Rex Kickass

I would argue third parties in the US don't succeed because they shoot too high too fast. Attract attention in local races, then state assembly and senate races, then Congressional races, etc. Running someone for President when you don't have a chance in hell doesn't get you any more popularity than youd already have. It just gets you a lot of debt.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Nov 11, 2009 -> 06:58 PM) Sentiment is definitely turning. People wanted change, they got some change, but they also got an economic disaster. That is always the fastest way to change parties in power. Not surprising. The poll was also taken the days immediately following the two governor's races too - so there might be a bump there. This isn't all too unexpected, to be honest, after four years of winning everything that isn't literally locked down, anyone who seriously expects the Democrats not to lose some seats in the House and Senate is smoking something. War fatigue, and the economic s*** show we've lived for the last two years doesn't help either.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Nov 10, 2009 -> 10:25 PM) No, generally just as dumb but not that zealous. Apparently, he's now using a "gay panic" defense. Any bigoted tree in a storm, I guess. http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/nov/10/ta...s-visiting-gre/ This guy also posed for All American Guys, a not quite porn site.

QUOTE (mr_genius @ Nov 11, 2009 -> 01:34 PM) http://www.gallup.com/poll/124226/Republic...-2010-Vote.aspx Dems losing ground. Looks like Obama's move to completely ignore the economy and go 100% for health care is a bust. He's not going to get his plan and it appears it's the only thing he is willing to work on. Yeah, we never hear about any stimulus bill funding or anything. It's Hoover all over again.

Raveonettes - Red Tan Prince - Black Sweat The Flaming Lips - Can't Get You Out of My Head Girl Talk - Play Your Part (Pt 1) Helen Reddy - I Am Woman Manic Street Preachers - So Why So Sad Billy Bragg - Chile Your Waters Run Red Through Soweto Billy Bragg - A New England the Spinners - A Mighty Love Postal Service - The District Sleeps Tonight Bonus 11: Chavez - Unreal Is Here

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 9, 2009 -> 01:06 PM) Also interesting from the Catholics, was that they are now urging members of Congress to vote for this bill as is.... Mostly because I didn't see anyone wanting to take away their not for profit status for being involved in politics here. Given the $550,000 that the Catholic church donated to take away my equal protection under the law in the state of Maine this fall, they should damn well lose their tax exemption.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 8, 2009 -> 11:03 AM) It is a great example of what the left wing is trying to do at the federal level. The government can't be all things to all people. Trying to do that is going to lead to a collapse. In Cali all they are doing is blaming the last in a long line of people who have made this mess. This didn't just start. The mess that states are in have very little to do with a specific party in power, sadly. Half of California's issues stem from referendum madness, imo. But the other half are very similar to issues that we saw reflected in the New Jersey election. Voters don't want state governments to fix systemic problems with the budget, they just want people who will promise to fix them.

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Nov 6, 2009 -> 08:14 PM) So are you saying that the Democratic Party is going to come out and disavow this campaign, because they don't want to chase anyone out of the party? The party leadership won't say anything, and may even support this movement by Moveon.org, as it puts addiutional pressure on Blue Dogs to toe the party line without the party itself having to exert pressure itself. When you have a majority, that's when you look for better party members to represent you in elected positions. The rule of electoral politics is pretty simple. Get anyone you can on your side to build a majority coalition. When your coalition is large enough, you consolidate your power by playing to your base to help maintain a base to turn-out. So "Party Name" in Name Only gets a primary challenge. That's fine. Totally acceptable. It's what makes parties stronger. But when you're in the minority, and you run third party candidates against your own party's choice - you just shoot yourselves in the foot. It's not about being a party of inclusion or exclusion, its just about being smart at electoral politics. When you challenge safe seats with less electable candidates, its not a smart move. That's what happened in NY-23.

If its Precious, you shouldn't let your hatred of Tyler Perry have anything to do with it. Outside of lending his name and some funding to it - he had nothing to do with this movie.

So when the jobs picture begins to improve, which looks like probably early first quarter, assuming the trend continues, the U6 number should start going down, but the U3 number should spike - as people begin to actively seek work, no?

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/11/05/texas.for...ings/index.html

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 4, 2009 -> 02:52 PM) What was that about not-for-profit agencies staying out of politics again? Sesame Street is one of the most political children's shows ever.

The last time a Republican didn't hold this Congressional seat, a Whig did.

I'd have commented sooner, but I was at St. Alphonso's Pancake Breakfast.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Nov 4, 2009 -> 10:47 AM) The black community really has no interest in gays, at all - something I don't understand. As liberal as blacks are as a whole, they are homophobic as hell and it's kinda embarrassing. The mirror opposite is true, as well.

