202(2)5 - dems in disarray thread

Starsky wrote:
US economy grew at annualized rate of 6.9% in the fourth quarter of 2021 and jobs are everywhere yet people act like we are in a Great Depression or something.

Ok nobody likes inflation but what did you think would happen when you got those stimulus checks?

57% of American household don't make enough to pay any taxes. They're probably the ones most unhappy with the little inflation thing.

Meanwhile, the Freely's owe a ghasly amount of taxes. I'm not sure why. My wife keeps saying "It's better to owe that to get a refund." But i'm not sure I'm with her on that one. I'd rather cut back on spending during the year because our paychecks are less than have the money available to spend and get hit with a huge debt every April. Sorry to digress.

Space wrote:
This indicated that Montreat still leans Blue in spite of they biblialness.

https://www.bestplaces.net/voting/city/north_carolina/montreat

That is surprising.

Space wrote:
My wife keeps saying "It's better to owe that to get a refund." But i'm not sure I'm with her on that one.

If you're doing it intentionally and receiving an interest-free loan from the government and treating it as such, its better to owe. If you owe through no intentionality on your withholding and its surprise to you, then you're probably correct.

Julian, wrote:
Asheville is super gerrymandered if you look at a map. Asheville/Black Mountain/Arden are wildly progressive (only the Raleigh-Durham triangle is moreso in NC), they're just tossed into a map with a bunch of WNC that waters down the city so much that GOP have the district on lock. A major point of contention.

they did the exact same thing in Austin TX
super blue, but they made it 4 congressional districts that fan way out in to the sticks

Gerrymandering is just criminal IMO and I wish that we could find a solution
can't we just use a computer to divide the state evenly by population and just be done with it

Space wrote:
My wife keeps saying "It's better to owe that to get a refund." But i'm not sure I'm with her on that one. I'd rather cut back on spending during the year because our paychecks are less than have the money available to spend and get hit with a huge debt every April. Sorry to digress.

I despise this take
would be different if you could get like say some ungodly high return in the bank like 3% (which you can't…lucky if you get 1%)
so yes…you are giving the gov't a free loan on money, but in the end we are talking a few dollars difference
So much better to get one lump sum in April…so ya know, you can pay off bills or go on a vacation

Drove down to a show in Jeffersonton VA, over the weekend and a saw Prius flying a full-sized Fuck Joe Biden (with middle finger for the I in Biden) flag, he also had a faux let's go Brandon license plate and as such had a separate license plate mount for his govt plate.
All that is to say, who is he trolling? Between owning the one-time most liberal car, his reduced mpg with that flag, cost of flag, flag mount and license plate mount, I guess in the end it makes him feel good as he aggressively tried to pass people by driving in-between the two lanes on a two-lane highway. Anyhow, Saturday was a great day for a drive.

Starsky wrote:
But ultimately the point is the American people have lost their darn minds. Biden approval rating in the 30s?

BEcAusE TH' pREsIDENt cOnTRolS tH' PRiCe OF mY GAs….

Space wrote:

Meanwhile, the Freely's owe a ghasly amount of taxes. I'm not sure why.

I would likely guess that you haven't adjusted your withholdings since Trump limited your SALT deductions.

The Smackies could buy a car with amount they owe this year and this is despite buying a new EV to lower the amount they owe by $7500.  We will be paying quarterly this year most likely.

evilizac wrote:
Drove down to a show in Jeffersonton VA, over the weekend and a saw Prius flying a full-sized Fuck Joe Biden (with middle finger for the I in Biden) flag, he also had a faux let's go Brandon license plate and as such had a separate license plate mount for his govt plate.
All that is to say, who is he trolling? Between owning the one-time most liberal car, his reduced mpg with that flag, cost of flag, flag mount and license plate mount, I guess in the end it makes him feel good as he aggressively tried to pass people by driving in-between the two lanes on a two-lane highway. Anyhow, Saturday was a great day for a drive.

I was in Corning, NY on Saturday, where it was 39 and pouring rain. I saw that it was 78 here and wondered why i left home. They do have a nice Museum of Glass, and i found a cozy little restuarant with a great taplist and some good hip hop playing, so not all was lost (though i did lose my umbrella at the museum.)

I wonder how my co-worker Brandon feels about all this Brandon crap?

bromeopathic wrote:

Space wrote:
My wife keeps saying "It's better to owe that to get a refund." But i'm not sure I'm with her on that one. I'd rather cut back on spending during the year because our paychecks are less than have the money available to spend and get hit with a huge debt every April. Sorry to digress.

I despise this take
would be different if you could get like say some ungodly high return in the bank like 3% (which you can't…lucky if you get 1%)
so yes…you are giving the gov't a free loan on money, but in the end we are talking a few dollars difference
So much better to get one lump sum in April…so ya know, you can pay off bills or go on a vacation

Whereas my wife  takes a "if I've got it I'll spend it" approach. Hmmph.

In case you didn't realize it, trump is on the ballot in PA

https://twitter.com/AccountableGOP/status/1518786708665507840?s=20&t=F6wvMvsRn4ay53jJTIc2hA

in case you were feeling too happy and needed some doomscrolling to drag you back down to earth:

Democrats' unpreparedness to defend Roe v. Wade is political malpractice: Democrats are still searching for a coherent strategy to save abortion rights

Ok Collinson is my favorite political analyst

But I mean what are we supposed to do? It’s like everything else: we don’t have the votes. It’s annoying but it’s the reality - along with the non representative character of American democracy- that explains everything going back to being unable to confirm Garland. There is no magic workaround on a political level without the votes.

On a personal level maybe people will put money to setting up a network to help people have safe and free abortions.

And thinking about needing votes… do we get them by continuing to run up margins with women and minorities… I feel you can only squeeze so many votes there… if we continually focus on issues that concern these constituencies aren’t we potentially shooting ourselves in the foot in terms of reaching other groups?

Democrats playbook seems to be hyping Republican racism and misogyny and instilling fear about what will happen with Republicans or Republican policies but it’s just not enough..it’s not working…there have to be policies and actions that improve the lives of people….including Republicans… easier said than done but at this point it’s easy to feel like nothing is happening other than fearmongering… I think this playbook is so played out… also most voters aren’t one issue voters…yes abortion rights are important but so is putting food on the table…some Democrats seem to act like all that matters is Roe v Wade

So am I the only one who hopes Madison Cawthorn LOSES his primary election today?

what is the likelihood, TFG is still behind him, so that matters in that district

Side wrote:
So am I the only one who hopes Madison Cawthorn LOSES his primary election today?

pretty sure every liberal, and most establishment Repubs, are hoping he loses.

whoa…if the PA race wasn't spicy enough

PA Senate candidate John Fetterman will have a pacemaker implanted this afternoon, just hours before polls are set to close in the U.S. Senate primary.

Fetterman, who had a stroke last week,

not a big deal is it?  He was A-fib.  Pacemaker will make his heartbeat regular…I guess

Side wrote:
whoa…if the PA race wasn't spicy enough

PA Senate candidate John Fetterman will have a pacemaker implanted this afternoon, just hours before polls are set to close in the U.S. Senate primary.

Fetterman, who had a stroke last week,

Side wrote:
So am I the only one who hopes Madison Cawthorn LOSES his primary election today?

what is the likelihood, TFG is still behind him, so that matters in that district

Uh yeah.

Ashley Madison lost! Can’t wait for my side piece district to be represented by a slightly less vocal, yet equally offensive piece of shit! #PyrrhicVictory

I jut can’t help rooting against anyone that Trump endorses….foolish or not…

It’s a photo finish in PA