Bear Pit: now the sole domicile of politics at LuLa

[Robert Roaldi]

It's interesting it seems that it is the anti-Trump people who have acted ragefully emotional, often hysterical, regarding everything Trump has done.  The vile and bile has been mostly from the anti-Trump side. The fact that despite a 90% negative press for five years, he was able to garner 47% and 70 million votes reminds us that a lot of people didn't buy into all that negative stuff. The polls were way off. 

The fact that down-ballot Republicans won so heartily rejecting a "blue wave" means you can't count the Republican party out.  Many former working-class Democrats have shifted allegiance to the Republican party.  The issue is not Republican populism.  Rather, it's Democrat elitism that drives away many middle-of-the-roaders.

What do you think of Trump stalling the transition? How does that benefit the country? Come to that, how does it benefit Trump? What is this tantrum accomplishing?

[texshooter]

What do you think of Trump stalling the transition? How does that benefit the country? Come to that, how does it benefit Trump? What is this tantrum accomplishing?

Here's what it accomplishes.  If Trump can convince his supporters the election was stolen, they will more passionately resist Biden's governance for the next four years. Plus, Trump can concede without admitting he lost. It's a game both parties play.  Didn't Hillary call Trump an illegitimate president who stole the election with Russia's help?  Doesn't Al Gore still nickname himself the 43rd POTUS?

 It is in Trump's best interest for his lawsuits to be dismissed and his audit demands to be denied. This will foster distrust and strengthen the resistance.
 

[Alan Klein]

What do you think of Trump stalling the transition? How does that benefit the country? Come to that, how does it benefit Trump? What is this tantrum accomplishing?

Who cares? Time to move on.   How are we going to get out of this double jeopardy of covid and a failing economy? 

[jeremyrh]

What fun fact to know and tell showed up in my newsfeed today?

"Lysandra, 38, even claimed Ivanka once 'blamed a fart on a classmate'"

Sounds plausible to me.

The Javankas are going to be facing a tough crowd if/when they return to New York City.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-8962751/Ivanka-Trump-steps-chic-blue-dress-best-friend-slammed-bratty-high-school-behavior.html

But it was an alternative fart.

[jeremyrh]

Spikes all started in August, one of the hottest months of the year.  Perhaps people started to gather inside to enjoy the A/C. 

OK.  I'm going with schools opening.

[jeremyrh]

 It is in Trump's best interest for his lawsuits to be dismissed and his audit demands to be denied. This will foster distrust and strengthen the resistance.
 

Does the country's interest ever figure in his calculations?

[faberryman]

It's interesting it seems that it is the anti-Trump people who have acted ragefully emotional, often hysterical, regarding everything Trump has done.  The vile and bile has been mostly from the anti-Trump side. The fact that despite a 90% negative press for five years, he was able to garner 47% and 70 million votes reminds us that a lot of people didn't buy into all that negative stuff. The polls were way off. 

The fact that down-ballot Republicans won so heartily rejecting a "blue wave" means you can't count the Republican party out.  Many former working-class Democrats have shifted allegiance to the Republican party.  The issue is not Republican populism.  Rather, it's Democrat elitism that drives away many middle-of-the-roaders.

See what I mean, Chris. This from someone who says he has accepted that Trump lost the election and has moved on. Completely irrational thought and behavior, and a total inability to acknowledge facts. It reminds me of Waco and Jonestown on a vast scale.

What do you think of Trump stalling the transition? How does that benefit the country? Come to that, how does it benefit Trump? What is this tantrum accomplishing?

Who cares? Time to move on. How are we going to get out of this double jeopardy of covid and a failing economy?

Concerned about COVID and the economy, yet unable to acknowledge Trump's ongoing culpability in getting us to where we are today. If pressed, we would hear all about federalism. Anything COVID related good happens, Trump gets the credit; anything COVID related bad happens, the governors get the blame. Irrational thought and behavior. An inability to acknowledge facts.

And then there's Joe, a photographer, who has "done the research", and concluded that masks don't matter. Does he have the education, training, and experience to make that determination? It doesn't matter. You are by God not going to take away his freedom to infect other people. That's worth everyone getting into camo, loading their AR-15s, and storming the capitol building. A true patriot. But rational?

[Jonathan Cross]

In the UK last evening the BBC ran a prime time half hour interview with Obama.  It was of course connected with his new book, so cynics will say with some justification that it was a marketing exercise. 

IMHO it was very thoughtful and posed the question of how much will there is to live together harmoniously for the purpose of making the world around us a better place, both in macro and micro senses.

Jonathan

[Robert Roaldi]

Who cares? Time to move on.   How are we going to get out of this double jeopardy of covid and a failing economy?

Precisely, it is time to move on. So shouldn't they be setting up transition meetings so that the new appointees at Dept of Energy and Transportation and who knows where else learn what's going on in those places so they can hit the ground running on Jan 20. Regardless of all the childish culture war bs going on, the Dept of Energy still to maintain the nuclear stockpile, people still have to check to see if the bridges aren't rotting, someone has to check and maintain dams, etc. How does it benefit Americans to not cooperate in the handover?

To use your example, someone else is now in charge of negotiating the "Covid vs economy" planning. Why wouldn't you want to help the new team install their staff?

[faberryman]

Didn't I say that the Republican election officials in Wayne County, Michigan would ask for a re-re-vote?

Wayne County Republicans ask to ‘rescind’ their votes certifying election results

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/11/19/wayne-county-rescind-certifying-election/h

They say they voted to certify the election the second time around due to pressure from Democrats, but fail to recognize they voted not to certify the election the first time around due to pressure from Republicans, including Kayleigh McEnany and her 243 phony affidavits.

