2024 Presidential Election Thread - Let's keep the party going.

[jimmyjazz 45,976]

2 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

This shit never makes sense to me. How fucking stupid do you have to be to potentially aliente potential customers?

. . . and then there's Penzeys Spices, which has this blurb on their website:

About Republicans

Spoiler

About Republicans

As we’ve now said on our first-ever About Us page on our website, there’s something unique about humankind’s relationship with spices that time and again have caused spices to be a driving force for change. We live in a time calling out for change and for solutions to the very real problems our country and our planet face. There’s two very different futures ahead for us totally dependent on whether we solve these problems or not. With so much at stake we feel obligated to use the unique position spices hold in our lives to try to help promote the solutions to these problems as best we can.

Watching the slow decline of the Republican Party over the last half century, and the steep decline/bottom falling out over the last decade, it can be easy to see the nonsense that has overtaken the party as pretty much random. Once you start seriously looking at the problems America and the world face and who and what are standing in the way of solving those problems, it quickly becomes clear there is nothing random to what the Republicans are promoting.

The Republican departure from conservative values and embrace of what, from a distance, looks a whole lot like insanity didn’t happen by chance. All of it has been intelligently crafted with the goal of preserving the position of those who profit from the inhumanity that is at the very roots of pretty much every problem we are facing. From the environment, to racism/discrimination, to health, to saving our democracy at home and growing it abroad, half the time Republicans are intentionally blocking the solution to the problems we face. The other half of the time they are the problem we face.

The truth of our time is we’ve arrived at the point where there’s no way to respect the nonsense the Republican Party is promoting and have any hope of overcoming the problems we as a nation and we as a planet face. Given the choice between saving America and planet Earth or saving the feelings of Republican voters, we are choosing to side with saving our country and our world. I’m sorry it’s come to this.

And no, there is no HATE!!! in any of this. There is a whole lot of propaganda at the heart of much of how Republican voters have been steered away from conservative values to what they now seem all too happy to vote for. The thing to remember about propaganda is that it doesn’t just misinform, it also works to make people immune from the truth by convincing them any facts that counter their propaganda are nothing more than HATE!!! But we really have no hate for Republican voters. None at all.

I actually like and respect most of you guys. Sure, there are a growing number that are there for the racism, but I still believe the majority of you have good hearts that want to help and do the right thing. I know you to be trustworthy, and honest, and funny, and caring, and good souls. The problem isn’t what you are, the problem is what you are now voting to support. You guys have been turned around.

Remember when your distrust of big city types, and your deep rooted beliefs in paying your debts, respecting your marriage, raising kids willing to serve, honoring your word, and going to church every week had you voting for Donald Trump over Joe Biden all because Biden’s son had a computer? Or how you couldn’t vote for Hillary because she was over-prepared and used emails? I know that to you your actions seem rational and in keeping with your values, but when it comes to voting you are now consistently voting in people who are the exact opposite of you and the values you hold dear.

What does any of this mean? Going forward we would still be glad to have you as customers, but we’re done pretending the Republican Party’s embrace of cruelty, racism, Covid lies, climate change denial, and threats to democracy are anything other than the risks they legitimately are. If you need us to pretend you are not creating the hurt you are creating in order for you to continue to be our customer, I’m sad to say you might be happier elsewhere.

If on the other hand you still want the best spices and don’t need us to respect what you now vote for to be our customer, Hooray! We are happy to have you here, but know that we will, on a regular basis, try to wake you up from this dream that has you believing there is anything conservative left at all to what the Republican Party has become. We can and will work without Republicans to solve the problems we face, but it sure would be nice to get back to a time where Republicans were equal defenders of equality, the environment, and democracy. We look forward to that day.

Thanks for reading. Thanks for being here,

Bill

 

[Huckleberry 32,997]

Jesus, dude. Did you just ask if a county is gerrymandered? Montgomery County? Established in 1837?

[SydneyCarton 48,110]

1 minute ago, BurntOrange&White said:

Even with all the growth coming into that county? I assume it's gerrymandered to shit? I don't know enough about that area.

