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

Medinoc from France (Before Recorded History)
#123451: May 24th 2016 at 9:59:48 PM

No, they don't, but the law in North Carolina was packaged with a law that prevented any city or municipality from raising the minimum wage inside their own border. Designed specifically to block one of their cities that had already voted on it.
The very same city that had also just passed a trans-friendly bathroom law, IIRC. North Carolina threw in an emergency session just to counter them. And is contemplating suing the city for the costs.

edited 24th May '16 10:00:27 PM by Medinoc

"And as long as a sack of shit is not a good thing to be, chivalry will never die."
AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#123452: May 24th 2016 at 10:12:11 PM

So much for the thought of local rule. It's always convenient when state governments want to countermand something from the feds, but not when a city wants to countermand something from the state. Bleh.

Anyone watching the news on the anti-Trump protesters at that rally today?

AmbarSonofDeshar Since: Jan, 2010
#123453: May 24th 2016 at 10:14:00 PM

[up]No I had not. Speaking of anti-Trump, anyone else seen Warren's rant here? I don't think she likes him very much.

edited 24th May '16 10:14:10 PM by AmbarSonofDeshar

SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#123454: May 24th 2016 at 10:31:09 PM

I've read about Warren's Twitter rants. I am amazed by the "standard" of discourse there, but also have to thumb-up the "is that all what you can do" statement on her part. Is that the same thing?

And I am glad if the Democrats drop Wasserman-Schultz. She's been utterly incompetent at her job for starters, even if the part about rigging the debates is incorrect (which I doubt). And the support for the payday loan industry is just eep.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Greenmantle V from Greater Wessex, Britannia Since: Feb, 2010 Relationship Status: Hiding
V
#123455: May 24th 2016 at 11:32:47 PM

What might happen if there a Coup by the National Guard and/or Law Enforcement against one of the US State Governments?

edited 24th May '16 11:33:23 PM by Greenmantle

Keep Rolling On
NickTheSwing Since: Aug, 2009
#123456: May 24th 2016 at 11:34:12 PM

You know when I started sarcastically supporting the Trumpenfuhrer I had utterly no idea he'd get this far.

Now I'm really starting to wonder just how far this all will go.

Can the Republicans back pedal from getting ready to enthrone a Fuhrer as opposed to a President? Trump is basically the first time fascism has shown up in America in force.

LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#123457: May 24th 2016 at 11:34:19 PM

Unlikely, the police are usually the ones with the anti federal sentiment and side with the state government. Usually because they're fine with them shooting black children in the back.

Oh really when?
NickTheSwing Since: Aug, 2009
#123458: May 25th 2016 at 1:18:33 AM

Yeah, from what I've seen there is a sheriff power fantasy present in a lot of them.

The police in a lot of cases - especially the NYPD - seem to believe they are absolute arbiters and civilians should "shut up and obey".

DrDougsh Since: Jan, 2001
#123459: May 25th 2016 at 4:55:13 AM

I kinda get the feeling that if Trump wins he'll fail to live up to the hype, both from his supporters and detractors. I mean, don't get me wrong, he would be a horrible president and an absolute embarrassment to the US on the international stage, but I doubt he has the ideological committment to go full fascist. Like Jimmy Carter said, he's malleable. Hitler and Mussolini were fanatically devoted to their ideologies, whereas Trump is just an opportunist who'll say and do absolutely anything to gain support.

TotemicHero No longer a forum herald from the next level Since: Dec, 2009
No longer a forum herald
#123460: May 25th 2016 at 5:16:59 AM

I could write a fairly long post pointing out how treating Mussolini and Hitler as basically the same is factually wrong on many, many levels, but that would be off-topic.

But yeah, Trump is a opportunist. It just happens that there's just enough of a group that has gotten shafted by the current system (blue-collar whites, as noted before) that they're willing to overlook a lot of things in support of someone who upholds a handful of positions important to them.

Expergiscēre cras, medior quam hodie. (Awaken tomorrow, better than today.)
Krieger22 Causing freakouts over sourcing since 2018 from Malaysia Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: I'm in love with my car
Causing freakouts over sourcing since 2018
#123461: May 25th 2016 at 5:52:21 AM

The denizens of /pol/ started out because they saw overtures to fascism as a reliable way to shock people. Then actual fascists showed up and then those "ironic" posts became drastically less ironic.

