The Biden Administration and All Things Politics

[Deleted member 365]

It's pretty crazy for sure - milk is $3 a gallon right now. The supply chain issues coupled with the labor issues and raw materials for production is having a massive effect on us.

We talk about the long-term Covid effects on people, but this is a stark example of how the long-term impacts of Covid hurt our economic health.

One thing's for sure, it's going to hurt the D's at the ballot box during mid-terms. It's not really their fault as inflation is not a winning issue, but that's what happens when you're the majority and things aren't falling like you want.

What makes you think "for sure" this is going to hurt Democrats in the midterms, something a year away?

You understand the price of milk was higher just a few years ago, right? It was over $3.00 in 2020 and in 2008 was nearly $4.00 per gallon.

I keep hearing almost weekly things will "for sure" hurt Democrats but never anything about Republicans. Why does Afghanistan, CRT, and milk increasing a few dimes mean so much and literally nothing the GOP does matter?

One last thing, does our democracy seriously mean so little to the citizens of this country? Shouldn't our form of government, free elections, the constitutions, our rights, etc matter more than getting milk a few dimes cheaper? Or do all of these ideals we supposedly have mean jack squat? And if so, what a terrible indictment on the citizens of our country. If you've ever asked how citizens ever let an authoritarian from the past come to power, I guess we now know how. Sacrifice all of your ideals, ethics, and principles for a few pieces of silver.

 

[Al-O-Meter]

It's pretty crazy for sure - milk is $3 a gallon right now. The supply chain issues coupled with the labor issues and raw materials for production is having a massive effect on us.

We talk about the long-term Covid effects on people, but this is a stark example of how the long-term impacts of Covid hurt our economic health.

One thing's for sure, it's going to hurt the D's at the ballot box during mid-terms. It's not really their fault as inflation is not a winning issue, but that's what happens when you're the majority and things aren't falling like you want.

I think you are going a bit light on the D's. COVID didn't hurt our economic health. The government's reaction to COVID hurt our economic health. This pandemic hit everywhere and no nation on Earth is seeing the level of inflation we are. Our government made decisions. Those decisions had consequences. The party in power should be held responsible at the ballot box for the consequences of the decisions they presided over. I only wish politicians were held to account more often. All too often it seems the only thing that matters is how good a politician is at raising funds to finance their next election.

 

[Avery]

What makes you think "for sure" this is going to hurt Democrats in the midterms, something a year away?

You understand the price of milk was higher just a few years ago, right? It was over $3.00 in 2020 and in 2008 was nearly $4.00 per gallon.

I keep hearing almost weekly things will "for sure" hurt Democrats but never anything about Republicans. Why does Afghanistan, CRT, and milk increasing a few dimes mean so much and literally nothing the GOP does matter?

One last thing, does our democracy seriously mean so little to the citizens of this country? Shouldn't our form of government, free elections, the constitutions, our rights, etc matter more than getting milk a few dimes cheaper? Or do all of these ideals we supposedly have mean jack squat? And if so, what a terrible indictment on the citizens of our country. If you've ever asked how citizens ever let an authoritarian from the past come to power, I guess we now know how. Sacrifice all of your ideals, ethics, and principles for a few pieces of silver.

Mid-terms are never usually favorable to the ruling party - I don't expect 2022 to be any different.

In terms of milk, remember the mind of the electorate: what have you done for me lately? Most people won't remember what they paid for milk a few years ago, only what they did recently. That's how the mind of many voters will function.

I'd also wager that most people have moved on from Afghanistan and CRT - again, they'll concern themselves with what's going on next November more so than the news bites right now and it's difficult to project what our news cycle will look like a year out.

Also, keep in mind that even if the electoral mindset may not shift as much, the gerrymandering that we're witnessing favors R's retaking the house simply through shrewd use of drawing lines.

 

[Al-O-Meter]

What makes you think "for sure" this is going to hurt Democrats in the midterms, something a year away?

Historical precedent. If you think the Democrats won't get hurt in the midterms, I'm up for a wager on it. I'll even give you odds.

