All purpose news and politics thread part VI: This Is Not The Time For Posing

[worstblogever]

On this day in 2014, "Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day" ran a profile of former U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, a man who responded to the Columbine shooting by saying he felt that bazookas should be legal, who fretted over the gay community "infiltrating" centers of power in America to push for more abortions in 2004 (since gay people cause so many pregnancies in the first place), and advocated for the death penalty for abortion doctors (even though abortion is legal). Coburn also was involved in the attempted coverup in former Sen. John Ensign's affair in 2008, denied climate change by claiming Earth was entering a "mini ice age", and moved unilaterally to try and block the Zadroga Bill to provide healthcare assistance for 9/11 First Responders. He also helped add fuel to the conspiracy theory that the government was trying to "buy up all the ammunition", terrifying gun lovers in 2013, voted against disaster relief for Hurricane Sandy (even though he constantly asks for relief aid for tornadoes in Oklahoma), and complained about NBC airing "Schindler's List" on television because it had too much violence and sex in it. Sen. Coburn retired this past year, to battle prostate cancer, and we continue to wish him well in his recovery, even in spite of all of the valid criticisms we have with his politics.

It was on this date in 2015 that Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day posted profiles of Chris Buttars, a former Utah State Senator who found his calling working for fifteen years as executive director and fundraising consultant for Utah Boy Ranch, a place where parents who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints send their "troubled youth" who are thinking of leaving the church to teach them a lesson, that's known in many circles as "The Mormon Gulag". And according to many accounts, the Utah Boy Ranch was an environment where children were forced into backbreaking labor, and sexual abuse was not unheard of among the charges, and Buttars even admitted to a reporter once that the ranch should not be funded, for fear of government oversight actually getting eyes upon the camp's practices.Outside of that, as a legislator, Buttars co-sponsored a bill to ban all student organizations that support alternative lifestyles taking to the floor of the Utah State Senate to say that student organizations were "recruitment tools for gays" and would "tear down the moral pillars of society", tried to vote to allow corporate water systems to refuse to fluoridate their water supplies (John Birch Society territory), argued against evolution being taught in schools unless intelligent design was also allowed to be discussed, and he supported legislation which would allow for gold and silver coins to be accepted as legal tender in Utah. But Buttars drew our attention because he was an equal opportunity bigot, on different occasions making a variety of vile comments about gays, minorities, and Muslims, including arguing that gays cannot actually be discriminated against, stating his belief that the Brown vs. Board of Education ruling was “wrong”, claiming that Islam had completely been taken over by “the radical side”, and referring to homosexuality as “sexual perversion”, or “pig sex”. Buttars retired for health reasons in 2011, hinting he’d written a memoir that will not be published after his death, because he’s self-aware enough to know all his ugly opinions in it will face criticism he’d rather not deal with.

On this date in 2016, "Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day" profiled Anthony Cappola, a candidate for New Jersey State Assembly in 2015 whose resume was that he ran a company that provides DJs, videographers, and other entertainers at weddings. Well, he also was an amateur author, and someone got their hands on his 2003 book, “Outrageous”, in which he provided his thoughts on gays, Asians, senior citizens, blacks, public breastfeeding, andeven singled out Pope John Paul II and John Tesch for other criticism. It is, quite simply, a string of 223 pages of slurs and graphic sexual discussion chock full of spelling and grammatical errors. Now, here’s the kicker… Cappola did apologize, and withdrew from the public eye when he was “found out”, but he declined to leave the race for the Assembly seat. The New Jersey GOP only let him remain on the ballot because it would have cost $200,000 to have his name removed from the ballot as they wished. Cappola stayed in until the bitter end, insisting his book was supposed to come off like a cross between “Rush Limbaugh and Howard Stern”, but insisted his book was just satire and that he wasn’t a sexist bigot because he “cherishes the relationships I have with my friends who are gay, bisexual, black and Hispanic and the Korean community that I’m a part of.” Ah yes. The classic, “I can’t be racist because I have minority friends” defense. That clears it all up, right? Yeah… not so much. Cappola ended up losing the race for his seat, and even dragged down Mark DiPisa, the Republican he was bracketed with on the ballot. Cappola’s political career is apparently over.


