2028 Presidential Election

[Jarhyn]

An opportunity to do what? The Democrats don't want a flood of Progressives in their caucus.

Shut up, piggy.

??

Patooka is "not a Trumpsucker", but he does like Trumpian insults.

I recognise Trump's popularity with his base. My point, which I admit was pretty hamfisted, was that that sort of appeal to a base is very much required for the mid terms. I can very much see Democrats stomp on the "flood of progressives" when what they should be doing is embrace them into their fold. Trump inspires his base (I'll never understand how or why but like gravity, I understand that is real). He's not a good speaker, he's an idiot and yet the closets thing Dems have as a leader is Schumer. Which the base ridicules. It's not a good look and I honestly believe that the "blue wave" everyone is taking for granted is not going to happen and apathy will once again win out.

Normally, I wouldn't care. I would just watch from the sidelines, see the talking points right wing cunts say and expect right wing cunts in my place to parrot the same. This is different. Trump is a colossal fuckup he made me nostalgic for Bush jnr. Twice, And there is a deep desire amongst US citizens to curb his stupidity. There is also a political and media apparatus ready and willing to excuse and justify every part of his idiocy. The Democrats should be tapping into the former and they really aren't. And that's whats baffling.

It no longer baffles me. What I think is that they want it to happen, but want enough separation from it to pretend they didn't, much like the fig leaf of Willy Wonka played by Gene Wilder telling Augustus Gloop tepidly to stop.

Perhaps they don't even understand that this is what they want, but many do very much appear to want this result.

They are being paid and are sad broken deflated sacks, the wind let out them by the prick of a golden thorn through their thin morals.

Perhaps the younger generation is a bunch of windbags, too? But they can't be much worse than we have.

This is why I and others call Schumer, rightly, "controlled opposition". After all these years we have to ask why there is such a resignation against social efforts.

I agree that the blue wave is very much in doubt, and it is in doubt because some people refuse to support progressives.

 

[Politesse]

Every election, someone suggests running Oprah Winfrey, and news reporters rush over to ask if she's interested. Which is more or less how Donald Trump's career began as well. If you're looking for someone "like Trump but on the Left", she'd be a better fit than Newsom, who has never had a television show. The people want someone they know thry can trust, because they saw them on daytime tv.

 

[Harry Bosch]

Every election, someone suggests running Oprah Winfrey, and news reporters rush over to ask if she's interested. Which is more or less how Donald Trump's career began as well. If you're looking for someone "like Trump but on the Left", she'd be a better fit than Newsom, who has never had a television show. The people want someone they know thry can trust, because they saw them on daytime tv.

I don't see this analogy now at all. Newsome is gaining popularity because he's willing to fight. He's very articulate, has a good grasp of the issues, has a long extensive track record, and will fight. I wholeheartedly voted for Harris and Walz. Contributed money to their campaign. But at the end of the day, they were terrible. They ducked fights. Ducked arguments. Didn't have a great grasp of issues imo. Newsome is very strong on social issues, the environment, understands economics, very tech friendly, appreciates economic development, innovation, and is very future oriented. I think that a better analogy for Newsome is Al Gore.

 

[Politesse]

He's very articulate, has a good grasp of the issues

I take it you've never watched an interview with the man? He is neither of those things. But those things are also irrelevant to how Americans vote. Any voters who care about being "articulate", but are okay with the Obama-era status quo, are already in the Democratic base and do not need to be won over. That's not most voters, and definitely not most undecided or swing voters, who are as a class distinctly put off, not turned on, by "big words" or any reference to social theory. I agree that Newsom is likely the only blue candidate who will come to the fore, though, should elections be held in 2028.

 

[WAB]

How about a presidential lottery? Every two months there's a drawing, from persons with no criminal record, or something minimal. The 'winner' is POTUS for two months. Every two months, new POTUS. I may have stolen this silly idea from some novelist..?

Like bilby said (I think), no sane person would want that job. Or was it, no competent person.

