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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM

PotatoesRock Since: Oct, 2012
#96951: Jul 23rd 2015 at 11:03:40 AM

The Democrats also have the issue of Netroots Nation and addressing racial injustice outside of being solved by an economic solution, as young African Americans allied with the group are demanding for answers of how the Democrats plan to fix the structural issues of the justice system being Middle Class Whites. So the Democrats aren't in some magical golden road.

The party needs to deal with the racial injustice issue or it'll find itself in the cold. However, dealing with the racial injustice issue makes white liberal voters get cold feet. So...

(DailyKos) "Republicans fantasize about how to block Donald Trump from the debates"

At a meeting of the Republican Governors Association this week in Aspen, Colo., donors and operatives mused about how to prevent [The Donald] from hijacking the debate.

One idea that came up was to urge three leading candidates — Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor; Mr. Walker; and Senator Marco Rubio of Florida — to band together and state that they would not participate in any debate in which Mr. Trump was present, using his refusal to rule out a third-party bid as a pretext for taking such a hard line.

Ogodei Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers from The front lines Since: Jan, 2011
Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers
#96952: Jul 23rd 2015 at 11:07:04 AM

Tiny margins, though. Cook Political Report says 209 solid seats for the Republicans, meaning they only need to win 9 races in the "lean Republican" (26 seats) or "pure tossup" (only 16 seats!) category to get a majority.

Although this reflects how tenuous their hold is, reinforced by gerrymandering. If Democrats won solid state-level majorities in Pennsylvania and Virginia and theoretically gerrymandered everything up their way, that would put them back in the running. The important margins are places where the Democrats could/should be competitive at the state level, but presently are not.

Edit: [up] I want to say that the so called "white liberals" who would actually be turned off by the Democrats tackling anything too racial have already walked off, except within the infrastructure of the party itself. In terms of voter base, Obama more or less scared off anyone who was "liberal unless it's going to benefit darkies."

Edit II: and there are also non-economic means of addressing problems disproportionately impacting minorities that white liberals and even white moderates and some conservatives are on board with, such as decriminalizing weed (or even decriminalizing possession of harder drugs). There are other non-radical fixes that could be made which would not destroy the problem, but alleviate it significantly.

edited 23rd Jul '15 11:13:39 AM by Ogodei

PotatoesRock Since: Oct, 2012
#96953: Jul 23rd 2015 at 11:27:29 AM

Well specifically it seems to be:

"How are you going to get unionized white law enforcement and lawyers who vote for you to stop shooting us and jailing us", and I think they want something more substantial then "lol legalize weed or end the war on drugs".

Ogodei Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers from The front lines Since: Jan, 2011
Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers
#96954: Jul 23rd 2015 at 11:33:37 AM

police vote Republican, though? Or am i wrong about that?

PotatoesRock Since: Oct, 2012
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#96956: Jul 23rd 2015 at 11:55:09 AM

Police should vote Democrat because unions and Republican because of social conservatism. It's a tug of war.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#96957: Jul 23rd 2015 at 11:56:39 AM

Police and Firefighter unions are historically Republican party supporters. However, occasionally you get them opposing them because the Republicans decide to slash budgets or otherwise just piss over them for one reason or another.

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#96958: Jul 23rd 2015 at 12:49:48 PM

If Trump does run a "serious" third party ticket, even Sanders could get in if he somehow wins the primary.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
nightwyrm_zero Since: Apr, 2010
#96959: Jul 23rd 2015 at 2:26:40 PM

Rand Paul can't understand why there are Iraqi refugees

Jeb Bush wants to get rid of Medicare

Ben Carson says prisons are too comfy

Marco Rubio disses Obama and compares him to Trump

A whole slew of crazy statements from GOP contenders today. The Trump is really driving the clown car off the fucking cliff....

edited 23rd Jul '15 2:31:39 PM by nightwyrm_zero

Aszur A nice butterfly from Pagliacci's Since: Apr, 2014 Relationship Status: Don't hug me; I'm scared
A nice butterfly
#96960: Jul 23rd 2015 at 2:27:58 PM

Ohhh give me some delicious quotes. I wish to savor the idiocy.

It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#96961: Jul 23rd 2015 at 2:38:20 PM

Eliminate Medicare? Isn't that a sacred cow? Especially among the old, retired whites that are one of the few demographics that keep the GOP in play?

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#96962: Jul 23rd 2015 at 2:40:08 PM

All brakes are off on the GOP crazytrain now.

Your conductor Mr. Trump will be through shortly to make sure you are sufficiently crazy enough to ride.

Oh really when?
Ogodei Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers from The front lines Since: Jan, 2011
Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers
#96963: Jul 23rd 2015 at 2:54:35 PM

Eliminate medicare except for the people who already have it, which works because those people tend towards the "fuck you, got mine" mentality anyway.

And feeds off the myth that medicare and social security will be bankrupt in 40 years.

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.
#96964: Jul 23rd 2015 at 2:59:36 PM

Is there any not crazy GOP Candidate? Any who you could even entertain as viable in case of a GOP win?

"You can reply to this Message!"
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#96965: Jul 23rd 2015 at 3:05:20 PM

[up]Closest thing is Christie (who might be looking at corruption charges in a few months), Walker (who is scarily effective at playing the moderate while doing shit like union busting) and maybe Jeb Bush (who has hired his brother's/father's foreign policy team and wants to ice Medicare).