QUOTE (FlaSoxxJim @ Nov 4, 2009 -> 10:12 AM) You believe in this Fifth Beatle hooey then too, huh? Hah. She has actually been a very talented songwriter - and I think there are some really great tracks off Approximately Infinite Universe and Feeling the Space, and she did release two very excellent albums in the 1980s - Season of Glass and It's Alright (I See Rainbows). Oh and her stuff on Double Fantasy sounds and feels much fresher today than anything her husband did on that record.

QUOTE (FlaSoxxJim @ Nov 4, 2009 -> 10:05 AM) Yes, if you put her down as picks #1 through #10. Not my number one, but definitely in my top five actually.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 4, 2009 -> 09:51 AM) You mean like organizing the gay community against say autism or something? I am not sure if I understand the first part. Sort of. You don't see mainstream gay organizations acting on behalf or in support of issues that affect other minority communities. Like issues of homelessness, and poverty, prisoner reentry, etc. Issues that really do matter for the larger community, and that have a large effect on our community too. The gay community, as a whole, isn't interested in getting its hands dirty in any issue that isn't exclusively theirs. And frankly, for too many of them, if it isn't a cocktail party lobbying effort (Read: Human Rights Campaign), it's too much to ask.

I wonder if my strong support for Yoko Ono will finally get her to crack this list.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 4, 2009 -> 09:42 AM) I don't blame you. It is reason number one why the government shouldn't be involved in people's personal lives if it can at all be helped. They end up putting themselves into situations that they are forced to make decisions about the value of one group or ideal over another. The government's only worry in marriage should be enforcing the contract law part of the partnerships. After that, it should be up to the individuals to decide who they are and what they want. You know what though, our community deserves as much of the blame as anyone else. We don't get support for our issues from a broad base of the community because we don't stand with other communities for their needs. It's just as shameful as religions funneling money into misleading campaigns to deny millions of Americans equal protection under the law.

QUOTE (lostfan @ Nov 4, 2009 -> 09:13 AM) I think the media is reading way too much into this. Local elections aren't the same as national electiosn. Given that the DNC, organized labor and every national power base that the Dems had moved their Virginia races to New Jersey - what happened in VA is not surprising. In New Jersey, it had nothing to do with Obama. Hell, it had nothing to do with Christie either. Or negative campaigns, or anything anyone is saying on the TV. Dems didn't turn out like they should have. New Jersey has a ton of problems at the state level. And essentially any governor that tries to fix their issues with anything other than magic beans will have the same problem when it comes to reelection. The reason Corzine lost is because he did what's necessary to fix New Jersey's massive systemic budget issues. And I'm more and more convinced in this state, voters don't want these problems fixed, they just want people to say they will fix them.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 4, 2009 -> 09:26 AM) I think this is an excellent example of why our founding fathers put in the constitution certain protections against everything being decided on the basis of 50% +1. It doesn't always work the best. I am a very angry gay today. At least it looks like we won "almost marriage" in Washington state. It's nice to know I'm almost equal somewhere.

I was at the Corzine party last night. Wasn't a fun night, but what bothered me most was Maine. That was what made me turn off the radio last night. 31 states have decided that people like me don't deserve equal protection under the law and frankly, that's shameful.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Nov 3, 2009 -> 12:32 AM) Seriously, Joementum is on board with the Dems most of the time. Obamacare and the war stuff... he left the party. Ok. I guess that means anyone who votes against Obamacare left the party as well. And on the Presidential election. And torture. He almost lost his chairmanship after the election last year after campaigning for McCain. He spoke at the RNC. Democrats don't do that. Democrats like me oppose a non party member who caucuses with our party having a gavel in a committee if they agree to filibuster and campaign with the Republicans. There are plenty of deserving Democrats in the Senate who could have that gavel too. There are a dozen caucusing Senators who have wavered on this in one form or another. And in many cases, their no vote may bite them in the ass if they're up for reelection next year. They may face a primary challenge, too. This is what happens when you stray from the mainstream of a party. Especially when you are less popular than the issue you oppose. But nobody is looking to kick them out of the party.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Nov 3, 2009 -> 12:19 AM) Oh, but the party left him, you know. If it's good for Olympia Snowe, why isn't it good for Joementum? It's hypocritcal. Did I miss the story of Olympia Snowe caucusing with the Democrats? Or maybe I missed the story where the Democrats deserted their candidate in the Maine senate race to protect the Republican senate seat. When did that happen again?