US Midterm Elections - Republicans Now Controls Both Senate and House

[Tortorella's Rant]

You make a great point, then ruin it with the bold.

A lot of the flak he gets is because he's black. Like Jan Brewer sticking her finger right in his face after he got off Air Force One. You would never see that with a white president even if he was the top douchebag of doucherland.

[Mr. Ambien]

A lot of the flak he gets is because he's black. Like Jan Brewer sticking her finger right in his face after he got off Air Force One. You would never see that with a white president even if he was the top douchebag of doucherland.

Why then is there the headlines about the last white Congressional Democrat in the deep south getting the boot?

What about all the vitriol against Kerry during the 2004 elections? He's not black. What about Clinton? I bet it's because she's a woman, right, and Republicans are also misogynists.

Are deep south Republicans gonna bail now that there's a Republican black woman House Rep and black Senator?

This is all superficial distraction politics, race is hardly an issue at all anymore as far as elections go. So long as liberals can play this card, Democrats can psychologically use it against blacks to try and con them into voting for their party.

[inane]

You're delusional if you think race doesn't play a role.

[Mr. Ambien]

You're delusional if you think race doesn't play a role.

You're delusional if you think that's all people vote for.

[skolozsy2]

You're delusional if you think race doesn't play a role.

Do you have any criticism of Obama's actions as President? Probably so. Would it be delusional to think race doesnt play a role in your criticism?

[skolozsy2]

A lot of the flak he gets is because he's black. Like Jan Brewer sticking her finger right in his face after he got off Air Force One. You would never see that with a white president even if he was the top douchebag of doucherland.

You mean like a shoe being thrown at Bush while he's on stage giving a speech?

[etsen3]

The reporter was saying you tell American's about improving access to medical care, and making it more affordable and accessable. Everyone wants it. Call it Obamacare, and everyone loathes it. Groups like the NRA paint Obama as a huge threat. Yet Bush makes the Patriot Act which destroys due process, and requirements for a judge to decide on things like wiretapping. That's ok apparently to take away people's rights. Has Obama made any moves to put in gun control? Nope. Yet the NRA and it's members crucify him every chance they get.

I'm sure there are plenty of people that hate him because he's black. At the same time, many of the more progressive people that have voted for him have been disappointed as well. For example, you mentioned the Patriot Act. It's a terrible law for sure, one that Obama was against early in his career. So did he get rid of it, or strip it down when he became president? No, he extended it and allowed spying by the NSA on millions of citizens. He also brought in the NDAA Act, which allows indefinite detention. He's cracked down on whistleblowers, he's given billions of dollars to corporations who don't deserve it, spent billions on war, etc. In fact, right wingers should be happy that Obama has become more and more Bush-like ever since he's become president.

Of course, voting for the Republicans won't do any good as they are just as bad, likely even worse. What's happening in the US seems like this: you go to McDonald's and order a Big Mac. It turns out to be too unhealthy, so you order a large fries. But that's unhealthy too, so you order a Big Mac again. Oh no, nothing's changed. Time to order a large fries again.

[Tortorella's Rant]

Why then is there the headlines about the last white Congressional Democrat in the deep south getting the boot?

What about all the vitriol against Kerry during the 2004 elections? He's not black. What about Clinton? I bet it's because she's a woman, right, and Republicans are also misogynists.

Are deep south Republicans gonna bail now that there's a Republican black woman House Rep and black Senator?

This is all superficial distraction politics, race is hardly an issue at all anymore as far as elections go. So long as liberals can play this card, Democrats can psychologically use it against blacks to try and con them into voting for their party.

Because the south is generally red? Tell me more about this vitriol. It's certainly easier to hate Obama because he is black. Lets make it clear right now that not all Republicans are racist. However, I can find numerous examples of Republican racism and racist remarks directed at Obama himself. Some Republicans, at least, are racist assholes, or just assholes in general. Republicans come from American homes and American families which reside in racist cultures and societies deeply routed with a racist history, who are voted into office by these same racist assholes that they grew up with. So to not conclude at least some of the flak he receives isn't because he's black is just stupid. There's a reason Fox poster boys are racist assholes like Cliven Bundy, Ted Nugent, George Zimmerman; because this sort of garbage appeals to the douchebags who follow Fox.

[Tortorella's Rant]

You mean like a shoe being thrown at Bush while he's on stage giving a speech?

Maybe. I think it has more to do with the fact the US just murdered over 200,000 of his (shoe thrower) countrymen in an arguably illegal war.

[Mr. Ambien]

I'm sure there are plenty of people that hate him because he's black. At the same time, many of the more progressive people that have voted for him have been disappointed as well. For example, you mentioned the Patriot Act. It's a terrible law for sure, one that Obama was against early in his career. So did he get rid of it, or strip it down when he became president? No, he extended it and allowed spying by the NSA on millions of citizens. He also brought in the NDAA Act, which allows indefinite detention. He's cracked down on whistleblowers, he's given billions of dollars to corporations who don't deserve it, spent billions on war, etc. In fact, right wingers should be happy that Obama has become more and more Bush-like ever since he's become president.

