President Trump and US politics catchall

[Sandstorm]

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[Lobby]

Fox News are apparently preparing to call the election for Biden, but it’s presenters have been instructed not to use the term “President Elect”, presumably so as not to anger Rupert.

[SaintK]

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President elect Biden shirley?

[sturginho]

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President elect Biden shirley?

Not according to Fox, they're banned from calling him that

[SaintK]

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President elect Biden shirley?

Not according to Fox, they're banned from calling him that

As I see from the post above mine

[Saint]

And further possible consequences of not encouraging more postal/absentee voting and not taking coronavirus seriously. 4 days before election day, a Missouri election official tested positive - then worked at a St Louis suburban polling precinct, potentially exposing 2,000 to the virus, despite being advised to quarantine. He died yesterday

[Slick]

Quality thread rename

Just noticed that

[Slick]

Yeah, that would have been quite a spot for them if Nevada started getting called.

Biden will still likely take AZ, but with the benefit of hindsight it wasn't a solid call at the time for AP and Fox

Fox apparently doubled down on their call when Jared called Rupert Murdoch to complain that the cry baby was upset with the call

Its odd that someone as transactional as the shitgibbon, doesn't realize that now he's lost the Presidency; he has nothing these guys want anymore !

he's got a mountain of debt; & mountain of incoming criminal cases, & no more immunity, & no more leverage, & no more favors

Yup, rats off a sinking ship at the moment.

Whilst it is very funny, these guys that have kept quiet and in many cases supported him over the last 4 years are utter cunts who should be ashamed.

[Bimbowomxn]

Its odd that someone as transactional as the shitgibbon, doesn't realize that now he's lost the Presidency; he has nothing these guys want anymore !

Of course he realises , he’s nothing if “transactional”.

[Rhubarb & Custard]

Fox apparently doubled down on their call when Jared called Rupert Murdoch to complain that the cry baby was upset with the call

Its odd that someone as transactional as the shitgibbon, doesn't realize that now he's lost the Presidency; he has nothing these guys want anymore !

he's got a mountain of debt; & mountain of incoming criminal cases, & no more immunity, & no more leverage, & no more favors

Yup, rats off a sinking ship at the moment.

Whilst it is very funny, these guys that have kept quiet and in many cases supported him over the last 4 years are utter cunts who should be ashamed.

Trump helped make Fox a lot of money when he was a guest invited to comment back in Obama's time and allowed to present his views without any pushback/fact checking. Fox would probably be very happy to take him back in a similar role, but there's always a chance Trump will be respectful of the idea former presidents should mostly be neither seen nor heard, more likely if he's not on Fox he'll have done a deal with OAN to make that Trump news to get the real facts to real Americans

[Hal Jordan]

Its odd that someone as transactional as the shitgibbon, doesn't realize that now he's lost the Presidency; he has nothing these guys want anymore !

Of course he realises , he’s nothing if “transactional”.

Problem is, up until now there hasn't been a transaction that he couldn't throw money (often someone else's) at to make it go his way or go away, and certainly not with the level of scrutiny that he has been subjected to.

Not that I have a shred of sympathy for him, but becoming President is probably the worst thing that has happened to him. Lose, he was still successful billionaire businessman Donald Trump, TV star and with an extra string to his self-promotion bow of "former Presidential candidate" but still largely to the world "Donald Who?" or, that bloke on the American version of The Apprentice or the guy who won a proxy hair match with Vince McMahon. All his secrets, his financial black holes and his his disgusting true face would have been carefully hidden away until after he was dead and gone.

[fishfoodie]

Its odd that someone as transactional as the shitgibbon, doesn't realize that now he's lost the Presidency; he has nothing these guys want anymore !

he's got a mountain of debt; & mountain of incoming criminal cases, & no more immunity, & no more leverage, & no more favors

Yup, rats off a sinking ship at the moment.

Whilst it is very funny, these guys that have kept quiet and in many cases supported him over the last 4 years are utter cunts who should be ashamed.

Trump helped make Fox a lot of money when he was a guest invited to comment back in Obama's time and allowed to present his views without any pushback/fact checking. Fox would probably be very happy to take him back in a similar role, but there's always a chance Trump will be respectful of the idea former presidents should mostly be neither seen nor heard, more likely if he's not on Fox he'll have done a deal with OAN to make that Trump news to get the real facts to real Americans

I think they limit your telephone time when your in Prison; so It might be hard for him to call into Fox & Friends for his daily rant.

[Woddy]

Yup, rats off a sinking ship at the moment.

Whilst it is very funny, these guys that have kept quiet and in many cases supported him over the last 4 years are utter cunts who should be ashamed.

