General politics

[Badsmerf]

I'm not sure I'd go with great. It is important to be consistent. Hopefully this climate can help change the culture of society toward women. It will be a never ending struggle, but the change that is occurring now is long overdue. Hopefully we are able to move beyond this.

[drjim]

 

Now what?

 

Win more elections.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Win more elections.

1. Force Franken to resign

2. ? ? ?

3. Profit!

[drjim]

 

1. Force Franken to resign
2. ? ? ?
3. Profit!

 

It is never a bad thing to have the high ground on an issue. Pays dividends in the long run.

 

Best article on this I saw: http://www.businessinsider.com/al-franken-resignation-resign-analysis-2017-12

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

I'm not sure I'd go with great. It is important to be consistent. Hopefully this climate can help change the culture of society toward women. It will be a never ending struggle, but the change that is occurring now is long overdue. Hopefully we are able to move beyond this.

No, not a great day. A lot of snark and bitterness because I genuinely want to know what Democrats think their next step is.

 

If it's a never ending struggle, then I'd like to see how the Franken and Conyers (age 88) resignation and eventual Moore election fit into the big picture of this struggle.

[drjim]

Another shoe should drop quite soon:

 

[ashbury]

I genuinely want to know what Democrats think their next step is.

I know it's cynical times, but I don't see a reason everything needs to be orchestrated like you seem to be suggesting. Do the right thing, then move on. Individual party members will have their individual ideas, and it will come together.

[Otto von Ballpark]

Another shoe should drop quite soon:

 

https://twitter.com/mikehtrujillo/status/938815136571129856

Did the 20-30 congresspeople share the same "4 sexual harrassments"?

 

Seriously, didn't Twitter increase their character limit? Breaking news shouldn't have to look like a Prince song title anymore.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

I wonder if they'll all resign, or just the Dems will resign.

[jimmer]

I wonder if they'll all resign, or just the Dems will resign.

the Republicans as a whole will vote for their guys regardless. Example one: the turd in the oval office who bragged about sexually assaulting women. Example two: Moore, a pedophile.

[Mr. Brooks]

the Republicans as a whole will vote for their guys regardless. Example one: the turd in the oval office who bragged about sexually assaulting women. Example two: Moore, a pedophile.

Example three: The psycho in Montana that body slammed a reporter in front of witnesses, days before the election, and still won.

 

These behaviours are an enhancement to Republicans, not a blemish.

[jimmer]

Roy Moore was asked when the last time America was great, and he pointed to a time in our history when there was still slavery.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/roy-moore-america-was-great-during-slavery/ar-BBGnmaH?li=BBnb7Kz

 

'At a campaign event earlier this year, an audience member asked Moore for his opinion on when the last time America was "great." Moore responded: "I think it was great at the time when families were united—even though we had slavery—they cared for one another…. Our families were strong, our country had a direction." The individual who asked the question was among the only African-Americans in attendance at the rally. In stating this, Moore seemingly implied he'd be able to overlook the enslavement of other human beings as long as families are "united," an interesting perspective from a man accused of repeatedly preying on young girls.'

[Badsmerf]

Roy Moore without the sexual predator angle, is still is terrible candidate. The reason McConnell tried to prop up Strange is that this guy is a menace. Trump tying himself to Moore is a terrible move. It's impossible for me to like Trump less, but there are people on the edge (i think?). There parallel has already been drawn, but when do people look at how Nazi Germany rose to power and decide that isn't the path we want to go down?

[gunnarthor]

 

Example three: The psycho in Montana that body slammed a reporter in front of witnesses, days before the election, and still won.

These behaviours are an enhancement to Republicans, not a blemish.

We're just too partisan. Republican voters won't ever vote for a dem b/c that might mean something bad for the pro-life side. And vice versa.

[Badsmerf]

We're just too partisan. Republican voters won't ever vote for a dem b/c that might mean something bad for the pro-life side. And vice versa.

Maybe I'm missing something, but it seems the Republican coalition is much more partisan than democrat voters. About half of the voter base will only vote Republican and will show up at every election. Democrats do have some devoted voters, but it isn't nearly as strong. They can align to fight for certain things, but are much more scattered.

 

I really think taking on gerrymandering will help alleviate some partisanship. Unfortunately, there are still districts like mine that continue to vote for Steve King (sorry to everyone in the world, I try to vote him out). More competitive districts would lead to more moderates imo. Allowing politicians to draw maps is a bad idea.

