Joe Biden 2022: Enter Dark Brandon

[gmr548 16580]

43 minutes ago, Biff Tannen said:

Honest question, because I don't remember anything else, and I am clearly biased.  Other than the massive corporate and rich people tax cut bill, what big thing(s?) did the dotard administration do?  I feel like that was literally the only large piece of legislation they passed.

His long term legacy will be the three SCOTUS appointments and gutting US efforts to address climate change. And of course burning down American Democracy.

Kushner's criminal justice bill is probably the next most significant legislative achievement. Those are certainly few and far between.

Edited August 6, 2022 by gmr548

[Dahobbs 17552]

45 minutes ago, gmr548 said:

One thing going under the radar is that the Biden administration (because he no doubt has a team doing most of the work) has appointed more federal judges than any President since at least Reagan, and the most judges as a percentage of total seats on the Federal bench since Reagan. The Biden administration has consistently made good on its promise to diversify the bench. If Democrats are able to hold the Senate, Biden could go down as a President that transformed the Federal judiciary, even if it is just one term.

Of course, barring something totally unforeseen, he will only have the one SC justice, which admittedly counts for more.

I don't enthusiastically approve of his performance - on balance I'd say he's been the mediocre President I expected - but it's been a better administration than the Trump-adjacent approval ratings show.

Performance on Ukraine and NATO expansion is more important than anything the last 3 presidents have done. On its own that deserves him to be rated as at least average as President. 

[TwiceHorn 31488]

8 hours ago, Dahobbs said:

While I didn't think Trump was pretending , I thought at least he might manage to shake somethings up in a good way. That didn't happen unfortunately. But he did make one (perhaps only one) decent appointment with NASA and Bridenstine, and generally I liked the moves by NASA under his administration. 

His PTO Director, er Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property, was outstanding.

I confess having an interest in "outsider" Presidents, but both possibilities have been potential and actual disasters.  And I thought Perot would have been bad.  Damn.

[Satchel 6938]

In just two short years, sleepy, addled brain Joe Biden has overseen the following:

the creation of 10 million  jobs, which includes 450.000 manufacturing jobs.

5.3% increase in wages over the last year.

The Chips Acts

The PACT Act for Veterans 

The Infrastructure Bill

Gun Safety Bill

American Rescue Plan

The Recession Reduction Act

 

Who has had a better legislative record during his time in the White House?

[TwiceHorn 31488]

2 hours ago, Biff Tannen said:

Honest question, because I don't remember anything else, and I am clearly biased.  Other than the massive corporate and rich people tax cut bill, what big thing(s?) did the dotard administration do?  I feel like that was literally the only large piece of legislation they passed.

They moved the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

That was a straight-faced answer from my FIL at one point.

[Biff Tannen 45691]

1 hour ago, TwiceHorn said:

They moved the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

That was a straight-faced answer from my FIL at one point.

Oh man, I always forget the psychotic religious aspect.

[Satchel 6938]

8 minutes ago, Biff Tannen said:

Oh man, I always forget the psychotic religious aspect.

Let’s be fair. He provided tens of Puerto Ricans with paper towels, if only for a short period of time.

[Gil Bang 25960]

On 8/4/2022 at 6:36 PM, elfenix said:

saturday

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/3588411-senate-sets-up-first-vote-saturday-on-schumer-manchin-deal/

 

 

And, I had an onion on my belt because that was the fashion of the time

 

[Bozo_Casanova 26472]

13 minutes ago, Gil Bang said:

 

 

And, I had an onion on my belt because that was the fashion of the time

 

And in those days, nickels had pictures of bumblebees on them,

[Voldemort86 2259]

8 hours ago, Biff Tannen said:

Honest question, because I don't remember anything else, and I am clearly biased.  Other than the massive corporate and rich people tax cut bill, what big thing(s?) did the dotard administration do?  I feel like that was literally the only large piece of legislation they passed.

We all remember the tax cut scam with that fat loser from the woodlands Kevin Brady leading the charge. I can’t wait until he’s gone because for some reason the GOP always turns to him to come up with their shit show bills.

does Trump get any credit for passing the first covid relief bill in early 2020 and a subsequent bill in late 2020?  I know GOP Congress critters hated the first bill for 2 reasons 1) because it actually helped people and 2) it was negotiated by Mnuchin and pelosi.

[Voldemort86 2259]

 

[Underdog 28687]

7 hours ago, Satchel said:

In just two short years, sleepy, addled brain Joe Biden has overseen the following:

the creation of 10 million  jobs, which includes 450.000 manufacturing jobs.

5.3% increase in wages over the last year.

