Favorite recent post by the previous poster

[DKrol]

How can I take seriously a guy from a country which literally elected a Harry Potter clone PM?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1990620.stm

[TDAS04]

The Third Bush Ministry: Part I

The Third Bush Ministry featured a complicated mix of new and old faces

While the negotiations to form a government only took a few days, the negotiations to form a new cabinet took significantly longer. George W. Bush had to balance his new gratitude to the Southern Coalition with the dueling camps of his own Conservative Party. This delicate predicament, combined with the loss of 51 loyal Conservative MPs, led Bush to have to cast a very wide net into the pool of possible ministers.

After several days of negotiations and haggling, Bush unveiled the cabinet of his Third Government in a speech outside of Number 7. The cabinet was a strange hodge-podge of Bush loyalists, Southern Coalition leaders, and members of the two anti-Bush Conservative factions. Observers looked at the announcement and proclaimed the government would be torn apart from the inside before the King’s Speech could be finished being written.

Third Bush Ministry - Elected in 2007
Prime Minister: George W. Bush (Con)
First Secretary of State: Thad Cochran (SoCo)

Foreign Secretary: Connie Mack III (Con)
Chancellor: Orrin Hatch (Con)
Defense Minister: Dick Cheney (Con)
Justice Secretary: Jeff Sessions (SoCo)
Home Secretary: John McCain (Con)
Energy, Business, and Innovation Minister: Lamar Alexander (SoCo)
Labor and Employment Minister: Elizabeth Dole (Con)
Health Secretary: Chuck Grassley (Con)
Education Secretary: Bob Corker (SoCo)
Secretary for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs: Conrad Burns (Con)
Transportation Minister: Pat Buchanan (SoCo)
Work and Pensions Secretary: Lindsey Graham (Con)
Secretary of State for Dixie: Richard Shelby (SoCo)
Secretary of State for the USA: Mitt Romney (Con)
Secretary of State for Texas: Mike Leavitt (Con)
Secretary of State for Cascadia: Arnold Schwarzenegger (Con)

King John II delivered his second King’s Speech

The King’s Speech, written and agreed to by the cabinet in the days following its formation, was a very mild mannered proposal, compared to what Bush was hoping to present when he called the election. The Government proposed “a hearty debate” on the continuation of the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, in a major conciliation to the war-weary factions on the Southern Coalition. It also called for “the implementation of a devolved government in Dixie” within the current parliament, as well as several hundreds of thousands of dollars of investment in Dixie’s infrastructure. Nationally, the Government sought to reduce taxes on businesses and the middle class, while maintaining the current tax rates for the wealthy and lower classes. There was also a vague commitment made to “the reformation of the health care system” in the speech, as well as a promise to “promote the production of American energy sources”.

The vote on the King’s Speech was strictly along party lines, with the 330 members of the Government voting in the affirmative, and the 320 members of the Opposition voting in the negative. The Third Bush Ministry had secured the confidence of the House of the Commons for another term, provided that the 49 Southern Coalition MPs held up their end of the bargain.

Bob Dole and John McCain bonded over their distrust of George W. Bush and their military service

Once the confidence was secured, the anti-Bush Conservative factions began talking amongst themselves about Bush’s future. According to protocol, the removal of a Prime Minister by the members of his own party after the passage of the King’s Speech did not signify the loss of confidence and did not allow the Opposition a chance to form a government. Upon his promotion to Home Secretary, John McCain wrote a letter to his conspirators and wiped his hands of any plotting, leaving the group of 150 MPs agitated, dejected, and without a clear leader.

Bob Dole’s temper was also tamped down by the appointment of his ally Connie Mack III as Foreign Secretary. Although Dole himself was disinvited to cabinet meetings, as he lost his Minister without Portfolio honor, he was not terribly upset, as he reasoned that having Mack as a senior officer of the state would give him more leverage than he would have had as a Minister without Portfolio. While Dole’s group was always smaller than McCain’s, they were more angry and more likely to hold a grudge, as many older folks are, and while they didn’t take their first opportunity to knock Bush down, they kept their options open and always appeared a bit abrasive towards Bush, at least in the public eye.

[NOVA Green]

States I haven't been to that I want to visit:
1. Oregon
2. Vermont
3. Idaho

States I want to visit again:
1. Washington
2. Montana
3. Maine

If you come out to Oregon, let me know.... we can grab a beverage and bite to eat, and I'll show you around the neighboring counties, talk about politics and election results, and maybe throw in some random precinct/city level results at the same time, while my wife rolls here eyes and laughs...

