US Politics Thread |OT| THE DARKEST TIMELINE

[Joe Molotov]

Ron Paul has always been very proactive in making sure other people can't publish questionable material under his name.

The Free Market worketh in mysterious ways.

[Joe Molotov]

http://stockman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/ted-nugent-to-join-stockman-at-state-of-the-union

Stockman will also be unveiling this week The Obama Failometer, a ten-foot-long billboard that will objectively measure the failure of Obama’s economic policies.  The Obama Failometer tracks four monthly economic indicators from the Bureau of Labor Statistics; jobs created, civilian labor force participation rate and black and Hispanic unemployment.  The figures are mathematically weighted to provide a measurement, on a scale from 1 to 1000, of just how badly Obama’s economic policies are failing.  The inaugural Monthly Obama Failometer Score is an off-the-charts 1,179.

Texas

[Phoenix Dark]

Just when I thought I was finished (recently defeated Joe Walsh, Allen West), they pull me back in

[TakingBackSunday]

http://stockman.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/ted-nugent-to-join-stockman-at-state-of-the-union

Stockman will also be unveiling this week The Obama Failometer, a ten-foot-long billboard that will objectively measure the failure of Obama’s economic policies.  The Obama Failometer tracks four monthly economic indicators from the Bureau of Labor Statistics; jobs created, civilian labor force participation rate and black and Hispanic unemployment.  The figures are mathematically weighted to provide a measurement, on a scale from 1 to 1000, of just how badly Obama’s economic policies are failing.  The inaugural Monthly Obama Failometer Score is an off-the-charts 1,179.

Texas

what the fucking fuck

[Howard Alan Treesong]

someone needs to recalibrate their scale

[Mandark]

I like that they're pretending to care about blacks and Hispanics.

[Joe Molotov]

someone needs to recalibrate their scale

It's like they didn't even watch Spinal Tap. You're supposed to start at 10 and then go to 11. You can't just start at 11, that defeats the whole purpose.

[Howard Alan Treesong]

I like that they're pretending to care about blacks and Hispanics.

well, we don't know how he weighted that data

[Great Rumbler]

#foxnews

spoiler (click to show/hide)

[close]

[Brehvolution]

 
Even at 300% growth, we would still be outspending them both.

[TakingBackSunday]

fuck these republicans not clapping at science findings and fundings

[AdmiralViscen]

Or the right to vote

[Phoenix Dark]

[TakingBackSunday]

Rubio is a fucking clown.  This is the dude who is supposed to be the Republican Obama?  lol

[Phoenix Dark]

[drew]

nicca straight up looks like a fish. ain't nobody got time for that.

[TakingBackSunday]

#watergate

[Great Rumbler]

*GULP*

[Barry Egan]

Completely ignoring policy, Rubios performance wasn't that bad.  It would be hard, first of all, to look good after Mr. Obama no matter what.  He was way better than some of his predecessors, and the bar for Republican oratory simply isn't that high to begin with (I will admit that grabbing the water was a little awkward). 

That being said, I really hope Clinton has a folder filled with recent PPP polling and CSPAN on the telly, and I hope she's laughing maniacally right now. 

[AdmiralViscen]

Looking forward to Rand Paul ripping ass during next year's response.

[Phoenix Dark]

He's not a bad speaker, and certainly is better than McCain and Romney (and Paul Ryan). The problem was that his speech was almost entirely a laundry list of GOP ideology that was roundly rejected in November; he was re-litigating an already lost fight. I thought he would spend more time talking about himself, and give a basic "government is good but can't do everything" spiel to appeal to regular people. Basically, a republican version of Obama's 2004 speech. Instead he went full distinguished mentally-challenged fellow

[Human Snorenado]

Pretty much the only way Rubio could have gotten me to give the GOP any props was to, instead of delivering a speech, do a Harlem Shake video.

[Joe Molotov]

Pretty much the only way Rubio could have gotten me to give the GOP any props was to, instead of delivering a speech, do a Harlem Shake video.

