American Politics the 2016 edition

Yeah I have no, and never had any, concern about PA. 

Speaking of race, I finished listening to this fascinating podcast that I want to share here. 

the optimist in me believes we will finally move past all that. We are making baby steps... the whole 180 on gay rights tells me we actually can adapt and become more enlightened. However it doesn't help of course to have one of our political parties play the race card so freely.  Blacks, hispanics... all a threat to whites. I suppose we'll never fully move past our history of racism no matter how enlightened some are here, even a majority until we remove the institutional elements that continue to propagate it.

defeat racism...  vote out a Republican

JJLehto wrote: micky wrote: the optimist in me believes we will finally move past all that. We are making baby steps... the whole 180 on gay rights tells me we actually can adapt and become more enlightened. However it doesn't help of course to have one of our political parties play the race card so freely.  Blacks, hispanics... all a threat to whites. I suppose we'll never fully move past our history of racism no matter how enlightened some are here, even a majority until we remove the institutional elements that continue to propagate it. defeat racism...  vote out a Republican Well that's the thing. I was very lucky to have grown up in a pretty diverse area, like actually diverse.  I had to learn that lots of areas are still segregated, including in many cities and yup even in the Northeast. (Guess the suburbs really weren't so bad!) but it's what you say...institutional elements. With so many people having been taught racism, and living segregated, (add to it schools, churches, police and buzz words to mask it) and yeah, it's hard to have hope sometimes. Like, it'll need a real fundamental, probably ugly ass, change to society. And for sure. While I've seen lots of people discussing the "party of Lincoln" and jumping to cite Robert Byrd.....the overtly racist Democrat is pretty much extinct. While some righties are right to point out Byrd, gotta love how this somehow ignores the current racism sweeping their own party. And Byrd, at least publicly, abandoned those views and apologized which many fail to point out Lots of their backers have switched Republican, where I'll be fair it's not always been racism, being tough on commies, social conservatism/religious hamming up, have been other ways to win people over. But yeah, I do feel a bit bad for the party in a way.  They tried for Rubio, they really do see the error of old ways, but can't shed that baggage. Maybe Trump will be the crash diet they need Starve em to death and then rebuild stronger

funny for me... coming from one of the most liberal cities and states in the country. It was when I was child, and still is today very homogeniuous.   I still remember quite vididly when my best friend disappeared from school. He was probably one of only 3 black kids in my school.  Later i found out his family didn't want him going to school with a bunch of jive ass honkies and they moved to the black enclave of town so he could be with his own. I was like.. what the f**k man... so yeah racism was right in your face even as child. It definitely left an imprint on me as a child.

Perhaps that.. in addition to the years I lived in the deep south even having contact (NOT of my own design haha) with the still very much alive KKK is why I have developed such a passionate, militant, hatred of it and those that continue to practice it. None more than those who do so for nothing more than political gain. I can understand those raised in teh culture of it, I have zero good will for those that directly profit from it. Nor... those that support them with their votes.  Thus my vitriol and venom I regularly display here.. and trust me.. I was worse on Facebook. Thus the vacation from there at least till the election is done hahah.

Much more than economics Brian.. that is what rocks my political world.  As to your thought on the youth... do you really think as they grow older and mature... that they will really give two sh*ts about Wall Street when they see the friends, minority friends, they grew up with and saw as no differently as them are seen as threats to the American way of life, or our values.  That is the war I speak of, it is a culture war and more than being caught up in it, I count on and suspect they will be the front lines going forward to perhaps finally stamp out racism in this country. At least in its most insidious form.. the institutional racism that can not be eliminated until those who profit from continuing to play off whites versus the coming minority majority are removed from power.  The young voters will have that power as my generation and especially the older ones bite the dust.

micky wrote: defeat racism...  vote out a Republican

As if liberals were any better...

For sure, Malcolm X was no liberal, and he didn't care much for 'liberals' either.

Atavachron wrote: ^ Don't know if I'd call Malcom a liberal--  visionary, radical, maybe progressive, but not liberal.

Definitely not a liberal, which is why I posted it. Another similar sentiment:

MLK wrote: I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: "I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action"; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a "more convenient season." Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.

I'm voting Roosevelt

I'm disappointed in Kaine - Pence couldn't defend Trump and traded in constant lies, but Kaine has turned out not to have the rhetorical flourish and composure to skewer Pence. I expected better of Kaine.

The Dark Elf wrote: LearsFool wrote: I'm disappointed in Kaine - Pence couldn't defend Trump and traded in constant lies, but Kaine has turned out not to have the rhetorical flourish and composure to skewer Pence. I expected better of Kaine. Still, Kaine ruled on policy and pointing out Trump's despicability. Mike Pence is as rigid as a military cot. You could bounce a quarter off his ass. Overall, another useless surrogate VP debate. Although I think Pence was in the unenviable spot of being completely unable to counter all the direct quotes spewed by Trump that Kaine brought up. You just can't defend stupid. And Pence could only shrug or grimace and change the subject. I am surprised during the dialogue about abortion that Kaine didn't mention the 6 million women protesting the abortion ban in Poland. It would have brought some stark clarity about the religious rights' worldwide war on vaginas.