OT: Politics in MS

[randystewart]

The 3rd district thread from last night really got me to thinking. It is amazing what 24 hr news has done to people. You now have to vote one way 100% of the time or you are labeled a traitor. Do all of you really think that there are 2 groups of people and they all have to think the same way 100% of the time? This thought process amazes me, and is what has led to Congress being as ****** as it is now. Members are supposed to be elected to represent their local constituents, not just follow the script of a national party.
Now, as for Mississippi specifically.... The thought of voting anyone out is absolutely absurd. The only way our state has any power in congress is through seniority. So if we truly want what is best for Mississippi, then we should elect (no matter the party) young representatives and keep electing them until they die. Like it or not, without seniority we are simply ceding power to the larger states who have much more representation. It is also worth pointing out that a member without seniority really can't accomplish crap. I know a lot of this will come off as opinion so I'll just end with a fact: Term limits or high congressional turnover are NOT good for Mississippi. That isn't a Republican or Democrat thing, that is just a fact of a small state like ours.

 

[Pars]

I don’t know man. All I know is I just saw on fox that a Hunter Biden caravan is coming to the border chanting “gay, gay, gay” and trying to give fetuses fentanyl whilst taking away all my guns.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

We share the same frustration. Congress is going to be deadlocked from now on because of this and it won’t get any better. The idea of compromise is dead because if you try to work with anyone from the other party on issues you’re labeled a traitor. And both parties are guilty of it.


And seniority should be a VERY big deal for Mississippi.

 

[Len2003]

Cable news induces brain rot, but social media and You Tube aren't much better. More and more, I realize why some of the Founders were wary of democracy. Much of the population is simply dumb.

 

[dorndawg]

Politics has become for many a toxic stew of spectator sport + religion.

As for term limits, we already have them. Use it. Imposing term limits simply cedes more power in a complex government to staffers, bureaucrats, and lobbyists who re not accountable to any electorate.

Cable news is poison.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

Term limits would create more chaos because of the constant turnover.

 

[johnson86-1]

Politics has become for many a toxic stew of spectator sport + religion.

As for term limits, we already have them. Use it. Imposing term limits simply cedes more power in a complex government to staffers, bureaucrats, and lobbyists who re not accountable to any electorate.

Cable news is poison.

Pretty spot on. I wouldn't call it cable news though. Infotainment is closer, but it still may give it too much credit because they aren't even providing good information most of the time. But definitely there is a reason religion has been so prominent in almost every culture. People aren't getting less religious, they are just replacing their traditional religions with less traditional ones. Sometimes politics, sometimes particular movements like environmentalism, sometimes sports. Residents of trailer parks in Alabama my disagree, but sports appears to be the least destructive new religion to me.

 

[dorndawg]

Term limits would create more chaos because of the constant turnover.

At the federal level, the only way it even makes a little bit of sense is to grow the size of Congress so it could be better staggered. Which would be a complete non-starter for many folks. The last time we expanded the size of Congress was nearly 100 years ago.

 

[dorndawg]

Pretty spot on. I wouldn't call it cable news though. Infotainment is closer, but it still may give it too much credit because they aren't even providing good information most of the time. But definitely there is a reason religion has been so prominent in almost every culture. People aren't getting less religious, they are just replacing their traditional religions with less traditional ones. Sometimes politics, sometimes particular movements like environmentalism, sometimes sports. Residents of trailer parks in Alabama my disagree, but sports appears to be the least destructive new religion to me.

Good post. On a related note, it appears to me travel league sports sometimes have the elements of a religion.

 

[kired]

The only way our state has any power in congress is through seniority. So if we truly want what is best for Mississippi, then we should elect (no matter the party) young representatives and keep electing them until they die.

This is why I never understood the hyde-smith appointment. She was ~60 years old with no previous experience on the federal level (as far as I know). Seems awfully old to be starting out as a completely new face in washington.

 

[Irondawg]

Assuming the person with seniority is actually doing something for their state and not themselves.

I know Stennis and Cochran got a lot of federal money flowing into the state. I have no idea if Bennie Thompson who has been up there 29 years has done the same thing.

Agree we never hear about what our guys are doing for state - it’s simply red vs blue. It’s why I actually like Manchin and Collins - they think for themselves

 

[johnson86-1]

This is why I never understood the hyde-smith appointment. She was ~60 years old with no previous experience on the federal level (as far as I know). Seems awfully old to be starting out as a completely new face in washington.

