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2010 Midterms: GOP Wins the House; Government Shutdown in 3...2...1...

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  • edited October 2010
    This content has been removed.

  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    At which point you get basically the long realignment period between '68 and '80.

    enlightenedbum on
    The idea that your vote is a moral statement about you or who you vote for is some backwards ass libertarian nonsense. Your vote is about society. Vote to protect the vulnerable.
  • Brian KrakowBrian Krakow Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    Anyway, researching now: '48 there was a move to dump Truman if they could get Eisenhauer, which didn't work for obvious Ike not being a Democrat reasons. '52 depends who you believe, Truman insisted he never intended to run for re-election. 1936 you're just wrong. The incredibly popular President swept to renomination.
    There was also a substantial movement in '48 to dump Truman for Justice William Douglas. It didn't work out either, but Truman's nomination was far from assured. In 1952 Truman ran (and lost) in the New Hampshire primary in 1952, and only then did he drop out. For 1936, I was speaking more about a hypothetical Long-Roosevelt matchup than what actually happened, so I will concede that it is by far my weakest example as it relies on a hypothetical and Roosevelt probably would have beaten him anyways.
    Yeah, merely having a primary challenger doesn't mean the sitting President isn't pretty much completely assured of the nomination. Once you start filtering for credible challengers, the list gets shorter.
    If I was including primary challengers with no chance in hell my list would be a lot longer. These were all (OK, excluding my hypothetical 1936 matchup) very credible challenges, and a few were even successful.

    Brian Krakow on
  • iTunesIsEviliTunesIsEvil Cornfield? Cornfield.Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    David Broder is an inhumane, sociopathic monster.
    That he's respected (by other villagers and ... ?) is mind-boggling. :(

    iTunesIsEvil on
  • SpoitSpoit *twitch twitch* Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    mcdermott wrote: »
    Anyway, researching now: '48 there was a move to dump Truman if they could get Eisenhauer, which didn't work for obvious Ike not being a Democrat reasons. '52 depends who you believe, Truman insisted he never intended to run for re-election. 1936 you're just wrong. The incredibly popular President swept to renomination.

    Yeah, merely having a primary challenger doesn't mean the sitting President isn't pretty much completely assured of the nomination. Once you start filtering for credible challengers, the list gets shorter.

    Basically, it's not really worth spending political capitol fighting a hard primary fight against a sitting president, when you can just wait 4 years for a clearer field.

    Spoit on
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  • DoctorArchDoctorArch Curmudgeon Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    David Broder is an inhumane, sociopathic monster.

    What the fuckity fuck? I can't believe that tripe got published.

    DoctorArch on
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  • MyDcmbrMyDcmbr PEWPEWPEW!!! America's WangRegistered User regular
    edited October 2010
    DoctorArch wrote: »
    David Broder is an inhumane, sociopathic monster.

    What the fuckity fuck? I can't believe that tripe got published.

    Let's see.... where is our deficit?

    What caused it to get there?

    And he wants to start another one? Does he own stock in the Chinese Govt?

    MyDcmbr on
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    So we get stiff once in a while. So we have a little fun. What’s wrong with that? This is a free country, isn’t it? I can take my panda any place I want to. And if I wanna buy it a drink, that’s my business.
  • Kipling217Kipling217 Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    David Broder is an inhumane, sociopathic monster.

    Holy fuck, what a Psychotic Nutcase.

    He is actually advocating for war with Iran as a way to get out of the Great Reccession!

    Thats nutbar ANY STANDARD.

    Kipling217 on
    The sky was full of stars, every star an exploding ship. One of ours.
  • Captain CarrotCaptain Carrot Alexandria, VARegistered User regular
    edited October 2010
    Hey, Michael Steele finally learned how to shut the fuck up.

    Captain Carrot on
  • JeanJean Heartbroken papa bear Gatineau, QuébecRegistered User regular
    edited October 2010
    At what time do polls close on election day? Is it the same hours than for presidential elections?

    Jean on
    "You won't destroy us, You won't destroy our democracy. We are a small but proud nation. No one can bomb us to silence. No one can scare us from being Norway. This evening and tonight, we'll take care of each other. That's what we do best when attacked'' - Jens Stoltenberg
  • CouscousCouscous Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    Kipling217 wrote: »
    David Broder is an inhumane, sociopathic monster.

    Holy fuck, what a Psychotic Nutcase.

    He is actually advocating for war with Iran as a way to get out of the Great Reccession!

    Thats nutbar ANY STANDARD.

    But we would just steamroll them and then have to go through the expensive rebuilding process involving dealing with an insurgency. You know, just like in practically every war since WWII. You know, the wars that didn't help the economy.

