Welcome to the one party America

[RandomGuy]

As of 2016 there are 31 Republicans and 18 Democrats, and 1 Independent holding the office of governor in the states.
https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_current_United_States_governors

The party composition of the legislatures (and party summary of the individual legislative chambers), as of January 2015, is:
33 Republican-controlled legislatures
14Democratic-controlled legislatures
3 Split legislatures

The GOP controls both houses of congress and the executive branch of the Federal government. The GOP won the gamble by not holding any hearings on the supreme court justice.

Thoughts:

No more bitching about "the direction of the country" from conservatives. They have the keys, and it is all up to them, good or ill.
We now have one of the least qualified presidents ever, who simply does not have the intellectual firepower to think for himself. He will be overwhelmed and at the mercy of the people who feed him information. He does not have the critical thinking skills to recognize bullshit when he sees it. Given the incompetence and asshattery that appears to have been the modus operendi of his campaign, we will get a fine spectacle of this shit playing out under a microscope of hostile media attention.
Trump can only put two coherent sentences together when he is in front of a teleprompter, and will give almost no press conferences, because he simply does not have the intellectual firepower to do the prep work, or if he does, will fill them with incoherent babble that I will find painfully embarrassing as a citizen.
I look forward to Democrats in congress doing everything in their power to obstruct and impede his agenda. The GOP will get a nasty taste of its own medicine.
We will also have the pleasure of watching a sitting president try to explain himself at his fraud trial.
I don't see a guy like this getting a second term, but fuck, anybody in the prediction game counting this guy out should think twice. Sokay, I'm a big boy. The mid-term elections in a couple of years will be a good barometer.

[Axl Rose]

I hope they present evidence of all the democrat corruption and ban the party officially, good riddance

[SnakeBoy]

Given the incompetence and asshattery that appears to have been the modus operendi of his campaign

You mean the winning campaign?


I look forward to Democrats in congress doing everything in their power to obstruct and impede his agenda.

I thought obstructionism was bad for the country

[RandomGuy]

You mean the winning campaign?

I thought obstructionism was bad for the country

Eyup, the winning campaign. I have definitely learned a lesson this season: Truth doesn't really matter.

I need to up my game, and make shit up just like you guys. I read it on the internet, and a forwarded email it must be true.

I have already bought a gun, because I know that the next step is to get every non-Christian an armband. A country awash in guns is a great thing for a freedom fighter. Just sayin'.

[RandomGuy]

We need Democratic politicians to obstruct the hell out of things while we get our militia units trained and ready. I have started teaching infantry tactics to my boys already.

[RandomGuy]

I have already seen reports somewhere of journalists who criticized trump before the election being poisoned to death.

[RandomGuy]

We have handed over the NSA's surveillance programs to the fascists. He has already given instructions on how the FBI is to monitor political opponents to the FBI friends that "found" the email trove a few days before the election.

[RandomGuy]

I hope they present evidence of all the democrat corruption and ban the party officially, good riddance

Come and get me, internet pussy. You seem to forget that white people haven't been having as many welfare babies as my brown brothers. You will lose the war of attrition.

[SnakeBoy]

I have already bought a gun, because I know that the next step is to get every non-Christian an armband. A country awash in guns is a great thing for a freedom fighter. Just sayin'.

What kind?

You'll need to buy 10 more guns and tens of thousands of rounds for each of them to catch up with you're "enemies".

[RandomGuy]

What kind?

You'll need to buy 10 more guns and tens of thousands of rounds for each of them to catch up with you're "enemies".

Last I checked humans only have two hands...

[RandomGuy]

/sarcasm

Truth be told I have vacillated a lot about how to react. It is sooo temping to be an intellectually dishonest hack, like tlong, or Wild Cobra. So easy to just give in to lazy confirmation bias, stop thinking, and spout off bullshit conspiracy theories.

I don't think it is good for so many millions of Americans to be in a one party state, especially when the GOP actively seeks to disenfranchise Democrats. That is dangerous.

[RandomGuy]

North Carolina GOP Brags Racist Voter Suppression Is Working—and They’re Right

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/11/07/north-carolina-s-racist-voter-suppression-is-working.html


Early turnout among black voters in the state has been running below 2008 and 2012 levels—so far, the bloc is turning out at only 82 percent of their 2012 numbers, as The New York Times reported. (Early voting overall was up in North Carolina, with 4.6 million ballots already cast.)
What the Times didn’t report was that the decline wasn’t due to lack of enthusiasm or effort, but voter suppression. In fact, there’s a near perfect fit between where black voters aren’t voting and where Republicans have made it harder to vote—a fact highlighted by a press release issued today by the state Republican Party, which called the decrease "encouraging."

[RandomGuy]

This contrast was on display in a brief that the State of Texas recently filed in its fight with the U.S. Department of Justice over whether to put Texas back under federal voting supervision. The Justice Department argues that proof of intentional racial discrimination in voting is found in Texas’s recent redistricting plan, which disfavors minority voters and officeholders. Texas’s defense is that its law is about partisan politics, not about race, and it is therefore acceptable:


DOJ’s accusations of racial discrimination are baseless. In 2011, both houses of the Texas Legislature were controlled by large Republican majorities, and their redistricting decisions were designed to increase the Republican Party’s electoral prospects at the expense of the Democrats. It is perfectly constitutional for a Republican-controlled legislature to make partisan districting decisions, even if there are incidental effects on minority voters who support Democratic candidates.13

Note that Texas’s defense is that it was deliberately passing its law “at the expense of Democrats.” Leave aside for a moment the fact that discriminating on the basis of political party should serve as an indictment rather than a defense of Texas’s policy. Instead, note the bifurcation of race and party. To Texas, there is just an “incidental” effect on minority voters. If Texas is right that party discrimination is a valid defense under the law, but that racial discrimination violates the Voting Rights Act, then courts need to make a distinction: race or party?

http://harvardlawreview.org/2014/01/race-or-party-how-courts-should-think-about-republican-efforts-to-make-it-harder-to-vote-in-north-carolina-and-elsewhere/

Eyup. You read that right. The defense of the state of Texas was that they weren't targeting blacks. They were targeting Democrats.

