2024 Election Thread

Hey yall, I haven't seen one of these up yet so I figured I'd make one.

This election cycle is shaping up to be pretty crazy, especially after last month's debate and the attempted assassination on Trump this weekend. I'm wondering what the Americans on the forums think. Non-American viewpoints are welcome, but I'm primarily interested in those folks who are legally able to vote in this election.

I am an anarchocapitalist and my viewpoints will reflect that; good, bad or ugly.

For the last election in 2020, I voted for Trump and would've told you I'm a right-leaning centrist. Now, after experiencing Biden's presidency and being employed off-and-on by insiders at the DNC (seen/heard some shit), I am about as right wing as they get. I want the federal government blown up (not explosions Mr. FBI agent, people fired and agencies gutted). I want my tax dollars to not be wasted on bullshit programs and foreign wars. I want American policies to reflect the priorities of Americans.

Trump and Biden both got a covid year (20 and 21). You take those years out, we're comparing 2017-19 and 2022-24. In nearly every measurable way, America was better off in 17-19 than 22-24. Biden's administration is some of the most pandering, scripted Hollywood-esque, borderline deceitful politicking we've seen in years and I'm ready for it to be gone. Biden and his team exude weakness, I want strength and leadership.

My five hot button issues are: America First policies, ban lobbying, ban DEI/affirmative action initiatives, ban foreign land ownership, and enact congressional term limits. Trump can only be counted for one, maybe two of those items. Biden doesn't sniff any. I see political developments of Europe which are results of, effectively, importing the third world and becoming the third world. I see what's happening in Europe and I see America trending in that direction, and there is almost nothing more repulsive.

Trump is not some messiah figure for me, I have my issues (greenlighting unproven vaccine, bump stock bans, covid handling) with him despite being as far right as I am. I donated $500 after his first indictment last year and after the attempted assassination attempt, I donated $1000 (split between his campaign and shooting victim fund). It's not my problem if people are under some delusion he's a fascist or some sort of Hitler figure. A jar of my piss could run this country better than Biden's walking corpse, his team of DEI hires, and the puppetmaster Obama "running the show from his basement".

Anyway, sound off. I've talked politics on these forums before, I know most people on here don't feel the way I do. Let's hear it anyway and have a civil discussion. Vote in the poll! I think given everything that's recently happened, there's a non-zero chance that Trump or Biden could be off the ballot for whatever reason come November, so if you are predicting something like that, there's an option for you.

 

because this is an internet forum, I absolutely did not intellectually apply myself to the furthest extent that I could have. I'm having fun with this thread for the most part. I could be serious and back everything up with a hyper linked source but then it's not as fun and there are more constructive ways I could use my time. In the context of this website, I check out when it stops being fun. You could call my first post an unhinged rant and I would agree for the most part. It is a rant about the absolute pitiful state of this country. There is a time and place for serious, nuanced discussion and it's my opinion that a more relaxed and loose discussion is just as appropriate on this forum as a serious one.

We are all friends here-- I would engage with anyone who treats this like a bar debate with the boys just as much as anyone who treats this like an academic in a PhD program

The real black pill is that our votes matter so little individually and even if America united under one cohesive political movement it still probably wouldn't be enough to influence meaningful change. America is not a country, it is a global economic zone, and our politicians have kept us fat and happy just enough to keep people from organizing en masse against them. With that said, I'm going to spitball/counter some of your points in the spirit of fun discussion with little to no evidence. Anyway:

I didn't say this, or even imply it. This is the first example that comes to mind of Biden's White House engaging in obvious pandering to subgroups of his base https://x.com/TheMsFrancesca/status/1772059942448402872

https://posey.house.gov/wasteful-spending/

I would've supported a well-executed withdrawal (Trump had one scheduled for second term), not the botched one we got

Still 1.1% that's more useful elsewhere

Russia doesn't pose a military or even economic threat to US. The idea that we need to be some global military police is outdated. Globally, we need to move on from the post-wwii mindset at some point. America does not need bases everywhere. It doesn't need the standing military that it has. This is a nonissue for me but i respect those who are concerned. I would be more concerned with china or iran

I feel you know this already, but a "DEI hire" is a personnel decision that takes a candidate's demo/background into consideration when hiring. I only support meritocratic hiring decisions and on that principle vehemently oppose DEI, affirmative action, whatever the next buzzword is regardless of any perceived benefits. There are isolated cases where considering a candidate's demo/background is meritocratic but mostly does not and should not apply to government.

