Random Politics

[Johnnie]

Ah, so it was my second option.

[DSafetyGuy]

The fundamental problem is that for-profit corporations exist to make profits for their shareholders. Their managers have a fiduciary duty to do so.

Historically, hasn’t the (supposedly) ideologically neutral media been the exception rather than the rule?

Yes, for privately owned media.

The end of the Fairness Doctrine, however, accelerated things as TV and radio took over from print media.

[Johnnie]

[DaveInSeattle]

MI GOP Launches 'Migrant Invader Bus' Hoax on Gonzaga Hoops Team

Republican paranoia over migrants has reached a new level of absurdity, as a State Representative and the State GOP Chair launched a conspiracy that buses of migrants were invading Michigan. It turns out it was the Gonzaga basketball team arriving for the game in the NCAA tournament.

...

The hoax was started my Michigan State Rep. Matt Maddock, whose bio on twitter describes himself as, 'Trump-endorsed, Ranked Most Conservative State Rep, Freedom Caucus, Anti-Communist.' Maddock posted that three buses of "illegal invaders" just loaded up at the Detroit Metro Airport." He had no evidence or proof whatsoever that these were migrants, but Republican hysteria and conspiracies don't require proof.

[The Sybian]

MI GOP Launches 'Migrant Invader Bus' Hoax on Gonzaga Hoops Team

Republican paranoia over migrants has reached a new level of absurdity, as a State Representative and the State GOP Chair launched a conspiracy that buses of migrants were invading Michigan. It turns out it was the Gonzaga basketball team arriving for the game in the NCAA tournament.

...

The hoax was started my Michigan State Rep. Matt Maddock, whose bio on twitter describes himself as, 'Trump-endorsed, Ranked Most Conservative State Rep, Freedom Caucus, Anti-Communist.' Maddock posted that three buses of "illegal invaders" just loaded up at the Detroit Metro Airport." He had no evidence or proof whatsoever that these were migrants, but Republican hysteria and conspiracies don't require proof.

In fairness, there were a bunch of really tall people of color.

[Steve of phpBB]

MI GOP Launches 'Migrant Invader Bus' Hoax on Gonzaga Hoops Team

Republican paranoia over migrants has reached a new level of absurdity, as a State Representative and the State GOP Chair launched a conspiracy that buses of migrants were invading Michigan. It turns out it was the Gonzaga basketball team arriving for the game in the NCAA tournament.

...

The hoax was started my Michigan State Rep. Matt Maddock, whose bio on twitter describes himself as, 'Trump-endorsed, Ranked Most Conservative State Rep, Freedom Caucus, Anti-Communist.' Maddock posted that three buses of "illegal invaders" just loaded up at the Detroit Metro Airport." He had no evidence or proof whatsoever that these were migrants, but Republican hysteria and conspiracies don't require proof.

In fairness, there were a bunch of really tall people of color.

Guatemalan refugees are well known for being tall.

[DaveInSeattle]

MI GOP Launches 'Migrant Invader Bus' Hoax on Gonzaga Hoops Team

Republican paranoia over migrants has reached a new level of absurdity, as a State Representative and the State GOP Chair launched a conspiracy that buses of migrants were invading Michigan. It turns out it was the Gonzaga basketball team arriving for the game in the NCAA tournament.

...

The hoax was started my Michigan State Rep. Matt Maddock, whose bio on twitter describes himself as, 'Trump-endorsed, Ranked Most Conservative State Rep, Freedom Caucus, Anti-Communist.' Maddock posted that three buses of "illegal invaders" just loaded up at the Detroit Metro Airport." He had no evidence or proof whatsoever that these were migrants, but Republican hysteria and conspiracies don't require proof.

In fairness, there were a bunch of really tall people of color.

Dude has learned the Trump lesson well...never back down...no matter how stupid you are...

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[The Sybian]

Gonzaga is clearly the name of an African country.

[P.D.X.]

I mean, the closest real-world example of what he's thinking happens is because Texas pays for it.

