The Swamp

Yeah I meant the end of the press conference today, but averaging a tweet or retweet every 10 minutes or so on Mother’s Day was notable.

rass wrote: ↑Mon May 11, 2020 6:37 pm Yeah I meant the end of the press conference today, but averaging a tweet or retweet every 10 minutes or so on Mother’s Day was notable.

I'm sure he put a lot of thought and effort into making sure Melania and the other mothers of his children had a special day.

rass wrote: ↑Mon May 11, 2020 6:37 pm Yeah I meant the end of the press conference today, but averaging a tweet or retweet every 10 minutes or so on Mother’s Day was notable.

That was something.

That’s so fucking true and has been driving me insane. And those fools think he LOVES them.

While Stern has a valid point about Trump’s lack of empathy, he’s making the mistake, which irritates me, of reducing Trump supporters to “dumb, poor white people.” If that was the extent of his support he’d never have even won a single primary. Plenty of affluent to straight up wealthy people back Trump either for selfish economic reasons or because they share his cultural resentments. But it makes commenters more comfortable to think that Trump voters are only poor and working class people, and not any of the people they’d share a drink with at the country club or welcome into their homeowner’s association.

Joe K wrote: ↑Wed May 13, 2020 6:29 am While Stern has a valid point about Trump’s lack of empathy, he’s making the mistake, which irritates me, of reducing Trump supporters to “dumb, poor white people.” If that was the extent of his support he’d never have even won a single primary. Plenty of affluent to straight up wealthy people back Trump either for selfish economic reasons or because they share his cultural resentments. But it makes commenters more comfortable to think that Trump voters are only poor and working class people, and not any of the people they’d share a drink with at the country club or welcome into their homeowner’s association.

I don't think he is. By using the superlative he's talking about the MAGA hat poor to middle class. Those other people don't love Trump the most and he doesn't despise them the most, they are supporting him as long as it benefits them and he kisses up because they make donations. I think Stern's point is 100 percent on the nose.

Yeah, Stern's especially qualified to make this point too because there's a lot of overlap with his fans. In fact, it was really ballsy of him to call them out as well.

He's not saying "all Trump supporters are poor and stupid", but he is saying that the most vocal of Trump supporters are poor and stupid (with those being the supporters that Trump would hate the most) and frankly from what I've seen in person that's hard to argue.

I agree with AB's point. And the rich and powerful Trump supporters don't love him, they are just using him to get what they want (low taxes, Conservative judges, removing government regulations, getting cabinet positions...), and they know it's extremely easy to manipulate him, just say nice things about him, and he will give you the keys to the kingdom. Funny thing is, I think Trump hates just about everyone. He has an intense, nagging insecurity, so he is jealous of rich and powerful people, and desperately needs their constant approval and adulation. I don't think he has many friends or people he cares about, just people whose approval he desperately needs, or people he feels he can benefit from. What a sad, miserable existence he has.

I guess my other issue with Stern's comments is that even if people are dumb, naive fools, a really effective way to guarantee that you won't change their minds is by calling them dumb, naive fools. It's similar to Hillary's "deplorables" comment in that respect. Even if there's truth to it, it's a pretty counterproductive thing to say. I also think it's to some degree just wrong to assume that poor/middle-class white voters get "duped" into voting for the GOP and against their own self interests. They might just prioritize non-economic issues like abortion, immigration and, yes, racism, and make the rational choice that Trump is better than the alternatives.

I'm watching the American Experience George W Documentary and the overall Repub strategy that's working is liberals/Democrats (and it is the same in many voters eyes no matter how right a Democrat goes) suck. Doesn't matter who the candidates are or what they say

EdRomero wrote: ↑Wed May 13, 2020 10:46 am I'm watching the American Experience George W Documentary and the overall Repub strategy that's working is liberals/Democrats (and it is the same in many voters eyes no matter how right a Democrat goes) suck. Doesn't matter who the candidates are or what they say

No, no -- these people are persuadable. It's both simultaneously Hillary's fault for correctly identifying the wide swath of Trump supporters as people you wouldn't want to spend more than a few seconds with and her fault for not figuring out a way to reach someone who is a one-issue voter and that issue is "owning the libs".

Joe K wrote: ↑Wed May 13, 2020 10:20 amI also think it's to some degree just wrong to assume that poor/middle-class white voters get "duped" into voting for the GOP and against their own self interests. They might just prioritize non-economic issues like abortion, immigration and, yes, racism, and make the rational choice that Trump is better than the alternatives.

It's pure tribalism - and mostly the negative kind (we are united by what we oppose). Trump hates the same people they do and, unlike prior Republican presidents, is really making explicit efforts to deny political power and influence to the hated ones.

Joe K wrote: ↑Wed May 13, 2020 10:20 am I guess my other issue with Stern's comments is that even if people are dumb, naive fools, a really effective way to guarantee that you won't change their minds is by calling them dumb, naive fools. It's similar to Hillary's "deplorables" comment in that respect. Even if there's truth to it, it's a pretty counterproductive thing to say. I also think it's to some degree just wrong to assume that poor/middle-class white voters get "duped" into voting for the GOP and against their own self interests. They might just prioritize non-economic issues like abortion, immigration and, yes, racism, and make the rational choice that Trump is better than the alternatives.