It's the fastest growing county in Texas, but it's also I believe one of the reddest counties in Texas. It went 71% for Trump in 2020. You're basically talking about The Woodlands and Conroe and rural areas around it.  It doesn't have to be gerrymandered, it's just red AF. 

[Guadaloopy 10,973]

2 hours ago, Homercles said:

Finance bros are the worst

What if they are 6'5" with blue eyes and a trust fund?

[Dahobbs 17,625]

4 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

This shit never makes sense to me. How fucking stupid do you have to be to potentially aliente potential customers? There's a restaurant by our house, with mediocre food, but a huge outdoor space and playground that is good for kids. There aren't a lot of places like there in my area of Houston, so we frequented for awhile. Up until the time they started posting MAGA bullshit on their marquee sign. Never went again. And I know I'm not the only person. It's just fucking stupid. 
 

That...will never fucking happen. 

It is sadly is a decent restaurant and a great play area for kids. I've only been back a couple of times (because of other people having events there) since they went full MAGA.

[SydneyCarton 48,110]

1 minute ago, jimmyjazz said:

. . . and then there's Penzeys Spices, which has this blurb on their website:

About Republicans

  Reveal hidden contents

About Republicans

As we’ve now said on our first-ever About Us page on our website, there’s something unique about humankind’s relationship with spices that time and again have caused spices to be a driving force for change. We live in a time calling out for change and for solutions to the very real problems our country and our planet face. There’s two very different futures ahead for us totally dependent on whether we solve these problems or not. With so much at stake we feel obligated to use the unique position spices hold in our lives to try to help promote the solutions to these problems as best we can.

Watching the slow decline of the Republican Party over the last half century, and the steep decline/bottom falling out over the last decade, it can be easy to see the nonsense that has overtaken the party as pretty much random. Once you start seriously looking at the problems America and the world face and who and what are standing in the way of solving those problems, it quickly becomes clear there is nothing random to what the Republicans are promoting.

The Republican departure from conservative values and embrace of what, from a distance, looks a whole lot like insanity didn’t happen by chance. All of it has been intelligently crafted with the goal of preserving the position of those who profit from the inhumanity that is at the very roots of pretty much every problem we are facing. From the environment, to racism/discrimination, to health, to saving our democracy at home and growing it abroad, half the time Republicans are intentionally blocking the solution to the problems we face. The other half of the time they are the problem we face.

The truth of our time is we’ve arrived at the point where there’s no way to respect the nonsense the Republican Party is promoting and have any hope of overcoming the problems we as a nation and we as a planet face. Given the choice between saving America and planet Earth or saving the feelings of Republican voters, we are choosing to side with saving our country and our world. I’m sorry it’s come to this.

And no, there is no HATE!!! in any of this. There is a whole lot of propaganda at the heart of much of how Republican voters have been steered away from conservative values to what they now seem all too happy to vote for. The thing to remember about propaganda is that it doesn’t just misinform, it also works to make people immune from the truth by convincing them any facts that counter their propaganda are nothing more than HATE!!! But we really have no hate for Republican voters. None at all.

I actually like and respect most of you guys. Sure, there are a growing number that are there for the racism, but I still believe the majority of you have good hearts that want to help and do the right thing. I know you to be trustworthy, and honest, and funny, and caring, and good souls. The problem isn’t what you are, the problem is what you are now voting to support. You guys have been turned around.

Remember when your distrust of big city types, and your deep rooted beliefs in paying your debts, respecting your marriage, raising kids willing to serve, honoring your word, and going to church every week had you voting for Donald Trump over Joe Biden all because Biden’s son had a computer? Or how you couldn’t vote for Hillary because she was over-prepared and used emails? I know that to you your actions seem rational and in keeping with your values, but when it comes to voting you are now consistently voting in people who are the exact opposite of you and the values you hold dear.

What does any of this mean? Going forward we would still be glad to have you as customers, but we’re done pretending the Republican Party’s embrace of cruelty, racism, Covid lies, climate change denial, and threats to democracy are anything other than the risks they legitimately are. If you need us to pretend you are not creating the hurt you are creating in order for you to continue to be our customer, I’m sad to say you might be happier elsewhere.

