The Impeachment Process Has Officially Begun (6 Viewers)

[Andrus]

By Laura Bassett

After months of internal arguing among Democrats over whether to impeach President Donald Trump, the dam is finally breaking in favor of trying to remove him from office. The Washington Post reported that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would announce a formal impeachment inquiry on Tuesday, following a bombshell report that Trump illegally asked Ukraine’s government to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, one of his political opponents. (He essentially admitted to having done so over the weekend.)

“Now that we have the facts, we’re ready,” Pelosi said Tuesday morning at a forum hosted by The Atlantic. At 5 p.m. the same day, she was back with more. "The actions taken to date by the president have seriously violated the constitution, especially when the president says Article Two says I can do whatever I want," referring to the segment of the Constitution that defines the power of the executive branch of the government. Pelosi's message was that checks and balances of those branches are just as central to the Constitution. And one more thing: "Today, I am announcing the House of Representatives is moving forward with an official impeachment inquiry," she said at a conference broadcast on Twitter by the Huffington Post. ...

Read the Full Story - InStyle

 

[MT15]

Those were both intentional omissions, according to the report I heard on the radio on the way home. Evidently Pelosi feels that the Mueller stuff is less compelling and clear cut than the current misdeeds. The other decision was that leaning on a foreign country to investigate a political rival is bad enough without trying to stretch it. It’s inherently corrupt and most people get that, I think anyway.

I do wish they would slow down and get the testimony that Trump is obviously desperate to avoid. But I get it that they were burned by Mitch on the Garland nomination and really don’t want him pulling some nonsense about ”no senate trial in an election year” stuff.

 

[Beach Friends]

What is really amazing is how utterly sensitive you two are. Fragile, really.

Sorry for giving you the benefit of the doubt.

 

[Taurus]

Those were both intentional omissions, according to the report I heard on the radio on the way home. Evidently Pelosi feels that the Mueller stuff is less compelling and clear cut than the current misdeeds. The other decision was that leaning on a foreign country to investigate a political rival is bad enough without trying to stretch it. It’s inherently corrupt and most people get that, I think anyway.

I do wish they would slow down and get the testimony that Trump is obviously desperate to avoid. But I get it that they were burned by Mitch on the Garland nomination and really don’t want him pulling some nonsense about ”no senate trial in an election year” stuff.

Yeah, I think it's a weaker position without the bribery charge.
Bribery is easy to grasp, easily provable and listed right there as a reason to impeach.

 

[MT15]

Sorry for giving you the benefit of the doubt.

lol. Honestly I really didn’t notice it until you pointed it out, and then I was like . I couldn’t figure out where all the “racist” talk was coming from. Well, then after that I just couldn’t resist. Sorry.

I honestly don’t like it much when folks try to say that when old people die there won’t be any more racists or republicans or corporate greed or whatever they are trying to escape responsibility for at the moment. It’s pretty dang naive. People aren’t really all that different based on age or race or most any other trait you can think of.

 

[Andrus]

lol. Honestly I really didn’t notice it until you pointed it out, and then I was like . I couldn’t figure out where all the “racist” talk was coming from. Well, then after that I just couldn’t resist. Sorry.

I honestly don’t like it much when folks try to say that when old people die there won’t be any more racists or republicans or corporate greed or whatever they are trying to escape responsibility for at the moment. It’s pretty dang naive. People aren’t really all that different based on age or race or most any other trait you can think of.

I am 60 years old now. My whole life I've been hearing the younger partisans wishing the older politicians to die off, as if it will fix anything. They have been dying off the entire time. The question is, has life gotten any better for the majority of the citizens of this country? I would say "hell no!"

 

[Beach Friends]

lol. Honestly I really didn’t notice it until you pointed it out, and then I was like . I couldn’t figure out where all the “racist” talk was coming from. Well, then after that I just couldn’t resist. Sorry.

