Discussion: The REPUBLICAN Party XIV

[Thundercrack85]

Originally Posted by enterthemadness

I don't know much about him, but he at least said the War on Drugs is a Failure and seems to care about New Jersey.

I think the GOP last chance is really Jon Huntsman or Rand Paul though. I won't be voting for them unless they go to the LP or do a 3rd party run though.

Huntsman is unelectable. Paul maybe. But I see him more as a vice president type of guy.

Put your money on Christie or Rubio.

[Thundercrack85]

Originally Posted by Excel

How will the republicans ever defeat Hillary in 2016? They have nobody will generate any more enthusiasm than Romney did, and Hillary will be the most anticipated Presidential candidate in a looooooong time. The ratings for Bill and O's speeches at her convention will be 2x as big as any of the republicans.

This party is the new york jets of global politics. Plenty of interest & potential, but at the moment for the next election or two, they're screwed.

Yeah she was so anticipated in 2008 she lost to a one term no name senator from Illinois.

[Grievous]

Originally Posted by moviedoors

And that is not the case.

Yes it is the case. Two can play the simple game of just saying they are right.

[Kelly]

Originally Posted by Thundercrack85

Yeah she was so anticipated in 2008 she lost to a one term no name senator from Illinois.

Actually in the circles where it counts....he was very well known. In Hollywood he was being talked about ever since his 2004 speech at the DNC...he got their money from the start.

NOW, had they been up against each other in a Presidential Election and he beat her...that would have been a different story. And hell in the Democratic Debates the media almost worshipped the guy...it was weird.

[Fading]

Hilary was a good secretary of state. So that should up her credentials. Toss on staying out of the spotlight in the mud raking to come this next year (unlike a McCain), and she should appeal more than in 2008. The real question is, will she be healthy enough by then? I pray she gets better, but we're assuming her health doesn't continue to decline. Toss on the stress of campaigning three years older with her health issues, and she may have to opt out.

[moviedoors]

Originally Posted by Grievous

Yes it is the case. Two can play the simple game of just saying they are right.

So that's the only/primary basis on which people are arguing for coverage of birth control? This discussion is over. I will not waste my e-breath just to get to a place where we can agree on reality. Good day.

[Grievous]

Originally Posted by moviedoors

So that's the only/primary basis on which people are arguing for coverage of birth control? This discussion is over. I will not waste my e-breath just to get to a place where we can agree on reality. Good day.

Your right this discussion is over cause frankly I am done talking in circles with you. All you have said is I am wrong and it's cause boner pills are covered. Which you still up to this point have not shared a link to prove yourself. Instead of posting a link you simply said you didn't see my post and brushed it off as nothing. So I looked it up myself and posted my response and instead of proving me wrong on what I said you simply said. ''And that is not the case'' Even someone on here said they have health insurance and boner pills isn't on the list. So I said if any insurances provide boner pills it most only be a select few. But you are trying to act like I am just going off saying women don't need birth control pills and leaving it at that. I must of mentioned I would be ok with it if health played a role but not simply for just sex about 5 times counting now. I'm sorry but I felt something had to be said when I have people agreeing with me on what I say and you are trying to pass me off as someone who can't debate and won't admit his facts are wrong. Clearly people are wanting to move on from this and discuss other things in this thread so I suggest we drop this. I don't feel like checking this thread anyway just to see you make a claim against mine and don't back it with any logic.

[Marx]

UPDATE: CONGRESSMAN MULLIN AND HIS FAMILY RECEIVE DEATH THREATS
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com...death-threats/

[Kelly]

Originally Posted by Marx

UPDATE: CONGRESSMAN MULLIN AND HIS FAMILY RECEIVE DEATH THREATS
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com...death-threats/

It's the ones that don't send letters that they have to worry about....

[Gotham's Knight]

Originally Posted by Kelly

It's the ones that don't send letters that they have to worry about....

Indeed. Death threats will likely change nothing anyway as I doubt anyone who sent them would act on them (but I thought that about Bieber and there was that failed assassination thing from a while back).

[Cosmic]

From WaPo: Virginia Republicans’ bald-faced power grab

IN A SNEAK ATTACK notable more for its deviousness than its strategic acuity, Virginia Republicans engineered a bald-faced power grab Monday that would radically redraw the state’s electoral map without so much as a “yea,” “nay” or “maybe” from anything so trivial as a voter.