[brian]

They’re not sending their best (the Michigan GOP)

[Steve of phpBB]

They’re not sending their best (the Michigan GOP)

Or even worse, they are.

[EnochRoot]

He's gaslighting his constituents, cuz the NCAAT brings people of all political persuasions together.

Can't have that.

[Johnnie]

Best one liners:

"Imagine being the diversity hire at your own baby shower."

"Jim Crowed her to the back AGAIN."

"She sticks out like a black thumb."

[Pruitt IV]

They even made her stand in the back.

[cerranoredux]

Best one liners:

"Imagine being the diversity hire at your own baby shower."

"Jim Crowed her to the back AGAIN."

"She sticks out like a black thumb."

None of these bitches knew each other before there was a huge opportunity to force multiply all their followers.

[sancarlos]

[Pruitt IV]

You hate to see it.

[DaveInSeattle]

What did Graham do to piss off Trump?

[sancarlos]

Graham’s pushing for a national abortion ban. Trump is positioning himself as in favor of the states doing it (which is just pre-election politics). Trump doesn’t like his butt-kissers not 100% endorsing whatever he says.

[DaveInSeattle]

Graham’s pushing for a national abortion ban. Trump is positioning himself as in favor of the states doing it (which is just pre-election politics). Trump doesn’t like his butt-kissers not 100% endorsing whatever he says.

Trump is going to change his position on that about 5 times before the end of the week.

But it couldn't happen to a nicer guy than Graham.

[The Sybian]

Graham’s pushing for a national abortion ban. Trump is positioning himself as in favor of the states doing it (which is just pre-election politics). Trump doesn’t like his butt-kissers not 100% endorsing whatever he says.

Trump is going to change his position on that about 5 times before the end of the week.

But it couldn't happen to a nicer guy than Graham.

It’s already happened to Graham ten times, yet he keeps kissing ass and getting burned. Fun to see, but I wish he stood up to Trump after his initial harsh words. If he stood firm, others may have followed. Or his political career would have ended, both great results.

[Giff]

We all know why and it rhymes with schmadyslugs.

[Giff]

Arizona has now banned all abortion in the state based off the enforcement of a law from before women had the right to vote and before Arizona was even a state.

[DaveInSeattle]

Arizona has now banned all abortion in the state based off the enforcement of a law from before women had the right to vote and before Arizona was even a state.

And Trump thinks that "Leave it up to the States!" is going to defuse the Abortion issue.

[The Sybian]

Arizona has now banned all abortion in the state based off the enforcement of a law from before women had the right to vote and before Arizona was even a state.

In a twisted way, I kind of cheer for this, as it will lead to a backlash against the GOP at the polls. Many people were complacent in not believing the Court would overturn Roe v Wade, and it will take states passing horrendous law for people to realize the importance of voting for politicians who support legislating a national law creating a right to abortion, or at the minimum not elected politicians who will support bans. The overwhelming majority of voters, even in red states, support the right to an abortion with more reasonable limitations (like we had prior to Dobbs). I was worried that too much time had passed since Dobbs, but these rulings will keep the issue at the forefront.

[The Sybian]

Arizona has now banned all abortion in the state based off the enforcement of a law from before women had the right to vote and before Arizona was even a state.

And Trump thinks that "Leave it up to the States!" is going to defuse the Abortion issue.

Naw, Trump doesn't think about anything substantive. But I thought whoever crafted his message was on point, because that kept the base happy by allowing draconian bans and using the "States Rights" slogan, while not taking an anti-abortion stance and turning off the majority of the electorate. His stance sounds reasonable if you don't understand the radical shift the Right is taking on abortion, and in his speech, he framed it as the Radical Left supports killing already born babies (actually said this), and he supports a common sense approach of allowing states to decide.

[Nonlinear FC]

I'm a broken record on this, so I'll just let Syb's comments stands in terms of the presidential (and down ballot) effects.

And I don't think Trump is quite as moronic as we all like to think. There was a Post article that chronicled the two factions that went after it, with the States Rights advocates squaring off against the Federal Ban folks. Former won out.

