The 2016 Presidential Candidates Thread

[CarolKing]

What happened to freedom of the press? Trump won't allow Univision reporters into his rally's. Trumps people say it's because of the lawsuit against Univision.

There are reporters in Iowa that Trump won't allow either from the Des Moines Register.

 

[Gunky]

If it's a private event he can invite whomever he pleases.

 

[cybrguy]

When are people who vote for republicans going to realize that giving enormous tax breaks to people like Mitt Romney so they can stash money in Cayman Island banks is not a recipe for reviving our dwindling middle class, restoring our crumbling infrastructure, educating our young, maintaining a high standard of living for all citizens, keeping this country competitive as the world economy changes, yadda yadda yadda?

You seem to be under the unfortunately mistaken impression that the 1% and their hired guns the Republican leadership give a damn about the rest of the country and particularly the poor and middle class. I wish it were so, but they clarify time and time again who they work for and what matters to them. It is the marks of their con, the rank and file republicans who are NOT rich, that have to understand that leadership doesn't care about them and needs to be thrown out. And the ideological buttons leadership and their mouthpiece, Faux News, keep pressing that completely hide the truth from all those unwilling or unable to put in the effort necessary to see past the lies.

One would think the 1% would care that the country's infrastructure is falling apart for them as well, but the idea they might have to help pay for it is so untenable for them that they just can't act in any kind of altruistic way.

Edit: Change that first line from "You seem" to "Many seem". I don't happen to think that you, Gunky, are under that impression.

 

[grokit]

Perfect time for a cross-post.

 

[CarolKing]

I was thinking that above post was true but I checked it out. I wish it was true about that Trump said the Republicans were stupid.

While Trump was indeed a People fixture in the late ’90s — his name appeared in it 27 times in 1998 — he never detailed his political ambitions with the magazine. The closest we could find was a Christmas 1998 article in which Trump said he was forming a presidential exploratory committee. He also said that he’d like Oprah to be his running mate, which is pretty funny.

 

[lwien]

He also said that he’d like Oprah to be his running mate, which is pretty funny.

And their press secretary would be Dr. Phil.

 

[cybrguy]

I was thinking that above post was true but I checked it out. I wish it was true about that Trump said the Republicans were stupid.

While Trump was indeed a People fixture in the late ’90s — his name appeared in it 27 times in 1998 — he never detailed his political ambitions with the magazine. The closest we could find was a Christmas 1998 article in which Trump said he was forming a presidential exploratory committee. He also said that he’d like Oprah to be his running mate, which is pretty funny.

http://www.snopes.com/1998-trump-people-quote/

Too bad. It so perfectly fits my expectations...

 

[MinnBobber]

One would think the 1% would care that the country's infrastructure is falling apart for them as well, but the idea they might have to help pay for it is so untenable for them that they just can't act in any kind of altruistic way.

..............................................................

I think some facts are in order. Our tax system is already progressive. I'm no 1%er but folks sometimes act like they don't pay anything.
From recent years/ like 2011/2012:
- Top 1% paid in 38% of all fed income taxes collected while the entire bottom 50% taxpayers paid in 2.78% of all fed income taxes collected
- Top 10% paid in 68% of all fed income taxes collected

Could it be more progressive? Sure but what's the right balance???

 

[TeeJay1952]

@MinnBobber Poor guy get food stamps and tax credits but through property, state,sale taxes he pays a greater percentage of his wherewithal than a Facebook Billionaire who pays millions in taxes. Can't get blood from a stone. Bank robbers and politicians go where the money is.
Top rate was 90% during Eisenhower Admin.

 

[cybrguy]

I think some facts are in order. Our tax system is already progressive. I'm no 1%er but folks sometimes act like they don't pay anything.
From recent years/ like 2011/2012:
- Top 1% paid in 38% of all fed income taxes collected while the entire bottom 50% taxpayers paid in 2.78% of all fed income taxes collected
- Top 10% paid in 68% of all fed income taxes collected

Could it be more progressive? Sure but what's the right balance???

If the top .01% of Americans have 90% of the wealth, why aren't they paying 90% of the taxes? Is that so hard to understand?
If 95% of the increase in earnings since 2009 actually went to the wealthiest 1%, why should the rest of us pay ANY of the taxes for that wealth?
If a person who makes $250M a year has to pay an extra $50M in taxes, will it change his lifestyle? Will it make it any harder for him to live? Will his children suffer? Will it change his life at all?
What about the guy who makes $25,000. That same 20% is $5000. Is there any doubt about the effect of this cost on HIS life? Can you imagine that it won't effect the life of HIS kids? Nevermind their future. It really isn't that hard to understand. As someone said, you can't get blood from a stone.

 

[little maggie]

It's not just the 1% who vote Republican. That's the problem. Many people in business and the religious right will vote for a Republican president. People believe the Republican media, like Fox, over the facts. Look at how many hours Hilary was questioned over something that for months the rest of the media was saying was no big deal.
Personally they terrify me. So many running make statements that are pretty crazy and I can't imagine what will happen to the world if a Republican is elected.

