All-purpose news and politics thread: Two Steps Beyond!(Part II)

[KNIGHT OF THE LAKE]

How come people always talk about Pelosi being unpopular, but never talk about how unpopular McConnell is. He is actually more unpopular than Pelosi. He is also around the dame age as Pelosi but you never hear about how he needs to step aside for a youbger Senator.

What difference could it be?

The difference honestly is that Republicans are better strategists and they attacked Pelosi enough to make the cowardly Democrats scared shitless that they need to ostracize arguably the most useful utility of their party. Republicans are smart enough to realize that it doesn't matter a single damn what the Democrats think of McConnell because brings the goods. But naturally Democrats are afraid of their own shadow and want to stick a gun to the head after somewhat of a victory.

She's the reason you got Obamacare, she's the reason why Obama got anything done at all when the other half of the Democratic Party didn't have it's **** together with a super majority and a majority, she's the reason why Democrats were able to create enough of a monolith with a MINORITY in the House to block some of the worst **** Trump's Republicans were trying to ram through. But sure now that she is a position to stonewall Trump's agenda and actually be a real a check on him lets rock the boat and get some fresh blood for no other reason than the sake of it. Then this whole election can be pointless when the one person who could build consensus in a big tent party that is often at each other's throats isn't there anymore and then all of a sudden the votes mysteriously are no longer there. All of a sudden all those red state Dems start looking out for themselves because there isn't a strong leader.

If they do that, they deserve what happens to them

[Tendrin]

Why am I not surprisedf that some people are calling Beto 'milquetoast'.

[AnakinFlair]

The difference honestly is that Republicans are better strategists and they attacked Pelosi enough to make the cowardly Democrats scared shitless that they need to ostracize arguably the most useful utility of their party. Republicans are smart enough to realize that it doesn't matter a single damn what the Democrats think of McConnell because brings the goods. But naturally Democrats are afraid of their own shadow and want to stick a gun to the head after somewhat of a victory.

She's the reason you got Obamacare, she's the reason why Obama got anything done at all when the other half of the Democratic Party didn't have it's **** together with a super majority and a majority, she's the reason why Democrats were able to create enough of a monolith with a MINORITY in the House to block some of the worst **** Trump's Republicans were trying to ram through. But sure now that she is a position to stonewall Trump's agenda and actually be a real a check on him lets rock the boat and get some fresh blood for no other reason than the sake of it. Then this whole election can be pointless when the one person who could build consensus in a big tent party that is often at each other's throats isn't there anymore and then all of a sudden the votes mysteriously are no longer there. All of a sudden all those red state Dems start looking out for themselves because there isn't a strong leader.

If they do that, they deserve what happens to them

"I don't belong to any organized political party. I'm a Democrat."
-Will Rogers

[Kal-El Summers]

Three years ago on this date, “Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day” had a profile about J.D. Hayworth, was elected back in the 1994 "Red Wave" election and after six terms, was booted by voters in 2006 for having ties to Jack Abramoff. After an unsuccessful bid to unseat Senator John McCain in the 2010 Tea Party wave by running to his right while enflaming anti-immigrant fears in the Grand Canyon State. Hayworth actually proved dumb enough to try to challenge John McCain's lack of support on "enchanced interrogation" techniques on prisoners taken in the War on Terror, somehow forgetting how McCain has quite a personal view of torture. After losing after a long, ugly campaign where he expressed some support for the Birther movement and even compared gay marriage to beastiality, Hayworth continued to parlay his former career as a conservative radio talk show host into a gig working for Newsmax, a news channel that leans so far to the right, it makes Fox News look like NPR. While Hayworth remains an utter nutter, and hosts some of the most radical members of the GOP on Newsmax to propagandize their message, he has not held or run for office for seven years now.


It was in both 2015, in 2016, and in 2017, “Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day posted profiles of the U.S. House Representative from Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District, Martha Roby, the current U.S. House Representative for Alabama's 2nd Congressional District. Roby was once interviewed about the “redistribution of wealth” in the United States, she came out hard against the concept, until the reporter asked then how she could supports farm subsidies and aid for banks, and THEN Roby angrily called the interview a “trap” before storming out less than a minute later with her press secretary demanding the recording to prevent it from being aired. Roby has also gotten on board more than one outrage train the GOP have launched, whether it was taking to the floor of the House to give a speech about the controversy surrounding the “sting” videos of Planned Parenthood and arguing that “these aren’t specimens, they’re babies” or sitting on the Benghazi Select Committee to grill Hillary Clinton by asking whether she was “home alone” on the night of the attacks on the diplomatic compound in Benghazi. Hillary, in true alpha female form, laughed at her, before answering “no”. Roby tried following up with a “I don’t see what’s so funny” to not look like a dope, but that's an uphill battle for her, frankly. Roby also has participated in your typical GOP obstructionist voting record pattern, including votes against equal pay for women, LGBT rights, debt ceiling increases, keeping the government open (and trying to keep it shut at the end of the 2013 Government Shutdown), and even Hurricane Sandy relief funding.

