I think we have to identify and separate out the hard-core trump voters vs. the swing voters. The hard core voters are lost to us - they’re lost in their conservative radio bubble, so maybe 30-40% of those who voted.

You can lead a horse to water...... Seriously, if they don’t want to be helped, it’s on them. Those who perpetually vote against their self-interest deserve what they get. Perhaps it’s like the situation with alcoholics - they’ve got to hit rock bottom before they can get better. 

maintain discipline about not handing out future tax breaks

Unfortunately, we know the answer to that question. They’ll take his insults as long as they can run the show behind the scenes.

Dude. HP-41cx.

Oh, I agree with you. I’m not advocating more guns, nor arming ourselves against the gunslinging hordes. A rational person understands that bringing out a gun does escalate the situation. I was just pointing out that liberals buying guns are most likely less concerned with the state coming at them, and more concerned…

How about protection against their zealot trumpkin neighbors. Trump’s language is giving his audience license to act out and attack their perceived enemies.

Yeah, but the Trump cabinet members are Rich, so they’ve shown that they’re better, smarter, and have bigger dicks than the pointy heads who have driven our economy into the ground. /snark (in case you couldn’t tell.)

My take - he gets elected by electoral college next week. In the first weeks of January, he announces that he can’t disentangle himself from his businesses (because the liberals created all of these rules to stifle great businessmen). He then resigns and Pence takes over.

Authoritarianism. The supporters have forgotten about the commie menace and like Putin - he’s a man who does what he wants, when he wants, how he wants. Putin’s a hardcore nationalist and Trump’s supporters want that for us.

Nah. The party is delighted he’ll be there absorbing all the airtime. Bread and circuses for the people, party leadership behind the scenes stripping out any good works.

Na. A true californian knows that the French government subsidizes it’s wine producers and enjoys those subsidies.

Think the shopping district in Vancouver that caters to out of country tourists.

I’d like to see these figures for police, sheriff’s and the national crime fighting organizations (FBI, DEA, DHS, ATF, ...) . I’d wager that the majority went with Trump - they like his authoritarian impulses.

Yeah it’s a complicated argument. But the reality is that there are times when regulation is required. Think seat belts, catalytic converters. The auto industry fought tooth and nail to keep those out of cars.

Yeah, Mom has this on her Honda Fit. What a pia. Adjusting the volume on a touch screen slider requires that you take your eyes of the road, refocus on the screen, place your finger for a swipe with no physical cues as to where the slider is, and then swipe. And do it again because it doesn’t always work.

I’d agree with a demand side argument if fuel prices reflected their true societal cost. Given that our economic system can’t account for the cost externalities of oil production and consumption, fuel economy regulations are one tool to better align consumption with cost. 

Nah. They really weren’t crude. I had an 85 (86?), 2.8l. auto. Lasted many years and was comfortable on the highway and around town. Wasn’t very powerful, but once it got to speed, would cruise at 70 on the way to Mammoth. Comfort dramatically improved at 30k miles with new shocks and better tires.

yes, but I don’t want to have to make the observation.

I built plastic models of these when I was a kid (from kits, Revell?). Brings back happy memories of rainy days in the basement, sticky fingers from the glue, and trying not to get glue all over the seams by using toothpicks.