 

[Avery]

Historical precedent. If you think the Democrats won't get hurt in the midterms, I'm up for a wager on it. I'll even give you odds.

Not to go on a tangent, and they can't force him to do so, but having an 83 year-old Stephen Breyer on the SC while having the advantage to move his nomination through the Senate and retain a progressive voice for another 30 years may be a massive miscalculation if nothing happens prior to next year.

 

[Deleted member 365]

@Avery

Mid-terms are never usually favorable to the ruling party - I don't expect 2022 to be any different.

I believe they should be. We aren't in normal times. We're recovering from a once a century pandemic and arguably our greatest authoritarian threat ever. Has there ever been a party like today's GOP that has waged a war on the country like this?

In terms of milk, remember the mind of the electorate: what have you done for me lately? Most people won't remember what they paid for milk a few years ago, only what they did recently. That's how the mind of many voters will function.

"Our democracy might be destroyed by Republican authoritarianism but at least milk will be cheaper..."

A pretty sorry indictment on the citizens of our country.

But if citizens truly only cares about “getting stuff”, why wouldn’t the Covid relief packages, the infrastructure packages, and the overall competent governance figure into things? If citizens actually paid attention to stuff they got from the government, can’t they judge the Biden bucks and bridges vs the Trump tax cuts for the rich and come to their own conclusions?

I'd also wager that most people have moved on from Afghanistan and CRT - again, they'll concern themselves with what's going on next November more so than the news bites right now and it's difficult to project what our news cycle will look like a year out.

So if milk is this month's flavor, why won't inflation concerns evaporate in the next few months too?

Also, keep in mind that even if the electoral mindset may not shift as much, the gerrymandering that we're witnessing favors R's retaking the house simply through shrewd use of drawing lines.

If this is the case, do any of these issues even matter? Why talk about inflation or the price if milk if gerrymandering and voter suppression have already decided things?

 

[Deleted member 365]

Not to go on a tangent, and they can't force him to do so, but having an 83 year-old Stephen Breyer on the SC while having the advantage to move his nomination through the Senate and retain a progressive voice for another 30 years may be a massive miscalculation if nothing happens prior to next year.

You don't think Democrats haven't considered this?

What should they do to get rid of him? Will Republicans join Democrats to impeach and remove Breyer over something?

The only person who can decide whether Breyer retires or stays on is... Well Breyer. Direct anger towards him accordingly, not at Democrats.

 

[Deleted member 365]

Historical precedent. If you think the Democrats won't get hurt in the midterms, I'm up for a wager on it. I'll even give you odds.

My issue isn't so much that they're going to lose seats. I believe gerrymandering and voter suppression laws have already taken care of that. My issue is people that small and petty issues like CRT and inflation warrant empowering an Authoritarian Republican cult. If America is supposed to be the shining city on a hill to inspire all other nations to aspire, then maybe it shouldn't sacrifice its democratic ideals for a few gallons of milk.

If cheap milk is enough to overthrow our democracy and empower a dictator, then what a sad indictment on America's citizens and its democratic ideals. Perhaps we never were very exceptional after all?

Just curious, @Gameface is this what you served our country for? When you joined the navy, did you think about our nation’s ideals and take pride in them? Or was our nation merely a vehicle for cheap milk? And if you could get cheaper milk by serving a dictator, would you have done it? Would you have sacrificed our democracy, permanently damaging free and fair elections, for some “free/cheaper stuff”, would you have done it?

Aren’t we supposed to have higher ideals than merely this tunnel vision of our immediate needs? Are we all just so petty and narcissistic?

Germany sacrificed its democracy after millions were lost in a war, inflation reached hyperinflation levels, and unemployment blew up past 30 percent. We apparently are willing to throw our democracy away over unemployment rates that range between 3-5 percent, near record highs in stock market, and milk that costs $0.25 more than last year but still cheaper than 2014 and 2008 milk.

 

[Al-O-Meter]

milk that costs $0.25 more than last year but still cheaper than 2014 and 2008 milk.

