What is the only thing that matters in the 2020 Presidential election?

The well being of this country and it’s people.

^ Having trump out of office will cure MOST of what ails us!!!

It’s at the tippy top of my list.

I’m surprised by such small mindedness.

^ Then expand your mind

Pfft. Watch the Democrats not even be able to get that right. Again.

I’m not a Dem. I just can’t stand trump

Trump won’t win. This isn’t 2016.

After 3 years the epitome of small mindedness must be extinguished for flaws in excess of his small empty mind.

I agree Benny Man. Trump being out of office, even if it means being replaced by another republican…..who is a good republican?

The most important issues are national security and the economy, Which Trump has delivered.

The entire premise of this question is so far gone that it looks like a parody. Yet it is the ONLY thing the democrats have focused on. They have refused to cooperate with Trump’s agenda, even when their own constituents are the benefactors. They have refused to work with Trump on bipartisan issues. They have refused to even have their own agenda, except for looser abortion laws and sanctuary cities. They have ignored the corruption they’ve uncovered within their own ranks while using the tools of U.S. intelligence agencies to frame their opposition. Getting rid of Trump has been their only goal for the past three years. And they haven’t even been able to do THAT.

Of course, civil rights and women’s rights wouldn’t mean a thing to you, white man.

@Yellowdog
Bozo is living off what Obama did after 2008. His Idea and yours apparently is the phallic symbol of a wall he is putting up on private property and environmentally protected land, is NATIONAL SECURITY. While stopping construction of housing for the Armed Forces and their families. Pissing off soldiers and sailors like did the Kurds is not not being a leader.

You know that the wall is being breached with $100 power tools. And the Drug Cartels has the best tunnelers in the world working for them and the wall doesn’t do anything for tunnels

@Yellowdog, I appreciate that you don’t give a rat’s ass about such things, but some of us mind that he is rolling back protections on our food supply, on the protection of publicly held lands, on the quality of the air that we breathe and the water that we drink.

But I know that none of that matters to you, as you have implied that again and again that it doesn’t.

And how is his “great” economy affecting you, Mister-how-can-I-get-a-filling-meal-for-no-money? Got lotsa disposable income, do ya?

And how about your anxiety and depression and the rest of it? Benefits are being cut right and left, do you really believe that mister-mocks-the-disabled has your best interests at heart?

But really, it’s about how the Dems are crazy…and the vast majority of Europeans, Canadians, Australians etc etc etc. who are all very publicly appalled by Cheeto Amin in the White House.

I see a lot of hate and rage among you who are actually doing quite well in this economy, as are your African American and HIspanic neighbors. Unemployment is down among all demographics.

As for me, I was shot in a robbery and have been living on disability, for which I am trying to get off of, The dilemma with disability is, once you lose it due to working, it is very difficult if not a total forfieture to get it back. So you’d better be DAMN sure you can support yourself and your loved ones. Of course, unless you can cheat the system, it is very difficult if not impossible, to live on disability. I don’t see how the democrats have helped with this, or how Trump has effected this adversely.

What do you suppose the fool would think of the fact that you are on disability? Is he going to advocate that things be made easier for you? Does that sound like Trump to you?

What you see is us; not believing your delusion for the Bozo (you’re not passing the reality test).

He’ll drop you just like the Veterans, soldiers and sailors.

Ratings. CNN, Fox, PBS, ect.

Remember when CNN was so bored they spent a month wondering if a black hole swallowed a Malaysian airlines flight?

I want that again…

Right now, I dint want to say the only thing that matters is beating Trump. I want Democrats to focus on the candidates before them and choose the one that is best for the country. Once chosen then we can focus on just voting for whoever won the nomination. Democrats suck at predicting who the ”independents” will vote for. Most Democrats don’t get the appeal of Trump at all, won’t listen to why people like Trump, and so they don’t know how to fight him.

@Yellowdog Andrew Yang’s UBI money would probably be a big help to you. It would lower your risk if you go out and work. You could work part-time if that’s more feasible. I agree a problem in our social systems is they encourage people not to work sometimes. It’s not necessarily a problem. If predictions are right there won’t be enough jobs. it is a problem if people want to work though, or try to work.

