American Politics

[M3J]

A lot of what is red and blue is going to be reordered in the coming decade in my opinion. It remains to be seen whether democrats can at least hold the senate in midterms and win the white house in 2 years, but on the long term, there are some promising younger democrats that will probably be able to seize new voter groups in red states some years down the line.

I think a good strategy for democrats would be to go for maximum honesty. Their biggest problem is that they come off as the party of double standards to many independent voters (whether that is fair or not), so going for telling tough truths over smiles and symbols would probably work out.

Maximum honesty isn't going to help them, it's a horrible strategy. What they need to do is carry out promises and fight dirty against republicans, given republicans fight extremely dirty. It's not that they come off as party of double standards (if they do and republicans don't, then these "independent" voters are clearly biased towards the right), but the fact that they promise things and rarely try to carry it out.

Biden promising to cancel student loans helped him win, on top of promising better covid response. He lied and haven't done as much to cancel student loans or at least, significantly reduce it, and the response to the pandemic has been bad and in businesses' favor. If Biden said, "I'm not going to do much about student loans for whatever reason, and my response to covid will be whatever's better for business, like forcing people to work on-site and commute again and remove mask mandates," he wouldn't have much of a chance. Not to mention, people expected women's rights to their bodies to be protected under him, but state are now removing those rights and attacking women.

The only good strategy for Dems is to start doing what they promised and start protecting the vulnerable.

 

[xi0]

Manchin's national approval ratings are not amazing. too) • Favorability of Congressman Joe Manchin 2022 | Statista
His approval ratings in WV are fine and far better than biden's, but that hardly matters at all. What is going to happen if you aggressively primary him? Maybe he ends up winning out, but that gives you more reputation with national voter groups that matter and are not convinced yet.

If you defend Manchin because you want his seat, you end up having a majority that you cannot use and getting blame for manchin's actions.
In my opinion, it is better to not have the majority but a coherent party line than having a majority and having the notion of democratic majority being irrelevant.

His approval ratings outside of West Virginia are pretty irrelevant as long as he remains an elected official from West Virginia. Washington coming for his seat will only strengthen his position IMO. All 3 of WV's congressmen are Republicans and two of them have enjoyed re-elections against Democrats by 30-40 point margins. The third is a carpetbagger from Maryland who is also a member of the Tea Party. Let that sink in - a carpetbagger from another state is beating a Democrat with 63% of the vote in a supposedly purple state. This is the kind of political landscape West Virginia has. The only saving grace is that they'll lose a seat in 2022 due to updated census.

I don't disagree, the issue is replacing Manchin is most likely never happening. It'd be different if it was another state, West Virginia is a wasteland as far as liberal politicians with support go. God forbid you talk about anything remotely close to Green initiatives. And who could blame them really? The government has been proven completely inept at tackling the kind of issues like job replacement for those that work in the fossil fuel industries.

On the flip side though, you have Manchin who literally lines his pockets being pro-Coal or his daughters making money off of insulin price-gouging...but so much for oversight mattering at all (and that applies to all political affiliations).

 

[Sanity Check]

Losing Pennsylvania and gaining Texas ain't so bad. Especially considering Texas has more electoral votes.

...

The Texas Abortion Law Creates a Kind of Bounty Hunter. Here’s How It Works. (Published 2021)

There is little precedent for the provision that deputizes ordinary citizens to enforce an effective ban on abortions — and offers them a financial incentive to do so.

www.nytimes.com

Texas counters with abortion ban of the infinite.

To frighten democrats back to pennsylvania.

But will it be effective?

 

[xi0]

The notion that anti-abortion laws are only being passed to drive pro-choice individuals out of the state is backed up by what exactly? It's not as if those affected the most by that type of legislation are the types that don't have the means to move on a whim or anything.

 

[Sanity Check]

Judging from reactions on social media, democrats are horrified by these restrictive abortion laws. Which appears to be the intended effect.

--- Double Post Merged, Apr 8, 2022, Original Post Date: Apr 8, 2022 ---

edit

New york recently legalizing prostitution and gambling reflects the effort being made to attract or repel residents.

Democrat states are passing less restrictive abortion laws to attract residents.

