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
Why are we predicting a recession, exactly? There are no fundamental reasons for it, unless the Fed keeps trying to raise interest rates and drives demand down further as a result.
"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"It seemed more like he expected Obama to get it through before he left office. Granted, it was with the assumption that Clinton would go back on her opposition and a way suggestions that, but in Obama's eyes it could also mean getting it through even if Clinton stays on course
edited 1st Aug '16 11:17:12 AM by sgamer82
It's more that congress largely supports the TPP, at least as far as the GOP goes, and moreover, that there are several bills the TPP's congressional approval could be bundled with in the lame duck session (among other dirty political moves that would more or less guarantee the TPP going through) that are "have to pass" to avoid a government shutdown. Hence Clinton's backers being fairly confident she'll never have to put her money where her mouth is.
edited 1st Aug '16 11:24:43 AM by CaptainCapsase
Nah. Hipsters do it all the time. They're basically saying, "I liked Bernie BEFORE he sold out."
Replace "Bernie" with any popular music group and you'll see it's quite a common sentiment.
It warms my heart to see more and more prominent Republicans jumping down Trump's throat over the Khantroversy.
My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.
Replace "Bernie" with any popular music group and you'll see it's quite a common sentiment.
edited 1st Aug '16 11:25:51 AM by Greenmantle
Keep Rolling OnThe Constitution mandates that treaties be ratified by the Senate; there is no out or loophole that would let the President enact them without this step. "Fast track" authority, however, allows the Senate to pass certain legislation, like treaties, by simple majority without a floor vote, and thus without being subject to a filibuster.
It is indeed an interesting question whether TPP will get shoved through as a last-minute fait accompli by Obama and McConnell. If so, and assuming Clinton wins the election, it would be a rare case of an outgoing administration crossing the aisle to work with a hostile Senate majority in order to hamstring the next administration from its own party.
Obama has to know how unpopular the TPP is with the general public, and it is incredible how this President, who is normally so eloquent and savvy about public relations, isn't trying harder to sell it.
edited 1st Aug '16 11:31:26 AM by Fighteer
"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"![]()
Maybe Obama's privately given up on TPP (and probably with TTIP too)?
edited 1st Aug '16 11:37:48 AM by Greenmantle
Keep Rolling OnGood news guys! You know how Clinton needed a convention bounce as an indication that this wasn't going to be a Bush-Kerry situation again?
Well, the "Now-cast" on Five Thirty Eight's election forecast is giving Clinton a pretty good one, and she's in the lead on all three of their options.
I don't know if Trump's recent comments have anything to do with this, but he's said lots of things that should have killed his campaign numerous times and his supporters didn't care, so I'm pretty sure this is a convention bounce for Clinton.
Maybe he thinks his energy is better spent on other things at the moment.
Do you really think he'd be able to work across the aisle with Mc Connel at this point, though?
@Fighteer: I'd assume Obama is hoping that by staying quiet about the TPP, people will stop caring long enough for it to slip through congress. His continued support of the deal is harmful to the democrats and by extension Clinton's prospects in the election, so if he'd given up on passing the TPP he would've said as much.
edited 1st Aug '16 11:47:33 AM by CaptainCapsase
Yes, but why would he do that? I find it vastly incongruous with the general transparency with which he has conducted his administration thus far. Maybe he thinks that dislike for the TPP is a niche position that is not widespread among the public, or maybe he sees its most vocal opponents as being part of that "millennial anti-establishment" crowd that complains loudly but doesn't vote.
What I find hardest to believe is that McConnell would, given the current political environment in Congress, hand Obama any kind of policy victory, especially one that would be something of a parting gift for his legacy.
"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Presumably because he feels its geopolitical consequences are too important (for America's geopolitical ambitions, not security) to pass up. There's absolutely no way he's not looked at the opinion polls on the TPP, so there's no way he doesn't realize it's incredibly unpopular.
Or, more cynically, because he's gotten an under the table offer from one of the major lobbies too good to pass up. The same goes for McConnell.
edited 1st Aug '16 11:56:02 AM by CaptainCapsase
"It warms my heart to see more and more prominent Republicans jumping down Trump's throat over the Khantroversy."
True, but their criticisms ring hollow considering that just a couple weeks ago they shamelessly fell in line behind Trump at the convention.
edited 1st Aug '16 11:55:37 AM by speedyboris
![]()
If any of what you said is true, which I hope it is not, what it indicates to me is that Obama has surrounded himself with a circle of policy advisers who have insulated themselves from public opinion (possibly as a form of self-defense) and who carefully filter the reality that the President is exposed to.
I'm sorry, but McCain doesn't redeem himself in my eyes just for standing up to Trump over this Khan affair. The way he veers from intellectually dishonest smears against Obama to intellectually honest attacks on his own party just makes me wonder if he's on the wagon from the Kool-Aid in any particular week — or if he's just become so cynical that he only pretends to give a damn about integrity when it helps his personal narrative with the voters.
edited 1st Aug '16 11:58:49 AM by Fighteer
"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
I'd argue that last part is true of virtually all politicians, Obama and Clinton and Sanders included, with Trump being the absolute king of that despite having only being in politics for about a year thus far. Whatever pretensions exist about "representing the people", all politicians have their own agenda they intend to pursue in office that has little to do with the issues they appeal to voters with. Some of those agendas are more altruistic than others and the most effective politicians get into power by selling their own views to the public, but I don't think there exists a time when "the will of the people" was anything other than something to invoke for legitimacy.
edited 1st Aug '16 12:06:23 PM by CaptainCapsase

Just a random comment but "creative with the truth" is a euphemism for lying that normally someone would use in relation to themselves. Reminds me of how the (sort of Trumpish) British politician Alan Clark
admitted to lying by saying that he had been "economical with the actualité".
As his comment suggests, "creative with the truth" and phrasing of that type has a certain cheekiness when someone uses it as an excuse for themselves, which means it has a somewhat positive connotation if a paper is describing someone else that way- as opposed to say calling them a liar or dishonest.
edited 1st Aug '16 11:06:19 AM by Hodor2