USA Politics (redux)

[Pohjolas Daughter]

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-republicans-exclusive/exclusive-dozens-of-former-bush-officials-leave-republican-party-calling-it-trump-cult-idUSKBN2A1275

I had heard that some Republicans were leaving the party, but still surprised at the number.  I wonder whether or not part of the reason that at least some of them are leaving has to do with concerns for their safety and the safety of their families?

[Herman]

What a clumsy coup that was, if one was even attempted.

Five people died.

Part of the dance Trump adherents heep doing is saying, every time, but he failed in his plans, so it's no big deal.

That's what grade school kids say.

[Fëanor]

What do you mean is the dude with the horns for real? Why do you single him out? His delusions aren't any more absurd than those of the rest of the mob or indeed your average Trump supporter. Three years ago I and many others said that a coup was exactly what Trump would attempt when he lost the next election. Those like yourself with no ability to judge character scoffed and said we were suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome. Turns out we were right and you were clueless. So I guess we can reassess TDS: It's a syndrome suffered by rubes who can't tell a con man when they see one and who still talk BS like BLM people being behind the coup long after they should have realized they're suffering from delusions.

Basil, you are telling us like it is.  It's been obvious for decades that Trump is a con-man.

It was and is incomprehensible me to be how so many US voters could be duped by his lies that he could ever have been elected.  I said months before the election that Trump's narcissistic personality disorder would make it impossible -- even in his own mind -- for him to accept defeat and rejection by US voters.

Trump is a POTUS who should live forever in ignominy.

[BasilValentine]

You all must read this account of a meeting from December when Trump was considering impounding Dominion voting machines and calling in the military to keep himself in power. It's freaking hilarious:


https://www.axios.com/trump-oval-office-meeting-sidney-powell-a8e1e466-2e42-42d0-9cf1-26eb267f8723.html

[Karl Henning]

It's obvious to us over here who are not duped by the media hype that Biden is a con-man, with 78 years experience, so what's new?

The valley of false equivalence.

[Fëanor]

It's obvious to us over here who are not duped by the media hype that Biden is a con-man, with 78 years experience, so what's new?

Ha!  Sure, Biden is a typical politician, notwithstanding that he is a several orders of magnitude less of a con-man than Trump.

[SimonNZ]

What an insurrection it was, too. Trump munched on cheeseburgers while a few of his supporters stormed the capitol only to be quickly rebuffed. Bull horn guy took photos and the press ate it up. Not much of a coup. One guy died after accidentally stun gunning his balls.

No. You came very close to having dead or hostage congress members. Remarkably close. Focus less on shaman guy and more on the bodyarmour and ziptie handcuff guys. And on the people chanting hang Mike Pence and on camera inside the building calling for the death of Nancy Pelosi. And on all the many people now saying they were only following the presidents orders. And on what people trying to take down the US flag and replace it with a Trump flag says. Or what a Trump mob beating a policeman with the pole of a US flag says. And all these people are still living with death threats and ongoing fear of attack from the Trump base.

This whitewashing and diminishing you're following is as dangerous as all the other misinformation of the Trump era.

[SimonNZ]

Did Trump say to kill people? I missed that.

Trump has practiced five (more, even) years of stochastic terrorism: you rile people up so much and fill them with so much grievance and hatered that you know its going to explode but you don't know where and you don't much care, all the while keeping your rhetoric to the plausible deniable fig-leafs of "second amendment solutions" or "stand down and stand by". But since the election Trump's twitter feed was a constant call for "revoution" - using that word over and over.

Or to put it another way: do you blame an America-hating Imam for the terrorism of his followers if he never specifically say "do this thing at exactly this time" but did rile them up to the point of action? Or do you think he bares no responsibility?

[SimonNZ]

Calling for investigations where there was ample evidence vs. Calling for revolution where there was no evidence.

This is in no way " both sides do it". There is no elected official on the D side supporting domestic terrorism or dangerous conspiracy theories.

[Karl Henning]

Trump has practiced five (more, even) years of stochastic terrorism: you rile people up so much and fill them with so much grievance and hatered that you know its going to explode but you don't know where and you don't much care, all the while keeping your rhetoric to the plausible deniable fig-leafs of "second amendment solutions" or "stand down and stand by". But since the election Trump's twitter feed was a constant call for "revoution" - using that word over and over.