[Kamala]

So, to understand how devastating the collapse of the "Vet Vote" (Heavily Rural Whites in the counties covered, it is illustrative to go back to '08 and look at the swings between '08 and '16....

AL: Dale-- 13.2% Vet--'16: (24 D- 74 R);  '08: (27 D- 72 R)  +5% R Swing (+2% Pub)
AZ: Cochise- 14.6% Vet-- '16: (35 D- 56 R); '08: (39 D- 59 R) +1% R Swing (-3% Pub)
AR: Marion- 13.6% Vet--'16: (20 D- 75 R); '08: (33 D- 63 R)   +25% R Swing (+12% Pub)
CA: Sierra- 15.2% Vet---  '16: (32 D- 56 R); '08: (37 D- 58 R)    +3% R Swing (-2% Pub)
CO: Custer- 16.3% Vet--  '16: (26 D- 67 R); '08: (35 D- 64 R)    +12% R Swing (+3% Pub)
CT: New London- 9.0% Vet- '16: (50* D- 44 R); '08: (60 D- 39 R)  +15% R Swing (+5% Pub)
DE: Kent- 11.0% Vet- '16: (45 D- 50_R): '08: (54 D- 45 R)   +14% R Swing  (+5% Pub)
FL: Sumter- 16.0% Vet-- '16: (29 D- 68 R); '08(36 D- 63 R)   +12% R Swing (+5% Pub)
GA: Liberty- 15.8% Vet- '16: (59 D- 38 R); '08 (64 D- 36 R)   +7% R Swing   (+2% Pub)
HI: Honolulu- 8.1% Vet- '16: (61 D- 32 R); '08: (70 D- 29 R)   +12% R Swing (+3% Pub)
ID: Elmore- 17.9% Vet-  '16: (21 D- 68 R); '08: (31 D- 67 R)    +11% R Swing (+1% Pub)
IL: St. Clair- 10.5% Vet--  '16: (50* D- 44 R); '08: (60 D- 38 R)    +16% R Swing (+6% Pub)
IN: Brown- 11.5% Vet- '16: (32 D- 63 R); '08: (48 D- 50*  R)   +29% R Swing  (+13% Pub)
IA: Lee-- 9.7% Vet--- '16: (38 D- 55 R); '08: (57 D- 41 R)         +33% R Swing (+16% Pub)
KS: Morris- 13.5% Vet- '16: (23 D- 69 R); '08: (32 D- 66 R)      +12% R Swing (+3% Pub)
KY: Meade- 13.9% Vet- '16: (25 D- 71 R); '08: (39 D- 60 R)       +25% R Swing (+11% Pub)
LA: Vernon- 13.2% Vet-- '16: (16 D- 81 R); '08: (22 D- 76 R)       +11% R Swing (+5% Pub)
ME: Piscataquis- 11.5% Vet- '16: (34 D- 59 R); '08: (47 D- 51 R)    +21% R Swing (+8% Pub)
MD: St Mary's- 10.5% Vet--- '16: (42 D- 54 R); '08: (43 D- 56 R)  +1% D Swing  (-2% Pub)
MA: Barnstable- 9.4% Vet-'16: (53 D- 40 R); '08: (56 D- 42 R)      +1% D Swing  (-2% Pub)
MI: Keweenaw- 16.1% Vet- '16: (37 D- 57 R); '08: (43 D- 54 R)      +9% R Swing (+3% Pub)
MN: Aitkin- 12.8% Vet-  '16: (34 D- 60 R); '08: (49 D- 48 R)           +27% R Swing (+12% Pub)
MS: Harrison- 10.6% Vet- '16: (33 D- 64 R); '08: (37 D- 63 R)        +5% R Swing  (-1% Pub)
MO: Pulaski- 13.6% Vet-- '16:(22 D-73 R); '08:(35 D-64 R)       +25% R Swing      (+8% Pub)
