The Republican Thread

[StrangeSox]

If the economy is still doing as decently as it is today or better, the democratic nominee (probably Hillary) will stand a really good shot at winning. If not, the Republican will. It's more about that than any individual personality.

[Y2HH]

If the economy is still doing as decently as it is today or better, the democratic nominee (probably Hillary) will stand a really good shot at winning. If not, the Republican will. It's more about that than any individual personality.

 

When speaking of the economy, in generalized terms, yea, it's doing decently. That is, if you happen to be upper middle class or rich and involved in the stock market. The median income for middle class and lower has actually dropped during this recovery, so for those people, I'm betting they don't see the economy as doing all that decently.

[EvilMonkey]

Why is that her fatal flaw? Everything I've heard is the country is in love with the Clintons and Hillary will win by one of the greatest landslides in history.

All you have heard is that the media in general is in love with Hillary. Most of them are die hard Democrats anyway, so not such a stretch.

[Balta1701]

All you have heard is that the media in general is in love with Hillary. Most of them are die hard Democrats anyway, so not such a stretch.

Because you guys keep saying it and if republicans say it often enough it must be true.

[EvilMonkey]

Because you guys keep saying it and if republicans say it often enough it must be true.

Do you dispute that the media in this country is heavily Democrats? I know you can google donation histories.

[greg775]

All you have heard is that the media in general is in love with Hillary. Most of them are die hard Democrats anyway, so not such a stretch.

 

True.

[Balta1701]

Do you dispute that the media in this country is heavily Democrats? I know you can google donation histories.

If I am watching the evening news or a 24-7 network...am I getting the opinion of that reporter, or am I getting a story selected for reporting by higher ups who report to Disney, Comcast, Viacom, or Newscorp, or is it a mix of both?

[EvilMonkey]

If I am watching the evening news or a 24-7 network...am I getting the opinion of that reporter, or am I getting a story selected for reporting by higher ups who report to Disney, Comcast, Viacom, or Newscorp, or is it a mix of both?

Sumner Murray Redstone (born Sumner Murray Rothstein; May 27, 1923) is an American businessman and media magnate. He is the majority owner and Chairman of the Board of the National Amusements theater chain. Through National Amusements, Sumner Redstone and his family are majority owners of CBS Corporation and Viacom (itself the parent company of MTV Networks, BET, and the film studio Paramount Pictures). According to Forbes as of March 2014 he is worth US $6.2 billion......A longtime Democratic supporter, with a history of donating to many Democratic campaigns, including regular donations to the late Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, and former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle,[32] Redstone endorsed Republican George W. Bush over Kerry in the 2004 Presidential election, allegedly because he argued that Bush would be better for his company and the economy.[33] Despite this public endorsement, he donated money to Kerry during the primaries

 

 

Comcast was among the top backers of Barack Obama's presidential runs, with Comcast vice president David Cohen raising over $2.2 million from 2007 to 2012.[44][45] Cohen has been described by many sources as influential in the US government,[46] though he is no longer a registered lobbyist, as the time he spends lobbying falls short of the 20% which requires official registration.[47] Comcast's PAC, the Comcast Corporation and NBCUniversal Political Action Committee, is the among the largest PACs in the US, raising about $3.7 million from 2011-2012 for the campaigns of various candidates for office in the United States Federal Government.[48] Comcast is also a major backer of the National Cable and Telecommunications Association Political Action Committee, which raised $2.6 million from 2011-2012.[49][50] Comcast spent the most money of any organization in support of the Stop Online Piracy and PROTECT IP bills, spending roughly $5 million to lobby for their passage

 

Both those are wikipedia. I'll give you Newscorp, but then again, I didn't say all. As for Disney, handy guide at opensecrets showing they donate waaaay more to D than R. Want to try again?

 

http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/totals.php...&cycle=2014

[cabiness42]

If I am watching the evening news or a 24-7 network...am I getting the opinion of that reporter, or am I getting a story selected for reporting by higher ups who report to Disney, Comcast, Viacom, or Newscorp, or is it a mix of both?

 

For the most part you're getting the opinion of a reporter, who was hired because their opinion aligns closely with the higher ups at those companies.

[EvilMonkey]

For the most part you're getting the opinion of a reporter, who was hired because their opinion aligns closely with the higher ups at those companies.

Especially when they say 'Some critics say...'. That is the laziest form of journalism because they don't have to identify any of the so called critics. Usually the critic is the reporter themselves.

[Balta1701]

Both those are wikipedia. I'll give you Newscorp, but then again, I didn't say all. As for Disney, handy guide at opensecrets showing they donate waaaay more to D than R. Want to try again?

