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

[The Cool Thatguy]

Makes you wonder- if he were to suddenly die in office, do you think the Republicans would just 'Weekend at Bernies' him?

It's a lot harder to do that with a whale.

[sbo]

I think Trump would release his tax returns before he would his medical records. The former he could make up stories or just lie about to confuse everyone, but the latter represents an admission of weakness, something he hates.

Yeah his deranged base would probably applaud Trump for dodging taxes and "sticking it to the deep state"

[ed2962]

With the Harry Potter and the Dixie Chicks, the general argument is that it was the wrong thing to do, and not worth emulating. If the argument changes from "what happened to the Dixie Chicks was wrong" to "the left needs to police its cultural spaces the way the right did against the Dixie Chicks" the change in goalposts should be made explicit.

Growing up in the 90s, I did get the sense that these kinds of boycotts were more of a silly conservative Christian thing, although that seemed to be more of a historical accident during the Clinton administration when the center-left was at its high point, as there had been plenty of left-wing efforts to cancel shows/ fire people before, and it would start popping up again later.

I will note that a lot of the criticism of Nick Spencer's (a outspoken Hillary Clinton fan who had run for office as a Democrat) Captain America has come from the left.

There was an essay that got coverage on boingboing where Nick Spencer was criticized for being overly optimistic on the American reaction to evidence of racially motivated wrongdoing, of being wrong to suggest that Falcon might regret arguments with Captain America in the 1970s comics, of punching down on campus protesters, of failing to endorse safe spaces, etc.

https://boingboing.net/2017/09/25/co...e-an-epic.html

There were plenty of liberals complaining that Cap being a Hydra agent sent the wrong message, was offensive, etc.

https://aux.avclub.com/captain-ameri...hme-1798260948

https://www.vulture.com/2019/04/marv...k-spencer.html

To me the issue isn't even about whether it's wrong or right to boycott someone or something. It's that criticism or cancelling is in no way particular to a certain political party or philosophy and that people ( including liberals/"the left") should stop pretending that it's "the left" that's out of control and doing all the so-called cancelling.

As far as the Spenser Cap comics, eh...Fox and Friends and Alex Jones jumped on the bandwagon and criticized the first issue of Sam/Cap because of the supposed border control topic. And more than a couple anti-PC types were ranting about how the first issue of Hydra/Cap was SJW Spenser being anti-straight white men.

[Robotman]

Pence said he does not "recall" being told to be on standby to assume the powers of the presidency if Trump was put under anesthesia during his sudden visit to Walter Reed Medical Center last November.


Does “not recall”?!? He needs some lying lessons from Agent Orange.


In other news:

Trump Administration Won’t Join Global Effort For COVID-19 Vaccine

[Jack Dracula]

I wonder if someone tells trump these insane conspiracy theories or if he has some type of psychosis that makes him believe them.

He likely doesn't actually believe them. it serves his purpose to wink at the crazies in his base every once in a while to keep them engaged and motivated to vote.

Makes you wonder- if he were to suddenly die in office, do you think the Republicans would just 'Weekend at Bernies' him?

They could replace him with his animatronic copy from Disneyland.

[Tami]

Yeah, that story’s been making the rounds. Of course Trump denied it, hell, I found it fishy too.

I haven't read the book, but apparently the word Stroke never appeared in the book. Apparently, the first mention of it was in Trump's tweet.

[KNIGHT OF THE LAKE]

Markey beats Kennedy thank god

[A Small Talent For War]

Makes you wonder- if he were to suddenly die in office, do you think the Republicans would just 'Weekend at Bernies' him?

I think that actually happened with one of the presidents. Woodrow Wilson, maybe? Or Ronald Reagan?

Ah ... it was Wilson
https://www.historynet.com/big-lie-w...presidency.htm

[A Small Talent For War]

To me the issue isn't even about whether it's wrong or right to boycott someone or something. It's that criticism or cancelling is in no way particular to a certain political party or philosophy and that people ( including liberals/"the left") should stop pretending that it's "the left" that's out of control and doing all the so-called cancelling.

As far as the Spenser Cap comics, eh...Fox and Friends and Alex Jones jumped on the bandwagon and criticized the first issue of Sam/Cap because of the supposed border control topic. And more than a couple anti-PC types were ranting about how the first issue of Hydra/Cap was SJW Spenser being anti-straight white men.

And the fundamental considerations beneath it are confusing as well. It's not like there is a requirement that your preferred form of entertainment must also conform to your political outlook on life. Fiction is not real which is what makes it appealing. It's not supposed to be instructive propaganda for the masses.

[numberthirty]

Markey beats Kennedy thank god

"Thank God..." nothin'...

A hundred Pelosi endorsements wasn't going to drag that garbage across the finish line.

[KNIGHT OF THE LAKE]

"Thank God..." nothin'...

A hundred Pelosi endorsements wasn't going to drag that garbage across the finish line.

Kennedy was winning in double digits back in May. This race switched recently. Most people in MA thought Markey’s career was about unceremoniously end after 40 years because the new face of the Kennedy dynasty needed a Senate seat.

I don’t hate Kennedy either, but Markey has been serving for nearly my entire life and he just finally went to the Senate and everyone knew he was going to make a progressive push and statement in the Senate to end his career on an impact. Kennedy had no reason to run. It’s highly likely Warren gets appointed, doesn’t run in 4 years, or Markey doesn’t run in 6. He had time to let some good politicians serve. Now he’s in limbo. He basically owner his House seat.

I think Pelosi’s endorsement was detriment. It kinda felt like a backstab. AOC and Warren endorsing Markey meant a lot more. Young people came out for the old guy. This was big for progressives because Markey had been moving left and this victory validated that it’s not going to gut an incumbent for moving away from center.

[numberthirty]

One guy's take...

I just don't see Kennedy having been able to pull it off if it was anything outside of a "Gimme..."

Markey is closer to "Wade Garrett" know how. Kennedy? Right now, he's more like one of those cats that they trained to bounce at the Double Deuce.

You put Kennedy into one where it's actually the end of Yakuza Apocalypse? I just don't feel like he's had enough time to know how to stay in that race.

[Zauriel]

Markey beats Kennedy thank god

Well, Joe Kennedy can kiss his political aspirations goodbye. On the other hand it is too soon for him to give up. He can try to remain in politics as long as he likes. He is still living in the shadow of his grandfather and grand uncles.

[Zauriel]

One guy's take...

I just don't see Kennedy having been able to pull it off if it was anything outside of a "Gimme..."

You put Kennedy into one where it's actually the end of Yakuza Apocalypse? I just don't feel like he's had enough time to know how to stay in that race.

If Kennedy had won the senate seat, he probably would have used it as a stepping stone to try climbing up to the White House as JFK, RFK and Ted Kennedy did. Only JFK was successful.

Using the Kennedy name won't get you everything after all.

[KNIGHT OF THE LAKE]

If Kennedy had won the senate seat, he probably would have used it as a stepping stone to try climbing up to the White House as JFK, RFK and Ted Kennedy did. Only JFK was successful.

Using the Kennedy name won't get you everything after all.

Ultimately everyone kinda figured he was using it as a stepping stone, which obviously rubbed people the wrong way. Markey probably had one of the all time mid campaign reinventions to get himself momentum and I think Kennedy was taken off guard that he was losing the youth vote while positioning himself as the the young new blood to take over from the old guard. It made him lean into the family name more than he wanted, which was a disservice.