US Politics Thread

[Federberg]

Jeepers.. another GOP Congressman is quitting... before the elections! Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin! I think MTG is an idiot. At this point, people like her and Gaetz no longer have the leverage they think they do. If they continue to piss off the majority of GOP Representatives they could cause the House to be flipped. I don't think these folks are smart enough to figure this out. And their entire model of being shock politicians that do crazy stuff to get donations cannot work in this environment. MTG has effectively made Speaker Johnson the Dems bitch. I expect Ukraine funding to happen in the coming months. What an own goal!!

 

[Moxie]

Jeepers.. another GOP Congressman is quitting... before the elections! Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin!

The timing is interesting. According to WI state law, he can't be replaced, so that seat will stay vacant. Has to have been willful. He's non-MAGA.

I think MTG is an idiot. At this point, people like her and Gaetz no longer have the leverage they think they do. If they continue to piss off the majority of GOP Representatives they could cause the House to be flipped. I don't think these folks are smart enough to figure this out. And their entire model of being shock politicians that do crazy stuff to get donations cannot work in this environment. MTG has effectively made Speaker Johnson the Dems bitch. I expect Ukraine funding to happen in the coming months. What an own goal!!

While I do think MTG is an idiot, I'm not sure if you're too optimistic that she and Gaetz and they're ilk don't still hold real sway. Mike Johnson does seem to be weak, but he's defying them, and passing legislation to keep the government from shutting down. (What a concept!) Obviously, there is a fight for the heart and soul of the Republican party, but it feels like it's already lost.

 

[Federberg]

The timing is interesting. According to WI state law, he can't be replaced, so that seat will stay vacant. Has to have been willful. He's non-MAGA.

While I do think MTG is an idiot, I'm not sure if you're too optimistic that she and Gaetz and they're ilk don't still hold real sway. Mike Johnson does seem to be weak, but he's defying them, and passing legislation to keep the government from shutting down. (What a concept!) Obviously, there is a fight for the heart and soul of the Republican party, but it feels like it's already lost.

no I don't think so. Their leverage is no longer what they think it is. They previously operated in an environment where they were the sole owners of the self destruct button. But now if any member is tired of all their shenanigans they can exercise an option that is more powerful. Reducing or eliminating the GOP majority is more consequential than displacing a Speaker. That's just a fact. I didn't think it was possible but there's a new Crazier Man in the picture

The point is that the fewer GOP Reps there are, the more powerful the quit option becomes. And the more tenuous the power of the MTG's and Goetz's becomes

 

[Federberg]

in the age of victim culture.... he may have a point!

 

[Federberg]

impressive young man...

 

[Moxie]

in the age of victim culture.... he may have a point!

It's not just "the age of victim culture." It's the victimhood that he plays on, for himself and his people. it's specific to them. But, yes, the two-edged sword of all of this is, if judgements go against Trump, his people will only call it a "witch-hunt," as they do now. Same way they don't believe that the lost the election. There's an "out" for everything.

 

[Federberg]

It's not just "the age of victim culture." It's the victimhood that he plays on, for himself and his people. it's specific to them. But, yes, the two-edged sword of all of this is, if judgements go against Trump, his people will only call it a "witch-hunt," as they do now. Same way they don't believe that the lost the election. There's an "out" for everything.

I'm not worried about his people. He could kill someone on 5th Avenue and they won't budge. I'm worried about the weirdos who are actually persuadable? How the heck anyone can be persuadable is still one of the great mysteries, but that's who I'm worried about

 

[Federberg]

on another note... the grift by Trump is strong and delicious. He’s now selling bibles - King James bibles! - to raise cash to fund his legal fees for a case involving adultery with a porn star. You CAN’T make this up!!

 

[Front242]

 

[Federberg]

I keep saying it... there's something seriously wrong with the polling. Dems having crushing wins in an election year in. Alabama just doesn't tie in to Biden trailing Trump. Mark my words...

Democrat who campaigned on reproductive rights wins special election for Alabama state House seat

After an IVF ruling that sent shockwaves through Alabama, Democrat Marilyn Lands won the special election for a state House seat running heavily on reproductive rights.

www.cbsnews.com

 

[Moxie]

I'm not worried about his people. He could kill someone on 5th Avenue and they won't budge. I'm worried about the weirdos who are actually persuadable? How the heck anyone can be persuadable is still one of the great mysteries, but that's who I'm worried about

I don't think this extends to much of anyone that matters besides his people. I mean, it might draw out the occasional "weirdo" that might have stayed home. But many people who consider themselves conservatives, and tend to vote Republican, but aren't in the thrall of Trump have said that a conviction would make him ineligible for the Presidency, in their view. That opinion has come up a lot when they talk to people voting in the primaries. Now, will they stay home, or vote 3rd party? But this kind of "victimhood" mentality is part of the authoritarian inclination. "You've been robbed of what you once had, of the country you had, etc." and he already has those people.

