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Presidential Election 2012: Apropos of nothing, ejaculating in a hot tub feels amazing.

StericaSterica YesRegistered User, Moderator mod
edited October 2012 in Social Entropy++
There is a poll. You may predict the winner of the Biden/Ryan debate. The "winner" is determined by the majority of major news network declarations, not what your silly noodle thought. Not that the media determines who won, but it's just the easiest metric we can use to make a prediction.

Debate Schedule
(All debates are 9pm-10:30pm EDT)

October 11th: Vice Presidential Debate
October 16th: 2nd Presidential Debate
Octoner 22nd: Final Presidential Debate

Notice: I got permission to do this thread. Behave yourselves or we'll lose it. This also does not mean that political threads are okay now.

Topics Probably Best Avoided
Your Not-Voting: you are not voting for Obama/Romney because they aren't True [Your Political Philosophy Here] and thus you are abstaining/voting third party to send a message. I'm not saying it's valid thing to do (or not do), but it generally causes silly fights and has a slim chances of convincing anyone.
Warble Warble Third Party: Voting for third party is a valid choice, and we don't need to get into big fights over whether or not it's throwing away one's vote. We're all impending victims of the corporate/communist machine anyhow, so who cares?
Fighting Over Politics: Getting into arguments over issues like guns, gay rights, or if Hamilton could beat up Chewbacca in a fight are generally the best way to get threads locked. This includes stupid shit like birthers.
Avoid the Echo Chamber: There will likely be one, maybe two people that are sincerely going to vote for Romney. Shit, there may be even three or four. These people are your fellow citizens, and still deserve a modicum of civility. Don't dogpile a person just because he or she is saying stuff your disagree with. If they you feel someone is being blatantly stupid to the point where they might trolling, then report their asses and move on.

Disclaimer: I am not an SE++ mod, and these are just general guidelines to help keep the thread healthy and happy. That said, I won't hesitate to toss any of you into the greedy, greedy jaws of the mods if you try to sabotage this thread with shit-headed shenanigans.

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Incumbents tend to enjoy an advantage in elections, though that applies more to congressional campaigns than the presidential ones. Particularly during rough economic times, it can be very disadvantageous to be the incumbent when your policies have either failed, been stymied by the opposition, or just haven't had time to show noticeable results yet.

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President Barack "The Islamic Shock" Obama
51 Years Old

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Vice President "Onion" Joe Biden
69 Years Old

Democratic Party
Strengths: Obama had a pretty strong campaign in 2008, able to draw in a lot of young and minority votes. He is also quite famous for his ability to deliver a speech, which will help on the campaign trail. A number of other accomplishments as president such as bringing down Don't Ask; Don't Tell, the Affordable Care Act, support of gay marriage, winding down the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the death of Osama Bin Laden may earn him the votes of independents. Also, his running mate is not Paul Ryan.

Weaknesses: This is an economy election, and the economy has not improved to a point that will impress swing voters. Obama's other achievements will easily be eclipsed by this one point, and it will be difficult convincing people that his policies will work if he's given another four years. He has also left the liberal base feeling very cold at times by keeping Gitmo open, being too wishy-washy in contentious situations such as last year's debt ceiling fiasco, his use of drone strikes, and doing little to reverse the increased powers that the Bush Administration granted the office. This could easily kill the high youth vote Obama enjoyed in 2008.

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Challengers, while lacking the recognition of the president, enjoy being free from the burden of having any kind of presidential record to potential weigh them down. On the other hand, a fierce primary like the oddball GOP one of 2012 can dredge up a lot of ammunition for the opposition party.

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Massachusetts Governor Mitt "Mittens" Romney
65 Years Old

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Representative Paul "Psycho" Ryan
42 Years Old

Republican Party
Strengths: Romney's success as a businessman is seen as a plus by the general public when it comes to providing solutions to the economy. He's seen as more moderate than other members of his party, which can help woo independents. Romney also has a TON of cash being pumped into his campaign from various sources which, if it tops Obama's war chest, will allow the Romney camp better control of the narrative this election season. Paul Ryan adds charisma and hardline conservatism to the ticket. Hands-down has the best hair of either side.

