The Politics Thread

[JaneAusten]

That's been the problem for years. I mean look at the red south - all republican - yet those states populations rely more on public assistance than the blue states in the Northeast or Northwest but they regularly vote in people who are opposed to the programs and assistance many of these same people rely on.

I have a friend who is a staunch republican - why I don't know - but for over a year was collecting unemployment because she was laid off and then complained when "the president' didn't extend it. Unemployment a program designed by progressives to help the people who spit in their faces and scream less government.

Plus I want a reasonable republican, maybe Max, explain to me why we continue to give tax benefits to corporations who outsource jobs and move facilities out of this county and also why the "trickle down" aspect hasn't worked and why corporations are still cash heavy from all the tax breaks that are allegedly intended to incent big corporations to create more jobs. They continue to stuff their wallets with fat bonuses while the majority of increases in new jobs is still coming from small businesses.

[marceline]

It makes more sense when you realize that trickle-down economics is a religion. When it fails to work over and over, the answer is to cut more i.e. believe harder. It's like how faith healing charlatans promise big results then when the person in the wheel chair still can't walk they claim it's because their faith wasn't strong enough. That's the right wing thinking around tax cuts.

[Juliajms]

I really do believe that's possible, but it's going to be a tough road. imo. Healthcare is so broken I wouldn't have the first idea how to fix it. I can't certainly say general things like I'd like to see everyone get the treatment they need, but that's a result, not what it takes to make it happen.

Even once we get a single payer system, it's going to be a far cry from utopia. I do think the Republicans are right about that. It's just that single payer is probably the best of all the bad ways healthcare can go. When you see the "real" cost of healthcare it's truly frightening. Just the other day, I got a $10.00 bill from my OB, but I saw everything my insurance did pay. Almost $400.00 for an initial OB appointment. I think I spent may 15 mins with the doc. It's completely out of control and I wish good luck to anyone trying to reign it in.

Sure, but scaring people works pretty well, especially when there is video of Americans getting beheaded. I'll admit I don't have the stamina to figure out exactly how or why Isis emerged. I'd say it was a combination of getting involved in a region we don't understand very well and then leaving after we destabilized the whole region. Whatever political party is ultimately to blame, I feel our failed polices have gotten a lot of people slaughtered.

This is an interesting point to me because it's another case of perception versus reality. Employment is up, but people seem to feel insecure about their economic futures. I certainly don't think most people will be better off after yesterday, but I don't think politicians would have gotten very far trotting out Obama and talking about how much better the economy is.

[JaneAusten]

It's been thirty years since Reagan spewed that BS and in thirty years it hasn't worked. Now I won't ever claim that programs like the WPA, CCC, or the recent stimulus package turned things around, they didn't, but they helped build and stabilize this countries infrastructure and gave people incentive and hope, What has trickle down done aside from helping executives get even more big golden parachutes and huge bonuses.

I also wonder for Max, who claims Obama was the reason for all this, remember that had Obama actually been on the ballot, all those people who didn't vote, would have voted and changed MANY of the outcomes. Blame Obama all you want but his presence on the ballot creates incentive for all those so called "dregs on society" to actually vote and make their voices heard. Someone can now explain to me how this is a bad thing.

[Juliajms]

Good job finding some good news in all of this. I'm actually even happy for Mia Love. Whatever the politics, I do see Utah electing a black woman as a positive thing.

In other good news there is a chance that Lee Terry lost here in Nebraska. He's the one who supported the government shutdown and than said he'd continue to take his $175,000 salary because he has a "nice house and a kid in college". I was really hoping he'd go down. They are still counting votes, but it looks like he might be out.

[JaneAusten]

True and I think the reality is somewhere in the middle. Incomes have not increased that much and that's the biggest issue and why increasing the minimum wage IMO is so important. I hope the support the politicians now see FROM THE ACTUAL VOTERS on minimum wage increases tells them where many still see the problems are which is related to collecting a fair wage and pay.

And I stand by what I said above. If this was a presidential election and President Obama was on the ballot the turnout would have been higher and the results would have looked a lot different. The republicans didn't benefit from people hating Obama they benefitted primarily because the people who would have voted democratic didn't vote because he wasn't running, leading to a less than impressive turnout.

[DRW50]

To the surprise of no one, the electorate was very old, and younger voters didn't give a [!@#$%^&*] about their future.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/exit-polls-2014-electorate-old

[JaneAusten]

^^

My point exactly. The people who would have made a difference in the election like they did in 2008 didn't bother to vote. But people would rather blame Obama for the defeats versus lack of interest and low voter turnout.

Edited November 5, 2014 by JaneAusten

[marceline]

That's because one party has a vested interest in keeping people insecure about their economic futures.

[quartermainefan]

I said a year or so ago, and I still believe it today that once Obama said if you like your doctor you can keep him and that turned out to be untrue for many that he was toast. Once that happened nobody would listen to him and he would be white noise blathering away but to the skeptics all they would hear is "Blah blah blah lie. Blah blah I am a just another politician"

Edited November 5, 2014 by quartermainefan

[JaneAusten]

That's true but it still doesn't change the elections. The reason for the results is due to low turnout. Had those people who voted in 2008 voted in 2014 the results would be different. And I am not praising Obama or the democrats. As Jon Stewart said they are a bunch of pussies.

Obama has been a lame duck since the last election. Ultimately as time goes on people are going to forget as the ACA stabilizes and more people enroll. But by that time Obama will be long gone and off booking $200,000 speaking engagements and writing his autobiography.

[marceline]

That's it in a nutshell. When fewer people vote Republicans win. Hence the voter suppression which is going to get a LOT worse as they get ready for 2016.

[quartermainefan]

The younger people seem to vote for things rather than against. The democrats didn't run on anything because they were all afraid to be seen with Obama. Obama had some accomplishments but you would never know that listening to Obama and the democrats. The federal deficit has plummeted but the democrats never once tried to fight on the economy. They refused to do or say anything about immigration so as not to endanger democrats in Tea Party states (as if that would help any democrat in a tea party state). They were ashamed of Obamacare because Obama left them no choice, and 2014 was the year of foreign policy disaster after disaster and so democrats couldn't even run on that. All they could talk about was social issues and women, but the country didn't really care about that this time out.

2016 the democrats will retake the senate and keep the house. The real problem for democrats is they seem to have abandoned state wide and local elections, or at least not make them a priority. The republicans true strength is they control the offices that draw up the maps, and those people gerrymander the districts as they need to. Until democrats start taking back state legislatures and governorships, they will not take back the House.

[Nate4]

A unknown republican is the new governor of the very liberal Maryland. WTF. Anthony Brown had a terrible campaign, yes, but everyone knew he was going to win. What happened?

If Larry Hogan dares to try to get rid of gay marriage I'm moving.

My Aunt, who is his friend, talked to him last night and said he was very shocked.

[marceline]

The Democratic Party has a lot of work to do and almost no time to do it. I love Debbie Wasserman Schultz but I'd really like to see Howard Dean back in charge of the party. He did the party a lot of good with his 50 state strategy plus he's a street fighter and the party needs as many of them as it can get.