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

Deadbeatloser22 from Disappeared by Space Magic (Great Old One) Relationship Status: Tsundere'ing
#257551: Oct 12th 2018 at 11:53:25 AM

I remember loading games off cassette tape. Now get off my lawn.

"Yup. That tasted purple."
TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#257552: Oct 12th 2018 at 12:15:24 PM

Speaking of generations, Trevor Noah did a spot on why young people don't vote or, more importantly, why the process of voting is itself skewed to cater to older generations' sensibilities.

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#257553: Oct 12th 2018 at 12:35:02 PM

It's odd that I feel the urge to call him a "funny kid" when he's probably my age or very close to it.

I have to say that wasn't a very useful video, amusing but not very informative. I doubt paper voting beyond being extremely more secure than digital equivalents has any strong impact on youth turnout. The bit about youth having less free time is a slightly better point, poor people can't afford to vote because it's not a holiday and the younger you are the higher chance of being poor.

Still when we're talking about "young people not voting" I think it' worth mentioning that the polled youth vote has doubled since 2014. That's the opposite of people not voting, if the polling is accurate then far more young people will vote then previously.

Edited by Fourthspartan56 on Oct 12th 2018 at 3:35:43 PM

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
Ludlow Since: Apr, 2013
#257554: Oct 12th 2018 at 12:53:51 PM

Speaking personally, as a Millenial, I like the way Colorado does voting: you receive an envelope with your ballot, a description of amendments and initiatives, and instructions on how to fill it out. Then you just put it in the mail or at a place dedicated to receiving ballots and you've voted. It's simple, easy to understand, can be done on your own time, and is completely private so you don't have to worry about voter intimidation or judgment. I dislike the idea of digital polls, its way too easy for that to be abused or tampered with.

Edited by Ludlow on Oct 12th 2018 at 12:54:28 PM

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#257555: Oct 12th 2018 at 12:56:17 PM

I'd love for us to be able to reach a point where electronic, online voting is possible without the horrendous problems it would inevitably cause today. Unfortunately, the broad culture around the Internet and computer security is fundamentally opposed to the measures required to secure such a system. Ironically, it's opposed from both sides of the fence: conservatives don't want any voting system that they can't manipulate (and don't want to pay for it), and liberals oppose the draconian, centralized control over online identity that would be required.

I've posted several times about my ideas in this regard, and it's something that would be off-topic for the U.S. Politics thread. Suffice it to say that people would have to sacrifice a lot of online autonomy and/or anonymity, and place their trust in a central system that would have to become the single largest data repository in the world, yet somehow become independent from political interference and corruption.

Edited by Fighteer on Oct 12th 2018 at 3:59:43 PM

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
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.
#257556: Oct 12th 2018 at 1:27:31 PM

I know mail-in voting is crazy popular where I live in Arizona. Something like 53% of the population does it (which makes sense, why go outside and risk death when you can vote from the comfort of your own home).

Ludlow Since: Apr, 2013
#257557: Oct 12th 2018 at 1:28:36 PM

[up] ...was that last part a joke or is Arizona more dangerous than I previously thought?

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
#257558: Oct 12th 2018 at 1:29:17 PM

There are some problems with postal voting, specifically the “head of household” risk. If everyone has their ballot sent to their address that’s fine as long as everyone at that address respects the process, but many reactionaries don’t respect the process and would meddle by either watching others fill out their ballot or by strait up doing everyone’s ballot for them.

How many people here have an older domineering relative that votes right wing? How many live with said relative? It’s not just a risk for younge people but also romantic partners in unhealthy relationships.

We need postal voting for accessibility, but I do wonder if making it automatic might be a bit much.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
PhysicalStamina i'm tired, my friend (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Coming soon to theaters
i'm tired, my friend
#257559: Oct 12th 2018 at 1:29:18 PM

[up][up]Apparently it's just deathly hot down there.

Edited by PhysicalStamina on Oct 12th 2018 at 4:29:37 AM

i'm tired, my friend
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#257560: Oct 12th 2018 at 1:34:59 PM

Arizona can get to over 100 degrees F in the summer. Going out in that runs a real risk of heat stroke.

Disgusted, but not surprised
Ludlow Since: Apr, 2013
#257561: Oct 12th 2018 at 1:35:37 PM

@Silasw I suppose you could also retain some more traditional polls in school and libraries and such. However, if you're in a relationship with someone so domineering they won't even let you vote against them, I can't imagine they wouldn't be doing their part to track whether or not you visited one of these places on election day. Would they even let you out of the house?

[up], [up][up] Welp, that confirms my notion that Arizona was never meant to be inhabited by humans.

Edited by Ludlow on Oct 12th 2018 at 1:45:22 AM

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.
#257562: Oct 12th 2018 at 1:38:21 PM

It's not so bad right now since we just had a hurricane come through that drastically lowered the temperature, but it gets really hot. People frequently die of heatstroke here, and summer tends to last from March to October. It's not uncommon in mid-summer to have the temperature go consistently above 110 Fahrenheit for weeks on end.

speedyboris Since: Feb, 2010
#257563: Oct 12th 2018 at 1:43:05 PM

Wasn't there a poster here who had that exact living situation? That is, they lived with their parents, who expected them to vote GOP?

