Are you sure Johnson is done?Quote:
Originally Posted by Stavros
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Are you sure Johnson is done?Quote:
Originally Posted by Stavros
To be really effective nationwide, they need Trump in the White House and control of Congress, given they have the Supreme Court as far as can tell. That said, individuals States could go for Project 2025, and in part Texas and Florida have already made moves aligned with it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fitzcarraldo
Right now he is making more money than he ever could as an MP or even Prime Minister. He is not part of the election campaign, so far, because he is on his holidays -again, or not in the country, whatever, wherever. If the party does badly, he would be welcomed back because of his communication skills, but still would have to become an MP again, and I am not sure he is up for it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fitzcarraldo
They need a Republican in the White House and control of Congress.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stavros
I haven't asked a question - I made a statement of opinion/perspective - check it out again. :cheers:Quote:
Originally Posted by Luke Warm
There is no rule on this forum that says you have to be a little more forthcoming with your opinions, but it might be shall we say, 'interesting' to find out -if you lived in their State/District would you vote for Tim Scott or Byron Donalds? I am assuming you would not vote for them just because they are Black, so either way, how would your vote go?Quote:
Originally Posted by MrFanti
If Democracy is on the ballot in the US elections, in a way that it is not here in the UK, it might be due to Trump's backers taking the view that it is not something the US needs anymore. Elon Musk is no lover of Democracy, preferring to make money doing deals with autocratic regimes in China, and increasingly in India, where, as in Israel, the Govt might be democratically elected but behaves in a dictatorial fashion.
I don't know much about Peter Thiel, but he is a major backer of Convicted Criminal Trump, thus-
"Peter Thiel, the billionaire tech financier, once wrote: “I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible.”"
He has also has this take on US history-
"“The 1920s were the last decade in American history during which one could be genuinely optimistic about politics. Since 1920, the vast increase in welfare beneficiaries and the extension of the franchise to women – two constituencies that are notoriously tough for libertarians – have rendered the notion of ‘capitalist democracy’ into an oxymoron.”".
Why is a group of billionaires working to re-elect Trump? | Robert Reich | The Guardian
There is no historical or indeed, political reason why Capitalism must be wedded to Democracy, but it is clear that Democracy, by giving individuals rights, threatens those Capitalist enterprises that are part of the slave economy, thus Democracy in Capitalism for Thiel seems to be equivalent to freedom from Slavery in the Plantation South c1824. That Thiel thinks Democracy's time is up might not be a surprise, but were he to look at economic history, and ask, when were people most prosperous, he would not like the answer, though I guess, like Trump, he is both too stupid to know how to look these things up, and doesn't care anyway.
In the UK the main concern is that the next Govt will not be much different from the one it replaces, whereas in the US, the potential for disagreements on the fundamentals to erode the Union is more potent than it was in 1861.
Here is a talking point for the debates, courtesy of Newton Gingrich, writing in the Telegraph (not hidden behind a paywall so far)
Abolish the FBI!
"The first instinct will be to get revenge, given the vicious dishonesty at the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Central Intelligence Agency – and the abuse of prosecutorial power by the Justice Department and prosecutors in Georgia and New York.However, if Republicans start using lawfare and abusing the courts to punish Democrats, the destructive, dangerous cycle would only continue – and America would be in peril"...
"The next Trump Presidency should reassert the Bill of Rights protections for all Americans. It should investigate violations of the rule of law and conspiracies to use the law as a form of warfare.
It should make public all the documents and communications that show the level of conspiracy from 2015 to today to destroy Mr. Trump as a candidate and later as President. "...
"The next Trump Presidency should explore dramatically reforming – and possibly even dismantling – the FBI. It should establish new standards of transparency and accountability throughout the Department of Justice.
The goal should be to strengthen the rule of the law and reinforce the inviolability of the Constitution – not to use the law against political opponents.
America’s survival depends on this effort. It should be a key principle of the next Trump Presidency."
