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

MadSkillz Destroyer of Worlds Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: I only want you gone
Destroyer of Worlds
#183676: Apr 19th 2017 at 12:00:16 PM

Basically one more major mistake that would cause Georgians to turn of Trump might be able to do it.

MadSkillz Destroyer of Worlds Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: I only want you gone
Destroyer of Worlds
#183677: Apr 19th 2017 at 12:01:39 PM

And Bill O'Reilly is officially fired from Fox News.

https://mobile.twitter.com/oliverdarcy/status/854764369422540800

Today is a good daycool

Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#183678: Apr 19th 2017 at 12:04:13 PM

From what I read, the candidates who campaigned as hardcore Trumpers didn't do so hot. That might discourage Trump's base from showing up to the run off.

carbon-mantis Collector Of Fine Oddities from Trumpland Since: Mar, 2010 Relationship Status: Married to my murderer
Collector Of Fine Oddities
#183679: Apr 19th 2017 at 12:06:14 PM

I wonder if O'Reilly is gonna hang up his hat and retire or get picked up by the likes of Brietbart or National Review now . . .

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#183680: Apr 19th 2017 at 12:07:27 PM

It'd be great if he got picked up by Breitbart and ended up losing them even more sponsors.

Disgusted, but not surprised
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?
#183681: Apr 19th 2017 at 12:11:44 PM

49% is not quite enough for me. Unless Mrs. Handel has a number of vulnerabilities that can be exploited.
It should be noted that turnout in Fulton and De Kalb were lower than Cobb (though only marginally, every lit bit counts). This was not a poll, and every skeptic thinking democrats were noncompetitive have been galvanized (for and against).
Mrs. Handel has history. She has already lost two elections, and though that means she has great experience campaigning, 1) there's reason for those losses and 2) much of the GOP field considered her unelectable. For the past several weeks the GOP have been attacking each other more than Ossoff and they've painted Handel as everything from a closet liberal to a champagne-sipping upper class twit to a dimwitted religious fanatic. (Also "establishment" but that label is a plus in this district.)
Don't forget, the race got rather personal between camps, and, despite the quick endorsements by the losers, the vitriol could shave off those people who don't want to hold their noses and vote Handel. Lastly, she seems to be making the cardinal mistake of embracing Trump, which can only do wonders for her, especially if Trump doesn't manage to stay silent for three months.

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
ironballs16 Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Owner of a lonely heart
#183682: Apr 19th 2017 at 12:13:06 PM

[up][up]

I think the idea of O'Reilly working at Breitbart would be a case of Everyone Has Standards, as O'Reilly - as much of a demagogue as he is - is moderate compared to those assholes.

"Why would I inflict myself on somebody else?"
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#183683: Apr 19th 2017 at 12:21:49 PM

Man, does Sanders not realize how bad outright saying "No, I'm an Independent" sounds, regardless of the context? I really hope he doesn't plan on running for 2020. His primaries opponents will have a field day replaying those words. It's bad enough that he returned to being an Independent after his campaign manager Jeff Weaver claimed he would remain a Democrat after the election back in April 2016.

Between this and that tweeted article...do Sanders and his team just not get optics?

edited 19th Apr '17 12:25:24 PM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
speedyboris Since: Feb, 2010
#183684: Apr 19th 2017 at 12:27:11 PM

O'Reilly doesn't need to jump to another network or online publication. He could easily sustain himself with his book career.

EDIT: It's rumored that Tucker Carlson is probably going to take the 8 PM/7c spot.

edited 19th Apr '17 12:28:31 PM by speedyboris

CaptainCapsase from Orbiting Sagittarius A* Since: Jan, 2015
#183685: Apr 19th 2017 at 12:27:31 PM

[up][up] He was legally obligated to finish out his term in the senate as an independent as per election law in Vermont even if he wanted to join the party formally, the question was always what ticket he'd be running for reelection on in 2018. The answer is seemingly no.

edited 19th Apr '17 12:29:35 PM by CaptainCapsase

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#183686: Apr 19th 2017 at 12:29:50 PM

[up] Doesn't change the fact that his own campaign manager last April told everyone Sanders would be a Democrat.

Being legally obligated to go back to Independent status is one thing. He could have at least said "I'm officially Independent now, but I'm a Democrat in spirit though I'd like to see some things change."

Sanders has just made it that much harder for himself to get the Democratic Party which he isn't a member of to listen to him.

edited 19th Apr '17 12:33:58 PM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
CaptainCapsase from Orbiting Sagittarius A* Since: Jan, 2015
#183687: Apr 19th 2017 at 12:34:06 PM

[up] Probably, though at least some of his constituents probably wouldn't vote for him in 2018 if he formally joined the party. Not enough to cost him reelection by a long shot since Vermont loves him and is super blue to begin with, but there's a surprising amount of antipathy towards the democratic party these days in the rural northeastern states, as well as in the blue midwestern states.

edited 19th Apr '17 12:36:55 PM by CaptainCapsase

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
#183688: Apr 19th 2017 at 12:34:26 PM

That sounds reasonable to you and me, but to his most ardent supporters, that just translates to "Blah, Blah, Blah politician weasel talk"

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
#183689: Apr 19th 2017 at 12:36:34 PM

If Sanders joins the Dems, he's fine politically. Its goddamn Vermont, he's hugely well known and popular, and its very unlikely that an insurgent from the left could seriously challenge him.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#183690: Apr 19th 2017 at 12:37:33 PM

It seems like Sanders just wants to hold on to his "outsider" status. He appreciates the advantages of being able to call himself anti-establishment.