I listen to Stern when I'm in the car, which means I haven't listened to him in 2 months, but he has taken a stance with Trump that he isn't going to take sides or go off on political discussions. He makes fun of stupid shit Trump says and does, but when people call in to defend Trump, he says he isn't getting into it. Same with callers pissed Stern doesn't call Trump out enough. Stern isn't trying to push a political agenda here. While he is very Liberal on social issues, he isn't trying to reach Trump voters or push the Dem agenda. I'd guess there was little to no thought here, and he was probably frustrated by a caller or whatever they were discussing, and angrily lashed out. We can't project our goals and agenda on people like Stern, and hold their actions to a standard of pushing our agenda. While I'd love for Stern to persuade his Trump loving listeners, that isn't his goal or his desire, so why judge his words on the agenda you (and I) would like him to push? Our country and media are so politically driven, we expect everything is a calculated political move, when in reality, he was probably just spewing something off the top of his head with no thought of the political impact.

i hate to say it but I'm like 95% certain that's fake

Brontoburglar wrote: ↑Wed May 13, 2020 9:05 pm i hate to say it but I'm like 95% certain that's fake

Of course it is. Old meme.

Bad Photoshop. Bad.

Guys, photoshopping memes is the new adapting shakespeare for the big screen.

This ain't.

I wish "OB" meant something so his combined name was LOUD __ BS.

mister d wrote: ↑Thu May 14, 2020 9:17 am I wish "OB" meant something so his combined name was LOUD __ BS.

Loud Ol' Bastard BS.

brian wrote: ↑Thu May 14, 2020 8:35 am This ain't.

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This is so brilliant. My wife had to attend a donor event for the Republican candidate for Senator in 2018 (he was a Board Member at her company), so she is on all the GOP donor mailing lists. She constantly gets donor pleas from McConnell's campaign, Devin Nunes, and Trump, as well as some other hard Right groups like Judicial Watch. I usually throw them away without opening, but one caught my interest last week. "Republican Party Area Assessment." You have been selected to represent [insert county] to help us understand Republican voters' views. Great, I thought maybe I'd send a message with my views. Of course there are pages of pro-Trump propaganda and several pages of donation forms before I get to the survey. They make it seem like you have to send a donation to have your survey count, but my guess is they throw away the survey answers without looking at them. Anyways, some of the survey questions are absolute gold. Most are GOP talking points or flat out misrepresentations of facts, followed by "agree, strongly agree, ready to take up armed revolt unless Obama is indicted."

Do you agree with the way Senator Mitch McConnell has eliminated the filibuster for Supreme Court nominations so we could break through the Democrats' obstructionist tactics to confirm Justices Gorsuch and Kavanaugh?

This one was prefaced in the cover letter:

With Justice Kavanaugh in particular, the Democrats waged the most vicious, underhanded, and dishonest smear campaign anyone in DC has ever seen. They still haven't forgiven Senate Republicans for refusing to hold a hearing on President Obama's final nominee, they still haven't accepted President Trump's victory over Hillary Clinton...

Do you believe Senate Republicans should continue to stand firmly with President Trump against impeachment-obsessed socialists in the House of Representatives, who have been trying to tear the President down since his first day in office?

I realize this is a fake survey to rile up the base to donate, but as a person with a degree in Political Science, it offends me to the core seeing such horribly written survey questions. I was so offended, I only donated the minimum $25.

If you ever run across one of those NRA "questionnaires" it's worth going through just to see how ridiculously they frame the questions where you basically can't disagree.

Q7. Do you like to fuck your gun?
[ ] I do.
[ ] Do I?!?!?!?

Does your wife know you....

Watching the Bright hearing. Summary: hydroxochloroquine is the new Burisma

Sometimes it amazes me how far and how fast the United States has fallen.

Straight line down from ending segregation to bottoming out now?

mister d wrote: ↑Thu May 14, 2020 2:02 pm Straight line down from ending segregation to bottoming out now?

You were right all these years when you predicted ending segregation would cause the end of our Republic.

Do we have to choose a side of this line too? Ya know, for fun?

mister d wrote: ↑Thu May 14, 2020 2:02 pm Straight line down from ending segregation to bottoming out now?

That's a bit problematic isn't it?

A_B wrote: ↑Thu May 14, 2020 2:44 pm

mister d wrote: ↑Thu May 14, 2020 2:02 pm Straight line down from ending segregation to bottoming out now?

That's a bit problematic isn't it?

Depends upon where Hatch falls and what drinks are involved.

Why didn't Obama quote-tweet Trump's order to Graham to haul Obama in for Obamagate with a crying laughing emoji?

That's the petty shit Twitter exists for.

Hmm...

Man, if and when Obama can hit the campaign trail with Biden, if he doesn't bring a literal gate with him I'm going to be sad.

Buddy's on a tweet rampage today...

MotherFucker just ruined the Bill Pullman speech from Independence Day.