2012 Election Thread

I have not even looked at my Facebook in about a week. I sometimes wonder how I grew up with half the people on my "friends" list.

Well I just went and looked. To my surprise there was very little back and forth in my news feed. About a half dozen pissed off people and one guy who basically said if you were dumb enough to vote Obama he did not want to be friends. I obliged him of course but only after reading about how hard he works and people are lazy and taking food out his kids mouths. I really wanted to ask him how is it if you are working so hard and are so successful that a small raise in taxes would make you unable to afford food. It is such hyperbole.
 
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[quote name='dmaul1114']Yeah, some idiots I knew in high school have been posting worries about Obama taking their guns on Facebook.

Amazing how ignorant many people are in shit they worry about, especially in backwoods places like WV.[/QUOTE]
Just take a look at the stock price of RGR. Those idiots are like gold for gun companies.
 
Found out last night that my parent's pastor went off when he found out my dad voted for Obama. Romney opposing the auto bailout was enough to make my dad vote against him as he worked in a shop for 30+ years. The pastor couldn't believe that my dad would vote for a 'murderer' - his term for Obama since Obama 'supports abortion'. Ugh. Nothing about drone strikes or any other issues, just abortion.

A relative of mine on facebook posted this:
This seems like a good time to reflect on what must be a universal American experience - living half your life under a president you would not have chosen. I have, you have, probably all of us have. We don't like it, but we accept it and move on. Somehow, we survive, despite partisan hyperbole to the contrary - some happy with the outcome and others not, but life will go on. The test of any democracy is the concept of "loyal opposition" - the idea that the losers agree to go home, be governed by the winners and try again next time. Power changes hands, or doesn't, peacefully, with no shots fired and no blood shed - a rare thing in human history and not universal in the world even today. It's a pretty great thing, and win or lose, we all should feel fortunate to be a part of it.
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Which got this as a response from someone I don't know:
This time may well be different. President Obama has flagrantly violated the constitution time and again. May his time come swiftly. It is time to realize that he is not and was never eligible to be president. Patriots must unite against his iron fist.
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I guess there's a lot of morons in the world.
 
This iron fist may be the biggest fallacy the right has ever created and people truly believe it. People will try to stretch anything they can into tyranny. My brother in-law was raging how Obama was limiting gun rights because the EPA wants to or is phasing out lead bullets. It is just lunacy. I really cannot think of any real way my life is different than it was 4 years ago as far as my every day freedom is concerned. I just don't see it.
 
[quote name='dmaul1114']Yeah, some idiots I knew in high school have been posting worries about Obama taking their guns on Facebook.

Amazing how ignorant many people are in shit they worry about, especially in backwoods places like WV.[/QUOTE]

A friend of a friend was saying he was going to vote for Romney, because Obama made it difficult to buy bullets. The ironic thing is Obama didn't do a single thing to firearms or bullets. It was mostly the NRA and people like Limbaugh scaring people into thinking that Obama was going to take everyone's guns away (as if that is even possible) that made gun owners hoard bullets, which resulted in them being scarce.
 
What's even better about the myth of "Anti-Gun Obama" is that the Brady Organization gave him an F in all categories of gun control while Bush had better grades. That means that Bush was more anti-gun than Obama. Mitt passed anti-assault weapon legislation as Gov. As a senator Obama voted AGAINST a similar nationwide bill.

Cognitive dissonance.

You'd think they'd come to terms with some black dude from chicago is probably pretty cool with guns... It's like their racism can't come to terms with reality, so they fall back on some sort of fantasy that the Obama Wagon is coming to their neighborhood to abort the babies and take the guns.
 
[quote name='nasum']What's even better about the myth of "Anti-Gun Obama" is that the Brady Organization gave him an F in all categories of gun control while Bush had better grades. That means that Bush was more anti-gun than Obama. Mitt passed anti-assault weapon legislation as Gov. As a senator Obama voted AGAINST a similar nationwide bill.

Cognitive dissonance.

You'd think they'd come to terms with some black dude from chicago is probably pretty cool with guns... It's like their racism can't come to terms with reality, so they fall back on some sort of fantasy that the Obama Wagon is coming to their neighborhood to abort the babies and take the guns.[/QUOTE]

If you think that a senator or congressperson's votes necessarily reflect their views or desires you have a lot to learn about politics.
 
