The Politics Thread

[DRW50]

Redistricting hasn't been as bad as it should have been, due to some court battles, but even then I don't think Democrats will take the House back. They don't have the money or the media, and they are poor at being unified and defending themselves. They also fail at culture wars, over and over - as we have just seen with Obama changing and then undoing birth conrtol rules.

[alphanguy74]

The amercian political crap and wild west attitude in general makes me wish I lived in Germany. My relatives over there don't know how we function in america with our backwards system.

[DRW50]

Hahaha, Mitt says he is "severely conservative." That makes it sound like a disease.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-02-10/romney-fending-off-rivals-calls-himself-severely-conservative-.html

[LeClerc]

Willard also privately assured Ann Coulter that he would be as right-wing of a President as she hopes he will be.

Joke making the rounds at CPAC: A conservative, a moderate, a liberal walk into a bar. The bartender says, "Hi Mitt!".

[DRW50]

So that means he's going to ban women from voting, which is one of Ann's goals (she really does say that)? Considering how that party hates women today, I'm not too surprised.

He also says he stopped Massachusetts from being the "Las Vegas of gay marriage." I guess he believes Connecticut must be some Sodom gone wild.

[Max]

Similarly, I never understood why left-wing candidates fail to use the word "liberal" when campaigning. Instead, they always use the "progressive" moniker.

Edited February 11, 2012 by Max

[juppiter]

The last time we had a genuinely liberal president was LBJ. Carter started deregulation, and Clinton and Obama are both third way "New Democrats." After the reactionary "silent majority" stuff in the 70s, the word "liberal" became associated with hippies.

There are more registered Democrats than registered Republicans, but there are FAR more people who describe themselves as "conservative" than as "liberal." So basically, first of all, the word itself is toxic. Second of all, compared to LBJ or FDR, modern Democrats really aren't all that "liberal."

[quartermainefan]

[juppiter]

I'm not disagreeing with any of that, but even people who agree with all those things liberals did do not necessarily describe themselves as liberal. Many see it as a cultural thing rather than a political thing.

40% of Americans identify as conservative, 35% as moderate, and 21% as liberal. Even though 42% of voters are registered Democrats, 32% are registered Republicans, and 24% are independent/third party.

[Roman]

I, personally, don't know what everyone's political leanings are.

[DRW50]

I thought this was a very good article on the lives of those who talk about how the "social safety net" needs to go, even as they themselves depend on that safety net.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/12/us/even-critics-of-safety-net-increasingly-depend-on-it.html?pagewanted=1&ref=general&src=me

[DRW50]

Who are Hollywood Republicans endorsing?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/13/republicans-in-hollywood-_n_1273535.html

[DRW50]

Santorum is fundraising off of Romney's "severe conservative" remark. I still don't get that comment. It is just so defensive and I don't think anyone would change their view of Romney because he adds "severe."

http://www.politico.com/blogs/burns-haberman/2012/02/santorum-fundraises-off-romneys-severely-conservative-114268.html

Romney narrowly won CPAC, which is an accomplishment, considering the base. Santorum claims it was rigged.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/mitt-romney-bought-conservative-political-action-conference-caucus-win-rick-santorum-article-1.1021400?localLinksEnabled=false

Romney also narrowly won the Maine caucuses, which I think is a bit weak, considering he should be the right candidate for Maine Republicans.

Polls show Santorum tied nationally and leading Michigan. I'm not sure if Michigan is a great state for Romney just because his father was governor there, and have never really understood why it's seen as a lock for him. Not after the op-ed about letting the car industry go bankrupt.

[wingwalker]

As someone who lives in Michigan, a Republican isn't winning this state come Nov. Obama is, not just because of the auto industry, but Romney is no "favorite son". His dad was governor here, not him. Romney spent nearly entire adult life everywhere but Michigan. We also have a very unpopular Republican governor that will be a burden.

As for the primary, it will be interesting because Michigan has an open primary, meaning you don't have to be a Republican to vote in the Republican primary. I hear many Democrats are voting for Santorum just to screw over Romney. Which is what they did in 2000. Since Gore was poised for the nom, the Dems voted McCain to screw over Bush.

Edited February 13, 2012 by wingwalker

[Max]

I think it is even more pathetic that Paul lost, given that his supporters were hyping ME as the one state where he would finally pull off a victory. There is no more justification for him to stay in the race, although the liberal media (who has always pretended that his popularity was far greater than it actually is) seems to think otherwise.

The fact that Obama will win MI in November is hardly something for the Democrats to brag about either, given that the state last voted for a GOP presidential nominee in 1988. The "common knowledge" that MI is a swing state is total bullshit; the only reason why it even has a Republican governor is because 2010 was a wave GOP year (and a Republican wasn't elected to the Senate since 1994).

Unfortunately, I do believe that Romney will be delusional and make a major play for MI in the general election; he'd even do so if he had zero ties to the state.

Edited February 14, 2012 by Max