Trump vs. Biden debate: Isn't there another option?
When is John Galt going to interrupt this?
I voted for myself last time and will do so again.
I voted for myself last time and will do so again.
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Obama 2.0
Remember: President Obama re-defined the middle class as "those who make $50,000.00 or more". ( !?)
That means that ANYONE with disposable income will be "the rich" and need to be taxed to death to support non-productive and perhaps even worthless and destructive sub-cultures.
I think that Trump's insight into Washington BEING the problem led to the prosperity of the last few years.
I'm certain that Biden will find a creative way to punish and rescind that.
I'll be voting for 4 more years of freedom from Washington.
...but rather what they do.
You may be correct.
If there's anything that I can say for people who want control it's this:
They are happy to say one thing and then do something twisted to change reality.
1. For Trump
2. For Biden
3. For other
Trump or Biden WILL win. If he wins, Biden WILL expand government and take away freedom. Trump speaks like trailer trash, but other than some excessive government spending (e.g. corona relief), he is reducing government.
If you vote for #3 (e.g. yourself or Jorgansen) you may make a statement. If you live is CA, NY, NJ, VT, RI or MA, whatever, you vote doesn’t count anyway. If you live in TX or FL, you just supported Biden.
If you want to support Biden, fine, your choice. Of course there is no reason for you to be here. If you don’t, then don’t throw away a vote in a swing state, or you are undermining what you say you believe in.
If there was any other decent candidate running, I might be strongly looking at their platform and history at least. Last time I was sure that my protest vote would not have any effect on the electoral vote. This time that isn't as clear, so my vote may actually mean something. Unless something changes drastically between now and election day, my vote must be cast against Biden and against another leftist, black president.
53? Ya look "punkier" in your pics. You are just my little brother's age (well in a couple of days), who used to be an adjunct in ME/Aero at FIT. Not sure he is still active on the books. I was standing right north of Crawford watching when the first shuttle blew up.
My professors were unconcerned for this student's needs. Couldn't be bothered with teaching, imo.
I left for GaTech after only one quarter. It was a better place for learning at that time, for me, at least.
FIT was a great engineering school when I was there. All professors had to have PE licenses too. They were practical. Pretty good teachers, and approachable.
An engineering student could just go over to the machine shop, and if you were cool, the machinist would teach you how to run any of the machines to make your projects. Dead sure lawyers have killed that by now. In my day we wrote CAD software. Now I bet they just use AutoCAD/SolidWorks, and 3D print little toys, the brats!
Today I feel very much like Quentin Daniels, the Utah Institute of Technology professor who also was the janitor. I have to do a little of everything to keep the lights on myself.
Some of you can not vote if you want to. It's a free country. At least up until now.
But should this Constitutional Republic be destroyed by Marxists like Kamala Harris, AOC and Bolshevik Bernie, who with many others skulk behind the Trojan Horse that is Joe Biden, it won't be me dino's fault.
I changed the channel and watched a youtube video on ancient architecture - much more interesting and less anger inciting.
I will be catching up on highlights over the next few days. It will be interesting and frustrating watching the spin machines butcher an already bad piece of meat. Small doses at a time.
Not presidential. Not a debate.
Fake news?
I hope neither of these two expect my vote.
I especially enjoyed both candidates complete ignorance on climate change, and economics, and health care, and ....
On the other hand, Trump has been the master of the media. I do have to say that from an overview perspective, Trump spent the night arguing with Biden and Wallace, looking at the person he was talking to, Biden argued with space, he couldn't look at Trump.. Trump came off as a bully, but who do you want as President a bully or someone who is bullied?
I like to think rational argument wins out, but I've read that those who listened to the Kennedy-Nixon debates were convinced that Nixon won but those who watched thought Kennedy had won.
https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/...
That was the most despicable thing I've seen since Trump debated Hillary, and mind you: I watched max 3 minutes. Unfortunately when I got up this morning, there were endless replays...but at least watching it in the morning, I know it won't keep me up all night.
Even if one feels compelled to write in their own name, at least let your voice be heard that Dr. Jorgensen is a viable candidate.
I don't even watch the debates because she's not admitted to the floor.
I do not consider Jorgensen as a viable candidate and I do not agree some parts of their platform.
A vote for Jorgensen in any state that has a close race is a vote for Biden, imo. I strongly oppose Biden.
First of all my apologies for spelling Rearden's name wrong. My arthritic fingers tend to defy me on occasion.
I agree that Trump is spending a bit too much money lately but with Covid and all the political idiots in DC,what else can he do???
I'll stop there for tonight but will look forward to continuing this conversation.
Maybe you or other subscribers could perhaps offer me some advice as to how to more successfully navigate this site.
chriwatkins
I watched the debate the other night and can certainly agree that it was indeed a disappointing cacophony essentially designed to be a media event for Fox as well as CNN, MSNBC and all the others.
After the event, instead of checking out Hannity's or any other's analysis, I fixed myself an 'adult beverage' and plugged in a DVD of Atlas Shrugged part three.
