The 2016 Presidential Campaign

[JackieLikesVariety]

The Democrats have the numbers to filibuster everything. And they should.

do they? and WILL they?

somebody hold me

[DoubleJ]

Originally Posted by JackieLikesVariety

do they? and WILL they?

somebody hold me

I'd really like to think so, but they're so hell-bent on trying to be the good guys that they back down far too frequently. My guess is that we'll get some milquetoast objection that only lasts long enough for the steamroller to warm up.

[Rat Diva]

Originally Posted by Solfy

I've seen this sentiment elsewhere, and I've got to say I don't agree. As satisfying as it sounds at face value, what I DON'T want to see is people being obstructionist to score imaginary points.

Obstruct if you feel what's being pushed is not in the best interest of the country. Obstruct in an honest attempt to get the other side to work toward some acceptable middle ground. But I hate obstruction for obstruction's sake, which I've seen too damned much of over the last 8 years.

I don't like Trump. I don't like him at all. But there were enough people over the past several years having snit fits and screwing the country simply because they didn't like Obama. Turn about only fucks the country some more. It's not about ideology or revenge. It's about getting shit done.

Yes. We've been split into Red America vs. Blue America for way too long already and people have suffered from it. Let's not forget that Clinton herself said that both parties have to work together for the sake of the country; her "stronger together" message is more important now than ever.

If nothing else, it's an opportunity for democrats and anti-Trump republicans with an eye on 2020 to figure out why so many people voted for Trump, and put together an appealing campaign platform minus all the Trumpy stuff.

[joyfool]

Yeah, I know it sucks to take the high road here and not do to the republicans what they've done to us for the past eight years, but I agree with both solfy and the Diva. Because at the end of the day (in 2020), we want to be the clear, different choice from 'politics as usual.' People are going to want to be so far away from Trump and his ilk, we need to be light years apart. And the only way to do that is to demonstrate that we actually did serve in the best interest of the country, not our party.

[Inner Stickler]

We say that every time and every time the democrats get whalloped as being spineless and we never get more than a fraction of what we want because we're constantly negotiating and compromising with the toddler republicans who simply scream "Do not want!" over and over again. I'm sick of it and I'm sick of them and I'm sick of the electorate who keeps voting for them. I'm going to focus on Minnesota where it's relatively sane and try to keep the nuts from getting behind the wheel here but as far as I'm concerned right now, the rest of the country can burn, metaphorically speaking.

[NAF1138]

Originally Posted by Inner Stickler

We say that every time and every time the democrats get whalloped as being spineless and we never get more than a fraction of what we want because we're constantly negotiating and compromising with the toddler republicans who simply scream "Do not want!" over and over again. I'm sick of it and I'm sick of them and I'm sick of the electorate who keeps voting for them. I'm going to focus on Minnesota where it's relatively sane and try to keep the nuts from getting behind the wheel here but as far as I'm concerned right now, the rest of the country can burn, metaphorically speaking.

Agreed. The tea party showed us how to effect the changes you want in the county.

We don't need to douse ourselves in ideological purity like they do, but we need to actually fight this time.

I give no fucks how much they want the XL pipeline. Filibuster it. I give no fucks how much they want to repeal ACA. Obstruct.

If they put up anyone for the Supreme Court who is even moderately wavering on abortion rights or gay marriage or any civil liberties block it. If it gets down to 3 justices. I DO NOT CARE.

Being the bigger person being the rational person, being the calm person, has allowed the lunatics to run the asylum. We need to take it back.

[Mr. Plumbean]

Time for the Democratic party to decide if it is a vertebrate animal.

[Andrew Jackson's Hair]

Take it back from what? 70% of the electorate, in a democracy? Whites voted Trump in. But what did Hillary offer them as an alternative? More white guilt? More "diversity"? I am stunned by the obliviousness of the DNC.

