US Politics: I Don't Like Mondays

[Darzin]

I don't think Ivanka could get the presidency but she could easily get a seat in the Florida senate or something like that if it opens up. I mean Dr. Ox got the nod. 

[Zorral]

Fox News host Sean Hannity pitched a last-minute pardon for Hunter Biden to Trump in an attempt to ease the fallout of the Capitol riot, a new report says

https://www.businessinsider.com/hannity-suggested-trump-pardon-hunter-biden-after-jan-6-report-2022-6

Quote

 

.... Hannity and Trump were apparently discussing ways to address the potential fallout in the wake of hundreds of pro-Trump supporters breaching the Capitol in an attempt to overturn the 2020 election, including pitching "no more stolen election talk" and Trump "attending inauguration."

According to one text message from Hannity, one pitch in particular seemed to pique the former president's interest: issuing a last-minute presidential pardon for Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden. ....

 

It didn't get traction, despite it 'intriguing' the tRump.

[Week]

27 minutes ago, Zorral said:

Fox News host Sean Hannity pitched a last-minute pardon for Hunter Biden to Trump in an attempt to ease the fallout of the Capitol riot, a new report says

https://www.businessinsider.com/hannity-suggested-trump-pardon-hunter-biden-after-jan-6-report-2022-6

It didn't get traction, despite it 'intriguing' the tRump.

Taking a pardon would require him to admit guilt in ... something ... which I would think would more red meat to throw to the base. "We did it because Biden demanded it for <reasons> and he really is so super wicked guilty. God, the Bidens are so corrupt!"

[DMC]

4 hours ago, Mindwalker said:

Wow. Except for the fact that they are somewhat coherent and don't say ALL of the stuff out loud that you shouldn't, I see no difference between Trump and the likes of DeSantis, Hawley, Cruz et al.

If Ivanka was governor of Florida, I really don't see her picking a fight with Disney or pushing the Don't Say Gay Bill, and I definitely think she would have just accepted her own party's legislative redistricting rather than insisting on making her own map.  Similarly, if she were a US Senator I don't see her engineering the absurdly stupid 2013 government shutdown like Cruz or just generally striving to be the biggest assholes on campus like both Hawley and Cruz.  Hell, the reason she was brought up was due to her reservations about January 6, while Cruz and Hawley were cheering them on - and one sells merchandise off it.

Anyway, I agree with the larger point that it doesn't really matter who is leading the insane right in the US.  And it's unlikely they'd ever accept Ivanka as their leader.

[DMC]

Don't really have a political point but I was looking at the demos for the Jan 6 hearing ratings and the age breakdown was eye popping:

Quote

The audience breakdown showed viewership among those 55+ was 15.2 million viewers. An estimated 3.6 million viewers watched in the 35-54 category, and 834,000 among 18-34 year olds.

So pretty much nobody under 50 actually watches television anymore.  I'm feeling very old.

[Raja]

1 minute ago, DMC said:

Don't really have a political point but I was looking at the demos for the Jan 6 hearing ratings and the age breakdown was eye popping:

So pretty much nobody under 50 actually watches television anymore.  I'm feeling very old.

Yeah, I fall within the 18-34 category and I caught up with it on youtube as that is just easier.

[ThinkerX]

6 minutes ago, DMC said:

Don't really have a political point but I was looking at the demos for the Jan 6 hearing ratings and the age breakdown was eye popping:

So pretty much nobody under 50 actually watches television anymore.  I'm feeling very old.

well, if it any consolation, I'm pushing sixty, and I have not watched television in years (except when I visit my mother, but she watches only cooking shows and the occasional cartoon when the great grandkids visit)

 

[Zorral]

States Rights . . . .

“Progressive Federalism” Is a Trap
Like every fancy theory you learn about in constitutional law, federalism has no intrinsic value apart from the substantive outcomes it can deliver.

https://ballsandstrikes.org/legal-culture/progressive-federalism-is-a-trap/

Quote

 

Whenever Democrats face setbacks on a national level, the murmuring begins. Maybe this federalism thing is worth a shot? Yeah, the whole “states’ rights” argument has a pretty sketchy past, but that’s old federalism. We can do something new, something good and progressive instead!

