Texas turning blue?

[Jason Harvestdancer]

You say that the Libertarians and Republicans are even more opposed than the Democrats and Republicans. An interesting statement from you, and quite unexpected.

No, I'm not. I'm saying the Libs need the Republicans much more than the Democrats for its survival. That is all.

The Libs have real opposition, so we don't need "friendly opposition" the way the Republicans and the Democrats need each other. It is weird that you compare the relationship between the Libertarian and Republican parties to that of the Democrat and Republican parties and conclude it is basically the same.

 

[Worldtraveller]

The efforts of the GOP to ban abortion, hobble availability of birth control, destroying Planned Parenthood et al, will mobilized women voters with a vengeance. Treatment of children and adults in ICE facilities is not going to be forgiven. We have the makings of a perfect political storm.

Hobble availability of birth control? The government can not FORCE Christian companies to go against their beliefs and hand out birth control. The government can not FORCE churches to perform same sex marriages. This is separation of church and state. If you want the government to FORCE Christian companies to hand out birth control and FORCE churches to conduct gay weddings, then you have no separation of church and state. You can't have it both ways, guys.

And planned parenthood was started in the black inner cities so black babies can be killed easier and decimate the black population. Any sane rational person would want to put a stop to this racist organization. But, not the Dems. They love planned parenthood. Easy to see why.

'Christian companies" is fucking bullshit.

Yeah, I'm curious. At what point (82% xian employees) does a company become, or stop becoming xian?

Can my company legitimately be considered a Satanic company, since as the CEO, I follow the 7 tenets of the ST? If I catch my employees doing something that go against any of the tenets, can I fire them (or at least have a little chat with them about their behavior)? Inquiring minds and all that.

 

[ZiprHead]

You say that the Libertarians and Republicans are even more opposed than the Democrats and Republicans. An interesting statement from you, and quite unexpected.

No, I'm not. I'm saying the Libs need the Republicans much more than the Democrats for its survival. That is all.

The Libs have real opposition, so we don't need "friendly opposition" the way the Republicans and the Democrats need each other.

It is weird that you compare the relationship between the Libertarian and Republican parties to that of the Democrat and Republican parties and conclude it is basically the same.

I'd be a quite happy Democrat if all the Republicans simply vanished.

 

[Jarhyn]

The Libs have real opposition, so we don't need "friendly opposition" the way the Republicans and the Democrats need each other.

It is weird that you compare the relationship between the Libertarian and Republican parties to that of the Democrat and Republican parties and conclude it is basically the same.

I'd be a quite happy Democrat if all the Republicans simply vanished.

I wouldn't. Diversity of thought is necessary and beneficial. There are contexts where those ideas are functional rather than dysfunctional, and where the behavior patterns are actually adaptive. That said, I would like if every republican simply gained an understanding of the non-sequitur and an unshakable urge to root them out. Arguably, that would be enough to do something quite similar.

 

[Worldtraveller]

The Libs have real opposition, so we don't need "friendly opposition" the way the Republicans and the Democrats need each other.

It is weird that you compare the relationship between the Libertarian and Republican parties to that of the Democrat and Republican parties and conclude it is basically the same.

I'd be a quite happy Democrat if all the Republicans simply vanished.

I wouldn't. Diversity of thought is necessary and beneficial. There are contexts where those ideas are functional rather than dysfunctional, and where the behavior patterns are actually adaptive. That said, I would like if every republican simply gained an understanding of the non-sequitur and an unshakable urge to root them out. Arguably, that would be enough to do something quite similar.

I think the point is that there's already enough disagreement, ideological and practical, within the Dem party, that at least they can discuss things like adults (mostly) compared to the hysterical shitflinging that comes from the (f)rightwing.

 

[ZiprHead]

The Libs have real opposition, so we don't need "friendly opposition" the way the Republicans and the Democrats need each other.

It is weird that you compare the relationship between the Libertarian and Republican parties to that of the Democrat and Republican parties and conclude it is basically the same.

I'd be a quite happy Democrat if all the Republicans simply vanished.

