2024

[SCLaxAttack]

Love Fox News support for Gabbard:
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/tulsi- ... ol-rioters

...you go girl ! Striking back at the Deep State apparatchiks who promoted HRC's accusation that she is a Russian asset.

Back to the topic.....
Salty, I'd be interested in your take on this from the article:

"... the former Democratic presidential candidate denounced the violent protesters, but warned that efforts to combat insurgency through surveillance and other monitoring activities posed a greater threat to the country."

There are pages upon pages of your posts on these forums where you take to task the surveillance and monitoring activities before January 6 as being either insufficient or poorly used by those responsible for the Capital's security. You haven't said you agree with her position so I don't know if this question's even appropriate, but if you do agree with her how do you reconcile your opinion with Gabbard's that monitoring is worse than the action that occurred?

[runrussellrun]

like grandma's mothballs.....this topic smells LIKE hate.

Hate.

Who should we hate today?

Red Sox racist fans?

[runrussellrun]

like grandma's mothballs.....this topic smells LIKE hate.

Hate.

Who should we hate today?

Red Sox racist fans?

[old salt]

Love Fox News support for Gabbard:
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/tulsi- ... ol-rioters

...you go girl ! Striking back at the Deep State apparatchiks who promoted HRC's accusation that she is a Russian asset.

Back to the topic.....
Salty, I'd be interested in your take on this from the article:

"... the former Democratic presidential candidate denounced the violent protesters, but warned that efforts to combat insurgency through surveillance and other monitoring activities posed a greater threat to the country."

There are pages upon pages of your posts on these forums where you take to task the surveillance and monitoring activities before January 6 as being either insufficient or poorly used by those responsible for the Capital's security. You haven't said you agree with her position so I don't know if this question's even appropriate, but if you do agree with her how do you reconcile your opinion with Gabbard's that monitoring is worse than the action that occurred?

My critique was of Congressional leadership & the DC Mayor who blocked requests, in advance, for DC NG troops to back up their police forces for fear of a militaristic presence.

In that article, Tulsi seems to share my view that Jan 6th was a disgruntled political mob rather than an organized insurrection.

In a separate interview I was surprised to hear Tulsi use the term "deep state" in reference to attempts by political partisans with intell acces, like Brennan & Schiff, to abuse that access with inferences of Russian influence on opposing political views, without citing proof.

[old salt]

Love Fox News support for Gabbard:
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/tulsi- ... ol-rioters

...you go girl ! Striking back at the Deep State apparatchiks who promoted HRC's accusation that she is a Russian asset.

Back to the topic.....
Salty, I'd be interested in your take on this from the article:

"... the former Democratic presidential candidate denounced the violent protesters, but warned that efforts to combat insurgency through surveillance and other monitoring activities posed a greater threat to the country."

There are pages upon pages of your posts on these forums where you take to task the surveillance and monitoring activities before January 6 as being either insufficient or poorly used by those responsible for the Capital's security. You haven't said you agree with her position so I don't know if this question's even appropriate, but if you do agree with her how do you reconcile your opinion with Gabbard's that monitoring is worse than the action that occurred?

My critique was of Congressional leadership & the DC Mayor who blocked requests, in advance, for DC NG troops to back up their police forces for fear of a militaristic presence.

In that article, Tulsi seems to share my view that Jan 6th was a disgruntled political mob rather than an organized insurrection.

In a separate interview I was surprised to hear Tulsi use the term "deep state" in reference to attempts by political partisans with intell acces, like Brennan & Schiff, to abuse that access with inferences of Russian influence on opposing political views, without citing proof.

Here's more from Tulsi :
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video ... gency.html

It’s so dangerous, as you guys have been talking about, this is an issue that all Democrats, Republicans, independents, Libertarians should be extremely concerned about, especially because we don’t have to guess about where this goes or how this ends.

When you have people like former CIA Director John Brennan openly talking about how he’s spoken with or heard from appointees and nominees in the Biden administration who are already starting to look across our country for these types of movements similar to the insurgencies they’ve seen overseas, that in his words, he says make up this "unholy alliance of religious extremists, racists, bigots, he lists a few others and at the end, even libertarians."

What characteristics are we looking for as we are building this profile of a potential extremist, what are we talking about? Religious extremists, are we talking about Christians, evangelical Christians, what is a religious extremist? Is it somebody who is pro-life? Where do you take this?

You start looking at obviously, have to be a white person, obviously likely male, libertarians, anyone who loves freedom, liberty, maybe has an American flag outside their house, or people who, you know, attended a Trump rally... A targeting of almost half the country...

Do you think the whole "deprogramming" of Trump supporters, this new buzzword, has anything to do with this?

I read a great op-ed this morning from a former FBI agent who made a very strong case for why this new domestic terror law introduced by Adam Schiff is wrong and is directly going to undermine our constitutional rights and freedoms.

