Trump vs. Biden General Election -- Who has the advantage?

[Zymologist]

First, I can see the sign, but have no idea about the titles of the actual books he was buying. Were those on dementia, or were the dementia books behind the sign and he was picking up Dr. Seuss for a gift? Second, even if they WERE books on dementia, why does that mean they were necessarily an admission that he has dementia? I have all sorts of brain exercise apps on my phone, including two specifically for dementia. Third, of COURSE you will find this on progressive websites. Most progressives are currently baking Sanders, so they are basically on the same page as the conservatives on this. It will be interesting to see what they do when Biden takes the nomination. A lot of that will depend on what Sanders does. If he repeats 2016, Biden may well lose. If he joins all of the other candidates as they pretty much all promised to do, it will likely be a very different story.



My prediction is that it will be Trump himself, someone highly placed in the GOP, or someone serving as his surrogate in the campaign. Indeed, those are in reverse order of likelihood, IMO.

Out of curiosity, do you see any and all concern regarding Biden's health to be driven by partisan spin?

[simplicio]

see my edit above. I was wrong about 50% It is double the starting balance. You can see the effect of the current crash at the end of the chart.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]43391[/ATTACH]

But didn't you say that much of the gain was due to your heavy investment in one company (your employer)?

We have been in a pretty good bull market for a decade. Even during the Obama years.

https://knoema.com/jhxfibc/dow-jones...ices-2007-2019

[Sparko]

But didn't you say that much of the gain was due to your heavy investment in one company (your employer)?

We have been in a pretty good bull market for a decade. Even during the Obama years.

https://knoema.com/jhxfibc/dow-jones...ices-2007-2019

No. I choose my investments. My company just matches up to 4% contributions and pays profit sharing.

[shunyadragon]

we will be in real trouble with the economy if Sanders or Biden get elected in November after this. You can expect 4 years of depression.

I have already been depressed for four loooong years.

Of course it took 8 years under Obama to recover from the Bush depression.

[Starlight]

The chart shows my 401K balance from the start of Trump's presidency to the beginning of March 2020.

By the end of March I expect it's going to look a lot worse, and by the end of April worse still. Also, I'm guessing you're still paying into it, so the fact that it's been going up may reflect you putting money into it as much as any success from the invested money.

[demi-conservative]

And it's huge that Omar is commending Trump for endorsing these MMT programs. Imagine how that looks to the Bernie bros. You have Yang, the poster boy for UBI, stabbing his base in the back and promoting the establishment pick, and Sanders who will eventually be forced to do the same, going up against the guy that was actually able to implement the program into fruition.

Even Gabbard endorsed Biden

going up against the guy that was actually able to implement the program into fruition. They talked the talked, he walked the walked. If that doesn't give the progressives incentive to vote for Trump in protest of Biden, nothing will. And if that was an intentional election strategy on the part of the Trump admin, that was pretty freaking masterful.

[rogue06]

I have already been depressed for four loooong years.

Of course it took 8 years under Obama to recover from the Bush depression.

We typically recover from a recession in two years. Obama was certain that a faltering economy was the new norm and his policies reflected it dragging it out far longer.

[rogue06]

First, I can see the sign, but have no idea about the titles of the actual books he was buying. Were those on dementia, or were the dementia books behind the sign and he was picking up Dr. Seuss for a gift? Second, even if they WERE books on dementia, why does that mean they were necessarily an admission that he has dementia? I have all sorts of brain exercise apps on my phone, including two specifically for dementia. Third, of COURSE you will find this on progressive websites. Most progressives are currently baking Sanders, so they are basically on the same page as the conservatives on this. It will be interesting to see what they do when Biden takes the nomination. A lot of that will depend on what Sanders does. If he repeats 2016, Biden may well lose. If he joins all of the other candidates as they pretty much all promised to do, it will likely be a very different story.

Because stores typically stack books by Dr. Seuss on a table clearly marked "BRAIN EXERCISES for DEMENTIA." And your ignoring the party line that it's only conservatives questioning Biden's diminishing mental acuity. I suspect you'll be getting a memo soon.

