DL Open Thread Tuesday January 18th 2022
Unless they are scared off by Trump, the GOP presidential primary is going to be a donnybrook because they all view Biden (or Harris) as incredibly beatable. With the changes they’ve made on the state level regarding how elections are run, they are probably right. Anyway, I guess I hope Liz Cheney runs, but I don’t see that happening.
As usual the country’s assholes will be choosing a “King of the Assholes” to represent them. FWIW, here is the NYT on Trump v DeSantis:
For months, former President Donald J. Trump has been grumbling quietly to friends and visitors to his Palm Beach mansion about a rival Republican power center in another Florida mansion, some 400 miles to the north.
Gov. Ron DeSantis, a man Mr. Trump believes he put on the map, has been acting far less like an acolyte and more like a future competitor, Mr. Trump complains. With his stock rising fast in the party, the governor has conspicuously refrained from saying he would stand aside if Mr. Trump runs for the Republican nomination for president in 2024.
“The magic words,” Trump has said to several associates and advisers.
That long-stewing resentment burst into public view recently in a dispute over a seemingly unrelated topic: Covid policies. After Mr. DeSantis refused to reveal his full Covid vaccination history, the former president publicly acknowledged he had received a booster. Last week, he seemed to swipe at Mr. DeSantis by blasting as “gutless” politicians who dodge the question out of fear of blowback from vaccine skeptics.
Mr. DeSantis shot back on Friday, criticizing Mr. Trump’s early handling of the pandemic and saying he regretted not being more vocal in his complaints.
On this date in 1991 US acknowledged that CIA and US Army paid Manuel Noriega $320,000 over his career.
One year prior to that Noriega surrendered to the U.S. military following the the United States Invasion of Panama, codenamed Operation “Just Cause.” Maybe should have been “Just ‘cuz”. As in why are you invading Panama? Just ‘cuz.
Panama’s flag celebrates the peaceful blessings of smoothly functioning two party political system. The stars and quarters are said to stand for the rival political parties, and the white is said to stand for the peace in which they operate. Blue was the color of the Conservatives and red was the color of the Liberals.
You may be familiar with this flag as so many ships are Panamanian by registry. Why is that? Let’s check wikipedia:
The modern practice of ships being registered in a foreign country began in the 1920s in the United States when shipowners seeking to serve alcohol to passengers during Prohibition registered their ships in Panama. Owners soon began to perceive advantages in terms of avoiding increased regulations and rising labor costs and continued to register their ships in Panama even after Prohibition ended.
The use of open registries steadily increased, and in 1968, Liberia grew to surpass the United Kingdom with the world’s largest ship register. As of 2009, more than half of the world’s merchant ships were registered with open registries, and almost 40% of the entire world fleet, in terms of deadweight tonnage, were registered in Panama, Liberia, and the Marshall Islands.
So, Biden and Harris are “incredibly beatable”, got a replacement in mind? At this point any Dem that hasn’t got charisma has an uphill climb, where as all a Republican candidate has to do is display an assortment of Fascist traits, fondle a few guns and sound off on a few racist “dog whistles”. Truth is Joe is too old to run again, admit it or not.
They also thought Obama was beatable both times. Even I thought McCain and Romney were going to win.
BTW Biden is only four years older than Trump.
There are a lot of cards to turn over before the next presidential election:
– Will Trump be indicted on… anything?
– Will high-level Jan 6 indictments and testimony produce a Watergate-level shock in voters?
– Will Putin invade Ukraine again? (probably)
– Will Repubs oppose sanctions on Russia?
– Will Dems be smart enough to campaign against Repub support for Russia?
– Will the economy hold up? (If so Biden’s best campaign might be “Are you better off than you were four years ago?”)
Also – Obama got to run when rules were still kind of a thing.
Puck,
Lol no
Lol no
Yes
Sanctions? They’ll demand war, then successfully campaign against biden for starting said war, you’ve seen this idiot electorate right?
No. They’ll campaign against their own decisions and lose again on the message of “hey you better vote for us or else trump” while making no attempt to gotv.#blm#loveislove#yas#girlboss
What economy?
All of this checks out.
(If so Biden’s best campaign might be “Are you better off than you were four years ago?)
This one is funny.
GOP voters could be swimming in gold coins like Scrooge McDuck and it would be a) great because Trump did it, or b) terrible because it would have been 100x more gold coins, but f%cking Joe Biden, or likely c) both.
Russia Gate Two Electric Bugaloo. Worked great the first time. Great analysis.
Joking aside, after living through the last five years how could anyone come to any of these conclusions?
Back on track sports fans: If not Biden then who? It’s question worth asking, that and four years is four closer to the long dirt nap. Next question, will the obese AF Trump be around in 2024? Or will DeSantis, the golden boy of the Fascist far right, get the nod and proclaim an anti abortion Fourth Reich?
I am an optimist. I sense that the organized crime family known as the GOP is beginning to splinter. The law seems to be after a number of them and their delusional base is probably clinically insane. Their crimes run the gamut, from fraud, forgery, tax evasion, child molestation, assault, insurrection, to name a few. We need to keep the legal pressure on this criminal element. Traditional Democratic circular firing squads are no help.
“Traditional Democratic circular firing squads are no help.”
…and there it is. There is literally no end to how the Centrist Dems can fuck up, but in the end, it is always the liberal’s fault. Very comforting.
You are the one pointing the gun.
Of course I am. Whenever Dem Centrists fuck up and fail it is always the fault of angry liberals.
I think we have all learned that lesson very well by now. Liberals are the handiest of handy scapegoats for piss-poor centrist strategy, and anemic execution of piss-poor strategy.
In fact when you look at the chronic piss-poor strategy and lame execution of Dem Centrists, it is almost as if they want to fail in order to blame liberals for that failure.
I actually feel bad for you.. not angry.. at your delusion. How can any rational person look at the past 5 years an think this is still a viable country?
Oh the GOP is demographically disadvantaged? Guess what! They fixed that. Jfc.. what is your faith in the courts? Lol.
We’re so far over the cliff now that starry eyed fantasies about America don’t even hold us back. Best to gather your guts and brace for impact. Your awakening will be rough, but when it happens and you’re ready to actually fight for something better, that’ll be great.