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

[TexArcher 37119]

He really might let an N-bomb go in the debate.

And I'm not even sure it would change the polling.

[Francisco 2.0 32235]

1 minute ago, TexArcher said:

He really might let an N-bomb go in the debate.

And I'm not even sure it would change the polling.

 

Which is why I'm surprised he hasn't yet. 

 

[Born to Run 6402]

Flipped on KLBJ for a couple minutes.  They were praising the conversation with Musk and literally in awe of Trump's ability to hold an "intelligent conversation for over an hour." 

Insane

[Bozo_Casanova 26063]

8 minutes ago, Js1 said:

Like, California and Colorado could be bluer while Texas and Florida are redder due to where voters are moving.  But in the long run, that does not matter for 2024, because neither Texas nor Florida are states Dems should focus on.  Or care about

Good post otherwise, but I entirely disagree with the bolded. This is Greg Davis thinking, politically. Howard Dean was able to orchestrate a turnaround in the mid 2000s as chair in part because of his insistence on a 50 state strategy, with Obama flipping several states (like Virginia) and establishing beachheads in others that paid dividends later, like Georgia, New Mexico and Nevada. 
And even if we aren’t talking about a 50 state strategy- Texas is too great of a strategic prize and should never be off the table. Florida probably shouldn’t either. 

[Chopper 16911]

 

Running total

Edited August 13 by Chopper

[WelfareBuysMyWeed 5353]

[Js1 84288]

5 minutes ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

Good post otherwise, but I entirely disagree with the bolded. This is Greg Davis thinking, politically. Howard Dean was able to orchestrate a turnaround in the mid 2000s as chair in part because of his insistence on a 50 state strategy, with Obama flipping several states (like Virginia) and establishing beachheads in others that paid dividends later, like Georgia, New Mexico and Nevada. 
And even if we aren’t talking about a 50 state strategy- Texas is too great of a strategic prize and should never be off the table. Florida probably shouldn’t either. 

I mean, I get it.  If Harris' polling after Labor Day is turning the race into a laugher, with her up 5+ in MI/PA/WI and 4+ in NV/AZ and 2+ in GA, with NC on the cusp or a small lead, yeah, sink some resources into TX and FL.  She has the money and if polling starts teasing the margin in Texas at 3 or less, definitely.  Maybe she does just enough to get Allred or DMP over the line even if she doesn't win. 

But as of right now- no.  Let the enthusiasm from her candidacy filter down organically...until polling says she has a legit shot here (and FL) and the other states are looking really good. 

The focus should be the core 7 states - MI, WI, PA, NC, GA, AZ, NV.   No need to Hillary it and start making plays in other places before you have the core swing states locked up tight. 

Edited August 13 by Js1

[Ted Lange 15935]

 

https://www.governing.com/now/migration-myths-and-political-change

 

[Js1 84288]

Depending on where they are moving from, they may just end up making suburban red House seats in Texas redder (they're already ensured to not be competitive, so no harm done) but some of those fringe-y red House seats in California around OC could become very flippable. 

[Bateshorn 9740]

21 minutes ago, Js1 said:

I mean, I get it.  If Harris' polling after Labor Day is turning the race into a laugher, with her up 5+ in MI/PA/WI and 4+ in NV/AZ and 2+ in GA, with NC on the cusp or a small lead, yeah, sink some resources into TX and FL.  She has the money and if polling starts teasing the margin in Texas at 3 or less, definitely.  Maybe she does just enough to get Allred or DMP over the line even if she doesn't win. 

But as of right now- no.  Let the enthusiasm from her candidacy filter down organically...until polling says she has a legit shot here (and FL) and the other states are looking really good. 

The focus should be the core 7 states - MI, WI, PA, NC, GA, AZ, NV.   No need to Hillary it and start making plays in other places before you have the core swing states locked up tight. 

Este.

