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PoliGAF 2016 |OT16| Unpresidented

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studyguy

Member
Accelerationism is a crock of shit. The fact that we have to be down and out for the count in order for Dems or the electorate to actually give a shit is a horrid stance to take by any measure.
 

Totakeke

Member
I mean, sure, if you want the Republicans to pass whatever they want, then obviously you don't care about the filibuster.

Right, which is why the argument that Democrats must cooperate with the Republicans so that the filibuster does not get nuked seems shaky at best. There are people on both sides who want to keep it so no one should do something they don't want just to serve the illusion that they're helping to keep the filibuster alive.
 
I've been thinking a lot about the Electoral College, and I'm going through and seeing how the election would have played out with Proportional Allotment. So far my one take away (only like 1/3 done) is that Arizona's official vote count adds up to more than 100%, so they miscounted somebodies totals, or the percentages at least add up in a funny way to 100.2%.
 
D

Deleted member 231381

Unconfirmed Member
Right, which is why the argument that Democrats must cooperate with the Republicans so that the filibuster does not get nuked seems shaky at best. There are people on both sides who want to keep it so no one should do something they don't want just to serve the illusion that they're helping to keep the filibuster alive.

I don't think you want to know what a filibusterless Trump and co. could do. I'm a white male and I wouldn't want to know. I dread to think what it would be like for less privileged people.
 

kirblar

Member
I've been thinking a lot about the Electoral College, and I'm going through and seeing how the election would have played out with Proportional Allotment. So far my one take away (only like 1/3 done) is that Arizona's official vote count adds up to more than 100%, so they miscounted somebodies totals, or the percentages at least add up in a funny way to 100.2%.
It doesn't fix the proportion issue between states. That's the real issue.
 
It doesn't fix the proportion issue between states. That's the real issue.

Oh I don't deny it's not a perfect solution, I'm just curious how the numbers play out. I'm already a big fan of switching since it means votes in Deep States tend to actually be worth a damn. I think removing Winner Takes All Electoral Votes would be a natural first step to opening up the field to third parties.
 

Gotchaye

Member
Right, which is why the argument that Democrats must cooperate with the Republicans so that the filibuster does not get nuked seems shaky at best. There are people on both sides who want to keep it so no one should do something they don't want just to serve the illusion that they're helping to keep the filibuster alive.

But nobody's arguing that someone should cooperate on something they don't want to cooperate on. The argument is that the Democrats should cooperate on the stuff they actually want to cooperate on, while refraining from obstructing absolutely everything, so that they can obstruct some things. There's no hostage here. If you don't actually want the Republicans to pass whatever they want, you have reason to avoid the Republicans' strategy of total obstruction.
 

Totakeke

Member
I don't think you want to know what a filibusterless Trump and co. could do. I'm a white male and I wouldn't want to know. I dread to think what it would be like for less privileged people.

I don't think I want to know either, but the onus isn't on democrat senators. "Do what we say or we end the world?" That's basically being held hostage.

But nobody's arguing that someone should cooperate on something they don't want to cooperate on. The argument is that the Democrats should cooperate on the stuff they actually want to cooperate on, while refraining from obstructing absolutely everything, so that they can obstruct some things. There's no hostage here. If you don't actually want the Republicans to pass whatever they want, you have reason to avoid the Republicans' strategy of total obstruction.

Then take the filibuster out of the argument.
 
I've been thinking a lot about the Electoral College, and I'm going through and seeing how the election would have played out with Proportional Allotment. So far my one take away (only like 1/3 done) is that Arizona's official vote count adds up to more than 100%, so they miscounted somebodies totals, or the percentages at least add up in a funny way to 100.2%.

The only way I'd be interested in keeping the electoral college intact would be if we removed the upper bound on its size, because then California would have 200 EVs like it fucking deserves
 
The only way I'd be interested in keeping the electoral college intact would be if we removed the upper bound on its size, because then California would have 200 EVs like it fucking deserves

I completely agree. We as a nation cannot say everyone's vote matters when a vote in Wyoming is worth substantially more (in terms as a percentage of an EV) than a vote in California.
 