The Chips Acts

The PACT Act for Veterans 

The Infrastructure Bill

Gun Safety Bill

American Rescue Plan

The Recession Reduction Act

 

Who has had a better legislative record during his time in the White House?

Impressive list given with what he had to start out his administration with being behind the eight ball from trumptard’s shenanigans. 

[Post Oak 20223]

8 hours ago, Gil Bang said:

 

 

And, I had an onion on my belt because that was the fashion of the time

 

Ok grandpa let's get you to bed

[Neonmoon 38129]

I’m a firm believer that anyone over 65 shouldn’t be allowed in office. 

[Snake Diggity 4625]

12 hours ago, Biff Tannen said:

Honest question, because I don't remember anything else, and I am clearly biased.  Other than the massive corporate and rich people tax cut bill, what big thing(s?) did the dotard administration do?  I feel like that was literally the only large piece of legislation they passed.

Trump’s record:

Domestic:

-Attempt at trickle down economics via huge tax cuts while also embracing just about every stimulus possibility (include COVID stimulus) and bellowing at the fed to keep rates artificially low due to his obsession with the stock market, resulting in huge deficits and a can of inflation kicked down the road.

-Funded COVID vaccine programs

-Funded NASA

-Installed 3 conservative Supreme Court justices 

-Actively undermined health experts (many of whom served under him) to worsen response to global pandemic (aside from vaccine programs) and divide the country as much as possible, resulting in the premature deaths of tens/hundreds of thousands.

-Actively encouraged division, hatred, violence, insurrection, stupidity, and general negativity among the populace at every opportunity

-Attempted to subvert democracy and overturn a free and fair election, irreversibly damaging our citizens’ faith in our democracy and elections.

Foreign:

-Trade war with China, installing tariffs that had mixed impact

-Sent his son in law to ineffectually negotiate peace in Israel

-Actively undermined NATO and generally catered to Russia

-Ineffectually met with the North Korean dictator 

-Used his incessant boasting, shit talking, and obvious insecurities to worsen our reputation with just about everyone in the world.

Edited August 6, 2022 by Snake Diggity

[gmr548 16580]

 
 
And, I had an onion on my belt because that was the fashion of the time
 

I can only assume by “responsible fiscal agenda” he means explosion of the deficit, which is customary under GOP control of the federal government, as he does not consider the deficit reduction of this bill and in totality under Biden and congressional Democrats to be responsible.

[gmr548 16580]

I’m a firm believer that anyone over 65 shouldn’t be allowed in office. 

That’s a little young to cap it in the modern world, but I agree in general. I’d probably put it at 72-75. The term in which you hit that age is your last.

[TwiceHorn 31488]

10 hours ago, Biff Tannen said:

Oh man, I always forget the psychotic religious aspect.

That was less religiously motivated than the fact that it was statutorily authorized by Congress in 1995.

But all subsequent presidents and their State Departments declined to move it for diplomatic reasons.

But Trump "had the balls to do it."  And fuck them mooslims, btw.  Trump. Has.  Balls.

Edited August 6, 2022 by TwiceHorn

[Goredho 17408]

13 hours ago, Biff Tannen said:

Honest question, because I don't remember anything else, and I am clearly biased.  Other than the massive corporate and rich people tax cut bill, what big thing(s?) did the dotard administration do?  I feel like that was literally the only large piece of legislation they passed.

I think in many ways Trump was a transformer and hatchet man who appointed other hatchet men to directorship positions over slices of the federal government.  A lot of his supporters think the federal government shouldn't exist outside of the military.  Look at what Trump's postmaster general is about to do to the post office, cutting 50,000 workers.  A dismantling of huge swath's of the federal government is progress and an accomplishment to these people.  

Edited August 6, 2022 by Goredho

[mchookem 16336]

he and Kim Kardashian did something positive with criminal justice reform, right?

that's the only positive thing i can ever think of... but i'm admittedly biased as hell and accept that anything remotely positive he did was massively overshadowed by his disgusting and hideous policies and personality. so fuck him.

[tchookem 3900]

he and Kim Kardashian did something positive with criminal justice reform, right?
that's the only positive thing i can ever think of... but i'm admittedly biased as hell and accept that anything remotely positive he did was massively overshadowed by his disgusting and hideous policies and personality. so fuck him.

Anything positive was at the expense something horrifically negative. He would probably admit to being a zero sum thinker when in reality he would take pride in being a negative sum piece of shit.

