What Americans Want and why Democrats Failed

[Patong2021]

6 hours ago, jerrymahoney said:

I am a 70+ years old guy in NE Thailand. I have and have never had any immediate family wives or children in USofA (e.g. the guy whose daughter comes to visit him in Thailand and she is older than his current Thai wife).

 

As far as MY connection to the US, what matters to me are these concerns:

 

The US Stock market 
The money/bond market
Social Security
Medicare (if needed)
The USD to Thai baht exchange rate to the extent influenced by the US economy

 

And for me, personally, as long as those things stay copacetic I don't really care who is US President.
 

 

Understood. However, A 2023 survey conducted by Payroll.org highlighted that 78% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, a 6% increase from the previous year. In other words, more than three-quarters of Americans struggle to save or invest after paying for their monthly expenses.  https://www.forbes.com/advisor/banking/living-paycheck-to-paycheck-statistics-2024/#:~:text=or lost income.-,How Many Americans Are Living Paycheck to Paycheck%3F,paying for their monthly expenses.

 

The Forbes article is potent and to be honest, I am oblivious to their plight. Like you, I am concerned only with my ROI on investments. I am still paying into the retirement plans, and doubt I will collect what I contributed to the government when the time comes to claim the benefit. The Trump campaign understood the fears and concerns of the paycheck to paycheck people and gave them something to  dream for, to hope for. The Democrats did not. Desperate people will attach themselves to the candidate who offers a chance to do better.

 

 

[Patong2021]

6 hours ago, mogandave said:

Say the median age of account owners is 40. What might be the expected value of a $30K in an S&P index fund in 25 years? 

 

Long term planning and strategy is not a trait of the US citizen or of US companies. Very few Americans are thinking about 25 years. Most are struggling to pay this month's expenses.

Over several decades I have worked for large US multinationals. The emphasis, the focus was always on short term gain, of increasing share price and maximizing shareholder return. 

[Patong2021]

6 hours ago, mogandave said:

$1,000 invested in an S & P 500 index fund in 1985 would be worth about $45k today. 

If in addition to the initial $1,000 investment, you invested $100 per month, the value today would be about $600k.

 That's nice. Please adjust for after tax and time value.

Also, please reflect the reality. The vast majority of Americans are struggling to pay this month's expenses. The server at Denny's, the cashier at Walmart, the school teacher in Topeka,  typically does not have $100 a month to invest like this.

[jerrymahoney]

5 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

(Understood)  The Forbes article is potent and to be honest, I am oblivious to their plight. Like you, I am concerned only with my ROI on investments.

Reagan in the 1980 debate with then President Jimmy Carter famously asked: “Are you better off today than you were four years ago?”

 

He didn't ask are other people better off, he asked about YOU. I realize, as James Carville said in 1992 "It's the economy, stupid" and that may be the single best reason why the Dems lost this week.

 

Whether Trump can make happy those people who feel disenfranchised and disillusioned with their current economic straits, I guess we will find out later.

[Talon]

WHY TRUMP WON

 

Great Watch

 

 

 

 

[bubblegum]

13 hours ago, oxo1947 said:

Why would we want to read project 2025 when it was written by Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation, Hot Trump, who has said 101 times that he didn't agree with it.....

 

Once again -when condemning Trump--dont lets get any fact's in the way of a good argument

Sure, stay gullible.

[hotchilli]

On 11/6/2024 at 8:37 PM, NickyLouie said:

 

 

 

 

 

Brilliant.....

[thailand49]

On 11/7/2024 at 3:37 AM, Jingthing said:

They clearly want fascism.

🤧

[Chosenfew]

[simple1]

11 hours ago, theblether said:

The majority of voters made it clear they don't want what the Democrats are offering. 

 

The sooner the Democrats excise the poison of the Marxist scum and DEI grifters the better. These people are a cancer on the party. 

 

And the bizarre thing is, as a result they have driven youngsters into conservative/republican positions. 

 

68% of those who could vote did not do so. Those that did currently shows trump received roughly the same number of votes as in 2020, whereas Harris received approx 10 million less than Biden in 2020.

[flexomike]

On 11/7/2024 at 3:37 AM, Jingthing said:

They clearly want fascism.

NO we just want you to take your BS elsewhere

[flexomike]

17 hours ago, Jingthing said:

Why do you defend such a sleazeball?

You are the king of <removed>

[Woke to Sounds of Horking]

18 hours ago, Jingthing said:

"Real news" like on Russia Today, Qanon or Alex Jones?

Tools of the Devil, the lot of 'em.

[flexomike]

11 hours ago, quake said:

 

Please, move away from the mirror.

Yes with a face like that I am sure it would crack

[G_Money]

12 hours ago, jas007 said:

 

Inflation stabilized?  

 

You haven't seen anything yet.  The Fed is now about to cut interest rates again, and with Trump in the White House, we can look forward to more money printing and deficit spending.  That was going to happen, regardless of who won the presidency.  They have no choice.  