If the Dem Senators roll over there will be primary challenges. They need to fucking hold the door.

Not us. I mean Republicans. THIS CONFIRMATION IS WHERE YOU DRAW THE LINE. CONFIRM FUCKING RUDY OR PETER THIEL. DRAW THE LINE HERE. DEAN HELLER. SUSAN COLLINS. WHAT ARE YOU DOING.
 

kirblar

Member
Not us. I mean Republicans. THIS CONFIRMATION IS WHERE YOU DRAW THE LINE. CONFIRM FUCKING RUDY OR PETER THIEL. DRAW THE LINE HERE. DEAN HELLER. SUSAN COLLINS. WHAT ARE YOU DOING.
I didn't realize it was gone for Executive nominees. I wonder if the GOPers (paul/graham) can get it put back.
 

Gotchaye

Member
The threat of the filibuster being nuked. Republicans can do it if they really wanted to.

But the filibuster isn't being valued here in itself. It's being valued because it lets the Democrats obstruct things. The filibuster isn't the hostage. There's no hostage. It's a matter of the Democrats not being annoying enough for McCain to swat.
 

Totakeke

Member
But the filibuster isn't being valued here in itself. It's being valued because it lets the Democrats obstruct things. The filibuster isn't the hostage. There's no hostage. It's a matter of the Democrats not being annoying enough for McCain to swat.

Are you talking about your argument or Crab's? I'm talking about Crab's.
 

Zukkoyaki

Member
This woman has been the internet's chief doom and gloomer for months. Does this suck? Yes. Economy going to suffer? Yes. Minorities going to suffer? Yes. Global relations going to suffer? Yes.

But this woman is tweeting and writing like we're straight up living in North Korea.

Given that you've been having a lot of anxiety about this ordeal, I would recommend avoiding her and instead follow people with more practical solutions instead of someone saying that we are already dead.
 

B-Dubs

No Scrubs
This woman has been the internet's chief doom and gloomer for months. Does this suck? Yes. Economy going to suffer? Yes. Minorities going to suffer? Yes. Global relations going to suffer? Yes.

But this woman is tweeting and writing like we're straight up living in North Korea.

We literally just elected a guy who ran on a platform of fascism. If he did everything he promised he would do then we're not that far off.
 

jtb

Banned
So Flake is just going to roll over on Sessions, huh. Please let us boot him out of office in 2018.

--

Trump hasn't even taken office yet. Panicking -- or at least severe anxiety -- about the future is perfectly justified at this point. Necessary, even. We just need to channel that energy constructively.
 

Gotchaye

Member
Are you talking about your argument or Crab's? I'm talking about Crab's.

I think they're the same argument. Crab is valuing the filibuster because it lets the Democrats stop some of the worst things Trump or Paul Ryan might want to do, and it can be used this way because actually there are Republican Senators who would also be opposed to those things but who want to pass other things that the Democrats are opposed to. The argument is that the Democrats should not obstruct the not-as-terrible things that those few Republicans want so that those Republicans don't make the calculation that it makes sense to give Trump and Ryan what they want so that they can get the things the Democrats are obstructing. If there's a hostage-taking here it's the Democrats taking hostage policy that McCain et al. want unless they're willing to let a majority of the Senate make law.
 
T

thepotatoman

Unconfirmed Member
Trump's 42% Gallup approval is close to Obama's absolute low of 40% in August 2011 during the budget battle that led to the Sequester.

Clinton's low was 37% in June 1993 for what I guess was the travel office controversy.
 

Nelo Ice

Banned
This woman has been the internet's chief doom and gloomer for months. Does this suck? Yes. Economy going to suffer? Yes. Minorities going to suffer? Yes. Global relations going to suffer? Yes.

But this woman is tweeting and writing like we're straight up living in North Korea.

Given that you've been having a lot of anxiety about this ordeal, I would recommend avoiding her and instead follow people with more practical solutions instead of someone saying that we are already dead.
I hope so, all the cabinet picks are nightmare fuel as a minority.
 
