Your 2024 Presidential Election Thread
- Thread starter Gunz
- Start date
I'm glad President Trump won. I voted for him. But it makes me sad that so many people are angry--no, enraged--by the result, and at me for having the temerity to exercise my basic American right to vote my conscience and choose the candidate I thought best aligned for what I thought was best for my family, for me, and for my country. I wouldn't do that to them. And yes, I can rationalize plenty of moral outrage against their candidate as well.
Although I know they would not return the favor, I'm not going to dunk on people who didn't want Trump to have another term. I'm not going to gloat. I'm not going to throw it in anyone's face. Anger feels good in the short term, but it's exhausting in the long term. My friends before the election are my friends after, unless they choose to abrogate our relationship on their own.
Although I know they would not return the favor, I'm not going to dunk on people who didn't want Trump to have another term. I'm not going to gloat. I'm not going to throw it in anyone's face. Anger feels good in the short term, but it's exhausting in the long term. My friends before the election are my friends after, unless they choose to abrogate our relationship on their own.
Topkick
Verified Military
I've always voted conservative and voted Trump every time. I have family on the west coast who despise Trump and always vote Democrat. Yup, I still love them dearly.
The mere fact that any friend or family would get so mad as to cuss or cut you off over a fucking politician is beyond comprehension. I just don't get it. Its fucking stupid and weak.
I didn't vote for Trump the first time he ran. My moral compass wouldn't allow it. But after seeing the way the political-media complex lined up against him--and every conservative--and served up lie after lie and hoax after hoax and terrible policy after terrible policy, I began to realize something.
It. Doesn't. Matter.
No major-party presidential candidate is ever going to live up to the moral expectations I have of myself, or that my fellow Soldiers and I had for each other. You don't get into those types of positions without carrying some type of scandal and/or moral failing, because we're all human and at that level, temptation abounds. I don't excuse it, I don't condone it. But at the national level, everything is amoral. We have the left and right limits of our Constitution and our political system. That's good enough. I would love to save a paragon of moral virtue in office, but that's never going to happen. So who's best-positioned to give me the results that I want? That's my (wo)man.
Topkick
Verified Military
I realized this in 1992 with William J. Clinton. Then Dick Cheney made me realize that lack of honor and integrity isn't partisan.
I was stunned that President Clinton didn't get fired for committing adultery and then lying about it under oath. I was very naive back then.
And then I noticed how many rich and powerful people across the political spectrum got away with things that the rest of us would get hemmed up over. Their world isn't our world and their rules aren't our rules. I'd like it to be different but it isn't.
I was completely disinterested in politics for most of my adult life. In fact, I never saw myself as anything other than an American and a service member until I was in grad school and my identity started to get constantly thrown in my face. And then I began to see myself as something else. I considered myself a centrist but was repeatedly told I couldn't be. I could be right (well, "left"), or I could be wrong (racist, misogynist, homophobic, check-your-privilege). I wasn't interested in politics, but politics sure was interested in me. It went a little like this:
But you know what really did it for me? It was the personal attacks. The casual contempt and the smug self-righteousness leveled against me for having a different opinion, or for simply asking honest questions. For being judged for what I look like, what I do, and where I come from. For being seen as the enemy, and the only type of person it's safe to satirize, smear, and degrade. The hypocrisy of it all.
You know what I noticed that they never did? They never asked "why." At least not in any intellectually-honest way. They didn't care. They only wanted to attack, to destroy. Because it felt good. But there's only so much of that one can take before defense turns to offense. We saw it unfold in real life. We saw it unfold on this site.
One of my favorite quotes from Maya Angelou is "“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” How do you think it made millions of Americans feel, for over a decade, of being told that they suck, that they're terrible people, that they're irredeemable because of the color of their skin or because of some other unearned "privilege?"
There's a saying often attributed to Muhammed Ali that sums up his his views about fighting in the Vietnam war. I can't quote it directly because it involves the one word that I, as a white man, can never say, even to simply repeat it in context:
Muhammad Ali - in his own words (in the section on "refusing to serve in the US Army")
Why did I vote for Trump? For many reasons. But to paraphrase Muhammed Ali, one of those reasons is "Trump never called me a racist/homophobe/misogynist/Nazi for ten straight goddamn years." Because I'm not any of those things, and I'm tired of getting told that I am.
ThunderHorse
Verified Military
So, what if I told you everyone complaining about Arizona and vote counts is an idiot...because California is even farther behind us.
Trump is only about 125k off his 2020 vote total. He probably ends up with more than that when this thing ends...but how am I to believe 10 million people stayed home? How many dead people in Michigan forgot to vote this time?
I'm not saying the county recorders committed fraud or anything...but the vice Mayor of my city will have federal election charges brought on his ass in a RICO case. Ballot harvesting piece of shit.