[SnakeBoy]

Truth be told I have vacillated a lot about how to react.

This seems like a good place for you to start imo

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=264545&p=8791109&viewfull=1#post8791109

You shouldn't worry too much. When Obama took office the Democrat party was giddy with power, forgot about the voters that put them there, and proceeded to fuck themselves. Good chance the GOP does the same.

[RandomGuy]

Partisanship plays a key role. Of the 22 states with new restrictions, 18 passed them through entirely Republican-controlled bodies. A study by social scientists Keith Bentele and Erin O’Brien of the University of Massachusetts Boston found that restrictions were more likely to pass “as the proportion of Republicans in the legislature increased or when a Republican governor was elected.” After Republicans took over state houses and governorships in 2010, voting restrictions typically followed party lines.

http://prospect.org/article/22-states-wave-new-voting-restrictions-threatens-shift-outcomes-tight-races

[RandomGuy]

Early Voting Cuts
The push to trim early voting provides another clear example of how new voting restrictions target minorities. For more than two decades, states have been increasing early voting opportunities. In fact, most states now offer early voting, and in the last two presidential elections, a full one-third of Americans voted early. The reason for this expansion? Early voting works well—voters like it, election officials like it, and it improves the election system. It is so non-controversial that the bipartisan Presidential Commission on Election Administration recently recommended that all states adopt it to prevent long lines at the polls.
Despite this consensus, after the 2008 election, support for early voting eroded among Republican legislators in the South and Midwest. What changed? For the first time, African Americans had begun voting early at high rates. In Southern states, early voting by African Americans nearly tripled between 2004 and 2008, overtaking early voting by whites by a significant margin. In North Carolina, for example, seven in ten African Americans voted early in 2008, as compared to half of white voters. And while Republicans have traditionally been more likely to vote early, in 2008 Democratic early votes exceeded Republican ones.
http://prospect.org/article/22-states-wave-new-voting-restrictions-threatens-shift-outcomes-tight-races

Feel free to do the lazy ad hominem of prospect.org, and ignore the links to the source material they provide, including the studies they reference. I expect that.

[RandomGuy]

This seems like a good place for you to start imo

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=264545&p=8791109&viewfull=1#post8791109

You shouldn't worry too much. When Obama took office the Democrat party was giddy with power, forgot about the voters that put them there, and proceeded to fuck themselves. Good chance the GOP does the same.

Oh yeah, I actually concur. Democrats really do have to place no small amount of blame on themselves. Their primary, their pick.

Personally I chalk it up to a bit of the party overall and Clinton herself for ignoring how unpopular she is. The rank and file will never forgive her.

[RandomGuy]

You shouldn't worry too much. When Obama took office the Democrat party was giddy with power, forgot about the voters that put them there, and proceeded to fuck themselves. Good chance the GOP does the same.

I think this is exactly what is going to happen. The GOP will overplay their hand.

The difference though between the two parties is that one will do a study, then proceed to ignore it, the other will do a post-mortem and pivot. GOP ignored their own post-mortem long term strategy analysis. (edit) I think that will cost them a lot in the long run (/edit)

The left, being a bit more evidence/science based, will hopefully map out what they need to do. I expect a shift leftwards, with some strong populist bullshitting for the next presidential election, with a lot of anti-Wallstreet blather.

You think you have seen "class warfare" so far, you ain't seen nothing yet. This election was a huge emotional shock, and the waves are still rippling around unsettling a lot of centrist orthodoxy. Just a guess though. Be interesting to see how all this shakes out.

[RandomGuy]

aw shit. Really gotta get to bed. 'Night Snakes.

[SnakeBoy]

The difference though between the two parties is that one will do a study, then proceed to ignore it, the other will do a post-mortem and pivot. GOP ignored their own post-mortem long term strategy analysis. (edit) I think that will cost them a lot in the long run (/edit)


I think the left should start with a study on whether or not it's a good idea to call the voters deplorable, stupid, and every "ist" they can think of.

[spurraider21]

I think the left should start with a study on whether or not it's a good idea to call the voters deplorable, stupid, and every "ist" they can think of.trying to persuade somebody by insulting them never works, it only pushes them further into a corner. thats why elitism is a problem with the left.

[Wild Cobra]

A thread by a party of one... Named Random...

[TeyshaBlue]

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64/teyshablue/tumblr_l9tm2xNN8o1qbdgk6o1_500.gif (http://s3.photobucket.com/user/teyshablue/media/tumblr_l9tm2xNN8o1qbdgk6o1_500.gif.html)

[midnightpulp]

trying to persuade somebody by insulting them never works, it only pushes them further into a corner. thats why elitism is a problem with the left.

:tu

As I've said, I'm leftist on most issues, but also recognize that conservative thought has a lot value in many areas of social and economic policy.

The Left has an advertising problem, which has grown much, much worse since the advent of blogs, forums and social media. Engaging in dialog with someone who has opposing views was an exercise that had to be done in person, where you couldn't as easily dehumanize a person as you can online. Now that the political debate has largely shifted online, the "person" you're debating with is nameless and faceless, meaning it's easier than ever before to just cut a debate short with an insult. Instead of sincerely listening to a real human being explain why they don't believe in evolution, you can just call them an ignorant caveman who stupidly worships an invisible "sky daddy." The Right is similarly knee-jerky, but I think the Left has a bigger advertising problem, mainly due to the fact liberals tend to be younger and more active online.

