Republicans, list your favorite things about Darlene Graham

Billanole. said:

A vote for Darlene is exactly just what you claim to not support.

Click to expand...

@scotchtiger is a purely single issue voter. He cares only about his tax rates. He would vote for absolutely anyone if he felt it meant his taxes would be lower. There’s literally nothing else he even thinks about, least of all how any policies affect anyone else that isn’t him.

dbjork6317 said:

@scotchtiger is a purely single issue voter. He cares only about his tax rates. He would vote for absolutely anyone if he felt it meant his taxes would be lower. There’s literally nothing else he even thinks about, least of all how any policies affect anyone else that isn’t him.

Click to expand...

Not true. Regardless, per chatGPT I’m not alone…

Based on national polling, I would estimate that 40–55% of American voters consider issues directly affecting their personal finances their single most important political priority. That is an analytical estimate, not a directly measured polling result.

You just don’t like that tax policy affects my personal finances more than tariffs or gas prices. Everyone is prioritizing their personal finances when they vote. Different categories just affect some more than others.

scotchtiger said:

Not true. Regardless, per chatGPT I’m not alone…

Based on national polling, I would estimate that 40–55% of American voters consider issues directly affecting their personal finances their single most important political priority. That is an analytical estimate, not a directly measured polling result.

You just don’t like that tax policy affects my personal finances more than tariffs or gas prices. Everyone is prioritizing their personal finances when they vote. Different categories just affect some more than others.

Click to expand...

I mean, yeah, of course voters prioritize issues directly affecting them and their finances. You needed ChatGPT for that?

There’s a difference in prioritizing it and caring only about that to the point of ignoring all other issues. Many voters are willing to vote for something that may not be in their direct interests if they feel it would be for the greater good.

Everything I’ve ever seen from you indicates that you care only about the singular issue of how your finances are impacted and do not consider how any policy impacts anyone not named scotchtiger.

I don’t really understand what your last paragraph means? I don’t like that you’re impacted by tax policy? Everyone is impacted by tax policy, including me.

scotchtiger said:

Not true. Regardless, per chatGPT I’m not alone…

Based on national polling, I would estimate that 40–55% of American voters consider issues directly affecting their personal finances their single most important political priority. That is an analytical estimate, not a directly measured polling result.

You just don’t like that tax policy affects my personal finances more than tariffs or gas prices. Everyone is prioritizing their personal finances when they vote. Different categories just affect some more than others.

Click to expand...

I don't prioritize my personal finances over integrity. I won't ever vote for an absolute trash human like Trump, no matter how much it may help my finances.

For the record, I'm not in your tax bracket, but we are dual income no kids and I promise you we pay a large amount in taxes, particularly when including our church jobs income which are 1099 and taxed at a high rate tonight full time jobs

I consider myself lucky to live in a country like America and I actually want to see my neighbors succeed.

I hate to stand up for @scotchtiger here but I know I'd be voting for a Dem warm body over a generic Republican. The single most important thing about a legislative candidate is their party. I do think he's a reliable Republican vote (so no credit for both sides suck for him) but he needs to be convinced Democrats are better than Republicans (and from his values and asinine world view that's a tall hill to climb).

FLaw47 said:

I hate to stand up for @scotchtiger here but I know I'd be voting for a Dem warm body over a generic Republican. The single most important thing about a legislative candidate is their party. I do think he's a reliable Republican vote (so no credit for both sides suck for him) but he needs to be convinced Democrats are better than Republicans (and from his values and asinine world view that's a tall hill to climb).

Click to expand...

Sure, I’d vote for a warm body over a Republican as well. But it’s like “I’m voting for a warm body republican so my taxes don’t go up” vs “I’m voting for a warm body democrat so the Republicans don’t continue chipping away at the fabric of our democratic institutions and install an authoritarian regime.”

they’re not really the same.

scotchtiger said:

1. I don't take anyone seriously who uses terminology like "drump." I assume these are basement dwellers deep in a social media political algorithm spiral.

2. Tax rates were lowered for everyone, with middle income people receiving a greater % decrease than wealthier Americans. I've shown the math on that here.

