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Ill look during my next Halo Top sweep. When I Googled it B&J was the only store bought ice cream that came up, retired or otherwise.
I wondered about his equanimity while sporting the crack in his shell inflicted by the unexpected Christmas party guest, The Nutcracker.
He did deftly wield his cane to prevent further injury.
Again, a fall from height is not a credible death for a peanut.
It was the exploding vehicle that killed the nut.
I think he could have glided his shell away from the vehicle.
A case for CSI Legume?
Bury Mr. Peanut, resurrect this...…
https://www.benjerry.com/flavors/flavor-graveyard/white-russian
Check RW sites. The same Directed Energy Weapons that started forest fires in CA a year ago will be blamed.
That is terrible news!
Thanks captain obvious.
As always Trump's first response was the authentic emotionally stunted and impoverished vocabulary one.
Melania probably did a face palm slap, and then she slapped her own forehead.
Add this to the ice cream shopping list...…
https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/ben-jerrys-impeachmint-ice-cream/
Friday TOONs - Weep the People
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212904209
Friday TOONs - Weep the People
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212904209
Missing from the list...GOP favorites:
Pearl Clutcher Café.
The Invertebrate Lounge
Neither Guts Nor Glory Beef and Brew.
I'm Deeply Concerned Grill
Too much exposure in walking across the street and up the Capitol Building steps. Too much opportunity to inflict harm.
https://www.rollcall.com/news/congress/chief-justice-leaves-friendly-confines-trump-impeachment-trial
Supreme Court schedule
From across the street from the Capitol Building, Roberts will go by car to the Senate each day of the impeachment trial, and will be escorted by a Supreme Court security detail, the Supreme Court said.
The court typically hears oral arguments from 10 a.m. to about noon, and if the Senate follows previous rules the impeachment trial would start in the afternoon.
“In the unlikely event the Chief Justice had to leave the bench before arguments conclude, the most senior associate justice, Justice [Clarence] Thomas, would preside in the Courtroom,” the Supreme Court said. “In the unlikely event the Chief Justice were required to miss oral arguments, he would participate in the cases on the basis of the briefs and the transcripts of oral arguments.”
Your too detailed ingredients have changed my mind.
I stumbled upon this ice cream about a year ago. I don't eat any other kind anymore.
Sea Salt caramel and Peaches & Cream are exceptional.
https://www.popsugar.com/fitness/Halo-Top-Peaches-Cream-44871631
https://halotop.com/dairy/
icy cow pie. Baskin Robbins, Ben & Jerry, your new flavor beckons.
While a teenager, Ann-Margret appeared on the Morris B. Sachs Amateur Hour, Don McNeill's Breakfast Club, and Ted Mack's Amateur Hour. She attended New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois, and continued to star in theater.
Was a cheerleader at New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois. Other New Trier graduates include Ralph Bellamy, Charlton Heston, Rock Hudson, Hugh B. O'Brien, Bruce Dern, Penelope Milford, Virginia Madsen and Liz Phair.
In 1959, she enrolled at Northwestern University in nearby Evanston, Illinois, and she was a member of the sorority Kappa Alpha Theta. She did not graduate.
As part of a group known as the Suttletones, she performed at the Mist nightclub in Chicago and went to Las Vegas for a promised club date which fell through after the group arrived. They traveled to Los Angeles, California, and through agent Georgia Lund, they secured club dates in Newport Beach and Reno, Nevada.[citation needed] The group went to the Dunes in Las Vegas, which also headlined Tony Bennett and Al Hirt at that time.
George Burns heard of her performance, and she auditioned for his annual holiday show, in which she and Burns performed a softshoe routine. Variety proclaimed that "George Burns has a gold mine in Ann-Margret ... she has a definite style of her own, which can easily guide her to star status".[6]
Mind boggling Arts and entertainment (film, TV, and theatre) alum list. You tube of Colbert and Seth Meyer commencement addresses are as funny as their shows.
Did not graduate = I'm going to go make some money, mostly.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Northwestern_University_alumni
Especially dinner, many, many courses. Be funny if fat Mikey and fatter Billy had the same frustrated cardiologist.
Imagine the post annual physical admonition. 'You CAN'T continue to carry that much weight around and expect to stay out of the cath-lab and or off of the CAB surgical table.
Hell, you're too heavy a lift for the Rapture'. THAT would get their attention, if not their commitment to shed the suet.
His voice for that song was in my head as soon as I read, shit, apparently still is with the rhyming, '..named Olga...'.
Thanks for dropping by and confirming that you're a credulous fucking RW moron. Sorry for the redundancies.
I wonder if Ted Cruz removes his lips from Trump's ass, to apply Chapstick.
https://www.theeagle.com/townnews/politics/texas-a-m-official-obama-study-tweeted-by-ted-cruz/article_a7b45cb0-b12d-11e3-b136-001a4bcf887a.html
Not that there was ever any doubt, but Texas A&M University has nothing to do with the chain study about President Barack Obama that's spreading around. An A&M spokesman said it's a hoax. The statement attributed to the “Public Relations Office at A&M” is fabricated.
The post has caught fire recently and was tweeted out by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz on Thursday afternoon. It's all over right-wing blogs and the social media accounts of the faithful.
New study ranks Obama as 5th best President in history. Hard to disagree... #AggieJoke pic.twitter.com/9oDdPqWgH5
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) March 20, 2014
The study is clearly a joke. The click-bait headline combines Texas A&M + Obama + "best president," but when you read through the "methodology" Obama is actually the worst president.
The A&M spokesman said the chain-joke-spam-letter first cropped up in the early fall and that he wasn't sure why it had just resurfaced. He said the university had not formally distanced themselves from the study because officials didn't want to help it spread.
Chuck Schumer "dares" Republicans to call Hunter Biden as a witness.
https://www.lancastercourier.com/2020/01/24/chuck-schumer-dares-republicans-to-call-hunter-biden-to-testify/?fbclid=IwAR09psnKgen9zMHD1CYs6Ao_jm1BK1xN6J7AijfvXbY-ovqkswADY6qaiXw
“Let me just say this,” Schumer continued. “The witnesses that we have asked for are eyewitnesses, like Mick Mulvaney, to everything that happened, and the few Republicans, there are some, who are saying, ‘Well, I don’t know if this is all really true, it’s all secondhand,’ which it isn’t, but still, every one of these witnesses, these documents, will answer this directly. Hunter Biden has nothing to do with this.”
Schumer then pointed out that Republicans can’t blame Democrats for Hunter Biden not testifying because they have the votes to call him, and he dared them to do so.
“By the way, and people forget this,” Schumer said. “The Republicans could call Hunter Biden on their own, they have 53 votes. You know why they don’t? Because they know that will just confirm to every American that everything the president is doing has done in this whole sad saga, everything the president’s lawyers are doing, everything the Republican senators are doing is just political.”
Not to mention dirt stupid.
I hope Collins hates it. She has to know it's very unflattering, stone cold accurate as it is.
Mr. Peanut in hell. Honey roasted no doubt.
Very promising beginning.
Some of you don't visit the TA board, so you were deprived of this. You shouldn't be....
blackhawks Member Level Saturday, 01/25/20 01:04:19 PM
Re: DesertDrifter post# 337608 0
Post # of 337641
Her name was Olga, she was a server
With yellow feathers in her hair and a dress cut down to there
At the Seva...Sevastapola
The hottest spot south of Odessa.
His name was Rudy
He wore a diamond
He was escorted to his chair, he saw Olga serving there
And when she finished, he called her over
I'm not hiden', I'm just confiden', can you get me some dirt on Joe Biden?
Olga shook her head and then she said, don't fall for conspiracy theories at the Seva…..Sevastapola, the hottest spot south of Odessa.
My apologies to Barry Manilow.
Seems Chief Thuglomat Mike Pompeo does not enjoy the press, with all their uppity demands for “answers to questions” and “accountability,” as demonstrated by the petulant tantrum he threw at an NPR reporter.
To me, Mike is the scariest member of the entire Turd Reich; no, he’s not as wily or effective as Bill Barr, but he possesses the zealot’s conviction that God will stay on his side through whatever atrocities he may perpetrate, and is, if anything, a little irritated with him for holding back up to this point.
Look in his eyes when he’s facing the press; this is a man fantasizing about camps and gallows.
http://showercapblog.com/if-paul-simon-wrote-a-song-about-gop-senators-it-would-be-53-ways-to-fail-your-country/
Crime scene tape put up in front of McConnell's office
Oh my God.
@Remove_TrumpNow put crime scene tape across the door of Mitch McConnell’s office.
Oh my God.@Remove_TrumpNow put crime scene tape across the door of Mitch McConnell’s office.
— Read No Shortcuts (@JoshuaPHilll) January 24, 2020
pic.twitter.com/aYPZF9vuhk
Matt Gaetz praised Democrats' impeachment presentation and skewered Trump's defense...
GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz praised Democrats' impeachment presentation and skewered Trump's defense as looking like 'an 8th-grade book report'
[Business Insider]
ssheth@businessinsider.com (Sonam Sheth)
,Business Insider•January 23, 2020
Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz, one of President Donald Trump's most vocal congressional allies, praised House Democrats for the way they presented the case against Trump in his impeachment trial.
The Democrats made their case to the public as if it were "cable news," Gaetz told Politico, commending their use of multimedia during the trial.
Meanwhile, the defense team's case looked like "an eighth-grade book report," Gaetz told Politico. "Actually, no, I take that back," he said, adding that an eighth-grader would know how to use PowerPoint and iPads.
Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida is one of President Donald Trump's most vocal defenders in Congress.
He has repeatedly gone to bat for the president and shielded him amid a snowballing impeachment process in which Trump was charged with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The president is standing trial in the Republican-controlled Senate, which is widely expected to clear him of wrongdoing.
But Gaetz doesn't seem impressed with Trump's defense so far.
Other Republican lawmakers also offered grudging praise of the Democrats' performance.
Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana told reporters during the first day of the prosecution's opening arguments that the evidence itself was news to many senators.
"Nine out of 10 senators will tell you they haven't read a full transcript of the proceedings in the House," Kennedy said. "And the 10th senator who says he has is lying."
more...
https://news.yahoo.com/gop-rep-matt-gaetz-praised-193837056.html
Matt Gaetz praised Democrats' impeachment presentation and skewered Trump's defense...
GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz praised Democrats' impeachment presentation and skewered Trump's defense as looking like 'an 8th-grade book report'
[Business Insider]
ssheth@businessinsider.com (Sonam Sheth)
,Business Insider•January 23, 2020
Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz, one of President Donald Trump's most vocal congressional allies, praised House Democrats for the way they presented the case against Trump in his impeachment trial.
The Democrats made their case to the public as if it were "cable news," Gaetz told Politico, commending their use of multimedia during the trial.
Meanwhile, the defense team's case looked like "an eighth-grade book report," Gaetz told Politico. "Actually, no, I take that back," he said, adding that an eighth-grader would know how to use PowerPoint and iPads.
Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida is one of President Donald Trump's most vocal defenders in Congress.
He has repeatedly gone to bat for the president and shielded him amid a snowballing impeachment process in which Trump was charged with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The president is standing trial in the Republican-controlled Senate, which is widely expected to clear him of wrongdoing.
But Gaetz doesn't seem impressed with Trump's defense so far.
Other Republican lawmakers also offered grudging praise of the Democrats' performance.
Sen. John Kennedy of Louisiana told reporters during the first day of the prosecution's opening arguments that the evidence itself was news to many senators.
"Nine out of 10 senators will tell you they haven't read a full transcript of the proceedings in the House," Kennedy said. "And the 10th senator who says he has is lying."
more...
https://news.yahoo.com/gop-rep-matt-gaetz-praised-193837056.html
Get your flu shot.....
https://www.netflix.com/title/81026143
Get your flu shot.....
https://www.netflix.com/title/81026143
Cadet Bone Spur step on a mine, again. No one combines ignorance and verbal maladroitness worse than President Sharpie, the offal in the oval.
Largest Veterans organization demands apology after Trump said traumatic brain injuries from Iranian attack are 'not very serious'
CNN Digital Expansion 2018 Veronica Stracqualursi
By Veronica Stracqualursi, CNN
Updated 9:56 AM ET, Sat January 25, 2020
https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/25/politics/trump-vfw-traumatic-brain-injuries/index.html
Washington (CNN)The Veterans of Foreign Wars is demanding that President Donald Trump apologize for downplaying traumatic brain injuries sustained by US service members in Iraq after Iranian missile strikes on American troops earlier this month.
Earlier this week, Trump said he does not consider potential traumatic brain injuries to be as serious as physical combat wounds, minimizing the severity of the injuries, saying he heard that some troops "had headaches, and a couple of other things, but I would say, and I can report, it's not very serious."
"The VFW expects an apology from the President to our service men and women for his misguided remarks," William "Doc" Schmitz, VFW National Commander, said in a statement Friday, following the Pentagon's announcement that 34 US service members have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries in the January 8 Iranian attack.
"And, we ask that he and the White House join with us in our efforts to educate Americans of the dangers TBI has on these heroes as they protect our great nation in these trying times. Our warriors require our full support more than ever in this challenging environment," Schmitz added.
The VFW, the largest veterans organization, said TBI is a "serious injury and one that cannot be taken lightly."
On Friday, the Pentagon announced that 34 US service members have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries in the January 8 attack, which was in retaliation for the January 2 US drone strike that killed a top Iranian general.
Of the 34 service members, 17 of those who were injured have since returned to duty in Iraq.
Nine service members are still being treated in Germany. An additional eight service members who had been flown to Germany have since been sent to the United States for additional treatment.
Although traumatic brain injuries are not always immediately apparent, the disclosure of injured US service members suggested that the attack's impact was more serious than initial assessments indicated.
Mild traumatic brain injuries, commonly known as concussions, are a form of TBI. The most common form of TBIs in the military are mild TBIs, according to the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center.
CNN's Ryan Browne, Barbara Starr and Michael Callahan contributed to this report.
Cadet Bone Spur step on a mine, again. No one combines ignorance and verbal maladroitness worse than President Sharpie, the offal in the oval.
Largest Veterans organization demands apology after Trump said traumatic brain injuries from Iranian attack are 'not very serious'
CNN Digital Expansion 2018 Veronica Stracqualursi
By Veronica Stracqualursi, CNN
Updated 9:56 AM ET, Sat January 25, 2020
https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/25/politics/trump-vfw-traumatic-brain-injuries/index.html
Washington (CNN)The Veterans of Foreign Wars is demanding that President Donald Trump apologize for downplaying traumatic brain injuries sustained by US service members in Iraq after Iranian missile strikes on American troops earlier this month.
Earlier this week, Trump said he does not consider potential traumatic brain injuries to be as serious as physical combat wounds, minimizing the severity of the injuries, saying he heard that some troops "had headaches, and a couple of other things, but I would say, and I can report, it's not very serious."
"The VFW expects an apology from the President to our service men and women for his misguided remarks," William "Doc" Schmitz, VFW National Commander, said in a statement Friday, following the Pentagon's announcement that 34 US service members have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries in the January 8 Iranian attack.
"And, we ask that he and the White House join with us in our efforts to educate Americans of the dangers TBI has on these heroes as they protect our great nation in these trying times. Our warriors require our full support more than ever in this challenging environment," Schmitz added.
The VFW, the largest veterans organization, said TBI is a "serious injury and one that cannot be taken lightly."
On Friday, the Pentagon announced that 34 US service members have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries in the January 8 attack, which was in retaliation for the January 2 US drone strike that killed a top Iranian general.
Of the 34 service members, 17 of those who were injured have since returned to duty in Iraq.
Nine service members are still being treated in Germany. An additional eight service members who had been flown to Germany have since been sent to the United States for additional treatment.
Although traumatic brain injuries are not always immediately apparent, the disclosure of injured US service members suggested that the attack's impact was more serious than initial assessments indicated.
Mild traumatic brain injuries, commonly known as concussions, are a form of TBI. The most common form of TBIs in the military are mild TBIs, according to the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center.
CNN's Ryan Browne, Barbara Starr and Michael Callahan contributed to this report.
Her name was Olga, she was a server
With yellow feathers in her hair and a dress cut down to there
At the Seva...Sevastapola
The hottest spot south of Odessa.
His name was Rudy
He wore a diamond
He was escorted to his chair, he saw Olga serving there
And when she finished, he called her over
I'm not hiden', I'm just confiden', can you get me some dirt on Joe Biden?
Olga shook her head and then she said, don't fall for conspiracy theories at the Seva…..Sevastapola, the hottest spot south of Odessa.
My apologies to Barry Manilow.
Yeah, pearl clutcher, don't let the door hitcha where the good lord splitcha.
If Paul Simon Wrote a Song About GOP Senators, It Would Be “53 Ways to Fail Your Country”
Friday, January 24th, 2020
by Shower Cap | American Madness Journal | 1 comment
http://showercapblog.com/if-paul-simon-wrote-a-song-about-gop-senators-it-would-be-53-ways-to-fail-your-country/
Hey everybody, I almost hate to interrupt whatever filthy, steamy, sex fantasies y’all are no doubt having about Adam Schiff right this very minute, but I figured we should round up the news real quick before disappearing back into his righteous embrace…ohhhhhh Adam, you’re so…thorough, oh…Um. Excuse me. Anyway, the blog:
The thirty-four American service members diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries in the aftermath of Iran’s recent missile strikes will no doubt be pleased to learn from their draft-dodging Commander-in-Chief that their injuries are sissy, girly, injuries that do not count, so please keep it down about the whole “lifetime of pain and other challenges” thing you’re facing.
For a dude who lacks the courage to so much as sit for an interview with a real journalist outside the right wing dumbassosphere, the Bonespur Buttplug demonstrates unseemly confidence in judging the Americans who risk their lives defending his right to golf every weekend at taxpayer expense.
At Davos, during a break from being ignored by people who don’t have to lie about their wealth, the Candycorn Skidmark confessed to, and even bragged about, obstructing Congress, which is of course one of the very articles of impeachment against his treasonous ass.
This shit must drive legitimate criminal masterminds nuts, y’know? Imagine you spent months pulling off the perfect, brilliant, heist, some real Steven Soderbergh shit, but you can’t ever tell anybody how you did it, while this mushbrained dolt gets to strut around, squawking, “We have all the material cuz I didn’t turn it over ME AM SO SMRT” just because he has 53 pet Senators.
Perhaps worried that the three-day-long, televised, deep dive into his many crimes would render him TOO popular, Pumpkin Spice Pol Pot decided, unprompted, to remind America that, like a children’s cereal mascot who can’t wait for the poors to just die off already, he’s just Cuckoo for Entitlement Cuts. In the end, for all his flaws, I have to concede that Donald Trump is perhaps the most effective anti-Trump messenger available to the Resistance.
Tulsi Gabbard continued her pursuit of her bizarre What if You’re Kind of a Democrat But You Hate Democrats and Also Luv Dictators brand (it’s kinda like Goop, but angry), announcing a big ol’ frivolous lawsuit targeting Hillary Clinton. Really looking forward to regular updates on this case on the Tucker Carlson White Power Hour.
And then there was the whole “impeachment trial” thing, I suppose I should mention that. Democratic impeachment managers made you proud to be an American, and prouder still to be part of the sole major American political party that still believes in honesty, decency, the rule of law, constitutional separation of powers, and I’m pretty sure I heard Mike Pence say “Apple pie sucks” the other day.
Shit, next to the shrieking mendacity of the likes of Pat Cipollone and Gym Jordan, just the competence is fucking inspirational, and you can’t help but appreciate the work our team has put into laying out their case, clearly and concisely.
Of course, Senate Republicans are awfully pissy that they have to sit through all this meddlesome “evidence” and “proof of their shameful complicity,” because it’ll undermine their ability to go on pretending they’ve been too busy to keep up with the biggest political scandal of their lifetimes.
