2020 State of the Union Address

[NeuroTypical]

Holy crap that was an awfully impressive list of record-breaking all-time-best good news.  You can also really see how wide the partisan divide has become.

[Just_A_Guy]

I was impressed overall (sort of scratching my head over how the GOP went all-in on mandated family leave and “protecting social security and Medicare” and promising ongoing health care to those with pre-existing conditions; but the speech generally had a lot of good feels and Madame Speaker’s reactions were priceless).

I also noted Arizona’s Senator Sinema bucking her party and applauding quite a bit.  

Edited February 5, 2020 by Just_A_Guy

[NeuroTypical]

7 hours ago, Just_A_Guy said:

I was impressed overall (sort of scratching my head over how the GOP went all-in on mandated family leave and “protecting social security and Medicare” and promising ongoing health care to those with pre-existing conditions.

Yeah, Trump isn't the fiscal conservative I keep hoping for.   

But after hearing all that stuff, and watching the Democratic dour, disapproving, sometimes openly contemptuous reactions to so much overwhelmingly good news, it makes me wonder: Was Petulant-Child-Who-Never-Played-Sports-And-Learned-To-Lose-Gracefully Nancy Pelosi tearing up Trump's speech, or was she tearing up the Dem hopes for a win in November?

[anatess2]

7 hours ago, Just_A_Guy said:

sort of scratching my head over how the GOP went all-in on mandated family leave and “protecting social security and Medicare”

And this is why Ivanka should not be working that closely in the White House, let alone become President.  This has her written all over it.

Although the "protecting social security and Medicare" is a counter to the Bernie/Warren/et.al. campaign stomp speech of Medicare for All.

[anatess2]

2 minutes ago, NeuroTypical said:

Yeah, Trump isn't the fiscal conservative I keep hoping for.   

He promised to drastically lower the national debt on his 2016 stomp speeches.  I knew that was a tall order back then because Trump's personal history has a different view of debt.  Trump isn't a fiscal conservative and he didn't promise to be one.  But he did promise to increase the GDP and correct trade imbalances, which, in my view would stem the debt increases through increased revenue... unfortunately, that increase in revenue hasn't made a dent in the national debt at all and the majority Republican Congress can't seem to stop out-spending Democrats.

[anatess2]

7 hours ago, Just_A_Guy said:

I also noted Arizona’s Senator Sinema bucking her party and applauding quite a bit.  

And then there's Ilhan Omar and her seatmates that refused to stand up even for the centenarian Tuskagee airman.

[anatess2]

11 minutes ago, NeuroTypical said:

Was Petulant-Child-Who-Never-Played-Sports-And-Learned-To-Lose-Gracefully Nancy Pelosi tearing up Trump's speech, or was she tearing up the Dem hopes for a win in November?

She's tearing up Bernie Iowa ballots...

[NeuroTypical]

Interesting things: 

- Democratic response didn't mention the impeachment.
- Democratic response wasn't a response: "Instead of talking about what [Trump] is saying, I'm going to highlight what Democrats are doing."

So, the Dem response to all that good news, is basically to ignore it?  Is that really the best play?

I mean, even I know that Trump taking credit for energy independence is silly.  Stuff decided a decade ago is why we reached energy independence.

 

And I have to admit, watching Rush's face after the President awarded him the Medal of Freedom had an emotional impact on me.  Rush's principled arguments were one of the 3 major factors in my life that swung me from my dad's left/democrat politics, to right/conservative paths.  If anyone else had a similar swing in the '80's, '90's, or 2020's, watching this video may bring a tear to your eye too.

 

Edited February 5, 2020 by NeuroTypical

[estradling75]

The Democratic power base is "Victimhood"  They promise represent/protect/defend you if you are a Victim.... And that sells very well.  But it poses a problem in fixing things.  Once things start looking better and less "Victimhoodie" Democrats have nothing.  They either have to convince you things are not better, not let things get better... or make you their next target.

Thus any kind of real progress, real solutions, is a bane to keeping the Democratic leadership in power.

[anatess2]

Just now, NeuroTypical said:

Interesting things: 

- Democratic response didn't mention the impeachment.
- Democratic response wasn't a response: "Instead of talking about what [Trump] is saying, I'm going to highlight what Democrats are doing."

So, the Dem response to all that good news, is basically to ignore it?  Is that really the best play?