If on the other hand you still want the best spices and don’t need us to respect what you now vote for to be our customer, Hooray! We are happy to have you here, but know that we will, on a regular basis, try to wake you up from this dream that has you believing there is anything conservative left at all to what the Republican Party has become. We can and will work without Republicans to solve the problems we face, but it sure would be nice to get back to a time where Republicans were equal defenders of equality, the environment, and democracy. We look forward to that day.

Thanks for reading. Thanks for being here,

Bill

 

I mean I respect them. But that is not smart busienss. 

[Js1 85,408]

5 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

There's a restaurant by our house, with mediocre food, but a huge outdoor space and playground that is good for kids. There aren't a lot of places like there in my area of Houston, so we frequented for awhile. Up until the time they started posting MAGA bullshit on their marquee sign. Never went again. And I know I'm not the only person. It's just fucking stupid. 

Pressley’s? I drive by it to/from the gym every day and every day, I lament not having a carton of rotten eggs in my car to throw at those signs 

[SydneyCarton 48,110]

Just now, Dahobbs said:

It is sadly is a decent restaurant and a great play area for kids. I've only been back a couple of times (because of other people having events there) since they went full MAGA.

It was an easy sell to the wife becuase she thought the food was mediocre. Now we drive a bit further and go to D'Alba. The space isn't as good, but oh well...

 

[C-Man 27,230]

3 minutes ago, BehoId, The Underminer! said:

i live in the darkest blue 2020 precinct in central texas and there is currently one harris sign.

I actually take that back. There is one house with a Biden sign that's been up for months. Forgot about that guy.

[jimmyjazz 45,976]

3 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

I mean I respect them. But that is not smart busienss. 

Oh, I agree.  Even dumbass Lance Armstrong knew not to take a side when LiveStrong was a thing.

[Dahobbs 17,625]

3 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

It was an easy sell to the wife becuase she thought the food was mediocre. Now we drive a bit further and go to D'Alba. The space isn't as good, but oh well...

 

I quite like D'Alba. They've been improving the space a lot recently and the food is better. 

[Chuckie Finster 22,700]

I'm no finance bro, but it sure seems like the market panic last night/this morning was basically just wishcasting from right wingers?  

[Pato del Muerto 52,524]

24 minutes ago, C-Man said:

Mockingbird or Lovers

I hope bubba’s is still there and I hope you popped in for some cinnamon rolls. 

[softlynow 1,816]

24 minutes ago, BurntOrange&White said:

What would a Collin, Montgomery, and maybe even Denton county flip mean in terms of the state?

[South Austin 52,519]

9 minutes ago, Pato del Muerto said:

I hope bubba’s is still there and I hope you popped in for some cinnamon rolls. 

Bubba’s is overrated. Fight me.

[1978horn 893]

A lot of HOA's have 90 day sign rules.  90 days before the election is this week.  I would imagine more and more signs for both candidates soon.

[TheStoicPaisano 9,922]

40 minutes ago, BurntOrange&White said:

What would a Collin, Montgomery and maybe even Denton county flip mean in terms of the state?

Someone to beat 45s ass in golf, for starters. Post him at Turnberry.

Edited August 5 by TheStoicPaisano

[Hank Kingsley 20,967]

 

[Js1 85,408]

1 minute ago, Hank Kingsley said:

 

She can win without Shapiro. 

[The Dog 44,062]

22 minutes ago, Chuckie Finster said:

I'm no finance bro, but it sure seems like the market panic last night/this morning was basically just wishcasting from right wingers?  

Friday's jobs report and people want the Fed to cut interest rates now that inflation is under control. 

[wildcat09 29,355]

48 minutes ago, BurntOrange&White said:

What would a Collin, Montgomery, and maybe even Denton county flip mean in terms of the state?

An 80/20 Allred win. 

Lubbock will go blue before Montgomery County does.

[Pato del Muerto 52,524]

1 minute ago, The Dog said:

inflation is under control

It is?  Next you’ll tell me there’s not really a crisis at the border. 

[SydneyCarton 48,110]

5 minutes ago, The Dog said:

Friday's jobs report and people want the Fed to cut interest rates now that inflation is under control. 

I swear, jobs reports exceeded all expectations damn near every time for the last 2 years and one bad one and we get this horseshit. 