Of course, “I was asleep when that particular damning bit of evidence was mentioned,” remains a viable copout, along with “I was in the cloakroom,” and “I was flat out reading a fuckin’ book instead.” Ah, if only there had been fidget spinners in the days of Ancient Rome, Nero wouldn’t have needed to learn to fiddle.
Historians will mark this as the week when the Most Susan Collins Thing Ever occurred. In the middle of the the impeachment trial, Susan heard something from Democratic impeachment manager Jerry Nadler that shook her to her useless, pearl-clutching, core; no, it wasn’t any of the evidence of Hairplug Himmler’s crimes or betrayals, it was that Nadler was a big ol’ meaniepants in pointing out the Senate GOP is assisting the Trump Administration’s coverup JUST BECAUSE the Senate GOP is assisting the Trump Administration’s coverup.
And so she tattled to Chief Justice John Roberts. Leave it to Susan Fucking Collins to haughtily whinge about decorum while her party conspires to end democracy in America. Sara Gideon’s first term can’t start soon enough.
One excuse, pardon me, one “argument” Republicans are taking out for a test spin is that the Shart House will simply invoke executive privilege if witnesses are called, potentially drawing out the trial for months, when they’d really much rather get back to the important work of ignoring the hundreds of bills Nancy Pelosi and the House have sent them.
It’s a bullshit argument, of course, but I suppose they can’t quite bring themselves to utter the real truth out loud, but wouldn’t it be something to watch, say, Josh Hawley sneeringly proclaim, “Yeah, we’re letting it all ride on our brainwashed rube base! We’re hopin’ to squeeze at least one more term out of the dying gasps of white supremacy! Shit, Fux Nooz isn’t even broadcasting the trial, we can say whatever the fuck we want and they’ll still love us and hate you! Nothing matters! BYE!”
Lindsey Graham doesn’t want any additional witnesses at the impeachment trial, instead preferring a quick acquittal, even* in the face of overwhelming evidence of Dorito Mussolini’s guilt.
What he DOES want is an official government investigation into the President’s political rivals, based on widely-debunked conspiracy theories. This is because Lindsey Graham is a fascist, working to destroy our Constitutional democracy in order to ensure his party stays permanently in power, whatever the will of the people. Jokes will return in the following paragraph, this one is just for ugly, horrifying, truths.
Marsha Blackburn, who has become a United States Senator despite a career more or less indistinguishable from That One Guy Who Sets Up a Microphone on Campus to Scream at Everyone Who Walks By That They’re Going to Hell, embraced some casually fascist tactics of her own, impugning the patriotism of Purple Heart recipient and impeachment witness Alexander Vindman.
I suppose there are two ways of looking at this; either you believe America is America, or you believe America is a dirtbag game show host who stole money from charity to buy an ugly-ass painting of himself. There. Both sides. Chuck Todd would be proud.
Word is, the Treasonweasel Administration has threatened the already thoroughly-cowed Senate GOP Caucus to continue enabling the Emperor of Hemorrhoids’ every criminal whim, or “your head will be on a pike.” Whatever. Not like there’s anything worth preserving in those 53 empty craniums.
Treasury Secretary Mnuchbag became the latest prominent conservative goon to slip a quarter in the self-owning machine we call Picking a Fight with Greta Thunberg, demanding the teenager procure an economics degree before bothering bought-and-paid-for climate deniers like himself with her pesky facts. Yes, this is the same Steve Mnuchin who thinks the Trump tax cuts paid for themselves, and that his horrible wife didn’t marry him for his money.
Huge embarrassment in Shartopia today, as a heretofore unknown recording of Donnie Two-Scoops’ failed Sopranos audition surfaced, and boy, is it ev-excuse me, what? The tape is actually real, and it captures the President telling Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, “Take her out,” apparently referencing Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch? ZOUNDS.
The more charitable voices in the news interpret this as a command to fire Yovanovitch, which might make sense if he gave it to whichever sycophantic peon happened to be acting chief of staff at the moment, rather than a room full of cheap thugs, many of whom are currently facing some rather significant criminal charges.
Shit, even Mulvaney would need further clarification. “Get rid of her? Like, GET RID OF HER get rid of her?”
Upon hearing of this new bit of documented thuggery, John “Yes, Wyoming gets two Senators even though we have fewer voters than Coachella has hipsters” Barrasso, shrugged, “There will be new evidence every day.
There will something new that comes out every day,” as though this was a reason to dismiss the charges against the Offal in the Oval, rather than investigate further. There’s SO much evidence of criminal wrongdoing we should let the man get on with his crimes, is the idea. It seems. This is real life, folks. I know it feels sometimes like we’re trapped in a nightmare George Orwell is having after losing a spicy-hot-wings-eating contest, but it’s real fuckin’ life.
Seems Chief Thuglomat Mike Pompeo does not enjoy the press, with all their uppity demands for “answers to questions” and “accountability,” as demonstrated by the petulant tantrum he threw at an NPR reporter.
To me, Mike is the scariest member of the entire Turd Reich; no, he’s not as wily or effective as Bill Barr, but he possesses the zealot’s conviction that God will stay on his side through whatever atrocities he may perpetrate, and is, if anything, a little irritated with him for holding back up to this point. Look in his eyes when he’s facing the press; this is a man fantasizing about camps and gallows.
And now I see the Velveeta Vulgarian literally stole the fucking Starfleet insignia from Star Trek as the logo for his idiotic “Space Force,” and we really need to get rid of this clown before he starts appointing Ninja Turtles to the cabinet.
Alright, everybody, that’s what I got. Steer clear of exotic new viruses this weekend! Oh, and please donate to the Kickstarter for my very first comic book! All the cool Resisters are doing it, y’know!
*especially
If Paul Simon Wrote a Song About GOP Senators, It Would Be “53 Ways to Fail Your Country”
Friday, January 24th, 2020
by Shower Cap | American Madness Journal | 1 comment
http://showercapblog.com/if-paul-simon-wrote-a-song-about-gop-senators-it-would-be-53-ways-to-fail-your-country/
Hey everybody, I almost hate to interrupt whatever filthy, steamy, sex fantasies y’all are no doubt having about Adam Schiff right this very minute, but I figured we should round up the news real quick before disappearing back into his righteous embrace…ohhhhhh Adam, you’re so…thorough, oh…Um. Excuse me. Anyway, the blog:
The thirty-four American service members diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries in the aftermath of Iran’s recent missile strikes will no doubt be pleased to learn from their draft-dodging Commander-in-Chief that their injuries are sissy, girly, injuries that do not count, so please keep it down about the whole “lifetime of pain and other challenges” thing you’re facing.
