@porter0406.bsky.social
agree, but the double duties of serving (actually serving and paying attention to policy and details) and running a campaign at the same time had become bit too much to handle.
May 9, 2025 at 1:38 PM
agree, but the double duties of serving (actually serving and paying attention to policy and details) and running a campaign at the same time had become bit too much to handle.
There were a lot of problems with leadership and messaging but the FDP were not surprisingly the biggest fly in the ointment after the public mood shifted. The opposition pulled a GOP move by taking the re-use of Covid surplus funds to Karlsruhe - it could have been valuable stimulus.
May 9, 2025 at 1:34 PM
There were a lot of problems with leadership and messaging but the FDP were not surprisingly the biggest fly in the ointment after the public mood shifted. The opposition pulled a GOP move by taking the re-use of Covid surplus funds to Karlsruhe - it could have been valuable stimulus.
yep, but when real economic pain surfaces it will drop. It this nonsense continues, even mid 30s support will end up being a bit soft as far as other Rs are concerned - the people who seem to mostly turn out for him might not admit disapproval in a poll but they won't turn up to vote for Rs either.
April 3, 2025 at 2:05 PM
yep, but when real economic pain surfaces it will drop. It this nonsense continues, even mid 30s support will end up being a bit soft as far as other Rs are concerned - the people who seem to mostly turn out for him might not admit disapproval in a poll but they won't turn up to vote for Rs either.
I agree to a point but I can still this number falling into the 30s but probably no lower. The 8-9% you mention are on their way out and the rest of the soft supporters will get there eventually if this continues - only the hard base will left at this rate and that is probably not 40%.
April 3, 2025 at 2:00 PM
I agree to a point but I can still this number falling into the 30s but probably no lower. The 8-9% you mention are on their way out and the rest of the soft supporters will get there eventually if this continues - only the hard base will left at this rate and that is probably not 40%.
not sure they can kill it mid term though. And, to you point, it gives them a little cover. A lot of them support at least a good chunk of what the executive is doing - even more so if they don't have to go on the record for it although inaction will have a price if there is a longish recession.
March 31, 2025 at 1:52 PM
not sure they can kill it mid term though. And, to you point, it gives them a little cover. A lot of them support at least a good chunk of what the executive is doing - even more so if they don't have to go on the record for it although inaction will have a price if there is a longish recession.
They also don't have the votes
March 31, 2025 at 1:43 PM
They also don't have the votes
In modern England, the original Leominster is now pronounced Lemster - down to two syllables.Maybe in 100 years - if we all survive - it will be reduced to just Lem.
March 6, 2025 at 6:41 PM
In modern England, the original Leominster is now pronounced Lemster - down to two syllables.Maybe in 100 years - if we all survive - it will be reduced to just Lem.
Interesting etymology (perhaps) around the slow shortening of vowels in British English over the centuries. I would make a guess that Lem-in-ster (or sta with non-rhoticity is how the place name was pronounced at the time of settlement in the 17th century. It was then part of Lancaster).
March 6, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Interesting etymology (perhaps) around the slow shortening of vowels in British English over the centuries. I would make a guess that Lem-in-ster (or sta with non-rhoticity is how the place name was pronounced at the time of settlement in the 17th century. It was then part of Lancaster).
Merz, for all his political flaws, has long been an Atlanticist and will have no issues working with FR and the broader EU in this context.
March 6, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Merz, for all his political flaws, has long been an Atlanticist and will have no issues working with FR and the broader EU in this context.
a USSR-era Russian joke I believe - "things are worse today but better than tomorrow."
March 6, 2025 at 12:36 PM
a USSR-era Russian joke I believe - "things are worse today but better than tomorrow."
That is irrelevant - the US has been in its modern state form longer than most European countries - this has nothing to do with age but it is more a reflection of arrogance that comes from size, wealth and to some degree, a degree of isolation from some of the major world events of the last century
March 2, 2025 at 7:13 AM
That is irrelevant - the US has been in its modern state form longer than most European countries - this has nothing to do with age but it is more a reflection of arrogance that comes from size, wealth and to some degree, a degree of isolation from some of the major world events of the last century
Nothing better than seeing Axel-Springer's billionaire reactionary chief get a taste - this admin only cares about the American reactionary super wealthy.
