Understanding the US - Again

[g.sarkar]

The fun has begun. Enjoy:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/201 ... -house-run
‘The stakes are enormous’: is Hillary Clinton set for a White House run?
The candidate who lost to Trump is making all the right moves as some fear a primary gone too far left. It’s a tantalising notion, but most observers counsel caution – and a dose of realism
Yet a recent surge of activity by Hillary Clinton, combined with reports and columns suggesting the Democrats have not found the right candidate, have made a 2016 rematch a fun, speculative and potentially intriguing topic of Washington conversation.
The sense that something strange is going on began a few weeks ago. A book is a traditional vehicle for a candidate. The former secretary of state launched The Book of Gutsy Women, co-written with daughter Chelsea, and embarked on a tour that included events, speeches and late-night TV appearances.
Clinton, 72, whose narrow, devastating defeat by Trump was one of the greatest upsets in political history, has also become more prolific and pugnacious on Twitter. On 25 September, after revelations about Trump’s call with the president of Ukraine, she wrote: “The president of the United States has betrayed our country … He is a clear and present danger to the things that keep us strong and free. I support impeachment.”
On 30 September, Clinton tweeted: “The president is a corrupt human tornado.” On 3 October, after Trump invited China to investigate former vice-president Joe Biden: “Someone should inform the president that impeachable offenses committed on national television still count.”
.....
Gautam

[UlanBatori]

whose narrow, devastating defeat by Trump

Like South Africa losing "narrowly" to India in the recent 3-Test series...

[UlanBatori]

Re: Understanding the US. Here is my understanding on this, of course written from Mongolia where we worry about Steppe Fires.

There is an interesting controversy about the California Wildfires (focused from larger Western Wildfires). Once again, many high-end homes have been burnt down so insurance rates are going to go up again. The underlying controversy, pun intended, is the policy on removing underbrush, as I hear. This appears to be much of the fuel that keeps the temperature high enough, and spreads the fire rapidly. Some environmental types hold that forest fires are an essential life-giver to forests, "renewing" the forest. OTOH, cutting away or controlled-burning a forest, dumps CO2 into the atmosphere.

This controversy burst into flame during the Great Yellowstone Fire of 1989, when Yellowstone National Park practically burned to the ground. Great views for miles. But very few homes/ populated/ farming areas were affected except those who depended on forest products, plus all the poor animals.

Last year in CA, the fires,fanned by the very strong Santa Ana cold winds that come skiing down the slopes of the Sierra Nevada, burned many residential neighborhoods and swept through one or two towns.

Another aspect is that wild fires are now being blamed on arson or blunders, not the traditional lightning source. They started blaming them on homeless people or careless or deliberate campers committing arson. Last year they found a juicy target: PG&G Electric company's transmission lines/towers, maybe hit by lightning and spreading the fires along the transmission lines. Now PG&G is bankrupt so they are looking for other targets.

The Fed govt, now headed by u-no-hu, demanded that California quit playing games, and clear the underbrush and cut firebreak swaths. The CA Gov appears to have done little: the other side of the story is that they claim most of the forest is Federal Land so it is not the State's job to clear the underbrush there. However this may misstate the problem: only some 57% of land area of forest is Federal, in CA. And the problem is not exactly the forest burning, but the edge of the forest where it abuts populated land/farmland.

So this year again, the Fed is saying that they cannot keep subsidizing CA for its incompetence.
The other side of the story is that Herrowic Fire-Fighting is a macho and dangerous and very exhausting seasonal trade for thousands of people. Very high-paying too. Come July-August, airports in the West are full of hefty firefighters with their yellow uniforms and big backpacks. They would be losing a big part of their annual income, and 90% of the "fun", if that were taken away.

[Najunamar]

UBji, moi no authority on anything including what's important for PIOs. Was merely trying to point the dichotomy between the 2 different elements (Immigration and Foriegn policy) and how the relative importance varies between Indian Americans and NRIs.
Fully concur with your comments - in fact that's the very reason I raised the issue of why these 2 must be decoupled.

[ShyamSP]

Re: Understanding the US. Here is my understanding on this, of course written from Mongolia where we worry about Steppe Fires.

