2020 Political Chatter

[Too Tall]

As that presser was next to a sex shop, I'm surprised Rudy didn't have his hand down his pants. Again.

You left out the funeral home next door. Yeah yeah coals to Newcastle yet a tidy addition to the scene no?

[jclay]

Hey John C. Keep the faith baby. The feckless one is done, we have many good possibilities. Let's ride bikes and keep talking. I'm in the way so I'll just send $$ and call BS where I see it. That's my lot pal, bet you can do more than me.

Thanks TT. I'll keep turning the cranks.

My ideals aren't shaken but my faith in human kind certainly is. That nearly 70 million of us could fail to reject DT's destructive behavior is chilling.

All of us need to lean into the effort to secure victory for the Dems in the two GA senatorial run-offs.

https://www.facebook.com/stacey.abrams.77

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/1...-runoff-435243

Spread the word everywhere, to everybody; send money, give of your time, energy and intellect. Everyone needs to focus on this one, single task like a lazer beam.

[Colinmclelland]

Thanks TT. I'll keep turning the cranks.

My ideals aren't shaken but my faith in human kind certainly is. That nearly 70 million of us could fail to reject DT's destructive behavior is chilling

We were just discussing that. I’d love to see that 70m broken down into the people who were actively voting for Trump and people who voted Republican in spite of him, because, well, that’s what we’ve always done...

[jclay]

We were just discussing that. I’d love to see that 70m broken down into the people who were actively voting for Trump and people who voted Republican in spite of him, because, well, that’s what we’ve always done...

I would too BUT....in the mean time, please help the Dems win the Georgia US Senate run-offs first.

For the next two months nothing else we can do matters nearly as much.

[ides1056]

And in other news...wtf?

First as tragedy, then as farce.

[cny rider]

Haven't any of you guys been to a Four Seasons before? Sheesh.....

[monadnocky]

If there is one singular, iconic image of this administration and his sycophants (and the sheer incompetence of both) it's this deranged man holding a press conference between what he mistook as the Four Seasons Hotel, next to a hose reel, under an OSHA placard, next to the dildo store.
Oh I mean adult bookstore.

You. Can't. Make. This. Stuff. Up.

[colker]

Unlimited tolerance must lead to the disappearance of tolerance. If we extend unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, if we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them.—In this formulation, I do not imply, for instance, that we should always suppress the utterance of intolerant philosophies; as long as we can counter them by rational argument and keep them in check by public opinion, suppression would certainly be most unwise. But we should claim the right to suppress them if necessary even by force; for it may easily turn out that they are not prepared to meet us on the level of rational argument, but begin by denouncing all argument; they may forbid their followers to listen to rational argument, because it is deceptive, and teach them to answer arguments by the use of their fists or pistols. We should therefore claim, in the name of tolerance, the right not to tolerate the intolerant.

Karl Popper, The Open Society and Its Enemies, 1945

That´s the spirit.. but the fascists end up in jail for any other crimes rather than opinion so the constitution is preserved. Like investigating money laundering practices or even the humble IRS. Bannon?

[colker]

And in other news...wtf?

If melancholy and ridicule could be combined and translated in one single image....

[Matthew Strongin]

We were just discussing that. I’d love to see that 70m broken down into the people who were actively voting for Trump and people who voted Republican in spite of him, because, well, that’s what we’ve always done...

Does it matter, though? A vote is a vote. Voting for Trump while holding one's nose is still a vote to keep him in office, extending his incompetence, furthering his divisive agenda, and enabling his grift. It's not the subset of fanatical followers or fringe groups like the Proud Boys that concern me. It's the millions upon millions of Americans who would continue to vote for Trump after four years of lies and incompetence because sticking with the GOP is more important than voting for a hopeful return to normalcy. As if a Biden presidency with slim control of the House and, with any luck and a shit ton of hard work, a split Senate would usher in a wave of far left changes that will destroy our democracy. A very close friend of mine who is a long time centrist Republican that abhors Trump jokes with me that he and Biden probably agree on many more policies than me and Biden. And he's probably right. So, long story short, I'm actually more concerned with those that voted Republican in spite of Trump than I am with the MAGA hat wearing, truck/boat flag flying zealots.

[Mark Walberg]

This wins as best picture ever shown on VS. (not counting all the great real photography, of course.)

[j44ke]

I think Trump is waiting for a buy out offer. He wants something to leave. Probably US gov. applied pressure on Deutsche Bank to forget his debt but would settle for a blanket pardon.

[guido]

I think Trump is waiting for a buy out offer. He wants something to leave. Probably US gov. applied pressure on Deutsche Bank to forget his debt but would settle for a blanket pardon.

