Hanaguma

Exactly, so why keep re-fighting it? Seems a bit of an insecurity complex at work. I can understand the mass media doing it. I mean, Trump was GREAT for business and they are pining for the ratings he used to draw. But normal people? Need to get over it and stop letting the Bad Orange Man dominate their days. He lost, he's just private citizen Trump now, stop the obsession. Otherwise, you are just giving him what he craves- attention.

According to Pew Research, these are the top 10 issues in order of importance: economy, gun policy, violent crime, health care, voting policy, education, Supreme Court, abortion, energy policy, immigration. How many of these issues did Biden address in his speech? How many do Democrats want to talk about at all? I don't see "democracy under threat" on that list. Gas prices? $2.28 a gallon in December 2020, stlil averaging $4.00 now, hardly a win for Biden. Inflation? 1.4% in December 2020, nearly 8% today. As for the abortion issue, it is pretty much 50/50. Most Americans favor some limits on abortion availability. Few are extreme- either wanting it banned or wanting it legal until the moment of birth. So what has Joe done to be proud of exactly? He would surely be campaigning on his record if he had one to tout. Not trying to drum up old divisions and fears.

Is it possible, just maybe, for a political discussion to not devolve into a Trump-based whingefest? Bad enough that the current occupant of the White House does it, no need for everyone else to as well. The former President isn't on the ballot this fall. The current administration IS, at least in policy form. That is why I found it rather discomfiting that President Biden said nothing at all about the issues that Americans care about in his speech. Inflation, gas and energy policy, immigration, none were even given a word. Which is a sad testament to the current administration. They see their only path to victory is in trying to re-win the past election and hope people don't notice.

Irrelevant. Stop trying to muddy the waters. We were talking about Biden and his false accusation. Are you willing to concede that Joe was wrong to accuse Trump of calling neo nazis "fine people"? That Trump has in fact heartily condemned racists and their ilk on numerous occasions?

Yes, hatred of white supremacists and KKK types, as evidenced in my quotes.

Keep wiggling. Keep moving the goalposts. She was a sore loser and did not want to admit that she lost (sound familiar)? Trump lost and didn't want to admit it. Hillary lost and didn't want to admit it. Biden piled on and called Trump "illegitimate". Do you forget the "Not My President" rallies?

Yes, after being badgered for months about his supposed non-condemnation of supremacist groups, Trump was understandably getting impatient with the Democrats and the mainstream media (but I repeat myself). Even Fact Check, hardly a Trump supporting group, acknowledged this; https://www.factcheck.org/2020/02/trump-has-condemned-white-supremacists/ To quote the Bad Orange Man, "Racism is evil. And those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs, including the KKK, neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and other hate groups that are repugnant to everything we hold dear as Americans" and “The shooter in El Paso (after a mass shooting) posted a manifesto online consumed by racist hate. In one voice, our nation must condemn racism, bigotry, and white supremacy. These sinister ideologies must be defeated. Hate has no place in America. Hatred warps the mind, ravages the heart, and devours the soul. We have asked the FBI to identify all further resources they need to investigate and disrupt hate crimes and domestic terrorism — whatever they need.”

In the Washington Post, September 2019, Hillary asserted that Trump stole the election. She said; “No, it doesn’t kill me (losing the election) because he knows he’s an illegitimate president,” she said. “I believe he understands that the many varying tactics they used, from voter suppression and voter purging to hacking to the false stories — he knows that — there were just a bunch of different reasons why the election turned out like it did.” She repeated the claim in several interviews such as on CBS news later that week. Bitter much? Three years after losing and still nursing a grudge.

Biden deliberately mischaracterized and misquoted the President. The facts are clear on that. Trump did NOT call the racists and neo-Nazis "fine people" yet Biden claimed that he did. It was a foul and divisive way to start his campaign. As for Biden calling Trump an illegitimate president, how often would he have to do so for it to 'count'? Once is just a 'gimme'? Yet to be fair Biden was not alone in disputing the results of the 2016 election. The losing candidate (Clinton) also did so for years. As did Biden's current press secretary. So the hyperventilating over Republicans disputing the results of the 2020 election needs to stop.