She wasn't just awfully old, she was also awfully awful. Was a pretty big missed opportunity in my opinion. She got re-elected, which was apparently a big concern about the appointment and what caused a lot of people that could have actually been good senators not make the short list. So can't quite call it an own goal, but still can't call it anything close to good.

Mississippi has become red enough that it has some of the same problems some of the bluest states have, which is that you can get elected by working within the party and having support from the right people and you really can be an incompetent moron and get elected if the cards fall right. So there wasn't a deep bench despite having basically all the statewide elected positions and all but one of the representatives. There were obviously better options than her but again, the concern about electability and her having won a statewide race, even as agricultural commissioner (i think?) resulted in her getting the nod.

 

[BoomBoom.sixpack]

Cable news induces brain rot, but social media and You Tube aren't much better. More and more, I realize why some of the Founders were wary of democracy. Much of the population is simply dumb.

I think people are just as dumb as always, though maybe pollution (lead) has made it worse. No, I think it's pride. 100 years ago a farmer knew he didn't know much about banking or medicine, maybe a bit but not enough to act all knowing about it. Nowadays any ol idiot will insist they know THE TRUTH, and won't consider for a second that they might be wrong. Religion getting mixed up in Republicanism is definitely part of it, but only part. Too many, and it definitely is not equally distributed among the Parties, are just incapable of admitting error and adjusting what they believe. Some people just can't say "that's a good point". It's like they feel their whole worldview will collapse if they admit even the tiniest thing. And politics can't work that way. Only religion can work that way.

 

[aTotal360]

The problem is politicians making decision based on social media engagement.

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

I don’t know man. All I know is I just saw on fox that a Hunter Biden caravan is coming to the border chanting “gay, gay, gay” and trying to give fetuses fentanyl whilst taking away all my guns.

I get your joke but the amount of federal and illegal immigrants coming through my state is staggering.

 

[Cooterpoot]

The 3rd district thread from last night really got me to thinking. It is amazing what 24 hr news has done to people. You now have to vote one way 100% of the time or you are labeled a traitor. Do all of you really think that there are 2 groups of people and they all have to think the same way 100% of the time? This thought process amazes me, and is what has led to Congress being as ****** as it is now. Members are supposed to be elected to represent their local constituents, not just follow the script of a national party.
Now, as for Mississippi specifically.... The thought of voting anyone out is absolutely absurd. The only way our state has any power in congress is through seniority. So if we truly want what is best for Mississippi, then we should elect (no matter the party) young representatives and keep electing them until they die. Like it or not, without seniority we are simply ceding power to the larger states who have much more representation. It is also worth pointing out that a member without seniority really can't accomplish crap. I know a lot of this will come off as opinion so I'll just end with a fact: Term limits or high congressional turnover are NOT good for Mississippi. That isn't a Republican or Democrat thing, that is just a fact of a small state like ours.

Seems you think voting for the same bad politics for the sake of a minute piece of power is a good plan. I laugh at that. MS will NEVER have much power. This isn't the 1970s anymore. And term limits are a must IMO. But to each their own opinion. I'm no hater of political opinions.

 

[Dawgfan61]

Partisan politics is out of control. I am a conservative. I think that legalized pot is fine, however, I don't want to smell it in public places. I like the second amendment. I don't think crazy people should be allowed to own guns. I am not fond of abortion, but I also don't want people who are immature or not ready to raise kids. Call me crazy we need a common sense party and neither is great. Republicans are just a little lesser of two evils right now for me.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

If you want some great insight into at least a part of how we got where we are, give this a read or listen:

Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nationby Kristin Kobes du Mez, Suzie Althens, et al.

 

[randystewart]

Mississippi has had an inordinate amount of power for the majority of most of our lifetimes. Saying otherwise proves you don't know how Congress works. Thad Cochran was one of the top 4 most powerful people in all of government until he retired. In the next Congress Wicker will be chairman of the Armed Services Committee. That is a big damn deal. It takes YEARS to get to that amount of power, and you don't get there by attacking everything you see and acting like a petulant child.

 

[Faustdog]

We share the same frustration. Congress is going to be deadlocked from now on because of this and it won’t get any better. The idea of compromise is dead because if you try to work with anyone from the other party on issues you’re labeled a traitor. And both parties are guilty of it.

And seniority should be a VERY big deal for Mississippi.

