Conquer Club

The median voter theorem seems to explain a few of the phenomena that occur in majoritarian voting systems. First, it may explain why politicians tend to adopt similar platforms and campaign rhetoric. In order to win the majority vote, politicians must tailor their platforms to the median voter.[2] For example, in the United States, the Democratic and Republican candidates typically move their campaign platforms towards the middle during general elections campaigns. Just as sellers in the private market try to win over their competitor’s customers by making slight changes to better their products, so, too, do politicians deviate only slightly from their opponent’s platform so as to gain votes.[2]

Second, the median voter theorem may explain why radical candidates or parties rarely get elected. If a politician is, for example, an extreme liberal on the very left end of the political spectrum, they will not capture nearly as many votes as the politician whose campaign platforms are more moderate. Finally, the theorem may explain why two major political parties tend to emerge in majoritarian voting systems (Duverger's law). Indeed, in the United States there are countless political parties, but only two major parties play a part in almost every major election: the Democratic and Republican parties. According to the median voter theorem third parties will rarely, if ever, win elections for same reason why extreme candidates do not tend to win. The major parties tend to co-opt the platforms of the minor parties in order to secure more votes.[1]

Night Strike wrote:

Woodruff wrote:

Night Strike wrote:Why did you laugh?

Because he essentially shot himself in the foot. Again.

Again....so? People who actually pay attention to Romney know that this has always been his plan. There's nothing new here. Obama always claims that Romney's plans will only end up in massive tax cuts to "the rich", yet he always ignores that Romney plans to cut deductions. Romney's simply pointing out the reality of the plan that Obama continues to distort.

Phatscotty wrote:

Night Strike wrote:

Woodruff wrote:

Night Strike wrote:Why did you laugh?

Because he essentially shot himself in the foot. Again.

Again....so? People who actually pay attention to Romney know that this has always been his plan. There's nothing new here. Obama always claims that Romney's plans will only end up in massive tax cuts to "the rich", yet he always ignores that Romney plans to cut deductions. Romney's simply pointing out the reality of the plan that Obama continues to distort.

It's called class warfare, and it's Obama's hallmarx

According to Sen. Patty Murray, an anonymous Senate Republican is blocking a cost of living increase for America’s disabled veterans.

A Republican senator is using an anonymous hold to block the traditionally bipartisan cost of living adjustment that is given to America’s disabled veterans and their survivors.

Juan_Bottom wrote:

According to Sen. Patty Murray, an anonymous Senate Republican is blocking a cost of living increase for America’s disabled veterans.

A Republican senator is using an anonymous hold to block the traditionally bipartisan cost of living adjustment that is given to America’s disabled veterans and their survivors.

Juan_Bottom wrote:Because the cost of living has gone up and these veterans were promised this when they enlisted the first time?

Night Strike wrote:

Juan_Bottom wrote:

According to Sen. Patty Murray, an anonymous Senate Republican is blocking a cost of living increase for America’s disabled veterans.

A Republican senator is using an anonymous hold to block the traditionally bipartisan cost of living adjustment that is given to America’s disabled veterans and their survivors.

While veterans are the only group that the federal government should be providing any sort of continual assistance to, this story just goes to show how everything the government does has become political. Why should cost of living adjustments from the government be automatic when the government has record debts and the private sector has had very little in raises over the past 4 years? No one can even ask these questions because it's all a political game about hating whichever group of people is affected.

Woodruff wrote:

Night Strike wrote:

Juan_Bottom wrote:

According to Sen. Patty Murray, an anonymous Senate Republican is blocking a cost of living increase for America’s disabled veterans.

A Republican senator is using an anonymous hold to block the traditionally bipartisan cost of living adjustment that is given to America’s disabled veterans and their survivors.

While veterans are the only group that the federal government should be providing any sort of continual assistance to, this story just goes to show how everything the government does has become political. Why should cost of living adjustments from the government be automatic when the government has record debts and the private sector has had very little in raises over the past 4 years? No one can even ask these questions because it's all a political game about hating whichever group of people is affected.

Why is it so difficult for you to just say "Senator Murray is wrong on this one"? I mean, you would clearly seem to believe that he is. Why must you reflexively support anything done by a Republican?

Night Strike wrote:
You must not even know who Senator Murray is considering you used "he".

Night Strike wrote:

Woodruff wrote:

Night Strike wrote:

Juan_Bottom wrote:

According to Sen. Patty Murray, an anonymous Senate Republican is blocking a cost of living increase for America’s disabled veterans.

A Republican senator is using an anonymous hold to block the traditionally bipartisan cost of living adjustment that is given to America’s disabled veterans and their survivors.

While veterans are the only group that the federal government should be providing any sort of continual assistance to, this story just goes to show how everything the government does has become political. Why should cost of living adjustments from the government be automatic when the government has record debts and the private sector has had very little in raises over the past 4 years? No one can even ask these questions because it's all a political game about hating whichever group of people is affected.

