All purpose news and politics thread part v: The quickening

[Gray Lensman]

Thank goodness for that. Things would be even worse if he was trying to run the country.

Quoted for truth. We are all much safer when he is on the course instead of in Washington. For now, it's the best we can hope for.

[BeastieRunner]

The longest bull market in history is about ~0.5% away from turning into a bear.

[Tami]

How the Trump Campaign Took Over the G.O.P.

WASHINGTON — President Trump’s campaign manager and a circle of allies have seized control of the Republican Party’s voter data and fund-raising apparatus, using a network of private businesses whose operations and ownership are cloaked in secrecy, largely exempt from federal disclosure.

Working under the aegis of Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, with the cooperation of Trump appointees at the Republican National Committee, the operatives have consolidated power — and made money — in a way not possible in an earlier, more transparent analog era. Since 2017, businesses associated with the group have billed roughly $75 million to the Trump campaign, the Republican National Committee and a range of other Republican clients.

The takeover of the Republican Party’s under-the-hood political machinery parallels the president’s domination of a party that once shunned him, reflected in his speedy impeachment trial and summary acquittal. Elected Republicans have learned the political peril of insufficient fealty. Now, by commanding the party’s repository of voter data and creating a powerful pipeline for small donations, the Trump campaign and key party officials have made it increasingly difficult for Republicans to mount modern, digital campaigns without the president’s support.

The process has not been exactly frictionless, shot through with accusations of empire-building and profiteering by the campaign manager, Brad Parscale, and his allies. Mr. Parscale’s flagship firm, Parscale Strategy, has billed nearly $35 million to the Trump campaign, the R.N.C. and related entities since 2017 — the vast bulk of it, he says, passed along to advertising and digital firms.

[PaulBullion]

The longest Bear market is about ~0.5% away from ending today.

Isn't it the bull market ending and the bear market beginning?

Granted, I am no zoologist.

[Kirby101]

Isn't it the bull market ending and the bear market beginning?

Granted, I am no zoologist.

Yes, Bulls run and Bears claw back.

[Powerboy]

So, do you assume that Biden will continue all of Trump's policies? Or do you think he will undo all of Trump's madness and then not go any further despite the general thirst for change on the left? There's changing nothing, and then there's changing nothing.

Also: Do you honestly believe that congressional Dems would support Biden in cutting Social Security?

1. No. I said nobody is as bad as Trump.

2. I think he will do what he can (depending upon who controls the House and Senate) to undo Trump's madness. Then probably not go any further. The problem is that Sanders represents real change. I see Biden trying his best to present himself as a moderate who claims he won't rock the boat. And I see some on the Left advocating change here and there yet they want to distance themselves from Sanders or anyone advocating real change.

And yes, there's change nothing as in let Trump's madness reign and then there's change nothing as in undo Trump's madness (which any Democrat will try to do) but nothing else.

As you said yourself, will Biden really go after SS when the Democratic party won't support that? No. But the key there is he only wouldn't do it because he'd lose almost all of his support. As opposed to someone who actively wants to bolster SS. Why not just support the candidate of real change? Or is it just what I said at the start, that we think Biden has a better chance of winning?

On that take, yes, if Biden wins the nomination, I would vote for him because getting Trump and the GOP out of power is more important by far. For me, it comes down to Sanders being the better progressive Democrat candidate but do I want to take the risk when I think he has the lesser chance of winning when what's at stake is four more years of the narcissist bigoted, environmental disaster and racial and ethnic bigotry of Trump? Even I think it's a good idea to go for the best chance of winning.

[Billy Batson]

Now? You've been there for quite some time.

No, the bs Russia narrative. Even the democratic candidates Booker and Castro have pointed out Sleepy Joe's mental decline.

[BeastieRunner]

Isn't it the bull market ending and the bear market beginning?

Granted, I am no zoologist.

Yes, Bulls run and Bears claw back.

You're right, I wrote it wrong. Edited to fix.

There are mini bear and bulls that happen during a trend. We are on a 132+ month bull.

A bear only occurs when you see a 20% dip, which is about to happen.

[PaulBullion]

Rep. Gaetz was on Air Force One with President Trump today. Now being self quarantined for coronavirus exposure.

That's... number 3?

[TheDarman]

I think we can all agree that if Sanders doesn't shock everyone with a Michigan win tomorrow that the nomination is pretty securely in Biden's hands, right?

[PaulBullion]

I think we can all agree that if Sanders doesn't shock everyone with a Michigan win tomorrow that the nomination is pretty securely in Biden's hands, right?

Sanders and his followers will never admit that. They will ask for the superdelegates to make Sanders the winner.

[Tami]

Rep. Gaetz was on Air Force One with President Trump today. Now being self quarantined for coronavirus exposure.

That's... number 3?

Maybe Trump is the Typhoid Mary of the Coronavirus.

Lawmakers who are self-quarantining as of Monday afternoon (that we know of):

-Cruz (R)
-Gosar (R)
-Collins (R)
-Gaetz (R)
-Brownley (D)

Twitter Link

[SquirrelMan]

Maybe Trump is the Typhoid Mary of the Coronavirus.

Twitter Link

Purely theoretical question...

If enough Republican senators are in quarantine, could the democrats pass some off those 400 laws the house has passed? Or would that be considered gauche?

[Gray Lensman]

Purely theoretical question...

If enough Republican senators are in quarantine, could the democrats pass some off those 400 laws the house has passed? Or would that be considered gauche?

It still needs to be scheduled for a vote, which won't happen under Moscow Mitch.

[SquirrelMan]

I think we can all agree that if Sanders doesn't shock everyone with a Michigan win tomorrow that the nomination is pretty securely in Biden's hands, right?

The polls would have to be WAY off for Sanders even to achieve one of those Bernie Math "ties" in Michigan.

The average of the recent 5 polls by different pollsters gives Biden a 22.6 point lead over Sanders.

Of the 10 polls done for the Michigan primaries in total, Sanders only had a lead in one (1).