For a dude who lacks the courage to so much as sit for an interview with a real journalist outside the right wing dumbassosphere, the Bonespur Buttplug demonstrates unseemly confidence in judging the Americans who risk their lives defending his right to golf every weekend at taxpayer expense.
At Davos, during a break from being ignored by people who don’t have to lie about their wealth, the Candycorn Skidmark confessed to, and even bragged about, obstructing Congress, which is of course one of the very articles of impeachment against his treasonous ass.
This shit must drive legitimate criminal masterminds nuts, y’know? Imagine you spent months pulling off the perfect, brilliant, heist, some real Steven Soderbergh shit, but you can’t ever tell anybody how you did it, while this mushbrained dolt gets to strut around, squawking, “We have all the material cuz I didn’t turn it over ME AM SO SMRT” just because he has 53 pet Senators.
Perhaps worried that the three-day-long, televised, deep dive into his many crimes would render him TOO popular, Pumpkin Spice Pol Pot decided, unprompted, to remind America that, like a children’s cereal mascot who can’t wait for the poors to just die off already, he’s just Cuckoo for Entitlement Cuts. In the end, for all his flaws, I have to concede that Donald Trump is perhaps the most effective anti-Trump messenger available to the Resistance.
Tulsi Gabbard continued her pursuit of her bizarre What if You’re Kind of a Democrat But You Hate Democrats and Also Luv Dictators brand (it’s kinda like Goop, but angry), announcing a big ol’ frivolous lawsuit targeting Hillary Clinton. Really looking forward to regular updates on this case on the Tucker Carlson White Power Hour.
And then there was the whole “impeachment trial” thing, I suppose I should mention that. Democratic impeachment managers made you proud to be an American, and prouder still to be part of the sole major American political party that still believes in honesty, decency, the rule of law, constitutional separation of powers, and I’m pretty sure I heard Mike Pence say “Apple pie sucks” the other day.
Shit, next to the shrieking mendacity of the likes of Pat Cipollone and Gym Jordan, just the competence is fucking inspirational, and you can’t help but appreciate the work our team has put into laying out their case, clearly and concisely.
Of course, Senate Republicans are awfully pissy that they have to sit through all this meddlesome “evidence” and “proof of their shameful complicity,” because it’ll undermine their ability to go on pretending they’ve been too busy to keep up with the biggest political scandal of their lifetimes.
Of course, “I was asleep when that particular damning bit of evidence was mentioned,” remains a viable copout, along with “I was in the cloakroom,” and “I was flat out reading a fuckin’ book instead.” Ah, if only there had been fidget spinners in the days of Ancient Rome, Nero wouldn’t have needed to learn to fiddle.
Historians will mark this as the week when the Most Susan Collins Thing Ever occurred. In the middle of the the impeachment trial, Susan heard something from Democratic impeachment manager Jerry Nadler that shook her to her useless, pearl-clutching, core; no, it wasn’t any of the evidence of Hairplug Himmler’s crimes or betrayals, it was that Nadler was a big ol’ meaniepants in pointing out the Senate GOP is assisting the Trump Administration’s coverup JUST BECAUSE the Senate GOP is assisting the Trump Administration’s coverup.
And so she tattled to Chief Justice John Roberts. Leave it to Susan Fucking Collins to haughtily whinge about decorum while her party conspires to end democracy in America. Sara Gideon’s first term can’t start soon enough.
One excuse, pardon me, one “argument” Republicans are taking out for a test spin is that the Shart House will simply invoke executive privilege if witnesses are called, potentially drawing out the trial for months, when they’d really much rather get back to the important work of ignoring the hundreds of bills Nancy Pelosi and the House have sent them.
It’s a bullshit argument, of course, but I suppose they can’t quite bring themselves to utter the real truth out loud, but wouldn’t it be something to watch, say, Josh Hawley sneeringly proclaim, “Yeah, we’re letting it all ride on our brainwashed rube base! We’re hopin’ to squeeze at least one more term out of the dying gasps of white supremacy! Shit, Fux Nooz isn’t even broadcasting the trial, we can say whatever the fuck we want and they’ll still love us and hate you! Nothing matters! BYE!”
Lindsey Graham doesn’t want any additional witnesses at the impeachment trial, instead preferring a quick acquittal, even* in the face of overwhelming evidence of Dorito Mussolini’s guilt.
What he DOES want is an official government investigation into the President’s political rivals, based on widely-debunked conspiracy theories. This is because Lindsey Graham is a fascist, working to destroy our Constitutional democracy in order to ensure his party stays permanently in power, whatever the will of the people. Jokes will return in the following paragraph, this one is just for ugly, horrifying, truths.
Marsha Blackburn, who has become a United States Senator despite a career more or less indistinguishable from That One Guy Who Sets Up a Microphone on Campus to Scream at Everyone Who Walks By That They’re Going to Hell, embraced some casually fascist tactics of her own, impugning the patriotism of Purple Heart recipient and impeachment witness Alexander Vindman.
I suppose there are two ways of looking at this; either you believe America is America, or you believe America is a dirtbag game show host who stole money from charity to buy an ugly-ass painting of himself. There. Both sides. Chuck Todd would be proud.
Word is, the Treasonweasel Administration has threatened the already thoroughly-cowed Senate GOP Caucus to continue enabling the Emperor of Hemorrhoids’ every criminal whim, or “your head will be on a pike.” Whatever. Not like there’s anything worth preserving in those 53 empty craniums.
Treasury Secretary Mnuchbag became the latest prominent conservative goon to slip a quarter in the self-owning machine we call Picking a Fight with Greta Thunberg, demanding the teenager procure an economics degree before bothering bought-and-paid-for climate deniers like himself with her pesky facts. Yes, this is the same Steve Mnuchin who thinks the Trump tax cuts paid for themselves, and that his horrible wife didn’t marry him for his money.
Huge embarrassment in Shartopia today, as a heretofore unknown recording of Donnie Two-Scoops’ failed Sopranos audition surfaced, and boy, is it ev-excuse me, what? The tape is actually real, and it captures the President telling Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, “Take her out,” apparently referencing Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch? ZOUNDS.
The more charitable voices in the news interpret this as a command to fire Yovanovitch, which might make sense if he gave it to whichever sycophantic peon happened to be acting chief of staff at the moment, rather than a room full of cheap thugs, many of whom are currently facing some rather significant criminal charges.
Shit, even Mulvaney would need further clarification. “Get rid of her? Like, GET RID OF HER get rid of her?”
Upon hearing of this new bit of documented thuggery, John “Yes, Wyoming gets two Senators even though we have fewer voters than Coachella has hipsters” Barrasso, shrugged, “There will be new evidence every day.
