2021 in Review

[Mister D]

And yet even in a state as poor, rural, and nigh exclusively Republican-leaning as West Virginia, more than 60% of the population supports a full $15/hour minimum wage. Kind of like how the voters of Florida on the same ballot voted narrowly (51%) to re-elect Donald Trump and widely (61%) to raise their own minimum wage to $15/hour during the 2020 recession (along with a 57% vote in favor of open primaries, I might add as an aside).

It's almost like this is an overwhelmingly popular idea everywhere in the country and you're buying into a bull$#@! neoliberal argument that the minimum wage "victims" you're supposedly defending themselves disagree with just to because Joe Manchin made the suggestion (because he's invested in businesses that pay their workers less) and you want to support his position because most Democrats don't; the thing being that most people in general don't either. Moral: Joe Manchin is full of $#@! and probably won't survive the 2024 election as a result, assuming he even wins his primary this time around.

That's nice but it doesn't have anything to do with how many people like it. Lol Is that what you base the value of ideas on? It's not workable and will do more harm than good. It should be state specific.

I don't give much thought to Joe Manchin and don't recall ever mentioning his name. That said, I regret to inform you that he is significantly more popular in WV now than he was before he resisted Biden's BBB.

[countryboy]

The only reason Biden's approval numbers have "stabilized", is due to the usual suspect's polls propping him up. Including Fox News. The same usual suspects kept President Trump's poll number down. Polling is a complete joke.

[countryboy]

Well let's see...

-Minimum wage and labor issues.
-Climate issues.
-Voting rights issues.
-Abortion rights.
-Gun policy.
-Health care policies in general (Covid being a minor component at this point in my mind).

In short, the same sorts of things things I object to about Republicans in general. He's not particularly worse than most of them in my mind and I'd be more at peace with him as president than I would be with Trump in that position for sure, but the fact is that I'm not a conservative and also that I also really can't think of any politicians who interest me anymore at all. I kinda think they all suck anymore, it's just a matter of degrees. The candidate I want to vote for 2024 is someone who doesn't seem to exist.

Sorry, I'm just losing interest in politics, in part because my worldview has gotten more moderate of late and also because politicians conversely have mostly moved further away from my positions rather than toward them. What I'm looking for is a candidate who wants more police on the streets, not fewer, supported the recent military budget that was $25 billion higher than Biden's original proposition and removed sexual assault cases from the military's chain of command, opposes ending the bail system but supports ending qualified immunity for police officers, opposes new Covid restrictions (with Democrats in charge, I'm just assuming Covid policies will remain on the ballot in 2024), favors raising the minimum wage to at least $15/hour, supports Medicare-for-all and abolishing tuition at America's public colleges and universities, free and accessible internet access for all through via publicly-owned provider, favors national ownership of utilities (speaking of which) and the treatment of social media as a public utility, price controls, and worker management of businesses, a guaranteed minimum income for the all, wants to fund NASA properly to support actual space exploration instead of SpaceX and other private ventures that exist for the benefit of wealthy clients looking to vacation in low-Earth orbit, opposes transgenderism on principal and the entire corresponding policy agenda, supports abortion rights, gay rights (including both marriage and child adoption rights), and the separation of church and state unequivocally, supports banning strip clubs, cryptocurrency, commercial surrogacy, and pornography and opposes the death penalty but cracks down on the sale of deadly drugs and enforces existing gun laws (especially background checks) more strictly, supports automatic registration of eligible voters and voter ID requirements. And also favors direct public investment in the cultivation of renewable energies coupled with an end to subsidies for the oil and coal industries. And a top marginal income tax rate of at least 70% with no loopholes in the tax code. That's what I actually want, but I'll settle for 60% of that program. There's still no candidate I can see who corresponds to what I'll settle for.

Nothing but a mess of left-wing talking points, with no basis in reality. But, nice to see ya anyways. How's it going? Well I hope.


Lol, meanwhile, the economy is thriving in Florida.

[carolina73]

Well let's see...

-Minimum wage and labor issues.
-Climate issues.
-Voting rights issues.
-Abortion rights.
-Gun policy.
-Health care policies in general (Covid being a minor component at this point in my mind).

In short, the same sorts of things things I object to about Republicans in general. He's not particularly worse than most of them in my mind and I'd be more at peace with him as president than I would be with Trump in that position for sure, but the fact is that I'm not a conservative and also that I also really can't think of any politicians who interest me anymore at all. I kinda think they all suck anymore, it's just a matter of degrees. The candidate I want to vote for 2024 is someone who doesn't seem to exist.

Sorry, I'm just losing interest in politics, in part because my worldview has gotten more moderate of late and also because politicians conversely have mostly moved further away from my positions rather than toward them. What I'm looking for is a candidate who wants more police on the streets, not fewer, supported the recent military budget that was $25 billion higher than Biden's original proposition and removed sexual assault cases from the military's chain of command, opposes ending the bail system but supports ending qualified immunity for police officers, opposes new Covid restrictions (with Democrats in charge, I'm just assuming Covid policies will remain on the ballot in 2024), favors raising the minimum wage to at least $15/hour, supports Medicare-for-all and abolishing tuition at America's public colleges and universities, free and accessible internet access for all through via publicly-owned provider, favors national ownership of utilities (speaking of which) and the treatment of social media as a public utility, price controls, and worker management of businesses, a guaranteed minimum income for the all, wants to fund NASA properly to support actual space exploration instead of SpaceX and other private ventures that exist for the benefit of wealthy clients looking to vacation in low-Earth orbit, opposes transgenderism on principal and the entire corresponding policy agenda, supports abortion rights, gay rights (including both marriage and child adoption rights), and the separation of church and state unequivocally, supports banning strip clubs, cryptocurrency, commercial surrogacy, and pornography and opposes the death penalty but cracks down on the sale of deadly drugs and enforces existing gun laws (especially background checks) more strictly, supports automatic registration of eligible voters and voter ID requirements. And also favors direct public investment in the cultivation of renewable energies coupled with an end to subsidies for the oil and coal industries. And a top marginal income tax rate of at least 70% with no loopholes in the tax code. That's what I actually want, but I'll settle for 60% of that program. There's still no candidate I can see who corresponds to what I'll settle for.