They also say they were promised an audit, but that is not mentioned in their demand to rescind their votes or in the accompanying affidavits. Legal malpractice on the part of Kayleigh and the Republican attorneys?

And of course there is this:

Wayne County Republican who asked to ‘rescind’ her vote certifying election results says Trump called her

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/11/19/wayne-county-rescind-certifying-election/

Just so your know everyone on Team Trump is on the same page:

Trump campaign drops Michigan election lawsuit, Rudy Giuliani says

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/19/trump-campaign-drops-michigan-election-lawsuit-rudy-giuliani-says.html

Oops.

[James Clark]

Didn't I say the the Republican election officials in Wayne County, Michigan would ask for a re-re-vote?

Wayne County Republicans ask to ‘rescind’ their votes certifying election results

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/11/19/wayne-county-rescind-certifying-election/h

They say they were pressured to vote to certify the election the second time around due to pressure from Democrats, but fail to recognize they were pressured by Kayleigh McEnany and her 243 Republican affidavits the first time around.

I wonder who drafted up the latest round of affidavits accompanying their demand to rescind their votes to certify?

Republicans *literally* trying to steal the election.   Honestly, screw these guys. I’ve never, EVER been one to advocate for or even tolerate political violence (edited for clarity - and I’m absolutely not doing so here) but things are going south here fast, and it’s 100% Trumpers at fault. 

[Robert Roaldi]

If this article reflects reality, the level of dysfunction is mind-boggling, https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/18/conservatives-biden-presidential-transition-437945. They're saying that many people think that catering to Trump's delusions is more important than the functioning of the country. What are they afraid of? Trump is history, there is a new administration coming, happens every 4 years, so what else is new. It's as if the bad chemicals in the head of one guy are more important than anything else. Just what kind of spineless weasels do you guys have in US politics? Are people really so afraid of displeasing "The Leader"?  How did Trump become more important than the country? This is not my understanding of America.

More than anything else, this mentality reminds me of Easter Island. Luckily, the US is more resilient than those islanders, more than just one crop, trees, to rely on.

[digitaldog]

Who cares? Time to move on.   How are we going to get out of this double jeopardy of covid and a failing economy?

Who cares, I and perhaps others do hence the question by Robert. Maybe you do not, you don't answer questions just ask questions.
Answer to your question above; what's been missing for 4 years; national leadership. As American had in the past (need factual examples just ask for them).

[digitaldog]

Does the country's interest ever figure in his calculations?

Never before his own interests. Never.

[chez]

Who cares? Time to move on.   How are we going to get out of this double jeopardy of covid and a failing economy?

You want to move on but Chetos is still at the helm and in charge of both the pendemic and economy and all we heard from him on either of these is crickets. He just does not give a shit about the people.

[faberryman]

You want to move on but Chetos is still at the helm and in charge of both the pendemic and economy and all we heard from him on either of these is crickets. He just does not give a shit about the people.

And Alan doesn't give a shit that Trump doesn't give a shit. It is a pretty shitty situation all around.

[faberryman]

They're saying that many people think that catering to Trump's delusions is more important than the functioning of the country.

For the sake of argument, I'll give some Republicans the benefit of the doubt and say that they are placating Trump in the hope that he doesn't get really riled up to the point where he does something irretrievably stupid, like start a war with Iran.

Trump Sought Options for Attacking Iran to Stop Its Growing Nuclear Program

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/16/us/politics/trump-iran-nuclear.html

[jeremyrh]

Republicans *literally* trying to steal the election.   Honestly, screw these guys. I’ve never, EVER been one to advocate for or even tolerate political violence (edited for clarity - and I’m absolutely not doing so here) but things are going south here fast, and it’s 100% Trumpers at fault.

Isn't it sort of scary that we are contemplating the end of democracy in the US ?

[James Clark]

Isn't it sort of scary that we are contemplating the end of democracy in the US ?

Perhaps nominally more from where I sit than where you do - but probably not by too much.  The disappointing thing is that I absolutely believe that in their heart of hearts, most people know Trump is full of shit, and most people don't honestly think he won the election, and yet they are willing to compromise not just their integrity, but literally 250 years of history and ideals to ride with this utter trash bag of a human being who is actively trying to undermine everything so many of them claim to hold sacred.

That's where I am today.  If he actually gets away with it (or keeps trying long enough), I'll start to honestly fear for actual violence.

[Alan Klein]

Precisely, it is time to move on. So shouldn't they be setting up transition meetings so that the new appointees at Dept of Energy and Transportation and who knows where else learn what's going on in those places so they can hit the ground running on Jan 20. Regardless of all the childish culture war bs going on, the Dept of Energy still to maintain the nuclear stockpile, people still have to check to see if the bridges aren't rotting, someone has to check and maintain dams, etc. How does it benefit Americans to not cooperate in the handover?

To use your example, someone else is now in charge of negotiating the "Covid vs economy" planning. Why wouldn't you want to help the new team install their staff?

Sure Trump should be discussing those things with Biden.  But that doesn't answer the question. How we're going to get out of the twin issues of the disease and a failing economy.  What is Biden going to do that's different than what Trump did?  What are the governors of the states going to do that is different?  The bouncing back and forth between closing and opening their states' economies doesn't seem to help anything.  Rates of illness are going up at the same time that more and more people are losing their jobs and businesses. The horns of a dilemma.  Are we stuck waiting for the vaccines?