Progressives, part 3...

Too many Americans see the electoral college as some sort of "unjust" system of electing a president and the judicial branch as the means of resolving election disputes.  Neither of those ideas are constitutional or healthy.  There have been disputed elections in this nation that occurred long before anyone alive today.  They were resolved by legislative bodies and electors.  Yes folks there was arm twisting and horse trading.  The riot effectively ended this process not in the favor of the rioters. 

posted by queencitybuckeye

That IS pretty funny, as most of that didn't happen.

Gaslight much?

If that is gaslighting, you sir are a flame thrower 

posted by Devils Advocate

If that is gaslighting, you sir are a flame thrower 

Yeah, despite the dubiousness of some of the claims, most of the others are just signing something passed by Congress (which is almost always the case).

Sure, the POTUS does set some of that agenda, but I don't know that Republican Congress did anything they wouldn't have with any other Republican POTUS.

And the border/wall stuff is just ridiculous.  Even Fox News regularly shows migrants scaling the wall, but yet the MAGA crowd continues to pretend that walls work.

posted by gut

Yeah, despite the dubiousness of some of the claims, most of the others are just signing something passed by Congress (which is almost always the case).

Sure, the POTUS does set some of that agenda, but I don't know that Republican Congress did anything they wouldn't have with any other Republican POTUS.

And the border/wall stuff is just ridiculous.  Even Fox News regularly shows migrants scaling the wall, but yet the MAGA crowd continues to pretend that walls work.

When it comes to securing the borders, the thing I'd give Trump credit for was actually having an idea as to how to try to secure a really, really long stretch of land. And that's about it. Like you said, pics/vids of people scaling the wall weren't exactly uncommon and when we're considering the idea was to build a wall combined with just how much wall would have to be built to cover all the necessary land, for Trump to "secure the border", he'd need eight full years followed by more presidents sharing his vision so the project never ended. And even then, I have doubts to whether we'd have that "be all, end all" securing that the MAGAs tout as reality.

If a person wants to say that Trump at least tried to secure the borders, which is more than Biden/Ds are trying to do, I'd have no objections to that statement. But saying he secured them or that they magically became secure under his presidency is just dishonest.

A wall only "works" to slow down crossers enough for border control to intervene.

But that's somewhat theoretical as we've seen people get over that wall pretty quickly.  If you actually start deporting everyone instead of "catch and release", then the influx will finally slow, at least.

Trump did have the right idea with engaging Mexico to stop them at their southern border, which would be easier to secure.  But you probably have to write them a check (instead of the other way around, as Trump insisted).  Still, that would probably be much more cost effective when you consider the cost of enforcement combined with the cost incurred to support the migrants.

I'll add I think the main reason crossings slowed under Trump, and have now increased under Biden, is largely due to Covid.

Harvard prez out, but still stays and receives $900k salary.  What a deal.  

And of course, it is all the conservatives fault with their racism and stuff.

The psychosis is real, and incurable.

Gas was $2.55 yesterday. Just curious how the Biden-controls-gas-prices-with-his-magic-lever crowd feels about it. There was a time when those folks were posting gas prices on here everyday and saying Biden was shooting for $5 prices. Haven’t seen any posts on that topic recently.  

Just curious if Biden reversed the magic lever by accident, Trump used mind control on him to make him pull back the magic lever, etc.

As an aside, I highly recommend the book “The Prize” by Daniel Yergen.  It is a very readable yet comprehensive history of the quest for oil.  It is an outstanding tutorial on how oil prices are way beyond any president of the US to really affect even in a minor way.

It costs about $11,000 more to live today, as you lived 3 years ago.  Maybe that's an easier way to understand the family economic destruction. 

posted by QuakerOats

It costs about $11,000 more to live today, as you lived 3 years ago.  Maybe that's an easier way to understand the family economic destruction. 

I was specifically asking about gas prices as that was the metric constantly bantered about here.  It’s crickets now.  What gives?

Most people won't forget the 115% increase they had to endure for 2 1/2 years.  And then there's everything else that will remain highly elevated.

posted by QuakerOats

Most people won't forget the 115% increase they had to endure for 2 1/2 years.  And then there's everything else that will remain highly elevated.

Why’d Biden bring the gas prices back down?  Why not leave them elevated?

I think part of the issue is that in his first days in office Biden summarily undid much if what Trump was doing, in the spite game that almost all the Dems in DC have been humping these past years. 

Anyway, um just now catching up here after spending a week in an overpriced cabin in Montana. Not really overpriced, since seclusion, peace and quiet was what my dude and I wanted. And we got it.

posted by Dr Winston O'Boogie

Why’d Biden bring the gas prices back down?  Why not leave them elevated?

He'd rather have his second recession of his one-term occupation of the WH.

posted by QuakerOats

He'd rather have his second recession of his one-term occupation of the WH.

Makes sense.

posted by CenterBHSFan

I think part of the issue is that in his first days in office Biden summarily undid much if what Trump was doing, in the spite game that almost all the Dems in DC have been humping these past years. 

Anyway, um just now catching up here after spending a week in an overpriced cabin in Montana. Not really overpriced, since seclusion, peace and quiet was what my dude and I wanted. And we got it.

Uh, wasn't a big part of Trump's 2016 campaigning revolving around undoing things Obama did (ie: Obamacare)? Let's not pretend the spite game only goes one way? It's pretty much the foundation of our current political climate. Attempt to negate anything the other side does and, if that fails, suddenly praise its virtues like they were the ones actually trying to make it happen.

posted by Dr Winston O'Boogie

Makes sense.

Shit man, when I'm thinking about my place in the history books, the ONLY thing I want is for them to say, "He didn't just fuck up horribly, but then he set things up so he could fuck up horribly again! Just to say he could!"

posted by Heretic

Uh, wasn't a big part of Trump's 2016 campaigning revolving around undoing things Obama did (ie: Obamacare)? Let's not pretend the spite game only goes one way? It's pretty much the foundation of our current political climate. Attempt to negate anything the other side does and, if that fails, suddenly praise its virtues like they were the ones actually trying to make it happen.

Not saying it's a one way street. But it's obvious to most people that the level of spite against Trump has been elevated to new heights. To the point that they're now actively partaking in political persecution. So yeah, the differing levels of reciprocity are not the same.

So, I'm going to go out on a limb and conjecture that this will be used by the Dems as leverage if all else fails. Since, you know, they are already testing the waters to see how far it will float: