Strunk'sDessert

To be honest, I'm basing this purely on gut instinct and not anything further. So, take my take based on that info. Agreed that further adjudication isn't a bad thing at surface level. Guess where my head goes in the worst case scenario is that the SC's opinion, if it's ever heard, would vote 5-4 to overturn while providing a guidebook to legally foment an insurrection. Again, gut feel over facts based which may be enough to eschew these fears.

@Justafan Man, laugh at my points where I didn't call out a singular party while pointing out that there's severe fear mongering on both sides, including a point that I caught myself on. Super cool. I'll ask for specific points of legislation and receipts on this, not just one off occurrences that annoy you. Seems you feel infringed by others wanting to express their own rights. Those rights may be fucking insufferable at times based on your beliefs, but they're their rights. I've already told you that I'm pretty damn centrist. Damn near libertarian if it could ever exist as a government. You're diving into to some waters where you think your rights are more important than another's. Call assholes for what they are and walk away. But your sensitivities aren't protected from other sensitivities if you truly believe in the constitution.

Fair enough, but I think some of the vitriol we see from both sides is due to some outrageous hypotheticals that we all like to manifest as real threats. Hell, I may have done it on the Trump Colorado ballot post I just made.

Well, in the sense of AMERICAN politics the right is further right than it's been in our lifetime. I'm not trying to be an asshole like reo, just pointing to the definitions.

Honest question for you and @MadMax: has there been legislation anywhere that does impact it to the degree you're saying? Assholes are a dime a dozen, regardless of their sexually orientation. I treat any asshole with the same respect - my blatant disregard.

You're probably right, but I'm more concerned if it gets to federal court.

This is delving into new precedent, and I'm not sure the current SC has the intelligence to appreciate what this could mean - we're not talking about brilliant minds that are thinking of the future of the country from either side. I believe Donald Trump should be disqualified for the next presidential ticket and any further public offices, but the way this ruling goes and the opinions behind it, have an impact beyond anyone's scope. Sadly, I think we're missing the right minds at the wrong time for all of us. It really doesn't matter that Colorado is doing this, but a ruling either way could impact behaviors for decades and centuries.

I'm not disagreeing with anything you're saying. I'm saying pick up some reliable political science textbooks that have been around for a century or more and read some reliable, recent political science minds. You can complain about the definitions, but the definitions are fairly clear in the aggregate. I'm not trying to pile on like some here. Only stating what I know.

I'm not discounting your lived experiences at all. You can point to the different countries zeitgeists and point to specific legislatures and their beliefs to point against this, and you'd be correct. If you were to take the average Dem and have them list out their political beliefs, they'd probably fall center left or center right in terms of political science's definitions and where they land on a spectrum. Based on Bidens record, he's center right based on the definitions of that spectrum. Disagree with those political scientists and their definitions, but that's what a slew of them over time have decided, although it's ever changing.

Also, I have more in common with the standoff-ish Scots personality wise. But the folks from Dublin to Galway to Belfast and every town in between reminded me so much of what Tennessee was like 20 years ago. Besides the weather, it felt I hopped into a time machine of the good old days. I forgot how fake redneck and east/west coast Nashville and the state has gotten.

Had the privilege last summer to spend 2 weeks in Ireland & Scotland with my wife. It was funny how many taxi drivers and folks in the pubs said they were rooting for Trump because of the same zeitgeist here, people are just fed up. But if we ever mentioned we were from Tennessee, 1st they asked about country music and 2nd they felt out if we were one of the hard right nutjobs. Purely anecdotal, but it happened enough for me and my wife to both take note.

Cool, must've missed the other 999 times... don't have time to monitor like I used to... not a stab at you by any means, just where my schedule is at in life. Get where you're coming from, but still mildly disagree. Like I've said, really appreciate your input, but if we disagree, I'm sure we'll both happily survive. Don't want to derail further, either. If it's worthy of another thread, maybe I'll jump back in further.

I'm going to kick myself for jumping into the fray here, and I really do to want to... But the radical left is much smaller in numbers in terms of leadership positions and overall numbers than the radical/average right politician. The Gang gets headlines, but they're not holding powerful committee seats - can't remember, but AOC may have gotten 1 this past congress. But they're just clickbait for the right fearmongerers. And most normal Dems really struggle with them. The insane right has incredible influence within their party. MTG is on a couple of committees. Gaetz held congress hostage for a few weeks. Trump, the one you say is a threat to our democracy & constitution, is their absolute leader. Hell, the new Speaker aligns more with a 17th century Protestant preacher than any modern statesman in recent history. I don't think most sane people here have a problem with saying that both parties suck at the expense of the American people. It's the forced equivocation that seems so odd and puzzling coming from you. I'm no hard-core lefty by any means, but goddamned, the difference is real over the last 15 years. Not to mention, by any actual political ideology spectrum, Biden is almost center right in how he speaks and executes. This country is far right by any other moderate, developed country's standards. Any objective, reputable political scientist would agree with that sentiment. Again, both have issues, but trying to shoehorn an equivalency seems far below your standards. But to each their own. We'll both sleep fine tonight either way haha

Eh, @Justafan, you're a smart dude. Think you're swinging too hard right to prove a point against some of the far lefties here, which may deserve it, and then several moderate lefties that have valid points for shits & gigs. I'm not jumping into the fray further, just giving a 3rd party perspective. Do what you may with it.

Whoof... asses showing everywhere in this thread. Think you're all entrenched too deep in your positions - left, center, and right.

Nah got it, just wanted to feed off your comment.

Wait, he hit the landing face up? Always had a bit more agility than given credit.

And just taking hit after hit to his head down those stairs. Quite poetic.

Yeah, can't wait for that to get shot down soundly in the house and then never spoken about once on any conservative outlet.

Hate to call it, but Dunning-Kruger on display. Instead of Fox News or Bible thumping from seemingly dumb people hearing they're right, it's a seemingly smart group that also likes to hear they're right from some iffy sources. It's okay to admit that you don't know something. I'm wary of people and never hire/promote those that don't.

Whoof, I've seen the ass of hard-core lefties here to a fairly new extent. Occam's Razor, fellas. Take a break from whatever media you're digesting for a couple of weeks. You're in a bubble. @IsntLifeFunny @nine @oldschool @tgo wanna join in and help them? Or is this just a lost cause?

I'm not going to recount each of the past 10 or so posts, but I'll add my 2 cents. After 2016, It's fair to think anything is damn near possible politically. Fair to have a healthy respect and concern about where the tides are shifting. But this ain't it... Tuberville isn't a brilliant political strategist. He's a somehow popular football coach that is also a religious zealot. Tea leaves end there. If you want to believe Bannon and some these wacko, hard right people are pulling the puppet strings for something like that in dark rooms, well... that's certainly your prerogative. They're liars, some might be trying, but they're consistently not that smart. I'm not diving into that rabbit hole, and honestly, this isn't too far from some of the right-wing nonsense I hear. You're not a part of the solution and those of you worried about this specific event are about two phases away from looking for JFK Jr. in Dallas.

Oh, interesting. Hadn't seen that piece of it yet. Hadn't been keeping up with that much either.

Gotta admit that I put the $100 down for this when it came out due to 20% curiosity and 80% hope that some sucker would but it off at a 20% premium. Rethinking that $100 now.

Very few "true" practicing Christians left in the U.S. relative to the prior two generations. Half that still exist are what you just described above.