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

[JCAll]

I feel that this could be a foreshadowing of the future and it is of great concern to me. Trump continues to hold a large portion of the population in his thrall who are blind to all of his glaring shortcomings and disdain for the rule of law and the Constitution. And why not? For some strange reason this contemptible clown and broken rules left and right as a businessman and rarely suffered any meaningful consequences.

I don't think they're blind to it, they act gleefully enthusiastic about it.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

I feel that this could be a foreshadowing of the future and it is of great concern to me. Trump continues to hold a large portion of the population in his thrall who are blind to all of his glaring shortcomings and disdain for the rule of law and the Constitution. And why not? For some strange reason this contemptible clown and broken rules left and right as a businessman and rarely suffered any meaningful consequences.

Because Trump gave free reign for that segment of the public to be their absolute worst selves. He made it permissible for his lemmings to be racist, misogynistic, homophobic, xenophobic and every other ugly and revolting aspect of human nature, and they LOVED that freedom. That's why his lemmings turned a blind eye to Trump's litany of failures and sought to overturn the election back on 1/6 to keep him in power because they don't want to go back under their rocks. This isn't hyperbole, the madness with Trump won't end until he's in the ground.

[Tendrin]

Because Trump gave free reign for that segment of the public to be their absolute worst selves. He made it permissible for his lemmings to be racist, misogynistic, homophobic, xenophobic and every other ugly and revolting aspect of human nature, and they LOVED that freedom. That's why his lemmings turned a blind eye to Trump's litany of failures and sought to overturn the election back on 1/6 to keep him in power because they don't want to go back under their rocks. This isn't hyperbole, the madness with Trump won't end until he's in the ground.

It won't end even then.

[Mister Mets]

In fairness if we haven't developed and tested a weapon like this I'd be shocked, we also litter space with junk that will fall (almost all, like the Russian junk, harmlessly), we just don't publicize it and chest-beat as often as Russia because we don't need to. The world is all too aware how much of our resources we allocate to weapons of war. It's our brand. Leaves us pretty far from the moral high ground or being in any position to lecture another country about what's proper in weapons testing.



I don't know why it didn't occur to me they'd have an open Primary if Biden stepped down. That's the first thing to give me hope for '24 since I was able to look past Trump not stealing the election and focus on how the Democratic Party was going to govern. Harris clearly isn't a draw.

If Biden decides not to run for another term, there will certainly be an open primary. But it would be tough for any Democrat to beat Harris, considering the institutional advantages of sitting Vice Presidents, the optics of running against the first woman of color elected to national office, and the punishing delegate math given the strength of African-American Democratic primary voters.

[worstblogever]

If Biden decides not to run for another term, there will certainly be an open primary. But it would be tough for any Democrat to beat Harris, considering the institutional advantages of sitting Vice Presidents, the optics of running against the first woman of color elected to national office, and the punishing delegate math given the strength of African-American Democratic primary voters.

Unless it's a historic first gay candidate like Pete Buttigieg coming in. Elizabeth Warren making a run for the first female president... although, again, she doesn't want to be president, she's content to be a Senator. But if there's a void that needs to be filled, she'd step up. I feel like there are other front-runners who would get the nod ahead of her.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

I'd say keep an eye on Mitch Landrieu and his new role he was given by Biden. Its a high profile position with being in charge of this new bill and spending on projects. As a former Lt. Governor of Louisiana and Mayor of New Orleans he has the pedigree to move into a key candidate.

[worstblogever]

On this date in 2014, “Fanatical Republican Extremist of the Day” ran a profile of Glen Urquhart, who ran for the “at-large” seat in the U.S. House of Representatives for Delaware in 2010. Urquhart famously claimed during that election year that Adolf Hitler was the first person to advocate for a separation of church and state, and not Founding Father Thomas Jefferson, and further bastardized our third president by claiming his statements on “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” confirmed his opposition to abortion. Urquhart has not run for any office since losing the GOP Primary for a seat in the Delaware State Senate.

It was in both 2015, and in 2016, that “Fanatical Republican Extremist of the Day” posted profiles of Sheryl Nuxoll, who in December of 2012, hatched a plan to steal the election by having 17 or more states that voted for Mitt Romney boycott the Electoral College to prevent them from having a quorum and re-electing Obama. There was just one problem… her plan was bogus because it hinged on an incorrect interpretation of the 12th Amendment. Anyway, she also compared the Affordable Care Act to the Holocaust, saying, much like the Jews boarding the trains to concentration camps the federal government “will pull the trigger on the insurance companies.“ Through the rest of her second term, Nuxoll didn’t quite make headlines for the remainder of her second term, with the exception of when she and her Republican colleagues tried to circumvent the Environmental Protection Agency, with Nuxoll claiming efforts by the EPA to regulate sludge mining were harming the morale of American veterans, and therefore unacceptable. Since heading back in for her third term, in March 2015, Nuxoll angrily walked out of the state House after a Hindu clergyman read a prayer for them, and then went on social media to complain about it and say that Hinduism is “a false faith with false Gods”. When she was called upon to apologize for those statements and disparaging an entire faith, she refused, and stood by them, calling the United States a Christian nation. Religious leaders in Idaho from several different faiths condemned her for being intolerant, but she wasn’t quite done. A month later in April 2015, and Nuxoll was causing trouble again, holding up a bill that if not passed, would leave the state without $46 million in child support funding from the federal government. Her reason for doing so? She felt the bill would somehow be too permissive, and allow the spread of Sharia Law to begin in Idaho. Ah yes. The dread menace of Sharia Law that our separation of church and state already protects us from. And that if it was coming, probably wouldn’t fall upon us because of a CHILD SUPPORT bill.Nuxoll is, to the hilt, a deranged zealot, as in February of 2016, she actually submitted a bill in the Idaho state legislature to have the King James Bible available as a resource not just in classes like English or history where it be relevant, but to have it available as a resource in science classes in public schools. Nuxoll was unseated in the GOP Primary for her seat in the 2016 elections by 111 votes, and is now out of office.



