Politics

[mdwest]

100%. If he wants to pick up skeptical Republicans like me and the few remaining moderate Democrats, he needs to pick someone like Pompeo, DeSantis, Youngkin, or even an opportunist like Cotten. Unfortunately, everyone of them is smarter, better educated, more experienced, and far more articulate than Trump. At least Noem has likely taken herself out of contention by bragging about shooting her 14 month old German Wire Hair Pointer.

I hadnt given much thought to a VP candidate Youngkin... But I am VERY much liking that idea...

Much to the dismay of Northern Virginia, Youngkin is wildly popular pretty much everywhere else in the state and might just be able to ensure VA going red in 2024 if he were on the ticket...

Hes been a very clear friend to the economy, the people, etc.. and has made a lot of common sense decisions that has brought Virginia at least a little bit off the path of absolute self destruction that his predecessors had put it on (despite constant push back and flaming coming his way from NoVA)...

And since in VA you only get 1x 4 year term, he's out of a job in VA in Jan 2026 anyway.. if he leaves a year early that potentially sets his LT Gov up success as well (she's also a very good option for VA I believe)...

Youngkin could bring more centrist R's back into the fold with a hope of Youngkin being well positioned for a 2028 run at POTUS... and also push some swing states that the polls tell us are leaning toward Trump well over the edge and into the R camp (especially true in the Eastern US where Youngkin is fairly well known, etc)...

 

[Red Leg]

They're more experienced? Only trump, out of the names you cited, has been the leader of the free world, aka, President…. But I get what yer saying. The dog thing cost Noem any chance at all.

Fair point.

 

[Dirtdart]

When reading this thread many times have I thought about this book. Some of you may find it an interesting read. Bay of Pigs, Cuban Missile Crises, and Vietnam.

 

[WAB]

I read something recently about Trump's criteria for selecting a VP running mate. Supposedly he doesn't want anyone who might be a presidential hopeful in 2028. This is bizarre! Having a VP running mate who will be a strong presidential candidate is maybe the most important criteria. I'd like to see Pompeo or some other adult in the room. None of the media favorites right now do much for me.

If this is true, and I truly hope that it is not, we could not get a more clear statement about his priorities being about himself and not what is good for our country.

 

[flatwater bill]

@Red Leg If your premise was correct, then your conclusions would be correct. Recalling the one time need for NATO doesn't address the mid 90's when it lacked purpose. I quoted a few people who disagree with you, but there are plenty more. NATO has become a 21st century solution to a 1955 problem. A problem that no longer existed, and so had to be recreated. But let's shift to Sudan/South Sudan. The atrocities are worse. Oops....we can't discuss that. MNM hasn't beaten that drum yet. .......The Daily Beast (essentially left lib rag) quoted soldiers saying that the new "aid" package had signed their death warrants, and destroyed the last of their infrastructure..................they were not Russian soldiers...............they were Ukrainian. It won't get reported, it doesn't fit the premise.................FWB

 

[mdwest]

@Red Leg But let's shift to Sudan/South Sudan. The atrocities are worse. Oops....we can't discuss that. MNM hasn't beaten that drum yet. .......

not to avert the current conversation... but FWIW, my firm was boots on the ground less than a month after South Sudan became an independent nation, remained on the ground through its most recent civil war, and still has ties to some work being done in that country post the most recent civil war...

I have written multiple (2) published documents related to South Sudans economy and business posture..

I personally have made just shy of 30 trips to South Sudan and have been in and out of that country since the late 1990's.. I have spent time in Salva Kiir's office (current president of South Sudan), and have spent a TON of time with both a former South Sudan Minister of Defense and multiple deputy ministers of defense as well as multiple general officers of the SPLA.. (FWIW I still have an ID card that declares I am a civilian with the equivalent rank of a Colonel in the SPLA in my possession... and have been in and out of Bilpam (The SPLA General HQ.. essentially their "pentagon") more times than I can count..

If anyone has any question about Sudan/South Sudan.. Im happy to share my experiences, observations, and knowledge (although at this point its a few years dated) in a more private setting... I can advise much of what might be getting reported on pretty much everything that has occurred in that country over the last 50 years is rife with bias, and sadly, often with bullshit.. whether its been put forth by the media, NGOs, bretton woods organizations, or anyone else..

