stevenkesslar

Sure Sis. Whatever you say. Ya know I love you. 😍 And Trump is so much better than that other President who came from some shit hole in Africa.

And while I am being candid and complimentary of Miss Graham, may I also point to her searing analysis. She was so good at seeing things for what they were that it was almost as if she could predict the future. Here's the wise old gal on March 8, talking about Iran with Maria Bartiromo: How did she know? How did she get that so right?

God bless you! In this polarized age I was almost afraid to say something complimentary about Miss Graham. But if you all search deep in your souls, you will know I am right. She was an amazing fashion icon. Ukrainians will miss Miss Graham, after she unceremoniously snubbed Zelensky after JD went Full On Hillbilly in the Oval Office. Iran war mongers will sure miss Lindsey, after her brilliant strategic advice. She brought Iran to its knees. And they didn't even have to pay her for it! But that is nothing at all compared to the deep void Miss Graham leaves in the queer fashion community. She mastered the frumpy "I'm Really Straight" look. With just the right hint of color. How will we get along without our fairy godmother?

Let's start with the part of the cognitive test that President Trump aced. See if you can do as well as he did. So far, so good. 😜 Here's the part that President Trump got wrong. Match the definition of a word to the correct picture of it. Definition one: A male monarch or sovereign ruler. Definition two: A derogatory term for someone who is acting rudely, stupidly, or performing their job incompetently. Which definition matches which picture? That is the correct match of definition to picture. For some strange reason, Trump got it wrong.

E. Jean Carroll receives the first of Trump’s millions Yes, I know. Trump and his family and oligarch pals are getting fabulously billionaire-ish off their grifting and tax cuts. What's a mere $5.6 million? But it still feels good. History will record the fact that he's a lying raping pig of a POTUS. Oink!

Well, at least they want to talk about it. In a viral post, transgender author alleges anti-LGBTQ+ senator Lindsey Graham hired her for sex work You know me, Sis. I always look on the bright side. At least The Tragic Lady can now be herself. And since Satan has had it with Trump, maybe The Divine Miss Graham can even get it on with Satan. 😁

Asking for a friend (not my Sister In Cock, though) Why do 16 % of male escorts want to have sex with him again? 🫢

And maybe Lady Graham will end it all by serving the people of South Carolina as A True Refined Lady. Word is they'll maybe appoint Lindsey's sister to temporarily replace her and finish the term. How apt. South Carolina will have a Real Lady who does whatever Trump wants.

I agree. I never heard of him before. Great video, Sis. The "spineless" diagnosis is interesting. Of course The Girly Lady is spineless for living in the Republican closet her whole life. But Johnson starts with Graham's political shape shifting. I've always thought that one thing Graham did stand for is being a hawk - on Ukraine, on Iran, on everything. But you can make a great case that getting down on her knees and licking Trump's ass was way more important to the Tragic Queer Lady than actually standing up for Ukraine - once Trump decided to fuck Ukrainians. That said, there is at least one thing The Divine Miss Graham consistently stood for. She truly loved to get fucked.

Speaking of which .............. Anyone else suspect possible foul play with the (Tragically No Longer) Divine Miss Graham? I've read speculation in several articles about Russia and poison-induced heart attacks. He did just get back from Kyiv boasting about Russia sanctions. Then again, maybe Iran is sending a message through Trump's pal? Seems like so many nations today want to kill Americans. What's that about? We're just peace loving and kind to everyone! 🤔 Then again, maybe the (Divinely No Longer) Tragic Miss Graham just got a gerbil up her ass somehow, and got overly excited. She's always been that kind of gal.

One can hope!

