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johnnyfog Actual Wrestling Legend from the Zocalo Since: Apr, 2010 Relationship Status: They can't hide forever. We've got satellites.
Actual Wrestling Legend
#31676: Oct 11th 2012 at 12:29:38 AM

Look, Grant was no idiot. It's grade school history that he was too "trusting" and "naive" and "good-hearted" when making appointments. Motherfucker slaughtered men daily on the battlefield, you think he can't sense when some of his friends are on the take?

Moreover, he obstructed justice by crowing, "Let the law be executed" when the US Attorneys threatened to come after him.

Evidence seems to point to Grant wanting to be treated like an Earl and live in lavish gold rooms like his English counterparts. After all, until blowing all his cash on speculations he had amassed a fortune from bribes.

edited 11th Oct '12 12:29:55 AM by johnnyfog

I'm a skeptical squirrel
PotatoesRock Since: Oct, 2012
#31677: Oct 11th 2012 at 12:31:10 AM

edited 11th Oct '12 12:31:43 AM by PotatoesRock

Skatepunk Since: Feb, 2011
#31678: Oct 11th 2012 at 1:25:41 AM

Progressivepunch.org rates Congressmen and Senators based on how progressive they are.

And actual progressives earn a star from 3 to 5 depending on their positions in relation to the state/district they represent, while 1 star is pretty much Blue Dog.

entropy13 Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Drift compatible
#31679: Oct 11th 2012 at 1:56:05 AM

Obama over Romney in Trial by Combat because (like Snoop someanimal would say) "He's a good n***a." and "he could ball." LOL

RadicalTaoist scratching at .8, just hopin' from the #GUniverse Since: Jan, 2001
scratching at .8, just hopin'
#31680: Oct 11th 2012 at 3:58:27 AM

Did we not just have this whole conversation when someone accused the religious right of being pro-rape?
For the record, we discussed a possible "Tactics Used to Appeal to American Women Voters" topic on pages 1120-1121 of this thread, and I still think that it's a thread worth making.

Share it so that people can get into this conversation, 'cause we're not the only ones who think like this.
chihuahua0 Since: Jul, 2010
#31681: Oct 11th 2012 at 4:44:50 AM

I got a question: How was the 7.8 percent unemployment statistic determined?

PotatoesRock Since: Oct, 2012
#31682: Oct 11th 2012 at 4:54:38 AM

http://www.bls.gov/cps/cps_htgm.htm

The quickest and most accurate source for an explanation.

chihuahua0 Since: Jul, 2010
#31683: Oct 11th 2012 at 5:12:48 AM

Because unemployment insurance records relate only to persons who have applied for such benefits, and since it is impractical to actually count every unemployed person each month, the Government conducts a monthly sample survey called the Current Population Survey (CPS) to measure the extent of unemployment in the country. The CPS has been conducted in the United States every month since 1940, when it began as a Work Projects Administration project. It has been expanded and modified several times since then. For instance, beginning in 1994, the CPS estimates reflect the results of a major redesign of the survey. (For more information on the CPS redesign, see Chapter 1, "Labor Force Data Derived from the Current Population Survey," in the BLS Handbook of Methods.)

There are about 60,000 households in the sample for this survey. This translates into approximately 110,000 individuals, a large sample compared to public opinion surveys which usually cover fewer than 2,000 people. The CPS sample is selected so as to be representative of the entire population of the United States. In order to select the sample, all of the counties and county-equivalent cities in the country first are grouped into 2,025 geographic areas (sampling units). The Census Bureau then designs and selects a sample consisting of 824 of these geographic areas to represent each State and the District of Columbia. The sample is a State-based design and reflects urban and rural areas, different types of industrial and farming areas, and the major geographic divisions of each State. (For a detailed explanation of CPS sampling methodology, see Chapter 1, of the BLS Handbook of Methods.)

So I confirmed my suspicions.

I asked because a article/editorial in the Wall Street Journal was attacking the 7.8% statistic for being inaccurate, due to it being decided by a survey and such questions being vague (like someone being considered part-time employed if they worked one hour of babysitting.

Also, the editorial attacked the fact that the Obama campaign treat the statistic as if it was gold.

I would link it, but the Wall Street Journal put its articles beyond a pricing wall.

edited 11th Oct '12 5:13:58 AM by chihuahua0

PotatoesRock Since: Oct, 2012
#31684: Oct 11th 2012 at 5:23:36 AM

http://tinyurl.com/942xv5z

http://tinyurl.com/8dkpgt6

http://tinyurl.com/9tj2com

On how the noise from these Bureau stats gets handled.

It's not a perfect number, exactly, but the Bureau of Labor Statistics is giving the most accurate data possible at the moment, and needs 2 months from now to adjust the numbers to a more sound average. WSJ is right to call Obama on it being 'gold', but the Jobbers pretty much are pulling shit out of their asses. The economy is improving slowly.

