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

Elle Since: Jan, 2001
#173801: Feb 10th 2017 at 5:05:16 PM

The Federal Election Commission has basically officially told Donald to put up or shut up with election fraud claims in NH.

And regarding Snowden, y'all know my positions on that by now and I remember saying he was likely in more danger than under a Clinton presidency. I'm pretty sure he knows that too. He mentioned in an interview he was actually kind of encouraged by the idea of a vindication that the Russians don't "own" him. (Edit 2: Russia's response is that they just extended Snowden's permit.)

edited 10th Feb '17 5:16:40 PM by Elle

HextarVigar That guy from The Big House Since: Feb, 2015
That guy
#173802: Feb 10th 2017 at 5:08:50 PM

Being as I'm commenting on a country whose current government could be described by the term "bad comedy", I'm probably not being as fair as I could be.

Your momma's so dumb she thinks oral sex means talking dirty.
FergardStratoavis A Fluff Ringer from Bellveins (Troper Knight) Relationship Status: A gay little love melody
A Fluff Ringer
#173803: Feb 10th 2017 at 5:13:36 PM

@Buchanan: I mean, "resolving the question of Slavery right now" seems like a good idea on paper, at least in a sense that this isn't an issue being ignored.

Of course, Dred Scott being Dred Scott, that really didn't work out... and Trump is still shaping up to be so much worse (assuming he gets at least a year of ruling before being impeached, let alone a full term).

LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#173804: Feb 10th 2017 at 5:13:59 PM

I mean, I'd really argue there is no "lesser of two evils" crap going on at all anymore. There's neo nazism and mostly good guys who's policies aren't 100% perfect but aren't evil by any means.

edited 10th Feb '17 5:14:10 PM by LeGarcon

Oh really when?
TacticalFox88 from USA Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Dating the Doctor
#173805: Feb 10th 2017 at 5:19:55 PM

We've reached Black-and-White Morality Point blank. At worst. AT WORST you could say it's Black-and-Grey Morality and even THAT is requires some serious reaching.

New Survey coming this weekend!
Draghinazzo (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: I get a feeling so complicated...
#173806: Feb 10th 2017 at 5:27:38 PM

It's also not reasonable to expect a party to be perfect anyways, because people aren't perfect.

The problem with the GOP is they don't really have redeeming qualities. Everything they stand for now is just bad and reactionary.

sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#173807: Feb 10th 2017 at 5:29:00 PM

Honestly, I've begun contemplating just registering Democrat outright, where as until now I haven't affiliated at all. Just seems we're at "pick a side" time, if not well past it.

edited 10th Feb '17 5:33:23 PM by sgamer82

TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#173808: Feb 10th 2017 at 5:35:55 PM

I already have. This election was the first time I formally identified as Democrat instead of Independent, Republican, or "Republican reluctantly voting Democrat".

Any appeal the GOP may once have had for me is long since dead. I'm a Democrat. Period.

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
Elle Since: Jan, 2001
#173809: Feb 10th 2017 at 5:57:06 PM

My "side" is "anyone willing to stand against the Donald and his toadies". I don't see a need to limit that to a party affiliation, even if the non-Dems are scarce in that category right now.

I will NOT let myself get dragged into "you're a Democrat or you're a traitor' thinking for that way the Dark Side lies.

MarqFJA The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer from Deserts of the Middle East (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer
#173810: Feb 10th 2017 at 6:03:05 PM

We've reached Black and White Morality Point blank. At worst. AT WORST you could say it's Black and Grey Morality and even THAT is requires some serious reaching.
... You do realize that "Grey" is actually a huge spectrum of a practically infinite number of possible shades, some of which are near-indistinguishable to the casual observor from true black/white, right? So technically speaking, Black-and-Grey Morality is the most accurate way of describing the current situation; some of the Democrat Party's conservative members do espouse some political positions that are considered repugnant by more liberal colleagues, IIRC.

edited 10th Feb '17 6:03:18 PM by MarqFJA

Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus.
Lanceleoghauni Cyborg Helmsman from Z or R Twice Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: In my bunk
#173811: Feb 10th 2017 at 6:04:48 PM

Democrats have the problem of being the absolute best at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. That and not standing for anything in particular by way of being the "Not Republican" party. The republicans focus on party loyalty allowed the poisoning of the party into "Stupid And Evil" as their party byline. There's not even a comparison there. One party is aimless and useless, one party is actively and willfully evil.

