Kirk Gallaway

Wow, that's weird Jean! Making jokes about throwing batteries and boomers into the ocean or into the abyss.  Sounds a little sick, maybe  a lot of  anger there.

Then I got this. Are they the originators?, looks like a bunch of Asian kids around Koch's age and his level of humor.

https://www.facebook.com/p/TXT-Memes-100069621446967/

Ben, can you tell me about the origin of all these memes?

Jean you were asking a question about the electoral college and i was going to answer you but I got too busy. But I will. 

Was the question  if there was any way for the U.S. to get out of the  electoral college system?

41 minutes ago, Benjamin Cole said:

So my take on Biden is he has been too "soft" in both wars. As I say, just IMHO. 

I know you are.

You didn't answer my question. Where did you pick up this cartoon from?

9 hours ago, Sandy Larsen said:

Okay now, here is where my idea has a twist. As I mentioned, changing candidates midstream is usually a bad idea. Wouldn't it be better if we could wait and see how Biden does in the second debate before tossing him out?

By then it would be way too late. It would look desperate. 

So you're actually holding up hope that Biden would kick ass in  second debate, and that's your strategy Sandy?

Come up with something more realistic. 90% of the people who are staunchly Biden probably aren't like you counting on Joe to completely turn around the second debate. You know Trump may not even debate? My guess is if Joe's not having  bad day, even if he won, he'd look like some old guy yelling at kids to get off his lawn.

Part of the problem Sandy, is his lack of urgency since. Ok, next day he had a good teleprompter. Still it took him a week to engage with Stephanopoulus. I would say the polls show him down 2%. But he's going to have to gain at least 5 to have a chance in the Electoral College. Where does he get that? In order to get that he's going to have  to be so much more vigorous, it might kill him, hopefully not, but how is he going to make it through 2028?

We all want to defeat Trump, but Bill's right. I haven't once heard you take in account Biden's health despite the fact that some of us have been telling you about this for over a year.

I would disagree with you about the MSM coverage of this at least in one aspect in that I think they've backed off on the fact that Biden just keeps creating gaffes! He can't help it!

This was in the Stephanopoulos interview. This was an important question I also would have Biden to gauge what was his awareness of how badly he was doing during the debate.

Did you really see the MSM picking on this?

******

Hyeah Ben, where did you pick that cartoon up? I'd like to read some of their comments!

Remember when you first came here, we were all the Deep State for opposing Trump?

5 hours ago, Benjamin Cole said:

The Deep State may hold onto Biden as the only option us has in 2024. 

Well, being "Deep State" you should know. Isn't Biden's 2 war foreign policy front identical to your own?

So this is a Trump site you're on that's trying to keep Biden in the race by saying he's a  victim of the "Deep state."

Seriously Ben, not that anyone ever answers my questions anyway. Where did you pick up this cartoon?

8 hours ago, W. Niederhut said:

Senator Michael Bennett (D-Colorado) has now called for Biden to step down.

Bennett used to live across the alley from us here in Denver's West Washington Park area.

I'd wave to him when he drove down the alley in his BMW, but I didn't really know him.

At the time, he was Superintendent of the Denver Public Schools, before Gov. Bill Ritter appointed him to the U.S. Senate (to replace Ken Salazar, Obama's Secretary of the Interior.)

Bennett is highly intelligent and ethical-- a liberal centrist.

 

Yeah W. Bennett was sort of the most forgettable Democratic candidate for President in 2020.  But light years cooler than the most forgettable Republican candidate in 2024, Doug Burghum!

A little easier on the eyes too.

Bennett dropped out I think in New Hampshire.

*****

Seems like years ago. Maybe it was. Biden challenges Trump to a debate.

Michael Moore about the debate. (excerpt) I include some of his praise of Biden as well..