I don’t see Trump as taking away anyone’s Social Security Disability that was legally obtained, without fraud, for those who need it.

But it is a piss-poor way to live, not just the economics. Imagine not being able to afford your car repairs, or even an automobile. Imagine the tv commercials and billboards for food specials at restaurants you cannot afford. Imagine not being able to afford to do ANYTHING with friends, romantic interests, gatherings, That;s how I live.

Trump’s ethos is not to take away anyone’s substanence but for all who are able to work, to be productive citizens, who will not have to live this way—who can contribute to society, the nation’s economic health, and live free of worries about money, paying for food and material needs, paying the bills.

Living on disability, or welfare, is a piss-poor way of life. Raising several children in a one- or two bedroom apartment, is horrible. There is no money in our overtaxed tax system to elevate such persons to a middle-class lifestyle, Just enough to keep one from starving.

No matter how penniless and destitute our health needs are met. But living on disability is a way of life most of us want to get apart from if it is at all possible.

It is not the government’s responsibility to elevate anyone to a middle class life style. That elevating is up to the individual.
In a civilized nation we don’t allow people to starve to death, or die from exposure because they have no place to live.
Trump would do it, though, if he could put all of the money we spend on Welfare into his own pocket.

Thanks for reading my response, and for the most part, we are in agreement. But I see no evidence that Trump misappropriates funds for the poor, or welfare, to enrich himself, nor making economic gain off his position, as the overwhelming majority of those in Washington have.

There are big-name politicians who have made hundreds of millions because of their position of influence, Trump is not one of them,

LOLL! One of the reasons he’s being impeached is because he’s using the office for personal gain! Face it, man. Wake up and smell the coffee. He’s a crook. He’s a lying, two faced perverted clown.

The thing which astonishes me most about the dog’s plight as well as the tens of millions of others subsisting on a dole engineered principally to humiliate its recipients is in the failure to recognize Trump as inimical to any reasonable measure to impart any sense of worth or dignity to those who find themselves on the wrong side of the welfare border.

The dog is correct that most of us here are better off than himself because Trump and his like have yet to plug the holes allowing the crumbs to trickle our way from their groaning obscenely overladen table. But make no mistake, those holes are being plugged as quickly as can be arranged, with the dog’s fate destined for the bulk of the rest of us. Fear not doggie, you need only follow the brain dead idea that a vote for the fool promises better circumstances for anyone unmoneyed to guarantee the explosion of your numbers in the near future. Your turn arose first simply because you were and remain the path of least resistance. Indeed it is all but ingrained in those of us headed your way to regard YOU with the same scorn and contempt our masters bear toward us all.

@Yellowdog You speak like welfare and disability are one and the same; they aren’t. Being on welfare need not be comfortable; yes, it exist to keep people alive while they get their own life together. I think there should be a time lime..no more than six months.. for all forms of welfare. There have to be exceptions for the elderly and those with minor dependents. Disability is a different thing. I know your amount may be hard to live on but perhaps adding a part time job would provide fun and social experience along with a little extra income. If it’s something you are physically able to do, of course.

Middle class is not that easy to achieve and maintain, and it belongs to those who earn it.

I don’t think healthy, able bodies adults with no children are even eligible for “Welfare.” Food stamps probably, but not for the whole scope of Welfare.

@Dutchess_III I think they’ve converted welfare into EIC money at tax time, and like you said food stamps. Plus, people can apply for section 8 housing, but that takes time.

You’re making me wonder if more people try to her disability insurance now, because they can’t get basic welfare.

I don’t think able bodied men and women with no children will quaify for Section 9 or cash assistance, and certainly not disability. I think maybe food stamps only.

You can’t get disability unless you’re actually disabled. My daughter is actually disabled and it took her almost 3 years to get approval for disability.

What do you mean they “convert” welfare into earned income credit? That makes no sense to me. If you’re not working you don’t pay taxes so you don’t get EIC. Also, you don’t get EIC unless you have kids.

