US Politics Thread

[Sabrefan1]

Just now, nuckin_futz said:

If they're dumb enough to show up again (and we both know they are) just turn water cannons on them. See how dedicated they are in freezing weather being soaking wet/frozen.

 

I actually saw that happen once when I was in high school.  It was hilarious.

[Gator]

Pretty neat site. They post both left wing/right wing articles and show you the bias each article has

 

https://ground.news/

[kilgore]

Just now, Sabrefan1 said:

 

 

Possibly. 

 

What I remember is the party throwing it's weight behind DeDufus and then Haley.   Then after Trump beat those 2, he removed the people in the RNC that opposed him and installed his DIL and other sycophants.

 

Its odd and a little frightening looking at the forest outside the trees, up here in the Great White North.  There seems to be a naivety down there, that Fascism and dictatorship is an impossible thing to ever happen in the USA.  Even while all the preambles to it are taking place.

 

As has been brought up, fear is a great motivator.  Every GOP rep who voted for Trump's impeachment over Jan 6th has been threatened, their families threatened.  I think all have resigned or been replaced by now if I'm not mistaken.

 

Baffling why you would believe that a second Trump term, suddenly the GOP would grow a spine and stand up to him.  When Trump will have even more power. He will appoint not credible people like Kelly. Or even Haley or Barr who would tolerate him.  He'd appoint people from the Heritage Foundation.  Stephen Miller etc.  Do you not think he'd also make use of his new immunity granted him by the SCOTUS? To embolden himself to even greater consolidation of power and stealing from the treasury? He could literally order a hit on any Republican who went against him. Just the threat of it would be enough.

 

It wouldn't be a matter of just removing one individual at that point. Stephen Miller and other more intelligent Fascists would be running things. They also know that Trump is a useful idiot, just like Putin and Xi know.  He feeds off of money and flattery. Easy to  make him do exactly what they want from their darkest fantasies.

 

Republicans have been talking about a permanent Republican majority for decades now.  They now have their Trump card. They will get even wealthier under him.  They will go along with him out of greed, or lust for power, or just plain fear. If they manage to replace thousands of civil servants with Trump loyalists, as well as heads of all departments, appoint hundreds of new MAGA judges, who exactly will stop him?  They recently just killed a border deal introduced by one of the most conservative, Trump loyalists, just because it would help his opponent in the election. And he isn't even in power.  You are claiming that if he regains the Presidency, actually has real power, they would stand up to him?  I wish I had your confidence in that.

[Sabrefan1]

39 minutes ago, Bob Long said:

 

good god, what a statement. 

 

I started to answer this post earlier, but I must have gotten sidetracked. 

 

I hope I didn't forget to delete what I wrote and mistakenly rolled it into a different response.  That would be embarrassing.

 

 

As for the post, I said something along the lines of him being our past and possible future president.  It's a sad state of affairs.

Then I started to get long winded about a story from my childhood.  That's where I stopped the response and must have erased it and moved on to another then forgot to re-respond to you.

 

 

So basically, yes, if Trump is re-elected, that would mean someone is in the oval office that I personally think has committed rape in the past, even though he's never been convicted of it.  As for the daughter thing, she's never accused him, but it wouldn't surprise me.

 

Sad thing is, Washington DC is full of degenerates.  Their sexcapades with one another over the decades is legendary.

[DSVII]

Just a reminder how Republicans talk to their own that don't 100% side with Trump. Warning: Explicit and violent language. 

 

This is the voicemail of one Republican congressman . Imagine what the Dems hear. It's what happens when you listen unquestioningly to all those reactionary youtubers @Gator 

 

[Sabrefan1]

3 minutes ago, kilgore said:

 

Its odd and a little frightening looking at the forest outside the trees, up here in the Great White North.  There seems to be a naivety down there, that Fascism and dictatorship is an impossible thing to ever happen in the USA.  Even while all the preambles to it are taking place.

 

 

It's absolutely possible.  Just look at Rome as an example.  They were a shining republic for centuries and in a short span of time after one man called himself dictator became an empire with a toothless governmental body.

 

Trump is closer to Julius Caesar in that analogy than he is Emperor Augustus.  Trump will never become dictator, he's too old and damaged at this point, but if the executive branch is slowly given too much power by the SCOTUS and neither branch is reigned in by Congress, the stage would be set for a future totalitarian government.

 

Quote

Baffling why you would believe that a second Trump term, suddenly the GOP would grow a spine and stand up to him.  When Trump will have even more power. He will appoint not credible people like Kelly. Or even Haley or Barr who would tolerate him.  He'd appoint people from the Heritage Foundation.  Stephen Miller etc.  Do you not think he'd also make use of his new immunity granted him by the SCOTUS? To embolden himself to even greater consolidation of power and stealing from the treasury? He could literally order a hit on any Republican who went against him. Just the threat of it would be enough.

