2020 General Election

[catbooster]

The donks can no longer claim no evidence that mass mailing of ballots would lead to voter fraud.

PATERSON, N.J. – A judge has ruled that a new election will be held in November for a disputed Paterson City Council seat, just weeks after the race's apparent winner and a sitting councilman were charged with voter fraud.

State Superior Court Judge Ernest Caposela issued his ruling Wednesday.

Alex Mendez had won a special election on May 12 to fill the seat, but claims of voter fraud were soon raised. An investigation was then launched after the U.S. Postal Service's law enforcement arm told the state attorney general's office about hundreds of mail-in ballots located in a mailbox in Paterson, along with more found in nearby Haledon.

Ultimately, the Passaic County Board of Elections decided not to count 800 ballots cast in the race.

Voter fraud charges were brought in June against Mendez, Paterson Council Vice President Michael Jackson and two other men: Shelim Khalique, of Wayne, and Abu Rayzen, of Prospect Park. An attorney for Councilman William McKoy, who had been defeated by Mendez, then successfully sought an injunction that barred Mendez from being sworn into office.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/paters ... uncil-race

The ballots were found by the postal service in a mailbox (and more after that - apparently in mailbox(es)?). But they're charging a couple council members and a couple other guys. What'd they do - steal them and hide them in the mailbox? It's not clear to me what happened.

[93henfan]

Dead heat in Minnesota according to the only poll that had Trump winning Michigan in 2016: https://www.thetrafalgargroup.org/news/mn-pres-0820/

[93henfan]

This ad has been running around the clock on Philadelphia TV stations. I've seen it four times the past two days watching Jeopardy:

[JoltinJoe]

This ad has been running around the clock on Philadelphia TV stations. I've seen it four times the past two days watching Jeopardy:

Didn't even mention his plagiarism issues.

He was knocking off speeches from a British pol, Neal Kinnock.

And after that came out, it turned out he nearly got kicked out of law school for plagiarizing a law review article for a class paper.

[UNI88]

Dead heat in Minnesota according to the only poll that had Trump winning Michigan in 2016: https://www.thetrafalgargroup.org/news/mn-pres-0820/

Begs the question - how do more centrist Democrats (or DFLers in Minnesota) view the riots/looting, cancel culture, etc. Are enough of them sick of the party enabling extremists that they'll vote for Trump?

[93henfan]

Didn't even mention his plagiarism issues.

You don't shoot all your guns at one time.

There's a LONG time until election day. COVID is starting to clear up. People are getting sick of liberal extremism.

I wouldn't count my chickens just yet if I was a Democrat.

[JoltinJoe]

Didn't even mention his plagiarism issues.

You don't shoot all your guns at one time.

There's a LONG time until election day. COVID is starting to clear up. People are getting sick of liberal extremism.

I wouldn't count my chickens just yet if I was a Democrat.

I'm pretty sure Trump is going to win again. I think the Harris pick doomed Biden.

The one thing people in the Rust Belt, Midwest, South, and South West won't tolerate is a big-state liberal Democrats as president.

When 77-year-old Biden picked Harris, he potentially placed a big-state liberal Democrat one very weak heartbeat away from the Presidency. No way does this appeal to those vast regions of this country that the DNC leadership do not understand.

[Winterborn]

Didn't even mention his plagiarism issues.

You don't shoot all your guns at one time.

There's a LONG time until election day. COVID is starting to clear up. People are getting sick of liberal extremism.

I wouldn't count my chickens just yet if I was a Democrat.

And both him and Harris have loads of dirt that people haven't seen. "Fresh" news sells.

Trump is no saint either but the Democrats have dug up and thrown everything they could find or make up at him these past 4 years and it is going to be old news to most people. Trump is a known sub-par quantity. It comes does one hold your nose for a known or an unknown who is going to get his every little detail of his career dug up. He will have to come out into the public eye sometime to defend himself (which I think is the Trump campaign's whole plan).

[Gil Dobie]

Dead heat in Minnesota according to the only poll that had Trump winning Michigan in 2016: https://www.thetrafalgargroup.org/news/mn-pres-0820/

Begs the question - how do more centrist Democrats (or DFLers in Minnesota) view the riots/looting, cancel culture, etc. Are enough of them sick of the party enabling extremists that they'll vote for Trump?

Very surprised by this poll. Over half the population lives in the Twin Cities, and another big population in the Iron Range anchored by Duluth usually carriers the state. The Donks I hear from all support the way the Governor handled the riots. Only issue is the police or lack of police in Minneapolis. But I just don't see Trump winning here.

