Does the President materially affect you?

[DigglerontheHoof 21063]

3 minutes ago, 52-80 said:

How does your their opinion of POTUS affect YOU on a personal level?  (That's the question behind this thread)

 

Do you judge your coworkers differently because they live under BoJo or Orban?

I answered that in my original response, it doesn't. 

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

17 minutes ago, DigglerontheHoof said:

Really?  B/c all I heard from Reps before the 2016 election is how trump was going to make us respected by the world again.  The opposite has happened.  And, yes, when you work for a company for over a decade, you care what your peers think.

You talk tough from behind a keyboard, i assure you that would not be the case in person.

I'm sorry, when did I talk tough ?  I didn't call you a pussy. You're the one who's talking tough. I don't say much here I wouldn't say to someones face, and I wouldn't call someone a pussy (as you did me). So you might wanna re think that whole you talk tough from behind a keyboard thingy.

You might also might wanna think about the fact this is a social site for entertainment purposes. I come here for laughs, and info.  I poke fun, and make sarcastic comments, like many others do. That you seem to pick your friends (and enemies) based on political affiliation, a pretty sad thing to do in my opinion.  Hope you don't get an ulcer worrying about dealing with your superior Euro friends.  Peace out.

[52-80 19096]

2 hours ago, Snacks said:

Even if you were green, gay, female... What would any President have changed?

Don't ask don't tell in the military, I suppose...

Just remember in 2016 all the endless newspaper LTEs and OP-EDs about how "my bipolar, triracial, quadriplegic, cisgendered turko-uzbekistani neighbor and his 7 beautiful children are now fearful for their lives and installing armor plated covers on their windows because we licensed a lunatic spread hate across america".....   

 

and what happened?  nothing

[DigglerontheHoof 21063]

3 minutes ago, Onboard 2.0 said:

I'm sorry, when did I talk tough ?  I didn't call you a pussy. You're the one who's talking tough. I don't say much here I wouldn't say to someones face, and I wouldn't call someone a pussy (as you did me). So you might wanna re think that whole you talk tough from behind a keyboard thingy.

You might also might wanna think about the fact this is a social site for entertainment purposes. I come here for laughs, and info.  I poke fun, and make sarcastic comments, like many others do. That you seem to pick your friends (and enemies) based on political affiliation, a pretty sad thing to do in my opinion.  Hope you don't get an ulcer worrying about dealing with your superior Euro friends.  Peace out.

You started this shit, not me, cupcake. 

Enjoy sucking orange cock.  Peace out. 

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

1 minute ago, DigglerontheHoof said:

You started this shit, not me, cupcake. 

Enjoy sucking orange cock.  Peace out. 

Yeah I made a post saying don't worry abut what Europeans say about our politics. You took that as a threat for some reason. I can see why you're so easily bothered now.

And again "cupcake", "sucking cock". Yeah I'm the tough talking poster... 

[DigglerontheHoof 21063]

1 minute ago, Onboard 2.0 said:

Yeah I made a post saying don't worry abut what Europeans say about our politics. You took that as a threat for some reason. I can see why you're so easily bothered now.

And again "cupcake", "sucking cock". Yeah I'm the tough talking poster... 

I thought peace out meant we're done w/ this.  Will try again, peace out. 

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

1 hour ago, DigglerontheHoof said:

I thought peace out meant we're done w/ this.  Will try again, peace out. 

Oh I see you're one of those I get the last word in guys. I say peace out after explaining my post, and you retort back with what did you call it ??.. internet tough guy shit.  Pot meet thine self, a kettle by any other name.....

 

EDIT:  Hey Digital dick guy fuck you too. Again with the internet tough guy shit you accused me of. Why am I not surprised you were so easily bothered  by the Europeans comments.    Ohh noes the Euros don't like us. Oh noes what shall we do.....  I haz hurt feewings.. waaaaaaaaahhhhhhh... waaaaaaaaahhhh

Edited November 4, 2020 by Onboard 2.0

[Longhorn Fever 267]