While republican states like texas and florida pass increasingly restrictive abortion laws to repel them.

 

[xi0]

Judging from reactions on social media, democrats are horrified by these restrictive abortion laws. Which appears to be the intended effect.

--- Double Post Merged, Apr 8, 2022, Original Post Date: Apr 8, 2022 ---

edit

New york recently legalizing prostitution and gambling reflects the effort being made to attract or repel residents.

Democrat states are passing less restrictive abortion laws to attract residents.

While republican states like texas and florida pass increasingly restrictive abortion laws to repel them.

So then these red states are doing these things from a purely cynical point of view and don't actually believe abortion is harmful to society. Good to know, I guess...

--- Double Post Merged, Apr 8, 2022 ---

I really don't think there's anything even vaguely conspiratorial here

 

[Sanity Check]

So then these red states are doing these things from a purely cynical point of view and don't actually believe abortion is harmful to society. Good to know, I guess...

--- Double Post Merged, Apr 8, 2022 ---

I really don't think there's anything even vaguely conspiratorial here

...

Prostitution and massage parlors now legal in New York City

NEW YORK, NY - The 80's are back. New York City's rising crime and violence will now be joined by legal prostitution as the city's district attorney said his office will no longer prosecute prostitution. Although the laws of the state prohibit prosecution, Mayor Bill DeBlasio's action...

www.shorenewsnetwork.com

As New York legalizes sports betting, insiders wager on deluge of betting

The first two months of online sports gambling in New York expected to exceed $777 million — the current U.S. record.

www.cbsnews.com

I have read so many news stories about new york catering to residents, in an effort to entice them to remain in state.

That I can't remember them all.

New york has even tried catering to bitcoin and crypto currency supporters -- who new york has a history of hating.

...

Abortion laws don't carry much net effect.

Texas abortion bans won't prevent residents from driving to other states or mexico to have abortions.

But they do have a psychological effect, which would appear to be the main motive behind them.

 

[shionoro]

I think if republicans ceased to exist and democrats would split into two parties, one moderate and one progressive, america would be a much better place.

 

[xi0]

...

Prostitution and massage parlors now legal in New York City

NEW YORK, NY - The 80's are back. New York City's rising crime and violence will now be joined by legal prostitution as the city's district attorney said his office will no longer prosecute prostitution. Although the laws of the state prohibit prosecution, Mayor Bill DeBlasio's action...

www.shorenewsnetwork.com

As New York legalizes sports betting, insiders wager on deluge of betting

The first two months of online sports gambling in New York expected to exceed $777 million — the current U.S. record.

www.cbsnews.com

I have read so many news stories about new york catering to residents, in an effort to entice them to remain in state.

That I can't remember them all.

New york has even tried catering to bitcoin and crypto currency supporters -- who new york has a history of hating.

...

Abortion laws don't carry much net effect.

Texas abortion bans won't prevent residents from driving to other states or mexico to have abortions.

But they do have a psychological effect, which would appear to be the main motive behind them.

Like most people that are conspiracy theory-inclined, you give people way too much credit

 

[M3J]

"Moderate" Democrats will likely become the new republicans and be their true selves tbh

 

[Sanity Check]

I'm not certain people of today aspire to greatness enough for their own wellbeing.

The road of least resistance is the path walked by most.

In times of crisis, the path of least resistance becomes the path of greatest resistance.

As it leads to people fighting change on every level that is necessary for their own survival and health.

 

[kkck]

Yeah of course. West Virginia is a rather inconsequential state in the grand scheme of things. Manchin wields the power he does because the Senate demographics have nothing to do with the census - every state has 2 seats. He is/was valued because he's a Democrat in a purple state, so he caucuses with them and used to be able to be counted on for most things. The thing is, he doesn't even consider himself a Liberal at all.

Manchin and the GOP would easily paint this as Democrats abusing their power because he isn't in lockstep with them. And it would definitely play well over there, because they're massive hypocrites. Just look at how anyone that wasn't/isn't in lockstep with Trump is treated.

I get that much, though I still find it confusing that someone would regard him as the little guy. I suppose the nuances of west virginia politics are indeed lost to me... It really is almost hilarious that a primary could be considered an abuse of power though.

