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Deadbeatloser22 from Disappeared by Space Magic (Great Old One) Relationship Status: Tsundere'ing
#273551: Mar 7th 2019 at 11:15:05 AM

McConnell suggests voting-rights proposal is ‘socialist’

Apparently automatic voter registration, and so ensuring that everyone eligible to vote is able to vote, is socialism now.

-eyeroll-

"Yup. That tasted purple."
Soban Since: Aug, 2009 Relationship Status: 700 wives and 300 concubines
#273552: Mar 7th 2019 at 11:19:16 AM

Axios: Most Democrats see Republicans as racist, sexist

Many Americans think people in the other party are ignorant, spiteful, evil and generally destroying the country, according to a new Axios poll by Survey Monkey, aired on HBO on Sunday night. 61% of Democrats see Republicans as "racist/bigoted/sexist." 31% of Republicans say they view Democrats in the same light.

Why it matters: If Americans are this convinced that the other side isn't just wrong, but dumb and evil, they'll never be able to find enough common ground to solve real problems. And they're more likely to elect leaders who can't do it, either.

...

21% of Democrats think Republicans are evil, and about the same share of Republicans (23%) think Democrats are evil.

...

The bottom line: Both parties are being redefined around the extreme emotions shaping extremely ugly views of each other. That means that, as the midterm elections proved, there's less room for moderates or centrists in the current political environment — a dynamic that's likely to get worse before it gets better.

ironballs16 Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Owner of a lonely heart
#273553: Mar 7th 2019 at 11:20:25 AM

[up][up]

Definitely falls under You Keep Using That Word - moreso than usual!

And reposting the page-bottomer since I'd like to see the views on this. It may be Israeli politics, but it plays a factor in Ilhan Omar's recent controversy. Israel's Central Election Committee has given the go-ahead to far-right Jewish candidates to run while disqualifying the entry of an Arab party that Netanyahu accused of supporting terrorism. Emphasis added.

The Central Elections Committee’s decisions, taken late on Wednesday, were unlikely to be implemented before court appeals, but stoked an already acrimonious race for the April 9 vote.

Facing a corruption case and a merger of centrist parties that could defeat him, the conservative Netanyahu has allied with an ultra-nationalist list that includes the Jewish Power party to boost his chances.

The elections committee, made up of members of the outgoing parliament, struck down motions that had sought to bar as racist Jewish Power’s Michael Ben-Ari and Itamar Ben-Gvir, who are adherents of late anti-Arab rabbi Meir Kahane.

Left-wing party Meretz said it would appeal, along with center-left Labour, to the Supreme Court against the decision to let the Jewish Power candidates stand.

The committee also voted 17-10 to bar the joint Arab party Raam-Balad from the election in accordance with a motion filed by Netanyahu’s ruling Likud party. Likud says the Balad faction wants to eliminate Israel as a Jewish state and backs Palestinian and Lebanese militants.

Raam-Balad, a mix of Islamist and Arab nationalists, describes itself as a democratic movement opposed to Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory.

“We have a fierce argument with Zionism,” Mansour Abbas, who heads the Raam faction, told Reuters.

Raam-Balad now holds eight of parliament’s 120 seats. Candidates of other parties representing Israel’s 20 percent Arab minority remain eligible to run.

Edited by ironballs16 on Mar 7th 2019 at 2:21:35 PM

"Why would I inflict myself on somebody else?"
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#273554: Mar 7th 2019 at 11:20:38 AM

[up][up]Just because two sides believe similar things about the other does not mean that they have an equal chance of being right.

Edited by Fourthspartan56 on Mar 7th 2019 at 2:20:54 PM

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#273555: Mar 7th 2019 at 11:23:45 AM

Soban, are you just here to prove a point that Democrats are equivalent to Republicans? Both-siderism is part of the problem with our system, and emphasizing it isn't helping.

Calling a pig a pig isn't racist. Calling a Republican who votes for racist policies a racist isn't an ad hominem attack; it's a demonstrable fact.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Draghinazzo (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: I get a feeling so complicated...
#273556: Mar 7th 2019 at 11:25:49 AM

I repeat my prior point: these articles implying that common ground needs to be found imply that "both sides" are equally valid or should at least have their ideas considered. It doesn't account for situations where one "side" has been super radicalized to the point they have begun supporting immoral, self-destructive, and inefficient policies and attitudes. There is no "common ground" that should be found with them.