There is an interesting controversy about the California Wildfires (focused from larger Western Wildfires). Once again, many high-end homes have been burnt down so insurance rates are going to go up again. The underlying controversy, pun intended, is the policy on removing underbrush, as I hear. This appears to be much of the fuel that keeps the temperature high enough, and spreads the fire rapidly. Some environmental types hold that forest fires are an essential life-giver to forests, "renewing" the forest. OTOH, cutting away or controlled-burning a forest, dumps CO2 into the atmosphere.

This controversy burst into flame during the Great Yellowstone Fire of 1989, when Yellowstone National Park practically burned to the ground. Great views for miles. But very few homes/ populated/ farming areas were affected except those who depended on forest products, plus all the poor animals.

Last year in CA, the fires,fanned by the very strong Santa Ana cold winds that come skiing down the slopes of the Sierra Nevada, burned many residential neighborhoods and swept through one or two towns.

Another aspect is that wild fires are now being blamed on arson or blunders, not the traditional lightning source. They started blaming them on homeless people or careless or deliberate campers committing arson. Last year they found a juicy target: PG&G Electric company's transmission lines/towers, maybe hit by lightning and spreading the fires along the transmission lines. Now PG&G is bankrupt so they are looking for other targets.

The Fed govt, now headed by u-no-hu, demanded that California quit playing games, and clear the underbrush and cut firebreak swaths. The CA Gov appears to have done little: the other side of the story is that they claim most of the forest is Federal Land so it is not the State's job to clear the underbrush there. However this may misstate the problem: only some 57% of land area of forest is Federal, in CA. And the problem is not exactly the forest burning, but the edge of the forest where it abuts populated land/farmland.

So this year again, the Fed is saying that they cannot keep subsidizing CA for its incompetence.
The other side of the story is that Herrowic Fire-Fighting is a macho and dangerous and very exhausting seasonal trade for thousands of people. Very high-paying too. Come July-August, airports in the West are full of hefty firefighters with their yellow uniforms and big backpacks. They would be losing a big part of their annual income, and 90% of the "fun", if that were taken away.

How much pollution Cali fires produce vs stubble burning in Punjab/Haryana? May be less, as we don't see lefty loonies in Cali/Berkley holding stop fireworks placards in July.


Even under Modi, English-educated Indians are hating Hindu festivals and hooking on to mother culture that colonized them at a faster rate.

[darshan]

I see loss of culture and monetary contribution to rip off school system as fault of parents.

The best thing that my grandparents did for me was to put the foot down and nip the idea of sending me to non govt school. Not only it saved me from being brainwashed but also didn't subject the whole family to poverty.

[ramana]

Gautam, Its possible a run for WH gives political immunity as Biden matter shows.

[UlanBatori]

I totally love ppl marching in WHITE SOCKS on Delhi streets and yelling to reduce sound pollution. Shows such appreciation of local conditions. Apparently the pollution only blackens the space between their ears.

[Rony]

Alt-Right on Alt-Right warfare ? Milo Yiannopoulos published an audio clip to YouTube where Richard Spencer can be heard using antisemitic and racist slurs. The outburst audio is from summer of 2017 shortly after the infamous “unite the right” rally in charlottesville. Spencer was an organizer of that rally.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cCS1cP ... tu.be&t=86

He uses the words "Kikes" and "Octaroons" . I was curious about the origins of these words.

For "Kikes", Wiki says

The word kike was born on Ellis Island when there were Jewish migrants who were also illiterate (or could not use Latin alphabet letters). When asked to sign the entry-forms with the customary "X", the Jewish immigrants would refuse, because they associated an X with the cross of Christianity. Instead, they drew a circle as the signature on the entry-forms. The Yiddish word for "circle" is kikel (pronounced KY - kel), and for "little circle", kikeleh. Before long the immigration inspectors were calling anyone who signed with an 'O' instead of an 'X' a kikel or kikeleh or kikee or, finally and succinctly, kike.".

Also interestingly,

the term "kike" was coined as a put-down by the assimilated U.S. Jews from Germany to identify eastern European and Russian Jews: "Because many Russian [Jewish] names ended in 'ki', they were called 'kikes'—a German Jewish contribution to the American vernacular. The name then proceeded to be co-opted by non-Jews as it gained prominence in its usage in society, and was later used as a general derogatory slur."

Regarding "Octaroon"

Octoroon for one-eighth black (Latin root octo-, means "eight")

This is one of those oddly specific offensive term. It seems ridiculous today but i guess its related to the One-drop rule and was very serious for determining who was “white” in an era in this country when race determined whether you could be considered another person’s property.

[Rudradev]

The Democratic Party, whose 2020 candidates have been bending over backwards to appease its "Woke" "progressive" base, has received a rude shock.

Polling by the NY Times (not exactly a pro-Republican organization) has revealed that in several Battleground states, critical for 2020, Biden's lead over Trump is low and shrinking. Trump, meanwhile, BEATS Warren, Sanders, and every other Dem challenger in these states.


http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/11/ ... nders.html

In 2018, Democratic candidates waded into hostile territory and flipped 40 House districts, many of them moderate or conservative in their makeup. In almost every instance, their formula centered on narrowing their target profile by avoiding controversial positions, and focusing obsessively on Republican weaknesses, primarily Donald Trump’s abuses of power and attempts to eliminate health insurance for millions of Americans.

The Democratic presidential field has largely abandoned that model. Working from the premise that the country largely agrees with them on everything, or that agreeing with the majority of voters on issues is not necessary to win, the campaign has proceeded in blissful unawareness of the extremely high chance that Trump will win again.

A new batch of swing state polls from the New York Times ought to deliver a bracing shock to Democrats. The polls find that, in six swing states — Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Florida, North Carolina, and Arizona — Trump is highly competitive. He trails Joe Biden there by the narrowest of margins, and leads Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.

Normally, it is a mistake to overreact to the findings of a single poll. In general, an outlier result should only marginally nudge our preexisting understanding of where public opinion stands. This case is different. To see why, you need to understand two interrelated flaws in the 2016 polling. First, they tended to under-sample white voters without college degrees. And this made them especially vulnerable to polling misses in a handful of states with disproportionately large numbers of white non-college voters. The Times found several months ago that Trump might well win 270 Electoral College votes even in the face of a larger national vote defeat than he suffered in 2016.

All this is to say that, if you’ve been relying on national polls for your picture of the race, you’re probably living in la-la land. However broadly unpopular Trump may be, at the moment he is right on the cusp of victory.

What about the fact Democrats crushed Trump’s party in the midterms? The new Times polling finds many of those voters are swinging back. Almost two-thirds of the people who supported Trump in 2016, and then a Democrat in the 2018 midterms, plan to vote for Trump again in 2020.

Perhaps some of that movement represents a desire by voters to check Trump’s power and restore divided government. But the poll contains substantial evidence that Trump’s party lost the midterms for the hoary yet true reason that Republicans took unpopular positions, especially on health care, and ceded the center. Rather than learn the lesson, Democrats instead appear intent on ceding it right back to them.

...

And the Democratic presidential primary has been a disaster on this front. The debate has taken shape within a world formed by Twitter, in which the country is poised to leap into a new cultural and economic revolution, and even large chunks of the Democratic Party’s elected officials and voting base have fallen behind the times.

...

Biden’s paper-thin lead over Trump in the swing states is largely attributable to the perception that he is more moderate than Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders. Three-quarters of those who would vote for Biden over Trump, but Trump over Warren, say they would prefer a more moderate Democratic nominee to a more liberal one, and a candidate who would find common ground with Republicans over one who would fight for a progressive agenda.

There are lots of Democrats who are trying to run moderate campaigns. But the new environment in which they’re running has made it difficult for any of them to break through. There are many reasons the party’s mainstream has failed to exert itself. Biden’s name recognition and association with the popular Obama administration has blotted out alternatives, and the sheer number of center-left candidates has made it hard for any non-Biden to gain traction. Candidates with strong profiles, like Cory Booker and Amy Klobuchar, have struggled to gain attention, and proven politicians like Michael Bennet and Steve Bullock have failed even to qualify for debates.

But in addition to those obstacles, they have all labored against the ingrained perception that the Democratic party has moved beyond Obama-like liberalism, and that incremental reform is timid and boring.