Randy Voepel
It was on this day in 2017, 2018, as well as 2019, that “Crazy/Stupid Republican of the Day” first profiled Randy Voepel, a former mayor of Santee, California, who had the good fortune of running for a seat in the California State Assembly in 2016 without being challenged by a Democrat. Specifically, our issue with Randy Voepel begins with his views on climate change, which somehow also becomes how to weaponize it against faiths other than his own. Voepel thinks the planet actually is getting warmer… but he feels like that is a good thing because as he explained in an interview back in 2007, “our enemies are on the equator” and a hotter climate would harm them. He still feels this way today, giving an interview to the Los Angeles Times where he explained, “Most of the Muslim nations are in the hot areas of the world”. It’s hardly just Muslims in the Middle East that Voepel has issues with, however, as he also have some unfortunate opinions about both the Asian people. He responded to a Chinese citizen who wanted his autograph for a collection he keeps by writing them in e-mail in which he stated:

”I respectfully decline to cooperate in any way with what I consider to be an enemy of the United States. The People's Republic of China is a repressive and evil communist regime that runs a Police State. I fought in Vietnam to stop communism and will fight communism until the day I die. Please accept me as a very determined enemy, as I assume you to be to me.”

He also once gave a paranoid rant about the Vietnamese supposedly stripping a local mine, saying, “I served two tours in Vietnam. And I’m getting attacked here by the Viet Cong, stealing my copper, and I don’t like it.” There’s a lot to unpack there… does Voepel think there’s no difference between Vietnamese Americans and the Viet Cong he fought over forty years ago?

Needless to say, Voepel is probably not the kind of person you’d want to serve as an ambassador. Or as a legislator. Or as any kind of government employee. And yet… and yet he won re-election even in 2020 with 59% of the vote. He thus will remain ignorant, and in office, until at least 2022. Who knows, maybe San Diego would like to have a representative who actually shows up to vote, rather than miss all but one of them in August of 2020? Dare to dream of a legislator who doesn’t just show up to be a bigot and collect a paycheck.

[zinderel]

I guess Trump is mixing himself up with Biden. His Administration has been the one plagued with insane scandals. Some small and some just beyond the shit insane comedy for how badly it went. I will laugh if Biden goes through his 1 term with no scandals except a dreamed one created by Trump .

There'll be a scandal. If they cant find one, Republicans will make one up. We've seen all their tricks, at this point...

[worstblogever]

There'll be a scandal. If they cant find one, Republicans will make one up. We've seen all their tricks, at this point...

The obvious thing will be when the death toll is at 3-4K a day when Biden takes office they'll claim it got worse under Biden and ignore that it has been progressively worse since Trump and Republicans forced reopening back around Easter. Then when the death toll comes down, they'll try and give Trump credit for vaccine development that he had f*** all to do with while he was pushing "herd immunity".

It's pathetically predictable, but it's what they, and Fox News will do to lie to their own.

[worstblogever]

Ben Gibson is a guy who was coming up in the CSGOPOTD queue in a few weeks for being a Qanon supporter... well, it turns out he's kind of a hypocrite about supposedly being out to stop children from being molested in basements... because Ben Gibson, 2020 candidate for Congress in Louisiana was just arrested for child pornography.

[Tami]

Two more states filed in support of the Texas Supreme Court challenge to the election

The states of New California and New Nevada

Don't believe me?

Screenshot_2020-12-11 20201211114620451_Amicus 2020-12-11 Nutty pdf.jpg

Full Legal Filing

Welp, we now have states that don't even *exist* filing amicus briefs in #SCOTUS in Texas's overturn-the-election suit

It might have something to do with secessionist groups out west.

