U.S. politics isolation tank

[rosco rathbone]

It will be interesting to see if there is any compromise after the election, and if not, whom the voters blame;

Word on the street is, it's going to be open war in DC, unlike anything ever seen in living memory.

 

[DeepGreenEyes]

Word on the street is, it's going to be open war in DC, unlike anything ever seen in living memory.

That's just what we need: more heat and less light.

The only thing that could make this better would be a SCOTUS vacancy fight.

I need popcorn, a large beer and my foam finger (the middle one).

 

[Homburg]

At the end of the day, Republicans are going to do well because of the economy. We'll see how things stand in 2012, and we'll see who is up against Obama. I absolutely think Palin will run, maybe as a third party candidate.

Isn't there some saw about when a president and congressional majority are of the same party, the first mid-term elections swing to the opposite party? I'm totally fine with it, by the way. We're goatfucked now. Adding in republican control of the house won't somehow magically unfuck us, and it can't really fuck us harder. If they win, whatever. They won't turn things around magically any more than the democrats can, so they won't look any better.

And I think Palin screwed the pooch a bit too hard in Iowa recently to be able to gain much ground there during the initial caucus.

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Obama seems to me alarmingly, almost pathologically emotionally mature. Hold it: that's actually the reason a lot of libs are pissed at him at this stage.

The extremists always scream the loudest, and he is nowhere near extreme enough for them.

 

[intothewoods]

Isn't there some saw about when a president and congressional majority are of the same party, the first mid-term elections swing to the opposite party? I'm totally fine with it, by the way. We're goatfucked now. Adding in republican control of the house won't somehow magically unfuck us, and it can't really fuck us harder. If they win, whatever. They won't turn things around magically any more than the democrats can, so they won't look any better.

And I think Palin screwed the pooch a bit too hard in Iowa recently to be able to gain much ground there during the initial caucus.

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The extremists always scream the loudest, and he is nowhere near extreme enough for them.

Oh yeah, absolutely.

I wouldn't say I'm fine with it but I don't believe the Republicans will accomplish much of anything.

 

[Homburg]

Oh yeah, absolutely.

I wouldn't say I'm fine with it but I don't believe the Republicans will accomplish much of anything.

Well, conceptually I'm not fine with it. I don't want anything to do with the tea party in power. They started out as a move to try to bring pseudo-liberatrian ideas into the republican party, and have morphed into a vehicle for the whacked-out extreme right social conservatives. Fuck em twice in the ear.

I'm just uncaring because I don't feel like they can materially screw things up more than they are now. I don't feel like they'll get the magical 60 seat number.

 

[WriterDom]

If republicans win it will just mean that their "No" will have real meaning. If you have a huge majority and the presidency you don't need help from the other party to help push you out of the ditch. You pass what you want, when you want, and to hell with what republicans think.

The parties might get together and pass a few things but you are looking at gridlock for the next two years. Obama has more than used up what political capital he had from 08. Very little will escape the senate and Obama has his veto pen ready.

The only other difference I see is congressional hearings. Being a thorn in the administration's foot.

 

[WriterDom]

This could be really bad. Like a 100 seat swing in the house.

 

[intothewoods]

I'm just uncaring because I don't feel like they can materially screw things up more than they are now. I don't feel like they'll get the magical 60 seat number.

Pretty much.

I'm not really a Frank Rich fan, but this makes a lot of sense.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/31/opinion/31rich.html?src=me&ref=general

 

[rosco rathbone]

"copb"

http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2010/11/voting-for-your-interests-or-against-them/

 

[WriterDom]

http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2010/11/voting-for-your-interests-or-against-them/

Blog, Snicker.

Only 3% of the people in Forsyth County are on food stamps. It's also one of the fastest growing counties in Georgia. How many of the three percent are Teabaggers? Who knows. But I will say that the one tea party I did attend was about 100% middle class. If you can find an old tent revival some Saturday night in the south you'll see what the underclass looks like.

 

[DeepGreenEyes]

Not that anyone is really asking these sorts of things when they go to the polls this year; they're asking "Why can't I get a job?" or "Could I lose my job like X did?"

Nevertheless, I do like this Q & A.

 

[Netzach]

Yes. All the tea parties are subruban wine and cheese nights completely indistinguishable from a PTA meeting in which no one is waving guns around or hitler signs, those are simply fabrications, and no one is the beneficiary of ANY filthy nasty dirty PUBLIC money, they got there by private jet and not roads.

