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root beer
Nov 13, 2005

Slaan posted:

There is something to be said to not up-stage Hillary, but its Bill Clinton. His speech will probably go down really early so that people have time to forget it by the time the nomination comes up.

Seriously, a speech by Bill would be great to energize the base, and anyone who is going to dismiss Hillary because of Bill wasn't going to vote for her anyway. All that remains is a matter of trying not to steal Hillary's thunder.

I don't know how I feel about this election cycle apart from the inevitable GOP circus. I can't get excited about anything in this, but maybe that's a good thing.

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gradenko_2000
Oct 5, 2010

HELL SERPENT
Lipstick Apathy
Bill's 2012 speech was great to just listen to and watch and I'm excited for another one.

I mean, besides the CK2 Clown Car that is the Republican Primary.

BuckT.Trend
Apr 22, 2003

My god, it's full of stars!
The nominee's spouse traditionally gives a speech, so I don't think there's any way Bill doesn't give a speech with Hillary as the nominee. However, instead of the "fuzzy, fluffy, family" talk we're used to, I would expect another full-throated roar like the one Bill gave Obama in 2012.

SpiderHyphenMan
Apr 1, 2010

by Fluffdaddy

Hieronymous Alloy posted:

I think the only path to a Jeb Bush presidency is to own the Dubya Legacy and pretend it was a massive success ruined by the devil Obama. The republican base will buy it, at least, if it's sold to them properly.
And then he's trounced in the General, right? No loving way would that ever work, right? We're not that stupid.

Lockback
Sep 3, 2006

All days are nights to see till I see thee; and nights bright days when dreams do show me thee.
W is a problem for Jeb. If he tries the revisionist route he'd open up a flood of taped 2008 Republicans skewering those same policies. Hell, McCain ran on a "Maverick" change platform despite being the same party. W doesn't fly well with the Republican base all that well anyway. W will probably do a taped, short speech because he was the last Republican President, and Jeb will probably reference some of the work done in Africa against AIDs W did to build up the "compassionate" side, but other than that Jeb is going act like the last name is mostly a coincidence.

fade5
May 31, 2012

by exmarx

Hieronymous Alloy posted:

I think the only path to a Jeb Bush presidency is to own the Dubya Legacy and pretend it was a massive success ruined by the devil Obama. The republican base will buy it, at least, if it's sold to them properly.
Now if you're wondering just how the hell Bush could sell the Iraq War (both 1 and 2) as a success, just get some Kurdish Iraqis to speak at the convention. I'm being entirely serious, the Kurds loving love the name "Bush":

quote:

Sulaymaniyah, Northern Iraq Kurdistan: The bald eagle, Old Glory and the almighty dollar are king in this portion of Iraq, where ethnic Kurds don’t hide their affection for the U.S. Shops peddle American flags, U.S. military gear is prized and the locals speak glowingly of the nation they credit with removing Saddam Hussein, the dictator whose heavy hand so often came down on the minority clustered in Iraq’s northern regions.

Everywhere you go a hint of red, white and blue can be bought and sold. One store tucked away in a local bazaar in this city, owned by a middle-aged man by the name of Zawzad, sells only pro-American merchandise and U.S. military-inspired clothing. “It's just beautiful," Zawzad says softly, as he reverently unfolds a giant flag, holding it up with great respect. Taxis are routinely adorned with seat covers starring the iconic bald eagle pattern, an array of household, electronic and fashion items from screwdrivers and pots and pans to guitars, phone covers, hats, shirts, shoes and bags are widely available in stars and stripes patterns.

Throughout the region, a U.S. passport gets its bearer waved through security checkpoints, ushered through ministry doors and tea served with a broad smile of the manager when dining out. The roots of the Kurdish affection for America lie in the U.S.-led operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. While the first, under President George H.W. Bush, did not topple the hated Hussein, it served notice that America was his enemy. U.S. military forces ousted Hussein in 2003 and brought him to ultimate justice in 2006, when he was executed on orders of an Iraqi tribunal. Tens of thousands of Kurds were murdered, many with chemical weapons, on orders of the former Baath Party leader. Once Hussein was gone, the oil-rich Kurdish region began to prosper. Kurds openly express their hope that the United States will help them become a completely independent country.