...


Biden’s name brand has given him a head start with the half of the Democratic electorate that has moderate or conservative views. But it’s much harder for a newer moderate Democrat lacking that established identity to build a national constituency. The only avenue that has seemed to be open for a candidate to break into the top has been to excite activists, who are demanding positions far to the left of the median voter.

The primary has not doomed Democrats. Warren and Sanders are still close enough to Trump that they can compete, and new events, like a recession or another scandal, could erode Trump’s base. Wishful thinking... a harder habit to kick than cigarettes, even when warning people about its cancerous aftermath. But the party should look at its position a year before the election with real fear. The party’s presidential field has lost the plot.

[UlanBatori]

UBji, moi no authority on anything including what's important for PIOs. Was merely trying to point the dichotomy between the 2 different elements (Immigration and Foriegn policy) and how the relative importance varies between Indian Americans and NRIs. Fully concur with your comments - in fact that's the very reason I raised the issue of why these 2 must be decoupled.

May your goats eat only the best Immigration documents. Agree with you totally and sorry if I misread: the sentiment that triggered misunderstanding is one that is often seen on this thread and yours happened to be a convenient post to comment: bad for e-longevity if one expresses less than total obeisance to a Bredator's Post, as u understand..

Love for desh (foreign policy opinions) is not to be taken to mean 100% concurrence with desi out-of-control behavior such as we see in the H1B situation. (Clarification b4 the artillery comes in: Indian companies have a very merit-based reputation for their biss-boor personnel policies and "HR" departments. That does not come from reading US propaganda but from close relatives' experience.) If the US were to put a total stop to the body-shopping until standards and rules are totally revamped, it would be hard to muster motivation to write to COTUSppl seeking re-think on that.

Very many things have improved hugely in India due to interactions with bhestern countries and eashtern countries, and a very few due to interaction with Gelf countries. (Only thing I can think of: Pakistans with nice Jet-e-Musharraf instead of Lahori Lotas or bucket-mugs) And huge changes have come in the US through Indian influence: contrast men's dress in 1980 with mens' dress todin: the "relaxed" look with Designer No-Tail Shirts is totally Indian in origin, for instance. People go around in chappals: totally unthinkable in the 1980s except in Florida.

But.. what Corporate India has brought to Corporate America - and what Corporate America have brought to Corporate India - are totally a vicious vortex racing down the flush.
Then again, just placed an Amazon.in order, from Ulan Bator, for delivery in desh, and it will be there faster than if one were to fly oneself!! Full catalog description, I hope the thing works and is made in a good part of China. Magic or what?

[Rudradev]

^^^
The best possible outcome of the above news (which I assume the DNC will feel compelled to take seriously) is that the "Woke-istanis" clamouring for free stuff at the expense of hardworking people will be given the boot, and the 2020 Democratic nomination field will be opened up for centrist, reformist candidates to stake more of a claim.

The Bernies and Warrens have been sucking all the oxygen out of the debate as they demand free college, free healthcare, free this, free that in an orgy of pure Kejriwal-giri. The Antifa activist-left has been the most strident and noisy source of support for these quasi-socialist candidates, and in turn has been pushing them to endorse "Woke" notions of political morality at the hopelessly toxic level that Ilhan Omar, Pramila Jayapal, Rashida Tlaib, Ro Khanna et al espouse. This is why we saw Sanders addressing ISNA and even Warren wagging her finger at India over "Cashmere".

These people, as well as their supporters, have been spiraling upwards on a heady geyser of perceived "social-justice" idealism and cultural Marxist triumphalism that has now been infiltrated by the most rabid sort of Islamist discourse.

But finally, finally... it looks as if gravity is about to catch up with them.

If they recognize the truth of their position, the Democratic Party establishment will move swiftly to puncture the self-congratulatory, utterly delusional circle jerk in which some of its leading candidates (and their mobs of flea-bitten supporters) have been engaged. Start asking hard questions of Warren and Sanders and force them to explain how they will pay for the free stuff they are promising. Perhaps even allow an open exploration of the links between Ilhan Omar/Linda Sarsour with CAIR (and thereby, the Muslim Brotherhood) without fear of a frothing "Woke" backlash.

