The Politics Thread

[Ann_SS]

Reagan was a horrible president so that he is any type of hero to the Republicans is appropriate. I cringe with Obama flatters Reagan, but then again, Obama makes me cringe a lot so that works.

Demonizing has nothing to do with it. Roberts is a right-wing wacko. The fact that he went the other way on this ONE important judgment does not change the damage that he has done in previous rulings like Citizens United which basically sold the every politician and election to the 1%. Besides given how the opinion was written and the rumors swirling suggests that Roberts was looking towards his legacy fearful that the lack of respect of the court and its low reputation would continue to grow.

Edited June 28, 2012 by Ann_SS

[quartermainefan]

The only thing Reagan did right was when he put missiles in europe to achieve parity with the soviets. Everyone blasted him, but that made sense to me even then. And he showed his perhaps naive but true feelings on the matter when after building them up he offered to reduce both nations nukes down to 0.

[reallyhateskateonlost]

Shameful Reporting.

FOX

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CNN:

[DRW50]

Not too subtle from Politico. Three of the main articles on their front-page:

Republicans see down-ballot gold in ruling

How Dems could blow it

Republican recipe for repeal

[Ann_SS]

No one should take Politico seriously. Like the rest of the mainstream media, Politico needs stir the pot to keep people from both sides reading. All the articles and many of conservative opinion columns in the NY Times, Washington Post, etc. are trying to find the positive for the Republicans. if the decision had gone the other way, the articles would be about how the Democrats are now galvanized to right back and the enthusiasm for Obama's re-election had increase, yada, yada. So predictable. For what it is worth, the Times and Post's editorial did completely support the SCOTUS health care decision.

Roberts is getting the positive publicity that he obviously craved with his vote. It should buy him so goodwill as he and his conservative cronies continue to vote in favor of corporations and their allies over the 99%.

Edited June 29, 2012 by Ann_SS

[Max]

Anti-Mormon bigotry rears its ugly head from Cher (an individual who is a proud member of the 99%, and can totally relate to their economic struggles):

http://www.hollywood...nderwear-343651

Clearly, it's only the Romney supporters who say crazy and hateful things that poison the country's political discourse.

Edited June 30, 2012 by Max

[Roman]

They have turned into this right-wing publication as of late have they?

[DRW50]

Unless Cher is on the stage with Obama or is in Congress or a statehouse, I don't see the comparison.

[Ann_SS]

Frankly, I think that the Democrats and their supporters have been amazingly restrained about commenting on Romney's religion. Polls have shown that there a large swaths of people in this country who don't believe that Mormonism is a Christian denomination and many believe that it is a cult. In fact, the most virulent attacks on Mormonism have been from evangelical Christians, the Republicans' base. If Romney was a Democrat, they would never hold back like the Democrats have with Romney. Those evangelical Christian pastors would be ripping Romney apart much like they did questioning if Obama really was a Christian. Republican politicians would be making snide comments and remaining silent with tacit while their supporters asked questions and made ugly comments about Romney's religion.

Edited July 1, 2012 by Ann_SS

[Max]

Romney's religion was attacked by evangelicals in the GOP Primary. And his religion hurt him terribly in the deep south, where he failed to win a single GOP Primary. Why do you think Mitt got crushed in South Carolina (where, if he had won, he would have effectively clinched the GOP nomination): because they don't want a Mormon president.

It's true that you are not seeing any vicious anti-Mormon attacks from evangelicals in the general election campaign. But, something else is happening: a complete lack of enthusiasm exists from the religious right. No matter how much the GOP hates Obama, indifference (or worse) towards Romney will cause a sizable number of evangelicals to stay home on Election Day. This, in turn, will be the reason why he'll lose swing states with large evangelical populations, such as VA and FL. (Romney himself isn't exactly helping matters with his insistence on choosing a boring VP like Pawlenty or Portman. He needs to stop being so damn cautious and realize that he can't win unless his VP choice is able to energize the base and help overcome some of their anti-Mormon bigotry.)

In other news, tax cheat Charlie Rangel is involved in a bitterly disputed election:

http://www.foxnews.c...itics+-+Text%29

His Democratic challenger--whose vote total continues to grow--is charging voter fraud and suppression. In the shock of the century, the NAACP isn't saying jack s#it about this election, even though they claim fighting voter fraud is one of the most important things they stand for.

Edited July 3, 2012 by Max

[Ann_SS]

Seriously, are we supposed to cry over Romney's Republican bigoted racist base have no enthusiasm for him and not voting hm? As they say, you dance with the one's who brung ya.

Romney can't win, period. It doesn't matter that he is a Mormon or who he picks to be his VP. Romney and his 1% friends are trying to buy this election, but they won't succeed. They can't fight that he comes off downright unlikeable or that his love for his fellow people corporation is scuzzy or the reality of the changing demographics of this country (there are only so many white males to rally around him).

Btw, Charles Rangel is not any better or any worse than his fellow corrupt politicians in Congress (read the Washington Post's ongoing series on the financial dealings using insider information by members of Congress). I guess, whinging over him makes you happy. I'll add about Rangel. He was a great man once. He was active in the Civil Rights Movement and risked his life to march with Dr. King. Goes to show how almost anyone can be corrupted by power and money.

Edited July 3, 2012 by Ann_SS

[Roman]

http://www.theroot.com/buzz/naacp-launches-voter-registration-initiative|

It took less than 30 seconds to find this information of the NAACP fighting voter suppression.

[DRW50]

More and more far right governors are kicking the poor. Never underestimate how much praise you get for letting people die, which is what this essentially does.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/07/which-states-will-reject-obamacares-medicaid-expansion.php?ref=fpb

Meanwhile, there's a not-too-subtle media effort to tell us that John Roberts only cared about politics and switched sides for reasons that were only about image. Combined with the usual far right bleating, my guess is this is designed to shame and guilt the Court into always staying in their place from now on.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-3460_162-57464549/roberts-switched-views-to-uphold-health-care-law/

Nothing ever changes. The GOP becomes even more extreme and the media becomes even more docile. The only laugh in this is watching Romney desperately struggle to figure out his own position on a law that has his fingerprints all over it.

[Max]

I'm glad you're essentially admitting the fundamental truth of politics: that presidential elections are personal popularity contests. (Which is why Romney can't win, regardless of how bad the economy is.) To hell with those poor, unemployed bastards! Let's stay with the shitty status quo, because having a "cool guy" in the White House is what really matters!

Your link didn't work for me, so I can't specifically address it. However, the "screen tip" that appears (when I mouse over it) indicates that the article is about a voter registration drive they are organizing (and not about the disputed election going on in Rangel's district). Sure, the NAACP bitches about "voter fraud" when a candidate they endorse ends up losing, but are they coming to the aid of Rangel's Hispanic challenger? It's more than a little disingenuous for an organization to claim it is the champion of voting rights, only to stay silent when some extremely serious charges of voter fraud are levied against an African American political icon.

Edited July 3, 2012 by Max

[DRW50]

I'm not sure if anyone who opposes Romney is saying "to hell with the unemployed" when Romney's career was based on firing people, and he has bragged about liking to fire people.