So what's this "advertising problem?" The modern image of the Left, per your average Joe American in the Bible Belt or Midwest, is that of a smug, elitist, Coastal or even European "intellectual" who holds their traditions and way of life in contempt; who thinks of them as uneducated, obsolete rednecks pathetically clinging to an outdated ethos. The Left continually fails to understand or under-appreciate just how important religion and other traditions are to that region. Most of those communities are tight knit, going back generations, and religion and the church played a central part in the growth and flourishing of those communities. The modern Left just expects them to instantly shove their cultural identity into the dustbin because "science." The rise of New Atheism was also a disaster for the Left's hope of building a bridge to those communities. Per Dawkins, Hitchens, and the rest of those blowhards, you'd think the people in the Bible Belt are scheming 24/7 on ways to blow up abortion clinics. Yeah, try reaching out to them with "science" after titling your books "God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything."

"Well, those in the Bible Belt probably don't even know about Hitchens, et al."

Indeed they do. Sean Hannity and the rest of the Fox News cabal love using New Atheists as polemic talking points.

And the ironic thing is, conservative aren't science illiterate. Here's a study showing how the scientific literacy of conservatives increase if you phrase the wording differently:

http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/06/dan-kahan-climate-change-ideology-scientific-illiteracy


Still, those who wish to communicate to the public about climate change will have to grapple with Kahan's assertion that conservatives really aren't ignorant about the issue—they're just highly prone to defend their worldviews when asked certain kinds of questions. If Kahan is right, the implication is that we need to talk about climate science in a way that is entirely devoid of cultural meanings that will antagonize the right.

And this is not a conservative phenomenon either. The Left is similarly intractable being open minded on issues that attack their cultural identity.

[boutons_deux]

"conservative thought has a lot value in many areas of social and economic policy"

:lol like what? be specific

[hater]

:lmao dat meltdown

[z0sa]

:tu

As I've said, I'm leftist on most issues, but also recognize that conservative thought has a lot value in many areas of social and economic policy.

The Left has an advertising problem, which has grown much, much worse since the advent of blogs, forums and social media. Engaging in dialog with someone who has opposing views was an exercise that had to be done in person, where you couldn't as easily dehumanize a person as you can online. Now that the political debate has largely shifted online, the "person" you're debating with is nameless and faceless, meaning it's easier than ever before to just cut a debate short with an insult. Instead of sincerely listening to a real human being explain why they don't believe in evolution, you can just call them an ignorant caveman who stupidly worships an invisible "sky daddy." The Right is similarly knee-jerky, but I think the Left has a bigger advertising problem, mainly due to the fact liberals tend to be younger and more active online.

So what's this "advertising problem?" The modern image of the Left, per your average Joe American in the Bible Belt or Midwest, is that of a smug, elitist, Coastal or even European "intellectual" who holds their traditions and way of life in contempt; who thinks of them as uneducated, obsolete rednecks pathetically clinging to an outdated ethos. The Left continually fails to understand or under-appreciate just how important religion and other traditions are to that region. Most of those communities are tight knit, going back generations, and religion and the church played a central part in the growth and flourishing of those communities. The modern Left just expects them to instantly shove their cultural identity into the dustbin because "science." The rise of New Atheism was also a disaster for the Left's hope of building a bridge to those communities. Per Dawkins, Hitchens, and the rest of those blowhards, you'd think the people in the Bible Belt are scheming 24/7 on ways to blow up abortion clinics. Yeah, try reaching out to them with "science" after titling your books "God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything."

"Well, those in the Bible Belt probably don't even know about Hitchens, et al."

Indeed they do. Sean Hannity and the rest of the Fox News cabal love using New Atheists as polemic talking points.

And the ironic thing is, conservative aren't science illiterate. Here's a study showing how the scientific literacy of conservatives increase if you phrase the wording differently:

http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/06/dan-kahan-climate-change-ideology-scientific-illiteracy



And this is not a conservative phenomenon either. The Left is similarly intractable being open minded on issues that attack their cultural identity.

Great post.

[boutons_deux]

left/right philosophy isn't how most voters vote. They vote their bank account

BigDonor money has totally corrupted both parties. Congress is swamp of bribery that Trash will not even try to drain (another of his limitles LIES).

In fact, Trash bribes property tax appraisal officials, one of which in NY ended up in prison.

[boutons_deux]

The only ONE PARTY in America is the BigDonor party.

"money is speech" "corporations are people"

The BigDonor Party's autocratic coup d'etat is complete and unassailable.

[midnightpulp]

"conservative thought has a lot value in many areas of social and economic policy"

:lol like what? be specific

Deregulation.

I totally agree with regulation in some business sectors, but disagree with it in others. Drug companies, energy companies, and multinational corporations do need to be intelligently regulated, but at the local level, over regulation often harms small business, upstart entrepreneurs, etc. Example: I'm acquainted with the film industry. Shooting in Los Angeles is ridiculously expensive and difficult because of all the fees you have to pay and the red tape you have to navigate. This only serves to empower the big studios who can afford and have the connections to shoot there. This is why so many smaller television shows and movies are shot in Canada, Eastern Europe, or states like Arizona and New Mexico now, because of tax breaks and other incentives.

Non-interventionism in foreign affairs.

This is a traditional conservative concept.

A reasonable immigration policy.

Total open borders simply open up the proverbial flood gate, the resulting mass of people overwhelming infrastructure and services. I'm in favor of immigration, but it needs to be done slowly and carefully.

Anti-Political correctness.

The 1st amendment is a hallmark of our constitution. No one should feel threatened if they hold contrary or offensive opinions.

[boutons_deux]

You've Been Conned.

Conservatives talk about deregulation, but it's primarily about deregulating BigCorp (which finances conservative Stink Tanks)

Conservatives are always for a strong military ready and willing to invade other countries (and the imperial miliatry does, with conservatives cheering all the way).

Conservatives were all for St Ronnie intervening in, fucking up Central/South America, and were all for NAFTA, both of which have caused many Ms of economic and political refugees to flee north. What kind of non-intervention / immigration policy is that?

Political correctness is a code word for supporting verbal (leading to physical) aggression, discrimination against non-conservatives. What really is the point of conservatives supporting incivility, disrespect? It's to be able to persecute, insult, denigrate non-conservatives, minorities.

Conservatism is a "philosophy" to justify, defend Euro-white male financial, political dominance.

