Political Roundtable Part XXII

[Jamaaliver]

Please don't become a politician, Michelle. Stay above the fray!

Michelle Obama: George W. Bush is 'my partner in crime' and 'I love him to death'



Former first lady Michelle Obama said Thursday that ex-President George W. Bush has become her "partner in crime" after years of sitting together at official events.

"President Bush and I are forever seatmates because of protocol – that's how we sit at all the official functions," Obama said on NBC's "Today" show. "So he is my partner in crime at every major thing where all the formers gather."

"I love him to death," Obama added. "He's a wonderful man. He's a funny man."

Obama, a Democrat, said her friendship with Bush, a Republican, defies labels.

"Party doesn't separate us," she said. "Color, gender, those sort of things don't separate us."

USA Today

Michelle Obama is Dem rock star many wish would run for president



The most popular Democrat in the country is about to go on a highly-anticipated book tour that is likely to remind the country of her political muscle.

Michelle Obama will talk to large crowds in arenas that hold rock concerts and NBA games. She'll appear all over the media, and sell more books, in all likelihood, than prospective 2020 candidates Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.

But the former first lady is decidedly not running for president.

Even as she tries to remain above the political fray, Obama will likely become one of the most sought-after surrogates for Democrats trying to defeat Trump in 2020. The then-first lady was an active participant in 2016, though it wasn't enough for Clinton.

Katherine Jellison, a professor and chair of history at Ohio University, who has studied first ladies, said it speaks to the tenor of the political climate.

"I think at a time when so much of the rhetoric is divisive people continue to like her very much because her rhetoric was upbeat and hopeful," she said.

In terms of first ladies, she said the closest figure to Obama is Eleanor Roosevelt, who became a spokesperson of sorts on issues of social justice and human rights.

The Hill

[stilldropin20]

Please don't become a politician, Michelle. Stay above the fray!

Michelle Obama: George W. Bush is 'my partner in crime' and 'I love him to death'



Former first lady Michelle Obama said Thursday that ex-President George W. Bush has become her "partner in crime" after years of sitting together at official events.

"President Bush and I are forever seatmates because of protocol – that's how we sit at all the official functions," Obama said on NBC's "Today" show. "So he is my partner in crime at every major thing where all the formers gather."

"I love him to death," Obama added. "He's a wonderful man. He's a funny man."

Obama, a Democrat, said her friendship with Bush, a Republican, defies labels.

"Party doesn't separate us," she said. "Color, gender, those sort of things don't separate us."

USA Today

Michelle Obama is Dem rock star many wish would run for president



The most popular Democrat in the country is about to go on a highly-anticipated book tour that is likely to remind the country of her political muscle.

Michelle Obama will talk to large crowds in arenas that hold rock concerts and NBA games. She'll appear all over the media, and sell more books, in all likelihood, than prospective 2020 candidates Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.

But the former first lady is decidedly not running for president.

Even as she tries to remain above the political fray, Obama will likely become one of the most sought-after surrogates for Democrats trying to defeat Trump in 2020. The then-first lady was an active participant in 2016, though it wasn't enough for Clinton.

Katherine Jellison, a professor and chair of history at Ohio University, who has studied first ladies, said it speaks to the tenor of the political climate.

"I think at a time when so much of the rhetoric is divisive people continue to like her very much because her rhetoric was upbeat and hopeful," she said.

In terms of first ladies, she said the closest figure to Obama is Eleanor Roosevelt, who became a spokesperson of sorts on issues of social justice and human rights.

The Hill

wait. The globalists all get along???



and this would be much more fun if it was a devils triangle. I'd immediately start supporting michelle for next president!

[Jamaaliver]

Please stop.

Laura Bush and Michelle Obama should remain off limits...

Sent from my RC555L using RealGM mobile app

[Kanyewest]

The Washington Post endorsed Larry Hogan. Readership doesn't agree.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/larry-hogan-does-not-deserve-reelection/2018/10/12/e7c1d770-cd97-11e8-ad0a-0e01efba3cc1_story.html?utm_term=.066e6f62b1c1

BTW Hillary Clinton and Barrack Obama both endorsed Jealous.

[Pointgod]

The Washington Post endorsed Larry Hogan. Readership doesn't agree.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/larry-hogan-does-not-deserve-reelection/2018/10/12/e7c1d770-cd97-11e8-ad0a-0e01efba3cc1_story.html?utm_term=.066e6f62b1c1

BTW Hillary Clinton and Barrack Obama both endorsed Jealous.

Hogan seems like he’s absolute trash but why is jealous still getting trounced in the polls?