Taking advantage of the absence of a single Democratic state senator, GOP lawmakers in Richmond rammed through a radically gerrymandered map designed to hand them control of the 40-member state Senate, which is now split evenly between the two parties.

They were able to do so, on a vote of 20 to 19, because one Democratic senator was in Washington to attend President Obama’s inauguration. Touche, Republicans! Count that as a new low for hyper-partisanship, dirty tricks and the unaccountable arrogance of power.

Read the full article here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinio...d5b_story.html

Virginia Republicans Use Inauguration to Gerrymander: http://dcist.com/2013/01/virginia_re...inaugurati.php.

From www.timesdispatch.com: VA Republicans push through rewrite of senate districts.

Excerpt (my emphasis):

The state’s senior senator, Democrat Charles J. Colgan of Prince William, was angry over the Republican move. Referring to the possible loss of Deeds’ seat, he said, “We lost something bigger than that — integrity.”

Sen. John Watkins, R-Powhatan, who presented the bill on the floor, defended the new map. He said it would bring Virginia in closer compliance with federal civil rights laws that promote the creation of majority-minority districts.

“It will clean up the lines, protect us against the threat of litigation and provide an excellent opportunity to allow the demographics of this Senate to more closely align with those of the commonwealth at large,” he said.

Marsh, reached by telephone after the vote, said it was the first he had heard of the move. He declined comment until he could review the measure.

Sen. A. Donald McEachin, D-Henrico, said there have been no hearings on the plan and the public has “no idea” what the new districts would look like.

“The good working spirit that this Senate has had will come to a very quiet, very sudden end if this bill is passed,” he said.

Republicans apparently pushed for the revisions Monday — when Democrats were down one vote in the 20-20 chamber — because they couldn’t count on a tie-breaking vote from Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, a Republican who is the Senate’s presiding officer.

Bolling was told about two weeks ago that Republicans would attempt the rewrite and he signaled he could not vote with his party, believing forced changes in the Senate map would have a poisonous effect on the chamber.

Bolling’s spokeswoman, Ibbie Hedrick, issued a statement after the vote in which she said the maneuver “is not something that he supported.”

Hedrick continued, “He fears that this action could set a dangerous precedent for future redistricting actions, and he is concerned that it could create a hyperpartisan atmosphere that could make it very difficult for us to address other important priorities.”

...

Thoughts?

[SV Fan]

Originally Posted by Cosmic

Thoughts?

If you can't win by popular vote, try find ways to rig the system in your favor. All that being said both parties are guilty of gerrymandering, but usually it's done once every 10 years by the party in power and they have to redistrict the states, not rammed through like that

I personally think creating districts should be done by a non partisan council that tries to create districts by logical patterns

[Fading]

I just think it's sad they waited until the opposition was absent. What's the point in having elected officials in the first place if everything can be turned on it's head deviously because someone takes a sick day? I want my opposing political parties to butt heads, present both sides to an argument, and come to a compromise that benefits all. Not to sit back, waiting to take advantage of when the other side isn't there to even present it's ideals.

[Marx]

UPDATE: GOVERNOR JINDAL SAYS GOP NEEDS TO "STOP BEING THE STUPID PARTY"
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com...-being-stupid/

..stop looking backward and insulting voter's intelligence? Someone finally gets it.

[hippie_hunter]

Originally Posted by Marx

UPDATE: GOVERNOR JINDAL SAYS GOP NEEDS TO "STOP BEING THE STUPID PARTY"
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com...-being-stupid/

..stop looking backward and insulting voter's intelligence? Someone finally gets it.

Reform of the GOP is going to come from the governors, Jindal, Bush, Christie, and whatnot, that is unless the Tea Party gets in the way....again.

[Paradoxium]

We must stop being the stupid party

“We seem to have an obsession with government bookkeeping,” he told party members. “We as Republicans have to accept that government number crunching – even conservative number crunching – is not the answer to our nation’s problems.”

uhuh

[Kelly]

Originally Posted by hippie_hunter

Reform of the GOP is going to come from the governors, Jindal, Bush, Christie, and whatnot, that is unless the Tea Party gets in the way....again.

