No, gerrymandering can only exist in a Electoral System. Governor races are almost always done by Popular Vote. The point I am trying to make is that NYC metropolitan comprises about 64% of the state's population while 40% reside within in New York City. Yet they represent such a small fraction of New York State's land mass/sphere of influence. That incredibly tiny landmass largely decides politics effecting the entire rest of the state. Something that many Upstate New York residences are not happy about.   Taken from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_New_York

The same thing happens in my home state of California. Such a large state, and it's totally ruled by Los Angeles and San Francisco. There are ongoing efforts to break California up into 6 states, because most of California is largely unrepresented in state legislature. California turned so fucking blue with regulation, liberal stupidity, and sanctuary cities, I had to move out almost 20 years ago to keep my family safe. Now the blue disease is creeping too much into Las Vegas, because the ever increasing cost of living in California drives them here... but they bring their stupid politics with them. Pretty sure I'll end up in Utah soon, hanging on to the Constitution with the Mormons. Things are truly going to hell.

The same thing happens in my home state of California. Such a large state, and it's totally ruled by Los Angeles and San Francisco. There are ongoing efforts to break California up into 6 states, because most of California is largely unrepresented in state legislature. California turned so fucking blue with regulation, liberal stupidity, and sanctuary cities, I had to move out almost 20 years ago to keep my family safe. Now the blue disease is creeping too much into Las Vegas, because the ever increasing cost of living in California drives them here... but they bring their stupid politics with them. Pretty sure I'll end up in Utah soon, hanging on to the Constitution with the Mormons. Things are truly going to hell.

 

Seriously, I know you like to be very dramatic and that you like to say inflammatory things, but if most of what you are saying is truly how you feel, you must truly be suffering a great deal.  It will be okay.  Really.  No one is going to take your guns away.  No one is going to force you or your loved ones to turn gay against your will.  The liberals won't take away our beloved Constitution.  You can live peacefully with people who don't agree with you.  You are probably safe in general. Really.

 

Have you considered talking to someone about the anxiety you are experiencing?  I am not saying this to be a unkind, but you are catastrophizing and you seem to be in real distress.  I don't like seeing anyone suffer and help is out there. 

 

 

Seriously, I know you like to be very dramatic and that you like to say inflammatory things, but if most of what you are saying is truly how you feel, you must truly be suffering a great deal.  It will be okay.  Really.  No one is going to take your guns away.  No one is going to force you or your loved ones to turn gay against your will.  The liberals won't take away our beloved Constitution.  You can live peacefully with people who don't agree with you.  You are probably safe in general. Really.   Have you considered talking to someone about the anxiety you are experiencing?  I am not saying this to be a unkind, but you are catastrophizing and you seem to be in real distress.  I don't like seeing anyone suffer and help is out there. 

Oh I get it... it's just me, right? Since we're telling true stories... here is a true California story.

 

I was born in Anaheim California and lived my first 38 years in wonderful Southern Cal. We went camping at the Kern River at least once a year. It's the Sequoia National Forest. Well guess what?

 

An illegal that has been deported five times, was recently released from jail... and because of the "sanctuary city" status it was not reported to anyone that would kick this dude out again. He lit the Sequoia National Forest on fire, and it's cost 61 million dollars so far... one dude that didn't belong here... burned down a National Forest... where I used to take my kids.

 

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/oct/25/sanctuary-city-illegal-immigrant-sparks-61-million/

 

So is it a case of me "catastrophizing"?... or maybe it's a case of people like you with your heads stuck in the sand?

Or maybe its one freak incident of someone being an asshole? My best friend was stabbed to death by his supposed friend a few years ago. The murderer was a true blooded American. I'm now going to draw conclusions based on things that have nothing to do with each other now and say that all American citizens are murderers and we all belong in jail. See I can stick my head up my ass too!

