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Congrats Democrats

Mnuchin could very well come back to run Treasury. Pompeo could be back at State. Hell, I wouldn’t even rule out Barr although I don’t expect it. Burgum seems a safe bet in some capacity. Fears about what a potential Trump cabinet could look like are overblown imo.

I remember people calling Sessions a backbench loser on this board when he was appointed. Tillerson a self-serving oil tycoon.

Careerist, ladder climbers that animate most Democrat cabinet appointments suck. Do-nothing lemmings that hang around the levers of power and collect credentials.

I’m for shaking things up. And frankly I don’t expect all that much of a shake up. Politico took a stab and none of these names scream crank to me.


Well, I get that Biden has some poor cabinet officials: Gen. Austin seems a bit aloof. Becerra has long been a radical. And don't get me started on Mayorkas. He's a joke.

Biden has some good ones, too. It may be an unpopular opinion among some, but I think that Antony Blinken has done a pretty good job as SoS. Gina Raimondo has a good reputation in DC. Garland....probably should've stayed on the bench, but he's respected in legal circles and came from the 2nd most prestigious court in the country. Say what you want about Buttigieg, but he's a damn smart cookie -- although I'm not sure he's a great fit for Transportation Secretary. Bill Burns is one of the most broadly admired diplomats in modern times, among both parties. I've never been the biggest fan of Janet Yellen's views. But I've never had cause to question her competence.

As for potential Trump noms....I had no beef with Pompeo. After hearing him speak at length a couple times, he came across as more knowledgeable and competent than I had given him credit for. And I thought Bill Barr was great -- but I can't imagine him coming back. Burgum is fine with me, too.

But I can't escape the notion that we're going to be seeing him trying to nominate some of the clowns around him...who will have a hard time being confirmed. And we'd probably get used to seeing the "interim" tag a lot once again.
 
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I'm not sure Mayor Pete is in the right office. But I don't think you can deny that, in general, he's a pretty damn smart dude.
I don’t think he has an ounce of common sense. I cannot stand him. At the time taking paid leave on his quarter mil salary, a benefit no one on the general schedule would have received, so a unique perk conferred to him, home when the country was in the throes of a crisis and his boss is asking trucks to put in overtime bleating about the importance of husbands home with his husband. Terrible optics. Terrible lack of awareness. Zero common sense. That was a critical time as he was new to the gig and he should have been in a lawn chair sitting at the port reading the trucking regs in the cfr and passing out Gatorade. He’s tops of woke politicians I cannot stand.
 
What string was this?

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Well, I get that Biden has some poor cabinet officials: Gen. Austin seems a bit aloof. Becerra has long been a radical. And don't get me started on Mayorkas. He's a joke.

Biden has some good ones, too. It may be an unpopular opinion among some, but I think that Antony Blinken has done a pretty good job as SoS. Gina Raimondo has a good reputation in DC. Garland....probably should've stayed on the bench, but he's respected in legal circles and came from the 2nd most prestigious court in the country. Say what you want about Buttigieg, but he's a damn smart cookie -- although I'm not sure he's a great fit for Transportation Secretary. Bill Burns is one of the most broadly admired diplomats in modern times, among both parties. I've never been the biggest fan of Janet Yellen's views. But I've never had cause to question her competence.

As for potential Trump noms....I had no beef with Pompeo. After hearing him speak at length a couple times, he came across as more knowledgeable and competent than I had given him credit for. And I thought Bill Barr was great -- but I can't imagine him coming back. Burgum is fine with me, too.

But I can't escape the notion that we're going to be seeing him trying to nominate some of the clowns around him...who will have a hard time being confirmed. And we'd probably get used to seeing the "interim" tag a lot once again.
Specific examples of the clowns you fear? It’s not like he’s he would bring MTG, Gaetz or Boebert up for nominations. That’s leftist scaremongering.

Whatever you might think of Yellen’s or Buttigieg’s aptitude, they have undoubtedly presided over some of the worst fiscal and transportation results in recent history. A lot may have been out of their control. But they don’t have track records to be proud of.

Same with Blinken. To the extent SoS’s main priority is to prevent war through diplomacy, he has been an abject failure.
 
