Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. Sign in or register to get started.

Options

Biden needs to make clear now that he won’t run in 2024 – politicalbetting.com

13567

Comments

  • Options
    rcs1000 said:

    Carnyx said:

    How often do the various EU Presidents get "voted" in and out?

    I mean, when can VDL and Michel be unelected by their demos?
    Or Ms Truss or Mr Sunak?

    For the purposes of this discussion, the Conservative Party does not count as a demos. Even though some of it on here seem to think it has a fixed role within the constitution.
    Truss and Sunak were both elected to Parliament, and have been chosen from within Parliament's elected members to lead Parliament.

    Who elected VDL and Michel?
    The Leaders of the Governments of the European Union?
    So UVDL got fewer votes than my Parish Councillors?
  • Options
    AlistairAlistair Posts: 23,670

    House GOP almost drifted to 1.2

    Not sure why, looks good for 221 or 222 total
    It's helping me mitigate my Senate losses all the time.

    Now, +£209 House but sadly -£327 Senate.

    Unless Laxalt takes Nevada. In which case I'm pretty.
    Okay, maybe I am missing subtle signals but I've gone back in on this. Currently 1.17 and that's totally mental?

    Like can anyone construct a path where the GOP do not get a majority?

    You scenario can involve aliens, nothing is off limits.
  • Options
    Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 26,577
    Taz said:

    Cracking interview with the wonderfully named, wild eyed, Indigo Rumbelow from Just Stop Oil.

    https://twitter.com/skynews/status/1590782358554546176?s=61&t=1Y3AytAxn0mBu-hNOH86TQ

    As I've said before, there seems to be a distinct lack of people with names like "John Smith" in Just Stop Oil. Not sure why this is.
  • Options
    Pulpstar said:

    Fuck off I'm on Biden at 2-1 for the nom

    Lol
  • Options
    StuartinromfordStuartinromford Posts: 14,421
    edited November 2022

    How often do the various EU Presidents get "voted" in and out?

    I mean, when can VDL and Michel be unelected by their demos?
    No, no, you don’t understand. The EU was always about democracy. Never about stitching up jobs for those who’ve failed in their careers within their own countries.
    *Cough* House of Lords *Cough*
    Sue*cough*ella Braver*cough*man.

    The old unwritten rule that you needed to face the electorate before returning from a ministerial disgrace had quite a lot going for it.
  • Options
    Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 32,900
    1/ Several councils taking legal action against Home Office to try & stop asylum seekers living in hotels in their areas. Some tell us they’re worried about impact on local resources, tourism, community/racial tension. Govt says hotels are “temporary solution”, but I’m told ..

    2/ relationship btw central & local govt tenuous, with lack of data/info sharing making assigning asylum seekers more difficult. One council told me “trust is at a very low point”. More at 1030pm @BBCNewsnight
  • Options
    rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 53,960

    Lmao, Maricopa has 400,000 left to count and wont be done till 'next week' (CNN)

    Gut feel - and if it follows what happened in 2020 - I think that's good for Lake and Masters. That's a large number of votes and, given the Maricopa machines had problems on the day, my guess is many of those are election day voters, which would favour the GOP.

    Kelly is 100k up on Masters, so that means the 400k has to break nearly 2-1. That's a tough ask. Kelly is three points above where Biden was at this point in 2020 (5% lead vs 2%), and Biden still snuck it.

    While Lake has to be favourite, Masters is probably rightly about 12-1. Yes, a chance, and 12-1 shots come in all the time... But I suspect Kelly is feeling pretty confident.
  • Options
    paulyork64paulyork64 Posts: 2,461
    Clark county registrar of voters saying they have over 50k votes to count. Unhelpfully vague.
  • Options
    Alistair said:

    House GOP almost drifted to 1.2

    Not sure why, looks good for 221 or 222 total
    It's helping me mitigate my Senate losses all the time.

    Now, +£209 House but sadly -£327 Senate.

    Unless Laxalt takes Nevada. In which case I'm pretty.
    Okay, maybe I am missing subtle signals but I've gone back in on this. Currently 1.17 and that's totally mental?

    Like can anyone construct a path where the GOP do not get a majority?

    You scenario can involve aliens, nothing is off limits.
    I can only assume its some bedwetters looking at the balance of seats on the CNN feed and shitting it wherever they don't see a very very clear red lead in the live count.
  • Options
    AlistairAlistair Posts: 23,670
    Just incase the world has gone utterly mad I've place £1 on NOM on the House of Representatives.
  • Options
    OllyTOllyT Posts: 4,913
    moonshine said:

    OllyT said:

    Sandpit said:

    John Fetterman’s job for the next few months, is to make Biden appear lucid and coherent.

    But seriously, the president is about to turn 80, it’s time to stand aside. The biggest problem with that, is how to stop Kamala Harris becoming the nominee by default.

    DeDantis still likely beats anyone, so long as Trump doesn’t do a Ross Perot and fly solo.

    Not convinced. 3 factors could easily derail DeSantis in a GE

    1. His social conservatism/ abortion views could energise the young and female vote just as it seems to have harmed the GOP this week.

    2. It is not yet clear who his Dem opponent will be and it could result in a much stiffer challenge than an aged Biden would present, and there is no certainty whatsoever that it would be Harris.

    3. You allude to Trump running as an independent and even if he doesn't he is not the sort of person that takes defeat gracefully. He will be a real thorn in DeSantis's side from here on in and his really fanatical supporters may well stay at home if he's not on the ballot on 2024. The issue of getting a conservative majority on the Supreme Court has become irrelevant
    1) “On April 14, 2022, he signed into law a bill that bans elective abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy, shortening the period of viability from 24 weeks.”

    So he brought the law in Florida in line with the EU average and is more liberal on the matter than for example Germany.

    2) It’s not obvious there are Democrat politicians ready to break from the field who really would present a significantly stiffer challenge than Biden. Perhaps? I still think the Democrats best chance is a celebrity candidate rather than a serving politician. Michelle Obama or Matthew McConaughey. But they’re not yet desperate enough to cast aside the career politicians.

    3) No Trump on the ballot might keep the fanatical MAGA and apathetic left leaning middle at home in equal measure.

    1. DeSantis is very socially conservative and it is currently not clear how that plays in a GE. I'm fairly certain he was in favour of Wade v Roe being overturned and that decision seems to have backfired on the GOP. It is quite likely that he continues to energise the voters who turned out this week. DeSantis is no moderate.

    2. There have often been nominees that barely register 2 years out from the election. The US primary system is tailor made for someone to almost come out of nowhere. I would not discount it.

    3. If DeSantis is deemed to have usurped Trump then I would imagine far more fanatical MAGA voters staying at home. Some apathetic left-wingers may do the same but in nowhere near equal numbers - DeSantis is a divisive culture-warrior, he's not a McCain or a Romney.
  • Options

    Lmao, Maricopa has 400,000 left to count and wont be done till 'next week' (CNN)

    Gut feel - and if it follows what happened in 2020 - I think that's good for Lake and Masters. That's a large number of votes and, given the Maricopa machines had problems on the day, my guess is many of those are election day voters, which would favour the GOP.



    I agree, not sure if enough for Masters but Lake
    i think wins as does the GOP AG
    Edit - and probably the two remaining house seats go red too
    Assuming a 60-40 Masters-Kelly split for those votes - which I've done assuming (1) what happened in 2020 and (2) the problems with the voting machines which impacted the ED vote, which trends GOP - that's a net 80K for Masters vs a current 90K gap

  • Options
    Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 32,900
    Andy_JS said:

    Taz said:

    Cracking interview with the wonderfully named, wild eyed, Indigo Rumbelow from Just Stop Oil.

    https://twitter.com/skynews/status/1590782358554546176?s=61&t=1Y3AytAxn0mBu-hNOH86TQ

    As I've said before, there seems to be a distinct lack of people with names like "John Smith" in Just Stop Oil. Not sure why this is.
    Your posh climate activist name, is the last place you went on holiday and your least favourite vegetable
  • Options
    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 116,989
    algarkirk said:

    Carnyx said:

    HYUFD said:

    moonshine said:

    .

    kinabalu said:

    kinabalu said:

    HYUFD said:

    Biden would still be more electable than Harris.

    Though yes a younger more centrist candidate like Biden's Transport Secretary and 2020 candidate Buttigieg would be the Democrats best bet. Especially if De Santis beats Trump for the GOP nomination, as in 2020 a lot of Biden votes were anti Trump rather than for him

    Although I noted your post yesterday saying that 30% of the electorate, inc many Dems and Independents, wouldn't vote for a gay president?
    People say all kinds of things to pollsters that they don't follow through with when they actually vote.
    Yep. But I'd have thought this would skew the other way and make it worse - ie more people would say they're cool with a gay prez when they aren't than would say they aren't when they are.
    That seems a surprisingly high proportion of the electorate but then again we must always remind ourselves that America is a much more religious society than the UK.

    We have a higher percentage of Muslims than the US though and many of them would not vote for a gay PM
    Also a lot more in the C of E (merely being 'in the Anglican Communion' doesn't count as different A churches have different policies anyway). And you're always going on about how outrageous it would be for the C of E to be made to follow the law of the land and marry gay couples.
    To be precise the law of the land is that CoE clergy cannot marry gay couples. It is enshrined in statute.

    For now, if the Synod voted to allow Vicars to conduct gay weddings if they wanted then Parliament would wave that through the next day
  • Options
    AlistairAlistair Posts: 23,670
    Absolutely fucking mental in Clark. Holy shit. This is election betting deciding stuff


  • Options
    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 116,989
    edited November 2022

    rcs1000 said:

    Carnyx said:

    How often do the various EU Presidents get "voted" in and out?

    I mean, when can VDL and Michel be unelected by their demos?
    Or Ms Truss or Mr Sunak?