MT: Mineral- 14.8% Vet-- '16: (26 D- 66 R); '08: (42 D- 53 R)       +33% R Swing (+13% Pub)
NE: Hayes- 13.6% Vet-'16: (6 D- 92 R); '08: (15 D- 84 R)             +17% R Swing (+8% Pub)
NV: Mineral- 16.1% Vet-- '16: (32 D- 59 R); '08: (47 D- 49 R)   +25% R Swing  (+10% Pub)
NH: Carroll- 11.0% Vet-- '16: (44 D- 49 R); '08: (52 D- 46 R)        +11% R Swing (+3% Pub)
NJ: Cape May- 8.4% Vet-'16: (38 D- 58 R); '08: (45 D- 54 R)        +11% R Swing (+4% Pub)
NM: Sierra- 16.4% Vet-- '16: (31 D- 58 R); '08: (43 D- 55 R)       +15% R Swing  (+3% Pub)
NY: Hamilton- 13.0% Vet- '16: (29 D- 64 R); '08: (36 D- 63 R)        +8% R Swing (+1% Pub)
NC: Camden- 14.1% Vet- '16: (25 D- 71 R); '08: (33 D- 65 R)     +14% R Swing   (+6% Pub)
ND: Griggs- 10.1% Vet- '16: (24 D- 67 R); '08: (46 D- 52 R)         +31% R Swing (+15% Pub)
OH: Greene- 10.2% Vet- (Wright-Pat AFB)- '16: (35 D- 59 R); '12: (39 D- 60 R)   ( +3% Pub)
OK:Comanche- 12.9% Vet- '16: (35 D- 59 R); '08: (41 D- 59 R)      +6% R Swing  +0% Swing
OR: Curry- 14.6% Vet---'16: (34 D- 57 R)- '08: (42 D- 54 R)           +11% R Swing (+3% Pub)
PA: Sullivan- 12.6% Vet-- '16: (24 D- 73 R)- '08: (39 D- 59 R)         +29% R Swing (+14% Pub)
RI: Newport- 9.6% Vet-- '16: (56 D- 37 R); '08: (61 D- 37 R)       +5% R Swing  +0% Swing
SC: Sumter- 11.3% Vet-- '16: (55 D- 43 R)- '08: (57 D- 42 R)      +3% R Swing  (-1% Pub)
SD: Fall River- 14.1% Vet--- '16: (23 D- 70 R); '08: (35 D- 62R)      +20% R Swing (+8% Pub)
TN: Montgomery- 12.9% Vet- - '16: (38 D- 56 R); '08: (45 D-53 R)  +10% R Swing (+3% Pub)
TX: Lampasas- 15.3% Vet- - '16: (18 D- 78 R); '08: (25 D- 74 R)     +11% R Swing (+4% Pub)
UT- Piute- 12.1% Vet- '16: (6 D- 86 R); '08: (18 D- 79 R)                  +19% R Swing (+7% Pub)
VT- Essex- 10.6% Vet-- '16: (35 D- 51 R); '08: (56 D- 41 R)              +31% R Swing (+10% Pub)
VA- York Co- 14.4% Vet-- '16: (38 D- 55 R); '08: (40 D-59 R)            +2% D Swing  (-4% Pub)
WA-Island- 15.6% Vet-- '16: (47 D- 42 R)- '08: (52 D- 46 R)             +1% Swing      (-4% Pub)
WV-Greenbrier- 10.0% Vet-'16: (26 D- 67 R); '08: (43 D-55 R)           +29% R Swing (+12% Pub)
WI- Florence- 12.4% Vet-- '16: (25 D- 71 R); '08(42 D- 56 R)    +32% R Swing  (+15% Pub)
WY- Johnson- 11.8% Vet- - '16: (14 D- 79 R)- '08: (21 D- 77 R)           +4% R Swing (+2% Pub)

