You must have gone to public schools where they carefully avoid letting you understand such things. I didn’t know those terms either until I started educating myself as an adult.

To be honest, I haven't heard those exact phrases either, and I haven't attended public school in 40+ years.

I would mandate cognitive testing for all voters.

Really? 

You're not afraid of who is going to create, standardize and grade that test?  Next think you know, if you're a conservative, then you'll be mentally incompetent and therefore can't vote.  The left already believes this, why would you suggest anything to support them in executing it?

I'm of the opinion that there ought to be very few barriers to voting - identify who you are when you register and when you vote. 

Then what was your point, other than "they do it to", which everyone who isn't a fool is fully aware of?

Thank you for confirming that my in-laws are fools.  When they point out something that Trump said or did, I often inform them that Obama did the same thing.  They scoff and say I watch too much FOX.

She better be ready to put her money where her mouth is.....or something like that....

I would encourage opposing views on this site, however, I don't see anyone really able to defend a Democrat position, or policy with anything but emotion, and name calling.

You're right, so I find it useful to do it myself.  I'm willing to change my position if I find that it's outdated, incorrect, or harmful.  Not only in politics but in my work and other activities. 

Being unable to find a democrat who can defend their position without resorting to "well you follow the mango poopyhead" (which is where I stop listening / reading), I went over to democrats.org to see just what their positions are and try to come up with reasons to support them.

I was surprised to see that many of their positions are already being addressed by the Trump administration:
 
RAISE INCOMES AND RESTORE ECONOMIC SECURITY FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS
     Raising Workers’ Wages
     Protecting Workers’ Fundamental Rights
     Supporting Working Families
     Helping More Workers Share in Near-Record Corporate Profits
     Expanding Access to Affordable Housing and Homeownership
     Protecting and Expanding Social Security (doing that with higher wages and more workers)
     Ensuring a Secure and Dignified Retirement (having a job is a good thing)
     Revitalizing Our Nation’s Postal Service  (OK, not that.  Why would we want to do this?)

Many other issues I can agree with.  What I don't agree with is how they intend to implement their strategy.  Their strategy is either bigger government or taking from one group and giving to another.  "Build a 21st century infrastructure."  Great.  Sounds good.  Let's do that.  But how they want to do it sucks: "Democrats will also create an independent, national infrastructure bank that will support critical infrastructure improvements."  Yeah, no chance for corruption and waste there.

Other issues I flat out disagree with.  For example, "making the wealthy pay their fair share of taxes".  They are already paying virtually all of the taxes.  And democrats never define what is their "fair share".

The point I'm making here is that we can't depend on the democrats to present and defend their own ideas.  For the most part, they are not able to either because they lack the intellectual horsepower to do so or their positions cannot be defended.  But we do ourselves a disservice to live in an echo chamber.  Exploring and analyzing alternate ideas is a good thing. It's often uncomfortable and it requires work, but the result is a more thorough understanding of the other side, a stronger defense of the issues we want to defend, and perhaps some modification of existing ideas to something better.

It's ok. Who knows, maybe I am also constantly judging whether the women around me are "real women" without even the courtesy of getting to know them.

I know I certainly do that.

Here is the before and after of December's project at my house, courtesy yours truly, the girly man.

Nice.  A real man knows how to make his woman happy.  I am sure yours is.

I didn't realize Asechrest was Gay, but it all makes sense now.  How evolved!

I don't think he's gay.  I think he is a transitioning liberal.

I’ve evolved to using to excellent quality tomato paste when I want a deep tomato flavor.

Honestly, the easiest pizza sauce is just excellent tomato paste mixed with a little red wine and used sparingly. I even freeze small portions of tomato paste on Silpat liners on cookie sheets, then toss the portions in a Ziplock bag to use whenever the longing for deep tomato flavor strikes.

San Marzano is widely recognized as a superior canned tomato brand, but can be hard to find.

Wish Florida wasn’t so far from Washington State. I’d love to have a boozy Italian dinner and conversation with the asechrest clan.