The Next President is...

[HeloDude]

1 hour ago, ClearedHot said:

In general, I am in favor of keeping rather adding.  Imposing two new hurdles to vote is simply radical.

So you’re for age restrictions on voting, but just the current age restriction.  I mean, if a 16 year old can operate a vehicle by themselves, surely they’re competent enough to be able to vote?  A lot of people are supportive of amending the Constitution to change the age to 16…would you be in favor?

[pawnman]

45 minutes ago, HeloDude said:

So you’re for age restrictions on voting, but just the current age restriction.  I mean, if a 16 year old can operate a vehicle by themselves, surely they’re competent enough to be able to vote?  A lot of people are supportive of amending the Constitution to change the age to 16…would you be in favor?

I'm in favor of a single age for adulthood. If you think 16 year olds are old enough to vote, they should also be allowed to drink, smoke, join the military, get credit cards, get married, move out, etc.

I'm not at all a fan of our tiered approach, where you're an adult for some things but underage for others. 

[brabus]

@ClearedHot Good counterpoints, appreciate the response. I think @uhhello summed my thoughts up well - fairly standard for candidates (especially in a primary where the party base is all that matters) to say hyperbolic things that resonate with the base, which then dovetail into the realistic path forward come general election. Good example is “burn it down” actually translates into “significant reform.”

Personally, I am very concerned with the current admin and would take any of the GOP field over the train wreck we have now. That doesn’t mean I love them all or don’t have a ranked preference, but I don’t see anybody running that I wouldn’t choose over Biden/his replacement. That’s not a R vs. D thing, it’s a that’s-how-low-they’ve-sunk-this-country thing and I have no faith that any Biden replacement would be different than him policy-wise.

[Blue]

7 hours ago, ClearedHot said:

3.  “Climate change is a hoax."  Do you guys really believe that?  

Yes.

[hindsight2020]

1 hour ago, pawnman said:

I'm not at all a fan of our tiered approach

yup yup, means testing is a cancer. 

[tac airlifter]

4 hours ago, ClearedHot said:

Voter ID laws and paper ballots (which I support), have NOTHING to do with raising the voting age 7 years and requiring a civics test.

That voter ID and legitimate traceable ballots aren't the national standard speaks to the depth of crisis we're already in.  Time for a candidate who takes the issue seriously, although I grant I'm not in favor of a civics test (who will test the testers?).

Imagine we're watching enemy targets & you stood up in a JOC full of prevaricating pussy Colonels and said "let's just attack these guys and eat their hearts!"  I'd support your enthusiasm, agree in principal that attacking is my preferred COA, and get with you later to revisit & tweak the whole cannibalism thing (which I don't support).  But let's get things moving in the right direction. That's how I feel here.  

Addressing boarder chaos, firing our disgraceful SECDEF then purging the military of his acolytes, and ensuring elections are run legitimately are my 3 top voting issues. 

[Prosuper]

1 hour ago, tac airlifter said:

Addressing boarder chaos, firing our disgraceful SECDEF then purging the military of his acolytes, and ensuring elections are run legitimately are my 3 top voting issues. 

He would just go back to his seat on the Board of Raytheon after he steers a bunch of contracts their way. The next administration will just pick someone who has deep ties to the military industrial complex 

[ClearedHot]

16 hours ago, HeloDude said:

So you’re for age restrictions on voting, but just the current age restriction.  I mean, if a 16 year old can operate a vehicle by themselves, surely they’re competent enough to be able to vote?  A lot of people are supportive of amending the Constitution to change the age to 16…would you be in favor?

The age restriction has always been subjective and I think @pawnman captured it well, a single age for adulthood makes sense.  That single age is not 25.  More troubling is requiring a test to enjoy your rights afforded by the Constitution.  How is a civics test requirement any different from requiring a test to enjoy your second amendment freedoms?

14 hours ago, Blue said:

Yes.

Well it is a free country so good for you.  Looking at data I would say it is fairly convincing that releasing trillions of tons of carbon into the atmosphere has had an impact.  Denying the problem is a very different value proposition than finding a pragmatic way of dealing with it that doesn't destroy our economy or country.

15 hours ago, brabus said:

Personally, I am very concerned with the current admin and would take any of the GOP field over the train wreck we have now. That doesn’t mean I love them all or don’t have a ranked preference, but I don’t see anybody running that I wouldn’t choose over Biden/his replacement. That’s not a R vs. D thing, it’s a that’s-how-low-they’ve-sunk-this-country thing and I have no faith that any Biden replacement would be different than him policy-wise.

