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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM

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
#184603: Apr 24th 2017 at 7:57:20 PM

While I think that Edwards would be a Democrat who could win I can see why a number of people would be iffy about him, he's not exactly my favourite candidate idea.

Looking beyond him and only at current Senators and Governors it's not a long list of people who are not going to anger the left of the party, are younge enough to run and are from a good state. Assuming that Warren and Franken are to old there aren't many that jump out at me.

Gary Peters (senator: Michigan) could be a possibility but I know nothing about him other than that he won in 2014 and got support from Warren. Mark Warner (senator: Virginia) seems like a possibility, thigh is he's very big on being bi-partisan, that's not gonna fly in the current climate. Roy Cooper (governor, North Carolina) could be a possibility, he's getting into a number of fights with the Republicans in North Carolina and their craziness casts him in a good light.

But I save my faviourite for last, the only one of the current crop who I could see seriously inspiring. Tammy Duckworth (senator: Illinois), she's diverse, she's a women, she's a vet, she's disabled, she's in a good state, she's pretty popular and I just love the idea of her going up against Trump.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
MadSkillz Destroyer of Worlds Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: I only want you gone
Destroyer of Worlds
#184604: Apr 24th 2017 at 7:59:44 PM

Donald Duck Trump versus Tammy Duckworth.

Are we living Duck Tales now?

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#184605: Apr 24th 2017 at 8:01:40 PM

Cross posting from the Canadian politics thread, the US government is looking into levying "anti subsidy" (American industries are just as subsidized, so its a crock) duties up to 24% on Canadian softwood lumber. This is an escalation of a long running (goes back decades) dispute, and one that might only serve to inflate American prices. There are reasons that the US buys lumber from Canada for housing and other stuff, their own supply is insufficient.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/wilbur-ross-softwood-tarrif-1.4083968

Man I always wanted to live through an escalating trade war.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
AmbarSonofDeshar Since: Jan, 2010
#184606: Apr 24th 2017 at 8:02:15 PM

If not wanting to shove someone under the bus makes me an unreasonable unicorn brigade purist then I'll certainly gladly take that title

What are you even responding to there?

AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#184607: Apr 24th 2017 at 8:21:26 PM

[up]Presumably the idea that we should work with what we've got instead of wishing for a perfect candidate means we're ignoring the plight of women and minorities and so on. Which is... not what was being proposed, as far as I can tell.

And I have to say that Madskillz' joke response wasn't very funny either, at as it appears to line up quite closely with actual views they've expressed.

edited 24th Apr '17 8:22:13 PM by AceofSpades

MadSkillz Destroyer of Worlds Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: I only want you gone
Destroyer of Worlds
#184608: Apr 24th 2017 at 8:35:33 PM

And I have to say that Madskillz' joke response wasn't very funny either, at as it appears to line up quite closely with actual views they've expressed.

The joke is that this what a significant chunk of you amusingly think of me. Your response is good evidence of that.

RAlexa21th Zettai Ryouiki Enjoyer from California (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: I <3 love!
Zettai Ryouiki Enjoyer
#184609: Apr 24th 2017 at 8:37:28 PM

You are not really doing well to dispel that.

Continue writing our story of peace.
MadSkillz Destroyer of Worlds Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: I only want you gone
Destroyer of Worlds
#184610: Apr 24th 2017 at 9:02:00 PM

Um, I love CNN, Obama, Hillary and using magic in Dark Souls.

Did it work?

edited 24th Apr '17 9:07:21 PM by MadSkillz

Matues Since: Sep, 2011
#184611: Apr 24th 2017 at 9:48:10 PM

What are you even responding to there?
Depends on what you mean by "backslide". Compromising on a few core principles may mean we can advance the others, resulting in a net gain for society. On the other hand, that doesn't mean we have to endorse any centrist candidate that comes along, either, just because they have a D next to their name.

We cant afford to be "pure" in either direction, neither idealists pursuing perfection, nor realists sacrificing everything that matters in the interest of victory. There's a fine line to be walked.

AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#184612: Apr 24th 2017 at 11:31:45 PM

i don't believe anyone was suggesting we throw anyone under the bus. The point was: perfection doesn't exist, and we have to deal with the situation as it is. We have to work with what we have available in order to pursue any of our goals.

And people who decide it's "my candidate and my way or no candidate and no way at all" are basically ceding the field to the other team. That's the sort of thing that was being complained about.

And quite frankly ideological purity in either direction is what ends us up with fools like Pence and Paul Ryan in power.

edited 24th Apr '17 11:32:47 PM by AceofSpades

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#184613: Apr 25th 2017 at 12:25:24 AM

So Trump is apparently planning to include his promised corporate tax rate cut in the budget plan.

From 35% to 15%.

So much for GOP fiscal conservatism.

Who wants to bet this will yield far less than Mnunchin's promised 3% economic growth and blow up the deficit?

Even better, the deficit is precisely why some Republicans are not super happy about this tax cut (though I wouldn't be surprised if they fall in line eventually).

