The Politics Thread

[Max]

Even though I strongly disagree with them, I applaud Juliajms and Marceline for holding the highly unpopular belief that legalizing marriage for polygamists is based (IMO) on the same logic and reasoning as legalizing gay marriage. Everybody is entitled to their own opinions, but I just don't see how somebody can be in favor of one and opposed to the other.

Marriage between man and animal or between adult and child are nowhere near the realm of gay marriage and polygamy (and I cringe when conservative Christians broach these subjects in an attempt to explain their stances on gay marriage). Since animals and children (of course) don't have the cognitive capabilities that adults have, banning such marriages is not a violation of the libertarian argument that consenting adults should have the right to marry whom they please.

Edited July 15, 2013 by Max

[DRW50]

San DIego has another problematic mayor, apparently. Bob Filner is in a sexual harassment scandal.

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/attorney-filner-said-female-employees-would-do-better?ref=fpblg

Meanwhile, after more huffing and puffing over the nuclear option in the Senate, Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell reached a deal on judicial nominees. Given that Democrats are at strong risk to lose the Senate in 2014, I imagine this was as far as Reid would go. Nate Silver is now saying he thinks Republicans will have 50-51 seats.

http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/15/senate-control-in-2014-increasingly-looks-like-a-tossup/

[DRW50]

Liz Cheney, mostly known for saying dumb things on cable "news", is running for the Senate in Wyoming.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/liz-cheney-to-challenge-gop-sen-mike-enzi-in-2014.php?ref=fpb

[Max]

I am not so sure that Liz Cheney will win the GOP primary. Mike Enzi got a huge boost upon receiving Rand Paul's endorsement.

Spitzer and Weiner lead in New York City:

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2013/07/15/spitzer_weiner_lead_in_nyc_polls_119225.html

Given her freefall, I don't know why Quinn insisted upon leaving her political team intact.

Edited July 17, 2013 by Max

[DRW50]

I think Quinn may be counting on getting most of the support in a runoff.

I don't see Rand Paul carrying all that much weight in Montana (he's a fake libertarian - they're not), but she is clearly not popular with most of the party apparatus. And Enzi doesn't seem to have done anything that has made him a primary target. It comes across as she just wants to be a senator, so she's going to be one, whee.

[Max]

Anthony Weiner admits to sexting even after resigning:

http://www.politico.com//story/2013/07/anthony-weiner-apology-94626.html

How can anyone vote for him (stating he deserves forgiveness). This pervert will never change.

Edited July 24, 2013 by Max

[alphanguy74]

Oh, he's not a pervert.. he's a MAN. Men are ruled by their dicks. Simple as that. Yeah, maybe he was foolish considering he is a public figure, but so what?

[DRW50]

Tons of regressive voting laws passed in NC. Hard to believe in recent years NC had been known as an increasingly progressive state.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/north-carolina-bill-requiring-voter-id-cutting-early-voting-passes-legislature.php?ref=fpblg

[Max]

Weiner's campaign manager resigned.

I once was willing to forgive Weiner, as I thought what he did in 2011 was not as bad as Sanford's sins. But these new revelations have completely changed my mind. I now think he is worse than Sanford, because at least Sanford only sinned once, did not continue to mislead the public, and did not remain in a sham marriage.

It does not look like anybody in this field will meet the Koch/Giuliani standards of greatness. Sadly, while a great mayor, Giuliani is scum as a human being. Koch, on the other hand, had a sterling personal reputation that matched his public life. I miss him so much.

Edited July 29, 2013 by Max

[marceline]

Sanford is far worse than Weiner. He was worse before any of these latest issues.

Sanford abandoned his job. He left the state and the country (and his family on Father's Day no less). He lied to his staff and used taxpayer money to finance his slutting around and once he got caught he gave one pitiful interview after another about how true love made him do it. Just this year he violated the terms of his divorce agreement to break into his ex-wife's house. He's a pathological narcissist with no concept of responsibility or accountability and he should never have been allowed anywhere near public office ever again. He's not qualified to be so much as a WalMart greeter.

The idea that Weiner is somehow worse because of the quantity of his offenses is like saying that TEN speeding tickets are somehow "worse" than ONE rape.

[ThePrinceOfSunspear]

Honestly as a die hard Democrat I do think Anthony Weiners is worse....

The guy obviously has psychological issues. He's practically a border line sex addict or some sort. The main problem for me is the LYING. I honestly was rooting for him to join the mayoral race and for him to win. The main reason being that I love Huma Abedin and I'm all for her advancement in politics as a person who's very close to the Clintons. But the fact that he kept up this behavior AFTER he resigned is just way too much.

I mean look at the timeline. He kept sexting these women basically up until he decided to run for Mayor! Its just too cute by half as Steve Kornacki said on a show...anyways I'm officially rooting for Christine Quinn.

On another note I'm so ashamed to be from North Carolina tonight...just a damn shame.

[marceline]

Worse than abandoning your job and leaving the country in secret at taxpayer expense? I don't see how the two are remotely comparable.

[DRW50]

Damn, Rand Paul is putting the hurt on that fake blowhard Chris Christie. Finally he has a purpose beyond sucking off the exhaust pipe of libertarianism.

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/07/rand-paul-chris-christie-2016-election-94901.html?hp=r6

[ThePrinceOfSunspear]

Both have to do with judgment but as others have mentioned one is easier to grasp than the other. People can understand an affair. It's harder for people (especially older individuals) to get the twittah phenomena and why people do these "selfies".

And like I said its the lying multiple times part that makes Weiner worse. A million times worse. Sanford admitted what he did and then moved on. He didnt apologize, get back with Jenny Sanford, and go on another "hike" along the Appalachian Trail.

Weiner tried to play the voters and that's just completely wrong IMO. Even worse is the fact that he's making his wife suffer this humiliation. I can't even begin to understand her motives at this point unless she really really wants him to win in order to put all the negative talk behind them. She would have been better off just divorcing him

[marceline]

No he broke into her house because he didn't feel like obeying the rules. Sorry, I refuse to give Sanford a pass just because he "only" stole from taxpayers and walked off the job once. This isn't about the affair and the fact that people keep concentrating on that is part of the problem. I couldn't care less that Sanford is a slut. I care that he was so selfish and immature that he abandoned his job, was derelict in his duty to the people who put him in office all in the name of "twu wuv" and used taxpayer funds to do all of it because apparently he's little more than a 14 year old boy. There's no excuse for that. None.

Sanford DID play the voters not tried, did and he will do it again because it's easier for puritanical voters to be squicked out over sex than admit that they were duped by a psychopath like Sanford. Twice. You can't give Sanford a pass then go after Weiner. Well obviously one can but it's intellectually dishonest. Both are disturbed whores but only one let it affect his ability to do his job. Frankly I don't blame Weiner for staying in the race. Sanford got re-elected, Vitter broke the law and he's still got his job, Weiner has nothing to lose.

There are a lot of other slimy whores in public service: Schwarzenegger, Clarence Thomas, etc...but Mark Sanford is in a class by himself.

Edited July 30, 2013 by marceline