[stringer bell]

I basically agree with Smerf, but not on the numbers. I don’t think there is 50% in the national Republican coalition, but I do believe they can more reliably turn out 45-47% of the national electorate, despite disagreement on almost every issue beyond “limit abortion, low taxes and smaller government.”

 

Getting a Democratic coalition together seems harder, and as Smerf said, gerrymandered districts tend to elect radical partisans.

[Bark's Lounge]

 

Unfortunately, there are still districts like mine that continue to vote for Steve King (sorry to everyone in the world, I try to vote him out).

Apology accepted. That guy is a F'in monster. At least your are on just side of things. That's something to hang your hat on. My in-laws live in the district Michelle Bachman once represented and I can guarantee they never voted for her.

[gunnarthor]

 

Maybe I'm missing something, but it seems the Republican coalition is much more partisan than democrat voters. About half of the voter base will only vote Republican and will show up at every election. Democrats do have some devoted voters, but it isn't nearly as strong. They can align to fight for certain things, but are much more scattered.

 

The stats have shown it's pretty high in both parties and both sides demonize irrationally. I didn't vote for Romney but I remember the left wing hatchet jobs on him. He was the devil. The worst kind of republican, etc. I don't think it's hard to imagine a bunch of people in MN would have supported Franken against, say Bachmann, in a Senate run by saying "we can't let Trump have another vote in the senate."

[Badsmerf]

Maybe not against Bachmann, but a moderate Republican would still destroy him in Minnesota. It is a good move for him to step down right now. He can still do a lot of good outside the Senate.

 

There is even mod resistance to Moore being elected this weekend. More than I thought there would be. Of course our president released a robo call for Moore. I'm extremely interested to see how this election turns out. Could have big implications for this idiotic tax bill.

[Mike Sixel]

I am trying to meditate a lot, in anticipation of Alabama proving the GOP strategy of demonizing Democrats for forty years correct. A pedophile night be elected, because at least he isn't a Democrat....

[drjim]

I wonder if Dems will become big tent on abortion, or if they even can. It's the only reason it's close.

[Otto von Ballpark]

I wonder if Dems will become big tent on abortion, or if they even can. It's the only reason it's close.

In my experience, even if a specific Democrat is anti-abortion, those groups and voters still oppose them because of the risk they will be pressured to vote with the national party, even on issues only tangentially related to abortion.

 

And of course, even if the anti-abortion litmus test was perceived as fully met, they just move on to the next issue. Gay marriage, immigration, etc.

 

There are really very few voters who subscribe to broad Democratic views except on abortion alone.

[TheLeviathan]

 

I wonder if Dems will become big tent on abortion, or if they even can. It's the only reason it's close.

 

Short answer: nope.  Not on that issue.

[PseudoSABR]

 

...

Do I know you from somewhere? You seem familiar.

[drjim]

 

Do I know you from somewhere? You seem familiar.

 

Never heard of him.

[drjim]

 

Short answer: nope.  Not on that issue.

 

I suspect you are right, and I suspect our politics will remain broken for the immediate future.

 

The more I read, the more I am convinced that Roe v Wade is what kicked off the sorting of the borders that has led to the current trench warfare style of politics. And thus, some sort of movement is the only thing that will change things.

 

Not saying there is an easy or obvious solution, it is a hard issue to crack.

[gunnarthor]

 

I suspect you are right, and I suspect our politics will remain broken for the immediate future.

 

The more I read, the more I am convinced that Roe v Wade is what kicked off the sorting of the borders that has led to the current trench warfare style of politics. And thus, some sort of movement is the only thing that will change things.

 

Not saying there is an easy or obvious solution, it is a hard issue to crack.

I read an article years ago on abortion that said most Americans are wishy washy and aren't really 100% pro-life or pro-choice yet most politicians are forced into one of those positions. I think the Dems would be far better off if they had a few more Joe Donnelly's in the party but I know many people who think he's a POS for his views on abortion. So, yeah.

[TheLeviathan]

 

Do I know you from somewhere? You seem familiar.

 

I wouldn't get used to it.

[drjim]

And called for Jones.

 

Never a doubt...

[ashbury]

Never a doubt...

http://s2.quickmeme.com/img/bd/bd3a5d38cbbb5ef5c39c15c63810fb8970bedddf2122976517b75fb9725a7a2f.jpg