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
#238351: Apr 11th 2018 at 1:47:27 PM

From a few days ago, but I just found this guardian article. Here are some of the more relevant parts.

Sinclair TV chairman to Trump: 'We are here to deliver your message

The chairman of Sinclair Broadcast Group met Donald Trump at the White House during a visit to pitch a potentially lucrative new product to administration officials, the Guardian has learned.

David D Smith, whose company has been criticised for making its anchors read a script echoing Trump’s attacks on the media, said he briefed officials last year on a system that would enable authorities to broadcast direct to any American’s phone.

“I just wanted them to be aware of the technology,” Smith said in an interview. He also recalled an earlier meeting with Trump during the 2016 election campaign, where he told the future president: “We are here to deliver your message.”

Sinclair is the biggest owner of local TV in the US, and may soon reach 72% of American households if a proposed $4bn takeover of a rival is approved by federal regulators. It is accused by critics of having a conservative bias, which it denies.

The company has been a driving force in the development of a new broadcasting standard known as Next Gen TV, and is one of the first involved in making chips for televisions, cellphones and other devices to receive the new transmissions.

A broadcasting industry group, of which Sinclair is a prominent member, lobbied federal authorities last year to force manufacturers to incorporate the chips in all new devices. This would have created orders for millions of chips and probably new revenues for Sinclair.

Smith said his White House meeting was not financially motivated. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) decided last November to make incorporating chips voluntary. Sinclair had itself stopped short of calling for compulsory installation but said the government might need to consider this in the future.

In his interview with the Guardian, the Sinclair boss also struck out at Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and adviser, for reportedly boasting that Trump’s 2016 campaign team made a deal for favourable coverage on Sinclair stations in return for giving access to the company’s journalists.

“I was pissed off,” said Smith, who denied giving Trump’s team a special arrangement.

But Smith did recall an offer he made to Trump in 2016 after Trump secured the Republican presidential nomination. Ben Carson, now Trump’s housing secretary, helped arrange a meeting at Trump Tower, according to Smith, who like Carson is based in the Baltimore area.

“I asked [Trump], ‘Would you like us to embed with you during your campaign?’,” said Smith. “And he brought a bunch of people in the room, and he said, ‘Well, whatever’. And I said: ‘We are here to deliver your message. Period.’”

Smith denied that this amounted to Sinclair acting as a mouthpiece for Trump. He said it meant only that Trump could be interviewed by Sinclair whenever he chose. Smith said a similar offer was extended to Hillary Clinton by letter but was not taken up by the Democratic nominee.

“What I get out of it is access to a guy who’s running for president,” said Smith. “Or a guy who’s running for US senator, or governor, or anything else. As any other news organisation does. You want to be on TV? Sure, we’d like to have you on TV.”

Smith tried to dismiss criticism of Sinclair that has mounted since CNN revealed news anchors across the US were being instructed to read identical scripts decrying “fake” news, which mirrored Trump’s long-running attack on journalism.

Describing the controversy as “the most absurd thing I’ve ever seen in my life”, Smith claimed rank-and-file Sinclair staff who had been expressing dismay to media reporters did not understand that the scripted segments were in their own interest.

“If people believe you more than they believe somebody else, they’re more likely to watch you,” he said. “And you know what that means? We might get a higher rating. And you know what that means? We will therefore make our spots worth more. And you know what that means? That means I will make more money, which means I can pay you more money.”

Despite multiple detailed accounts finding that Sinclair’s news coverage is skewed politically to the right, Smith insisted that his news output was not biased. “If anybody can show me otherwise, in the context of any local news that works for me, then show me,” he said.

Smith said he had “zero tolerance” for “political spin” of any kind, and even said he had fired staff in the past after they displayed bias in their coverage, though he said he could not recall any specific examples.

“If you believe philosophically, so strongly, that you can’t just stand in the centre and tell the truth, then go work someplace else,” said Smith. “I don’t care.”

