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Are you ready, America?
Tomorrow, voters officially go to the polls and after that, everything in the world’s largest and most important democracy changes. It wasn’t that long ago (thought it FELT like ages) since Trump’s come-from-behind upset victory over Hillary Clinton in 2016 turned the entire world upside down and sparked our national addiction to Twitter and Xanax.
The similarities between that election and this one are striking. Like then, every credible poll is predicting not only a Democratic victory, but a landslide. Like then, an established Washington insider with decades of experience is running against a blow-up-the-establishment bomb-throwing outsider who revels in not even caring about political norms. Like then, the general consensus was that while the Republican nominee had a surprisingly loyal base of supporters, there was no way he was going to prevail.
The general consensus was, of course, dead wrong.
So that brings us to tonight’s question. Will the consensus be dead wrong again?
Now, just to be clear, I am not a political analyst, and this is not a political blog. This is a finance blog, and from a FIRE perspective, there are things to like about both possible outcomes. A Trump victory would be a continuation of his “stock market first” style of leadership, which will make all our investment portfolios very happy. And a Biden victory would mean the preservation, and likely expansion, of Obamacare, extending coverage to an estimated 25 million people, and fortifying a health insurance system that provides affordable health insurance for people even if they don’t have jobs, which as we wrote in our book is an important pre-requisite for anyone planning on retiring early.
The outcome of this election that would be very bad for not just the FIRE community but literally every American, would be a contested election in which the results are close, accusations of vote stealing and vote suppression are lobbed by both sides, and culminating in a civil war where jack-booted government troops clash with protesters in the streets.
Last time, the loser of the popular vote won the election, and in a magnanimous gesture, the outgoing leader respected the traditions of democracy and peacefully handed over power. This time? The current leader is openly saying he won’t respect the outcome of an election that he doesn’t clearly win.
America is sitting on a powder keg. And because America is the current super-power, the world is, by extenstion, sitting on that same powder keg. That being said, the polls are predicting it will be a decisive victory. So do we believe them? Or do we think there’s going to be another massive upset coming?
Well, as FIRECracker will confirm, I have, along with many of you, been glued to the political chatter coming out of the USA these past few months, and while I’m not by any means an authority on American politics, I have observed a few things.
And here they are.
Poll Quality Has Improved Dramatically
Every time I cite polls to people, the first reaction they have is “The polls were wrong in 2016! So you can shove those polls where the sun don’t shine!” And they aren’t wrong. Polls did heavily predict a Hillary win in 2016. But here’s where the story wrinkles little bit.
Polls in 2016 were actually fairly accurate.
National polls, specifically, predicted a 3% Hillary Clinton advantage in the popular vote. After all votes were counted, Hillary Clinton won the popular vote by 2%. That’s pretty damned good.
The problem was that state-by-state polling wasn’t done nearly as accurately back then. And that turned out to be a fatal mistake.
Because the USA doesn’t award the presidency based on popular vote, but rather the strange and confusing system known as the Electoral College, it’s possible for the president to be decided not by who won the most votes, but by who won the majority in certain states. That’s what happened in 2016. Trump didn’t win the popular vote, but he won the majority in the right states so he got declared the winner.
Pollsters got sufficiently chastened by that experience, and they aren’t making the same mistake twice. Besides publishing the typical national polls that show Biden way ahead, they are deep-diving into each individual swing state. They have changed their methodologies to better capture Trump voters. They are polling far more people. And they have become much more hesitant to publish polls that haven’t been double- and triple-checked.
As a result, the quality of state-level polls has increased dramatically.
And how do we know? Because the state-level polls that were published during the 2018 midterm election correctly predicted the “blue wave” tsunami that ended up retaking the House of Representatives for the Democrats. The pollsters have fixed the problems that embarassed them four years ago. So I have a much higher degree of confidence in them now.
There Aren’t As Many Silent Trump Voters
The Shy Trump Voter. The Embarassed Trump Voters. The Silent Majority. These words have been bandied about by both parties and the media over recent days. But what do they mean?
For pollsters, they are the boogeyman that screwed them over last time and made them look like idiots. The ones that lied over the phone and caused them to falsely claim that the election was Hillary’s for the taking, an election in the bag. The ones who, when asked, would you vote for Trump or Clinton, demurred and said “ehhh, I’m not sure” when they clearly intended to vote for Trump.
