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

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#182576: Apr 12th 2017 at 7:03:45 AM

If the Democrats become like the Republicans, living in an epistemic bubble and excommunicating anyone who won't spout the party line by rote, this nation will destroy itself. That is not an acceptable option.

We have reality on our side. Let's not throw that away out of some kind of bizarre pride. Our most successful leaders have governed by pragmatism, not idealism. They can still be idealistic, of course, but their actions must reflect reality, not wishful thinking.

edited 12th Apr '17 7:06:33 AM 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.
#182577: Apr 12th 2017 at 7:20:00 AM

@blkwwegrhbbrbbrrttebbrrt: Weirder things have happened.

I mean, we managed to rumble the GOP with a 52-45 election in a district with a PVI score of R+15, where the previous election was 60-30 in favor of the GOP. That's an 11-point 2-party swing, and if we can recreate that in 2018, we don't need mass migrations to win elections.

edited 12th Apr '17 7:24:57 AM by CrimsonZephyr

"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."
blkwhtrbbt The Dragon of the Eastern Sea from Doesn't take orders from Vladimir Putin Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
The Dragon of the Eastern Sea
#182578: Apr 12th 2017 at 7:33:59 AM

Apparently "Only" 70% of my district voted Trump.

"only".

quiet sobbing

Say to the others who did not follow through You're still our brothers, and we will fight for you
TrashJack Confirmed Doomer from beyond the Despair Event Horizon (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Confirmed Doomer
#182579: Apr 12th 2017 at 7:37:59 AM

re:Kansas special election: Congratulations. We got close. But guess what? The GOP are still in power, exactly like they would be if we didn't even bother to show up. Unless the subject is hand grenades or horseshoes, "close" is still "losing", so hold the cake and confetti until we actually win.

edited 12th Apr '17 7:42:09 AM by TrashJack

"Cynic, n. — A blackguard whose faulty vision sees things as they are, not as they ought to be." - The Devil's Dictionary
DingoWalley1 Asgore Adopts Noelle Since: Feb, 2014 Relationship Status: Can't buy me love
Asgore Adopts Noelle
#182580: Apr 12th 2017 at 7:38:01 AM

@Dingowalley 1: If you want to support a district in your state, Alabama second possibly has the potential to flip.

I've actually already mentioned that I don't live in that District. I live in the 5th District, with piece of crap Mo Brooks, who I can't vote to get out until 2018.

I will be voting Democrat straight (or almost Straight) 2018 and 2020, but I don't know if my votes will help flip anything, at least on a State level.

It also helps that the largest military base in the South, Redstone Arsenal, keeps getting military folks reassigned here from bases all over the country. A few years back a lot of bases were being shut down, and Redstone keeps growing.

These aren't just grunts either, these are Army engineers. RA is likely 70% of the reason Huntsville has one of the highest concentrations of PH Ds in the US. (like, top fifteen cities or something)

Huntsville, unfortunately, is part of the larger Madison County, which is Bumfuck, Alabama. To put it nicely, it's an island in a swamp.

That's the reason I'm down here in the first place: My dad, who works indirectly with the Military, was given the opportunity to work down here instead of all over the world, and the man's old enough that he doesn't want to travel all over the world. So the entire family, including me, moved down here 4 years ago from Maryland.

I will agree that Huntsville is an island in a swamp, but I wouldn't say all of Madison is as bad as you're making it out to be.

edited 12th Apr '17 7:42:00 AM by DingoWalley1

Lightysnake Since: May, 2010
#182581: Apr 12th 2017 at 7:39:40 AM

It has to start somewhere. It'll take a lot of work on the grassroots level to turn red states purpel

Luigisan98 A wandering user from Venezuelan Muscat Since: Oct, 2013 Relationship Status: I <3 love!
A wandering user
#182582: Apr 12th 2017 at 7:40:24 AM

@ Advarielle, that bothers me as well in a sense. Of course they mean well in bringing hope but some believe literally like: Fighting fire with fire is the only way to bring an end to this because the world is shit is anyways. The worst type of cynicism I can ever see is that kind of misanthropy and hopelessness.

