Political Discussion Thread (With Rules)

[csyphrett]

Well when you ask a question like do Trump lawyers know what they are doing, word has gone around that one of the lawyers I think in Penn tried to enter a picture of a finished ballot as evidence. The problem is having a picture of a ballot is a a crime

CES  

[wcw43921]

Republicans: Trump Won By A Landslide

[Pariah]

1 hour ago, wcw43921 said:

Republicans: Trump Won By A Landslide

 

This is hardly surprising. I mean, a large number in the President's base believe that brown people are all criminals, global climate change is a hoax, and mask mandates in the midst of a global pandemic are a violation of the Constitution. Why wouldn't they believe this?

[Pariah]

From the Book of Face:

 

"Is it really a surprise that Donald Trump is still trying to force himself on us, even after we said no?"

[DShomshak]

16 hours ago, archer said:

If someone had put a history of the use of oleander in suicides in front of Dr. Carson, he might have decided he needed to do some research on his own rather than depend on a pillow salesman to prescribe "medicine" to him.

 

Maybe not. During Carson's own presidential campaign, he endorsed the idea that the Egyptian Pyramids were grain storehouses built by Joseph for the seven lean years. For Carson to believe this Medieval traveler's tale instead of the well-documented, widely known fact that the pyramids were tombs shows either an appallingly narrow field of attention, or that Carson is bugnuts. (That is a non-exclusive "or.")

 

Dean Shomshak

Also: In fairness to Carson, many medicines *are* deadly poisons, used in very small doses. "Everything is poison, nothing is poison: Only the dosage matters." -- Paracelsus, father of modern pharmacy. Though one would also think a doctor would have the sense to use a potentially toxic medicine based on, say, a double-blind study published in JAMA or The Lancet, not the MyPillow Guy. So we're back to bugnuts.

 

Dean Shomshak

[Lawnmower Boy]

Taking a break from my postblogging writing because I had to put this somewhere:

 

Apparently, after being taken by a con man claiming to be the advance man of a travelling circus in 1950 cla, Wetumka, Oklahoma has been holding an annual town festival on the day that the circus was supposed to arrive. 

 

It's called "Sucker Day," and celebrates the day when they were taken for suckers. 

 

It feels like the whole world could maybe throw a Sucker Day party this year. 

[Lord Liaden]

That is an incredibly healthy attitude to take toward the misfortune of having been conned. If more Americans could muster that maturity and self-awareness, Donald Trump would be receding in the nation's rear-view mirror now.

[archer]

Andrew Giuliani, Rudy's son, is a White House staffer.

 

He's been acting as a liaison between the White House, the Trump campaign headquarters in Arlington VA, and the Rudy legal team which has been heading up the Trump legal efforts to overthrow the election and has been physically moving between all their locations.

 

Andrew Giuliani revealed Friday that he's tested positive for COVID. 

 

So he's exposed Rudy's legal team which has been going to various courts representing Trump's "cases", and everyone who is anyone at the Trump campaign headquarters, and everyone in the White House who is involved in trying to keep the president in office.

 

I feel like composing a poem on the topic of justice.

 

https://www.axios.com/trump-giuliani-white-house-michigan-covid-abbbbcf3-e415-4d9d-8911-427be7b645b1.html

 

edit:

 

Roses are red

Rudy is blue

I smell like justice

He smells like poo

[archer]

https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2020/11/21/mail-in-voting-legal-challenge-pennsylvania/

 

"Congressman Mike Kelly and congressional candidate Sean Parnell are requesting the Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania to declare universal mail-in voting unconstitutional in the state and deny the votes of the majority of Pennsylvanians who voted by mail in the Nov. 3 election.

 

"In the official request, the plaintiffs specifically cite issue with Act 77 and its “universal mail-in ballot provisions.” They allege that the provisions that allow all qualified electors to vote by mail in Pennsylvania are unconstitutional."

 

I honestly don't know what they're trying in this lawsuit. From what I can read in the Pennsylvania Constitution, the state legislature has power over ballot laws and from trying to wade through Act 77, it didn't seem to be doing anything unconstitutional (but it was very dense and almost unreadable).

 

I'd guess this is just more fluff that will be summarily dismissed. But odd that they'd try something so sweeping if they don't think they've got something which could be argued.

 

(Act 77 passed in the PA House in 2019 with only one GOP "no" vote and with unanimous GOP support in the PA Senate.)

[TrickstaPriest]

6 minutes ago, archer said:

I honestly don't know what they're trying in this lawsuit. From what I can read in the Pennsylvania Constitution, the state legislature has power over ballot laws and from trying to wade through Act 77, it didn't seem to be doing anything unconstitutional (but it was very dense and almost unreadable).

 

 

My thought is that it's red meat to throw at their base.  A lot of what a congressman does is grand standing for the explicit purpose of pleasing their voters.

[unclevlad]

12 minutes ago, archer said:

I'd guess this is just more fluff that will be summarily dismissed. But odd that they'd try something so sweeping if they don't think they've got something which could be argued.

