"A black sheriff?!": The Official Topic of Obama and New Era American Politics

[Dickie Dee]

I was reading earlier on my phone while going around visiting - I didn't want to get out of the car until I finished it

[Eric P]

. “So therefore we should give up and burn our passports and stay on this boat forever?” said Goldberg with real exasperation.

The crowd erupted in cheers.

to love america, they must leave it

[Steve Contra]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/15/agenda-21-tea-party_n_1965893.html

This is the first time I've even heard of agenda 21.  The Tea Party falls further into irrelevance.

[Eric P]

http://www.amazon.com/Agenda-21-Glenn-Beck/dp/1476716692

“I was just a baby when we were relocated and I don’t remember much. Everybody has that black hole at the beginning of their life. That time you can’t remember. Your first step. Your first taste of table food. My real memories begin in our assigned living area in Compound 14.”

Just a generation ago, this place was called America. Now, after the worldwide implementation of a UN-led program called Agenda 21, it’s simply known as “the Republic.” There is no president. No Congress. No Supreme Court. No freedom.

There are only the Authorities.

Citizens have two primary goals in the new Republic: to create clean energy and to create new human life. Those who cannot do either are of no use to society. This bleak and barren existence is all that eighteen-year-old Emmeline has ever known. She dutifully walks her energy board daily and accepts all male pairings assigned to her by the Authorities. Like most citizens, she keeps her head down and her eyes closed.

Until the day they come for her mother.

“You save what you think you’re going to lose.”

Woken up to the harsh reality of her life and her family’s future inside the Republic, Emmeline begins to search for the truth. Why are all citizens confined to ubiquitous concrete living spaces? Why are Compounds guarded by Gatekeepers who track all movements? Why are food, water and energy rationed so strictly? And, most important, why are babies taken from their mothers at birth? As Emmeline begins to understand the true objectives of Agenda 21 she realizes that she is up against far more than she ever thought. With the Authorities closing in, and nowhere to run, Emmeline embarks on an audacious plan to save her family and expose the Republic—but is she already too late?

uh didn't see that there's an excerpt of chapter one at the bottom of the sales listing

[Great Rumbler]

There's really no limit on the insanity of the Tea Party.

[Vertigo]

  At the Amazon comments on that Glenn Beck book.

[Joe Molotov]

Glenn Beck doubling up on that Tea Party money and Hunger Games money. Cha-ching, baby! 

[Joe Molotov]

“We kept animals on the farm,” she said.

Imagine that! Keeping animals! At every Social Update Meeting they remind us that animals are sacred and belong to the Earth, not to people. Animals are protected. We have to recite, in unison, the Pledge of Animals.

I pledge allegiance to the Earth and to the sacred rights of the Earth and to the Animals of the Earth.

 

[Great Rumbler]

Glenn Beck is only the third-best Mormon writer, unfortunately.

[Mandark]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/15/agenda-21-tea-party_n_1965893.html

This is the first time I've even heard of agenda 21.  The Tea Party falls further into irrelevance.

Someone make a list of all the various UN conspiracies to usurp our bodily fluids sovereignty.  There's the Law of the Sea, the small arms trade treaty, climate (of course), Millennium Development Goals, Agenda 21, and now disabled rights.  Am I missing anything?

Look at me, I'm like a hipster for rightwing paranoia.  Lemme tell you all about the next big thing they're going to be irrationally afraid of...

spoiler (click to show/hide)

black people still

[close]

[Van Cruncheon]

[Steve Contra]

 

[ToxicAdam]

If it wasn't them it would be someone else. Senators aren't going to give up their power. They're probably just willing to take the fall because their seats are (relatively) safe.

[Phoenix Dark]

Kentucky native Danny Hafley has sparked controversy after he erected a statue of President Barack Obama near his house depicting the nation’s first black president eating watermelon. When asked to defend his artistic choices, Hafley replied that the 44th President of the United States “might get hungry standing out here.”

http://www.mediaite.com/online/kentucky-man-defends-racially-inflammatory-statue-of-obama-eating-watermelon-he-might-get-hungry/

I can't even hate. It's just reached that level where you can't even get offended/mad 

[Mandark]

The Senate's been very frustrating to follow the last few years, but the filibuster cuts both ways.  Removing bottlenecks means making it easier for bad bills to pass (or less compromise being needed to pass them) along with the good bills.  So the door would be a little bit more open for stuff like SOPA/PIPA and SS/Medicare privatization.