This woman has been the internet's chief doom and gloomer for months. Does this suck? Yes. Economy going to suffer? Yes. Minorities going to suffer? Yes. Global relations going to suffer? Yes.

But this woman is tweeting and writing like we're straight up living in North Korea.

Yes. I honestly don't mean to downplay Trump's threat. I take it totally seriously, but reading this makes me feel like I did back in 2003, when I was neck deep in (deeply ironically) InfoWars conspiracy theories about peak oil, the Illuminati/Bildgerberg,how we were going to turn into Argentina with a financial crisis and runaway inflation, and the Cheney crew were going to fuck off to Europe and leave us all in misery.
 

Zukkoyaki

Member
We literally just elected a guy who ran on a platform of fascism. If he did everything he promised he would do then we're not that far off.
He may do everything, he may do some of it. But there's nothing more useless than a "We are already dead" attitude.
 

Totakeke

Member
I think they're the same argument. Crab is valuing the filibuster because it lets the Democrats stop some of the worst things Trump or Paul Ryan might want to do, and it can be used this way because actually there are Republican Senators who would also be opposed to those things but who want to pass other things that the Democrats are opposed to. The argument is that the Democrats should not obstruct the not-as-terrible things that those few Republicans want so that those Republicans don't make the calculation that it makes sense to give Trump and Ryan what they want so that they can get the things the Democrats are obstructing.

That's not the impression I had earlier but I have no objections to what you're saying.
 

Nelo Ice

Banned
Yes. I honestly don't mean to downplay Trump's threat. I take it totally seriously, but reading this makes me feel like I did back in 2003, when I was neck deep in (deeply ironically) InfoWars conspiracy theories about peak oil, the Illuminati/Bildgerberg,how we were going to turn into Argentina with a financial crisis and runaway inflation, and the Cheney crew were going to fuck off to Europe and leave us all in misery.
I'm starting to feel like I'm falling into that ferritory too of being too far gone. Yeah I need to breathe.
 

jtb

Banned
I am deeply concerned about the justice department and the federal government (to say nothing of our intelligence communities) being wielded against Trump's political opponents. I am pretty certain he will be a terrible president, but this alone makes me wonder if a 2020 bid will be a hugely difficult task.
 
I'm starting to feel like I'm falling into that ferritory too of being too far gone. Yeah I need to breathe.

I have honestly been (and kind of am) exactly where you are. You need to take a long hard look at what you can and can't control, be practical, and stay away from media that's going to pique your anxiety.

Even Keeping it 1600 I need to stay away from, it's too depressing. Trump certainly elicits fear (particularly if you're a minority, I don't want to make any assumptions either way), but if you find yourself in a k-hole of anxiety, depression, and fear, that helps absolutely nothing. You just eat yourself from the inside out. Channel your fears int something not just constructive for society, but for yourself.

I've been in agony since the election. I can't sleep, I haven't been able to concentrate at work, all sorts of stuff. I promised myself a few things:
- I'm going to seriously cut back on my drinking
- I'm going to go to a meditation class in my town on Sunday morning
- I'm going to make a serious effort to stop smoking.

It's really easy and tempting to fall into endless anxiety and fear, but as the actual Prez said last week, moping doesn't help anyone.

Hope you found this helpful.
 

dramatis

Member
That weird situation where the result of LBJ's petty feud shows its teeth decades later lol
More than that, it rankled one very important person in particular—Lyndon Johnson, who loathed RFK intensely and must certainly have borne that hatred in mind when, in 1967, he signed into law a nepotism statute that, among other provisions, appeared to make it impossible for a president to appoint immediate family members to the Cabinet or, some argue, to the White House staff. (The law explicitly prevents “public officials” from promoting a “relative” "to a civilian position in the agency in which he is serving or over which he exercises jurisdiction or control.”) LBJ knew that the law would have no immediate bearing on the Kennedy family. But as one aide later noted, he “couldn’t be rational where Bobby”—whom he dubbed “that little shitass”—“was concerned.” Signing the bill must have felt good.

