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

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#116351: Mar 17th 2016 at 6:36:09 AM

[up] "But who will stand up for the billionaires and corporations?!?! Who will siphon trillions into the military procurement black hole? Who will wage unprovoked wars in order to justify it?" Trump threatens the very existence of the Republican establishment.

edited 17th Mar '16 6:38:29 AM by Fighteer

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Cronosonic (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#116352: Mar 17th 2016 at 6:49:40 AM

And at the same time he threatens the viability of the GOP at least on the presidential election side of things, but that could snowball into congressional and senate seats being taken by democrats as well. Trump is basically the GOP's worst nightmare.

Though, really, we've already gone over that he's basically the end result of the Southern Strategy.

edited 17th Mar '16 6:50:33 AM by Cronosonic

speedyboris Since: Feb, 2010
#116353: Mar 17th 2016 at 6:50:37 AM

From a few pages ago:

"Hillary is probably the most qualified person we've had in recent memory and I'm going to be very disappointed if she loses because of some childish notion that Sanders is our lord and savior and any other candidate is the devil incarnate."

I agree, and I'll add that I think it's unhealthy and exceedingly unrealistic to expect a candidate is going to magically solve all our problems. It happened with Obama in '08, and we're now seeing it again in BOTH Sanders and Trump (obviously the two candidates are very different).

Stubbornly staying home out of spite if Sanders drops out accomplishes nothing except giving another vote to the opposite party. And we'd be a lot worse off if Trump beats Clinton. That's how people have to look at it.

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
#116354: Mar 17th 2016 at 6:54:22 AM

If Clinton was in Sanders' position right now, you'd be thinking (rightly) she should probably think about leaving the race. With this in mind, reconsider whether Sanders is actually in a good position.
1) Sanders is not in as bad a position as the media would like to claim. 2) Sanders is not in as good a position as his supporters would like to believe. 3) The longer this drags out, the more likely we are to make Clinton pretend to be liberal for five minutes. 4) Clinton didn't concede in 2008 for another three months. If Bernie doesn't concede for another three months, I'm okay with that.
So who is most likely to drop out next in the presidential primary?
Bernie probably won't drop out until California and/or New York do their primaries. Cruz won't drop out until the convention, likely Kasich won't either. Trump won't leave until the election season is over and we stop paying attention to him.

That’s the epitome of privilege right there, not considering armed nazis a threat to your life. - Silasw
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#116355: Mar 17th 2016 at 7:08:37 AM

I have to wonder whether it makes a difference whether Trump gets the absolute majority of delegates (1237?) or just the plurality, at least in terms of how likely GOP will make an anti-Trump coup in Cleveland.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#116356: Mar 17th 2016 at 7:09:05 AM

[up][up]No candidate has to concede until the convention, although if/when Clinton acquires a simple majority of all possible delegates, it'll look kind of silly for Sanders to stay in the race; he'd have to shoot for some kind of revolt among the superdelegates to force a brokered convention.

Obviously, that is exactly the strategy on the GOP side.

[up] The GOP elite have talked about throwing out the primary results entirely should Trump win a simple majority. That's how desperate they are. If he only achieves a plurality, but not a majority, then the direct outcome would be a brokered convention, which is what his rivals are all hoping for. That would at least have the veneer of legitimacy.

edited 17th Mar '16 7:10:28 AM by Fighteer

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Aszur A nice butterfly from Pagliacci's Since: Apr, 2014 Relationship Status: Don't hug me; I'm scared
A nice butterfly
#116357: Mar 17th 2016 at 7:56:55 AM

All this talk about soundtracks really ignores that a single song fits all of thisprimary process better than any other

It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes
Karkadinn Karkadinn from New Orleans, Louisiana Since: Jul, 2009
Karkadinn
#116358: Mar 17th 2016 at 7:57:23 AM

It's not factually wrong to say that staying at home will help the opposition, but relying on that too much just creates a disaffected base, which is one of the biggest problems the Democrats have. If Clinton really wanted those votes, she should have taken a more progressive stance and made them feel represented. She chose not to, which is the only reason why Sanders ever had a chance to begin with. Her weakness was his gain, just like Bush's weakness was Obama's gain. What we're seeing is not idealization, it's people desperate to grasp at any last resort option that looks sane after their first choice dropped the ball.

Remember all those times Republicans accused Democrats of thinking that Obama was Jesus, when all we actually wanted was a reasonable, moderate authority figure?

Furthermore, I think Guantanamo must be destroyed.
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#116359: Mar 17th 2016 at 7:58:46 AM

Unfortunately, in a national political scene where there are only two viable parties, letting the perfect be the enemy of the good is inherently self-defeating.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
alioth Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: Non-Canon
#116360: Mar 17th 2016 at 8:05:02 AM

Clinton taking a much more progressive stance could easily have lost her more support than it would have gained. She's already called a flip-flopper (or power hungry and willing to do anything to get elected) by a lot of progressives; it wouldn't help her to further that image.

LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#116361: Mar 17th 2016 at 8:06:58 AM

Assuming she gets the nomination and election, slowly shifting herself leftward would probably be better. It would come off as more natural. Assuming she actually does want to do that.

