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LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#240826: May 2nd 2018 at 6:47:00 PM

The 6 Senate seats Democrats could maybe, possibly win from Republicans

A Vox article that is Exactly What It Says on the Tin. Most of these are long shots, but with the current national environment, and certain weird situations in the individual states, who knows.

Some basic information on the likely Republican and Democratic Candidates in each state.

Draghinazzo (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: I get a feeling so complicated...
#240827: May 2nd 2018 at 6:47:32 PM

[up][up] The implicit message is "make america great again by turning the country into a reactionary hellhole", but yes, the vagueness is part of its insidious appeal; people can project whatever they want onto it and Trump even if it makes no sense.

RabidTanker God-Mayor of Sim-Kind Since: May, 2014 Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
God-Mayor of Sim-Kind
#240828: May 2nd 2018 at 6:48:00 PM

Because I was watching KUSI a few minutes ago and there was story on someone painting an anti-trump mural in their charter school's parking lot. Said mural consists of two Aztec warriors decapitating Trump and shoving an spear through his head.

Needless to say, the school ain't taking it well and has started to cover it up and the public's reactions have ranged from shocked to an mild degree of sympathy.

Aside from reasserting that politics do affects students, I think it's an little bit on the extreme side to show your dislike of people like that.

Answer no master, never the slave Carry your dreams down into the grave Every heart, like every soul, equal to break
Raptorslash Since: Oct, 2010
#240829: May 2nd 2018 at 6:51:13 PM

The other thing about Trump's advertising was how often he called back to the 50s, and what that would mean to his base - both in terms of 50s nostalgia and how women and minorities were treated back then.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#240830: May 2nd 2018 at 6:53:19 PM

That's the implicit message behind the "Great Again" part of the slogan. Regressing America to a time when "uppity" womenfolk and minorities knew their place and gay people stayed in their closets and transpeople didn't exist.

Also something about economic anxiety, but we've seen recent articles and polls suggesting this wasn't that big a deal to a lot of Trump voters. At least not compared to the bigotry. And let's face it, the economic anxiety was in large part along the lines of "I don't like the fact that the Hispanic people down the street have better stuff than I do."

edited 2nd May '18 6:55:43 PM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#240831: May 2nd 2018 at 6:54:52 PM

Wow, Cambridge Analytics has links to Blackwa....Xe....Academi.

No wonder they're trying out the rebranding and forget strategy.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/mar/21/cambridge-analytica-links-erik-prince-blackwater-f/

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
FluffyMcChicken My Hair Provides Affordable Healthcare from where the floating lights gleam Since: Jun, 2014 Relationship Status: In another castle
My Hair Provides Affordable Healthcare
#240832: May 2nd 2018 at 6:55:01 PM

It's just rich how The '50s also were defined by every society in Western Europe and the US tearing up their floorboards to search for Russian infiltrators in their governments.

You just know that the KGB/SVR has always been itching to one up the Cambridge Five someday.

Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#240833: May 2nd 2018 at 6:55:40 PM

So, about the so-called blue wave. . . With Trump's approval going up, is that still a possibility? Or is four more years of Trump the price we have to pay for peace in Korea?
I notice for the most part it lacked any real data to back up its claims, not to mention that it argued that the Democrats are using the wrong strategy by selectively focusing on Ossoff while acting as if Lamb is somehow the exception that proves the rule. Frankly I just didn't find it very impressive, it was the bog-standard "ignore social issues in favor of the economic" stupidity that ignores the fact that the Democratic base cares about social issues and thus it's in the party's interests to keep them happy.

Personally I am still confident in the upcoming Blue Wave due to the fact that the data looks rather different when looking at the actual elections.

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#240834: May 2nd 2018 at 6:56:38 PM

[up] And this is why one shouldn't rely on op-eds for sources, especially if said op-eds don't have much actual raw data.

Disgusted, but not surprised
CrimsonZephyr Would that it were so simple. from Massachusetts Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
Would that it were so simple.
#240835: May 2nd 2018 at 7:01:00 PM

The Hill is basically Idiot City, anyway. Their most recent journalistic contribution was a pearl-clutching exercise re: Michelle Wolf.

"For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die."
DingoWalley1 Asgore Adopts Noelle Since: Feb, 2014 Relationship Status: Can't buy me love
Asgore Adopts Noelle
#240837: May 2nd 2018 at 7:01:58 PM

The Top Republican for California's Senate Seat this year, the seat Dianne Feinstein currently has, is an out and out Neo-Nazi. Patrick Little not only attended the Unite the Right Rally last year, he wants to free the US 'from the Jews', wants to limit how many Jewish People can be in Academia and Government, supports the breaking apart of the USA, denies the Holocaust, and said that if he were more Religious that Adolf Hitler would be the 'Second Coming of Christ'.

