Vox Populi – 12-16-2016

Vox Populi, our weekly live chat about the week’s events begins tonight at 7:00pm PST. Hope to see you then!

AdLib 21 days ago

See you then!

AdLib 21 days ago

Did you go invisible???

AdLib 21 days ago

There you are!

AdLib 21 days ago

Hey Harleigh!

AdLib 21 days ago

Hey PPO!

AdLib 21 days ago

Hi glenn!

AdLib 21 days ago

Things are well, PPO. Looking forward to some chilling aroound the holidays!

AdLib 21 days ago

How cold is it out everyone’s way this weekend?

AdLib 21 days ago

PPO – You forget, I’m in Cali. Xmas is often shorts weather out here.

AdLib 21 days ago

Harleigh – You might have to sleep with a blanket tonight!

AdLib 21 days ago

PPO – It’s tradition! In the US, we may be serving borscht for Xmas from now on.

AdLib 21 days ago

Sorry about that Harleigh, you doing okay now?

AdLib 21 days ago

glenn – Cool…or should I say warm…that you’re getting some vacation time in FL for the wedding!

AdLib 21 days ago

PPO – The Christmas toast will be with glasses of petroleum products.

AdLib 21 days ago

That’s not exactly a reward for having to go through that.

AdLib 21 days ago

glenn – That’s a good idea, a vacation condo in FL for the winter…you can always rent it out when you’re not there.

AdLib 21 days ago

glenn – Just referring to how Trump is stocking his cabinet with oil company scum. Or would that be scumpany?

AdLib 21 days ago

PPO – Ice will be a luxury in the future. Especially for polar bears.

AdLib 21 days ago

PPO – And LA ain’t no bargain either.

AdLib 21 days ago

glenn – Agreed but that’s the thing. The con won’t stand up for long with a good portion of Trump voters once he’s in office and all this horribleness finally commences.

AdLib 21 days ago

The core Trump voters are the ones who believe him when he pees on them and tells them it’s raining.

AdLib 21 days ago

Harleigh – My best advice to those living in FL…stay high. Away from floods, that is.

AdLib 21 days ago

glenn – Agree with Harleigh, the electors won’t and shouldn’t refuse to follow the election. That would be as bad a precedent as what’s happening in NC right now with the Repubs passing laws to prevent the Dem goov from having power.

AdLib 21 days ago

PPO – glenn answered it, that’s exactly why. Still, it’s going to be riskier to own property on the coast there for rising seas issues on top of hurricanes.

AdLib 21 days ago

glenn – Out here, Palm Springs is like that during the winter, snowbirds head there from colder regions. Like the swallows to Capistrano.

AdLib 21 days ago

glenn – Good point and the EC should functioon as a safeguard but our democracy has become so corrupted, it’s constantly a priority to not set precedents that extremist Repubs could exploit in the future. Not that they are always stopped by that but I could imagine the Repubs trying to use the EC to prevent Dems from taking the WH after they win purely for political purposes. If Dems support it first, it’s inevitable they’ll do it.

AdLib 21 days ago

Harleigh – Used to visit Miami Beach for a period and liked it but I can imagine how severe the flooding damage is and will continue to worsen thanks to non-existent Climate Change.

AdLib 21 days ago

Harleigh – Well don’t let Trump come back to FL, he will fill up the swamps.

AdLib 21 days ago

glenn – Actually, you do make a good point against buying a condo there. A bit to worry about there.

AdLib 21 days ago

Harleigh – It’s truly insane, Scott is like Nero fiddling while Rome burns and outlawing people from saying the word “fire”.

AdLib 21 days ago

glenn – That’s true. The thing is, each party chooses electors and whoever wins has their own party’s electors voting. So realistically, that many Repub electors wouldn’t refuse to elect their own party’s nominee.

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Harleigh – That’s like a nightmare!

AdLib 21 days ago

Harleigh – This is Scott’s last term. So will Rubio be the next horrible FL gov?

AdLib 21 days ago

Harleigh – It’s crazy but Repub run states are going kamikazi. Fighting against Climate Change, health care for their citizens, minimum wage, social safety nets. I think we may see the Repub-run states self-destructing like KS in blind allegience to BS policies against the public welfare. Populations could shift to northern states.

AdLib 21 days ago

glenn – Agree with Harleigh that Crist is cooked in the state. He’ll never win a statewide election again I don’t think.

AdLib 21 days ago

Harleigh – They will get the worst from Trump. Meanwhile, blue states may actually do better because when Trump slashes taxes, since red states typically take more than they pay and blue states pay more taxes than they get. It may unfotunately be necessary for many to suffer to kick Trump and the Repubs out of power.

AdLib 21 days ago

glenn – Yes, the Repubs oppose the social safety net of SS, Medicare, Welfare, etc. because taxes go to pay for them and the wealthy pigs want an America where they don’t have to pay taxes.

AdLib 21 days ago

Harleigh – I wouldn’t go that far. The damage will be profound but the whiplash reaction by voters could usher in a more aggressively Progressive government that follows the Trump precedent to make big changes.

