A 2016 Downticket Thread

We have a couple of amendments, single payer healthcare, right to die, trying to make it harder to amend the state constitution, bringing back primaries instead of caucuses, allowing independents to vote in party primaries, and a couple of local elections like raising town sales tax to fund a new police office, and a mill levy for the school district because most of the schools are overcrowded.
You got the cool amendments; our is just about replacing people if a term ends abruptly. Boring.
 
We have a sin tax on 'adult establishments', one about earmarking fireworks taxes towards firefighting, one allowing state government to take over failing schools (Flint MI style AFAICT), and one gutting the Judicial Qualifications Commission (think Internal Affairs for judges). This American Life did a very informative segment (here) on the last one, which I think @Krisken linked elsewhere.
 
Yeah, the Georgia one. I think I mentioned it but didn't do a link. Fantastic story, but very depressing when you think about it.
 
Yeah, the Georgia one. I think I mentioned it but didn't do a link. Fantastic story, but very depressing when you think about it.
It's also not getting much coverage here. I've already explained it (like a 10-15 minute each time) to a half dozen voters, not one had heard of it. You got me hooked on that podcast with that reference, anyhow.
 
It's also not getting much coverage here. I've already explained it (like a 10-15 minute each time) to a half dozen voters, not one had heard of it. You got me hooked on that podcast with that reference, anyhow.
I've noticed that Ira is really bummed about this election and what has happened to the Republican party. This week the stories delve into how we came to this point and where it began.
 
It's not enough to defeat the GOP, they must be destroyed.
That type of talk is exactly the wrong thing to do, and is blind.

I understand it, but it just shows some people are unwilling to see what's destroying the Western world. Trump doesn't exist in a vacuum. He's an American expression of something that's been around in Europe for a while as well - Brexit, the French and Dutch votes against European Constitution, the Hungarian vote against accepting refugees, the steep climb of extreme (or radical, or whatever) right in almost all European countries, Haider, Fortuyn, N-VA, and so on and so forth.

Right wing populism (and, to a point, left wing populism as well) will keep growing and getting stronger, because, well, surprise - media, politicians and intellectuals thought our society was evolving oh so well - and many still think it's all going too slow - but reality is, while the opinions and views of up on high have evolved a lot, the point of view and opinions of the regular downtrodden whatever haven't changed as fast. This isn't meant to be arrogant or disapproving or condescending - quite the opposite. Anyway, these people don't feel represented, don't feel safe; the world changes too quickly around them, their worlds disappear and what comes back is only going faster, faster, faster growing more and more different. Someone promising a return to the good old days will be popular because people have rose colored glasses about those good old days. *shrug* Saying "we need to destroy this" is saying "these people and their fears don't deserve to be listened to, they don't deserve to be respected or represented". Which will only further prove their point - they *aren't* being represented, they *aren't* being listened to.
We'll only move forward if we manage to find a way to help people accept and understand the new world we live in every day. Which won't be easy.
 
The point Mr. Pitts is making is the party is far too willing to embrace the fringe. The "jet fuel doesn't melt steel beams" and "the moon landing was a hoax" tinfoil hat crowd. The type that see a gub'mint conspiracy behind every bush.

Actually, did you even read the article, or were you just responding to my sentence?


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I read it. My point stands. There's a reason people are ever more accepting of random weird conspiracy shit, and it isn't the fluoride in the water, you know. And if you think "the crazy" isn't part of why so many "fringe" parties are soaring over here, you're blind, too. Any sort of conspiracy or "oh my god, did you hear...." story is fuel for the mill. A basic disconnect - a lot of people simply don't believe anything coming from serious sources anymore, simply because it comes from those sources. Really, I know you can't read them, but you should see some of the stories that gain traction around here. Or the crazy ways people have to twist and turn to make their opinions still make sense on burkini, and freedom, and ritual slaughter, and resettlement, and what have you.
I don't have the energy or desire to make my point more coherently - it's 5 AM here, and I'm at work, and believe me, the Crazy is out in force today. Just.... look, the modern day has created people who live in an echo chamber. Decent media can't penetrate anymore. A lot of the crazy comes from having a basic, fundamental disconnect with the world a lot of us now live in. Saying you should "burn it down" isn't a helpful narrative. Yes, they're crazy. You still have to live with them. Good luck.
 
I'm tired of taking the high road, though. Let the fuckers burn. If you are so stupid that you believe in conspiracy theories and paranoid bullshit, you deserve whatever miserable existence is coming to you. It's not our job to extend an olive branch to the crazies; it's their responsibility to stop being so fucking dumb.
 
FFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUU...

Multiple sources reporting Governor Jim Justice plans to announce he's switching (back) to the Republican Party after tonight's Trump rally in Huntington. He's flipped and flopped parties almost as often as Trump plays golf.

Good thing I voted for Charlotte Pritt instead. Fuck this guy.
 
It gets better. By better, I mean worse. Justice never bothered to tell his own staff that this was coming. :facepalm:

If I could pick up and move this house, I'd go anywhere but here in a heartbeat.
 
It gets better. By better, I mean worse. Justice never bothered to tell his own staff that this was coming. :facepalm:

If I could pick up and move this house, I'd go anywhere but here in a heartbeat.
@Dirona had a saying about when buying a house, remember that the only thing you can't change is the location.
 
Except for Mobile Homes. And Campers. And Tiny Homes are pretty mobile too.
This one's not tiny. And it has a full basement.

I had a dream that somehow a group managed to basically overrun the state 5x over and replace the entire electorate. EVERY elected position in the state was replaced by someone who was neither Democrat nor Republican (but definitely left of center.)
 
This one's not tiny. And it has a full basement.

I had a dream that somehow a group managed to basically overrun the state 5x over and replace the entire electorate. EVERY elected position in the state was replaced by someone who was neither Democrat nor Republican (but definitely left of center.)
So, like Trump, you want the Soviets to take over. :awesome:
 
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