Do not repeat the mistakes of the 2016 Clinton Campaign.  I remember going up to knock doors in PA in late October and the local coordinated campaigns were like "We've been screaming for resources for months while they open another office in NC" 

[Bateshorn 9740]

14 minutes ago, Ted Lange said:

 

https://www.governing.com/now/migration-myths-and-political-change

 

This is part of the reason why Democrat fortunes have revived in Michigan and Wisconsin: Conservative Snowbirds retiring to FL.  Unfortunately it's happening in NC as well. 

[bluto 4851]

Beating a dead horse but this is how far D’s are having to lean into the border issue on the home front

 

[BrickHorn 18086]

1 hour ago, Pancho said:

Oh wow

 

Is this any kind of official account or just some random dipshit / bot spouting propaganda nonsense?

[ultimaton 2955]

5 minutes ago, BrickHorn said:

Is this any kind of official account or just some random dipshit / bot spouting propaganda nonsense?

I can't see if that's a real tweet, but the Trump War Room account is an official campaign account.

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/02/09/trump-war-room-twitter-impeachment-467955

[TexasHooch 5105]

It is a real tweet, from them 4 hours ago. 

It used to be linked to his "Rapid Response Team" according to some stories from a few years ago. I think it's still used as the attack dog, though the official Campaign Twitter account is called Team Trump.

Edited August 13 by TexasHooch

[Js1 84288]

That’s it? There was multiple Zoom calls that did way more than that without even featuring Harris or Walz lol

 

[Thatguy 8209]

4 hours ago, immamac said:

weird, I didn't notice it, but I may have been too high to care he sounded the same as usual to me, but maybe I also have him half tuned out.

Super heavy lisp. Almost cartoonishly so. All 3 here listened and laughed.

['stache 21614]

41 minutes ago, Js1 said:

That’s it? There was multiple Zoom calls that did way more than that without even featuring Harris or Walz lol

 

With a billion people that makes sense, each person only needed to donate one one-hundredth of a penny. Seems easy enough.

Edited August 13 by 'stache

[Firemans4Horn 17424]

5 minutes ago, Js1 said:

That’s it? There was multiple Zoom calls that did way more than that without even featuring Harris or Walz lol

 

$990,000 of it was donated to the fake Elon crypto videos on YouTube. 

[Constant 6565]

26 minutes ago, BrickHorn said:

Is this any kind of official account or just some random dipshit / bot spouting propaganda nonsense?

Bot spouting propaganda 

[TexasHooch 5105]

Since we're on the topic of the war room,

 

https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/2024/03/12/why-is-tyson-foods-closing-its-perry-iowa-pork-plant-what-we-know/72934600007/

Quote

Tyson didn't say why the Perry plant is closing. But two things stand out about the plant: its age, at 61 years for the main facility, and, according to an industry analyst, its size, which doesn't lend itself to an efficiency-increasing second shift.

So it's old as hell and can only run one shift a day.

Then there's this....

Quote

As the largest employer in Perry, Tyson employs 1,276 people. The closure is expected to leave all employees without work.

Tyson said it will encourage employees to apply for other jobs within the company. Across Iowa, Tyson employs 9,000 people. A significant number of its employees are immigrants or refugees, with 60% of its national workforce representing those two categories, according to Jobs for the Future.

Ah, so now you care about immigrants and refugees, or do you just want them to stay in their jobs so that you can know exactly where they are when it's time to deport them?

 

[WhatTheBuck 28643]

27 minutes ago, Js1 said:

That’s it? There was multiple Zoom calls that did way more than that without even featuring Harris or Walz lol

 

Yeah, that’s not much. Which suggests to me that when they say “over $1 million was raised” as if it’s a big number, it probably means they actually raised less than that. 

[Gil Bang 25720]

12 minutes ago, TexasHooch said:

Since we're on the topic of the war room,

 

https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/2024/03/12/why-is-tyson-foods-closing-its-perry-iowa-pork-plant-what-we-know/72934600007/

So it's old as hell and can only run one shift a day.

Then there's this....