  I’ve also been working remotely and quarantining since March with no end in sight because a crazy cult won’t take COVID seriously for political reasons.  That probably would not have been as bad, or as bleak looking for the winter, with a sane Republican or Democrat as President.  
Also, many personal relationships have been affected on some level because Trump is a maniac who has become an all encompassing presence in so many people’s lives.   Everything is somehow tied to politics and grievances now with some people, even in just ordinary life.  You can’t have conversations about the weather without them turning it to politics and culture war.  Many of his supporters are angrier and more combative in all aspects of life than people used to be.   Morality has been set aside.  Selfishness is now a virtue, and people embrace the idea that the ends justify the means.  He’s quite influential on daily life, actually.  
I was a Republican my entire life until Trump, and I don’t even recognize many of these people anymore - including some family members.  He stokes really negative impulses in people and is destructive to happiness, even to his supporters who substitute rage for joy.  This has been like a national Faustian bargain.  

This is absolutely my existence. I am shocked at what the Aliquam Deus has brought out in so many friends and family members.

[BradInATX 9208]

In 4 years I won't have to explain to my then 4 and 6 year olds why there's a cruel, stupid racist man in the most powerful job on Earth while trying to keep them positive and optimistic about their future.

That's material enough for me.

[hornmpa96 2598]

Leadership matters. If Trump wore a mask, more Americans would be alive today and the economic recovery would be further along as consumers have more confidence.

Trump rolled back methane regulations impacting climate and increasing hurricane risk along the coast

Trump's tariff policies have increased prices for American consumers.

Trump rolled back offshore drilling safety regulations put in post-Macando disaster.

I think who sits in the White House matters to me.

[Blotto 23434]

Most presidents, not really. This particular president, absolutely. His relentless crusade against the truth is a model for society breaking down. Declaring the media and anyone else who disagrees with him  "fake news" and "enemies of the people" is how you eventually lose access to the truth. His rhetoric is specifically intended to inflame tensions and drive wedges between large factions of this country because its good for his "brand," which is apparently "fuck you".  I don't agree with him politically on a lot of issues, but that shouldn't give the president the right to declare me an enemy of the state. Its a very dangerous rhetoric that his team employs, and its taking this country in directions that will affect all of us. 

[Celery Man 20886]

I keep writing posts and deleting them. If you're an American and you don't think that Trump has affected you materially in this, the high point so far of the COVID pandemic in America, I don't know what to tell you. I guess I can understand the urge to make America great, since clearly we are inherently a weak and vulnerable population. Or we're just garden variety stupid and we've chosen the world's most advanced idiots to elect our government and lead our nation.

But, personally yes the president in 2020 has impacted me materially and directly, and the same will be true of the next president. I'll be fine, a lot of people won't.

[Poe It Up 126]

Very, very little. I think Texas football sucking has forced some of our fans to adopt a political party as their new team. I mean, the election thread and game threads are identical. 

[WBT 20422]

I agree with Snacks, very little.

Even on covid, I don't think the impact is that great.  We're on the upper end but within the cluster of death rates of our western european peers.  Their case rates are spiking worse than ours right now and half of europe is about to shut down again.

Edited November 4, 2020 by WBT

[Enchubben 5509]

I don’t think Biden will make any sort of significant difference in anything, at least while republicans still have the senate.

I do think the rioting and looting would have been significant had Trump won, so I guess that’s a benefit to us all.

[mchookem 16219]

i would normally answer no to the original question, but after giving it some thought there are definitely a few things...

i have a niece who is a freshman in college and having a terrible time of it b/c of covid - i maintain her situation would be substantially improved with a better - hell, with ANY - cohesive national response.

in fact, that should be the answer for everybody - anybody that claims all of us wouldn't be materially affected in a positive way if our covid situation had been managed by a different national leader is 100% a liar or a moron. or both. 

we've all been basically locked in our house for going on 8 months now b/c of our government response. that feels pretty materially relevant to me. 

anyways, our taxes also went up due to his 'tax cut'. so there's that as well.

Edited November 4, 2020 by mchookem

[RDCanecutter 26276]

Most things, neither candidate personally affects me.

Trump's leadership on managing Covid has been, uh, entertaining in a Mad King sort of way. Luckily I live in an area where even if people vote Trump, they don't feel the need to walk around unmasked breathing on me to prove their loyalty. If all else were equal, I'd want Trump fired for his Covid hijinks.

