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

Soban Since: Aug, 2009 Relationship Status: 700 wives and 300 concubines
#273376: Mar 5th 2019 at 1:15:06 PM

Political Individualists Are Holding the Country Together

"There are stark differences between Democrats and Republicans," political scientists Marc Hetherington and Jonathan Weiler of the University of North Carolina write in their book, Prius or Pickup? "What they like to eat, what shows they want to watch, where they choose to live" are all at odds, because worldview, culture, and lifestyle have come to align in recent years with partisan affiliation. Republicans and Democrats no longer just vote differently—they live differently, see the world differently, and emphasize different values.

...

This sorting process is not scary in and of itself, except that we live in a country where government touches everything. This is why people who live very differently and have opposing political affiliations are fighting tooth and nail to control the levers of power. With the stakes so high, the alignment of lifestyle and partisan affiliation "has increased the emotional intensity of politics to the point that rival partisans not only have difficulty comprehending each other—they actually hate each other," Hetherington and Weiler write.

Pollsters say the proportions of Republicans and Democrats expressing not just opposition to but explicit hatred for adherents of the opposing partisan cult have more than doubled over the past two decades, to roughly half of each.

PhysicalStamina i'm tired, my friend (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Coming soon to theaters
i'm tired, my friend
#273377: Mar 5th 2019 at 1:23:03 PM

It's almost as if one side as increasingly concerned with the livelihood of marginalized groups and the other is moving in the exact opposite trajectory.

i'm tired, my friend
LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#273378: Mar 5th 2019 at 1:30:04 PM

It's really hard to paint this as a partisan issue anymore when one side is just getting objectively more and more heinous by the day.

Oh really when?
Kayeka (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#273379: Mar 5th 2019 at 1:30:35 PM

Polarization is one hell of a drug, but the two sides in this conflict are not equally guilty.

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#273380: Mar 5th 2019 at 1:31:57 PM

Trump is probably pulling from a Rasmussen poll, which consistently skews towards him and Republicans in general.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
speedyboris Since: Feb, 2010
#273381: Mar 5th 2019 at 1:46:47 PM

[up] Nope, sadly it's a Gallup poll. It's worth noting, however, that the economy is the only category where he scores decently:

Trump gets the lowest marks on his handling of relations with Russia, race relations and corruption in government, according to the poll. The poll found that 39 percent, 38 percent and 37 percent approve of Trump's handling of those three issues, respectively.

ironballs16 Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Owner of a lonely heart
#273382: Mar 5th 2019 at 1:49:50 PM

Unfortunately, no - it was an NBC-WSJ poll that pegged him at a 46% approval rating. Rasmussen only has him 1% higher, incidentally.

In brighter news from the same poll though...

The NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll found that 41 percent of registered voters plan to vote for Trump while 48 percent said they plan to vote for whoever ends up becoming the Democratic candidate. By contrast, at about this point in former President Barack Obama's presidency, 45 percent of voters said they planned to vote for Obama while 40 percent preferred a generic Republican candidate.

"Why would I inflict myself on somebody else?"
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#273383: Mar 5th 2019 at 2:10:40 PM

The Commissioner of the FDA is resigning.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/05/politics/gottlieb-resigning-fda-health-bn/index.html

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#273384: Mar 5th 2019 at 2:37:49 PM

What is the significance of his departure? The teen vaping thing maaaaay be jumping the gun on the science a little, but that's hardly a resignation offence... Oh, just only noticed that "Gottlieb ... wanted to tear down the wall of FDA regulations that he believes is holding back innovation." Seems rather questionable.

Also, bringing up an important point about the Green New Deal

Because the Green New Deal is something that might actually happen, while getting conservative to agree to anything helpful won't happen until Antarctica unfreezes over 4/
.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#273385: Mar 5th 2019 at 3:22:09 PM

https://whatthefuckjusthappenedtoday.com/2019/03/05/day-775/

    Day 775: Stone cold crazy 
1/ Trump accused House Democratic leaders of going "stone cold CRAZY" by opening an oversight investigation into his administration and allies, arguing that the lawmakers are needlessly harassing 81 "innocent people" and groups with demands for documents. Trump claimed the Democrats are conducting a "big, fat, fishing expedition" which amounts to "PRESIDENTIAL HARASSMENT!" (Politico / Washington Post)

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/03/05/trump-house-democrats-corruption-probe-1203583