Ah, so now you care about immigrants and refugees, or do you just want them to stay in their jobs so that you can know exactly where they are when it's time to deport them?

 

About 20 years ago, my neighbor was a small landscape contractor.  Obviously, you can imagine what his employees looked like.  I recall him losing a few; they moved to Arkansas to work the poultry industry. 

[Tuco 5066]

2 minutes ago, WhatTheBuck said:

Yeah, that’s not much. Which suggests to me that when they say “over $1 million was raised” as if it’s a big number, it probably means they actually raised less than that. 

Yep.  I am betting a PAC topped it off.  

[mdmost 42561]

Easiest way for Walz to deal with this bullshit about "stolen valor". 

 

[Bateshorn 9740]

15 minutes ago, TexasHooch said:

Since we're on the topic of the war room,

 

https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/2024/03/12/why-is-tyson-foods-closing-its-perry-iowa-pork-plant-what-we-know/72934600007/

So it's old as hell and can only run one shift a day.

Then there's this....

Ah, so now you care about immigrants and refugees, or do you just want them to stay in their jobs so that you can know exactly where they are when it's time to deport them?

 

Yo. "Real Americans" don't take industrial butcher jobs.  Last 50 years of corporate agriculture and race to the bottom, unregulated late stage Capitalism out front shoulda told ya. 

[The Original Greaser Bob 2739]

1 hour ago, Ted Lange said:

 

1 hour ago, Chopper said:

 

Running total

 

 

 

Dems:  Abortion's back on the menu, boys!

[Tuco 5066]

2 minutes ago, Gil Bang said:

About 20 years ago, my neighbor was a small landscape contractor.  Obviously, you can imagine what his employees looked like.  I recall him losing a few; they moved to Arkansas to work the poultry industry. 

Yeah, I can imagine inflation affecting the pork plant.  But a big part of it would be labor costs.  Tighter borders makes it worse. (Another part of it might be higher grocery costs reducing purchases on the high end products.) 

[The Original Greaser Bob 2739]

Bacon tastes good.  Pork chops taste good.

[Red Five 40464]

Just heard a clip of Dotard saying "Kamala.... No one knows her last name. You ask people, and they have no idea what her last name is." 

Translation: He forgot her last name in that moment. 

[atomheartbevo 89112]

3 hours ago, bluto said:

That Texas poll seems a bit junky, was heavy dem lean. Trump will win Tx by just as much if not more than 20. 

3 hours ago, SydneyCarton said:

You think Trump wins Texas by 20? Am I understanding that correctly? The state he only won by 5.5% last time? 

Trump is going to win Texas, he's just going to win Texas by  3%, imo. 

2 hours ago, bluto said:

here’s the cross tabs on that Texas poll, it’s non sense. Trump will roll by 8 along with Cruz. 

Yeah, given the trends over the past 3-4 elections, given that abortion is on the ballot (even if not officially, it's in a lot of people's minds), and given that the state Republicans are doing things like running Houston's school district into the ground as well as pushing school vouchers, on purpose, not to mention all of the other little things (power outages, etc.), Trump will be lucky to win by 3%.  Very lucky.

[atomheartbevo 89112]

1 hour ago, Bozo_Casanova said:

In a normal year, you see signs for GOP campaigns in rural and suburban areas right after primaries, and they are usually very visible by August. Energy is supplied by the presidential or governor’s race, and the local ticket drafts behind it and brings the volunteers.

Driving around in Texas you should be seeing yard signs and 6x4 fence signs for everything, in other words - house races, county commissioners, dog catcher, etc. and you don’t, at least not yet. That tells me one thing- the vital link between the Trump campaign and the county parties is missing for some reason. 

Missing for some reason?

https://www.politico.com/news/2024/03/11/bloodbath-at-rnc-trump-team-slashes-staff-at-committee-00146368

;https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/13/us/politics/republican-community-centers-closed.html

Edited August 13 by atomheartbevo

[DixonHur 10879]

2 minutes ago, mdmost said:

Easiest way for Walz to deal with this bullshit about "stolen valor". 