"Coffee! Coffeecoffeecoffee! Coffee! Not as strong as Meth-amphetamine, but it lets you keep your teeth!"
LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#173812: Feb 10th 2017 at 6:10:15 PM

A vote for a non democrat is supporting the Republicans. I'm sorry, I don't really agree with it, but that's the way the math works.

So yes, you're either a Democrat or you're with them.

Oh really when?
Lanceleoghauni Cyborg Helmsman from Z or R Twice Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: In my bunk
#173813: Feb 10th 2017 at 6:13:52 PM

I never said you shouldn't be voting for the democrats. Just that they're really milquetoast. The republicans really need to be defeated by any means. My criticism of the democratic party isn't a "both sides" argument :P

"Coffee! Coffeecoffeecoffee! Coffee! Not as strong as Meth-amphetamine, but it lets you keep your teeth!"
TacticalFox88 from USA Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Dating the Doctor
#173814: Feb 10th 2017 at 6:14:22 PM

Also why I despise third parties. I mean, yeah, even in a vacuum they're pretty garbage on their own, but even still, they just take up space.

New Survey coming this weekend!
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#173815: Feb 10th 2017 at 6:22:17 PM

The major flaw with the Democratic Party is that it seems to have largely given up on media efforts to spread its message to the average voter. The GOP has extensive and powerful media presence that is designed specifically to grab and hold voters within an information bubble. There is no comparable mechanism for the Dems. Now, we don't want to have the "Fox News of the Left". But knowledge and rationality aren't as sexy on the evening news as fear and ignorance. Unless we reach large swathes of the populace with real fact-based education, "alternative facts" are going to rule the land because they appeal to people's biases.

edited 10th Feb '17 6:23:22 PM by Fighteer

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
CrimsonZephyr Would that it were so simple. from Massachusetts Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
Would that it were so simple.
#173816: Feb 10th 2017 at 6:24:38 PM

Any appeal the GOP may once have had for me is long since dead. I'm a Democrat. Period.

Welcome to the Party.

"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."
FFShinra Since: Jan, 2001
#173817: Feb 10th 2017 at 6:26:41 PM

Again, answering someone several pages back: Price is a Republican, and his seat was in the affliuent northern burbs of Atlanta, GA.

Elle Since: Jan, 2001
#173818: Feb 10th 2017 at 6:30:20 PM

I voted for exactly one Republican (only counting races that were actually contested and the other ones were, like, county coroner of all things) and that was for state assembly and she's a pretty blue state Republican with an established history of getting public funding for local services and improvements in this rural area over a guy with no experience, little backing and only pie-in-the-sky ideas.

It broke my "backing Trump is an automatic DQ" rule but it was a very lukewarm backing out of ignorance rather than malice and she is probably in the camp now realizing it was a terrible mistake.

edited 10th Feb '17 6:33:30 PM by Elle

DeMarquis (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#173819: Feb 10th 2017 at 6:46:27 PM

Not telling anyone not to support the Democrats, but anybody who thinks that the leadership of the Democratic Party aren't just as beholden to their billionaire donors club as the Republicans are is living in a dream world. Just sayin'. (Full disclosure- seriously considering joining the Greens).

Remember, once we get rid of the Donald (and we will, eventually) we still have to deal with the Kock Bros. In the long run, they are probably the more dangerous threat.

edited 10th Feb '17 6:46:36 PM by DeMarquis

I'm done trying to sound smart. "Clear" is the new smart.
DingoWalley1 Asgore Adopts Noelle Since: Feb, 2014 Relationship Status: Can't buy me love
Asgore Adopts Noelle
#173820: Feb 10th 2017 at 6:53:14 PM

[up] Now, the Koch's did cause the Tea Party movement, but even they are against Donald Trump, and are preparing for the next 2 years to Donate, Campaign for, and give support Politicians who will be Anti-Trump (something I read from TIME magazine).

The real problem isn't the Koch Brothers, or Soros, it's the unregulated Money that is just pouring into US Politics. When the Dems get a supermajority in the House and Senate, they really need to do something about this. I'm a Libertarian, and I'm supportive of getting rid of the "Money is Free Speech; Give as much as you want to Politicians" problem in our Constitution!