 

[unapologetic]

Oprah Winfrey, ... "like Trump but on the Left"

I don't watch Oprah.
Years ago, a decade or more, I saw a vid of Oprah interviewing an atheist. And she was clueless and rude. I don't remember the guest.
I came away thinking 'Operah's a christian cunt'.
I have just searched for the vid and couldn't find it or any clip of her having atheists on her show.
Can anyone point me to such a vid?

 

[Toni]

I know that as an outsider that I cannot completely nor fully understand Australia. But I do not malign the nation

Well, obviously. 'Cos we're grouse. Like the US, but with better surfing and healthcare and shit.

I find it amusing that whenever I talk about the US, you get defensive by mentioning how you don't talk about Australia - when my entire thesis is that blind patriotism is absurd, and that USAians are particularly blind in that regard.

You can bag Australia as much as you like. It's far from perfect. And I am far from patriotic - indeed, I am convinced that patriotism is evil. And your knee-jerk patriotism in response to any criticism of the USA does nothing to suggest that I am wrong.

You seem to be personally hurt by my saying mean stuff about America, which wouldn't be possible if you were not hamstrung by patriotism; And worse, you seem to genuinely believe that if you said mean stuff about Australia, I would be hurt, or offended, or upset.

I wouldn't. I choose to live here, but am under no illusions that anything about our nation is superlative, or that our history and politics are defensible, much less unchallengable.

An outsider's perspective is always valuable. And it's never needful to be an insider in order to understand anything.

My response is not knee jerk but directly to your inaccurate description of a nation you’ve never visited and seem to have formed impressions of by Hollywood movies, bad television and The Guardian.

Maybe actually develop enough curiosity and open mindedness to learn something.

Learning: it does a brain good.

 

[unapologetic]

Every two months, new POTUS

Several POTUS have complained that 4 years is not enough to get things done. What's 2 months gonna accomplish?
Unless you grab kingly power the way Rump did.
What you mean is 2 months per king. We need to NOT do kings.

 

[WAB]

Every two months, new POTUS

Several POTUS have complained that 4 years is not enough to get things done. What's 2 months gonna accomplish?
Unless you grab kingly power the way Rump did.
What you mean is 2 months per king. We need to NOT do kings.

I forget that sometimes I really need the "I am not being serious' emojie:




P.S: did you really think I was serious?? I even typed " this silly idea"...

 

[Tigers!]

Every two months, new POTUS

Several POTUS have complained that 4 years is not enough to get things done. What's 2 months gonna accomplish?
Unless you grab kingly power the way Rump did.
What you mean is 2 months per king. We need to NOT do kings.

France has 7 year terms
UK has 5 year terms
Aust. has 3 year terms

France's is too long, Aust. is perhaps too short.
4-5 years seems about right.
Not too long to do irreparable damage but long enough to do things if you get your finger out.

If I maybe so bold as to tender advice to you yanks - you always seem to be campaigning. That would be your biggest problem.
Plus the inability to find candidates that > half of the country loathe. You have 330 odd million people (the odd was used deliberately). You really need to try harder to find more appealing candidates.

(Before anymore weighs in. Yes Aust does not have a stellar record of throwing up wonderful PM candidates but we usually managed to weed the nutters out. Except for Mark Latham.)

 

[WAB]

Watch...my silly post will continue to get quoted and people will think I was serious, because if one thing is certain here at IIDB, it's that a surprising lot of y'all can't track a conversation for very long, and end up with terribly fucked up notions about what your fellow discussants actually think...

NO, I am not really for 2 month terms! It was tongue in cheek.

 

[bilby]

a nation you’ve never visited

I have, in fact visited the US, though only for a couple of days.

 

[bilby]

Several POTUS have complained that 4 years is not enough to get things done.

Good. The last thing you need is a POTUS who does anything. As we now observe.

