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[Ziltoidia 9]

Voting rights and eliminating the electoral college can and should be done in the 2018 midterms.

Didn't Trump mention in the 60 Minutes interview that he would be open to making it popular vote only?

 

[thefro]

Eliminating the electoral college would require a constitutional amendment, so it might only be realistic in the long term. I absolutely want it to be part of our platform though.

http://www.nationalpopularvote.com/

There's a work-around for that.

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

Eliminating the electoral college would require a constitutional amendment, so it might only be realistic in the long term. I absolutely want it to be part of our platform though.

All need are ballot amendments in Penn, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nevada, Virginia, and Colorado to pass which declare "our electors are bound to vote for the winner of the popular vote."

This would mean that there would be states with over 270 electoral votes who have this pledge, meaning that whomever wins the popular vote would automatically win over 270 electoral votes and therefore the electoral college, essentially eliminating the electoral college without the need of a federal constitutional amendment.

 

[Plinko]

Take what path is best for you, if moving back in with parents is possible you can always do that a year and put all your extra money towards your debt, its what I'm doing now. I know its probably really hard with kids though, but a lot of families are consolidating back in these days because of all the hardships.

Do you rent or have a mortgage?

Rent. I should be ok if, in the case it is repealed, the GOP still allows for the percentage of income you pay to be lowered if you have kids. Obama's plan capped it at 10% of income but reduced it drastically if you had kids. Trump's plan caps at 12.5%, but I'll be ok if they allow for the family size reduction. If not, 12.5% of my income is just not workable with my income. We'd starve.

 

[dramatis]

From 2008, so legislation might have changed it a bit.

Q: What happens to a candidate’s leftover campaign funds when he or she drops out of the race?

A: The big rule is: no personal use.

FULL QUESTION

Do candidates for elected office keep donations to their campaigns for personal use after they lose or drop out? Or do those donations have to go into a greater party fund?

FULL ANSWER

As Bob Biersack from the Federal Election Commission points out, most candidates don’t have much left over to begin with. Campaigning is expensive, and “leftover” money gets used for bills and debts first, including expenses incurred while winding down an abandoned campaign or a lost political office.

Candidates do sometimes end up with surplus funds, though, particularly if they’re incumbent members of Congress who decide not to run for another term. State and local governments have their own rules, but those running for federal office — including presidential candidates — must abide by strict FEC guidelines when it comes to their extra campaign money. They can donate an unlimited amount to a charity or political party. They can also, within limits, make contributions directly to other candidates. A campaign committee can give up to $2000 per election to each candidate. If the committee is converted into a political action committee, the limit jumps to $5000 – but to be established as a PAC, the committee would have to be in existence for six months, receive contributions from 50 donors, and make contributions to five recipients.

What candidates can’t do with leftover money is use it for personal expenses. Retiring federal lawmakers used to be able to pocket extra cash and use it for cars, vacations, clothes, pet grooming, whatever — but that changed in 1989 with the passage of the Ethics Reform Act.

Democratic Party just got an influx of money.

 

[gaugebozo]

It does seem like the 50 state strategy was a mistake and rural areas with uneducated people didn't get reached. I definitely agree with that.



Yup. While Bernie got me excited at the start of the primary I'm not sure he was the right candidate either, but Hillary definitely wasn't.

Ugh, it's a painful lesson to get slapped in the face with by losing an election that seemed in the bag.

I agree on Bernie and the evidence is there for Hillary. Biden?

 

[Frank the Great]

Voting rights and eliminating the electoral college can and should be done in the 2018 midterms.

Yup. Turn a handful of state governments blue, and the electoral college is fucking gone.

That would be such a transformational event American politics. Finally give cities the power they deserve.

 

[jtb]

@BernieSanders
I come from the white working class, and I am deeply humiliated that the Democratic Party cannot talk to the people where I came from.

This guy isn't a politician? He's exactly a politician and he knows exactly when to plunge the knife in.

 

[Ziltoidia 9]

Rent. I should be ok if, in the case it is repealed, the GOP still allows for the percentage of income you pay to be lowered if you have kids. Obama's plan capped it at 10% of income but reduced it drastically if you had kids. Trump's plan caps at 12.5%, but I'll be ok if they allow for the family size reduction. If not, 12.5% of my income is just not workable with my income. We'd starve.

