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

Reflextion from a post-sanity world (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: What's love got to do with it?
#120501: Apr 29th 2016 at 5:20:46 AM

[up]

I once read a short story in which a politician made a Deal with the Devil to get himself elected President without resorting to mudslinging, personal attacks against his opponents, and other negative campaigning tactics. It didn't work; not even the Prince of Darkness could pull that one off.

Did he at least give the poor guy a refund?

EDIT: Pagetopper

edited 29th Apr '16 5:21:17 AM by Reflextion

Someone did tell me life was going to be this way.
Julep Since: Jul, 2010
#120502: Apr 29th 2016 at 5:25:37 AM

Whoever is writing this first season of Republican Primaries truly is a comical genius. Too bad we will only get a new one in four years (I hope at least, because if it is eight, I don't know how the USA will look when it comes back on air).

sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#120503: Apr 29th 2016 at 5:29:50 AM

I can't help but feel it's hilarious that, when you get down to it, not even the Republican Party itself wants either of its most relevant candidates.

edited 29th Apr '16 5:30:18 AM by sgamer82

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#120504: Apr 29th 2016 at 5:39:53 AM

Speaking of that, Krugman: Wrath of the Conned.

Yes, he's still beating his horse about how Clinton is more electable than the media have made her out to be, which you may or may not agree with, but he observes that the key distinction between Democrats and Republicans is that the former generally intend (and attempt) to keep their promises after being elected, while the latter are running an affinity fraud machine. In this election, people have finally caught onto the con, which is why Trump (and Cruz, to a lesser extent) is winning.

edited 29th Apr '16 5:40:47 AM by Fighteer

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#120505: Apr 29th 2016 at 5:41:07 AM

Something more on the 'Cruz is a jerk' theme.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Ogodei Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers from The front lines Since: Jan, 2011
Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers
#120506: Apr 29th 2016 at 6:02:15 AM

The Republicans now pushing for women being draft-eligible seems like the appropriate reaction to losing the fight on women in combat roles, the idea being that they think feminists will protest it and then they can point to hypocrisy and create another gadfly talking point for the right-wing sphere.

The problem is it could just point to the inherent silliness of the selective service act.

The easier way to achieve it would probably be: 1) Abolish Selective Service Act, 2) Instate automatic voter registration for all 18-year-olds, and 3) If we do ever come to a true crisis of national survival, use the voter registration rolls as the basis for conscription.

Medinoc from France (Before Recorded History)
#120507: Apr 29th 2016 at 6:09:36 AM

[up]Your idea of tying it to voter registration reminds me, IIRC where I live voter registration requires a certificate that you're registered on the Defense's database.

edited 29th Apr '16 6:10:09 AM by Medinoc

"And as long as a sack of shit is not a good thing to be, chivalry will never die."
TerminusEst from the Land of Winter and Stars Since: Feb, 2010
Protagonist506 from Oregon Since: Dec, 2013 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#120509: Apr 29th 2016 at 9:26:05 AM

[up]Certainly unsurprising that Satanists would be offended by comparisons to a Christian Fundamentalist.

Leviticus 19:34
Ramidel Since: Jan, 2001
#120510: Apr 29th 2016 at 9:39:14 AM

Two months late but still interesting.

Louisiana's Democratic governor called a special legislative session, tries to fix the budget left by Bobby Jindal.

Louisiana Republicans are split on whether to work with him or play the usual "no new taxes, no new spending" game; one has proposed freeing up money from the statutory dedications (as in, the money that pays for the fire marshal among other things).

He's still trying to fix the fiscal crisis, but right now the legislature is forbidden by law from messing with taxes.

edited 29th Apr '16 9:41:19 AM by Ramidel

TerminusEst from the Land of Winter and Stars Since: Feb, 2010
#120511: Apr 29th 2016 at 10:33:23 AM

[up][up]

Theistic/Occultic Satanists really don't care for the Church after the time of Jesus.

Si Vis Pacem, Para Perkele
TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#120512: Apr 29th 2016 at 11:05:01 AM

From the sound of it, I think the court (which voted unanimously, by the by) focused on the "forcible" portion of it in regards to intoxication-rape.

Which is still ridiculous. Have these Judges ever seen an unconscious person? Because I have, and I am at a loss for how oral sex could be performed on an unconscious person without using at least some amount of force. Unconscious people don't generally move on their own.

How is it possible to describe a situation where the assaulter must physically act upon the victim to make their body perform its side of the act as anything other than "forcible"?

Satanists offended by Boehner's Lucifer comparison

This is the most fantastic real-life example of Insult to Rocks I've ever seen.

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
AngelusNox Warder of the damned from The guard of the gates of oblivion Since: Dec, 2014 Relationship Status: Married to the job
Warder of the damned
#120513: Apr 29th 2016 at 11:16:47 AM

[up]Haha wonderful. Page updated!