The legal assaults against Trump must end (telegraph.co.uk)
The exact opposite of a Trump presidency.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stavros
Trump doesn't seem to have got the memoQuote:
Originally Posted by Stavros
Trump again suggests he would try to prosecute his political opponents if reelected
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/06/05/p...nts/index.html
Re: two previous posts: Gingrich was covering his backside, and goes on with sophistry to argue he is 'restoring' the Constitutional principles he thinks the US was founded on, but then goes on to, in effect say, what the hell, if they do It to Trump, Trump will do It to them. What is the FBI for if not law enforcement?
Defunding the Police was all the rage in the wake of George Floyd's death, and it was used by Republicans to show how irresponsible the Democrats were on law and order -yet as far as I know, the only Police Department to be 'de-funded' was in a Republican county I think in Maine, and Trump is not just arguing for de-funding, but the abolition of the Department of Education, the Environmental Protection Agency so that their issues can be 'returned' to the States, thereby increasing their autonomy from the Federal structure he probably doesn't want the States to be part of in the future.
Through such actions, Trump and his cult are preparing the ground for the effective dissolution of the Union, and its replacement by 50 independent states.
"Donald Trump reportedly sent vetting documents to potential running mates recently ― and the short list should be no surprise.Multiple news outlets reported Wednesday that Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) plus Reps. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) have received the forms, as have North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R) and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson."
Here Are Trump VP Candidates Who Reportedly Received Vetting Papers For The Job (yahoo.com)
If it goes to the least known and exciting, must be Burgum...? Always assuming he doesn't go for Peter Navarro or Michael Flynn.
I just watched the CNN broadcast.
America, you have a problem. A big problem.
I have also watch the First Presidential Debate. Donald -Orange Rambling Clown-Trump used the same playbook he used in 2020,and is a pathological liar,and the incumbent Joe Biden's performance wasn't very good. And Democratic Strategists are concerned about his performance.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stavros
I didn't watch it as I'm not a masochist, but it sounds like it was a disaster for Biden. I don't take pleasure in being vindicated on this, but I told you so a few months back.
Not surprisingly, Trump lied and dissembled continually, but Biden just doesn't seem mentally sharp enough to capitalise.Quote:
Originally Posted by filghy2
It sounds like some Democrats are now talking about whether Biden can be replaced as candidate. They should have been doing that six months ago.
They've been doing that for at least four years.Quote:
Originally Posted by filghy2
On one level you were right, but on another level I believe the view was that while Biden is not an inspiring speaker on public platforms his long experience in DC has given him negotiating skills, he has and has promoted a progressive agenda, and crucially, his team is made up of mature people. The obvious problem is that when it comes to presentation skills, Trump can shout louder and appear stronger though I must admit Biden's age is painfully evident, even if most of the time he is of sound mind.Quote:
Originally Posted by filghy2
Just as depressing was the abject failure of the two hosts to challenge Trump on his ludicrous assertions -have 'millions and millions' of illegal migrants crossed the border in under 4 years, and are they from mental institutions, prisons and so on? As with Farage in this country claiming immigrants are a drain on social services, most of them are young and fit and don't need health care and are available for work immediately, and in both the US and the UK there are minimum wage laws that employers ought not to violate.
Then there is the 'I did not have sex with that woman' lie, the claim Biden is a 'Manchurian Candidate', so preposterous it beggars belief neither Tapper nor Bash challenged Trump to offer proof, while all the facts -defaming E Jean Carroll, stealing government documents, endorsing the seditious attack on the US, and so on, went unremarked. Biden couldn't handle it, he had no means of directly challenging or refuting what Trump says, but were Trump's hysterical rants enough to convince undecided voters?
As for the Democrats, procedurally they have to find a new candidate if Jill can persuade Joe to drop out (I don't think anyone else can), but then there is the list for the Convention to consider -Harris, Newsom, Whitmer, Beshear, Buttigieg, and someone called Wes More about whom I know nothing, in fact I never heard of him until this morning- I assume any one of them would shred Trump in a public debate, but the process of choosing one of them will not be easy.
There is still time to act, but will they?
