The REAL USPol - February - The Something Awful Forums

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Shimrra Jamaane: Aug 10, 2007; Obscure to all except those well-versed in Yuuzhan Vong lore.

climboutonalimb posted:

Came here to post this. It is a complete teardown. So, so good. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnpO_RTSNmQ

I can't wait to see what happens next.

Its 3rd top trending thing in the world even though its 4 AM on the East Coast

# ? Feb 29, 2016 10:07

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# ? Jun 6, 2024 10:04

KiteAuraan: Aug 5, 2014; JER GEDDA FERDA RADDA ARA!

I am tired of the media not calling him on the fact that he is an enormous liar with no solid policy positions. Wolf Blitzer babbling after the debate about how much detail of his policies he gave in the last debate was a loving joke. Call them on their lies media, you worthless bunch of trashmen.

# ? Feb 29, 2016 10:21

Neeksy: Mar 29, 2007; Hej min vän, hur står det till?

KiteAuraan posted:

I am tired of the media not calling him on the fact that he is an enormous liar with no solid policy positions. Wolf Blitzer babbling after the debate about how much detail of his policies he gave in the last debate was a loving joke. Call them on their lies media, you worthless bunch of trashmen.

Wolf Blitzer is as close to the border you can get before being officially classified as mentally disabled. He is at the literal limit of mental retardation. Watch his Jeopardy episode.

# ? Feb 29, 2016 10:24

FAUXTON: Jun 2, 2005; spero che tu stia bene

climboutonalimb posted:

Came here to post this. It is a complete teardown. So, so good. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnpO_RTSNmQ

I can't wait to see what happens next.

Didn't Trump say some poo poo about Oliver's show being boring back last year and Oliver, being good at self-deprecating gags, just rolled with it?

# ? Feb 29, 2016 11:12

Samurai Sanders: Nov 4, 2003; Pillbug

Does Oliver reach anyone who would consider voting for Drumpf in the first place?

edit: I installed the browser extension and my life is better for it.

Samurai Sanders fucked around with this message at 11:24 on Feb 29, 2016

# ? Feb 29, 2016 11:18

meristem: Oct 2, 2010; I HAVE THE ETIQUETTE OF STIFF AND THE PERSONALITY OF A GIANT CUNT.

Hopefully he'll reach some disgruntled Bernie fans.

# ? Feb 29, 2016 11:22

HootTheOwl: May 13, 2012; Hootin and shootin

KiteAuraan posted:

I am tired of the media not calling him on the fact that he is an enormous liar with no solid policy positions. Wolf Blitzer babbling after the debate about how much detail of his policies he gave in the last debate was a loving joke. Call them on their lies media, you worthless bunch of trashmen.

This could be Rubio or Cruz too. Trump is simply pandering turned up to 11.

# ? Feb 29, 2016 11:43

punk rebel ecks: Dec 11, 2010; A shitty post? This calls for a dance of deduction.

Electric Bugaloo posted:

She was also responsible for the Democrats' initial plan to have no more than six debates this cycle and viciously stuck to those guns in the face of overwhelming opposition- going so far as to threaten the campaigns with repercussions if they participated in any unsanctioned events.

Between that and the 2014 strategy of "bury any affiliation to Obama or progressivism," DWS pisses a lot of liberals off by giving the distinct impression that she buys into the GOP notion that progressivism can't work/is repellent to voters in America and that the only reasonable path to Democratic victory is to squeak through the center. 2014 congressional candidates were more-often-than-not insulated rather than put on the offensive so they had nothing to answer with when accused of consorting with (gasp) a popular president. So while the Teabaggers had their rage machine going at 11 many democrats who I suppose had just been expected to show up didn't. Also the DNC made the deliberate choice to hide President Obama in an appeal to "moderates" when they honestly should have flown him out to every single contested state as many times as possible. The entire strategy feels almost like a holdout from the Bill Clinton brand of "new Democrats".

And while I don't think that the debate schedule was intended to sink Bernie's campaign in the way that some people often accuse, I do think that it was borne out of an idea that it wouldn't generate any traction and that he would need to be shuttered away quickly in case he became a liability for the party's image, like Dukakis in the Bush I years, while Hillary would also be insulated from potential controversy with a condensed debate schedule.

