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#1
Random Conversations / Re: CRAZY F-ing Weather!
Last post by Buffalo Budd - Yesterday at 11:36:39 PM
I just chopped my raspberry bush 3 days ago and was still getting berries last week.
Heading to Sunday River in 3 weeks for my dtr's training camp but can't see myself getting too many runs in.
#2
Politiw00kchat / Re: this shit is scary
Last post by mbw - Yesterday at 09:26:09 PM
This young lady just summed it up way better than I tried to.

#3
Politiw00kchat / Re: this shit is scary
Last post by mbw - Yesterday at 05:41:32 PM
Quote from: PIE-GUY on Yesterday at 04:10:51 PMOur only hope is that AOC works her way into party leadership and a new wave of progressives takes over. If that happens, we have a chance to win the hearts and minds of the middle class again.

This here, although I'm dubious when it comes to AOC.  All talk, no balls.
But the point remains, the last thing the Dems need to be is more centrist, which in this country is far right when compared to Europe.
These morons literally paraded around the Cheney's. LOL.
#4
Random Conversations / Re: CRAZY F-ing Weather!
Last post by sls.stormyrider - Yesterday at 05:11:21 PM
not in the category of disasters, and I don't mean to make light of them.

It's mid November in New England and I still have living tomato plants with fruit in my backyard. I'm grateful for them, but this is just wrong. One of these days the other side of this will come back to bite us.
#5
Politiw00kchat / Re: this shit is scary
Last post by PIE-GUY - Yesterday at 04:10:51 PM
The Dem establishment needs to get fucked... and they did this week. They got fucked hard across the fucking board. 

Why was Bernie shut out in 2016? Because the Dem establishment is bankrolled by huge fucking banks and corporations and Bernie is NOT! That honestly makes them only slightly better than the Republican party. 

Until we kill Citizens United (which will not happen for at least 50 years given the supermajority right-wing SCOTUS we're stuck with), D vs. R don't fucking matter. Never forget that it was Clinton who killed Glass-Steagall. 

Biden accomplished way more than he gets credit for. Economy is strong. The rest of the world is jealous of how we managed inflation in the last 4 years. Crime is down. But the media machine behind Trump convinced all of America that none of those things are true. 

But the problem is a political one. Handing the ticket to Harris when alternatives could have done better was a mistake... just like the coronation of Hillary was a mistake. The Dem establishment ignores these mistakes because their handlers in the fucking banking industry force their hand. 

Our only hope is that AOC works her way into party leadership and a new wave of progressives takes over. If that happens, we have a chance to win the hearts and minds of the middle class again. 


#6
Politiw00kchat / Re: this shit is scary
Last post by mbw - Yesterday at 03:48:40 PM
I think middle America did relate to Sanders. Of course not everyone, but enough of them.  If they can relate to a Manhattan billionaire, they can relate to a frumpy Brooklyn jew.  The word socialist only scares the boomers.  The young white males Slim describes, were part of the Bernie Bros. Their now leader, Joe Rogan, supported Sanders.  They were once gain abandoned by the Dems, so they either said fuck it and stayed home, or they went Trump like Rogan.
#7
Politiw00kchat / Re: this shit is scary
Last post by sls.stormyrider - Yesterday at 03:32:02 PM
agreed, those are all popular positions and imo the direction we should go. The devil is in the details but that's a different story.
many other concepts have gotten lumped into "progressives" for better or worse that aren't so popular (and some really aren't progressive imo) and can each take a thread with lots of debate.

for better or worse, it's the messenger more than the message.
Bernie is a self described socialist. BAAAAD WORD
The Dems need solid principles to be sure, but they need someone who "middle America" thinks relates to them and they can relate to.


#8
General Topic Discussion / Re: GDead Thread
Last post by Buffalo Budd - Yesterday at 02:54:46 PM
Thanks RJ, that ep was just what I needed today.  :beers:
#9
Politiw00kchat / Re: this shit is scary
Last post by mbw - Yesterday at 02:38:03 PM
Quote from: sls.stormyrider on Yesterday at 01:42:08 PMMost of the USA is not progressive. Many of us are, I agree with some and disagree with some, but the hard fact is most of the US is not. Sanders or a Sanders clone can't win.

Couldn't disagree more.  The Dems tried to run to the center right, and got their asses kicked.  Why vote for Republican Lite when you could have the real thing.  14 Million less people voted for Harris than Biden, and it would have been worse if it was Biden.  The only thing they ran on was "I'm not Donald Trump."  She literally almost had no policies.

Bernie Sanders had the support of Dems/Reps/Ind/Non Voters.  His "progressive" policies were supported by the majortiy of Americans.  He would have won easily.

Medicare for All - 70% approval ratings

Raising Minimum Wage - 62% approval rating

Free Public College - 63% approval rating

Raising taxes on wealthy and corporations - 79% approval ratings

etc.

Those "progressive" policies are actually mainstream.  A huge portion of Trump support this time came from the people who were Bernie supporters, and have abandoned the Democrats, i.e. Hispanics, the Bernie Bro, students, etc.  Why?  He says he's going to fight for them.  Sanders had an army behind him like Trump does.  The only difference is that the right (media, other pols, etc) eventually all embraced Trump.  The Democrats and their media counterparts went to war with Bernie, twice.

The Democratic party needs to get back to its roots of being a party for the people.  That's what people (stupidly) see Trump as. As long as the dems continue to be wall street whores, writing blank checks to the MIC while Americans can barely scrape by, baiting the culture war and ignoring class issues, they are fucked, and should be.
#10
Politiw00kchat / Re: this shit is scary
Last post by sls.stormyrider - Yesterday at 01:42:08 PM
yep
My personal opinion, after reading more obits the lst 48 hours and thinking about elections in my lifetime (my 1st vote was for Carter in 76)
Most of the USA is not progressive. Many of us are, I agree with some and disagree with some, but the hard fact is most of the US is not. Sanders or a Sanders clone can't win.

The "little guy" in the USA feels like he is fucked. And he is. Personally, I think a lot of the GOP policies have led to the inequities and the screwing of the middle class, but it's not totally one sided. And most of these people aren't going to dissect policies and and ask questions and pick a person based on this intellectual research, imo. They want someone who seems to get them, and can speak plainly and come up with straightforward answers. This takes, among other things, personality and charisma on the part of the candidate.
Reagan had this
Clinton had this
O'Bama did to a lesser extent
You would much rather have a beer with GWB than Gore, even though Gore was obviously more qualified.

Iran-gate didn't hurt Reagan, Monica didn't hurt Clinton.
Trump seems to have it too. Rural America identifies with his anger. I don't get it - he's a con man, but they don't see him that way.
face it, if it wasn't for Covid, Trump would have won in 2020.

The Dems need to moderate, get off their high horses, and figure out a way to get middle America to bond with them. Good policies would be nice, but obviously are not required.