[quote name='yourlefthand']If you think that a senator or congressperson's votes necessarily reflect their views or desires you have a lot to learn about politics.[/QUOTE]

Vague observations about human nature doesn't amount to a solid argument, if you're trying to play some angle that Obama actually is somehow taking guns/bullets away.
 
[quote name='nasum']What's even better about the myth of "Anti-Gun Obama" is that the Brady Organization gave him an F in all categories of gun control while Bush had better grades. That means that Bush was more anti-gun than Obama. Mitt passed anti-assault weapon legislation as Gov. As a senator Obama voted AGAINST a similar nationwide bill.

Cognitive dissonance.

You'd think they'd come to terms with some black dude from chicago is probably pretty cool with guns... It's like their racism can't come to terms with reality, so they fall back on some sort of fantasy that the Obama Wagon is coming to their neighborhood to abort the babies and take the guns.[/QUOTE]
That's what the second term is for.
 
[quote name='Strell']Vague observations about human nature doesn't amount to a solid argument, if you're trying to play some angle that Obama actually is somehow taking guns/bullets away.[/QUOTE]

I'm not pretending to know his actual plans. Stating that he doesn't simply because he voted against some bill in the senate isn't a valid conclusion. That's all I'm saying.
 
For those who like to read Taibbi

http://www.rollingstone.com/politic...-industry-wont-win-you-female-voters-20121108

Small excerpt:

Modern Republicans "have so much of their own collective identity wrapped up in the belief that they're surrounded by free-loading, job-averse parasites who not only want to smoke weed and have recreational abortions all day long, but want hardworking white Christians like them to pay the tab," Taibbi wrote. "Their whole belief system...is inherently insulting to everyone outside the tent – and you can't win votes when you're calling people lazy, stoned moochers."
 
So right not the total vote count has Obama about 8 million votes behind what got in 2008. The crazy thing (at least to me) is that 3.5 million of those lost votes are from two big blue states New York (4.8 vs 3.9 million) and California (8.3 vs 5.7 million). I am not completely sure what to make of it though. Is this just apathy of living in state you know is going blue? Or is it an actual protest against his 1st 4 years? I mean the thing being said right now is that Obama is the first President to be re-elected with a slimmer margin but when over 40% of your lost votes come from these 2 states I am not sure the popular vote means much. I think it is more telling that Romney will most likely receive less votes than McCain considering the GOP was much more energized to get rid of Obama.
 
[quote name='cancerman1120']So right not the total vote count has Obama about 8 million votes behind what got in 2008. The crazy thing (at least to me) is that 3.5 million of those lost votes are from two big blue states New York (4.8 vs 3.9 million) and California (8.3 vs 5.7 million). I am not completely sure what to make of it though. Is this just apathy of living in state you know is going blue? Or is it an actual protest against his 1st 4 years? I mean the thing being said right now is that Obama is the first President to be re-elected with a slimmer margin but when over 40% of your lost votes come from these 2 states I am not sure the popular vote means much. I think it is more telling that Romney will most likely receive less votes than McCain considering the GOP was much more energized to get rid of Obama.[/QUOTE]
I think there are simple explanations for this. A lot of people, especially young voters, voted for the novelty of voting for the first black president and there wasn't that much outreach this time.
 
A hard-right republican friend of mine just posted this on twitter. If you can ignore the source (and definitely the comments) it's a interesting commentary.

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Govern...w-the-Romney-Campaign-Suppressed-Its-Own-Vote

The Obama campaign obviously nailed the tech and social media side of things. I wonder what could have been different.

Oh, and there were plenty of introspective conservatives after the election. They weren't the ones with national radio voices, but they are there. It's clear that Romney lost a lot of votes for a lot of reasons - bain, dog on roof, opposing the auto bailout, the list goes on and on. I don't think for a minute that the reason was that he "wasn't conservative enough". Anyone who though that he wasn't conservative enough probably voted for him to vote against Obama.
 
That Project Orca sounds like the scariest thing in the world. I wonder if both candidates do this type of thing?

"Project Orca was supposed to enable poll watchers to record voter names on their smartphones, by listening for names as voters checked in. This would give the campaign real-time turnout data, so they could redirect GOTV resources throughout the day where it was most needed. They recruited 37,000 swing state volunteers for this."
 