I honestly don’t like it much when folks try to say that when old people die there won’t be any more racists or republicans or corporate greed or whatever they are trying to escape responsibility for at the moment. It’s pretty dang naive. People aren’t really all that different based on age or race or most any other trait you can think of.

I didn't think you had seen it. And I agree that we aren't all that different - at least not in real life. It's online that everything seems to get so crazy.

 

[MT15]

I am 60 years old now. My whole life I've been hearing the younger partisans wishing the older politicians to die off, as if it will fix anything. They have been dying off the entire time. The question is, has life gotten any better for the majority of the citizens of this country? I would say "hell no!"

Are you old enough to remember “don’t trust anyone over thirty”? Lol. Even back then I realized that was pretty stupid.

 

[J-DONK]

I am 60 years old now. My whole life I've been hearing the younger partisans wishing the older politicians to die off, as if it will fix anything. They have been dying off the entire time. The question is, has life gotten any better for the majority of the citizens of this country? I would say "hell no!"

Is everyone on this board not aware of the political realignment of the early 80's? The larger demographic you are apart of took over at that point, and has consistently voted conservative since then. It looks bad to have the post deleted by a boomer, who then makes a borderline patronizing post.

Also, if I make a thread about a future probable political realignment once boomers die off, and younger voters come of age. Will that thread be yoinked like my post?

What is, and isn't on the table to be discussed here? Whose thin skin needs to be protected most?

 

[MT15]

Lol, j-donk. When I was young, people said the exact same thing. It’s a foolish statement. People are not going to stop being racist or anything else when one group of people “dies off” as you so elegantly put it. You will realize that some day.

And your political realignment is here, dude. There are officially more millennials than boomers of voting age right now and I eagerly await the nirvana that will come.

Yeah, none of us are aware of anything that happened in the eighties, you’re cracking me up.

 

[J-DONK]

Lol, j-donk. When I was young, people said the exact same thing. It’s a foolish statement. People are not going to stop being racist or anything else when one group of people “dies off” as you so elegantly put it. You will realize that some day.

And your political realignment is here, dude. There are officially more millennials than boomers of voting age right now and I eagerly await the nirvana that will come.

Yeah, none of us are aware of anything that happened in the eighties, you’re cracking me up.

Who said anything about the end of racism? I mean you can laugh at it, and ignore data that seems to point to a more liberal America in the future. It sounds like some of you are implying that younger voters will turn more conservative with age. That sentiment doesn't really have any hard data behind it as far as I know.

Apparently the idea that a huge demographic block of older, white conservatives dying off will propel America back to the left is triggering.

Again, is the topic to hot for this board? That seems to be the case considering the original post got yoinked.

 

[Joe Okc]

What is really amazing is how utterly sensitive you two are. Fragile, really.

Oh.. I'm good... Believe me..

Just find it funny how the left (and I am sure that you agree with them) says Trump hates The Squad: Pressley, Cortz, Omar and Tlaib because they are Minorities and that makes him a Racist so everyone needs to hate Trump..

But a poster here says the Problem with the GOP is the old White people, but that's OK... In fact mt15, you conveniently overlooked that part.

While I personally don't give a shirt... It does show to me that the Left is hypocritical and shows that the facts really don't matter.

Like I said, If I had said the problem with the Democrats is young black people... This place would have exploded, I would be getting hit with TOS violations, numerous PMS from posters, mods and Admins.. If not a total ban...

Tell me I'm wrong.

 

[V Chip]

Oh.. I'm good... Believe me..

Just find it funny how the left (and I am sure that you agree with them) says Trump hates The Squad: Pressley, Cortz, Omar and Tlaib because they are Minorities and that makes him a Racist so everyone needs to hate Trump..

But a poster here says the Problem with the GOP is the old White people, but that's OK... In fact mt15, you conveniently overlooked that part.

While I personally don't give a shirt... It does show to me that the Left is hypocritical and shows that the facts really don't matter.