There will something new that comes out every day,” as though this was a reason to dismiss the charges against the Offal in the Oval, rather than investigate further. There’s SO much evidence of criminal wrongdoing we should let the man get on with his crimes, is the idea. It seems. This is real life, folks. I know it feels sometimes like we’re trapped in a nightmare George Orwell is having after losing a spicy-hot-wings-eating contest, but it’s real fuckin’ life.
Seems Chief Thuglomat Mike Pompeo does not enjoy the press, with all their uppity demands for “answers to questions” and “accountability,” as demonstrated by the petulant tantrum he threw at an NPR reporter.
To me, Mike is the scariest member of the entire Turd Reich; no, he’s not as wily or effective as Bill Barr, but he possesses the zealot’s conviction that God will stay on his side through whatever atrocities he may perpetrate, and is, if anything, a little irritated with him for holding back up to this point. Look in his eyes when he’s facing the press; this is a man fantasizing about camps and gallows.
And now I see the Velveeta Vulgarian literally stole the fucking Starfleet insignia from Star Trek as the logo for his idiotic “Space Force,” and we really need to get rid of this clown before he starts appointing Ninja Turtles to the cabinet.
Alright, everybody, that’s what I got. Steer clear of exotic new viruses this weekend! Oh, and please donate to the Kickstarter for my very first comic book! All the cool Resisters are doing it, y’know!
*especially
Like it is soooo uncharacteristic for Trump to articulate his resentments and vengeful mindset EXACTLY as reported.
These pearl clutching, morally imbecilic GOPER snowflakes are pathetic.
'Lost me'? Get TF outta here with that shit. No sentient person remotely believes that you were winnable.
It's a shell game. The existing USSPACECOM will slap some new patches on uniforms, pay for some new signage and shake loose some more money from the DOD. Maybe get William Shatner to cut a recruitment ad or two.
Probably WON'T morph into this.....
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_Force_Space_Command
History[edit]
In 1982, the United States Space Command (USSPACECOM) was formed to centralize missile warning operations (formerly a Tactical Air Command responsibility) and space launch operations (formerly an Air Force Systems Command responsibility). In 1985, Space Command was renamed Air Force Space Command (AFSPC).
In 1991, the lessons learned during Operation Desert Storm provided emphasis for AFSPC's new focus on support to other branches of the military. AFSPC was the subject of a 60 Minutes News segment on CBS in April 2015. When speaking with reporter David Martin, commanding General John E. Hyten was able to state that the program was doing its part in keeping the global world of GPS satellites and other important global satellite usage peaceful. Possible issues included the development of anti-satellite technology, and the new Boeing X-37 spaceplane was also discussed.[7]
In 2016 Air Force Space Command began its Space Mission Force concept of operations to respond quickly to attacks in space.[8][9] Each Space Wing's space operators underwent special training before serving a four to six month mission rotation.[10]
On 20 December 2019, Air Force Space Command was redesignated as the U.S. Space Force and elevated to become a military service.[11
NeverTrumpers, let's talk: We want your help, but so far your advice sucks
There's room for the NeverTrump contingent. But if their advice is "Stop being Democrats," that ain't working
https://www.salon.com/2019/07/16/nevertrumpers-lets-talk-we-want-your-help-but-so-far-your-advice-sucks/
Bob Cesca
July 16, 2019 12:00PM (UTC)
Over the past few weeks, you may have noticed that the NeverTrumpers — repentant Republicans and conservatives — have been offering up lots of advice for how the Democrats can win the next election. Their jackhammer advice has basically been limited to urging the party to disavow its activist, progressive members in order to secure the contrarian swing voters who cast ballots for Barack Obama twice, then switched to Donald Trump in 2016.
Before I offer up a come-to-Jesus moment for the NeverTrumpers, let me say that as many of you know, I’ve defended members of this exiled faction in the past, and continue to stand by the idea that we need to form a coalition to close the loopholes exposed by Donald Trump’s malfeasance as a means of preventing another, perhaps more dangerous monster from sashaying through the Trump-shaped hole in the wall.
To be clear: I’m not talking about conceding on policy or platform planks. I’m merely suggesting a detente between voices who all agree that Trump is a menace and his presidency is an existential national crisis.
By the way, while I’m here, there’s also an electoral motive behind finding a Venn-diagram overlap with the NeverTrumpers. Specifically, elections in this era are decided by a few percentage points, raising the salient question: Can Democrats afford to marginalize any voters, irrespective of where they land on the spectrum? This is as much a question for Nancy Pelosi and Rick Wilson as it is for “the Squad,” Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and her allies.
Benefit of the doubt: The NeverTrumpers mean well, I guess. They want to defeat Trump as much as we do. Perhaps their motives for doing so aren’t precisely the same as ours, but motives don’t matter as long as we’re all pulling the same levers on Nov. 3, 2020.
Nevertheless, the approach the NeverTrumpers have taken on Twitter, and in various op-eds for The Bulwark is to hector Democrats to fully accept their advice — or else.
Too often, these tips are presented alongside brags about how the NeverTrumpers have pantsed the Democrats for decades. We need to cloak our nominee in their conservative drag because, they say, the Democrats are too feckless to find 270 electoral votes with a flashlight and GPS. It isn't quite the brand of outreach that makes friends or wins acolytes.
Unless we obey the NeverTrumpers, they argue, we’ll just keep on being losing losers who lose, re-electing Trump. Their acidic tone secondarily renders any coalition between these disaffected former Republicans and the rest of the anti-Trump Normals an impossibility, augmenting the chances of more Trumps. My coalition idea is already a non-starter in many liberal circles due to the inartful tone with which these handy-dandy tips have been doled out.
What I’m hearing, generally, among NeverTrumpers is a form of defeatism that only actually helps Trump. Either the Democratic Party accepts a centrist nominee and a watered-down platform, or we’re all screwed — and it’ll be the party’s fault for being filled with nincompoops. Thanks, guys, but that’s not quite how it works.
The NeverTrumpers aren’t greenhorns by any stretch, so they ought to know by now that big-tent party politics is a constant plate-spinning act. Those of you who remember the "Ed Sullivan Show" might recall the vintage variety-show performers who spun dinnerware on pointed sticks. The idea was to keep every plate spinning for as long as possible. Pay too much attention to any one plate, and the others start to wobble and crash.
Here's a related fact: there were five Senate races and 45 House contests last year that were decided by less than five percentage points. If the party spends too much time and money cajoling the middle, the left will start to wobble — and vice versa.
Lose the left and a repeat of 2016 becomes a possibility, with the Greens or some other kittywampus third party picking up election-deciding votes in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.
The key to winning in 2020, or any election, for that matter, is successfully keeping all the plates in motion, thus manufacturing a semblance of party cohesion — keeping the middle, the center-left and the left as happy as possible.
