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tclittle Professional Forum Ninja from Somewhere Down in Texas Since: Apr, 2010
Professional Forum Ninja
#257326: Oct 9th 2018 at 8:40:41 PM

And just as a heads up, we have another Hurricane heading to the US. Hurricane Micheal is undergoing rapid intensification and is expected to make landfall on the central Florida panhandle as a Cat 4 by midday tomorrow.

From the National Hurricane Center's 10 pm CDT discussion:

Similar to the previous advisory, the environment ahead of Michael is expected to remain conducive for additional strengthening until landfall occurs due to SS Ts of at least 85 deg F beneath the hurricane, combined with decreasing vertical wind shear along with the shear vector shifting from current west-northwesterly to a less hostile southwesterly component, which will be more along Michael's forecast track. As a result, Michael is now explicitly forecast to become a category 4 hurricane before landfall occurs.

Edited by tclittle on Oct 9th 2018 at 10:42:14 AM

"We're all paper, we're all scissors, we're all fightin' with our mirrors, scared we'll never find somebody to love."
Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#257327: Oct 9th 2018 at 8:44:52 PM

There are always voters to swing, even if he spends the entire hour getting democrats more engaged it’s a boon, because midterm turnout is so low normally that there isn’t a real ceiling you can hit when it comes to pushing turnout amongst people who favour you.

That’s before we get into the fact that many Texas voters are undecided on him due to his low name recognition until now, this gives him a good chance to make a good first impression.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
Draghinazzo (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: I get a feeling so complicated...
#257328: Oct 9th 2018 at 8:49:55 PM

Also, just the fact that O'Rourke managed to make the Republican party take him seriously as a threat to Cruz is already very significant given that Texas has been considered a GOP bastion for like 2 decades or more. If O'Rourke loses I don't think it will be by too much, Cruz is really unpopular.

Edited by Draghinazzo on Oct 9th 2018 at 11:53:30 AM

Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#257329: Oct 9th 2018 at 9:07:03 PM

Also it’s a giant help to Dems in other states, every dollar the RNC spends trying to keep Cruz in his seat is a dollar they can’t spend trying to unseat a red state Dem.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
MorningStar1337 Like reflections in the glass! from 🤔 Since: Nov, 2012
Like reflections in the glass!
#257330: Oct 9th 2018 at 9:12:11 PM

Plus that whole "bastion" thing would be a huge blow to GOP morale if Cruz loses.

kkhohoho Since: May, 2011
#257331: Oct 9th 2018 at 9:42:54 PM

Whoever said the Dem's chances on 538 jumped up four points in a single day? Twenty minutes to midnight CT and it's gone up to five. Currently sitting at 78.3%.

Shaoken Since: Jan, 2001
#257332: Oct 9th 2018 at 9:45:42 PM

To add to the conversation, the GOP think O'Rourke is enough of a risk that they're getting Donald Trump to campaign for Cruz. It's an uphill battle but O'Rourke has had an edge in some of the polls so any advantage he gets could be enough to push him to victory.

TroperOnAStickV2 Call me Stick from Redneck country Since: Dec, 2009 Relationship Status: is commanded to— WANK!
Call me Stick
#257333: Oct 9th 2018 at 9:50:26 PM

Hasn't getting Trump to campaign for a candidate frequently backfired so far?

Hopefully I'll feel confident to change my avatar off this scumbag soon. Apologies to any scumbags I insulted.
Shaoken Since: Jan, 2001
#257334: Oct 9th 2018 at 10:24:48 PM

It's brilliant in the primaries where the only competitors are already Republicans, but I don't think we've had too many elections to really use as a measurement of his effect.

CookingCat Since: Jul, 2018
#257335: Oct 9th 2018 at 10:28:09 PM

Why do I have to keep explaining to people that how Trump and the GOP came into power is exactly the same as how Daniel François Malan and the Herenigde Nasionale Party did in South Africa, not Hitler/Weimar Germany? South Africa's voting system was disproportionately weighted in favour of rural constituencies, just like how the US's is with the Electoral College.