[The Dog 44,062]

Just now, SydneyCarton said:

I swear, jobs reports exceeded all expectations damn near every time for the last 2 years and one bad one and we get this horseshit. 

Based on what little I read the scope of the selloff is an overreaction and it's more related to interest rates than the jobs report. 

[TexEx15 17,543]

Jesus Christ this dude is a nut job.

[Surly Bevo 25,048]

3 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

I swear, jobs reports exceeded all expectations damn near every time for the last 2 years and one bad one and we get this horseshit. 

The major indices are still all up YTD (and not just by some razor thin margin)  If the slide really continues ok, but right now this looks more like maybe a cooling off rather than some full blown rundown.  

[wildcat09 29,355]

1 minute ago, The Dog said:

Based on what little I read the scope of the selloff is an overreaction and it's more related to interest rates than the jobs report. 

I think it's largely an overreaction to the AI bubble deflating if not bursting, while some of the smarter money is deciding to wait for the anticipated interest rate cut.

[David Dennison 18,922]

14 minutes ago, Pato del Muerto said:

It is?  Next you’ll tell me there’s not really a crisis at the border. 

Yes, it is.

[Js1 85,408]

1 minute ago, David Dennison said:

Yes, it is.

Compared to our peer countries, yes it is 

[Pato del Muerto 52,524]

2 minutes ago, David Dennison said:

Yes, it is.

 

Just now, Js1 said:

Compared to our peer countries, yes it is 

I thought my border comment was obvious enough that the sarcasm would be an evident. 

[Mdhorn 5,970]

24 minutes ago, TheStoicPaisano said:

Someone to beat 45s ass in golf, for starters. Post him at Turnberry.

Remember the rules--no fact checking, real time or otherwise.  It won't be televised or recorded, because reasons.  It's all word of mouth confirmation.  In fact, it's about the only time a game of any merit isn't recorded this day and age.  Playing with an ex president--certainly don't record anything.      

[Js1 85,408]

Just now, Pato del Muerto said:

 

I thought my border comment was obvious enough that the sarcasm would be an evident. 

Except when you explain to MAGAs about how much better we have fared than our peer countries, they won’t listen. Everyone knows Biden decided to raise inflation all over the world 

[Michael Knight 12,988]

52 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

I mean I respect them. But that is not smart busienss. 

Nazis need spice too

[David Dennison 18,922]

3 minutes ago, Pato del Muerto said:

I thought my border comment was obvious enough that the sarcasm would be an evident. 

It's Monday. 

[Pato del Muerto 52,524]

5 minutes ago, Js1 said:

explain to MAGAs

There’s your problem 

[Brisketexan 105,154]

4 minutes ago, Js1 said:

Except when you explain to MAGAs about how much better we have fared than our peer countries, they won’t listen. Everyone knows Biden decided to raise inflation all over the world 

You have an actual MAGA poster on this very thread blaming Biden and the Dems for....things like the Nikkei index taking a beating.  For you MAGAs out there, the Nikkei index is the stock index for Japan.  Also for you MAGAs, Japan is another country.  Also for you MAGAs, neither Biden nor any other dem is in office in Japan.

As a side note, neither Biden nor any other dem is in office in ANY of the numerous other countries where their stock markets are also taking a similar if not worse beating the last few days.

Although, if your point is that you believe that Biden and the dems are so damned powerful that they control the stock markets in every country in the world....don't we WANT giant badasses like that, who can control the whole world, in office?  I mean, that's a pretty solid sales pitch.

[elfenix 34,308]

1 hour ago, BurntOrange&White said:

What would a Collin, Montgomery, and maybe even Denton county flip mean in terms of the state?

If Monty county flipped it would be an historic shellacking of Republicans deeper and more thorough than what the Tories just experienced in the UK.

[TexArcher 37,977]

52 minutes ago, Chuckie Finster said:

I'm no finance bro, but it sure seems like the market panic last night/this morning was basically just wishcasting from right wingers?  

No, there are some at-least-semi-legit concerns about a looming recession in the US.

Sure, it could very well help the Republicans right now, but the Nikkei didn't drop 13% in a day because of American politics.