[Winterborn]

You don't shoot all your guns at one time.

There's a LONG time until election day. COVID is starting to clear up. People are getting sick of liberal extremism.

I wouldn't count my chickens just yet if I was a Democrat.

I'm pretty sure Trump is going to win again. I think the Harris pick doomed Biden.

The one thing people in the Rust Belt, Midwest, South, and South West won't tolerate is a big-state liberal Democrats as president.

When 77-year-old Biden picked Harris, he potentially placed a big-state liberal Democrat one very weak heartbeat away from the Presidency. No way does this appeal to those vast regions of this country that the DNC leadership do not understand.

Harris also has the problem that she was on national news recently attacking Biden and now they are "best" friends"?

[Winterborn]

Begs the question - how do more centrist Democrats (or DFLers in Minnesota) view the riots/looting, cancel culture, etc. Are enough of them sick of the party enabling extremists that they'll vote for Trump?

Very surprised by this poll. Over half the population lives in the Twin Cities, and another big population in the Iron Range anchored by Duluth usually carriers the state. The Donks I hear from all support the way the Governor handled the riots. Only issue is the police or lack of police in Minneapolis. But I just don't see Trump winning here.

I am a bit as well, but the lack of police item is starting to add up. If they continue down that path it is only going to get closer.

[kalm]

You don't shoot all your guns at one time.

There's a LONG time until election day. COVID is starting to clear up. People are getting sick of liberal extremism.

I wouldn't count my chickens just yet if I was a Democrat.

I'm pretty sure Trump is going to win again. I think the Harris pick doomed Biden.

The one thing people in the Rust Belt, Midwest, South, and South West won't tolerate is a big-state liberal Democrats as president.

When 77-year-old Biden picked Harris, he potentially placed a big-state liberal Democrat one very weak heartbeat away from the Presidency. No way does this appeal to those vast regions of this country that the DNC leadership do not understand.

Good points here. I’m feeling a strong trend upwards for Trump right now.

[JoltinJoe]

I'm pretty sure Trump is going to win again. I think the Harris pick doomed Biden.

The one thing people in the Rust Belt, Midwest, South, and South West won't tolerate is a big-state liberal Democrats as president.

When 77-year-old Biden picked Harris, he potentially placed a big-state liberal Democrat one very weak heartbeat away from the Presidency. No way does this appeal to those vast regions of this country that the DNC leadership do not understand.

Good points here. I’m feeling a strong trend upwards for Trump right now.

I'm feeling it too. Four more years of this reality (shit) show.

We really need to start demanding more from a two-party system that has turned out two historically poor choices in the last two election cycles.

[Ivytalk]

Good points here. I’m feeling a strong trend upwards for Trump right now.

I'm feeling it too. Four more years of this reality (shit) show.

We really need to start demanding more from a two-party system that has turned out two historically poor choices in the last two election cycles.

We can “demand” until the cows come home. How can the calcified duopoly be reformed? What can be done to make sure that talented individuals (as opposed to mediocre political careerists) step up and run? There are at least half a dozen individuals on this board who would make good candidates for POTUS.

[JoltinJoe]

I'm feeling it too. Four more years of this reality (shit) show.

We really need to start demanding more from a two-party system that has turned out two historically poor choices in the last two election cycles.

We can “demand” until the cows come home. How can the calcified duopoly be reformed? What can be done to make sure that talented individuals (as opposed to mediocre political careerists) step up and run? There are at least half a dozen individuals on this board who would make good candidates for POTUS.

I would start with reforming Congress.

House and Senate rules reward seniority -- encouraging voters in states to send back the same people over and over, because voters can benefit under this system as their representatives gain more seniority.

This creates a wide pool of what you've called (quite accurately) "mediocre political careerists."

I haven't figured out all the specifics, but I'd say we need a constitutional amendment that either imposes terms limits (unlikely) or radical changes to the House and Senate rules so that a representative begins to lose power with more seniority.

Give present "seniority" status to representatives in their second and third term. Take it away once they start their fourth term. No committee chairs; no ranking member status for Reps. after their third term.

Give "seniority" status to Senators in their second term. Take it away in a third term.

Giving voters less incentive to create political careerists, and this will result in fewer political careerists.

I know you're not a fan of President Obama. Candidly, I have some issues with him but I don't think of him as "mediocre." I'd like to see career arcs like Obama's -- although I think he probably would have actually benefited (and been a better President) he had spent a second term in the Senate. He was still green politically, and got led around early in his tenure by Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi.