 

Plus, the Minnesota National Guard weighed in to back Gov. Walz.  Wonder if the MSM will pick this up as aggressively as they did the slander by the GOP.  I think we all know the answer, but I'm holding out hope.

Tim Walz couldn't possibly know his unit would deploy before he retired, DoD info shows (bostonherald.com)

"He left because of pending deployment" - BULLSHIT

Quote

According to information shared by multiple official sources within the MNG, Walz earned that rank and would need either the gift of prophecy or a time machine to use the deployment as an excuse to leave the service, as his May 2005 retirement date came months before the 1-125th Battalion of the 1st Brigade Combat Team learned they would mobilize and most of a year before the unit was actually deployed to Iraq for what would become a historically long, 22-month tour.

Quote

Walz’s official May retirement date came almost two full months before the 1-125 Field Artillery found out they would likely mobilize. An official order was not issued until a month after that, about 90 days after Walz left the service, according to information provided by Lt. Col. Ryan Rossman, the MNG’s Director of Operations.

Quote

The unit mobilized on October 12 — nearly five months after Walz left the service — and deployed in late March of the 2006 after training in Camp Shelby, Mississippi, according to Rossman. That’s a full 10 months after Walz reentered civilian life.

Quote

First of all, almost every unit and member of the U.S. Military is subject to potential deployment at some point in the future and trains constantly toward that inevitability. Second, the U.S. Army’s current practice of officially notifying a unit ahead of an upcoming deployment via a “Notification of Sourcing” wasn’t implemented until 2009. Back in 2005, any hint a unit might mobilize that made its way out of the Department of the Army Headquarters would be considered unofficial and subject to change pending actual mobilization orders.

Additionally, according to officers serving with the MNG, in order for Walz to retire, he would have had to clear his plans through his unit commander, who would have had to sign off on Walz’s retirement paperwork — Form DD 2656. There is no indication Walz’s commanding officer acted to prevent or stall his request to retire.

"He lied about his rank" - BULLSHIT

Quote

Further allegations Walz is misrepresenting his rank are also unfounded, according to the MNG. Walz was indeed wearing a Command Sgt. Major’s stripes on the day he officially took off his uniform for the last time, but since he was unable to complete the 750 hours of coursework required to meet the conditions of Army Regulation 600-8-19 before he retired, he can’t be paid that rank’s retirement rate.

“He retired as a master sergeant in 2005 for benefit purposes because he did not complete additional coursework at the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy,” Augé said.

"He was promoted to sergeant major (E-9) on September 17, 2004, and immediately began serving as the command sergeant major for the 1st Battalion, 125th Field Artillery while his packet was submitted to the National Guard Bureau to appoint him to command sergeant major (E-9). Once approved by NGB, he was laterally appointed to command sergeant major (E-9) on April 1, 2005,” Cochran said.

[atomheartbevo 89112]

44 minutes ago, 'stache said:

With a billion people that makes sense, each person only needed to donate one one-hundredth of a penny. Seems easy enough.

 

[Chopper 16911]

This is better news than a poll at this point in the race, in my opinion

The news has been so positive for Democrats even the NYT is forced to print some of it.

Recent Voter Registration Data Offers Hint of Enthusiasm for Democrats
Two swing states have seen a boost in Democratic sign-ups since Kamala Harris entered the race.

Spoiler

 

[TexEx15 17382]

51 minutes ago, Js1 said:

That’s it? There was multiple Zoom calls that did way more than that without even featuring Harris or Walz lol

 

Imagine a YouTube stream of Harris being interviewed by Beyoncé or Taylor. What kind of numbers would that bring?

18 minutes ago, mdmost said:

Easiest way for Walz to deal with this bullshit about "stolen valor". 

 

For now yes. I do think it would be smart to have a detailed answer prepared for the (eventual) debate obviously.

[Thatguy 8209]

1 hour ago, TexArcher said:

He really might let an N-bomb go in the debate.