Oh yeah sure, but when BATMAN does it, no one has a problem. Probably because he's a rich ass old white man. Everyone suddenly had an issue when he let his BLACK employee do it though.

Yeah that's right, I know how it is.
 
[quote name='The Crotch']Blatantly stolen from the "white people mourn" tumblr:

tumblr_md6y5oqGCh1rkd8gso1_500.png


Not blatantly stolen from tumblr: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/donald-trump-deletes-parts-twitter-tirade[/QUOTE]

Serious business, I encourage everyone I can into signing up for as many handouts and programs as they can qualify for.

[quote name='yourlefthand']The pastor couldn't believe that my dad would vote for a 'murderer' - his term for Obama since Obama 'supports abortion'. Ugh. Nothing about drone strikes or any other issues, just abortion.[/QUOTE]

Sad thing is, he'd probably justify the drone strikes somehow.
 
[quote name='Feeding the Abscess']Serious business, I encourage everyone I can into signing up for as many handouts and programs as they can qualify for.[/QUOTE]

leskok091609w_rgbb.jpg
 
[quote name='cancerman1120']That Project Orca sounds like the scariest thing in the world. I wonder if both candidates do this type of thing?

"Project Orca was supposed to enable poll watchers to record voter names on their smartphones, by listening for names as voters checked in. This would give the campaign real-time turnout data, so they could redirect GOTV resources throughout the day where it was most needed. They recruited 37,000 swing state volunteers for this."[/QUOTE]

I'm pretty sure that both parties will do anything that they can to get any advantage they can.
 
[quote name='Feeding the Abscess']
Sad thing is, he'd probably justify the drone strikes somehow.[/QUOTE]

Probably. The guy is an idiot. My dad can't stand him, but my mom is loyal to the other people there so they keep going.

The really scary thing is that the guy homeschools his kids.
 
[quote name='Strell']Oh yeah sure, but when BATMAN does it, no one has a problem. Probably because he's a rich ass old white man. Everyone suddenly had an issue when he let his BLACK employee do it though.

Yeah that's right, I know how it is.[/QUOTE]

At first I was like WTF are you talking about and then it dawned on me...very nicely done sir.
 
ORCA and the Democrats version of it isn't as nefarious as it sounds. It's basically a database of people they canvassed prior to election day for Get Out The Vote(GOTV), so they already have your name and an idea of how you're going to vote. What the program is for is to get a more accurate idea of how the candidate is doing throughout the day instead of relying on exit polls, which can be modeled, but not as accurate as counting every person that shows up at a polling station.

Example: If Juan Hernandez gets canvassed and says he leans left, his name is entered into the database. When he shows up on election day, the software will hear his voice/name and match it up with his name in the system and flag it as a Democratic vote. All this data is then collated to provide more accurate real time polling as well as being able to coordinate volunteers to help like-minded people get to polling stations.

TBH, this is much more shittier: http://www.esquire.com/blogs/politics/romney-staff-credit-cards-110812

For someone that has gone through 4 elections, you'd think that Romney's campaign would be able to organize the volunteers to get some cab vouchers after the election party.
 
That all depends on people voting the way they say they will though, right? So if it was someone like me, who likes to screw with systems like this, I could tell them I lean right and then vote left instead.
 
[quote name='Clak']That all depends on people voting the way they say they will though, right? So if it was someone like me, who likes to screw with systems like this, I could tell them I lean right and then vote left instead.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, but most people aren't assholes like that, but an entirely different type.:lol:
 
A few days late on this, but I'll just say that I'm bummed that Obama won, but hey, the people have made their choice. If I can just hope for one thing, it's that in his second term he changes his aggressionist foreign policy. So far, it doesn't look that way, but I can always hope.
 
denise-helms.jpg





women has a major lawsuit there then she can use that money to pay for a lawyer to keep from going to prison for the second remark LOL[/QUOTE]


Wow, what a pig.
 
In principle, I have a problem with her termination. An employer should not be able to fire someone for what they say on their own time that isn't related to the business and even then, she shouldn't be unless she revealed something like the formula of coke or KFC seasoning. It's not like she was an official spokesperson or representative of the company, but just some wage slave. I mean it's obvious from the interview that she's racist and not all that bright anyways.

Another problem is that they're making this whole thing about her and not the reasoning behind what she said or what influenced her. It's far easier to report about someone being racist instead of why they're racist. It's not like she's the only one at Cold Stone or any place of business that holds those views.
 
