Political Randomness

[Daehawk]

So if this works out the way it looks like it will then in 2024 if Harris runs and Trump comes back somehow do you think she could win?

In a normal world in a normal election in a normal time Id say yes. But from this election Id say no not at all.

[YellowKing]

I just don't see the party allowing Trump to come back in 2024. Trumpism? Absolutely. But he'll have the stench of loser on him after this and I don't think they're going to want to jump back into that chaos again. Plus he's going to be 4 years older by that time with his brain even more deteriorated than it already is.

[Daehawk]

Incendiary texts traced back to outfit run by top Trump aide

A texting company run by one of President Donald Trump’s top campaign officials sent out thousands of targeted, anonymous text messages urging supporters to rally where votes were being counted in Philadelphia on Thursday, falsely claiming Democrats were trying to steal the presidential election.

The messages directed Trump fans to converge at a downtown intersection where hundreds of protesters from the opposing candidates’ camps faced off Thursday afternoon. Pennsylvania is a crucial battleground state where former Vice President Joe Biden’s jumped ahead Friday and in a televised address later predicted a victory that would give him the presidency.

“This kind of message is playing with fire, and we are very lucky that it does not seem to have driven more conflict,” said John Scott-Railton, senior researcher at the University of Toronto’s online watchdog Citizen Lab. Scott-Railton helped track down the source.

If someone got hurt or killed IMHO that guy should be charged.

[Holman]

I just don't see the party allowing Trump to come back in 2024. Trumpism? Absolutely. But he'll have the stench of loser on him after this and I don't think they're going to want to jump back into that chaos again. Plus he's going to be 4 years older by that time with his brain even more deteriorated than it already is.

The backstabbery of Ivanka and Don Jr pushing Dad out of the way and fighting for the nomination will be glorious.

[Daehawk]

Conservative groups sue Whitmer, Benson over gathering limits, absentee ballots

Conservative groups are suing Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson in two separate lawsuits, one over free speech and the other over absentee voting.

The lawsuits are backed by the Thomas More Society, a Chicago-based non-profit law firm rooted in the pro-life movement. The groups themselves are Michigan offshoots of national groups, according to a representative from Lambert, a public relations firm publicizing the lawsuits.

[LordMortis]

[url=https://www.mlive.com/public-interest/2 ... llots.html]

I was prepared to go full outrage at this shit going again but then I saw the date was from August 26th. I will continue my enduring half mast outrage rather than adding to it at this time.

[Daehawk]

Dang thought that was new or an update. Sorry. Why old shit pops up in my news I dont know.

[Daehawk]

So not only do we have our first female black asian Vice President we have our first ever Second Gentleman.

[Jaymann]

Dang thought that was new or an update. Sorry. Why old shit pops up in my news I dont know.

It's the algorithms trying to keep you clicking by confirming your biases. Same reason Trumpets think Biden is head of a pedophile crime ring.

[Tao]

Had to run out this evening to do some errands and turned on CSPAN while driving in the car; good lord we are a nation of mostly morons if the dozen or more people that called in represent a cross-section of this country. I am exuberant that Trump lost but 70+ million people still voted for that POS and what happened to the other 100 million US citizens that didn't bother to come out and vote for possibly the most important election in the last few generations? Again really happy Trump is out but we still suck as a nation.

[Daehawk]

Oh scroll FaceBook. Its full of them. They say things like " I dont hate Biden but I dont think he is mentally fit to run this great country" and "Trump did so much for us and you voted him out" and also the lovely "Trump is a man of God who cares deeply for his supporters" ...yadda yadda yadda stupidity stupidity repeat repeat.

[YellowKing]

I haven't seen much anti-Biden sentiment from my Facebook, but it's probably because I purged most of the vocal Trump supporters. The closest thing I've seen is a bunch of "God is weeping for our country" type posts.

Begone! Your God has no power here.

[Isgrimnur]

I haven't seen much anti-Biden sentiment from my Facebook, but it's probably because I purged most of the vocal Trump supporters. The closest thing I've seen is a bunch of "God is weeping for our country" type posts.

Begone! Your God has no power here.

"I guess you didn't pray hard enough."

[RunningMn9]

Or maybe it’s a sign that God thinks Trump is an amoral pile of shit?

[Daehawk]

I think he sent a lot of signs he was unhappy with America's choice but people chose to ignore all the natural disasters and plague.

[Isgrimnur]

Law and Crime

The police chief of Marshall, Arkansas [Pop 1,355 - Isg] is out of a job after social media posts under his name called for violence against “Marxist Democrats.”

“When this is over and Trump is president for 4 more years,” said an account in the name of chief Lang Holland, “Do not go to sleep. Do not forget what these Marxist Democrat bastards have tried to do. When you see one in public get in their face do not give them any peace. Throw water on them at restaurants. Push them off sidewalks. Never let them forget they are traitors and have no rights to live in this Republic after what they have done.”

