Do you think an undivided government is a blessing for Biden?

I think that practically everything Trump touched he damaged, and that as much of that damage should be undone as quickly as possible, so I am glad.

I’ve always liked the fact that, with a “united” House, Senate, and President, more stuff gets done.

We can decide whether we like and support said stuff later by voting, but at least there is WAY less gridlock.

Government’s inability to get anything done is one of my biggest issues with them.

Yes, is a blessing for Biden, and the consequences will not so tragicly like your assume of radical legislation. Already Obama said befor his presidentship: Yes we can, but what he could was not much. A president is not so mighty like the media claim. Look at Trump what can he do against his elecetion disaster, nothing.

Blessing is a severe misreading of the situation. This is because it ignores the REASON the Democrats will command both the Congress and Presidency—the “blessing” that was Donald Trump. Not only is the curse of more “radical” legislation likely, there is going to be a deluge of progressive socialist measures exceeding in scope anything since Johnson’s Great Society. Your so called centrists are demanding it NOW, and McConnel’s deafness is likely to cost him not only the Senate, but his very seat. What happened in Georgia is the writing on the wall for the Republican party. The “blessing” is covid. And in that respect it is the twin “blessings” of covid under Trump. Both catastrophes guarantee that money is going to be hurled at the common man (for a change) in amounts unprecedented in our history.

A few points come to mind.

Filibustering in the senate limits what the Democrats will be able to do.

Biden is a moderate. There will be limits to what he will be willing to sign into law.

The Democratic control will likely disappear after the midterm elections in 2022. The party holding the presidency usually loses seats in off-year elections.

It’s not enough. We need our leaders to work together and to not stoke so much division among the citizenry. We can’t have a ping pong game of one party in setting policies and then the other party gets in and undoes those policies. We need more cooperation and a mutual goal to work together.

It’s not a blessing for our Democracy. What is happening today is a crime against our nation.

I guess we’ll find out. Today (1/06/2020), the U.S. Capitol building was attacked and occupied while Congress was debating objections to the votes of the Electoral College. While the nation’s residents were glued to their TV’s, phones, laptops, etc., watching the insurrection, the Ossoff from Georgia was elected to the Senate, in effect creating a Democratic trifecta in House, Senate and Biden administration.

@Zaku Here is a list of things that Trump touched, and therefore ‘damaged’. Biden can hopefully undo the ‘damage’. Please feel free to comment, add items or delete items.

1. Corporate Tax Rate. It was 35% when Trump took over. He cut it down to 21%. Now Biden wants to raise it to 28%.

2. China Tariffs: Before Trump, China enjoyer PNTR (Permanent Normal Trade Relations) status. That essentially means that China paid little to no import duty. And no quotas were imposed. China took full advantage of the situation. They used their “developing nation” misnomer to impose restrictions and require 50% Chinese partnership in all foreign entities. To his credit, Biden has indicated he will continue Trump’s tough policies on China. Let us see if the liberal wing of the Democratic Party lets him.

3. Illegal Immigration: Trump was greeted by tens of thousands-strong caravans on the Southern Border. So much so, that it became an emergency. He took actions much stronger than Biden could even imagine. We could disagree on the specific actions. However, the problem has been solved. undoing Trump’s actions is relatively easy. However, the consequences will not be pleasant.

4. The WALL: Biden has promised that “not one foot” of wall will be built by his administration. On this issue, perhaps all Democrats who have not thought through the interplay between the Wall, asylum, and minimum wages are united. Biden can easily keep his promise. The Senate filibuster may have to be a casualty.

5. NATO and other Alliances: We can easily go back to the way things were. Our NATO allies and others would love that as they cozy up to Mama US and suck on our kitties.

6. Iran Deal: Even Biden may have a tough time coaxing Iran back into a deal that they benefit from tremendously and we get zilch.

7. Paris Climate Accords: The US has almost met the goal that was assigned to it even though the US is not in the deal. Has any other country?

Ya missed EPA and National property for oil and mining ! @crazyguy

I like clean air and water – – – Trump not so much!

I’d like to go to a National Park without oil pipelines and trucks carrying dirt out. – – – – ~ ~ ~Trump is getting a kickback from big oil !

Perhaps they will allow him to hang the plaque of his achievements in his cell, and he can serve out the first of his “tours” “working” in a prison library.

@cookieman When government does stuff, it is generally a committee-designed compromise between two or more sensible positions.. During my engineering days we had a running joke: A camel is a horse designed by <my company> to Aramco standards.

I feel strongly that most US administrations (before Trump) have suffered from this malaise. One reason for Trump’s unpopularity was the lack of attention to opposing views. This attitude can hurt you once in a while, but it generally results in actions that are meaningful and whose motives are obvious.