From a 2/1/16 post by AJH:

"Trump's appeal to the moderate democrats is completely underestimated. He's going to steal a substantial portion of Hillary's base right out from under her, and she'll be left with feminists, wine track liberals and the black vote. It's not a question of whether the GOP is wrecked, because it is. The question is how wrecked the Dems are going to be once this gets down to Trump v. Hillary."

How can you think there is anything you can take back by being politically aggressive? America just had the most "honest conversation on race" it has ever had, and the final words were "fuck you". Either (a) have a candidate that these people are going to vote for, (b) wait a century for them to become a minority, or (c) get used to losing. And since most every other one of my predictions has come true, here's another one:

This is just the start. Whites are going to get worse. Whites have started voting their own identity politics, just like everyone else does. Whites are now used to being called racists. They are now used to having their conservative political candidates be referred to as "Hitler", and trust me you dumb fucks: that is not a good thing. Every one of you little drama queens screaming "racist" is just going to make white people more comfortable with the term. Do you not get that? It was NOT effective in deterring the votes for Trump. It did not work. Repeat: they didn't give a fucking shit. Are you going to take it back by yelling it more loudly?

If the DNC wants to remain at all relevant, take the bottles of hot sauce out of your purses and start engaging with 70% of the goddamned fucking electorate. Try to do it without condescendingly referring to them as deplorable.

Take it back? Shit. You people just got taken to the fucking cleaners. Just...unbelievable lack of awareness on this side of the fence.

[Sour Grapes]

I don't say whether the post above is right or wrong, but dayum, AJH, when you stop fucking about for five minutes you're an interesting dog.

[Rat Diva]

Ya know, I was working on a post explaining my viewpoint in a calm and orderly manner, then I hit preview and saw AJH's post, and saw that he said what I wanted to say in an impressively "frothing anger" manner, and the paradox is making my brain squeak, so I'm gonna take some Advil and go read TV Tropes for a while... X_x

[joyfool]

Originally Posted by Andrew Jackson's Hair

Take it back from what? 70% of the electorate, in a democracy? Whites voted Trump in. But what did Hillary offer them as an alternative? More white guilt? More "diversity"? I am stunned by the obliviousness of the DNC.



From a 2/1/16 post by AJH:



"Trump's appeal to the moderate democrats is completely underestimated. He's going to steal a substantial portion of Hillary's base right out from under her, and she'll be left with feminists, wine track liberals and the black vote. It's not a question of whether the GOP is wrecked, because it is. The question is how wrecked the Dems are going to be once this gets down to Trump v. Hillary."



How can you think there is anything you can take back by being politically aggressive? America just had the most "honest conversation on race" it has ever had, and the final words were "fuck you". Either (a) have a candidate that these people are going to vote for, (b) wait a century for them to become a minority, or (c) get used to losing. And since most every other one of my predictions has come true, here's another one:



This is just the start. Whites are going to get worse. Whites have started voting their own identity politics, just like everyone else does. Whites are now used to being called racists. They are now used to having their conservative political candidates be referred to as "Hitler", and trust me you dumb fucks: that is not a good thing. Every one of you little drama queens screaming "racist" is just going to make white people more comfortable with the term. Do you not get that? It was NOT effective in deterring the votes for Trump. It did not work. Repeat: they didn't give a fucking shit. Are you going to take it back by yelling it more loudly?



If the DNC wants to remain at all relevant, take the bottles of hot sauce out of your purses and start engaging with 70% of the goddamned fucking electorate. Try to do it without condescendingly referring to them as deplorable.



Take it back? Shit. You people just got taken to the fucking cleaners. Just...unbelievable lack of awareness on this side of the fence.

The bolded part was what I was talking about. They see our "aggression" (for lack of a better word) as justification for more of their own. MLK didn't win the day for racial equality by getting in the mud and slinging it with the best of them. He held to a higher principle and although that took way too freaking long, it's what changed things. And believe me, I understand getting pissed off at bigotry and being tired of how slowly real progress makes strides (been there, bought the tshirt factory), but for permanent change, I believe that's the only answer.

