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
@Greenmantle: While I don't think we're headed to the point where people could be executed for disagreeing with Lord Herman Cain or the Almighty Michelle Bachmann... it's not particularly reassuring, no.
Personally, I don't really buy that. I just think the GOP has done a really poor job presenting their case to secular folks and minorities.
@Grizzly: By their deeds shall ye know them. I think I'm (badly) paraphrasing some book that you might have heard of.
The point isn't that Republicans as a whole are evil. The point is that their platform includes positions that are at the very least misguided and at the very worst outright malicious, and their base follows along in seemingly willful ignorance of this.
Although I have to note here that GOP voters turned out in lower numbers in this election than in 2008, so it may be that many of them were turned away from the polls by their party's platform. That bodes well for a return to sanity in American politics.
"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"@Midget: That's a strange sort of circular reasoning. If you don't already have a stereotype of minorities as lazy bums, there's no reason to think a statement about "wellfare queens" is racially charged.
My social circle includes members of many different religions and political persuasions, and we all manage to get along in relative harmony despite many of us believing that each other are deeply, horribly wrong and occasionally engaging in heated arguments. It's called basic decency, and at least where I live it's a thing that exists.
In a deeply red, mountainous part of the southeast. Mostly white, with hispanics being the largest minority group. Overwhelmingly Christian. I'd rather not be more specific than that, to preserve what anonymity I can. If you can infer more than that from my posts you are welcome to.
<><Were a state of over 30 million, things take time here okay?
edited 11th Nov '12 4:03:18 PM by DeviantBraeburn
Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016Many of us were, but not necessarily in the way you hope. The biggest turn-offs to many people I know (myself included, though I voted anyway) were this year's weak stance on abortion, overly harsh stance on immigration, and Romney's perceived general lack of trustworthiness.
<><Gun sales shoot through the roof day after Obama re-election.
Meanwhile at Smith & Wesson, Sturm Ruger & Co., Remington Arms, Colt's Manufacturing Company, etc
![]()
?
edited 11th Nov '12 4:16:07 PM by DeviantBraeburn
Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016@Edwards: While we've acknowledged that abortion is a sticking point for you, the recognition that the GOP is shooting itself in the foot on the immigration issue is at least a step in the right direction. Romney's trustworthiness is another factor we can agree on, although I dare say that few of the candidates who entered the Republican primaries this year would have fared much better.
"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"Norquist: Lame duck tax hike still unlikely
Iran's Ahmadinejad mocks expense of US election, calling it a 'battleground for capitalists'
edited 11th Nov '12 4:36:51 PM by DeviantBraeburn
Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016You really aren't going to see compromise if one side is seen by the other as communist traitors and the other side is seen by the first as religious bigots, even if both viewpoints are completely untrue.
That being said, the Republicans are the ones who lost this election, so it is up to them to try to appeal to more people, not the Democrats.
edited 11th Nov '12 4:51:37 PM by GameGuruGG
Wizard Needs Food Badly@Grizz: I do think probably that Romney lost a significant part of the votes he did because nobody knew where he stood on anything. In this matter, probably Santorum or Paul would have been better candidates, even though everyone thought that either of them would have lost outright (and probably would have). The fact that someone whose policies would change to whatever is popular at that second was the best Republican candidate they could find is a little worrying.

@Grizzly: Exactly where do you live, out of curiosity? I know that it's a rural area, but that doesn't really mean much.
The rural area where I'm living right now is full of very nice people and it's a decent community, but they also host a drag show at the local bar, and tend to vote Democrat. The area where I grew up was full of the sort of racist extreme-right people that we're talking about.
"I don't know how I do it. I'm like the Mr. Bean of sex." -Drunkscriblerian