When the U.S.-led airstrikes to hamper ISIS were launched in August, entire Kurdish neighborhoods could be seen waving American flags in the streets, with many even marking American Veterans Day this past November. "We follow American news," Agha said. "Like shootings and hurricanes. We care about what happens to the people of the United States." Most Kurds show great respect for President Obama, but it’s the name Bush that generates a larger salute. Some are even preparing to get behind possible candidate Jeb Bush in the 2016 presidential elections.

"The first Bush made no secret that he hated Saddam, the second Bush finished him off," Agha added. "And the third will be the one to give Kurdistan its independence."

So yeah, there's one group besides the neocon War Hawks who would absolutely love President Jeb Bush to start Iraq War 3, and that's the Kurds. To be fair, I can understand why the Kurds like the US so much; in the span of 20 years they went from being gassed by Saddam to being de facto independent thanks to the US. It's still weird to think about though.

SirKibbles
Feb 27, 2011

I didn't like your old red text so here's some dancing cash. :10bux:

fade5 posted:

Now if you're wondering just how the hell Bush could sell the Iraq War (both 1 and 2) as a success, just get some Kurdish Iraqis to speak at the convention. I'm being entirely serious, the Kurds loving love the name "Bush":

So yeah, there's one group besides the neocon War Hawks who would absolutely love President Jeb Bush to start Iraq War 3, and that's the Kurds. To be fair, I can understand why the Kurds like the US so much; in the span of 20 years they went from being gassed by Saddam to being de facto independent thanks to the US. It's still weird to think about though.

You got a source that's not the literal right wing propaganda outlet? I know about the H.W. Bush thing but the 2nd bush just seems like a reach.

SpiderHyphenMan posted:

And then he's trounced in the General, right? No loving way would that ever work, right? We're not that stupid.

Often times people aren't even voting on the president if the country is still doing worse under one parties president they'll pick the other.

Lockback
Sep 3, 2006

All days are nights to see till I see thee; and nights bright days when dreams do show me thee.

SirKibbles posted:

You got a source that's not the literal right wing propaganda outlet? I know about the H.W. Bush thing but the 2nd bush just seems like a reach.

The Kurds were definitive losers under Saddam and are definitively better now with autonomy (if not independence), so while this does read like a neo-con brochure there is no reason why the Kurds wouldn't be extremely grateful for what the US brought. Even now the US state department is charting an independence plan and Turkey is generally getting "warmer" (or less ice cold) to the idea.

Right now Kurdistan is somewhat critical of Obama because they feel he is being weak against ISIS, which is a defendable viewpoint (though I think ISIS wants us to go crazy bombing poo poo, it's their best recruitment tool). However, despite criticism they generally report on the US on a pretty positive light.

Joementum
May 23, 2004

jesus christ

fade5
May 31, 2012

by exmarx

SirKibbles posted:

You got a source that's not the literal right wing propaganda outlet? I know about the H.W. Bush thing but the 2nd bush just seems like a reach.
Incoming giant walls of text, but since you asked:
Article from the Atlantic about a visit by John McCain, Joe Lieberman, and Lindsey Graham to Iraq/Iraqi Kurdistan:

quote:

It's been ten years since the U.S.-led invasion, and most will observe the anniversary by remembering the dead and evaluating mistakes. Things are a little different in Iraqi Kurdistan, the northernmost autonomous region where the "invasion" is still referred to -- insistently -- as a "liberation." It's a strange, parallel universe in which American ideals like freedom from tyranny and economic promise are more intact than they are in America, as is the belief that those ideals can be spread and won through war. Some say that admiration for Americans runs so high that among the younger generation are Kurds named "Bush." I've never met such a child (nor have I ever met anyone who has) but it's plenty surreal that, as [John McCain, Joe Lieberman, and Lindsey Graham] gleefully tweeted, Iraqi Kurds like Americans. Moreover, they like Republicans -- the more hawkish the better.

