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

Zendervai Since: Oct, 2009
#187626: May 8th 2017 at 2:10:09 PM

[up][up][up] Leaking unclassified information is like stealing a free sample that was offered to you. It's kind of a meaningless concept.

LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#187627: May 8th 2017 at 2:16:37 PM

[up][up]Even ignoring the loaded questions in his favor, he still sounds pretty high on himself to me.

LinkToTheFuture A real bad hombre from somewhere completely different Since: Apr, 2015 Relationship Status: What's love got to do with it?
A real bad hombre
#187628: May 8th 2017 at 2:40:42 PM

In the wake of the French election I've been thinking a lot about how seriously flawed our Presidential elections are. Besides the EC we also need shorter campaign seasons (this is actually the biggest one to me) campaign finance reforms, and to get rid of FPTP.

"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." -Thomas Edison
kkhohoho (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
LinkToTheFuture A real bad hombre from somewhere completely different Since: Apr, 2015 Relationship Status: What's love got to do with it?
A real bad hombre
#187630: May 8th 2017 at 2:45:11 PM

[up]Replace the GOP with a sane conservative party pls and allow the Dems to move a bit further to the left would be nice

"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." -Thomas Edison
TacticalFox88 from USA Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Dating the Doctor
#187631: May 8th 2017 at 2:51:24 PM

Another juicy quote.

Blumenthal to Yates: Are "officials at the highest level," including POTUS, "potential targets" of the FBI?

Yates: "Potentially."

surprisedsurprisedsurprisedsurprised

New Survey coming this weekend!
DingoWalley1 Asgore Adopts Noelle Since: Feb, 2014 Relationship Status: Can't buy me love
Asgore Adopts Noelle
#187632: May 8th 2017 at 2:53:49 PM

[up][up] At this point, the Democrats are the Sane Conservative Party; they're trying to keep the Status Quo while modifying it slightly to fix problems, and are reluctant to go with Radical Change kind of ideas.

pwiegle Cape Malleum Majorem from Nowhere Special Since: Sep, 2015 Relationship Status: Singularity
Cape Malleum Majorem
#187633: May 8th 2017 at 2:55:51 PM

I'd push for more restrictive moderators at the candidates' debates. Force them to focus on real issues, and not on badmouthing their opponent.

Hell, I'd go one step further and not allow any live video streaming or TV cameras, and just have the debates broadcast over the radio. Modern media has turned it into a beauty pageant where image is everything and substance is nothing.

(This is based on a Pennsylvania law that prohibits TV cameras in courtrooms during a trial. A very good idea, if you ask me. Whenever they talk about some trial on the six o'clock news, they have to show a sketch artist's rendering.)

This Space Intentionally Left Blank.
NativeJovian Jupiterian Local from Orlando, FL Since: Mar, 2014 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Jupiterian Local
#187634: May 8th 2017 at 3:00:06 PM

Immigrants don't tend to be children or take their children with them.
That's not really true — it's the whole point of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) status, which has been granted for hundreds of thousands of people.

Really from Jupiter, but not an alien.
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#187635: May 8th 2017 at 3:03:18 PM

At this point, the Democrats are the Sane Conservative Party; they're trying to keep the Status Quo while modifying it slightly to fix problems, and are reluctant to go with Radical Change kind of ideas.
The Democratic Party is too much of a big tent for your claim to be more than somewhat accurate, but yes what you're saying is true for some of the Party.

edited 8th May '17 3:03:49 PM by Fourthspartan56

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#187636: May 8th 2017 at 3:24:20 PM

[up][up]Well, when you're talking about a group that encompasses several million people there's bound to still be statistically important minority. But from my understand of things immigrants in general, neither tend to be school-aged, nor to have school-aged children with them.

And when this is in the context of assuming that most Hispanic children in the Texas public school systems are not citizens, it definitely still stands. The majority of Hispanics in almost all states are native-born and the percentages only go up the younger they are.

edited 8th May '17 3:25:38 PM by LSBK

Elle Since: Jan, 2001
#187637: May 8th 2017 at 4:54:57 PM

@Link: I generally agree with "shorter" but the question is how short? We do have a major consideration that many other countries don't have: square mileage. Campaigning across the whole country, even in the era of instant communication, is going to take some time. Couple months at least.

The other thing to consider is primary season. It would probably be more constructive if every state's primaries were held at the same time or at least within the span of a couple weeks. If they are spaced out, votes maybe should be kept secret until the end and something besides FPTP would be needed to deal with the number of candidates.

