The undecided voter thread: persuade me

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

2 hours ago, CanAm1980 said:

 

 

Bringing back to the top of this page, you said applying a general label to a broad group of people (Democrats or Progressives)  is not an attack in this forum even when over generalized or inaccurate.  Do you have examples, in this forum, where Republicans or Conservatives have been labeled broadly as Racist, anti-immigrant, National Socialists?  

If so why did the mods not step in?

 

More to the point of this thread, 7-9 % if the voters of this country are swayable. How does applying those labels help either side reach their goal of electing their choice for President?

Hundreds. But with your new account, you likely haven't read them.

[TBoneTX 45,088]

Three incipiently inflammatory posts have been removed.  Let's be respectful, please.

[Ryan H 3,812]

**Derailing post removed.**

[Crtcl Rice Theory 2,432]

2 hours ago, Voice of Reason said:

Hundreds. But with your new account, you likely haven't read them.

How about three in the last 90 days? Links?

[TBoneTX 45,088]

If the badgering in this thread doesn't stop, the thread will be locked.  This is the final warning.

[Nature Boy 2.0 8,370]

On 8/26/2020 at 12:10 AM, Voice of Reason said:

 

Being asked sometimes by people who are on the fence or who aren’t very politically active:

 

“What has @realDonaldTrump done or fixed as President?"

 

It’s a good question deserving of an in depth answer, so here’s a thread listing some of what he’s done in 3 years. Read it all!

 

•This week Trump signed 3 bills for Native people. One gives compensation to the Spokane tribe for loss of their lands in the mid-1900s, one funds Native language programs and the other gives federal recognition to the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians in Montana

•This month Trump finalized the creation of Space Force as our 6th Military branch

•This month Trump signed a law to make cruelty to animals a federal felony so that animal abusers face tougher consequences

•Violent crime has fallen every year he’s been in office after rising the 2 years before he was elected

•Trump signed bill making CBD and Hemp legal 

•Trump’s EPA gave $100 million to fix the water infrastructure problem in Flint, Michigan

•Under Trump’s leadership, in 2018 the U.S. surpassed Russia and Saudi Arabia to become the world’s largest producer of crude oil

•Trump signed a law ending the gag orders on Pharmacists that prevented them from sharing money saving information

•Trump signed the “Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act” (FOSTA), which includes the “Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act” (SESTA) which both give law enforcement and victims new tools to fight sex trafficking

•Trump signed a bill to require airports to provide spaces for breastfeeding Moms

•The 25% lowest-paid Americans enjoyed a 4.5% income boost in November 2019, that outpaces a 2.9% gain in earnings for the country's highest-paid workers

•Low-wage workers are benefiting from higher minimum wages and corporations that are increasing entry-level pay

•Trump signed the biggest wilderness protection & conservation bill in a decade and designated 375,000 acres as protected land

•Trump signed the Save our Seas Act which funds $10 million per year to clean tons of plastic & garbage from the ocean

•He signed a bill this year allowing some drug imports from Canada so that prescription prices would go down

•Trump signed an executive order this year that forces all healthcare providers to disclose the cost of their services so that Americans can comparison shop and know how much less providers charge insurance companies

•When signing that bill he said no American should be blindsided by bills for medical services they never agreed to in advance

•Hospitals will now be required to post their standard charges for services, which include the discounted price a hospital is willing to accept

•In the eight years prior to President Trump’s inauguration, prescription drug prices increased by an average of 3.6% per year. Under Trump drug prices have seen year-over-year declines in nine of the last ten months, with a 1.1% drop as of the most recent month.