When the right stops validating white supremacy, racism, homophobia, etc then compromise can be had. Otherwise, there is no "meeting halfway".

It also doesn't help that you keep dropping these articles here without bothering to actually reply to what people are saying about them.

Edited by Draghinazzo on Mar 7th 2019 at 3:27:49 PM

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#273557: Mar 7th 2019 at 11:27:31 AM

Also, when the right attempts to deflect criticism with a tu quoque attack, legitimizing that attack only worsens the problem.

Edited by Fighteer on Mar 7th 2019 at 2:28:20 PM

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#273558: Mar 7th 2019 at 11:27:39 AM

Related to the page topper:

Mc Connell won't allow vote on election reform bill

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/03/06/mcconnell-election-reform-bill-1207702

Senate Majority Leader Mitch Mc Connell hasn’t shied away from publicly criticizing House Democrats’ electoral reform bill and "Green New Deal." But he’ll allow only the Green New Deal to get a Senate vote on the floor.

Republicans ripped into the House Democrats’ electoral reform bill at a news conference Wednesday, arguing that the legislation is merely a tactic to tilt elections in favor of Democrats. Mc Connell, who has dubbed the bill the “Democrat Politician Protection Act,” said that the bill is “offensive to average voters” and will not get any floor time in the Senate.

When asked at a news conference why he wasn’t bringing the House electoral reform bill to the Senate floor, Mc Connell said, with a grin, "Because I get to decide what we vote on.”

“What is the problem we’re trying to solve here?” Mc Connell asked. “People are flooding to the polls.”

Mc Connell in February, however, said he’ll bring a vote on the Green New Deal, the resolution led by freshman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), to challenge Democrats on the measure that Republicans say is far to the left of most Americans.

archonspeaks Since: Jun, 2013
#273559: Mar 7th 2019 at 11:29:33 AM

“Most Democrats see Republicans as racist and sexist” could just be read as “most Democrats understand the Republican policy platform”.

Sure, not every Republican voter is personally a massive bigot. But by supporting the Republican Party and voting their politicians into office they’re helping to enact bigoted agendas, so it’s really a distinction without a difference. “I’m not a bigot, I just like bigoted politics” doesn’t really fly.

Edited by archonspeaks on Mar 7th 2019 at 11:30:15 AM

They should have sent a poet.
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#273560: Mar 7th 2019 at 11:30:53 AM

"I'm not a bigot; I just think that using taxes to help minorities is a bad idea."

"I'm not a bigot; I just think that Mexican migrants are flooding the borders and taking our jobs."

"I'm not a bigot; I just think that women shouldn't star in superhero movies."

Yes, yes you are.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#273561: Mar 7th 2019 at 11:35:29 AM

A comedian, Alonzo Bodden, often says on his news podcast Who's Paying Attention? that the fastest way to identify a racist is look at whoever's saying "I'm not a racist".

HailMuffins Since: May, 2016 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
#273562: Mar 7th 2019 at 11:35:54 AM

[up]x4 God, they're not even pretending anymore, are they?

Edited by HailMuffins on Mar 7th 2019 at 4:36:18 PM

SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#273563: Mar 7th 2019 at 11:38:58 AM

Fighteer, you are getting a mite overly personal there IMO...

Anyway. I can definitively see why someone would regard Republicans as evil when one of their leaders wanted to strip 22 million people of their health insurance just to cut taxes for wealthy people and before that was trying to help the tobacco industry overturn health regulations abroad.

I dunno what arguments might be cited by Republicans to call Democrats evil but I can imagine them...

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
ironballs16 Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Owner of a lonely heart
#273564: Mar 7th 2019 at 11:47:37 AM

[up]

Primarily abortion, with a side-helping of "they want to help foreigners invade us!" Aside from that, I'm not 100% sure, outside of a general "they're un-Christian!" vibe.

"Why would I inflict myself on somebody else?"
TheWanderer Student of Story from Somewhere in New England (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
Student of Story
#273565: Mar 7th 2019 at 11:49:02 AM

Mc Connell suggests voting-rights proposal is ‘socialist’

Sadly, the word “socialist” is still a very effective boogeyman for a lot of independents and moderates, especially older ones, so Republicans and people who do very well under the status quo will continue to hit that button as hard and often as they can with any policy they dislike, regardless of whether it has anything to do with socialism or not.

