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LDAHL
7-24-17, 10:48am
Having come to the conclusion that simply campaigning on a “Trump is dreadful” message may not be the best possible strategy for the Democrats, I see the New York Times has given Chuck Schumer some space to outline what they hope will be a more positive approach. I understand they are going with the slogan “A Better Deal: Better Skills, Better Jobs, Better Wages”. Deviously clever, eh? They get to include an “art of the deal” dig at the same time as implying your pizza will arrive in thirty minutes or less. They also get to allude to the FDR Administration (although he did collude with the Russians).

I don’t think they’ve deserved the mockery (Papa John’s must be flattered). They’re going more positive at the same time as returning to their time-tested strategy of offering free stuff to the voters. I think it may work better for them than the skeptics think, especially if they do a little housecleaning at the leadership level.

Meanwhile, the Republicans have problems of their own; foremost of which is a President who may think he can pardon himself for any little inconveniences that may arise. How do you work around that? “Vote GOP, they’re the only ones who can save us from the Republicans”? I predict the 2020 primary season will be better than Game of Thrones.

frugal-one
7-24-17, 2:47pm
Unfortunately, probably the same amount of drama.

LDAHL
7-24-17, 2:52pm
Unfortunately, probably the same amount of drama.

And you probably shouldn't get too attached to the major characters.

bae
7-24-17, 2:58pm
Potato. Potatoe.

bae
7-24-17, 3:18pm
http://static.existentialcomics.com/comics/councilOfElrond1.png
http://static.existentialcomics.com/comics/councilOfElrond2.png
http://static.existentialcomics.com/comics/councilOfElrond3.png

Rogar
7-24-17, 3:52pm
It's just another slogan to add to the many. The democrats need to find a new approach to find what voters want or at least what works. It could be different and interesting or just more of the same. What we have is way off base from where I'm at and whatever they might concoct has a high probability of being better. It will always be politics as usual but there's a horse running loose in the hospital right now.

Yppej
7-24-17, 6:15pm
The better deal may include single payer. For some folks who could benefit read the last two pages of The Daily Rave feed. Maybe running on leftie values like health care is a right instead of waffling around in the middle will work for them.

Williamsmith
7-24-17, 7:40pm
Single payer is inevitable. It will follow 60's like protests, riots and violence. Paul Ryan and the rest of the GOP have assured us of that.

Ultralight
7-24-17, 7:51pm
Single payer will NEVER happen in the US.

Williamsmith
7-24-17, 8:05pm
Single payer will NEVER happen in the US.


UL.....it will look like this.


https://youtu.be/PpjscJmSg8g

Ultralight
7-24-17, 8:10pm
UL.....it will look like this.


https://youtu.be/PpjscJmSg8g

LOL... but still, it will never happen here.

Williamsmith
7-24-17, 8:34pm
LOL... but still, it will never happen here.

And Donald Trump couldn't possibly become President.......as I recall you saying.

Ultralight
7-24-17, 8:37pm
And Donald Trump couldn't possibly become President.......as I recall you saying. Ha!

I know. I know. But America will collapse before single payer happens.

Rogar
7-24-17, 8:48pm
The supposed new slogan and plan are more about an economic agenda to regain some of the populist base. I could not read much into about big health care issues other than prescription drugs.

LDAHL
7-25-17, 9:09am
The better deal may include single payer. For some folks who could benefit read the last two pages of The Daily Rave feed. Maybe running on leftie values like health care is a right instead of waffling around in the middle will work for them.

It's worth a try. They could hardly do worse than they've been doing with the identity politics approach.

I'd also like to see the GOP move back in the direction of the philosophy that made me a conservative in the first place.

LDAHL
7-25-17, 9:13am
UL.....it will look like this.


https://youtu.be/PpjscJmSg8g

They could call it Kumbayahcare.