To make this short, I would ask would you prefer a feisty businessman like a Hank Reardon or a spineless politician like Wesley Mouch to run this country???
Granted, Trump is no John Galt let alone any kind of 'messiah' but consider the alternative!
If you go into the booth and vote for yourself, you'll likely not get elected and effectively waste your vote. But ask yourself this...who is closer to the ideals you believe in???
I await your response.
He does SEEM to be trying to bring the Constitution back into prominence with his hands-off approach regarding the states with the "pandemic" and riots. And with his trade/tariff policies.
If anyone can accomplish ending the Fed and the IRS, if that's his aim, it is Donald J. Trump. Look at how he's completely discredited the Democrat Party AND their ideology in 3.5 years.
California may even be in play with how much damage the left has done to themselves with Trump's help. So, NOT voting for Trump COULD be a very bad decision.
But, then again, I'm a dreamer AND an optimist. I see greatness under that "bullying" exterior of a man who happened to have studied "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu and had Norman Vincent Peale as his childhood pastor. shrug
Just my two cents. :-)
Opening Argument (For): 6 minutes
Cross-Examination: 3 minutes
Opening Argument/Rebuttal (Against): 7 minutes
Cross-Examination: 3 minutes
First Rebuttal (Against): 4 minutes
First Rebuttal (For): 6 minutes
Closing Rebuttal (Against): 3 minutes
Add to that a few minutes of prep time and you spend roughly 45 minutes on a single topic. There are no interruptions permitted by the opposition and cross-examination is limited to short answers. This format also completely eliminates a "moderator" - which we've seen to be nothing more than Democratic shills. Do two of these in a debate session for your 90 minutes - maybe with a slight break in between.
These would be some of the topics I would like to see debated in this fashion:
1. The United States should adopt the Green New Deal (Biden affirmative)
2. The United States should adopt the Paris Climate Accords (Biden affirmative)
3. The United States should lower its national debt (Trump affirmative)
4. The United States should enforce border crossing restrictions (Trump affirmative)
5. The United States should allow abortion to the point of birth (Biden affirmative)
6. The United States should increase taxes on the wealthy to pay for expanded social welfare programs (Biden affirmative)
7. The United States has a duty towards its citizens to protect life and property and its leaders should condemn rioting. (Trump affirmative)
8. The United States has a responsibility to spend foreign aid wisely and should audit families of Executive Office holders for conflicts of interest (Trump affirmative)
9. Given China's persistent fabrications regarding COVID, the United States should seek international trade injunctions against China pursuant to the Infectious Diseases Treaty (Trump affirmative)
10. The United States should provide a minimum basic income for its citizens (Biden affirmative)
11. The United States should provide government-run healthcare for its citizens (Biden affirmative)
12. The United States should provide free college educations for its citizens (Biden affirmative)
13. The United States should eliminate minimum wage controls (Trump affirmative)
14. The United States should stop collecting information on its citizens under the Patriot Act (Trump affirmative)
15. The United States owes descendants of slavery reparations (Biden affirmative)
16. The United States should eliminate government restrictions on energy production (Trump affirmative)
I'm sure everyone here can come up with others. Schedule four debates (I'd love eight) and at each debate each participant gets to select one topic (for a total of two).
I'm sure Jo is wonderful... I'd proudly vote for Trump this time around. But Libertarians really need to up their game and actually put forth Libertarians and not LINOs... If you recall the libertarian debates for 2016, McAfee came across as an authoritarian; Johnson might as well been a democrat and I adored Peterson. (i can't remember the other one's name now!)
Does anyone know who Don Blakenship is? That name is on my ballot! hah.
Yet, when the average, somewhat intelligent person is told what Libertarianism is, it seems they almost always say, "Hey! That sounds like a great change for us. I'd vote for that!" Nope...instead they get a candidate who sticks his tongue out during interviews and screams at anybody who asks what should be done about illegal immigration. Dude must be smoking some fuzzy bud...
This is either and impotent protest vote, or a vote for Biden if in a swing state.
The President made point on:
Over 100 judiciary positions left open by previous admin. "You" could have filled those. "I" will fill vacancies, it is a Right by Constitution, you would do same on Supreme Court.
Tax breaks on corporate activity began an economic resurgence.
"You" have sabotaged activity since beginning of "My" admin. (Media, Investigations, Impeachment)
The Senator on....?
If I had not finished Candace Owen's; Blackout yesterday morning the methodology I saw would not have been fresh.
Implied "His" administration.
We are here to help you, the oppressed and disadvantaged.
The one percent "owe" you and we will take by force through taxation.
I've just run a few highlights.
Now, back to Blackout. The Senator exhibited the rote regurgitation of the administrations in all the large city strongholds. What the book illustrates is that methodology over history of at least 80 contemporary years. It is a methodology I have witnessed and been affected by for 30 years living in Minneapolis proper. The method is to create separatism through whatever rhetoric happens to be popular at the time and inflame it, with a corresponding narcissism of offer to correct all the inequities so that the affected can...feel...comfortable. "You don't have to take responsibility, We can do this for you." The suicide of altruism is alive and well unfortunately.
