Biden stepping out of race

[Aseahawkfan]

Don’t be “weird” This election could become divisive, so let’s be better than that.

Hard to not be "weird" when you're trying to filter out weird every day from a Democratic Party who can't figure out what a woman is and use Title 9 which was created to establish women sports and is now being used to allow former men to play women's sports and a Republican Party who thinks immigrants are the devil, some while married to immigrants who they refer to as the "Legal immigrants who came over right." When you live in that country, hard to escape the weird and crazy.

This place is real crazy right now, even without Trump.

[River Dog]

Don’t be “weird” This election could become divisive, so let’s be better than that.

Hard to not be "weird" when you're trying to filter out weird every day from a Democratic Party who can't figure out what a woman is and use Title 9 which was created to establish women sports and is not being used to allow former men to play women's sports and a Republican Party who thinks immigrants are the devil, some while married to immigrants who they refer to as the "Legal immigrants who came over right." When you live in that country, hard to escape the weird and crazy.

This place is real crazy right now, even without Trump.

I think you might have missed the pun. Stream Hawk was referring to a Dem strategy that employs negative but much less corrosive terms to describe Trump and Vance. MN Gov. Tim Waltz, himself on the short list for VP nominee, started it by calling Vance "weird". Since then, others have jumped on the bandwagon, using terms like "odd" and "strange" to describe their opposition.

IMO it's a brilliant strategy as it separates themselves from the trash talking Trump who insists on being completely classless with personal insults, like he was the other day in mocking Harris by intentionally mispronouncing her first name.

[Aseahawkfan]

I think you might have missed the pun. Stream Hawk was referring to a Dem strategy that employs negative but much less corrosive terms to describe Trump and Vance. MN Gov. Tim Waltz, himself on the short list for VP nominee, started it by calling Vance "weird". Since then, others have jumped on the bandwagon, using terms like "odd" and "strange" to describe their opposition.

IMO it's a brilliant strategy as it separates themselves from the trash talking Trump who insists on being completely classless with personal insults, like he was the other day in mocking Harris by intentionally mispronouncing her first name.

Ah. I see. That might work. People are real tired of politicians running off at the mouth saying weird crap and Trump does a lot of babbling that doesn't make much sense.

Kamala might win their debate just by sounding somewhat sane and focused.

[River Dog]

I think you might have missed the pun. Stream Hawk was referring to a Dem strategy that employs negative but much less corrosive terms to describe Trump and Vance. MN Gov. Tim Waltz, himself on the short list for VP nominee, started it by calling Vance "weird". Since then, others have jumped on the bandwagon, using terms like "odd" and "strange" to describe their opposition.

IMO it's a brilliant strategy as it separates themselves from the trash talking Trump who insists on being completely classless with personal insults, like he was the other day in mocking Harris by intentionally mispronouncing her first name.

Ah. I see. That might work. People are real tired of politicians running off at the mouth saying weird crap and Trump does a lot of babbling that doesn't make much sense.

Kamala might win their debate just by sounding somewhat sane and focused.

Exactly! I hear that all the time from people of both political persuasions, that they're so tired of the negativism that they've tuned out, don't participate. And it seems to have resonated with people, at least initially, as it's getting tons of hits on social media. Here's an excerpt from an article about it:

“Assigning extra votes to certain people based on the size of their family is weird,” Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) wrote Sunday on X, formerly Twitter, describing a policy idea Vance once suggested. “Banning library books is weird. Government being in people’s bedroom is weird. Government being in the exam room is weird.”

“Saying ‘weird’ is not a schoolyard taunt ― it’s an observation,” the senator added.

“Weird” is a far more lighthearted attack than other rhetoric that President Joe Biden, before he ended his reelection campaign, used to describe Trump, whom he called a wannabe “dictator” and a “threat to democracy.” Some Republicans blamed the rhetoric for the assassination attempt against Trump earlier this month, though no evidence has emerged that the shooter was paying attention to what the campaigns were saying.

The highest-profile booster of Democrats’ “weird” attack might be Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a potential Harris running mate who has been making frequent media appearances.

“These are weird people on the other side,” Walz said on MSNBC last week. “They want to take books away, they want to be in your [medical] exam room ... Don’t get sugarcoating this. These are weird ideas.”

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/democrat ... 371c897a7d

[Aseahawkfan]

Exactly! I hear that all the time from people of both political persuasions, that they're so tired of the negativism that they've tuned out, don't participate. And it seems to have resonated with people, at least initially, as it's getting tons of hits on social media. Here's an excerpt from an article about it:

“Assigning extra votes to certain people based on the size of their family is weird,” Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) wrote Sunday on X, formerly Twitter, describing a policy idea Vance once suggested. “Banning library books is weird. Government being in people’s bedroom is weird. Government being in the exam room is weird.”

