The New American Politics thread

[FlamesAddiction]

I think this guy was a finalist for a SCOTUS appointment a couple of times now. This shouldn't be a shock to anyone. The fact some politicians are acting like it is just stupid.

[octothorp]

I think they probably care more about the down-ballot effect of Trump and using a SCOTUS vacancy to counter it and fire up their base and prevent them from losing control of the senate, then they care about getting a relatively conservative justice.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

My question is what they do now. Does the judiciary committee simply refuse to hild confirmation hearings? Do they hold the hearings and just drag them out ad nauseum? Do they hold the hearings and reject him at the committee level (as happened with Bork) but then refuse to proceed to a full vote (which didn't happen with Bork)? Does the nominee go before the full senate but just get filibustered?

They just have a menu of obstructionist options...

[FlamesAddiction]

Hard to believe anyone can support this guy:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/trending/anti...otes-1.3492861

I hope Hillary goes full Lisbeth Salander on him when the election comes (figuratively speaking).

[automaton 3]

Judge Garland looks like a fine nomination. Eminently qualified.

If Clinton wins, her nominee would presumably be younger and more left-leaning.

[wittynickname]

From twitter this afternoon:

Should Merrick Garland be nominated again by the next president, I would be happy to carefully consider his nomination... #SCOTUS

https://twitter.com/SenToomey/status/710127298779942912

Republican Senator Pat Toomey from my home state of PA (who, by the way, is in the process of defunding Planned Parenthood). Basically "hey, if someone other than Obama nominates this guy, I'll gladly consider it." How much more obvious can you get with obstructionist BS?

Living in the US is right now is equally hilarious, infuriating and depressing.

[CroFlames]

Every single American person I've talked to hates Hillary and Trump. Yet it appears they are the nominees. Wtf?

[nik-]

This election is going to have a brutal turnout. I can see a lot of Sanders supporters just not bothering. I can also see a lot of independents refusing to just hold their nose and pick one of Trump or Clinton and instead just not voting at all.

I don't think I'd vote for either of them.

[Vulcan]

McConnell cites the Biden Rule.

Majority Leader Mitch McConnell took to the Senate floor today and declared that President Barack Obama’s nominee for the Supreme Court vacancy created by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia will not receive a hearing.
“The next justice could fundamentally alter the direction of the Supreme Court and have a profound impact on our country, so of course the American people should have a say in the Court’s direction,” McConnell said.
“The senate will continue to observe the ‘Biden Rule’ so the American people have a voice in this momentous decision,” he added, without acknowledging that the “Biden Rule” has little to do with outgoing presidents nominating people to the Supreme Court.

Biden made an observation to the effect that if an outgoing president nominates someone before the summer of his last term in office, that person typically receives the Senate’s approval, but that if he or she is nominated during the summer, that person does not — meaning that McConnell even gets what could be called the “Biden Observation” wrong.)

http://www.salon.com/2016/03/16/mitc...rrick_garland/

[KootenayFlamesFan]

Originally Posted by CroFlames

Every single American person I've talked to hates Hillary and Trump. Yet it appears they are the nominees. Wtf?

The Trump one is easy, but I don't get the Hillary hate. Some think she's a liar, OK I guess, they all are. Besides that where is the hate coming from?

Just a general question, not necessarily directed at you Cro.

[nik-]

Originally Posted by KootenayFlamesFan

The Trump one is easy, but I don't get the Hillary hate. Some think she's a liar, OK I guess, they all are. Besides that where is the hate coming from?

Just a general question, not necessarily directed at you Cro.

She's a hawk, a political weather vane and is basically a Republican when it comes to funding. "Hate" is strong, but there's some pretty good reasons why people don't want her in power.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by KootenayFlamesFan

The Trump one is easy, but I don't get the Hillary hate. Some think she's a liar, OK I guess, they all are. Besides that where is the hate coming from?

Just a general question, not necessarily directed at you Cro.

I suppose most Americans I know or talk to consider themselves conservatives, and so hate Trump for obvious reasons, like you said. I suppose most of them would dislike any Dem candidate, but nik below sums it up well. It's hate for Hillary because she's a liar, wishy-washy, and perceived to be most influenced by corporate greed.

I guess I would be remiss not to add that a very small portion of people I meet with (not friends) try to convince me that Trump will keep America safe in a sad attempt to veil their racism. I absolutely LOVE retorting back that Americans have killed more Americans than Muslims/Mexicans/Minorities have. It's simply delicious watching them try spouting some 2nd amd crap about rights and protection yada yada yada.

Originally Posted by nik-

She's a hawk, a political weather vane and is basically a Republican when it comes to funding. "Hate" is strong, but there's some pretty good reasons why people don't want her in power.

