Your 2024 Presidential Election Thread

[Marauder06]

Somehow missed this was announced! Apparently he also retired from the Army recently, so no weirdness regarding his position.

Yeah, "weirdness about his Army position" was the other Wal(t)z.

 

[Topkick]

Yeah, "weirdness about his Army position" was the other Wal(t)z.

Possibly the Army's first E-8 CSM ever, quite an achievement!

 

[The Quartermaster]

Possibly the Army's first E-8 CSM ever, quite an achievement!

...Who lost to an E-4.

 

[Marauder06]

The Democrats paired the worst presidential candidate they could have given us with perhaps the worst veteran VP they could have. There are PLENTY of ultra-lib veterans out there with solid service records. They should have picked one of them.

 

[Marauder06]

Wait, is this real?

 

[The Quartermaster]

The Democrats paired the worst presidential candidate they could have given us with perhaps the worst veteran VP they could have. There are PLENTY of ultra-lib veterans out there with solid service records. They should have picked one of them.

I served with an ultra lib vet. Got sent home from Iraq for stress issues about being in Iraq and was against his conscience or some other BS excuse. UMASS Amherst, an academia intelligentsia type. Obama was his president at the time. He never left Anaconda at all.

It was my best deployment ever, training IA on maintenance supply procedures using our current system back then of unit level, shop offices, and SPO MATO collecting information for the BN and above commanders. Other than the 107mm hitting the T wall next to my room in H5 area while I was sleeping, that was it.

Just what he was supposed to be disturbed by, is beyond explanation. He was an orderly 45 series clerk. His posts after the Army going back to Amherst was interesting. Even our former Top who's a Libertarian had to tell him to knock it off in the page for our company, haha.

 

[RackMaster]

Wait, is this real?

View attachment 46212

From what I've seen, yes.

 

[Muppet]

@Marauder06

 

[Blizzard]

So, Pete Hegseth named Secretary of Defense. I have no idea who he is....

Edit: Pete Hegseth - Wikipedia

I don't know him personally, nor have I ever met him. But, FWIW, I reached out to a buddy, who's opinion I respect and was at GITMO with MNARNG in 03/04. He knows him and says he's a great guy; perfect choice. I guess he was recently on the Shawn Ryan podcast. I haven't listened to it but will check it out.

 

[ThunderHorse]

Alright this begs the question, he's currently a Major in the MN NG and there are rules for this sort of thing when being selected for that job last I knew, active and reserve or NG.

And Tim Walz is his current commander in chief, dis gonna be good!

He's on IRR, probably even makes LTC on IRR as a way to coax him back after his time a SECDEF. YOLO. Army's recruiting and retention woes be wilding right now.

With at least Waltz and Stefanik leaving congress, it's a lot closer in the house unless these seats are filled with R's. Interesting to see what happens here.

These will be filled by appointments in the interim, they're supposed to be partisan. Waltz is easy, DeSantis is his governor. But Hochul? She's as crazy a rights stealing lib as Cuomo, wouldn't put it past her...Would need to read both state constitutions to know if there has to be a special election to replace them.

 

[Cookie_]

He's on IRR, probably even makes LTC on IRR as a way to coax him back after his time a SECDEF. YOLO. Army's recruiting and retention woes be wilding right now.



These will be filled by appointments in the interim, they're supposed to be partisan. Waltz is easy, DeSantis is his governor. But Hochul? She's as crazy a rights stealing lib as Cuomo, wouldn't put it past her...Would need to read both state constitutions to know if there has to be a special election to replace them.

Waltz was preceded in his district by DeSantis, so that will for sure stay red.

IIRC NY does special elections for vacated seats. I remember there being one when George Santos got expelled. Idk what district Stefanik is in, so no idea how easy an R for R swap would be.

 

[Locksteady]

Wait, is this real?

View attachment 46212

And there is no way on God's green that Elon didn't choose the acronym.

 

[compforce]

And there is no way on God's green that Elon didn't choose the acronym.

He did. They talked about it in the Rogan interview.

@Marauder06 In addition to what is stated in that release, he also talked about reducing or eliminating governmental agencies that have gone beyond the explicit laws they have been empowered to perform by adding "rules" and "interpretations". I think they are going to have their hands full getting much done between now and 2026 given the size and complexity of the government. Ever seen someone try to eliminate a government position or department? Maybe with the office of President and a Republican House and Senate. If the Democrats end up with the House, I think very little will get done.

It's worth watching the Rogan interview if you haven't seen it.

