Off Topic Thread 3.0

molloyjh · 20-01-2017 04:13PM

Podge_irl wrote: »

They're all over the place. I find it somewhat asinine to be honest.

Still probably more people at it than at the inauguration!

Podge_irl · 20-01-2017 04:28PM

molloyjh wrote: »

Still probably more people at it than at the inauguration!

Looks like it.

I can, somewhat, understand the protests in US itself. But the ones around the world are stupid. Even for the ones in the US, I would be of the opinion that seeing as he was perfectly democratically elected there should be a peaceful and undisturbed transfer of power. I think the protests should start when he actually does something in the role that is objectionable. Though I think getting ready for that is wise as it'll probably be within minutes of inauguration.

errlloyd · 20-01-2017 04:34PM

Podge_irl wrote: »

I can, somewhat, understand the protests in US itself. But the ones around the world are stupid. Even for the ones in the US, I would be of the opinion that seeing as he was perfectly democratically elected there should be a peaceful and undisturbed transfer of power. I think the protests should start when he actually does something in the role that is objectionable. Though I think getting ready for that is wise as it'll probably be within minutes of inauguration.

Ah here, I know we can't be moving the goal posts after the fact, but the electoral college is not perfect. Now is as good a time as any to protest.

irishbucsfan · 20-01-2017 04:38PM

Protests will achieve precisely nothing. People are protesting against democratic elections in the 'land of the free', bizarrely.

Time better spent building towards the midterms, but they're just as doomed there unless they change the tone massively and find a way to competently connect with middle America.

Podge_irl · 20-01-2017 04:48PM

errlloyd wrote: »

Ah here, I know we can't be moving the goal posts after the fact, but the electoral college is not perfect. Now is as good a time as any to protest.

They're not protesting the electoral college, they're protesting him. He won fair and square under the rules of engagement.

I agree it is far from perfect, but it is there for a reason.

thomond2006 · 20-01-2017 05:06PM

errlloyd wrote: »

Ah here, I know we can't be moving the goal posts after the fact, but the electoral college is not perfect. Now is as good a time as any to protest.

The electoral college does keep some small states relevant though. If it was a popular vote then candidates would focus on campaigning in big states. California, Texas, New York and Florida combined account for about a third of the US population.

CMOTDibbler · 20-01-2017 05:09PM

thomond2006 wrote: »

The electoral college does keep some small states relevant though. If it was a popular vote then candidates would focus on campaigning in big states. California, Texas, New York and Florida combined account for about a third of the US population.

But all that's happened now is that they instead focus on the 'swing states' and leave everywhere else untouched that they already have in the bag.

Podge_irl · 20-01-2017 05:18PM

CMOTDibbler wrote: »

But all that's happened now is that they instead focus on the 'swing states' and leave everywhere else untouched that they already have in the bag.

Yeah, but you're replacing one problem with another really.

There is no ideal solution. Some more proportionality in how states assign delegates might help to get a bit more balance.

dregin · 20-01-2017 05:21PM

thomond2006 wrote: »

Anti-Trump protests...in Dublin?

Why not?

Buer · 20-01-2017 05:28PM

dregin wrote: »

Why not?

Because he's the leader of a foreign nation who was democratically elected. What impact or involvement do these protesters have?

The leader of our nation is in place despite his party earning only 31.6% of the seats in parliament. I don't recall a single protest on the day he went to the Phoenix Park.

Swan Curry · 20-01-2017 05:30PM

"protests are bad" - the rallying call of dumb****s worldwide

thomond2006 · 20-01-2017 05:33PM

dregin wrote: »

Why not?

I just find it a bit bizarre that you protest before the man has actually done anything. Maybe it's just me. Plus it's not as if his election was a hostile takeover or something. So what/who are you protesting against therefore? The people that elected him?

Swan Curry · 20-01-2017 05:35PM

thomond2006 wrote: »

I just find it a bit bizarre that you protest before the man has actually done anything. Maybe it's just me. Plus it's not as if his election was a hostile takeover or something.

it's pretty clear what they want to do if you actually look at his cabinet

CMOTDibbler · 20-01-2017 05:36PM

Podge_irl wrote: »

Yeah, but you're replacing one problem with another really.

There is no ideal solution. Some more proportionality in how states assign delegates might help to get a bit more balance.

Well I'm not replacing anything personally.

Just pointing out the flaws in the current system.

They do revise the electoral college numbers periodically, but it's a FPTP system and those always have a marginalising effect.

errlloyd · 20-01-2017 05:37PM

thomond2006 wrote: »

The electoral college does keep some small states relevant though. If it was a popular vote then candidates would focus on campaigning in big states. California, Texas, New York and Florida combined account for about a third of the US population.