This whole effort whether you were talking about the bill for people saying we have to deprogram these Trump cultists and people who voted for Trump because they've been radicalized, all of this just goes to further tear our country apart, and it moves towards what Joe Biden said in his inauguration speech that it shouldn't happen which is a dehumanization of your opponent and that's where his voice is so necessary right now. He is the president of this country, he delivered this speech, his voice, himself became to the American people and he needs to denounce people like John Brennan and their statements, bills like the one Adam Schiff put forward and truly speak to the American people about how we must them together around the constitution and around our bill of rights, around these rights that have been endowed to us by our creator.

[MDlaxfan76]

Love Fox News support for Gabbard:
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/tulsi- ... ol-rioters

What the flip is this never ending paranoia in your head about Fox? They are an effing 24 hour news network just like MSNBC, CNN and whatever other spinoffs there are out there. You got issues with Fox, why don't you keep them to your damn self. I have lost track of the number of diatribes you have gone off on me claiming to be one of the Fox lemmings. I make up my own effing mind MD. I have been since you were parading around with that Nixon button on your lapel collar. I always enjoy rubbing your nose in that one. You bringing out some Kerry logic to defend your rabid support of Nixon? I voted for him before I voted against him.

What???

Was my post aimed at you?

Salty and I have been discussing Tulsi Gabbard, including the infatuation Putin, RT and right wing media in the US have for her...

What have we NOT been discussing? You.

Sorry for interjecting and bursting your bubble. Your contempt for all things Fox news is legendary on this forum. I'm guessing you have a guilt complex from decades ago that forces you to make amends.

No 'bubble' to burst.
If you have something substantive to add to the discussion of this thread topic, by all means 'interject'.

The personal stuff is less welcome.

But sure, Fox used to be a pretty darn decent alternative 'take' on the news of the day, IMO. But man have they gone far astray, indeed IMO have played a very large role in fomenting extreme divisiveness in America, for profit.

Would that personal stuff include you telling me to take Roxy for a walk? Your not immune from being an arrogant, condescending chowderhead. If you wanna be a smartass expect to be called out. I'm the perfect guy for the job. You are one person who desperately needs to be knocked down from his elitist pedestal of arrogance on a regular basis. Anyone who was ever a Nixon supporter has defects of character than run very deep.

Keep swinging cradle, you might make contact eventually.

No, I only respond with a Roxy comment when you attack me directly...sometimes a walk with the dog is what we both need.

Again, if you have something substantive to add, by all means "interject" away.

[MDlaxfan76]

Love Fox News support for Gabbard:
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/tulsi- ... ol-rioters

...you go girl ! Striking back at the Deep State apparatchiks who promoted HRC's accusation that she is a Russian asset.

Back to the topic.....
Salty, I'd be interested in your take on this from the article:

"... the former Democratic presidential candidate denounced the violent protesters, but warned that efforts to combat insurgency through surveillance and other monitoring activities posed a greater threat to the country."

There are pages upon pages of your posts on these forums where you take to task the surveillance and monitoring activities before January 6 as being either insufficient or poorly used by those responsible for the Capital's security. You haven't said you agree with her position so I don't know if this question's even appropriate, but if you do agree with her how do you reconcile your opinion with Gabbard's that monitoring is worse than the action that occurred?

My critique was of Congressional leadership & the DC Mayor who blocked requests, in advance, for DC NG troops to back up their police forces for fear of a militaristic presence.

In that article, Tulsi seems to share my view that Jan 6th was a disgruntled political mob rather than an organized insurrection.

In a separate interview I was surprised to hear Tulsi use the term "deep state" in reference to attempts by political partisans with intell acces, like Brennan & Schiff, to abuse that access with inferences of Russian influence on opposing political views, without citing proof.

Here's more from Tulsi :
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video ... gency.html

It’s so dangerous, as you guys have been talking about, this is an issue that all Democrats, Republicans, independents, Libertarians should be extremely concerned about, especially because we don’t have to guess about where this goes or how this ends.

When you have people like former CIA Director John Brennan openly talking about how he’s spoken with or heard from appointees and nominees in the Biden administration who are already starting to look across our country for these types of movements similar to the insurgencies they’ve seen overseas, that in his words, he says make up this "unholy alliance of religious extremists, racists, bigots, he lists a few others and at the end, even libertarians."

What characteristics are we looking for as we are building this profile of a potential extremist, what are we talking about? Religious extremists, are we talking about Christians, evangelical Christians, what is a religious extremist? Is it somebody who is pro-life? Where do you take this?

You start looking at obviously, have to be a white person, obviously likely male, libertarians, anyone who loves freedom, liberty, maybe has an American flag outside their house, or people who, you know, attended a Trump rally... A targeting of almost half the country...

Do you think the whole "deprogramming" of Trump supporters, this new buzzword, has anything to do with this?

I read a great op-ed this morning from a former FBI agent who made a very strong case for why this new domestic terror law introduced by Adam Schiff is wrong and is directly going to undermine our constitutional rights and freedoms.

