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[balladofwindfishes]

This is already my life lol, every time my college town wants to do something (minimum wage hike, plastic bag ban) the state legislature and it's lovingly 80+% Republican members go LOLNOPE and place a ban on whatever it is we wanted to do.

It's a whole different ball game when restricting States abilities to make their own laws vs states limiting local governments. Local governments don't really have the same rights over how they're run as States.

There would be a lot of long, drawn out court fights. And would they really want to take a fairly benign, relatively meaningless plastic bag ban all the way to the Supreme Court? I'm sure the GOP is stubborn enough to do so, but it wouldn't really look good at all to see how much tax payer money is being wasted on banning California from banning plastic bags, meanwhile gas is ticking up in price, unemployment is rising, and everything else is crashing down around them.

 

[studyguy]

We can't have all these states deciding things for themselves claims the party pushing for greater 'state's rights' since forever.

 

[Bonen no Max'd]

It's a whole different ball game when restricting States abilities to make their own laws vs states limiting local governments. Local governments don't really have the same rights over how they're run as States.

There would be a lot of long, drawn out court fights. And would they really want to take a fairly benign, relatively meaningless plastic bag ban all the way to the Supreme Court? I'm sure the GOP is stubborn enough to do so, but it wouldn't really look good at all to see how much tax payer money is being wasted on banning California from banning plastic bags, meanwhile gas is ticking up in price, unemployment is rising, and everything else is crashing down around them.

Am I missing something here? The article is about states passing laws to preempt local ones, not the federal government doing the same to states.

 

[balladofwindfishes]

Am I missing something here? The article is about states passing laws to preempt local ones, not the federal government doing the same to states.

Oh, I thought it was the federal government trying to stop states, because the GOP has been doing the whole "stop local government" stuff for years now, so I didn't think they'd write a new story on it.

I missed the word "state" in the "state legislatures" sentence.

 

[Carpe Libertatem]

One contained community? Twitter, Facebook, the other major social media platforms—it's everywhere. Even a place that is more moderated like GAF is not exempt from sexism.

I'm not sure I'd say that young people online are the most sexist people in the whole country, though. There's a fair amount of sexism with young people, but I think it's undoubtedly less than their parents generation

It's a slow burn, unfortunately.

 

[sturgboski]

Has there been any discussion on the alleged at least 50 EC votes cast illegally for Trump by Republicans?

 

[studyguy]

Axelrod's podcast w/ Sean Spicer up.

 

[Finalizer]

it's nice to want things

Has there been any discussion on the alleged at least 50 EC votes cast illegally for Trump by Republicans?

Last page. Looks like bunk.

 

[studyguy]

it's nice to want things

Bless that man for trying I guess...

 

[Dreadnought]

Gaf please help me understand the Right. My brother watches Fox News and he is absolutely convinced Obama is going to invade Russia and declare Martial Law and not give over the presidency. He says he can't wait for Russia to invade and save us.

What the fuck is passing as news nowadays?

 

[balladofwindfishes]

Has there been any discussion on the alleged at least 50 EC votes cast illegally for Trump by Republicans?

Dismissed as ridiculous

 

[B-Dubs]

Gaf please help me understand the Right. My brother watches Fox News and he is absolutely convinced Obama is going to invade Russia and declare Martial Law and not give over the presidency. He says he can't wait for Russia to invade and save us.

What the fuck is passing as news nowadays?

Insane conspiracy theories mostly.

 

[Plinko]

The "small government when it benefits us party" is at it again

Fixed.

 

[Wilsongt]

Republicans hate democracy

http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/312766-gop-aims-to-rein-in-liberal-cities

They fundamentally believe that rural conservatives have a natural right to power and liberal urban city dwellers should have no say over their own lives

Well, conservatives cover more landmass than libruls who clump up near the coast. Why shouldn't they control the country and lord over the tiny, small, populated cities? Isn't that what the founding fathers wanted?

Words cannot express how much I utter loathe the GOP.

 

[balladofwindfishes]

It's old Civil War wounds that never healed. Cities didn't really have slaves. Farms did. How dare those city slickers tell me I can't own a negro.