I thought this was an interesting counterpoint to what is happening in Maine: Progressives think they've found a way around their old social media posts Far-left candidates are betting voters care more about economic populism than old posts calling to defund the police. Republicans are salivating. That works for me! The distinction in my mind is between a candidate who is accused of rape, and a candidate who is accused of calling for defunding the police. We have one of the first in Maine, and one of the second in Michigan. It's a big difference. There is no doubt in my mind that some of what left wing Democrats, including me, advocate turns off some swing voters. I can live with that. It turns me off that a lot of moderate Democrats are pussies and money whores who seem to have their politics driven by the special interests that line their pockets. Michigan will be a very good test of what happens in a swing state when you run a candidate who is talented, and seems like a good person. But who has some views that can easily be labelled as at the fringe. Talarico is another example of that in Texas, calling some of his own past statements "cringey." People can decide whether they care about that more than the genocide in Gaza. Or the wished for genocide in Iran. Or the more everyday stuff like the cost of housing and gas. One of my favorite lines in politics happened during the Monica Lewinsky thing. I was standing in line at an ATM with two women chatting in front of me. One was talking about how well her husband's business was doing. And how she was excited that they could afford to do a big kitchen remodel. She went on for a minute describing what the plans were and how nice the new kitchen would be. Then her friend blurted out, "It seems like every time Bill Clinton gets a blow job, the economy gets better." It's the economy, stupid. That's what people care about the most. Bill Clinton is Democrats' original sin on the issue of being a sexual predator. As Donald Trump liked to point out in 2016 when "pussy grabbing" saw the light of day. I would rather have someone who has to explain why they called for defunding the police than why they didn't rape someone, really. We'll know soon how it works out. A second poll was done in Maine. And that poll showed that pretty much any progressive Democrat does better in a head to head against Collins than Platner would have. The polls make it clear that lots of Maine Democrats had had enough. Including progressive women and Platner volunteers. I was unaware that Platner basically crowded out multiple progressive candidates in Maine who have lots of government experience with his momentum. So they all ran for Governor instead. So we npw have three candidates who each pulled about 20 % in the Guv race and who have all thrown their hat in the ring for Senate. It seems like an abundance of riches, potentially. As long as the Maine party is not perceived as moving the needle to a more Establishment candidate. And as long as whoever comes out ahead at their flash convention can focus on unity. Which sounds like where the progressive base in Maine wants to be.

I mean, there is just no way he is dividing the country. There is no way a statement like that could be taken as divisive. Not at all. Obviously Trump just wants to unify us all .................... under his wannabe dictatorship. Meanwhile, Iran may just kill Trump and The Genocide Jew. Where would they ever get such an idea?

Me too. He ran a good campaign. It's not at all clear that this diminishes Democrats' chances of winning main. As I posted above, the most recent poll showed Troy Jackson a few points ahead of Collins, while Platner was a few points behind. That same poll showed that Democrats overwhelmingly wanted Platner to drop out if another scandal emerged, which it did. I think the way Democrats could fuck this up is the party establishment tries to muscle in a candidate that Platner's supporters don't want. Meanwhile, Susan Collins doesn't seem to think this improves her chances. Good!

I've lost track too, Sis. I think we should consult an expert.

An addendum confirming this point. Sanders has now joined the chorus. Almost all Senate Democrats are calling for Platner to move aside. More important, the grassroots movement is speaking. Platner Volunteers Want to Move Forward with a New Candidate In the poll, which seems to reflect what is stated above, Collins led Platner 50 to 46. On the other hand, Jackson led Collins 48 to 43. Collins knows what she stands for. Susan Collins stands for dismissing charges of rape and sexual assault. Thanks to Susan Collins and her dismissal of rape allegations we have Rapist Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court. Dithering Susan said Rapist Kavanaugh would never repeal Roe v. Wade. Until he did. Maine seems ready to dump Susan Collins. The Maine Democratic Party standing against rape simply highlights the fact that Collins stood for rape. She voted for letting a rapist take away women's right to choose.

Interesting and moving interview with Christine Blasey Ford a few years ago on the costs of speaking out as a rape victim.

Well, lucky me. I disagree with all of you. 🫢 That's a good list, Sis. But it cuts both ways. Some Republicans still have standards. Moore was nominated, but - as you note - he lost in one of the reddest states. Because Doug Jones was a better man. And some Republicans held the line and voted for him. Matt Gaetz was a bridge too far for Republican MOCs that he bragged about his sexcapades to. Yes, Trump won despite being the total raping piece of shit he is. Which is why Democrats should nominate someone in 2028 who actually has character. We have many good choices. Bottom line is I am glad Platner will almost certainly be out soon. Democrats have two choices. If we point out that Trump is a sleazebag but we have a higher standard, which I think we do, then we can say Republicans have a double standard. Or we can adopt the standard many Republicans have embraced. Anything, including rape, goes. Then there are no standards. To me this choice is a no brainer. Everyone is bitching, rightfully, that Democrats don't stand for anything. Well here Democrats are taking a stand. Including Elizabeth Warren and lots of progressive elected women in Congress. Good for them. I'm with them. I'm donating to every Senate candidate that I think has a chance except North Carolina. If Cooper can't win, Democrats will gain zero seats and could lose a few, like Michigan and Georgia. But if I assume there is a blue wave and Cooper wins NC then the potentially doable states are Maine, Ohio, Alaska, Iowa, and perennial Holy Grail Texas. I started donating monthly to Platner once he got the nomination. But I did not feel good about it. There is a boatload of dirt on the guy. This was going to be a hard race, anyway. Collins was behind in the polls in 2020 but won handily, anyway. So just on a sheerly partisan level I think ABP (Anybody But Plattner) gives us a better chance of winning Maine. What I've read again and again is that people like Platner's message, but not him. I feel the same way. Pick someone with his message but without his flaws. It is like what happened with Biden, of course. But the problem with that approach was NOT that we should have just held the line for Biden. He should never have run. With Harris at least we had a chance. I feel that Harris created enough momentum to save some Democratic Senate seats we could have lost in 2024 - like Michigan, and Arizona, and Nevada. The alleged victim also liked Platner's message, but not Platner. Here is what she said. To me that makes her two things: 1) very human, and 2) heroic. I am glad she spoke out. She deserves the same support as Christine Blasey Ford and all Trump's rape victims. She did speak to The New York Times at the same time one of Platner's conservative accusers did. But at the time Racicot was not ready to proclaim to world that she was a rape victim. I think this helps remove any doubts that this is a partisan hit job. The guy was a weak candidate. We Democrats did this to ourselves. As you pointed out, Sis, the people of Maine chose him. I blame Trump for helping to create a cesspool national political environment. Rape, grifting, lying, starting a war without explaining it - in Trump USA anything goes. The USA is now truly A BIG FUCKING SHIT HOLE in the eyes of the whole world. Woo hoo! Yeah, Trump is a total piece of shit that is turning the USA into a ridiculed piece of shit. I'd rather stand for some better alternative. Even if right now it just feels like make believe. Democrats have a winning message, if they are actually willing to fight for it. The return to democracy and working class politics that Sanders unleashed in 2016 is even more powerful now, I think. Sanders won the 2016 Maine caucus. In the 2020 Maine primary Biden and Sanders each got about one third of the vote. The fact that Mainers embraced Sanders' message again in 2026, even when the messenger was so flawed, is just more proof of the power of the message.

Congratulations, Sis. I was curious so I read a few articles about what Mamdani has actually done to make life more affordable for New Yorkers. And freezing rent was at the top of the list. I think you're exactly right. If "socialism" means lower rent or affordable housing or affordable health care, people may not hate it so much. I think Bernie has proven that. The real test is going to be whether progressives and democratic socialists can actually make life more affordable. Freezing rent is a start. Glad to know Zohran got a well deserved rim job. Asking for a friend. Could you do the same for Lindsey?

Ask Lindsey?

There's a simple answer to this, guys. Cheap beer. Bob likes cheap beer. And, Sis, you should know this. Perhaps my beloved Sister needs to spend a little more timing talking to Zohran about policy, rather than putting your big mouth to good use in other ways? 😁 The Freakout Over Cheaper Beer at Yankee Stadium Mamdani and Khan’s plan to end monopolistic pricing at NYC stadiums is good policy and good politics.