    For the purposes of this discussion, the Conservative Party does not count as a demos. Even though some of it on here seem to think it has a fixed role within the constitution.
    Truss and Sunak were both elected to Parliament, and have been chosen from within Parliament's elected members to lead Parliament.

    Who elected VDL and Michel?
    The Leaders of the Governments of the European Union?
    So no voters then.

    No more democratically elected than the Archbishop of Canterbury.
    Or the Pope?
    The College of Cardinals elect the Pope
  • Options
    bigglesbiggles Posts: 4,340

    rcs1000 said:

    Carnyx said:

    How often do the various EU Presidents get "voted" in and out?

    I mean, when can VDL and Michel be unelected by their demos?
    Or Ms Truss or Mr Sunak?

    For the purposes of this discussion, the Conservative Party does not count as a demos. Even though some of it on here seem to think it has a fixed role within the constitution.
    Truss and Sunak were both elected to Parliament, and have been chosen from within Parliament's elected members to lead Parliament.

    Who elected VDL and Michel?
    The Leaders of the Governments of the European Union?
    So UVDL got fewer votes than my Parish Councillors?
    Count yourself lucky if your parish council, pointless as they are, sees much voting happen. Ours falls out of sequence with anything notable so most of them seem to get elected unopposed or get co-opted in between times. It’s all family and friends links. I think disrupting their cosy lifestyle might be a retirement project for me.
  • Options
    Just got another £50 on at 1.2 for a GOP majority in the House.

    Budget exhausted now. If I had another monkey I'd spunk it in to expunge my loss almost entirely.
  • Options
    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 116,989
    biggles said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Carnyx said:

    How often do the various EU Presidents get "voted" in and out?

    I mean, when can VDL and Michel be unelected by their demos?
    Or Ms Truss or Mr Sunak?

    For the purposes of this discussion, the Conservative Party does not count as a demos. Even though some of it on here seem to think it has a fixed role within the constitution.
    Truss and Sunak were both elected to Parliament, and have been chosen from within Parliament's elected members to lead Parliament.

    Who elected VDL and Michel?
    The Leaders of the Governments of the European Union?
    So UVDL got fewer votes than my Parish Councillors?
    Count yourself lucky if your parish council, pointless as they are, sees much voting happen. Ours falls out of sequence with anything notable so most of them seem to get elected unopposed or get co-opted in between times. It’s all family and friends links. I think disrupting their cosy lifestyle might be a retirement project for me.
    Town councils certainly are elected with competing party labels, Parish councils in villages though are normally Independent and elected unopposed
  • Options
    turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 15,176

    How often do the various EU Presidents get "voted" in and out?

    I mean, when can VDL and Michel be unelected by their demos?
    No, no, you don’t understand. The EU was always about democracy. Never about stitching up jobs for those who’ve failed in their careers within their own countries.
    *Cough* House of Lords *Cough*
    I agree - get rid. Perfectly possible to have only one body, as in NZ.
  • Options
    Alistair said:

    Just incase the world has gone utterly mad I've place £1 on NOM on the House of Representatives.

    How does NOM happen? Who's the indy such that no-one controls?
  • Options
    wooliedyedwooliedyed Posts: 6,930
    rcs1000 said:

    Lmao, Maricopa has 400,000 left to count and wont be done till 'next week' (CNN)

    Gut feel - and if it follows what happened in 2020 - I think that's good for Lake and Masters. That's a large number of votes and, given the Maricopa machines had problems on the day, my guess is many of those are election day voters, which would favour the GOP.

    Kelly is 100k up on Masters, so that means the 400k has to break nearly 2-1. That's a tough ask. Kelly is three points above where Biden was at this point in 2020 (5% lead vs 2%), and Biden still snuck it.

    While Lake has to be favourite, Masters is probably rightly about 12-1. Yes, a chance, and 12-1 shots come in all the time... But I suspect Kelly is feeling pretty confident.
    Im leaning towards bearish now on Lake. She tweeted about a Yavapai county dump of 3000 votes 60 39 in her favour as if its the red wave but thats just in line with the current......
  • Options
    AlistairAlistair Posts: 23,670

    Alistair said:

    Just incase the world has gone utterly mad I've place £1 on NOM on the House of Representatives.

    How does NOM happen? Who's the indy such that no-one controls?
    Aliens
  • Options
    bigglesbiggles Posts: 4,340
    HYUFD said:

    biggles said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Carnyx said:

    How often do the various EU Presidents get "voted" in and out?

    I mean, when can VDL and Michel be unelected by their demos?
    Or Ms Truss or Mr Sunak?

    For the purposes of this discussion, the Conservative Party does not count as a demos. Even though some of it on here seem to think it has a fixed role within the constitution.
    Truss and Sunak were both elected to Parliament, and have been chosen from within Parliament's elected members to lead Parliament.

    Who elected VDL and Michel?
    The Leaders of the Governments of the European Union?
    So UVDL got fewer votes than my Parish Councillors?
    Count yourself lucky if your parish council, pointless as they are, sees much voting happen. Ours falls out of sequence with anything notable so most of them seem to get elected unopposed or get co-opted in between times. It’s all family and friends links. I think disrupting their cosy lifestyle might be a retirement project for me.
    Town councils certainly are elected with competing party labels, Parish councils in villages though are normally Independent and elected unopposed
    They aren’t really independent though, are they? It’s the most powerful local party in a friendship group. Thankfully they have limited powers (and should be abolished) but they can waste public funds on vanity projects.
  • Options
    wooliedyedwooliedyed Posts: 6,930
    Alistair said:

    Absolutely fucking mental in Clark. Holy shit. This is election betting deciding stuff


    I mean if its 50,000 thats maybe 33,000 to 17,000 or so and about the gap so it goes to rurals versus Washoe.......
    Tight as a gnats chuff
  • Options
    AlistairAlistair Posts: 23,670
    The press conference is nuts:

    https://twitter.com/ClarkCountyNV/status/1590793142613463040

    It's a dozen journalists being absolutely fucking bemused by this 50k figure.
  • Options
    Andy_JS said:

    Taz said:

    Cracking interview with the wonderfully named, wild eyed, Indigo Rumbelow from Just Stop Oil.

    https://twitter.com/skynews/status/1590782358554546176?s=61&t=1Y3AytAxn0mBu-hNOH86TQ

    As I've said before, there seems to be a distinct lack of people with names like "John Smith" in Just Stop Oil. Not sure why this is.
    It's a pastime of wealthy and privileged upper-middle class females with time on their hands.

    They will tend to be southern and WASPy.
  • Options
    MikeLMikeL Posts: 7,287
    There are a whole host of CA House races where under 50% of vote has been counted - and several have Rep currently leading.

    If Dem were to win all or most of them then House would be very close.

    Does anyone have the knowledge to analyse these races to see if any real prospect of Dems winning them?

    https://edition.cnn.com/election/2022/results/house?election-data-id=2022-HG&election-painting-mode=projection&filter-key-races=false&filter-flipped=false
  • Options
    AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 19,965
    Jonathan said:

    Biden defeated MAGA. He held back the red wave. He’s doing something right.

    Biden has a brilliant electoral record.

    The man that handed Trump’s arse to him - twice.
  • Options
    CookieCookie Posts: 11,426
    rcs1000 said:

    moonshine said:

    Alistair said:

    Jonathan said:

    Leon said:

    The best result for AMERICA is a solid De Santis win in 2024

    That's a route back to political sanity for the whole nation, and a long step away from the civil war precipice

    De Santis is rightwing and anti-Woke enough to be entirely agreeable to the Republicans (apart from the outright QAnon nutters) BUT he is not an election denier, he's not mad, Trump dislikes and fears him (a good sign), and he might actually be a good, clever president. So the left can at least tolerate De Santis (apart from the ultra-woke, but they are as bad and as intractable as the QAnon types on the right, and should be ignored for the same reason)

    Say De Santis wins two terms, by the end the Democrats should have purged their Marxist nutters and they will then offer a young centrist candidate who then wins for the Dems. And America is saved!

    De Santis is the optimistic option for the USA. Trump remains the nightmare

    De Santis seems to think he is sent by god. That’s a bit of a worry.
    Also the book banning, refernedum overturning
    and anti-LGBT legislation.
    “In 2018, he told the Sun-Sentinel that he "doesn't want any discrimination in Florida, I want people to be able to live their life, whether you're gay or whether you're religious."

    Yup. So far so liberal.

    “DeSantis signed the Fairness in Women's Sports Act (SB 1028). It bans transgender girls and women from participating and competing in middle-school and high-school girls' and college women's sports competitions in Florida.”

    A view in line with such far right firebrands as Dame Kelly Holmes.

    “DeSantis voiced his support for the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act, often called the "Don't Say Gay" law by its opponents, which would prohibit instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in school classrooms from kindergarten to grade 3. He said it was "entirely inappropriate" for teachers and school administrators to talk to students about their gender identity.”

    Quite uncontroversial to mainstream America I would have thought for kids ages 3-8 to be spared sex ed.



    You're being a teensy bit disingenuous with the last one. Because, it doesn't just prevent discussion of gender identity in elementary schools. If it did, it would be largely unobjectionable.

    For a start, it doesn't just apply to very young children:

    For the first group (grades K–3), it imposes an absolute ban on “classroom instruction … on sexual orientation or gender identity.” For the second group (grades 4–12), it imposes a partial ban, outlawing instruction that is “not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate … in accordance with state standards.”

    Secondly, it's not just gender, it is also sexual orientation.

    This is Section 28 on steroids.
    It doesn't sound it to me. A partial bam putlawinh instruction which is not age appropriate sounds entirely sane. I'd support that.
    I've mentioned before how uncomfortable I am with the way senior schools here seem to be trying to crowbar quite young children into sexual identies far too early.
  • Options
    Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 26,577
    edited November 2022
  • Options
    AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 19,965
    I know nothing about Fetterman other than he’s 6’ 8” tall, sports hoodies and a hard rock beard, and is a stroke survivor.

