Your 2024 Presidential Election Thread

[ThunderHorse]

Honestly it is very interesting how the wokes in the sports world are just crumbling because of Trump. These idiots, and anyone on Blue Sky or an equivalent? Mastadon? Actively cheered on the throttling of truthful content and breaking news that was not ideologically aligned...and now they are complaining about the direction of twitter and leaving? Honestly, it would be better if they all just left the country while we're at. Their citizenship can be granted to an illegal once they've been vetted for any criminal record. I know, I know, hyperbolic and stuff...but read this stupid article.

Sports media's migration from X to Bluesky has accelerated post-election

Literally in my morning SBJ, this guy announced he was deactivating his twitter account and then said go read this article on awful announcing. So, only left wing social platforms are a place of free speech? You know places where they come at you for wrong think, such a bizarro world.

 

[The Quartermaster]

The same party that calls anything not supporting their narratives as racist, will of course call thought controlled speech as freedom unless one has a different opinion. This is a thought reforming tool. It's social engineering just like eliminating white and heterosexual males in same race with white female couples or strong alpha roles in ads and in most cases TV shows.

 

[amlove21]

Watching this thread has been great. Let's talk about these appointments!!!

If you didn't want Hegseth at SECDEF, you shouldn't have let Austin violate the Constitution and uphold unlawful orders. Cry about it.

Suppose you didn't want Bobby Kennedy at HHS. In that case, you shouldn't have appointed a dude masquerading as a woman, calling himself an admiral, and allowed big pharma to poison our food, water, and children with impunity. Cry about it.

If you didn't want Elon and Vivek gutting the federal government, you shouldn't have made it the gluttonous blob of unelected bureaucrats it is today. Cry about it.

If you didn't want Tulsi at DNI, you shouldn't have weaponized the national intelligence community for political gain. She went from having plain clothes agents with dogs follow her around the airport to head of DNI. Cry about it.

If you didn't want Gaetz as AG, you should have used some of your misguided "morals and ethics" while Merrick Garland took a shit on the Constitution. And save me the sex trafficking nonsense- no one leveling these claims gave a shit about kids until now. No charges against Gaetz, and you know damn well that if there was *any* way to prosecute him, they would have. Fucking cry harder.

Also, specifically on why he resigned, y'all don't find it odd that Trump goes to Washington, has a couple of meetings with Johnson, and the new speaker, then taps Gaetz, who said on stage that he and Trump "had a secret", then Gaetz immediately resigns? It seems like there was a move in the play, does it not? Maybe Trump said, "I know he's a pain in your side. What if I told you he's out of here? All it takes is a confirmation hearing." No? Nothing? What about a recess appointment? Anyone? Beuller? Gaetz is getting confirmed as AG.


And now for something completely different.


Elections have consequences. No one cares what the internet thinks is "a good pick" or not. Trump has changed everything about this early administration, showing he learned from 2016. When people like John Bolton and the MSM and Big Pharma and woke generals are terrified? Good. That's the point.

And just so we are clear here- I see some talk about "bringing people to the table" and "now that the election is over, we need to bring back discourse" and the like. I want to elucidate my position.

Fuck you. No. There is only one scenario in which I would like to "bring people to the table," and it's to show them the decapitated heads of the previous people I brought to the table as a warning.

You don't win a war by winning one battle and then being nice (see; every war we have lost the last 50 years). You win a war by putting your enemies heads on pikes and breeding them out of existence. If you don't see this as a war, you're exactly who I am talking to.

***If you internalized any of the above, this is a "you" issue, so please reflect on self and don't bother replying to me. I am not the one that made you sad, you are.

 

[The Quartermaster]

Watching this thread has been great. Let's talk about these appointments!!!

If you didn't want Hegseth at SECDEF, you shouldn't have let Austin violate the Constitution and uphold unlawful orders. Cry about it.

Suppose you didn't want Bobby Kennedy at HHS. In that case, you shouldn't have appointed a dude masquerading as a woman, calling himself an admiral, and allowed big pharma to poison our food, water, and children with impunity. Cry about it.

If you didn't want Elon and Vivek gutting the federal government, you shouldn't have made it the gluttonous blob of unelected bureaucrats it is today. Cry about it.

If you didn't want Tulsi at DNI, you shouldn't have weaponized the national intelligence community for political gain. She went from having plain clothes agents with dogs follow her around the airport to head of DNI. Cry about it.

If you didn't want Gaetz as AG, you should have used some of your misguided "morals and ethics" while Merrick Garland took a shit on the Constitution. And save me the sex trafficking nonsense- no one leveling these claims gave a shit about kids until now. No charges against Gaetz, and you know damn well that if there was *any* way to prosecute him, they would have. Fucking cry harder.

Also, specifically on why he resigned, y'all don't find it odd that Trump goes to Washington, has a couple of meetings with Johnson, and the new speaker, then taps Gaetz, who said on stage that he and Trump "had a secret", then Gaetz immediately resigns? It seems like there was a move in the play, does it not? Maybe Trump said, "I know he's a pain in your side. What if I told you he's out of here? All it takes is a confirmation hearing." No? Nothing? What about a recess appointment? Anyone? Beuller? Gaetz is getting confirmed as AG.


And now for something completely different.


Elections have consequences. No one cares what the internet thinks is "a good pick" or not. Trump has changed everything about this early administration, showing he learned from 2016. When people like John Bolton and the MSM and Big Pharma and woke generals are terrified? Good. That's the point.

And just so we are clear here- I see some talk about "bringing people to the table" and "now that the election is over, we need to bring back discourse" and the like. I want to elucidate my position.

Fuck you. No. There is only one scenario in which I would like to "bring people to the table," and it's to show them the decapitated heads of the previous people I brought to the table as a warning.

You don't win a war by winning one battle and then being nice (see; every war we have lost the last 50 years). You win a war by putting your enemies heads on pikes and breeding them out of existence. If you don't see this as a war, you're exactly who I am talking to.

***If you internalized any of the above, this is a "you" issue, so please reflect on self and don't bother replying to me. I am not the one that made you sad, you are.

 

[Muppet]

Watching this thread has been great. Let's talk about these appointments!!!

If you didn't want Hegseth at SECDEF, you shouldn't have let Austin violate the Constitution and uphold unlawful orders. Cry about it.

Suppose you didn't want Bobby Kennedy at HHS. In that case, you shouldn't have appointed a dude masquerading as a woman, calling himself an admiral, and allowed big pharma to poison our food, water, and children with impunity. Cry about it.

If you didn't want Elon and Vivek gutting the federal government, you shouldn't have made it the gluttonous blob of unelected bureaucrats it is today. Cry about it.

If you didn't want Tulsi at DNI, you shouldn't have weaponized the national intelligence community for political gain. She went from having plain clothes agents with dogs follow her around the airport to head of DNI. Cry about it.

If you didn't want Gaetz as AG, you should have used some of your misguided "morals and ethics" while Merrick Garland took a shit on the Constitution. And save me the sex trafficking nonsense- no one leveling these claims gave a shit about kids until now. No charges against Gaetz, and you know damn well that if there was *any* way to prosecute him, they would have. Fucking cry harder.

Also, specifically on why he resigned, y'all don't find it odd that Trump goes to Washington, has a couple of meetings with Johnson, and the new speaker, then taps Gaetz, who said on stage that he and Trump "had a secret", then Gaetz immediately resigns? It seems like there was a move in the play, does it not? Maybe Trump said, "I know he's a pain in your side. What if I told you he's out of here? All it takes is a confirmation hearing." No? Nothing? What about a recess appointment? Anyone? Beuller? Gaetz is getting confirmed as AG.


And now for something completely different.


Elections have consequences. No one cares what the internet thinks is "a good pick" or not. Trump has changed everything about this early administration, showing he learned from 2016. When people like John Bolton and the MSM and Big Pharma and woke generals are terrified? Good. That's the point.

And just so we are clear here- I see some talk about "bringing people to the table" and "now that the election is over, we need to bring back discourse" and the like. I want to elucidate my position.

