Progressive2020
Progressive2020's JournalWorst President In History
Trump will go down in history as the worst President ever, beating out Richard Nixon for the title. Trump is corrupt, a liar, a con man, and a cheat. He might be the first President to ever serve jail time.
I think when his taxes and finances are exposed, you will see that his "business" was always built on debt, credit, bankruptcy, and fraud. Trump likes to call media "Fake News", but he is a "Fake Businessman".
I look forward to the day when he and his lackeys are indicted and Trump's name is consigned to the ash heap of history. His name will rank up there with villains like Benedict Arnold, Boss Tweed, and Richard Nixon- all despicable figures from American History.
Progressives Versus Centrists
I wanted to address the issue of Progressives versus Centrists in the Democratic Party. I used to be Centrist in my youth, but moved more towards Progressivism as I got older and started to feel that measured, incremental change was not good enough. We need larger scale change, in my opinion.
That said, while I consider myself a Progressive and want a Progressive Candidate, I would still vote for a more Centrist Democrat if one were nominated. Also, I would work hard to see that Candidate elected. I am not one of these Progressives who want to burn the house down if their Candidate does not win in a primary.
I bring up the divide between Progressives and Centrists on purpose. I think that this is a real division in the Democratic Party that should be addressed. It does not need to be a weakness, but could in fact become a strength.
Instead of Progressives and Moderates being at each other's throats, we should maybe take a lesson from Parliamentary style democracies such as those multi-party governments in Europe. We should form a coalition. Center Left and Left parties form governing coalitions all the time when no single party prevails in a majority.
I would propose that Progressives and Centrists in the Democratic Party form a coalition rather than be at each other's throats. A united Democratic Party would be the end of the Trump Regime. And the beginning of a government that works for the people and not just the monied corporate interests.
Change Versus Experience
Some have pointed out that Joe Biden has the experience needed to be President, and point out his electability. Others have noted that people who vote in Presidential elections tend to want Change versus Experience.
The electorate tends to want something/someone that is new and different over what is tried and true. People want change, and change is what motivates people to vote. This is what Obama got elected on: Hope and Change.
I like Joe Biden, but he is the epitome of an establishment candidate. I don't think that he is new in a way that will excite people beyond dedicated Democrats. He will get the vote of the Democratic base, but can he expand upon that and excite others? I don't know.
Sanders, Buttigieg, Warren, are all iconoclastic. Mayor Pete has outside of Washington creds. Bernie has been in Washington for a very long time, but he is the opposite of an establishment candidate. His whole career has been swimming against the tide. There is a reason that Sanders excites so many Millennials. He is progressive, exciting, and different from insider politicians. Warren is wonkish but comes off as an outsider progressive.
So: voters tend to vote for new and different over old and experienced. Joe Biden has certainly paid his dues, but I do not think he will really energize the electorate beyond the Democratic establishment. Your opinion may vary. I am open to discussion.
Impeachment
I thought I would start a Thread asking DUers opinions about Impeaching Trump. My questions are: should Trump be Impeached, and if so, then according to what timeline?
My feeling is that the House needs to hear directly from Mueller before making an Impeachment decision. I think that Mueller's intent was that since some in the Justice Department hold the view that sitting Presidents can not legally be indicted (a position I do not affirm), then the only remedy for Trump's possible crimes is Impeachment by the Congress. This might be the only way to get at Trump, at least while he remains in office.
I understand Pelosi's caution in regards to Impeachment, as it might not be politically advantageous to do, but I must agree with Senator Warren that this is a moral issue. Since it is not likely that Trump will be charged with anything while in office, it is the responsibility of the Congress to use their oversight powers and meet their constitutional responsibilities by Impeaching Trump.
So, after Mueller appears in Congress, my feeling is that the House should Impeach Trump, subjetc to more info from Mueller.
What do you think? Should we push to have Trump impeached, and what sort of time frame should there be for it, especially in regards to the Primaries and the upcoming election?
Reserving Judgement
I find it a little odd that some people have chosen certain candidates and then switched to another already. I have some favorite candidates and some that I do not like too much, but I am reserving judgement until I see everyone debate and present themselves over time.
It seems to me to be way too early to choose a candidate. So I am sort of saying that Undecided is probably the best thing to be at this moment, not falling in and out of love with any one candidate. It is way too soon to make a selection.
