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

megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#185151: Apr 27th 2017 at 11:46:20 AM

It's just this conversation keeps going around in circles. Instead of discussing more recent politics, it's just retrying the same tired topic over and over again. It's not that I think that things like that shouldn't be Calle s out, but we discussed a similar topic several times back.

edited 27th Apr '17 11:50:46 AM by megaeliz

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#185152: Apr 27th 2017 at 11:50:26 AM

[up] Then maybe the far-left unicorn hunters shouldn't keep doing and saying stupid shit.

Disgusted, but not surprised
megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#185153: Apr 27th 2017 at 11:53:05 AM

Yes, but it has little bearing on what's happening right now. Like the Republicans trying to repeal The ACA, Donald Trump's new monuments executive order, the possible government shut down.

TacticalFox88 from USA Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Dating the Doctor
#185154: Apr 27th 2017 at 11:53:15 AM

I'm sorry, but I'm not gonna just let shit slide. That will give them indication that what the dumb shit they say is okay.

It's NOT and never will be.

New Survey coming this weekend!
megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#185155: Apr 27th 2017 at 11:56:03 AM

I'm not swaying it is

I mean saying, I can't type today.

edited 27th Apr '17 11:57:01 AM by megaeliz

Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#185156: Apr 27th 2017 at 11:56:54 AM

[up]Well yeah, but you're saying that it shouldn't be talked about. Which isn't much different from saying it's ok.

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#185157: Apr 27th 2017 at 11:57:39 AM

I said we have already talked about it or a similar subject several times.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#185158: Apr 27th 2017 at 11:59:04 AM

[up]You do realize that saying "oh, them saying stuff that is probably marginalizing black people isn't important!" is...kind of not okay?

edited 27th Apr '17 11:59:13 AM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#185159: Apr 27th 2017 at 11:59:07 AM

Serious question: Who, exactly, are we actually calling out here? You can say you're calling out stupid shit all you want, but minus an actual poster on this thread being the one actually saying stupid shit it doesn't really amount to anything.

SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#185161: Apr 27th 2017 at 12:02:23 PM

I am inclined to agree that the flak Obama is receiving over this is undue. I don't think a paid speech by itself has any corruption potential - it's not like he's making a policy proposal in front of a wavering crowd or anything - and the money probably is better off in Obama's pockets than in whoever's is hearing it. We saw a similar situation with Hillary's speeches - mostly meaningless bluster it was, nothing suspicious in and of itself that was blown far out of proportion.

I think some people are annoyed at how frequently the "progressives are stupid/racist/whatever" drum is beaten to the point that the thread becomes a complaining thread. Which we specifically discourage in the forum rules.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#185162: Apr 27th 2017 at 12:05:47 PM

NVM.

edited 27th Apr '17 12:06:15 PM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#185163: Apr 27th 2017 at 12:06:14 PM

It's not "progressives". I'm a progressive. It's the folks colloquially known as the "unicorn brigade", who apply a purity test to everyone in Democratic politics and refuse to concede that anything less than a perfect score makes a viable candidate. Then they attack Clinton and Obama for failing this test, but refuse to apply the same rules to folks like Sanders and Warren.

They insist that any influence from money in politics is anathema and that we're being driven towards a tyranny of the wealthy that can only be opposed by people taking to the streets, tearing down the banks, and putting the bankers up against the wall. They refuse to acknowledge counterarguments to this, they refuse to recognize any difference between the center-right and center-left, and they refuse to accept that practical politics is superior to messianic politics. And we have/had several of them in this topic, a few of whom had to be banned.

edited 27th Apr '17 12:08:29 PM by Fighteer

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
AmbarSonofDeshar Since: Jan, 2010
#185164: Apr 27th 2017 at 12:07:55 PM

[up]This. The unicorn brigaders don't get to claim the title of progressive for themselves.

speedyboris Since: Feb, 2010
#185165: Apr 27th 2017 at 12:09:11 PM

Y'know, can we not use name-calling phrases like "unicorn brigade"? It really makes us no better than the alt-right folks who use "snowflake".

Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#185166: Apr 27th 2017 at 12:09:57 PM

Do you have an alternative in mind? Otherwise we have to put in paragraphs of disclaimers every time we post making it unmistakably clear whom we're talking about. "Unicorn brigade" is an apt term. They believe there's a unicorn out there: a pure, unsullied candidate who espouses their ideals and can somehow get elected to high office on a groundswell of public enthusiasm.

That's not inherently bad, but then they refuse to countenance any candidate or policy that doesn't perfectly match what they want, while at the same time ignoring demonstrated flaws in their own candidates.

ETA: Frankly, the only reason I've put up with it so long is that it gives us something to talk about other than Trump BAD. And it is kind of relevant to 2018 and 2020 — we need the Democratic Party to come out and vote, and these incessant arguments over ideological purity sap the will of the voter base.

edited 27th Apr '17 12:12:34 PM by Fighteer

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Grafite Since: Apr, 2016 Relationship Status: Less than three
#185167: Apr 27th 2017 at 12:12:38 PM

@Septimus Heap: I don't know, I honestly still get the feeling that even if Obama/Clinton were white and male, the criticism directed at them would still be there. It has more to do with them beeing seen as corrupt and not "progressive" rather than anything else, so I think these racism accusations should not be thrown around like that.

edited 27th Apr '17 12:13:17 PM by Grafite

Life is unfair...
megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#185168: Apr 27th 2017 at 12:14:00 PM

[up][up] if you want to talk about that, I have some great resources that can inform our conversation.

I think you guys are sort of missing the point of Septimus Heap's post. Whatever you call them, whenever you bring them up it becomes a complaining thread.

edited 27th Apr '17 12:17:50 PM by megaeliz

SeptimusHeap from Switzerland (Edited uphill both ways) Relationship Status: Mu
#185169: Apr 27th 2017 at 12:14:15 PM

Well, let's see to test this theory. Has anyone else done the same thing as Hillary and Obama and received the same flak?

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#185170: Apr 27th 2017 at 12:15:53 PM

[up] <crickets chirping>

Disgusted, but not surprised
ironballs16 Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Owner of a lonely heart
#185171: Apr 27th 2017 at 12:16:43 PM

So Fox News Channel is in hot water again today, after Jesse Watters quipped that "I really like how [Ivanka] was speaking into that microphone" when discussing a clip from the Women 20 conference Ivanka was attending in Berlin.

Watters' rebuttal so far is "On air I was referring to Ivanka's voice and how it resonates like a smooth jazz radio DJ. This was in no way a joke about anything else." Unless it was caught on-air, I somehow doubt that.

edited 27th Apr '17 12:17:20 PM by ironballs16

"Why would I inflict myself on somebody else?"
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#185172: Apr 27th 2017 at 12:18:25 PM

[up] I hope Watters gets raked over the coals and put to pasture like his former boss.

Yes, I'm still sore about that incredibly racist segment he did on Asian Americans.

edited 27th Apr '17 12:18:36 PM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
Elle Since: Jan, 2001
#185173: Apr 27th 2017 at 12:25:32 PM

[up][up][up][up]Probably in the bubbles of proto-Sanders supporters. It was the primaries that turned it into an issue outside of those. If people hadn't made hay over it against Clinton, I doubt we'd be talking about it now with Obama.

I think it's more likely we're dealing with highest profile selection bias than other less savory forms of bias.

PolarPhantom Since: Jun, 2012
#185174: Apr 27th 2017 at 12:50:33 PM

So, what do you think was Obama's successes and failures, and how much credit or blame does he deserve for them respectively?

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#185175: Apr 27th 2017 at 12:53:40 PM

A lot of his domestic failures can be attributed to having to deal with a Congress controlled by people out to see him fail.

On the foreign policy front, he's more responsible for a decidedly mixed bag, though a lot of that was due to an unpredictable global environment and sentiment at home.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.

Total posts: 417,856
Top