Republicans don't have a mandate, and why that doesn't matter.

So I was thinking about the mandate that republicans currently lack, and I came to the conclusion that it truly doesn't matter. This is because they took power through gerrymandering their districts. They didn't get voted in because a majority wanted them, they got voted in because the lines were drawn in such a way that they could ignore the majority.

In normal circumstances politicians would have to concern themselves with what their constituents wanted, but in this case they will be able to count on having their power for nearly a decade or more. Basically this means they can do whatever they want without concern for their jobs. If people come to you wanting something that you don't want to do, and you can honestly say, "Why should I? I'll be re--elected regardless," then having mandates or not truly cease to matter.

Primary challenges.

That's the one reason a lack of a mandate matters. They'll never vote for a Democrat but they'll vote for another Republican.

See: The drawback of shutting down the Ethics committee.

That still leaves the party as a whole intact regardless, but I see your point.

Can't hear you. I'm drowning in all these jobs.

This is why it's hard to take you seriously when you call anyone a troll.

It's hard to take you seriously when you're having a meltdown on the forums over Trump. Get over it already. Every thread is the same.

Had they known a critical mass of hypocrisy would eventually be achieved and then sicken the classical liberals and libertarians and millions upon millions of lifelong democrats would abandon the party they would not have tried to cheat with the gerrymandering.

My meltdowns vs your orgasms.

Anywho I'll continue to think about and analyze politics to hopefully better understand things. One of the things I'm working on is a better understanding of why people feel politics is the equivalent of sports that people just need to get over when, unlike a sports game, the outcomes of elections can truly harm/help people.

It's the same thing every time.

And Barack Obama harmed a lot of people during his presidency to with the rise of premiums, deductibles, insurance rates, carriers leaving, bombing seven different countries, the iran deal etc. etc.

I don't think this quote is taking into account no matter who the president is someone is going to get the short end of the stick. We do have a two party system after all.

No matter who is running this country, a certain class will get hurt. Its time to accept that and stop applying it to a one-sided argument.

@n64dd: It's the same thing every time.

I've yet to post the exact same topic regarding Trump twice. Similarly I try to actually add something to discussions when I post as opposed to get pissy and call people trolls when people post thoughtful responses that I disagree with.

The only person I call a troll is Iandizion and he for sure is one. He's been warned pubicly on the forums multiple times for it. You were talking about them not having a mandate in another thread. You took what you were saying and made it a thread.

I'm not sure how the Iran deal (I'm assuming you mean the nuclear deal) has hurt people. That said I'm aware that the ACA has made premiums rise, albeit more slowly in the majority of cases than what they would have risen, and yeah we still bomb the shit out of other countries (something Trump promised to do) so people will get hurt. Despite this, actually because of it, it's all the stranger to me that anyone tells others to just get over the fact that they lost an election. It's like telling a person, "Yeah I just elected people who will take away your health insurance, but it's all good with me so get over it." It's an illogical argument that offers zero reason to sit back and accept their new circumstances.

And someone was elected 8 years ago that would take away a significant portion of my paycheck to provide for that health insurance.

Nothing here is free, and its coming from somebody. You can't have your cake and eat it too. No matter who is elected a class will get repressed. Its just basic constitutional republicanism/democracy.

Also slowly? Carriers are leaving obamacare rapidly lulz.

That's called being reflective, and coming to new understandings. It's literally furthering discussions in a new topic because it doesn't fit neatly in the old topic, and not wanting to hijack someone else's thread.

It's been discussed to death though.

@Serraph105: At the end of the day your logic just isn't taking into account all the people that had to pay for that health insurance.

Its ridiculous to assume its a one-sided issue where "Evil Republicans" are taking your health insurance away. Who do you think was paying this entire time?

When a new program like Obamacare is implemented there are reasons given to support it. In this case examples include having a source of health insurance to fall back on should you fall on hard times that won't break your bank, and millions of people will get to have access to health insurance that didn't have access before. Now you don't have to accept those reasons, but they are incentives to help people come to terms with the new situation.

