2026 Mid-Term Elections

[ZiprHead]

How is Medicare not a single payer program?

It’s a single payer program unless you actually use it.
Four days in a hospital gets you 120 (or maybe it’s just 100) days of paid rehab, after which you’re on your own. So the incentive is to get so sick that you need another four days in a hospital, which re-sets the clock. Otherwise …
Mrs E was in the hospital for three days in March. She was released to a rehab center, which they said they could only keep her for ten days because … the Medicare clock didn’t get re-set.
Then they released her to an assisted living facility that ended up costing more than 12k out of pocket just for one month, and did nothing to improve her condition. I took her home, and now wish I could find something - ANYTHING - even if it cost 12k, that could help her and give me a VERY needed break (“respite”).
Medicare did approve a couple visits per week from a PT and an ST, but then pulled the plug on that too. After a fight they now permit 1 PT visit per week, and I feel like it’s futile.
The system is designed to first protect itself, like most systems are. But in this case it means abandoning its primary mission in favor of its own perpetuation. Sadly, that means encouraging people to die if they represent a disproportionate burden on the system meant to keep them alive.

I have no idea what you have in assets but Medicaid pays for my brother's nursing home care, completely.

Pays for the bed, their SS pays for the rest, minus a tiny stipend, if I'm not mistaken.

Yes, that is correct.

 

[Elixir]

Eligibility for Medicaid is tough. If it was income based I could swing it, but the assets-other-than-home are problematic. That’s why I am considering a giveaway to the next gen.

 

[thebeave]

Eligibility for Medicaid is tough. If it was income based I could swing it, but the assets-other-than-home are problematic. That’s why I am considering a giveaway to the next gen. members of IIDB.

FIFY.

 

[robnisch]

You sir, sure as F&*k don't seem to know the real history of the Vietnam war!

Which part of what I said do you disagree with?

That you think it was a good idea for the USA to get involved with what an internal struggle mostly caused by French colonialism.
Just so many other messes caused by colonialism in the last century.
Look at Africa. Look at the Middle east. Fucked up by European /US colonialism.

 

[TV and credit cards]

My abhorrent piece of shit.

Miller also said he had nothing to do with a broken collarbone on their 2-year-old daughter that led Emily Moreno to contact authorities.

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Eligibility for Medicaid is tough. If it was income based I could swing it, but the assets-other-than-home are problematic. That’s why I am considering a giveaway to the next gen. members of IIDB.

FIFY.

You are only saying that because you are 100% vested at the site.

And seeing that I am as well, I agree. We'll get a lawyer over to you Elixir, just sign whatever they put in front of you.

 

[steve_bank]

What I hear from the pundits is that while Trump and republicans are very low in approval, it may not translate to big gains for democrats.

Democrats have an image problem.

The DNC is corrupt and useless. From a social democrat the DNC is a status quo do nothing organization that is concerned with making money. Donors are drying up and their building is being used as collateral. They are millions in debt.

Whatever we think of Trump and republicans, they are working to a structured plan and agenda. The democrats are running around like chicken with their herds cut off.

 

[Elixir]

Democrats have an image problem.

That accounts for the rise of DSA.

Whatever we think of Trump and republicans, they are working to a structured plan and agenda.

They work to the plans and agendae of a very few oligarchs and the exceptionally skilled salespeople they employ.
It’s a heavy lift to explain to people as stupid as Trumpsuckers, that they are being “worked” by their oligarch overlords. Yet that is the task assigned to anyone hoping to mitigate the devastating effect of billionaire “culture” upon representative government.

 

[ZiprHead]

Whatever we think of Trump and republicans, they are working to a structured plan and agenda.

It's the agenda that is the problem.

 

[ZiprHead]

 

[steve_bank]

The pont is in te elction Trump said he woulddo x,y,z described in details. Once in office he proceeded to do x,y,z.

Polls show younger democrats are identify as socialist, but I doubt they know what it means. There have been long debates on te form over what socialism means. It has to be clearly defined by social democrats.

Mamdani's policies are similar to the failed progressive polices Seattle. Buses has bbe drvn awy and we have a very low contrail property occupation rate.

Social democrats need a structured pragmatic plan they can sell to voters. Given all the problems with Trump and hjs lpw approval level democrats should be claening up, they are not.

Our Sawant in Seattle who identified as communist is now social democrat running for congress. She is a revolutionary ranter. Tear everything down to be replaced by what she calls true democracy but no details. On our city council it was tax,tax,tax business. The extremes were voted out and it is now more pro business.

When she got voted out and when asked abut her failed policies, she ranted on camera.

Mamdani is a radical ranter. A mini Trump.

Social democrats are selling an idea, as democrats have been doing for decades and voters got tired of it. Especially blacks. At a black college graduation black students turned their backs to Biden as he spoke. He was relling them the left has done a lot for them and he needed their support. Begging.

If Trump had real political skill and was more nuanced republicans would be in power for a long time.

 

[Derec]

That you think it was a good idea for the USA to get involved with what an internal struggle mostly caused by French colonialism.

I did not use the words "good idea". It is more complex than that, esp. given the fickleness of the American public and 5th columnists on the far left fanning the anti-war sentiment, and even engaging in terrorist attacks on US soil. But I do not think it was morally wrong to resist the expansion of the communist domain either.

Just so many other messes caused by colonialism in the last century.

And Chinese and Soviet imperialism is better?

Look at Africa.

