2012 election pregame

[Timex]

Houngan, are you really going to keep pretending that you are deeply offended by calling someone retarded?

Cause the last time someone was offended by it here, it was Brett… and you made a post in response that used the word retarded like 10 times.

And we had folks here say things like, "Calling someone retarded is equivalent to “bad manners”. Or, “if you get offended by someone saying retard, you should get off the internet.”

You aren’t actually offended, dude.

[Houngan]

Houngan, are you really going to keep pretending that you are deeply offended by calling someone retarded?

Cause the last time someone was offended by it here, it was Brett… and you made a post in response that used the word retarded like 10 times.

And we had folks here say things like, "Calling someone retarded is equivalent to “bad manners”. Or, “if you get offended by someone saying retard, you should get off the internet.”

You aren’t actually offended, dude.

When did I say I was offended? That’s your problem, you build this weird narrative in your head and then it somehow becomes reality only for you. I’m not offended at all, because nobody has called me “retard.” Which, by the way, is different than calling someone retarded, because you can call someone retarded in the proper context respectfully.

To be clear, and I don’t see why you and Rhino don’t check into the echo chamber and work this out between yourselves before bothering us flaming lefty semi-professional shooters from Kentucky (there’s some sarcasm in there if you dig,) “retard” is offensive, in every single context. That’s a simple fact of 2012.

The whole real argument, which you desperately want to avoid, is whether Ann Coulter calling the POTUS “a retard” is offensive, and whether there is an equivalent on the left. It is, and there isn’t. Discussion continues.

[Timex]

Ok man, I don’t want to make you any more pissed off at me. It’s not worth it.

If you believe that the republicans are far worse when it comes to demonization of their political opponents, and that the left is relatively innocent, so be it. Holding people like Coulter and Hannity, and other idiots on the right accountable for doing that is good. It’s what I want people to do, because I find that type of thing horrible for our system of government.

If you do not believe that those on the left engage in the same kind of demonization of the right, it’s too bad that you’ll give them a pass, but being mad at some of the people who demonize their political enemies is better than just giving them all a pass on it, I suppose.

I just hope that you aren’t simply falling prey to media outlets demonizing the people who you then perceive as the enemy, and then just getting you to turn your wrath on them, because then it just encourages that tactic.

[Houngan]

Ok man, I don’t want to make you any more pissed off at me. It’s not worth it.

If you believe that the republicans are far worse when it comes to demonization of their political opponents, and that the left is relatively innocent, so be it. Holding people like Coulter and Hannity, and other idiots on the right accountable for doing that is good. It’s what I want people to do, because I find that type of thing horrible for our system of government.

If you do not believe that those on the left engage in the same kind of demonization of the right, it’s too bad that you’ll give them a pass, but being mad at some of the people who demonize their political enemies is better than just giving them all a pass on it, I suppose.

I just hope that you aren’t simply falling prey to media outlets demonizing the people who you then perceive as the enemy, and then just getting you to turn your wrath on them, because then it just encourages that tactic.

I appreciate you conceding the point.

[triggercut]

teh bias:

Nate Silver ‏@fivethirtyeight
Obama led in 19 battleground state polls today. Romney led in one.

(BTW, the one that Obama did not lead in was Rasmussen’s poll of Ohio. He trailed by two in their last poll, drew even in today’s.)

[Timex]

You’re welcome, Houngan.

[Houngan]

You’re welcome, Houngan.

Retard.

[Malcolm_Tucker]

Oh, hey, right-wing comedy.

[Andy_Bates]

No, it’s okay! It’s only an insult if you have a nationally-broadcast show! Otherwise, it’s perfectly fine to use.

[WarrenM]

http://www.r-word.org/

Now shut the fuck up. It’s bad, alright? As adults, this should be easy to grasp.

[Hugin]

Bans you all from Halo 4

[forgeforsaken]

Really? Because they’re considered synonyms in the english language. And when someone says, “you’re a retard”, it’s exactly the same as if they say, “you’re an idiot”. Or at least, that’s how every single person that I have ever heard say it, ever, has used it. When I say “that’s retarded” it’s exactly the same as me saying “that’s stupid”.

Hell, at one point, terms like idiot and moron were literally the clinical terms used to describe people with mental retardation.

As I said, I know that some folks take offense to the term, because they feel that it is offensive towards mentally handicapped people. But THAT is who you are possibly offending (other than the offense derived from the fact that you are calling the person an idiot).

What are the actual connotations that you think are implied toward the target of the insult? That you’re calling them “full-blown retard” rather than “just kind of retarded”. You’re not just calling them dumb… you’re calling them REALLY dumb!

Context also matters. Look at the phrasing of the Coulter quote. The word is being used as a slur.

[strategy]

The feeling of deja-vu is palpable.

[triggercut]

The feeling of deja-vu is palpable.

It’s a calibration issue with touch screens. If the screen is mis-calibrated, and during a day of being pounded on by voting idiots each one probably needs to be re-calibrated every couple of hours.

Volunteers at polling places are aware of the problems and are usually pretty good at taking care of it, but it’s quite easy for alarmist, wing-nut douchebags on both sides of the aisle (and frankly, it’s usually some goofball hippie at DailyKos doing the whinging) to instead of realize their voting machine is slightly out of calibration from use and asking for assistance to instead squeal about teh conspiracy.

[Soapyfrog]

I’m just shocked you allow voting machines at all instead of simple paper ballots marked with a good old fasioned pencil.

[WarrenM]

I agree. At least with the paper ballots, a recount is possible. There’s a physical trail…

[JeffL]

Context also matters. Look at the phrasing of the Coulter quote. The word is being used as a slur.

Bill Maher on HBO: “[Romney voters], black people know who you are and they will come after you.”

[Timex]

I’m just shocked you allow voting machines at all instead of simple paper ballots marked with a good old fasioned pencil.

The reality is that the voting machine is actually better. It makes it easier to vote, and easier to identify voter intent.

Remember the fiasco of 2000, trying to derive voter intent from paper ballots?

As others have pointed out, you can easily have a paper print out, if that gives you ease of mind. Lots of voting machines have exactly that.

[Timex]

Bill Maher on HBO: “[Romney voters], black people know who you are and they will come after you.”

Maher actually compared special needs kids to dogs, literally, if you recall.

[Jazar]

The reality is that the voting machine is actually better. It makes it easier to vote, and easier to identify voter intent.

Remember the fiasco of 2000, trying to derive voter intent from paper ballots?

That was because of the stupid butterfly ballot: