Can we talk Politics?

At a minimum, I wish NPR would not broadcast sound bites from rallies, esp. if outright false, esp. as lead-ins or teasers for hourly news, where the clips are repeated over and over. 

If the quote is important, maybe they could do what BBC did with the IRA:  have a staff member read the words.  And then immediately state the non-alternative facts.

if only

Any time, my friend. I wish I had the discipline to stay away from the toxic threads. (Response to Morganna)

Another interesting Democratic Primary.

Bernie and Ocasio-Cortez on one side and the "Establishment"  and Emily's List on the other side.

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/04/michigan-governor-el-sayed-ocasio-cortez-sanders-democrats-762409

joanne said:
the link was there earlier. 
Pic’s in this article
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-03/this-week-we-learned-trump-hasnt-been-to-the-shops-in-a-while/10069630

 Thanks!  Didn’t catch that.  

Yeah, not subtle...

FWIW, in light of the request for generalist political discussion, I offer the following hopeful news: 

In 1996, conservatives won federal government of Australia and set about winding back most of the funding for community wellbeing programs, finding ways to not renew programs or to limit new ones. By 2013, the current era of their view of population health, preventive measures tended to rely on diagnosis, infection control and emergency measures, oh and lots of photo ops and headlines. 

Until Friday. Suddenly our federal Health Minister and Department have realised, together with those responsible for our Excellence in Sports programs, that merely watching sports doesn’t combat childhood obesity, and having played footy as a teenager wont combat adult cardiac disease or cancer. Releasing the new push for international sports stars (>2030), they’ve decided we should all be more Active, health and well-being should be more Proactive and Preventive, and that this is more Cost-Effective and Sensible in the Long Run. It’s also More Fun, and We’ll Get to Know Our Neighbours. 

Funny, we’ve been telling them that since the Montreal Conference on health promotion in the early ‘70s. 

- oh, and yesterday the Treasurer quietly announced that ‘of course we’ll be getting rid of the [sales tax] on tampons; it never should have been there in the first place’, but he was one of the strongest supporters for keeping the tax last year. I wonder what changed the Coalition minds??? (hint: 5 by-elections last week, they didn’t win one seat)

LOST said:
Another interesting Democratic Primary.
Bernie and Ocasio-Cortez on one side and the "Establishment"  and Emily's List on the other side.
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/04/michigan-governor-el-sayed-ocasio-cortez-sanders-democrats-762409

 Emily's list only supports establishment Democrats.  They won't support Progressive women like Cynthia Nixon.  

Dana Rohrabacher is facing possible defeat by Harley Rouda, in heavily Republican Orange Co. Rouda has a slim lead in the latest polls, within the margin of error. Key to a Rouda win is turnout of Asian, Latino and black voters.

http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/397378-poll-dem-challenger-narrowly-leads-rohrabacher

If Rohrabacher loses, too bad that Putin just named Steven Seagal special US - Russia envoy. 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-45074380

eta - Wouldn't that be something if Rohrabacher lost?

nan said:

LOST said:
Another interesting Democratic Primary.
Bernie and Ocasio-Cortez on one side and the "Establishment"  and Emily's List on the other side.
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/04/michigan-governor-el-sayed-ocasio-cortez-sanders-democrats-762409

 Emily's list only supports establishment Democrats.  They won't support Progressive women like Cynthia Nixon.  

 So none of these candidates is Progressive?

https://www.emilyslist.org/candidates/gallery/house

LOST said:

nan said:

LOST said:
Another interesting Democratic Primary.
Bernie and Ocasio-Cortez on one side and the "Establishment"  and Emily's List on the other side.
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/04/michigan-governor-el-sayed-ocasio-cortez-sanders-democrats-762409

 Emily's list only supports establishment Democrats.  They won't support Progressive women like Cynthia Nixon.  

 So none of these candidates is Progressive?
https://www.emilyslist.org/candidates/gallery/house

 I don't know them but I did not see Cynthia Nixon.  Let me know if you find one that does not take corporate money and is for Medicare for All, free college, and a $15 minimum wage. 

I spent the afternoon dishing up chicken plates at a Beto for Senate campaign event in San Antonio. Pretty good turnout for a longshot candidate. I've seen him four or five times in the last several months, and the crowds keep getting bigger and bigger. It's great to see such enthusiasm for a candidate. Everyone is happy and excited. It's a big party.

My sister in El Paso has been very excited about Beto for months now and has for the first time gotten politically active as a result.  She is a military vet (was an MP in Okinawa) and now leans progressive, an amazing change to witness.   In church this morning my pastor was discussing the fact that change is the only constant we can rely upon and that we are called to respond to change from a position of love and compassion, whatever form the change takes.  Lately I find it easier to balance my anger and outrage against unbridled greed and power with everyday acts of love and service. It is definitely helping keep me sane and makes me feel safer in these dangerous times.

Trump weighs in on Primary and increases possibility of Democratic victory.

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/06/trump-endorses-kris-kobach-kansas-primary-764818

nakaille, check out a few minutes of this town hall in Kerrville (pop. 26,000) at the VFW and the swooning reception he's getting from vets and retirees. (Stop watching after she gives him the rocks - standard stump speech.) Instead of following the news, I just watch a couple Beto videos every day, and I'm a much happier person for it. 

https://www.facebook.com/betoorourke/videos/1760258444023858/?t=875

A very interesting candidate, but if you read the article you will see that her three opponents, including a 14 year old, are also interesting.

 https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/07/vermont-transgender-governor-hallquist-764951

Delaney for President?

https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/07/john-delaney-iowa-2020-maryland-766031

LOST said:
Delaney for President?
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/07/john-delaney-iowa-2020-maryland-766031

 I'm not familiar with him but have you heard that Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington is running. I had seen an interview on Rachel Maddow months ago and had the feeling he had aspirations. Now he flat out said he is already running against Trump.