I agree with that. For instance, it's technically feasible that she doesn't understand the weight of the racist term she used. It's much more offensive than a lot of lowbrow white people realize.

The best reason I can think of for firing her would be if it impacted the company's reputation, but that's unlikely.
 
[quote name='ID2006']I agree with that. For instance, it's technically feasible that she doesn't understand the weight of the racist term she used. It's much more offensive than a lot of lowbrow white people realize.[/QUOTE]
That isn't the direction I was going in, but I find that hard to believe. I meant that her racism didn't come about in a vacuum and that her environment ferments that type of sentiment. Focusing on the individual is a distraction from how racist the US still is. I'd bet that she wouldn't say it to a black person's face.

The best reason I can think of for firing her would be if it impacted the company's reputation, but that's unlikely.
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Well, it might interfere for a few days she was there, but I highly doubt anything would've happened if it went viral. Even then, no one still gives a shit about that girl at UC Berkeley, so it would've blown over in a week. If Cold Stone had to root out every racist employee, they'd be out of business.
 
[quote name='dohdough']That isn't the direction I was going in, but I find that hard to believe. I meant that her racism didn't come about in a vacuum and that her environment ferments that type of sentiment.
[/QUOTE]


Why do you find it hard to believe? There are a lot of racist terms I heard growing up that I didn't understand until within the last few years.


[quote name='dohdough']Focusing on the individual is a distraction from how racist the US still is. I'd bet that she wouldn't say it to a black person's face.[/QUOTE]


That's true. But how does it relate to the context of Cold Stone? Aside from just not doing anything at all, what could they do about the USA's problems with racism?
 
[quote name='ID2006']Why do you find it hard to believe? There are a lot of racist terms I heard growing up that I didn't understand until within the last few years.[/quote]
Even if we go with your premise, it's still an indictment on the environment you grew up in. I'm not saying it's your fault of course.

That's true. But how does it relate to the context of Cold Stone? Aside from just not doing anything at all, what could they do about the USA's problems with racism?
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There are lot's of thing they could do to help and maybe they do, but it's still bigger than them and firing her is a token action. Don't get me wrong, I would've fired her ass too and not stand in her way of getting unemployment because I'm pragmatic enough to know that any bad press like this is not good for business, but from a class perspective, she's getting fucked by the system too. That's why I have a problem with it in principle.
 
[quote name='dohdough']Even if we go with your premise, it's still an indictment on the environment you grew up in. I'm not saying it's your fault of course.[/QUOTE]

Oh, okay.

[quote name='dohdough']
There are lot's of thing they could do to help and maybe they do, but it's still bigger than them and firing her is a token action. Don't get me wrong, I would've fired her ass too and not stand in her way of getting unemployment because I'm pragmatic enough to know that any bad press like this is not good for business, but from a class perspective, she's getting fucked by the system too. That's why I have a problem with it in principle.[/QUOTE]

I see your point. I wonder if it became a press story before or after the firing. There are tons of racists slurs thrown about on Facebook and Twitter all the time. If it was going to start affecting businesses, I'd expect to have heard stories like this more often.

Also, how do they find out about the Secret Service investigations like this? They aren't confidential?
 
[quote name='ID2006']I see your point. I wonder if it became a press story before or after the firing. There are tons of racists slurs thrown about on Facebook and Twitter all the time. If it was going to start affecting businesses, I'd expect to have heard stories like this more often.[/quote]
Most people don't care. The only reason why this got any traction is because it was on reddit and gawker, but I'm guessing that it made news because of the tweet and mainstream press got to it after she was fired. If it didn't make news, she'd still be serving ice cream and singing everytime someone left something in the tip jar.

Also, how do they find out about the Secret Service investigations like this? They aren't confidential?
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Too public in this case, but they're not going to reveal details.
 
[quote name='RealDeals']
images
[/QUOTE]

Not to Romney, real life isn't like Diablo 3, you can't just buy more go...er money....
 
[quote name='Clak']Not to Romney, real life isn't like Diablo 3, you can't just buy more go...er money....[/QUOTE]

Reading that I imagined him playing Diablo 3 and stabbing everybody in the back (perhaps literally) to get ahead :lol:
 
Why does it seem like libertarians, and even republicans sometimes, act like pirates? I mean it seems like they're always armed to the teeth, involved in some sort of profession with a "tough" reputation, or one in which they basically plunder for a living. i could probably think of more similarities, but it's just something that strikes me as strange, like they all want to be modern day Blackbeards or something.
 