I imagine that people in the DNC feared that Bernie would keep making enough money to stick around and be a Ron Paulesque go-nowhere sound bite machine that the Republicans could mine for attacks in the general. Regardless, it still strongly suggests that the party's idea of a strong offense is a good defense and shows a tremendous misread of their constituency.

The fact that it seems as though DWS and company have been taken completely by surprise at how emphatically and broadly the Democratic base has grabbed the mantle of the left shows that they probably shouldn't be in charge of running the DNC at this moment. It's certainly not a reason to hate her but people are totally right to criticize her job performance.

Excellent post. Very informative.

It is kind of frightening how many people still deny the bolded part was an outright mistake. The problem with people like DWS is that it leaks down to Democratic voters. Many are still traumatized from the rear end raping that was the 1980s.

# ? Feb 29, 2016 12:09

FAUXTON: Jun 2, 2005; spero che tu stia bene

Didn't she repurpose her own superPAC to stand in as the DNC superPAC and just start saying DWSPac meant "Democrats Win Seats?"

Which is a pretty good one given the party's performance under her guidance.

# ? Feb 29, 2016 12:13

Eggplant Squire: Aug 14, 2003

She was also putting a lot of support behind Charlie Crist. I'm not sure how much of it was her decision to run a former Republican as their counter to Rick Scott but it obviously wasn't that great an idea and her help didn't pull enough in.

# ? Feb 29, 2016 12:22

FAUXTON: Jun 2, 2005; spero che tu stia bene

Radish posted:

She was also putting a lot of support behind Charlie Crist. I'm not sure how much of it was her decision to run a former Republican as their counter to Rick Scott but it obviously wasn't that great an idea and her help didn't pull enough in.

Crist had a lot of cross-party popularity for the stuff he did as AG, because a lot of it was consumer-level protection against lovely petit-bourgeoisie antics like gas gouging. That, combined with his party switch and the abject lack of a pool of candidates made picking him kind of the least lovely option because of how badly the state party is run.

# ? Feb 29, 2016 12:27

Mc Do Well: Aug 2, 2008; by FactsAreUseless

Everyone from Florida is an incompetent crook.

# ? Feb 29, 2016 12:29

FAUXTON: Jun 2, 2005; spero che tu stia bene

McDowell posted:

Everyone from Florida is an incompetent crook.

As a former Floridian I can assure you this is not only correct but also due to shitheads from New Jersey and the non-Manhattan boroughs of NYC flying down there and turning the place into what Arizona is rapidly becoming.

# ? Feb 29, 2016 12:36

Junior G-man: Sep 15, 2004; Wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma

McDowell posted:

Everyone from Florida is an incompetent crook.

True, but let me present to you: Missouri. Featuring Ted Cruz' current campaign manager.

quote:

[..] day-to-day life in Jefferson City left you feeling like you needed to take a shower.

The Show-Me State is the only one in the union with no limits on campaign donations, gifts from lobbyists and the revolving door between elected office and the lobbying industry. Its halls of power, shaped by the deregulatory principles conservatives have long advocated, offer an extreme vision of where our politics could be headed: the complete absence of all restrictions and safeguards on political money. "It's the O.K. Corral," says Dave Robertson, a political science professor at the University of Missouri�St. Louis.

It's commonplace for lawmakers to leave office and go directly into a lobbying job. Some legislators have even given up their posts early to cash in � last summer, for instance, the top-ranking state senator quit a year before his term ended to take a lucrative position at a Sinquefield-backed lobbying firm. Industry is so involved with policymaking that lobbyists have occasionally catered official committee meetings. As a result, the line between lawmaker and lobbyist can blur: one state state senator, Ed Emery, recently said that he viewed lobbyists as "unpaid staff."