House Democrats plan to request 10 years of Trump's tax returns in the coming weeks. The House Ways and Means Committee is using a 1924 law that gives the chairmen tax-writing committees the ability to demand the tax returns of White House officials. Trump has said he won't allow Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to turn over his personal tax records. The 1924 law, however, doesn't give Mnuchin the ability to deny a congressional request, as the law says he "shall" turn over the records. (Washington Post)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/house-democrats-likely-to-seek-10-years-of-trumps-tax-returns-in-coming-weeks/2019/03/05/84fd3752-3ec0-11e9-9361-301ffb5bd5e6_story.html

House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff hired a former assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of New York to lead the committee's investigation into the Trump campaign's ties to Russia. Daniel Goldman has experience fighting Russian organized crime, and has served as the district's deputy chief of the organized crime unit and oversaw prosecutions into traditional organized crime, international organized crime and white collar crime. (Axios / New Yorker)

https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/adam-schiff-hires-a-former-prosecutor-to-lead-the-trump-investigation

House Democrats introduced a bill to protect White House whistleblowers subject to nondisclosure agreements. The legislation "clarifies that any non-disclosure agreements signed by White House employees do not cover actions protected by federal whistleblower law, and ensures that those in the Administration with knowledge of wrongdoing will not be afraid to speak the truth." (The Hill)

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/432691-house-dems-introduce-bill-to-protect-trump-admin-whistleblowers-with-ndas

Senate Republicans rejected calls to investigate whether Trump committed crimes over a scheme to pay off women alleging extramarital affairs. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which investigated Hillary Clinton's email controversy in the last Congress, wants to wait until Mueller finishes his investigation first. (CNN)

https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/05/politics/republicans-trump-hush-money-payments/index.html

2/ New York State regulators issued a subpoena to the Trump Organization's insurance broker. The request comes days after Michael Cohen testified that the Trump Organization inflated the value of its assets to insurance companies. The New York regulators are requesting copies of the insurance policies issued by Aon brokerage to Trump and the Trump Organization, as well as applications and financial statements used to secure the policies. The Trump Organization is now facing scrutiny from federal prosecutors, congressional Democrats, and insurance regulators. (New York Times)

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/05/nyregion/trump-aon-risk-services-subpoena.html

3/ The White House rejected a House Oversight Committee request for documents about Jared Kushner's security clearance and the White House's process for granting security clearances to personnel. White House Counsel Pat Cipollone called it an "overly intrusive document requests." Separately, Trump suggested that the White House will refuse to comply with requests for documents from the House Judiciary Committee. (Axios / Politico / Washington Post / CNBC)

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/05/trump-signals-white-house-may-not-comply-with-house-judiciary-requests.html

📌 Day 770: Trump ordered John Kelly to grant Jared Kushner a top-secret security clearance last year and overrule concerns by intelligence officials and Donald Mc Gahn, the White House's top lawyer. Both Kelly and Mc Gahn wrote contemporaneous internal memos outlining Trump's "order" to give Kushner the clearance. In January, Trump said he had no role in Kushner receiving his clearance. (New York Times)

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/28/us/politics/jared-kushner-security-clearance.html

4/ Former White House attorney Ty Cobb called Robert Mueller "an American hero" and that he disagreed with Trump's view that the investigation is a politically motivated "witch hunt." Cobb added that he believes Mueller's final report will spare Trump from any serious political harm, and that the investigation will continue into 2020. "[I]t's never going to be over," Cobb said. "I mean, this is going to go through 2020. And if the president is reelected, it'll go beyond that." Cobb said the Trump legal team's confrontational approach to the Mueller probe "wouldn't have been" his strategy, adding that he doesn't "feel the same way about Mueller." (ABC News / NBC News)

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/former-white-house-lawyer-ty-cobb-calls-mueller-american-hero-n979331

5/ Attorney General William Barr will not recuse himself from overseeing Mueller's investigation into the Trump campaign. Last year as a lawyer in private practice, Barr sent the Justice Department an unsolicited 19-page memo that criticized Mueller's investigation into possible obstruction and collusion by Trump as "fatally misconceived." (CNBC / Politico / Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-russia-barr-idUSKCN1QM01S

Matthew Whitaker, the former acting attorney general, resigned from the Justice Department over the weekend. Whitaker served from Nov. 7 until he was replaced on Feb. 14 when Barr was sworn in. (Los Angeles Times)

https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-whitaker-steps-down-20190304-story.html