Still crazy

[Joker]

Ben Gibson is a guy who was coming up in the CSGOPOTD queue in a few weeks for being a Qanon supporter... well, it turns out he's kind of a hypocrite about supposedly being out to stop children from being molested in basements... because Ben Gibson, 2020 candidate for Congress in Louisiana was just arrested for child pornography.

That's the trend! Be vocally against the thing you're doing! This has been a GOP thing for a while now.

[Hellion]

Two more states filed in support of the Texas Supreme Court challenge to the election

The states of New California and New Nevada

Don't believe me?

Screenshot_2020-12-11 20201211114620451_Amicus 2020-12-11 Nutty pdf.jpg

Full Legal Filing

Welp, we now have states that don't even *exist* filing amicus briefs in #SCOTUS in Texas's overturn-the-election suit

It might have something to do with secessionist groups out west.

Still crazy

We've jumped the Kraken indeed.

[shooshoomanjoe]

Two more states filed in support of the Texas Supreme Court challenge to the election

The states of New California and New Nevada

Don't believe me?

Screenshot_2020-12-11 20201211114620451_Amicus 2020-12-11 Nutty pdf.jpg

Full Legal Filing

Welp, we now have states that don't even *exist* filing amicus briefs in #SCOTUS in Texas's overturn-the-election suit

It might have something to do with secessionist groups out west.

Still crazy

It's sad how far the GOP have fallen. These days, you can't tell if news about the GOP is real or an article from The Onion.

[JCAll]

Two more states filed in support of the Texas Supreme Court challenge to the election

The states of New California and New Nevada

Don't believe me?

Screenshot_2020-12-11 20201211114620451_Amicus 2020-12-11 Nutty pdf.jpg

Full Legal Filing

Welp, we now have states that don't even *exist* filing amicus briefs in #SCOTUS in Texas's overturn-the-election suit

It might have something to do with secessionist groups out west.

Still crazy

It sounds like a joke from a Fallout game. Madness.

[Mister Mets]

It lends legitimacy to Trumps claims of election fraud. Whether anyone with a shred of common sense takes it seriously doesn’t matter. This will be held up as “proof” by the craziest and loudest in your party. Frankly I doubt the GOP leadership will muster the courage to speak out against those voices.

I agree that it is a bad thing for those reasons.

The ... the media amplified stories about Sanders surrogates attacking Hillary and Biden because they wanted Democrats to win?

That is... ludicrous.

I suspect the media were blinded by two things: the extent to which the debates mirrored discussions within their social circle, and their certainty that Trump wouldn't win.

The question was not whether you think the briefs will end up having the election reversed, though. You say it's just "political posturing". So, does that mean you think everyone who is afraid someone may get hurt over this, or those saying how it is an attempted coup, it weakens our democracy ... these people are just being paranoid? Alarmist? Making mountains out of molehills, I guess?

Anyway, thanks for explaining what you were referring to, on the gun thing. I would disagree on categorizing it as contentious, however. At least, not such that I think most would avoid discussing it. I say this because I am one who would be all for getting rid of so many guns floating around out there, if I thought it were feasible at all. I would also not hesitate to tell anyone that, despite that I do know there are those on the left who disagree, for various reasons.

I think we avoid getting into arguments about it, just because I am not willing to bother putting a ton of effort into arguing for something that will not happen. It's the same as for reparations for African Americans. I would, and have, tell anyone that I am in favor of it, and will explain why if people want to talk about it. But, also not going to pour a ton of energy into trying to get a whole room to agree with me about it, because ... again, even if that whole room ends up agreeing, we're not going to see that actually happen.

Or, for that matter -- I believe a socialist economic system is more compatible with democracy than capitalism. And I think dissolving nations so we can address class exploitation is the only possible path to world peace; and, ironically, that that is probably impossible without a worldwide revolution.

Obviously, lots of people on the left disagree with me on that stuff; those on the right, even more so. But, I was willing to express these opinions, even when I was in the military. I don't know, I guess I'm agreeing with the estimate that I think right-wingers are more likely to hide their opinions.