And without a limit on gift-giving, lobbyists are free to pay for legislators' meals at high-end steakhouses, treat them to rock concerts, squire them to WWE wrestling matches and baseball games, the Masters Golf Tournament and the Kentucky Derby. (By contrast, Iowa has a "cup of coffee" rule, barring legislators from accepting any gift valued at more than $3.) At one point, a former state House Speaker, Tim Jones, was known for allegedly accepting so many handouts that the Post-Dispatch editorial board nicknamed him "Timmy Tickets." (Jones says it was his "practice and habit to severely limit any gifts I accepted" and to reimburse the value of gifts to the giver.)

quote:

In the summer of 2007, the Missouri Supreme Court overturned a recent law that erased all limits on campaign giving. Sinquefield, a disciple of free-market economics and small-government gospel, was on his private jet when he heard the news. He soon responded with an announcement of his own. He would create an armada of political action committees, 100 of them in all, and circumvent the law by funneling the millions of dollars he would've given directly to candidates through these PACs in smaller, legally permitted chunks. There was nothing in the law to stop him, and the message he sent to the state legislature was clear: I'll make a mockery of the limits until you repeal them. The next year, the Republican-controlled legislature complied.

quote:

Those who support the current system say it works because there's disclosure � disclosure of donations, disclosure of gifts. Which is somewhat true: While many of Sinquefield's contributions are made in the light of day, others can be run through nonprofit groups that don't reveal their funders. (In 2014, Sinquefield routed a $300,000 effort to oust a county judge through a Washington, DC nonprofit.) Lobbyists are required to say how much they spend on concerts and dinners, but a loophole in the law lets them name a committee or the entire Missouri senate next to the expense � sparing guests from public scrutiny.

It's hard to point to any one indicator as proof of the success or failure of Missouri's no-limits experiment. But the reputation of Jefferson City, the seat of power in the state, could be seen as emblematic. In my reporting, I heard Jefferson City described as an adult frat house, a cesspool and Sodom and Gomorrah. A longtime lobbyist I met for lunch there described the place like this: "The legislature is like a bunch of people being at a convention. They're all away from home and there's free booze all over the place. There are a lot of young kids looking up to them and calling them 'senator' and are happy to go have a drink with them. The wife's not around, you're away from your social structures and there's a lot of stupid crazy poo poo that goes on."

The whole longread "Death and Politics: Did a Vicious Campaign Drive a Candidate to Suicide?" is a pretty amazing (and horrifying) read. Rolling Stone has really been upping its reporting game in the last few years.

Junior G-man fucked around with this message at 13:12 on Feb 29, 2016

# ? Feb 29, 2016 13:10

SgtScruffy: Dec 27, 2003; Babies.

Here's a question my wife brought up that I thought was interesting (and this may open a huge can of worms, and if this isn't the right thread, then forgive me):

What happens if Trump gets assassinated? Either someone feels he is a genuine threat to the fabric of the country and is getting too powerful at some point during the general election, or he just so happens to be in a plane crash after an engine malfunction on his plane - what happens?

My first thought is that Trump supporters essentially try to start a Civil War - they're the kind who are so passionate and have all the guns, so this would be immediately seen as a hit by [insert group that is not Trump here] and a declaration of war. Have there been any articles/think pieces written on it? Has the discussion come up here? Is that over-reacting to think that if Trump dies somehow, then America is basically hosed to death?

# ? Feb 29, 2016 13:19

Edmund Lava: Sep 8, 2004; Hey, I'm from Brooklyn. I'm going to call myself Mr. Friendly.

I highly doubt a civil war is even possible at this point. Unless there's a military coupe which I don't see happening.

# ? Feb 29, 2016 13:22

Islam is the Lite Rock FM: Jul 27, 2007; by exmarx

Junior G-man posted:

True, but let me present to you: Missouri. Featuring Ted Cruz' current campaign manager.

The whole longread "Death and Politics: Did a Vicious Campaign Drive a Candidate to Suicide?" is a pretty amazing (and horrifying) read. Rolling Stone has really been upping its reporting game in the last few years.

loving cards fans know no bounds of filth.

# ? Feb 29, 2016 13:28

SgtScruffy: Dec 27, 2003; Babies.

Edmund Lava posted:

I highly doubt a civil war is even possible at this point. Unless there's a military coupe which I don't see happening.