Federalism as a concept is pretty straightforward: It simply means that power is divided between states and the national government. Things like national security are centralized in Washington, while issues like education and most criminal law enforcement are left to the states. Numerous aspects of the U.S. version of federalism are also designed to protect the power of states from incursions by the national government: for example, voting, representation in Congress, and appropriations are all organized around state borders.

Historically, the most prodigious defenders of federalism have been Southern politicians determined to protect slavery—and then, after the Civil War, to protect segregation, economic exploitation, and brutal white supremacist violence. Since then, arguments about “states’ rights” have been deployed as racist dog whistles to appeal to Southern voters. The most famous example of this is Richard Nixon’s so-called “Southern Strategy,” which was in many ways revived and adopted by Donald Trump in 2016.

But in recent years, some on the left have begun to wonder if federalism can be salvaged from this racist history. The argument for progressive federalism goes something like this: The division of power need not have an inherent political valence. Instead, it can be a neutral tool, employed towards achieving progressive ends just as easily as conservative ones. Moreover, dividing power has some serious benefits; at the local level, smaller minority groups may have more of a voice in the political process. And though we hate to say the quiet part out loud, deep down, progressives who sing the praises of federalism are often reassuring themselves that no matter how crazy things get in Florida or Texas, New Yorkers will be fine.

These arguments are interesting, even appealing, in the abstract. But we live in the dark, bleak real world, where the costs of abstract hypotheses outlined in law review articles are borne by real people. Even putting aside American federalism’s origins as a handout for chattel slavery, in a large country where minorities are heavily concentrated in a few states and states vary widely in size, population, and wealth, federalism isn’t neutral. Rather, federalism structurally favors the whitest, least religiously diverse, most conservative portions of the country. ....

 

 

[ThinkerX]

This is almost interesting. Probably not credible, but maybe worth a mention.

I have been getting a *lot* of republican spam fund raising emails lately (strangely, I get exactly zero from the D's)

Whatever. One of the latest, from some nitwit named Ron Johnson includes a claimed reference to an NPR poll about vulnerable republican senatorial seats come November. States cited:

Wisconsin
Florida
North Carolina
Ohio
Pennsylvania

[DMC]

46 minutes ago, Raja said:

Yeah, I fall within the 18-34 category and I caught up with it on youtube as that is just easier.

I mean yeah I pretty much did the same thing too but the numbers still were staggering to me.

30 minutes ago, ThinkerX said:

One of the latest, from some nitwit named Ron Johnson includes a claimed reference to an NPR poll about vulnerable republican senatorial seats come November. States cited:

....those are all accurately described as competitive races.  PA and Johnson's seat in Wisconsin in particular are the best opportunities for Dems with the Fetterman/Oz and Mandela/Johnson matchups - Johnson is significantly and consistently underwater in approval, which is never a good sign for an incumbent.  The other three are more of reaches and lean GOP but aren't out of the question - both Tim Ryan in Ohio and Val Demings in Florida are very good candidates.  Beasley less so in NC, but she's polling competitively against Budd.

[mcbigski]

On 6/10/2022 at 6:57 AM, Ser Scot A Ellison said:

Do you really not care that the losing one term former President who lives in Florida and loves the Russian dictator had an organized plot to overturn the 2020 Presidential election in defiance of all Constitutional norms and his own oath of office?  You just don’t care he did that?

Unimportant to you… move on… nothing to see here?

Plenty to see here.  

Trump did have more votes for re election than anyone who ever lost a re election bid.  81 million votes were counted for Biden.  Weird though.  I live in Connecticut, a solidly democrat state.  I do feel it's kind of odd that on election night, the numbers came in and stayed the same by Thursday that week.  Granted that New Haven, Hartford, and Bridgeport aren't quite as as large as Atlanta, Milwaukee, Detroit, or Philadelphia (leaving the Arizona Fox calling it early shenanigans aside for now), but isn't noteworthy that the percentage shift that happened on Wednesday in the swing state urban areas weren't also reflected in the urban areas of 44 or so other states?

