4066

I think the problem is more that the R s have managed to stave off electoral conseuqences by virtue of a fortunate state split, blatant gerrymandering and a little voter suppression. On the number of votes cast they lost 2016 on every metric, but it wasn’t enough. They’ve been able to escape the electro real consequences of their malpractice by pandering to their base in a way that isn’t normally possible in a 2 party democracy. I guess we have to hope that enough Moderate Republican voters realise the horror of what they’ve been supporting and stay home or vote D, combined with great turnout on the D side. If not then the R party is full of people who basically see no problem with fascism, and the mask if going to gradually slip off as they get less and less restrained.

4067

The ripples from the 2010 election have turned into its own kind of tsunami. But yes, you’re right.

From my point of view, that ship has sailed. Hope I’m wrong.

4068

Right yes, but if they lose the next few elections at least they won’t be in charge, and hopefully sanity can reassert itself within the GOP. Whereas if they win in 2018 the lesson they will take away from it is to keep getting worse.

4069

It wasn’t a single Senator; it was every Republican Senator. The power the Majority Leader has is a function of his/her support from the caucus. If a handful decide not to back such plays, those plays fail.

That said, the Constitution doesn’t require the Senators to have a vote. Think of it as a pocket veto, where a President doesn’t directly veto a bill but also doesn’t sign it within the 10 days called for by the Constitution. The Constitution doesn’t mention a pocket veto, but that doesn’t make it unconstitutional.

4070

Aren’t there already Federal standards for Federal elections that apply nationwide? Isn’t the Election Day law a Federal standard? Why would having more such standards be ‘abandoning federalism’?

4071

Of course I don’t. They’re not my responsibility. Ya know, maybe people should put a little effort and thought into planning their lives, and accepting the consequences for their actions. No wait, let’s encourage people to do whatever they feel with the total assurance that someone else will take care of them and make everything all right.

“Says the guy whose buddy murdered a woman and dumped her body in the waters near Copenhagen.”

Thanks, you have really helped me illustate my point.

CraigM, at least someone has the decency to challenge it.

So here’s the thing; if you read this thread and many of the others in P&R, it’s one giant stream insulting opponents (Republicans, conservatives, middle class tax payers, farmers, plumbers, etc). That invites ridicule. Thousands of crude comments and hyperbole, and plenty of outright bigotry from your side.

So, the light is on for personal attacks? How about you own your ignorance-based filth? Coming from QT3’s most consistent bigot. I recall one post where you said the countryside contained nothing but cows and cowfuckers. Remember that, bigot? Those cowfuckers are making the food you gorge down your throat.

I’m sure in a lot of cases you are right. But when you characterize conservatives as “It’s always the moral failings of the poor, that or how welfare recipients live a life of luxury, laughing at all of us as they drive by in their Cadillac Escalades and dine on lobster thermidor .” then you have not really been listening. I know welfare recipients, there is no lobster, but there are Cadillacs. I would love to post a picture of the shambling shack down the highway with the Caddys but I don’t feel right about using them as an example (invasion of privacy). ANYWAY: let me address this. Welfare recipients that are capable of earning a living and choose not to, who supplement their income by selling heroin and stealing tools from our garage, who get drunk and rear end us and do not have insurance; these are what we have a problem with.

Ok, Tom, I apologize for expressing a concern that my comments would cause someone behind the scenes to lock my account. But we both know dissenting opinions here are not welcome and met with hostility and a lot of “hezza white man” (which is racist in itself, but whatever).

Sense of shame about being a Trump supporter… wow, that’s a really loaded comment. First, why should any Trump supporter have a sense of shame. Sure, he’s an arrogant, boorish self-promoter, he has very questionable taste and class, he is a phony when it comes to his successes in business. And his hair style makes one cringe. There are a lot of things about Trump that we agree on. But remember, the choice was Trump vs Hillary Clinton, so where’s the sense of shame for Clinton supporters? As bad as Trumpo is, Hillary Clinton was every bit as bad and her supporters act like she was perfectly acceptable. She was not, she was horrible, her policies would continue this country down the road to failure, and I think one Clinton as President was enough. Small aside: I voted for Bill in 1992. Haha, I bet you didn’t vote for Bush II, McCain, or Romney.

So, let’s get that out of the way, I did not vote for Trump. I did vote, like I do in every election. I did go to the poll in small town Bay City, TX. I went into the booth and spun the little dials, and laboriously entered a writein candidate. I did not like or support Trump. There really was no candidate I liked that much in the primary. The other Republicans were timid cookie-cutter politicians. Bah, they all were lacking in leadership and vision. I am amused by the assumption that I am a Trump supporter…yet. I do support challenging China on trade, and I oppose open borders, a welfare state; and as time goes on, the Democrats are actually making it easier to cheer Donald on. This ridiculous last minute Supreme Court nonsense doesn’t help.

