Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[mainiac]

This is not a story about Donald Trump:
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/08/todd-akin-missouri-claire-mccaskill-2012-121262.html#.VcqX51J8XCQ
But it is as interesting as many stories about Donald Trump.  I'm sure Donald Trump would have strong opinions about this story if not for the fact that a man as important as Donald Trump is too busy to read politico.

[penguinofhonor]

No, the extension adds his first name when someone just says Trump. See? It just did it.

[Bauglir]

No, the extension adds his first name when someone just says Trump. See? It just did it.

Oh. Damn. Trumped by technicality, I guess.

[Descan]

No, the extension adds his first name when someone just says Trump. See? It just did it.

Oh. Damn. Trump by technicality, I guess.

FTFY

[EnigmaticHat]

This is not a story about Donald Trump:
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/08/todd-akin-missouri-claire-mccaskill-2012-121262.html#.VcqX51J8XCQ
But it is as interesting as many stories about Donald Trump.  I'm sure Donald Trump would have strong opinions about this story if not for the fact that a man as important as Donald Trump is too busy to read politico.

Wow, that's... the kind of thing I assume goes on all the time but no one admits to.

I'm not sure if I should be impressed or angry or both.  Strictly speaking that would be an example of corruption in campaign politics but its so damn clever and its really hard for me to feel bad about something when Akins is on the butt end of it.

[Frumple]

I have to admit,

How much did “Operation Dog Whistle” contribute to Akin’s victory? I do believe his nomination reaffirmed more than ever his conviction that a higher power had chosen him for this race.

was amazing. The implication that the higher power in that race was the democrat candidate is just...

[mainiac]

Wow, that's... the kind of thing I assume goes on all the time but no one admits to.

That seems like a very silly assumption to me.  The conditions that lead to "operation dog whistle" are hardly normal and the results were clearly easy to distinguish.  And if this thing is happening all the time, why is it that none of the literally hundreds if not thousands of members of the conspiracy came forward?  The senator is quite happy to publish this secret, which hardly makes me think that many other people are keeping mum so well.

[EnigmaticHat]

Wow, that's... the kind of thing I assume goes on all the time but no one admits to.

That seems like a very silly assumption to me.  The conditions that lead to "operation dog whistle" are hardly normal and the results were clearly easy to distinguish.  And if this thing is happening all the time, why is it that none of the literally hundreds if not thousands of members of the conspiracy came forward?  The senator is quite happy to publish this secret, which hardly makes me think that many other people are keeping mum so well.

I mean election shenanigans in general, not this specific thing.

[Morrigi]

That, I have to say, was quite brilliant. Makes you think about why Trump keeps polling so well...

On a serious note, I think part of it is because he very clearly doesn't give a damn about what the media thinks of him. People respect that, for better or for worse. He also has more charisma than a damp sponge, unlike most of the other candidates.

[nenjin]

That, I have to say, was quite brilliant. Makes you think about why Trump keeps polling so well...

On a serious note, I think part of it is because he very clearly doesn't give a damn about what the media thinks of him. People respect that, for better or for worse. He also has more charisma than a damp sponge, unlike most of the other candidates.

He cares about the media to the degree they keep talking about him. Trump is living by the motto that any PR is good PR.

[mainiac]

I mean election shenanigans in general, not this specific thing.

And my point remains exactly the same as before.  Where are the people who took part in such activities?  Where are the party rulemakers who want to change the rules to prevent the shenanigans?  Where is the evidence that separates this belief from my niece's belief in unicorns?

[Sheb]

It's not like this is illegal or anything. It's about trying to shape your opponent's message, and that happens all the time. It's not like she lied about Atkin, or covertly sent fund to his campaign or anything.

[mainiac]

But it offers a very different scale then say an editorialist concern trolling a primary.  And it represents actual subterfuge while this stuff is generally done very openly.

[EnigmaticHat]

I mean election shenanigans in general, not this specific thing.

And my point remains exactly the same as before.  Where are the people who took part in such activities?  Where are the party rulemakers who want to change the rules to prevent the shenanigans?  Where is the evidence that separates this belief from my niece's belief in unicorns?

Alright, really?  My origin post literally contained the word "assume", and the part you're quoting was one sentence.  Sorry I'm not jumping to provide a detailed intellectual defense of it.

I don't think you understand how broad a net I was casting by the words "sort of things".  What I more-or-less meant was that American elections have been manipulated for our entire history, and it seems arrogant to assume it isn't happening now.  I don't know what it is, but I'm sure in a hundred years in history class our grandkids will be taught about Trumpmanding or Apolitical Machines or whatever.  I mean besides the blatant bribery that everyone knows about.

Also lol at the implication in your original point that we can identify campaign corruption by the other side trying to eliminate it.  Historically this kind of stuff benefits BOTH sides at the cost of democracy (by which I mean getting a candidate that represents the general beliefs of the electorate).  Gerrymandering can be used to give either side an advantage, yes, but if everyone is doing it the net effect is to increase the advantage of incumbents, which obviously benefits everyone currently in power.  Nepotism, political machines, ballot tampering, these things brought (and in some cases bring) improved election chances and/or a steady flow of cash to the people currently in power.  Its why no one in congress really cares that some diaper company can dump a gazillion dollars into some schmuck's campaign fund to have a congressman in their pocket.  As long as both sides are doing it, both sides benefit.  If they legislated against it, both parties would end up about even, and they would have to find somewhere else for their campaign funds to come from.

[Sheb]

You're so going to get hammered for spouting pseudo-cynical "Everyone is the same kind of rotten" crap that turns mainiac berserk...