The only good fanboy, is a redeemed fanboy.
blkwhtrbbt The Dragon of the Eastern Sea from Doesn't take orders from Vladimir Putin Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
The Dragon of the Eastern Sea
#182583: Apr 12th 2017 at 7:42:42 AM

I live in District 2. But for the presidential race, it doesn't matter. Alabama operates on a winner-takes-all. It won't matter if my district flips, because all the others won't. And if they don't, then all (what was it, 11?) of Alabama's electoral votes go Red. God, could you imagine peoples' faces if we sent them a Blue congressman? Haha haha

ha

more quiet sobbing

Madison city is not terrible. Really, Madison is the stay-at-home housewife to Huntsville. Almost literally: Madison City is an almost entirely residential area. And everyone who lives there most likely works in Huntsville.

Madison County though is miles and miles and miles of rural. Including the politics you'd expect to go with it.

edited 12th Apr '17 7:46:31 AM by blkwhtrbbt

Say to the others who did not follow through You're still our brothers, and we will fight for you
Luigisan98 A wandering user from Venezuelan Muscat Since: Oct, 2013 Relationship Status: I <3 love!
A wandering user
#182584: Apr 12th 2017 at 7:43:52 AM

[up] Calm down, sooner or later hope will arrive to your state.

The only good fanboy, is a redeemed fanboy.
IFwanderer use political terms to describe, not insult from Earth Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
use political terms to describe, not insult
#182585: Apr 12th 2017 at 7:44:18 AM

[up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up][up]But don't you know that callously dismissing an entire region is only bad when Hillary does it? The progressives can do it all the time.

[up][up][up][up][up][up][up]Here, if we're doing this well in a district like that, then we're in a pretty good place for next elections.

edited 12th Apr '17 7:44:35 AM by IFwanderer

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
#182586: Apr 12th 2017 at 7:47:22 AM

[up][up][up][up] 9 Electorates, 7 Districts. If what I've read is right, then the 2020 Census will make it 8 Electorates, 6 Districts.

edited 12th Apr '17 7:47:56 AM by DingoWalley1

SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#182587: Apr 12th 2017 at 7:49:44 AM

Yes, Alabama's population is growing slower than the rest of the US and thus their delegation will be cut. Most likely a Republican congressman will go as they need to maintain a sacrificial district to keep black voters irrelevant (according to Deep South logic).

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
IFwanderer use political terms to describe, not insult from Earth Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
use political terms to describe, not insult
#182588: Apr 12th 2017 at 8:02:37 AM

538: What Do We Know About The 2018 Midterms Right Now? 538 chat analyzing the KS-04 race. And a New York Times article on the same issue.

1 2 We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be. -KV
TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#182589: Apr 12th 2017 at 8:23:45 AM

re:Kansas special election: Congratulations. We got close. But guess what? The GOP are still in power, exactly like they would be if we didn't even bother to show up. Unless the subject is hand grenades or horseshoes, "close" is still "losing", so hold the cake and confetti until we actually win.

This. It's a nice footnote that we made them fight for it but we still lost and there's no prize for second place - a lesson Sanders is still struggling to learn.

It ain't the start of nothin' 'til there's actually somethin' started. Keep pushing, keep fighting, and for God's sake, do not get complacent over not failing as hard as we could have.

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
TacticalFox88 from USA Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Dating the Doctor
#182590: Apr 12th 2017 at 8:29:04 AM

Trump implies that him firing Comey is a possibility. Will wait to "see what happens

Oh lord. He has to realize what a bad idea this is, right?

New Survey coming this weekend!
Luigisan98 A wandering user from Venezuelan Muscat Since: Oct, 2013 Relationship Status: I <3 love!
A wandering user
#182591: Apr 12th 2017 at 8:31:26 AM

[up] Who's Comey?