 

 

I'm not afraid of Trump.  As I said in the past, I'm afraid of one party control, especially if that party is Republican.  The conservatives delight in being as*holes and badly want to change the US into their image.  That's why I was most afraid of DeDufus becoming president.  If he had both houses of Congress, that would not bode well.

 

Quote

Republicans have been talking about a permanent Republican majority for decades now.  They now have their Trump card. They will get even wealthier under him.  They will go along with him out of greed, or lust for power, or just plain fear. If they manage to replace thousands of civil servants with Trump loyalists, as well as heads of all departments, appoint hundreds of new MAGA judges, who exactly will stop him?  They recently just killed a border deal introduced by one of the most conservative, Trump loyalists, just because it would help his opponent in the election. And he isn't even in power.  You are claiming that if he regains the Presidency, actually has real power, they would stand up to him?  I wish I had your confidence in that.

 

They can talk and hope about it all that they want to.  The Republican party has developed a winning problem.  Nationally, the Democrats have been beating them far too often for the last decade.

[Sabrefan1]

6 minutes ago, DSVII said:

Just a reminder how Republicans talk to their own that don't 100% side with Trump. Warning: Explicit and violent language. 

 

This is the voicemail of one Republican congressman . Imagine what the Dems hear. It's what happens when you listen unquestioningly to all those reactionary youtubers @Gator 

 

 

 

It's cult members acting like cult members.  Loonies will be loonies.

[Sabrefan1]

33 minutes ago, Gator said:

Pretty neat site. They post both left wing/right wing articles and show you the bias each article has

 

https://ground.news/

 

There's a pay app that does this too.  They can't be happy about this site being free...

[Bob Long]

4 minutes ago, Sabrefan1 said:

 

 

It's cult members acting like cult members.  Loonies will be loonies.

 

hmm, not sure we should be dismissing it that easily, the cult seems to have a lot more members than ever before.

[6of1_halfdozenofother]

15 minutes ago, DSVII said:

Just a reminder how Republicans talk to their own that don't 100% side with Trump. Warning: Explicit and violent language. 

 

This is the voicemail of one Republican congressman . Imagine what the Dems hear. It's what happens when you listen unquestioningly to all those reactionary youtubers @Gator 

 

 

Two things that come to mind:

 

1. The people leaving messages really aren't that imaginative or creative in their approach for messaging.  Seems to be the same two or three things that they want to say, all centered around having sex and the pooping process.

 

2. That one in the middle coming up with curses involving their skyward fairy - "if it be god's will"... but what if their deity wills it that this is exactly what this representative should be doing, and instead of smiting him, pushes him to great health and prosperity for doing god's will - and given longevity far beyond that of the one doing the cursing?  

[4petesake]

3 hours ago, DSVII said:

 

This is an expected gesture for candidates in a functioning democracy to make. Whatever the personal views of Trump, and believe me there are many, he's still the candidate for a major party. Where was Trump's when Nancy Pelosi's husband got attacked? 

 

Great example of the de-escalating language used by one party in response to a crisis.

 

Actually (surprisingly!) it was one of Trump’s more lucid responses, more than you can say for Jr.

 

 

[Sabrefan1]

1 minute ago, Bob Long said:

 

hmm, not sure we should be dismissing it that easily, the cult seems to have a lot more members than ever before.

 

I could be wrong, but it doesn't seem that way to me.  Even when I drive through heavily Republican areas in Buffalo's suburbs, I don't see anywhere near as many Trump yard signs and bumper stickers like I saw in 2020 and even in 2016 when people were afraid to admit they were voting for him. 

 

This is only an anecdotal story but I'm one of two political black sheep in my family.  Everyone except me and my step-sister is Republican.  They used to sing Trump's praises in his first term.  They all wanted DeDufus this time and have admitted that they are only settling on Trump because he's a Republican.

 

MAGA is still numerous, but I don't think it's as big and as hardcore as it was in it's heyday. 

 

I'd venture to guess that many Republicans are voting Trump because they hate the Democrats and he's their only choice.  Look at Harris' numbers when she was declared.  I tend to doubt that it was all independents.  There was likely a fair number of anti-Trump moderate Republicans in that mix.  However I think she's losing those moderates as time goes by and her momentum slows.  That's why Trump won't debate her again if he has a choice.  He can't lose to her twice and restart that wave of momentum.

