The Biden Presidency - 2020

[RainMaker]

Let Herschel Walker run.

[PilotMan]

This is rather shocking

https://twitter.com/ArmandDoma/statu...564147200?s=20

[Ghost Econ]

And people laughed at Shia Lebouf in Eagle Eye.

[albionmoonlight]

Biden should veto the debt ceiling bill and launch into the Roddy Piper "Just when you think you have the answers, I start changing the questions!" promo.

[Brian Swartz]

I would for real not even joking just cancel the debates. They're nearly irrelevant and have been for a whiole.

Oh, we're still over-reacting to Biden tripping? Ok.

[NobodyHere]

Originally Posted by cuervo72

Good luck trying to shove Christie to the ground.

I think the secret is that you have to hit him in the stomach.

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by thesloppy

Presidential combine

Pretty sure that's the next step towards President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Camacho.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by Brian Swartz

I would for real not even joking just cancel the debates. They're nearly irrelevant and have been for a whiole.

I want to see the Democratic & GOP series of debates (after it's been weaned down some). I want to hear from the "others".

I do agree that if it comes down to Biden & Trump, the Presidential debates are close to meaningless as everyone clearly understands both candidate's positions and pros/cons.

But if it came down to a Biden & DeSantis, sure I want to hear them debate. If it was a Dimon & DeSantis, absolutely I want to hear them debate etc.

[Lathum]

Debates are pointless. If you're basing your vote on a debate just stay home.

All they are is candidates giving an answer to a completely different question because they want to wedge in their agenda. Now with trump they have become WWE level.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by NobodyHere

I think the secret is that you have to hit him in the stomach.

Wrong.

Move around and get him to the ground. The Hackney method from the glory days of no weight limit MMA.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=355436859605558

[Brian Swartz]

Originally Posted by Edward64

But if it came down to a Biden & DeSantis, sure I want to hear them debate. If it was a Dimon & DeSantis, absolutely I want to hear them debate etc.

Serious question: why? What does a debate tell you about their ability to do the job of being President that you don't learn from how they handle the eleventy bazillion other public appearances they make, their public statements, how they run their campaign, how they conduct themselves at their convention, etc.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by Brian Swartz

Serious question: why? What does a debate tell you about their ability to do the job of being President that you don't learn from how they handle the eleventy bazillion other public appearances they make, their public statements, how they run their campaign, how they conduct themselves at their convention, etc.

I think many here think debates are meaningless because they (1) believe they are well informed and (2) made up their minds already. That may be the case, but there are still many first-time voters & independents.

Would I vote for Trump vs Biden? No ... but if Biden is clearly confused and performs poorly, that may change my decision (see Admiral Stockdale or somewhat relevant comparison Diane Feinstein).

See below for some reasons to continue debates.

Opinion: Why America needs presidential debates now more than ever | CNN

First, the objection that debates don’t influence the election outcome because they don’t change voters’ minds. In close elections such as 2000 and 2016, where narrow margins in one or a few key states determined the outcome, debates could make the difference. Exit polling from 2016, for example, showed that 21% of voters said Supreme Court appointments were “the most important factor” in their choice – the topic for the first 15 minutes of the third debate – with 56% of those respondents having voted for Trump.

In our view, they were among Trump’s most effective 15 minutes of the entire campaign. He reminded wavering Republicans after the uproar over his lewd comments in the “Access Hollywood” tape why they wanted a Republican in the White House.

Our research with pre- and post-debate surveys consistently shows that debates influence undecided and wavering viewers. It’s true that many voters use debates to confirm their vote choice, not to change it. However, in this election year, where the undecided group is small but millions of young Americans are eligible to vote for the first time, the debates could be crucial shaping new voters’ choices and deciding the outcome.

Then there’s the argument that debates are not substantive and present no new information.
:
Many studies reveal that viewers gain important information from debates. Our reviews of hundreds of focus group transcripts since 1992 shows that every group had members who say they learned something new. Knowledge gained from debates by first-time and leaning, but not committed, voters increases confidence in their choice and may even influence their decision to go to the polls at all.

Town hall viewers also found this event more engaging and reported heightened political interest and decreased political cynicism following their exposure to a town hall exchange.

And ends with what I agree with. There are disastrous debates, but fix it vs eliminating them.

Rather than scrapping time-honored debates – either primary or general – why not continue to improve them?

[GrantDawg]

Debates definitely move polls. It is really the only time most people even pay attention to many politicians. It has also shown how some candidates deal with pressure, even as low pressure as they are set up. There have been stars that have come out of debates, and favorites who have completely tanked because of debates.
Debate formats can be improved for sure, but removing is a bad idea.