Great discussion and on this point we are in violent agreement.  I have never voted D in a Presidential election and while I don't want Trump in office ever again if it was a choice between him and anyone I currently see in the D party I would vote for him.  My "hope" is that the Republicans move toward the middle once the primaries are over and they don't have to serve red meat to their base.  The radical edges of both parties are extremely disturbing and yes the R's can be just as bad.  Religious zealotry in particular has killed far too many people.  I live in a very Red area with a lot of active and retired military.  I am absolutely incredulous that one of the big stories in my county right now is book banning.  There is a group of very religious and very extreme Republican woman that have started a crusade against books like the Scarlett Letter, as a result our public libraries are closed while the county works through the legal challenges. 

[VigilanteNav]

Donald Trump Has No Chance of Ever Becoming President Again - 19FortyFive

If you really don't want Biden to get a second term, heed this article and find a better GOP nominee and do your part to get that person nominated.  

[SocialD]

36 minutes ago, ClearedHot said:

...as a result our public libraries are closed while the county works through the legal challenges. 

 

WTAF?!?  Shut down a public library because a few bible thumping Karens?  No Karen, I should not have access to the library restricted because you're worried your kids might pick up a book that encourages free thought on things that may be contrary to your fragile religious views.  

[brabus]

@ClearedHot That’s insane the library is shutdown. I also live in a conservative place, but when we had some pissed off people find an inappropriate-for-kids book show up in the local library; all the board did was move it out of the kids section and into the adult section/require an adult to check it out. Some people called for banning it, but I’m glad the library took the action it did. A town/city library is for every book, regardless of who it may offend.

[ClearedHot]

17 minutes ago, brabus said:

@ClearedHot That’s insane the library is shutdown. I also live in a conservative place, but when we had some pissed off people find an inappropriate-for-kids book show up in the local library; all the board did was move it out of the kids section and into the adult section/require an adult to check it out. Some people called for banning it, but I’m glad the library took the action it did. A town/city library is for every book, regardless of who it may offend.

It's crazy, it started when a VERY right wing group called "Mom's for Liberty" went after the school board wanting 65 books banned and removed from public schools.  I will admit a few of those books had VERY graphic sexual content and should not be in elementary and middle school public libraries.  The Moms morphed that challenge into anything about LGBQT and race, then it morphed into removing it from the public libraries.  I don't think they will be happy until the only book anyone can read is the bible.

[brabus]

There are plenty of books popping up that don’t belong in school libraries due to explicit, adult content. However, public libraries are completely different.

[Danger41]

Here’s an example civics test we could use. 

[Biff_T]

I didn't know our children still read books.  Lol

I know that the 20 somethings (with or without a college degree) think they are smart but most of them dont know when world war 2 happened.. not even plus or minus 10 years.  Good job academia.

My bet is the country will be finished once they start making laws.  

Good bye military retirement and what was social security?  That wont be here either.  

At least I can marry another man and we can make our children get a sex change.  Oh yeah, we had some slaves too at one point and white men are evil.  No matter what white man it is or if they have money and power or live under a bridge.  They are all bad.  There is no wiggle room on this one gents.. sorry.  That's just the way it is.  Oh, and nobody else is racist.  Only white men.  And only when the other person can't articulate what I (white man) did to them personally.  Not some guy wearing a powered wig 200 years ago.  Lol.  

No more laws in this fucking country.  Please stop making them and get rid of at least a 100 hundred of them.

Our President is a scumbag.  A compulsive liar who does shady business deals using his position in politics.  

Change my mind.

 

 

Edited August 27, 2023 by Biff_T
Edit: and Im not a Trumper because i wear a Liverpool Football Club hat. Learn to read as well. Idiots

[nsplayr]

10 hours ago, Biff_T said:

My bet is the country will be finished once they [millenials/Gen Z/youngins/etc.] start making laws.

Literally every 5-10 years there's a prediction that when the younger generation takes over, it's all over, the country's going to hell in a handbasket, etc.

We're gonna be just fine. Old men will always yell at clouds and the world will continue to turn.

As an example...

 

[Biff_T]

2 minutes ago, nsplayr said:

Literally every 5-10 years there's a prediction that when the younger generation takes over, it's all over, the country's going to hell in a handbasket, etc.

