The General 'Murican Politics Thread

[Tani Coyote]

https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/01/politics/john-roberts-conservative-supreme-court/index.html

A breakdown of Chief Justice Roberts' voting behavior since Anthony Kennedy's retirement.

Many analysts were predicting that for a variety of ideological and office-minded reasons, Roberts would become the swing vote on the Court.

This is so far true: he has been siding with liberals on abortion rights, LGBT rights, immigration, and the death penalty. It's not a perfect pattern of course: he still voted to, say, let the transgender military ban go forward until it works its way through the lower courts. But the hardline conservative bench Trump and co. were hoping for with Kavanaugh is not materializing.

Roberts has drawn the ire of conservatives ever since he ruled to preserve the health insurance mandate, and he's not stopping any time soon.

Let's hope Ginsburg can hold on until 2021, when there's a chance a Democrat can appoint someone to replace her. Honestly, if Dems pull a miracle and somehow get the Senate, they should replace Breyer too. If the worst happens and Trump gets another conservative on the bench, Roberts won't be able to do much to stop it.

[Tani Coyote]

https://www.theverge.com/platform/amp/2019/3/9/18256622/andrew-yang-2020-president-meme-yanggang

This race could get very weird. Democrat Andrew Yang is attracting a lot of support in online communities... both socialists... and a lot of Trump supporters. Not only is Yang cutting across party lines by attracting rural populists concerned about issues like economic depression and opioids, but a lot of white nationalists are backing him. A lot of it stems from economic nationalism white nationalists embrace, but also how Yang has been pointing out issues facing rural white Americans like the opioid economic; white nationalists have latched onto this as evidence Yang wants to keep America white as opposed to... you know, not wanting people to die from drugs?

The good news is, Yang is not Both Sides-ing this. He's not claiming he doesn't know enough about guys like Richard Spencer, who has endorsed him. Yang has outright said he rejects racism, white nationalism, and bigotry in all its forms. Yang wants to help poor Americans regardless of where they are located, their Party, and where they live, but he does not want the support of white supremacists.

[RedFox99]

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/nick-sandmann-vs-cnn-theres-a-reason-the-word-vicious-is-being-used-to-describe-networks-behavior

Man I hope the kid wins the case. It's stuff like this that reminds me that CNN can be just as shady as Fox and other news outlets. 

[Patticus]

On 3/11/2019 at 7:21 PM, RedFox99 said:

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/nick-sandmann-vs-cnn-theres-a-reason-the-word-vicious-is-being-used-to-describe-networks-behavior

Man I hope the kid wins the case. It's stuff like this that reminds me that CNN can be just as shady as Fox and other news outlets. 

While yes, CNN can be and has been shady (all that free-of-charge wall-to-wall Trump coverage during the 2016 election, for one), Sandmann and his friends are hardly the good, innocent boys they claim to be:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/covington-catholic-high-school-nathan-philips-video-nick-sandman-native-american-man-maga-trump-a8740876.html

 

[RedFox99]

23 minutes ago, Patticus said:

While yes, CNN can be and has been shady (all that free-of-charge wall-to-wall Trump coverage during the 2016 election, for one), Sandmann and his friends are hardly the good, innocent boys they claim to be:

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/covington-catholic-high-school-nathan-philips-video-nick-sandman-native-american-man-maga-trump-a8740876.html

 

Fair enough. Tbf, I have yet to see them claim to be completely innocent aside from the Covington incident.

That's not to say that these boys don't need to apologize to those girls. 

[Tani Coyote]

So Beto O'Rourke is officially in the race now. So far he seems poised to be the centrist candidate, a sort of new Obama.

Unfortunately for him, a lot of Democrats don't want another Obama. That's so 11 years ago.

Joe Biden continues to top polls and a lot of people anticipate he might join the race.

Biden and O'Rourke seem to have a lot of the "they're the only candidate who can defeat Trump" going on... because that worked so well for Hillary.