Here’s the thing. Those people weren’t invisible. They got counted. Just not in the way you thought they were.
In November 2016, two weeks before the election, 40% of people intended to vote for Trump, 46% of people intended to vote for Clinton, and 14% were “undecided.”
Undecided, by the way, means when the pollster asked point-blank who the person was going to vote for, they said “not sure.” And pollsters took a look at that undecided column and figured, “half will vote for Clinton and the other half will vote for Trump.” That’s how they figured the election would go for Clinton.
Turns out, they were wrong. Those 14% of “undecideds” turned out to be mostly secret Trump supporters, as evidenced by that group breaking heavily in Trump’s favour, resulting in his upset victory.
Today, the numbers are very different. Nationally, 53% of people support Biden, and 44% support Trump. The undecideds only constitute 2%. Even if all of them broke for Trump once again, that’s not enough make much of a difference. The silent majority simply doesn’t exist.
Democrats Still have PTSD from 2016
Democrats are still reeling from the results four years ago. Back then, they were confident about their chances. Smug, even. No way America could elect someone like Donald Trump. Remember the “Bernie or bust” people?
Today, all that optimism is gone. Democrats, the media, even the candidate himself is projecting “Yes, we’re ahead. But don’t let your foot off the gas for a second.”
Here’s a story that illustrates this.
Early on in the Democratic primary, one of the organizers got on stage to test the mike before the actual politicans arrived. After the usual “Test, test, 123” stuff, he decided to have some fun with the crowd. He asked “Hey, out there, who’s for Elizabeth Warren?”
A cheer rose up from a corner of the room.
“How about Bernie Sanders?”
A bigger cheer from another corner of the room.
“How about Joe Biden?”
Crickets.
Then laughter.
“OK, OK,” the organizer said. “How about this. If Joe Biden becomes the Democractic nominee, who here is going to vote for him?”
A giant cheer, from every single person in the room, shook the walls.
When Trump crows at his rallies that Biden’s voters aren’t enthusiastic about their candidate, he’s not wrong. They aren’t that enthusiastic about Joe Biden. But what they are enthusiastic about is kicking Trump out of office. And that’s why they’re voting in droves this year.
Trump & The Pandemic
All of this might be pretty reassuring if we were talking in a normal election year.
However, this is not a normal election year.
We have two giant unknowns, two unmodellable factors, influencing this election. And they are of course the current president and the pandemic.
The pandemic, of course, has made it harder to vote because of social distancing issues. Already in early voting, photos of voters stretching out around the block have appeared, and stories of voters waiting for hours to cast their ballot are rampant.
And then there’s President Trump tweeting conspiracy theories about rampant voter fraud, sabotaging the mail system, closing poll locations, and generally trying to make it as difficult to vote as possible.
We don’t know what effect these two factors will have once all the dust settles, though I’m not convinced it will have the effect Trump thinks it will. On mail-in ballots and early voting which are heavily favoured by Democrats, he can yell and scream all he wants about how they’re rigged, but those votes have already been cast and he can’t stop them from being counted. But if he restricts the number of polling places and makes it harder to vote in-person, wouldn’t that just screw his own voters over?
The majority of Republican voters plan to vote on election day, so if you combine all of them showing up at once to way fewer polling stations, you’re going to create massive lines that will dwarf what we’ve already seen in early voting. Remember, these are the people who couldn’t even be bothered to wear a mask during a pandemic. How do you think they’ll react when they learn they have to stand in line 12+ hours to vote?
This is Democracy’s Time to Shine
It’s easy to look back and the past four years of hyper-partisanship and extreme polarization and become cynical about democracy. But remember that the genius of democracy is not that it always produces the right answer to every question. No system of government can do that.
The genius of democracy is that when a leader has worn out their welcome, they can be replaced in an orderly and peaceful way. In other countries, if the people want to get rid of the guy at the top, they have to either assassinate him or start a civil war. Not in a democracy.
In a democracy, if the people want to get rid of the guy at the top, they vote. And when they vote, the leaders of both parties listen, and respect the will of the electorate.
That’s really what this election is about. Regardless of who wins, will the political system work as designed and guarantee a peaceful transition of power?
