American Politics Thread: The Hunt for Blue November

[Azure]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

Pretty sure Yang's parents were Taiwanese, not Chinese (he himself is from New York), but it's certainly a fair point about the effect of COVID on the likelihood of people voting for a candidate like him in this cycle. That said, suggesting that Yang increase his electability by becoming a regular politician is missing the point spectacularly. If you wanted to develop him as a political prospect for the democrats in the future (and they should really be doing more of this), he'd be working for the White House in some capacity related to automation and technology regulation - which, of course, was his central policy issue, for anyone who had actually paid attention in the primaries. I wouldn't be surprised if that's where he ends up, although he may just prefer to go the media route.

In any event though, the Democrats have a succession plan in terms of the presidency now. The ideal scenario is 8 years of Joe followed by 8 years of Harris. Even if Joe only serves one term, they have their "guy", so to speak, for 12 years, if all goes to plan. If either of them loses an election in that period then all bets are off and we're back to the free-for-all we had this cycle, but until it sinks, the ship has sailed.

It boggles my mind that people think Kamela Harris is a good candidate.

Seriously, go listen to the Joe Rogan podcast with Josh Dubin of the Innocence Project. There is literally nothing good about Kamela Harris. She is the definition of politician garbage.

The only thing worse about all of it is that podcast was recorded before Harris was the candidate. People still don't care. About none of it. Politician talk about protecting minorities, fighting against racism, it all means nothing when it comes to their power and greed.

[Lanny_McDonald]

Originally Posted by Azure

Well in that regard Biden is considered a centrist as well. Moreso than Yang I think.

You think? There is a first time for everything.

Its hilarious how people are getting so worked up over the fact that we would dare suggest that someone with fresh ideas and new perspective would have made a good candidate, or even had a chance of winning.

I don't think anyone is getting worked up. I think people are being critical of a presumption that has zero support behind it. Also, I'm still waiting on these fresh ideas and new perspective that would sell to the American people. What YOU think is fresh idea is creeping socialism to the average American. What YOU think is a fresh perspective is an idea that wouldn't sell with the majority of Americans. Sure, they will take a grand of free cash each month, but then when they hear how the plan has to pay for that cash, then they aren't so excited. YOU are ignoring the cultural norms and biases of this nation and projecting your Canadian values on the electorate here. You need to adjust your perspective to that of the average American, and understand their values and drivers, to understand their reactions to ideas, perspectives, and potential of candidates.

Lanny is a great example of what is wrong with US politics and how the media and voters approach the election.

You mean actually understanding how the political system in the United States works and how entrenched people are in their perspectives is wrong?

There is literally zero room for anything outside of the norm.

I sort of agree with this. For a candidate to be successful, and bring new information and ideas to the table, it must be within the boundaries of the representative political spectrum in the United States. That spectrum is a very thin slice of the larger sphere. American politics, in relation to other nations, is represented by parties from the centrist perspective to the far right (think neo, paleo, and theo conservatives). Missing is much of the left side of the spectrum, so the fulcrum (middle point) is now way to the right end of the spectrum, meaning somewhere between traditional conservatives and neoconservatives is that center point. Centrism is the left in the United States. So any new idea has to be brought into that space and adopted to begin a shift towards the left.

The Republicans, and their ultraconservative/libertarian funders, have played a long game to slowly eliminate the left from the conversation. McCarthy killed off the extreme left with the red scare. Reagan killed off the socialists in the 80s. Gingrich started the attack on liberalism, and McConnell has put the finishing touches on that agenda. Communism, socialism, and liberalism are all bad words in this country. Now they are trying to make "centrism" a bad thing. They did this while cozying up to the extreme right and enabling their politics, which is where we are today. That is the American political system in a very general nutshell.

If you want to promote change you have to do so from the inside of the system system and start a slow pivot back to the left by making centrism okay, then making liberalism a good thing. The center point has to shift and that only happens through small changes, or the system collapses in on itself.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

For those who want to compare 2016 to 2020 in terms of “polling average” Nathaniel Rakich of 538 is keeping an update of averages vs historical averages from time to time. Not sure how to link a tweet but I’ve put a URL link below and copied and pasted his list for reference:

https://mobile.twitter.com/baseballo...30054739496963

His tweet:

The
@FiveThirtyEight
nat'l polling average with 56 days until E-Day:

2020: Biden+7.5*
2016: Clinton+2.0
2012: Obama+3.5*
2008: McCain+1.2*
2004: Bush+7.5*
2000: Gore+2.9
1996: Clinton+16.0
1992: Clinton+7.8
1988: Bush+4.1
1984: Reagan+19.7
1980: Reagan+3.4
1976: Carter+13.4

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

On that list it is interesting to note that apart from McCain (who was in the middle of a
post convention bounce and faded soon after this) every other candidate who was leading with 56 days left in the election season went on to win the popular vote.

