Will Trump be able to blame economic damage on Dems?

[RiverDog]

Interesting. I imagine potatoes are like other commodities where the seller and buyer both want to lock in a price in advance to ensure the sale.

Nearly all of the potatoes grown in the Columbia Basin are contracted well in advance. Most of our potatoes we get through joint venture agreements where we partner with a number of very large growers. Some contracts are for 5-10 years. We agree to a fixed price and acreage, participate with them in both the cost of production as well as the sharing of profits that he gets off of growing potatoes. It allows for the purchasing of seed, fertilizer, equipment, etc, in quantity and at a lower unit cost. There's also one, very large corporate farm, owned by the Mormon Church, called AgriNorthwest that supplies us with a huge amount of spuds. There are still a few smaller growers that contract annually, but not many. Most of those contracts are negotiated in January. The little guy needs a signed contract so the bank will lend him money so he can rent the land, prep the ground, buy the seed and fertilizer. Not too many of those growers exist in this region anymore. They can't compete with the larger farms. But I think that Idaho still has a lot of smaller, independent growers.

There are two other processors in the region, competitors of ours, so I'm not exactly sure how they acquire their raw product, but I would have to assume that it's similar to how we do it.

I can't imagine a potato shortage. They're so many of them. And I imagine putting them in bags is probably automated?

Fresh pack does not require a lot of workers, and you're right, there's a lot of automation. What is fairly labor intensive is the processing plants like I used to work at, but they're nothing compared to the meat and poultry packing plants.

We have two plants in Holland, and they would send some of their new hires over here to attend in house classes. One of the sections is raw product, of which I was an assigned mentor for. I would take them to one of our 16,000 ton capacity storages and their eyes would bug out. In Europe, a 40 acre field is huge. Here the average field around 100-125 acres. Same goes with the irrigation systems. They are lots different, no big center pivot systems like we have in this region. We have control rooms where they can monitor the pressure and flow of over 100 center pivot systems with one operator and a couple of chasers, so the labor required to grow potatoes is very, very minimal.

Same with milk. Dairy farms can operate with plenty of social distancing and tons of milk can be generated by a single farmer or two. My grandfather milked an entire heard of cows daily by himself. Just hooked up the milk suckers, made sure they had feed, and pushed them through when gone. 1000 of gallons plus of fresh milk daily pasteurized in a huge tank and shipped out the following day in a truck. Dairy is a very automated business.

Correct. Dairy farms and processing is very automated. Same goes for wheat, rice, and other grains. We won't run out of those commodities.

[Hawktawk]

[quote="RiverDog"

It will be interesting to see how Biden fares following his response to the sexual assault charge. Although his record pales in comparison when you contrast it with Trump's multiple charges, the problem for the Dems is that with the stance they took in the Kavanaugh hearings, where the allegations were much less serious and older than the one against Biden and where we were taught by them that the female accuser should always be given the benefit of the doubt, they've set themselves up for an obvious hypocrisy. If it wasn't for the consequences of Biden being brought down by these allegations, ie another 4 years of Trump, I'd be laughing my guts out. What goes around, comes around.[/quote]

There's nothing remotely funny nor would there be if there wasn't a serial Pu$$y grabber and a raving lunatic on the other side. Nothing humorous at all.

A deranged jackass admitted to sexually assaulting women on tape and got elected to the highest office in the world in part because Slick Willies depravity and Hillary's cover up canceled it out along with her pathetic campaign, Vlad Putin, Fox news etc. Now we have a guy whose creepy behavior around women of all ages and now an at least somewhat credible assault charge is well known is leading big in polls because Trump's moral depravity and loose cannon brain cancel that out.

Talk about voting for your favorite VD. Creepy Sleepy Joe vs Lazy Crazy pu$$y grabbing Don. As presidential historian Jon Meacham said a few weeks ago. "we haven't been taking our responsibility as voters seriously enough for a long time and its really caught up with us now". Indeed.


Disgusting. Nothing ever goes around or comes around with these scumbags at all. Especially DJT.

The 25th amendment , Impeachment, accountability. Its all out the window.

[Aseahawkfan]

There's nothing remotely funny nor would there be if there wasn't a serial Pu$$y grabber and a raving lunatic on the other side. Nothing humorous at all.

A deranged jackass admitted to sexually assaulting women on tape and got elected to the highest office in the world in part because Slick Willies depravity and Hillary's cover up canceled it out along with her pathetic campaign, Vlad Putin, Fox news etc. Now we have a guy whose creepy behavior around women of all ages and now an at least somewhat credible assault charge is well known is leading big in polls because Trump's moral depravity and loose cannon brain cancel that out.

Talk about voting for your favorite VD. Creepy Sleepy Joe vs Lazy Crazy pu$$y grabbing Don. As presidential historian Jon Meacham said a few weeks ago. "we haven't been taking our responsibility as voters seriously enough for a long time and its really caught up with us now". Indeed.