    Couscous on
  • MyDcmbrMyDcmbr PEWPEWPEW!!! America's WangRegistered User regular
    edited October 2010
    Jean wrote: »
    At what time do polls close on election day? Is it the same hours than for presidential elections?

    Depends on the state and yes.

    MyDcmbr on
    Steam
    So we get stiff once in a while. So we have a little fun. What’s wrong with that? This is a free country, isn’t it? I can take my panda any place I want to. And if I wanna buy it a drink, that’s my business.
  • ScooterScooter Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    Couscous wrote: »
    Kipling217 wrote: »
    David Broder is an inhumane, sociopathic monster.

    Holy fuck, what a Psychotic Nutcase.

    He is actually advocating for war with Iran as a way to get out of the Great Reccession!

    Thats nutbar ANY STANDARD.

    But we would just steamroll them and then have to go through the expensive rebuilding process involving dealing with an insurgency. You know, just like in practically every war since WWII. You know, the wars that didn't help the economy.


    Yea, seriously. WWII got the factories going to produce bombs, tanks, guns, planes. It got millions of people signed up or drafted into the armed forces. None of that would happen with Iran. It's, like, jeeze, if you're going to promote the death of thousands as a way to get out of a recession it should at least be a plan that'd work. Instead it'd just make it worse, spending even more government money but in a way least effective at improving the economy.

    Scooter on
  • edited October 2010
    This content has been removed.

  • SchrodingerSchrodinger Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    The polls for Washington ballot initiatives are pretty de-moralizing.

    Schrodinger on
  • CouscousCouscous Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    Every reservist sent overseas to fight your war opens up a job back home. Well, maybe not 1:1 (some are unemployed or students), but figure you send 100K reservists overseas you're employing tens of thousands of people.
    Which isn't that much compared to the masses required for an economy boosting war like WWII. WWII resulted in over 16 million people being in the military. 100k is peanuts. Moreover, it lacks allies who will need shitloads of weapons that we can provide thanks to not being bombed to hell. It would be shitloads of extra debt for extra employment you could have easily gotten through public works programs.

    Couscous on
  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    Most importantly, it was the biggest government spending project in the history of mankind.

    enlightenedbum on
    The idea that your vote is a moral statement about you or who you vote for is some backwards ass libertarian nonsense. Your vote is about society. Vote to protect the vulnerable.
  • OptimusZedOptimusZed Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    I would have to imagine that funding 30k new road and maintenance workers would be less expensive than sending enough reserve troops overseas to invade Iran that it would realistically open up that many jobs here.

    Particularly since reservists' jobs are partially protected under law, aren't they?

    OptimusZed on
    We're reading Rifts. You should too. You know you want to. Now With Ninjas!

    They tried to bury us. They didn't know that we were seeds. 2018 Midterms. Get your shit together.
  • edited October 2010
    This content has been removed.

  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    The other thing that WW2 did to stimulate the economy is we didn't have a huge standing military in 1938. So we had to build all that crap.

    We should build bridges and sewers and rail lines.

    enlightenedbum on
    The idea that your vote is a moral statement about you or who you vote for is some backwards ass libertarian nonsense. Your vote is about society. Vote to protect the vulnerable.
  • OptimusZedOptimusZed Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    mcdermott wrote: »
    OptimusZed wrote: »
    I would have to imagine that funding 30k new road and maintenance workers would be less expensive than sending enough reserve troops overseas to invade Iran that it would realistically open up that many jobs here.

    Particularly since reservists' jobs are partially protected under law, aren't they?

    Kinda sorta, yeah.

    I should note that I wasn't being serious up there.

    I do think, however, that you guys would be surprised how much of an economic boost would come from such a conflict. Not enough to make it worth it, nothing on the scale of WWII, but significant nonetheless.

    But yeah, fuck that noise.
    I don't really think it would have much of a positive economic impact at all.

    And I can cite a couple of very similar wars in recent history to back that up.

    OptimusZed on
    We're reading Rifts. You should too. You know you want to. Now With Ninjas!

    They tried to bury us. They didn't know that we were seeds. 2018 Midterms. Get your shit together.
  • CouscousCouscous Registered User regular
    edited October 2010
    I don't really think it would have much of a positive economic impact at all.

    And I can cite a couple of very similar wars in recent history to back that up.
    Nonsense. The Vietnam War made everything happy fun times again.

    Couscous on
  • jkylefultonjkylefulton Squid...or Kid? NNID - majpellRegistered User regular
    edited October 2010
    mcdermott wrote: »
    OptimusZed wrote: »
    I would have to imagine that funding 30k new road and maintenance workers would be less expensive than sending enough reserve troops overseas to invade Iran that it would realistically open up that many jobs here.