Like I said, If I had said the problem with the Democrats is young black people... This place would have exploded, I would be getting hit with TOS violations, numerous PMS from posters, mods and Admins.. If not a total ban...

Tell me I'm wrong.

You’re wrong.

 

[Andrus]

Is everyone on this board not aware of the political realignment of the early 80's? The larger demographic you are apart of took over at that point, and has consistently voted conservative since then. It looks bad to have the post deleted by a boomer, who then makes a borderline patronizing post.

Also, if I make a thread about a future probable political realignment once boomers die off, and younger voters come of age. Will that thread be yoinked like my post?

What is, and isn't on the table to be discussed here? Whose thin skin needs to be protected most?

What is not on the table is any comment that serves to either inflame or incite the opposition and lead to partisan bickering, which is exactly what your post resulted in. You aimed your comment at at the boomers in the GOP (opposition) specifically. Your post was deleted due to the manner in which it was presented. Note that I did leave your subsequent post with links to related articles, as the manner in which it was presented was acceptable, despite whatever the content might be, which I did not read other than the link titles.

We do not allow members to make comments on this board in the context of (Edit & Correction to quote your exact post... "The only thing that gives me comfort is that the GOP is generally old, and white. The problem will literally die out with time") There is a lot of inappropriate in such a comment. Do you not see it?

Patronizing? Whose thin skin needs protecting most? Are your insinuating that I am showing moderation bias towards conservatives, or that I am thin-skinned? I don't quite get the inference of those comments. Please clarify.

I have repeated this many times. This Main Community board specifically will be heavily moderated. The focus is on maintaining as civil environment as possible. It isn't about your politics, but is instead about your behavior. Here, I am behaviorally biased, and am ensuring that the rest of the staff is also.

 

[wardorican]

Are you making a funny? Or did you really not see any other issue with that post?

No, I wasn't joking. The issue I had, seems to be the same line Andrus had. Pointing out any group dying off is just wrong. It was a major distraction to this conversation (I mean, it's pretty obvious, right?), and all it did was upset folks for no good reason. I personally think we should call out 'our own' when we cross a line. It helps maintain civility.

The rest is just factual. I don't recall how it was worded, and it has since been removed. There's noting wrong with pointing out demographics. I mean, Democrats talk about the Black Female block quite often. There's nothing wrong with statements of fact. It only gets skewed when people add value judgements that turn those facts into stereotypes and negative things.

Economic Demographics of Republicans & Conservatives

Republicans tend to be white, married, live in suburban or rural areas, go to church, have higher incomes and have a college degree.

www.debt.org

Education
Educationally, there are two main blocs of Republican voters: white working-class voters and white people with undergraduate degrees.

White working-class voters are defined as white people who have received a high school diploma or have some college experience, but no degree. This group has fallen as a percentage of the overall vote by 15 percent between 1988 and 2008, but continuously votes Republican at a 20-point or more advantage.

For the past several decades, Republicans have also won a larger percentage of votes from white voters with undergraduate degrees, although this support has been eroding over the past few election cycles, from an impressive 20-point advantage in 1988 to a 4-point advantage in 2008.

This could be due to more women graduating from college, or a genuine shift in the voting behaviors of the millennial generation.

Age
Older voters, on average, skew Republican. This advantage is partially offset by the Democratic slant of younger voters, although older voters are more likely to vote. The average Republican is 50, while the average Democrat is 47.

Race
Republicans are predominantly white, with 87 percent of them identifying as non-Hispanic white. This percentage has remained steady for well over a decade — long before the sizable increase in minority support that Democrats saw with the first African-American president.

African-Americans are the least likely minority group to vote Republican, regardless of income. Hispanic voters, however, who are the fastest growing minority group in the United States, often identify as Republican when they receive a higher income.

Pew Research seems to have different numbers, but it is based on voting. Not on who's registered as a republican, like above.