And then the music drops and boom, John McCain and Lindsay Graham. Youth and urban vote secured, Hillary annihilated.

[Phoenix Dark]

Rubio is already close to securing my vote, after his intelligent explanation for why 2pac>Biggie

[HyperZoneWasAwesome]

I'll say this about Rand Paul, at least his voice isn't as annoying as his dad's.

[Dickie Dee]

I'll say this about Rand Paul, at least his voice isn't as annoying as his dad's.

For the first time in history, men and women were guaranteed a chance to succeed based NOT on who your parents were but on your own initiative and desire to work….

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

Rubio is already close to securing my vote, after his intelligent explanation for why 2pac>Biggie

Anyone who says Biggie > 2pac is already suspect in my mind.

He's not a bad speaker, and certainly is better than McCain and Romney (and Paul Ryan). The problem was that his speech was almost entirely a laundry list of GOP ideology that was roundly rejected in November; he was re-litigating an already lost fight. I thought he would spend more time talking about himself, and give a basic "government is good but can't do everything" spiel to appeal to regular people. Basically, a republican version of Obama's 2004 speech. Instead he went full distinguished mentally-challenged fellow

I wonder if they're going to keep beating that drum because they're expecting (hoping) for another recession during the second term.  Then they can say "See?" and hope that is good enough to secure a victory.

[TakingBackSunday]

Can anyone provide empirical data that shows that raising the minimum wage would make goods and services more expensive?  Someone is arguing that on my Facebook and I think it makes sense theoretically, but it just sounds like an endless boogeyman circulated by companies to avoid the issue of wage increases.

Also, this shit should just be adjusted for inflation.  The fact that Minnesota is still like 6 and half bucks an hour in this day and age is almost criminal.

[Great Rumbler]

Can anyone provide empirical data that shows that raising the minimum wage would make goods and services more expensive?

See if you can make something of this:

The results for fast food, food services, retail, and low-wage establishments in San Francisco and Santa Fe support the view that a citywide minimum wages can raise the earnings of low-wage workers, without a discernible impact on their employment. Moreover, the lack of an employment response held for three full years after the implementation of the measures, allaying concerns that the shorter time periods examined in some of the earlier research on the minimum wage was not long enough to capture the true disemployment effects.

Our estimated employment responses generally cluster near zero, and are more likely to be positive than negative. Few of our point estimates are precise enough to rule out either positive or negative employment effects, but statistically significant positive employment responses outnumber statistically significant negative elasticities.

Not really what you're looking for, I guess, but that's all I've really seen today.

[TakingBackSunday]

That's basically what I thought.  It seems there's really no strong evidence that underlines the claim that goods and services will increase, and moreover, a higher wage realistically should have little affect on an employer in regards to cost, as long as they follow a sensible business plan.

[Phoenix Dark]

 The Review of Economics and Statistics did a pretty big study on it, which I've brought up many times in business classes to the disdain of conservative classmates. Matty Y with the run down
http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2013/02/13/minimum_wage_research_the_case_for_a_higher_minimum_wage.html

[Human Snorenado]

I'm almost around to Puddles' way of thinking...

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/harry-reid-files-for-cloture-on-hagel-nomination?ref=fpb

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) filed for cloture on the nomination of Chuck Hagel as the secretary of defense on Wednesday, saying it was the first time in history that such a nomination faced a filibuster.

"What a shame," Reid said on the Senate floor. "But, that's the way it is."

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

[Great Rumbler]

Surely everyone in the Democratic party has learned by now not to trust the Republican party to be civil, but I guess not.

[AdmiralViscen]

If only there was a way to prevent this

ohwell

[Mandark]

Can anyone provide empirical data that shows that raising the minimum wage would make goods and services more expensive?  Someone is arguing that on my Facebook and I think it makes sense theoretically, but it just sounds like an endless boogeyman circulated by companies to avoid the issue of wage increases.