“Saying ‘weird’ is not a schoolyard taunt ― it’s an observation,” the senator added.

“Weird” is a far more lighthearted attack than other rhetoric that President Joe Biden, before he ended his reelection campaign, used to describe Trump, whom he called a wannabe “dictator” and a “threat to democracy.” Some Republicans blamed the rhetoric for the assassination attempt against Trump earlier this month, though no evidence has emerged that the shooter was paying attention to what the campaigns were saying.

The highest-profile booster of Democrats’ “weird” attack might be Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a potential Harris running mate who has been making frequent media appearances.

“These are weird people on the other side,” Walz said on MSNBC last week. “They want to take books away, they want to be in your [medical] exam room ... Don’t get sugarcoating this. These are weird ideas.”

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/democrat ... 371c897a7d

Hard to listen to a Democrat pretend the Republicans are the only one that want the government in people's business when they want to raise your children, make you pay for drug addicts drugs, and use the power of government to force trans females into female sports as that all seems pretty weird to me as well.

But what he says is also not wrong as the Republicans always falsely claim to be the Constitutional protectors while they are passing their own weird laws to push their viewpoints on people like wanting to get rid of birthright citizenship, push religion with nearly no scientific basis into schools, and this Vance idea of giving more voting power to married couples as though people don't vote with enough selfishness as to give more power for some group to push laws and taxes on unmarried people.

About the only people I've heard with a somewhat consistent viewpoint in regards to government power are the Libertarians who want the government the hell out of it all as much as possible. Which is also a bit too far for my tastes.

[River Dog]

Hard to listen to a Democrat pretend the Republicans are the only one that want the government in people's business when they want to raise your children, make you pay for drug addicts drugs, and use the power of government to force trans females into female sports as that all seems pretty weird to me as well.

But what he says is also not wrong as the Republicans always falsely claim to be the Constitutional protectors while they are passing their own weird laws to push their viewpoints on people like wanting to get rid of birthright citizenship, push religion with nearly no scientific basis into schools, and this Vance idea of giving more voting power to married couples as though people don't vote with enough selfishness as to give more power for some group to push laws and taxes on unmarried people.

About the only people I've heard with a somewhat consistent viewpoint in regards to government power are the Libertarians who want the government the hell out of it all as much as possible. Which is also a bit too far for my tastes.

The content of what they said wasn't the point. The point was the terminology they used, that they used relatively inoffensive words like "weird." Sort of like Bush 41's kinder, gentler nation. So much about politics is posturing and graphics. In contrast to the more normal, measured remarks, Trump looks like a maniac, like some mad scientist or professional wrestler, the neighborhood bully. The Dems are portraying themselves more like rational adults. Biden calling Trump a "wanna be dictator" and "a threat to democracy" is pretty harsh and clearly wasn't working. Using words like "weird, strange, odd, unusual" isn't nearly as corrosive.

I think it's a great strategy and could attract voters that are turned off and have tuned out of the fray. It certainly has been making the rounds on social media and has raised the ire of some Republicans who are complaining about name calling, the pot calling the kettle black.

[MackStrongIsMyHero]

Using words like "weird, strange, odd, unusual" isn't nearly as corrosive.

That's true, but it defies logic when set against the obvious weirdness of the Democratic party. It will appeal to the firmly left as much as Trump's speech appeals to the firmly right. I think it's hard to say how much it will appeal to your middle of the road voters. Either they'll prefer it's low-key offensiveness, like you're saying, or they'll be thinking "yeah, but, you guys are weird, too." I agree it's still better than the previous approach.

I'd like to see both sides focus on stating what they are going to do for the betterment of the country versus trying to tear down each other. Show me you have a plan of action.

[River Dog]

Using words like "weird, strange, odd, unusual" isn't nearly as corrosive.

That's true, but it defies logic when set against the obvious weirdness of the Democratic party. It will appeal to the firmly left as much as Trump's speech appeals to the firmly right. I think it's hard to say how much it will appeal to your middle of the road voters. Either they'll prefer it's low-key offensiveness, like you're saying, or they'll be thinking "yeah, but, you guys are weird, too." I agree it's still better than the previous approach.

I'd like to see both sides focus on stating what they are going to do for the betterment of the country versus trying to tear down each other. Show me you have a plan of action.

Yeah, it remains to be seen just how long lasting the Dems kinder, gentler approach lasts and how many it will influence. But it is a welcome departure from the "your stepsister is uglier than mine" rhetoric that both parties have been engaging in.

I can remember back in 1980 when Reagan and Carter were debating. Carter had a very glum, dour look and approach while Reagan had this bubbly, optimistic veneer, quipping at a sharp attack from Carter by saying "there he goes again!" This could be something similar.

