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

ElSquibbonator Since: Oct, 2014
#333001: Oct 9th 2020 at 6:21:48 PM

[up]x4 I doubt the motive is anything as complicated as that. The more likely reason for Trump's renewed interest in Clinton's emails is that, as you said, he sees them as a "security blanket." Trump has an odd sort of persecution complex where he has convinced himself that he is always being attacked by powerful enemies. And Clinton's emails reassure him of that. So by making the emails public, he is trying to set himself up as a victim.

Edited by ElSquibbonator on Oct 9th 2020 at 9:22:31 AM

Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#333002: Oct 9th 2020 at 6:46:47 PM

Trump's one real strategy to discredit Biden seems to have been his Perfect Phone Call to get Hunter investigated. And that one blew up in his face, at least as far as getting that investigation goes. And that seems to have been their only strategy on that front. So now they go after Clinton, I presume in the vain hope that it will rub off onto Biden somehow.

Well, there was that Reade allegation, but that case was apparently so flimsy, even a desperate Trump won't touch it with a ten foot barge pole. That's quite something.

On the "deep state", there is a bit of truth to the idea, in that governments tend to build a large cadre of career bureaucrats who are not answerable to voters and can quite easily serve under many presidents (or coalitions, as the case may be). Combine that with lobbying interests, and those people can indeed wield considerable power behind the scenes. Of course, the alt-right has hijacked the concept to suggest that this is a specifically left wing group, which is where the idea of shadow government comes in as well.

How much power these groups really hold, and how progressive or conservative they are, is all up for debate of course. I suspect that while they can hold some sway with politicians, they are not nearly as all-powerful as conspiracies are wont to suggest.

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#333003: Oct 9th 2020 at 6:47:16 PM

Looking at the 2016 map, there were a lot of faithless electors. Not enough to change things, obviously, but still I'm curious if something like that is going to happen again this year.

Draghinazzo (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: I get a feeling so complicated...
#333004: Oct 9th 2020 at 6:50:52 PM

At the time, people were speculating that the republicans were waiting to bring up the reade thing closer to the election, but that hasn't really proved to be the case at all. It's basically been entirely forgotten about.

Resileafs I actually wanted to be Resileaf Since: Jan, 2019
I actually wanted to be Resileaf
#333005: Oct 9th 2020 at 6:51:37 PM

For the Reade allegations, irrespective of it seeming to be faked, I have the feeling that even Trump knows that if he tries to hit Biden with that, the hypocrisy of the situation will cause him to shrivel upon himself because he's done much, much worse.

Alternatively, he doesn't see anything wrong with sexually assaulting women so he can't think of it as an attack.

Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#333006: Oct 9th 2020 at 6:51:48 PM

Yeah, I mean, if they are going to bring it up at all, you'd think now is the time to do it. People are already voting, after all.

Trump afraid of being seen as a hypocrite? HA. No, whatever the reason, it certainly is not that. The man will brazenly accuse anyone of things he himself is guilty of.

I do wonder though, why doesn't he even mention it? Is it because Fox won't pick it up? That would be some irony.

Edited by Redmess on Oct 9th 2020 at 3:53:53 PM

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#333007: Oct 9th 2020 at 6:53:40 PM

Pretty sure it's not the second option. Didn't he and his campaign do things like invite women who said that Bill Clinton sexually harassed/assaulted them to sit up front in town hall debates?

Hypocrisy means nothing to Trump.

CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#333008: Oct 9th 2020 at 6:58:12 PM

The thing about Hillary's e-mails is that they were about them being unsecured.

Which means sharing them is bad.

Which means Trump has literally forgotten what his own attack was about.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
Eschaton Since: Jul, 2010
#333009: Oct 9th 2020 at 7:05:27 PM

We all know that never mattered to them in the first place.

RedHunter543 Crimson Paladin Since: Jul, 2016 Relationship Status: Barbecuing
Crimson Paladin
#333010: Oct 9th 2020 at 7:11:12 PM

Wasn't there some buzz about Donald Trump Jr's emails?

"The Black Rage makes us strong, because we must resist its temptations every day of our lives or be forever damned!"
Resileafs I actually wanted to be Resileaf Since: Jan, 2019
I actually wanted to be Resileaf
#333011: Oct 9th 2020 at 7:16:07 PM

[up]Loads of people in Trump's administration have unsecured e-mail servers themselves.