Two (Gore and Clinton) went on to win the popular vote but lost the electoral college.

[Senator Clay Davis]

That McCain number serves as a reminder of how crazy Palinmania was. For a week or two, it looked like the GOP might actually pull it off. Then she started talking unscripted and the rest was history.

[Yamer]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

That McCain number serves as a reminder of how crazy Palinmania was. For a week or two, it looked like the GOP might actually pull it off. Then she started talking unscripted and the rest was history.

And then a large swath of Americans vowed that crazy and diminished IQ will never hold them back again!

[troutman]

Probe launched after bags of mail dumped in 2 spots in L.A. area

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mail-du...-anagles-area/

[White Out 403]

https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/8/21...ports-added-qb

I know this is probably better suited for a game thread, but, yeah.

Dude was a 74 overall in the last madden he was in, hasn't played a down since, and is now 81. Garbage.

[Looch City]

Originally Posted by White Out 403

https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/8/21...ports-added-qb

I know this is probably better suited for a game thread, but, yeah.

Dude was a 74 overall in the last madden he was in, hasn't played a down since, and is now 81. Garbage.

Cancel culture at it again!

Wait...but they're adding something...

[ignite09]

Originally Posted by White Out 403

https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/8/21...ports-added-qb

I know this is probably better suited for a game thread, but, yeah.

Dude was a 74 overall in the last madden he was in, hasn't played a down since, and is now 81. Garbage.

The #### that offends you is hilarious.

[White Out 403]

Originally Posted by ignite09

The #### that offends you is hilarious.

I'm not sure "offend" is the right word.

I think it's stupid. Why does it have to rise to "omg im offended".

No pearl clutching here friend, I'm allowed to say something is dumb.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Senator Clay Davis

That McCain number serves as a reminder of how crazy Palinmania was. For a week or two, it looked like the GOP might actually pull it off. Then she started talking unscripted and the rest was history.

McCain would have won if he hadn't picked Palin.

Which is amazing because Obama had a good first term, IMO.

[ignite09]

Originally Posted by White Out 403

I'm not sure "offend" is the right word.

I think it's stupid. Why does it have to rise to "omg im offended".

No pearl clutching here friend, I'm allowed to say something is dumb.

If you say so.

[White Out 403]

Originally Posted by ignite09

If you say so.

.. Yeah? Quality content btw.

[Coach]

Maybe he’s improved on the Uncle Ricky work out

[Senator Clay Davis]

Originally Posted by Azure

McCain would have won if he hadn't picked Palin.

Which is amazing because Obama had a good first term, IMO.

Pretty interesting take considering the only time McCain led any polls during the race was...after he picked Palin. It's pretty obvious he picked Palin specifically because he was dead in the polls and needed a risky pick to bring excitement to his campaign.

Originally Posted by White Out 403

I'm not sure "offend" is the right word.

I think it's stupid. Why does it have to rise to "omg im offended".

No pearl clutching here friend, I'm allowed to say something is dumb.

That you are, but it'd be better if you just ignored it. Without question one of the lost arts in the social media age is just ignoring ####. Every thing now has to be commented on, leading to even more polarization. Things were much better when people simply didn't give a #### about most things.

[Azure]

The Palin pick was exciting till everyone realized how terrible she was.

[FlamesAddiction]

I see a lot of discussion about Biden being too much of an "insider" and Sanders being an "outsider", but what do people really mean by this?

Sanders, while technically claiming to be an independent, has sought the Democratic nomination twice. He has held elected positions for over 30 years. He routinely works with the Democrats. Being an "outsider" seems more like a branding thing because in practice, he is as much of an insider as anyone.

Yang is a bit of an outsider in that he has spent most of his career in the private sector. I do think that one day, people are going to look back at Yang as someone that was ahead of his time. I hope we see him go for it again at some point in the future.

[Wastedyouth]

Originally Posted by White Out 403

https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/8/21...ports-added-qb

I know this is probably better suited for a game thread, but, yeah.

Dude was a 74 overall in the last madden he was in, hasn't played a down since, and is now 81. Garbage.

What's garbage is you thought this was relevant to any discussion going on in here.

[calumniate]

Originally Posted by Wastedyouth

What's garbage is you thought this was relevant to any discussion going on in here.

Black lives don't really matter, rather ea sports stats of black lives matter.