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JackOLantern1337 Shameful Display from The Most Miserable Province in the Russian Empir Since: Aug, 2014 Relationship Status: 700 wives and 300 concubines
Shameful Display
#97551: Aug 1st 2015 at 2:42:56 PM

[up] Can they even do that now? I mean Gay marriage was legalized for the entire country.

I Bring Doom,and a bit of gloom, but mostly gloom.
Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#97552: Aug 1st 2015 at 3:08:37 PM

[up]They can do it until someone sues them to stop. And then they can ignore the results of the lawsuit again. And again.

I mean, what's Obama going to do, station National Guardsmen outside of Texas Vital Statistics?

Ekuran Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#97554: Aug 1st 2015 at 3:32:00 PM

I'd love to see the 101st Airborne kick their teeth in, if that's what's necessary to make sure the law is followed.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
JackOLantern1337 Shameful Display from The Most Miserable Province in the Russian Empir Since: Aug, 2014 Relationship Status: 700 wives and 300 concubines
Shameful Display
#97555: Aug 1st 2015 at 3:54:31 PM

[up] Nah, they had their turn, let the 1st Infantry do this, I'm biased because my grandfather served in that unit. Still, isn't the army one of the most homophobic places in our society, and a bastian of right wing extremism, at leas that's what I've heard.

edited 1st Aug '15 3:56:38 PM by JackOLantern1337

I Bring Doom,and a bit of gloom, but mostly gloom.
FFShinra Since: Jan, 2001
#97556: Aug 1st 2015 at 4:01:07 PM

You could have said the same thing when the national guard was sent in to enforce desegregation.

JackOLantern1337 Shameful Display from The Most Miserable Province in the Russian Empir Since: Aug, 2014 Relationship Status: 700 wives and 300 concubines
Shameful Display
#97557: Aug 1st 2015 at 4:03:39 PM

[up] And the national guard preceded to keep the students out of Little Rock. That's when they sent in the army.

I Bring Doom,and a bit of gloom, but mostly gloom.
Pykrete NOT THE BEES from Viridian Forest Since: Sep, 2009
NOT THE BEES
#97558: Aug 1st 2015 at 4:06:12 PM

Army veterans and upper echelons tend to be disproportionately Republican, but current enlisted are much, much less so. The difference is largely generational and class-based.

JackOLantern1337 Shameful Display from The Most Miserable Province in the Russian Empir Since: Aug, 2014 Relationship Status: 700 wives and 300 concubines
Shameful Display
#97559: Aug 1st 2015 at 4:22:06 PM

[up] Strange, wouldn't the current enlisted have joined during the war on terror, and hence been fully indoctrinated by Bush's ideology.

I Bring Doom,and a bit of gloom, but mostly gloom.
Pykrete NOT THE BEES from Viridian Forest Since: Sep, 2009
NOT THE BEES
#97560: Aug 1st 2015 at 4:28:21 PM

Uh, no. People, as always, are complex animals. The war in Afghanistan had tremendous bipartisan support on account of actually fighting a guilty party. Also consider that there are plenty of people who joined long before that, or who joined for completely different reasons, not all of which are made with particularly good alternatives for basic subsistence (financial), and you don't get a say in where you're deployed.

People who lean left are noticeably more likely to avoid the military in the first place, but the ranks aren't that far skewed from the general demographic.

edited 1st Aug '15 4:31:06 PM by Pykrete

Artificius from about a foot and a half away from a monitor. Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Norwegian Wood
#97561: Aug 1st 2015 at 4:45:03 PM

[up][up]I think you gravely overestimate the ability of the armed services to politically indoctrinate a recruit, assuming you've not engaged sarcasm mode. When you're in, you're generally not supposed to talk about politics, but there were a bunch of us celebrating in my barracks the first time Obama was elected, and most seemed wise to the general chickenhawk nature of the GOP.