For a few days, the three senators were led by a beaming President Massoud Barzani, who they referred to on Twitter as an "old friend" (by McCain) and a "Kurdish patriot and true friend of the US" (by Lieberman). They visited Erbil, Shaqlawa, and Kore, where abandoned Iraqi tanks are monuments to Saddam's defeat by Kurdish troops in 1991, the year the U.S. helped to establish a no-fly zone over the region. They reconfirmed the friendship started by that no-fly zone. Barzani was happy to show the senators what they wanted to see.

I was also in Iraqi Kurdistan, and wherever I went the reputation of the American senators preceded me. More than usual, any objection to the war was seen as a direct affront to Kurdish freedom. Nor could I compare Obama favorably to Bush; like the three amigos, most Iraqi Kurds prefer the muscle of a Republican in office. "Obama is a good family man," a local reporter told me. "But I love Bush more. Bush killed Saddam." He shook his fist and said, "I love America!"

Kurds, perhaps more than any group, can attest to the brutality of the Saddam Hussein regime. Under Saddam, years of systematic human rights abuses culminated in the Anfal campaign, during which chemical weapons were used to kill over 50,000 civilians (some reports are much higher). Still today those deaths are vivid in the collective consciousness of Iraqi Kurds, who fret about aggression from future Saddams and covet the strong army and financial independence that could insulate them. The U.S. has been instrumental toward this goal, not just with the no-fly zone and the 2003 invasion, but post-invasion security and nation-building. "I remember that my brother called me from the U.K. when the war was about to start," Ali Kurdistani, a political analyst from Sulaymaniyah, told me. "I told him, 'This is the first time we have heard aircrafts flying over us and haven't been scared. Some people put up the U.S. flag and photos of President Bush."
Vice article, with lots of interesting pictures:

quote:

Teetering on the edge of seceding from Iraq, Iraqi Kurdistan still loves America. No, not the idea of chasing the American dream. The Kurdish population truly has the US patriotism of a Fourth of July barbecue. While the rest of Iraq was torn apart during the US occupation and rebel insurgency that highlighted the shortcomings of Bush-era foreign policy, Kurdistan remained relatively peaceful, with only sporadic violence. The three provinces that make up the north of Iraq were favorably treated in a US-brokered post-Saddam constitution that granted the Kurds relative autonomy.

Erbil, the capital of Iraqi Kurdistan was safeguarded by US no-fly zones protecting it from fighting throughout the war. The area prospered throughout much of the fighting, and an influx of investment from German and Turkish firms allowed Erbil to rapidly expand over the past ten years, hoisting the flag of Kurdistan along with it. Kurds benefited from the Iraq war, and for that they are grateful to America. US military personnel are regarded in the region as a hybrid of Team America: World Police and pop stars. The sight of an American prompts everything from military salutes to free meals. America is viewed by many as everything the Kurds want to become. On one occasion a man told me he went to California on vacation for two weeks—“the best two weeks in my whole life.”

The fighting in eastern Iraq and Syria has displaced millions. Two such displaced persons are Shirzad and his father, Awar—both Syrian Kurds who came to Iraqi Kurdistan to flee the Syrian civil war. They now sell toy guns in Erbil’s bazaar. Shirzad saluted me, an American, when he saw my sunburnt face. Awar clasped his hands together as Shirzad translated for him: “Kurds and America, good friends. One big friend and one little friend.”

The Kurds' love for America is evident everywhere. All things US, from hamburgers to "Made in America" zippo lighters are cherished. Men and boys wear T-shirts screen-printed with red, white, and blue. A majestic bald eagle pattern frequently spans the seats in cabs. A portrait of George W. Bush can still be found hanging in the back of some shops.


