Nov 2023 Mod notice:
There may be other, more specific, threads about some aspects of US politics, but this one tends to act as a hub for all sorts of related news and information, so it's usually one of the busiest OTC threads.
If you're new to OTC, it's worth reading the Introduction to On-Topic Conversations
and the On-Topic Conversations debate guidelines before posting here.
Rumor-based, fear-mongering and/or inflammatory statements that damage the quality of the thread will be thumped. Off-topic posts will also be thumped. Repeat offenders may be suspended.
If time spent moderating this thread remains a distraction from moderation of the wiki itself, the thread will need to be locked. We want to avoid that, so please follow the forum rules when posting here.
In line with the general forum rules, 'gravedancing' is prohibited here. If you're celebrating someone's death or hoping that they die, your post will get thumped. This rule applies regardless of what the person you're discussing has said or done.
Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM
A real bad hombre
I think the scariest thing about the US as it is today is that there are actually a sizeable number of people who would actually vote for people like Huckabee.
"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." -Thomas Edison
![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
Yeah, but the section of our country that's most eager to wrap themselves in the flag is also the section that's most interested in secession.
The hypocrisy is almost funny. Almost.
edited 6th May '15 8:19:49 AM by Ramidel
I despise hypocrisy, unless of course it is my own.
a collection of small trees
Editorial on how every time a cop kills an innocent person, nothing changes
This is just what happens. The more plugged in you are to the world of the chattering classes—to history, the news, current events—the more predictable it seems.
The regular folks who don’t pay that much attention get really shocked. They have some dim memory of police brutality and race riots in the past, but seeing anti-black violence shoved in their face on TV feels like a state of emergency, like something must be done.
And what happens is intense discussion. Discussion of the particulars of this case—Walter Scott’s life will be dissected, weighed in the balance, every brush with the law, every relationship successful or failed, every childhood photo shared on social media. His life analyzed for any trace of culpability, any possibility he “deserved” to be shot.
The same will happen at a much lower level for Officer Slager, whose privacy will be much more vigorously protected—but people will look for any hint that he might be “a racist,” as though that’s a special, anomalous breed of citizen distinct from all the rest of us.
Beware the Crazy Man.
@Jack - That's what I meant about precedent.
Final Fantasy, Foreign Policy, and Bollywood. Helluva combo, that...
The Potato's Choice
On Tuesday, de Blasio will hold a 3 p.m. news conference outside the U.S. Capitol with labor leaders, Democratic lawmakers and liberal activists to unveil his “Progressive Agenda to Combat Income Inequality.”
The manifesto includes the ideas of economist Joseph Stiglitz and dozens of other leaders and thinkers consulted by the de Blasio team.
Among the planks is a universal pre-kindergarten program, De Blasio’s signature policy since he took office on Jan. 1, 2014. Other elements are aimed at helping working people ($15 minimum wage) and working parents (paid family leave), and proposals for “tax fairness” (increasing the tax on carried interest, a huge issue for private equity).
De Blasio convened a group of a dozen national progressives at Gracie Mansion on April 2, and they discussed ideas for addressing income inequality. Among the advisers present was John Del Cecato of AKPD Message and Media, who made de Blasio’s campaign commercials, including the famous “Dante” ad.
Then the conversation extended to others — economists, elected officials and activists.
De Blasio advisers say that more than 60 big names have signed on, including Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.); Reps. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Rosa De Lauro (D-Conn.); Marian Wright Edelman and Howard Dean; national labor leaders; and actors Susan Sarandon and Steve Buscemi.
Rolling Stone has a preview of de Blasio’s new drive in the forthcoming May 21 issue, which has a 7½-page spread, “The Mayor’s Crusade: Bill de Blasio is trying to remake America’s biggest city — and he doesn’t plan to stop there.”
Link is right.
Not only do people like Huckabee get votes, many of the people who are willing to vote for him are wealthy enough to do damage in other ways.
"Psssh. Even if you could catch a miracle on a picture any person would probably delete it to make space for more porn." - Aszur
A real bad hombre
Fun fact: when I first heard about Huckabee I actually kinda liked him, only because he has a name very, very similar to a family friend's name. Also, I was ten or something, that might have had something to do with it. Then I found out about what he stood for.
The good news is even most Republicans wouldn't seriously consider him for president. If they do it would be the moment I lose my faith in humainty.
