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

SpookyMask Since: Jan, 2011
#337551: Nov 5th 2020 at 9:08:11 PM

On side note, lot of countries with bad relations to US seems to be taking schadenfreude in the election stuff ^_^;

TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#337552: Nov 5th 2020 at 10:07:27 PM

Considering how Trump politicized the idea of taking a pandemic seriously the fact that he'd get a higher turnout, sadly, makes sense to me. The idea's probably that voting Trump means that lockdown procedures, social distancing, etc. will end sooner because he'll stop people from enforcing those things. Either that or they're buying the sales pitch about how the vaccine is totes coming soon you guys I swear it just won't be here until conveniently after the election.

Trump actually getting COVID himself probably lent some credibility to his narrative, too. He went to the hospital and then came back a day or two later going, "LOL I'm fine, I told you it's no big deal, what's all the fuss about?" And then he recovered just fine.

Trump was able to do that because as POTUS he has significantly better healthcare than the rest of the nation. But he spun it as proof that COVID really wasn't a big deal after all and therefore all this shutting down of the country business is just overreacting Democrats destroying our economy. And to a voter unsure about whether the shutdown or the disease is the bigger threat, that's a convincing argument.

If Trump had never caught COVID and then been in a position to make a public mockery of its menace with Election Day right around the corner, his turnout may not have been so high. He completely and utterly butchered his chance to ride a solid COVID response straight into guaranteed re-election, but fate dealt him one last opportunity to politicize it in his favor.

Edited by TobiasDrake on Nov 5th 2020 at 10:09:57 AM

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
Memers Since: Aug, 2013
#337553: Nov 5th 2020 at 10:36:10 PM

Boy Colbert gets really emotional at Trump's speech tonight, like wow.

Altris from the Vortex Since: Aug, 2019 Relationship Status: Not caught up in your love affair
#337554: Nov 5th 2020 at 11:11:31 PM

Yeah, was not expecting that among the "yum nut" thing.

Also, the Stupid Statement Dance Mix of the MAGA idiot and Paula White's, uh, sermon, at the end was great.

So, let's hang an anchor from the sun... also my Tumblr
nova92 Since: Apr, 2020
#337555: Nov 6th 2020 at 1:43:31 AM

Newsweek: Lindsey Graham Personally Donates $500,000 to Trump Campaign's Legal Fund

I think there was a post on either here or the election watch thread over Sen. Graham breaking with Trump on election-fraud stuff. Just a heads-up that it didn't last.

SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#337556: Nov 6th 2020 at 1:50:57 AM

Republican Senators are somewhat practiced at the Art of the Lip Service. Sometimes not even to lip service.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#337557: Nov 6th 2020 at 1:53:17 AM

Unless "ass kissing" counts as lip service.

Disgusted, but not surprised
nova92 Since: Apr, 2020
#337558: Nov 6th 2020 at 3:57:17 AM

A piece from Vox about Stacey Abrams' work to support voting rights and flip Georgia since losing her gubernatorial race in 2018, with an interview. Biden probably owes her a big thank you.

Democracy has, in particular, become Stacey Abrams' animating mission. In 2018, Abrams lost the Georgia gubernatorial race by a razor-thin margin amid rampant voter suppression. Since then, as the founder of Fair Fight, she's turned her attention to the deeper fight, the one that sets the rules under which elections like hers play out.
It's the Republican Party, not just Trump, that has turned against democracy, and that is implementing the turn against democracy. And it's the Democratic Party, not just Joe Biden, that will have to decide whether democracy is worth protecting, and achieving. Democracy is on the ballot in 2020 and beyond, but it's not just on the presidential voting line.

SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#337559: Nov 6th 2020 at 4:03:26 AM

So, where do we celebrate Stacey Abrams?

If Biden wins the state (and especially if Democrats manage to seize one or both Senate seats in the January runoff) she'll be a big part of the reason why, per a number of sources such as here.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#337560: Nov 6th 2020 at 4:05:20 AM

I don't know if she'd be more valuable by getting a role in the administration or by continuing her fight in Georgia.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#337561: Nov 6th 2020 at 4:37:26 AM

Yeah I suspect that the only truly viable path is for Harris to see what powers the VP has as the actual senate leader.

Among other things, she can force floor debate on judges and bills that are unpopular with Republicans. And remember that judicial appointments can't be filibustered.

Of course, the way Georgia is going, we might get 50.5 blue votes in the Senate.

nova92 Since: Apr, 2020
#337562: Nov 6th 2020 at 5:12:27 AM

[up][up] Maybe enter the Biden administration for a bit and then run for Governor again in 2022?

CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#337563: Nov 6th 2020 at 5:15:18 AM

Her work in the state to register voters may win the state for Biden and the Senate for the Democrats.

Is it wrong that I would imagine her going, "Vengeance is a dish best served cold."

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#337565: Nov 6th 2020 at 5:41:40 AM

It scares me for democracy that if not for extraordinary circumstances, Trump and the GOP would have swept this election.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
nova92 Since: Apr, 2020
#337566: Nov 6th 2020 at 6:04:28 AM

Just in case some people here aren't following the election watch thread, Pennsylvania has just flipped to Biden! If all the states Biden is currently leading in hold (which ATM they seem very likely to do) Biden wins 306 Electoral College votes to Trump's 232.

Edited by nova92 on Nov 6th 2020 at 6:15:43 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
#337567: Nov 6th 2020 at 6:13:41 AM

Decision Desk HQ have called the race for Biden, I'd expect other networks to follow shortly. For more updates I'd suggest coming to the results thread.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#337568: Nov 6th 2020 at 6:17:14 AM

There's no way Trump successfully contests the results with four states against him. One, maybe, but not four. It's all over but the crying.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
nova92 Since: Apr, 2020
#337569: Nov 6th 2020 at 6:25:31 AM

Oh, I just realized something. Ben Ray Lujan was elected to the US Senate from New Mexico, bringing the number of Hispanic American US Senators to 5 (3 for Democrats and 2 for Republicans). The Senate is much much worse at representation than the House, so I'm glad he was elected. (Still super bitter about Sara Gideon, though.)

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#337570: Nov 6th 2020 at 6:28:56 AM

It starts already. Reuters reports that the Office of Special Counsel has opened an investigation into Trump's illegal use of the White House as an election command center.

When the train starts rolling downhill, nothing stops it.


Edit: I promised I would do it four years ago, and so I have. The upside down flag and Biden poster have been retired. I'm back to my spiral galaxy.

Edited by Fighteer on Nov 6th 2020 at 9:57:10 AM

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
ScubaWolf from South Carolina Since: Feb, 2020
#337571: Nov 6th 2020 at 6:58:50 AM

[up] The balance to the universe has been restored.

"In a move surprising absolutely no one"
DrunkenNordmann from Exile Since: May, 2015
#337572: Nov 6th 2020 at 7:02:57 AM

[up][up] Do you have a direct link? This just links me to the news ticker.

We learn from history that we do not learn from history
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
DrunkenNordmann from Exile Since: May, 2015
#337574: Nov 6th 2020 at 7:06:17 AM

Thanks.

We learn from history that we do not learn from history
Draghinazzo (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: I get a feeling so complicated...
#337575: Nov 6th 2020 at 7:10:40 AM

It seems like the sharks are all circling Trump now. Most of the "establishment" republicans have abandoned him, Esper is quitting, Deutsche has already said they're coming for his ass, I'm not sure on the specifics but I think a bunch of NY attorneys are raring to bust him, etc.

He might not see jail but he's going to be busy for a while.


Total posts: 417,856
Top