Wow. That does not look good.
Can we have some term limits, please?
Dude went full Beaker.
Can you imagine how many problems simple term limits would fix?
Term limits empower lobbyists and career staffers and encourage legislators to give less of a shit about their constituents. I know “career politician” is often considered a dirty word, but having competent, knowledgeable elected officials is a good thing.
They are already openly corrupt. Term limits would result in younger candidates in touch with this century. Lobbyists would also have to bribe new people. It might also break up the ridiculous 100% party voting.
Not to mention help with our Supreme Court problems. Randomly giving appointments that last decades to whoever is president in at the time is insane.
I really don’t think we have that many competent elected officials anyway.
Yes, eliminating gerrymandering and citizens united would be more effective, but I wouldn’t kick term limits out of bed.
Term limits would result in younger candidates in touch with this century.
Yes cuz that’s worked so well in places that already have them…
None of that has happened in the states that have term limits. If you think Republicans, no matter how long they have been in office, are going to start putting anyone other than Federalist Society drones on the courts, I’m not sure I can have a good faith argument with you.
Lobbyists would also have to bribe new people.
No they’d hand pick them, run them on utter lies that they can’t be challenged, then throw them out when the public wises up. You seriously underestimate how far the power dynamic can swing.
We have term limits in Florida. They have done nothing to solve any problems, and arguably have made the quality of our officials worse, while giving much more power to lobbyists.
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Term limits are as likely as ranked-choice voting, which would also solve a lot of problems but won’t be passed in a significant way in my lifetime
They actually just passed ranked choice voting in my city.
It does seem crazy to have a system where 49% of people preferred the other guy, but he lost so those people now get zero representation.
There is definitely reasonable legislation that can have the best of both worlds here. That’s a poor argument against them
yeah, because the current batch of politicians are sooooo concerned with their constituents.
On the other hand, lets ignore the fact that the vast majority of senators (and the president, and most presidential canidates,) are so “experienced” that the majority of their experience predates… the internet. Never mind social media or anything resembling the modern world we find our selves in.
A mandatory retirement age is a different suggestion than term limits.
Yep. Why is 65 not a forced retirement for politicians, when it is used in many less important industries?
On the other hand, the current system of “representatives spend one full year campaigning and one full year fundraising for their party, so any legislation they sponsor in their two-year term is already written by lobbyists” isn’t working out so hot either.
Throw in a law restricting campaigning more than three months before an election and a law limiting campaigns to only spending equally-dispersed public funds, and you might start to see some improvement. Oh, and reverse Citizen’s United and ban Super PACs while you’re at it. And can we all get a free unicorn too?
How so?
We have about 25 years worth of experiments with it in various states, so it’s been well studied. Legislating is a skill that needs to be developed, just like anything else, and a bunch of term-limited newbies have no incentive to do anything except get ready for the next thing, which only enhances the possiblity of corruption.
Do you think Trump could have beaten Obama in 2016?
Yes. In fact, I believe Hillary would have beaten him without that idiotic final weekend FBI announcement.
I don’t think term limits will solve anything near what people pitching term limits as a panacea think they will solve.
People that pitch that as a catch-all solution have no idea how democracy works, they’re just understandably angry at the old white men who have ruined all our lives.
All term limits would do is make it middle aged white men ruining our lives.
Like, these people don’t seem to understand where politicians come from or how they get to be where they are.
Mitch McConnell is the Senator from Kentucky. Trump won that state both years by 60%. It hasn’t elected a Democratic Senator since 1992. In fact, that Democratic Senator retired, ya know, as old men should. Then a Republican took that seat.
So who do you think takes Mitch McConnell’s seat if we boot him out for old age? Does it matter who? We know what letter will be next to their name.
It’s the people. The problem is the people. And the structure of the Senate that gives them disproportionate power.
Also, look at the young Republicans like Madison Cawthorn and tell me they’re any better than their seniors.
A better example is Joe Manchin. The thought of primarying him is laughable. Just hand the Republicans a full Seat in the senate why don’t you.
really, a lot of our problems boil down to “humans are just generally pretty shit”
It will definitely solve some problems while causing arguably no new ones, I think that’s enough to push for something to happen.
the tribe wont allow this
I hope y’all remember this when you ask for Bernie Sanders geriatric ass again
Bernie, Joe, and the other guy are all within 4 years of age with each other. Bernie is the only one in that group who’s decided NOT to run, so I’m not sure why you’re singling him out. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Generally the opinion I’ve seen from his supporters is that he can do better from his current position and that his chance at the presidency has passed.
