trump off the CO ballot

[Meadmaker]

"pickle" is likely an American codger word. Does it exist in NZ or Oz? It's when a runner (in baseball) gets caught between bases by two infielders whom toss the ball back and forth, closing in on the runner. One touch of the glove with the ball kills the runner instantly. It's a tough spot to escape...though it happens.

Even though I have played pickle, and have heard the baseball phrase when a man is caught between bases, I never connected it with the phrase "in a pickle". Etymology is cool to me.

[Meadmaker]

Yes, pickles exist here. We don't have the American obsession with them. We don't put them on hamburgers,

It would get in the way of the beets?

[Meadmaker]

That this election remains neck and neck is utterly bizarre and shameful.
Harris is repugnant to me; as was Hillary and Biden.
But Trump shouldn't be possible.

That pretty much sums up my thoughts, although, for me, "repugnant" is too strong. I haven't liked a Democratic candidate since Obama, but I wouldn't go so far as to call them repugnant.

[stanky]

I fell for the Obama hype (twice) but am over it.
Objectively, in retrospect, he sold his fans down the river and went for personnel wealth instead.
Dropped more bombs than Bush; kept Goldman Sachs on speed dial, etc.
same old stuff. Collecting mansions now. Michelle, too. All hype.

That will likely piss off the quazi liberals.
Which is why i'm (hopefully) done with politics.
You don't get your money back.
They need billions now and it all goes up in smoke when it's over.

[arthwollipot]

Yes, pickles exist here. We don't have the American obsession with them. We don't put them on hamburgers,

It would get in the way of the beets?

We don't put "beets" on hamburgers either. We put beetroot on them. Beetroot is made from what you call beets.

[Meadmaker]

Yes, pickles exist here. We don't have the American obsession with them. We don't put them on hamburgers,

It would get in the way of the beets?

We don't put "beets" on hamburgers either. We put beetroot on them. Beetroot is made from what you call beets.

Beet slices.

We don't put pickles on hamburgers, either. We put pickle slices on them.


(After eating an "Aussie with the Lot" burger several times at Pennsic, I decided I had to make my own, so I dutifully looked up the recipe on google and discovered that the Aussies that ran the booth were hopelessly inauthentic, because there were no beets on those burgers. I dutifully went out and found a jar of sliced beetroot, and made up my own Aussie Burgers.

They were ok, and the beet slices did them no harm. If I were being truly objective, I might say they were better, because pickle slices can have such a sharp flavor that it's very powerful and doesn't blend well with the other flavors. The beet, or beetroot, slices, blend in a bit better. And I don't usually like fried eggs, but on burgers they aren't bad.)

[Meadmaker]

that too, on purpose? and why oh why, again, such a compromised candidate for dnc?
smacks of a team effort to me. What else could account for his existence in this race?
They're nurturing each other?

I think the mistake you make, in general, is in assuming that there's some sort of "team" directing things.

I think there are a bunch of individuals looking out for themselves, but combining forces when it's expedient. What we get is the result of a bunch of locally optimal decisions.

The masses, i.e. the common people, the proles, the man in the street, though, have a special place in society. With almost no power of their own, the way they feel powerful is by joining a team they think is powerful, but which has limited membership. In Trump's case, he gives his people matching hats and promises not to let in immigrants. Sadly, it works, and it's not easy to fight. Donald Trump gets them to follow him by making them feel like they're on a team. The truth is that Trump would throw any of those MAGA folks under the bus the second they become a liability.

[arthwollipot]

Beet slices.

You can't just dig up a beet, slice it, and call it beetroot. It's not the same.

We don't put pickles on hamburgers, either. We put pickle slices on them.

Okay, that's a minor, though technically accurate, point.

There's another new thread on ISF where we argue about food, by the way.

[stanky]

that too, on purpose? and why oh why, again, such a compromised candidate for dnc?
smacks of a team effort to me. What else could account for his existence in this race?
They're nurturing each other?

I think the mistake you make, in general, is in assuming that there's some sort of "team" directing things.

I think there are a bunch of individuals looking out for themselves, but combining forces when it's expedient. What we get is the result of a bunch of locally optimal decisions.

The masses, i.e. the common people, the proles, the man in the street, though, have a special place in society. With almost no power of their own, the way they feel powerful is by joining a team they think is powerful, but which has limited membership. In Trump's case, he gives his people matching hats and promises not to let in immigrants. Sadly, it works, and it's not easy to fight. Donald Trump gets them to follow him by making them feel like they're on a team. The truth is that Trump would throw any of those MAGA folks under the bus the second they become a liability.

My tendency to find behind the scenes leadership at play, which smacks of conspiracy, is to counter the possible gross truth that this is a matter of mindless, bumbling along...and that's what steers the ship.
That's almost worse than a dark meeting of global billionaires who plot the course in vague agreement.
The 2nd angle has some mathematical backing, in as much as the uber wealthy donors have an outsized influence on elections. Citizen's United and all that...it's had a direction for some time...towards that which we once bonded ove
r, the destruction of Nazism, fascism, nationalism, racism, white supremacy, and authoritarian right wing tactics of aggression.

Now we're embracing it.

[Meadmaker]

That's almost worse than a dark meeting of global billionaires who plot the course in vague agreement.
The 2nd angle has some mathematical backing, in as much as the uber wealthy donors have an outsized influence on elections.

It might be better, or it might be worse, but I believe it's true.


I'm not sure the influence of wealthy donors is as straightforward as people think it is. However, that's a very complex subject, and if I were being honest I would have to admit that my opinions on the subject are speculative. There's no doubt, though, that people with money have options, and they can use that money in ways that influence the actions, and even the thoughts, of other people.