I am a firm believer in the power of democracy, and for better of worse America is the guiding light for the rest of the world to follow in this regard. America shows the world how to run fair and free elections, how to elect a government, and how to peacefully transition from one leader to the next. We look to you to be our example.
So if America truly is the greatest democracy in the world and a shining beacon of global leadership deserving of its superpower status, then now is the time for America to put their money where their mouth is and prove it.
Godspeed, and Good luck.
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I have been weaning myself off of breaking news over these past few months, and I plan to minimize the news consumption in the next few weeks. I am anticipating a lot of legal wrangling so I don’t expect a final outcome anytime soon. In the meantime, I’ll focus on sending out optimistic thoughts since I agree with your assessment of the “powder keg”. I hope I’m wrong and we get a decisive, peaceful and speedy outcome, but I’m guessing there will be a lot more punditry than conclusive news.
I voted 2 weeks and I hope it wraps up quickly. The more I learn about the voting process in the US, the more disillusion I become. There are a lot of issues here. Voter suppression, gerrymandering, cutting short census counts judicial appointments and other dirty political tricks.
Does Canada have similar issues?
Anyway, I’m trying not to get my hope up too high.
Nah, all those things are US things only. (Canada does take some inspiration from the worse parts of the US occasionally and got talked into requiring ID to vote despite the lack of evidence that voter fraud is actually any sort of real problem). I’d say that on a scale of 1-to-10 they are at 1 or 2 in Canada.
Canada has real problems (ask people who have had run-ins with the police, especially minorities and First Nations). But not the ones that you cite.
It’s time to stop putting so much emphasis on the President’s impact on the economy. Or the myth that Trump is somehow the better candidate for it.
The GOP’s one success was the 2017 Tax Law, which fixed a lot of things like deductibility of huge mortgages and the US’s high corporate tax rate that Obama advocated for lowering as well (as it is the correct policy regardless of your party affiliation)
The rest was largely just continuing the constant economic slope that started after the recovery during Obama. As in, it largely goes on regardless of the President despite the beyond stupid tariff policies and such.
The largest argument you can make about Trumps impact on the economy, trade war aside that the economy largely maneuvered around by changing where things flowed (whether Soybeans to Brazil then to China, or 95% complete components sent from China to Vietnam to skirt those tariffs), is the terrible response to COVID.
That’s where he failed. The worst thing for markets as you alluded to is uncertainty, and I can’t think of a more uncertain President in my 35 years of life. We can pump Fed money until the cows come home and people aren’t going to be spending it on things if they are afraid to go outside because of death.
I hope Trump is resoundingly booted from office, as the GOP needs the largest backhand of them all after letting this circus continue for so long… but let’s also stop putting so much economic success or failure on the President.
The invisible hand of the economy is more often than not going to hum along regardless of who is President. It’s time to stop giving one party or the other much points. Particularly when it takes a long time for any policy change to actually have a notable impact (like some of the regulatory reform that has taken place)
Sure, if the Democrats raise taxes that will have an impact on growth… but it waxes and wanes. Hopefully whoever is in power can actually fix the budget so that future generations don’t have to pay the bill for our out of control spending.
FIRE seems the most precarious if we have to change the tax laws to pay for spending run amok.
US elections are so important for the world that everyone in every country should be able to vote on US election. If they didn’t want that, well then they should stop meddling on every other countries business, right?
Great article! This election is not just about the economy or COVID, but something much more fundamental: the continuing functioning of democracy. For those worried about the economy in a Biden White House, remember that…
-The stock market has historically performed better under a Democratic WH
-Since 1950, 11 out of 13 years with a tax hike ended with positive growth in stock market
This sounds just about right. As an election judge I did take issue with one of your comments: DJT cannot “restrict the number of polling places and make it harder to vote in-person”. That sort of thing is handled strictly at the local level.
Which is why here in Maryland I could cast my ballot at a secure dropbox, guarded by a couple police officers in their squad car, on Sunday September 27 at 10pm less than a mile from my house… but if I lived in Mississippi I don’t get to vote unless I show up on Election Day to a polling place that may or may not be where it was earlier this year.
https://www.mississippifreepress.org/6577/mississippi-officials-moved-three-times-more-polling-places-than-reported-for-65000-voters/
Or why in Texas online voting registration isn’t permitted and they’ve closed more than 700 polling places since a 2013 Supreme Court decision (Shelby County v. Holder) neutered the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
That’s part of why Democrats are trying so hard in Texas even though it’s unlikely to break for Biden: now that McConnell’s judicial gambits have paid off for Republicans, changes at the local level are the most likely way to raise the voices of whose more likely to effect the (D) platform.