All roads lead to slavery wounds. The institution destroyed any chance our country had. It's the root in our problems and always will be. The founders made a major error not handling the issue when they had the chance.

 

[Bonen no Max'd]

Wellllll...

In general people just favor whatever form of government is most advantageous to them. If Trump tries to crackdown on the states that legalized weed then we'll probably have a lot of cries of "states' rights!" from Democrats. If legalizing weed becomes really nationally popular and gets passed in a majority of states, the people who don't want to legalize it will go "states' rights!" It's like how marriage equality was originally a states' rights issue until it was bad politically to be against it, at which point it opposing it was the states' right issue.

It doesn't make this stupid or hypocritical but I don't think most people in either care about imparting the important reverence for each level of government's role, it's just "where do you have the seats to accomplish this."

 

[Wilsongt]

It's old Civil War wounds that never healed. Cities didn't really have slaves. Farms did. How dare those city slickers tell me I can't own a negro.

All roads lead to slavery wounds. The institution destroyed any chance our country had. It's the root in our problems and always will be. The founders made a major error not handling the issue when they had the chance.

The founders owned slaves and didn't think of future moral and humanity implications that would eventually happen, so... I mean, they were decendents of settlers from England who pretty much popped a flag and clamed whatever they wanted for their own.

How were they to know that eventually the country would split in two between those people who hate the filthy blacks for ruining their country and those who actively looked like they were trying to help everyone prosper.

 

[The Technomancer]

Wellllll...

In general people just favor whatever form of government is most advantageous to them. If Trump tries to crackdown on the states that legalized weed then we'll probably have a lot of cries of "states' rights!" from Democrats. If legalizing weed becomes really nationally popular and gets passed in a majority of states, the people who don't want to legalize it will go "states' rights!" It's like how marriage equality was originally a states' rights issue until it was bad politically to be against it, at which point it opposing it was the states' right issue.

It doesn't make this stupid or hypocritical but I don't think most people in either care about imparting the important reverence for each level of government's role, it's just "where do you have the seats to accomplish this."

Yeah I've been saying this for a while now. We really need to get past a bunch of this bullshit and just have conviction that "no, we're right and we need to do what we must to help people". I'm done worrying about if we're "doing it the wrong way"

 

[Snowman Prophet of Doom]

We're not the ones escalating it.

They're punching us in the face and kicking our allies. You don't appease this shit, you grab their head and slam it into the pavement.

And a "outspoken progressive" will not work in VA. The Dems win by being boring technocrats.

Do you mean in Virginia, or more generally? Because "boring technocrats" are going to lose the Dems the election every time on the presidential level. Hillary, Kerry, Gore, Dukakis, Mondale. Nationally, what wins the Dems is running on a strong message of change with a figure that actually resonates with people as embodying such.

 

[kirblar]

Do you mean in Virginia, or more generally? Because "boring technocrats" are going to lose the Dems the election every time on the presidential level. Hillary, Kerry, Gore, Dukakis, Mondale. Nationally, what wins the Dems is running on a strong message of change with a figure that actually resonates with people as embodying such.

Virginia.

 

[Brawndo Addict]

Do you mean in Virginia, or more generally? Because "boring technocrats" are going to lose the Dems the election every time on the presidential level. Hillary, Kerry, Gore, Dukakis, Mondale. Nationally, what wins the Dems is running on a strong message of change with a figure that actually resonates with people as embodying such.

This whole national/presidential focus is how we got in this mess in the first place. Give Hillary a couple hundred thousand extra votes spread across three key states and she wins the election. That doesn't actually solve the problem though, she'd still be facing an overwhelmingly Republican congress and state governments.

When republicans control everything they have complete control of the narrative/discourse which is an almost insurmountable problem. Democrats are so bad at messaging that they can't even succeed in isolation, let alone in opposition to Republicans. Furthermore, the social appetite for complexity and nuance is disappearing at shocking pace, people care far more about arguing about whatever the latest Trump tweet is than anything else, which is exactly what Republicans want because it empowers their followers while creating apathy in Democrats/Indys.