Btw your username has not aged well at all my friend.

[dckingsfan]

Interesting article in the WSJ today about growth - I like it because it models my opinion (so take it for what it is worth).

The article makes the following points:
Move from defined benefits to defined contributions. I think given what has happened with unfunded liabilities, this is a difficult point with which to argue.

Replace Dodd/Frank with rules governing reserves (moving the exposure to stock holders from tax payers). All Dodd/Frank did was grow the largest banks, they were the only ones that could comply with the new rules. I would add that they should also restrict some of the products that banks could offer.

Get social spending in check. Great idea but the article really doesn't offer any good solutions. It is one of the elephants in the room.

Increase immigration. It cites our aging demographic - this is such a no brainer and obvious where this administration doesn't have a clue.

Points out that there are less new companies being created - part of that is the cost of self-insuring on healthcare. My opinion, this is where single payer makes sense (after attacking the cost drivers). The other option is that healthcare would need to be purchased individually and not through companies or government entities.

What the article doesn't point out:

We are protecting/creating larger companies with acquisition tax carveouts and general tax carveouts. small companies can't compete against those carveouts.

Our tax code forces an investment in tax evasion vs. growth - we can't get rid of those tax carveouts fast enough.

Our tax code is now so complex it is literally unenforceable and driving down receipts causing larger deficits (which manifest themselves in larger trade deficits).

[closg00]

The Washington Post endorsed Larry Hogan. Readership doesn't agree.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/larry-hogan-does-not-deserve-reelection/2018/10/12/e7c1d770-cd97-11e8-ad0a-0e01efba3cc1_story.html?utm_term=.066e6f62b1c1

BTW Hillary Clinton and Barrack Obama both endorsed Jealous.

Hogan seems like he’s absolute trash but why is jealous still getting trounced in the polls?

Btw your username has not aged well at all my friend.

Classic bad candidate problem. Also, Hogan keeps a low-profile and makes the trains run on time.

[Pointgod]

Interesting article in the WSJ today about growth - I like it because it models my opinion (so take it for what it is worth).

The article makes the following points:
Move from defined benefits to defined contributions. I think given what has happened with unfunded liabilities, this is a difficult point with which to argue.

Replace Dodd/Frank with rules governing reserves (moving the exposure to stock holders from tax payers). All Dodd/Frank did was grow the largest banks, they were the only ones that could comply with the new rules. I would add that they should also restrict some of the products that banks could offer.

Get social spending in check. Great idea but the article really doesn't offer any good solutions. It is one of the elephants in the room.

Increase immigration. It cites our aging demographic - this is such a no brainer and obvious where this administration doesn't have a clue.

Points out that there are less new companies being created - part of that is the cost of self-insuring on healthcare. My opinion, this is where single payer makes sense (after attacking the cost drivers). The other option is that healthcare would need to be purchased individually and not through companies or government entities.

What the article doesn't point out:

We are protecting/creating larger companies with acquisition tax carveouts and general tax carveouts. small companies can't compete against those carveouts.

Our tax code forces an investment in tax evasion vs. growth - we can't get rid of those tax carveouts fast enough.

Our tax code is now so complex it is literally unenforceable and driving down receipts causing larger deficits (which manifest themselves in larger trade deficits).

Do you have a link to the WSJ article? Seems like the type of policy topic that I’d love to dive into.

[Pointgod]

The Washington Post endorsed Larry Hogan. Readership doesn't agree.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/larry-hogan-does-not-deserve-reelection/2018/10/12/e7c1d770-cd97-11e8-ad0a-0e01efba3cc1_story.html?utm_term=.066e6f62b1c1

BTW Hillary Clinton and Barrack Obama both endorsed Jealous.

Hogan seems like he’s absolute trash but why is jealous still getting trounced in the polls?

Btw your username has not aged well at all my friend.

Classic bad candidate problem. Also, Hogan keeps a low-profile and makes the trains run on time.

But why? Ben Jealous was the Progressive darling, and I don’t mean that facetiously either. It seems like he had a good pedigree plus he received endorsements from both Obama and Hillary Clinton.

[dckingsfan]

Do you have a link to the WSJ article? Seems like the type of policy topic that I’d love to dive into.

Here you go...

https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-to-fix-the-american-growth-machine-1539361093

[Kanyewest]

Hogan seems like he’s absolute trash but why is jealous still getting trounced in the polls?

Btw your username has not aged well at all my friend.

Classic bad candidate problem. Also, Hogan keeps a low-profile and makes the trains run on time.

