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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM

CrimsonZephyr Would that it were so simple. from Massachusetts Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
Would that it were so simple.
#164201: Dec 25th 2016 at 7:59:36 PM

The White House should probably keep a few bags of weed at arm's reach, particularly when Trump wants to use the red phone.

"For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#164202: Dec 25th 2016 at 8:04:25 PM

[up][up] HRC actually strikes me as being a bit of an introvert. She genuinely doesn't seem particularly comfortable with large crowds of people or the attention they give her. Even if it's positive attention.

She's still definitely someone I'd be interested in having a genuine conversation with. Mostly because she actually has some good ideas rattling around in her head unlike Trump.

I concede that Trump has an easy and shallow kind of charisma. As long as you don't look too closely, he seems like a great guy. But under the surface, there's a whole lot of ugly.

Disgusted, but not surprised
ViperMagnum357 Since: Mar, 2012
#164203: Dec 25th 2016 at 8:06:38 PM

@ Crimson Zephyr: do people even read what I write before posting? Or are my posts getting buried too fast?

[1] [2]

edited 25th Dec '16 8:08:45 PM by ViperMagnum357

Gilphon (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#164204: Dec 25th 2016 at 8:11:13 PM

[up][up]I could see HRC having a kind of charisma one-on-one that doesn't come across in front of crowds at all. The kind of person who, when so inclined, can draw you into a long and in-depth conversation about a topic you didn't realize you cared about.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#164205: Dec 25th 2016 at 8:18:07 PM

[up] I for one would really like to discuss free trade agreements with her. I'd like to find out why she really decided TPP was a bad idea, and what she thinks would be a "gold standard" trade agreement.

I half suspect that if she really wanted to, she'd be able to convince me that TPP wouldn't be so bad.

edited 25th Dec '16 8:19:00 PM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
Cid El Cid Since: Jul, 2015 Relationship Status: Hiding
El Cid
#164206: Dec 25th 2016 at 10:06:31 PM

Re: the Senate. Maybe you guys should do what we do: there are 4 seats per state, the first two go to the winning party, the third one goes to the party with the second most votes during that election and the fourth seat is given proportionally to all parties according to the results of the election. Thanks to that system we managed to take the sentae from the ruling party back in the 2000's.

Of course, all our politicians are the same regardless of their party affiliation, so it didn't really matter. :P

Regarding a conversation with Trump, I'm sure he gives the impression of being a great guy so a conversation with him would be pretty interesting... unless you've got an ego as big as his, then it'd be really awkward. I mean, despite his charisma, he seems to be that guy who never stops talking about himself. That's never good when the person is just the same.

PushoverMediaCritic I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out. from the Italy of America Since: Jul, 2015 Relationship Status: watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out.
#164207: Dec 25th 2016 at 10:20:33 PM

Trump has the worst kind of charisma: the kind where he confidently talks over you about what he knows and refuses to let you get a word in edgewise.

On the Electoral College: it's true that we're currently facing tyranny of the minority, but no-one wants tyranny of the majority either, remember that white people outnumber all other races in the USA, even combined. The Electoral College does serve a purpose, but it definitely does desperately need an overhaul.

In regards to general changes: First, getting rid of Political Parties overall would be a good move, removing blind Party faith, and forcing people to actually research what each candidate stands for. Second, a basic competency test and psych evaluation to even be qualified to run as any Elected Official needs to be a thing. We cannot have incompetents running for the Presidency. Third, make all those unspoken rules that Trump so flagrantly ignored into written law. Any more?

unknowing from somewhere.. Since: Mar, 2014
#164208: Dec 25th 2016 at 10:21:10 PM

Hilary have the typical academic charisma: she is good taking with small amount of people on intelectuall pursuit, kinda like a teacher while Donald have the party boy persona, the one who have the center of the atention, is good if you dont tell him no.

"My Name is Bolt, Bolt Crank and I dont care if you believe or not"
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#164209: Dec 25th 2016 at 10:49:16 PM

[up] Adding that up with the strong undercurrent of anti-intellectualism that has hit certain parts of the USA hard in recent years tells you all you really need to know about why HRC lost this election. America voted the Class Clown to be the Class President because they found the head of the chess club too boring.

edited 25th Dec '16 10:50:30 PM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
unknowing from somewhere.. Since: Mar, 2014
#164210: Dec 25th 2016 at 11:00:42 PM

[up]if anything, is more because they thought Hilary was teacher(the establishment) butt kisser while Doanld stick with the classroom.

they are room, but is easy to see why they are wrong.

"My Name is Bolt, Bolt Crank and I dont care if you believe or not"
FluffyMcChicken My Hair Provides Affordable Healthcare from where the floating lights gleam Since: Jun, 2014 Relationship Status: In another castle
My Hair Provides Affordable Healthcare
#164211: Dec 26th 2016 at 12:08:19 AM

Hillary was Jane the all-star student who got awards and was always praised by the teacher.

Bernie was John the quirky hipster who everyone liked to be friends with in class but not during recess.

Donald was Bart Simpson, a rebellious class clown who everyone despised out loud but secretly envied his no-fucks personal spirit and attitude.

RBluefish Since: Nov, 2013
#164212: Dec 26th 2016 at 1:13:35 AM

On the Electoral College: it's true that we're currently facing tyranny of the minority, but no-one wants tyranny of the majority either, remember that white people outnumber all other races in the USA, even combined.

True, but as we saw here, there are still at least three million more decent people than assholes in the US. I'm not worried about tyranny of the majority right now. Maybe I should be, but it's not on my list of concerns yet. (Besides, white people are still on track to become a minority within the next few decades. Or they were, at least. The GOP will probably try and do something about that.)

