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Archive 2017-2019 Political Thread

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gangstonc said:
Mitch McConnell's net worth in 2005: $2.962 mil
Mitch McConnell's net worth in 2015: 23.965 mil

It doesn't matter that he is a republican. Democrats are doing it too. These people are not serving us, but rather their own interests.
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His wife's father is a Chinese shipping magnate I believe. We need about a 90-95% replacement in both houses of Congress!
 
gangstonc said:
I don't watch debates until we get to the real presidential race, but from the clips I have seen, Biden seems to be losing some of his acuity.
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I think so, too. Trump has also experienced a loss of cognitive function.

I don't know if it would be Constitutional to subject the offices of POTUS and VP to an age limit, but since we have a minimum age restriction I don't why it wouldn't be. But that's an incredibly difficult thing to get passed -- especially since so many aging members of Congress hold -- or have held --Presidential ambitions.

One alternative might be for Electoral College electors to pledge/commit to not voting for candidates in excess of age 72 or a somewhat comparable age. I don't know why the country can agree that a President needs to be at least 35 years of age, but can't agree that old age has its own pitfalls.

It's actually rather unfortunate because there are plenty of older people that don't experience cognitive declines until much later in life. But, part of that cognitive decline often includes impaired judgment, and that frequently extends to judgment of one's own abilities and acumen. That means candidates in cognitive decline often don't realize it, or can't be convinced that their skills have deteriorated.

I think our country needs to have a frank discussion about this, and it shouldn't be a partisan issue. I'm sure one of the principal arguments against an age restriction would be that there are plenty of people 70+ that haven't experienced cognitive decline and would be blocked from running based off of age alone. But, isn't that what already happens to candidates younger than 35 who might otherwise be qualified or able to do the job?

Part of the reason for an age limit would be that even if a candidate isn't showing a cognitive decline before they're elected, the next 4-8 years presents ample opportunity for such a decline to begin.

Another alternative might be to establish a panel of non-partisan experts to voluntarily evaluate the cognitive and physical health of candidates. I tend to believe candidates like Biden and Trump wouldn't participate, but if other older candidates did it would pressure them to do so, and their refusal to be tested would be something voters could then consider.

I know as Americans we want our mental and physical health to be a private matter, but the President of the United States (and the VP) aren't really private citizens anymore. They're our highest ranking elected officials -- our leaders -- and they're responsible for our military, use of nuclear weapons, and a host of other incredibly serious and very impactful things.

Why shouldn't we demand a higher standard for them and have more confidence that they're fit and able to do the job? I think it undermines our democracy to have a POTUS or VP that might have a cognitive decline severe enough that their staff end up being the ones truly running the country.
 
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Watched all the debates so far, Biden definitely doesn't appear strong when standing next to some of these sharp, refined and ambitious candidates. It's not to say his stance doesn't have merit, but it's easy to see how a progressive with big ideas and big enthusiasm easily out shines his moderism.

Moving from the big picture to a personal note, I am reminded as to why I was pro-Sanders from the beginning of the last presidential election primaries. He's got an appealing message and brings a heavy helping of realism to center stage - even if his plans aren't actually that realistic. I certainly can punch holes in the feasibility of things (how is he going to pay for that or what will be unintended consequences?) but I never thought of the president as being much more than a figure head who addresses problem and promotes solutions. The actual solving is up to Congress and I don't see anything heavily radical getting through there even with Sanders as president. I do however see his messages as important and the issues as needing attention. I'll be keeping an eye on him and the others as the stage shrinks to a manageable size. I wonder if his retoric will get stale by next year.
 
Evan said:
That's a fake news website run by a guy angry at the FBI for busting him for committing federal crimes. It's not a real site. He takes MSM news and slants it with fake quotes and made-up sources.
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Really? Have you seen the news today regarding Comey?
 
Will Hurd is retiring. I rarely, if ever use this word, but that's a complete bombshell. It's insane to see how many Republican Reps have retired since Trump's election. Hurd is a catastrophic loss to the GOP's attempts to broaden their appeal to minority voters.The GOP is also losing one of its most informed members on the topics of immigration and the Intel community. There's zero chance Republicans retain this seat in the 2020 election.

Biggest question: Does this trickle of GOP retirements turn into a flood like it did before last year's mid-terms? Will that include any GOP Senators in competitive Senate seats? Imagine if the Democrats suddenly stopped lurching to the left, acting crazy, and becoming embroiled in internecine warfare. How many seats might they win?

There are frequently double digit retirements by the minority party when retaking the House is seen as slim, but usually a good number of those retirements are older long-term Reps, members running for a different office, or Reps facing redistricting. Losing bright young members like Hurd and Roby are not the norm.
 
Matt said:
Really? Have you seen the news today regarding Comey?
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Yes. Trump's DOJ said Comey will not be charged and that "it wasn't even a close call."

On a scale of 1 to "we'll do it live, #$&@ it" Bill O'Reilly, how mad are you right now?
 
I’m in the northern part of the Michigan lower peninsula. Am not possible to post a link or video using my phone. DOJ has declined to prosecute Comey after being referred by IG. Moderators please delete my two previous posts. Thanks!
 
Matt said:
I’m in the northern part of the Michigan lower peninsula. Am not possible to post a link or video using my phone. DOJ has declined to prosecute Comey after being referred by IG. Moderators please delete my two previous posts. Thanks!
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Enjoy your trip and stay safe.
 
Evan said:
Enjoy your trip and stay safe.
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Evan said:
Yes. Trump's DOJ said Comey will not be charged and that "it wasn't even a close call."

On a scale of 1 to "we'll do it live, #$&@ it" Bill O'Reilly, how mad are you right now?
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I’m not mad just disappointed. Roger Stone and Paul Manafort are sitting in jail and Comey walks. At least for now. Evan, is it a good thing that elites get off while the rest of us do not? I thought you cared about justice.
 
maroonedinhsv said:
The irony is strong in this one.
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Yes, is it not quite ironic that that Comey and Mueller prosecute people for lying and violating our laws regarding national security. Comey
Was referred for what? Violating laws regarding national security and not “ being candid”! Lying! Thanks for noticing. #bifurcatedjusticesystem
 
Good lord. This man calls himself a friend to a murdering thug who has killed American citizens.
 

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