ETA: So, as of right now California is at 63% reporting. Utah: 79%, Arizona: 81%, Nevada: 95%. Everyone else shows 97-99% of APs thing, but the 99% really are 100%, they just are wussies I guess. So the number of "missing" votes will go down, but I do wonder...
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Topkick
Verified Military
I think most of us are closer to the middle than either far left, or far right. I Iean right but there are things about the right that absolutely infuriate me. However, the left has become a clown show and I can't take them seriously. Trump is not far right. He's closer to the center on policy, but that story doesn't get told.
The Quartermaster
Verified Military
- Joined
- May 3, 2020
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- 750
I had a big tl;dr wall of a rant, but all I am going to say is yes, all of that.
He is way more middle than on the right and no way he's far right.
ThunderHorse
Verified Military
Under Clinton the Democrats had moved very much to the middle, and Clinton is the most likeable politician this side of JFK. Then they demonized guys like Bush but when Obama ran he originally ran on a very middle of the road platform and he happened to also be a black man. During the Bush presidency the Democrats had perfected identity politics and dividing everyone into groups...but in such a way that it didn't hurt them. Well as I saw the unraveling in his [Obama's] second term as the foundations for the Squad were laid...and we started to see what all that trash was, just racism by another paint brush.
You see in the 90s and early 2000s race didn't seem to matter to me, heck the only prejudice I have is against West Pointers because as a group in my BOLC class were the laziest people I ever met. Marines? Hardest working officers I've ever met.
Anyways back to the point, as a Trump voter I got called a racist and all sorts of things. I, as a poor, mixed-race kid from Southern California would have never said those things. But then I remember back to 3rd class year at VMI, one of my best friends from High School called me a baby killer. But that's the rank and file Democrat. That is who runs the party. They have forgotten the middle, they have forgotten the working class, they ARE the establishment. Harris had 60% more billionaires back her. The Democratic party own the social institutions, the media, college campuses.
Anyway this is probably repetitive. But if you were going to RAGE against the machine...you voted Republican this time around.
ETA:
If there are people in the command structure who won't follow legal orders, and are currently conspiring against the president elect they need to resign or you know be brought up on charges.
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The Quartermaster
Verified Military
- Joined
- May 3, 2020
- Messages
- 750
I am so embarrassed to say this but, the DoD needs a purge. It's been a long time coming to admit it but they like the feds, need to be purged of all partisans. They are to serve the people and not for themselves, it's in the ricking oath on whom they are to follow orders from, they are not supposed to be more loyal to the parties they are being fascist with in loyalties to.
They are conspiring to mutiny. Unsat, full cease & desist. Controversial they say...like allowing Biden to give the Taliban weapons and blundering the Afghanistan pullout!? Un f'ing real!
They are conspiring to mutiny. Unsat, full cease & desist. Controversial they say...like allowing Biden to give the Taliban weapons and blundering the Afghanistan pullout!? Un f'ing real!
Topkick
Verified Military
When I look at the senior Military leadership in recent days, I am bedazzled at what's going on. You see a lot of "tabbed" leaders seemingly falling in line and focused on things other than warfighting. Milley was a political hack and and an embarrassment to my Army. The new SMA isn't very impressive either. Now, I'm old school, an advocate for high and tights and wool green blankets for all, so maybe I 'm out of touch. But, treat everyone green and train everyone to do their fucking job to a high standard and everything else will take care of itself. I've seen it work.
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Where I work we are very short staffed in my department. There is an employee in my department that has been a total flake since being hired but they/them shows up most days and at least does some work. They/them had to leave on Monday due being alarmed about the election the next day. Management allowed they/them to take off on election day due to this individual's mental health (or lack thereof). They/ them was then a no show no call for another 2 days. This happenstance put a lot of stress on others due to our schedule and number of patients. (Those of us affected were not asked about our mental health status or physical well-being). We were told yesterday that the/ them is not returning due to the fact that it can't live in a red state any longer. I want to thank all of my fellow Pennsylvanians that helped make this possible. God bless! 
That's okay, sir...I will gloat for both of us.
The best thing Trump can do, if he does nothing else for the next 4 years, it to fire every single FOGO. All of them. Every single one. Look at all of the O-6's who are about to be promoted and ask them if they want to FAFO, is that Lockheed job more important than our country.
Dr. Strange can compute all 14 million or whatever possible outcomes and it will still never happen, but that's what it will take to fix the DoD. Remove the entire tumor and the surviving flesh will remember how to grow.
ETA: spelling
Dr. Strange can compute all 14 million or whatever possible outcomes and it will still never happen, but that's what it will take to fix the DoD. Remove the entire tumor and the surviving flesh will remember how to grow.
ETA: spelling
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