Election 2024 & Presidential Cage Match: Dark Brandon 46 vs Felonious Farty 45

[tshile]

6 minutes ago, BatteredFanSyndrome said:

I think you can even stretch that top end to $100k.  The bottom end of the wage scale has seen mass improvement, but those in the middle aren’t yet reaping any benefits of it.  They just see their money not going as far as it once did, and don’t want to hear about how the economy is doing swell.

They’ll catch up eventually. Because that’s what happens. You’d see the same thing with generic raises in minimum wage. 
 

stuff gets more expensive, people start demanding more money. The middle has the least power to make those demands (well the bottom usually does but when the law changes or something like covid happens its a different scenario) 

[TradeTheBeal!]

Kennedy spent three years banging actresses and getting ****-faced while almost getting us into WW3 on multiple occasions.  Then he got shot.

 

Biden is having a much better run.

[BatteredFanSyndrome]

4 minutes ago, tshile said:

They’ll catch up eventually. Because that’s what happens. You’d see the same thing with generic raises in minimum wage. 
 

stuff gets more expensive, people start demanding more money. The middle has the least power to make those demands (well the bottom usually does but when the law changes or something like covid happens its a different scenario) 

I agree, thats why I said “yet”. 
 

But the point stands that the middle doesn’t feel like waiting and really doesn’t want to hear about GDP, when their bills have gone way up and income stagnant.
 

 

[dfitzo53]

For anybody who wants to play around with a chart that can break wage increases down by various demographics, here you go:

 

https://www.atlantafed.org/chcs/wage-growth-tracker

 

I can't find a category that doesn't follow the general trend of wage growth, but admittedly I'm at work and don't have unlimited time to play with this right now. 

[tshile]

12 minutes ago, PleaseBlitz said:

 

You've got to be kidding me.  I've (1) posted economic data and (2) asked you to post any data that backs up the statements you've made, which you refused to do.  

The data is the polling. It’s what we’re talking about. 😂 

 

“I don’t understand why people aren’t happy look at these gdp growth numbers”

 

It’s not that hard to understand. I’m not the only one saying this. And again, it’s in the polling. 

7 minutes ago, BatteredFanSyndrome said:

I agree, thats why I said “yet”. 
 

But the point stands that the middle doesn’t feel like waiting and really doesn’t want to hear about GDP, when their bills have gone way up and income stagnant.
 

 

yes. Which. To be fair. Is a totally different issue than whether they think Trump would do better. 
 

I totally understand why they feel things are not good or even getting better. But i don’t understand why any of them think Trump would be or would do better. 
 

the two issues are separate. 

Likewise I don’t really blame Biden for the spot we’re in. 
 

for example, if I were to cast blame, I would think the republicans causing our government to be dysfunctional is the #1 reason and it’s not even close. 
 

but people are basic and just blame the president. Just like they blame the qb even when it’s not his fault (or give him credit)

[BatteredFanSyndrome]

4 minutes ago, tshile said:

I totally understand why they feel things are not good or even getting better. But i don’t understand why any of them think Trump would be or would do better. 

My thoughts in a nutshell.

 

 

[tshile]

Another thing to consider - when my wife showed me a report on what people like her are focusing on and making top priority initiatives for their organizations - the top two were workplace violence and burnout. 
 

both of which could heavily weigh on someone’s view of the “economy” depending on their field. Neither are topics I see discussed or covered much here or in the news. 

[Cooked Crack]

 

Again, most people are personally satisfied with their life but the impression of the economy seems to be based on vibes. Biden needs to start changing attitudes about the economy. Say we're working to get an economy for everyone.

[ixcuincle]

 

 

 

[BatteredFanSyndrome]

13 minutes ago, Cooked Crack said:

Biden needs to start changing attitudes about the economy. Say we're working to get an economy for everyone.

I don’t think there’s anything that can be said to change attitudes.  What folks see is tax money being sent overseas by the boatload, expensive gas and groceries.  Alot of folks won’t want to sign up for more of that, even if the alternative has no answers either.

[tshile]

43 minutes ago, BatteredFanSyndrome said:

I don’t think there’s anything that can be said to change attitudes.  What folks see is tax money being sent overseas by the boatload, expensive gas and groceries.  Alot of folks won’t want to sign up for more of that, even if the alternative has no answers either.

I think most of this is political rhetoric that we see from both parties that is pushed in the news and social media and such. 
 

but the first sentence - I agree I don’t think there’s anything that can be said. I’ve been saying this for a while and I said it this morning in this thread - people need to accept the new normal. 
 

interest rates and price of goods, people need to stop judging them by what was what 5 years ago. I doubt price of goods will ever return to that level. I’m sure we will eventually see sub 3% interest rates, but I’m sure it’ll be as a response to a crisis which certainly doesn’t make the overall picture “good” and we certainly can’t predict when or force it into existence. 
 

think whoever is the president when this is going on is going to catch grief for it and face an uphill battle. It doesn’t matter how much, if any, of it is actually his fault. 
 

and as a tangent - I think it’s sad and scary to consider the prospect that there may potentially be enough people who use this view of the economy to ignore the four years under Trump, 1/6, or what actual policy ideas mean and for whom, to the point that it puts in question whether Biden will win or not. 
 