[z0sa]

You've Been Conned.

Conservatives talk about deregulation, but it's primarily about deregulating BigCorp (which finances conservative Stink Tanks)

Conservatives are always for a strong military ready and willing to invade other countries (and the imperial miliatry does, with conservatives cheering all the way).

Conservatives were all for St Ronnie intervening in, fucking up Central/South America, and were all for NAFTA, both of which have caused many Ms of economic and political refugees to flee north. What kind of non-intervention / immigration policy is that?

Political correctness is a code word for supporting verbal (leading to physical) aggression, discrimination against non-conservatives. What really is the point of conservatives supporting incivility, disrespect? It's to be able to persecute, insult, denigrate non-conservatives, minorities.

Conservatism is a "philosophy" to justify, defend Euro-white male financial, political dominance.

Republicans /=/ conservative, dummy.

[boutons_deux]

Republicans /=/ conservative, dummy.

Republicanism is the political implementation of conservatism.

Which saintly, venerated PURE conservatives are bitching about Republican/VRWC policies over the last 50 years?

[midnightpulp]

You've Been Conned.

[QUOTE]Conservatives talk about deregulation, but it's primarily about deregulating BigCorp (which finances conservative Stink Tanks)


I agree, which I touched upon in my example about filmmaking. The current deregulation only empowers the larger and wealthier corporations.


Conservatives are always for a strong military ready and willing to invade other countries (and the imperial miliatry does, with conservatives cheering all the way).

Neocon idea.


Conservatives were all for St Ronnie intervening in, fucking up Central/South America, and were all for NAFTA, both of which have caused many Ms of economic and political refugees to flee north. What kind of non-intervention / immigration policy is that?

Conservatives were against NAFTA. One of the reasons Trump got so much support in the Rust Belt was because of Clinton's association with NAFTA.


Political correctness is a code word for supporting verbal (leading to physical) aggression, discrimination against non-conservatives. What really is the point of conservatives supporting incivility, disrespect? It's to be able to persecute, insult, denigrate non-conservatives, minorities.


You have the right to be verbally uncivil in this country. Do you also want black comedians to stop making fun of whites in their routines?

As Zosa said, traditional conservatism=/=the modern Republican party/Reagan Neocons.

[tlongII]

RG is a bit salty I see.

[Cry Havoc]

As of 2016 there are 31 Republicans and 18 Democrats, and 1 Independent holding the office of governor in the states.
https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_current_United_States_governors

The party composition of the legislatures (and party summary of the individual legislative chambers), as of January 2015, is:
33 Republican-controlled legislatures
14Democratic-controlled legislatures
3 Split legislatures

The GOP controls both houses of congress and the executive branch of the Federal government. The GOP won the gamble by not holding any hearings on the supreme court justice.

Thoughts:

No more bitching about "the direction of the country" from conservatives. They have the keys, and it is all up to them, good or ill.
We now have one of the least qualified presidents ever, who simply does not have the intellectual firepower to think for himself. He will be overwhelmed and at the mercy of the people who feed him information. He does not have the critical thinking skills to recognize bullshit when he sees it. Given the incompetence and asshattery that appears to have been the modus operendi of his campaign, we will get a fine spectacle of this shit playing out under a microscope of hostile media attention.
Trump can only put two coherent sentences together when he is in front of a teleprompter, and will give almost no press conferences, because he simply does not have the intellectual firepower to do the prep work, or if he does, will fill them with incoherent babble that I will find painfully embarrassing as a citizen.
I look forward to Democrats in congress doing everything in their power to obstruct and impede his agenda. The GOP will get a nasty taste of its own medicine.
We will also have the pleasure of watching a sitting president try to explain himself at his fraud trial.
I don't see a guy like this getting a second term, but fuck, anybody in the prediction game counting this guy out should think twice. Sokay, I'm a big boy. The mid-term elections in a couple of years will be a good barometer.

Welcome folks, to the Adams administration!

[vy65]

No more bitching about "the direction of the country" from conservatives. They have the keys, and it is all up to them.


We now have one of the least qualified presidents ever, who simply does not have the intellectual firepower to think for himself.

So "conservatives" (whatever that means these days) have to tow the party line/can't criticize the GOP -- but -- thinking for yourself is a good trait that we especially want in our leaders?

:lmao

[vy65]

:tu

As I've said, I'm leftist on most issues, but also recognize that conservative thought has a lot value in many areas of social and economic policy.

The Left has an advertising problem, which has grown much, much worse since the advent of blogs, forums and social media. Engaging in dialog with someone who has opposing views was an exercise that had to be done in person, where you couldn't as easily dehumanize a person as you can online. Now that the political debate has largely shifted online, the "person" you're debating with is nameless and faceless, meaning it's easier than ever before to just cut a debate short with an insult. Instead of sincerely listening to a real human being explain why they don't believe in evolution, you can just call them an ignorant caveman who stupidly worships an invisible "sky daddy." The Right is similarly knee-jerky, but I think the Left has a bigger advertising problem, mainly due to the fact liberals tend to be younger and more active online.

So what's this "advertising problem?" The modern image of the Left, per your average Joe American in the Bible Belt or Midwest, is that of a smug, elitist, Coastal or even European "intellectual" who holds their traditions and way of life in contempt; who thinks of them as uneducated, obsolete rednecks pathetically clinging to an outdated ethos. The Left continually fails to understand or under-appreciate just how important religion and other traditions are to that region. Most of those communities are tight knit, going back generations, and religion and the church played a central part in the growth and flourishing of those communities. The modern Left just expects them to instantly shove their cultural identity into the dustbin because "science." The rise of New Atheism was also a disaster for the Left's hope of building a bridge to those communities. Per Dawkins, Hitchens, and the rest of those blowhards, you'd think the people in the Bible Belt are scheming 24/7 on ways to blow up abortion clinics. Yeah, try reaching out to them with "science" after titling your books "God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything."

"Well, those in the Bible Belt probably don't even know about Hitchens, et al."

