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
Only if America pays for it.
Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.I dunno, the fence law was not such a big thing back then. There was a clash between Bush who wanted immigration reform and House hardliners who wanted the wooden club.
Aye, Texas story is old.
Edited by SeptimusHeap on Jan 10th 2019 at 10:54:24 AM
"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
It may have been initially reported on a while ago, but a vote as to whether the guy is going to get unceremoniously booted from a party position is happening today. Unfortunately, I can easily see it passing through despite objections from other members of the GOP within the State, as the most motivated people would be the ones pissed off over his inclusion as a party official. The guy in question even throws a lampshade on how this has been a recurring issue for him.
And for the record, even Ted Cruz is defending the guy. And for added infuriation...
“[Shafi’s] very active with the party, but most of the people don’t even care about what he’s done,” Easton said. “Most of them already have a prejudice against Muslims, and a lot of that comes from the attack on 9/11 and the Shariah law they claim all Muslims must obey.”
It’s unclear whether Thursday’s vote will happen in public, behind closed doors or be delayed indefinitely, Easton said. The Star-Telegram reported that, since the movement to remove Shafi has picked up steam, it has expanded to also target some of his defenders, including Easton and a Republican party official who is married to a Muslim.
Edited by ironballs16 on Jan 10th 2019 at 5:02:20 AM
"Why would I inflict myself on somebody else?"Honestly, if the Republicans get SO racist that they start kicking out even their own Token Minorities, I'm not going to be too broken up. The Republicans eating their own tails only weakens them and might make the voters who are convinced the Republicans aren't racist wake up to reality.
Mitch blocks the bills that would reopen the Government
This is typical of Mitch if I'm honest.
This when you go all out and spam him with bills until he gives in
New theme music also a boxMitch won't blink without Trump, and Trump won't blink until he's forced to, which I'm betting won't be for another 31 days at least.
Mitch will absolutely blink without Trump, he just has to decide that the costs are outweighed by the benefits.
"Sandwiches are probably easier to fix than the actual problems" -HylarnJust to throw in my two cents on the earlier AOC conversation, my position on her is mixed.
I didn't like her campaign rhetoric or her links to Sanders and his ilk.
I still rooted for her to win her primary after Crowley didn't even give her the dignity of showing up to their first debate. Like, I'd have understood if he was held up in Congress, but he was at a social event across town so f*ck him. I expect my career Democrats to behave more professionally than that.
I didn't like her and Sanders buddying up to push back against Emily's List candidates and try to get "Sanders-style Progressive" candidates into Democratic nominations instead. Her fondness for Sanders and his agenda remain problematic for me to this day.
I love basically everything she's done since winning the election and am excited to see where she goes from here. And she also seems to be buddying up to Pelosi which makes me feel better.
Edited by TobiasDrake on Jan 10th 2019 at 3:25:13 AM
My Tumblr. Currently liveblogging Haruhi Suzumiya and revisiting Danganronpa V3.This is pretty much exactly my opinion of her too.
"Sandwiches are probably easier to fix than the actual problems" -HylarnOh, and I find it absolutely hilarious that she's already faced her first deadly scandal in office, and it's the shocking reveal to the public that AOC is secretly adorable.
My Tumblr. Currently liveblogging Haruhi Suzumiya and revisiting Danganronpa V3.
It's like the Beto thing all over again.
Welcome to Estalia, gentlemen.Yeah, her initial connections to Sanders had me a bit concerned. During that first fiasco about her supposedly staging a protest against Pelosi I was worried but hesitant to really say much because it would have been a bit of a bad look to dogpile on a Wo C because she was too concerned over climate change. My hunch turned out to be correct when the whole thing was a misrepresentation of the situation anyways and since then Ocasio-Cortez has carried herself pretty admirably so I don't really have a problem with her.
Edited by Draghinazzo on Jan 10th 2019 at 6:34:20 AM
Mitch is using Trump as a club for what he perceives as the national GOP agenda. It's allowed him to do a lot more than he would have normally because he abases himself before the Dark Lord.
Before Trump, Mitch was just the extremist wing of the GOP. Now he is the GOP.
And if people think he'll blink first, I remind you Mitch has no shame.
- The Supreme Court deferral for months and months
- After the State Senate had enough support to legalize marijuana in Kentucky, chose not to simply allow the vote for it until next quarter and continued on until the delay came back....and then delayed it again.
Also, I don't think supporting the GOP's racism on the basis that it will weaken them is a good strategy since I'd rather a obnoxious bunch of assholes that are effective than an extremely radicalized bunch of semi-effective ones. The consequences for the latter are more than the consequences of the former.
Edited by CharlesPhipps on Jan 10th 2019 at 2:36:50 AM
Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.Steve King asks how terms 'white nationalist' and 'white supremacist' became offensive.
Who is supporting Republican racism?
"Sandwiches are probably easier to fix than the actual problems" -HylarnI wish someone would give him answers:
- When most white people stopped being scumbags.
- When people realized that other races were human beings.
- They always were, it was just you who were offensive
Evil Turtle isn't really an ideologue. He's the kind of "do whatever is needed to keep me in power" type.
Edited by SeptimusHeap on Jan 10th 2019 at 11:38:27 AM
"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard FeynmanYeah my read on Mitch has always been that he's completely amoral. He seems to run entirely on "If it will help me/the party remain in power, then full steam ahead" no matter how unconscionable, dishonest and hypocritical it is. He has no shame.
I also strongly suspect that future historians will find that a lot of Trump's court and executive nominations were proposed by Mitch, including Kavanaugh, Pruitt and Co. Perhaps many of his other deeds as well.
"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman“If they were in America pushing the platform that they push, they would be Republicans,” King told The Washington Post last October.
I wonder if he's aware of the implications.
Welcome to Estalia, gentlemen.Man King is scum, he’s the kind of scum I expect to fail upwards within the Republican Party, hopefully he ends up as a Republican senate candidate at some point and gives the Dems a seat.
"And the Bunny nails it!" ~ Gabrael "If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we." ~ CyranI don't hope that.
We got Trump as President and nearly got Roy Moore on the Senate. I'd rather not have godawful human beings on the ballot, as the alternative risks them actually making it into office. We live in a country where the question, "Should a pedophile, rapist, Nazi, etc. be your elected official?" is a really hard question for our populace to answer, requiring much deliberation and a very close race.
I'd very much like a 0% chance of a future President or Senator Nazi, and I don't have the benefit of doubt that Americans would immediately reject such a candidate anymore.
Edited by TobiasDrake on Jan 10th 2019 at 4:18:55 AM
My Tumblr. Currently liveblogging Haruhi Suzumiya and revisiting Danganronpa V3.That’s a fair point, in the end though I think it’s the likely path, King represents exactly what the Republican Party is about now, open, unabashed racism and hatred. He just makes sense as the Republican choice next time a big office opens up in Iowa. We just have to hope he looses.
"And the Bunny nails it!" ~ Gabrael "If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we." ~ CyranMitch not being an ideologue doesn't explain his constant neverending attacks on welfare, the poor, social security, the opiod epidemic, ACA, medicaid, legalization of marijuana, prison reform, and virtually anything that could benefit anyone who isn't rich and white.
He is one of the most hardline reactionary Republicans in Congress.
His policies have literally killed tens of thousands of people.
A lot of Republicans never saw a problem with the Nazis other than they lost.
Edited by CharlesPhipps on Jan 10th 2019 at 3:23:30 AM
Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
Isn't that Texas story old? Are they trying again, or is it another Muslim vice-chairman or whatever in a different Texas county?