 

They say the dollar has another five years or so. 

“They say the dollar has another five years or so. “

 

Again.  Been hearing that for 30+ years.

 

This time it’s different.  Got it!

 

 

[spidermike007]

I think this has to be an inflection point for the dems, there is much to be learned. I can't tell you the number of people that I've spoken with that tell me that the two biggest issues for them were the economy (and their perception that Biden was not doing much for the economy, which I tend to agree with) and the PC agenda. Especially trans rights, the fact that they had daughters who competed on teams that insisted on a man who decided to transition being allowed to use the same locker room even though his package was still intact. I don't think that as a Democrat we can overestimate the degree to which people were offended by that kind of policy. I could go on and on about the PC agenda and the extent to which it alienated tens of millions of folks, feeling like it was being crammed down their throats, how to speak, how to behave, and how to act.

 

I have to admit I am amongst those people, I am not a PC guy, I have not bought into the woke agenda, so I can relate. 

 

The other aspect of this is that Biden should have been forced to accept one term, and he should have been moved aside before he even made the decision to run again. It's not about deferring to an incumbent, it's about the survival of the party. 

 

My last thought is that after this massive failure the entire Democratic party apparatus should be dismantled, all the people in charge should be fired, and the party should be rebuilt from scratch from the ground up.

 

Demonizing conservatives at this point is simply not helpful, there is a reason why they voted the way they voted. I have a lot of conservative friends and family who I love and respect and I get why they were not comfortable choosing Harris. I did not like her, I have never liked her, I did not find her to be a likable character and I cannot express how many people have spoken to that disliked her to a huge extent and were extremely turned off by her extreme lack of policy. That was not misogyny. It was personality, her track record, and a lack of substance. 

 

We must learn from this or we're destined to repeat the same mistakes over and over.

[spidermike007]

11 hours ago, advancebooking said:

But the US economy has never been better. You can thank Biden for that. Trump the felon is inheriting this. Dont forget that in years to come. 

As a centrist dem I disagree. Inflation is still raging (despite what the fake govt. reports say), consumer confidence is very weak and there are a number of reasons the stock market is so high, which have nothing to do with a strong economy. It is harder to survive for the average American, than it has ever been. 

[NickyLouie]

3 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

As a centrist dem I disagree. Inflation is still raging (despite what the fake govt. reports say), consumer confidence is very weak and there are a number of reasons the stock market is so high, which have nothing to do with a strong economy. It is harder to survive for the average American, than it has ever been. 

 

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[zmisha]

Our leader Vladimir told us that Biden is predictable. I think that the Democrats' simple and straightforward strategy in Ukraine did not allow them to achieve the desired success there, and therefore they failed in this election.

Today Vladimir Putin congratulated Trump on his election victory.
Image generated by AI:

[Thingamabob]

On 11/7/2024 at 3:37 AM, Jingthing said:

They clearly want fascism.

Have you experienced FASCISM in your lifetime ? For those that have it's not a word to be used lightly.

[tai4de2]

28 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

I think this has to be an inflection point for the dems, there is much to be learned. I can't tell you the number of people that I've spoken with that tell me that the two biggest issues for them were the economy (and their perception that Biden was not doing much for the economy, which I tend to agree with) and the PC agenda. Especially trans rights, the fact that they had daughters who competed on teams that insisted on a man who decided to transition being allowed to use the same locker room even though his package was still intact. I don't think that as a Democrat we can overestimate the degree to which people were offended by that kind of policy. I could go on and on about the PC agenda and the extent to which it alienated tens of millions of folks, feeling like it was being crammed down their throats, how to speak, how to behave, and how to act.

 

I have to admit I am amongst those people, I am not a PC guy, I have not bought into the woke agenda, so I can relate. 

 

The other aspect of this is that Biden should have been forced to accept one term, and he should have been moved aside before he even made the decision to run again. It's not about deferring to an incumbent, it's about the survival of the party. 

 

My last thought is that after this massive failure the entire Democratic party apparatus should be dismantled, all the people in charge should be fired, and the party should be rebuilt from scratch from the ground up.

 

Demonizing conservatives at this point is simply not helpful, there is a reason why they voted the way they voted. I have a lot of conservative friends and family who I love and respect and I get why they were not comfortable choosing Harris. I did not like her, I have never liked her, I did not find her to be a likable character and I cannot express how many people have spoken to that disliked her to a huge extent and were extremely turned off by her extreme lack of policy. That was not misogyny. It was personality, her track record, and a lack of substance. 

 

We must learn from this or we're destined to repeat the same mistakes over and over.

 

Just wanted to say: great post.

 

[Thingamabob]

23 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

I think this has to be an inflection point for the dems, there is much to be learned. I can't tell you the number of people that I've spoken with that tell me that the two biggest issues for them were the economy (and their perception that Biden was not doing much for the economy, which I tend to agree with) and the PC agenda. Especially trans rights, the fact that they had daughters who competed on teams that insisted on a man who decided to transition being allowed to use the same locker room even though his package was still intact. I don't think that as a Democrat we can overestimate the degree to which people were offended by that kind of policy. I could go on and on about the PC agenda and the extent to which it alienated tens of millions of folks, feeling like it was being crammed down their throats, how to speak, how to behave, and how to act.

