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Chalkos Sidequest Proliferator from The Internets Since: Oct, 2010
Sidequest Proliferator
#39551: Nov 10th 2012 at 8:52:03 AM

Caucuses are, indeed, run by the parties with only regulatory oversight from the government, I understand. They don't make use of the voting apparatus, so no need for government assistance.

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#39552: Nov 10th 2012 at 9:26:46 AM

Krugman continues the talk about the modern GOP as deeply anti-intellectual.

The truth is that the modern GOP is deeply anti-intellectual, and has as its fundamental goal not just a rollback of the welfare state but a rollback of the Enlightenment. Yet there are some wannabe intellectuals who delude themselves into believing that they have aligned themselves with the party of objective (as opposed to Objectivist) analysis.

For their official platform, the Republican Party has adopted Objectivism whole-hog. This is not to say that all Republicans subscribe to this, just as all Democrats don't fully agree with that party's platform. However, the GOP's leadership and punditocracy have collectively decided that no truth, no facts, no reason, no logic, and no math shall stand between them and what they want.

edited 10th Nov '12 9:31:14 AM by Fighteer

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Midgetsnowman Since: Jan, 2010
#39553: Nov 10th 2012 at 9:35:18 AM

[up]

It helps that their base seems to truly and actually believe that they are some sort oif moral elite and doesnt seem capable of fathoming why blacks or gays find half the shit they say highly offensive.

Even on my facebook I see perfectly nice people posting shit about how "you dont need welfare if you own a tv" or "real women get off food stamps and go work for a living"

and I really think they dont understand at all how much that REALLY pisses off Black Voters.

edited 10th Nov '12 9:36:19 AM by Midgetsnowman

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#39554: Nov 10th 2012 at 9:38:48 AM

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57547239/adviser-romney-shellshocked-by-loss/

Wow. Its like they really didn't even see the race as close; let alone as being in Obama's favor.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#39555: Nov 10th 2012 at 9:43:58 AM

Yeah, they are treating that like an airplane disaster. Even though it's probably much their fault (Mourdock, Akin, the "47%" comments etc.)

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Midgetsnowman Since: Jan, 2010
#39556: Nov 10th 2012 at 9:44:02 AM

[up][up]

My experience since the election (or even leading up to it) is that a large quantity of republicans and their voters lived in (and still do live in) a bubble where america truly was on its way back to the glory days that only existed for white suburban christians in the 1950's, where racial riots never happened and america was like something out of leave it to beaver instead of the snipey, morally bankrupt under the surface hellhole 50's suburbs actually were.

The realization the "lazy, immoral" latinos, blacks, and other non-whites actually have a political voice and will seems to have caught them totally offguard and made them look for some way to excuse it on america failing them morally. '

Conservativism didnt fail, it was too good for this sinful country.

..Then they wonder why Blacks and Latinos and Asians hate them.

edited 10th Nov '12 9:45:04 AM by Midgetsnowman

rmctagg09 The Wanderer from Brooklyn, NY (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
The Wanderer
#39557: Nov 10th 2012 at 9:44:14 AM

[up]x3 That's what happens when you spend time listening to nothing but your own hype.

edited 10th Nov '12 9:44:35 AM by rmctagg09

Hugging a Vanillite will give you frostbite.
TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#39558: Nov 10th 2012 at 10:04:46 AM

I spend all my time listening to nothing but my own hype. But my hype isn't as goddamned stupid.

Midgetsnowman Since: Jan, 2010
#39559: Nov 10th 2012 at 10:16:53 AM

According to Politico the AP finally called Florida for Obama. The officiual electoral vote tally is officially an asskicking 332 to 206

Thorn14 Gunpla is amazing! Since: Aug, 2010
Gunpla is amazing!
#39560: Nov 10th 2012 at 10:25:41 AM

I stand by my theory of them yelling This Cannot Be!!

Midgetsnowman Since: Jan, 2010
#39561: Nov 10th 2012 at 10:35:32 AM

You know. What strikes me as most hilarious about the whole thing is how a lot of the GOP blames the election on "minorities voting on ethnic lines"

.well, yeah. People tend to do that when you MAKE THEIR NOT BEING WASPS AN ISSUE

edited 10th Nov '12 10:35:49 AM by Midgetsnowman

Arkasas (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#39562: Nov 10th 2012 at 10:50:45 AM

[up][up][up] CNN's called it too. Well, looks like we've got a mandate.

nightwyrm_zero Since: Apr, 2010
#39563: Nov 10th 2012 at 10:59:46 AM

[up]GO Ps can still whine about the popular vote being close and retaining control of the house = no mandate.

edited 10th Nov '12 11:00:17 AM by nightwyrm_zero

Trivialis Since: Oct, 2011
#39564: Nov 10th 2012 at 11:02:02 AM

Democrats actually had a greater plurality of popular vote sum in the House too. Not sure if that means anything.