Third, make all those unspoken rules that Trump so flagrantly ignored into written law. Any more?

I don't even think we need to do that. We just need to start actually enforcing all of the written laws he ignored or shat on. We have rules - serious rules - against conspiring with a foreign power to rise to office, or sexually assaulting people, or using the Presidency to line your own pockets. If our leaders weren't either selling us out or asleep at the wheel, Trump would be blocked from office immediately based on those grounds.

edited 26th Dec '16 6:14:14 AM by RBluefish

"We'll take the next chance, and the next, until we win, or the chances are spent."
Psyclone Since: Jan, 2001
#164213: Dec 26th 2016 at 6:06:26 AM

As petty as this sounds, I really hate "Trump doesn't drink! Another aspect on how he's evil/out of touch" discussions because I hate alcohol and it keeps making me wonder what other people think about me whenever I go out and order soda when everyone drinks beer. sad

edited 26th Dec '16 6:07:49 AM by Psyclone

Draghinazzo (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: I get a feeling so complicated...
#164214: Dec 26th 2016 at 6:12:31 AM

In regards to general changes: First, getting rid of Political Parties overall would be a good move, removing blind Party faith, and forcing people to actually research what each candidate stands for.

Political parties, unlike the EC, aren't exactly something unique to the US. Pretty much every country with a democratic system that I can think of organizes things that way. It's not really a practical proposal to abolish them outright, at least for the foreseeable future.

Zendervai Since: Oct, 2009
#164215: Dec 26th 2016 at 6:22:06 AM

[up][up] I don't generally drink either, and I have no problem with anyone else who doesn't drink. I just bring it up with Trump when people cite the "someone you can have a beer with" thing, since you literally can't have one with him.

[up] Political parties tend to arise naturally because when you get people who broadly agree on things, they're going to band together. If they're flat out banned, you'll get informal parties where there are groups of people who just always vote together, and you can't do anything about that because, well, votes are generally somewhat binary.

edited 26th Dec '16 6:29:47 AM by Zendervai

speedyboris Since: Feb, 2010
#164216: Dec 26th 2016 at 6:40:43 AM

The GOP clarifies that their Christmas message wasn't referring to Trump. In typical GOP fashion, they never blame themselves (I mean, it's not like their comment was Ambiguous Syntax or anything), but instead blame others for "politicizing" the holiday.

edited 26th Dec '16 6:41:35 AM by speedyboris

pwiegle Cape Malleum Majorem from Nowhere Special Since: Sep, 2015 Relationship Status: Singularity
Cape Malleum Majorem
#164217: Dec 26th 2016 at 6:42:32 AM

Open Mouth, Insert Foot, Waffle, Backpedal, Deny... Lather, Rinse, Repeat.

This Space Intentionally Left Blank.
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#164218: Dec 26th 2016 at 8:19:56 AM

[up][up] Never My Fault might as well be the GOP's new motto. Either that or "It's always the Democrats' fault".

One reason I became a Democrat was precisely because the GOP's behavior is just so damn embarassing. They act like fucking schoolchildren who have their hands stuck in the cookie jar.

edited 26th Dec '16 8:20:33 AM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#164219: Dec 26th 2016 at 8:59:23 AM

What if votes weren't binary and instead were on a scale, with an averaged result? Shouldn't we account for the difference between "this is okay" "this is awesome" "this is horrible" "this is a wash", etc?

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
ViperMagnum357 Since: Mar, 2012
#164220: Dec 26th 2016 at 9:03:45 AM

Here in Maine, we just adopted ranked-choice voting, where you pick the person you want to win, then someone else you would find acceptable. It is designed to allow any candidate to become viable and avoid some of the problems with first past the post voting, since you could safely vote third party then vote for a major candidate. Knowing that anyone has a real chance to win would prevent people from simply casting their vote at the major party candidate they dislike the least, and might see more variety in elected officials. Good luck getting it passed in any deep red states, though.

edited 26th Dec '16 9:04:29 AM by ViperMagnum357

PushoverMediaCritic I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out. from the Italy of America Since: Jul, 2015 Relationship Status: watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out.
#164221: Dec 26th 2016 at 9:07:18 AM

Is the vote for the person you really want worth more than the vote for the person you're just okay with?

ViperMagnum357 Since: Mar, 2012
#164222: Dec 26th 2016 at 9:11:24 AM

[up]Your vote only counts once, and it is not for a presidential election-the primary purpose is to eliminate drawn out run-off elections by eliminating candidates by least favorability. If you look at some of the recent run-off elections, it is designed to avoid that mess. You can find a succinct overview at Ballotpedia or one of the other reputable sites.

tricksterson Never Trust from Behind you with an icepick Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
Never Trust
#164223: Dec 26th 2016 at 10:11:39 AM

I would assume LaPage's election had something to do with this?

Trump delenda est
ViperMagnum357 Since: Mar, 2012
#164224: Dec 26th 2016 at 10:42:52 AM

[up]To a degree-despite our place in the Northeast, Maine has usually been a purple state revolving around the economy as a single issue wonk, coupled with a long history of independent and third party elected officials.The primary push seems to be our governorship in general, not just Lepage; in the last 11 elections, our eventual governor failed to win even a simple majority 9 times-and 5 of those ended at less than 40% popular vote while winding up in the chair.

edited 26th Dec '16 10:43:03 AM by ViperMagnum357

TacticalFox88 from USA Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Dating the Doctor
#164225: Dec 26th 2016 at 11:06:39 AM

AP released their findings on ad money spent by each candidate: http://elections.ap.org/content/ad-spending

No one ever better talk to me about Money in politics ever fucking again.

Fucking insanity

New Survey coming this weekend!

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