    On that basis, @SandyRentool , I’m in.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,725
    Scott_xP said:

    Andy_JS said:

    Taz said:

    Cracking interview with the wonderfully named, wild eyed, Indigo Rumbelow from Just Stop Oil.

    https://twitter.com/skynews/status/1590782358554546176?s=61&t=1Y3AytAxn0mBu-hNOH86TQ

    As I've said before, there seems to be a distinct lack of people with names like "John Smith" in Just Stop Oil. Not sure why this is.
    Your posh climate activist name, is the last place you went on holiday and your least favourite vegetable
    Truro Aubergine? It's plausible.
  • Options
    biggles said:

    HYUFD said:

    biggles said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Carnyx said:

    How often do the various EU Presidents get "voted" in and out?

    I mean, when can VDL and Michel be unelected by their demos?
    Or Ms Truss or Mr Sunak?

    For the purposes of this discussion, the Conservative Party does not count as a demos. Even though some of it on here seem to think it has a fixed role within the constitution.
    Truss and Sunak were both elected to Parliament, and have been chosen from within Parliament's elected members to lead Parliament.

    Who elected VDL and Michel?
    The Leaders of the Governments of the European Union?
    So UVDL got fewer votes than my Parish Councillors?
    Count yourself lucky if your parish council, pointless as they are, sees much voting happen. Ours falls out of sequence with anything notable so most of them seem to get elected unopposed or get co-opted in between times. It’s all family and friends links. I think disrupting their cosy lifestyle might be a retirement project for me.
    Town councils certainly are elected with competing party labels, Parish councils in villages though are normally Independent and elected unopposed
    They aren’t really independent though, are they? It’s the most powerful local party in a friendship group. Thankfully they have limited powers (and should be abolished) but they can waste public funds on vanity projects.
    Total misinformed bollocks. Parish/town councils are probably the most economically efficient form of local government. The people on them might sometimes get things wrong, but they are for the most part well-meaning volunteers who take zero payment for the hours put in. Their reward is sniping by small-minded tossers who have never done anything voluntary in their lives. Said small-minded tossers always moan but never put themselves up for election to oppose the things they moan about.
  • Options
    turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 15,176
    kle4 said:

    Scott_xP said:

    Andy_JS said:

    Taz said:

    Cracking interview with the wonderfully named, wild eyed, Indigo Rumbelow from Just Stop Oil.

    https://twitter.com/skynews/status/1590782358554546176?s=61&t=1Y3AytAxn0mBu-hNOH86TQ

    As I've said before, there seems to be a distinct lack of people with names like "John Smith" in Just Stop Oil. Not sure why this is.
    Your posh climate activist name, is the last place you went on holiday and your least favourite vegetable
    Truro Aubergine? It's plausible.
    Bideford Broad Bean. I like it.
  • Options
    rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 53,960
    Cookie said:

    rcs1000 said:

    moonshine said:

    Alistair said:

    Jonathan said:

    Leon said:

    The best result for AMERICA is a solid De Santis win in 2024

    That's a route back to political sanity for the whole nation, and a long step away from the civil war precipice

    De Santis is rightwing and anti-Woke enough to be entirely agreeable to the Republicans (apart from the outright QAnon nutters) BUT he is not an election denier, he's not mad, Trump dislikes and fears him (a good sign), and he might actually be a good, clever president. So the left can at least tolerate De Santis (apart from the ultra-woke, but they are as bad and as intractable as the QAnon types on the right, and should be ignored for the same reason)

    Say De Santis wins two terms, by the end the Democrats should have purged their Marxist nutters and they will then offer a young centrist candidate who then wins for the Dems. And America is saved!

    De Santis is the optimistic option for the USA. Trump remains the nightmare

    De Santis seems to think he is sent by god. That’s a bit of a worry.
    Also the book banning, refernedum overturning
    and anti-LGBT legislation.
    “In 2018, he told the Sun-Sentinel that he "doesn't want any discrimination in Florida, I want people to be able to live their life, whether you're gay or whether you're religious."

    Yup. So far so liberal.

    “DeSantis signed the Fairness in Women's Sports Act (SB 1028). It bans transgender girls and women from participating and competing in middle-school and high-school girls' and college women's sports competitions in Florida.”

    A view in line with such far right firebrands as Dame Kelly Holmes.

    “DeSantis voiced his support for the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act, often called the "Don't Say Gay" law by its opponents, which would prohibit instruction on sexual orientation or gender identity in school classrooms from kindergarten to grade 3. He said it was "entirely inappropriate" for teachers and school administrators to talk to students about their gender identity.”

    Quite uncontroversial to mainstream America I would have thought for kids ages 3-8 to be spared sex ed.



    You're being a teensy bit disingenuous with the last one. Because, it doesn't just prevent discussion of gender identity in elementary schools. If it did, it would be largely unobjectionable.

    For a start, it doesn't just apply to very young children:

    For the first group (grades K–3), it imposes an absolute ban on “classroom instruction … on sexual orientation or gender identity.” For the second group (grades 4–12), it imposes a partial ban, outlawing instruction that is “not age appropriate or developmentally appropriate … in accordance with state standards.”

    Secondly, it's not just gender, it is also sexual orientation.

    This is Section 28 on steroids.
    It doesn't sound it to me. A partial bam putlawinh instruction which is not age appropriate sounds entirely sane. I'd support that.
    I've mentioned before how uncomfortable I am with the way senior schools here seem to be trying to crowbar quite young children into sexual identies far too early.
    Are you denying the ability of teachers to admit that there are homosexual relationships?

    The other thing that is slightly disingenuous about the law, is that the law itself doesn't say what's permitted: it says that it may not be what the State determines later is not acceptable.
  • Options
    AlistairAlistair Posts: 23,670
    Right I'm at my limit on GOP to take the House.
  • Options
    AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 19,965
    Heathener said:

    Heathener said:

    Biden would be 86 this time in 6 years which is mid 80's not late 80's. A mere whippersnapper compared to Senator Strom Thurmond who retired from Congress at the age of 101. Marvellous.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strom_Thurmond

    Okay so Joe Biden stumbles over a few words but seems pretty physically agile. I'd rather have him than a zippy younger evangelical zealot.

    Very good article in today's i on ageing and about how it's a myth that ageing mean irreversible decline.

    https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/how-reverse-age-reset-your-biological-clock-1961196


    Don't be ageist @MikeSmithson !

    I think this is a UK-centric story. We're not used to ageing politicians who live the American dream and stay fit and sprightly. Most of the ageing old tory crusties look like they're on death's door. Sir Edward Leigh is the spit of Rowley Birkin QC.

    Probably the difference is our relationship with booze. I mean I drink - too much. But then most of us do.

    By contrast, being teetotal or near teetotal is quite normal in the States.

    Biden and Trump aren’t that unusual in that regard.
  • Options
    CookieCookie Posts: 11,426
    kle4 said:

    Scott_xP said:

    Andy_JS said:

    Taz said:

    Cracking interview with the wonderfully named, wild eyed, Indigo Rumbelow from Just Stop Oil.

    https://twitter.com/skynews/status/1590782358554546176?s=61&t=1Y3AytAxn0mBu-hNOH86TQ

    As I've said before, there seems to be a distinct lack of people with names like "John Smith" in Just Stop Oil. Not sure why this is.
    Your posh climate activist name, is the last place you went on holiday and your least favourite vegetable
    Truro Aubergine? It's plausible.
    Pitlochry Courgette.
  • Options
    Scott_xP said:

    Andy_JS said:

    Taz said:

    Cracking interview with the wonderfully named, wild eyed, Indigo Rumbelow from Just Stop Oil.

    https://twitter.com/skynews/status/1590782358554546176?s=61&t=1Y3AytAxn0mBu-hNOH86TQ

    As I've said before, there seems to be a distinct lack of people with names like "John Smith" in Just Stop Oil. Not sure why this is.
    Your posh climate activist name, is the last place you went on holiday and your least favourite vegetable
    Jersey Spinach. A great name for a green activist
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,725
    HYUFD said:

    biggles said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Carnyx said:

    How often do the various EU Presidents get "voted" in and out?

    I mean, when can VDL and Michel be unelected by their demos?
    Or Ms Truss or Mr Sunak?

    For the purposes of this discussion, the Conservative Party does not count as a demos. Even though some of it on here seem to think it has a fixed role within the constitution.
    Truss and Sunak were both elected to Parliament, and have been chosen from within Parliament's elected members to lead Parliament.

    Who elected VDL and Michel?
    The Leaders of the Governments of the European Union?
    So UVDL got fewer votes than my Parish Councillors?
    Count yourself lucky if your parish council, pointless as they are, sees much voting happen. Ours falls out of sequence with anything notable so most of them seem to get elected unopposed or get co-opted in between times. It’s all family and friends links. I think disrupting their cosy lifestyle might be a retirement project for me.
    Town councils certainly are elected with competing party labels, Parish councils in villages though are normally Independent and elected unopposed
    Even in many towns there will be plenty returned unopposed. But they are generally more likely to be contested (that may be helped by many being warded, so only a few needed to get a contest in certain wards).
  • Options
    MikeL said:

    There are a whole host of CA House races where under 50% of vote has been counted - and several have Rep currently leading.

    If Dem were to win all or most of them then House would be very close.

    Does anyone have the knowledge to analyse these races to see if any real prospect of Dems winning them?

    https://edition.cnn.com/election/2022/results/house?election-data-id=2022-HG&election-painting-mode=projection&filter-key-races=false&filter-flipped=false

    Dunno, but Republicans only needed +5 pickups to take it from the 2020 election and they're already running at a net +12 pickups, I think.

