(January 16, 2022 at 1:21 pm)Ahriman Wrote:

(January 16, 2022 at 1:19 pm)Spongebob Wrote: Yeah, I totally agree.  What I struggle with is understanding exactly what Trump did during his 4 years to so overwhelmingly deserve their worship.  What programs or major economic shifts occurred?  What major improvements of any type occurred?  All I can ever really see is that he just constantly berated the people they hate and they love him for that.

That's as good a reason as any, for some people.

For extremely weak minded bigots, yes.  So I guess you are among that lot?

(January 16, 2022 at 1:36 pm)Spongebob Wrote:

(January 16, 2022 at 1:21 pm)Ahriman Wrote: That's as good a reason as any, for some people.

For extremely weak minded bigots, yes.  So I guess you are among that lot?

Nah, I respect him for doing a good job as President.

(January 16, 2022 at 1:40 pm)Ahriman Wrote:

(January 16, 2022 at 1:36 pm)Spongebob Wrote: For extremely weak minded bigots, yes.  So I guess you are among that lot?

Nah, I respect him for doing a good job as President.

So enlighten us.  What "good job" did he do exactly?

(January 16, 2022 at 1:43 pm)Spongebob Wrote:

(January 16, 2022 at 1:40 pm)Ahriman Wrote: Nah, I respect him for doing a good job as President.

So enlighten us.  What "good job" did he do exactly?

The economy was doing great.

(January 16, 2022 at 1:52 pm)Ahriman Wrote:

(January 16, 2022 at 1:43 pm)Spongebob Wrote: So enlighten us.  What "good job" did he do exactly?

The economy was doing great.

The economy was doing just fine before he took office and most of the policies and trajectories started before he was elected.  And due to his mishandling of the pandemic, especially early on, he tanked the economy.

Try again.

(January 16, 2022 at 1:55 pm)Spongebob Wrote:

(January 16, 2022 at 1:52 pm)Ahriman Wrote: The economy was doing great.

The economy was doing just fine before he took office and most of the policies and trajectories started before he was elected.  And due to his mishandling of the pandemic, especially early on, he tanked the economy.

Try again.

Lol whatever dude, nothing I say will be good enough for you. You have a chip on your shoulder about Trump because you were indoctrinated into hating him, just as many other people were.

And remember that Trump promised economic growth rates of outlandish proportions, over 6% if I remember. That never happened.

(January 16, 2022 at 12:45 am)vulcanlogician Wrote: Back to the OP: I live on the border of Pennsylvania in the Appalachian mountains. This area is fairly conservative. Anyway, we get a lot of Pennsylvania political ads here. And it's worrisome how many ads are pounding the Trump drums to rally against the Democrats. Like he's being quoted and everything. On the left, we like to say, "You can't kill an idea." But, if that's true, it's true for conservatives as well. Whether or not Trump gets reelected, the idea of Trump is already a political force... an ideological force. That, to me, is even more worrisome than Trump's reelection.

What a lot of people seem to not understand is that Trump is a symptom, not a cause. he may have sped up some processes a bit, but the anti-intellectual, anti-rational, conspiracy theory laden, bigoted aspect of American society has always been there. And, it has been growing for at least the last 50 years.

The conservatives have had a plan: get into lower levels of government and work up, blocking opponents from voting at every opportunity. And they have won on those grounds.

One thing that concerns me is that liberals don't seem to have anything close to a plan for how to get and keep power over the next 50 years or more.

(January 16, 2022 at 1:57 pm)Ahriman Wrote:

(January 16, 2022 at 1:55 pm)Spongebob Wrote: The economy was doing just fine before he took office and most of the policies and trajectories started before he was elected.  And due to his mishandling of the pandemic, especially early on, he tanked the economy.

Try again.

Lol whatever dude, nothing I say will be good enough for you. You have a chip on your shoulder about Trump because you were indoctrinated into hating him, just as many other people were.

Nothing you say is correct.  You have the absolutely worst batting average of anyone I've ever seen.  Most people get at least one thing right by accident.  You are either so stupid or so far up your own ass that you simply don't know a damn thing.

How was I indoctrinated?  Who indoctrinated me?  I don't watch any form of organized news service.  I don't belong to any groups or clubs.  I read and learn and make all of my own decisions.  So if by "indoctrinated", you actually mean I'm well informed and make decisions on my own without the pressure of others, then you would be right.  Except for the little fact that you don't know what indoctrination actually means.  So, again, you don't know what you are talking about.

So name what he did to improve the US in any way.  And pick something that's actually true.

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(January 16, 2022 at 2:01 pm)polymath257 Wrote: What a lot of people seem to not understand is that Trump is a symptom, not a cause. he may have sped up some processes a bit, but the anti-intellectual, anti-rational, conspiracy theory laden, bigoted aspect of American society has always been there. And, it has been growing for at least the last 50 years.

The conservatives have had a plan: get into lower levels of government and work up, blocking opponents from voting at every opportunity. And they have won on those grounds.

One thing that concerns me is that liberals don't seem to have anything close to a plan for how to get and keep power over the next 50 years or more.

The truly sad thing is that you are absolutely right about all of this.  It makes me wonder how progressive ideas ever gained popularity in this country.  At one time progressivism was the dominant political movement, and that lasted for well over half a century.  Good times, good times.  The only central idea I can identify for those who oppose progressivism and support Trump is that they are selfish bigots.  And we seem to have some right here on this forum.

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(January 16, 2022 at 1:57 pm)Ahriman Wrote:

(January 16, 2022 at 1:55 pm)Spongebob Wrote: The economy was doing just fine before he took office and most of the policies and trajectories started before he was elected.  And due to his mishandling of the pandemic, especially early on, he tanked the economy.

Try again.

Lol whatever dude, nothing I say will be good enough for you. You have a chip on your shoulder about Trump because you were indoctrinated into hating him, just as many other people were.

If you don't like my responses it is because I'm telling you an uncomfortable truth.  If you looked up facts before pretending to know them, you wouldn't get called out as stupid so much.

(January 16, 2022 at 2:01 pm)Spongebob Wrote:

(January 16, 2022 at 1:57 pm)Ahriman Wrote: Lol whatever dude, nothing I say will be good enough for you. You have a chip on your shoulder about Trump because you were indoctrinated into hating him, just as many other people were.

Nothing you say is correct.  You have the absolutely worst batting average of anyone I've ever seen.  Most people get at least one thing right by accident.  You are either so stupid or so far up your own ass that you simply don't know a damn thing.

How was I indoctrinated?  Who indoctrinated me?  I don't watch any form of organized news service.  I don't belong to any groups or clubs.  I read and learn and make all of my own decisions.  So if by "indoctrinated", you actually mean I'm well informed and make decisions on my own without the pressure of others, then you would be right.  Except for the little fact that you don't know what indoctrination actually means.  So, again, you don't know what you are talking about.

So name what he did to improve the US in any way.  And pick something that's actually true.

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Well, he did create an underclass of seething rebels. That's not a bad thing, considering the alternative to those rebels is a bunch of hysterical adult children who think government propaganda is the height of intellectual exercise.