Trump helped make Fox a lot of money when he was a guest invited to comment back in Obama's time and allowed to present his views without any pushback/fact checking. Fox would probably be very happy to take him back in a similar role, but there's always a chance Trump will be respectful of the idea former presidents should mostly be neither seen nor heard, more likely if he's not on Fox he'll have done a deal with OAN to make that Trump news to get the real facts to real Americans

I think they limit your telephone time when your in Prison; so It might be hard for him to call into Fox & Friends for his daily rant.

what's he going to prison for? If it reflects on the state of the USA, they won't prosecute in the end: too much loss of national face involved.

[Rhubarb & Custard]

Trump helped make Fox a lot of money when he was a guest invited to comment back in Obama's time and allowed to present his views without any pushback/fact checking. Fox would probably be very happy to take him back in a similar role, but there's always a chance Trump will be respectful of the idea former presidents should mostly be neither seen nor heard, more likely if he's not on Fox he'll have done a deal with OAN to make that Trump news to get the real facts to real Americans

I think they limit your telephone time when your in Prison; so It might be hard for him to call into Fox & Friends for his daily rant.

what's he going to prison for? If it reflects on the state of the USA, they won't prosecute in the end: too much loss of national face involved.

Tricky one when there are so many things it looks like he could be in prison for, but how one goes about that without having it look like the persecution of a political rival with the attendant risks that brings I don't know.

[fishfoodie]

Trump helped make Fox a lot of money when he was a guest invited to comment back in Obama's time and allowed to present his views without any pushback/fact checking. Fox would probably be very happy to take him back in a similar role, but there's always a chance Trump will be respectful of the idea former presidents should mostly be neither seen nor heard, more likely if he's not on Fox he'll have done a deal with OAN to make that Trump news to get the real facts to real Americans

I think they limit your telephone time when your in Prison; so It might be hard for him to call into Fox & Friends for his daily rant.

what's he going to prison for? If it reflects on the state of the USA, they won't prosecute in the end: too much loss of national face involved.

The only think the US reliably puts people in prison for; fraud !

The SDNY has all his taxes, & has been picking over his finances for years now; & the rumors have been, that only reason they haven't moved, was Presidential immunity.

[Hugo]

I wonder how this plays out over the next four years.

Biden campaign garnered the most votes in Presidential election history and has barely scrapped over the line. His was a very diverse coalition (GOP establishment all the way to the BLM types on the left) so Biden will govern in the centre but it is going to be hard to satisfy such a broad church. The primary driving force in the US politics has been Trump for the past five years and without him to energise and mobilize people against him I would imagine turnout and participation in politics will recede. Also, I can imagine the "settle for Biden" Warren/Sanders types becoming disillusioned if stuff is not accomplished specifically on healthcare. I'm not sure that Biden or Harris ever really articulated a clear position on healthcare during any of this, seemed like a lot of back and forth. Maybe they did, I just seem to recall them saying one thing during one debate, then switching their position a few days later.

Going to be interesting to see how the media adapts, Trump has been the most covered President in history and has been a godsend to the 24 hour news media. It's not going to be as easy to capture people's attention with a conventional politician.

[Sandstorm]

Sen Casey of Pennsylvania “ The Constitution is going to run right over Donald Trump”

[clive]

Just have to say Trump is a utter CUNT, there is something seriously wrong with this dickhead, and his followers.

[Lobby]

I wonder how this plays out over the next four years.

Biden campaign garnered the most votes in Presidential election history and has barely scrapped over the line. His was a very diverse coalition (GOP establishment all the way to the BLM types on the left) so Biden will govern in the centre but it is going to be hard to satisfy such a broad church. The primary driving force in the US politics has been Trump for the past five years and without him to energise and mobilize people against him I would imagine turnout and participation in politics will recede. Also, I can imagine the "settle for Biden" Warren/Sanders types becoming disillusioned if stuff is not accomplished specifically on healthcare. I'm not sure that Biden or Harris ever really articulated a clear position on healthcare during any of this, seemed like a lot of back and forth. Maybe they did, I just seem to recall them saying one thing during one debate, then switching their position a few days later.

Going to be interesting to see how the media adapts, Trump has been the most covered President in history and has been a godsend to the 24 hour news media. It's not going to be as easy to capture people's attention with a conventional politician.

I’m not sure. It’s just possible that a dull and dependable presidency is just what America needs, rather than yet more controversy and division. Settle the wounds opened during 4 years of Trumpian chaos, and then look to the second term to move forward with a more radical agenda.

[Rinkals]

Just have to say Trump is a utter CUNT, there is something seriously wrong with this dickhead, and his followers.