But as ISIL brings a new face to extremism in the region, many Kurds are asking if the US will return—with bombs or soldiers—to its old friend Iraq. Obama has pledged a handful of military personnel and tossed around the idea of a renewed bombing campaign. One ex-Peshmerga fighter, sitting on a park bench in Erbil, told me that he thinks ISIL will continue its expansion until a US bombing campaign commences, saying that the central Iraqi government is “useless and dirty.”
Guess what we're doing right now? That's right, we're bombing the gently caress out of ISIL and having the Kurds act as our ground forces to mop up afterward. These guys totally loving called it.

Say, let's pop over to Syria for a second:

quote:

Suruc (Turkey) (AFP) - Sultan Muslim, a Syrian Kurd, had no doubt what to name her seventh child when he was born, safely in Turkey, after a harrowing month-long flight from her home in Kobane: Obama.

Desperate to flee the flashpoint Syrian border town, the heavily pregnant mother, her husband and six other children made it across the frontier just in time for the boy's arrival. Islamic State (IS) jihadists, accused of widespread atrocities, seized control of the strategic locality and US-led bombing raids launched in the last few weeks have tried to stop their advance. "I gave my son this name from my heart. I will never change this name," the shy 35-year-old said in a refugee camp in Suruc, just inside Turkey. "He dispatched planes, aid for us. Because of his help maybe we will get rid of this cruelty and get back to our homes," she said, cradling her three-day-old son.

Though not the world's first baby named after US President Barack Obama, the choice reflects the relief of many locals who thought help would never come. "We named him Muhammed Obama Muslim," father Mahmut Beko said, in symbolic gratitude for the US assistance to save Kobane. "We want Obama to help us so that we can get back home. We are also human beings. We, the Kurds, attacked whom, fight against whom?" he cried out.

Near Suruc, both Turkish and Syrian Kurds watch from hilltops, breaking out in cheers, whistles and chanting, "Obama, Obama" at each airstrike. "Like the Americans, the whole world should help the Kurds in Kobane. We have no true friends other than the Americans," said Selami Altay, a Turkish Kurd, sitting on a rock watching the battles. Sultan Muslim, meanwhile, said despite all she had an easy birth, taken by ambulance from the tent city to a hospital in Suruc. And despite the miserable conditions and uncertainty, she has dreams for her baby. "The day will come when he grows up and becomes like him (President Obama) and saves people from cruelty. "Nobody helped us, but him," she said.
Kobani (and now the surrounding villages) were just liberated from ISIL thanks in large part to ~700 US airstrikes.

Here, have a picture of a Kurdish New Years celebration:

As mind-bendingly weird as it seems, the Kurds loving love America, and see the Iraq War(s) as the US liberating the Kurds from Saddam Hussein's tyrannical rule. To be fair, that is basically what happened, even if that wasn't Bush/the US's primary intention in starting the Iraq War. Still, somebody in the Middle East loves us, which is awesome.:911:

So the point of all this is that if the Republicans want to get Jeb Bush elected, they should support the creation of an independent Kurdistan, and then have Kurdistan join the United States as the 51st state. Instant Jeb Bush victory.:v:

fade5 fucked around with this message at 22:21 on Feb 16, 2015

Jerry Manderbilt
May 31, 2012

No matter how much paperwork I process, it never goes away. It only increases.
Man reading that is pretty gratifying after passing by Andrea Tartaros jerking off on Fox News about how "ISIS IS OUT THERE, WE NEED TO SECURE ARE BORDERS :bahgawd:"

Warcabbit
Apr 26, 2008

Wedge Regret

I'm very confused. But sort of pleased because Nathan's is good stuff?
I think I'm going to go get some.

Nonsense
Jan 26, 2007

I wonder if Hillary is a cut-out-poster will take off and she'll be seen in all 50 states in one day at some point in 2016.

