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

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#184626: Apr 25th 2017 at 1:38:45 AM

[up] Especially if they try to claim the anti-abortionist is a Progressive.

Disgusted, but not surprised
Matues Since: Sep, 2011
#184627: Apr 25th 2017 at 1:40:38 AM

What I'm saying is I know anyone who tries to get elected in my state is going to have to be absolutely mute on the issue of LGBTQ rights.

I know it because our state has no less than three laws making it legal to fire me for being gay as it is. One of them happened last year.

MadSkillz Destroyer of Worlds Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: I only want you gone
Destroyer of Worlds
#184628: Apr 25th 2017 at 1:51:57 AM

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

So like the entire Democrat Party now except most of them don't care about Wall Street financiers getting dunked.

Top Democratic leaders said Sunday that their party welcomes people who are pro-life, despite the party being strongly defined by its support for abortion rights.

“Of course,” House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

“I have served many years in Congress with members who have not shared my very positive, my family would say ‘aggressive’, position on promoting a woman’s right to choose,” she said. “But what you asked... was about what unifies Democrats. Our values unify us. We are unified with our commitment to America’s working families about job creation, about budget policies that invest in the future, good-paying jobs.”

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_58fcd709e4b06b9cb917a7ee

Matues Since: Sep, 2011
#184629: Apr 25th 2017 at 1:52:38 AM

Alright. I'll admit I'm losing my temper, it's just this is a very sensitive area here; I've not seen a good track record with politicians down here giving a damn.

That's why I get angry people people want to support blue dogs because they're the only ones who get elected. It feels sometimes like the people saying this are ones sitting in a position where it won't hurt them personally to do so.

[up]

Yeah that makes me feel super confident.

edited 25th Apr '17 1:55:17 AM by Matues

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#184630: Apr 25th 2017 at 1:58:32 AM

[up][up]I suppose they're trying to show solidarity with Sanders who supported an anti-abortionist while calling the guy progressive.

edited 25th Apr '17 1:59:04 AM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
MadSkillz Destroyer of Worlds Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: I only want you gone
Destroyer of Worlds
#184631: Apr 25th 2017 at 2:02:43 AM

I mean it seems like Heath Mello was mischaracterized a bit from what I read.

Specifically on this:

“Heath is a strong progressive Democrat, and he is pro-life, and you can be both things,” Kleeb said, adding: “What Heath did actually was stop a bill to make ultrasounds mandatory by getting Republicans in our legislature to agree to make them voluntary.”

And he said this:

On Thursday, Mello told The Huffington Post, however, that he “would never do anything to restrict access to reproductive health care,” if elected.

Whether you believe him is up to you.

On top of that, the DNC has endorsed him.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#184632: Apr 25th 2017 at 2:08:10 AM

[up] TBF, Mello told AP at the time (2009) he signed it that it was a "positive first step to reducing the number of abortions in Nebraska."

Even in context, that doesn't sound really good.

edited 25th Apr '17 2:08:24 AM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
Clarste One Winged Egret Since: Jun, 2009 Relationship Status: Non-Canon
One Winged Egret
#184633: Apr 25th 2017 at 2:12:48 AM

I would think most people on both sides want to reduce the number of abortions. Conservatives want to make them illegal, but don't progressives want to increase access to other forms of birth control, along with better sex education? I mean, no one wants more abortions, they're a last resort. The characterization of progressives as being "free abortions for everyone!" is a joke for a reason, I assumed.

edited 25th Apr '17 2:17:46 AM by Clarste

math792d Since: Jun, 2011 Relationship Status: Drift compatible
#184634: Apr 25th 2017 at 2:14:09 AM

If it's about expanding reproductive health options, I can see the logic. It's a traumatising event nobody wants to go through.

Still not embarrassing enough to stan billionaires or tech companies.
Clarste One Winged Egret Since: Jun, 2009 Relationship Status: Non-Canon
One Winged Egret
#184635: Apr 25th 2017 at 2:16:54 AM

My mother once told that she still has nightmares about an abortion she had when she was younger. She doesn't regret it, it just not a pleasant experience.

edited 25th Apr '17 2:17:16 AM by Clarste

Clarste One Winged Egret Since: Jun, 2009 Relationship Status: Non-Canon
One Winged Egret
#184636: Apr 25th 2017 at 2:39:19 AM

For the record, getting your tonsils removed isn't a pleasant experience either. I don't mean that in any kind of moral sense, just a practical one. Preventative healthcare is always easier and cheaper than fixing things with surgery after-the-fact.

edited 25th Apr '17 2:40:33 AM by Clarste

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#184637: Apr 25th 2017 at 2:53:46 AM

In lighter news (if you're not a fan of Paul Ryan), one poll indicates that Ryan's approval ratings are pretty much going down the toilet.

