What to expect from the Biden-HArris administration?

[Pwns]

My predictions.

1. Kamala Harris will be really active in this administration a la Dick Cheney (duh).

2. Biden won't be quite as liberal as Obama fiscally and will basically only play defense with Obamacare. Pelosi might push for the public option but Biden will balk.

3. Biden will double down and push even harder on dumb Obama renewable-based energy policy even though it's done nothing but give California more unreliable grid with higher costs.

4. There will be more divisive racial and gender politics that will only hurt the administration.

5. There my be police reforms which predictably will have the exact opposite of the intended effect and absolutely kill Democrats in the midterms.

6. After the Democrats get shellacked in the midterm we'll get some dreck about how it's time to give a "woman of color" her turn at the white house.

[JohnStOnge]

We will have an adult in the office instead of having a 10 year old in a 70+ year old body.

[AZGrizFan]

We will have an adult in the office instead of having a 10 year old in a 70+ year old body.

Mentally Biden IS a 10 year old. He’s just not an ANGRY 10 year old.

[Gil Dobie]

Depends on the Republican's having a majority in the Senate.

4 more years of JSO complaining about Trump.

[JoltinJoe]

Depends on the Republican's having a majority in the Senate.

4 more years of JSO complaining about Trump.

The Republicans will have a majority in the Senate, regardless of the outcome of the GA runoffs.

McConnell is going to put the screws to Manchin and Tester to flip if they want to stay in the Senate the next time they're up for re-election. He'll get one of them, and he will keep the gavel even if GA elects two Democrats (unlikely as that will be).

[Baldy]

Four years of puff pieces and no tough questions from the White House press corps.

[catbooster]

I don't think Tester will flip. It's along ways off, so who can predict, but I don't think that he has to flip to be re-elected. And I really doubt he thinks he has to flip.

[BDKJMU]

Depends on the Republican's having a majority in the Senate.

4 more years of JSO complaining about Trump.

The Republicans will have a majority in the Senate, regardless of the outcome of the GA runoffs.

McConnell is going to put the screws to Manchin and Tester to flip if they want to stay in the Senate the next time they're up for re-election. He'll get one of them, and he will keep the gavel even if GA elects two Democrats (unlikely as that will be).

Yep, like I posted earlier this week, Manchin either flips or retires by 2024- the writing is on the wall, as WV has turned inti the 2nd reddest state-Trump won it 69/30, 2nd only to Wyoming (70/27).
viewtopic.php?p=1339934#p1339934

[BDKJMU]

I don't think Tester will flip. It's along ways off, so who can predict, but I don't think that he has to flip to be re-elected. And I really doubt he thinks he has to flip.

Well, Manchin has to, or retire.

[Winterborn]

1) Biden will be a "Bush Light".

2)There will be at least one "war" started on his watch.

3)TPP and the Paris Accords will be signed.

4) DNC will double down on their current policies.

5) The DNC will lose more seats in the House (and probably the Senate)

6) They will only have one term for a couple of reasons (Policies, Biden's health, etc.)

[Ibanez]

We've elected Grandpa Joe. He'll be a mild, moderate President that will swing the pendulum back from the far right that it's currently at. He isn't going to rock the boat. He's exactly what we needed after the big "Fuck You" that was elected in 2016.
1) He'll put us back in the Paris Accords on Day 1
2) I think he'll use an EO for student debt relief
3) He'll leave Werther's Originals all over the oval office and complain to the Park Service about the squirrels
4) He will do everything he can to distance the administration from any judicial proceeding related to Trump...until he absolutely has to
5) He's going to piss off the squad by not taking on the New Green Deal
6) He'll be a 1 term POTUS.
7) Return DACA to what it was like before Trump
8) End family separation at the border
9) Send every American a birthday card and a check for $3

[kalm]

We've elected Grandpa Joe. He'll be a mild, moderate President that will swing the pendulum back from the far right that it's currently at. He isn't going to rock the boat. He's exactly what we needed after the big "Fuck You" that was elected in 2016.
1) He'll put us back in the Paris Accords on Day 1
2) I think he'll use an EO for student debt relief
3) He'll leave Werther's Originals all over the oval office and complain to the Park Service about the squirrels
4) He will do everything he can to distance the administration from any judicial proceeding related to Trump...until he absolutely has to
5) He's going to piss off the squad by not taking on the New Green Deal
6) He'll be a 1 term POTUS.
7) Return DACA to what it was like before Trump
8) End family separation at the border
9) Send every American a birthday card and a check for $3

Well played.

[Winterborn]

We've elected Grandpa Joe. He'll be a mild, moderate President that will swing the pendulum back from the far right that it's currently at. He isn't going to rock the boat. He's exactly what we needed after the big "Fuck You" that was elected in 2016.
1) He'll put us back in the Paris Accords on Day 1
2) I think he'll use an EO for student debt relief
3) He'll leave Werther's Originals all over the oval office and complain to the Park Service about the squirrels
4) He will do everything he can to distance the administration from any judicial proceeding related to Trump...until he absolutely has to
5) He's going to piss off the squad by not taking on the New Green Deal
6) He'll be a 1 term POTUS.
7) Return DACA to what it was like before Trump
8) End family separation at the border
9) Send every American a birthday card and a check for $3

Werther's Originals are good.