[Js1 85,408]

Just now, elfenix said:

If Monty county flipped it would be an historic shellacking of Republicans deeper and more thorough than what the Tories just experienced in the UK.

Reagan 84-esque 

[C-Man 27,230]

44 minutes ago, South Austin said:

Bubba’s is overrated. Fight me.

Gagree. The rolls are still top-notch, though. Any of the fried shit there is just way too greasy.

 

21 minutes ago, TexEx15 said:

Jesus Christ this dude is a nut job.

I watched the John Oliver piece on him last night. At one time, he was a fantastic environmental attorney but somewhere along the way he went cuckoo for coconuts.

[RomaVicta 29,929]

24 minutes ago, TexEx15 said:

Jesus Christ this dude is a nut job.

I opened the link for a look. There's a video directly under the OP of Kennedy telling the story of the bear. He appears to be in his kitchen where he tells the story to a woman in a housecoat. "Ah!" I think. Maybe there will be a glimpse of Cheryl Hines in this casual morning scene. 

Nope. It's not Hines. "No, that woman can't be...what is she doing there with a cup of coffee in her hand as though she just came down from her bedroom?"

Weird.  (Actually clipped from video. No joke.)

Edited August 5 by RomaVicta

[Planet Houston 4,930]

13 minutes ago, Michael Knight said:

Nazis need spice too

What a waste, they end up burning everything to a char so what’s the point? 

[G650 14,263]

31 minutes ago, SydneyCarton said:

I swear, jobs reports exceeded all expectations damn near every time for the last 2 years and one bad one and we get this horseshit. 

 

29 minutes ago, The Dog said:

Based on what little I read the scope of the selloff is an overreaction and it's more related to interest rates than the jobs report. 

I think it's more a synptom of the big Yen carry trades that were going on than anything. It's already easing through the day

[pyrohornIII 4,815]

Probably the biggest reason you aren't seeing more Harris signs is everyone is holding off until the VP announcement to get both candidates on the signs.   I would expect to see more hitting the streets in about 2 weeks.  

12 hours ago, Fastbreak said:

I've watched about 80 hours of the Olympics so far and have yet to see a Trump ad. Harris has an ad every 45 minutes/1 hour. That is pretty interesting.

I think Trump fully believes that no matter how the election goes, he's got the system in place to overthrow it.  He's saving his campaign dollars for lawyers and insurrection organizers instead of actually trying to win the election.  

 

[RPM 26,322]

nm

Edited August 5 by RPM

[Dbeasy 15,068]

18 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

Oh…so you support people shredding the roof of their mouth till it’s bloody? Asshole. Gonna make me vote for RFK’s brainworm!

Yeah…so, I understand why so many of yall are trying to find a way to rationalize reaching out to and connecting with Trump voters. They are family members, they’ve been friends. It’s hard.
But by now, after nearly 10 years of this shit…it’s over. They’re trash people. All of them. Yes, all of them. They know. They know he’s horrible. They know he wants to be an authoritarian dictator and end democracy. They know that he sides with our enemies (Putin etc) over our allies. They know he’s pointlessly cruel. They know he’s misogynist. They know he’s racist - yes, even the idiot black and Hispanic voters who support him know. They are trash. They are poison. They cannot be saved and brought back into the fold - can one or two, here and there, see the light? Sure…but it’s a statistically insignificant number. Give up on them, and do what any body does with diseased parts: isolate them, encapsulate them, and kick them out to the extent possible.
Fuck your asshole uncle. Don’t avoid him at thanksgiving: exclude him from thanksgiving. Cut him out of your life. He deserves it. And you deserve better than to waste another second of your life trying to convince a total piece of shit not to be a total piece of shit.
I’m done with them. And you should be too.

 

17 hours ago, MrBig said:

Do Trump voters know Trump is a bad person though? MAGA believes MAGA talking points because there is not someone convincing enough on the other side to make them think otherwise. Not all Trump voters are MAGA, and I believe these non-MAGA types of people can be persuaded to vote against Trump if the right message can be delivered. 

This is why I am pushing so hard for a guy like Tim Walz because I think he can connect with voters who vote Trump but aren’t MAGA fanatics because he comes across as a regular guy we all know. 