Indeed they do. Sean Hannity and the rest of the Fox News cabal love using New Atheists as polemic talking points.

And the ironic thing is, conservative aren't science illiterate. Here's a study showing how the scientific literacy of conservatives increase if you phrase the wording differently:

http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/06/dan-kahan-climate-change-ideology-scientific-illiteracy

And this is not a conservative phenomenon either. The Left is similarly intractable being open minded on issues that attack their cultural identity.

+1

Which is all the more ironic because the "Left" (as a gross generalization) is committed to engaging the Other (the muslim, the lesbian, the tranny, etc...). Yet that commitment doesn't extend to Bubba in Lexington, KY. Seems that commitment to engagement, inclusiveness, tolerance, etc... only extends to those in the cause celebre margins of the Left's arbitrary choosing.

[johnsmith]

I personally think it's fun to watch people make fun of the presidents intelligence. Yeah, they're idiots for only becoming the President of the free world and you're super smart because you're posting on the Internet.

[boutons_deux]

So "conservatives" (whatever that means these days) have to tow the party line/can't criticize the GOP -- but -- thinking for yourself is a good trait that we especially want in our leaders?

:lmao

Moderate Repugs have been intimidated into compliant silence or, if they dare speak up, get primaried and purged for a more extreme right wing asshole.

Even Trash's staff couldn't get him to study up for the debates, he simply couldn't concentrate, focus.

Along with his clinically disordered psychology, he perhaps also has attention deficit disorder. I wonder what kind of drugs he takes daily.

His fellow partiers said he used to party on cocaine while fucking a bunch young ladies.

[Clipper Nation]

Holy fuck. OP's meltdown puts FuzzyLabia and boutard's to shame.

[johnsmith]

W was so dumb the way he made a bunch of money in his life and then became Governor and then President....what an idiot.

And Trump...man that guy is so stupid all he could do is pull off the biggest upset in American political history....total moron eh?

[johnsmith]

Holy fuck. OP's meltdown puts FuzzyLabia and boutard's to shame.

Lol....I'm curious the percentage of people that actually read all these posts.

[johnsmith]

Moderate Repugs have been intimidated into compliant silence or, if they dare speak up, get primaried and purged for a more extreme right wing asshole.

Even Trash's staff couldn't get him to study up for the debates, he simply couldn't concentrate, focus.

Along with his clinically disordered psychology, he perhaps also has attention deficit disorder. I wonder what kind of drugs he takes daily.

His fellow partiers said he used to party on cocaine while fucking a bunch young ladies.

What an idiot he must be eh?

[boutons_deux]

W was so dumb the way he made a bunch of money in his life and then became Governor and then President....what an idiot.

And Trump...man that guy is so stupid all he could do is pull off the biggest upset in American political history....total moron eh?

dubya was a business failure rescued by his daddy's friends. They included him in the investor group while fleecing the taxpayers to build Texas Stadium, then the taxpayers gave it the investors, who sold it, netting dubya $17M for doing nothing.

Trash's wealth from the 1970s has underperformed both the stock market and the real estate market by $10Bs. He's worth about $4B, not $10B.

but that will certainly increase as the grifter exploits his Presidency, insider trading, self-dealing, to enrich himself. Crooked Hillary? :lol

His campaign was all xenophobia, bigotry, hate, misogyny, religious/ethnic persecution, divisiveness, polarization, and above all LIES. He and the Repugs "won" so that ok with johnsmith and other fucked up rightwingnutjobs.

[johnsmith]

dubya was a business failure rescued by his daddy's friends. They included him in the investor group while fleecing the taxpayers to build Texas Stadium, then the taxpayers gave it the investors, who sold it, netting dubya $17M for doing nothing.

Trash's wealth from the 1970s has underperformed both the stock market and the real estate market by $10Bs. He's worth about $4B, not $10B.

but that will certainly increase as the grifter exploits his Presidency, insider trading, self-dealing, to enrich himself. Crooked Hillary? :lol

His campaign was all xenophobia, bigotry, hate, misogyny, religious/ethnic persecution, divisiveness, polarization, and above all LIES. He and the Repugs "won" so that ok with johnsmith and other fucked up rightwingnutjobs.

That's what I'm saying man. I mean it's obvious that you're way smarter what with the way you've been posing here non stop for over a decade. Those guys are clearly the idiots compared to you.

[boutons_deux]

That's what I'm saying man. I mean it's obvious that you're way smarter what with the way you've been posing here non stop for over a decade. Those guys are clearly the idiots compared to you.

Those are the facts, my little bitch, or refute them.

[johnsmith]

Those are the facts, my little bitch, or refute them.

I'm not arguing with you pal....I'm saying that it's so clear that you're way smarter than them and it's super evident because you've been posting about 30 times a day or more on this site for 12 years and all they've done is win the presidency. They're total idiots and you're super smart....obviously.

You're clearly of a higher intelligence the way you've impacted the spurstalk political forum. I mean, they haven't posted here at all!

[spurraider21]

I personally think it's fun to watch people make fun of the presidents intelligence. Yeah, they're idiots for only becoming the President of the free world and you're super smart because you're posting on the Internet.well, i dont think trump is very intelligence because i hear him speak. he struggles to put together strings of coherent sentences without repeating himself 4 times over

[RandomGuy]

So "conservatives" (whatever that means these days) have to tow the party line/can't criticize the GOP -- but -- thinking for yourself is a good trait that we especially want in our leaders?

:lmao

Dude, you try waaay too hard. In this case though, your strawman doesn't really work, and simply gives the impression of sputtering incoherence. Game up, I've seen you do better.

[baseline bum]

well, i dont think trump is very intelligence because i hear him speak. he struggles to put together strings of coherent sentences without repeating himself 4 times over

Trump is plenty intelligent. He's just evil and knows how to get his message out. None of these crooks in DC are stupid.

[RandomGuy]

Holy fuck. OP's meltdown puts FuzzyLabia and boutard's to shame.

