Political Discussion Thread (With Rules)

[Lord Liaden]

Too many people vote for primarily emotional reasons. I believe politicians have always been aware of that, but try not to play on it too obviously because their opponents will call them on the facts, which tends to make them look weak even to voters who don't care about facts.

 

Donald Trump has been willing to play on voters' emotions more blatantly than any American politician I've ever seen. Amazingly to me, countering him with facts doesn't seem to dent his support.

[Nolgroth]

No need for facts when you can feel. It gives the illusion of tangibility. Facts are a nebulous thing debated by eggheads. Feelings are more visceral and, to many, more real. It doesn't make sense to me, but then, this entire election cycle has left me scratching my head more than once. 

[BoloOfEarth]

This election cycle has left me pounding my head against the desk more than once. 

[DasBroot]

Clinton calls 'half' Trump's supporters 'deplorable' and 'irredeemable' (xenophobes, homophobes, islamaphobes)

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2016-37327156

 

Obviously 'half' is political hyperbole (at least I seriously hope so) but the sentiment rings true and it's in line with what people have been saying since day one. I'm not sure it will pan out for her, though:  Unlike Mr Trump she doesn't have the luxury of saying whatever she wants whenever she wants and insulting millions of Americans (Latinos, Muslims, African-Americans) without repercussion.

 

I still would like to know why that is.

[Nolgroth]

This election cycle has left me pounding my head against the desk more than once. 

 

I'd run out of desks before I ran out of reasons to pound my head.

[megaplayboy]

Clinton calls 'half' Trump's supporters 'deplorable' and 'irredeemable' (xenophobes, homophobes, islamaphobes)

 

http://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2016-37327156

 

Obviously 'half' is political hyperbole (at least I seriously hope so) but the sentiment rings true and it's in line with what people have been saying since day one. I'm not sure it will pan out for her, though:  Unlike Mr Trump she doesn't have the luxury of saying whatever she wants whenever she wants and insulting millions of Americans (Latinos, Muslims, African-Americans) without repercussion.

 

I still would like to know why that is.

Well, based upon the polls and surveys I've seen, the commentary on social media, reports and videotape from Trump rallies, interviews with Trump supporters, a list of Trump endorsers, allies and associates(and their associations), I'd say "half" is roughly in the ballpark. It's a bit more nuanced than Obama's "bitter...cling" and Romney's "47%" comments, because she went on to say that the other half of his supporters have legitimate economic anxieties and concerns. Still, the media is never more reticent than when it comes to calling out the garden variety casual racism of a large minority of white citizens. Probably because they know 1) there will be a vicious backlash to being called out; and 2) they know some friends, family, associates or neighbors who hold such views and calling it out puts them in an awkward position socially.

[Michael Hopcroft]

I once walked out of a home-video screening of Whale Rider with my family when my father (God rest him) started making cannibalism jokes about the Maori. I also walked out of a performance of Annie Get Your Gun with my mother when the main character performed a grossly insulting song about the Lakota (made even worse by the fact that legendary Lakota leader Sitting Bull was standing right there watching -- honestly, was there any point to not cutting that song? It served no purpose for the story and could only be viewed as offensive in these times.)

 

Racism in media offends me. There were parts of Lincoln that were very difficult for me to sit through because of the 1864 attitudes on display. (That was part of Spielberg's point -- it was intended to make people uncomfortable.) I can understand it happening on older media, but today?

[Nolgroth]

I know I walk an unpopular line, but I have this belief that people should feel uncomfortable with some things in life. It makes them realize that not everything out there is sanitized for their convenience. Homogenization is bad in my book. 

 

That said, racism bothers me because it makes zero sense. Two of my greatest personal role models have been black (I am white) and their wisdom has seen me through some pretty rough times. Literarily speaking, the character Dembe from Blacklist is one of my favorite characters ever. He rarely speaks his mind, but when he does he reveals wisdom and intelligence far beyond the role of Reddington's personal thug. There are many other characters of various ethnic backgrounds that I enjoy watching or reading about. If I allowed the cloud of racism to obscure such great characters or, in real life, the wisdom of my role models, then I would have deprived myself of many rewarding moments. Being a selfish punk, I like experiences that I feel reward me.

[Starlord]

I love Dembe too!

[wcw43921]

25 Logical Reasons To Vote For Donald Trump

[Michael Hopcroft]

Hillary nearly collapsed at a 9/11 observance and has been diagnosed with pneumonia. This is highly treatable and she can certainly make a full recovery by the end of the campaign, but it will alter the schedule for a while. The pro-Trump tabloids have been manufacturing health scare after health scare to make the folks who look at headlines in the checkout line think she's on death's door (when they're not putting out headlines that effectively say she deserves to be). If the Globe has an influence on the outcome of this election, I'm turning in my Yank card.

