Guard Dog

We are not a democracy. We are a representative republic. And the electoral college, while it is a throwback to a time when it took days to get from one side of the country to the other it still serves a purpose today. Without it New York, California, Texas, Florida, and Pennsylvania could decide the election by themselves. States like North Dakota, Wyoming, Alaska and the other low population states would be left out of Presidential politics altogether. Their concerns will be ignored forever. On a practical level it would require one of two things. A Constitutional Amendment. That probably will not happen. Or a Constitutional Convention. I seriously doubt the country would even survive that. So we are stuck with it. @Shady I'm not so sure that's true. There is still a scenario where Johnson can win this thing. And it only happens BECAUSE of the Electoral College.

You were the one telling me I'm wasting my vote by voting for Gary Johnson! Don't tell me you're changing your mind. You probably should though. Aside from immigration there is more than a little libertarian in you. By the way, you are wrong about the election challenge. The chairman of the RNC Thurston Morton did proceed with a few challenges but this was done without Nixon's sanction. I read a great book about this a few years ago: A New World to be Won: John Kennedy, Richard Nixon, and the Tumultuous Year of 1960 by G Scott Thomas I also said a lot of other things you apparently paid no attention to or forgot. You can't change the two party system just by voting for a third candidate, all you're doing is defeating whatever major party you're closest to. The election laws (actually the Constitution) needs to be changed to allow for a greater number of viable parties. This is unlikely, but in theory can be achieved if enough people realize the trouble we're in and start a mass movement to change the election system. Of course with my new position that neither candidate is acceptable, it doesn't matter who you vote for or vote at all. As far as Nixon, it's your book vs the article I linked, I don't know enough to argue. I disagree. The ONLY way a third party can make the jump to major party status is to get votes. Get over 5% of the votes and they get automatic ballot access AND access to Federal campaign funding in the next election. No 3rd party has done that... ever. At least not since that was set up in 1996. That would be huge considering the money and manpower the LP consumed on ballot access. THAT will make a difference. You live in one of the reddest states in the Union. No matter who you vote for Trump is going to win your state. You voting for Trump will nether help him nor hurt Clinton. But if you voted for Gary Johnson, Jill Stein, or Darrell Castle you vote might actually change the country in 2020 because for those three it's not about winning states or electoral votes. It now only about how many votes they can get. No matter the state the number actually matters. And this goes for all US voters. Unless you live in one of the swing states where this election will be decided (Florida, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Colorado, or Nevada) your Presidential vote will not change the outcome from your state. It's already a done deal. Voting for one of the 3rd Party Candidates, particularly Johnson or Stein since they have a real shot at the magic number, might be the only "productive" vote you can cast. If you do live in a swing state then your vote might matter. Just do what you think is right.

Is it Thursday yet? No? Damn!

You were the one telling me I'm wasting my vote by voting for Gary Johnson! Don't tell me you're changing your mind. You probably should though. Aside from immigration there is more than a little libertarian in you. By the way, you are wrong about the election challenge. The chairman of the RNC Thurston Morton did proceed with a few challenges but this was done without Nixon's sanction. I read a great book about this a few years ago: A New World to be Won: John Kennedy, Richard Nixon, and the Tumultuous Year of 1960 by G Scott Thomas

Kershaw was a monster last night

In 1960 the election between Nixon and Kennedy was close. Less than 11,000 votes close. There was real compelling evidence of vote fraud in Texas and Illinois that put Kennedy over the top. The head of the RNC and a number of US Senators including Barry Goldwater (a big name at that time) urged him to contest the election. Nixon, showing a grace not expected from him given his history, declined to do so. He did not want to harm the country. The integrity of the office and the electoral process was more important to him that becoming President. In 2000, in another razor thing election margin, Al Gore showed considerably less grace by suing the State of Florida demanding recounts in only counties he was likely to win. Once again Senators flocked down like vultures and accusations flew. George W Bush was eventually declared the winner and in subsequent recounts years after the election by news organizations also demonstrated Bush won. That has not stopped Gore and legions of Democrat operatives over the years from insisting the election was stolen. It wasn't. But what that drama and Gore's ill grace did was take an axe to the partisan divide that began to grow over that whole sorry impeachment affair (no pun intended ). Unlike Nixon, Gore was more concerned with Gore than harming the country. And it DID harm the country all agree. Now Trump has been going on at some length about "rigged elections" and how Hillary is going to steal this one. This has to stop. Right now he's talking about media manipulation. But Trump operative Rudy Giuliani as already laying the seeds for actual electoral fraud. The vote hasn't even happened yet. A sitting US Senator Jeff Sessions (who should know better) is helping this narrative along. Despite what Pence said this weekend Team Trump does not appear to be willing to "go gently into that good night" if Clinton wins this thing. Somehow I suspect Clinton would not either. I hope I'm wrong. The bonds that hold this county together are the weakest they have been since 1860.Texas and Alaska have actual Secession movements. After the 2012 elections there were actually Secession petitions from three or four states. Yes they were symbolic but that indicates a beginning we don't want to see a conclusion to. I hope Clinton and Trump will have the grace of Richard Nixon if this election is close. There are more important things than being President.

Rothlinsburger tore his meniscus. Not good news for the Steelers.