 

Her point is you demonize liberals based on the fact that you seem to believe that they want to destroy your entire way of life, which despite what Fox would have you believe, isn't the case. There are people on both sides of the aisle who are that way but on the majority Liberals aren't like that. Some of them are overly terrified of guns and are trying to take a short cut with the current situation to avoid unnecessary deaths by saying we should take guns away, I disagree with that, just as many do. Mostly those who suffer the "blue disease" just want to see the people who make shit tons of money pay their fair share in taxes etc. (which they don't thanks to tax loopholes that they have lobbied to have put in place, hence Trump not paying anything in taxes.) They also want to be protected from religious beliefs of those on the right. Many conservative "values" (anti abortion, no gay marriage, keeping churches tax exempt, allowing people to discriminate based on their religious beliefs.) are religiously based and they believe that they are defending their first amendment right here. To put it bluntly that is utterly false. They are attempting to put into law their religious beliefs which is to say, they are forcing the American people to abide by their religious views. If I have the freedom to practice and observe my own religion then why am I subject to the beliefs of a christian senator? If we have the freedom to practice our religion, and to not be discriminated against for our beliefs, then why is it that the right seeks to force their religious views on people who do not share those same religious beliefs? That is at its core unconstitutional and oppressive.

Republicans want feudalism? Or am I reading the "land > population" wrongly?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hillary has done something I've never thought to see. My state, Texas, is a swing state now.

Hillary don't do that, tRump did. Tell me something, do you actually like Donald, or is your support for him based on your hatred of Clinton? If you do like Donald, what appeals to you about him?

 

Its ironic that I have actually seen the exact opposite in my state. Almost all of New York state has Trump signs wherever you go. I literally can count on one hand the number of Hillary signs I have seen out of people's front lawns in the past 6 months. But none of Upstate matters because whichever way NYC votes decides Presidential and State Governor elections.

 

I have really come to hate that NYC chooses how life is run for the entire rest of New York.

Pitaki was governor, but he lost NYC.

 

Indeed, he won 3 times. Now look at these maps, which technically don't matter because the Governor Race is by popular vote, but it does give an indication for what the regions of the state want.

 

1994: Pataki won pretty much everything but NYC.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_gubernatorial_election,_1994#/media/File:NewYorkGubernatorial1994.svg

 

1998: Pataki won everything but NYC.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_gubernatorial_election,_1998#/media/File:NewYorkGubernatorial1998.svg

 

2002: Once again won everything but NYC.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_gubernatorial_election,_2002#/media/File:NewYorkGubernatorial2002.svg

 

Now look at this map of the 2014 Governor Election. Seems like almost all of NY wanted a Republican Governor, but yet we ended up with Cuomo. Out of 62 counties, only 16 voted for Cuomo but yet he still won. Hardly seems representative of all New Yorkers considering NYC is practically a different state. Different taxes, different laws, entirely different culture and politics.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/New_York_Governor_Election_Results_by_County%2C_2014.svg

 

You think it was Gerrymandered? 

 

No, gerrymandering can only exist in a Electoral System. Governor races are almost always done by Popular Vote. The point I am trying to make is that NYC metropolitan comprises about 64% of the state's population while 40% reside within in New York City. Yet they represent such a small fraction of New York State's land mass/sphere of influence. That incredibly tiny landmass largely decides politics effecting the entire rest of the state. Something that many Upstate New York residences are not happy about.

 

Taken from:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_New_York

 

 

 

 

No, gerrymandering can only exist in a Electoral System. Governor races are almost always done by Popular Vote. The point I am trying to make is that NYC metropolitan comprises about 64% of the state's population while 40% reside within in New York City. Yet they represent such a small fraction of New York State's land mass/sphere of influence. That incredibly tiny landmass largely decides politics effecting the entire rest of the state. Something that many Upstate New York residences are not happy about.   Taken from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demographics_of_New_York

The same thing happens in my home state of California. Such a large state, and it's totally ruled by Los Angeles and San Francisco. There are ongoing efforts to break California up into 6 states, because most of California is largely unrepresented in state legislature. California turned so fucking blue with regulation, liberal stupidity, and sanctuary cities, I had to move out almost 20 years ago to keep my family safe. Now the blue disease is creeping too much into Las Vegas, because the ever increasing cost of living in California drives them here... but they bring their stupid politics with them. Pretty sure I'll end up in Utah soon, hanging on to the Constitution with the Mormons. Things are truly going to hell.

 

 

This actually happens across the US.  I saw a map recently of the US, where it showed how the individual counties of the states leaned.  By the land mass, it was heavily red for Republican.  The blue areas for the Democrats were typically the cities.

 

The point the author of the article was trying to make was that the more urban areas, which are much more densely populated, tend to lean Democrat, while the more rural areas tend to lean Republican.

