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Serocco Serocco from Miami, Florida Since: Mar, 2010 Relationship Status: Faithful to 2D
Serocco
#39526: Nov 9th 2012 at 10:00:48 PM

The fiscal cliff means "cut taxes as well as raise them," doesn't it?

If so, then I can easily see the Democrats giving up on the "raise taxes" part and just focus on cutting taxes.

In RWBY, every girl is Best Girl.
AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#39527: Nov 9th 2012 at 10:03:52 PM

The fiscal cliff they keep talking about is basically something to do with the Bush tax cuts expiring, as well as the payroll tax cuts Obama put into effect. And some other stuff I'm forgetting right now. The Bush tax cuts can go, but the payroll tax cuts affects the middle class and I'm pretty sure Obama doesn't want those to go away.

But what it is is a false disaster made up by Republicans to try and lather us into a panic so that the Dems will be forced by their constituency or something to buckle. Basically what we need is for them to see the scaremongering for what it is.

Serocco Serocco from Miami, Florida Since: Mar, 2010 Relationship Status: Faithful to 2D
Serocco
#39528: Nov 9th 2012 at 10:05:44 PM

In other words, it's an Orwellian euphemism that Bernanke coined in order to force the Democrats to continue the rich tax cuts, framing it as if something terrible will happen if it the Democrats don't do so.

In RWBY, every girl is Best Girl.
AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#39529: Nov 9th 2012 at 10:07:12 PM

Well, yeah. You already said that. Most of us already agree that it's a bunk term. And some of us agree with Krugman that Obama should let it pass. I'm sort of iffy on it, but I sort of support it if only to let Republicans know two can play at this ridiculous game.

Completion oldtimeytropey from Space Since: Apr, 2012
oldtimeytropey
#39530: Nov 9th 2012 at 10:07:52 PM

Do you have an article that fully explains the situation?

Edit: Because I'd like to know more about what's going on.

edited 9th Nov '12 10:08:35 PM by Completion

DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Wandering Jew
#39531: Nov 9th 2012 at 10:09:00 PM

Making the wealthy pay a little more means nothing if he's gonna cut the social programs more.

But the thing is the GOP are refusing to raise taxes on the wealthy by even the slightest margin, if neither group comprises then the fiscal cliff is a inevitable.

Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016
Serocco Serocco from Miami, Florida Since: Mar, 2010 Relationship Status: Faithful to 2D
Serocco
#39532: Nov 9th 2012 at 10:13:16 PM

[up] The Democrats will capitulate by forgoing the tax raises and they'll just focus on spending cuts.

And we've already discussed that the fiscal cliff is nonsense Orwellianism.

edited 9th Nov '12 10:13:48 PM by Serocco

In RWBY, every girl is Best Girl.
RadicalTaoist scratching at .8, just hopin' from the #GUniverse Since: Jan, 2001
scratching at .8, just hopin'
#39533: Nov 9th 2012 at 10:15:52 PM

I'd hope that the exorbitant amounts of money spent by the wealthy right wing against Democrats this cycle will make it clear to Obama that he doesn't gain anything by trying to coddle them.

Share it so that people can get into this conversation, 'cause we're not the only ones who think like this.
Serocco Serocco from Miami, Florida Since: Mar, 2010 Relationship Status: Faithful to 2D
Serocco
#39534: Nov 9th 2012 at 10:19:27 PM

[up] He's been trying to coddle, most importantly, Wall Street, even though they preferred Romney. I doubt that will change about Obama, whether it's regarding Wall Street or the Republicans.

edited 9th Nov '12 10:26:05 PM by Serocco

In RWBY, every girl is Best Girl.
RadicalTaoist scratching at .8, just hopin' from the #GUniverse Since: Jan, 2001
scratching at .8, just hopin'
#39535: Nov 9th 2012 at 10:39:10 PM

Wall Street stabbed him in the back. If nothing else, the Democratic Party will realize that an increase in upper-income tax rates and removal of a separate rate for capital gains will drain the coffers of people willing to lay of employees out of spite and funnel billions of dollars into Super PA Cs against them. Appeasing them appears to serve their interests less and less, and while I don't expect principled behaviour from the Democratic Party, I do expect self-preservation.

Share it so that people can get into this conversation, 'cause we're not the only ones who think like this.
Chalkos Sidequest Proliferator from The Internets Since: Oct, 2010
Sidequest Proliferator
#39536: Nov 9th 2012 at 10:54:58 PM

Heard a rumor that Elizabeth Warren is being considered for the Senate Banking Committee, which would be delicious irony.

PotatoesRock Since: Oct, 2012
#39537: Nov 9th 2012 at 11:17:36 PM

I think you mean poetic justice.

Still, I hope Obama sticks to his insistence on letting taxes on the rich jump back up to previous levels.

Chalkos Sidequest Proliferator from The Internets Since: Oct, 2010
Sidequest Proliferator
#39538: Nov 9th 2012 at 11:20:44 PM

Well, it would be that, too— but it's also ironic, in that the very effort the banking industry exerted to prevent her from being named head of the consumer protection agency would have led to her role in authority over them on the Banking Committee, quite without their anticipating this fact.