Fuck you. No. There is only one scenario in which I would like to "bring people to the table," and it's to show them the decapitated heads of the previous people I brought to the table as a warning.

You don't win a war by winning one battle and then being nice (see; every war we have lost the last 50 years). You win a war by putting your enemies heads on pikes and breeding them out of existence. If you don't see this as a war, you're exactly who I am talking to.

***If you internalized any of the above, this is a "you" issue, so please reflect on self and don't bother replying to me. I am not the one that made you sad, you are.

 

[Muppet]

Watching this thread has been great. Let's talk about these appointments!!!

If you didn't want Hegseth at SECDEF, you shouldn't have let Austin violate the Constitution and uphold unlawful orders. Cry about it.

Suppose you didn't want Bobby Kennedy at HHS. In that case, you shouldn't have appointed a dude masquerading as a woman, calling himself an admiral, and allowed big pharma to poison our food, water, and children with impunity. Cry about it.

If you didn't want Elon and Vivek gutting the federal government, you shouldn't have made it the gluttonous blob of unelected bureaucrats it is today. Cry about it.

If you didn't want Tulsi at DNI, you shouldn't have weaponized the national intelligence community for political gain. She went from having plain clothes agents with dogs follow her around the airport to head of DNI. Cry about it.

If you didn't want Gaetz as AG, you should have used some of your misguided "morals and ethics" while Merrick Garland took a shit on the Constitution. And save me the sex trafficking nonsense- no one leveling these claims gave a shit about kids until now. No charges against Gaetz, and you know damn well that if there was *any* way to prosecute him, they would have. Fucking cry harder.

Also, specifically on why he resigned, y'all don't find it odd that Trump goes to Washington, has a couple of meetings with Johnson, and the new speaker, then taps Gaetz, who said on stage that he and Trump "had a secret", then Gaetz immediately resigns? It seems like there was a move in the play, does it not? Maybe Trump said, "I know he's a pain in your side. What if I told you he's out of here? All it takes is a confirmation hearing." No? Nothing? What about a recess appointment? Anyone? Beuller? Gaetz is getting confirmed as AG.


And now for something completely different.


Elections have consequences. No one cares what the internet thinks is "a good pick" or not. Trump has changed everything about this early administration, showing he learned from 2016. When people like John Bolton and the MSM and Big Pharma and woke generals are terrified? Good. That's the point.

And just so we are clear here- I see some talk about "bringing people to the table" and "now that the election is over, we need to bring back discourse" and the like. I want to elucidate my position.

Fuck you. No. There is only one scenario in which I would like to "bring people to the table," and it's to show them the decapitated heads of the previous people I brought to the table as a warning.

You don't win a war by winning one battle and then being nice (see; every war we have lost the last 50 years). You win a war by putting your enemies heads on pikes and breeding them out of existence. If you don't see this as a war, you're exactly who I am talking to.

***If you internalized any of the above, this is a "you" issue, so please reflect on self and don't bother replying to me. I am not the one that made you sad, you are.

 

[Box]

I fully acknowledge that the pendulum ALWAYS swings back the other way, The thing is, in all of my adult life, there always seems to be one side of the sociopolitical spectrum that maximizes their time in the sun – and it ISN’T conservative republicans. I'm pretty sure if President -Elect Donald Trump announced that he was going to have a bald headed dude sporting bright orange lipstick, high heels, and a red dress serving in a prominent role ANYWHERE in his administration - those cackling broads on The View and every other mainstream media outlet would be screaming at the clouds. The establishment would already be wailing for common sense intervention to keep the emotionally distraught orange man out of office.
There will be no "media honeymoon" the next time they get an opportunity to imprison the opposition. There won't be any smart assed "Amen and Awomen" when they open the congress - it will be an immediate brush fire. It is time for a reckoning in our political system.
Shit - we might as well credit Trump with a 3rd impeachment because you ALL know its coming.