Personally I’m still waiting for my taco truck on every corner. I’ve just got Ethiopian and Salvadorean on my block right now — tacos auténticos are like two miles down the road. 🙁
Well.
Congratulations to Don the Con for winning the Presidential 2020 election!
What an amazing comeback!
I guess being a misogynist, racist, xenophobe, narcissist, bigot, ineffective leader, and, in general, a terrible human being does pay off!
#Jinx
You’re a fucking idiot! No facts just emotions. Go back downstairs into your moms basement key board warrior. And play video games you miserable dysfunctional piece of human trash.
Who are you talking to Geno?
Here is my prediction. Trump loses. He then, with the whole Trump clan, run into the White House panic room and bolt it shut. Secret Service welds the entry to the panic room shut from the outside. 500 years in the future while renovations are being done, the panic room is rediscovered along with the mummified remains of the Trump clan. The remains are swept out and put in the trash. Renovations get completed. Life goes on.
one can hope 🙂
This seems like the most reasonable prediction I’ve seen yet, thanks Dave! It shouldn’t make sense, but it does. I like it.
From your mouth to God’s ears…And I’m an atheist.
Very well reasoned article, thank you. May you be right and the deranged SOB in the White House is sent packing once and for all, preferably straight to jail. But I’m one of those still traumatized by 2016, both by the erroneous polls and the fact that 40% of the country were (are!!!!!!!! still!!!!!!) capable of pulling the lever for him. I lost a lot of my belief in my fellow Americans then. and now there’s so much division and fear and anger, I’m afraid there are shy voters on both sides who are skewing the polls. I really really hope I’m wrong and we can, as a country, find our way back from the hell of the past 4 years.
The more the MSM attacks Trump, the more I am confident he is the right guy.
I don’t understand why are so many Canadians obsessed with Trump while letting Trudeau get away with WE, SNC and Aga Khan scandals that not only direct affect their pocket books but also permanently tarnish the image of the country and its institutions?
What about the enormous deficits that this government is creating? Generations of Canadians will be paying it back.
These are of course in addition to the Blackface, Indian dancing and other blatant displays of stupidity and disrespect.
Instead of ranting and scolding the neighbours, Canadians need to open their eyes and look at what’s happening in their front yard.
What is MSM?
MSM = main stream media. This includes many news organizations such as CNN, NBC, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, USA Today, Washington Post and so on. Many Trump supporters believe MSM companies all lean democratic or left so their reporting is biased against conservative or republican viewpoints and therefore cannot be trusted to present unbiased facts that Americans can use to form opinions.
Wow first time I heard of the concept! And some of the organisation you cited have the highest journalistics standards in the world.
But I would definitively want to know of a conservative media with high journalistics standards to broaden my horizon. What would you consider to be the conservative equivalent of the Washington post or the New yorker? In Canada we have the Financial Post that is an interesting conservatice publication with good journalist. What is the equivalent in the US?
Good question! Finding a news source that doesn’t rely on advertising or reader income feels as hard as finding a financially independent financial advisor. Most need to make money to stay in business so it’s important to be aware it’s possible they show favoritism to their income sources in their content. The Republicans in my life love Fox News, Rush Limbaugh’s radio show and various religious publications. Personally I consider myself independent so I hope a “real” Republican will answer you.
I take an issue with “Remember, these are the people who couldn’t even be bothered to wear a mask during a pandemic. How do you think they’ll react when they learn they have to stand in line 12+ hours to vote?”
This is incorrect for Massachusettes, mostly everyone voted already and Lexington Ma has systems in place for people voting on Nov 3rd. I’m not a Republican and I’m voting on the third. Also, it’s mandatory to wear a mask when going into stores, food shopping and etc.
“I am a firm believer in the power of democracy, and for better of worse America is the guiding light for the rest of the world to follow in this regard. America shows the world how to run fair and free elections…”
I don’t think this has been true for some time now (if ever). There are many, much better run democracies around the World currently.
Also, on a side note, from what I’ve seen on Twitter there are a large number of Trump supporters who think America isn’t a democracy.