Is this based on this?

Thats what he campaign on, of course because the media sucks, they didn't talk about issues from may until election night.

As far as rent goes, think of it as money you can never get back. When you leave, you have no equity in return. Not saying go out and get loaded up on a house mortgage, that will just make thins worse, but if you are able to move back in at home or move in with friend/family to help reduce your monthly expenses, and move your extra money to pay off debt, you can have a more stable plan other than living 2 weeks to 2 weeks. I can't imagine the pressure you are under, with kids and having to do this. It was stressing me out and i'm just single.

Hopefully Trump will surprise us and really help. Not holding my breath though.

 

[johnny956]

http://www.nationalpopularvote.com/

There's a work-around for that.

It's getting there but every state that's passed it voted for Clinton and usually votes democrat so until some swing states or republican leaning states pass it then nothing will change

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

Biden had a history of not good race-based policies which might have made it hard for him to get through the primary.

He would have won the election pretty easily if he did get nominated though.

It's getting there but every state that's passed it voted for Clinton and usually votes democrat so until some swing states or republican leaning states pass it then nothing will change

I think we could do this with ballot amendments...

Having the winner go to the popular vote is liked by voters.

We would have to make California be able to count votes in less than 12 years though.

 

[Bonen no Max'd]

Destroying the EC is something we should run state legislators on in 2018, having national candidates do it seems like a bad idea though.

 

[jtb]

Biden had a history of not good race-based policies which might have made it hard for him to get through the primary.

He would have won the election pretty easily if he did get nominated though.

Here's the thing about Biden: he is a genuine politician and can express contrition. The Clinton's have always struggled with admitting mistakes, especially Hillary.

Having said that, the crime bill would (probably justifiably) be used as a much more potent weapon to beat Biden with than even the "superpredator" stuff.

 

[Toxi]

All need are ballot amendments in Penn, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nevada, Virginia, and Colorado to pass which declare "our electors are bound to vote for the winner of the popular vote."

This would mean that there would be states with over 270 electoral votes who have this pledge, meaning that whomever wins the popular vote would automatically win over 270 electoral votes and therefore the electoral college, essentially eliminating the electoral college without the need of a federal constitutional amendment.

Why on Earth would those states vote yes on those ballot amendments? The reason other states voted for it is because they're basically locked blue already.

 

[Revolver]

It's okay everybody. Oprah thinks it's gonna be alright. I feel sick.

"It gave me hope... to hear President-Elect Trump say he had respect for President Obama, it felt he had reached a moment where he was actually humbled by that experience ... I think everybody can take a deep breath."

http://mashable.com/2016/11/13/the-world-turns-on-oprah/#ykELIoISsOqi

 

[Frank the Great]

We cannot make the national popular vote issue a political out partisan issue. We need local Dems elected for other reasons.

Once the right wing media machine focuses on the national popular vote movement, the knives will come out. They will find a way to make it sound like the worst thing in the world.

If it's going to happen, the popular vote initiative will be passed slowly and discretely, state by state. Just as it has been doing already.

The best we can do is win local elections. This is pretty much the answer to everything.

 

[ampere]

http://www.nationalpopularvote.com/

There's a work-around for that.

All need are ballot amendments in Penn, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nevada, Virginia, and Colorado to pass which declare "our electors are bound to vote for the winner of the popular vote."

This would mean that there would be states with over 270 electoral votes who have this pledge, meaning that whomever wins the popular vote would automatically win over 270 electoral votes and therefore the electoral college, essentially eliminating the electoral college without the need of a federal constitutional amendment.

Krieger.gif

I remember hearing about this! Going to read about it more, thanks.

I agree on Bernie and the evidence is there for Hillary. Biden?

Maybe Biden would have been. Either way he should not have stepped aside and let Hillary take the nom (easy statement in hindsight of course). He, like many of us, thought that America was ready to elect a woman, but for that reason among others here we are.

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

The crime bill is way less bad than Biden starting his career off by being against integrated busing.

Biden refusing to call the witnesses Anita Hill had to prove she was sexually harassed by Clarence Thomas was also a major low point and would have been exploited pretty well by Hillary. I mean, jesus, Biden arguably let a sexual predator onto the Supreme Court whose first question in a decade was to ask why domestic abusers shouldn't have guns.