This whole effort whether you were talking about the bill for people saying we have to deprogram these Trump cultists and people who voted for Trump because they've been radicalized, all of this just goes to further tear our country apart, and it moves towards what Joe Biden said in his inauguration speech that it shouldn't happen which is a dehumanization of your opponent and that's where his voice is so necessary right now. He is the president of this country, he delivered this speech, his voice, himself became to the American people and he needs to denounce people like John Brennan and their statements, bills like the one Adam Schiff put forward and truly speak to the American people about how we must them together around the constitution and around our bill of rights, around these rights that have been endowed to us by our creator.

Talk about 'paranoid'.

As I said, she's DOA as a Dem national candidate...forever.

But she could run as a Trumpist, perhaps.
Nah, that would mean she'd have to go the whole nine yards and claim Biden didn't win, fair and square, not simply pooh pooh the Insurrection attempt by the former POTUS and his cronies.

[old salt]

As I said, she's DOA as a Dem national candidate...forever.

Forever is a long time. Here's a good description of why Tulsi fits into the Bernie wing of the (D)'s yet still appeals to Fox viewers :

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-thinki ... 1591807587
...self-described “realists” whose revisionist views on American foreign policy include the belief that the U.S. needs a less ambitious and less ideological foreign policy. This group also sees Russia as a natural partner in any contest with China. Some in this category are aligned with the left wing of the Democratic Party; others lean right and influence Republican politicians like Sen. Rand Paul.

For many in this group, the trans-Atlantic focus of American foreign policy is a problem. They consider the U.S. troop presence part of an outdated commitment to deter Russian aggression. These thinkers believe the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in its present form prevents Europeans from taking appropriate steps to defend themselves, drives Moscow into the arms of Beijing, and imposes an unnecessarily expensive strategic model on American defense planning. Ideologically, the trans-Atlantic alliance pulls the U.S. in a liberal direction (support for democracy, multilateralism, international institutions) that these analysts tend to deplore.

[Kismet]

As I said, she's DOA as a Dem national candidate...forever.

Forever is a long time. Here's a good description of why Tulsi fits into the Bernie wing of the (D)'s yet still appeals to Fox viewers :

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-thinki ... 1591807587
...self-described “realists” whose revisionist views on American foreign policy include the belief that the U.S. needs a less ambitious and less ideological foreign policy. This group also sees Russia as a natural partner in any contest with China. Some in this category are aligned with the left wing of the Democratic Party; others lean right and influence Republican politicians like Sen. Rand Paul.

For many in this group, the trans-Atlantic focus of American foreign policy is a problem. They consider the U.S. troop presence part of an outdated commitment to deter Russian aggression. These thinkers believe the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in its present form prevents Europeans from taking appropriate steps to defend themselves, drives Moscow into the arms of Beijing, and imposes an unnecessarily expensive strategic model on American defense planning. Ideologically, the trans-Atlantic alliance pulls the U.S. in a liberal direction (support for democracy, multilateralism, international institutions) that these analysts tend to deplore.

Perhaps. But for the present time she could not win an election for dog catcher. She opted out of re-election because she was going to lose a primary.
She's essentially left the Democratic Party but cannot bring herself to join the Republicans. Thus she's out of luck and office as an indy in a state heavily Democratic and, thus totally irrelevant.

[Farfromgeneva]

As I said, she's DOA as a Dem national candidate...forever.

Forever is a long time. Here's a good description of why Tulsi fits into the Bernie wing of the (D)'s yet still appeals to Fox viewers :

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-thinki ... 1591807587
...self-described “realists” whose revisionist views on American foreign policy include the belief that the U.S. needs a less ambitious and less ideological foreign policy. This group also sees Russia as a natural partner in any contest with China. Some in this category are aligned with the left wing of the Democratic Party; others lean right and influence Republican politicians like Sen. Rand Paul.

For many in this group, the trans-Atlantic focus of American foreign policy is a problem. They consider the U.S. troop presence part of an outdated commitment to deter Russian aggression. These thinkers believe the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in its present form prevents Europeans from taking appropriate steps to defend themselves, drives Moscow into the arms of Beijing, and imposes an unnecessarily expensive strategic model on American defense planning. Ideologically, the trans-Atlantic alliance pulls the U.S. in a liberal direction (support for democracy, multilateralism, international institutions) that these analysts tend to deplore.

Perhaps. But for the present time she could not win an election for dog catcher. She opted out of re-election because she was going to lose a primary.
She's essentially left the Democratic Party but cannot bring herself to join the Republicans. Thus she's out of luck and office as an indy in a state heavily Democratic and, thus totally irrelevant.

Correct

[youthathletics]

As I said, she's DOA as a Dem national candidate...forever.