    So, it would require the Dems to make 6-7 pickups of their own amongst the 34 seats left (and I think only 20-22 are really "competitive") and for the Republicans to pick up no more, which would go against the grain of last time.
  • Options
    rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 53,960

    Lmao, Maricopa has 400,000 left to count and wont be done till 'next week' (CNN)

    Gut feel - and if it follows what happened in 2020 - I think that's good for Lake and Masters. That's a large number of votes and, given the Maricopa machines had problems on the day, my guess is many of those are election day voters, which would favour the GOP.



    I agree, not sure if enough for Masters but Lake
    i think wins as does the GOP AG
    Edit - and probably the two remaining house seats go red too
    Assuming a 60-40 Masters-Kelly split for those votes - which I've done assuming (1) what happened in 2020 and (2) the problems with the voting machines which impacted the ED vote, which trends GOP - that's a net 80K for Masters vs a current 90K gap

    Don't forget Pima County (home of Tucson) - that's the second most populous county in AZ, has a lower % counted than Maricopa, and is by far the most Democratic place in the State.
  • Options
    ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,191

    Scott_xP said:

    Andy_JS said:

    Taz said:

    Cracking interview with the wonderfully named, wild eyed, Indigo Rumbelow from Just Stop Oil.

    https://twitter.com/skynews/status/1590782358554546176?s=61&t=1Y3AytAxn0mBu-hNOH86TQ

    As I've said before, there seems to be a distinct lack of people with names like "John Smith" in Just Stop Oil. Not sure why this is.
    Your posh climate activist name, is the last place you went on holiday and your least favourite vegetable
    Jersey Spinach. A great name for a green activist
    Hastings Cummings has a certain ring to it.
  • Options
    turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 15,176
    Cookie said:

    kle4 said:

    Scott_xP said:

    Andy_JS said:

    Taz said:

    Cracking interview with the wonderfully named, wild eyed, Indigo Rumbelow from Just Stop Oil.

    https://twitter.com/skynews/status/1590782358554546176?s=61&t=1Y3AytAxn0mBu-hNOH86TQ

    As I've said before, there seems to be a distinct lack of people with names like "John Smith" in Just Stop Oil. Not sure why this is.
    Your posh climate activist name, is the last place you went on holiday and your least favourite vegetable
    Truro Aubergine? It's plausible.
    Pitlochry Courgette.
    Is it wrong that I want to change my account on PB to Bideford Broad Bean? I’ve just overtopped 10,000 posts (what a waste of time!). Time to regenerate?
  • Options
    HYUFDHYUFD Posts: 116,989
    biggles said:

    HYUFD said:

    biggles said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Carnyx said:

    How often do the various EU Presidents get "voted" in and out?

    I mean, when can VDL and Michel be unelected by their demos?
    Or Ms Truss or Mr Sunak?

    For the purposes of this discussion, the Conservative Party does not count as a demos. Even though some of it on here seem to think it has a fixed role within the constitution.
    Truss and Sunak were both elected to Parliament, and have been chosen from within Parliament's elected members to lead Parliament.

    Who elected VDL and Michel?
    The Leaders of the Governments of the European Union?
    So UVDL got fewer votes than my Parish Councillors?
    Count yourself lucky if your parish council, pointless as they are, sees much voting happen. Ours falls out of sequence with anything notable so most of them seem to get elected unopposed or get co-opted in between times. It’s all family and friends links. I think disrupting their cosy lifestyle might be a retirement project for me.
    Town councils certainly are elected with competing party labels, Parish councils in villages though are normally Independent and elected unopposed
    They aren’t really independent though, are they? It’s the most powerful local party in a friendship group. Thankfully they have limited powers (and should be abolished) but they can waste public funds on vanity projects.
    They shouldn't, as a town councillor myself Parish and Town councils offer by far the closest council to the local community and know most about it and what it wants.

    Councillors all come from and meet in the town or village, whereas district councils are always in the biggest town not a village and unitary and county councils are often in a town or city on the other side of the county
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,725
    Cookie said:

    kle4 said:

    Scott_xP said:

    Andy_JS said:

    Taz said:

    Cracking interview with the wonderfully named, wild eyed, Indigo Rumbelow from Just Stop Oil.

    https://twitter.com/skynews/status/1590782358554546176?s=61&t=1Y3AytAxn0mBu-hNOH86TQ

    As I've said before, there seems to be a distinct lack of people with names like "John Smith" in Just Stop Oil. Not sure why this is.
    Your posh climate activist name, is the last place you went on holiday and your least favourite vegetable
    Truro Aubergine? It's plausible.
    Pitlochry Courgette.
    I think that's overshot 'climate activist' all the way to ancien regime ingenue.
  • Options



    How often do the various EU Presidents get "voted" in and out?

    I mean, when can VDL and Michel be unelected by their demos?
    No, no, you don’t understand. The EU was always about democracy. Never about stitching up jobs for those who’ve failed in their careers within their own countries.
    *Cough* House of Lords *Cough*
    Sue*cough*ella Braver*cough*man.

    The old unwritten rule that you needed to face the electorate before returning from a ministerial disgrace had quite a lot going for it.
    When Brexit apologists moan about lack of democracy in the EU they really highlight how little they understand about our own pseudo-democracy.
  • Options
    Jim_MillerJim_Miller Posts: 2,503
    Right now, judging only by the reported totals, there's a good chance that Democrats will take Washington's 3rd district from the Republicans. Democrat Marie Gluesenkamp Perez is leading Trumpista Republican Joe Kent, 114,839 to 104,620. In the top-two primary, Kent defeated the Republican incumbent Jaime Herrera Beutler, by about a thousand votes. (Beutler voted to impeach Trump after January 6th.)

    The district was generally rated safe Republican before the primary.

    (For those who want to dig further: You would need to know how many votes are yet to be counted from urban Clark County, and how many from the rest of the district -- and whether Kent urging his followers to hold back their votes until election day affected the count.)
  • Options
    ydoethur said:

    Scott_xP said:

    Andy_JS said:

    Taz said:

    Cracking interview with the wonderfully named, wild eyed, Indigo Rumbelow from Just Stop Oil.

    https://twitter.com/skynews/status/1590782358554546176?s=61&t=1Y3AytAxn0mBu-hNOH86TQ

    As I've said before, there seems to be a distinct lack of people with names like "John Smith" in Just Stop Oil. Not sure why this is.
    Your posh climate activist name, is the last place you went on holiday and your least favourite vegetable
    Jersey Spinach. A great name for a green activist
    Hastings Cummings has a certain ring to it.
    The black sheep of the family who became a librarian who ran lovely events for children and was quietly loved by the entire community?
  • Options
    rcs1000rcs1000 Posts: 53,960

    MikeL said:

    There are a whole host of CA House races where under 50% of vote has been counted - and several have Rep currently leading.

    If Dem were to win all or most of them then House would be very close.

    Does anyone have the knowledge to analyse these races to see if any real prospect of Dems winning them?

    https://edition.cnn.com/election/2022/results/house?election-data-id=2022-HG&election-painting-mode=projection&filter-key-races=false&filter-flipped=false

    Dunno, but Republicans only needed +5 pickups to take it from the 2020 election and they're already running at a net +12 pickups, I think.

    So, it would require the Dems to make 6-7 pickups of their own amongst the 34 seats left (and I think only 20-22 are really "competitive") and for the Republicans to pick up no more, which would go against the grain of last time.
    All the remaining House races are here: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/11/08/us/elections/results-house.html

    The Republicans are leading in 12 uncalled races, and are on 209 now, which suggests to me that they're almost certain to be between 220 and 222. In other words, they'll have grabbed the House, but only by the narrowest of margins.
  • Options
    turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 15,176



    How often do the various EU Presidents get "voted" in and out?

    I mean, when can VDL and Michel be unelected by their demos?
    No, no, you don’t understand. The EU was always about democracy. Never about stitching up jobs for those who’ve failed in their careers within their own countries.
    *Cough* House of Lords *Cough*
    Sue*cough*ella Braver*cough*man.

    The old unwritten rule that you needed to face the electorate before returning from a ministerial disgrace had quite a lot going for it.
    When Brexit apologists moan about lack of democracy in the EU they really highlight how little they understand about our own pseudo-democracy.
    I moan about both, thanks. I don’t hold up the U.K. as some bastion of pure democracy. But it is fair to ask how a citizen in the EU can remove UVDL from office. You may detest the current PM. You may not. But you know for certain that no later than early 2025 the entire electorate of the U.K. will get their say.
  • Options
    HYUFD said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Carnyx said:

    How often do the various EU Presidents get "voted" in and out?

    I mean, when can VDL and Michel be unelected by their demos?
    Or Ms Truss or Mr Sunak?

    For the purposes of this discussion, the Conservative Party does not count as a demos. Even though some of it on here seem to think it has a fixed role within the constitution.
    Truss and Sunak were both elected to Parliament, and have been chosen from within Parliament's elected members to lead Parliament.

    Who elected VDL and Michel?
    The Leaders of the Governments of the European Union?
    So no voters then.

    No more democratically elected than the Archbishop of Canterbury.
    Or the Pope?
    The College of Cardinals elect the Pope
    What fraction of a % of the world's Catholics is that?
  • Options
    Alistair said:

    Absolutely fucking mental in Clark. Holy shit. This is election betting deciding stuff



    I read that and couldn't make heads or tails of it. Glad I wasn't just been thick
  • Options
    Ishmael_ZIshmael_Z Posts: 8,981

    Andy_JS said:

    Taz said:

    Cracking interview with the wonderfully named, wild eyed, Indigo Rumbelow from Just Stop Oil.

    https://twitter.com/skynews/status/1590782358554546176?s=61&t=1Y3AytAxn0mBu-hNOH86TQ

    As I've said before, there seems to be a distinct lack of people with names like "John Smith" in Just Stop Oil. Not sure why this is.
    It's a pastime of wealthy and privileged upper-middle class females with time on their hands.