 

http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/totals.php...&cycle=2014

And what amounts do they give through super-PACs?

[EvilMonkey]

And what amounts do they give through super-PACs?

You're not as stupid guy, look it up. You gave 4 examples and I showed you that 3 of the 4 were profoundly Democrat-leaning. If you are worried that the 4th one spent enough to out do the other 3, you would be mistaken. Why do you have such a hard time believing that reporters are mostly Democrats? Does that simple fact challenge some fairness view you think you have of the media? Would admitting that the 'other side' is correct on anything just eat at your soul so much that you have to find some way to parse it into being false?

[Balta1701]

You're not as stupid guy, look it up. You gave 4 examples and I showed you that 3 of the 4 were profoundly Democrat-leaning. If you are worried that the 4th one spent enough to out do the other 3, you would be mistaken. Why do you have such a hard time believing that reporters are mostly Democrats? Does that simple fact challenge some fairness view you think you have of the media? Would admitting that the 'other side' is correct on anything just eat at your soul so much that you have to find some way to parse it into being false?

I'd love to be able to but that information is not public. Perhaps you'd like to support a bill that would require such things to be disclosed?

[EvilMonkey]

I'd love to be able to but that information is not public. Perhaps you'd like to support a bill that would require such things to be disclosed?

I am all for complete disclosure of all the money. it will bring to light both sides shady donations. I believe both sides would be shocked at what donations their own side gets.

[Cknolls]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle...ry.html?hpid=z1

 

 

With this success and the success in Yemen and Libya, Syria, Ukraine and giving Iran the bomb I think s*** head should be nominated for another Nobel Prize. I find it absolutely hilarious that he thinks sanctions will be snapped back into place once he bows to IRAN and gives them everything they want...what a fool! And that idiot that calls himself the Vice President said just last week that things were not s bad as everyone was saying, with regards to Iraq....this administration is absolutely abysmal and will go down as the worst in American history....There is not one country in the Middle East that trusts their relationship with this tool in office...so sad....Putin is wiping his ass with Obama....

[StrangeSox]

Lol

[Jake]

The logic that occupation of a territory prevents terrorism is the exact reason that occupation of a territory causes terrorism

[southsider2k5]

The violent legacy of Chicago's police

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/21/opinion/...-share&_r=0

[Cknolls]

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/zerohedge/f...2J8/story01.htm

 

 

If true, this could put a wrinkle in things, no?

[Cknolls]

Update 3: Turns out Iran did seize a ship, just not a US ship:

•PENTAGON SAYS NO US SHIP WAS SEIZED BY IRAN

•NON-U.S. SHIP MAY HAVE BEEN SEIZED BY IRAN, U.S. OFFICIAL SAYS

•IRANIAN MILITARY BOARDED MARSHALL ISLANDS-FLAGGED CARGO SHIP

•IRANIANS BOARDED MV MAERSK TIGRIS CARGO SHIP: PENTAGON

 

Update 2: Curiously, while we were confident Iran would deny the report first, it was in fact the US: US NAVY DENIES CONFRONTATION WITH IRANIAN MILITARY: CNBC

 

The good news is that it will be very easy to confirm who is lying and who is telling the truth, in a matter of hours.

 

* * *

 

Update: WHITE HOUSE REFERS COMMENT ON IRAN SHIP CAPTURE TO DEFENSE DEPT

 

 

[Cknolls]

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/zerohedge/f...BME/story01.htm

 

[cabiness42]

http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/28/politics/ira...oard/index.html

 

"According to the shipping company, which is in contact with the U.S. military, the Iranian military has boarded the ship."

 

If that is true, then the Iranian military vessel that conducted this operation should have had a US missile-shaped hole right through it less than an hour after it happened.

[StrangeSox]

Apparently this is all over a cargo/debt dispute with Maersk owing Iran $3.6m.

 

As far as a military strike against Iran over "flag of convenience" vessel from the Marshall Islands, I'm glad nobody in the DoD thought that was a good idea.

[Cknolls]

Apparently this is all over a cargo/debt dispute with Maersk owing Iran $3.6m.

 

As far as a military strike against Iran over "flag of convenience" vessel from the Marshall Islands, I'm glad nobody in the DoD thought that was a good idea.

 

 

Was the ship in int'l waters?

[StrangeSox]

I dunno. I don't know what the US's actual treaty obligations for protecting a Marshall Islands-flagged ship are, and I don't know the legality of Iran's actions. I'm not assuming what Iran did was legitimate or anything, but this at least explains why they did it.

 

And regardless, sinking an Iranian naval boat and killing a bunch of Iranian sailors would create a huge, terrible s***-storm. Short of them actually attacking a US Navy vessel, it seems like a bad idea.