But why? Ben Jealous was the Progressive darling, and I don’t mean that facetiously either. It seems like he had a good pedigree plus he received endorsements from both Obama and Hillary Clinton.

1) Hogan is kneeling out the clock. He only agreed to do one debate. He is refusing to answer questions on Kavanaugh, saying that he doesn't have enough information to make a decision (Ben Jealous stated he may be the only person in America who doesn't have an opinion).
2) According to the polls only 2/3 of Democrats support Jealous. Most of that 1/3 are supposedly Hillary supporters. In left leaning but wealthy Montgomery County, it is a tie.

Of course the polls may not be that reliable at the end of the day given that Jealous outperformed the polls by a 14 point margin in the primaries (https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2018/governor/md/maryland_governor_democratic_primary-6275.html).

I have expressed some doubts about one poll where Trump approval rating in Maryland was as high as 41% in one poll, which is above the national average. This doesn't seem to gel with the fact that Maryland is one of the bluest states in the country. That being said, Jealous may still have to make up some ground

Cory Booker, Vance Jones, and Dave Chapelle all came out and campaigned for Jealous this past week. Jealous also has 4 times as many volunteers as Brown did in 2014.

In my estimation, Jealous seems like a better candidate than Brown but overall his campaign seems a bit short of funding. Probably because Jealous had to spend a lot of his funds in the Democratic primary. Also it is harder to beat an incumbent.

BTW, here is a replay of the first Democratic debate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=5Tm8OE1_3XQ

At 50 minutes and 30 seconds he talks about his big difference with Hogan in how he would deal with Trump.

[Ruzious]

Hogan seems like he’s absolute trash but why is jealous still getting trounced in the polls?

Btw your username has not aged well at all my friend.

Classic bad candidate problem. Also, Hogan keeps a low-profile and makes the trains run on time.

But why? Ben Jealous was the Progressive darling, and I don’t mean that facetiously either. It seems like he had a good pedigree plus he received endorsements from both Obama and Hillary Clinton.

While the Democratic party dominates MD politics, I wouldn't call it a very progressive state - though if I recall right, Jerry Brown won the presidential primary years ago. MD's been behind the pack in things like legalizing marijuana. Hogan's been a guy that evreyone's been... okay with for a long time. He's old reliable.

[FAH1223]

Classic bad candidate problem. Also, Hogan keeps a low-profile and makes the trains run on time.

But why? Ben Jealous was the Progressive darling, and I don’t mean that facetiously either. It seems like he had a good pedigree plus he received endorsements from both Obama and Hillary Clinton.

1) Hogan is kneeling out the clock. He only agreed to do one debate. He is refusing to answer questions on Kavanaugh, saying that he doesn't have enough information to make a decision (Ben Jealous stated he may be the only person in America who doesn't have an opinion).
2) According to the polls only 2/3 of Democrats support Jealous. Most of that 1/3 are supposedly Hillary supporters. In left leaning but wealthy Montgomery County, it is a tie.

Of course the polls may not be that reliable at the end of the day given that Jealous outperformed the polls by a 14 point margin in the primaries (https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2018/governor/md/maryland_governor_democratic_primary-6275.html).

I have expressed some doubts about one poll where Trump approval rating in Maryland was as high as 41% in one poll, which is above the national average. This doesn't seem to gel with the fact that Maryland is one of the bluest states in the country. That being said, Jealous may still have to make up some ground

Cory Booker, Vance Jones, and Dave Chapelle all came out and campaigned for Jealous this past week. Jealous also has 4 times as many volunteers as Brown did in 2014.

In my estimation, Jealous seems like a better candidate than Brown but overall his campaign seems a bit short of funding. Probably because Jealous had to spend a lot of his funds in the Democratic primary. Also it is harder to beat an incumbent.

BTW, here is a replay of the first Democratic debate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=5Tm8OE1_3XQ

At 50 minutes and 30 seconds he talks about his big difference with Hogan in how he would deal with Trump.

Yup.

Hogan started with $9M war chest. He got it from the Big Pharma, Big Developers, Koch Network, etc.

Ben has significantly less money. I think he should have did what Hogan did 4 years ago and took public money. But the state Dems have a lot more organizers and Ben's campaign has been very active in Baltimore City, PG County, and inside the beltway MoCo in recent weeks.

Also, Ben wasn't the preferred candidate by the state party. It was Rushern Baker. Also, the Democratic Governor's Association hasn't helped Ben while the RGA has fake news ads that began in July.

He's a much better candidate than Anthony Brown, who had $18M behind him in 2014 and couldn't turn out more voters.

