GOP Primary Megathread!

[Darth Wagtaros]

I don't get it.

I suggest looking on Amazon.

[Admiral Yi]

I don't get it.

I am getting it.  Apu is getting it.  Why are you not getting it?

[Ideologue]

Okay, so Indians overuse/misuse the present progressive.  Fair enough.

French does not have a continuous aspect per se; events that English would describe using its continuous aspect, French would describe using a neutral aspect. That being said, French can express a continuous sense using the periphrastic construction être en train de ("to be in the middle of"); for example, English's "we were eating" might be expressed in French either as nous étions en train de manger, or as simply nous mangions.

An exception is in relating events that took place in the past: the imperfect has a continuous aspect in relation to the simple (historic) past; e.g. nous mangions quand il frappa à la porte ("we were eating when he knocked at the door"). However, the passé composé is more often used to denote past events with a neutral aspect in a non-narrative context.

Quebec French often expresses a continuous sense using the periphrastic construction être après (lit. "to be after"); for example, English's "we were eating" might be expressed in Quebec French either as nous étions après manger, or as simply nous mangions (imparfait).

I guess subcons in Quebec say "we were after to eat."

I really don't get how Spanish has a perfectly functional PP ("Yo estoy hablando en el presente progressivo," "Nos estamos corriendo con los sombras de la noche") but French doesn't.

[Razgovory]

Also, french is superioir to english in every way imaginable.

Well, except as a form of communication.

[Zoupa]

France is not an ethnically based state, both in theory and in practice. The struggles with immigration have a lot more to do with piss-poor urban planning, high unemployement and religious issues in the public sphere. France's mission civilisatrice is universal after all 

Not counting the 15% of racist tards that are present in every western country.

If France is not an ethnically based state then no state is ethnically based.  The French ethnic group was formed by the merger of Gauls with Franks and Burgundians.  French national identity started to emerge during the 100 Years War.

That's nice, but it doesn't mean 2011 France is an ethnically based state. That ended in 1789.

[Razgovory]

I'd say it really started around that time.  After all,  Louis XVI changed his title from King of France to King of the French.  France is a geographic construct, French is an ethnic one.  Napoleon followed in his footsteps when he declared himself Emperor of the French.  It reflects a shift in ideology about the importance of ethnicity and the state.

[Ideologue]

Iirc, the change in nomenclature for the king wasn't about ethnicity and rather about the rights of citizens limiting what royal power could effect within France.

[Razgovory]

So the King couldn't effect people who weren't "French"?

[Ideologue]

So the King couldn't effect people who weren't "French"?

The change doesn't make a lot of grammatical sense to me either, but that was what I was told in reading about the period.  I think it's something to the effect that the roi had to respond to the needs of the French people, rather than "France" as an abstract concept.

[Razgovory]

I think it reflects a rise of nationalism in Europe.  I think some other monarches changed their titles.  Such as the Swedish King (but then, he was also French).

[CountDeMoney]

Also, I forget what it is, but isn't there a whole tense that isn't available in French?  Present progressive, je pense?

WTF does an Indian do when he's speaking French?

Puts the children of the Grey Hair under his knife, so the Grey Hair will know his seed is wiped out forever?

I don't know, Johnny.  What DOES an Indian do when he's speaking French?

[CountDeMoney]

OSCEOLA, Iowa -- In what the Texas governor calls a  "transformation," Rick Perry on Tuesday said that he has reversed his acceptance of abortion in some severe circumstances, saying that he now opposes the procedure even in cases of rape and incest.

Perry said the change came after seeing the "Gift of Life" film produced by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee. He told an audience of Iowans at Clark Electric Co-op in Osceola that he was moved by the story of a woman who introduced the film during a screening earlier this month in Des Moines.

"She said, 'I am the product of rape.' And she said 'my life has worth,'" Perry said of his exchange with the woman. "It was a powerful moment."

The Texas governor made the statement in response to a question from Joshua Verwers, a pastor at Full Faith Christian Center in Chariton, who noted that Perry had recently signed a stringent Personhood USA pledge that urges signatories to oppose abortion "without exception and without compromise."

Candidates Rick Santorum, Michele Bachmann, Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul have also signed the pledge.

Verwers said after the event that he was initially skeptical of Perry's flip on the position but that the governor's answer was "too perfect" and "sincere" to have come from anywhere but Perry's own heart.

"I do believe it was a sincere answer and that he has converted his position and that he would support personhood," the pastor told reporters.

[Tamas]

It won't be long now that the "who is the biggest religious biggot" race escalates into talk of banning condoms.

[Martinus]

I think it reflects a rise of nationalism in Europe.  I think some other monarches changed their titles.  Such as the Swedish King (but then, he was also French).

He was a Bonapartist. Napoleon was also the Emperor of the French. These changes happened during or as a result of the revolution. Although you are both right in the sense, as nationalism is originally about the recognition of nations as actors and not mere objects of the international stage. As such, the King of the Swedes is a leader/representative of the interests of the Swedish people/nation, not some abstract concept of the "crown".

[Admiral Yi]

That's nice, but it doesn't mean 2011 France is an ethnically based state. That ended in 1789.

Then explain to me why all men are required to wear Speedos at public swimming pools.