“Death to all Marxist Democrats. Take no prisoners,” the account author wrote in response to another post, “Leave no survivors!!”

The posts reportedly appeared on Parler, a social media platform that positioned itself as a conservative alternative to Twitter. Another account under Holland’s name denied that he was behind the violent posts.

“I am NOT an ignorant, violent, racist Trump disciple like I have been depicted,” this new account stated. “I actually lean hard left on most issues BUT I am professional so my political beliefs would never affect my duty to protect ALL citizens in my jurisdiction.”
...
“Upon my meeting with Mr. Holland he resigned as Police Chief for the City of Marshall effective immediately,” Mayor Kevin Elliott (D) said in a statement posted to Facebook. “Mr. Holland is no longer employed with the city.”

Holland previously caught some national attention as one of the law enforcement official who refused to enforce mask mandates amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

[raydude]

Oh scroll FaceBook. Its full of them. They say things like " I dont hate Biden but I dont think he is mentally fit to run this great country" and "Trump did so much for us and you voted him out" and also the lovely "Trump is a man of God who cares deeply for his supporters" ...yadda yadda yadda stupidity stupidity repeat repeat.

My personal trigger is a person from high school saying "President Trump has denounced white supremacy numerous times. Joe Biden, on the other hand, was and is for segregation and abortion."

[Holman]

My personal trigger is a person from high school saying "President Trump has denounced white supremacy numerous times. Joe Biden, on the other hand, was and is for segregation and abortion."

That's one of the ways the more polite neighborhoods of the Right try to dodge the charge of white supremacy. They tell themselves that access to abortion is actually a scheme to lower minority birthrates, so therefore Planned Parenthood is more racist than the KKK.

[Isgrimnur]

My personal trigger is a person from high school saying "President Trump has denounced white supremacy numerous times. Joe Biden, on the other hand, was and is for segregation and abortion."

That's one of the ways the more polite neighborhoods of the Right try to dodge the charge of white supremacy. They tell themselves that access to abortion is actually a scheme to lower minority birthrates, so therefore Planned Parenthood is more racist than the KKK.

About that...

CDC

Among the 32 areas that reported cross-classified race/ethnicity data for 2016, non-Hispanic white women and non-Hispanic black women accounted for the largest percentages of all abortions (35.0% and 38.0%, respectively), and Hispanic women and non-Hispanic women in the other race category accounted for smaller percentages (18.8% and 8.2%, respectively)

[Jaymann]

That's the best GIF I have seen in a while.

[Daehawk]

Former presidential candidate Andrew Yang announces move to Georgia; wants to help Dems take Senate

A man who once competed against President-Elect Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination now says he plans to move to Georgia in an effort to help him.

Wouldn't it be funny for Mitch who has won yet again to end up having to serve as the minority leader and be ignored for years instead of leading ? lol.

[Defiant]

Kansas billionaire Charles Koch now says that he regrets his partisan spending—admitting in his new book that it only made things worse, according to The Wall Street Journal. The 85-year-old tycoon’s book, Believe in People: Bottom-Up Solutions for a Top-Down World, says that he is shifting his focus from intense Republican partisanship to finding unifying answers to social issues instead. “Boy, did we screw up!” Koch writes. “What a mess!” He now wants to work together with Democrats and liberals like the American Civil Liberties Union, the LeBron James Family Foundation, and Democratic state legislative campaigns.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/billionai ... rtisanship

[Isgrimnur]

[LordMortis]

Kansas billionaire Charles Koch now says that he regrets his partisan spending—admitting in his new book that it only made things worse, according to The Wall Street Journal. The 85-year-old tycoon’s book, Believe in People: Bottom-Up Solutions for a Top-Down World, says that he is shifting his focus from intense Republican partisanship to finding unifying answers to social issues instead. “Boy, did we screw up!” Koch writes. “What a mess!” He now wants to work together with Democrats and liberals like the American Civil Liberties Union, the LeBron James Family Foundation, and Democratic state legislative campaigns.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/billionai ... rtisanship

The David Koch foundation does a lot of funding on PBS for non/partisan traditionally liberal programming.

[dbt1949]

l like reading the Al Jazeera site. Gives me a different look on the world. Anyrate one of the the things I like to read is their opinion section. Half the articles are about the USA. They are never flattering. Still interesting tho. But it makes me wonder why they care about writing about the faults of USA? They all have major problems in their own countries they seemingly ignore. But they seem to think the most important thing is to put down the USA.

[$iljanus]

l like reading the Al Jazeera site. Gives me a different look on the world. Anyrate one of the the things I like to read is their opinion section. Half the articles are about the USA. They are never flattering. Still interesting tho. But it makes me wonder why they care about writing about the faults of USA? They all have major problems in their own countries they seemingly ignore. But they seem to think the most important thing is to put down the USA.

