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

danime91 Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
#179901: Mar 28th 2017 at 9:00:54 AM

What do you mean old enough? The last shutdown was in 2013, it wasn't all that long ago. And since I don't work in government or know anyone who does, the only thing I can recall is that I didn't have to report to drill in the National Guard that month.

fredhot16 Don't want to leave but cannot pretend from Baton Rogue, Louisiana. Since: Jan, 2015 Relationship Status: Too sexy for my shirt
Don't want to leave but cannot pretend
#179902: Mar 28th 2017 at 9:08:46 AM

Ah, sorry. I was thinking of the Bill Clinton Government Shutdown, which seems to be the longest government shutdown so far.

Stories from both 1995-1996 and 2013 are acceptable.

Trans rights are human rights. TV Tropes is not a place for bigotry, cruelty, or dickishness, no matter who or their position.
LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#179903: Mar 28th 2017 at 9:10:41 AM

God was it really 2013? It feels like last year.

Oh really when?
TacticalFox88 from USA Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Dating the Doctor
#179904: Mar 28th 2017 at 9:15:11 AM

The government shutdown is the reason I no longer have a job in the military. Of course turns out it was a blessing in disguise but at the time I was pissed.

New Survey coming this weekend!
CrimsonZephyr Would that it were so simple. from Massachusetts Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
Would that it were so simple.
#179905: Mar 28th 2017 at 9:25:05 AM

[up]Thank you for your service.

I have never been employed directly by the government, so all I really remember is the controversy. Bear in mind that I live in one of the richer parts of Massachusetts, so pretty much everyone around me blamed the Republicans. Honestly, the entire debacle barely registers in my memory; the elections the next year made me way angrier.

"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."
Luigisan98 A wandering user from Venezuelan Muscat Since: Oct, 2013 Relationship Status: I <3 love!
A wandering user
#179906: Mar 28th 2017 at 9:25:39 AM

@Ramidel You don't seem quite a believer of those that seek the truth.

The only good fanboy, is a redeemed fanboy.
CrimsonZephyr Would that it were so simple. from Massachusetts Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
Would that it were so simple.
#179907: Mar 28th 2017 at 9:28:23 AM

I think he's more doubtful of the average person's ability to tell fact from lies, seeing as how Trump's falsehood machine has pretty much exhausted much of the public by the sheer scale of its dishonesty.

If you tell a lie often enough, people accept it, but not necessarily out of genuine belief; more often, they just stop caring.

"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."
Luigisan98 A wandering user from Venezuelan Muscat Since: Oct, 2013 Relationship Status: I <3 love!
A wandering user
#179908: Mar 28th 2017 at 9:30:09 AM

[up]Yeah, but yet, that won't stop many from seeking the truth no matter what.

The only good fanboy, is a redeemed fanboy.
DeMarquis (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#179909: Mar 28th 2017 at 10:16:11 AM

The trick is go make them care.

I'm done trying to sound smart. "Clear" is the new smart.
IFwanderer use political terms to describe, not insult from Earth Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
use political terms to describe, not insult
#179910: Mar 28th 2017 at 10:56:04 AM

In a Maryland poll for 2018 governor elections, Current Governor Hogan (R) leads generic democrat by 3% with 22% undecideds This is the second most popular governor in the US, so, could this mean a blue wave in 2018?

1 2 We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be. -KV
DingoWalley1 Asgore Adopts Noelle Since: Feb, 2014 Relationship Status: Can't buy me love
Asgore Adopts Noelle
#179911: Mar 28th 2017 at 10:59:23 AM

[up] As a Native Marylander, I'd hold my breath, as Maryland is a Deep Blue state (even with a Popular Republican Governor).

Personally, though, I am expecting a Blue Wave in 2018, but that's more because a very unpopular Republican currently holds the White House. Remember, Obama was Red Waved in 2010 with middling Popularity. Trump doesn't even have that.

tclittle Professional Forum Ninja from Somewhere Down in Texas Since: Apr, 2010
Professional Forum Ninja
#179912: Mar 28th 2017 at 11:17:09 AM

Trump has declined the invitation to throw the first pitch of the season for the Washington Nationals.

"We're all paper, we're all scissors, we're all fightin' with our mirrors, scared we'll never find somebody to love."
Lightysnake Since: May, 2010
#179913: Mar 28th 2017 at 11:17:59 AM

IT's a bad map, but we could pull it off, especially at the state level. Hogan is a Republican. Pin Trump to him, make him defend him.

