Bear Pit: now the sole domicile of politics at LuLa

[marvpelkey]

I'm not convinced Trump actually thinks out most of his actions, I actually don't think he is that smart and he mouths off because he just can't control himself. He is so used to being the loudmouthed bully over his years, that he just has no other playbook. Politically, he was lucky to be around at the right place/right time for his antics to work for him, and I doubt he pre-planned anything strategic along the way.

And, I see the Republicans are going through a bit of a self-destructive phase and McCarthy is out as speaker, at least for now. Wonder if he will take another (or 15) run(s) at it.

[Robert Roaldi]

I'm not convinced Trump actually thinks out most of his actions, I actually don't think he is that smart and he mouths off because he just can't control himself. He is so used to being the loudmouthed bully over his years, that he just has no other playbook. Politically, he was lucky to be around at the right place/right time for his antics to work for him, and I doubt he pre-planned anything strategic along the way.

And, I see the Republicans are going through a bit of a self-destructive phase and McCarthy is out as speaker, at least for now. Wonder if he will take another (or 15) run(s) at it.

Yeah, they're looking a bit ill at the moment. It doesn't say much for the party that Trump still leads the other contenders by a wide margin. Or so the polls say. But it's not like the Democrats are benefitting much. Or so the polls say.

I wish I understood why they threaten to shut down their government every few months. Seems like a bug in the code to me.

[marvpelkey]

I think part of the impending shutdown syndrome is a by-product of giving the crazies an opportunity to get a foothold. The reasonable old guard has/are retired/ing and the vacuum is being filled by the Matt Gaetz's (sp?), who seem to concentrate more on raising their political profile to get more donations than actual governance. And then there are some who are just flailing about wildly, for the sake of flailing about.

The other aspect is a desperate attempt by some to stop the hemorrhage of Federal debt (at least that's the reason they give), so they figure their best ploy is to take the budget process hostage.

Throw in, with that, the absolutely childish behaviour of these adults.....(I actually should not describe it this way, cause it sort of insults children).

[Robert Roaldi]

We reached yet another local low point in the culture the other day when we heard that Matt Gaetz likes to "crunch" ED drugs so he can keep going all night long and film the proceedings to show off to others.

I can't help but wonder how information like this affects people in society whose life's work is to help others, e.g., military and emergency personnel, people in the health industries, etc. I know we can't expect Mother Theresa in every public office, but to hear about Trump ridiculing dead soldiers or Gaetz doing whatever it is he thinks he was elected to do, it can't possibly make people feel good about their work knowing that in some sense, these scum are their bosses. Must take some strength of character to get past it, but there must be a cost.

[marvpelkey]

As a former first responder (albeit in Canada), I hardly recall any occasion where we would even discuss our political leaders, regardless of whether they were good guys or nut jobs. It was just not something we dwelled on, as who/what they were had little bearing on the task at hand. Even socializing, although we talked politics, we rarely connected those in charge, unless they were more immediate and within the policing community (like supervisors/commanding officers), to what we did on the job. Perhaps that is a good thing.

As to Gaetz, he's just a goof. Probably always was and likely always will be.

[Robert Roaldi]

There is no bottom. Republicans are now trying to pick fist fights at hearings or elbowing others in media scrums. Very classy. Hilary was right after all, these guys are deplorable.

Trump's lawyers are taking guilty pleas re the "rigged election" bullsh*t. Says a lot about the legal profession or at least the ones that T hires. More than anything else, they are all, the entire lot of them, coming across as utterly incompetent. Utterly incoherent.

And nowhere, ever, any talk of real policy other than anti-woke bs. I've read where some are starting to talk about making gay sex illegal. Some want to outlaw birth control. Birth control !!!   Geez, if that doesn't bring out the vote to crush all right-wing religio-nuts out of existence, then nothing can and there is no hope.

I recently found out that the Tuberville guy is an ex-college football coach. That's a scream. I guess he doesn't understand that he was only there to get the win because of his popularity as a "coach" guy, and that he was supposed to just shut up and vote. I guess he assumed that he's allowed to think. Just one nitwit after another.

[marvpelkey]

I, facetiously, suspect that at the end of each day, the Republican members of Congress sit around together, have a beer and guffaw between themselves over how extreme their actions were that day. Like, they actually try to outdo each other and to them it's all big joke.

Funny thing is, a few years back (pre-Trump), I actually suggested that, were I American, I may very well have been a Republican. I liked some of their conservative and pro-law enforcement policies. Now they are unrecognizable.