Disgusting. Nothing ever goes around or comes around with these scumbags at all. Especially DJT.

The 25th amendment , Impeachment, accountability. Its all out the window.

These choices are terrible again. Where did American leadership go?

[RiverDog]

These choices are terrible again. Where did American leadership go?

Yes, the system is broken. Back in 2000 and 2004, I heard a lot of people complaining about the two choices the major party candidates were giving us. I would have gladly taken either Bush 43 or Gore/Kerry over the two candidates they produced in 2016. Hillary had a higher negative rating BY FAR than any other POTUS candidate since they started asking the question back in the 50's....everybody except her opponent, Donald Trump. How is it that the two parties nominate the two most disliked candidates in the past 60+ years? I'm for ditching the primary system and let the parties select their candidates in smoke filled rooms.

But I will say that I can stomach Joe Biden. He's a bit of a weasel and he's obviously starting to show some very concerning signs of age related mental acuity slippage, but he's 100 times better than the alternative. Besides, so long as his management skills are OK and if he's self reflective enough to recognize his limitations, it's not going to hurt his ability to perform his job.

[RiverDog]

It will be interesting to see how Biden fares following his response to the sexual assault charge. Although his record pales in comparison when you contrast it with Trump's multiple charges, the problem for the Dems is that with the stance they took in the Kavanaugh hearings, where the allegations were much less serious and older than the one against Biden and where we were taught by them that the female accuser should always be given the benefit of the doubt, they've set themselves up for an obvious hypocrisy. If it wasn't for the consequences of Biden being brought down by these allegations, ie another 4 years of Trump, I'd be laughing my guts out. What goes around, comes around.

There's nothing remotely funny nor would there be if there wasn't a serial Pu$$y grabber and a raving lunatic on the other side. Nothing humorous at all.

Go back and re-read my comments. The comparison had nothing to do with Donald Trump. It was between Biden and SCOTUS justice Kavanaugh.

Kavanaugh's accusation was sexual misconduct. Biden's is sexual assault. Kavanaugh's supposed indiscretion occurred 37 years ago. Biden's are 29 years old. At the time, Kavanaugh and his accuser were high school teenagers. Biden was 50 years old and a US Senator.

Anyone who was upset with Kavanaugh and the accusation surrounding him yet failing to call out Biden for what is an even worse accusation than the one directed at Kavanaugh is a bold faced hypocrite. I'm anxious to hear you call out Biden with the same fervor that you called out Kavanaugh, call on the Democrats to refuse to nominate Creepy Joe. That's what you had called on the Senate to do, to reject Kavanaugh's nomination, calling Kavanaugh a drunken rapist.

That's the funny part. It puts those self righteous Democrats and others that were hell bent to wrap their arms around an allegation of a supposed event that occurred 37 years ago for purely political reasons in a huge conundrum, just like conundrum they were in with the cigar banging Slick Willy. The only thing that would take the humor out of it is the consequences of dumping Biden.

[Hawktawk]

Go back and re-read my comments. The comparison had nothing to do with Donald Trump. It was between Biden and SCOTUS justice Kavanaugh.

Kavanaugh's accusation was sexual misconduct. Biden's is sexual assault. Kavanaugh's supposed indiscretion occurred 37 years ago. Biden's are 29 years old. At the time, Kavanaugh and his accuser were high school teenagers. Biden was 50 years old and a US Senator.

Anyone who was upset with Kavanaugh and the accusation surrounding him yet failing to call out Biden for what is an even worse accusation than the one directed at Kavanaugh is a bold faced hypocrite. I'm anxious to hear you call out Biden with the same fervor that you called out Kavanaugh, call on the Democrats to refuse to nominate Creepy Joe. That's what you had called on the Senate to do, to reject Kavanaugh's nomination, calling Kavanaugh a drunken rapist.

That's the funny part. It puts those self righteous Democrats and others that were hell bent to wrap their arms around an allegation of a supposed event that occurred 37 years ago for purely political reasons in a huge conundrum, just like conundrum they were in with the cigar banging Slick Willy. The only thing that would take the humor out of it is the consequences of dumping Biden.

I believe Kavanaugh is as guilty as any of them. I'm not going to rehash it other than to say IMO character is far more important in a lifetime appointment to the highest court in the land than a 4 year jackwagon on display term as a president.A rape at any point in life should be disqualifying for SCOTUS.

I believe Christine Blasi ford, also Ms Ramires and after the dust settled and everyone moved on the extent of the cover up by this WH began leaking out, the handcuffing of the FBI, ignoring 40 witnesses offering relevant info etc.So many other things. She passed a polygraph Kavanaugh refused to take.Interesting this Tara Reid accusing Biden says she will take one "if he takes one"
Kavanaugh should not be on the SCOTUS. Trump should not be the president. Biden should drop out.

No hypocrite picking and choosing my indignation here...

I still will support Biden if hes the guy come november. Hold my nose but still make the only rational electable choice for the future of the planet.

