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

Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#329201: Sep 26th 2020 at 4:22:33 PM

Well what definitely is going to happen is the debate. Which is three days from now.

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#329202: Sep 26th 2020 at 4:27:33 PM

Though, as this article points out (https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/26/politics/first-debate-preparations-trump-biden/index.html), senior Democrats don't believe the debate will shift much and Biden's goal is to hold his lead. Debating Trump is also kinda difficult (because he does nothing but lie and is utterly unpredictable) so Biden's goal is to use the debate to get his message out, and leave the fact checking to everyone else.

Edited by Rationalinsanity on Sep 26th 2020 at 8:27:52 AM

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
RainehDaze Nero Fangirl (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Nero Fangirl
#329203: Sep 26th 2020 at 4:35:39 PM

Still, being able to talk back/over Trump without all the misogynistic backlash could itself make things... amusing.

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#329204: Sep 26th 2020 at 4:47:06 PM

I'm more excited for Harris to verbally eviscerate Pence, personally.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
singularityshot Since: Dec, 2012
#329205: Sep 26th 2020 at 4:49:56 PM

The problem Biden has is that the sane reaction to a Trump rant is to pause, try and parse, then respond.

Problem is that the myth of him being in cognitive decline means that any hesitation will be seized upon.

If I were Biden, I'd be trying to get Trump to make the same psychological slip Trump made in one of those town halls, where Trump appeared to suggest it was Biden's responsibility to impose a national mask mandate - as if Biden were president already. At which point Biden has him skewered: either Trump publicly abdicates his responsibility to Biden, or he has to accept his failings on how he handled Covid-19.

jjjj2 from Arrakis Since: Jul, 2015
#329206: Sep 26th 2020 at 4:53:08 PM

I feel like Trump will say something amazingly dumb, and all Biden has to do is say "Can we just all take a moment and say they call me senile?" Because the probability that Trump says something stupid is very high.

You can only write so much in your forum signature. It's not fair that I want to write a piece of writing yet it will cut me off in the mid
Protagonist506 from Oregon Since: Dec, 2013 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#329207: Sep 26th 2020 at 5:01:20 PM

It reminds me a bit of someone (Quinton Reviews) talking about Ancient Aliens: A lot of their statements are so dumb they defy rebuttals. Though this is pretty close to the concept of a Gish Gallop.

Leviticus 19:34
Clarste One Winged Egret Since: Jun, 2009 Relationship Status: Non-Canon
One Winged Egret
#329208: Sep 26th 2020 at 5:07:13 PM

It's hard for me to imagine the kind of person who's somehow avoided seeing Trump speak, ever, yet will still inexplicably tune in for a presidential debate.

Edited by Clarste on Sep 26th 2020 at 5:18:15 AM

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#329209: Sep 26th 2020 at 5:12:03 PM

[up]Exactly this. Those who are most likely to watch probably decided months/years ago.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
jjjj2 from Arrakis Since: Jul, 2015
#329210: Sep 26th 2020 at 5:16:23 PM

Part of what I'm banking on is it's one thing to see someone in a vacuum, it's another thing to see them standing next to each other.

You can only write so much in your forum signature. It's not fair that I want to write a piece of writing yet it will cut me off in the mid
Resileafs I actually wanted to be Resileaf Since: Jan, 2019
I actually wanted to be Resileaf
#329211: Sep 26th 2020 at 5:21:35 PM

You know the saying, you can't debate with a stupid person. He's going to drag you down to his level and beat you with experience. That's why those crazy conspiracy theorists are so hard to debunk, their beliefs are so insane that there is just no way to come out of conversing with them looking good.

BearyScary Since: Sep, 2010 Relationship Status: You spin me right round, baby
#329212: Sep 26th 2020 at 5:22:57 PM

I hope that Biden doesn't let Trump under his skin and makes him want to fight as dirty as Trump will, but at the same time, Biden has to try to appear "strong". It will be a tough balancing act.

