Senate It's Joever: The 2024 US Presidential Election Thread

Meteor Derangement Syndrome

 

Biden announces a student debt relief plan ahead of the 2024 election.

I think this wise proverb sums it up best...

 

"Biden is once again trying to do something he's been passionate about and canceling student loan debt after years of GOP interference... here's why that's bad for Joe Biden..." - MotivateR5D4, probably.

 

Trying to do something and being passionate about it is different from outright promising it as a way to get votes.

 

He’s the President. He announced a literal policy of the actual federal government. It is being implemented right now. The only thing that can stop it is Republican lawsuits—the same thing that stopped the last attempt.

Neither case is a reflection of insincerity on his part. Whereas if you were actually upset about this, you could direct your resentment at those who stopped it from happening, not whatever bizarre take you are reaching for.

 

All I'm saying is he never should have promised it the way he did in 2020. And as expected, he appears to be doing the exact same thing this time around. The effort to do it is one thing. The promise that he will in order to get votes is another thing.

What exactly is bizarre about that?

 

Because it’s not a “promise.” He’s doing it. Your idea is that federal officials can’t announce their own policies because someone might over turn it? Obama shouldn’t have announced DACA because technically some Republican could still prioritize deporting these people? Trump shouldn’t have announced subsidies for (white) farmers because he could have got reversed in the courts?

Do you have any idea how little the government could ever say if they didn’t comment on things that could potentially be challenged in court?

 

Again, literally promising you are going to do something on the campaign trail as a way to get votes is different from simply announcing your intention to do that thing.

 

But it’s not an intention. This is federal policy now. He’s not “intending” to do loan forgiveness at some vague, undefined point. Federal employees are being paid at this very moment to process the forgiveness of people’s loans. There is nothing hypothetical here.

 

Tell that to all the people who applied for the one time $10,000 forgiveness who shortly after got an email from the Department of Education that basically said "Welp, we tried, but couldn't do it. Our bad. Here is a list of options to help ease the burden." I was one such recipient of that email. And that's if you were even able to apply, because they closed the application right after the decision came down from the Supreme Court. Go to the application page now and see what it tells you. Again, I'm not criticizing the effort.

 

With all due respect, you explicitly are criticizing the effort.

 

I've stated multiple times I'm criticizing the fact that this was a campaign promise made by Biden.

 

How would you like it done differently?

No President can guarantee that a policy will actually succeed. There are plenty of times Presidential candidates outright lie, or promise things they never intend to even attempt. This is one of those rare cases where he did literally everything within the powers of his office to make it happen. The first try just didn't work. I'm a little incredulous that you find that a point of criticism. No one could ever talk about the future at all if they were only allowed to discuss things that were completely impossible to derail.

 

As someone who actually has student loans he has to repay, this is of course of interest to me. Which is why when I am researching information on this "forgiveness" I am finding out that only the interest is getting forgiven? The principal still has to get paid.

 

I mean, sure? It may not be full forgiveness for everyone, but the plan is pretty good...

And that's on top of what this WH has already delivered in student loan forgiveness.

I may not want Joe as a candidate, but this (and his being the most union-friendly president in decades, even accounting for rail unions) are two unquestionably positive things about his candidacy.

 

It's not loan forgiveness, it's interest forgiveness.

 

nothing?

look, i get that y'all are terrified of Trump winning, but you don't need to pretend that Biden is doing something awesome here. I have not seen any student loan forgiveness materialize for me nor anyone I know.

 

This is more than a little weird. The Supreme Court has obviously constrained the ability to give these programs their intended reach and direct impact (eg total owed, not just interest). Nonetheless, it's very worth saying that nearly $150 billion in student loans have been forgiven during this administration alone. And in any normal circumstance, people would be responsible for paying back both the interest and the principle. Less to pay is less to pay.

I understand that you very much would have liked something different. He would have, too. But I can't understand personally begrudging someone for working within the legal confines of the office they hold.

 

It's probably cause I wouldn't work within the legal confines. I get that we are different in that way.

 

I appreciate you making that distinction. When a general charge is made that someone "isn't doing enough" the general implication is of dishonesty or bad practice. If, instead, what we actually mean is "this person is legally disallowed from doing more" then most people would judge that person not culpable. Everyone wants an honest leader. Comparatively few are enthusiastic about felons.

 

I don't want an honest leader. No honest leader has made my life any better. We've gotten the felon ideologically opposed to me and he's already delivered to his supporters. I'm ready to try the felons who are ideologically aligned with me.

 

And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.

 

Sorry, wrong thread

 

Have you tried being poorer? I'm sorry you're only worried about yourself like a good American!

 

Person with less money than you complains that policies aren't helping them; you: "why are you so selfish?"

Spoken like a true coastal elite.