5021 replies to this topic

[Glass Case Of Emotion]

thanes16, on 04 January 2013 - 10:25 PM, said:

Whatever happened to the idea of balance of powers?

I thought the Marvelettes did a good job balancing them out.

[Eleven]

thanes16, on 04 January 2013 - 10:25 PM, said:

Whatever happened to the idea of balance of powers?

Well, those powers were balanced when the Supreme Court decided that states (particularly Arkansas, if I remember correctly) could not impose term limits upon people elected to federal offices, the House of Representatives in particular.  In that case, it was a balance of states' rights against the national Constitution.  The right-leaning Court decided against the states' rights angle.  Probably correctly, too.

The balance doesn't always result in what we want.

LastPommerFan, on 04 January 2013 - 10:43 PM, said:

I thought the Marvelettes did a good job balancing them out.

Nice.

[Claude_Verret]

TrueBluePhD, on 03 January 2013 - 11:13 PM, said:

That about sums it up.  While other things certainly contribute, the biggies are single member congressional districts with "first past the post" elections.  If only one of those things changes, I doubt any third party could emerge--they both have to change.  For example, proportional representation in and of itself probably does very little for third parties without multimember districts also being established.  A reasonable argument could also be made that the way we finance campaigns contributes heavily to a two-party system--certainly not the cause, but definitely a contributor.  The best way for third parties to influence national politics is to get enough support where one of the major parties co-ops the platform, which actually does happen fairly

Understood. My point wasn't so much about third parties, that's a pipe dream, but about people not being freaking lemmings.  In other words, an electorate made up less of the DeLuca and Matrix types and more of the weaves and yourself.  Voters who would hold elected leaders responsible regardless of party, but that's probably an even bigger pipe dream.  Until then, we get exactly what we deserve out of Washington. ######.

[Patty16]

I blame the media in part for the current state of affairs, they are big enablers.   Every issue is now a he said she said issue with both sides being equally represented in the discussion.  While many political issues can be fairly discussed in this manner, many can not.   I'll refrain from specific examples for the sake of the thread but there have been certain issues that one side just needs to be called out on in a professional matter.
More news and less opinion commentators would be great. But this is America and people don't want that, the ratings back this up.

[Eleven]

Patty16, on 05 January 2013 - 08:56 AM, said:

I blame the media in part for the current state of affairs, they are big enablers.   Every issue is now a he said she said issue with both sides being equally represented in the discussion.  While many political issues can be fairly discussed in this manner, many can not.   I'll refrain from specific examples for the sake of the thread but there have been certain issues that one side just needs to be called out on in a professional matter.
More news and less opinion commentators would be great. But this is America and people don't want that, the ratings back this up.

Right on.

Jon Stewart calling out Paul Begala and Tucker Carlson was a masterpiece.  I don't know if you would consider this a "professional manner," but here goes:

https://www.youtube....h?v=aFQFB5YpDZE



Brilliance begins about 2:45 in.

[SwampD]

Patty16, on 05 January 2013 - 08:56 AM, said:

I blame the media in part for the current state of affairs, they are big enablers.   Every issue is now a he said she said issue with both sides being equally represented in the discussion.  While many political issues can be fairly discussed in this manner, many can not.   I'll refrain from specific examples for the sake of the thread but there have been certain issues that one side just needs to be called out on in a professional matter.
More news and less opinion commentators would be great. But this is America and people don't want that, the ratings back this up.

I blame it completely, and the media pays my mortgage.  They have to blow everything out of proportion otherwise nobody will watch.  I honestly can't believe what a non-story this "Fiscal Cliff" should have been and people bought it hook, line and sinker.

[MattPie]

SwampD, on 04 January 2013 - 09:31 PM, said:

Term limits (6-2 and 2-6).  Then they'll have to get real jobs like the rest of us.

One might argue having term limits would just put them more in the pocket of lobbyists (I know, hard to believe), since they'd need to set themselves up for a job after their term.

