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By Ill flame
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#595648
I was under the impression that he hates all religions except for Islam because of identity politics. I would love to see the guy win the primary just to see him blown out in the general election.
#595650
Ill flame wrote: February 9th, 2020, 8:51 pm I was under the impression that he hates all religions except for Islam because of identity politics. I would love to see the guy win the primary just to see him blown out in the general election.
My money has been on mayor Pete from the beginning. He’s the best at speaking calmly and soothingly without actually saying anything. He is no less liberal than any of the others but packaged better and able to score voters Woke Points
#595651
For reference, this article is three years old.

This line of questioning is reprehensible. They would literally run a week-long news cycle if a conservative did this to someone.

It is amazing to me that people defend his behavior as fundamentally American. His honeymoon in Soviet Russia not withstanding, he has supported SWP presidential candidates platformed on a dismantled military and nationalized industry. And if we are willing to observe the past, Castro, Mandela, and even Ho Chi Minh all feigned democratic ideals to gain influence and power before ”coming out.”

That said, I think he is the least electable candidate. I hope he is the nominee and we can get a true test of the Socialist/Communist side of the democratic party against Trump. Trump would have been a democratic candidate earlier in my life. He is absolutely a moderate candidate when it comes to actual policy. His state of the union hinged on policies around health care and infrastructure reform.

At the risk of sounding super right-wing, I do think we can objectively look at things like Trump Derangement Syndrome and see that there is an air in the democratic party if ”orange man bad.”

I remember hearing all kinds of fear-mongering from the highest level democrats. That gays and minorities would be quarantined, segregation was just around the corner, that Trump had a blood lust for war and the terror that him having nuclear launch codes caused.

I entered the workforce in 2010. I served my entire enlistment during the previous administration and saw late paychecks, sequestered civilian counterparts, 60 year low pay raises, and a top down military culture designed around force reduction. Even though I was young, I was maxing out my IRA and watching that money disappear as it went in. I finished four years with less than a third in retirement of what I invested. I watched commanders parade their rate of force reduction as justification for promotion.

Since I separated it couldn't be more different. My friends that stayed in noted the greatest change in culture. Evaluations changed. Promotions changed. My retirement has doubled in the last three years. I’m observing record low unemployment for all groups of people. Tensions with NK and Iran are down. Working in sales, I've seen a shift in customers thinking ”America First” when presented with Asian import products versus domestic products. Some have even noted that even though the US price is higher, the price is stable and predictable. And one of the coolest shifts is seeing people now have a presupposition that American products and engineered and manufactured on equivalent status to German products.

American Exceptionalism isn't a bad thing. There's a reason so many people come here to fulfill their dreams. I'm not going to vote against Trump. I don't like the presentation and I certainly don't appreciate the appearance of wrongdoing. But there is a mountain of evidence that Trump is a good president.

That said, and I know this is a mile-long post, there are issues I'm trying to understand better. They weren't as Polarized as I thought growing up. Or maybe they are and it just takes so long to get from one to the other, it's hard to tell the difference.

Sorry for the novel. It wasn't really a preplanned thought. I just started typing and followed it. I guess it's just a long way to say, everyone lied(or was at least just wrong) about what a Trump presidency would look like except for Trump himself. If I can get four more years without another war, a happy retirement account, and the wage growth that follows this kind of unemployment, sign me up. The only thing that could make it better is some fiscal responsibility.
Ill flame liked this
#595653
Purple Haize wrote: February 9th, 2020, 9:53 pm But Trump said Bull shot......

Speaking of Mayor Pete. I expect this to be the first in several shots at his thin resume

https://www.wsj.com/articles/buttigiegs ... 1578355312
That had the Babylon Bee written all over it. Candidate refuses to make a determination on the quality of a decision without the benefit of hindsight.
Purple Haize liked this
User avatar
By Purple Haize
Registration Days Posts
#595655
Class of 20Something wrote: February 9th, 2020, 10:19 pm
Purple Haize wrote: February 9th, 2020, 9:53 pm But Trump said Bull shot......