[quote name='Clak']Why does it seem like libertarians, and even republicans sometimes, act like pirates? I mean it seems like they're always armed to the teeth, involved in some sort of profession with a "tough" reputation, or one in which they basically plunder for a living. i could probably think of more similarities, but it's just something that strikes me as strange, like they all want to be modern day Blackbeards or something.[/QUOTE]

Don't forget poor hygiene and higher rate of STDs :booty:
 
I am not sure what has happened to my great state of WI. Just when I think the leaders here cannot get any dumber the pull this.

Wisconsin Lawmakers Back Bill To Arrest Federal Officials Who Implement Obamacare

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/13/wisconsin-obamacare_n_2125468.html

Basically WI is not setting up the exchanges so the law sates the federal government will come in and do it for the state. Well these 9 morons want to make a law that anyone who does that can be arrested.

Chris Kapenga (R-Delafield), who told the Journal Sentinel that he believes the health care law is unconstitutional.

"Just because Obama was reelected does not mean he's above the constitution," he said.
 
[quote name='cancerman1120']Chris Kapenga (R-Delafield), who told the Journal Sentinel that he believes the health care law is unconstitutional.

"Just because Obama was reelected does not mean he's above the constitution," he said.[/QUOTE]

He's right. Obama being reelected does not mean the health care law is constitutional. It's the job of the Supreme Court to determine a law's constitutionality. Oh, wait...
 
You know all that Super PAC money that went into the elections? Obviously they didn't spend ALL of it, and thanks to a IRS Loophole, the people in charge of those organizations can pocket it tax free. Here's an excellent explanation of how it works. Basically, the money from the Super PAC goes back to the 501c4 and that money goes to another 501c4. Oh, Democracy.
 
[quote name='cancerman1120']I am not sure what has happened to my great state of WI. Just when I think the leaders here cannot get any dumber the pull this.

Wisconsin Lawmakers Back Bill To Arrest Federal Officials Who Implement Obamacare

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/13/wisconsin-obamacare_n_2125468.html

Basically WI is not setting up the exchanges so the law sates the federal government will come in and do it for the state. Well these 9 morons want to make a law that anyone who does that can be arrested.

Chris Kapenga (R-Delafield), who told the Journal Sentinel that he believes the health care law is unconstitutional.

"Just because Obama was reelected does not mean he's above the constitution," he said.[/QUOTE]
I'd love to see that happen actually, the fallout would be crazy. A state arresting federal officials, yeah....
 
[quote name='cancerman1120']I am not sure what has happened to my great state of WI. Just when I think the leaders here cannot get any dumber the pull this.

Wisconsin Lawmakers Back Bill To Arrest Federal Officials Who Implement Obamacare

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/13/wisconsin-obamacare_n_2125468.html

Basically WI is not setting up the exchanges so the law sates the federal government will come in and do it for the state. Well these 9 morons want to make a law that anyone who does that can be arrested.

Chris Kapenga (R-Delafield), who told the Journal Sentinel that he believes the health care law is unconstitutional.

"Just because Obama was reelected does not mean he's above the constitution," he said.[/QUOTE]

[quote name='Cantatus']He's right. Obama being reelected does not mean the health care law is constitutional. It's the job of the Supreme Court to determine a law's constitutionality. Oh, wait...[/QUOTE]

As a resident of WI I totally agree. WTF? Also my dumbass friend signed the petition for secession for WI. So proud of my fellow statesmen. Not.
 
[quote name='detectiveconan16']You know all that Super PAC money that went into the elections? Obviously they didn't spend ALL of it, and thanks to a IRS Loophole, the people in charge of those organizations can pocket it tax free. Here's an excellent explanation of how it works. Basically, the money from the Super PAC goes back to the 501c4 and that money goes to another 501c4. Oh, Democracy.[/QUOTE]

One day, I too hope to run for President. Everything would be paid for me for months. I'd do some traveling and stay in nice hotels. I could boss people around. I could say INCREDIBLY STUPID SHIT. And at the end of it, pocket a few million.

The best part would be people for years afterward parroting the INCREDIBLY STUPID SHIT I was saying, not knowing I was playing them for the poor bastards they are.
 
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