Biden got a lot better, but his past has a lot of questionable points.

This is why running young people without a record is important.

 

[jtb]

Battleground states like the electoral college because it gives them a disproportionate amount of attention, influence and, most importantly, money pouring into the state. It's a non-starter.

 

[samn]

Here's the thing about Biden: he is a genuine politician and can express contrition. The Clinton's have always struggled with admitting mistakes, especially Hillary.

Having said that, the crime bill would (probably justifiably) be used as a much more potent weapon to beat Biden with than even the "superpredator" stuff.

* he can skilfully appear to be a genuine politician

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

Battleground states like the electoral college because it gives them a disproportionate amount of attention, influence and, most importantly, money pouring into the state. It's a non-starter.

But do their votes like the electoral college?

 

[Toxi]

But do their votes like the electoral college?

I live in Colorado, which voted for Clinton.

I don't see that shit ever getting off the ground here as long as there is some doubt as to which way Colorado swings. Because it's very clearly forfeiting power and influence.

(Not to mention we just voted for fucking Amendment 71, which makes getting such an Amendment on the ballot ludicrously difficult)

 

[RastaMentality]

The crime bill is way less bad than Biden starting his career off by being against integrated busing.

Biden refusing to call the witnesses Anita Hill had to prove she was sexually harassed by Clarence Thomas was also a major low point and would have been exploited pretty well by Hillary. I mean, jesus, Biden arguably let a sexual predator onto the Supreme Court whose first question in a decade was to ask why domestic abusers shouldn't have guns.

Biden got a lot better, but his past has a lot of questionable points.

This is why running young people without a record is important.

Yikes. He would've had his entire reputation tarred with minorities. It's for the best he didn't run.

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

I mean, if 2/3 of people in Florida are against the electoral college....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Initi...ates#Initiated_state_constitutional_amendment

 

[thefro]

I live in Colorado, which voted for Clinton.

I don't see that shit ever getting off the ground here as long as there is some doubt as to which way Colorado swings. Because it's very clearly forfeiting power and influence.

It doesn't kick in until the number of states passing the law is a majority of EVs.

 

[Bonen no Max'd]

I live in Colorado, which voted for Clinton.

I don't see that shit ever getting off the ground here as long as there is some doubt as to which way Colorado swings. Because it's very clearly forfeiting power and influence.

Do people in CO enjoy swing state status? Or just legislators who understand that the state benefits from that status?

I think trying to end the EC is a good way to start taking back some of those lost state legislature seats.

 

[Wilsongt]

The deplorables are lashing out at the liberal elite media.

During a heated discussion on CNN this morning, anchor Kate Bolduan got into a tense back-and-forth with Republican National Committee member Randy Evans over President-elect Donald Trump’s hiring of Breitbart’s Steve Bannon as chief strategist.

Bringing on Evans and CNN reporter Manu Raju to talk about the news, Bolduan pressed Evans on Breitbart’s history of provocative headlines and supposed alliance with the alt-right. When asked about how incoming Chief of Staff Reince Priebus has stated that he trusts Bannon and if he does as well, Evans said “absolutely” and said he wasn’t surprised Democrats were critical of the hiring.

After Bolduan brought up some of the headlines from Breitbart, she asked Evans if he thought the majority of America agrees with this.

“No, I think what you are doing is you are reading from the talking points of the Democratic National Committee,” Evans responded, leading to him getting cut off by Bolduan. “No, I’m absolutely not, no, he’s the head of Breitbart News,” Bolduan shot back.




Evans accused the CNN anchor of spending 15 minutes saying Trump is horrible and how he’s going to fail. Bolduan hit back, saying that in her 24 minutes on air to that point she hadn’t once said he had failed, leading Evans to claim that she had criticized Trump for softenin

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/rnc-memb...on-accuses-her-of-reading-dnc-talking-points/

 

[Fedelias]

I mean, if 2/3 of people in Florida are against the electoral college....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Initi...ates#Initiated_state_constitutional_amendment

If it becomes a partisan issue though I assume that it would split 50/50.

 

[Ether_Snake]

I wonder how bad it actually is to declare bankruptcy. I think it's probably bullshit. Banks are really greedy and short-term thinking and their departments are run by people who just want to show their bosses big sales.

My father declared bankruptcy a few years ago, and he was receiving credit cards in his mail the following weeks. I am certain he could apply for one and everything would be as if nothing ever happened.

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

Gillibrand would have won the nomination and election pretty easily if Hillary had decided not to run.

 

[Toxi]

Do people in CO enjoy swing state status? Or just legislators who understand that the state benefits from that status?

I think trying to end the EC is a good way to start taking back some of those lost state legislature seats.

Doesn't matter, the moment the motion is on the ballot we'll have constant commercials fearmongering about people in California deciding for Colorado.

 

[akinkcl]

While I agree with most of your sentiments, somehow people always mess up in the last line.

Base cared about Hillary, otherwise she wouldn't have won. When your side loses by not only delegate numbers but also millions of actual vote, I'm pretty sure you don't get to say the base didn't care about the winning candidate.

The Base of the Democratic Party used to be three distinct groups:
Minorities, urban white liberals, and Midwestern union types..Now one pillar has crumbled

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

Doesn't matter, the moment the motion is on the ballot we'll have constant commercials fearmongering about people in California deciding for Colorado.

True

 

[Bonen no Max'd]

Gillibrand would have won the nomination and election pretty easily if Hillary had decided not to run.

Her days as a blue dog could come back to bite her, and I don't know if she would be as strong with minorities. She'd probably make it through the general though.

 

[Futureman]

Hey PoliGAF...

is there any update on the NC governor race? Is there going to be a recount so we won't know for a bit?

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

Her days as a blue dog could come back to bite her, and I don't know if she would be as strong with minorities. She'd probably make it through the general though.

I don't think Bernie could attack Gillibrand for stupidly voting against amnesty in the past considering that Bernie also stupidly voted against the same amnesty bill.

 

[Toxi]

The Base of the Democratic Party used to be three distinct groups:
Minorities, urban white liberals, and Midwestern union types..Now one pillar has crumbled

They're not really union types when they no longer have unions.

 

[Pixieking]

I wonder how bad it actually is to declare bankruptcy. I think it's probably bullshit. Banks are really greedy and short-term thinking and their departments are run by people who just want to show their bosses big sales.

My father declared bankruptcy a few years ago, and he was receiving credit cards in his mail the following weeks. I am certain he could apply for one and everything would be as if nothing ever happened.

Not sure of how it is specifically in the US, but in the UK Bankruptcy can affect what jobs you can apply for, and what bank accounts, loans and mortgages you can get. It's worth digging deep into it, since I'm fairly certain the UK financial authority requires workers in banking and finance (everything from administrator upwards) to have not been made bankrupt within the past 5 years. It's pretty devastating in consequences, but this is the UK, so...

Most credit cards, btw, will be a higher interest per month if you've been made bankrupt. It's the crappy circle of debt/unemployment/bankruptcy/unemployment/debt.

 

[Plinko]

Is this based on this?

Thats what he campaign on, of course because the media sucks, they didn't talk about issues from may until election night.

As far as rent goes, think of it as money you can never get back. When you leave, you have no equity in return. Not saying go out and get loaded up on a house mortgage, that will just make thins worse, but if you are able to move back in at home or move in with friend/family to help reduce your monthly expenses, and move your extra money to pay off debt, you can have a more stable plan other than living 2 weeks to 2 weeks. I can't imagine the pressure you are under, with kids and having to do this. It was stressing me out and i'm just single.

Hopefully Trump will surprise us and really help. Not holding my breath though.

Not sure what that chart is referring to. When it came to my tax hike, I used the tax calculator that compared his and Clinton's plans. Under Clinton, I would have gotten $2000 more back. Under Trump, I owe nearly $1000 more.

What I was referring to was how on IBR, they calculate your repayment rate based on your family size along with income. My loan payments dropped when I had another kid as a result.

My glimmer of hope is, as stated earlier in the thread, that the PSLF was implemented under George W. Bush.

 

[Kid Kamikaze10]

The Base of the Democratic Party used to be three distinct groups:
Minorities, urban white liberals, and Midwestern union types..Now one pillar has crumbled

And honestly, if the Sanders/Reich style left take over, another one (Minorities) will go while trying to build one back up.

