BoSoxGal wrote: ↑Mon Sep 07, 2020 4:01 pm
Big RR wrote: ↑Mon Sep 07, 2020 12:56 pm
And FWIW, I really don't want Trump's leadership; imagine how much worse things would be if he really understood government and knew how to get things done. He's caused enough trouble, but most of his initiatives have fizzled--imagine what it would be like if they did not.
I’m not sure how you can say this, considering two appointments to SCOTUS (so far) and over 200 - many unqualified - lifelong right wing judiciary appointments, many relatively young whose legacy will be a stain for decades to come.
He’s presided over the largest transfer of wealth in the history of the country, to the profound detriment of the vast majority of the population especially in light of his abject failure handling the pandemic.
He may not have passed much legislation, but he’s singlehandedly all but destroyed one of our major political parties and fomented violence in our streets. And quietly behind all the outrageous headlines, his administration has been eviscerating federal programs that benefit the environment and the people - with his current objective to kill Social Security via emergency payroll tax suspension that is legal, but morally reprehensible. It will take only one calendar year to entirely bankrupt SSDI (disability), and just another 1-2 to entirely bankrupt SS. The pandemic could easily last until 2022, considering historical evidence.
It will not be easy work to repair what 45 has wrought. Our country has been fomented to a lather of hostility and distrust that is really frightening. I frankly don’t know why Biden even wants this job; the fact that he does is all the evidence I need that he’s a true public servant.
Don't get me wrong, I don't endorse his USSC appointments, but at least them seem to have the intellectual chops to be on the Supreme Court, unlike some other appointments in the past few decades. They may well come to deciding cases on the law, not their own political views. And yes, the appointment of lower level judges does concern me, but I think we can deal with it as that part of the judiciary will undoubtedly expand and we can appoint future appellate judges from those who are more than idealogues.
His "transfer of wealth" or tax policy is pretty much SOP for the repubs (and even recent democrats, what president running for reelection hasn't lobbied for a tax cut? OK, Bush Sr, but he lost), and I place it clearly in the shoulders of Congress, which is why we need to focuses on changing Congress to democratic in both houses, whoever wins.
The SSI tax holiday is a concern, but I am not assuming it is legal for a number of reasons that distinguish it fro, his extension of the tax return filing deadline authorized by Congress, and I fully expect it to be enjoined. And he will suffer the backlash of seniors who are terrified of losing a major part of (or the only) the income they receive--and many of these were Trumps supporters. He might think he can do whatever he wants, but this could be a lesson to him and the ocuntry.
As for destroying the republican party singlehandedly, he had a lot of help; indeed, I think Newt and the subsequent tea partiers die much more to bring the GOP down than Trump did; add to that the toadies who won't stand up and call an ass an ass, and we see Trump has done littleto that downfall.
Yes, he has done things behind the scenes to screw with programs, but I sincerely think this is much less than someone who knew what they were doing could have done. Face it, he wants headlines far more than change and refuses to listen to those who know more than him.
Which brings us to your last point--rabble rousing and fomenting division and violence. This is where he excels. The man is another Jerry Springer who lives for just that. Yes, this is disturbing and has caused a lot of damage, which I lay clearly at his feet. But he didn't create this climate, it has been coming for years, and he''s pandering to the people who feel disenfanchised. If it wasn't him, it would be someone else.
I'm not saying he hasn't done damage, he clearly has, but getting someone smarter and more devious in the office could have caused much more damage; hell, if changes was his objective (rather than sowing the seeds of unrest for headlines), even he could have caused more damage. He as left us with a legacy that will require an effort to clean up, but I am happy that ti's not much worse,