The American Politics Thread

micky wrote: ^ and color me fabulously curious for who the blacks as a voting block.. ie the southern primaries will break for in the coming campaign. They have in the past coalesced around one candidate as a block.. but is the year they fragment? One can see it happening. Those whose innate conservatism lead them to go centrist as they did Hillary in 2016 thus going Biden (or Sherrod Brown who is widely expected to run if Biden does't run and take the center while Warren and Harris fight a death match to claim the left of the party) Warren's policies as I have sort of explained are perhaps their best path forward to start breaking the cycle of prepetuating racism and that through ending economic/education systematic racism.. but will they see it.. can she make a case for it to them? We shall see... and what about Harris.. other than being a woman of color.. what is she really about politically..  the path to winning in 2020 is playing to the issues not playing identity politics.. so will be extremely curous to see how her campaign emerges and what she is really for... will be interesting to see...

Edited by Snicolette - February 09 2019 at 10:24

speaking of and sort of touched on this earlier in terms of the black vote ... the difficulties a moderate Democrat is going to have winning the nomination. Not even factoring in the reverse Trump factor..

now is that right... or fair? Who knows...  all I know is the Mickprincipal.. life is a bitch.. and often not fair.

Edited by micky - February 09 2019 at 17:00

I do payroll for about 500 mostly laborers in a wholesale nursery (agriculture).  We have a fair amount of garnishments and child support amongst that number.  The garnishments are almost all at a 25% amount, meaning no more than 25% of an employee's "disposable," income can be taken per paycheck to repay said creditor.

micky wrote: now is that right... or fair? Who knows...  all I know is the Mickprincipal.. life is a bitch.. and often not fair. ask the millions of nameless faceless women that are sexually assaulted and the men who get away with it how fair life is.. if the cost of a heightened awareness and the movement for the victims to come out is a few innocents who get their lives trashed.. oh well..  being a public figure has it's upsides .. and downsides. as I was telling Raff at lunch (we had a long passionate talk over this very subject)  if you have any chance of having allegations like this come out.. then perhaps politics and entering the public life is not where you need to be.

Oh I have absolutely no problem with throwing politicians under the bus since I think most of them worlwide are rotten anyway. But from the outside, I can't help but notice that it's only one party that's taking such a strident line on this. And I do wonder indeed if that is an overreaction to the HRC campaign. It's not necessary that voters would be equally as unforgiving of some other democratic candidate, especially a low profile dark horse like say Tulsi Gabbard. It's more like HRC was a candidate with tremendous baggage and those who didn't want to vote for her were looking for reasons why. It's admirable and all that to see the Democratic Party hold reps, senators to a high standard. Just make sure you don't run out of candidates. And yes morals are relative. But, again I am just using the Northam example to make a larger point about the party. The choice between someone wearing a blackface 30 years back (when if I recall there was a pop hit with a video that featured a blackface) and someone calling Mexicans rapists and terrorists on his campaign is or should be an easy one to make. Back in the day, nobody talked much about the times Gandhi's attempts to maintain celibacy went wrong (and the quibbling began post independence from right wingers who found non violence abhorrent) because it was important to remember not only what we were fighting for but what we were fighting against. Take a stand sure but beat the enemy first and foremost. And trump isn't just the enemy of the Democratic Party but enemy no. 1 of the USA.

rogerthat wrote: Oh I have absolutely no problem with throwing politicians under the bus since I think most of them worlwide are rotten anyway. But from the outside, I can't help but notice that it's only one party that's taking such a strident line on this. And I do wonder indeed if that is an overreaction to the HRC campaign. It's not necessary that voters would be equally as unforgiving of some other democratic candidate, especially a low profile dark horse like say Tulsi Gabbard. It's more like HRC was a candidate with tremendous baggage and those who didn't want to vote for her were looking for reasons why. It's admirable and all that to see the Democratic Party hold reps, senators to a high standard. Just make sure you don't run out of candidates. And yes morals are relative. But, again I am just using the Northam example to make a larger point about the party. The choice between someone wearing a blackface 30 years back (when if I recall there was a pop hit with a video that featured a blackface) and someone calling Mexicans rapists and terrorists on his campaign is or should be an easy one to make. Back in the day, nobody talked much about the times Gandhi's attempts to maintain celibacy went wrong (and the quibbling began post independence from right wingers who found non violence abhorrent) because it was important to remember not only what we were fighting for but what we were fighting against. Take a stand sure but beat the enemy first and foremost. And trump isn't just the enemy of the Democratic Party but enemy no. 1 of the USA.

I probably don't have the same cynical view of public servants as I see expressed in this thread and elsewhere, and maybe thats because I know a fair share of them personally. Yes, the sleazy politician most certainly exists, our last presidential election is sad proof of that, but I wouldn't lump them all in that basket.

Here are some Memphis area public servants that are doing a great job:

Lee Harris - Shelby County mayor. One hard working guy and very concerned about the people he serves. I know him and taught his son piano for several years.

Steve Cohen - Our representative in DC. Don't know him personally but know plenty that do. He is held in high esteem by most.

Steve Mulroy - Former city council member and mayoral candidate and a very vocal proponent for all things good for the city. I know him personally and also taught his son piano.

Jim Strickland - the current mayor of Memphis. I do not know him personally but do know many who do. He has been working his butt off to fulfill his worthwhile campaign promises.

Then of course there is my wife who works with local politicians to go after those who break anti-animal cruelty laws.

Yes we have our share of sleaze bags too, but I will not list them right now except for Diane Black and Marsha Blackburn, their corporate hugging ways are bad for all of us.

^ If they are activists in the Nashville area, then my wife knows them. She has addressed the state legislature many times and can tell you who in Nashville is good and who is not. She knows them all.
I can't give out her name though as she is currently working under cover at a puppy mill in another part of the country. Those people probably have no idea who they have on their case right now, she is relentless, ha.

rogerthat wrote: Yeah, Republican Party.  But in your presidential system, that makes Trump the enemy, the target because the GOP won't do anything to make him step down.  And also agree that term limits would be a good solution.

^ the real problem is that he is applauded and lauded for it.