 

(Act 77 passed in the PA House in 2019 with only one GOP "no" vote and with unanimous GOP support in the PA Senate.)

 

Just more smokescreen, more of the false narrative.  "See?  We've had ALL these challenges, and the Deep State rejected them all!"  It's the same as "we have all this proof of fraud!" when, in fact, they have nothing beyond perhaps the occasional bread crumb.

What's even more ludicrous, I would think is that trying to throw out the mail-in ballots *already cast* would seem to be ex post facto.

 

This doesn't even seem desperate any more...or pathetic, even.  The more they continue this, the greater my worry that they're going to try to get Republican electors, and *really* try to steal the election.  And that if the Electoral College picks Biden...there will be violence.

 

[TrickstaPriest]

1 hour ago, unclevlad said:

This doesn't even seem desperate any more...or pathetic, even.  The more they continue this, the greater my worry that they're going to try to get Republican electors, and *really* try to steal the election.  And that if the Electoral College picks Biden...there will be violence.

 

That's kind of functionally the only purpose I can pin down, here.  Besides trying to influence the Georgia runoff.  And that's really frightening, and also infuriating.

 

I don't know anything about the Obama spying program, so all I can say is... if that's what justifies pulling our entire future into a possible civil unrest, I am not a happy camper.

[archer]

A Game Designer’s Analysis Of QAnon

Playing with reality

https://medium.com/curiouserinstitute/a-game-designers-analysis-of-qanon-580972548be5

[TrickstaPriest]

16 minutes ago, archer said:

A Game Designer’s Analysis Of QAnon

Playing with reality

https://medium.com/curiouserinstitute/a-game-designers-analysis-of-qanon-580972548be5

 

I've literally been thinking about this for two weeks - that QAnon feels like an ARG someone designed.  A big part of what Trump does is encourage a sense of participation.  They feel involved and feel motivated.

[archer]

2 minutes ago, TrickstaPriest said:

 

I've literally been thinking about this for two weeks - that QAnon feels like an ARG someone designed.  A big part of what Trump does is encourage a sense of participation.  They feel involved and feel motivated.

 

That sense of participation, involvement, and motivation is what I wanted to accomplish when I was part of political campaigning in the era before social media. I wasn't able to achieve that long enough to accomplish anything (outside of a fluke in Oregon) because there wasn't anything to bind people together other than monthly meetings and physical newsletters.

 

I have a strong urge to study QAnon and try to duplicate it as a power for good. I'm having to suppress that urge to duplicate because I can't focus long enough to maintain control of an organization. But I'll probably study it more than I should.

[TrickstaPriest]

4 minutes ago, archer said:

I have a strong urge to study QAnon and try to duplicate it as a power for good. I'm having to suppress that urge to duplicate because I can't focus long enough to maintain control of an organization. But I'll probably study it more than I should.

 

I'd love to learn about what you discover.  I've been wanting to put together educational resources to break propaganda channels for a while, even just basic science educationals.  So I'll be interested in what you find.

[archer]

Trump Supporters in Georgia Threaten to Destroy GOP, Boycott Runoff Elections

https://www.newsweek.com/georgia-trump-supporters-destroy-gop-boycott-senate-runoffs-1549245

 

Seemingly reacting to certification from Georgia election officials that President-elect Joe Biden had indeed won the Peach State following an election recount, the protesters disavowed the GOP.

"Any Republican who allows this to happen is complicit, and we will finish you," the protester, donning a camo sweatshirt with an elephant on it, shouts into the microphone. "For any Republicans not explicitly helping Trump to 'stop the steal,' we will make sure you are never elected ever again."

 

 

Who says Trump isn't unifying the country? Democrats want to destroy the GOP. Trump supporters want to destroy the GOP.

 

All one big happy family just in time for Thanksgiving.

[archer]

Senator Loeffler of GA has tested positive for COVID. She's been doing joint campaign appearances with Senator Perdue and VP Pence.

 

Most of the audience in their (indoor) campaign events are going without masks. The three of them have been on-stage together maskless.

 

She's the third GOP Senator this week to test positive for COVID. So far she is asymptomatic.

 

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/527050-loeffler-isolating-after-possible-covid-19-infection

[Old Man]

1 hour ago, archer said:

Senator Loeffler of GA has tested positive for COVID. She's been doing joint campaign appearances with Senator Perdue and VP Pence.

 

Most of the audience in their (indoor) campaign events are going without masks. The three of them have been on-stage together maskless.

 

She's the third GOP Senator this week to test positive for COVID. So far she is asymptomatic.

 

https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/527050-loeffler-isolating-after-possible-covid-19-infection

 

This is despite the fact that Loeffler was in the secret briefing about COVID back in March, coincidentally the day before she made some very fortuitous stock moves.  As it happens, she is the wealthiest member of the Senate, with a net worth of half a billion dollars.

