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

Lightysnake Since: May, 2010
#188226: May 10th 2017 at 4:59:24 PM

Some of those same people are decrying G Illibrand as a DINO now. IT's astounding.

MadSkillz Destroyer of Worlds Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: I only want you gone
Destroyer of Worlds
#188227: May 10th 2017 at 5:03:12 PM

Gillibrand was/is a Blue Dog Democrat so she kind of was a Dino. Although Dinos are superior to Republicans.

She isn't really one anymore now that she's in the Senate.

She might just be an opportunist.

Or she just bases her actions on her constituency.

edited 10th May '17 6:01:17 PM by MadSkillz

CenturyEye Tell Me, Have You Seen the Yellow Sign? from I don't know where the Yith sent me this time... Since: Jan, 2017 Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
Tell Me, Have You Seen the Yellow Sign?
#188228: May 10th 2017 at 5:03:51 PM

Where Everything is Peachy....
Georgia Sixth: Jon Ossoff calls for independent probe of Russian ‘interference’

Seizing on the shocking news of James Comey’s sudden termination, the 6th District candidate said on Twitter that the firing raises “severe questions” and that there should be bipartisan support behind a special prosecutor to investigate whether Russia tried to influence the outcome of the 2016 vote.

Georgia Sixth: Handel says Comey’s firing was ‘probably overdue’
Republican Karen Handel applauded President Donald Trump’s decision to abruptly fire the director of the FBI amid a criminal probe into whether his campaign colluded with the Russian government, saying in a statement Wednesday that James Comey’s ouster was “probably overdue.”

Her support for the president’s stunning move to fire Comey came a day after her opponent in the 6th District runoff, Democrat Jon Ossoff, called for a special prosecutor to “investigate Russian interference” in last year’s vote.

“It’s been clear for some time that FBI Director Comey has lost the confidence of Republicans, Democrats and broader institutions, and his removal as FBI Director was probably overdue,” she said. “I hope that the president will quickly nominate a strong, independent leader as the next director of the FBI and that the Senate will consider the nomination as quickly as possible.”

Muted responses from Georgia lawmakers after Comey’s firing

WASHINGTON — Most of Georgia’s members of Congress dodged the spotlight in the hours after President Donald Trump’s surprise firing of FBI Director James Comey on Tuesday evening.

With the House on recess this week, the majority of the state’s 14 congressmen avoided the media entirely on Wednesday, ignoring requests for comment or relaying through spokespeople that they were still processing the previous night’s news.

Georgia’s nine House Republicans all ducked, as did Speaker Paul Ryan and House Majority Leader Kevin Mc Carthy.

Sen. David Perdue was the only sitting lawmaker from the state to publicly defend Trump’s surprise move.

The first-term Republican said in a statement that Trump “acted decisively and within his authority” and that he stood behind him.

“The FBI is much larger than one person and the bureau has thousands of agents working hard every day to keep our nation safe,” he said. “I am confident a new permanent director will be nominated and confirmed as soon as possible.”

When asked by television reporters about whether the timing of Comey’s ouster raised questions, Perdue said “of course it does,” but pegged the responsibility on journalists to ask those questions rather than senators like him.

“That’s your job to ask that question and the White House will answer that,” he said, “but my point is let’s get on the with the investigation the (Senate Intelligence Committee) is doing and we’ll see how that works out.”

Ah, Perdue, stepping up for the republic...

edited 10th May '17 5:06:15 PM by CenturyEye

Look with century eyes... With our backs to the arch And the wreck of our kind We will stare straight ahead For the rest of our lives
LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#188229: May 10th 2017 at 5:05:13 PM

I have to wonder if concepts like DINO and RINO have done more harm than good. Well, at least on the Republican side, anyway.

sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#188230: May 10th 2017 at 5:05:15 PM

Just for fun, someone in the other forum I typically follow stuff in posted this, which I share with their permission thinking folks here may get an appreciative chuckle at a postcard addressed to Paul Ryan telling him to burn in hell.

edited 10th May '17 5:05:35 PM by sgamer82

Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#188231: May 10th 2017 at 5:06:08 PM

Didn't the Dossier say something about people on the left being Russian assets? Gabbard and Stein are looking like pretty good candidates.

edited 10th May '17 5:06:17 PM by Kostya

Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#188232: May 10th 2017 at 5:06:33 PM

[up][up][lol]

edited 10th May '17 5:06:45 PM by Fourthspartan56

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
AceofSpades Since: Apr, 2009 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
#188233: May 10th 2017 at 5:09:24 PM

I am not, nor will I ever, be all that concerned about "the media" reporting on the last thing a celebrity said. Particularly in this culture where cable news is always looking for something to say nearly twenty four hours a day. You're making a mountain out of a molehill Madskillz, and are making the claim that something is less "whatever" than you think it was once with nothing but the fact that the news is focusing on what a famous person said, a story that is likely to die by tomorrow and will only resurface in the unlikely case that someone actually follows through on this wild claim.