 

Author made a statement to the effect of, if you looked at the map, and didn't think of population density, you'd think the Democrat party was a tiny party.

 

This wasn't the article, but it has similar images: https://www.quora.com/U-S-Political-Parties-Should-the-United-States-be-split-into-two-countries-one-for-Democrats-and-one-for-Republicans

 

This actually happens across the US.  I saw a map recently of the US, where it showed how the individual counties of the states leaned.  By the land mass, it was heavily red for Republican.  The blue areas for the Democrats were typically the cities.

 

The point the author of the article was trying to make was that the more urban areas, which are much more densely populated, tend to lean Democrat, while the more rural areas tend to lean Republican.

 

Author made a statement to the effect of, if you looked at the map, and didn't think of population density, you'd think the Democrat party was a tiny party.

 

This wasn't the article, but it has similar images: https://www.quora.com/U-S-Political-Parties-Should-the-United-States-be-split-into-two-countries-one-for-Democrats-and-one-for-Republicans

A good article (well the maps were nice looking anyways, i didn't read the full article) with different visualizations http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/10/united-states-election-map-history/

 

 

here are people on both sides of the aisle who are that way but on the majority Liberals aren't like that. Some of them are overly terrified of guns and are trying to take a short cut with the current situation to avoid unnecessary deaths by saying we should take guns away, I disagree with that, just as many do.

Yep. I'd disagree with that too and I'm not sure I know any liberal who is really like "we gotta ban guns!!1" I'm sure there are a few but most do not agree with that.

Most Liberals don't want full-on Socialism either. We just understand that there are merits to some Leftist ideals. You know that national park Lysis spoke of? That, ironically, would probably not exist if not for Leftist ideals. It would be privately own and exploited for whatever profit can be gained from the land.

Just throwing this out there:

After all this talk about the "no fly zone", I actually almost want Trump to win. 

 

here are people on both sides of the aisle who are that way but on the majority Liberals aren't like that. Some of them are overly terrified of guns and are trying to take a short cut with the current situation to avoid unnecessary deaths by saying we should take guns away, I disagree with that, just as many do.

Yep. I'd disagree with that too and I'm not sure I know any liberal who is really like "we gotta ban guns!!1" I'm sure there are a few but most do not agree with that.

Most Liberals don't want full-on Socialism either. We just understand that there are merits to some Leftist ideals. You know that national park Lysis spoke of? That, ironically, would probably not exist if not for Leftist ideals. It would be privately own and exploited for whatever profit can be gained from the land.

.

 

Well said both of you. Do you enjoy having a national highway system, national security agencies, a department of health, et al? These are all socialist type services. I don't know many socialists, progressives, or liberals who want to ban all guns. I do know a lot of people who think gun safety must be inforced, many of my republican friends and family feel this way.

 

The logic of deciding that if some criminals are of a certain minority group, then all members of that minority group are criminals is absurd and dangerous. We watch rRump use that kind of childish over-simplification to promote paranoia and feed the rage of people who don't know better. I have at least one person in my life who swallows this stuff down, hook, line and sinker, and wow, it is hard to watch the way he struggles! People who are weighed down with the kind of terror he feeds them suffer greatly. I am not just being snarky when I express concern for those who buy into his rhetoric, I think they are in real pain and experience real fear and that is why they are so angry and xenophobic. I am being totally genuine right now, I am not mocking anyone, aside from tRump.

 

I am debating sharing the following because it is one of my deepest, most heartfelt beliefs, and it will hurt me to see it get trolled, but I'm hoping that by sharing it someone might find some value. I believe we are all connected and if one person is hurt, we are all diminished. It Is profoundly sad that so many people look at each other and only see differences and not how alike we all are. We are all citizens of the world, we are all connected, we are all the same species, we all want to feel safe, we all want comfort, we all want some kind of love and connection to others. We are all connected and we would all be so much better off if we could embrace our differences, learn from each other, and work together to improve our world and the human condition.

 

You know that poem, by John Donne, "No Man Is an Island?" It is the way I see the world. And it is the exact opposite of the kind of stuff that rump of a man is trying to feed us.

 

No man is an island,

Entire of itself,

Every man is a piece of the continent,

A part of the main.

If a clod be washed away by the sea,

Europe is the less.

As well as if a promontory were.

