It's Mueller Time!

[Trell]

At this point I’m going to bow out of this thread. This is just a waste of time and electrons. Some people here just refuse to flat out admit in what Trump’s campaign did was wrong ethically and in some instances legally criminal....

Yeah, I certainly understand your point of view, whence my "Giuliani, is that that you?" comment to one post.

 

[mtrycrafts]

... It might as well be used for toilet paper.

Is that extra strength or soft? I may do just that.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Do you think social media (the actual Facebook, Instagram, Twitter organizations, rather than the users) should have been able to filter comments from Russian sources that may have influenced voters?

Yes, absolutely and they have closed down a whole bunch of accounts but way too late.
And, of course, they were very narrowly targeted, thanks to those voter data handed over to them by the guy who is in jail for 7 years.

 

[mtrycrafts]

One of the most significant findings of Mueller's investigations was that the Trump campaign did indeed contact Russians during the 2016 election. Furthermore, they never reported anything about it to the FBI, or any other police. In fact, they tried to deny it, to the point of lying about it and obstructing legal investigations.

This was unquestionably illegal. Whether Trump and his staff understood it was illegal or not doesn't matter, they clearly tried to hide it from investigators.

That alone is enough to convince me he shouldn't be let off the hook. The tax evasion & financial fraud, such as lying to banks, investors, and creditors, etc. will only add fuel to the fire.

Shame on spineless GOP politicians, Fox news & their wanna-bes, and all the voters who fail to understand this.

And, not just a few contacts but in the hundreds. People forget all the document destruction, lying, 5th amendment, and on it goes.
Ignorance of the law is not an excuse, so I am told. So, they should be in jail. Maybe he can build a family jail cell for the family.

 

[mtrycrafts]

At this point I’m going to bow out of this thread. This is just a waste of time and electrons. S...

Didn't know there is an electron drought out there. Where do you store the saved ones for future use?

 

[Swerd]

… they should be in jail. Maybe he can build a family jail cell for the family.

I can see it now. A new and gleaming Trump Tower – a division of the Federal Bureau of Prisons .

 

[mtrycrafts]

And, as new revelations surfaces, report is getting partially unredacted. Flinn has audio of obstruction of justice. Maybe another attorney will lose his license forever over it. Keeps on giving.

 

[highfigh]

Yes, absolutely and they have closed down a whole bunch of accounts but way too late.
And, of course, they were very narrowly targeted, thanks to those voter data handed over to them by the guy who is in jail for 7 years.

This is what happens when a country has freedoms that aren't available in other places- they can be used against us. What's the alternative to free speech?

And why were Americans so easily swayed? THAT'S the real question. To me, part of the problem is with the way our elections are run- too long, too much bullshyte spread around and not enough time to digest/research everything that's out there. Then, there's the new thing of rolling out a freaking clown car, filled with candidates who couldn't win a grade school election.

 

[Swerd]

This is what happens when a country has freedoms that aren't available in other places- they can be used against us. What's the alternative to free speech?

"Free" speech as defined by the Supreme Court's decision on Citizens United vs. the FEC. That distortion of individual free speech created the conditions we have today, where whoever swings the biggest club (has the most money) wins. The Constitution spoke about the rights of individuals, but never defined individuals to include corporations, unions, and political action committees. We owe that distortion to Anthony "Strict Constructionist" Scalia.

And why were Americans so easily swayed? THAT'S the real question. To me, part of the problem is with the way our elections are run- too long, too much bullshyte spread around and not enough time to digest/research everything that's out there. Then, there's the new thing of rolling out a freaking clown car, filled with candidates who couldn't win a grade school election.

Our election seasons are way too long because there is too much money. The only clear beneficiaries of all that money are the way-too-numerous political consultants.

There is too much BS because there is way too much money. Think of Texas Ted Cruz and his last presidential primary campaign. Few voters liked him – most of his campaign efforts sounded plain irrational. They were never meant to appeal to voters, only to the very few well-heeled supporters who backed him. When they finally pulled the plug on cash for his campaign, he dropped out.

You can't complain about "freaking clown cars" without admitting that the GOP had their own clown car convoy during the run up to 2016. How can we forget Herman Cain or Rand Paul? Of course the winner of that demolition derby was the biggest freaking clown of them all – wearing an orange fright wig. Not only did he never win a grade school election, he failed to win the popular vote in a national election.

