Bloo

This is such a simple concept. It baffles me that people struggle to get it. Good for him for calling it out with such clarity.

I hope this tamps down the cynical rhetoric that only White men can win. We’ve seen so many diverse candidates win in unexpected places in this election (e.g., a trans woman winning a state legislature seat in Alabama). Congratulations to Scott Colom on this accomplishment—especially give the sparse support he received from the national party.

Well, Macy Gray’s Spider-Man washes Christina’s Burlesque.

I think Biden's legacy, in any timeline of his decision to run again, should come back to his participation in the Gaza genocide. However, objectively, he would be viewed so much more positively in the history books if he came out of the 2022 midterms to say, "We performed better than expected! Do not misunderstand, we are still in the fight for the soul of this nation and I am committed to that fight today like I told you when I launched my 2020 campaign. However, I also promised to be the bridge to the next generation. So, I am here to announce that I will not seek reelection because it is my hope to see someone from the new generation carry the torch and continue the fight for the soul of the nation with a fresh perspective and fresh ideas." He could still make the same bad decisions he made throughout the rest of his presidency. But, if he had said that coming out of the 2022 midterms, he'd be viewed immeasurably more favorably than he is now. Even my dad who liked Biden and rooted for Biden in the 2020 primaries cannot stand him now. The fact he admitted to feeling "lousy" now is only going to cement that resentment regarding his selfish decision to run again; it's made worse by his later decision to pressure Kamala for "no sunlight" between him and her. He should have offered her support to campaign however she chooses—even if it means throwing him under the bus (which is what Clinton did for Gore in 2000).

That was @Rian I'm pretty sure—it was not me at least. I personally support reparations. I think it's needed. However, it'll never happen if it's not partnered with economic relief for other constituencies in America. I think it's one example of a moment for an omnibus bill (which I usually dislike) where if you coupled a reparations package for Black communities with economic aid/relief for (White) economically disenfranchised areas like the Rust Belt and Appalachia America, then you're going to side-step much of the criticism that would happen if we had a standalone reparations package. I frankly do not think reparations is an issue that has little consensus even within the Black community. You'll see Black activists argue for reparations specifically for ADOS and others (like me) who think it should be more comprehensive than that because that wouldn't cover all those harmed by Jim Crow, Red Lining, etc. Further, restricting it to ADOS acts as a form of means-testing where you have to do some lineage testing which is markedly less reliable for Black Americans for countless systemic challenges. Additionally, what reparations should look like (rather than who receives it) is also without consensus. One suggestion is the direct check approach. I personally reject this. As a mixed Black person that grew up in a White neighborhood in Kentucky, I really don't think I need a check. My Black experience is so different from someone who grew up on the south side of Chicago. Further, direct checks don't really address structural issues that are still in place. Direct investment is needed in redlined communities and other communities that were specifically destroyed (e.g., Black Wall Street in Tulsa, OK). Further, we should also propose tearing down or rerouting major highways that cut off Black communities from the hearts of major cities to improve integration efforts. I don't have an exact slate of solutions. But, comprehensive economic investment that result in better outcomes is my preferred idea of reparations; since much of the issues facing Black people can often be predicted at the ZIP-code level (due to how thorough our segregation has been), this can actually be easy to do through policy. But, if we couple this with other areas that have been structurally disenfranchised and left to rot, it could lead to more coalition building so everyone gets some needed aid rather than just one community. Hilariously, while centrists often wave their finger at ideas like Reparations for being too radical and inciting racial resentment (kind of like @Rian, though not to throw him under the bus cause I understand where he's coming from)... centrist politicians often are the ones that do that through POLICY proposal. For instance, when trying to propose a policy to address student debt, it's usually a centrist presidential candidate that proposes something like, "I want to increase the number of Pell Grant recipients for 1st generation college students that attend HBCUs!!" This is bad for countless reasons: (1) the majority of Black college students don't even attend HBCUs—it's closer to 10%; (2) fewer and fewer Black students are 1st-generation college students, and (3) it is read by non-Black voters as, "Why are they getting help with affording college and I'm not?!" Kimberly Nicole Foster (check her content out if you haven't) made a comment after the election that resonated with me to the effect of saying, "I'm a Black woman, and while that means I face many issues, I would never trade places with an uneducated, poor White woman." I feel the same way. I have a STEM Ph.D. and I—fortunately—can afford my bills with no problem; I also have the privilege of getting a full-ride so I don't even have student debt. Being a Black gay man has challenges, but I'm still very fucking privileged and I wouldn't trade places with the average person despite my social disadvantages. So, if you have a poor White person in rural Kentucky hearing this technocratic idea for reduced education costs specifically for 1st generation HBCU students... you're going to turn it into an "us vs. them" where the "them" is Black people. This is why universal policies are necessary; this is why tuition-free college is preferred to increasing the number of Pell Grants for a marginalized community. It avoids putting a target on any one community's back. However, I think there's a social need from the Black community for recognizing the extent of harm that's been committed against us by the USA in the way of reparations. But, I think packaging it with other relief bills such that other disenfranchised areas get economic opportunities they otherwise wouldn't isn't the happiest medium between these two extremes. — P.S. I realize that this is probably a much longer response than what you bargained for. But I started typing and it all kinda came out. If you read it in full, thank you and sorry for the inconvenience.

