Can partisan senators serve as unbiased jurors?

Discussion in 'Political Opinions & Beliefs' started by Just A Man, Jan 19, 2020.

  1. Just A Man

    Just A Man Well-Known Member

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    The question was printed in my local liberal newspaper. Well I would answer this way -- I think the partisan senators will be as unbiased as the partisan House members.
     
  2. modernpaladin

    modernpaladin Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Everyone is biased. To believe otherwise in ignorant naivete.

    But even biased people can make an effort to be fair.

    Now tell me how to objectively determine whether someone is trying to be fair or not...
     
    Last edited: Jan 19, 2020
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  3. Just A Man

    Just A Man Well-Known Member

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    That's a tough one. How about this definition of "fair" and "unbiased" -- a democrat voting against impeaching Trump and a republican voting to impeach Trump.
     
  4. fmw

    fmw Well-Known Member

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    Yes. This whole thing is about politics. At least it keeps the congress people busy since they don't legislate any longer.
     
  5. Daniel Light

    Daniel Light Well-Known Member

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    So if the leader of the Republicans in the Senate publicly states that he "will not be an impartial juror," would you say that pretty much takes the notion of " ... biased people making an effort to be fair ..." off the table?
     
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  6. Just A Man

    Just A Man Well-Known Member

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    I'll say this -- I ain't naïve. We are looking at straight-up raw politics and the unabashed coveting of raw power. Hard to believe these are the people we elected and the people who took an oath. This situation can only be corrected by term limits -- one term, no perks, no retirement, serve, return to the public sector, get a job, and live by any laws they passed. But that would require the ruling class to fire themselves so I won't hold my breath. Too bad the framers didn't foresee how the shysters would lie to get elected and continue to lie to hold office. Interesting that congress enacted term limits for presidents but not for themselves. The swamp can't be drained.
     
  7. Jestsayin

    Jestsayin Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Ain't that the truth, not to mention the entertainment sane people get from reading the never ending anti-trump posts.
     
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  8. fmw

    fmw Well-Known Member

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    There is no question that Trump is the most entertaining president of all time.
     
  9. FreshAir

    FreshAir Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    the House voted based on the evidence

    the Senate will vote based on partisanship as everyone knows Trump did this

    the only question I have is will republican block witnesses and docs from being introduced - I would like to see and hear from the white house admin, I do not care if he is removed or not, we can vote him out in Nov of this year
     
    Last edited: Jan 19, 2020
  10. FreshAir

    FreshAir Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    he is the Realty TV star President, that is for sure
     
  11. bricklayer

    bricklayer Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Can one be unbias toward that which is, in and of itself, bias?
    Is it bias to refer to bias as bias ?
     
  12. FreshAir

    FreshAir Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    I agree with term limits

    as long as we elect people like Trump that keep filling the swamp, it can never be drained fast enough
     
    Last edited: Jan 19, 2020
  13. Just A Man

    Just A Man Well-Known Member

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    Sure they did, they are so un-political. They are so fair and unbiased. Such pure and decent people.
    They all voted the party line -- Oh wait, one dem voted against impeachment. The only intelligent dem in the House.
     
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  14. Golem

    Golem Well-Known Member Donor

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    I mostly agree with this. People may be "biased" because they believe their party has the ideas that most benefit the country. They may be right, they may be wrong... but it's Ok so long as they are putting their country first.

    So being biased is not the problem. The problem is when they are biased only in favor of themselves. They act according to their personal political benefit and not in benefit of the country.
     
    Last edited: Jan 19, 2020
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  15. Golem

    Golem Well-Known Member Donor

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    That doesn't tell us much. Are they voting for or against impeaching Trump because the evidence points that way, or because of their own political interest?

    We just need to look at the facts. A fair person votes as the facts point. Facts are the key.

    Even then, people can interpret fact differently. So the only thing you can be sure of is that anybody who doesn't even want the facts seen is not planning on being fair. It's impossible to be fair without the facts.
     
    Last edited: Jan 19, 2020
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  16. FreshAir

    FreshAir Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    both dems and independents voted on the evidence, republican voted not to impeach even though the evidence was overwhelming that he did it
     
    Last edited: Jan 19, 2020
  17. roorooroo

    roorooroo Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    You generally seem intelligent in your posts, but do you really believe that a group of people who have been calling for impeachment ever since Trump was elected were unbiased? Get outa here!
     
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  18. 61falcon

    61falcon Well-Known Member

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    They can all prove that taking an oath to act as impartial jurors means absolutely nothing to many of them??
     
  19. Seth Bullock

    Seth Bullock Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    I think they could be non-partisan IF the charges were serious charges. For example, if it was discovered that Trump was selling our nuclear codes to the Russians, that would be a serious charge, and impeachment would have bi-partisan support. Given the partisan nature of these Articles of Impeachment, I don't expect a bi-partisan outcome in the trial.
     
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  20. FreshAir

    FreshAir Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    I believe they proved their case with the witnesses that appeared

    I think most Americans know Trump did this.....
     
  21. FreshAir

    FreshAir Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    so you think Trump did this, you just do not think bribing a foreign country to go after your political opponent is wrong enough to be fired over?

    the founders feared this happening, it's one of the very reasons for impeachment
     
    Last edited: Jan 19, 2020
  22. spiritgide

    spiritgide Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    And the second ranking house member, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., made an alarming statement, remarking that Trump was afforded "every opportunity to prove his innocence."

    <iframe width="720" height="405" src="" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
     
  23. Heartburn

    Heartburn Well-Known Member

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    Nobody knows. It has only recently become important.
     
  24. Pants

    Pants Well-Known Member

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    So do we all agree that the oath they took this week was all just part of a show?
     
  25. spiritgide

    spiritgide Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    I think being fair is, at minimum- acknowledging the points that serve opposing views. You may not agree, but to pretend they don't exist, or give them lesser weight than exactly the same condition if it were to your benefit- You're not. That's at least a start. People that can't do that aren't just biased, they are willingly intending to be unfair.
     

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