It should hardly raise prices at all because the contribution of minimum-wage labor to the final cost of anything is so tiny.  Can't be bothered to Google-fu up some stats right now, but it's intuitive: even in a place that uses a lot of minimum-wage workers like a retail chain, how's it going to stack up against all their other costs put together?  When you account for paying suppliers, rent, utilities, marketing, all the employees who make more than the minimum wage, how many cents of a dollar spent there go towards the people at the bottom?

Plus inflation's been consistently low since it got bumped up the last time in 2006.

So yeah, you can construct a real simple ECON201 model that shows a price floor on labor jacking up prices, but the real world's under no obligation to follow that model.

[Joe Molotov]

If only there was a way to prevent this

ohwell

Our democracy is crumbling into puddle of inaction and idiocracy and our best hope is that a hellfire drone will melt our faces off and end the insanity. What a shame, but that's the way it is.

[TakingBackSunday]

I'm really beginning to get sick of the internet's "bububu DRONES" fetish.  It's shitty, but the fact that it's really not in the President's hands really highlights how fucktarded internet faglingers are.

[Brehvolution]

I'm really beginning to get sick of the internet's "bububu DRONES" fetish.  It's shitty, but the fact that it's really not in the President's hands really highlights how fucktarded internet faglingers are.

Point out all the repubs damning the drones. Oh wait, there aren't any cause Romney would be doing the same thing. Except then, those people wouldn't give a shit.

[Phoenix Dark]

I'm really beginning to get sick of the internet's "bububu DRONES" fetish.  It's shitty, but the fact that it's really not in the President's hands really highlights how fucktarded internet faglingers are.

Not in his hands? He personally signs off on who gets killed in many cases, including the two US citizens that were killed.

[AdmiralViscen]

Yea, but he's a Manchurian candidate

[Brehvolution]

Are those people terrorist sympathizers?

[Human Snorenado]

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2013/02/senate-dems-warn-still-no-60-votes-for-hagel-confirmation.php?ref=fpa

Maybe you'll learn something from this bullshit, Harry

[tiesto]

Obama in favor of more programming courses taught in schools. Absolutely fantastic initiative and something that he should most definitely be pushing. Hell, wanting to make games is exactly the reason why I took up programming in the first place.

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/186830/Obama_Lets_give_more_kids_the_opportunity_to_make_games.php#.USKnIVqY4lY

[TakingBackSunday]

on the complete other side of that, the feds are still gonna go after weed dispensaries in CO and WA

to be expected and disappointing, but eh, its federal law, it's their job to do this until there's some sort of action in Congress, which at this point, big LOL to that.

It's funny seeing gafeggits call Obama the most corrupt czar of a president ever when it comes to this issue.  Forget his entire push for health care, education reform, and economic stimulus to get the country back on track -- THINK OF THE POOR WEEDSMOKERS

[TakingBackSunday]

I suppose.  It's probably unfair of me to give him a pass on this.  Well, it is unfair.  I just have a hard time drumming up any sort of a fuck in regards to marijuana and the politics of it all

[TakingBackSunday]

I quite dislike Holder as well

[brawndolicious]

Holder is easily one of my least favorite people in the administration as well. The guy is a disgrace.

Someone whose favorite tv show is The Wire couldn't find a Major Colvin type to install as Attorney General?

I don't think that's the image Colorado and Washington are going for. They like the idea of responsible drug use rather than a libertarian paradise.

[Eric P]

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/21/unlocking-the-conspiracy-mindset/

It all started last year, when a social scientist named Stephan Lewandowsky, of the University of Western Australia, and two colleagues published a rather provocative paper. It was based on an anonymous Internet survey of the readers of climate blogs.

The title alone will give you a sense of the findings: “NASA Faked the Moon Landings – Therefore (Climate) Science is a Hoax.” The subtitle was “An Anatomy of the Motivated Rejection of Science.”