YAY! DING DING DING I got the word "meltdown", which was exactly what I was shooting for. It's almost like I was trying to make a point about something.

[boutons_deux]

yep, making a really strong case, with facts, quotes, and shit, always gets a "meltdown" fact-free comeback.

[RandomGuy]

I think the left should start with a study on whether or not it's a good idea to call the voters deplorable, stupid, and every "ist" they can think of.

... and the right NEVER does that. You want a few examples? Say the word, and I will be happy to troll fox news, and talk radio blatherings for tons of it.

Hypocrisy much?

Be happy to admit the dialogue on both side can/should be elevated. Do you think Trump helped the overall level of discourse in the US, yes or no?

[RandomGuy]

Lol....I'm curious the percentage of people that actually read all these posts.

Single digits. :D

[RandomGuy]

trying to persuade somebody by insulting them never works, it only pushes them further into a corner. thats why elitism is a problem with the left.

"insulting people never works, that's why I am going to call out all the left elitists".

(facepalm)

Sure. Let's pass over the built-in irony.

Let's assume for the sake of argument the left is elitist. Granted.

Is the right anti-intellectual? Why or why not?

[RandomGuy]

:tu

As I've said, I'm leftist on most issues, but also recognize that conservative thought has a lot value in many areas of social and economic policy.

The Left has an advertising problem, which has grown much, much worse since the advent of blogs, forums and social media. Engaging in dialog with someone who has opposing views was an exercise that had to be done in person, where you couldn't as easily dehumanize a person as you can online. Now that the political debate has largely shifted online, the "person" you're debating with is nameless and faceless, meaning it's easier than ever before to just cut a debate short with an insult. Instead of sincerely listening to a real human being explain why they don't believe in evolution, you can just call them an ignorant caveman who stupidly worships an invisible "sky daddy." The Right is similarly knee-jerky, but I think the Left has a bigger advertising problem, mainly due to the fact liberals tend to be younger and more active online.

So what's this "advertising problem?" The modern image of the Left, per your average Joe American in the Bible Belt or Midwest, is that of a smug, elitist, Coastal or even European "intellectual" who holds their traditions and way of life in contempt; who thinks of them as uneducated, obsolete rednecks pathetically clinging to an outdated ethos. The Left continually fails to understand or under-appreciate just how important religion and other traditions are to that region. Most of those communities are tight knit, going back generations, and religion and the church played a central part in the growth and flourishing of those communities. The modern Left just expects them to instantly shove their cultural identity into the dustbin because "science." The rise of New Atheism was also a disaster for the Left's hope of building a bridge to those communities. Per Dawkins, Hitchens, and the rest of those blowhards, you'd think the people in the Bible Belt are scheming 24/7 on ways to blow up abortion clinics. Yeah, try reaching out to them with "science" after titling your books "God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything."

"Well, those in the Bible Belt probably don't even know about Hitchens, et al."

Indeed they do. Sean Hannity and the rest of the Fox News cabal love using New Atheists as polemic talking points.

And the ironic thing is, conservative aren't science illiterate. Here's a study showing how the scientific literacy of conservatives increase if you phrase the wording differently:

http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2014/06/dan-kahan-climate-change-ideology-scientific-illiteracy



And this is not a conservative phenomenon either. The Left is similarly intractable being open minded on issues that attack their cultural identity.

Well put, valid criticisms all.

[RandomGuy]

+1

Which is all the more ironic because the "Left" (as a gross generalization) is committed to engaging the Other (the muslim, the lesbian, the tranny, etc...). Yet that commitment doesn't extend to Bubba in Lexington, KY. Seems that commitment to engagement, inclusiveness, tolerance, etc... only extends to those in the cause celebre margins of the Left's arbitrary choosing.

Also valid criticism, and something that I think should change.

[101A]

Trump is plenty intelligent. He's just evil and knows how to get his message out. None of these crooks in DC are stupid.

This is the truism I keep coming back to. What would Jim Rome say? "Scoreboard"

I've seen interviews with Trump where he appeared downright intelligent, coherent, even logical. Almost none of those occurred during the course of this campaign. It's like he DID stay on point and on message. That message? "I am as far from an elitist as anyone can possibly be. In fact I'm borderline moron." Maybe that's who is actually is, or that is who he knew he needed to be to get the votes necessary to do the "impossible."

[vy65]

stuttering nonsense

Saying it doesn't work doesn't mean it doesn't work. Try again.

Or you could just admit I nailed that ass, Gus Petch style.

[vy65]

Also valid criticism, and something that I think should change.

+1

Shit is important when Team Blue has to save the rest of us from Team Red.

[spurraider21]

"insulting people never works, that's why I am going to call out all the left elitists".

(facepalm)

Sure. Let's pass over the built-in irony.
conservatives are uneducated
conservatives are religious nuts
conservatives are racists who only disliked obama because he's black
conservatives hate women and that's why they dislike clinton

if this is the pitch, then you aren't willing to go through normal political discourse. you've already written everybody off as incapable of having an intellectual discussion. calling somebody elitist isn't an insult to their intelligence. i've heard leftists assert that conservatives dont like abortion because they're anti-woman. it's entirely dismissive. calling a liberal elitist isn't dismissive of their ability to have a conversation. it's calling out the willingness to allow the other party to engage in the conversation. it's "you're wrong because you're wrong and i'm smarter." good luck with that


Let's assume for the sake of argument the left is elitist. Granted.

Is the right anti-intellectual? Why or why not?
it several of their key policy positions, absolutely. while the left can be guilty of it too in certain circumstances (anti-vaccination started out as a leftist thing, anti-gmo stigma is largely left), i think the right has a big problem with it because they'd rather go back to how things were, the way they were used to things, or what just sounds like common sense because it's easier. climate change is the clear example, imo.

[TheSanityAnnex]

https://i.sli.mg/bKxs2x.jpg (https://i.sli.mg/bKxs2x.jpg)

[Clipper Nation]

well, i dont think trump is very intelligence because i hear him speak.
If you're going to criticize the way Trump speaks, you might want to brush up on your own grammar first.

