Donald Trump Presidency-Day One

[broncofan]

I saw on Rachel Maddow show that if tuesday night hand been an Alabama House of Representatives election, and the same people voted either democratic or republican, because of gerrymandering, you would have gotten 6 republicans, and one democrat.

I love that someone disliked your post, which if true, is a hard fact and not really something to be angry about. I think that it's perfectly illustrative of how gerrymandering works. It ensures lots of small wins in districts for your guys and then sequesters the other side's voters in one district for a single large win. Curious to see who the angry person is who hates explanations about gerrymandering. Dreamon is that you? Just be honest if it is.

[broncofan]

Just curious. Anyone have any thoughts about Bernie Sanders not endorsing Doug Jones? I'm not a fan of it but I guess I've said that

[Stavros]

Just curious. Anyone have any thoughts about Bernie Sanders not endorsing Doug Jones? I'm not a fan of it but I guess I've said that

The argument in the NYT link below is that Alabama voters are sensitive folk and would not take kindly to out-of-state radicals being bussed in to stand by Doug Jones side. Even Biden when he visited was seen as a risk but is a long-time friend of Jones, so no major Democrat figures showed up -no Obama, no Clinton, no leading Senators -but they did a lot behind the scenes in fund-raising and organization. You could even say this was a tactical success, tailoring a campaign to its local features. It is also the case that Doug Jones is a mild-mannered lawyer compared to Roy Moore's hysterical John Wayne with a Bible (but a reluctant horse) and that he did not, as far as I am aware, run any fire and brimstone ads attacking Moore. Does this mean Moore lost rather than Jones won? Perhaps.

And anyway, Sanders is not a Democrat. And, as has been discussed before, it suggests the Democrats have to move on and start putting the next generation of leaders in front of the cameras, not yesterday's men and women.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/14/u...democrats.html

[bluesoul]

last night kentucky state rep. dan johnson committed suicide by shooting himself in the head near a bridge in mt. washington after allegations of sexual molestation of a teenage girl. below is his facebook post made shortly before taking his life:



weird how an innocent man with horizontal restraints (wife and kids) choses suicide instead of fighting to clear his name. but he loved god and his family and since god forgives all and his family has also been asked to forgive all i guess he's in the clear now

[Stavros]

weird how an innocent man with horizontal restraints (wife and kids) choses suicide instead of fighting to clear his name. but he loved god and his family and since god forgives all and his family has also been asked to forgive all i guess he's in the clear now

Indeed, and a more telling point is that the same people who claim God is the all-powerful author of all things, don't explain how this God is powerless to help men like Dan Johnson. Or maybe Dan Johnson gave up on God by taking his own life, the life that he would claim God gave him.

Roy Moore has issued a ridiculous Christmas message, utterly bereft of the humility and grace one would expect a Christian to deliver at Christmas, a time of 'peace and goodwill to all men'. Instead, having claimed the Constitution recognises that all people are equal, he then degrades the same people by blaming them for everything that he thinks has gone wrong with America, even claiming there is no difference between two corrupt political parties, one of which supported his campaign in the election he is still reluctant to concede he lost. This is so remote from the Christian life it is a pity he can't be sued under the trades description act, but the more relevant fact is he lost. And no amount of counting and blame can change that fact.
But one also notes the complete lack of grace in these losers, when even the President who campaigned for Moore, now claims he always said Moore would not win! This is a fish rotting from the head down.
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/12/14/roy-...ube-video.html

[bluesoul]

ha ha ha
I heard Omarosa was cussing out Gen Kelly and demanding to see the President, and he refused so she tried to sneak into to the White House Residence section and was escorted out by Secret Service.

that part wasn't true and omarosa confirmed as much although i'm not sure whether i'd believe her considering her reputation, close relationship (sort of?) with trump and the fact that she still technically works for him until jan 20th

[broncofan]

And anyway, Sanders is not a Democrat. And, as has been discussed before, it suggests the Democrats have to move on and start putting the next generation of leaders in front of the cameras, not yesterday's men and women.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/14/u...democrats.html

Thank you for this. I saw this after I posted and realized the attacks on him on social media are probably unfair if he was suppressing his view to avoid alienating Alabama voters. You're right that the party needs to move on from him, but it depends on whether Bernie will allow it to as many of his followers are obsessed with his cult of personality and want to draw divisions that don't need to exist. If he's the guy that the voters want then so be it but if he's not, there has to be a way to rein in his cult...I realize this view will not be everybody's cup of tea.....I don't necessarily think he's a bad guy, just that the Bernie movement is more aspirational than anything else and provides a good fantasy for people but not a means of achieving things.

It's hard to find good news when a child abuser who has made numerous racist statements over the years nearly wins an election, but it was a good outcome in that Republicans further compromised themselves and still lost. Whether that is punished by voters in the future or has a lasting effect on their brand remains to be seen. It is a shame that there are so many cultural divisions in this country that we have fewer and fewer common values.

[broncofan]

weird how an innocent man with horizontal restraints (wife and kids) choses suicide instead of fighting to clear his name. but he loved god and his family and since god forgives all and his family has also been asked to forgive all i guess he's in the clear now

And theologically isn't suicide as big a sin as anything among Christians? Or does this only apply to Catholics?

[bluesoul]

kind of. the problem is that killing oneself goes against human nature of survival (or trying to avoid death) so the question is why did someone kill themselves or rather, why did someone kill? was jack kevorkian a murderer or doctor? did his patients go to hell (even though they were suffering greatly or were they forgiven and do they now adorn halos and wings?)

another example is someone who is so delusional they think they can fly and jump off a building. technically suicide, but they're too disconnected for that to qualify since they didn't consent to die.

so for it to be properly a mortal sin (the worst of the very worst): you have to be healthy and totally consenting to killing yourself i.e. i just don't want to live anymore

the question about the dan johnson suicide is whether you believe him when he says "16 years is a sickness that will take my life" and "i cannot handle it". was he in some kind of pain and anguish?

how about robin williams?

suicide is a case by case basis which, i'm sure, god and his auditor thomas aquinas are more than qualified to handle.

[sukumvit boy]

16 women who have been molested by Trump band together to demand that Congress investigate.
And 56 female Democratic lawmakers demand an investigation of trumps sexual misconduct.
http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/whit...ak-out-n828356

https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/se...-trump-n828611