[RiverDog]

I still will support Biden if hes the guy come november. Hold my nose but still make the only rational electable choice for the future of the planet.

So what you're saying is that you don't believe Biden's accuser? Or are you saying that it is forgivable conduct for a candidate for POTUS to have committed sexual assault but unforgivable for a SCOTUS judge to have committed sexual misconduct?

[c_hawkbob]

I still will support Biden if hes the guy come november. Hold my nose but still make the only rational electable choice for the future of the planet.

So what you're saying is that you don't believe Biden's accuser? Or are you saying that it is forgivable conduct for a candidate for POTUS to have committed sexual assault but unforgivable for a SCOTUS judge to have committed sexual misconduct?

I believe he's having Biden as President is preferable to Trump irrespective of actual level of guilt (and I agree), not that it's "forgivable". The choice is between on one the other, not whether you forgive either.

Also perhaps that SCOTUS, as a lifetime appointment, require an even higher standard of conduct as it is a yes or no proposition as opposes to a A or B proposition. That's how I read it anyway.

[RiverDog]

I still will support Biden if hes the guy come november. Hold my nose but still make the only rational electable choice for the future of the planet.

So what you're saying is that you don't believe Biden's accuser? Or are you saying that it is forgivable conduct for a candidate for POTUS to have committed sexual assault but unforgivable for a SCOTUS judge to have committed sexual misconduct?

I believe he's having Biden as President is preferable to Trump irrespective of actual level of guilt (and I agree), not that it's "forgivable". The choice is between on one the other, not whether you forgive either.

Also perhaps that SCOTUS, as a lifetime appointment, require an even higher standard of conduct as it is a yes or no proposition as opposes to a A or B proposition. That's how I read it anyway.

Lifetime appointment or not, IMO the standard for a POTUS should be AT LEAST as high as that of a SCOTUS justice. The Supreme Court doesn't start wars, doesn't negotiate treaties, doesn't make policy, doesn't appoint judges, etc. They are the umpires or referees in the game vs. the quarterback in the form of the POTUS. The standard would have to be higher in order to justify your first paragraph, ie that Biden is preferable to Trump despite any degree of guilt of a charge even more serious of the one that was argued to be disqualifying of a SCOTUS appointee.

BTW, glad you're weighing in!

[MackStrongIsMyHero]

If you live by the sword, then you die by the sword. If Biden's presidential bid survives, then so be it. Not going to be tore up about it if it doesn't.

Regardless of the truth about the allegations against Kavanaugh and Biden, it won't be a good look for the Democratic Party to try and brush off investigations into the claim's against Biden.

And it is good to know that picking the lesser of two evils is justified, even if we the people can't agree on which is which.

[RiverDog]

If you live by the sword, then you die by the sword. If Biden's presidential bid survives, then so be it. Not going to be tore up about it if it doesn't.

Oh, it will survive. But the next time something like this arises, it won't have the stinger in it that it had with Kavanaugh.

Regardless of the truth about the allegations against Kavanaugh and Biden, it won't be a good look for the Democratic Party to try and brush off investigations into the claim's against Biden.

So far, Biden has done a good job of deflecting the issue, calling on the Senate to disclose any complaints they may have about him. But IMO in all fairness, they need to do exactly the same thing they did with Kavanaugh, call on the FBI to investigate the claims. They need to investigate it at least to the same degree as they did with Kavanaugh. My sense is that there's nothing beyond hearsay, a case of he said-she said. If the Dems pay the same amount of attention to the Biden accuser as they did with Judge K, I don't think it will be a huge problem for them in this election simply for the fact that Trump has so much more dirt on him.

You sort of knew that something like this might have been lingering out there about Biden, with his touchy-feely style in his approach towards women. As was the case with Clinton, it's one of those "where there's smoke, there's usually a fire" flags.

[Aseahawkfan]

I'm sure the FBI and other games will be played when the voting day gets closer. Don't worry. This is going to get ugly and get exploited. Democrats played a bunch of games and we know how the Republicans pay that back. They go back and forth playing these games with each other using taxpayer money, riling up their bases, and using their media arms to push their viewpoints and attack the other. I'm sure that will be what happens. I'm pretty sure Trump is talking with Barr and finding out how he can use the FBI to pay back the Democrats. I'm sure Barr and Trump been working at installing their people and undoing the Democrats network that set him up with the Russian Spy Scandal for the past four years. If they have enough of their people in place, then they can use the FBI to attack some of their enemies as the Democrats did.

I really have no idea why anyone believes the Democrats were acting in good faith. The fact is they had an FBI that Obama had built up with Democrats that was used against Trump. Trump's had four years to get the FBI filled with his people to retaliate. We'll see if he's been effective.

That's how Washington DC does business. The main difference is someone like Bush Jr. and Cheney would have known who the Clinton people were at the start and purged or isolated them to start with, whereas Trump doesn't have an already installed network in Washington D.C.