Political Discussion

[Jonathan Y]

As someone who's far left, no one who is would have worked for Obama. There are extremist Democrats, but they're not leftists. They're more like an extremist center. Not trying to do a purity thing here, it's just the fact of the matter that Obama wasn't a leftist any more than Hilary was. Bernie is the most leftist and he'd be considered center left in most of the world.

This isn't about purity, but demonizing the left for actions taken by Democrats and their supporters just plays into right-wing lies.

She wasn't far left when she started for Obama. She was 18 and it was her first political job

Idk if it was even the stint with Northam that did it, but she is far left now. She is attacking her soon to be husbands Cuban-American parents on IG. The wedding is going to be wild

EDIT: regardless i do agree with your point, I was just offering examples to Renegade that there are extreme leftists as there are extreme rights. I dont care who thinks what is better. Both exists which leads to the issue in my original post about side vs. side becoming far more extreme in the last couple elections

 

[Fleetwood-Matt]

My buddy who works in elections is convinced Harris has this in the bag, especially after the PR joke.

The PR joke is the first time in months I’ve felt decently comfortable about her chances. There is an insanely large amount of Puerto Ricans in the swing states and (atleast from the Puerto Ricans I have in my family) do not fuck around when it come to the pride they have in their heritage. This could help turn out a decent size of non regular voters to come to her side and with this election being decided on the margins that could cinch it. I don’t feel totally safe and this could just be a net neutral ultimately but it’s the first time I’m not totally dreading next Tuesday

 

[TenderLovingKiller®]

Obama's, and the democratic party at large's co-opting the idea of "change" and then decidedly not doing that can be largely attributed to why we got Trump. Neoliberal bullshit leads to disillusionment leads to fascism.

I hate when The far left blames Obama for Trump instead of the the actual systemic issues. This is how we end up with Matt Taibbi and Glenn Greenwald becoming favorite guests on Tucker Carlson.

 

[RenegadeMonster]

The Deep Psychological Reason We Are Stuck in This Feedback Loop with Donald Trump — Slate

Even after almost a decade of Trump, we still can’t quite see it.

apple.news

 

[RenegadeMonster]

 

[ayayrawn]

I hate when The far left blames Obama for Trump instead of the the actual systemic issues. This is how we end up with Matt Taibbi and Glenn Greenwald becoming favorite guests on Tucker Carlson.

I mean, obviously Obama isn't the sole reason, but disillusionment with the Democratic party indisputably is, and he and his campaign are a huge part of the history of that.

 

[Nee Lewman]

I hate when The far left blames Obama for Trump instead of the the actual systemic issues. This is how we end up with Matt Taibbi and Glenn Greenwald becoming favorite guests on Tucker Carlson.

I agree with you for the most part. I will say that a bigoted fascist coming to power after Obama has more to do with the color of Obama’s skin than his centrist policies.

 

[TenderLovingKiller®]

I mean, obviously Obama isn't the sole reason, but disillusionment with the Democratic party indisputably is, and he and his campaign are a huge part of the history of that.

Maybe I bought into what Obama was selling more than others on the left. I felt like he genuinely thought he could change the system from within and genuinely teetered on the brink of some major breakthroughs but in the end the Dem coalition faultered in the face of extreme pushback from the Tea Party. Lasting significant change needs to be supported by all three branches. Even with Dems having a 10 seat majority in the senate and control of the house, Obama was unable to push through the Healthcare Reform he was aiming for. Even with a Bi-Partisan deal on Immigration reform he wasn’t able to get the deal done but neither issue was due to lack of effort on his part. The whole time you have Mitch McConnell pushing an obstructionist agenda meant to cut Obama’s administration off at the knees knowing that his inability to pass meaningful change would make it less likely for him to earn a second term.