[Aseahawkfan]

The content of what they said wasn't the point. The point was the terminology they used, that they used relatively inoffensive words like "weird." Sort of like Bush 41's kinder, gentler nation. So much about politics is posturing and graphics. In contrast to the more normal, measured remarks, Trump looks like a maniac, like some mad scientist or professional wrestler, the neighborhood bully. The Dems are portraying themselves more like rational adults. Biden calling Trump a "wanna be dictator" and "a threat to democracy" is pretty harsh and clearly wasn't working. Using words like "weird, strange, odd, unusual" isn't nearly as corrosive.

I think it's a great strategy and could attract voters that are turned off and have tuned out of the fray. It certainly has been making the rounds on social media and has raised the ire of some Republicans who are complaining about name calling, the pot calling the kettle black.

The strategy may be effective since in these tight elections you only need to pull a small percentage of the voter base in a handful of states to win. It is early. I see the Democrats getting hyped and the polling information trended better from the initial burst of replacing Biden with Kamala. We will see if it sustains.

They are trying to paint Trump as not debating Kamala because he is scared, but to Trump's followers think he's letting her know she has no power over him and he'll decide if the debate happens once she wins the nomination. That debate is going to happen.

We'll see who she picks as VP. Then the head to head war starts soon as at this point the Trump camp needs to have no more rug pulls and know clearly who the opposing candidate is going to be so they can build their strategy. Once that Democratic convention starts and both campaigns start in earnest, then we'll see how things roll.

This brawl is just starting.

[Aseahawkfan]

Yeah, it remains to be seen just how long lasting the Dems kinder, gentler approach lasts and how many it will influence. But it is a welcome departure from the "your stepsister is uglier than mine" rhetoric that both parties have been engaging in.

I can remember back in 1980 when Reagan and Carter were debating. Carter had a very glum, dour look and approach while Reagan had this bubbly, optimistic veneer, quipping at a sharp attack from Carter by saying "there he goes again!" This could be something similar.

I still hear Kamala in her Youtube commercials attacking Trump in the same fashion as the force of chaos and dangerous to the nation. These side governors or folks doing what they're doing is not going to do much unless the candidate and Party also push this narrative. We will see what the attack ads look like as social media is not mainstream ads because you could hop on social media and see just as much conservative material slanted their way.

I know the media right now is pushing the J.D. Vance "childless cat ladies" narrative right now. I did see a few of those governors on MSNBC using the "weird" word, but all I could think when hearing that from a Democrat is how does anyone buy that when your party is pushing the transgender ideology down our throat and selling it to us like you sold the race narrative. They're also selling that narrative to prepubescent children, which I'm sorry RD is insane to me. Teaching an 8 to 10 year old they are misgendered is a high level of nuts in my opinion. On top of policy like using taxpayer dollars to sell heroin or fentanyl to users with decriminalization and following a plan I guess they use in the U.K. or other areas in Europe. It's a hard pill to swallow.

I know if I were the Republicans and the Dems started calling us weird people, I'd be pushing out my ads with "They're calling us weird?" with information on their pushing surgery and chemicals on prepubescent children who are misgendered and showing the statements about defunding the police and becoming the drug pusher in America as well as some of their DEI initiatives calling "Cis white men" the problem.

I have real trouble that even a moderately intelligent Republican campaign manager can't turn the "weird" comments back on the Democrats in a very bad way, very quickly if it continues.

So I guess we'll see how that works out. Did see the hoopla over the France Olympics The Last Supper which I guess was supposed to be a calling down of the Greek gods by drag queens?

[River Dog]

So I guess we'll see how that works out. Did see the hoopla over the France Olympics The Last Supper which I guess was supposed to be a calling down of the Greek gods by drag queens?

Yeah, I saw that. I'm generally pretty permissive when it comes to stuff like that, I'm all for free speech and free expression, but that was over the top, and I don't blame religious conservatives for being upset. There has to be some limits, just like there's limits on obscenity. They ought to have some type of copyright law attached to some of those centuries' old art works, allow a person or company replicating them to be sued for libel or slander as if it were a person.

[River Dog]

Boy, Trump really stepped in it this time:

Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday took his first big swing Wednesday at the revamped Democratic ticket — and it did not go well for him. Trump participated in a controversial live interview at a convention of Black journalists in Chicago and quickly stumbled into racially insensitive remarks about Vice President Kamala Harris as he questioned her identity and qualifications.

When asked about Republicans who say Harris, the first woman of Black and Asian ancestry to serve as vice president, was chosen for the role in a nod to diversity, Trump instead suggested Harris only recently “became” Black.

“She was always of Indian heritage and she was only promoting Indian heritage,” Trump said, prompting audible gasps and murmurs, according to reporters in the room. “I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago until she happened to turn Black and now she wants to be known as Black.”