Forever is a long time. Here's a good description of why Tulsi fits into the Bernie wing of the (D)'s yet still appeals to Fox viewers :

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-thinki ... 1591807587
...self-described “realists” whose revisionist views on American foreign policy include the belief that the U.S. needs a less ambitious and less ideological foreign policy. This group also sees Russia as a natural partner in any contest with China. Some in this category are aligned with the left wing of the Democratic Party; others lean right and influence Republican politicians like Sen. Rand Paul.

For many in this group, the trans-Atlantic focus of American foreign policy is a problem. They consider the U.S. troop presence part of an outdated commitment to deter Russian aggression. These thinkers believe the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in its present form prevents Europeans from taking appropriate steps to defend themselves, drives Moscow into the arms of Beijing, and imposes an unnecessarily expensive strategic model on American defense planning. Ideologically, the trans-Atlantic alliance pulls the U.S. in a liberal direction (support for democracy, multilateralism, international institutions) that these analysts tend to deplore.

Perhaps. But for the present time she could not win an election for dog catcher. She opted out of re-election because she was going to lose a primary.
She's essentially left the Democratic Party but cannot bring herself to join the Republicans. Thus she's out of luck and office as an indy in a state heavily Democratic and, thus totally irrelevant.

Correct

That never stopped Biden...maybe she just has to dumb it down.

[Farfromgeneva]

She’s not that smart. Domain knowledge in one topic doesn’t mean much overall. And using WSJ op Ed and Nat Review as evidence isn’t very compelling.

Biden is lazy more than dumb IMO. Combine laziness with age and you get something that looks like dumb.

[MDlaxfan76]

She’s not that smart. Domain knowledge in one topic doesn’t mean much overall. And using WSJ op Ed and Nat Review as evidence isn’t very compelling.

Biden is lazy more than dumb IMO. Combine laziness with age and you get something that looks like dumb.

hmmm, I never got the impression of 'lazy'... He's definitely not the sharpest knife in the drawer, and he admits that openly; but we keep getting told that leaders who are really, really bright (even simply top 10%, much less top 2%) are not desirable to a huge segment of the voters.

That's not how I feel, but I hear the opposite view quite a lot.

When it was a binary choice with Trump, Biden compared really, really well.

[MDlaxfan76]

As I said, she's DOA as a Dem national candidate...forever.

Forever is a long time. Here's a good description of why Tulsi fits into the Bernie wing of the (D)'s yet still appeals to Fox viewers :

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-thinki ... 1591807587
...self-described “realists” whose revisionist views on American foreign policy include the belief that the U.S. needs a less ambitious and less ideological foreign policy. This group also sees Russia as a natural partner in any contest with China. Some in this category are aligned with the left wing of the Democratic Party; others lean right and influence Republican politicians like Sen. Rand Paul.

For many in this group, the trans-Atlantic focus of American foreign policy is a problem. They consider the U.S. troop presence part of an outdated commitment to deter Russian aggression. These thinkers believe the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in its present form prevents Europeans from taking appropriate steps to defend themselves, drives Moscow into the arms of Beijing, and imposes an unnecessarily expensive strategic model on American defense planning. Ideologically, the trans-Atlantic alliance pulls the U.S. in a liberal direction (support for democracy, multilateralism, international institutions) that these analysts tend to deplore.

Perhaps. But for the present time she could not win an election for dog catcher. She opted out of re-election because she was going to lose a primary.
She's essentially left the Democratic Party but cannot bring herself to join the Republicans. Thus she's out of luck and office as an indy in a state heavily Democratic and, thus totally irrelevant.

Correct

That never stopped Biden...maybe she just has to dumb it down.

Have no idea what this comment meant, youth.

Tulsi's lost any alignment with the Dem Party, burnt her bridges, (and yes, that's "forever" Salty) and she has no path forward for election in Hawaii.

What's that have to do with Biden? or "dumb it down"?

She could have a political path if she became a Trumpist (she's closer to that than anything else), but she'd need to move out of Hawaii, in order to get elected. She could be a political appointee in a Trumpist Admin.

But she's permanently DOA as a Dem.

[Farfromgeneva]

She’s not that smart. Domain knowledge in one topic doesn’t mean much overall. And using WSJ op Ed and Nat Review as evidence isn’t very compelling.

Biden is lazy more than dumb IMO. Combine laziness with age and you get something that looks like dumb.

hmmm, I never got the impression of 'lazy'... He's definitely not the sharpest knife in the drawer, and he admits that openly; but we keep getting told that leaders who are really, really bright (even simply top 10%, much less top 2%) are not desirable to a huge segment of the voters.

That's not how I feel, but I hear the opposite view quite a lot.

When it was a binary choice with Trump, Biden compared really, really well.