OK Fair, I guess all-out-civil-war is a bit sensationalist and extreme, but pockets of armed conflict? Or am I just going too hard on the "Trump supporters are all literally just looking for excuses to shoot people and America is a powderkeg"?

# ? Feb 29, 2016 13:32

Eggplant Squire: Aug 14, 2003

I think 99% of Trump supporters want someone else to do it so they don't have to actually put themselves in danger or get in trouble.

# ? Feb 29, 2016 13:36

Archonex: May 2, 2012; MY OPINION IS SEERS OF THE THRONE PROPAGANDA IGNORE MY GNOSIS-IMPAIRED RAMBLINGS

SgtScruffy posted:

Here's a question my wife brought up that I thought was interesting (and this may open a huge can of worms, and if this isn't the right thread, then forgive me):

What happens if Trump gets assassinated? Either someone feels he is a genuine threat to the fabric of the country and is getting too powerful at some point during the general election, or he just so happens to be in a plane crash after an engine malfunction on his plane - what happens?

My first thought is that Trump supporters essentially try to start a Civil War - they're the kind who are so passionate and have all the guns, so this would be immediately seen as a hit by [insert group that is not Trump here] and a declaration of war. Have there been any articles/think pieces written on it? Has the discussion come up here? Is that over-reacting to think that if Trump dies somehow, then America is basically hosed to death?

There'd not be a civil war, but I wouldn't be surprised if we saw an upsurge in shootings being perpetrated against (insert perceived enemy/minority here). And given how high profile the death of a president would be I doubt it'd go away for a long time. It'd be a hell of a lot worse than some rear end in a top hat media personality provoking some suicidal psychopath to gun down a few people before trying to suicide by cop.

I mean, look at some of his rallies. Some of those people are a few steps off from violence as it is. Heck, some of them have crossed that line already. Like that protester at one of his events that got knocked to the ground and kicked while he tried to get up. Even if he loses they're going to lose their poo poo and blame it on someone else instead of their own hosed up beliefs being abhorrent to 90% of the rest of the world. Because that's been the trend for the past eight or so years now.

Not that I believe that Trump actually believes or will even do half the poo poo he's saying to them. But if they had an excuse to believe that they were cheated out of their glorious future under Trump? Hoo boy.

Archonex fucked around with this message at 13:49 on Feb 29, 2016

# ? Feb 29, 2016 13:40

Crowsbeak: Oct 9, 2012; by Azathoth; Lipstick Apathy

If the Dems win this election the next 8 years are going to be like the 70s times two. With us seeing stuff like a right wing SLA.

# ? Feb 29, 2016 13:57

His Divine Shadow: Aug 7, 2000; I'm not a fascist. I'm a priest. Fascists dress up in black and tell people what to do.

Edmund Lava posted:

I highly doubt a civil war is even possible at this point. Unless there's a military coupe which I don't see happening.

Maybe a hatchback

# ? Feb 29, 2016 13:58

Mc Do Well: Aug 2, 2008; by FactsAreUseless

Crowsbeak posted:

If the Dems win this election the next 8 years are going to be like the 70s times two. With us seeing stuff like a right wing SLA.

Not if we have a President who is willing to resoundingly defeat Daesh and put the fear of God into Earth's armed homunculi. E=MC^2 is more true than any Holy Book. It is ideas and mindsets that have power - not dead paper.

\/ I don't think they have the guts. The people who own the media/organizing apparatus have just as much to lose by destabilizing the Federal Government. The Koch Brothers want a hostile takeover / asset sell-off, not Civil War.

Mc Do Well fucked around with this message at 14:03 on Feb 29, 2016

# ? Feb 29, 2016 14:00

Mr Hootington: Jul 24, 2008; I'M HAVING A HOOT EATING CORNETTE THE LONG WAY

What if the retaliation didn't come in the form of violence, but the crazy, angry mobs take control of state legislatures through elections in 2018 or 2020 and secede?

The way I see the GOP/Trump base is that they are a rubber band that is being stretched and twisted. The band can only be stretched and twisted so far before it snaps. When it finally snaps, who gets hit with it? How much does it sting? Or does it fly off uncontrollably and break something?

