Buttload of Faith: the 2016 Presidential Primary Thread (Pt 2)

the non-presidential election background at the state level--

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/13/opinion/campaign-stops/the-republican-partys-50-state-solution.html?rref=collection%2Fcolumn%2Fthomas-b-edsall&action=click&contentCollection=opinion®ion=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=3&pgtype=collection&_r=0

Seven years ago, Democrats had a commanding lead in state legislatures, controlling both legislative chambers in 27 states, nearly double the 14 controlled by Republicans. They held 4082 state senate and house seats, compared to the Republicans’ 3223.

Sweeping Republican victories at the state level in 2010 and 2014 transformed the political landscape.

...

By 2015, there were Republican majorities in 70 percent — 68 of 98 — of the nation’s partisan state houses and senates, the highest number in the party’s history. (Nebraska isn’t counted in because it has a non-partisan, unicameral legislature.) Republicans controlled the legislature and governorship in 23 states, more than triple the seven under full Democratic control.

What’s changed seems to be the result of the relatively recent nationalization of state campaign financing,” Morgan Kousser, a professor of history at Caltech (and, as it happens, Thad Kousser’s father), wrote in an email:

The Koch brothers understand the importance of controlling state legislatures; George Soros doesn’t. I’m not sure why this should be the case, but since we’re really talking about a relatively small number of mega-donors who have caused this, it’s a rather restricted question.

someone was just fishing for a trump opinion from me. i offered that, 'he reminds me of reagan' and left it at that. felt good

I'd suggest that we just hook all of Trump's supporters up to VR headgear and feed them four years of nightmares but these people live in a delusional dreamworld where W didn't take an eight-year steaming dump on the US so who even knows how awful things would have to get before they'd complain about the smell.

Keeping thinking about some half-remembered quote from Churchill about meeting the average voter

He reminds me of Regan. From The Exorcist.

saw some tweet today that Trump is a comments section come to life

yr thinking of america

more like a tweet come to life xp

Kasich shoring up #2 in NH, sez Pierce

It appears that more than a few attendees are a bit puzzled when Kasich asks for a show of hands. "Anybody here know who David Bowie was?" It really doesn't matter, though, because "one of my favorite songs, I've been told we can't play it here because we haven't [been granted] permission." Kasich launches into a complicated story about Eric Clapton and George Harrison and a command that Clapton wake up before sunrise. (This last part seems more probable if Clapton was told he had to stay up until sunrise. Sadly, Pattie Boyd appears to have played no role in this story.) Things became only slightly clearer when a man wearing road kill on his head and a blue rubber band in his beard steps forward and begins singing "Here Come the Sun."

http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/news/a41693/kasich-new-hampshire/

a compelling platform

"I'd suggest that we just hook all of Trump's supporters up to VR headgear and feed them four years of nightmares"

just read them an endless legal litany of Trump's bankruptcies, lawsuits, nebulous campaign contributions, and "alleged" mob activity. that oughta do the trick.

Nixon's head was enormous. Like twice the size of a human head.

Perfect head for a movie star, wanting only the charm and good looks.

@dick_nixon
In two years they will have Christie on to promote his book about a diet or Jesus. One of those.

Will he be on the morning chat shows to compare weight-loss surgery notes with Al Roker?

this is a WSJ reporter:

https://twitter.com/bkesling/status/694254763316158464

Donald Trump said as long as US troop vehicles are armored, when they get hit by IEDs troops just "go for a little ride."

#NoProblem

man, memories are short in this country

Yeah, that quote and attendant responses from military personnel need to be widely disseminated.

Greenwald on the "Bernie Bros" horseshit (i'd rather he hadn't bannered a big Susan Sarandon pic tho).

https://theintercept.com/2016/01/31/the-bernie-bros-narrative-a-cheap-false-campaign-tactic-masquerading-as-journalism-and-social-activism/

lol, this thread is en fuego today

So the entire cable TV industry is dependent on ratings for the Iowa caucuses, right? I don't ever in my life remember such hysteria. "Mika" Brzezinski, up for about 46 hours, looks like she's taken several hits from an aluminum foil-covered pipe.

I kinda like the standing around in groups thing because it makes the whole enterprise sound less like a political process for grownup citizens and more like a fun activity you would see thrown into the mix of a larger fund-raiser, like a cakewalk or a game of Red Rover to keep the kids busy. You almost wish each state had their own unique, quirky variant voting method, going back to my original hope that the clown car would be resolved by having all the candidates stand on poles in the water while Jeff Probst tries to seduce them with hamburgers and french fries. Hands On A Hard Body would also be a good model IMHO.

I would not like to vote in a group - I'll take being hunched over a computer screen in a dark room, triple-checking the touchscreen and keeping a jaded eye upon the other silent voters in the room who are all probably out to cancel my vote.

GOP should just have a knife fight and the last one standing gets to pick the nominee

Greenwald on the "Bernie Bros" horseshit (i'd rather he hadn't bannered a big Susan Sarandon pic tho).

https://theintercept.com/2016/01/31/the-bernie-bros-narrative-a-cheap-false-campaign-tactic-masquerading-as-journalism-and-social-activism/

― we can be heroes just for about 3.6 seconds (Dr Morbius), Monday, February 1, 2016 9:14 PM (47 minutes ago)

it's painful to even pay attention to this stuff but glad GG does, he knocked this one out of the park

Those gay-bashing tweets directed at GG at the end... manoman.

Hands On A Hard Body would also be a good model IMHO.

You are a genius, and i mean that sincerely.

that cruz failed kiss is a campaign destroyer for real, it's so horrific

eh it's more appalling if you don't know it's his daughter

http://45.media.tumblr.com/c11931949904a30f8254c38586024c6e/tumblr_o1vxdt3a911rgh197o1_400.gif

really a beautifully composed frame

ouch

unbearable

my mom has the bizarre habit of supporting total longshot candidates. and not in like a super lefty way. i never really get why.

88: bruce babbitt
92: harkin and/or tsongas
00: bradley (probably, idr)
04: iirc gephardt? then wes clark, edwards probably.
08: biden (loves him), bill richardson, she's always been a hillary fan at least personally

i just traded a few texts with her "O'Malley's my guy"

happy iowa day everyone!

(she lives in iowa, is the point of that post)

(pls don't dox my mom)

yr mom's got a thing for lovable losers eh

well where would any of us be, right

http://gawker.com/rumor-heidi-cruz-is-so-repulsed-by-iowans-she-has-to-s-1756461603

Worth the click for Heidi Cruz's Twitter pic of her greeting Iowans

Now I want to just watch Christopher Guest movies for a week

http://41.media.tumblr.com/f1d0c1bb7b8b9c3919823248937f9e61/tumblr_nqim7h1opX1ur59wio1_400.jpg

trump into america!

"What's wrong with being racy?"

"RacIST."

https://www.instagram.com/p/BBQeLydABXv/

yr mom's got a thing for lovable losers eh

i voted for Bill Bradley in the '00 primary (boy that one hurt), and he's not remotely lovable.

There's really nothing like 2 minutes of voter-opinion clips on NPR to make you realize we are tot fucking doomed.

It's very, very early, but CNN has just projected Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders as leading on the Democratic side.

These are just projections--do not lose heart, O'Malley supporters.

Those are based off of entry polls. The lobbying is just getting started.

(I promise not to talk about predictions vs projections ;)

brace yourselves for O'Mentum!

(I promise not to talk about predictions vs projections ;)

Reminds me of that one Seinfeld episode: "You were interfering while we were intervening."

looks like they managed to capture more of that lovable Cruz moment

https://media.giphy.com/media/l2JI9hJjzH1VjJxS0/giphy.gif

https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtp1/v/t1.0-9/12646981_10153387079108310_8162776531352720661_n.jpg?oh=fc83d8de2c02abb70f1057897916b67a&oe=576F1748