Of course, voting for the Republicans won't do any good as they are just as bad, likely even worse. What's happening in the US seems like this: you go to McDonald's and order a Big Mac. It turns out to be too unhealthy, so you order a large fries. But that's unhealthy too, so you order a Big Mac again. Oh no, nothing's changed. Time to order a large fries again.

I would suggest TR, inane, etc. read this post.

Because the south is generally red? Tell me more about this vitriol. It's certainly easier to hate Obama because he is black. Lets make it clear right now that not all Republicans are racist. However, I can find numerous examples of Republican racism and racist remarks directed at Obama himself. Some Republicans, at least, are racist assholes, or just assholes in general. Republicans come from American homes and American families which reside in racist cultures and societies deeply routed with a racist history, who are voted into office by these same racist assholes that they grew up with. So to not conclude at least some of the flak he receives isn't because he's black is just stupid. There's a reason Fox poster boys are racist assholes like Cliven Bundy, Ted Nugent, George Zimmerman; because this sort of garbage appeals to the douchebags who follow Fox.

Usually I see smarter posts from you, right now I wonder if you realize how much you sound like a stereotypical Democrat.. the hopeless variety, like freebuddy.

Blah blah FOX News..

Blah blah racist...

Blah blah Nugent/Zimmerman/Rush/Koch Brothers/corporations..

You're ignoring that many of the people that are turning on Obama now voted for him. I guess there's some political reason you can't acknowledge the factors that would cause them to do so, without presuming race?

[skolozsy2]

I'm sure there are plenty of people that hate him because he's black. At the same time, many of the more progressive people that have voted for him have been disappointed as well. For example, you mentioned the Patriot Act. It's a terrible law for sure, one that Obama was against early in his career. So did he get rid of it, or strip it down when he became president? No, he extended it and allowed spying by the NSA on millions of citizens. He also brought in the NDAA Act, which allows indefinite detention. He's cracked down on whistleblowers, he's given billions of dollars to corporations who don't deserve it, spent billions on war, etc. In fact, right wingers should be happy that Obama has become more and more Bush-like ever since he's become president.

Of course, voting for the Republicans won't do any good as they are just as bad, likely even worse. What's happening in the US seems like this: you go to McDonald's and order a Big Mac. It turns out to be too unhealthy, so you order a large fries. But that's unhealthy too, so you order a Big Mac again. Oh no, nothing's changed. Time to order a large fries again.

Well said.

[Mr. Ambien]

What's depressing to me is how people didn't see Obama caving to his promises even before he was elected. As soon as the Democrat race was theoretically down to him and Hillary (when most of the other Democrats dropped out), he was already deciding he wanted the Presidential powers he previously didn't want Bush having, when he was a state or federal Senator. He already decided he was going to vouch for the NSA, AT&T, and Verizon as President, it should have been no surprise he signed that retroactive immunity bill and Patriot Act extensions, when he was partying with AT&T who sponsored the '08 Denver Democratic National Convention, and completely did a 180 on his domestic policies concerning government powers well before he was even elected.

I considered Obama up until I saw these things, then I shtcanned the idea. I consider anyone that seems like they have a more "independent" mindset rather than the collective "party" mindset -- those are the most blatant people that are going to frack things up the most. That's also why I briefly considered Kucinich in 2004.

So despite the growingly blatant signs, people decide to cater to the cult party mindset and not only ignore, or blindly defend, Obama's change of heart, but then call people racist because they oppose him. And thus why ~ 40-48% of the Democrat electorate is as stupid as the ~ 40-48% of the Republican electorate, and thus why the USA as a whole is hopeless. I often consider myself a hopeless optimist, but as far as US politics are concerned, I'm hopelessly a cynic, and if you read posts here, you should be able to decipher why. It also tells me, given some of these posters are also Canadian, that we won't be too far behind the US when the s*** hits the fan.

(it should also come as no surprise that on every forum I debate US politics on, the people who had nicely agreed with me when I slammed Bush throughout last decade, have, in slanderous fashion, been completely on the opposite end since Obama, and we've fought endlessly -- it's funny how quickly people change depending who's in power, and suddenly they get political amnesia and defend things they would otherwise never defend if it were the "other" party's person in power)

[inane]

You're delusional if you think that's all people vote for.

I never said that.

You said

race is hardly an issue at all anymore as far as elections go

I think that's naive and delusional.

[ManUtd]

Man, how would Canadians feel good about themselves if they didn't have the USA to look down upon?

P.S. Were just as fat and stupid. Maybe less on the latter, but easily more on the former.

