2020 US Election

[may be rude]

3 hours ago, ignatius said:

i don't think engagement has to be with the government. there are other ways to engage.

yes, 100%

3 hours ago, ignatius said:

see black panthers in the 60s or any other community organizing to solve problems directly. 

you know my position on nonviolence. i don't know a lot about the black panthers. i will have to learn more about this.

3 hours ago, ignatius said:

but i hear you. i still vote. i think often the best to hope for with voting is some measure of harm reduction. it's like making the choice to have someone shit next to your foot so you can see it and step over it vs someone shitting directly into your mouth. 

haha. democracy, the worst form of government, except for all the others. i actually like a lot of these people. 

4 hours ago, ignatius said:

i don't we can lay the blame of where the USA is at the feet of a disengaged population.. sure.. if everyone voted it'd be better maybe.. but it took a while to get where we're at.. and a lot of it was many intentional steps chipping away at things over decades by changing laws that allow for more money in politics, fewer regulations over complex systems and directly altering the way taxes work to benefit the few.

it's the theory i like. definitely just part of a big complex system though. we would live in a different world if congressional majorities were different over the last 20 years.

4 hours ago, ignatius said:

dis/misinformation isn't new. it's been used forever in many ways at many times to swing voters one way or another. sure, it's weaponized and something else currently but media spin and media leaks and "swift boating" and willy horton etc type shit has been around since the beginning. 

dis & misinfo have been around but the internet from 1995 - 2010 just changed information flows completely. the new capabilities are exploited by bad actors and then defenses are developed in response, eventually. i think it's actually a big adjustment that people will understand better, looking back. right now we're in the midst of a collective schizophrenia.

4 hours ago, ignatius said:

i don't think it's defeatist to say "yeah.. this whole fucking thing is rigged and i'm going to do something else that is more productive for my neighborhood and community"

hehe. i am not going to agree on the messaging "this whole thing is rigged"... and i don't think it is. but, yeah, strengthen the good.

[ignatius]

29 minutes ago, trying to be less rude said:

i don't know a lot about the black panthers.

more than anything they were organizers. they fed people locally, provided daycare, legal assistance, breakfast for kids before school etc. 

sure there were militants but i think a lot of people today who have no idea what life was like then for black people.. would've lined up alongside them. i mean.. people were still being lynched in the south and black kids were being drafted to go to vietnam by the thousands long before the government got pressure and started included more white men. largely it focused on poor blacks and then poor whites.

also, there were white people blowing shit up. violeence and directt acttion came from multiple camps. itt's an interesting history to dive into if tthat's a thing you're interesteed in. 

this keyboard is fucked. 

[chenGOD]

10 hours ago, ignatius said:

yeah.. i mean.. a lot of them are but def her and manchin as well. not just cash grabs and campaign funding but i'm sure there's some dark money ending up as stocks or something that is a payday for both of them. they all have their corporate masters

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/kyrsten-sinema-multilevel-marketing-donations-labor-unions-1253712/

[Candiru]

OMG why are things going the way they are? Who could have guessed?

[zero]

poor Beto, why do you keep doing this:

https://www.texastribune.org/2021/11/15/beto-orourke-texas-governor-2022/

Quote

Beto O’Rourke is running for governor, challenging Republican Greg Abbott in a clash of two of Texas’ biggest politicians.

I will vote for anyone who isn't Greg Abbott. but I just can't see any magic coming from Beto's dwindling support base to pull this off. especially with the McConaissance flirting with the idea to run for gov in TX. I mean who wouldn't want to see that happen! I do like Beto, but think it was a huge mistake for him to run for president in 2020. made him look like he's more interested in the celebrity than the grassroots activist causes he purports to fight on behalf of. plus, the cringe can be a bit strong at times with him. when he loses this time, then it's game over man. no mas.

[may be rude]

4 hours ago, zero said:

poor Beto, why do you keep doing this:

https://www.texastribune.org/2021/11/15/beto-orourke-texas-governor-2022/

I will vote for anyone who isn't Greg Abbott. but I just can't see any magic coming from Beto's dwindling support base to pull this off. especially with the McConaissance flirting with the idea to run for gov in TX. I mean who wouldn't want to see that happen! I do like Beto, but think it was a huge mistake for him to run for president in 2020. made him look like he's more interested in the celebrity than the grassroots activist causes he purports to fight on behalf of. plus, the cringe can be a bit strong at times with him. when he loses this time, then it's game over man. no mas.

beto came close to beating cruz. abbott has been hurting after putting bounties on women getting abortions. beto has a shot and this is a great thing for democrats of texas to organize under. 

[ignatius]

41 minutes ago, trying to be less rude said:

beto came close to beating cruz. abbott has been hurting after putting bounties on women getting abortions. beto has a shot and this is a great thing for democrats of texas to organize under. 

you can bet "he'll take your guns"  is going to play on repeat. i hope he wins for the sake of the people of texas. maybe he'll reduce some harm there. i don't expect any politician to be a savior but perhaps make a dent and make some smart decisions here or there.. anyway.. get ready to see this clip day in day out starting.. probably this month. 

