The Election Thread To Talk About The Election

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JennyB
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Re: The Election Thread To Talk About The Election

Post by JennyB »

Dr. Medulla wrote:
JennyB wrote:
Dr. Medulla wrote:
JennyB wrote:
Dr. Medulla wrote:Seriously, one thing that's good about this election is that thanks to demographics and mortality rates, this is the last presidential election that the Republican appeal to angry white men—basically, Nixon's Southern Strategy or variations of the same, which have been part of every campaign since '68—can be a successful methodology. If it wants to be a viable national party, the GOP will have to abandon (or at least seriously moderate) its racism as campaign strategy and, perhaps, policy.
I take it you've never been to Missouri.
It can still work on smaller stages—state and municipal levels—in certain locales, but the US as a whole is becoming less white, so as a national strategy—to win the presidency—that kind of shit is almost a non-starter. So the Republican party is in for a massive rethink. Maybe it leads to a true schism, where the Tea Party nuts actually form their own party, or maybe they just get purged or marginalized. Regardless, those in the party who care about winning will have to rein in the racists. The real challenge, perhaps, is that the GOP has become so hostile to empirical methodology that proving the case with demographic statistics might be next-to-impossible with those who continue to believe anger and purity is all that it'll take to convince voters.
I hope so. Right now it seems like the only ones purged from the party are the moderates (and I say that with a caveat -- what's typically thought of as a Republican moderate i.e. socially moderate and fiscally conservative). Twenty years ago, MO had several pro-choice Republicans in its legislature. Not a chance in hell of that happening now. We're lucky to have pro-choice Democrats.
Which is the theme of that book by Kabaservice that I mentioned a few weeks back. As a strategy for governance, purity has been a complete disaster for Republicans. It's worthwhile remembering that St. Ronnie was quite adept at compromise, but compromise has become as dirty a word as abortion or atheism to conservatives. As a strategy for electoral success, the demographics are against it working any longer. There just isn't a large enough bloc of (angry) white (male) voters to employ a siege mentality on anymore. Unless Republicans are content being a permanent angry opposition party, the smarter guys within will have to take back the party from the cynical and sincere racists alike.
It always surprises me how these people worship St. Ronnie. If he were around today, they'd probably call him a traitor. Look at what they are doing to Christie.
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Re: The Election Thread To Talk About The Election

Post by Dr. Medulla »

JennyB wrote:
Dr. Medulla wrote:
JennyB wrote:
Dr. Medulla wrote:
JennyB wrote: I take it you've never been to Missouri.
It can still work on smaller stages—state and municipal levels—in certain locales, but the US as a whole is becoming less white, so as a national strategy—to win the presidency—that kind of shit is almost a non-starter. So the Republican party is in for a massive rethink. Maybe it leads to a true schism, where the Tea Party nuts actually form their own party, or maybe they just get purged or marginalized. Regardless, those in the party who care about winning will have to rein in the racists. The real challenge, perhaps, is that the GOP has become so hostile to empirical methodology that proving the case with demographic statistics might be next-to-impossible with those who continue to believe anger and purity is all that it'll take to convince voters.
I hope so. Right now it seems like the only ones purged from the party are the moderates (and I say that with a caveat -- what's typically thought of as a Republican moderate i.e. socially moderate and fiscally conservative). Twenty years ago, MO had several pro-choice Republicans in its legislature. Not a chance in hell of that happening now. We're lucky to have pro-choice Democrats.
Which is the theme of that book by Kabaservice that I mentioned a few weeks back. As a strategy for governance, purity has been a complete disaster for Republicans. It's worthwhile remembering that St. Ronnie was quite adept at compromise, but compromise has become as dirty a word as abortion or atheism to conservatives. As a strategy for electoral success, the demographics are against it working any longer. There just isn't a large enough bloc of (angry) white (male) voters to employ a siege mentality on anymore. Unless Republicans are content being a permanent angry opposition party, the smarter guys within will have to take back the party from the cynical and sincere racists alike.
It always surprises me how these people worship St. Ronnie. If he were around today, they'd probably call him a traitor. Look at what they are doing to Christie.
Neat book about that called Tear Down This Myth (can't recall the author's name). There's no way in hell Reagan could survive in this party. Far too secular, far too willing to compromise, far too willing to be friends with those on the other side. His time as governor would have disqualified him. He had the rep for being a taxcutter in CA, but it was all done in the first year, and after that he allowed taxes to be raised every year after. When he left office, CA's taxes were roughly where they were at when he became governor. CA legalized abortion under Reagan. He didn't really have a problem with homosexuality (tho he used the bigotry for political purposes). He sought disarmament with the Soviets. Hell, he pulled US troops out of Lebanon because he saw it for the quagmire it was. None of this is to suggest that I'm a Reagan fan, but the historical record is so extremely at cross-purposes with the myth that the party has created. Orwellian isn't too strong a word to describe it.
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Re: The Election Thread To Talk About The Election