 

[Moxie]

I keep saying it... there's something seriously wrong with the polling. Dems having crushing wins in an election year in. Alabama just doesn't tie in to Biden trailing Trump. Mark my words...

Democrat who campaigned on reproductive rights wins special election for Alabama state House seat

After an IVF ruling that sent shockwaves through Alabama, Democrat Marilyn Lands won the special election for a state House seat running heavily on reproductive rights.

www.cbsnews.com

We have talked about the problems with polling over the last several election cycles, now. There seem to be efforts to fix them. But I found an Alabama paper that called that race "competitive" only yesterday, and Lands won by 25%! That's a landslide. And she lost in that district by 7 percentage points 2 years ago. A 32% swing in 2 years. In Deep Red Alabama.

As if the abortion issue were not enough of a problem for Republicans, Alabama added that ruling on IVF/embryos...anyway, it has translated to the notion of IVF being under siege. This has added a whole new raft of voters who see how the Dobbs decision has opened up a huge can of worms that can affect them, even if they have no intention of having an abortion, or would be against it.

I don't know if this translates to votes for Biden, at the top of the ticket. But he's campaigning on it, and Harris is working hard on it, too. We have a few election cycles and special elections that show it to be a powerful issue for voters.

 

[Moxie]

Those who love a conspiracy theory have already seized on the Francis Scott Key Bridge accident. And they seem to have left no conspiracy option untouched. Well, I haven't heard "aliens" yet, but I'm sure it's coming. I might suggest waiting for a few more facts to come out before leaping to conclusions. Sometimes a terrible accident is just that. #occamsrazor

Online Conspiracies About the Baltimore Bridge Collapse Are Out of Control

Conspiracy theorists are calling the Baltimore bridge collapse a “black swan event,” and blaming everything from Israel to DEI to Covid vaccines.

www.wired.com

 

[Front242]

Those who love a conspiracy theory have already seized on the Francis Scott Key Bridge accident. And they seem to have left no conspiracy option untouched. Well, I haven't heard "aliens" yet, but I'm sure it's coming. I might suggest waiting for a few more facts to come out before leaping to conclusions. Sometimes a terrible accident is just that. #occamsrazor

Online Conspiracies About the Baltimore Bridge Collapse Are Out of Control

Conspiracy theorists are calling the Baltimore bridge collapse a “black swan event,” and blaming everything from Israel to DEI to Covid vaccines.

www.wired.com

You expects facts to come out? What facts did they find out about Nord Stream 2 although we all know who blew it up...

 

[Moxie]

You expects facts to come out? What facts did they find out about Nord Stream 2 although we all know who blew it up...

But you look for conspiracies before you even try to look for facts. I find that problematic. Leaping to conclusions is a very self-satisfying thing, but it tends to ignore facts. Facts aren't as fungible a thing as the internet would lead you to believe. And sometimes they can and should be believed.

 

[Front242]

But you look for conspiracies before you even try to look for facts. I find that problematic. Leaping to conclusions is a very self-satisfying thing, but it tends to ignore facts. Facts aren't as fungible a thing as the internet would lead you to believe. And sometimes they can and should be believed.

I dunno where you came to that conclusion but you're dead wrong. I most certainly do not look for so called conspiracy theories before looking for facts. Who the hell blew up Nord Stream 2 so? Everyone and their dog knows the US did. Why do you think it was brushed aside by the media? Because it doesn't suit the narrative to tell the world the good old US of A blew it up....

 

[Federberg]

I dunno where you came to that conclusion but you're dead wrong. I most certainly do not look for so called conspiracy theories before looking for facts. Who the hell blew up Nord Stream 2 so? Everyone and their dog knows the US did. Why do you think it was brushed aside by the media? Because it doesn't suit the narrative to tell the world the good old US of A blew it up....

sorry maybe I've missed the thread... how did we get from the Baltimore Bridge to Nordstream?

 

[shawnbm]

The Internet is both the scourge and the blessing. People just make things up and send things around just to get a rise out of others. I don't think anyone in her right mind truly believes there is anything more to this than it being a tragedy stemming from an unexpected power loss, which unfortunately was on a massive containership that needs miles to make a turn or a change in direction. Think about 95,000 tons and what that means! There was nothing these expert pilots for the captain of the vessel could do under the circumstances.

 

[Federberg]

issue addressed here... starting to wonder if folks need a license to access the internet. Or maybe mandatory lessons in school to be able to process information. It's getting out of hand

 

[Front242]