Spreading Democracy

[BPPLEE]

I think is this is all just sour grapes on the part of the GOP.

They caught the car (just like with abortion) and now they realise that getting Biden booted was the worst thing that could happen to the right.

So once again the engines of moaning and complaining from the right continues.

It’s really sad.

Has absolutely nothing to do with what I posted. This is just deflection. Talk about sad

 

[BPPLEE]

Yeah, sucks to be the side that was screaming for Mr Biden to go for Mr Biden to go.

The weekend at Bernie's candidate was replaced by an empty pantsuit and you think it sucks for us?

 

[Larniavc]

and you think it sucks for us?

Clearly. This is the end of the modern GOP.

As Lindsey Graham once stated. “Mr Trump will destroy the GOP”.

 

[BPPLEE]

Clearly. This is the end of the modern GOP.

As Lindsey Graham once stated. “Mr Trump will destroy the GOP”.

You've got someone that no one voted for as your nominee. You should focus on your own problems

 

[Larniavc]

You've got someone that no one voted for as your nominee. You should focus on your own problems

Did she not win the primary? My understanding of American Primaries is that she was voted to be the nom for the Dems.

Or do I have that wrong?

 

[Pommer]

The weekend at Bernie's candidate was replaced by an empty pantsuit and you think it sucks for us?

Were you planning on voting for either Weekend at Bernie’s or the empty pantsuit?
So it doesn’t matter who the Democrats ran.

 

[HARK!]

2nd quarter GDP rose 2.9%, how is this a “slumping economy”?

Up from an all time low in the wake of the 2022 recession.

Much of this growth can be attributed to military spending leading to increased inflation as the average American continues to struggle to buy the bare necessities.

https://www.bea.gov/sites/default/files/2024-07/gdp2q24-adv.pdf

Federal Government: National Defense Consumption Expenditures and Gross Investment

Graph and download economic data for Federal Government: National Defense Consumption Expenditures and Gross Investment (FDEFX) from Q1 1947 to Q2 2024 about defense, investment, gross, federal, consumption expenditures, consumption, government, GDP, and USA.

fred.stlouisfed.org

The ratio of GDP to the total population of the region is the GDP per capita and can approximate a concept of a standard of living. Nominal GDP does not reflect differences in the cost of living and the inflation rates

Gross domestic product - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Federal Debt: Total Public Debt

Graph and download economic data for Federal Debt: Total Public Debt (GFDEBTN) from Q1 1966 to Q1 2024 about public, debt, federal, government, and USA.

fred.stlouisfed.org

China has been dumping US Treasuries, then Japan, now Belgium. This as the stock market starts crashing; and the plunge protection team rushes in to prop it back up on the backs of the American people.

Americans are saving less, and incurring more debt as they put basic necessities like groceries on their credit card.

But pay no attention to the homeless on the streets and the fact that many Americans are struggling to eat. The Military Industrial Complex is booming. Well, that is if we can still put any faith at all in the figures that this Administration is feeding to the unsuspecting pigeons.

 

[HARK!]

Did she not win the primary? My understanding of American Primaries is that she was voted to be the nom for the Dems.

Or do I have that wrong?

I have not seen Harris' name appear on any 2024 Democratic Primary ballot.

I asked a Democrat to show me just one; but he came up empty handed.

 

[iluvatar5150]

Up from an all time low in the wake of the 2022 recession.

No, that's not how those numbers work. Q2's growth rate of 2.8% is measured from Q1 and then extrapolated out for a year. IOW, if the economy grew for another three quarters at the same rate it did from Q1 to Q2, how much growth would we see after Q4? That's where the 2.8% comes from.

Much of this growth can be attributed to military spending leading to increased inflation as the average American continues to struggle to buy the bare necessities.

Your chart doesn't show that. Your chart shows inflation-adjusted declines in military spending for 2021 and 2021 and a 3.4% increase in 2023. There's an annualized increase of about 4.3% in 2024, but inflation is back to normal.

Additionally, the US GDP is about 33x the size of the defense budget ($27.3 trillion vs $825 billion). A couple percent either way on defense isn't going to be a significant driver of inflation unless that money is used to basically corner the market on something.

China has been dumping US Treasuries, then Japan, now Belgium. This as the stock market starts crashing; and the plunge protection team rushes in to prop it back up on the backs of the American people.

The stock market isn't crashing:

Americans are saving less, and incurring more debt as they put basic necessities like groceries on their credit card.