Im not saying that’s the case, way too early to tell, for the many reasons others have listed, just saying it’s scary and sad to consider it might turn out to be a real issue. 

[The Evil Genius]

Lol. Biden is generic Democrat. 

[tshile]

3 minutes ago, The Evil Genius said:

Lol. Biden is generic Democrat.

Yeah but according to the people polled, they’d prefer Trump to him. But any other generic democrat to Biden. 
 

and the swing on some of those is insane to the point I’d instinctively want to question if it’s right. 
 

yet that’s where we currently are somehow. 

Edited November 6, 2023 by tshile

[The Evil Genius]

8 minutes ago, tshile said:

 

yet that’s where we currently are somehow. 

 

A land of confusion?

 

 

[tshile]

Also the lack of campaigning by the Biden admin. I hate having to constantly mention it cause we talk about it constantly but if you don’t someone quotes your post and says that so …

5 minutes ago, The Evil Genius said:

A land of confusion?

I’ve been saying most people aren’t very smart for a long, long time. And for most of that time, most people here would go after me for saying that. Any number of things from being too cynical to 

 

these days it seems most people have caught up to the truth of things in that regard. 

[Corcaigh]

1 hour ago, Cooked Crack said:

 

Again, most people are personally satisfied with their life but the impression of the economy seems to be based on vibes. Biden needs to start changing attitudes about the economy. Say we're working to get an economy for everyone.

You know how it is. If someone is earning more with a better job and can afford nicer vacations for their family it’s solely because they are talented and busting their ass, and nothing to do with government policy.

But higher gas prices? **** Joe Biden!

[The Evil Genius]

Also..money does buy happiness. Polling proves that. 😁

[Fergasun]

So the voters would prefer an imaginary democrat to the actual democratic President?  

 

Didn't I say that Biden has been "Clinton'd"?  So swap out Biden for Whitmer or Newsome right now (or someone else).  It'll be too late to "Clinton" them... but gosh... 

 

Also... re: DeSantis in Iowa.   Didn't we start seeing this a couple weeks ago in polling?  Didn't I start saying if you A-B compare Haley or Desantis to Trump that actually campaigning and talking to people could be more effective than just giving the same speech.  Attacking Trump is getting traction.  And if you hated "Biden is old" wait until DeSantis and Haley start hitting "Trump is old". 

[Corcaigh]

6 minutes ago, The Evil Genius said:

Also..money does buy happiness. 
😁

You just have to search on the term “happiness” on Amazon and you get many thousands of results.

 

Money buys a whole lot of contentment and satisfaction so that you can sleep well at night. And you can find your own definition of happiness in your own time when you don’t have to worry about all the other ****.

 

 

[tshile]

@Fergasun well another issue is Biden does not do well in speeches. He doesn’t look good. He looks feeble and old, and no one likes to support someone who looks feeble and old. 
 

his big time supporters don’t see it, but everyone else does. I see it, even though I don’t think it means anything about his fitness for presidency much less how it compares to trumps fitness…

 

but it’s definitely an issue, and it’s not one that he can correct. It is what it is. 
 

but yes, I think there’s a lot of people that would have preferred he stop here and let someone else run for 2024. 

[Cooked Crack]

 

[Fergasun]

The fact he is on crimina trial is amazing. I don't even need a conviction... what's wrong with people that think "this is okay."

[LadySkinsFan]

3 hours ago, PleaseBlitz said:

I'll just note that Trump is campaigning, Biden is not.  And in the GOP faux primary, nobody has the balls to actually attack Trump for his myriad failings.  

 

Also, by nearly every measure, the economy is REALLY good right now.  GDP grew 4.9% last quarter.  Inflation is down to 3.7% (down from 9.1% in June 2022).  The unemployment  rate is below 4%.  Wages are up (by more than inflation).  I guess perception is reality and people will believe what they want to believe, but if you feel the economy is bad right now, then you are just wrong.  

 

It must be better. My Social Security COLA for this year was 8.9%. For 2024, it's 3.2%. I got a $190 increase/month this year that was eaten up by rent increase of $200/month plus everything else increasing. I do notice that some food prices are coming down, I haven't gotten any take out food nor eaten in a restaurant at all this year except for one time Chinese. I cook most food from scratch. 

 

My daughter and I are getting serious about getting a place together, she because she wants to move closer to her work and for economics. Time to go exploring South Austin. I really like Cedar Park but it's getting expensive to live alone here and it's almost 25-30 miles away from her work and she live 5-8 miles from me. 

 

[Fergasun]

@tshile

I am not trying to disagree at all. I think the Democratic party is in denial at how bad he looks, compared to 7, 12, 17 years ago.  He was way more feisty.  

 

SNL just made fun of him... will people blame SNL for him losing?  

 

I think the conventional wisdom about incumbent advantage... should be ignored. 

 

All I want for Christmas is Biden to not run for President again.  He is already such an improbable President. Good for him... but people want someone closer to their age. 

[Corcaigh]

I have lost faith in the voting public to respond appropriately to Trump’s legal woes.

 

He’s committed just about every act that would disqualify anyone else as a candidate. … “Grab ‘em by the ****”, Jean Carroll, Stormy Daniels, demeaning comments about the military being losers, etc.

 

Why this time?