Democratic primary watch

[Indy]

Trump says he is proud to shut down the government. Democrats take control over the house and vote to open the government. The Republican Senate refuses to take it up and go right to blaming Democrats for the shutdown.

And the House passed a budget before the new congress came into session, but the Senate refused to vote on it. So it isn't just the new congress.

[Mori Chu]

Mitch McConnell says he won't call for a vote on the budget (even though the Senate voted literally 100-0 to approve that same budget before Trump changed his mind and started demanding wall money). McConnell says he won't vote on it because he can't pass it anyway due to Presidential veto. But they could just override the veto, which requires a 2/3 vote, which is notably less than 100-0.

[Indy]

Mitch McConnell says he won't call for a vote on the budget (even though the Senate voted literally 100-0 to approve that same budget before Trump changed his mind and started demanding wall money). McConnell says he won't vote on it because he can't pass it anyway due to Presidential veto. But they could just override the veto, which requires a 2/3 vote, which is notably less than 100-0.

Don't they need both the house and the senate at 2/3rds to pass? And that 100-0 was before trump said no. Many in the senate just do what he says, so I doubt they can get to 2/3rds without his support. Even more so in the house.

[Nodack]

I have done a few wedding gigs there close to the border recently but didn’t have any border conversations with anybody.

Trump today is now saying when he said Mexico would pay for the wall he didn’t mean Mexico would write him a check, whatever that means. I guess that means when he said Mexico would pay for the wall he didn’t mean Mexico would actually pay for the wall. It must have been a figure of speech that really means America will pay for it.

Mitch would have to publicly go against Trump and I don’t think he is willing to do anything Trump doesn’t approve. He would become Trumps new Twitter enemy.

[Mori Chu]

Two Dem candidates announce runs for President. I find both of them uninteresting because I think they both have absolutely no chance to win. Julian Castro and Tulsi Gabbard.

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/01/ ... ts-1098636
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/pol ... 553413002/

[Flagrant Fowl]

Anyone else think AOC has a chance to be POTUS someday? 2028 is really the soonest she can run, but I think she has the voice of the millennial generation.

[Nodack]

Hard to say. She comes in guns blazing as a freshman making waves and making enemies. The only thing I know about her is that she likes to dance, is a Socialist and enjoys rocking the boat, even in her own party. Kind of like a cocky draft pick that hasn’t proven anything yet trash talking everybody. Do they walk the walk or just talk the talk.

[Mori Chu]

Anyone else think AOC has a chance to be POTUS someday? 2028 is really the soonest she can run, but I think she has the voice of the millennial generation.

She's a rising star for dems/lefties right now. But 2028 is a long time from now, and a lot can change in politics in 8 years. AOC does have a tendency to make various gaffes and put her foot in her mouth. She might not be as popular by the time 2028 rolls around. We shall see. In the meantime, her willingness to openly talk about liberal ideas without shame and without moderating them is refreshing.

[ShelC]

I like AOC because she's triggering everyone and questioning the status quo. That's scary to the career pols who want her to sit in the back with her mouth shut and "learn the way things are done".

[Indy]

I like AOC because she's triggering everyone and questioning the status quo. That's scary to the career pols who want her to sit in the back with her mouth shut and "learn the way things are done".

I love that both established republicans and democrats hate her.

[In2ition]

I certainly am keeping my eye on AOC as she seems to get a lot of press with her brashness, but I haven't been particularly impressed with her ideas.

[Nodack]

People are tired of the status quo. That’s how Trump came to power. Improving things is what matters, not just making waves for the sake of making waves.

[In2ition]

I'm not a fan of career politicians. I don't like it that it seems many of them are bought and paid for by the lobbyists.

[Mori Chu]

I certainly am keeping my eye on AOC as she seems to get a lot of press with her brashness, but I haven't been particularly impressed with her ideas.

What are some of her ideas that you dislike? Do you oppose her idea to marginally tax the richest Americans at a much higher rate such as 70%? Do you oppose her environmental policies such as a "Green New Deal"?

[In2ition]

I certainly am keeping my eye on AOC as she seems to get a lot of press with her brashness, but I haven't been particularly impressed with her ideas.

What are some of her ideas that you dislike? Do you oppose her idea to marginally tax the richest Americans at a much higher rate such as 70%? Do you oppose her environmental policies such as a "Green New Deal"?