AdLib 21 days ago

glenn – Yes, some Trump voters will never smarten up no matter how bad it gets but remember, only a bit over 100k voters made the difference that elected Trump. Just need to peel off a small percentage for Dems to win soolidly.

AdLib 21 days ago

glenn – Well, income tax dooesn’t pay for thoose programs but FICA and Medicare taxes on paychecks do. The wealthy want a federal government that does nothing for the people, doesn’t tax and can be dominated by the wealthy.

AdLib 21 days ago

Night Harleigh! Sleep well!

AdLib 21 days ago

There’s no question that the poorer rural people that make up a lot of the Trump vote will be hit the hardest and one could argue, that they should be.

AdLib 21 days ago

Seeya PPO, take advantage of those Xmas deals on computers!

AdLib 21 days ago

glenn – Without you, the life of the party is gone!

AdLib 21 days ago

At least in this weather, you get to sleep in on the weekends, no soccer games.

AdLib 21 days ago

As much fun as it is to watch them play, sleeping in is good too!

AdLib 21 days ago

glenn – I don’t think they know how much of anything works. Remember how the Baggers howled, “Keep your government hands off my Social Security!”? They just follow the propaganda and repeat it.

AdLib 21 days ago

Ignorant people are dangerous. But they shouldn’t be normalized. Many Trump voters are ignorant, racist, misogynist. That should never be ignored. This is a social civil war we’re in and we’ve got the numbers to win as long as they’re motivated. There’s an old quote from The Cotton Club, “If you don’t know you’re in a war, you’ve already lost.” This is war and we shouldn’t goo soft and normalize the abnormal.

AdLib 21 days ago

Well that’s great, I forgot about indoor stadiums! Outdoor games would be challenging though! In CA, it can get cold but not often enough for there to be a lot of indoor stadiums.

AdLib 21 days ago

I saw a poll that Kes linked to in a comment showing that most oof them think the stock market, employment and the economy all went down under Obama. They have no clue, no truths, they are in a bubble of lies and don’t even question it. This is a war we need to accept and fight against the beligerent and ignorant.

AdLib 21 days ago

There you are!

AdLib 21 days ago

No worries!

AdLib 21 days ago

Excellent point! I agree that a core reason for Trump winning was the MSM using his lies as headlines then only in the body of the article, questioning the truth of them…if questioning them at all or just describing them as equal opinions to the truth. However, these Trump cult members stay in their bubble, it’s only Fox News, Rush, Infowars, etc. They don’t care or know what the NY Times or CNN says.

AdLib 21 days ago

Hillary has some responsibility in this too, far less than the MSM but she didn’t use the debates to hoone a focused message about the success of Obamacare and his policies, she focused primarily on winning the debates and Trump as too risky.

AdLib 21 days ago

Maybe it will turn out to be a constructive election because fo that. Who trusts the MSM now because of their immoral and greedy support of Trump? They will have to earn back viewers and trust by being better and more principled journalists. And it will be a ripe opportunity during the Trump disasters.

AdLib 21 days ago

Yes, it wasn’t easy for her to stay on message with Trump and the MSM flooding the airwaves with lies and propaganda. But that’s what she needed to do, blow up the lies with facts as opposed to calling Trump a liar. He is a liar but spending time on attacking him didn’t educate the ignorant about the truth of OObama successes.

AdLib 21 days ago

So true, I found HP a real terrible player in the election, dismissing Trump as a racist asshole in every article but not working hard to set the record straight and inform people. I don’t like HP for a variety fo reasoons but their “brilliant” strategy of just dissing Trump only lulled their readers into a false sense of confidence.

AdLib 21 days ago

In fact, the MSM’s ridicule and attacks on Trump only after the Repub primary, may have set up this false confidence aboout Hillary winning.

AdLib 21 days ago

This was an election where a candidate needed a simple populist message. Hillary had many detailed policies but she never had a simple focused message on what electing her meant.

AdLib 21 days ago

Hi Beatlex!

AdLib 21 days ago

Agreed glenn, the “campaign” against Trump, the “deplorable” thing was a real motivator for his voters.

AdLib 21 days ago

Beatlex – Unfortunately, only The House can impeach and they’re RW Repubs who are thrilled about Trump as President. They even applaud the Russian hacking and love Putin for helping them. No impeachment will come but the majority of America will stand up and fight against Trump and Repubs after they see what he dooes.

AdLib 21 days ago

glenn – Agreed, the MSM cared primarily about the ratings and ad dollars Trump brought. But in the debates was her chance to break through and like Bill and the establishment Dem mentality, they just try to win on the margins and with clever insider tactics than campaign on a single, simple populist message.

AdLib 21 days ago

glenn – I do think the pendulum will swing back just as strongly to the left after Trump’s one term. And the demographics will keep moving towards Dems by 2020, less Trump voters needed for them too win but many will defect.