Okay then I would call you a Democrat voter because what Republican would you ever vote for that wants high unemployment, killing babies, loss of self protection, secure voting... but all those are separate subjects that require a much more in-depth level of discussion. DeSantis only supports a 15 week ban on abortion like MS which gives the mother 4 months to decide. If you are for partial birth abortion then there is something surely wrong with you.

So that means you will be voting Democrat or not using your vote. Not a criticism but it makes you a disgruntled Democrat, because you will not vote for a Republican if you do not support those positions. Third Party is the same as not voting. However I will also do both rather than support a candidate that I really do not like. I am a disgruntled Republican, I used to call myself Independent but then realized that I either voted Republican or left parts of the ballot empty.

[Chris]

I believe the U.S. Constitution was created by aristocrats in order to prevent socialistic revolts like Shays' Rebellion from repeating themselves and to shore up the ability of predatory creditors to repossess from their debtors and throw them in prison and that the founders thereof believed people like me didn't deserve so much as the right to vote both because of my sex and class. I'm not a wistful romantic about these things, but rather a critical thinker who regards the U.S. Constitution as a conceptually flawed document that may well merit substantial amendment from time to time. (Like for example, I feel that finally ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment would be a nice step for the immediate future, personally.)

As to the notion that voter suppression and global warming are "lies", boy have been drinking a lot of Kool-Aid.

Alright, voting policies are an over-dramatized issue across the board, but it's not exactly as though the fact that Republicans are terrible are keeping their opponents from voting means they don't clearly aim to. I mean why would you want to reduce the number of polling stations within carefully cherry-picked districts and limit voting days and hours more? Those just factually are not pro-democratic practices.

I, too, would prefer the weaker federal government constructed under the Articles of Confederation. A federal government without the power to do anything about your issues:

"-Minimum wage and labor issues.
-Climate issues.
-Voting rights issues.
-Abortion rights.
-Gun policy.
-Health care policies in general (Covid being a minor component at this point in my mind)."

BTW, Shay's Rebellion had nothing to do with socialism. It was an uprising against taxation.

[IMPress Polly]

That's nice but it doesn't have anything to do with how many people like it.

Sure it does! Your whole argument is that there are victims to this policy proposal, and yet it's hard to find objectors in reality. It seems like your argument here is that the populations of the various states have no idea what's good for their own finances and should take your word for it or something.

[IMPress Polly]

Okay then I would call you a Democrat voter because what Republican would you ever vote for that wants high unemployment, killing babies, loss of self protection, secure voting... but all those are separate subjects that require a much more in-depth level of discussion. DeSantis only supports a 15 week ban on abortion like MS which gives the mother 4 months to decide. If you are for partial birth abortion then there is something surely wrong with you.

So that means you will be voting Democrat or not using your vote. Not a criticism but it makes you a disgruntled Democrat, because you will not vote for a Republican if you do not support those positions. Third Party is the same as not voting. However I will also do both rather than support a candidate that I really do not like. I am a disgruntled Republican, I used to call myself Independent but then realized that I either voted Republican or left parts of the ballot empty.

I'll overlook the insults and get right to the heart of what you're saying:

"Disgruntled Democrat" or "Democratic-leaning independent" would be appropriate if I felt like there was anyone I'm interested in voting for anymore, but there's just not. Honestly, based on the way I feel right now, I actually may never vote again. Politics suck.

[Admiral Ackbar]

I'll overlook the insults and get right to the heart of what you're saying:

"Disgruntled Democrat" or "Democratic-leaning independent" would be appropriate if I felt like there was anyone I'm interested in voting for anymore, but there's just not. Honestly, based on the way I feel right now, I actually may never vote again. Politics suck.

@IMPress Polly You don't have to act all indecisive and helpless. Just ask me and I will tell you who to vote for.

[IMPress Polly]

@IMPress Polly You don't have to act all indecisive and helpless. Just ask me and I will tell you who to vote for.

Aw man, thanks! What could go wrong?

[carolina73]

I'll overlook the insults and get right to the heart of what you're saying:

"Disgruntled Democrat" or "Democratic-leaning independent" would be appropriate if I felt like there was anyone I'm interested in voting for anymore, but there's just not. Honestly, based on the way I feel right now, I actually may never vote again. Politics suck.

There were no insults intended. Just logical interpretations of those positions.

It seems to be the problem of negative campaigning that we settled into. People are so intent on getting rid of the person they didn't like that they do not look at what they are putting into office.

After voting for McCain and Romney, I decided that I am never going to do that again. I was only fortunate that I really liked Trump. But I also do not care about what people do in there own time but looked strictly at the policies and what they do for the country. My tolerance comes from years working with people that I really would never want to share a beer with, but recognize that they were sometimes very effective. The nice guy was usually the least effective.

And the government is a business. People that don't think it is, take that position because they want something for themselves from that business/government beyond the contract/Constitution.