All purpose news and politics thread part v: The quickening

[Tami]

Trump is fucking insane and just used his briefing to show a propaganda video of Fox News (of all networks) downplaying the virus so he could look like he took more decisive action

MSNBC has stopped airing the briefings, though they are showing the Q&A

[KNIGHT OF THE LAKE]

MSNBC has stopped airing the briefings, though they are showing the Q&A

CNN did the same.

Honestly wouldn’t be shocked if Fox did too since Trump trashed them with that clip

[Malvolio]

As he did for Hillary and campaigned for him and you still blamed him for the loss the last few years

I don't blame Bernie for Hillary Clinton losing in 2016. I blame some of Bernie's supporters who refused to follow him when he endorsed Hillary Clinton.

[Tami]

Chyron: Trumps blames previous administrations for slow Coronavirus response

[Mister Mets]

A lot of progressives have argued that the establishment Democrats went low against Bernie in the election. Not that I necessarily agree or disagree... just saying it's out there.

What is going low? Pointing out that Trump is a traitorous, corrupt, incompetent criminal who's entire Administration has been filled with the worst of society?

"Going low" would have many definitions. I'd say a big part of it is saying something that you either know or should know to probably be untrue.

I didn't ask you about supporting the Democratic candidate for president -- I asked why you support a party you know routinely goes low.

Trump is just a symptom -- everyone here knows that including you.

Plenty of the board liberals want Democrats to go low, so I do agree that this is a problem in current discourse.

Of course there is the question of what people who want a party to cross the line think is already acceptable.

[aja_christopher]

"Going low" would have many definitions.

You know exactly what people mean when they say the Republican party goes low.

Moreover, they do it in so many different ways they cover nearly all of the definitions -- which is something else you already know.

As you've dodged this question many times before I didn't expect this time to be any different.

If Democrats start going low in response to the behavior of the Republicans, you have no one to blame but your own party for lowering the bar.

[TheDarman]

Plenty of the board liberals want Democrats to go low, so I do agree that this is a problem in current discourse.

Of course there is the question of what people who want a party to cross the line think is already acceptable.

The issue is that if your opponent is going low and punching you in the crotch, swinging high will miss them.

[Tami]

Just listened in to Trump say "The President of the United States has the power to do what the President wants to do."

[WestPhillyPunisher]

CNN did the same.

Honestly wouldn’t be shocked if Fox did too since Trump trashed them with that clip

Nope, never happen. Faux News is married to Trump and will take their beatings from him while saying, “Please, sir, can I have some more?”

Just listened in to Trump say "The President of the United States has the power to do what the President wants to do."

Well, as long as sycophantic Republicans turn a blind eye to Trump’s bad behavior, is it any wonder he thinks that way?

[aja_christopher]

The issue is that if your opponent is going low and punching you in the crotch, swinging high will miss them.

Democrats saw where that got them while Obama was in office.

As an unwise man once said "Fool me once -- shame on you. Fool me twice... you can't get fooled again."

An unwise Republican man who -- along with his entire administration -- would be in prison for war crimes if there was any justice.

Democrats don't need to go low -- they just need to enforce the laws and start sending these criminals to prison where they belong.

Instead we now have Trump at the head of our nation during one of the worst economic and health crises in our nation's history.

Because Republicans.

Well, as long as sycophantic Republicans turn a blind eye to Trump’s bad behavior, is it any wonder he thinks that way?

They don't just turn a blind eye to it -- many of them, including prominent veteran Republicans like William Barr, openly encourage and support it.

[numberthirty]

The issue is that if your opponent is going low and punching you in the crotch, swinging high will miss them.

In an actual fight?

Sure.

In the context of an election where voters who already do not participate would have one more potential reason to say "Didn't I Have To Put Up With Enough 'Clown Shoes..." Already?..."?

I've got my doubts.

I tend to believe that folks would get out to throw a lever for something that actually works in their interest as opposed to what feels like the desire to settle scores of a few folks on a comic book message board.

I can get the instinctual reaction. I'm just not so sure how far and wide it is one that is shared.

[DrNewGod]

Just listened in to Trump say "The President of the United States has the power to do what the President wants to do."

Thus sayeth Nixon. About a year before he folded his hand.

Of course, back then even Tricky Dick's own party was willing to say Us Winning < Totalitarianism.

[numberthirty]

Nope, never happen. Faux News is married to Trump and will take their beatings from him while saying, “Please, sir, can I have some more?”

Just to point this one out...

That was not how Jedediah Bila reacted the other day. She's not exactly turning in her badge, but the reaction was also not "Please, Sir, Can I Have Some More?"

[Malvolio]

In an actual fight?

Sure.

In the context of an election where voters who already do not participate would have one more potential reason to say "Didn't I Have To Put Up With Enough 'Clown Shoes..." Already?..."?

I've got my doubts.

I tend to believe that folks would get out to throw a lever for something that actually works in their interest as opposed to what feels like the desire to settle scores of a few folks on a comic book message board.

I can get the instinctual reaction. I'm just not so sure how far and wide it is one that is shared.

But how do you get people to realize what's actually in their best interest and what isn't? As someone once said, "It's easier to fool someone than it is to convince that someone that they've been fooled."

[Gray Lensman]

Speaking of crap from Republicans - in Wisconsin they are holding the stimulus money hostage unless the governor signs away even more of what little authority Walker left him.