2020 Presidential Election

[MChambers]

A CH police officer who was protecting the Senate during the riots has died by apparent suicide.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local...207_story.html

That's so sad. Sounds like he was a very good person.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

I don't think this oft-repeated assertion is consistent with Biden winning the nomination and presidency.

I don't think anyone anywhere was super-psyched about Biden. I think his nomination was strictly testament to the desire to find an electable candidate who might defeat Trump.

Biden is more conservative than some Republicans. It did make the "socialist" label coming from the right more obliquely absurd.

[kshepinthehouse]

I don't think anyone anywhere was super-psyched about Biden. I think his nomination was strictly testament to the desire to find an electable candidate who might defeat Trump.

Biden is more conservative than some Republicans. It did make the "socialist" label coming from the right more obliquely absurd.

Isn’t that true of all presidential candidates? One big reason why we are in the position we are in as a country. Each party isn’t nominating a candidate that may necessarily be a good president but rather a candidate they think can win. There’s a big difference between the two.

[OldPhiKap]

Perhaps this should go in the 2024 Presidential Thread

Reported.

Triggered.

[Bostondevil]

I don't think anyone anywhere was super-psyched about Biden. I think his nomination was strictly testament to the desire to find an electable candidate who might defeat Trump.

Biden is more conservative than some Republicans. It did make the "socialist" label coming from the right more obliquely absurd.

Question I have posed to myself: Given the events of the last 2 months, was there another Democratic candidate who could have handled the situation better? And the answer I keep coming up with is no. So, maybe people weren't super-psyched about him before and I'm sure by the end of his term, there will be many recent converts who return to previous opinions, but right now? I think there are a lot of people who are super-psyched about him.

[CrazyNotCrazie]

I don't think anyone anywhere was super-psyched about Biden. I think his nomination was strictly testament to the desire to find an electable candidate who might defeat Trump.

Biden is more conservative than some Republicans. It did make the "socialist" label coming from the right more obliquely absurd.

As a moderate Democrat I was super psyched about Biden. There were a few others who I also liked a lot (like Klobuchar) but I wanted a moderate, I wanted experience, I wanted normalcy. I admit that electability was a major issue for me too - I am extremely skeptical about us bridging the huge gap in core beliefs that is ruining our country, but he is the best person to try to do that.

Do I agree with Biden on everything? No. But he is close enough.

[bundabergdevil]

I'm interested in knowing how folks feel about something I wrote to some friends a short time ago:

But, there is now another decent-sized portion of the party that has clearly had enough of Trump. These folks are disgusted with him and, even though they love the judges and tax cuts they got, they know they cannot support him any longer. I think it is a safe bet that much of the GOP Senate falls into this camp and there are at least 20 GOP House members who do as well.

These two groups are incompatible -- at least at the moment they are -- and we may be on the verge of a true splintering of the 2-party system in America. I am unsure of exactly how it would work but I think it is possible that America sees the rise of a third party, at least for a little bit, until Trump is completely gone from politics.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Once identify is established, it is extremely hard for most people to break it and reframe themselves, particularly when forced into a binary choice like pulling the lever for Democrat or Republican. Also, perhaps most importantly, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. And liberals will continue to be the enemy for most Republicans.

Most of the divide we see today has its roots in the cultural changes, civil rights battles, and liberalization of America that began occurring in the 1950s and 1960s. Republicans have been presiding over essentially the same voting base for the last 70 years. The white evangelicals who are socially conservative and are voting against liberal cultural change that is going to happen whether they like it or not and a group of personal responsibility, business-focused folks that don't particularly care about social issues but abhor the perceived welfare state championed by Democrats (I know this is a dramatic oversimplification).

The Grand Old Party has been able to balance those dynamics --- and actively leveraged the worst nationalist, nativist impulses for political gain --- for a LONG time. Not much has changed. They did just fine after Nixon, who ushered in the longest consecutive run of a Republican president just 6 years after his resignation. Trump is a powerful personality and is clearly angry at the GOP and doesn't mind throwing ANYONE under the bus, including his own VP. But in 4 years when they have to face off against the next "socialist", Republicans will come home and remember who the real enemy is.

[dudog84]

Isn’t that true of all presidential candidates? One big reason why we are in the position we are in as a country. Each party isn’t nominating a candidate that may necessarily be a good president but rather a candidate they think can win. There’s a big difference between the two.

I disagree with this wholeheartedly.

I was not convinced a black man could win the presidency in this country in 2008. And am still a bit surprised when I look back on it. I'm not sure the Rs thought Trump could win in 2016. And I strongly believe that the majority of Ds are not on board with the far left beliefs of some of the 2020 candidates, despite how some want to paint that side. Furthermore, how can anyone say that Biden was not the most qualified person running in 2020?

[sagegrouse]

Isn’t that true of all presidential candidates? One big reason why we are in the position we are in as a country. Each party isn’t nominating a candidate that may necessarily be a good president but rather a candidate they think can win. There’s a big difference between the two.

I disagree with this wholeheartedly.

I was not convinced a black man could win the presidency in this country in 2008. And am still a bit surprised when I look back on it. I'm not sure the Rs thought Trump could win in 2016. And I strongly believe that the majority of Ds are not on board with the far left beliefs of some of the 2020 candidates, despite how some want to paint that side. Furthermore, how can anyone say that Biden was not the most qualified person running in 2020?

I disagree with Kshep as well.

[acdevil]

As a moderate Democrat I was super psyched about Biden. There were a few others who I also liked a lot (like Klobuchar) but I wanted a moderate, I wanted experience, I wanted normalcy. I admit that electability was a major issue for me too - I am extremely skeptical about us bridging the huge gap in core beliefs that is ruining our country, but he is the best person to try to do that.

