The Trump Presidency

Julio3000 said:
I think the worst parts of the ACA were the parts that were essentially sops to private-sector interest groups, i.e. an individual mandate without a public option (a sop to insurers) and the continued inability of the government to negotiate drug prices with manufacturers (a sop to Big Pharma). Reforming those aspects would greatly improve individuals' market power, but something tells me you'd be more concerned with the loss of freedom on the part of the business interests involved. So you could see the most sensible reforms as "doubling down" or you could see them as fixing inefficient and inequitable corporate welfare.

So Medicare is in need of "reform," as you say, but your position is that we're better off with the status quo ante. Same thing with the ACA. Good luck selling that to America.
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There's no way a program like Medicare or Medicaid would have ever passed in the age of Social Media.
 
Julio3000 said:
I think Bedell is big-picture correct. Liberals aren't going to sign on to a shotgun approach to cutting non-defense discretionary spending. Take a granular look at proposed cuts in that area and I'm sure I can find something that we'd agree on . . . but yeah, I'm not going to ignore defense and entitlements and say we should gut the State Dept, EPA, NIH, etc . . . particularly when there's NOTHING else on the table.
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It is fascinating how one's view of government plays out. You have many conservatives who lambast government and who will produce examples (so many of which are legitimate examples, imho) of government waste and inefficiency and will argue for not merely reductions in increases, but actual cuts to spending on various programs, who are yet conspicuously quiet when it comes to the Pentagon. Or actively promote increases in DoD spending. Whereas many on the left just do the opposite. Libertarians say conservatives and liberals are both wrong and hypocritical and yet tend to always benefit from some functions of government. And anarchists, well they just come out of their mom and dad's basement with their Guy Fawkes mask on for a little hell-raising. And we all suppose we are right... Fun being human ain't it?
 
On another note, it's just weird to listen to the Press Secretary talk about what "Jared" does or will do in this administration. He, per Spicer, served as the shadow Secretary of State during the transition, and now he has some non-specific brief about whipping the bureaucracy into shape. This is a guy whose signature accomplishments are marrying the President's daughter and inheriting his father's real estate empire when his father went to jail.

Trying to put partisanship aside, isn't this just . . . weird? Isn't it a potential concern?
 
Julio3000 said:
On another note, it's just weird to listen to the Press Secretary talk about what "Jared" does or will do in this administration. He, per Spicer, served as the shadow Secretary of State during the transition, and now he has some non-specific brief about whipping the bureaucracy into shape. This is a guy whose signature accomplishments are marrying the President's daughter and inheriting his father's real estate empire when his father went to jail.

Trying to put partisanship aside, isn't this just . . . weird? Isn't it a potential concern?
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I think I can count on one hand the good-potentially good members of his staff and cabinet...
 
Katherine Gypson

@kgyp

BREAKING: @DevinNunes tells reporters he will not step down after @RepAdamSchiff calls for his recusal, says "everything is politics here"
 
Julio3000 said:
On another note, it's just weird to listen to the Press Secretary talk about what "Jared" does or will do in this administration. He, per Spicer, served as the shadow Secretary of State during the transition, and now he has some non-specific brief about whipping the bureaucracy into shape. This is a guy whose signature accomplishments are marrying the President's daughter and inheriting his father's real estate empire when his father went to jail.

Trying to put partisanship aside, isn't this just . . . weird? Isn't it a potential concern?
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It's like a house of cards stacked on one of those old card board tables in the middle of an earthquake. No problem.

Yes, politics aside, it's a horrible way to run the country, opening up your administration to so much unnecessary criticism when so many other qualified people could do the job.

It's horrible parenting to expose your family this way, putting not only your daughter in harm's way, but also her husband.

It's horrible and irresponsible leadership to put so many people in your administration, the ones who actually know a little of what they are supposed to be doing, effectively under the son-in-law. It shows the people who are working for you where your loyalties are, creating more unnecessary drama and infighting.

While in the first weeks I did hold out the possibility that Chump might roll up his sleeves and take on the challenge, now I see no possible way for this all to turn out except in total disaster.
 
goldfly said:
http://imgur.com/ni1Wz7Z
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chuckle.gif
 
Hawk said:
Katherine Gypson
@kgyp
BREAKING: @DevinNunes tells reporters he will not step down after @RepAdamSchiff calls for his recusal, says "everything is politics here"
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He's doing a pretty good job supporting that assertion.
 
Per NY Mag:

'Following Trump’s short and dire speech, Bush departed the scene and never offered public comment on the ceremony.

But, according to three people who were present, Bush gave a brief assessment of Trump’s inaugural after leaving the dais: “That was some weird ****.” All three heard him say it.

A spokesman for Bush declined to comment.'
 
Julio3000 said:
I think the worst parts of the ACA were the parts that were essentially sops to private-sector interest groups, i.e. an individual mandate without a public option (a sop to insurers) and the continued inability of the government to negotiate drug prices with manufacturers (a sop to Big Pharma). Reforming those aspects would greatly improve individuals' market power, but something tells me you'd be more concerned with the loss of freedom on the part of the business interests involved. So you could see the most sensible reforms as "doubling down" or you could see them as fixing inefficient and inequitable corporate welfare.

So Medicare is in need of "reform," as you say, but your position is that we're better off with the status quo ante. Same thing with the ACA. Good luck selling that to America.
Click to expand...

tumblr_m7ruqql0nI1rt8i4vo1_400.gif
 
Julio3000 said:
Per NY Mag:

'Following Trump’s short and dire speech, Bush departed the scene and never offered public comment on the ceremony.

But, according to three people who were present, Bush gave a brief assessment of Trump’s inaugural after leaving the dais: “That was some weird ****.” All three heard him say it.

A spokesman for Bush declined to comment.'
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He was talking about almost being suffocated by his rain jacket.
 
Forever Fredi said:
How far has Trump come in politics to where he makes Bush look like a Saint by comparison?
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Fixed it for ya.

Trump approval rating down to 35%, first president to poll that low so early in his term. Any lower and he's in serious danger, as if he isn't already.
 
Runnin said:
Fixed it for ya.

Trump approval rating down to 35%, first president to poll that low so early in his term. Any lower and he's in serious danger, as if he isn't already.
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Let's Be honest here. At least 45% of the population will hate trump even if he cured all cancers and had unemployment at 0%.
 
Doing the math --- a negative of 45% would leave a positive of 55%.

With a positive of 35% that leaves him 20% below --- your target.
 
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