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

deathpigeon Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: One True Dodecahedron
#43301: Dec 9th 2012 at 7:07:22 PM

Best: FDR. Sure, he wasn't very good, but he was the closest to actually socialistic economics, and it's not like any were really that good on social issues, in my opinion.

Worst: Ulysses S Grant. He was corrupt and incompetent.

Favorite: Grover Cleveland. The guy was just cool guy.

AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#43302: Dec 9th 2012 at 7:07:32 PM

Guys, we are way off topic now, and Trivialis already linked us to an actual thread about presidents. Please go there if you want to keep talking about this.

DrTentacles Cephalopod Lothario from Land of the Deep Ones Since: Jul, 2012 Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
Cephalopod Lothario
#43303: Dec 9th 2012 at 7:11:38 PM

I almost feel sorry for O'Reilly. Almost. He's so out of touch with...reality. Also, I think he actually might just believe what he's saying.

But then I remember some of the shit he's said, and that just makes it worse.

DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Wandering Jew
#43304: Dec 9th 2012 at 7:12:37 PM

Cleveland was indeed a cool guy.

A lot of the 'Gilded Age' presidents were cool guys.

Sure, he wasn't very good, but he was the closest to actually socialistic economics, and it's not like any were really that good on social issues, in my opinion.

I'd say LBJ was more socialist than FDR.

edited 9th Dec '12 7:15:54 PM by DeviantBraeburn

Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016
Arkasas (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#43305: Dec 9th 2012 at 7:15:29 PM

Note: That is not Bill O'Reilly of Fox News fame, that's Bill O'Reilly, some political consultant none of us have ever heard of before.

Why did he go into politics?

DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Wandering Jew
#43306: Dec 9th 2012 at 7:17:11 PM

[up]

Dammit, I knew I should have proofread the article.

Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016
HilarityEnsues Since: Sep, 2009
#43307: Dec 9th 2012 at 7:19:07 PM

Wow, I think the Fox O'Reilly actually has a slightly better head on his shoulders than this twat.

deathpigeon Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: One True Dodecahedron
#43308: Dec 9th 2012 at 7:19:14 PM

I'd say LBJ was more socialist than FDR.

The New Deal was essentially nationalizing a bunch of stuff and a ton of stuff.

Lascoden ... from Missouri, USA Since: Nov, 2012
...
#43309: Dec 9th 2012 at 7:19:23 PM

Oh god, there's two of them?!

edited 9th Dec '12 7:20:01 PM by Lascoden

boop
DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Wandering Jew
#43310: Dec 9th 2012 at 7:20:38 PM

[up][up]

But Johnson's Great Society actually featured a War on Poverty.

edited 9th Dec '12 7:20:56 PM by DeviantBraeburn

Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016
AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#43311: Dec 9th 2012 at 7:20:53 PM

AGAIN, move the presidential talk to the thread already assigned to it. You're derailing now.

Actually on the fucking topic: I have a bad feeling that someone would try to block that in spite of the bad press it would gain them. But it does seem like a good way to aid those caught in the disaster, and it's not like it's permanent.

Poor O'Reilly there suffers from Name's the Same.

DrTentacles Cephalopod Lothario from Land of the Deep Ones Since: Jul, 2012 Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
Cephalopod Lothario
#43312: Dec 9th 2012 at 7:22:18 PM

[up] BRB, writing slash fiction.

edited 9th Dec '12 7:22:48 PM by DrTentacles

Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#43313: Dec 9th 2012 at 7:27:19 PM

Funny how I couldn't tell the difference between the two.

DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Wandering Jew
#43314: Dec 9th 2012 at 7:28:17 PM

Bob Woodward said Wednesday morning that the fiscal cliff talks are like the movie “Groundhog Day.”

Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016
Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#43315: Dec 9th 2012 at 7:30:39 PM

[up]What does he mean about it being Obama's problem? Most people agree that the Republicans deserve the blame if the negotiations fail.

DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Wandering Jew
#43316: Dec 9th 2012 at 7:33:17 PM

Republican Senator Corker: Obama's offer may be 'best route' for GOP

Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016
AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#43317: Dec 9th 2012 at 7:37:06 PM

Future history textbooks may well wash out Congress's actions and focus instead all the glory and blame on the President. It's what textbooks tend to do now, ignoring the whole political process about what happens to go into decision making.

