Your "especially in California" statement makes me laugh, as I've heard the same line from people that live in at least 5 other states where their favoured party is not in control. I've heard it from Democrats in Florida, Arizona and North Carolina and from Republicans in Washington and New York. If your party is not in control of the state, everyone believes they're in the worst position.
But then if you were looking at it objectively, and this wasn't something as sensitive as racism which is insanely difficult to have a conversation about online, why did such a racist President increase the black male vote? Maybe the feeling in the US on that subject doesn't align with the soundbites we see over here? I'm not sure if that's the case, and I'm not saying that's my opinion, but looking objectively. There's also credible accounts from black people that he isn't racist, do we ignore those? He's definitely crass, outspoken, too close to the line, and on occasions over the line when it comes to all this stuff. He isn't a statesman at all. But then that's one of the reasons the US voted him in - they'd had enough of the kind of things they're seeing from the likes of the CA and New York Governors and wanted change.
I'm glad you got a laugh out of it. Bit different right now though as you've got companies actively making moves to leave CA. House rental pricing has fallen off a cliff edge. Empty apartments. It isn't just a 'line' but something that is happening. Also, when I said there's some shocking things happening in California right now some of the examples I was referencing; Gavin Newsome locking down and grouping counties together in to regions, Gavin Newsom going out with friends to French Laundry and not wearing a mask, companies that Gavin Newsom is involved in getting more of the state payments than other similar sized businesses, the LA judge that is threatening to overrule and allow outdoor dining because no evidence has been provided to back up the lockdown, the newly elected DA causing havoc yesterday with some of his rules on felony and bail, the restaurant owner in LA who was shutdown yet 50 yards across the road the LA Mayor has granted a movie set outdoor dining and seating for c. 100 people, CA senior officials flying off to Hawaii for their annual meeting, the attack on Lyft and Uber, more raising of taxes in the most taxed state, schools being completely closed, etc. As always I was making a comment based on what I see going on rather than just being flippant. I think Elon Musk announced yesterday Tesla was moving, which follows Hewlett Packard's announcement they'd be looking to leave CA too. All of this amongst a backdrop of insane homelessness, poverty and drug use in districts of the Bay Area. San Francisco and LA are a far cry from the great cities they used to be.
But did he increase the black male vote or did he merely manage to not lose as many black male votes as he did 4 years ago? Four in every five black men voted against trump. How can a black man give credible evidence that trump isn't racist? They can't. All they can say is that in their personal experience they haven't seen him display any racism. And I don't understand why his soundbites over here thing because he gets just as much stick in America. I very rarely watch the news so my experience of trump is what I see on his very own Twitter page and largely from Americans who share his bile.
Trump is racist sexist and misogynist hilarious that anyone can pretend differently using the ‘some of my best friends are black’ line.
I picked up the ladybird book of Donald trump today. Turned to a random page and this is what I found. Well it made me laugh
But the point is... we understand that the USA has some social problems, and that the Democrats are in almost as bad a state as the Tories are here (ie slightly worse than Labour here too). But defending Trump as an answer to those issues is certifiable, it’s like saying the BFC board are incompetent so we should sack em and put Tommy Robinson in charge. And in that I’m possibly being kind to Tommeh.
That's not the best example though because Tommy Robinson would need to be in the running to be in charge so people had a choice between A) and B). Nobody said 'Let's put Trump in charge'. 73 million people weren't defending Trump. They were voting for the economy, jobs, the military, the police, immigration, not being in lockdown, supporting small business, and many other things. I know people disagree with this, but I'll always defend this notion that all Trump voters were racist and it's shocking that anyone would vote for him. There were clear policies that made people vote Republican and it isn't as outrageous as many suggest.
So what is your opinion on whether Trump is racist? You seem to want to avoid the issue. A book by John O’Donnell, former president of Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, quoted Trump’s criticism of a Black accountant: “Black guys counting my money! I hate it. The only kind of people I want counting my money are short guys that wear yarmulkes every day. … I think that the guy is lazy. And it’s probably not his fault, because laziness is a trait in blacks. It really is, I believe that. It’s not anything they can control.” Trump later said in a 1997 Playboy interview that “the stuff O’Donnell wrote about me is probably true.”
I'm not surprised but would be nice if you wouldn't lie. You've asked me this question outright before and I gave you an honest answer. No avoiding anything.
Please don't accuse me of lying. This was your answer: You just couldn't resist the "but".... It's fairly clear (especially given that you had previously ignored the question) that you really want to avoid condemning him for racism. It's also telling that of all the threads you chose this one to make a point about conduct when someone made a fairly mild post about someone removing their head from Trump's arse. Much, much worse has been said on here in recent weeks.
Don't accuse me of something I've answered already. Just because I said 'but' it doesn't invalidate my answer. And to suggest I previously ignored it when I already stated in that same thread that my notifications were going off and I missed it is a little bit naughty too. Even naughtier to say I won't condemn him when I've said he sails close to the line and crosses it. How is that not condemning it? I'm the one who's banned people for racism and other things the last 12 months, for the things you've mentioned. I'm the most responsive member of admin when it comes to the difficult subjects. I also made that particular comment based on recent alerts - much worse has been said and those people are no longer on the forum.
Clearly someone (Trump) did say ‘let’s put Trump in charge’ and clearly lots of people agreed. There is no deflecting from the fact that for reasons best known to themselves, many people will happily ignore the fact he’s a sex pest (at least), a racist, and a con man. I don’t understand that, and I never will. I was prepared to vote for JC believing him to be a nob, but I couldn’t vote for a sex offender or a racist.
No, but it makes it clear you're desperate to put forward some alternate reality view of his racism, as reinforced by your more recent posts in this thread. I'll take you at your word, but it does look convenient that that was the one notification you missed. Because your criticism generally stops along the lines of he's quick to react, or missteps in the media - as if these are excusable "heat of the moment" things rather than examples of his clear racism.
I'm not desperate for anything. Not as desperate as you appear to be to jump on anything I post on this subject, despite me trying to always back things up with what's going on in the country and just provide a different outlook on the US based on what I know and what doesn't get shared by anyone else. I'm not beating the drum for anyone other than having an understanding of why people voted Republican (not Trump). My criticism goes to oversteps the mark, is part of an unhinged team, and various others like being crass. But keep trying to spin things against me in some weird point scoring contest to either discredit me or make me out to be a bad person, even though its a strange take and position.
I don't think you're a bad person, you seem pretty sound and I think we'd probably get on over a pint (if this particular point didn't come up...) It just strikes me that there's a weird evasiveness and a reluctance to confirm your true position when it comes to Trump so it seeps out via the tenuous "buts" and "ifs" which annoys me more than if someone is just open, but at the end of the day I'm a bit of a loony lefty and it probably says a lot about me and how bored I am in lockdown that it annoys me at all, and I might be reading too much into things. I do actually feel a bit bad now reflecting on things, I don't want to be the bloke on a forum that jumps on people - at the end of the day we all support Barnsley and I am grateful for the job you and all the other admins do. I'll just leave it as us having differing opinions on the topic and hopefully next time I reply to you it will be on something where we agree