40 Comments
User's avatar
SGman's avatar

Sometimes the things that are good for you are bland.

Give me a boring POTUS over a wannabe-despot any day if the week.

Expand full comment
Jay Berman's avatar

I am ready for my “nineteenth nervous breakdown” of this election cycle. But this version is a poor political cover version without benefit of Jagger showmanship. Please hold the election next Tuesday. I cannot believe I will trade sleep to watch this spectacle, but I will. My bet is more people will either vote third party or stay home from this race after tonight.

Expand full comment
Bill Pearson's avatar

While i respect your opinion Jay, i would wager the 2024 election will result in more votes than anytime in our history. We'll see eh?

Expand full comment
Jay Berman's avatar

Hope you are correct. I do not put much stock in any third party votes this go around.

Expand full comment
glancep's avatar

> That was is over and nobody who fought in it is alive.

FYI - I think this was intended to be "war."

Expand full comment
Steve Berman's avatar

It was. Thanks for the proofread. Fixed it.

Expand full comment
Cooter's avatar

The Trump v Biden polls are tight. Yet Direction of Country polling shows a huge - order of magnitude - disparity. The RCP Average today is -39.9 wrong track.

If Trump is Orange Hitler, and an existential threat to democracy, then why doesn't the Trump v Biden polling reflect the same disparity?

Expand full comment
SGman's avatar

Per the NYT: “Republicans were significantly likelier to answer their phones and take the survey than Democrats or independents, a new development”

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/26/us/politics/trump-poll-hush-money-conviction.html

Expand full comment
Cooter's avatar

Paywall :(

Interesting quote, but what's the rest of the story?

Expand full comment
SGman's avatar

Here, no paywall. https://archive.is/VeC6N

If the NYT is seeing Dems/Inds not answering polls, that can correlate to the other polls this cycle. Throw in the vibecession (media using negative framing for everything) and you get where we are today.

Expand full comment
Cooter's avatar

Yes, and, from your piece, this is where we are today...

"Inflation and the economy continued to be the top issues for voters, and they overwhelmingly thought Mr. Trump would better handle the crucial economic concerns. Still, a rising share of voters, including a not insignificant number of Democrats, said immigration was the most important issue to them. And these voters were six times likelier to say Mr. Trump was better suited to handle the issue."

Expand full comment
SGman's avatar

Yes, Americans are quite taken with the myth that Republicans are better for the economy - which is readily seen to be bunk when you look at historical trends.

10% across the board tariffs and devaluing the dollar will make everything more expensive, not less. It will turbocharge inflation, not reduce it.

Our media is failing us by not presenting those facts

And to note: how can the NYT say what are top issues for voters while simultaneously stating that Dems/Indys are not answering their questions?

Expand full comment
Cooter's avatar

No, folks are well aware of the cost of groceries and gas compared to the Trump days. Businesses are well aware of their cost of goods sold compared to the Trump days. The polling accurately reflects this.

Expand full comment
Bill Pearson's avatar

Interesting column and unlike many comments i have read across the spectrum of sites i read every morning where folks are claiming "they'll be tuning out;" i wouldn't miss this one. In fact, i am looking forward to it.

I don't care what the pundits will be saying. We already know the celebration will come from both sides as they declare victory. We already know they will be touting the failures of the other guy. Knowing that means i need to be the judge of what i see and hear.

Not that it matters, i wouldn't vote for trump irrespective of Joe's performance. I have a very simplistic pre-debate analysis: Joe will be Joe. trump will be trump. Both will deliver exactly who and what they are. We know, at their ages, no one, no amount of debate training is going to change who and what they are.

Let's be very clear; while Joe will make his mistakes, his grasp of policy and a lifetime of accomplishments are well grounded in him. He'll be boring most of the time (it's what i expect from my president). On the other hand trump has looked down with scorn over the idea of preparing. His belief that he is smarter, better looking and incapable of failure should insure his incompetence be fairly obvious. He will be the strutting cock-sure, pompous, preening, preposterous narcissist he has always been (everything i don't want in my president).

Let me close with this simple question: Jan 6 or student loan forgiveness?