Bushiz
Sep 21, 2004

The #1 Threat to Ba Sing Se

Grimey Drawer

fade5 posted:

As mind-bendingly weird as it seems, the Kurds loving love America, and see the Iraq War(s) as the US liberating the Kurds from Saddam Hussein's tyrannical rule. To be fair, that is basically what happened, even if that wasn't the Bush/the US's primary intention in starting the Iraq War. Still, somebody in the Middle East loves us, which is awesome.:911:

So the point of all this is that if the Republicans want to get Jeb Bush elected, they should support the creation of an independent Kurdistan, and then have Kurdistan join the United States as the 51st state. Instant Jeb Bush victory.:v:

I have a friend in Bosnia who says the same basic thing about them, apparently every town has a statue of bill and "Madeleine" is one of the most popular names for girls

Weird BIAS
Jul 5, 2007

so... guess that's it, huh? just... don't say i didn't warn you.

QwertyAsher posted:

I have a friend in Bosnia who says the same basic thing about them, apparently every town has a statue of bill and "Madeleine" is one of the most popular names for girls

jesus gently caress

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkC4ZfM90no

Venom Snake
Feb 19, 2014

by Nyc_Tattoo

QwertyAsher posted:

I have a friend in Bosnia who says the same basic thing about them, apparently every town has a statue of bill and "Madeleine" is one of the most popular names for girls

We need more statues of Bill Clinton in the United States.

Lazy_Liberal
Sep 17, 2005

These stones are :sparkles: precious :sparkles:

Venom Snake posted:

We need more statues of Bill Clinton in the United States.

Like those Ronald McDonald benches.

Weird BIAS
Jul 5, 2007

so... guess that's it, huh? just... don't say i didn't warn you.
The Republicans would be willing to build those so long as his underwear with little hearts on them are showing.

Venom Snake
Feb 19, 2014

by Nyc_Tattoo

quote:

"We named him Muhammed Obama Muslim,"

This the greatest thing I have read this year.

Give the Kurds their own state and give them nukes.

De Nomolos
Jan 17, 2007

TV rots your brain like it's crack cocaine
Who speaks at a Bernie Sanders-as-candidate DNC?

My Imaginary GF
Jul 17, 2005

by R. Guyovich

De Nomolos posted:

Who speaks at a Bernie Sanders-as-candidate DNC?

Nobody, since everyone will be at Hilldog's New Democratic National Convention.

The convention ain't about the candidate, its about the party. And I guaran-loving-tee you, Bernie Sanders can't take as much loving multinational and financial money to host the helluva party that Hilldog's gonna be throwing

Alec Bald Snatch
Sep 12, 2012

by exmarx

De Nomolos posted:

Who speaks at a Bernie Sanders-as-candidate DNC?

Amy Goodman
Glenn Greenwald
Dennis Kucinich
a random Larouchite hanging out in the parking lot
Vermin Supreme





Chuck Mangione's gotten weird lately.

Alec Bald Snatch fucked around with this message at 23:56 on Feb 16, 2015

Joementum
May 23, 2004

jesus christ

De Nomolos posted:

Who speaks at a Bernie Sanders-as-candidate DNC?

Slightly more serious question: is there any chance that Bernie gets a nominating speech at the convention?

I would guess no, but there's a decent chance he's given a non-headlining speech slot as a consolation prize, with a pre-vetted speech.

My Imaginary GF
Jul 17, 2005

by R. Guyovich

Joementum posted:

Slightly more serious question: is there any chance that Bernie gets a nominating speech at the convention?

I would guess no, but there's a decent chance he's given a non-headlining speech slot as a consolation prize, with a pre-vetted speech.

Non-televised, of course.

We can't have mountainman Sanders on TV, making the party look unprofessional

WhiskeyJuvenile
Feb 15, 2002

by Nyc_Tattoo
The mountains of Brooklyn

Deteriorata
Feb 6, 2005

My Imaginary GF posted:

Non-televised, of course.

We can't have mountainman Sanders on TV, making the party look unprofessional

His odds would improve markedly if he were actually a Democrat.

GalacticAcid
Apr 8, 2013

NEW YORK VALUES

Deteriorata posted:

His odds would improve markedly if he were actually a Democrat.

He's toying with the idea of running for the Democratic nomination. There's a chance that he'll rally an anti-Clinton vote from the party's left / progressive wing, but I expect it to be a half-assed Kucinich-style laugh-track campaign. His supporters will be a tiny bloc and won't need to be placated at the Convention.