What do these numbers tell us when looking at the swings between '08 and '16, and the increase % of the total 'Pub Share of the Vote between this time frame?

1.) Most of these Vet Counties tend to be older and Whiter, simply because population distribution between Metro areas and Rural areas, however this is key when looking at "WWC Swings" between '08 and '12....

2.) The "Vet Counties" appear to have swung particularly hard towards Trump in certain regions of the Country, and against the Democratic Party between '08 and '12, and this trend is most observable in the key swing regions of the Midwest....

3.) The greatest swings were in Iowa (+33% R, and +16 R raw % increase from '08), Wisconsin (+32% R, and +15% R raw increase from '08).... If we scan around we see some pretty crazy numbers from Indiana (+29% R Swing), ND (+31% R Swing), MN (+27% R Swing), MO (+25% R Swing)....

4.) Even if we look at PA (+29% R Swing), or creep up to Northern Maine (+21% R Swing), and we are not even talking about some major swings in KY and AR, let alone even looking at what's going on in MT and NV....

5.) It is particularly interesting to look at areas where the Republican nominee dropped support between '08 & '12 (AZ, CA, MD, MA, MS (?), SC, VA, WA...

Additionally, we have counties with large % of vets with no 'Pub gain (OK, RI)...

On top of that counties with 'Pub % increase <5%.... (AL, CO, GA, HI, ID, KS, MI, NH, NJ, NY, NM, OH, OR, TN, TX, WY)....

6.) I think HRC really missed the boat on the targeted Trump message regarding older Vets.... in many smaller and rural communities Vets need to commute hours to go to the nearest VA Hospital. Additionally, you had the VA scandals under George W, minimal perceived improved under the Obama Administration, and a ton of rural older Vets feeling they are getting the shaft.... It will be interesting to watch all of these counties in '20.

7.) There is no question in my mind that Trump won PA and WI, mainly as a result of the older White Vet Vote....

8.) So, it looks pretty clear that there was a major WWC Vet Swing between '08 and '16---- Was Trump simply a reset from W. '04 and Obama the outlier?

9.) It doesn't appear that all hope is lost for a Democratic Presidential Candidate in these counties with the highest % of Vets.... 3rd Party support skyrocketed in '16, and in many cases it appears that these were military veterans that weren't big fans of Trump, even in many predominately "White" Veteran communities....

10.) Since many of these counties also have active military bases, in theory it should be possible to pull numbers for "active duty" vs rest of county to see if there is a variance there....

[You don't see any blue avatars now]

The New Progressive and Socialist Workers' Party Manifesto 2018
A 21st Century Revolution

Tax and Tax Reform:

- Increase the marginal rate of all income tax brackets by 2.5%
- Create a new income tax bracket for those earning above $1 million, taxed at 90%.
- Introduce a twelve-point (.12%) financial transaction tax
- Publicly denounce companies which engage in offshoring
- introduce an excise tax on luxury goods such as furs, expensive cars, expensive alcohol, and other luxury goods.
 
Foreign Policy and Trade:

- Reevaluate all current free trade agreements, ending those which harms US workers
- Close down all foreign military bases
- Seek amicable or peaceful ties with Russia
- Introduce a tariff (unspecified amount) on imported Chinese and Vietnamese goods unless China and Vietnam address working conditions in their countries
- Limit espionage operations in allied countries

Military:

- Cut the military budget by 45%
- Move funding toward psychological care for soldiers
- Reduce the size of the standing army by honorably discharging 1/3 of currently enlisted soldiers

Social Issues, Education, and Health:

- Legalize same-sex marriage via a constitutional amendment
- Legalize recreational marijuana and evaluate the risks/benefits of legalizing other drugs
- Nationalize all hospitals, clinics, and Planned Parenthood, integrating them into a National System of Health under the Ministry of Health
- All doctors, nurses, and other health professionals will become employees of the government
- Provide a grant for the price of tuition to any public university to any student who manages to get accepted
- Introduce national curriculum standards, set by the Department of Education, for all public primary and secondary schools.

Miscellaneous:

- Grant amnesty to all undocumented immigrants living in the United States
- Greatly strengthen workers' rights and provide funding for unionizing in any industry
- Introduce a $1 trillion dollar infrastructure plan

[Antonio the Sixth]

Ronald Reagan had a hideous hermaphroditical character with neither the force and firmness of a man nor the gentleness and sensibility of a woman.

[Goldwater]

Since My Parents Won't Read This, I Might As Well Publish It And Make A Few Bucks - A Peebs Anthology

[SATW]

I hate mustard.

Yessss. Me too. I hate mustard so much.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

idk, but I'm half-gay

(i thought it was funny in the context of the thread)

[You don't see any blue avatars now]

I used to sport a red avatar, and I am technically still registered D in North Carolina, but I no longer call myself a Democrat because:

1. The party at-large has no idea what it stands for anymore other than being anti-Trump.

2. Civil liberties issues are very important to me and the party has not shown a serious desire to curb government surveillance or radically transform our absurd, outdated, and discriminatory drug laws.

3. I'm also relatively pro-gun although this isn't a very important issue to me.

4. I don't like the fetishization of Obama and the Clintons and believe we need fresh faces.

5. The Dem leadership sucks and I am concerned that certain said leaders are more worried about holding their own power than they are winning elections.