I think different people on the left are responding to it in different ways. Some might be overly nervous, because people are primed to believe the worst about their political opponents, and some might know better, but exaggerate because there is some gain in it. To be clear, the Republicans have worse on this issue, as they're causing the problem, and they're in the wrong about most of the issues in contention regarding the validity of the election.

Progressives should hope that there are people in the country who secretly agree with them, but prefer not to share their views in conservative environments. This might have been instrumental in Biden winning Arizona and Georgia.

I have a thought exercise, one based on (apparently) many Republican's worse fear.

Let's say that Democrats gain enough control in government to enact all encompassing voter rights acts, outlaw any attempts by states to suppress votes, do away with gerrymandering, and [to make things a little more scary] somehow do away with the Electoral College.

Then, lets' say that, by doing so, Democrats become the sole Majority Party, and that Republicans lose support, lose elections, and are resigned to a place nearly as bad as the Green Party and other little league political groups.


What happens? Can the Republicans bounce back? Will some other group replace them? Or will they go rogue and do something troubling.

I'd imagine Republicans would bounce back, because of the way the two party system functions.

This requires Democrats to win the Senate, and enough state legislatures to make the Popular Vote Compact a reality. This is all plausible if unlikely. But parties tend to screw up when given power, and that leads to openings for someone else.

One factor is the extent to which voter suppression and gerrymandering makes a difference. We had record turnout, and it was pretty close, even with a terrible Republican President on the ballot.

It's going to be hard for a third party to emerge, when it's easier for outsiders to take over an existing party. But the likeliest scenario is that eventually Republicans recover.

And then they screw up and Democrats win a some point.

[CaptainEurope]

I'd imagine Republicans would bounce back, because of the way the two party system functions.

That's how my older French friends felt about their two party system, too.


Wasn't true.

[4saken1]

There'll be a scandal. If they cant find one, Republicans will make one up. We've seen all their tricks, at this point...

Yes, Biden's one gaffe (a la Benghazi) will be repeated for a thousand days, whereas each of Trump's thousand scandals were on the news for a single day. In the end, it all evens out and both sides are just as bad!

[PaulBullion]

I see on the covid-thread that Devin Nunes got the covid.

Wondering if he will get the special meds that Trump, Ghouliani and Ben Carson got.

[AnakinFlair]

Two more states filed in support of the Texas Supreme Court challenge to the election

The states of New California and New Nevada

Don't believe me?

Screenshot_2020-12-11 20201211114620451_Amicus 2020-12-11 Nutty pdf.jpg

Full Legal Filing

Welp, we now have states that don't even *exist* filing amicus briefs in #SCOTUS in Texas's overturn-the-election suit

It might have something to do with secessionist groups out west.

Still crazy

Wait, if these idiots want to secede from the United States anyways, why do they care who is President? Wouldn't they not recognize the President, no matter who it is?

[4saken1]

I have a thought exercise, one based on (apparently) many Republican's worse fear.

Let's say that Democrats gain enough control in government to enact all encompassing voter rights acts, outlaw any attempts by states to suppress votes, do away with gerrymandering, and [to make things a little more scary] somehow do away with the Electoral College.

Then, lets' say that, by doing so, Democrats become the sole Majority Party, and that Republicans lose support, lose elections, and are resigned to a place nearly as bad as the Green Party and other little league political groups.


What happens? Can the Republicans bounce back? Will some other group replace them? Or will they go rogue and do something troubling.

Frankly, the chances of this happening are nil. If they see that they can no longer win a majority of the vote, Republicans would simply find new ways to disenfranchise those that vote against them, all the while claiming that it is their opponents who are committing Election fraud. As long as most Americans have a roof over their heads, very few would give enough fucks to actually do anything about it! Look at autocrats in other countries. Most still have a significant minority of the population that actually believe that their leader really received 90% of the votes and that it is the opposition who is trying to rig the Elections. People in general are stupid, and Americans are some of the most confirmation biased dumbfucks on the planet!