Trump continued to make the same point about Harris’ ancestry even as one of the moderators, ABC News’ Rachel Scott, interjected that Harris attended an historically Black college and has always identified as Black.

"She was Indian all the way and then all of the sudden she made a turn and she became a Black person,” Trump said.

His remarks, one of many tense exchanges in a Q&A session at the National Association of Black Journalists, underscored the Trump campaign’s floundering efforts to blunt the momentum of Harris since President Joe Biden agreed to drop his reelection bid.

Republican strategist Shermichael Singleton, who appeared on CNN moments after Trump walked off the stage in Chicago, was even more blunt: “You need to be careful with this crap,” he warned. “As far as every Black person in America is concerned, she is Black. … To question the vice president’s ethnicity — I can’t even say what I really want to say about this.”

Just hours after the event, Trump appeared to double down on the idea that people of mixed backgrounds can’t identify as more than one ethnicity, posting a video on his Truth Social account showing Harris, in his words, “saying she’s Indian, not Black” and calling her a “stone cold phony.”

Harris’ campaign, in a sign of just how damaging they believed Trump’s performance may have been to his own efforts to woo Black voters and independents, blasted out eight different clips from the interview, including Trump’s use of the term “Black jobs” and his inability to defend Vance in response to multiple questions about his past comments maligning “childless cat ladies” and his readiness to lead on day one.

But at least one Republican was incensed by the comments.

"Nobody's helping the voters out here by talking about the substance of the issue which we should be focusing on,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska).

While Murkowski has long soured on Trump’s candidacy, she chastised the GOP ticket’s cultural commentary, including Sen. JD Vance’s remarks that women who don’t reproduce are “childless cat ladies.

The interview, which began an hour late, was supposed to go for an hour. But it abruptly ended after 34 minutes, which moderator Kadia Goba of Semafor said was at the behest of Trump’s campaign.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... 18a5&ei=15

See, by getting Biden with all of his gaffs and senior moments out of the way, the spotlight is now shifted onto Trump. Give the man enough rope and he'll hang himself.

[c_hawkbob]

Operation "Just Let Him Speak" is going quite well.

[Aseahawkfan]

Yeah, I saw that. I'm generally pretty permissive when it comes to stuff like that, I'm all for free speech and free expression, but that was over the top, and I don't blame religious conservatives for being upset. There has to be some limits, just like there's limits on obscenity. They ought to have some type of copyright law attached to some of those centuries' old art works, allow a person or company replicating them to be sued for libel or slander as if it were a person.

The France left wing I guess claiming it was a gathering of the Greek gods to a feast by Dionysus, the god of wine and feasting, to call the Greek gods for the games. I don't generally concern myself with this stuff if I don't like something, I just don't watch it. Problem solved for me. It may have been a calling down of the Greek gods as that type of group feasting was common in those times.

I didn't care enough to look into it.

Then again this may just be damage control by the French left. I don't know. I don't care that much.

I only concern myself with social issues when it starts to go insane like the transgender females in female sports and teaching that stuff to prepubescent children who shouldn't even be thinking about that stuff at their age. It would be like giving them sex ed before they even go through puberty and they would barely understand the subject. That's just crazy.

[Aseahawkfan]

Boy, Trump really stepped in it this time:

Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday took his first big swing Wednesday at the revamped Democratic ticket — and it did not go well for him. Trump participated in a controversial live interview at a convention of Black journalists in Chicago and quickly stumbled into racially insensitive remarks about Vice President Kamala Harris as he questioned her identity and qualifications.

When asked about Republicans who say Harris, the first woman of Black and Asian ancestry to serve as vice president, was chosen for the role in a nod to diversity, Trump instead suggested Harris only recently “became” Black.

“She was always of Indian heritage and she was only promoting Indian heritage,” Trump said, prompting audible gasps and murmurs, according to reporters in the room. “I didn’t know she was Black until a number of years ago until she happened to turn Black and now she wants to be known as Black.”

Trump continued to make the same point about Harris’ ancestry even as one of the moderators, ABC News’ Rachel Scott, interjected that Harris attended an historically Black college and has always identified as Black.

"She was Indian all the way and then all of the sudden she made a turn and she became a Black person,” Trump said.

His remarks, one of many tense exchanges in a Q&A session at the National Association of Black Journalists, underscored the Trump campaign’s floundering efforts to blunt the momentum of Harris since President Joe Biden agreed to drop his reelection bid.

Republican strategist Shermichael Singleton, who appeared on CNN moments after Trump walked off the stage in Chicago, was even more blunt: “You need to be careful with this crap,” he warned. “As far as every Black person in America is concerned, she is Black. … To question the vice president’s ethnicity — I can’t even say what I really want to say about this.”