While it would be outstanding if the Democrats could attain party cohesion by prioritizing Trump as the unifying enemy, it’s not as simple as that. USA Today’s Chris Truax observed this week: “Democrats are already guaranteed a nominee that will excite their base and drive a big turnout.
His name is Donald Trump.” I truly wish that were so, I assure you. See also my previous Green Party remark. Trump was on the ballot in 2016, too, and yet Jill Stein won enough votes in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin to award those states and their electoral votes to Trump, chiefly because Stein voters believed Hillary Clinton wasn’t enough like Bernie Sanders.
I agree wholeheartedly that Trump should be the prime mover for the entire Democratic tent to unite and turn out in record numbers, but my confidence in such an outcome is less than stellar, given what happened last time. The fact remains that in a world of wafer-thin margins, even the slightest lack of energy here or there could spell disaster. That means the plate-spinning has to be executed with laser-focused attention on every plate.
Former Reagan and George H.W. Bush policy adviser Bruce Bartlett has the right idea. Not too long ago, Bartlett warned:
I think the strongest political argument for nominating a progressive over a moderate is that, whoever the Democratic nominee is, he or she will be painted by Fox, Trump and the rest of the right-wing echo chamber as far, far left, a socialist. A moderate cannot parry these charges except by moving right, which will be disastrous. An experienced progressive will be far better able to respond to right-wing attacks, in my opinion.
Knowing that Trump and his allies in the GOP will accuse any Democrat, including Joe Biden, of being a Venezuela-style socialist, a move to the right will be seen as weak and compliant, turning off the base and many former Obama supporters like me.
Conversely, the only viable response is to simply own the position. Don’t hesitate. Don’t apologize. This isn’t quite what we’re hearing from the NeverTrumpers because, I presume, being an unapologetic Democrat is (in their view) by definition a losing posture.
Americans want leadership above all else. Democrats fail on this front when they vacillate and apologize for believing what they believe. But when Democrats show leadership and backbone and stand up for what they believe, they win, even in red states. Barack Obama won Indiana and North Carolina in 2008, two states that even Democratic strategists didn't believe were in play.
He won an electoral vote in Nebraska, typically viewed as among the reddest of red states. None of that happened because he ran to the right. It was because he displayed leadership and strength in the days after the October crash of the financial markets, and never once backpedaled on his values while endeavoring to win those bright-red electoral votes.
Badgering Democrats to shift rightward, and insulting anyone who dares to reply with questions, concerns or counterpoints, won’t win any Democratic supporters for the NeverTrumper plan, regardless of how well intentioned it might be.
Indeed, the NeverTrumpers' effort to help is only hurting Democratic prospects by calling attention to what they see as the party’s flaws, while reinforcing the stereotype that the party is wired to lose. I can’t imagine why Democrats are bristling at their advice. Similarly, if I were presumptuous enough to direct traffic at a meeting of the Freedom Caucus, prefaced with a you-people-suck-without-me posture, I’d surely only last a few seconds before being shouted out of the room.
I mean, Democratic skepticism in the face of these new kids at camp is warranted. Through their years of electoral expertise, they ended up manufacturing a rainbow bridge for the rise of George W. Bush, Sarah Palin, Fox News' prime-time lineup, the Tea Party and eventually Trump. If we’re not as open-armed as they’d like us to be, perhaps these are some of the reasons why.
All told, we’re not breaking any news in concluding that the 2020 election is an all-hands-on-deck emergency, and that every vote against Trump counts, no matter where it comes from. That means there’s zero latitude for allowing any plates to fall. (It also means AOC and Nancy Pelosi need to declare a ceasefire, like, yesterday.)
Consequently, here’s the kind of help the Democrats need from NeverTrumpers. It’d be immensely useful if these guys, many of whom are former strategists, took on the role of the metaphorical Bothan Spies, showing us the location of the Death Star’s thermal exhaust shaft, rather than simply hectoring Luke Skywalker for turning off his targeting computer.
In other words, the NeverTrumpers possess unique insights into the internal workings of the Republican Party machine. Show us the plans, then. Show us the weak spots. Show us how to outflank their media strategy, how to nullify the impact of their propaganda, how to spike the Republican guns — and how pull it off without urging the Democratic Party to sell out its values or its progressive platform, weakening Democrats as viable leaders. Show us how we pull it off without nagging and insulting the people the NeverTrumpers are trying to convince.
I’m all ears.
Clearly, Democrats want to defeat and humiliate Trump, yes, but we want to do it with our heads held high, rather than defeating Trump by becoming just a little more like him in order to appease regional voters — who as I see it, ultimately want to support a party that knows what it is, a party that’s confident in its platform.
If you want to help the Democrats win, NeverTrumpers, then help. But so far, it's not working. Your defeatism, your inattention to big-tent politics during a primary, and your caustic tactics are only inflicting damage. Whose side are you really on?
NeverTrumpers, let's talk: We want your help, but so far your advice sucks
There's room for the NeverTrump contingent. But if their advice is "Stop being Democrats," that ain't working
https://www.salon.com/2019/07/16/nevertrumpers-lets-talk-we-want-your-help-but-so-far-your-advice-sucks/
Bob Cesca
July 16, 2019 12:00PM (UTC)
Over the past few weeks, you may have noticed that the NeverTrumpers — repentant Republicans and conservatives — have been offering up lots of advice for how the Democrats can win the next election. Their jackhammer advice has basically been limited to urging the party to disavow its activist, progressive members in order to secure the contrarian swing voters who cast ballots for Barack Obama twice, then switched to Donald Trump in 2016.
Before I offer up a come-to-Jesus moment for the NeverTrumpers, let me say that as many of you know, I’ve defended members of this exiled faction in the past, and continue to stand by the idea that we need to form a coalition to close the loopholes exposed by Donald Trump’s malfeasance as a means of preventing another, perhaps more dangerous monster from sashaying through the Trump-shaped hole in the wall.
To be clear: I’m not talking about conceding on policy or platform planks. I’m merely suggesting a detente between voices who all agree that Trump is a menace and his presidency is an existential national crisis.
By the way, while I’m here, there’s also an electoral motive behind finding a Venn-diagram overlap with the NeverTrumpers. Specifically, elections in this era are decided by a few percentage points, raising the salient question: Can Democrats afford to marginalize any voters, irrespective of where they land on the spectrum? This is as much a question for Nancy Pelosi and Rick Wilson as it is for “the Squad,” Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and her allies.
Benefit of the doubt: The NeverTrumpers mean well, I guess. They want to defeat Trump as much as we do. Perhaps their motives for doing so aren’t precisely the same as ours, but motives don’t matter as long as we’re all pulling the same levers on Nov. 3, 2020.
Nevertheless, the approach the NeverTrumpers have taken on Twitter, and in various op-eds for The Bulwark is to hector Democrats to fully accept their advice — or else.
