US Election Week 2020

[Barrister]

Here is that Mannerheim recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9AVu6KupNg

But I have a hard time accepting that answer. American politicians with regional accents like JFK, LBJ, FDR, and Dubya are really distinctive. They don't go away when giving a speech.

Maggie Thatcher's a famous example here. She did elocution lessons when she became Tory leader - largely because people thought she was "shrill" and housewifely. So it lowered her voice significantly (it's really interesting seeing pre and post examples) but also got rid of quite a distinctive Lincolnshire burr.

From what I understand she kept her new voice even in private conversations.

But accents are very tied up in perception of class in the UK.

In the US I think politicians like to keep or even emphasize their accents in order to appear more folksy and relatable.

[Caliga]

In some places you can get decent cheese with them, but some of the traditionalists will only use the spray variety. 

No.  Pat's and Geno's use wiz to keep the lines moving.  As a kid I NEVER ate that shit on a steak.  Provolone if available, American 'cheese' (hey, it's still better than wiz) if not.

[Caliga]

In the US I think politicians like to keep or even emphasize their accents in order to appear more folksy and relatable.

Right, it's the opposite of the UK, I guess.  You don't want to sound like an "out of touch elite".

[The Larch]

In some places you can get decent cheese with them, but some of the traditionalists will only use the spray variety. 

No.  Pat's and Geno's use wiz to keep the lines moving.  As a kid I NEVER ate that shit on a steak.  Provolone if available, American 'cheese' (hey, it's still better than wiz) if not.

I went to Pat or Geno's, can't remember which one (the Democrat one), and you could choose which cheese. The other one only served Cheez Wiz.

[Caliga]

I'm not a fan of either place, but I think it's Geno's that does give you choices, but IIRC if you say nothing, you get DA WIZ.

[FunkMonk]

What will be Trump's Argentina?

[PJL]

What will be Trump's Argentina?

Russia?

[Josquius]

For the longest time I thought they were actual steaks of cheese and was excited by the prospect.
When I bothered to look them up and saw they were just a sandwich.... Disappointing.

[Sheilbh]

The cheesesteaks are, honestly,  nothing to write home about.  And I tried them in one of their traditional spots (Mihali took me there back in the day).

I have had a few from places in London that are allegedly decent - and I enjoyed them

What will be Trump's Argentina?

Florida

In some places you can get decent cheese with them, but some of the traditionalists will only use the spray variety. 

Surely they're not a vehicle for decent cheese?

I'm actually looking forward to seeing how Gillian Anderson handles Thatcher's voice in The Queen.

Everyone's going to be horny for Thatcher and it's going to be gross

[Caliga]

steaks of cheese

[The Minsky Moment]

This is a very dangerous moment. The architecture of the American electoral process is  far from seamless.  Like much else it relies on people following custom and unwritten rules to work smoothly.  Trump has shown again and again he is completely unconstrained by such norms and views them as vulnerable loopholes to be vigorously exploited.  Trump doesn't need to win legal actions in court on the merits, he just need to disrupt or drag out the process of formally commissioning Electors long enough to prevent a sufficient number of states from certifying slates of Electors by the December 14 deadline for the Electors to meet and cast their votes.  If he can do that, no candidate will secure 270 and the election goes to the House to vote by delegation, where the GOP controls a majority of delegations. This no longer hypothetical speculation, it is Trump's strategy and it appears he has already succeeded in getting important elected GOP officials to cooperate with at least the opening moves.

[Caliga]

Everyone's going to be horny for Thatcher and it's going to be gross

[FunkMonk]

For the longest time I thought they were actual steaks of cheese and was excited by the prospect.
When I bothered to look them up and saw they were just a sandwich.... Disappointing.

[Razgovory]

This is a very dangerous moment. The architecture of the American electoral process is  far from seamless.  Like much else it relies on people following custom and unwritten rules to work smoothly.  Trump has shown again and again he is completely unconstrained by such norms and views them as vulnerable loopholes to be vigorously exploited.  Trump doesn't need to win legal actions in court on the merits, he just need to disrupt or drag out the process of formally commissioning Electors long enough to prevent a sufficient number of states from certifying slates of Electors by the December 14 deadline for the Electors to meet and cast their votes.  If he can do that, no candidate will secure 270 and the election goes to the House to vote by delegation, where the GOP controls a majority of delegations. This no longer hypothetical speculation, it is Trump's strategy and it appears he has already succeeded in getting important elected GOP officials to cooperate with at least the opening moves.

Okay, what do we do?

[Syt]