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Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#113626: Feb 28th 2016 at 12:31:08 PM

The Senate will be tough if the DNC doesn't devote resources to the state-level races. One hopes that they do, of course, but they are so busy trying to make sure that Clinton wins the nomination that they'll happily toss the baby out.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
GameGuruGG Vampire Hunter from Castlevania (Before Recorded History)
Vampire Hunter
#113627: Feb 28th 2016 at 12:33:17 PM

The problem Neoliberal Democrats and Movement Conservative Republicans have now with compromising is that the Republican base see any Republican making deals with Democrats as the enemy, and try to throw the bums out for people who are unwilling to compromise at all. How exactly can the United States even have a functioning government when a good chunk of the nation are deep red states who favor the sorts of policies that Trump and Cruz expound, and are perfectly willing to kick any Republican in their home states out who do try to compromise with Democrats?

Wizard Needs Food Badly
SolipsistOwl Since: Jan, 2016
#113628: Feb 28th 2016 at 12:48:38 PM

Democrats Should Be Very Nervous About Their Terrible Turnout Numbers

In primary after primary this cycle, Democratic voters just aren't showing up. Only 367,491 people cast a ballot for either Clinton or Sanders on Saturday. That's down 16 percent from the 436,219 people who came out in 2008 for Clinton and Obama.

Factor in the 93,522 people who voted for John Edwards back in the day, and you can see the scope of the problem. Democrats in 2016 are only getting about two-thirds of the primary votes that they received eight years ago.

Republican turnout in the South Carolina primary, by contrast, was up more than 70 percent from 2008.

South Carolina's turnout numbers are not an anomaly. They're consistent with other primaries to date. Republicans are psyched. Democrats are demoralized.

edited 28th Feb '16 12:50:21 PM by SolipsistOwl

FFShinra Since: Jan, 2001
#113629: Feb 28th 2016 at 1:01:39 PM

@Ultimatum - Back in the day the Democratic Party was famous for its party "bosses", such as Boss Tweed. The current chair of the party is Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, and she's behaving in such a way that is deserving of comparison.

TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#113630: Feb 28th 2016 at 1:29:16 PM

Demoralized because they're told they need to choose between a liar and an unelectable?

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#113631: Feb 28th 2016 at 1:36:36 PM

Just to have to hope that fear of the other guys will motivate them. Which makes more respectable candidates like Rubio or Kasich all the more dangerous (and have I mentioned how glad I am that Walker dropped out when he did?). Cruz and Trump will likely motivate Democrats and swing voters to get to the polls to keep them out, its very easy to get people to vote against something (look what happened in Canada last year, a bunch of people who never voted before came out to turf the incumbent) even if what they are voting for doesn't excite them.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#113632: Feb 28th 2016 at 1:39:16 PM

The weird thing is that Clinton herself has managed to maintain at least an appearance of wanting Schultz to knock all that shit off - she's confident that she can win without any dirty tricks. Why isn't Schultz listening to Clinton?

SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#113633: Feb 28th 2016 at 1:42:59 PM

Schultz doesn't have to take orders from Clinton. Or maybe Clinton is just bluffing.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
PotatoesRock Since: Oct, 2012
#113634: Feb 28th 2016 at 1:44:25 PM

Because Schultz is really bad at her job, from what I remember reading. She wasn't elected to the DNC for her competence of leadership, but because of her more or less Rolodex of contacts and money faucets for the DNC to tap.

She was hired for fundraising, not to lead the DNC.

Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#113635: Feb 28th 2016 at 1:46:23 PM

...If Sanders wins the nomination somehow, have Clinton take over the DNC?

AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#113636: Feb 28th 2016 at 1:59:36 PM

She'd probably lead with better strategies than currently. In any case, isn't Schultz up for getting the boot soon in favor of someone else? I think someone mentioned there's some sort of chairman election or whatever coming up. Hopefully we'll get someone who realizes that getting seats in Congress and the states is just as important as the presidency.

I mean heck, it was all three of the candidates (before O'Malley quit) that were calling for more debates. It seems that Schultz's leadership qualities in general are being questioned.

Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#113637: Feb 28th 2016 at 2:29:07 PM

Indeed. Particularly when the candidate that you're ostensibly cheating in favor of wants you gone.

ILoveDogs Since: May, 2010
#113638: Feb 28th 2016 at 2:43:23 PM

But if it's not Schultz, who will it be? And will the dirty tricks stop?

AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#113639: Feb 28th 2016 at 3:14:57 PM

You're asking us like we know every single person in the DNC. And theoretically, yes it would stop specifically because it seems like (and again it was someone else that brought this up in previous pages and suggested a person whose name I can't remember) they're looking for someone who would operate very differently.

darksidevoid Anti-Gnosis Weapon from The Frontiers (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: Robosexual
Anti-Gnosis Weapon
#113640: Feb 28th 2016 at 3:45:06 PM

At this point, almost any current or former Democratic politician with a reasonable number of years of service would be a better fit.

But no, the dirty tricks are unlikely to stop until/unless DWS is ejected from the driver's seat. Or, if you mean "will they stop after she's gone", then I would presume yes, as they are a considerable factor in why she's so widely disliked.

edited 28th Feb '16 3:47:08 PM by darksidevoid

GM: AGOG S4 & F/WC RP; Co-GM: TABA, SOTR, UUA RP; Sub-GM: TTS RP. I have brought peace, freedom, justice, and security to my new Empire.
Artificius from about a foot and a half away from a monitor. Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Norwegian Wood
#113641: Feb 28th 2016 at 4:02:13 PM

A Clinton-run party machine seems fitting: I could totally see her pulling out the stops and aggressively campaigning to destroy the GOP at the state level, even if progressive candidates were given tepid support. I'm not sure she or her supporters would go for that, but I'm certain she'd be great at it. But if she wins the nomination, she'll want to retire in four or eight years; if she loses the nomination, she'll probably be too drained by the experience and possibly enraged at losing her reservation despite having the chair pulled out for her by the maitre'd again.

edited 28th Feb '16 4:20:29 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."
Demonic_Braeburn Yankee Doodle Dandy from Defective California Since: Jan, 2016
Yankee Doodle Dandy
#113642: Feb 28th 2016 at 4:22:19 PM

Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) endorses Trump.

This is Trump's first endorsement from a senator.

This and Christie could indicate that the Establishment is slowly starting to accept Trump, sorta like how the 1970s GOP Establishment was forced to accept Reagan.

edited 28th Feb '16 4:22:54 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
#113643: Feb 28th 2016 at 4:26:41 PM

So, if Reagan was elected and made everything horrible, what does this say about Trump...?

Artificius from about a foot and a half away from a monitor. Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Norwegian Wood
#113644: Feb 28th 2016 at 4:29:05 PM

That both are bad actors? smile

edited 28th Feb '16 4:31:17 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
#113645: Feb 28th 2016 at 4:38:40 PM

I was thinking more along the lines of "both will win and one will destroy the world", but yeah, I guess.

HallowHawk Since: Feb, 2013
#113646: Feb 28th 2016 at 4:45:51 PM

@ Fighteer

The typical voter who supports Trump:

  • Does not care about "small government". They are fine with Social Security, Medicare, welfare, etc., in a general sense. They just don't want it going to blacks and Hispanics.

  • Does not care about "supporting the free market" through tax breaks and whatnot. Many of them probably agree that Big Business is just as much a problem as Big Government.

  • May or may not be motivated by religious dog whistles, such as abortion, but is deeply homophobic.

  • Is deeply racist and/or misogynistic, whether they consciously recognize it or not.

  • Is utterly disgusted with the political establishment in general and its patent corruption and alienation from the needs of the American people.

And how many of those people comprise of America's total population?

edited 28th Feb '16 4:46:41 PM by HallowHawk

Eschaton Since: Jul, 2010
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#113648: Feb 28th 2016 at 4:54:31 PM

[up][up]Probably not enough to give Trump the White House on their own. We just have to hope that turnout and fear of Trump's agenda costs him big in the swing states. Romney and Mccain didn't get enough of the Latino vote to win key states and Trump as far lower net approval than they do.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
cake1 Welcome to the Literature club! from A parallel universe Since: Feb, 2016 Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Welcome to the Literature club!
#113649: Feb 28th 2016 at 4:54:53 PM

May I add that Trump in fact has been heard to say that he actually supports gay marriage rights?

edited 28th Feb '16 4:55:17 PM by cake1

The ink flows into a dark puddle, just move your hand- write the way into his heart
Demonic_Braeburn Yankee Doodle Dandy from Defective California Since: Jan, 2016
Yankee Doodle Dandy
#113650: Feb 28th 2016 at 5:05:04 PM

I've noticed that Gay rights wasn't that big of an issue for the Republicans this cycle. Sure Cruz and Carson would occasionally mention it, but not to the same degree that Santorum and Bachmann talked about it in 2012. I think most of the GOP knows that they lost the American public on that issue, even if the evangelicals refuse to admit it.

edited 28th Feb '16 5:12:07 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.

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