FFShinra Since: Jan, 2001
#116362: Mar 17th 2016 at 8:13:03 AM

[up][up][up][up]There are people like me who can't call themselves liberal or conservative who want someone to fight for them too. Without more viable parties that means you can't go too far into the margins during a general. Something Cruz doesn't and never will understand. If not for his racism and other issues, Trump would actually count as someone who realizes that with his populism. Indeed, there are people who ignore the former in favor of the latter.

Credit where it's due, at least Sanders recognizes that, from his days in the Senate, he'd have to do babysteps that are mutually beneficial...meaning everything he's promising now he knows he wouldn't be able to make it happen quickly, if at all. His argument then is to just get the ball rolling. Less sexy, which is why he doesn't say it much, but more realistic.

Hil's problem is that she's gotten so jaded she doesn't paint an ideal picture and goes straight for what is realistic, which is practical and will serve her well in the general, but at the cost of ideological passion, which won't.

[up]Not really. no. The center is the only place she herself can win.

edited 17th Mar '16 8:15:17 AM by FFShinra

Ogodei Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers from The front lines Since: Jan, 2011
Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers
#116363: Mar 17th 2016 at 8:24:35 AM

Trump actually seems to tilt the other way on needless war, since a lot of his ideas recently have been for adventures in oil-looting.

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#116364: Mar 17th 2016 at 8:26:28 AM

Trump had the audacity to question the justifications for the Iraq war, something that is heresy in orthodox Republican circles.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
FFShinra Since: Jan, 2001
#116365: Mar 17th 2016 at 8:39:39 AM

[up][up]Was more talking about his unconservative economics.

tclittle Professional Forum Ninja from Somewhere Down in Texas Since: Apr, 2010
Professional Forum Ninja
#116366: Mar 17th 2016 at 9:21:28 AM

U.S. Representatives Al Green and Gene Green, both Houston-area Democrats, are asking the Department of Justice to investigate the unequal distribution of polling stations in Harris County during the March 1st primary after election voluteers and voters reported Democrat polling stations had fewer election machines than Republican ones, leading to lines where people were voting well after 10 pm local time.

There are a few things to note:

  • One Republican official said they based how many election machines for each polling station based on historical figures, so a higher turnout would've made lines longer.
  • Comments on the article are saying that there were also long lines at certain Republican polling stations as well.
  • An election-law attorney pointed out that Harris County has been investigated on election based allegations back in 2009, when officials blocked thousands of voters from registration as a reason for scrutiny.

As I have said before, and I will say it again, I would like it if other places would invoke my home county's way of doing things, which is interconnecting all election machines within the county so you can vote anywhere.

"We're all paper, we're all scissors, we're all fightin' with our mirrors, scared we'll never find somebody to love."
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#116367: Mar 17th 2016 at 9:39:37 AM

Statistically, Democratic primary turnout has been lower this cycle than in 2008, while Republican turnout is up from 2012, so the idea that they failed to anticipate the number of Democratic voters seems absurd.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
ILoveDogs Since: May, 2010
#116368: Mar 17th 2016 at 9:41:30 AM

I hope that the Democratic turnout goes up for the election...

TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#116369: Mar 17th 2016 at 9:41:59 AM

Relevant. Voting machines are in a pretty dismal state...

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Aszur A nice butterfly from Pagliacci's Since: Apr, 2014 Relationship Status: Don't hug me; I'm scared
A nice butterfly
#116370: Mar 17th 2016 at 9:44:21 AM

You guys use machines? We still do it on paper over here

It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes
TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#116371: Mar 17th 2016 at 9:47:01 AM

Yes, and those machines provide us with constant fuel for conspiracy theories.

As a rule, no matter who wins the election, the other side will start talking about how the machines were rigged, democracy is a sham, and the new President is an Illuminati plant.

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
Protagonist506 from Oregon Since: Dec, 2013 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#116372: Mar 17th 2016 at 9:48:26 AM

Psh, we all know that all the Illuminati really does is put subliminal messages here and there for their amusement. It's not like they have actual goals or anything.

Leviticus 19:34
TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#116373: Mar 17th 2016 at 9:57:45 AM

Any time you catch me saying something that's factually wrong, I was actually right but the Illuminati changed my post to discredit me.

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
Aszur A nice butterfly from Pagliacci's Since: Apr, 2014 Relationship Status: Don't hug me; I'm scared
A nice butterfly
#116374: Mar 17th 2016 at 9:58:49 AM

Switch back to paper and resort to "ballot completely unsuspiciously caught on fire" ploys to steal/deny votes like us in the third world already

It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes
Greenmantle V from Greater Wessex, Britannia Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Hiding
V
#116375: Mar 17th 2016 at 9:59:29 AM

@ Aszur: So do we...

@ Tobias:

Yes, and those machines provide us with constant fuel for conspiracy theories.

As a rule, no matter who wins the election, the other side will start talking about how the machines were rigged, democracy is a sham, and the new President is an Illuminati plant.

Then don't use voting machines.

edited 17th Mar '16 10:00:28 AM by Greenmantle

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