[Sabrefan1]

8 minutes ago, 6of1_halfdozenofother said:

1. The people leaving messages really aren't that imaginative or creative in their approach for messaging.  Seems to be the same two or three things that they want to say, all centered around having sex and the pooping process.

 

Any MAGA that is dumb enough to do this doesn't have the capacity to memorize more than 2 or 3 things at once.

[kilgore]

3 minutes ago, Sabrefan1 said:

 

It's absolutely possible.  Just look at Rome as an example.  They were a shining republic for centuries and in a short span of time after one man called himself dictator became an empire with a toothless governmental body.

 

Trump is closer to Julius Caesar in that analogy than he is Emperor Augustus.  Trump will never become dictator, he's too old and damaged at this point, but if the executive branch is slowly given too much power by the SCOTUS and neither branch is reigned in by Congress, the stage would be set for a future totalitarian government.

 

 

 

I'm not afraid of Trump.  As I said in the past, I'm afraid of one party control, especially if that party is Republican.  The conservatives delight in being as*holes and badly want to change the US into their image.  That's why I was most afraid of DeDufus becoming president.  If he had both houses of Congress, that would not bode well.

 

 

They can talk and hope about it all that they want to.  The Republican party has developed a winning problem.  Nationally, the Democrats have been beating them far too often for the last decade.

 

I'm not afraid of Trump as an individual either.  At least not as a permanent threat. But I am afraid of Trumpism.  That future totalitarian government can be developed all during one new Trump term. And their new Gilead could be in place before 2028 and the need for overcoming the "winning problem".  As Trump said to a crowd of Christian supporters....

 

"Christians, get out and vote just this time. You won't have to do it anymore. Four more years, you know what? It will be fixed. It will be fine. You won't have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians." 

 

That is the danger of Trump getting re-elected.  He would just be the ceremonial king eating his Big Mac and throwing ketchup in the corner. Easy to make him think he is in charge while the real totalitarians around him work to enact democracy killing actions. He will believe that he was the genius who came up with all the project 2025 doctrine (if he wins).  Many people are saying.... the greatest ideas ever. 

 

If he croaks or just becomes so obviously mentally incapable during his second term, Republicans who would still be beholden to their increasingly radical base, would put in a younger smarter version of Trump, and carry on.

[Sabrefan1]

Just now, kilgore said:

 

I'm not afraid of Trump as an individual either.  At least not as a permanent threat. But I am afraid of Trumpism.  That future totalitarian government can be developed all during one new Trump term. And their new Gilead could be in place before 2028 and the need for overcoming the "winning problem".  As Trump said to a crowd of Christian supporters....

 

"Christians, get out and vote just this time. You won't have to do it anymore. Four more years, you know what? It will be fixed. It will be fine. You won't have to vote anymore, my beautiful Christians." 

 

That is the danger of Trump getting re-elected.  He would just be the ceremonial king eating his Big Mac and throwing ketchup in the corner. Easy to make him think he is in charge while the real totalitarians around him work to enact democracy killing actions. He will believe that he was the genius who came up with all the project 2025 doctrine (if he wins).  Many people are saying.... the greatest ideas ever. 

 

If he croaks or just becomes so obviously mentally incapable during his second term, Republicans who would still be beholden to their increasingly radical base, would put in a younger smarter version of Trump, and carry on.

 

 

I can see one party or the other taking over some day, but I just don't see it happening during a Trump presidency.  If the filibuster goes bye-bye and the Republicans get DeDufus in office and hold a solid majority in both houses of Congress, then I will be very very nervous.  That's when your plan makes sense.

[Satchmo]

Microsoft says Russian operatives are ramping up attacks on Harris campaign with fake videos

Microsoft said Tuesday that Russian operatives have in recent weeks intensified their online attacks on Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign by producing and disseminating videos promoting “outlandish conspiracy theories” aimed at stoking US racial and political divisions.

One of the inauthentic videos, which Microsoft said had been viewed millions of times, claimed to show Harris supporters attacking an attendee of a Donald Trump rally. Another video falsely claimed that Harris paralyzed a young girl in a 2011 hit-and-run accident. Russian operatives promoted the latter story through a website pretending to be a local San Francisco media outlet, Microsoft researchers said.

Both videos were still accessible on X as of Tuesday afternoon, with one post of the video garnering 1.5 million views on its own. CNN has requested comment from the social media platform.

The report is the latest evidence that Kremlin-linked trolls and digital operatives are ramping up their efforts to denigrate Harris’s campaign just weeks before the presidential election. US intelligence agencies warned in July that Russia planned to “covertly use social media” to try to sway public opinion and undermine support for Ukraine in swing states.

