"Democrats keep presenting moderate bills"
by El Kabong (2024-02-12 14:17:21)

In reply to: I wish you were right but I don’t see how  posted by vermin05

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Such as what?

I don't consider the inflation-causing income redistribution to be moderate.

I don't consider "free college" to be moderate.

I would argue Trump has pushed both parties towards their fringe.

And you criticize MD for not abandoning his party and then criticize the "silent moral center" for quitting politics.

First I support MD and others like him trying to move the
by wpkirish  (2024-02-12 16:01:38)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Cannot reply

party back to being a rational party. My issue / concern is when that is not happening do you still suport the party.. I have a close friend who is a Republican State Rep of the kind you and MD would like. She has the Maga / Freedom Caucus types attacking her and trying to primary her. These are the same folks who ran Jim Durkin out of politics. My question is how do you thread that needle? If you contest primaries and the MAGA folks win do you just fall in line and still vote R or do you send a message by voting for the Dem?

Whi bill do you condiser to be inflation causing income redistribution? I dont disagree legislation has contributed some to inflation but most studies would say it is far from the primary or majority cause. The other fact is without Dems you would not have had the CHIPS act or The Bipartisan infrastrucutre act both of which are generating investment and economic growth. Republicans didnt want those acts but are happy to celebrate the investments in their districts. The perfect example for the Florida Rep who was called out for promoting funding that she distributed in her district that came from a bill she voted agaisnt.

I send a message to both by staying home *
by El Kabong  (2024-02-12 16:05:26)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Cannot reply

I have been involved in politics long enough to know that
by wpkirish  (2024-02-12 16:09:55)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Cannot reply

politicians dont receive any message from those who stay home. They listen to those who are active on issues, donate and vote. Sitting at home is interpreted (if considered at all) as being okay with the ideas of the winning candidate.

that runs counter to what I was taught in political science
by jt  (2024-02-14 00:53:49)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Cannot reply

that's the additional benefit of the third party candidates; they don't have a chance to win, but the hope is that some of their main platforms will be adopted by one of the two major parties.
I have never heard a winning candidate stand up on election
by wpkirish  (2024-02-14 09:48:01)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Cannot reply

night and say the voters who stayed home have spoken and I need change my policies to attract them. Now if polling shows and issue will help them turn out more voters going forward they may change / take on that issue but that is different.

I get the idea of third party as a message. Of course I doubt anyone agrees in total with any party so what is the message. As an example I think many former small government Republicans are attracted to the Libertarian Party due to its promotion of small government and individual liberties. My guess is many of those same folks do not support abortion rights, or decriminalization of drugs / prositution. Looking at their platform they have the following statement

"In every matter, we advocate the consistent application of the principle of the non-initiation of coercion, physical force, or fraud. Our silence about any other particular government law, regulation, ordinance, directive, edict, control, regulatory agency, activity, or machination should not be construed to imply approval."

Taken literally this would prohibit the police form lying to a suspect to elicit a confession. I suspect many of the former Republicans on this Board would not like taking away the right of police to do that.

My final comment is despite the rise in the number of self identifying independents I dont see any thing to indicate a change in the research that most independents strongly lead one way or the other. I think many people like the attraction of a third party when they dont like the candidate from their "traditional" party. If you really want to send a message then by all means get involved in a third party but only voting for that party when you dont like the candidate will not change anything.

Vote means support of agenda
by El Kabong  (2024-02-12 17:16:32)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Cannot reply

I don't approve of their agenda one bit.
I am 100% with you on this
by crazychester  (2024-02-12 17:22:42)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Cannot reply

I've never voted from Trump and won't vote for him this year either.

Doesn't mean that I am going to vote for Biden or Danny Davis. Niether of my US Senators are up.
Didn't Republicans and Trump pass
by Kali4niaND  (2024-02-12 15:04:37)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Cannot reply

a "income redistribution" Covid relief bill? I get that the last round of Covid relief passed under Biden had a role in our bout of inflation, but was it much different from what passed under Trump?
As the pandemic was happening, yes
by El Kabong  (2024-02-12 15:16:00)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Cannot reply

Biden's was as the pandemic was waning and there was a lot of discussion at the time about whether it was needed.

But the "you can be FDR" crowd prevailed.
He was adding to the deficit significanty before COVID
by wpkirish  (2024-02-12 16:07:05)     cannot delete  |  Edit  |  Return to Board  |  Ignore Poster   |   Highlight Poster  |   Cannot reply

The trump tax cuts were supposed to lead to capital investments spurring the economy to such strenghts the deficit would be reduced. Of course that did not happen.

This quote is from the CBO Director in January 2020 before any COVID spending.

“Not since World War II has the country seen deficits during times of low unemployment that are as large as those that we project — nor, in the past century, has it experienced large deficits for as long as we project,” Phillip Swagel, director of the CBO, said in January 2020.