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[pigeon]

Can you guys take it to the thread, for real.

That thread is so terrible though.

I'm old enough to remember when PoliGAF was created so that when political threads dominated OT they could be closed and the discussion could be redirected into one place which would also filter out lots of low-effort, low-quality discussion.*


* I'm not old enough to remember this, I'm old enough to remember hearing the legend told though

 

[sphagnum]

Thats fine if the DNC whats to enact a rule, but I am not a fan of asking Obama to fall on the sword cause of "optics". Like when people was asking Lebron James to stop playing until Tamir Rice got justice. People want to stay commanding someone's pocket. I could see if Obama had a history of being 2 faced and shifty, but dude was the prefect negro.

TBH every president is two faced. Obama did plenty of bad stuff, he was just not as bad as the other presidents have recently been and in other areas was actually good.

 

[kirblar]

TBH every president is two faced. Obama did plenty of bad stuff, he was just not as bad as the other presidents have recently been and in other areas was actually good.

Lying is an important skill for a politician.

Hillary was very bad at it.

Gillibrand is very good at it.

 

[shinra-bansho]

I think I'm going to become a republican if we just reduce stuff to "capitalism is the problem"

I mean ok

Bye poors

You probably earn over $50k. So you aren't allowed to be a Democrat anymore.
Once your income increases above a certain threshold you can no longer believe in advancing a more equitable society.

It's okay if you're kind of racist or want to restrict women's rights though.

 

[Y2Kev]

I think there is a wide gap between paid speeches and adversarial. And Wall Street is a different animal than the business community writ large, given (i) its outsized political influence, and (ii) DC's particular influence on markets and the financial sector.

Why is Wall Street any different than the olds lobby, Silicon Valley (which has proven to be full of fucking assholes), the pharmas, etc.

I am not shocked by special interest influence. I think it can be used for good. Look at how monay got North Carolina in line.

 

[BlastProcessing]

So on April 11 Chaffetz receives this letter from the DoD:

A week later he starts doing everything possible to get the fuck out of town ASAP.

The timeline is a little too perfect here.

 

[shinra-bansho]

I'm pretty sure people hate pharmas too. Substitute with Hollywood and organic yoga superfoods industry.

 

[BoogieWoogie]

The health of millions of Americans seems pretty fucking important to me.

They're seriously trying to get votes by saying, "We just need to get this over with already?"

Fuck me the GOP is so screwed.

 

[sphagnum]

You probably earn over $50k. So you aren't allowed to be a Democrat anymore.
Once your income increases above a certain threshold you can no longer believe in advancing a more equitable society.

Why settle for more when you can go for most

 

[Y2Kev]

I am fine paying for your healthcare, poors. Embrace me and erect a statue

 

[Rebel Leader]

I am fine paying for your healthcare, poors. Embrace me and erect a statue

With that avatar pose? No thanks.

 

[shinra-bansho]

Why settle for more when you can go for most

Because I don't wanna live in your commune. Besides you can't get to most without more. You can eat the rich once you at least get to more. Although I get that "the left" wants to throw away anyone who thinks that often progress is made in increments I guess.

 

[Roland_Gunner]

Thats fine if the DNC whats to enact a rule, but I am not a fan of asking Obama to fall on the sword cause of "optics". Like when people was asking Lebron James to stop playing until Tamir Rice got justice. People want to stay commanding someone's pocket. I could see if Obama had a history of being 2 faced and shifty, but dude was the prefect negro.

To be clear, the DNC has no ability to regulate Obama's behavior as a private citizen. What happens if they enact the rule and he says no? Are they going to kick him out of the party or not let him speak at the convention in four years?

 

[studyguy]

To be clear, the DNC has no ability to regulate Obama's behavior as a private citizen. What happens if they enact the rule and he says no? Are they going to kick him out of the party or not let him speak at the convention in four years?

What... What was ... Is that! It's Obama at the 2019 Democratic National Convention WITH A STEEL CHAIR COMNG DOWN ON A WIRE FROM THE CEILING!!

 

[Macho Madness]

I think I'm going to become a republican if we just reduce stuff to "capitalism is the problem"

I mean ok

Bye poors

What's the difference?

 

[kirblar]

@scottwongDC

NEW: Revised ObamaCare repeal bill on life support; at least 21 Rs say they'll vote no

Still dead Jim.

