2024 Election

No particular thoughts - I’ve already lived through a term of him being president. It’s not an unknown.

I’m really not sure what point you’re trying to make here. I think you’re making a point about Trump, but to be clear, I’m not making a case for either side and not sure how the immunity ruling is relevant to what I said. I’m saying, I don’t think there’s any way Joe Biden is on the ballot for the Democratic Party 

I’m trying to gauge the extent to which it matters who the other candidate is in the context of the alternative being a convicted felon and insurrectionist running the country with absolute immunity

Eh, I think it’s pretty timely in the sense that the question now becomes: “Which of these guys would you rather run the country with absolute immunity?” 

There is no "absolute immunity." You can still be charged with crimes that are not within your direct constitutional authority. For example, you can't be charged with murder for killing combatants overseas because you are commander-in-chief and that is a direct authority delegated to you by the Constitution. You can be charged with murder if you shoot the White House chef dead because that's not part of a delegated Constitutional authority. If there is a gray area, e.g., discussing with your attorney general your scheme to insider trade, then the courts will have an evidentiary hearing to determine what is and isn't an act in which a president enjoys immunity.  

It's bizarre that you were diligent enough and smart enough to acquire a private equity job but aren't diligent enough to do your homework on what the Supreme Court actually ruled.

Curious where you’d land with this hypothetical: Biden replaces one of the liberal SC justices with Kamala (former prosecutor), replaces Kamala with a new VP (Buttigieg, Shapiro, Newsom, whoever), and then announces a very clear succession plan starting at the beginning of the second term. 

I am fine with it as long as Donald Trump is running against him. Neither of these guys are running the country as much as the people surrounding them are. Biden has worked in politics for years and proven to be a decent man. Yes, he is very old and will probably croak in the presidency but I’d rather deal with that than four more years of Trumps antics. Furthermore, the people around Trump genuinely scare me (e.g., Project 2025) and I don’t trust them in office.

You’re just repeating mainstream right-wing talking points that truly only vaguely apply to the very far left faction of the party (eg passionately stupid Pro-Palestine protesters) that hold minimal power and of which Biden has very little in common with ideologically. The frightening thing about the Republican Party is it has actually been taken over by its own radicals, who are just as dumb but about 10x more angry and dangerous. 

Biden is the president right now. did he increase taxes? did he increase dependency on the government? did he increase the role of government? did he censor anyone? none of that happened and none of that will happen - Biden is a centrist. he didn't even do anything about making healthcare more accessible.

on the other hand, look up what conservatives want to do - Project 2025. they want to give more power to the government, employ people for skill-based roles in public sector based on their loyalty to Trump rather than their knowledge and abilities. that's authoritarianism and censorship.

P.S. I am a registered republican because I believe in small government and freedom of people, but current Trump's campaign is the opposite of that. while Biden on the other hand just keeps things as they are, which is good enough for me.

As is typical, Doctor, you are presenting fringe or far left point of views and trying to frame them as mainstream Democratic opinions. As is typical, this does not reflect reality. Let's break it down point by point, starting with one I actually agree with you on. 

