$20,000,000,000.00 Ransom
Posted by MilesCityMcGee (+210) 5 years ago
Donald Trump is busy blaming the democrats for the impending government shutdown.

Facts:

Republicans control:

-The House
-The Senate
-The Whitehouse.


Reality:

Trump is holding the country hostage unless we agree to pay $20,000,000,000.00 is taxes for his wall - and blaming democrats for it.

$20,000,000,000.00, which he referred to as "peanuts"

This is not a democrat issue.
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Posted by Gunnar Emilsson (+18350) 5 years ago
Even Trump's Chief of Staff knows its a stupid moronic idea, although he couches it in milder terms. Which pissed off the obese Cheeto-in-Chief.

But, it appeases his dull, half-witted base like Snowy, so I guess it is a calculated political move.

Der der der. Build the Wall. Der der der. Drain the Swamp. Der der der. Lock her up.

Der der der.
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Posted by Richard Bonine, Jr. (+15423) 5 years ago
Honestly, it is a democrat issue. It’s but another laboratory learning experience illustration of why the framing of issues is so important.

Republicans have framed themselves as the party of small government since the days of Regan and may as far back as Goldwater. They can be obstructionist and shut the government down, because it is a natural extension of the small government paradigm.

Democrats on the other hand, have framed themselves or allowed themselves to be framed (not sure which it is) as proponents of government. A well-functioning government administration, with all departments doing their respective duties is essential to the modus operendi of democrat politics. Threatening to shut down government from a democrat point of view, is political suicide as they are operating outside of their core framework.

As a progressive, I find myself rather confused about how the progressive leadership actually intends to win anything in the foreseeable future.

For the last year, we’ve endured from the old-growth progressives the “resist” movement, the bury ‘em with factoids approach, the impeach agent orange approach. We have endured the Bernie Bro’s who think they are being virtuous by not voting for Felonious Nixonious Der Von Pantsuit.

And while the old-growth progressives have firmly established that the current occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave is a felonious scallywag, they don’t appear to have a solution to connect the 55-60% of the “didn’t get off my ass and vote party” to the values they claim to hold.

Making sure Sen. Tester has a landslide victory is far more important than impeaching Agent Orange. Replacing Greg Ganggreenforte with someone who believes government should help the depressed and downtrodden rise above their circumstances and be successful, that protecting the environment and increasing its resilience is a paramount issue, and that the ill shouldn’t have to chose between fancy feast and going to a doctor. The people with these beliefs are not going to get elected unless progressives begin connecting these values to the masses who didn’t go vote.

Progressives ought to absofukcinglutely own environmental protection issues. This should be a slam-dunk bread-and-butter issue. And yet what will we see. Likely a doubling down of factoids and other meaningless crap. Even if Agent Orange is impeached and stuffed in a empty barrel of 2,5,4T and dumped in the ocean, that event, by itself, does NOT translate into a win for progressives. Progressives MUST begin investing in the 20 plus year project that lays ahead to frame the issues in a meaningful way so voters can relate and connect with those values. Voters make decisions based on their personal values, NOT on the factoid of the day.
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Posted by The man from snowy plains (-244) 5 years ago
Richard. Excellent observations of today's operations of the US Government. This forum's input from both sides expression is much like we hear on the Hill, hear on the news and talked at coffee shops.
FRAMING as you put it, Is the following age old CORE Values of the respective PARTIES.
For the sake of the country the free press and free speech drive the freedom we enjoy, demand, and willing to die for!
The one thing that pushes both parties out of their reared FRAMING AND CORE VALUES is the speed of communication.
Our selected representatives, fellows, and countrymen now have access to information in fractions of seconds vs heard, written, and seen.
I know for myself, your reminders of CORE VALUES AND FRAMING we are all in this together, to form a more perfect union.
Thank you Richard for your insightful and level headed reminders.
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Posted by Gunnar Emilsson (+18350) 5 years ago
Nice attempt at posing as a reconciliation statesman, Snowy, but your most recent post on the Women's March thread shows you remain as dumb as ever.
Still, it is nice to see you make an attempt to become a caring human being
To that I salute you
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