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GameGuruGG Vampire Hunter from Castlevania (Before Recorded History)
Vampire Hunter
#120051: Apr 25th 2016 at 10:42:37 AM

Personally, I think Sanders has only done as well as he has because a good number of millennials just don't want Hillary as President. Millennials who still vote will more than likely vote for her because the alternative to her and Sanders are candidates so crazy, even the Republicans don't want them. Look at it from the perspective of a millennial... Generally, the decrease in their quality of life goes all the way back to the policies of Ronald Reagan and every president after him except Obama who had perhaps the most hostile Congress in the history of America working against him. This list includes Bill Clinton. Hillary's undeniable association with Bill as his wife and former First Lady likely hurts her severely with millennials who saw Bill as one of the reasons why their lives are as bad as they currently are. I know enough millennials who were groaning last year that it was going to Clinton Vs. Bush, since they really do blame Reagan, Bush, Clinton, and Bush for why their quality of life has gone to shit. It's likely also the reason why Trump is so popular for the other side since he railed specifically on Bush-Era policy and is dismantling the Bush-Era Republican Party. I will admit that this isn't rational and I am happy Clinton is being forced to drift to the left because of Sanders, but when people are angry, they are not going to be rational.

edited 25th Apr '16 10:43:51 AM by GameGuruGG

Wizard Needs Food Badly
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#120052: Apr 25th 2016 at 10:55:13 AM

Also, Trump is profiting from the ineptitude of the Republican Congress. There is a widespread perception that they have betrayed their base, considering that they failed to repeal Obamacare and other of Obama's initiatives despite having a majority and having promised to do this - sometimes they have not even tried.

"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
#120053: Apr 25th 2016 at 11:08:53 AM

For the last 40 years, Republicans have been elected on the promise to stick it to liberals, blacks, gays, women, Muslims, non-Christians, whatever — and have instead lowered taxes and made life cushier for the very wealthy. Their abject collapse under Barack Obama came because a wave of True Believers got elected who really believed in the Kool-Aid that the party had been selling to get people to vote for it. Those people decided not to take "maybe" for an answer and hijacked the party by refusing to compromise, thus denying the GOP any Democratic votes that might have helped them get their legislative agenda passed.

Cruz is one of those no-compromise Senators, and Trump is akin to the Emperor's tailor leading the cry that he's not wearing clothes.

edited 25th Apr '16 11:57:50 AM by Fighteer

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
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
#120054: Apr 25th 2016 at 11:09:24 AM

People have crowdfunded basic services in the US, there's an entire crowdfunding website devoted to providing US schools with basic supplies for teaching projects.

Edit: Found a link to a story about it [1].

edited 25th Apr '16 11:11:51 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
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#120055: Apr 25th 2016 at 11:59:26 AM

Crowdfunding is great and all, but it demonstrably leads to the haves getting more than the have-nots, because the haves have no social incentive to support people that aren't part of their clique.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Demonic_Braeburn Yankee Doodle Dandy from Defective California Since: Jan, 2016
Yankee Doodle Dandy
#120056: Apr 25th 2016 at 12:23:37 PM

Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton share Delaware tax 'loophole' address with 285,000 firms.

There aren’t many things upon which Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump agree, especially as they court very different Delaware voters ahead of a primary on Tuesday. But the candidates for president share an affinity for the same nondescript two-storey office building in Wilmington. A building that has become famous for helping tens of thousands of companies avoid hundreds of millions of dollars in tax through the so-called “Delaware loophole”.

edited 25th Apr '16 12:24:14 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.
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#120057: Apr 25th 2016 at 12:27:07 PM

Hillary, stop proving Bernie right about you being part of the corrupt system that he's trying to fix! waii

Then again, there's a point to be made that, as long as people are using it, you're at a competitive disadvantage if you don't also use it.

edited 25th Apr '16 12:27:45 PM by Fighteer

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Greenmantle V from Greater Wessex, Britannia Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Hiding
V
#120058: Apr 25th 2016 at 12:28:43 PM

[up] And almost certainly, other Lettered Agencies of the US Government also use that address....

Keep Rolling On
Karkadinn Karkadinn from New Orleans, Louisiana Since: Jul, 2009
Karkadinn
#120059: Apr 25th 2016 at 12:39:45 PM

Getting outraged at politicians abusing loopholes that 'everyone' (colloquially speaking) abuses is wasted energy. The time to get mad is when reform is explicitly brought up and we see which people are sufficiently invested in those abuses that they try to excuse them instead of agreeing that they need fixing. At some point, a politician has to be willing to take the hit and argue against his own self-interest for the sake of the common good.

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
#120060: Apr 25th 2016 at 12:42:51 PM

The response is, "Of course I'm taking advantage of tax loopholes to my own benefit. I'm not an idiot. The idiots are the people who put them there, and I'll happily support removing them as long as they get removed for everyone."

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
TacticalFox88 from USA Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Dating the Doctor
#120061: Apr 25th 2016 at 12:50:34 PM

[up]But, unfortunately, you can't say that. They want you to tell the truth, but not too much. There's only so much "keeping it real" that American public can swallow.