Madskilz, when it comes down to it, not all news stories have the same amount of importance. It's literally impossible. And in the world of politics, some celebrity spouting off matters very little. Hell, Trump's own claims mattered very little until he actually followed through on his bullshit.

So yeah, you are not making an actual case here so much as complaining about the fact that the news annoys you.

Also, drink some milk? WTF is that even supposed to mean? I can't tell if that's a lame insult or you're trying to give shitty advice. In future, maybe refrain from that kind of commentary. It's kind of rude, regardless of what you meant by it.

@Century Eye: Should Ossof be giving support to that when he hasn't won office yet? Not that I disagree, it just seems a bit... I dunno, presumptive in his particular case. *shrug* This whole hearing is a spectacular shit show. Wonder what's going to happen with the Russian investigation now.

edited 10th May '17 5:10:44 PM by AceofSpades

MadSkillz Destroyer of Worlds Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: I only want you gone
Destroyer of Worlds
#188234: May 10th 2017 at 5:13:00 PM

@Kostya If you want to go down that rabbit hole then Sanders is a Russian plant since his chief strategist, Tad Devine, worked as an advisor with Putin's man in Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovich. Tad helped him in 2006 and then on 2010 for his election campaign.

MadSkillz Destroyer of Worlds Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: I only want you gone
Destroyer of Worlds
#188235: May 10th 2017 at 5:20:50 PM

I am not, nor will I ever, be all that concerned about "the media" reporting on the last thing a celebrity said. Particularly in this culture where cable news is always looking for something to say nearly twenty four hours a day. You're making a mountain out of a molehill Madskillz, and are making the claim that something is less "whatever" than you think it was once with nothing but the fact that the news is focusing on what a famous person said, a story that is likely to die by tomorrow and will only resurface in the unlikely case that someone actually follows through on this wild claim.

Madskilz, when it comes down to it, not all news stories have the same amount of importance. It's literally impossible. And in the world of politics, some celebrity spouting off matters very little. Hell, Trump's own claims mattered very little until he actually followed through on his bullshit.

It's legitimizing. That's my problem with it.

A couple weeks back I ran across an article on NR advocating for celebrities to run for president.

I share this view with the Guardian:

There is a horrible possibility that, given the current state of the world, all future US elections will be won by whichever candidate is most famous. Scarlett Johansson knows this, which is why she is actively not ruling out a possible career pivot to politics. And the Democrats seem to know this too, because why else would they have asked Veep star Julia Louis-Dreyfus to run for office?

That fits where I see American Democracy going anyways. But I have a very cynical view of American society.

edited 10th May '17 5:32:08 PM by MadSkillz

Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#188236: May 10th 2017 at 5:27:58 PM

Sanders is not denying the Russian allegations and engaging in Assad apologia. He's clean. I don't think he's the type to accept bribes from Putin anyway.

rmctagg09 The Wanderer from Brooklyn, NY (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
The Wanderer
#188237: May 10th 2017 at 5:33:38 PM

U.S. to Ban Laptops in All Cabins of Flights From Europe, Officials Say

I'm getting a figurative headache.

Hugging a Vanillite will give you frostbite.
MadSkillz Destroyer of Worlds Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: I only want you gone
Destroyer of Worlds
#188238: May 10th 2017 at 5:39:37 PM

@Kostya Well regardless, the Dossier does say that Putin was trying to push Sanders and Stein maybe not directly but with propaganda. And the DNC leaks were designed to turn Sanders supporters into Trump supporters which fits with Trump trying to invite Sanders supporters into his party.

edited 10th May '17 5:40:04 PM by MadSkillz

Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#188239: May 10th 2017 at 5:44:47 PM

Oh they definitely targeted Sanders supporters. I just reject the idea that Sanders was complicit. Stein's a different story though. Same with Gabbard.

MadSkillz Destroyer of Worlds Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: I only want you gone
Destroyer of Worlds
#188240: May 10th 2017 at 5:49:29 PM

After Spicer spent several minutes hidden in the bushes behind these sets, Janet Montesi, an executive assistant in the press office, emerged and told reporters that Spicer would answer some questions, as long as he was not filmed doing so. Spicer then emerged.

“Just turn the lights off. Turn the lights off,” he ordered. “We’ll take care of this…. Can you just turn that light off?”

Spicer got his wish and was soon standing in near darkness between two tall hedges, with more than a dozen reporters closely gathered around him. For 10 minutes, he responded to a flurry of questions, vacillating between light-hearted asides and clear frustration with getting the same questions over and over again.

So Spicer literally hid in the bushes from reporters.

There are plenty of popular political television shows set in Washington, D.C. – “Scandal,” “House of Cards,” “Madam Secretary,” etc. – and for people who’ve never worked in Beltway politics, it’s only natural to wonder which shows best capture real life.

