2016 Election

[volprof]

Since I've been so hard on Trump and his supporters lately, I figured I'd make a conciliatory gesture, however slight, at the fact that Trump does make several good points about the economy, although I think he's mostly chasing a unicorn. Chief among them is his claim about the nation's infrastructure.

Zakaria had a panel on his show last week, I think it was, that discussed how we have failed tremendously during these past few years of low interest rates, since the recession (and no, it's not necessarily Obama's fault; the problems have largely been at the state level), to actually invest in our economy through infrastructure. The fact of the matter is that this **** is going to have to be done eventually, so we may as well do it while it's cheapest. But we haven't, and that's going to cost us in the long run.

I don't just blame politicians though; I also blame many American voters. I say this because many of them are so damn uptight about having to have any of their precious dollars used for the greater good that they have refused to vote in politicians who will do the right thing. It will cost them dearly in the end. Heck, I would personally love to see a 5-10 cents gas tax increase for our infrastructure while energy is so low, but good luck with that. Voters want good infrastructure, but they don't like what it takes to do it, so they don't vote for people who will actually do it. Who knows, maybe Trump is that guy. Doubtful, but it's possible.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opin...715956-e706-11e5-b0fd-073d5930a7b7_story.html

 

[1972 Grad]

With all due respect, you're the one who is a Trump supporter.

With all due respect, I didn't vote for Trump in the primary, but I will in November. I am hoping for a Trump/Cheney ticket to drive you and Carlos completely insane.

 

[volprof]

Interesting take. I like that.

Well, we have to be careful with making such associations, lest we be ridiculed as insincere, but, yeah, I think the comparison is largely accurate. Reminds me of the analogies you can draw between the SJW PC crowd and the "War on Everything Wholesome" PC crowd (war on Christmas/Christianity folks, "why am I forced to accept diversity?" folks, "why are they shoving gays down my throat?" folks, etc.). Just two sides of the same coin, and it's no wonder that they hate each other so much - because they're the same and can't stand it. Neither likes you being free, and it tears them apart that they can't truly do anything to stop you from being free and independent-minded.

 

[volprof]

With all due respect, I didn't vote for Trump in the primary, but I will in November. I am hoping for a Trump/Cheney ticket to drive you and Carlos completely insane.

Just as long as you're not simply just casting a ballot for war crimes just so you can satiate your obsession with me, like the last time I told you.

 

[IBlvNTmWrk]

It was his campaign manager that made the comment. I'm not sure Kasich, who so far has been above such pettiness, would have made such a public announcement in such a snide way.

I understand, and didn't mean to imply it was Kasich, which is why I said "his campaign". Regardless, it was foolish imo.

 

[red butler]

Clay Travis is obviously not a political analyst of repute or by trade, but I think he often does a good job of being an equal opportunity critic, especially when it comes to social issues. This appeared today in his weekly mailbag, and I think he's largely right. I was actually just thinking about the correlation yesterday.



All That and a Bag of Mail | FOX Sports

Funny, I just watched an old interview with Eric Hoffer who wrote the book True Believer in 1951. He makes a pretty good case that all mass movements are interchangeable. Does this sound familiar?

"To spread and reinforce their doctrine, mass movements use persuasion, coercion, and proselytization. Persuasion is preferable but practical only with those already sympathetic to the mass movement. Moreover, persuasion must be thrilling enough to excite the listener yet vague enough to allow "the frustrated to... hear the echo of their own musings in the impassioned double talk...The urge to proselytize comes not from a deeply held belief in the truth of doctrine but from an urge of the fanatic to "strengthen his own faith by converting others.

 

[gcbvol]

Clinton with another misstep today. Her comments about the Reagans starting a national conversation about HIV/AIDS when "nobody wanted to do anything about it"? Please. I'm not going to go down a negative path with the Reagans today, but their handling of the AIDS crisis was nowhere close to a legacy bright spot. Hillary stepped in it.

 

[RobsPics]

Clinton with another misstep today. Her comments about the Reagans starting a national conversation about HIV/AIDS when "nobody wanted to do anything about it"? Please. I'm not going to go down a negative path with the Reagans today, but their handling of the AIDS crisis was nowhere close to a legacy bright spot. Hillary stepped in it.

Well she might have meant that by ignoring the aids problem, Reagan inadvertently started and fueled the national conversation. It's always nice to highlight silver linings. :thumbsup::yes::thumbsup:

 

[UTCVol]

Clinton with another misstep today. Her comments about the Reagans starting a national conversation about HIV/AIDS when "nobody wanted to do anything about it"? Please. I'm not going to go down a negative path with the Reagans today, but their handling of the AIDS crisis was nowhere close to a legacy bright spot. Hillary stepped in it.

To her credit, she did apologize promptly. Maybe she was thinking about the Alzheimer's advocacy instead. Terrible and short-sighted gaffe, though.

 

[volprof]

Funny, I just watched an old interview with Eric Hoffer who wrote the book True Believer in 1951. He makes a pretty good case that all mass movements are interchangeable. Does this sound familiar?