[Pencil]

I'm gonna quote David Wong from a Cracked column - Don't panic.

consider some facts:
- Gay marriage has overwhelming support nationwide -- 55 percent to 37 percent against.
- Legal abortion is favored by 56 percent, with 41 percent opposed.
- The vast majority of the population supports background checks for gun buyers -- up to 90 percent in some polls.
- A majority of Americans support some kind of universal health care, 58 percent to 37 percent.
- 64 percent of Americans are worried about global warming. Only 36 percent are not.
- And -- get this -- Americans overwhelmingly agree that immigration helps the country more than it hurts, by a 59 percent to 33 percent margin.

Okay?

Your country didn't go anywhere. It's right here where you left it. America is nothing more than a big ol' collection of people, and those people are more diverse and progressive than they have ever been. That train won't be stopped. Donald Trump's supporters are by and large an aging and shrinking demographic. We didn't see the backlash coming, but that's on us -- a look at our history would have taught us to expect it.

[running coach]

Originally Posted by Pencil

I'm gonna quote David Wong from a Cracked column - Don't panic.

We have a Republican House, Senate and President who don't care about any of that.
The SCOTUS picks will entrench those views for a hell of a long time.

Don't forget there's a large number of federal judgeships Republicans blocked from filling. They can now be filled by their judges.

[Pencil]

Originally Posted by running coach

We have a Republican House, Senate and President who don't care about any of that.
The SCOTUS picks will entrench those views for a hell of a long time.

Don't forget there's a large number of federal judgeships Republicans blocked from filling. They can now be filled by their judges.

Did you read the linked article?

[NAF1138]

Originally Posted by joyfool

The bolded part was what I was talking about. They see our "aggression" (for lack of a better word) as justification for more of their own. MLK didn't win the day for racial equality by getting in the mud and slinging it with the best of them. He held to a higher principle and although that took way too freaking long, it's what changed things. And believe me, I understand getting pissed off at bigotry and being tired of how slowly real progress makes strides (been there, bought the tshirt factory), but for permanent change, I believe that's the only answer.

I want to respond to AJH but I want to give it more time. Typically I don't think about or edit what I say over here too much.

As for this quote, I think I have misrepresented how I feel. I am do not believe we need to get down in the mud. I still believe that we should go high. But I also believe that we should stop moving to the center to try to maintain power. It hasn't worked we lost. I would rather take a stand. Stage protests. Push. But also educate and reach out. It doesn't have to be violent but it has to be vocal. It needs to be persistent.

[running coach]

Originally Posted by Pencil

Did you read the linked article?

The key is the Supreme Court. If the GOP gets 2 or 3 Scalia V2.0 in there, it doesn't matter what the country thinks or how many
get voted out, the Court stays.
And the damage will already be done.

[Glazer]

Originally Posted by Sour Grapes

I don't say whether the post above is right or wrong, but dayum, AJH, when you stop fucking about for five minutes you're an interesting dog.

When he uses capitalization and punctuation his post are substantive. When he doesn't he's just being an ass.

[joyfool]

Originally Posted by NAF1138

I want to respond to AJH but I want to give it more time. Typically I don't think about or edit what I say over here too much.



As for this quote, I think I have misrepresented how I feel. I am do not believe we need to get down in the mud. I still believe that we should go high. But I also believe that we should stop moving to the center to try to maintain power. It hasn't worked we lost. I would rather take a stand. Stage protests. Push. But also educate and reach out. It doesn't have to be violent but it has to be vocal. It needs to be persistent.

Gotcha and that makes much more sense. Sorry if I misunderstood.

[NAF1138]

Originally Posted by joyfool

Gotcha and that makes much more sense. Sorry if I misunderstood.

The combination of emotions and no editing doesn't lend itself to clarity.