Weaknesses: His base demands nothing less than ideological purity, perhaps moreso than Obama's base, and this could leave a lot of GOP voters staying home. The pick of Paul Ryan was good red meat for the base, but the McCain tried a similar strategy with Sarah Palin that led to disastrous results. His businessman veneer may not be so hot in an atmosphere that isn't too welcoming of rich corporate types, and Romney is hyper-rich to the point where he'll look cold and out-of-touch even when compared to the rest of these rich politicians.

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For those not familiar with the government of Eagle Land, the citizens were deemed "frightfully slow-witted" by the Founding Fathers and thus not allowed to directly vote for president. Instead, there's an electoral college that votes for president. Each state gets a number of electoral votes that are awarded to one candidate when he or she wins the state. The number of votes is some arbitrary number that George Washington came up with after a bar fight the total number of representatives and senators a state has. As a result, bigger states tend to be more popular (as representatives are determined by population, whereas senators are a static two per state). Technically, there is no guarantee that a member of the college has to vote in any particular way, but the party heads get to choose the voters so this is rarely a thing. I believe an elector voter abstained once as a purely symbolic gesture during the 2000 election.

So politicians want big states, but they're also realists and won't waste too many resources on "stronghold" states that historically vote for one party by a very margin. The two best-known stronghold states are California (Democrat) and Texas (Republican). As a result, the target is normally "battlefield" states that aren't polling strongly either way. So, thanks to the way things are set up, the votes in a vast majority of states don't really matter, and it boils down to a handful of states. This is, of course, the short run. States can and have gone from stronghold to battlefield and vice-versa, so you should vote anyways.

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Sterica on

Presidential Election 2012: You are no match for Joe Biden's Kung-Fu. 134 votes

Joe Biden
92%
HunterSporkAndrewShortyNothingCaptain UltraButlerSpectre-xTheBlackWindToxDer Waffle MousThanatosKevin CristKadithDHS OdiumForarWeaverBallmanSlacker71autono-wally, erotibot300Beef Avenger 124 votes
Paul Ryan
7%
Munkus BeaverMulysaSemproniusJasconiusmamoruSabreMauKetBradarklite_xAgahnimTwo Headed BoyDongs Galore 10 votes
«13456785

Posts

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    StericaSterica Yes Registered User, Moderator mod
    Joe Biden
    Fuck

    the

    police.

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    HobnailHobnail Registered User regular
    Joe Biden
    We're all pulling for ya Uncle Joe

    Well, except that one guy

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    Dongs GaloreDongs Galore Registered User regular
    Paul Ryan
    Let's save ourselves the trouble and summarize the next 100 pages now

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    I just wanted to post that picture again

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    StericaSterica Yes Registered User, Moderator mod
    Joe Biden
    PITIABLE ASS

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    ShadowenShadowen Snores in the morning LoserdomRegistered User regular
    Joe Biden
    Dongs, you're such a rebel.

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    FirmSkaterFirmSkater Registered User regular
    So i scrolled down immediately and saw the Paul Ryan caricature, and thought it was hilariously dumb. Scrolled back up and saw this

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    What the fuck kind of helldemon is this?

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    mensch-o-maticmensch-o-matic Registered User regular
    its an obamanation

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    Dongs GaloreDongs Galore Registered User regular
    Paul Ryan
    Let's start this thread off right

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    QuothQuoth the Raven Miami, FL FOR REALRegistered User regular
    I can't wait to watch the Stewart/O'Reilly debate

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    FirmSkaterFirmSkater Registered User regular
    Quoth wrote: »
    I can't wait to watch the Stewart/O'Reilly debate
    I think that happened earlier this week?

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    FirmSkaterFirmSkater Registered User regular
    This is it

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nN6jbfgIIE

    I havent seen it. not really a stewart fan

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    ForarForar #432 Toronto, Ontario, CanadaRegistered User regular
    Joe Biden
    It was fun, but in terms of debating it wasn't much of a contest. O'Reilly was willfully ignorant of history, context and reality for many of his points, but at least for this back and forth (unlike the recent presidential debacle) Jon was willing to call him on his Bullshit (and being the mayor of Bullshit Mountain).