Well if you were trying to prove your point with this statement it's a rousing success. Your response to TOML implied that you think that we're dumber than Americans but you actually said we're fatter. You seem to have somehow flipped the meaning of former and latter based on which one you said more recently rather than the actual order they were mentioned.

[Mr. Ambien]

I never said that.

You said

I think that's naive and delusional.

Except you said:

You're delusional if you think race doesn't play a role.

.. which is not what I said. So I countered your ridiculous straw man with one of my own. If you want a serious debate, you'd not use them.

[SabreFan1]

People here in the US complain about war, but then they vote in a new Senate that is already beating the war drums with John McCain front and center.

On top of that, the first thing that they plan on doing is to get rid of the limits on the Pentagon budget.

I wonder how fast Obama is going to wuss out and cave into their demands.

Haliburton is wetting it's corporate pants in excitement right now.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/11/05/republican-hawks-already-have-a-war-plan-for-isis-ukraine-and-obama.html

[inane]

Except you said:

.. which is not what I said. So I countered your ridiculous straw man with one of my own. If you want a serious debate, you'd not use them.

So your quibble here is that I omitted the word hardly? OK, I think it's naive and ridiculous that you think race hardly plays a role in elections anymore. I simply made a comment about yours. Nothing more, nothing less. Own it. Tell me why race hardly plays a role in elections anymore rather than whinge about semantics.

[Mr. Ambien]

So your quibble here is that I omitted the word hardly? OK, I think it's naive and ridiculous that you think race hardly plays a role in elections anymore. I simply made a comment about yours. Nothing more, nothing less. Own it. Tell me why race hardly plays a role in elections anymore rather than whinge about semantics.

If race was any significant role Barack Obama would not have been elected President at all.. twice. Enjoy your race bait "whinging", and let me know when you return to 2014 from the Jim Crow era, mk?

[freebuddy]

Minimum Wage Raise Passes In Four GOP States

Nov 5, 2014 12:59 pm

Voters in four red states approved ballot initiatives to raise their state minimum wages on Tuesday, sending another message to Washington that Americans support a higher wage floor.

Binding minimum wage referendums were on the ballot in Arkansas, Nebraska, Alaska and South Dakota on Tuesday, with polls suggesting ahead of election day that all would pass.

Arkansas voters approved their initiative by a 65-to-35 margin, according to early returns. The measure will increase the minimum wage incrementally to $8.50 per hour by 2017. Nebraska voters, meanwhile, approved their initiative, which will raise the minimum wage to $9 by 2016, by a 62-to-38 margin.

Alaskans voted by a 69-to-31 margin to raise their minimum wage from $7.75 to $9.75 an hour by 2016, and then peg it to an inflation index so that it rises with the cost of living. South Dakota voted 55-45 to raise their minimum wage from $7.25 to $8.50 next year. It will also be indexed thereafter.

The federal minimum wage is just $7.25 per hour and hasn't been raised since 2009, though states have the option of setting their own minimum wages instead. Arkansas and Nebraska will now join 24 other states that are slated to have a higher wage floor than the federal level next year.

Raising the minimum wage is extremely popular among Americans, with 70 percent of respondents to a recent poll saying they back the idea. That support tends to cross party lines, even if Democrats are more enthusiastic about the idea than Republicans.

Supporting minimum wage increases became so fashionable during this midterm election season that even some Republican candidates got behind the ballot initiatives. After discouraging such a raise earlier this year, Dan Sullivan, the Republican challenger to Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska), eventually said that he would vote in favor of the Alaska measure. Rep. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), who unseated Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) on Tuesday, slowly came around to say he would do the same for the initiative in Arkansas.

Given the broad public support, progressive and labor groups in recent years have made a point of putting minimum wage referendums on the ballot at the state and city level. By going to the ballot box, minimum wage backers are able to bypass reluctant state legislatures, particularly those led by Republicans, and put the vote to what is often a more sympathetic audience.

Recent polls in Arkansas, Alaska and South Dakota all showed support for the minimum wage ballot measures, even though the legislatures in those states are GOP-controlled. Nebraska, though solidly red, does not formally recognize state lawmakers' party affiliation.

Minimum wage increases have been a bright spot for organized labor recently, as unions -- and the Service Employees International Union in particular -- have spearheaded the campaign to raise wages in fast food and retail. Low-wage worker strikes have gained national attention.

President Barack Obama has cited the fast-food strikes in calling on Congress to hike the federal minimum wage. Democrats in both chambers have proposed raising the wage to $10.10 per hour and tying it to an inflation index. House Republicans, however, haven't brought the measure up for a vote, and Senate Democrats haven't rounded up enough votes to overcome a GOP filibuster.

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/6095458

[Brick Tamland]

Lame duck Bush followed by lame duck Obama. A trillion in debt, no real way to change it. They will invade Canada and destroy our resources for profit. Tinfoil hat?