 

[Plinko]

So on April 11 Chaffetz receives this letter from the DoD:

A week later he starts doing everything possible to get the fuck out of town ASAP.

The timeline is a little too perfect here.

I brought up this idea a few days ago. Timing was really, really suspect. Right when we hear about the House investigations moving forward, he takes off.

 

[Rebel Leader]

What... What was ... Is that! It's Obama at the 2019 Democratic National Convention WITH A STEEL CHAIR COMNG DOWN ON A WIRE FROM THE CEILING!!

BAH GAWD AS MY WITNESS HE IS BROKEN IN HALF!

 

[FyreWulff]

Of the many molehills made into mountains I won't understand, it's the getting paid for a speech.

If people want you to come talk and basically use you as a headliner to attract more donations/tickets, then get that money.

I care more about actual actions and supportive moves than caring if they make some of their living off giving speeches. Hell if you want people to come to "your side" then if some people go to an event a headline like Obama is at and they listen to him for a moment they might just get jostled into being more socially aware.

 

[Brawndo Addict]

Look if people want to argue that the office of the President should be held to lower standards of ethical behavior than judges and lawyers, okay that's your prerogative. Just don't piss on my leg and tell me it's raining as if those standards are stupid or irrational. My guess is everyone would be universally upset if Scalia had retired and immediately got paid to do a speech for Hobby Lobby.

People have been talking about this well before Reagan went to Japan but people act as if this issue was created ex nihilo last week.

 

[FloydtheFathead]

What... What was ... Is that! It's Obama at the 2019 Democratic National Convention WITH A STEEL CHAIR COMNG DOWN ON A WIRE FROM THE CEILING!!

Obama as Sting seems entertaining for some reason..

Crow Sting, not dorky surfer Sting

 

[Rebel Leader]

Obama as Sting seems entertaining for some reason..

Crow Sting, not dorky surfer Sting

But obama is old sting now

 

[pigeon]

Thats fine if the DNC whats to enact a rule, but I am not a fan of asking Obama to fall on the sword cause of "optics".

Obama owns the DNC, though. We know he does because he put in Perez over Ellison. So it's the same thing. The DNC's not going to enact a rule unless Obama is convinced it's a good rule.

If Obama wants to just walk away from politics, frankly I wouldn't blame him. Just tell everybody to get fucked, they elected Trump. But if he wants to stick around and keep running things, which is what he's doing whether or not he wants to admit it publicly, then he's stuck with the responsibility of running things, and setting an example of avoiding situations that could lead to corruption is part of that.

Like when people was asking Lebron James to stop playing until Tamir Rice got justice. People want to stay commanding someone's pocket. I could see if Obama had a history of being 2 faced and shifty, but dude was the prefect negro.

I mean, I think that's actually making it worse. He was America's Magical Negro! I will cop to the potential of racism in that I kind of did think maybe Obama was just perfect and so this is a bummer, but that was a dumb thing for me to think in the first place.

As I said, the real failure here is that people didn't hold Bill Clinton to ethical standards. Like, basically ever in his life. Obama has the power to clean that up, that's all. Which is something he's already been doing for eight years.

I can buy the argument that Bill Clinton would never have gotten away with the shit he did if he wasn't a white Southerner male.

 

[Dubbedinenglish]

What... What was ... Is that! It's Obama at the 2019 Democratic National Convention WITH A STEEL CHAIR COMNG DOWN ON A WIRE FROM THE CEILING!!

The Corporate Champion Barack

 

[FloydtheFathead]

But obama is old sting now

Listen.. He can still drop from the ceiling and hit people with baseball bats

The Corporate Champion Barack

Barack turns out to be the Higher Power and says it's me Wall Street, it was me all along..

 

[Barzul]

What exactly is going on at Fox News?

 

[sphagnum]

Because I don't wanna live in your commune. Besides you can't get to most without more. You can eat the rich once you at least get to more.

I'll take that as a promise.

 

[pigeon]

What exactly is going on at Fox News?

Crime?

Remember, Murdoch got busted in the UK already for illegally hacking politician's phones.

He's basically been perpetrating criminal cover-ups all over the world as part of his evil media empire. In the case of Fox it apparently meant running an actual cover-up mill for the endemic sexual and racial harassment that running Fox meant you were party to.