The only good fanboy, is a redeemed fanboy.
blkwhtrbbt The Dragon of the Eastern Sea from Doesn't take orders from Vladimir Putin Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
The Dragon of the Eastern Sea
#182592: Apr 12th 2017 at 8:31:54 AM

For his ego, or for the nation?

Because the man has established he only gives even half a fuck about exactly one of those things.

[up]Uhh, that criminal FBI director guy thing?

edited 12th Apr '17 8:32:22 AM by blkwhtrbbt

Say to the others who did not follow through You're still our brothers, and we will fight for you
AmbarSonofDeshar Since: Jan, 2010
#182593: Apr 12th 2017 at 8:32:05 AM

Don't know if anyone else has run into it, but there's a meme going around on the left that insists that Assad's use of Sarin is no different from the Americans using tear gas at Standing Rock.

DingoWalley1 Asgore Adopts Noelle Since: Feb, 2014 Relationship Status: Can't buy me love
Asgore Adopts Noelle
#182594: Apr 12th 2017 at 8:32:40 AM

[up][up][up] FBI Head James Comey.

Steve Bannon has been officially removed from the NSC.

Thank God.

edited 12th Apr '17 8:47:31 AM by DingoWalley1

blkwhtrbbt The Dragon of the Eastern Sea from Doesn't take orders from Vladimir Putin Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me
The Dragon of the Eastern Sea
#182595: Apr 12th 2017 at 8:33:09 AM

Fuck those people. Tear gas isn't fatal if applied in the correct amounts, and assuming no one is allergic to it

and I am really undermining my point with all those qualifiers but still

Say to the others who did not follow through You're still our brothers, and we will fight for you
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#182596: Apr 12th 2017 at 8:36:06 AM

Tear gas is nothing compared to nerve agents.

edited 12th Apr '17 8:43:03 AM by Rationalinsanity

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#182597: Apr 12th 2017 at 8:36:52 AM

Just the fact that election was close says something, it was always going to be a tough place to flip, and in the end, not that likely, but it shows that people are unhappy. The candidate was also underfunded and didn't strong local Democratic Party support.

edited 12th Apr '17 8:40:58 AM by megaeliz

Zendervai Since: Oct, 2009
#182598: Apr 12th 2017 at 8:37:03 AM

I think what it essentially boils down to is that, even though Standing Rock was not the right place for it, tear gas has genuine and legitimate uses. Sarin gas does not.

AmbarSonofDeshar Since: Jan, 2010
#182599: Apr 12th 2017 at 8:38:06 AM

Good luck explaining that to some people. I keep having to tell them there's a difference between an irritant and a WMD, but they just rail about how there isn't and Standing Rock is as great a Crime Against Humanity as Syria. When of course it's not a Crime Against Humanity at all, because that's a specific legal term with a specific legal meaning, but what do they care?

edited 12th Apr '17 8:38:59 AM by AmbarSonofDeshar

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?
#182600: Apr 12th 2017 at 8:38:52 AM

[up]x10 I'd say no, but Trump doesn't actually think out his actions. I don't know if he intentionally alluded to removing Comey.

Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo asked Trump why he still has so many Obama holdovers remaining in his administration, specifically pointing to Comey, who is not technically a political appointee.

Asked whether it was "too late" to get rid of Comey, Trump appeared hesitant to discuss his future.

"No, it's not too late," Trump said. "But you know I have confidence in him. We’ll see what happens. It is going to be interesting."

Trump went on to hit Comey for his actions in the Clinton email investigation, saying he was "very, very good to her" and "if he weren't, she would probably be going to trial."

I don't think that was a hit either. It looks more like Conway's technique, and seems to have worked. Even ABC didn't mention Comey's timing.
What caught my eye was more of Trump's wiretap nonsense. The other lies were to get elected or be popular. This just...why?

edited 12th Apr '17 8:40:33 AM by CenturyEye

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

Total posts: 417,856
Top