Speaking of Mayor Pete. I expect this to be the first in several shots at his thin resume

https://www.wsj.com/articles/buttigiegs ... 1578355312
That had the Babylon Bee written all over it. Candidate refuses to make a determination on the quality of a decision without the benefit of hindsight.
Except it is the Wall Street Journal basically just quoting his book.
By LUDad
Posts
#595657
Class of 20Something wrote: February 9th, 2020, 9:43 pm For reference, this article is three years old.

This line of questioning is reprehensible. They would literally run a week-long news cycle if a conservative did this to someone.

It is amazing to me that people defend his behavior as fundamentally American. His honeymoon in Soviet Russia not withstanding, he has supported SWP presidential candidates platformed on a dismantled military and nationalized industry. And if we are willing to observe the past, Castro, Mandela, and even Ho Chi Minh all feigned democratic ideals to gain influence and power before ”coming out.”

That said, I think he is the least electable candidate. I hope he is the nominee and we can get a true test of the Socialist/Communist side of the democratic party against Trump. Trump would have been a democratic candidate earlier in my life. He is absolutely a moderate candidate when it comes to actual policy. His state of the union hinged on policies around health care and infrastructure reform.

At the risk of sounding super right-wing, I do think we can objectively look at things like Trump Derangement Syndrome and see that there is an air in the democratic party if ”orange man bad.”

I remember hearing all kinds of fear-mongering from the highest level democrats. That gays and minorities would be quarantined, segregation was just around the corner, that Trump had a blood lust for war and the terror that him having nuclear launch codes caused.

I entered the workforce in 2010. I served my entire enlistment during the previous administration and saw late paychecks, sequestered civilian counterparts, 60 year low pay raises, and a top down military culture designed around force reduction. Even though I was young, I was maxing out my IRA and watching that money disappear as it went in. I finished four years with less than a third in retirement of what I invested. I watched commanders parade their rate of force reduction as justification for promotion.

Since I separated it couldn't be more different. My friends that stayed in noted the greatest change in culture. Evaluations changed. Promotions changed. My retirement has doubled in the last three years. I’m observing record low unemployment for all groups of people. Tensions with NK and Iran are down. Working in sales, I've seen a shift in customers thinking ”America First” when presented with Asian import products versus domestic products. Some have even noted that even though the US price is higher, the price is stable and predictable. And one of the coolest shifts is seeing people now have a presupposition that American products and engineered and manufactured on equivalent status to German products.

American Exceptionalism isn't a bad thing. There's a reason so many people come here to fulfill their dreams. I'm not going to vote against Trump. I don't like the presentation and I certainly don't appreciate the appearance of wrongdoing. But there is a mountain of evidence that Trump is a good president.

That said, and I know this is a mile-long post, there are issues I'm trying to understand better. They weren't as Polarized as I thought growing up. Or maybe they are and it just takes so long to get from one to the other, it's hard to tell the difference.

Sorry for the novel. It wasn't really a preplanned thought. I just started typing and followed it. I guess it's just a long way to say, everyone lied(or was at least just wrong) about what a Trump presidency would look like except for Trump himself. If I can get four more years without another war, a happy retirement account, and the wage growth that follows this kind of unemployment, sign me up. The only thing that could make it better is some fiscal responsibility.
Good post. I realize the article is old but last time around Sanders was simply an afterthought, now he has a bit more juice. I didn't vote for Trump in the primary. I thought he would tact left after the election or at best be a moderate to liberal leaning conservative who would pay lip service to moral social issues. He proved me wrong.
Purple Haize liked this
User avatar
By thepostman
Registration Days Posts
#595664
Purple Haize wrote: February 9th, 2020, 9:21 pm
Ill flame wrote: February 9th, 2020, 8:51 pm I was under the impression that he hates all religions except for Islam because of identity politics. I would love to see the guy win the primary just to see him blown out in the general election.
My money has been on mayor Pete from the beginning. He’s the best at speaking calmly and soothingly without actually saying anything. He is no less liberal than any of the others but packaged better and able to score voters Woke Points
He is no less liberal? I mean he is obviously liberal but comparing him to Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warner's brand of liberalism, he almost looks like a right winger. That is why he is doing better than a lot of "experts" thought he would because the democratic party hasn't drifted as far left as the twitterverse would make everybody think.
#595666
thepostman wrote: February 10th, 2020, 7:18 am @Class of 20Something great post with a lot to unpack. I will say this, the new Air Force evals were fools gold. 😁
I fell victim to OpsSupers that wanted to fix the old system on their own. Squadron of 200 and maybe 20 got 5s. But the rest of the Air Force was still operating on firewall fives. I was a first term airman, 98% 5level EOC(It literally started an investigation because they thought the course was compromised), in college, and on base honor guard, and a worship leader in the base chapel. 4s. If I wasn't the poster child of whole airman concept, I can't imagine those that we're.

