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RICHARD COFER

Lunar Occultation of Jupiter (Egress)

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Posts Made By: James Brown

September 4, 2023 03:46 PM Forum: Politics

Birch Tree

Posted By James Brown
Originally Posted by Russ Carroll
I just wanted to see if I could get more interest in a photo of a Birch tree than one of Richards posts. BTW, you can use birch bark as tinder to start a fire in a pinch - it only takes a good spark to get it to burn.
I've been on vacation - this tree (photo attached) made me think of you all!   After perusing the threads from the last ten days or so, I see that Russ's original premise still holds true!

September 5, 2023 02:20 PM Forum: Politics

Birch Tree

Posted By James Brown
Originally Posted by Jim Moscheck
Hi Jim. Didn't you get in enough fishing while on vacation? 
cool  Great comment!

September 5, 2023 02:22 PM Forum: Politics

Sununu's Crystal Ball

Posted By James Brown
Originally Posted by Rod Kaufman
"New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu (R) said Sunday there’s a “good shot” that neither President Biden nor former President Trump will be on the presidential ballot in 2024."
“I think Trump can very much lose if they winnow it down to one on one,” he added. “I think there’s a lot of issues that are going to come to bear with President Biden over the next year and a lot of opportunity for the Democrats to find another — another candidate. But to the No Labels point, there’s an opportunity there like never before. It would have to be the right candidate. It has to be somebody very energizing, positive.”
https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4185153-sununu-says-theres-a-good-shot-neither-biden-or-trump-will-be-on-the-2024-ballot/
What say ye to Sununu's prediction?...
It will be like manna from heaven if it comes to pass.  J

September 7, 2023 06:16 PM Forum: Politics

Sununu's Crystal Ball

Posted By James Brown
Originally Posted by Russ Carroll


Nikki Haley has a reasonable shot to consolidate the non-crazy faction of GOP voters. I'd re-register in CA as a Republican to vote for her in the GOP primary, but I don't have to. CA lets you choose which primary to vote in, which kinda sucks. How many D's will vote in the GOP primary for Trump here to make sure D's keep the White House?
Lots of them.   CA, CO, and many states have open primaries.   If Trump becomes president again it is their fault.  The polling currently shows a 50/50 tossup with Trump v. Biden by the way, and arguably Biden has more downside risk as his scandals unfold.   Jim

September 7, 2023 06:21 PM Forum: Politics

Sununu's Crystal Ball

Posted By James Brown
Originally Posted by Rod Kaufman

Nikki Haley HAD a shot to consolidate the small but non-crazy faction of GOP voters by refusing to back Trump if he was convicted but she'd support him anyway.
Nikki Haley has no shot to win the GOP nomination since MAGA men won't vote for her and, for that matter, neither will MAGA women...
Is it impossible for you to understand that politicians say stuff they do not believe every day to influence voters?   This is politics!   Biden lies all the time.   Obama lied, Clinton lied massively.   Nikki Haley is saying what she must to grasp at viability in hopelessly polarized  political climate.     I agree that Haley is not going to get the nomination, and I think that is too bad.   But I sure as hell am not going to hold her tepid and tactical endorsement of Trump against her.   No politician even the ones you seem to admire do not lie.   Schiff's lies are Trumpian, at least.

September 7, 2023 07:34 PM Forum: Politics

Sununu's Crystal Ball

Posted By James Brown
Originally Posted by Rod Kaufman

A lot to unpack there. 
Haley could have broken with the pack to show her independence from Trump. Chris Christie is currently polling third in New Hampshire and well ahead of Haley so where did Haley's felty to Trump get her? 
Biden and Schiff do far better than Trump or most Republicans in the fact checks so your boilerplate statements that they lie all the time is bunk.
I'm not sure why you think this is a pinocchio contest and that somehow explains Haley's support for a convicted Trump for president unless you think she's looking for a VP spot with him...  
Haley said she is not interested in the VP, and I believe her.  I am not endorsing her tactics, I understand them.  In most states, Haley is polling above Christie.  We will know if her tactics helped soon enough.

Biden and Schiff lie as much or more than most politicians, Haley included. Schiff lies a lot more and in a more consequential way.  His lies caused an impeachment.  If Smith convicts Trump for defrauding the USA, then Schiff is next in line, because he clearly defrauded the USA.  (I do not think this aspect of Smith's case is valid) But still, Russia!  Collusion!  The walls are closing in!  I have seen the evidence....!   Schiff and Trump are the same lying SoS person for different parties.

Evidence of Biden's scandals are still developing, so we will see about him.  I will wait to see anyway.   The blind partisans have already formed conclusions.

I think it is naïve for you to think that Rs as a breed lie more than Ds.   I get it that you are a partisan.  Partisan Rs thinks Ds lie more than Rs.   You are both wrong.  