Or maybe those middle class people are fine voting to basically kill people in their own state let alone everywhere else. Yes, kill people. As in cut off food aid to children because they have a hard on for the president.

 

[WriterDom]

Yes. All the tea parties are subruban wine and cheese nights completely indistinguishable from a PTA meeting in which no one is waving guns around or hitler signs, those are simply fabrications, and no one is the beneficiary of ANY filthy nasty dirty PUBLIC money, they got there by private jet and not roads.

Or maybe those middle class people are fine voting to basically kill people in their own state let alone everywhere else. Yes, kill people. As in cut off food aid to children because they have a hard on for the president.

The Hitler signs were last Saturday. Demonize these people if you like. I guess everyone needs something to blame and the Bush thing is wearing thin.

I did see one tea party guy snatch an rocky road ice cream from a kid and run. I think the cops caught him by the brown stain on his white sheet.

 

[midwestyankee]

The Hitler signs were last Saturday. Demonize these people if you like. I guess everyone needs something to blame and the Bush thing is wearing thin.

I did see one tea party guy snatch an rocky road ice cream from a kid and run. I think the cops caught him by the brown stain on his white sheet.

Evidence please.

 

[intothewoods]

Evidence please.

There was one that said "Hitler is Hitler."

 

[midwestyankee]

There was one that said "Hitler is Hitler."

I saw several displays of great posters from the rally.

My favorite read, "Fear gives me a Boehner."

Second favorite: "Will spell-check Tea Party signs for $5"

 

[rosco rathbone]

I read in today's New Republic that Wal-Mart gave more money to Democrats than Republicans in this election cycle.

That has to be a significant sign of somethingorother.

 

[DeepGreenEyes]

I liked "Save Ferris," "Every time Sarah Palin tweets God kills a kitten," and a photo of He-Man with a hitler mustache that said "Socialist. Or something."

 

[intothewoods]

I saw several displays of great posters from the rally.

My favorite read, "Fear gives me a Boehner."

Second favorite: "Will spell-check Tea Party signs for $5"

Most of them were just funny. I think most people were there to attend an entertainment event first and support a different media/political atmosphere second. There was a liberal rally not too long ago and it was in no way as well-attended.

I read in today's New Republic that Wal-Mart gave more money to Democrats than Republicans in this election cycle.

That has to be a significant sign of somethingorother.

The apocolypse! I'm not really surprised. I think it's hilarious when hipster liberals love "Tar-jay" and refuse to step into a Wal-Mart.

 

[rosco rathbone]

The apocolypse! I'm not really surprised. I think it's hilarious when hipster liberals love "Tar-jay" and refuse to step into a Wal-Mart.

I think it's a sign of the fact that the Democratic Party is on its way to becoming the pre-Goldwater Republican Party.

Meanwhile, the GOP just needs to shed its neoliberal/free-trade/pro-immigration/cheap-labor/Chamber Of Commerce wing in order to become the Democratic Party of George Wallace (who dominated in the Confederate States in the late 60s).

 

[WriterDom]

Breaking News! Exit polls from Fox News show republicans winning in 434 House seats.

 

[Homburg]

Couple of friends of mine went to the Rally To Restore Sanity and/or Fear. After seeing their photos and hearing the stories, I wish I would've gone.

 

[intothewoods]

I think it's a sign of the fact that the Democratic Party is on its way to becoming the pre-Goldwater Republican Party.

Meanwhile, the GOP just needs to shed its neoliberal/free-trade/pro-immigration/cheap-labor/Chamber Of Commerce wing in order to become the Democratic Party of George Wallace (who dominated in the Confederate States in the late 60s).

Well, I think Clinton started the Democrats on that road.

Another historical comparison: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/01/opinion/01morris.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=progressive roosevelt&st=cse

 

[JMohegan]

Couple of friends of mine went to the Rally To Restore Sanity and/or Fear. After seeing their photos and hearing the stories, I wish I would've gone.

It was a lot of fun. Great crowd, great weather, funny signs, Jon Stewart.

 

[rosco rathbone]

Well, I think Clinton started the Democrats on that road.

Another historical comparison: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/01/opinion/01morris.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=progressive roosevelt&st=cse

Yeah, I read that article. Very interested in that era. I'm reading a book called "The Triumph of Conservatism" which shows that the Progressive agenda at the turn of the century was largely driven by industrialists who were looking for ways to shut out competition. It makes me want to know more about Roosevelt and the Gilded Age in general.

I think it started farther back than Clinton. At least Carter, who appointed Paul Volcker.