I think many of their journalists would like to write about regional issues but they need to step carefully since the local governments may not take too kindly to a critical story and act accordingly.

Also local AL Jazzera coverage probably takes more of a regional news bent and covers more local interest stuff in addition to reporting on the Great Satan

[Kraken]

l like reading the Al Jazeera site. Gives me a different look on the world. Anyrate one of the the things I like to read is their opinion section. Half the articles are about the USA. They are never flattering. Still interesting tho. But it makes me wonder why they care about writing about the faults of USA? They all have major problems in their own countries they seemingly ignore. But they seem to think the most important thing is to put down the USA.

I think many of their journalists would like to write about regional issues but they need to step carefully since the local governments may not take too kindly to a critical story and act accordingly.

Also local AL Jazzera coverage probably takes more of a regional news bent and covers more local interest stuff in addition to reporting on the Great Satan

Yeah, you're reading news and opinions that are tailored for the US market. Most national and international publications have regional editions. If you lived in Germany, for example, Al Jazeera would look more Euro-centric -- at least to some degree. As a wounded 900-pound gorilla, the US is of disproportionate interest to most of the world right now.

[Holman]

A number of Al Jazeera journalists have been imprisoned by Middle Eastern regimes, so they're not whitewashing all their regional coverage.

[Defiant]

(I dunno, it might be better without the comma.)

[Kraken]

(I dunno, it might be better without the comma.)

I am a copy editor, and I approve this message.

[Max Peck]

Why bother granting yourself a pardon when you have the power to amend your constitution to grant yourself immunity for life?

Russia moves to protect Putin from prosecution

The Russian parliament's lower house - the Duma - has backed a bill granting the Russian president and his family immunity from criminal prosecution after he has left office.

It is among constitutional amendments approved in a referendum in July. Supporters of President Vladimir Putin dominate both houses of parliament.

Mr Putin's fourth term ends in 2024, but the bill, if passed by parliament, would let him run for two more terms.

He is 68 and has no obvious successor.

Under the immunity provisions, a former president and his family would have immunity from any police searches or questioning, or any confiscation of their property.

They would not be prosecuted for any crimes committed in their lifetime, except for alleged acts of treason or other grave crimes in exceptional circumstances.

I can't help but feel that Putin is just doing this to show Trump how a real president takes care of business.

[El Guapo]

Under the immunity provisions, a former president and his family would have immunity from any police searches or questioning, or any confiscation of their property.

They would not be prosecuted for any crimes committed in their lifetime, except for alleged acts of treason or other grave crimes in exceptional circumstances.

Look, I've never been a dictator (yet), but why would you include this? Guess what everyone is going to want to accuse you of if you have the unfortunate circumstance of getting toppled in a revolution?

[Paingod]

There has to be some limit or he'd be an Emperor and not a President.

I can't help but feel that Putin is just doing this to show Trump how a real president takes care of business.

That and to protect the billions he has stashed away for his own retirement. He's getting up there in age and the thought of relaxing must be appealing. There's speculation that he's managed to siphon anywhere from $70b to $200b in cash and has it tucked away for a rainy day.

[LawBeefaroni]

There has to be some limit or he'd be an Emperor and not a President.

I can't help but feel that Putin is just doing this to show Trump how a real president takes care of business.

That and to protect the billions he has stashed away for his own retirement. He's getting up there in age and the thought of relaxing must be appealing. There's speculation that he's managed to siphon anywhere from $70b to $200b in cash and has it tucked away for a rainy day.

It's pretty much a given that he's the world's richest man. He has a $1B house, FFS. Proving it, however, is another matter.

[Paingod]

It's almost comical when you need to run legitimate companies to manage a single illegal property because it's so huge.

[Jaymann]

In somewhat lighter news, I see some people making a big deal over Kamala Harris giving a fist bump to Lindsay Graham on the Senate floor. Now there is no denying that Graham is lower than dog waste you scrape off your shoe, but is this such a terrible thing? In a way it is like a mini concession gesture by Graham. So what say ye? Innocent congratulations by a Senate colleague or some secret eyes wide shut Illuminati dominance ritual?

[Holman]

If he offered the first-bump and she accepted it, that's just decent manners.

If she offered it and he accepted it, that's a pretty slick dominance move.

Either way, it makes Graham's cries of election fraud look as hollow as they are.

[YellowKing]

Whether we like it or not, she and Biden have to be able to work with these people. A small fist bump now may mean a deciding vote later on. Small gestures build trust.

[Paingod]

Still, it's disappointing to see people who will throw feces like angry monkeys when they're in charge but be friendly when they're not.

[Isgrimnur]

It's all theater for the rubes voters.