# ? Feb 29, 2016 14:01

Stultus Maximus: Dec 21, 2009; USPOL May

Epic High Five posted:

Also Carter isn't an evangelical by today's standards

Evangelical Christianity is

quote:

a worldwide, transdenominational movement within Protestant Christianity maintaining that the essence of the gospel consists in the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ's atonement. Evangelicals believe in the centrality of the conversion or "born again" experience in receiving salvation, in the authority of the Bible as God's revelation to humanity, and spreading the Christian message.

That hasn't really changed in the last 30 years so Carter still qualifies.

# ? Feb 29, 2016 14:03

Potato Salad: Oct 23, 2014; nobody cares

Nostalgia4Infinity posted:

(On why Shultz, DNC chair, is disliked)
Female

From many pages back, eat poo poo.

DWS = Open floodgates on the same kind of unrestricted campaign fundraising I left the RNC for.

The moment Obama recommended blocking certain sources of funding and the ban actually happened, I had a "wow, sincere" epiphany and left my party.

Now the DNC is loving that up, and unless I have been reading things very wrong, DWS could have stopped it.

# ? Feb 29, 2016 14:13

Hieronymous Alloy: Jan 30, 2009; Why! Why!! Why must you refuse to accept that Dr. Hieronymous Alloy's Genetically Enhanced Cream Corn Is Superior to the Leading Brand on the Market!?!; Morbid Hound

SgtScruffy posted:

Here's a question my wife brought up that I thought was interesting (and this may open a huge can of worms, and if this isn't the right thread, then forgive me):

What happens if Drumpf gets assassinated? Either someone feels he is a genuine threat to the fabric of the country and is getting too powerful at some point during the general election, or he just so happens to be in a plane crash after an engine malfunction on his plane - what happens?

My first thought is that Drumpf supporters essentially try to start a Civil War - they're the kind who are so passionate and have all the guns, so this would be immediately seen as a hit by [insert group that is not Drumpf here] and a declaration of war. Have there been any articles/think pieces written on it? Has the discussion come up here? Is that over-reacting to think that if Drumpf dies somehow, then America is basically hosed to death?

Discussing assassination is generally frowned on because SA has already gotten Lowtax too many Secret Service visits, but the worst-case scenario is probably somewhere between more bundy ranch / malheur refuge type incidents and something like the Oklahoma City bombing.

Probably also an uptick in violence against Sikhs.

# ? Feb 29, 2016 14:17

feedmegin: Jul 30, 2008

SgtScruffy posted:

My first thought is that Trump supporters essentially try to start a Civil War - they're the kind who are so passionate and have all the guns, so this would be immediately seen as a hit by [insert group that is not Trump here] and a declaration of war.

I think you'll find the military have most of the guns (and tanks, and planes, and MLRS, and TOWs) :v:

# ? Feb 29, 2016 14:22

Cythereal: Nov 8, 2009; I love the potoo,
and the potoo loves you.

Archonex posted:

There'd not be a civil war, but I wouldn't be surprised if we saw an upsurge in shootings being perpetrated against (insert perceived enemy/minority here). And given how high profile the death of a president would be I doubt it'd go away for a long time. It'd be a hell of a lot worse than some rear end in a top hat media personality provoking some suicidal psychopath to gun down a few people before trying to suicide by cop.

I'm sad that it still surprises me that Obama hasn't been injured or killed by an assassin.

Hell, it was even a plot point in a Tom Clancy book (from before Obama's election): America's first black president, elected in the early 21st century, was assassinated by a KKK fanatic.

# ? Feb 29, 2016 14:45

Mr Hootington: Jul 24, 2008; I'M HAVING A HOOT EATING CORNETTE THE LONG WAY

McDowell posted:

\/ I don't think they have the guts. The people who own the media/organizing apparatus have just as much to lose by destabilizing the Federal Government. The Koch Brothers want a hostile takeover / asset sell-off, not Civil War.

I think the crazies would do it if given the chance. The establishment and donors would try and stop it, but I can see a Bevin situation that spins out of control. I also wonder if a civil war would happen if a state secede or would they be let go and walled off.