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-ta...term-vote-divisions-by-race-gender-education/

1. Trends in party affiliation among demographic groups

The balance of partisan affiliation – and the combined measure of partisan identification and leaning – has not changed substantially over the past two

www.people-press.org

more facinating is later in this link, talking about generational demographics. But the whole thing is pretty solid for data.

Then breaking it into racial demographics and generations.

 

[MT15]

I believe I am correct when I say that there are more millennials eligible to vote now than boomers. So your time is now, guys, seize the day. I wonder who you will blame next for whatever you don’t like about the way things are?

Fact is that no generation votes as a bloc, and people do change as they get older. When people a little bit older than I am protested and got the US out of Vietnam, we all thought that would be the end of the US meddling in hopeless foreign wars. That didn’t work out very well, it seems we don’t learn.

 

[Beach Friends]

No, I wasn't joking. The issue I had, seems to be the same line Andrus had. Pointing out any group dying off is just wrong. It was a major distraction to this conversation (I mean, it's pretty obvious, right?), and all it did was upset folks for no good reason. I personally think we should call out 'our own' when we cross a line. It helps maintain civility.

The rest is just factual. I don't recall how it was worded, and it has since been removed. There's noting wrong with pointing out demographics. I mean, Democrats talk about the Black Female block quite often. There's nothing wrong with statements of fact. It only gets skewed when people add value judgements that turn those facts into stereotypes and negative things.

Economic Demographics of Republicans & Conservatives

Republicans tend to be white, married, live in suburban or rural areas, go to church, have higher incomes and have a college degree.

www.debt.org

Pew Research seems to have different numbers, but it is based on voting. Not on who's registered as a republican, like above.

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-ta...term-vote-divisions-by-race-gender-education/

1. Trends in party affiliation among demographic groups

The balance of partisan affiliation – and the combined measure of partisan identification and leaning – has not changed substantially over the past two

www.people-press.org

more facinating is later in this link, talking about generational demographics. But the whole thing is pretty solid for data.

Then breaking it into racial demographics and generations.

I would have been glad to discuss this with you earlier, but I am not going to discuss it any further since Andrus has addressed the post.

 

[GMRfellowtraveller]

Lol, j-donk. When I was young, people said the exact same thing. It’s a foolish statement. People are not going to stop being racist or anything else when one group of people “dies off” as you so elegantly put it. You will realize that some day.

And your political realignment is here, dude. There are officially more millennials than boomers of voting age right now and I eagerly await the nirvana that will come.

Yeah, none of us are aware of anything that happened in the eighties, you’re cracking me up.

I’ll push back on this a bit
It’s ridiculous like the Mick jagger statement about playing music after 60
From the vantage point of his being 70 yes, it’s ridiculous
But at the time it was not ridiculous bc that energy/focus/naïveté was probably the fuel that allowed them to make music both then and now

We certainly don’t want the barometer set at (most of our) jaded perspectives
The idealism of a better way is more important than the stale truth of probability

 

[MT15]

I’ll push back on this a bit
It’s ridiculous like the Mick jagger statement about playing music after 60
From the vantage point of his being 70 yes, it’s ridiculous
But at the time it was not ridiculous bc that energy/focus/naïveté was probably the fuel that allowed them to make music both then and now

We certainly don’t want the barometer set at (most of our) jaded perspectives
The idealism of a better way is more important than the stale truth of probability

Hey, I’m nothing if not a tad idealistic myself. I get it, I spent my teens and twenties sure that by the time I was this age we would have really solved some of these societal problems.

What I think is not helpful at all is the myth we tell ourselves that “things would just automatically be so much better if all these other people would just hurry up and die off”. That’s a particularly ugly sentiment. It gives one an excuse, ready made, why things aren’t perfect right now. And it sets one up for a crushing let down when things don’t automatically get better. And they won’t automatically get better because people are just people, same traits, same faults, same virtues in roughly the same ratios. Same as it ever was.

And that’s without considering the sort of malignant “othering” of placing blame on people for broad societal trends just by virtue of their age.