 

[highfigh]

"Free" speech as defined by the Supreme Court's decision on Citizens United vs. the FEC. That distortion of individual free speech created the conditions we have today, where whoever swings the biggest club (has the most money) wins. The Constitution spoke about the rights of individuals, but never defined individuals to include corporations, unions, and political action committees. We owe that distortion to Anthony "Strict Constructionist" Scalia.
Our election seasons are way too long because there is too much money. The only clear beneficiaries of all that money are the way-too-numerous political consultants.

There is too much BS because there is way too much money. Think of Texas Ted Cruz and his last presidential primary campaign. Few voters liked him – most of his campaign efforts sounded plain irrational. They were never meant to appeal to voters, only to the very few well-heeled supporters who backed him. When they finally pulled the plug on cash for his campaign, he dropped out.

You can't complain about "freaking clown cars" without admitting that the GOP had their own clown car convoy during the run up to 2016. Of course the winner of that demolition derby was the biggest freaking clown. Not only did he never win a grade school election, he failed to win the popular vote in a national election.

I was thinking of the normal use of 'free speech', not one that's created to suit a person or a group. It should be reversed.

The election seasons are too long because of money, but the length and expenditure could be defined- the problem is that neither party will do it.

You're reading too much into what I wrote- I used the plural for a reason. GOP did it last time, RNC is doing it now. They did it last time too, but not on such a grand scale.

Too many puppets and puppet masters.

 

[Swerd]

I actually agree with you on most all your points.

Except this one:

Too many puppets and puppet masters.

Make that:

Too many puppets and too few puppet masters. ​

 

[Trell]

...
The election seasons are too long because of money, but the length and expenditure could be defined- the problem is that neither party will do it. ...

With the House term of just two years an elected member must be in a continuous campaign mode.

 

[mtrycrafts]

...
And why were Americans so easily swayed? THAT'S the real question. ....

Yes, that is the real question. But human psychological warfare was at play. Targeted areas, and looked like real Americans
doing the messaging. Why do people fall for homeopathic, psychics, etc?
The message sent was easy to get attached to I suppose.

And, it seems not much is in play to stop this from happening in the future.

 

[mtrycrafts]

...Too many puppets and too few puppet masters. ​

I cannot afford to be a puppet master.

 

[highfigh]

I actually agree with you on most all your points.

Except this one:

Make that:

Too many puppets and too few puppet masters. ​

What are the DNC and GOP committees, if not puppet masters? They both made sure some candidates weren't electable.

Why would you want more puppet masters?

 

[highfigh]

Yes, that is the real question. But human psychological warfare was at play. Targeted areas, and looked like real Americans
doing the messaging. Why do people fall for homeopathic, psychics, etc?
The message sent was easy to get attached to I suppose.

And, it seems not much is in play to stop this from happening in the future.

Better education.

 

[highfigh]

With the House term of just two years an elected member must be in a continuous campaign mode.

I'm less concerned with the House- I mean for POTUS.

 

[Trell]

I'm less concerned with the House- I mean for POTUS.

That too

But even House elections are becoming more and more expensive, and from the other side of the pond the two year term seems awfully short. Not that I think the House term is going to change anytime soon.

 

[highfigh]

Yes, that is the real question. But human psychological warfare was at play. Targeted areas, and looked like real Americans
doing the messaging. Why do people fall for homeopathic, psychics, etc?
The message sent was easy to get attached to I suppose.

And, it seems not much is in play to stop this from happening in the future.

Part of the problem is that some real Americans DO post crap like that and I know some. Absolutely sure they're right and they know what's going on, yet they NEVER show anything that proves it. They use one media source and dump on anything posted in opposition. Name-calling and insulting people they know or were friends and thinking that an allegation is proof. When someone writes "I knew and said this a long time ago, I like to reply with "Prove it".

 

[highfigh]

That too

But even House elections are becoming more and more expensive, and from the other side of the pond the two year term seems awfully short. Not that I think the House term is going to change anytime soon.

I have a problem with two candidates spending more than $2 Billion to be elected to ANY position.

This link shows totals that are shameful- I'm not a big fan of government handouts, but we have people who aren't being helped and this would have gone a long way to do something for them.

Who was helped by the campaign spending? Mostly, lawyers, advertisers, shills and cronies.