If it weren't for California's Jungle Primary system, this would only be a story of how Republicans really are devolving into a Neo-Nazi Party; but because of said System, this man has a good chance of getting into an actual contest against Feinstein, or worse, against no Democrat at all.

archonspeaks Since: Jun, 2013
#240838: May 2nd 2018 at 7:01:58 PM

[up]x7 That's a pretty tenuous tie to Blackwater at best. Though, FSG is a pretty shady bunch. Which is to be expected, given their leader. There's more than enough shadiness to go around even without Blackwater in the picture.

edited 2nd May '18 7:02:34 PM by archonspeaks

They should have sent a poet.
LSBK Since: Sep, 2014
#240839: May 2nd 2018 at 7:02:25 PM

[up][up][up]I already posted that; it didn't garner much attention.

edited 2nd May '18 7:02:50 PM by LSBK

Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#240840: May 2nd 2018 at 7:04:14 PM

Has anything actully linked Trump’s aproval rise (which has been slowly going on for a while now) to events in Korea instead of the more likely culprit of a growing economy due to Obama’s economic policy desicion s kicking in?

You know, before we start wishing for a war to break out and all that jazz.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#240841: May 2nd 2018 at 7:05:49 PM

[up][up][up][up][up]Yeah, that article was already posted by [up][up]. And it's actually kind of optimistic, contrary to the tone of the title.

[up][up][up][up]Shit like this is why I laugh whenever someone claims California is some kind of liberal progressive paradise state. We've got plenty of reactionary assholes too.

[up] I suspect some people are just getting more used to Trump's bullshit and think it's not so bad since the economy is doing okay.

edited 2nd May '18 7:08:43 PM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#240842: May 2nd 2018 at 7:16:45 PM

From what I understand, California's jungle primary system favors Democrats in most state wide elections, so the chance of this guy ending up without a Democratic opponent to crush him are pretty low.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
danime91 Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: Above such petty unnecessities
#240843: May 2nd 2018 at 7:18:34 PM

@Nicholson: I'm sorry, but as a military Democrat myself, I have to question the cognitive process of anybody who is in the military and Republican, considering how the Republicans shit on veterans at almost every opportunity.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#240844: May 2nd 2018 at 7:29:12 PM

Rightwing propaganda has done a very good job of branding the Democratic Party as being anti-military even while the Democratic Party are the only ones who seem to give two shits about veterans. The GOP's approach when they aren't ignoring them is to pay lip service while slashing the VA budget in a bid to privatize it.

Disgusted, but not surprised
Raptorslash Since: Oct, 2010
#240845: May 2nd 2018 at 7:30:32 PM

I just remember how they treat military Democrats, like John Kerry when he ran against Bush.

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
#240846: May 2nd 2018 at 7:34:35 PM

[up] I had to point out several times during Obama's tenure that he, as President, asked for an x% raise for the military, but the Republican Congress said we only deserved (x/2)% (or less). Some of them still wouldn't believe me that yes, a Democratic President wanted more for the military than a Republican. There's this impression that the shrinking/"neutering"note  of the military in the 90's was because Democrats hate the idea of the US having a military.

That’s the epitome of privilege right there, not considering armed nazis a threat to your life. - Silasw
Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#240847: May 2nd 2018 at 7:36:23 PM

Guilini says that it was perfectly legal for Trump to pay back Cohen the $130,000 in hush money Cohen spent to keep Daniels quiet because it wasn't campain money.

M84 Oh, bother. from Our little blue planet Since: Jun, 2010 Relationship Status: Chocolate!
Oh, bother.
#240848: May 2nd 2018 at 7:37:10 PM

[up][up]Rightwing propaganda has been doing its dirty work for decades. Trump's win was the culmination of their efforts. And on that note...fuck Rupert Murdoch.

edited 2nd May '18 7:37:26 PM by M84

Disgusted, but not surprised
DingoWalley1 Asgore Adopts Noelle Since: Feb, 2014 Relationship Status: Can't buy me love
Asgore Adopts Noelle
#240849: May 2nd 2018 at 7:39:02 PM

[up][up] I was just about to post that! I didn't know if it was important enough to do so or not.

But yeah, the exact wording Giuliani said ('[Michael Cohen] funneled [the money] through his Law Firm, and Trump repaid it') makes me find it incredibly suspect. Even if Trump didn't use Campaign Finances (and the odds are he did use Campaign Finances) to silence Daniels, it sounds like Trump did it in possibly the most dark and shady way to do it.

edited 2nd May '18 7:39:15 PM by DingoWalley1

Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#240850: May 2nd 2018 at 7:40:31 PM

Trump's also denied any knowledge of the hush money, so it begs the question of, if he was telling the truth, why was he repaying money he allegedly didn't know was spent on his behalf?


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