Merv's Politically Incorrect Audio Blog

Stop watching CNN. Seriously. Stop. Just stop.**

Most people who voted for Trump didn't do it because they liked him. They did it because they disliked the other guy more. Exit polls confirmed this. Americans are not dumb. They will easily depose Trump if he attempted any shit. This includes people who voted for him. However, the fact is, Trump has not done any dictator shit. What's he's done is explore his options: file lawsuits, try to strong arm state's reps, and ask the SCOTUS to do his bidding, all of which he has completely failed. This "dictator" narrative is more CNN / Berkeley.edu / social media bullshit. What is true is that Trump will push and push and push the bounds of propriety.

CNN won't tell you the truth: They will tell you that all people who voted for Trump are hardcore Trump supporters with bibles and guns who wish to see Mexican kids separated from their parents and will take up arms to keep Trump in power. I've seen this time and again on CNN. This is the narrative that they want to push and I will tell you that they are wrong wrong wrong. This coming from a naturalized citizen, born in a different country, of a yellow skin color, who has lived next to progressives and conservatives in three very different states and has visited every state in the union except three or four. People aren't that different from each other.

Please. Stop with the disinformation campaign. You know absolutely nothing about the USA, its traditions, and the true makeup of its people. You refuse to accept clear evidence that its citizens will block and have blocked Trump's attempts to change the election results, particularly his fellow Republicans on the SCOTUS and in the states' election commissions.

If you are genuinely worried, and saw this shit, why take the risk? Get the f**k out now when you can.*

I got the f**k outta California because I was genuinely worried about the state's future - calculated the possible outcomes like Mr. Spock - and didn't like them. Did the move in one month after I made my decision. I don't f**k around. Talk is cheap. I walk the talk.

*I mean, you talk about commie dictators and all. You should know what happened to the folks who didn't leave when they had a chance. Personally, i think you are full of it. I've lived and stayed in extended periods of time in countries with authoritarian regimes and they scared da f**k outta me x1000 more than Trump. Trump's too much of an idiot to be a dictator. If he became dictator, he would be assassinated by someone close within three months who was smarter and more sneaky, someone like an Putin, or Guiliani

**That poll was taken shortly after the election where some states took a week to get the results tabulated. That was when passions were at their peak. The results show obvious partisan loyalty which is to be expected. Keep in mind that polls are just that. The Quinnipiac pollsters also said Biden would destroy Trump in Florida by 5 points and Ohio by 4 points. A poll saying 34% of people did not believe the results to be legit so close after the election does not mean the results hold today, nor does it mean that these 34% of people will take up arms to forcefully keep Trump in power. Polls are polls with very specific language. I would be wary of headlines, CNN or Fox News, interpreting the meaning of poll results.

 

Trump said a lot of things. And like any other politician, he did not deliver.

Power: I am anti-coal/pro-nuclear. But wherever you stand here, it's up to the state to determine the use of its resources. That said, a president may promote a certain path. Maybe federal tax cuts or something, or some level of encouragement. I don't think I saw anything from Trump that would promote pro-coal, other than rallying, campaigning, tweeting, and flat out bitching.

ACA: Other than bitching about it, as far as I know Trump failed to produce an alternative or amend it. My parents are still enjoying Obama care, for all that Trump talk.

Manufacturing jobs: Yup. Not back.

But to be honest I didn't expect much from Trump on all of the above. I knew he was like the right wing's Bernie Sanders, going red (or orange) from talking shit. What caught me off guard was actually Taxes.

This is the first time I paid more federal taxes with a Republican president. For all that socialistic talk about Obama, the government took more of my sweet money with "right wing" Trump than with red-state Obama. This with a Republican Senate.

Hopefully we will get a real Republican candidate next time that will make good on his word on tax reduction (less government), and a redo on ACA. Instead of a boat load of #tweet-this#tweet-that# MAGA bullshit.

 

Coal is dumb with fracking around and renewables being arguably cheaper in the long run (yeah - we are actually there now). It was never going to happen. I'm sure he got WV votes though.

The tax plan, the way it was written, was clearly intended to punish blue states, the coastal elites with higher incomes. I had made certain preparations to avoid the higher taxes. Unfortunately, you became collateral damage. At least he didn't destroy your industry through onerous regulation. Be wary though. I see more and more deductions going away. Deficits and entitlements will be catching up to us.

ACA will never be redone. It's hard to take back what is given. Redoing it involves breaking something.

 

Your pattern recognition sucks. Please add to your pattern reconstruction computer the following undisputed facts:

1. The GOP governors of battleground states such as AZ and GA states have already vouched for their states' election results.
2. Two legal challenges got tossed by the conservative majority SCOTUS.
3. The top cop, or who was previously the top cop of the USA, William Barr, has gone on record that there was no widespread fraud in the election. I think he got fired for this, not that is really matters now.
4. GOP Judge Matthew Brann in PA threw out Trump's lawsuit with a fairly scathing response.
5. Trump appointee GOP Judge Jeremy Kernodle threw out lawsuit to pressure Pence to overturn election results.
6. GA GOP Brad Raffensperger Secretary of State has essentially politely told Trump to go f**k himself in regards to changing election results.
7. AR GOP Governor Asa Hutchinson: Joe Biden is our president-elect and he will be confirmed in that capacity.
8. GOP Senators Toomey, Murkowski, Sasse and Romney have condemned any congressional challenge.
9. GOP House Members (from several states): Jan 3 joint statement on states' rights to appoint electors and limited role of Congress in this regards.