When there’s only one politician of any consequence out there who represents your views…
Man’s turkey neck accidentally folded meaning he couldn’t talk
The lizardpeople living in the sewers of NYC were performing updates, so their control signals couldn’t get through…
Is it bad that I hope this is a sign of medical issues that will force him into retirement? I’m sick of a misogynist turtle calling the shots.
Someone will take his place and do the same stuff. He’s just the focus for blame. He offers cover to others.
If we’re being honest, the replacement senator will be even worse. And the Republican Senate leader will be worse.
Which is a horrible thought
Like, I generally wouldn’t wish this type of thing on someone, but I think about how many people are going to die as a result of him stealing a SC seat and ramming ACB through, or even just his stonewalling anything an Obama tried to do just so Obama couldn’t get the W regardless of how many people’s lives were hurt, ruined, or ended, and I gotta say, I really wonder what I’m having for dinner tonight. I think I’ll have a dessert though, maybe ice cream, but open to suggestions.
Next day follow up: how was dinner? Did you have dessert?
I ended up skipping dessert, but hey, today is a new day!
Have you not decided yet? Have pasta. Or if you want dessert, vanilla ice cream is pure bliss.
We did go with pasta, but it turns out I was out of ice cream and didn’t bother to get it. There’s always today!
I hope he never unfreezes
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Unfortunately, probably not. Reminder that there’s a rep that’s practically at the point of being Weekend at Burnie’s-ed
Looks like he finally realizes all the evil things he has done ✅ My grandma said she was fine too, then proceeded to fall down the stairs.
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Strom Thurmond was 98 and still there. The rest of the world is laughing at us. America is a joke.
Mfs would be connected to life support and still blocking any legislation.
Most of the comments here are examples of what’s wrong with American politics. How can you, despite your political views, watch this video and be so spiteful?
I dislike, disapprove and disagree with the man on every level. But I do not enjoy watching this.
You’re being downvoted but I agree with you. This man is a garbage human and don’t agree with him on anything politically, but I don’t understand how anyone can put themselves above others and revel in another person’s suffering. I say this as a McConnell hater, but I may also be biased. I had a stroke at 30, which caused epilepsy from the damage later. It fucking sucks and I couldn’t wish that on anyone.
As opposed to what? Being compassionate towards this piece of political garbage? I can’t wait till he’s in the ground.
Nobody enjoys watching mitch mconel.
At least theres some comfort in knowing it might die soon.The man literally, openly wants me to die.
I’m not allowed to reciprocate?
Fuck that.
They actively work on keeping half the country in border line poverty.
Yeah they need to fucking die off already. And as they do, nobody will shed a single tear because fuck 'em.
This man has done untold damage and is responsible for an incalculable number of deaths. My empathy does not extend to objective evil.
His politics and actions in while power have been particularly spiteful towards people not on ‘his side’ or of his ‘station’, despite the fact that we’re supposed to be the United States of America. He hasn’t done a lot to garner good will from me.
It’s simple. Him and his policies and actions hurt the most vulnerable of communities. I wish we could see him brutally beaten to death by the folks he’s disenfranchised, but I guess we’ll have to settle for watching him stroke out and shit his pants on television.
This person empathizes. Thank you.
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I have empathy. I don’t want McConnell to suffer. I just want him gone for the sake of the country. That doesn’t have to be death; he could simply retire and stop being the vampire on democracy that he is.
I agree, but I also recognize that people need to vent their anger and frustration.
Being callous about bad things happening to objectively evil people isn’t even close to the top ten worst things about American politics. These people should know what we think of them, they literally put themselves into the public as servants to the public, by their own choice, and for a great personal profit. They manged to dodge all other accountability, I will not hold my tongue in the name of some imaginary sense of decorum because somones having a rough time after decades of putting thier constituents in rougher times. Ya get what you give, and it’s his turn to get.
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The worst part is that only scratches the surface of the damage he is responsible for. Fuck him sideways with electroboom’s magic wand
it’s called schadenfreude, and most people have some sense of it, especially when it comes to seeing bad things happen to people who richly deserve it.
I reserve my compassion for human beings. If Mitch McConnell ever had any humanity, he sold it a very long time ago.
I mean the man is directly responsible for blocking several Supreme Court justices from being appointed while Obama was president, which led to roe v wade being overturned so uh, Moscow Mitch couldn’t drop dead any faster in my opinion.
I am not going to reply to everybody. But most of the comments - yours too - underline my point.