"To spread and reinforce their doctrine, mass movements use persuasion, coercion, and proselytization. Persuasion is preferable but practical only with those already sympathetic to the mass movement. Moreover, persuasion must be thrilling enough to excite the listener yet vague enough to allow "the frustrated to... hear the echo of their own musings in the impassioned double talk...The urge to proselytize comes not from a deeply held belief in the truth of doctrine but from an urge of the fanatic to "strengthen his own faith by converting others.

Fanaticism is a very strong word, but I suppose it's applicable, even in the cases in question.

I think this may also explain why the desire to distinguish the crimes of the religious from the crimes of non-religious political regimes to prove a point also misses the point. In a sense, both are fanatics; one side just finds its source of fanaticism in the "supernatural," while the other locates its source of fanaticism in elevating the natural world to an absolutist construct (communism, fascism, etc., which are really just religion/fanaticism [whatever the PC term should be] but grounded in the mundane rather than the cosmic).

 

[volprof]

Have any of you seen now where Trump is defending his Red Hats by victim-blaming? He's now claiming that the protesters at his rallies were the ones acting physically violent and attacking his supporters and that his supporters were just defending themselves.

What the ****? Sounds like a great recipe for more violence. Always the fault of someone else; never your own.

There's a Trump rally tonight in Chicago, and I'll be very surprised if we don't have more Trumpist thuggery to discuss this time tomorrow.

 

[Grand Vol]

I understand, and didn't mean to imply it was Kasich, which is why I said "his campaign". Regardless, it was foolish imo.

Apparently , the context of what he said was confusing:

Rubio urges voters to back Kasich in Ohio to stop Trump - POLITICO

“John Kasich is the only one who can beat Donald Trump in Ohio,” Rubio said. “If a voter in Ohio is motivated by stopping Donald Trump, I suspect that’s the only choice they can make.”

The flip-side of that strategic gambit is to convince any voters in Florida not backing Trump to support him in Tuesday’s primary.

“I’m the only one who can beat Trump in Florida,” Rubio said during a press conference Friday morning at Temple Beth El.

 

[UTCVol]

Have any of you seen now where Trump is defending his Red Hats by victim-blaming? He's now claiming that the protesters at his rallies were the ones acting physically violent and attacking his supporters and that his supporters were just defending themselves.

What the ****? Sounds like a great recipe for more violence. Always the fault of someone else; never your own.

There's a Trump rally tonight in Chicago, and I'll be very surprised if we don't have more Trumpist thuggery to discuss this time tomorrow.

I have to laugh at anyone who talks about Trump as if he is some great uniter. The foundation of his campaign is rooted in drawing distinctions between different groups. This rhetoric creates a counter-movement, and when "threatened" some of the Trumpkins feel the need to bite. Justified or not, it's ridiculous - although I will add that I doubt many of the protesters are doing it out of ideological purity. They want a reaction and they're going straight to the well to get it.

All this unity is sending a trickle down my leg.

 

[IBlvNTmWrk]

Apparently , the context of what he said was confusing:

Rubio urges voters to back Kasich in Ohio to stop Trump - POLITICO

I'm not sure I understand what might be confusing about it? Based on all the most recent polling, Rubio is probably the only one who might have a chance at beating Trump in FL. Cruz may have an outside shot, but Kasich is in 4th place by a relatively large margin.

 

[Franklin Pierce]

Hillary Clinton credited Ronald and Nancy Reagan on Friday with starting a “national conversation” about HIV and AIDS — only to retract her comments hours later.


Read more: Clinton retracts praise for Reagans' HIV/AIDS legacy - POLITICO
Follow us: @politico on Twitter | Politico on Facebook

 

[Grand Vol]

I'm not sure I understand what might be confusing about it? Based on all the most recent polling, Rubio is probably the only one who might have a chance at beating Trump in FL. Cruz may have an outside shot, but Kasich is in 4th place by a relatively large margin.

You are correct, but he never goes out and says "vote for Kasich over me." It could be implied, but he never says it straight up

 

[UTCVol]

Wow. The Trump rally in Chicago was just postponed due to security issues.

There were several thousand protesters outside the venue and more inside.

 

[Franklin Pierce]

The Bolsheviks are trying to Muzzle Trump. They will use any tactic, including violence and intimidation, to do so.

 

[IBlvNTmWrk]

You are correct, but he never goes out and says "vote for Kasich over me." It could be implied, but he never says it straight up

Gotcha. I am assuming when Kasich's team said "We were going to win in Ohio without his help..." that they must have understood what Rubio meant.

 

[Vol8188]

The Bolsheviks are trying to Muzzle Trump. They will use any tactic, including violence and intimidation, to do so.

When you call his opponents Bolos, it makes me think you embrace the Nazi comparisions.

 

[Burhead]

First time Trump's looked weak all election. If I were him I wouldn't have canceled.

 

[UTCVol]

The only thing this will do is make Trump stronger. Good work, "tolerant" leftist morons.

 

[RobsPics]

First time Trump's looked weak all election. If I were him I wouldn't have canceled.

Chicago police urged Trump to cancel. And Trump says he always honors law enforcement, so...

 

[Burhead]

Chicago police urged Trump to cancel. And Trump says he always honors law enforcement, so...

If we can't have civil political discussions because people don't like the message we've lost the Republic.

 

[Burhead]

Congrats Chicago and BLM for winning more votes for Trump. People will see this as more of a reason to vote for him because the left is trying to use protests to silence him.