JoeWeber

The point is that it's not as sound bite simple as your first explanation implies and your second explanation disclaims. Clearly you have some choices. For example, you don't need to live where your circumstance and philosophy don't pair. But you do and thus need to frequent vendors with predatory pay practices to make ends meet. Unless, of course, it's not that close to the bone for you and it's actually more of a desire to keep as much of your money as possible subject to certain convenient conclusions. For the record, my businesses have never paid minimum wage to anyone for any job. Our walk through the door minimum pay is 14 bucks now. I expect that will go up. Around here that pays rent, utilities, car insurance, food etc. and leaves some money for clothes, meals out and stuff. Not high living but it seems to me that your minimum pay rate should be closely associated with an employees minimum expenses. It's not saving the world or solving the real macro issues but it sort of helps while those are being resolved.

Now tell the truth, do you shop Amazon? Have you ever bought from Walmart?

Holy Moly Ken, no need to go all linear ego over this. Let's just leave it to Ron to define the group his "we" includes but there is no doubt he is as ignorant as he believes we believe. He is also, deluded, credulous and blindered. None of which is to say he is without some smarts. After all, he easily trolls plenty of people here who definitely have smarts. He's also a master of secret messaging. For example, did you know that Linear Ego is an anagram of Orange Lie? He's tricky, too.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the democracy line: Rep. Ilhan Omar, one of the freshman Democratic congresswomen facing attacks from President Trump and his supporters, was cheered as she arrived back at her home district in Minnesota on Thursday. A crowd of people at the airport in the Twin Cities held banners with slogans such as "Stop Racism Now" and chanted "Welcome home Ilhan" as the congresswoman emerged from her flight.

Seriously, you have my admiration. I hope I can show the same level of insight and humility if I'm ever wrong

Rick, I respect that you can admit you were wrong about Trump, that you are also embarrassed by what he say's and that you own it. I thought that by stating 'I'm not saying you" I would get there. I did not. For that I apologize. Joe

A lot of the headwinds faced by the ACA were republican induced. The GOP didn't like it so they fought to eviscerate it at the state and federal level. So how it might have worked with bi-partisan support will never be known. In any case The VA isn't a private insurance situation so you're mixing apples and oranges. You say "not a career politician" but you mean businessman. Fine but, for Christs sake, Trumps defects were apparent to anyone who took a glance. I'm not saying you, but there is this attitude some people have that pisses me off the most: the light was getting brighter, the noise was getting louder, I heard Toot-Toot and there were railroad tracks left and right. How was I supposed to know a train was coming? F'n really? He was that obvious and it was also obvious that more bad was coming. I mean it when I say that no one who truly loves this country should be proud of a vote for Trump.

Rick, thank you. But that's seriously non-specific. Truly the most money government wastes is military and I never hear the right saying cut there. The reality is that the waste of time/money trope, for most people, is just a gut feeling or something they bought on TV.

Exactly what change in government were you hoping for? I've heard that a lot but I'm not sure anyone has really thrown out a list of specifics along with the statement.

John, that was rude. He was talking to his audience, not you.

I do hate him for the right reasons, which include what you call his "policy". I don't know if you meant "policies" or if you actually see cohesion and common threads in his words and actions. For all I know you think he really is a super genius and makes terrific sense. I think he's a damn self serving, self dealing, self absorbed nitwit who doesn't give a rats ass who gets hurt as long as he gets what he wants. What you, and most right wingers, seem unable to grasp is that snowflakes like me would hate him for how he behaves as President even if his policies were to our liking.

Totally. I can definitely see Trump engaging in a little harmless ethnic banter with the plumber from Pakistan. "Yo, Fahad, my crappers stopped up. Grab your snake or that damn skinny Somalian and unplug the fuckin' thing." So, I bit, but I'll ask again: Please lay out the case for Liberals being racists. 

Thanks for keeping it simple. Next?

OMG, you’re back.

Okay, I'll bite. Please lay out the case for Liberals being racists. I am a Libtard so please make it easy to understand.

I saw that tape. It appears the Trumpster was thinking about integrating his eyebrows into his comb over to complete the look. Now that would have been cool!

Seriously Keith, I think I liked your old heart better. Joe

They won't buck opinion polls. They aren't all puppy kickers completely devoid of morality. They simply see no point in taking any position adverse to their own self interests. That and they also, very genuinely, see no problem with the racist things the President say's and does. In fact, they agree with him. CNN interviewed 6 GOP women in Texas who agreed with Trump's statements and did not see racism because he didn't refer explicitly to the color of their skin. As Nigel explained it's all about frame of reference. NEW YORK (Reuters) - Support for U.S. President Donald Trump increased slightly among Republicans after he lashed out on Twitter over the weekend in a racially charged attack on four minority Democratic congresswomen, a Reuters/Ipsos public opinion poll shows. The national survey, conducted on Monday and Tuesday after Trump told the lawmakers they should “go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came,” showed his net approval among members of his Republican Party rose by 5 percentage points to 72%, compared with a similar poll that ran last week.

Nigel, Thank you for the valuable perspective. Hopefully a few posters here will take it away that their very limited and local view of things needs to be softened a bit. Joe

White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway on Fox News: “They represent a dark underbelly in this country of people who are not respecting our troops, are not giving them the resources and respect that they deserve,” she fumed. “We’re tired of people not kneeling for the flag out of disrespect. We’re tired of some of these women palling around with terrorists!” Interesting take on Churchill's "soft underbelly", I thought. Yes, the policy of Trumps White House is unapologetic racism. This isn't like staying silent when your Grandpa farts at the dinner table. This you either oppose openly or, by your silence, announce your support.

Finally, the day all right thinking people have been awaiting: definitive proof of the ill effects of sobriety.

That's what is so hard to stomach. The right is so focused on creating a 1000 Year Right that any racist, incompetent, misogynistic, homophobic or kindergarten school level insult is ignorable. What a damn travesty that four up and coming female members of the United States Congress, who happen to have brown skin, are on offer for this low level bullshit from the President of the United States. And from the right leaners here: silence.

Is it possible, that as other groups have since Trumps election, they're feeling a bit more free to be their true selves? Watching others react to life is how you get to know them, right?

I mean, good googaloo, Fort McHenry wasn't built until 22 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. He's a damn joke. Even if they favor his soul crushing world view Trump supporters should at least admit it's out of plain selfishness and not admiration for the man.

Trumpette's, I give you your President and Orator Extraordinaire: “Our Army manned the air, it rammed the ramparts, it took over airports, it did everything it had to do and at Ft. McHenry under the rocket’s red glare had nothing but victory. When dawn came, the star-spangled banner waved defiant.” Please you guy's, for the good of the nation, stop voting.