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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

CaptainCapsase from Orbiting Sagittarius A* Since: Jan, 2015
#135851: Aug 21st 2016 at 8:34:58 AM

[up] But of course. The real question is if Trump will be in one of his "oh, but surely he couldn't be that bad?" phases come November. He'll probably lose whatever the case may be, but not by the margin that would be needed to thoroughly discredit his movement.

In fact, even in the event of a landslide, I doubt Trumpismo is going away any time soon even if Trump himself gets bored of politics and goes off to do something else; even decisive landslides haven't stopped the growth of his ideological cousins in Europe, which as things stand are poised to win big in many parts of Europe.

edited 21st Aug '16 8:37:17 AM by CaptainCapsase

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
#135852: Aug 21st 2016 at 8:58:03 AM

Texas now has the highest maternal mortality rate in the developed world following a doubling of rates between 2010 and 2014. Sanctity of life, eh?

I have disagreed with her a lot, but comparing her to republicans and propagandists of dictatorships is really low. - An idiot
CaptainCapsase from Orbiting Sagittarius A* Since: Jan, 2015
#135853: Aug 21st 2016 at 9:08:20 AM

That's what you get when "no abortions ever" is combined with the general "fuck the poor" attitude of the GOP.

SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#135854: Aug 21st 2016 at 9:14:34 AM

And if memory serves, Texas has always had a sub-par healthcare system. Good facilities but poor outcomes, probably reflecting low insurance rates and other distribution-side problems.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Lightysnake Since: May, 2010
#135855: Aug 21st 2016 at 1:37:47 PM

Sanders had a solid racial justice platform. How often did he genuinely campaign on it? Even late to the campaign, he was still doing the whole "well, black voters just don't know me very well."

A failure to engage black voters early means you're going to be in serious trouble in a Democratic primary.

LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#135857: Aug 21st 2016 at 2:02:25 PM

Who are you voting for then?

Oh really when?
smokeycut Since: Mar, 2013
#135858: Aug 21st 2016 at 2:03:06 PM

Wait what? Since when is left of center the only thing allowed? We've got republicans in this thread, moderates, hardcore liberals...

LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#135859: Aug 21st 2016 at 2:04:21 PM

That's a weird statement to just blurt out of nowhere.

JackOLantern1337 Shameful Display from The Most Miserable Province in the Russian Empir Since: Aug, 2014 Relationship Status: 700 wives and 300 concubines
Shameful Display
#135860: Aug 21st 2016 at 2:08:00 PM

To be fair this thread is certainly something of a "left wing", though how far is very variable, circle jerk. Every once in a while someone brings that up and we all angst about it but then someone else says something about false equivalency and we all agree and go back to our regular topics of angst.

edited 21st Aug '16 2:08:25 PM by JackOLantern1337

I Bring Doom,and a bit of gloom, but mostly gloom.
AdricDePsycho Rock on, Gold Dust Woman from Never Going Back Again Since: Oct, 2014 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Rock on, Gold Dust Woman
#135861: Aug 21st 2016 at 2:09:23 PM

Congrats on not voting for Hillary, you want a cookie?

edited 21st Aug '16 2:10:15 PM by AdricDePsycho

Have you any dreams you'd like to sell?
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#135863: Aug 21st 2016 at 2:18:44 PM

I'll vote for Clinton in spirit, is that worth anything?tongue

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#135864: Aug 21st 2016 at 2:21:26 PM

"I'll vote for Hillary twice, so ha!"

The last time we let people have two votes in the Election Crisis of 1800 happened.

TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#135865: Aug 21st 2016 at 2:23:00 PM

@Jack: I think "circle jerk" is a bit uncharitable, yes? "Circle" is good enough, though I still feel it's unwarranted.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
kkhohoho (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#135866: Aug 21st 2016 at 2:23:36 PM

There. I said it. Kill me.

Happy to oblige.smile

Seriously though, what's wrong with Hilary? In fact, it doesn't matter what's wrong with Hilary. Trump's got a fat chance of winning right now, but only if we get as many people voting for Hilary as possible. What it all really comes down to is keeping Trump out of the white house, simply because of just who Trump is and what he represents. Damn political leanings or agendas; this really takes priority over anything else at this point. So I guess what I should be asking isn't what's wrong with Hilary, but rather what's wrong with voting for Hilary?

edited 21st Aug '16 2:36:03 PM by kkhohoho

Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#135867: Aug 21st 2016 at 2:31:25 PM

> I'll vote for Hillary twice, so ha!

-Police sirens-

That's voting fraud!

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
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
#135868: Aug 21st 2016 at 2:35:41 PM

Guys maybe when someone with no OTC history comes here and posts something clearly designed to inflame the thread and make folks angry you should ignore them?

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
smokeycut Since: Mar, 2013
#135869: Aug 21st 2016 at 2:38:16 PM

Meh, didn't make anyone angry. If anything, it lightened the mood.

NativeJovian Jupiterian Local from Orlando, FL Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Jupiterian Local
#135870: Aug 21st 2016 at 2:56:04 PM

[up][up]But ignoring bait is boring!

Anyway, I wouldn't call this thread a circlejerk. The people who post here are fairly left-leaning, that's true, but we aren't axiomatically opposed to outside perspectives. When someone expresses an opposing opinion, we don't attack them for disagreeing with us, we actually try to engage them in legitimate discussion.

The main problem is that the liberal tone of the conversation here probably discourages more conservative people from posting in the first place — and the ones that do post tend to be on the defensive, which can make them come of as unhelpfully aggressive. Like our friend DL Abaoaqu, there. (Assuming his attitude is honest and not deliberately inflammatory, anyway. Trolls gonna troll no matter what you do.)

Really from Jupiter, but not an alien.
Kayeka (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
#135871: Aug 21st 2016 at 2:58:11 PM

[up]Also, people have no problem posting messages that are basically "fuck Republicans" as opposed to "fuck this specific politician I don't agree with".

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
#135872: Aug 21st 2016 at 3:08:45 PM

It tends to be "fuck Republican lawmakers", between folks like Green, Jack and our own resident Republicans the distinction between hating on Republicans and Republican politicians is kept, because it's always pointed out when it's broken.

I'd honestly say that this thread spends more time circle-jerking about how it's a liberal circle-jerk then actually engaging in liberal circle-jerking.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
pwiegle Cape Malleum Majorem from Nowhere Special Since: Sep, 2015 Relationship Status: Singularity
Cape Malleum Majorem
#135873: Aug 21st 2016 at 3:09:58 PM

Speaking for myself, it's not so much a matter of voting for Hillary, as voting against Trump.

I used to say that asking me to choose between the Republicans and Democrats was like asking me if I'd rather have cancer or AIDS. But in this election, the analogy would be: would you rather the country suffer a bout of the flu, or drive itself right off a cliff? (Hint: you can recover from the flu...)

This Space Intentionally Left Blank.
Protagonist506 from Oregon Since: Dec, 2013 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#135874: Aug 21st 2016 at 3:17:45 PM

Speaking as a Republican here:

If this place is a circlejerk, it's not intentionally so. I would say that there's a sort of "leftward spiral", where the amount of leftists makes the place more appealing to leftists.

Leviticus 19:34
NativeJovian Jupiterian Local from Orlando, FL Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Jupiterian Local
#135875: Aug 21st 2016 at 3:31:34 PM

[up]That's basically what I was trying to say, only put more succinctly.

Really from Jupiter, but not an alien.

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