2024 Presidential Election

[Bact PhD]

Q: Who saw this coming?
A: Just about everyone who has followed this stuff at all.

www.washingtonpost.com/style/power/2024/04/18/they-didnt-want-trump-theyll-live-with-republican-nominee/

…As he said all this, he added a caveat: He’d support the eventual GOP nominee, even if it was Trump.

And now, at the Gridiron, Sununu was accepting the inevitable, because it’s happening.

“My focus isn’t about Trump. Trump’s gonna live or die on his own. No one can help him, no one can hurt him. He’s his own entity,” he says. And Sununu, for his part, would like to see that entity in the White House.

A sight to behold: the slow parade of Trump-averse Republicans as they trudge toward supporting the nominee.

Don’t call it a walk of shame. At least, don’t try to tell them that’s what it is.

“It should come as no surprise that, as nominee, he will have my support,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who has given Trump the cold shoulder for three years,…

Yeppers, dutifully “falling in line.”

[AnBr]

Replace love with line:

[goldenvalley]

Apr 20, 2024 17:57:53 GMT Bact PhD said:

Q: Who saw this coming?
A: Just about everyone who has followed this stuff at all.

www.washingtonpost.com/style/power/2024/04/18/they-didnt-want-trump-theyll-live-with-republican-nominee/

…As he said all this, he added a caveat: He’d support the eventual GOP nominee, even if it was Trump.

And now, at the Gridiron, Sununu was accepting the inevitable, because it’s happening.

“My focus isn’t about Trump. Trump’s gonna live or die on his own. No one can help him, no one can hurt him. He’s his own entity,” he says. And Sununu, for his part, would like to see that entity in the White House.

A sight to behold: the slow parade of Trump-averse Republicans as they trudge toward supporting the nominee.

Don’t call it a walk of shame. At least, don’t try to tell them that’s what it is.

“It should come as no surprise that, as nominee, he will have my support,” said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who has given Trump the cold shoulder for three years,…

Yeppers, dutifully “falling in line.”

People are calling this tribalism.  I think it's more cowardice than loyalty.  

[pnwguy]

Cowardice? How about pure evil?

[AnBr]

This explains a lot.

www.nytimes.com/2024/05/08/us/rfk-jr-brain-health-memory-loss.html

[andydp]

May 8, 2024 14:16:04 GMT AnBr said:

This explains a lot.

www.nytimes.com/2024/05/08/us/rfk-jr-brain-health-memory-loss.html

Any word if the worm survived?

[goldenvalley]

May 8, 2024 17:44:13 GMT andydp said:

May 8, 2024 14:16:04 GMT AnBr said:

This explains a lot.

www.nytimes.com/2024/05/08/us/rfk-jr-brain-health-memory-loss.html

Any word if the worm survived?

Gee we have one candidate who has been indicted on 80+ felony charges, one that people claim is so old he shouldn't be re-elected, and now one with a dead worm in his brain.  What sort of novel are we living in?  

[goldenvalley]

I'll bet this is a first. A campaign fund appeal allegedly shot in a courthouse hallway.

[goldenvalley]

Does anyone think the former president will appear at the scheduled June 27 debate on CNN?  

[Bact PhD]

Jun 20, 2024 19:34:32 GMT goldenvalley said:

Does anyone think the former president will appear at the scheduled June 27 debate on CNN?  

Hmmm…should there be a pool on how close to the date the cancellation occurs?

[Bact PhD]

Well, I would have lost that bet!

Dear Son is actually watching tonight’s debate…for the “entertainment value.” As of this writing, JB has evidently made one gaffe…talking about “trillionaires” when he obviously meant to say “billionaires.”

We, however, are struggling not to give the “double-barrel single finger salute” if TFG is on the screen and speaking.

[goldenvalley]

Jun 28, 2024 1:46:53 GMT Bact PhD said:

Well, I would have lost that bet!

Dear Son is actually watching tonight’s debate…for the “entertainment value.” As of this writing, JB has evidently made one gaffe…talking about “trillionaires” when he obviously meant to say “billionaires.”

We, however, are struggling not to give the “double-barrel single finger salute” if TFG is on the screen and speaking.

It seems that performance is more important than substance. Poorly delivered facts fail in the face of confident lying.  

[andydp]

Best comment so far:

Raymonte
@bdtrelilbrother
Baby Biden could have a heart attack and his eyeball could literally fall out live on camera I’m still not voting for trump

[goldenvalley]

Jun 28, 2024 20:54:05 GMT andydp said:

Best comment so far:

Raymonte
@bdtrelilbrother
Baby Biden could have a heart attack and his eyeball could literally fall out live on camera I’m still not voting for trump

That's an image that sticks in the mind.  

Where are the editorials and pundits who say it's not too late for Republicans to find a new candidate?  Everyone seems to ignore the fact that there were two candidates on the screen.

[Art Vandelay]

Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen announces plans for special session on property taxes

Buried in this article about the Nebraska governor's intent to call a special election to address property taxes is this:

In his Tuesday letter, the governor said he would not hesitate to call a special session on other time-sensitive issues if there is support for addressing those issues. He pointed in particular to the state’s system of allowing its Electoral College votes to be split. Some supporters of GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump have pushed for a change, arguing that the potential for the Omaha area to go Democratic could prove crucial.

