Posts Made By: James Brown

Originally Posted by James Lacey

Absolutely. Kavanaugh, Gorsuch, and ABC did not lie in the strictest sense of the word. They did what all supreme court nominees have done: duck, dodge, and avoid answering any specific question about how they would rule on Roe v. Wade. However, it doesn't change that many feel duped and will lose confidence in and respect for the court. I've read a good bit of the Alito leaked opinion and many different editorials, both positive and negative. Honestly, it seems like they are reasoning for the desired outcome. Alito's abortion history lesson, in the opinion, for example, appears to be in great dispute. Not to mention, I think it's ridiculous to be deciding questions about the regulation of abortion in 2022 based on what happened hundreds and hundreds of years ago.

Edit: By the way, I get it that historical precedent is vital in constitutional decision-making. My point is, what other healthcare issues do we regulate based on historical precedent? Maybe end-of-life care, but I can't think of much else. Would you not want to relegate your cardiovascular health if you had a rare genetic heart disorder to historical precedent? But I get it. There are ethical and moral viewpoints in play here as well when it comes to regulating abortion.

Hi James:

I was sort of surprised, based upon the testimony relayed in Rod's FactCheck, that the Senators didn't ask any specific questions.  I did not read the entire transcripts of course.  In the parts I read however, the Senators tended to make speeches, and never got down to asking anything specific, and certainly never followed up.  It is all theater anyway, and has been for a long time.  At least since Bork.  

If a specific question were to be asked it would go like this:

Senator: When Roe v. Wade comes before the Court will you vote to overturn this precedent?

Nominee:  I can't say without hearing the case, and I certainly will keep an open mind.

I think two things are true - The justice is hiding the ball, many of them have strong feelings on contentious and well known cases, but the nomination process is structured as theater, and they are playing their part.  That said, many justices' views evolve over time, so I believe them when they say that they keep an open mind.  

More importantly, the Senator knows that who nominated the justice, whether it was Trump or Biden for KBJ.  With respect to Brown-Jackson, no one who is not actively and dishonestly trying to reconstruct history could legitimately feign surprise when she votes in the future in favor of limits on gun ownership (for example).  We should know where she probably stands on gun issues because Biden nominated her.  We can legitimately be surprised if she votes in favor of gun rights - that sort of shocker happens from time to time.    That said, I am 100% confident that KBJ evaded any gun/2nd Amendment questions during her testimony.  But we still have our expectations because of who nominated her.  

All of that is to say I understand that a lot of people are distressed/angry/furious by the prospect of Roe being overturned.  Shame on them however, if they actually feel duped.  They were not paying attention.  I assume that you yourself do not feel duped?  Jim 

Originally Posted by James Lacey

Right. I do not feel duped at all. Elections have consequences, and the current makeup of the supreme court is one of those consequences. The GOP, especially McConnell, is more shameless in wielding raw political power to get what he wants IMHO, but otherwise, not duped.

More shameless than who?  Or is it whom?  Anyway, I agree that McConnell wields raw political power well, but it is not like he is without equal.  For instance, I think the entirely of the Kavanaugh hearing was at least as scurrilous as McConnell stonewalling Garland's nomination.  

Originally Posted by James Lacey

And of course, I think at least some of the Kavanaugh hearing dumpster fire was self-inflicted. Regardless, we can never accurately ascertain the shamelessness of either side since neither side can agree on what is shameless or good faith.

We could probably agree that politicians tend to be shameless!  I wonder how much of that is inherent in the psyche of those drawn to politics, and how much is a reaction to the demands of vocal constituents.  J

Originally Posted by Richard Davis

What was self-inflicted?  What did he do to deserve a well-coordinated smear campaign by the leftist Democrats in the Senate trotted out against him, regarding his character.

He did nothing that pretty much every young person in this nation does, which was to party with his friends.

Is there something wrong with that?  

Hi Rich: 

(a) I know that you and I did not find Christine Blasey Ford credible. 

(b) On the other hand, I think a lot of good people in good faith believe Blasey-Ford's testimony and believe that this would disqualify BK from the Supreme Court.  

(c) A third set of people don't know whether to believe CBF, but they think Kavanaugh's response was over done and demonstrated a lack of judicial temperament.  You and I disagree with them of course.

Not surprisingly, Rs tend to fall into the (a) group and Ds in (b) or (c) groups or something else.  Still, it would literally make my day if you acknowledged that many good people in good faith hold positions like the ones I describe above in (b) and (c).  Jim

Originally Posted by Richard Davis

Inept Sec'ys of Defense don't influence my vote in the least.  

As I said you don't have the intellectual chops to explain why you vote personality rather than substance.

