That's fair, and more specific than most people get. But notice what you described: one side too rigid, one side too spineless. Those are failures of governance, not really evil. So when you say "lesser evil," do you mean you're just picking the less dysfunctional system and hoping for the best? I'm curious. On civil rights, are there actual policies or positions that made you feel unwelcome on the right? And on the dem side, is there a specific moment or issue where you felt they folded?
Sometimes normal folks will rise to the occasion and do amazing things that aren’t so normal. The thousands of people who protested en masse outdoors in freezing weather in support of a demonized minority community have my utmost respect.
Correct. These aren't Jan6ers. These are Americans peacefully voicing their opinions, a right guaranteed by the First Amendment. Should they be on an FBI watchlist for that? Yes or no?
The folks who respond deserve scorn at this point. That includes any type of reply or acknowledgment at all. You aren’t owning anybody, you’re not convincing anybody, you’re only making things worse for everyone else here and society as a whole by increasing engagement and thus rewarding the behavior.
Okay, I think I do know how America works. But I wasn't talking about that. I was responding to a post about MAGA people on this forum complaining about free speech they don't like. If you're not one of those people, I believe you! Cheers.
Who do you feel is qualified to run the most powerful country ever? What would you say are important attributes and qualifications to be such leader?
It’s a good question that probably deserves its own thread. In some sense, no one is really qualified to take on the job that it has become. There is far too much power given to the position, and I’d want to see that rolled back substantially. As for the job as I believe it should be scoped, beyond the legal qualifications I think a minimal qualification is a willingness to accept election results and not try to scheme to overturn them. As much as I dislike Trump’s politics, if I had to point to a single thing that makes him unqualified it is the fact that he actively tried to invalidate voting results to swing the 2020 election to his favor. A basic respect for our electoral process is pretty foundational to me. What other attributes would I like? Someone who can be challenged and take criticism with grace, someone who cares about truth, a person who seeks consensus, who doesn’t see the world as a zero sum game, who doesn’t demonize large swaths of the population according to their country of origin, and I could keep going. It’s not crazy to expect these basic things, and people can be found on the Left and Right who exhibit them.
The 2020 election I think is a poor example because it was extremely obscure and odd during one of the most confusing times in modern history. Pandemics have happened before but not in the modern age with social media and peak technological advances where information whether true or false is seconds away in a super computer we carry in our pockets. Then you add the political aspects and it was the perfect storm with very unusual activity. I don't think Trump handled it well but I see why he wasn't accepting of the results. The attributes you state are impossible in modern times, politicians are hardly truthful. They find a base and cater to it, if it works they stick to it if it doesn't they find another. Most are unethical and not truthful. So if we can't have truthful, ethical, sincere and moral politicians what's next? Probably an ahole like Trump, one that is self seeking because of his name and legacy but that it also works in our favor because he won't want to be remembered as the guy who ruined anything. He wants to be the best and will chase that....
You watch. Trump will pull ICE out of airports to intimidate the No Kings protesters. He can't stand that people oppose him, and call him out for the wannabe King he is.
Trump was prematurely declaring victory and promoting false stories of cheating middle of election night onward. And he didn’t simply deny the legitimacy of then election result (which is bad enough given the lack of evidence he had to back up that stance). He actually tried to put in place electors who would basically ignore the vote entirely and make him the winner. This is an extreme lack of respect for the American voter and our democratic process. That alone, in my view, was disqualifying for him to ever be President. But here we are. You are basically arguing that if no one is a saint then they’re all equally bad. I don’t agree with that. That’s not how I judge character. Half truths and exaggeration is something you come to expect from political leaders. It’s not ideal, but that’s how our political system functions. This doesn’t mean that a politician who comes along and who has a total disregard for the truth, and moreover surrounds himself with people who are the same, is somehow not a major problem. He wants to be seen as the best, and he’s willing to lie about the outcomes of his policies, disenfranchise voters who threaten his Presidency, and engage in reckless military adventurism to achieve that. I don’t equate that with wanting to actually “be” the best.
Trump was winning even well into the night until much later when we had insane ballot drops all for Biden... They were statistically impossible. Like I said, I think Trump handled it poorly. He could have raised the same questioning and when all avenues had been exhausted he should have decided to give in and let it be. If you want to disqualify him for believing he was wronged and had an election stolen then that's fine but it's surely at least somewhat unfair. Not saying all politicians are bad, most I just find unethical. Perhaps its the landscape, conservatives and liberals can not coexist anymore. They are too far torn apart, politicians are now champions of each side and the moment they react in a just, unbiased and logical way one of the sides will get upset. This leads to politicians that can only push one sided agendas. You won't find a politician that is both hard on immigration but also soft on abortion and lgbt rights. With that said, Trump lies about his stats sure. But the facts don't. His first term was excellent and despite this one being much different and him turning into a full blown right wing politician he can still turn it around and deliver greatness for the American people.
