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

[Zauriel]

You can’t compromise with or try to appease fascists. Just ask Neville Chamberlain.

If you wanna try to get both sides to work together, just ask Abe Lincoln for advice.

Abe was a Republican but he appointed several Democrats including Andrew Johnson as military governor of Tennessee and later VP.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

Virginia State Senator Ben Chafin (R) has died of COVID-19 at VCU in Richmond.

I’m assuming Chafin was an anti-masker. If so, then his death was needless and entirely preventable. It’s just plain sad that Republicans will never, EVER learn.

[Tami]

The 2020 High School Yearbook of Donald J. Trump: The year’s best, worst and weirdest political players.

[Mister Mets]

Lin Wood has "speculation he may be a Democrat" he says, after insisting he posts in good faith.

The goalpost you have set up is that the idea that anyone has thought that Lin Wood is a Democrat is so ridiculous that it must be made in bad faith, and that someone should be called for it personally.

So let's take a look at that.

This isn't about whether Lin Wood is more likely than not to be a Democrat, but whether anyone else might come to that conclusion.

Some on the right have literally made this argument.

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/1...blicans-442776

So my statement about there being speculation is literally true.

I suppose it would be bad faith if I knew for sure they were saying things they knew to be untrue. I would argue there is some doubt. The basis is that Lin Wood is doing things that are harming Republicans, and has a record of supporting Democrats in the past. He has contributed to President Obama, the Democratic nominee for Senate in 2014, and a candidate for Governor in 2018. He voted in Democratic primaries as recently as 2018.

https://news.yahoo.com/pro-trump-law...140229785.html

The contributions are a matter of public record. I would certainly argue that someone claiming that Republicans should not participate in two competitive Senate elections in order to help someone with a high approval rating within the party is hurting the party.

Is it ridiculous to consider the possibility that a guy who voted in Democratic primaries in 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2018 is doing things that will help Democrats because he wants the party to win?

It's certainly possible that he has other reasons, which I clearly included in my post.

[worstblogever]

The goalpost you have set up is that the idea that anyone has thought that Lin Wood is a Democrat is so ridiculous that it must be made in bad faith, and that someone should be called for it personally.

So let's take a look at that.

Let's not. Because at this point, you're starting to peddle conspiracy theories about conspiracy theorists themselves, and pretending it's a legitimate inquiry that bears watching.

[PaulBullion]

double post

[PaulBullion]

IMO Chris Murphy deserves credit and recognition for making that speech. Sometimes I wonder if the Dem leadership actually understands the degree of crazy they're up against.

I think they do.

It just looks differently from the outside because they, unlike the GOP, take the job of running the country very seriously, and most of them will not use, say, shutting down the government as leverage to get their way. But they don't compromise because they trust Republicans, they compromise because they don't want people to be evicted.

[PaulBullion]

This guy is a lunatic.

He has adopted the unconventional legal strategy of accusing Supreme Court chief justice John Roberts of being a pedophile, and pimping out his children.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumpi...rous-pedophile

He is calling on Republicans to boycott the elections in Georgia to prove the voting machines are hacked.

https://www.newsweek.com/pro-trump-l...perdue-1557384

There is some speculation that he may be a partisan Democrat (he voted in earlier primaries and donated to campaigns) conning Trump supporters.

https://www.cbs46.com/news/trump-tea...0d4c2f041.html

Though his former law partners claim that he thinks he's the second coming of Christ.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/trumpi...rist-documents

Big if true.

That is mainstream GOP, or will be in a few weeks.

[PaulBullion]

Virginia State Senator Ben Chafin (R) has died of COVID-19 at VCU in Richmond.

60 years old.

He still had years of trying to destroy the country ahead of him. So sad.

[PaulBullion]

The goalpost you have set up is that the idea that anyone has thought that Lin Wood is a Democrat is so ridiculous that it must be made in bad faith, and that someone should be called for it personally.

So let's take a look at that.

This isn't about whether Lin Wood is more likely than not to be a Democrat, but whether anyone else might come to that conclusion.

Some on the right have literally made this argument.