 

[balladofwindfishes]

The Base of the Democratic Party used to be three distinct groups:
Minorities, urban white liberals, and Midwestern union types..Now one pillar has crumbled

And #2 is trying to kick out #1 in a futile attempt to grab #3 back :/

Spoiler

I'm a white urban liberal, but not a chance I ever abandon minorities

 

[Pixieking]

The Myths Democrats Swallowed That Cost Them the Presidential Election

By Kurt Eichenwald (just so you know)

Here are a few tastes of what was in store for Sanders, straight out of the Republican playbook: He thinks rape is a-ok. In 1972, when he was 31, Sanders wrote a fictitious essay in which he described a woman enjoying being raped by three men. Yes, there is an explanation for it—a long, complicated one, just like the one that would make clear why the Clinton emails story was nonsense. And we all know how well that worked out.

Then there’s the fact that Bernie was on unemployment until his mid-30s, and that he stole electricity from a neighbor after failing to pay his bills, and that he co-sponsored a bill to ship Vermont’s nuclear waste to a poor Hispanic community in Texas, where it could be dumped. You can just see the words, “Environmental racist” on Republican billboards. And if you can’t, I already did. They were in the Republican opposition research book as a proposal on how to frame the nuclear waste issue.

Also on the list: Sanders violated campaign finance laws, criticized Clinton for supporting the 1994 Crime Bill that he voted for, and he voted against the Amber Alert system.

The Republicans had at least four other damning Sanders videos (I don’t know what they showed) and the opposition research folder was almost two-feet thick. (The section calling him a communist with connections to Castro alone would have cost him Florida.) In other words, the belief that Sanders would have walked into the White House based on polls taken before anyone really attacked him is a delusion built on a scaffolding of political ignorance.

I've cut a lot from that quote so I don't go overboard, and it's worth looking at the section before, too: "1. The Myth of the All-Powerful Democratic National Committee"

Edit: Thread-worthy? Seems like it'll just cause angst and arguments if it were a thread, but it's definitely thread-worthy. :/

 

[ItWasMeantToBe19]

The best argument against Sanders is that he wanted to raise taxes on the middle class so he could replace their health insurance with government health care.

It was suicidal, but Hillary couldn't bring it up in the primary.

I have no idea how that other stuff would have mattered.

 

[Toxi]

"Why are the Democrats wasting time on California"

8 years later

"Oh shit how the fuck did we lose California"

That's basically how I see things going if we take the wrong path forward.

 

[Totakeke]

The Myths Democrats Swallowed That Cost Them the Presidential Election

By Kurt Eichenwald (just so you know)



I've cut a lot from that quote so I don't go overboard, and it's worth looking at the section before, too: "1. The Myth of the All-Powerful Democratic National Committee"

Edit: Thread-worthy? Seems like it'll just cause angst and arguments if it were a thread, but it's definitely thread-worthy. :/

Sigh, I don't know what to say. I hope time will heal the rhetoric. But if I'm fantasizing then I'd also like to fantasize a scenario where we reach across the aisle to moderate republicans (is there such a thing) and not entertain the far left.

 

[TyrantII]

So, were talking about the EC today instead of rebuilding the 50 state strategy and getting better candidates to run.

Ok.

 

[balladofwindfishes]

In the 2024 election, what will the EC look like? More votes in CA and CO? Less and Kansas and Ohio?

I have no idea what population mobility looks like right now.

 

[Debirudog]

So, were talking about the EC today instead of rebuilding the 50 state strategy and getting better candidates to run.

Ok.

We're not forgetting the 50 state strategy and we're not forgetting about getting better candidates. Hell, this was an entire discussion of analyzing the flaws of both candidates.

Unless you meant the OT.

 

[Pixieking]

Thread for that Newsweek article:

[Newsweek] The Myths Democrats Swallowed

 

[studyguy]

Still going off the premise that the DNC is scrambling too hard trying to predict 2020 on with the deck they have now. Midterms should be the absolute concern at the moment.

Post 2004 all democrats were spiraling the fuck out trying to find and fund experienced moderate dems only to have this this black dude with a funny name and little experience to win 2008. The only intro Obama had to the greater populous then was the keynote address. Appoint a new DNC head, set the strats going forward. It's like trying to put a head on a body that's in shambles right now. Presidential candidates are important, but it's worth squat if there's no foundation behind them.