It was on this date in 2017, 2018, 2019, and in 2020, that “Fanatical Republican Extremist of the Day” profiled Shannon Grove, who was first elected to the California State Assembly in… you guessed it, the 2010 Tea Party Wave. And, for three terms, Shannon Grove tried her damnedest to be an obstructionist force in the California State Assembly, impotently voting against some of the most common sense bills brought forth in her state while sucking up to nationally more-respected members of the GOP like Mike Huckabee, Ted Cruz, and Kevin McCarthy.

Grove is also in pretty tight with the NRA, who in one of their manifestos criticizing California Democrats for actually passing effective gun control measures, they hit her up for a quote, and she gave the really pathetic response of:

“I would rather have a loaded Glock in my hand than 911 on the phone.”

(Note to self: Don’t ask Shannon Grove to call for help if in medical distress.)

Now, there are a lot of issues that when you look at them, are going to make you ask yourself “What the hell is wrong with Shannon Grove?” Perhaps the most glaring one was her vote against California’s law to curtail campus rape and sexual assault by better defining consent. One of the many measures it took was allowing state universities to expel students regardless of if they were found guilty in a court of law (say if a victim was intimidated into not pressing charges, the school would be able to keep the rest of the school safe. She defended her vote, saying:

“Those committing sexual assault within our college campuses should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law by our judicial system, not at a campus disciplinary proceeding.”

But we’re just getting warmed up. You see, back in 2015, while California was experiencing one of its worst droughts in decades, Grove stuck her foot in her mouth again, by commenting:

“Texas was in a long period of drought until Governor Perry signed the fetal pain bill. It rained that night. Now God has His hold on California.”

So hey, forget doing any superstitious rain dances, guys… the real solution is to make God happy with abortion bans, and he’ll up the precipitation levels. It’s a scientific fact, right? Unlike say, climate change or global warming, which Grove denies the existence of even though there’s like 98% of scientists who agree, “Yeah, that’s a thing all right.” I don’t know how many scientists link abortion and annual rainfall, but they’re definitely in Grove’s sphere of influence.

Here’s the kicker, though… for someone who’s totally pro-life and wants all the babies born that are conceived whether or not a woman gets raped, or if she’s at risk of dying by trying to carry that baby to term… you would think that Shannon Grove would love any government program that helps babies once they’re out of the womb, right? WRONG. Shannon Grove was left grousing after the California state legislature passed a bill so that people on government assistance with newborn children had some way to afford diapers, which she didn’t want them getting help paying for.

After choosing to not seek re-election to the California State Assembly in 2016, Shannon Grove has stocked her coffers to instead, run for California State Senate District 16, in 2018. Her opponent in the general election was Ruth Messer-Lopez, and with the district being traditionally more conservative, Grove was still re-elected with 67% of the vote. She was named to be the California State Senate Minority Leader at the start of the 2019-2020 session, and championed legislation to make it easier for police officers to murder citizens. Because of course that’s how she rolls.

In 2020, Shannon Grove was filmed ignoring mask mandates and public gathering mandates by going to a campaign fundraiser held in a church that exceeded the limit for attendance by three times the legal amount. Wouldn’t you know it, there was also no social distancing and virtually no one wearing masks. This was also days after she was in close proximity to a fellow state legislator who had just tested positive for Covid-19, so at this point, to the constituents of her district, we ask… why are you voting for someone who’s willing to kill you to get your money for her campaign? That seems, y’know, pretty much as “against your interests” as anything you can see from a GOP that clearly does not have your best interests at heart.

While she did win re-election in 2020, at the start of the current term in the California State Senate, she was ousted from her leadership role by her colleagues after her brilliant public maneuvering managed to lose the California GOP 2 of the remaining 11 Senate seats they held. We look forward to the day where she loses her own.

[CSTowle]

If Biden decides not to run for another term, there will certainly be an open primary. But it would be tough for any Democrat to beat Harris, considering the institutional advantages of sitting Vice Presidents, the optics of running against the first woman of color elected to national office, and the punishing delegate math given the strength of African-American Democratic primary voters.