If health insurance (its kind of irritating when people say "care" when they really mean "insurance") actually ever does get "settled", what will be the next battleground issue? Free college? Shoring up Social Security? Maybe something really ambitious like universal basic income or facing the deficit like adults?

catherine
7-25-17, 10:17am
They could call it Kumbayahcare.

If health insurance (its kind of irritating when people say "care" when they really mean "insurance") actually ever does get "settled", what will be the next battleground issue? Free college? Shoring up Social Security? Maybe something really ambitious like universal basic income or facing the deficit like adults?

It's a question of resource management.

Here's a video of two hypothetical families: One in the US and one in Denmark. The biggest difference I see between the two countries that makes this not really an apples:apples scenario is that Denmark doesn't have a huge defense budget. But I think this video does a really good job of explaining "where the money comes from":


http://www.filmsforaction.org/watch/social-democracy-vs-free-market-capitalism/?utm_source=ab&utm_medium=fb

LDAHL
7-25-17, 2:32pm
It's a question of resource management.

Here's a video of two hypothetical families: One in the US and one in Denmark. The biggest difference I see between the two countries that makes this not really an apples:apples scenario is that Denmark doesn't have a huge defense budget. But I think this video does a really good job of explaining "where the money comes from":


http://www.filmsforaction.org/watch/social-democracy-vs-free-market-capitalism/?utm_source=ab&utm_medium=fb

Is “happiness” (at least the variety measured by opinion polls) the true measure of a country’s greatness? If Denmark or Bhutan claim to be happier than our fractious, querulous, competitive nation, is that a sign of superiority or mere complacency? Could they not merely be suffering from a dearth of aspiration, content so long as the trough is full?

I suspect that if some wizard were to suddenly impose on us a system of government identical to Denmark’s, we still wouldn’t report ourselves as happy. This country is populated mainly by the descendants of unreasonable people: religious zealots, criminals, slaves, failed rebels, wealth seekers, refugees from tyranny and poverty and the malcontents and rejects of many nations. We have demonstrated throughout our history, rich and poor alike, that we are not satisfied with what we have. And we certainly don’t like to share our toys. I can’t imagine any welfare state we might construct changing that anytime soon. Nor can I imagine us choosing dependence on others rather than dirty our hands in the ugly work of defending ourselves against our enemies. In that sense, we may truly be exceptional.

catherine
7-25-17, 2:46pm
The motley crew that you describe as what makes up the fabric of this country is true enough, and I think it's its strength. As I've said before, my own ancestors were a couple of boats behind the Mayflower, and apparently my 11th great-grandmother died in a Salem prison. It never ceases to amaze me--the fortitude and courage these people had to leave a "good enough" life and weather so many complete unknowns. Just amazing.

I have no argument about the pursuit of "better." But I don't think the "better" of the 17th century is the same as "better" for the 19th or the 21st. Our "better" can be a pursuit of other kinds of wealth. And I don't necessarily think pure self-interest at the expense of others is branded into our national DNA. Toddlers don't like sharing toys, but then they grow up.

LDAHL
7-25-17, 3:14pm
The motley crew that you describe as what makes up the fabric of this country is true enough, and I think it's its strength. As I've said before, my own ancestors were a couple of boats behind the Mayflower, and apparently my 11th great-grandmother died in a Salem prison. It never ceases to amaze me--the fortitude and courage these people had to leave a "good enough" life and weather so many complete unknowns. Just amazing.

I have no argument about the pursuit of "better." But I don't think the "better" of the 17th century is the same as "better" for the 19th or the 21st. Our "better" can be a pursuit of other kinds of wealth. And I don't necessarily think pure self-interest at the expense of others is branded into our national DNA. Toddlers don't like sharing toys, but then they grow up.

That's true, and there may be much of the ignoble in our past and present, but I think as a culture we are loathe to let anyone else decide "better" for us. It might be brilliant achievement, unselfish service, crass self-promotion or vulgar hoarding, but I hope we will always be hostile to the would-be circumscribers of our ambitions. God preserve us from any nannies with the power to make us grow up.