After winning re-election in 2016 with only 49% of the vote, she’s continued right along the same pattern in the House, down to voting against disaster relief, even if it’s much closer to home:

• February 16th, 2017: Roby votes for HJR 69, to make it legal for hunters on wildlife reserves to kill several species of hibernating bears or wolves while they’re sleeping. Because… well, the logic really isn’t there as to why, it’s just awful.
• March 16th, 2017: Martha Roby votes for HR 1181, which would allow veterans deemed mentally incompetent to continue to own firearms, and not have them taken away without a judge's written order. We feel safer already.
• March 28th, 2017: Rep. Roby votes for SJ Res 34, which allowed internet providers to sell the data information of their customers' internet usage to businesses. Well, so much for privacy.
• May 4th, 2017: Roby votes for the House GOP's healthcare plan, that would kick roughly 24 million people off their health insurance plans, allow up to 28,000 more people to die a year, give $50,000 in tax breaks to millionaires, and would eliminate coverage for pre-existing conditions which would include such medical conditions as pregnancy (current or past), postpartum depression, or prior sexual assault. Oh, and a provision in the bill would make sure that Roby would be allowed to keep his healthcare plan as it exists under the ACA, which would be repealed for the rest of the country. She and her Republican compatriots threw themselves a beer bash to celebrate taking away healthcare from millions and then gloated about it with Donald Trump at a White House press conference, as well.
• June 8th, 2017: Martha Roby votes for HR 10, the GOP’s attempt to repeal Dodd-Frank financial reform, because what the country really needs is to allow the big banks to make the same mistakes that imploded the economy only a decade earlier.
• September 8th, 2017: Rep. Roby chooses to be one of 90 Republicans in Congress who votes against disaster relief for Hurricane Harvey.
• October 3rd, 2017: Roby votes for HR 36, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, that would try to create an unconstitutional ban abortion at 20 weeks (even though medical science tells us fetuses do not have the capability to feel pain until 29 weeks).
• December 19th, 2017: Martha Roby votes for HR 1, the GOP’s $1.7 trillion tax cut to benefit the wealthiest Americans and corporations permanently that coincidentally also removes the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate and kicks 13 million people off their health insurance.
• February 18th, 2018: Rep. Roby and her fellow Republicans decide that poor big businesses are suffering too much at the hands of the Americans with Disabilities Act too much, and vote for HR 620, which would strip most of the civil rights protections guaranteed by it.

Martha Roby barely won the GOP Primary for her seat, requiring a run-off election to hang onto her seat in the House representing Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District. In the 2016 general election, she could not get to the 50% threshold in the general election. This time, she got 61% against Democrat Tabitha Isner. She thus heads back to Washington to set to the business of screwing over Americans from all walks of life again in January. Oh joy.

Ah yes, this is my Rep here. Just about as two-faced as you can get. She's highly unpopular here especially since she has Jefferson County(where blue Montgomery is) as part of her district. One of the main reasons she keeps winning is because the Alabama Democratic party is run by two power-loving assholes who won't fund potentially good candidates unless they get down on bended knee. Hell, Tabatha Isner didn't even run ads for months until two weeks ago because of the money issue and I even drove past her campaign headquarters here in Dothan that was just a small building that you wouldn't even know was the office if you were driving too fast and missed the sign. Politics in Alabama are fucking depressing, I tell ya.

[AnakinFlair]

I just have one request for House Democrats; do not, I repeat, DO NOT, elect Nancy Pelosi as House Majority Leader!

For the love for all that is decent, do NOT pick that trilobite!!! The Democratic Party needs to focus on the future!

Actually, I have a request for the House Democrats.

Grow a pair.

Last night, as it was announced that the Democrats had taken the majority in the House, a guest commentator on MSNBC already started the hemming and hawing about civility, and how they shouldn't trry and rock the boat and take the high road and that they shouldn't be asking for Trump's tax returns first thing... no, **** that. I want his tax returns. I want every single thing you can subpoena. I want all those investigations that the Republicans shut down or shortchanged reopened, and I want witnesses called that should have been called in the first place. I want them to make life so fucking miserable for the Republicans for the next two years, that they have no choice but to do their fucking jobs and help the Democrats put some checks and balances on that orange piece of **** in the White House.

Oh, and for once, when Trump complains about 'Fake News', I want a reporter to say to his face "We only report fake news when you open your mouth."

That's what I want. Pelosi, no Pelosi, whatever.

[Tazirai]

Why am I not surprisedf that some people are calling Beto 'milquetoast'.

Probably because I'm predictable, and he was Milquetoast?

[Dalak]

Probably because I'm predictable, and he was Milquetoast?

