Trump Effect

[Reagan]

 

Another never Trumper bites the dust.  This sitting Senator actually came in third!  Love it.  Cornyn will be next.  For the Paxton run off, early voting starts the 18th!  The main election is the 26th!  

Paxton!!

[DCT]

6 hours ago, Reagan said:

 

Another never Trumper bites the dust.  This sitting Senator actually came in third!  Love it.  Cornyn will be next.  For the Paxton run off, early voting starts the 18th!  The main election is the 26th!  

Paxton!!

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Winning!

[OlDawg]

On 5/15/2026 at 9:31 PM, UT alum said:

I saw no data backing anything claimed in the first article. That makes it opinion, at best. 
Their second articles stated “by our definitions”. If you set the definitions and cherry pick your data, any point can be made. That don’t make it right. Anybody who interprets economic data is doing it to support an agenda. Gotta take all of it with a box of salt. Right, left, or center.

The first article IS an opinion piece tied to the data from the second link.

Personally, I think purchasing power tied to inflation is a much better indicator of financial class than trying to find a number that is almost impossible to define due to differences in cost of living in different areas.

Obviously, ‘Middle Class’ in NY, NJ, or CA is much different than in SETX or TN, KY, AL, or many other areas.

But, if you tie it to purchasing power—like this study does—it’s an area specific number that would seem to be a more accurate measure.

These researchers didn’t appear to be partisan based on their credentials.

Politicians using an undefined term ‘Middle Class’ is—just as the opinion article states—a way to appeal to the masses from an emotional sense that has no real data to back it up. It’s an easy term to throw around in speeches.

The closest number we have to define a limit is from the Census. It defines poverty as ‘households’ that make 125% of the Federal Poverty Level. That level—as of 2024–was a little over $31k/yr for a household of 4. The Census puts that number at about 36 Million people, of which about 15 Million are children. (The Census doesn’t tell us if the respondents are U.S. citizens or not.) So, around 21 Million adults—out of a population of close to 370 Million—are considered at or below the poverty line. Presumably, ‘Middle Class’ starts above that level based on number in the household.

[Porter]

Well said

 

[OlDawg]

16 minutes ago, Porter said:

Well said

 

The alternative is voting for a Party that wants to stack SCOTUS, do away with the Electoral College, add DC & Puerto Rico as States, and allow non-citizens to vote where they basically end our democratic republic because they don’t want to lose power again.

Can’t seem to get people to wake up and look at more independent candidates that don’t just follow Party lines.

Not sure how to make it happen. But, I sure wish it could. To me, Kentucky has done it right with Massie and Paul. Heck, I used to even like Lieberman.

[Porter]

1 minute ago, OlDawg said:

The alternative is voting for a Party that wants to stack SCOTUS, do away with the Electoral College, add DC & Puerto Rico as States, and allow non-citizens to vote where they basically end our democratic republic because they don’t want to lose power again.

Can’t seem to get people to wake up and look at more independent candidates that don’t just follow Party lines.

Not sure how to make it happen. But, I sure wish it could. To me, Kentucky has done it right with Massie and Paul. Heck, I used to even like Lieberman.

I never said I’d vote democrat.

[OlDawg]

1 minute ago, Porter said:

I never said I’d vote democrat.

I just wish there were more viable options. But, the Parties have a stranglehold for the most part.