[morehornsepower 867]

My concerns with Trump are many, but the ones that I really fear, are more long term.  Do they impact my day-to-day life now?  Maybe not, but the impact in the future could be significant.  It is now accepted/ok for a president to:

- suggest that political adversaries be locked up

- use the power of the office to target investigations of political adversaries

- use the power/presence of the office to marginalize people/organizations that disagree with policy.

- use the power/presence of the office to extend their own grasp of power

- encourage/welcome any help (even from foreign entities) to gain/keep power

- ignore/distort/bury facts that don't make them look good

- ignore/marginalize/fire government experts that don't make you look good

- marginalize/fire government employees that aren't "loyal to the president" (see last week's executive order)

- use release of federal funds as a reward/punishment for presidential support from states

Even if you support Trump, this is a dangerous set of tools to leave lying around for any president.

(back to lurking)

[gsoda3 3236]

huge effect on taxes, healthcare policies affecting healthcare insurance.  and then on an emotional level the way policies affect others.

[Hank Scorpio 17723]

/types out 5000 word response to obvious troll thread

/gets trolled

WHAT IS HAPPENING?!?!

[RomaVicta 29793]

7 hours ago, Snacks said:

What *could* happen has not happened.

Coronavirus... I'm skeptical that the President could have done anything materially different. He left it to the states (more or less) and the people don't care. People don't want to wear a mask. I would have done it differently as potus, but not sure how material it would have been.

Negged for intellectual dishonesty. There are direct comparison with other nations similar to ours that have handled the disease much better. You know that.

Also, this is one of the dumbest posts written by an articulate person that I've ever read.

[Mole 4320]

7 hours ago, Fastbreak said:

A President who believed in science and wore a fucking mask would have prevented at least 100,000 deaths, maybe 200,000.  Pull your head out of your ass.  It does matter.

 

Very few presidents really have materially affected my life, but this one has. Had Trump done nothing but not politicize reality, mask-wearing, and large events, many thousands would still be alive today (with many more deaths coming; you can't put the BBs back in the box with regards to doing COVID well). Remember, his own super spreader rallies killed at least 700. In addition to a number of people on the edges of my social circle, someone personally and professionally very important to me died a few months ago from it; I'd guess that his likelihood of dying would have been way lower. That ignores having to function in a country where everything -- really, everything -- is partisan and divisive, which directly points back to the current president. So yeah, materially affected.

Edited November 4, 2020 by Mole

[Guest]

10 hours ago, Snacks said:

Even if you were green, gay, female... What would any President have changed?

Don't ask don't tell in the military, I suppose...

Military decisions/ foreign policy COULD affect my two grown children directly.  Do I think one guy (Donald/ Joseph/whoever) has a monopoly on sound National Defense/ defending our allies and interests?    Of course not.  In all honesty, Trump worries me at times because of his lack of executive maturity and what going off half-cocked could mean.

ACA damn sure affected me, so wide ranging policies like that most definitely matter.

Does the POTUS affect me directly in everyday life?  No.  Their decisions could damn sure impact it going forward, however.

[Slacks 6791]

A President who believed in science and wore a fucking mask would have prevented at least 100,000 deaths, maybe 200,000.  Pull your head out of your ass.  It does matter.
 

We could have all done it. I did it. The President didn't affect me. Other assholes might.

[TwiceHorn 31282]

15 hours ago, Snacks said:

Which country would you swap responses with?

Don you think Americans would be ok with a National lock down? We can't even wear masks properly.

So, I guess my point is, the President is almost never the disease or the cure... He's a symptom.

I think for Presidents generally, you are correct.

They have, in certain circumstances, a bully pulpit that can really lead the nation in all sorts of fine endeavors.  Lincoln in the Civil War.  Teddy during the Golden Age. Roosevelt and Truman in WWII.  

Trump, in particular, has used that bully pulpit to divide and sow discord and be a self-aggrandizing turd.  I avoid the guy at all costs.  And then come to the CR Trump thread and vent my spleen, and also get exposed to his tweets and other things that I successfully ignore in real life.  Had he won a second term, I think I was going to ask imma to ban me from CR so I could just ignore the sonofawhore as much as possible.

Like longhornmatt says, some of the shit he has coaxed from or into the American people is unavoidable in daily life and is for the worse, no question about it.