 

[Slayven]

Obama owns the DNC, though. We know he does because he put in Perez over Ellison. So it's the same thing. The DNC's not going to enact a rule unless Obama is convinced it's a good rule.

If Obama wants to just walk away from politics, frankly I wouldn't blame him. Just tell everybody to get fucked, they elected Trump. But if he wants to stick around and keep running things, which is what he's doing whether or not he wants to admit it publicly, then he's stuck with the responsibility of running things, and setting an example of avoiding situations that could lead to corruption is part of that.



I mean, I think that's actually making it worse. He was America's Magical Negro! I will cop to the potential of racism in that I kind of did think maybe Obama was just perfect and so this is a bummer, but that was a dumb thing for me to think in the first place.

As I said, the real failure here is that people didn't hold Bill Clinton to ethical standards. Like, basically ever in his life. Obama has the power to clean that up, that's all. Which is something he's already been doing for eight years.

I can buy the argument that Bill Clinton would never have gotten away with the shit he did if he wasn't a white Southerner male.

He was America's magical negro until he wasn't. All this talk just smacks a lot of people as another "Twice as hard for half as much". I think there is a long and learned debate in this, that is probably beyond this era's 140 character limiuts

 

[AntraxSuicide]

Look if people want to argue that the office of the President should be held to lower standards of ethical behavior than judges and lawyers, okay that's your prerogative. Just don't piss on my leg and tell me it's raining as if those standards are stupid or irrational. My guess is everyone would be universally upset if Scalia had retired and immediately got paid to do a speech for Hobby Lobby.

I'm not really going to get into this again, but to answer your question, I actually don't think I'd care if Scalia did that. This was something I asked myself when we were talking about this before, and I really don't have an issue with any of the right-wing figures doing this as they do now either. It just doesn't matter at all to me, and so my general anger at it being a story is that I generally file it under the "things only politically obsessed people care about" umbrella, which always gets me angry (and then led to me losing my temper like an ass).

I don't think that your complaints are irrational. I think they're trivial and find it hard to empathize when I live in such an impoverished region of the country and see less privileged people than myself who could really use that energy for literally anything else.

 

[teiresias]

They're seriously trying to get votes by saying, "We just need to get this over with already?"

Fuck me the GOP is so screwed.

Yeah, they do know they could just drop it and move on, right?

Still dead Jim.

People still need to be calling their GOP reps constantly.

 

[teiresias]

DP

 

[Grexeno]

Yeah, they do know they could just drop it and move on, right?

But they can't do that, either. Therein, lies the rub.

 

[Slayven]

A lot of the right seems to be caving in, i wonder what is happening behind scenes? You would think this would be their golden paradise. Without an enemy they just feasting on themselves?

 

[teiresias]

But they can't do that, either. Therein, lies the rub.

I'd need to see numbers within the HFC districts to really believe the voters in them would throw the baby out with the bathwater (so to speak) over just the ACA. I'm not convinced the energy for their reelection is dependent on that yet.

Now, Trump being stupidly all in actually is a problem that's easy to see.

 

[kirblar]

A lot of the right seems to be caving in, i wonder what is happening behind scenes? You would think this would be their golden paradise. Without an enemy they just feasting on themselves?

IIRC, D edge on the sample ballot is better than the '06 D and '10 R waves. The moderates don't want to give in on this because they know what'll happen.

 

[BlastProcessing]

Yeah, they do know they could just drop it and move on, right?



People still need to be calling their GOP reps constantly.

That would be the damned if you don't option.

 

[Plinko]

Obama as Sting seems entertaining for some reason..

Crow Sting, not dorky surfer Sting

Obama was surfer Sting for 8 years. Then he left, and now he's back as Crow Sting. The timeline fits.

 

[pigeon]

He was America's magical negro until he wasn't. All this talk just smacks a lot of people as another "Twice as hard for half as much". I think there is a long and learned debate in this, that is probably beyond this era's 140 character limiuts

Yeah, I can understand where that's coming from, and I agree that it's a complex debate. I would say I might have a different perspective on this if Obama wasn't already getting $60 million (or rather I'd have the same perspective but I'd be much more supportive of the argument that Obama deserves to get paid to some degree and so I'd probably take a different position).

A lot of the right seems to be caving in, i wonder what is happening behind scenes? You would think this would be their golden paradise. Without an enemy they just feasting on themselves?

Basically, yeah.