I was thinking more like a blanket in the cell.

[mzilliox]

Unlimited tolerance must lead to the disappearance of tolerance. If we extend unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, if we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them.—In this formulation, I do not imply, for instance, that we should always suppress the utterance of intolerant philosophies; as long as we can counter them by rational argument and keep them in check by public opinion, suppression would certainly be most unwise. But we should claim the right to suppress them if necessary even by force; for it may easily turn out that they are not prepared to meet us on the level of rational argument, but begin by denouncing all argument; they may forbid their followers to listen to rational argument, because it is deceptive, and teach them to answer arguments by the use of their fists or pistols. We should therefore claim, in the name of tolerance, the right not to tolerate the intolerant.

Karl Popper, The Open Society and Its Enemies, 1945

diggin this

[theflashunc]

The game is pretty clear at this point, and it's looney tunes. Gum up the works long enough that states cannot certify the results, throwing it to GOP legislatures that they hope will send friendly electors to the electoral college, overriding the clear results of the election.

It's going to be interesting to see in Georgia how GOP turnout looks without Trump on the ballot.

[beeatnik]

Does it matter, though? A vote is a vote. Voting for Trump while holding one's nose is still a vote to keep him in office, extending his incompetence, furthering his divisive agenda, and enabling his grift. It's not the subset of fanatical followers or fringe groups like the Proud Boys that concern me. It's the millions upon millions of Americans who would continue to vote for Trump after four years of lies and incompetence because sticking with the GOP is more important than voting for a hopeful return to normalcy. As if a Biden presidency with slim control of the House and, with any luck and a shit ton of hard work, a split Senate would usher in a wave of far left changes that will destroy our democracy. A very close friend of mine who is a long time centrist Republican that abhors Trump jokes with me that he and Biden probably agree on many more policies than me and Biden. And he's probably right. So, long story short, I'm actually more concerned with those that voted Republican in spite of Trump than I am with the MAGA hat wearing, truck/boat flag flying zealots.

30M, 40M or 70M, it's an abstraction to me. And there's a fine line between analysis, empathy and demonization; it's my sense that the non-fringe Trump voters will never understand and never forgive us. Deplorable is their new queer.

[fastupslowdown]

30M, 40M or 70M, it's an abstraction to me. And there's a fine line between analysis, empathy and demonization; it's my sense that the non-fringe Trump voters will never understand and never forgive us. Deplorable is their new queer.

i could never get down to policies because Trump had none. Everything was visceral and base on how he felt at any particular moment. What really got to me was the mean spiritidness, total incompetence and the shambolic way his team responde to each self inflicted crisis. I honestly cannot understan why anyone voted for him but it sort of makes sense that the least educated were the ones who went for him. These are probably the same people who have the least professional experiene not serving on boards in senior management positions at large organizations. Even amongst Trump's CEO friends not one would ever allow him to run their business.

Imagine a CEO who refuse to refused to follow H.R. guidelines or be accountable to the board of directors? -Mike G

[beeatnik]

As a non-African-American person of color, this is the question I asked my affluent white friends: how did Trump's presidency impact you on a practical day to day basis. Most of my acquaintances are over 35 and use birth control or are childless. None were worse off in any measurable way in pre-pandemic 2020 than they were in 2016. It's nice to have principles.

All of my Latinx and Chicano friends are products of California state colleges (not the competitive ones) and they all have very high standards of living. They don't face any structural barriers in actualizing their potential, let alone threats to their physical well being. Most were in college when Pete Wilson was the original Trump in CA. They all voted for Biden.

America is so weird

I live in California.

[j44ke]

As a non-African-American person of color, this is the question I asked my affluent white friends: how did Trump's presidency impact you on a practical day to day basis. Most of my acquaintances are over 35 and use birth control or are childless. None are worse off in any measurable way in pre-pandemic 2020 than they were in 2016. It's nice to have principles.

I live in California.

Define worse. Sounds like you are talking about money/finances by your use of the word "measurable" and sarcasm in "It's nice to have principles."

How many of your affluent non-African-American friends of color did you ask?

Just wondering, not casting aspersions.

[beeatnik]

I wouldn't ask my black friends because it would be disingenuous. Just saying that for a certain type of white person, other than a Third Reich takeover, nothing coming out of Washington (two parties, three branches) has real impact on their day to day existence. This is an optimistic view. The whole arc of the moral universe bending to justice.

Now for poor people, most people of color, LGBQT persons, there's a different calculus.

edit: misread your first question.