Why no, they don't realize the hypocrisy, how did you guess?

sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#333012: Oct 9th 2020 at 7:25:20 PM

Recognizing hypocrisy requires a sense of shame that the GOP in general and Trump in particular lacks.

Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#333013: Oct 9th 2020 at 7:26:35 PM

Yeah, I don't know what the point of releasing them is going to be. Did they think there is something incriminating in them?

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#333014: Oct 9th 2020 at 7:28:59 PM

Does Pompeo even really have these emails?

Imca (Veteran)
#333015: Oct 9th 2020 at 7:41:32 PM

[up][up] Yes, they fully believe hillary is a criminal and the bigest threat to amercia.

Resileafs I actually wanted to be Resileaf Since: Jan, 2019
I actually wanted to be Resileaf
#333017: Oct 9th 2020 at 7:52:49 PM

[up]Ironically, if Hillary was president, their way of life would have probably not changed at all... But 4 years of Trump have given an enormous popularity boost to progressive ideas, and now their way of life is actually threatened.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#333018: Oct 9th 2020 at 8:03:50 PM

Eh, not really a fan of that thinking. Kind of accelerationist.

Edited by M84 on Oct 9th 2020 at 11:06:56 PM

Disgusted, but not surprised
Resileafs I actually wanted to be Resileaf Since: Jan, 2019
I actually wanted to be Resileaf
#333019: Oct 9th 2020 at 8:05:43 PM

I mean, I feel like it did. I doubt progressive ideas would have made so much... Um, progress, if Hillary was president. Obviously we'll never know, but I just feel like the pushback against Trump has accelerated things against his ilk.

Edited by Resileafs on Oct 9th 2020 at 11:05:56 AM

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#333020: Oct 9th 2020 at 8:06:59 PM

Not to mention that they only think their way of life is threatened due to a massive persecution complex. When one looks at things objectively, they've gotten a lot of what they wanted from Trump. To say nothing of all the court packing done by the evil Turtle.

FFS, these people still think they are the victims and are on the losing end even after their guy won the WH.

Edited by M84 on Oct 9th 2020 at 11:07:27 PM

Disgusted, but not surprised
RedHunter543 Crimson Paladin Since: Jul, 2016 Relationship Status: Barbecuing
Crimson Paladin
#333021: Oct 9th 2020 at 8:08:05 PM

Blargh, 2016 flashbacks.

An unelectable candidate went up against another unelectable candidate.

[up] People like acting as the underdog.

Edited by RedHunter543 on Oct 9th 2020 at 11:08:23 AM

"The Black Rage makes us strong, because we must resist its temptations every day of our lives or be forever damned!"
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#333022: Oct 9th 2020 at 8:33:36 PM

Eh, not really a fan of that thinking. Kind of accelerationist.

I actually see it as the self-defeating nature of evil. It is a failure of good that Trump was elected but Donald has been inflicting unimaginable damage on the organization he joined.

Because he's evil.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
RainehDaze Nero Fangirl (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Nero Fangirl
#333023: Oct 9th 2020 at 8:36:15 PM

If these references to Trump's interview with Sean Hannity are accurate, the drugs are doing way more than I ever expected.

A heavily medicated @Real Donald Trump tells Sean Hannity that @Joe Biden will make America "a 9th world country, not even a 3rd world country," and says Biden has committed to tearing down buildings and replacing them with "new buildings with tiny windows."

Edited by RainehDaze on Oct 9th 2020 at 4:36:37 PM

CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#333024: Oct 9th 2020 at 8:38:24 PM

The sheer commitment to such a moron, embarrassment, and disaster has done more to affect my opinion of the GOP than anything else.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
Robrecht Your friendly neighbourhood Regent from The Netherlands Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: They can't hide forever. We've got satellites.
Your friendly neighbourhood Regent
#333025: Oct 9th 2020 at 8:41:12 PM

Eh, not really a fan of that thinking. Kind of accelerationist.

You... Don't seem to know what the term 'accelerationist' means.

Any way, yeah, the American Right has a persecution complex a mile wide because, like all conservatives, they're trying to maintain the status quo and unlike most conservatives, the status quo they're trying to maintain is actually (and has been for a while) 'what the status quo was twenty-to-forty years ago'.

They're perpetually trying to stop progress today that they've failed to notice already happened yesterday.

Angry gets shit done.

Total posts: 417,856
Top