3. Trump is out of office in 2 years. This vote has more to do with what comes after Trump.

4. Universal health care would cost ~$3 TRILLION per year. The majority of the federal budget already goes toward entitlements. Dems would add $3T for healthcare plus expand other entitlements. Yes, this is a much, much bigger threat to long-term financial solvency than whatever Trump spends in his final 24 months. For context, we have spent $43.6B on the war in Iran. That's 1.5% of one year of universal healthcare, except UHC is forever.

Click to expand...

#1 I have complete respect for the office of the President. drump deserves no respect. He is a criminal, a serial liar, and a thief. I don’t give a fat rat’s *** if you take me seriously.
#2 It is comical that people support the mega rich at a lower or even equal tax rate to citizens earning less than $50K a year.
#3 Trump is setting things up for his criminal family and his big backers to continue the massive grift from now on.
#4 Citizens deserve preventive care and medicine at rates equal to or lower than other modern nations. Big med monopolies should go the way of the great pterodactyl.
These simple steps would save billions yearly and boost our disgusting life span numbers.
Your suggestion that the drump war has only cost in the low $40 billions is laughable. What do you think we invested in the bases, including the massive naval one in Bahrain? Add up the lost aircraft… $43 billion is a laughable number and drump + Hegseth are flailing. No current way out. The cash register is adding more daily.

dbjork6317 said:

Sure, I’d vote for a warm body over a Republican as well. But it’s like “I’m voting for a warm body republican so my taxes don’t go up” vs “I’m voting for a warm body democrat so the Republicans don’t continue chipping away at the fabric of our democratic institutions and install an authoritarian regime.”

they’re not really the same.

Click to expand...

For sure, that's where my values and ostensibly less asinine world view come in.

Jfcarter3 said:

trump has wreaked havoc on everything he has come remotely close to in contact with in less than his first two years. I'll trade the "what about 4 years after" for the "stop trump now" next two.

Click to expand...

So @Jfcarter3...I can agree that Trump has turned into a disappointment for a lot of people who voted for him, and he has wreaked havoc during his 2 years in office....but not on "everthing he has come remotely close to". There have been some good things...lots of folks think the no tax on tips/overtime was good...same with the 20 hour thing with Medicaid...the prescription drug thing is good...as is the "Trump" account (although could have used a better title..all the manufacturing jobs/construction of plants here in the US (assuming it all happens) is another good thing for the US.....and there are others.

So some "havoc" and chaos for sure...some really negative things, but not everything he touched has been bad.

dbjork6317 said:

I mean, yeah, of course voters prioritize issues directly affecting them and their finances. You needed ChatGPT for that?

There’s a difference in prioritizing it and caring only about that to the point of ignoring all other issues. Many voters are willing to vote for something that may not be in their direct interests if they feel it would be for the greater good.

Everything I’ve ever seen from you indicates that you care only about the singular issue of how your finances are impacted and do not consider how any policy impacts anyone not named scotchtiger.

I don’t really understand what your last paragraph means? I don’t like that you’re impacted by tax policy? Everyone is impacted by tax policy, including me.

Click to expand...

just so we're on the same page, a lot of the folks who you describe as "willing to vote for something that may not be in their direct interests" are the same folks who don't pay any federal taxes...and that's about 40-50% of us.

Now I'll admit that I'd be more than willing to vote for a lot of things in the common good if I don't have to pay for them. Additionally, as is being proven right now, a lot of the money paid by those who do pay federal taxes is being siphoned off the top through fraud..and it is disconcerting that those entrusted with the oversight responsibility seem to either be incompetent or complacent.

baltimorened said:

just so we're on the same page, a lot of the folks who you describe as "willing to vote for something that may not be in their direct interests" are the same folks who don't pay any federal taxes...and that's about 40-50% of us.

Now I'll admit that I'd be more than willing to vote for a lot of things in the common good if I don't have to pay for them. Additionally, as is being proven right now, a lot of the money paid by those who do pay federal taxes is being siphoned off the top through fraud..and it is disconcerting that those entrusted with the oversight responsibility seem to either be incompetent or complacent.

Click to expand...