44 other states didn't have the same Wednesday swing. Why is that?

[Reny of Storms End]

4 minutes ago, mcbigski said:

Plenty to see here.  

Trump did have more votes for re election than anyone who ever lost a re election bid.  81 million votes were counted for Biden.  Weird though.  I live in Connecticut, a solidly democrat state.  I do feel it's kind of odd that on election night, the numbers came in and stayed the same by Thursday that week.  Granted that New Haven, Hartford, and Bridgeport aren't quite as as large as Atlanta, Milwaukee, Detroit, or Philadelphia (leaving the Arizona Fox calling it early shenanigans aside for now), but isn't noteworthy that the percentage shift that happened on Wednesday in the swing state urban areas weren't also reflected in the urban areas of 44 or so other states?

44 other states didn't have the same Wednesday swing. Why is that?

Obviously because voting tallies were changed. Nothing could be more obvious. Like in PA, for instance, multiple Republicans won their races for Congress because the ultra sophisticated liberal vote stealing operation, run out of Philadelphia, only could figure out how to doctor ballots to make Trump lose. They couldn't figure out how to change down ballot results 

[ThinkerX]

18 minutes ago, mcbigski said:

Plenty to see here.  

Trump did have more votes for re election than anyone who ever lost a re election bid.  81 million votes were counted for Biden.  Weird though.  I live in Connecticut, a solidly democrat state.  I do feel it's kind of odd that on election night, the numbers came in and stayed the same by Thursday that week.  Granted that New Haven, Hartford, and Bridgeport aren't quite as as large as Atlanta, Milwaukee, Detroit, or Philadelphia (leaving the Arizona Fox calling it early shenanigans aside for now), but isn't noteworthy that the percentage shift that happened on Wednesday in the swing state urban areas weren't also reflected in the urban areas of 44 or so other states?

44 other states didn't have the same Wednesday swing. Why is that?

Red mirage. R's mostly voted in person, D's went the mail in route. Mail in ballots were counted *after* the other ballots. This was widely discussed before the election.

 

[DMC]

16 minutes ago, mcbigski said:

Trump did have more votes for re election than anyone who ever lost a re election bid.  81 million votes were counted for Biden.  Weird though.

This is such a dumb factoid to bring up.  You know who had the most votes for president that didn't win the election before Trump in 2020?  Hillary Clinton in 2016.  Before that?  Mitt Romney in 2012.  Before that?  John McCain in 2008.  Before that?  John Kerry in 2004.  Before that?  Al Gore in 2000.  It's almost as if that merely reflects population growth combined with increased turnout since the turn of the century.

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

14 minutes ago, Reny of Storms End said:

Obviously because voting tallies were changed. Nothing could be more obvious. Like in PA, for instance, multiple Republicans won their races for Congress because the ultra sophisticated liberal vote stealing operation, run out of Philadelphia, only could figure out how to doctor ballots to make Trump lose. They couldn't figure out how to change down ballot results 

Listen man, you just don't get it. Only votes for Democrats were tainted. Every Republican vote came from a real patriot!

And if only that cuck SoS in Georgia could have found 12,000 more patriot votes...

Seriously, how is Trump not already rotting in prison for the most obvious case of voter fraud in US history? Even the zombies that voted for JFK had more dignity and discretion.  

[DireWolfSpirit]

4 hours ago, DMC said:

This is such a dumb factoid to bring up.  You know who had the most votes for president that didn't win the election before Trump in 2020?  Hillary Clinton in 2016.  Before that?  Mitt Romney in 2012.  Before that?  John McCain in 2008.  Before that?  John Kerry in 2004.  Before that?  Al Gore in 2000.  It's almost as if that merely reflects population growth combined with increased turnout since the turn of the century.