That's IF the Democratic Party establishment actually recognizes that their sensible candidates are also their most likely potential winners.

If this happens, a Centrist, Realist Dem candidate or three may find the space to arrive at the front of the pack. Maybe even a true reformist like Tulsi Gabbard will be able to take advantage.

If it doesn't happen, and the Antifa-vadi circle-jerk continues apace, Trump will win in 2020.

Both outcomes are preferable (from the Indian point of view) to some pro-Islamist "Woke" critter ending up in the White House (and taxing the cr@p out of Hindu-Americans so they can offer free medical care and college tuition to the hordes of Paquis streaming in).

[Mort Walker]

If they recognize the truth of their position, the Democratic Party establishment will move swiftly to puncture the self-congratulatory, utterly delusional circle jerk in which some of its leading candidates (and their mobs of flea-bitten supporters) have been engaged. Start asking hard questions of Warren and Sanders and force them to explain how they will pay for the free stuff they are promising. Perhaps even allow an open exploration of the links between Ilhan Omar/Linda Sarsour with CAIR (and thereby, the Muslim Brotherhood) without fear of a frothing "Woke" backlash.

Some have done just that, but it appears the party is headed to an unholy nexus of anarchists, socialists, and Islamists. Should this group get the executive and legislative branches, then truly they will have attained the moniker of the American Urban Naxal Party.

[Vayutuvan]

^^^
The best possible outcome of the above news (which I assume the DNC will feel compelled to take seriously) is that the "Woke-istanis" clamouring for free stuff at the expense of hardworking people will be given the boot, and the 2020 Democratic nomination field will be opened up for centrist, reformist candidates to stake more of a claim.

Does that mean Hillary C. or Michele O.? HiC is definitely raring to have a rematch. In a recent poll among democrat regarding presidential nominee preferences, HiC came fourth. Another poll had 50% Dems stating that they would vote for M. Obama if she were to enter the primaries. HiC stood at 43% or something like that.

If M. Obama enters the race, most probably Trump, being an "old white man" will have to deal with a highly educated young(ish) black woman who was a "ugely" popular first lady.

I don't know why Democrats didn't consider putting her up in the first place.

[nachiket]

It is far too late for some new contender to be paradropped in now. The primaries start in 4 months. Democrats have to work with what they have.

[Mort Walker]

It is far too late for some new contender to be paradropped in now. The primaries start in 4 months. Democrats have to work with what they have.

Then it will have to be Tulsi as there are none other. That said, if Michelle O. came in by next month, the field would change and she would win in a heartbeat, but for that to happen, Biden has to drop out about the same time.

What's really funny is that Joe Kennedy is running for the senate against known India baiter/hater Ed Markey of Massachusetts. I hope the message goes out to vote for Kennedy in the primary. Kennedy knows full well if Warren would win the presidency, then her vacant seat is his due to the Kennedy legacy. This tells us that he has no faith in Pocahontas.

[nachiket]

It is far too late for some new contender to be paradropped in now. The primaries start in 4 months. Democrats have to work with what they have.

Then it will have to be Tulsi as there are none other. That said, Michelle O. came in by next month, the field would change and she would win in a heartbeat, but for that to happen, Biden has to drop out about the same time.

Actually, I was wrong. They start in 3 months not 4. What exactly are Michelle Obama's qualifications compared to the others in the list who all have varying levels of experience in the House/Senate? Her only real claim to fame is being the former first lady and being able to speak well in public.

Tulsi is a good candidate but the radical left considers her a Hindoo fundamentalist and the Dem establishment considers her a Republican stooge and/or a Russian agent (refer HC's comments).

[Vayutuvan]

Pramila Jayapal ...
These people, as well as their supporters, have been spiraling upwards on a heady geyser of perceived "social-justice" idealism and cultural Marxist triumphalism that has now been infiltrated by the most rabid sort of Islamist discourse.