 

[may be rude]

1 hour ago, ignatius said:

you can bet "he'll take your guns"  is going to play on repeat. i hope he wins for the sake of the people of texas. maybe he'll reduce some harm there. i don't expect any politician to be a savior but perhaps make a dent and make some smart decisions here or there.. anyway.. get ready to see this clip day in day out starting.. probably this month. 

 

 

that's a string that the right will pull. beto knows how to talk about it. the 2nd amendment includes the words "well regulated." 

 

what is the pro assault rifle argument? they're cool? it's fun to unload a clip into a bunch of pines and pretend you're rambo? or overthrow the government in some kind of steven seagal movie plot? the 2nd amendment is not meant to shield militias from regulation so they can overthrow the government. there's a popular misconception that this is somehow a check and balance, but i don't think that the guns-for-freedom argument is the established interpretation of the 2nd amendment. i think that's some folklore that gets kicked around. the best argument gun nuts have is that they're fun. 

 

anyway, let's compare priorities. 

(a) assault rifles are fun

(b) democracy is under assault (by the right)

(c) houston may be submerged in a thousand years because we're breaking the planet

 

in reality, the gun issue is not at the top of the list of significant issues. and, come on. how hard is it to understand that homicide devices call for regulation? 90% of americans are onboard with background checks. 

 

beto will speak to his platform better than i can, but i'm sure he is interested in more important and and substantial issues than extended clips and automatic rifles.

Edited November 16, 2021 by trying to be less rude

[ignatius]

2 minutes ago, trying to be less rude said:

beto will speak to his platform better than i can, but i'm sure he is interested in more important and and substantial issues than extended clips and automatic rifles.

i'm not debating it. i'm not saying he's wrong or disagreeing.. but you know it's gonna be aired constantly and will be annoying as fuck as all political ads are. 

i hope he wins. he'd be much better for everyone. the voter triggering will be severe during the campaign so texans.. i'm sorry you'll have to deal w/that shit. 

[Candiru]

Play-Doh O'Rourke

[zero]

12 hours ago, trying to be less rude said:

beto came close to beating cruz. abbott has been hurting after putting bounties on women getting abortions. beto has a shot and this is a great thing for democrats of texas to organize under. 

he did come close, but the momentum that propelled him to get to that point fizzled out after. the 2020 run for pres was a disaster. I can't see him beating Abbott. as I said, I will vote for him, or anyone who isn't Abbott, but am worried he's not the right guy to do it. seriously, Matthew freakin McConaughey is polling better than both of them. this is the world we live in. clown show.

[may be rude]

1 hour ago, zero said:

he did come close, but the momentum that propelled him to get to that point fizzled out after. the 2020 run for pres was a disaster. I can't see him beating Abbott. as I said, I will vote for him, or anyone who isn't Abbott, but am worried he's not the right guy to do it. seriously, Matthew freakin McConaughey is polling better than both of them. this is the world we live in. clown show.

i listened to the mcconaughey interview with kara swisher and it's insanely cringe. good odds he ends up just backing beto. he doesn't know what party he is or what his positions are. the poll shows that abbott is weak.

 

there's a big difference between a state race and a national race. beto didn't fare horribly in the 2020 primaries, he was a serious candidate for a minute. iowa and new hampshire whittle it down to a top few and the rest fall away.

 

glad to hear you plan to vote there. i think beto has an activist organization. you may be interested to help and knock doors or something. political activism is fun. it's kind of funny that not only are we allowed to walk around knocking on people's doors and talking to them about politics, but it's actually an important part of the country.

 

i won't pretend to see the future. yeah if a republican governor wins then it won't be a shock. what i see in texas is that

1) the republicans are nervous

2) there is a mountain of persuasive arguments at the ready for Democratic activists

3) people are malnourished with good information

4) there is a very sizable Democratic movement that has the potential to make tx purple

 

my understanding is that beto is something of a phenomenon in texas. i hear that people get excited about him in a way that is surprising.

Edited November 16, 2021 by trying to be less rude

[auxien]

5 minutes ago, trying to be less rude said:

my understanding is that beto is something of a phenomenon in texas. i hear that people get excited about him in a way that is surprising.

you won’t BELIEVE these 17 ways Texas DEMs are legit stanning hottie king BETO

[zero]

23 minutes ago, trying to be less rude said:

glad to hear you plan to vote there. i think beto has an activist organization. you may be interested to help and knock doors or something. political activism is fun. it's kind of funny that not only are we allowed to walk around knocking on people's doors and talking to them about politics, but it's actually an important part of the country.

I have a family member who got involved when Betomania was a thing back in 2018. worked the phone banks and all that. tried to get me to put a Beto sign in my front yard and I was like nuh-uh. you know where I live? I'm trying to blend in with the enemy out here. far more big ass trucks and trumpers around me than my tribe. walking around knocking on their doors to promote Beto is a good way to get into a fight. I guess I'm not as dedicated to the cause. I mean fuck the current iteration of the republican party and I'll vote against them, but I try and not talk about politics with people I don't know.