[Eric P]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/15/agenda-21-tea-party_n_1965893.html

This is the first time I've even heard of agenda 21.  The Tea Party falls further into irrelevance.

Someone make a list of all the various UN conspiracies to usurp our bodily fluids sovereignty.  There's the Law of the Sea, the small arms trade treaty, climate (of course), Millennium Development Goals, Agenda 21, and now disabled rights.  Am I missing anything?

Look at me, I'm like a hipster for rightwing paranoia.  Lemme tell you all about the next big thing they're going to be irrationally afraid of...

spoiler (click to show/hide)

black people still

[close]

http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2012/12/27/dairy_cliff_and_the_plot_against_the_white_race.html

As you may have heard, part of the fiscal cliff pileup is that in the absence of a new farm bill we're facing a "dairy cliff" in which the farm subsidy scheme will revert to a 1949 law establishing a minimum price for dairy products and likely leading to a near-doubling of milk prices. As an American with limited tolerance for lactose, I wasn't so concerned about this. But Erik Loomis offers some remarks from Herbert Hoover that casts the whole affair in a more nefarious light.

From the June 1922 edition of Dairy World:

    In its broad aspects, the proper feeding of children revolves around a public recognition of the interdependence of the human animal upon his cattle. The white race cannot survive without dairy products.

Dinesh D'Souza warned us.

[Eric P]

i love / hate The Transom because it brings me wonderful things like this to read.

http://www.newgeography.com/content/003361-is-americas-future-progressive

Progressives may be a lot less religious  than conservatives, but these days they have reason to think that Providence– or Gaia — has taken on a bluish hue.

From the solid re-election of President Obama, to a host of demographic and social trends, the progressives seem poised to achieve what Ruy Texeira predicted a decade ago:  an “emerging Democratic majority”.

Virtually all the groups that backed Obama — singles, millennials, Hispanics, Asians — are all growing bigger while many of the core Republican groups, such as evangelicals  and intact families, appear in secular decline.

And then, the Republicans, ham handed themselves, are virtually voiceless (outside of the Murdoch empire) in the mainstream national media.

Whatever the issue that comes up — from Hurricane Sandy to the Newtown shootings or the “fiscal cliffs” — the Republicans, congenitally inept to start with, end up being portrayed as even more oafish.

Not surprising then that progressive boosters feel the wind of inexorability to their backs. Red states, and cities, suggests Richard Florida are simply immature versions of blue state ones; progress means density, urbanity, apartment living and the decline of suburbs. Republicans, he argues, are “at odds with the very logic of urbanism and economic development.”

Yet I am not sure all trends are irredeemingly progressive. For one thing, there’s this little matter of economics. What Florida and the urban boosters often predict means something less progressive than feudalist. The Holy Places of urbanism such as NewYork, San Francisco, Washington DC also suffer some of the worst income inequality, and poverty, of any places in the country.

The now triumphant urban gentry have their townhouses and high-rise lofts, but the service workers who do their dirty work have to log their way by bus or car from the vast American banlieues, either in peripheral parts of the city (think of Brooklyn’s impoverished fringes) or the poorer close-in suburbs. This progressive economy works from the well-placed academics, the trustfunders and hedge funders, but produces little opportunity for a better life for the vast majority of the middle and working class.

this is certainly stuff which is worth discussing, but jesus, it's like being cornered by this face at a party

[Barry Egan]

it kind of reads like an Evilbore post.   

[Phoenix Dark]

I just want to make it harder to abuse the filibuster. That being said I'm not concerned about the consequences of it being completely removed. People get the government they vote for, as Michigan is learning. A 51 majority would indeed lead to bad bills being passed, and I think that would benefit democracy more than obstruction. Voting would be more important to people if it constantly impacted their livlihood; now people only pay attention to major changes, like Obamacare or Bush's social security pivitization attempt.

It would also make vetoes more prominent

[Mandark]

Replace "pay attention to" with "freak the fuck out about" and "major changes" to "perceived threats to old people's benefits" and I'm with you.

Personally, I'm at the point where I don't think any procedural change is going to have a very noticeable effect on the breadth or depth of political participation.

[Human Snorenado]

The reason filibuster reform doesn't matter is that the House is currently controlled by a bunch of lunatics.

