Too early to think about 2022?

[hepcat]

Meanwhile, here in Illinois the republican candidate Bailey is being backed by a PAC running ads featuring two black assailants attacking a white woman, and a video of Mayor Lightfoot with noticeably darker skin. The moment anyone questions Dan Proft, the scumbag behind these ads, he claims the viewers are racist for thinking they’re full of race baiting.

[Kraken]

Voters recoil from trumpster in MA governor's race.

Eight weeks ahead of the November election, Attorney General Maura Healey holds an imposing lead over Republican Geoff Diehl for Massachusetts’ open governor’s seat, a new poll found, her margins boosted by support from women and independent voters who say they loathe the GOP candidate’s embrace of Donald Trump.

Healey leads Diehl 52 percent to 26 percent, according to the Suffolk University/Boston Globe/NBC10 Boston/Telemundo poll of likely midterm voters. Her margin includes a 9-percentage-point advantage among independent voters, though several indicated in interviews that their support is less rooted in Healey’s appeal than another factor: They’re deeply averse to voting for a Trump-backed candidate such as Diehl, a former state lawmaker from Whitman.

The former president remains profoundly unpopular in Massachusetts; two-thirds of the 500 likely voters surveyed hold an unfavorable view of him, the poll found. And among the 17 percent who said they have not made up their mind in the governor’s race, more than half said they hold an unfavorable opinion of Trump.

It makes for a potential albatross, especially as Diehl — whom nearly half of poll respondents said they either never heard of or don’t have an opinion of — tries to appeal to a wider audience.

“The only candidate that I’ve ruled out is Geoff Diehl,” said Adam Lurie, a 27-year-old graduate student from Stoughton who said he’s leaned libertarian in the past and remains undecided about his choice for governor. “He’s made his politics pretty clear, that he’s going to be a Trump-style Republican. I’m not interested.”

Republicans generally score about 35% in statewide races. If Diehl beats that he's exceeding expectations; if he comes in at 30 or less it's a rout. The Mass. GOP turned its back on Baker-style RINOs in favor of MAGAts, so they're going to get wiped out.

Healey will be the first openly lesbian governor in US history.

[malchior]

It's becoming clearer that the actions of Abbott and DeSantis are part of a vile, racist campaign to cause a nativist panic to drive people to the polls. They want to take the focus off Dobbs perhaps but it also doesn't hurt that it whips up their most violent factions.

[Smoove_B]

Considering I've been seeing the usual suspects on local social media saying that Biden has been dropping off "illegals" in our part of NJ via bus late in the night for the last 2+ years, it would appear that once again every accusation is really a confession.

The idea that these clowns (And their supporters) overwhelming identify as Christian is really something.

[Pyperkub]

Kaiser Soze?

[Grifman]

[Holman]

I'm not normally a "trigger warning" guy, but the article describes disturbing animal cruelty.

For example:

Spoiler:

Dell’Orto testified that a dog experimented on by Oz’s team experienced lethargy, vomiting, paralysis, and kidney failure, but wasn’t euthanized for a full two days. She alleged other truly horrifying examples of gratuitously cruel treatment of dogs, including at least one dog who was kept alive for a month for continued experimentation despite her unstable, painful condition, despite how data from her continued experimentation was deemed unusable. According to Dell’Orto, one Oz-led study resulted in a litter of puppies being killed by intracardiac injection with syringes of expired drugs inserted in their hearts without any sedation. Upon being killed, the puppies were allegedly left in a garbage bag with living puppies who were their littermates.

[Alefroth]

[Kraken]

I'm not normally a "trigger warning" guy, but the article describes disturbing animal cruelty.

When you spoiler something, you're serious. I wish I hadn't clicked it.

Although I must say, "He cruelly kills puppies" is some next-level campaign material.

[Skinypupy]

Walker’s son’s reaction to the story. Granted he’s an attention whore, but…damn.

Not a good night for Walker’s campaign. Not that anyone who would have voted for him will change their mind over it.



EDIT: And more!

[hepcat]

I'm not normally a "trigger warning" guy, but the article describes disturbing animal cruelty.

For example:

Spoiler:

Dell’Orto testified that a dog experimented on by Oz’s team experienced lethargy, vomiting, paralysis, and kidney failure, but wasn’t euthanized for a full two days. She alleged other truly horrifying examples of gratuitously cruel treatment of dogs, including at least one dog who was kept alive for a month for continued experimentation despite her unstable, painful condition, despite how data from her continued experimentation was deemed unusable. According to Dell’Orto, one Oz-led study resulted in a litter of puppies being killed by intracardiac injection with syringes of expired drugs inserted in their hearts without any sedation. Upon being killed, the puppies were allegedly left in a garbage bag with living puppies who were their littermates.