As well as if a manor of thy friend's

Or of thine own were:

Any man's death diminishes me,

Because I am involved in mankind,

And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;

It tolls for thee.

 

John Donne 1624

Sister Midnight, I'd like to add my opinion. Hopefully you don't view it as trolling, more or less my reasoning on why some people are the way they are. what you described is human nature. To me, it is natural to want to love one another, to feel sympathy and compassion towards everyone. Look at a child, they have that innocence and care for everyone.

 

At the same time, everyone lives a different life and experiences different joys and traumas that alter our views and change the way we feel sympathy. The joys create good memories. Some of the best joys I feel is from actively helping others. I think most humans can feel that same way. The traumas, however, alter those views. Most the time permenantly. Whether you view domestic abuse, drug abuse, freak accidents, actions of evil people, or anything else as traumatic, it does change the views of people. Its a sad reality, but I hope it explains the reasons some people feel the way they do.

 

As far as hate, I feel that can go either way. Does Trump incite hatred? It can be argued. Have some Trump supporters went out of line and harmed minorities? Yes. Do some Trump supporters say racial things and critize anyone not voting Trump? Yes.

 

Now lets flip the question. What about Hillary supporters? Have they never gotten violent? They have. Have they not undermined those voting Trump? I'm positive I've seen Hillary supporters call Minorities 'Uncle.Toms' for voting Trump or saying White men can't struggle because 'we're privileged'. I can find these within minutes of just cruising through Facebook. Especially.living in a city with a handful of colleges within 30minutes. 2 major ones are in the same city as myself. This election on.both sides has been.hostile.and bred hate. Don't blame one candidate when both candidates and a handful of.their supporters are doing it. (Not every supporter mind you.)

 

I'd love for us to embrace differences, but I feel.with both these voter demographics filled with so much hatred towards the candidates that a large amount spread this hate to the voters themselves, it just breds hate. It goes back to the beginning of my post. Both sides have experienced some sort of trauma or bad experience and these candidates and people supporting them are feeding both sides anger.

 

I feel I've expressed my views about these candidates enough. But I do enjoy reading your responses.

Politics incite anger and sometimes hatred. Aside from her "deplorables" comment I haven't seen Hillary make hateful comments. I haven't seen her encourage her supporters to be violent ever. I have seen tRump do those things repeatedly.

 

I don't see the relevance of bringing up the fact that some the Clinton supporters behave badly. She has not encouraged them and she cannot control them. Her behavior is very different from her opponent in that regard. I watched tRump actually call for violence against protesters at his rallies. That makes him partially responsible for the violence. If you are saying Clinton is on par with tRump because some of her supporters are jerks, that is same thinking as saying all minoritiy people are bad because a member of a minority sets a fire.

 

FYI, I am not a huge Clinton fan, she is the best choice available to me, it is a shame we don't have better candidates.

Sister Midnight, I'd like to add my opinion. Hopefully you don't view it as trolling, more or less my reasoning on why some people are the way they are. what you described is human nature. To me, it is natural to want to love one another, to feel sympathy and compassion towards everyone. Look at a child, they have that innocence and care for everyone.

 

At the same time, everyone lives a different life and experiences different joys and traumas that alter our views and change the way we feel sympathy. The joys create good memories. Some of the best joys I feel is from actively helping others. I think most humans can feel that same way. The traumas, however, alter those views. Most the time permenantly. Whether you view domestic abuse, drug abuse, freak accidents, actions of evil people, or anything else as traumatic, it does change the views of people. Its a sad reality, but I hope it explains the reasons some people feel the way they do.

 

As far as hate, I feel that can go either way. Does Trump incite hatred? It can be argued. Have some Trump supporters went out of line and harmed minorities? Yes. Do some Trump supporters say racial things and critize anyone not voting Trump? Yes.

 

Now lets flip the question. What about Hillary supporters? Have they never gotten violent? They have. Have they not undermined those voting Trump? I'm positive I've seen Hillary supporters call Minorities 'Uncle.Toms' for voting Trump or saying White men can't struggle because 'we're privileged'. I can find these within minutes of just cruising through Facebook. Especially.living in a city with a handful of colleges within 30minutes. 2 major ones are in the same city as myself. This election on.both sides has been.hostile.and bred hate. Don't blame one candidate when both candidates and a handful of.their supporters are doing it. (Not every supporter mind you.)

