A.M. Links: Economic Slowdown in the Forecast, New Storm Hits the East, California Keeps Delivering to Its Neighbors

• Investor Jim Rogers, who made billions calling it right, predicts another economic slowdown for the U.S. Good thing we have wise political leaders to save our bacon.

• Pundits see little movement on the "fiscal cliff" since the election basically continued the status quo ante, politics-wise.
• If Mitt and friends are looking for solace, they won't get it from Gary Johnson's corner. The Libertarian and his supporters spent Election Night snickering at the GOP's self-destruction.
• The Sandy-bashed states are getting slammed by another storm that's dumping snow and killing the power, again. Damned global cooling. Storm-stranded families have discovered a taste for homeschooling.
• California's new voter-inflicted tax hikes are expected to deliver an economic boon — to Texas and Arizona.
• An Oklahoma police officer was found guilty of assault for beating-up a handcuffed hospital patient — and fined $1,000. That's justice: swift and unforgiving.
• Chicago's mayor expects goodies to flow from D.C. to his politically reliable metropolis. Ah, the benefits of loyalty.

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Comments

[Whiterun Guard]

Beaten by Fist!

[Fist of Etiquette]

Not quite.

[Whiterun Guard]

Only because I paid PM to distract you in another thread at exactly the right time.

[Fist of Etiquette]

I just like making you wrong.

[Whiterun Guard]

That's not very difficult. Except on NFL, Nazgul and Presidential election predictions.

[Lord Humungus]

AH! A new champion has arisen!

[Bee Tagger]

A first in AM links isn't truly a first unless it's minimally on-topic. Sorry, but those are the rules.

[Fist of Etiquette]

There should be an exception for any comment that references me, because quite frankly I can't think of any more fascinating or dynamic topic.

[Whiterun Guard]

That only matters for future firsts. Much like how Dimaggio's record still stands despite not having any blacks in the league during his play time, and how old NBA records still count even though the hoop was only 6' off the ground and the size of a hula hoop.

[Killazontherun]

Or any batting record before they started testing for cocaine. Back then a sport was a sport where you snooted for fun and a little edge not a profession that you would wreck your body with growth hormones and over weighted benching so you could look like the Predator.

[Auric Demonocles]

And even if it's on topic, if anyone mentions it being first it's invalid and they should be shunned. It's like The Game.

[Ted S.]

What does The Game have to do with this?

[Whiterun Guard]

C-C-COOOOMMMBOOO BREAKER.

[Lord Humungus]

The people have spoken ? and they must be punished
http://www.aei-ideas.org/2012/.....-punished/

Well, it's November 2012, and the people have spoken. Here's how they will be punished.

Exit polls show that by a margin of 52-43, Americans want less government, not more. By a margin of 63-33 they do not want to raise taxes to balance the budget. And by a margin of 49-45, they want Obamacare either partially or entirely repealed. None of those wishes will be honored.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Cognitive dissonance reigns supreme!

[Numeromancer]

It's not cognitive dissonance when you understand what "less government" means; most of them just want to fill out fewer forms when they sign up to get other people's money. Very consistent with the constant desire to get something for nothing for what they're entitle to.

[Whiterun Guard]

These people aren't very bright are they.

[John Thacker]

About as bright as someone who insists that he can't get the votes of 47% of the population because they're current not paying net federal income taxes, even though, at minimum, a third of that 47% doesn't want to raise taxes to balance the budget.

Even more than a third, in all likelihood, given all the wealthy folks that want higher taxes and more spending.

[Tulpa (LAOL-PA)]

You realize he didn't say precisely that, and what he did say was at a private gathering.

[BigT]

You can fool all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time...unless the MSM goes along with your lies.

[John]

But they want someone as President who cares about them more.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

This. Empathy won the election.

I fucking hate empathy. It is a shitty substitute for results.

[John]

And rationality.

[Rich]

"EMPATHY IS NOT A STRATEGY!!"

[Whiterun Guard]

Apparently it's a very effective strategy.

Correctly estimating the laziness, stupidity and cowardice of the American people is even more effective.

[John Thacker]

Yes, but overestimating it, and assuming that just because someone is poor right now they don't want small government and can't be sold on it, is amazingly stupid.

[Rich]

This.

[John Thacker]

Empathy is definitely a strategy. In this election, you had two candidates with vague positions, sometimes self-contradictory. An understandable strategy when trying to hold together a fractious coalition.

You had one guy who people think cares about them. You had one guy who people think doesn't care about them.

Which guy are people going to think has secret positions that they agree with? Which guy are they going to think secretly has awful positions?

I care about results, not empathy, but ignoring it as a strategy is stupid, especially if you're going to be vague.

[T o n y]

Demographic reality won this election.

[John Thacker]

Not "demographic reality," but an idiotic refusal to even compete for votes with a certain demographic.

In NC, Pat McCrory just won an open governor's seat with 46% of Hispanics (+15 versus Romney), 51% of Other Races (+8 versus Romney), 13% of Blacks (+9 versus Romney.) He only was +2 with Whites versus Romney.

He ran as a reform conservative appealing to moderates.

It's possible to do that, even when (a bad idea, IMO) opposing immigration, if you don't act like you hate people.

[Citizen Nothing]

Why the hell can't the GOP just embrace immigration? It's certainly a pro-business position. Where are the xenophobes gonna go? (Seems like their natural home in in the party of unions, anyway.)

[John Thacker]

The GOP can embrace more immigration. I'm not sure that switching to full open borders (which I support) would be a net vote winner.

Look at Obama-- not actually doing anything practical on immigration, still attracts tons of votes.

[Citizen Nothing]

That's the point. You don't really have to move that much on the issue to make it (and Latinos) your own.

[T]

not actually doing anything practical on immigration

Ramping up deportations doesn't count?

[T o n y]

Immigration isn't enough. Latinos actually align with Democrats on most issues (a large majority are pro-choice). Republican fantasies about bringing them over by appealing to religious conservatism are just that.

[Citizen Nothing]

Sorry, T o n y. I credit Latinos with much more sense than you evince. (Not that aligning with the GOP shows a lot of sense.)

[Gray Ghost]

The +15 for Hispanics is interesting. Given that the Gov's race was between two white guys though, I'm not sure that McCrory's strategies would have made a difference in Romney's race. Obama gets a percentage of the Black vote that Enver Hoxha would've envied.

The GOP is going to have to figure out how to court Hispanics if they want to remain relevant. I don't think it'll be a difficult task, given their cultural attitudes, but something will have to be done about immigration. Given that we have a welfare state, and this election should have shown everybody that's not changing, I don't know how you can make unrestricted immigration work.

Why though can't we bring back a guest worker type of program? IOW, allow people to come into this country to work legally, give them the protection of the laws and a path to full citizenship if they choose, but exclude them from many of the privileges of being a citizen? Many if not most people coming to this country illegally just want to work. Why not let them? (I know why, but I'm speaking rhetorically.) I'd think this would fit in with the oft-mentioned "tall fences, wide gates" meme for the borders.

[Citizen Nothing]

It would also piss off the unions -- it wouldn't take much to pull the curtain back from the Dems true feelings about immigration.

[John Thacker]

Oh, I agree that the +9 among blacks probably would not have been nearly so much against Obama. but +15 with Hispanics and +8 with other races are numbers that the GOP should at least take a look at, especially when it's combined with not doing better with whites than Romney.

Even more so since in other states, statewide Republicans did no better with Hispanics and such than Romney.

[KDN]

Incorrect, Hispanics voted Democratic, therefore they must always vote Democratic or else live with the fact that they are race traitors.

Sorry bud, it's just demographic reality.

[wareagle]

either those people are confused or they are lying. No one mistook Romney for Calvin Coolidge but voting for Obama AND claiming to want less govt is like inviting lightning to strike you.

[John Thacker]

Perhaps it would help were it clear that voting for Republicans was actually voting for less gov't.

Obama lies about liking the free market in big speeches, so do many Republicans.

[robc]

^^THIS^^

And this is why the real* Tea Party needs to continue attacking. Massie'e election was another good step. He at least nets out Dr Paul in the House.

*I will continue to True Scotsman the TP as long as necessary

[VG Zaytsev]

The people that believed the War on Womyn bullshit could also believe in smaller government.

And Romney took the bigger government position on War, Terrorism and a trade war with China.

[Ted S.]

Lighting is striking me again and again and again and again

[Alack]

Lightning crashes, an old mother dies

[sloopyinca]

This car could be systematic, hydramatic, untramatic. Why it could be Greased Lightning.

[Ted S.]

I vote for a different Olivia Newton-John movie.

[Citizen Nothing]

I got to sing that song in Pop Choir back in high school.
No gay.

[Pagan Priestess]

Absolutely not gay. Any reasonably socially observant young man should figure out that if you want to pick up chicks, your chances are greatly increased if you actually go to where the chicks are, and where the other male competition is sparse...choir and home ec.

[Citizen Nothing]

Yeah -- as a straight male high school Drama Club president, my opportunities with the ladies were many. Of course, they were Drama Club ladies, but still...

[Pagan Priestess]

Hey my husband was president of the drama club! Is that you honey?

[Ted S.]

Live is life

[Rhywun]

Needs moar Teutonic.

[VG Zaytsev]

That pretty much proves that the problem was crappy candidates, Romney, the establishment retreads and SoCon idiots; rather than a repudiation of small government ideals.

[Drake]

Maybe - It definitely proves that people are idiots.

[T]

I didn't need anymore fucking proof. I live in Houston and I have a job. The proof is abundant and surrounds me at all times.

[robc]

Agreed. Good small government candidates won, as far as I can tell.

[John Thacker]

Though I'm still disappointed that Flake, while he won, actually did 6 or more points worse in AZ than Romney. Really?

[John Thacker]

Exit polls show that by a margin of 52-43, Americans want less government, not more. By a margin of 63-33 they do not want to raise taxes to balance the budget. And by a margin of 49-45, they want Obamacare either partially or entirely repealed.

Mathematically, many people with those views, especially the second one, must be part of the 47%. Too bad Romney didn't want their votes.

[robc]

Of course, voting Romney in would have only helped with 1 of those 3 things.

[wareagle]

which would be one more than the status quo will address. A small step is better than no step.

[Fist of Etiquette]

The Libertarian and his supporters spent Election Night snickering at the GOP's self-destruction.

Snickering all the way to the bank.

[John]

All 8 of them had a good laugh I am sure.

[DJF]

A guy who got 1% of the vote is snickering at someone who got 49%?

[Fist of Etiquette]

COME ON!

[Auric Demonocles]

Yeah, the guy in the 700 million dollar campaign is going to listen to the guy who can't even get into multiple GOP debates. COME ON!

[db]

"Would you like some help with that?"

"No, the guy who got FIFTY-SEVEN MILLION VOTES wants to go and pick up all his campaign signs by himself! COME ON!"

[Joe M]

Hey, he got into two!

[Tulpa (LAOL-PA)]

I thought Johnson was running to win the race? That's what his voters kept telling me. Remember all those debates with Randian about what constituted a "chance" to win? Remember all that insisting that writing in Ron Paul was wasting your vote, because unlike Johnson he couldn't win?

Yet on election night GJ is chuckling at the guy who got 48x the votes he did. So it looks like he was just playing spoiler all along. Big fucking surprise.

[wareagle]

24 more election cycles and he'll draw even with the Repub.

[Heroic Mulatto]

A guy who got 1% of the vote is snickering at someone who got 49%?

I find it sad you think truth is a popularity contest.

[Citizen Nothing]

The Libertarian and his supporters spent Election Night snickering at the GOP's self-destruction.

I know I did.

[T]

I drank my version of Salty Ham Tears.

