MetaChat - Health Care Reform Vote Hug Room

Probably a good idea. No matter how this goes, it won't be pretty.

posted by Ardiril 21 March | 13:36

I find myself getting very discouraged by all the rancor over this health care debate and partisan politics. It is so depressing. In my city the loudest voices are those that spew tea party rhetoric. It beats you down.

posted by futz 21 March | 13:46

Also, I'd love to give you a hug but I am currently curled tightly in a fetal position. Not really. My brain is though.

posted by futz 21 March | 14:03

I am distracting myself with taxes.

posted by The Whelk 21 March | 14:05

Fun day all around. I have tackled my Federal and am working on State. Is it too early to start drinking (3pm EST)?

posted by futz 21 March | 14:08

No it is not.

Huh, I qualify for food stamps.

posted by The Whelk 21 March | 14:09

For real? I probably do too. A lot of people in the same leaky boat. Filet mignon and truffles for everyone! Now I want fondue...

posted by futz 21 March | 14:16

ANGRY WHITE PEOPLE ON MY TEEVEE IS NOT HELPING ME GO TO MY HAPPY PLACE

posted by The Whelk 21 March | 14:47

Actually, we're watching the Republican Party doing a mass public version of a MetaTalk flame-out, and there is no way that's going to help them in November. Especially when the truth of what happens after HCR passes overwhelms their string of lies.

My Seven Cents Worth: This bill is obviously not going to fix the long-broken system (how long? basic keeping-alive healthcare when I had above average employer insurance bankrupted me in 1990. 1990.) but it will hold off its inevitable total collapsesimilar to what Obama's stimulus program has done for banking). I considered opposing it as not enough and not good enough, but started to see how is passage could hasten the inevitable collapse of the criminal enterprise called the Republican Party, and how could I oppose that?

The Con-man-servatives in Congress and Teabagging Terrorizers are in the process of driving away millions of moderate voters (just because you can't see the moderates doesn't mean they aren't there), and I am eating popcorn and enjoying the show.

posted by oneswellfoop 21 March | 15:12

Can't we flag them and move on?

posted by The Whelk 21 March | 15:13

I'll tune in after dinner. I want to make sure that my food stays down.

posted by futz 21 March | 15:14

Whelker, I'm getting more and more confident that America is going to do exactly that...

posted by oneswellfoop 21 March | 15:14

The NY state civil union bill made me gun-shy. I don't think I can take that much drinking again.

posted by The Whelk 21 March | 15:16

Ok, I am going to watch. What channel? C-SPAN or MSNBC? I'll start w/ the SPAN and a glass of wine and go from there.

posted by futz 21 March | 15:24

I'm on C-Span and the guy is giving me a stroke.

posted by The Whelk 21 March | 15:25

Well I'm sure The People will observe from all this that the whole "democratic process" is a sham meant to distract us from the Corporate Oligarchy that now effectively controls every aspect of our very existence, and tomorrow they will erupt in a spontaneous, non-violent revolution, self-organizing into neighborhood-level collectives that will not only provide community-based medical care to all, but will immediately undertake other worthy projects such as ripping up the streets to plant organic sunflowers, and converting our own waste products into renewable fuels for powering community-run rail services.

Right?

posted by serazin 21 March | 15:27

I'm still waiting for the smiling into the future carrying bales of wheat myself.

posted by The Whelk 21 March | 15:28

Well I'm sure The People will observe from all this that the whole "democratic process" is a sham meant to distract us from the Corporate Oligarchy that now effectively controls every aspect of our very existence, and tomorrow they will erupt in a spontaneous, non-violent revolution, self-organizing into neighborhood-level collectives that will not only provide community-based medical care to all, but will immediately undertake other worthy projects such as ripping up the streets to plant organic sunflowers, and converting our own waste products into renewable fuels for powering community-run rail services

.