It's not like he just threw a dart or flipped a coin or thought this up while taking a #2.

[A_B]

And I don't think Trump is quite as moronic as we all like to think.

It's not like he just threw a dart or flipped a coin or thought this up while taking a #2.

I'm going to disagree where it comes to running a campaign. He was absolutely told to say this by someone who knows how to make it seem to Trump like it was his idea. He can rile people up, but I truly don't believe he can think that far ahead when it comes to voting issues. While this seems "proactive" I do not believe that to be the case at all.

[Nonlinear FC]

I'm certainly not in the business of going to bat for Trump. But the idea that he just wanders the halls blathering about is just.. I dunno, inaccurate.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics ... nt-states/

He's impulsive and likes to "trust his gut." But he spent a year hashing this out.

I think we see him rambling at his rallies and assume that's what he's like all the time. He's not.

[A_B]

I'm certainly not in the business of going to bat for Trump. But the idea that he just wanders the halls blathering about is just.. I dunno, inaccurate.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics ... nt-states/

He's impulsive and likes to "trust his gut." But he spent a year hashing this out.

I think we see him rambling at his rallies and assume that's what he's like all the time. He's not.

Which to me, is a dead giveaway that it wasn't his own idea. He's flip flopped 13 times on abortion in the past 25 years.

[DaveInSeattle]

Today's Post has a long feature bout that twitter dipshit/"Alpha Male" Nick Adams..(gift link)

The deeply silly, extremely serious rise of ‘Alpha Male’ Nick Adams

In some ways, Adams’s shtick is conventionally conservative: He’s Christian, he’s very concerned about there being only two genders, he rails against “woke.” In other ways, his version of MAGA manhood is so over-the-top, so uncanny that it almost seems like performance art. The parody theory seems especially strong when Adams’s posts on X veer into double-entendre territory — juicing engagement from snarky foes and howling fans with posts about his butcher (“I love watching Mario handle my meat”) or golf (“A foursome with the boys will be the most fun you will ever have in your entire life”).

He writes about how if your wife is “high-maintenance” then you’re a “loser” no matter how hot she is. And about his love of steak.

“Alpha males don’t care about time changes, we wake up at 4AM every single morning regardless of the circumstances,” he wrote on X last month, a few days after the clocks sprang forward for daylight saving time. “64oz tomahawk ribeyes aren’t going to eat themselves!”

How did he get like this?

Adams says he never heard his dad say the words “I love you.” But he doesn’t hold this against the old man, who died in 2021. He calls him the ultimate “alpha” and a great father who pushed his son to achieve excellence.

So instead of going to therapy, he's embracing the Rush Limbaugh 2.0 model. And, of course...

In a Trumpified GOP, and a Trumpified Washington, the answer is yes. He is a presidential appointee to the board of Washington’s Woodrow Wilson Center, which, according to its website, “provides nonpartisan counsel and insights on global affairs to policymakers.” Donald Trump, who bestowed him with that honor during his last term, has recently made Adams an official campaign surrogate as the former president attempts to regain control of the White House.

[Nonlinear FC]

I'm certainly not in the business of going to bat for Trump. But the idea that he just wanders the halls blathering about is just.. I dunno, inaccurate.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics ... nt-states/

He's impulsive and likes to "trust his gut." But he spent a year hashing this out.

I think we see him rambling at his rallies and assume that's what he's like all the time. He's not.

Which to me, is a dead giveaway that it wasn't his own idea. He's flip flopped 13 times on abortion in the past 25 years.

I mean, sure. And I'm mad at you for making me type this, but... That's how a lot of politicians operate. The only politicians that don't lean extremely heavily on advisors and whatnot are at the local level.

I think what you are pointing out is that he's, by far, the least principled president we've ever had. The only calculation he makes is how it helps his bottomline, and secondarily how a position helps his polling numbers.

[The Sybian]

And I don't think Trump is quite as moronic as we all like to think.