Apparently we can't refer to his supporters in derogatory terms.

We have to acknowledge their humanity and understand that what drives them is patriotic fervour.

Personally, I think that, if you vote for a morally bereft dribbling idiot to represent you, you should be prepared to be judged by that same metric.

[Ted.]

As a warning and because that's how you deal with traitors. One assumes Bannon said it merely to get the attention because he's not actually that stupid, and indeed he'd happily sit down for a chat with both Fauci and Wray. Further proof Bannon is a git, though why further proof might be needed is a mystery

No he really is that stupid - this is the guy who's on bail for a huge fraud case. Absolute scumbag, Seneca's idol, Farage's mate, and occasional guru to Boris Johnson. Woo.

Plenty of otherwise intelligent people get caught out on fraud, that's more about rationalising your sense of entitlement or being a greedy bastard if you prefer. Bannon is plenty bright enough to know better, he's actively choosing to act in such despicable fashion because that advances his career and his stated cause, but probably mostly his career.

Stupidity isn't necessarily solely symptom of lack of intelligence. It can just as easily be a symptom, or function, resulting from a faulty personality and/or processing deficiencies. Bannon is an extreme idiot and quite possibly a sociopath.

[Hugo]

I wonder how this plays out over the next four years.

Biden campaign garnered the most votes in Presidential election history and has barely scrapped over the line. His was a very diverse coalition (GOP establishment all the way to the BLM types on the left) so Biden will govern in the centre but it is going to be hard to satisfy such a broad church. The primary driving force in the US politics has been Trump for the past five years and without him to energise and mobilize people against him I would imagine turnout and participation in politics will recede. Also, I can imagine the "settle for Biden" Warren/Sanders types becoming disillusioned if stuff is not accomplished specifically on healthcare. I'm not sure that Biden or Harris ever really articulated a clear position on healthcare during any of this, seemed like a lot of back and forth. Maybe they did, I just seem to recall them saying one thing during one debate, then switching their position a few days later.

Going to be interesting to see how the media adapts, Trump has been the most covered President in history and has been a godsend to the 24 hour news media. It's not going to be as easy to capture people's attention with a conventional politician.

I’m not sure. It’s just possible that a dull and dependable presidency is just what America needs, rather than yet more controversy and division. Settle the wounds opened during 4 years of Trumpian chaos, and then look to the second term to move forward with a more radical agenda.

A simmering down that a plodding Presidency would offer is a good thing undoubtedly but the underlying problems that existed four years ago and that gave rise to Trump haven't gone away and will need to be addressed with a degree of urgency:

1. The environment/climate change - the window is closing on this.
2. Wealth inequality - I'm guessing one of the outcomes of COVID has been a massive transfer of wealth from the middle class to the rich, the devastation of small, locally owned businesses whilst the likes of Amazon made out like bandits.
3. Healthcare not provided to all but tied to jobs. Jobs that may have been lost since the outbreak of COVID.

These are all pressing issues that he is going to have to deal with in the first term.

[Hugo]

Getting rid of Trump is one thing but if you can't address the underlying issues that led to his rise, there will be another Trump further down the road. The pandemic accelerated wealth inequality which was already a pressing issue before 2020:

Income inequality soaring

The pandemic is a boon for the ultra-rich. The staggering rise in the stock-market is testament to this. In the US, over 44 million people lost their jobs and unemployment surged towards 15% between April and June 2020. Yet the fortunes of the top five billionaires rose by $102 billion, increasing their wealth by 26%. In fact, the combined wealth of US billionaires increased by over $637 billion to a total of $3.6 trillion, which is considerably more than the entire wealth of the 54 countries on the African continent.

Some of the biggest winners are those with high stakes in the technology sector. Digital retail vendors, conferencing platforms and social media groups have reaped the benefit from the lockdown and the shift to remote work.

The increasing concentration of in-country inequality is signalled in our latest book, Terra Incognita: 100 Maps to Survive the Next 100 Years. Between 1980 and 2020, billionaires in the US saw their wealth soar by 1,130%, increasing more than 200 faster than median wages. At the same time, the tax obligations of billionaires in the US declined by 78% between 1980 and 2018 (measured as a percentage of their wealth).