[Rat Diva]

Originally Posted by NAF1138

As for this quote, I think I have misrepresented how I feel. I am do not believe we need to get down in the mud. I still believe that we should go high. But I also believe that we should stop moving to the center to try to maintain power. It hasn't worked we lost. I would rather take a stand. Stage protests. Push. But also educate and reach out. It doesn't have to be violent but it has to be vocal. It needs to be persistent.

This is pretty much where I'm at. I misunderstood you earlier, for which I apologize.

Forget Bob Dylan, the person who finds a way to accurately convey emotions through text deserves all the Nobels.

[Veb]

I strongly suspect The Asshole will cause just as much gastric upset to congressional Republicans as to Democrats. He never forgets or forgives an insult or even principled disagreement. A good chunk of the sitting GOP either repudiated him or were lukewarm at best. You really think he's going to get all warm and cosy with Ryan at this late date? And pigs may fly. He'll probably put a good gloss on it for a while but then watch for the strained civilities to unravel.

It can't be repeated enough: Trump is not a conservative. He's not really even a Republican. He disagrees with most of the most cherished GOP verities. Heck, one of his first- hundred- days promises is a huge investment in infrastructure. And Asshole has to keep that one because it's aimed squarely at the manufacturing sector. You know, like those rust belt voters from dead and dying towns where factories moved overseas? Too bad large scale infrastructure investment is a Democratic thing and has been anathema to the GOP. He'll cause plenty of headaches on both sides of the aisle.

Actually I support the infrastructure idea. It might even go through too, with enthusiastic Democratic support and much clenched-jaw angst from Republicans reluctant to spoil the honeymoon period. But he's going to piss off both parties plenty and in fairly short order after taking office. For the moment he just looks like a deer caught in the headlights. Reality just bitchslapped him right upside the head.

[running coach]

Originally Posted by Veb

Actually I support the infrastructure idea. It might even go through too, with enthusiastic Democratic support and much clenched-jaw angst from Republicans reluctant to spoil the honeymoon period. But he's going to piss off both parties plenty and in fairly short order after taking office. For the moment he just looks like a deer caught in the headlights. Reality just bitchslapped him right upside the head.

Have you looked at his actual plan?
If I'm reading this right, it looks like a lot of privatization stuff.

Create thousands of new jobs in construction, steel manufacturing, and other sectors to build the transportation, water, telecommunications and energy infrastructure needed to enable new economic development in the U.S., all of which will generate new tax revenues.

Put American steel made by American workers into the backbone of America’s infrastructure.

How long will it take to build new/re-activate(?) old facilities?
Do we have enough trained steelworkers to fill the jobs?

Under the failing Obama-Clinton policies, infrastructure projects across the U.S. are routinely delayed for years and years due to endless studies, layer-upon-layer of red-tape, bureaucracy, and lawsuits—with virtually no end in sight. This increases costs on taxpayers and blocks Americans from obtaining the kind of infrastructure that is needed for them to compete economically.

How will he eliminate lawsuits? How much of the red-tape and bureaucracy are safety standards and building codes?

And frankly, just how long does he think all this will take? He's targeted every deficiency but where the the workers come from.

How many workers will this take and are there even that many available?

[BrickaBracka]

I'm not naming names but some people on this board would benefit from watching this and maybe listening

[DoubleJ]

Can you link to a version where the cameraman isn't drunk?

[Mr. Plumbean]

Wow, it's really hard to find incoherent political ranting on the Internet so thanks for that. Much enlightened.

[Pere]

Originally Posted by Andrew Jackson's Hair

America just had the most "honest conversation on race" it has ever had, and the final words were "fuck you".

This part, I fear, may really be true. And that is what makes me sad. Like many others, I thought we were, collectively, at last, better than this. But we're not.

[running coach]

Christie out, Pence in charge of transition team

The president-elect told advisers he wanted to tap Mr. Pence’s Washington experience and contacts to help move the process along, according to people familiar with the discussions. An executive committee, which will include members of Congress, will advise Mr. Pence as the process moves forward.