September 7, 2023 08:48 PM Forum: Politics

Sununu's Crystal Ball

Posted By James Brown
Originally Posted by Brian McFarland

This seems super unlikely to me.  No Ds will vote for Trump, and a lot of Rs won't either (you, Russ, and a lot of people I know and work with are good examples).  
It seems super unlikely to me too, but it is what it is.  See below.   At this stage a lot of non-voters probably get polled.   On the other hand, I sure thought Clinton was going to beat Trump based upon the polls, and we know how that turned out.

The betting markets favor Biden, which I agree with.   Still, isn't it shocking to you and me both how close it is?  We are white college educated professionals though.   I think a big chunk of middle America has been motivated by real or perceived D overreach with the prosecutions.   A lot of middle American people find it implausible that Biden was not at least peripherally involved with his son's obvious graft.    If the choice is between two crooks, why not vote for your crook?

I had an amazing conversation with a Cabbie last week.  He loves Trump and thinks that Trump is all that stands between the US and totalitarian/authoritarian control from the left.   He is a soul mate of Richard's of course, and he was totally sincere and passionate.  Jim

September 7, 2023 09:02 PM Forum: Politics

Sununu's Crystal Ball

Posted By James Brown
Originally Posted by James Lacey


I honestly find it impossible to believe that Trump could win a general election. The coalition that barely put him into office in 2016 just doesn't exist anymore. Sure he has his base, but not much else. Independents despise Trump by a super-majority and also think he was responsible for Jan. 6 and should face accountability for it. Suburban and educated voters also dislike him by a super-majority. Then there are the voters activated by the Roe v. Wade decision. Don't forget, before all his scandals, Trump lost to Biden by a lot in the popular and electoral college votes and that was before all of his scandals and indictments. Not to mention what seems now for certain his looming conviction in the Mar-a-Lago classified documents debacle.

Regarding Biden's scandals, if you mean the fake scandals the GOP keeps pushing, they won't amount to much. If instead you mean Hunter's problems, I doubt they will matter much. If Hunter is indicted and convicted, put him in jail. But I seriously doubt it will touch Joe. The economy is looking good and improving despite inflation and interest rates, and it looks like we will dodge a recession.
I agree in general.   I think Joe Biden knew his son was cashing in on the family name.   I believe the IRS agents, and believe the DOJ protected Joe vicariously by protecting Hunter to the extent possible.   More will come out, but maybe not a lot more, since Hunter will probably be indicted, and settle for the minimum possible jail term.  

In any case, Joe clearly, in my opinion, lied about his knowledge of Hunter's "business dealings."   It is not a good look for the president.  Merely having a drug-addicted, alcoholic, scum bag of a son who admits to having made tens of millions from foreign concerns while his dad was VP is not a good look.   I do not expect Joe Biden to be prosecuted!  But why would the Ds run the one person on earth who might conceivably lose to Trump?   The rational thing to do is quietly ask Joe to cite his age, step aside, and run Newsome or someone else.   Jim

September 7, 2023 10:23 PM Forum: Politics

Sununu's Crystal Ball

Posted By James Brown
Originally Posted by Rod Kaufman

No one in Obama's administration and no one in Biden's administration has been indicted, let alone convicted. So please spare us the ethics discussion and finger pointing of falsehoods, all of which have been outnumbered and out-lied by Trump, the leader of the GOP.... 
Save your happy dance for the conviction(s) and appeals.   Jack Smith has overreached before.  If the DOJ fails, Trump will quite possibly be president and the Ds will be to blame.   

If you were honest yourself, you would acknowledge that I have been very careful to not compare the magnitude or pervasiveness of Trump's lies to anyone other than the consummate liar Adam Schiff.  Not Biden, not Obama.   

You started out by accusing Haley of a disqualifying falsehood.   I do think Obama's signature lie and Biden's lies about his awareness of Hunter's malfeasance dwarf any lie Nikki Haley has made. 

p.s.  My bad, you did not accuse Haley of a lie.   I am saying that she made a politically expedient and tactical (if dishonest) lie in support of Trump that is totally political and of much less importance than Biden or Obama's lies.   I am not comparing Obama or Biden to Trump.

September 8, 2023 01:19 PM Forum: Politics

Sununu's Crystal Ball

Posted By James Brown
Originally Posted by Rod Kaufman

Let's get the Schiff thing over and done with:

https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/list/?target=adam-schiff


https://www.politifact.com/personalities/adam-schiff/

So where you get the consummate liar stuff about him is equivocal at best. 

On Haley:

https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/list/?speaker=nikki-haley
Yes, let's.  Schiff spent the better part of three years holding regular, sometimes daily, briefings lying to convince the US population that Trump directly colluded with Russia to steal the 2016 election.   He did this knowing the premise was absolutely false.   The Russian Collusion lie and Trump's stolen 2020 election lie are the two great political lies of our time.  Jim

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