That's kinda the point though. certainly a party without any dissent shouldn't be encouraged but we are at pretty much the other extreme here. These senators are singlehandedly responsible for tanking the entire democratic platform. There should be consequences within the party for that. It's pretty clear that neither even considered voting in favor of the democratic platform at all, it was all pretense and show. Heck, what difference does it make if democrats lose west virginia? An entire party platform was already tanked into oblivion, this is worst case scenario...

 

[shionoro]

Just as a short remark here: In Germany and, to my knowledge in other countries too, it is very rare for lawmakers to vote against party lines because there is the concept of being bound to your faction (fraktionszwang).
As in, you are not legally forced to vote with your party, but the party leader has the option to either make a party vote free of choice (everyone chooses what they want) or to demand that lawmakers vote with the party.
If lawmakers repeatedly do not do that, they get isolated in the party. Usually, parties just do internal votes on an issue and whatever option gets the majority is what all of the party is going to vote.

I think it is good to have some ways to isolate the people who repeatedly go against party lines even after you try to find a consensus with them.

 

[xi0]

I get that much, though I still find it confusing that someone would regard him as the little guy. I suppose the nuances of west virginia politics are indeed lost to me... It really is almost hilarious that a primary could be considered an abuse of power though.

That's kinda the point though. certainly a party without any dissent shouldn't be encouraged but we are at pretty much the other extreme here. These senators are singlehandedly responsible for tanking the entire democratic platform. There should be consequences within the party for that. It's pretty clear that neither even considered voting in favor of the democratic platform at all, it was all pretense and show. Heck, what difference does it make if democrats lose west virginia? An entire party platform was already tanked into oblivion, this is worst case scenario...

Because that's how it'll play in WV and the GOP. He's good at playing the big, dumb everyman role and people keep voting for him because he's "like us". The media's work in investigating him and his family's corruption is nonexistent in WV proper. All big exposes regarding that have come from Pittsburgh or the New York Times. So there is a clear provincial element at work.

 

[ninjabot]

Judging from reactions on social media, democrats are horrified by these restrictive abortion laws. Which appears to be the intended effect.

The intent isn't to scare off democrats. It's to save the lives of babies. Why try to frame it as a malicious attack on democrats instead? Even stranger, the demographics that abort children the most are the same demographics that tend to vote democrat... so why try to scare off democrats when you're growing them naturally lol?

 

[kkck]

Because that's how it'll play in WV and the GOP. He's good at playing the big, dumb everyman role and people keep voting for him because he's "like us". The media's work in investigating him and his family's corruption is nonexistent in WV proper. All big exposes regarding that have come from Pittsburgh or the New York Times. So there is a clear provincial element at work.

Why does this sound like the democrat version of donald trump? but dumber... or smarter?

 

[xi0]

Why does this sound like the democrat version of donald trump? but dumber... or smarter?

Well, Manchin is a career politician, so it's a bit different. The "outsider" bit is due to him not being deemed East/West Coast elite... which is what Trump is ironically

 

[shionoro]

I really hope all nations stop stalling about weapon deliveries to ukraine right now and give whatever they can. Russia has to be defeated completely.
Esüecially if France elects le pen this month, Ukraine has to be armed up so much that they can drive russia out themselves and be fasttracked to EU and Nato, including Georgia, Moldova and some others like northern macedonia and albania (is in nato but not eu).

 

[xi0]

None of those countries should be joining NATO and Russia will not be "defeated completely" by the end of the month. The response to Russia's invasion was always going to be about attrition and appeasement (at some point). Doing the thing that caused Russia to invade Ukraine in the first place in more countries is an admission that you want more of what we're seeing in Ukraine in those countries as well, as well as the very real possibility of nuclear conflict. I simply don't get how this insistence on NATO expansionism remains in the face of what we're seeing in Ukraine, it's simply insane to me.

 

[Sanity Check]

Europe might slow russia by closing nuclear plants to end dependence on russian uranium.

Then growing massive quantities of renewable bamboo, to burn for heating purposes, to end dependence on russian natural gas during winters.


...

If people want to stop Putin, they must work hard to encourage and incentivize people to change.