On a more serious note, over the past 8 or more months, I have repeatedly told a buddy of mine (who despises Trump and many Republicans and likes Biden) that Biden should have announced he was not running a second term, eloquently bowed out and allowed the Dems to find a new, real strong, candidate to take on Trump. As time moves on, I am seriously doubting he has what it takes to beat Trump. And it soon may be too late.

[Robert Roaldi]

I, facetiously, suspect that at the end of each day, the Republican members of Congress sit around together, have a beer and guffaw between themselves over how extreme their actions were that day. Like, they actually try to outdo each other and to them it's all big joke.

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There was a good interview with ex Republican Congressmen Adam Kinzinger on NPR's Fresh Air recently where he more or less says exactly that, https://www.npr.org/2023/10/31/1197956765/rep-adam-kinzinger-on-the-gop-the-jan-6th-committee.

[marvpelkey]

I have a lot of respect for Kinzinger.

I think Liz Cheney and him would have made a good team in the White House, but that'll never happen.

[Robert Roaldi]

I had never heard the term "biblical republic" before, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/nov/04/mike-johnson-theocrat-house-speaker-christian-trump.

In reading a couple of other articles about Johnston, more than once the writer summarized a list of his beliefs, anti-LGBT, anti-science, etc., including anti gun-safety. How is being against gun safety a consequence of Christian beliefs? There's a lot of really sloppy thinking around.

Makes all those years of fighting the Taliban offshore seem kind of pointless, doesn't it?

[marvpelkey]

I was going to ask a simple, to me, question of Why would the rest of the group (Republicans and Democrats in the House) even consider electing someone like Johnson, with all his "crazy" baggage, to the Speaker's position. Then I realized American politics has gone too crazy-town to even consider such a question anymore.

I understand either party will "ignore" certain issues with their members just to maintain as much power/control as possible, but one would think there has to be a limit. I guess Trump, Johnson, Santos, MTG, et al, proves that theory wrong.

[digitaldog]

From "The Week" best of cartoons this week:

[Robert Roaldi]

There was a peculiar incident at the Canada-US border yesterday on Rainbow Bridge, which connects Niagara Falls, Ontario with Niagara Falls, NY. An automobile on the US side went spectacularly out of control outside the border control area, got airborne and ended up crashing inside the control area, exploded and both occupants died. The details are available online if you're interested.

What I, and others, found hilarious was the social media and some political reaction. Reports, that is to say dumb rumours, quickly spread that it was a possible terrorist incident initiating in Canada (again), you know, because Canada is such a hotbed of violent insurrection. If I remember right, Hilary Clinton reacted similarly after 9/11. I expect dumb crap on social media, it's basically the new National Enquirer, but one of the GOP Presidential hopefuls made comments along those lines yesterday, talking about how the US needs better protection from Canada. Someone has advocated a wall between the US and Canada, not sure who, but it might be the same guy.

The very minimum I expect from someone running for President of the US is not to shoot their mouth off until they have at least some facts. I guess we crossed that line a while ago though, so that's silly of me. Be fun if someone started a GoFundMe campaign to pay for that wall, see who would contribute. At the very least, I'd want a way to keep that twerp out.

All too stupid for words.

[PeterAit]

" Someone has advocated a wall between the US and Canada"

A Canadian I am sure.

[Robert Roaldi]

Why is Elon Musk participating in international diplomacy?

[Frans Waterlander]

Why is Elon Musk participating in international diplomacy?

What? You now need to include Elon in your frantic efforts to keep this pathetic thread going? going... going... going...

[digitaldog]

What? You now need to include Elon in your frantic efforts to keep this pathetic thread going? going... going... going...

You have this odd repetitive habit of asking questions of others, both here and on PhotoNet when your posting history and agenda show/prove, you have no desire or ability to ]accept any ansers. No need to again ask questions.

History repeats itself!

You've got to love the behaviour of someone who about once a month walks into the room, takes a dump on the carpet and departs, never to be seen again until next month.

https://forum.luminous-landscape.com/index.php?topic=136697.msg1222178#msg1222178

[Robert Roaldi]

Why did the governors of Florida and California have a TV debate? What was the point of that.

[Frans Waterlander]

Why did the governors of Florida and California have a TV debate? What was the point of that.

Have you been asleep the last couple of decades, but particularly the last 2-3 years? One saw an opportunity to show what's wrong with this government and how to change course, the other to defend the abysmal record of the current $%@* in chief.

[digitaldog]

Have you been asleep the last couple of decades, but particularly the last 2-3 years?

"If you want a wise answer, ask a reasonable question." -Johann von Goethe
Oh wait, the question came from the carpet dumper who can't accept answers (reasonable or otherwise).