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

astrokitty Happiness is a cup of tea from Somewhere Out There Since: May, 2014 Relationship Status: Yes, I'm alone, but I'm alone and free
Happiness is a cup of tea
#328451: Sep 22nd 2020 at 9:33:27 AM

God, I wish I could finally leave this trash heap country. Unfortunately, a large number of factors (lack of money, the fact that pretty much zero countries are allowing U.S citizens in right now, etc.) prevent me from doing just that.

Somebody once told me the world was macaroni, I took a bite out of a tree
speedyboris Since: Feb, 2010
#328452: Sep 22nd 2020 at 10:00:19 AM

Off the topic of RBG the last few pages...

I got my absentee ballot in the mail yesterday, have filled it out (straight D, of course) and now I have a question on something. I really don't trust putting it in the mail right now, so I'm planning to hand deliver it to my county office. Question is, can I do that any time, or do I have to wait one week before the election?

Edited by speedyboris on Sep 22nd 2020 at 10:03:15 AM

Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#328453: Sep 22nd 2020 at 10:02:25 AM

The problem with that is, once the Democrats start breaking the rules as well in order to protect democracy, it is hard to see where that would end. It could trigger an escalating breach of more and more rules on both sides. I'm not sure where such a situation would end.

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
Kayeka (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#328454: Sep 22nd 2020 at 10:04:23 AM

[up]Well, we know where the current situation ends: with Republicans winning everything and Democrats wagging their finger at them.

Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#328455: Sep 22nd 2020 at 10:09:50 AM

The budget is up at the end of the month (and we have the first debate on Tuesday), you can contact Democrat politicians and ask that they put a “no you can’t put a nominee on the court right now” clause in the budget, and shut the government down if such a clause isn’t passed into law.

Moscow Mitch beat you to it. He's already blocking the budget

TitanJump Since: Sep, 2013 Relationship Status: Singularity
#328456: Sep 22nd 2020 at 10:11:16 AM

Someone should also bring up then how Trump has actually crashed the US Economy (five months before the Covid-19 outbreak arrived to the States) through his way in handling it as well.

ScubaWolf from South Carolina Since: Feb, 2020
#328457: Sep 22nd 2020 at 10:12:44 AM

[up]x4 Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right! is appropriate here for what must be done.

Edited by ScubaWolf on Sep 22nd 2020 at 1:13:42 PM

"In a move surprising absolutely no one"
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#328458: Sep 22nd 2020 at 10:17:47 AM

~speedyboris

I'd check your state's rules on the matter.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
devak They call me.... Prophet Since: Jul, 2019 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
They call me.... Prophet
#328459: Sep 22nd 2020 at 10:19:29 AM

The problem is that the GOP is undermining democracy. If the other guy cheats at a game, then the only winning move is to also cheat. Not cheating simply invites defeat.

As to where the limit is, well the democrats could be reactionary in their rule breaking. Appoint enough supreme court judges to bring the count back to an exact 50/50, for instance.

Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#328460: Sep 22nd 2020 at 10:20:23 AM

So assuming we take back the Senate, how many current Democratic senators are still against nuking the filibuster?

nova92 Since: Apr, 2020
#328461: Sep 22nd 2020 at 10:23:46 AM

[up] I collected the opinions of Senators on the filibuster in an old post here. You're looking at about 10 Senators who still have to be persuaded, with Manchin, Feinstein, Jones, Sinema, Tester and King being the main ones. Basically, all the Blue Dogs. Assuming Jones loses, I think Sinema, Tester and King could be persuaded. Feinstein and Manchin remain ???

Edited by nova92 on Sep 22nd 2020 at 10:31:01 AM

Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#328462: Sep 22nd 2020 at 10:42:56 AM

I'm not sure a government shutdown now would be a great idea. That is going to backfire horrendously for Democrats if they tried that.

Is it me or did we just lose a bunch of posts?

Edited by Redmess on Sep 22nd 2020 at 7:44:25 PM

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#328463: Sep 22nd 2020 at 10:48:36 AM

Well, we know where the current situation ends: with Republicans winning everything and Democrats wagging their finger at them.

Exactly, following norms that no one else is following isn't noble, it's just capitulation. And capitulating to foes like the Republicans is morally and pragmatically indefensible.

Packing the court, abolishing the filibuster, and creating as many new states as possible isn't "cheating". It's changing the system to overcome an unsustainable status quo.

Edited by Fourthspartan56 on Sep 22nd 2020 at 10:48:46 AM

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
RedSavant Since: Jan, 2001
#328464: Sep 22nd 2020 at 10:54:10 AM

I hope we can. God, I hope we can.

2020, take McConnell on the way out. Do something nice for the world, you relentlessly shitty year.

It's been fun.
Resileafs I actually wanted to be Resileaf Since: Jan, 2019
I actually wanted to be Resileaf
#328465: Sep 22nd 2020 at 10:54:29 AM

It's high time for 'undecided' voters to realize that when they hold up the Democrats to impossible standards that they fail to surpass while the Republicans never even attempt to follow them, voting against the Democrats only helps the fascists win.