So Trump is taking a swim in the swamp after all.

Trump is on pace to break all his campaign promises before taking office.

[BrickaBracka]

Originally Posted by Mr. Plumbean

Wow, it's really hard to find incoherent political ranting on the Internet so thanks for that. Much enlightened.

How about take the advice?

[SmartAleq]

My discreet ladyboner for Caitlin Johnstone continues to grow and swell.

[Nonny J. Nonnington III]

Originally Posted by running coach

Christie out, Pence in charge of transition team

So Trump is taking a swim in the swamp after all.

Trump is on pace to break all his campaign promises before taking office.

Mike Pence scares me as much as Trump, but I can't help but feel a bit of schadenfreude that Christie was kicked to the curb.

[BJMoose]

Originally Posted by running coach

Christie out, Pence in charge of transition team

So Trump is taking a swim in the swamp after all.

Trump is on pace to break all his campaign promises before taking office.

Hmmmph. Sounds to me more like Trump really will "delegate" everything so that he doesn't have to do any actual work.

And do we really want Pence picking the Cabinet? The next Supreme Court Justice? His nose?

[Solfy]

Originally Posted by BJMoose

And do we really want Pence picking . . . His nose?

YES!

[BJMoose]

:: surruptitiously slips index finger in pocket ::

[eleanorigby]

Originally Posted by Andrew Jackson's Hair

Take it back from what? 70% of the electorate, in a democracy? Whites voted Trump in. But what did Hillary offer them as an alternative? More white guilt? More "diversity"? I am stunned by the obliviousness of the DNC.

First of all, 70% of the electorate didn't vote. Second, this country is getting browner by the minute and will continue to do so. It's also getting less Christian. This is happening and there is no stopping it unless we start recruiting Europeans or Canadians, both of whom are smarter than they look and like their decent health care and relatively inexpensive college educations etc.

How can you think there is anything you can take back by being politically aggressive? America just had the most "honest conversation on race" it has ever had, and the final words were "fuck you". Either (a) have a candidate that these people are going to vote for, (b) wait a century for them to become a minority, or (c) get used to losing. And since most every other one of my predictions has come true, here's another one:

This is just the start. Whites are going to get worse. Whites have started voting their own identity politics, just like everyone else does. Whites are now used to being called racists. They are now used to having their conservative political candidates be referred to as "Hitler", and trust me you dumb fucks: that is not a good thing. Every one of you little drama queens screaming "racist" is just going to make white people more comfortable with the term. Do you not get that? It was NOT effective in deterring the votes for Trump. It did not work. Repeat: they didn't give a fucking shit. Are you going to take it back by yelling it more loudly?

If the DNC wants to remain at all relevant, take the bottles of hot sauce out of your purses and start engaging with 70% of the goddamned fucking electorate. Try to do it without condescendingly referring to them as deplorable.

Third, identity politics has always been played in this country, long before we divided in to red and blue.

This kind of talk makes me tired. Democrats always do this after a loss--and it is fostered by the GOP. We self-reflect and worry and become internally chaotic; the GOP doubles down. Guess which is more effective.

While I agree that the term "racist" is bandied about a bit too freely and has started to become meaningless, this characterization of one "side" by the other is not all from the blue to the red. Red state folks (generalizing here, you all know I mean Trump supporters) have just as many labels for us as we supposedly do for them. We're "classist", "elitist", "intellectuals", "snobs" etc etc etc. It is a culture war in many ways (it's also an economic one, and I for one, refuse to allow this group of people to claim some bizarre victim status when they have victimized so many other groups, over and over again. It is and was the "liberal elites" who got this country back to work, provided the things like the GI Bill and social support programs that are still successful today--but less so, thanks to GOP inroads. More whites than blacks are on welfare and food stamps, for example, but "they" demonize black and Hispanics for being drains on the government).