And a lot of folks I knew joined in spite of their reservations about the War on Terror and their belief that the Bush administration was absolutely full of it. Sometimes it was the benefits, sometimes it was tradition.

edited 1st Aug '15 4:52:05 PM by Artificius

"I have no fear, for fear is the little death that kills me over and over. Without fear, I die but once."
BlueNinja0 The Mod with the Migraine from Taking a left at Albuquerque Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
The Mod with the Migraine
#97562: Aug 1st 2015 at 9:59:53 PM

isn't the army one of the most homophobic places in our society, and a bastian of right wing extremism
I don't know about the army specifically, but the military in general does lean right-wing, though for the most part not towards extremism. Homophobia is simultaneously punished and widely used, depending on who's listening.

That's not to say we don't have extremists; one jackass who works next door is infamous for his rants against Muslimsnote , the poornote , and of course homosexualsnote ; and he's a Trump fanboy. But at the same time, my office of eleven people, three of us I know for certain are registered Democrats, and even one of the Republicans is seriously unhappy with the current crop of candidates.

That’s the epitome of privilege right there, not considering armed nazis a threat to your life. - Silasw
JackOLantern1337 Shameful Display from The Most Miserable Province in the Russian Empir Since: Aug, 2014 Relationship Status: 700 wives and 300 concubines
Shameful Display
#97563: Aug 2nd 2015 at 2:18:58 PM

Obama unveils though new climate regulations I suppose destroying the economy of West Virginia, along with probably ending the US's energy boom and manufacturing Renaissance is the price we must pay to quite literally save the planet. Dam shame it has come to this. Still, Obama is defiantly doing the right thing. Climate change is real and doing nothing about it is madness.

Joe Biden exploring a run for the White House I don't know much about all of Biden's positions, but he seems like the type of man I would want in office. Moderate, yet committed to the general welfare. And best of all he seems to have great personal integrity, apart from plagiarizing phrases or stuff like that. Screw the gaffes, after Trump, gaffe's are nothing. Also I really respect the man for being the only person in the higher levels of the US government willing to state in public that Saudi Arabia and Turkey were backing terrorists.

edited 2nd Aug '15 2:24:51 PM by JackOLantern1337

I Bring Doom,and a bit of gloom, but mostly gloom.
Ogodei Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers from The front lines Since: Jan, 2011
Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers
#97564: Aug 2nd 2015 at 2:29:57 PM

Meh, it'll be hard for him to find space in the race. You've got Clinton with the establishment side on lock and Sanders soaking up the activists.

LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#97565: Aug 2nd 2015 at 2:32:38 PM

Uncle Biden should just leave at this point. He's going out on a high note as the most fun and ridiculous VP we've ever had. That's a great thing to be remember for.

Oh really when?
Deadbeatloser22 from Disappeared by Space Magic (Great Old One) Relationship Status: Tsundere'ing
#97566: Aug 2nd 2015 at 2:37:46 PM

Climate change is real and doing nothing about it is madness.

Bit hard to do anything about it when all the actual climate scientists got banned from giving evidence to Congress a while back.

"Yup. That tasted purple."
JackOLantern1337 Shameful Display from The Most Miserable Province in the Russian Empir Since: Aug, 2014 Relationship Status: 700 wives and 300 concubines
Shameful Display
#97567: Aug 2nd 2015 at 3:40:55 PM

[up] Sorry I didn't know that. That ban should be repealed. Still, it's not like the President and members of Congress can't just read their reports.

I Bring Doom,and a bit of gloom, but mostly gloom.
Gabrael from My musings Since: Nov, 2011 Relationship Status: Is that a kind of food?
#97568: Aug 2nd 2015 at 3:47:34 PM

They do read them. Congress just doesn't care and won't help Obama do anything about this.

"Psssh. Even if you could catch a miracle on a picture any person would probably delete it to make space for more porn." - Aszur
Deadbeatloser22 from Disappeared by Space Magic (Great Old One) Relationship Status: Tsundere'ing
#97569: Aug 2nd 2015 at 3:48:50 PM

If they do that then they might have to admit that Climate Change is real, and the lobbyists don't want them doing that.

"Yup. That tasted purple."
LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#97570: Aug 2nd 2015 at 3:51:04 PM

Yay for capitalism!