Just hours after the event, Trump appeared to double down on the idea that people of mixed backgrounds can’t identify as more than one ethnicity, posting a video on his Truth Social account showing Harris, in his words, “saying she’s Indian, not Black” and calling her a “stone cold phony.”

Harris’ campaign, in a sign of just how damaging they believed Trump’s performance may have been to his own efforts to woo Black voters and independents, blasted out eight different clips from the interview, including Trump’s use of the term “Black jobs” and his inability to defend Vance in response to multiple questions about his past comments maligning “childless cat ladies” and his readiness to lead on day one.

But at least one Republican was incensed by the comments.

"Nobody's helping the voters out here by talking about the substance of the issue which we should be focusing on,” said Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska).

While Murkowski has long soured on Trump’s candidacy, she chastised the GOP ticket’s cultural commentary, including Sen. JD Vance’s remarks that women who don’t reproduce are “childless cat ladies.

The interview, which began an hour late, was supposed to go for an hour. But it abruptly ended after 34 minutes, which moderator Kadia Goba of Semafor said was at the behest of Trump’s campaign.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... 18a5&ei=15

See, by getting Biden with all of his gaffs and senior moments out of the way, the spotlight is now shifted onto Trump. Give the man enough rope and he'll hang himself.

Trump gets a gift in the form of a failed assassination attempt and his stupid personality is already destroying the goodwill from that. What an idiot. He literally received political manna from Heaven and he's burning the bread.

[River Dog]

Trump gets a gift in the form of a failed assassination attempt and his stupid personality is already destroying the goodwill from that. What an idiot. He literally received political manna from Heaven and he's burning the bread.

I was thinking the same thing. Trump gets all this sympathetic good will flowing towards him, claims that the attempt on his life changed him, and the first thing he does is get into the gutter and makes some pathetic, racial insults in front of a black audience of whom he had intended to woo. He can't stand prosperity.

If I were Harris and asked to comment, I'd just laugh, shake my head, and say "He's weird!" or, if she wants to be original, "Strange dude" and leave it at that. Let her surrogates go after him.

[Aseahawkfan]

I was thinking the same thing. Trump gets all this sympathetic good will flowing towards him, claims that the attempt on his life changed him, and the first thing he does is get into the gutter and makes some pathetic, racial insults in front of a black audience of whom he had intended to woo. He can't stand prosperity.

If I were Harris and asked to comment, I'd just laugh, shake my head, and say "He's weird!" or, if she wants to be original, "Strange dude" and leave it at that. Let her surrogates go after him.

If Trump had any of Reagan's charm in this era of weak Democrat candidates, he would be winning by a landslide. But Trump just can't get out of his own way. Like c-bob said, Trump opens his mouth and loses votes. I don't remember him being this bad when younger, so he may be the old man suffering mental decline now. If Kamala can manage it, she can play that card on him now without actually saying much about it if he keeps talking like he is now.

[Stream Hawk]

Hard to not be "weird" when you're trying to filter out weird every day from a Democratic Party who can't figure out what a woman is and use Title 9 which was created to establish women sports and is now being used to allow former men to play women's sports and a Republican Party who thinks immigrants are the devil, some while married to immigrants who they refer to as the "Legal immigrants who came over right." When you live in that country, hard to escape the weird and crazy.

This place is real crazy right now, even without Trump.

Edit. Just caught up to the back and forth but I’ll keep my post here.
Well, I’m a Democrat and I know what a woman is. That trend I think will disappear soon. It seems like it already is. Most Gen Xers I know agree with me. But it is very weird to insinuate things about a fellow poster like Bob. Or paint an entire party as the same on that issue.

Try to be less divisive. I think we are all interested in Trump losing so there’s that.

[Aseahawkfan]

Edit. Just caught up to the back and forth but I’ll keep my post here.
Well, I’m a Democrat and I know what a woman is. That trend I think will disappear soon. It seems like it already is. Most Gen Xers I know agree with me. But it is very weird to insinuate things about a fellow poster like Bob. Or paint an entire party as the same on that issue.

Try to be less divisive. I think we are all interested in Trump losing so there’s that.

Why can you say this lucid thought, then act like Trump supporters are any different? They don't vote because they believe in what Trump believes because he believes almost nothing, but vote because he's the Republican candidate and they prefer what the Republican Party stands for, not every whacky, idiot, racist think Trump says or someone in the Republican Party does, but key issues they support that only the Republicans support.

Finally, you get it. I paint you guys this way to show you this reality. And you finally lucidly state something you and other Democrats should understand at all times. People who vote for Trump are not bad people, but people who vote Republican, many feel stuck with this guy, but they'd be backing whatever Republican took the nomination. So you can separate the Trump supporters who really love him from the Republican Party who tend to vote for whatever Republican is running and it happens to be Trump.

They do this because each Party's media arm has successfully made the whackos look like they're in charge of the party.