 

[flatwater bill]

The idea the we are at the center of the Universe has got to stop. Pure narcissism. We are smarter, we are stronger. We know what is best for you. Let's export America to the World. Mayb you have to live in another Country, on their economy, speak their language to realize that they have families...they have hopes and dreams, and their own ideas on what is best for them. "We need to become a Nation among Nations. Not a Nation above Nations"......not my quote, but a great one. Can anyone tell me what happened in Libya? In Afghanistan? In Iraq? How about Syria? Can't we learn?.....stay free, think for yourself...........FWB

 

[flatwater bill]

@mdwest Thank you for the comments on Sudan. I would love to hear more. You know, whenever I talk to someone about Ukraine, I get the programmed response.....often anger at me for disagreement, they don't want to hear the other side. They look confused when I ask about Sudan. That's got nothing to do with it I usually hear. But it has EVERYTHING to do with it. The point being, they know NOTHING about Sudan, because no one told them to care. No one told them to be upset. No one told them to defend democracy, etc. So when they acknowledge that they have never been to Ukraine, know no one there, I ask them......why the tears, why the anger........why not the same for Sudan? Well, they hate who they were told to hate. And they believe the BS over and over and over.......I appreciate the comments, and especially those that disagree with me..........and I'd love to learn more about Sudan.
Then perhaps I could jump up and down, rant and rave about how we must weaken, attack, or defend somebody else. But I don't know anyone in Sudan..........................Bill

 

[meigsbucks]

What of Tulsi Gabbard?

When she appears on talk shows, she says a lot that has credence, but IMO, is still a Democrat and as such would lean toward moderate Dem values.

 

[fourfive8]

I know a special ed teacher from South Sudan whose family made multiple attempts to escape and finally did when she was 12. Made it to the US, initially in the Houston area, after a harrowing journey and some NGO assistance. After listening to the stories she has relayed to me, her family's ordeal would, I believe, qualify under the original intent of the asylum immigration policy.... not to be confused with the policy as currently being used by Brandon (et al) to import future voters plus electoral population gerrymandering.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

The idea the we are at the center of the Universe has got to stop. Pure narcissism. We are smarter, we are stronger. We know what is best for you. Let's export America to the World. Mayb you have to live in another Country, on their economy, speak their language to realize that they have families...they have hopes and dreams, and their own ideas on what is best for them. "We need to become a Nation among Nations. Not a Nation above Nations"......not my quote, but a great one. Can anyone tell me what happened in Libya? In Afghanistan? In Iraq? How about Syria? Can't we learn?.....stay free, think for yourself...........FWB

It's hard to argue with that and so I won't. Although I wouldn't classify it as narcissism, more like arrogance sprinkled with ignorance of other's desires. Perhaps well intended, but it does not always work.

Having said that, I don't quite get what you're saying on NATO. You seem to think NATO serves no purpose anymore. If that's correct, are you suggesting NATO be dissolved?

 

[BSO Dave]

Drain the swamp? Build the wall? Neither happened.

Trump's "drain the swamp" promise was specifically meant to rid D.C. of the elected officials and department head bureaucrats on all sides that have corrupted the system... Not sure why Stossel or that other TDS jackass that he interviewed tried to spin this to infer that Trump vowed to reduce the number of the federal workforce, but that was clearly never his promise or intention, and pretty obvious to anyone paying attention...

What Trump did successfully do, both directly and indirectly through his constant and enduring persecutions, was to pull back the curtain on the level of deep state corruption in several Federal government agencies that most Americans never knew existed. Had it not been for Trump, I doubt any of us would have ever realized it was possible to have corrupt federal bureaucrats and elected representatives at the highest levels capable if fabricating evidence in the attempt to interfere with elections, and legally prosecute their political enemies.

In regard to the wall, you and I had this conversation before by which you incorrectly claimed that Trump failed to build... My reply to that claim then is the same reply now which is that he actually did rebuild over 450 miles of broken wall at the highest traffic areas which he did first on the advice of the CBP... He also purchased the materials to finish the entire project by funding sourced outside of Congressional legislation which absolutely failed him. Through no help of Congress whatsoever, he still found the funds to buy the raw material which sat all along the border for the last 3 years until most of it was eventually sold for scrap by the Brandon Administration for 10 cents on the dollar.

 

[mdwest]

I know a special ed teacher from South Sudan whose family made multiple attempts to escape and finally did when she was 12. Made it to the US, initially in the Houston area, after a harrowing journey and some NGO assistance. After listening to the stories she has relayed to me, her family's ordeal would, I believe, qualify under the original intent of the asylum immigration policy.... not to be confused with the policy as currently being used by Brandon (et al) to import future voters plus electoral population gerrymandering.