I oppose the "E" more than the "D" and the "I". I'm okay with including diverse perspectives (like conservatives in academia?) if doing so is meritocratic. Equity is a lie. You are not elevating everyone to the same high level. You are bringing everyone down to the lowest common level. There are countless examples of this, but see above re: evidence.

Biden has bragged about having the most diverse administration, the results are what they are

Trump had control of the border. Biden lost it, illegal immigration skyrocketed in 2021. I have zero issue with legal immigrants. If you expect nuance from me, I expect it from you. I do have problems with flying in illegal immigrants and fighting-age male migrants (from third world countries) then giving them hotels and debit cards on the taxpayer's dime. I have a problem with people whose literal first act in this country is breaking the law. I have a problem with unelected bureaucrats and NGO's (ESPECIALLY non-American NGO's) setting up shop in Mexico and giving safe passage to the border. I love the immigrants who abide by the legal processes and I wouldn't hate to see those processes simplify.

Btw this is the state of Europe and would only be allowed to happen in the bluest states/cities

I'm not going to argue with this, but Biden's decline from 2019 to now is much steadier than any sort of decline on Trump's end. Just watch videos of them both from 2019 debates and the latest one. If Trump has lost a step, Biden has lost 5. Also, Trump is hilarious and subjectively will always have that advantage over Biden who couldn't address a crowd without a prompter (and stage directions with pictures). Trump could work a crowd for hours.

He didn't lose in 2020 (I will not elaborate further on this one, anyone who has a strong opinion here is entrenched at this point and it's not worth the time/energy to discuss a flawed election that occurred 4 years ago)

This was a weak bill, not sure if he was right to block it we'll see, but very weak and ignores that Biden has the executive authority to not wait on congress to quit bullshitting around

Having shared that I actually wouldn't hate if he did endorse project 2025 and add it to his platform

i wish everyone in that region would just get their shit together and move on. that's optimistic given some of those blood and territory feuds have lasted hundreds of years and in many cases, predate the USA. whatever happens, the american government has no business being involved on any side

Ezzy I love you and didnt forget about you. I think the hot button issue for most Americans right now is the economy. The racism industrial complex of 2020 has run out of steam, nobody cares anymore. Same with covid. People who don't follow politics at all notice when their groceries get more expensive. And they notice when their dollars lose value. If your take-home pay hasn't been raised by at least 11.6% since 2021, you are actually taking a pay cut every year that Biden is in office. Then you go thru this Admin's social media, and they gaslight you into thinking it's not a problem. "Fourth of July cookout was 60 cents cheaper this year than last!" GTFO with this performative BS. Americans are egotistical, and they do not appreciate being treated as if they are stupid. I think the Streisand effect plays here, and increasingly so. And these are just my thoughts on the economy. People are also concerned about crime (specifically illegal immigration), abortion, guns, etc.

I think we are the best specifically because we are not like these other countries. The American experiment is unique and hasn't been tried anywhere else on the scale it's been tried here. I am a nationalist at heart. Are there good things happening in other countries? Sure, everything has pros and cons. I just don't give credence to "look at what <euro country> is doing!" then you look and see theyre paying 50% in taxes. No thanks
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We are all decent people here, this is the viewpoint I would assume from everyone unless explicitly shown otherwise.

Staff: if any content here is in rule violation please edit or advise me and I will edit. Don't want the whole thing taken down

 

My rule of thumb for weirdness in politics: You want a balance of "normal". You don't want to weird out suburban white woman and you don't want the urban hipsters to think you're a square. The video I linked (lazily sourced with a Google search, but nonetheless) enters the territory of weirding out suburban white woman and from a purely strategic point of view, that's hurting Biden. Personally, Christmas and Easter are sacred holidays for me, and if I have to watch the White House waste tax dollars on a celebration, I want something classy. No twerking FFS

Here is a substantial example of recent waste https://www.ft.com/content/7a56bc4b-d192-4592-8151-0ff943932d82

No. If actual racists want to bastardize the term, that's not my problem. I've been consistent with my language critical of DEI hiring practices

Agreed. This is actually the one area where an overwhelmingly strong military presence would be good. What's the Darth Sidious meme about wiping them out?

Why would it be a good thing to offer humanitarian aid to people we think may steal shit? Why do we want them in our country? Why are they entitled to our tax dollars?