For me, politics is about creating something better together. Alienating others in the way that’s being expressed here achieves absolutely nothing. It creates no improvement, only more hatred and division.
One big problem with American politics is the polarization between the individuals who should be collaborating. You too are part of the problem with this approach and almost every comment in this thread is just fuel for the fire for someone else.
You wouldn’t happen to be a white, cis, male, would you? I ask because you seem to have a somewhat abstract concept of what politics is.
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You are never getting that from Mitch McConnell, or any other Republican holding office for that matter, because they’re not even in the same zip code of what your view of politics is. They want to create something that makes them and the people that donate to them rich. More recently, part of them have turned straight fascist.
I would love to have a sane other side to negotiate with, but as a Millennial there has never been a sane other side. Only these profiteering nut bags that have courted the kind of people who want to see anyone who is not a straight, white male of Christian faith heavily restricted by rule of law.
Mr. McConnell’s legacy is the exact opposite of “creating something better together.” That you cannot acknowledge this shows how little you understand politics in the USA.
I will not be shamed into being civil to people who are literally trying to get me killed. You may think this is hyperbole but for women who have even intermittently functioning uteruses, the rollback of Roe v Wade can get you killed. Get an ectopic pregnancy or certain kinds of complications in the wrong state and the doctors will delay or even refuse treatment. Frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised if we started seeing violent attacks by grieving widowers and orphans.
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Look around, Helen. American politics can’t get much worse, so if it’s a bloodsport they want, it’s a bloodsport they’ll get.
If you think the answer is to be as morally bankrupt as you think your opponent is, you are ignoring your own supposed values.
edit: How very, very convenient that you don’t even live in the US and so you’ll never be directly affected by Mitch McConnell’s actions and have the luxury of finger-wagging at those of us mired in his shit, all the way from the other side of the fucking ocean. How very convenient indeed.
Your are right. But American politics have a way of being everyone’s business and influence a lot of people - people from the EU included. I see this influence on our political system, and it is not pretty. The idea about not playing by any rules is just sad; if you have no compass you are truly lost and don’t really work for anything.
Side note: I am amazed that you think my nationality excludes me from having an opinion on this. It highlights the problem with a community called ‘politics’ on lemmy.****world only about American politics - and apparently only for Americans.
Nobody is saying you can’t have an opinion on it. They’re saying that the ignorance of your opinion is explained by that fact that this asshole’s boot isn’t on your neck.
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This is some enlightened Centrist bullshit and you know it.
When someone has been instrumental in the dismantling of democracy in this country, you don’t get to play the “be nice!” card. There is no meeting in the middle with guys like him.
When one side is pushing the extremes, is it really fair to meet in the new middle?
Have you been conscious since 2016? If so, maybe you’d understand people being a little bit spiteful.
I think what separates us from people like him, is that we can be empathetic about a situation. We can see human suffering and be like “Yea, that sucks”
He is clearly unwell and should be getting help, not doing press conferences and making political decisions.
Sure. But it’s also a fact that he is personally responsible for causing the repeal of Roe vs. Wade leading to multiple deaths and untold suffering. It’s very much a situation where I can’t blame anyone wishing him harm as he has by his actions caused harm to others. FAFO applies.
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I will never forget the look of absolute giddy glee as he was excitedly explaining to Colbert how SuperPACs allow for unlimited anonymous dark money to be funneled into his coffers.
Looks like Johannes Schlüter switched from Bush-Pilot to McConnell-Pilot and fell asleep on his job again.
The best speech he’s ever delivered
Did the demon animating his corpse finally depart?
Maybe the other way around. The ghost of Sinead O’Connor, freed from it’s earthly prison, starts entering the bodies of decrepit right-wingers and starts gumming up the works. A guy can dream.
Underrated comment
Anyway, remember how hard he worked to take away benefits from 9/11 first responders?
I have no sympathy for this man, anybody else want to just reminisce about the horrible shit he’s done instead?
What else is there?
I hope he just dies. He isn’t a human being.
These gereatric nepo babies just won’t fuxking die… Jfc
They have the best healthcare in the nation that money can buy, except they don’t pay anything for it.
Thoughts and prayers that he has some incurable medical condition.
He’s been a piece of human garbage all his career, so let’s not sugar coat things now.
There’s no cure for being a cunt. - Bronn
Sure there is. An incurable medical condition.
Finally hells freezing over.
Like. He’s hell and got real cold. Not that hells freezing over.
Well someone just had a fucking stroke.
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