@Bonsai: Yes, I dislike reactionary groups too. The main thing I learned from my time lurking on CNN.com's comments sections is that the general population is much less libertarian than the people who make noise online. About the Darren Wilson incident, I could understand if they think that he's innocent: that's their opinion. If they were raising money because they're bigots though, that's just disgusting.
"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." -Thomas Edison
How is Huckabee any worse than, say, Santorum or Bachmann?
(Also, while I am a dyed-in-the-wool liberal, does it concern anyone else that there seems to be a bit of liberal bias on this thread?)
Another green world.
Lost in Space
This thread is quite neutral in relative terms, to be frank. Have you been anywhere else?
"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers
A bit? lol.
We do a good job of not becoming an echo chamber somehow, but few enough right-wingers tend to last long around here.
Bill de Blasio could have his eyes on the future, methinks. First the mansion in Albany (or a Senate seat), then the White House? As long as it doesn't turn out he was involved in a corruption scandal or something.
A real bad hombre
I, at least, was using Huckabee as an example more than anything.
Honestly, it kind of does concern me that there is something of a liberal bias on this thread (I am a liberal too). It doesn't seem to be just here though: I see it all over the internet. It is much worse elsewhere.
edited 6th May '15 9:40:17 AM by LinkToTheFuture
"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." -Thomas Edison
Nah, I doubt that. I don't think he's too popular, is he?
V
Not just in American terms, mind you. Those that post in other countries' threads lean towards the left of their spectrums as well...
![[down]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_down.png "[down]"){kind=icon}
American Conservativism, perhaps...
edited 6th May '15 9:44:23 AM by Greenmantle
Keep Rolling On
Lost in Space
The problem is that what passes for conservative political argumentation these days seems increasingly divorced from reality to the point where it's nearly impossible to have a reasoned conversation with them. We have kicked people out for the same problem from other political ideologies as well; what's left over is the reasoned debate club, and reality has a liberal bias.
"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
NOT THE BEES
Pfft. Relative to what? This entire forum is deep, deep blue. Most of the conservatives got banned or left.
Hell, I'm probably one of the most conservative people left here, and I'm still pretty blue anymore.
For that matter, the internet in general is pretty liberal. Mostly on account of really hardline conservatives still perplexed that you can do more on the internet than read email. And this forum is unusual even for that.
edited 6th May '15 9:49:26 AM by Pykrete
Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers
You yourself have documented that your drift from the Republican viewpoint is not so much because you have changed, but they have: that they've merrily marched off into lunacy, leaving the more reasoned sympathizers of their party behind.
The internet in general is liberal? Uh, you've been to Reddit, right?
NOT THE BEES
Yeah, but I've changed positions on several issues too. Mostly economic, and mostly as a result of that also marching so far into lunacy that my old positions are clearly unsupportable.
To be fair, I try to stay away from Reddit. But from what I remember, /r/politics was pretty blue too — and just to be sure I looked again just now and it still seems to be blue as fuck.
edited 6th May '15 9:58:24 AM by Pykrete
I think we're kidding ourselves if we think the conversation here has been at all unbiased. In fact, Fighteer's comments further prove this point.
As for why Conservatives don't want to talk right here is probably because they're afraid to.
"Any campaign world where an orc samurai can leap off a landcruiser to fight a herd of Bulbasaurs will always have my vote of confidence"
Shameful Display
This place is defiantly more liberal than most places. If you were going by this thread you would believe that the US is a totalitarian dystopia and that only V....er Bernie Sanders can save us.
I Bring Doom,and a bit of gloom, but mostly gloom.
V
Mind you, haven't most American Conservatives moved away from the "MSM" and onto the internet, to places like Above Top Secret?
edited 6th May '15 10:15:38 AM by Greenmantle
Keep Rolling On
I get my news from PJTV.
NOT THE BEES
No. The actual nutcases have. Everyday conservatives who are merely biased instead of outright insane still tend to get their news from local newspapers or Fox.
edited 6th May '15 10:28:30 AM by Pykrete
Actually, not quite Jack.
There are a lot of people down here who contributed money to Wilson as well as bigoted pizza parlors and bakers and what not because they feel that Christianity is under threat and that they have a moral obligation to help those who are being unfairly persecuted.
Mike fucking Huckabee is a prime example of this sorta nonsense and he just put in another bid for president.
"Psssh. Even if you could catch a miracle on a picture any person would probably delete it to make space for more porn." - Aszur