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

Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#110501: Feb 1st 2016 at 6:14:01 PM

You're not a pain Jack, I think we're all kinda used to your defeatism by now. Just remember, 20 years from now when America hasn't collapsed and remains a major world player (possibly even still top dog in a unipolar world) that we did tell you so. tongue

Oh and someone was asking, yeah I'm talking about the right hating America.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
ironballs16 Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Owner of a lonely heart
#110502: Feb 1st 2016 at 6:21:15 PM

With Iowa, Cracked has a pretty good article about just how much it sucks being the first Primary State, boiled down to 4 overarching reasons.

"Why would I inflict myself on somebody else?"
Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#110503: Feb 1st 2016 at 6:25:00 PM

That Iowa law stating that Iowa has to be first sure is looking stupid.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
TotemicHero No longer a forum herald from the next level Since: Dec, 2009
No longer a forum herald
#110504: Feb 1st 2016 at 6:32:04 PM

On the Republican side of things, it looks like Cruz has an early lead over Trump, with Rubio trailing in 3rd and Carson in 4th. (24% of precincts reporting in so far.) Based on these numbers, none of the other candidates stand a prayer; it's down to these four.

We'll see if that holds up.

Expergiscēre cras, medior quam hodie. (Awaken tomorrow, better than today.)
Protagonist506 from Oregon Since: Dec, 2013 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#110505: Feb 1st 2016 at 6:37:16 PM

I'll take Cruz, just so long as Trump doesn't get the nomination.

Leviticus 19:34
ILoveDogs Since: May, 2010
#110506: Feb 1st 2016 at 6:37:42 PM

Cruz makes me nervous, because for as much as every politician hates him, it doesn't seem like the people hate him. He probably won't beat Clinton, but if Bernie gets nominated I'm nervous.

Zendervai Since: Oct, 2009
#110507: Feb 1st 2016 at 6:38:56 PM

I think the "our country is the greatest in the world" is a pretty bad thing to teach. No country is perfect, and there's usually at least one horrifying flaw. For example, while Canada has better healthcare, and we don't have the same racial issues as the US, the Canadian government spent several decades outright trying to erase aboriginal culture entirely.

Teaching people they live in the best country ever seems to lead to two different extremes. (Most people land somewhere between). One side is the "my country must have been way better in the past! I'll try to force things back to that filtered through my own preconceptions." The other is "my country isn't what I was taught it was. There's nothing I can do." Both are pretty negative ways to do things.

[up]Cruz is a weird case where most people don't seem to know much about him. I've asked around and the only thing people seem to connect with him is that thing with Green Eggs and Ham, and they don't remember any details.

edited 1st Feb '16 6:40:25 PM by Zendervai

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#110508: Feb 1st 2016 at 6:44:30 PM

The Democrats would have a field day putting Cruz' actual statements in front of the American people and seeing what they think.

The Iowa results so far are neck and neck between Clinton and Sanders, with Clinton holding a razor thin lead at 67% of precincts counted. This is going to be such a fun primary.

edited 1st Feb '16 6:45:25 PM by Fighteer

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
ILoveDogs Since: May, 2010
#110509: Feb 1st 2016 at 6:46:11 PM

If by "fun" you mean "nerve-wrackingly tense and making me fear the end of the world", yeah.

TotemicHero No longer a forum herald from the next level Since: Dec, 2009
No longer a forum herald
#110510: Feb 1st 2016 at 6:50:30 PM

Republican update (56% reporting):

Cruz is still holding his lead, Trump still second, Rubio making up ground but still in third, Carson is effectively out.

edited 1st Feb '16 6:50:38 PM by TotemicHero

Expergiscēre cras, medior quam hodie. (Awaken tomorrow, better than today.)
Demonic_Braeburn Yankee Doodle Dandy from Defective California Since: Jan, 2016
Yankee Doodle Dandy
#110511: Feb 1st 2016 at 6:53:22 PM

I wonder if O'Malley will act as a spoiler...

Bernie fans will eat him alive.

Any group who acts like morons ironically will eventually find itself swamped by morons who think themselves to be in good company.
Artificius from about a foot and a half away from a monitor. Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Norwegian Wood
#110512: Feb 1st 2016 at 6:54:46 PM

[up][up][up]Relax. Either candidate brings their own set of issues to the general, and it's not very much our decision anyway. Show up to the primaries, vote your conscience, then hang back and watch the events unfold until November.

[up]This one won't. The process is what it is.

edited 1st Feb '16 6:55:22 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."
ILoveDogs Since: May, 2010
#110513: Feb 1st 2016 at 6:55:06 PM

O'Malley has as much chance of being a spoiler for Bernie as Adlai Stevenson.

