US Politics Thread 2016-2020

[em2nought]

Originally Posted by Platapus

So when you read that the president can pardon anyone for anything, they are mistaken. A great deal of thought has gone in to the balance of allowing Executive Clemency but also protecting against its abuse. Not a perfect system, but one that all the political parties in our country have used for their advantage.

Seems like staging a coup d'état to clean up at Justice, the FBI, and the deep state swamp would be much less confusing.

[mapuc]

Erased because it already have been given an answer to.

Markus

[Rockstar]

The Justice Department's internal watchdog has concluded thatJames Comey defied authority at times during his tenure as FBI director, according to sources familiar with a draft report on the matter.


One source told ABC News that the draft report explicitly used the word "insubordinate" to describe Comey's behavior. Another source agreed with that characterization but could not confirm the use of the term.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/doj-...ry?id=55670834

Now I know why Comey was in such a hurry to write his book. If convicted of crimes pertaining to national security he may not be able to profit from the story.

[u crank]

Not to worry. I'm sure Comey will spin 'defying authority' on CNN into some boy scout quality in his quest for 'A Higher Loyalty'.

[Catfish]

I am sure if this had been Trump, the right wing media would have boasted about how independent, vigilant and self-conscious he has acted, against the swamp and the deep state

[Highbury]

Why is the president's personal attorney discussing international diplomacy? The same attorney, who is not an employee of the White House, was the first to announce the impending release of 3 American citizens from NK as well. Would that have been considered normal with any other administration?

(I know the link is Twitter and NBC, but it is the only link to video I can find right now and it is ad free).

https://twitter.com/NBCNews/status/1004412724439343105

I am not sure KJU will like that phrasing before a summit has happened.

[em2nought]

Looks like a minor revolt against socialism might be brewing in California. hehe

[vienna]

Nah, not much, if anything at all changed: the CA-GOP was unable to force out DEM candidates in any of the US House races and the total number of registered GOP voters in CA has declined to only 25.1% of the total registered voters, as opposed to 44% of CA voters declaring as DEM; in fact, the category of "No party preference" (Independents) is larger than the declared GOP total. Even with an influx of heavy out-of-state GOP cash prior to the primary, there really hasn't been a change in the voter's general leanings. What was a surprise was the turnout of DEM voters in the GOP stronghold of Orange County, which, during the 2016 Presidential Election not only had a stunningly large turnout (you might say it was "yuuuge"), the County's vote went overwhelmingly for the DEM candidate (Clinton) the first time a DEM candidate carried the County in over 80 years. At this point, there is only a very slim chance of CA-GOP backed candidates ousting incumbent DEMs and a good chance of DEMs taking currently GOP held or leaning House seats. A poor quality of GOP candidates and a dwindling GOP base is a big factor to the DEMs maintaining it's hold on the state...

Interestingly, CA-GOP primary candidates were noticeably avoiding mentioning connections to Trump in their campaign ads with the noticeable exception being the GOP gubernatorial candidate Cox, who was being actively backed by Trump; even with Trump's open support, Cox only garnered about 25% of the vote as opposed to about 33% for the DEM candidate, Newsom; this result came from a field of over 30 candidates that was heavily DEM and, with the very strong probability the voter's of the other losing DEM candidates keeping their votes within the party, Newsom is pretty much going to win in November...

So, no revolt, just business pretty much as usual...






<O>

[u crank]

Originally Posted by vienna

So, no revolt, just business pretty much as usual...

I guess the obvious question is....are you happy about that?

[vienna]

Originally Posted by u crank

I guess the obvious question is....are you happy about that?

Neither happy nor concerned. As I have very often pointed out, I am an Independent, allied to no party. To me, it's just sort of a political 'chess game', and, as in the situation of watching a chess game in process, what goes on on the board is what it is; my comments about the CA primary and the parties involved is just my view of the game and how it's being played. In the end, the sucesses and/or. failures of the players will be seen in November, but, right now, nothing has really changed overall and there might be gains or losses then; the GOP effort to take advantage of a DEM vote split fizzled out and now it's up to the CA-GOP and the RNC to get their candidates elected in CA. The really big problem for the CA-GOP, and has been for a very long time, is the party has misread the state's voters and their concerns; they back issues and candidates that run contrary to voter's sentiments, they lose, and then they wonder why they lost; I guess "out of touch" is an apt description...