As one of the people he had to win, I preferred his lack of attack ads considering how filled with them the airwaves were in general. The fact that he wasn't campaigning negatively struck a chord with people I met and talked to about him the few times I saw someone with a sign up that i had a chance to talk to. His shifting to be an attack dog might have attracted some, but it would have been seen as more politics as usual and not have energized so many people. Attack ads in Texas are old hat, and this was a breath of fresh new air.

[PwrdOn]

Probably because I'm predictable, and he was Milquetoast?

The reason we have so many milquetoast politicians is because we've become a milquetoast country. Compared to the wider globe, the average American lives a life of unbelievable comfort and luxury, and while both sides love to extol that image of the rugged, self-reliant blue collar working man, the reality is that those people make up a vanishingly small percentage of the population these days. A guy like Beto has probably led a pretty charmed life without much in the way of true adversity, and I for one am glad that he has enough self-awareness to adopt a kinder and more compassionate attitude rather than trying to compensate for his privileged upbringing with that obnoxious fake tough guy facade that so many Republicans love to put up.

[Tazirai]

As one of the people he had to win, I preferred his lack of attack ads considering how filled with them the airwaves were in general. The fact that he wasn't campaigning negatively struck a chord with people I met and talked to about him the few times I saw someone with a sign up that i had a chance to talk to. His shifting to be an attack dog might have attracted some, but it would have been seen as more politics as usual and not have energized so many people. Attack ads in Texas are old hat, and this was a breath of fresh new air.

Here's the thing Beto losing as close as he did was amazing. Nobody expected that. When people hear the term "ATTACK AD", I think they get it twisted with being "negative".

You can attack your foe with FACTS. You fight aggressively with the truth, you give the data, you give your point, and point out your opponent's weakness on the policy.

Basically, a Beto attack and should have been like Beto in the second debate. Milquetoast Beto was the first debate. If 2nd debate Beto showed up, I think the margin would have been a recount or slight win.

Democrats keep forgetting we can't be nice to these people. But not being nice doesn't mean make **** up. It means hit them HARD, POLITICALLY, and UNAPOLOGETIC-ALLY, with factual information, and their weakness on the issue, and how you plan to fight for it.

[numberthirty]

On O'Rourke...

If you were paying attention in the run up to election day, you probably caught more than one political commentator point out the number of Latino voters that The Democratic Party had not been in contact with and wondered what the turnout would wind up being among those voters.

It will be interesting to see if anyone actually follows up on that now that Cruz has won reelection.

[Dalak]

Here's the thing Beto losing as close as he did was amazing. Nobody expected that. When people hear the term "ATTACK AD", I think they get it twisted with being "negative".

You can attack your foe with FACTS. You fight aggressively with the truth, you give the data, you give your point, and point out your opponent's weakness on the policy.

Basically, a Beto attack and should have been like Beto in the second debate. Milquetoast Beto was the first debate. If 2nd debate Beto showed up, I think the margin would have been a recount or slight win.

Democrats keep forgetting we can't be nice to these people. But not being nice doesn't mean make **** up. It means hit them HARD, POLITICALLY, and UNAPOLOGETIC-ALLY, with factual information, and their weakness on the issue, and how you plan to fight for it.

I agree with you in principal, but in this specific case I think it would have backfired. I remember the 2012 ads against Cruz that were full of facts about his shady dealings and how they were passed off as just your average political BS, and the fact that Beto was able to do all this without going negative is what I feel truly confused and frightened the Texas GOP. Other Texans might feel differently, but that's what I've experienced in my circle of Texas Dems.

[Tendrin]

I mean, the point of attqack ads is to drive up a candidates negatives and I think we know that facts don't exactly matter to this crowd.

Literally everyone hates Ted Cruz. Even the people voting for Ted Cruz don't like Ted Cruz. They understand their vote for him is a vote against Democrats, whom they hate even more than they hate Ted Cruz.

I don't think going negative on him would have accomplished much. Everyone voting for Cruz knows exactly who they're voting for and, like with Trump, it doesn't matter at all to them.


The Beto effect apparently cost the GOP a /lot/ of Texas judge spots too.

[Kal-El Summers]

I thought we were done with all the stupid for today, GUESS NOT.

[numberthirty]

I thought we were done with all the stupid for today, GUESS NOT.

I would totally go see a band called "FBI Surveillance Van" WIFI Network.

[PwrdOn]

Admittedly sour grapes, but there really should be some law that any time an election result is within 1% or something, then everybody who sat out or voted third party could have a second chance to change their vote, accompanied by a stern reminder that hey, their vote DOES in fact count this time. I know everybody these days seems to favor these ranked choice ballots, but instant runoff systems fail to capture how seeing results coming in real time can create a sense of urgency and spur people into action, especially to avoid the regret from having to live with the results of your mistake for six years. I don't have many good things to say about Mississippi, but I like the way they set up their Senate race and while I doubt the Democrats have a prayer in the runoff at least it won't be because they lost a statistically tied race or got screwed over by the Greens again.