The answer, of course, is “Veep.” In fact, it’s not even a close call.

edited 10th May '17 5:51:00 PM by MadSkillz

Draghinazzo (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: I get a feeling so complicated...
#188241: May 10th 2017 at 5:55:40 PM

Spicer almost feels like a cartoon character with some of these things I keep hearing about him.

CenturyEye Tell Me, Have You Seen the Yellow Sign? from I don't know where the Yith sent me this time... Since: Jan, 2017 Relationship Status: Having tea with Cthulhu
Tell Me, Have You Seen the Yellow Sign?
#188242: May 10th 2017 at 5:58:50 PM

Probably not a sign of things to come...
Dakota Access pipeline has first leak before pipeline is fully operational

The $3.8bn oil pipeline, which sparked international protests last year and is not yet fully operational, spilled 84 gallons of crude oil at a South Dakota pump station, according to government regulators.

The April spill, which was first uncovered this week by a local South Dakota reporter, illustrates the need for the more robust environmental assessment that the tribe has long demanded, said Hasselman.

“It doesn’t give us any pleasure to say, ‘I told you so.’ But we have said from the beginning that it’s not a matter of if, but when,” the Earthjustice attorney told the Guardian on Wednesday. “Pipelines leak and they spill. It’s just what happens.”

Brian Walsh, an environmental scientist with the South Dakota department of environment and natural resources, said the spill was relatively minor and was caused by a mechanical failure at a surge pump.

“It’s not uncommon to have a small release at a pump station,” he said, adding that the company responded immediately and cleaned up the liquid petroleum. The spill occurred inside a “secondary containment area” and there were no environmental impacts, he added.

The company and the state made no announcements about the spill after it occurred.

Walsh said the department only releases public notices of spills when there is an imminent threat to a waterway or public health. This was the pipeline’s first spill in the state, he said.

Look with century eyes... With our backs to the arch And the wreck of our kind We will stare straight ahead For the rest of our lives
Jasaiga Since: Jan, 2015
#188243: May 10th 2017 at 6:13:19 PM

Just as a general question, there's no center-left equivalent of TYT (minus the BS obviously) on Youtube or a channel that goes in depth with various policy is there?

phantom1 Since: Dec, 2009 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
#188244: May 10th 2017 at 6:21:22 PM

Full Frontal With Samantha Bee or Last Week Tonight? Both of those are comedies but their premise is more or less going in depth with stuff.

megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#188245: May 10th 2017 at 6:30:16 PM

[up][up]And synthetic oil is nasty, nasty, stuff. It's mined from the Tar Sands, and is up there with coal for one of the nastiest energy sources. It emits 15-20 times more greenhouse gases than regular oil, and is much less efficient. The crude oil that goes through the pipeline is very viscous and dense, making it more likely to leak. The density also causes it to sink in water, making it much harder to clean up.

Sources

https://newrepublic.com/article/115624/exxon-oil-spill-arkansas-2013-how-pipeline-burst-mayflower

https://www.desmogblog.com/top-10-facts-canada-alberta-oil-sands-information

http://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Environmental_impacts_of_oil_sands

edited 10th May '17 6:39:37 PM by megaeliz

IFwanderer use political terms to describe, not insult from Earth Since: Aug, 2013 Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
use political terms to describe, not insult
#188246: May 10th 2017 at 6:31:53 PM

@Left wing Russian plants: I would also point to TYT, because the only thing the Justice Democrats are good for is causing infighting in vulnerable seats (Manchin, a Missouri representative, probably more in the future).

1 2 We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be. -KV
MadSkillz Destroyer of Worlds Since: Mar, 2013 Relationship Status: I only want you gone
Destroyer of Worlds
#188247: May 10th 2017 at 6:38:35 PM

Saying Dem dividers are Russian plants just makes it seem like we're trying to revive the Red Scare and makes us look ridiculous.

edited 10th May '17 6:38:49 PM by MadSkillz

megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#188248: May 10th 2017 at 6:40:05 PM

[up] exactly,

edited 10th May '17 6:47:39 PM by megaeliz

Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#188249: May 10th 2017 at 6:42:47 PM

Yeah but Russia actually is trying to infiltrate the US government. Obviously not everyone is a plant but people that downplay Russia's impact on the election and blatantly advance or advocate their interests should be viewed with suspicion.

edit: At the very least these movements might be getting funding from Russia or support from Russian nationals. See Calexit.

edited 10th May '17 6:45:17 PM by Kostya

megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#188250: May 10th 2017 at 6:49:02 PM

The Indivisible Guide put out an adopt a district guide inspired by the Democratic Reps who went to the town halls of nearby districts where the GOP Rep voted for the AHCA, and refused to show up at town halls to explain themselves.

This is a brilliant strategy, because, what does it say to swing voters if the democratic rep. that's not from your district comes, while your GOP representative refuses your requests and ignores you?

https://www.indivisibleguide.com/resource/adopt-district-guide/

edited 10th May '17 7:00:44 PM by megaeliz


Total posts: 417,856
Top