Those guys were funny. But no... color rush right to the garbage please. All of them. The Bengals can keep the pants though. And while we're at it, take the Tampa Bay Buccaneers regular uniforms too. I liked the scarlet and pewter of the late 90's and early 2000's much, much, much, better. Come to that I liked the coach and players on those teams a lot better too

Remember, Trump did not capture a majority of votes in many (or any that I recall) Primaries. The real problem is there were 17 candidates. By the time it was winnowed down to 3 or 4 Trump had enough support to appear unstoppable. And the others spent so much time cannibalizing each other that there was no one for the regular Republicans to coalesce around. I'd imagine if I gave the RNC a time machine they would go back two years and do some arm-twisting and keep many candidates out. Things probably would have turned out differently. But as usual they did not have a read on their voters and underestimated Trump. Now I expect the Trump train will be dispatched by Clinton in 22 more days. It just sucks that the price we have to pay to get rid of Trump will be four years of Hillary Clinton. But as long as the Republicans retain control of Congress it won't be the end of the world.

Trump isn't deemed a racist because he's the Republican candidate. It's the other way around. He was already racist and he won the primary partly because of that. No he won the Primary because he's "anti-establishment" and the Republican base is having a temper-tantrum this year. His nasty attitudes were either a throw-in or no one cared. I couldn't tell which was worse.

I expect once Romo is healthy again he'll be pointed to the bench. Prescott is on fire right now (despite two turnovers today). I guess he;ll take it with grace since he got his job in the same way. Am I the only one that would love to see the NFL abandon the throwback uniform thing? For one game every year the Packers, Jets, Steelers, Lions, and Bears trot out looking like a rural high school team from the '80s. Enough already. That goes for those God-awful color rush uniforms too.

Not to defend Trump but I don't recall Trump being associated with Thurmond in any way. And no there is no expiration so long as every republican candidate is immediately deemed racist by virtue of just being the republican candidate. Or did you not find the notion the Romney wanted to burn black churches (a pro-Obama PAC ad) or that McCain wanted to bring back slavery (from that intellectual titan Whoopi Goldberg) absurd? Now the candidates themselves don't engage in that kind of nastiness, they just step back and let the PACs and media do it for them. But they never speak against it and they had actual Klan members in their midst. David Duke renounced the Klan too. It was still pinned to him like a scarlet letter just like it should have been to Byrd. But it seems as long as you are on the right "team" you get a pass on past sins. Now I am certainly no Trump supporter. It seems I only support Republicans who have "R" in their names but as I said, double standards annoy me. But my favored political philosophy is not immune from the accusation: http://www.salon.com/2015/06/10/why_libertarianism_is_so_popular_on_the_right_its_the_last_bastion_of_white_male_dominance/ After all... it's not the right team.

Sometimes you just have to hit CNTRL-ALT-DEL

Hey you know me Malc, I think they are all scum. I just get annoyed by double standards.

Some of it is pretty bad. But it's a far cry from skin-head of KKK type stuff. I also find it curious the Robert Byrd who actually was the Grand Kleagle of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan of West Virginia, who oversaw lynchings, intimidation, cross burning, the whole bit was never called a racist. And he was a US Senator for over 50 years! Fifty! He actually used the N word in public, in the Senate. Yet he was not called a racist. Hillary Clinton called him her friend and mentor: http://nation.foxnews.com/2016/08/25/flashback-hillary-clinton-praised-former-kkk-member-robert-byrd-friend-and-mentor and no one called her racist. Bill Clinton delivered his eulogy for God's sake. Why is this? They are all DEMOCRATS! Ahhh there is the answer! You see Pidesco, the word is meaningless in the US because it only gets applied to Republicans. I remember in 2007 the Huffington post ran a piece on the most racist members of Congress. Every last one was a Republican including Alan West. They had to run a retraction because at the time they didn't realize Alan West was in fact black. Go figure.

Nah... it's just what happens when words fail the intellectual left.

I'm trying to remember what racist thing Trump said. Oh yeah... that's right. He said we should TEMPORARILY ban Muslim refugees and immigrants from entering the country until we can revamp our vetting process. My my my, what an extreme and evil position has has taken. It's not like some Muslims ever practice terrorism or anything. Not saying I agree with him. Just marveling at how this one thing has been construed into this whole big "Trump is a racist" thing. But hey, facts don't matter if a lie helps the Democrat.

Volo is right. It's a lopsided trade. We should get them to throw David Bowie, Prince, & Robin Williams in too.

Nothing like ordering a pizza, having it delivered and then waiting six months for the mushrooms and pepperoni to get here.

Nothing like snark from a paper that glosses over or casts in a better light every negative story about her.

So the Ministry of Truth says if you read these e-mails you will go to the Ministry of Love? There is a great line from the Alpha Centauri computer game. "Beware the man who would deny you access to information. For in his heart he deems himself your master". In other news Gary Johnson rode 70 miles from Taos to Santa Fe and then spoke at a rally once he got there. I'd like to see Clinton or Trump try that. http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/after-bike-trek-johnson-speaks-at-rally-on-plaza/article_058a2a2a-967f-5d53-9bcd-21d32cc16972.html

Yeah I decided to put Stellaris on hold for that reason as well, they need to fix the AI and do a lot of balance issues. It's a great game, but an endgame crisis can completely ruin it for you now, simply because the other Empires are too incompetent to deal with it. This is my single biggest issue with Paradox games It's great that they are always tweaking and working on their games, but damn it makes it impossible to play around a release (which is always). I've been putting off playing Crusader Kings 2 for almost 2 years now, simply because they keep adding stuff and re-balancing it, meaning I usually just wait until there's a more stable build out.. and then they release something else that I really want... I usually wait until all the DLC and other content is released before buying. I still haven't bought Fallout 4 yet. But dammit I love 4X space games and now I'm hooked on it.... so now we wait.

Irony: Definitely my favorite form of humor!!!

Montaro hits a grand slam in the 8th. Wow what a game for the Cubs. And what the heck has happened to Toronto? All of the sudden they can't score runs.