P. Jayapal has an MBA from North Western and worked at PaineWebber - it is quite incongruent that she turned an SJW.

[Rony]

Bah ! I heard about a guy who works in Lockheed/Raytheon/Boeing type defence company. All his colleagues and boss are hardcore trumpians. This guy is a hardcore cultural marxist, comes from a commie family. He hates Modi, Trump call them fascists, always votes dems. Back in office, 'Jai trump'.

[Mort Walker]

Nachiketji,

There are no qualifications for M. Obama, but there were none for Trump and little for Barak. Since when has that been a disqualifier for Amreeki political office?

[disha]

While the show on Trumpeachment is going on, there is a side show on Epstein happening:

https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/11/05/ ... ein-story/

And coming back to understanding US through its election cycle, has any posters wondered why Julian Castro is not getting any mileage https://www.politico.com/news/2019/11/0 ... ina-065797 but still gets glowing reviews? https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/p ... es-771735/

My prediction is that Julian Castro will go the route of Beto'Rourke. Also Kamala needs to exit before she embarrasses herself further.

And I have my own personal analysis on Julian Castro on why he is not getting any traction. Will post it after Julian Castro exits.

[ramana]

Ritesh Tandon a Silicon Valley Republican is running against Ro Khanna in C-17.
Nisha Sharma, Republican is similarly running against Eric Swawell in C-15.

We are now seeing a change in Indian American posture.
Not just fund raisers but candidates themselves.

[nachiket]

While the show on Trumpeachment is going on, there is a side show on Epstein happening:

https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/11/05/ ... ein-story/

The whole Epstein drama is straight out of a Hollywood conspiracy thriller. The lynchpin of a despicable criminal operation gets caught and is expected to spill the beans on his clients and partners, all of whom are supposed to be powerful men. Then when he is in jail, his cellmate is mysteriously removed, the guards outside fall asleep (!) and the cameras watching the cell block conveniently fail. And then he is found dead the next morning of unknown causes. The local ME quickly rules it a suicide.

I can't count the number of times I have seen these exact set of circumstance shown in actual Hollywood movies and TV shows.

[Vayutuvan]

Ritesh Tandon a Silicon Valley Republican is running against Ro Khanna in C-17.
Nisha Sharma, Republican is similarly running against Eric Swawell in C-15.

But Jayapal is going strong in Seattle. Previously she won by a landslide margin by getting 80%+ of the votes vs. GOP candidate getting < 20%

[ramana]

Ritesh Tandon a Silicon Valley Republican is running against Ro Khanna in C-17.
Nisha Sharma, Republican is similarly running against Eric Swawell in C-15.

But Jayapal is going strong in Seattle. Previously she won by a landslide margin by getting 80%+ of the votes vs. GOP candidate getting < 20%

Did I talk about Jayapal?
So why the "But"?

Her district is very liberal and she has special empathy to the district.
Please research that.

[UlanBatori]

Can Tandon and Sharma win?
Also, on paradropping candidate, didn't Jimmy Carter do something like that? Enter the race just b4 primaries started?

[Mort Walker]

Can Tandon and Sharma win?
Also, on paradropping candidate, didn't Jimmy Carter do something like that? Enter the race just b4 primaries started?

There is plenty of time since the campaigning for House seats generally start later. The key here is the Tandon and Sharma need fundraising. Those of us in other states will look into this.

[Mort Walker]

Ritesh Tandon a Silicon Valley Republican is running against Ro Khanna in C-17.
Nisha Sharma, Republican is similarly running against Eric Swawell in C-15.

We are now seeing a change in Indian American posture.
Not just fund raisers but candidates themselves.

Ramanagaru,

This is indeed good news. Running against 3 and 5 term incumbents is hard.
Two Indian American Republicans Challenge Reps. Ro Khanna and Eric Swalwell in 2020 Election for Alleged ‘Anti-India’ Stance

Tandon told India-West that he decided to run because Khanna has not stepped down from the Congressional Pakistan Caucus. “We have asked him to step down, but he has not,” said the contender, adding that he was also concerned that the congressman had advocated for the rejection of Hindutva.

[Pathik]

How much pollution Cali fires produce vs stubble burning in Punjab/Haryana? May be less, as we don't see lefty loonies in Cali/Berkley holding stop fireworks placards in July.


