Originally Posted by playwrite

Holy cow, this is incredible -



Frickin North Dakota????!!!!

North Dakota and West Virginia are both pretty hard to figure. They consistently vote for Republican presidents and Democratic senators. Montana is kinda similar, and it's next door. I suppose the racist element is a big factor in the West Virginia situation, although they also did the same thing by a narrower margin with Gore and Kerry. They also feel a need to protect the coal industries that are killing them off, but paying their bills until they die I suppose. Environmentalist Gore scared those folks, and they remain scared of Democratic presidents, but less so of the blue senators, who can be good to them on other issues, but still can be harassed into continuing to ruin the environment while their employers rake in the bucks.

Originally Posted by Eric the Green

Originally Posted by The Rani
I wondered the same about this:

Eric has been communicating with the prez on an astral plane, perhaps?



More evidence that you guys can't or won't read. I have put up the address for emailing the president with comments endless times. How many of you use it instead of just complaining and making cynical comments here?

Because sending email to his interns (or more accurately to the interns that work for an employee who has a supervisor who reports to an undersecretary who reports to a secretary who reports to the president) is a waste of time.

Errr I mean... I'm sure he reads them all Eric.

Originally Posted by Classic-X'er

I don't think anyone on your side gives a shit about jobs and the economy. I think the bulk of the posters here are liberal spoon feds who are more interested in their social issues and political gains. My only concern is relative to the nature of our eventual split. I don't see the two America's staying together for the long term without another war being fought to keep America together.

If you don't think Democrats care about jobs and the economy, you haven't been hanging around them much. The only difference is that Democrats don't think the Republican ideas on how to improve jobs and the economy are actually going to work the way they say they will.

Originally Posted by playwrite

- whose heads did not explode last night.



http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...ves-statehood/

This is the first time this measure has passed. It is in both the Dems and GOP plateforms to accept whatever decision the Puerto Ricans decide. But it takes Congress to bring them in - hmm, two Senators and a Congressmen, likely all Democrats, yea, that's going to happen.

However, this could be another thing to put in front of the Congressional GOP to either hang themselves with the Hispanic vote or with the GOP's baggers. They can't win on it, so the Dems should press on it hard.

Very good point. And I'll have to change my election game!

Originally Posted by Copperfield

Because sending email to his interns (or more accurately to the interns that work for an employee who has a supervisor who reports to an undersecretary who reports to a secretary who reports to the president) is a waste of time.

Errr I mean... I'm sure he reads them all Eric.

One can always hope something gets through.

Originally Posted by Eric the Green

more evidence; you are an "intellectual" and yet you don't read Deb's posts?

Oh I read them. It's just that she either doesn't have a correct grasp of the meaning of the term or is otherwise setting the bar for "accountability" really, really low.

Originally Posted by Classic-X'er

I don't think anyone on your side gives a shit about jobs and the economy. I think the bulk of the posters here are liberal spoon feds who are more interested in their social issues and political gains. My only concern is relative to the nature of our eventual split. I don't see the two America's staying together for the long term without another war being fought to keep America together.

I can't remember what these things are called, but they are informative in many ways.

Look at this map that Unormal posting again. It's based on voter preference by population size -



Based on that, do you really believe that it is Right that creates jobs and economic activity??? Maybe you could claim we need the food you grow or the energy you produce, but who else are you going to sell it to? Try selling it overseas and shipping it through our ports? Yea, right.

Originally Posted by Eric the Green

One can always hope something gets through.

Ahh see this would fall under your continued struggles with differentiating fantasy from reality.

But I'll tell you what. You go ahead, email him and have him set up a teleconference call with me (have him set this up ahead of time so I can squeeze him in) and I'll be glad to converse with him about a variety of topics.

Originally Posted by Copperfield

Oh I read them. It's just that she either doesn't have a correct grasp of the meaning of the term or is otherwise setting the bar for "accountability" really, really low.

How would you suggest she (or anyone) "hold Obama accountable," as far as human and reasonably possible, and how do you know she's not doing it?

Originally Posted by Copperfield

Ahh see this would fall under your continued struggles with differentiating fantasy from reality.

But I'll tell you what. You go ahead, email him and have him set up a teleconference call with me (have him set this up ahead of time so I can squeeze him in) and I'll be glad to converse with him about a variety of topics.

OK, although I like The Rani's suggestion of telepathy; maybe I'll try that too.

I'm not sure that having a conversation with you would do much toward convincing him to campaign against Republicans though, which my original comment in this chain of posts was about. So I guess my heart would not be in such a project as you suggest.

Oh, I forgot, you don't think human's have heart chakras........... just blood pumps...

Originally Posted by playwrite

- whose heads did not explode last night.



http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...ves-statehood/

This is the first time this measure has passed. It is in both the Dems and GOP plateforms to accept whatever decision the Puerto Ricans decide. But it takes Congress to bring them in - hmm, two Senators and a Congressmen, likely all Democrats, yea, that's going to happen.

However, this could be another thing to put in front of the Congressional GOP to either hang themselves with the Hispanic vote or with the GOP's baggers. They can't win on it, so the Dems should press on it hard.

Agreed. I was talking with ASB'65 and BookishXer about this lately. If the Reps, gum up the works with Puerto Rico, they can count losing a sizable portion of the Hispanic vote for probably a whole generation, considering nearly half of Puerto Rico's native population is already residing in the US.

Last I checked Puerto Rico's two main political parties were:

Democrats
New Progressives (further left than the Dems)

~Chas'88

Originally Posted by Eric the Green

North Dakota and West Virginia are both pretty hard to figure. They consistently vote for Republican presidents and Democratic senators. Montana is kinda similar, and it's next door. I suppose the racist element is a big factor in the West Virginia situation, although they also did the same thing by a narrower margin with Gore and Kerry. They also feel a need to protect the coal industries that are killing them off, but paying their bills until they die I suppose. Environmentalist Gore scared those folks, and they remain scared of Democratic presidents, but less so of the blue senators, who can be good to them on other issues, but still can be harassed into continuing to ruin the environment while their employers rake in the bucks.

West Virginia makes sense because they're old New Deal Dems. I.E. Coal Workers.

~Chas'88

ETA:

Also, take a look at this:

Voter Registration (from the Sec. of State websites) by county.

Blue = majority of Dems
Red = majority of Reps
Gray = majority of Independents/Unaffiliated/Non-Affiliated
White = States no share info on Voter Registration by Party by County

Originally Posted by Copperfield

Um... How exactly have you "held Obama acountable"?

I have joined protests and donated money to Occupy. I've written to him and other representatives about the destruction of our economy and shadow wars. I am a member of Code Pink, Veterans for Peace, and The World Can't Wait organizations. And have signed enough petitions to wall paper my kitchen.

You know that commercial where they say, "This could change everything"?

This could -

Harry Reid: Filibuster Reform Will Be Pursued In The Next Congress


WASHINGTON -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) pledged on Wednesday to change the rules of the Senate so that the minority party has fewer tools to obstruct legislative business.

In his first post-election press conference, the Nevada Democrat said he wouldn't go so far as to eliminate the filibuster, which requires 60 votes for the chamber to enter and exit the amendment and debate process. But in remarks meant to preview a more combative approach during the next session, he warned Republicans that obstructionism as a tactic won't be tolerated -- or as technically feasible.

"I want to work together, but I also want everyone to also understand, you cannot push us around. We want to work together," Reid said.

"I do" have plans to change the Senate rules, he added. "I have said so publicly and I continue to feel that way ... I think the rules have been abused, and we are going to work to change them. We will not do away with the filibuster, but we will make the senate a more meaningful place. We are going to make it so we can get things done."

fingers crossed.

Could also be the 'warning shot across the bow' for the lame duck session to either show the Senate can deal with the "fiscal cliff" (i.e. things that can blow up the econmoy) or that they can't and fundamental rules will have to be changed.

Without the Senate fillibuster, the House will come under immense pressure. And they will fold.

Originally Posted by playwrite

Gawd, I love these things! Thanks for posting!

I see a rather large powerful vibrant Blue beast wanting to break free of an ugly Red net that has it trapped.

Break free, Blue beast, break free! (use cadence from "Forest Gump" - and you know what I referring to).