Completely agree,if the Democrats thought that President Joe Biden wasn't up the task of serving a second term?,they should have began the process of finding someone who they think has a better of defeating Donald Trump over a year ago.But they didn't ,the 2024 Election is over four months away,and it is too late now to find a replacement and Joe Biden will be the Democratic Nominee whether they like it or not.Quote:
Originally Posted by filghy2
I watched President Joe Biden give a fiery speech at a campaign rally in Raleigh North Carolina earlier today,where the crowd was chanting four more years and chanting his name. He also really went after Donald Trump,and addressed the elephant in the room about his age and says he could do the job. And it sounds like he's not stepping down from the Campaign Trail anytime soon. However if he did decide to step aside,Vice President Kamala Harris would be the next in line to be the democratic nominee,and she would mop the floor with Donald Trump and shred him in a public debate. No i don't think they will act.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stavros
They need to find someone who satisfies the minimum requirement of being able to make clear arguments off the cuff without losing their train of thought, but on previous form they probably won't. Biden seems to have a bad case of stubborn old man syndrome. Ironically, in trying to protect his pride he is probably ensuring his own humiliation.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stavros
It's galling that many people in the party who see more of him than we do must have know it wasn't tenable for him to run again, yet they talked themselves into a state of paralysis where any other option was seen as too hard. In it's own way, this is almost a big a failure as the Republican Party's failure to see off Trump after the last election.
Given Biden's age, more thought should have been given to the future in the lead-up to the 2020 election. More thought should have been given to choosing a VP who would be able to step into Biden's shoes if needed. Those who through their support behind him in 2020 should have insisted on conditions about running again. They should have known that statistically there was a big risk of mental and physical decline.
The additional problem is that if Biden did step down the party would then be spending time and money on itself when it should be campaigning against Trump. I assume if Biden resigned, say for reasons of ill health, Harris is President and thus offers the country a young President who ought to be able to both mount effective attacks against Trump while promoting a view that stresses the future and optimism, given that Trump is all about the past, retribution and has nothing good to say about the US. This is an opportunity for Harris to make history, but do the Democrats want her as their leader? And is it not the case that whatever her ratings are now, if she was given the chance she would prove to be better than expected?
The problem is that Biden's increasingly obvious shortcomings are detracting from their ability to get across the message about Trump's flaws. They can't compensate for that by putting out more ads or prioritising internal unity.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stavros
Calculations by FiveThirtyEight on electoral college bias. They estimate that Biden needs to win the national vote by at least 2% to win the EC. On the latest polling average he was behind by 1%. So that's 3% to make up, even before the debate debacle.
Attachment 1458670
Indeed! So little discussion of the stuff Trump came out with -I am still waiting for someone to tell me what he meant when calling Biden the 'Manchurian Candidate'- was Biden brainwashed by the Chinese and is waiting for the 'trigger' moment when he assassinates Trump? They tried making the film twice, and failed both times, not sure third time lucky was the intention behind the FBI 'raid' on Mar-a-Lago, guns locked and loaded, when he claims he was tortured instead.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fitzcarraldo
It is still a question of numbers and if Trump voters declined in the Primaries, they may fall even more if the court -the 11th July I believe- imposes some tough sentencing, say, limiting Trump's movements outside of either New York State or Florida.Quote:
Originally Posted by filghy2
A more perverse option is emerging, via Kamala Harris and Jill Biden and some others in effect saying that Joe can 'bounce back' as he appeared to in that rally, though that will only fuel speculation that he has been 'pumped up'.
No, the issue is this: if Biden is elected, will he last 4 more years? He could have a stroke- between now and November or after it- which leaves Harris in pole position to become the first Woman to be President of the USA. She need not worry about a divisive leadership contest if the powers that be stick with Joe, so either now or later the Trump people, if they can think it through may have a new slogan
'Vote Biden, Get Harris'. The irony being for some it is more a hope than a warning.