The strongest finding in the survey was that ideological belief in an unregulated free market tended to be a predictor of someone’s willingness to reject the findings of mainstream climate research. No great surprise there. It was the secondary findings that set off a brouhaha.

Dr. Lewandowsky’s survey results suggested that people who rejected climate science were more likely than other respondents to reject other scientific or official findings and buy into assorted fringe theories: that NASA faked the moon landing, that the Central Intelligence Agency killed Martin Luther King Jr., that the AIDS virus was unleashed by the government, and so forth.

This piece of research appeared in a specialized journal in psychological science, but it did not take long to find its way onto climate skeptics’ blogs, setting off howls of derision.

A theory quickly emerged: that believers in climate science had been the main people taking Dr. Lewandowsky’s survey, but instead of answering honestly, had decided en masse to impersonate climate contrarians, giving the craziest possible answers so as to make the contrarians look like whack jobs.

So, a paper about a tendency among this group to believe in conspiracy theories was met by … a conspiracy theory.

[Joe Molotov]

http://www.kxii.com/news/ok/headlines/Bill-protecting-children-dies-in-House-committee-192092611.html

My state. I dunno, man. I didn't know that asking priests not to diddle 16 y/o's was a partisan issue.

[Great Rumbler]

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/21/unlocking-the-conspiracy-mindset/

See: Alex Jones

[Eric P]

dubstep officially over, will the last bro please turn out the lights?

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/22/opinion/brooks-the-dc-dubstep.html?_r=1&

[Mandark]

He's going to model his columns after dubstep.  The inevitable sentence in the third or fourth paragraph that enrages me will be the equivalent of the drop.  The subsequent amateur-hour sociological explanation for why we shouldn't help poor people more will be the wub-wub-wub.

[Human Snorenado]

Thanks Eric, I'm forwarding that to every dubstep dj I know.  Trying to get them back on drum and bass, futile but somebody's gotta do it.

[Phoenix Dark]

incitement

A Waco type situation (in the south) with Obama as president would be a nightmare for this country. There are so many people just waiting for that opportunity to really go nuts.

[Phoenix Dark]

Holy shit Brooks got ethered tonight

Second Update: Brooks does an interview with Ezra Klein, which ends up as a total takedown. Brooks admits Obama does have a plan, but takes refuge in the claim that the Congressional Budget Office didn't score it. Klein informs him that the CBO doesn't score informal negotiating offers, but did score the elements as they appeared in Obama's budget. The best part is when Brooks asserts that a centrist Democrat like Robert Rubin would be proposing something way more moderate than what Obama is offering:

    Brooks: In my ideal world, the Obama administration would do something Clintonesque: They’d govern from the center; they’d have a budget policy that looked a lot more like what Robert Rubin would describe, and if the Republicans rejected that, moderates like me would say that’s awful, the White House really did come out with a centrist plan.

    Klein: But I’ve read Robert Rubin’s tax plan. He wants $1.8 trillion in new revenues.

That is a brutal bluff-calling.

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/02/david-brooks-obama-plan-birther.html


The interview is basically the political equivalent of When Mark Cuban Met Skip Bayless

[Great Rumbler]

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2013/02/ted-cruz-responds-harvard-law-was-full-of-communists.html

Ted Cruz has only been a Senator for all of one month, but he's already the most obnoxious Senator in history.

[Phoenix Dark]

Cruz’s spokesman called it “curious” that The New Yorker would cover Cruz’s speech “three years” after he gave it.

You mean like how Cruz is demanding every speech Chuck Hagel ever gave is thoroughly investigated?

[Great Rumbler]

"That happened THREE years ago, I was a different person back then! You can't use that against me, because I say so!"

Obama's birth certificate, the school Obama went to in Indonesia, Obama's college records, ect. ect.

[Great Rumbler]

http://mediamatters.org/video/2013/02/23/foxs-huckabee-compares-insurance-for-pre-existi/192784

Huckabee is an absolutely disgusting human being.

[Positive Touch]

that christian spirit