@bernd I agree a President is not all-powerful. There are strict limits on what s/he can accomplish with executive orders. In fact, before Trump, no President accomplished much of anything. Reagan’s tax cut was a miss-mash that even the Democrats subscribed to. You know why? Because he gave up so much in the spirit of compromise.

With Congress on his side, and the media, Biden can achieve a lot more. However, by eliminating the need for compromise, we do run the risk of bad legislation.

@LostInParadise I like the way you think!

Filibustering will be significant hurdle – until Schumer gets rid of it!

Biden is a moderate. However, I have a feeling that his desires will be rudely pushed aside. If he protests too much, he will be replaced by kamli (crazy in Punjabi) Kamala.
You are 100% correct in noting “The party holding the presidency usually loses seats in off-year elections.” In 2022, I think you will see the mother of all off-year elections, in which I expect the Democrats to lose the Senate and House bigly.

@JLeslie Amen! Or should I say A-women?

@Pandora That is a matter of opinion. I have a feeling that what happens in the next two years will not be a matter of opinion.

Just like what is happening NOW.

GOP politicians are scrambling; they are F^^^KED because of the guy with Tangerine make-up !

The end of the GOP is near !

Our second “President of color”
is frantic about dragging as many dopey Republicans as possible into the void of revulsion and disgrace, and it is almost satisfying to watch the boneheaded rush of so many “volunteers”. It’s like watching the crowd marching into the building with the huge flashing neon sign “Headquarters—National Idiot Parade”.

The country isn’t all Republicans, ya know…
So the whole country can’t get “pissed off.”

@Strauss You are absolutely correct – today was indeed a dark day. Trump did not distinguish himself today and he may have done irreversible damage to a possible 2024 bid.

A few interesting things about today’s ‘riots’ vis a vis the BLM riots:

1. The footage looked roughly the same except the color of the perpetrators.
2. The passion was similar.
3. The riots were covered ‘honestly’ by right-leaning media. Recall the BLM riots were never called for what they were by left-leaning media.

2024 bid my ***! He as much as sealed his status in history as the only president to incite violence against the (small d) democratic process.

I don’t think he’ll be around until the inauguration.

It’s interesting that you put the word “riots” in quotes. This was not a spontaneous riot. It was a fully planned insurrection, designed to thwart the lawful actions of the elected representatives of the citizens of this nation to fulfill the law as per the Constitution they swore to uphold and defend. I take that as a personal insult to each and every person who fought and died to defend the rights defined be that Document!

To your list of things this president has “touched and therefore damaged”, you can add faith in the voting system that is the very foundation of the democratic republic that is the United States.

@crazyguy so when they come to arrest all the supporters of sedition and they knock on door ? ?

I can’t even.

2024?? If Trump is anywhere in this country that isn’t a prison or psychiatric facility, it will have to be in a courtroom facing a backlog of charges so huge that the remaining span of his life is insufficient for the prosecution of them all. The criminal charges alone will be underway at the close of Biden’s second term, and still going strong a full 8 years later when President Harris passes the baton to the next Democrat in the line. After yesterday, American conservatism will be brought up in conversations with the same sort of reverence we associate with 3 Stooges movies, and then come the civil lawsuits.

However – everything stays as it is.

@crazyguy Not an opinion. Those nut cases even left 2 pipe bombs behind. We have homegrown terrorists created by Trump and inspired by him. If this were a Muslim or foreigner we would have no problem calling them terrorists. Homegrown terrorists are not good for our Nation period. Now what is an opinion, is that I’m beginning to believe you are a terrorist supporter and you don’t believe in our Republic. Hell, you may not even be an American for all I know.

@crazyguy

1. Corporate Tax Rate. It was 35% when Trump took over. He cut it down to 21%. Now Biden wants to raise it to 28%

- You mean the highest Corporate Tax Rate? To me, that’s but a small step in the right direction. The economy has long been dominated by overly wealthy and powerful corporations who do so mainly because of economy of scale = i.e. by virtue of size, wealth and power alone, not due to any virtue which should be further rewarded by tax savings.

See historical corporate tax rates.

I think small businesses, especially ones with minimal profits, should have lower rates, but the most profitable giant corporations should not be seeing bargain basement taxes, especially while people without corporate health care plans can’t afford medical care and go homeless due to COVID and the barbaric lack of a safety net in the US.

2. China Tariffs: Before Trump, China enjoyer PNTR (Permanent Normal Trade Relations) status. That essentially means that China paid little to no import duty. And no quotas were imposed. China took full advantage of the situation. They used their “developing nation” misnomer to impose restrictions and require 50% Chinese partnership in all foreign entities. To his credit, Biden has indicated he will continue Trump’s tough policies on China. Let us see if the liberal wing of the Democratic Party lets him.