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
#257564: Oct 12th 2018 at 1:45:16 PM

[up]X3 Many women in deeply ‘tradditonal’ relationships are still able to leave the house, normally alongside their partner. Take the example of Trump peeking across at Melania’s vote that time, it’s that kind of man, they’re not the “lock you in the house” type, just the kind to belive that ‘their’ women should follow and obey them.

It’s the tradditonal ‘80s dad figure, who would fill out his and his wife’s ballots together and mail them off, because after all he knows best. Or the tradditonal isn’t Indian father who would do everyone’s ballots together (his, his wife’s and the kids) and send them all off for the same candidate.

Over in the UK it’s been raised as an issue specifically around the South Asian community where tradditonal gender roles are very much still a big thing.

Edited by Silasw on Oct 12th 2018 at 8:46:38 AM

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
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.
#257565: Oct 12th 2018 at 1:47:21 PM

@Ludlow As someone who lives there and has lived there my entire life, I completely agree that Arizona is inherently inhospitable to life and living here makes no sense.

Deadbeatloser22 from Disappeared by Space Magic (Great Old One) Relationship Status: Tsundere'ing
#257566: Oct 12th 2018 at 1:49:09 PM

Re: 257558: What protections does the US electoral process have against things like Granny Farming, anyway?

Edited by Deadbeatloser22 on Oct 12th 2018 at 9:49:21 AM

"Yup. That tasted purple."
Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#257567: Oct 12th 2018 at 1:55:06 PM

granny farming brings up some weird images let me tell you

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
Ludlow Since: Apr, 2013
#257568: Oct 12th 2018 at 1:56:00 PM

@Silasw But then there's the problem that when they're allowed out, they're only allowed out with the domineering husband (or parent). Using Trump looking over Melania's shoulder as an example, what if he saw she was voting for Clinton and then just abused her after as punishment? I certainly wouldn't dare to vote against him ever again. Of course, there are a lot of steps that can be taken to ensure voting is purely private in these places, but the more secure they are the less likely said domineering husband is going to allow them to go to polling places at all.

@Push Over Media Critic It makes me happy to live here in good old Colorado. Sure, you might die of thirst when all of our water finally runs out, but at least you won't fry!

AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#257569: Oct 12th 2018 at 2:08:10 PM

The problem with worrying about domineering men controlling their family's votes is that abusive men like that are a larger cultural problem that need to be addressed in other ways. Cutting off the rest of the abusive behavior also cuts off the 'head of household' concerns. I mean, it's the same thing as the whole rape culture situation; abusive men are rewarded for abusive behavior.

That this coincides sometimes with postal voting is, well, coincidental and not actually an argument against increasing or supporting postal voting. Especially in rural areas where it's difficult to get to a polling place. That Colorado's system also has an a detailed explanation of things like ballot initiatives and such also helps with the "I don't know what's going on" bit for those who don't plug into politics 24/7.

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
#257570: Oct 12th 2018 at 2:11:49 PM

[up][up] I’m pretty sure that Trump was only able to do that because he was a candidate, in any other situation I belive that voting booths are set up much more anonymously, but in that case it was for a photo-op.

Again we’re not talking the kind of hardcore sexism that results in partners being locked in the house, I’m talking about the much more casual kind that has people include “serve and obey” in their vows and think that it’s the man’s job to make desicions as ‘head of the household’.

[up] Sure and postal votes are needed for voters who lack easy access to polling stations, but unless you electoral system is severely fucked and maliciously underfunded polling station access shouldn’t be a serious problem and as such you shouldn’t need everyone to have postal votes automa...

Oh I get it now, yeah okay I withdraw my complaint, you guys need this.

Edited by Silasw on Oct 12th 2018 at 9:15:16 AM

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
Heatth (X-Troper) Relationship Status: In Spades with myself
#257571: Oct 12th 2018 at 3:17:13 PM

but the more secure they are the less likely said domineering husband is going to allow them to go to polling places at all.

That is still a preferable situation than the hypothetical domineering husband influencing/controlling. Better someone not voting than voting for someone they didn't choose.

Anyway, I am kinda surprised that apparently someone peeking at a vote is a thing. Like, over here we take the privacy of voting very seriously. Even before we transitioned to mostly digital voting, you weren't supposed to fill the ballot in open view. Only in secrecy behind a booth.

I think this is why I always found mail voting so weird. It seems like an invitation to fraud.

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
#257572: Oct 12th 2018 at 4:00:30 PM

It’s only a thing in that one instance, where it was a presidential candidate looking at the ballot of his wife during a photo-op of them voting.

Ballot anonymity is still a serious thing in the UK, amongst older voters you’ll find some who will refuse to say which way they vote becuse they belive that the ballot should be anonymous.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
Ludlow Since: Apr, 2013
#257573: Oct 12th 2018 at 4:02:35 PM

[up] My mother's the same way, makes it impossible to discuss things like Trump with her.

megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#257574: Oct 12th 2018 at 4:21:14 PM

Oh God...

So nice, everyone wants Ivanka Trump to be the new United Nations Ambassador. She would be incredible, but I can already hear the chants of Nepotism! We have great people that want the job.

CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#257575: Oct 12th 2018 at 4:33:48 PM

Ivanka is the least incompetent member of the family.

Which is a low low bar.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.

Total posts: 417,856
Top