Almost 50 years later, it’s that law—LBJ’s sweet revenge—that could prevent President-elect Donald Trump from bringing his son-in-law and chief whisperer, Jared Kushner, to Washington as an adviser—a possibility that Trump denies, despite the flurry of leaks emanating from his unorthodox transition headquarters in Trump Tower. (Trump may still be able to grant security clearance to Kushner and rely on him as an outside adviser. But he can’t place him in the Cabinet or even, some claim, on the White House staff.)
 

VRMN

Member
I am deeply concerned about the justice department and the federal government (to say nothing of our intelligence communities) being wielded against Trump's political opponents. I am pretty certain he will be a terrible president, but this alone makes me wonder if a 2020 bid will be a hugely difficult task.
Honestly my hopes lie unfortunately in knowing his promises to the white working class were lies he can't make good on even if he wanted to. It's very likely the federal government will fall apart from a mixture of budget cuts and incompetent management. At which point a hopefully unified and newly competent Democratic party can run against the "unified Republican government" (thanks for the sound bite, Ryan)

Of course, we have no idea how much worse the GOP bubble can get with the fake news epidemic. But people usually vote with their wallets. The economy goes down the shitter, Trump and his allies will be blamed.

I suspect moderate Republicans think this is also likely and will distance themselves, creating avenues for compromise. I live in hope. It's all we have right now.
 

Nelo Ice

Banned
I have honestly been (and kind of am) exactly where you are. You need to take a long hard look at what you can and can't control, be practical, and stay away from media that's going to pique your anxiety.

Even Keeping it 1600 I need to stay away from, it's too depressing. Trump certainly elicits fear (particularly if you're a minority, I don't want to make any assumptions either way), but if you find yourself in a k-hole of anxiety, depression, and fear, that helps absolutely nothing. You just eat yourself from the inside out. Channel your fears int something not just constructive for society, but for yourself.

I've been in agony since the election. I can't sleep, I haven't been able to concentrate at work, all sorts of stuff. I promised myself a few things:
- I'm going to seriously cut back on my drinking
- I'm going to go to a meditation class in my town on Sunday morning
- I'm going to make a serious effort to stop smoking.

It's really easy and tempting to fall into endless anxiety and fear, but as the actual Prez said last week, moping doesn't help anyone.

Hope you found this helpful.
Yep I'm a minority in CA and still freaking out. I can sleep ok now and panic/anxiety attacks have lessened. Now I'm having trouble resuming a normal life with this nightmare that's about to unfold.
 
D

Deleted member 231381

Unconfirmed Member
Nobody is saying roll over. Come the fuck on, this is a simple argument!

The Democrats can ONLY filibuster if, at the start of a congressional session, there are not 50 votes to abolish the filibuster.

Most Republicans agree with Trump on most things. They want to abolish the filibuster so they can do these things. These are A Republicans.

Some Republicans agree with Trump on some things but not others. They want the filibuster to stay if it means they get more of the things they agree with and less of the things they do not. These are B Republicans.

If the Democrats filibuster *everything*, then B Republicans get more of what they want by abolishing the filibuster. This means in the 2018 session, Trump has free reign.

If the Democrats strategically filibuster things that B Republicans don't want and then only a small selection of additional things that are very important to them, then B Republicans get more of what they want by keeping the filibuster. This means in the 2018 session, the Democrats can block anything monstrous.

You have a choice between blocking really bad things now, and blocking really bad things later OR blocking everything now and nothing later. And if you block nothing later, blocking everything now was pointless because they'll do it later.

Note that this does not imply we have to vote for anything. Just: our power to block is limited, we cannot overuse it.
 

studyguy

Member
Feel fortunate that I'm in CA as a minority, but all the same as much as my state will shield us from some of the dumber legislation coming down the line, we're not exempt from the economic repercussions nationwide.

Buckle down, don't get sick, get a decent job fam.
 
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