I have no desire to work with people who disdain me, my SES, my post-college degree, my cultural choices. But I will do so because we share this country and I wish others no ill will. So, I am more than tired of being told that not only is my stance of pro-immigration, sensible corporate and gun regulation, universal health care, pro-choice for women's health, and environmentally prudent energy sources "elitist" and "out of touch", it's also "un-American".

Don't even try to say that we blue states have oppressed and looked down upon these forgotten and forlorn innocents who only want to be good Americans. These good Americans are by and large bigots and xenophobes, who want their religion to be the only religion. That is not how or why America was founded, and if they had paid attention in history class, they'd know it. They claim to have wanted "change" and an "outsider" but they just voted in all manner of insiders--and not one of the GOP has these people's best interests at heart. They decry the elites and claim we disapprove of them, but vote in the party that cares the most about the elites--all because their media mouthpiece has sold them a bill of goods in the world's longest shell game. I'm not in a blue state echo chamber--red staters are in a much larger echo chamber and they have managed to separate "truth" from facts. Trump is their apotheosis.

I, and many blue staters are willing to live and let live, but that is not enough for red staters. I'm using blue states and red states as shorthand; I think we all know what I mean. Pro-choice does not mean abortion is mandatory, it means we as a nation support the woman's choice. That is unacceptable to red staters. Why the hell shouldn't I fight this? Where is their attempt to see the world through someone else's eyes? Why is it always up to the Democrats to be the bigger party, the more gracious adversary, the compromiser? This is a double standard, at the very least. Surely you can see that?

Yes, we were just given the loudest and biggest middle finger in this nation's history (barring the Civil War). But that doesn't mean we kowtow to ignorance or normalize sexual harassment and racial/religious intolerance.

I don't want obstruction for obstruction's sake either (and in that alone, the Dems show themselves to be better statesmen than any Tea Partier or any GOP). I think the more long-sighted of the GOP (mostly the Old Guard, who know that politics is all about compromise) will realize that they cannot enact all their insane ideas because they may do longterm damage to their party;they give fuck all about their country.

[Fenris]

Originally Posted by running coach

We have a Republican House, Senate and President who don't care about any of that.
The SCOTUS picks will entrench those views for a hell of a long time.

Don't forget there's a large number of federal judgeships Republicans blocked from filling. They can now be filled by their judges.

But there's still Stare Decisis. Even if the Supreme Court is packed 7-2 with hardliners, they will be extremely hesitant to try to reverse rulings.

At worst--at absolute worst*, they can weaken Roe vs Wade and the Gay Marriage thing by saying it's up to each state, but it's established law that full faith and credit apply. I doubt that even a court of made of 7 Scalias would violate stare decisis. It would destroy the judiciary forever since nobody would ever know what settled law was.



*And no, it won't be good nor would I support it...

[running coach]

Originally Posted by Fenris

But there's still Stare Decisis. Even if the Supreme Court is packed 7-2 with hardliners, they will be extremely hesitant to try to reverse rulings.

At worst--at absolute worst*, they can weaken Roe vs Wade and the Gay Marriage thing by saying it's up to each state, but it's established law that full faith and credit apply. I doubt that even a court of made of 7 Scalias would violate stare decisis. It would destroy the judiciary forever since nobody would ever know what settled law was.



*And no, it won't be good nor would I support it...

Lindsey Graham wants Ted Cruz on the Supreme Court.

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, a former presidential primary foe of Ted Cruz who once joked about the Texas senator’s murder, now says he should be considered for a seat on the nation’s highest court.

Care to revise your opinion?

[JackieLikesVariety]

nice post, Rigs, especially

Yes, we were just given the loudest and biggest middle finger in this nation's history (barring the Civil War). But that doesn't mean we kowtow to ignorance or normalize sexual harassment and racial/religious intolerance.

Ted Cruz on the supreme court?

now, what about Pence and his nose?

[Rat Diva]

I'd rather picture Pence picking Crooze's nose.