The lie is Biden's claim that, after the Charlottesville riots, Trump said that there were "very fine people on both sides" in the sense that some of the neo-Nazis were very fine people. Biden claimed, "With those words, the president of the United States assigned a moral equivalence between those spreading hate and those with the courage to stand against it,". The President did NOT say that. He actually specifically CONDEMNED them. In fact, he said; "And you had people — and I'm not talking about the neo-Nazis and the White nationalists, because they should be condemned totally — but you had many people in that group other than neo-Nazis and White nationalists." This was in discussing the removal of Confederate statues, NOT the racist marches. And he was correct. The statue protest was one thing, the racist marches another entirely. Biden deliberately lied and deliberately misconstrued the remarks to make political points. The denial comes from this article: https://www.insider.com/joe-biden-says-he-agrees-trump-is-illegitimate-president-2019-5 A voter said that Trump was "an illegitimate President in her mind" and Biden said, "I absoultely agree".

Considering that Biden himself predicated his presidential campain in 2020 on a lie, and also was a 2016 election denier, he needs to be a bit more circumspect in how he talks. Some things he did not mention in his screed; inflation, opiod addiction, border policy, migrants, education, energy, prices, etc. Yet he DID manage to say "maga" 13 times. So who was the actual audience, I wonder.

according to Reuters the current President's approval now stands at........ 38%. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-approval-falls-holding-near-low-end-his-presidency-reutersipsos-finds-2022-08-30/

...then RICO statutes would surely apply, no? Again, you like so many others are allowing your <deleted> to colour your intellect. Not sure why, but The Donald really brings out the tiny fisted tantrums in so many people.

This sounds more like a "basket of conspiracies" than a "basket of deplorables". Interesting the story doesn't mention actual left wing violence- attempted assassination of GOP members at a baseball game, attempted assassination of Justice Kavanaugh, ANTIFA burning federal facilities across the country, etc. I guess since the "ultra MAGA" label didn't stick, Biden is going to go with "semi-fascist" instead. Haven't heard what exactly that means, but never mind. It plays well on Twitter.

...but others who both trespassed AND attacked the police got lesser sentences. Plus AFAIK no evidence that he forced his way into the building. He followed others, didn't assault anyone, never spoke a word to the Senator or his security, was never charged with assault, spent less than 40 minutes in the Capitol. That is more than a month of prison per minute of trespassing.

There was no evidence presented that he threatened the Senator, or even spoke to him. Not sure what relevance his tattoos show, perhaps just that he is a patriot. I have no trouble with him being charged and convicted but the sentence is quite high for a non violent crime. Higher even than some previous convictions of people who actually assaulted police officers.

Seems rather harsh for a non violent offense. He did not attack any police, nor did he threaten anyone, nor did he say/do anything to Senator Schumer.

Really? You certainly seemed "interested" when you thought you were scoring cheap political points against the former President though...

Nice try at deflection, but I did not mention dementia in my posts. I do think there are some obvious issues of cognitive decline with the President- you can see in his movements, mannerisms, and speech. But that is part of life for a man pushing 80 years old. As to what is causing them, I will leave up to health care professionals. I mean, God forbid the media would ever make unsubstantiated speculations on the health (physical or mental) of the President. That would be irresponsible. Now, any thoughts on why he is absent from the White House more than any other recent president? Or why he is not available to the press?

I think you know what I meant. "Those who borrowed the money have a responsibility to pay it back".

Not my guess, just facts. Any comment on Joe's disappearing act? You were wrong in comparing his vacation time and availability to the Bad Orange Man.

But it IS $20,000 higher than those others. As I repeatedly said, going to uni gives a significant salary advantage. Time to pay up. You (students) borrowed the money, and are reaping the benefits. Time to honor your obligations.

Actually, he is spending a LOT of his time on the beach in Delaware. 150 days so far, according to this article. More than Trump, Obama, or Bush at this point in their respective presidencies. https://nypost.com/2022/08/22/bidens-vacation-time-outstrips-trump-obama-bush-after-trip/ Believe he has done exactly 1 interview in the past 6 months, back in June. From taking office on 20 January 2021 up to 29 April 2022, Biden gave 23 interviews. Between 20 January 2017 and 29 April 2018, by contrast, Trump gave 95 interviews, according to the White House Transition Project, a non-partisan group that chronicles presidential communications. Over their equivalent periods, Barack Obama gave 187 interviews, George W Bush gave 60, Bill Clinton gave 64, George HW Bush gave 70 and Ronald Reagan gave 78, the Project found. Biden has also held fewer solo press conferences than other recent presidents. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jun/05/joe-biden-few-press-interviews-media-access Wonder why that is....

Also rarely allowed to have interviews with jounalists, or press conferences. His availabity is abominable. Clearly he is being sheltered by his staff, with the full cooperation of the media establishment.

According to Wharton, that is not true. 63% goes to people earning over $80,000.