(apologies for the paywalled WSJ link — and yes I am aware of the hypocrisy of providing a link to the WSJ when I've said unkind things about it in the past due to it being owned by Murdoch on this thread)

About 40% disapprove of Ryan, while 22% approve.

The article also indicates growing disapproval with the GOP Congress in general, and blames this on the attempts to kill the ACA. They're still trying to get rid of it BTW.

On the one hand, it's Paul Ryan. On the other hand...I don't know what the answer would be to "who would be a worse Speaker than Paul Ryan?" and I'm not sure I want to know. But still...it's Paul Ryan.

edited 25th Apr '17 3:00:07 AM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
Luigisan98 A wandering user from Venezuelan Muscat Since: Oct, 2013 Relationship Status: I <3 love!
A wandering user
#184638: Apr 25th 2017 at 3:55:13 AM

Now I don't know which poll to trust...

The only good fanboy, is a redeemed fanboy.
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#184639: Apr 25th 2017 at 3:57:44 AM

[up] TBF, the polls aren't measuring the same things.

Disgusted, but not surprised
Luigisan98 A wandering user from Venezuelan Muscat Since: Oct, 2013 Relationship Status: I <3 love!
A wandering user
#184640: Apr 25th 2017 at 4:01:57 AM

[up] I'm just hoping the Trump approval ratings aren't the same as the people who voted him will insanely vote for him again.

The only good fanboy, is a redeemed fanboy.
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#184641: Apr 25th 2017 at 4:05:25 AM

[up] Trump would probably need to do or say something that directly hurts them in a big way before they decide not to vote for him. The Trumpgrets that aren't in the tone of "he's not being a bigot like me" are like this.

edited 25th Apr '17 4:06:27 AM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#184642: Apr 25th 2017 at 4:06:16 AM

Elizabeth Warren's take on the grassroots outrage that has been supporting the democrats.

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2017/04/24/politics/elizabeth-warren-democratic-party/index.html

And the arguments about who can be a progressive are uncomfortably close to debating ideological purity. That is exactly what we don't need right now.

edited 25th Apr '17 4:15:29 AM by megaeliz

Balmung Since: Oct, 2011
#184643: Apr 25th 2017 at 4:12:09 AM

[up][up]You mean, something like not renewing entitlements coal miners and their families depend on? Or how about wrecking border cities' economies with The WallTM? Or how about demanding Congress take away their insurance that they can only afford thanks to the PPACA? If he got even one thing he wanted done, he'd be screwing a large portion of his voter base.

The only reason he hasn't actually done much that screws these people is because he's so incompetent and his party is so disorganized that it can't pass legislation with a majority in both houses.

edited 25th Apr '17 4:13:57 AM by Balmung

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#184644: Apr 25th 2017 at 4:17:03 AM

[up][up]TBF, it was Sanders who brought this up by calling Mello a progressive while refusing to call Ossof one. It kind of highlights his criteria for progressivism. Criteria that some of us do not share. Most of us also realize that supporting Mello is a pragmatic move.

[up]Even better, he might not even be able to pass the one thing he promised that wouldn't (directly) screw most of them — the corporate tax rate cut — because the actually fiscal conservative GOP Congresspeople don't want the deficit to explode.

edited 25th Apr '17 4:21:15 AM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#184645: Apr 25th 2017 at 4:22:29 AM

Not talking about Sanders, just pointing out something I noticed here.

edited 25th Apr '17 4:33:53 AM by megaeliz

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#184646: Apr 25th 2017 at 4:24:44 AM

[up] Sanders' statements are what set off the discussion about progressivism here in the first place.

Disgusted, but not surprised
megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
tclittle Professional Forum Ninja from Somewhere Down in Texas Since: Apr, 2010
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#184649: Apr 25th 2017 at 4:35:52 AM

[up][up] Well, Trump is apparently backing off on the border wall, or rather putting it off until fall.

[up] ...Well, I guess that's better than what I expect from Uber. Then again, my expectations for Uber are not particularly high.

edited 25th Apr '17 4:38:38 AM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
MarqFJA The Cosmopolitan Fictioneer from Deserts of the Middle East (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: Anime is my true love

Total posts: 417,856
Top