Confessions of a Lukewarm Democrat

[Garmel]

I'm of the opinion that Trump's policies are good for businesses not necessarily wage earners regardless of the color of their collar. This may be simplistic but it feels like we're adding $ to the national debt while also adding $ to the equity markets. We're probably getting a good return on investment dollar to dollar but those equity markets aren't paying off that national debt or it would have stopped going up. I know the GOP stopped caring about the national debt on 1/20/2017 but it hasn't improved.

My boss is a good example. His wages haven't gone up much under Trump. His 401 has done very well. He judges all political decisions based on that metric.

Statistics are troubling. Seems like Trump is doing no better to me than a 2nd term Obama. Worse actually. AP FACT CHECK: Trump on wage gains

Bloomberg agrees. Is Trump's Economy Really Booming? Weak Middle Class Gains Pose 2020 Threat

Sad link re: tarrifs and trade wars: Amid Trump Tariffs, Farm Bankruptcies And Suicides Rise

Bloomberg there puts down Sentier Research, which I use. Which one is right? I tend to believe Sentier because of the rise in GDP and the stock market. Too much consumer spending as well.

 

[Garmel]

I'd vote for musberger1.

There would be real Russian collusion with him as president.

 

[Mr. Deez]

I know the GOP stopped caring about the national debt on 1/20/2017 but it hasn't improved.

They stopped caring about it long before then. They just dropped the pretense in 2017. They actually stopped caring in 2001.

 

[Garmel]

One of my great friends from high school is in the commercial real estate development business. He said that the Trump administration is a dream for his field. He claims it is sad how much this administration has made issues benefiting him and Trump one of their top priorities. He feels much more strongly about Trump than do I.

My real estate deals and rentals have done much better under Trump and I deal mostly with middle to upper middle class people. You know why? People have more money in their pockets. Bubba, does your friend realize that more money is in his customers' pockets is why he's making more?

 

[Garmel]

See, this is what I don't understand about liberals. They think that when people get rich they put all of that money in a bank vault and swim in it like Scrooge McDuck. The wealthy spend money for things that they want or invest it in other things. Both of these activities create jobs.

 

[Horn2RunAgain]

Excellent post, Crockett. I felt the same about repubs in 2012 and 2016. Neither Trump nor Romney did it for me

Trump's performance has won me over, so I pretty much forgive his personality. Having worked for a guy who was the most foul mouthed individual I'd been around (corporate office environment), rude, etc, yet he was still one of the best Managers/ Directors I've known. For all his bad traits he had everyone's backs and worked every bit as hard as anyone I'd seen, would do anything he could to further one's career as long as they took direction....HR clipped him for his brashness, his replacement was a nice guy but not the leader his predecessor was. Massive layoffs ensued. It's so close to what's happening now in DC it's scary (to me)

I've said this before, I hope the dem party gets their shyte together soon. They're robbing us of a choice. Give either party full control, and we get nowhere. Right now tho, I'm leary of the dem party. It's nothing like the party was when I was a young voter in the 70s

 

[OUBubba]

My real estate deals and rentals have done much better under Trump and I deal mostly with middle to upper middle class people. You know why? People have more money in their pockets. Bubba, does your friend realize that more money is in his customers' pockets is why he's making more?

He sees himself making more due to tax benefits that he has received that he did not previously received. He's an attorney and a CPA. I think he makes his real money on the growth in equity. He's not had to practice law in the last 4-5 years and is now "playing" in the medical marijuana marketplace.

 

[Garmel]

I've said this before, I hope the dem party gets their shyte together soon. They're robbing us of a choice. Give either party full control, and we get nowhere. Right now tho, I'm leary of the dem party. It's nothing like the party was when I was a young voter in the 70s

Yep. I was a democrat until the mid 90s (voted for Clinton '92) when lunacy became the mainstay.

 

[OUBubba]

See, this is what I don't understand about liberals. They think that when people get rich they put all of that money in a bank vault and swim in it like Scrooge McDuck. The wealthy spend money for things that they want or invest it in other things. Both of these activities create jobs.

Yep. I was a democrat until the mid 90s (voted for Clinton '92) when lunacy became the mainstay.

I never voted for a Democrat until I tired of the hypocrisy of the right in 2008.

 

[Monahorns]

People have more money in their pockets.