Hurt a dog, I consider you a subhuman piece of shit not worth the gift of life.

[malchior]

[Skinypupy]

Point taken, but I don’t think Walker holds quite the cult-lie sway that Trump does.

[Pyperkub]

Point taken, but I don’t think Walker holds quite the cult-lie sway that Trump does.

You're not a Georgia football fan;)

[Kurth]

Interesting piece in the NYT the other day about gerrymandering. When I think about structural problems facing our democracy, gerrymandering would have been at the top of my list. This analysis by the NYT suggests it is an issue, but it’s actually much less of an issue now than it has been in years.

“In reality, Republicans do have a structural edge in the House, but it isn’t anything near insurmountable for the Democrats,” Nate writes. “By some measures, this is the fairest House map of the last 40 years.”
…

If anything, these two factors (dems living in cities; GOP more aggressive with gerrymanders) would seem to give the Republican Party a larger advantage in the House than it actually has. Why don’t they? Courts have managed to halt some Republican attempts at gerrymandering, including in Pennsylvania and North Carolina. And Democrats have enacted their own gerrymanders in Illinois, New Mexico and Oregon.

Recent shifts in the vote — connected to Donald Trump — have also shrunk what once was the Republicans’ advantage in the House map. Rural areas that were already conservative became even more so, leading to bigger Republican margins in some House races without adding any new seats for the party. At the same time, college-educated voters in the suburbs swung toward the Democrats, helping the party flip some districts.

…

Gerrymandering is a real problem for American democracy, especially in the drawing of state legislature districts, as The New Yorker’s Jane Mayer recently documented. Some states, like North Carolina, are also likely to redraw their congressional maps even before 2030, especially if a coming Supreme Court case restricts the authority of state courts. Still, if you were going to rank the biggest current threats to American democracy, gerrymandering would not be at the top of the list.

[El Guapo]

I'd actually put the Senate at the top of my list (compounded by the filibuster).

[gbasden]

I'd actually put the Senate at the top of my list (compounded by the filibuster).

I'd say one of the two major political parties going completely off the rails, flirting with fascism and having nothing but contempt for elections and the rule of law, but the Senate is good too.

[El Guapo]

I'd actually put the Senate at the top of my list (compounded by the filibuster).

I'd say one of the two major political parties going completely off the rails, flirting with fascism and having nothing but contempt for elections and the rule of law, but the Senate is good too.

The Senate is one of the main reasons why said party hasn't been politically marginalized for going off the rails.

[gbasden]

I'd actually put the Senate at the top of my list (compounded by the filibuster).

I'd say one of the two major political parties going completely off the rails, flirting with fascism and having nothing but contempt for elections and the rule of law, but the Senate is good too.

The Senate is one of the main reasons why said party hasn't been politically marginalized for going off the rails.

Sure, but it doesn't address the insanity that is causing all of the damage. It's a contributor, but not the core of the issue by any means.

[Holman]

Point taken, but I don’t think Walker holds quite the cult-lie sway that Trump does.

You're not a Georgia football fan;)

My dad passed away in 2020, but I would have loved to know his position on this race.

Dad was a die-hard Republican who voted for the nominee no matter who. On the other hand, he was a life-long Crimson Tide fan who hated The Georgia Bulldogs with the heat of a thousand suns.

[Pyperkub]

Point taken, but I don’t think Walker holds quite the cult-lie sway that Trump does.

You're not a Georgia football fan;)

My dad passed away in 2020, but I would have loved to know his position on this race.

Dad was a die-hard Republican who voted for the nominee no matter who. On the other hand, he was a life-long Crimson Tide fan who hated The Georgia Bulldogs with the heat of a thousand suns.

What did he think about Tuberville in Alabama as a "Senator"?

[Holman]

Point taken, but I don’t think Walker holds quite the cult-lie sway that Trump does.

You're not a Georgia football fan;)

My dad passed away in 2020, but I would have loved to know his position on this race.

Dad was a die-hard Republican who voted for the nominee no matter who. On the other hand, he was a life-long Crimson Tide fan who hated The Georgia Bulldogs with the heat of a thousand suns.