Even under Modi, English-educated Indians are hating Hindu festivals and hooking on to mother culture that colonized them at a faster rate.

Diwali is spreading rapidly in western countries with indian diaspora being at its strongest; including community fireworks. Its sad to see our festivals being taken down bit by bit within the country. I would put the blame for this on parents squarely. We have become sitting ducks to this academic onslaught.

[disha]

Ritesh Tandon a Silicon Valley Republican is running against Ro Khanna in C-17.
Nisha Sharma, Republican is similarly running against Eric Swawell in C-15.

We are now seeing a change in Indian American posture.
Not just fund raisers but candidates themselves.

This is good news indeed. Both Ro Khanna and Eric Swawell need a jolt. Getting them out will be a major upset.

[disha]

I can't count the number of times I have seen these exact set of circumstance shown in actual Hollywood movies and TV shows.

Epstein is indeed murky. Do check out this books by Max Bloomenthal

Max Blumenthal (2009): Republican Gomorrah: Inside the Movement that Shattered the Party
Max Blumenthal (2019): The Management of Savagery: How America's National Security State Fueled the Rise of Al Qaeda, ISIS, and Donald Trump.

Particularly the later one. Anybody interested in rise of Trump needs to read that book.

[Vikas]

Are presidential candidate at liberty to pick any VP Candidate for the ticket or is that also driven by the party ?

[komal]

Historically, the Presdiential nominee has been free to pick anyone (as long as they are from a different state than the Presdiential nominee).

[Rony]

Democrats claim victory over Trump-backed Kentucky governor, seize Virginia legislature

While the result was a significant setback for Trump, who remains relatively popular in Kentucky, it may have had more to do with Bevin’s diminished standing in the state. Opinion polls showed Bevin may be the least popular governor in the country, after he waged high-profile fights with labor unions and teachers.

Beshear’s upset win could also bolster Democrats’ slim hopes of ousting Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who is on the ballot himself in the state next year.

Meanwhile, Democrats wrested both chambers of Virginia’s legislature from narrow Republican majorities, which would give the party complete control of the state government for the first time in a quarter-century.

Trump has avoided Virginia, where Democrats found success in suburban swing districts in last year’s congressional elections, as they did in states across the country. Tuesday’s election, which saw Democrats prevail in several northern Virginia suburbs, suggested the trend was continuing.

In Mississippi, where Republican Governor Phil Bryant was barred from running again due to term limits, Republican Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves defeated Attorney General Jim Hood, a moderate Democrat who favors gun rights and opposes abortion rights.

Trump's GOP has no answer for suburban slide

It's difficult to draw sweeping conclusions from state elections, each with their own unique quirks and personalities. But there's little doubt Tuesday's outcome is a warning to Republicans across the nation a year out from the 2020 election and a year after the 2018 midterms: The suburbs are still moving in the wrong direction.

"Republican support in the suburbs has basically collapsed under Trump," Republican strategist Alex Conant said. "Somehow, we need to find a way to regain our suburban support over the next year."

The stakes are undoubtably high. While neither Virginia nor Kentucky is likely to be a critical battleground in the presidential race next year, Tuesday's results confirm a pattern repeated across critical swing states — outside of Philadelphia, Detroit and Charlotte, North Carolina. They're also sure to rattle Republican members of Congress searching for a path to victory through rapidly shifting territory.

Democrats' surging strength in the suburbs reflects the anxiety Trump provokes among moderates, particularly women, who have rejected his scorched-earth politics and uncompromising conservative policies on health care, education and gun violence.

Republicans' response in Virginia was to try to stay focused on local issues. In the election's final days, Dunnavant encouraged Trump to stay out of the state. The president obliged, sending Vice President Mike Pence instead.

[Kaivalya]

Not sure if this is the right place - didn't want to lose it . Requesting mods to move it as you see fit.


Stephen Mihm , University of Georgia, author of A nation of counterfeiters

As with China and Harry Potter, America was a hotbed of literary piracy; like China's poisonous pet-food makers, American factories turned out adulterated foods and willfully mislabeled products. Indeed, to see China today is to glimpse, in a distant mirror, the 19th-century American economy in all its corner-cutting, fraudulent glory.