1. Yes, Democrats want to increase taxes on high earners and corporations. This should not be a surprise. The main proposed increases include an increase on the corporate income tax rate from 21 percent to 28 percent, an increase on marginal income above $400,000 for single filers and $450,000 for joint filers, and a tax on long-term capital gains and qualified dividends at ordinary income tax rates for taxable income above $1 million and tax unrealized capital gains at death above a $5 million exemption ($10 million for joint filers). Of these, the corporate tax increase would be harmful because it would make the US an outlier in the OECD. Currently, we're right in the middle of the pack. The tax on unrealized capital gains is just stupid. The tax increase on marginal income above $400k is perfectly legitimate IMO. I imagine you and most disagree. That's fine. 
2. Universal basic income is neither a part of the Democratic platform nor a mainstream Democratic idea. It isn't even an idea unique to the left - it spans the political aisle. When it has been tested in small scale scenarios, the results are inconclusive. This is just something you don't like so you attribute it to "the left." 
3. "Reducing people to their skin color" is a criticism of left wing activists and race-obsessed people on twitter and not reflective of either the Democratic platform or people in real life. This is where your mask starts to slip. 
4. "Increasing government's takeover of the private sector" is inaccurate and nonsensical. Regulations are not government takeover. Regulations are not "communism." Universal healthcare is not a Democratic platform, especially under Joe Biden of all people. This is where you have completely lost touch with reality. It's common in your posts where you start with something reasonable and agreeable and then slip in rambling nonsense later. 
5. The government does not censor free speech. Again, completely detached. 
6. "Take authoritarianism to the max" is classic accusing your enemies of something you are doing. Republicans are banning books. Republicans are mandating the ten commandments in school. Republicans are dismantling decades of legal precedence. The Republican candidate for president said he would be a "dictator on day 1." The Republican author of Project 2025 just said that the country is in the midst of a “second American Revolution” that will be bloodless “if the left allows it to be.” Come the fuck on. 
7. "Defund the police" was a twitter activist line from years ago that was thoroughly rejected by the Democratic party. Again, nowhere near the actual mainstream. 
8. Transexual people exist, whether or not you like it. That said, yet again, no one is "telling young boys to take puberty blockers the moment they think they are a girl." Almost everyone in the medical community and "on the left" believe in waiting to transition until later in life. 
9. The electoral college has been flawed since the beginning. Funny you bring up the supreme court though, given the right wing activist approach over the last few years, overturning decades of established precedent on a whim. But sure, it's the Democrats that have no hesitation of turning things upside down...
10. People who disagree with you aren't "mentally under-developed." You go by the name of "Doctor Ram A Dick In My Ass" for Christ's sake...
11. January 6th was an attempt by an angry mob, egged on by Donald Trump, to prevent the orderly transfer of power. It isn't being a "drama queen" to point that out. It is being intentionally dishonest to frame people who object to angry mobs as "drama queens." 

Do better. 

how do you feel about Project 2025?

thebrofessor

I hope this doesn't come across as snark, it's not my intent. I'm no fan of either, but I hear this sentiment a lot (from family, clients, friends, etc.) and I'm genuinely curious. since the USA didn't implode during his first term, what specifically makes you think a potential 2nd term will be the biggest thread to america ever?

Roe v Wade being overturned, despite the “it’ll never happen” was enough for me to say to myself.. yeah this is scary and I don’t want to find out what happens next 

If republicans left abortion and social issues alone, this would be a no brainer FJB vote for me 

bingo

thebrofessor

I hope this doesn't come across as snark, it's not my intent. I'm no fan of either, but I hear this sentiment a lot (from family, clients, friends, etc.) and I'm genuinely curious. since the USA didn't implode during his first term, what specifically makes you think a potential 2nd term will be the biggest thread to america ever?

I have no idea if a Trump second term would be the biggest threat to America ever, but it would fundamentally change aspects of America. 

You can read about "Project 2025" here via the Project 2025 website: https://www.project2025.org/ 

In short, Project 2025 recommends abolishing the Department of Education whose programs would be either transferred to other agencies, or terminated, ending funding for climate change research, reforming the National Institutes of Health "along conservative principles" (instead of, you know, science...), banning abortion, "infusing the government with elements of Christianity" including a criminalizing pornography and removing legal protections against sexual orientation based discrimination, and setting up detention centers to deport "20 million immigrants." A major component of this is removing non-political experts in various government agencies, that serve the government regardless of who is in leadership, with political appointees whose only qualification is loyalty to Trump. 

One of the authors of this plan just said that the country is in the midst of a “second American Revolution” that will be bloodless “if the left allows it to be.” The project's director, said that Project 2025 is "systematically preparing to march into office and bring a new army, of aligned, trained, and essentially weaponized conservatives ready to do battle against the deep state." 