We completely agree, Sis. I mean, Bob. Bob is the name of my brother who I refer to as a McCain Republican. He is not particularly political. And he doesn't have a solid history of voting. When I ask him to name a politician he truly admired, first name he says is John McCain. And he did vote for Trump in 2016, arguing it would be "interesting." I argued that nuclear war would be "interesting". But it doesn't mean I'd vote for it. I may still end up being right. Hasta la vista, Tehran! (Or will Tehran get Jerusalem first?) 😱 I've posted this before. When I asked Bob who he would have voted for in 2020 if he simply voted on the economy, he immediately answered "Trump." I asked why. He said, "My IRA was worth a lot more." Good point. He voted for Biden, and got kicked off his rural neighbors lawn for telling his neighbor he voted for Biden. These days his favorite word to describe Trump is "megalomaniac." So Bob would agree with you, as would I. It's not just the economy, stupid. My argument actually proves that. As my nephew believes, I think neither Trump nor Biden caused the stock market or home prices to form a bubble. It's the secular bull market, stupid. But it happened on their watches. Arguably, Trump might bring it to an end with Iran. But college educated Californians despise Trump despite the fact that incomes in California went up whole he President - twice. I think there is proof of my argument in the polling data from 2020. In every other election since 2000, three things happened in CNN exit polls: 1) people who said they were worse off than four years ago voted overwhelmingly against the incumbent party, 2) people who said they were better off than four years ago voted overwhelmingly for the incumbent party, and 3) people who said their own economic situation was the same as four years ago split their vote pretty much 50/50. The odd thing about 2020 is that people who said their own economic well being was the same as four years ago broke heavily for Joe Biden. Had they voted the way they did in every other election, Trump would have won in 2020. So my belief, which I think is close to being a fact, is that it was everything else about Trump that made him lose in 2020. Like being a lying raping grifting narcissistic megalomaniac. After four years of perceived Bidenflation and wokeness, the perception in Nov. 2024 on the part of many swing voters was that the 2016-2020 Trump economy wasn't so bad. Especially if 2016 was when you reached puberty, and you were more interested in jacking off than voting. 🤔 (I know, Sis. We're no longer teens but we still jack off too much. So what? We're Gay!) Harry Enten just did a nice polling thing on how Trump has swung -50 points on the issue of inflation. In Nov. 2024 he was beating Kamala Harris on the issue of inflation. Now he has like 40 % net disapproval on how he is dealing with inflation. Only very conservative Republicans give Trump net approval on how well he has lowered prices. If James Talarico wins Texas and Jon Ossoff wins Georgia it won't be because they are cute. Even though they are. It will be because a lot of disappointed and angry Republicans don't vote. All that said, I think in retrospect it is clear that Democrats vastly overplayed the "democracy" card. Democrats did not have a democratic primary. We had an old man who looked like he belong in a coffin. Trump muscled his way to a victory in a Republican primary many assumed he would lose in 2022 or so. Who's democratic now? Trump himself said that when he saw Kamala Harris carting Liz Cheney around, he knew he would win. As in, that's the best ya got? Cart around the daughter of the Iraq War Big Lie Guy? That's the best ya got? So as much as I agree with you, Sis, and my brother Bob, that Trump is a megalomaniac and overall worthless piece of shit, I will close by repeating my long-winded self. If Democrats do not figure out how to reconnect with and prioritize the issues of working class men and women who voted for Trump in exasperation, we will keep losing. I wish! Note that I said my nephew, not me, is the one sitting on millions in paper wealth. The new joke with him is that he is just going to have to be more generous to his destitute father, mother, and uncles. I may not have my youth and beauty. But I at least deserve a nice wardrobe.