 

[sturgboski]

Dismissed as ridiculous

Ah. Sort of expected but also disappointed as I am interested on how it would all play out: does Congress act? Do they pick Trump anyway or do they pick Powell. This has been such a crazy season.

 

[Snowman Prophet of Doom]

This whole national/presidential focus is how we got in this mess in the first place. Give Hillary a couple hundred thousand extra votes spread across three key states and she wins the election. That doesn't actually solve the problem though, she'd still be facing an overwhelmingly Republican congress and state governments.

I agree, but it was also Hillary's choice NOT to focus efforts in those three key states, unlike her predecessor.

 

[Brawndo Addict]

I agree, but it was also Hillary's choice NOT to focus efforts in those three key states, unlike her predecessor.

That's not the point though. The point is that even if she won our political situation would be just as dire because congress and state governments remain overwhelmingly Republican. Being the President doesn't magically fix that.

 

[Plinko]

Jennifer Haberkorn Verified account
‏@jenhab

House @SpeakerRyan says Obamacare repeal bill will include defunding Planned Parenthood. Prior version of bill did so for one year.

Of course.

Ari Berman Verified Account

GOP allowing Dems only 4 witnesses to testify against Sessions. 25 testified in 1986 hearing for federal judge

Two-day hearings, democrats get four total witnesses.

 

[Wilsongt]

Of course.


Two-day hearings, democrats get four total witnesses.

The next four years are going to be so amazing for people who have even a modest intelligence level and sense of decency.

Everyone will else will just clutch their bible and cheer widely.

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

I agree, but it was also Hillary's choice NOT to focus efforts in those three key states, unlike her predecessor.

Is this a joke? Hillary focused a fuckton of effort into Pennsylvania.

You know they had the DNC part 2 in Pennsylvania the day before the election, right?

 

[Snowman Prophet of Doom]

That's not the point though. The point is that even if she won our political situation would be just as dire because congress and state governments remain overwhelmingly Republican. Being the President doesn't magically fix that.

I agree, but in an increasingly polarized country, with much straight-ticket voting happening, problems at the top and bottom of the ticket are not so easily separable. Yes, the Dems need to get better on the local level, but without being girded by the top of the ticket, any efforts in that realm can easily be undone.

Edit: Staying in urban Pennsylvania is not putting effort into Pennsylvania, as a whole, and the attitude that it is is what contribute to Trump being able to run up the numbers in rural counties.

 

[RastaMentality]

I hope people are ready to protest for Planned Parenthood. also that there's a billionaire out there good enough to bankroll it when the GOP defunds it.

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

I hope people are ready to protest for Planned Parenthood. also that there's a billionaire out there good enough to bankroll it when the GOP defunds it.

"George Soros funds black Holocaust!" headlines for the next four years are gonna be bad but it would be better than the alternative.

 

[Snowman Prophet of Doom]

"George Soros funds black Holocaust!" headlines for the next four years are gonna be bad but it would be better than the alternative.

Why is George Soros such a useful boogeyman even for non-anti-Semites? I understand why a rich, liberal Jew is hated by Neo-Nazis, but I've had regular-ass people talk about Soros being this Machiavellian monster.

 

[AndyD]

This is already my life lol, every time my college town wants to do something (minimum wage hike, plastic bag ban) the state legislature and it's lovingly 80+% Republican members go LOLNOPE and place a ban on whatever it is we wanted to do.

It is interesting to see in action. It's almost a "they" can's have better things if "we" can't have better things. We saw it here in TN with Chattanooga's gigabit internet.

 

[Wilsongt]

https://thinkprogress.org/republicans-return-to-war-on-porn-5694cab4eb2b#.wpydsu1is

They're coming for the porn. RIP alt-right neckbearded man children.

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

Why is George Soros such a useful boogeyman even for non-anti-Semites? I understand why a rich, liberal Jew is hated by Neo-Nazis, but I've had regular-ass people talk about Soros being this Machiavellian monster.

Right wing media attacks Soros to appeal to the Deplorables and then less Nazish people who watch right wing media are only exposed to Soros from these attacks from right wing media.