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Specific examples of the clowns you fear? It’s not like he’s he would bring MTG, Gaetz or Boebert up for nominations. That’s leftist scaremongering.

I honestly have no idea. My point is that so many of the people who would have the competence to serve as, say, National Security Adviser have broken ties with him.

I've had a high opinion of Gen. HR McMaster for years and was thrilled to learn that he was going to become NSA. He is considered one of the foremost experts on the failures of Vietnam. Even with him, they parted ways.

About the only former military leader still in his good graces is that fruitcake Flynn.

Whatever you might think of Yellen’s or Buttigieg’s aptitude, they have undoubtedly presided over some of the worst fiscal and transportation results in recent history. A lot may have been out of their control. But they don’t have track records to be proud of.

I can't argue with that. I agree that they haven't been successful secretaries.

Same with Blinken. To the extent SoS’s main priority is to prevent war through diplomacy, he has been an abject failure.

That I don't agree with. For the most part, I think the US has been a vital and stalwart ally of Israel's in this conflict. I realize that Biden and his people have said some things publicly that were critical of Israel. But I think he's had to do that for his own political reasons. If you look at our actions, rather than our words, the US support has been critical to the massive blows Israel has struck upon Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran (by proxy).

Russia and Ukraine are different situation and a different story. And I do have some issues there. But I don't know how much I'd blame on Blinken.
 
That works for myself. In all seriousness you're left a leaning moderate and crazed is a right leaning moderate. It's not surprising you guys agree a decent amount.

I've never considered myself to be the least bit moderate.

Some of the people who have influenced me over the years include the likes of Milton Friedman, Wm. F Buckley, Thomas Sowell, Antonin Scalia, Charles Murray, Roger Scruton, Allan Bloom, FA Hayek, Barry Goldwater.

I was a proud fan of Rush Limbaugh's -- thought he was (for the most part) insightful and entertaining and will defend him to this day. My newer mancrushes are guys like Mitch Daniels and Javier Milei.

I mean...this is not a list of Rockefeller Republicans.

I had plenty of admiration for Richard Lugar as a man and statesman. But he was never somebody I looked to for philosophical inspiration. I kind of put him in the same category as Lee Hamilton for the Dems -- really competent guy, not terribly ideological, all about good steady governance. Admired them both.

So, nowadays, to be seen as a moderate, you just have to be critical of Trump, his worldview, his temperament, his cultish movement? I'm not moderate -- I'm just not there. Yes, I voted for him -- but only because he pledged to nominate good justices....who (importantly) were not in his general mold.

Hopefully, some day, I'll have a party again that will reflect my general worldview on critical matters. The Republicans do still have plenty of pols who do. And I have no issue voting for those. But Donald Trump himself is not one of them.
 
I honestly have no idea. My point is that so many of the people who would have the competence to serve as, say, National Security Adviser have broken ties with him.

I've had a high opinion of Gen. HR McMaster for years and was thrilled to learn that he was going to become NSA. He is considered one of the foremost experts on the failures of Vietnam. Even with him, they parted ways.

About the only former military leader still in his good graces is that fruitcake Flynn.



I can't argue with that. I agree that they haven't been successful secretaries.



That I don't agree with. For the most part, I think the US has been a vital and stalwart ally of Israel's in this conflict. I realize that Biden and his people have said some things publicly that were critical of Israel. But I think he's had to do that for his own political reasons. If you look at our actions, rather than our words, the US support has been critical to the massive blows Israel has struck upon Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran (by proxy).

Russia and Ukraine are different situation and a different story. And I do have some issues there. But I don't know how much I'd blame on Blinken.
Pretty telling that rather than lauding the accomplishments of the Biden team we’re trying to decipher to what extent the disasters they oversaw were within their control.

Tells you pretty much all you need to know.

You like a nice erudite speaker like Pete or Blinken. I get it. I’m a results man myself.
 
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I've never considered myself to be the least bit moderate.

Some of the people who have influenced me over the years include the likes of Milton Friedman, Wm. F Buckley, Thomas Sowell, Antonin Scalia, Charles Murray, Roger Scruton, Allan Bloom, FA Hayek, Barry Goldwater.

