The challenges ahead (Biden's America)

[Voronwë the Faithful]

I thought of titling this "Biden's America" to echo the Trump thread, but they are two very different persons.

These two op-eds from the Washington Post (reprinted by MSN to bypass the paywall) does a good job of summarizing the short- and long-term challenges ahead.

Opinions | Trump has lost. But he can still do a lot of damage to national security.

Opinions | The four-year nightmare that awaits Joe Biden

[Dave_LF]

This definitely will not be the first time a member of the Obama-Biden administration has had to expend most of its efforts cleaning up after its predecessor.

[Voronwë the Faithful]

My father made an interesting suggestion today when I spoke to him on the phone.

Offer Susan Collins a cabinet post.

[elengil]

If Reps keep the senate, I'm not sure there will be a cabinet...

[Voronwë the Faithful]

McConnell will not be able to keep cabinet nominees from getting votes the way that he did with Merrick Garland, and there will be ample votes to confirm reasonable choices with Murkowksi, Romney and (yes) Collins in the Senate.

[River]

Trump didn't really bother with getting his preferred people through the nomination process. He just bent the Vacancy Act to breaking. This sets a precedent for Biden, if he has to go that route. Also says something about the quality of Trump's picks, if he was unable or unwilling to take them through the full nomination process in McConnell's Senate.

I wonder...if Biden opened Collins's seat by appointing her, would the Senate confirm her, knowing what it might mean?

[Frelga]

That would be an interesting move.

One of my favorite things about yesterday was a photo of Dr. and Mr. Biden. To the extent that the role of First Spouse is meaningful, it will be nice to have one who is able to look at her husband with a genuine smile.

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[Sunsilver]

Very true, Frelga!

Some of the extreme right wing-nuts are convinced Obama is gay, or has had gay lovers in the past, and that Michelle is a trans-sexual. Yes, seriously. They have taken body measurements and shown photos that supposedly prove it!

I look at this photo and say, um....NO WAY!

[Frelga]

And also, who cares.

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[Impenitent]

Trump received 70 million votes. I can't estimate what proportion of these voters are 'true believers', but somehow real connection needs to be established with them to prevent the chasm from widening.

Dismissing them as ignorant rednecks, or malicious racists, or misguidedly naive cuts off any possibility of understanding the concerns, and fears, and grievances, of the individuals behind the labels.

[Inanna]

I agree, Imp.

[Frelga]

Oh for sure. But there's a wide gap between understanding and legitimizing.

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[Voronwë the Faithful]

I couldn't say it any better myself, Impy.

[Snowdog]

Trump received 70 million votes. I can't estimate what proportion of these voters are 'true believers', but somehow real connection needs to be established with them to prevent the chasm from widening.

Dismissing them as ignorant rednecks, or malicious racists, or misguidedly naive cuts off any possibility of understanding the concerns, and fears, and grievances, of the individuals behind the labels.

I have a hard time reconciling and giving any respect to anyone who sincerely believed in the man and the republican enablers who legitimised him. An Iranian-American friend of mine said it quite well on facebook...

Post

[River]

^^^ The pain the Trump Admin intentionally caused to people I care about and to people I don't is why I wanted them gone. The level of comfort I observed among self-identified rightwingers with the pain being intentionally inflicted on people I both do and do not care about has left me suspicious of their motives and character traits (those who voted for Trump in 2016 but not in 2020 I am more forgiving towards). If you looked at the events on the Southern border and either cheered or shrugged, if you watched our golden door slam shut and either cheered or shrugged, if you watched legal protections roll back for the LGBTQ+ and others who are different and cheered or shrugged...what was in it for you? And was the damage worth it? If you watched us alienate ourselves from allies and either cheered or shrugged, if you watched insane trade policies turn farmers dependent on federal aid because the markets for their crops collapsed and either cheered or shrugged...what was in it for you? If you watched the federal government turn its back on an American territory (and site of a whole lot of pharma manufacturing) get torn down to the foundations by a hurricane and either cheered or shrugged...what was in it for you and was it worth it?

On top of that...if you watched the Trump Admin recalibrate immigration rules to exclude the poor on the grounds they don't contribute and blah blah blah, did you ever pause to consider if that wasn't also a comment on poor Americans? Are you okay with that? Would you still be okay with that if you end up becoming poor?

[Frelga]

This seems a sound suggestion.

In the next month, Biden and Pelosi should give a joint press conference calling for raising the minimum wage, pelosi should pass a bill in the house and Biden should say “the only thing between this bill and me signing it is Kelly loeffler and David Perdue”

https://twitter.com/samdman95/status/13 ... 51462?s=19

On the second thought, using coronavirus relief bill may be more effective.

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[elengil]

Biden should reinstate McCabe and give him the last days he needs to retire with full benefits, and reinstate Vindman's brother, ask Vindman to return (if that's still possible).

[N.E. Brigand]

I'm open to the idea of giving the rich the tax cuts they want in exchange for massive spending programs.

Yes, that will increase the national debt. But that's not important, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

(And Republicans only pretend to care about deficits when Democrats are in charge.)

[elengil]

I'm open to the idea of giving the rich the tax cuts they want in exchange for massive spending programs.

I don't understand how this is a good trade-off. You bring in less money, you spend more money. The rich get all the benefit and the government spends money it needs to tax the middle-class and poor to regain.

How about go back to the income tax brackets of the 70s, tax rich, corporations, tax stock earnings, raise minimum wage (which raises their taxes!), now we have the funds to spend.

[N.E. Brigand]

I'm open to the idea of giving the rich the tax cuts they want in exchange for massive spending programs.

I don't understand how this is a good trade-off. You bring in less money, you spend more money. The rich get all the benefit and the government spends money it needs to tax the middle-class and poor to regain.

How about go back to the income tax brackets of the 70s, tax rich, corporations, tax stock earnings, raise minimum wage (which raises their taxes!), now we have the funds to spend.

It's not a good trade-off. But without the Senate, it's probably the best that Democrats can do.

Republicans are perfectly willing to let people suffer unless they get something in return.