I know some people have a hard time believing it’s true, but some Trump voters can be swayed to the other side with right type of messaging. I’m not talking about the MAGA voters who are flat earther die hard Trump cock riders, I’m talking about regular people who vote for Trump because they are influenced by their families or churches or workplaces that lean heavy into the Republican Party like military and police officers. 

All some people need is a regular dude who just tells them hey, Trump is a bad dude and he’s not helping this country come together to help us solve our problems. You may disagree with us, but vote for us so we can work together to fix what’s wrong instead of voting for Trump who has absolutely no plan for anything. All they hear is that Trump is an existential threat to our Democracy and should be stopped. The existential threat to democracy argument is not going to sway these people to vote against Trump even if ruining democracy is the strongest argument that can be presented. 

Cutting Trump voters off entirely is a great way to remove negativity from our lives, but it does little for bringing people together to solve our problems. The best hope we have is to fine tune our messaging with candidates like Walz to help people understand how voting against Trump is in their best interest without doing it in a forceful or dishonest way.

I finally have been able to develop my action strategy wrt Trump voters. I have them in the following buckets with the associated action:

1. Too Stupid To Understand - these are idiots who fall for all of the propaganda and are simply too stupid to educate. Who wants to be around stupid people? I cut them all out my life except for family that I have to see. I minimize all conversation with those that remain. I just ignore them for the most part. 

2. Tragically Uninformed - with these people I tell them straight out my thoughts on Trump in the harshest way possible. I then ask them if they’ve actually read and researched various issues on non-biased sources. None of them have. I tell them I have and they are victims of disinformation campaigns and their views are simply wrong. I don’t give shit if I make them mad or hurt their feelings. The only exception I make here is if they are important family or work related people. In that case I soft pedal my views by saying I’m an independent and don’t support Trump because of all the research I’ve done. This usually shuts up this group, and maybe just maybe causes 1 out of 10 to change their mind over months or years. 

3. The Selfish Anti-Americans - these are the wealthy or religious nut jobs who support Trump solely for their self interest anti-America views. Fuck them. I cut them out of my life unless I have to tolerate them. I don’t waste a second trying to change their minds because it will never happen. This is why Elon and I are no longer friends. Of course we never were friends, but still!

4. The Confused - this is the most difficult group to deal with. They are educated, fairly well informed, recognize that the Republican Party does have some decent policies, but they perceive most facts thru a biased lens. They don’t realize they are victims of disinformation campaigns and think they’ve figured it all out. And, they are correct in saying that some Democrats policies are not good and so they don’t want to vote Democrat. I don’t cut these people out. I gently and rationally talk with them, but not often, about real facts and what disinformation is going around. I chip away at these people over years. I’m pretty sure I’ve flipped a fair number of them, or they figured out themselves that Trump is a moron. The rest are the ones we have to worry about at the polls  

This is my game plan. I think it’s good and I think everyone should be implementing it. 

[tx 3 putt 77,060]

4 hours ago, Js1 said:

 

 

['stache 21,819]

RFK is taking more votes from trump than Harris, right? So is it correct that him dropping out from the bear story would help trump?

[Red Five 40,862]

2 minutes ago, 'stache said:

RFK is taking more votes from trump than Harris, right? So is it correct that him dropping out from the bear story would help trump?

I can't believe that this sentence is real and that I understood it.

[HornOnTheBayou 8,931]

18 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

You have an actual MAGA poster on this very thread blaming Biden and the Dems for....things like the Nikkei index taking a beating.  For you MAGAs out there, the Nikkei index is the stock index for Japan.  Also for you MAGAs, Japan is another country.  Also for you MAGAs, neither Biden nor any other dem is in office in Japan.

As a side note, neither Biden nor any other dem is in office in ANY of the numerous other countries where their stock markets are also taking a similar if not worse beating the last few days.

Although, if your point is that you believe that Biden and the dems are so damned powerful that they control the stock markets in every country in the world....don't we WANT giant badasses like that, who can control the whole world, in office?  I mean, that's a pretty solid sales pitch.

Of course Biden has nothing to do with the Japanese stock market. How could he? He's too busy rigging boxing matches in France to make sure Italian female boxers are getting hurt by men.