Elle Since: Jan, 2001
#173821: Feb 10th 2017 at 6:55:33 PM

As someone with no illusions about the Des having at least some moneyed interests and occasional authoritarian actions, stay the heck away from the Greens. Jill Stein is a crack, a doctor who won't condemn the anti-vax movement because it's popular in her base and shares "suspicious dealings with Russia" in common with the Donald, while the base is a disorganized mish-mash of the far left. I emember someone in here mentioning that the European Green party had to say something to the effect of "these guys are an embarrassment to us".

CrimsonZephyr Would that it were so simple. from Massachusetts Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
Would that it were so simple.
#173822: Feb 10th 2017 at 6:55:47 PM

The Koch brothers are anti-Trump for the free and undeserved positive reactions — they're still pouring money into downticket races getting the monsters that destroy our immediate communities elected to local office.

"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."
TacticalFox88 from USA Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Dating the Doctor
#173823: Feb 10th 2017 at 7:02:39 PM

The major flaw with the Democratic Party is that it seems to have largely given up on media efforts to spread its message to the average voter. The GOP has extensive and powerful media presence that is designed specifically to grab and hold voters within an information bubble. There is no comparable mechanism for the Dems. Now, we don't want to have the "Fox News of the Left".

You're missing the enormous reasons why this is. Because the GOP has a twenty-year, if not twenty-four year head start on the Democrats, as they were thinking long-term when they started right-wing radio with your Rush Limbaugh types, and Fox News shortly after Bill got his second-term. They didn't reach the mainstream of the Republican Party until the Iraq War (though one could argue it wasn't until Obama that they really took off and never looked back). Democrats had no such advantage.

Moreover, because the Democrats are such a diverse party in terms of age, ethnicities, and ideologies to the left of the GOP, different subsets of their coalition will consume different forms of media in various amounts of quantities, at different times. You have you millennial generation, which are consuming your Daily Shows and Stephen Colbert, and sharing pics on Tumblr. You then have a broad Hispanic coalition that a good chunk only watch majority Spanish television such as Univision. MSNBC can try to feel the void, but it's really not propaganda for the Democrats as only Christopher Hayes, Rachel Maddow, and Lawrence O'Donnell are ones who are open with their bias for the left/democrats. Vast majority of most of the morning and afternoon programs simply lay out the news as is with a few occasional shakeups every now and then.

Point is, the Democratic coalition is too fragmented and diverse to have a message that would come even close to Fox News and Right-Wing Radio. They've had twenty years to whip their base into a frenzy. And I don't think the Democrats even if they HAD started in '96 for their propaganda outlet it would've been successful as they problems now apply then, and then some as the country was significantly less liberal than it is now, especially with things such as Gay Marriage, abortion (50/50), welfare, among other hot button issues.

New Survey coming this weekend!
AmbarSonofDeshar Since: Jan, 2010
#173824: Feb 10th 2017 at 7:08:07 PM

@De Marquis

Not telling anyone not to support the Democrats, but anybody who thinks that the leadership of the Democratic Party aren't just as beholden to their billionaire donors club as the Republicans are is living in a dream world. Just sayin'.

Not the first time you've made comments to this effect. Last time you accused Clinton of being even more of an oligarch than Trump and did not respond when asked to clarify. Now this. Got any evidence?

(Full disclosure- seriously considering joining the Greens).

You want to join up with a party that never gets anything accomplished and is controlled by a Russian shill who panders to anti-vaxxers? Who rails against the rich while being rich? Who claims Clinton et al had conflicts of interest because of their investments, yet is invested in the very companies she spends all her time denouncing?

Why?

@Tactical

Vast majority of most of the morning and afternoon programs simply lay out the news as is with a few occasional shakeups every now and then.

"Morning Joe" is explicitly and at times painfully right-wing.

edited 10th Feb '17 7:10:06 PM by AmbarSonofDeshar

LinkToTheFuture A real bad hombre from somewhere completely different Since: Apr, 2015 Relationship Status: What's love got to do with it?
A real bad hombre
#173825: Feb 10th 2017 at 7:08:22 PM

Op-Ed: Warren is a Grandstanding Phony

I don't usually get frustrated or angry when reading opposition's arguments, but this made me a little angry.

"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." -Thomas Edison

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