[Tom]

5 hours ago, archer said:

Trump Supporters in Georgia Threaten to Destroy GOP, Boycott Runoff Elections

https://www.newsweek.com/georgia-trump-supporters-destroy-gop-boycott-senate-runoffs-1549245

 

Seemingly reacting to certification from Georgia election officials that President-elect Joe Biden had indeed won the Peach State following an election recount, the protesters disavowed the GOP.

"Any Republican who allows this to happen is complicit, and we will finish you," the protester, donning a camo sweatshirt with an elephant on it, shouts into the microphone. "For any Republicans not explicitly helping Trump to 'stop the steal,' we will make sure you are never elected ever again."

 

 

Who says Trump isn't unifying the country? Democrats want to destroy the GOP. Trump supporters want to destroy the GOP.

 

All one big happy family just in time for Thanksgiving.

Interestingly enough, one of the rationales I’ve heard for Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans not acknowledging Biden”s win or refuting Trump”s claims is the desire not to alienate their “base” prior to the Georgia runoff. 
 

It looks likes anything short of full-throated support of Trump is less than adequate for some and Trump”s flailing about may well cost the GOP the Senate.

 

Assuming we don’t manage a worse case scenario.

 

Personally, I would like to see both parties fracture and our electoral system changed to reasonably accommodate more than two options. 
 

On a potentially more amusing note, the behavior of Trump and the official GOP keeps reminding of an old cartoon called “The Oily American”.   It’s probably still available on YouTube, but hasn’t been aired for decades probably due to racial stereotypes (to be honest, as a kid, I thought the whole “Indian Chief” thing was part of the fantasy) but mentally replace the main character with a certain politician (bonus points if you”re good enough to manipulate it digitally). 

[archer]

1 hour ago, Tom said:

Interestingly enough, one of the rationales I’ve heard for Mitch McConnell and Senate Republicans not acknowledging Biden”s win or refuting Trump”s claims is the desire not to alienate their “base” prior to the Georgia runoff. 
 

It looks likes anything short of full-throated support of Trump is less than adequate for some and Trump”s flailing about may well cost the GOP the Senate.

 

 

Part of the unspoken brake on ridiculous lies in American politics has always been "As a politician, your ridiculous lie can't force me into embracing the ridiculous because we're at roughly equal power levels, so if you want to go out there and look ridiculous all on your own, be my guest".

 

Part of the problem with ridiculous lies in American politics has always been that the people who embrace the ridiculousness can't comprehend why their supposed allies won't embrace them as well.

 

When you have vastly unequal power levels between politicians with a large pool of people who are eager to embrace the ridiculous...our system isn't set up to deal well with an all-powerful autocrat who tells ridiculous lies.

[csyphrett]

The lawsuit in Penn, not the one mentioned with the senators, but the one that was ongoing has been dismissed with prejudice so it can never be brought to the same court again

CES

 

[Cygnia]

Gov. Mike DeWine is the next target of Trump supporters in deeply red Ohio

[TrickstaPriest]

5 hours ago, Tom said:

It looks likes anything short of full-throated support of Trump is less than adequate for some and Trump”s flailing about may well cost the GOP the Senate.

 

It's this pattern to begin with why I deeply hate the Trump movement.  Slavish devotion to a man who threatens entire states (New York, California) that he is supposed to represent.

[unclevlad]

11 hours ago, archer said:

Trump Supporters in Georgia Threaten to Destroy GOP, Boycott Runoff Elections

https://www.newsweek.com/georgia-trump-supporters-destroy-gop-boycott-senate-runoffs-1549245

 

Seemingly reacting to certification from Georgia election officials that President-elect Joe Biden had indeed won the Peach State following an election recount, the protesters disavowed the GOP.

"Any Republican who allows this to happen is complicit, and we will finish you," the protester, donning a camo sweatshirt with an elephant on it, shouts into the microphone. "For any Republicans not explicitly helping Trump to 'stop the steal,' we will make sure you are never elected ever again."

 

 

Who says Trump isn't unifying the country? Democrats want to destroy the GOP. Trump supporters want to destroy the GOP.

 

All one big happy family just in time for Thanksgiving.

 

In some ways, this is similar to the Tea Party's disruptions some years back.  The question then becomes, how extensive is this...in Georgia for now, but more broadly in any of the divided states.  (Ohio and Michigan come to mind.)  Unlike the Tea Party, here there seems to be (at least potentially) a much stronger cohesion...a more dynamic symbol and leader, a tighter social structure, their own media outlets almost completely committed to their efforts, it seems.

 

It remains to be seen whether they can continue to draw those who are less than comfortable with Trump...but buy most of the negatives about the Democrats...or whether this will fracture the Republicans, driving out those who aren't willing to adhere to such a rigid ideology.  (Or, in fact, show that the Trump narrative has penetrated THAT deeply, and they form the majority among the Republicans.  This is probably the scariest thought of them all.)

 

But it's implicitly worrisome, IMO.  That group is radicalized.  If they succeed in their threats, that's bad.  If they don't, well, now you've got a radicalized group that will feel marginalized too.  THAT is Not Pretty.