2 oz Bacon Bourbon, 1/2 oz Simple Syrup
over ice, garnish with bourbon marinated cherry.

I had some simple syrup made from brown sugar, but it had gone off. I may try that again and see how that works, even though this one was pretty good.

[Citizen Nothing]

I definitely gotta try that.

[Francisco d Anconia]

While, as a general rule, I believe bacon makes everything better...

But bourbon?

[T]

Try it. It's pretty good. You can adjust the amount of baconness to your liking through experimentation. It gives you an extra smoky salty kick that's very nice. I wouldn't use a great bourbon like my Garrison Brothers, but something like Old Forrester (which, IMHO, is the best cheap bourbon avaialable) makes a tasty bacon bourbon.

[Francisco d Anconia]

I'll try it. But my going in position is that the taste of bourbon cannot be improved upon.

[SugarFree]

You can keep simple syrup in the freezer for a longer shelf life.

[Enough About Palin]

I keep two small children from Guatemala in an old basement coal room who make it in single servings on-demand.

That reminds me, I need to change the water in their water dish.

[VG Zaytsev]

It would be beneficial for libertarians to realize that elections are only popularity contests

[Tulpa (LAOL-PA)]

I find it sad you think elections are about truth.

[Today's Tom Sawyer]

Remember, the best is yet to come. We haven't gotten the best yet. We weren't ready before. But now we've proven ourselves, and they can let us have it. The Best. Yes, it's coming. The Best is Yet to Come.

[Citizen Nothing]

Sure as hell better be.

[Gene]

Chicago mayor expects goodies to flow from D.C.

Mandate

[Bee Tagger]

That'll be one lavish man date.

[Quetzalcoatl]

Maybe Obama will treat Rahm to a bread-tomato-sauce-and-cheese casserole.

[LTC(ret) John]

I would not piss in Rahm's ear, if his brain was on fire - BUT YOU LEAVE CHICAGO PIZZA ALONE!!!!!

[nicole just can't even!]

John, I'll warn you as a fellow Chicagolander...you'll want to be quiet about that late in the day when Epi shows his face. The NAP could be violated...

[LTC(ret) John]

OK, I'll give - I don't have the strength to fend off an enraged Epi just now.

[Art Vandelay]

"LEAVE CHICAGO PIZZA ALONE"

I prefer to leave it in a garbage can, where it belongs.

[LTC(ret) John]

You are on the list....

/muttergrumblemutter

[Certified Public Asskicker]

Speaking of Illinois...or close enough, legally insane judge reelected !

[Certified Public Asskicker]

God Damnit:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/.....5067.story

[Quetzalcoatl]

What, so Congress is the only branch that gets to elect the mentally challenged?!

[Rich]

Her physician said Brim can return to work ? provided she stays on her medication.

It'll be awesome when a judge with cancer can return to work provided she keeps smoking weed.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

It's Illinois after all.

[Certified Public Asskicker]

Yeah, if JJR can be reelected...

[R C Dean]

. . . any crazed, corrupt machine politician can get elected from a gerrymandered district?

[Francisco d Anconia]

Gerrymandered? Maybe.

Full retard stupid? Most definitely.

[Fist of Etiquette]

The Sandy-bashed states are getting slammed by another storm that's dumping snow and killing the power, again.

Expect to see President Obama showing up there with a truckload of concern any second now.

[John]

Typical white people. And the who in the media is going to go to Staten Island or Rockaway? The Village and Chelsea have power. All is right with the world.

[Bee Tagger]

Chris Christie's genuflections didn't prevent the nor'easter?

[Joe M]

He must bring Obama... another shrubbery!

[db]

No, but his knee rent the earth asunder and shook the netherworld to its core.

[DJF]

Do they have a good golf course?

[Bee Tagger]

Investor Jim Rogers, who made billions calling it right, predicts another economic slowdown for the U.S.

If he's so smart why isn't he making billions calling it right in private and calling for higher taxes on the rich in public?

[Fist of Etiquette]

Investor Jim Rogers, who made billions calling it right, predicts another economic slowdown for the U.S.

He's a genius.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Odd how his old partner Soros and he have diverged. Rogers left the country never to return and Soros put roots down in the USA.

Rogers is an inflationista and Soros is the currency expert.

[Citizen Nothing]

And you're a buttplug. So?

[Enough About Palin]

I am so high...

[VG Zaytsev]

Odd how his old partner Soros and he have diverged. Rogers left the country never to return and Soros put roots down in the USA.

Evidence that we've hit the tipping point from capitalism to fascism.

[ant1sthenes]

Yes, that explain why Soros is so comfortable making money here now.

[Enough About Palin]

"Soros put roots down in the USA."

Parasites gotta feed.

[Lord Humungus]

Kevin Williamson: How Romney Lost (Ohio)
And three lessons for conservatives going forward.
http://www.nationalreview.com/.....williamson

1. Ohio likes crony capitalism. The automotive bailout is popular in Ohio, and not just among self-interested workers and investors in that industry.

2. Class warfare works. It is juvenile and it is economically illiterate, but a fair number of Americans worked themselves up into a lather over Mitt Romney's paying a relatively low tax rate

3. Repealing Obamacare was not a deal cincher in Ohio.

The lessons of Ohio are that Barack Obama is a skillful demagogue, that the ancients were wise to number envy among the deadly sins, and that offering Americans a check is a more fruitful political strategy than offering them the opportunity to take control of and responsibility for their own lives.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

The older I become, the more correct de Tocqueville gets.

[Rich]

Reread The Road to Serfdom, Scruffy. It could have been written yesterday.

[wareagle]

so the three lessons can be rolled into one: the Nardees of America, I believe that's the woman in the Obamaphone video, outnumber the rest of us. For some reason, I do not see that getting better.

[gaijin]

Three...why is it always three? 'Three reasons, three things, three points'. I have five fingers afterall!

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Don't even give them the idea of a five year plan.

[Rich]

No need -- the Eight-Year Great Leap Forward is well underway.

[mad libertarian guy]

This analysis completely ignores the fact that the current Republican party, including Romney, are the perfect amalgamation of Neo and So Con that would gag all but those who REALLY like GOP cock in their mouth.

[Eduard van Haalen]

Romney's only socially conservative positions were on immigration and drugs. He was remarkably flexible otherwise.

[Drake]

So flexible that nobody knew what the fuck he actually thought.

[John Thacker]

Which is equally true of Obama. Except that Obama gave the impression of actually caring about people.

If nobody knows what the fuck you think, but they think you care about them, then they'll think that your secret positions really agree with them.

If nobody knows what the fuck you think, but they think that you don't care about them, then they'll think that your secret positions are really what they hate.

Obama was the first, Romney the second. Moron.

[Drake]

I got the distinct impression that he cares as much about me as he did the staff of the Benghazi Consulate.

[John Thacker]

Personally, I don't care about caring, but policy.

But unfortunately, most people have a very different impression than you.

[DJF]

Old news but it concerns Puerto Rico and yesterdays story about possible statehood. Maybe with two Senators, several Congressmen and a Presidential vote they can get ten out of ten

""""Nine of the 10 top U.S. zip codes for workers collecting Social Security disability benefits are in Puerto Rico, according to government data.""""

http://online.wsj.com/article/.....58206.html

[Rich]

Nine of the 10 top U.S. zip codes for workers collecting Social Security disability benefits are in Puerto Rico

Well, to be fair, isn't inability to speak English considered a disability?

[Drake]

They do have a Republican Governor who would make a very good Senator.

[John Thacker]

Had, actually. He very barely lost re-election.

[sloopyinca]

Then technically they still have a Republican Governor who would make a very good Senador. Sometime in January that will cease to be true.

/pedant

[Francisco d Anconia]

AND, they have a Republican Governor who would make a very good Senator, that will be available in January.

It's all very convenient.

[Joe M]

If Mitt and friends are looking for solace, they won't get it from Gary Johnson's corner. The Libertarian and his supporters spent Election Night snickering at the GOP's self-destruction.

Listening to all of five minutes of Sean Hannity on my drive home yesterday. He had Ann Coulter on, and she managed to send me into a disgusted rage in record time. She was, as some may not know, a Romney-pumper very early on in the primaries.

So she's bitching about the "purists" screwing up the whole deal, specifically Tea Partiers and libertarians, while simultaneously saying Romney was the most conservative on the most important issue, immigration. The cluelessness caused me to throw up in my mouth a little bit.

Every time I feel a little upset about Obama winning, I think of people like her and remember how poorly Ron Paul was treated in the primaries by the Romney campaign, and I feel just fine with his losing.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

the most conservative on the most important issue, immigration

Xenophobic bitch

[Ted S.]

Listening to all of five minutes of Sean Hannity on my drive home yesterday.

There's your first mistake.

[VG Zaytsev]

She was one of the idiots saying how electable Romney was. When it seems obvious to me that he was the least electable of the final five.

[Joe M]

What's most sickening is that she's a pure partisan. She has no principles other than getting a Team Red guy on top.

[Drake]

I don't remember who exactly was in the final five besides Gingrich and Santorum. Gingrich would have been great in the debates and still lost. Santorum would have lost every state.

[VG Zaytsev]

No he wouldn't. His mix of So Connism and fascist economics would have carried all the states that Romney carried plus Ohio and maybe a few others.

Also, he would have at least defended himself against the War on Womyns charges. Romney really blew that one by not engaging.

[Ted S.]

Santorum and Gingrich would have shown themselves to be Todd Akin clones, more or less.

[Drake]

Yes - Romney got votes in Indiana and Missouri from people who refused to vote for the god-squad.

[John Thacker]

He also got votes in Arizona from people who refused to vote for Flake. WTF.

[Spoonman.]

I was very pleased to see the LP guy get 5.8% in Indiana (more than the spread). It's exactly what the GOP deserves.

[Francisco d Anconia]

So she's bitching about the "purists" screwing up the whole deal, specifically Tea Partiers and libertarians...

Good... Bitch!

Of course, her "lesson learned" will be to marginalize them more as opposed to appeasing them.

The Republican party is finished.

[John]

There is nothing I can do about the election. But we can at least enjoy watching liberals squirm as things continue to get worse. They have all assured me things are going just great and are only going to get better.

[Rich]

They have all assured me things are going just great and are only going to get better.

If even only a few are willing to wager, I think there's money to be made, John.

[John]

Sure as long as they agree to pay the bet in pound sterling or gold instead of dollars.

[Rich]

How about in Obama memorabilia?

[T]

I'd like something not palpably worthless, thanks.

[Art Vandelay]

So no dollars?

[Francisco d Anconia]

But...gambling is illegal.

[VG Zaytsev]

The problem with that is a lot of people have been barely holding on through this 'recovery' and will likely go under when the economy goes back into official recession next year.

[aelhues]

It seems to me that there are a lot of Obama supporters that are angry. Strange emotion to have after winning.

My guess is that at some level they realize he is pushing us faster towards the cliff, but are to invested to consciously choose to abandon the bad economic and political theory.

[John]

They are still pissed off. They won and they are not happy. I think that at some level they know this is not going to work.

[LTC(ret) John]

We will strive with all our might to achieve the 23rd Party Congress' goals!

[Enough About Palin]

"hey are still pissed off. They won and they are not happy."

Haters gotta hate.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

"YOU EXPECTED US TO STAY HAPPY?!111!!?!1!" :librage:

[Ted S.]