Perhaps you can give me a good reason to get over the fact that we now have a congress/president who will do damage to the world, and didn't need a majority of people to get that power, and won't need a majority in the future to stay in power. Perhaps the reason won't be good enough for me, but currently I see no reason given at all to be okay with that situation.

Then perhaps stop discussing stuff you aren't interested in and leave. Go discuss something you are interested in, but for **** sake stop going in to topics to intentionally antagonizing people while adding nothing.

And you're still not reading my point.

Deductibles, premiums and insurance rates rose for everybody. A majority of Americans (47%) want it repealed. The middle class is getting decimated because carriers are barely turning a profit and need to raise prices for everybody.

A majority of Americans are simply not benefitting off of Obamacare.

Obamacare has been a disaster for the working class and suggesting otherwise is laughable.

If you can't handle criticism, don't post on a forum.

You're missing my point. Regardless of whether you, or anyone else, accepts the reasons for the ACA, there were reasons given to get over it. Which brings me back to this.

Perhaps you can give me a good reason to get over the fact that we now have a congress/president who will do damage to the world, didn't need a majority of people to get that power, and won't need a majority in the future to stay in power. Perhaps the reason won't be good enough for me, but currently I see no reason given at all to be okay with that situation.

Intentional antagonism doesn't equal criticism. You posted something that didn't address a single issue my topic discussed. You do this sort of thing enough that it's amazing to me that people don't call you a troll all the time.

I'm not missing anything actually:

"Obamacare failed because too many carriers simply can't cover expenses, let alone turn a profit, in this rigidly controlled system. Take Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, the state's dominant Obamacare insurer. Last year, for every dollar the carrier collected, it spent $1.32 buying care and providing services for customers, according to BCBS President Maurice Smith. No wonder BCBS is proposing rate increases from 23 percent to 45 percent for its individual plans.

A question looms: Is Obamacare plunging in a so-called insurance death spiral? Is the market so unstable that plans are doomed to get more and more expensive, driving more Americans and more insurers out of the market until ... Obamacare thuds to the pavement?"

Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/editorials/ct-obamacare-fail-health-care-insurance-medicine-0911-jm-20160909-story.html

I don't want to hear philosophical statements, I want hard facts on how Obamacare is helping the majority. Which it isn't, raising rates from 23% to 45% isn't a "reason" to get over it. Its simply criminal.

Also I'm not getting over anything, I'm largely critical of Trump on these forums all the time. Why do you assume that because I'm pointing out the obvious flaws in the ACA and how much damage it has done to people that I'm automatically a trump proponent?

I've criticize Trump's PR deals and foreign policy all the time on here.

I simply call it how it is. Your support for the ACA "because it helps people" is illogical if its ruining the majority.

You don't have to be given any good reason, or any reason for that matter.

Republicans won and now will govern. In 2018 and 2020 the American public will have a chance to pass judgement on their performance. And that's that.

You act like Democrats don't do this...

That makes too much sense. You must be a troll.

The party loyalty here is astounding. Who even defends the ACA anymore? Its a proven failure.

You're telling people to get over a 23% to 45% raise in premiums because "there are reasons to get over it"

It just makes 0 sense.

Didnt the democrats, argue a while back that the GOP wont get rid of the ACA?

How freakin' adorable.

Edit: As for them getting rid of the ACA. Probably for the better. That thing spiraled out of control and is no longer helping anyone.

ITT Serraph be like:

Too bad Republicans can't man up and scrap the entire thing. (ACA).

I never said you supported Trump. I'm simply discussing the fact that it's illogical to tell a person to get over something that does them harm without a reason given to assist in that transition. People have, in my view, been doing just that regarding the election, but that was not the case regarding your example of Obamacare. The reasons to "get over it" regarding Obamacare may be bad or good depending on who you are, but there were reasons.

Perhaps coming to power sans majorities means politicians don't actually need to give reasons to the other side to come to terms with what what they intend to do, the same way it that it means they don't need to be concerned with losing power.