There was also Arab colonialism in Africa, which is why Arabic language/culture and Islamic religion are so widespread there. And slave trade by the Arab world lasted much longer than the European/US slave, but is not talked about that much since it does not fit the lft-wing ideology of always blaming the white man.

Look at the Middle east. Fucked up by European /US colonialism.

Middle East has been subject to colonialism long before western/northern Europe became powerful. You had empires from Assyrians and Egyptians in the Bronze Age all the way to the Ottoman Empire into the 19th and very early 20th century trading control of the area, and most of these Empires were Asian. Just blaming US and Europe for all ills of the world is intellectually lazy as well as bigoted.

 

[Derec]

My abhorrent piece of shit.

Miller also said he had nothing to do with a broken collarbone on their 2-year-old daughter that led Emily Moreno to contact authorities.

These are allegations stemming from a nasty divorce. We do not know what is true. Perhaps Miller is a piece of shit, but perhaps his ex-wife is a piece of shit instead if she is making this all up.

 

[ZiprHead]

My abhorrent piece of shit.

Miller also said he had nothing to do with a broken collarbone on their 2-year-old daughter that led Emily Moreno to contact authorities.

These are allegations stemming from a nasty divorce. We do not know what is true. Perhaps Miller is a piece of shit, but perhaps his ex-wife is a piece of shit instead if she is making this all up.

His girlfriend after the divorce broke up with him because of his violence too.

 

[Derec]

His girlfriend after the divorce broke up with him because of his violence too.

That would be some corroboration. But TV's article does not mention it.

 

[Derec]

Polls show younger democrats are identify as socialist, but I doubt they know what it means. There have been long debates on te form over what socialism means. It has to be clearly defined by social democrats.

You are also showing that you do not understand what "socialism" means. Socialism, including  Democratic Socialism is a very different ideology than  Social Democracy.
In the rest of your post, you keep using "social democrat(s)" when you mean "democratic socialist(s)".

Mamdani is a radical ranter. A mini Trump.

I agree there. These two have a lot in common personality wise.

Social democrats are selling an idea, as democrats have been doing for decades and voters got tired of it. Especially blacks. At a black college graduation black students turned their backs to Biden as he spoke. He was relling them the left has done a lot for them and he needed their support. Begging.

Which college was that? What year?
This is especially weird because Democrats under Biden have been pro-black to a fault. Biden only considered black women for SCOTUS and for running mate. In 2024, he waited so long to withdraw that Kamala was assured nomination by default. He changed the primary calendar so that the heavily black South Carolina would go first, even though it's a bad idea for the Party. When so-called "affirmative action" was restricted by SCOTUS, he ranted that the court was not normal for doing that. And so on.

 

[TV and credit cards]

My abhorrent piece of shit.

Miller also said he had nothing to do with a broken collarbone on their 2-year-old daughter that led Emily Moreno to contact authorities.

These are allegations stemming from a nasty divorce. We do not know what is true. Perhaps Miller is a piece of shit, but perhaps his ex-wife is a piece of shit instead if she is making this all up.

I figure if the likes of Bernie Moreno is calling him out it's probably very serious and very likely true.

 

[Derec]

The main function of the DSA is to keep people like Derec from voting for Demonkratz.

Are you suggesting that DSA is a false flag operation? Because that's the difference between "function" and another noun like "effect".
I also do not appreciate the stupid personal jab - I still plan to vote for Ossoff and even Lance-Bottoms even if I am not enthusiastic about it.

I agree that a major effect of DSA is that many independents will get discouraged from voting for Dems. But I do not think this effect is intended.

Republicans are amplifying the DSA message.

Given how extreme their platform is, what do you expect?

Their own messaging is having the effect of killing their electoral prospects, so pimping fear of socialism (the new sales term is “communism” fyi Derec) is the equalizer

There would be no fear of socialism to pimp if there weren't actual socialists (people who believe in the "end goal" of "seizing the means of production" as Mamdani put it) running for and way too often winning office under Democratic ballot lines.

- almost like pimping the dreaded “Property Damage” in 2016

The #BLM rioting did indeed cause billions in property damage. Normal people do not like to see footage of US cities burning, stores being looted and vandalized and so on.
Of course that helped the Republicans in 2016. Especially since the Charlotte riot, took place in late September, just before the election.
This riot was in response to a justified shooting of an armed felon, who had been in prison for attempted murder and thus wasn't even allowed to own a firearm. Btw, this riot, in addition to property damage, led to the death of at least one person.

I do not understand why you and others still defend these highly destructive riots.

or “eating the dogs” in Springfield in 2024.

Ok, that was stupid. With a better candidate, that election was definitely winnable.

 

[Derec]

I figure if the likes of Bernie Moreno is calling him out it's probably very serious and very likely true.

Moreno is taking the side of his daughter, as is expected and natural.
Doesn't necessarily make it true though.

 

[Derec]

I believe the DSA is expected to have at least 15 legislators up from 9. That is an impressive percentage increase but there are 213 seats in both chambers. So even if they hit 21, that is not 10%. Hardly enough to cause trouble unless the split between the major parties is close. Right now 30 % are Republican, so a DSA landslide seems unlikely to cause much disturbance in governance.

I disagree. Your analysis fails to account for fellow travelers, legislators and candidates on the left who sympathize with much or most of the DSA agenda, but are not members. To use a prominent non-NY example, Abdul El-Sayed from Michigan is on the left fringes but is not a DSA member.

The NY state legislature is already pretty left wing. Just look at cockamamie legislation like the bail deform they passed. And I don't see how increasing the number of DSA legislators will not lead to further shift of the legislature to the left.