6/ Robert Mueller notified a federal judge about Roger Stone's Instagram post that could be a violation of the judge's gag order. Mueller did not take a position on the post when notifying Judge Amy Berman of Stone's social media post suggesting that he'd been "framed" by the special counsel and ahead of the re-release of a book he co-wrote that explores the "myth of Russian collusion." If Jackson finds that Stone violated his gag order, she could have him jailed without bail pending his trial on charges of lying to Congress, witness tampering and obstructing justice. (CNBC / Politico)

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/04/robert-mueller-notifies-judge-that-roger-stone-shared-instagram-image.html

Two websites used by Stone to raise funds for his criminal case legal defense have been deleted. (CNBC)

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/05/roger-stone-web-sites-deleted-amid-possible-gag-order-violation.html

7/ Michael Cohen's attorney raised the possibility of a pardon with Trump's attorneys after the FBI raided Cohen's properties in April. The House Judiciary Committee is currently investigating those conversations between Cohen's attorney, Stephen Ryan, and Trump's attorneys, Jay Sekulow, Rudy Giuliani and Joanna Hendon. Trump's attorneys dismissed the idea at the time, but Giuliani left the possibility open that Trump could grant Cohen a pardon in the future. There is no indication that Cohen personally asked for a pardon, or that he was aware of any discussions on the subject. (Wall Street Journal / CNBC / Washington Post)

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/05/michael-cohens-attorney-approached-trumps-lawyers-about-a-pardon-wsj.html

poll/ 64% of Americans believe that Trump committed crimes before he was elected. 45% believe that Trump has committed crimes while in office. And, 50% say they believe Cohen more than Trump. (Quinnipiac)

https://poll.qu.edu/national/release-detail?ReleaseID=2603

    Notables 
T-Mobile spent $195,000 at Trump's Washington hotel after the announcement of its merger with its Sprint last April. Before news of the deal broke on April 29, 2018, only two top officials from T-Mobile had ever stayed at Trump's hotel. (Washington Post / Reuters)

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sprint-corp-m-a-trump-idUSKCN1QM1ZY

Trump accused India of unfairly shutting out American businesses and announced plans to end special trade treatment for the country. Trump sent a letter to Congress and signaled his intent to remove India from a program that gives developing nations easier access to U.S. markets. The Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program lowers U.S. duties on exports from 121 countries. India was the biggest beneficiary of the program in 2017, with exemptions on $5.6 billion worth of goods. (CNN)

https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/05/economy/india-us-trade/index.html

Trump agrees "100%" with keeping a military presence in Syria two months after declaring all U.S. troops are leaving the country. U.S.-backed forces in Syria, however, are holding more than 2,000 suspected Islamic State fighters – at least double previous estimates. (NBC News / Wall Street Journal)

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trump-says-he-agrees-100-percent-keeping-u-s-troops-n979466

Donor records reveal that Trump or Ivanka have donated to six of the declared or potential 2020 Democratic presidential candidates, including Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, and Kirsten Gillibrand. Harris received money from Trump six years ago, Jared and Ivanka held a fundraiser for Booker, and Gillibrand accepted Trump family donations three times over a seven-year period. Trump gave Harris two donations worth a total of $6,000 in 2011 and 2013, when she was already a rising star in the Democratic Party as California's attorney general. The donations were among several contributions Trump gave to attorneys general who were investigating Trump University or had investigated it in the past. (Politico)

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/03/05/2020-presidential-dems-trump-money-1202938

Bernie Sanders will "run and serve as a member of the Democratic Party." Sanders has also filed paperwork for reelection to the Senate in 2024 as an independent. (Politico)

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/03/05/sanders-run-as-democrat-dnc-1204978

Michael Bloomberg will not run for president in 2020. Bloomberg is expected to still be involved in the 2020 general election, organizing and funding opposition to Trump. (New York Times)

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/05/us/politics/michael-bloomberg-2020.html

FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb resigned, effective in about a month. Gottlieb is credited with leading the FDA's charge against underaged vaping. (Politico / CNBC / Washington Post)

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/05/fda-commissioner-scott-gottlieb-is-resigning.html

Edited by sgamer82 on Mar 5th 2019 at 4:23:14 AM

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#273386: Mar 5th 2019 at 4:15:22 PM

[up]Good to see that Bloomberg is making the right call (not running, but still putting his resources to good use for the Dems).

