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DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Wandering Jew
#33151: Oct 16th 2012 at 9:09:04 PM

[up][up]

Politics is not the art of the possible. It consists in choosing between the disastrous and the unpalatable.

- John Kenneth Galbraith

edited 16th Oct '12 9:09:26 PM by DeviantBraeburn

Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016
Thorn14 Gunpla is amazing! Since: Aug, 2010
Gunpla is amazing!
#33152: Oct 16th 2012 at 9:09:39 PM

[up][up]

Well we wonder why politics is so fucking nasty now.

DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Wandering Jew
#33153: Oct 16th 2012 at 9:10:39 PM

[up]

Now?

As opposed to when?

Do I have to remind everyone what it was like in the old days?

edited 16th Oct '12 9:15:30 PM by DeviantBraeburn

Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016
vanthebaron Mystical Monkey Master from Carlyle, Il Since: Sep, 2010
Mystical Monkey Master
#33154: Oct 16th 2012 at 9:13:56 PM

^^^So true, but like always, I'll vote democrat becuae A) I want my vote to actually count B) they may not be al left as me but they are left and that the point and C) neo-cons and teabaggers are fucking insane because they think that deregulation helps anyone beside Wall Street and the banks D) right wing candidates don't support human rights (LGBT/minority/woman's/whatever) and think "the gubberment is tryin to take mah gunz".

@thorn: they are nasty, it's dirty and you better have a crystal clear fucking slate because pac's will dig up everything you did wrong in your life to discredit you. "Can't they play nice" FUCK NO THEY CAN'T! You point would everything the other guy did wrong and make him look like a fool while shouting what you'd do while the other it does the same fucking thing. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the fucking ride man. And get ready for it again in 2 more years.

edited 16th Oct '12 9:20:33 PM by vanthebaron

Untitled Power Rangers Story
DrunkGirlfriend from Castle Geekhaven Since: Jan, 2011
#33155: Oct 16th 2012 at 9:15:54 PM

[up][up] As opposed to when people got challenged to pistols at dawn over their political races. Duh.

"I don't know how I do it. I'm like the Mr. Bean of sex." -Drunkscriblerian
RadicalTaoist scratching at .8, just hopin' from the #GUniverse Since: Jan, 2001
scratching at .8, just hopin'
#33156: Oct 16th 2012 at 9:17:14 PM

See, China missed the boat. If they'd become a democracy way back in the 1800s, candidates could have had real life kung fu duels over policy. How the hell could we have topped that?

Share it so that people can get into this conversation, 'cause we're not the only ones who think like this.
Thorn14 Gunpla is amazing! Since: Aug, 2010
Gunpla is amazing!
#33157: Oct 16th 2012 at 9:20:56 PM

Speaking of China.

Is Romney serious about Tariffs on China?

I thought he was an economic expert.

TrashJack Confirmed Doomer from beyond the Despair Event Horizon (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Confirmed Doomer
#33158: Oct 16th 2012 at 9:21:05 PM

[up][up] That's it. The minute we invent the time machine, that is exactly what we will be making happen first. Defying Hitler's Time Travel Exemption Act comes second now.

edited 16th Oct '12 9:21:19 PM by TrashJack

"Cynic, n. — A blackguard whose faulty vision sees things as they are, not as they ought to be." - The Devil's Dictionary
Trivialis Since: Oct, 2011
#33159: Oct 16th 2012 at 9:27:24 PM

I think people's perception of Obama being an "average" president is starting to take a toll on him. That's why all the campaign is centered around on saying that it's lacking real change and progress. I'm really wondering how the Obama campaign would refute that. It would take more of a strong affirmative defense of the current administration than what I see now.

Aqueos Nova here from Los Angeles Since: Dec, 2011 Relationship Status: Californicating
#33160: Oct 16th 2012 at 9:27:40 PM

[up][up][up]Taiwan did it in their stead.

Eh tariffs, they make everything all weird. I suppose it really depends on what said thing is.

