Hard News: Unreasonable people vote
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Oh, please let those who voted for him be Andre's tribalists, rather than 'the Civil Rights Act is harshing my racist mellow' people...
This might sound intolerably glib, but there's more overlap in that Venn diagram that I'm entirely comfortable with. Perhaps I'm being too cynical for words, and Paul really is a drooling idiot but I can't help but suspect there was a beautifully sustained dog-whistle going down. Rand Paul is just like his father: Just smart enough to hide (or moderate) what a dumb, malignant sack of crap he is for mainstream consumption.
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Andre Alessi - Jane Goodall famously studies (& protects) chimpanzees, and she is accustomned to moving among them - Dian Fossey was 'the woman in the mist' (from her book "Gorillas In The Mist") and she also got very close to the apes she studied.
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I suspect there's a strong element of that great trope, the rural/urban divide. Kentucky is like Montana and West Virginia, and to a lesser extent Texas, in that urban areas tend to be richer and more liberal, while rural areas are dirt poor and conservative. The different isn't apparent in statewide election results, but you can see if operating in local results, and it's not hard to extrapolate out the fact that the rural voters are the ones that actually swing state elections in favour of Republicans.
Paul's constant references to policies that should be up to the individual states to decide (c.f. his positions on gay marriage, abortion, medical marijuana, education, etc) could easily be interpreted as a "states' rights" dog whistle for unreconstructed Southern conservatism, but I'd hope that even the most boneheaded voter would have a more nuanced view than that. Call me a hopeless optimist.
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Andre Alessi - Jane Goodall famously studies (& protects) chimpanzees - Dian Fossey was the woman in the mist...
What a ridiculous mistake for me to make. I should have spotted it before I clicked post. Fossey and Goodall were both on my reading list growing up!
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Another interesting result: David Vitter wins in Louisiana. Kind of like Michael Laws joining United Future and winning, I guess.
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And if I'm not mistaken, both women felt much affection, even love, for the animals they studied.
So, Andre, could that be the same for you;))???? -
And if I'm not mistaken, both women felt much affection, even love, for the animals they studied.
So, Andre, could that be the same for you;))????Sadly, yes. I'm deeply fascinated by American politics, but I'm always aware that I'm an outsider looking in, and that my opinions don't carry all that much weight since it's not me that'll be affected by the results of elections for the most part. With that being said, I just can't raise enough ire to hate people who hold political views I consider crazy, because I know just how I'd feel if our positions were reversed.
THat doesn't mean I don't think that what they believe is insane/stupid/morally repugnant/etc, just that can't stop wanting to sit down with them and crack open a banana or two, maybe do a bit of grooming...
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Well, even though I don't know anyone in Kentucky, I'm afraid that these people are partly *my* tribalists. Sigh...
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Snap for the sigh.
Individually, I find Americans lovely. Charming, attentive, and ready to be friendly. Mind you, I've only been to California; L.A. alone - I can't count the visit to Miami, because it was so long ago and only for a day, and during that time I managed to drive the rental car on to the wrong side on a dual carriageway. Now, that was interesting!
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Of course, he should still be retried (and convicted) but I have a funny feeling that won't happen now.
That's pretty standard. He's already served his sentence! How much vengeance do you want?
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I find Americans lovely. Charming, attentive, and ready to be friendly. Mind you,
Some aint so charming up Illinois way. And they are wayyyy too quick to take offence.
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That's pretty standard. He's already served his sentence! How much vengeance do you want?
You can never have too much vengeance!
I was genuinely unaware his sentence was already over, which puts a different spin on things. Am I allowed to blame the media for this?
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A pretty interesting comment over at Balloon Juice (which sums up my own reaction to the results quite nicely):
I don’t think the world is ending, and I will tell you why. For most of our modern history, divided government has been the norm. And while the Republicans are fucking crazy, they are not in control of the entirety of Congress, and they aren’t going to be able to get away with the shit they pulled when they ran the entire puppet show in the 2000s.
And I don’t think this election can be read—at least now—as a Republican tidal wave or massive madate or whatever.
But you know what? The GOP is going to read it as such. And my hunch is that they overreach. Like Terry Schiavo-level overreach. Some of their folks will take this is a greenlight to do some really unpopular stuff that they will believe is popular. Because they have to. Because their base is now certifiably fucking insane. And they want the impossible: less government, lower deficits, but they will not like the cuts.
I think the next two years will allow Obama to do what he does the very best: highlight the weaknesses in the other side’s approach. If—IF —he takes from this a realization that the Congress has gotten less compromisey, not more. But the makings of a really incredible opportunity to display a choice for voters.
But the GOp has overpromised their base, and they may be able to fool their base again, but the rest of the country—independents most particularly—are going to see whether they can deliver.
As that douchenozzle Mike Pence said, it’s easy to throw grenades than catch them.
Well now they have to start catching. And they aren’t built for governance. And it shows.
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Danielle, please don't be a self-loathing-southerner, it's as bad as hating on them, those people, they are not us.
I really want a Witch or Vampire to get elected now, I'm sick of all the brain dead zombies.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10463579
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It's a little puerile, but I did laugh at this: 20 Worst Names In Political History
Well, OK, it's a lot puerile, but seriously, "Tiny Kox"?
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I really want a Witch or Vampire to get elected now, I'm sick of all the brain dead zombies.
Well, we know that publicly not being a witch gets you not-elected, ergo...
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For you, Andre:
From the obituary of one Harry Carpneter, English sports commentator:when commentating on the Boat Race, he came out with: "Ah, isn't that nice, the wife of the Cambridge President is kissing the cox of the Oxford crew."
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The Dems need California.
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It's a little puerile, but I did laugh at this: 20 Worst Names In Political History
Well, OK, it's a lot puerile, but seriously, "Tiny Kox"?I'm only on the first one and I'm laughing!
"Dick Swett. Integrity in Congress" :D
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This explains everything.
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Democrats keep the Senate.
but don't quote me, I am now confused as any US election does to me. Actually ignore it until later thanks :) -
but don't quote me, I am now confused as any US election does to me.
Don't be, Sofie. Very little changes. As you come towards the centre of each they're increasingly indistinguishable these last few decades.
So we have a black president but not a single Afro-American in the senate now (there have only been 6 since 1870!)
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Marijuana remains illegal.
4.20 in the park lives on. -
And you can always rely on Grover 'Muppet" Norquist to be incoherent and creepy in one delicious soundbite:
"I don't want any stinking ideas from presidents," he said, "I want them in harness, pulling the plow."
That's right -- what passes for a policy wonk in Republican circles thinks all that separation of powers bullshit can go hang. Ideological purity above all. Welcome to Teabagistan!
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I don't know about you lot, but I would vote for a person named 'Young Boozer' in a heartbeat.
(I am not a 'self-hating southerner', whatever that means in this instance: just lamenting that most of my American relatives and in-laws aren't even on the same planet with me politically. There are, of course, plenty of southerners who are Democrats.)
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