US Politics, March 2020 — There’s a very good chance you’re not going to die.

Its a world question rather than a US specific question as the same story is playing out in country after country, but how do you stop the right winning elections by posing as insurgents, outsiders, and somehow not in power - running against an 'establishment' that actually isn't in power. Thats how 2020 is shaping up to be. This cake-and-eat-it strategy has yet to fail anywhere in the world (I think?)

^^ Brexit won (at least the 2019 general) by running on the principle that democracy is elitist

The way to stop it here is by declawing the senate and removing the electoral college. Pretty straightforward.

This is the wrong hour for me to start getting caught up in violent fantasies driven by hopelessness

There is a couple of ways to lessen it. 1) have every other party be mean to foreigners. This is morally a bad idea, and only pushes the right-wing parties further right to distinguish themselves again. However, they sometimes go to far and lose support. Otoh, now you have literal nazis in politics... 2) give them power and enough rope to hang themselves with. This has worked in Denmark recently, where the right-wing party got caught up in scandals and semi-corrupt policy decisions. 3) fix the underlying problems. Raise taxes, improve the welfare state. And also, refugees don't like fleeing, so less bombing / letting dictators bomb, and there's less foreigners arriving in the first place.

I'm sure none of you have ever thought of these ideas

well why would we think of something that has worked in denmark recently

give them power and enough rope to hang themselves with.

Aside from the last 40 years?

In the near-term the best hope is that a bunch of billionaires get coronavirus at one of their blood sacrifice orgies.

2) give them power and enough rope to hang themselves with. This has worked in Denmark recently

can we refer you to the UK since 2010, Australia since 2013, and the US since 2001 2017 as a counterpoint

Hey, Denmark 2001-2011 is a counterpoint too. It worked 2011-2015

semi-corrupt policy decisions

without knowing anything about Danish politics at all I'm going to point out that you're obviously wrong here. but I'm going to bed so you've got eight hours to explain how Australia's policy decisions in the last seven years have yet to reach the heights of Denmark's semi-corruptness

The thing I'm talking about is getting unnecessary highways to help traffic near a restaurant owned by a party member, stuff like that. Pork. Made them look like the same as the old guys.

Politicians of both parties do that in the US, it's considered a feature rather than a bug when it's your Senator/Rep/party member. Job creation! See also: the never-ending stream of Hunter Biden coverage we're about to receive.

Meadows?
FUCK

I... guess? Why does anyone care?

I'll take "unexpected silver linings" for $500, Alex.

"Cruz says he shook hands with the CPAC patient, will self quarantine"

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/03/08/coronavirus-live-updates/#link-QCBW4IFSVJEKPOCRDYB2LSXTUU

do your thing 'vid

he's not even 50 sadly

maybe he smokes

JFK says payback's a bitch

Are amphibians susceptible to COVID?

Getting Trump out of the White House would be a gift to the world--for all the arguing that goes on here, I doubt anyone takes issue with that one statement. I think Democrats on TV need to be careful how they talk about the political fallout from coronavirus. Rahm Emanuel was on one of the round-tables this morning, and when he started talking about the eventuality of Trump not being able to hold any of his dumb rallies, he could barely contain his glee. Probably not surprising ("never let a crisis go to waste"). It sounded terrible.

Getting Trump out of the White House would be a gift to the world--for all the arguing that goes on here, I doubt anyone takes issue with that one statement.

challenge accepted :D

is it a gift to finally correct a problem that we created?

i assume the rest of the world sees the US in a way similar to those who have observed trump's lifelong tactic of taking hostages and threatening harm to others and then acting like it's a gift to actually not hurt the other party

cross your fingers

1. I am announcing that I, along with 3 of my senior staff, are officially under self-quarantine after sustained contact at CPAC with a person who has since been hospitalized with the Wuhan Virus. My office will be closed for the week.

— Paul Gosar (@DrPaulGosar) March 9, 2020

HHS Sec. Alex Azar on Fox News: "This is a very serious health problem. Nobody is trying to minimize that."

— Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) March 9, 2020

So last year 37,000 Americans died from the common Flu. It averages between 27,000 and 70,000 per year. Nothing is shut down, life & the economy go on. At this moment there are 546 confirmed cases of CoronaVirus, with 22 deaths. Think about that!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 9, 2020

Fuck, have you guys heard about this common Flu shit?!?

big if true

no one makes a big deal about the flu, who cares about adding another flu on top of the flu, just some more dead people

BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THIS MAN

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/Common_-_Ilosaarirock_2008.jpg

this is good (if expected) news: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/486568-bullock-announces-run-for-montana-senate

Saudi Arabia and Russia are arguing over the price and flow of oil. That, and the Fake News, is the reason for the market drop!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 9, 2020

What a dummy. For the sake of argument, say the idiot is right this time. So what? Doesn't change the direction of the market.

the important thing is that it's someone else's fault

but it would change the most important thing of all - that he's right and that it's not his fault

The emperor is naked but it's the rest of the planet that will catch its death of cold.

xp

lol, exactly. every single time.

Please settle some catastrophising on mine and my partner's part - could Trump suspend the election in November in the face of full Coronageddon, and with control of the Senate could anyone stop him doing so?

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/10/could-a-hurricane-like-sandy-postpone-the-presidential-election/264254/

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/09/us/virus-election-voting.html

people should have to prove they are willing to risk death in order to exercise their right to vote

The emperor is naked

Well, they do say sunlight is the best disinfectant. Now what to do about my imagination is another matter.

urine is also a disinfectant iirc

Ample Purell at the polling place this morning. I may have left even cleaner than I arrived.

bullock-announces-run-for-montana-senate

good, was thinking she hadn't done much since "Bird Box."

could Trump suspend the election in November in the face of full Coronageddon, and with control of the Senate could anyone stop him doing so?

no, this authority is not granted to the Executive by the Constitution

Presidential elections are run by the individual states

If he wanted to hold the election earlier, however, I would fully support that.

How's (checks calendar) tomorrow?

I'd vote for that.

I mean, no one's getting any younger ...