 

[sturgboski]

https://thinkprogress.org/republicans-return-to-war-on-porn-5694cab4eb2b#.wpydsu1is

They're coming for the porn. RIP alt-right neckbearded man children.

Oh so guns are not a public health crisis but Brazzers is?

 

[Wilsongt]

Oh so guns are not a public health crisis but Brazzers is?

Someone has to think of the children, right?

 

[B-Dubs]

Oh so guns are not a public health crisis but Brazzers is?

This is just begging for a photoshop

 

[Brawndo Addict]

I agree, but in an increasingly polarized country, with much straight-ticket voting happening, problems at the top and bottom of the ticket are not so easily separable. Yes, the Dems need to get better on the local level, but without being girded by the top of the ticket, any efforts in that realm can easily be undone.

Edit: Staying in urban Pennsylvania is not putting effort into Pennsylvania, as a whole, and the attitude that it is is what contribute to Trump being able to run up the numbers in rural counties.

But Kander and Bayh ran significantly ahead of Clinton (15.9+ and 9.6+) while Strickland ran significantly behind (-12.8) and Feingold modestly behind (-2.4). How is that indicative of national politics being the primary driver for down-ticket race results? Seems to me that the local context is at least equally important if not more so.

 

[Bonen no Max'd]

But Kander and Bayh ran significantly ahead of Clinton (15.9+ and 9.6+) while Strickland ran significantly behind (-12.8) and Feingold modestly behind (-2.4). How is that indicative of national politics being the primary driver for down-ticket race results? Seems to me that the local context is at least equally important if not more so.

Everyone keeps bringing up Feingold as the main example of running behind Hillary even though he only got 2k less votes, which is much closer than most of the senate candidates in competitive races. The real story there is Johnson running ahead of Trump, which is kind of weird in comparison to Toomey. I think Burr also outran Trump but by a smaller margin than Burr.

Bayh is sort of a weird exception because he's really popular from Indiana before and is sort of a pseudo-incumbent and Kander is a specific phenomenon that everyone else is trying to figure out and see if there's anything from it we can universalize. Most of the meaningful other races are close to the same as Feingold, including the wins (Hassan, CCM) and the losses (McGinty, Ross).

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

Strickland and Kander are the only races that are interesting down-ballot wise.

Strickland got rocked even as all of his ads were "Portman supports NAFTA!!!" but that might have just been because everyone already hated Strickland.

 

[NYCmetsfan]

Why is George Soros such a useful boogeyman even for non-anti-Semites? I understand why a rich, liberal Jew is hated by Neo-Nazis, but I've had regular-ass people talk about Soros being this Machiavellian monster.

He's a wall street guy whos pro-big government.

 

[Bonen no Max'd]

Strickland and Kander are the only races that are interesting down-ballot wise.

Strickland got rocked even as all of his ads were "Portman supports NAFTA!!!" but that might have just been because everyone already hated Strickland.

tbh I was kind of shocked when I learned that Strickland almost beat Kasich in 2010, I kind of assumed he was super unpopular but he almost kept his seat in a Tea Party wave

 

[The Technomancer]

Everyone keeps bringing up Feingold as the main example of running behind Hillary even though he only got 2k less votes, which is much closer than most of the senate candidates in competitive races. The real story there is Johnson running ahead of Trump, which is kind of weird in comparison to Toomey. I think Burr also outran Trump but by a smaller margin than Burr.

Bayh is sort of a weird exception because he's really popular from Indiana before and is sort of a pseudo-incumbent and Kander is a specific phenomenon that everyone else is trying to figure out and see if there's anything from it we can universalize. Most of the meaningful other races are close to the same as Feingold, including the wins (Hassan, CCM) and the losses (McGinty, Ross).

The Feingold situation is noteworthy for basically two reasons: as someone ostensibly to her left on things like Wall Street he should have mobilized all those "apathetic" progressives that are apparently out there, and as an established politician who was seemingly very popular with Wisconsin Dems his presence in the race should have energized people for that reason. He didn't run badly behind Hillary, but he either should have beaten her numbers or dragged the state into the blue overall

 

[whyamihere]

Tom Perriello's website is up:

https://www.tomforvirginia.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSntbxZZrB0

A note from Tom:
Future generations will ask what we did at this moment to defend our values and our Commonwealth.