[midnightpulp]

Well put, valid criticisms all.

I'm sure you've seen Michael Moore's Roger and Me or this documentary https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Dream_(film).

Those people are just as downtrodden and as frustrated as any struggling minority. But because minorities have been growing significantly over the past two or so decades, the Democrats focused their energy on them, since they're poised to become (and already are) a huge voting base.

Like many have said, I don't think they were compelled to vote out of some latent racism. More likely they said to themselves, "Okay, helping working poor immigrants is good and all, but we're kind of in the same situation here. What about us? Don't we count too?"

Trump campaigned hard in the Rust Belt while Hillary had it chalked up. I doubt they believe all those jobs are coming back, but he acknowledged them, and for that they gave him his vote.

[spurraider21]

If you're going to criticize the way Trump speaks, you might want to brush up on your own grammar first.
touche

[HarlemHeat37]

If you're going to criticize the way Trump speaks, you might want to brush up on your own grammar first.

:wow

[baseline bum]

W was so dumb the way he made a bunch of money in his life and then became Governor and then President....what an idiot.

And Trump...man that guy is so stupid all he could do is pull off the biggest upset in American political history....total moron eh?

All the media that hypes this as the biggest upset in American political history don't understand sophomore level probability. This was an upset, but it was never US hockey over the USSR 1980 like the media is trying to say to cover their asses. It was an upset more in line with Cleveland winning Game 7 in Oakland with Bogut out if you placed a bet right before the game. A genuine upset, but not something inconceivable by any means.

[spurraider21]

:wowwhy'd you go back and delete your comments about aldridge? :lol

[RandomGuy]

If you're going to criticize the way Trump speaks, you might want to brush up on your own grammar first.

Maybe. Still won't change the against smart things he said, and will continue to say. :rollin

Bush 2.0...

[RandomGuy]

I'm sure you've seen Michael Moore's Roger and Me or this documentary https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Dream_(film).

Those people are just as downtrodden and as frustrated as any struggling minority. But because minorities have been growing significantly over the past two or so decades, the Democrats focused their energy on them, since they're poised to become (and already are) a huge voting base.

Like many have said, I don't think they were compelled to vote out of some latent racism. More likely they said to themselves, "Okay, helping working poor immigrants is good and all, but we're kind of in the same situation here. What about us? Don't we count too?"

Trump campaigned hard in the Rust Belt while Hillary had it chalked up. I doubt they believe all those jobs are coming back, but he acknowledged them, and for that they gave him his vote.

I think they genuinely think that scrapping the trade bills will magically create jobs that were lost to automation. People tend to be ignorant about economics and how free markets work, that goes for both sides of the aisle, although it is much more ironic and funny when the supposed free market champions on the right argue things like welfare policy.

[101A]

Maybe if the media would start sending questions to Trump in advance, let him approve articles, coordinate pieces with his people, and let him approve quotes before printing them, he would be more accommodating.

[101A]

I would be at least as frightened with a Clinton administration. At least the media is skeptical of Trump. They will actually question his actions, and report them.

[spurraider21]

Maybe if the media would start sending questions to Trump in advanceDonna Brazile approves this plan

[Clipper Nation]

Maybe if the media would start sending questions to Trump in advance, let him approve articles, coordinate pieces with his people, and let him approve quotes before printing them, he would be more accommodating.
They didn't even have to give him the Democrat Special. They could have just reported on him honestly and impartially. Instead, they tried to destroy him - and now they have the nerve to wonder why he's not going out of his way to make their jobs easier.

Newsflash to the press: if your job requires getting special access and perks from someone, it's probably not a good idea to spread lies about them, give a supportive platform to those who wish to harm them, and treat them like shit under your shoe. You don't have to kiss their ass, but you probably should treat them with common courtesy.

[spurraider21]

replaying donald's own words = impartial and dishonest :lol

[tlongII]

I think they genuinely think that scrapping the trade bills will magically create jobs that were lost to automation. People tend to be ignorant about economics and how free markets work, that goes for both sides of the aisle, although it is much more ironic and funny when the supposed free market champions on the right argue things like welfare policy.

Can I assume you know that Trump graduated from Wharton with a degree in Economics?

[TheSanityAnnex]

To all who served thank you and have a nice weekend.

http://i.imgur.com/It5pprg.gif

[Clipper Nation]

replaying donald's own words = impartial and dishonest :lol

That's not what they did, though. They lied about and distorted his words repeatedly. They pushed a narrative that he was actually Hitler 2.0. They didn't just go after him, they also viciously attacked his supporters as racists, fascists, and rednecks. Remember the dipshit in Ohio who hopped the Secret Service barricade and tried to pull Trump down off the stage? CNN gave him an interview the next day and made him look good - almost as if they were trying to inspire copycats. It even got to the point where a reporter literally tried to pick a fight with a Secret Service agent just so he could be removed and then whine about how Trump's a "fascist" who wants to silence the press.

Thanks to the media, Trump supporters have been getting assaulted by rabid leftists for months, violent mobs have been rioting in our major cities for days, and a frightening number of people actually believe that anyone who isn't white, straight and male will be shipped off to camps or something - and they're scaring the shit out of their kids with it too. And yet they want to play the victim because the man they've been smearing for months isn't alerting them every time he takes a shit. Excuse me while I play the world's smallest violin for those hacks.

[DMC]

/sarcasm

Truth be told I have vacillated a lot about how to react. It is sooo temping to be an intellectually dishonest hack, like tlong, or Wild Cobra. So easy to just give in to lazy confirmation bias, stop thinking, and spout off bullshit conspiracy theories.

I don't think it is good for so many millions of Americans to be in a one party state, especially when the GOP actively seeks to disenfranchise Democrats. That is dangerous.

Welcome to the democratic process. It includes you losing btw.

[spurraider21]

https://i.gyazo.com/6af126f406a9246dcb0391837508dbad.png

[DMC]

I predict Donald will not win the Nobel peace prize for being white.