This post sounds like you are biased against President Trump. “Things to like about both possible outcomes” Yeah right! “America is sitting on a powder keg” What would that be? Are you talking about more looting and ‘peaceful’ protests because Antifa is not getting their way? “Strange and confusing system of Electoral college” Really? You want to do away with it and just go with a popular vote that gives California and New York the decision? I know, Wyoming shouldn’t even be a state when it comes to elections.
I find your blog post very consistent with what is being spewed out by the MSM. You fall in line very well. Fortunately Americans can think for themselves.
There is a SWAMP. MSM doesn’t address it. Trump is an indictment to the ruling class. Trump rose because the ruling class failed. The American people elected him as an insult to the political elite. If Obama had been effective and done a good job for the American worker Trump would still be doing reality TV.
Trump has flipped the parties on their head. It use to be that the democrats were pulling for the little guy. Now Biden has all the support of the Tech billionaires and the ruling class. The percentage of black voters for Trump has increased.
Trump will win despite the lies from the MSM. The enthusiasm is strong for this JERK.
Agreed. Sad to say I have seen it too. Speaking up from the silent majority. Socialism/Communism doesn’t end well for the people- only for the rulers- it has been demonstrated over the centuries.
I live in a hotly contested swing state. I don’t think polling has gotten better because fewer and fewer people answer calls from unknown numbers. A better polling method here has been yard signs, which were overwhelmingly for Trump in 2016 and Obama in the prior two elections. A month ago it was 90 percent Trump again, but this week is down to 60 percent Trump as more Biden signs popped up. It will come down to who can get more voters to the polls and who can convince those who haven’t publicly declared their preference. Either way I am sick of the constant ads and hope it is over soon.
If President Trump wins election it is important for all to accept the results. These four years of the “resistance movement” have been very damaging to our country. If Biden wins the same goes.
For those who don’t understand the Electoral College, check your civics. It was a negotiated device when the constitution was written. It is to balance the concern that the small states could always be steamrolled by the big states. The result is that candidates need to take an interest in the views of those from large and small states.
Seems you move away from FI information and discussions, and moved into politics. I would guess that you may have the same number of followers, but that you have chased away those who do not agree with your political views.
Obamacare can stick it right where the sun don’t shine! They wanted to charge me $800 a month they’re insane. If the Democrats get in you can kiss this country goodbye. Trump will likely be elected though, ensuring 4 more years of economic growth and Promises Kept. If you’re not in the stock market now now is the best time in the history of the US to jump in. I can’t wait to see what the markets do tomorrow and the following day.
I secretly voted for Trump even though I’m a democrat and voted for Obama twice. I live in Los Angeles and work in the entertainment business and would lose work and many colleagues would blacklist me if they new that I voted for Trump. I would not get hired if I openly supported Trump.
Honest to God ! Stop giving America too much importance cos democracy did not start in that country. It’s time for that country to reap what was sowed cos that land was build on the genocide of the natives & black people. The blood of the innocents is screaming justice & judgment & their blood will not be silent. I would love to see a Trump victory cos the past 4 years have been so blissfuly entertaining. A Biden victory will imply that America will start meddling & giving lessons to the world again…& personally I am so sick of it. We the ROW & citizens of true democracies want to enjoy this charade & foolery much longer with our popcorn. Keep up the good foolishness ‘Merica
I have just one issue with the article. The polls 4 years ago weren’t wrong. The media amplified the bits they wanted to, and mis-interpreted other bits, so everyone thought the polls said that Hillary was a shoe-in. But if you looked at the polls themselves, they showed the whole thing too close to call. And at the end, that was pretty accurate, as Hillary won the popular vote, but lost key states and the election.
This election is simply the most important one in modern US history. I have done everything in my power, using my time, talents and treasure to help us move on from the stain of this presidency. I voted by mail but would have crawled across broken glass wearing adult diapers to wait for twenty hours in any weather in order to vote. Everyone I know was equally committed.
This was our time to fight for the good, for decency and for the possibility of real equality for each and every citizen. May it be so.
Of particular interest to the FIRE community should be the effective commitment of the Trump administration to bring home Americans held hostage. A couple weeks ago two more Americans hostages were released from Yemen. Earlier reports said the Trump administration has brought home 50 American hostages held in 22 countries. There seems to have been a backlog from the prior administration. Something for world travelers to think about when they vote today.
