The Politics Thread

[DRW50]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/trump-urges-rep-van-drew-anti-impeachment-democrat-to-switch-parties/2019/12/14/b201bb4a-1ea0-11ea-8d58-5ac3600967a1_story.html

 

If this is true, [!@#$%^&*] him. No wonder a lot of people don't care about politics. Selfish losers like this are why.

[Faulkner]

Re: Buttigieg and his challenges with black voters:

 

 

 

[DramatistDreamer]

Whoa, I guess I really haven't been paying attention to what's been happening in Pakistani politics lately!

 

[DramatistDreamer]

An interesting article that proposes that, had Great Britain had proportional voting (e.g. Germany), the pro-Remain parties (Liberal Democrats, SNP and Labour) could have formed a coalition government. Instead, GB has what is described as a "first past the post" type of voting system, which allowed the Conservatives to win the general election.

 

https://www.msn.com/en-ie/news/other/the-uk-election-explained-in-one-number/ar-BBY5pI2

 

Another aspect that I hadn't considered previously is that it is possible that voters either didn't trust the Liberal Democrats due to their previous alliance with the Conservatives during David Cameron's administration and voting based on the fallout from that, particularly in Scotland, which might have come to view the alliance as a betrayal to their sovereignty might perhaps be part of the reason that Jo Swinson ended up losing her seat. Speculation on my part though.

[DRW50]

Swinson was a minister in the austerity-era and voted for many of the cuts, and very unpopular items like the bedroom tax. I think many in the higher levels of the party underestimated, even this year, how much that would hurt. Her decision to run a "Presidential-style" campaign with the assumption that viewers would love her also backfired, as...they didn't. 

[DramatistDreamer]

 

 

Also, she was Deputy Parliament Secretary for Nick Clegg who entered that Faustian bargain with the Tories during the Cameron years.  People don't forget, especially in Scotland, where national policies clearly and sovereignty had more importance than what has happening in the U.K. overall.  "Politics is local" really does resonate sometimes.

[ReddFoxx]

The coalition with the Conservatives most certainly ruined the Liberal Democrats.

[DRW50]

She was also seen as not spending enough time being in her riding, or whatever the term is, even though her seat was marginal. I know some were hoping the same would happen to Boris, but no such luck.

 

Speaking of Boris - here's that great conservative benefit to the economy.

 

https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/pound-sinks-on-boris-johnson-drastic-law-that-risks-no-deal-brexit-2019-12-1028767946

[DramatistDreamer]

It's really interesting to see how "first past the post" really warped results in this election for England, in particular. Scotland and N. Ireland were outliers due to a combination of allegiance to EU membership and internal politics. 

 

 

Speaking of internal politics, this is disturbing. I've been reading about the burgeoning "Hindutva" since Modi's election and am surprised that so many have turned a blind eye to this. With this new law, the issue seems to be reaching a fever pitch, as is evident from the protest and the ferocity of the government's response to turn back protesters.

 

[marceline]

I'm going to admit it. I did a fist pump when I saw this.

 

 

[DramatistDreamer]

[Faulkner]

Jfc indeed.

 

 

[DramatistDreamer]

These debates can veer into grandstanding. I'm going to tune in at about 6:30 pm or so when the voting has begun in earnest. 

[Vee]

 

 

 

 

[Vee]

 

Guess who voted present!