[Underdog 28687]

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/25/us/politics/trump-animal-cruelty-bill.html
 

[Voldemort86 2259]

6 hours ago, Snake Diggity said:

Trump’s record:

Domestic:

-Attempt at trickle down economics via huge tax cuts while also embracing just about every stimulus possibility (include COVID stimulus) and bellowing at the fed to keep rates artificially low due to his obsession with the stock market, resulting in huge deficits and a can of inflation kicked down the road.

-Funded COVID vaccine programs

-Funded NASA

-Installed 3 conservative Supreme Court justices 

-Actively undermined health experts (many of whom served under him) to worsen response to global pandemic (aside from vaccine programs) and divide the country as much as possible, resulting in the premature deaths of tens/hundreds of thousands.

-Actively encouraged division, hatred, violence, insurrection, stupidity, and general negativity among the populace at every opportunity

-Attempted to subvert democracy and overturn a free and fair election, irreversibly damaging our citizens’ faith in our democracy and elections.

Foreign:

-Trade war with China, installing tariffs that had mixed impact

-Sent his son in law to ineffectually negotiate peace in Israel

-Actively undermined NATO and generally catered to Russia

-Ineffectually met with the North Korean dictator 

-Used his incessant boasting, shit talking, and obvious insecurities to worsen our reputation with just about everyone in the world.

Didn’t he have the most positive relationship with Israel and Saudi Arabia for a president in recent memory?

For the record, I’ve always thought Israel wasn’t worth the trouble and investment of resources we put into them, but that is just my opinion. Trump also sucked up to the Saudi’s and their leader who is only in his 30’s. He used that relationship to try and keep gas prices down. Gas prices were another obsession of Trumps in addition to the stock market. The orange baby spent lots of time doing lip service and “fighting” for low gas prices.

I remember earlier in Biden’s term, the Saudi leader was upset because Trump and Kushner basically sucked the guy off 24/7 and Biden wanted nothing to do with him. I think Biden is crushing it right now in general, but I don’t think alienating the country with way way way more oil than anybody else is smart until we get more electric. We still need them. We need gas prices to be low.

I despise Trump and I think Jared Kushner is a worthless spoiled little turd whose never worked a hard day of work in his life, but I do give the Trump administration some credit for trying to enforce the border. I think we should at least know whose coming in and out of our country like other countries on earth are able to do.

Edited August 6, 2022 by Voldemort86

[Satchel 6938]

6 hours ago, Snake Diggity said:

Trump’s record:

Domestic:

-Attempt at trickle down economics via huge tax cuts while also embracing just about every stimulus possibility (include COVID stimulus) and bellowing at the fed to keep rates artificially low due to his obsession with the stock market, resulting in huge deficits and a can of inflation kicked down the road.

-Funded COVID vaccine programs

-Funded NASA

-Installed 3 conservative Supreme Court justices 

-Actively undermined health experts (many of whom served under him) to worsen response to global pandemic (aside from vaccine programs) and divide the country as much as possible, resulting in the premature deaths of tens/hundreds of thousands.

-Actively encouraged division, hatred, violence, insurrection, stupidity, and general negativity among the populace at every opportunity

-Attempted to subvert democracy and overturn a free and fair election, irreversibly damaging our citizens’ faith in our democracy and elections.

Foreign:

-Trade war with China, installing tariffs that had mixed impact

-Sent his son in law to ineffectually negotiate peace in Israel

-Actively undermined NATO and generally catered to Russia

-Ineffectually met with the North Korean dictator 

-Used his incessant boasting, shit talking, and obvious insecurities to worsen our reputation with just about everyone in the world.

Don’t forget he embarrassed us before the world in Helsinki.

[shakahorn 1645]

10 hours ago, Voldemort86 said:

We all remember the tax cut scam with that fat loser from the woodlands Kevin Brady leading the charge. I can’t wait until he’s gone because for some reason the GOP always turns to him to come up with their shit show bills.

does Trump get any credit for passing the first covid relief bill in early 2020 and a subsequent bill in late 2020?  I know GOP Congress critters hated the first bill for 2 reasons 1) because it actually helped people and 2) it was negotiated by Mnuchin and pelosi.

If you give him credit for the covid relief bills, you have to give him responsibility for the inflation that it helped to cause.

[Voldemort86 2259]

4 minutes ago, shakahorn said:

If you give him credit for the covid relief bills, you have to give him responsibility for the inflation that it helped to cause.

The current inflation is a byproduct of the most recent administrations policies. Trump probably had more to do with inflation then Biden. I was just trying to objective as possible cuz I hate trump and normally can’t ever say anything nice about him.

[Longhorn_Fan68 33872]

7 hours ago, Snake Diggity said:

Trump’s record:

Domestic:

-Attempt at trickle down economics via huge tax cuts while also embracing just about every stimulus possibility (include COVID stimulus) and bellowing at the fed to keep rates artificially low due to his obsession with the stock market, resulting in huge deficits and a can of inflation kicked down the road.