Trump is such an ineffective President that he might not even get a corporate tax cut passed in Congress that is mostly held by his own party.

edited 25th Apr '17 12:31:16 AM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
FireCrawler2002 Since: Apr, 2017
#184614: Apr 25th 2017 at 12:38:32 AM

Saudi Arabia was elected to UN Women's Rights Commission. *Facedesk*

edited 25th Apr '17 12:39:07 AM by FireCrawler2002

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#184615: Apr 25th 2017 at 12:41:08 AM

[up] While definitely cringeworthy, it's not exactly US Politics.

Disgusted, but not surprised
TacticalFox88 from USA Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Dating the Doctor
#184616: Apr 25th 2017 at 12:56:22 AM

I'm starting to think the only way Trump could lose his base is if he explicitly came out in favor of black lives matter and against police brutality

New Survey coming this weekend!
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#184617: Apr 25th 2017 at 1:04:53 AM

Speaking of Trump's base...

Coal miners are apparently going to get screwed by the end of April. That's when the provisions that provide health insurance to retired coal miners and coal miners' widows and widowers via abandoned mine funds are going to expire. Trump's current proposed budget plan apparently does not include anything to replace or renew this. Instead, the main focus is the big corporate tax cut I mentioned earlier.

But HRC was supposed to be the enemy of coal miners and the candidate of Wall Street...

Disgusted, but not surprised
MadSkillz Destroyer of Worlds Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: I only want you gone
Destroyer of Worlds
#184618: Apr 25th 2017 at 1:07:16 AM

On the one hand, I stand to gain a lot from that new tax rate especially with the likelihood that this will raise the value of my shares even further.

On the other hand, my principles.

Eschaton Since: Jul, 2010
#184619: Apr 25th 2017 at 1:12:27 AM

[up][up]I do have to wonder how many people in the White House even know those funds exist. Let alone if they're in a position to do something, or if they even care.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#184620: Apr 25th 2017 at 1:18:44 AM

I guess Trump is desperate to fulfill at least one campaign promise (the tax rate cut was part of his campaign) aside from not signing TPP (which only required that he refrain from signing a deal that was probably dead in the water anyway) before his 100 days are up.

edited 25th Apr '17 1:19:53 AM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
Matues Since: Sep, 2011
#184621: Apr 25th 2017 at 1:23:15 AM

Alright Ace, here's my beef.

There are some issues I'm not going to compromise on. For example, I'm not going to debate about if I deserve to not get fired because of my sexuality.

You may not think that's relevant to the discussion, but if I'm to vote for the democratic option in my local elections simply out of party solidarity, then I'm going to be voting for and supporting politicians who fall somewhere on the scale of not wanting me to be employed at all to "apathetic shrug".

Hearing that I should just settle for that, that it's the best option is like going to your doctor for a cancer treatment and being told that the best option is a treatment that does nothing, but maybe in ten years you'll be able to get the one that actually does something.

I'd like a better option, and a push for more progressive politics in conservative areas, not a spirit of compromising for political expediency.

I'm going to vote democratic, but stuff like this really highlights that I have no choice anyway since it's either choosing hostility or apathy.

And it slowly but steadily pushes me towards the fucking inane and ineffectual camp of "there's no effective choice between the parties, that the system is inherently broken and that all of the choices don't matter on a local scale."

MadSkillz Destroyer of Worlds Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: I only want you gone
Destroyer of Worlds
#184622: Apr 25th 2017 at 1:23:39 AM

So bad news, Dems. There was a poll earlier.

67 % of people think Democrats are out of touch. Only 62 % think the Republican Party is out of touch. And only 58 % think Trump is out of touch.

Here's the article by CNN.

Despite Trump's low approval numbers, the poll showed him retaining support among his base, with 96% of people who said they voted for him saying they would do so again. The poll showed only 85% of those who voted for Hillary Clinton would do so again, with most of those who would not saying they would either go with a third-party candidate or not vote at all.

That difference in remaining support for the two candidates would mean Trump would best Clinton 43 to 40% in a hypothetical rematch today. In the actual election Clinton failed to achieve an an electoral victory but outpaced Trump by almost 2.9 million votes, with 65,853,516 (48.18%) to his 62,984,825 (46.09%) according to the Federal Election Commission.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#184623: Apr 25th 2017 at 1:27:28 AM

[up] Yes, the poll that was brought up earlier claiming 96% of Trump voters would vote for him again also included these tidbits.

Disgusted, but not surprised
LeGarcon Blowout soon fellow Stalker from Skadovsk Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
Blowout soon fellow Stalker
#184624: Apr 25th 2017 at 1:30:14 AM

[up][up][up]Literally nobody is willing to compromise on that. Your fears are completely unfounded, don't worry.

Oh really when?
math792d Since: Jun, 2011 Relationship Status: Drift compatible
#184625: Apr 25th 2017 at 1:37:07 AM

Yeah, if a moderate is apathetic towards the right to not be discriminated against on arbitrary grounds, they can get fucked.

Just like people claiming being pro-life is optional as long as those ebul Wall Street financiers get dunked.

They can get fucked too.

Still not embarrassing enough to stan billionaires or tech companies.

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