In fact, our current “culture war” brings to mind this crazy Italian dude that wrote a book about this kind of shit way way way back in the mid-1500's…

“People should either be caressed or crushed. If you do them minor damage, they will get their revenge; but if you cripple them there is nothing they can do. If you need to injure someone, do it in such a way that you do not have to fear their vengeance.” - Niccolo Machiavelli

 

[Steve1839]

I've been thinking about the cabinet appointments, and while I agree with the concept that a President should have a cabinet that will facilitate his vision, I am uncomfortable with the notion of recess appointments. It avoids, in my opinion, the process whereby the Senate can lend its advise and consent on those individuals. It gives them cover and absolves them of accountability. Granted, if the President has a majority in the Senate, confirmation is certainly likely. But there is a likelihood that something could come out of a hearing that would give both the Senate and the President pause, and perhaps, avoid a poor or even catastrophic appointment.

 

[amlove21]

I've been thinking about the cabinet appointments, and while I agree with the concept that a President should have a cabinet that will facilitate his vision, I am uncomfortable with the notion of recess appointments. It avoids, in my opinion, the process whereby the Senate can lend its advise and consent on those individuals. It gives them cover and absolves them of accountability. Granted, if the President has a majority in the Senate, confirmation is certainly likely. But there is a likelihood that something could come out of a hearing that would give both the Senate and the President pause, and perhaps, avoid a poor or even catastrophic appointment.

It's a big swing from the executive branch; but it's also constitutionally valid and well within the power of the branch.

 

[Gunz]

Watching this thread has been great. Let's talk about these appointments!!!

If you didn't want Hegseth at SECDEF, you shouldn't have let Austin violate the Constitution and uphold unlawful orders. Cry about it.

Suppose you didn't want Bobby Kennedy at HHS. In that case, you shouldn't have appointed a dude masquerading as a woman, calling himself an admiral, and allowed big pharma to poison our food, water, and children with impunity. Cry about it.

If you didn't want Elon and Vivek gutting the federal government, you shouldn't have made it the gluttonous blob of unelected bureaucrats it is today. Cry about it.

If you didn't want Tulsi at DNI, you shouldn't have weaponized the national intelligence community for political gain. She went from having plain clothes agents with dogs follow her around the airport to head of DNI. Cry about it.

If you didn't want Gaetz as AG, you should have used some of your misguided "morals and ethics" while Merrick Garland took a shit on the Constitution. And save me the sex trafficking nonsense- no one leveling these claims gave a shit about kids until now. No charges against Gaetz, and you know damn well that if there was *any* way to prosecute him, they would have. Fucking cry harder.

Also, specifically on why he resigned, y'all don't find it odd that Trump goes to Washington, has a couple of meetings with Johnson, and the new speaker, then taps Gaetz, who said on stage that he and Trump "had a secret", then Gaetz immediately resigns? It seems like there was a move in the play, does it not? Maybe Trump said, "I know he's a pain in your side. What if I told you he's out of here? All it takes is a confirmation hearing." No? Nothing? What about a recess appointment? Anyone? Beuller? Gaetz is getting confirmed as AG.


And now for something completely different.


Elections have consequences. No one cares what the internet thinks is "a good pick" or not. Trump has changed everything about this early administration, showing he learned from 2016. When people like John Bolton and the MSM and Big Pharma and woke generals are terrified? Good. That's the point.

And just so we are clear here- I see some talk about "bringing people to the table" and "now that the election is over, we need to bring back discourse" and the like. I want to elucidate my position.

Fuck you. No. There is only one scenario in which I would like to "bring people to the table," and it's to show them the decapitated heads of the previous people I brought to the table as a warning.

You don't win a war by winning one battle and then being nice (see; every war we have lost the last 50 years). You win a war by putting your enemies heads on pikes and breeding them out of existence. If you don't see this as a war, you're exactly who I am talking to.

***If you internalized any of the above, this is a "you" issue, so please reflect on self and don't bother replying to me. I am not the one that made you sad, you are.

 

[Blizzard]

I've been thinking about the cabinet appointments, and while I agree with the concept that a President should have a cabinet that will facilitate his vision, I am uncomfortable with the notion of recess appointments. It avoids, in my opinion, the process whereby the Senate can lend its advise and consent on those individuals. It gives them cover and absolves them of accountability. Granted, if the President has a majority in the Senate, confirmation is certainly likely. But there is a likelihood that something could come out of a hearing that would give both the Senate and the President pause, and perhaps, avoid a poor or even catastrophic appointment.