I am 100 percent certain every Democrat isn't onboard with everything they do. But I'm also 100 percent certain the Democratic Party has certain voting blocs they are appeasing that push a heavy amount of crazy, same as the Republicans. That is getting exceedingly hard to filter out from both of these parties.

Which is why I'm what I guess they call a "hater" now who hates both parties and wants a third party or some sanity back. Doesn't seem to be happening because even the third option RFK is a looney.

This country really needs to improve its education system badly.

[River Dog]

If Trump had any of Reagan's charm in this era of weak Democrat candidates, he would be winning by a landslide. But Trump just can't get out of his own way. Like c-bob said, Trump opens his mouth and loses votes. I don't remember him being this bad when younger, so he may be the old man suffering mental decline now. If Kamala can manage it, she can play that card on him now without actually saying much about it if he keeps talking like he is now.

Which is exactly why I was calling on Biden to step down well before that fateful debate. Prior to Biden bowing out, the focus was on Sleepy Joe. Trump got a free pass because Biden's problems were more noticeable, having to pause, close his eyes, losing his train of thought, tripping on the stairs to AF1, and so on. Despite being just 4 years younger, Trump doesn't show any of that. Trump has always made just as many if not more gaffs as Biden, compounded by his lies, but the graphics aren't there as they were with Biden.

This was apparent for months, if not longer, but the Dems kept writing off rumors of Biden's mental decline that were coming out of meetings with him as nothing but a bunch of mean-spirited partisan attacks, and the mostly liberal press was compliant. They kept him under wraps, no news conferences or unscripted interviews. If you watched Fox News as I occasionally do, they were talking about Biden's age-related problems nonstop since at least the first of the year. But the debate took away Biden's fig leaf, and finally the mainstream press caught up with what others had known for months and started talking about it.

Now, with Biden out of the way, Trump's problems are coming under much more scrutiny. I doubt that even our friend Idahawkman could come up with a rational excuse for Trump's outrageous remarks. Even the conservative press has been talking about it as they're indefensible. Harris's father is a black Jamaican who was active in the civil rights movement, so why can't she self-identify as a black? The Trump campaign must be terrified at the thought of their candidate having to go into an unscripted event such as that interview with the black press. If I were Harris, I'd just stand back and let Trump talk. Don't take up a lot of space or time with lengthy speeches, don't say anything controversial, be as vanilla as possible and let Trump self-destruct. And, start pressing him to debate, with the same rules that the Trump people were insisting on when Biden was the standard bearer.

And if he refuses to debate, have the attack dogs start calling him chicken, a coward. That'll really get under his skin.

[Aseahawkfan]

Which is exactly why I was calling on Biden to step down well before that fateful debate. Prior to Biden bowing out, the focus was on Sleepy Joe. Trump got a free pass because Biden's problems were more noticeable, having to pause, close his eyes, losing his train of thought, tripping on the stairs to AF1, and so on. Despite being just 4 years younger, Trump doesn't show any of that. Trump has always made just as many if not more gaffs as Biden, compounded by his lies, but the graphics aren't there as they were with Biden.

This was apparent for months, if not longer, but the Dems kept writing off rumors of Biden's mental decline that were coming out of meetings with him as nothing but a bunch of mean-spirited partisan attacks, and the mostly liberal press was compliant. They kept him under wraps, no news conferences or unscripted interviews. If you watched Fox News as I occasionally do, they were talking about Biden's age-related problems nonstop since at least the first of the year. But the debate took away Biden's fig leaf, and finally the mainstream press caught up with what others had known for months and started talking about it.

Now, with Biden out of the way, Trump's problems are coming under much more scrutiny. I doubt that even our friend Idahawkman could come up with a rational excuse for Trump's outrageous remarks. Even the conservative press has been talking about it as they're indefensible. Harris's father is a black Jamaican who was active in the civil rights movement, so why can't she self-identify as a black? The Trump campaign must be terrified at the thought of their candidate having to go into an unscripted event such as that interview with the black press. If I were Harris, I'd just stand back and let Trump talk. Don't take up a lot of space or time with lengthy speeches, don't say anything controversial, be as vanilla as possible and let Trump self-destruct. And, start pressing him to debate, with the same rules that the Trump people were insisting on when Biden was the standard bearer.

And if he refuses to debate, have the attack dogs start calling him chicken, a coward. That'll really get under his skin.

Trump is not going to refuse to debate. He's playing games to make the Dems look weak by saying he won't debate Kamala until she's chosen. To his followers, it looks great like he's dismissing her as not that candidate yet, unimportant.

You haven't even seen what's coming for Kamala. It's going to be a lot of hammering soon as she is chosen, but the Republicans will wait so there is no rug pull at the convention.

I'm betting Idhawkman would do just like he did last time and talk Trump up. His followers do not tend to waver. They do not like the Dems at all.