    They will tend to be southern and WASPy.
    Females.

    Good God.

    I knew these people were fundamentally evil, but I never imagined in my wildest nightmares, that they had tits.

    Something must be done.
  • Options

    Scott_xP said:

    Andy_JS said:

    Taz said:

    Cracking interview with the wonderfully named, wild eyed, Indigo Rumbelow from Just Stop Oil.

    https://twitter.com/skynews/status/1590782358554546176?s=61&t=1Y3AytAxn0mBu-hNOH86TQ

    As I've said before, there seems to be a distinct lack of people with names like "John Smith" in Just Stop Oil. Not sure why this is.
    Your posh climate activist name, is the last place you went on holiday and your least favourite vegetable
    Jersey Spinach. A great name for a green activist
    Manchester Cassava
  • Options
    AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 19,965
    kle4 said:

    So if Biden says he is not running the talk about his mental and physical condition will go into overdrive.

    If he doesn't say he backs Harris that's a slam on her, and the party immediately starts sticking daggers in one another. If he does say he backs Harris they still do that

    Joseph R Biden Jr should run.

    Just got another £50 on at 1.2 for a GOP majority in the House.

    Budget exhausted now. If I had another monkey I'd spunk it in to expunge my loss almost entirely.

    Very tempted to shovel everything on that. But I’m pissed and I have a golden rule not to back short odds bankers when pissed.

    I expect to regret it. Good luck to you.
  • Options
    rcs1000 said:

    Lmao, Maricopa has 400,000 left to count and wont be done till 'next week' (CNN)

    Gut feel - and if it follows what happened in 2020 - I think that's good for Lake and Masters. That's a large number of votes and, given the Maricopa machines had problems on the day, my guess is many of those are election day voters, which would favour the GOP.



    I agree, not sure if enough for Masters but Lake
    i think wins as does the GOP AG
    Edit - and probably the two remaining house seats go red too
    Assuming a 60-40 Masters-Kelly split for those votes - which I've done assuming (1) what happened in 2020 and (2) the problems with the voting machines which impacted the ED vote, which trends GOP - that's a net 80K for Masters vs a current 90K gap

    Don't forget Pima County (home of Tucson) -
    that's the second most populous county in AZ,
    has a lower % counted than Maricopa, and is by far the most Democratic place in the State.
    That's true although the flip flip is there are still votes in rurals. There are apparently more drop-offs this year than 2020: I agree Kelly probably wins but I think it's probably tighter than assumed.

  • Options
    EPGEPG Posts: 6,006

    rcs1000 said:

    Carnyx said:

    How often do the various EU Presidents get "voted" in and out?

    I mean, when can VDL and Michel be unelected by their demos?
    Or Ms Truss or Mr Sunak?

    For the purposes of this discussion, the Conservative Party does not count as a demos. Even though some of it on here seem to think it has a fixed role within the constitution.
    Truss and Sunak were both elected to Parliament, and have been chosen from within Parliament's elected members to lead Parliament.

    Who elected VDL and Michel?
    The Leaders of the Governments of the European Union?
    So no voters then.

    No more democratically elected than the Archbishop of Canterbury.
    Or the Prime Minister.
  • Options
    Ishmael_Z said:

    Andy_JS said:

    Taz said:

    Cracking interview with the wonderfully named, wild eyed, Indigo Rumbelow from Just Stop Oil.

    https://twitter.com/skynews/status/1590782358554546176?s=61&t=1Y3AytAxn0mBu-hNOH86TQ

    As I've said before, there seems to be a distinct lack of people with names like "John Smith" in Just Stop Oil. Not sure why this is.
    It's a pastime of wealthy and privileged upper-middle class females with time on their hands.

    They will tend to be southern and WASPy.
    Females.

    Good God.

    I knew these people were fundamentally evil, but I never imagined in my wildest nightmares, that they had tits.

    Something must be done.
    Hey, Ishmael_Z, have you ever been mistaken for a man?
  • Options
    EPGEPG Posts: 6,006
    edited November 2022



    How often do the various EU Presidents get "voted" in and out?

    I mean, when can VDL and Michel be unelected by their demos?
    No, no, you don’t understand. The EU was always about democracy. Never about stitching up jobs for those who’ve failed in their careers within their own countries.
    *Cough* House of Lords *Cough*
    Sue*cough*ella Braver*cough*man.

    The old unwritten rule that you needed to face the electorate before returning from a ministerial disgrace had quite a lot going for it.
    When Brexit apologists moan about lack of democracy in the EU they really highlight how little they understand about our own pseudo-democracy.
    I moan about both, thanks. I don’t hold up the U.K. as some bastion of pure democracy. But it is fair to ask how a citizen in the EU can remove UVDL from office. You may detest the current PM. You may not. But you know for certain that no later than early 2025 the entire electorate of the U.K. will get their say.
    Simply vote for political parties that won't reelect Ursula. By the way, the fact that nobody runs on this platform tells you that the personal leadership of the Commission is not really that relevant; a bit like demanding a public vote on the Leader of the House of Commons.
  • Options
    Ishmael_ZIshmael_Z Posts: 8,981

    rcs1000 said:

    Carnyx said:

    How often do the various EU Presidents get "voted" in and out?

    I mean, when can VDL and Michel be unelected by their demos?
    Or Ms Truss or Mr Sunak?

    For the purposes of this discussion, the Conservative Party does not count as a demos. Even though some of it on here seem to think it has a fixed role within the constitution.
    Truss and Sunak were both elected to Parliament, and have been chosen from within Parliament's elected members to lead Parliament.

    Who elected VDL and Michel?
    The Leaders of the Governments of the European Union?
    So no voters then.

    No more democratically elected than the Archbishop of Canterbury.
    The archbishop is ultimately democratically appointed, by the PM. We don't expect democracy at every level. The UN president and nato secretary General don't get voted for. We don't vote for judges though we could like they do in the US, and most people think that is a good thing. If you work for a company, it might be a democratic cooperative but it's statistically unlikely. And it's not an issue that bothers you.
  • Options
    CookieCookie Posts: 11,426
    EPG said:



    How often do the various EU Presidents get "voted" in and out?

    I mean, when can VDL and Michel be unelected by their demos?
    No, no, you don’t understand. The EU was always about democracy. Never about stitching up jobs for those who’ve failed in their careers within their own countries.
    *Cough* House of Lords *Cough*
    Sue*cough*ella Braver*cough*man.

    The old unwritten rule that you needed to face the electorate before returning from a ministerial disgrace had quite a lot going for it.
    When Brexit apologists moan about lack of democracy in the EU they really highlight how little they understand about our own pseudo-democracy.
    I moan about both, thanks. I don’t hold up the U.K. as some bastion of pure democracy. But it is fair to ask how a citizen in the EU can remove UVDL from office. You may detest the current PM. You may not. But you know for certain that no later than early 2025 the entire electorate of the U.K. will get their say.
    Simply vote for political parties that won't reelect Ursula. By the way, the fact that nobody runs on this platform tells you that the personal leadership of the Commission is not really that relevant; a bit like demanding a public vote on the Leader of the House of Commons.
    At the risk of falling foul of Anabobazina's list, 'Simply' is doing a lot of work there.
  • Options
    Ishmael_ZIshmael_Z Posts: 8,981

    Ishmael_Z said:

    Andy_JS said:

    Taz said:

    Cracking interview with the wonderfully named, wild eyed, Indigo Rumbelow from Just Stop Oil.

    https://twitter.com/skynews/status/1590782358554546176?s=61&t=1Y3AytAxn0mBu-hNOH86TQ

    As I've said before, there seems to be a distinct lack of people with names like "John Smith" in Just Stop Oil. Not sure why this is.
    It's a pastime of wealthy and privileged upper-middle class females with time on their hands.

    They will tend to be southern and WASPy.
    Females.

    Good God.

    I knew these people were fundamentally evil, but I never imagined in my wildest nightmares, that they had tits.

    Something must be done.
    Hey, Ishmael_Z, have you ever been mistaken for a man?
    No. Have you?
  • Options
    ThomasNasheThomasNashe Posts: 4,971
    Cookie said:

    kle4 said:

    Scott_xP said:

    Andy_JS said:

    Taz said:

    Cracking interview with the wonderfully named, wild eyed, Indigo Rumbelow from Just Stop Oil.

    https://twitter.com/skynews/status/1590782358554546176?s=61&t=1Y3AytAxn0mBu-hNOH86TQ

    As I've said before, there seems to be a distinct lack of people with names like "John Smith" in Just Stop Oil. Not sure why this is.
    Your posh climate activist name, is the last place you went on holiday and your least favourite vegetable
    Truro Aubergine? It's plausible.
    Pitlochry Courgette.
    The rather less successful follow up single to Little Red Corvette.
  • Options



    How often do the various EU Presidents get "voted" in and out?

    I mean, when can VDL and Michel be unelected by their demos?
    No, no, you don’t understand. The EU was always about democracy. Never about stitching up jobs for those who’ve failed in their careers within their own countries.
    *Cough* House of Lords *Cough*
    Sue*cough*ella Braver*cough*man.