Garmel, you have to be careful. The real estate boom of today is caused by the same thing that caused the real estate boom 2002-2007. Low interest rates. The US government can't continue this forever or there will be real, large inflation. They can't stop because they won't be able to pay off their debt.

This roller coaster ride could go off the rails in a real ugly way in the 1-5 years.

 

[huisache]

Most of us can’t afford the tuition at Trump University, which is the greatest school in the world

 

[huisache]

Who would have thunk that spending a trillion more than you collected would stimulate the economy?

 

[huisache]

Trump could have saved us a lot of money if he had paid the witnesses against him a few hundred thou to shut up like he does with the porn royalty and other hos

 

[ShAArk92]

Yep. I was a democrat until the mid 90s (voted for Clinton '92) when lunacy became the mainstay.

well I voted Dukakis just to aggravate my ultra (we didn't know 'uber') conservative college buddy (ironically ... he's been a lib for the last 25 years ... college president in Kaly. Questions?)

 

[4th_floor]

I never voted for a Democrat until I tired of the hypocrisy of the right in 2008.

Bubba, are you one of those talk show callers who says that he's never called in before, and he's a lifelong Republican who loved Reagan, and has never voted for a Democrat until now? I always get a big laugh at those guys.

 

[4th_floor]

My real estate deals and rentals have done much better under Trump and I deal mostly with middle to upper middle class people.

My rentals are leased to a working class clientale. They have done well under Trump also. I would like for Trump to get rid of some more of the tax filing burdens - such as 1099s required for independent contractors. We got rid of the requirement to send 1099 to corporations and LLCs (how could that make sense to anyone?). Still too much trouble to file taxes.

 

[Garmel]

Is it me or does Huisache seem like the crazy uncle that the family hides in the attic?

 

[mchammer]

Is it me or does Huisache seem like the crazy uncle that the family hides in the attic?

Huiey is a good guy. Just has a touch of the ole TDS, you know. Either that, or he fell and bumped his head.

 

[Garmel]

Huiey is a good guy. Just has a touch of the ole TDS, you know. Either that, or he fell and bumped his head.

Probably just TDS but the way his rants come out of nowhere is odd. A thread can be going smooth and quiet then all of a sudden "President Bonespurs blah blah blah blah" pops up. Jiminy Christmas.

 

[mchammer]

Probably just TDS but the way his rants come out of nowhere is odd. A thread can be going smooth and quiet then all of a sudden "President Bonespurs blah blah blah blah" pops up. Jiminy Christmas.

I hear the TDS flares up right after one of these cold fronts move through.

 

[Garmel]

I hear the TDS flares up right after one of these cold fronts move through.

Maybe it's just me. However, it would be like if one of us would go "President Obummer blah blah blah" on various threads with no ties to anybody or any topic being discussed.

 

[OUBubba]

Bubba, are you one of those talk show callers who says that he's never called in before, and he's a lifelong Republican who loved Reagan, and has never voted for a Democrat until now? I always get a big laugh at those guys.

First time, long time.....Here's my votes: GHWB, GHWB, Perot, No F'n Clue, Bush, Obama, Obama, Clinton, Musberger1. Confession: I may have voted for Gore - I honestly only remember being in the voting booth with no clue and taking heart that my vote in Oklahoma meant almost nothing. I remember that Bush was Methodist like me but my dad who passed in 1994 was still on the Al Gore mailing lists and we always got the Christmas cards (his daughters were hot back in the day!). And my dad was a Republican. Odd.

 

[Mr. Deez]

I never voted for a Democrat until I tired of the hypocrisy of the right in 2008.

It's somewhat ironic that the Republican you ditched was the nominee that Democrats at least pretended to like and respect the most.

I understand calling out the GOP for hypocrisy and even declining to vote for them. However, I don't understand voting Democratic because of it. That doesn't put you in less hypocritical territory.

I've criticized the GOP since the early 2000s. They've been fiscally irresponsible starting with the Medicare prescription drug program that was unfunded, and though I favored the Iraq War, I was never a fan of how it was executed. Furthermore, their policies are sometimes pro-business to the extreme and beyond conservative principles - bailouts, bans on drug reimportation, poor immigration enforcement, protection from civil liability, etc.