[89Hen]

the far right that it's currently at

Please expand on this point.

[UNI88]

the far right that it's currently at

Please expand on this point.

I think far is the wrong adjective. Trump has not been more of a populist than an extremist but he and his follower have thrown temper tantrums whenever they don't get their way. The hysterical right is more accurate.

[UNI88]

We've elected Grandpa Joe. He'll be a mild, moderate President that will swing the pendulum back from the far right that it's currently at. He isn't going to rock the boat. He's exactly what we needed after the big "Fuck You" that was elected in 2016.
1) He'll put us back in the Paris Accords on Day 1
2) I think he'll use an EO for student debt relief
3) He'll leave Werther's Originals all over the oval office and complain to the Park Service about the squirrels
4) He will do everything he can to distance the administration from any judicial proceeding related to Trump...until he absolutely has to
5) He's going to piss off the squad by not taking on the New Green Deal
6) He'll be a 1 term POTUS.
7) Return DACA to what it was like before Trump
8) End family separation at the border
9) Send every American a birthday card and a check for $3

How does an EO for student debt relief work? How does it impact private loan providers?

[GannonFan]

We've elected Grandpa Joe. He'll be a mild, moderate President that will swing the pendulum back from the far right that it's currently at. He isn't going to rock the boat. He's exactly what we needed after the big "Fuck You" that was elected in 2016.
1) He'll put us back in the Paris Accords on Day 1
2) I think he'll use an EO for student debt relief
3) He'll leave Werther's Originals all over the oval office and complain to the Park Service about the squirrels
4) He will do everything he can to distance the administration from any judicial proceeding related to Trump...until he absolutely has to
5) He's going to piss off the squad by not taking on the New Green Deal
6) He'll be a 1 term POTUS.
7) Return DACA to what it was like before Trump
8) End family separation at the border
9) Send every American a birthday card and a check for $3

How does an EO for student debt relief work? How does it impact private loan providers?

I was wondering that one as well. That's a tall order for an executive order, and that doesn't even get into the issues it starts with people who have just recently paid off their student debt (say anywhere from now to the past two years) as well as how do we handle new debt taken on after this? Debt relief just can't be a swipe of the pen or we're going to have a lot more issues to deal with. Again, even assuming that an EO can accomplish the first thing of canceling student debt in the first place.

[Ibanez]

We've elected Grandpa Joe. He'll be a mild, moderate President that will swing the pendulum back from the far right that it's currently at. He isn't going to rock the boat. He's exactly what we needed after the big "Fuck You" that was elected in 2016.
1) He'll put us back in the Paris Accords on Day 1
2) I think he'll use an EO for student debt relief
3) He'll leave Werther's Originals all over the oval office and complain to the Park Service about the squirrels
4) He will do everything he can to distance the administration from any judicial proceeding related to Trump...until he absolutely has to
5) He's going to piss off the squad by not taking on the New Green Deal
6) He'll be a 1 term POTUS.
7) Return DACA to what it was like before Trump
8) End family separation at the border
9) Send every American a birthday card and a check for $3

How does an EO for student debt relief work? How does it impact private loan providers?

I don't think (or know) if it'll impact the private loan industry. Only those public loans that are serviced on behalf of the Dept. of Education. There is precedent for unilateral action - Trump signed an EO and suspended payments. Biden could take it a step further and cancel all debt - using the same justification that Trump did. BUT - as a Senator, BIDEN did make it almost impossible for student loan debt to be discharged in bankruptcy. I'm just spit-balling here and could be completely wrong.

Cancelling $1.3T would bring a major relief to millions of people. But - where does the $$ come from? Where did the $1T come from the stimuluses this year? It's all just made up.

[Ibanez]

How does an EO for student debt relief work? How does it impact private loan providers?

I was wondering that one as well. That's a tall order for an executive order, and that doesn't even get into the issues it starts with people who have just recently paid off their student debt (say anywhere from now to the past two years) as well as how do we handle new debt taken on after this? Debt relief just can't be a swipe of the pen or we're going to have a lot more issues to deal with. Again, even assuming that an EO can accomplish the first thing of canceling student debt in the first place.

I'm just spitballing here. Anything the Gov't does is going to piss off half the people and be hailed as great by the other half. IIRC, the debt cancellation (any debt relief, really) will come with plans to overhaul public education financing.

Either way - public education financing needs reform. Higher education needs reform.

[89Hen]

Please expand on this point.

I think far is the wrong adjective. Trump has not been more of a populist than an extremist but he and his follower have thrown temper tantrums whenever they don't get their way. The hysterical right is more accurate.

Raul said that the pendulum had moved to the far right. What far right agenda has developed? I could just as easily claim Obama moved the pendulum to the far left and Trump brought it back to the center. Neither of us would be correct.

