Republican National Convention(s)

[*Nately120*]

(08-25-2020, 01:36 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: So half of the key speakers are Trumps. How many of the DNC key speakers were Bidens? Zero.

Easy response - Yeah, well the Trump's are awesome and the Biden's suck so why not tap into the amazing resource of the genius/successful bloodline you have if you have it?  Ok, this is pure plutocracy.

Extra insult version - Grampa Joe Biden is probably too demented to even remember that he has relatives.

[*PhilHos*]

(08-25-2020, 01:28 PM)Nately120 Wrote: Right, and now we are seeing a number of republicans, including the only living former republican president joining the anti-Trump bandwagon.  I mean, to hell with Biden, but you have to admit that the "anyone but Trump" sentiment is hardly a leftist position at this point.

No, it's not just a leftist position, but it's still a stupid position. I can think of quite a few people that would make worse presidents than Trump.

[*PhilHos*]

(08-25-2020, 01:35 PM)BmorePat87 Wrote: How so? Biden has a history of working with people on both sides of the aisle, has big name Republicans endorsing him, and isn't the person who spent 8 years saying that the leader of the other party was born in Africa. 

"If you don't vote for me you ain't black"

Such a uniting statement.

[*Nately120*]

(08-25-2020, 01:54 PM)PhilHos Wrote: No, it's not just a leftist position, but it's still a stupid position. I can think of quite a few people that would make worse presidents than Trump.

That is what I find interesting about the Trump presidency.  As the 2020 election approaches Trump supporters are tossing a significant number of republicans into the same category of "stupid" as the liberals who wanted him out from day one.

[*PhilHos*]

(08-25-2020, 01:36 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: First, I did not say anything about Hitler. Second, the ninja smiley gives away that I was being facetious. Third, the joke was a play on this image:


So half of the key speakers are Trumps. How many of the DNC key speakers were Bidens? Zero.

No, you didn't mention Hitler, but making a comparison to North Korea is almost the same.

Secondly, I got your ninja smiley, but you're not the first who's complained about so many Trumps speaking at the RNC. I just used your post as a springboard so I can make MY snarky comment.

Lastly, they may not have been "key" speakers, but the fact remains Biden's family spoke at the DNC and no one cared, but Trump's family speaking at the RNC makes Trump a fascist apparently. It's just more of the Dems making mountains out of any Trump molehills.

[*PhilHos*]

(08-25-2020, 02:00 PM)Nately120 Wrote: That is what I find interesting about the Trump presidency.  As the 2020 election approaches Trump supporters are tossing a significant number of republicans into the same category of "stupid" as the liberals who wanted him out from day one.

I'm not saying that wanting him out is stupid. I'm saying that claiming ANYONE is a better candidate than Trump is stupid.

[*Nately120*]

(08-25-2020, 02:02 PM)PhilHos Wrote: No, you didn't mention Hitler, but making a comparison to North Korea is almost the same.

Secondly, I got your ninja smiley, but you're not the first who's complained about so many Trumps speaking at the RNC. I just used your post as a springboard so I can make MY snarky comment.

Lastly, they may not have been "key" speakers, but the fact remains Biden's family spoke at the DNC and no one cared, but Trump's family speaking at the RNC makes Trump a fascist apparently. It's just more of the Dems making mountains out of any Trump molehills.

Personally I think Trump's family speaking at the RNC makes them seem more like a cross between the Royal Family and an even more bizarre version of the Kennedy family.

[Belsnickel]

(08-25-2020, 02:02 PM)PhilHos Wrote: I'm not saying that wanting him out is stupid. I'm saying that claiming ANYONE is a better candidate than Trump is stupid.

I mean, I think the "Any Functioning Adult" signs are pretty much spot on.

[Belsnickel]

(08-25-2020, 02:02 PM)PhilHos Wrote: No, you didn't mention Hitler, but making a comparison to North Korea is almost the same.

Secondly, I got your ninja smiley, but you're not the first who's complained about so many Trumps speaking at the RNC. I just used your post as a springboard so I can make MY snarky comment.

Lastly, they may not have been "key" speakers, but the fact remains Biden's family spoke at the DNC and no one cared, but Trump's family speaking at the RNC makes Trump a fascist apparently. It's just more of the Dems making mountains out of any Trump molehills.

One or two family members always speak at these conventions, and no one has cared about it for either party. But they aren't typically key speakers and they don't typically make up half of them even if they are. It's abnormal and not comparable to what happened at the DNC.

[*Nately120*]

(08-25-2020, 02:02 PM)PhilHos Wrote: I'm not saying that wanting him out is stupid. I'm saying that claiming ANYONE is a better candidate than Trump is stupid.

I guess it depends if that's just a hyperbolic statement or people mean any other actual politician/option would be better.

[GMDino]

(08-25-2020, 01:16 PM)PhilHos Wrote: Is that any different than the Dems' "we have to elect anyone but Trump" party platform?

Heck, Dems have tried to remove Trump from office since his inauguration!

Yes, yes it is different because they have a party platform.

There is a difference between pointing out the flaws in the person you are running against and the differences in policy and the GOP saying "We don't care what he does as long it's Trump".