 

[AWP]

The House and Senate might go along with some cuts to gov't positions, but broad, deep cuts will be opposed because there are too many jobs at stake. Today's Red district is tomorrow's Blue district if you start putting people out of work. Some agencies will backfill cut GS positions with contractors and now you're paying more over the long haul.

 

[Devildoc]

Glad you watch mate. One point that had puzzled me is the polls. Here it was seen as always neck n neck or within the 2% margin of error. How could the pollsters miss such a landslide?

Most polls this time around were actually pretty accurate. Interestingly, ironically, the ones that were not had skewed left with a left bias. I dug into the methodology of one and it was so retarded, it violated 'valid sampling' from stats 101.

Topically regarding Pete Hegseth, I am really lukewarm. Aside from some finance work and Fox punditry he really hasn't done anything. No doubt he is smart, but just inexperienced with leading organizations. But I was high on Mattis and looked how he turned out, so what do I know?

 

[Cookie_]

Today's Red district is tomorrow's Blue district if you start putting people out of work.

People routinely vote for things because they think it will only affect other people, then change their tune when it impacts them. My favorite was This story out of Flordia regarding ICE raids on hospitality businesses.

When federal immigration authorities arrived at his Sand Key restaurant in Clearwater in 2021 to find outdated and noncompliant work documents for 19 of his employees, he was forced to fire them all — including seven people who had worked with his family for decades....

“I’m very proud of Gov. DeSantis and everything he’s done. I really am,’’ said Gonzmart, a lifelong Republican. “It gave everybody confidence and that’s why so many people are moving here…But my concern is the governor putting in a law that says those who have an expired driver’s license cannot renew it because they’re no longer legal. They cannot work. Their papers are no longer legal.”...

Many of his employees, especially those working in the kitchens and “back of the house” are fathers, sons and brothers, Gonzmart said. So when immigration officials told him the I-9 forms of his most loyal employees were not in compliance and he would have to fire them, he resisted. “I told them I wouldn’t let them go and they threatened to arrest me,’’ he recalled. “I said, ‘That’s a good idea. Why don’t you all come and arrest me? But let me know when, so I can have cameras here!’ Then, they sent me a $500,000 fine, and I let them go.”...

Meanwhile, Gonzmart said the incident “almost put us out of business,’’ and while customer demand has rebounded from the pandemic, the inability to find enough new staff has forced him to suspend his catering services and reduce restaurant hours.

Take that and apply it Nationwide to not only fed employees, but the communities around fed work areas, recipients of fed programs they propose cuts to (SS/SNAP/VA), etc.

Musk said that all Americans will "have to go through temporary hardship" and implied there will be an economic downturn, so we'll see how it works. Like this article points out, cutting 2 trillion would likely impact SS, medicare/caid or other health insurance, and defense; all areas people really push back on reductions.
Also mentions how Trump has developmental plans for defense/manufacturing that require even more spending to achieve.

 

[Cookie_]

Topically regarding Pete Hegseth, I am really lukewarm.

There are "this person is a R/D who is qualified for the role" picks and "this person is a R/D who fills a specific political goal".

This guy is seems to be more of the second choice given some of his stances.

Doesn't mean he won't do good, but I don't he think chosen for his experience.

 

[Devildoc]

There are "this person is a R/D who is qualified for the role" picks and "this person is a R/D who fills a specific political goal".

This guy is seems to be more of the second choice given some of his stances.

Doesn't mean he won't do good, but I don't he think chosen for his experience.

I think having some military experience is helpful just so you know the culture and have a little street cred, but I can also see where being a FOGO or a career guy could be a detriment: already in the old boys club, secret handshakes and all. I think the perfect secretary of anything is someone with a modicum of knowledge about that organization, shares and can communicate POTUS's vision and values, and can lead a large organization.

 

[Topkick]

Hegseth has said a lot and it's all out there for all to hear. Among those things, he doesn't believe women should serve in combat MOS's. Agree or not, not sure he can put the toothpaste back in that tube. He's also stated that he would fire the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and every other woke general. We'll see how handles his history of smack talking.

 

[Devildoc]

Hegseth has said a lot and it's all out there for all to hear. Among those things, he doesn't believe women should serve in combat MOS's. Agree or not, not sure he can put the toothpaste back in that tube. He's also stated that he would fire the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and every other woke general. We'll see how handles his history of smack talking.

Don't the chairman and the others get appointed by the president? If so, the SECDEF has a strong relationship with POTUS and I am sure POTUS would give his recommendations some weight.