•Created a White House VA Hotline to help veterans and principally staffed it with veterans and direct family members of veterans

•VA employees are being held accountable for poor performance, with more than 4,000 VA employees removed, demoted, and suspended so far

•Issued an executive order requiring the Secretaries of Defense, Homeland Security, and Veterans Affairs to submit a joint plan to provide veterans access to access to mental health treatment as they transition to civilian life

•Because of a bill signed and championed by Trump, In 2020, most federal employees will see their pay increase by an average of 3.1% — the largest raise in more than 10 years

•Trump signed into a law up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave for millions of federal workers

•Trump administration will provide HIV prevention drug for free to 200,000 uninsured patients per year for 11 years

•All time record sales during the 2019 holidays

•Trump signed an order allowing small businesses to group together when buying insurance to get a better price

•President Trump signed the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act that provides funding for states to develop maternal mortality reviews to better understand maternal complications and identify solutions & largely focuses on reducing the higher mortality rates for Black Americans

•In 2018, President Trump signed the groundbreaking First Step Act, a criminal justice bill which enacted reforms that make our justice system fairer and help former inmates successfully return to society

•The First Step Act’s reforms addressed inequities in sentencing laws that disproportionately harmed Black Americans and reformed mandatory minimums that created unfair outcomes

•The First Step Act expanded judicial discretion in sentencing of non-violent crimes

•Over 90% of those benefiting from the retroactive sentencing reductions in the First Step Act are Black Americans

•The First Step Act provides rehabilitative programs to inmates, helping them successfully rejoin society and not return to crime

•Trump increased funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) by more than 14%

•Trump signed legislation forgiving Hurricane Katrina debt that threatened HBCUs

•New single-family home sales are up 31.6% in October 2019 compared to just one year ago

•Made HBCUs a priority by creating the position of executive director of the White House Initiative on HBCUs

•Trump received the Bipartisan Justice Award at a historically black college for his criminal justice reform accomplishments

•The poverty rate fell to a 17-year low of 11.8% under the Trump administration as a result of a jobs-rich environment

•Poverty rates for African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans have reached their lowest levels since the U.S. began collecting such data

•Pres. Trump signed a bill that creates five national monuments, expands several national parks, adds 1.3 million acres of wilderness, and permanently reauthorizes the Land and Water Conservation Fund

•Trump’s USDA committed $124 Million to rebuild rural water infrastructure

•Consumer confidence & small business confidence at an all time high 

•More than 7 million jobs created since election

•More Americans are now employed than ever recorded before in our history

•More than 400,000 manufacturing jobs created since his election

•Trump appointed 5 openly gay ambassadors 

•Trump ordered his openly gay ambassador to Germany, Ric Grenell to lead a global initiative to decriminalize homosexuality across the globe

•Through Trump’s Anti-Trafficking Coordination Team (ACTeam) initiative, Federal law enforcement more than doubled convictions of human traffickers and increased the number of defendants charged by 75% in ACTeam districts

•In 2018, the Department of Justice (DOJ) dismantled an organization that was the internet’s leading source of prostitution-related advertisements resulting in sex trafficking.

•Trump’s OMB published new anti-trafficking guidance for government procurement officials to more effectively combat human trafficking

•Trump’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations arrested 1,588 criminals associated with Human Trafficking

•Trump’s Department of Health and Human Services provided funding to support the National Human Trafficking Hotline to identify perpetrators and give victims the help they need

•The hotline identified 16,862 potential human trafficking cases

•Trump’s DOJ provided grants to organizations that support human trafficking victims – serving nearly 9,000 cases from July 1, 2017, to June 30, 2018

•The Department of Homeland Security has hired more victim assistance specialists, helping victims get resources and support

•President Trump has called on Congress to pass school choice legislation so that no child is trapped in a failing school because of his or her zip code

•The President signed funding legislation in September 2018 that increased funding for school choice by $42 million

•The tax cuts signed into law by President Trump promote school choice by allowing families to use 529 college savings plans for elementary and secondary education

•Under his leadership ISIS has lost most of their territory and been largely dismantled

•ISIS leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi was killed

•Signed the first Perkins CTE reauthorization since 2006, authorizing more than $1 billion for states each year to fund vocational and career education programs