We're gonna be just fine. Old men will always yell at clouds and the world will continue to turn.

As an example...

 

Lol.  I always turn into Homer's Dad at somepoint on here.  You're right.   My dad said the same to me. 

The smart kids are the quiet ones.  The dumbasses get famous for being stupid.  What a strange culture we have?  Lol

[slc]

I'm skeptical.  I see an inordinate number of kids these days answering this question: 

"what do you want to be when you grow up" 

"a Youtuber"

Sad how in my generation the response would have been

"an astronaut, doctor, fighter pilot, an army man"

Indicative of anything?  The hell if I know, but an indicator of the kind of kids we're raising?  Hmmm

[ClearedHot]

23 minutes ago, slc said:

I'm skeptical.  I see an inordinate number of kids these days answering this question: 

"what do you want to be when you grow up" 

"a Youtuber"

Sad how in my generation the response would have been

"an astronaut, doctor, fighter pilot, an army man"

Indicative of anything?  The hell if I know, but an indicator of the kind of kids we're raising?  Hmmm

Achievers are still out there.

My kid is a junior in high school and wants to be a fighter pilot (god help me).  I've taken his circle of friends camping a bunch and I always ask what they want to do when they grow up, through the years they have remained constant once they got off the NASCAR driver football player track.  Two want to be military officers (one of those a military doctor), one a computer programmer (making games), one can already weld like a pro and he wants to be a heavy equipment operator, the last one wants to design rockets for SpaceX.  Three play football and the others run cross country. 

Here is the really surprising part to me, my son is all AP and honors with a 4.43 GPA but there are 41 kids with higher GPA's above him out of 650+ in his year group.  Have any of you looked at how hard it is to get into some Universities these days?  Average GPA at some of the big Florida schools: U of Florida - 4.41, Florida State University - 4.07, UCF - 4.05, U of Miami 3.6 (unweighted). 

There are achievers in the next generation, don't believe the hype.

[uhhello]

2 hours ago, slc said:

I'm skeptical.  I see an inordinate number of kids these days answering this question: 

"what do you want to be when you grow up" 

"a Youtuber"

Sad how in my generation the response would have been

"an astronaut, doctor, fighter pilot, an army man"

Indicative of anything?  The hell if I know, but an indicator of the kind of kids we're raising?  Hmmm

Youtuber is the current Artist.  The difference is now days these artists can make ALOT of money if they are good at it.  Nothing has changed. 

[nsplayr]

6 hours ago, ClearedHot said:

There are achievers in the next generation, don't believe the hype.

Agreed. Between just my two kids one wants to be a clinical psychologist and the other wants to be Cookie Monster, so I think the future is bright.

The future shrink is in middle school and is well on the way to achieving her dreams, while the Cookie Monster one is only 14 months old, so she's got time to trim her sails into something a bit less glamorous and wildly successful. 😆 

Edited August 28, 2023 by nsplayr

[tac airlifter]

54 minutes ago, nsplayr said:

... while the Cookie Monster one is only 14 months old, so she's got time to trim her sails into something a bit less glamorous and wildly successful. 😆 

Honestly the world would be a better place with more cookie monsters; don't kill that dream.

[Biff_T]

3 hours ago, tac airlifter said:

Honestly the world would be a better place with more cookie monsters; don't kill that dream.

Its the Fucking Catalina Wine Mixer!!!

[FourFans]

12 hours ago, slc said:

"what do you want to be when you grow up" 

"a Youtuber"

I've only met a couple kids like this.  In every case the parents are completely disengaged.  This is why I laugh when older generations hate on younger generations, as if they had no hand at all in how those kids turned out.

We don't have a lazy kid problem.  We have a lazy parent problem.

I'm with the rest of you gents.  A kid in high school, and one in middle school.  They both have their plans pretty well wired.  It's awesome to see.

Edited August 29, 2023 by FourFans

[uhhello]

30 minutes ago, FourFans said:

I've only met a couple kids like this.  In every case the parents are completely disengaged.  This is why I laugh when older generations hate on younger generations, as if they had no hand at all in how those kids turned out.

We don't have a lazy kid problem.  We have a lazy parent problem.

I'm with the rest of you gents.  A kid in high school, and one in middle school.  They both have their plans pretty well wired.  It's awesome to see.

It's almost as if instantaneous connection with the world amplifies what has been around for eons