Are you saying those are good ideas?

[Mori Chu]

What are some of her ideas that you dislike? Do you oppose her idea to marginally tax the richest Americans at a much higher rate such as 70%? Do you oppose her environmental policies such as a "Green New Deal"?

Are you saying those are good ideas?

Yes. I deeply desire heavily taxing the marginal earnings of the rich (80-90% at the highest rates). And I favor radical action to address climate change since it threatens the extinction of our species. But what about you?

[In2ition]

What are some of her ideas that you dislike? Do you oppose her idea to marginally tax the richest Americans at a much higher rate such as 70%? Do you oppose her environmental policies such as a "Green New Deal"?

Are you saying those are good ideas?

Yes. I deeply desire heavily taxing the marginal earnings of the rich (80-90% at the highest rates). And I favor radical action to address climate change since it threatens the extinction of our species. But what about you?

70% is crazytown, let alone 80-90%. And what do you consider rich? Over 100K? 200K? 100 Mil? 100 bil? I'm just not in favor of holding a gun to the head of someone else to take their money at a much higher rate and claim you are creating a better world. I'm just not sold on this idea.

As far as radical action to address climate change, do you really think that the US is going to be able to control this around the world? Or do you think that the US should be the Earth's cleaners? What do you do to fix volcano eruptions or wildfires which contribute an amazing amount of carbon?
It probably will take radical action, but even batteries and the creation of solar panels create their own type of harm to the environment, from what I've heard. I certainly don't have the answers nor am I saying that we shouldn't be pursuing eventual solutions to these problems, but to claim you know exactly what is going to happen or how to fix it, seems odd to me. Count me as an global warming agnostic, and not a religious zealot yet. Creating a utopia on Earth is about as realistic as the Suns making the playoffs and winning the title this year, imo.

[Mori Chu]

What are some of her ideas that you dislike? Do you oppose her idea to marginally tax the richest Americans at a much higher rate such as 70%? Do you oppose her environmental policies such as a "Green New Deal"?

Are you saying those are good ideas?

Yes. I deeply desire heavily taxing the marginal earnings of the rich (80-90% at the highest rates). And I favor radical action to address climate change since it threatens the extinction of our species. But what about you?

70% is crazytown, let alone 80-90%. And what do you consider rich? Over 100K? 200K? 100 Mil? 100 bil? I'm just not in favor of holding a gun to the head of someone else to take their money at a much higher rate and claim you are creating a better world. I'm just not sold on this idea.

As far as radical action to address climate change, do you really think that the US is going to be able to control this around the world? Or do you think that the US should be the Earth's cleaners? What do you do to fix volcano eruptions or wildfires which contribute an amazing amount of carbon?
It probably will take radical action, but even batteries and the creation of solar panels create their own type of harm to the environment, from what I've heard. I certainly don't have the answers nor am I saying that we shouldn't be pursuing eventual solutions to these problems, but to claim you know exactly what is going to happen or how to fix it, seems odd to me. Count me as an global warming agnostic, and not a religious zealot yet. Creating a utopia on Earth is about as realistic as the Suns making the playoffs and winning the title this year, imo.

I am, of course, talking about marginal tax rates. I don't want to tax all of the rich guy's income at 70-90%, only the dollars above a high threshold, say $10m. I look at it this way: tax revenue has to come from somebody. Why would you prefer for it to come from the poor and middle-class? Why not have more of it come from the wealthiest Americans who can amply afford it?

As for climate change, yes, I do think the US has a huge influence in the world. If we adopt policies and rules that help the environment, that has a big impact. Look at the Paris accords and how much impact that has had; now that we're pulling out of that thanks to Trump, that sends exactly the wrong message. I favor lots and lots of action and investment in climate improvements, clean energy, etc. because we're all literally going to die if we don't do it. I can't imagine literally anything more important.

[Cap]

Where are you getting this “creating a Utopia” nonsense? Climate change mitigation isn’t about creating a Utopia, it’s about preserving the stability of the ecosystems to which our species and society have adapted over the past tens of thousands of years.

Do you sincerely believe that climate change mitigation proponents have claimed they can create a Utopia on Earth, or do you just like to put those silly words in their mouths because you think it gives you a good excuse to dismiss the entire scientific field as nonsense?

[Superbone]

Yeah, let's just let the planet go to pot. We'll survive it and maybe even our kids. What do we care?