Right now all I hear from my Trump supporting friends is how uneducated the Dems are and how stupid they are for their economics and supporting a party wanting to take away their Constitutional rights. You sound like you avoid political conversation with friends. I have quite a few friends who are pretty hardcore Republican and they are pretty much sold the Democrats are trying to ruin this nation and take away their Constitutional rights, hate this country, and hate white people, hate Christians, and the like. To them DEI is an attack on white males painting them as the villain. The anti-gun movement is an attempt to take away the 2nd Amendment. The cancel culture is a Democrat and leftist way to take away freedom of speech. And Kamala, Biden, and politicians like The Squad are socialists trying to take all our money in taxes and increase the power of the federal government until we are all under their violent control. And the alphabet sexuality with associated court cases are denying Christians freedom of religion to do things like not make a cake for a homosexual couple and the like.

Basically, what you see on here by the Democratic Party supporters claiming Trump is a fascist and trying to ruin America and take away rights is echoed by the Republicans, but with different issues.

And of course the immigrants are here to steal elections and replace the white man so the Democrats can take control of the country through the immigrant population as they give illegal immigrants voting rights.

I get to hear lots of that. I push back against it, but some folks have their firmly held beliefs. I'm still surprised you don't hear that where you live since you live in an even more conservative area than I do by quite a margin.

But that's where we're at, both parties thinking the other is the Devil trying to destroy America. It's not what I hear when I actually listen to both party's agendas, but it sure is what gets broadcast on the news as they each parse each other for the worst possible fearmongering soundbyte or story they can find, then post it to rile their voting base even if it doesn't represent the mainstream party.

[River Dog]

Trump is not going to refuse to debate. He's playing games to make the Dems look weak by saying he won't debate Kamala until she's chosen. To his followers, it looks great like he's dismissing her as not that candidate yet, unimportant.

Yeah, he's pretty much painted himself into a corner, said in is interview in Chicago that he will debate her. But I'll bet his handlers are having nightmares.

I'm betting Idhawkman would do just like he did last time and talk Trump up. His followers do not tend to waver. They do not like the Dems at all.

You're probably right about idahawk. Nevertheless, I'd still like to hear him try to defend those remarks that Trump made about Harris's ethnicity.

Right now all I hear from my Trump supporting friends is how uneducated the Dems are and how stupid they are for their economics and supporting a party wanting to take away their Constitutional rights. You sound like you avoid political conversation with friends. I have quite a few friends who are pretty hardcore Republican and they are pretty much sold the Democrats are trying to ruin this nation and take away their Constitutional rights, hate this country, and hate white people, hate Christians, and the like. To them DEI is an attack on white males painting them as the villain. The anti-gun movement is an attempt to take away the 2nd Amendment. The cancel culture is a Democrat and leftist way to take away freedom of speech. And Kamala, Biden, and politicians like The Squad are socialists trying to take all our money in taxes and increase the power of the federal government until we are all under their violent control. And the alphabet sexuality with associated court cases are denying Christians freedom of religion to do things like not make a cake for a homosexual couple and the like.

Basically, what you see on here by the Democratic Party supporters claiming Trump is a fascist and trying to ruin America and take away rights is echoed by the Republicans, but with different issues.

And of course, the immigrants are here to steal elections and replace the white man so the Democrats can take control of the country through the immigrant population as they give illegal immigrants voting rights.

I get to hear lots of that. I push back against it, but some folks have their firmly held beliefs. I'm still surprised you don't hear that where you live since you live in an even more conservative area than I do by quite a margin.

I'm retired and don't have a lot of personal contacts, and even those that I have we just don't talk about any of the three taboos: Sex, religion, and politics. I learned the hard way over 40 years ago not to talk about the three taboos for fear of making myself unapproachable. I don't put signs in my yard, bumper stickers on my car, don't get involved in it on social media, and even quit flying Old Glory in my yard because its image has been stolen by the far right. Besides my wife and one or two close friends, I don't talk about the 3 taboos to anyone even though I have some pretty solid convictions.

One thing is for sure: This is going to be an entertaining election. Since Biden stepped down, the race has tightened up a lot, and Harris has the momentum and still hasn't picked a running mate or had her coronation, so she could have a very good month if she plays her cards right.

[Aseahawkfan]

Yeah, he's pretty much painted himself into a corner, said in is interview in Chicago that he will debate her. But I'll bet his handlers are having nightmares.

Trump has no fear of debates. His handlers don't care other than the standard nightmare of dealing with a loose cannon, which you should know going in. Trump doesn't really think this way. If he loses, he goes back to a billionaire life he's already enjoyed to the ripe old of age of 78. To Trump running for president is like you playing golf or watching a Seahawks game: something he's doing because he enjoys it. He fills his giant ego making himself the center of attention for America and the world at 78 when most people's stars are fading, Trump is still living in the spotlight he loves so much.

