TVTropes Now available in the app store!
Open

Follow TV Tropes

Following

The General US Politics Thread

Go To

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

TacticalFox88 from USA Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Dating the Doctor
tricksterson Never Trust from Behind you with an icepick Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
Never Trust
#176102: Feb 26th 2017 at 9:00:59 AM

Considering he still claims that he would have won the popular vote if it wasn't for "illegals" this is hardly a surprise.

wild mass guessIf there is a deadly explosion at the press dinner that is instantly blamed on Muslim terrorists you heard it here first. I really hope this turns out to be the WMG I'm labeling it as

Trump delenda est
Proglottid Since: Mar, 2010
#176103: Feb 26th 2017 at 9:25:40 AM

It's really something that Trump clearly acts like someone who's utterly overwhelmed by a job he wasn't prepared for, and yet remains so utterly obsessed with proving his victory is legitimate

I guess when you're trapped in a position you didn't want you seek ego-stroking in whatever ways you can get

DeMarquis (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#176104: Feb 26th 2017 at 10:03:20 AM

@Kreiger 22: That logic works both ways. If the centrist democrats don't want their supporters split, they need to accommodate some more progressive views.

@Crimson Z: The thing is, after all this argument, it doesn't matter that Perez got selected. He will be much more careful about the left wing of the party now than he would have been without having to fight for it. Competition is good. Now that he is selected, democrats do need to line up behind him, yes, but that doesn't imply blind loyalty. He is being watched, and he knows it. All good.

@Another Guy/Pseudopartition: I'm not "scared", I'm angry. Where I'm at, we are focusing our efforts at confronting Republican Congressman David Trott, tea party style, because he's a neanderthal and he looks vulnerable in 2018. Every little bit helps.

I'm done trying to sound smart. "Clear" is the new smart.
speedyboris Since: Feb, 2010
#176105: Feb 26th 2017 at 10:57:45 AM

Re: The propaganda machine article: I'm more concerned for the people who are easily tricked and suggestible. People are going to have to get a lot more adept at identifying actual fake news articles (and not the ones that Trump erroneously calls such, i.e. news stories that paint an unflattering portrait of him), especially going forward.

Other solutions: Get off Facebook. Get off Twitter. Don't randomly click on side/banner ads. Stick to time-tested news organizations, ones that have been around for more than the last few years. It also couldn't hurt to customize your privacy settings on your browser to not accept cookies from any sites except ones you specify.

NoName999 Since: May, 2011
#176106: Feb 26th 2017 at 11:05:15 AM

An Ohioan bill outlawing martial rape gets no GOP support.... again

Islamic terrorist: No one will be able to ruin women's lives better than us.

GOP: Hold my beer.

CaptainCapsase from Orbiting Sagittarius A* Since: Jan, 2015
#176107: Feb 26th 2017 at 11:15:15 AM

[up][up] I would recommend looking into credible sources from other countries for reporting on the United States's activities overseas; even in a society with freedom of the press, financial incentives to cooperate with the state mean that propaganda like tendencies will typically arise even without direct pressure from the government to toe the party line. When it comes to questionable behavior overseas, and for that matter criticizing foreign governments, foreign press have no such barrier unless their own country is also involved.

edited 26th Feb '17 11:15:40 AM by CaptainCapsase

TacticalFox88 from USA Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Dating the Doctor
#176108: Feb 26th 2017 at 11:15:40 AM

Captain Planet villains have more depth and dimensions than the current GOP at this point.

Evil for Evil's sake.

New Survey coming this weekend!
kkhohoho (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#176109: Feb 26th 2017 at 11:55:22 AM

[up]Exactly. Most Captain Planet villains still had some sense of logic and reason, at least as far as most kids' shows from back then were concerned. Whereas the GOP is Mister Fucking Burns. And even that might be doing Mr.Burns an injustice, because at least he had the very occasional moment of Petting the Dog. Instead, the GOP would prefer to not only make Kicking The Dog legal, they'd probably give it its' own fucking holiday.

edited 26th Feb '17 11:56:37 AM by kkhohoho

MarkVonLewis Since: Jun, 2010
#176110: Feb 26th 2017 at 11:59:18 AM

Well I'm now in a "to hell with Trump" mindset - the price of my favorite tequila went up by $2.

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#176111: Feb 26th 2017 at 12:10:07 PM

Seriously, Trump is asking for a civil war right now.

Americans depend on their neighbors to supply them with drinkable booze, which keeps the masses pacified.tongue You raise the price on that...

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
unknowing from somewhere.. Since: Mar, 2014
#176112: Feb 26th 2017 at 12:11:40 PM

[up][up]your profile pic really match your postevil grin

"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.
#176113: Feb 26th 2017 at 12:14:01 PM

[up][up] Maybe Trump's driving up the prices of foreign liquor so he can try selling his lousy-ass vodka again. tongue

edited 26th Feb '17 12:14:25 PM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
MarkVonLewis Since: Jun, 2010
#176114: Feb 26th 2017 at 12:14:15 PM

unknowing: I get that a lot, lol.

