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
#118951: Apr 12th 2016 at 11:47:38 PM

Why would they get more Republican? They get more Dem during a presidential election year (like this one) and more Republican during mid-term elections.

The Dems made House and Senate gains in both 2008 and 2012 (and 2000 actually) why would 2016 be any different? Now come 2018 a lot of gains are liable to be reserved, but that's for 2018.

edited 12th Apr '16 11:50:17 PM by Silasw

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
darksidevoid Anti-Gnosis Weapon from The Frontiers (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: Robosexual
Anti-Gnosis Weapon
#118952: Apr 12th 2016 at 11:53:18 PM

It can vary depending on which third of the Senate seats are up for re-election, but for the most part, if there's a strong turnout on one side or the other then that side will pick up seats in both houses of Congress. Incumbency rates are very high, however, and combined with gerrymandering and other advantages of incumbency, the House is unlikely to swing to Dem unless there's a YUGE turnout disparity in the Dems' favor. The Senate is much more likely than the House to swing to the Dems if turnout wins Dems the Presidency, but if the difference in turnout between sides is small, then Repubs could still manage to cling to enough seats.

To elaborate a little, total Dem turnout is normally higher than total Repub turnout in Presidential election years but low in other years, including mid-terms, whilst Repub turnout is reliably above-average (as it were). As a general rule, the Congress is likely to move in the direction of the party opposite the sitting President during a mid-term election, in large part because the President's voters become complacent and the other side is jazzed up after multiple years of people they dislike being in charge in Washington.

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.
war877 Grr... <3 from Untamed Wilds Since: Dec, 2015 Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
Grr... <3
#118953: Apr 12th 2016 at 11:54:06 PM

My facts were wrong. I thought the congress got redder during Obama's elections.

TerminusEst from the Land of Winter and Stars Since: Feb, 2010
FieldMarshalFry Field Marshal of Cracked from World Internet War 1 Since: Oct, 2015 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
Field Marshal of Cracked
#118955: Apr 13th 2016 at 2:13:12 AM

so... who wants to take bets on how The Republicans will spin that into an attack? my money is on the old "freeloader" line

advancing the front into TV Tropes
theLibrarian Since: Jul, 2009
#118956: Apr 13th 2016 at 6:55:32 AM

I do. This is the party that made Fox News criticize Obama for hosting a Halloween party for kids of troops overseas.

edited 13th Apr '16 6:56:40 AM by theLibrarian

desdendelle Hooded Crow from Land of Milk and Honey (Sergeant) Relationship Status: Hiding
Xopher001 Since: Jul, 2012
#118958: Apr 13th 2016 at 6:59:38 AM

...what? but... why? How could you possibly spin that into an awful thing?

LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#118959: Apr 13th 2016 at 7:04:15 AM

Waste of time or money probably.

Oh really when?
Xopher001 Since: Jul, 2012
#118960: Apr 13th 2016 at 7:05:18 AM

Yeah I looked it up and that's what it looks like.

edited 13th Apr '16 7:05:26 AM by Xopher001

nightwyrm_zero Since: Apr, 2010
#118961: Apr 13th 2016 at 7:05:18 AM

"Secret Muslim Atheist is partying with your underage kids while sending you to die!!"

edited 13th Apr '16 7:05:32 AM by nightwyrm_zero

Xopher001 Since: Jul, 2012
#118962: Apr 13th 2016 at 7:06:18 AM

You know, I actually wonder- if Bernie Sanders becomes president, are they gonna go full-on anti-semitic?

edited 13th Apr '16 7:06:27 AM by Xopher001

LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#118963: Apr 13th 2016 at 7:07:16 AM

No, the Republicans staunchly support Israel over their hatred of Muslims and that'd cause some major problems.

Oh really when?
Xopher001 Since: Jul, 2012
#118964: Apr 13th 2016 at 7:08:16 AM

Right. They'd probably just call him a commie

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
#118965: Apr 13th 2016 at 7:19:11 AM

I could see it slipping into their rhetoric. Or more then bringing on Neo-Nazis to tear into him and then trying desperately to keep them from being blatantly anti-Semitic.

I belive that the European Right have a lot of issues with how they want to align with Israel (due to be living that Israel will help them kill Muslims) but can't/don't want to keep the old guard from being anti-Semitic.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
NativeJovian Jupiterian Local from Orlando, FL Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Jupiterian Local
#118966: Apr 13th 2016 at 7:20:06 AM

Sanders has been accused of being antisemetic for being insufficiently supportive of Israel. (Which, in a nutshell, translates to "he supports a two-state solution".)

Really from Jupiter, but not an alien.
desdendelle Hooded Crow from Land of Milk and Honey (Sergeant) Relationship Status: Hiding
Hooded Crow
#118968: Apr 13th 2016 at 7:29:32 AM

[up][up] That's dumb. You can be critical of Israel without being anti-Semitic; if being critical of Israel (Israel's current government) is anti-Semitism, then I'm anti-Semitic. =/
[up][up][up] They're certainly trying to clean up.

edited 13th Apr '16 7:29:41 AM by desdendelle

On empty crossroads, seek the eclipse -- for when Sol and Lua align, the lost shall find their way home.
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
#118969: Apr 13th 2016 at 7:30:29 AM

That's why on a level I think incidents like the "What will you do about the Jewish conspiracy controlling the Fed" protester are useful for him, they show exactly how moderate he is. Likewise the guy who shouted all that stuff, he's probably going to vote Republican, in enough of such guys come out of the woodwork then it's going to cost the Republicans a lot.

Trump may siphon then off though, if he's the nominee against Sander's you can expect him/his supporters to go full anti-Semite, if he's a third party run against Sander's then the Republican worry will likely stay clean as Trump siphons off the nuts.

edited 13th Apr '16 7:30:40 AM by Silasw

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
FieldMarshalFry Field Marshal of Cracked from World Internet War 1 Since: Oct, 2015 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
Field Marshal of Cracked
#118970: Apr 13th 2016 at 8:01:58 AM

[up][up]that has been Israel's position for years, it's a petty attempt to silence critics, don't forget they were originally in support of the Two State Solution... and then they became the dominant military power in the region and it's the Arabs who want the Two State Solution

advancing the front into TV Tropes
desdendelle Hooded Crow from Land of Milk and Honey (Sergeant) Relationship Status: Hiding
Hooded Crow
#118971: Apr 13th 2016 at 8:07:44 AM

[up] It's a stupid position. Anti-Israel =/= anti-Semitic. There are quite a lot of anti-Semitics that use "anti-Israel" as a fig leaf, mind you... and shouldn't we have this discussion in the right thread?

On empty crossroads, seek the eclipse -- for when Sol and Lua align, the lost shall find their way home.
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
#118972: Apr 13th 2016 at 8:37:18 AM

Yeah this should move thread. Actually as the Israel-Palestine thread is about current affairs and not about the roots of anti-semitismand it's history it might be best to just drop it.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
majoraoftime (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
ThePest179 Since: Jul, 2015
#118975: Apr 13th 2016 at 8:47:34 AM

"This is the party that made Fox News criticize Obama for hosting a Halloween party for kids of troops overseas."

And tried to spin the release of several Americans held in Iran as (somehow) negative. The Republican Party isn't rational in any sense of the word.


Total posts: 417,856
Top