It's a little scary what the interest groups were able to do here. They picked a race that was though to be an extremely low turnout due to Guest's popularity and assuredness of winning just a few weeks ago then pumped in a bunch of money in over the last two weeks.

These graphics you've seen on social media criticizing Guest are created to convert people who frankly don't have the a.) mental capacity or b.) education/critical thinking skills to realize why the graphics are nonsense. In this low turnout environment, you don't have to get that many voters of the lowest common denominator (as they were described to me yesterday by an uninvolved political figure) all riled up to hang a skin on the wall. It almost worked.

The Guest/Planned Parenthood/Omnibus thing is a prime example. He is the candidate endorsed by National Right to Life and has a 100% pro-life voting record. Yet everyone you know on Facebook who barely made it out of high school is sharing these graphics that call him a liberal and a Planned Parenthood supporter.

 

[PBRME]

I planned to vote against every incumbent. After researching the candidates I decided they’re all a bunch of morons, or just pandering to the morons.

 

[Faustdog]

Mississippi has had an inordinate amount of power for the majority of most of our lifetimes. Saying otherwise proves you don't know how Congress works. Thad Cochran was one of the top 4 most powerful people in all of government until he retired. In the next Congress Wicker will be chairman of the Armed Services Committee. That is a big damn deal. It takes YEARS to get to that amount of power, and you don't get there by attacking everything you see and acting like a petulant child.

This is true. It's also true that certain stars of the new right in congress are basically just glorified fundraisers. They write no legislation. They chair no committees. Their sole purpose is to get themselves in front of a microphone, say outlandish things, and keep the money flowing in.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

You nailed it.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

I used to be right with you. Then we had the Republican party leader try to overthrow our government so he could remain in power. I'm not a fan of totalitarianism under any banner.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

Ok so because crazy people tried to overthrow the government that made you change your political beliefs?

 

[Irondawg]

And that just kind of proves the point - most of the party couldn’t stand Trump but once he achieved the power of the people nobody wanted to stand up to him anymore so they all fell in line.

Same is true for some of the democrats who don’t agree with the far left social media army but they’ll never say anything against it in public.

They are all terrified of being crucified on social media and the money drying up.

 

[Maroon Eagle]

I voted for Kasich in 2016. I thought he was the most qualified candidate then.

A few months later, I held my nose and followed P. J. O’Rourke who said:

"I am endorsing Hillary, and all her lies and all her empty promises," O'Rourke continued. "It's the second-worst thing that can happen to this country, but she's way behind in second place. She's wrong about absolutely everything, but she's wrong within normal parameters."

I hate that The Sensible Party transformed into the Very Silly Party.

 

[johnson86-1]

And that just kind of proves the point - most of the party couldn’t stand Trump but once he achieved the power of the people nobody wanted to stand up to him anymore so they all fell in line.

Same is true for some of the democrats who don’t agree with the far left social media army but they’ll never say anything against it in public.

They are all terrified of being crucified on social media and the money drying up.

You certainly have people in and around politics that will just kiss whatever ring to chase power, but a lot of what happened is after Trump got elected, Trump turned out to not be nearly as bad as most people were expecting (including me), and almost every institution and a lot of individual people (including people within the republican party) showed that they were just as bad as people thought trump was.

 

[Cooterpoot]

Mississippi has had an inordinate amount of power for the majority of most of our lifetimes. Saying otherwise proves you don't know how Congress works. Thad Cochran was one of the top 4 most powerful people in all of government until he retired. In the next Congress Wicker will be chairman of the Armed Services Committee. That is a big damn deal. It takes YEARS to get to that amount of power, and you don't get there by attacking everything you see and acting like a petulant child.

It's almost all related to the Armed Forces. Look at MS right now and tell me you see a lot of great things created by our long time politicians. Heck, Bennie and Wicker are doing great things? Hell naw! Montgomery was the best of them. We're still one of the poorest states in the country. We're still miles behind a great portion of the US in everything. But we keep our politicians each election for some ******** power idea, that's just not real. We'll, unless you're their buddy who they're helping out maybe. It's hard to lose once you're elected in MS. That's been our problem.
I say that respectfully. I just disagree.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

It made me decide to vote against any party that supports a totalitarian leader. I didn’t leave the Republican Party. It left me. I recall when it was democracy and free speech and pro-police. Then Trump happened and it got taken over by conspiracy theorists who believe every word that a known liar speaks and act on it. The result is an insurrection against our country by the person who is still the party leader. They attached the lawmen who were charged with protecting our capital. They want to shut down companies who speak against their platform. It’s quite the turn of events.