 

33 minutes ago, trying to be less rude said:

my understanding is that beto is something of a phenomenon in texas. i hear that people get excited about him in a way that is surprising.

back in 2018 they did. let's see if he can whirl that up again. 

[Rubin Farr]

20 hours ago, zero said:

he did come close, but the momentum that propelled him to get to that point fizzled out after. the 2020 run for pres was a disaster. I can't see him beating Abbott. as I said, I will vote for him, or anyone who isn't Abbott, but am worried he's not the right guy to do it. seriously, Matthew freakin McConaughey is polling better than both of them. this is the world we live in. clown show.

Texas almost seems like a test chamber for everything wrong with our systems. Since Dubya was Governor, almost everything has gone backwards in Texas. It’s sad, because it has immense resources, our 2nd largest state by area, multiple ports, and it’s located on our busiest border, but nope, they want cowboys and the Wild West mentality to return, when everyone who wasn’t white knew their place.

On 11/16/2021 at 1:00 AM, Candiru said:

Play-Doh O'Rourke

Big money in tacos 

[ignatius]

5 hours ago, Rubin Farr said:

Texas almost seems like a test chamber for everything wrong with our systems. Since Dubya was Governor, almost everything has gone backwards in Texas. It’s sad, because it has immense resources, our 2nd largest state by area, multiple ports, and it’s located on our busiest border, but nope, they want cowboys and the Wild West mentality to return, when everyone who wasn’t white knew their place.

i think texas is more diverse than that. it's a huge state. dallas, austin and houston are massive cities. houston in particular is full of young people. there's tons of art and music and good food etc. but yeah.. generally, the image of the gun loving rugged individual cowboy type is something that still exists in texas for a reason. 

texas is a big sprawl though. gridlock and sprawl. it's probably more complex than people want to admit but everything probably is. 

[zero]

29 minutes ago, ignatius said:

there's tons of art and music and good food etc. 

hey don't forget the oil. we got the oil. and we got billionaires shooting rockets off wherever they damn well please.

[ignatius]

39 minutes ago, zero said:

hey don't forget the oil. we got the oil. and we got billionaires shooting rockets off wherever they damn well please.

yeeehhhhaaawww!!!  fuck regulations am i right?  it'll be fine. soon there will be wall to wall freedom loving tax cheating billionaires all over texas blasting off and building slave colonies in space away from prying eyes and international earth laws. 

[Rubin Farr]

3 hours ago, ignatius said:

i think texas is more diverse than that. it's a huge state. dallas, austin and houston are massive cities. houston in particular is full of young people. there's tons of art and music and good food etc. but yeah.. generally, the image of the gun loving rugged individual cowboy type is something that still exists in texas for a reason. 

texas is a big sprawl though. gridlock and sprawl. it's probably more complex than people want to admit but everything probably is. 

Yes I lived there for over a decade, and I love the diverse cultures, but I was speaking politically.

[ignatius]

1 hour ago, Rubin Farr said:

Yes I lived there for over a decade, and I love the diverse cultures, but I was speaking politically.

i stayed in austin for a minute in about 2003 and was charmed some by the place even though i almost got runover more than once while crossing the street in the crosswalk w/the walk sign. i couldn't believe how huge the place had gotten the next time i drove through there in 2015ish. it was like houston traffic. 

[ignatius]

 

[usagi]

what?

[Rubin Farr]

On 11/17/2021 at 5:27 PM, ignatius said:

i stayed in austin for a minute in about 2003 and was charmed some by the place even though i almost got runover more than once while crossing the street in the crosswalk w/the walk sign. i couldn't believe how huge the place had gotten the next time i drove through there in 2015ish. it was like houston traffic. 

It’s weird to have the liberal heart of Texas in one of the most conservative states, I wouldn’t even run as a Democrat if I was a politician, because you are a permanent minority, and just get railed over as a way of life. They have to repeatedly flee the state just to get national attention.

[exitonly]

58 minutes ago, Rubin Farr said:

It’s weird to have the liberal heart of Texas in one of the most conservative states, I wouldn’t even run as a Democrat if I was a politician, because you are a permanent minority, and just get railed over as a way of life. They have to repeatedly flee the state just to get national attention.

i have a notion that the anti-abortion laws and other such politics is at least in part an effort to get just enough of a % liberal voters frustrated to move out.

[zero]

another washed up celeb TV show hack is jumping into the ring. Dr. Oz running for senate on the R ticket:

https://www.npr.org/2021/11/30/1060185002/tvs-dr-oz-enters-pennsylvanias-crucial-senate-race-on-the-gop-side

wonder who'll be the next contestant to enter into the clown show, a.ka. American politics. can't we just scrap all this and start again? I don't think the current set up is working very well.