The person who will win will be whoever can take the Rust Belt. Sanders and Yang honestly seem like the best bets in that regard. And while I love Yang, Sanders' brand name means he's more likely to come out on top.

[KHCast]

Is there any chance of Trumps predictable veto against the senate regarding the wall getting overturned?

[Tani Coyote]

On 3/15/2019 at 4:10 PM, KHCast said:

Is there any chance of Trumps predictable veto against the senate regarding the wall getting overturned?

Doubtful. 22 of the Senate seats up for vote next year are Republican, and they will likely all fall in line behind Trump so they can ride his coattails next cycle.

That leaves 31 Republicans, and Democrats need 20 of them to go against Trump to have a veto override.

Pelosi's move to sink national emergency reform was wise. She's saving the power to abuse it for a Democratic President.

[RedFox99]

My condolences for those affected by the recent NZ shooting. It's sad how people are reacting to it by pointing fingers at others. 

Hot take: I don't trust anyone who sincerely believes Pewdiepie is at any fault for the shooting. It's clear that the shooter wants to cause discord and people handing it to him on a silver platter.

[Sapphirine Wind]

4 hours ago, RedFox99 said:

Hot take: I don't trust anyone who sincerely believes Pewdiepie is at any fault for the shooting. It's clear that the shooter wants to cause discord and people handing it to him on a silver platter. 

Pewdiepie most certainly fostered a shit environment within his fanbase because of his sickening use of antisemitic "humor", and that attracted unsavory wastes of oxygen to his content. He didn't cause it, but the sort of "jokes" he made is what got him associated with that monster.

That's why people are so critical of him right now. He's validated that thinking.

[RedFox99]

1 minute ago, Sapphirine Wind said:

Pewdiepie most certainly fostered a shit environment within his fanbase because of his sickening use of antisemitic "humor", and that attracted unsavory wastes of oxygen to his content. He didn't cause it, but the sort of "jokes" he made is what got him associated with that monster.

That's why people are so critical of him right now. He's validated that thinking.

Except he's apologized for those jokes and realized that them. Plus, the shooter made it clear that he wants people to ve distracted by putting the blame on him.

[Sapphirine Wind]

Just now, RedFox99 said:

Except he's apologized for those jokes and realized that them. Plus, the shooter made it clear that he wants people to ve distracted by putting the blame on him.

A 27 year old man paid people 5 dollars to hold up a sign that called for the death of an entire group of people. I was 21 and knew that was an absolutely terrible thing to do. An apology does not absolve him of what he's done, nor does that mean I have to forgive him, least of just give him the benefit of the doubt afterwards, especially since there was no excuse for it in the first place. His apology did not undo what he did.

What I am trying to say is, because of his actions, I am not entirely surprised at his association with a sicko who embodied alt-right meme bullshittery. Actions have consequences, and a grown adult like Pewdiepie should have had the foresight to see that shit irrevocably staining him, gaining him the wrong kind of fans, and thus his association to a shooting and the same slogan being alongside swastikas in vandalism. Take an antisemitic shit, attract white pride flies.

[RedFox99]

21 minutes ago, Sapphirine Wind said:

A 27 year old man paid people 5 dollars to hold up a sign that called for the death of an entire group of people. I was 21 and knew that was an absolutely terrible thing to do. An apology does not absolve him of what he's done, nor does that mean I have to forgive him, least of just give him the benefit of the doubt afterwards, especially since there was no excuse for it in the first place. His apology did not undo what he did.

What I am trying to say is, because of his actions, I am not entirely surprised at his association with a sicko who embodied alt-right meme bullshittery. Actions have consequences, and a grown adult like Pewdiepie should have had the foresight to see that shit irrevocably staining him, gaining him the wrong kind of fans, and thus his association to a shooting and the same slogan being alongside swastikas in vandalism. Take an antisemitic shit, attract white pride flies.

I won't deny that he messed up. However, the fact that people are falsely attributing him to the shoot is wrong regardless. 

[Blacklightning]

...can I ask what this acutally has to do with American politics?