Was it really a debate if one of the debaters is so mentally and physically incapacitated that he cannot complete a sentence, randomly flips between discussing abortion, the three trimesters of a pregnancy and how great his golf game is, then looking around, unable to find one of the four cameras pointing at him, he suddenly turns his head all the way to the left as if he were looking for Rhode Island, and then out of nowhere raises his voice and shouts, “WE FINALLY BEAT MEDICARE!” Not Ohio State, but Medicare. 

We saw and we heard all of that, no matter what the Party hacks keep telling us. It was heartbreaking. It was truly, without equivocation, unlike anything any of us had ever seen. No matter where you stood on the Joe Biden scale, from Joe the Working Class Hero to Joe the Banker of Palestinian Ethnic Cleansing, one thing was certain: This was not a cold. This was a human being in utter collapse. Not just political collapse, or performance collapse, but rather a full frontal lobe meltdown where at any moment you had to wonder… was it possible that the sweet and fragile existence we call “life” was about to short-circuit, or worse, lose power (to Trump)? And that no amount of shouting “STAT!” or cutting quickly to a commercial break was going to restore the President-cum-Patient to full capacity in order to save this even more fragile Democracy.

Do not mistake my criticisms of Biden spending 9 months in the loving embrace of Bibi Netanyahu as meaning that I do not deeply appreciate his 3 years of being the most progressive President of my lifetime. That’s right, my friends, there has been more action taken, through executive orders and legislation, to protect the environment, more government officials appointed who are, in their heart of hearts, Democratic Socialists, more serious funding to lift millions out of poverty, more support for labor unions, libraries, single mothers and college students deep in debt. And he has had this fervent, almost religious zeal to fight greed and obscene profits due to a true compassion he has for those dealt a bad hand in life — and he has had more of all of that than all the good presidents like Kennedy, Obama, and Carter were able to muster.

He will have another mini stroke in the next few months (he’s probably had one or two already) and then, sadly, the decline will not be reversed. Best to make a plan now and not wait until October. This is not about whether he’s fit to serve another four years — this is about whether he should serve another four days in the toughest job in the world. That’s the question we should be asking. If he offered to drive you from Flint to Detroit tonight, would you get in the car? 

https://www.michaelmoore.com/p/we-are-asking-the-wrong-question

3 hours ago, Benjamin Cole said:

Tulsi Gabbard 

 

@TulsiGabbard

Tulsi Gabbard speaks: 

"People have a clear choice: A vote for Biden/Harris is a vote to allow the unelected power hungry puppet masters in the administrative state and war machine to continue to run our country and take us further into the world of tyranny, war, and closer to the brink of nuclear armageddon than ever before. Or vote for Trump who can turn things around and wrestle control from the war machine and deep state, so we can make progress toward a country that’s actually free, prosperous and at peace."

 

Ben, the forum's foremost hawk now posting Tulsi Gabbard? Why should anyone take you seriously? And Gabbard and Laura Ingraham are supposed to give us some real insight into Kamala Harris here?  That was your aim?

I actually on this thread, addressed this whole issue of the members of the forum endorsing  candidates purely on a myopic JFKA centric basis with an example that happened before you got here which I thought might ring a bell to you as you are the foremost proponent of political endorsement currently on the forum with RK.

The example involves Tulsi Gabbard who became the forum political darling for simply having a copy of Douglas's  "JFK and the unspeakable" in her arms and saying she plans to read it sometime.

Gabbard now promises that RK will drop out and help Trump defeat Biden. I then  showed a clip of her recent appearance with Bill Maher. Where it's obvious she's completely fos. Unfortunately youtube  took  off the presentation. So I've substituted here a shortened clip of it with a commentary in  a podcast. I'd sooner not have that, but this guy's a smart guy.

Get some balance Ben. We have a much more comprehensive idea of where RK stands than you do!

My original post can be seen here as the next to last post on the page.  

https://educationforum.ipbhost.com/topic/30589-the-jfk-assassination-records-act-discussion/page/18/

1 hour ago, Cliff Varnell said:

With the exception of one debate, when has Biden ever lost?

Didn't he run 3 times before he won? But i get it. After he won, things have mostly gone well. I agree, Legislatively Biden's been excellent.

58 minutes ago, Matt Allison said:

Cliff- I am a part-time resident of Western Michigan, a rather conservative, Republican area. In 2016, it was all Trump, everywhere. Much less in 2020, but still apparent.

2024? All but gone.

Good people don't support Trump.

My brother lives in Wisconsin. I've been there a few times. Last time was his wedding.

Really nice people. Biden won by what,  20,00 votes in Wisconsin!

They had one of the best Senators, Russ Feingold  and they kicked him out for Ron Johnson! and  then re elected him! And that Jim Thompson as governor? And who can forget Paul Ryan? I haven't seen much evidence that the American public is smart at all, and it's getting worse.

Prior to the debate , I thought he'd eke out Wisconsin and Michigan, and maybe he could still. Now the absolute best Biden could hope for is Pennsylvania being as being as close as Florida in 2000.

Again we're old. It's all image. And our images suck!  Our best hope is playing outside of the 40 yard lines where we are losing, and finally passing a torch.

1 hour ago, Cliff Varnell said:

Or not.  Bernie and AOC back Biden.  Joe ain't leaving.  We all best get used to it!

Wtf do I know.  I haven't handicapped a winner since the 2022 NBA Finals...

1 hour ago, Matt Allison said:

 

oof

 

 

Re Melania,

Hate to break it to you Cliff!

heh heh

6/30/24

Let's face it. Biden's head in a jar is light years preferable to Trump.

As I said earlier, when Biden was in the driver's seat and decided to negotiate this debate. He should have insisted in each candidate showing clips of outrageous lies that either candidate may have said. You could go to Trump's lies and then segue into "windmills killing whales" and the" rockets red glare" with airplanes" , Confusing Obama with Hilary, with Biden over and over again!. This would have called serious attention to Trump's maladies. We know who would turn out  better, as Biden's forgetfulness, meanderings and loss of train of thought  could be amply displayed in clips of Trump as well.  It would have been novel no doubt. But if we had he same Biden showing up, I'm not even sure what difference it would have made.

They should have given  tests to both of them, but it's kinda too late. Consistency under pressure is sort of a hallmark evaluation in  the debate process and Trump's performance was characteristic and consistent. That is the scheming liar he's always been. Biden was just a new diminished Biden nobody had ever seen before.

The situation now is not fair, but life isn't fair.

1 hour ago, Joe Bauer said:

Biden himself keeps cluelessly bolstering the legitimacy of his "please leave"' detractors.

He jokingly admits that he isn't as sharp as he used to be. He says he needs more sleep. He complains that his 10 day world travel agenda trip ending one week before the debate took so much out of him it negatively affected his energy levels.

Okay...how about a President that can handle that typical high energy requirement task?

Biden dismisses his unprecedented feeble-minded looking and sounding disaster in the debate as simply..." a bad night."

A bad night? 

The most important massive national audience event in the campaign - blown? You had one chance to show the American people your vigor viability...and instead you shook them with the opposite... and you can't get it back!

When asked by George Stephanopoulos ( again with a huge national audience ) if he has the stamina to handle another 4 year term...Biden skirted answering the question directly and instead went on and on about his accomplishments that last 4 years. Did he even understand the question?

The question was - could he assure America he is totally fit to perform the demanding duties of a President "for the next 4 years?"

Biden's admission that his 10 day foreign nation trek took too much out of him is a starkly sad revealing he is not up to par for all his duties ... even now!

Biden's family and most ardent loyalists came right out and said Biden's full cognitive energy time is between 10 to 4:PM...or 11: AM to 5:PM?

By 8:PM Biden's ready for bed?  Done for the day? Don't ask him questions after the late afternoon?

How could they be so clueless about the national consciousness impact of such a powerfully negative diminished capacity admission like that?

Is it too much to ask and expect a President to be sharp-minded for more than 6 hours a day?