As for the DEMs in CA, well, the elections are for them to lose...








<O>

[u crank]

Well I actually wasn't asking about the primaries although your opinion on them is interesting to hear. My question was more about the state of things in general in California. Are you happy about that?

[vienna]

Well, let's see...


CA has an economy that provides 16+% on the US national GDP...


If Ca were a separate country, it would be the world's 5th largest economy, actually bigger than the UK...


CA receives only 87% back from every tax dollar it sends to the US treasury, so there are a lot of other states benefiting from CA...


CA has a broad and diverse economic base and has shown the ability to adapt to changes in technology and social shifts, resulting in continued growth and new employment opportunities...


I don't know what other people may think a status like this might signify, but, to me, it ain't all that bad. I know CA has been a thorn in the Far Right GOP's side, but think about it: the FR-GOP keeps carping about CA, their position that CA is "all wrong", but if being "all wrong" gives such good results, may be going "Far Right" would be a big ("yuuuge") mistake; it would seem the voters of CA seem to feel a radical change to what has either been a lesser or failing political stance in the state is not really a great idea: don't mess with success...


In saying this, I am in no way saying DEM control of the state is solely responsible for its success. There have been a good number of GOP politicians who have made positive impacts on the state at various levels, and, sadly, the national GOP has mainly heaped scorn on them as not being "GOP enough". It is really too bad since they have been some of the most productive office-holders, even if they don't toe the total Party line. Here in LA, there was a great GOP mayor who came into office right after the 1992 Riots and he completely reorganized the City's government and actually accomplished a very long overdue revamping of the City Charter. I voted for him when he first ran and I voted for him when he stood for re-election. He is a billionaire businessman and widely active in civic affairs and philanthropy. One of his first acts as mayor was to show up at random city departments unannounced and spend the day working with the employees to get a feeling for what conditions were like in the workplace; this wasn't just a show up and get a photo-op sort of visit, he actually did the work; I think it was his second or third drop-in where he spent the day on a trash truck, hauling trash cans and doing the job (and he was, even then, not a young man). He left office due to term limits, limits he imposed when he revamped the City Charter (the previous mayor had served 20 years in office, a total of five terms). There was talk of him running for Governor after he left office, but the State GOP didn't like his unwillingness to fully embrace the FR-GOP stances in their entirety and shunned him; too bad, since an awful lot of voters, myself included, would have been more than eager to give a shot at perhaps repeating his success on a Statewide level...


So, am I happy with Ca, in its current state? Well, no one is ever 100% happy with something as complex and multifaceted as a state's conditions, but, yeah, I feel, on the whole, its working. I'm also not so hide-bound or tunnel-visioned to believe any one party or political philosophy is the 'absolute answer' to all problems; that is a form of idiocy I can't bring myself to support...


Maybe the national GOP and its supporters might take a look at why CA is so prosperous and how it got that way and maybe adapt to meet realities instead of party ideologies; maybe then, some of the other states they control can improve themselves and CA might not have to lose 13% of its paid-in taxes to support them...


















<O>

[Mr Quatro]

Originally Posted by vienna

Well, let's see...

So, am I happy with Ca, in its current state? Well, no one is ever 100% happy with something as complex and multifaceted as a state's conditions, but, yeah, I feel, on the whole, its working.

<O>

So is the repeal of the CA gas tax in favor of the GOP working too?

https://www.nationalreview.com/news/...-gas-tax-hike/

Democratic California state senator Josh Newman was booted from office after less than two years on Tuesday, defeated by Republican ex-assemblywoman Ling Ling Chang in a recall election. Newman defeated Chang very narrowly in 2016, prompting Carl DeMaio, a former member of the San Diego City Council, to spearhead the movement for a recall.

Republicans criticized Newman last year, for his support of a bill that increased the state gas tax by twelve cents a gallon and hiked vehicle fees to finance improvements to mass transit and repairs to roads and bridges. The criticism seems to have resonated with voters. About 51 percent of California voters want to scrap increases to the state’s gas tax and vehicle-registration fees, according to a USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll.

