Octopus Overlords

Unagi wrote: ↑Thu Mar 30, 2023 9:12 pm 34 Counts of falsifying business records (a lot will be 'overkill' on the details, but still)

El Guapo wrote: ↑Thu Mar 30, 2023 8:48 pm

So just to be clear, the viable 2024 GOP contenders now are the guy getting indicted for porn star hush money payments, and this guy. Note the casually normalized anti-Semitism of him repeatedly saying "Soros-backed".

malchior wrote: ↑Thu Mar 30, 2023 9:35 pm It sounds like it could be a whole lot more than just "hush payments" which would be pretty great. Perhaps it pulls in some of the Pomerantz case?

malchior wrote: ↑Fri Mar 31, 2023 1:07 am I'm hearing we might not learn much more before Tuesday. Still I'd be more than happy to hear they had a bigger case that'd at least potentially lower the volume on the 'this criming wasn't serious enough criming' chorus.

Pyperkub wrote: ↑Fri Mar 31, 2023 11:44 am Yeah, it sounds like it's a total of 34 charges, not just a couple. It could be worse for Trump than just incompetence at arranging a payoff (he should have used super pac funds, like everyone else for their corrupt dealings).

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I think people have been watching Trump’s primary polling numbers tick back up in recent weeks and have concluded that the indictment chatter was good for his political fortunes; therefore, actually being indicted must be even better for him, because it ensures way more news coverage of his alleged persecution. But I think that’s a wrong inference to draw for a few reasons.

... (read the piece for the full list of reasons!)

Third, we have not yet actually seen the text of the indictment. Politically, Trump is in the best possible phase for the indictment — he can attack the prosecutor based on his left-wing political alignment without having to actually discuss what’s in it. Maybe when we see the indictment, we’ll learn that it contains a more compelling legal theory than has been possible to surmise from the outside news coverage; maybe we won’t. Either way, it is sure to be full of embarrassing facts — note DeSantis pointing out that he’s personally unfamiliar with the legal difficulties associated with paying off a pornstar.

Fourth, mounting a legal defense can hamper a political career in certain practical ways. Most obviously, Trump could be sent to prison. Even if the legal theory of the indictment is a stretch, Trump and his allies are right to point out that he will face a very hostile jury pool in Manhattan that might be prepared to stretch. Even before there is a verdict, he will have to devote time and energy to his legal defense, and he will face trade-offs between his PR need to discuss (or campaign on) the charges in public and his legal needs as a defendant, which generally entail shutting up.

...

The way Trump’s legal troubles could help him were already baked in — he was already able to say the Deep State was out to get him, and voters believed him and they cared. The indictment surely wins him more sympathy from Republican voters, but are those voters who will surely say this makes them more likely to back Trump again actually expressing greater likelihood, rather than just their solidarity?

Octavious wrote: ↑Fri Mar 31, 2023 12:50 pm we'll all be dead before this case is ever resolved.

Pence called the indictment an example of the "criminalization of politics."

"The unprecedented indictment of a former president of the United States on a campaign finance issue is an outrage," he said. "Nothing more than a political prosecution."

Pence said Americans will see through this indictment and that it gives the country an "awful" look internationally.

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Fri Mar 31, 2023 1:31 pm I guess I'm a little surprised that Mike Pence would say this

Pence called the indictment an example of the "criminalization of politics."

"The unprecedented indictment of a former president of the United States on a campaign finance issue is an outrage," he said. "Nothing more than a political prosecution."

Pence said Americans will see through this indictment and that it gives the country an "awful" look internationally.

Never really saw his an someone to jump to the front of the fray and visibly speak out. He strikes me more as someone that would be creeping around behind the scenes and fomenting chaos.

Octavious wrote: ↑Fri Mar 31, 2023 1:47 pm Trumps solid base will never vote for Pence since he didn't throw out the election. Is he really that delusional that he has any chance or does he just have nothing better to do? I guess it could be both.

malchior wrote: ↑Fri Mar 31, 2023 1:55 pm It's a game of musicial politicos. They are all trying to stay in the game just in case Trump stops turning the monkey grinder.

malchior wrote: ↑Fri Mar 31, 2023 1:55 pm monkey grinder.

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Fri Mar 31, 2023 3:09 pm

malchior wrote: ↑Fri Mar 31, 2023 1:55 pm monkey grinder.

Street organ, played by an organ grinder.

malchior wrote: ↑Fri Mar 31, 2023 3:16 pm

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Fri Mar 31, 2023 3:09 pm

malchior wrote: ↑Fri Mar 31, 2023 1:55 pm monkey grinder.

Street organ, played by an organ grinder.

True! FWIW I had in mind a more "esoteric" reference.

Deceptively eloquent in both manner and speech, these loathsome creatures actually possess little intelligence, and suffer an illiteracy rate of 103%. This stupidity is, in fact, their Achilles' Heel. By tricking the creature into thinking it is receiving a gift, one could actually give it a one-way portal to the Planes of TransInfinite Splendor, banishing it forever.

[Trump] will face trade-offs between his PR need to discuss (or campaign on) the charges in public and his legal needs as a defendant, which generally entail shutting up.

gilraen wrote: ↑Fri Mar 31, 2023 12:40 pm It's not just Stormy Daniels. There's also Karen McDougal (remember her?)

Daehawk wrote: ↑Sat Apr 01, 2023 7:03 pm Nuke FloriDUH. ..except for any OOrs there and NASA.

Scoop20906 wrote: ↑Sat Apr 01, 2023 6:55 pm In Pence's dream world Trump gets in enough legal trouble the he turns to Pence for help and throws his base behind him in a deal that once Pence takes office he pardons all of his federal crimes and puts the screws to the State DA's won't playball. Something like that I think.

Cy Vance tells @jrpsaki the SDNY under Barr told the Manhattan DA to STAND DOWN on the hush money investigation.