But pay no attention to the homeless on the streets and the fact that many Americans are struggling to eat. The Military Industrial Complex is booming. Well, that is if we can still put any faith at all in the figures that this Administration is feeding to the unsuspecting pigeons.

I'm happy to entertain ideas on ways to cut our defense budget, but you do know, don't you, that Trump's platform is replete with talk of strengthening our "depleted military"? That's not how you spend less.

 

[Larniavc]

Where have you been?
Biden won the primary.
When the debate exposed what we all knew Biden was "encouraged" to get out of the race, which he did and endorsed Kamala.
She didn't win anything
If you were unaware of this you should consider educating yourself on subjects that you comment on to avoid embarrassment in the future

My understanding was that Mr Biden was only the presumptive nominee. That means that he was expected to become the official nominee so long as nothing unexpected happened that would change the situation. Nearly all the delegates to the convention were pledged to him.

But then he stepped down. As the other potential runners had dropped out that meant that there was no one in the frame after Mr Biden stepped down.

It’s also my understanding that
the Dems had to fall back on their internal rules for handling things like this. They could have had an election at the convention, where other delegates like Phillips, Williamson, (or any other Democrat) could have stepped up and challenged Mrs Harris.

But they all endorsed Mrs Harris. She can’t run against nobody. Mrs Harris was the presumptive nominee, and now Mrs Harris is the official party nominee.

Does that sound about right?

 

[BPPLEE]

My understanding was that Mr Biden was only the presumptive nominee. That means that he was expected to become the official nominee so long as nothing unexpected happened that would change the situation. Nearly all the delegates to the convention were pledged to him.

But then he stepped down. As the other potential runners had dropped out that meant that there was no one in the frame after Mr Biden stepped down.

It’s also my understanding that
the Dems had to fall back on their internal rules for handling things like this. They could have had an election at the convention, where other delegates like Phillips, Williamson, (or any other Democrat) could have stepped up and challenged Mrs Harris.

But they all endorsed Mrs Harris. She can’t run against nobody. Mrs Harris was the presumptive nominee, and now Mrs Harris is the official party nominee.

Does that sound about right?

Yes, that's not the same as winning the primary.
Now you have it right

 

[Larniavc]

Yes, that's not the same as winning the primary.
Now you have it right

But if no one challenged her what option did she have? She couldn’t force people to run against her.

What exactly are you asking for?

 

[BPPLEE]

But if no one challenged her what option did she have? She couldn’t force people to run against her.

What exactly are you asking for?

Maybe in 2028 they can just skip the pretense of a primary and let the oligarchs choose their candidate for them. Most Democrats seem to be happy having someone else select their candidate for them

 

[HARK!]

Maybe in 2028 they can just skip the pretense of a primary and let the oligarchs choose their candidate for them. Most Democrats seem to be happy having someone else select their candidate for them

That would save a lot of time, energy, and expense.

 

[wing2000]

Spreading Democracy? (thread title)

 

[Pommer]

Maybe in 2028 they can just skip the pretense of a primary and let the oligarchs choose their candidate for them. Most Democrats seem to be happy having someone else select their candidate for them

We could get rid of primary-season altogether!?

 

[wing2000]

We could get rid of primary-season altogether!?

...get rid of the parties too. Have a one General election with a run off or two...

 

[JSRG]

We could get rid of primary-season altogether!?

For most of American history, the party representatives simply chose their presidential candidates themselves (the "original" way was that the parties in congress would just meet with each other to choose their candidate, but that later gave way to the convention caucus system). In the convention caucus system, each state's parties would send their representatives to the national convention where people would debate the matter and choose their presidential candidate (it would require a majority vote, not just a plurality).

Winning a majority of delegates at a national convention (before primaries) required candidates to make a strong case to people who were interested in the well-being of the party and winning elections that they were the best person to be elected. Primaries instead rely mostly on name recognition and money; the point isn't to convince well-informed people who are committed to the party you're the best candidate, but to get enough low-information voters out to vote for you.

I'm not going to say the old convention system was perfect or anything, but it seems better than what we have now. At the very least it would mean there'd be a lot fewer political advertisements until after the convention happens.

 

[Larniavc]

Most Democrats seem to be happy having someone else select their candidate for them

Then where’s the beef?

 

[essentialsaltes]

Then where’s the beef?

The overwhelming popularity of the candidate that was selected after Biden stepped down.