Tell me, it must be something to be so damned Inarticulate of thought, as you've proven to be over the last many times I've challenged you, that you're unable to  express even as few as 5 or 6 reasons, reasons that have impact on the country in terms of economics and political policies as to why you didn't vote for Trump.

So far you're failing miserably, and here I was all this time enthralled with your brilliance as I watch the leftists here OOH and AHH, and tell you what great points you're making.  

Yeah, you're obviously a legend in your own mind. 

I can assure you, that's about the ONLY place you're a legend as far as I can tell.  Oh wait, Or maybe the left.  Yeah, I'm sure you're a legend in their minds as well.  LOL  

As for this statement of yours:  Maybe not as strong a data point as an OAN editorial for other voters

So tell me smart guy, how many times have you even Watched OAN Network?  My guess is all of zero, probably less than 5 seconds, but then you comment snidely on them, without have an ounce of knowledge of them?

Like I've stated many times before, every time you open your mouth, you expose yourself as adopting every pathetic trait that leftists have.  

Hmm....  apparently the left influences you in pretty much all your decisions now and makes up your mind FOR you as they tell you how terrible OAN is.

Rather than cast aspersions on a network that you've never even spent 5 seconds watching, its probably best to keep quiet about things you don't know and about people you've never even heard or read.  

Usually you are quite predictable Rich, but only in part this time.  I had no idea you would reply with a vigorous defense of OAN.  

Also, how could Trump's Secretaries of Defense be "inept?"  He hired them.  Are you suggesting that Trump made executive mistakes?  Heresy!  You'll lose your Trump fan-boy card and all of the attendant privileges.  

Originally Posted by Richard Davis

Is this your new tactic, putting up straw men to try and make an argument?  

Know thyself Rich, Know thyself.

Originally Posted by Rod Kaufman

Speaking of tax exempt status for a church: "You can't be a Democrat and be a Christian":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k66vxApo-Yc

Hell, according to my wife's sisters, you can't be a Republican and be a human being!

Originally Posted by Richard Davis

Stocks have dropped for 8 straight weeks in a row.

This only happened 90 Years ago, in 1932 that the US has seen the markets fall for almost 2 months straight and its killing the retirement packages of Millions of Americans.

Since the start of the year, the DJIA is DOWN over 10%, the S&P is DOWN 18%, and the NASDAQ is DOWN over 24%.

So then we have the stock market performing WORSE for any 8 week period in the last 4700 weeks and it is occurring under Joe Biden's watch.

What did his New Spokesidiot Karine Jean Pierre say when asked about it??

This was the ignorant White House response "We do not- that's not something we keep an eye on every day". 

Amazing.

Worst performance in 90 years?  Not yet, not by a longshot.  I'm not happy about the current market, but it has to get a lot worse before it is even close to the worst by any rational analysis.  https://www.fool.com/investing/stock-market/basics/crashes/#:~:text=Black%20Monday%20crash%20of%201987,decline%20in%20stock%20market%20history.

Thanks for posting though.  Whenever you or Rod post something gloomy about the market the result is always a strong recovery day!  Jim

Originally Posted by Greg Shaffer

I have been playing with digital currency for the last year and the recent market plunge there has made me a really nice return......bitcoin hit a year low on may 12 of 25k per coin. I bought all I could rake up on short notice. Sitting at 30k+ now and just paid for the 2000 sq ft addition to my house as well as a vacation. Fluctuating markets simply do not scare me.....buy low, sell high

Another coin I have been holding for a while just spiked by 85% today and I got out 10 min ago.....

Excellent!  

Originally Posted by Richard Davis

The worst 8 weeks in a row, in 90 years.  

Let me explain it so you can understand.

The US Market hasn't experienced a period where the stock has drupped for 8 straight weeks since since 1932.  

Argue with people who know

https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/dow-suffers-one-of-worst-yearly-starts-since-1932,-amid-weak-china-data-378640

https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/02/investing/stocks-sell-may-go-away/index.html

I guess you do not know what "worst" means.  The market dropping 8 weeks in a row is an interesting factoid.  Everyone knows that the market is down.  This is not the worst 8 week period in 90 years though.  Not by a long shot.  Rational people would identify the worst market over an 8 week period as the market that dropped the most overall during any 8 week period.  Rational people would also define the " WORST Performance by the US Stock Markets in 90 YEARS"  (Your thread title, not mine) as the market that dropped the most and stayed down the longest.  Between October of '08 and February of '09 the S&P 500 lost over 1/2 it's total value.  Ouch.  in 2021, the S&P 500 peaked after Christmas.  Over the recent downturn, lasting well over 8 weeks by the way, the S&P 500 is down about 17%  

That sucks, but it's nowhere near losing 1/2 its value over a similar timeframe.  

Jim