Smith professed to have “no interest in politics” and even suggested that his reputation as a backer of Republicans was inaccurate. “I probably give more money to Democrats than I give to anybody,” he said.

Smith also defended Sinclair’s strident news analysis segments hosted by Boris Epshteyn, a former Trump adviser. Epshteyn’s so-called “must run” segments, which Sinclair headquarters instructs local stations to show during news bulletins, have generated controversy for laundering White House talking points.

“Boris Epshteyn does not do news,” said Smith. “He does commentary, and it is defined as commentary throughout.” Epshteyn has latterly spoken in front of a logo that includes “Commentary” in a smaller typeface. During some earlier editions, he was introduced by anchors as a commentator but then spoke without an onscreen commentary label.

Smith said Epshteyn’s output was more clearly labelled than the work of opinionated Fox News hosts such as Sean Hannity. He spoke more favourably of Hannity’s primetime colleague, Tucker Carlson, who is renowned for heated disputes with his guests.

“I like to watch people argue, and the people he brings on are good at it,” said Smith.

As for the current argument about his company’s news broadcasts, Smith declared himself the winner and said he would not make concessions. “I don’t know what I would change,” said Smith, “because everything that we’ve done is absolutely unassailable under any circumstances.”

This sounds shady.

edited 11th Apr '18 1:49:57 PM by megaeliz

KarkatTheDalek Not as angry as the name would suggest. from Somwhere in Time/Space Since: Mar, 2012 Relationship Status: You're a beautiful woman, probably
Not as angry as the name would suggest.
#238352: Apr 11th 2018 at 2:01:57 PM

So, a friend of mine is currently freaking out about this story about Russia state television instructing it’s citizens to prepare for nuclear war.

Is this a likely possibility, or just fear-mondering or what have you?

Oh God! Natural light!
Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#238353: Apr 11th 2018 at 2:02:53 PM

Same tactics,same old fear mongering

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
KarkatTheDalek Not as angry as the name would suggest. from Somwhere in Time/Space Since: Mar, 2012 Relationship Status: You're a beautiful woman, probably
Not as angry as the name would suggest.
#238354: Apr 11th 2018 at 2:04:20 PM

I see.

Would I be right to say that Russia state television has done this sort of thing before?

Oh God! Natural light!
megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#238355: Apr 11th 2018 at 2:06:34 PM

[up] It's Russian State media, what do you think?

And another reminder that everything they do to us, they use on their own citizens first.

edited 11th Apr '18 2:15:35 PM by megaeliz

archonspeaks Since: Jun, 2013
#238356: Apr 11th 2018 at 2:10:07 PM

Given the military situation in Syria, if we're going to strike it should be soon. I expected an announcement indicating plans for a strike around now, but it's possible that's been pushed back after Trump's tweet. Under the assumption that's the route the administration has decided to take, let's hope it hasn't been screwed up too badly by Trump. If we wait too long we'll lose the window of opportunity on this one. We need to strike before Assad and Russia dig themselves in too deeply or have a chance to move their assets out of the country like Russia has already begun to do.

As usual, it's still not particularly worth worrying about nuclear war.

They should have sent a poet.
BlueNinja0 The Mod with the Migraine from Taking a left at Albuquerque Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
The Mod with the Migraine
#238357: Apr 11th 2018 at 2:12:39 PM

Speaking of Paul Ryan's retiring, the Onion caption is just amazing.