LinkToTheFuture A real bad hombre from somewhere completely different Since: Apr, 2015 Relationship Status: What's love got to do with it?
A real bad hombre
#187638: May 8th 2017 at 5:00:57 PM

[up]At least a couple months, to be sure. Primary season makes things difficult, however. I think the length on the general election (July/August to early November) is within the acceptable range but a bit on the long side, it's the primaries that drag on and on for ages and make the entire system an eternal election cycle. iirc up in Canada the last campaign season in a country of similar geographical size to the US was 70-odd days.

on other topics: Vox: Why Democrats should support radically simpler taxes

"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." -Thomas Edison
Zendervai Since: Oct, 2009
#187639: May 8th 2017 at 5:10:43 PM

[up] And the last Canadian election was considered to be absurdly long, because they're usually in the realm of like a month and a half.

nightwyrm_zero Since: Apr, 2010
#187640: May 8th 2017 at 5:51:51 PM

I don't know how to fix it but the way the US media treats elections (especially the Presidential election) is ridiculous. It's not an election, it's a once-every-four-years Presidential Superbowl. Speculations about candidates for the next election and informal campaigning starts the day after an election. Almost everything that comes out of Washington is framed in terms of how it affects the parties' chances in the next election. The US was somehow able to turn changes of administrations into years-long entertainment.

edited 8th May '17 5:53:31 PM by nightwyrm_zero

Wryte Since: Jul, 2010
#187641: May 8th 2017 at 5:59:23 PM

I'm not sure it's so much "able to" as "tried to." If they'd actually been able to, you'd think more people would have half a clue what was going on.

Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#187642: May 8th 2017 at 6:18:30 PM

Honestly, US elections need two major reforms and one of them (heavy restrictions on donations, and public election funding) is impossible until the SC is liberal enough. The other (dropping the needlessly complicated and extended primary system in favor for a more limited convention selection process) would be branded as "undemocratic", despite the current primary system not exactly being a paragon of electoral fairness (certain states get a bigger say cause they go early, superdelegates, caucuses, etc).

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#187643: May 8th 2017 at 6:24:54 PM

I'd be happy right now with shorter election cycles. That would also have the happy side benefit of reducing spending since it means fewer ads, trips, and rallies.

edited 8th May '17 6:25:17 PM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
Elle Since: Jan, 2001
#187644: May 8th 2017 at 6:31:18 PM

[up][up]Simply compressing the primary voting to a single set date would go a long way. However the thing is the primary system isn't run by the government so much as it's run by the political parties. On one hand it means a dedicated group would have a shot at reforming them from within (and if one party suceeds and it works the other is likely to follow suit), on the other hand if that doesn't work you'd need to actually go about the process of enshrining a primary system in law; no small feat.

IFwanderer use political terms to describe, not insult from Earth Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
use political terms to describe, not insult
#187645: May 8th 2017 at 6:34:17 PM

@Primary length: while certain idiosyncracies of Argentine politics mean the election season in Argentina is pretty much 24/7 for the governing party when it's not affiliated with peronism, for everyone else it tends to be about 6-10 months here, because we have what's effectively a three-round system:

  • First come the PASO (Primarias Abiertas Simultáneas y Obligatorias, meaning Open Simultaneous Mandatory Primaries): everybody who fulfills the requirements to run participates here. If two or more candidates belong to the same party, the one with most votes of them goes to the general election. Anyone who gets at least 1,5% of the vote can run in the next phase.

  • General election: Anyone who passed the PASO competes here. If a candidate reaches 45% or more of the votes, they win. If a candidate is over 40% (but under 45%) and nobody is within 10% of them, they win. In any other situation, there's a final round between the top 2 choices.

  • Final round: half+1 votes or more means you're president.

Now, with some adaptations, you could take the PASO system, maybe without the "mandatory" part, and then have the General Election between the top candidates of each party. (basically, you have Dem, GOP, Green, Libertarian, Constitution, Socialist, etc. primaries in every state at the same date and anyone can vote for one candidate out of that entire mess, no matter what is their party affiliation, then you have each party's winner run in November).

That aside, 538: The 7 Signs That Someone Might Be Running For President In 2020. 538 compiled info for the pre-campaign stuff from 2016 to find patterns in the actions taken by potential candidates and they found seven things that most of them do. According to the data, aside from Trump, the people who're getting ready right now seem to be Biden (has already done (5/7), Sanders, O'Malley and Al Franken (3/7 each).

1 2 We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be. -KV
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#187646: May 8th 2017 at 6:38:31 PM

[up] ...Eh, I'd vote for 'em. Thank goodness Gabbard isn't one of them.

edited 8th May '17 6:39:41 PM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#187647: May 8th 2017 at 6:43:51 PM

Any rumblings from Senator Harris?

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#187648: May 8th 2017 at 6:46:21 PM

Whether you find him funny or not, I think this Seth Meyer's video does a good job refuting some of the arguments made that this bill wasn't as bad as it was made out to be, and showing outrage:

IFwanderer use political terms to describe, not insult from Earth Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
use political terms to describe, not insult
#187649: May 8th 2017 at 6:49:53 PM

[up][up]Well, there's this The Hill article that's an "everything but the kitchen sink" list of 43 possible Dem candidates for 2020 which counts her as one option. And the 538 article does mention her in passing.

EDIT: [down]Exactly.

edited 8th May '17 7:01:19 PM by IFwanderer

1 2 We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be. -KV
Elle Since: Jan, 2001
#187650: May 8th 2017 at 6:57:13 PM

@Rational: Harris hasn't hit any of the telltale metrics yet but it's still early and she's mentioned in the article as a name Dems keep dropping in conversation.


Total posts: 417,856
Top