The share of income going to the top 1% since 1900
The share of income going to the top 1% since 1900. The two panels reveal how deliberate changes in national policy since 1900 altered the share of total income going to the top one per cent. On the left are English-speaking countries like the UK and US where inequality has risen sharply, while on the right continental Europe and Japan have contained increases in inequality.
Image: Our World in Data and Terra Incognita
The spectacular accumulation of wealth in the hands of a small minority is ramping-up pressure to tax the rich and their heirs. Among high-income countries, for example, the US has the highest level of wealth inequality, the second highest level of income inequality, after taxes and government transfers, and one of the lowest levels of intergenerational mobility. An individual’s future is largely determined by their parents’ income. In 2020 alone, children will inherit around $764 billion and pay an average of just 2.1% on this income. By contrast for working people, the average tax rate is 15.8%, seven times more. These disparities are further skewed by race, and the racial wealth gap is even larger than it was in 1968, at the peak of the struggle for civil rights.

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/10/ ... -about-it/

[JM2K6]

The state of US media has a lot more to do with Trump's rise than economic anxiety and inequality issues.

[Guy Smiley]

The state of US media has a lot more to do with Trump's rise than economic anxiety and inequality issues.

One time Australian PM Kevin Rudd has circulated a petition in Australia calling for a Royal Commission into the activities of NewsCorp. It’s attracted over 1/2 a million signatures, an Australian record.

[Saint]

If you want to have a hope of fixing these issues, you have to fix Citizens United. As long as money=speech in US politics the system is permanently biased in favour of the rich guy

[Biffer]

So. I've seen a fair amount of suggestion that the other news channels aren't calling the result so that Fox will have to call it first, just to piss off Trump.

that would be a beautiful thing.

[Ali Cadoo]

So. I've seen a fair amount of suggestion that the other news channels aren't calling the result so that Fox will have to call it first, just to piss off Trump.

that would be a beautiful thing.

Ohpleaseohpleaseohpleaseoleaseohpleaseohplease!!!

[Saint]

The rumours leaking out of the White House are that they're trying to work out how best to turn this into the Trump TV plan. So the question is, who will cut the ties first - Trump, or Murdoch?

[Slick]

BBC reporting hardly anyone has turned up for work at the White House today

[Tichtheid]

Read elsewhere -

"If we could have rigged the vote we'd have gotten rid of Mitch McConnell first"

[Hugo]

Interesting thing to consider that four of the last five Presidents were born within four years of one another (three in 1946, Biden in 1942) and the timeframe from the first day of Clinton's adminstration until the last day of Biden's will be 32 years. Assuming Biden does not pass away in the next four years.

I doubt any other generation has had that much of a stranglehold on the White House, albeit with 1961 Obama sandwiched in there.

[Hugo]

I suppose its to be expected - that postwar generation had a lot of fortune on their side in terms of relative peace, prosperity, opportunities, social mobility and increasing life expectancies.

[Hal Jordan]

BBC reporting hardly anyone has turned up for work at the White House today

Probably hung over like rabid wolverines.

[Ted.]

Jim Acosta
@Acosta
·
29m
Trump adviser said Giuliani and others in inner circle are enabling the president as he refuses to grasp the reality that the WH is slipping away. "People are enabling him," adviser said, calling situation inside WH right now "chaos."

I guess Rudy is hoping his meal ticket can, once more, save his arse.

[Ted.]

Read elsewhere -

"If we could have rigged the vote we'd have gotten rid of Mitch McConnell first"

[Hugo]

Regarding the inaccurate polling I've always wondered how they control for the type of people that are willing and likely to engage in polling. I know for myself whenever I am asked to be part of a poll or fill out a questionnaire I normally decline because I don't have the time.

it strikes me that polls are going to be susceptible to overrepresentation of the views of bored housewives, students, activists, retired people and the unemployed. People with careers and families who are always on the go have less free time to engage in polling and are less politically "visible"in general, they move quietly, don't protest or draw attention to themselves but they do vote. Their views don't seem to be reflected in the polling.

[Carter's Choice]

Not sure about the thread title change, it's still too early to call the election for JB.

As an aside, has anyone checked on Seneca? He'll be distraught at the mere thought of Trump losing. Seneca dedicated more than half a decade on this forum lovingly advocating for Donald, and passionately supporting every single one of his mad conspiracy theories.

[fishfoodie]

I suppose its to be expected - that postwar generation had a lot of fortune on their side in terms of relative peace, prosperity, opportunities, social mobility and increasing life expectancies.

You're also talking about the Generation that lived thru the 60's & Vietnam/Civil Rights/Watergate etc; that decade was pivotal in showing the importance of Political participation for the youth of the day. I'd expect in a generations time we'll be talking about BLM/Climate Change having the same effect on the youth of this time period.

[Wignu]

... As an aside, has anyone checked on Seneca? He'll be distraught at the mere thought of Trump losing. Seneca dedicated more than half a decade on this forum lovingly advocating for Donald, and passionately supporting every single one of his mad conspiracy theories.

Fuck both of them.