I don’t think Obama failed voters, I think he took on an impossible task and came as close as anyone to actually achieving significant change. If the point is more that even Obama couldn’t overcome the systemic issues that hurt many Americans in favor of greedy corporate interests which jaded many voters who then decided to blow up the system by voting for Trump I would partially agree. Though, I would argue that many of the voters that turned out for Trump in 2016 were people that had never voted or were not particularly politically minded before Obama was elected and while these people were jaded in the political system the reason they chose Trump as their champion had more to do with Trump attacking Obama on his race than on his failed policy.

 

[Nee Lewman]

Maybe I bought into what Obama was selling more than others on the left. I felt like he genuinely thought he could change the system from within and genuinely teetered on the brink of some major breakthroughs but in the end the Dem coalition faultered in the face of extreme pushback from the Tea Party. Lasting significant change needs to be supported by all three branches. Even with Dems having a 10 seat majority in the senate and control of the house, Obama was unable to push through the Healthcare Reform he was aiming for. Even with a Bi-Partisan deal on Immigration reform he wasn’t able to get the deal done but neither issue was due to lack of effort on his part. The whole time you have Mitch McConnell pushing an obstructionist agenda meant to cut Obama’s administration off at the knees knowing that his inability to pass meaningful change would make it more likely for him to earn a second term.

I don’t think Obama failed voters, I think he took on an impossible task and came as close as anyone to actually achieving significant change. If the point is more that even Obama couldn’t overcome the systemic issues that hurt many Americans in favor of greedy corporate interests which jaded many voters who then decided to blow up the system by voting for Trump I would partially agree. Though, I would ague that many of the voters that turned out for Trump in 2016 were people that had never voted or were not particularly politically minded before Obama was elected and while these people were jaded in the political system the reason they chose Trump as their champion had more to do with Trump attacking Obama on his race than on his failed policy.

Pretty much my take too.

Everyone wanting their own policies catered to is an issue as well. Governing has to happen from the center because you have to get things passed. You don’t get anything done just pushing your agenda and not getting anything passed. This is the issue with congress right now anyhow. I don’t actually distrust congress. I trust them to get nothing done in this my way or the highway, you suck climate.

 

[HayesWeighsIn]

I'm an hour south of Boone and an hour east of Asheville. Had some damage but nothing compared to what our friends in those areas were hit with.

@HayesWeighsIn is in Asheville.

You good, brother?

Thanks for checking in! Sorry for the delayed reply. I'm a sporadic visitor these days.

We got so lucky. I'm actually just south of the city. A piece of our fence came down, was honestly probably on its way out anyway, and unbelievably thats it. No power for a week and sporadic internet for about 2.5 weeks, but we're a ok, and our water has been fine for a while now too. All my friends down here are ok and accounted for. Worst of it was one of my friends' house had 3 trees come down on it, but it's all fixable, and all that matters is they're alright.

Parts of the city are gone. Much needs to be rebuilt. Won't be the same moving forward, for better or worse, but it's been an amazing community effort to put one foot in front of the other.

 

[Twentytwo]

Not a drag queen.

Phoenix mailbox fire damages multiple Arizona ballots

The man suspected of starting a Phoenix mailbox fire that burned multiple Arizona ballots said the crime wasn't politically motivated.

ktar.com

 

[Joe Mac]

As someone who's far left, no one who is would have worked for Obama. There are extremist Democrats, but they're not leftists. They're more like an extremist center. Not trying to do a purity thing here, it's just the fact of the matter that Obama wasn't a leftist any more than Hilary was. Bernie is the most leftist and he'd be considered center left in most of the world.

This isn't about purity, but demonizing the left for actions taken by Democrats and their supporters just plays into right-wing lies.

Yeah the dems were always a centre right party that are now a right wing party that hosts people to the centre and the very mild left of centre because there is nowhere else for them. The republicans were a right wing party who are now a solidly far right party.

 

[LiamGallaghersBucketHat]

Oooooo....look at Y dipping his toe in here.

 

[threesunrises]

Not a drag queen.