Also the president when he's saying 'things are getting better' has to reference some number. And the most available number is that 7.8% unemployment. Him saying "around" 7.8% would get people on both sides huffy, and knowing America, would get someone to call him 'Un American'.

edited 11th Oct '12 6:01:07 AM by PotatoesRock

ohsointocats from The Sand Wastes Since: Oct, 2011 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#31685: Oct 11th 2012 at 6:21:24 AM

[up][up]Well the thing is though that the statistic has always been calculated the same way, so it's not like Obama's presidency could have massaged the numbers to make it reflect better on them. Both parties have been treating an inaccurate statistic as "accurate"... except when it suits one's purpose not to.

edited 11th Oct '12 6:22:26 AM by ohsointocats

GearLeader from Dota Hell Since: Mar, 2011 Relationship Status: Married to the job
Inhopelessguy Since: Apr, 2011
#31687: Oct 11th 2012 at 7:25:28 AM

So, them veep debates. I presume they mean jack all to the pollsters, right?

Also, gallup.com shows that both candidates are neck-and-neck in the polls amongst likely voters (but, as usual, Obama leads amongst registered ones).

Jhimmibhob Since: Dec, 2010
#31688: Oct 11th 2012 at 7:48:02 AM

The VP debate isn't likely to matter much—long as neither man makes some monstrous gaffe that reflects upon the whole campaign. However, such gaffes are distinctly possible: Ryan is capable of tone-deafness, and Joe Biden is ... Joe Biden.

As long as both veep-wannabes avoid those missteps, though, it probably won't matter which one gets the better of the arguments or does better rhetorically.

terlwyth Since: Oct, 2010
#31689: Oct 11th 2012 at 7:55:09 AM

Joe Biden didn't Joe Biden himself last debate,and I know everyone loves hating on Palin,...but she stood her ground enough that if Biden had been Biden,...it would've gone to Palin.

Jhimmibhob Since: Dec, 2010
#31690: Oct 11th 2012 at 8:06:21 AM

Which is why I doubt the the VP debate will amount to much. Biden is capable of staying on message for the length of a debate; Ryan is probably determined not to make Obama's mistake—i.e., assuming that he can win by showing up & letting his opponent do his work for him. There's still a non-trivial chance that one of them will slip, but one shouldn't bet on it. And absent that, the polls aren't likely to budge in either direction.

TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#31691: Oct 11th 2012 at 8:37:31 AM

Eh. Depends in large part whether Biden is going to go MEDICARE MEDICARE MEDICARE or not.

PotatoesRock Since: Oct, 2012
#31692: Oct 11th 2012 at 8:44:16 AM

On the other hand, Biden pretty much should be able to hold command on Foreign Policy, as that's been his thing his entire career. 'cuz if Ryan goes with the Romney talking points, I don't see it going terribly well for him, since Biden has real time experience with most of the foreign politicians Ryan's going to be talking shit about.

Then again, no one cares about foreign policy this election, so. Que sera, sera. I just hope he's able to do something about Ryan's "aw shucks" homey Washington Outsider shit (which is apparently one of Ryan's key strategies in previous debates).

Inhopelessguy Since: Apr, 2011
#31693: Oct 11th 2012 at 8:48:38 AM

Wait, what? But bitches love themselves some FP! Man, I was going to woo them with some of my FP shizzle, but bitches ain't with the FP? Man, that's gonna affect my churpsing.

TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#31694: Oct 11th 2012 at 8:50:44 AM

Biden is awkward, but I suspect he knows how to "play the game" better than Obama does.

johnnyfog Actual Wrestling Legend from the Zocalo Since: Apr, 2010 Relationship Status: They can't hide forever. We've got satellites.
Actual Wrestling Legend
#31695: Oct 11th 2012 at 8:59:09 AM

Is anyone else getting shades of Gordon Brown from the Obama camp? Of coure, Obama is a better orator, but his speeches have become one-note to the point where it's white noise.

I'm a skeptical squirrel
Inhopelessguy Since: Apr, 2011
#31696: Oct 11th 2012 at 9:02:33 AM

[up] What do you mean? Brown had perfectly good speeches, he was just very bad at doing them.

terlwyth Since: Oct, 2010
#31697: Oct 11th 2012 at 9:13:24 AM

Actually I'm getting more of Jimmy Carter vibe from the Obama camp.

Inherited a recession,which he's getting flak for

Alienating the base he needs

Working with people hell bent on getting him out of office

Attempting to get the opponent to stumble,instead of being a Red Oni. Romney may not be Reagan,but he's certainly proved himself not to be Kerry or Gore anymore

Carter lead the whole summer until the debates.

Obama and Carter both got in blaming everything on the last administration

Euodiachloris Since: Oct, 2010
#31698: Oct 11th 2012 at 9:22:57 AM

Obama and Brown... um... no. Not a bit. Obama can, at least, smile without cracking lenses. And, use varied intonation.

GlennMagusHarvey Since: Jan, 2001
#31699: Oct 11th 2012 at 9:41:02 AM

^^ Yes, he's not Kerry; he's willing to flat-out lie to get his way.

It's just a matter of time before that catches up to him, though.

Enkufka Wandering Student ಠ_ಠ from Bay of White fish Since: Dec, 2009
Wandering Student ಠ_ಠ
#31700: Oct 11th 2012 at 11:27:42 AM

Really, House Republicans? You're going to launch a congressional investigation into the fucking jobs numbers? Because they're optimistic?

OH, and one of them revealed the location of a secret CIA base.

EDIT: Mitt Romney, you are so fucking full of shit. He claims that we don't have people who die because they don't have insurance.

edited 11th Oct '12 11:28:59 AM by Enkufka

Very big Daydream Believer. "That's not knowledge, that's a crapshoot!" -Al Murray "Welcome to QI" -Stephen Fry

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