I wouldn't. Diversity of thought is necessary and beneficial. There are contexts where those ideas are functional rather than dysfunctional, and where the behavior patterns are actually adaptive. That said, I would like if every republican simply gained an understanding of the non-sequitur and an unshakable urge to root them out. Arguably, that would be enough to do something quite similar.

There's plenty of diversity of thought in the Democratic party. Look at the divisions between AOC and the old guard of the party. Division of thought is good. Today's Republican party is fascist, blindered, and dangerous.

 

[Koyaanisqatsi]

...

 

[Jimmy Higgins]

Anyone think that HL would actually pass a Turing test?

Easily. HL is clearly a person.

 

[Jarhyn]

Anyone think that HL would actually pass a Turing test?

Easily. HL is clearly a person.

Is he though? I mean, I'm pretty reserved with what I would consider a "person" as per my thoughts posted on the "13 year old gets skull fracture from violent asshole" thread.

Then again, I'm the sort who believes that neither flesh, nor silicon are necessary or sufficient to the categories of "bot" and "person" in any regard.

 

[Jason Harvestdancer]

The Libs have real opposition, so we don't need "friendly opposition" the way the Republicans and the Democrats need each other.

It is weird that you compare the relationship between the Libertarian and Republican parties to that of the Democrat and Republican parties and conclude it is basically the same.

I'd be a quite happy Democrat if all the Republicans simply vanished.

I wouldn't. Diversity of thought is necessary and beneficial.

In a better world, instead of the contest being between the Democrats and Republicans, it would be between the Libertarians and the Greens. That way there is diversity instead of the charade the major parties currently put on.

 

[Tom Sawyer]

The Libs have real opposition, so we don't need "friendly opposition" the way the Republicans and the Democrats need each other.

It is weird that you compare the relationship between the Libertarian and Republican parties to that of the Democrat and Republican parties and conclude it is basically the same.

I'd be a quite happy Democrat if all the Republicans simply vanished.

I wouldn't. Diversity of thought is necessary and beneficial. There are contexts where those ideas are functional rather than dysfunctional, and where the behavior patterns are actually adaptive. That said, I would like if every republican simply gained an understanding of the non-sequitur and an unshakable urge to root them out. Arguably, that would be enough to do something quite similar.

Ya, but diversity for diversity's sake isn't necessarily laudable. For instance, a scientific conference isn't improved by making sure that there's diverse representation from both round and flat earthers so that all points of view can have a say.

The Republicans right now have nothing to offer and need to radically change so that they bring something useful to the table. Until that happens, one party rule, as poor as that is, would be preferable to their continuing to have a seat at the table.

 

[Jarhyn]

I wouldn't. Diversity of thought is necessary and beneficial. There are contexts where those ideas are functional rather than dysfunctional, and where the behavior patterns are actually adaptive. That said, I would like if every republican simply gained an understanding of the non-sequitur and an unshakable urge to root them out. Arguably, that would be enough to do something quite similar.

Ya, but diversity for diversity's sake isn't necessarily laudable. For instance, a scientific conference isn't improved by making sure that there's diverse representation from both round and flat earthers so that all points of view can have a say.

The Republicans right now have nothing to offer and need to radically change so that they bring something useful to the table. Until that happens, one party rule, as poor as that is, would be preferable to their continuing to have a seat at the table.

Perhaps, but we ARE made better by having examples of the kind of reasoning flat-earthers present extant in our discussion. Why? Having bad reasoning places emphasis on the need for education and good reasoning in the same way that an adversarial artificial neural network learns better and faster. So while they may not see an opportunity to speak on the merits of flat Earth, their viewpoint does see good representation in the Panel on Challenging Pseudoscientific Viewpoints.

 

[Tom Sawyer]

I wouldn't. Diversity of thought is necessary and beneficial. There are contexts where those ideas are functional rather than dysfunctional, and where the behavior patterns are actually adaptive. That said, I would like if every republican simply gained an understanding of the non-sequitur and an unshakable urge to root them out. Arguably, that would be enough to do something quite similar.

Ya, but diversity for diversity's sake isn't necessarily laudable. For instance, a scientific conference isn't improved by making sure that there's diverse representation from both round and flat earthers so that all points of view can have a say.

The Republicans right now have nothing to offer and need to radically change so that they bring something useful to the table. Until that happens, one party rule, as poor as that is, would be preferable to their continuing to have a seat at the table.

Perhaps, but we ARE made better by having examples of the kind of reasoning flat-earthers present extant in our discussion. Why? Having bad reasoning places emphasis on the need for education and good reasoning in the same way that an adversarial artificial neural network learns better and faster. So while they may not see an opportunity to speak on the merits of flat Earth, their viewpoint does see good representation in the Panel on Challenging Pseudoscientific Viewpoints.

But that's irrelevant to the example. They have nothing to offer to the science in the same way that the current Republican party has nothing to offer the political process. Sure, there's some academic value to have them sitting off in a corner for people to look at as some sort of zoo animal or the like, but that's not what's being discussed.

 

[southernhybrid]

So, getting back on topic......


https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/theyre-afraid-suburban-voters-in-red-states-threaten-gops-grip-on-power/2019/08/08/86b12410-b868-11e9-bad6-609f75bfd97f_story.html

BROOKHAVEN, Ga. — Republicans face a reckoning in the red-state suburbs that have long been a bedrock for the party, propelled by the stormy confluence of President Trump’s searing racial attacks, economic turbulence and frustration with government inaction after last weekend’s deadly mass shootings in Texas and Ohio.

The GOP lost its House majority in 2018 after it fared poorly with suburban voters, particularly women. Party leaders are increasingly alarmed that they have made little progress winning them back. Instead, Trump’s incessant feuds, his hard-line position on immigration — including federal raids that left children without their parents — and the stock market’s tumult amid his trade standoff with China threaten to further alienate suburban voters ahead of the 2020 campaign, even in states that have traditionally elected Republicans.

Democrats, meanwhile, are making inroads in places such as Atlanta’s northern suburbs, a longtime Republican enclave that once sent former House speaker Newt Gingrich (R) to Washington, by making targeted appeals on the economy, health care and gun control that address voters’ mounting fears about violence and instability.

Republican consultants are advising the White House to make the suburbs in Trump-won states — from the outskirts of Atlanta to the Philadelphia area to the wealthy hubs near Dallas — a priority as the president teeters from crisis to crisis and fight to fight. According to a CityLab analysis, a majority of the 41 seats flipped by Democrats in 2018 were “predominantly suburban.”

A Washington Post-ABC News poll released last month showed Trump’s approval rating among suburban men at 51 percent, with 46 percent disapproving. But Trump was deeply unpopular with suburban women, with 37 percent approving and 57 percent disapproving of his performance in office.

Texas is widely seen as a flashing-red siren inside the party. Republican Rep. Kenny Marchant said Monday that he will not seek reelection to represent his Dallas-area district, leaving open a third Texas House seat heavily sought by Democrats in 2020. Marchant’s announcement comes days after Rep. Will Hurd (R-Tex.) announced he would not seek reelection in his district along the Mexican border and less than a month after Rep. Pete Olson (R-Tex.) declined to seek reelection in the Houston suburbs.

In Georgia, McBath’s ascent — along with the strong but unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign of Democrat Stacey Abrams last year — has given Republicans a new sense of urgency as they look ahead to 2020, when Sen. David Perdue (R), a prominent Trump ally, is up for reelection. It has also sparked a round of finger-pointing.

I posted little bits of the article because I realize that some of you don't have access to WaPo. I think if the Dems get their candidate down to just a few very soon, and then all Dems stop the infighting for a change, and support whoever the nominee becomes, the Republicans better watch out! It thrills me that David Purdue's Senate seat might be in play. He's such an asshole. Watch out Texas and Georgia, the Democrats are coming to take over! And seriously. Doesn't the country always swing back and forth between the Left and the Right, when one party becomes too extreme. Trump said this morning: "There's never been a president like Trump". He's right about that, and I hope we never see another one like Trump.