-Funded COVID vaccine programs

-Funded NASA

-Installed 3 conservative Supreme Court justices 

-Actively undermined health experts (many of whom served under him) to worsen response to global pandemic (aside from vaccine programs) and divide the country as much as possible, resulting in the premature deaths of tens/hundreds of thousands.

-Actively encouraged division, hatred, violence, insurrection, stupidity, and general negativity among the populace at every opportunity

-Attempted to subvert democracy and overturn a free and fair election, irreversibly damaging our citizens’ faith in our democracy and elections.

Foreign:

-Trade war with China, installing tariffs that had mixed impact

-Sent his son in law to ineffectually negotiate peace in Israel

-Actively undermined NATO and generally catered to Russia

-Ineffectually met with the North Korean dictator 

-Used his incessant boasting, shit talking, and obvious insecurities to worsen our reputation with just about everyone in the world.

you forgot space force *snicker*

[Neonmoon 38129]

8 minutes ago, Voldemort86 said:

The current inflation is a byproduct of the most recent administrations policies.
 

Trump probably had more to do with inflation then Biden. 

That don’t make no sense 

[Voldemort86 2259]

20 minutes ago, Neonmoon said:

That don’t make no sense 

Most recently completed I meant to say lol.

[StassneyHorn 6580]

Uh lot of ppl are approaching me in the street, at the pool, in the club and asking if this is the best record any President has ever had coming into a midterm election. I’m not a historian or anything like that, but I tell all of them yes. Joe Biden has the greatest record of any President in the history of the US through the first 18 months and not up for debate. Google proves it.

[SmokeyTheBear 5562]

https://www.npr.org/2022/08/06/1115440553/gas-prices-oil-inflation-cost-of-living

[StassneyHorn 6580]

“When pump prices topped $5 a gallon, drivers adjusted their behavior, trying to limit how much they drove. They car-pooled, combined errands, and cut out unnecessary trips.“

Get a load of these assholes

[jimmyjazz 45963]

1 hour ago, Voldemort86 said:

Trump probably had more to do with inflation then Biden. 

Way to go out on a limb there.  JFC.

[Satchel 6938]

Baby formula crisis? Solved

Monkey Pox (vaccine) crisis? Being addressed

World wide Recession impact? Bill to address should pass momentarily 

High gas prices? Down from high of 4.99 in June to 3.25 at SAMS today.

Things are going to hell in a hand basket. 

[HenryJames 66079]

 

[TwiceHorn 31488]

4 hours ago, mchookem said:

he and Kim Kardashian did something positive with criminal justice reform, right?

that's the only positive thing i can ever think of... but i'm admittedly biased as hell and accept that anything remotely positive he did was massively overshadowed by his disgusting and hideous policies and personality. so fuck him.

Well, he did sign The First Step Act, which was something but not a whole lot.

Obama would have signed it, but it never got past the Senate.

Trump/Kushner did prevail on McConnell to calendar it for a vote, which was progress and key to getting it passed.

But, in true Trump fashion, he did it only to curry favor with minorities, and when that favor wasn't forthcoming, he regretted having signed it/worked to get it passed. https://www.axios.com/2020/07/01/trump-kushner-second-thoughts

[HenryJames 66079]

[StassneyHorn 6580]

Prayers for little Marco

[Gil Bang 25960]

6 hours ago, mchookem said:

he and Kim Kardashian did something positive with criminal justice reform, right?

that's the only positive thing i can ever think of... but i'm admittedly biased as hell and accept that anything remotely positive he did was massively overshadowed by his disgusting and hideous policies and personality. so fuck him.

And last week at a rally, Trump called for the execution of all drug dealers.  I'm sure Junior's guy will get a pardon though. 

[Post Oak 20223]

1 hour ago, HenryJames said:

You could try to be a bigger sniveling twat than Marco, you'd be unsuccessful but you could try. 

[tchookem 3900]

You could try to be a bigger sniveling twat than Marco, you'd be unsuccessful but you could try. 

Challenge accepted

[ChiTownDoc 21154]

4 hours ago, HenryJames said:

Translation: I’m blowing a hobo tonight 

[Biff Tannen 45691]

9 hours ago, Voldemort86 said:

I do give the Trump administration some credit for trying to enforce the border. I think we should at least know whose coming in and out of our country like other countries on earth are able to do.