Unless he’s selling aloof I see a guy who floats-at least the last decade or so. Obviously the campaign requires work but it’s clear he was propped up given simply the day half the field dropped out and backed him in early 2020. Understood it and made sense to get Dbag Trump gonzo but we have to accept the reality of what we have as well. He’s not simplifying when he attempts to articulate things to the public that’s his understanding of those things and with near 50yrs in office that’s pretty weak. Talks slowly-thats because he hasn’t worked at trying to have a more elevated understanding. And being locked in for 45-50yrs to the beltway gig(s) creates a heck of a lot of complacency. I actually give more credit to Pelosi for jamming Biden into having to get involving in their intervene squabbling from his previous hands off approach.

And 6-8mo in the comparison doesn’t do much for me. Time to move forward, other than Letitia James jamming the fat orange scum sucker up for previous tax dodges and related offenses (I hope). And even if she doesn’t it’s clear he’s in a world of pain financially with a bunch f negative cash flow assets and a maturity wall coming, no foreign support left because he’s useless to them and a PR nightmare (even Afghanistan is putting up the facade of trying to care). There will be no Phoenix like resurrection for him the way there was for Harry Macklowe, who was on the bad borrower list banks had in the 90s but he actually added value by putting in that bubble and Apples store at the GM building in the early 2000s creating $50mm of incremental FCF (at a 3-5% cap rate thats $1-$1.5Bn in added value). (Of course Macklowe blew himself up leveraging that property w DB in mezz debt to buy the NYC portfolio when Blackstone chopped up Equity Office Properties in the greatest “buy wholesale, sell retail flip on front of the financial crisis-deal blew up not only Macklowe but Callahan in Denver and MaGuire in LA who all bought at a 3% cap what Blackstone acquired at an implied 4.5% cap rate in 07-08)

[MDlaxfan76]

She’s not that smart. Domain knowledge in one topic doesn’t mean much overall. And using WSJ op Ed and Nat Review as evidence isn’t very compelling.

Biden is lazy more than dumb IMO. Combine laziness with age and you get something that looks like dumb.

hmmm, I never got the impression of 'lazy'... He's definitely not the sharpest knife in the drawer, and he admits that openly; but we keep getting told that leaders who are really, really bright (even simply top 10%, much less top 2%) are not desirable to a huge segment of the voters.

That's not how I feel, but I hear the opposite view quite a lot.

When it was a binary choice with Trump, Biden compared really, really well.

Unless he’s selling aloof I see a guy who floats-at least the last decade or so. Obviously the campaign requires work but it’s clear he was propped up given simply the day half the field dropped out and backed him in early 2020. Understood it and made sense to get Dbag Trump gonzo but we have to accept the reality of what we have as well. He’s not simplifying when he attempts to articulate things to the public that’s his understanding of those things and with near 50yrs in office that’s pretty weak. Talks slowly-thats because he hasn’t worked at trying to have a more elevated understanding. And being locked in for 45-50yrs to the beltway gig(s) creates a heck of a lot of complacency. I actually give more credit to Pelosi for jamming Biden into having to get involving in their intervene squabbling from his previous hands off approach.

And 6-8mo in the comparison doesn’t do much for me. Time to move forward, other than Letitia James jamming the fat orange scum sucker up for previous tax dodges and related offenses (I hope). And even if she doesn’t it’s clear he’s in a world of pain financially with a bunch f negative cash flow assets and a maturity wall coming, no foreign support left because he’s useless to them and a PR nightmare (even Afghanistan is putting up the facade of trying to care). There will be no Phoenix like resurrection for him the way there was for Harry Macklowe, who was on the bad borrower list banks had in the 90s but he actually added value by putting in that bubble and Apples store at the GM building in the early 2000s creating $50mm of incremental FCF (at a 3-5% cap rate thats $1-$1.5Bn in added value). (Of course Macklowe blew himself up leveraging that property w DB in mezz debt to buy the NYC portfolio when Blackstone chopped up Equity Office Properties in the greatest “buy wholesale, sell retail flip on front of the financial crisis-deal blew up not only Macklowe but Callahan in Denver and MaGuire in LA who all bought at a 3% cap what Blackstone acquired at an implied 4.5% cap rate in 07-08)

No issue with itching for 'better'. Me too.

But no, Biden speaks 'slowly' because he has a serious issue with stuttering; it's also why his words get twisted up from time to time, why he starts and stops sentences/thoughts, as they jumble up. Doesn't mean he's stupid, nor lazy. (and he's definitely old).

I find him overall to have a strong clarity of thought and purpose.

However that doesn't mean he has the right answers.

And I do worry that he's insufficiently nimble in his willingness to re-think given new incoming info, obstacles. I don't think that's laziness, but rather a bit of obstinance...of course, it could actually be discipline and patience...I sure hope it's the latter, though worry it's the former.

Right now, he's losing a lot of ground and support among the 'persuadable' given various stumbles and the slow, slow grind of getting legislation actually passed.

I'd like to see the basic infrastructure bill passed, a modified reconciliation bill passed, and then a hard focus on voting legislation, including breaking through current stupid filibuster process to a speaking filibuster...eventually the Manchin proposal will pass and the hard line GOP folks who attempt of speaking filibuster will lose the GOP most of those persuadables in the meantime. Total jackasses....make them speak in the Senate.