[Ibanez]

The donks can no longer claim no evidence that mass mailing of ballots would lead to voter fraud.

PATERSON, N.J. – A judge has ruled that a new election will be held in November for a disputed Paterson City Council seat, just weeks after the race's apparent winner and a sitting councilman were charged with voter fraud.

State Superior Court Judge Ernest Caposela issued his ruling Wednesday.

Alex Mendez had won a special election on May 12 to fill the seat, but claims of voter fraud were soon raised. An investigation was then launched after the U.S. Postal Service's law enforcement arm told the state attorney general's office about hundreds of mail-in ballots located in a mailbox in Paterson, along with more found in nearby Haledon.

Ultimately, the Passaic County Board of Elections decided not to count 800 ballots cast in the race.

Voter fraud charges were brought in June against Mendez, Paterson Council Vice President Michael Jackson and two other men: Shelim Khalique, of Wayne, and Abu Rayzen, of Prospect Park. An attorney for Councilman William McKoy, who had been defeated by Mendez, then successfully sought an injunction that barred Mendez from being sworn into office.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/paters ... uncil-race

You don't remember this from last year..

https://www.npr.org/2019/07/30/74680063 ... llot-fraud

Prosecutors in North Carolina filed new felony charges against a Republican political operative accused of ballot tampering in a congressional election in 2018.

Leslie McCrae Dowless was charged Tuesday with two counts of felony obstruction of justice, perjury, solicitation to commit perjury, conspiracy to obstruct justice and illegal possession of absentee ballots, according to a statement by Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman.

The charges relate to the tainted 9th congressional district election last year in which Republican Mark Harris led in the unofficial vote tally by a margin of about 900 votes over Democrat Dan McCready. But the election results were overturned by the state after an investigation into an absentee ballot operation on Harris' behalf suggested that Dowless had improperly collected and possibly tampered with ballots.

Your anger is misdirected. It's the ballots fault, not the politicians!

[Ibanez]

I really hope you realize this means the protections in place - once again - worked (and national elections have more safeguards than some council race). You do this all the time for so many things and it's hilarious. "Look how corrupt *insert liberal city* is - again!"

The fact charges happen means the system is working against bad actors. Liberal areas are doing their job.

Meanwhile in conservative land, apparently all is perfect because no one is ever charged.

hint: that probably means people looking the other way (aka. corruption).

You're as bad as BDK.

https://www.npr.org/2019/07/30/74680063 ... llot-fraud

Prosecutors in North Carolina filed new felony charges against a Republican political operative accused of ballot tampering in a congressional election in 2018.

[GannonFan]

We can “demand” until the cows come home. How can the calcified duopoly be reformed? What can be done to make sure that talented individuals (as opposed to mediocre political careerists) step up and run? There are at least half a dozen individuals on this board who would make good candidates for POTUS.

I would start with reforming Congress.

House and Senate rules reward seniority -- encouraging voters in states to send back the same people over and over, because voters can benefit under this system as their representatives gain more seniority.

This creates a wide pool of what you've called (quite accurately) "mediocre political careerists."

I haven't figured out all the specifics, but I'd say we need a constitutional amendment that either imposes terms limits (unlikely) or radical changes to the House and Senate rules so that a representative begins to lose power with more seniority.

Give present "seniority" status to representatives in their second and third term. Take it away once they start their fourth term. No committee chairs; no ranking member status for Reps. after their third term.

Give "seniority" status to Senators in their second term. Take it away in a third term.

Giving voters less incentive to create political careerists, and this will result in fewer political careerists.

I know you're not a fan of President Obama. Candidly, I have some issues with him but I don't think of him as "mediocre." I'd like to see career arcs like Obama's -- although I think he probably would have actually benefited (and been a better President) he had spent a second term in the Senate. He was still green politically, and got led around early in his tenure by Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi.

I was never a fan of term limits for Congress but I've "evolved" on it over the past few years and would be all in favor of it. 5 terms for the House and 3 terms for the Senate - that's 10 and 18 years respectively. That's plenty of time to get done whatever it is you came to Congress for in the first place. I like your idea of taking away seniority on the committee's - that's why we get calcified folks sitting in their spots for 20, 30, 40 years. Biden entered politics before I was even born, and I'm not all that young anymore. We have to do better than that.

[Ivytalk]

Joe is a solid thinker. I’d support him for POTUS.....if he agrees to retire to coastal MD or points South.

[Ibanez]

We can “demand” until the cows come home. How can the calcified duopoly be reformed? What can be done to make sure that talented individuals (as opposed to mediocre political careerists) step up and run? There are at least half a dozen individuals on this board who would make good candidates for POTUS.