February 21, 2025 at 11:50 AM
Nothing better than seeing Axel-Springer's billionaire reactionary chief get a taste - this admin only cares about the American reactionary super wealthy.
The Steel dossier had a ton of planted disinfo in it - Occam's Razor would suggest he simply admires RU and the lure of authoritarian power and corruption. We have no idea if they have anything on him so we shouldn't speculate - there are plenty of other "character-based" motivations here.
February 21, 2025 at 11:41 AM
The Steel dossier had a ton of planted disinfo in it - Occam's Razor would suggest he simply admires RU and the lure of authoritarian power and corruption. We have no idea if they have anything on him so we shouldn't speculate - there are plenty of other "character-based" motivations here.
and the desire to placate RU also hobbles any coherent China policy - complete idiocy.
February 21, 2025 at 11:34 AM
and the desire to placate RU also hobbles any coherent China policy - complete idiocy.
Yeah, there is massive incoherence here - I assume Navarro is driving rare earth and Arctic control paranoia vs. China (claiming CA and EU are compromised) but when the US acts with such aggression toward long-standing allies - China looks like the lessor of two evils.
February 21, 2025 at 11:33 AM
Yeah, there is massive incoherence here - I assume Navarro is driving rare earth and Arctic control paranoia vs. China (claiming CA and EU are compromised) but when the US acts with such aggression toward long-standing allies - China looks like the lessor of two evils.
Not necessarily wrong but without context - I would guess many Ds want and expect more backbone - it is not over policy.
February 20, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Not necessarily wrong but without context - I would guess many Ds want and expect more backbone - it is not over policy.
If it happens once, they know they can potentially do it again for some other reason you are not happy with. It is a slippery slope. The one thing they can do is resist any illegal or unconstitutional orders.
February 20, 2025 at 12:34 PM
If it happens once, they know they can potentially do it again for some other reason you are not happy with. It is a slippery slope. The one thing they can do is resist any illegal or unconstitutional orders.
Yeah, there is some variability there - if anything AfD seems flat. The one constant is a spike for die Linke - I'm assuming a good % coming from Sahra Wagenknecht but maybe some from die Grüne and smaller parties as well.
February 20, 2025 at 12:26 PM
Yeah, there is some variability there - if anything AfD seems flat. The one constant is a spike for die Linke - I'm assuming a good % coming from Sahra Wagenknecht but maybe some from die Grüne and smaller parties as well.
Another side benefit - eventually forcing NATO to kick the US out since he is too much of a wimp to pursue it himself.
February 2, 2025 at 12:17 PM
Another side benefit - eventually forcing NATO to kick the US out since he is too much of a wimp to pursue it himself.
One could argue over-sentenced based on the actual counts pursued (there were even worse accusations against Ross but these lacked enough concrete evidence to bring to court). But falsely charged or convicted? Nope.
February 2, 2025 at 12:12 PM
One could argue over-sentenced based on the actual counts pursued (there were even worse accusations against Ross but these lacked enough concrete evidence to bring to court). But falsely charged or convicted? Nope.
Subservient CA & owning GL feed from FoPo paranoia abt controlling a melting Arctic before the PRC does thru an RU vassal state & "compromised" Canada and EU. Less destructive - working to revitalize/strengthen existing alliances that control Artic borders outside RU - but that's not "exceptional."
February 2, 2025 at 12:08 PM
Subservient CA & owning GL feed from FoPo paranoia abt controlling a melting Arctic before the PRC does thru an RU vassal state & "compromised" Canada and EU. Less destructive - working to revitalize/strengthen existing alliances that control Artic borders outside RU - but that's not "exceptional."
Not really true - trad and even center right here can be quite conservative - to the right of the Ds - in a lot of areas. Some things - like universal healthcare, cheaper higher ed, and, at worst, ambivalence about public transit - are just kind of baked in at this point. Not apples to apples.
January 23, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Not really true - trad and even center right here can be quite conservative - to the right of the Ds - in a lot of areas. Some things - like universal healthcare, cheaper higher ed, and, at worst, ambivalence about public transit - are just kind of baked in at this point. Not apples to apples.