Do you know that I didn't even stay up for the response?  This is the first time I did that that I can remember.  After the feel-good last lines, I was just too tired and too not interested in dousing the feels.  I did stay up a bit to go through Rush Limbaugh's show transcripts trying to find where he said he had lung cancer because... I've been so out of the pulse after my son left for his mission and my dog died and my bird died all within a week that I didn't know Rush Limbaugh got what killed my dad until it got mentioned in the SOTU.

 

Just now, NeuroTypical said:

I mean, even I know that Trump taking credit for energy independence is silly.  Stuff decided a decade ago is why we reached energy independence.

Uhmm... not really.  Obama put a lid on all that with his move to AERS following Al Gore's plan.  Trump reversed all that and achieved energy independence (a platform not shared by many on both Democrat and Republican sides as they don't see a problem with energy dependence especially on Mexico or Canada).

[anatess2]

3 minutes ago, estradling75 said:

The Democratic power base is "Victimhood"  They promise represent/protect/defend you if you are a Victim.... And that sells very well.  But it poses a problem in fixing things.  Once things start looking better and less "Victimhoodie" Democrats have nothing.  They either have to convince you things are not better, not let things get better... or make you their next target.

Thus any kind of real progress, real solutions, is a bane to keeping the Democratic leadership in power.

 

[NeuroTypical]

42 minutes ago, anatess2 said:

Uhmm... not really.  Obama put a lid on all that with his move to AERS following Al Gore's plan.  Trump reversed all that and achieved energy independence (a platform not shared by many on both Democrat and Republican sides as they don't see a problem with energy dependence especially on Mexico or Canada).

*shrug*

 

Edited February 5, 2020 by NeuroTypical

[anatess2]

2 hours ago, NeuroTypical said:

*shrug*

 

That's not "stuff decided a decade ago", dude.  That's private enterprise mostly in North Dakota.  Obama policies tried to block as much as it can interfere into private enterprise, e.g. Alaska, Offshore, Keystone, etc.

By the way, see that dip there around 2015?  That was when OPEC dropped the price of oil which caused North Dakota to run dry as they couldn't compete strapped with US regulations.  The uptick from 2017+ was due to relaxation of regs.  So, last year, OPEC tried to manipulate the price of oil again (I can't remember the exact reason anymore - that might be because of the conflicts in Hormuz which causes eastbound route to be limited but can't be sure).  Trump put pressure on Saudi to stop it.

Edited February 5, 2020 by anatess2

[Emmanuel Goldstein]

4 hours ago, NeuroTypical said:

Yeah, Trump isn't the fiscal conservative I keep hoping for.   

But after hearing all that stuff, and watching the Democratic dour, disapproving, sometimes openly contemptuous reactions to so much overwhelmingly good news, it makes me wonder: Was Petulant-Child-Who-Never-Played-Sports-And-Learned-To-Lose-Gracefully Nancy Pelosi tearing up Trump's speech, or was she tearing up the Dem hopes for a win in November?

According to 18 U.S. Code § 2071.Concealment, removal, or mutilation generally

Quote

(a) Whoever willfully and unlawfully conceals, removes, mutilates, obliterates, or destroys, or attempts to do so, or, with intent to do so takes and carries away any record, proceeding, map, book, paper, document, or other thing, filed or deposited with any clerk or officer of any court of the United States, or in any public office, or with any judicial or public officer of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.

(b) Whoever, having the custody of any such record, proceeding, map, book, document, paper, or other thing, willfully and unlawfully conceals, removes, mutilates, obliterates, falsifies, or destroys the same, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both; and shall forfeit his office and be disqualified from holding any office under the United States. As used in this subsection, the term “office” does not include the office held by any person as a retired officer of the Armed Forces of the United States.

(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 795; Pub. L. 101–510, div. A, title V, § 552(a), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1566; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(I), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147.)

The committed a major crime when she tore up the speech. Will she be held to account? Of course not. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2071

Edited February 5, 2020 by Emmanuel Goldstein

[Just_A_Guy]

7 minutes ago, Emmanuel Goldstein said:

According to 18 U.S. Code § 2071.Concealment, removal, or mutilation generally

The committed a major crime when she tore up the speech. Will she be held to account? Of course not. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/2071

I despise Pelosi, but this statute appears to apply to documents filed with a clerk of a public body; not courtesy copies of the same document that are distributed to opposing parties for convenience.  I can, and do, routinely destroy copies of pleadings and exhibits that are given to me in court.

[Guest MormonGator]

12 minutes ago, Just_A_Guy said:

I despise Pelosi,

I can say I'm honestly surprised by that. I seriously thought you'd be among her biggest fans.