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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

singularityshot Since: Dec, 2012
#337101: Nov 2nd 2020 at 11:59:37 PM

Hang on - we're still having the election? According to those official results, Trump's ahead in New Hampshire, therefore ahead in both the electoral collage AND the popular vote!

Why has he not dropped the balloons, fired the tickertape and declared total and absolute victory for life?

Pagetopper: this is in response to the results from two tiny hamlets in New Hampshire which traditionally vote at midnight and count their votes straight away.

Edited by singularityshot on Nov 3rd 2020 at 12:02:27 PM

PresidentStalkeyes Eats moldy bread and flies into windows from United Kingdom of England-land Since: Feb, 2016 Relationship Status: Do you like me? (Yes ⎕ Definitely ⎕ Absolutely!!! ⎕)
Eats moldy bread and flies into windows
#337102: Nov 3rd 2020 at 12:03:38 AM

I'm reminded of when RationalWiki compared Trump to those kids in school elections that promise to give everyone who votes for them a free cookie or somesuch. I'm sure if Trump gets really desperate later, he really will promise to give everyone a free cookie. But a really big one, a YUGE one, much bigger and tastier than crooked Hillary's cookies, they got too much raisin in them, and very good trusted sources say raisin is very bad. :V

Those sell-by-dates won't stop me because I can't read!
LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#337103: Nov 3rd 2020 at 12:19:08 AM

Trump just ended HealthCare.gov in Georgia

A bit surprised given the focus Georgia has been getting that this hasn't come up here, or that they'd choose to do this now. But, there it is. Could result in tens of thousands of people losing healthcare coverage. Also, might be beyond the administrations power, but it's been brought up a lot of how little that actually matters to them.

RainehDaze Nero Fangirl (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Nero Fangirl
#337104: Nov 3rd 2020 at 12:20:07 AM

Wasn't it okaying Kemp's plan or something?

Anyway, guess we're just waiting around for the bunny to show up with that new thread. [lol]

LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#337105: Nov 3rd 2020 at 12:20:52 AM

Yeah, but how different is that, in this context?

Ayasugi Since: Oct, 2010
#337106: Nov 3rd 2020 at 12:40:02 AM

Trump winning Millsfield 16-5 does mean that we can't stop counting ballots after all the small New Hampshire towns have voted and declare Biden the winner based on sweeping Dixville Notch.

Also, these elections are usually community events with food and a packed media, which obviously is not happening this year.

Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#337107: Nov 3rd 2020 at 12:44:09 AM

CNN reports that stores are boarding up for the election, clearly expecting the worst.

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
Imca (Veteran)
#337108: Nov 3rd 2020 at 12:44:48 AM

Stores are a bit paranoid at the moment for, understandable reasons.

Honesty I doubt they really expect the worst, and more just want to be prepared, plywood is cheaper then new windows and damage repair after all.

Even cheaper if you kept it from July.

Edited by Imca on Nov 3rd 2020 at 12:46:29 PM

SpookyMask Since: Jan, 2011
#337109: Nov 3rd 2020 at 1:24:46 AM

@M84: That is actually why I avoided specifying "europe", I'm under impression that its true in lot of countries, but not particularly when it comes to european alt right parties and such [lol]

tclittle Professional Forum Ninja from Somewhere Down in Texas Since: Apr, 2010
Professional Forum Ninja
#337110: Nov 3rd 2020 at 1:24:59 AM

Snopes took a look at the Facebook group that organized the Biden-Harris bus harassment in Central Texas on Friday; found pro-Qanon messages and talk of being armed.

Edited by tclittle on Nov 3rd 2020 at 3:25:08 AM

"We're all paper, we're all scissors, we're all fightin' with our mirrors, scared we'll never find somebody to love."
Kayeka (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Dhiruxide Since: Dec, 2016
#337112: Nov 3rd 2020 at 1:49:25 AM

If I could vote, I would vote for Biden. (not from the US)

Whatever happens, I do not want Trump to win.

Edited by Dhiruxide on Nov 3rd 2020 at 10:49:40 AM

doctor05 Since: Sep, 2015
#337113: Nov 3rd 2020 at 2:07:51 AM

[up] same here. Trump caused too much mess already. Kick that clown out.