I was a proud fan of Rush Limbaugh's -- thought he was (for the most part) insightful and entertaining and will defend him to this day. My newer mancrushes are guys like Mitch Daniels and Javier Milei.

I mean...this is not a list of Rockefeller Republicans.

I had plenty of admiration for Richard Lugar as a man and a public servant. But he was never somebody I looked to for philosophical inspiration. I kind of put him in the same category as Lee Hamilton for the Dems -- really competent guy, not terribly ideological, all about good steady governance. Admired them both.

So, nowadays, to be seen as a moderate, you just have to be critical of Trump, his worldview, his temperament, his cultish movement? I'm not moderate -- I'm just not there. Yes, I voted for him -- but only because he pledged to nominate good justices....who (importantly) were not in his general mold.

Hopefully, some day, I'll have a party again that will reflect my general worldview on critical matters. The Republicans do still have plenty of pols who do. And I have no issue voting for those. But Donald Trump himself is not one of them.
I don't care if someone likes or dislikes Trump. I consider a lot of Trumpers to be moderates.
 
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Pretty telling that rather than lauding the accomplishments of the Biden team we’re trying to decipher to what extent the disasters they oversaw were within their control.

Tells you pretty much all you need to know.

You like a nice erudite speaker like Pete or Blinken. I get it. I’m a results man myself.
It’s important to also remember that you bring a unique perspective to judging Pete’s performance as a powerbroker in the private sector of the transportation industry
 
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Pretty telling that rather than lauding the accomplishments of the Biden team we’re trying to decipher to what extent the disasters they oversaw were within their control.

Tells you pretty much all you need to know.

You like a nice erudite speaker like Pete or Blinken. I get it. I’m a results man myself.
Fair enough.
 
If you look at our actions, rather than our words, the US support has been critical to the massive blows Israel has struck upon Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran (by proxy).
Everyone except Trump supporters gets that. It's why Arabs are abandoning the Dems, why Trump might win Michigan, and why I am constantly reminded by The Guardian that American weapons are killing Palestinians.
 
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It’s important to also remember that you bring a unique perspective to judging Pete’s performance as a powerbroker in the private sector of the transportation industry
It’s important to remember that

Pete = Kamala Harris

Blinken = Kamala Harris

Even Obama = Kamala Harris

Now Pete, Blinken and Obama are much better at it than Harris. But it’s the same empty calories all the way down.
 
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This is an important criticism of Trump.

Who would he put into a cabinet and other important positions? He’s burned so many bridges. And you’re right that he did have some legit ones in his first term (Mnuchin, Mattis, Tillerson, Sessions, McMaster, Kelly, etal). Even Pence, who I’ve never liked much, is a generally sensible and sober person.

Virtually all of them are on the outs. So who does he put in now? Laura Loomer?
I would take Laura Loomer any day over Mayorkas.
 
I've never considered myself to be the least bit moderate.

Some of the people who have influenced me over the years include the likes of Milton Friedman, Wm. F Buckley, Thomas Sowell, Antonin Scalia, Charles Murray, Roger Scruton, Allan Bloom, FA Hayek, Barry Goldwater.

I was a proud fan of Rush Limbaugh's -- thought he was (for the most part) insightful and entertaining and will defend him to this day. My newer mancrushes are guys like Mitch Daniels and Javier Milei.

I mean...this is not a list of Rockefeller Republicans.

I had plenty of admiration for Richard Lugar as a man and statesman. But he was never somebody I looked to for philosophical inspiration. I kind of put him in the same category as Lee Hamilton for the Dems -- really competent guy, not terribly ideological, all about good steady governance. Admired them both.

So, nowadays, to be seen as a moderate, you just have to be critical of Trump, his worldview, his temperament, his cultish movement? I'm not moderate -- I'm just not there. Yes, I voted for him -- but only because he pledged to nominate good justices....who (importantly) were not in his general mold.

Hopefully, some day, I'll have a party again that will reflect my general worldview on critical matters. The Republicans do still have plenty of pols who do. And I have no issue voting for those. But Donald Trump himself is not one of them.
I can wholeheartedly agree with everything but the last sentence.

He’s not my pick but he’s my only choice to keep these two progressives out of the WH.

I enjoy reading your posts.
 
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