Would the Rev. Al Sharpton make a better president than Trump?

[durangodawood]

Some A.I. are pretty good diagnosticians. They could be helpful until hacked.

They would hack us, not the other way around.

 

[lordjeff]

Sharpton is a race-baiter. He wants division because that's how he earns some of his living. He chooses to see only with a certain set of eyes. I do understand that he has the charisma to tackle some of these high profile cases that are serious violations & mistrust of law enforcement. But I don't agree with his m/o which has always been to seek reparations. Reparations go to the damaged sector. Slaves of that ere have passed on. We have passed enough laws since then to incorporate people of color into our society. African-Americans have contributed much to our culture. I had a black schoolmate tell me fairly recently that she wished me to see more than just for skin color-aka she has it right-it goes to character & that is what Sharpton misses. The other thing he misses is that he does not champion aptitude but dependency on the govt. This is the new plantation for african-americans since 1965. Always dependent on the govt. Not able to pull one up by the bootstraps. It gives lifeblood to his industry.

 

[iluvatar5150]

For a second there I thought you were talking about Weird Artificial Intelligence.

Now thats a presidential candidate I could support!

At this point, I’d support intelligence of any kind.

 

[mark46]

Sharpton is a race-baiter. He wants division because that's how he earns some of his living. He chooses to see only with a certain set of eyes. I do understand that he has the charisma to tackle some of these high profile cases that are serious violations & mistrust of law enforcement. But I don't agree with his m/o which has always been to seek reparations. Reparations go to the damaged sector. Slaves of that ere have passed on. We have passed enough laws since then to incorporate people of color into our society. African-Americans have contributed much to our culture. I had a black schoolmate tell me fairly recently that she wished me to see more than just for skin color-aka she has it right-it goes to character & that is what Sharpton misses. The other thing he misses is that he does not champion aptitude but dependency on the govt. This is the new plantation for african-americans since 1965. Always dependent on the govt. Not able to pull one up by the bootstraps. It gives lifeblood to his industry.

You seem to be a one-issue voter. There are many. I don't favor reparations. More importantly, reparations could never gather enough votes to overturn a Senate fillibuster. I suspect that the bill would have difficulty gathering 45 votes.

 

[mark46]

2:1 in favor of Sharpton; impressive.

Obviously, lot of Trumpers see no reason to vote.

 

[durangodawood]

At this point, I’d support intelligence of any kind.

Perhaps we could culture a president on a film of agar?

 

[iluvatar5150]

Perhaps we could culture a president on a film of agar?

At this point, I’d support culture of any kind.

 

[lordjeff]

You seem to be a one-issue voter. There are many. I don't favor reparations. More importantly, reparations could never gather enough votes to overturn a Senate fillibuster. I suspect that the bill would have difficulty gathering 45 votes.

Not a one issue voter. You prejudge. Why not just ask. I care about maintaining the Constitution & the economy which means jobs & a high standard of living. I can do little about fraudulent elections. The lust for power is so great in many human beings. I do believe police training needs improvement but then I don't believe in the tit for tat war that to expounge past sins, simply repeat another sin. The best place to govern the country is from the center, never the extreme.

 

[Vylo]

Not a one issue voter. You prejudge. Why not just ask. I care about maintaining the Constitution & the economy which means jobs & a high standard of living. I can do little about fraudulent elections. The lust for power is so great in many human beings. I do believe police training needs improvement but then I don't believe in the tit for tat war that to expounge past sins, simply repeat another sin. The best place to govern the country is from the center, never the extreme.

The US has very few center politicians, and most of them are viewed as extreme, because our Overton window is so far to the right.

 

[grasping the after wind]

The other day I got into a political argument with one of my relatives who is a Democrat. He was ranting and raving about how awful he thought Trump was for our country and that he is glad Joe Biden will replace him. He seemed to think that Donald Trump’s presidency was some sort of curse on America, calling it a disaster and only thinking the worst of it.

As a Trump supporter, I naturally didn’t like his opinion. So I asked him, “Well, do you think someone like the Rev. Al Sharpton would make a better president?” He answered yes. And he said it in all seriousness!