Fighteer MOD Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#337114: Nov 3rd 2020 at 4:02:07 AM

The Election Results thread is now live. Please take specific discussions of the results there to keep this thread about all the voter intimidation and suppression efforts by the Trump side. (Not actually kidding, even though I hope I am.)

Edited by Fighteer on Nov 3rd 2020 at 7:02:15 AM

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#337115: Nov 3rd 2020 at 4:48:45 AM

Good idea.

So was there any non-election news in the past day? Those were a lot of pages.

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
Galadriel Since: Feb, 2015
#337116: Nov 3rd 2020 at 4:51:50 AM

When people contrast US politics with the rest of the world, or with Europe specifically, it seems to be normally with regard to specific socioeconomic policies like public health care and the welfare state. Pretty much every other developed country, and many developing countries, have some form of public health care that to some degree accepted by the major parties.

That said, getting public health care established is generally a bigger battle than keeping it, so it’s not an exactly equal comparison.

On guns and the sheer scale of the prison system, the US is also an outlier among wealthy democracies.

Many, many countries have their own problems with oppression and mistreatment of minorities, so most of us can’t claim to be way more progressive than the US on minority rights issues.

In short - the position of the US on the political spectrum relative to other democracies varies policy by policy.

Edited by Galadriel on Nov 3rd 2020 at 7:53:14 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
#337117: Nov 3rd 2020 at 4:55:22 AM

Yeah and that’s before one accounts for the broad-tent nature of US politics. Some Democrats are right-wing by other country’s standards, some are centrists and some are left-wing, but they all operate within a single party and different factions can be more influential at different times.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
minseok42 A Self-inflicted Disaster from A Six-Tatami Room (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
A Self-inflicted Disaster
#337118: Nov 3rd 2020 at 5:18:54 AM

The idea that the US Democrats would be considered conservatives in other countries might be because, in some European countries, more progressive parties actually get seats in parliament.

"Enshittification truly is how platforms die"-Cory Doctorow
Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#337119: Nov 3rd 2020 at 5:19:59 AM

Or centrists at the very least.

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#337120: Nov 3rd 2020 at 5:21:49 AM

I think it's mostly people being ignorant of European politics. The Democratic Party contains lots of factions which would distribute over the left half of the European political spectrum.

Now, the Republicans being a far right party in Europe? Yeah, that one's correct. You need to go to the far right limits of the political spectrum to find GOP equivalents, things like Swiss and German FDP, Swiss SVP, German CDU/CSU and Austrian ÖVP would be on the left side of the present-day Republican Party.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
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
#337121: Nov 3rd 2020 at 5:22:11 AM

Progressive Democrats get seats in congress, hell the Congressional Progressive Caucus has 95 house seats and there are now also two members of the Democratic-Socialists of America in Congress.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
PurpleEyedGuma Since: Apr, 2020
#337122: Nov 3rd 2020 at 5:29:42 AM

Who am I supposed to support if both candidates have done morally reprehensible things? Even Biden openly supports fracking and the VP supports the police force. For once, can’t we have an objectively correct candidate?

minseok42 A Self-inflicted Disaster from A Six-Tatami Room (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
A Self-inflicted Disaster
#337123: Nov 3rd 2020 at 5:30:46 AM

[up][up][up] True. Because of the first-past-the-post voting system, factions that are represented by separate parties in some countries are all in one party in the US, giving the illusion that the Democratic party is conservative by European standards.

"Enshittification truly is how platforms die"-Cory Doctorow
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#337124: Nov 3rd 2020 at 5:30:56 AM

[up][up] We do have an objectively correct candidate. His name is Joe Biden.

There is nothing so terrible about Biden that it makes a second term of Donald Trump a reasonable alternative.

Donald Trump is a boob* who proves weekly, if not daily, that he has no business in the office. Their policies don't even enter into it. Biden at his worst is still better than Trump at his best.

* Apologies to all womens' chests and booby birds everywhere.

Edited by sgamer82 on Nov 3rd 2020 at 5:35:40 AM

Memers Since: Aug, 2013
#337125: Nov 3rd 2020 at 5:35:10 AM

[up][up][up] Note: ‘Fracking’ support is only about how we need time to ween off that. Like even California is not supposed to go full electric by 2045 and NY is 2050. He has said we need to scale it back over time as it’s just not feasible to go full stop.


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