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
MarqFJA The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer from Deserts of the Middle East (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer
#273387: Mar 5th 2019 at 7:03:12 PM

Donor records reveal that Trump or Ivanka have donated to six of the declared or potential 2020 Democratic presidential candidates, including Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, and Kirsten Gillibrand. Harris received money from Trump six years ago, Jared and Ivanka held a fundraiser for Booker, and Gillibrand accepted Trump family donations three times over a seven-year period. Trump gave Harris two donations worth a total of $6,000 in 2011 and 2013, when she was already a rising star in the Democratic Party as California's attorney general. The donations were among several contributions Trump gave to attorneys general who were investigating Trump University or had investigated it in the past.
It this bad for the Democrats in question, or a nothingburger?

On another note, I forgot what Gillibrand is like; is she a decent Democrat, or a horrible one? I distinctly remember that one female Democrat's announcement of intention to run for the 2020 presidential election elicited a lot of outrage here that was accompanied with citations of bad things on her record, but I don't remember if that was Gillibrand.

Fiat iustitia, et pereat mundus.
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#273388: Mar 5th 2019 at 7:03:46 PM

I think nothingburger, since Trump was a Democratic supporter until he saw he could win as a Republican.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#273389: Mar 5th 2019 at 7:04:44 PM

[up][up]You're probably thinking of Tulsi Gabbard.

Disgusted, but not surprised
AzurePaladin She/Her Pronouns from Forest of Magic Since: Apr, 2018 Relationship Status: Mu
She/Her Pronouns
#273390: Mar 5th 2019 at 7:05:38 PM

[up][up][up] You're thinking of Gabbard. Gillibrand is one of the more Left-leaning candidates, with a history of more Right wing politics she seems to have largely stopped with the past five years or so.

Edit:[nja]

Edited by AzurePaladin on Mar 5th 2019 at 10:05:51 AM

The awful things he says and does are burned into our cultural consciousness like a CRT display left on the same picture too long. -Fighteer
Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#273391: Mar 5th 2019 at 7:26:59 PM

Sanders has signed the pledge stating that he will run officially as a Democrat.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#273392: Mar 5th 2019 at 7:28:33 PM

So he's a temp Democrat again?

Disgusted, but not surprised
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#273393: Mar 5th 2019 at 7:32:47 PM

@Marq, as others have said, its likely Gabbard. There's also Klobuchar, who has moderate policies but has something of a reputation for being a Bad Boss behind the scenes. But none of the declared/potential candidates have shit on Gabbard in terms of awful.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
TVRulezAgain Since: Sep, 2011
#273394: Mar 5th 2019 at 7:51:37 PM

So the Senate just voted along party lines to confirm a 37-year-old anti-LGBT extremist to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit. Trump's nominee, Allison Jones Rushing, is a member of an anti-LGBT hate group called "Alliance Defending Freedom" and has argued that there are ‘moral and practical’ reasons to outlaw gay marriage. She's now America's youngest federal judge, meaning she'll be on the court for a LONG time.

Once again, I'd like to thank everyone who "just couldn't vote for Hillary" and anyone who refused to vote for red-state Democratic senators.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#273395: Mar 5th 2019 at 7:54:25 PM

Someone here asked for evidence to refute their roommate's claim that the GOP has no problem with gay people.

Well, [up] would serve as evidence.

Disgusted, but not surprised
wisewillow She/her Since: May, 2011
She/her
#273396: Mar 5th 2019 at 8:11:13 PM

Jesus Christ. We need to find a mechanism to remove these judges, because Trump has now appointed about 1/6 of the Federal bench. I’m not joking or exaggerating; Mitch Mc Connell kept a ton of judgeships open during the second Obama term by refusing to hold confirmation hearings.

Edited by wisewillow on Mar 5th 2019 at 11:11:55 AM

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
#273397: Mar 5th 2019 at 8:20:29 PM

The only mechanism is impeachment, which will require the Democrats to take two thirds of the senate.

“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.
#273398: Mar 5th 2019 at 8:21:08 PM

Is that even remotely possible with the 2020 line-up?

DingoWalley1 Asgore Adopts Noelle Since: Feb, 2014 Relationship Status: Can't buy me love
Asgore Adopts Noelle
#273399: Mar 5th 2019 at 8:34:41 PM

[up]x2 Impeachment only works if these Justices commit Crimes, and while I'm certain Trump and many of his associates are guilty of crimes worth impeaching, I can't say most of these judges have.

There's really only 2 alternatives to this problem; pack the courts, or redraw the Court districts. Both of which require Congress, and both which will sap our Political Capital almost immediately.

wisewillow She/her Since: May, 2011
She/her
#273400: Mar 5th 2019 at 8:39:54 PM

You can impeach the blatantly unqualified and bigoted ones.


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