•Executive order expanding apprenticeship opportunities for students and workers

•President Trump’s issued an Executive Order prohibiting the U.S. government from discriminating against Christians or punishing expressions of faith

•Signed an executive order that allows the government to withhold money from college campuses deemed to be anti-Semitic and who fail to combat anti-Semitism

•President Trump ordered a halt to U.S. tax money going to international organizations that fund or perform abortions

•Trump imposed sanctions on the socialists in Venezuela who have killed their citizens

•Finalized new trade agreement with South Korea

•Made a deal with the European Union to increase U.S. energy exports to Europe

•Withdrew the U.S. from the job killing TPP deal

•Secured $250 billion in new trade and investment deals in China and $12 billion in Vietnam

•OK’d up to $12 billion in aid for farmers affected by unfair trade retaliation

•Has had over a dozen US hostages freed, including those Obama could not get freed

•Trump signed the Music Modernization Act, the biggest change to copyright law in decades

•Trump secured Billions that will fund the building of a wall at our southern border

•The Trump Administration is promoting second chance hiring to give former inmates the opportunity to live crime-free lives and find meaningful employment

•Trump’s DOJ and the BOP launched a new “Ready to Work Initiative” to help connect employers directly with former prisoners

•President Trump’s historic tax cut legislation included new Opportunity Zone Incentives to promote investment in low-income communities across the country

•8,764 communities across the country have been designated as Opportunity Zones

•Opportunity Zones are expected to spur $100 billion in long-term private capital investment in economically distressed communities across the country

•Trump directed the Education Secretary to end Common Core

•Trump signed the 9/11 Victims Compensation Fund into law

•Trump signed measure funding prevention programs for Veteran suicide

•Companies have brought back over a TRILLION dollars from overseas because of the TCJA bill that Trump signed

•Manufacturing jobs growing at the fastest rate in more than 30 years

•Stock Market has reached record highs

•Median household income has hit highest level ever recorded

•African-American unemployment is at an all time low

•Hispanic-American unemployment is at an all time low

•Asian-American unemployment is at an all time low

•Women’s unemployment rate is at a 65 year low

•Youth unemployment is at a 50 year low

•We have the lowest unemployment rate ever recorded for

•The Pledge to America’s Workers has resulted in employers committing to train more than 4 million Americans

•95 percent of U.S. manufacturers are optimistic about the future— the highest ever.

•As a result of the Republican tax bill, small businesses will have the lowest top marginal tax rate in more than 80 years

•Record number of regulations eliminated that hurt small businesses

•Signed welfare reform requiring able-bodied adults who don’t have children to work or look for work if they’re on welfare

•Under Trump, the FDA approved more affordable generic drugs than ever before in history

•Reformed Medicare program to stop hospitals from overcharging low-income seniors on their drugs—saving seniors 100’s of millions of $$$ this year alone

•Signed Right-To-Try legislation allowing terminally ill patients to try experimental treatment that wasn’t allowed before

•Secured $6 billion in new funding to fight the opioid epidemic

•Signed VA Choice Act and VA Accountability Act, expanded VA telehealth services, walk-in-clinics, and same-day urgent primary and mental health care

•U.S. oil production recently reached all-time high so we are less dependent on oil from the Middle East

•The U.S. is a net natural gas exporter for the first time since 1957

•NATO allies increased their defense spending because of his pressure campaign

•Withdrew the United States from the job-killing Paris Climate Accord in 2017 and that same year the U.S. still led the world by having the largest reduction in Carbon emissions

•Has his circuit court judges being confirmed faster than any other new administration

•Had his Supreme Court Justice’s Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh confirmed

•Moved U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem

•Agreed to a new trade deal with Mexico & Canada that will increase jobs here and $$$ coming in

•Reached a breakthrough agreement with the E.U. to increase U.S. exports

•Imposed tariffs on China in response to China’s forced technology transfer, intellectual property theft, and their chronically abusive trade practices, has agreed to a part 1 trade deal with China

•Signed legislation to improve the National Suicide Hotline

•Signed the most comprehensive childhood cancer legislation ever into law, which will advance childhood cancer research and improve treatments

 

This is just SOME of of the incredible work @realDonaldTrumpand his admin have done in their 3 years so far at the@WhiteHouse. This is why I support him. This is why I’ll vote in 2020 to Keep America Great. If you have uninformed family or friends, show them this thread!