Republicans see this plan as a fundamental change in American government. I think it is smart to take them at their word. 

They live in a world where all of their references and morals come from TV and movies like Game of Thrones and Star Wars. These people are completely unserious.

Dr. Rahma Dikhinmahas

“The Capitol get attacked” you guys are such drama queens 

Quotes/paraphrase from the radical left winger Mike Pence:

NEW YORK (AP) — Former Vice President Mike Pence blames Donald Trump for endangering his family “and all those serving at the Capitol” on Jan. 6 in a new memoir released Tuesday.

In “So Help Me God,” Pence recounts, for the first time in his own words, the Republican former president’s extraordinary effort to push him to overturn the results of the 2020 election and shares his account of the day thousands of rioters stormed the Capitol, with some chanting “Hang Mike Pence.”

“They had come to protest the result of the election and to prevent Congress from fulfilling its responsibility to open and count the Electoral College votes,” Pence writes. “And, as I later learned, many had come looking for me.”

Dr. Rahma Dikhinmahas

“The Capitol get attacked” you guys are such drama queens 

An angry mob stormed the Capitol to prevent the certification of an election. They specifically said that they wanted to assassinate political leaders (including Mike Pence, oddly enough.) 

Don't act like a moron. You aren't one. 

Kevin25

"Capitol attack" didn't lead to anything. people just walked around with American flags, broke a few windows and that's it.

what you should actually be worried about is Project 2025, which is a plan to make America authoritarian if Trump wins. that's the real problem that can have devastating consequences.

It was not a peaceful protest. It was a terrorist attack led by people broke into the Capitol with weapons in an effort to stop an election with support from the POTUS.  People died and hundreds of police officers were injured.  

PrivateTechquity 🚀GME🚀

Average IQ of a NYMetsFan resembles the AC setting. Literally none of that happened but you go on believing it if it helps you sleep lol

People aren't dumb because they have a different worldview than you. This is your go-to insult, but it's childish. 

Make fun of him for rooting for the Mets. It's right there in the name. 

Lmao your roasts have me falling out of my chair

Interesting I have some reading to do. But bc I'm guessing you already have some thoughts around this, how do you see the US moving beyond a two-sided highly polarized system? Or are we all just F'd?

CRE

PrivateTechquity 🚀GME🚀

Nice to see a majority of sensible people who actually bother paying attention. You even don't have to like Trump to see he's unequivocally the current best option.

Ah yes. You are only sensible or pay attention if you agree with your incredibly specific point of view. People can’t possibly arrive at different opinions. Totally normal, level headed take. 

Ah yes. Totally not gaslighting, I can see you're arguing in good faith 🙄 

Didn't say other people can't arrive at and have a different opinion. I can still have the perspective that those opinions are wrong, dumb, and that their process for getting to them is poorly reasoned/illogical. Have yet to see you or any of the TDS lefties provide thoughtful out arguments for why the half brain-dead geriatric waging war via lawfare on his rivals and who's caused more damage in his 4 years than his prior admin did in 8 between new wars and inflation is the smart choice vs the guy who had an economic boom, higher real wages across every demographic, less illegal immigration, and no foreign wars.

You'll instead just focus on the multitude of BS cases from evidenceless sexual assault claims cooked up specifically by NY legislators and a DA with a personal vendetta to the inflated self-reporting of housing values that caused a grand total of $0 in damages, just so you can dismiss the actual policy issues people give a crap about. You'll pretend Trump's some uniquely evil corrupt individual but blatantly ignore the tens of millions Biden's family has made through clearly questionable means exclusively due to his station in the prior Obama admin. You'll pretend for 4 years that this goober hasn't been as broken in the head as he was during that last debate since 2020 and it all happened all of a sudden. Y'all are delulu.

Despite his flaws, this is the one thing RFK can be trusted on -- tearing apart the military industrial complex / security agencies and reassembling them into something that serves the people vs. being captured by the complex