It's not like he just threw a dart or flipped a coin or thought this up while taking a #2.

I'm going to disagree where it comes to running a campaign. He was absolutely told to say this by someone who knows how to make it seem to Trump like it was his idea. He can rile people up, but I truly don't believe he can think that far ahead when it comes to voting issues. While this seems "proactive" I do not believe that to be the case at all.

Yeah, it was well thought out, but not by Trump. Beyond whether or not he is moronic, he is completely uninterested in anything except for how it effects him personally. He doesn't give a fuck whether abortions are legal or not, because he knows he can pay someone to abort his mistresses if he knocks one up. He doesn't give a fuck about any policy, he'll say whatever his advisors tell him to say.

[Nonlinear FC]

And if we're building out a spectrum with "Makes most of his own decisions" on one end and "Pretty much does very little critical thinking and lets others fill in all of the blanks for deciding something"..

In the modern era you've got LBJ, Nixon... maybe Reagan, though he had a murderer's row (literally) of advisors around him and seemed a lot like a precursor to Trump, but some of his dopey facade was just that... then you've got Clinton and Obama, who were voracious in seeking out source material and opinions on their own.

On the end you've got Trump as the clear #1 and then second Bush closely behind him.

[A_B]

I think what you are pointing out is that he's, by far, the least principled president we've ever had. The only calculation he makes is how it helps his bottomline, and secondarily how a position helps his polling numbers.

Fair.

[Johnnie]

Arizona has now banned all abortion in the state based off the enforcement of a law from before women had the right to vote and before Arizona was even a state.

Thank fuck.

[DaveInSeattle]

And in case you are wondering how Arizona ended up with such a conservative Supreme Court:

Ducey stacked the Supreme Court. In return, it diminished the power of the people while expanding the power of his allies.

In 2016, Ducey expanded the court from five to seven justices, despite objections from the court’s justices, media outlets and every Democratic legislator.

Ducey has now appointed five of the seven justices, which included several controversial picks, such as Clint Bolick, who spent nearly a decade as a litigator for the Goldwater Institute, a powerful special interest group with a long history of working to privatize public schools and one of the parties challenging Prop. 208.

Ducey also appointed former Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery, a close ally of the disgraced former sheriff, Joe Arpaio, and someone many considered far too political for the court.

Montgomery was originally rejected by the judicial nominating committee, but that didn’t deter Ducey. He simply replaced the members who objected to Montgomery with ones favorable to him. And as a result, the court has lurched further to the right even as our population has grown more moderate.

[Johnnie]

2 justices who upheld Arizona's 1864 abortion ban are up for reelection. Who are they?

This is great (from the r/Arizona megathread):
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Unfortunately all 7 of the justices have been appointed by Republican governors Jan Brewer or Doug Ducey.

Maybe Dark Biden can learn from this and expand the Supreme Court. Since ya know, civility only seems to be a one-way street.

[DaveInSeattle]

A little bit about the guy who wrote that law, back in 1864...

Meet the ‘pursuer of nubile young females’ who helped pass Arizona’s 1864 abortion law

While Jones lived in Arizona, he was elected to represent Tucson in the 1st Arizona Territorial Legislative Assembly. And then, when that legislature convened in 1864, he was elected speaker of the House.

And it was that legislature — the one Jones presided over in 1864, after he had already abandoned his first wife, and married a 12-year-old and was just weeks away from marrying a 15-year-old, though still a few years away from marrying a 14-year-old — it was that legislature that passed a law reading, “Every person who shall administer or cause to be administered or taken, any medicinal substances, or shall use or cause to be used any instruments whatever, with the intention to procure the miscarriage of any woman then being with child, and shall be thereof duly convicted, shall be punished by imprisonment in the Territorial prison for a term not less than two years nor more than five years.”

And it was that piece of legislation that, earlier this week, was reinstated as law of the land in Arizona.

[mister d]

Should absolutely, 100% be weaponized against the party that says all LBGTQ+ people (and those straight people who don't vilify trans kids) are pedophiles.