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Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#255751: Sep 27th 2018 at 7:03:31 AM

I would find it very unlikely for the United States to change to a de facto one-party system, because there's just too much cultural weight behind the Republican Party. The culture war we're in isn't going to be won by electing a Democratic Congress in 2018, or a Democratic President in 2020.

I don't know what might actually cause the GOP to collapse, but if there is something, it's not visible from here.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
DingoWalley1 Asgore Adopts Noelle Since: Feb, 2014 Relationship Status: Can't buy me love
Asgore Adopts Noelle
#255752: Sep 27th 2018 at 7:09:05 AM

[up][up]+[up] Can't tell you about drawbacks, but I can tell you that we've had a 1 party system before; the 2nd American Political Era (known as the 'Era of Good Feelings'), when the Federalists died on both the State and Federal Level (due to the Northern Federalists attempt to rejoin the British during the War of 1812 with New England), only the Democrat(ic-Republican) Party remained for a good 20 years.

Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#255753: Sep 27th 2018 at 7:38:29 AM

I don't know what might actually cause the GOP to collapse, but if there is something, it's not visible from here.

It depends on what you mean by collapse, I could see massive millennial hostility and continued radicalism leading to their party collapsing as a national party and becoming a regional party while the Democrats rule unopposed for a few decades.

It is not destiny but the demographics look really bad for them.

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#255754: Sep 27th 2018 at 8:04:45 AM

Two stories from the developing WTF Just Happened Today feed that caught my eye:

Senate Judiciary Committee investigators interviewed two men earlier this week who believe they may have been the ones who assaulted Christine Blasey Ford instead of Brett Kavanaugh. The two men suggested that Ford's allegations against Kavanaugh may have been a case of mistaken identity. One man submitted a written statement to the Judiciary Committee on Monday and a more in-depth statement on Wednesday. The second man spoke with investigators over the phone on Wednesday and said he believes he should be the target of Ford's allegations, not Kavanaugh. Senate Democrats were unaware that Republicans had been talking with the two men until they were informed about the conversations by reporters on Twitter. (The Hill / NY Post / Buzz Feed News)

https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/408678-witnesses-say-ford-may-have-mistaken-them-for-kavanaugh

The House Intelligence Committee will vote on Friday to release dozens of interview transcripts from its now-defunct Russia investigation. The transcripts are from interviews that were conducted between June 2017 and March 2018, and will include testimony from Trump Jr., Jared Kushner, Hope Hicks, Roger Stone, and other people close who have been close to Trump. The Friday vote will refer the transcripts to the intelligence community for assessment and redaction, which could lead to a rolling release schedule that spans throughout October. Republicans have called for the documents to be released before the November election. (Politico)

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/09/27/transcripts-russia-house-846231

CaptainCapsase from Orbiting Sagittarius A* Since: Jan, 2015
#255755: Sep 27th 2018 at 8:11:18 AM

@MarqFJA: The example I was thinking of is Japan, which is considered a democracy and which in its entire post WW2 history has only had an opposition party win a parliamentary majority once. The reason it's considered democratic (unlike Singapore which is an example of "soft" authoritarianism.) is because, at least traditionally there hasn't been strong party discipline within Japan's dominant party, allowing an acceptable amount of democratic discourse to occur within the single party.

It's far from ideal, but it's preferable to a party system where the opposition consists of complete lunatics.

RedSavant Since: Jan, 2001
#255756: Sep 27th 2018 at 8:25:26 AM

@sgamer: Wait, so there are people throwing themselves on the swords aimed at Kavanaugh now?!

It's been fun.
megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#255757: Sep 27th 2018 at 8:35:11 AM

[up][up][up]. It will be interesting to see what comes out of House Intel Committees investigation, if only to find out the full extent of their incompetence.

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
#255758: Sep 27th 2018 at 8:35:21 AM

I’d note that the death of the federalists was slow, they lost five presidential elections in a row before they stopped fielding candidates. Following that the democratic-Republican Party did one election unopposed before splitting into a four candidate race.

So that’s probbaly a solid roadmap for what could eventually happen, if the Democrats can win the presidency for 20 years strait it’d probably kill off the Republican Party and then soon after result in the Dems fracturing.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
danime91 Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
#255759: Sep 27th 2018 at 8:53:01 AM

Man, wonder how much the Republican paid those guys, or what dirt they have on them, to convince them to try to take the bullet for Kavanaugh. Plus, there's the fact that if you're the kind of scumbag who would commit sexual assault or rape, then you're also probably the kind of person who would be more likely to not remember the face of your victim. So how do we know it's not those guys who are mistaking Ford for some other woman they molested? Plus just the fact that both of them come forward to try to claim guilt is automatically contradictory and thus suspicious.