Dumb gif aside, no dude.  No.  They did not "enforce the border".  They fucking destroyed families and tried to terrorize people into not trying to find a better life in our country.  Our immigration policy is pathetic and broken, but they basically took a five year old's version of how to address it.  

[WBT 20580]

3 hours ago, Gil Bang said:

And last week at a rally, Trump called for the execution of all drug dealers.  I'm sure Junior's guy will get a pardon though. 

He's ripping off Duterte now?

[Satchel 6938]

14 minutes ago, Biff Tannen said:

Dumb gif aside, no dude.  No.  They did not "enforce the border".  They fucking destroyed families and tried to terrorize people into not trying to find a better life in our country.  Our immigration policy is pathetic and broken, but they basically took a five year old's version of how to address it.  

168 kids still have not been reunited with their families.

[EuroHorn 3265]

7 hours ago, Longhorn_Fan68 said:

you forgot space force *snicker*

Oh and Obama saying that russia was not something to worry about. *snicker*

 

 

[StassneyHorn 6580]

They weren’t at the time. You know that

[Fastbreak 3985]

Why do Trumpkins think that there is no control at our borders? I guess because they have never travelled anywhere? It’s actually pretty difficult to get into the US - for example, I have a friend from
Colombia and they need a visa just to transit the US. They can’t even land in the country even if they have an immediate connecting flight. Right now that visa is taking 2 YEARS to process.

I challenge anyone to go into Mexico and then try to cross back without going through a checkpoint. It’s fucking super hard. It’s why there aren’t many YouTubes or Tiktoks of idiots doing it.

I have lived in Texas for 35 years of my life and never once did I think “Wow! This is a fucking crisis!” I did think of you wanted people to not come here you would heavily fine companies who have hired them. But then the excuse is “it would hurt the economy”. It’s mind bottling…

[TwiceHorn 31488]

13 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

Well, he did sign The First Step Act, which was something but not a whole lot.

Obama would have signed it, but it never got past the Senate.

Trump/Kushner did prevail on McConnell to calendar it for a vote, which was progress and key to getting it passed.

But, in true Trump fashion, he did it only to curry favor with minorities, and when that favor wasn't forthcoming, he regretted having signed it/worked to get it passed. https://www.axios.com/2020/07/01/trump-kushner-second-thoughts

Mulling it a bit, I realized I had lost sight of something.

And that is that I loathe politicians that are motivated solely or mostly by political expediency, rather than doing something because it is the right thing to do.  That applies to an unfortunately high percentage of them.

Granted, knowing what's actually right can be difficult, and the politics of re-election are never going to be extracted from the equation, entirely.

But I feel like, for all his flaws, Joe Biden will do the right thing when it becomes apparent, more often than not.  I think actually pulling out of Afghanistan, instead of just talking about it, and despite the flaws in execution, is an example.

Donald Trump and the GQP he has created will not.  It is all political expedience all the time.  See, e.g. all the performative nonsense about "cultural issues" that have little or nothing to do with the government or operation of the USA.

And that's why I can't help but admire Kinzinger and Cheney a little bit.  They're doing the right thing without regard for the political consequences, and that's a rare thing these days, especially on their side of the aisle.

Edited August 7, 2022 by TwiceHorn

[TwiceHorn 31488]

1 hour ago, Fastbreak said:

Why do Trumpkins think that there is no control at our borders? I guess because they have never travelled anywhere? It’s actually pretty difficult to get into the US - for example, I have a friend from
Colombia and they need a visa just to transit the US. They can’t even land in the country even if they have an immediate connecting flight. Right now that visa is taking 2 YEARS to process.

I challenge anyone to go into Mexico and then try to cross back without going through a checkpoint. It’s fucking super hard. It’s why there aren’t many YouTubes or Tiktoks of idiots doing it.

I have lived in Texas for 35 years of my life and never once did I think “Wow! This is a fucking crisis!” I did think of you wanted people to not come here you would heavily fine companies who have hired them. But then the excuse is “it would hurt the economy”. It’s mind bottling…

Well, I think the election of just about any President other than Trump would have resulted in a substantial increase in migrants at the borders, just on the hope that anyone not Trump would implement less draconian measures.  That right there accounts for probably 99% of the "border crisis," which is nothing more than a larger number of people attempting to cross, obtain asylum, etc. etc.  It's not anything Biden did, just the hopeful notion that he would do something more favorable than Trump.

Of course, then the reality hit that yes, Biden has attempted to back off most of the more draconian Trump policies, like family separation and stay in Mexico.  I'm not sure that a materially greater percentage of those at the border are actually making entry than under Trump.  But that the reality somewhat matches up with the hope just drives more migrants to the border.

"The Wall" would not have changed any of that.