[Phoenix Dark]

Yup, freaked out indeed. It would be a disaster for many people...and convince them to get active for once. Initially I thought Snyder would get away with right-to-work but he's looking fucked right now. I think Scott Walker survived the recall because 1) people didn't like the concept of recalling him, even if they disliked him 2) Wisconsin's economy wasn't bad. Here the recall petitionion failed to get off the ground ages ago, but the economy is bad. If things improve...maybe voters will forgive him. If not then he's done.

That's how it should be. Presidents, governors etc  pushing through major changes, people deciding in mass whether they agree or not. Although I kind of wish governor and senate terms were four years instead of six

[Mandark]

Then you'd probably have Secretary of State Susan Rice.

But you also might have had Supreme Court Justice Miguel Estrada and confirmed UN Ambassador John Bolton.

[Great Rumbler]

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/filibuster-reform-champions-say-democrats-have-51-votes

[ToxicAdam]

Oh, we've seen this before in the Senate. "I've got the votes" proclamation that actually never produces a proper vote.

A kin to the dreaded GM's 'vote of confidence' in a sports coach.

[Phoenix Dark]

I'll believe it when it happens. Just watch, dems will be picked off by McCain's "bipartisan" solution. Remember the last McCain solution to the filibuster, the Gang Of 12? Thank the lord McCain saved us from from a future of court nominees being obstructed into oblivion!

[Great Rumbler]

lol Fox News:

Bikers Turn Out to Protect Newtown Mourners from Left-Wing Westboro Cult

http://nation.foxnews.com/connecticut-elementary-school-shooting/2012/12/20/bikers-turn-out-protect-newtown-mourners-westboro-baptist-church

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

Hey man, Fred Phelps was in tight with Al Gore.

Phelps remained prominent in state and local politics, working for years as a major organizer for the state's Democratic Party. (He still calls himself a Democrat, refusing to change just because his party has.) In 1988, Phelps housed campaign workers for Al Gore's first presidential run; in 1989, his eldest son, Fred Jr., hosted a fundraiser for Gore's Senate campaign at his home.

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/1999/03/man-who-loves-hate

[Great Rumbler]

The proof is OVERWHELMING.

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

Yeah I used to get a lot of Republican chain e-mails back in the day and any time a Westboro protest took place, I got a bunch of "Fred Phelps is actually a Democrat!" stuff.  Not surprising Fox News would reach out to the chain e-mail set.

[Phoenix Dark]

edit: fuck 

[Positive Touch]

 

[brawndolicious]

I don't watch TV channels often but I'm at my parent's house watching CNBC, Rick Santelli is nearly rabid dog crazy. Has cable news changed in the last few years?

[Steve Contra]

I just realized something. There are a lot of people, some of whom hold elected office, who believe that raising the debt ceiling is exactly like requesting a credit line increase when you've maxed out a credit card.

Holy shit, it all makes sense now.

You just realized this?  Years and years of bad analogies about the world's largest economies debt being the same as a single household didn't drill this into your head?

[benjipwns]

Rick Santelli is nearly rabid dog crazy. Has cable news changed in the last few years?

This was nearly four years ago.

[Steve Contra]

I'm pretty sure with minimal effort I could find no less than 50 (no exaggeration) editorials from the Wall Street Journal in the past say, 10 years, from people respected on the right that boil down to "when things were tight at my house, we cut back" in regards to a country of 300 million people that is the lynchpin of the world economy. 

So in their minds, the Republican House members opposing an increase in the debt ceiling are like the responsible parents of a college student who refuse to bail their child out after said child maxes out his/her first credit card. Because there comes a time when someone has to say enough is enough, after all.

See, you've got it!  Just put a few folksy sayings in there and you're well on your way.

[Steve Contra]

Also mention something your grandfather said, because that's relevant.

[Joe Molotov]

"If I can't balance my check book every month, why can't the government?"

[Steve Contra]

"If I can't balance my check book every month, why can't the government?"

"First I have to get new brakes, and now I have to go to war with Germany?  Hopefully I get some overtime this week."

[Great Rumbler]

So in their minds, the Republican House members opposing an increase in the debt ceiling are like the responsible parents of a college student who refuse to bail their child out after said child maxes out his/her first credit card. Because there comes a time when someone has to say enough is enough, after all.

See, you've got it!  Just put a few folksy sayings in there and you're well on your way.

And make sure to mention China at least three or four times, despite the fact that they own less than 10% of the federal government's total debt.

[Joe Molotov]

"I hope my social security check came today."