Do it again on any other 60+ % issues. Make'em speak.
(in the long haul, this will be good for the GOP to regain its footing and reject the extremists).

Immigration is a topic that Dems can't win on, but it's going to be a hard problem. My wife had a long conversation with our maid about her family (she's here legally, goes back and forth to visit family in Mexico, we pay Soc). She's one of 9 siblings, 5 here in US, 4 sisters still in Mexico with the mother. The cartels dominate their region, own everything, and every so often one of the remaining sisters is kidnapped and ransomed, $4k immediate cash, must be US dollars...they track who has people in the US working! If you don't pay, killed. Police are in the pocket of the cartels. She says Mexico is full of immigrants coming from the south fleeing even worse.

Not sure what we do about this that isn't a political problem for Biden.

And then there's Taiwan...

[Farfromgeneva]

She’s not that smart. Domain knowledge in one topic doesn’t mean much overall. And using WSJ op Ed and Nat Review as evidence isn’t very compelling.

Biden is lazy more than dumb IMO. Combine laziness with age and you get something that looks like dumb.

hmmm, I never got the impression of 'lazy'... He's definitely not the sharpest knife in the drawer, and he admits that openly; but we keep getting told that leaders who are really, really bright (even simply top 10%, much less top 2%) are not desirable to a huge segment of the voters.

That's not how I feel, but I hear the opposite view quite a lot.

When it was a binary choice with Trump, Biden compared really, really well.

Unless he’s selling aloof I see a guy who floats-at least the last decade or so. Obviously the campaign requires work but it’s clear he was propped up given simply the day half the field dropped out and backed him in early 2020. Understood it and made sense to get Dbag Trump gonzo but we have to accept the reality of what we have as well. He’s not simplifying when he attempts to articulate things to the public that’s his understanding of those things and with near 50yrs in office that’s pretty weak. Talks slowly-thats because he hasn’t worked at trying to have a more elevated understanding. And being locked in for 45-50yrs to the beltway gig(s) creates a heck of a lot of complacency. I actually give more credit to Pelosi for jamming Biden into having to get involving in their intervene squabbling from his previous hands off approach.

And 6-8mo in the comparison doesn’t do much for me. Time to move forward, other than Letitia James jamming the fat orange scum sucker up for previous tax dodges and related offenses (I hope). And even if she doesn’t it’s clear he’s in a world of pain financially with a bunch f negative cash flow assets and a maturity wall coming, no foreign support left because he’s useless to them and a PR nightmare (even Afghanistan is putting up the facade of trying to care). There will be no Phoenix like resurrection for him the way there was for Harry Macklowe, who was on the bad borrower list banks had in the 90s but he actually added value by putting in that bubble and Apples store at the GM building in the early 2000s creating $50mm of incremental FCF (at a 3-5% cap rate thats $1-$1.5Bn in added value). (Of course Macklowe blew himself up leveraging that property w DB in mezz debt to buy the NYC portfolio when Blackstone chopped up Equity Office Properties in the greatest “buy wholesale, sell retail flip on front of the financial crisis-deal blew up not only Macklowe but Callahan in Denver and MaGuire in LA who all bought at a 3% cap what Blackstone acquired at an implied 4.5% cap rate in 07-08)

No issue with itching for 'better'. Me too.

But no, Biden speaks 'slowly' because he has a serious issue with stuttering; it's also why his words get twisted up from time to time, why he starts and stops sentences/thoughts, as they jumble up. Doesn't mean he's stupid, nor lazy. (and he's definitely old).

I find him overall to have a strong clarity of thought and purpose.

However that doesn't mean he has the right answers.

And I do worry that he's insufficiently nimble in his willingness to re-think given new incoming info, obstacles. I don't think that's laziness, but rather a bit of obstinance...of course, it could actually be discipline and patience...I sure hope it's the latter, though worry it's the former.

Right now, he's losing a lot of ground and support among the 'persuadable' given various stumbles and the slow, slow grind of getting legislation actually passed.

I'd like to see the basic infrastructure bill passed, a modified reconciliation bill passed, and then a hard focus on voting legislation, including breaking through current stupid filibuster process to a speaking filibuster...eventually the Manchin proposal will pass and the hard line GOP folks who attempt of speaking filibuster will lose the GOP most of those persuadables in the meantime. Total jackasses....make them speak in the Senate.

Do it again on any other 60+ % issues. Make'em speak.
(in the long haul, this will be good for the GOP to regain its footing and reject the extremists).