I think if it means winning they should say "F##k optics" and kick Harris to the curb. Push Abrams, at least you know she's motivated and is willing to fight and make connections even when it's not about herself. And so far (though it's early yet) the "advantages" of being Vice President in this administration might not be the strength it is in normal election years. I just see nothing that makes me want to vote for her. Vote against another Trump run? Sure, but you could have put any of the Democratic candidates in Biden's slot (and quite a few Republicans, barring another choice) and I'd have voted against Trump. I'd like to vote for someone again instead.

[JB]

Beto went too far to the left as part of his primary run to ever be able to win a statewide Texas election, even of we discount suppression shenanigans. He was trying to show a difference between himself and the slew of centrist candidates, but I think at the cost of a future in Texas itself.

Speaking of Texas, this just happened:
Texas House gains a Republican as South Texas Democrat Ryan Guillen switches parties
https://www.statesman.com/story/news...ty/8626253002/

Guillen is from Rio Grande City, close to where the border issues are taking place.

[KNIGHT OF THE LAKE]

Unless it's a historic first gay candidate like Pete Buttigieg coming in. Elizabeth Warren making a run for the first female president... although, again, she doesn't want to be president, she's content to be a Senator. But if there's a void that needs to be filled, she'd step up. I feel like there are other front-runners who would get the nod ahead of her.

It would be a mistake to honestly run anybody but Biden. He’s unpopular but Kamala is tied to him and she really has never done well in national polls. Her and Pete are one of those ideas that the DNC donors fall in love with and then get gob smacked when they are so wrong and don’t get momentum.

Democrats probably need to live with the fact that 2020 was the election to decide who would face this incarnation of the GOP down and the panic to get rid of Trump ended up meaning they went for who was perceived as the safe voting candidate, and for one of the first times ever on a national scale, they were able to get someone mediocre in off the negatives of his opponent.

The only reason Biden is unpopular is because his party is dysfunctional in Congress and ripped apart a bill that was popular for yet another handout (which happened to be their only leverage on the popular bill) and he isn’t living up to his rhetoric. So the onus is on the Democratic politicians to get their **** together and make Biden a success because there isn’t some secret way out to maintain the executive and ignore current shortcomings in the party across the board (which is honestly what this is about). They have to do the hard work and govern and turn the ship. No silver bullets.

[kidfresh512]

It would be a mistake to honestly run anybody but Biden. He’s unpopular but Kamala is tied to him and she really has never done well in national polls. Her and Pete are one of those ideas that the DNC donors fall in love with and then get gob smacked when they are so wrong and don’t get momentum.

Democrats probably need to live with the fact that 2020 was the election to decide who would face this incarnation of the GOP down and the panic to get rid of Trump ended up meaning they went for who was perceived as the safe voting candidate, and for one of the first times ever on a national scale, they were able to get someone mediocre in off the negatives of his opponent.

The only reason Biden is unpopular is because his party is dysfunctional in Congress and ripped apart a bill that was popular for yet another handout (which happened to be their only leverage on the popular bill) and he isn’t living up to his rhetoric. So the onus is on the Democratic politicians to get their **** together and make Biden a success because there isn’t some secret way out to maintain the executive and ignore current shortcomings in the party across the board (which is honestly what this is about). They have to do the hard work and govern and turn the ship. No silver bullets.

Agreed. Buttigieg needs time still. He has got to make inroads with the base before he is viable. He needs to put his head down get some good useful tangible work done using this infrastructure money.
Kamala would be a massive mistake as a presidential choice right now. She is getting blasted and has issues with the base also.

[Malvolio]

It won't end even then.

Right. There are already people in place to continue Trump's bullying, from Don Jr. to Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert to all the loudmouths on right wing radio.

[JB]

CBO to release Build Back Better score by Friday
https://thehill.com/policy/finance/5...core-on-friday
"The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) said Monday that it expects to release a full cost estimate of House Democrats' social spending and climate package by the end of the day Friday."

[Jack Dracula]

I feel that this could be a foreshadowing of the future and it is of great concern to me. Trump continues to hold a large portion of the population in his thrall who are blind to all of his glaring shortcomings and disdain for the rule of law and the Constitution. And why not? For some strange reason this contemptible clown and broken rules left and right as a businessman and rarely suffered any meaningful consequences.

The thought of another Trump presidency makes me want to puke.

The next time around he won’t have someone with a shred of principles like Pence to spoil his plans. We’re probably looking at VP Kushner or god-forbid Stephen Miller.

[babyblob]

Agreed. Buttigieg needs time still. He has got to make inroads with the base before he is viable. He needs to put his head down get some good useful tangible work done using this infrastructure money.
Kamala would be a massive mistake as a presidential choice right now. She is getting blasted and has issues with the base also.

It would be a huge mistake to have Buttigieg as the Nom in 2024. A I dont think he is ready. I dont think he appeals to enough of the voters out there as he isnt a huge name. And I hate to be this guy but I will. You want to drive the GOP to polls in massive numbers to vote Trump? Run a gay guy as your candidate in 2024. its sick that is where the country is right now but as much as we want to change that the change is not going to happen by 2024.