For 4 years Trump has been under fire, pressured by domestic enemies: the press, the Dems, the GOP, the wealthy, the badly chosen leaders of the less fortunate. Trump has had no domestic allies to help face foreign interests many whose primary goal is to destroy what makes America a successful competitor. The actions of foreign competitors is understandable. Not so the actions of the Americans who have conspired against Trump and have ignored their sworn duties to America. imo, some have committed treason by their actions, e.g., the Clintons, Pelosi, James Comey, Robert Mueller. No other president has had a challenge of this kind.
Biden's exasperation with pressure from Trump was telling. There is no doubt in my mind that Biden could not represent America under foreign or domestic pressure and is unfit to be president.
President Trump's performance was as unsettling as Biden's. Faced with tough questions, Trump did not answer and changed the subject ... and he did so poorly. For a guy who is proud of his negotiating skills, Trump is a surprisingly bad liar.
Do Americans want a good liar as president?
Do Americans want someone who's talent is shouting instead of making rational arguments?
I don't.
I don't want someone with advancing dementia either.
I don't want someone promising bigger government, higher taxes, and more programs that don't work either.
The choice in 2020 is no better than in 2016.
The best reason to vote for Trump is a hard to explain belief that as an outsider Trump opposes the growth of the deep state and can somehow defeat it.
Biden as a career politician represents the growth of the state and destruction of individual liberty. Of that, I have no doubts.
I have little doubt that Biden's presidency will be short and that his VP will take control. I have already seen what a leftist black president can do to destroy America. I don't want to see a repeat of that ever again.
Americans deserve better than this. Both major parties are guilty of treason.
Many wonder who Ayn Rand would vote for if she were alive, and maybe the conclusion of her letter from Vol. 1, No. 24, 8/28/72, will possibly shed some light. Pay particular attention to her last paragraph.
To the great credit of the American people, the polls taken immediately after the Democratic Convention showed a significant drop in McGovern’s popularity and a significant rise in Nixon’s. At this writing, Nixon leads by the enormous figure of 26%.
I am not an admirer of President Nixon, as my readers know. But I urge every able-minded voter, of any race, creed, color, age, sex, or political party, to vote for Nixon – as a matter of national emergency. This is no longer an issue of choosing the lesser of two commensurate evils. The choice is between a flawed candidate representing Western civilization – and the perfect candidate of its primordial enemies.
If there were some campaign organization called “Anti-Nixonites for Nixon,” it would name my position.
The worst thing said about Nixon is that he cannot be trusted, which is true: he cannot be trusted to save this country. But one thing is certain: McGovern can be trusted to destroy it.
Ayn Rand
I will do the same in this election for mostly the same reason. However, I can add that Trump will stand up for America's national sovereignty at the borders. I can also add he will take less crap from foreign leaders, even those pretending to be our friends.
Biden and his supporters may feel Trump was a bully at the debates (I'm already hearing that), but if Biden can't handle a slapping from Trump, then how will he handle it from foreign leaders? I suppose he could send them plane loads of cash and millions of American jobs just so they'd be nice to him at state dinners.
I wish Trump had been more methodical and given facts to support how his policies benefit middle class Americans. His belligerence is not the strategy I would have chosen.
We had that argument here before, and a wealth of "Objectivists" lined up to support berating Trump. However, these same clowns (I mean Objectivists) had no response to the alternative option, or the consequences of their actions. , just static.
Apparently Tavalino found Ayn's own position on a virtually identical example. Perhaps the dogma-hero's will be silent this time!
The first debate was an absolute circus...I won't argue that. It was a total waste of 90+ minutes of my viewing time. My only hope is that Trump's team can reign him in, in time for the next debate. Just as in his first election...he ended up looking like the bully that he is. Unless he can at least attempt to look a bit more "Presidential"...he isn't going to sway ANY opinions.
Biden actually was coherent and appeared more mature in the debate...that's a BAD sign.
Loneliness sounds weird. I got the idea from Senator Sasse's book. He says cable TV and Internet make it easy for people to replace time they would have spent with friends with watching politics. One reason this sounds true to me is that even though there is way more vitriol, the underlying issues are less decisive than in the past. People are madder for less reason.
The only approach is to treat the underlying problem. One part of the solution is the federal government doing less and people working together with their neighbors to get things done as Alexis de Tocqueville described. Electing the best president won't do that. Biden would be better, of course, because a) he's not a racist buffoon and b) he has said he wants to reduce executive branch power. B part of what all this is about. I will believe B when I see it; I'm happy even to hear it discussed.
I have really bought into the ewv view that change has to come from citizens taking the spirit of the Constitution to heart, i.e. the spirit of the people granting the government limited powers to ensure liberty. A Constitution plus good institutions are necessary but NOT sufficient to limit government intrusiveness.