I’m sure those 22 countries are the top 22 countries that people want to visit. Lol. Get real. Don’t visit countries that have these type of issues. A little use of one’s brain goes a long way.
Avoidance may work for those of us traveling at our discretion; some people travel for work, are students, or dual citizens. Syria and Iran are obvious to avoid and I have no interest in going to Turkey and Venezuela or back to India again. Not sure the rest of the list of 22 countries, but that is what the State Dept. travel warnings are for.
Knowing and following the law can be a challenge and many countries take violations very seriously. Do you really want to spend 7 months in an Indian jail because you didn’t declare $40 while passing through India to Nepal like one American President Trump rescued?
Which American president has brought home more American hostages than President Trump? Isn’t it bipartisan to celebrate the effectiveness of an administration committed to leaving no American behind?
Your post implies that democrats does not care about hostages? I don’t know for sure in the states, but in Canada I trust that every party in power will rescue hostages. Securing hostage seem to be a bipartisan issue from my point of view.
I’d guess the prior administration tried as hard as they could. President Trump was effective, the prior administration was less effective in bringing Americans home. From what I read no president has brought home as many American hostages as President Trump.
Great article! Good point all.
It is obvious the republicans believe that they can only win by cheating, which is why we see so much gerrymandering and attempts to hinder people from casting their vote. It will be interesting to see if it works. And if the people would let Trump get away with a stolen election.
I pray that all Republicans win today.
Just wanted to point this out because it seems to have been lost in the discussion: The USA is not the largest democracy in the world. That distinction belongs to India.
Thank you Bryce for the post. My husband and I voted on Oct 5 via mail-in ballots, as we have done for many years. We had a lot of local, state and federal issues to vote on (SF, CA). We were able to track our ballets online: when it was received and, later, counted. I don’t know why many people have to show up to vote, maybe mail-in ballots are not available in every state. Regarding the presidential candidate, it is a complicated matter. Every politician is crooked in some way, in my opinion. It costs a lot of money to run for office, so eventually the politicians had to change their agendas to fit those of their sponsors. I wish Democrats and Republicans would collaborate more instead of clashing each other on such issues as immigration, international trade, health care, climate change and carbon reduction, diplomacy, etc. Anyhow, voting is a privilege, and I hope all Americans exercise theirs.
Tonight (election night) is the only time you see the MSM calling it the way it is. It is hard to spin real time factual news. You actually have to report on the facts for a change. If you have been watching the MSM spin the news for the LEFT like the author of this blog post it’s time you got your head out of the MSM sand.
I had a big reality check when T became president: I couldn’t fathom that an informed, democratic society could ever choose to elect such a man. Yet, there he was. Everything about him has been said over and over for 4 years, reinforcing my amazement.
Internationally, the US has lost all respect to me. May it burn at the stakes (figuratively of course, we need to lower CO2 in the air), for withdrawing from the Paris agreement. This country should be ashamed. Very, very ashamed.
But, the fact that people chose T to be their leader, also means I’ve missed something. That a lot of people see something I don’t. What helped me to understand better, was to explain it using evolutionary mechanisms: Tribalism is real. People will generally choose survival over morality. Humans didn’t get to be on the top of the foodchain by playing nice. And yes, he’s done some good things as well, albeit for all the wrong reasons.
My expectation is that China will take advantage, and swiftly take over as the new economic superpower. How that influnces our FIRE plans, is anyone’s guess. I’ll keep a diversified portfolio anyway.
Roelf,
Perhaps what you missed was that President Trump was the better choice than Hillary Clinton for a nation with Clinton exhaustion after decades of drama. In addition her deteriorating health was swept under the rug, not candidly discussed to ease public fears.
You may have missed that President Trump just ran against a candidate of very limited accomplishment, after almost 47 years! In addition Joe Biden is past his ‘sell by’ date and has lost more than a few steps mentally. In addition his son made millions of dollars in foreign countries only because, as he said, his name was Biden. Again there was no candid discussion, just more lumps under the rug.
Clinton and Biden are the weakest candidates for president the democrats have put forward since Michael Dukakis in 1988 or the former Vice-President Walter ‘I will raise your taxes’ Mondale in 1984.