Disgusted, but not surprised
CaptainCapsase from Orbiting Sagittarius A* Since: Jan, 2015
#183691: Apr 19th 2017 at 12:39:08 PM

[up] Have you noticed how large the number of independents is in the United States relative to other countries? That's something that's appealing to a good 30% of the electorate at a minimum, and doesn't seem strongly off-putting to the rest.

See: The Democratic Party Is Losing Its Ratings Edge Over The GOP

Polling aggregates suggest both parties are generally disliked by the electorate, which means it's definitely advantageous to remain independent if you're capable of winning your reelection campaigns alone in today's political climate.

edited 19th Apr '17 12:48:13 PM by CaptainCapsase

Zendervai Since: Oct, 2009
#183692: Apr 19th 2017 at 12:47:33 PM

[up] That's probably just because of the lack of big parties in the US.

NoName999 Since: May, 2011
#183693: Apr 19th 2017 at 12:47:33 PM

Most of those Independents are more likely to be Republicans ashamed to call themselves Republican while still supporting Republicans.

CaptainCapsase from Orbiting Sagittarius A* Since: Jan, 2015
#183694: Apr 19th 2017 at 12:49:15 PM

[up] Not really, quite the opposite actually, it's split around 48 Democrat Leaning:38 Republican leaning based on data from Pew Research. If the Presidency were decided by simple majority, it would be a no brainer to move the party left in the future to try.

[up][up] Both parties are more or less the only game in town, I don't know how that doesn't qualify as "big". The usual reason, as per the Pew article I cited is antipathy towards both of the parties.

edited 19th Apr '17 12:56:06 PM by CaptainCapsase

MadSkillz Destroyer of Worlds Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: I only want you gone
Destroyer of Worlds
#183695: Apr 19th 2017 at 12:52:40 PM

Sanders has just made it that much harder for himself to get the Democratic Party which he isn't a member of to listen to him.

I don't think it does. He has too much clout now and he's the people's favorite politician atm.

Tom Perez is smart to take advantage of Bernie to make a tour around the country.

Not only that but he's looking better with minorities these days:

Among certain demographics, the progressive politician's ratings are even higher: 80 percent of Democratic voters, 73 percent of registered black voters, and 68 percent of registered Hispanic voters view Sanders favorably.

Democrats would be stupid to snub him.

edited 19th Apr '17 12:57:06 PM by MadSkillz

CrimsonZephyr Would that it were so simple. from Massachusetts Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
Would that it were so simple.
#183696: Apr 19th 2017 at 12:53:56 PM

I've made my absolute antipathy towards "independent" unlabelled politicians clear in the past, and to reiterate, I find them to be fair-weather friends at best, Affably Evil traitors at worst. It's not about agreement, it's about being able to support something without having any skin in the game, without having to stake one's reputation on it, one's identity on it. Not "I support a Democrat," but "I AM A DEMOCRAT!" It means Bernie says he's one of them, that he'll carry their banner. Instead, he says he'll help us until he gets the heat, then sell us down the river and say, "Oh, you can trust me though."

"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."
CaptainCapsase from Orbiting Sagittarius A* Since: Jan, 2015
#183697: Apr 19th 2017 at 12:55:12 PM

[up] How would you even function in a multiparty system then where you're in a coalition with several minority parties?

MadSkillz Destroyer of Worlds Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: I only want you gone
Destroyer of Worlds
#183698: Apr 19th 2017 at 12:55:50 PM

Most of those Independents are more likely to be Republicans ashamed to call themselves Republican while still supporting Republicans.

I guess most shamed Republicans love Sanders then.

A new Fox News poll out this week shows Sanders has a +28 net favorability rating among the US population, dwarfing all other elected politicians on both ends of the political spectrum. And he’s even more popular among the vaunted “independents”, where he is at a mind boggling +41. This poll is not just an aberration. Look at this Huffington Post chart that has tracked Sanders’ favorability rating over time, ever since he gained national prominence in 2015 when he started running for the Democratic nomination. The more people got to know him, they more they liked him

You know +41 with independents is awe-inspiring.

edited 19th Apr '17 12:56:39 PM by MadSkillz

CaptainCapsase from Orbiting Sagittarius A* Since: Jan, 2015
#183699: Apr 19th 2017 at 12:56:41 PM

[up] They aren't Republicans though, it's split pretty decisively in favor of democrat leaning independents when they're forced to identify with a party, and most independents on both sides are more partisan than party affiliated voters, particularly with the democrat leaning independents.

edited 19th Apr '17 12:58:31 PM by CaptainCapsase

MadSkillz Destroyer of Worlds Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: I only want you gone
Destroyer of Worlds
#183700: Apr 19th 2017 at 12:58:38 PM

@Captain I know. I was making fun of the notion that most independents are ashamed Republicans.


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