I missed SSgt my first time testing by the point difference in the 4s and 5s. I'm still bitter.
#595667
thepostman wrote: February 10th, 2020, 8:26 am
Purple Haize wrote: February 9th, 2020, 9:21 pm
Ill flame wrote: February 9th, 2020, 8:51 pm I was under the impression that he hates all religions except for Islam because of identity politics. I would love to see the guy win the primary just to see him blown out in the general election.
My money has been on mayor Pete from the beginning. He’s the best at speaking calmly and soothingly without actually saying anything. He is no less liberal than any of the others but packaged better and able to score voters Woke Points
He is no less liberal? I mean he is obviously liberal but comparing him to Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warner's brand of liberalism, he almost looks like a right winger. That is why he is doing better than a lot of "experts" thought he would because the democratic party hasn't drifted as far left as the twitterverse would make everybody think.
PH is right. His policies are way left but he is the most articulate of the bunch.
User avatar
By Purple Haize
Registration Days Posts
#595668
thepostman wrote: February 10th, 2020, 8:26 am
Purple Haize wrote: February 9th, 2020, 9:21 pm
Ill flame wrote: February 9th, 2020, 8:51 pm I was under the impression that he hates all religions except for Islam because of identity politics. I would love to see the guy win the primary just to see him blown out in the general election.
My money has been on mayor Pete from the beginning. He’s the best at speaking calmly and soothingly without actually saying anything. He is no less liberal than any of the others but packaged better and able to score voters Woke Points
He is no less liberal? I mean he is obviously liberal but comparing him to Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warner's brand of liberalism, he almost looks like a right winger. That is why he is doing better than a lot of "experts" thought he would because the democratic party hasn't drifted as far left as the twitterverse would make everybody think.
Think of it this way. People may not like the way Trump acts or says things but they will say his Policies aren’t too bad
Warren and Sanders have bad policies and are just as abrasive if not more so
People like the way Pete looks acts and speaks. But no one can articulate his policies. They just contrast his delivery to Trumps and say “he seems so much nicer”. But that’s where it stops. They don’t look into his policies because they are very liberal or so convoluted you don’t know what they are. For instance, the big ones for Conservatives Abortion Guns Immigration and Health Care.

And it’s those reasons he will win the Primaries. “He seems nice” + Woke Points will be enough for Liberal Leaning Independents or non Socialist/Communist Democrats
User avatar
By TH Spangler
Registration Days Posts
#595672
There's a struggle going on in the DNC between the socialist and the LGBTQ power brokers. The loser will be minority voters (black, hispanic). I told a minority friend last year that the Mayor would be moved to the top much like Clinton was last election. I think the mayor was choosen a long time ago, using the AOC method.

https://wsau.com/blogs/ben-armstrong-bl ... z-exposed/
Last edited by TH Spangler on February 10th, 2020, 9:55 am, edited 1 time in total.
#595674
I don't think Pete is super liberal at all. He's a Democrat but he's a moderate within the party. The Medicare For All Who Want It idea is better than Medicare For All. Same with his free college for those who need it idea. The super rich don't need the free healthcare or free college because they can afford it. I'm not in favor of gigantic tax hikes for the rich but I can get behind asking them to pay for the things they can afford.

