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

TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#259901: Nov 5th 2018 at 7:22:12 AM

Election Day should be a federal holiday.

Period. There is literally no excuse for someone being forced to work on election day. It is the single most important day to our federal government. More important than Thanksgiving. More important than Independence Day. More important than goddamn Christmas.

Election Day is the day we take our nation into the shop for maintenance. Barring anyone from it is unacceptable.

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
BlueNinja0 The Mod with the Migraine from Taking a left at Albuquerque Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
The Mod with the Migraine
#259902: Nov 5th 2018 at 7:25:56 AM

There is literally no excuse for someone being forced to work on election day. It is the single most important day to our federal government. More important than Thanksgiving. More important than Independence Day. More important than goddamn Christmas.
I brought up this point many pages ago, but ... making Election Day a holiday will NOT force businesses to close and give people time off. If you really think this is going to happen, then you haven't seen, uh, every fucking holiday ever including Thanksgiving. Businesses won't close. Many businesses can't close. And if given a choice between doing their civic duty, or going to work to earn bonus holiday pay, a lot of people are going to choose that bonus pay.

I know we'd all like to see more people vote. But turning Election Day into a national holiday isn't the cure-all for voter apathy.

That’s the epitome of privilege right there, not considering armed nazis a threat to your life. - Silasw
DingoWalley1 Asgore Adopts Noelle Since: Feb, 2014 Relationship Status: Can't buy me love
Asgore Adopts Noelle
#259903: Nov 5th 2018 at 7:41:52 AM

[up][up] It should, and voting should be mandatory, and if you don't vote, you should get a massive fine.

[up] It would still close most businesses. Sure, stores and malls would have to stay open, but many other things would still close, and allow more people to vote. I know it isn't a cure-all, but it is helpful.

Mandatory Voting would be the Cure-All.

Edited by DingoWalley1 on Nov 5th 2018 at 10:43:26 AM

Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#259904: Nov 5th 2018 at 7:43:48 AM

It should, and voting should be mandatory, and if you don't vote, you should get a massive fine.

Holy shit this sounds like a great way to punish poor people and disenfranchised minorities, I don't agree that a Federal holiday can't make things better but this is the worst possible solution.

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#259905: Nov 5th 2018 at 7:44:28 AM

I agree. There will always be people who have to work, no matter what. Which is why mail-in voting is so important. And you shouldn't have to explain why you want to do it.

Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#259906: Nov 5th 2018 at 7:47:45 AM

I agree. There will always be people who have to work, no matter what. Which is why mail-in voting is so important. And you shouldn't have to explain why you want to do it.

This is what I can get behind, make it easier for people to vote don't punish them because they didn't.

The latter has just too much chance of collateral damage.

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
BlueNinja0 The Mod with the Migraine from Taking a left at Albuquerque Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
The Mod with the Migraine
#259907: Nov 5th 2018 at 7:51:19 AM

I don't agree that a Federal holiday can't make things better but this is the worst possible solution.
To be fair, I don't think making Election Day a holiday would make things worse, but I don't think it would make things much better either; it would merely change some of the obstacles in the way of voting, and I get annoyed at the posturing I see in headlines that it's the One True Cure™ for the Disaffected Voter.

That’s the epitome of privilege right there, not considering armed nazis a threat to your life. - Silasw
unknowing from somewhere.. Since: Mar, 2014
#259908: Nov 5th 2018 at 7:54:06 AM

You know, Thinking about i I can see at least three feature that make republican so unworkable in the end:

-First is the individualist "on your own bootsrap" mentality which it let to two things: first this "I deserve and they dont" which I call the "good son" mentality(Which is why some people want harsher law: they think they dont have nothing to fear because they are little good citizens, which is part why some freak up so much about judge being rough on Brett, he is a good citizen and good citizen cant stand for it), and the idea there is not such thing a sociaty as a colective, just individuals that kinda happen to ban into groups, which is why they obsess with giving guns to people or the whole good guy with a gun.

-The second is the idea of being good guy becuase they said so, thanks to influx of evangelinst in their party they devolpt this idea that as long you up hold the code you will be fine, meaning they will uphold their own standar and reject everyone else, the catolic church did this and you can see how it turn on.....In general it give them a very rightious holler than you and the idea that if they dont spread the message they are bad.

-The third and last one is their own weird version of call out culture: if self rightiousness is their shield then this is their sword, republican kinda see themselves a hardernt men who know how things works and they just express their opinion(because they dont have agenda) and if their opinion are unpleasent then that is everybody else buissness, between the influx of nazis milenials(the alt right) and troll internet culture it have morphed into trump as the first troll president of history, this is evident in how Obama was shred apart by fox news because he sass them....ONCES but Trump is just merely "Saying what he thinks" and even when get rewarded because acording them, he is merely expressing is opinion.

United all that with racism(only white people can be individuals and why should hear what they said, they are good christian men of good values and since they are not tie to agenda, they can said whatever they want because they are normal and regular people) and you have a party who dosent really want to negocited because they dont see why they should, as robech said, you dont need to cheat in order to win but dems need to simple hold the rep acountable and call their shit over and over and over.

If the dems are suposed to be the big man hear then act liked it and ground those fuckers until they learn.

