Republicans vote today, Democrats vote tomorrow

Eriol

Eriol

GasBandit said:
So if it had gone blue, it'd have been a plea for Swedish intervention?
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Hey why not?

Still, it does appear red-n-white to me, and so that's where my mind went. And considering how NEW the red-blue classification is to you guys, (not that some are predominantly dem and some are repub, I mean the colors, since that's only since 2000) this makes even less sense IMO.


Still, what you guys should try and get in first is STV. Better chance of that IMO than Proportional Representation, and has some advantages too.
 
GasBandit

GasBandit

Staff member
Eriol said:
Still, what you guys should try and get in first is STV. Better chance of that IMO than Proportional Representation, and has some advantages too.
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Hell, I've been calling for that for years, but I've been calling it by its more conventional name - Instant Runoff Elections.

But as is always pointed out when I bring it up, that would break the 2-party stranglehold, and thus probably won't happen without collapse or revolution anytime soon.
 
Dei

Dei

I'm not really surprised by Red in New York. Most of the (landmass of the) state generally swings that way, but is usually overruled by NYC.
 
GasBandit

GasBandit

Staff member
Dei said:
I'm not really surprised by Red in New York. Most of the (landmass of the) state generally swings that way, but is usually overruled by NYC.
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That's also true for the nation at large. By landmass, it's red, but the denser population centers (NY, South Cali, Chicago) skew heavily blue.
 
GasBandit

GasBandit

Staff member
Ok, so guffaws aside... what does this mean?

First off, temper all reactions with the fact that the opposition party always gains ground in midterms, historically speaking.

The republicans ran with no agenda. They made no promises. The entire platform was "(my race's opponent) is an Obama supporter/crony!" And "Harry Reid and the democrat senate has stopped us from getting what needs to be done, done!"

Well, now you've got both the senate and the house. It's time for you to be seen vigorously walking the walk. You need to start passing legislation that you claim is your mandate, even if you know you face a presidential veto. Yeah, that means send that obamacare repeal through for the 200th time. It means passing your pigeonholed border security legislation. Above all, it means PASSING AN ACTUAL BUDGET FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER EIGHT YEARS. It doesn't matter if you know Obama is going to veto it anyway - if you give the mealy mouthed excuses to the cameras, your mandate will evaporate faster than the punch at your election after-parties.

You've got two years. Two years to make Americans feel like their lives are getting better, or at least that you are doing absolutely everything in your power to make it so. You've got no time for a victory lap. You've been pushing an "America is taking on water" narrative, now it's time for you to start bailing. Because if you aren't seen as effectively improving the nation, ESPECIALLY its jobs numbers (and let's not forget that that the current unemployment rate is a bald-faced lie), then come 2016, your support will be gone and you'll be back out in the cold again.

And you need to make sure you're picking the right battles. Your social agenda did not win you this election. Don't make opposition to gay marriage and legal pot your signature issues. Don't even bring it up. The inevitability should be obvious even to the most staunch country club WASP at this point. You've been on the wrong side of history on that issue, and now it is a sword waiting for you to throw yourself upon it.

This election was quite a shellacking even by midterm standards. The pendulum is way out far to the right, for the moment. Expect it to swing back in 2016. If you aren't shitting nothing but pure, tasty, fat free frozen yogurt for the next two years, you're looking at President Hillary Clinton.
 
Mathias

Mathias

GasBandit said:
That's also true for the nation at large. By landmass, it's red, but the denser population centers (NY, South Cali, Chicago) skew heavily blue.
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Or, you know, gerrymandered districts...[DOUBLEPOST=1415225717,1415225536][/DOUBLEPOST]
GasBandit said:
Ok, so guffaws aside... what does this mean?

First off, temper all reactions with the fact that the opposition party always gains ground in midterms, historically speaking.

The republicans ran with no agenda. They made no promises. The entire platform was "(my race's opponent) is an Obama supporter/crony!" And "Harry Reid and the democrat senate has stopped us from getting what needs to be done, done!"

Well, now you've got both the senate and the house. It's time for you to be seen vigorously walking the walk. You need to start passing legislation that you claim is your mandate, even if you know you face a presidential veto. Yeah, that means send that obamacare repeal through for the 200th time. It means passing your pigeonholed border security legislation. Above all, it means PASSING AN ACTUAL BUDGET FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER EIGHT YEARS. It doesn't matter if you know Obama is going to veto it anyway - if you give the mealy mouthed excuses to the cameras, your mandate will evaporate faster than the punch at your election after-parties.

You've got two years. Two years to make Americans feel like their lives are getting better, or at least that you are doing absolutely everything in your power to make it so. You've got no time for a victory lap. You've been pushing an "America is taking on water" narrative, now it's time for you to start bailing. Because if you aren't seen as effectively improving the nation, ESPECIALLY its jobs numbers (and let's not forget that that the current unemployment rate is a bald-faced lie), then come 2016, your support will be gone and you'll be back out in the cold again.

And you need to make sure you're picking the right battles. Your social agenda did not win you this election. Don't make opposition to gay marriage and legal pot your signature issues. Don't even bring it up. The inevitability should be obvious even to the most staunch country club WASP at this point. You've been on the wrong side of history on that issue, and now it is a sword waiting for you to throw yourself upon it.

This election was quite a shellacking even by midterm standards. The pendulum is way out far to the right, for the moment. Expect it to swing back in 2016. If you aren't shitting nothing but pure, tasty, fat free frozen yogurt for the next two years, you're looking at President Hillary Clinton.
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So what you're saying is the Republicans are bound for a spankin' in 2016? Cause all that you just said. All that shit that makes sense for them to do? It ain't gonna happen.
 
