2012 US General Election Discussions: Start to Finish

dreadgeek · 08-24-2012, 11:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kobi

I like the rationality in #3. Adding in, ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment would be imperative.

More and more, this particular election seems to be more ideological based as to who America is and what America stands for, rather than the usual and customary issues of the ecomony and stuff.

The GOP or the Gods Of Patriarchy and their promises for renewed and overt oppression of all beings they view as inferior are a scary bunch.

Yeah, they are. The thing that scares me the most about Santorum, Huckabee, et. al. is that they mean it. It isn't a posture, they aren't just saying what they think the base wants to hear. I know this sounds horrible but I have never wanted the right-wing populists who you see on TV to be a bunch of cynical grifters more than right now. I wish they didn't believe a word, then they could be trusted to stop. Cynical grifters don't want to break the world because then the game ends and they want to gravy train to never stop. True believers, however, are perfectly happy to break the world in pursuit of the purity of their goals. These people who are going to be intimidating black and Latino voters at the polls are going to believe themselves patriots. They will not believe themselves racists. It's not what they will consciously be thinking. They'll believe they are acting on the side of all that is Right and True and Good.

I actually am kind of glad that we're having the conversation about what we, the citizenry, believe our nation to be about. I wish we were having it across a broader spectrum and I could do without the racism but maybe, just maybe, this is their last hurrah. Not conservatism, that will always be part of the American strain as will populism. But this particular strain of right-wing populism may be seeing its swan song in the United States--at least for a while. I think, I hope, that Mittens' embrace of the birther madness will be a bridge too far. If it isn't and it is close, I'll be very, very disappointed in my fellow citizens. I hope we are a better nation than to let ourselves be devoured by the Tea Party whose vision of America is so harsh that dystopian doesn't even begin to cover it. Take the Gilded Age, add in the London of Charles Dickens, and cover liberally with a pre-Gallilean mindset about science. Cover in Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale". Season with Calvinist Old Time Religion. Bake in hot nation until done.

That doesn't sound at all appetizing to me.

Cheers
Aj

Martina · 08-24-2012, 11:27 PM

Corkey · 08-24-2012, 11:33 PM

AJ I can only hope you're right about the tea nuts, but it doesn't feel that way to me. It feels like the racist and holy rollers are out to destroy this country, and they don't care who they demolish in the process. It's almost as if they drank from the same stupid fountain and lost their minds en mass. I just hope against hope that there are more of us than them at this point.

Martina · 08-24-2012, 11:40 PM

Maybe. But I was so discouraged today listening to NPR. There was a brief story on offshore accounts and how mainstream using them is and how we can't seem to do anything about them because of how strong the Wall Street Lobby is.

That they should have a strong lobby is galling. That none of them is in jail or likely to go to jail is hard to stomach.

But that the wealth of the middle class, which has been reduced by a third, has to carry the entire nation because corporations and the rich legally dodge taxes -- that this is not a national scandal -- it's demoralizing.

And then listening to coverage of the Republican Wisconsin folks who have no better sense than to vote for these idiots. (also on NPR).

Not that Obama has anything to be proud of re these issues.

Anyway, not a hopeful day for me.

Toughy · 08-24-2012, 11:44 PM

The states that have a Republican Governor and a Republican Secretary of State are going to be very scary. Don't forget Penn and FL among others.

As to the electoral college. I have very mixed feelings. In order to win the popular vote a candidate would only have to focus on 10 to 15 population centers in the country. New Mexico, Wyoming, Montana, the Dakotas and all the rural non-urban parts of the country would never see a candidate...don't need them or their vote to win. Rural and urban are two very different things with very different needs and it would be a shame to dilute out those non-urban votes as unnecessary....Sure you can mandate voting but it worries me that parts of the voting public would be less informed than they are now (which is also scary). because of limited to no access to the candidates. I can't remember where I read the article talking about this, but it certainly gave me pause.

