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Messages - befair

#1
Quote from: J70 on March 06, 2024, 05:41:00 PM
Quote from: befair on March 06, 2024, 03:40:31 PMIn Ireland we've experience of a populist making people scared, then selling fear. But it was more understandable; Paisley was handsome, articulate, informed.
Trump, in contrast, looks ridiculous (fake hair/tan), is vulgar, inarticulate, uninformed. His appeal is bewildering.
Netanyahu has really screwed everyone, exploiting Gaza as an excuse to stay in power; his 'Falklands moment.' Biden may lose the young vote, and the Arab-American vote, which may be enough in the swing states

His appeal isn't that bewildering though when you see the diet of fantastical, paranoid nonsense that the right wing media feeds it's audience. Trump is exactly like Paisley and meets the worldview nurtured by the right wing media, preaching apocalypse and doom and victimhood. You better rely on him, or else you'll be sold down the river in your own, rapidly changing country by the treacherous forces of evil.

I've said this before here, probably on this thread, but I've a cousin who lives in Florida and who is a mild Trumper. They came to NYC last year for Paddy's Day, but they were telling me that their friends were pleading with them not to go. The friends were genuinely terrified that my cousin wouldn't make it out of NYC alive, such was the barrage of nonsense circulating through the right wing media about the safety of NYC and other large "Democratic" cities. Never mind that crime rates are historically low, that NYC is among the safest large cities in the US, and that millions of New Yorkers go about their daily lives without incident. All lies and bullshit to those who consume right wing media and political discourse.

However, like much populist demagoguing throughout history, it is very effective. Trump is the nominee, and there is a very real chance, given the small number of deciding states and the inbuilt advantage of the electoral college for Republicans in the current political system, that he will win the general election. He is successfully dragging out the court cases and will probably not be held accountable before the election, and even if he is, his supporters either won't hear about it or they won't care (he's been convicted, by a jury, of sexual assault, in case you don't know). It's all a liberal conspiracy to them. Nor do they care that Trump ordered the GOP to kill the legislation last month that would have given them almost everything they ever asked for in terms of border security (Trump wanted the preserve the border concerns as a political football rather than actually address the problem).

All that said, those bigoted, braindead die-hards do not constitute a large enough segment of the voters to put him back in office. Which is where you come to Biden. The man is simply seen by most people, unfairly or not, as too old for the job, even among those who think he has done a really good job on the whole. His obstinate insistence on running again is one of the primary reasons Trump could easily win this. Had he said "f**k it, I did my part" and handed it over for a real Dem primary, we could be looking at a fresh middle-aged nominee coming out of tough contest, someone who would have real advantages over the also-old, widely despised and feared, probable future felon Trump. Life isn't always fair, but Biden should be doing the right thing here. If not, he could go down in infamy as the man who facilitated the return of the orange travesty and all that means for the US and the world.

This is a very fair summary J70; bookies still have it more or less evens (a Dem vs GOP winner), so we can but hope
#2

In Ireland we've experience of a populist making people scared, then selling fear. But it was more understandable; Paisley was handsome, articulate, informed.
Trump, in contrast, looks ridiculous (fake hair/tan), is vulgar, inarticulate, uninformed. His appeal is bewildering.
Netanyahu has really screwed everyone, exploiting Gaza as an excuse to stay in power; his 'Falklands moment.' Biden may lose the young vote, and the Arab-American vote, which may be enough in the swing states
#3
GAA Discussion / Re: NFL Division Four 2024
March 03, 2024, 05:35:48 PM
Tipp were 20-1 ON favs!!
#4
GAA Discussion / Re: NFL Division 1 2024
March 03, 2024, 02:52:35 PM
Tyrone 4 pts behind in injury time and still sitting in defence, letting Kerry pass the ball around and wind down the clock; why do teams keep doing this?
#5
GAA Discussion / Re: NFL Division 1 2024
March 03, 2024, 01:43:01 PM
Really good game so far
#6
GAA Discussion / Re: NFL Division 1 2024
March 03, 2024, 01:42:02 PM
Why was the goal disallowed?
#7
GAA Discussion / Re: Division 2 2024
February 05, 2024, 05:08:45 PM
Sure, blame the ref......
#8
Down / Re: Down Club Hurling & Football
January 22, 2024, 07:34:23 PM
When football was, as it should be, a hobby, dual players would have been more feasible. Now that even club teams are expected to live like Spartans and train like the SAS, it's no longer possible.
The pressure on playing fields of an extra code would also be too much for most clubs.
#9
Down / Re: Down Club Hurling & Football
January 10, 2024, 06:01:34 PM
This time last year I was full of optimism, but after Kilcoo's shameful behaviour before the county final, really don't care anymore. The manager must bear some responsibility
#10
GAA Discussion / Re: TG4 - Club Championships Coverage
December 10, 2023, 08:01:49 PM
Stop complaining; without TG4 club football would receive no coverage
#11
GAA Discussion / Re: Ulster Club SFC 2023
December 10, 2023, 05:22:22 PM
Tough luck on Scotstown, carried out on their shields. Great game
#12
GAA Discussion / Re: Ulster Club SFC 2023
December 10, 2023, 05:10:02 PM
Players dropping balls, kicking wides, misplacing passes, yet somehow it's the ref's fault
#13
GAA Discussion / Re: Ulster Club SFC 2023
December 10, 2023, 05:07:29 PM
The Hughes are mighty men
#14
GAA Discussion / Re: Ulster Club SFC 2023
December 10, 2023, 04:55:22 PM
definite 45 there
#15
Down / Re: Down Club Hurling & Football
December 07, 2023, 05:33:49 PM
Delighted to see Paul Faloon refing the Ulster final. Well-deserved, tho there's alway a risk Kilcoo won't turn up in protest