losthighway wrote: Wed Nov 09, 2022 10:02 pm I suspect the GOP is now going to take a couple half hearted steps towards the center. Not that their policy will get better, just less overt racism maybe.

This will be interesting because Trump seems to be unstoppably fixated on running again, which could make a fantastic shit show for all of them.

I also suspect the first two years of the Biden administration is about as progressive as it's going to get around here for some time. Basically I'm thinking centrists and lovers of the status quo are about to be a little happier.

Then again this shit is chaos so I could be wrong about all of that.

ChudFusk wrote: Thu Nov 10, 2022 11:01 am Speaking of chaos... I am still not convinced that Trump isn't a Dem operative.

jfv wrote: Thu Nov 10, 2022 11:27 am

ChudFusk wrote: Thu Nov 10, 2022 11:01 am Speaking of chaos... I am still not convinced that Trump isn't a Dem operative.

LOL

I think the notion that Trump is a Dem operative is way far off into left field, though it's clear that his words and actions - while politically inconsistent over the years - are consistently self-serving. He's a megalomaniac business tycoon who wanted to become president and took the easiest path to get there.

ChudFusk wrote: Thu Nov 10, 2022 11:36 am

jfv wrote: Thu Nov 10, 2022 11:27 am

ChudFusk wrote: Thu Nov 10, 2022 11:01 am Speaking of chaos... I am still not convinced that Trump isn't a Dem operative.

LOL

I think the notion that Trump is a Dem operative is way far off into left field, though it's clear that his words and actions - while politically inconsistent over the years - are consistently self-serving. He's a megalomaniac business tycoon who wanted to become president and took the easiest path to get there.

A path that was paved by neoliberals. A path along which he probably could have been stopped or more effectively impeded by Ds including Obama and the Clintons. You can't say his presidency didn't help a number of career Dems and the media machine. I'm not saying it was all covertly agreed upon, but he served a powerful purpose for people who claim to be against him. His self-serving actually serves others vicariously. Think about a greedy rich kid who buys all the candy for himself; there's a candy store making a fat profit.

jfv wrote: Thu Nov 10, 2022 11:45 am

ChudFusk wrote: Thu Nov 10, 2022 11:36 am

jfv wrote: Thu Nov 10, 2022 11:27 am

LOL

I think the notion that Trump is a Dem operative is way far off into left field, though it's clear that his words and actions - while politically inconsistent over the years - are consistently self-serving. He's a megalomaniac business tycoon who wanted to become president and took the easiest path to get there.

A path that was paved by neoliberals. A path along which he probably could have been stopped or more effectively impeded by Ds including Obama and the Clintons. You can't say his presidency didn't help a number of career Dems and the media machine. I'm not saying it was all covertly agreed upon, but he served a powerful purpose for people who claim to be against him. His self-serving actually serves others vicariously. Think about a greedy rich kid who buys all the candy for himself; there's a candy store making a fat profit.

I don't disagree with this at all; only with the idea that it was prearranged.

ChudFusk wrote: Thu Nov 10, 2022 11:01 am

losthighway wrote: Wed Nov 09, 2022 10:02 pm I suspect the GOP is now going to take a couple half hearted steps towards the center. Not that their policy will get better, just less overt racism maybe.

This will be interesting because Trump seems to be unstoppably fixated on running again, which could make a fantastic shit show for all of them.

I also suspect the first two years of the Biden administration is about as progressive as it's going to get around here for some time. Basically I'm thinking centrists and lovers of the status quo are about to be a little happier.

Then again this shit is chaos so I could be wrong about all of that.

Speaking of chaos... I am still not convinced that Trump isn't a Dem operative. I mean the Clintons told him to run, establishment Dems are known to have supported some extremist Republicans as an (alleged) form of sabotage, and once upon a time he was a lot more aligned with the D's until he became this conservative superman. The Democratic Party has proved that they don't really care about class struggles, poverty, racism, gender inequality, etc. except when making empty campaign promises, and Trump has been useful in drawing attention away from their flaws while giving neoliberal media something to chew on for years. Now he's tanking all these Republican candidates: both the ones who support him and the ones he denigrates. While his shenanigans are bad for regular people, they are good for the Pelosis and Maddows and Bezoses. I don't see the shit show coming to a close any time soon.

ChudFusk wrote: Thu Nov 10, 2022 11:56 am I'd consider "hey Donald you should run in 2016" to count as prearranged.

jfv wrote: Thu Nov 10, 2022 12:22 pm The Clintons suggesting to Trump that he run against Hillary?

Nate Dort wrote: Thu Nov 10, 2022 2:46 pm

jfv wrote: Thu Nov 10, 2022 12:22 pm The Clintons suggesting to Trump that he run against Hillary?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics ... story.html

jfv wrote: Thu Nov 10, 2022 3:41 pm

Nate Dort wrote: Thu Nov 10, 2022 2:46 pm

jfv wrote: Thu Nov 10, 2022 12:22 pm The Clintons suggesting to Trump that he run against Hillary?

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics ... story.html

So I knew that the Clintons and Trumps were friendly back then, but the idea that this conversation led to Trump running for president *as a Dem operative* still seems far-fetched to me.

Since then, all signs seem to point to the Clintons thinking "oh, fuck, that backfired".