GasBandit

GasBandit

Staff member
Mathias said:
So what you're saying is the Republicans are bound for a spankin' in 2016? Cause all that you just said. All that shit that makes sense for them to do? It ain't gonna happen.
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If the optics show that the republicans do what their constituency thinks is supposed to be "their job" but is plainly only blocked by the veto - and a veto actually forced to happen, not just "the threat of veto means we didn't even bother because we didn't have the votes to override it" then there might actually be a race in 2016.

But yeah, if they say "welp we don't have 60 votes, so no budget this year again guys" then they're going harder than a kennedy in a private plane.

This was not a victory won by the virtue of republicans... this was Darth Voter killing Admiral Democrat and promoting the guy standing next to him. In 2 years, it can just as easily happen again.

Unfortunately Captain Libertarian is never in the room when battlefield promotions are being doled out.
 
GasBandit

GasBandit

Staff member
Also, write off the republicans in 2016 if they try to push another McCain or Romney. They need someone with some Zazz.

 
PatrThom

PatrThom

GasBandit said:
Don't make opposition to gay marriage and legal pot your signature issues. Don't even bring it up. The inevitability should be obvious even to the most staunch country club WASP at this point. You've been on the wrong side of history on that issue, and now it is a sword waiting for you to throw yourself upon it.
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Oh, but they will, because that's the stance that appeals to their core demographic.

...and any of these people (politicians in general) who insist on pandering to their "core demographic" are going to get stomped once the Boomers start dying off in volume.

--Patrick
 
Dave

Dave

Staff member
It's all because the Democrats did not stand up and say, "Yes, this is our president. And this is what he did. The economy is better. Same sex marriage is blossoming across the country in the face of right wing opposition. We brought our troops back from two wars that were either illegal or ill-advised. We have made many inroads to environmental changes. Gas prices have dropped. People are getting healthcare where before they would have had to make a choice between going to the doctor and feeding their families. We are Democrats and we have made this country better."

Instead they campaigned on, "I'm not Obama."

Yes, Obama has done some things I just plain don't agree with like the continuation of the disastrous Patriot Act and the continued detention of prisoners in Guantanamo (although to be fair it was the Republicans who blocked that one). But he's done great things in very big areas.

Now two of the three branches of government - Judicial and Legislative - are firmly in the hands of old white men who wish it were still the 1950's and would take our country backwards economically, socially, and in foreign relations.
 
GasBandit

GasBandit

Staff member
PatrThom said:
Oh, but they will, because that's the stance that appeals to their core demographic.

--Patrick
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Their core demographic will still show up and vote if they push an economic agenda and ignore the social agenda - they don't even have to repudiate it, just ignore it. But if they push their social agenda, their "big tent" collapses real fast, and suddenly the millenials are motivated to vote again - and not for them.
 
CrimsonSoul

CrimsonSoul

according to my local paper only 33% of registered voters voted. There was even a school bond issue of millions of dollars on the ballot to build schools that haven't been updated in over 20 years (some of the schools are 60+ years old)
 
Hailey Knight

Hailey Knight

GasBandit said:
Their core demographic will still show up and vote if they push an economic agenda and ignore the social agenda - they don't even have to repudiate it, just ignore it. But if they push their social agenda, their "big tent" collapses real fast, and suddenly the millenials are motivated to vote again - and not for them.
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Pretty much everyone I went to college with doesn't vote unless they get scared into it by the Republicans. They're a bigger threat to their own party than the Democrats.
 
Mathias

Mathias

Dave said:
It's all because the Democrats did not stand up and say, "Yes, this is our president. And this is what he did. The economy is better. Same sex marriage is blossoming across the country in the face of right wing opposition. We brought our troops back from two wars that were either illegal or ill-advised. We have made many inroads to environmental changes. Gas prices have dropped. People are getting healthcare where before they would have had to make a choice between going to the doctor and feeding their families. We are Democrats and we have made this country better."

Instead they campaigned on, "I'm not Obama."

Yes, Obama has done some things I just plain don't agree with like the continuation of the disastrous Patriot Act and the continued detention of prisoners in Guantanamo (although to be fair it was the Republicans who blocked that one). But he's done great things in very big areas.

Now two of the three branches of government - Judicial and Legislative - are firmly in the hands of old white men who wish it were still the 1950's and would take our country backwards economically, socially, and in foreign relations.
Click to expand...

Democratic politicians are spineless pussies. News at 11.
 
GasBandit

GasBandit

Staff member
Dave said:
It has nothing to do with ambivalence, it has to do with wanting to please as many people as possible instead of taking a stand and leading.
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And being crazy scary breaks that mold, and wild-eyed conviction often attracts followers... if not footsoldiers.
 
DarkAudit

DarkAudit

Zero Esc said:
Pretty much. When Democrats had control of both executive and legislative, they didn't get a damn thing done because unlike Republicans, Democrats can't agree on anything.
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Even though the Democrats had a "majority" in the Senate, McConnell's strategy was to block everything every time. So the reality was a 2/3 majority would be needed to pass anything, which the Democrats didn't have.
 
GasBandit

GasBandit

Staff member
DarkAudit said:
Even though the Democrats had a "majority" in the Senate, McConnell's strategy was to block everything every time. So the reality was a 2/3 majority would be needed to pass anything, which the Democrats didn't have.
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McConnell wasn't the one blocking budgets. There was so much pigeonholing going on that Harry Reid's desk must be a grade A fire hazard.
 
Necronic

Necronic

Staff member
So I actually went out and voted in this years midterm, kind of surprised with myself, I rarely vote in midterms. Glad I did. Gonna make it a thing now. Texas needs the few blue votes it can get.
 
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