I see that we have at least one optimist here on Metachat.

posted by jason's_planet 21 March | 15:40

Optimistic or delusional - it's always a fine line.

posted by serazin 21 March | 15:42

CONGA LINE!

posted by The Whelk 21 March | 15:59

I would do a shot very time I got angry, but then i would be DEAD.

posted by The Whelk 21 March | 16:11

Embitterment and hate have no place in a hug room, so I can't come in.

posted by Joe Beese 21 March | 16:20

Gah! My dog jumped the backyard fence. He must have known I needed to turn off the tv. Crappity crap crap crap. He's either going to come home reeking of cow shit or skunk. Lovely. *futz runs off in a futile attempt to find "mr. good boy" the dog.* Frak.

posted by futz 21 March | 16:43

Chilling out and sitting in the big sunny chair for a while sounds like an excellent idea. I will bring Canadian beer and Canadian hugs.

posted by FishBike 21 March | 17:03

Mass chillage in chewieville all day here. Cloudy, NCAA bball, cat in lap.

Also, I posted this pie chart on twitter & made some people crabby! Well, not all of 'em. Some chuckled.

I think I might be in the wrong thread.

posted by chewatadistance 21 March | 17:14

Words of courage and hope for the rest of us from a despondent conservative (and one of the few honest ones).

"Conservatives and Republicans today suffered their most crushing legislative defeat since the 1960s."

"It’s a good bet that conservatives are over-optimistic about November"

"This bill will not be repealed."

"We followed the most radical voices in the party and the movement, and they led us to abject and irreversible defeat."

"If Republicans succeed – if they govern successfully in office and negotiate attractive compromises out of office – Rush’s listeners get less angry. And if they are less angry, they listen to the radio less, and hear fewer ads for Sleepnumber beds. So today’s defeat for free-market economics and Republican values is a huge win for the conservative entertainment industry. Their listeners and viewers will now be even more enraged, even more frustrated, even more disappointed in everybody except the responsibility-free talkers on television and radio. For them, it’s mission accomplished."

posted by oneswellfoop 21 March | 18:07

Is Frank Pallone gay? he reads gay to me - cause he sounds exactly like my Uncle Ray (of Uncles Ray and Shane, 30 years together!) Also, his hair. His hair was ..amazing. Hippie by Congress standards.

posted by The Whelk 21 March | 18:17

I've been watching/listening CSPAN all day. I think I need therapy.

posted by Brandon Blatcher 21 March | 18:25

THIS IS OUR SUPERBOWL.

posted by The Whelk 21 March | 18:59

...and the debates/speeches are nothing but the half-time show and commercial time-outs. I'm enjoying the 'spectacle' from a safe distance.

posted by oneswellfoop 21 March | 19:05

I've been watching/listening CSPAN all day. I think I need therapy.

NOT AT MY EXPENSE, PINKO!!1!

posted by ufez 21 March | 19:29

Good god Whelk, you've got 127 comments in the tea bag thread on the blue.

posted by octothorpe 21 March | 19:45

I KNOW!

posted by The Whelk 21 March | 20:06

I wasn't being critical, I'm just impressed at your output.

posted by octothorpe 21 March | 20:13

I don't know if I'm happy or sad or what that we don't have a bustling new thread about the vote over on the blue right now (there was a really-not-gonna-happen Open Thread, Everybody type post that I killed earlier), but it's nice not to have to actively babysit it so I guess I'll go with happy. Reloading a couple poli sites for late updates, that's getting me by.

posted by cortex 21 March | 21:38

Of course, I'd be lying to myself if I said I didn't expect a thread to come along at some point this evening. But enough of about mefi, sorry.

posted by cortex 21 March | 21:39

I think people are waiting for all the votes to be over, cortex. Get yourself a beer now, eh?

posted by maudlin 21 March | 21:42

Scotch time, I think.

posted by cortex 21 March | 21:49

scccotch

posted by The Whelk 21 March | 21:54

I-what-okay that's an odd turn. I am so confused.

posted by The Whelk 21 March | 22:05

I've been watching/listening CSPAN all day. I think I need therapy.

I'm thinking that killing my TV a month ago was a really really smart thing to do.

posted by MonkeyButter 21 March | 22:16

Of course, I'd be lying to myself if I said I didn't expect a thread to come along at some point this evening. But enough of about mefi, sorry.

Sorry Cortex. It was painful just to read it over there.

posted by danf 22 March | 10:31

didtheypasshealthcarereform.com (includes randomly generated unicorns!)

posted by Firas 22 March | 19:21

Where do I acquire my sparkly unicorn?

posted by Wolfdog 22 March | 19:24

21 March 2010