 

I'd love for us to embrace differences, but I feel.with both these voter demographics filled with so much hatred towards the candidates that a large amount spread this hate to the voters themselves, it just breds hate. It goes back to the beginning of my post. Both sides have experienced some sort of trauma or bad experience and these candidates and people supporting them are feeding both sides anger.

 

I feel I've expressed my views about these candidates enough. But I do enjoy reading your responses.

 

 

The thing is that politics in this country divides us because that's the way the 2 party system likes it, its been escalating on and on for years. I think the fact that there have been a lot of racial tensions lately, and with trump's refusal to be even slightly sensitive to such things and divisive rhetoric, it made things much worse. The violence is carried out by those on both sides, but I don't think there would have been such violence if Trump wasn't the Republican candidate. 

^ Interesting sig you got there Chaplain. We all know you are trying to poke fun at the 2nd Amendment, saying people like myself believe it should only be for privileged white folks.

 

Quite frankly I don't care who you are, if you want to protect yourself, go right ahead! Its what you choose to do with those weapons defines whether or not you should have them.

My wife sent me this from one of her Facebook friends... still believe you guys do nothing to incite violence?

http://s13.postimg.org/3k4jcy5rb/ocare.jpg

My wife sent me this from one of her Facebook friends... still believe you guys do nothing to incite violence?

http://s13.postimg.org/3k4jcy5rb/ocare.jpg

Yup. Obamacare is really nothing but forcing people to pay for the same unaffordable crap we already had.

 

Meanwhile, Hillary wants to start WW3. I actually feel conservative as fuck right now.

Am I the only worried about this:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmE9Jj-rEVs

 

And the fact that Hillary actually wants said "no fly zone". After Libya we know that her "no fly zone" is just a clever way of saying "all out bombing campaign against the government". 

 

I think I actually want Trump to win, and I didn't think I'd ever say that.

When Obama declined the chance to take down Assad after the "red line" was crossed, he ceded the initiative to Putin, and he allied with Assad. Now we can't do anything to Assad without war with Russia. So the only options we have to take out ISIS now are to either work with Putin to take out ISIS, which would leave Assad in power... or fund Iran to fight them. Obama, John Kerry, and Hillary Clinton have chosen to fund Iran... which is just insane because they will take over Iraq. That is all they have ever wanted to do forever. Iran is the largest sponsor of terrorism, and the biggest threat to Israel.

 

Trump wants to work with Putin to destroy ISIS. He doesn't care about Assad... and we have to do that if we want ISIS destroyed without war with Russia or funding the Iranian supported terrorists. We could always go the way of Gary Johnson, and just pull out completely... but that would leave ISIS to do whatever they want, and that will not be good for the USA and allies. What would Putin do without threat from the USA? This is the way I see things... and Trump has the best idea.

OMG! This brings me to tears. Micheal Moore, the Socialist darling... he finally gets it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YY-CiPVo_NQ

My wife sent me this from one of her Facebook friends... still believe you guys do nothing to incite violence?

http://s13.postimg.org/3k4jcy5rb/ocare.jpg

 

So why are they suddenly stopping the previous plan? They feel their "profit margin" is at stake? What would the government issued health care plan do for you? Would it even be available for you? Also what is in the current plan anyway (rough lines), is that $700 for your whole family?

 

Genuine curious.

They feel their "profit margin" is at stake?

Yup. They will probably keep increasing every year in higher iterations as much as they can get away with. Insurers increased premiums by an average of 7.5% from 2014-2015. This year it's an average increase of 22%. Ever since Obamacare was implemented, insurance companies profits have dropped and competitors have been forced out the market leaving less competition. So prices are going up, rather than down. 

well trying to make something private mandatory is never a pretty sight. You guys have the same issues with higher education >_>

 

you people are masochists.

you people are masochists.

Choke me daddy.

 

Oh wait, this isnt the NSFW thread.

Well those are some intriguing arguments against Hillary I must admit. (especially the Healthcare Premiums one)

I remain dubious however that Trump is really such an outsider and all that. I suspect in 4 to 8 years Michael Moore will probably be making a movie on how bad Trump was.

well trying to make something private mandatory is never a pretty sight. You guys have the same issues with higher education >_>