US Politics Thread 2016-2020

[Skybird]

From FOCUS. I bet this woman is not alone:

Linda Rawles has been a staunch Republican all her life. But now the woman from the US state of Arizona is fighting her president Donald Trump - she is far from alone with this effort. a. By Ines Pohl.

"Careful here with this stone, do you see these holes? There is a rattlesnake here," warns Linda Rawles. It was better to make a lot of noise in order to drive away the fatal animal.

Make a lot of noise. That is Rawle's motto in the remaining months before the presidential election. Make a lot of noise to prevent bad, worse in November.

The 61-year-old lawyer is fighting, like so many Americans in her age group, by all means against a second term of Donald Trump.

She fights against a president she is ashamed of. For his racism, his misogyny, his immigration policy and the ludicrous manner with which he stuns decades-old allies, she says.

But above all, she fights against the man who destroyed her political home.

Linda Rawles is a Republican. Whole blood Republican. The woman, who lives with her husband in Carefree, part of Phoenix, Arizona, has been involved in this party since she was 13.

Has repeatedly campaigned for party friends at local and regional level, and fought for a seat in Congress in 1994. It wasn't enough for a win. There is still a mixture of pride and melancholy in her voice when she bends over the old campaign brochures.

"I still stand for the same values," she says. The United States of America was finally founded for a free market. And for individual responsibility. "In my opinion, the government should leave your wallet and bedroom alone."

But none of this left Donald Trump after four years: "He has turned the party from a party of freedom into a party that pays homage to dictators and destroys the legal foundations." Rawles finds hard words for the president, speaks of a "psychologically disturbed sociopath."

Arizona was a safe bank for the Republicans in the presidential election for decades. Election researchers say that this can change this year. Especially women like Linda Rawles, who live in the well-off suburbs, are crucial for who ultimately wins the fight for the White House.

One factor here: the corona virus. The state of deserts and cacti in the southwestern United States is severely affected by COVID-19. According to official information, more than 2400 people have already died of the virus here. Republican governor Doug Ducey followed Trump's announcement early and eased short-term security measures again.

Now the new infections are exploding, and more and more hospitals are lacking beds to enable adequate treatment. COVID-19 patients are released far too early and infect other people. The morgues are no longer enough to cool the dead before they can be buried in the desert heat.

"Donald Trump has blood on his hands, he ignored the virus because he was politically embarrassed," says Rawles. "He convinced our governor to reopen everything too soon - and now people are dying." Because good economic figures are more important to him than hundreds of thousands or more deaths. It was not possible to separate the pandemic and the economy. "One is closely related to the other," says the lawyer.

Republicans are increasingly dissatisfied with government crisis management, Rawles said. And yet it was almost impossible for many to turn away from Trump openly. "If you were so firmly convinced of something, it is difficult to make this mental change happen," she explains. "It is difficult to say: I was wrong there. It takes a lot of courage."

As proud as she is of the former Trump supporters, who are now openly speaking out against her former candidate, she despises the party leadership, which continues to keep the president in line.

She is convinced that the Republicans will only have one chance to survive as a party and to regain their core values ​​if the entire leadership team is exchanged. Anyone who continues to be a fan of Donald Trump also shares his moral compass, and she no longer has trust in these people.

"I want my party back," says Rawles. In the end, it is about what kind of person you wanted to be: someone who obeyed the law and respected his counterpart, or someone who caged children at the border.

Even though Linda Rawles largely rejects Joe Biden's politics, she will vote for him this fall. He was at least a decent and mentally healthy person. And everything is better than Trump. In the long run, however, she wants her own political home again. A more traditional party that represents its economic ideas and is not as far left as the Democrats are.

But can the Republicans overcome their existential crisis even if Trump loses the November election? Linda Rawles has great doubts. Maybe in the end you have to change the whole party system, she says - or even found a new party.

But all of this is something for the future. Now you have to fight with all your strength. And make a lot of noise. Like the big stone in her front yard.