Do I think the same can happen in a Trump presidency, or a Trump-led GOP? Yes. It doesn't matter if the man himself doesn't believe a word of what he says, if he appoints enough people that do, those policies will be plenty real. He has already legitimized many of the talking points the Internet neo-Nazis use.

I have disagreed with her a lot, but comparing her to republicans and propagandists of dictatorships is really low. - An idiot
NativeJovian Jupiterian Local from Orlando, FL Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Jupiterian Local
#123462: May 25th 2016 at 7:01:22 AM

It's always convenient when state governments want to countermand something from the feds, but not when a city wants to countermand something from the state. Bleh.
The thing about that is, the Constitution explicitly limits federal power vs state power, while there's generally no such limit in state constitutions dictating what state governments vs municipal governments are allowed to do.

Really from Jupiter, but not an alien.
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#123464: May 25th 2016 at 7:15:35 AM

Yeah, so let's let Trump win the election to show those nasty Democrats what's what.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
PotatoesRock Since: Oct, 2012
#123465: May 25th 2016 at 7:20:01 AM
Thumped: This post was thumped by moderation to preserve the dignity of the author.
ILoveDogs Since: May, 2010
#123466: May 25th 2016 at 7:22:42 AM

[up][up][up] So, that means that Trump will win, right?

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
#123467: May 25th 2016 at 7:25:14 AM

[up]X4 One poll, one poll at this distance and before Clinton gets her nominee lock surge means shit all.

[up] No, now please stop looking for an excuse to panic, it's tiring for the rest of us to keep have to assure you that Trump isn't going to win every five minutes so as to keep your anxiety issues under control, it's very disruptive for the flow of conversation here.

edited 25th May '16 7:28:34 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
yoneld Thus speaks yoneld: from Haifa, Israel Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Thus speaks yoneld:
#123468: May 25th 2016 at 7:28:09 AM

It's always convenient when state governments want to countermand something from the feds, but not when a city wants to countermand something from the state. Bleh.

The thing is, though, the relationships are not equal. The individual states are what gives the federal government its power, while city governments are devolved units that draw all their power from the entity above them.

Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself.
carbon-mantis Collector Of Fine Oddities from Trumpland Since: Mar, 2010 Relationship Status: Married to my murderer
Collector Of Fine Oddities
#123469: May 25th 2016 at 7:34:53 AM

The idiots who hold the "torch it" mentality never seem to want to stop and consider that in this case they will likely be the ones against the wall (metaphorically or literally, depending on how things swing) when their glorious revolution arrives.

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#123470: May 25th 2016 at 7:36:26 AM

I guess they figure they'll have plenty of time in their lives to fix whatever Trump breaks.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
smokeycut Since: Mar, 2013
#123471: May 25th 2016 at 7:37:20 AM

Any poll at this point is ridiculous, because you're splitting votes between one republican and two democrats. Obviously the democrats are gonna have lower chances right now. Once Hillary gets the nomination, her chances are gonna surge upwards due to Sanders no longer running. Hopefully he'll actually get his supporters to help Hillary, rather than be a sore loser and try to fuck her over.

HallowHawk Since: Feb, 2013
#123472: May 25th 2016 at 7:43:19 AM

What will happen if neither Clinton nor Sanders have been selected to be the Democrat nominee before November this year?

TerminusEst from the Land of Winter and Stars Since: Feb, 2010
#123473: May 25th 2016 at 7:43:38 AM

So did MGR predict the current American political climate?

Si Vis Pacem, Para Perkele
yoneld Thus speaks yoneld: from Haifa, Israel Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Thus speaks yoneld:
#123474: May 25th 2016 at 7:44:05 AM

In general, polls are not much to set store by, especially when it's that close.

Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself.
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#123475: May 25th 2016 at 7:46:45 AM

All of the recent Trump vs. Clinton polls have them in a tie within the statistical margin of error, and neither candidate has officially accepted their party's nomination. So while the data are interesting for the media to dissect, they aren't strongly predictive of the general election outcome.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"

Total posts: 417,856
Top