Rational: to be fair America does make it's own great booze - Jack Daniels, bourbon as a whole, Tito's vodka... but I also really love tequila.

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#176115: Feb 26th 2017 at 12:26:09 PM

As a Canadian, I'm legally obligated to bash American beer, on pain of deportation.

American hard liquor is pretty good though. And a handful of their craft breweries make good stuff, but good luck getting that exported across the border in most cases.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#176116: Feb 26th 2017 at 12:27:46 PM

I'm partial to Napa Valley's wines myself.

Disgusted, but not surprised
TheWanderer Student of Story from Somewhere in New England (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
Student of Story
#176117: Feb 26th 2017 at 12:29:05 PM

Do we think there's some heavy rot in the Democratic Party too? Or are we fine with the way it is?

The Democratic party is the rot in your basement. It doesn't smell great, and it might have some bad effects on you if you stayed down there 24/7 for years and years at a time, (maybe sooner if you're susceptible to it or have a sensitivity) but the Republican party is the fire on your roof that's spreading through the house and will kill anyone inside within minutes.

After you put the fire out, hopefully save the building, rebuild, etc., you can worry about fixing the rot in the basement. Right now it's kinda low on the list of priorities.

And for God's sake, the left has to learn that if you want to take 10 steps forward, the person next to you wants to take 3-4, and a third person wants to go 10 steps backwards, your enemy is not the person who wants to move forward with you.

We have literal Nazis in the White House, who in the best case scenario are going to ruin the lives of millions of people, and in the worst could start a nuclear war, and instead of fighting them we're going to fight each other over who gets what title in a bureaucratic position and whether we feel respected enough?!

That is some Darwin Award winning, fighting over the deck chairs on the Titanic as it's sinking level of stupid. Call me crazy, but I thought the point of being a liberal/progressive was to try to make society better and to improve the lives of people. Maybe we should focus more on the progress and less on ourselves for awhile, especially if we only feel bad because of a case of "feels over facts".

Oh, and I know that analogy I used earlier is a gross oversimplification, especially since people can be at entirely different levels of how right or left they are on different issues, but never refuse to work with your potential partners ahead of time. Things change. Maybe you take those steps forward together and they say "Wow, this went much better than expected, lets go further." Maybe you wind up rethinking things and saying "You know, 10 steps wasn't such a good idea. How do you feel about 6?" and you can come to an agreement about that. Worst case scenario, you shake hands and part ways after 3, and look for new partners so you can go 10.

And at that point if your old partner tries to hold you back, you kick their fucking teeth in and leave them on the ground as you walk away. But what you don't do is try to jump 10 steps ahead while that other guy is dragging you backwards, and you have no help because you pissed everyone off at the start. Because that usually doesn't work too well and just ends with you hitting the ground with a thud.

| Wandering, but not lost. | If people bring so much courage to this world...◊ |
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.
#176118: Feb 26th 2017 at 12:30:05 PM

Skipped the last 25 pages, what did I miss?

Also, how long do you think it'll be before Make (blank) Great Again jokes are just as taboo as Heil (blank) jokes?

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#176119: Feb 26th 2017 at 12:32:48 PM

[up] Perez got elected DNC chair, and promptly made Ellison deputy DNC chair.

Trump is skipping out on a Correspondents' dinner because he's a fucking coward too chickenshit to face the press.

edited 26th Feb '17 12:34:15 PM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#176120: Feb 26th 2017 at 12:35:20 PM

And nobody is happy with this because Reasons

DeMarquis (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#176121: Feb 26th 2017 at 12:38:34 PM

Meanwhile the world is ending. I mean, the world is always ending.

I'm done trying to sound smart. "Clear" is the new smart.
Bat178 Since: May, 2011
#176122: Feb 26th 2017 at 12:49:02 PM

[up] How many times has it been the end of the world and yet nothing actually happened now? I mean, a lot of people though it was gonna end in 2012, but we're still here.

edited 26th Feb '17 12:49:24 PM by Bat178

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
#176123: Feb 26th 2017 at 12:57:21 PM

I mean, a lot of people though it was gonna end in 2012, but we're still here.

Assuming that the human race wasn't collectively put into purgatory at some point in 2012 and what we're seeing now is the first real wave of our punishment for our sins.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
CenturyEye Tell Me, Have You Seen the Yellow Sign? from I don't know where the Yith sent me this time... Since: Jan, 2017 Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
Tell Me, Have You Seen the Yellow Sign?
#176124: Feb 26th 2017 at 1:07:11 PM

[up]You know what. That theory sounds perfectly believable compared to everything else I've read and seen.
At least you can still work your way out of purgatory. Just gotta find my Dante for the guide...

Look with century eyes... With our backs to the arch And the wreck of our kind We will stare straight ahead For the rest of our lives
TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#176125: Feb 26th 2017 at 1:10:45 PM

You mean Ovid.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

Total posts: 417,856
Top