My issue with Pete is I don't trust him. He's come on too strong too fast so it reeks of either the DNC pushing him to bury Bernie (who they openly dislike because, well, he's not a Democrat) and/or some type of corruption. To quote the great Lily Aldrin: where's the poop?
User avatar
By Purple Haize
Registration Days Posts
#595682
thepostman wrote: February 10th, 2020, 10:13 am @Purple Haize and @Class of 20Something , I think you guys are really under selling how far left Bernie and Warren are.
Not at all. They are so far left that they make Mayor Pete’s positions LOOK moderate by comparison.
Medicare for some? Nothing more than expanded Medicaid but with federal strings. Employers will stop offering their own benefit and more people will need it
Free College for those who “can’t afford it”. Really? Dig into that for more than 5 minutes. Kids today can graduate hs with an AA equivalent which would require 2 years in college for a BA/BS
Just because Mayor Pete is to the Right of Bernie doesn’t mean he’s a Moderate. But that’s how he is positioned because that’s how he compares himself
User avatar
By thepostman
Registration Days Posts
#595687
That is kind of my point though. I wasn't trying to say that he is some kind of centrist but his stance on issues are way more in step with the rest of the party than Bernie or Warren. I won't vote for him but I understand why a lot of dems are jumping on his bandwagon. You claimed he is "no less liberal" than those other 2 and that is just inaccurate. I know "all liberals are bad" runs deep around here but there is a lot of differences within that party just like there are a lot of differences within the Republican party.
User avatar
By Purple Haize
Registration Days Posts
#595688
thepostman wrote: February 10th, 2020, 10:39 am That is kind of my point though. I wasn't trying to say that he is some kind of centrist but his stance on issues are way more in step with the rest of the party than Bernie or Warren. I won't vote for him but I understand why a lot of dems are jumping on his bandwagon. You claimed he is "no less liberal" than those other 2 and that is just inaccurate. I know "all liberals are bad" runs deep around here but there is a lot of differences within that party just like there are a lot of differences within the Republican party.
He is no less a Liberal. He’s just taking a slower approach to the same end. The problem is trying to nail his positions down. He will give you glimpses of his true positions from time to time. But mostly it’s just platitudes. A blank canvas approach that Obama employed successfully in 08
User avatar
By TH Spangler
Registration Days Posts
#595689
Purple Haize wrote: February 10th, 2020, 10:43 am
thepostman wrote: February 10th, 2020, 10:39 am That is kind of my point though. I wasn't trying to say that he is some kind of centrist but his stance on issues are way more in step with the rest of the party than Bernie or Warren. I won't vote for him but I understand why a lot of dems are jumping on his bandwagon. You claimed he is "no less liberal" than those other 2 and that is just inaccurate. I know "all liberals are bad" runs deep around here but there is a lot of differences within that party just like there are a lot of differences within the Republican party.
He is no less a Liberal. He’s just taking a slower approach to the same end. The problem is trying to nail his positions down. He will give you glimpses of his true positions from time to time. But mostly it’s just platitudes. A blank canvas approach that Obama employed successfully in 08
He's a puppet. Research his puppet masters.
User avatar
By thepostman
Registration Days Posts
#595690
Purple Haize wrote: February 10th, 2020, 10:43 am
thepostman wrote: February 10th, 2020, 10:39 am That is kind of my point though. I wasn't trying to say that he is some kind of centrist but his stance on issues are way more in step with the rest of the party than Bernie or Warren. I won't vote for him but I understand why a lot of dems are jumping on his bandwagon. You claimed he is "no less liberal" than those other 2 and that is just inaccurate. I know "all liberals are bad" runs deep around here but there is a lot of differences within that party just like there are a lot of differences within the Republican party.
He is no less a Liberal. He’s just taking a slower approach to the same end. The problem is trying to nail his positions down. He will give you glimpses of his true positions from time to time. But mostly it’s just platitudes. A blank canvas approach that Obama employed successfully in 08
You said no less liberal, I know it is first thing in the morning but I can't read your mind here!
Purple Haize liked this
#595693
He isn't less liberal.

Let's look at the record.
Issues he is more fringe than centrist

Carbon tax
Green new deal
Fracking ban
All DNC 2A bans(the whole party is gone on this one)
Demilitarize the us Mexico border
Decriminalize illegal immigration
Slavery reparations
Partial basic income
Limit right to work laws
Abolish electoral college
Ban voter is laws
Dc statehood
PR statehood
Expand the supreme court
Decriminalization of possession of any illicit drugs
Abortion( Again the DNC is entirely fringe here)
Purple Haize liked this
User avatar
By thepostman
Registration Days Posts
#595701
He isn't a self proclaimed socialist so that alone puts him closer to the middle. Again, he leans further left than I'd ever be willing to vote for but I'm explaining his appeal to his party.
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