Or to put it another way: do you blame an America-hating Imam for the terrorism of his followers if he never specifically say "do this thing at exactly this time" but did rile them up to the point of action? Or do you think he bares no responsibility?

Just a note that the troll's gonna troll, he cannot do otherwise.

[71 dB]

Dowder's ban is over? Fortunately I am "done" with US politics, at least on the level I was interested of it during the last 4 years. I'm not going to spend my next four years on following closely Biden's establishment friendly status quo managing... 

[milk]

I'm glad some Tumpers are still here carrying the clown banner. I notice some are conspicuously absent since the insurrection. 🤔

[BasilValentine]

Simon, both sides have engaged in this behavior. The Left riled its base up during the Trump presidency and wouldn't let go of Russian interference, Russian collusion, treason with Russia, etc. Also, don't forget this from the last Dem nominee:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna1238156
He would only be responsible for telling them to kill, incite, overthrow, etc. Stirring people up isn't a crime. Look at the MSM last year regarding their coverage of George Floyd's death and the others who died at the hands of the police. Should CNN or the other networks be liable for the shitstorm that erupted?

The Mueller Report, which you obviously still haven't read, established collusion between the Trump campaign and Russian operatives as well as laying out ten clear and prosecutable instances of obstruction of justice. Mueller is a republican.

The "shitstorm" was caused by murderous cops, systemic racism in policing, and a racist a$$hole in the White house who actively fomented violence by ordering illegal paramilitary incursions in US cities.

[T. D.]

I'm glad some Tumpers are still here carrying the clown banner. I notice some are conspicuously absent since the insurrection. 🤔

The ignore list is my friend.  All of those you allude to have resided there since my very first few days on the forum.

[milk]

The ignore list is my friend.  All of those you allude to have resided there since my very first few days on the forum.

I've been on the unpopular side of some arguments here and I generally like people I disagree with. But Donald Trump is just going too far!   

[Fëanor]

He {Trump} would only be responsible for {inciting insurrection by} telling them to kill, incite, overthrow, etc. Stirring people up isn't a crime. Look at the MSM last year regarding their coverage of George Floyd's death and the others who died at the hands of the police. Should CNN or the other networks be liable for the shitstorm that erupted?

I'm sure there will be many a Republican lickspittle Senator who will agree with that, but the fact is that on January 6th Trump when well beyond "stirring up".

[T. D.]

https://thebulwark.com/democrats-must-run-against-gop-extremism/

The Republicans have become a party of lies, hysteria, extremism, and violence. They must be forced to confront that reality.


In 2020, Democrats won the presidency, the Senate, and the House of Representatives—narrowly. No matter how successfully Democrats govern, Republicans could reclaim Congress in 2022; in 2024, the White House.

The Electoral College, the Senate, and—through gerrymandering—the House are structured to empower a minority of voters. To amplify their influence, Republicans have conjured bogus election fraud to justify systematic voter suppression. Now they are attempting to operationalize their "big lie" that massive fraud defeated Donald Trump—introducing (as of last week) 106 laws in 28 states to limit voter access.

To combat this, Democrats must expand their popular majority. That means spurring America's recovery, registering more voters—and defining the GOP as what it has become: the party of lies, hysteria, extremism, and violence.

Since the deadly attack on Congress, Republicans can no longer hide the costs of breeding mass insanity. Democrats must seize the chance to split the GOP while convincing a crucial share of the electorate that the party is terminally toxic.

[71 dB]

I'm glad some Tumpers are still here carrying the clown banner. I notice some are conspicuously absent since the insurrection. 🤔

I can understand how people thought Trump might be a good (read: better than Hillary) choice in 2016, but if Trump's four lunatic years in the White House didn't make them realize their mistakes, why would the insurrection? If you are totally ignorant/brainwashed by lunatic conspiracy theories and you do nothing to change that by educating yourself, you will do/say/write very ignorant things. Hence clown banners. 

[Karl Henning]

Trump is really the only candidate for the incurably whacked-out.

[71 dB]

Trump is really the only candidate for the incurably whacked-out.

Or should we say was the only one? He opened the doors for "Alex Jones politicians" such as Marjorie Taylor Greene.