The Frankish Reich

As they say, absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. But you could care less.

Yes. Unless the family says he didn't.

I'm an elitist. I don't buy Walmart bread or eggs. That's why I had to look up the price. But I know exactly what I paid for gas on Saturday. Is that close enough? $2.99/gallon. Costco. Before the 4 cent a gallon credit card discount. If you're not using a cash back or rewards card you are either a fool or have bad credit. Oh, the horror!

Dog shooter on now. She faded real fast ...

Horseshoes and hand grenades, buddy.

You guys know it's a pet peeve of mine, people inflating in their minds what things actually cost. I'm watching the PBS coverage of the RNC. They just interviewed a couple, delegates from Idaho. The couple complained about the price of eggs and bread, something about 8 bucks each. They said they shop at Walmart. Now Boise Idaho can't be that different from Colorado. Here's my Walmart eggs price TODAY: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Great-Value-Cage-Free-Large-White-Eggs-12-Count/421705528?athbdg=L1600 $3.38/dozen. No, not the fancy each hen has it's own bidet type, but ... $3.38/dozen. Oh, that eight buck bread? Eat the damn Walmart brand: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Great-Value-White-Round-Top-Bread-Loaf-20-oz/10315355?athbdg=L1200&from=/search $1.48 for a 20 oz. sliced loaf. Or really go wild and get the OroWheat 24 oz. with all those seeds and other crap: $4.28. No one in the media calls people on this bs. Just lil' ol' me.

Other than that (twice in a row), nobody has done more for the blacks since Lincoln. Maybe even including Lincoln.

I would love to see it.

I mean, hard to believe with any politician, but ... maybe once in a while someone does a nice thing without issuing a press release about it?

Not to mention the crisis actor who was a "girl dad and retired fireman." Too easy.

You need a little more practice dealing with the regulars here. There's a flowchart of responses. Start at a different one depending on the context, but always end up in the same place. They should really just post the one or two word responses since we already know the rest. - Laken Rily - Ray Epps - But Hillary - Hunter - Obama - Lawfare Argue that these things are not on point, and you'll be met with: - Commie - Marxist Argue really, really well - well enough to leave them otherwise response-less - and you'll be met with some combination of misspelled bodily fluid + stain. With that in mind, please proceed.

Oh, they were opened for those nip slips all right. Seems a little long in the tooth for her act now.

Nicely done by Billy and Wilco. Billy's first two albums/EPs are absolutely fierce. Even those put off by his socialism can love his personal songs.

He is lamenting the plight of the hillbilly, but - at least in the book (I didn't watch the movie) - he makes it clear that a lot of the hillbillies bring it on themselves. It is pretty unsparing in its critique of a broken white rural/small town America. Yep. Kavanaugh when he was on the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, then as super-high achievers (often with strong political bona fide) do, for Chief Justice Roberts.

Yes, this is his story, and I do find it pretty compelling. But what are his "America First" policies? Again, it's the diagnosis - white lower class/lower middle class interior America is suffering - but how do we address that? Well, that's two policy response. Restrict immigration to tighten the lower end labor market. That, believe it or not, used to be the Democratic/Bill Clinton position. And then raise the minimum wage a lot. But raising the minimum wage a lot will have no impact on the coasts, where prevailing wages (and/or state minimum wage laws) are already higher. It will cause business to leave middle America, where prevailing wages may be $11/hour and where businesses simply can't afford to almost double their payroll costs. How does this help?

I thought it best to pull out a separate topic for him. I don't want this to be about snark or insults. He's a interesting guy, but I'm not sure how much of that is "interesting because he may bring new policy approaches to the forefront," or "interesting in that he may be a pure yes man." And that's because the pre-2016 Vance talked about this very differently than the post-Trump era version. My starting point: listen to this (or read the trancript) - https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/21/opinion/jd-vance-populism.html And this: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/13/opinion/jd-vance-interview.html The Hillbilly Elegy guy identified the problem in the decline of mid-Appalachian America. What was interesting is that he didn't take the position that these people were blameless noble folks overrun by the modern globalist economy. Yes, the economy left many behind. But yes too, a damaged culture helped lead to (or at least exacerbated) their problems. I read the book - it was good. Thoughtful. Not preachy or highly politicized. But definitely judgmental. I preferred Kevin Williamson's sharper (and better written) take on the same issues: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/big-white-ghetto_kevin-d-williamson/25815774/#edition=27573025&idiq=63859135. Much of that one may be available in shorter articles in the National Review. But they were both illuminating takes on poverty and social disintegration in white middle America. "Nationalist populism" or whatever we're calling it now is kind of the outgrowth of this, and JD Vance was there at the diagnosis stage. But what's the prescription? As Ross Douthut points out, that's always been the issue - you've diagnosed the disease, now what do you do to cure it. Increased tariffs and strict immigration policy? Focusing education more on vocational training? How would the federal government do that? No tax on tips? Industrial policy. Biden seems to think that one will work, at least a little. How would a Trump/Vance policy be different? Reagan used to think the solution to regions the economy left behind is to facilitate relocation to the growing regions with "mobility bonds" - actually pay people to pick up and move to where opportunity is today. That was an awful idea for people who love places like Buffalo, but really, isn't that what we wound up with anyway? (Just look at where most of the posters here live now) There's a smart, clear thinker behind the Trump Bandwagoneer. What's your take?

Do we get to torch Atlanta again? Because I hate business trips there.

Are we allowed to quote his VP candidate wondering if he's Hitler or just Nixon? Yeah, but he meant it in the best possible way

Ahh, the days of moral clarity. From a senile President no less.

You seem to be forgetting that Vance’s wife is not his running mate. The guy he called an “idiot” (traditional definition: IQ < 60, below “imbecile” and “moron”) is. You’ll want to focus on the mean IQ, not the highest aggregate.

The “cynical Nixon” vs America’s Hitler part. Not sure which one he’s hoping for.

We never had such a petty insult comic on the national political stage before Trump. That personality led directly to his win, but you can’t deny it. His outrageous debate comments propelled him right to the front of a big crowd.

Problem is he’s not a milk toast. He is smart, hugely ambitious, and will already be planning for his coronation in 2028.

This is why I say “I don’t hate it” (choosing Vance). The real choice here was between a true MAGA believer (think Kristi Noem) and a full or crap sycophant who pretended to be a Trumpy when it became politically advantageous to do so. Heck, if I was NC Bills I’d say this is proof that the unitary remains in charge. We’re gearing up for the former McKinsey consultant, ivy leaguer married to an Ivy leaguer, globalist. It’s just like how Bush 41, the ultimate insider, followed the renegade Reagan.

Vance’s wife also clerked for BOTH Kavanaugh and Roberts, which can’t hurt if, you know, there’s election litigation again.