It also sounds like you have some issues with empathy – specifically misogyny – given your comments about Dr. Ford. I’m not sure it’s how you intended it, but your post reads as cruel, petty, and vindictive. It’s not a good starting point for entering a political discussion.

How can I be empathetic to Dr. Ford if I do not believe her? If the thing stinks of a ploy by the Democrats to derail the nomination? If there is no evidence to support her? I watched some of the testimony, it did not appear credible, so why should I show her empathy? I’m saving my empathy for actual rape victims. I realize a lot of SJWs start to quiver with a thrill when a woman charges a man with sexual assualt but I prefer to reserve judgment until I see some evidence. And if I do not believe her, I’m not inclined to be forgiving to an accuser of false charges.

Alas, I am out of time for this today. I’ll have to return to my cave and steady diet of multi-etnic gay children.

PS: another real, practical reason conservatives don’t post here; a guy (or gal) can’t really keep up with the responses, good or bad. By the time I get back on line this evening there will hours of posts to read and no time to respond to most.

4072

Why is it that so many people can’t grasp that victim or witness testimony is evidence? I mean, give some examples of the evidence that would convince you that Kavanaugh has a history of assaulting women while drunk. Describe the process necessary to produce that evidence. Contrast that necessary process with the one we actually got. For extra credit, point to an actual claim of sexual assault you believe was factual, and describe the evidence of that claim you saw that convinced you.

4073

I agree, but I think that MrGrumpy is right that the ship has sailed. The GOP just voted to put a Supreme Court Justice into power who has made no secret of his belief in an authoritarian Presidency (notably - assuming it is the right kind of President). Today’s GOP is quite clearly an illiberal party, openly working towards an illiberal one-party state.

There’s really no reason to doubt that. This isn’t the first time in history this has happened, and it won’t be the last - and there are plenty of contemporary and historical examples. To paraphraze Anne Applebaum’s excellent article based on Polarization in Poland, compare and contrast the GOP with other contemporary illiberal parties. Here’s the common playbook of all of them:

  • Use any means, legal or illegal, to combat political and economic opponents.
  • Oppose foreign investments and any privatization that isn’t designed to benefit their supporters.
  • Mock notions of neutrality and professionalism (principles important for journalists and civil servants).
  • Undermine meritocracy in favor of partisanship.
  • Attempt to destroy illegitimate media (i.e., any media not supporting them).
  • Ask their followers to believe in an alternate reality, propagated by the full force of party media.
  • Offer their followers a vision were the nation is ruled by the best people; the people who deserve it.

The GOP are not making these things up as they go - they’re essentially following a playbook that has been used many, many times before today to turn democracies into one-party states. 2018 will be the first bellwether of whether they’ll succeed, but even if they suffer a setback now, they’re so far down the road that there’s no turning back. The GOP will either succeed (IMO, a large chance, given the lack of democratic participation in the US), or be destroyed.

4074

There’s a lot to unpack there, but I’m going to focus on this point here:

First of all, her letter was sent to two Democrats because where she lives, two Democrats represent her. This Buzzfeed News twitter thread (not to be conflated with Buzzfeed) unpacks how it is unlikely that it was Feinstein or her office that did the leaking.

According to statistics, between 2-8 percent of rape allegations are false. False allegations also tend to be lurid and sensational. In this case, the report is attempted rape, and Dr. Ford put Kavanaugh’s friend in the room. People who lie do not do that, nor do they request an investigation. Wittes’ piece logically lays out why her claims are credible. As for being provable, there hasn’t been a fair, impartial but thorough investigation. The FBI was handcuffed by McGann and the Senate Republicans. An investigation is what Democrats on the Judicial Committee asked for as soon as these allegations came to light. Yes, Democrats would have been opposed to Kavanaugh because of his extreme jurisprudence, but his testimony and these allegations - which do not rise to the level of criminal proceedings - should be disqualifying for those who would otherwise support him.

I’m curious - after the allegations came to light, what was the proper course of action? Ignore it? Leave it up to Grassley’s staff? A released transcript of a phone conversation with Grassley’s staff reveals the extent of their effort at ‘investigating.’ I’ll save you some time and summarize: “Did you do it?” (There is also the matter of withholding reams of documents from his time as a political operative.)