Why is it so difficult for you to just say "Senator Murray is wrong on this one"? I mean, you would clearly seem to believe that he is. Why must you reflexively support anything done by a Republican?

You must not even know who Senator Murray is considering you used "he".

john9blue wrote:

Night Strike wrote:
You must not even know who Senator Murray is considering you used "he".

so??

ignorance has never stopped woody before!

Woodruff wrote:

john9blue wrote:

Night Strike wrote:
You must not even know who Senator Murray is considering you used "he".

so??

ignorance has never stopped woody before!

How is this relevant, Mr Moderate?

john9blue wrote:

Woodruff wrote:

john9blue wrote:

Night Strike wrote:
You must not even know who Senator Murray is considering you used "he".

so??

ignorance has never stopped woody before!

How is this relevant, Mr Moderate?

well, you have an awfully strong opinion for someone who doesn't even know what they're talking about.

Woodruff wrote:

john9blue wrote:

Woodruff wrote:

john9blue wrote:

Night Strike wrote:
You must not even know who Senator Murray is considering you used "he".

so??

ignorance has never stopped woody before!

How is this relevant, Mr Moderate?

well, you have an awfully strong opinion for someone who doesn't even know what they're talking about.

So because I don't know whether a specific Senator is a male or a female, that means I "don't know what I'm talking about" on the issue? If the issue wasn't "What is the gender of the specific Senator", then how is that relevant, Mr Moderate? Or does Mr Moderate just want to try to take a potshot without any substance?

Is the Senator's gender relevant to this Veteran's issue?

john9blue wrote:

Woodruff wrote:

john9blue wrote:

Woodruff wrote:

john9blue wrote:

Night Strike wrote:
You must not even know who Senator Murray is considering you used "he".

so??

ignorance has never stopped woody before!

How is this relevant, Mr Moderate?

well, you have an awfully strong opinion for someone who doesn't even know what they're talking about.

So because I don't know whether a specific Senator is a male or a female, that means I "don't know what I'm talking about" on the issue? If the issue wasn't "What is the gender of the specific Senator", then how is that relevant, Mr Moderate? Or does Mr Moderate just want to try to take a potshot without any substance?

Is the Senator's gender relevant to this Veteran's issue?

there's no avoiding the fact that you don't know the facts about the issue and didn't read the article. your ignorance of murray's gender makes that crystal clear.

i'm just saying it's bad form to enter a debate when you haven't made any attempt to understand the issue. and you do that far too often.

tzor wrote:I haven't been paying attention to this thread. I was going to ask what all the BS was but decided to go back and find the actual cause of the problem instead.

So we are all complaining about a COLA for disabled veterans? I could go into a long and complex rant about the nature of inflation, but Woodruff's right, blocking COLA for disabled veterans is just wrong in every way. Baseline accounting is wrong and should not be used, but for basic people who are dependent on the government who have given themselves to the government (since their disability is in service to the government) having the government then take from their wages because of inflation (caused by the Federal Reserve) is so wrong from a moral standard I'm surprised anyone would be for it.

john9blue wrote:here's what happened: you saw the title, thought "i'm a disabled veteran too, i want my cost of living adjustment, that anonymous republican is doing a bad thing"

and yes, they probably ARE doing a bad thing

but you just jump right in with your baseless opinions, without even doing the slightest bit of research, and expect us to respect them? why? just because you might be one of the people affected?

Symmetry wrote:

john9blue wrote:here's what happened: you saw the title, thought "i'm a disabled veteran too, i want my cost of living adjustment, that anonymous republican is doing a bad thing"

and yes, they probably ARE doing a bad thing

but you just jump right in with your baseless opinions, without even doing the slightest bit of research, and expect us to respect them? why? just because you might be one of the people affected?

So you essentially think the Republicans are doing something bad, but don't want someone else pointing it out?

A baseless accusation that you probably agree with?

Hmm.

john9blue wrote:here's what happened: you saw the title, thought "i'm a disabled veteran too, i want my cost of living adjustment, that anonymous republican is doing a bad thing"

and yes, they probably ARE doing a bad thing

but you just jump right in with your baseless opinions, without even doing the slightest bit of research, and expect us to respect them? why? just because you might be one of the people affected?

john9blue wrote:

Symmetry wrote:

john9blue wrote:here's what happened: you saw the title, thought "i'm a disabled veteran too, i want my cost of living adjustment, that anonymous republican is doing a bad thing"

and yes, they probably ARE doing a bad thing

but you just jump right in with your baseless opinions, without even doing the slightest bit of research, and expect us to respect them? why? just because you might be one of the people affected?

So you essentially think the Republicans are doing something bad, but don't want someone else pointing it out?

A baseless accusation that you probably agree with?

Hmm.

the journey to the right answer is more important than the destination.

people can believe whatever the hell they want, but if it's for the wrong reasons then i will call them out on it. that's why most of my criticism is directed at liberals despite the fact that i often agree with them.