Do I agree with Biden on everything? No. But he is close enough.

Pretty much agree with this 100%. I was for Biden before Iowa.

[dudog84]

While my knowledge of the law is extensive (decades of watching lawyer and police dramas [and comedies, most of my knowledge comes from Barney Miller]), I would like some input from those who actually went to law school:

What are the chances that those participating in the insurrection are charged with murder? Like the felon who participates in the bank robbery, and his buddy kills someone but he is charged as well? The argument "Nobody was supposed to get hurt" doesn't get very far.

Also, regarding those arrested, will naming names of other participants get them lighter sentences? The "smarter" ones on Wednesday kept their masks on and will be more difficult to identify.

More videos keep coming out, many showing more violence than we saw on Wednesday, even Thursday. Despite my low confidence in the American attention span, I think these images are gonna stick.

[Kdogg]

As a moderate Democrat I was super psyched about Biden. There were a few others who I also liked a lot (like Klobuchar) but I wanted a moderate, I wanted experience, I wanted normalcy. I admit that electability was a major issue for me too - I am extremely skeptical about us bridging the huge gap in core beliefs that is ruining our country, but he is the best person to try to do that.

Do I agree with Biden on everything? No. But he is close enough.

You can substitute Republican (well former) into your post and that’s me. I did two things last year I have never done:
1) Vote in the Democratic Primary (South Carolina is open)
2) Vote Democratic for President (voted third party in 2016)
As I was doing it, I thought 1) was the most important vote I had ever cast. I knew 2) wasn’t going to make a difference. I’m pretty sure most of the country is within our bands...at least hope and pray.

[Kdogg]

Parler is being dropped like it’s a hot potato.

https://deadline.com/2021/01/parler-...pNL-brwOx3WUAY

The Mercer family will just start over in six months.

[bundabergdevil]

This might piss Trump off as much as Twitter. The company Stripe is going to stop processing Trump website payments. As exceptional as these circumstances are, it is amazing to see the walls closing in around Trump forcing him in one direction and one direction only --- OUT.


Stripe Inc. will no longer process payments for President Trump’s campaign website following last week’s riot at the Capitol, according to people familiar with the matter.

The financial-technology company handles card payments for millions of online businesses and e-commerce platforms, including Mr. Trump’s campaign website and online fundraising apparatus. Stripe is cutting off the president’s campaign account for violating its policies against encouraging violence, the people said.

Stripe asks users to agree that they won’t accept payments for “high risk” activities, including for any business or organization that “engages in, encourages, promotes or celebrates unlawful violence or physical harm to persons or property,” according to its website.

[dudog84]

You can substitute Republican (well former) into your post and that’s me. I did two things last year I have never done:
1) Vote in the Democratic Primary (South Carolina is open)
2) Vote Democratic for President (voted third party in 2016)
As I was doing it, I thought 1) was the most important vote I had ever cast. I knew 2) wasn’t going to make a difference. I’m pretty sure most of the country is within our bands...at least hope and pray.

This is my main, actually only, reason for getting rid of the Electoral College (well, a few more have arisen after the events of the last 2 months). It's ludicrous that my Florida vote for President matters so much more than yours.

[bundabergdevil]

There is a video floating around of a rioter beating a Capitol Hill police officer with an American flag pole. I have no words after all the vitriol about patriotism and treason thrown at Democrats, BLM protestors, freaking sports players that take a knee, for the fact that a significant chunk of Republicans believe this was warranted.

No words.

[Kdogg]

This might piss Trump off as much as Twitter. The company Stripe is going to stop processing Trump website payments. As exceptional as these circumstances are, it is amazing to see the walls closing in around Trump forcing him in one direction and one direction only --- OUT.


Stripe Inc. will no longer process payments for President Trump’s campaign website following last week’s riot at the Capitol, according to people familiar with the matter.

The financial-technology company handles card payments for millions of online businesses and e-commerce platforms, including Mr. Trump’s campaign website and online fundraising apparatus. Stripe is cutting off the president’s campaign account for violating its policies against encouraging violence, the people said.

Stripe asks users to agree that they won’t accept payments for “high risk” activities, including for any business or organization that “engages in, encourages, promotes or celebrates unlawful violence or physical harm to persons or property,” according to its website.

I give them credit. They are putting their money where their mouth is. Even using a conservative estimate that’s millions of dollars from processing the donations alone.

[dudog84]

There is a video floating around of a rioter beating a Capitol Hill police officer with an American flag pole. I have no words after all the vitriol about patriotism and treason thrown at Democrats, BLM protestors, freaking sports players that take a knee, for the fact that a significant chunk of Republicans believe this was warranted.

No words.

I have plenty of words if you need to borrow some.

Disclaimer: Don't use them here, infractions are non-transferrable.

[Matches]

While my knowledge of the law is extensive (decades of watching lawyer and police dramas [and comedies, most of my knowledge comes from Barney Miller]), I would like some input from those who actually went to law school:

What are the chances that those participating in the insurrection are charged with murder? Like the felon who participates in the bank robbery, and his buddy kills someone but he is charged as well? The argument "Nobody was supposed to get hurt" doesn't get very far.

Also, regarding those arrested, will naming names of other participants get them lighter sentences? The "smarter" ones on Wednesday kept their masks on and will be more difficult to identify..

I think premeditated murder would be hard to prove. Manslaughter is a possibility though - maybe not for every single person there but at least for the key offenders.

Your last question would be a judgment call on the part of the involved law enforcement agencies. It’s possible.

[MChambers]

Idaho man who stormed US Capitol building: 'I got caught up in the moment'‘

https://komonews.com/news/local/idah...-in-the-moment

I’m sure we can all relate to this. Who among has not done something similar?