All Purpose News and Politics Thread Part IV: The Center Cannot Hold

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Don't ever doubt Trump's cult of personality. Trump could, say, drop his pants and relieve himself on orphans and his approval rating will likely remain the same.

Vulgarities aside, it illustrates the reality that there are people who will always support Trump because he's Trump, not in spite of the fact that he's Trump. Sure, he will have Republican support who would, at the end of the day, prefer a Republican at all costs, yet you're never going to waiver the minds of those who have long adjusted the belief that Trump is this knightly figure who ascended to the elite, in spite of evidence to the contrary (he was born wealthy, he has had numerous failed enterprises, he has flip-flopped the political spectrum, and he has barely gotten stuff done in office thanks to the partisan divide that he has helped stoke the flames of).

Exactly that. To Trump's legion of lemmings, he appeals to their baser instincts, allowing them to act on their racist, xenophobic impulses which they've had to keep under wraps for years without fear of repercussion because they have a champion in the Oval Office. Trump, to paraphrase that asshole New Jersey sheriff, truly is the shining knight for aggrieved white people who want nothing to do with America having become a melting pot, who feel threatened by other races and who hate no longer being at the top of the societal pecking order. Those close minded deplorables are a lost cause that can't be reached under ANY circumstances, if they can't handle the realities of life in America in the 21st century, then they can just fuck off and die.

[PaulBullion]

Wishing Bernie Sanders a speedy recovery from his heart attack. He is not my favorite candidate, but he deserves his shot in the primaries.

[PaulBullion]

Monmoth just published a 10 point drop.

Also, historically speaking, Nixon didn't see approval among his base wane till the evidence came out and it fell off a cliff. Clinton watched it slowly erode during the process.

I think you misread that.
Monmouth: Impeachment Support Up Slightly But Trump Job Rating Steady

Trump’s overall job rating stands at 41% approve and 53% disapprove, which is similar to his 40% to 53% rating in August. Over the past 12 months, the president’s approval rating has ranged from 40% to 44% in Monmouth’s polling, while his disapproval rating has ranged from 49% to 54%.

[PaulBullion]

Wishing Bernie Sanders a speedy recovery from his heart attack. He is not my favorite candidate, but he deserves his shot in the primaries.

I apologize, I posted my sympathetic message before I saw that Knight wanted us to be assholes about it. Next time.

[Tami]

I'm confused. The Urgent Matter of the IG needing to meet with Congress turned over Propaganda materials that had been sent to Pompeo. Don't know why it's urgent and what it means.

[worstblogever]

In 2014, 2015, as well as 2016, "Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day" published profiles of Rick Santorum, the former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania, a two-time failed candidate for President of the United States aka “The Frothy One” himself. We're talking about a guy who demonizes the LGBTQ community, compares homosexuality to bestiality and relating his fight against marriage equality to the war on terror after 9/11. He also declared children conceived during rape to be "a blessing in disguise", said JFK's speech about his faith not excluding him from the presidency made him nearly "throw up in his mouth", and a variety of other race-baiting lines about minorities on welfare that I'd just as soon let you click on the link back to that original profile than have to type again. His presence in the 2012 elections drove the GOP so hard right that candidates were falling all over themselves to compete with him to match his opposition to BIRTH CONTROL, in a day and age where 98-99% of Americans have no problem with it. Santorum was inexplicably the runner-up to Mitt Romney for the GOP nomination for the office of President of the United States in 2012, and briefly threw his hat into the ring as a presidential candidate in 2016, although, without the curiosity he inspired four years earlier. He now just serves as a terrible pundit who occasionally turns up on cable news.

It was on this date in 2017, as well as 2018, that “Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day” profiled Danny Tarkanian, who repeatedly tried parlaying his family name into a career in politics, but in Nevada state-wide elections since 2004, is a six time loser. Yes, that is SIX times. In 2004, he lost a bid for U.S. Senate. In 2006, he failed to become Nevada's Secretary of State. In 2010, he had a second losing bid for U.S. Senate. In 2012, he bumbled away a shot at becoming the U.S. House Representative from Nevada's 4th Congressional District, and he tried carpet-bagging himself into Congress again unsuccessfully in 2016, losing against Congresswoman Jackie Rosen in Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District. And in 2018, Danny Tarkanian again had designs on Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District, now that Jacky Rosen is running for U.S. Senate, only to lose yet again to Susie Lee. For those who think his surname sounds familiar, Danny is the son of Jerry Tarkanian, the former head basketball coach of UNLV who led the Runnin' Rebels to a national championship, but also had the reputation of running some of the most corrupt programs in NCAA history. But while we've established Danny Tarkanian is a loser in politics of historic proportions, but the "why" still matters. Going back years, Tarkanian was also deeply involved in anti-immigrant rhetoric, so much so that he was endorsed by the anti-immigrant militia group known as the Minutemen, and in 2016, he endorsed Donald Trump's disastrous plan to build a border wall along the U.S./Mexico border. Immigration, of course, is not Danny Tarkanian's only extremist political stance, as he also believes there should be zero restrictions on the right to bear arms (so enjoy your tanks and tactical nukes, NRA nuts), and on abortion, believes there should not even be exceptions for incest or victims of rape. We also have to factor in Danny Tarkanian's shady real estate ventures, like the 2007 land deal that saw him lose a $17 million settlement, where his only defense was that it was the bank's fault (a bank which collapsed during the 2007-2008 finanical crisis) for giving him a loan that he would never actually be able to pay off. Truly, another example of hos the GOP is the Party of responsibility, right? Tarkanian has impotently threatened to sue the past two Democrats who trounced him for running attack ads bringing up his shady financial dealings and bankruptcy, that will, of course, be laughed out of court. We have yet to hear of Danny Tarkanian having announced a seventh run for office yet, and we’ll set aside his profile at this time, and go ahead and take a look at a different wacky Republican today instead. (Current crazy/stupid scoreboard, is now 787-40, since this was establish ed in July 2014.)