Immigration is a topic that Dems can't win on, but it's going to be a hard problem. My wife had a long conversation with our maid about her family (she's here legally, goes back and forth to visit family in Mexico, we pay Soc). She's one of 9 siblings, 5 here in US, 4 sisters still in Mexico with the mother. The cartels dominate their region, own everything, and every so often one of the remaining sisters is kidnapped and ransomed, $4k immediate cash, must be US dollars...they track who has people in the US working! If you don't pay, killed. Police are in the pocket of the cartels. She says Mexico is full of immigrants coming from the south fleeing even worse.

Not sure what we do about this that isn't a political problem for Biden.

And then there's Taiwan...

More than enough to agree on here, a few areas of disagreement. Sympathetic to stuttering issue, but not even on my mind, he's our nation's leader and had a long time to work on that. Think you may be giving him too much benefit of the doubt on parts, but agree with much of this. And process and execution matter as much as conclusion to me. So lots of folks have the right answers but it takes ethic, discipline and a lot of work to get things accomplished. That's where I don't seem him as the ultimate leader we need just hopefully a placeholder and bridge to a better set of leaders. Probably not, but I remain stubbornly optimistic that we can figure this quagmire of social dysfunction out.

Biggest disagreement is focusing on Manchin. He's no different than Sanders or AOC. First quarter has same impact as 4th quarter in a game despite what fans think when they complain about a late call. Manchin was consistent and there's no 50 votes if he moves too far to the left, so they are selling him and the states democrats out IMO to prop up VT and Pac NW dems. But yeah the filibuster has gotten stupid and all politicians need to work harder. When it was creative and novel and Jimmy Stewart was passing out on the floor its ok, when it's a tried and true and bastardized tool it's weak.

I also don't like the conflation of Covid with other long term needs/agendas. But I realize that neither party is crafting a message for me or you, or probably half or more of the people on these boards.

[MDlaxfan76]

She’s not that smart. Domain knowledge in one topic doesn’t mean much overall. And using WSJ op Ed and Nat Review as evidence isn’t very compelling.

Biden is lazy more than dumb IMO. Combine laziness with age and you get something that looks like dumb.

hmmm, I never got the impression of 'lazy'... He's definitely not the sharpest knife in the drawer, and he admits that openly; but we keep getting told that leaders who are really, really bright (even simply top 10%, much less top 2%) are not desirable to a huge segment of the voters.

That's not how I feel, but I hear the opposite view quite a lot.

When it was a binary choice with Trump, Biden compared really, really well.

Unless he’s selling aloof I see a guy who floats-at least the last decade or so. Obviously the campaign requires work but it’s clear he was propped up given simply the day half the field dropped out and backed him in early 2020. Understood it and made sense to get Dbag Trump gonzo but we have to accept the reality of what we have as well. He’s not simplifying when he attempts to articulate things to the public that’s his understanding of those things and with near 50yrs in office that’s pretty weak. Talks slowly-thats because he hasn’t worked at trying to have a more elevated understanding. And being locked in for 45-50yrs to the beltway gig(s) creates a heck of a lot of complacency. I actually give more credit to Pelosi for jamming Biden into having to get involving in their intervene squabbling from his previous hands off approach.

And 6-8mo in the comparison doesn’t do much for me. Time to move forward, other than Letitia James jamming the fat orange scum sucker up for previous tax dodges and related offenses (I hope). And even if she doesn’t it’s clear he’s in a world of pain financially with a bunch f negative cash flow assets and a maturity wall coming, no foreign support left because he’s useless to them and a PR nightmare (even Afghanistan is putting up the facade of trying to care). There will be no Phoenix like resurrection for him the way there was for Harry Macklowe, who was on the bad borrower list banks had in the 90s but he actually added value by putting in that bubble and Apples store at the GM building in the early 2000s creating $50mm of incremental FCF (at a 3-5% cap rate thats $1-$1.5Bn in added value). (Of course Macklowe blew himself up leveraging that property w DB in mezz debt to buy the NYC portfolio when Blackstone chopped up Equity Office Properties in the greatest “buy wholesale, sell retail flip on front of the financial crisis-deal blew up not only Macklowe but Callahan in Denver and MaGuire in LA who all bought at a 3% cap what Blackstone acquired at an implied 4.5% cap rate in 07-08)

No issue with itching for 'better'. Me too.

But no, Biden speaks 'slowly' because he has a serious issue with stuttering; it's also why his words get twisted up from time to time, why he starts and stops sentences/thoughts, as they jumble up. Doesn't mean he's stupid, nor lazy. (and he's definitely old).

I find him overall to have a strong clarity of thought and purpose.

However that doesn't mean he has the right answers.

And I do worry that he's insufficiently nimble in his willingness to re-think given new incoming info, obstacles. I don't think that's laziness, but rather a bit of obstinance...of course, it could actually be discipline and patience...I sure hope it's the latter, though worry it's the former.

Right now, he's losing a lot of ground and support among the 'persuadable' given various stumbles and the slow, slow grind of getting legislation actually passed.