I think that the Republican governors are the key to EVERYTHING....they have all actually balanced a budget....they actually have experience. IF the GOP puts up ANYONE governor or otherwise that "sounds like a Democrat, trying to sound like a Republican" they will lose once again in 2016. If they put up a Governor, that sounds like a Republican Governor of a state that is doing well because of the fiscal prowess of said governor, they (GOP) have a VERY GOOD chance in 2016, especially if both Biden and Clinton go for the Democrat candidacy...which very well may happen, and if it does? (oh yeah, what entertainment that will be, I can't wait)....and then a Christie vs. Clinton in 2016....(*sighs*, that's a dream, yes a dream)....lol

[Marx]

Originally Posted by hippie_hunter

Reform of the GOP is going to come from the governors, Jindal, Bush, Christie, and whatnot, that is unless the Tea Party gets in the way....again.

Exactly.

[Paradoxium]

Or they can retire. And the GOP disappear into the void.

[SV Fan]

Originally Posted by Paradoxium

Or they can retire. And the GOP disappear into the void.

We can then bring back the Whigs

[Hotwire]

So much for that whole, "Stop being the stupid party."

Link

Arizona Republicans Propose Bill That Would Not Allow Atheists To Graduate High School

January 25, 2013 By Hemant Mehta 321 Comments
A group of Arizona politicians — all Republicans, of course — have proposed a law (House Bill 2467) requiring public high school students to recite the following oath in order to graduate:

I, _______, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge these duties; So help me God.

To quote Comedy Central’s Ilya Gerner: “Nothing says ‘I take this obligation freely’ quite like a state law that withholds your diploma unless you swear an oath.”
Kevin Bondelli adds:

… graduating high school is not the same thing as voluntarily accepting the responsibility of a public office or admission to the legal bar. A high school diploma is, with extremely few exceptions, required to have a chance to live above the poverty level. It is the culmination of an education that up until that point was compulsory.

It’s bad enough the Republicans are demanding loyalty of the kind normally reserved for members of Congress and beyond — but there’s also no way I would say those last four words, and the current text of the legislation does not allow for any alternatives.
In other words, if this bill were to become a law, atheists would either not be allowed to graduate… or they would be forced to lie so they could graduate. Neither option is acceptable.
Mike Sunnucks of the Phoenix Business Journal points out another problem:

The Arizona bill could also face legal challenges if it is approved.
Jehovah’s witnesses, some Muslims and pacifist Quakers have in the past challenged loyalty oaths imposed by the federal government and other agencies, saying they conflict with their beliefs and religious professions. Similarly, some Arizona students could challenge the proposed high school oath as a violation of their religious liberties and freedom of expression.

This bill is the work of Representatives Bob Thorpe, Sonny Borrelli, Carl Seel, T.J. Shope, Jeff Dial, David Livingston, Chester Crandell, and Steve Smith.
Smith and Shope have also introduced legislation demanding that all students in grades 1-12 recite the Pledge of Allegiance (with “Under God”) every day. At least in that bill, students can get out of saying it with their parents’ permission.
No such exemption exists in the Loyalty Oath.
Keep in mind that in both cases, the bills do not help children get a better education. That’s the saddest thing about all this. The people who are in charge of fixing the education crisis are proposing solutions that would only waste more classroom time and exclude many students from graduating despite fulfilling their current requirements.

As the one commenter said, "You can't spell CRAZY without R-AZ."

[Paradoxium]

No whigs, no GOP. They can rot.

[Thundercrack85]

Originally Posted by Hotwire

So much for that whole, "Stop being the stupid party."

Link

As the one commenter said, "You can't spell CRAZY without R-AZ."

As it's long been predicted, "When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross."

[Thundercrack85]

Though really, if you bar atheists from graduating, won't your graduation rates plummet?

[Fading]

Even though Christie is a lot more appealing than he was when he was earlier. I don't see him winning president, but I think he'd make a good VP choice. If anything, he should be counting his lucky stars that Romney didn't bring Christie aboard his sinking ship. IMO, any chance Ryan had as presidential candidate was killed during his VP hopeful run with Romney. All of the soup kitchen, marathon running, VP debate stuff didn't raise Ryan's stock. The rest of the time he was practically non-existent. That could easily have been Christie.


If he does run though, he'll still face some tough challenges. He'll have to flip flop a lot to get back in the good graces of hardcore republicans during the primaries. He also has a few other stories viewed as negatives like taking a private helicopter to his sons ball game. Also a lot of US voters are very superficial, so losing weight is recommended.

Still though, I think he's a good step up from a lot of the other front runners who could actually make it into the primaries.