MarqFJA The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer from Deserts of the Middle East (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer
#255760: Sep 27th 2018 at 8:53:55 AM

One reason why I brought up the possibility of the USA becoming de facto dominated by the Democrats is that I remember some of us discussed the possibility of the Democrats, after managing to assume majority control of both chambers of the Congress and securing the presidency at the same time, actively doing everything in their power to suppress the hell out of the evidently taken-over-by-neo-Nazis GOP and the wider far-right movement, in order to decisively prevent this whole fiasco from ever happening again. People objected on grounds that it would inevitably lead to the Democrats suffering He Who Fights Monsters.

Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus.
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
#255761: Sep 27th 2018 at 9:01:45 AM

[up][up] They may just be loons, it’s a thing for people to confess to crimes they didn’t commit for a chance at fame, I’m even seeing reports that Lindsey Graham has said he doesn't believe the two guys and things they are nuts.

[up] A lot comes down to how the Dems would do such things, there are ways to improve democracy in the US that are good by themselves and would hurt republicans as a side effect, that’s different from immoral acts that would hurt republicans even if they stopped being anti-democracy.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
tricksterson Never Trust from Behind you with an icepick Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
Never Trust
#255763: Sep 27th 2018 at 9:39:50 AM

Alternatively the Republicans may just give the middle finger to the rule of law and democracy and decide to stay in control of all three branches using "voter fraud" as a cover. Trump certainly will if he can and I wouldn't be surprised if Mc Connell is that desperate to stay in charge.

Trump delenda est
megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#255764: Sep 27th 2018 at 9:41:41 AM

even Fox News finds her credible.

On Fox News, Bret Baier says hearing from Blasey Ford "is a totally different thing" than reading her allegations.

Chris Wallace: "This was extremely emotional, extremely raw, and extremely credible... This is a disaster for the Republicans."

TacticalFox88 from USA Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Dating the Doctor
#255765: Sep 27th 2018 at 9:59:00 AM

This is also a good time to point out that Brett is one of the few judges who ruled that polygraphs can be credible in job hiring.

Whoops?

New Survey coming this weekend!
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#255766: Sep 27th 2018 at 10:17:27 AM

The Rosenstein-Trump meeting is postponed to next week.

Also saw CNN report that Governor Baker (R-Mass) is calling for the Senate not to vote on the confirmation until a full investigation is finished.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#255767: Sep 27th 2018 at 10:28:02 AM

[up] We quite possibly dodged a bullet there.

Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#255768: Sep 27th 2018 at 10:36:13 AM

It was postponed so Trump could watch the hearing. Once again our government's course of action is determined by Trump's TV habits.

sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#255769: Sep 27th 2018 at 10:40:27 AM

I guess it's a good thing then that even Fox News is calling her credible

unknowing from somewhere.. Since: Mar, 2014
#255770: Sep 27th 2018 at 10:56:42 AM

"I’m just going to gently point out that the word “lynch” has a very specific context. It’s not really appropriate in this discussion.

"

S Sure but I think they are using the most coloquial used which is pretty much "internet dogpiling"

So it seen hearing her change some minds.

"My Name is Bolt, Bolt Crank and I dont care if you believe or not"
NativeJovian Jupiterian Local from Orlando, FL Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Jupiterian Local
#255771: Sep 27th 2018 at 10:59:24 AM

if the Democrats can win the presidency for 20 years strait it’d probably kill off the Republican Party and then soon after result in the Dems fracturing.
Fun fact: the last time a Republican president was legitimately elected was Bush Sr in 1988. (Bush Jr lost the popular vote and only won the Electoral College through blatant shenanigans in Florida, Trump lost the popular vote and only won the Electoral College by razor-thin margins with the help of foreign influence.)

Really from Jupiter, but not an alien.
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#255772: Sep 27th 2018 at 11:04:53 AM

Can you really call their wins illegitimate because they lost the popular vote, given that the popular vote isn't what's actually tallied for Presidential elections?

Like it or not, and however much the popular vote may better reflect the people/democracy vs the Electoral College, Bush and Trump won their respective elections according to the rules of those elections. If Trump's win is illegitimate it'll be because it was a direct result of outside meddling and/or collusion with that meddling, not because there EC is bullshit.

Edited by sgamer82 on Sep 27th 2018 at 12:11:28 PM

NativeJovian Jupiterian Local from Orlando, FL Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Jupiterian Local
#255773: Sep 27th 2018 at 11:11:54 AM

I also pointed out that Bush Jr actually lost the Electoral College but didn't officially lose because of the lawsuits involved in recounting the Florida votes, and that Trump only won the Electoral College because he had illegal help from foreign actors. I don't know why you decided to gloss over that part.

Really from Jupiter, but not an alien.
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#255774: Sep 27th 2018 at 11:13:04 AM

Mostly because I missed in reading the first section.

That's my mistake.

Edited by sgamer82 on Sep 27th 2018 at 12:15:23 PM

wisewillow She/her Since: May, 2011
She/her
#255775: Sep 27th 2018 at 11:26:17 AM

but I think they are using the most coloquial used which is pretty much "internet dogpiling

I didn’t say they had bad intentions; I’m saying that using it colloquially like that is wrong. And that’s not even a common colloquial use.


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