Post by Spiff »

There are plenty of angry, stupid and confused females for GOPers to pander to, too.
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Re: The Election Thread To Talk About The Election

Post by Wolter »

JennyB wrote:
Dr. Medulla wrote:
JennyB wrote:
Dr. Medulla wrote:
JennyB wrote: I take it you've never been to Missouri.
It can still work on smaller stages—state and municipal levels—in certain locales, but the US as a whole is becoming less white, so as a national strategy—to win the presidency—that kind of shit is almost a non-starter. So the Republican party is in for a massive rethink. Maybe it leads to a true schism, where the Tea Party nuts actually form their own party, or maybe they just get purged or marginalized. Regardless, those in the party who care about winning will have to rein in the racists. The real challenge, perhaps, is that the GOP has become so hostile to empirical methodology that proving the case with demographic statistics might be next-to-impossible with those who continue to believe anger and purity is all that it'll take to convince voters.
I hope so. Right now it seems like the only ones purged from the party are the moderates (and I say that with a caveat -- what's typically thought of as a Republican moderate i.e. socially moderate and fiscally conservative). Twenty years ago, MO had several pro-choice Republicans in its legislature. Not a chance in hell of that happening now. We're lucky to have pro-choice Democrats.
Which is the theme of that book by Kabaservice that I mentioned a few weeks back. As a strategy for governance, purity has been a complete disaster for Republicans. It's worthwhile remembering that St. Ronnie was quite adept at compromise, but compromise has become as dirty a word as abortion or atheism to conservatives. As a strategy for electoral success, the demographics are against it working any longer. There just isn't a large enough bloc of (angry) white (male) voters to employ a siege mentality on anymore. Unless Republicans are content being a permanent angry opposition party, the smarter guys within will have to take back the party from the cynical and sincere racists alike.
It always surprises me how these people worship St. Ronnie. If he were around today, they'd probably call him a traitor. Look at what they are doing to Christie.
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Re: The Election Thread To Talk About The Election

Post by Flex »

Dr. Medulla wrote:Just curious: Any Americans here not voting this time around?
I voted for Kodos.
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Re: The Election Thread To Talk About The Election

Post by eumaas »

Dr. Medulla wrote:Just curious: Any Americans here not voting this time around?
I live in a super-liberal town, so I'm getting a lot of pressure from friends to vote. Not sure what I'll do. I have to work on election day anyway.
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Re: The Election Thread To Talk About The Election

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Flex wrote:
Dr. Medulla wrote:Just curious: Any Americans here not voting this time around?
I voted for Kodos.
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Re: The Election Thread To Talk About The Election

Post by JoseUnidos »

Why can't it be a straight-up popular vote instead of this electoral college foolishness? I live in a solidly red state so my vote for president is worthless.

