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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

FFShinra Since: Jan, 2001
#111976: Feb 13th 2016 at 8:54:15 PM

[up][up][up]kasiching is to continue to try to be reasonable but not be particularly passionate. Bush is gonna chase him out of the race at this point.

edited 13th Feb '16 8:54:38 PM by FFShinra

ILoveDogs Since: May, 2010
#111977: Feb 13th 2016 at 8:56:51 PM

Funny that we're saying that Bush is chasing anyone out of the race at this point, huh?

Eschaton Since: Jul, 2010
#111978: Feb 13th 2016 at 9:01:18 PM

I always thought Bush was going to stick around until the bitter end, counting on people getting fed up with the other options and falling back on someone more "reliable."

Unfortunately for him, he is patently unimpressive.

FFShinra Since: Jan, 2001
#111979: Feb 13th 2016 at 9:06:34 PM

He's been getting better. And that strategy is doing well for him so far.

ILoveDogs Since: May, 2010
#111980: Feb 13th 2016 at 9:07:54 PM

If you held a gun to my head and told me that I would die if I didn't pick one Republican as the president, I would pick Jeb.

vandro Shop Owner from The little shop that wasn't Since: Jul, 2009
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#111982: Feb 13th 2016 at 10:13:22 PM

[up][up] I could get behind that, although it's one of those cases where you have to ask yourself whether you would rather be damned by incompetence or malice.

I suppose we could trust Jeb! to be in the pocket of Big Business and thus not completely wreck the country because of ideology, but that's cold comfort.

[up] If Kasich got his way about monetary policy, we could kiss our economic system goodbye.

edited 13th Feb '16 10:23:46 PM by Fighteer

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
FFShinra Since: Jan, 2001
#111983: Feb 13th 2016 at 10:21:26 PM

The presidency cannot unilaterally change economic or monetary policy.

edited 13th Feb '16 10:21:36 PM by FFShinra

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#111984: Feb 13th 2016 at 10:25:30 PM

True, but a Republican candidate winning the Presidential election would almost certainly also mean the GOP maintaining control of the House and Senate, and if that happened they'd have essentially free reign to push through anything they wanted, unless Democrats could hold onto the requisite 40 Senate seats to filibuster all the stupid.

You could say goodbye to the independence of the Federal Reserve as soon as its chairman came up for nomination, and Treasury is a Cabinet position.

edited 13th Feb '16 10:26:36 PM by Fighteer

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
CrimsonZephyr Would that it were so simple. from Massachusetts Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
Would that it were so simple.
#111985: Feb 13th 2016 at 10:31:01 PM

[up][up]Ordinarily, that would be true, but a Republican Congress would be little more than a rubber stamp for a Republican President. A Republican President would also have a hand in nominating Supreme Court justices. Today, it was Scalia, but RBG has been flirting with retirement for a while, and a Republican president would use such an opportunity to rip the guts out of American progressivism by stacking the court to the right. The bottom line is that a Republican in the White House could maim American political life in all respects for decades to come.

edited 13th Feb '16 10:31:57 PM by CrimsonZephyr

"For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."
vandro Shop Owner from The little shop that wasn't Since: Jul, 2009
Shop Owner
#111986: Feb 13th 2016 at 10:33:39 PM

I was being ironic, Fighteer, I like Kasich most of the Republicans, but my political identity can be said to be the pejorative "brogressive", therefore #FeelTheBern is my motto this cycle.

Iaculus Pronounced YAK-you-luss from England Since: May, 2010
Pronounced YAK-you-luss
#111987: Feb 14th 2016 at 1:27:38 AM

Little reminder that Scalia had this to say about torture:

"Jack Bauer saved Los Angeles. ... He saved hundreds of thousands of lives," Judge Scalia said. Then, recalling Season 2, where the agent's rough interrogation tactics saved California from a terrorist nuke, the Supreme Court judge etched a line in the sand.

"Are you going to convict Jack Bauer?" Judge Scalia challenged his fellow judges. "Say that criminal law is against him? 'You have the right to a jury trial?' Is any jury going to convict Jack Bauer? I don't think so.