That and we have this idea that presidents can literally do anything and everything as a result of this sort of teaching.

Looks like a few Republicans are trying to get across the idea that they'll be in a worse bargaining position if they go over the cliff and don't hash this out right now.

DeviantBraeburn Wandering Jew from Dysfunctional California Since: Aug, 2012
Wandering Jew
#43318: Dec 9th 2012 at 7:46:16 PM

Everyone should see this.

We need Jack today.

edited 9th Dec '12 7:48:51 PM by DeviantBraeburn

Everything is Possible. But some things are more Probable than others. JEBAGEDDON 2016
RadicalTaoist scratching at .8, just hopin' from the #GUniverse Since: Jan, 2001
scratching at .8, just hopin'
#43319: Dec 9th 2012 at 8:13:12 PM

@ "Republicans don't care about the wealthy":

William F. B. O'Reilly is a Newsday columnist and a Republican political consultant.

—-

O'Reilly works as a corporate and political communications consultant. He works with clients on the Republican side of the aisle.

Well, can't fault him for doing his job.

Share it so that people can get into this conversation, 'cause we're not the only ones who think like this.
Achaemenid HGW XX/7 from Ruschestraße 103, Haus 1 Since: Dec, 2011 Relationship Status: Giving love a bad name
HGW XX/7
#43320: Dec 10th 2012 at 2:50:32 AM

[up][up]

Kennedy is more remembered for being shot than for his actual record, which was painfully average.

LBJ or FDR would see us right though.

edited 10th Dec '12 2:50:43 AM by Achaemenid

Schild und Schwert der Partei
Iaculus Pronounced YAK-you-luss from England Since: May, 2010
Pronounced YAK-you-luss
#43321: Dec 10th 2012 at 3:02:57 AM

I'm not sure about LBJ. Dude was a ruthless and totally amoral opportunist who mostly thrived on giving the people with a hold on him what they wanted. Yes, he did a lot of pro-civil-rights stuff as president, but he also set back civil rights by years when he was the majority leader for the Senate, and seriously dragged his feet on dealing with Mc Carthy's witch-hunts.

You'd get populist policies from him as president, but not necessarily good ones.

edited 10th Dec '12 3:03:35 AM by Iaculus

What's precedent ever done for us?
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#43322: Dec 10th 2012 at 6:35:54 AM

@43316: Quite frankly, my concern is that Republicans will do exactly that — concede on expiring the Bush cuts for the top 2%, then use their "compromise" as leverage to demand concessions on entitlements. Plus it's going to be nearly impossible to get the additional tax increases that are sorely needed.

The thing is that Obama is under no obligation to compromise since all he has to do to acquire those tax increases is ... nothing. It's a wonderfully bitter pill to make the GOP swallow.

edited 10th Dec '12 7:13:13 AM by Fighteer

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Trivialis Since: Oct, 2011
#43323: Dec 10th 2012 at 8:38:39 AM

But we still get some cuts. I guess Obama accepted that they're inevitable now?

Karkadinn Karkadinn from New Orleans, Louisiana Since: Jul, 2009
Karkadinn
#43324: Dec 10th 2012 at 8:43:23 AM

The president has always had entitlement cuts on the table as a compromise point, hasn't he?

I don't think there's any way we can avoid it at this point even if it's not good for the economy or the general public. There's a very strong sentiment that both parties need to 'compromise' to be fair in their dealings, and the aggressive anti-debt rhetoric has too strong a foothold now.

Seems like the best we can hope for is to suck up some counterproductive entitlement cuts along with moving to saner tax rates and partial healthcare reform, and then move on from there.

Furthermore, I think Guantanamo must be destroyed.
TheStarshipMaxima NCC - 1701 Since: Jun, 2009
NCC - 1701
#43325: Dec 10th 2012 at 9:19:19 AM

I used to be down against "entitlement" cuts. Now...I'm dead set against them. And I don't see how something is an entitlement since you've been paying into it for years.

Now, if the thread hasn't gotten too tired of all the questions, I have some more. Is it the general consensus here (on this thread) that you want the rich to pay more in taxes, or that they don't even pay the tax rates as they are? (My research shows the maximum tax rate is 35% off the gross, federally).

It was an honor

Total posts: 417,856
Top