You need to let the whole milk thing go. It isn't about the milk. The issue is the destruction of the US currency and the economy. No, the dollar was not worth less in 2014 and 2008 than it is today. Inflation is the highest ever measured. Even with the BS reworked way of calculating it, inflation is over 9%. If they still used the same formula they used back in the Jimmy Carter years, we're over 20% inflation. We are NOT above 9% GDP. Adjusted for inflation, our economy is shrinking. We just came from an artificial shut-down. Our economy growth should be crazy, yet adjusted for inflation we are now in recession. We will be in actual recession the moment the Fed stops pumping money in, which they are going to have to do quickly to get inflation under control.

Dems aren't about to get shellacked because milk costs a few dimes more. It is because they cratered the economy. Thanks to Democrat control in the House, Senate, and Presidency, the United States is Wile E. Coyote standing in the air. That doesn't make me giddy to have the economists I listen to proven correct. We're all about to fall to the desert floor together.

 

[Deleted member 365]

You need to let the whole milk thing go. It isn't about the milk. The issue is the destruction of the US currency and the economy. No, the dollar was not worth less in 2014 and 2008 than it is today. Inflation is the highest ever measured. Even with the BS reworked way of calculating it, inflation is over 9%. If they still used the same formula they used back in the Jimmy Carter years, we're over 20% inflation. We are NOT above 9% GDP. Adjusted for inflation, our economy is shrinking. We just came from an artificial shut-down. Our economy growth should be crazy, yet adjusted for inflation we are now in recession. We will be in actual recession the moment the Fed stops pumping money in, which they are going to have to do quickly to get inflation under control.

Dems aren't about to get shellacked because milk costs a few dimes more. It is because they cratered the economy. Thanks to Democrat control in the House, Senate, and Presidency, the United States is Wile E. Coyote standing in the air. That doesn't make me giddy to have the economists I listen to proven correct. We're all about to fall to the desert floor together.

This is a really weird post. Not only are certain arguments wrong (real GDP is growing) and inflation numbers calculated either the older way (CPI) or newer way (COLI) indicate inflation rates way lower than what you stated.

Furthermore, exaggerating the economy as “being in recession” and Democrats “cratering the economy” is just laughable.

For those of you interested, the largest banks in America believe 2022 will be a very good financial year. JP Morgan in particular is pretty damn good. As I’ve stated before, my wife works in finance. Some of her clients are some of the most well known and wealthiest in Utah. The financial outlook in 2022 is bright. Yes, there are some global inflation and supply chain issues. But nothing like… “recessions” or “cratering the economy.”

It’s just laughable at this point to describe the economy in such silly terms.

2022 Outlook: Key takeaways

We’re optimistic about the possibility of a vibrant 2022 — one that could stand in stark contrast against the sluggish economic growth of the 2010s.

www.chase.com

Wells Fargo Investment Institute Releases ‘2022 Outlook: Which way to the recovery?’

The U.S. is expected to serve as the global economy’s growth locomotive, as inflation likely remains above long-term trend for much of 2022 Wells Fargo Investment Institute (WFII) today released “ 2022 Outlook: Which Way to the Recovery?” a report examining how markets have reached a crossroads...

newsroom.wf.com

Bank of America Market Strategist Optimistic Heading Into 2022

The optimism largely comes from the resiliency of the private sector.

www.425business.com

 

[Deleted member 365]

If inflation really is a concern for Americans, why would they empower the party that spent like drunken sailors during good times? Perhaps if they hadn’t spent so much, our financial system might’ve been better able to absorb the costs of the pandemic?

 

[Al-O-Meter]

the largest banks in America believe 2022 will be a very good financial year.

Let's see what they say after the FOMC statement tomorrow.

As I am writing this before the release of the FOMC statement, you could be correct. The Fed could stick to their original quantitative easing taper schedule and signal a single rate hike in the second half of next year. Or they could say "Al-O-Meter is right. Inflation is more persistent and the pressure greater than earlier projections indicated. The Fed is going to taper more aggressively and the market can expect multiple rate hikes starting in the first half of 2022."