In my door knocking and convos with neighbors, I tell people, Hogan aint a bad guy of course but always remember he's being held in check by the super majorities in the legislature. Also, for these Dems who want to vote for him, a lot of them pause when I tell them that Hogan is still a Republican and actively working to end those majorities esp in the Senate AND the next Gov will appoint 5 judges on the Court of Appeals, our highest court.

[stilldropin20]

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

^^^^obama Why did Obama not understand so much about business and the economy? Oh wait, he was a fricking community organizer!! who's big "education" was mastering the words in the constitution...so like a glorified english major!! Joke!!

man, i am still salty over tat horrific economy for 7 straight years! It took almost 7 years to get back to where we were in 2008 pre crash. 7!! and he let the banks off the hook! Let them get bigger and more powerful! instead of working on the economy they instead pushed for a crumby healthcare program with the house and a super majority! idiots!! damn, i cant believe how mad i still am So many suicides in that time. So many home torn apart due to poverty. So homes lost. So many kids on food stamps and wealthfare. It was completely unnecessary if we had a better president that understood trade and big business and small business better and could stand up to bad trade deals and a bad tax system design to encourage our biggest corporations to globaize and pay their taxes in a different country or manufacture more and more of their goods overseas. We had regulations designed to crush the american economy just so foreign economies could grow! It was treasonous!!!! Those are high crimes on the american people.

^^ and even if you guys c ant admit it. Even if Obama was "your guy" and you are convinced he had your back even though he didn't do a damn thing to help you financially...but you still got his back....please please please please please do not ever be fooled by a polished well spoken politician that doesn't know what he is doing ever again. Please!! For the good of america...for the good of us all...and for the love of God, Goddess, all that is...please give us a fighting chance...and give us a "bumbling fool" like trump that understands things that move the economy any day of the week.

We cant ever have politicians that dont understand business ever again. And we cant ever have a globalist i office or in congress ever again. Please vote for Nationalists that understand trade, big business, and the tax code.

Please...please...please....i beg of you. We can stay on bull run for a decade with good immigration, good tax, and good trade policy alone. Imagine that!! 10 years of an economy like this where everyone works and wages increase!! Its possible!! And its the poor and working poor that need this economy the most!! they NEED this!! Give it to them!! Dont you guys like poor people?? Dont you?

[Pointgod]

Do you have a link to the WSJ article? Seems like the type of policy topic that I’d love to dive into.

Here you go...

https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-to-fix-the-american-growth-machine-1539361093

Its behind a paywall so unfortunately I can’t view it but thanks for the link.

[dckingsfan]

Nothing to see here... just a continuation of the recovery.

[stilldropin20]

Nothing to see here... just a continuation of the recovery.

I'm so sick and tired of your short term graphs. No historical context in your debate. Ever. You purposefully cut off your graphs only to make stupid points that mean nothing and fool no one. And you never ask why or how.

Your poorly chosen graphs dont show past weak economies for comparison. past boom economies for comparision. Past recoveries for comparison.

If you look at the last 58 years you will see that the crash of 2008:

1. was prolonged and the recovery the longest and slowest in US history. it took until march 2016 to get below 5% UE.
2. From 1995-November 2008 we averaged 4.7% UE...23 years at 4.7 on average!!
3. From november 2008-November 2016 we averaged just under 8% UE. 8% effing percent UE!!! Obama did not hit 5% until october-november 2016!!!!!
4. the trail end of those peaks in UE represents the recoveries which used to occur quickly. until 1970.


so let's go back shall we to the Graph below. 50 years back.

1. 1940-1975 we averaged about 4.2% UE.
2. From 1975-1995 we averaged around 6.5% UE (fake oil scare, global banks forced extremely high interest rates on US citizen, globalization of our manufacturing and purchasing goods from overseas). Nearly double the UE rate!! Why!!! So we could make china wealthy? Make global corps more money? Enslave the asian people to make goods? Why??? Why does any american support globalization?
3. 1995-Nov 2008 ...4.7%
4. Nov 2008-nov 2017... 8%...!!!!!

[stilldropin20]

just civilians. last 50 years. take note how rare it is to go below 4%.

[stilldropin20]

snap shot at GDP.

note 15.7 in January 2009. It took about 3 years just to get above that 15.7 ...3 year of no growth. and in fact 2 years of a decreasing economy.

[stilldropin20]

no harsh quarterly dips in the trump economy so far. unlike bush and obama that would have seasonal spikes and dips.

trump is maintaining a solid 2.5% and is trending toward maintaining a solid 4%