Obama does have the problem with a mountain of brokenish promises, but he seems to either dodge it or just say congress wasn't cooperating.

edited 16th Oct '12 9:28:57 PM by Aqueos

Bet you didn't see that coming
DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Wandering Jew
#33161: Oct 16th 2012 at 9:30:28 PM

[up]

While he's right, has congress ever fully cooperated?

Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016
HilarityEnsues Since: Sep, 2009
#33162: Oct 16th 2012 at 9:31:12 PM

@Thorn: Agree'd... well, kind of. The issue for me isn't that it's so regrettable that politicians attack each other, though. It's that the only time they actually care about things is when they're attacking each other.

Obama the candidate was a champion of civil liberties, not someone who approved of extrajudicial killings. He was someone who wanted to protect the social safety net. Now, Social Security would most certainly have gotten a cut if it weren't for the fact that Obama demanded a cut and revenue increases. In an ironic twist of fate, it was the uncompromising stubbornness of Republicans, not the convictions of Obama, that has left the program protected.

In any situation, it's easy to just say "Republicans made him do this" or "it would've made him unpopular if he did that." But at that point, I don't feel like I'm even dealing with real political parties anymore. It seems more like Democrats are the Good Cop in some Good Cop/Bad Cop routine where they get away with ignoring the concerns of progressives because the other side is a bunch of clowns.

edited 16th Oct '12 9:32:39 PM by HilarityEnsues

vanthebaron Mystical Monkey Master from Carlyle, Il Since: Sep, 2010
Mystical Monkey Master
#33163: Oct 16th 2012 at 9:32:06 PM

Obstructionism is preventing anything from getting done through fillabustering or bullshit speeches/debates. That's what the republicans were doing for 2 years. All take and not give.

Untitled Power Rangers Story
Aqueos Nova here from Los Angeles Since: Dec, 2011 Relationship Status: Californicating
#33164: Oct 16th 2012 at 9:32:55 PM

[up][up][up]Well no they didn't roll over and say WHATEVER YOU WANT PRESIDENT, but he had a democratic majority in both houses for a while (half his term).

If that isn't good conditions, I don't know what is. Still though, even now he's just not really... well doing much. All his budgets insofar from what I remember haven't even been workable.

Sure republicans have been blockading things, but then again he's not exactly giving them any concessions.

edited 16th Oct '12 9:39:00 PM by Aqueos

Bet you didn't see that coming
drunkscriblerian Street Writing Man from Castle Geekhaven Since: Oct, 2010 Relationship Status: In season
Street Writing Man
#33165: Oct 16th 2012 at 9:35:11 PM

Wow, apparently Obama remembered where he left his pimp hand. Good show, B!

If I were to write some of the strange things that come under my eyes they would not be believed. ~Cora M. Strayer~
RavenWilder Since: Apr, 2009
#33166: Oct 16th 2012 at 9:41:12 PM

[up][up] Between the contested results of the Minnesota Senate race and another Senator dying, the Democrats only had a filibuster proof supermajority for a very short period of time, and even then, they only got all 60 of those seats because several Democratic Senators promised to support certain right-wing policies. With how unified Republican legislators were following the 2008 elections, that still counts as a serious barrier towards Democrats enacting policies. Heck, we probably wouldn't have gotten the Affordable Care Act at all if it weren't for that brief supermajority window.

edited 16th Oct '12 9:43:45 PM by RavenWilder

Aqueos Nova here from Los Angeles Since: Dec, 2011 Relationship Status: Californicating
#33167: Oct 16th 2012 at 9:45:13 PM

[up]Well yes, but what I'm saying is that part of the reason there's a blockade is no one really seems to want compromise. Sure we all say "Oh if only they would get things done" but the moment a concession is made it's the apocalypse. Effectively bribing a few people off to force through legislation hardly goes in the non-partisan box.

edited 16th Oct '12 9:45:51 PM by Aqueos

Bet you didn't see that coming
Thorn14 Gunpla is amazing! Since: Aug, 2010
Gunpla is amazing!
#33168: Oct 16th 2012 at 9:45:50 PM

I don't think its failed promises.

Theres SO MUCH he has to fix, and they expect him to wave a magic wand?