When Biden ran in 2020 there were millions of Democratic party voters ( like me ) that felt he was too old for the office even back then. But, with a choice between a 78 year old Biden versus a 3 year younger psychopath...the choice was easy.

Biden tried to present a youthful vigor in 2020 by riding his bike a few times with lots of press coverage. Until he fell off of it and injured himself. Now, 4 years later there is no way they are going to put Biden on a two-wheeled bicycle. His physical decline is that progressed.  Heck, he can barely "walk" straight and steady for more than a short distance

Biden's facial, hand, arm and entire body movements are so slow now compared to even 4 years ago. They were slow then!

Love Biden. Voted for him. But it is screamingly obvious he can't make it even another year at the decline rate he is exhibiting. He isn't making it through the last 6 months of his campaign!

Harris people are so aggressively pushing her to be the candidate they are even making not so veiled threats to the Democratic party regards their party loyalty if a white person is chosen ahead of Harris. I hate that position. I think the other 75 million people who align with the Democratic party should have a much more inclusive say about who they think the "best winning chance" candidate should be.

I'm with you Joe. This is my post on the water cooler, 11th post.

https://educationforum.ipbhost.com/topic/28927-mainstream-cooler-for-those-who-believe-mainstream-contemporary-facts/page/295/#comments

Bill , yeah that Hey Joe guy is smoking hot!

So in the French election, is that the way it finished? The right wing actually finished third? and the Leftist Green first?  How long has it been since they were in power?

*****

I'm actually starting to get enthusiastic about the picking  a new candidate, (hopefully it's not just a rubber stamp Harris)and giving way to a new generation. Is it too much to hope that the Dems could get all the deadwood feelings out of the way and align in a sense of common purpose?

My experience is if they can screw it up they will. But could it be different this time?

Maybe I can translate what I think is going on.'

In that interview Friday night , Biden did ok. He kept trying to make it about his record. I thought at the 5  minute mark he did well at listing his accomplishments. But with the subject of the interview he didn't do well, and that's his ability to keep being President.

Now we hear, a week later, he was so sick he told his doctor he suspected Covid? Why now?

"I get a neurological and cognitive test every day." So what do you think of that W?

I though the most terrible response is that he can't remember if he watched his debate tape back? Are you kidding? That's just the kind of response the sharks wanted! Of course apart from not remembering , which is the what the entire matter is about.. He didn't think he could learn anything from watching himself?

So he knows exactly what to do,  and thinks he would miraculously turn everything around in another debate ( did he say that he wanted another debate?) He's a stubborn old guy whose underestimating the situation he's in and doesn't know his limitations. It's taken me a long time to come to this conclusion that now, He could be dead wrong, and  he think he's dead right!

He breaks out into  grin whenever hes asked tough or introspective question. Most all of his smiles were defiant smiles, in complete denial.  I think he has a small very tight group of people around him who end up telling him what he wants to hear. They've made some huge blunders, such as making this debate.

Then when asked what if he loses he says at least he will have known he did his best. But this is way beyond him! That's little consolation  to us who believe in preserving  democracy. '

It's double down Joe. If a year ago, he had said he's done what he came to do, put the economy back on track after Covid and saved our Democracy, any one of say 4 candidates could have easily beaten Trump. Dissatisfaction with both these candidates is the worst in history! Biden would have been heralded historically as a great President. Now though no one can take away his accomplishments as President. He stands to lose it all, and he and his followers are doubling down, and possibility taking the House and Senate down with him. This is not just about Biden, the only sweep, in all probability could be Trumps.

I never believed Biden in the first place when he said he was only one who could win. Now the longer he holds out, the less he assures anyone else can win.

Regretfully, It could be seen in history as the reverse hubris of Trump. Biden modestly stated  hubris, but hubris nonetheless, and Trump wacko despot hubris.

In Biden's world, I fear we'll all be like Hunter, except desperately depending on him as the only person who can save Democracy!

But no one enjoys this. It's a heartbreak!