    The old unwritten rule that you needed to face the electorate before returning from a ministerial disgrace had quite a lot going for it.
    When Brexit apologists moan about lack of democracy in the EU they really highlight how little they understand about our own pseudo-democracy.
    I moan about both, thanks. I don’t hold up the U.K. as some bastion of pure democracy. But it is fair to ask how a citizen in the EU can remove UVDL from office. You may detest the current PM. You may not. But you know for certain that no later than early 2025 the entire electorate of the U.K. will get their say.
    Technically a citizen of the EU could lobby their MPs to lobby their head of government to vote with other heads of government of the 27 to remove UVDL from office via the Council of Ministers. The current UK PM was voted for by Con MPs. The previous one was voted for by a selectorate of swiveleyed geriatric lunatics. The one before that was essentially voted in by those people who live in marginal constituencies and he in his infinite wisdom is about to make Nadine Dorries a peer of the Realm. Our system of democracy is a pile if shit. It needs root and branch reform, but it will not get it. We are in no position to wave our democratic credentials at UVDL who in reality has very little power because it is almost entirely vested in the Council of Ministers.
  • Options
    AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 19,965
    In my drunken Thirsty Thursday City piss artist prediction:

    Senate: NV, GA (r/o) and AZ all go blue.

    Governor NV: no idea.
  • Options
    CookieCookie Posts: 11,426

    Heathener said:

    Heathener said:

    Biden would be 86 this time in 6 years which is mid 80's not late 80's. A mere whippersnapper compared to Senator Strom Thurmond who retired from Congress at the age of 101. Marvellous.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strom_Thurmond

    Okay so Joe Biden stumbles over a few words but seems pretty physically agile. I'd rather have him than a zippy younger evangelical zealot.

    Very good article in today's i on ageing and about how it's a myth that ageing mean irreversible decline.

    https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/how-reverse-age-reset-your-biological-clock-1961196


    Don't be ageist @MikeSmithson !

    I think this is a UK-centric story. We're not used to ageing politicians who live the American dream and stay fit and sprightly. Most of the ageing old tory crusties look like they're on death's door. Sir Edward Leigh is the spit of Rowley Birkin QC.

    Probably the difference is our relationship with booze. I mean I drink - too much. But then most of us do.

    By contrast, being teetotal or near teetotal is quite normal in the States.

    Biden and Trump aren’t that unusual in that regard.
    Yes, Americans seem constantly flabbergasted by how much Britons drink.
  • Options
    EPGEPG Posts: 6,006
    Cookie said:

    EPG said:



    How often do the various EU Presidents get "voted" in and out?

    I mean, when can VDL and Michel be unelected by their demos?
    No, no, you don’t understand. The EU was always about democracy. Never about stitching up jobs for those who’ve failed in their careers within their own countries.
    *Cough* House of Lords *Cough*
    Sue*cough*ella Braver*cough*man.

    The old unwritten rule that you needed to face the electorate before returning from a ministerial disgrace had quite a lot going for it.
    When Brexit apologists moan about lack of democracy in the EU they really highlight how little they understand about our own pseudo-democracy.
    I moan about both, thanks. I don’t hold up the U.K. as some bastion of pure democracy. But it is fair to ask how a citizen in the EU can remove UVDL from office. You may detest the current PM. You may not. But you know for certain that no later than early 2025 the entire electorate of the U.K. will get their say.
    Simply vote for political parties that won't reelect Ursula. By the way, the fact that nobody runs on this platform tells you that the personal leadership of the Commission is not really that relevant; a bit like demanding a public vote on the Leader of the House of Commons.
    At the risk of falling foul of Anabobazina's list, 'Simply' is doing a lot of work there.
    If there were 20 Le Pen-type governments in the EU, Ursula would not be European Commission president, right? So the reason is just that most European governments are in line with the thinking of the president - not surprising since they are the ones who nominate her.
  • Options
    turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 15,176



    How often do the various EU Presidents get "voted" in and out?

    I mean, when can VDL and Michel be unelected by their demos?
    No, no, you don’t understand. The EU was always about democracy. Never about stitching up jobs for those who’ve failed in their careers within their own countries.
    *Cough* House of Lords *Cough*
    Sue*cough*ella Braver*cough*man.

    The old unwritten rule that you needed to face the electorate before returning from a ministerial disgrace had quite a lot going for it.
    When Brexit apologists moan about lack of democracy in the EU they really highlight how little they understand about our own pseudo-democracy.
    I moan about both, thanks. I don’t hold up the U.K. as some bastion of pure democracy. But it is fair to ask how a citizen in the EU can remove UVDL from office. You may detest the current PM. You may not. But you know for certain that no later than early 2025 the entire electorate of the U.K. will get their say.
    Technically a citizen of the EU could lobby their MPs to lobby their head of government to vote with other heads of government of the 27 to remove UVDL from office via the Council of Ministers. The current UK PM was voted for by Con MPs. The previous one was voted for by a selectorate of swiveleyed geriatric lunatics. The one before that was essentially voted in by those people who live in marginal constituencies and he in his infinite wisdom is about to make Nadine Dorries a peer of the Realm. Our system of democracy is a pile if shit. It needs root and branch reform, but it will not get it. We are in no position to wave our democratic credentials at UVDL who in reality has very little power because it is almost entirely vested in the Council of Ministers.
    For me it was the pointlessness of MEPs. They don’t really seem to have any power or function. At least the U.K. PM is the one who can command the majority of the house. Who is the equivalent in the EU?
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,725
    Ishmael_Z said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Carnyx said:

    How often do the various EU Presidents get "voted" in and out?

    I mean, when can VDL and Michel be unelected by their demos?
    Or Ms Truss or Mr Sunak?

    For the purposes of this discussion, the Conservative Party does not count as a demos. Even though some of it on here seem to think it has a fixed role within the constitution.
    Truss and Sunak were both elected to Parliament, and have been chosen from within Parliament's elected members to lead Parliament.

    Who elected VDL and Michel?
    The Leaders of the Governments of the European Union?
    So no voters then.

    No more democratically elected than the Archbishop of Canterbury.
    The archbishop is ultimately democratically appointed, by the PM. We don't expect democracy at every level. The UN president and nato secretary General don't get voted for. We don't vote for judges though we could like they do in the US, and most people think that is a good thing. If you work for a company, it might be a democratic cooperative but it's statistically unlikely. And it's not an issue that bothers you.
    Yes, there will be argument over which roles should be democratically appointed, but most of us agree not everything should, yet occasionally people deploy the 'unelected' argument in rather absurd areas.
  • Options
    FrankBoothFrankBooth Posts: 9,046
    Good lord. Just watching the interview on sky news with the Just Stop Oil person Indigo Rumbelow. It's such an unusual name and I couldn't remember where I'd heard it before. Then I realised that I'd bumped into her once or twice in the Cardiff arts scene. Thought she was quite cute. Weird.
  • Options
    EPGEPG Posts: 6,006



    How often do the various EU Presidents get "voted" in and out?

    I mean, when can VDL and Michel be unelected by their demos?
    No, no, you don’t understand. The EU was always about democracy. Never about stitching up jobs for those who’ve failed in their careers within their own countries.
    *Cough* House of Lords *Cough*
    Sue*cough*ella Braver*cough*man.

    The old unwritten rule that you needed to face the electorate before returning from a ministerial disgrace had quite a lot going for it.
    When Brexit apologists moan about lack of democracy in the EU they really highlight how little they understand about our own pseudo-democracy.
    I moan about both, thanks. I don’t hold up the U.K. as some bastion of pure democracy. But it is fair to ask how a citizen in the EU can remove UVDL from office. You may detest the current PM. You may not. But you know for certain that no later than early 2025 the entire electorate of the U.K. will get their say.
    Technically a citizen of the EU could lobby their MPs to lobby their head of government to vote with other heads of government of the 27 to remove UVDL from office via the Council of Ministers. The current UK PM was voted for by Con MPs. The previous one was voted for by a selectorate of swiveleyed geriatric lunatics. The one before that was essentially voted in by those people who live in marginal constituencies and he in his infinite wisdom is about to make Nadine Dorries a peer of the Realm. Our system of democracy is a pile if shit. It needs root and branch reform, but it will not get it. We are in no position to wave our democratic credentials at UVDL who in reality has very little power because it is almost entirely vested in the Council of Ministers.
    For me it was the pointlessness of MEPs. They don’t really seem to have any power or function. At least the U.K. PM is the one who can command the majority of the house. Who is the equivalent in the EU?
    Well, for one thing, it was MEPs who kicked out the Santer commission.
  • Options
    Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 32,900
    EXCLUSIVE: Former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng reveals that he urged Liz Truss to "slow down" her economic plan, but she ignored him.

    "She said 'I've only got two years' and I said, you'll have two months if you carry on like this."

    In full at 10pm ► http://youtu.be/cTF_r4Cg0w8 https://twitter.com/FirstEdition/status/1590811534107648000/video/1
  • Options
    From another PB


    Nominative Determinism: the billionaire CEO of FTX, the cryptocurrency exchange that shat its guts this week, now facing possible bankruptcy... Sam Bankman–Fried!
  • Options
    Has anyone heard of Doris Troy?

    I can't believe I hadn't.. This song, co-produced by George Harrison in 1970 is awesome

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imskpbqO-Ak
  • Options
    AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 19,965
    Cookie said:

    Heathener said:

    Heathener said:

    Biden would be 86 this time in 6 years which is mid 80's not late 80's. A mere whippersnapper compared to Senator Strom Thurmond who retired from Congress at the age of 101. Marvellous.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strom_Thurmond

    Okay so Joe Biden stumbles over a few words but seems pretty physically agile. I'd rather have him than a zippy younger evangelical zealot.

    Very good article in today's i on ageing and about how it's a myth that ageing mean irreversible decline.

    https://inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyle/how-reverse-age-reset-your-biological-clock-1961196


    Don't be ageist @MikeSmithson !

    I think this is a UK-centric story. We're not used to ageing politicians who live the American dream and stay fit and sprightly. Most of the ageing old tory crusties look like they're on death's door. Sir Edward Leigh is the spit of Rowley Birkin QC.

    Probably the difference is our relationship with booze. I mean I drink - too much. But then most of us do.

    By contrast, being teetotal or near teetotal is quite normal in the States.

    Biden and Trump aren’t that unusual in that regard.