Another upcoming accomplishment to add: In the next week or two Trump will be signing the first major anti-robocall law in decades called the TRACED Act (Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence). I’ll explain the law in the next tweet.

Once it’s law the TRACED Act will extend the period of time the FCC has to catch & punish those who intentionally break telemarketing restrictions. The bill also requires voice service providers to develop a framework to verify calls are legitimate before they reach your phone.

The TRACED Act requires carriers to share tools & the ability to block spam callers with customers for free. It also changes the fine imposed on spam telemarketers from $1,500 to $10,000 PER CALL. Earlier this year Trump’s FCC fined one robocall guy $120 million. Common sense. 😉

 

Another accomplishment I need to add:

•The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act signed into law by Trump doubled the maximum amount of the child tax credit available to parents and lifted the income limits so more people could claim it

•It also created a new tax credit for other dependents

Another couple of accomplishments to add to the list:

•In 2018, President Trump signed into law a $2.4 billion funding increase for the Child Care and Development Fund, providing a total of $8.1 billion to States to fund child care for low-income families

•The Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC) signed into law by Trump provides a tax credit equal to 20-35% of child care expenses, $3,000 per child & $6,000 per family + Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) allow you to set aside up to $5,000 in pre-tax $ to use for child care

•In 2019 President Donald Trump signed the Autism Collaboration, Accountability, Research, Education and Support Act (CARES) into law which allocates $1.8 billion in funding over the next five years to help people with autism spectrum disorder and to help their families.

 

 

 

Meanwhile, Joe Biden allowed kids at the pool to play with his hairy legs. 

 

The choice is pretty clear... even Stevie Wonder can see it.

 

[Crazy Cat 41,675]

2 hours ago, Nature Boy 2.0 said:

Unfortunately, there are voters who cast their ballot based on emotion and the candidate's personality instead of principle, platform, and record.  I fall in the latter category.

[Crazy Cat 41,675]

Pelosi says there should be no Presidential debates this year.  She does not want Biden to debate Trump...."“I wouldn’t legitimize a conversation with him nor a debate in terms of the presidency of the United States,”"

 

That is the biggest indicator of no confidence in a candidate I have ever witnessed.......she knows Biden is not capable.  It also shows her disrespect for the highest political office in our country.......and her disrespect for the citizens....

Edited August 27, 2020 by Lucky Cat

[Oliversmom 250]

After giving it much thought I have decided not to vote in this election.  I cannot in good conscience vote for either of them.  I possibly could have considered Trump (believe or not lol) except for the fact that he is going to eliminate the payroll tax.  I can't stand the man at all and he is a horrible human being but he was good for the economy.   But from what I understand (and I am no expert) it will damage social security if he eliminates the payroll tax.  I am getting to the years where I need my social security.  So I simply cannot cast a vote this year.  

[TBoneTX 45,088]

41 minutes ago, Lucky Cat said:

Biden to debate Trump

Biden apparently just said that he'll debate, but only with fact-checking of the President during it.  Dream on.

[Burnt Reynolds 5,058]

32 minutes ago, Oliversmom said:

After giving it much thought I have decided not to vote in this election.  I cannot in good conscience vote for either of them.  I possibly could have considered Trump (believe or not lol) except for the fact that he is going to eliminate the payroll tax.  I can't stand the man at all and he is a horrible human being but he was good for the economy.   But from what I understand (and I am no expert) it will damage social security if he eliminates the payroll tax.  I am getting to the years where I need my social security.  So I simply cannot cast a vote this year.  