And I'm not even sure it would change the polling.

Naw. If he dropped the N-bomb on live TV black people would flip the entire south blue. One thing you need to know about us is we don't play about ours. All that apathy during election cycles would get erased. It would be worse than the 08 ass-whipping.

[Firemans4Horn 17424]

[atomheartbevo 89112]

39 minutes ago, TexasHooch said:

Since we're on the topic of the war room,

I don't know if it's ironic or not, but Lindsey Reiser is a high-profile member of the LBGTQ community.  Interesting they used a story with her doing the intro, almost like LBGTQ members are human beings.

Or maybe they are just being dicks.  Or probably didn't care.

[Js1 84288]

It’s weird seeing pundits like Harry Enten be like DONT TRUST THE POLLS and then remember that they were anointing Trump 3 weeks ago as POTUS because of the polling 

[Pancho 43278]

6 minutes ago, Thatguy said:

Naw. If he dropped the N-bomb on live TV black people would flip the entire south blue. One thing you need to know about us is we don't play about ours. All that apathy during election cycles would get erased. It would be worse than the 08 ass-whipping.

Which is why I’m hoping he does it 

 

[C-Man 26791]

UAW files federal labor charges against Donald Trump and Elon Musk after threatening workers on X interview

Is this bad? This seems bad.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/13/business/uaw-trump-musk-charges/index.html

Quote

The United Auto Workers union on Tuesday filed federal labor charges against former President Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk for threatening to intimidate workers who go on strike.

During Trump’s interview on X Monday night with Musk, who is also the principal owner of the social media platform, the pair discussed a potential role for Musk in Trump’s administration should he get reelected. Trump called Musk “the cutter,” and praised Musk for his anti-union stances.

“I look at what you do, you walk in and you just say, ‘You want to quit?’ They go on strike – I won’t mention the name of the company – but they go on strike, and you say, ‘That’s okay, you’re all gone. You’re all gone. Every one of you is gone,” Trump said.

Musk could be heard laughing and replying “yeah.”

The UAW, which recently endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president, filed separate charges against Trump and Musk Monday to the National Labor Relations Board.

The charges claim the former president and the Tesla CEO had “interfered with, restrained or coerced employees” who were exercising their right to organize against the company, “suggesting he would fire employees engaged in protected concerted activity, including striking.”

UAW president Shawn Fain, a harsh Trump critic, has previously called Trump a “scab.” He praised President Joe Biden for joining a picket line last year when the UAW struck General Motors, Ford and Stellantis all at once. And Fain has repeatedly singled out Tesla, the largest non-union American automaker, as a target for the union’s organizing efforts.

“When we say Donald Trump is a scab, this is what we mean,” Fain said in a statement. “Both Trump and Musk want working class people to sit down and shut up, and they laugh about it openly. It’s disgusting, illegal, and totally predictable from these two clowns.”

The Trump campaign called the UAW charges a political orchestration by “Democrat special interest bosses.”

“This frivolous lawsuit is a shameless political stunt intended to erode President Trump’s overwhelming support among America’s workers,” said Trump campaign Senior Advisor Brian Hughes in a statement. “President Trump strengthened our economy and delivered results on behalf of the forgotten men and women of America, and he will do it again when he is re-elected on November 5.”

The NLRB acknowledged receipt of the charges but did not provide further comment. Tesla did not respond to CNN’s request for comment.

It’s unlikely Musk or Trump would face significant penalties if they’re found to have violated labor laws, and any action could take a long time to resolve. First, the NLRB will investigate the UAW’s charges. If it believes Trump and Musk are in the wrong, the NLRB could attempt to help settle the case – but it could also sue Trump and Musk on behalf of the UAW. Even then, if a judge finds Trump and Musk violated the law, they would typically order Trump and Musk to stop their behavior and make any employees that were wrongfully terminated whole.