[carpedm9587]

The chart shows my 401K balance from the start of Trump's presidency to the beginning of March 2020. Starlight was questioning how I was doing in the stock market since I said I was doing great under Trump and said I must have lost every gain since he took office. I have actually doubled my 401K and I haven't lost much at all. I am smart in my investments and I got out at the top of the crash. So I have done pretty well under Trump. I mentioned the left column was blank because I don't want to broadcast my $ amounts. And before you complain, I really don't give a flipping fart. I don't owe you any data. You can take my word or not.

PS - If you can't follow the conversation, maybe you shouldn't butt in on my posts to someone else.

So, given your previous problems with statistics and percentages, and lacking any relevant details, I'll pass. I could show you about twenty scenarios that would produce the graph you depicted that would range everywhere from "did very well," to "meh" to "took a bath on the market but did well on profit sharing," to "<insert scenario d here>." But I suspect doing all of that math would be pointless and largely lost on you, so I'll leave the last word to you.

[carpedm9587]

By the end of March I expect it's going to look a lot worse, and by the end of April worse still. Also, I'm guessing you're still paying into it, so the fact that it's been going up may reflect you putting money into it as much as any success from the invested money.

He already noted that he receives profit sharing, and that he pulled out of the market at the start of the crash. Assuming both are true, he will likely lose fairly little but see his chart go flat for the foreseeable future. Unless of course, he is working in the healthcare industry. That should see some amazing returns.

[carpedm9587]

Because stores typically stack books by Dr. Seuss on a table clearly marked "BRAIN EXERCISES for DEMENTIA." And your ignoring the party line that it's only conservatives questioning Biden's diminishing mental acuity. I suspect you'll be getting a memo soon.

So if you've ever been to a bookstore, you'll note that a given table (especially of that size), seldom carries only one type of book, hence my inclusion of that as one possibility. The point is, without titles, all we have is a nice meme about Biden picking out books from a table with an "Exercises for Dementia" sign on it. Many progressives and many on the right (like you) will make as much hay as possible about it. The rest of us will go where the evidence takes us: we don't know what books he was buying, and we don't know why he was buying them.

However, his handlers (assuming they were present) should have spotted the sign and seen the publicity danger. Heck, Biden should have seen the sign and noted the publicity danger, but I know I'm not always aware of all of the details of my surroundings, so why should I expect it of him?

Bottom line - much ado about not much at all.

[Sparko]

By the end of March I expect it's going to look a lot worse, and by the end of April worse still. Also, I'm guessing you're still paying into it, so the fact that it's been going up may reflect you putting money into it as much as any success from the invested money.

No it won't get worse. I took most of my money out of stocks into money market (basically cash) at the first sign. and yes I am still putting money into it (the stock market) since I consider it a "sale" and will end up being profitable in the end when this is over.

Yes, part of the increase over the years has been of course due to me putting money in, as well as my company matching contributions and paying profit sharing. But I have been averaging about 10% interest too. Until now.

So I have still done well under Trump, and I think he will make sure we go back up after this crisis is over so I will still vote for him in November. I think Biden or Sanders would make things worse.

[Sparko]

So, given your previous problems with statistics and percentages, and lacking any relevant details, I'll pass. I could show you about twenty scenarios that would produce the graph you depicted that would range everywhere from "did very well," to "meh" to "took a bath on the market but did well on profit sharing," to "<insert scenario d here>." But I suspect doing all of that math would be pointless and largely lost on you, so I'll leave the last word to you.

Great. you were not invited to the conversation in the first place.

[Sparko]

He already noted that he receives profit sharing, and that he pulled out of the market at the start of the crash. Assuming both are true, he will likely lose fairly little but see his chart go flat for the foreseeable future. Unless of course, he is working in the healthcare industry. That should see some amazing returns.

I would but on my retirement fund we are limited to a choice of various mutual funds and ETFs. Nothing strictly healthcare (or toilet paper!)

But yeah I expect it to flatten out for a while, or lose a bit as I am still buying stock as the price drops with my new contributions.