Why are third party and write in candidates out of the question? Remember that also the election isn't just for Presidents but members of Congress, state government, and state/local initiatives or amendments. 

[Oliversmom 250]

2 minutes ago, Burnt Reynolds said:

Why are third party and write in candidates out of the question? Remember that also the election isn't just for Presidents but members of Congress, state government, and state/local initiatives or amendments. 

.    You have a good point about the election not just being for the president.  I have to check and see what local amendments we might have.  I remember I was passionate about voting in the election to do away with greyhound racing in Florida.  I need to see what they have this year.  I have just been so frustrated with the lack of a good candidate for president this year.  Like I said Trump has been good for the economy and may well continue to do so.  But there is the issue of the payroll tax.  That scares me.  And there is healthcare.  I keep hearing he wants to repeal Obamacare but he doesn't show a viable option.  Now Obamacare is NOT good - at least not for me.  I pay a high premium and have an astronomical deductible .  But I am on a lot of prescription meds and it does cover most of the cost of those for me.  Without Obamacare I would be lost.  I am an independent contractor so insurance through work is out of the question.  So in those respects Trump scares me.  Biden scares me.   Third party candidates are a waste of a vote in my opinion.  It is a very frustrating election.  

[laylalex 7,284]

1 hour ago, TBoneTX said:

Biden apparently just said that he'll debate, but only with fact-checking of the President during it.  Dream on.

No, Biden said HE would do the fact checking himself "from the floor" during the debate.

https://apnews.com/09597971cf04f48516eea5a96b963e5d

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

10 minutes ago, laylalex said:

No, Biden said HE would do the fact checking himself "from the floor" during the debate.

https://apnews.com/09597971cf04f48516eea5a96b963e5d

Biden can't remember who his wife is, but HE'S going to fact check Trump?

 

                      

[Burnt Reynolds 5,058]

1 hour ago, Oliversmom said:

.    You have a good point about the election not just being for the president.  I have to check and see what local amendments we might have.  I remember I was passionate about voting in the election to do away with greyhound racing in Florida.  I need to see what they have this year.  I have just been so frustrated with the lack of a good candidate for president this year.  Like I said Trump has been good for the economy and may well continue to do so.  But there is the issue of the payroll tax.  That scares me.  And there is healthcare.  I keep hearing he wants to repeal Obamacare but he doesn't show a viable option.  Now Obamacare is NOT good - at least not for me.  I pay a high premium and have an astronomical deductible .  But I am on a lot of prescription meds and it does cover most of the cost of those for me.  Without Obamacare I would be lost.  I am an independent contractor so insurance through work is out of the question.  So in those respects Trump scares me.  Biden scares me.   Third party candidates are a waste of a vote in my opinion.  It is a very frustrating election.  

Elections and casting a vote are remarkably individual choices. To understand how they try and socialize (and usurp the individuality of) individual decision making, I'd advise the Century of the Self series (Youtube and other sites have it, generally in 3/4 parts), the political world utilizes the same tactics as the business world. At any rate, the "wasted vote if not voting D/R" concept is one spread by the parties themselves to do just as I described, to abuse our propensity for social influence and the heavy cognitive dissonance it provides, and turn an individual choice into a choice decided by others, in this case, the parties. Another way of looking at it is.. would you let people tell you that you had two choices of a spouse and that picking outside that was a wasted marriage? These are individual choices, don't let others abuse the fact that we're social creatures, it's a strength but in cases like this it's a huge vulnerability others can take advantage of. I'd merely suggest you look at all options and vote who you think is the best, just like we weigh our options of whats on the table with each potential partner and pick who we think is best. This is precisely why I rarely regret my choices, I voted my own conscience.

Edited August 28, 2020 by Burnt Reynolds