 

[Gunky]

This country is still one of the wealthiest and most successful ever. Our GDP has been growing steadily. Our capitalist overlords have been raking it in hand over fist. But you'd never know it down here. Schools are being forced to cut back their hours and people are being told we can't afford more. College tuition is nuts now and keeps rising. Hello? We can't afford not to invest in our children's education. The money is demonstrably there, but it is being siphoned off by a tiny sliver of greedy people.

Our bridges are crumbling. Here's how stupid the republicans are. You can borrow money now for basically nothing. We could do some massive investment right now in our roads and bridges and the stimulus to the economy would more than pay off the borrowing. Something we need and that would help us, employ many people and stimulate economic activity, producing more buyers for goods, further stimulating... Will the repubs do it? Are you joking? That would be communistic big government a la Bernie Sanders, Dwight Eisenhower, Abraham Lincoln (who advocated 'internal improvements' ie infrastructure projects) ...

 

[cybrguy]

But as I was thinking during the Dem debate when Hillary and Bernie were trying to out progress(ive) each other, they can't do ANY of it if they don't have a Congress that will go along. That is the important point they both need to make at the debates AND on the trail. No matter which of them gets the nod, they can't get ANYTHING done with a recalcitrant or uncooperative congress. They need to get Dems elected up and down the ballot. While the Senate is certainly doable in this pres election year, the house will be a tall order.

 

[Gunky]

The dems really need to highlight what happened at the Clinton hearing of the Benghazi committee. Clowns, morons, assholes, snarling attack dogs. Show some clips and ask voters if they want more of these incompetent, bat-shit crazy wingdings. That and the shut-downs, credit downgrades, etc

 

[Scott A]

Liberals are funny.

 

[little maggie]

The Democrats can't do anything without some support from the Republicans. But, with a Democratic president, at least the Republican's won't have the freedom to do some of the crazy things they talk about.

 

[cybrguy]

The Democrats can't do anything without some support from the Republicans. But, with a Democratic president, at least the Republican's won't have the freedom to do some of the crazy things they talk about.

They can if they replace them with Democrats.

 

[lwien]

That would be communistic big government a la Bernie Sanders, Dwight Eisenhower, Abraham Lincoln (who advocated 'internal improvements' ie infrastructure projects) ...

What's funny about that is Abraham Lincoln was a Republican but if he ran today, there is no way in hell that he would get past the primaries.

The Republican party today is not even a shadow of itself from what they used to be. Somewhere along the way, they got hijacked by right wing religious conservatives. There used to be a time when there was such a thing as a liberal Republican and btw there also used to be conservative democrats. No such thing anymore.

 

[cybrguy]

Neither would Ronald Reagan

 

[lwien]

Neither would Ronald Reagan

Ture, even though they hold him up as a conservative God.

 

[Scott A]

There used to be a time when there was such a thing as a liberal Republican and btw there also used to be conservative democrats. No such thing anymore.

This is the sad truth of current politics in the U.S.

 

[MinnBobber]

lwien said: ↑
There used to be a time when there was such a thing as a liberal Republican and btw there also used to be conservative democrats. No such thing anymore.
..............................................................................................................

This is the sad truth of current politics in the U.S.

..........................................................................

That's why I'm neither, but an independent.

 

[cybrguy]

There used to be a time when there was such a thing as a liberal Republican and btw there also used to be conservative democrats. No such thing anymore.

I don't know. Jim Webb would qualify as a conservative dem. And that guy who shot the rifle round through Obamacare. Joe Manchin. There are a couple others too. But you are absolutely right that it is nothing like it used to be. Members of both parties negotiated (remember that word) agreements on a daily basis. Government worked. It wasn't pretty and it wasn't easy, but it worked. Now there are some 40 Republicans who want to destroy the government rather than make it work. I can't imagine why folks would elect them, but there they all are. My way or we light it on fire...
Reminds me of blazing saddles...

 

[Gunky]

Some of the gridlock in the House seems to have arisen, paradoxically, because 'earmarks' were reduced to a minimum. This was the time honored way that favors were doled out and support um, bought. Wheeling and dealing, you scratch my back... Now there is a good deal less that can be dangled or withheld, especially within the majority party.

What's funny about that is Abraham Lincoln was a Republican but if he ran today, there is no way in hell that he would get past the primaries.

The Republican party today is not even a shadow of itself from what they used to be. Somewhere along the way, they got hijacked by right wing religious conservatives. There used to be a time when there was such a thing as a liberal Republican and btw there also used to be conservative democrats. No such thing anymore.

I'm telling you the republican party has become a weird nihilistic cult. Their opposition to the role of government in human progress, their opposition to government in general, is more like what we used to call 'anarchism' when I was a kid than the republican party of Eisenhower. Their notion of starving the government of resources until it can be drowned in a bathtub also bears a suspicious resemblance to Marxist fantasies of the government 'withering away' in a future socialist workers paradise (except that presumably in the republican version this would be a capitalist oligarch's paradise). Add to that their cult of anti-intellectualism, science denialism, Christian chauvinism, constant fear of primary from the right, and urgent funding requirement to dance to the tune of Koch bros et al and you have our current crop of republican crazies.

 

[lwien]

VERY well said, Gunky !!