China may be a very different country, but in many ways it is a younger version of us.

http://archive.boston.com/news/educatio ... f_outlaws/

[UlanBatori]

Are presidential candidate at liberty to pick any VP Candidate for the ticket or is that also driven by the party ?

They can pick anyone in theory but it would be a hard sell. The number of swing voters captured from the VP's party might not cover the number of loyalists lost - and voters would be quite confused.

[ArjunPandit]

Bah ! I heard about a guy who works in Lockheed/Raytheon/Boeing type defence company. All his colleagues and boss are hardcore trumpians. This guy is a hardcore cultural marxist, comes from a commie family. He hates Modi, Trump call them fascists, always votes dems. Back in office, 'Jai trump'.

taqiah at display. Dont most of us also do the reverse. Very few would know us, or rather at least me, as a ultra hyper nationalist, waiting for an opportunity of to precipitate annihilation of paxtan and collapse of china

[Rony]

True. Thats why we should not be surprised when we see Pramila jaypal (or Ro khanna) turned out to be what she is inspite of this

P. Jayapal has an MBA from North Western and worked at PaineWebber - it is quite incongruent that she turned an SJW.

[Vayutuvan]

So why the "But"?

Her district is very liberal and she has special empathy to the district.
Please research that.

In 2018, Ro Khanna beat GOP candidate with a 50% margin - 75% Ro Khanna vs. 25% Cohen of GOP. You might be having better special insight on the Fremont and 17th district of Ca.

[Rudradev]

Can Tandon and Sharma win?

Not a chance in hell.

Here's why.

Some non-deracinated Hindoos from CA-17 will switch support from Ro Khanna to Tandon over Khanna's Pakiness. Fine?

What Ro Khanna loses in erstwhile support from Hindu Americans, he will easily make up through the Woke crowd. In fact that has been virtually guaranteed to him by a powerful and motivated coalition which is already in place (had it not been in place, Ro Khanna would never have had the guts to exhibit such Pakistaniyat as he has recently done).

You should hear Suhag Shukla (recently on the Meru podcast) describe the kind of nexus that has taken root in coastal CA, between:

-The FOIL/FOSA Berkeley Haas crowd of Marxist South Asians who opposed the textbooks issue
-Khalistanis (including their ISI-sponsored propagandist Pietr whatever, whose hatchet-job article on Tulsi Gabbard Khanna retweeted in order to demonize "hindutva")
-Cryptos masquerading as Dalit/Ambedkarites
-Pakis masquerading as 'Kashmiris'

This front is far more threatening and far more coordinated than ever before. They will throw their entire weight behind Ro Khanna, bringing other ultra-left groups and Muslim groups along (as well as more than enough financial backing to make up for the DOOs Khanna loses).

So Tandon takes some Hindoo support away from Khanna. Khanna's backers will more than replace it with a lot of "Woke" support.

How will Tandon balance this? Will the non-Desi Republicans of Northern California (almost ALL of whom are V-DARE "Postmodern Conservatives", i.e. extremely anti-immigrant Alt-Right types in the manner of Mencius Moldbug and Peter Thiele) vote for a brown-skinned, non-Judeo-Christian Desi?

No way. Those guys hate Indian immigrants almost more than they hate Mexicans etc... H1Bs are their biggest bugbear of all. In fact, they would RATHER have Ro Khanna in place (as a loudmouth Dhimmicrat "ally" of Radical Islam and the Squad, he is valuable to them as a propaganda Goldstein... he makes Indian-Americans look bad by association, which serves their anti-H1B agenda very well).

Then you have the mainstream Nor Cal voter (college-educated, well-off, ethnically diverse, socially liberal libertarian) who sees no dog in the fight between Khanna and Tandon, and will default to Khanna because on the national scheme of things they would never vote Republican.

The math just doesn't add up for Tandon. I suspect it will be much the same for Sharma vs. Swalwell.

Don't waste your time or money expecting Khanna to be unseated by Tandon. If you have the cash to drop on making a 'statement', go ahead.

Far better, actually, to primary Khanna from within his own party, even by a rival who is not of Desi origin. (But, even that is probably useless. California in general is a lost cause).