Political-ish?

"CalzoneGolem" (calzonegolem)
11/09/2016 at 13:38 • Filed to: None

In Maine with 96% of the votes reported

Referendum 1 is passing by .5% of the vote and referendum 2 is passing by .9% of the vote with ~30k votes left to count.

Those are some real close votes.

DISCUSSION (21)

ttyymmnn > CalzoneGolem
11/09/2016 at 13:43

I remain flabbergasted by how close elections are becoming. I think it shows that consensus is dead. You have to have enough people who feel the way you do about something, because you’re never going to get anybody else to join your side.

jimz > ttyymmnn
11/09/2016 at 13:45

well, when we all go around with the mindset that the only reason someone can disagree with us is because they’re stupid, that’s what you get.

CalzoneGolem > jimz
11/09/2016 at 13:49

Well, they could also be an asshole.

Rust and Dust - Oppositelock Forever > CalzoneGolem
11/09/2016 at 13:54

Somewhat off topic, but I caught this early reporting gem last night:

Arostook County, reporting two votes (granted, it was early, and moose/bear outnumber people in Arostook, but wouldn’t you wait to get at least ten votes counted to update?)

Kinja'd!!!

BorkBorkBjork > jimz
11/09/2016 at 14:21

Exactly, and the internet has made it worse, not better. Hopefully we can trash the divisive language, stop calling each other rednecks and socialists, and just get shit done.

StoneCold > ttyymmnn
11/09/2016 at 14:21

How do we get enough people to feel the way we do?

We start breeding. XD

ttyymmnn > StoneCold
11/09/2016 at 14:23

Unfortunately, I am done breeding. Though I did bring three people into the world already. I’m trying to let them figure things out on their own, but some of my beliefs are bound to rub off on them.

CalzoneGolem > Rust and Dust - Oppositelock Forever
11/09/2016 at 14:36

Haha that’s crazy.

duurtlang > ttyymmnn
11/09/2016 at 14:39

As a biologist I can tell you your breeding days aren’t over. Well, the direct breeding days might be, but you can still do your best instilling your genes beliefs into your grandchildren and great grandchildren and ...

ttyymmnn > duurtlang
11/09/2016 at 14:48

I’ve been married 26 years. Trust me, those days are over.

duurtlang > ttyymmnn
11/09/2016 at 14:51

Well yes, but what about your kids? Your kids kids are your offspring too.

deekster_caddy > ttyymmnn
11/09/2016 at 15:23

A big part of this is that many people feel like “my vote doesn’t count” so unless they are especially for or against a current popular topic, they don’t show up. When that happens, there is no chance for a third party, and little chance for any middle ground to be reached in the bodied agencies (senate/congress) because the more polarizing politicians are the ones getting the votes.

JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t > jimz
11/09/2016 at 15:31

The internet is a huge prop to this world view. I said this to a group of friends back in 2001 or so and they all looked at me like I was insane, but here it is: Online groups allow us to carefully moderate who we interact with in our spare time, we curate our contacts and our follows and our likes and our listserves (shows how old I am!) and we surround ourselves with those who most agree with us, or at worst offend us least, we are able to self-reinforce our idea(l)s to a degree that have never been able to in the past, that not only leads to greater specialization (potentially a good thing) but also greater comparmentalization (NOT a good thing). We are so used to everyone in our curated online worlds agreeing with us that we find it unnatural and stressful, painful even, to compromise and see other sides the situation in the real world. We don’t see the effects of our idea(l)s on others and they are unable/unwilling to communicate those effects back to us, and vice versa, and we become uncompromising and biased. All of us. EVERY. SINGLE ONE. OF. US. Including me.

I Like Oppo, (it’s one of the very few online communities that i interact with any more) because it’s topic of concentration and organization *FORCES* those of us with differing idea(l)s to interact. maybe not at a conversational level, maybe not even at a civil level always, but we are nonetheless EXPOSED to the other, not sheltered from it here. And we need to embrace that, no mater how much you (I) believe stance is idiotic, and people who like the panther platform are morons, and only douche-bags drive Lambos, only idiots disagree with you... etc. We are all people.

jimz > JawzX2, Boost Addict. 1.6t, 2.7tt, 4.2t
11/09/2016 at 15:40

plus, we’re all safely out of reach of each others’ fists.

Mercedes Streeter > jimz
11/09/2016 at 15:53

And brake lines. xD

HammerheadFistpunch > jimz
11/09/2016 at 15:57

not all others.

jimz > ttyymmnn
11/09/2016 at 16:00

plus it’s becoming an “urban vs. not urban” divide. If you look at Michigan, Clinton took most of the populous counties: Wayne (Detroit,) Oakland (Troy, Southfield,) Washtenaw (Ann Arbor,) Ingham (Lansing,) Genesee (Flint.) I’m surprised Trump took Macomb.

Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again. > BorkBorkBjork
11/09/2016 at 16:45

That sounds like commie talk to me

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > ttyymmnn
11/10/2016 at 21:53

I was thinking about this and “why are politics more emotional?”. I think the reason is that there are many more issues that weigh on voters mind. I the past there were some major issues (slavery), but since the Great Depression there have been an increasing number. Womens rights in the 10s, 20s, 60s/70s ,Social programs in the 30s, civil rights in the 50/60/70, gay rights 60-present. There are now so many issues that never would have come up int eh first 100 years. Thus it is an infinite number of priorities that just kind of mush together.

ttyymmnn > gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
11/10/2016 at 22:31

Yes, but I also go back to what I said about consensus. In the past, if your party lost, you didn’t necessarily have to worry about the entire agenda of the opposition being forced upon you. Members of Congress, generally, worked together to find compromise. Now, if one party, particularly the Republicans, don’t get their way, they pick up their toys and go home. It’s their way or the highway. Which is why so many Democrats were and are scared as hell, because their voice will be utterly lost, and they feel an overwhelming sense of helplessness. That said, I can understand that many of the rural Americans who voted for Trump have felt that way for 8 years, whether it was real or not. It was certainly real to them.

gmporschenut also a fan of hondas > ttyymmnn
11/10/2016 at 23:28

the old Reagan point of “you go for 2/3 of what you want and go for the rest later” mentality i think is gone. Its all or nothing.