2020 Political Chatter

[BBB]

Lots of things... but mostly:

1) I just can't understand why any woman would support Trump. I don't get men either, but I REALLY don't get women.

2) The way voting is done is bizarre to me. We put someone on the moon 50 years ago. Tesla has been (falsely IMHO) selling self-driving for a while and people trust millions to Bitcoin, but we can't organize a secure vote online. Seriously?

The Australian government tried for the last census and the website crashed. WTF? I just don't believe a secure online system could really be that hard today.

While I agree in general (though voting on line would ruin the democracy sausage) and Australia has a lot to offer the US with our centralised electoral commission, we have rather shot ourselves in the foot on the credibility front. Our former ambassador to the US decided to cite the percentage of people voting for Biden in DC as evidence of voter fraud...seemingly oblivious to the fact that the numbers were more or less consistent with the last three elections. Joe Hockey...you are a dickhead.

[Colinmclelland]

While I agree in general (though voting on line would ruin the democracy sausage) and Australia has a lot to offer the US with our centralised electoral commission, we have rather shot ourselves in the foot on the credibility front. Our former ambassador to the US decided to cite the percentage of people voting for Biden in DC as evidence of voter fraud...seemingly oblivious to the fact that the numbers were more or less consistent with the last three elections. Joe Hockey...you are a dickhead.

Well yes, but Joe got shunted to that role after he successfully demonstrated his ability at home. But again, make it a proper encrypted online thing and you remove all this voter fraud BS chatter.

Oh, and they could still make you go to a polling station to use their network, so you could still get a democracy sausage!

[ides1056]

Is that a democracy sausage, or are you just happy to see me?

[thollandpe]

On a more relaxed note, have we ever seen US Postal work so hard since Tour de France 2005?

That is funny, but they work hard all the time. And even harder over the next few months. It happens every year.

I have entrusted the USPS with more than 400 mortgage payments and every single one has made it. Ditto with car payments and credit card payments, maybe 1200 or more because I've had several of those concurrently. The plural of anecdote is not data, but in my experience there are few systems that are more reliable (or cost effective but that's another discussion) than the USPS.

[echappist]

That is funny, but they work hard all the time. And even harder over the next few months. It happens every year.

I have entrusted the USPS with more than 400 mortgage payments and every single one has made it. Ditto with car payments and credit card payments, maybe 1200 or more because I've had several of those concurrently. The plural of anecdote is not data, but in my experience there are few systems that are more reliable (or cost effective but that's another discussion) than the USPS.

hear hear

[BBB]

So, in some states Trump wants voting to stop as he is currently ahead and Biden is closing the gap and in Arizona he wants it to continue as he is closing the gap on Biden. People from both sides are protesting about either counting the votes (Democrat supporters), stopping the voters (Trump supporters in certain locations) or continuing the count (Trump supporters in Arizona). You can't make this stuff up.

[Mark Kelly]

I have entrusted the USPS with more than 400 mortgage payments and every single one has made it. Ditto with car payments and credit card payments, maybe 1200 or more because I've had several of those concurrently. The plural of anecdote is not data, but in my experience there are few systems that are more reliable (or cost effective but that's another discussion) than the USPS.

Except for virtually every other developed country's postal system. I put together a library of virtually every extant book on electronics published before 1965, sourced from libraries all over the world. It was notable that the US postal system was totally unpredictable. My favourite bit was when one book arrived six months after postage, still locked in a USPS internal transfer bag: the ones with the big lockable metal bar across the top.

[sk_tle]

Fixed it for you!

ha ha thanks I checked last TDF win of Lance Armstrong but forgot the team had changed sponsor in 2005!

[jclay]

So, in some states Trump wants voting to stop as he is currently ahead and Biden is closing the gap and in Arizona he wants it to continue as he is closing the gap on Biden. People from both sides are protesting about either counting the votes (Democrat supporters), stopping the voters (Trump supporters in certain locations) or continuing the count (Trump supporters in Arizona). You can't make this stuff up.

From the NYT: “The only way Biden can win Arizona is through fraud,” said Jim Williams, 67, a welder who attended the protest. “I won’t accept a Biden victory. I don’t want to live under Communist rule.”

"Communist rule"? The ignorance and tribalism on display is staggering to behold.

[fastupslowdown]

What's more depressing is some people feel the need to carry one.

Buying guns seems to be the default position for some of the American electorate...

When confronted by something upsetting, they buy guns

Bears...same-sex marriages....global warming...albino raccoons...long words...Hispanics...ANY kind of panics...

Let's go shopping !!!

[holliscx]

From the NYT: “The only way Biden can win Arizona is through fraud,” said Jim Williams, 67, a welder who attended the protest. “I won’t accept a Biden victory.

How exactly are votes counted? I’m not siding with Trump and I hate to use the F word but the closeness of the election does open the door to fraudulent reporting. Hypothetically, if Cuban-Americans moved en masse to California and the state flipped, pigs would fly before California would report a vote for Trump let alone a win. So extrapolate to a close election and every vote is in play and the longer it takes to report and count votes suspicion is plausible. So, how are votes counted and what are the checks and balances to ensure the count is fair? And does this change by state?

I kind of feel like numbers should be reported once and be final. Showing 61% or 95% reported is unnecessary. If you serve me a meal that was good for 70% but the last 30% was inedible rendering the meal bad ... I mean that’s how it works. Same for a test, a teacher doesn’t say, well, Johnny was rocking an A at the halfway point but ultimately failed his Chemistry exam.

Re: the electoral college what about voting county by county. That's how we review the results now. We have the data. We have the technology. That would make it much more meaningful and encourage vs discourage turnout. Blow up the congressional districts. Anyway, it won't happen but that would in part solve a big part of the problem.

[Ras72]

Buying guns seems to be the default position for some of the American electorate...

When confronted by something upsetting, they buy guns

Bears...same-sex marriages....global warming...albino raccoons...long words...Hispanics...ANY kind of panics...

Let's go shopping !!!

When my child was 3, he had a stuffed lamb. He would take it everywhere. That 'lambie' gave him comfort.

[gregl]

From the NYT: “The only way Biden can win Arizona is through fraud,” said Jim Williams, 67, a welder who attended the protest. “I won’t accept a Biden victory. I don’t want to live under Communist rule.”

"Communist rule"? The ignorance and tribalism on display is staggering to behold.

Indeed, this election is more an indictment of the American education system than anything else. Specifically, the patchwork quality of American education breeds willful ignorance. Some locales provide insightful, critical thinking skills and an open-minded approach to our country's history. Then for example there's Texas, with their state-specific textbooks specifically designed to appease evangelicals. No wonder America is more divided than anytime since 1861.

Greg

[htwoopup]

Anybody from these states that just legalized that cabbage, or live in a state that has already legalized it, holding??? I got a ‘friend’ that’s asking..

What I see just before coming back into the US every time...

B0D7ABED-F14E-41C6-8072-20FD435BFDE1.jpg

[Matthew Strongin]

How exactly are votes counted? I’m not siding with Trump and I hate to use the F word but the closeness of the election does open the door to fraudulent reporting. Hypothetically, if Cuban-Americans moved en masse to California and the state flipped, pigs would fly before California would report a vote for Trump let alone a win. So extrapolate to a close election and every vote is in play and the longer it takes to report and count votes suspicion is plausible. So, how are votes counted and what are the checks and balances to ensure the count is fair? And does this change by state?

In many locales there are representatives from both the Republican and Democratic parties to observe, and in some cases where a ballot is unclear, validate, the counting of votes. While it's a great rallying cry for those who don't like a result, voter fraud isn't really a thing.

[Saab2000]

While it's a great rallying cry for those who don't like a result, voter fraud isn't really a thing.

This is my understanding as well. I was texting with a college friend of mine last night. I know she skews Democratic but is capable of working across the aisle as well. She has worked with the state of MN and has some first hand experience. Anyway, she has acted as an "election judge" (not sure exactly what this is) and she claims there is a ton of integrity in the process.

Does anyone here have experience volunteering at a polling place or working in the election process?

[Saab2000]

The investor class has figured out how to make $$ no matter what. They'll be just fine.

The term "investor class" seems to be ignoring the fact that anyone who has a retirement account of virtually any sort, or a pension of most sorts, is part of the investor class. Most folks who save for retirement don't just squirrel away money in a savings account.

[jmgorman]

Re: the electoral college what about voting county by county. That's how we review the results now. We have the data. We have the technology. That would make it much more meaningful and encourage vs discourage turnout. Blow up the congressional districts. Anyway, it won't happen but that would in part solve a big part of the problem.

Fun story: that's how it was for the first couple of elections. Then Jefferson realized that he wouldn't be able to win that way and shifted the Virginia electors to be committed by the entire state's total. Everyone else realized that consolidating the votes by state was the only way any state could have any sway, so they all moved that way. Madison and Hamilton were so outraged they proposed a Constitutional amendment to formalize district-level electors, but it went nowhere.

[HorsCat]

The term "investor class" seems to be ignoring the fact that anyone who has a retirement account of virtually any sort, or a pension of most sorts, is part of the investor class. Most folks who save for retirement don't just squirrel away money in a savings account.

By "investor class" I mean the titans of capital and industry who make the big $$, not the plebs who make out with the scraps. To quote Gordon Gekko: "I'm not talking a $400,000 a year working Wall Street stiff flying first class and being comfortable, I'm talking about liquid. Rich enough to have your own jet. Rich enough not to waste time."

[ColonelJLloyd]

Does anyone here have experience volunteering at a polling place or working in the election process?

This was my first election volunteering. Fourteen hour day on Tuesday. Very positive experience.