Oh really when?
Ogodei Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers from The front lines Since: Jan, 2011
Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers
#97571: Aug 2nd 2015 at 3:53:52 PM

Actually it's certain specific interests that are up in climate change denial. Other sectors would profit handsomely from an aggressive anti-carbon drive.

edited 2nd Aug '15 3:54:10 PM by Ogodei

NativeJovian Jupiterian Local from Orlando, FL Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Jupiterian Local
#97572: Aug 2nd 2015 at 4:15:01 PM

Regarding Biden as a potential presidential candidate, I'm not sure what he brings to the table as president. As VP, he brought experience and connections as a long-time Washington insider, which helped Obama (as a relative newcomer to the national political scene) make his policies into actual law. They also totally used Biden's reputation as gaffe-prone to their advantage. Most of Biden's "gaffes" were no such thing, but rather a way for the Obama administration to get out sentiments that they wanted in the public mind but didn't want to "officially" endorse. Remember Biden telling a predominantly black crowd that Romney would deregulate Wall Street, and once they were unchained they would "put you all back in chains"? The media tittered at the "gaffe" and the "insensitive" oblique slavery reference and oh look Biden's at it again. Yeah, sure, whatever — that was completely deliberate. It's like a reverse dog whistle. It's a Democrat saying "Republicans hate black people" as clearly as possible without actually saying it.

That sort of thing was a fantastic move by Obama, but the side effect is that it's sort of ruined Biden's image as a serious politician. If he were actually president, then people wouldn't be able to write off the stuff he says as "oh, silly gaffe-machine Biden" anymore, and because he's seen as a silly gaffe machine, getting people to take him seriously as a presidential candidate would be an uphill battle in the first place.

A more interesting possibility in my mind would be Biden getting tapped as someone's VP pick again, but he doesn't have much to offer either Clinton or Sanders. Both of them are been in Washington for a long time, so they don't need Biden to wrangle Congress like Obama did, and Bernie's far left enough that he'll just say outright what Biden hinted at with his "gaffes", while Hilary probably doesn't want anyone saying that sort of shit associated with her campaign, as she needs to differentiate herself from Bernie by establishing herself as the moderate, mainstream choice.

That said, I'm not sure what sort of VP pick would be best for either of them. Clinton could use someone younger and more liberal to help fire up the base, but that risks bringing in a Sarah Palin style overreach and shooting down her image as centrist/moderate/mainstream. Sanders could use someone more centrist/moderate/mainstream to help reassure the party establishment that he's not a complete left-wing nutjob, but that risks diluting support from people who like him precisely because he leans so far to the left. Still, I think Bernie would be best off with someone with a solid reputation as an "established" politician while still agreeing with his farther-left policies, and Hilary could benefit from someone younger and more energetic to help get people who aren't impressed with the idea of a Clinton dynasty more excited about her candidacy.

edited 2nd Aug '15 4:15:49 PM by NativeJovian

Really from Jupiter, but not an alien.
Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#97573: Aug 2nd 2015 at 4:41:07 PM

Aren't VP picks decided after the President is picked?

In the event of Sanders getting the nomination, I'd predict a double-down on leftism with someone like Chafee. On the other hand, that would be a serious mistake if Walker or Bush got nominated, I think. Bush has centrist appeal despite his party, while Walker is too good at "polarize, suppress, and conquer" and is generally too dangerous to be playing games with.

By contrast, a young leftist VP would be a good backup for Her Royal Highness' establishment-Democrat routine.

Ogodei Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers from The front lines Since: Jan, 2011
Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers
#97574: Aug 2nd 2015 at 5:11:19 PM

Julian Castro (current HUD secretary) for Clinton, no question. Maybe Cory Booker (NJ Senator) for Sanders. Perhaps Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin for Biden if he gets in?

Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#97575: Aug 2nd 2015 at 5:20:19 PM

[up][up]You mean after the nomination and not after the election right? I believe so. Unless they're an incumbent, in which case they keep the current one, I've never heard of a candidate explicitly choosing a VP before they've secured their party's nomination.


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