Things can only get better

[Lord Humungus]

The election is over and the elitists have won
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/n.....-have-won/

So Obama's main source of funding was not donations from millions of Joe Averages but handouts from "the tech sector, government and the academy" ? his top five funders were "the University of California, Microsoft, Google, the US government, and Harvard". Executives at Craigslist, Facebook and Google gave maximum donations to Obama's campaign. As Kotkin points out, these people make their fortunes "not through tangible goods but instead by manipulating and packaging information", and so they are "generally not interested in the mundane economy of carbon-based energy, large-scale agriculture, housing, and manufacturing".

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

the University of California

How is this even possible?

[John Thacker]

Because, just like with all corporate contributions, the contributions are obtained by aggregating the contributions of individuals belonging. Direct contributions out of the corporate treasury are banned federally.

What it's saying is that lots of U of C employees donated, just like lots of Google employees donated.

Those Google employees are going to be shocked by the FTC antitrust investigation, though.

[Zeb]

So, in other words, it's not true.

[John]

This is why the Republicans need to say "sure lets tax the rich, we will start with trust funds, muni bonds and university endowments". Why should Harvard be sitting on $30 billion when the country is going broke? The Dems would have a stroke because they are the party of the rich.

[DJF]

Get rid of the whole Non-Profit Scam. There is a lot of people making a lot of money at non-profits.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Non-profits are holy ground dude. Non-profits would never do anything unethical, they don't have that dirty profit incentive.

[Quetzalcoatl]

Well that sounds like a great reform!
Let's give every company in America a non-profit tax status!
Think of all the money we'll save when we don't need regulations or oversight!

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

SWEET

[NeonCat]

I don't know about your company but unfortunately my company has been unintentionally non-profit for several years.

But many of my coworkers are huge Obama fans (which made yesterday even more trying) so I'm sure that things will work out for us soon. Any day now.

[Raston Bot]

Mitre?

[VG Zaytsev]

This is why the Republicans need to say "sure lets tax the rich, we will start with trust funds, muni bonds and university endowments"

I agree.

If the republican party ever pulled it's collective head out of it's ass there are a number of ways that they could start destroying the democrat coalition.

What you proposed is one.

Another is to seriously reform so called IP, especially copyright. Eliminate statutory damages and propose a flat 5 or 7 year copyright period after which everything goes into public domain.

Then sit back and watch liberal media companies and the hip youth vote go to war.

[John Thacker]

Yes, going after copyrights and forcing Hollywood versus the tech companies would be extremely smart for the GOP. Probably won't do it, the Stupid Party.

[Ted S.]

Is there an ex post facto problem with shortening the length of stuff already under copyright? Or are you folks suggesting only new work should have the shorter copyright?

[John Thacker]

Ex post facto is for making things illegal. Wouldn't apply to relaxing copyright.

Perhaps you're thinking of a Takings Clause problem, since people could argue that it's taking their property?

[db]

Offer to let them purchase copyright protection for older works. Kind of lile how property taxes work on real estate. It's yours as long as you pay protection money. Make it expensive enough that only the biggest franchises are worth it.

Stick with the 5-7 year deal on new IP.

[Gray Ghost]

Perhaps you're thinking of a Takings Clause problem, since people could argue that it's taking their property?

Considering Ruckelshaus v. Monsanto, they have a point. Many of the arguments (go to 922 of the article for the arguments) that Lessig tried in his brief for Eldred v. Ashcroft look like they'd work in a diminution of term context. IIRC, when the patent terms were changed from 17 to 20 years, pains were taken to ensure that no patents had their terms reduced, probably to avoid a Takings Clause problem. Also, IIRC, there was a lot of controversy with the 1976 Copyright Act's preemption of state copyright claims, and whether that constituted a taking.

So, you could shrink the term (never mind the shit storm that'd cause with Europe), but you'd have to pay just compensation to the property owners. Unless you could distinguish this situation from other Takings Clause cases that say the Fed's would have to pay.

IANAL, FWIW.

[Emmerson Biggins]

There wasn't any ex post facto problem for lengthening copyrights whenever Disney wanted it. Went all the way to SCOTUS, if I'm remember the details correctly.

[John]

That would be a very good one. And get rid of the ridiculous accounting procedures film companies are allowed.

[DJF]

That is why Hollywood like many Democratic politicians are in favor of higher taxes, they personally don't pay them. Somehow their movies and TV programs make no money but they drive around in expensive cars and live in mansions.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

I saw someone (I forget who) propose that if Hollywood wants to pay higher taxes, we should make that happen by instituting an entertainment tax and eliminating the tax breaks that states provide to movie and television companies to film there.

Hell, for good measure we could charge a giant surtax when they filmed overseas, in order to "keep jobs here in America."

[Palin's Buttplug]

Obama had plenty of rich donors from old industry as well. Buffett for one. John Arnold (King of Natural Gas) for another.

[John]

Buffet makes his money buying businesses that can't afford the inheritance tax and selling rich people universal life insurance as a way to get around the inheritance tax. His entire existence depends on the existence of a corrupt oppressive government. He is basically America's Carlos Slim.

[Palin's Buttplug]

You don't know what Berkshire Hathaway does, do you?

[John]

I know exactly what it does. And you don't know how life insurance and estate tax work do you?

[Citizen Nothing]

I know what buttplugs do!

[Alack]

Go on...

[Rich]

It makes shirts for pigs.

[LTC(ret) John]

You need to Google "Resolute Management" and see that BH tears chunks off flailing around insurance companies toxic tort books (ie CNA, AIG) and then makes sure they don't pay anyone (lawyers, expert witnesses, claimants, etc) short of a threat of sanctions or legal action. They are universally hated by all other insurance companies that manage their own claims as well as TPAs.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Buffett is a rent-seeking piece of shit who thrives on the estate tax. John Arnold is an Enron graduate, just sayin'.

[John]

I was thinking about it last night. And the Republicans in the House need to get on board and offer a plan that raises the living fuck out of taxes on the great mass of people who pay little or no income tax in this country. Starve the beast was one of the worst ideas ever. All it did was get people to think they can have a big government and not pay for it. They want big government it is time to send them the bill. The other thing I would do is introduce a serious tax plan on trusts and on muni bonds. If you want to tax the rich, that is the way to do it. Watch the millionaire liberals in the Senate squirm about how they didn't mean really tax the rich.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Who buys muni bonds anymore? I won't touch those damn things.

[John]

Rich people do. They are tax free. You just get short term ones from cities run by Republicans that you know are not going to go bankrupt.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Which cities aren't going bankrupt? They all look shitty to me.

[John]

Lots of them all over the South and West outside of California.

[robc]

Middle America below the rust belt.

Not that mine is doing great or anything, stupid arena is gonna break us, but we can pay our bonds.

[John Thacker]

Actually, taxing muni bonds would mostly simply raise the costs of borrowing for cities. (It would hurt people who currently own them, yes.)

The tax exemption just results in the cities offering lower rates. The rich don't really dodge taxes this way; the benefit goes to the cities. Which is why the Democrats love it, it encourages government borrowing.

Only rich people buy them, because the lower rate is only worth it if you're in the highest bracket.

[John]

So you not only raise revenue, you make it harder for cities to raise and spend money. I am not seeing a downside here John.

[John Thacker]

Certainly not a downside for us. Just explaining why Democrats would hate it.

It would probably be a good move politically, since it would be difficult for Democrats to explain why this particular "loophole for the rich" is such a good idea.

[John]

And that was my point. Go after the rich but go after the rich in ways that hurt Democratic interests. Make them squirm.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Why not come right out and state the policy?

Republicans are for raising taxes on rich Democrats.

Or would it be "unfair" to single out a group of individuals to fund our behemoth government?

[John Thacker]

And if the Dems do manage to explain why lower taxes on certain things that the rich mostly do is a good idea for all of us, why, perhaps people would even come to understand lower capital gains taxes!

But yes, the people who complain about Mitt Romney's low effective tax rate would be in a pickle trying to explain the real effects of muni bond exemptions, when on first blush they also just lower the effective tax rate of rich people.

[VG Zaytsev]

Actually, taxing muni bonds would mostly simply raise the costs of borrowing for cities.

Right, it's a backdoor federal subsidization of local government.

Which uses the money to inflate their payroll expenses through over staffing, over paying and ridiculous pensions.

[Lord Humungus]

My son's stock account has some 300 shares of NXZ - it's gone up some 17% since purchased and the (small) stream of payouts has been nice - the $$$, is used to buy shares of other companies.

[wareagle]

why don't they just draw the line in the sand at "either all the tax cuts expire or none do." Since we're all about shared sacrifice and all.

[Drake]

Because they are pussies.

[robc]

Because the biggest effect of the tax cut was on the creation of the new 10% bracket out of the 15%.

Thats the one that actually caused a reduction in federal revenue, because that is the one below the Laffer curve peak.

But, yeah, guess which part of the Bush tax cuts Obama wants to keep?

[Emmerson Biggins]

You know who the "leader" is right? Boehner?

[Palin's Buttplug]

Starve the beast was one of the worst ideas ever.

For once we are in full agreement.

[Quetzalcoatl]

That makes a lot of sense to me, combined with the "itemized tax bill" idea, so that you can see how many dollars of your tax bill are going to what initiative.

[Bee Tagger]

California's new voter-inflicted tax hikes are expected to deliver an economic boon ? to Texas and Arizona.

Who's the governor of Texas? If his state's economy goes well over the next 4 years, I'd have to think he'd make a great candidate for President in 2016, right? I mean, what could go wrong?

[Joe M]

No, sorry, he's apparently going to be governor-for-life at this point, having already had the job for more than a decade and with no signs of stopping.

[Fist of Etiquette]

Make sure he didn't write the n word on any rocks first, and has stimulants at the ready for debates.

[Joe M]

Yes, he's running again in 2014, and assuming he wins, that will be at least sixteen years as governor. What a country!

[gaijin]

The Governor...fish tanks full of zombie heads in his office...

[Pagan Priestess]

+1 awesome walking dead reference

[Spoonman.]

The government of Texas is structured so that somebody mildly retarded can do quite well as governor.

Those of us from Texas knew that Perry running for President was going to be a hilarious time for all way before "Oops".

[T]

Yeah. Perry had the hard job (Lt. Gov.) and got promoted into the easy one. I guess he decided it was a better gig than working for a living.

[Gray Ghost]

The current LtG, Dewhurst, just got pounded like cheap veal by Ted Cruz in the Senate primary. So that probably tabled his ambitions for higher office for the time being.

Perry, if anything, is more of a goofball than W. I still thought he had a chance if he could have gotten his fundraising squared away. And nobody had better hair.

[T]

Fuck Dewhurst in the ear with a rusty auger bit. I voted in the efenant primary specifically so I could vote against that SOB. He needs to go, but nobody will fuck with him in the Lt. Gov. race, unfortunately.

[Auric Demonocles]

Who is it that always talks about being tolerant by not tolerating intolerance? Sarc?

I messaged a girl ... I deleted my account and have been happy with her. Sex is great, she seems great... She voted for Romney today and it ruined it for me.

Also:

Some people have gay friends. Adamant support for Romney wouldn't kill a friendship for me, but it would make it clear that there's no long term potential in a relationship.

[John]

It is called making your politics your entire being. The scary part about this is not that this douchebag will save the women the trouble of dating her. It is that how can someone that committed to politics and who sees politics as that much of a part of their identity ever change or learn anything? That guy is in a black hole of ignorance he is unlikely ever to leave.

[sarcasmic]

Could you make a long term relationship with a committed collectivist last?

I couldn't.

[Auric Demonocles]

Yeah: don't talk about politics, like a civilized person.

[sarcasmic]

It's more than that. It's the whole personal responsibility thing. A mindset. Collectivists' sense of entitlement extends to more than just politics. They deserve stuff. They expect stuff. They are quick to ascribe evil motivations to anyone who does not give them the things that they deserve. It doesn't take long before their faces becomes very punchable.

[Auric Demonocles]

If that's the case, you wouldn't change your mind simply because you found out what her politics were. You would have changed your mind when she was acting like a bitch.

[sarcasmic]

bitch collectivist, chicken egg

[wareagle]

long-term, probably not. I am having an increasingly difficult time simply maintaining casual friendships with folks like that, let alone sleeping with one.

I can handle liberals, the ones with whom a substantive disagreement is possible and common ground can be found. But the far-gone ones, not so much.

[Francisco d Anconia]

My politics is my morality (and should be everyone's but this is unfortunately not the case). My politics stem from what I believe to be right and wrong.

Why would you choose to have a relationship with someone you believe to be immoral?

[nicole just can't even!]

Yes, that's my big thing.

[John]

If she was good in the sack and had a nice body, I could.

[Lord Humungus]

I've put up with some majorly crazy girls... it's all part of the "charm". Of course the rockin' bods helped.

[John]

I dated a vegan PETA lawyer for a while. She had a smoking body and would do anything in bed. Yeah, it was worth forgoing steak on dates and talking up how evil fishing is.

[sarcasmic]

it was worth forgoing steak on dates

Nothing is worth forgoing steak. Nothing.

[Citizen Nothing]

Yeah. I've never had sex that good. But that may be on me.

[Francisco d Anconia]

Or fishing.

[robc]

vegan

would do anything in bed

Technically, not true. She cant swallow.

[sarcasmic]

Technically, not true. She cant swallow.

After this chick told me she was a vegan I asked "How do you keep a boyfriend if you don't eat meat?".

She shoved me down a flight of stairs.

[Auric Demonocles]

That's not the experience I've had with the one vegan I screwed.

[John]

Mine either.

[Auric Demonocles]

Referring to the inability to swallow, I was.

[robc]

If they swallow, they arent a vegan.

Vegetarian, sure, but not vegan.

[sarcasmic]

Some of us actually have conversations with the women in our lives.

[nicole just can't even!]

sarc, last night you were the one saying you didn't want to have too much in common!

But I totally agree, my man and I don't agree on everything politically, but he's most definitely more libertarian than anything else. He actually one-upped me this election by not voting.

[sarcasmic]

last night you were the one saying...

Shhhhhhhhh! My wife might read this!

[db]

I can't even stop loving your new handle!

[Auric Demonocles]

I wasn't aware that politics is the only conversation topic.

[sarcasmic]

I wasn't aware that politics is the only conversation topic.

Nice straw man. I like the overalls.

[Auric Demonocles]

You say "Some of us actually have conversations with the women in our lives" (implying that John never talks to women) then accuse me of strawmanning when I point out you can have conversations without talking about politics?

[sarcasmic]

The straw man was your implication that I said politics was the only conversational topic.

I like the scarf. The color goes well with the overalls.

[Auric Demonocles]

That's not a strawman. You're making a strawman out of John by making up the part of him not talking to women.

Your argument was you can't date someone you disagree with politically because you have to have conversations with them. Assuming that you do in fact have to have conversations, the conclusion that you can't get along would only be accurate if you have to talk about politics, which is only the case if you can't talk about other stuff.

[sarcasmic]

The subject eventually comes up. Especially around the beginning of November.

I will not be put into a situation where I'm forced to walk on eggshells around someone I'm intimate with. That's not a real relationship in my book.

[Rights-Minimalist Autocrat]

You just need to have enough other shared interests (or non-divisive non-shared interests) to have conversations about.

[Citizen Nothing]

Yeah, but for how long? Eventually you gotta have a conversation. I'm just happy that my wife is also a libertarian -- I, at least, have one person to share my depression every election day. (My second son, too. He texted me from college yesterday morning with a "How you holding up, Dad?" I got a tear in my eye.)
The seven-year-olds, both voted for Obama in their elementary school "election." "They didn't let us vote for Gary Johnson, and all the cool kids were voting for Obama, my youngest son explained."

[Citizen Nothing]

I've also started placing quotation marks willy-nilly. It's Bush's fault.

[MP]

Married to one. The secret? Don't talk politics.

[Citizen Nothing]

Good luck with that long term.

[Rich]

Yep. When you least want it: "We have to talk."

[MP]

Works fine for 10 1/2 years so far. It's one of those differences you simply accept.

In the end, politics, particular at the national level, doesn't affect 99% of our daily lives. So why invest so much in it as a defining personality trait?

In the end, when the rubber meets the road, such as saying FU to the permit process, liberty carries the day in our household. So it's not worth worrying about the White House.

[Lord Humungus]

when the rubber meets the road

I see what you did there.

[Ice Nine]

I couldn't and it has nothing to do with politics and my entire being nor fear of heated philosophical debates. Every April 15th I'd look across the breakfast table and say, "Ya know, I bust my ass to earn money so that we can have nice things and every year at this time you flush _% of it down the shitter." And that could not last very long.

[sarcasmic]

Debating a hardcore collectivist is impossible. There is no debate. They're speaking from emotion. There is no rational thought there. All their brain does is rationalize what they feel. There is no conversation and no persuasion. It's pointless.

[Pagan Priestess]

So you know my mother-in-law?

[Auric Demonocles]

But isn't it the evil conservatives who are ignorant?

The last thing I want to do on a date is argue politics. Conservatives are rigid, they certainly feel secure in a mindset that doesn't progress or accept new things. My humble opinion and not a measured studied analysis on paper. Thats what they want, fine. Its incompatible for me,

[John]

they certainly feel secure in a mindset that doesn't progress or accept new things.

Says the person committed to ideas that haven't changed in a century. Projecting douche is projecting.

[Francisco d Anconia]

...they certainly feel secure in a mindset that doesn't progress or accept new things.

The atomic mass of Hydrogen is no longer 1.00794 amu. It is now 1.5 amu.

Why won't you acept new things?

[Francisco d Anconia]

accept

Not sure how I missed the squiggly red line there?

[DJF]

The idiot gave up great sex with a woman over a politician!!!! He needs to take a gay test.

[mr simple]

I can't believe you made me read reddit. I feel like such a dupe.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

If you want to weep for this country, browsing OKStupid is an endless well of human tragedy.

[Jordan]

Pundits see little movement on the "fiscal cliff" since the election basically continued the status quo ante, politics-wise

False. We're moving forward! Forward, Tovarisch!

[wareagle]

folks voted for the status quo and yet, many have the expectation of change. On what planet does this work?

[Jordan]

Oh there will be change. Just not in the manner these lemmings expect. The economy is going to get much worse over the next four years. And with the Keynesian Kenyan in the White House, they won't have non-existant deregulation to blame.

[WTF]

They will continue to blame BOOSH!!11!!, believe me, and will do so successfully with the collusion of the media. Which is why we will need another D in the Whitehouse in 2016 to keep making things better, because it takes such a long time to clean up Bush's mess. FORWARD!

[Ted S.]

We must move forward, not backward; upward, not forward; and always twirling, twirling, twirling toward freedom!

[CampingInYourPark]

"Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said on Wednesday that if the $16.394 current legal limit on the federal government's debt must be raised in the next few months by another $2.4 trillion, 'We'll raise it.'"

http://cnsnews.com/news/articl.....l-raise-it

[Bee Tagger]

if the $16.394 current legal limit on the federal government's debt must be raised

I'm just shocked that he said "if." Maybe it was just part of the reporter's question.

[John Thacker]

The question was about the timing, as in if it has to be raised before budget negotiations could be completed.

[Lord Humungus]

I keep seeing these articles / news stories about Obama having to work with the House to stop the coming fiscal cliff. Why would he do anything about this? He gets his tax raises, military cuts and any recession or dip in GDP can be blamed on the Republicans not working with him.

[John]

He sees it that way. The Dems in the Senate who have to run for re-election don't. Frankly, I don't see why the fiscal cliff is so bad. For once there will be actual cuts in government. We have got to do something.

[Lord Humungus]

ja, there was no movement to reign in spending before, so why would the Democrats suddenly change?

[John]

The Dems will cave. The cut in spending will hurt them a lot worse than the raising taxes will hurt Republicans. And Virginia went Democrat. Looks like they are okay with losing their jobs in the defense industry.

[Palin's Buttplug]

He won't raise taxes on anyone's first $250,000 of income.

[Citizen Nothing]

Well, that'll solve ALL our problems!

[John Thacker]

So you're saying that he'll go along with Boehner's suggestion to go after deductions and such that change what is classified as income?

Just curious, if someone is making less than $250k, and a law changed deductions so that it affected what was considered (net) income, and that raised their net taxes, would you consider it to violate or not violate this pledge?

I also believe that Obama's pledge regarded not just income taxes, but all taxes, in which case it's certainly broken.

[John]

I hope they go after the deductions. All of these happy little liberal soccer moms who pay little or no income taxes thanks to the mortgage deduction and child deductions and credit should have to pay up. They want big government, pay for it.

[nicole just can't even!]

I know, this will never happen, but it is all I want. Justice for childless renters! (Bonus points for screwing my commie parents.)

[nicole just can't even!]

You mean like last time, when one of the first things he did was raise the cigarette tax? And then, you know, came the penaltax?

[Zeb]

Yeah. So not only does he immediately raise taxes, but raises some of the more regressive taxes. And also bans tobacco through the mail, which is a pain in the ass.

[sloopyinca]

I don't have any clever comment to make on this one. Rapist Cop.

[Ted S.]

Somebody is too busy powerlifting to respond.

[Matrix]

Another judge and set of LEOs that need to be drawn and quartered

Judge approved of LEOs' handcuffing and detaining innocent motorists.

[Gray Ghost]

FTA:

Police in Aurora, Colorado did nothing wrong when they handcuffed dozens of motorists and held them at gunpoint for an hour and forty-five minutes, according to a ruling issued last month. US District Court Judge William J. Martinez refused to play the role of a Monday morning quarterback in deciding whether the controversial mass detention violated the Fourth Amendment rights of drivers who had been going about their business on a Saturday afternoon.

Every day, I am seeing fewer and fewer differences between the U.S. and a fascist state. I see the judge built his reasoning in part upon Supreme Court cases allowing drunk driving checkpoints. (Probably Sitz, and I don't feel like reading through the opinion to find out.) Great.

[sloopyinca]

Or this one. Child Molester Cop.

[Enough About Palin]

I'm not surprised as one has to be gay to be a wrestler.

[Auric Demonocles]

Investor Jim Rogers, who made billions calling it right, predicts another economic slowdown for the U.S. Good thing we have wise political leaders to save our bacon.

Are the liberals going to bash him for this prediction like some conservatives bashed people predicting an Obama win?

On a related note, my company mainly sells software, but we do have some service departments (training, consulting). The service revenues have typically been a leading indicator of the economy at large... It's not looking good.

[Palin's Buttplug]

Actually software sales are the leading indicator since service follows sales.

Maybe your technology is dying. I know - I worked for S/370 Cobol software companies in a boom decade and we were dying.

[Auric Demonocles]

No. We've got 25+ years of data. The software sales are inelastic. The services are not, so companies don't invest in them and try to muddle through on their own.

Maybe your technology is dying.

We've doubled revenue in the past 5 years despite the recession, have profit margins of 40 percent, and unless people decide to stop putting computers in things our demand is only going to grow. I just got a notification that our bonuses for the quarter will be doubled because product sales were so high.

[Lord Humungus]

On the other side of the fence, we use consulting and software services to plug in knowledge gaps. eg, anything we can't handle internally is shopped outside.

Lately everything is being handled internally. I'm busy making more and more code changes than ever before - the customers are demanding we give them solutions and we're delivering them the cheapest way possible.

I'm looking forward to the day when I can quit and someone else can support all this custom code.

[robc]

I'm looking forward to the day when I can quit and someone else can support all this custom code.

YOU BASTARD!

Then again, I made a lot of money the last 10 years supporting other people's custom code.

[Brett L]

Me,too. But I didn't enjoy it.

[robc]

Training is absolutely a leading indicator.

I do some corporate training. It was never a big part of the business, but was nice cash when it came in.

Training is the very first thing cut when the economy starts weakening. However, companies that like to do training will re-add it quickly when things start getting better as they dont like going without.

Ive seen no signs that a recovery is expected soon. I did one class this year. And all but 1 of the people in that class were state government employees.

[Auric Demonocles]

Exactly this. And training has taken a big hit the past 6 months.

[robc]

I havent really seen it come back since 2007/8 when it crashed. 2010/11 was looking a bit better, but that went back away.

[John]

http://www.suntimes.com/162346.....urces.html

Look like Jessee Jackson Jr. is headed to the bar hotel. Maybe he can serve in Congress on a work release program. It is not like his constituents would care.

[DJF]

I notice they are doing this after the election, that way the replacement can be appointed by Democrats and not risk any icky Republicans winning by default.

[John]

It is amazing how the DOJ is now completely politicized and it is totally acceptable and expected. Time was that if either party did that it would be a huge scandal and probably result in the AG's resignation. Politicizing the DOJ is really the worst thing Nixon did. Now it is SOP.

[nicole just can't even!]

I'm frankly surprised there was even a Republican running. I did hear there was a pretty vigorous (but failed) write-in campaign by a local pastor.

[John]

Blacks live in the Dem plantation. They can have their rep chosen for them.

[nicole just can't even!]

It's a shame the Obamas live just a few short blocks outside his district. Things could have been a lot more fun.

[sloopyinca]

Or this one. Ticking time bomb cop that keeps getting arrested while his department keeps him on the job after breaking into his ex-wife's home and attacking her boyfriend and into his ex-girlfriend's home and choking her and attacking her boyfriend as well.

Yep. I'm sure this is the reason there are police unions. Without them, this fine officer might be put out of a job.

[sloopyinca]

FTA: Court records show he was married twice before and both wives accused him of domestic violence. The most recent wife even got an injunction after she said Sidders threatened to bury her.
This is the seventh time Sidders has been investigated.
Internal affairs documents show he was also investigated on accusations of sneaking into his ex-wife's home and punching her boyfriend. Orlando police suspended Sidders for a day because of that, and after his arrest in January, took him off the job again for a week.

Classy guy. Classy union.

[Matrix]

His ex-wife needs to get a gun if she does not already have one. Next time he breaks into her house, just shoot him and be done with it.

[John]

Kicking down doors and terrorizing people? Just looks to me like a guy who really loves his job.

[sarcasmic]

Just looks to me like a guy who really loves his job.

I've never met a cop who didn't.

[Citizen Nothing]

My father really, really disliked being a cop. But it was the best gig he could get and he had a family to support...
Although he really, really enjoyed being able to "retire" at age 49. So he had that goin' for him.

[Ted S.]

I'm sure he's only following procedures. They never told him one isn't allowed to do this stuff.

[generic Brand]

ORLANDOOOOOO!!! Fuck Lake Eola.

(this is going to my new rallying cry for any central Florida news)

[sloopyinca]

If any of you didn't get your salty ham tear fix from the election yet, try this on for size: PoliceOne reaction to pot legalization passing in Washington and Colorado.

All of dunphy's pro-pot comments aside, these are the opinions of real cops speaking in an anonymous setting.

[John]

Great. If we're giving up on 'The war on Drugs', what's next? The 'War on Rape'? The 'War on pedophiles'?

If we legalize actions because people won't quit performing them, then we won't have a single law on the books.

Now corporations can market yet another harmful substance to your kids. Good news for stockholders, not so good for the target group.

I guess I should be glad for the job security. The easier they make substance abuse accessable, the more domestic drama and damaged lives & families we'll have to police.

Thank you sloopy. I take back bad thing I have ever said about it. I am going to savor that thread like a fine cigar.

[Zeb]

Why is it so hard to understand the difference between consensual and non-consensual acts or so-called "crimes"? It is really pretty easy to see why legalizing drugs is a completely different sort of thing than legalizing rape or theft or murder.

[Whahappan?]

"Drugs are bad, mkay?" No understanding required. Also, I think they understand that the drug war is a big source of power and money for them, and gives them an excuse to bring misery and suffering to people.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Seems pretty mixed to me. Not nearly as bad as the wagon-circling that goes on when a cop murders someone.

[Ted S.]

I thought that technically they weren't anonymous, since you're supposed to be able to prove you're a cop before posting.

[Zeb]

Well, anonymous to us little people.

[NeonCat]

Just say you've shot a dog or like to kick in doors, mention "thin blue line", etc. Should be proof enough.

[sloopyinca]

An Alabama state trooper was found guilty of a "Felony State Ethics Violation" received 60 months of probation and a whopping $100 fine.

I guess they weren't sure they could get a felony theft charge even though they had video evidence and ample documentation of his thievery. Nope, I guess overcharging the hell out of someone only happens to the little people.

[mad libertarian guy]

DONDEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

I believe now the best course of action is outright revolt. What do I mean by that?

Well, to each his own. Some may choose to push secession in their state legislatures. Others may choose to leave the U.S. for good (Costa Rica, Switzerland, Italy, Argentina, Hong Kong, Israel). Still others may want to personally separate themselves from the United States here in North America while still living under communist rule' the Glenn Beck, grab your guns, food storage, build bunkers, survivalist route. I heartily endorse all these efforts.

Express your hatred, shame, and outright disgust with anyone you know who voted Democrat

However, for me, I'm choosing another rather unique path; a personal boycott, if you will. Starting early this morning, I am going to un-friend every single individual on Facebook who voted for Obama, or I even suspect may have Democrat leanings. I will do the same in person. All family and friends, even close family and friends, who I know to be Democrats are hereby dead to me. I vow never to speak to them again for the rest of my life, or have any communications with them. They are in short, the enemies of liberty. They deserve nothing less than hatred and utter contempt.

Everyone knows the best way to start a glorious revolution is by mass defriendings on Facebook.

[John]

Argentina? That is more of leftwing hyper inflation hell hole than here. It is pretty much Obama's model country and economy.

My God he is a fucking moron.

[tarran]

My favorite memory of the man was when he accused all the writers at the Liberty Papers of being jealous because Dondero, being a vet, was swimming in poontang and we couldn't get any. He demanded to know if there were any veterans amongst us.

What was funny was that all but two of us were, including one guy who commanded a tank in Gulf War I. He's like the Terminator if it were impervious to shame rather than bullets.

[T]

I saw this several places. I have to admit, he's finally, at long last, gone so full retard there's no coming back. He's gone, dare I say, fullest retard.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Italy? Wow, he's lost it.

[tarran]

Actually, no.

I understand that Naples is a libertarian paradise, with no corrupt police force or mafia presence at all.

Actually, it would be a libertarian paradise, if only a couple of people would stand on street corners to collect signatures on petitions to repeal a few pesky ordinances. If only there were a few libertarians there with the gumption to collect the signatures...

And I am reliably informed that the local girls love Navy men, particularly supply clerks who are willing to back up their words with their fists.

Eric should totally move there.

[John]

In Donderoos's defense, I would rather deal with police I could bribe than the union backed fanatics we have here.

[R C Dean]

Same here. Slipping the officer a $20 beats the hell out of a $200 fine and a bump in my insurance rates.

[robc]

Clearly Donderooooo isnt an earthquake researcher.

[LTC(ret) John]

+1 tremor

[The Late P Brooks]

she seems great... She voted for Romney today and it ruined it for me.

I heard some dumb cunt mooing about how awful it was that some guy she thought was "really great" was voting for Romney.

Apparently, that ugly, ugly fact rendered him an unperson.

[Auric Demonocles]

Yeah, clearly it wasn't so bad that you noticed before, so it shouldn't matter.

[Brett L]

I met a girl Tuesday night who "almost voted for Johnson". At which point I asked for her number rather than her alternative choice. Fuck it, she's cute and that's close enough for me. We moved on to talk about how she's discovered the sci-fi genre, and where we might get dinner together Friday.

Of course, libertarians are never quite able to generate the wishful thinking that all good people believe just like them.

[NeonCat]

Re: wishful thinking - Cold, hard reality slaps us in the face every election.

[sloopyinca]

Cop found guilty on 35 counts of record tampering with intent to commit fraud in OT scheme. Gets a whopping zero days in jail but will have to pay restitution for the nearly $4k he stole.

Gee, I wonder why he wasn't charged with felony theft either, or fraud rather than intent to commit fraud. Seems to me the first time he got paid any of that OT he didn't earn, he committed fraud right there. But again, that is reserved for the little people.

[R C Dean]

So, if you're a cop and you get caught stealing, giving it back is all you have to do.

Nice incentive structure they've created there.

[Whahappan?]

Same with judges. A judge who lived around the corner from me co-owned a medical building across the street from me. He embezzled about $150,000 from his partners. You see, who better to trust than a judge to handle the finances? When his partners called him on it, he used his position as a judge to intimidate them. It didn't work and he eventually plead guilty.
But no, no double standard.

His sentence was merely to repay what he stole and 5 years probation. One of his buddies presided over the case, and went easy on him because of his "years of service." BTW, his nickname was "Iron Mike" because he was known for giving out harsh sentences and being a petty tyrant running his courtroom. Got to retire with a nice pension, too.

[dave b.]

Carbon tax, bitches!!

[Tim]

WOuld this apply to carbonated beverages as well?

[DJF]

Only in big gulp size.

[Drake]

What about diamonds? Or carbon-fiber brakes?

[John]

He can try. That would destroy the economy. Part of me wants to see him get it. And when people are paying $8 a gallon for gas and can't afford their electric bills and the service is hit and miss anyway thanks to him shutting down all of the coal plants, we will see how important their big bird and birth control are then. It is a cold dark world out there.

[Tim]

(Edward G. RObinson style) "Where's your Big Bird now Moses? Myaah!"

[John Thacker]

That's HSBC speculating. They apparently didn't see the election returns in MI.

Talking about wanting to do something about climate change is really popular; actually trying to do something about it is much less so.

And besides, it would totally violate his sacred no tax on people under $250k pledge, so of course he's not doing it, right?

[NeonCat]

Penaltaxes are okay and totally don't count, nor do they hurt the economy.

[sloopyinca]

Taxpayers forced to pay out $1,000,000 because a bunch of cops illegally accessed photos of another cop's DMV photo. And while illegal, none of the officers were charged with any crime nor will they be forced to pay the settlement.

[robc]

Considering the campaigns they ran for president, how did either Kerry or Romney ever get elected to anything in MA?

[DJF]

Maybe because they ran against other MA politicans?

[Alack]

^THIS^

Politics in MA is simple: you elect the Democrat. Sometimes you have to elect the Republican, though, because all the Dems are in jail.

[Lord Humungus]

waay OT: I've just 'finished' the first pass on my next novel. Lot's of re-writes and some additional work will need to be done before it gets published via Kindle. It's an apocalyptic book about one man's experience as the world slides into starvation. A man-made disease - a collectivist twist on a certain popular horror genre - is a major plot point. There are also some libertarian ideas I planted here 'n' there.

I expect sales to be in the low teens.

[Tim]

Once you're all famous, we'll all be eager to claim we mentored you through these early years.

[Lord Humungus]

I will gladly share my profits of $5.

[Tim]

We're just in it for the celebrity.

[nicole just can't even!]

Let me know if you ever need a proofreader. I'm a (former) pro and free proofing is one of my charitable contributions to the lbt cause.

[Lord Humungus]

Thanks for the offer! I normally use my wife, but she's a bit busy until February.

[Citizen Nothing]

Huh. My wife is a libertarian and former copy editor. Honey, is that you?

[aelhues]

I'm curious on how it goes for you. I started a book this past summer, but haven't made much progress this fall...a variety of life issues getting in the way.

Anyway, I'd love to hear how the Kindle experience treats you.

[generic Brand]

How long is the book? I have a really good book idea (non-fiction-ish) but when I envision it having to be about 100-200 pages I lose interest in writing it.

[Lord Humungus]

aiming for 80k words

[sloopyinca]

I thnk I'm done. Sorry for the meltdown this morning. I was extra-ragey today but have calmed down now.

Here's a picture that might cheer you all up.

[sarcasmic]

Is the dude John?

[Rich]

And I thought Shmoos were extinct!

[Tim]

Warning, you could get typecast.

SLOOPY SMASH DIRTY COPS! SMASH! SLOOPY THE RAGEIST ONE THERE IS!

[Ice Nine]

His aim seems to be off.

[Matrix]

Now Obama sets his sights on promoting the UN Arms Treaty

[John]

I am working on gun control below the radar. He is going full retard. He is going to touch every rail. The mask is going to be gone. The next four years are going to suck. But it just might provide some very important education to this country.

[Matrix]

Well, two years anyway. Perhaps his next two years will reveal the devil beneath the mask, and people will line up and flood Congress with Team Red

[John]

They will. What 10 and 12 proved was Dems really don't give a shit to vote in the off years. Republicans are going to still be pissed off and show up in probably bigger numbers than 10. It will be another blood bath.

The question is does the Dems in Congress from even close to purple districts and states' survival instinct kick in? Do they turn on him. He is a lame duck now. Are they really going to lose their political careers so a second term President can go full retard?

[rho]

Obama going hard-left would be the worst thing for the GOP. If he does, and the economy tanks, Republicans will nominate some half-wit time-server, surrounded by neocons, and he'll get elected. Jeb Bush maybe.

Bad all around.

[wareagle]

you are likely overestimating the intelligence of the typical Obama supporter. Those folks will never blame him for anything nor will he ever accept responsibility. Anything negative will be blamed on House Repubs or Bush, who remarkably remains the chief source of blame for many.

In addition, four more years of pushing dependency cinches in the govt stranglehold further. Getting out becomes much tougher.

[John]

For the full on monkeys like Shreek and Tony sure. But nine million fewer of them showed up to vote. They are not even that excited about winning. Most of them don't even know what he thinks and think Obama is a moderate.

[NoVAHockey]

"But nine million fewer of them showed up to vote"

and they were completely expendable.

[Auric Demonocles]

Most of them also seem to think Romney was same sort of raving misogynist.

[Ice Nine]

One of them no shit said to my wife at work yesterday (referring to Romney), "How could you possibly vote for someone who thinks rape is OK?"

[nicole just can't even!]

It's a penis-kiss from God, Ice Nine.

[T o n y]

He is a moderate. Would have been a moderate Republican just a few years ago based on policy positions. His main policy achievement, healthcare, was designed by Republicans (like Mitt Romney).

You live in the FOX News bubble and are made stupid by Republican misinformation. It's why you think Obama is some kind of radical (stupid angry people vote). It's why it came as such a shock to you when Obama won despite the probabilities being patiently explained to you.

[John]

Nothing says moderate like gun control, banning coal, 6 trillion in debt and carbon taxes.

God you are a fucking idiot sock puppet.

[John Thacker]

Nothing says moderate like gun control,

An issue that, despite his views, Obama refused to do anything on, specifically to avoid losing votes.

[T o n y]

What gun control? What carbon taxes? What banned coal? And most of that debt was run up by Bush.

None of this you know because, to repeat, you live in a bubble of stupid.

[John Thacker]

Well, on carbon taxes and coal, he at least pushed something and made noise before dropping it. On gun control he's been silent.

Glad to see you're admitting that GWB was a moderate as well who would have been a moderate Democrat a few years back, Tony. He did, after all, make the tax code more progressive.

[John]

Six trillion is Obama's share you lying ass. And every coal plant in America will be closed in the next four years thanks to the EPA. The lights are going off Tony., Have fun.

[Citizen Nothing]

You must live in another world, T o n y. I'm surrounded by liberals, at work, at my favorite bar, on Facebook. Almost to a man (or woman) they were pitching the "radical Romney" line. Perhaps they knew it was bullshit, but they sure were trying to sell it, just as hard as was the Obama campaign.
(But I don't even have cable and listen to NPR, so what the fuck do I know?"

[Citizen Nothing]

Oh, wait. I completely misread T o n y. How embarrassing (for both of us, since he's claiming Obama is a "moderate"). It's Bush's fault.

[Certified Public Asskicker]

Tony thinks we all live in Mississippi.

Being surrounded in MD is how I came to my political views, not Fox News.

[John Thacker]

Oh, that has a ton of truth to it Tony. Though it's equally true that GWB was a moderate, and he would have been a moderate Democrat just a few years ago based on policy positions. His main policy achievements, both on war and healthcare, could have been designed by LBJ.

[VG Zaytsev]

Why didn't any of the republican Senate candidates make a big issue of this?

[R C Dean]

But it just might provide some very important education to this country.

Don't stop believing, John.

I am reminded of his little mic slip with Medvedev "I'll have more flexibility after the election."

Romney could have feasted on that for a week, aqnd brought it up at the foreign policy debate. But nope, the meanies at the NYT might say something, so whatever you do, don't talk about anything stupid, venal, or incompetent that Obama hs done.

[John]

That is because Romney had no balls. That said, most people haven't actually felt the effects of this lunacy yet. When that starts to happen, they do change. They changed in Canada. When the lights go off and it gets cold, a few of them will decide that well maybe free birth control isn't the most important thing in the world.

[NoVAHockey]

my shop is pretty evenly split between the R and D lobbyist. The Rs are pissed that Romney didn't just spend the past few months trying to nail obama to the wall on everything.

also not hitting back earlier when it was obvious that Obama was just trying to drive up Romney's negatives.

The D's spent Tuesday morning bitching about voter suppression. By wednesday morning it seems that the system is flawless.

[Dr. Frankenstein]

That was fustrating. I would have at least asked the president. What were you offering to give Medvedev after the election that you couldn't offer before the election because it would upset American voters?

[NoVAHockey]

pulled the results from my polling station:

Registered Voters 1,927
Ballots cast 1548
Romney - 473
Obama - 847
Goode - 1
Johnson - 19
Stein - 5

Two of those Johnson vote are from my household. I'll have to shoot up a flare or something to see if I can signal the other 17.

[John]

This is why I want to see us go over the fiscal cliff. Sequestration will totally fuck NOVA. Romney would have taken care of them. But they had to have Obama. I wish them luck.

[robc]

My precinct (I posted it yesterday, but here is is again):

Romney 476
Obama 365
Johnson 5
Stein 1
Terry 1

From what I can tell, my precinct is normal sized for around here. Apparently we divide smaller than other places, which is why we dont get 3 hour lines and shit.

I was 3 people deep, the line got about 5-6 deep while I was waiting. That was as busy as I have ever seen it. One of the workers pointed out how deep it got early that morning, it must have been 20 deep! He was amazed.

You people with your crazy sized precincts are crazy.

[Auric Demonocles]

My precinct would have to have around 15000 people (not voters, or even registered voters, just total people) in it.

[robc]

That is at least 5 times the size of mine.

[Auric Demonocles]

Both times I tried to vote there was over an hour line, outside in 40 degree weather.

[mr simple]

Here's mine.

BARACK OBAMA 486
GARY JOHNSON 10
JILL STEIN 13
MITT ROMNEY 219
RANDALL A. TERRY 1
WRITE-IN 60 3

We have three precincts voting at the same location. There was a bit of a line when I went in late morning, but my wife got in and out in no time after work. I'm surprised Johnson got 10 votes, considering the hippie overrun area I live in. Wish I knew who some of the others are.

[sarcasmic]

Results in my town:

Johnson 50
Obama 1,429
Romney 1,585
Stein 30

Took a whopping five minutes to get through the line.

[robc]

Is that all in one voting precinct?

If so, impressive.

So exactly how do places get these crazy long lines then? Are they running 100k people thru one location?

[sarcasmic]

Inept government being inept?

[sarcasmic]

Is that all in one voting precinct?

All one town.

[robc]

I got that, thats why I asked about precincts. Do your town have multiple, or single voting location?

[robc]

I ask this because Middletown, KY has 5000 people and about 3 or 4 precincts. My neighborhood and the next over are one precinct. Downtown Middletown (which is 2 blocks away from me) is another precinct.

Louisville as a whole has approximately infinity precincts.

[sarcasmic]

Just the Town Hall.

We've got a lot of snowbirds (retirees who spend half the year in Florida), farmers, and self employed. So I imagine there was a lot of absentee voting and votes cast during work hours.

[Emmerson Biggins]

I was one place where I'd been waiting in line for a solid 25 minutes. And I wasn't even half way thru the line. Some nice woman came up and said "you know if you go over to the next voting place at blabla" there is no line at all. I guess nobody else in line believed her. I decided I did believe her in all of 3 seconds and got the hell out of there.

They still tabulate by precinct though. Mine was 2.5% Gary Johnson. So we kicked ass, relatively speaking.

[Matrix]

Here's my precinct:
Obama 273
Romney 1242
Goode 1
Johnson 12
Stein 3
Write-in 1

guess I'm one of the 12 who voted for Johnson. Now I gotta find who the other twelve were.

County-wide:
Obama 61802
Romney 90679
Goode 247
Johnson 1528
Stein 376
Write-in 365

More people wrote in a response than voted for Goode. lol.

[robc]

Randall Terry beat Jill Stein in my state.

[Scruffy Nerfherder]

Let's see:

Romney 918
Obama 729
Johnson 14
Goode 2
Stein 0
Write-In 3

[Spoonman.]

I can't seem to get precinct-level results for Montgomery County, PA, but here's the county totals:

Rep - Mitt Romney 173,176
Dem - Barack Obama 230,493
Green - Jill Stein 1,170
Lib - Gary Johnson 3,205

[nicole just can't even!]

Drove the man to work today so listened to Morning Edition, which I don't normally. According to NPR at least (and the pro-life idiots they interviewed), the GOP will be doubling down on the SoCon. Mitt just wasn't hardcore enough dammit! Yeah, that was the problem.

[John]

Just a guess, but I am thinking NPR might not be painting an accurate picture of the GOP.

[Eduard van Haalen]

Their line is the GOP is infected with Unprecedented Extremism unlike those Good Republicans of the past (who happen to be Dead Republicans - the two categories seem to overlap for people like NPR). The Unprecedented Extremism of the Republicans means they'll be willing to ruin the country, like the wreckers and saboteurs they are, rather than accept reasonable ideas (eg, NPR's ideas).

[nicole just can't even!]

Well, they're painting an accurate picture of whoever it was they were interviewing, some pro-life lady who was definitely going to push for the SoCon. How it all plays out is, I think, still very much up for grabs.

[John]

A favorite indoor outdoor sport of NPR is to find a Republican who fits the worst liberal stereotype and give them lots of coverage. Their job is not to report the news but confirm pre conceived notions of their listeners.

[Gray Ghost]

"There is no cause so right that one cannot find a fool following it." Larry Niven.

[NoVAHockey]

your handle amuses me greatly.

[nicole just can't even!]

Thanks! I'm glad it's going over so well.

[The Late P Brooks]

Perhaps his next two years will reveal the devil beneath the mask, and people will line up and flood Congress with Team Red

That's a good one!

*slaps knee*

[John]

That is what happened in 2010. Why wouldn't it happen again in 14 when things are even worse and Presidents generally lose anyway?

[Citizen Nothing]

Yeah -- 2010 certainly proves that this is possible. What's the typical loss in Congress for the incumbent president's party in year 6? (Sure, I could look it up myself, but my time is more valuable than yours.)

[VG Zaytsev]

And we'll be in the middle of full fledged recession.

[robc]

7 D senators up in 2014 are in fairly red states (well, I was counting VA, so make it 6).

Some of them will be safe, of course, but not all.

[John Thacker]

VA *might* be an open seat again, since Warner is thinking about running for VA gov.

[John Thacker]

Since VA has the awesome "one term only" rule.

[Fluffy]

I've been over the exit polls from every swing state and the simple fact of the matter is that it is no longer statistically possible to get a high enough male gender gap for the GOP to overcome the female gender gap against the GOP.

Even though polled support for abortion is falling, it seems like the female voting demographic is becoming even more sensitive to potential threats to abortion overall. I don't see any other explanation for Romney's total collapse among white women.

It's like one of those Chinese finger traps - GOP candidates can't back away from their abortion rhetoric, but if they keep using it, they can't win, either. Not any more.

[R C Dean]

What's weird is that the number of pro-life women (46%) exceeds the number of women who voted for Romney (44%), and the numbers are shifting pro-life.

http://www.nationalreview.com/.....h-ponnuru#

I don't think a lot of women are voting on the issues; I think they are voting on "empathy" and "caring" and all that other bullshit.

[John]

My mother in law is a devout Catholic and about as pro life as it comes. She voted for Obama. She cannot get out of the mindset that the Democrats care about the little guys and care about her.

It is fucking nuts.

[NoVAHockey]

"devout Catholic and about as pro life as it comes"

i told my priest that "social justice through gov only works if honest, decent people are in office. let me know when we have some." stunned him silent.

[Lord Humungus]

I think Obama only really cares about his golf game.

[John Thacker]

Well, when Romney and Obama are nearly identical on the issues, and both of them are incredibly vague about their positions and plans anyway, of course empathy and caring are going to be important.

If you can't figure out what someone really believes, you're going to think that the guy who seems like he cares probably has the right secret opinions, whereas the guy who seems like he doesn't care probably has the wrong secret opinions.

[VG Zaytsev]

Why can't they back away from it?

The problem this time around is that Romney didn't engage the war on womyn attacks so people assumed that where there's smoke there's fire.

He could have flipped the issue on Obama by making it about late term abortion - infanticide if he had tried, but he didn't.

[John]

I talked about this yesterday. All of the Obama supporters I know who are not just Shreek Tony level lefty retards are women and their very beta husbands. And they are obsessed with birth control and abortion, because they are terrified that one of their little snowflakes might get pregnant and they not be able to deal with it. And they have to feel like the candidate cares about them. That is what they all say when asked why they are voting for Obama.

They are not hyper partisans. They went for Bush in 2000 after Bubba molested a little snowflake in the oval office. And they went for him again in 04 because 9-11 made them vote for him so the Muslims wouldn't get them. But they vote for total Oprahfied reasons.

They are the people deciding these elections. So you tell me how to appeal to them.

[VG Zaytsev]

Scare the hell out of em.

[Fluffy]

That's what I'm saying: I don't know how.

You guys all know I'm pro-choice, but even I know that it's simply useless advice to tell the GOP "Hey, guys, just be pro-choice. Problem solved!"

They are utterly dependent now on the pro-life electorate. That's the part of the Chinese finger trap that has their left finger. The dependency. They can't tone the abortion stuff down now. It would be like a runner trying to win a race by chopping off one of his legs.

But as long as they are institutionally and demographically dependent on the pro-life movement, there's always going to be an Akin around, every election cycle, to fuck up and stumblebum his way into being that year's Goldstein.

[John]

They don't have to emphasize abortion. Romney didn't emphasize it. Romney was doing fine and probably would have won the election if not for Akin. They can keep the pro life voters. But they have got to stop letting the real fucking morons get nominated for top offices. The media is adept at painting any Republican who says anything stupid as reflective of everyone who is not voting Democrat. The Democrats don't have to worry about that. The media ignores their clowns. But they don't Republicans.

It is worth remembering that Akin was not a Tea Party candidate. He was just a SOCON moron who won the nomination in a very divided race. They have to stop nominating people like him.

Ultimately, a real economic meltdown, which is sadly coming, will get these women to forget all about birth control and abortion.

[Eduard van Haalen]

Yes, Republicans won't have the media to cover for their morons - they don't have the Democrats' luxury of having media people say "oh, that's just good old Uncle Jesse, bless his heart," or, "let's not publicize that born-alive infant vote, I'm sure it would get blown all out of proportion."

[Eduard van Haalen]

or, "now, I'm sure that Moran kid was just an outlier, not need to get all hysterical about voter fraud."

[Eduard van Haalen]

(I guess I made a pun with moron/Moran)

[nicole just can't even!]

Is this actually true though? I mean, what happens if you just tell them to fuck off? That's a serious question. There are too many losing issues here, and the GOP is going to have to tell some of its people to like it or lump it when they abandon them. I mean, where are they going to do? Do they form their own party? Because the pro-life party ain't winning much nationally.

Of course, that would destroy the GOP, but is that necessarily what happens? I'm just thinking in terms of how many "interest groups" I am a part of that "should" be with the Ds, but they have dicked us so many times ("who else are atheists going to vote for? Republicans?!?") that I'm not--but most of my peers still are.

[John]

To tell them to fuck off, you have to have your candidates win the nomination. There were several candidates in Missouri who would have never said anything stupid like Akin did. They just didn't win. Ultimately, the rest of the party has to unite and make sure their candidates don't win. The other problem is that between them and the big government establishment, that is not always easy.

[John Thacker]

NC Governor race, open seat:
Pat McCrory (R) 58% of men, 54% of women.

He also won 46% of Hispanics (+15 versus Romney) and 51% of Other races (+8 versus Romney). (Also +9 with blacks versus Romney.)

Though NC had a very small gender gap for Romney as well, and was actually completely explained by black women voting at a much higher percentage than black men.

And it shouldn't be a swing state, if the GOP could just run competitively with Hispanics and Asians, like McCrory did.

[John]

Women in North Carolina are not the same as women in the DC suburbs of VA or Ohio.

[John Thacker]

That is probably true. But running 15 points better with Hispanics and 8 points better with Asians *would* be enough to overcome the gender gap in swing states.

[NoVAHockey]

in line to vote i started talking with people around me. 2 women in early 20s. one is a practicing Catholic. both of them mentioned Akin and had the "GOP hates women" talking points down.

the catholic was terrified at what obama was doing in health care, but i'm positive she voted for him, because of "the poor that Romeny does care about."

neither had any idea what i was talking about.

[John]

That any Catholic would vote for Obama is just mind boggling. He is basically leaving the Church with the choice of abandoning its mission or giving up all of its principles. Religious freedom is hanging by a thread in this country. And these fucking retards are cheering.

[Zeb]

I'm not so surprised. Other than on abortion, the Democrats seem pretty aligned with world wide Catholicism, it seems to me. They are pretty into social justice and other collectivist policies.

[Eduard van Haalen]

In what way are Republican economic and social policies anti-Catholic - that is, more so so that Dems?

[nicole just can't even!]

They're more likely to be in favor of the death penalty

[nicole just can't even!]

Even though polled support for abortion is falling, it seems like the female voting demographic is becoming even more sensitive to potential threats to abortion overall.

Yes, and this is why they are upsetting me so badly. There are threats to abortion and there have been for years, and they got relatively little attention for years: parental notification laws, waiting periods, requirements to view ultrasounds, requirements for doctors to try to talk you out of it, etc. No one cared about that stuff when I cared about it, and the Dems sure as hell didn't care about saying anything but "safe, legal, and rare."

Now it's all about the money. The "threats" are "defunding Planned Parenthood" or employers not buying you insurance that gives you co-pay-free pills. The "sisterhood" has completely turned against people like me. Believe me, I take the serious stuff seriously. But fuck them and their free shit.

[John]

It is always sold as freedom and then implemented as coercion. The right to abortion means forcing someone else to pay for it. Gay rights is sold as equity for all but implemented as forcing people who object into accepting gays.

If you notice, liberals never give a shit about freedoms like gun rights and political speech that don't involve coercion and positive rights.

[The Late P Brooks]

I'm surrounded by liberals, at work, at my favorite bar, on Facebook. Almost to a man (or woman) they were pitching the "radical Romney" line. Perhaps they knew it was bullshit, but they sure were trying to sell it, just as hard as was the Obama campaign.

Same here (except for facebook); the hysterical terror over the possibility of a Romney win was palpable. It's like they seriously believed Romney was going to set up rape camp baby factories for the women, and send the National guard out to round able bodied men at gunpoiny to work in the copper mines. And dump cyanide in all the rivers, just for the fuck of it.

[robc]

I said that if Romney was the candidate that Obama claimed he was, I would vote for him.

But then Romney would open his mouth and prove Obama a liar.

[VG Zaytsev]

I think that the rank and file actually believed it. Which just goes to show how stupid they are and how bad Romney's campaign was.

[Citizen Nothing]

I think the least ignorant of them knew it was complete bullshit, but adopted the meme full on for the benefit of their more ignorant brethren (and sistern).

[sarcasmic]

What I heard was that Romney would outlaw abortion, eliminate all safety nets, and start systematically robbing the poor to give to the rich.

All in one day.

[T o n y]

Unlike the calm, measured opposition to Obama.

Romney has no political beliefs. He believed he should be president, because he was bored or whatever.

The problem is the Republican party he'd bring with him. It's full of crazies who don't believe in reality.

[John]

As opposed to people who think we can print money forever and that the economy is doing great. Reality is about to hit you in the face Tony. Good luck.

[T o n y]

Would that be the same reality that had Romney easily winning the election on Nov. 5?

[John]

Yes Tony I over estimated the intelligence of the American people.

You do understand there are millions of people out there who have been out of work for years? You do understand that Bernarke can't hold interest rates at zero forever and when he does we will no longer be able to service the debt? You do understand that Obama plans to regulate anything that moves and the economy is headed for another recession this spring that will probably be as deep as 08s?

You don't understand any of that. But you will. You will. It is going to be horrible. And Obama not only doesn't care, he wouldn't know what to do about it if he did.

[sarcasmic]

You don't understand any of that. But you will. You will.

No he won't. He'll continue to blame the evil rich and the evil corporations as he gleefully sucks on government cock.

[MP]

Definitely now a tit. Remember that Females are the new overlords.

[T o n y]

I understand the economy is still in a precarious place. I also understand, and despite being suppressed by Congressional Republicans there is crystal clear evidence for this, that merely cutting taxes on rich people won't stimulate job growth. The policies needed to do that are known (and the US is doing better than other parts of the world because we pursued them); what's lacking is Republican political will to help the country while Obama is in office.

[sarcasmic]

merely cutting taxes on rich people won't stimulate job growth

Correct. Government needs to get out of the way and allow people to engage in economic activity without constantly having to ask permission and take orders.

[T o n y]

So what caused the biggest recession in generations was... Bush started making everyone ask permission and take orders?

Maybe businesspeople need to stop being such pussies and learn to deal with the environment they are in. If you can't hack it just because a Democrat is in the White House, then you suck at business.

[John]

Maybe businesspeople need to stop being such pussies and learn to deal with the environment they are in. If you can't hack it just because a Democrat is in the White House, then you suck at business.

The people have failed Obama. That is just classic Tony. Just fucking classic. The economy is going down the rat hole and there won't be anyone to blame it on but Obama.

[MP]

So what caused the biggest recession in generations was

Whatever...for the 3 millionth time...loose monetary policy propagated by both the Fed and by various Federal policies, particularly from the GSEs, which distorted regular market practices by encouraging risk taking.

[sarcasmic]

So what caused the biggest recession in generations was... Bush started making everyone ask permission and take orders?

The cause of the recession was, well, MP covered it.

The cumulative burden of past and present regulations, some of which indeed came from Bush, some are at the state level, some even local, is what is not allowing the economy to come back.

Government does not facilitate economic activity.

All it does is prevent it.

[Thelma Lenore]

Ahhh, the mask slips, and the face of a slaver shines through. Let us load you up with burdens, put roadblocks in your path, but you need to keep going, keep working, make it work for us, hide reality from us, you have always done it in the past, if you fail now, it is your fault not ours.

[Loki]

^THIS^ The bigger problem for the economy isn't the tax rates, it's the huge regulatory burden imposed by the bureaucracies and empowered by congress and the president. Frankly I welcome 4 more years of gridlock. Although that doesn't do anything to fix the current problems, at least they're not fucking things up any worse.

[John Thacker]

Unlike the calm, measured opposition to the equally moderate in policy George W. Bush.

I'll concede to you, Tony, that in many ways Obama is more to the right than George W. Bush.

It seems the the most hysterical opposition to W was on policies that Obama has simply followed.

[John]

John,

Wiretapping, wars and drone strikes are great as long as Tony's side is doing it. You have to remember that there is nothing his team can do, no matter how bad, right up to including imprisoning political dissidents and murdering American citizens that he won't support. Yeah, he is that far gone.

[Citizen Nothing]

Top men.

[T o n y]

That may or may not be true (it isn't), but you are sure as hell not the person to be laying that accusation considering you supported all those things when Bush invented them and probably called anyone who didn't unpatriotic.

[John]

Bush never killed an American citizen Tony. And he never imprisoned a film maker on trumped up charges for insulting Islam.

That is Obama's record. And you own it. And just admit it, you will always support Obama. When he kills another American citizen this term, you will defend him. When the Holder justice department goes after someone for political purposes, you will cheer. That is who you have become. Embrace it.

[Citizen Nothing]

Dead Paki kids? Fuck 'em! Obama is dreamy!

[T o n y]

Bush killed thousands of American citizens when he sent them to a phony war based on lies. And I do not support the unconstitutional anti-terrorism policies of that or this administration, and have never said I did.

I believe in trying criminals in court, even if their crime is terrorism. Do you?

[John]

And I do not support the unconstitutional anti-terrorism policies of that or this administration, and have never said I did.

Yes you do Tony. You voted for Obmaa when you could have voted for Jill Stein. And you defend Obama at ever turn. So shut up. You own those policies.

And more Americans have died in Afghanistan under Obama than they did under Bush. By the end of his second term, Obama will have sent more Americans to die than Bush ever did.

You belong to a fascist authoritarian party. Live with it.

[John Thacker]

I did not.

David Frum, now he called anyone who didn't support them "unpatriotic." And yet he's the one running around talking about how Republicans need to get away from economic conservatism as well as social conservatism, and concentrate on just being the War Party.

[John Thacker]

And surely on fiscal policy you can agree that Bush was a moderate Keynesian who supported fiscal stimulus in a downturn-- both tax cuts and spending-- and then slowly reduced the deficit as the economy got better.

[The Late P Brooks]

My knee-slapping point is motivated by this: if the vast herd have not seen the man behind the curtain by now, the likely won't.

The alternative being, of course, that they HAVE seen and approve (my theory).

[The Late P Brooks]

Believe me, I take the serious stuff seriously. But fuck them and their free shit.

Come, come, Nicole, don't worry your pretty little head about those pesky details, just get on board.

THE VAGINA PARTY WANTS YOU

[Groovus Maximus]

OT: Well, folks, my stuff is shipped and I'm both excited and terrified about my next stage in my professional and personal life.

Question to Reasonoids: How should I spend my last day in the US?

[John]

Where are you going? My advice would be to enjoy the land that is America the land of convenience. Go to a restaurant and get real service. Go to a 7-11 and get a giant big gulp. Shit like that.

[nicole just can't even!]

Eating all your favorite foods that will be hard to get over their. Sausage biscuits and gravy? Etc.

Expat-food-sadness is sad. And real.

[Warty]

Drink a shitload of Bud Light and Coors Light and Miller Lite. Drink enough so that, for the rest of your life, when you think of America you get nauseated.

[Ice Nine]

What, you mean Tuesday didn't convince you to give it another chance here?

I presume that you will continue to post here, right?

[NoVAHockey]

gun range! -- i missed where you're headed, but this is likely your last chance. then get a hamburger and a beer at your favorite spot.

[Groovus Maximus]

UKR, and gun range is on the list for this afternoon.

[NoVAHockey]

wow -- that' where my family is originally from (immigrated early 1900s)

[Zeb]

Mine too. 1/4 of it, anyway.

[Citizen Nothing]

Your families are from a gun range? That explains a lot.

[Zeb]

Certainly explains why I keep asking people to repeat themselves.

[Certified Public Asskicker]

Fly to Oklahoma and kick Tony in his vagina.

[Groovus Maximus]

I currently live in OK. If I was a violent person, I would strongly consider it. But, alas, I am not. -)))

[Loki]

If possible, go to DC and take a shit on the white house lawn. Then go find your congresscritter and punch him/ her in the face really hard*, and then cap off your day out by pissing on the IRS' headquarters.

*unless you're lucky enough to actually like your congresscritter.

[db]

Call into a local or national talk radio show and tell them you are a doctor and you are leaving America because you do not want to be a slave to the national health system that is being built.

[The Late P Brooks]

How should I spend my last day in the US?

How far are you from Chicago?

Because I could really benefit from a breathless AP story about how some lunatic pelted the President of the United States with a bag of flaming dog shit.

[nicole just can't even!]

He went back to DC last night, Brooksie. I know because I just missed the motorcades.

[The Late P Brooks]

You know what you have to do, Doktor.

[Loki]

California's new voter-inflicted tax hikes are expected to deliver an economic boon ? to Texas and Arizona.

And the fleeing Californitards will bring the same idiodic politics that ruined California to their new home states, and proceed to ruin them. Fuck Mexican border walls, let's wall off California instead.

[sloopyinca]

Curious: if PR becomes a state, how will that effect Congressional seat allocation? Will they expand the number of overall seats, or will they contract however many PR is getting from other states? And if PR votes for it, I move that we try to get Guam, the USVI and some other territories to have a plebiscite as well and spread some of the influence around. Perhaps we could get the FSP restarted in one of them.

Also, what would happen if another nation "applied" to the US for admission? Is there a policy in place whereby we could/would/may be forced to accept them as a member? What if they worded it as some sort of mass request for asylum?

[Citizen Nothing]

I think they should make PR and USVI join as one state. Not only does it make perfect geographical sense, but the in-fighting and animosity would bring the lulz.

[Citizen Nothing]

I would love to be Supreme Ruler of Vieques.

[sloopyinca]

You could set up your palace at Inn On The Blue.

Wait, is it still there? Jesus, I hope so. I used to love weekends there...and going down to Esperanza and getting all fucked up on Medalla.

[Archduke Pantsfan]

There's ongoing talk about making the Turks and Caicos Islands a Canadian Territory or Province.

[sloopyinca]

^^Third-world problems^^

[Zeb]

Number of reps has been fixed at 435 since 1913, so I guess new states don't add to the number. So that means that some states will lose reps when/if PR becomes a state, which would also be interesting.

The other nation question is interesting. A number of states were briefly independent countries before becoming states, so maybe.

[Gray Ghost]

The other nation question is interesting. A number of states were briefly independent countries before becoming states, so maybe.

Our local paper was mentioning the "secession" word. As a joke, and a way to label those crazy Tea Party folks and militia-types, but still. Texas was a (small) country once; perhaps it could be so again? Not that I want another Civil War, or anything. That would be cosmically funny: a Civil War fought because a state wanted to secede to avoid (debt) slavery.

[robc]

Kurdistan "applied" to be a state back when Nixon was president.

[sloopyinca]

Yes, but IIRC, they were considered a province (or whatever they called them) of the Soviet Union so we couldn't take it seriously.

It's an interesting question to say the least. Perhaps we could get someone like Haiti or the Dominican Republic to make the formal request for the LULZ.

[Tulpa (LAOL-PA)]

Kurdistan != Kazakhstan.

Borat forgive you.

[Tulpa (LAOL-PA)]

I think we should demote California to a commonwealth like PR was, to keep the balance in the Senate.

[Archduke Pantsfan]

I learned that the picture of the hugging Obama's is as of now the most popular picture in the history of the socialmedia. It was sent by Barry's tweetmachine after the announcement from the networks that he had won, with the caption "Four more Years". I was also informed that there was a collective "sense of relief" from the ENTIRE WORLD and HALF the US when he won.

[db]

Question:

Will Obama's second inauguration be a simple affair, signifying his willingness to get down to business and solve problems, or an opulent affair outspending all others in its breadth and celebration of the glorious Imperial Presidency?

Why am I even asking?

[John]

I am involved in the planning. It is going to be even bigger than the last one. It is going to be Obmaa and Michelle getting down with the beautiful set.

Maybe I am naive. But I don't think it will go over very well this time, especially if the economic news continues to be bad. It will be the first real misstep of his first term.

[The Late P Brooks]

If you can't hack it just because a Democrat is in the White House, then you suck at business.

ROWR! GRRRRRRRRRRRR!

Attaboy, Tony.

[db]

Business != handling bureaucratic paperwork to get your crony handout.

At least it shouldn't be.

[The Late P Brooks]

the picture of the hugging Obama's

Did anybody but me see the "Bow down, peasants!" look on the daughter's face when they were walking out onto the stage to receive the Accolades of the Faithful?

[Matrix]

Homeowner arrested after shooting two burglars in his home.

Arrested for being an ex-felon in possession of a gun.

[sloopyinca]

Da law iz da law!

It's his responsibility to have read the ex-felon exemption to the second amendment.

[R C Dean]

Tulpa will approve, I'm sure.

[Tulpa (LAOL-PA)]

There's no mental illness exception written there either.

Do you support letting paranoid schizophrenics walk the streets with guns?

[Tulpa (LAOL-PA)]

Well, as with other gun regulations, better tried by 12 than carried by 6. Assuming he really thought his life/his loved ones' lives were in danger.

I'm torn on whether we should allow violent felons to have guns at home, since the danger of them being used in a crime is much lower so long as the guns stay at home. The problem is making sure they really stay at home once the felon obtains them.

[Pudgeboy]

Election results: 'gimme dats' win big.

[Thelma Lenore]

As a female I am not the least concerned about the war on womyn, I am concerned about Obama's war on energy. There has been nothing vague about his stance in this area or the stance of his appointees in the EPA. Reelecting him means the Keystone Pipeline is dead, more coal plants will be closed and more green boondoggles will be subsidized. Sadly, it also probably means that fracking will be strangled in its crib.

I really believe that Obama doesn't understand the fact that the economy runs on energy. It is the basis of everything, including the vaunted information economy. You would think that the spectacle of no power or gas in lower Manhattan and nearby areas would have been an object lesson. But apparently not.

I guess I sound like a single issue voter, and I guess I am. I want cheap energy so that the economy can recover and I can quit worrying about whether my sons are going to make it.