So I will actively vote against anyone who endorses or is endorsed by Trump until he and his crazies are no longer a threat to our country. Country over party.

 

[3407Dewey]

I'm basically with you. I'm a conservative, but there's not a political party right now that represents my politics or worldview. It's two rival teams competing (in increasingly dirty fashion) for raw power. Any optimism I have comes from bipartisan efforts such as the Problem Solvers caucus. If open primaries or ranked choice voting were a thing in more states, we would probably see less of the stupidity.

 

[Leeshouldveflanked]

It made me decide to vote against any party that supports a totalitarian leader. I didn’t leave the Republican Party. It left me. I recall when it was democracy and free speech and pro-police. Then Trump happened and it got taken over by conspiracy theorists who believe every word that a known liar speaks and act on it. The result is an insurrection against our country by the person who is still the party leader. They attached the lawmen who were charged with protecting our capital. They want to shut down companies who speak against their platform. It’s quite the turn of events.

So I will actively vote against anyone who endorses or is endorsed by Trump until he and his crazies are no longer a threat to our country. Country over party.

That guy with the Buffalo horns was a real threat to our Democracy.**

 

[dudehead]

That guy with the Buffalo horns was a real threat to our Democracy.**

No, he’s not. But the ones to whom his Neanderthal brains responds are a different matter.

 

[ckDOG]

Right there with you.

It made me decide to vote against any party that supports a totalitarian leader. I didn’t leave the Republican Party. It left me. I recall when it was democracy and free speech and pro-police. Then Trump happened and it got taken over by conspiracy theorists who believe every word that a known liar speaks and act on it. The result is an insurrection against our country by the person who is still the party leader. They attached the lawmen who were charged with protecting our capital. They want to shut down companies who speak against their platform. It’s quite the turn of events.

So I will actively vote against anyone who endorses or is endorsed by Trump until he and his crazies are no longer a threat to our country. Country over party.

+1

 

[ckDOG]

Social media has handed microphones to the village idiots

We share the same frustration. Congress is going to be deadlocked from now on because of this and it won’t get any better. The idea of compromise is dead because if you try to work with anyone from the other party on issues you’re labeled a traitor. And both parties are guilty of it.


And seniority should be a VERY big deal for Mississippi.

Instead of shunning them like we historically have, we give them unnecessary attention and even elect them into office. Meanwhile, the even keeled sit here silently waiting for the resumption of something normal while the elected leaders court the village idiots by catering to only them and leaving a world of reason and compromise behind.

Politics today: appeal to dumbasses, obstruct who is in power, laugh while getting re-elected.

 

[ckDOG]

The mob got uncomfortably close to Pence

That guy with the Buffalo horns was a real threat to our Democracy.**

I don't think shaking of hands was going to take place had they found him.

 

[ZombieKissinger]

I wrote in Kasich in 2016. I’m not into politics but he seemed normal. I lean Republican but I vote Democrat at times. The stuff I was seeing in Atlanta proper the last couple years made me want to go 100% Republican. Now that I’m out of there, I’m less that way

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

Pretty much the same boat as you.

 

[horshack.sixpack]

Way to downplay the takeover of our capital in a Trump inspired insurrection. And thank you for pointing out the complete idiocy of those who followed him and continue to do so.

 

[ckDOG]

I have one reason I don't like her and it has nothing to do with politics

She wasn't just awfully old, she was also awfully awful. Was a pretty big missed opportunity in my opinion. She got re-elected, which was apparently a big concern about the appointment and what caused a lot of people that could have actually been good senators not make the short list. So can't quite call it an own goal, but still can't call it anything close to good.

Mississippi has become red enough that it has some of the same problems some of the bluest states have, which is that you can get elected by working within the party and having support from the right people and you really can be an incompetent moron and get elected if the cards fall right. So there wasn't a deep bench despite having basically all the statewide elected positions and all but one of the representatives. There were obviously better options than her but again, the concern about electability and her having won a statewide race, even as agricultural commissioner (i think?) resulted in her getting the nod.

She didn't laugh at one of my dad jokes.

She stopped by our tent at a BBQ competition. After shaking hands and quick small talk we offered her a plate. She politely declined - which wasn't unexpected but I smiled and joked "oh come on, what Senator doesn't like pork?"

She frowned and walked away.

I thought it was a 10/10