[up] Can't relax. It's not in my nature. And I can't vote in primaries, since I believe I'm registered as an Independent.

edited 1st Feb '16 6:55:54 PM by ILoveDogs

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#110514: Feb 1st 2016 at 6:57:16 PM

That script at idpcaucuses.com causes my browser to cry like a little girl. I don't know why it's coded so badly, or maybe it's just getting swamped with hits, but the last time I checked, O'Malley's results looked a bit like a Where's Waldo page without any Waldos. Now, it's not like anyone expected him to perform well in Iowa, but if he's going to be a spoiler, he will need results that can be seen in a pie chart at less than 4K resolution.

edited 1st Feb '16 6:57:53 PM by Fighteer

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
SolipsistOwl Since: Jan, 2016
#110515: Feb 1st 2016 at 6:59:44 PM

Reports are O'Malley will announce the end of his campaign within 45 minutes. (Maybe an endorsement to come?)

storyyeller More like giant cherries from Appleloosa Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: RelationshipOutOfBoundsException: 1
More like giant cherries
#110516: Feb 1st 2016 at 7:00:44 PM

You know I've never got the "make America great again" line, it seems to betray a fundemental lack of national pride, patriotism and belief in America in the speaker, I mean you're declaring that America isn't great currently, which is both factual incorrect in many ways but also not very patriotic.

As Colbert put it, it's about Rebecoming The Greatness That America Never Wasn't.

Well only an idiot would argue the US is great right now.

I would argue that the US is great right now. The fact that it has a lot of problems and could be better doesn't stop it from being great.

racism at an all time high,

1860 says hi. I mean, are you even trying?

Re the primaries: The democrat side isn't actually that interesting, because Hillary can lose Iowa and New Hampshire and still come out ahead. Especially if she doesn't lose catastrophically, and it doesn't seem like she will.

edited 1st Feb '16 7:01:53 PM by storyyeller

Blind Final Fantasy 6 Let's Play
Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#110517: Feb 1st 2016 at 7:01:11 PM

CNN are saying he's about to suspend his campaign.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
ILoveDogs Since: May, 2010
#110518: Feb 1st 2016 at 7:02:04 PM

Suspend his campaign? Does that mean end it, or something else?

Artificius from about a foot and a half away from a monitor. Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Norwegian Wood
#110519: Feb 1st 2016 at 7:02:34 PM

Heh, that does sound kind of spoiler-y, even if of limited effect.

edited 1st Feb '16 7:03:34 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."
nervmeister Since: Oct, 2010
#110520: Feb 1st 2016 at 7:03:42 PM

If by "fun" you mean "nerve-wrackingly tense and making me fear the end of the world", yeah.
There is an antidote to that: becoming capable/confident enough that even if the world crumbles around you, you'll "deal" with it handily. That or having a genius plan to escape the country should shit hit the fan.

Demonic_Braeburn Yankee Doodle Dandy from Defective California Since: Jan, 2016
Yankee Doodle Dandy
#110521: Feb 1st 2016 at 7:04:13 PM

I'm actually rooting for Cruz, solely because I want to see Trump's reaction when he loses.

edited 1st Feb '16 7:04:30 PM by Demonic_Braeburn

Any group who acts like morons ironically will eventually find itself swamped by morons who think themselves to be in good company.
ILoveDogs Since: May, 2010
#110522: Feb 1st 2016 at 7:05:06 PM

[up][up] I've got neither. I just have to deal with the endless "Hilary for Prison 2016" bumper stickers or the latest post from that one guy who never posts about anything but how horrible Bernie is.

edited 1st Feb '16 7:05:16 PM by ILoveDogs

nervmeister Since: Oct, 2010
#110523: Feb 1st 2016 at 7:05:25 PM

[up][up]And if Trump pulls another "WTF" and wins?.....

edited 1st Feb '16 7:05:37 PM by nervmeister

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#110524: Feb 1st 2016 at 7:05:31 PM

As much as I love seeing Trump whine on camera, I don't want Cruz to win, either.

America has improved dramatically since its inception. A few setbacks don't obviate the rule. We can't give up on her, though. That way leads to ruin.

"Suspending" one's campaign is not "ending" it, because it leaves open the possibility that one might restart it should things change. It's a bit of a weasel word. But nobody ever restarts their campaign once it happens.

Bye, O'Malley. We knew ye, but barely cared.

edited 1st Feb '16 7:07:30 PM by Fighteer

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"

Total posts: 417,856
Top