Besides the big names (Bill, Barack) I'd anticipate a Warren speech, probably a smiling Southerner like Mark Warner, possibly Cory Booker, and someone like Ann Kirkpatrick who won a Red State election without running away from Obama.

My Imaginary GF
Jul 17, 2005

by R. Guyovich
Personally, I look forward to Joe Biden's prime-time speech.

FMguru
Sep 10, 2003

peed on;
sexually

GalacticAcid posted:

Besides the big names (Bill, Barack) I'd anticipate a Warren speech, probably a smiling Southerner like Mark Warner, possibly Cory Booker, and someone like Ann Kirkpatrick who won a Red State election without running away from Obama.
Don't forget the Castros.

SirKibbles
Feb 27, 2011

I didn't like your old red text so here's some dancing cash. :10bux:
Any new up and comers we should look for at the convention?

tsa
Feb 3, 2014

De Nomolos posted:

Who speaks at a Bernie Sanders-as-candidate DNC?

Marx and Lenin, once hell freezing over leads to their escape. Chavez will do standup.

sbaldrick
Jul 19, 2006
Driven by Hate
Thinking more about it, the only way H.W does a big speech (if he's well enough) is if the GOP polling shows them losing in the general by 5+ before the Convention.
I would guess that he and the party don't see eye to eye on much anymore but given the whole raise taxes to pay for a war which looks much better the W. Might be important to win an election. So basically he's only speaking if the primary goes off the rails again

Joementum
May 23, 2004

jesus christ

SirKibbles posted:

Any new up and comers we should look for at the convention?

For the Democrats, a lot of those are going to be the not-yet-declared 2016 Senate candidates. Kamela Harris will get a spot.

Most of the 2012 class winners spoke at the convention last time around. Tammy Duckworth, for example, who may very well be a Senate candidate in 2016 and may get a speaking slot either way because she's kind of the perfect speaker for the DNC. Hard to beat a woman-of-color, disabled veteran, member of Congress when you're putting your speaking lineup together.

I would also look out for Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), who was endorsed by May Day PAC and the PCCC and was one of the very few progressive Democratic victories of 2014.

VanSandman
Feb 16, 2011
SWAP.AVI EXCHANGER
I don't think being endorsed by May Day PAC is necessarily a positive, Joe.

duz
Jul 11, 2005

Come on Ilhan, lets go bag us a shitpost


VanSandman posted:

I don't think being endorsed by May Day PAC is necessarily a positive, Joe.

Maybe he means in spite of that endorsement.

Joementum
May 23, 2004

jesus christ

VanSandman posted:

I don't think being endorsed by May Day PAC is necessarily a positive, Joe.

I agree! I just point that out to signify that he won in spite of their disaster in every other race they entered. He's one of the very, very few interesting Democratic victories from last year. He even beat Cesar Chavez!

GalacticAcid
Apr 8, 2013

NEW YORK VALUES
I'm not sure that he'll make an appearance at the Convention, but I would expect to see Seth Moulton achieve some prominence in the national party sooner rather than later ~ he's a freshman Democratic Rep from Massachusetts.

Liberal congressmen from Massachusetts are probably not high on the wishlist for the DNC right now, but he's a handsome young man and graduated from Harvard before fighting in Iraq in the Marine Corps.

So...probably a future failed Presidential candidate-turned-Secretary of State.

Cliff Racer
Mar 24, 2007

by Lowtax
There'll have to be someone hispanic, the question is if you want to go hard on immigration or not. If not then one of the Castros, if so then there's probably a ton of choices. Unlike Joe I don't think that Kamala Harris will get too much time. Certainly not a headliner.

Meg From Family Guy
Feb 4, 2012
What are the odds Cuomo gets a speaking spot?

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Badger of Basra
Jul 26, 2007

Meg From Family Guy posted:

What are the odds Cuomo gets a speaking spot?

Is there anyone in the party that likes him?

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