    Yes, Americans seem constantly flabbergasted by how much Britons drink.
    If you work with Americans or have American clients you’ll hear the phrase “national pastime” being aired a fair bit

  • Options
    MightyAlexMightyAlex Posts: 1,442
    'Russian TV host Andrei Norkin's realisation that his country lacks freedom of speech:

    "If I back the decision to withdraw from Kherson, I'm going to jail for questioning Russia's territorial integrity

    And if I oppose it, I'm going to jail for discrediting the armed forces"'

    https://twitter.com/francis_scarr/status/1590729203485356034
  • Options
    williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 48,056
    Russian Telegram channels are reporting that Ukrainian forces have entered Kherson city.
  • Options



    How often do the various EU Presidents get "voted" in and out?

    I mean, when can VDL and Michel be unelected by their demos?
    No, no, you don’t understand. The EU was always about democracy. Never about stitching up jobs for those who’ve failed in their careers within their own countries.
    *Cough* House of Lords *Cough*
    Sue*cough*ella Braver*cough*man.

    The old unwritten rule that you needed to face the electorate before returning from a ministerial disgrace had quite a lot going for it.
    When Brexit apologists moan about lack of democracy in the EU they really highlight how little they understand about our own pseudo-democracy.
    I moan about both, thanks. I don’t hold up the U.K. as some bastion of pure democracy. But it is fair to ask how a citizen in the EU can remove UVDL from office. You may detest the current PM. You may not. But you know for certain that no later than early 2025 the entire electorate of the U.K. will get their say.
    Technically a citizen of the EU could lobby their MPs to lobby their head of government to vote with other heads of government of the 27 to remove UVDL from office via the Council of Ministers. The current UK PM was voted for by Con MPs. The previous one was voted for by a selectorate of swiveleyed geriatric lunatics. The one before that was essentially voted in by those people who live in marginal constituencies and he in his infinite wisdom is about to make Nadine Dorries a peer of the Realm. Our system of democracy is a pile if shit. It needs root and branch reform, but it will not get it. We are in no position to wave our democratic credentials at UVDL who in reality has very little power because it is almost entirely vested in the Council of Ministers.
    For me it was the pointlessness of MEPs. They don’t really seem to have any power or function. At least the U.K. PM is the one who can command the majority of the house. Who is the equivalent in the EU?
    I think you will find that they perform a pretty good function in their equivalent of select committees in aligning single market legislation. One good example was on roaming charges on mobiles. Not ground breaking, but useful nonetheless. I suspect you have just chosen to believe they achieve nothing because it suits your prejudice, rather like the poster who slags off parish councils but has probably never done anything useful for his community in his life.
  • Options
    On topic, Biden is awesome.

    For somebody who is senile he's absolutely given Putin a good hiding.
  • Options
    AnabobazinaAnabobazina Posts: 19,965

    Good lord. Just watching the interview on sky news with the Just Stop Oil person Indigo Rumbelow. It's such an unusual name and I couldn't remember where I'd heard it before. Then I realised that I'd bumped into her once or twice in the Cardiff arts scene. Thought she was quite cute. Weird.

    Is she the heiress of the Rumbelows TV hire fortune?
  • Options
    carnforthcarnforth Posts: 3,196

    kle4 said:

    Scott_xP said:

    Andy_JS said:

    Taz said:

    Cracking interview with the wonderfully named, wild eyed, Indigo Rumbelow from Just Stop Oil.

    https://twitter.com/skynews/status/1590782358554546176?s=61&t=1Y3AytAxn0mBu-hNOH86TQ

    As I've said before, there seems to be a distinct lack of people with names like "John Smith" in Just Stop Oil. Not sure why this is.
    Your posh climate activist name, is the last place you went on holiday and your least favourite vegetable
    Truro Aubergine? It's plausible.
    Bideford Broad Bean. I like it.
    At the risk of causing mild offence, why would you holiday in Bideford with so many nice places close by? A family connection?
  • Options
    Scott_xPScott_xP Posts: 32,900
    Wow. Elon Musk just told Twitter employees he’s not sure how much run rate the company has and “bankruptcy isn’t out of the question.”
    https://twitter.com/ZoeSchiffer/status/1590812793787518977
  • Options
    Andy_JSAndy_JS Posts: 26,577
    This is the title of a Sky News video:

    "BREAKING: 'Stop shouting at me!' - Sky's Mark Austin challenges Just Stop Oil activist"

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bumKlEoGhvk
  • Options
    turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 15,176



    How often do the various EU Presidents get "voted" in and out?

    I mean, when can VDL and Michel be unelected by their demos?
    No, no, you don’t understand. The EU was always about democracy. Never about stitching up jobs for those who’ve failed in their careers within their own countries.
    *Cough* House of Lords *Cough*
    Sue*cough*ella Braver*cough*man.

    The old unwritten rule that you needed to face the electorate before returning from a ministerial disgrace had quite a lot going for it.
    When Brexit apologists moan about lack of democracy in the EU they really highlight how little they understand about our own pseudo-democracy.
    I moan about both, thanks. I don’t hold up the U.K. as some bastion of pure democracy. But it is fair to ask how a citizen in the EU can remove UVDL from office. You may detest the current PM. You may not. But you know for certain that no later than early 2025 the entire electorate of the U.K. will get their say.
    Technically a citizen of the EU could lobby their MPs to lobby their head of government to vote with other heads of government of the 27 to remove UVDL from office via the Council of Ministers. The current UK PM was voted for by Con MPs. The previous one was voted for by a selectorate of swiveleyed geriatric lunatics. The one before that was essentially voted in by those people who live in marginal constituencies and he in his infinite wisdom is about to make Nadine Dorries a peer of the Realm. Our system of democracy is a pile if shit. It needs root and branch reform, but it will not get it. We are in no position to wave our democratic credentials at UVDL who in reality has very little power because it is almost entirely vested in the Council of Ministers.
    For me it was the pointlessness of MEPs. They don’t really seem to have any power or function. At least the U.K. PM is the one who can command the majority of the house. Who is the equivalent in the EU?
    I think you will find that they perform a pretty good function in their equivalent of select committees in aligning single market legislation. One good example was on roaming charges on mobiles. Not ground breaking, but useful nonetheless. I suspect you have just chosen to believe they achieve nothing because it suits your prejudice, rather like the poster who slags off parish councils but has probably never done anything useful for his community in his life.
    It may surprise you to know that, with a heavy heart, I voted remain. My side lost. I have long despaired of the very politicised nature of what started as an Economic community, and became an attempt to create a United States of Europe. The people I blame most are the cowards in power in the U.K. who consistently failed to give the people a say in how the EEC/EU was changing. Right up to Gordon Brown scuttling through the back door to sign the Lisbon Treaty away from the cameras. They rarely tried to persuade, culminating in the awful lies and mischaracterisation of the referendum campaign itself. Remain were as dishonest as leave.
    I genuinely believe that the EU was U.K. democratic at heart, and that the bits the public got to cote for had little real power, at least when compared to national members of parliament. I don’t think that’s my prejudice, it’s my observation.
  • Options

    rcs1000 said:

    Carnyx said:

    How often do the various EU Presidents get "voted" in and out?

    I mean, when can VDL and Michel be unelected by their demos?
    Or Ms Truss or Mr Sunak?

    For the purposes of this discussion, the Conservative Party does not count as a demos. Even though some of it on here seem to think it has a fixed role within the constitution.
    Truss and Sunak were both elected to Parliament, and have been chosen from within Parliament's elected members to lead Parliament.

    Who elected VDL and Michel?
    The Leaders of the Governments of the European Union?
    So no voters then.

    No more democratically elected than the Archbishop of Canterbury.
    Or the Pope?
    Errr, no, the Head of Government chooses the Archbishop of Canterbury, which matches the way VDL and Michel are chosen.

    The Pope is chosen by cardinals.
    EPG said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Carnyx said:

    How often do the various EU Presidents get "voted" in and out?

    I mean, when can VDL and Michel be unelected by their demos?
    Or Ms Truss or Mr Sunak?

    For the purposes of this discussion, the Conservative Party does not count as a demos. Even though some of it on here seem to think it has a fixed role within the constitution.
    Truss and Sunak were both elected to Parliament, and have been chosen from within Parliament's elected members to lead Parliament.

    Who elected VDL and Michel?
    The Leaders of the Governments of the European Union?
    So no voters then.

    No more democratically elected than the Archbishop of Canterbury.
    Or the Prime Minister.
    Errr, no, the Prime Minister is an elected Member of Parliament that is then chosen in a method determined by his or her peers of other elected Members of Parliament.
  • Options
    williamglennwilliamglenn Posts: 48,056

    Good lord. Just watching the interview on sky news with the Just Stop Oil person Indigo Rumbelow. It's such an unusual name and I couldn't remember where I'd heard it before. Then I realised that I'd bumped into her once or twice in the Cardiff arts scene. Thought she was quite cute. Weird.

    Is she the heiress of the Rumbelows TV hire fortune?
    It could just be performance art. Maybe she us colleagues called Taupe Comet or Applewhite Habitat.
  • Options
    EPGEPG Posts: 6,006



    How often do the various EU Presidents get "voted" in and out?

    I mean, when can VDL and Michel be unelected by their demos?
    No, no, you don’t understand. The EU was always about democracy. Never about stitching up jobs for those who’ve failed in their careers within their own countries.
    *Cough* House of Lords *Cough*
    Sue*cough*ella Braver*cough*man.