- Ok, let’s see.

3. Illegal Immigration: Trump was greeted by tens of thousands-strong caravans on the Southern Border. So much so, that it became an emergency. He took actions much stronger than Biden could even imagine. We could disagree on the specific actions. However, the problem has been solved. undoing Trump’s actions is relatively easy. However, the consequences will not be pleasant.

- I would call many of the actions taken on the border during the Trump administration not “strong” but inhumane, cruel and terrible.

I don’t know what you’re imagining will happen with immigration during Biden’s administration, but I can’t imagine our policy and the consequences being less “pleasant” than the have been in the last four years. But I’m sure what pleases Trump supporters is rather different from what pleases me.

4. The WALL: Biden has promised that “not one foot” of wall will be built by his administration. On this issue, perhaps all Democrats who have not thought through the interplay between the Wall, asylum, and minimum wages are united. Biden can easily keep his promise. The Senate filibuster may have to be a casualty.

- The “WALL”? Not one foot? Hooray! How many feet can we remove, and when?

I think the “interplay” with the proposed “Wall” that ought to be considered first and foremost is the way it cuts through wildlife habitat and migration routes. That consideration alone is enough for me to want no wasteful and destructive wall built.

Another “interplay” I consider important, would be the way the wall has and would continue to violate native American lands, parks, and everything else in its path. I also want no wasteful and destructive wall built for those reasons.

Getting around to the intended effects of the “Wall”, it seems obvious that a giant physical wall is not going to actually stop the people that some are so excited about getting into the US.

I’m almost afraid to hear what you imagine “Democrats have not thought through” about “the interplay between the Wall, asylum, and minimum wages are united.” I’m sure I have not “thought through” it either.

5. NATO and other Alliances: We can easily go back to the way things were. Our NATO allies and others would love that as they cozy up to Mama US and suck on our kitties.

“Suck on our kitties”? Um…

So you’re not a fan of our NATO allies? You think alienating them by having a childish unpredictable Putin-chummy low-IQ jingoist POTUS was a good thing?

6. Iran Deal: Even Biden may have a tough time coaxing Iran back into a deal that they benefit from tremendously and we get zilch.

You mean since Trump kept trying to drumpf up fake reasons to attack Iran?

I take it you’re not big on diplomacy unless it’s the “cowboy” kind?

7. Paris Climate Accords: The US has almost met the goal that was assigned to it even though the US is not in the deal. Has any other country?

So you’re going to give Trump credit for US emission drops, not COVID? What part of dropping out of the Paris agreement, or any other action by Trump, would you say means Trump had anything positive to do with this outcome? Would it be his duplicitous herd immunity policy, encouraging Americans to get COVID as quickly as possible through idiotic statements like when he wanted people to get together for Easter 2020?

“We’re opening up this incredible country. Because we have to do that. I would love to have it open by Easter,” Trump said.

“I would love to have that. It’s such an important day for other reasons, but I’d love to make it an important day for this. I would love to have the country opened up, and rarin’ to go by Easter.”

In a second interview with Fox that aired Tuesday afternoon, Trump said he offered the holiday as a deadline because “Easter’s a very special day for me.”

“Wouldn’t it be great to have all the churches full?” Trump asked. “You’ll have packed churches all over our country … I think it’ll be a beautiful time.”

Trump added that “I’m not sure that’s going to be the day,” but “that would be a beautiful thing.”

At a press briefing Tuesday evening, Trump appeared to back off the idea even further. “We’ll only do it if it’s good,” Trump said, adding that he is “very much in touch” with White House experts. “I just think it would be a beautiful timeline.”

“Our decision will be based on hard facts and data as to the opening” of the economy, Trump said in that presser. “Every decision is grounded solely in the health, safety and wellbeing of our citizens.”

( https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/24/coronavirus-response-trump-wants-to-reopen-us-economy-by-easter.html )

So much “winning,” huh?

@Zaku I do not know where to start. But here goes.

Any guesses as to what I meant to type instead of kitties?

1. Corporate Taxation: Let’s go back to where we were, shall we? And watch as our corporations ‘relocate’ to lower tax countries!

3. Illegal immigration: Let us stop the illegal immigrants by humane and kind means. Good luck with that!

4. The WALL: You say: ‘Getting around to the intended effects of the “Wall”, it seems obvious that a giant physical wall is not going to actually stop the people that some are so excited about getting into the US.’ The WALL will definitely not stop everybody. However, it will make getting into the US a lot harder. Hopefully, by the time some hardy souls do manage to cross over or under the wall, our border patrol is there to stop them or welcome them.