I would start with reforming Congress.

House and Senate rules reward seniority -- encouraging voters in states to send back the same people over and over, because voters can benefit under this system as their representatives gain more seniority.

This creates a wide pool of what you've called (quite accurately) "mediocre political careerists."

I haven't figured out all the specifics, but I'd say we need a constitutional amendment that either imposes terms limits (unlikely) or radical changes to the House and Senate rules so that a representative begins to lose power with more seniority.

Give present "seniority" status to representatives in their second and third term. Take it away once they start their fourth term. No committee chairs; no ranking member status for Reps. after their third term.

Give "seniority" status to Senators in their second term. Take it away in a third term.

Giving voters less incentive to create political careerists, and this will result in fewer political careerists.

I know you're not a fan of President Obama. Candidly, I have some issues with him but I don't think of him as "mediocre." I'd like to see career arcs like Obama's -- although I think he probably would have actually benefited (and been a better President) he had spent a second term in the Senate. He was still green politically, and got led around early in his tenure by Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi.

I'm usually not in favor of term limits but that's an interesting perspective.

I find your rigidity on the infallibility of both the Catholic Church and the NY Yankees to be asinine but I can overlook that if it means someone with a brain stem and moral compass occupies the Oval Office.

Spoiler: show

[Ibanez]

Joe is a solid thinker. I’d support him for POTUS.....if he agrees to retire to coastal MD or points South.

If by "points South" you mean Florida, then yes.

SC doesn't need any more Yankees coming in and telling us how it was done better in the state they just moved from.

[JoltinJoe]

Joe is a solid thinker. I’d support him for POTUS.....if he agrees to retire to coastal MD or points South.

Sorry. Just the other Joe from Delaware.

[Winterborn]

I would start with reforming Congress.

House and Senate rules reward seniority -- encouraging voters in states to send back the same people over and over, because voters can benefit under this system as their representatives gain more seniority.

This creates a wide pool of what you've called (quite accurately) "mediocre political careerists."

I haven't figured out all the specifics, but I'd say we need a constitutional amendment that either imposes terms limits (unlikely) or radical changes to the House and Senate rules so that a representative begins to lose power with more seniority.

Give present "seniority" status to representatives in their second and third term. Take it away once they start their fourth term. No committee chairs; no ranking member status for Reps. after their third term.

Give "seniority" status to Senators in their second term. Take it away in a third term.

Giving voters less incentive to create political careerists, and this will result in fewer political careerists.

I know you're not a fan of President Obama. Candidly, I have some issues with him but I don't think of him as "mediocre." I'd like to see career arcs like Obama's -- although I think he probably would have actually benefited (and been a better President) he had spent a second term in the Senate. He was still green politically, and got led around early in his tenure by Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi.

I was never a fan of term limits for Congress but I've "evolved" on it over the past few years and would be all in favor of it. 5 terms for the House and 3 terms for the Senate - that's 10 and 18 years respectively. That's plenty of time to get done whatever it is you came to Congress for in the first place. I like your idea of taking away seniority on the committee's - that's why we get calcified folks sitting in their spots for 20, 30, 40 years. Biden entered politics before I was even born, and I'm not all that young anymore. We have to do better than that.

I have as well. My argument in the past was we have term limits, people just don't use them. But then again I was alot more optimistic about people in general back than too.

I would also like to see their "retirement" package changed. Getting paid their salary for life just for serving is not good as well.

[Winterborn]

double post.

[UNI88]

I was never a fan of term limits for Congress but I've "evolved" on it over the past few years and would be all in favor of it. 5 terms for the House and 3 terms for the Senate - that's 10 and 18 years respectively. That's plenty of time to get done whatever it is you came to Congress for in the first place. I like your idea of taking away seniority on the committee's - that's why we get calcified folks sitting in their spots for 20, 30, 40 years. Biden entered politics before I was even born, and I'm not all that young anymore. We have to do better than that.

I have as well. My argument in the past was we have term limits, people just don't use them. But then again I was alot more optimistic about people in general back than too.

I would also like to see their "retirement" package changed. Getting paid their salary for life just for serving is not good as well.

Do term limits give even more power to the bureaucrats is the question?

Laws written by Congress should apply to Congress.

Get rid of pensions for elected officials and allow them to contribute to their own retirement. Include a government match up to 5% if you want to sweeten the pot.

No market trading while in office (even in a "blind trust") and a 100% tax on all income above their federal salary and capital gains.

You should run for office to serve not to get rich.