The Republicans have played this game for years where they cite the "jobs created" or "size of deficit", whichever suits their narrative. When in actuality the numbers merely reflect the demographic growth or inflation.

You will never see a Republican talk deficit spending or jobs adjusted in "real dollars" or percentages, that would require critical thinking or honesty or some sh!+, both lacking from their cult.

[ThinkerX]

We might have narrowly dodged a white supremacy bullet to judge from this article - but there are almost certainly more in the chamber. What is particularly disturbing was their willingness to go cross country.

 

Texas residents among alleged white nationalists arrested in Idaho with plans to riot (msn.com)

 

Texas residents were among 31 individuals affiliated with a white nationalist group arrested Saturday in Idaho on suspicion of conspiracy to riot after police there found them packed in a U-Haul truck apparently heading to a Pride celebration with riot gear and at least one smoke grenade, authorities said.

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

1 hour ago, ThinkerX said:

We might have narrowly dodged a white supremacy bullet to judge from this article - but there are almost certainly more in the chamber. What is particularly disturbing was their willingness to go cross country.

 

Texas residents among alleged white nationalists arrested in Idaho with plans to riot (msn.com)

 

Texas residents were among 31 individuals affiliated with a white nationalist group arrested Saturday in Idaho on suspicion of conspiracy to riot after police there found them packed in a U-Haul truck apparently heading to a Pride celebration with riot gear and at least one smoke grenade, authorities said.

It seems there is an effort underway to ID these individuals who travel cross country in the backs of U-Hauls wearing Balakavas during the summer:

 

[Mindwalker]

20 hours ago, DMC said:

If Ivanka was governor of Florida, I really don't see her picking a fight with Disney or pushing the Don't Say Gay Bill, and I definitely think she would have just accepted her own party's legislative redistricting rather than insisting on making her own map.  Similarly, if she were a US Senator I don't see her engineering the absurdly stupid 2013 government shutdown like Cruz or just generally striving to be the biggest assholes on campus like both Hawley and Cruz.  Hell, the reason she was brought up was due to her reservations about January 6, while Cruz and Hawley were cheering them on - and one sells merchandise off it.

Anyway, I agree with the larger point that it doesn't really matter who is leading the insane right in the US.  And it's unlikely they'd ever accept Ivanka as their leader.

I do agree she would not initiate or even particularly like these measures, but if her advisors told her that's how they get the votes and otherwise she'll lose, she'd go along with it.

 

I've read some encouraging accounts of people whose MAGA relatives had their eyes opened - all anecdotal of course, but if anyone needs something short to show non-watching folks, here Jamie Raskin lays it out quite succinctly:

 

[Zorral]

5 hours ago, ThinkerX said:

We might have narrowly dodged a white supremacy bullet to judge from this article - but there are almost certainly more in the chamber. What is particularly disturbing was their willingness to go cross country.

 

Texas residents among alleged white nationalists arrested in Idaho with plans to riot (msn.com)

 

Texas residents were among 31 individuals affiliated with a white nationalist group arrested Saturday in Idaho on suspicion of conspiracy to riot after police there found them packed in a U-Haul truck apparently heading to a Pride celebration with riot gear and at least one smoke grenade, authorities said.

They were arrested on only on a a misdemeanor,  charge of" criminal conspiracy to riot." Their bail is only $300.

But the photos are chilling -- they came prepared in riot gear and ammo vests, with weapons, to hit a public park event held for families.  Such cowards they are -- planning to attack happy innocent families with kids in a park, while they are armed to the teeth.  In ye olden days of the golden west we'd have called what their objective was, "massacre."

Frankly, I'm just about astonished that the cops did anything at all, particularly as this is Aryan Nation Pride Idaho.

Wonder if Uvalde and the Jan 6 hearings have had any effect on cops -- for the moment.

Updated: the piece on these arrests in the WaPo has currently 6495 comments, which from a cursory skim are all outraged by these cowards and their objectives.