What did he think about Tuberville in Alabama as a "Senator"?

We never talked about it, but he probably supported him after the primary. Dad (who incidentally did live in Alabama then) died just a few days before the 2020 election.

[Jaymann]

So he only hated Auburn with the heat of a white dwarf?

[Holman]

In all honesty, I'm probably presenting a caricature. Dad was a National-Review Wm F Buckley conservative who eventually came to accept the "necessity" of Trump. But he did sit out the Roy Moore election (where Democrat Doug Jones won), and he probably would be rolling his eyes at Walker's obvious unsuitability for elected office.

Republicans are weird.

[malchior]

This is a pretty common refrain today. I just picked this clip off a pile of them. It's not a shock but this is the face of the modern GOP.

[Holman]

I'm not normally a "trigger warning" guy, but the article describes disturbing animal cruelty.

When you spoiler something, you're serious. I wish I hadn't clicked it.

Although I must say, "He cruelly kills puppies" is some next-level campaign material.

[LordMortis]

"Who's Giesselle? Is she running for something?"

I feel for you PA. I hope you do your job as I hope we do ours.

[Kurth]

There are probably a million different ways Oz could have parried this "you killed puppies" attack to make it seem juvenile and immature.

But this is Oz, who probably ranks up there with some of the worst candidates for state-wide office we've ever witnessed. And his response has been pathetic so far. It's like he's not even really trying to win.

The MAGAt in Chief sure knows how to pick 'em!

Edit to add: I just went to Oz's twitter page, and the first comments I saw to any of Oz's post all included reference to his puppy killing. I particularly liked this one:

[Smoove_B]

But this is Oz, who probably ranks up there with some of the worst candidates for state-wide office we've ever witnessed. And his response has been pathetic so far. It's like he's not even really trying to win.

Because none of it matters. Instead, the fact that he has a (R) after his name on the ballot means a significant number of people will vote for him no matter what. Because to do anything else is unthinkable. It's the same with Herschel Walker. Jesus loves him (he told Herschel it's true) and degenerates on social media today saying they don't care at all about the abortion story. He's a (R) running against (checks notes) a literal pastor on the (D) ticket so they must vote for him. It's a goddamn cult.

[LordMortis]

they don't care at all about the abortion story.

And that's all that need to be said about their character for the rest of time. Popehat as you used to say.

[Unagi]

But this is Oz, who probably ranks up there with some of the worst candidates for state-wide office we've ever witnessed. And his response has been pathetic so far. It's like he's not even really trying to win.

Because none of it matters. Instead, the fact that he has a (R) after his name on the ballot means a significant number of people will vote for him no matter what. Because to do anything else is unthinkable. It's the same with Herschel Walker. Jesus loves him (he told Herschel it's true) and degenerates on social media today saying they don't care at all about the abortion story. He's a (R) running against (checks notes) a literal pastor on the (D) ticket so they must vote for him. It's a goddamn cult.

Total,100%, truth.

[Holman]

It ought to be astonishing that the violent, wife-assaulting, child-neglecting, secret-abortion-funding, serial liar and grifter can run on "I'm a true Christian" against a literal Christian minister.

But of course it isn't because we live in Crazyworld now.

[malchior]

It ought to be astonishing that the violent, wife-assaulting, child-neglecting, secret-abortion-funding, serial liar and grifter can run on "I'm a true Christian" against a literal Christian minister.

They released a nihilistic ad to address that as well.

[Holman]

[Narrator:] He hasn't overcome it.

[Holman]

At this point I'm going to assume that there are half a dozen or so Herschel abortions out there.

[Holman]

Dude gets redeemed a *lot*.

[Skinypupy]

Dude gets redeemed a *lot*.

You jest, but I'm already seeing that as the spin.

"Walker was an imperfect sinner. But he accepted Christ, saw the error of his ways, and is now seeking to atone for the grievous errors he made by tirelessly advocating for the precious unborn."

[Holman]

Dude gets redeemed a *lot*.

You jest, but I'm already seeing that as the spin.

"Walker was an imperfect sinner. But he accepted Christ, saw the error of his ways, and is now seeking to atone for the grievous errors he made by tirelessly advocating for the precious unborn."

I mean, is he redeemed every morning for his uncaring neglect yesterday?

[malchior]

Don't forget he went on tv and pretended he had no idea who she was. Though to be fair, his brain is so compromised that possibly he forgot her for real.

[Isgrimnur]

Did he get visitation and let Paul Bettany watch him?