Concur.

It might be one thing if someone like Gaetz was a resounding stand up guy. That doesn't really seem to be the case. Like I eluded to in an earlier post, they may not have found the fire, but there's a shit ton of smoke.

There are a ton of other (better) options out there. What does Gaetz really bring to the table? Spare us all and select someone that doesn't come with all the drama.

 

[amlove21]

Concur.

It might be one thing if someone like Gaetz was a resounding stand up guy. That doesn't really seem to be the case. Like I eluded to in an earlier post, they may not have found the fire, but there's a shit ton of smoke.

There are a ton of other (better) options out there. What does Gaetz really bring to the table? Spare us all and select someone that doesn't come with all the drama.

This is a serious question—why do you think anyone needs to be a "good person" to be a politician? Can you name a good, moral person in politics and explain how that matters at all?

This line of reasoning is *maddening* to me. I can "whattaboutism" this ad nauseum, but I think it'll be a bit more fruitful to try and understand why this sort of requirement exists, at least for you.

 

[Box]

Can you name a good, moral person in politics and explain how that matters at all?

I thought that is why we elected Joe Biden?
...because he would bring morality and decency back to the White House

Are you suggesting that Hillary, Barack, Chuck, Nancy, and even Richard Burr might not be good moral people?
You are blowing my mind with that last post !!!

I suppose your next post is going to claim that Pro Wrestling is just staged acrobatics...

 

[Muppet]

 

[Blizzard]

This is a serious question—why do you think anyone needs to be a "good person" to be a politician? Can you name a good, moral person in politics and explain how that matters at all?

This line of reasoning is *maddening* to me. I can "whattaboutism" this ad nauseum, but I think it'll be a bit more fruitful to try and understand why this sort of requirement exists, at least for you.

I didn't say they need to be a "good person", just that there are better choices. Everyone has flaws. Certianly, some flaws are more palatable than others. We don't need perfection, but there should still be a drive toward excellence and integrity.

Like I asked in my previous post, what unique skill set or trait does Gaetz bring to the table that can't be gained from another candidate with out his significant baggage? Aside from utter disdain from liberals, and a fair amount of conservatives as well, I don't see anything. He makes for an entertaining soundbite now and then but so do others.

Given the choice, I'd choose the option without the drama everyday of the week and twice on Sundays.

What about Gaetz do you find so compelling?

 

[amlove21]

I didn't say they need to be a "good person", just that there are better choices. Everyone has flaws. Certianly, some flaws are more palatable than others. We don't need perfection, but there should still be a drive toward excellence and integrity.

Like I asked in my previous post, what unique skill set or trait does Gaetz bring to the table that can't be gained from another candidate with out his significant baggage? Aside from utter disdain from liberals, and a fair amount of conservatives as well, I don't see anything. He makes for an entertaining soundbite now and then but so do others.

Given the choice, I'd choose the option without the drama everyday of the week and twice on Sundays.

What about Gaetz do you find so compelling?

This is super interesting. Why do they need a "drive toward excellence and integrity"?

Gaetz's willingness to kill sacred cows, his youth, and his loyalty to the movement are the easy top three. He's an adept lawyer, good on the mic, and willing to be the sweeping change agent. That's literally it. I do not care about him in any other regard because he is a politician, and they're all garbage—every one of them.

But I need them to do a job, and in this context (not some weird world where politics isn't exactly what it is now, in this timeline, where people are good and moral public servants that just want to help their fellow man) he is the tool for the job. He is going to do exactly what Trump directs him to do, and we OVERWHELMINGLY elected Trump to do a job. Who cares about baggage? Who cares about avoiding drama? They made gang rape allegations about Kavanaugh.

I am Jack's complete and total disregard for the fake outrage over this one. Every single Trump appointee should be immediately confirmed, and any Republicans that vote against them should be primaried and stripped of their committee assignments.