On the other hand, 90% of the media coverage of President Trump is negative, according to researchers. It is incredible that Trump is so popular when his coverage is so biased. Can you imagine how popular the President would be if the media was 25% positive or even, hold your hat, 50/50?
Fortunately Americans see what is happening before their eyes:
-My husband and I have $2,000 more a year of income because the standard deduction doubled and our tax rate dropped.
-The Corona Virus Task Force sent our governor a list of commercial laboratories capable of high capacity testing and Congress send the tens of millions of dollars enabling our governor to contract for $57 millions of state testing. (Our Democrat governor couldn’t figure this one out herself.)
-Finally our nation has a leader taking on the horrible crimes of the sex trade prosecuting hundreds of sex offenders and rescuing thousands of children. Look up Operation Broken Heart.
Perhaps that helps you understand why millions of Americans voted for President Trump.
Boo307,
Thank you for your elaborate response. It’s a very interesting read, and it indeed helps to understand better. I will let it sink in.
Kind regards, Roelf
Roelf, when China owns everything in the world and still the biggest polluter is that when you will wake up? You don’t see how the Chinese are printing their counter-fit money to no end and then exchanging it for USD to purchase anything in the world. If you are aware of this then you have no idea what is really going on. CCP is the enemy of the world and I don’t think the USA should be in any foreign agreements that doesn’t hold India and China liable for anything, all at your expense. Notice how your standard of living is going down?
I thought about your words. And I couldn’t formulate how I think about the man better than this : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvcwMcGWf-w
If you still think he’s that great, you should seriously see a doctor. Skip that, They can take you straight to the funny farm for all I care.
Roelf,
The fact is that we seem to view the world differently, therefore view the wise course of action differently. Best case might be to try and understand how it is that we see the same facts and come to opposite conclusions. I don’t understand, but I accept that you see things differently.
I appreciate your willingness to engage in conversation and I appreciate that we live in a country that protects our right to speak.
Let’s keep it civil and realize we are each in the camp of half the voters.
True words. After reading your comment and listening to Biden’s speech I now think I reacted too harshly. Sorry for that. How we can view the same facts and come to opposite conclusions is beyond my understanding, although not for a lack of trying.
Roelf,
I’ve also been confused that a fact can lead to two different conclusions. One reason is that, sometimes, when people have very different perspectives, their conclusions diverge.
For example, on this thread I pointed out that “the Trump administration has brought home 50 American hostages held in 22 countries. There seems to have been a backlog from the prior administration.” Dave replied “Don’t visit countries that have these type of issues. A little use of one’s brain goes a long way.”
These are two separate thoughts. Dave didn’t respond to the fact that Trump put a high priority on bringing home Americans held in foreign countries. He implied that you shouldn’t be stupid and get caught in the first place. I agree.
As a a mother and grandmother I can say that it is always Plan A to teach kids and grandkids to think things through carefully. Plan B is for someone powerful to step in and extract those who don’t think ahead and are subjected to far too severe consequences.
Dave didn’t seem to put much importance on that Trump accomplishment. I think I can say Dave will never have a mother’s perspective!
FACT:
Trump has brought the largest number of American hostages home, more than any other President in the history of the United States.
https://americaoutloud.com/trump-administratio-responsible-for-the-largest-rescue-of-american-hostages-in-history/
FACT:
Peter Bergen, a vice president at New America and CNN national security analyst told CNN, “the way that the government deals with the hostage families is markedly better than it was at the midpoint of the Obama administration,”
https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/01/politics/hostage-families-transition/index.html
Trump 2020 because I don’t need America to turn into a socialist shit hole like Europe or fat blue haired feminist pigs, college professors or social justice warrior tell me how to live my life. Trump shook up the establishment and exposed the corruption from the FBI to the MSM!
He fought for the forgotten workers.
The Democrats are the ones ruining this country via riots!!!!!
Wander your bias is pathetic. Stick to personal finance. Nobody gives a shit about your tree hugging liberal views!
Strange. You read it. You didn’t have to.
I love how diverse, open-minded, and multicultural this blog’s readership is. We even have close-minded, pig-headed idiots sharing their constructive feedback. Let’s all share a hug.
No bitterness here. 🤣 None at all. 🙄
Now you know how to get comments. Politics is the religion of many Americans. The political system is questionable. I don’t participate. I’m living in America but am a citizen of another country. God’s kingdom. It will stand forever.