Yep. Maybe do not spend hundreds of thousands on useless lib art degrees.

.... did 08 just not happen?

nice personal attack and derail/

anyone who believes that in todays economy it is harder to compete against H1Bs (which I am against even having)-

while ignoring that for HUNDREDS OF YEARS Americans had to compete against LITERAL SLAVE LABOR from millions of slaves-


is just daft.

MemphisAg1 said:

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Cheaper gas is helping some but not enough to offset those other things. That's why consumer confidence is at multi-year lows. Unfortunately, I think the GOP is set up for a shellacking in the midterms. They're only 9 months away.

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I think that perception could change, but also there is a real/sizable risk the stock market tanks which could also…not help consumer confidence. Rich made the point today that the mid-terms are not a given as a loss for Americans/Republicans, yet of course it's a real possibility still imho despite the President largely doing precisely what he was overwhelmingly elected to do; fix what Biden-Harris did.

The "pendulum swing" is nothing more than voters reacting to those failures in representation.

If parties governed as expected when elected, we would return to long durations of control with period interruptions in that control.

Once you understand this, then...

— Rich Baris THE PEOPLE'S PUNDIT (@Peoples_Pundit) February 13, 2026

Redistricting adds some drama but outside of Indiana the GOP is at least playing aggressively, pending the SCOTUS ruling on whether racially drawn districts have to be inflicted on red states further.

Given the current economic conditions, geopolitical tensions, and market exuberance, I think there are more unknown events that could hurt the R's than help them in the midterms. The balance of risk feels to the downside.

Of course I'm hoping the R's retain Congress. As imperfect as they are, they are much better than the Dems.

Ag_of_08 said:

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.... did 08 just not happen?

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You mean the "Great Recession" which lasted just a bit longer but had less peak UE? It also was fairly restricted to the housing bubble and the related markets. Crazy enough I took a severance in 2009 and started a new business in residential construction. Been a nice run since for me.

I stand by my comment. For most people the 2008 Great Recession may not trigger fond memories but downturns in the 1970s and 1980s were broader and our standards of living were much much lower, so how it felt comparing to today's standards is much much more severe.

flown-the-coop said:

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bmks270 said:

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flown-the-coop said:

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WinTheWholeDamnThing said:

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Honestly, it blows my mind how out of touch some older folks are with what it actually takes to live today. Saying "we need more $50-75k jobs" is kind of laughable-you'd barely cover rent, a used car, and bills at that. A new car easily runs $30-40k, buying a house in a decent neighborhood basically needs dual six-figure incomes, and even taking a simple vacation feels like a luxury. Life just isn't that cheap anymore, and a lot of people don't seem to realize it.

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I paid the daughter of one of my cousins around $50k/year for the last 2.5 years so she could take care of her mother (stroke, poor health) and try to get some college knocked out before she turned 30.

Over that time she managed to pay down credit cards, live on her own, have a dog, decent and reliable car, and save enough to enroll full time at a university.

So horse**** on you cannot make it on $50k. Absolute horse*****

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Was she single living with a roommate?

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Single, no roommate (see bolded above). And no rule #1.

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Its ok, we can see it on her onlyfans that she was using to make ends meet.

txags92 said:

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flown-the-coop said:

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bmks270 said:

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flown-the-coop said:

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WinTheWholeDamnThing said:

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Honestly, it blows my mind how out of touch some older folks are with what it actually takes to live today. Saying "we need more $50-75k jobs" is kind of laughable-you'd barely cover rent, a used car, and bills at that. A new car easily runs $30-40k, buying a house in a decent neighborhood basically needs dual six-figure incomes, and even taking a simple vacation feels like a luxury. Life just isn't that cheap anymore, and a lot of people don't seem to realize it.

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I paid the daughter of one of my cousins around $50k/year for the last 2.5 years so she could take care of her mother (stroke, poor health) and try to get some college knocked out before she turned 30.

Over that time she managed to pay down credit cards, live on her own, have a dog, decent and reliable car, and save enough to enroll full time at a university.

So horse**** on you cannot make it on $50k. Absolute horse*****

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Was she single living with a roommate?

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Single, no roommate (see bolded above). And no rule #1.

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Its ok, we can see it on her onlyfans that she was using to make ends meet.

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If I had complied with rule #1 there would be no end to the comments that she is an OF model.

But she is not. I suggested it versus me paying her out of my pocket - she was not amused. She's a great kid and I am glad to see her moving forward on her own.