I do think his incompetence and outright disdain for governing and government has done real, tangible, and lasting damage to the executive branch and departments.

Edited November 5, 2020 by TwiceHorn

[Fastbreak 3959]

1 hour ago, Snacks said:

13 hours ago, Fastbreak said:

A President who believed in science and wore a fucking mask would have prevented at least 100,000 deaths, maybe 200,000.  Pull your head out of your ass.  It does matter.
 

We could have all done it. I did it. The President didn't affect me. Other assholes might.

You have no understanding of what leadership is.

In Singapore (where I live now, as a minority BTW), the government mandated masks and social distancing against fines and expulsion from the country.  Here is this graph:


Now let's look at the US:

 

Leadership fucking matters.  You know what also matters? Caring about the health of your people.  Once again, let's compare.

Singapore is 1 death for every 2000 cases.
The US is 1 death for every 40 cases.

Why? They took this shit seriously.  Singapore has also world class health care and health care for all. Singaporean people are encouraged to live healthy lifestyles. There are even programs to give you money based on how many steps you take per day.

[lemonlime 5503]

Well, we have armed guards and a ton of security to enter my synagogue now.  But, on the flip side, I haven't set foot in there in six months because of an out of control pandemic and a president who politicized mask wearing.  So ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[ndawg 1242]

As a self-employed small business owner relying on ACA, I would probably have to go look for a full time job if the ACA gets repealed, especially if pre-existing conditions are fucked with. So, there is definitely a lot at stake here for me, materially speaking. I think a lot of self employed individuals are probably in this boat.

[F250 28689]

I came across a video of Stormy Daniels giving a rusty trombone during that particular scandal. I think that was personally impactful.

How many butts did she eat before getting it on with Trump?

[Al Bundy's Napoleon Hand 13546]

I got health insurance coverage thru Obamacare and as a result was able to stay at my job that had recently dropped coverage. So did one of my self-employed friends, who, once he started using it for doctor visits was told by the doctor he was lucky he hadn't had a stroke due to his bp which they were able to control with meds.

[Slacks 6791]

I got health insurance coverage thru Obamacare and as a result was able to stay at my job that had recently dropped coverage. So did one of my self-employed friends, who, once he started using it for doctor visits was told by the doctor he was lucky he hadn't had a stroke due to his bp which they were able to control with meds.

This was one of the things I pointed out in the OP.

[Chooky 13302]

On 11/5/2020 at 1:19 AM, F250 said:

I came across a video of Stormy Daniels giving a rusty trombone during that particular scandal. I think that was personally impactful.

How many butts did she eat before getting it on with Trump?

7.

[phdhorn 6224]

On 11/4/2020 at 4:08 AM, 52-80 said:

nay

same here, as it has been since the 60's for me.  Wearing a mask doesn't affect me much at all.  You put it on, take it off.  Like a shirt.
The only thing that really greatly affected the course of my life personally was busing, and that wasn't a President, it was SCOTUS.

Edited November 9, 2020 by phdhorn

[52-80 19096]

On 11/5/2020 at 3:17 AM, Fastbreak said:

You have no understanding of what leadership is.
 

Leadership fucking matters.  You know what also matters? Caring about the health of your people.  Once again, let's compare.

Singapore is 1 death for every 2000 cases.
The US is 1 death for every 40 cases.

Why? They took this shit seriously.  Singapore has also world class health care and health care for all. Singaporean people are encouraged to live healthy lifestyles. There are even programs to give you money based on how many steps you take per day.

I get that people dont like Trump and his (non)response and I also think hes an embarassment of a statesman..... but are you attributing everything properly to DT?

Like Singapore's so-called world class health care for all, could trump have upended the US' system overnight, or in 4 years, for that matter?

 

 

 

 

Norway has same 5M population as Singapore. 

Masks were never ever mandatory outside of exceptional circumstances, and I didn't see more than 1 mask in an entire WEEK until last week.

So what conclusions could you have drawn from this comparison - that Norway at half the case of Singapore was more effective at managing the cases by not mandating masks?  Or with a death-to-case ratio at 20x of Singapore, Norway's health care system is worse?  (Or, god forbid, that their lifestyle is not as healthy as the Singaporeans?). 

