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2010/09/15 03:39:44
Subject: Democratic candidates trying to save their jobs
Phryxis wrote:The Democrats basically cut the Republicans out of having a say on Obamacare. They did it so extensively and so obviously that it nearly cost them the legislation, and even liberal pundits were bemoaning the misstep. In the end they STILL got the bill passed, and it was STILL unpopular with the public and generally viewed as excessive by the same.
That's been the Republican line at various times, but it really isn't true at all. From the start the Republicans set themselves to stop healthcare, and from the start the Democrats chased moderate Republicans to support it (as having a Republican or two willing to cross the floor would lower the power of blue dogs). From the start of the healtcare debate process the GOP set it up as the issue on which the Democrats would destroy themselves, and allow them back into power.
They were, for the most party, pretty much bang on with the politics of it. But we can't now pretend that the Republicans were kept out of the process by the mean old Democrats.
“We may observe that the government in a civilized country is much more expensive than in a barbarous one; and when we say that one government is more expensive than another, it is the same as if we said that that one country is farther advanced in improvement than another. To say that the government is expensive and the people not oppressed is to say that the people are rich.”
Adam Smith, who must have been some kind of leftie or something.
2010/09/15 03:53:56
Subject: Democratic candidates trying to save their jobs
But we can't now pretend that the Republicans were kept out of the process by the mean old Democrats.
As I said, I think obstruction was the Republican goal all along, but that doesn't change the point I make. I think the Democrats willfully cut them out. I think they did it to show they were "tough." I think it backfired.
Automatically Appended Next Post:
As for as the nonsense claims ... blah blah ... as the mandate -- were Republican ideas.
You're missing the point. This is a thread about elections, about public perception, about the game of politics. We all know that the idiots in DC are batting around the same ideas, year after year, complaining about the previous guy's policy, even as they expand it.
The fact is that the Democrats came across as cutting the Republicans out. That's what the MSM echo chamber was saying at the time, and that's how the American public has generally perceived it. You can argue that this is a faulty perception, but that's not what this thread is about.
It's not what the voters SHOULD think, it's about what they DO think.
I'm highly critical of the Democrats, and make no secret of the fact that the sole reason I support Democrats is because I believe that Republicans are actual fascists.
Wait, WHAT? You do? Since when? Please tell me more. As you do, please use flowery and slightly awkwardly crafted metaphors? Pretend like midway through your political argument you forgot what you were talking about, and just started writing some Forgotten Realms Fanfic. I love it when you do that, and I think dogma is a big fan as well.
Do something about vampires. Blood sucking, cloaking true forms, something like that.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2010/09/15 04:04:13
Phryxis wrote:As I said, I think obstruction was the Republican goal all along, but that doesn't change the point I make. I think the Democrats willfully cut them out. I think they did it to show they were "tough." I think it backfired.
Except they kept bending over backwards to get Republican votes on this. They wanted bi-partisanship because it 'bi-partisanship' was polling very highly at the time. They wanted to deflect some of the negative impact for a bill that was always going to cost them votes. The Democrats wanted Republican votes right up to the last minute, but the Republicans rolled the dice, believing that if they offered no votes the legislation wouldn't pass. They were wrong, the result is far more progressive legislation than would have passed in a bi-partisan bill.
David Frum's article on the whole exercise is very informative. The Republican response to Frum's article was perhaps more informative.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2010/09/15 04:13:09
“We may observe that the government in a civilized country is much more expensive than in a barbarous one; and when we say that one government is more expensive than another, it is the same as if we said that that one country is farther advanced in improvement than another. To say that the government is expensive and the people not oppressed is to say that the people are rich.”
Adam Smith, who must have been some kind of leftie or something.
2010/09/15 04:34:25
Subject: Democratic candidates trying to save their jobs
I'm highly critical of the Democrats, and make no secret of the fact that the sole reason I support Democrats is because I believe that Republicans are actual fascists.
Wait, WHAT? You do? Since when? Please tell me more.
Since 1998, when I fully realized how completely corrupt the Republicans are.
Oh wait, that's right, you don't actually know me at all. Duh, I forgot, since you know, you always act like you totally understand the workings of my mind, and only a real donkey-cave would do that with someone he basically didn't know at all. Right?
As you do, please use flowery and slightly awkwardly crafted metaphors? Pretend like midway through your political argument you forgot what you were talking about, and just started writing some Forgotten Realms Fanfic. I love it when you do that, and I think dogma is a big fan as well.
Do something about vampires. Blood sucking, cloaking true forms, something like that.
Only if you promise to keep slathering on the dripping sarcasm to hide your lack of genuine wit.
And I write Legend of the Seeker fanfic. I never got into Forgotten Realms.
2010/09/15 05:31:32
Subject: Democratic candidates trying to save their jobs
Wait, WHAT? Now I'm not being sarcastic, and I'm presuming you're far too painfully earnest to be...
You seriously write Legend of the Seeker fanfic?
Because I have been told that the Sword of Truth series is the fantasy series for conservatives, and when I read the first book, that made me very sad, because I thought it sucked.
All the weird rapey, badguy playing with his wang scenes, and dominatrix beating on main character scenes... Just didn't find it very appealing.
No, now that I think about it, I'm going to have to assume that you found a little snark to offset the acute earnestness. There's no way you really like Terry Goodkind.