At the moment the disportional spending is amazing! I think something like 1000 times more money gets spent per vote in Florida than in Texas or California. Trump got smashed in New York, he didn't even bother canvassing. At the moment the status quo is that 95% of the population get almost no targetting campaign coverage, and people who live in Florida don't see anything other than election commercials on TV for a year.

There would be no incentive for a candidate to focus on a big state if it were popular vote. Sure you can get 19 million votes in New York City. But it probably costs you the same to put your face on a Billboard in the main towns of Missouri, Maryland and Indiana as it would to rent time square for an hour, and they total up to 19 million votes as well.

The electoral college served a purpose 300 years ago, but now it is ludicrous.

dregin · 20-01-2017 05:38PM

Whether he's democratically elected or not, he's repeatedly shown himself to be a racist misogynist. The only people I've heard talking about protests at the embassy here in person are American.

Swan Curry · 20-01-2017 05:39PM

it's all irrelevant anyway since the dems have learned nothing from the election and are going to keep using the same tactics and losing, thanks hillary

dregin · 20-01-2017 05:46PM

Happy thought. Money just went through from the sale of me gaff. Months of WTFery done with.

**** estate agents to high ****ing heavens. I want to start an online auction site for houses to put them all out of jobs in one go. Absolute scheisters.

thomond2006 · 20-01-2017 05:55PM

Swan Curry wrote: »

it's all irrelevant anyway since the dems have learned nothing from the election and are going to keep using the same tactics and losing, thanks hillary

Michelle Obama will surely make a 2020 run?

errlloyd · 20-01-2017 05:57PM

There was a really good website I was on that showed spending and VP or candidate visits per state, but I can't find it now. But this website shows where Republicans and Democrats held rallies in 2016.

http://www.nationalpopularvote.com/campaign-events-2016

71 Rallies or events in Florida, 0 in New York, and 1 California. HUGE swathes of the US population don't have any ability to influence the candidates.

Swan Curry · 20-01-2017 06:02PM

thomond2006 wrote: »

Michelle Obama will surely make a 2020 run?

and just like 2016 she'll appear on ellen more times than she'll visit wisconsin and run on a platform of "republican but cool about abortion"

meanwhile republicans will sweep even more state legislatures because the dems have forgotten how to do grassroots political activism

actually that's wrong of me to say, they know what grassroots activism is since they saw bernie sanders do it, they're just strongly opposed to the idea that they could be wrong about what people want

Kiwi_knock · 20-01-2017 06:12PM

The time spent planning these protests, designing posters, and marching on streets are better spent knocking on doors and building support for a different America. At the moment the only people they are energising are the ones who were never going to vote for Trump anyway. There are huge swathes of people across America who need to be engaged with and provided with a reason to vote. Hopefully the Democrats have learnt their lesson, and will select a competent candidate that can engage and energise the voter base.

sydthebeat · 20-01-2017 06:13PM

trump doing his best south park impression

bilston · 20-01-2017 06:22PM

Having listened to Trump I'd say NATO is on borrowed time.

"They'll dancing on the streets of Moscow tonight"

Stheno · 20-01-2017 06:22PM

bilston wrote: »

Having listened to Trump I'd say NATO is on borrowed time.

"They'll dancing on the streets of Moscow tonight"

That speech was unpleasant to listen to

Neil3030 · 20-01-2017 06:32PM

Get in there you little racist.

:D:D

irishbucsfan · 20-01-2017 06:38PM

Neil3030 wrote: »

Get in there you little racist.

:D:D

That's a lot of queen's eggs

Bazzo · 20-01-2017 06:38PM

Neil3030 wrote: »

Get in there you little racist.

:D:D

I was looking at PP Trump novelty bets today for a laugh. 4/1 he'll be impeached within the first 6 months and amazingly they're only offering 7/4 on him not lasting his full first term.

irishbucsfan · 20-01-2017 06:40PM

https://twitter.com/BigSportGB/status/822497046519250944

molloyjh · 20-01-2017 07:00PM

dregin wrote: »

Happy thought. Money just went through from the sale of me gaff. Months of WTFery done with.

**** estate agents to high ****ing heavens. I want to start an online auction site for houses to put them all out of jobs in one go. Absolute scheisters.

I hear ya. We sold ours last month. Our estate agent was so bad I had to edit the photos, redo the floor plans from scratch and rewrite the brochure from start to finish. Delighted to be past that. Now just need to get into the new house. From estate agents to developers and sub-contractors. Ugh.....

Off Topic Thread 3.0

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