The GOP is ridiculously fractured, that's how Trump managed to storm the party in the first place. The only thing they agree on is hating the Democrats. That's not actually a policy platform.

Their solution to this was to have a presidential primary and put a bunch of candidates forward. Then they could just unify around whoever won, and they'd have a lot of power in the White House to force their party in line.

Trump being president really fucks this plan up, because to the limited degree that Trump isn't totally ignorant, his non-racism policy preferences are not in line with any of the GOP factions. So even if he were competent enough to pressure the Republican House, he'd be pressuring them towards policies the GOP doesn't want to pass.

It's basically an embarrassing disaster for the GOP.

 

[AntraxSuicide]

But they can't do that, either. Therein, lies the rub.

Yeah, they really don't want to be going for massive tax cuts without anything around it to make it look like some grand compromise. They need this to work or they can't move on to other (worse) things.

IIRC, D edge on the sample ballot is better than the '06 D and '10 R waves. The moderates don't want to give in on this because they know what'll happen.

What a lot of the media doesn't mention about the first go-around with AHCA is that everyone was just counting HFC No votes (because they were more vocal and easier to pin down), but we know damn well there were always going to be dozens of moderates voting against it too.

edit:

Trump being president really fucks this plan up, because to the limited degree that Trump isn't totally ignorant, his non-racism policy preferences are not in line with any of the GOP factions. So even if he were competent enough to pressure the Republican House, he'd be pressuring them towards policies the GOP doesn't want to pass.

It's basically an embarrassing disaster for the GOP.

I'm actually not sure their problem is this exactly; it's not that Trump's policy preferences clash with the party's factions (which would I think be manageable; you just have to thread the needle of "Us and the POTUS don't agree on everything but..." messaging), it's that his preferences change wildly based on who he favors at the time. This means you can't take a stand on any message at all since it probably won't make any sense in like 12 hours (and then it'll make perfect sense and then some sense and then none again and so on). The various factions are now at war because they can conceivably "win" by being the ones who lock down Trump's favor; if he actually had preferences at all (beyond making himself look good) then they could at least start rallying in secret without him.

 

[FloydtheFathead]

Obama was surfer Sting for 8 years. Then he left, and now he's back. The timeline fits.

So who is Crow Sting then?

 

[Y2Kev]

When is he old sting that almost died

 

[adamsappel]

The article does show that they make exceptions or at least don't argue as vehemently for some people.

What do the people who hate "Wall Street" expect to do for retirement income?

Look if people want to argue that the office of the President should be held to lower standards of ethical behavior than judges and lawyers, okay that's your prerogative. Just don't piss on my leg and tell me it's raining as if those standards are stupid or irrational. My guess is everyone would be universally upset if Scalia had retired and immediately got paid to do a speech for Hobby Lobby.

Are judges proscribed from earning certain incomes after retirement?

I would say I might have a different perspective on this if Obama wasn't already getting $60 million (or rather I'd have the same perspective but I'd be much more supportive of the argument that Obama deserves to get paid to some degree and so I'd probably take a different position).

That $60M is for books from both Barack and Michelle. Do you have concerns as to whom or where Michelle can speak?

 

[Cesare Borgia]

Still dead Jim.

It's just like we discussed ages ago. How do you make a bill terrible/oppressive enough to win over the far right without losing moderates. It's impossible. This is a shit show.

 

[shinra-bansho]

(((Michelle has the ear of her husband.)))
That controls the DNC.
That belonged to the farmer sowing his corn
That kept the rooster that crowed in the morn
That woke the judge all shaven and shorn
That married the man all tattered and torn
That kissed the maiden all forlorn
That milked the cow with the crumpled horn
That tossed the dog that worried the cat
That killed the rat that ate the malt
That lay in the house that Sting built.

 

[Plinko]

So who is Crow Sting then?

He is. He came back as Crow Sting.

 

[pigeon]

That $60M is for books from both Barack and Michelle. Do you have concerns as to whom or where Michelle can speak?

As I understand it, Michelle Obama is not the de facto leader of the Democratic Party.

 

[Poodlestrike]

I still say that the whole thing is moot. Maybe it's bad, maybe it's not, but don't play into the Republican narrative by giving them any credibility on the left.

 

[Holmes]

DP

Some people here are into that.

 

[tuxfool]

Still dead Jim.

I'd say it is still alive, going by those numbers.

Hanging by a thread though.