2010 Midterm Election - * * * O P E N T H R E A D * * *

[telemann.livejournal.com]

Open thread for following the election results tonight. Several states results maybe cliff hangers and go into recounts (e.g. Washington, Nevada, and Alaska). It should be a wild and bumpy ride tonight. And of course, you're welcomed to participate in a live chat on Efnet IRC #talk_politics. Efnet org has an easy java script client to join the channel, or use other clients.

First bit of news: ABC News has fired Andrew Brietbart from its election coverage tonight.

Comments

[gunslnger.livejournal.com]

Man, liberal bitterness dripping off every sentence. Sheesh.

[prader.livejournal.com]

For them to pretend as if they aren't fully capable of bullying, up to physical violence, is an insult to my intelligence- and fucking infuriating.

[mybodymycoffin.livejournal.com]

Man curb-stomps young woman protester for perceived political views = Man says the President needs to deal harshly with the Republicans since they don't care about bipartisanship.

Troll harder.

[prader.livejournal.com]

Piss off.

[mybodymycoffin.livejournal.com]

Thy words slay me so, sir knight; but, verily, it seems mine hath found their target first, and more ferociously.

I offer my sincerest apologies, but are you quite furious?

[prader.livejournal.com]

Not at all.

I'm just disinclined to take your "debate" style very seriously. However, since you're apparently capable of using big words like "ferociously" and "verily", perhaps I've judged you in haste.

Apology accepted.

Your court.

[new-wave-witch.livejournal.com]

You know, they have a point. Not to invalidate your argument that both sides are capable of being dicks, but what you presented as an example was entirely euphemistic. You've got to be aware of that.

[prader.livejournal.com]

It's the absurdity and blind partisanship that gets me.

"Project much?"

Like it wouldn't be harder to find a better example (like maybe by clicking on the 2nd link of a google results search instead of the first) of leftist thuggery than it would be to find examples of me advocating indiscriminate violence against leftists.

As if the internet doesn't exist and doesn't forget.

But, oh no "We're leftists, we live on sunshine and fart rainbows"

Pfft.

I should start keeping track just to dispense with the inevitable denials.

[new-wave-witch.livejournal.com]

Blind partisanship gets to me too. I particularly hate it when grown-ass people respond to someone else's douchebaggery with douchebagger of their own. You throw rocks, I'll throw rocks; then you'll know how it feels and see the error of your ways.

Or when someone says "See what happened over there? They have, can, and will do it to us!" When incidents like this happen, and the first reaction is not toward what is going on and the individuals involved, but rather, who represents me in it and what does their presence say about me, yeah that's pretty disgusting too.

I mean, if it's that important to you to stay on target with responding to the kind of characterization of a liberal person you're obviously bothered by, based on your comments here, be my guest. I'm sure you'll have fun. I'm not seeing how it's going to encourage people on either side, even those who share your politics, to individualize the situations, though.

[prader.livejournal.com]

And the damned shame of it all is that I'd prefer to sit down over maybe an adult beverage and discuss issues without all the simple minded sniping. But I can do the rock thing too.

Whichever.

[new-wave-witch.livejournal.com]

I don't think I could do the rock thing. I wouldn't want someone to do that to me.

[prader.livejournal.com]

I will try to keep that in mind going forward.

No, seriously, you seem pretty reasonable judging by the few interactions we've had so far.

[new-wave-witch.livejournal.com]

Thanks. And likewise, which is why I thought this whole thing was really out of character for you.

[prader.livejournal.com]

Even my patience has its limits. I can go one way, or the other, real fast. And it's largely up to the other person.

[new-wave-witch.livejournal.com]

I can see that, I suppose. Personally, I try my hardest to avoid crowds that would hold situations like that up as demonstrative of what a conservative or a liberal ideology can lead to, and rather attribute it to a varied number of other factors. Liberal and conservative, left and right, are just entirely too broad.

[prader.livejournal.com]

Yes. I am actually a liberal (though not a "leftist" or collectivist... or "modern" liberal.) And the left/right spectrum is really pretty useless.

[new-wave-witch.livejournal.com]

I don't think it's that so much. I just think liberalism and conservatism, whatever definition you take to either word, are too broad to characterize like people try to do. It's a weak and unnuanced way of thinking, to me.

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

the damned shame of it all is that I'd prefer to sit down over maybe an adult beverage and discuss issues without all the simple minded sniping.

Bullshit. You drew first snipe with "They'd do it to us if they had the chance." while salivating over "how tempting it is [to assault libs]"

Own up to it.

[prader.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's right, I was salivating over assaulting libs while telling someone else that it's uncalled for.

That's not an idiotic assumption on your part at all.

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

Granted. I took exception to you describing how much you want to and such.

[prader.livejournal.com]

But here's the thing- I didn't say "I want to", I said it can be tempting- especially when having a discussion with someone else who absolutely will not listen to a thing you have to say.

Temptation is something that can be overcome, and a far cry from actively "wanting to."

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

Like it wouldn't be harder to find a better example (like maybe by clicking on the 2nd link of a google results search instead of the first) of leftist thuggery than it would be to find examples of me advocating indiscriminate violence against leftists.

Steve Potin was advocating exactly that...and you said they would do it to "us" if given the chance. You should have offered an example of a liberal head stomping a woman and a liberal LJ commenter egging it on ala Steve.

Our side is not immune from crazies, but we're not dreaming of stomping heads as a general rule.

(sorry, cut and paste error, edited with hope of clarity.)

[prader.livejournal.com]

Speaking of clarity, I could have worded that better, or more clearly, the "us" being referred to is "non-modern liberals", not that steve and I are the same, or even remotely the same. That might be where you started going wrong and it just went downhill from there. And that one would ultimately be on me.

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

Well, that said, "project much?" ranks with a sharp stick poke, so I'm no saint.

[prader.livejournal.com]

None of us are.

And, now that I think about it- given what happened recently to that girl, your reaction is understandable.