Russia’s preferences for the presidential race haven’t shifted since 2020 or 2016, when Moscow conducted a range of influence operations aimed at denigrating Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton, respectively, according to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/17/politics/microsoft-russian-operatives-harris/index.html

[kilgore]

2 minutes ago, Sabrefan1 said:

 

 

I can see one party or the other taking over some day, but I just don't see it happening during a Trump presidency.  If the filibuster goes bye-bye and the Republicans get DeDufus in office and hold a solid majority in both houses of Congress, then I will be very very nervous.  That's when your plan makes sense.

 

Like i said, I wish I had your confidence in that.  Good luck down there!

 

[Gnarcore]

[kilgore]

29 minutes ago, Satchmo said:

Microsoft says Russian operatives are ramping up attacks on Harris campaign with fake videos

Microsoft said Tuesday that Russian operatives have in recent weeks intensified their online attacks on Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign by producing and disseminating videos promoting “outlandish conspiracy theories” aimed at stoking US racial and political divisions.

One of the inauthentic videos, which Microsoft said had been viewed millions of times, claimed to show Harris supporters attacking an attendee of a Donald Trump rally. Another video falsely claimed that Harris paralyzed a young girl in a 2011 hit-and-run accident. Russian operatives promoted the latter story through a website pretending to be a local San Francisco media outlet, Microsoft researchers said.

Both videos were still accessible on X as of Tuesday afternoon, with one post of the video garnering 1.5 million views on its own. CNN has requested comment from the social media platform.

The report is the latest evidence that Kremlin-linked trolls and digital operatives are ramping up their efforts to denigrate Harris’s campaign just weeks before the presidential election. US intelligence agencies warned in July that Russia planned to “covertly use social media” to try to sway public opinion and undermine support for Ukraine in swing states.

Russia’s preferences for the presidential race haven’t shifted since 2020 or 2016, when Moscow conducted a range of influence operations aimed at denigrating Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton, respectively, according to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/17/politics/microsoft-russian-operatives-harris/index.html

 

Where is Gator? To argue that in fact, Putin endorsed Kamala!

So there is no way this isn't fake news.

[Gator]

58 minutes ago, Sabrefan1 said:

 

There's a pay app that does this too.  They can't be happy about this site being free...

Really? I just heard about this one front one of those "youtubers" lol

[Sabrefan1]

1 minute ago, kilgore said:

 

Like i said, I wish I had your confidence in that.  Good luck down there!

 

 

Thanks.

 

You northern folk are buying too much into the "danger to democracy" rhetoric.  Total party control is the true danger.  Not the McDonalds aficionado.

 

As for the party control thing, the Republicans have played the long game laying the groundwork over decades and with trying to nationalize millions of immigrants, the Democrats are making their attempt at a quick power grab. 

[Sabrefan1]

Just now, Gator said:

Really? I just heard about this one front one of those "youtubers" lol

 

Funny you say that.  That's how I learned of the pay app.  Wish I could remember the name though.  They haven't advertised it in quite a while.  Now that you have me thinking about it, for all I know, they've already gone belly up.

[kilgore]

1 minute ago, Sabrefan1 said:

 

Thanks.

 

You northern folk are buying too much into the "danger to democracy" rhetoric.  Total party control is the true danger.  Not the McDonalds aficionado.

 

As for the party control thing, the Republicans have played the long game laying the groundwork over decades and with trying to nationalize millions of immigrants, the Democrats are making their attempt at a quick power grab. 

 

Yup, a few things lined up perfect for Dems and they jumped at it. And who knew Kamala would be such a popular candidate?

 

Maybe we are too paranoid, but when so many US military officials are sounding the alarm, we take notice.

 

 

 

 

https://x.com/PoliticusSarah/status/1836145624070205670

[Sabrefan1]

2 minutes ago, kilgore said:

 

Yup, a few things lined up perfect for Dems and they jumped at it. And who knew Kamala would be such a popular candidate?

 

Maybe we are too paranoid, but when so many US military officials are sounding the alarm, we take notice.

 

 

 

https://x.com/PoliticusSarah/status/1836145624070205670

 

 

Trump has scores to settle with a number of higher up people in the military because they were in communication with China without him knowing.  He's likely going to force a number of them into retirement.

[Satchmo]

7 minutes ago, kilgore said:

 

Where is Gator? To argue that in fact, Putin endorsed Kamala!

So there is no way this isn't fake news.

I've asked him about Russian interference and he told me he does not care.   I have not seen enough reactions to make a decision but I'm beginning to think a lot of people  either don't believe it or they believe it but don't care as long as it helps their candidate.