This idea that it has to be Harris to replace him because of money  and the wealthy donors pisses me off, because I don't think there should be big money in politics in the first place.

If Biden steps down, I think the Dems have to go for a representative ticket including at least the  VP from the those battleground states,Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania. But after Biden, I think we're going to be told that the only practical choice  is Kamala Harris.

I even forgot she was our Attorney General in California, but now she has to become the chief prosecutor of Trump, daring him to debate her and exposing every felony and every lie.

2 hours ago, Joe Bauer said:

I watched the show Kirk.

Agree with everything you say.

Never followed Gabbard in the news so seeing her up close and listening to her speak really spooked me.

This woman was a Democrat? Ha!

Totally Trump centric.

She has the bearing and countenance of a hard-nosed female military boot camp drill instructor. She IS a Lt. Colonel in the National Guard? Figures.

Nice looking in a cold hard way. Not any softer feminine mannerisms and speaking tone.

Very arrogant and condescending acting.

Reminds me of other Republican women of the same tough talking dominatrix type make up.

Kelly Ann Conway, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Kristi Noem, Kerri Lake, and on and on.

Trump women all look, sound and act as if they could be tough prison guard matrons.  

 

Thanks Joe,

Everyone's right. Those are some talented sketches! When you get well, you should sit down and focus and do some more, and send them to us.

I know all of us could appreciate it, if you found the time and effort.

But it's your call!

Just for fun!

3 hours ago, Bill Fite said:

I had the pleasure of seeing An Evening w the Grateful Dead in the spring of 1971 in a theatre w  fabulous acoustics.

Jerry played a 90 minute set on pedal steel with New Riders of the Purple Sage to open.   It was all killer pedal steel on some great tunes that nobody had heard from their first album that hadn't been released that it still one of my favorites.

Then the Dead (w Pigpen - Hart - other keyboards) played an incredible 2 hour or so set w another lot of songs & covers that hadn't been released after which Garcia strode up to the mic and said - 'We're gonna take a 20 minute break and then come back for the second set'.

 

Interesting Bill, my exposure to the Grateful Dead started in Speedway Meadows in Golden Gate Park in 1967.  I was just born in the right area of the country. I have a number of sort of connections because Garcia, Weir and Lesh  were in the area I was brought up and Jerry taught guitar in the store 2 towns down from me, where I bought my first Martin 12 string.

I personally loved the Pigpen phase much more than Keith Godchieux (sp?) I just thought he filled up too much space and I was happy when they got rid of them. I think I missed the Hart sit in where he was later moved into the band, by maybe one night's performance? Hart's Father owned a music store in San Carlos , where I grew up, named Hart Music when I was a teenager.

I've seen the Dead many times particularly in the 60's and 70's. And was so typically medicated in a number of them that i think I can least pinpoint the number of times I saw them of any band. I saw them in Jamaica in 1983, where they had a big problem getting their sound to work. I was satellite member to a dedicated group of Deadheads and would go up to the Fillmore and Winterland  several times a year. 

That's interesting Tom, I know there are many quintessential Dead jams on recordings that I've yet to hear. I appreciate the links!

I assumed Sandy wasn't railing against Socialism per se as the public perception of Socialism, which we have been conditioned from Corporate America since the 50's, is a terrible no no. But I've heard that young people are embracing the concepts of Socialism much more than previous generations.

I do lament that Bernie has called himself a Socialist and to a lesser extent, has run as in independent. I assume that started long ago when he probably thought he wouldn't have had a ghost of a prayer of ever being President.

Despite what I earlier said. I don't think it's impossible for someone of Bernie's beliefs to become President. His message was simple Medicare and free education for all. Which is really just New Deal Democrat extension stuff. You don't have to call it Socialism.

I think his time has passed. But I think the time when that message could easily get through would be during another financial crisis like 2008.

The first resident to call for Universal Health Care was not JFK. It was Harry Truman.

Ok, Quoting speeches, is not "hate" either. It's part of objective reporting.