 

I have to admit I am amongst those people, I am not a PC guy, I have not bought into the woke agenda, so I can relate. 

 

The other aspect of this is that Biden should have been forced to accept one term, and he should have been moved aside before he even made the decision to run again. It's not about deferring to an incumbent, it's about the survival of the party. 

 

My last thought is that after this massive failure the entire Democratic party apparatus should be dismantled, all the people in charge should be fired, and the party should be rebuilt from scratch from the ground up.

 

Demonizing conservatives at this point is simply not helpful, there is a reason why they voted the way they voted. I have a lot of conservative friends and family who I love and respect and I get why they were not comfortable choosing Harris. I did not like her, I have never liked her, I did not find her to be a likable character and I cannot express how many people have spoken to that disliked her to a huge extent and were extremely turned off by her extreme lack of policy. That was not misogyny. It was personality, her track record, and a lack of substance. 

 

We must learn from this or we're destined to repeat the same mistakes over and over.

Well said. A starting point would be for both main parties to agree on oath not to appoint as leader anyone who is less than fully fit both mentally and physically after a proper medical examination.

[jesimps]

18 hours ago, Jingthing said:

You worship him.

Do you want to force others to?

It's appearing that many of the sore winners do.

 

You're never going to get the majority of the American people to agree with you by insulting them. Unfortunately, the left never look for the reasons that they were spanked in the election like the economy, mass-immigration, wokery etc, they always resort to name calling, just like kindergarten kids.

[Thingamabob]

18 hours ago, Jingthing said:

You worship him.

Do you want to force others to?

It's appearing that many of the sore winners do.

 

Sore winners ? That's a new one. Soreness is only felt by losers 

[impulse]

1 hour ago, simple1 said:

 

68% of those who could vote did not do so. Those that did currently shows trump received roughly the same number of votes as in 2020, whereas Harris received approx 10 million less than Biden in 2020.

 

For that statistic (68%) to be true, the voting population in the USA would have to be 437 million.

 

Here's an interesting graph that's making its way around the wingnut conspiracy sites...  The MSM is already pre-bunking it, using the same fibs they've used all along.  The data is correct, in the history books.  The question then becomes interpretation of the data.

 

 

 

 

 

[Hawaiian]

15 hours ago, BangkokReady said:

 

Rational person: "Actually, Trump isn't a fascist."

 

Jingthing: "See?!!  They want us to lick his feet!!!"

 

I don't think Jingthing is coping well with the situation...  😬

He is totally bent out of shape thinking that rational Americans would continue to put up with illegals flooding the country and all the woke and DEI  BS and labeling it as progress.

This election proved he was wrong.  Many Americans also ditched their senators and congressional representatives.

[mdr224]

56 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

As a centrist dem I disagree. Inflation is still raging (despite what the fake govt. reports say), consumer confidence is very weak and there are a number of reasons the stock market is so high, which have nothing to do with a strong economy. It is harder to survive for the average American, than it has ever been. 

This is the reason i voted for trump, first time voter and probably the last. The decision is really easy when you dont consume media

[mogandave]

So the usual suspects that were talking about how great the economy was a few days ago, now seem to be talking about how the economy is on the verge of collapse under Trump. 

 

The same people that were saying the market only benefits the rich six years ago, were using market growth as an indicator of how great the economy was, and how stupid people that disagreed were. 

 

The same people who said the good parts of Trump’s economy was Obama’s, said that the bad parts of Biden’s economy were Trump’s, and that the good parts are Biden’s, will be now blaming Trump for everything bad, and praising Biden for everything good. 

 

The market saw a big jump when Trump won, not so much because Trump won, but because the market does not like uncertainty. 

 

It is worth noting that the Obama’s “official” position on the economy, was that hay-days were over, and that going forward, it would be a managed decline.

 

A lot of people loved Obama. I did not vote for him, but I was happy when he was elected the first time, and disappointed the second. 

 

I have come to believe he is the most evil man in US recent political history.

[impulse]

6 minutes ago, mogandave said:

A lot of people loved Obama. I did not vote for him, but I was happy when he was elected the first time, and disappointed the second. 

 

I have come to believe he is the most evil man in US recent political history.

 

He was the most disappointing president in my lifetime.  I was thrilled when he got elected.  And appalled when he got his 2nd term.  He broke just about every campaign promise.  The most egregious being the promise of a transparent gub'ment.

 

[G_Money]

1 hour ago, zmisha said:

Our leader Vladimir told us that Biden is predictable. I think that the Democrats' simple and straightforward strategy in Ukraine did not allow them to achieve the desired success there, and therefore they failed in this election.

Today Vladimir Putin congratulated Trump on his election victory.
Image generated by AI:

Trump doesn’t drink.