I'd like to see the basic infrastructure bill passed, a modified reconciliation bill passed, and then a hard focus on voting legislation, including breaking through current stupid filibuster process to a speaking filibuster...eventually the Manchin proposal will pass and the hard line GOP folks who attempt of speaking filibuster will lose the GOP most of those persuadables in the meantime. Total jackasses....make them speak in the Senate.

Do it again on any other 60+ % issues. Make'em speak.
(in the long haul, this will be good for the GOP to regain its footing and reject the extremists).

Immigration is a topic that Dems can't win on, but it's going to be a hard problem. My wife had a long conversation with our maid about her family (she's here legally, goes back and forth to visit family in Mexico, we pay Soc). She's one of 9 siblings, 5 here in US, 4 sisters still in Mexico with the mother. The cartels dominate their region, own everything, and every so often one of the remaining sisters is kidnapped and ransomed, $4k immediate cash, must be US dollars...they track who has people in the US working! If you don't pay, killed. Police are in the pocket of the cartels. She says Mexico is full of immigrants coming from the south fleeing even worse.

Not sure what we do about this that isn't a political problem for Biden.

And then there's Taiwan...

More than enough to agree on here, a few areas of disagreement. Sympathetic to stuttering issue, but not even on my mind, he's our nation's leader and had a long time to work on that. Think you may be giving him too much benefit of the doubt on parts, but agree with much of this. And process and execution matter as much as conclusion to me. So lots of folks have the right answers but it takes ethic, discipline and a lot of work to get things accomplished. That's where I don't seem him as the ultimate leader we need just hopefully a placeholder and bridge to a better set of leaders. Probably not, but I remain stubbornly optimistic that we can figure this quagmire of social dysfunction out.

Biggest disagreement is focusing on Manchin. He's no different than Sanders or AOC. First quarter has same impact as 4th quarter in a game despite what fans think when they complain about a late call. Manchin was consistent and there's no 50 votes if he moves too far to the left, so they are selling him and the states democrats out IMO to prop up VT and Pac NW dems. But yeah the filibuster has gotten stupid and all politicians need to work harder. When it was creative and novel and Jimmy Stewart was passing out on the floor its ok, when it's a tried and true and bastardized tool it's weak.

I also don't like the conflation of Covid with other long term needs/agendas. But I realize that neither party is crafting a message for me or you, or probably half or more of the people on these boards.

I may have been misunderstood re Manchin...my hope is that he will be willing to reform the filibuster to at least a talking filibuster should 10 GOP members refuse to enable a vote on his version of the voting legislation. He'll likely get a small handful, but far, far more likely to get more than 10 if the filibuster process requires people to go to the floor to explain themselves. I think he'll be able to pull the other Dems concerned about the filibuster to a talking filibuster reform. And be ok with his W VA voters in the process.

And I think that'll be true of other legislation in which 60+% of the population wants it passed...that'll help the moderate GOP regain influence.

[Farfromgeneva]

Got it thought you meant his perceived recalcitrance to giving in to a larger number on stimulus/investment package. The way it’s framed that because Bernie has a larger platform (for a tiny irrelevant if beautiful state, about the same as WV big picture) and was heard first that it’s Manchin who’s deliberately and solely the problem. Every time they say each vote is equal and then tell about Manchin I don’t think they understand what the words they are saying actually mean.

[youthathletics]

As I said, she's DOA as a Dem national candidate...forever.

Forever is a long time. Here's a good description of why Tulsi fits into the Bernie wing of the (D)'s yet still appeals to Fox viewers :

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-thinki ... 1591807587
...self-described “realists” whose revisionist views on American foreign policy include the belief that the U.S. needs a less ambitious and less ideological foreign policy. This group also sees Russia as a natural partner in any contest with China. Some in this category are aligned with the left wing of the Democratic Party; others lean right and influence Republican politicians like Sen. Rand Paul.

For many in this group, the trans-Atlantic focus of American foreign policy is a problem. They consider the U.S. troop presence part of an outdated commitment to deter Russian aggression. These thinkers believe the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in its present form prevents Europeans from taking appropriate steps to defend themselves, drives Moscow into the arms of Beijing, and imposes an unnecessarily expensive strategic model on American defense planning. Ideologically, the trans-Atlantic alliance pulls the U.S. in a liberal direction (support for democracy, multilateralism, international institutions) that these analysts tend to deplore.

Perhaps. But for the present time she could not win an election for dog catcher. She opted out of re-election because she was going to lose a primary.
She's essentially left the Democratic Party but cannot bring herself to join the Republicans. Thus she's out of luck and office as an indy in a state heavily Democratic and, thus totally irrelevant.

Correct

That never stopped Biden...maybe she just has to dumb it down.

Have no idea what this comment meant, youth.

Tulsi's lost any alignment with the Dem Party, burnt her bridges, (and yes, that's "forever" Salty) and she has no path forward for election in Hawaii.

What's that have to do with Biden? or "dumb it down"?

regarding the amount of times that one has run as candidate for POTUS