A lot of hogwash has been distributed about the "Lost Boys" of Sudan/South Sudan.. so you have to be careful about what you read, who wrote it, and try to figure out why they wrote it, what they were trying to get at, etc.. before you accept it as truth or valid...

but, that said, what is undeniable is how incredibly well many of the "lost" did once they got to the US (as well as many places in Europe) despite the odds being outrageously set against them..

One particular lost boy that I had the pleasure to spend a good bit of time with around the 2010 time frame had busted his butt and worked his way through college for a decade while picking up a PhD and was teaching as a tenured professor in a western US university when South Sudan obtained its independence...

As soon as South Sudan was established as a nation, he gave up his very comfortable job and associated high level of income, and got on a plane to return "home" (somewhere he had not seen since he was about 10 years old)..

He was a senior member of the civilian corps attached to the SPLA when I met him, whose responsibility was to establish formal training and educational programs that would help the SPLA transition from the guerilla fighting force they had been for almost 50 years into a more modern East African formal military organization.. he gave up a 2500 square foot house, a tenured position at a major university, and all of the safety and security of living in the US, along with all of the accoutrements that come with living here (access to world class healthcare... good roads... the ability to go see a concert.. or eat at a number of wonderful restaurants, etc).. and was now living in about a 200sq foot tukal hut (dirt floors, mud walls, thatch roof, etc)... without indoor plumbing.. cooking over a little propane stove... hitching rides to work each day (no car), etc..etc.. and was making less in a year than his monthly salary when he was in the US.... and was genuinely both happy and proud to be doing it... he was part of establishing what at the time was the worlds newest nation.. he was playing a key role in building the future of his nation...

and there were a whole lot more out there much like him...

we as a people could learn a lot from several of the Lost Boys about what it means to be not just a good human being, but a good citizen, and someone worthy of their nations trust and honor...

thats not to say all the Lost Boys did well... there are just as many stories of tragedy and despair...

but Ive always been amazed at what I think has been a disproportionate number of great human beings, most of whom will never be recognized for who and what they became.. that came from that small group of people...

 

[WAB]

@mdwest Thank you for the comments on Sudan. I would love to hear more. You know, whenever I talk to someone about Ukraine, I get the programmed response.....often anger at me for disagreement, they don't want to hear the other side. They look confused when I ask about Sudan. That's got nothing to do with it I usually hear. But it has EVERYTHING to do with it. The point being, they know NOTHING about Sudan, because no one told them to care. No one told them to be upset. No one told them to defend democracy, etc. So when they acknowledge that they have never been to Ukraine, know no one there, I ask them......why the tears, why the anger........why not the same for Sudan? Well, they hate who they were told to hate. And they believe the BS over and over and over.......I appreciate the comments, and especially those that disagree with me..........and I'd love to learn more about Sudan.
Then perhaps I could jump up and down, rant and rave about how we must weaken, attack, or defend somebody else. But I don't know anyone in Sudan..........................Bill

Bill,

I have been to Ukraine, in fact I have traveled extensively in Kiev, Poltava, Harkov, Crimea, etc,, I do have friends there, I believe that I think for myself, and I disagree with you. I believe that they are fighting for their right to exist as a nation, I believe that the vast majority of the population of Ukraine are aligned with this, certainly those I know are, I believe it is the moral obligation of all right minded countries to support them, and I believe that it is also in our best interest to do so.

Admittedly, both our data sets, although much greater than the average American, are still quite limited. We could both be wrong!

WAB.

 

[Saul]

First of all, I seriously doubt you are being honest when you say that you wanted Trump to succeed... If you were fully aware of Trump's agenda and policies when he was running and honestly hoped for his success, exactly where did he disappoint on policy? Trump was the exact same guy in office as he was before office... What exactly did you think you think we were getting?

I suppose I could post dozens of links listing Trump's accomplishments and successes on his agenda, but that would obviously be a complete waste of time for both of us... However, I would be very interested in your list of failures and disappointment that you claim to have?



This statement above is exactly why no liberal can be taken seriously...

If you define success as fraudulently running on a moderate, unifying platform with absolutely no intention or capability of doing either, than yes, Brandon is the most successful POTUS ever... LOL..!

In fairness, I will concede that Brandon did deliver 100% percent on one of his most popular campaign promises which was to open the borders, flood the country with illegal immigrants, making a complete mockery of our sovereignty, national security, and the Constitution... I guess at the time liberals and independents thought this was a good idea, and just now they are acknowledging the damage? It baffles me how truly stupid half of the electorate in this country really is...