Wait, WHAT? Now I'm not being sarcastic, and I'm presuming you're far too painfully earnest to be...
You seriously write Legend of the Seeker fanfic?
Yep. If you decide to read any of it, I'd like to point out that it was all written before I did the Popular Fiction certificate program at the UW, but after I had read plenty on writing good stories. So I think it's excellent for fan fiction, but my writing has improved greatly in the last year (after doing this UW writing program).
The LotS story I've linked to is "Hatred," my most popular LotS story (I also think it's my best). My most popular piece overall is Strange Diagnosis, a Fringe/House crossover.
Because I have been told that the Sword of Truth series is the fantasy series for conservatives, and when I read the first book, that made me very sad, because I thought it sucked.
Sword of Truth is the worst fantasy novel I have ever attempted to read. I was not able to finish it. It was, as Dorothy Parker said of another book, "a book not to be set down lightly, but hurled across the room at great force." I actually only managed to get through the first twenty pages, and then skipped to the end. But I've read some of the more choice highlights (by which i mean the worst parts).
All the weird rapey, badguy playing with his wang scenes, and dominatrix beating on main character scenes... Just didn't find it very appealing.
I didn't even get that far. When Terry Goodkind introduces Richard for the first time, he pulls a twig off a tree and snaps it twenty eight times in the first eight pages. Unless the point was that Richard has terrible, terrible OCD (which wasn't the point) then that's just gak writing. I really can't express my contempt for Goodkind as a writer. He's just horrible.
The TV show was fun though, mostly because of Bridget Reagan's cleavage. I started watching it because it was from the same crew that did Xena, and I loved Xena. Fans of the books recommended that people who liked the show should read the book, because its supposedly better. But it's really not.
No, now that I think about it, I'm going to have to assume that you found a little snark to offset the acute earnestness. There's no way you really like Terry Goodkind.
Can't stand him. The LotS fanfic I wrote I wrote precisely because I believed I could write those characters better than Goodkind.
2010/09/15 07:36:28
Subject: Democratic candidates trying to save their jobs
If you decide to read any of it, I'd like to point out that it was all written before I did the Popular Fiction certificate program at the UW, but after I had read plenty on writing good stories.
Well, am I allowed to? I mean, you just posted a link to YET MORE information that could potentially be traced back to you personally, but as I understand it, following any links you post to your personal information is "stalking."
I just want to follow proper, non-fascist protocol here.
Can I actually click the link? If it helps, I can take off my jackboots first?
Ok, I'll be honest, I already clicked on it. In addition to being provided with your home address, I also saw some text, which I presume is fiction writing.
You should really edit it.
Example:
"An arrow flew past them both, splitting the distance between them. From behind them Zedd shouted a warning."
This extremely short paragraph brought to you by the word "Them."
How exactly would an arrow fly past olye ONE of two people who are walking together?
"An arrow split between them and sank deeply into a shaggy birch. From behind Zedd screeched a wordless warning."
Or, whatever. Editing.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2010/09/15 07:37:19
Why? I have a original writing I intend to actually sell to work on, there's nothing to be gained by going back an editing old fanfic.
Example:
"An arrow flew past them both, splitting the distance between them. From behind them Zedd shouted a warning."
This extremely short paragraph brought to you by the word "Them."
Yeah, I agree that this could be better. It probably should be connected to the following paragraph, which would then read :
"An arrow split the distance between them; from behind Zedd shouted a warning. A dozen D'haran soldiers boiled out of the forest, preceded by a hail of arrows. They had been patrolling the forest for Resistance. They had found the Seeker and his companions."
But it is what is, and I'm content with it. It's just fanfic.
How exactly would an arrow fly past olye ONE of two people who are walking together?
I have no idea. The sentence is right there, it clearly saws the arrow "flew past them both, splitting the distance between them." That means they were walking side by side and the arrow flew roughly parallel to their direction of travel, passing through the space between them at the midpoint between them both. It's not that hard a concept to grasp.
2010/09/15 09:34:46
Subject: Democratic candidates trying to save their jobs
How exactly would an arrow fly past olye ONE of two people who are walking together?
By hitting the other one.
The poor man really has a stake in the country. The rich man hasn't; he can go away to New Guinea in a yacht. The poor have sometimes objected to being governed badly; the rich have always objected to being governed at all
We love our superheroes because they refuse to give up on us. We can analyze them out of existence, kill them, ban them, mock them, and still they return, patiently reminding us of who we are and what we wish we could be.
"the play's the thing wherein I'll catch the conscience of the king,
2010/09/15 12:29:53
Subject: Democratic candidates trying to save their jobs
How exactly would an arrow fly past olye ONE of two people who are walking together?
By hitting the other one.
-"Wait a minute.....who is that Frazz is talking to in the gallery? Hmmm something is going on here.....Oh.... it seems there is some dispute over video taping of some sort......Frazz is really upset now..........wait a minute......whats he go there.......is it? Can it be?....Frazz has just unleashed his hidden weiner dog from his mini bag, while quoting shakespeares "Let slip the dogs the war!!" GG
-"Don't mind Frazzled. He's just Dakka's crazy old dude locked in the attic. He's harmless. Mostly."
-TBone the Magnificent 1999-2014, Long Live the King!
2010/09/15 16:52:29
Subject: Democratic candidates trying to save their jobs