Completion oldtimeytropey from Space Since: Apr, 2012
oldtimeytropey
#39539: Nov 10th 2012 at 12:46:06 AM

As the rest of the votes are tallied, Mitt Romney's total vote percentage is at this moment 47.9% and his total votes are one million less than John Mc Cain. It could go down even further. If it gets exactly 47% that'll be some poetic justice.

TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#39540: Nov 10th 2012 at 12:55:46 AM

Wait, what? Romney lost the popular vote by more than 3%? I thought it was closer than that. Yowza.

AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#39541: Nov 10th 2012 at 12:56:34 AM

Not really understanding how percentages work, but from what way you responded to that I'm assuming that's a big margin?

Completion oldtimeytropey from Space Since: Apr, 2012
oldtimeytropey
#39542: Nov 10th 2012 at 12:57:31 AM

Remember his 47% remarks?

[up] In American politics, three percent is a lot because that's millions/tens of millions of votes in a population as big as ours. It also marks the point when the election is considered "not close".

edited 10th Nov '12 1:02:13 AM by Completion

TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#39543: Nov 10th 2012 at 12:58:47 AM

Yeah, but it's more that I thought Obama had only a 1% or 2% lead over em in the electoral college, for 48% to 52% is a much bigger difference.

I mean, it's no "Godly mandate down from heaven!" or anything, but it means Obama didn't squeak by by any stretch of the imagination.

DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Wandering Jew
#39544: Nov 10th 2012 at 1:10:40 AM

Have you all seen this?

Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016
MidnightRambler Ich bin nicht schuld! 's ist Gottes Plan! from Germania Inferior Since: Mar, 2011
Ich bin nicht schuld! 's ist Gottes Plan!
#39545: Nov 10th 2012 at 1:29:14 AM

The parties do keep track of those who are on their rolls... The issue is that you do not register to vote through your party (unless you register to vote on the day of a primary). You register to vote via the government.

Well, of course you don't register to vote in the actual elections through your party. That would be silly. But aren't the primaries something else? I'd see them as purely internal affairs of each party, and thus none of the government's business.

(BTW, sorry for replying to a post 4 pages back. I slept in the meanwhile.) tongue

edited 10th Nov '12 1:29:27 AM by MidnightRambler

Mache dich, mein Herze, rein...
MidnightRambler Ich bin nicht schuld! 's ist Gottes Plan! from Germania Inferior Since: Mar, 2011
Ich bin nicht schuld! 's ist Gottes Plan!
#39546: Nov 10th 2012 at 1:36:31 AM

On another note: One of the "White People Mourning Romney" now 'wonders who would've won if you'd had to take an IQ test before voting'. She's confident it would've been Romney.

1) I'm not so sure about that and 2) hel-loooo, Jim Crow!

Also, here's quite an interesting article inspired by that Tumblr.

Mache dich, mein Herze, rein...
Chalkos Sidequest Proliferator from The Internets Since: Oct, 2010
Sidequest Proliferator
#39547: Nov 10th 2012 at 8:20:43 AM

[up][up]It's more efficient for the same election apparatus to handle both primary and general election, thus the government runs both. Specific handling of the primary election does vary from state to state, I believe.

Midgetsnowman Since: Jan, 2010
#39548: Nov 10th 2012 at 8:28:22 AM

[up][up]

IQ isnt a meaningful test of anything anyhow except potential to be smart. It means jack shit if you decide to just go buy into fundamentalist religion and hating science.

Linhasxoc Since: Jun, 2009
#39549: Nov 10th 2012 at 8:35:55 AM

Yes, primary elections are held through the same government apparatus as general elections. There are a number of reasons for this–one is avoiding duplication of infrastructure (why have two sets of expensive voting equipment per jurisdiction?) There are also "non-partisan" primaries for offices where one does not specifically run as a member of a party, and not having separate party-run primaries means you can combine the two into a single election, if the government wishes.

Also, there are generally four kinds of primaries. In a closed primary, you have to be registered as a member of a party to vote in that party's primary (how this works is there are separate ballots for each party, and your entry in the poll book will tell the workers which one to give you). Semi-closed works similarly, except if you're registered as unaffiliated you can pick a party's ballot. Finally, with open and semi-open primaries voters aren't registered with any party, and can pick whichever party they want to vote for at the polls. The difference is that with open primaries, all candidates are on a single ballot (though you still are required to only vote in one party's primary), whereas with semi-open primaries you still have separate party ballots.

That said, does anyone know how caucuses work? I'm pretty sure those are directly run by the parties.

Midgetsnowman Since: Jan, 2010
#39550: Nov 10th 2012 at 8:39:07 AM

so, I have to say, I'm also loving the White People Mourning Romney tumblr.

The Root, an african-american based news website is also getting quite a few laughs over the website and all the sheer schadenfruede the site provides.

http://www.theroot.com/views/white-people-mourning-more-romney


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