DocLightning wrote:

jetwet1 wrote:

The Dems do, Mayor Pete, but the sad fact is, despite IMHO being the best candidate, being an openly gay male makes him unelectable, it would get the Repubs back together to fight him.

Honestly, probably the biggest handicap he has is his name. If you look through the list of every president, the longest and most complicated names you'll find are Van Buren and Eisenhower. It's actually a major and underappreciated factor in election outcomes.

His name is a tongue twister for sure, but a guy named Barack Obama won a couple elections. Not exactly a household "American" name. I'd vote for Pete, wish he'd have gotten the nomination last time. I agree that his being gay will be a detriment in the eyes of lot of folks who are not as tolerant or open to non-traditional sexual orientations. This is changing but not enough (yet) that he'd have a clear path to the oval office

Intertesting that McConnell and McCarthy appear to have spoken against a future Trump presidency.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-hou ... 022-11-29/

Kent350787 wrote:

Intertesting that McConnell and McCarthy appear to have spoken against a future Trump presidency.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-hou ... 022-11-29/

I’m pretty shocked the story of the ex President and current frontrunner for 2024 having dinner with a literal Nazi isn’t bigger news.

But nothing shocks me anymore

How do you have an 'inadvertent' meeting with a former US President?.

sierrakilo44 wrote:

Kent350787 wrote:

Intertesting that McConnell and McCarthy appear to have spoken against a future Trump presidency.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-hou ... 022-11-29/

I’m pretty shocked the story of the ex President and current frontrunner for 2024 having dinner with a literal Nazi isn’t bigger news.

But nothing shocks me anymore

Simply because... Hillary, or Hunter, or Obama, or stolen election, or other pathetic reasons...

bennett123 wrote:

How do you have an 'inadvertent' meeting with a former US President?.

It only becomes "inadvertent" when folks find out about it.

scbriml wrote:

bennett123 wrote:

How do you have an 'inadvertent' meeting with a former US President?.

It only becomes "inadvertent" when folks find out about it.

Don't guests to a former president have to be cleared by Secret Service? They have to be given notice? Like I can not just show up at Jimmy Carter's home out of the blue and have tea with him or just show up at GWB ranch with zero notice and play a couple rounds of cornhole, right?

seb146 wrote:

scbriml wrote:

bennett123 wrote:

How do you have an 'inadvertent' meeting with a former US President?.

It only becomes "inadvertent" when folks find out about it.

Don't guests to a former president have to be cleared by Secret Service? They have to be given notice? Like I can not just show up at Jimmy Carter's home out of the blue and have tea with him or just show up at GWB ranch with zero notice and play a couple rounds of cornhole, right?

It seems to me that the lines between Trump's private residence and the Mar-A-Lago club can be blurred. My impression is that they dined at a table in the member's area, rather than in his private area. Trump apparently has a habit of appearing at events hiring the club, so I can't believe that all guests are vetted. Particularly when you see photographs like that Russian woman with the fake background on the golf course with Trump and Lindsay Graham.

sierrakilo44 wrote:

Kent350787 wrote:

Intertesting that McConnell and McCarthy appear to have spoken against a future Trump presidency.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-hou ... 022-11-29/

I’m pretty shocked the story of the ex President and current frontrunner for 2024 having dinner with a literal Nazi isn’t bigger news.

But nothing shocks me anymore

What is even stranger is that the white supremacist has a Hispanic surname and showed up for dinner with a black man. You can't make this stuff up. Just like I saw a neo-Nazi interviewed after I think it was the Virginia rally. He had a Polish surname. He obviously didn't do too well in history class.

VolvoBus wrote:

seb146 wrote:

scbriml wrote:

It only becomes "inadvertent" when folks find out about it.

Don't guests to a former president have to be cleared by Secret Service? They have to be given notice? Like I can not just show up at Jimmy Carter's home out of the blue and have tea with him or just show up at GWB ranch with zero notice and play a couple rounds of cornhole, right?

It seems to me that the lines between Trump's private residence and the Mar-A-Lago club can be blurred. My impression is that they dined at a table in the member's area, rather than in his private area. Trump apparently has a habit of appearing at events hiring the club, so I can't believe that all guests are vetted. Particularly when you see photographs like that Russian woman with the fake background on the golf course with Trump and Lindsay Graham.

Except apparently the meeting with West had been planned. Thus the Secret Service knew about it. As I stated earlier in the thread, I’m skeptical that the security detail would just let Kanye roll up to a scheduled meeting with a former POTUS with a plus one. I suspect this was a planned meeting to either garner publicity or some other political goal. I don’t think Trump expected a tepid response to his candidacy by lawmakers and was caught off guard by the reaction to this meeting.

johns624 wrote:

sierrakilo44 wrote:

Kent350787 wrote:

Intertesting that McConnell and McCarthy appear to have spoken against a future Trump presidency.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-hou ... 022-11-29/

I’m pretty shocked the story of the ex President and current frontrunner for 2024 having dinner with a literal Nazi isn’t bigger news.

But nothing shocks me anymore

What is even stranger is that the white supremacist has a Hispanic surname and showed up for dinner with a black man. You can't make this stuff up. Just like I saw a neo-Nazi interviewed after I think it was the Virginia rally. He had a Polish surname. He obviously didn't do too well in history class.

Not shocking at all, really. There is a symbiotic relationship. The "minorities" who side with white nationalists believe they will be spared and the white nationalists can say "we are not racist". Just don't look too deep into anything.

seb146 wrote:

Not shocking at all, really. There is a symbiotic relationship. The "minorities" who side with white nationalists believe they will be spared and the white nationalists can say "we are not racist". Just don't look too deep into anything.

There's one sitting on the Supreme Court. It's an ancient and sad story. Chapelle did a bit about it.

wingman wrote:

seb146 wrote:

Not shocking at all, really. There is a symbiotic relationship. The "minorities" who side with white nationalists believe they will be spared and the white nationalists can say "we are not racist". Just don't look too deep into anything.

There's one sitting on the Supreme Court. It's an ancient and sad story. Chapelle did a bit about it.

I think every same sex (particularly interracial) couple that gets married needs to tag Uncle Clarence Tom and say thank you...

Kent350787 wrote:

Intertesting that McConnell and McCarthy appear to have spoken against a future Trump presidency.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-hou ... 022-11-29/

McConnell had his chance to convict Trump in the (second) impeachment. He could have influenced more Republicans in the Senate as well to get to 67 votes.

That said, he deserves everything that has happened afterwards, including Trump influence on lost Senate races for his party, and Trump running again as as President a bad deal for Republicans. He has to get behind DeSantis or a Youngkin at this point.