First of all, despite disagreeing with you strongly, I have never once doubted that you honestly believe what you say to be true. I would appreciate that same respect.

Second, while I might hope that a President fails to accomplish certain aspects of their policy agenda, I hope that every American President succeeds as the leader of this nation and the free world. To wish otherwise, in my opinion, is un-American.

The following is by no means exhaustive, and for the sake of brevity, I will only address the things I was hoping Trump would accomplish.

Before I begin with where he disappointed me, I will give him his due…

• I commend Trump for agreeing to move our embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.
• I was generally pleased with his tax reform package, though I would have liked to see a much steeper middle class cut.
• While the initial attempts at implementation were downright embarrassing, I was pleased to see Trump pursue and at least somewhat succeed in implementing a travel ban from high-risk countries. Still, I would have liked to see this go much further than it did.
• Ditching the Iran nuclear deal was the right move, as was his overall policy toward Iran.
• I was very impressed with his appointments of Rex Tillerson, James Mattis, Steve Mnuchin, and Gary Cohn. However, this also turned into an area of disappointment.
• His greatest accomplishment, in my opinion, was shifting the political consensus in both parties on China and the border.

And now for some of the ways in which Trump disappointed me…

• As I mentioned above, Trump initially showed signs that he could assemble a uniquely competent administration, including many political outsiders. Unfortunately, his narcissism and petulance got in the way.
• For all his big talk and tariffs, Trump did not deliver a focused strategy capable of seriously denting China’s expanding influence or economic manipulations.
• There did not appear to be any cohesive strategy to or success in bringing jobs back to America.
• Trump failed to deliver necessary reforms to Medicare, though the blame is shared with the entire GOP.
• I had hoped that his desire to be seen as a masterful dealmaker and political outsider would have led him to strike bipartisan deals, even if it meant working around party leadership. Unfortunately, his recalcitrance ensured that no such “grand compromises” ever emerged.
• Speaking of compromises, I had expected him to at least pursue his proposal for expanding mental health access through grants to states in exchange for adopting a national right to carry.
• While Trump was certainly much better than Biden on border issues, I was expecting a much more aggressive crackdown on illegal immigration and reform of the asylum system.
• I had hoped that, at least when the GOP had a governing trifecta, Trump would have pursued a balanced budget and attempted to reduce the deficit. Instead, he did the opposite.
• Perhaps it was my own naivety, but I genuinely believe that Trump would try to be a President for all Americans, and that he might even be able to unite this country like Reagan.

 

[Saul]

Biden's speech on Holocaust remembrance day was good. Credit where it is due.

Agreed. Very good speech, delivered well and with conviction. I just hope enough people are willing to listen.

 

[John Wasmuth]

This is why no one should support democrats for anything…. Black youths don’t know what a computer is? Governor of New York has to back peddle on this…

NY Governor Hochul says black kids in Bronx don't know the word computer

New York Governor Kathy Hochul's comments during a technology panel have drawn controversy.

www.bbc.com

 

[Red Leg]

@Red Leg If your premise was correct, then your conclusions would be correct. Recalling the one time need for NATO doesn't address the mid 90's when it lacked purpose. I quoted a few people who disagree with you, but there are plenty more. NATO has become a 21st century solution to a 1955 problem. A problem that no longer existed, and so had to be recreated. But let's shift to Sudan/South Sudan. The atrocities are worse. Oops....we can't discuss that. MNM hasn't beaten that drum yet. .......The Daily Beast (essentially left lib rag) quoted soldiers saying that the new "aid" package had signed their death warrants, and destroyed the last of their infrastructure..................they were not Russian soldiers...............they were Ukrainian. It won't get reported, it doesn't fit the premise.................FWB

Even if you were correct, and I absolutely do not believe you are, that view is irrelevant today. Simply ask Sweden, Finland, and obviously, Ukraine.

 

[CoElkHunter]

100%. If he wants to pick up skeptical Republicans like me and the few remaining moderate Democrats, he needs to pick someone like Pompeo, DeSantis, Youngkin, or even an opportunist like Cotten. Unfortunately, everyone of them is smarter, better educated, more experienced, and far more articulate than Trump. At least Noem has likely taken herself out of contention by bragging about shooting her 14 month old German Wire Hair Pointer.

DeSantis.

 

[John Wasmuth]

DeSantis.

Can the P and VP be from the same state?