29th March 2017, 8:48 PM
Dark Jaguar Wrote:Of course sexism played a part, and of course I don't blame the democrats for picking a female candidate, because it's important not to get stuck in a rut of "we're not sexist, BUT female candidates have trouble winning, therefore systemic sexism", but Hillary had a lot more going against her than just sexism, and it's important to acknowledge that.
Do you think a male candidate with Hillary's other flaws would also have lost? That's really the only question that matters here. I doubt that very much. Maybe... but I doubt it.
Sacred Jellybean Wrote:Got to admit, I'm surprised to see Republicans not voting in lockstep like I expected. I figured Democrats and liberals were more prone to idealism and in-fighting, thus why we can't ever get anything done, and why Obamacare barely squeaked by when the Dems controlled both houses and the White House.In the past, things usually were just like you describe -- getting Democrats to agree on anything was nearly impossible, while Republicans always voted in lockstep. Their drift to the right and the Tea Party movement has divided their party, though, and that was on full display in 2015-2016 through the primary/caucus campaigns. I thought that winning would not solve all their internal problems and get them working together again, and that has indeed been what happened. All those years of promising to repeal "every word" of Obamacare, of lying about how "badly" it was doing, of lying about how easy it would be to get rid of, etc... that all foundered on the rocks of reality, once the Republicans couldn't just pass another of the 50 or 60 repeal bills they sent to Obama knowing that they would go nowhere, but had to come up with an actual bill knowing it would be signed. I know I've seen a quote from at least one Republican admitting that they passed those repeal bills knowing they were just political theater, while this one was a lot harder because it was actually real since Trump would sign whatever they sent him. Reality is tough, as their party is now realizing... :P
I figured (worried) that Republicans would just swallow whatever imaginary principles they had and toe the line. Whatever agenda Trump would concoct would pass swiftly, coldly, and efficienctly. To see the same in-fighting take place within their party brings me a great deal of satisfaction. The Tea Party really is a runaway monster, isn't it? :evil: That the Donald is such a divisive figure probably doesn't help... although that probably doesn't make a difference. Republicans seemed to embrace him once it became apparent that they had to live with him.
So, some Republicans, those diehard Tea Partiers in the Freedom Caucus, are sticking to their "repeal every word of Obamacare" beliefs, but just enough other Republicans were not willing to pass Ryan's bill, a bill clearly worse than Obama's in many ways as the CBO showed among others, that it could not pass. It was a somewhat predictable result really, passing something would either require Republicans to work with Democrats, and that is unlikely particularly on their side in these too-partisan (and not small-d democratic enough) times, or come up with a bill that all wings of the Republican Party could support, and I did not think that was likely. So far at least that has proven accurate. Tax reform and making a budget will be just as hard too, Trump... :)
Quote:In any case, this is also pretty lol:
https://www.axios.com/axios-am-232925023...er_axiosam
Trump and Bannon are a couple of dumb sons-of-bitches that are finding that they can't throw their weight around. Good. Fuck'em. The Teapards stonewalled us for six fucking years, now they're your problem, assholes.
Also lol to grown men who refer to their fathers as "daddy".
Yeah, that quote was amusing stuff, it does help show the mindset of the extremists on their side. Of course their intransigence helped America out this time so I won't complain either, but it is a kind of silly quote. :) Bannon's imperious tone deserved no better, for sure!