New Survey coming this weekend!
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#120062: Apr 25th 2016 at 1:08:47 PM

Unfortunately, we have a fixation on moral/ethical purity in our candidates — a person must never have done a thing or taken advantage of a thing whose existence they do not support, or they are automatically a hypocrite. This idea forms the majority of Sanders' argument against Clinton's candidacy.

As for a comment above that I meant to remark on: there is no point in U.S. government agencies taking advantage of loopholes intended to shield income from taxation, since government agencies don't pay taxes.

edited 25th Apr '16 1:15:02 PM by Fighteer

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
ironballs16 Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Owner of a lonely heart
#120063: Apr 25th 2016 at 1:27:15 PM

Pretty sure that America (The Book) had a joke like that regarding outsourcing, finishing with "Did you answer 'A' [the humane option]? Congratulations! You have just been fired by the person that answered 'B' [the Corrupt Corporate Executive option]!"

As for how realistic Sanders' policies are, I'm not sure how many share this view, but I consider myself fully aware that they'd have a snowball's chance in hell of making it through our current Congress. However, by getting him in office as President, I'd hope that he'd at least succeed in shifting the Overton window. Even if none of his policies work in practice, getting the conversation itself started on a National level is something that needs to happen, and I don't see that getting accomplished with Clinton, given that she's only recently started echoing some of Sanders' statements.

1) He'd constantly bang on about income inequality and push for solutions to it, which would likely get him some impressive support from the public.

2) He'd push for further economic reforms on Wall Street and the oft-criticized "billionaire class", including tax hikes and some good ol' fashioned Trust Busting, which we sorely need.

"Why would I inflict myself on somebody else?"
Greenmantle V from Greater Wessex, Britannia Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Hiding
V
#120064: Apr 25th 2016 at 1:27:59 PM

[up][up]

As for a comment above that I meant to remark on: there is no point in U.S. government agencies taking advantage of loopholes intended to shield income from taxation, since government agencies don't pay taxes.

No, but a Delaware (or a Nevada) Corporation does offer a chance for greater secrecy than other states, as the Corporations' real owners can stay hidden in the shadows — which could be useful if it's an organisation like, say, the CIA.

edited 25th Apr '16 1:28:11 PM by Greenmantle

Keep Rolling On
LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
NativeJovian Jupiterian Local from Orlando, FL Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Jupiterian Local
#120066: Apr 25th 2016 at 1:34:33 PM

However, by getting him in office as President, I'd hope that he'd at least succeed in shifting the Overton window. Even if none of his policies work in practice, getting the conversation itself started on a National level is something that needs to happen
The danger of pushing too hard to the left and failing to actually accomplish anything is that it could convince the public that such projects are pipe dreams that can't actually happen in America.

Basically, a Sanders presidency will be either a big win or a big lose for liberalism, while a Clinton presidency is likely to be a small win or maintain the status quo.

It's perhaps unsurprising that the young and the reasonably well off are the most willing to go with Sanders as the high risk/high reward option.

edited 25th Apr '16 1:39:02 PM by NativeJovian

Really from Jupiter, but not an alien.
TacticalFox88 from USA Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Dating the Doctor
#120067: Apr 25th 2016 at 1:34:48 PM

[up] [up]Holy hell. Add in "Low information voters" and it would've been pitch perfect, spot on.

edited 25th Apr '16 1:34:58 PM by TacticalFox88

New Survey coming this weekend!
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#120068: Apr 25th 2016 at 1:36:09 PM

[up][up][up]That made my day.[lol]

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#120069: Apr 25th 2016 at 1:36:46 PM

It's perhaps unsurprising that the young and the reasonable well off are the most willing to go with Sanders as the high risk/high reward option.

Add in a dose of ignorance and a subconscious smattering of the misogyny/racism that infests the Trump campaign...

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
smokeycut Since: Mar, 2013
#120070: Apr 25th 2016 at 1:40:45 PM

I can understand why there are sexists who support Sanders rather than Clinton, but wouldn't it make more sense for racists to support the white person than the jewish guy?

pwiegle Cape Malleum Majorem from Nowhere Special Since: Sep, 2015 Relationship Status: Singularity
Cape Malleum Majorem
#120071: Apr 25th 2016 at 1:43:30 PM

...wouldn't it make more sense...?

Sense? In a political campaign?? Surely you jest...

This Space Intentionally Left Blank.
Greenmantle V from Greater Wessex, Britannia Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Hiding
V
#120072: Apr 25th 2016 at 1:43:34 PM

[up][up] Not all racists are on the Right.

edited 25th Apr '16 1:43:59 PM by Greenmantle

Keep Rolling On
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#120073: Apr 25th 2016 at 1:44:14 PM

Also, racism and sound judgment are frequently anti-correlated.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
TacticalFox88 from USA Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Dating the Doctor
#120074: Apr 25th 2016 at 1:45:23 PM

Meh. I gave up trying to understand racism and just simply just attributed it to ignorance.

New Survey coming this weekend!
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
#120075: Apr 25th 2016 at 1:50:56 PM

Yeah the "There's a grand Jewish conspiracy" lot have some out against Sanders, and presumably thus for Clinton.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran

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