@Dutchess_III I just meant that’s the EIC basically replaced welfare. It’s not apples to apples, but it was a way for the poor to still receive money, and not to pay any federal taxes on money they did earn. EIC is viewed by many as the same category as welfare, or free money, or that poor people don’t have to contribute to society via taxes like others, etc.

That still makes no sense @JLeslie. I don’t care what it’s “viewed by many” as, they are wrong.

^^I’m not saying it’s right or wrong, I’m saying how it’s viewed. I don’t know much about the EIC or how welfare has changed. I remember Clinton made some changes with welfare to work. Reagan had broadened the EIC I think, but I don’t know under what President the EIC was first created.

To me it seems like Republican politicians were able to say they were getting rid of welfare, or reducing the amount of welfare recipients, while they know damn well they have to give the poor people more money, or there will be more instability, desperation, and chaos in our streets.

I think people need to be receiving an income to get EIC money though. Whereas welfare was more like a bridge when you had no income.

Yes. If you don’t work, you don’t get the Earned Income Credit. You have to EARN it. Plus you have to make a certain amount. You can’t work one day out of the year and get $500 back at tax time. When I was eligible for it in the 90s, it was $14,500. Above or below that you get less EIC. I did my own taxes. I remember one year I was $1000 short of that magic number and desperately grabbing at anything that could be considered income to bring it up.

And I suppose “some” could see Welfare as a “bridge,” but it’s one that’s likely to collapse and throw you, and your kids, into the raging river.

I know full well about both of them.

@Dutchess_III I sympathize with wanting to make under a certain amount or over a certain amount to qualify for assistance or tax breaks. I’ve been through it 3 years now, and this year it’s a total mess and going to cost me a lot most likely. Not EIC for me, it’s the ACA subsidy that’s been a big headache.

OF COURSE YOU CAN’T GET THE EIC!!! It’s for poor people WITH children.

You can get Earned Income Credit without children.

I did, as a single individual, and I used TurboTax.

Yeah. They changed the law since I got it. You get $500 back, if you make right at $15,570. Above or below that the amount goes down. Unless that’s changed too.
Hats off to you @Yellowdog. $15,500 a year is tough to live on!

I was just clarifying that I wasn’t talking about EIC for me for anyone reading. I know you know I’m not down to my last dollar. Actually, EIC looks at income and money in the bank, maybe total wealth I don’t know. ACA uses only income. You can have $3 million in the bank and still get the ACÁ subsidy.

So you only get a few hundred bucks EIC if you’re already economically screwed and it won’t be enough to improve your circumstances.

No wonder people buy lottery tickets.

@Yellowdog I’m assuming most people who get EIC money also get food stamps and Medicaid.

That still doesn’t help much.

If you accrue a lot of charity such as food banks, if you are lucky enough to have access to them (transportation) you won’t starve. Being a white, fairly well educated formerly middle class male, most people I know don’t understand why I can’t afford to go out to lunch, or to a concert.

I think it inadvertently serves as an incentive to be something more than to live relying on some other charity or aid. The problem is, most low-wage jobs pay about the same or less..

When you have kids it goes up substantially, like $6,000. It’s very nice but even if you tack it on to your income it’s not that much to live on.

I received food stamps and my kids got medical but I didn’t. That was the only assistance I received.

The problem I am discovering, on disability, is— it sucks to have no money for things you want or need, and be unable to do what most of you reading this take for granted.

But then again, as long as I will survive, IF I will survive, I don’t even care about anything but my comfort / survival zone. If I can sleep, imagine, dream, reflect and remember,I no longer care about amounting to much in life. I am not TOTALLY turned inward, and still do good where I can, but overall find myself perpetually in that zone between complacency and discouragement/depression.

Nothing else is worth the effort.

It also sucks when you have no money for Christmas for the kids and birthdays.

Other than a life of debilitating illness, I cant envision a fate worse than enforced relentless poverty. When your life amounts to little beyond some wretched combination of the 2, it amazes me that so many thus afflicted muster the will to roll out of bed in the morning.

I’m trying to envision trump in some section 8 housing!