I see a upward soaring dove that's meshed with a butterfly.

Originally Posted by Deb C

I see a upward soaring dove that's meshed with a butterfly.

I see a pig rolling in blue dye.

~Chas'88

"The delusion that we can do without government..."

But isn't that a misrepresentation of the competing positions in the debate? This notion that anyone who does not support a massive government that dictates everything to the people is simply an anarchist is quite simply a strawman. The issue is the role of the federal government, as we all know.

Many people labor under the delusion that the federal government is actually out doing things that benefit them. People give the federal government (specifically) credit for all sorts of things without even thinking about it. This false belief is the result of many decades of politicking, and people believe these things without a shred of evidence.

The more people see how useless the federal government is when they need it most, the more they will start questioning their previous beliefs. There is no safety net, and this is an inescapable fact. Those who manage to eke out an existence on what remains of the safety net will be the first ones to turn on the concept of the government provider as soon as the well finally runs dry.

The main delusion that people have these days is that money doesn't matter when it comes to government. The notion that endless printing of money can be controlled and handled to avoid disaster is laughable on its face. Everyone in politics seems to expect that the trillion dollar deficits will simply dry up at some point, like they did for Clinton. What if they don't?

Sooner or later this money will enter the economy. It will not be sopped up by a scheme from the Federal Reserve, because there is no mechanism to 'unwind' money from the other end. Contrary to belief in some quarters, investors are not clamoring for US Treasuries- the majority of deficit spending is financed purely by printing money at this point. This is but one of the disasters that will explode sooner or later.

Government should only do those things that people cannot do themselves and- here's the key part- only with the consent of the individual in question. Government that exceeds this mandate will eventually be put in check. Right now people are scared and desperate, and willing to overlook a lot of things because they have no more hope. But eventually, when government begins breaking its promises left and right, that will change and people will not like being pushed around. People will feel betrayed and they will take it out on the promise breakers. Who else could be at fault?

Much as the Great Depression saw the beginning of big government due to assumed failure of the previous system, this era will see the end of government as panacea, due to the eventual failure of the technocratic fantasy that we have been living in this past age.

Originally Posted by The Grey Badger

If you don't think Democrats care about jobs and the economy, you haven't been hanging around them much. The only difference is that Democrats don't think the Republican ideas on how to improve jobs and the economy are actually going to work the way they say they will.

How is Obama going to help them? birth control coverage at no cost, addressing climate change, forcing them to purchase insurance or pay penalities associated with non-compliance, raising taxes to cover current spending on issues relevant to him and the core of his political base.

Originally Posted by Deb C

I have joined protests and donated money to Occupy. I've written to him and other representatives about the destruction of our economy and shadow wars. I am a member of Code Pink, Veterans for Peace, and The World Can't Wait organizations. And have signed enough petitions to wall paper my kitchen.

And do you think he cares about all of that? I mean, judging by his actions of course, the answer seems pretty dubious.

I know you are supposed to think that doing all that stuff holds TPTB accountable and all, don't get me wrong.

Originally Posted by Copperfield

And do you think he cares about all of that? I mean, judging by his actions of course, the answer seems pretty dubious.

I know you are supposed to think that doing all that stuff holds TPTB accountable and all, don't get me wrong.

So, what is she supposed to do, punch him in the face?

Originally Posted by Eric the Green

Oh, I forgot, you don't think human's have heart chakras........... just blood pumps...

Indeed. Specifically fish blood pumps.

Originally Posted by Aramea

So, what is she supposed to do, punch him in the face?

Bet that would get his attention a lot faster than being a member of code pink.

Originally Posted by Copperfield

Bet that would get his attention a lot faster than being a member of code pink.

Probably would.

Originally Posted by Copperfield

And do you think he cares about all of that? I mean, judging by his actions of course, the answer seems pretty dubious.

I know you are supposed to think that doing all that stuff holds TPTB accountable and all, don't get me wrong.

Gee, I think protest and activism was one of the main reasons for positive change in this country.

U.S. women suffragists demonstrating for the right to vote, February 1913

I'm surprised that Gary Johnson didn't have a higher percentage of votes. Considering the amount of support he had among college students.