[SmartAleq]

Why not--we already know Cruz is a booger eater!

[Mr. Plumbean]

Wrong thread.

[BJMoose]

Originally Posted by Rat Diva

I'd rather picture Pence picking Crooze's nose.

Nose pics or it didn't happen. . . .

[Andrew Jackson's Hair]

Originally Posted by eleanorigby

First of all, 70% of the electorate didn't vote. Second, this country is getting browner by the minute and will continue to do so. It's also getting less Christian. This is happening and there is no stopping it unless we start recruiting Europeans or Canadians, both of whom are smarter than they look and like their decent health care and relatively inexpensive college educations etc.

Yes. I know that. My post accounts for that: “Either (a) have a candidate that these people are going to vote for, (b) wait a century for them to become a minority , or (c) get used to losing. So you’re going for option (b)? Congrats. In 2044, you can win the presidency maybe.

But here’s the thing, Eleanor. “Browner” people is a worthless description in politics, not to mention hopelessly ignorant. For starters, Hispanic people are not all “brown”; though many have Native American, African or Asian ethnic backgrounds. But it also turns out that not only does the Hispanic vote not go reliably Democratic; they are less and less likely to vote Democrat the higher they climb the socioeconomic ladder. Trump, in the midst of some pretty incendiary comments, pulled approximately 25% of the Hispanic vote. Can you imagine how many Hispanic votes a similar candidate would get if he’d just shut his mouth on one issue alone?

So regardless of how many self-hating white liberals toast the idea that white people are dying off, and regardless of CNN’s love of running a piece on this issue every 2 weeks like clockwork, I have incredibly bad news for you: by “brown” you really meant “black”, and by that definition no, this country is not “browner” by the minute. The “browns” aren’t yours. To the extent the Hispanic vote can be predicted at all, it can be predicted to vote its own self-interest, and as soon as that self-interest lies in telling the Left to fuck off, they will.

Quick note to the DNC: Hispanics aren't just like black people, only slightly less threatening.

Words

Yeah, I know. Four paragraphs of "BUT MOM, HE STARTED IT!!!"

Pro-choice does not mean abortion is mandatory, it means we as a nation support the woman's choice. That is unacceptable to red staters. Why the hell shouldn't I fight this?

Roe became law 42 years ago. The Handmaid’s Tale was published 31 years ago. The religious right hasn’t been considered a serious political force since the first election of George Dubya FIFTEEN years ago. What fantasy world do you live in where you honestly believe a crack brigade of right-wing Confederate Flag-wearing shock troop is just waiting to parachute in and take possession of your womb?

This is a perfect example of how out of touch the Left is with the bulk of this country. No one gives a shit about your uterus. Did it ever occur to you what would actually happen if abortion were banned outright? I mean, you know you could get a $300 plane ticket and just have the procedure done somewhere else if you really had to?

Republicans KNOW that banning abortion means ONLY POOR PEOPLE will be impacted. POOR PEOPLE don’t vote Republican. Hello? No serious threat to reproductive rights has been mounted by the Right in decades and still you people stand here, on your little wall, honestly believing that everyone south of New York and east of California just can't wait to deny you an abortion. Christ on a broomstick, you people are out of touch. Do you actually read anything from the other side? Drop in on their forums, their reddits? Hardly anyone over there is talking about abortion. And that such a compromise is mentally inconceivable to you, on an issue that would have so little practical effect on the everyday lives of virtually everyone you know, should be a very good indicator that in fact yes: the Left is the problem in any compromise.

It’s a Pepsi challenge, lady. It gets fundies and aging hippies riled up. It has zero real world impact.

Where is their attempt to see the world through someone else's eyes? Why is it always up to the Democrats to be the bigger party, the more gracious adversary, the compromiser? This is a double standard, at the very least. Surely you can see that?