DMW · 08-25-2012, 01:11 PM

Hell yes, the states with the republican governors and sec. of state. Those are the worst when it comes to the new laws to block the vote in each state. and more concern...all of the redistricting of the counties that has already occured...and been worked on for years now... in order to increase the odds that the counties will go red. The electoral college needs to be done away with.

08-24-2012, 11:44 PM	#5
Toughy Senior Member How Do You Identify?: pervert butch feminist woman Preferred Pronoun?: see above Relationship Status: independent entity Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Oakland Posts: 1,826 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 4,068 Thanked 7,654 Times in 1,523 Posts Rep Power: 21474853	The states that have a Republican Governor and a Republican Secretary of State are going to be very scary. Don't forget Penn and FL among others. As to the electoral college. I have very mixed feelings. In order to win the popular vote a candidate would only have to focus on 10 to 15 population centers in the country. New Mexico, Wyoming, Montana, the Dakotas and all the rural non-urban parts of the country would never see a candidate...don't need them or their vote to win. Rural and urban are two very different things with very different needs and it would be a shame to dilute out those non-urban votes as unnecessary....Sure you can mandate voting but it worries me that parts of the voting public would be less informed than they are now (which is also scary). because of limited to no access to the candidates. I can't remember where I read the article talking about this, but it certainly gave me pause. __________________ We are everywhere We are different I do not care if resistance is futile I will not assimilate www.butchfemmesocials.com/

08-24-2012, 11:27 PM	#2
Martina Senior Member How Do You Identify?: * Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: * Posts: 4,999 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 13,409 Thanked 18,284 Times in 4,167 Posts Rep Power: 21474854

08-24-2012, 11:33 PM	#3
Corkey Infamous Member How Do You Identify?: Human Preferred Pronoun?: He Relationship Status: Very Married Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Where I want to be Posts: 8,155 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 47,491 Thanked 29,268 Times in 6,637 Posts Rep Power: 21474859	AJ I can only hope you're right about the tea nuts, but it doesn't feel that way to me. It feels like the racist and holy rollers are out to destroy this country, and they don't care who they demolish in the process. It's almost as if they drank from the same stupid fountain and lost their minds en mass. I just hope against hope that there are more of us than them at this point. __________________ "Many proposals have been made to us to adopt your laws, your religion, your manners and your customs. We would be better pleased with beholding the good effects of these doctrines in your own practices, than with hearing you talk about them". ~Old Tassel, Chief of the Tsalagi (Cherokee)

08-24-2012, 11:40 PM	#4
Martina Senior Member How Do You Identify?: * Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: * Posts: 4,999 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 13,409 Thanked 18,284 Times in 4,167 Posts Rep Power: 21474854	Maybe. But I was so discouraged today listening to NPR. There was a brief story on offshore accounts and how mainstream using them is and how we can't seem to do anything about them because of how strong the Wall Street Lobby is. That they should have a strong lobby is galling. That none of them is in jail or likely to go to jail is hard to stomach. But that the wealth of the middle class, which has been reduced by a third, has to carry the entire nation because corporations and the rich legally dodge taxes -- that this is not a national scandal -- it's demoralizing. And then listening to coverage of the Republican Wisconsin folks who have no better sense than to vote for these idiots. (also on NPR). Not that Obama has anything to be proud of re these issues. Anyway, not a hopeful day for me.

08-25-2012, 01:11 PM	#6
DMW Member How Do You Identify?: FTM/Male (Will 14) Relationship Status: Caught An Angel and she doesn't lie! Join Date: May 2012 Location: @ Posts: 784 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 2,256 Thanked 1,858 Times in 614 Posts Rep Power: 21474850	Hell yes, the states with the republican governors and sec. of state. Those are the worst when it comes to the new laws to block the vote in each state. and more concern...all of the redistricting of the counties that has already occured...and been worked on for years now... in order to increase the odds that the counties will go red. The electoral college needs to be done away with.