I'll point out that he tailed off and ended in a mutter, because I'm so hateful?  

Biden:

Biden also made a confusing reference to presidential road closures: “I used to think when I was a senator, there were always congestion on the highways. There’s no congestion anymore. None. We got on the highway, there’s no congestion. And so — the way they get me to stop talking, they’ll say, ‘We just shut down all the roads. Mr. President, you’re gonna lose all the votes if you don’t get in,’ but anyway.”

Are you ever going to own your post and answer why you posted it?

4th time, and last time.

What was your and Jeff's purpose? Read it again. You posted it!

What were you trying to say?

At a time when Biden trying  to prove he can complete a sentence and effectively tell a story and communicate.  This is bad.

Matt:Or is it his manner of speaking? He has always had a speech impediment.

Like I haven't heard that story from Biden a hundred times? Matt, I've known of Biden for 50 years and believe me, he never had a problem telling a story.

I'm asking you why posted this and trying to clarify what you and Jeff are alleging.?

So for the third time. You like Jeff think CNN was conspiring against Biden by not showing that segment in the U.S.A.?

No they were doing Biden a favor.  You're wrong. That's not flattering particularly at this time.

And I even accounted to you that CNN did a live coverage of a speech today by Biden that was favorable. We all know the problems with CNN. They run the same stories every hour unless something new comes up. But I find myself in the position I did with the Magas complaining about CNN's coverage with Trump, because like most of the nation, I'm also concerned, and I think their coverage of Biden has been more than fair.  This conspiracy is BS!

Matt:I'm not sure what you're looking for out of him that you're not getting.

Ok, You're saying these stumbles should be the new normal. And I have a much higher bar than that.

9 minutes ago, Kirk Gallaway said:

Matt , I think you and probably Jeff have the story on this completely backward.

So it's a big deal that he was off teleprompter? So this was supposed to be impressive? I thought he was rambling on about "nobody on the highways, and what his aides tell him?"

Do you think everybody connected with that? I didn't. What you and Jeff are looking at here is an embarrassment. If they showed those clips to just an International audience as Jeff said and not domestically they were doing Biden a favor!

What I'm saying is you and Jeff have the story completely backwards. Please answer my questions.  So you and Jeff were impressed with that rambling about the highways being slow and what Biden's  aides told him? You really thought that connected ? And you thought being off the teleprompter was so impressive ,that CNN was conspiring to put Biden in a bad light so they held it back from domestic coverage? That's what Jeff says here..

Jeff: I  know CNN hates Biden and wants him to quit, but it's lame they didn't carry this 

Domestic did not carry this, CNN International did. President Biden off teleprompter !

I'm glad you 2 aren't running Biden's campaign because that segment is another embarrassment!

That's my point

1 hour ago, Matt Allison said:

 

I know CNN hates Biden and wants him to quit, but it's lame they didn't carry this

 

Matt , I think you and probably Jeff have the story on this completely backward.

So it's a big deal that he was off teleprompter? So this was supposed to be impressive? I thought he was rambling on about "nobody on the highways, and what his aides tell him?"

Do you think everybody connected with that? I didn't. What you and Jeff are looking at here is an embarrassment. If they showed those clips to just an International audience as Jeff said and not domestically they were doing Biden a favor!

There was another appearance at the 4th of July barbecue  for servicemen and their families, where on the positive side, there was an impressive segment where he again attacked Trump for his disdain of our servicemen. That was positive and carried in it's entirety on CNN.

On the negative, afterward he went to a crowd on his right and started taking selfies with them. It's apparent to me from watching it. Biden can't do anything without looking very old, so this will only get worse.

17 minutes ago, Steve Thomas said:

England is shifting left and France is shifting right.

I wonder who America will support.

Interesting historical times.

Steve Thomas

Yes Steve, they are just protest votes against the current establishment.

I'd say the major reason is the fallout from the Covid pandemic, and the European economies have rebounded much more sluggishly than the U.S.,  so there's a greater dissatisfaction.