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[MetalSlimeHunt]

Fascinating graph, Aqizzar. I'm kinda shocked at where some of the denominations (specifically Orthodox and Seventh-Day Adventist) fall. I would have pegged them much further into the upper-right corner. (My SO was raised Adventist, so I've gotten to hear about their particular brand of cray-cray).

I've also known some Adventists, and I'm not that surprised. There's a persistent narrative that the State is destined to become a tool of the Beast, either now or at some point in the future. This runs counter to the Christian Nation ideals of most of the other right denominations. Further, the Adventists have some exceptional beliefs that keep them from joining the fabric of the Religious Right wholesale. The disagreement over what the day of worship is, pacifism, vegetarianism, ect. All in all, they're just out there enough that the traditionals don't feel quite comfortable extending the ecumenical branch, while the rest of the religion is in line enough that they don't go all deviant and end up in UU's club.

As for Orthodox, my spying on observations of the American Orthodox is that they're essentially carving out a niche as the reconstruction of Christianity for disillusioned evangelicals and the like. Though I am loath to admit it, the Orthodox are a lot better at what they do than certain groups of American Protestants who will remain unnamed poisondrinkerschristianidentitydominionistsprosperitytheologycharismaticsassembliesofgodreformedlutheranism and can pick these people up a lot easier than most. Ancestral Sin instead of Original Sin can get a lot of them, as well as just the general competence that comes with being the oldest remaining coherent Christian sect. If there is any theological path to justifying something, the Orthodox found it 500 years ago. So instead of staying unhappy or leaving Christianity, a lot of these disillusioned ones gain an at least more internally consistent vision through the Orthodox. It helps that the Orthodox is so old and less involved in politics that they more or less don't map to the modern left-right spectrum, that they're super small in the US, and that they can boast about being original gangsters more than even the Catholic Church. The exception to all this is Alaska, which is filled with super reclusive old Orthodox communities who have probably all become snow cannibals by now.

[Helgoland]

Hey, Catholicism is the oldest remaining coherent sect! The Orthodox Church split off at some point

Seriously though, I don't think you can say either is truly older than the other. The thing is that their schism basically was a Western Roman Empire/Eastern Roman Empire split, so that both can rightfully claim continuity.

[RedKing]

I've been to some Greek Orthodox and Russian Orthodox churches here in the US (we also have a surprising concentration of Malankara Syrian Orthodox, a Miaphysite branch from India). They do seem to be surprisingly apolitical, at least in their services. I've never looked too hard at what their connections and money imply outside of Sunday mornings.

Obviously, the Orthodox Church in Europe is a somewhat different story.

[Zrk2]

Obviously, the Orthodox Church in Europe is a somewhat different story.

Alas, such is life.

[Aqizzar]

Here's a blast from the past...

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker is currently one of the leading possible Republican nominees (in a smoking hot tie with Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio at... 14% each in opinion polling) and he's quickly establishing himself as the "economic" candidate in Republican terms.  Part of that is from a nearly-signed Wisconsin budget that will cut $81 million from health care programs.  There's a lot of quibbling on exactly where that $81 million will come from, but part of it is an establishment/expansion of insurance coverage for "end-of-life consultation programs", basically promoting professional assistance with the very expensive process of dying in hospice care.

If you feel a shiver running up your spine, then you probably remember six years ago, when coverage of "end-of-life consultation" in the Affordable Care Act was re-branded "government run death-panels" by Sarah Palin and effectively founded the Tea Party movement.

I'm willing to bet money you will not hear a single Republican commentator accusing Scott Walker of wanting to send federal agents into the hospital to pull the plug on your grandma.  I'm almost willing to bet money you'll hear talking heads saying a Walker-signed budget would be a good replacement for Obamacare.

[nenjin]

I guess as long as business is making money from it, I guess it passes moral muster for Republicans.

[Lord Shonus]

It would be more accurate to say that this pass as long as somebody's not manufacturing a panic - most people don't read bills not because they don't care but because the language of law is (paradoxically, because the intention is to leave only one possible interpretation) very hard for laymen to understand, so they rely on experts to tell them what it means. Most won't even realize that the term is the same.

[RedKing]

Manufacturing a panic? _{(Buy ammo! Obama is going to take it away!)}

Republicans? _{(Ebola! The end times are here!)}

I haven't the faintest idea what you're referring to. _{(Buy gold!! The dollar is doooooooomed!)}

[Jervill]

<snip> So screw the union buster, I simply wanted your attention.

Any chance, Aquizzar, you may run for house or maybe state house in your district?  It is not that unreasonable after all, the Texas Dems need all the help they can get.  Think of all the money you could get...

More seriously, however, Wisconsin is trailing all its neighbors in the economic recovery.  Minnesota, for example, has a $2 billion surplus, Illinois is growing, as is Iowa.  Wisconsin is trailing behind all its neighbors except Michigan, but MI being MI, does not look so good.

[MaximumZero]

I second that. The economy here is still horrendous. Mostly because manufacturing is all moving or has moved out with nothing inbound to replace it. Also, a high degree of essentially open corruption in government because scared old people are the only ones willing to vote.

[FearfulJesuit]

Executive orders are an overreach of executive power, unless you're a Republican governor taking a stand against Ireland's legalization of same-sex marriage.

[Sheb]

You know that's satire, right?

[Zrk2]

I second that. The economy here is still horrendous. Mostly because manufacturing is all moving or has moved out with nothing inbound to replace it.

This is going to be an ongoing problem throughout all of America and Canada, and I presume Europe, too. If I were an optimist I'd call this the beginning of the information revolution, but I'm not, so we're fucked.

[FearfulJesuit]

You know that's satire, right?

Woops. 

[mainiac]

I second that. The economy here is still horrendous. Mostly because manufacturing is all moving or has moved out with nothing inbound to replace it.

This is going to be an ongoing problem throughout all of America and Canada, and I presume Europe, too. If I were an optimist I'd call this the beginning of the information revolution, but I'm not, so we're fucked.

I dont see why you think it's an either/or.