Maybe this would be better suited to the Australian politics thread, or better still a new thread entirely.

[Tani Coyote]

The current political climate is Elizabeth Warren proposing eliminating the Electoral College, several more Democratic candidates signing on to the idea, and right-wing outlets are running in terror at the fact it might actually happen, cranking up their usual falsehoods ("it will hurt small states," "only California will matter," etc.) to try and defeat it.

Given the GOP suffered huge losses in 2018, they are in a poor position to stop this change.

https://www.cpr.org/news/story/national-popular-vote-act-becomes-colorado-law-with-gov-jared-polis-signature

Colorado has formally joined the National Popular Vote Act.

https://www.nationalpopularvote.com/state/de

Delaware's House just passed a bill and sent it to the Governor. The Governor has said he plans to sign it. That's 184 votes.

https://www.nationalpopularvote.com/state/nm

New Mexico is awaiting the Governor's signature. That's 189 votes.

270 votes are required to make it come into effect.

3 states in one month. The terror is understandable. If the momentum keeps up, the popular vote could be ready in time for the 2020 election (though Republicans will of course use litigation to put it on hold, even though the Constitution pretty explicitly says states can allocate their Electoral Votes however they please. But hey, the Constitution only matters when you agree with it).

[SSF1991]

So Mueller's investigation has finished.

 

[SenEDDtor Missile]

Now watch the Republican Mafia and Donny the Orange Oompa Loompa try to cover it all up.

[Blacklightning]

Someone in the comments did say that Mueller recommended no further indictments and I have to wonder if that's based on anything. I wasn't aware that Mueller had even released any details yet.

[KHCast]

Apparently yeah there were no new indictments, and the media seems to be going ballistic at that. Lotta disappointment by it, but honestly, the more I heard from Mueller these last few months, the more I expected something like this where his final say and findings probably wouldn’t be anything grand or new we didn’t already know or guess that’d make Trump sweat in fear 

[Tani Coyote]

57 minutes ago, KHCast said:

Apparently yeah there were no new indictments, and the media seems to be going ballistic at that. Lotta disappointment by it, but honestly, the more I heard from Mueller these last few months, the more I expected something like this where his final say and findings probably wouldn’t be anything grand or new we didn’t already know or guess that’d make Trump sweat in fear 

It's quite possibly one of those cases where someone didn't do anything illegal, but their reaction just makes it more suspicious and increases the desire to investigate.

He's the type who can't handle criticism at all.

It's interesting to think this investigation probably would have gone faster if he wasn't assailing it 24/7, and it probably would have helped his approval ratings due to giving off an impression of not having anything to hide.

But hey, if he did that, he wouldn't be Trump.

[CrownSlayers Shadow]

Some helpful advice if people suspect you of possible treason or in league with a rival foreign power, and it isn’t true—if you’re innocent, quit acting like you’re fucking guilty, then.

I can’t be the only one laughing at how this whole thing blew up out of proportion over Trump colluding with Russia when he didn’t...and then he goes on like it was nothing big despite the indictments of many former staff members.

[KHCast]

Doesn’t help that the guy praised Putin and respected the guy refusing to call him out or criticize him, along with the shady almost illegal sounding shit Trump does regardless of his non collusion. This is just fucking hilarious 

[RedFox99]

Wow...

[RedFox99]

http://darkwee009.tumblr.com/post/183803505466/like-i-dont-particularly-like-or-care-about

This does a good job in stating my problem with a portion of the leftists.

[SenEDDtor Missile]

2 hours ago, RedFox99 said:

http://darkwee009.tumblr.com/post/183803505466/like-i-dont-particularly-like-or-care-about

This does a good job in stating my problem with a portion of the leftists.

Education only works on people who actually want to understand how things work, people on the fence or people who're aware of how much bullshit fascism is in the first place; it's utterly useless on the death cultists and fascist fetishists that infest the Trump Administration, who have more or less decided they would rather burn everything to the ground to satiate their fragile egos than make any attempt at being a human being.