Journal shanen's Journal: Yet more partisan abuse of the House of so-called Representaives 33
In response to https://verdict.justia.com/2016/08/19/outrageously-false-charges-perjury-hillary-clinton
It's a deep analysis, but from a lawyer's legalistic perspective, and it misses the point. It is not insightful. However, the data point that should be the key to the analysis is the approval rating of Congress. As of this writing, it's around 13%. http://www.gallup.com/poll/1600/congress-public.aspx
Not that I'm sure where the true insight lies, but there are several possibilities. None of them are legal. Some of them are political, but the more interesting are psychological, so that's where I'm going to start. (Though I'm going to write "firmly", that doesn't mean I have any proof that would stand up in court, or even that I am as convinced as my words might sound.)
This so-called lawsuit is a desperate maneuver by terrified men. They are perpetual cowards who right now are most terrified that they will lose their death grip on the House of so-called Representatives.
They have good reason to anticipate that outcome because they are clinging to power by tiny legalistic threads. They also know that they are violating their own oaths to "support and defend" the Constitution. The Founders' clear intention, clearly expressed in the Constitution, was for the House of Representatives to be the MOST representative and responsive and directly responsible part of the federal government, but today's so-called Republicans are merely using it as a kangaroo court for partisan politics.
If the House actually represented the voters, a 13% approval rating should mean that almost all of them would be thrown out at the next election--which is precisely why the entire House faces election every two years. They are terrified that the contagion of Trump's disastrous campaign could have that disastrous outcome this November, even though the so-called Republicans have become experts at winning while losing.
With approval ratings around 20% in the last few elections, how have the incumbents survived? By rigging the voting process so that the House of so-called Representatives is dominated by an actual minority of the actual voters.
That minority-wins effect is mostly the effect of gerrymandering. They concentrate and effectively waste many of the Democratic Party votes, while distributing their own votes in safe majorities with little waste. In other words, by partisan redistricting, they select their own voters before the voters have a chance to select them. Though the GOP gets fewer votes, they still wind up controlling much more than 50% of the resulting anti-representative House.
On top of that, insofar as their selective disenfranchisement is accurately targeted at "hostile" wannabe voters, the reality is even worse. The GOP is now dangling over the abyss. If they lose their grip on the reins of political power for a moment, they would be totally crushed. They are terrified of a flood of new and hostile voters, they are more terrified of honest redistricting, but they are MOST terrified that the Democratic Party will abuse political power in exactly the ways that they have.
From watching the Democrats in action (and mostly in inaction), I think the GOP's ultimate fears are projections and even delusional. Even when they have power, the Democrats can't figure out what to do with it and they've never sustained any focus. The Democrats just squabble among themselves (which is the main weakness of Hillary's campaign, by the way). The so-called Republicans can't afford to squabble. Like Lenin's Bolsheviks, strong party discipline is crucial when you actually represent a minor lunatic fringe.
Which brings us back to the Donald of Trump and the real terror underlying this feeble lawsuit. If Trump loses and drags many of the down-ballot Republicans down with him, it would be a total disaster for them. Think of the children and the Republican Congressman dragged away from the government teat and forced to actually work for their daily bread.
Oh wait. For a moment I forgot that they are just a bunch of rich lawyers. No real danger of actual work.
Moot to me. My own vote was neutered and negated four times over. Congratulations to the dictators of Texas. Though I was born there, I now regard myself as a stateless American of the "No Vote for You" Party.
I thought the whole point of the House (Score:2)
Isn't the whole point of the house to BE partisan? That's the reason they have to be re-elected every two years.
638312 is invited to leave. Again. (Score:2)
ZZ
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Not going to though, so you might as well get used to it. At least until you unfriend me, anyway. If I don't get notifications of your posts, I won't respond. :-)
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Z^3
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And you might as well get used to sleeping, since you insist on responding to whatever I write, encouraging me to write more. Apparently you never learned the basic Internet rule- Don't feed trolls.
Emotional masturbation of 638312 (Score:2)
Z^6
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And yet you respond again, you must like getting notifications from me!
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Z^8
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Please don't feed the troll.
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says the guy who keeps posting Z^whatever instead of just ignoring the posts he doesn't want to respond to.
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It's a gag. Roll with it...
Circle jerk of 638312 and 1673220 (Score:2)
Z^7
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I get notices from my fans posting, yes.
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Please don't feed the troll 638312. Might be insane, might be paid, might be THAT desperate for attention, but please don't feed it.
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Insane and bored.
Public masterbation of 638312 (Score:2)
Z^9
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We knew I was insane and incapable of not responding. I have now removed you from my friends list, so I should not see future posts.
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Z^10
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Sorry... that's my fault.
Public masturbation of 1673220 (Score:2)
Z^13
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Wow! a Z to the thirteenth! My ratings go up every time! You like me! You really like me!
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Z^14
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You just can't turn your back. You crave for more.
Looking for a rational discussion? (Score:2)
Please don't feed the trolls from my comments.
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Yes we are. Too bad we won't get it from you. Your record speaks for itself.
[To the camera]:
His "redistricting" skitch* is a red herring. Republicans win because people vote for republicans. It's all fair and square. When it isn't, people get mad. He should get his ass out and canvass the new republican districts if he doesn't like it. Remind them they don't have to vote for a republican. The ballot can be full of options.
*(how appropriate that it means "To hitch a ride by holding on to a motor vehicle whil
Emotional masturbation of 1673220 (Score:2)
Z^4
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ACK
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Z^5
The House Reflects Human Psyche Well (Score:2)
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Yeah, I know about that anomaly, though I don't think the data supported "great job", but more of "good enough to reelect". I agree with you that this contributes to the high success of incumbents, but I disagree with your implication that it is the main contributing factor.
I think that rigging the elections has become much more important. Texas has many excellent examples, but I'll just focus on my own district since I know its history especially well and because Austin has become somewhat infamous as the