Let's move off the Trump/Biden thing for a minute:
Is anybody concerned/paying attention to Governor Greg Abbott's escalation w the federal government over border issues?
This info may be dated by tomorrow-But on Jan 24th-after losing a SCOTUS decision in DHS v Texas--he has openly stated he will defy the decision laid forth.
There's a whole lot of meat on this bone for discussion but my question really centers on:
How do you think this plays out in the end? SCOTUS has spoken, yet you've got another Constitution-loving Republican Governor openly defying the federal government?
Biden has an extremely tight needle to thread on this .....he's got options -but none of them particularly appealing and it's an election year.
As a person who has lived in Texas for 38 years, but not a Texan, I find this disturbing.
Am I wrong to feel like this is a dress rehearsal for a Civil War 2.0?
Republican senators negotiated a border deal. Then Trump ordered them not to pass anything to save the border as an issue for the campaign, and the Senators caved. What can the Democrats, especially Biden, do to make the R's duplicity obvious to everyone?
In a social media post, Donald Trump threatened any future donors to his sole opponent for the Republucan nomination, Nikki Haley, with expulsion from MAGA. Have any previous POTUS candidates ---or Trump --- publicly threatened donors to an opponent? What political impact, if any, will Trump's threat have?
And what exactly does Trump's threat of "expulsion from MAGA" mean? Once Haley drops out of the race, I find it very hard to fathom that Trump would refuse to accept money from former Haley supporters. Or supporters of any of his former primary opponents.
One thing I am concerned with is the "superheroization" of politics. The belief that one person can come and change everything. We see this in Trump, but you see this in the No Labels movement as well. I know there is no return to normal, but do you think it is possible to have some return to the understanding that government is multifaceted and nuanced? I am worried that we will just go from one president to another erasing the executive acts of the other without really ever having any actual governance happening.
Suggestion: instead of a post requesting comments, let us email them to you with the subject line "MAILBAG", and you create a gmail filter & folder for those specific mailbag emails.
Reason being is that all week questions pop up in my brain, then I forget what they are. Just a thought.
Ding Dong Santos is gone! I think something that has flown under the radar is the upcoming NY-03 special election. R's had a narrow majority in the house to begin with. In January, there have been numerous retirement announcements from Republicans in the House. It is extremely plausible that Suozzi wins the NY-03 special election and flips a seat for Dems. Can all of this combine to create an even more chaotic House environment for the rest of 2024?
Do you think president trump picks a running mate who smooths over his rough edges (like 2016 mike pence), or do you think he picks a maga-extreme sycophant? (Like 2024 Elise Stefanik)?
I have been thinking about why people don’t trust the Supreme Court as much as we used to. For me personally I saw the law as being only one way. And most judges would come to basically the same opinion because the law is well ‘the law’. But with the changes and actions of the current Supreme Court judges I no longer believe the law is the deciding factor. But who the judge is that is reading the law is the deciding factor. Which really undermines my opinion of the Supreme Court. And makes me very much less trustful of their opinions and actions. Any comments that would help restore my faith in the Supreme Court?!!!
I don't trust them AT ALL. Right now, they pretend that they are saying that it's OK for the U.S government to take down parts of the razor wire on Texas border . They do this so we'll think, well, they aren't so bad!! Then BAM! They will ban Mifepristone.
So many pundits have described the MAGA movement as a cult, with absolute fealty to DJT as its leader. Will we ever be able as a nation to totally de-program the MAGA followers and extricate them from the very deep rabbit hole in which they are currently entrenched?
Stories about Trump's apparent confusion & mental lapses on the campaign trail are dribbling out more frequently now, with Nikki Haley recently adding some fuel to this and the Biden campaign taking notice. At what point does Trump's possible mental decline take fire as a major issue?
Given time, a small trickle can be as destructive as a tidal wave. I think Trump's metal and verbal gaffes are slowly becoming a mainstream discussion topic. Biden is mentioning them more frequently, and his digital staff is highlighting them as well. BTW, I think this is great and encourage them to continue this. Haley is now discussing this as well. And given the source, the well of nonsensical and non-logical comments will not be running dry soon. There's pretty much nothing Trump can say or do that will impact the support of the MAGA base, but I think that Trump's mental instability is now being noticed more by moderate Republicans and Independents.
I know that Biden is old, and looks old and acts old and all that. And I get that Trump is loud and boisterous and doesn't come across as someone lacking energy. But I am stunned at how many people in this country who are in the middle, not beholden to one side or the other, if you believe the polls and the media coverage, who are OK with returning Trump to the White House and voting out Biden. I know the Trumpers are with him no matter what. But how can more rational voters really look at these two and think, yeah, we need to bring Trump back. How can they look at the things he says and does and think this is the guy I want representing our country and negotiating with the world? How can they look at issues that they disagree with Biden on and think, let's put Trump back in and he'll fix it. Really? I just don't get it.
Trump can't go on for ever. If he loses the election, what will become of the MAGA movement, but, more significantly, when age claims his life, what then for the movement? It seems so tightly wrapped up in his personality that it is hard to see anyone replacing him.
Let's move off the Trump/Biden thing for a minute:
Is anybody concerned/paying attention to Governor Greg Abbott's escalation w the federal government over border issues?
This info may be dated by tomorrow-But on Jan 24th-after losing a SCOTUS decision in DHS v Texas--he has openly stated he will defy the decision laid forth.
There's a whole lot of meat on this bone for discussion but my question really centers on:
How do you think this plays out in the end? SCOTUS has spoken, yet you've got another Constitution-loving Republican Governor openly defying the federal government?