Kevin Nicholson

Welcome to what is the 787th original profile on the “Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day” blog, where we’ll be profiling a 2018 candidate for U.S. Senate from Wisconsin, Kevin Nicholson, a man who was such a terrible candidate that his own parents donated the maximum amount to his potential opponent, Sen. Tammy Baldwin, to defeat him. In a move that was the latest in GOP “Christian values”, Nicholson responded by writing an op-ed to rip his own parents, and claim that this was an example of “the intolerance of the Democartic Party”.

In a later radio interview, Nicholson attacked the “cognitive thought process” of veterans who support Democrats, claiming that they “abandoned the Constitution”, and that they “have shown overt disrespect to our veterans”. (We’ll remind you that Nicholson backs Donald Trump, a draft dodger who attacks Gold Star families, questions the honor of the late Sen. John McCain, and has repeatedly whined about not being able to violate the rights of others as they are granted in the Constitution.)

Bizarrely, in 1999-2000, Kevin Nicholson was the leader of the College Democrats of America, which earned him a bit of a double-take from Republican Primary voters, given his statements. His time with the group was highly tempestuous, though, as he acted more like someone conducting a coup than a progressive. Serving in the military during the war on terror only seemed to have turned him into a conservative nationalist, though, make no mistake, as he vocally supported Tump’s immigration policies and failed economic policies with tariffs on China.

Anyway, Kevin Nicholson couldn’t woo Republican voters by bagging on his parents, and lost in the GOP Primary to Leah Vukmir. Yes, THAT Leah Vukmir.

We’re pretty sure we’ve not heard the last of him, given that he is still in his early 40s, however his first foray onto the political scene wasn’t exactly overwhelming.

[Tami]

I'm confused. The Urgent Matter of the IG needing to meet with Congress turned over Propaganda materials that had been sent to Pompeo. Don't know why it's urgent and what it means.

Apparently the State Department IG received a packet in May. The packet came from the WH, and contained folders branded with Trump Organization logos, and contained newspaper clippings and other documents that promote conspiracy theories aimed to attack various people. Including the former ambassador to the Ukraine.

*sigh*

[shooshoomanjoe]

Amber Guyger sentenced to 10 years in prison

I wonder how long her sentence would have been had her victim been white.

[InformationGeek]

Guiliani is a bad lawyer. Yes, water is indeed wet, but I just had to say it anyways with this latest news.

Giuliani proposes suing House Democrats over Trump impeachment probe

[skyvolt2000]

Amber Guyger sentenced to 10 years in prison

I wonder how long her sentence would have been had her victim been white.

Who knows. Because I can think of some black guys who killed other black guys that got sentence LOWER than her.
Yet when some committed other crimes got LONGER terms.

I do find it funny in Texas-if it was not for robbery-very few black men would be in jail.

For white men-drugs, DWI and sexual assault of children.

[master of read]

and she could be out in 5 with good behavior.

[TriggerWarning]

Amber Guyger sentenced to 10 years in prison

I wonder how long her sentence would have been had her victim been white.

Appropriate sentence. I personally felt manslaughter would have been a better charge as it better fit what happened however the sentence is within the 5-10 yrs I felt she should have gotten with a manslaughter conviction.

[KNIGHT OF THE LAKE]

Appropriate sentence. I personally felt manslaughter would have been a better charge as it better fit what happened however the sentence is within the 5-10 yrs I felt she should have gotten with a manslaughter conviction.

It's tough because while it probably is more in line with manslaughter, it was in the man's fucking house and all the errors were on her. It wasn't her accidently hitting someone driving or whatever. It was at best voluntary manslaughter where the extenuating circumstances were completely caused by her. It's really a shame that it took something as egregious as a cop entering a man's house by accident and killing him for no reason besides her own stupid mistake to get an actual conviction.

[Iron Maiden]

It's tough because while it probably is more in line with manslaughter, it was in the man's fucking house and all the errors were on her. It wasn't her accidently hitting someone driving or whatever. It was at best voluntary manslaughter where the extenuating circumstances were completely caused by her. It's really a shame that it took something as egregious as a cop entering a man's house by accident and killing him for no reason besides her own stupid mistake to get an actual conviction.

Eh, that's not what I read. It was an apartment complex and her unit was on the 4th floor and his apt was on the 3rd floor, directly below. She got off on the wrong floor and the door was unlocked so she pulled her pistol and went in, thinking someone had broken into her apartment. I can actually see that happening. But they also brought up some questionable statements she made in casual conversation before this incident. That didn't help her case. I think manslaughter is not an unreasonable charge.

[Lord Falcon]

Eh, that's not what I read. It was an apartment complex and her unit was on the 4th floor and his apt was on the 3rd floor, directly below. She got off on the wrong floor and the door was unlocked so she pulled her pistol and went in, thinking someone had broken into her apartment. I can actually see that happening. But they also brought up some questionable statements she made in casual conversation before this incident. That didn't help her case. I think manslaughter is not an unreasonable charge.

If you think your apartment has been broken into, enter someone else's apartment with your gun drawn and kill an innocent person who has yet to attack you, then this definition of murder in Texas seems to fit the bill:

"The defendant intended to cause serious bodily injury and committed an act that was clearly dangerous to human life and this act caused the death of an individual."

Manslaughter is a killing through reckless behavior without needing to prove the intent to kill. The defendant here wasn't driving over the speed limit or leaving a live wire exposed - she entered an apartment she herself judged dangerous with her gun drawn and shot a man dead. That's the intent element necessary for murder.