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[JPhillips]

Debate questions should be made public a week before the debate. Coming up with answers as quickly as possible isn't really a part of the job.

[Vegas Vic]

Originally Posted by Lathum

He tripped over a poorly placed sandbag, so of course the ghouls are pivoting to claiming he's blind..

I guess the question that hasn't yet been answered is why the fuck was a sandbag on the stage next to the podium?

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by Vegas Vic

I guess the question that hasn't yet been answered is why the fuck was a sandbag on the stage next to the podium?

My assumption is perhaps it was windy, they were in Colorado I believe, and it was holding something down such as a wire of cord.

the whole thing is so stupid. Anyone who ha children has done something similar 100 times over.

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by Lathum

My assumption is perhaps it was windy, they were in Colorado I believe, and it was holding something down such as a wire of cord.

the whole thing is so stupid. Anyone who ha children has done something similar 100 times over.

You clearly haven't seen leftist conspiracy theory twitter speculating that a secret service agent secretly loyal to Trump put it there to make Biden trip.

[albionmoonlight]

to be clear, I find leftist conspiracy twitter as silly as MAGA conspiracy twitter

[flere-imsaho]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

Pretty sure that's the next step towards President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Camacho.

President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Camacho, when presented evidence of his policies empirically not working, went and changed his policies, making him, which sets him apart from every GOP President since (and maybe including) Eisenhower.

[JPhillips]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

You clearly haven't seen leftist conspiracy theory twitter speculating that a secret service agent secretly loyal to Trump put it there to make Biden trip.

Having done a lot of that kind of work it was either a union guy that was too lazy/didn't have time or it was someone from the Air Force Academy thinking they were helping but causing problems instead.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

Debate questions should be made public a week before the debate. Coming up with answers as quickly as possible isn't really a part of the job.

Large part of being a president is communication. Presidents constantly are not just giving speeches but answering questions from the press and the public. Many times those questions aren't given to them a week in advance, and how they answer them can have huge political, financial and diplomatic consequences. So, they absolutely should have to answer questions they aren't given ahead of time.

[PilotMan]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

to be clear, I find leftist conspiracy twitter as silly as MAGA conspiracy twitter

They have a lot more in common than not.

[JPhillips]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

Large part of being a president is communication. Presidents constantly are not just giving speeches but answering questions from the press and the public. Many times those questions aren't given to them a week in advance, and how they answer them can have huge political, financial and diplomatic consequences. So, they absolutely should have to answer questions they aren't given ahead of time.

But Presidents flub those all the time and the staff "clarifies." I don't really care what's the first thing they say, I care about what they and their team are going to do. The gotcha debate format obscures rather than illuminates.

[GrantDawg]

I disagree. If you can't handle the softballs in a debate format, you are a poor for the job.

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[thesloppy]

I guess I could see the parallels between talking to other world leaders, but otherwise I share the opinion that the debates are useless. The last thing I want is the President doing is making crucial decisions, absolutely alone, in real-time. I have always felt like the best debate answer would be repeating: "My job is president is to collect the best experts for each position and rely heavily on their experienced advice before making the most informed decision I can, and that is what I would do in this case." Rinse, repeat for every single question.

The debates should be a 15-minute infomercial for each side, describing exactly what particular policies will be the cornerstones of their campaign, and which particular people will be the cornerstones of their cabinet.

[Vegas Vic]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

to be clear, I find leftist conspiracy twitter as silly as MAGA conspiracy twitter

The whole thing is being blow out of proportion. With that being said, this one certainly didn't age very well.

Flashback to Biden mocking Trump at West Point: "Look at how he steps and look at how I step. Watch how I run up ramps and he stumbles down ramps. Come on."

pic.twitter.com/KQFO5qfaPB

— 1776 (@TheWakeninq) June 1, 2023

[Brian Swartz]

Originally Posted by Edward64

I think many here think debates are meaningless because they (1) believe they are well informed and (2) made up their minds already. That may be the case, but there are still many first-time voters & independents.

That's not why I think they are meaningless.

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

Debates definitely move polls.

I would respectfully challenge this assertion. I can't think a of a single debate in the last several cycles that even moved polls enough to be close to the margin of error in impact.

In close elections such as 2000 and 2016, where narrow margins in one or a few key states determined the outcome, debates could make the difference. Exit polling from 2016, for example, showed that 21% of voters said Supreme Court appointments were “the most important factor” in their choice – the topic for the first 15 minutes of the third debate – with 56% of those respondents having voted for Trump.