PotatoesRock Since: Oct, 2012
#39565: Nov 10th 2012 at 11:06:14 AM

"We have more reps in Congress. No dice. No mandate."

HilarityEnsues Since: Sep, 2009
#39566: Nov 10th 2012 at 11:18:29 AM

I think it's waaaaaay simpler than that.

"Why don't you have a mandate? Because fuck you, that's why."

TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#39567: Nov 10th 2012 at 11:22:15 AM

"We still have the political power to block you, ergo, you do not have the mandate to not be blocked."

The Republican party will continue to be douchetards for as long as they have the power to do so. Period. Well that's not entirely accurate.

There's basically two camps. The "safe" camp, and the "unsafe" camp.

#39568: Nov 10th 2012 at 11:23:43 AM

52% of the vote does not constitute a mandate under any circumstances. It means barely half the population prefers you to the alternative. Failure to realize this will only lead to the 40% who oppose you being pushed further and further into desperation.

Personally I wish the idea of a "mandate" would die in a fire. It stinks of nationalistic fascism, and in practice it is used to mean "we don't have to listen to what the people want anymore because half of you briefly approved of us last year".

<><
Arkasas (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#39569: Nov 10th 2012 at 11:26:04 AM

"You can say we don't have a mandate all you want, but your candidate got less votes this time than your candidate did four years ago, we've picked up seats in the House, and we've expanded a Senate majority. Speaker Boehner, it is time for you to acknowledge that most Americans want taxes to increase for the rich."

Inhopelessguy Since: Apr, 2011
#39570: Nov 10th 2012 at 11:26:39 AM

Pfft. You should see Parliament's idea of a mandate. "Oh, well, we got more than half the seats, on a third of the popular vote, that's our mandate to govern!"

RadicalTaoist scratching at .8, just hopin' from the #GUniverse Since: Jan, 2001
scratching at .8, just hopin'
#39571: Nov 10th 2012 at 11:27:48 AM

Obama needs to worry less on what he has a mandate to do and more on what he has a duty to do.

Share it so that people can get into this conversation, 'cause we're not the only ones who think like this.
3of4 Just a harmless giant from a foreign land. from Five Seconds in the Future. Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: GAR for Archer
Just a harmless giant from a foreign land.
#39572: Nov 10th 2012 at 11:29:20 AM

[up][up] Ours have (mostly) the grace to admit that they have only "a mandate to form a government" (which them in charge of course) with other parties.

edited 10th Nov '12 11:29:38 AM by 3of4

"You can reply to this Message!"
TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#39573: Nov 10th 2012 at 11:33:26 AM

52% is pretty huge when you consider that only about 4% of voters are independent.

HilarityEnsues Since: Sep, 2009
#39574: Nov 10th 2012 at 11:34:44 AM

Personally I wish the idea of a "mandate" would die in a fire. It stinks of nationalistic fascism, and in practice it is used to mean "we don't have to listen to what the people want anymore because half of you briefly approved of us last year".

I can agree with that, actually. The idea that both parties will come together and put their differences aside because of some percentage points is an absolutely ludicrous premise to begin with.

The reality is that Obama is going to have to be firm with the Republicans and be politically savvy if he wants to get anything done. This mandate voodoo just doesn't cut it.

edited 10th Nov '12 11:38:14 AM by HilarityEnsues

Minister Do Not Go Gentle Since: Jul, 2011 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
Do Not Go Gentle
#39575: Nov 10th 2012 at 12:45:38 PM

Hah! Needing a mandate to govern! You Americans are adorable!

(In seriousness, I stand by the point that the US system isn't very good at correlating a mandate with the ability to govern. Hell, most Representative Democracies aren't. Last time England had a real mandate to govern, I'm pretty sure Boudicea was laying out her campaign stall.)

edited 10th Nov '12 12:46:34 PM by Minister

It's your God, they're your rules, you go to hell." - Mark Twain

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