Undecided
So we have groups here on DU dedicated to each major Democratic Primary Candidate for 2020 (thus far). How about a dedicated Forum for Undecided Folk, where we can go to have positive discussions about Candidates and our decision-making process? Just a thought.
Bernie Sanders Article On Vox
I know that there has been some discussion here of Bernie Sanders' support, or lack of support, from people of color, women, and other demographic groups. I was wondering how much of that was anecdotal and how much of that might be supported by polling data.
I found an interesting article on Vox that addresses that subject, in part. I was wondering what people here at DU might think about the subject and the article. The article is titled "Bernie Sanders' base is diverse- and very young." Here is a link:
https://www.vox.com/2019/3/7/18216899/bernie-sanders-bro-base-polling-2020-president
Kamala Harris
I am a progressive Dem leaning towards Bernie or Warren, but I am interested in Kamala Harris. I was wondering what people might think of her, pro or con? I want to learn more about her than what is on her Wikipedia page.
How progressive is she? Her resume looks good. She seems like a good mix of experience and youth. I want to know more about her and what DUers think about her.
Trump Is An Incompetent Manager
With regards to the firing of McMaster and the nomination of Bolton-
The amount of personnel "churn" in this White House is phenomenal. Trump is dangerously incompetent. Good managers hire good people in the first place. Constantly changing staff is a sign of incompetence and instability. Trump runs the White House like a game of whack-a-mole.
The National Government is being run more like a Banana Republic than a Great Democracy. Trump gives powerful positions to unqualified relatives (Kushner) and is constantly changing staff based upon personality, not qualifications and professionalism.
Trump runs his "administration" like a bad episode of his old reality show. "Don The Con" did not make his fortune by being a brilliant Manager and skilled Entrepreneur. He made his fortune by cheating others and running scams and schemes perpetually funded by debt and ripping off others.
It would be funny if it were not so dangerous. Instead of competent Statesmen, we have Right Wing War Mongers and Conspiracy Theorists in key positions in the White House. The inmates are taking over the asylum, with people so Far Right that they are closer to being Fascists than Republicans.
Nationalism tied to Incompetence is a dangerous mix, and now it is in control of the American Superpower. I fear with Bolton coming in to enable Trump's worst thinking, we are headed to War in a way that will be devastating for us and the entire world.
Trump is incompetent and dangerous. He should be removed for his incompetence, but there is no one positioned in the White House to do it under the 25th Amendment. The sane adults are being removed from the Administration. Chief of Staff John Kelley is rumored to be next. I think that once he is gone, the last brake will be removed from what might be a runaway train.
Under the 25th Amendment, Congress may lawfully create a body that can remove the President in conjunction with the Vice President, if the President can not discharge his duties. Pence is not likely to ever do something like this, and Cabinet Members like Kelly that might be able to do this are being removed from the Administration.
We need to retake the House and push for Impeachment or removal of the President on the grounds of Incompetence under the 25th Amendment.
The Russia And China Problem
Kaschich was on TV talking about the problem of the authoritarian Russian and Chinese governments.
The problem with them is that they are both run by authoritarian regimes. The Russian people and the Chinese people themselves are not the problem; their anti-democratic governments are the problem. The Russian people and the Chinese people are oppressed by their own governments. Many of those people want freedom and democracy, but instead have dictatorship. They should not be our enemies; their governments are our enemies.
Just as we rebuilt Germany and Japan after WW II and made them allies and prosperous democracies, so we should have done with Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Instead, we left them to their own devices, and now they are run by an Authoritarian ex-KGB Officer and the super-rich Oligarchy. They have no democracy, and now Russia is an ongoing threat to freedom and global security.
The Russian people are terribly oppressed. I knew many Russians at my University, and they were all good people who just wanted freedom and life, like anyone else. Instead they have a dictatorship. If Russia and China were democracies, we would not be having these problems. Now Putin wants to weaken America by installing a dangerous and ignorant clown/demagogue, Trump. We need this anti-democratic tyrant out of power ASAP.
So, the Russian and Chinese people are not the problem. Their authoritarian governments are the problem. We need democracy in both these nations. We need to back anti-Putin forces. Trump is a Putin stooge and a threat to democracy everywhere, here and abroad. We need our democracy back. We need freedom and democracy for the Russian and Chinese people, and this will help protect our own freedom. Global Democracy Now! Say no to Tyrants like Trump and Putin!
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Member since: Tue Aug 1, 2017, 08:37 PMNumber of posts: 713