"So the question is really whether we believe in these absolutes. And ought we believe in these absolutes."

I don't think that the Supreme Court has lost one of its most penetrating legal minds here.

What's precedent ever done for us?
KarkatTheDalek Not as angry as the name would suggest. from Somwhere in Time/Space Since: Mar, 2012 Relationship Status: You're a beautiful woman, probably
Not as angry as the name would suggest.
#111988: Feb 14th 2016 at 1:45:54 AM
Greenmantle V from Greater Wessex, Britannia Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Hiding
V
#111989: Feb 14th 2016 at 4:17:25 AM

On another note:

The Daily Telegraph: Bernie Sanders' brother appointed Green Party health spokesman

The UK-based brother of presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has been appointed as the Green Party's new health spokesman. Larry Sanders, 81, was the party's candidate in Oxford West and Abingdon in last year's general election, finishing fifth in that race.

His cabinet appointment was announced yesterday, just two days after his younger brother defeated Hillary Clinton in the New Hampshire primary.

Bernie Sanders credited his brother last year with providing much of his political education.

"We didn't have a whole lot of books in the house and it was my brother who actually introduced me to a lot of my ideas," he told the Telegraph moments after declaring for president. He said he loved his brother "a tremendous amount", and wished him well in UK politics.

It's not just Bernie who is into politics — although his brother is almost certainly to the Left of Bernie.

edited 14th Feb '16 4:19:56 AM by Greenmantle

Keep Rolling On
TheyCallMeTomu Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#111990: Feb 14th 2016 at 7:28:46 AM

While I think Scalia was wrong on the issue of torture and the answer to the question is "Yes, we convince Jack Bauer" I have no objection to his usage of television characters as part of his rhetoric.

optimusjamie Since: Jun, 2010
#111991: Feb 14th 2016 at 7:45:08 AM

I'd say it shows a worryingly unsophisticated view of the issue, personally.

Direct all enquiries to Jamie B Good
speedyboris Since: Feb, 2010
#111992: Feb 14th 2016 at 7:52:23 AM

Sometimes we get too serious angsting about Republicans. Take a break and laugh at them instead. (link is the Triumph Election Special 2016)

edited 14th Feb '16 7:52:40 AM by speedyboris

Ogodei Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers from The front lines Since: Jan, 2011
Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers
#111993: Feb 14th 2016 at 9:36:48 AM

I agree with Tomu in the sense that it's fun when supreme court justices humanize this stuff by making pop culture references, but that doesn't give them an excuse to make unsound or whackadoo arguments.

TerminusEst from the Land of Winter and Stars Since: Feb, 2010
#111994: Feb 14th 2016 at 9:41:12 AM

[up]

When the Supreme Court starts making anime references you'll know just how old you are.

Si Vis Pacem, Para Perkele
Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#111995: Feb 14th 2016 at 9:44:40 AM

Regarding Srinivasan, I'm not so sure that they won't do a 180. I mean, the guy being a Hindu ought to ruffle some nativist feathers.

TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#111996: Feb 14th 2016 at 9:45:39 AM

@Level of discourse: Grade-schoolers don't gravedance—unless they're from South Park.

But "The Gravedancing Grade-schoolers" would be A Good Name for a Rock Band...

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Greenmantle V from Greater Wessex, Britannia Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Hiding
V
#111997: Feb 14th 2016 at 10:23:50 AM

[up][up] Not all — a lot won't even know Hinduism actually exists.

edited 14th Feb '16 10:56:46 AM by Greenmantle

Keep Rolling On
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#111998: Feb 14th 2016 at 10:25:20 AM

They'll probably just assume its a sect of Islam or something.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#111999: Feb 14th 2016 at 10:58:19 AM

That is offensive on so many levels.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
FFShinra Since: Jan, 2001
#112000: Feb 14th 2016 at 11:04:54 AM

Seriously. Sadly, speaking as one, I was often mistaken for Muslim right after 9/11. Because all brown people are alike and whatever, and to say otherwise is mere political correctness. <rolls eyes>


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