Thursday Open Thread [4.16.15]
I especially love when he admits the Republicans have done nothing for him compared to the “Democrat Party.”
“But you know, the Republican Party, they haven’t done nothing for me, man. Nothing,” he remarked. “So, I’m leaning toward voting for Hillary unless something major comes up. I don’t trust the Republicans anymore because they’re wanting to repeal the Obamacare. And I don’t want them to do that, man, because then I’ll have to go to work again. My life’s already planned out.”
Sam Wang: “Hillary Clinton has massive name recognition. She is as well-known as a sitting President… The best-known Republican, Jeb Bush, matches Hillary Clinton’s unfavorability, but lags her in favorability by 15 points. To match her net favorable-minus-unfavorable number, he would have to win over people who don’t have an opinion by a ratio of 1.7 to 1. That is a huge challenge.”
This chart shows the huge problem for Republicans candidates named Bush, Christie, Paul and Cruz. It is almost impossible for them to catch up to Clinton’s favorability. Rubio and Walker have room to do it though.
Give credit to Republicans in Congress. They’ve discovered, belatedly, that income inequality is a problem, and they’re no longer proposing to give tax breaks to the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans. Now they are proposing to give tax breaks to the wealthiest two-tenths of 1 percent of Americans.
Greg Bluestein at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution says Georgia is undergoing a major demographic change that will affect its voting pattern, and we already saw a little of that in the 2014 election:
“I sometimes feel like Georgia flies under the radar,” said Ruy Teixeira of the Center for American Progress. “But things are changing there so quickly.”…The analysis was done by the Center for American Progress, the American Enterprise Institute and William H. Frey from the Brookings Institute…shows that Georgia could become a majority-minority state in 2025 and that minorities could outnumber whites among eligible voters by 2036…A narrow majority of students in Georgia’s public schools are now non-white and the data show that the proportion of white children could diminish to about 30 percent by 2060…”Blacks have more proclivity to vote in one direction than Hispanics or Asians,” said Teixeira. “It’s definitely changing the character. And one thing that will really make a huge difference in Georgia is if white voters vote more liberally. You don’t need much of a shift in the white vote for there to be a tipping point.”
Anne Coulter wants literacy tests to be required for voter registration. She thinks it will prevent minorities from voting. I think it will prevent stupid illiterate white trash, also known as the Republican base, from voting.
A new Bloomberg poll finds Americans “are becoming more optimistic about the country’s economic prospects by several different measures. President Obama’s handling of the economy is being seen more positively than negatively for the first time in more than five years, 49% to 46% — his best number in this poll since September 2009.” But the survey “also reveals that about three-fourths of Democrats and independents, along with a majority of Republicans, say the gap is growing between the rich and everyone else — and a majority of women want the government to intervene to shrink it.”
This is horribly bad news for Republicans.
Kudos to Chief Justice John Roberts for setting a good example and reporting for jury duty. He went through voir dire (a fancy lawyer term for selecting a jury) for a civil personal injury case, but was not selected. I always report for jury duty, and never try to get out of it unless I really do have a conflicting issue (like I have a surgery scheduled, would be out of the state or country, etc.). It is one of the few civic duties you have as a citizen, and everyone should do it without complaining. You should also vote and pay your taxes, but you can complain when doing that.
NEW HAMPSHIRE–PRESIDENT–REPUBLICAN PRIMARY–Public Policy Polling: Walker 24, Cruz 14, Paul 12, Bush 10, Christie 8, Rubio 8, Carson 7 and Huckabee 7.
Senate Republicans commemorate the anniversary of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln by being grateful for that assassination.
I’m thinking that this is the mark of a party with no young people who can help them work the internets. The responses to this tweet (at the link) are delightful.
LOL at the responses!
My favorite comments:
– I know you don’t believe in science, but do you at least believe in proofreading?
– we were so hung up on @Senate_GOPs endorsing Lincoln’s murder that we barely stopped to consider how they’ve also betrayed his ideals
– He was the last Republican President who was trying to keep the country together instead of tearing it apart.
– Your education vouchers at work, guys! (Rep. Deb Hudson… Looking at you w/ this one!)
– Consideirng what they’ve done to ed budgets, they’ll be lucky to find a better one (intern).
– What a shame the Republican party is now taken over by confederate flag waving states rights people that Lincoln fought
– Please commemorate Lincoln and the freeing of Slaves, saving Union from slaver succession, by ending attack on black voting.
– Lincoln might have been anti-states rights & a huge big governmentor, but you don’t have to be grateful for his assassination!
http://us6.campaign-archive1.com/?u=5abab6dc8cd08e2d17c5a3409&id=1560f281e
It looks like the Delaware Republicans are all in on the anti Hillary mudslinging
Could you delete my last comment something is wrong with the link
thanks
You think it could never flood at your house? Shut up will you. This is part of the sea level rise initiative based on highly regarded computer models with special data input, you idiots.
http://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/local/2015/04/16/higher-flood-premiums-hamper-revitalization/25910451/
@FBH: Crazy as it sounds, I think people who live in flood plains should pay more for flood insurance. Color me nuts.
You should know, by the way, that land value is at the root of conservative climate-change denial. And you should look up the federal flood insurance program, since you folks are so upset about waste, fraud and abuse.
The problem is that people now find themselves in a “federally designated flood zone” that didn’t exist before. Now if they want to keep their mortgage they will have to pay much higher insurance rates. The new map is predicated on the impending increase in sea level rise due to the predicted influence of global warming.
Actually, if you read the story, you’ll find that the homeowner on which it centers has always been in a flood zone, and has been getting away with lower rates for years.
Seriously, dude, I don’t understand your complaint here. The guy griping about a $2,000/year flood insurance bill would have to pay that much for decades before it amounts to enough to pay a single flood claim.
You don’t seem to understand that THE GOVERNMENT you hate so much has been subsidizing flood insurance rates for decades. This new situation amounts to removing a government subsidy.
As usual, conservatives hate government without understanding what the government provides. Want lower rates? Endorse higher taxes, because those are the choices. You don’t get to pick, “Cut the programs other people use but I don’t.”
Tribbit can remember the storm of ’62 flood waters at her front door yet she can’t recall a time when her house was threatened by flooding? Really?
If Sandy went up the Delaware Bay, Little Creek would be singing a different tune.
Perhaps the town would like to cough up the $1.3 mil to dredge the river for first responders because the road to the current boat ramp gets…….. (wait for it) …… flooded.
The federal flood insurance program has been insolvent for years.
Flood maps are meant to be updated periodically, because flood zones change over time for a variety of reasons. And if you choose to live in a place with alot of flooding risk, then you should pay for that flooding risk. Why do all of these people need a government program to stay in their homes?
There is no federal law that says that you have to have flood insurance. It is your mortgage company that makes that call. The Feds just designate the areas where flooding is more likely. If you think their estimates are bunk, take it up with your mortgage company (or pay off your mortgage).
You should really thank the government for setting up this loser of a program that makes your mortgage company more solvent.