Completely agree. It is profoundly about corruption. But it's also bigger and more complicated than that. I'll say two things about one of my nephews who is my stock trading buddy. First, he argued in 2024 that the benefit of Trump winning is that Trump will own what happens by 2028. Think 1928 and that is in the ballpark of what my nephew thinks is coming. He despises Trump. And like many Millennials he views Trump and most politicians as stupid and more or less useless. He's thought for years we are invariably headed to a big market crash. So the question for him is whether it looks more like 1928, or 2008. Great Depression, or Great Recession? Either way, he thinks that as bad as it is now, by 2028 it will be worse. So Democrats are set up to take over, if that plays out. Although this nephew and most of my nieces and nephews have about zero confidence in Democrats, either. (I have one niece who brought her daughter to a Harris rally and likes donating to women candidates. I like talking about politics with her.) Second, if we are talking about my nephew, who still rents along with his wife, it's not thousands of dollars. It's millions. I was recently on a fun trip with a Boomer brother and cousin. And for fun I asked them to guess how much money this nephew had made, on paper, that day. The correct answer is he lost $4 million on paper, just that day, on a 3x semiconductor ETF called SOXL. That said, even on that bad day, he was still up something like $10 million since April. And this is a Millennial and his wife who rent part of a home in the Chicago burbs. He is a bartender and his wife works at a small family-owned business. Turns out lots of Millennials are good savers. Who knew? My point is that the dirty little secret is that a lot of middle class people who own homes and own stocks are doing very well, thank you. I think that's why the US and global economy keep holding up. Despite the war and the surge in oil prices. In other words, Trump is doing his level best to fuck it up with horrific judgment and ego. Lies and tariffs and wars, oh my! But, so far, Trump is failing at that, too. It may be my nephew is right. And the war and oil prices will be what finally pushes the economy over the edge. But Boomers are swimming in wealth. Which Millennials and Zoomers have noticed and are a little bit bitchy about. With cause. Homes prices and rents are out of control. Meanwhile, pretty much every study I have seen shows that Millennials and Zoomers have higher incomes and higher net worth than the average Boomer did at the same age. And that's in large part because they went to college, skilled up, and in many cases own homes that have gone up a lot in value. 2 in 3 Americans own homes. It's mostly the opposite of 2008 and subprime. Back then we had millions of people with little or no equity owning homes with teaser adjustable rate mortgages that were actually built to explode. Now most American home owners have either no mortgage, or a low interest fixed rate mortgage. On a home with a boat load of equity. It is, in my mind, a rock of stability. It may help to explain why so many consumers appear to be resilient. Even when the bubble housing and stock markets do crash, which they will, most US home owners will still have a home with a lot of equity. And either no mortgage or an affordable fixed rate mortgage. Although when that home equity goes away it will help drive a recession, like in 2008. The dirty little secret, which was true under Biden as well as Trump, is that lots of people in the top quarter or third of the income brackets are doing better than ever. For example, here are how bad things suck in The Socialist Shit Hole of California: Assuming the Fed is right, incomes are up about 50 % in real inflation-adjusted terms for Californians since the end of The Great Recession. It explains both the high home prices, and the chronic homelessness. Did I mention tech stocks are at all time highs? My nephew is probably right. By 2028 the party will probably end. Bob Shiller is saying that, more or less. Shiller called 2000 and 2008 right. We'll see. None of this is to say Trump is anything other than a worthless piece of shit who is possibly leading the US and the world to global war. And other fun stuff. Wanna be our 51st state? 🤢 If this were 1998, meaning the last years of the last tech bubble, Bill Clinton would be working on delivering America a budget surplus. Clinton would be ending a war of ethnic cleaning in some remote part of Europe. Not starting a war with Iran. Sometimes Democrats can get things right. Even if, like Trump, Bill was a pal with Epstein. The worthless piece of shit Trump will go down in history as the worthless piece of shit he is. And @Barknaway loves making a total ignorant ass out of himself by barking for joy at Trump's latest ignorant folly. But the show does go on in part because a lot of middle class people are doing pretty well. Along with the truly billionaire Friends Of Donald. Hopefully college educated Democrats are getting the memo that we belong to a party that has strong working class roots. Because the math is simple. There are more working class men and women that did not go to college than there are college educated Democrats like me. That right there helps explain which states are blue, and which states are red. And why Canada truly is smarter. Lots of working class Democrats are struggling mightily, of course. Some of them did vote for Trump in 2024, because they were pissed about Bidenflation. If we don't figure out how to make working class economic problems our priority, Trump - and leaders like him all over the world - will continue to be the symptom of a much deeper political problem. Rant over and out.

And fairness. I know there is the idea that like all Democrats I'm an elitist snob. Because I look down on a certain type of gullible Trump voter who actually believe Trump is in it for them. But at least in this case, they actually were dumb investors who were manipulated and scammed. By their hero Trump. Meanwhile, a smart investor these days is someone who is prepared to buy stocks when Trump does really dumb shit. It really is that simple, almost. Just wait for a failed POTUS to do really dumb shit. And make money off it. In Spring 2025 the grifting lying raping dumb ass POTUS did something really dumb: tariffs. The market tanked, I bought into it at the bottom, and I made a lot of money. In Spring 2026 the grifting lying raping dumb ass POTUS did something really dumb: war with Iran. The market tanked again. I bought into it at the bottom and I am making a lot of money. I suppose I should not be saying this, since it is a form of insider trading. All you have to do is get inside the raping lying grifting dumb shit's head. Once inside, you quickly realize Trump is a failed asshole who makes stupid gut decisions that will tank the market. I suppose it's fair. His MAGA supporters lose money based on their loyalty. And I make money based on my understanding that Trump is consistently a failed losing piece of shit. I suppose everyone is getting what they want. Or at least what they asked for. Or, to be slightly repetitive, as W. said: