Mandatory voting in the US is just a totally impractical suggestion, at least in the forseeable future. It's a legal nightmare in the sense that there are multiple avenues for the courts to strike down such a law be it as a violation of free speech in the form of compelled speech or alternatively if you consider voting as a civil right as opposed to a civil duty there's a longstanding tradition of not being allowed to compel people to make use of their civil rights if they do not wish to. (Be it right to assembly, right to an attorney, etc.) Also, I highly doubt that any compulsory voting law or amendment would actually have popular support. While a lot of people, if not most people, are unhappy with the current state of American politics I think a pretty sizable majority of the population would resent the idea of the government forcing them to vote. (Although that might be my personal impression, as I couldn't find any good statistics or surveys about how Americans at large view the idea.) Likewise, I imagine Republicans would be overwhelmingly opposed to it and they'd have the simple, easy argument of saying that it's a infringement on the freedoms of American citizens; and whether or not you think that argument actually holds any water legally it seems like an argument that would be very compelling to Americans, even across party lines.
seems to me like mandatory voting would make it less likely for one party to even pretend to go out of their way to cater their platform to the masses
in my opinion the entire reason the Democrats even touch social issues is to drive turnout
if they didn't have to drive turnout then...???
They'd have clear majorities. It's why polls use likely voter models, there are more people who would vote Democratic but they vote with much less frequency than those who tend towards Republican.
Also, as recently as 10 years ago, social or "culture war" issues were a losing proposition for Democrats.
There's a reason Republicans worked to get so many gay marriage bans on state ballots for the 2004 presidential election — it helped boost Republican turnout.
Why would Time even lump the word "feminist" in with all of those other garbage words?
From their own explanation further down on the page.
feminist: You have nothing against feminism itself, but when did it become a thing that every celebrity had to state their position on whether this word applies to them, like some politician declaring a party? Let’s stick to the issues and quit throwing this label around like ticker tape at a Susan B. Anthony parade.
Why would Time even lump the word "feminist" in with all of those other garbage words?
From their own explanation further down on the page.
feminist: You have nothing against feminism itself, but when did it become a thing that every celebrity had to state their position on whether this word applies to them, like some politician declaring a party? Let’s stick to the issues and quit throwing this label around like ticker tape at a Susan B. Anthony parade.
Yes but if that explanation sounds like it's bullshit it's because it is.
I have seen Obama-Osama somewhere (I can't remember where and when, but it wasn't a joke). The rest of the conspiracy theory was fairly detailed. Like, Obama being Osama wasn't even a major part of it, it was just a smaller part.
Days late on this, but was catching up on the thread and then spent entirely way too much time trying to find something that this reminded me of. I remember reading some website and cannot for the life of me find it again (sinister plot? or someone forgot to pay their website host? you be the judge). But the crux of it was something like: Osama Bin Laden, Barack Obama, and Barry Soetoro are all the same, but separate people. As in, all three are clones who have different roles in a grand plot to destroy America.
I figured googling "osama obama clones" would make it a pretty quick search, but most links seem to be about a theory that Obama is a clone of some Egyptian pharaoh.
Also, as recently as 10 years ago, social or "culture war" issues were a losing proposition for Democrats.
There's a reason Republicans worked to get so many gay marriage bans on state ballots for the 2004 presidential election — it helped boost Republican turnout.
Culture issues are still super relevant as long as you actually campaign on them. Democrats fled from Obama and healthcare and cultural issues in the election and lost 8 (soon 9) Senate seats, in the same election where direct ballot initiatives to increase gun control laws passed in two states, minimum wage increases passed in four, and right-wing bills to further limit reproductive choice were defeated in two. And progressive populist hippie Al Franken coasted to re-election on things like, you know, raising the minimum wage and protecting the environment.
So in response to all of this, the Democrat in Louisiana is screaming that Democrats across the country should now support the Keystone pipeline, because reasons.
the leader of ISIS was widely reported to be injured in an airstrike earlier this week and now there are conflicting reports that he died from his injuries
the leader of ISIS was widely reported to be injured in an airstrike earlier this week and now there are conflicting reports that he died from his injuries
the leader of ISIS was widely reported to be injured in an airstrike earlier this week and now there are conflicting reports that he died from his injuries
he shoulda listened to that toby keith song
He should've been a cowboy?
well that too
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He should have Loved this bar, bought a red solo cup, and used it to give beer for his horses while smoking week with Willie and musing about how he wasn't as good as he once was?
He should have Loved this bar, bought a red solo cup, and used it to give beer for his horses while smoking week with Willie and musing about how he wasn't as good as he once was?
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in my opinion the entire reason the Democrats even touch social issues is to drive turnout
if they didn't have to drive turnout then...???
They'd have clear majorities. It's why polls use likely voter models, there are more people who would vote Democratic but they vote with much less frequency than those who tend towards Republican.
if social issues were effective at driving turnout, we wouldn't have just gotten the shit kicked out of us
There's a reason Republicans worked to get so many gay marriage bans on state ballots for the 2004 presidential election — it helped boost Republican turnout.
can you guess which word they hate the most?
http://time.com/3576870/worst-words-poll-2014/
TOTALLY
HEY GUYS WANT TO SEE MY PORN OF THE CHARACTER WE MADE TO SHOW HOW NOT SEXIST WE ARE
From their own explanation further down on the page.
my response was good thing she is white
What's Putin's end game here?
Like, what's the fuckin point of all his bullshit?
Games Journalism.
Yes but if that explanation sounds like it's bullshit it's because it is.
I'm worried Putin's ego is growing at an untenable rate
Days late on this, but was catching up on the thread and then spent entirely way too much time trying to find something that this reminded me of. I remember reading some website and cannot for the life of me find it again (sinister plot? or someone forgot to pay their website host? you be the judge). But the crux of it was something like: Osama Bin Laden, Barack Obama, and Barry Soetoro are all the same, but separate people. As in, all three are clones who have different roles in a grand plot to destroy America.
I figured googling "osama obama clones" would make it a pretty quick search, but most links seem to be about a theory that Obama is a clone of some Egyptian pharaoh.
Culture issues are still super relevant as long as you actually campaign on them. Democrats fled from Obama and healthcare and cultural issues in the election and lost 8 (soon 9) Senate seats, in the same election where direct ballot initiatives to increase gun control laws passed in two states, minimum wage increases passed in four, and right-wing bills to further limit reproductive choice were defeated in two. And progressive populist hippie Al Franken coasted to re-election on things like, you know, raising the minimum wage and protecting the environment.
So in response to all of this, the Democrat in Louisiana is screaming that Democrats across the country should now support the Keystone pipeline, because reasons.
he shoulda listened to that toby keith song
He should've been a cowboy?
well that too
That applies to all of us
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/11/24/366370100/grand-jury-reaches-decision-in-michael-brown-case
edit: also, if this is gunna turn into a current events thread or whatever, might change the name
I hope that ISIS' currency symbol are the I's and the S's superimposed upon each other, so that they look like the dollar sign ($)
PSN: jrrl_absent
I only started watching after I made my post above, but there's a lot of fires started, looks like been more than a little looting.
fucking hell.