USA Politics (redux)

Started by bhodges, November 10, 2020, 01:09:34 PM

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71 dB

Quote from: Todd on November 14, 2020, 04:49:54 AM

The actual election results demonstrate otherwise.  In the midst of pandemic and depression, it was Democrats who underperformed and Republicans who did better than expected.  A "solid reboot" is the worst possible advice.  Republicans know this.

In order to actually benefit from the pandemic and depression, the Dems should have fiercely advocated medicare for all, living wage, UBI, etc., but corporate Dems don't believe in those things so they did not. They believe in their own political career and corporate donor money. Only progressives advocated those things and what you know, they all got easily re-elected and new progressives got also elected while some corporate Dems struggled and even lost their election.

The Republicans are just a party, a bunch of power-hungry filthy rich and priviledged individuals. Who cares what's good for them? What is good for millions and millions of regular not so priviledged Americans? That's what I am after.
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Todd

Quote from: 71 dB on November 14, 2020, 05:59:52 AMThe Republicans are just a party, a bunch of power-hungry filthy rich and priviledged individuals. Who cares what's good for them? What is good for millions and millions of regular not so priviledged Americans? That's what I am after.


When it comes to American politics and policy, what Republicans want matter.  What non-Americans want does not matter.  In real world terms.

Republicans have already adjusted their national office game - hence a record number of Republican women being elected and increases in Cuban and Mexican turnout in key states - and will continue to do so.  Expect right wing populism and nationalism to remain, though in new forms tailored to each state.

And it's not too soon to start thinking about 2024 hopefuls. 
The universe is change; life is opinion. - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

People would rather believe than know - E.O. Wilson

Propaganda death ensemble - Tom Araya

Todd

Aside from a few news stories about how dictatorial Don attempted to do nefarious things to the census, there's been very little news about the results in state level races and what that means for House and Electoral College apportionment.  For sort of good reason.  Republicans picked up the Montana governorship and New Hampshire legislature.  Democrats underperformed at the state level and lost those two states.  (Good job Dems!)  So no big changes.  This means that the battle lines are set for the post-census apportionment battles.  With a high probability that Florida officially overtakes New York in electoral vote count, and Texas perhaps increasing its allotment, that means two large Republican run states could gerrymander 2024 back to the GOP.  I don't know election law in those two states, so perhaps the legislatures and governors will be effectively constrained in carving up their states along partisan lines.

Of course, this is all moot if there is a groundswell of support for eliminating the Electoral College.  This time is different, etc.
The universe is change; life is opinion. - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

People would rather believe than know - E.O. Wilson

Propaganda death ensemble - Tom Araya

milk

Quote from: Todd on November 14, 2020, 04:49:54 AM

The actual election results demonstrate otherwise.  In the midst of pandemic and depression, it was Democrats who underperformed and Republicans who did better than expected.  A "solid reboot" is the worst possible advice.  Republicans know this.
And with groups of people who were considered a lock for Democrats. I don't think Dems will get the right message from this, i.e. that it's them who should reboot: dump identity politics and all that mess of applied post-modernism, critical theory, woke politics, etc. The people that broke late in the election broke for Trump. It's pretty scary to me that Trump almost won. I actually like Biden more and more these days but I know what's coming after him and it ain't good.   

71 dB

#184
Quote from: Todd on November 14, 2020, 06:07:11 AM

When it comes to American politics and policy, what Republicans want matter.  What non-Americans want does not matter.  In real world terms.

Republicans have already adjusted their national office game - hence a record number of Republican women being elected and increases in Cuban and Mexican turnout in key states - and will continue to do so.  Expect right wing populism and nationalism to remain, though in new forms tailored to each state.

And it's not too soon to start thinking about 2024 hopefuls.

I have not claimed what I want matters. I want things regardless of whether they mattered or not because I am a human being and human beings are known to want things.

Expect huge social unrest in your country (we already saw a glimbse of it with BLM protests), because the current political system is unsustainable. I come from a country that is considered the most stable society in the World, so I might have insight into what makes a society stable, but then again, my views just don't matter...
Spatial distortion is a serious problem deteriorating headphone listening.
Crossfeeders reduce spatial distortion and make the sound more natural
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My Sound Cloud page <-- NEW Jan. 2024 "Harpeggiator"

Todd

Quote from: milk on November 14, 2020, 06:20:50 AMI don't think Dems will get the right message from this, i.e. that it's them who should reboot: dump identity politics and all that mess of applied post-modernism, critical theory, woke politics, etc.

It's a safe bet Dems won't learn.  Mainstream news outlets are already touting the idea that Biden will immediately try to roll back some or all of DeVos' policy changes, for instance, which, while minor on its face, has implications down the line.  I would think coming in that Biden should focus on Covid, the economic impact of Covid, and (because it's what he has always supported not because it is what should happen) rebuilding international relationships with traditional allies.  The other stuff is all negotiable.  Of course, that could be how he and his senior advisors see it, too, so we will see in January. 


