If there was ever a year a third party could make traction... (2 Viewers)

[tenordas]

surely this is it.

One party is running a man half the country hates - no, despises, the other is running a woman even most of the other politicians in her own party can't stand.

Where are you Libertarians? Green Party? Hello?

I thought 2016 was a real shot, but the two most viable third parties both put up unelectable morons.

All one of them needs is someone actually viable and IMHO they could sway a lot of people away from these two...

 

[Heathen]

Just like how I didn't read those national enquire magazines in the checkout lane, I don't make it a habit of watching anything with sensationalist titles

Clearly we have different definitions of what is “sensationalist” or not.

Also.. it’s YouTube, man. That’s what people have to do to feed the algorithm and keep their content relevant. This isn’t 1998 when you could get sucked into some bs at the checkout counter.

 

[Heathen]

As an outsider i think that you forget that you (as in people) actually HAVE the power to change things. Get involved, run for office, support someone who are willing to support your ideas. Don't give up and just sit in a chair saying "my vote doesn't count" MAKE it count.

Apathy is the most dangerous enemy of democracy.

Democracy isn't easy. You don't get it served on a plate and sometimes it will feel like banging your head on a steel door. But every little action helps one way or another. It may take years. You don't do this for yourself but for your children and your childrens childen. It may feel hopeless at times, but autocracy and corruption thrives on hopelessness.

One thing we can all agree on.

 

[Heathen]

Yawn.....wake me up when the GOP supports tax code reforms that actually level the playing field, you know, making the billionaires and corporations actually pay their fair share.....they never, ever will and will continue to support only tax breaks for those that need them the least.....

You and I both know that’s not the argument I was ever making, so don’t even start.

The dems are far from perfect but they are at least....sane.....and they are far from "slightly less terrible", that's utter nonsense.....The GOP has been taken over by a wanna be tin pot dictator that wants to turn this nation into whomever supports his grift (in this case white Christian fascists/nationalists mostly).....if you can't see the difference you are part of the problem.....

We’re clearly going to agree to disagree.

I can agree with you and I’ve agreed 1 million times that the GOP is worse than the Democratic Party and what they want to do. However, and the point I’ve been trying to make which people keep squirming around because it makes them uncomfortable is that the Democrats are very complicit in this American experiment.

Some quite literally cannot get it through their heads that being better than worst is still not good. And if we members of the party wish to improve the party faster, we’re going to be loud and annoying about the issues we don’t agree with. That’s just going to be how it is.

So we’ll continue to butt heads with those voices telling us if we’d just be quiet the problem would go away.

 

[Heathen]

A lot of non-white liberals support the Democratic party because they think as a party it fights for the middle class and poor.

I need to see statistics. No anecdotes.

You say the Democratic party doesn't. Why are you right and all of those other people wrong?

Because I have statistics that support this.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/07/28/democrats-biden-middle-class-economy/

https://thehill.com/business/economy/4478749-few-say-biden-policies-helping-middle-class-poll/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/03/11/democrats-working-class-biden-distrust/

Left-of-center think tank Progressive Policy Institute did a survey with YouGov about the politics of the working-class voters (defined in the report as those without four-year college degrees). The report found that the working class trusts Republicans more on the economy, natural security, immigration and crime while they trust Democrats more on climate change, clean energy, abortion access and respecting elections.

https://www.progressivepolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/PPI-Winning-Back-Working-America-Poll.pdf

 

[LA - L.A.]

I need to see statistics.

Statistics can be found to support anything. All economic indications are that in Sept, the middle class will be better off than it was under Trump, which means Biden improved things.

The problem for you is that Biden isn't doing enough of everything you demand as fast as you want. That's the flip side of the same coin the Republicans are currently on. It's also not how representative governments work.

Improvements were made and things are trending in the right direction. It's just not enough for you. Why are you even a Democrat, with as much as you openly loathe Democrats?

 

[Heathen]

Improvements were made and things are trending in the right direction. It's just not enough for you. Why are you even a Democrat, with as much as you openly loathe Democrats?

We should always be loudest about the things we don’t agree with. You don’t seem to hold that view.

I’d like to see the party improve in areas that mean a lot to me and the people around me. That’s always been the case.

I think a bit of anger at your own party can be healthy and spur change, especially if done in a productive way.

 

[LA - L.A.]

I think a bit of anger at your own party...

You go way beyond a little bit of anger and criticism. You very rarely have anything good to say about the Democratic party. It's a constant parade of exaggerated criticism. There is nothing healthy about that at all.

 

[Heathen]

You go way beyond a little bit of anger and criticism. You very rarely have anything good to say about the Democratic party. It's a constant parade of exaggerated criticism. There is nothing healthy about that at all.

No, it just doesn’t meet your standard of how much criticism is allowable to you.

I’m honestly not overly concerned with your view of my posting style relevant to the Democratic Party discussion.

I am more interested in talking substance instead of quarreling over how much of a true Democrat someone is. We very clearly have different and often clashing views outside of both of us agreeing that a democratic candidate would be better.

 

[LA - L.A.]

No, it just doesn’t meet your standard of how much criticism is allowable to you.

What do you like about the Democratic Party, Harris and any of the Democrats running for Congress?