Who exactly is Rev. Al Sharpton anyway? He notorious for promoting the Tawana Brawley rape hoax where a black woman falsely accused four white men of raping her. He destroyed their reputations over a something that turned out to be completely fake. Indeed, Sharpton is not a civil rights activist, but a race hustler and race baiter.

I couldn’t fathom why my relative would think this self-styled reverend would make a better president than President Donald Trump. I decided to make this thread and see what others thought. Do any of you think the Rev. Al Sharpton would be preferable to Donald Trump as POTUS? If that’s what you think, explain why.

The thing is that to some people Donald Trump is the new Emmanuel Goldstein. It doesn't really matter what he actually has done, or is, or believes, or if their version of him actually exists in any real way. All that matters is that they have a person to hate and blame for everything they believe is wrong with the world so that none of the blame goes to themselves or to those they idolize.

 

[lordjeff]

The US has very few center politicians, and most of them are viewed as extreme, because our Overton window is so far to the right.

This is true there are very few in the center; we had one in our state a good 20 years ago.

 

[A2SG]

The thing is that to some people Donald Trump is the new Emmanuel Goldstein. It doesn't really matter what he actually has done, or is, or believes, or if their version of him actually exists in any real way. All that matters is that they have a person to hate and blame for everything they believe is wrong with the world so that none of the blame goes to themselves or to those they idolize.

No, I think most of us knew Donald Trump was a joke back in the 80s.

The only difference is that now, he's a dangerous joke.

It's easy to understand how he got the rich folks behind him, he's one of them; but how christians got so firm behind him, I'll never figure out. He's everything they oppose.

-- A2SG, well, everything they say they oppose, anyway.....

 

[mark46]

The US has very few center politicians, and most of them are viewed as extreme, because our Overton window is so far to the right.

The Overton Window, as I understand, refers the ideas acceptable to the mainstream, those ideas NOT considered radical left or radical right.

The key here is mainstream. There is no longer a mainstream. The issue is among the people as much as it within the two major parties. Let's be clear, before 2000, the vast majority of politician (and voters)
in Congress were within the mainstream.

Now, we have the Republicans controlled by Trump, who has moved far, far from any mainstream set of ideas pre-2000. There are those within the mainstream in the Party, but few can stand up to Trump. Trump increases his PAC war chest every day. He will support primary opposition to anyone who in any way opposes him. Maybe the few in the Senate will work with a few Democrats and form the group that negotiates legislation. Perhaps this can last, likely not.

In the Democrats, we have lots of those who are centrists within pre-2000 definitions. They easily could work with the those with the ideas of Nixon, Reagan, Bush, Bush, Dole, McCain, and yes, McConnell.

HOWEVER, and it is a big however, the leftists may finally have a chance to take over the party. The key to their success will be that their greatest strength with voters will be their unabashed opposition to working with Republicans on anything. This effort has failed several times in the last 100 years, but there was never a opposition like the current Republican Party.

 

[mark46]

No, I think most of us knew Donald Trump was a joke back in the 80s.

The only difference is that now, he's a dangerous joke.

It's easy to understand how he got the rich folks behind him, he's one of them; but how christians got so firm behind him, I'll never figure out. He's everything they oppose.

-- A2SG, well, everything they say they oppose, anyway.....

Let us be very, very clear. Trump was NOT a vote to those who voted for Trump in 2016 or 2020, and that is a very, very large group of voters.

Yes, MOST voters understand that Trump is a dangerous joke.

 

[A2SG]

Let us be very, very clear. Trump was NOT a vote to those who voted for Trump in 2016 or 2020, and that is a very, very large group of voters.

Sure. Less than those who voted the other way in both elections, though.

Yes, MOST voters understand that Trump is a dangerous joke.

True. A joke played on all of us.

-- A2SG, not a particularly funny one, though....

 

[grasping the after wind]

No, I think most of us knew Donald Trump was a joke back in the 80s.

The only difference is that now, he's a dangerous joke.

It's easy to understand how he got the rich folks behind him, he's one of them; but how christians got so firm behind him, I'll never figure out. He's everything they oppose.

-- A2SG, well, everything they say they oppose, anyway.....