Like Mccain would have done better?

pvtnum11 OMG NO NOSECONES from Kerbin low orbit Since: Nov, 2009 Relationship Status: We finish each other's sandwiches
OMG NO NOSECONES
#33169: Oct 16th 2012 at 9:46:28 PM

Huh, I missed the debate.

I don't like either choice. And as stated elsewhere, voting for a third-party might ease your conscious, but precious little else. We have two political parties, one of which is more or less disastrous, and the other is just plain unpalatable (disclaimer: your opinion on which is which may vary). So Ron Paul kind of has a point - both parties are similar, differing only on details. Overall, both are imperfect, and they're often so busy infighting with the other party or even with each other that progress overall is slow to occur.

The Pendulum swings one way and then the other, both parties get their chance Doing Stuff They Like, and we're mostly along for the ride - or, that's how it seems to me. I'm not a Political expert of any kind, and aside from being a older-that-average married Christian father, I'm not terribly different than most Tropers here.

Would having more parties really matter? I mean, would it actually help? Well, we could likely run into the scenario in which the President is elected with only something like 34% of the votes, with the runner-up taking only 32% or something. That leaves you with the majority of the population feeling that they got stood up. Perception is the rule, they say.

So.... I don't know. I sit back and wonder if we would be better off with a 3-party system (or more, even), but it's kind of like debating "what if...?" on pretty much any other Game-Changer of Life.

Happiness is zero-gee with a sinus cold.
Aqueos Nova here from Los Angeles Since: Dec, 2011 Relationship Status: Californicating
#33170: Oct 16th 2012 at 9:46:53 PM

[up][up]Well he should have known he wasn't actually capable of such miracles. But in the case of something black and white, take the closing of the space shuttle program. Now I did agree with this, but he did promise voters in Florida he would protect this.

But regardless of how unreasonable and numerous the promises were, and how well the other option may have done, they are still broken.

edited 16th Oct '12 9:47:28 PM by Aqueos

Bet you didn't see that coming
Thorn14 Gunpla is amazing! Since: Aug, 2010
Gunpla is amazing!
#33171: Oct 16th 2012 at 9:47:08 PM

Oh please, what president hasn't offered the moon and say he'd fix everything?

Also he has more promises filled than broken at Politifact

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/obameter/

edited 16th Oct '12 9:49:21 PM by Thorn14

SnowyFoxes Drummer Boy from Club Room Since: Oct, 2011 Relationship Status: I know
Drummer Boy
#33172: Oct 16th 2012 at 9:49:23 PM

My dad just articulated quoted*

a theory he heard from a coworker or something, he can't remember. But he thinks it might be the Republican plan.

Republicans dive to the right —> Democrats forced to compromise —> Republicans dive further to the right —> Democratic concessions forced to become more conservative —> Repeat until America is blood-red.

I'm not sure what to say about that.

edited 16th Oct '12 9:50:57 PM by SnowyFoxes

The last battle's curtains will open on stage!
pvtnum11 OMG NO NOSECONES from Kerbin low orbit Since: Nov, 2009 Relationship Status: We finish each other's sandwiches
OMG NO NOSECONES
#33173: Oct 16th 2012 at 9:49:28 PM

Democrats claim that if you vote for them that you'll be farting through silk.

Republicans claim that Government doesn't work, then they get elected and prove it.

Happiness is zero-gee with a sinus cold.
ohsointocats from The Sand Wastes Since: Oct, 2011 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#33174: Oct 16th 2012 at 9:49:36 PM

I think the problem with politics is that politicians can't do math.

For example,

59 democrats < 41 republicans.

Also

$8 million dollars > 4 trillion dollars.

pvtnum11 OMG NO NOSECONES from Kerbin low orbit Since: Nov, 2009 Relationship Status: We finish each other's sandwiches
OMG NO NOSECONES
#33175: Oct 16th 2012 at 9:51:13 PM

Yeah, they should write out all the zeros for large numbers like that - 8,000,000 vs 4,000,000,000,000. It might help put crap into proper perspective, since apparently, even Politicians are Innumerate.

edited 16th Oct '12 9:51:53 PM by pvtnum11

Happiness is zero-gee with a sinus cold.

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