That’s the epitome of privilege right there, not considering armed nazis a threat to your life. - Silasw
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#238359: Apr 11th 2018 at 2:18:32 PM

So Sanders/other WH sources were talking about Trump's plans to "help" the Republicans retain the House, namely by campaigning heavily himself. Considering his unpopularity in States with competitive districts, this might be a good thing.

edited 11th Apr '18 2:19:17 PM by Rationalinsanity

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
BearyScary Since: Sep, 2010 Relationship Status: You spin me right round, baby
DingoWalley1 Asgore Adopts Noelle Since: Feb, 2014 Relationship Status: Can't buy me love
Asgore Adopts Noelle
#238361: Apr 11th 2018 at 2:52:50 PM

[up][up] It also won't work if he avoids the heavily Blue States (like New York, New Jersey, Oregon, etc); a number of them with large swathes of Republican Congressmen who will be facing a massive Blue Wave on their own home turf.

rmctagg09 The Wanderer from Brooklyn, NY (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: I won't say I'm in love
The Wanderer
#238362: Apr 11th 2018 at 2:54:23 PM

As Zuck testifies to Senate, Democrats propose tough opt-in privacy law:

Two Democratic US senators today proposed a "privacy bill of rights" that would prevent Facebook and other websites from sharing or selling sensitive information without a customer's opt-in consent.

The proposed law would protect customers' Web browsing and application usage history, private messages, and any sensitive personal data such as financial and health information.

"The avalanche of privacy violations by Facebook and other online companies has reached a critical threshold, and we need legislation that makes consent the law of the land," Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) said in an announcement.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is testifying today in a Senate hearing. Facebook recently acknowledged that the private data of up to 87 million Facebook users was improperly shared with Cambridge Analytica, a firm that did consulting work for Donald Trump's presidential campaign.

FURTHER READING Facebook’s Cambridge Analytica scandal, explained [Updated] While Zuckerberg has promised to do a better job protecting Facebook users' privacy, Markey said that "voluntary standards are not enough; we need rules on the books that all online companies abide by that protect Americans and ensure accountability."

Markey teamed with Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) to propose the Customer Online Notification for Stopping Edge-provider Network Transgressions (CONSENT) Act. You can read the full legislation here.

"Edge providers" refers to websites and other online services that distribute content over consumer broadband networks. Facebook and Google are the dominant edge providers when it comes to advertising and the use of customer data to serve targeted ads. No current law requires edge providers to seek customers' permission before using their browsing histories to serve personalized ads.

The online advertising industry uses self-regulatory mechanisms in which websites let visitors opt out of personalized advertising based on browsing history, and websites can be punished by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) if they break their privacy promises.

The Markey/Blumenthal bill's stricter opt-in standard would require edge providers to "obtain opt-in consent from a customer to use, share, or sell the sensitive proprietary information of the customer." Edge providers would not be allowed to impose "take-it-or-leave-it" offers that require customers to consent in order to use the service. The FTC and state attorneys general would be empowered to enforce the new opt-in requirements.

Hugging a Vanillite will give you frostbite.
MrAHR Ahr river from ಠ_ಠ Since: Oct, 2010 Relationship Status: A cockroach, nothing can kill it.
Ahr river
#238363: Apr 11th 2018 at 2:59:37 PM

God that last paragraph. If that could act get passed it would be huge. Naturally that means it won't but... I can dream.

Read my stories!
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#238364: Apr 11th 2018 at 3:01:09 PM

[up]x5 I really hope he does, anything that re-enforces the connection between Trump and the Republican Party is a good thing for Democrats.

[up]Probably won't pass now but after a likely Blue Wave, who knows....

edited 11th Apr '18 3:02:25 PM by Fourthspartan56

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
BearyScary Since: Sep, 2010 Relationship Status: You spin me right round, baby
#238365: Apr 11th 2018 at 3:02:18 PM

I would love if that would pass. Social media platforms being legally required to respect your privacy, what a concept...

[up]Yes

edited 11th Apr '18 3:02:34 PM by BearyScary

Do not obey in advance.
DrDougsh Since: Jan, 2001
#238366: Apr 11th 2018 at 3:20:01 PM

I wish news outlets would just stop relaying Trump's tweets entirely. Just report on it when he actually does something and let his meaningless balderdash speak for itself to those who actually feel like keeping up with it.

Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#238367: Apr 11th 2018 at 3:22:51 PM

[up]Eh, the President tweeting is something that should be on the news. It matters and forcing the general public to pay attention to it is not something that I see as a bad thing.