Another 10-15 years and maybe it won’t work anymore, whether because of right wingers crying wolf so much or because of changes in society, (for example back in 2004 Republicans whipped voters into a frenzy by adding gay marriage bans to a bunch of state constitutions, a strategy that got partial credit for getting Bush re-elected. By 2014 it wouldn’t have worked nearly as well) but for now it works and they’re going to milk it to the last drop.

For reference:

The latest NBC/WSJ poll shows that Democrats are still winning over independents and the middle of the electorate in the Trump Era.

But there’s one exception: when the conversation turns to socialism — with just nine percent of independents and 13 percent of moderates viewing the term favorably in the poll. That’s compared with a plurality of indies (by 40 percent to 23 percent) and a majority of moderates (51 percent to 19 percent) viewing “capitalism” positively.

What’s more, the MOST UNPOPULAR candidate quality in the NBC/WSJ poll — more unpopular than being a Muslim or being over the age of 75 — is being a socialist, with 74 percent of independents and 74 percent of moderates either very uncomfortable or having reservations with that quality.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/meet-the-press/how-socialism-plays-poorly-middle-electorate-n978861

| Wandering, but not lost. | If people bring so much courage to this world...◊ |
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#273566: Mar 7th 2019 at 11:58:09 AM

[up]Numbers like that, above all else, make me worry about nominating Sanders.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#273567: Mar 7th 2019 at 12:06:24 PM

Sanders makes me worry about nominating Sanders.

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#273568: Mar 7th 2019 at 12:06:38 PM

Agreed, although it's weird how people can be super enthusiastic about him but still regard "socialism" as a bad word. Cognitive dissonance?

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
TheWanderer Student of Story from Somewhere in New England (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
Student of Story
#273569: Mar 7th 2019 at 12:08:19 PM

Note that (at least according to discussion of this poll that I heard on the news earlier today) it’s all about branding, not actual policy. Large majorities of the country want the government to do more to help people, but if you call it socialist then brains freeze up and go straight into knee jerk panic.

Btw, I haven’t had a chance to dig into the quality of the poll due to being at work, if anyone wants to do a dive into it and give us all an idea of poll quality, I’m sure that we’d all be grateful. I certainly would be.

| Wandering, but not lost. | If people bring so much courage to this world...◊ |
Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#273570: Mar 7th 2019 at 12:13:20 PM

Yeah, I listened to another interview about that poll and they noted a lot of people turned off by "socialism" also said they liked Sanders when asked.

Then there was this one dude in Pennsylvania who voted for Trump, then voted for Democrat Conner Lamb for Congress and now says his vote is up for grabs but if he had to chose right then: "Probably Kamala."

Not sure what to make of that.

Soban Since: Aug, 2009 Relationship Status: 700 wives and 300 concubines
#273571: Mar 7th 2019 at 12:17:00 PM

>Soban, are you just here to prove a point that Democrats are equivalent to Republicans? Both-siderism is part of the problem with our system, and emphasizing it isn't helping.

Sticking your fingers in your ears and shouting "I'm right, your wrong and evil." isn't helping either.

Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#273572: Mar 7th 2019 at 12:18:26 PM

Nobody was doing that though,so straw man much?

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#273573: Mar 7th 2019 at 12:19:10 PM

Well what do you propose we do then?

Because this is not a conflict where both sides are on the same moral or factual ground here.

Oh really when?
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.
#273574: Mar 7th 2019 at 12:21:32 PM

[up][up][up]Okay, the article YOU posted shows that, while Democrats overwhelmingly think that Republicans are bigoted, Democrats also have a slightly lower rate of thinking that Republicans are evil compared to the other way around.

What the fuck does that information tell you? When about 40% of Democrats think Republicans are bigoted but not evil? What conclusion can you extrapolate from that, that happens to run exactly counter to your message? Could it be that you're wrong?

Edited by PushoverMediaCritic on Mar 7th 2019 at 1:27:58 PM

GoldenKaos Captain of the Dead City from Cirith Ungol Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
Captain of the Dead City
#273575: Mar 7th 2019 at 12:25:24 PM

Sticking your fingers in your ears and shouting "I'm right, your wrong and evil." isn't helping either.

Observing one side consistently back reprehensible policies for years, and pointing that out, isn't the strawman you just constructed.

"...in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach."

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