hay rick
hay rick's JournalWho do you trust on the economy?
One sign of the collapse of serious consideration and discussion of economic issues in American politics is the ubiquitous reporting on the latest polling about "Who do you trust on the economy?" In the presidential contest, the answer is always- horse race. Trump is usually ahead but recently the responses have flipped to show Harris slightly in front.
Judging by the typical results, an inattentive voter might suppose that there must be a reasonable case for either choice. This creates permission to disregard all economic evidence and make choices based on other more comfortable and familiar issues. One might hope and assume that both candidates are being judged by the same standards. Clearly they are not.
Donald Trump is often represented as a successful businessman and, as a rich Republican, likely to be a careful guardian of the public's tax dollars. The evidence says otherwise. His multiple bankruptcies, fines, conflicts of interest, and fraud convictions scream "con man!" His single 4-year presidential term created a record level of public debt that leaves all previous administrations (and the Biden/Harris administration) in the dust.
On the other hand, the discussion about the Biden/Harris record on the economy is constantly reduced to the price of gas and groceries. Inconveniently for this narrative, gas prices are currently down. That's a bit of luck, but in a rational discussion, it would not even be considered a significant factor. The American president does not have the unilateral power to create and maintain low gas prices. Nor should he.
The price of groceries and other goods metric is unfair for similar reasons- lack of unilateral price-setting powers. In addition to the actions of other players, important external factors are almost never included in the oversimplified polling discussions: the supply chain disruptions from Covid and the effect of the war in Ukraine.
DeSantis doesn't trust federal government to look into apparent assassination attempt against Trump. Florida will conduc
Source: Sun Sentinel
Gov. Ron DeSantis expressed doubts Monday about the federal government’s ability to fairly and objectively investigate the apparent assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump.
His solution: Florida will conduct its own state investigation into the Sunday incident at Trump’s golf club near West Palm Beach.
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“I mean I look at the federal government with all due respect to them, you know, those same agencies that are prosecuting Trump in that jurisdiction are now going to be investigating this. I just think that that may not be the best thing for this country.
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DeSantis’ reference to federal agencies refers to the special counsel investigation into Trump’s possession of classified documents after he left office, which is being handled in federal court in South Florida, and the investigation into his attempt to overturn the 2020 election, which is being prosecuted in Washington, D.C.
Read more: https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2024/09/16/desantis-doesnt-trust-federal-government-to-look-into-apparent-assassination-attempt-against-trump-florida-will-conduct-own-probe/
Another shot at the limelight for DeSantis. Shameless as always...
DeSantis administration reviewing abortion petition signatures for "fraudsters."
Source: Sun Sentinel
TAMPA — Florida’s Department of State is examining thousands of petition signatures that were used to get the abortion amendment on November ballots, saying it’s looking for fraud.
In a move that supporters of the amendment fear could be “political interference,” Gov. Ron DeSantis’ deputy secretary of state has asked supervisors in Hillsborough, Orange, Palm Beach and Osceola counties to gather roughly 36,000 signatures for the state to review.
The signatures were among the nearly 1 million collected — and verified by local supervisors as belonging to real Floridians — to permit Amendment 4 to appear before voters in November. The amendment would protect abortion access and undo the state’s six-week abortion ban that DeSantis championed.
Whether the request could be used to challenge the amendment or strike it from the ballot is not clear. A deadline in state law to challenge the validity of the signatures has long passed.
Read more: https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2024/09/05/desantis-administration-reviewing-abortion-amendment-petitions-for-fraudsters/
DeSantis is desperately trying to get back in the news in what he views as a "good way." He just got another public humiliation in the Great Outdoors Initiative scandal. I'm sure it's not lost on the governor that Trump is waffling on abortion rights, including Florida's Amendment 4 ballot initiative, and he sees an opportunity to be the unapologetic champion of pro-life extremists. He doesn't have to succeed, he just has to get media attention for taking a non-waffling stand.
Another Trump Trading Card!
The Commander in Chief can also be a Super Hero! What could possibly go wrong?
NFT prices available on request.
Donald Trump interviews future employees.
Donald Trump is the working man's friend! He finds great satisfaction in the interview and hiring process but the inevitable termination process (You're fired!!!) is his real signature move.
Trump is THEIR crook.
This painting, by Sharif Tarabay, was commissioned by Clarence Thomas' billionaire benefactor, Harland Crow, and memorializes a meeting between Crow, Thomas, Leonard Leo and two other conservative legal activists at Crow's Adirondacks compound.
Trump has a well-deserved reputation as a bully. Like many bullies, he is also immediately submissive to those he fears or he considers superior in power. The obvious example is his deferential attitude to Vladimir Putin. The Federalist Society, which promotes the legal interests and preferences of right wing billionaires, is also able to push Trump around with impunity. All of Trump's Supreme Court nominees were Society members. Trump appointed 54 judges to U. S. courts of appeal. As of March, 2020, 43 of his 51 appointees were Federalist Society members. Trump did what he was told.
Trump needs them. They don't need him. The oligarchs can get what they want and keep what they think they need without him. Their other levers of power include a captive Supreme Court, the legislative veto power of the Senate's 60-vote filibuster rule, and the unlimited bribery permitted by Citizens United. They tolerate Trump in part because his constant bile and buffoonery distracts attention from their systematic looting of the wealth of the people and the well-being of the planet.
I am of two stomachs on this issue.
When Joe started to shuffle onto the debate stage, I was on my feet screaming at the TV before he got to his podium. The night went downhill from there. That fiasco can not be denied or unseen.
On the other hand, Joe is the best president I have seen since Lyndon Johnson. His accomplishments tower over those of his critics. I think only a very superficial and unworthy society would pitch a man's lifetime of achievement over his bad appearance on a single evening.
Joe has been pushed into an exhausting and futile round of repair appearances since the debate. It is unfair to Joe and diminishes the entire process. It caves to the assertion that a sometimes awkward public appearance is as important or more important than substantive policy and a demonstrated history of accomplishment. The problem isn't stuttering, old Joe. The problem is a bunch of juvenile media consumers (voters) and the shallow purveyors of trivia (the media) that feed them.
I am less harshly critical of Democrats who are wringing their hands and asking Joe to step down. There is a real problem that won't go away just because it ignores our calls for unity.
Research shows more Americans support violence to stop a second Trump presidency than back violence in his favor
Source: The Guardian
A survey conducted in late June from the University of Chicago found that there is now more support for violence against Trump (10% of American adults, or 26 million people) compared with violence in favor of Trump (6.9%, or 18 million people). Until January, the survey showed there was more support for violence in favor of Trump.
And of the 26 million American adults who support violence to prevent Trump from regaining the presidency, more than 30% own guns and almost 80% have access to internet organizational tools.
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On both sides, those that support violence are predominantly urban Americans.
The survey also found that 58.6% of American adults agree that in today’s America, elections will not solve the country’s most fundamental political and social problems.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/jul/13/trump-rally-shooting-political-violence
This is a discussion that has been avoided so far. The polling cited suggests that "peace-loving liberals" are losing faith in the ability of America's democratic processes to deliver meaningful results or protect us from harm.
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