The New American Politics thread

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by driveway

Michael Reagan, Ronald Reagan's son, a Conservative commentator and a survivor of sexual abuse himself had some great things to say about the support given to the Duggars from Conservatives.

http://www.cagle.com/2015/05/conserv...ians-miscount/

The comments on that article are frightening, so many people defending such a sick person. And you know it's entirely politically motivated, Raegan is right in that those same people would be walking with pitchforks instead of bibles if it was a liberal celebrity in this same situation

[Red Ice Player]

All of his victims were girls. Within the misogynistic religious right that can easily be excused . Now if he had touched boys, I wonder what would have been the reaction.

[Senator Clay Davis]

This ####ing guy...is making Ted Cruz look like a decent option

The political mind of former Arkansas governor and 2016 Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee must be a very interesting place -- a place that looks and feels a lot like 2004.

BuzzFeed spotted a video of Huckabee’s February address at the 2015 National Religious Broadcasters Convention in Nashville, Tenn. The video was posted online this weekend by World Net Daily. In it, Huckabee shared some thoughts on transgender Americans.

"Now I wish that someone told me that when I was in high school that I could have felt like a woman when it came time to take showers in PE,” said Huckabee. “I’m pretty sure that I would have found my feminine side and said, ‘Coach, I think I'd rather shower with the girls today.’ You’re laughing because it sounds so ridiculous doesn’t it?"

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...=rss_campaigns

But at least there's this for encouragement

[Senator Clay Davis]

The bat####iest race in history just got even bat####ier

The real estate mogul and TV reality star launched his presidential campaign Tuesday, ending more than two decades of persistent flirtation with the idea of running for the Oval Office.

"So, ladies and gentlemen, I am officially running for president of the United States, and we are going to make our country great again," Trump told the crowd.

Just over four years after he came closer than ever to launching a campaign before bowing out, Trump will make what he's billed as a "major announcement" at the lavish Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in New York, laying out a vision to match his incoming campaign slogan, "Make America Great Again."

The 68-story tower venue Trump used Tuesday is more than just the backdrop to Trump's presidential announcement, instead becoming a physical embodiment of what Trump is bringing to the table and the challenges he'll face as he formally enters politics.

Trump has already billed himself as the "most successful person ever to run for the presidency, by far," pointing out even that he owns a "Gucci store that's worth more than Romney."

That Gucci store won't be far as Trump makes his announcement -- it's located in the lobby of the Trump Tower.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/16/politi...130astoryphoto

[Coach]

I wish John Stewart was going to be around to cover this race.

Or better yet, he could run himself and make them all look like fools live and in-person.

[KootenayFlamesFan]

Well, he's entertaining I'll give him that. Basically wants to bully the rest of the world, build a wall between the U.S. and Mexico and get Mexico to pay for it. lol. And he loves guns. And there's apparently a lot of stupid people in the U.S., he mentioned it several times. It's going to make the debates pretty fun to watch.

[Swift]

You remember that California governor race about a decade ago with the Arnie and the porn star, and a whole bunch of other nutters?

This is the presidential equivalent.

[calgarygeologist]

How many candidates are in the Republican race now? It seems like everyone and their dog are running.

[burn_this_city]

So Jeb vs Billary?

[JonDuke]

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

How many candidates are in the Republican race now? It seems like everyone and their dog are running.

It is a very lucrative proposition if you're being courted to run.

[Azure]

Is Trump a social conservative?

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by Azure

Is Trump a social conservative?

He is a blustering old creep who has been married several times , so if Bill O'Reilly and Rush Limbaugh have anything to say about it, The Donald is as conservative as they come. And a birther to boot!

[nik-]

How can America trust a man that tries to pass that off as his hair?

[KootenayFlamesFan]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

How many candidates are in the Republican race now? It seems like everyone and their dog are running.

I think it's like 12 or 13 so far and they're expecting more to come.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by JonDuke

[CaptainCrunch]

I doubt that Trump remains in the race for long, he's the most hated candidate out there and won't get by the main primary.

This is public relations at his finest.

Maybe he's there to be so crazy that he makes the crazies look sane?

[Coach]

Would just like to bump this with an important piece of history:

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

On this day in 1944, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs the G.I. Bill, an unprecedented act of legislation designed to compensate returning members of the armed services–known as G.I.s–for their efforts in World War II.

As the last of its sweeping New Deal reforms, Roosevelt’s administration created the G.I. Bill–officially the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944–hoping to avoid a relapse into the Great Depression after the war ended. FDR particularly wanted to prevent a repeat of the Bonus March of 1932, when 20,000 unemployed veterans and their families flocked in protest to Washington.

By giving veterans money for tuition, living expenses, books, supplies and equipment, the G.I. Bill effectively transformed higher education in America. Before the war, college had been an option for only 10-15 percent of young Americans, and university campuses had become known as a haven for the most privileged classes. By 1947, in contrast, vets made up half of the nation’s college enrollment; three years later, nearly 500,000 Americans graduated from college, compared with 160,000 in 1939.

As educational institutions opened their doors to this diverse new group of students, overcrowded classrooms and residences prompted widespread improvement and expansion of university facilities and teaching staffs.

The G.I. Bill became one of the major forces that drove an economic expansion in America that lasted 30 years after World War II. Only 20 percent of the money set aside for unemployment compensation under the bill was given out, as most veterans found jobs or pursued higher education. Low interest home loans enabled millions of American families to move out of urban centers and buy or build homes outside the city, changing the face of the suburbs. Over 50 years, the impact of the G.I. Bill was enormous, with 20 million veterans and dependents using the education benefits and 14 million home loans guaranteed, for a total federal investment of $67 billion. Among the millions of Americans who have taken advantage of the bill are former Presidents George H.W. Bush and Gerald Ford, former Vice President Al Gore and entertainers Johnny Cash, Ed McMahon, Paul Newman and Clint Eastwood.

I think this could be it's own thread because I believe nations the world over (including Canada) can learn from something like this. It's not an accident that an educated workforce will be more productive and diversified. How American's can hold on like grim death to so many bad parts of their history while forgetting that their greatest leader instituted programs like this that wouldn't even receive consideration throughout most of the US today due to its socialist roots.

[Vulcan]

Just going by what I've been told, Canada had similar benefits for WWll vets. It's a great example of spending money as an investment though and what the US should have done after the 08 financial collapse in investing in infrastructure.

[puffnstuff]

Is it just me or is Hillary a horrible public speaker?