# ? Feb 29, 2016 14:57

fknlo: Jul 6, 2009; Fun Shoe

Cythereal posted:

I'm sad that it still surprises me that Obama hasn't been injured or killed by an assassin.

I wonder how many actually legitimate threats there have been? I guess those usually make the news, but would they try to keep that poo poo on the down low so other nuts don't decide to follow suit?

# ? Feb 29, 2016 15:01

Talmonis: Jun 24, 2012; The fairy of forgiveness has removed your red text.

Cythereal posted:

I'm sad that it still surprises me that Obama hasn't been injured or killed by an assassin.

Hell, it was even a plot point in a Tom Clancy book (from before Obama's election): America's first black president, elected in the early 21st century, was assassinated by a KKK fanatic.

Not for lack of trying. Thankfully, the loons have thus far been too stupid to succeed.

# ? Feb 29, 2016 15:01

vyelkin: Jan 2, 2011

Cythereal posted:

I'm sad that it still surprises me that Obama hasn't been injured or killed by an assassin.

Hell, it was even a plot point in a Tom Clancy book (from before Obama's election): America's first black president, elected in the early 21st century, was assassinated by a KKK fanatic.

The Secret Service is really good at preventing this kind of thing these days, and one of their ironclad rules is to not publicize attempts because they inspire copycats. I'm sure there have been attempts on Obama's life, but you'll never learn about them, and that's a good thing.

# ? Feb 29, 2016 15:02

Luigi Thirty: Apr 30, 2006; Emergency confection port.

Talmonis posted:

Not for lack of trying. Thankfully, the loons have thus far been too stupid to succeed.

I seem to remember something about a truck turned into a mobile death ray.

# ? Feb 29, 2016 15:02

Talkc: Aug 2, 2010; Mizuki! Mizuki! Mizuki!
***DEVASTATINGLY HANDSOME***

vyelkin posted:

The Secret Service is really good at preventing this kind of thing these days, and one of their ironclad rules is to not publicize attempts because they inspire copycats. I'm sure there have been attempts on Obama's life, but you'll never learn about them, and that's a good thing.

I recently had to cut ties with an acquaintance who claimed if given the chance, hed kill obama, hillary, and bernie. I have ZERO doubts in my mind people have made attempts or at the very least there been active conspiracies toward the action.

# ? Feb 29, 2016 15:04

VanSandman: Feb 16, 2011; SWAP.AVI EXCHANGER

vyelkin posted:

The Secret Service is really good at preventing this kind of thing these days, and one of their ironclad rules is to not publicize attempts because they inspire copycats. I'm sure there have been attempts on Obama's life, but you'll never learn about them, and that's a good thing.

Do those sorts of thing ever become public record? Will we know how many there were in 50 years or so?

# ? Feb 29, 2016 15:05

Crain: Jun 27, 2007; I had a beer once with Stephen Miller and now I like him.

I also tried to ban someone from a Discord for pointing out what an unrelenting shithead I am! I'm even dumb enough to think it worked!

SedanChair posted:

Yeah be more subtle, blacks. Tone it down.

Way late, but I wasn't saying it was a bad thing.

# ? Feb 29, 2016 15:15

Moxie: Aug 2, 2003

VanSandman posted:

Do those sorts of thing ever become public record? Will we know how many there were in 50 years or so?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassination_threats_against_Barack_Obama

Apparently the volume of threats is comparable to Bush and Clinton. There are still a lot of them.

# ? Feb 29, 2016 15:16

Zeroisanumber: Oct 23, 2010; Nap Ghost

Crain posted:

Get ready for a lot of Oscar talk in the coming days. Chris Rock running this poo poo into the ground.

Good. It'll make conservatives mad about race which will make them more likely to vote Trump.

# ? Feb 29, 2016 15:23

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# ? Jun 6, 2024 10:04

haveblue: Aug 15, 2005; Toilet Rascal

Luigi Thirty posted:

I seem to remember something about a truck turned into a mobile death ray.

That was this idiot. Stephen Colbert made a lot of hay with this back in the day :allears:

# ? Feb 29, 2016 15:26

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