrong. They lost big time. Popular vote doesn't make you President, the Electoral College does. Those are the rules. The same rules Barack Obama won two elections with, so it can be done again. The fact of the matter is that they lost a lot of the blue collar working class people who relied on manufacturing, coal and farming jobs for years and lost those jobs due to trade agreements, advances in technology and downsizing etc. Of course a lot of those people would have been helped if the Republican Congress hadn't blocked the jobs bill that President Obama had proposed...... but I guess this just goes to show how important it is to win the House and the Senate as well. The members of the Democratic party are going to have to dust themselves off and figure out how they are going to get those numbers back.
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Post by Dee Dee on Nov 17, 2016 21:43:52 GMT -5
As usual I have a different perspective. Just for the record, I did a write-in for my cat, as I really didn't like either candidate. The different perspective is this: during the campaign, candidates uniformly promise things they can't deliver. Consider: who writes laws? Not the president. He/She cannot tax one dollar or write one law, that is the domain of congress. Congress, as we all know, runs on lobbyist money. That won't change, so anything the president wants will ultimately be coerced by congress and influenced by the lobbyists. If the president actually tried to do any of the stuff they promise, congress would have to go along with it, and congress wouldn't allow something really awful. Things like abortion are determined by the Supreme Court, not the president. No matter what they say, the president does not have dictator like powers, though some presidents think otherwise. Lots of political stuff is simply posturing. Has Obama been able to break through the Republican roadblock appointing a new justice? Could Trump do it? No, he couldn't, no matter what he says. Think about it, Trump says he'll renegotiate the Iranian nuclear agreement. Why would the Iranians go along with that? The two things they wanted - the return of billions of dollars, and lifting trade sanctions have already happened, so they already have what they want. Trump is not totally ignorant when it comes to negotiations, so he knows that. Don't buy into the rhetoric of either candidate, think about what they could actually do if they became president. Not much in relation to the promises they make during the campaign. All that said, the president can do many things, though nothing like they promise during the campaign. Wait & see, Trump will appear to mellow, especially when he actually becomes president. Many of the things Trump said during the campaign have been parsed with a fine-toothed comb, but it's all an exercise in silliness because it was all hot air. Oh mike, I do hope that you´re right about this. Even though we know that a lot of what was said was 'hot air', the issue of sending out what I would call 'bad vibrations' still exist. It does matter what the American President says and does (even though it won´t be effectuated), because it strongly reflects his/her personality. In Europe (where I live) we keep a close eye on the coming Mr. President and we shake our heads in disbelief at what he says and has said. Will he build a wall on the border of the USA and Mexico? Is it even doable? Perhaps not, but the whole fact that he even SAYS it is enough to make us think that he must be out of his mind. Rhetoric DOES matter.
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Post by matisse on Nov 17, 2016 22:05:10 GMT -5
I hope he's better in private, because in everything I've seen him in, he comes across as a buffoon. For his rallies I can see him dumbing things down, but it's not limited to those. He was the same in debates and in interviews. His kids come across with a lot more polish and intelligence than he does.
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Post by Dee Dee on Nov 17, 2016 22:12:51 GMT -5
I hope he's better in private, because in everything I've seen him in, he comes across as a buffoon. For his rallies I can see him dumbing things down, but it's not limited to those. He was the same in debates and in interviews. His kids come across with a lot more polish and intelligence than he does.It´s a good thing that their mothers (some of them) were immigrants
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Post by mike on Nov 18, 2016 4:40:37 GMT -5
I agree with matisse & Dee Dee, the only possible quibble is whether he comes across as a buffoon or idiot, it's a fine line. Somehow he gives the illusion that quite possibly he has ego issues. Wonder what he's like in real life?
There is one good thing about Trump: you can predict what he'll do - whatever benefits Trump. With Hillary, you can't predict what she would do in any given situation because her motivation are always murky.
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Post by Corey on Nov 18, 2016 9:01:19 GMT -5
No matter what they say, the president does not have dictator like powers, though some presidents think otherwise. I agree with this. Id even say that the most powerful position in America is not the president. I know people are sorry that the glass ceiling was not broken with Hilary, but they can take some solace in knowing the most influential position is already held by a woman: the chairman of the Federal Reserve. If you dont believe me, Ben Bernanke once used the word "taper" at a press conference, and the result was global bond yields rising by several hundred basis points, wiping out $trillions in wealth and increasing borrowing costs for everyone, causing several emerging economies having to devalue their currency, leading to social unrest. All from one word. Thats one powerful dude
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