Quote from: 71 dB on November 14, 2020, 06:24:09 AMExpect huge social unrest in your country (we already saw a glimbse of it), because the current political system is unsustainable.

Social unrest is a common occurrence in the US.  The various 2020 brouhahas paled in comparison to more tumultuous times - '68, the 30s, entire blobs of years from 1873 to 1917 - so I fret not about such things. 


Quote from: 71 dB on November 14, 2020, 06:24:09 AMI have not claimed what I want matters. I want things regardless of whether they mattered or not because I am a human being and human beings are known to want things.

I want a banana.
The universe is change; life is opinion. - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

People would rather believe than know - E.O. Wilson

Propaganda death ensemble - Tom Araya

71 dB

#186
Quote from: milk on November 14, 2020, 06:20:50 AM
And with groups of people who were considered a lock for Democrats. I don't think Dems will get the right message from this, i.e. that it's them who should reboot: dump identity politics and all that mess of applied post-modernism, critical theory, woke politics, etc. The people that broke late in the election broke for Trump. It's pretty scary to me that Trump almost won. I actually like Biden more and more these days but I know what's coming after him and it ain't good.   

Yes, the identity politics stuff isn't "winning" in the same way economical populism is, but corporate Dems must serve their donors or the flow of money stops so they can't adopt economical populism. Solution: Vote corporate Dems out and progressive Dems in. That's actually what's happening, but it is a painfully slow process...
Spatial distortion is a serious problem deteriorating headphone listening.
Crossfeeders reduce spatial distortion and make the sound more natural
and less tiresome in headphone listening.

My Sound Cloud page <-- NEW Jan. 2024 "Harpeggiator"

Todd

Quote from: 71 dB on November 14, 2020, 06:41:37 AMSolution: Vote corporate Dems out and progressive Dems in.


This is the inverse of the solution.
The universe is change; life is opinion. - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

People would rather believe than know - E.O. Wilson

Propaganda death ensemble - Tom Araya

71 dB

#188
Quote from: Todd on November 14, 2020, 06:32:45 AM
1) Social unrest is a common occurrence in the US.  The various 2020 brouhahas paled in comparison to more tumultuous times - '68, the 30s, entire blobs of years from 1873 to 1917 - so I fret not about such things. 

2) I want a banana.

1) That's why I said we have seen a glimpse of what's coming. Up to 30 million Americans are in danger of getting evicted. We can only hope the amount of evictions turns out to be much less than that because some 10 % of Americans being homeless makes George Floyd protests look like child's play.

2) Trump almost managed to turn the US a banana-republic so your wishes almost came true...
Spatial distortion is a serious problem deteriorating headphone listening.
Crossfeeders reduce spatial distortion and make the sound more natural
and less tiresome in headphone listening.

My Sound Cloud page <-- NEW Jan. 2024 "Harpeggiator"

Todd

Quote from: 71 dB on November 14, 2020, 06:57:40 AM1) That's why I said we have seen a glimse of what's coming.


If you are going to underline a word, you may want to spell it properly.

Also, you may want to check your sources on eviction figures.  They are detached from reality.
The universe is change; life is opinion. - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

People would rather believe than know - E.O. Wilson

Propaganda death ensemble - Tom Araya

71 dB

Quote from: Todd on November 14, 2020, 06:47:53 AM

This is the inverse of the solution.

Your goal is completely different from my goal so our solutions are very different. My solution is not a solution to your goal because I don't want your goal. I want my goal and to my goal my solution is a solution.
Spatial distortion is a serious problem deteriorating headphone listening.
Crossfeeders reduce spatial distortion and make the sound more natural
and less tiresome in headphone listening.

My Sound Cloud page <-- NEW Jan. 2024 "Harpeggiator"

Todd

Quote from: 71 dB on November 14, 2020, 07:03:39 AMI want my goal and to my goal my solution is a solution.


Incorrect.
The universe is change; life is opinion. - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

People would rather believe than know - E.O. Wilson

Propaganda death ensemble - Tom Araya

71 dB

Quote from: Todd on November 14, 2020, 07:03:17 AM

1) If you are going to underline a word, you may want to spell it properly.

2) Also, you may want to check your sources on eviction figures.  They are detached from reality.

1) You saw a glimpse of my laziness to use spell check, but at least it gave you an opportunity to attack my English skills instead of the substance.

2) I checked and it turned out it's actually 30-40 million Americans at risk:

https://www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/the-covid-19-eviction-crisis-an-estimated-30-40-million-people-in-america-are-at-risk/

Then again, The Aspen Institute could be detached from reality...  :P
Spatial distortion is a serious problem deteriorating headphone listening.
Crossfeeders reduce spatial distortion and make the sound more natural
and less tiresome in headphone listening.

My Sound Cloud page <-- NEW Jan. 2024 "Harpeggiator"

drogulus

#193
     I Covered Congressional Races in Florida in 2018, and Boy Do I Know Why Trump Won the State in 2020

In a piece titled What the Hell Happened to Democrats in Miami-Dade?, Rolling Stone observed ruefully that "Miami-Dade is considered safe—until election night, when suddenly it's not," and quoted Maria Elena Lopez, first vice-chair of the Miami-Dade Democrats.

Lopez lamented how the Democratic National Convention did not talk to, fund, or advise the local parties. "We don't get any feedback from the DNC," she said. "They don't come to us and say, 'Hey, what is the messaging that would work in your community? Where are we weak?' [The party] doesn't do that, at all. We are on our own."

"Unfortunately, this is not the first time that we've seen this," she said. It was not the first time I had seen it either.


     Dems lost local elections because the national party didn't invest in them. Multiculturalism is a fact for Dems, and a theory to cover that fact. As practice, though, Dems haven't learned how to work out the kinks in places like Miami-Dade. Local failures in Florida look a lot like Clinton failures in 2016.

     Too much emphasis is put on the ideological makeup of the Dems, understandably so as people wanting good things progressively makes an easily digestible story while people wanting them centrally doesn't. Dems are the party of "everyone else", and that dictates how they should fight at the local level.
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Todd

Quote from: 71 dB on November 14, 2020, 07:24:42 AM1) You saw a glimpse of my laziness to use spell check, but at least it gave you an opportunity to attack my English skills instead of the substance.

Incorrect.

Quote from: 71 dB on November 14, 2020, 07:24:42 AM
2) I checked and it turned out it's actually 30-40 million Americans at risk:

https://www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/the-covid-19-eviction-crisis-an-estimated-30-40-million-people-in-america-are-at-risk/

Then again, The Aspen Institute could be detached from reality...  :P

It is.  Property owners are concerned with cash flow, and empty properties generate no cash flow.  Also, politicians from both parties would never allow something on such a scale, as is already in evidence with various state and municipal level eviction moratoria. 
The universe is change; life is opinion. - Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

People would rather believe than know - E.O. Wilson

Propaganda death ensemble - Tom Araya

T. D.

Quote from: milk on November 14, 2020, 06:20:50 AM
And with groups of people who were considered a lock for Democrats. I don't think Dems will get the right message from this, i.e. that it's them who should reboot: dump identity politics and all that mess of applied post-modernism, critical theory, woke politics, etc. The people that broke late in the election broke for Trump. It's pretty scary to me that Trump almost won. I actually like Biden more and more these days but I know what's coming after him and it ain't good.   

Excellent points.
For instance, see https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/republicans-2020-gains-in-the-house-set-them-up-well-for-2022/

drogulus

Quote from: milk on November 14, 2020, 06:20:50 AM
And with groups of people who were considered a lock for Democrats. I don't think Dems will get the right message from this, i.e. that it's them who should reboot: dump identity politics and all that mess of applied post-modernism, critical theory, woke politics, etc. The people that broke late in the election broke for Trump. It's pretty scary to me that Trump almost won. I actually like Biden more and more these days but I know what's coming after him and it ain't good.   

     I think that's a rear view mirror take. Post modern critical wokesters are not where we're going, and none of the Dem candidates represented their ideas as well as the conservative media that is so fascinated by them.
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Karl Henning

Quote from: T. D. on November 14, 2020, 07:50:43 AM
Excellent points.
For instance, see https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/republicans-2020-gains-in-the-house-set-them-up-well-for-2022/

If the hard left forgets/fails to digest that it was the appeal to the center which put Biden in the White House, and fail to put pragmatism over "purity" they're just going to feed the Trumpism beast.
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Karl Henning

Quote from: drogulus on November 14, 2020, 08:17:34 AM
     I think that's a rear view mirror take. Post modern critical wokesters are not where we're going, and none of the Dem candidates represented their ideas as well as the conservative media that is so fascinated by them.

This is, dare I say, right.
Karl Henning, Ph.D.
Composer & Clarinetist
Boston MA
http://www.karlhenning.com/
[Matisse] was interested neither in fending off opposition,
nor in competing for the favor of wayward friends.
His only competition was with himself. — Françoise Gilot

Gurn Blanston

Quote from: k a rl h e nn i ng on November 14, 2020, 09:02:04 AM
If the hard left forgets/fails to digest that it was the appeal to the center which put Biden in the White House, and fail to put pragmatism over "purity" they're just going to feed the Trumpism beast.

Amen. I've been fearing that for 2-3 years now. It was reading Pujo's posts that got me in that frame of mind, I must say. :-\

8)
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