You've repeatedly used this a rhetorical device and by doing so, I personally take this as an insult. Please do not insult the American people and its institutions. We're not some banana republic with a fragile representative democracy. While the USA is still a young country, its Constitution and institutions has lasted a lot longer than any other in modern times. If you really have to hope, you should get out of the country now. Even if your kids are grown up, you should still worry about them if think you are sliding into dictatorship. I mean, since you don't like Trump, your grown kids could be arrested and tortured once he becomes dictator. I'm sure you don't want this to happen. As I said, talk is cheap. Seriously, I am beginning to think you may be some sort of Russian or Chinese agent, intending to sow discord and spread lies and paranoia*

I would be wary if I didn't see the right (pun intended) people doing the right thing. However, they are doing the right thing. The judiciary is doing the right thing (they don't have to go up for election). GOP in Senate is split, but many are already doing the right thing with only the rest Ted Cruz and ten others (four new Senators) planning same ol' bluster to show off to their voters.

*This is exactly I what I would do as enemy asset, to put into question the strength of the USA's institutions. It would be too easy to leverage Trump's personality deficiencies into making the American public feel that their freedoms were at stake, that peaceful transition was truly at risk, to make the political divide seem greater than it really is.

 

Actually, I feel that statement can be rather insulting.

Business owners who bust their ass will tend to vote for what is best for their business. The news and culture wars may amuse them; but ultimately, it's about their livelihoods. Going into business entails greater risks than being a employee of someone else. Legislation and taxes can suddenly and severely alter the course of a business. For example, CA Prop 15, 21, and AB5.

 

Four things:

1. What's the criteria for Congress to invalidate any of the states' results? Would this actually be possible?
2. Grandstanding: bluster is an artform*, by definition also includes "to no effect". Almost half of the Senators doing this are brand new first term. They are doing this appease their base.
3. The thing about any democracy is that we are going to have people on the fringes. This is the natural order of things. If you want a system of government which does not allow people on the fringes, then look toward China. No one in Standing Committee is fringe there: left, right, up, or down. They are all center. Center on Xi.
4. The only thing that looks bad is Trump. If anything, progressives should be happy to see this shit happening because it reminds the rest of the country, the independents, and even many conservatives, that voting for someone who acts like a opportunistic jackass may not be in the best interests of the country. It's a painful experience, but this is where the best lessons come from.

* Julius Caesar used this to much effect, but he also marched a few legions into Rome. And no, these legions were not a bunch of overweight dudes from MI in camo who played special forces in their backyard.

 

Surprising and not so surprising for GA - as they've been slowly moving in that direction for over a decade now. I'm convinced that the people GA will blow up Stone Mountain or at least post a warning message there within another decade. Changing demographics in many other states could push them more blue. For example, Austin is a blue bastion and expanding, as well as the other big cities in TX. I can see the Democratic party informally split into two factions: the moderates and the progressives. Or maybe the GOP will try to recapture the moderates. I just hope that there is room for people in the middle (or outside of both). The future - I cannot see clearly.

More than anything else, I have to say that love the motion. Power by its nature corrupts people. Only competition of ideas and change prevents stagnation. One party rule for any extended period of time tends to be very very bad.

 

Newsom, born with a silver spoon in his mouth, and destined to be king one day, didn't exactly inspire either.



Trump came off as an unsympathetic asshole. Newsom came off as "f**k you, I'm better than you."

BTW, Trump nepotism is nothing compared to the Newsom Getty, Brown, Pelosi club. Part of this is because Trump really doesn't have any money. I admire folks who can pull this off - I really do. Seeing Trump try to do the nepotism thing was super cringy because he was so bad and obvious about it - and also because anyone with a brain knows that he doesn't have any of his own money - a prerequisite for nepotism that lasts.



Just offering a more balanced and less selective perspective with respect to bad leadership. Too bad Newsom got caught. 99% of the time, they don't, and we never know about it. It's noteworthy how CNN, MSNBC, ABC largely avoided reporting the above facts.

It's like what I'm been saying. They are all porkers. Not on a spectrum of more or less, but more like different.

P.S. And this too. Of course she was set-up. I sure wish I could have been set-up so I could have gotten a haircut during that time.

 

You are referring to Newsom right?

No you are not. You are just repeating what CNN says on a daily basis and restating the obvious.

No, you started it. I never pointed out any perfect leaders as I do not believe in such a thing. I simply pointed that out that shit nepositic narcissistic leaders exist on both sides of the isle. Something most major news media outlets don't like to point out. If you want to point out leaders who fucked up on handling COVID because of narcissism, then Newsom belongs up there too. No, he's not POTUS, but he is governor of the largest state in the union with by far the highest GDP and virus cases.

Only someone so morally bankrupt and self-centered would tell others to do one thing for the safety of Californians, yet violate those rules himself. This not only goes against the the more realistic approach that "every man is created equal (before the eyes of God)", but also the more progressive view that "every man is created equal (in the eyes of man)"

In this respect, I think he's worse than Trump. At least Trump insisted upon equal application of stupidity for all.