I have litigated this online and in person so many times, I am honestly disinterested in discussing topic atp. We are onto 2024. Reminder of my perspective:

The guy disowned it and (in)famously does not listen to his advisors (hence why many of them are "former")

I have read both the media fearmongering and what was published by Heritage Foundation (framers of Project 2025). Assuming this is actually Trump's platform (it's not) and the fear is valid (also not), here's a rundown on my favorability for elements of Project 2025. As the actual literature is over 900 pages, I asked an AI to summarize it with bullet points. Green good, yellow indifferent, red hate.

Spoiler

• Economic Policies:
  • Lowering taxes to promote growth.
  • Reducing regulations to encourage business and job creation.
  • Promoting American energy independence through increased fossil fuel production and reduced environmental regulations.

• Health Care:
  • Repealing the Affordable Care Act.
  • Promoting market-based health care solutions.
  • Expanding Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and encouraging competition among health care providers.

• Immigration:
  • Strengthening border security, including completing the border wall.
  • Implementing stricter immigration enforcement and reducing illegal immigration.
  • Reforming legal immigration to prioritize skilled workers and reduce overall immigration levels.

• Education:
  • Promoting school choice, including charter schools and vouchers.
  • Reducing federal involvement in education and increasing local control.
  • Encouraging a curriculum that emphasizes traditional American values and history.

• Foreign Policy and National Defense:
  • Strengthening the military and increasing defense spending.
  • Adopting a more assertive stance against adversaries like China, Russia, and Iran.
  • Prioritizing American interests in international agreements and organizations.

• Social Issues:
  • Defending religious liberty and the rights of conscience.
  • Opposing policies that promote abortion and advancing pro-life initiatives.
  • Upholding Second Amendment rights and opposing gun control measures.

• Governance:
  • Reducing the size and scope of the federal government.
  • Appointing judges who interpret the Constitution according to its original meaning.
  • Promoting transparency and accountability in government.

I want to so bad, I just got done with 3 back-t0-back-to-back uhh "gigs" (avoiding self-dox), been busy af, really looking to kick back and relax for a few weeks

I give you a lot of credit for refraining to use Biden's "record job growth" line here when those "new jobs" were just people going back to work after losing their jobs in 2020.

Which policy will create inflation? I know the answer, just want to know if you do :P

Spoiler

80% of money in circulation was printed between 2020 and 2021.

It's not. Every crime committed by a criminal alien (they are criminals the moment they illegally cross) is 100% preventable. It's no longer fear mongering when you're talking about preventable rapes and murders.

As I am not a woman I am unqualified to take part in this discussion. Generally, I really don't care what they (women) do

I don't get when people say this. The Civil Rights Act has been around since 1964. How else can you legislate equality without crossing into authoritarian territories?

I live in a constitutional carry and castle doctrine state (not self-doxing). Almost everyone I know here owns guns. You don't read about mass shootings here. The last one that made the news a few years ago was literally stopped by a good guy with a gun

 

Doesn't seem like a good way to pick which political party you'd vote for.

 

I am not well-read enough on Israel/Palestine right now or the broader history of the region to have a proper opinion (more concerned with domestic American issues) but I'm pretty sure both POTUS candidates support Israel or at least indifferent towards Israel.

 

For real I always need to sit in my cave for a bit when I get back, esp if there are multiple timezones involved

Does this same logic apply to gun owners? (rhetorical, I think your answer would be more nuanced than most others)

I'm not going to say the number of shootings, but only two deaths. Looked at the incident reports. All adults, no minors. The shooter demographics are not consistent with the demo of most US mass shooters. Prostitutes and gang violence. More problems there than just the guns.

Also, appreciate you catching on! I think I did a pretty thorough job of scrubbing any personal identifying info off this website. At least as much as I could (perks of being a forward-thinking staff member before resigning).

 

The discussions are different - talking about removing the instrument of crime from everyone regardless of criminal status versus removing the criminals themselves.

 

"crimes of a few"? By definition, 100% of illegal immigrants are criminals the moment they cross the border illegally. Gunowners are not criminals in their default state.

Should be said, I don't have a problems with victimless crime. I commit victimless crime. Illegal immigration is not a victimless crime. The burden imposed on taxpayers automatically make victims out of legal citizens and that's before bringing up individual rape, murder, trafficking cases

Not all safety measures work and many have unintended consequences (covid lockdowns). That's why I'm indifferent on the border wall, because while it is a "safety measure", I'm not convinced thats the end-all to illegal immigration.

 

I'm going to be voting for the only real candidate in this race.