    The old unwritten rule that you needed to face the electorate before returning from a ministerial disgrace had quite a lot going for it.
    When Brexit apologists moan about lack of democracy in the EU they really highlight how little they understand about our own pseudo-democracy.
    I moan about both, thanks. I don’t hold up the U.K. as some bastion of pure democracy. But it is fair to ask how a citizen in the EU can remove UVDL from office. You may detest the current PM. You may not. But you know for certain that no later than early 2025 the entire electorate of the U.K. will get their say.
    Technically a citizen of the EU could lobby their MPs to lobby their head of government to vote with other heads of government of the 27 to remove UVDL from office via the Council of Ministers. The current UK PM was voted for by Con MPs. The previous one was voted for by a selectorate of swiveleyed geriatric lunatics. The one before that was essentially voted in by those people who live in marginal constituencies and he in his infinite wisdom is about to make Nadine Dorries a peer of the Realm. Our system of democracy is a pile if shit. It needs root and branch reform, but it will not get it. We are in no position to wave our democratic credentials at UVDL who in reality has very little power because it is almost entirely vested in the Council of Ministers.
    For me it was the pointlessness of MEPs. They don’t really seem to have any power or function. At least the U.K. PM is the one who can command the majority of the house. Who is the equivalent in the EU?
    I think you will find that they perform a pretty good function in their equivalent of select committees in aligning single market legislation. One good example was on roaming charges on mobiles. Not ground breaking, but useful nonetheless. I suspect you have just chosen to believe they achieve nothing because it suits your prejudice, rather like the poster who slags off parish councils but has probably never done anything useful for his community in his life.
    It's a fair question, and it comes down to the strong separation of powers in the EU. MPs do multiple jobs which are distributed across numerous institutions of the EU, in part because the national governments want control and in part because EU constitutional framers fear partisan control of enforcement of the laws.
  • Options
    FrankBoothFrankBooth Posts: 9,046

    Good lord. Just watching the interview on sky news with the Just Stop Oil person Indigo Rumbelow. It's such an unusual name and I couldn't remember where I'd heard it before. Then I realised that I'd bumped into her once or twice in the Cardiff arts scene. Thought she was quite cute. Weird.

    Is she the heiress of the Rumbelows TV hire fortune?
    I've no idea and if it wasn't for the fact it's such an unusual name I probably wouldn't have remembered her. Apparently she grew up on a small farm near the Gower.
  • Options
    bigglesbiggles Posts: 4,340
    edited November 2022

    biggles said:

    HYUFD said:

    biggles said:

    rcs1000 said:

    Carnyx said:

    How often do the various EU Presidents get "voted" in and out?

    I mean, when can VDL and Michel be unelected by their demos?
    Or Ms Truss or Mr Sunak?

    For the purposes of this discussion, the Conservative Party does not count as a demos. Even though some of it on here seem to think it has a fixed role within the constitution.
    Truss and Sunak were both elected to Parliament, and have been chosen from within Parliament's elected members to lead Parliament.

    Who elected VDL and Michel?
    The Leaders of the Governments of the European Union?
    So UVDL got fewer votes than my Parish Councillors?
    Count yourself lucky if your parish council, pointless as they are, sees much voting happen. Ours falls out of sequence with anything notable so most of them seem to get elected unopposed or get co-opted in between times. It’s all family and friends links. I think disrupting their cosy lifestyle might be a retirement project for me.
    Town councils certainly are elected with competing party labels, Parish councils in villages though are normally Independent and elected unopposed
    They aren’t really independent though, are they? It’s the most powerful local party in a friendship group. Thankfully they have limited powers (and should be abolished) but they can waste public funds on vanity projects.
    Total misinformed bollocks. Parish/town councils are probably the most economically efficient form of local government. The people on them might sometimes get things wrong, but they are for the most part well-meaning volunteers who take zero payment for the hours put in. Their reward is sniping by small-minded tossers who have never done anything voluntary in their lives. Said small-minded tossers always moan but never put themselves up for election to oppose the things they moan about.
    Utter bollocks. But no more than I’d expect from a rich prick like you who has clearly never done a hard day’s work in his life and thinks volunteering is about sitting around tables and talking rather than actually doing things.

    The only people who think local Government is useful or in touch with its community are those who make an effort to enrich themselves from it and delude themalefes accordingly.

    By “local Government” here I mean the elected idiots, not the hard working staff who actually make things happen.
  • Options
    pingping Posts: 3,731
    edited November 2022

    'Russian TV host Andrei Norkin's realisation that his country lacks freedom of speech:

    "If I back the decision to withdraw from Kherson, I'm going to jail for questioning Russia's territorial integrity

    And if I oppose it, I'm going to jail for discrediting the armed forces"'

    https://twitter.com/francis_scarr/status/1590729203485356034

    Basically: Shut up.

    The chilling genius of autocracy.
  • Options
    turbotubbsturbotubbs Posts: 15,176
    carnforth said:

    kle4 said:

    Scott_xP said:

    Andy_JS said:

    Taz said:

    Cracking interview with the wonderfully named, wild eyed, Indigo Rumbelow from Just Stop Oil.

    https://twitter.com/skynews/status/1590782358554546176?s=61&t=1Y3AytAxn0mBu-hNOH86TQ

    As I've said before, there seems to be a distinct lack of people with names like "John Smith" in Just Stop Oil. Not sure why this is.
    Your posh climate activist name, is the last place you went on holiday and your least favourite vegetable
    Truro Aubergine? It's plausible.
    Bideford Broad Bean. I like it.
    At the risk of causing mild offence, why would you holiday in Bideford with so many nice places close by? A family connection?
    We stay on a farm a mile out of Bideford, and it’s where the Legendary Grand Tour is based (classic mini event at the end of August). Bideford itself is not a great location…
  • Options
    MarqueeMarkMarqueeMark Posts: 50,106
    Scott_xP said:

    Andy_JS said:

    Taz said:

    Cracking interview with the wonderfully named, wild eyed, Indigo Rumbelow from Just Stop Oil.

    https://twitter.com/skynews/status/1590782358554546176?s=61&t=1Y3AytAxn0mBu-hNOH86TQ

    As I've said before, there seems to be a distinct lack of people with names like "John Smith" in Just Stop Oil. Not sure why this is.
    Your posh climate activist name, is the last place you went on holiday and your least favourite vegetable
    Barra Aubergine
  • Options
    DavidLDavidL Posts: 51,240



    How often do the various EU Presidents get "voted" in and out?

    I mean, when can VDL and Michel be unelected by their demos?
    No, no, you don’t understand. The EU was always about democracy. Never about stitching up jobs for those who’ve failed in their careers within their own countries.
    *Cough* House of Lords *Cough*
    Sue*cough*ella Braver*cough*man.

    The old unwritten rule that you needed to face the electorate before returning from a ministerial disgrace had quite a lot going for it.
    When Brexit apologists moan about lack of democracy in the EU they really highlight how little they understand about our own pseudo-democracy.
    I moan about both, thanks. I don’t hold up the U.K. as some bastion of pure democracy. But it is fair to ask how a citizen in the EU can remove UVDL from office. You may detest the current PM. You may not. But you know for certain that no later than early 2025 the entire electorate of the U.K. will get their say.
    Technically a citizen of the EU could lobby their MPs to lobby their head of government to vote with other heads of government of the 27 to remove UVDL from office via the Council of Ministers. The current UK PM was voted for by Con MPs. The previous one was voted for by a selectorate of swiveleyed geriatric lunatics. The one before that was essentially voted in by those people who live in marginal constituencies and he in his infinite wisdom is about to make Nadine Dorries a peer of the Realm. Our system of democracy is a pile if shit. It needs root and branch reform, but it will not get it. We are in no position to wave our democratic credentials at UVDL who in reality has very little power because it is almost entirely vested in the Council of Ministers.
    For me it was the pointlessness of MEPs.

    They don’t really seem to have any power or function. At least the U.K. PM is the one
    who can command the majority of the house. Who is the equivalent in the EU?

    The abolition of MEPs in this country, rendering pompous, arrogant embarrassing prats such as Farage unemployed ( ironically) was definitely a factor in voting leave. Not decisive by any means but it certainly felt the right thing to do.

  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,725

    On topic, Biden is awesome.

    For somebody who is senile he's absolutely given Putin a good hiding.

    Granted, I am no expert on american political history, and he's been around a long time, but I quite like Biden. He seems to be relatively moderate and practical, normal (which is not easy for a politician of long standing), and shows some skill anad fortitude from time to time.

    Admittedly the gaffes and, er, handsiness, have seen him mocked even by his own side, never mind others.
  • Options
    ydoethurydoethur Posts: 67,191
    edited November 2022

    'Russian TV host Andrei Norkin's realisation that his country lacks freedom of speech:

    "If I back the decision to withdraw from Kherson, I'm going to jail for questioning Russia's territorial integrity

    And if I oppose it, I'm going to jail for discrediting the armed forces"'

    https://twitter.com/francis_scarr/status/1590729203485356034

    An even more imposing riff on a fine old Soviet joke:

    Three men are in prison. One asks what the others are there for.

    'I was ten minutes late to work, so I was accused of sabotage,' says the first.

    'I was ten minutes early to work, so I was accused of espionage,' says the second. 'How about you?'

    'I was on time for work two days running, so I was accused of having a Western watch.'

    Edit - the punchline of this one will, sadly for him, be when he is arrested for publicly dissing the penal code.
  • Options
    MikeLMikeL Posts: 7,287
    edited November 2022
    AZ: Kelly's lead UP from 95k to 100k in last hour.

    New numbers from Pima, Greenlee and Navajo.
  • Options
    kle4kle4 Posts: 91,725

    'Russian TV host Andrei Norkin's realisation that his country lacks freedom of speech:

    "If I back the decision to withdraw from Kherson, I'm going to jail for questioning Russia's territorial integrity

    And if I oppose it, I'm going to jail for discrediting the armed forces"'

    https://twitter.com/francis_scarr/status/1590729203485356034

    Made funnier by concluding basically "With all that set out, now here's our experts to tell you what they think about all this"
This discussion has been closed.