Changing the ticket is much easier said than done:
https://apnews.com/article/biden-rep...c86cc0bebd3772
Not sure, because if Biden resigns citing reasons of ill health, and does it say, tomorrow, Harris becomes President. How this impacts the Convention regulations I don't know, but if Biden is no longer running for office, can the Convention delegates vote for someone else?Quote:
Originally Posted by Fitzcarraldo
The last election was decided by just under 43,000 votes in 3 states, so it will take only a small shift to change the result. They don't even have to switch to Trump; they could stay home or vote for a third party. I'd say most undecided voters don't like either choice.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stavros
I doubt that people will forget what they saw just because he does some prepared stump speeches okay. It's obviously a less challenging task. Most undecided voters won't even know because they don't follow this stuff, though they are unlikely to have missed seeing something about Biden's brain freeze in the debate.
Biden’s family privately criticizes top advisers and pushes for their ouster at Camp David meeting
http://www.politico.com/news/2024/06...ebate-00165970
This is nonsense, now can someone be 'over prepared' when the question is why Biden did not react spontaneously when Trump made such outrageous statements about immigration, losing the election and so on -did he need coaching to do that? Surely this is the bread and butter stuff of normal debate? And what about the two moderators who allowed Trump to change the subject and not answer questions, and never challenge him on claims that have no merit on any level? In the UK elections the moderators make politicians uncomfortable, asking them tough questions and they expect it -they even get hostile questions from the public which I don't see in this US election -open it up, get Trump and Biden to face the music, though Trump usually walks out of interviews if he thinks they are not going his way.Quote:
Originally Posted by blackchubby38
What you don't get in the US
Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer face the difficult questions at Sky News leaders' event (youtube.com)
duplicate deleted
I know these views didn't come from Biden himself, but blaming the staff is never a good sign.Quote:
Originally Posted by blackchubby38
"Among the family’s complaints about the debate practice: that Biden was not prepared to pivot more to go on the attack; that he was bogged down too much on defending his record rather than outlining a vision for a second term; and that he was over-worked and not well-rested."
If the man can't come up with his own reponses in a critical situation then he shouldn't be running. If he can't function unless conditions are just right then he shouldn't be running. If the approach suggested by advisors was wrong for him, why didn't he insist on a different approach?
I guess this means we are stuck with Biden, barring a major health problem.
If people still backing Biden really believe the debate was just an aberration and he's still capable of campaigning effectively there's an obvious way to prove it. Have him do a series of tough interviews where he will be grilled and has to come up with responses off the cuff. If they continue to shield him it suggests they don't actually believe their own lines.
I just want to make something known. I posted that article as to keep people informed as to what's been happening since Thursday's night debacle. I'm by no means endorsing the opinions expressed by the Biden family, as I feel there are not helping in this situation.Quote:
Originally Posted by filghy2
Furthermore, I have never liked the idea of a President or those close to him blaming others for their shortcomings. Because something tells me that if Biden did well in that debate, we wouldn't be hearing how well his staff helped him prepare and that he would be getting all the praise for how well he handled Trump.
Finally, I find the people going out of their way to make excuses for Biden's performance or basically telling others who have concerns to basically "Shut up and support the guy" are in some serious denial about him being an effective campaigner or what the next four years are going to be like if he is re-elected. He is the President of the United States, not your favorite sports team.
I agree, which is why if he is re-elected in November, I doubt he will still be there in 2028. So why wait for him to resign owing to ill health a year into the Presidency? It looks like the Democrats haven't got the bottle to do what they need to do.Quote:
Originally Posted by blackchubby38
They need to have the candidate to replace him. Who is it? Who doesn't alienate independent voters more than Biden?Quote:
Originally Posted by Stavros
The point is that if he is in office, but resigns or dies or is removed, the Vice President automatically takes over. This may even be what Harris and her supporters are thinking.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fitzcarraldo
A Question For My Fellow Posters: What if President Joe Biden decided to end his campaign for reelection and step aside,and Vice President Kamala Harris becomes the president and the Democratic Nominee,and Joe Biden gives her his full support. Do y'all think the other members of the Party jump on board and support her?.
I don't think they would have any choice, because challenging that solution would be very messy and they would be blamed for creating disunity. The only way someone else could get it would be if Biden nominated them.Quote:
Originally Posted by KnightHawk 2.0