Trump is a flawed human being like the rest of us. Christians are actually quite divided on him and his policies. We are a religion that is highly diverse in its adherent's POVs. Not only on politics but on religion itself. Perhaps the most diverse one out there. Those Christians that are strong supporters of Trump tend to dismiss the flaws in his character as unimportant and focus on his policies which they find much superior to anything the rest of the Republican party has offered and certainly worlds better than what the Democrats want to do. Those Christians that are strongly opposed to Trump tend to focus on attacking his character. Perhaps because they do not like his policies and think the other Christians will be persuaded to oppose him based upon his character as they already know those Christians won't be persuaded to oppose the policies he advocates for.

It really is very understandable why the Christians that support Trump do not abandon him. No other politician supports the policies they agree with.

 

[Strathos]

Trump is a flawed human being like the rest of us. Christians are actually quite divided on him and his policies. We are a religion that is highly diverse in its adherent's POVs. Not only on politics but on religion itself. Perhaps the most diverse one out there. Those Christians that are strong supporters of Trump tend to dismiss the flaws in his character as unimportant and focus on his policies which they find much superior to anything the rest of the Republican party has offered and certainly worlds better than what the Democrats want to do. Those Christians that are strongly opposed to Trump tend to focus on attacking his character. Perhaps because they do not like his policies and think the other Christians will be persuaded to oppose him based upon his character as they already know those Christians won't be persuaded to oppose the policies he advocates for.

It really is very understandable why the Christians that support Trump do not abandon him. No other politician supports the policies they agree with.

Policies like mismanaging a pandemic and getting 300,000+ Americans killed...

 

[grasping the after wind]

Policies like mismanaging a pandemic and getting 300,000+ Americans killed...

One does not mange a pandemic.

 

[DaisyDay]

No, I think most of us knew Donald Trump was a joke back in the 80s.

No, he was taken seriously as a socialite developer in the 80s and 90s. Even in the 2000s, a boatload of naifs signed up for his real estate course.

The only difference is that now, he's a dangerous joke.

He has had an unusual amount of bankruptcies since the 80s. His mental capacity has diminished drastically since then as well - as evidenced by comparing recent interviews with those from the 80s. It is really striking, but his followers prefer the present-day Donald as a "common man" rather than as an elite who uses fancy grammar and ten dollar words.

It's easy to understand how he got the rich folks behind him, he's one of them; but how christians got so firm behind him, I'll never figure out. He's everything they oppose.

He is very like the worst televangelists.

-- A2SG, well, everything they say they oppose, anyway.....

I think that is key. Donald is a teetotaler, so there's that, but I remember being dumbfounded at how many vocal Christians opposed the actual Baptist Jimmy Carter. They ridiculed his humility ("Jimmy" as opposed to the more formal "James", walking to the White House instead of taking a limousine, wearing a sweater rather than a suit) and how they lavished praise on the divorced and remarried Reagan for bringing back "elegance" to the WH.

 

[DaisyDay]

The Overton Window, as I understand, refers the ideas acceptable to the mainstream, those ideas NOT considered radical left or radical right.

The key here is mainstream. There is no longer a mainstream. The issue is among the people as much as it within the two major parties. Let's be clear, before 2000, the vast majority of politician (and voters)
in congress were within the mainstream.

Now, we have the Republicans controlled by Trump, who has moved far, far from any mainstream set of ideas pre-2000. There are those within the mainstream in the PArty, but few can stand up to Trump. Trump includes his PAC war chest every day. He will support primary opposition to anyone who in any way opposes him. Maybe the few in the Senate will work with a few Democrats and form the group that negotiates legislation. Perhaps this can last, likely not.

In the Democrats, we have lots of those who are centrists within pre-2000 definitions. They easily could work with the those with the ideas of Nixon, Reagan, Bush, Bush, Dole, McCain, and yes, McConnell.
HOWEVER, and it is a big however, the leftists may finally have a chance to take over the party. The key to their success will be that their greatest strength with voters will be their unabashed opposition to working with Republicans on anything. This effort has failed several times iin the last 100 years, but there was never a opposition like the current Republican Party.

Bonus points for "Overton Window".