[Hawk66]

I can only shake my hands what's going on regarding politics in the US. Frankly, if you asked me 10 years ago, I never thought that such things can happen.

And frankly - this "Foreigners do not understand the US" nonsense makes it not better:

I would ask those die-hard trump-lovers: Do you know your country at all ? What did you see from your country ? Your rich, local neighborhood ?
Have you even been in poverty districts for instance in Philadelphia ? (by the way I was there as a student). Did you spoke with those people about their issues , their needs, what are preventing them to climb up the ladder? Do you care about them at all ? Do you know the consequence if you have not a health insurance if you get sick and have no money ? Have you read the first autobiography from Colin Powell ? (or does he belong also to the "liberals" to be hated or who destroys the constitution or the traditional American way of living)?

Or do you just follow an ideology for its own sake?

Just as a side notice: If you continue this way you (and the rest of the free world) will lose the next cold war with China.

[Dowly]

The call for Goya boycott is not because the CEO dared to say something nice about Trump, it's because the CEO dared to say something nice about Trump after all the remarks Trump has made about Latin America and latinos in the past.

[Bilge_Rat]

Originally Posted by Skybird

And here I thought the driving force behind the boyott were the Latinos.

well again you don't understand how business works in the USA. Goya does not sell to consumers, it sells to large retailers like Costco, Walmart, etc.

Have you seen press releases from Costco, Walmart, et al. saying they are supporting the boycotts and will stop buying Goya products? No, because they also know this is a stupid boycott.

In fact, many Costcos and Walmart around the country are sold out of Goya products or have had to limit how much customers buy.

so much for the boycott.

Anyoiw, most of what you mention, is irrelevant. What is relevant is that it is not POTUS' job or does not respect the authority and dignity of this position if he poses like a salesman in a TV commercial only to answer the favour of a loyal minion. Like it is not appropriate to suspend the law to reward a loyal liar who was to serve his penalty in prison, or to hinder law investigation, or to call names before runnign cameras and open mikes.

that old trope gets trotted out whenever someone does not like what the President of the opposing party is doing.

Clinton selling sleepovers in the Lincoln Bedroom to major Dem donors was beneath his office.

Trump promoting a company which is under attack for entirely stupid political reasons is exactly what a POTUS should do.

[Catfish]

Originally Posted by Bilge_Rat

well again you don't understand how business works in the USA. [...]
Trump promoting a company which is under attack for entirely stupid political reasons is exactly what a POTUS should do.

When it comes to advertising for motorcycles and cars he will need a bigger office.

[August]

Originally Posted by Hawk66

I can only shake my hands what's going on regarding politics in the US. Frankly, if you asked me 10 years ago, I never thought that such things can happen.

And frankly - this "Foreigners do not understand the US" nonsense makes it not better:

I would ask those die-hard trump-lovers: Do you know your country at all ? What did you see from your country ? Your rich, local neighborhood ?
Have you even been in poverty districts for instance in Philadelphia ? (by the way I was there as a student). Did you spoke with those people about their issues , their needs, what are preventing them to climb up the ladder? Do you care about them at all ? Do you know the consequence if you have not a health insurance if you get sick and have no money ? Have you read the first autobiography from Colin Powell ? (or does he belong also to the "liberals" to be hated or who destroys the constitution or the traditional American way of living)?

Or do you just follow an ideology for its own sake?

Well how arrogant of you, but to answer your rude questions:

* Yes, I know my own country far better than you.

* I've lived in far worse neighborhoods than your little mind could even imagine.

* Chad Brown Housing Project? Silver Lake section in Providence? Rich? You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.

* Yes I've been to Philadelphia, NYC, Chicago, LA, SF, Gary Indiana, and a dozen more urban dumps that you have never even heard of.

* I not only spoke with them I lived in their neighborhoods for 20 years, not a 2 second interview of some poor people for some stupid school project like you probably did before running back to the safety of your campus with it's own security.

* Yes I do. I went many years without health care insurance and had to pay for treatment out of pocket.

