2024 Election Thread

[revo]

Is he below 50% among Republicans? I seriously doubt it. He was at 40% approval for much of his term, and he was unchallenged for nomination in 2020.

70% among Republicans, but 20% unfavorable, which is his lowest among Republicans since March 2016.

[Kevin Seitzer]

Meanwhile, a Quinnipiac poll yesterday showed TFG at his lowest approval rating since 2015, at just 31%.

I'm gonna say it right now -- there no way on earth he wins the presidency, let alone the Republican nomination. In fact, they would be committing hari-kari if he somehow did win the Republican nomination.

Is he below 50% among Republicans? I seriously doubt it. He was at 40% approval for much of his term, and he was unchallenged for nomination in 2020.

[revo]

Meanwhile, a Quinnipiac poll yesterday showed TFG at his lowest approval rating since 2015, at just 31%.

I'm gonna say it right now -- there no way on earth he wins the presidency, let alone the Republican nomination. In fact, they would be committing hari-kari if he somehow did win the Republican nomination.

[revo]

Is Gavin Newsome the next Democrat in line? Is it too late for Bernie and Liz? Is it too early for AOC?

I like Newsom, and he appears to be a front-runner, but it remains to be seen if he'll challenge Biden should he run. Yes, too late for Bernie, probably for Liz as well. Way too early for AOC.

[Ken]

Second nicest?

Certainly possible.

[umjewman]

http://forum.rotojunkiefix.com/showt...l=1#post426341

Second nicest?

[Ken]

I do believe that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me. Thanks!

http://forum.rotojunkiefix.com/showthread.php/18749-Hypercompetitive-youth-sports?p=426341&viewfull=1#post426341

[umjewman]

Whatever jerk.

I do believe that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me. Thanks!

[Ken]

Dangit, we needed a good fight around here. Y’all just got my hopes up, I had my popcorn emoji all ready and then it just fell flat. Booooooo.

Whatever jerk.

[umjewman]

Dangit, we needed a good fight around here. Y’all just got my hopes up, I had my popcorn emoji all ready and then it just fell flat. Booooooo.

[Kevin Seitzer]

I understand and apologize for being a bit over the line last night. Thanks for taking the time to explain things to me.

Apology accepted. Thank you.

[GwynnInTheHall]

Oh, give me a break. If you think I don't take a stand on political things then you haven't been paying much attention around here for the last 15+ years. Just because my political views don't align with dragging people out of their SUVs and beating them, don't accuse me of not standing for anything. It's true I don't comment much on baseball labor/ownership issues here, and that's not going to change. For one thing, that's an area where, yes, I do see "both sides" having a point. But also, I'm in a place to have real influence on some parts of that over the long haul, and that's where I choose to focus my efforts, rather than yapping about it on a message board in ways that could potentially sabotage what I am trying to accomplish. On political issues, I would hope you would know all the following from me already. I don't expect that you've been carefully parsing every post I've ever made somewhere on this board or the previous one, but if you had, I think you would have seen me say all of these things. 1. We as a society do not care enough for the poor. Obamacare was a big step in the right direction that helped a lot of people. I would like to see us move to single-payer. Our taxation systems are, in many places, too regressive. I support an increase in the minimum wage. I don't know where the right balance is, and I don't think a one-size-fits-all solution works great for all parts of the country, but I also don't think solving it at the state/city level has worked very well. I'm probably more pro-union than not. I don't think unions are a panacea, but weakening of union power in our country over the last several decades has definitely harmed the labor economy more than helped it. 2. I am in general pro-immigration at much higher levels. I'd favor something very close to open borders. Probably need some control just to keep out the worst criminal elements, but frankly I don't know that we do a great job of that now, so maybe that's impossible anyway. If people want to come to the United States because it's a land of opportunity and freedom, I think those are exactly the people we want. We benefit greatly as a society from immigration over the course of a generation or two because we are getting the best and brightest and hardest-working from other countries. If letting some undesirable elements or freeloaders in is the cost of doing that, we still come out way ahead. 3. I think we should have a serious national discussion about reparations for African-Americans. This seems politically infeasible, and maybe it's economically infeasible, too, but it's not right that we've let the inequity from slavery and Jim Crow and redlining pass down from decade to decade. This is something we have to address at both a moral and economic level, or it will never heal. 4. There is a major need for criminal justice reform. Our carceral system is completely broken. It's not rehabilitating people, and we're turning people back on the streets worse than they were before, with little chance to build back a life. The death penalty is immoral and should be abolished. The war on drugs is counterproductive, and at least to some extent racially motivated and enforced. 5. We worship the military might of our empire, and this is also immoral. We're creating more problems than we are solving by bombing people all over the globe. The whole war on terror has been a disaster for us. Cooperative diplomacy and policing can go a long way toward accomplishing things. Of course, Ukraine stands as an example of the limitations both of diplomacy and the military approach. 6. We need some form of national gun regulation and licensing. 7. I have thoughts on all the abortion and LGBTQ debate as well, but it's hard to summarize that in a paragraph. Suffice it to say that I think that marginalized people (pregnant mothers, gay/trans people, etc.) should be protected and valued and supported and we don't do a good job of that. A lot of the Republican and evangelical Christian messaging around this topic is abhorrent. 8. I am generally in favor of free trade. I honestly don't know the best way to balance this with concerns about exploitation of labor or the environment in other countries. I could go on, but for the sake of time, I won't. Most of what I said doesn't line up with the Republicans at all, but I don't think I could come close to winning a Democratic nomination with that platform, either.