Expand full comment
Steve Berman's avatar

Biden managed to do the illegal thing and actually write off loans. Trump got someone killed for the crime of believing him. If Biden was anything but a hack Democrat I’d vote for him. If Trump was endorsed by angels I’d not cast a ballot for him. So, neither.

Expand full comment
Bill Pearson's avatar

Not to quibble over a few spilled tax dollars, but i found this clip regarding "farm subsidies: under trump in 2020: "Taxpayer-funded farm subsidies have long been skewed in favor of the richest farmers and landowners. But under the Trump administration, even more money went to the largest and wealthiest farms, further shortchanging smaller, struggling family farms.

EWG’s analysis of records from the Department of Agriculture finds that subsidy payments to farmers ballooned from just over $4 billion in 2017 to more than $20 billion in 2020 – driven largely by ad hoc programs meant to offset the effects of President Trump’s failed trade war.

Not only did the amount of subsidies skyrocket, but the richest farms also increased their share: In 2016, about 17 percent of total subsidies went to the top 1 percent of farms and about 60 percent to the top 10th. In 2019, the richest 1 percent received almost one-fourth of the total, and the top 10th received almost two-thirds."

Hopefully you were complaining about those handouts as well. Curious though Steve: Is there a difference in a democratic hack as compared to a republican hack? You know like promising the billionaires to restore the sun setting tax cuts, or telling the oil barons he'll save them billions if they just belly up with millions.

Expand full comment
Cameron Sprow's avatar

Aaaand the lies about Donald Trump and Jan.6th continue. I would say that Mr. Berman and Mr. Thornton should be ashamed of themselves for spreading their lies, but I've come to realize that the term shame doesn't exist in the liberal lexicon.

Expand full comment
Jay Berman's avatar

So Trump was such the profile in courage on Jan 6?

Expand full comment
SGman's avatar

Your Trump Derangement Syndrome is very great.

Wonder if it's an insult or catastrophic injury.

Expand full comment
Cameron Sprow's avatar

Nice try, but I won't be voting for Trump, either.

Expand full comment
SGman's avatar

Sure you won't.

Expand full comment
Cameron Sprow's avatar

I was a #nevertrumper before the phrase was coined. I will never vote for Trump, but I will never vote for a Communist, either.

Expand full comment
SGman's avatar

"You keep using that word: I do not think it means what you think it means."

Expand full comment
Cameron Sprow's avatar

If you mean Communist, I know perfectly well what it means. Have you ever read the Communist Manifesto? The Democrat party has been using that playbook step by step ever since Woodrow Wilson. And, of course, about half the Republican party has as well. Unfortunately, many of you need to open your eyes as to what is going on in America.

Expand full comment
Kim's avatar

If SCOTUS had cojones and wasn’t so obviously trying to protect Trump this question on January 6th would’ve been settled in court already.

Expand full comment
Cameron Sprow's avatar

Trump did nothing wrong on Jan.6th, and that is a fact. Maybe you want the SCOTUS to rule in an unconstitutional fashion, which certainly wouldn't surprise me.

Expand full comment
Jay Berman's avatar

What did he do on Jan 6 that was right?

Expand full comment
Cameron Sprow's avatar

Read his speech. I read every word, and there was nothing in it that could be remotely construed as insurrectionist, or even inciting. Yes, some people rioted, and they are and have been punished, but whatever happened to each individual taking responsibility for their own actions? Nobody should put Jan. 6th on Trump.

Expand full comment
Jay Berman's avatar

Watched him give his speech. Not impressed. Not impressed with his stolen election narrative. No impressed with his disappearance on Jan 6.

Expand full comment
Cameron Sprow's avatar

Nothing in your assessment goes to Trump being an insurrectionist, or even a riot inciter.

Expand full comment
Bill Pearson's avatar

Then he should be chomping at the bit to prove his innocence...how's that concept working for you/us?

Expand full comment
Cameron Sprow's avatar

He is innocent until proven guilty. What country are you from?

Expand full comment
Kim's avatar

And if I was innocent I would be fighting like mad to prove it, wouldn’t you?

Expand full comment
Cameron Sprow's avatar

Well, I think he has, but in our Constitutional system, the burden of proof SHOULD be on the persecution (spelling intentional), but we are very far removed from the system of our founders, some 180 degrees.

Expand full comment