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

[CaptainEurope]

This is what a rational says and thinks. but a vote to acquit him will make them heroes with the GOP voters and the Dems will be the villains and bad guys trying to destroy America and the greatest president who ever lived.

We have reached a point in this country that no matter how much evidence you bring out, no matter what science says, hell no matter what The GOP says or does their base will not believe it. They are still GOP voters including my aunt who think Antifa caused the Riots at the capital. All the pictures of Trumpers being there including the guy in Pelosi's office were photoshopped. The bragging about it on social media was either hacked accounts or deep fake videos.

There is no reasoning with these people. There is no hoping they change their mind and get on board. I know Biden wants unity and that ios all good. But in this current climate in the country that is just not possible right now. I have no idea what the fix is.

How did that work out for them in Georgia?

[Hellion]

I saw a head line that said that Trump might just represent himself.


Can you imagine what kind of farce that might become? Can you Imagine Trump being questioned by his loyal Republican followers in the Senate? Can you imagine how the Democrats would tear him apart?

I'm not saying it is going to happen, only wow if it did I don't know what kind of spectacle it might become.

It would be just about the only thing Trump could do to garner himself the kind of attention he received when he was still president and had access to Twitter. It would be the circus to top all circuses, for sure. Possibly the most entertaining circus since Tommy Lee Jones killed Dick Grayson's family.

[Kirby101]

What the hell. How can people be so detached from reality.

The question is, how can people vote for someone so detached from reality?

[Mister Mets]

The question is, how can people vote for someone so detached from reality?

This stuff didn't come out until after she won. Erick Erickson, a conservative radio host based in Georgia, notes the information that wasn't shared with voters (IE- the Jewish space laser nonsense.)

https://twitter.com/EWErickson/statu...34547365679105

For those nationally talking about Marjorie Taylor Green, allow me to point something out:

There were nine people in that primary. There aren't really any major TV markets in the area. Rome isn't massive. Mostly it is Chattanooga and Atlanta TV. But there is talk radio in 5 markets.

The candidates were cash starved except for Green and everyone knew she'd get into a runoff so they focused on each other and themselves more than her.

People knew there was baggage and QAnon stuff, but most people really didn't know what QAnon really even was and in March-June of 2020 it sounded more like leftwing smears against the right when covered so many didn't take it that seriously.

You get to the runoff and I kept being told by Republicans that Green had a ceiling so there's no reason to worry. But Green turned her voters out. But here's the kicker…

When it got to the runoff, I started telling people anyway that Green had baggage and she would win the general and be a problem for the GOP. Now, pay attention to this part…

My radio show is on in the 5 radio markets located inside her district -- I'm on 9 to noon in 4 of those radio markets. My evening show is 4-6 in the 5th radio market in her district with a massive audience in and of itself.

I know what the audience size is and where it is located for the 4-6 show. A lot of that listenership is headed to her district or living there and listening.

I was already on radio in all 5 markets, once the runoff was underway, saying people needed to watch out for Green. At no time did anyone share with me the laser beam story, the Parkland/Newtown stories, etc. All I knew was QAnon and 9/11 truther, which I mentioned.

These stories keep coming out and they're all new to both me and to her voters. Never heard them. They sure weren't being shared with her voters. And, as we are learning, it isn't like they weren't known by people back then -- just not the voters.

And having talked to local reporters at the local newspapers in her district, no one was filling them in on this stuff either. Just unreal how much oppo research was clearly done and never shared with anyone who could have said anything.

The result is that Marjorie Taylor Green will be a congresswoman at least through 2022 and will probably get redistricted in a way that forces her back into a primary situation in 2022.

[Gray Lensman]

This stuff didn't come out until after she won. Erick Erickson, a conservative radio host based in Georgia, notes the information that wasn't shared with voters (IE- the Jewish space laser nonsense.)

https://twitter.com/EWErickson/statu...34547365679105

Sounds like she pulled off her win in the same manner Trump did - no one took her seriously and the alternatives were more concerned with winning the race to be the alternative to her that they neglected the part about defeating her.

There is a quote about those who refuse to learn from history that sounds relevant here.

[Jack Dracula]

Be careful Mi Amigo. These folks are gettin' mean.

Actually, it's surprising that a few start agreeing with me pretty quickly, which tells me they harbored some misgivings about Trump but were afraid to say it out loud.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

I saw a head line that said that Trump might just represent himself.


Can you imagine what kind of farce that might become? Can you Imagine Trump being questioned by his loyal Republican followers in the Senate? Can you imagine how the Democrats would tear him apart?

I'm not saying it is going to happen, only wow if it did I don't know what kind of spectacle it might become.

If Trump represents himself, that would make for a bigger circus than anything Ringling Bros. could churn out. Whatever lawyers Trump has left would have to literally truss him up to keep him from testifying because he'd immolate himself like crazy.

[Kirby101]

This stuff didn't come out until after she won. Erick Erickson, a conservative radio host based in Georgia, notes the information that wasn't shared with voters (IE- the Jewish space laser nonsense.)

https://twitter.com/EWErickson/statu...34547365679105

Okay, so in two years, they have a chance to redeem themselves or show us what GOP there really are. If she is still in Congress.