Inter arma enim silent leges
Demonic_Braeburn Yankee Doodle Dandy from Defective California Since: Jan, 2016
Yankee Doodle Dandy
#120514: Apr 29th 2016 at 11:39:11 AM

Indiana Governor Mike Pence (R) endorses Ted Cruz.

Man, if Cruz loses this state...

Any group who acts like morons ironically will eventually find itself swamped by morons who think themselves to be in good company.
Medinoc from France (Before Recorded History)
#120515: Apr 29th 2016 at 11:58:02 AM

I found a blog post from a lawyer about the rape case. TLDR: Blame the antiquated law (edit: or the prosecutor), not the judges.

edited 29th Apr '16 11:59:51 AM by Medinoc

"And as long as a sack of shit is not a good thing to be, chivalry will never die."
Demonic_Braeburn Yankee Doodle Dandy from Defective California Since: Jan, 2016
Yankee Doodle Dandy
#120516: Apr 29th 2016 at 12:35:45 PM

Will Ferrell has backed out of a movie that would have made light of President Ronald Reagan‘s battle with Alzheimer’s after the premise received condemnation.

edited 29th Apr '16 12:36:57 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.
ironballs16 Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Owner of a lonely heart
#120517: Apr 29th 2016 at 1:33:14 PM

[up]

Definitely for the best - that'd be somewhat tasteless even if he were still alive, really, since it's poking fun at a legitimate mental disorder. Kind of like making fun of Michael J. Fox's Parksinson's - what's acceptable online as Crosses the Line Twice can fall flat on its face when facing a general audience.

"Why would I inflict myself on somebody else?"
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#120518: Apr 29th 2016 at 1:41:45 PM

Make fun of Reagan's politics all you want, but making fun of his Alzheimer's seems like a bit much...

"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
#120519: Apr 29th 2016 at 1:51:34 PM

Carly Fiorina on Friday slammed Donald Trump for boasting of a Mike Tyson endorsement this week.

"I love it. He sent out a tweet. Mike. Iron Mike,” Trump said. “You know, all the tough guys endorse me. I like that, OK?”

Fiorina, standing beside Cruz as the two took questions from the media in Indianapolis, said she was “interested to see” the endorsement and blasted the real-estate mogul for calling Tyson "tough," referring to when the boxer was convicted of rape in the 1990s, in Indiana, no less.

“Sorry, I don't consider a convicted rapist a tough guy,” Fiorina told reporters. “And I think it says a lot about Donald Trump's campaign and his character that he is standing up and cheering for an endorsement by Mike Tyson.”

Former Donald Trump campaign advisor Roger Stone claims Fiorina is ‘Racist’ for bringing up Tyson rape conviction.

Man, this election...

edited 29th Apr '16 1:52:17 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.
AdricDePsycho Rock on, Gold Dust Woman from Never Going Back Again Since: Oct, 2014 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Rock on, Gold Dust Woman
#120520: Apr 29th 2016 at 1:53:08 PM

I thought Tyson turned himself around after the rape stuff? He seems to have gotten much better since then.

Have you any dreams you'd like to sell?
SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#120521: Apr 29th 2016 at 1:56:46 PM

I am sort of curious in knowing/imagining what the 2016 presidential election would be if it was a TV show (ratings, audience numbers, tropes, box office returns, awards, the whole enchilada) after seeing a cartoon of Hollywood executives wanting to buy the rights to the election coverage.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
TobiasDrake (•̀⤙•́) (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Arm chopping is not a love language!
(•̀⤙•́)
#120522: Apr 29th 2016 at 2:00:22 PM

^.^ Welcome back, Fiorina. Nice to see you're in top form.

Cruz is still going to lose to Trump and it's probably for the best that he does, but I'm hopeful that this is a preview of what we can expect when Trump goes head-to-head with Hillary. Women seem to be his Achilles' Heel; Cruz, Kasich, and the other guys can be utterly floored by Trump's attempts to discredit them with personal attacks and pettiness, but women like Hillary and Fiorina have no expectation of a rival behaving in a professional manner when they enter the room.

Trump wins debates because he's a walking Chewbacca Defense whose behavior confuses and flabbergasts his opponents into submission. I have high hopes for Hillary's ability to cut right through that.

edited 29th Apr '16 2:02:53 PM by TobiasDrake

My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
ironballs16 Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Owner of a lonely heart
#120524: Apr 29th 2016 at 2:21:30 PM

[up]

Been sitting on this thought for a while, but my single biggest qualm with Hillary is that looming threat of FBI indictment over her emails. Whether or not it ever comes to fruition (and if it does, I sincerely hope it's not an October Surprise situation), that's going to be one hell of a millstone she'll be carrying, even against the likes of Drumpf. My brother was quite open about hating both, but preferring Trump because at least he's straightforward.

"Why would I inflict myself on somebody else?"
TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#120525: Apr 29th 2016 at 2:24:51 PM

But he's not! He's slicker than Clinton!

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

Total posts: 417,856
Top