[89Hen]

I was wondering that one as well. That's a tall order for an executive order, and that doesn't even get into the issues it starts with people who have just recently paid off their student debt (say anywhere from now to the past two years) as well as how do we handle new debt taken on after this? Debt relief just can't be a swipe of the pen or we're going to have a lot more issues to deal with. Again, even assuming that an EO can accomplish the first thing of canceling student debt in the first place.

I'm just spitballing here. Anything the Gov't does is going to piss off half the people and be hailed as great by the other half. IIRC, the debt cancellation (any debt relief, really) will come with plans to overhaul public education financing.

Either way - public education financing needs reform. Higher education needs reform.

Student loan debt is primarily a problem brought on by students and their parents. If you can't afford to go to a school, find another that is either lower cost or will offer you money to attend. There are enough lower cost schools and enough grants and scholarships to go around. 89Jr got in to Villanova, W&M, Miami, Vermont, Delaware... he decided to go to Maryland because of the cost savings for us. I can say with certainty that we NEVER pressured him or complained about the money issue prior to his decision. Had he wanted to go to one of those, we would have sucked it up and skimped somewhere else.

Which brings us to problem number two. People prioritize their money differently. I've spent about $500,000 in post-tax dollars on my two kids educations, K through college. That was our choice. We could have sent them to public school and bought a bigger house, drove nicer cars, taken expensive vacations. Our priority was our kids and their education. I get to see a lot of peoples financials in my business. People who make $70,000 a year and have a $40,000 car loan and $200,000 in student loans. My guess is their parents were probably the same way. Expensive house and cars, no savings and then looking for a free education at ANY school to which the can be accepted.

[Ibanez]

I think far is the wrong adjective. Trump has not been more of a populist than an extremist but he and his follower have thrown temper tantrums whenever they don't get their way. The hysterical right is more accurate.

Raul said that the pendulum had moved to the far right. What far right agenda has developed? I could just as easily claim Obama moved the pendulum to the far left and Trump brought it back to the center. Neither of us would be correct.

Far might've been an exaggeration but the point remains...Trump moved things further Right than that had been.

[GannonFan]

How does an EO for student debt relief work? How does it impact private loan providers?

I don't think (or know) if it'll impact the private loan industry. Only those public loans that are serviced on behalf of the Dept. of Education. There is precedent for unilateral action - Trump signed an EO and suspended payments. Biden could take it a step further and cancel all debt - using the same justification that Trump did. BUT - as a Senator, BIDEN did make it almost impossible for student loan debt to be discharged in bankruptcy. I'm just spit-balling here and could be completely wrong.

Cancelling $1.3T would bring a major relief to millions of people. But - where does the $$ come from? Where did the $1T come from the stimuluses this year? It's all just made up.

Where does any President get the authority to basically spend $1.3T that isn't already authorized in some form by Congress? Trump's executive order didn't really spend any money (assuming you discount the interest unrealized by not having the payments - but the order didn't say people didn't have to eventually fulfill their commitments). Executive Orders have their place, but I don't see how one would work in this case when Congress hasn't come anywhere close to authorizing paying for everyone's college education. The chaos this would cause, especially considering that it would be blocked in the courts until it could be adjudicated could vastly outweigh the benefits.

[Ibanez]

I'm just spitballing here. Anything the Gov't does is going to piss off half the people and be hailed as great by the other half. IIRC, the debt cancellation (any debt relief, really) will come with plans to overhaul public education financing.

Either way - public education financing needs reform. Higher education needs reform.

Student loan debt is primarily a problem brought on by students and their parents. If you can't afford to go to a school, find another that is either lower cost or will offer you money to attend. There are enough lower cost schools and enough grants and scholarships to go around. 89Jr got in to Villanova, W&M, Miami, Vermont, Delaware... he decided to go to Maryland because of the cost savings for us. I can say with certainty that we NEVER pressured him or complained about the money issue prior to his decision. Had he wanted to go to one of those, we would have sucked it up and skimped somewhere else.

Which brings us to problem number two. People prioritize their money differently. I've spent about $500,000 in post-tax dollars on my two kids educations, K through college. That was our choice. We could have sent them to public school and bought a bigger house, drove nicer cars, taken expensive vacations. Our priority was our kids and their education. I get to see a lot of peoples financials in my business. People who make $70,000 a year and have a $40,000 car loan and $200,000 in student loans. My guess is their parents were probably the same way. Expensive house and cars, no savings and then looking for a free education at ANY school to which the can be accepted.

Don't think my post is me advocating for widespread debt cancellation. I'm not. I took out a loan and I'm paying it back (almost done, as a matter of fact). I think cancellation is extremely problematic and irresponsible. I'm just posting what i've heard/read over the past several months. Both the Govt and the Student have a responsibility towards each other to lend/borrow responsibly. Then you have the useless degrees. My cousin has a masters in International Peace...something. I have no clue who has the authority to teach that. But she has it...and makes next to nothing while living in Chicago.


On #2 - I agree, 693%. Rose (my daughter) asked when we were buying a new car, we have a 2012 GMC Terrain. We told her we'll buy a new(er) car when the wheels fall off this one. It's paid off and runs well. There's no need to have the newest everything. We're trying to beat that message into her.

[89Hen]

Trump moved things further Right than that had been.

Water is wet.