Phoenix mailbox fire damages multiple Arizona ballots

The man suspected of starting a Phoenix mailbox fire that burned multiple Arizona ballots said the crime wasn't politically motivated.

ktar.com

This is why I have always hand-delivered my ballot even though there is a less than .000000000000001% chance that this would happen in my red county.

One of the county's drop boxes is in front of the courthouse, and the Board of Elections used to be in the building next door, so transporting ballots there was less than 25 yards. Even so, I still walked upstairs to sign it in so I knew it was safely received. BoE moved a few blocks away while they were doing renovations on the courthouse complex, so I've brought it to the new location for the past two elections.

I know that I am very fortunate to have the flexibility and ability to do so, and I will continue to do so for as long as I am able.

 

[Joe Mac]

Oooooo....look at Y dipping his toe in here.

Arsenal dropping all those points has made boojy go all deep and introspective!

 

[RenegadeMonster]

The Bright Line in Florida has become a Meme and is often referred to the "Death Train" these days. This is because it is a near daily occurrence that someone is stuck and killed on the tracks by a Bright Line train.

Because I follow a lot of MTBA and Train accounts on instagram, my Instagram feed is full over Bright Line headlines.

The comments section I think pretty much sums of America and what we think of public transportation. Pretty much most people feel there is no place for trains in America. America is a country for Cars, not Trains. Especially in Florida, where people aren't expecting a train to be. Peoples over all perspectives are trains are dangerous, especially high speed.

I also love how they keep calling the Bright Line "high speed", it by no means is high speed. Sure the trains can travel at the same speeds cars can travel on the highway in sections, but by definition, this is not high speed rail.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think the trains are the problem at all. It's either suicide or people walking on the tracks where they shouldn't be. Sure there is the occasional grade crossing crash where people ignore the the stopping gates or try to beat the train, or stopped on the tracks. But the vest majority of incidents are not happening at grade crossings, and it's trains hitting people on the tracks.

I'm not sure what can be done to fix that. But saying things like we need to hold Bright Line accountable or suing Bright Line over the death of loved ones is not the solution.

 

[Joe Mac]

I always considered myself a little bit left of the centre left or social democrats. It increasingly feels in this era that such a position is widely considered to be somewhere way to the left of Karl Marx.

 

[ayayrawn]

I always considered myself a little bit left of the centre left or social democrats. It increasingly feels in this era that such a position is widely considered to be somewhere way to the left of Karl Marx.

The right always hypes Kamala and Joe up bein like they're commie, socialist, marxists, like damn I wish lmao

 

[Joe Mac]

The right always hypes Kamala and Joe up bein like they're commie, socialist, marxists, like damn I wish lmao

Yeah when solidly right wing politicians are marxists then you know the balance is all askew!

 

[Nee Lewman]

The Bright Line in Florida has become a Meme and is often referred to the "Death Train" these days. This is because it is a near daily occurrence that someone is stuck and killed on the tracks by a Bright Line train.

Because I follow a lot of MTBA and Train accounts on instagram, my Instagram feed is full over Bright Line headlines.

The comments section I think pretty much sums of America and what we think of public transportation. Pretty much most people feel there is no place for trains in America. America is a country for Cars, not Trains. Especially in Florida, where people aren't expecting a train to be. Peoples over all perspectives are trains are dangerous, especially high speed.

I also love how they keep calling the Bright Line "high speed", it by no means is high speed. Sure the trains can travel at the same speeds cars can travel on the highway in sections, but by definition, this is not high speed rail.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think the trains are the problem at all. It's either suicide or people walking on the tracks where they shouldn't be. Sure there is the occasional grade crossing crash where people ignore the the stopping gates or try to beat the train, or stopped on the tracks. But the vest majority of incidents are not happening at grade crossings, and it's trains hitting people on the tracks.

I'm not sure what can be done to fix that. But saying things like we need to hold Bright Line accountable or suing Bright Line over the death of loved ones is not the solution.

Wait, people are walking on train tracks and getting hit by trains and people want the train line held accountable?