    Particularly since reservists' jobs are partially protected under law, aren't they?

    Kinda sorta, yeah.

    I should note that I wasn't being serious up there.

    I do think, however, that you guys would be surprised how much of an economic boost would come from such a conflict. Not enough to make it worth it, nothing on the scale of WWII, but significant nonetheless.

    But yeah, fuck that noise.

    WWII - We have to make a bunch of shit to fight with.

    Hypothetical Iranian War - We use all the shit we have sitting around to fight with. Bonus - we get to totally fuck up the price of oil, which would have economic consequences for the entire world.

    But hey, we'd get to blow up some more brown people, right?

    jkylefulton on
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  • PellaeonPellaeon Registered User regular
    edited November 2010
    I swear Meg Whitman is now an official sponsor of the NFL, her ads are playing nearly every commercial break. Can't wait for Wednesday.

    Pellaeon on
  • ahavaahava Call me Ahava ~~She/Her~~ Move to New ZealandRegistered User regular
    edited November 2010
    I think i will try to make it to Georgetown on Thursday for the Returns Day parade.

    I've lived here for 20 years and have yet to go to the parade. I should do that before moving away again, eh?


    edit:: Also, I absolutely adore Rachel Maddow. Have I mentioned that? And her holiday sneakers

    ahava on
  • ScooterScooter Registered User regular
    edited November 2010
    mcdermott wrote: »
    OptimusZed wrote: »
    I would have to imagine that funding 30k new road and maintenance workers would be less expensive than sending enough reserve troops overseas to invade Iran that it would realistically open up that many jobs here.

    Particularly since reservists' jobs are partially protected under law, aren't they?

    Kinda sorta, yeah.

    I should note that I wasn't being serious up there.

    I do think, however, that you guys would be surprised how much of an economic boost would come from such a conflict. Not enough to make it worth it, nothing on the scale of WWII, but significant nonetheless.

    But yeah, fuck that noise.

    WWII - We have to make a bunch of shit to fight with.

    Hypothetical Iranian War - We use all the shit we have sitting around to fight with. Bonus - we get to totally fuck up the price of oil, which would have economic consequences for the entire world.

    But hey, we'd get to blow up some more brown people, right?

    I almost had to laugh when he called Iran the world's greatest threat. The more we take to just blowing up everyone who looks at us funny, the more I'd have to wonder if we weren't the bad guys.

    Scooter on
  • SammyFSammyF Registered User regular
    edited November 2010
    The other thing that WW2 did to stimulate the economy is we didn't have a huge standing military in 1938. So we had to build all that crap.

    We should build bridges and sewers and rail lines.

    Bridges and sewers and rail lines are pretty cool; I tend to think however that maybe that plan's detractors have a point when they say it's too short-sighted to be taken seriously. I'm all for encouraging skilled labor jobs, but bridges and sewers and rail lines are the skilled labor jobs of the late 19th and early 20th century (and in the case of the last one it was the skilled labor job we imported Chinese immigrants to do for us). It's useful, sure, but it's also mundane. And I'd like to believe that America is still not a nation willing to settle only on a course towards the mundane. Our nation wasn't defined at the end of World War II only by the capital we'd spent building tanks and airplane factories -- we were also a nation that dared to dream of things which only a generation before would have been thought impossible, and two generations before would have been believed to be witchcraft. We didn't just build a national interstate highway system; we also put a man on the moon. And while we definitely would not be the nation we are today without the logistical infrastructure to move goods from factories to markets to create a diverse, flexible economy, the investment in education in science and mathematics spurred by the Apollo program is why we're more than a nation of bricklayers and asphalt-pourers today.

    Personally, what I want to see more than anything is another Apollo program targeted at solving one of the great technological challenges of the 21st century. Renewable energy seems like one obvious possibility, but there are a lot of worthy goals out there. Just so long as we pick something that gets Americans focused not just on having jobs and being able spend lavishly on foreign-made consumer goods but also on continuing to be the innovators who will define the course of humanity through this next generation and beyond -- not only in war but also (and especially) in peace.

    I, for one, am tired of feeling like America's economic strength is judged not by what we are capable of producing but only what what we're capable of consuming, and I'm tired of feeling like all of our nation's technological prowess is every year focused only on building a sleeker and sexier iPhone.

    SammyF on
  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    edited November 2010
    That's also a good plan, but infrastructure projects are things we have to do anyway. And they're immediate and relatively unskilled (in the labor department) which is what we want. Unless we want shit geysers. Or repeats of the Minneapolis disaster.

    Plus high speed rail is really really cool.