However, voting Democratic would mean even worse fiscal policy, excessive regulation, open borders, and some nutty social policy coerced through public schools. Sorry, but I don't want the Department of Education telling Deez, Jr. what to think about sexuality and what is and isn't a boy or a girl. That's my domain, not theirs. And of course, voting Democratic means endorsing judges who don't believe they are bound by the written law. With unelected, life-tenured positions, it's simply too dangerous to empower people who are that tyrannical. Even with Trump on the ballot, I couldn't endorse that by voting for Hillary.

 

[OUBubba]

It's somewhat ironic that the Republican you ditched was the nominee that Democrats at least pretended to like and respect the most.

I understand calling out the GOP for hypocrisy and even declining to vote for them. However, I don't understand voting Democratic because of it. That doesn't put you in less hypocritical territory.

I've criticized the GOP since the early 2000s. They've been fiscally irresponsible starting with the Medicare prescription drug program that was unfunded, and though I favored the Iraq War, I was never a fan of how it was executed. Furthermore, their policies are sometimes pro-business to the extreme and beyond conservative principles - bailouts, bans on drug reimportation, poor immigration enforcement, protection from civil liability, etc.

However, voting Democratic would mean even worse fiscal policy, excessive regulation, open borders, and some nutty social policy coerced through public schools. Sorry, but I don't want the Department of Education telling Deez, Jr. what to think about sexuality and what is and isn't a boy or a girl. That's my domain, not theirs. And of course, voting Democratic means endorsing judges who don't believe they are bound by the written law. With unelected, life-tenured positions, it's simply too dangerous to empower people who are that tyrannical. Even with Trump on the ballot, I couldn't endorse that by voting for Hillary.

Just because I vote Dem doesn't mean I'm open border or I'm advocating telling Deez Jr. about any of that. Immigration is a good example. We need more legal immigration for some industries. We also need to cut off the source of illegal immigration by punishing the people hiring illegals. Cut out the demand and the supply will find it's way out. Tyrannical judges? You've been listening to the Medal of Freedom recipient (or whatever the heck that was) too much.

 

[nashhorn]

Interesting post Bub, I can relate in this way, just because I vote Republican doesn’t mean I like or condone Trumps character but I cannot tolerate the lefts position on those exact issues you mention plus others.
Other note, anyone heard of legislation called “new path forward” or something like that? Essentially it eliminates the illegal out of immigration and eliminates any deportation, regardless of arrest, conviction, any criminal activity. Heard about it on Carlson last night while reading a Tex history book so caught it off and on but sounded outrageous. You can guess who were the biggest supporters.

 

[OUBubba]

Heard about it on Carlson last night while reading a Tex history book so caught it off and on but sounded outrageous. You can guess who were the biggest supporters.

A. That's your first problem.
B. Talking about this? Trump administration uses Tucker Carlson's show to announce immigration retribution against New York I couldn't find what you were referring to.

 

[nashhorn]

Knew someone would bring up Carlson was the problem but he read straight off the bill and it was not the NY issue.

 

[Mr. Deez]

Just because I vote Dem doesn't mean I'm open border or I'm advocating telling Deez Jr. about any of that. Immigration is a good example. We need more legal immigration for some industries. We also need to cut off the source of illegal immigration by punishing the people hiring illegals. Cut out the demand and the supply will find it's way out.

I'm pretty much with you 100 percent. The problem is that your party's politicians wildly disagree with you and with me on these issues and use the bureaucracy and the judiciary to force their will.

Tyrannical judges? You've been listening to the Medal of Freedom recipient (or whatever the heck that was) too much.

I haven't listened to Limbaugh in 15 years. I judge liberal judges as tyrannical because I've read their court opinions for many years and have listened to them discuss their judicial philosophies. If you're a judge who doesn't consider himself bound by the written law (meaning the words actually written down), then yes, you are a tyrant. Sounds harsh, but it is a fair and accurate description. And by the way, the Right has judges like this too, and I'm very critical of them. They just act out their tyrannical tendencies far less often.

 

[nashhorn]

Found this Bub.

,Tucker Carlson: Criminals would be protected from deportation under bill AOC and other House Democrats back

 

[Garmel]

A. That's your first problem.
B. Talking about this? Trump administration uses Tucker Carlson's show to announce immigration retribution against New York I couldn't find what you were referring to.

You talk down Tucker then act as if MediaMatters is a reliable source?