Ohio House race, and the polls are closed. Suspense.

LOST said:
Delaney for President?
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/07/john-delaney-iowa-2020-maryland-766031

Who is this guy?  When I click that link it says:

"my message, which is about bringing the country together so that we can actually get real things done for people, is actually cutting through.” 

Cutting through what?  Cause his website for President is a big pile of BS gibberish.(https://www.johnkdelaney.com/my-vision/)

He starts out by saying:

Our government is hamstrung by excessive partisanship. 

And then a few paragraphs down he says:

To do this, we need new infrastructure, which can be paid for using my bipartisan approach to infrastructure and international tax reform. 

Ugh, is this what Democrats think is a good candidate? 

nan said:

LOST said:
Delaney for President?
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/07/john-delaney-iowa-2020-maryland-766031

Who is this guy?  When I click that link it says:

"my message, which is about bringing the country together so that we can actually get real things done for people, is actually cutting through.” 

Cutting through what?  Cause his website for President is a big pile of BS gibberish.(https://www.johnkdelaney.com/my-vision/)


He starts out by saying:

Our government is hamstrung by excessive partisanship. 

And then a few paragraphs down he says:

To do this, we need new infrastructure, which can be paid for using my bipartisan approach to infrastructure and international tax reform. 

Ugh, is this what Democrats think is a good candidate? 

 Any Dem who talks so much about bi-partisansbhip, in this environment, is a loser. And kinda naive too.

I don't know who thinks that he is a good candidate other than himself at this point.

But he is the only announced candidate. I like his background and personal story. I went to a website that compares Congressman's voting records and his is not that different from members of the Progressive Caucus.

But I agree that his positions are rather wishy-washy.

Morganna said:
Ohio House race, and the polls are closed. Suspense.

 Very close - almost a tie. Dem ahead by 155 votes according to MSNBC

If the Republican wins by fewer votes than the votes for the Green Party candidate we may have a very interesting discussion on this thread.

The Republican is now ahead by about 743 votes. The Green Party is getting about 1100.

The "provisional ballots" are not yet counted. If the difference between the candidates is less than 1/2 % there is automatic recount.

And this is only to fill the remainder of the term Election from now until January 3rd. There will be a regular election in this District (the whole country) in November.

Republican ahead by about 1600 with 99% in but there possibly as many as 6000 provisional and absentee ballots to be counted.

LOST said:
I don't know who thinks that he is a good candidate other than himself at this point.
But he is the only announced candidate. I like his background and personal story. I went to a website that compares Congressman's voting records and his is not that different from members of the Progressive Caucus.
But I agree that his positions are rather wishy-washy.

 Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington said he is running.

LOST said:
I don't know who thinks that he is a good candidate other than himself at this point.
But he is the only announced candidate. I like his background and personal story. I went to a website that compares Congressman's voting records and his is not that different from members of the Progressive Caucus.
But I agree that his positions are rather wishy-washy.

 if he talks about bipartisanship, he's either a liar, an idiot, or crazy.

LOST said:
For those actually interested in Politics, here is a very interesting race:
http://www.michiganradio.org/post/michigans-13th-district-crowded-race-john-conyers-old-seat-too-close-call

 Sorry, I forgot to post the results which are a little odd, to say the least:

https://www.nytimes.com/elections/results/michigan-house-district-13-special-primary-election

https://www.nytimes.com/elections/results/michigan-house-district-13-primary-election

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan%27s_13th_congressional_district_special_election,_2018

https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/08/politics/rashida-tlaib-michigan-13-congressional-district-election/index.html

LOST said:

LOST said:
For those actually interested in Politics, here is a very interesting race:
http://www.michiganradio.org/post/michigans-13th-district-crowded-race-john-conyers-old-seat-too-close-call

 Sorry, I forgot to post the results which are a little odd, to say the least:
https://www.nytimes.com/elections/results/michigan-house-district-13-special-primary-election
https://www.nytimes.com/elections/results/michigan-house-district-13-primary-election


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan%27s_13th_congressional_district_special_election,_2018

https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/08/politics/rashida-tlaib-michigan-13-congressional-district-election/index.html

"Rashida Tlaib Won a Primary This Week.

 She Also Lost a Primary This Week."  

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/09/us/politics/rashida-tlaib-brenda-jones.html  

Not explained is why voters in the same district voting on the same day with the same choice of candidates can choose one candidate for the special election and a different candidate for the general election. 

There were 6 candidates in the Primary for the "Real" Election, but only 4 in the Primary for the Special Election.

So the candidate who won the latter, Barbara Jones, must have picked up more of the votes from the supporters of the candidates who did not run in the Special Election Primary then did the candidate who won in the contest with 6 candidates.

Thanks.

I thought this comment on our political manoeuvrings as pertinent to your situation as ours. Courtesy journalist Katherine Murphy, 

‘technology – the rise of data mining, with the insights operationalised by sophisticated field operations – is transforming the prototype of the 1990s and early 2000s into a precision art from.

The increasing professionalisation and sophistication of targeted campaigning inside definable enclaves is rendering the national election conversation almost meaningless, a quaint ritual from another political age.’ She goes on to discuss focus-groups-adjustment style delivering a Party message, which is really a series of local messages custom-made for each Seat but with nearish-sounding words and images. No longer one message for the nation.

Sounds a bit like a discussion held earlier on MOL, eh?