JamesHackerMP

What the hell was that anyway?

Actually that's not a bad point. We do have third parties in the United States, people do vote for them, but not very many. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy via "don't throw your vote away because they never win" sort of thing. Technically, there is nothing stopping the Libertarians or the Greens (or the Socialist Workers....whatever) from winning an election, they're on the ballot anyway. The electoral college is partly the reason only two parties typically win seats in Congress and the presidency. People don't like having to wait for the House of Representatives to sort it out to find out who's the next president. There was an independent in 1968 who swept a bunch of southern states. Had he won a few more, like Maryland or Virginia, George Wallace would have been able to play kingmaker with his electoral votes. Or, even worse, allow the election to be thrown into the House of Representatives and gum up the works, possibly for weeks at least. Point is, the presidency favors a two party system but there is no reason other offices cannot be won by an independent or a third party. But you're right: we could have huge blocks of congressmen who owe their elections to 40% or less of the electorate. It would however, make things interesting, at least.

"Impressive" wasn't quite the adjective I was going for....but yes it is... I noticed that it's all in Korean.

Finally, the feds have shot down the rorschach tests---sorry Congressional districts--in Maryland for being gerrymandered. https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/politics/bs-md-maryland-house-district-gerrymandering-20181107-story.html?fbclid=IwAR3XQRgaG8ZUB2Hg97qzirsVezTe_-Eug1WaaLGCskhOgpwbLiA8PRI0zEk

None of Trump's "friendships" last very long. Like, after they get to actually know him, etc.

OOoooooooooo kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk..... BTW have we been hacked by the North Koreans?

I'm sorry, I don't understand. Clarify please?

Aren't you thinking of George VI? He wasn't brought up to be king, he was Duke of York. I had thought George V was the eldest son of Edward VII. But then again, I get these people mixed up sometimes. I agree about the lobbying. That's one of the principal problems with the U.S. government is its susceptibility to lobbyists and their corruption. (I have a friend who's a lobbyist, but it isn't for big oil or anything like that. ) Anyhoo, I found an article on the 10 Downing Street website about the institution of the prime minister in the UK. It was never an official position until the 1900s at least. The first law that actually named the person of the prime minister by the title "prime minister" was an act in the early 20th century that granted the property of Chequers as the PM's country estate. So apparently, the position of prime minister is a rather nebulous one, at least in the UK. I would think it would be similar in Canada. Whoops, I just checked. You were right. My bad. (About George V).

Florida needs to clean up its damn ballot problems... As my mother would say, "Pray to Saint Chad, the patron saint of disputed elections."

holy crap those are amazing pictures!

what's in Orion's belt? I haven't given that area much of a look-see.

And one can say that we've had enough of celebrities in the White House (cough). We don't need another celebrity with no political experience to be President. Enough celebrities meddling in politics, tyvm!

54 to 46 in in the Senate, GOP up from 51 to 49 (before election)

GOP governor Hogan re-elected in Maryland. Republicans keep control of the SEnate, but I am not sure how many seats. Probably the house will go blue.

exit polls and partial results are showing some important losses for the GOP. But it seems the blue wave won't be as big as advertised. They'll likely take the House but not the Senate.

The political parties don't actually choose it, it's the state legislatures, in most states. But not in all. And there are plenty of states like mine: blue states that are very gerrymandered to favor the democrats. Although strangely, our governor (a republican) is likely to be re-elected. You are, however correct that it undermines democracy.

Good question.

Merde....oh well, I guess I'll have to do that eventually...in the mean time I'll be careful what I drive over lol. In the mean time, I haven't used it much as I would like to have, so it probably doesn't need collimation yet, I would think. What exactly do you all like to look at? preferred objects?

what about a Schmidt Cassgrain?

Should I stand up on my desk and start singing "God Bless America"?

Oh I didn't think of that: driving with it can screw up the mirrors?

Liberals in the U.S. are hoping for a big sweep of seats; a massive rejection of Donald Trump in the midterms. But it's far from certain to happen. It could go either way at this point.

Yes, the nation was founded on compromise, rather than on the ability to compel. And you're right, that that jewel seems to have lost its luster. Maybe a third party would force the need to return to an era of compromise.

in-camera lobbying?

See, the two-party system worked better before it polarized. I think a third party presence would force the two major parties to depolarize, else they would lose ground to that third party (competition). Even if it were temporary, it might be just what the doctor ordered. There have been times where there was a strong third party presence in Congress. However, it took 2 months to elect a compromise Speaker once under those conditions, so it would have a down side. Part of the reason I think that there isn't a third party presence is Americans commit to a self-fulfilling prophecy: "Don't throw your vote away," people say, and it becomes reality.