Political Hippo Circle Jerk - America, farg YEAH!

[hbionic]

Asking anyone to question their beliefs is the biggest waste of time in life.

[Diomedes]

This is true.

Yet people do change their positions.  I have, anyway.  And in part because of discussions I've had with people.

[Sgt PSN]

This is true.

Yet people do change their positions.  I have, anyway.  And in part because of discussions I've had with people.

Same here. 10-15 years ago I was pretty conservative and now I'm more liberal.  Feels good too.

[ice grillin you]

This is true.

Yet people do change their positions.  I have, anyway.  And in part because of discussions I've had with people.

agreed

[Rome]

talking politics while hanging out with someone is probably the biggest waste of time in life

I guess it depends on who you're hanging out with.   I have friends with shared beliefs and others who are totally the opposite.  I'm not so close-minded that I refuse to listen, though. 

[rjs246]

I've never changed my mind on politics due to a conversation because I'm a hard headed sonofabitch who would rather argue than listen. True story. I've always been awful about talking politics. 

But over the years I've changed my mind drastically based on what I read. And I read a ton. In fact I've spent the last four years reading everything I could get my hands on regarding issues I care about and to say that my opinions have shifted would be an understatement. The down side is that knowing a lot about issues and policy makes me even more unbearable to talk to about politics. I even annoy myself during those conversations and I generally have an exceedingly high opinion of me.

[Munson]

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2012/07/how-obamas-allies-are-defining-romney.html?imw=Y

Relatively partisan article but I found this excerpt pretty funny...

In the same passage, Draper explains that Burton and Sweeney couldn't effectively sell voters on Romney's support of the Ryan plan, since cutting Medicare in order to clear budgetary headroom for tax cuts for the rich, while an accurate description of the Ryan plan, struck those voters as so cartoonishly evil that they found the charge implausible. ("[T]he respondents simply refused to believe any politician would do such a thing.")

[SD]

The Romney campaign in a nutshell: Appeal and get donations from the rich. Use that money to appeal to the middle and lower class. I don't see how he could appeal to the middle or lower class when he keeps having fundraisers in the Hamptons for the super rich. I love that democrats are getting on him about his offshore accounts and his unwillingness to release his tax returns. When his father campaigned his personal finances were transparent. This is the type of tactic I'd expect from the right.

[Sgt PSN]

lol, I'm sure they'll get right on that.

[ice grillin you]

The Romney campaign in a nutshell: Obama is terrible we need to do better

[SunMo]

This is true.

Yet people do change their positions.  I have, anyway.  And in part because of discussions I've had with people.

agreed

farg that...you could think the sky was red and despite all discussion and evidence to the contrary you wouldn't change your mind.

[ice grillin you]

i dont know that ive ever done a 180 on anything...thats kind of unrealistic...but by talking to others i have come to see things i never thought about and have softened my stance on issues...

guns is one example...i used to wanna melt every last one of them...but i have come around to see that they are a necessary evil

[Tomahawk]

Graphs are upsettingly cool

[SD]

Graphs are upsettingly cool

disturbing

[Munson]

This graph needs to be shoved in the face of every farging moron who spits out that "The rich pay most of the federal income taxes!" talking point. It's a misleading idea at best. When you take in a bigger percentage of the income, the amount that you burden is going to go up....especially when the rest of the country's share of the income falls like it has.