In our view, they were among Trump’s most effective 15 minutes of the entire campaign.

This is a terrible argument. One, nothing connects SCOTUS appointments, which are always an important issue, to what Trump said in the debate. The only evidence we have that this was a result of the debate is that the authors says so. Secondly anything can change the result of a close election. Bad or good weather in key districts. Reactions to unrelated events in the news cycle. A minor slip by a candidate in the weeks leading up to it. If it's that close, you're practically flipping a coin.

The article claims that they have impact, but cites not a single verifiable fact which supports that claim.

Originally Posted by Edward64

There are disastrous debates, but fix it vs eliminating them.

Fix it how? The problem isn't with debates themselves as a thing, but with two other factors. One is the electorate. People determining their vote primarily by the letter in front of the candidates name, followed by a much greater interest in 'gotcha' soundbites, taking what people say out of context, and general distortion/sensationalism/demagoguery as compared to rational discussion of issues is the problem. That's not fixable by anything other than a societal change. I.e. the reason that the Trump-Biden debates were a disaster is primarily because a significant amount of people not only tolerated but desired Trump's behavior. Interrupting opponents in debates, softball questions, etc. have escalated over recent decades by candidates in general.

If voters punished candidates who act like complete asshats at a serious event, then yes debates could matter in that sense. They don't.

The other reason is the point that JPhillips made. I agree with GrantDawg that communication is a key part of a President's job, but we have tons of info on what they do on that front prior to the debate. It's not like they don't make speeches, interact with the press, have a track record or lack thereof to examine, etc. We have very long campaigns and by the time the debates show up in the general we know plenty about the candidates.

[bronconick]

Until (If?) this country becomes less partisan over everything, debates are a waste of time and money. Right now, elections are almost entirely about turnout.

[Flasch186]

I totally agree with BS

It’s simply car crash style of entertainment if you want to call it that

No one is held to account for the things they say and then double back on after getting into office so the words are less than meaningless. They’re just sales and marketing and worth less.


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[NobodyHere]

It looks like they don't exactly hire the "best" for secret service detail

Secret Service agents didn't see an intruder get into a Biden official's home because they were distracted on their cellphones

[Thomkal]

oh boy I hope they were removed from that detail.

[Edward64]

Congrats Joe.

Kevin, you proved the naysayers wrong this time. Frak the Freedom caucus. All you need is to compromise enough with Democrats, and they will be enough to help you override the crazies (include the recall threat).

But for now, back to regularly scheduled programming on inflation & recession worries.

The White House Twitter account tweeted this image on June 3, 2023, saying, "Today, President Biden signed the bipartisan budget agreement into law -- avoiding a first-ever default while protecting key investments in the American people."

[Edward64]

Tragic situation but good to know the Air Force/NORAD was on the ball.

Wonder what happened to the pilot, sounds like cabin depressurization/oxygen ala Payne Stewart.

Residents in the Gambrills area told 11 News the sound sounded like an explosion, thunder or an earthquake.

"Our Ring notifications were going crazy with so many different options. Was it the Navy? Or was it a sonic boom? Or was it an earthquake?" said Sandy Abuarja, of Gambrills.

"I heard a plane overhead, so I thought maybe it was a jet and it crossed the sound barrier, but I've heard that before and it also seemed a little too loud," said River Grannis, who was visiting the Gambrills area.

Shortly after 3 p.m., there were multiple calls to 911, and 11 News received multiple inquiries.

Early on, the city of Annapolis Office of Emergency Management said the loud "boom" was caused by an authorized Department of Defense flight, which caused a sonic boom. The city of Bowie tweeted it confirmed the loud boom was a sonic boom from a plane out of Joint Base Andrews.

NORAD sent a statement to 11 News, saying F-16 fighter aircraft responded in coordination with the FAA to an unresponsive Cessna 560 Citation V aircraft over Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia.

[albionmoonlight]

Chinese Warship Cut Off U.S. Destroyer

I know very little about the norms of international relations.

Is this normal sabre rattling by China? Or is this a more pointed fuck you than normal?

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

Chinese Warship Cut Off U.S. Destroyer

I know very little about the norms of international relations.

Is this normal sabre rattling by China? Or is this a more pointed fuck you than normal?

I just heard an interview with former NATO commander James Stavritis. HE came across as it being a more pointed FU. Said it was an incredibly dangerous maneuver and had the ships collided both could have sunk. Said the order likely come from pretty high up.

[Edward64]

I think both. I read stories of US & Soviet/Russian subs playing games with each other. There's been collisions.