[Kirby101]

For those who don't think the Trump Administration was actively trying to kill people;

https://twitter.com/NicholasFlorko/s...2F100215033289

Trump officials spent the fall actively lobbying Congress not to give states the money health officials insisted they need to vaccine some 300 million Americans. At that time the Trump admin had only provided states $200 million.

[Jack Dracula]

I'm starting to wonder if the GOP are going to make the argument that this impeachment trial "won't count" somehow because they and Trump are just gonna boycott it. Like, only a handful of Republicans are going to take their responsibility seriously and show up. Trump and the GOP will pretend by not sending lawyers or himself to put up any defense, and by ignoring the proceedings, that it isn't a real impeachment trial.

Which isn't how court, or impeachment works... but they're not doing this for legality. They're doing it to convince their base that's how it works.

Which boils down to what the Republican Party has become. If you don't like the government because you aren't 100% in control of it, just ignore it until you overthrow it and replace it with one where you are.

I can see the idea being floated in meetings. Probably by Don Jr.

Frankly, unless he plans to run again in 2024 I'm not sure why he'd bother to put up a defense. I can't see him caring about the missed pension or other perks. He can hire his own security, in fact, there are probably ex-military goons who'd do it for free.
He's been impeached once already and another isn't likely to damage his reputation with his followers. He can play the victim even harder and keep them engaged.
I'd think his real worry at this point, the one he'd want to save his lawyer money for are the suits being brought by the state of New York.

[babyblob]

I can see the idea being floated in meetings. Probably by Don Jr.

Frankly, unless he plans to run again in 2024 I'm not sure why he'd bother to put up a defense. I can't see him caring about the missed pension or other perks. He can hire his own security, in fact, there are probably ex-military goons who'd do it for free.
He's been impeached once already and another isn't likely to damage his reputation with his followers. He can play the victim even harder and keep them engaged.
I'd think his real worry at this point, the one he'd want to save his lawyer money for are the suits being brought by the state of New York.

He will bother not because he is worried about his pension or anything. But it is because of his ego. he will not just sit back while others go after him. His ego will not let him. he sees this as a chance to further push his insane ideas and float the whole Election being stolen thing. Which even if his lawyers wont bring it up I am sure some GOP in the Senate will.

He knows he has no chance of being convicted so why not go out and have a forum to spout insane theories that his followers will eat up.

Trump after the 6th was at his weakest, even more so after leaving the White House. Some GOP speaking against him, no Twitter, people leaving in droves. The Gop could have let him fade away and make him a non factor. But they doubled down on him and keep Kissing up to him and his followers.

[4saken1]

What the hell. How can people be so detached from reality.

I was just listening to NPR yesterday when this very subject was being discussed

Combating Misinformation When A Loved One Is Caught In A Web Of Conspiracies

People often latch onto pieces of misinformation that align with their worldview and gradually begin to accept even bigger lies, he says.

"You can get people to step, take small steps off the path of truth or reality or whatever you want to call it, more easily than taking a big leap," Hawdon says. "But once you've gone several yards off that path, then the big leap's pretty easy to make."

Those ideas often are appealing because they validate part of a person's belief system or identity, Hawdon says, and they're difficult to shake.

To me, this sounds like a reasonable explanation in many cases. Much of it started 20-30 years ago with the rise of FOX News and Rush Limbaugh (et al.), both selling their 'versions' of the truth, while omitting important facts that were inconvenient to the narrative that they were peddling. At the same time, they were telling their audiences not to trust legitimate news sources. Gradually, more extreme networks like Infowars came along, which sold wholesale conspiracy theories as 'news'.

I also think that religion plays a big part in it. When somebody already have the mindset to believe that 'X' is absolutely true on faith alone, and no amount of evidence to the contrary is going to steer them from that view, I think that this mentality creeps into other areas and more easily enables them to believe just about anything that confirms their worldviews.

[shooshoomanjoe]

This stuff didn't come out until after she won. Erick Erickson, a conservative radio host based in Georgia, notes the information that wasn't shared with voters (IE- the Jewish space laser nonsense.)

https://twitter.com/EWErickson/statu...34547365679105

Most people didn't know what qanon was in Jun because it sounded like a left wing smear? By Jun we knew what quackery qanon is yet these people still voted for her.

[Jack Dracula]

I was just listening to NPR yesterday when this very subject was being discussed

Combating Misinformation When A Loved One Is Caught In A Web Of Conspiracies



To me, this sounds like a reasonable explanation in many cases. Much of it started 20-30 years ago with the rise of FOX News and Rush Limbaugh (et al.), both selling their 'versions' of the truth, while omitting important facts that were inconvenient to the narrative that they were peddling. At the same time, they were telling their audiences not to trust legitimate news sources. Gradually, more extreme networks like Infowars came along, which sold wholesale conspiracy theories as 'news'.

I also think that religion plays a big part in it. When somebody already have the mindset to believe that 'X' is absolutely true on faith alone, and no amount of evidence to the contrary is going to steer them from that view, I think that this mentality creeps into other areas and more easily enables them to believe just about anything that confirms their worldviews.

You're describing Confirmation Bias.
The right-wing media outlets have weaponized it to radicalize the base and make them easier to manipulate.

[CJStriker]