I'm voting tomorrow, but I won't like it.
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Re: The Election Thread To Talk About The Election

Post by tepista »

There's a ridiculous Measure B in Cali, that will force the adult film industry to use condoms. The jerks behind it are claiming HIV danger, but duh, the industry is not trying to kill itself, performers test monthly. If it passes it's is going to drive a multimillion dollar industry out of the state, or worse, underground where testing will be less rigorous. Not to mention the effect it will have on me personally, as I don't want to watch condoms in porno.
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Re: The Election Thread To Talk About The Election

Post by Dr. Medulla »

JoseUnidos wrote:Why can't it be a straight-up popular vote instead of this electoral college foolishness?
Short answer: Because the Founding Fathers were scared of the rabble and built in safeguards lest the voters make "poor choices" that would threaten the power of the wise rulers. It's also related to the American republic being more of an equal partnership of states than a nation subdivided for governance purposes.
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Re: The Election Thread To Talk About The Election

Post by JennyB »

tepista wrote:There's a ridiculous Measure B in Cali, that will force the adult film industry to use condoms. The jerks behind it are claiming HIV danger, but duh, the industry is not trying to kill itself, performers test monthly. If it passes it's is going to drive a multimillion dollar industry out of the state, or worse, underground where testing will be less rigorous. Not to mention the effect it will have on me personally, as I don't want to watch condoms in porno.
Yeah...I'm mainly voting because of local ballot issues (and to hopefully keep Mr. Legitimate Rape out of office). MO is clearly going for Romney.
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Re: The Election Thread To Talk About The Election

Post by Dr. Medulla »

JennyB wrote:
tepista wrote:There's a ridiculous Measure B in Cali, that will force the adult film industry to use condoms. The jerks behind it are claiming HIV danger, but duh, the industry is not trying to kill itself, performers test monthly. If it passes it's is going to drive a multimillion dollar industry out of the state, or worse, underground where testing will be less rigorous. Not to mention the effect it will have on me personally, as I don't want to watch condoms in porno.
Yeah...I'm mainly voting because of local ballot issues (and to hopefully keep Mr. Legitimate Rape out of office). MO is clearly going for Romney.
Nate Silver has MO going Democrat in the Senate election at 88%. I'm amused that Indiana might actually go Democrat in their Senate election because yet another Tea Party fuckwit has proven too much even for Indianans. Two straight elections that purity demands will kill the GOP's chances of taking the Senate.
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Re: The Election Thread To Talk About The Election

Post by tepista »

Another one on the Cali ballot is to repeal the death penalty. I've always been fencey on this subject and I even think it was discussed in detail on this board. Anyway, like it or not, it's a broken system here anyway. No one has been put down since 2006 and only 13 since 1978 (when it was re-instated) so what's the point. I'm voting to repeal.

Also, there's another to repeal the stupid "3 strike" rule for non-violent crimes.
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Re: The Election Thread To Talk About The Election

Post by Wolter »

I'm very anti-death penalty, and I'm SUPER anti-three-strikes.
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Re: The Election Thread To Talk About The Election

Post by Rat Patrol »

We get yet another futile stab at medicinal marijuana. Those MassCann stoners are a-dorably persistent with this one. I can't remember the last election where this wasn't on the ballot.

Also have an assisted suicide measure. It should by all logic have been heavily debated, although the advocacy for it must be severely underfunded because the 24/7 negative ad blitz from the anti- crowd has been literally the only media presence for this measure. That vote probably would've been close-ish has the screaming about it not been 100% to 0% unilateral. But it's almost certainly going to fail big because the pro side never got a word in edgewise.


Fortunately: Scott Brown is getting booted tomorrow by Liz Warren. He hasn't led a poll in 2 months, and she's outside the margin of error now.

Unfortunately: If Deval Patrick leaves mid-term for a job in the Obama Admin. like everybody thinks he will, they might as well preemptively call the 2014 Gov. race for Brown tomorrow because the leading D candidate is...yuck...the same Martha Coakley who gakked it so badly against Brown in '10. And the Lt. Gov. has this nasty habit of flipping his car on the highway and fleeing the scene before the breathalyzer can be administered, so he'd just be an amusing placeholder for 2 years like the blind dude in NY.

Hoy-fortunately: Joe III, the ginger Kennedy spawn, is getting elected to replace Barney Frank tomorrow. The mutant gene is now sporting a mutant mouth of Kenned-ynbred teeth.

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