Election Day 1

[Res Ipsa]

Yes, if we just toned our language down a little, I’m sure the MAGAs would be reasonable.

I’m not saying that at all.

Democrats simply need to run a compelling candidate. The drop from 80 million to 60 million is a clear indication that Harris wasn’t a compelling candidate.

Actually, the comment I responded to said nothing about compelling candidate.

[Kishkumen]

It is a waste to have to spend so much on political advertisement. I'll grant you that. But how many welfare checks or black small business startups could $2.1 billion have brought?

Without Elon we wouldn't have free speech or have won. With Elon we still had way less than the Democrats.

You pay tithing to a church that has stockpiled billions upon billions of dollars. Maybe that could be spent on something more useful? I mean, seriously, Ajax, your gripe makes no sense. Your illusions about curtailed free speech are detached from reality. Most venues have rules, even this one does. Is your free speech curtailed here? Musk has shown his willingness to censor journalists. What about their free speech rights? Your “arguments,” such that they are, are nonsensical.

[drumdude]

I’m not saying that at all.

Democrats simply need to run a compelling candidate. The drop from 80 million to 60 million is a clear indication that Harris wasn’t a compelling candidate.

Actually, the comment I responded to said nothing about compelling candidate.

And mine said nothing about turning MAGA reasonable.

Being unreasonable does not equate to fascism. But the left keeps banging that drum.

Fascism has become “anything the left doesn’t like”

[Doctor Steuss]

The economy isn’t looking good when I drive through large shopping centers here with vacant storefront after vacant storefront.

I wonder what makes some centers thrive, while others whither. I know a lot of places never really recovered after the pandemic, when people discovered what things they could do without, and more impactfully, what they can buy online for the same price or cheaper without ever having to leave the house.

There's a mall on my side of town that is like something out of 28 Days Later, or other postapocalyptic zombie flic. It's where I usually go if my son needs a Hot Topic fix. We needed some new shoes on a rush, and the only Converse store was on the other side of town in a completely different mall center. It was impossible to walk without bumping into people. It was absolutely insane. There were a few stores where we walked in to see if there was anything cool to impulse buy, saw how long the line was, and just bailed.

[drumdude]

Some hard truths from the left:

https://youtu.be/j3M1P-KvBpQ

The left needs to do some soul searching and stop blaming the American people.

[Bond]

Yes, if we just toned our language down a little, I’m sure the MAGAs would be reasonable.

I’m not saying that at all.

Democrats simply need to run a compelling candidate. The drop from 80 million to 60 million is a clear indication that Harris wasn’t a compelling candidate.

I think we also learned in 2020 that the only way to get the lowest of low propensity voters is to drive a ballot to their house and then drive it back to the polls. I suspect in 2024 a ton of Trump 2020 voters didn't vote either but he won enough voter switchers from Biden 2020 over inflation/economy that it didn't matter.

Edit: Still waiting on all the data but in my home state of Kentucky ~70k fewer votes were cast. That's looking like ~4% fewer votes were cast. Trump increased his vote total by only 9k while 70k fewer people voted Democrat as of this writing with a few more votes to trickle in. Part of that was certainly vote switching from Democrat to GOP but fewer people voted unless there are 80k votes still out there.

[canpakes]

Yes. That was the point.

Really? Has anyone noticed a difference?

Yes. Europe, and those parts of the world that depend on Ukrainian-grown grain.

But there’s still a whole lot more of Ukraine to add to his pile of loot.

And after two and a half years of war he’s no closer to obtaining it now than he was on day one.

Not correct. It has taken substantial effort and resources for Putin to take and hold Ukrainian territory, but he has a lot more of it now than on ‘Day 1’. (Image is a year old and doesn’t show recent Russian gains)

And Ukrainians haven’t decided to simply hand it over quite yet just because he wants it.

Good! Then NATO is no longer necessary for the U.S.A.

No. NATO assistance has been instrumental in preventing a much more rapid and thorough takeover of the country.

[canpakes]

Well, I think the people want populist policies and the donors don't, donors on both sides. I think this is the underlying theme and has been from as far back as I can see.

The Democrats just vaporized $2.1 billion in this election.

It hasn’t vaporized. It went to a whole slew of consultants, advertising agencies and media providers. ; )

[canpakes]

All the propaganda money could buy couldn't beat our rag tag and poorly funded movement. Let that sink in for a bit. Gone is the Reublican party of country club elites. Hello to MAGA, the party of the working man and woman

You’re very wrong.

Small-dollar donations -$200 or less - accounted for only about 28% of the Trump campaign’s take (it was about 42% for Democrats). See the stats at the link below, third graphic -

https://www.opensecrets.org/2024-presid ... =N00023864

Elon Musk alone donated over $120 million dollars to the Trump campaign.

I’m sure that those billionaires have your best interests in mind.
; )

[Some Schmo]

Some hard truths from the left:

https://youtu.be/j3M1P-KvBpQ

The left needs to do some soul searching and stop blaming the American people.

I'm in the center and I put the blame squarely on the American people, exactly where it belongs.

You want to blame the left for Americans being idiots.