Beyond that, BK’s testimony itself is disqualifying. This opinion piece by the former Dean of Yale Law and this editorial by Bloomberg editors lays out that case (as well as the Wittes piece referred to earlier.)

I include the non-partisan references to demonstrate that opposition to his appointment should come from anyone who desires integrity in our institutions and independence of the Judicial branch regardless of ideology. What folks like you seem to forget is that we all know that seat is going to a hard right conservative, we just didn’t want it to be this particular conservative.

4075

This is so hopelessly naive it made me laugh. Just like prohibition stopped alcohol abuse, right? The only thing overturning Roe vs. Wade will accomplish is a sharp increase in dangerous abortions. Congratulations.

I also like how when @Timex called out your hypocrisy on actually giving a shit about these kids by making sure they have access to healthcare and education, you cry personal responsibility. Where’s the personal responsibility in determining the best thing to do with an unwanted or dangerous pregnancy?

4076

It doesn’t exist.

Those of us who supported Clinton didn’t have to provide a list of caveats about how she is “an arrogant, boorish self-promoter, he has very questionable taste and class, he is a phony when it comes to his successes in business”. She has never been accused of sexual assault or tax fraud. She doesn’t harass people on social media or support bigotry. She doesn’t insult immigrants, demean minorities, or bully the press. She has had a long career as a public servant, diplomat, and role model to young women. She is capable of articulating policy and supporting bipartisan action.

So when you say she is “every bit as bad” as Trump, you reveal a staggering amount of ignorance about the political process and the men and women who participate in it. I had hoped you would be able to articulate some rational reason for supporting Trump, but all you’ve got is the nonsense you’ve been sold from the right wing demonizing the Clintons. In lieu of political principles, you have shibboleths like email servers, Banghazi hearings, and child sex slavery in the basement of the Comet Pizza. That’s no way to go through life, son.

We have plenty of conservatives who post here. You’ll find that some of the most prolific posters in P&R are conservative.

-Tom

4077

*Googles furiously*

4078

Remember, Jesus tells us to love our neighbors and that only by loving our neighbor, can we truly love God. That is why those are the two most important ccommandments. I say this to explain why I find your point of unworkable to me. We have to take care of those around us and care. Personal responsibility is not part of the Christian Ethos, but being your Brothers Keeper is.

And if we are going to ban abortions, then we have to spend the time and then we have a responsibility to take care of the people that we forced it upon. That is what Jesus would require of us. That means providing better foster care, medical leave and parental leave to parents, better resources for kids by providing education, daycare and healthcare.

We can’t be Christian’s that ban abortions but at the same time, not be there for them later on.

Of course, why we need to ban abortions is beyond me. Abortions have been part of our Christian heritage since Moses. Priests are responsible for it back in the day.

But hey, if you, like me, want to truly reduce abortion rates, than you must pursue the most effective strategy out there. It’s cheaper and better to provide better sexual education to teens and kids. It’s been shown that this has been more effective than any law or rules in reducing adortions and is safer for women then some illegal abortion setting.

That’s just my Christian take, which I felt compelled to give. Sometimes the holy spirit moves you to say something.

It’s funny, if we were actual a Christian Nation, we would probably be more similar to what @ArmandoPenblade wants, although without the righteous rage that he feels (that’s more old testament, although Jesus did kick some Money Changers ass in the New Testament).

4079

Don’t make me hurt you…

To summarize: http://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2013/12/the-aca-v-the-heritage-plan-a-comparison-in-chart-form

4080

Get thee to a full binge of West Wing, my dude.

4081

Says the man who supports Kavanaugh and Trump.

4082

Ah, yeah, that’s probably pretty obscure. It’s a Bible thing. Some Israeli tribe used it as a word to test whether people were from a rival tribe that had problems with the “sh” pronunciation. It became a way of identifying the other tribe. It’s a fancy way to say “things someone says that identify they belong to a specific tribe”.

-Tom

4083

Dude, I want to hug you for that. It frustrates me to no end how so many people on this forum treat religion, and especially Christianity as synonymous with right-wing evangelists. So it does my heart proud when you articulate a Christian perspective on morality and politics in such a non-judgmental, compassionate, and thoughtful way. Thank you.

-Tom

4084

Not all Christians are crazy right-wing evangelicals but all right-wing evangelicals seem to consider themselves Christian. I have nothing against Christianity when its followers actually follow the faith. Just sick of the right using it as an excuse for all the shitty things that are attached to their single vote issue of abortion. Somehow that justifies kids in cages, crapping on immigrants desperately trying to find a better life for their families, guns & school shootings, making the rich richer, etc.

4085

Doesn’t the West Wing reference it?