Zero Hour in America

[Nitewatchman]

I think they're both losers. Obama doesn't deliver and Romney...Romney...screw that guy.

In the end, America was sort-of-ish unique back in the day, if not necessarily the moral bastion old people claim it was, but it's now on its way toward the same sort of broken political boredom you see in Europe.

Maybe something fun will happen and we'll get a dictator?

[Bragallot]

Well, if the politicians are right, America will soon be governed by Russia, China, or any muslim state or now that Obama's been re-elected anyway, so politics are bound to get interesting.

[Pwnerade]

This should be interesting.

Well, Washington just decriminalized cannabis and approved dapper marriage. On a stranger note, voters approved of getting rid of two different tax deductions, but then passed a measure requiring a two-thirds majority in the state legislature to raise any taxes. I don't get my state.

We're also not done counting, due to voting entirely by mail. No lines, no machines, no hanging chads. Other states needs to get their shit together.

[Keldoclock]

You know, there is a surprising lack of in my Facebook today...


I am disappointed but not surprised (at the results of the election, that is, not the freep). At least our political system isn't as broken as say, Japan's. Perhaps there is still hope somewhere in the coming two decades of breaking the false choice paradigm of the two parties.

[IVhorseman]

Once you go black you never go back.

[Nitewatchman]

Wait, I thought they only legalized medical marijuana?

[Kalvinator]

Nope, Recreational. Not sure if good or bad...

[Ham701]

Nope, Recreational. Not sure if good or bad...

Good, good, very good. If Carl Sagan did it, it must be good. It shall ring in the new Renaissance, bring down the corrupt government, and replace it with science!

[Zupponn]

Don't worry, I don't think that too many hobos will get their face's eaten by the potheads.

[Ham701]

Don't worry, I don't think that too many hobos will get their face's eaten by the potheads.

The food industry's profits will rise. The momentum started by Dorito's and Mountain Dew's collaboration "Halo 4" will be carried to new heights by munchy crazed stoners.

[Arkbrik]

In the end, America was sort-of-ish unique back in the day, if not necessarily the moral bastion old people claim it was, but it's now on its way toward the same sort of broken political boredom you see in Europe.

American politics are already way more boring than Europe's. With only two parties you will never experience the intrigues, backstabbing and fringe Piltogg parties that are so common in Europe.

[Natalya]

What I'm wondering is how are the Republikans going to react to this stunning defeat. Obama's margin of victory is much greater than I thought it would be. Two weeks ago I was afraid he might actually lose to Romney, but right when it counted they had a dramatic turnaround. This election is weird because the economy should have been the primary issue, but the GOP has been screwing itself over with social issues (mostly ra.pe comments or stuff about abortion) so badly that I don't see how they can gain enough power for a majority anymore. They've alienated so many groups... I'm wondering what they will do in the future -- will they become more moderate, or will the fringe tea bagger psychos drive them further into the ground?

Their best move might be to stay psychotically conservative but then lighten up on immigration. That way they can get Latino voters to add to their sorely thinned ranks because they tend to be more religious and are therefore more likely to be in line with some of the other psycho shit like hating ga.ys or no abortion even in cases or ra.pe or whatever. I'm not sure if that will work though because the Dems already have a huge advantage with Latinos. Maybe all the GOP needs to do is just split the Latino vote 50-50, not outright win it, to have a chance? On Tuesday they went like 70% Obama so if that trend continues they're sunk, but maybe if they just make Latinos not be an area where they get hurt then they can be competitive again. Not that I want them to, but yeah.

[Pwnerade]

I don't think congress will get much better. Konservatives don't embrace change, since that is the opposite of being conservative. But hopefully, we have just seen the high-water mark of this reactionary movement.

[stubby]

Their best move might be to stay psychotically conservative but then lighten up on immigration. That way they can get Latino voters to add to their sorely thinned ranks

"From now on, the Republicans are never going to get more than 10 to 20 percent of the Negro vote and they don't need any more than that...but Republicans would be shortsighted if they weakened enforcement of the Voting Rights Act. The more Negroes who register as politicians in the South, the sooner the Negrophobe whites will quit the Democrats and become Republicans. That's where the votes are. Without that prodding from the blacks, the whites will backslide into their old comfortable arrangement with the local Democrats."

- Kevin Phillips, Nixon strategist

If they lighten up on immigration, they may pick up Latino votes but they lose the base. It's different in yankee sections of the country, but the Southern Strategy is still a critical component of keeping the vote locked up in the South.

[Natalya]

Well that depends on sustained prejudice and racism. Obvioulsy we still have a lot of that, but is it going away as the older racists are simultaneously dying and finding themselves less and less able to promote their racist ideas in the public sphere? The current secure the border movement is a sort of new racism where they don't say it's because the people south of the border aren't white, but most people I believe understand that the immigration crackdown is specifically because the people to the south of us aren't white. It is a transparently racist movement. So what I'm wondering is, with racism no longer allowed in public, how effective are the people at recruiting a new generation of racists? If they don't, then it will probably die with them as they get old. That's what is happening to homophobia.