* Yeah I read it when it came out back in the 1990's. I've read his other 2 books too. How about you? Personally I find him to be more the politician than soldier. Nothing more than a tool of the Military Industrial Complex.

* I follow the ideology that I believe is best for my country. I am not a slave to it. Nobody from my side is getting people fired from their jobs because they don't toe liberal party lines.

Just as a side notice: If you continue this way you (and the rest of the free world) will lose the next cold war with China.

If we put the Deep State back in power they will quickly go back to turning our economy and industry over to the Chinese and we'll loose the cold war that we are currently fighting with China let alone the next one.

[Catfish]

Did you ever get the idea that your "deep state" might be one of those loony toxic conspiracy theories?

[Hawk66]

@August
I do not know what about these (rhetorical questions) is arrogant. Did I claim that for all Trump voters this is true ? I referred to die-hard fanboys who defend him against all critics, regardless if they are justified or not. If I see the issues in your country from a neutral standpoint, how one cannot ask those questions ?

And isn't true that if some "foreigner" discusses things in your country, it is not seldom that you get "You do not understand it" and then game over ? If someone tries to criticize things in my country (e.g. defense spending to name one) I do not say "You do not understand my country" but I try to make him understand why the people think in a specific way about the topic. But that does not make the statements of the "foreigner" by definition that he is a foreigner worthless or wrong.

And if this all true what you are writing here (which I assume), then you think also the recipes of Trump or to be more abstract, the general political/ideological mindset behind it, will solve those issues ?


So maybe I should rephrase my question a bit: Do you think that the "traditional American way of living" as an "ideology" has such an importance that it overrules all possible changes to the system (prison system, urban "poverty" districts, health care (basic) for everyone -- to mention only a few), which would limit some "freedom" - regardless how "artificial" this freedom is in terms in your daily life ?

[August]

Originally Posted by Catfish

Did you ever get the idea that your "deep state" might be one of those loony toxic conspiracy theories?

Sure. Did you ever get the idea that there might actually be something to it?

[mapuc]

The question is:

Is there a dictator-gene in a genuine politician ?

Markus

[August]

Originally Posted by mapuc

The question is:

Is there a dictator-gene in a genuine politician ?

Markus

Genuine as in Professional politician? Yeah I would have to say that people who make their living as politicians and administrators have it more often than not.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by mapuc

The question is:

Is there a dictator-gene in a genuine politician ?

Markus

No.

But we have very strong indices for genetic foundings of psychopathy and sociopathy. Both can also be influenced by social and culturla environment and life experiences. Its one of these "multi-factorial theories". Its genes PLUDS environment.




Most likely the same with intelligence, for that matter. Just mentioning it.


We know hiowveer that certain jobs and psoitions attract people with very severe psychpathic traits. Some of thes ejobs in the economy and pltlics even rewar4d sociopathic characteristics. thats why in these fields and areas we find sociopaths/psyhcopaths beign - sometimes massively - overrepresented, compared to mean averages in the population.

There are no traits in humans imaginable that do not have a genetic basis. Genes must not always determine prefixed outcomes, but sure as hell they determine the upper and lower limits of a range within which a given trait or quality can unfold, depending on its living environment.

We humans are nothing without a functioning brain, and a body. Take the material basis of our existence away, and nothing remains of us. Nothing. We simply do not exist without a material correlate that manifests our existence. And the body we so mercilessly depend on - is determined by genes.

Thats why I find this whole 60+ genders circus so ridiculous. Real in that only can be what can be demonstrated to have a correlate in genetic codification.

[MaDef]

Originally Posted by August

Genuine as in Professional politician? Yeah I would have to say that people who make their living as politicians and administrators have it more often than not.

The part I bolded is the exact reason Trump was voted into office, people are fed up with politicians that have never held an actual job for any length of time.

[Skybird]

No comment needed. The absurdity speaks for itself.

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinio...ey-ncna1234289

[Onkel Neal]

Tough times