Edited by CookingCat on Oct 9th 2018 at 10:31:46 AM

AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#257336: Oct 9th 2018 at 11:10:48 PM

This is the first time I've seen you mention it here, so I don't know why you're sounding so frustrated with us. And in any case, Americans are going to be FAR more familiar with Hitler's rise to power than they are anything about South Africa barring Trevor Noah. So yeah, that's going to need some explaining, (because God forbid people not know everything about the history of foreign countries) and if you're getting tired of it you clearly don't have to.

Edited by AceofSpades on Oct 9th 2018 at 1:12:15 PM

CookingCat Since: Jul, 2018
#257337: Oct 9th 2018 at 11:14:15 PM

The frustration wasn't aimed at any of you, it was at Game FA Qs. I really need to stop visiting that place.

TheRoguePenguin Since: Jul, 2009
#257338: Oct 9th 2018 at 11:15:43 PM

[up][up][up]While this thread may not be familiar with that specific example, many a discussion has been had about how our system of democracy gives a disproportionate voice to land over population.

Edited by TheRoguePenguin on Oct 9th 2018 at 11:18:09 AM

CookingCat Since: Jul, 2018
#257339: Oct 10th 2018 at 1:58:51 AM

By the way, you guys OK with the new image for The Several States?

Robrecht Your friendly neighbourhood Regent from The Netherlands Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: They can't hide forever. We've got satellites.
Your friendly neighbourhood Regent
#257340: Oct 10th 2018 at 2:33:53 AM

[up] This isn't remotely the appropriate thread for that question.

Angry gets shit done.
Mio Since: Jan, 2001
#257341: Oct 10th 2018 at 6:53:18 AM

So, in a bit of a surprise move Donald Trump “wrote” an op-ed in USA Today saying that if the Democrats win in the mid-terms we will be one step closer to socialism while decrying decrying Medicare for All, and “open borders”.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2018/10/10/donald-trump-democrats-open-borders-medicare-all-single-payer-column/1560533002/

     Donald Trump: Democrats 'Medicare for All' plan will demolish promises to seniors 
Throughout the year, we have seen Democrats across the country uniting around a new legislative proposal that would end Medicare as we know it and take away benefits that seniors have paid for their entire lives.

Dishonestly called “Medicare for All,” the Democratic proposal would establish a government-run, single-payer health care system that eliminates all private and employer-based health care plans and would cost an astonishing $32.6 trillion during its first 10 years.

As a candidate, I promised that we would protect coverage for patients with pre-existing conditions and create new health care insurance options that would lower premiums. I have kept that promise, and we are now seeing health insurance premiums coming down.

I also made a solemn promise to our great seniors to protect Medicare. That is why I am fighting so hard against the Democrats' plan that would eviscerate Medicare. Democrats have already harmed seniors by slashing Medicare by more than $800 billion over 10 years to pay for Obamacare. Likewise, Democrats would gut Medicare with their planned government takeover of American health care.

The Democrats' plan threatens America's seniors The Democrats' plan means that after a life of hard work and sacrifice, seniors would no longer be able to depend on the benefits they were promised. By eliminating Medicare as a program for seniors, and outlawing the ability of Americans to enroll in private and employer-based plans, the Democratic plan would inevitably lead to the massive rationing of health care. Doctors and hospitals would be put out of business. Seniors would lose access to their favorite doctors. There would be long wait lines for appointments and procedures. Previously covered care would effectively be denied.

In practice, the Democratic Party’s so-called Medicare for All would really be Medicare for None. Under the Democrats' plan, today’s Medicare would be forced to die.

The Democrats' plan also would mean the end of choice for seniors over their own health care decisions. Instead, Democrats would give total power and control over seniors’ health care decisions to the bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.

More: My family escaped socialism, now my fellow Democrats think we should move the party in its direction

Cuts in Social Security and Medicare are inevitable. Delaying reform will make it worse.

Half of America skimps to pay for health care. The only fix is to cut waste.

The first thing the Democratic plan will do to end choice for seniors is eliminate Medicare Advantage plans for about 20 million seniors as well as eliminate other private health plans that seniors currently use to supplement their Medicare coverage.

Next, the Democrats would eliminate every American’s private and employer-based health plan. It is right there in their proposed legislation: Democrats outlaw private health plans that offer the same benefits as the government plan.

Americans might think that such an extreme, anti-senior, anti-choice and anti-consumer proposal for government-run health care would find little support among Democrats in Congress.