"My Name is Bolt, Bolt Crank and I dont care if you believe or not"
Swanpride Since: Jun, 2013
#259909: Nov 5th 2018 at 7:56:17 AM

Well, Australia has a small fine if you don't vote (but you don't have to pay it if you earn really little). The purpose is mostly to get people into the habit of voting.

But in order to do something like this you must first create a system in which people have no excuse to NOT vote. And that means easily accessible polling station, mail-in ballots and a registration system which is as uncomplicated as possible.

Protagonist506 from Oregon Since: Dec, 2013 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#259910: Nov 5th 2018 at 7:58:24 AM

How 'bout instead of a fine, a tax rebate of some sort? Sure, it's technically the same thing, but it's a much easier sell.

Leviticus 19:34
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#259911: Nov 5th 2018 at 8:09:17 AM

It's probably a good idea to make voting easier before making not voting a punishable offense.

Disgusted, but not surprised
DingoWalley1 Asgore Adopts Noelle Since: Feb, 2014 Relationship Status: Can't buy me love
Asgore Adopts Noelle
#259912: Nov 5th 2018 at 8:09:51 AM

[up]x3+[up] Obviously, we also need to make it easier to vote. But we also need to incentivise people to vote, otherwise no amount of easiness will make people vote, and we'll still have lopsided, low turn out elections.

[up]x2 A rebate could also work, although that might not encourage poor people to vote (especially if they can't pay taxes at all).

Edited by DingoWalley1 on Nov 5th 2018 at 11:10:25 AM

Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#259913: Nov 5th 2018 at 8:10:13 AM

Rather then fine them you should periodically send them questionnaire to determine why they're not voting,if they don't fill it out send them a letter to ask why didn't fill it.

Basically nag them with forms

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#259914: Nov 5th 2018 at 8:17:07 AM

I like the carrot (easier voting) and stick (compulsory voting) approach. And a "None of the Above" plus spoiled ballots to satisfy freedom of speech concerns with the latter.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
fruitpork Since: Oct, 2010
#259915: Nov 5th 2018 at 8:20:47 AM

Hey, there’s gonna be people who ignore that too. Although it would make nice kindling.

SteamKnight Since: Jun, 2018
#259916: Nov 5th 2018 at 8:22:11 AM

I don't think the stick method is going to work well, especially in society that value "freedom and liberty" like America. I think the carrot method works better there. I mean reading comments in news about America, it feels that Americans hate things not because they hate the thing, but because they are forced to do it, even if it's for their own good.

I'm not as witty as I think I am. It's a scientifically-proven fact.
megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#259917: Nov 5th 2018 at 8:25:04 AM

What do you do with the “not interested in politics” people?

Edited by megaeliz on Nov 5th 2018 at 11:27:33 AM

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#259918: Nov 5th 2018 at 8:26:36 AM

Find out why they are not interested, for starters. Then depending on the answers you can find a way to get them interested.

Disgusted, but not surprised
megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#259919: Nov 5th 2018 at 8:29:11 AM

I lectured my friends a few days ago on the importance of voting, since they said they were just not into politics, so they wouldn’t vote.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#259920: Nov 5th 2018 at 8:30:16 AM

It also helps to find out why they aren't into politics. Do they think it doesn't affect them? Do they bothside things? Do they think their votes wouldn't matter anyway?

Disgusted, but not surprised
megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#259921: Nov 5th 2018 at 8:36:25 AM

[up] they just didn’t really seem to see need to vote.

I’ve seen that Attitude a fair bit, and I think it’s due to failures on a couple of levels.

I think the big one is a breakdown in Civics education in this country. People are never taught about the importance of the Civic participation or even have a good undstanding of how those institutions work.

I also think there’s a large element of frustration, (we don’t actually remember a functioning government), and self defeating “politicians don’t care about us, so why bother voting” type apthathy.

Edited by megaeliz on Nov 5th 2018 at 11:44:47 AM

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#259922: Nov 5th 2018 at 8:40:32 AM

I personally started voting because I realized that if I choose not to vote, I don't get to complain if I find things to be shit.

Disgusted, but not surprised
nightwyrm_zero Since: Apr, 2010
#259923: Nov 5th 2018 at 8:41:58 AM

As a start, the US should allocate several days for voting instead of a single day! Have the voting begin on the weekend before the (silly historical artifact) Tuesday.

MorningStar1337 The Encounter that ended the Dogma from 🤔 Since: Nov, 2012
The Encounter that ended the Dogma
#259924: Nov 5th 2018 at 9:01:13 AM

Another factor might be the distance. It might also be a good idea to having (carefully guarded) voting booths in places of business so that employees have an opportunity to vote and customers have a higher chance to place within walking distance to vote.

TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#259925: Nov 5th 2018 at 9:20:42 AM

I agree. There will always be people who have to work, no matter what. Which is why mail-in voting is so important. And you shouldn't have to explain why you want to do it.

This too, yes.

I wouldn't go as far as mandatory voting (as Spartan noted, it's a great way to further punish those already suppressed voters) but it still boggles my mind that some states don't have this.

I mailed in my ballot like a month ago. It's absolutely insane that some places require you to go in person to a polling station within an 8-hour time window on a work day. Did you know I've never actually seen a polling station with my own eyes? That should be normal.

Edited by TobiasDrake on Nov 5th 2018 at 10:21:23 AM

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.

Total posts: 417,856
Top