“Make no mistake about it: State Senator Josh Newman’s political career is over because he supported the car- and gas-tax hikes,” DeMaio said.

[vienna]

Originally Posted by Mr Quatro

So is the repeal of the CA gas tax in favor of the GOP working too?

https://www.nationalreview.com/news/...-gas-tax-hike/

Only if you look at the recall in the light the GOP casts. In context, here is what happened: a gas tax was passed and the GOP glommed onto it like it was the last life preserver on the Titanic; they needed something, anything to try to rouse their base, or what is left of it; all their other 'hot button' "issues" weren't on the ballots or even relevant anymore, so they needed something to cling to in the primaries. The GOP started what is a fiction that Newman was the deciding vote on the tax; actually that 'honor' goes to a GOP Sen. Anthony Cannella, who was the lone GOP Senator to vote for the tax increase; without Cannella's vote, it wouldn't have passed:


Fact check: Was Sen. Josh Newman the deciding vote on California's gas tax increase? --

https://ballotpedia.org/Fact_check/W...ax_increase%3F


So, why did the CA-GOP go after Newman? Mainly, because Newman defeated a GOP candidate in 2016, losing the GOP a long-held seat and giving the CA-DEM a 'super-majority'; the real reason for the recall is simple: the GOP is desperate to win, no matter what they have to do or say:


Josh Newman's recall shows that Republicans only want to win, no matter the cost to Californians --

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/la-ol...htmlstory.html


Two other points to consider:


1. The CA-GOP received massive funding from the national GOP for the recall effort and it is unlikely they can keep up that sort of level of spending in all the races statewide, or nationwide for that matter, and, with their traditional 'hot button' issues (abortion, "family valeues", etc.) getting less and less play politically, having to campaign on actual issues is going to be more difficult;


2. ...which brings up the alleged issue at the core of the recall: the gas tax; the day after the Primary, a poll showed only 51% of the voters surveyed supported a repeal of the tax, which, given normal margins of error, is a less than an enthusiastic base for repeal; all that GOP money spent and, yet, they can't rouse the voters to stand firmly behind what the CA-GOP claims is the 'actual' issue; also of note: the GOP candidate who did win the recall election only got 34% of the total vote, so the seat is still not all that secure...

So is the repeal of the CA gas tax in favor of the GOP working too?

Well, it worked in that the GOP got back the seat they lost in 2016 by creating a non-issue and blaming someone who actually was not the deciding vote, in other words, a lie...


What doesn't seem to be working is any real gain by the CA-GOP or the national GOP: the two candidates who will run for the US Senate seat are both DEM, so, no matter who wins, that seat will not change party; and, DEM candidates for statewide offices are pretty much running ahead of CA-GOP candidates for the November General Election...


...and, since some on the forum seem to have such a fascination with Adam Schiff, he won the DEM nomination with 72.3% of the total vote. The GOP candidate? He got 22% of the vote. The other candidate, who is also a DEM, got 5.7% of the vote, but it is likely those votes will go for Schiff in November; so, it seems, Schiff not leaving anytime soon...
















<O>

[u crank]

Originally Posted by vienna

Well, let's see...

So, am I happy with Ca, in its current state? Well, no one is ever 100% happy with something as complex and multifaceted as a state's conditions, but, yeah, I feel, on the whole, its working. I'm also not so hide-bound or tunnel-visioned to believe any one party or political philosophy is the 'absolute answer' to all problems; that is a form of idiocy I can't bring myself to support...


Maybe the national GOP and its supporters might take a look at why CA is so prosperous and how it got that way and maybe adapt to meet realities instead of party ideologies; maybe then, some of the other states they control can improve themselves and CA might not have to lose 13% of its paid-in taxes to support them...

I asked that question because I have read articles that don't paint that rosy a picture.

For example, this survey rates all the states in different catagories.

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/rankings

According to this particular survey, California ranks 38th in infrastructure, 43rd in fiscal stability, 46th in opportunity and dead last in quality of life.

That's why I asked that question.

In other words it wasn't a political question.