    I'm all for an energy Manhattan/Apollo though.

    enlightenedbum on
    The idea that your vote is a moral statement about you or who you vote for is some backwards ass libertarian nonsense. Your vote is about society. Vote to protect the vulnerable.
  • videobobbovideobobbo Registered User regular
    edited November 2010
    Early voted a couple of weeks ago when it first opened up. We had one race, can't remember which, that was running two Republicans and no one else - that was interesting. It was a local office for the county, I think.

    The more interesting thing to me is going to be seeing just how Tuesday pans out. Conservatives have already been beating the drum on the "SEIU rigged the vote for Harry Reid!!!11!" I wasn't exactly fond of having to press the button for Reid, but Sharron Angle makes the choice easy. I even have Republican (hardcore religious straight ticket types) that told me they voted for Reid because Sharron Angle put them off in one way or another. I'm not holding my breath, but maybe more people will do that and Harry Reid will let someone else run with the Majority Leader role.

    Hopefully.

    videobobbo on
  • JazzJazz Registered User regular
    edited November 2010
    videobobbo wrote: »
    I even have Republican (hardcore religious straight ticket types) that told me they voted for Reid because Sharron Angle put them off in one way or another.

    That's encouraging. I've got folks I know here in lolUtah hitting "like" on Facebook for Angle. At least she's not on their ballots, I guess...

    Jazz on
  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    edited November 2010
    Reid won't be unseated unless he loses that race.

    enlightenedbum on
    The idea that your vote is a moral statement about you or who you vote for is some backwards ass libertarian nonsense. Your vote is about society. Vote to protect the vulnerable.
  • enlightenedbumenlightenedbum Registered User regular
    edited November 2010
    Too damn long. And fact based. Good on the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers though.

    enlightenedbum on
    The idea that your vote is a moral statement about you or who you vote for is some backwards ass libertarian nonsense. Your vote is about society. Vote to protect the vulnerable.
  • JazzJazz Registered User regular
    edited November 2010
    Logic will never work with any of the 'Pubs I know.

    Jazz on
  • Just_Bri_ThanksJust_Bri_Thanks Seething with rage from a handbasket.Registered User, ClubPA regular
    edited November 2010
    Jazz wrote: »
    Logic will never work with any of the 'Pubs I know.

    Alas, too true. Good vid though.

    Edit: What the hell kinda pansy-ass TotP is this?

    Just_Bri_Thanks on
    ...and when you are done with that; take a folding
    chair to Creation and then suplex the Void.
  • videobobbovideobobbo Registered User regular
    edited November 2010
    Gotta love that fantastic conservative logic. Behold.

    I try reading RedState just to understand the conservative mind. Everytime, I come out wondering how their brains haven't exploded yet.

    (TLDR: Democrats will accuse Republicans of stealing the election, or being racist pricks. I think the fallout from 2008 would like to have a word with you, Mr. "An Appointed Official is a Goat Fucker" Erickson. But hey, IOKIYAR, amirite?)

    videobobbo on
  • Kipling217Kipling217 Registered User regular
    edited November 2010
    Jragghen wrote: »

    They should have cut that ad up into 4-5 20-30 second ads and played it non-stop on the airwaves from Januaryh until election day.

    Thats the democratic campaign right there; "things are bad because we are busy fixing what the other guys broke".

    As it is, I can't think of a single theme for the democrats this year.

    Kipling217 on
    The sky was full of stars, every star an exploding ship. One of ours.
  • Modern ManModern Man Registered User regular
    edited November 2010
    It's going to be tough to motivate to vote tomorrow. DC being what it is, there aren't any real meaningful races going on. Guess I'll write in Fenty and vote on the ballot initiative to make the Attorney General an elected position. Kind of a wank for my first time voting in the US. I should have registered absentee in Florida or Virginia.

    So, predictions? I'm going with GOP +60 in the House and the Senate ending up 52-48 Democrat. Interesting that Real Clear Politics moved the California Senate seat into the "toss-up" column. I doubt Boxer is in any real danger, but it's a sign of the times that this race is even that close. It'll be interesting to see if Murkowski can pull off her write-in campaign. I'm thinking probably not.

    Modern Man on
    Aetian Jupiter - 41 Gunslinger - The Old Republic
    Rigorous Scholarship

  • Brian KrakowBrian Krakow Registered User regular
    edited November 2010
    I'm terrible at making electoral predictions so I'm going to go with a 100 seat GOP gain in the House and a sweep of all Senate seats by the GOP giving them a supermajority.

    Brian Krakow on
  • joshofalltradesjoshofalltrades Class Traitor Smoke-filled roomRegistered User regular
    edited November 2010
    Going to vote Democrat tomorrow, although the Republicans pretty much have it sewn up here in Texas.

    joshofalltrades on
This discussion has been closed.