6. And this is kind of a big one.  See, although I might sound like a raving SJW at times, I actually hate political correctness in all forms.  Two decades ago liberals were speaking up for controversial people like Ice-T and Marilyn Manson (whom the Right wanted to censor); now this has gone down in priority for the sake of "not offending people."  Because I do not trust either political party (or institution, for that matter) to defend my freedom of speech, I choose not to affiliate with one.

7. I don't think either party has the right answer on education issues.  Ideally, liberal arts majors would get all the learning they need from high school and colleges would only serve people in specialized fields, but the modern economy practically requires you to have a diploma (and take on a boatload of debt) in order to get ahead.  I support the notion of college being free, but I also question the expectation that all people have a degree.  I also think the US should experiment with aspects of Finland's education program.

8. I'm very non-interventionist; Democrats not so much unless a Republican is dropping the bombs.

9. An array of culture/messaging issues, but those probably speak more about me than they do the party.

10. Not enough economic populism, but that'll probably change as millennials take over the party.

11. Various issues that no one wants to touch (i.e. overpopulation, sustainable economies)

I don't know.  Maybe three/four/more years from now I'll go red again, but as of now I just don't feel comfortable identifying with any party at all.  I voted straight Democrat in my last two elections (plus one Libertarian), so I can't call myself a genuine independent, but my own values and priorities simply don't align with those of the Democratic Party.  Hence, I choose to go orange.

also oranges are really good and we should be eating more of them

[RFayette 🇻🇦]

What is the male/female ratio in this forum?
And - I hope Cath and Santander allow me to ask this question - what about the straight/bi/gay ratio?

We have a whooping number of about six active female posters, an increase of like 400% within one year,

And who are these six?
I've already learned that Peeps is a woman, and I guess that TexasGurl is a GuЯЯЯЯl, too.

I'm a woman and people won't stop comparing me to Stephanie Herseth Sandlin.

Get the hell out of South Dakota, then.

[Sir Mohamed]

The neoliberals will stay in power in the Democratic Party.

[TDAS04]

Welcome to the world of Trump. No wonder since their president loves the poorly educacted. Sad!

[Kamala]

Fiorina I guess.

In addition to being racist, Ingraham seems to be misogynist against herself.

[You don't see any blue avatars now]

Help! Pat McCrory is Obsessed with My Genitals: A Tell-All Autobiography

This had me cackling like a goddamn soda can.

[kyc0705]

No context:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[RFayette 🇻🇦]

I made him a driver's advice checklist, based on all the things he said he got wrong:

Tips:
- Stop signs say "STOP" for a reason.
- You won't have a specially trained instructor to help you when you're driving IRL.
- Being overly sticky over small details leads to casual misses of your surroundings.
- Crosswalks are for people.
- Don't ever take your hands off the steering wheel.
- The most important part of starting your car is starting your car correctly.
- Turn signals are helpful.
- People need to know when you're parking, too.
- D = Drive. P = Park. N = Neutral. R = Reverse.
- Please look at the road. There's a giant window in front of you for a reason.
- Driving too slow is potentially as dangerous as driving too fast.
- Don't fiddle over the gear anymore than you need to.
- BONUS: Don't kidnap that girl, please.

[fhtagn]

Never have been a big fan of bratwursts.

(It's funny-ish out of context and when you have the sense of humor of a 12 year old)

[Crumpets]

Lots of good choices. Got to go with

Comparing allowing a patient with a terminal illness and their next of kin GIVING LEGAL CONSENT to end their life on their own terms to Nazi Germany?




The fact that you are so focused on the "killing" aspect and ignoring that there are real people who SUFFER from terminal illnesses with no hope for a cure shows how out of touch and uncaring you truly are about others. There are safeguards in the bill to prevent abuse of this, but I imagine your inability to read might make that somewhat difficult. 

[TheSaint250]

Went on a date this morning. We went to the shooting range and he brought his ar-15 and glock. When I told him surprise me with something interesting, that was not quite what I had in mind but was pretty fun nonetheless, and I actually HIT the targets!

Typical Florida.

It's just so true

[Co-Chair Bagel23]

I'd choose a bullet to the head. Seppuku would also be OK

[kyc0705]

Am I the projected loser yet?

[RFayette 🇻🇦]

Yes. Because as we all know, demographic shifts are not a real thing, cultural shifts are not a real thing, and what's true now will always be true always in the future because that's how it's always been.

[You don't see any blue avatars now]

You're a great poster and always quite friendly.

Because of course it is.

[Mr. Smith]

The eponymous theme of Super Mario Galaxy 2. Mahito Yokota is a genius.