 

[Blizzard]

This is super interesting. Why do they need a "drive toward excellence and integrity"?

Gaetz's willingness to kill sacred cows, his youth, and his loyalty to the movement are the easy top three. He's an adept lawyer, good on the mic, and willing to be the sweeping change agent. That's literally it. I do not care about him in any other regard because he is a politician, and they're all garbage—every one of them.

But I need them to do a job, and in this context (not some weird world where politics isn't exactly what it is now, in this timeline, where people are good and moral public servants that just want to help their fellow man) he is the tool for the job. He is going to do exactly what Trump directs him to do, and we OVERWHELMINGLY elected Trump to do a job. Who cares about baggage? Who cares about avoiding drama? They made gang rape allegations about Kavanaugh.

I am Jack's complete and total disregard for the fake outrage over this one. Every single Trump appointee should be immediately confirmed, and any Republicans that vote against them should be primaried and stripped of their committee assignments.

Speaking to some of the bold items...

Do you want a drive toward mediocrity? I doubt it. It's MAGA, not MAMA.

We don't regain/retain or place at the top without doing it better than others. Without integrity as some sort of guardrail, actions and progress will always be hindered. Look no further than social issues of the past several years, most notably the Covid nonsense and the lack of integrity associated with many of the policies. Policy and process must have integrity to be accepted.

As for Gaetz, specifically, why is his youth (relative - he's 42) important? Is no one else willing to kill sacred cows or be loyal to the movement? Not another state AG, US attorney, county attorney...no one, anywhere?

You state you need a tool for the job. Fair enough. Wouldn't you want the tool that's most effective with the least amount of resistance? i.e. I can frame a building with a hammer and nail, but I can do it a whole lot faster and easier with a pneumatic nail gun.

Gaetz is going to face obstacles even from those in his own party. He put a target on himself. I'm all about GSD; getting shit done. The same job can be done with a better tool that doesn't bring the drama. Drama creates noise and noise becomes an unnecessary distraction. The goal should be to take away that ammunition and minimize those opportunities.

 

[amlove21]

Speaking to some of the bold items...

Do you want a drive toward mediocrity? I doubt it. It's MAGA, not MAMA.

We don't regain/retain or place at the top without doing it better than others. Without integrity as some sort of guardrail, actions and progress will always be hindered. Look no further than social issues of the past several years, most notably the Covid nonsense and the lack of integrity associated with many of the policies. Policy and process must have integrity to be accepted.

As for Gaetz, specifically, why is his youth (relative - he's 42) important? Is no one else willing to kill sacred cows or be loyal to the movement? Not another state AG, US attorney, county attorney...no one, anywhere?

You state you need a tool for the job. Fair enough. Wouldn't you want a tool that's most effective with the least amount of resistance? i.e. I can frame a building with a hammer and nail, but I can do it a whole lot faster and easier with a pneumatic nailer. Gaetz is going to face obstacles even from those in his own party. He has a target on himself. I'm all about GSD; getting shit done. The same job can be done with a better tool that doesn't bring the drama. Drama creates noise and noise becomes an unnecessary distraction. The goal should be to minimize those opportunities.

Yeah, so your comment is precisely what I meant in my earlier comment, and that's what led to my question. I think you're willingly discounting reality to favor some idealistic political utopia. I am unwilling to play that game- because I am old enough to remember caring about things like integrity, excellence, drive, and honor- to watch all of that get shit on. 2020, 2022, the last 8 years we (conservatives) really cared about "integrity" and we won a game no one else was playing. And the real game- politics- we got our shit kicked in.

Policy and process don't have to have integrity to be accepted; you've begged the question here. Your example eats your point. 8k service members were kicked out and had their lives ruined over the vaccine mandate. That policy and that process were both accepted. So... they had integrity? Or, and this is going to be crazy here, but follow me- what if the output (policy/process) has absolutely zero to do with integrity and much more to do with the levers of power you're wielding at the time of inception and formalization of the policy/process?