I think it's inevitable these naval & air incidents continue for the foreseeable future as both are positioning in APAC. It's the bully asserting itself and the once-former/less of a bully helping out the nerds scenario.

[Atocep]

Republicans Urge Immigrants to Stay in Florida, Fearing New Law's Impact

Other than the obvious panic because people aren't showing up to work and are moving out of the state, I dont understand the messaging here. Is "we were just trying to scare you a bit" supposed to make people feel more comfortable?

This reeks of the find out part of fuck around and find out.

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by Atocep

Republicans Urge Immigrants to Stay in Florida, Fearing New Law's Impact

Other than the obvious panic because people aren't showing up to work and are moving out of the state, I sent understand the messaging here. Is "we were just trying to scare you a bit" supposed to make people feel more comfortable?

This reeks of the find out part of fuck around and find out.

It seems like a new system that significantly increases legal immigration while more strongly enforcing rules barring illegal immigration would be a win/win that a majority of people would support.

But I just don't see the pro-immigration and the anti-immigration sides trusting each other enough to actually get a deal through.

[JPhillips]

Since Bush2 there's been room for an immigration deal, but the far right has made it impossible to get it through Congress. The short time Obama had 60 Senate votes was taken up by the ACA. Most of the past twenty years there's been a majority in favor of this type of bill, but like so much, majority will doesn't matter.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

It seems like a new system that significantly increases legal immigration while more strongly enforcing rules barring illegal immigration would be a win/win that a majority of people would support.

But I just don't see the pro-immigration and the anti-immigration sides trusting each other enough to actually get a deal through.

I have seen the pro-immigration side willing to make a deal like that multiple times. In the end there is a segment of the anti-immigration that just wasn't zero POC entering the country.

[albionmoonlight]

As expected, the MAGA caucus members, having vented about McCarthy, are now taking the smart approach and backing down and saying it's time to look forward, etc. etc. etc.

At the end of the day, the Biden/McCarthy negotiation ended up being . . . pretty normal. The extremes of both sides weren't happy (at least not in public), but it pretty much met in the middle and let everyone come out claiming a win.

I think that it has just been so long since we've seen normal legislating that we all kind of forgot what it looked like.

[Ksyrup]

McCarthy is holding back on agreeing with the Senate for more Ukraine money which I'm guessing is part of the internal negotiation.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

I think that it has just been so long since we've seen normal legislating that we all kind of forgot what it looked like.

It's definitely been a while.

[Edward64]

I'm not sure what the answer is. Merck has a right to recoup their investments, and US certainly do not want to de-incentivize pharmas on new research.

Below reports that non-generic versions are being targeted. Patents are good for 20 years but there are ways that pharma's extend their patents.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/06/06/merc...otiations.html

Merck has sued the Department of Health and Human Services over Medicare’s new powers to reduce drug prices under the Inflation Reduction Act.

The suit in federal court in Washington, D.C., is the opening salvo in the pharmaceutical industry’s efforts to weaken the program.
:
Under the Inflation Reduction Act, HHS will select 10 drugs to be drawn into a first round of price negotiations. Those drugs will be some that Medicare Part D spends the most money on and that have no generic competition.

I agree with below. The US is subsidizing pharma profits where they could instead charge more globally.

Bill Sweeney, the AARP’s chief lobbyist, accused the pharmaceutical industry of fighting to “pad their profits” while Americans face the highest drug prices in the world.

“Seniors and taxpayers are tired of being the piggy bank for the profits of big drug companies,” Sweeney said in a statement Tuesday. “Lawsuits like this are simply an attempt to keep high profits by gouging America’s seniors.”

I break it down into (1) payer (2) provider and (3) pharma & other medical products. Good step in addressing pharma. Need to also work on payers & providers.

[Lathum]

Not sure where to put this. Chris Licht out at cnn. What a disaster.

[GrantDawg]

Next up at CNN, Kendall Roy.

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[Lathum]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

Next up at CNN, Kendall Roy.

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haha

We just started watching this show. About 6 episodes in so far.

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

Next up at CNN, Kendall Roy.

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We're thinking... uhh... it's like... uhh... Masterclass meets mid-80s MTV meets Max Headroom... it's gonna be...like... off the hook, right?

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by Lathum

haha

We just started watching this show. About 6 episodes in so far.

I'm so jealous. I would love to watch it again for the first time.

[Lathum]

It’s really good. Usually I multi task while we watch shows. Play a text sim or poker. I find myself really engaged though. We have an outdoor tv and watch while the kids are swimming. Should probably be careful.