But it’s not clear that Trump was referencing any specific workers Musk fired for organizing against his company. Workers have attempted to organize at Tesla several times. But Musk and Tesla’s aggressive tactics and outspoken opposition to unionization – in addition to Tesla’s strategy of granting factory workers stock options – has kept unionizing efforts at bay.

This isn’t Musk’s first run-in with the NLRB. Earlier this year, the board accused Tesla of illegally restricting technology in the workplace to dissuade workers in a Buffalo, New York, factor from organizing.

Harris’ campaign circulated the clip of Trump and Musk, saying: “Trump praises billionaire Elon Musk for firing workers who were striking for better pay and working conditions.”

 

[atomheartbevo 89112]

10 minutes ago, C-Man said:

UAW files federal labor charges against Donald Trump and Elon Musk after threatening workers on X interview

And they just dropped this ad yesterday

 

[Thatguy 8209]

15 minutes ago, Pancho said:

Which is why I’m hoping he does it 

 

Me too. I hope she gets him so frustrated that he drops the N-bomb and then Kamala Harris simply smiles and says I think we are done here. The moderator agrees and then simply walk off.

[The Dog 43571]

1 hour ago, Bateshorn said:

Este.

Do not repeat the mistakes of the 2016 Clinton Campaign.  I remember going up to knock doors in PA in late October and the local coordinated campaigns were like "We've been screaming for resources for months while they open another office in NC" 

You're right that we're well past the time when putting resources into Texas or Florida makes sense - that needs to happen over several years.

However, it's pretty clear the DNC learned their lesson after 2016. Hillabeast's campaign flat out ignored Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania thinking they were in the bag. The DNC has made a big investment in setting up field offices in all of the swing states including NC.

You know who hasn't made an investment in those states? The GOP - and at the direction of Trump's staff.

[chainsaw 9699]

1 minute ago, The Dog said:

putting resources into Texas or Florida makes sense - that needs to happen over several years.

the state-level party leaders need to be repealed and replaced, too

[Js1 84288]

Just now, chainsaw said:

the state-level party leaders need to be repealed and replaced, too

Nikki Fried is doing good work in FL.  Don't lump her in with the TDP

[atomheartbevo 89112]

18 minutes ago, The Dog said:

You know who hasn't made an investment in those states? The GOP - and at the direction of Trump's staff.

Trump's lawsuits and aircraft and other expenses ain't going to pay for themselves if the RNC is dumping money into all those down-ballot races/offices.

I loved that if down-ballot Republicans wanted to use Trump's likeness in their campaign mailers or on their websites, they  had to pay him a portion of their fundraising. That is exactly what a conman running for office would do - get his finger in everybody's pie.

[Chopper 16911]

Drumpf's one campaign event this week. Asheville. He requested the smaller venue. Sad.

[Tuco 5066]

32 minutes ago, chainsaw said:

the state-level party leaders need to be repealed and replaced, too

At least in Nebraska....

County party leaders are elected by whoever gets through the door on the day of the county convention. I was one of those (voters) in 2018.  Normally, county party meetings maybe have 10-20 people for each monthly meeting.  On the day of the convention, it was over well 500.  Bunch of people I never saw again.  It was a hotly contested election between a labor guy and a women who was more involved with campaigns.  The woman won, and then the labor guy got elected to vice-chair in an inspiring moment of unity.   

State party leaders are elected by the delegates selected at the county convention.  (I was one of those in 2018). That was a pretty easy election for Jane.  I like Jane, but she is full of shit.  Our County Chair hated Jane.   I feel comfortable stating that on a message board, because Jane already knows it. 

National delegates are selected at the state level.  (I didn't have a chance in hell of that.)

So what's my point? These are not top-down organizations.  The national party does not decide who is running the state parties.  Just doesn't happen.  The intraparty politics are just as vicious and way more annoying than the Republican vs. Democrat politics.  It turns a lot of people off, including myself.  So much arguing over who gets to drive, rather than where we are going.  But, if anyone wants to change who is running the state party, the first step is showing up to the meetings.  Tahoe will bring donuts. 

Edited August 13 by Tuco