Under the current system, it is likely the District 2 electoral vote will go to Biden. So doing the math, if Biden wins the normal states and holds Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, but fails to hold Nevada, Arizona or Georga, and doesn't flip any other states, his electoral vote count with the 1 electoral vote from District 2 would total exactly 270. It is no wonder why they are trying to change the law. My friend in the Legislature told me that Trump has been calling individual state senators pressuring them to change the current law. Ugh!

[AnBr]

The Biden news coverage requires less hysteria, more journalism

Media critic Jamison Foser nails it: “A lot of things are newsworthy; media companies do not “merely report the news,” they *decide what the news is.* And when it comes to Trump & Biden, the lack of proportionality speaks volumes.”

Journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones of The New York Times adds this: “As media, we consistently proclaim that we are just reporting the news when in fact we are driving it. What we cover, how we cover it, determines often what Americans thinks is important and *how* they perceive these issues, yet we keep pretending it is not so. If Americans don’t recognize the crisis our democracy is facing, that’s not their fault, it is ours.”

What’s happened to journalism since the last debate is entirely out of proportion and not in keeping with the responsibilities of a free press. “Feeding frenzy” doesn’t even come close to describing the news media coverage about Joe Biden’s debate performance.

Full-blown hysteria has taken over too much of the mainstream press, with the Times leading the pack. By last count, the Times has done 70 stories, 20 opinion columns, four podcasts and one editorial about the president’s dismal debate. All in less than a week. Broadcast media is doing its best to keep pace with the Times, and social media is a dumpster fire of gossip and disinformation.

[Bact PhD]

Holy Shit!

abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-rushed-off-stage-disturbance-pennsylvania-rally/story?id=111913361

Just what did not need to happen…

[goldenvalley]

We are snakebit.  And are now doomed to endless speculation about the shooter's motives when in reality the reason he physically accomplished it is because he had the power to kill and injure in his hands. And we won't hear a peep about a ban on weapons like the one he used.

[Bact PhD]

Agreed about being snakebit, GV.

Meanwhile, TFG’s running mate is going to be Mr. “Hillbilly Elegy” himself, J.D. Vance. FWIW, I never gave “Little Marco” much of a shot; I suspect his name was a decoy.

[goldenvalley]

Speaking of hillbillies here is Trae Crowder on his fellow hillbilly Vance:

For some reason this site won't put up Twit X video anymore so here's the link which is worth watching because Crowder actually knew Vance a bit back when both were getting calls from cable tv networks to talk about the economic anxieties of "their people":


x.com/traecrowder/status/1813267606574670119

[Bact PhD]

Holy Shit! (Again!) Biden officially drops out of the race. Natch, the usual suspects are screeching that he should RESIGN RIGHT NOW.

TBH, when Chem PhD read me the news, my first “gut reaction” was, “Thank God!!” At least now, there’s no more of the speculation, whispered and loud, and there’s At least some time to regroup before the convention.

Will the Dems coalesce behind Harris, and quickly, or will it be a free-for-all at next month’s convention? As the old TV announcers used to say, Stay Tuned!

[Rue Bella]

Hi all, long time, no see. Hope all are well.

I was frankly relieved to hear the Biden news. It was becoming obvious that Biden is declining. whether that's real or not, it was perceived by many that he is just too old for the job. And defeating Trump is just too important to be loyal for the sake of being loyal at this stage of our history.

A new nominee will give life to the race. It will now give voters a new option beyond 'way too old' vs 'crazy/dangerous'
I don't know if Harris will get the nomination, but this will certainly make the convention very interesting. I had been avoiding politics lately, but will have to tune in again. 


May you live in interesting times. .... old curse.

[Bact PhD]

Jul 22, 2024 2:58:23 GMT Rue Bella said:

Hi all, long time, no see. Hope all are well.

I was frankly relieved to hear the Biden news. It was becoming obvious that Biden is declining. whether that's real or not, it was perceived by many that he is just too old for the job. And defeating Trump is just too important to be loyal for the sake of being loyal at this stage of our history.

A new nominee will give life to the race. It will now give voters a new option beyond 'way too old' vs 'crazy/dangerous'
I don't know if Harris will get the nomination, but this will certainly make the convention very interesting. I had been avoiding politics lately, but will have to tune in again. 


May you live in interesting times. .... old curse.

Welcome Back, Rue!!! Great to hear from you! The threads over in Community should fill you in on a lot. We’re small, but still hanging around.

I think the “tune-out” has been more of a “thing” than I had thought. After all, there’s only so much of beating one’s head against the same brick wall one can take.

[andydp]

There is call among the GOP to get Pres Bident to resign immediately. As always, they never go past the rhetoric: this would give VP Harris six months of real world Presidential experience and the opportunity to prove she can do the actual job. 
You all know the GOP (and their buddy Vlad) will gladly provide her with all sorts of "problems" to make her stumble and fall.  That's not going to happen.  I'm certain the WH staff will make sure there are no "stumbles".

[Bact PhD]

Jul 22, 2024 12:25:37 GMT andydp said:

There is call among the GOP to get Pres Bident to resign immediately. As always, they never go past the rhetoric: this would give VP Harris six months of real world Presidential experience and the opportunity to prove she can do the actual job. 
You all know the GOP (and their buddy Vlad) will gladly provide her with all sorts of "problems" to make her stumble and fall.  That's not going to happen.  I'm certain the WH staff will make sure there are no "stumbles".

As one friend of mine put it, the GOPers wanting JB to step down are TERRIBLE strategists.