 

[Politesse]

Oprah Winfrey, ... "like Trump but on the Left"

I don't watch Oprah.
Years ago, a decade or more, I saw a vid of Oprah interviewing an atheist. And she was clueless and rude. I don't remember the guest.
I came away thinking 'Operah's a christian cunt'.
I have just searched for the vid and couldn't find it or any clip of her having atheists on her show.
Can anyone point me to such a vid?

In case there is unclarity, I would like to clarify that in my estimation, comparing anyone Trump is not meant as a compliment. Running Oprah for president would be a terrible, terrible idea, and we are fortunate that the woman herself has thus far refused the coronation.

 

[unapologetic]

did you really think I was serious?? I even typed " this silly idea"...

I'm a comix and sci-fi fan. I seriously discuss silly ideas all the time.

 

[Elixir]

I seriously discuss silly ideas all the time.

I do the opposite most of the time. Making light of serious ideas often renders them less weighty. I would think discussing silly ideas seriously would make them more weighty. My elder sibling does same as I do. He’s not heavy, he’s my brother.

 

[unapologetic]

Making light of serious ideas often renders them less weighty.

Yeah but my wisecracks fail too often.
If I try to be silly in silly toptcs, and fail, I sound stupid. (I don't want that)
If I'm serious in silly topics and fail. I sound silly, I win.

 

[TV and credit cards]

How about a presidential lottery? Every two months there's a drawing, from persons with no criminal record, or something minimal. The 'winner' is POTUS for two months. Every two months, new POTUS. I may have stolen this silly idea from some novelist..?

Like bilby said (I think), no sane person would want that job. Or was it, no competent person.

Well I seen the "silly idea" thing but I'm gonna respond as if I didn't.

I always thought people who became politicians were people who took an aptitude test and found they were good for nothing.
I think we should have a presidential draft. That the job is assigned to one who is determined to be a most highly qualified candidate. Now, of course they will not want the job but they will accept it as their duty to their country because it is part of their character to do so. They will spend four years in the job and perform admirably at which time they may or may not be offered but not obligated to a second term.
See, I think we're past this one person one vote shit. We've seen what happens when we allow this and it isn't good. People do vote for poise and personality. It is the collective stupid of a nation that destroys nations. Technologologically I think we are quickly moving past people voting. AI's not going to wipe us out. It doesn't have to. It's just going to sit back watch us do ourselves in.
I asked ChatGPT "If it had to pick the next president, who would it pick"? It waffled and whiffed, made it all about me and what I wanted. AI is shit. Actually, that's the kind of answer I would expect from a politician or a sales associate, getting me to think it's all about me. Maybe ChatGPT thinks it should be the next president. It could do no worse. What if ChatGPT ran against Grok?

 

[Elixir]

How about a presidential lottery? Every two months there's a drawing, from persons with no criminal record, or something minimal. The 'winner' is POTUS for two months. Every two months, new POTUS. I may have stolen this silly idea from some novelist..?

Like bilby said (I think), no sane person would want that job. Or was it, no competent person.

An old friend (who happens to be ridiculously wealthy) once suggested to me that there should be a "switch wallets" mandate in place;
Every x number of years everyone gets randomly assigned to someone else's "estate". It would eliminate the vast accumulation of wealth (why bother if someone else is gong to spend all "your" money), and provide hope for the hopeless while creating gestalt of productivity equaling prosperity. The only material security available would be in having useful skills.
An interesting thought experiment...

FWIW, the person who suggested it seems ridiculously driven to me. His father was an inventor of things that are used everyday in mechanical engineering; his office walls were covered in patents (the three pronged self centering chuck among them) and I think my friend is still guilt-ridden to the point where he became a workaholic type - a subconscious effort to justify the vast wealth he inherited IMO.

 

[Jason Harvestdancer]

The next year will determine if Newsom remains the top Democratic contender. The economic news I'm seeing out of California is concerning.

Well, California remains one of the best economies in the US, one of the best in the world. The fourth highest economy in the world. Are there specific policy decisions that Newsome has made that negatively affected the economy?

They are having issues with fuel at this time that have major implications, both immediate and long term.