[Sabres Fan In NS]

Well, the presidential election results officially became official on Friday ...

http://politicaltick...cial/?hpt=po_c2

[Claude_Verret]

I just want to get the last word in here so chz can officially lock it.

Let's Go Buffalo!

[Sabres Fan In NS]

It's still open.  So, maybe I'll get in the last word before the lock ...




... Word!

[Claude_Verret]

Sabres Fan In NS, on 20 January 2013 - 11:25 AM, said:

It's still open.  So, maybe I'll get in the last word before the lock ...




... Word!

Nice. Chz is slipping.

[wjag]

Claude_Verret, on 20 January 2013 - 02:14 PM, said:

Nice. Chz is slipping.

She said she was closing guns not politics...

[d4rksabre]

wjag, on 20 January 2013 - 02:42 PM, said:

She said she was closing guns not politics...

And I beat her to it

[Claude_Verret]

If we get back on topic it will be closed in short order!

[blugold43]

thanes16, on 02 January 2013 - 10:53 PM, said:

I'm sick and tired of the party system we have in the United States. Things are becoming more and more chaotic. People are more centered on defending their "party" rather than focusing on what needs to be done to improve things in our country. Politics have simply come down to winning this election and that election, not about what is done during this term and that term. The United States has fallen off a cliff and does not have a parachute.

actually the the blame from the polarity is pretty much just on one side of the aisle(http://voteview.com/blog/?p=726).  The Democratic point on the liberal conservative continuum hasn't changed much in the last 20 years...but on the republican side, every month takes them to a further extreme.  Of course they're not going to be able to govern in this climate...not as long as you need 60 senate votes to prevent a filibuster.  When Scott Brown won in Mass a few year's ago, the Republicans won back their 41-59 "majority!"

Until republicans take back their party from the birthers, fundmentalists, likudniks, obstructionists, climate change denialists, "legitimate rape" judges and paranoid gun nuts, nothing is ever going to change.  The days of Ronald Reagan and Tip O'Neill putting their differences aside to do what's right from the country are over until the the zealots are no longer in charge of the Republican party.

The problem is that Republicans are in such a weak position demographically that the only way they can get win their primaries is to close ranks and become more extreme than the next guy.  Hence, for example,  Romney's absurd lurch to the right in 2012, and John McCain's in 2008.  So it could still get worse before it gets better.

Edited by blugold43, 20 January 2013 - 03:38 PM.

[Sabres Fan In NS]

With the Sabres back on the ice, I guess we all missed this ...

Senator Kerry confirmed as S of S.  Now we won't be able to crap on Hillary anymore, well maybe not ... I hope she doesn't run for President, but I certainly expect an announcement from her at some point.

http://www.cnn.com/i....html?hpt=po_r1

[Claude_Verret]

   Who unlocked this gem?

[Sabres Fan In NS]

Claude_Verret, on 07 February 2013 - 04:47 PM, said:

   Who unlocked this gem?

Don't think it was ever locked, well maybe just briefly.

It's the gift that just keeps on giving ...

[Spndnchz]

Were hoping that once hockey started we'd actually be posting about hockey on a hockey board.

[Claude_Verret]

Sabres Fan In NS, on 07 February 2013 - 04:56 PM, said:

Don't think it was ever locked, well maybe just briefly.

It's the gift that just keeps on giving ...

it definitely was at some point.

[Doohickie]

Sabres Fan In NS, on 07 February 2013 - 04:30 PM, said:

With the Sabres back on the ice, I guess we all missed this ...

Senator Kerry confirmed as S of S.  Now we won't be able to crap on Hillary anymore, well maybe not ... I hope she doesn't run for President, but I certainly expect an announcement from her at some point.

If she runs in 2016, it will only be as a foil to make Julian Castro look good.

[Claude_Verret]

Hasn't there been a lot of OT stuff going on during hockey season on this board for years?  Thursday / Friday / Awesome threads.