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

[KNIGHT OF THE LAKE]

Because many of the so-called “winnable” states have trended to the right for years. Florida, Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and, even to some extent, Minnesota, have been moving to the right. Demographic shifts have made states like Texas and Arizona more winnable though. If these states were still full of traditionally conservative voting blocs, this, here, wouldn’t be possible. (Notice that Sanders trails by two points in the state, within the margin of error with folks like O’Rourke and Biden—we aren’t saying Sanders is too conservative in his orientation are we? We aren’t saying that our Lord and Savior, Bernie Sanders, wants to be a Republican more than Booker does, are we? Because that’d be embarassing) And to say that O’Rourke is milk toast is a little bit odd because he is even a bit to the left of Barack Obama, who, by the way, is the most popular political figure in America.

Texas is not more winnable. O’Rourke couldn’t beat Cruz. He’s not beating Trump there. And if he actually needs Texas to win he’ll never win a reelection. All the states you said are trending right we’re far closer to a Democrat win in the last election and way more winnable and have far superior demographics. But by all means run to the right. See how it works out.

Also Obama was popular because of an intellectual charisma he had that nobody is replicating, it wasn’t based on where he fell on the spectrum

[jetengine]

Btw the current biggest story on the planet is India vs Pakistan actually attacking each other, but nobody seems to care about that one

Because they do it all the damn time. They used the Invasion of Iraq as a decent smokescreen to start shit. No one cares what they do to each other as long as nukes arent involved.

[KNIGHT OF THE LAKE]

Because they do it all the damn time. They used the Invasion of Iraq as a decent smokescreen to start shit. No one cares what they do to each other as long as nukes arent involved.

This is the worst it’s ever been. They are actively engaged in combat. We used to be the intermediators. Now we are useless there

[jetengine]

This is the worst it’s ever been. They are actively engaged in combat. We used to be the intermediators. Now we are useless there

By We you mean America? Cause if so it was less mediator and more "Dont use Nukes or go communist guys" with some more "Easy access to Middle East"

[Kusanagi]

Btw the current biggest story on the planet is India vs Pakistan actually attacking each other, but nobody seems to care about that one

Tensions are cooling somewhat, Pakistan is going to release the captured pilot.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...kashmir-crisis


Cooler heads seemed to prevail when both sides remembered, 'oh yeah the arsenal of nukes'

[jetengine]

Tensions are cooling somewhat, Pakistan is going to release the captured pilot.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...kashmir-crisis


Cooler heads seemed to prevail when both sides remembered, 'oh yeah the arsenal of nukes'

Playing Fallout 76 :Larp edition isnt exactly fun.

[David Walton]

“But the actual decisions you make matter. I am tired of people saying, ‘I’m gonna vote the same way as bigots, but I don’t share the ideology of bigots.’ Well, you share the action and the agenda of bigots. We need to hold that accountable.” -- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

[Tami]

Tensions are cooling somewhat, Pakistan is going to release the captured pilot.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...kashmir-crisis


Cooler heads seemed to prevail when both sides remembered, 'oh yeah the arsenal of nukes'

Meet the pilot who may have averted an India-Pakistan war

Varthaman’s plane was hit in the first aerial dogfight between India and Pakistan in nearly 50 years. He was subsequently captured by the Pakistani military in a particularly dramatic development to an already volatile conflict.

In a scene that could have been out of a movie, Varthaman parachuted out of his flaming plane and then asked the gathering crowd where he was. Upon finding out he was in Pakistan, he ran backward, firing his pistol in the air to keep back the angry young locals.

When they got too close, he jumped into a pond and destroyed sensitive documents and maps by swallowing some and soaking others before he was captured.

After two tense days, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced Thursday that his country would return Varthaman as a “peace gesture.” The move lowered immediate tensions between the arch-rivals.

[Kusanagi]

Update on the Pakistan/India situation, the pilot has been officially released. https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...-peace-gesture

hopefully this will calm matters.

[Gray Lensman]

At his current pace, we will be able to refer to the amount of lies told by Trump with the Dragonball Z meme by the end of the month without it being an exaggeration.

[TheDarman]

Texas is not more winnable. O’Rourke couldn’t beat Cruz. He’s not beating Trump there. And if he actually needs Texas to win he’ll never win a reelection. All the states you said are trending right we’re far closer to a Democrat win in the last election and way more winnable and have far superior demographics. But by all means run to the right. See how it works out.

If you think that demographic trends haven't been moving in Texas, you haven't been paying attention. Not only are more young people coming of age, but the state is becoming more ethnically diverse by the day. I also don't think O'Rourke needs Texas to win re-election (or even election) but it would certainly be nice to have the state put anyone challenging Trump over the top because it would take away from his inevitable cry-baby attitude about losing the "rigged" election against him if the numbers are so far against his favor. I also don't even think O'Rourke needs to run to the right either. As I said, he is left of the "socialist" Obama on a number of issues, including immigration. And, as I do recall, Obama ran to the left of many of his primary opponents in 2008 as well. Obama isn't milktoast either.

Also Obama was popular because of an intellectual charisma he had that nobody is replicating, it wasn’t based on where he fell on the spectrum

That's not all. He had reasoned and popular policy arguments too. He argued for infrastructure (popular), he argued for tax increases on the rich (popular), he argued for campaign finance reform (popular), he argued for comprehensive immigration reform (popular), he argued for reasoned health care reform (even more popular than Medicare-for-all, especially at the time), and he argued for more diplomatic solutions to foreign policy crises (for the most part, Libya was a misstep even he'll admit). To reduce him to being nothing more than a popular speaker is to, I think, negate the entirety of his popularity.

[Tendrin]

Arizona's Republican State Rep. Kelly Townsend took to Facebook Thursday with a dramatic rallying cry against vaccinations. Noting that she'd read about the possibility of mandatory vaccinations to stop a measles outbreak, Townsend equated the move to giving up “our liberty.” “The idea that we force someone to give up their liberty for the sake of the collective is not based on American values but rather, Communist (sic),” wrote Townsend, adding that her child was “injured” from vaccines.

Oh WBE-eeeee....

[BeastieRunner]

Beastie's Cartoons of the Week:

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Otto Warmbier's parents blame Kim Jong Un for son's death, push back after Trump accepts dictator's denial

The parents of Otto Warmbier, who died of injuries sustained in prison in North Korea, issued a stinging rebuke to President Donald Trump for saying he believed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's claim that he was unaware of the brutal conditions under which their son was being held, or the abuse he suffered during his captivity.

"We have been respectful during this summit process. Now we must speak out. Kim and his evil regime are responsible for the death of our son Otto," Fred and Cindy Warmbier said in a statement Friday. "Kim and his evil regime are responsible for unimaginable cruelty and inhumanity. No excuses or lavish praise can change that."

Let's see if Trump, notoriously thin-skinned and wholly unable (and unwilling) to accept anything negative directed at him will snap back at the Warmbiers and attack them like he has everyone else who dared to criticize him.

[zinderel]

And THAT is what evangelicals here in the states want more than anything, thus their love affair with Trump after he promised to kill Roe v. Wade if he won.

No evangelical will ever admit it, but getting the chance to impregnate a child is feature of the faith for many, not a bug. Mary was 13 when God knocked her up, after all, and many a priest and pastor since has tried their own hand at a 'miraculous birth' since. The Catholics choose to try with little boys, rather than little girls, since religious zealotry makes little boys an easier prey for these 'men of God'. But the Protestants...oh, they have all KINDS of access to the daughters of their flock. The more conservative, the more fundamentalist, the more sex negative the church, the more likely the pastor is to be pursuing an 'immaculate conception' with a child.

Religion is a damn plague...