Edited by Resileafs on Sep 22nd 2020 at 1:54:58 PM

TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#328466: Sep 22nd 2020 at 10:57:15 AM

I mean. It is kinda cheating. It's not even "No rule says we can't" like when Mitch stole a Supreme Court Justice. It's literally erasing the rule that says we can't so that we can. Both nuking the filibuster and packing the court involve rewriting existing procedures. They're directly altering the status quo, rather than finding loopholes in an existing status quo.

But the point is that wringing our hands about policy while the other side is flagrantly cheating (including also erasing rules that say they can't, such as nuking the filibuster for Justice appointments) leaves us with nothing to show for our purity. To quote Innuendo in that video I posted, "While Democrats seized the moral high ground, Republicans seized the Supreme Court."

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
ShinyCottonCandy Everyone's friend Malamar from Lumiose City (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Everyone's friend Malamar
#328467: Sep 22nd 2020 at 10:57:37 AM

[up][up]The “undecided” voters don’t really care about how ethical or effective democrats are. They just want to feel they’re justified in not doing even the bare minimum.

Edited by ShinyCottonCandy on Sep 22nd 2020 at 1:58:16 PM

My musician page
RedSavant Since: Jan, 2001
#328468: Sep 22nd 2020 at 10:58:55 AM

Yup, undecided voters are "give me any reason at all to say Democrats are just as bad and politics are hopeless so I can feel right and go back to watching South Park".

If you're still undecided, you're not looking at the world. End of story.

Edited by RedSavant on Sep 22nd 2020 at 1:59:10 PM

It's been fun.
RainehDaze Nero Fangirl (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Nero Fangirl
#328469: Sep 22nd 2020 at 11:02:13 AM

[up][up][up] It's not cheating if the rules were never written in the first place.

Other side doesn't want to play by unwritten agreements? That's fine, none of them are in play, then.

Draghinazzo (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: I get a feeling so complicated...
#328470: Sep 22nd 2020 at 11:02:58 AM

I said this before, but caring about politics is very emotionally exhausting (especially right now) and if you take it as a given that the GOP is morally indefensible there is a good chance for many people it strains relationships with people they know and might otherwise respect or like. It's not an especially easy pill to swallow that half of the people in the country tacitly or openly support a morally indefensible party. To many people, politics is just an ugly abstract thing that needlessly divides people and makes for an unpleasant national environment. Is it myopic and self-centered, yes, but I'm not really sure there's a lot you can do about that. You just have to hope enough people care to do the bare minimum so things will improve.

Edited by Draghinazzo on Sep 22nd 2020 at 2:04:02 PM

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
#328471: Sep 22nd 2020 at 11:07:14 AM

@Boris 538 have a page with all the rules for each state, so I'd say check your state's rules on there and then double check on the government election site.[1]

Moscow Mitch beat you to it. He's already blocking the budget

He's gonna have a hard time doing conformation hearing if the government shuts down, and if he's happy to take the blame for it that's even better.

Edited by Silasw on Sep 22nd 2020 at 6:10:48 PM

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#328472: Sep 22nd 2020 at 11:10:05 AM

https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/517522-bloomberg-pays-fines-for-32000-felons-in-florida-so-they-can-vote

Bloomberg has paid for the voting rights of 32,000 Florida felons.

Or 5% of the eligible ones.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
nova92 Since: Apr, 2020
#328473: Sep 22nd 2020 at 11:13:48 AM

Or slightly more accurately, Mike Bloomberg has raised $16 million to help former felons be able to vote. Like I said last page, here's hoping Florida can figure out what they owe.


Edit: The filibuster and number of Supreme Court Justices are both things that are specifically within the power of the Senate and Congress to decide. The only reason the two are in place is because of norms, norms which Republicans are breaking as it suits them. Democrats can't uphold these norms (bipartisanship and respect for minority views under the filibuster, and the legitimacy of the courts) by themselves. Maybe it's time to consider changing the rules so that the systems actually work as they are purported to.

Edited by nova92 on Sep 22nd 2020 at 11:18:29 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
#328474: Sep 22nd 2020 at 11:14:17 AM

Which considering Florida had disenfranchised about 10% of voters, Bloomburg just added 0.5% of voters back to the voter rolls.

Hell of a way to try and make amends for his past actions.

Edited by Silasw on Sep 22nd 2020 at 6:14:43 PM

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#328475: Sep 22nd 2020 at 11:15:32 AM

5% of eligible Florida felons having their voting rights restored is still 5% more than we had before. It may not be enough, but it's still better, and better is good.

5% is closer to 0% than it is to 100%. But 5% is closer to 100% than 0% is.

Edited by TobiasDrake on Sep 22nd 2020 at 11:16:19 AM

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

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