I'm running for Governor of Virginia because our state must be a firewall against hate, corruption and an assault on the Virginia values of decency and progress. That is a wall worth building!

This election is not just about the next four years -- but the next generation. The next Governor can block the radical redistricting that has held back our promise and progress. If we hand the system back to the people, together we can demand better wages, more time with family, paid family leave and better, more affordable education.

This is a fight to reclaim the politics and policies of our state for the people and the problem-solvers. You and I can fight together -- and if we stand strong by our values and refuse to back down, I believe we can win.
Virginia is the state that gave my father, the son of working class immigrants, a shot at a UVA education and the American Dream. It is the state that instilled my sense of hope in progress, watching the former confederate capital elect the nation’s first African-American Governor.

Raised in the shadows of Thomas Jefferson and Barbara Johns, I was taught our democracy was not an inheritance but a charge we are expected to protect and expand with each generation.

That Virginia is under threat. The main Republican challengers include the corporate D.C. lobbyist who wrote the playbook that sold out the middle class to the highest bidder. His team rigged the district maps to ensure our legislature reflected his clients instead of our citizens.

The other is a top Trump acolyte who sows fear and racial hatred, denies climate change and stoked the war on women.

I am proud that Virginians have rejected these values again and again -- and we’ll do it again this year, together. I know how to fight, and I know how to win. With your help, Virginia will continue its tradition of being a leading force for the sanctity of our social contract, our democracy and our common good.

I'll be hitting the road in the coming weeks -- from Arlington to Abingdon, from Harrisonburg to Hampton -- to offer up ideas, but more importantly, to listen to yours. I hope to see you on the trail.

-- Tom

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

It's a little odd how Bayh was able to be viewed as basically an incumbent, but not Feingold though.

Toyota Motor said will build a new plant in Baja, Mexico, to build Corolla cars for U.S. NO WAY! Build plant in U.S. or pay big border tax.

So... Is it now illegal for a global corporation to start new plants outside of America that will sell to America? Uhh, you do you, Chairman.

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/817071792711942145

 

[The Technomancer]

Oh also Ann Coulter is now at "explicitly express solidarity with neo Nazis on Twitter" now so...everyone saw that coming eventually right?

 

[studyguy]

She's just counting down the days to inauguration guys... Starting at 14. Just a 100% coincidence. If we knew Trump would be President 100 days out she could have started at 88 but you know... You work with what you got.

 

[Bonen no Max'd]

The Feingold situation is noteworthy for basically two reasons: as someone ostensibly to her left on things like Wall Street he should have mobilized all those "apathetic" progressives that are apparently out there, and as an established politician who was seemingly very popular with Wisconsin Dems his presence in the race should have energized people for that reason. He didn't run badly behind Hillary, but he either should have beaten her numbers or dragged the state into the blue overall

You're probably more qualified on this subject than I am since you're actually a Wisconsite but I think it does prove that, at least a little. Feingold won six counties that Clinton didn't, even if the map is still much redder when compared with Baldwin's victory map in 2012.

Oh also Ann Coulter is now at "explicitly express solidarity with neo Nazis on Twitter" now so...everyone saw that coming eventually right?

It drives me fucking crazy when people play off the crazy racist conservative figures as "just playin' these suckers for rubes", as if a) successful people can't be crazy bigots and b) somehow that makes them better because they're only pretending to violently hate people to rake in cash

 

[The Technomancer]

You're probably more qualified on this subject than I am since you're actually a Wisconsite but I think it does prove that, at least a little. Feingold won six counties that Clinton didn't, even if the map is still much redder when compared with Baldwin's victory map in 2012.

Its...its weird, is what I've sort of landed on. I don't have a good answer for it, other than people were energized by Trump and I don't know what Wisconsin Democrats actually want

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

Trump is a great test on how much policy uncertainty affects the economy.

Like, you have no idea if Trump will or won't randomly place tariffs on products from your plant or will or won't place harsh regulations on your business in America. You've got very little idea of anything of what he believes.