AdLib 21 days ago

I think that it wasn’t even her plan to deliver that message. This is my issue with establishment Dems, they play these games instead of understanding that genuine passion for populist issues is more effective.

AdLib 21 days ago

Yes, all real Progressives and Dems should stand strongly for their principles and draw a bright line for any Dem pols who would empower Trump.

AdLib 21 days ago

Obama ran as a genuine populist. Against the war in Iraq, for universal healthcare. That worked well. Bernie did so much better than any could have predicted for that reason. The oold school politics of Jeb and Hillary are an uphill slog now because the public seems familiar with and tired of the machinations of party establishments.

AdLib 21 days ago

Same here, always enjoy our conversations!

AdLib 21 days ago

I do think America will learn from this terrible mistake and make a big swing back to the left in 2020. Unfortunately, as you say, it will be a rough ride until we get there.

AdLib 21 days ago

I have fully boycotted American tv news since the election. I will dip a toe back in after the beginning of the year but my respect for the corporate MSM is in such negative territory.

AdLib 21 days ago

I agree that Trump’s presidency will be the most reviled in American history but there are no tools to depose him aside from impeachment and Repubs control the House and won’t do that. However, as the country rises up against him, his power can be slashed with just 3 Repub senators siding with Dems.

AdLib 21 days ago

And Dems should be so energized to win in 2020 that it ought to be a landslide. Trump will make Bush’s ratings look good.

AdLib 21 days ago

I don’t know, the Repubs have proven that they will even cheer the Russians shaping our elections as long as it puts their party in power.

AdLib 21 days ago

They have no principles…though a few senators seem to be already pulling back from Trump and that’s good news.

AdLib 21 days ago

Yes, I think the Senate will have Repubs moving against Trump but too many RW extremists in the House foor that to turn against Trump and impeach him I think.

AdLib 21 days ago

Yes except The House was willing to impeach Nixon.

AdLib 21 days ago

Maybe. I think though that The Senate is already looking like the best opportunity for Dems to block Trump.

AdLib 21 days ago

There are a number of Repubs including Tea Partiers that really do want to tear down the federal government. But when public opinion ooverwhelming turns against him, maybe there will be a change in the House’s attitude oon impeachment.

AdLib 21 days ago

Considering that all of his promises were lies, it is literally impossible for him to accomplish any of them. He will lie and cook the numbers to BS everyone about how he’s kept his promises but you can’t convince people without a job that they have a job.

AdLib 21 days ago

Exactly. The con job works well in a vacuum but exposed to the light in the real world of real actions and consequences, it will all blow up in his face.

AdLib 21 days ago

Pence could be even worse than Trump. But as a friendly bet, I would wager one chocolate chip cookie with you that The Hoouse will never impeach Trump. I could be wrong but I don’t overestimate the lack of morals of House Repubs.

AdLib 21 days ago

Plain to see by us and every rational person around the world. The Trump Cult hasn’t a clue, they believe he walks on water.

AdLib 21 days ago

What do you mean, who’s walking the Russian hacking back?

AdLib 21 days ago

Isn’t Trump still claiming “no one knows” who hacked the Dems?

AdLib 21 days ago

I saw where Conway accused the Dems of undermining “the transfer of power” by protesting and wanting to investigate what everyone knows, that the Russians did the hacking. They want the transfer of power to go smoothly to Russia!

AdLib 21 days ago

And putting billionaires in control of most everything in his cabinet? That’s what the Trump Cult wanted?

AdLib 21 days ago

I think you’re right to a point, I think a big portioon of his voters will becoome upset and discouraged but some oof his voters are so unbelieveably ignorant, they will blame UFOs, the liberal media and Bigfooot for all the Trump disasters while continuing to lick his boots. But it will be a very small portion of voters.

AdLib 21 days ago

Nope, just had enough to beat an underperforming Hillary. But by 2020? He’d be lucky to get the 30% who are diehard Repubs.

AdLib 21 days ago

Hillary has always been a poor campaigner. She lost a shoe in to Obama who was 50 points behind her in the December before the primary, nearly lost to Bernie who was a virtual unknown then lost to Trump, the worst Repub candidate probably in history. She was not a winner going in and looking back, it’s less and less surprising that she lost. She came into both primaries acting as though she was entitled to the nomination and acted the same in the GE. Not campaigning in the Rust Belt reflects that smug sense of entitlement that defeated or nearly defeated her repeatedly. There were many factoors why she lsot but this was one of the key ones.

AdLib 21 days ago

Yep. I completely agree. All Dems needed was a candidate Dems and working people could connect with. Being honest, Trump connected with voters because of his crass bigotry, Hillary is far more ethical but came off as distant and elite…as well as untrustworthy. Biden or Bernie would have hit that note, pulled enough of those who were mainly voting against Hillary to beat Trump. This is what happens when an establishment elite forces a nominee on a party that doesn’t really want that candidate. Lack of enthusiasm is deadly.

AdLib 21 days ago

Same here, pal! Have a great weekend!

AdLib 21 days ago