It's not about any standard of mine. It's just a simple standard of healthy emotional and psychological behavior. If someone identifies with anything that they solely and constantly complain about, that's self-loathing and it isn't healthy. That's not my standard, that's the standard of the entire psychological community.

 

[Sharon]

A bit of skepticism is not a bad thing.

The run-up to a tight presidential election is probably not when most people want to hold an airing of grievances, though.

But, do keep your eyes open.
My pet peeve: DFER. "Democrats for Education Reform" they are not. Siphoning off of public money for charters? Ding ding ding. This one group out of Chicago sucked more joy out of the classroom than you can imagine. Race to the Bottom, standardized testing. Just horrible.

Okay, I feel better.

 

[UriUT]

Fastest wage growth over the last four years among historically disadvantaged groups: Low-wage workers’ wages surged after decades of slow growth

In stark contrast to prior decades, low-wage workers experienced dramatically fast real wage growth between 2019 and 2023, but many workers continue to suffer from grossly inadequate wages and middle-wage workers face significant gaps across demographic groups.

www.epi.org

In striking reversal, low-paid workers saw biggest wage growth during pandemic years

Wages rose much faster for America’s lowest-paid workers than for their better-paid colleagues between 2019 and 2023, a striking reversal.

www.usatoday.com

https://www.wsj.com/economy/jobs/economy-blue-collar-wage-increases-a71e5eee

Bottom 20% of wage earners saw the biggest increase in earnings.

US Union Members See Record Pay Raises, Outpacing Nonunion Workers

Unionized workers in the US saw record raises, while nonunion workers’ pay barely beat inflation over the past 12 months, the latest government data show.

www.bloomberg.com

Unionized workers saw wage increase of 6% vs 4% for non unions.

Yeah, again, feelings vs reality.

 

[UriUT]

Biden makes history by joining striking autoworkers on the picket line

The United Auto Workers strike against the Big Three auto companies — General Motors, Ford and Chrysler maker Stellantis — has entered its 11th day.

www.nbcnews.com

Yeah, that old demented democratic president cross the picket line, first president to do so, to support working Americans.

Is that a stat?

 

[Heathen]

What do you like about the Democratic Party, Harris and any of the Democrats running for Congress?

- positions on women’s rights are at a baseline what they should be. Though I feel we should go further..
- climate policy is taken seriously, hopefully working on ending fossil fuel subsidies
- they are more open to a national public HC option that Obama initially set forth
- Many are for expanding social security
- Many are for implementing a more progressive tax code (will believe it when I see it though)
- support of the PRO act re: unionization
- increasing, not decreasing - investments in federal housing
And generally being better than some of the worst GOP policies which aimed to gut social services, provide more tax cuts to corporations while the middle class suffers with inflation, etc.

It's not about any standard of mine. It's just a simple standard of healthy emotional and psychological behavior.

Interesting. Would you share with me your credentials that would suggest you are more of an authority in diagnosing, unhealthy emotional and psychological behaviors online?

Or can we just both agree that we don’t hold the same views?

If someone identifies with anything that they solely and constantly complain about, that's self-loathing and it isn't healthy. That's not my standard, that's the standard of the entire psychological community.

Well, then, I guess a lot of movements that have involved anger and frustration and outrage consistently over time that have absolutely been the difference maker in a lot of the things we enjoy today weren’t healthy either.

Also, I’m not really sure you actually care about my health. I suspect the “unhealthy” comments are more to get a jab in. But you tell me if that’s incorrect.

 

[Sharon]

Anger is an energy.

 

[LA - L.A.]

Thank you for acknowledging the very good things below that you like about the Democratic Party. I think your list is why everyone should vote for Harris, instead of voting for anyone else or not voting at all.

- positions on women’s rights are at a baseline what they should be.
- climate policy is taken seriously, hopefully working on ending fossil fuel subsidies
- they are more open to a national public HC option
- Many are for expanding social security
- Many are for implementing a more progressive tax code
- support of the PRO act re: unionization

- increasing, not decreasing - investments in federal housing
And generally being better than some of the worst GOP policies which aimed to gut social services, provide more tax cuts to corporations while the middle class suffers with inflation, etc.

 

[MT15]

This guy has some really bad mental illness.

 

[MT15]

Read a bit more about this. Happened 10 years ago - so not all that long ago. Supposedly he was behind a car on a NY highway that hit and killed the baby bear, so he took it back to his NYC apartment, intending to skin it and eat it, as one does. Ran out of time, had a plane to catch, so took it to Central Park and set up a fake accident scene using one of his own bicycles and left it.

He has some serious issues, and shouldn’t be in charge of anything.

 

[Btthegreat]

We would do well with 4 or 5 political parties, but the biggest problem is getting media to cover these small party's ideas and candidates. We cannot even hear them once every four years on a presidential debate stage. Granted the quality of the Presidential candidates has been exceptionally poor, but they aren't any wackier that Trump. They need to be seen as just as qualified, just as able, as the Dem and Pub candidate and media HAS TO invite them on the shows for interviews, cover their conventions, and their primary candidates and they need to be covered locally as well, for governors races, legislative races etc. The two party system is really a product of media creation and tradition and its media that can prop up these other options for consideration and public scrutiny.