[Trainwreck2100]

I predict Donald will not win the Nobel peace prize for being white.

Advocating war crimes probably disqualifies him tbqh

[Clipper Nation]

Advocating war crimes probably disqualifies him tbqh

They didn't take Obama's award away when he became the first Nobel Peace Prize winner ever to bomb another Nobel Peace Prize winner, tbh.

[DMC]

Advocating war crimes probably disqualifies him tbqh

An elderly Russian lady in Finland asked me once "what did Obama do to get prize besides be neegar"?

[RandomGuy]

Can I assume you know that Trump graduated from Wharton with a degree in Economics?

Did he really?

Reaaaaaaly?

Proof? I want the long form certificate.

[RandomGuy]

Can I assume you know that Trump graduated from Wharton with a degree in Economics?


He did well there, and then went to Fordham University, a Jesuit school in the Bronx, for two years, before transferring to the University of Pennsylvania and studied economics for two years, graduating in 1968 with a bachelor’s degree. He took undergraduate classes at Penn’s famed Wharton School of Business. Though he was not enrolled in Wharton’s prestigious MBA program, the Spring 2007 Wharton Alumni Magazine featured Trump, with this headline, “The Best Brand Name in Real Estate.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2015/07/17/yes-donald-trump-really-went-to-an-ivy-league-school/

Once again, you assume incorrectly.

(edit) seems he did graduate, although not with any distinction, meaning his daddy paid for the juuust enough of his grades to get him the paper.


Writing in the New York Times magazine in 1984, William Geist reported that “the commencement program from 1968 does not list him as graduating with honors of any kind,” even though “just about every profile ever written about Mr. Trump states that he graduated first in his class at Wharton in 1968.” … In 1988, New York magazine reported that the idea that Trump had graduated first in his class was a “myth.” [emphasis by Salon]

[RandomGuy]

How did Trump get into the University of Pennsylvania?

A 2011 Salon magazine article refers to a 2001 book called “The Trumps: Three Generations That Built an Empire,” by Gwenda Blair. It says that Trump’s grades at Fordham, a Jesuit school in New York, had been “respectable,” and that he was admitted to Penn after an interview with a “friendly” Wharton admissions officer who was an old classmate of Trump’s older brother.

Trump's daddy got him in. Shocker.

LOL self-made man.

[RandomGuy]

That's not what they did, though. They lied about and distorted his words repeatedly. They pushed a narrative that he was actually Hitler 2.0. They didn't just go after him, they also viciously attacked his supporters as racists, fascists, and rednecks. Remember the dipshit in Ohio who hopped the Secret Service barricade and tried to pull Trump down off the stage? CNN gave him an interview the next day and made him look good - almost as if they were trying to inspire copycats. It even got to the point where a reporter literally tried to pick a fight with a Secret Service agent just so he could be removed and then whine about how Trump's a "fascist" who wants to silence the press.

Thanks to the media, Trump supporters have been getting assaulted by rabid leftists for months, violent mobs have been rioting in our major cities for days, and a frightening number of people actually believe that anyone who isn't white, straight and male will be shipped off to camps or something - and they're scaring the shit out of their kids with it too. And yet they want to play the victim because the man they've been smearing for months isn't alerting them every time he takes a shit. Excuse me while I play the world's smallest violin for those hacks.

Meh. They took a bit of it out of context, but there was plenty in context that you seem to have a sudden selective memory about.

Fuck, I hate you information bubble people. This shit literally just happened, and you have already forgotten.

You want examples?

We can start with "Grab 'em by the pussy", and go from there. Dare me.

[Axl Rose]

Come and get me, internet pussy. You seem to forget that white people haven't been having as many welfare babies as my brown brothers. You will lose the war of attrition.
Liberal low t numales are afraid of pussy and don't get to reproduce, while white conservatives average 3 kids per woman. Mormons and Amish alone will hold it down and cuck genes will die out. Trumps brownshirts will pummel you in the streets until you fall into line. Mud skins aren't your "brothers" and can't save you. I know you depend on them to please your wife but a civil conflict is different

[RandomGuy]

Liberal low t numales are afraid of pussy and don't get to reproduce, while white conservatives average 3 kids per woman. Mormons and Amish alone will hold it down and cuck genes will die out. Trumps brownshirts will pummel you in the streets until you fall into line. Mud skins aren't your "brothers" and can't save you. I know you depend on them to please your wife but a civil conflict is different

There we go. Full on alt-right meltdown. Thanks for taking the bait, and demonstrating exactly the kind of thing that Trump's victory is encouraging, and every conservative here swears up and down isn't happening.

[DMC]

I'M FUCKING TROLLING LOL FUCK YOU ALL HAHAHAHAHAHA FUCK THE WORLD I AM A TROLL MASTER I HATE POLITICS LOL I ALWAYS WIN YOU RESPONDED LOL

[spurtech09]

Trump bought his way to the top to become President.......Money talks....evil Money

[DMC]

Trump bought his way to the top to become President.......Money talks....evil Money

What?

[TheSanityAnnex]

There we go. Full on alt-right meltdown. Thanks for taking the bait, and demonstrating exactly the kind of thing that Trump's victory is encouraging, and every conservative here swears up and down isn't happening.

:rollin outing m>s as a racist :rollin

[RandomGuy]

:rollin outing m>s as a racist :rollin

HAHAHAHA... really? Axl is m>s's new troll profile?

I seriously did not know that. Makes sense now.

[Axl Rose]

What's with the m>s meme? Guy hasn't posted here in years iirc

im sure he supported trump also but cmon everyone can't be m>s

[tlongII]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2015/07/17/yes-donald-trump-really-went-to-an-ivy-league-school/

Once again, you assume incorrectly.

(edit) seems he did graduate, although not with any distinction, meaning his daddy paid for the juuust enough of his grades to get him the paper.

No I was correct. He got a BS in Economics from Wharton. Look it up. Wharton awards Bachelors degrees.