Yes. Though, for untalented politicians (e.g., Kamala Harris), more time on the campaign trail makes their incompetence more palpable. Which is why she should have been grateful she only had 103 days to run in 2024 as opposed to a full year—like she did in the 2020 primaries where she had to bow out before the first contest. So, hopefully the expanded timeline works towards eliminating some of the more nefarious options (e.g., Harris, Newsom, Shapiro, Emmanuel).

This is the most predictable outcome ever. Frankly, progressive policies are NEEDED to help reverse this destructive individualist mindset that leads people to think taxation = theft. Taxation is necessary for a functional society. The issue in America is that we get taxed heavily and we see very little in return. I grew up in KY and public schools felt like the only form of return on investment from taxes (in addition to roads and basic infrastructure people take for granted). I've since moved to a major city where I don't even need a car to live and conversations around transit funding are much more common because it's visible. People see the benefit of taxes. It's still not enough because of larger forces, but it's still much better than what I had living in Kentucky. People need systems like Medicare-for-All and politicians needs to be clear that TAXES go towards giving everyone healthcare so people begin to accept taxes = healthcare or taxes = good roads. Right now, our taxes go to corporations and bombing Brown people overseas so working Americans see none of that money and then they feel excited by stupid ideas like cutting taxes massively (for affordability!) only for it to ruin their communities. Sorry for the tangent. We need to see a more affirmative case for taxation because the idea is so fiercely maligned against the interests of the people.

They keep moving up the start of the primary debates and I think it's genuinely terrible for Democracy. Most people do not have the attention span—nor should they—to follow an election cycle for 2 full years; that turns it into a second job. I (and many others in this thread, I presume) follow politics so closely because I'm abnormal and can't help myself from following everything. But, most people get so drained from following politics that they start paying attention closer to the election itself which I think is a reasonable boundary.

Maneater and it’s not close. I actually listened to it today on the way home from work. It still slaps and sounds so fresh to this day.

Someone needs to send this to Trump.

Cancel Thanksgiving babe! Make the case.

Can you read? Nowhere did I say I think Hasan would win. I literally said it would be good if someone radical like a Hasan (hence, it need not be Hasan) run to make other, more viable Leftists seem more moderate. My post was short and you still grossly misinterpreted it.

I agree. If it’s not Hasan, I think there should be a radical leftist that runs to make someone like Zohran/AES seem like a moderate in comparison.

Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden have both complimented Trump to help aid a peaceful transition of power. Talarico is going to be the Senator for millions of people that voted for Cornyn. Him participating in a basic ceremony for a peaceful transition of power is part of Democracy. If that offends you, then politics is not for you.

Do you support the idea of a peaceful transition of power or would you prefer administrations change over with a January 6th-like event each time?