[DasBroot]

How I'm envisioning Trump at the moment

 

[csyphrett]

NCAA has pulled their championships from the state over HB2. Republicans double down, saying they won't abandon such an important law (that has had part of it struck down, and some of the rest rewritten) that protects women from crossdressers in public bathrooms.

CES 

[Old Man]

It's weird that the Republicans there are so hellbent on preventing themselves from attacking women in bathrooms.

[csyphrett]

It's weird that the Republicans there are so hellbent on preventing themselves from attacking women in bathrooms.

I think it's the potential for graft that this law embodies that has most of them doing this. This has the same smell as the anti gay marriage amendment

CES

[st barbara]

I was watching Fox News today (Yes I know that it isn't the best place to get unbiased news or opinion) and they had Trump leading in some of the "swing states" (it looked like a lot of them actually). How are most of the U S polls running at the moment ?

[Michael Hopcroft]

I was watching Fox News today (Yes I know that it isn't the best place to get unbiased news or opinion) and they had Trump leading in some of the "swing states" (it looked like a lot of them actually). How are most of the U S polls running at the moment ?

I heard about the same poll on CNN, so it's not entirely invented by Murdoch. That said, in between the innumerable media outlets and the campaigns, there are a lot of polls being made with a lot of different results. The report cited a poll of "likely voters", whatever that means.

 

The unanswered question is which candidate Gary Johnson is taking more votes from. If he's siphoning off more Democrats than Republicans, then Hillary has a problem.

[Ternaugh]

The polls for most "battleground" or "swing" states are within the margin of error, and so are almost impossible to call (though the news outlets seem to ignore that fact). That said, the media are attempting to make the race look closer than it is by focusing on national polls and the polls in "battleground" states, rather than showing the likely Electoral College results. The magic number's 270, and there the advantage is with Hillary.

[megaplayboy]

Books will be written about this campaign, and the most interesting ones will be about the press coverage. I expect they will generally be pretty damning.

[csyphrett]

Storytelling time. let's see if I can get this right.

 

Once upon a time, a lady named Howard became a representative to the House congress of a place called North Carolina. She worked tirelessly for her colleagues called Republicans. One day she helped pass a law where men who were like women and vice versa weren't allowed to go to the bathroom they were comfortable with, discrimination had to be answered in a court higher than North Carolina's own, and local towns couldn't be allowed to determine what they would pay to merchants for their services.

 

A great cry ensued against the law. Things were done that limited its effectiveness despite the Republican bulwark. Howard stood and said never shall we let someone false use the bathroom. it's the law of the land.

 

A great industry called the ACC decided that it would no longer work its magic in the land of the Tarheel. Part of that magic was in Howard's own district.  Her district stands to lose the most of any, reduced to poverty again.

 

Howard stood and said get rid of the law so my people can live.

CES 

[Ranxerox]

The polls for most "battleground" or "swing" states are within the margin of error, and so are almost impossible to call (though the news outlets seem to ignore that fact). That said, the media are attempting to make the race look closer than it is by focusing on national polls and the polls in "battleground" states, rather than showing the likely Electoral College results. The magic number's 270, and there the advantage is with Hillary.

 

This is par for the course.  Back in 2012 when Fifty Eight Thirty was giving Barrack Obama a 90% chance of winning, the media was painting the contest as a neck and neck horserace. 

 

Unfortunately, this is a tighter race than 2012, though still not exactly a coin toss.  Current best guessimates give Clinton a 70% chance of victory to Trump's 30% chance of coming out on top.

[Lord Liaden]

Anybody remember the old Champions adventure module, Deathstroke? The Deathstroke supervillain team built an organization to take over the United States, based on the philosophy of, "government by crooks who are honest about being crooks."

 

I believe in today's American political climate, that movement might actually gain substantial popular support.

[Michael Hopcroft]

There is an old novel (which I have never read) based on the premise that if you give the Mafia complete control over the country, they will build a utopia. Now personally I disagree -- an open kleptocracy would be just as bad as a hidden one, especially if those forced to pass the gravy along to get everything done have no recourse when they are inevitably cast aside in favor of someone who can pay more.

 

Besides, mobsters don't care about utopia. They care about grabbing as much as they can for themselves.

 

I am personally convinced that organized crime is probably a major player in Putin's Russia, with each side of the law manipulating the other to keep Putin in power and keep the money rolling in. Which is why having a casino magnate with ties to Putin as President is not a pleasant prospect for this country.

[wcw43921]

There is an old novel (which I have never read) based on the premise that if you give the Mafia complete control over the country, they will build a utopia. Now personally I disagree -- an open kleptocracy would be just as bad as a hidden one, especially if those forced to pass the gravy along to get everything done have no recourse when they are inevitably cast aside in favor of someone who can pay more.

 

Besides, mobsters don't care about utopia. They care about grabbing as much as they can for themselves.

 

Sounds like the original series Star Trek episode "A Piece Of The Action."  That was certainly no Utopia.

[wcw43921]