"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
#238368: Apr 11th 2018 at 3:26:21 PM

[up][up] This just keeps becoming more and more relevant

edited 11th Apr '18 3:26:32 PM by megaeliz

Lightysnake Since: May, 2010
#238369: Apr 11th 2018 at 3:28:50 PM

The report of Missouri Governor Greitens dropped.

He needs to be in prison. The man is a fucking rapist.

Relevant passages:

#50

22. Upon entering the basement, Witness 1 testified that Greitens taped her hands to pull-up rings with “this gauzed tape stuff” and then put a blindfold on her. Witness 1 testified that these items were laying on a “workout bench right there, and that’s where he had that stuff.' Witness 1 explained her reaction:

I just stood there, because I was like What the fuck? He doesn’t have feelings for me, he just wants to fuck me. So anyways, I was completely silent. I didn’t say anything, especially – so I didn’t even – my husband traveled for a living, and I didn’t even let him get pictures of me. So I just stood there quietly, and then he came up close to me and he said, Are you going to say anything? Are you going to mention my name? Of course, in my head, I was screaming, Fuck, all I want to do is tell people right now. I’m dying. This is the most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to me. So I just didn’t answer at all, and then he spanked me and said, Are you going to mention my name? And I said – I just gritted through my teeth and I said, No. And he’s like Good – now that’s a good girl and was, like, back in his – whatever – you know, the thing that he had in his mind, the thing that he was going to do with me.40 I’m bawling my eyes out. Yeah, so I’m still crying. And then he’s like – I can tell he’s still, like, in it – he’s still in this – in this thing that he’s got in his mind of whatever he’s doing, and he’s still like messing with me.

He starts undoing his pants, and he takes his penis out and puts it, like, near where my face is. And I’m like – so this guy literally just wants me for this, and this is all he wants, and then he’ll let me – because at this point, too, I also know I have to be at work, and he’s not going to let me leave, because he’s obviously still horny. So I gave him oral sex at this point.

edited 11th Apr '18 3:30:02 PM by Lightysnake

DrDougsh Since: Jan, 2001
#238370: Apr 11th 2018 at 3:32:07 PM

At this point it's just tiresome non-news that serve only to provoke a reaction of an exasperated "So what?". Statements made on Twitter are not official policy and shouldn't be treated as anything othar than Trump's personal musings until they start appearing in legislation or are backed up by actions. At this point, seeing reports every day of whatever stupid, self-contradictory nonsense Trump haphazardly wrote on his wall on the front page of every news outlet is tandamount to having a camera in his bathroom and making extensive reports on every time he goes in there to take a shit.

edited 11th Apr '18 3:32:27 PM by DrDougsh

Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#238371: Apr 11th 2018 at 3:36:04 PM

[up]Ok this is objectively wrong, statements on Twitter by the President of the United States are not mere personal musings. I understand if you're tired of them but as long as he's President they will absolutely matter and thus should receive at-least *some* media time.

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#238373: Apr 11th 2018 at 3:45:02 PM
Thumped: Please see The Rules . This is a warning that this post is the sort of thing that will get you suspended.
have a listen and have a link to my discord server
megaeliz Since: Mar, 2017
#238374: Apr 11th 2018 at 3:45:48 PM

Re: Trump's tweets

First rule of surviving a narcissist:

Don’t take their every word literally.

They should really just ask this guy. He's apparently known several Narcissist, and so far has been probably the most accurate predictor and interpreter of Trump's behavior, I've come across.

edited 11th Apr '18 3:58:28 PM by megaeliz

sgamer82 Since: Jan, 2001
#238375: Apr 11th 2018 at 3:47:21 PM

[up][up]Including who this guy is beyond a governor because I can't recall ever hearing of him before now

[up] What about "believe the autocrat"?

edited 11th Apr '18 3:48:07 PM by sgamer82


Total posts: 417,856
Top