Unfortunately, they would be wrong: 123 Democrats in the House of Representatives — 64 percent of House Democrats — as well as 15 Democrats in the Senate have already formally co-sponsored this legislation. Democratic nominees for governor in Florida, California and Maryland are all campaigning in support of it, as are many Democratic congressional candidates.

Democrats want open-borders socialism The truth is that the centrist Democratic Party is dead. The new Democrats are radical socialists who want to model America’s economy after Venezuela.

If Democrats win control of Congress this November, we will come dangerously closer to socialism in America. Government-run health care is just the beginning. Democrats are also pushing massive government control of education, private-sector businesses and other major sectors of the U.S. economy.

Every single citizen will be harmed by such a radical shift in American culture and life. Virtually everywhere it has been tried, socialism has brought suffering, misery and decay.

Indeed, the Democrats' commitment to government-run health care is all the more menacing to our seniors and our economy when paired with some Democrats' absolute commitment to end enforcement of our immigration laws by abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement. That means millions more would cross our borders illegally and take advantage of health care paid for by American taxpayers.

Today’s Democratic Party is for open-borders socialism. This radical agenda would destroy American prosperity. Under its vision, costs will spiral out of control. Taxes will skyrocket. And Democrats will seek to slash budgets for seniors’ Medicare, Social Security and defense.

Republicans believe that a Medicare program that was created for seniors and paid for by seniors their entire lives should always be protected and preserved. I am committed to resolutely defending Medicare and Social Security from the radical socialist plans of the Democrats. For the sake of our country, our prosperity, our seniors and all Americans — this is a fight we must win.

The arguments are primarily aimed at trying to convince seniors that Medicare for All would result in the gutting of their healthcare coverage because of costs, rationing and other classic red scare kind of stuff.

I doubt it will convince anyone who wasn’t already convinced but it is still a strange move that shows how big this midterm is.

Edited by Mio on Oct 10th 2018 at 10:00:26 AM

speedyboris Since: Feb, 2010
#257342: Oct 10th 2018 at 6:54:43 AM

I don't want to give him extra clicks- would you be so kind as to copy and paste?

Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#257343: Oct 10th 2018 at 6:55:27 AM

I guess he has forgotten that he didn't run (and win) on an anti-medicare platform. He promised the voters BETTER medicare, not NO medicare.

sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#257344: Oct 10th 2018 at 6:57:08 AM

[up] You say that as if consistency matters to Donald Trump.

Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#257345: Oct 10th 2018 at 6:58:33 AM

[up] It might matter to some of his voters.

SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#257346: Oct 10th 2018 at 7:14:19 AM

That doesn't sound like something Trump wrote himself, it's way too matter of fact (OK, stop deriding me please) for a Trump statement.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
SteamKnight Since: Jun, 2018
#257347: Oct 10th 2018 at 7:16:46 AM

Usual republican's terribleness and insane troll logic in that op-ed aside, is that op-ed really written by the Donald Trump, though? I mean it got typo and stuff, but it's much too coherent.

@Swan: If you ask me, that is probably because in Republican magical America, no Obamacare means better Medicare. Somehow. Logic works differently in that realm.

[up] You think the same thing, too, huh? [lol]

Edited by SteamKnight on Oct 10th 2018 at 9:17:03 PM

I'm not as witty as I think I am. It's a scientifically-proven fact.
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#257348: Oct 10th 2018 at 8:10:39 AM

On the subject of Trump and consistency, from today's developing WTF Just Happened Today feed:

The Trump administration is planning to take down healthcare.gov for maintenance during the sign-up period for the Affordable Care Act. The administration did the same thing last year and drew criticism for it, but officials say the maintenance periods happen every year and are designed to occur during the slowest periods. (The Hill)

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/410574-trump-officials-plan-maintenance-downtime-for-healthcaregov-during

speedyboris Since: Feb, 2010
#257349: Oct 10th 2018 at 9:03:09 AM

Yeah, there's no way Trump wrote that.

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#257350: Oct 10th 2018 at 9:59:16 AM

Former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg has re-registered as a Democrat (he's gone from Democrat, to Republican, to Independent), ahead of a very likely 2020 White House run.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/10/10/politics/michael-bloomberg-2020-democrat/index.html

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.

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