[*PhilHos*]

(08-25-2020, 02:06 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: One or two family members always speak at these conventions, and no one has cared about it for either party. But they aren't typically key speakers and they don't typically make up half of them even if they are. It's abnormal and not comparable to what happened at the DNC.

It's not like his family make up key positions within his administration. Imagine if Trump had no family. Each position his family member fills in his administration was made up of someone else and these people are speaking at the RNC. Would you liken it to a fascist regime? Probably not. 

I get it. I, too, don't like that so much of his family makes up his administration and that they are speaking at the RNC. But, likening it to a fascist regime? C'mon.

[samhain]

So, seeing the convention and it's lineup of family and trophy wives du jour/girlfriends that weren't good enough for Gavin Newsome, can anyone really argue that the GOP isn't dead? It's all Trump and will be even if he loses. Let's go ahead and remember this should all of the distancincing and selective memory come about if/when he's voted out and the GOP tries to purge his stupidity from it's mental rolodex. It's not conservatism. They and most of their voters went all in on authoritarian populism, and were backed up by the great majority of their elected officials. They killed their own party for a 4-year lib-smashing MAGA bender. They are now the Trump/Qanon party, and where they go one they go all, and that includes straight into the toilet if it plays out that way. Don't forget it.

[Belsnickel]

(08-25-2020, 03:08 PM)PhilHos Wrote: It's not like his family make up key positions within his administration. Imagine if Trump had no family. Each position his family member fills in his administration was made up of someone else and these people are speaking at the RNC. Would you liken it to a fascist regime? Probably not. 

I get it. I, too, don't like that so much of his family makes up his administration and that they are speaking at the RNC. But, likening it to a fascist regime? C'mon.

Here's the thing, though, that is what fascist regimes do. If Trump does something a fascist regime does, like install family members in high level positions because it would help ensure loyalty, then he's going to get compared to a fascist regime. It's not a common trait of western democracies to install family members in positions like that.

[*PhilHos*]

(08-25-2020, 02:10 PM)GMDino Wrote: Yes, yes it is different because they have a party platform.

The GOP have a party platform. It's the same as 2016, but it's still a party platform.

(08-25-2020, 02:10 PM)GMDino Wrote: There is a difference between pointing out the flaws in the person you are running against and the differences in policy and the GOP saying "We don't care what he does as long it's Trump".

The Dems have been doing FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR more than just pointing out Trump's flaws the past 4 years.

[*PhilHos*]

(08-25-2020, 03:38 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: Here's the thing, though, that is what fascist regimes do. If Trump does something a fascist regime does, like install family members in high level positions because it would help ensure loyalty, then he's going to get compared to a fascist regime. It's not a common trait of western democracies to install family members in positions like that.

It's also what many business owners do, too. Too bad, Trump was a fascist dictator before becoming president and that's the only thing we can compare him to. 

We've had 4 years of Trump and he's nowhere near closer to being a fascist dictator now than he was 4 years ago, but, sure, keep comparing him to one because THAT doesn't further divide the country or anything.

[Belsnickel]

(08-25-2020, 03:42 PM)PhilHos Wrote: It's also what many business owners do, too. Too bad, Trump was a fascist dictator before becoming president and that's the only thing we can compare him to. 

We've had 4 years of Trump and he's nowhere near closer to being a fascist dictator now than he was 4 years ago, but, sure, keep comparing him to one because THAT doesn't further divide the country or anything.

Yes, but a business is also not a democracy. It's undemocratic to do those things. Small "d" democratic. What is the opposite of democracy? Tyranny. Doing undemocratic things means sliding further away from democracy, and Trump has been consistently attacking democracy.

[*PhilHos*]

(08-25-2020, 03:50 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: Yes, but a business is also not a democracy. It's undemocratic to do those things. Small "d" democratic. What is the opposite of democracy? Tyranny. Doing undemocratic things means sliding further away from democracy, and Trump has been consistently attacking democracy.

So appointing people to positions they were not voted into is democracy but appointing family members to those same positions is attacking democracy. Got it.

[BmorePat87]

(08-25-2020, 01:55 PM)PhilHos Wrote: "If you don't vote for me you ain't black"

Such a uniting statement.

So one off the cuff remark that he apologized for erases everything else?

Nah. The divider label was BS slapped on by a Republican Party as a way to attack Obama despite them spending years setting record levels of inaction under McConnell's leadership, both as the minority and majority leader, and continuing to do so now. Their persistence in insulting Obama then, calling him a foreign born marxist Muslim set the standard for what division is. Following someone now who uses taunting, childish names for political opponents solidifies their grasps on that distinction.

[*PhilHos*]

(08-25-2020, 04:01 PM)BmorePat87 Wrote: So one off the cuff remark that he apologized for erases everything else?

Nah. The divider label was BS slapped on by a Republican Party as a way to attack Obama despite them spending years setting record levels of inaction under McConnell's leadership, both as the minority and majority leader, and continuing to do so now.

One remark? How about the one where he claimed blacks aren't as "diverse" as Hispanics? Or where he said 10-15% of Americans are not "very good people"? How about claiming that he was only going to look for a POC female for his running mate? Joe is as much a uniter as a glue bottle filled with water.

Honestly, that's not all his fault. Our country is so divided politically it would take an independent with MASSIVE amounts of charisma or a severe tragedy to unite most Americans. But, still, uniter? Give me a break.