There really isn't an obvious analogue to sane guys like Huntsman or even Romney this time around.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Aszur A nice butterfly from Pagliacci's Since: Apr, 2014 Relationship Status: Don't hug me; I'm scared
A nice butterfly
#96966: Jul 23rd 2015 at 3:25:48 PM

You guys have not told me the stupidity they say.

Slaver drips expectantly. Feed me.

It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes
TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#96967: Jul 23rd 2015 at 3:33:32 PM

The post above your earlier request was edited to include direct links. Feed yo'self!

Aszur A nice butterfly from Pagliacci's Since: Apr, 2014 Relationship Status: Don't hug me; I'm scared
A nice butterfly
#96968: Jul 23rd 2015 at 3:52:27 PM

WELL HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO NOTICE EDITS RABBLE RABBLE

I am almost jealous. You guys get all the idiocies publicized to hell and back and you have way more idiots. The most my country gets is that one leaked dirty talking sex video of a former head of department of culture and then that one hyper evangelical legislator who was found with prostitutes.

It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes
PotatoesRock Since: Oct, 2012
#96969: Jul 23rd 2015 at 4:26:29 PM

Oh dear, it looks like Trump is causing Repubs to try and achieve Peak Wingnut.

This isn't going to be pretty especially as the News Media tries to carve a centrist position.

Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#96970: Jul 23rd 2015 at 5:41:12 PM

@Rational Insanity: Bobby Jindal, I suppose.

And Rand Paul has a Protection from Trump spell pre-cast, but he's even more of a nonentity than his father and he's his own brand of monster raving loony.

kkhohoho (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#96971: Jul 23rd 2015 at 5:43:54 PM

[up][up][up]Honestly, considering you don't have such a circus to deal with, I'm jealous of you.

Ogodei Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers from The front lines Since: Jan, 2011
Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers
#96972: Jul 23rd 2015 at 5:59:14 PM

Bobby Jindal's as much of a weirdo as any of them, witness his recent shenanigans he pulled so he could raise taxes without technically raising taxes because of his need to religiously adhere to the Norquist Pledge.

TheWanderer Student of Story from Somewhere in New England (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
Student of Story
#96973: Jul 23rd 2015 at 6:43:20 PM

Actually, while an old school arch conservative, just getting started with his campaign, and a nobody as far as name recognition goes to the general public, John Kasich is probably putting himself out as the sane one thus far.

For example, he recently tried to put the fear mongering about ISIS killing and enslaving all Americans (or whatever the fear mongers sell about ISIS) in its place.

In his speech announcing that he was entering the Republican presidential primary, Ohio Gov. John Kasich took a surprising stance on American foreign policy — and hardly anyone has noticed.

Kasich's position is not one that's going to earn him a lot of airtime on CNN. It is not red meat to the Republican base (or the Democratic base, for that matter). It is not a position that's very popular with voters or with donors. But it's an important point, and one that politicians don't make nearly enough: The threats to Americans, while real, are overhyped.

"It was sort of a bolt from the blue for me," Justin Logan, director of foreign policy studies at the Cato Institute, says. "I had never heard Kasich say things like this before."

Here's the governor:

We pick up the paper, it's Chattanooga, it's Fort Hood, it's ISIS. Are we safe? Are we going to be safe to go to the mall or safe to leave our homes?

These are the worries that many Americans have, but I have to tell you as serious as these are — and they are very serious — we've had a lot worse, much worse in this country. Think about it. The Civil War, do you remember reading about it? It's not just neighbors fighting against neighbors, but it was even family members—kin fighting against one another and killing one another on a battlefield right in America.

Kasich is pushing against the conventional wisdom that American is facing more threats than ever before. Everyone from Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Martin Dempsey to Sen. John Mc Cain has said it; presidential candidates such as Marco Rubio have made it a central premise.

But the hype can be out of step with the reality. Terrorism, often cited as the greatest threat to America today, kills about as many Americans as furniture. Obviously that number is so low in part because we take the threat of terrorism so seriously, but it also goes to show that maybe the danger is not as existential as it sometimes feels.

Admitting this is politically difficult: It requires telling voters something they don't want to hear, and inviting fights with other politicians who depend on threat inflation to look tough. But it's important. Exaggerating threats doesn't just scare people, it makes the country more likely to counterproductively lash out against phantom threats — as it did, for example, in Iraq.

Now as the article goes on to point out, this is at least somewhat at odds with Kasich's policy, as he's been calling for a boots on the ground fight with ISIS since February, (although wanting to wipe them out and saying that they're in no way, shape, or form a threat to the existence of the US aren't actually opposites) but it's a little something, and it runs counter to the standard Republican mantra of "Everyone's out to get out, the world is scary, scary, scary!!! That's why you need to elect me and my hawk friends so we can deal with the only way that works: guns and bombs!"

edited 23rd Jul '15 6:44:36 PM by TheWanderer

| Wandering, but not lost. | If people bring so much courage to this world...◊ |
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Ogodei Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers from The front lines Since: Jan, 2011
Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers
#96975: Jul 23rd 2015 at 6:56:21 PM

He is totally Republican. First thing he did when he got elected was try to gut the public sector unions: but he made the mistake of including nurses and firemen and it blew up in his face. Since then he's been trying to triangulate. Doing a good job, too.


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