The only thing I see is three nights of protests after your side lost an election. What the fuck are they protesting, living in a democratic republic? These people are goddamn children. I could not bring myself to vote for Trump because I did not believe that a man that cannot govern himself is fit to govern me. But it is absolutely clear in the aftermath that the Left is not fit to govern anyone. The DNC brought a 50 year social agenda, and pitched a candidate so deeply unappealing that she lost the election to the intemperate host of a game show. Obama spent his last days in office getting snubbed by world leaders and weighing in on which toilet a transvestite can take a dump in.

You lost for unbelievably good reasons, completely aside from any racial animus either way. Two entire branches of government gone red, SC noms coming up, and you ask me why you should compromise?

Because you can't win your way. OBVIOUSLY.

[Mr. Plumbean]

Wonder if AJH recalls that his side was threatening armed insurrection if they lost.

[Katriona]

Poor people don't vote republican? Are you fucking
kidding me?

[Mr. Plumbean]

I don't know how much we can trust exit polls but they show people making under 50K favoring Clinton and people making over 50K favoring Trump.

[NAF1138]

Originally Posted by Andrew Jackson's Hair

You lost for unbelievably good reasons, completely aside from any racial animus either way. Two entire branches of government gone red, SC noms coming up, and you ask me why you should compromise?

Because you can't win your way. OBVIOUSLY.

Ok, unlike your last post there was a lot of nonsense in this one. Shadow President elect Pence has shown through his policies in Indiana how aggressive he is in denying both abortion rights and Gay rights. But, that's neither here nor there. Because what I quoted above is entirely accurate.

I am disgusted by the "not my President" protests. That's not the way forward.

I am horrified by the calls to over turn the electoral college for this election cycle. That's looking backwards. Not forward. And as Progressives we need to look to the future.

We can only rely on the Latino vote for as long as the GOP continues to treat them like the enemy. Historically they are the GOP base. Conservative family values catholics. The GOP racism will die out on that front quickly. Less quickly now than before Trump. But quickly.

Hillary was a bad candidate and has been since 2008. The machine that runs the DNC fucked us. Many people in this country are horribly racist and this election has, sadly, given them the feeling like they are in charge. But the Alt-right is in reality a small faction within the GOP. If we treat the whole party as though they are the Alt-right we will continue to get fucked.

DNC leadership needs to be cleaned out. We lost unions in this election because the DNC stopped being the party of the union worker years ago. We need to become that again. If for no other reason than to be intellectually consistent.

Get loud, protest, fight against bad policy. Fucking obstruct. All of that is good. But the first order of business for normal folks like us is to seriously clean our own house. Make sure we don't let the machine run the constituency.

[Mr. Plumbean]

Since AJH is shaming people for not reading Reddit (lol) I encourage him to read any board that actually tracks the assault on women's reproductive rights, particularly by Mike Pence.

[NAF1138]

Originally Posted by Mr. Plumbean

Since AJH is shaming people for not reading Reddit (lol) I encourage him to read any board that actually tracks the assault on women's reproductive rights, particularly by Mike Pence.

Be respectful. That's Shadow President (elect) Mike Pence.

[Mr. Plumbean]

I am still laughing at the idea that we all need to read Reddit. As if we can be Pepe Memed into comprehending white male rage.

[AuntiePam]

Originally Posted by Andrew Jackson's Hair

No serious threat to reproductive rights has been mounted by the Right in decades and still you people stand here, on your little wall, honestly believing that everyone south of New York and east of California just can't wait to deny you an abortion.

No serious threat on a national level but states like Texas have made it increasingly difficult for a poor woman to get a legal abortion.

Map showing clinic locations before and after HB2.

Mississippi has just one.

I realize that these states have physicians and private clinics providing abortion services that aren't categorized as "abortion clinics", but in that political climate, they aren't going to advertise. It's going to be more difficult for women to find the services and when Trump fills Scalia's seat, it will be even more difficult.

Controlling reproductive rights is a cornerstone of the right wing's agenda.