    First they came for the Muslims, and we said NOT TODAY, MOTHERFUCKER!
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    DoobhDoobh She/Her, Ace Pan/Bisexual 8-) What's up, bootlickers?Registered User regular
    Joe Biden
    This is probably influenced by not being such during my formative years

    but I fucking love being gay

    Miss me? Find me on:

    Twitch (I stream most days of the week)
    Twitter (mean leftist discourse)
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    PwnanObrienPwnanObrien He's right, life sucks. Registered User regular
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    JavenJaven Registered User regular
    O'Reily doesn't really work when he's trying to be funny. The whole angle he has with Stewart only really works when he's willing to be the heel, the meanie, like a more serious Colbert.

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    BarcardiBarcardi All the Wizards Under A Rock: AfganistanRegistered User regular
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    StericaSterica Yes Registered User, Moderator mod
    Joe Biden
    Dubh wrote: »
    This is probably influenced by not being such during my formative years

    but I fucking love being gay
    I think it's influenced by you being gay.

    Which means you are totally biasaed. I'll post the unskewed opinions on being gay shortly.

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    SkeithSkeith Registered User regular
    Joe Biden
    Is there a VP version of the debate drinking game floating around?

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    TankHammerTankHammer Atlanta Ghostbuster Atlanta, GARegistered User regular
    Skeith wrote: »
    Is there a VP version of the debate drinking game floating around?

    Just drink when Biden does.

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    Harry DresdenHarry Dresden Registered User regular
    Joe Biden
    Skeith wrote: »
    Is there a VP version of the debate drinking game floating around?

    Don't drink when Ryan lies or fuzzy on math.

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    ProbadProbad Registered User regular
    Joe Biden
    Skeith wrote: »
    Is there a VP version of the debate drinking game floating around?

    Don't drink when Ryan lies or fuzzy on math.

    Or when the specifics would take too long to explain.

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    Sweeney TomSweeney Tom Registered User regular
    edited October 2012
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    SLAMMUSLAMMU Registered User regular
    edited October 2012
    Joe Biden

    That's not at all what he said. He says that if Obama is reelected and taxes increase because of his policies, the only thing his employees would get out of it is higher taxes.

    Whether or not you agree with the sentiment, don't twist his words to make it more sinister than it is

    SLAMMU on
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    TankHammerTankHammer Atlanta Ghostbuster Atlanta, GARegistered User regular
    edited October 2012
    So in Maine a democratic senatorial candidate it's a being attacked in political advertisements for being a WoW player. Shit is cray-cray.

    link
    Lachowicz is a gamer. More specifically, the Republican party of Maine discovered that Lachowicz enjoys playing the online role-playing game "World of Warcraft." And, on Thursday, the party launched a campaign to out what they are calling her "disturbing alter-ego" and her "bizarre double life."

    The Republican Party not only launched a website, they sent out post cards to voters in her district and even issued a press release — all of which showed off the level-85 orc named Santiaga that Lachowicz plays in the game and also highlighted online comments she had made about the game (some of which contain curse words!)
    .

    TankHammer on
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    Sweeney TomSweeney Tom Registered User regular
    Joe Biden
    Not curse words!!!!!!!!!!!!

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    SwillSwill Registered User regular
    ~Santiaga~

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    PwnanObrienPwnanObrien He's right, life sucks. Registered User regular
    Joe Biden
    Comments about a form of entertainment you partake in? On the internet?

    HOW ABSURD!

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    ButtlordButtlord Fornicus Lord of Bondage and PainRegistered User regular
    Joe Biden
    Rorus Raz wrote: »
    Fuck

    the

    police.

    coming straight from the underground

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    TankHammerTankHammer Atlanta Ghostbuster Atlanta, GARegistered User regular
    They're going after her for playing a rogue and for speccing in the assassination tree. In a political campaign.

    Next we're going to get congressmen publicly shit-talking each-other's Battlefield k/d ratio or the Secretary of Defense getting a custom skin on Borderlands.