I understand and apologize for being a bit over the line last night. Thanks for taking the time to explain things to me.

[Kevin Seitzer]

Yeah we get it.


You can't share what you feel right or left.
Pro Player or pro ownershiip.


I know they love ya for what you came from and where you have worked hard to ebcome.


But For fucks sake--take a stand or STFU

Oh, give me a break. If you think I don't take a stand on political things then you haven't been paying much attention around here for the last 15+ years. Just because my political views don't align with dragging people out of their SUVs and beating them, don't accuse me of not standing for anything.

It's true I don't comment much on baseball labor/ownership issues here, and that's not going to change. For one thing, that's an area where, yes, I do see "both sides" having a point. But also, I'm in a place to have real influence on some parts of that over the long haul, and that's where I choose to focus my efforts, rather than yapping about it on a message board in ways that could potentially sabotage what I am trying to accomplish.

On political issues, I would hope you would know all the following from me already. I don't expect that you've been carefully parsing every post I've ever made somewhere on this board or the previous one, but if you had, I think you would have seen me say all of these things.

1. We as a society do not care enough for the poor. Obamacare was a big step in the right direction that helped a lot of people. I would like to see us move to single-payer. Our taxation systems are, in many places, too regressive. I support an increase in the minimum wage. I don't know where the right balance is, and I don't think a one-size-fits-all solution works great for all parts of the country, but I also don't think solving it at the state/city level has worked very well. I'm probably more pro-union than not. I don't think unions are a panacea, but weakening of union power in our country over the last several decades has definitely harmed the labor economy more than helped it.

2. I am in general pro-immigration at much higher levels. I'd favor something very close to open borders. Probably need some control just to keep out the worst criminal elements, but frankly I don't know that we do a great job of that now, so maybe that's impossible anyway. If people want to come to the United States because it's a land of opportunity and freedom, I think those are exactly the people we want. We benefit greatly as a society from immigration over the course of a generation or two because we are getting the best and brightest and hardest-working from other countries. If letting some undesirable elements or freeloaders in is the cost of doing that, we still come out way ahead.

3. I think we should have a serious national discussion about reparations for African-Americans. This seems politically infeasible, and maybe it's economically infeasible, too, but it's not right that we've let the inequity from slavery and Jim Crow and redlining pass down from decade to decade. This is something we have to address at both a moral and economic level, or it will never heal.

4. There is a major need for criminal justice reform. Our carceral system is completely broken. It's not rehabilitating people, and we're turning people back on the streets worse than they were before, with little chance to build back a life. The death penalty is immoral and should be abolished. The war on drugs is counterproductive, and at least to some extent racially motivated and enforced.

5. We worship the military might of our empire, and this is also immoral. We're creating more problems than we are solving by bombing people all over the globe. The whole war on terror has been a disaster for us. Cooperative diplomacy and policing can go a long way toward accomplishing things. Of course, Ukraine stands as an example of the limitations both of diplomacy and the military approach.

6. We need some form of national gun regulation and licensing.

7. I have thoughts on all the abortion and LGBTQ debate as well, but it's hard to summarize that in a paragraph. Suffice it to say that I think that marginalized people (pregnant mothers, gay/trans people, etc.) should be protected and valued and supported and we don't do a good job of that. A lot of the Republican and evangelical Christian messaging around this topic is abhorrent.

8. I am generally in favor of free trade. I honestly don't know the best way to balance this with concerns about exploitation of labor or the environment in other countries.

I could go on, but for the sake of time, I won't. Most of what I said doesn't line up with the Republicans at all, but I don't think I could come close to winning a Democratic nomination with that platform, either.

[Sour Masher]

haven't seen any wrecked trains lately. there are certainly some challenges here with housing costs and homelessness... but if I had to list states by level of wrecked trains, CA wouldn't be near the top of my list, especially considering the state has a GDP that ranks 5th in the world. It's not like we are running Montana here or something.

This is an outsider perspective as well, so forgive me if I'm wrong, but is it safe to say that many do see many issues of concern in CA? I know it, like so many places, is used as proxy of fear and loathing by the GOP, being painted as hellscapes to "excite the base" to get them to vote to avoid, and I know that is overblown, and CA still has more going for it than most places in the world, but CA has regressed since is peak.

There was such a perfect storm there of opportunity and smart decisions to make it THE embodiment of the American dream for a long time. Not only the gold rush and the boom it produced, but the brilliant move (proven to be brillant time and again in history across the world) of pouring tons of resources into universal, free or inexpensive high quality education. It just kept fueling the boom and helped California develop into the greatest state in the union for a long time, by just about any measure. But it does seem like CA has hit a wall with so many people, so many corrupt zoning and housing issues that makes home onwership a pipe dream for millions, so much built up that requires relatively high taxes that many of the rich have fled, further putting the tax burden on working folks, and an ever-expanding divide between the have and have nots.

It is still the biggest economy in the country and the world. It still has a LOT going for it. But economic disparity, ever increasing costs, and ever rising taxes that the rich can run from but most others have to endure, even if it means they are homeless, because housing costs keeps going up, are issues that need addressing. The water crisis is a big issue too, that is tough to fix.

None of this is Newsom's fault, but how is he perceived by CA voters and how has he responded to these issues? I have not really thought of him as someone well suited to run for POTUS in 2024, but maybe my perception of how popular he is in CA is off.

[Kevin Seitzer]

Ask yourself "who could the Dems nominate that would not motivate the Republican base ?" The answer is pretty obvious.

I would not motivate the Republican base. Or the Democratic base, either, probably.