 

Numbers for thought

 

 

[Fastbreak 3959]

Norway had very thorough testing and tracking. They had a lockdown. The population is generally much healthier that the US. The average age of those deaths was near 80. They have a great healthcare system. 
 

Maybe I am missing the point?

 

Trump did nothing but make things worse.  No lockdown, no masks, no tracing, discredited testing and claimed it was a hoax. The opposite of everything reasonable. 

[Mitch Cumsteen 18523]

I own a small business that exports a product to China. Our sales went to zero in China after his tariffs. They just couldn't afford it anymore. And I sure as shit didn't get any bailout. His trade policy cost me, personally, about a million dollars.

[Tuco 5076]

On 11/4/2020 at 4:42 AM, David Dennison said:

Hold up. You're black and you question whether a president can have an effect on peoples' lives? Seriously?

Why is this a surprising question from a black person? If the answer was obvious, there would be a higher black turnout.  

I think this is a blindspot that many progressives have.  I remember I was canvassing in a predominantly black, low income neighborhood with my wife.  We knocked on a door.  The person who answered said that he doesn't do politics.  As we walked away, my wife fumed.  But it shouldn't be surprising.  Decades go by.  Elections go by.  Politicians go by.  That neighborhood doesn't change. Part of that is due to the stability of the system.  If Republicans had their way, social programs would get drastically cut and the neighborhood would suffer.  But, the Dems are able to hold the line.  It's not easy to explain to the person answering the door how we need his help to hold the line.  But that success, such as it is, hides the importance of the elections.  

Snacks doesn't live in that neighborhood.  There are plenty of professional black men who I imagine ask the same question.  Yes, I imagine it sucks to have an obvious racist for a President, but does it materially impact him?  I don't know.  

[Rimbo 25783]

On 11/4/2020 at 2:07 AM, Snacks said:

 

I've been saying this for quite a while, but I've never felt, "Damn, this is really going affect my way of life."

 

I mean, other than saying your team won, what significant material changes have you noticed that you attribute to the President?

 

I mean, the Emancipation proclamation was cool, but I wasn't here for that... Reagan's war on drugs affected a lot of people. Bush invaded Iraq. . Clinton sexed a chick... Bush invaded Iraq and Afghanistan... Obama increased my medical insurance rates, but not materially... Trump tweeted a bunch...

 

What did these guys do to/for you? What would Biden do to/for you?

 

Multinational corporations and local politicians are far more influential in our daily and future life.

 

Yes.

I've shared my story before, but everyone who is, or who is a family member of, an immigrant, is very very happy that Trump is on his way out.

[TwiceHorn 31282]

28 minutes ago, Mitch Cumsteen said:

I own a small business that exports a product to China. Our sales went to zero in China after his tariffs. They just couldn't afford it anymore. And I sure as shit didn't get any bailout. His trade policy cost me, personally, about a million dollars.

These were China's retaliatory tariffs?  We don't hear much about that.

[Mitch Cumsteen 18523]

1 minute ago, TwiceHorn said:

These were China's retaliatory tariffs?  We don't hear much about that.

Yep. And it's not just how bad I took it in the ass personally (which I did and still am), I also had to lay off manufacturing workers. Those are the exact jobs that idiot was trying to create in the US. 

[52-80 19096]

46 minutes ago, Fastbreak said:

Norway had very thorough testing and tracking. They had a lockdown. The population is generally much healthier that the US. The average age of those deaths was near 80. They have a great healthcare system. 
 

Maybe I am missing the point?

 

Trump did nothing but make things worse.  No lockdown, no masks, no tracing, discredited testing and claimed it was a hoax. The opposite of everything reasonable. 

Norway actually had no testing, no enforced tracking, no phone-tracking, no lockdown, and seriously zero masks.  Movie theaters and etc were open mid-summer.  I drove through the borders multiple times with no stops or checks.  The strictest thing was grade schools closing down for a brief period.

And yet the case # look twice as good as Singapore.  And the death number look 10-20x worse.

My point is have some caution on the reporting, numbers, and drawing of sweeping conclusions .

No his official response wasn't very presidential, but ascribing 100-200k deaths to DT alone is about as just as crediting him for the best 4 year run in the stock market history (which, of course, he already did himself)