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    tynictynic PICNIC BADASS Registered User, ClubPA regular
    I'm trying to imagine the strategy meeting when this was wheeled out. Was it "Holy shit guys! You won't BELIEVE what this woman gets up to in her spare time! We've hit the motherload!"
    Or was it more "Really? That's all we got? ...
    ...
    ... ok worth a shot I guess."

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    TheBlackWindTheBlackWind Registered User regular
    Joe Biden
    "My name Is Colleen, and I am not assassination-specced rogue. I'm you!"

    PAD ID - 328,762,218
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    JarsJars Registered User regular
    I mean

    she does play wow

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    Kevin CristKevin Crist I make the devil hit his knees and say the 'our father'Registered User regular
    Joe Biden
    I'll only vote for a Holy Paladin.

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    Steam: YOU FACE JARAXXUS| Twitch.tv: CainLoveless
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    Volucrisus AedriusVolucrisus Aedrius Registered User regular
    On Wednesday night it was reported that John Johnson, currently running for Congress, played Call of Duty in college. Records state he routinely likened gameplay scenarios with sexual assault and blamed his failures on being "too high" (on Marijuana).

    To date, John Johnson is the fourteen-thousandth politician born after the year 1980 who was forced to drop out of races or prematurely resign from their terms because of the Fucking Internet.

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    ButtlordButtlord Fornicus Lord of Bondage and PainRegistered User regular
    Joe Biden
    On Wednesday night it was reported that John Johnson, currently running for Congress, played Call of Duty in college. Records state he routinely likened gameplay scenarios with sexual assault

    shaming people for this is good

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    Mr. ButtonsMr. Buttons Registered User regular
    SLAMMU wrote: »

    That's not at all what he said. He says that if Obama is reelected and taxes increase because of his policies, the only thing his employees would get out of it is higher taxes.

    Whether or not you agree with the sentiment, don't twist his words to make it more sinister than it is

    I'll just keep with disliking the idea of business owners of any size attempting to influence the voting decisions of their employees. Also, something about roads and how he didn't build that.

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    SLAMMUSLAMMU Registered User regular
    Joe Biden
    SLAMMU wrote: »

    That's not at all what he said. He says that if Obama is reelected and taxes increase because of his policies, the only thing his employees would get out of it is higher taxes.

    Whether or not you agree with the sentiment, don't twist his words to make it more sinister than it is

    I'll just keep with disliking the idea of business owners of any size attempting to influence the voting decisions of their employees. Also, something about roads and how he didn't build that.

    "This is bad so it's ok if I make shit up about it"

    SLAMMU-1.png
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    Spectre-xSpectre-x Rating: AWESOME YESRegistered User regular
    Joe Biden
    Rorus Raz wrote: »
    Fuck

    the

    police.

    because Sting's pretty dreamy

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    Volucrisus AedriusVolucrisus Aedrius Registered User regular
    Buttlord wrote: »
    On Wednesday night it was reported that John Johnson, currently running for Congress, played Call of Duty in college. Records state he routinely likened gameplay scenarios with sexual assault

    shaming people for this is good

    Oh I very much agree, and I absolutely hate the rape talk when I play games. That's not to say I haven't said it before. I was a dumb kid, with no real concept of rape, and I don't do it anymore.

    My post was more about the fact that there comes a time where I'm not saying these comments should be dismissed but rather are they pertinent to the discussion after the person disavows their past transgressions.

    Like, if my cat poops on my couch in the privacy of my home and I text my friend "Sometimes I wish my cat would get feline leukemia and die" in jest and when I later run for office and PETA runs a million ads about it.

    Or something.

    Look, I almost didn't even post that part because I knew it would sidetrack the intent of my post.

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    Mr. ButtonsMr. Buttons Registered User regular
    nah, it's a bad headline, for shame sweeney tom, for shame. A better one might have been "Business who relies on the automobile industry doesn't get how they benefited from the stimulus and subsequent recovery", but the point about business owners not telling their employees how to vote still stands.

This discussion has been closed.