What would anger Trump would be no one noticing him. Noticing him for saying crazy things, he doesn't care one bit as long as you notice.

It's funny how after all these years, you still just don't get this guy. What drives him and what he actually cares about.

Trump is not scared at all, not one little bit. All this stuff is driving his ego and his energy in his old age. He lives for this crap, to play these games, and be the center of attention.

Trump didn't paint himself into any corner. This is just fun for him. Keeps him getting up every morning and feeling important and strong. How many men his age you know who are still the center of attention after spending 20 years on TV then the previous 20 years being Mr. Big New York Real Estate mogul marrying supermodels, banging around, flying around on private jets, and making cameos in movies, on SNL, and all the crap he's done.

You still just don't get this guy. Which is fine, you don't like him so you imagine what isn't there. This guy is loving this crap. It keeps him alive.

I'm retired and don't have a lot of personal contacts, and even those that I have we just don't talk about any of the three taboos: Sex, religion, and politics. I learned the hard way over 40 years ago not to talk about the three taboos for fear of making myself unapproachable. I don't put signs in my yard, bumper stickers on my car, don't get involved in it on social media, and even quit flying Old Glory in my yard because its image has been stolen by the far right. Besides my wife and one or two close friends, I don't talk about the 3 taboos to anyone even though I have some pretty solid convictions.

One thing is for sure: This is going to be an entertaining election. Since Biden stepped down, the race has tightened up a lot, and Harris has the momentum and still hasn't picked a running mate or had her coronation, so she could have a very good month if she plays her cards right.

I gathered that from you. I have a different situation, so I somewhat envy your situation a bit.

At work I have two old men, one a Democrat and one a Republican who constantly keep me apprised of the politics at work.

Then I have a friend group of conservatives focused on different issues who watch lots of Fox News and look at voting for president like a sporting event and they're part of the Republican team viewing the Democrats like a Seattle fan views Frisco with Harbaugh or something like that. So they keep me apprised via text and talk of all the crazy stuff the Democrats are doing and in Washington State, you can imagine what that is like. Apparently Washington State Democrats have now passed a bill releasing criminals who don't receive a public defender within a certain time period even if they are murderers or violent criminals. I haven't vetted this claim yet, but it sounds like it couldn't possibly be true. But who knows.

My elderly mother is a Trump supporter who thinks "He's so strong" for fighting those Democrats who lives in Texas and despises immigrants even though she is from an American family of Mexican ancestry. Every time I talk to her she always brings up Trump and immigrants.

My stepmother is a hardcore conservative. Less a pure Trump supporter and more anything Republican which at the moment means Trump.

My father is one of the only sensible people I talk to. He's vote for Bush and he's voted for Obama. He tends to vote for who thinks is best at a given time, though he shades conservative quite a bit. Just not an extreme conservative.

I have union Democrat uncles.

And some younger social justice warrior type younger workers who vote liberal Democrat.

I have to listen to the double dip crazy. The Democrats telling me inflation is caused by the greedy, evil corporations and no one can make money and be a good person. And the Republicans telling me the Democrats are giving the nation to immigrants, want to take our guns away, and that trash.

I think when I retire I will be more like you and just move away from politics. I can't take this crazy talk much longer. Trump didn't really make the crazy talk happen, he just exacerbated it to the nth degree, which is annoying.

In my normal life, I'm a fairly hyper rational person for almost everything. Even following the Seahawks I'll call it as I see it and grow weary of overhype or sky is falling Seahawks fandom. I'm careful with my money. I manage my health and life in general in a rational fashion. Irrational behavior is very hard for me to tolerate. Yet it's around me all the time because the majority of humans live in an irrational state driven by emotion rather than reason from moment to moment. Hard for someone like to me deal with.

[River Dog]

Interesting contrast between our two lives.

Back to topic. I'm beginning to think that Shapiro might not be Harris's pick. A woman's group came out against him because apparently his office had paid off a sexual harassment accuser of a member of Shapiro's staff. Ironic because one of Shapiro's credentials includes his pursuit of sexual abuse accusations within the Catholic church that resulted in worldwide changes. But the last thing she needs is for her VP to be a distraction like Dan Quayle was on Bush 41's ticket. It would be a little hypocritical for a guy who was involved in silencing an accuser to go after someone like Trump who essentially did the same thing. Toss that in with his pro-Israel stance and being Jewish might make him a liability.

So, I think she'll either go with Kelly or Waltz, the latter's stock having risen quite a bit in recent weeks. My guess is that she'll make her choice known within the next few days. It will be good timing, a couple weeks ahead of the convention so she can take advantage of two headlines with a couple weeks between them.