@Zaku If you don’t see the rather obvious connection between minimum wage in the US and illegal immigration, I am not sure I can help…

6. Iran: Please point out one advantage the US got from the Iran deal.

7. Paris: Have you read the ‘commitments’ made by other countries like India and China? If you haven’t, please do so you can sound informed.

@Pandora So you doubt my credentials just like one other poster here? Fortunately I do not have to prove to you or to him who I am!

@bernd After your first post, I expected a bit more from you.

@JLeslie ??

@Strauss I agree that the riot was not spontaneous. neither were the ones in Kenosha, Atlanta and a number of other cities. The only spontaneous BLM riot was probably the first one, in Minnesota. All the others were preplanned. Imagine what would have happened to the Capitol if thousands of BLM and Antifa ‘protesters’ got inside!

@crazyguy WHAT ! ! ! !

Wall of Text and Nonsense !

@crazyguy The only spontaneous BLM riot was probably the first one, in Minnesota. All the others were preplanned.

Let us not confuse peaceful protests, protected by the First Amendment, with unlawful rioting, looting, and seditious siege of the Capital itself.

I do not endorse rioting and looting under any circumstances. As I’ve posted elsewhere on this site, the riots that occurred this past year, IMHO, were largely the work of agents provocateur, designed to discredit the protests, which were legitimate under the First Amendment.

What we saw Wednesday was nothing less than an attempt to violently overthrow the legitimate work of the Congress. It was not only the speech at the rally that incited this insurrection. It was the constant hammering away at the faith of the voters in the election process. It is not only Trump who is culpable of seditious incitement. It is every politician, every “news” personality, everyone who said these things for their own personal gain, regardless of the truth. The right-wing echo-chamber, the Limbaughs, the Hannitys, the Breitbarts who played to the fears of “The Base”.

The Siege of the Capital was incited by four years of this BS.

@Strauss Thanks for your answer.

I agree with you that unlawful rioting and looting cannot be condoned under any circumstances. Therefore, all identified individuals responsible for Wednesday’s riot should have the full weight of the law thrown at them.

The same should apply to all the BLM rioters last year. As you probably recall, the police stood idly by while businesses and stores were looted or burnt to the ground.

Please just be quiet rather than embarrass yourself in front of us with the ridiculously petty and logically flaccid excuse of BLM protest as the seditious equivalent to the maga pig “Running of the Swine”. How you summon the cheek to even voice such a claim is beyond baffling. I feel sorry for you to the point that I can find the compassion to wish your hero’s future cell be padded.

@crazyguy Trump had peaceful protesters teargassed and forcibly removed from Lafayette Square in Washington DC so he could have a photo op.
Yet it seems there was a restrained response by the Capital Police. Sometimes they even seemed to be welcoming the mob into the Capital Building.

@Strauss And the guy before you: You guys seem to be arguing “The end justifies the means”. The “end” sought by BLM protests was noble and therefore the means are excused even though the protests caused over $200 million in damages in Minneapolis alone.

Can you imagine how much damage the BLM ‘protesters’ would have caused if they got inside our Capitol?

@crazyguy …seem to be arguing “The end justifies the means”

I am not arguing that at all. I am defining a difference between legitimate peaceful protesters and rioters, looters and the like.

BLM protesters in “Lafayette
Square”: https://www.npr.org/2020/06/01/867532070/trumps-unannounced-church-visit-angers-church-officials were by and large peaceful. What happened Wednesday was anything but peaceful. The police response was restrained in the latter case, excessive in the former.

Are you saying the mob that besieged the Capital Building were peaceful protesters? Are you saying the protesters in Lafayette Square were violent rioters? Do you not see the difference?

Here’s the difference between what happened at the Capitol and BLM protests. BLM protests just happen to be ripe for opportunists to infiltrate and utilize the crowd as a screen for a chance to break windows and perhaps snatch a flat screen or some sneakers. The attack on the Capitol, rather than the so called attempt to “overthrow the government”, was in truth, a stupid pointless and spontaneous riot performed by a conglomeration of poor dumb rednecks egged on by the one man capable of assembling them in mass—the king of the rednecks (a fact only THEY seem to appreciate) because unlike their enemies, they see through the tacky glitter of ornate disguise to recognize all the tasteless hallmarks of ignorance so familiar to themselves—he is in every sense of the phrase—“one of them” in all but one respect. After firing them up and promising to lead, the “fun” commences and he is nowhere to be seen (bone spurs?). For my money, this pathetic exercise is no more a threat to the country than any other riot. It’s only that this time it’s the “bosses” office that gets trashed.

@Strauss As you know, “by and large peaceful” protests led to over $200 million in damage in one city alone.

Doe you happen to know what percentage of the protesters on Wednesday were “by and large peaceful”?