[nfotiu]

Originally Posted by KootenayFlamesFan

The Trump one is easy, but I don't get the Hillary hate. Some think she's a liar, OK I guess, they all are. Besides that where is the hate coming from?

Just a general question, not necessarily directed at you Cro.

If I was to generalize based on people I know, most democrat leaning people are ok with Hillary. A few like her, a few grudgingly accept that who is they are going to vote for, but most are ok with her. Other than really young people, ost like what Bernie is doing, but didn't vote for him because they didn't think he had a good chance of winning, and didn't think what he wants to do is realistic. All democrats I've ever talked to would vote for whoever was running against Trump though and are very passionately anti Trump.

Most Republican people I know despise Trump, and would never vote for him. They despise Hillary too though. I'd guess most of those think Hillary is less worse, and would either not vote at all in the general election, or grudgingly vote for her.

Trump hasn't proven he can get more than about 10% of probable general election voters out to vote for him, and I strongly doubt that there are many people who haven't voted for Trump yet that would vote for him in a general election. Clinton Trump will be a Reagonesque slaughter.

[Flames Fan, Ph.D.]

Originally Posted by nfotiu

If I was to generalize based on people I know, most democrat leaning people are ok with Hillary. A few like her, a few grudgingly accept that who is they are going to vote for, but most are ok with her. Other than really young people, most like what Bernie is doing, but didn't vote for him because they didn't think he had a good chance of winning, and didn't think what he wants to do is realistic. All democrats I've ever talked to would vote for whoever was running against Trump though and are very passionately anti Trump.

I agree with your comment and the bolded part is probably what exemplifies the weakness of the democratic / liberal constituency in the US.

Regardless of one's view of Trump's direction and policies, you have to at least admire the fact that Trump supporters are putting their voices and faces on the line and throwing their proverbial weight behind the candidate. This constituency has the courage of its convictions to say "ban muslims" not only in private but also in public.

Contrast that to the democratic side. As an example, I've spoken to many liberals who embrace free university tuition as a great idea. But they all follow it up with variations of "it's not realistic" and "but bernie won't win" and "republicans would never allow it" blah blah blah. So they've all conceded their votes to Hillary.

It's brutal to watch a large constituency so scared to voice public support and vote for policies they actually want.

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by nfotiu

If I was to generalize based on people I know, most democrat leaning people are ok with Hillary. A few like her, a few grudgingly accept that who is they are going to vote for, but most are ok with her. Other than really young people, ost like what Bernie is doing, but didn't vote for him because they didn't think he had a good chance of winning, and didn't think what he wants to do is realistic. All democrats I've ever talked to would vote for whoever was running against Trump though and are very passionately anti Trump.

Most Republican people I know despise Trump, and would never vote for him. They despise Hillary too though. I'd guess most of those think Hillary is less worse, and would either not vote at all in the general election, or grudgingly vote for her.

Trump hasn't proven he can get more than about 10% of probable general election voters out to vote for him, and I strongly doubt that there are many people who haven't voted for Trump yet that would vote for him in a general election. Clinton Trump will be a Reagonesque slaughter.

I like your confidence that it will be a Reagonesque slaughter but the paranoid in me says that no one took Trump seriously as the GOP representative and look where we are now.

[Street Pharmacist]

Originally Posted by Flames Fan, Ph.D.

I agree with your comment and the bolded part is probably what exemplifies the weakness of the democratic / liberal constituency in the US.

Regardless of one's view of Trump's direction and policies, you have to at least admire the fact that Trump supporters are putting their voices and faces on the line and throwing their proverbial weight behind the candidate. This constituency has the courage of its convictions to say "ban muslims" not only in private but also in public.

Contrast that to the democratic side. As an example, I've spoken to many liberals who embrace free university tuition as a great idea. But they all follow it up with variations of "it's not realistic" and "but bernie won't win" and "republicans would never allow it" blah blah blah. So they've all conceded their votes to Hillary.

It's brutal to watch a large constituency so scared to voice public support and vote for policies they actually want.

It's not being sad, it's pragmatic.

[puffnstuff]

If a guy was thinking 'I want to be president', didnt mind changing his name officially to None Ofthe Above and could somehow get himself quietly on the ballot in the right states (for electoral college votes) this would be the year he has chance.

[OMG!WTF!]

Originally Posted by KootenayFlamesFan

The Trump one is easy, but I don't get the Hillary hate. Some think she's a liar, OK I guess, they all are. Besides that where is the hate coming from?

Just a general question, not necessarily directed at you Cro.

I hate her because she reminds me of a mash up of Redford and Notley. It's also not just telling a lie. Her's are devious webs of lies.

[peter12]

The Clintons are real-life Underwoods.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by peter12

The Clintons are real-life Underwoods.

And Hillary is Frank.