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/1...blicans-442776

So my statement about there being speculation is literally true.

I suppose it would be bad faith if I knew for sure they were saying things they knew to be untrue. I would argue there is some doubt. The basis is that Lin Wood is doing things that are harming Republicans, and has a record of supporting Democrats in the past. He has contributed to President Obama, the Democratic nominee for Senate in 2014, and a candidate for Governor in 2018. He voted in Democratic primaries as recently as 2018.

https://news.yahoo.com/pro-trump-law...140229785.html

The contributions are a matter of public record. I would certainly argue that someone claiming that Republicans should not participate in two competitive Senate elections in order to help someone with a high approval rating within the party is hurting the party.

Is it ridiculous to consider the possibility that a guy who voted in Democratic primaries in 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2018 is doing things that will help Democrats because he wants the party to win?

It's certainly possible that he has other reasons, which I clearly included in my post.

sOMe PEopLe sAy

[WestPhillyPunisher]

I think they do.

It just looks differently from the outside because they, unlike the GOP, take the job of running the country very seriously, and most of them will not use, say, shutting down the government as leverage to get their way. But they don't compromise because they trust Republicans, they compromise because they don't want people to be evicted.

And therein lies the difference between the parties. Meanwhile, the GOP flat out doesn't give a damn if the people they were elected to represent wind up suffering as a direct result of their malice and indifference. Hell, if you were to inject each and every Republican with truth serum, then ask if the people deserved that meager $600 stimulus check, chances are they'd all say "NO".

[worstblogever]

sOMe PEopLe sAy

The Trump tactic for making false claims, being utilized by those who claim "i'M nOt EvEn a TrUmP RePuBlIcAn"?

That's unpossible!

[SUPERECWFAN1]

One of Trump's biggest effects in his last days is how he's splitting Republican party more. On Friday , Lindsey Graham came out and said McConnell needs to hold the $2000 stimulus vote alone. That it needs to be done without anything added and let Senate vote. He also is quite sure that they can get 5 more Republicans to go along with it. The rest of the Trump demands should be held separate on each vote as well.

The fact the #2 guy in Senate is pushing McConnell makes it harder. Trump is dividing them and likely gonna make them cast doubts on McConnell long term if Georgia falls.

[kidfresh512]

One of Trump's biggest effects in his last days is how he's splitting Republican party more. On Friday , Lindsey Graham came out and said McConnell needs to hold the $2000 stimulus vote alone. That it needs to be done without anything added and let Senate vote. He also is quite sure that they can get 5 more Republicans to go along with it. The rest of the Trump demands should be held separate on each vote as well.

The fact the #2 guy in Senate is pushing McConnell makes it harder. Trump is dividing them and likely gonna make them cast doubts on McConnell long term if Georgia falls.

True but it doesn't matter at the end of the day if it doesn't start showing up as votes against them. Or races lost. People started getting the stimulus payments now. My friend in Cali got about half the 600 yesterday. Anyone seeing McConnell say no to more payments. Seeing him for months hold up more Covid relief while people were out of work, in food lines, were at risk of evictions etc all while Covid cases blew up should be outraged.

But they didn't vote that way down ballot. And the Georgia race shouldn't even be close with all we have seen with GOP lining up to just bypass the people's votes and try scheme after scheme to steal the election. Even the schemes have embarrassed and divided the GOP. But, it doesn't matter if people keep voting for these clowns anyway.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

One of Trump's biggest effects in his last days is how he's splitting Republican party more. On Friday , Lindsey Graham came out and said McConnell needs to hold the $2000 stimulus vote alone. That it needs to be done without anything added and let Senate vote. He also is quite sure that they can get 5 more Republicans to go along with it. The rest of the Trump demands should be held separate on each vote as well.

The fact the #2 guy in Senate is pushing McConnell makes it harder. Trump is dividing them and likely gonna make them cast doubts on McConnell long term if Georgia falls.

This is Trump’s revenge on the GOP for not fully falling in line and following his lead about that ongoing whine about the election having been stolen from him. Just like in Frankenstein, Republicans created the monster that is now fracturing, if not destroying them.