Do not obey in advance.
nova92 Since: Apr, 2020
#329213: Sep 26th 2020 at 5:27:18 PM

It's interesting to watch Republican lawmakers try to paint Democrats as anti-Catholic over their objection to Amy Coney Barrett, given the fact that 1) No Democratic Senator has said anything against her faith, just her record and positions, 2) 2 of the 3 Democratic leaders are Catholic.

PhysicalStamina i'm tired, my friend (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Coming soon to theaters
i'm tired, my friend
#329214: Sep 26th 2020 at 5:28:20 PM

Republicans don't care about your facts

i'm tired, my friend
BearyScary Since: Sep, 2010 Relationship Status: You spin me right round, baby
RainehDaze Nero Fangirl (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Nero Fangirl
#329216: Sep 26th 2020 at 5:36:21 PM

Democrats are anti-Catholic despite the nominee being Biden? Riiiiiight.

Clarste One Winged Egret Since: Jun, 2009 Relationship Status: Non-Canon
One Winged Egret
#329217: Sep 26th 2020 at 5:44:47 PM

Haven't they already been calling Biden a fake Catholic for a while? TBH I've lost track of their messaging by now.

Edited by Clarste on Sep 26th 2020 at 5:44:57 AM

CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#329218: Sep 26th 2020 at 5:45:00 PM

If Trump’s only job was to stand on 5th Avenue and shoot someone, every 2 and 1/2 minutes, 40 hours a week, for his entire 4 year term as president, he would have killed 200,640 Americans—still fewer than have died from Covid-19 on his watch. ~ George Takei

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
BearyScary Since: Sep, 2010 Relationship Status: You spin me right round, baby
#329219: Sep 26th 2020 at 6:25:11 PM

...I honestly didn't even know that Biden is a Catholic.

Do not obey in advance.
HailMuffins Since: May, 2016 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
#329220: Sep 26th 2020 at 6:28:23 PM

Highlighting one's religious affiliations isn't well-regarded by the Usonian left-wing from what I've seen.

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#329221: Sep 26th 2020 at 6:33:17 PM

[up] That's not true at all. Most Democratic candidates clearly declare their religious affiliation and faith. They just don't use it as a political tool to advance a conservative agenda, which may be why it comes across as "low-key".

Atheists remain one of the least popular demographic groups in the nation, although I have no idea how that splits between right and left wings. It is all but impossible to win election as a professed non-religious person, never mind an atheist. At best you don't bring it up and people mutually agree not to ask, sort of like the plight of gay men in the military in the Don't Ask, Don't Tell era.

All this comes despite the fact that courts have often recognized "no religious belief" as a valid class subject to anti-discrimination protection. Heck, I got quite a few curious comments about it at work when it came up, even though co-workers of Muslim and other faiths are generally accepted.

Edited by Fighteer on Sep 26th 2020 at 9:36:12 AM

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#329222: Sep 26th 2020 at 6:44:49 PM

"...I honestly didn't even know that Biden is a Catholic."

So is Pelosi. And Schumer is Jewish, in case anyone was wondering.

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#329223: Sep 26th 2020 at 6:49:00 PM

There are times when I marvel that anyone on the left could be overtly religious in this day and age and not feel a little embarrassed to admit it in public, given what organized religion has done to this country. But, you know, #NotAllCatholics and all that.

Edited by Fighteer on Sep 26th 2020 at 9:49:41 AM

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
HailMuffins Since: May, 2016 Relationship Status: Shipping fictional characters
#329224: Sep 26th 2020 at 6:49:09 PM

Huh, Pelosi is a surprised, for some reason I pegged her as an atheist.

BTW, is it religious Jewish or just ethnic Jewish? I was under the impression most Jewish folks are atheists these days, or at keast the young ones are.

[down]You're not supposed to, no. "Don't let your left hand know what your right is doing" amd all that.

Edited by HailMuffins on Sep 26th 2020 at 10:51:11 AM

LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#329225: Sep 26th 2020 at 6:49:10 PM

Never been particularly religious but I thought in terms of at least Christianity you're not supposed to flaunt how pious you supposedly are.


Total posts: 417,856
Top