Imagine unseating Flake and Cruz...

danime91 Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
#179914: Mar 28th 2017 at 11:18:33 AM

[up][up]Probably because he didn't want to risk embarrassment when he barely manages to throw the ball halfway to home.

edited 28th Mar '17 11:18:58 AM by danime91

Parable Since: Aug, 2009
Zendervai Since: Oct, 2009
#179916: Mar 28th 2017 at 11:21:39 AM

[up][up][up][up] The current White House is so incredibly bad at PR. Throwing the pitch would make Trump take a few hours out of his day and create positive buzz, because he's clearly supporting the local sports team. Even if he didn't throw it very well, a normal person would spin it into a joke. Like, "Hey, this is why I'm a politician and not a baseball player." But Trump can't stand to look bad ever, so he invariably takes the route that makes him look like a coward or an idiot.

edited 28th Mar '17 11:22:10 AM by Zendervai

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#179917: Mar 28th 2017 at 11:28:45 AM

Heh, maybe they could invite HRC or Obama to throw the pitch instead.

Disgusted, but not surprised
fruitpork Since: Oct, 2010
#179918: Mar 28th 2017 at 11:31:13 AM

I do hope there's a blue wave in state legislatures at least. I wasn't old enough to vote for terry mcaullife last term but I sure will this time.

speedyboris Since: Feb, 2010
#179920: Mar 28th 2017 at 11:53:45 AM

He probably will make some excuse that he doesn't have time to throw out pitches because he's too busy MAGA (TM).

Which ironically hasn't stopped him from going down to Mar-a-Lago every weekend and having rallies for his 2020 run.

edited 28th Mar '17 11:58:53 AM by speedyboris

DingoWalley1 Asgore Adopts Noelle Since: Feb, 2014 Relationship Status: Can't buy me love
BonsaiForest Since: Jan, 2001
#179922: Mar 28th 2017 at 12:51:39 PM

To the person who asked on the last page about people who remember the last government shutdown,

my experience with it was that I simply didn't have work for that one day (since I work for the state government). I didn't get paid for that missing day, at least not at first. But a few paychecks later, I suddenly got a slight increase to compensate for that missing day.

So it was little more than a free vacation day on my part.

DeMarquis (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#179923: Mar 28th 2017 at 1:10:00 PM

From tclittle's article: "Ever since Hillary Clinton and the Democrats failed to hold the White House last November, some members of the party and friendly elements in the media have suggested that the Dems have to renew their focus on white working-class men if they want to win. In this view, liberals have become distracted by so-called “identity” issues like feminism, Black Lives Matter, transgender bathroom access, and the musical Hamilton, thus alienating the underserved voters Donald Trump was then able to nab."

The problem with that analysis is that it isnt a mutually exclusive set of options. We can offer to fight for economic fairness for every community, regardless of color.

I'm done trying to sound smart. "Clear" is the new smart.
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#179924: Mar 28th 2017 at 1:13:09 PM

Well, left-wing populism might not work for the reasons discussed before (a pagetopper a few pages ago). Now, it seems like Obama received relevant support among that demographic by discussing issues such as working-class jobs and the like, so perhaps that it is the way to go (it also indicates that that demographic is not necessarily completely dyed-in-the-wool racist).

It won't help with House elections for certain, though.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
ViperMagnum357 Since: Mar, 2012
#179925: Mar 28th 2017 at 1:20:43 PM

[up][up], [up]The perceptual myopia by the author of that article is exactly the problem we are facing-blind, tone-deaf flailing by pundits and rabble rousers assuming it is as simply as chucking equality under the bus to capture the vaunted WWC vote. Spoiler: the Democrats are not getting back most of them, ever. After spending most of their lives absorbing information through the membrane of Fox, two votes for Obama undercut by the Teapublicans have resulted in a virtual guarantee most of them with not vote Democrat again, ever. Even if the Democrats threw equality out the window, these same voters will just vote for the shameless Republicans giving them someone to blame.

At this point, the best thing to do is own it-make equality the fundamental cornerstone of the party, and do the opposite to the Republicans; make them own the open racism and prevent them from backsliding into dogwhistles that can sway inattentive voters and undecideds.

edited 28th Mar '17 1:21:08 PM by ViperMagnum357


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