Biden has an extremely tight needle to thread on this .....he's got options -but none of them particularly appealing and it's an election year.
As a person who has lived in Texas for 38 years, but not a Texan, I find this disturbing.
Am I wrong to feel like this is a dress rehearsal for a Civil War 2.0?
Republican senators negotiated a border deal. Then Trump ordered them not to pass anything to save the border as an issue for the campaign, and the Senators caved. What can the Democrats, especially Biden, do to make the R's duplicity obvious to everyone?
I think this was Mitch's plan all along. From the Torpedo Merrick Garland Supreme Court Nomination playbook
In a social media post, Donald Trump threatened any future donors to his sole opponent for the Republucan nomination, Nikki Haley, with expulsion from MAGA. Have any previous POTUS candidates ---or Trump --- publicly threatened donors to an opponent? What political impact, if any, will Trump's threat have?
a better description is "Excommunication from the cult of MAGA"
And what exactly does Trump's threat of "expulsion from MAGA" mean? Once Haley drops out of the race, I find it very hard to fathom that Trump would refuse to accept money from former Haley supporters. Or supporters of any of his former primary opponents.
Exactly Tim.
One thing I am concerned with is the "superheroization" of politics. The belief that one person can come and change everything. We see this in Trump, but you see this in the No Labels movement as well. I know there is no return to normal, but do you think it is possible to have some return to the understanding that government is multifaceted and nuanced? I am worried that we will just go from one president to another erasing the executive acts of the other without really ever having any actual governance happening.
also la cheeserie
Best. Question. Ever.!!!!
I can see Chris writing his next book over this exact message.
Suggestion: instead of a post requesting comments, let us email them to you with the subject line "MAILBAG", and you create a gmail filter & folder for those specific mailbag emails.
Reason being is that all week questions pop up in my brain, then I forget what they are. Just a thought.
Ding Dong Santos is gone! I think something that has flown under the radar is the upcoming NY-03 special election. R's had a narrow majority in the house to begin with. In January, there have been numerous retirement announcements from Republicans in the House. It is extremely plausible that Suozzi wins the NY-03 special election and flips a seat for Dems. Can all of this combine to create an even more chaotic House environment for the rest of 2024?
Do you think president trump picks a running mate who smooths over his rough edges (like 2016 mike pence), or do you think he picks a maga-extreme sycophant? (Like 2024 Elise Stefanik)?
What's your take on the situation with the Arizona GOP where the party chairman resigned amid pressure from that nutjob, Kari Lake?
Hey watch it there! AZ resident here. Nobody out there, and I mean nobody, can ever read a teleprompter quite the way she could. 😎
Will there be Trump-Biden debate?
Former MT resident here. Is Tester in real trouble? He is generally popular and gets things done at the local level. Is that still enough?
Big issue here. I believe the Tester seat is the tipping point, that it will single-handedly determine which party controls the Senate.
Chris, are there circumstances that would make you consider emigrating from the U.S. and if so where would you consider?
Bruce
I have been thinking about why people don’t trust the Supreme Court as much as we used to. For me personally I saw the law as being only one way. And most judges would come to basically the same opinion because the law is well ‘the law’. But with the changes and actions of the current Supreme Court judges I no longer believe the law is the deciding factor. But who the judge is that is reading the law is the deciding factor. Which really undermines my opinion of the Supreme Court. And makes me very much less trustful of their opinions and actions. Any comments that would help restore my faith in the Supreme Court?!!!
I don't trust them AT ALL. Right now, they pretend that they are saying that it's OK for the U.S government to take down parts of the razor wire on Texas border . They do this so we'll think, well, they aren't so bad!! Then BAM! They will ban Mifepristone.
So many pundits have described the MAGA movement as a cult, with absolute fealty to DJT as its leader. Will we ever be able as a nation to totally de-program the MAGA followers and extricate them from the very deep rabbit hole in which they are currently entrenched?
Stories about Trump's apparent confusion & mental lapses on the campaign trail are dribbling out more frequently now, with Nikki Haley recently adding some fuel to this and the Biden campaign taking notice. At what point does Trump's possible mental decline take fire as a major issue?
Given time, a small trickle can be as destructive as a tidal wave. I think Trump's metal and verbal gaffes are slowly becoming a mainstream discussion topic. Biden is mentioning them more frequently, and his digital staff is highlighting them as well. BTW, I think this is great and encourage them to continue this. Haley is now discussing this as well. And given the source, the well of nonsensical and non-logical comments will not be running dry soon. There's pretty much nothing Trump can say or do that will impact the support of the MAGA base, but I think that Trump's mental instability is now being noticed more by moderate Republicans and Independents.
I know that Biden is old, and looks old and acts old and all that. And I get that Trump is loud and boisterous and doesn't come across as someone lacking energy. But I am stunned at how many people in this country who are in the middle, not beholden to one side or the other, if you believe the polls and the media coverage, who are OK with returning Trump to the White House and voting out Biden. I know the Trumpers are with him no matter what. But how can more rational voters really look at these two and think, yeah, we need to bring Trump back. How can they look at the things he says and does and think this is the guy I want representing our country and negotiating with the world? How can they look at issues that they disagree with Biden on and think, let's put Trump back in and he'll fix it. Really? I just don't get it.
...and trump has dementia!! It's so obvious to people who have had this in their family or friends!!! Returned to the White House??? NooOooo!!!
Trump can't go on for ever. If he loses the election, what will become of the MAGA movement, but, more significantly, when age claims his life, what then for the movement? It seems so tightly wrapped up in his personality that it is hard to see anyone replacing him.