You may want to start a separate topic on that. I'm not really wanting to get into the specifics of Obamacare or any other program. I'd rather keep this at the level of whether or not incentives are given to those initially opposed to the programs or legislation.

I never said it doesn't harm them. I said this entire time that no matter who gets elected someone will be repressed. Did you not read my posts:

There are simply no reasons in my opinion, given the data that suggests Obamacare has done more good than bad.

I'm not trying to come to a decision on whether Obamacare did more good than bad, and I'm not trying to convince you otherwise. Again if that's what you are interested in, by all means start that topic.

I would understand. Since that entire post eliminates any "justification" you seem to have for a program that has been destroying American families.

I mean how are you going to justify a 23% to 45% raise on individual plans and say it helps the working class? Sounds impossible tbh.

I will get back on topic though.

You are overrating the chances of Republicans not losing power. All 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives and 33 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate will be contested in the 2018 midterms elections. 39 state and territorial governorships and numerous other state and local elections will also be contested.

While difficult, it isn't possible for the Democrats to win back the House. Democrats will be playing defense on Senate seats but the numbers are there to win a majority if the American public chooses to. But I guess Republican gerrymandered the United States of America in large swath of territories (aka states) that seem to be voting for them and that somehow gives them an unfair advantage; never mind that for some unknown reason it seems Democrats can't realistically compete in many of these Senate races.

As for the Presidency, Trump won basically by 100,000 votes total in 3 states crucial for his elections. That's minuscule, that's nothing, Democrats could easily win the Presidency back in 2020.

Then there is the local state elections which if the Democrats bothered to show up and actually offered attractive ideas to the public they might win.

So you are wrong, Republicans should be concerned about losing power, they shouldn't make the same mistake that Democrats did with their supposedly Blue Wall.

47% is not a majority FYI. Anyway health insurance was going up anyway.

Amen, its funny hes always crying troII when he refuses to look in the mirror. Trump Puppets are so silly.

The raise in prices is thanks to compromising with Republicans. Its Republicans removal of plans that has caused the rise. Just watch as Republicans will have everything on their shoulders the coming years with no one to blame. And watch as peoples prices continue to rise. Republicans will use it and just continue to blame Obama. Then when theyve finally drained enough money out of Americans theyll say...o, ok, well try and fix it, but its gonna be expensive.

Thats Republicans for you, straight greed.

@Serraph105: Also, this is really nitpicky, but you say that normally they'd be inclined to listen to their constituents but now they don't. That's not really true, they have just taken the liberty of choosing who their constituents are.

I'm not trying to be imaginary - I think that's an important point if you want to do some political analysis of the situation.

Their constituents have been selected to be polarized.

1. It has been explained why premiums are rising, and its not Republicans, its the inability to control a constantly fluctuating market.

2. Carriers are leaving on their own accord. That has nothing to do with Republicans.

3. Carriers are raising prices on their own accord bc Obamacare is expensive as it is and they aren't turning a profit, that has nothing to do with Republicans.

4. Blaming the other party for everything doesn't fix the ACA. Lets focus on policies, not parties.

That's clearer analysis, and an important distinction from what I've been saying, thank you.

I'm unclear what you mean by imaginary. Typo?

Yet your blaming one man, yeah..ok. We can thank Republicans for removing government help that would have eased the loses. Will be fun to watch them fail on their own though. They cant blame Obama no more.

Nope. I'm blaming the ACA.

Believe it or not Obama didn't singlehandedly draft that law. He has advisors, an entire party and an inner cabinet that does most of that for him.

Shocker I know.

@luckylucious: Which was approved and amended by the Republican House. The same Republicans who sign Obamas check.

Is this post serious? The house was dominated by Democrats that time that law passed:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections,_2008

@luckylucious: Its was the Republican House that amended it. 2010, you can thank your greedy Republicans for facking over America. Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

@Serraph105: lol. Imaginary = obstinate. Darn autocorrect.

So in other words, The Democratic House passed Obamacare.