[Steve Contra]

I remember telling a friend that yes, people go into debt all the time for more money than they make all the time when he brought up credit card debt.  It's called a "mortgage".  I don't think he understood what I was getting at.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

That the analogy is fucking stupid no matter how you frame it

[close]

[AdmiralViscen]

"If I can't balance my check book every month, why can't the government?"

"First I have to get new brakes, and now I have to go to war with Germany?  Hopefully I get some overtime this week."

 

[Phoenix Dark]

Obama officially reaches 51% as the final election results continue to come in
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/lv?key=0AjYj9mXElO_QdHpla01oWE1jOFZRbnhJZkZpVFNKeVE&f=true&noheader=true&gid=19

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

Obama officially reaches 51% as the final election results continue to come in
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/lv?key=0AjYj9mXElO_QdHpla01oWE1jOFZRbnhJZkZpVFNKeVE&f=true&noheader=true&gid=19

Interesting that most of the states that went for Romney saw an overall reduction in popular vote in 2012 vs. 2008.  Does this mean people were overall less enthusiastic for Romney than John McCain?  Is it maybe that in a lot of red states that the population may be stagnating or shrinking?

[Phoenix Dark]

Obama officially reaches 51% as the final election results continue to come in
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/lv?key=0AjYj9mXElO_QdHpla01oWE1jOFZRbnhJZkZpVFNKeVE&f=true&noheader=true&gid=19

Interesting that most of the states that went for Romney saw an overall reduction in popular vote in 2012 vs. 2008.  Does this mean people were overall less enthusiastic for Romney than John McCain?  Is it maybe that in a lot of red states that the population may be stagnating or shrinking?

I think so. Plus shifting demographics (fewer white people voting) and a smaller electorate; I think Romney did worse among nearly every demographic than McCain did. Truly a horrible candidate. Sure republicans were excited...but there weren't enough of them.

[Mandark]

Well, state population shifts have tended to boost red states recently: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_United_States_Census#2012_election

And Romney did better in most demographics than McCain*: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/politics/2012-exit-polls/index.html#United-States

The boring answer is there's probably a lot of factors.  Swing states, where the campaigns focused their GOTV efforts, had higher turnouts.  The states with gay marriage ballot initiatives had higher turnout, and Colorado went nuts for weed.  Utah was up and Alaska down for obvious reasons.  etc.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

*Which should be obvious because McCain lost by twice the margin that Romney did.  C'mon man, think!

[close]

[Phoenix Dark]

speaking of demographics

[Mandark]

Why is there a cartoon of a black guy with DBZ hair spanking the brat from Rugrats?  I can't watch this.

[Steve Contra]

Yeah, that's as far as I got.

[Mandark]

I tried again.  When he said "race card" I thought he was saying "racecar."


"The Democrats have used Obama's ethnicity as a racecar, and they use this racecar like a credit card, and this credit card is way past its limit!"

[Great Rumbler]

Republican have already done a pretty good job of raising the sexist card without much help from Democrats.

[Joe Molotov]

I tried again.  When he said "race card" I thought he was saying "racecar."


"The Democrats have used Obama's ethnicity as a racecar, and they use this racecar like a credit card, and this credit card is way past its limit!"

It almost makes too much sense. Obama's policies are like a racecar in that they can only take left turns, and they send this country closer and closer towards a fiery explosion.

[Oblivion]

lol, I thought that video was made by some random dude on the intranets. It was actually "professionally" done by PJ media.

[Joe Molotov]

Wait, he has an audiobook called "Weapon of Ass Destruction"?

[Great Rumbler]

So, apparently we're close to getting a deal done because the Republican know that they have zero leverage and have finally admitted it.

[TakingBackSunday]

boo, go over dat cliff

[Human Snorenado]

So, apparently we're close to getting a deal done because the Republican know that they have zero leverage and have finally admitted it.

That's just Senate republicans, though.  The negotiations currently happening are with Reid and McConnell.  Once they agree to something, it has to get enough support to pass the House, which is populated with wild eyed lunatics who think Red Dawn is real and that Obama is Satan.  Good luck with that, we're going over the cliff.

[Joe Molotov]

Oh my, it seems the reason we haven't reached a deal yet is that Barrack Obama wants to take Social Security away from starving grannies and the Republicans are valiantly fighting to protect it!

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/31/instant-backstabbing/?smid=tw-NytimesKrugman&seid=auto

[ToxicAdam]

I think the only thing holding this deal back are those in the House that want to see Boehner embarrassed and dethroned. It's less about denying what Obama wants and more about gaining more control over the House.