Too often, these tips are presented alongside brags about how the NeverTrumpers have pantsed the Democrats for decades. We need to cloak our nominee in their conservative drag because, they say, the Democrats are too feckless to find 270 electoral votes with a flashlight and GPS. It isn't quite the brand of outreach that makes friends or wins acolytes.
Unless we obey the NeverTrumpers, they argue, we’ll just keep on being losing losers who lose, re-electing Trump. Their acidic tone secondarily renders any coalition between these disaffected former Republicans and the rest of the anti-Trump Normals an impossibility, augmenting the chances of more Trumps. My coalition idea is already a non-starter in many liberal circles due to the inartful tone with which these handy-dandy tips have been doled out.
What I’m hearing, generally, among NeverTrumpers is a form of defeatism that only actually helps Trump. Either the Democratic Party accepts a centrist nominee and a watered-down platform, or we’re all screwed — and it’ll be the party’s fault for being filled with nincompoops. Thanks, guys, but that’s not quite how it works.
The NeverTrumpers aren’t greenhorns by any stretch, so they ought to know by now that big-tent party politics is a constant plate-spinning act. Those of you who remember the "Ed Sullivan Show" might recall the vintage variety-show performers who spun dinnerware on pointed sticks. The idea was to keep every plate spinning for as long as possible. Pay too much attention to any one plate, and the others start to wobble and crash.
Here's a related fact: there were five Senate races and 45 House contests last year that were decided by less than five percentage points. If the party spends too much time and money cajoling the middle, the left will start to wobble — and vice versa.
Lose the left and a repeat of 2016 becomes a possibility, with the Greens or some other kittywampus third party picking up election-deciding votes in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin.
The key to winning in 2020, or any election, for that matter, is successfully keeping all the plates in motion, thus manufacturing a semblance of party cohesion — keeping the middle, the center-left and the left as happy as possible.
While it would be outstanding if the Democrats could attain party cohesion by prioritizing Trump as the unifying enemy, it’s not as simple as that. USA Today’s Chris Truax observed this week: “Democrats are already guaranteed a nominee that will excite their base and drive a big turnout.
His name is Donald Trump.” I truly wish that were so, I assure you. See also my previous Green Party remark. Trump was on the ballot in 2016, too, and yet Jill Stein won enough votes in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin to award those states and their electoral votes to Trump, chiefly because Stein voters believed Hillary Clinton wasn’t enough like Bernie Sanders.
I agree wholeheartedly that Trump should be the prime mover for the entire Democratic tent to unite and turn out in record numbers, but my confidence in such an outcome is less than stellar, given what happened last time. The fact remains that in a world of wafer-thin margins, even the slightest lack of energy here or there could spell disaster. That means the plate-spinning has to be executed with laser-focused attention on every plate.
Former Reagan and George H.W. Bush policy adviser Bruce Bartlett has the right idea. Not too long ago, Bartlett warned:
I think the strongest political argument for nominating a progressive over a moderate is that, whoever the Democratic nominee is, he or she will be painted by Fox, Trump and the rest of the right-wing echo chamber as far, far left, a socialist. A moderate cannot parry these charges except by moving right, which will be disastrous. An experienced progressive will be far better able to respond to right-wing attacks, in my opinion.
Knowing that Trump and his allies in the GOP will accuse any Democrat, including Joe Biden, of being a Venezuela-style socialist, a move to the right will be seen as weak and compliant, turning off the base and many former Obama supporters like me.
Conversely, the only viable response is to simply own the position. Don’t hesitate. Don’t apologize. This isn’t quite what we’re hearing from the NeverTrumpers because, I presume, being an unapologetic Democrat is (in their view) by definition a losing posture.
Americans want leadership above all else. Democrats fail on this front when they vacillate and apologize for believing what they believe. But when Democrats show leadership and backbone and stand up for what they believe, they win, even in red states. Barack Obama won Indiana and North Carolina in 2008, two states that even Democratic strategists didn't believe were in play.
He won an electoral vote in Nebraska, typically viewed as among the reddest of red states. None of that happened because he ran to the right. It was because he displayed leadership and strength in the days after the October crash of the financial markets, and never once backpedaled on his values while endeavoring to win those bright-red electoral votes.
Badgering Democrats to shift rightward, and insulting anyone who dares to reply with questions, concerns or counterpoints, won’t win any Democratic supporters for the NeverTrumper plan, regardless of how well intentioned it might be.
Indeed, the NeverTrumpers' effort to help is only hurting Democratic prospects by calling attention to what they see as the party’s flaws, while reinforcing the stereotype that the party is wired to lose. I can’t imagine why Democrats are bristling at their advice. Similarly, if I were presumptuous enough to direct traffic at a meeting of the Freedom Caucus, prefaced with a you-people-suck-without-me posture, I’d surely only last a few seconds before being shouted out of the room.
I mean, Democratic skepticism in the face of these new kids at camp is warranted. Through their years of electoral expertise, they ended up manufacturing a rainbow bridge for the rise of George W. Bush, Sarah Palin, Fox News' prime-time lineup, the Tea Party and eventually Trump. If we’re not as open-armed as they’d like us to be, perhaps these are some of the reasons why.
All told, we’re not breaking any news in concluding that the 2020 election is an all-hands-on-deck emergency, and that every vote against Trump counts, no matter where it comes from. That means there’s zero latitude for allowing any plates to fall. (It also means AOC and Nancy Pelosi need to declare a ceasefire, like, yesterday.)
Consequently, here’s the kind of help the Democrats need from NeverTrumpers. It’d be immensely useful if these guys, many of whom are former strategists, took on the role of the metaphorical Bothan Spies, showing us the location of the Death Star’s thermal exhaust shaft, rather than simply hectoring Luke Skywalker for turning off his targeting computer.
In other words, the NeverTrumpers possess unique insights into the internal workings of the Republican Party machine. Show us the plans, then. Show us the weak spots. Show us how to outflank their media strategy, how to nullify the impact of their propaganda, how to spike the Republican guns — and how pull it off without urging the Democratic Party to sell out its values or its progressive platform, weakening Democrats as viable leaders. Show us how we pull it off without nagging and insulting the people the NeverTrumpers are trying to convince.
I’m all ears.
Clearly, Democrats want to defeat and humiliate Trump, yes, but we want to do it with our heads held high, rather than defeating Trump by becoming just a little more like him in order to appease regional voters — who as I see it, ultimately want to support a party that knows what it is, a party that’s confident in its platform.
If you want to help the Democrats win, NeverTrumpers, then help. But so far, it's not working. Your defeatism, your inattention to big-tent politics during a primary, and your caustic tactics are only inflicting damage. Whose side are you really on?