The boomer generation has held power for WAY too long; Pelosi, Biden, Trump, McConnell, et al; should have been replaced 20 years ago. Every appointment Trump has made has gone to a younger individual. This is a central theme of everything he is doing because if there is one thing Trump is good at, it's reading the tea leaves and getting a pulse on America. Youth is not only extremely important, it's become a central theme and for good reason. The (literally) old guard has to go. They're out of touch and hold too much power for the way things were. No more, and that's why youth is relevant here. It's literally *because* he is young and understands the internet and social media and soundbites. because like it or not- that's the game. That's *how we won the election*.

As for the other stuff, I will ask again- who? It's not like there is some contingent of people that have a better candidate; they don't like Gaetz. Are you just anti-Gaetz, or are you bringing another option to the discussion? Because I don't care if you don't wanna use the hammer; you don't have a pneumatic nail gun, either, you just think the hammer sucks.

 

[Topkick]

The boomer generation has held power for WAY too long;

This is where I'm at. We've, by design, settled for "meet the new boss, same as the old boss" for as long as I can remember. Bush, Clinton, Cheney, Pelosi, Biden, McCain, Yada Yada Yada. Integrity? Nah. They are the uniparty, ruling class and it's time to drain that swamp and see what some new people can do. I don't know if Gaetz gets confirmed, but I hope so.

 

[Blizzard]

Yeah, so your comment is precisely what I meant in my earlier comment, and that's what led to my question. I think you're willingly discounting reality to favor some idealistic political utopia. I am unwilling to play that game- because I am old enough to remember caring about things like integrity, excellence, drive, and honor- to watch all of that get shit on. 2020, 2022, the last 8 years we (conservatives) really cared about "integrity" and we won a game no one else was playing. And the real game- politics- we got our shit kicked in.

Policy and process don't have to have integrity to be accepted; you've begged the question here. Your example eats your point. 8k service members were kicked out and had their lives ruined over the vaccine mandate. That policy and that process were both accepted. So... they had integrity? Or, and this is going to be crazy here, but follow me- what if the output (policy/process) has absolutely zero to do with integrity and much more to do with the levers of power you're wielding at the time of inception and formalization of the policy/process?

The boomer generation has held power for WAY too long; Pelosi, Biden, Trump, McConnell, et al; should have been replaced 20 years ago. Every appointment Trump has made has gone to a younger individual. This is a central theme of everything he is doing because if there is one thing Trump is good at, it's reading the tea leaves and getting a pulse on America. Youth is not only extremely important, it's become a central theme and for good reason. The (literally) old guard has to go. They're out of touch and hold too much power for the way things were. No more, and that's why youth is relevant here. It's literally *because* he is young and understands the internet and social media and soundbites. because like it or not- that's the game. That's *how we won the election*.

As for the other stuff, I will ask again- who? It's not like there is some contingent of people that have a better candidate; they don't like Gaetz. Are you just anti-Gaetz, or are you bringing another option to the discussion? Because I don't care if you don't wanna use the hammer; you don't have a pneumatic nail gun, either, you just think the hammer sucks.

Re: Integrity to the process. The policy and process for Covid were accepted...really? By whom? Only by those that wielded power or bowed to it. However, it was challenged outright from nearly the beginning by many. Why? We knew the policies were bullshit and the process to get us there lacked integrity. Same holds true with some of the climate change arguments and other popular issues on the left.

I'd argue this lack of integrity from the left helped lay the foundation for the overwhelming election result. We saw a campaign run by Harris-Walz, and run on the coat tails of the past 4 years, that lacked integrity and was exposed to such an extent that it simply wasn't palatable to most. They forced a process and it got them control for the short term, but ultimately it caught up with them.

I'm not looking for Saints in out politicians. It's also not Polly-Anna-ish to have standards. Look at the rest of Trump's cabinet selections. That's my expectation and it's very realistic. Selecting someone based on their youth is tantamount to saying my Vice President running mate will be a woman... I simply want the cabinet to be a coalition of the capable.

Who would I suggest as an alternative to Gaetz? I don’t know the pool of potential options, but one I heard floated and that stuck out to me is Mark Paoletta, served in the previous Trump administration or possibly Florida's AG, Ashley Moody.